bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of alternative approaches to assess outlying and influential observations on health care costs
Authors: Weichle Thomas , Hynes Denise M , Durazo-Arvizu Ramon , Tarlov Elizabeth , Zhang Qiuying 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
The distributions of medical costs are often skewed to the right because small numbers of patients use large amounts of health care resources. Using data from a study of colon cancer costs, we show, by example, the impact and magnitude of outliers and influential observations on health care costs and compared the effects of statistical costing methods for addressing the disproportionate influence of outliers and influential observations. We used data from a retrospective cohort study of 3,842 elderly veterans with colon cancer who were enrolled in and used health care from, both the Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicare in 1999–2004. After calculating the average colon cancer episode cost and distribution for the full cohort, we used box-plot methods, Winsorization, DFBETAs, and Cook's distance to identify and assess or adjust the outlying and/or influential observations. The number of observations identified as outlying and/or influential ranged from 13 when the predicted DFBETA measurement was greater than 0.15 and the observation was a qualified box-plot outlier to 384 cases using the Winsorization method at the 5th and 95th percentiles. Average costs of colon cancer episodes using these methods were similar. The method of choice from the results of this particular analysis can be conditionally based on whether the purpose is to control only for influential observations or to simultaneously control for outliers and influential observations. Understanding how estimates could change with each approach is important in assessing the impact of a particular method on the results.
Importance of Achieving Stringent Complete Response After Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Kapoor Prashant , Kumar Shaji K. , Dispenzieri Angela , Lacy Martha Q. , Buadi Francis , Dingli David , Russell Stephen J. , Hayman Suzanne R. , Witzig Thomas E. , Lust John A. , Leung Nelson , Lin Yi , Zeldenrust Steven R. , McCurdy Arleigh , Greipp Philip R. , Kyle Robert A. , Rajkumar S. Vincent , Gertz Morie A. 
Published: November 2013

Purpose To study the impact of achieving stringent complete response (sCR), an increasingly attainable goal, after autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients and Methods Maximal response rates were determined in 445 consecutive patients who underwent ASCT within 12 months of diagnosis of MM. The patients achieving varying degrees of complete response (CR) are the focus of our study. Results One hundred and nine patients (25%) achieved sCR after ASCT. The median overall survival (OS) rate from the time of transplantation for patients attaining sCR was not reached (NR), in contrast to those patients achieving conventional complete response (CR; n = 37; OS, 81 months) or near CR (nCR; n = 91; OS, 60 months; P < .001). Five-year OS rates were 80%, 53%, and 47% for sCR, CR, and nCR, respectively. The median time to progression (TTP) from ASCT of patients achieving sCR was significantly longer (50 months) than TTP of patients achieving CR or nCR (20 months and 19 months, respectively). On multivariable analysis, post-ASCT response of sCR was an independent prognostic factor for survival (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.80; versus CR; P = .008), in addition to proliferation rate, pre-ASCT cytogenetics, and performance status. OS rates of patients attaining sCR continued to remain superior at 2-year landmark (median, NR v 70 months for conventional CR group; P = .007). Conclusion Improved long-term outcome is seen after ASCT with achievement of sCR when compared with lesser degrees of responses. Myeloma trials reporting the response rates should identify patients achieving sCR and CR separately, owing to markedly disparate outcomes of the two categories.
Hyponatremia Following Mild/Moderate Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Is Due To SIAD and Glucocorticoid Deficiency and not Cerebral Salt Wasting
Authors: Hannon M. J. , Behan L. A. , O'Brien M. M. C. , Tormey W. , Ball S. G. , Javadpur M. , Sherlock M. , Thompson C. J. 
Published: November 2013

Context:Hyponatremia is common after acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) but the etiology is unclear and there is a paucity of prospective data in the field. The cause of hyponatremia is variously attributed to the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD), acute glucocorticoid insufficiency, and the cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS).Objective:The objective was to prospectively determine the etiology of hyponatremia after SAH using sequential clinical examination and biochemical measurement of plasma cortisol, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).Design:This was a prospective cohort study.Setting:The setting was the National Neurosurgery Centre in a tertiary referral centre in Dublin, Ireland.Patients:One hundred patients with acute nontraumatic aneurysmal SAH were recruited on presentation.Interventions:Clinical examination and basic biochemical evaluation were performed daily. Plasma cortisol at 0900 hours, AVP, and BNP concentrations were measured on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 following SAH. Those with 0900 hours plasma cortisol &lt;300 nmol/L were empirically treated with iv hydrocortisone.Main Outcome Measures:Plasma sodium concentration was recorded daily along with a variety of clinical and biochemical criteria. The cause of hyponatremia was determined clinically. Later measurement of plasma AVP and BNP concentrations enabled a firm biochemical diagnosis of the cause of hyponatremia to be made.Results:Forty-nine of 100 developed hyponatremia &lt;135 mmol/L, including 14/100 &lt;130 mmol/L. The cause of hyponatremia, and determined by both clinical examination and biochemical hormone measurement, was SIAD in 36/49 (71.4%), acute glucocorticoid insufficiency in 4/49 (8.2%), incorrect iv fluids in 5/49 (10.2%), and hypovolemia in 5/49 (10.2%). There were no cases of CSWS.Conclusions:The most common cause of hyponatremia after acute nontraumatic aneurysmal SAH is SIAD. Acute glucocorticoid insufficiency accounts for a small but significant number of cases. We found no cases of CSWS.
The Application of a MEMS Microphone Phased Array to Aeroacoustics of Small Wind Turbines
Authors: Bale Adam , Johnson David A. 
Published: November 2013

A low-cost microelectromechanical (MEMS) microphone array was developed to investigate and localize aeroacoustic sources. A 1 m by 1 m array was designed as a portable measurement apparatus capable of locating noise sources from small rotating wind turbines in conjunction with open-jet wind tunnels or field measurements. Beamforming algorithms were implemented to allow simulation of sound sources and conditions expected to be encountered in testing. Array testing with a known monopole source, multiple sources and different frequencies located the mainlobes accurately at a number of frequencies and distances. A rotating sound source was located spatially and tracked using conventional beamforming. Experimental results from the acoustic testing of a 1.3 metre rotor diameter wind turbine in an open-jet wind tunnel indicated strong evidence of trailing edge noise at freestream velocities of 4.5 m/s and 5.5 m/s. Source maps for the 5.5 m/s tests reveal that the turbine's aeroacoustic emissions are most prevalent at the outer portions of the radius, but not necessarily at the tip. The azimuthal location of the greatest sound pressure levels was found to be roughly 120° to 130°, measured from the upward vertical, for most test conditions. An analytical model confirmed this sector to be the approximate expected azimuthal location of the source in the time-averaged source maps.
Improving the peer review process in orthopaedic journals
Authors: Sprowson A. P. , Rankin K. S. , McNamara I. , Costa M. L. , Rangan A. 
Published: November 2013

The peer review process for the evaluation of manuscripts for publication needs to be better understood by the orthopaedic community. Improving the degree of transparency surrounding the review process and educating orthopaedic surgeons on how to improve their manuscripts for submission will help improve both the review procedure and resultant feedback, with an increase in the quality of the subsequent publications. This article seeks to clarify the peer review process and suggest simple ways in which the quality of submissions can be improved to maximise publication success. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2013;2:245–7.
Introduction of Complementary Foods and the Relationship to Food Allergy
Authors: Grimshaw Kate E.C. , Maskell Joe , Oliver Erin M. , Morris Ruth C.G. , Foote Keith D. , Mills E.N. Clare , Roberts Graham , Margetts Barrie M. 
Published: November 2013

OBJECTIVES:To address questions regarding breastfeeding, complementary feeding, allergy development, and current infant-feeding recommendations.METHODS:This was a nested, case-control within a cohort study in which mothers of 41 infants diagnosed with food allergy by the age of 2 years (according to double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge) and their 82 age-matched controls kept prospective food diaries of how their infants were fed in the first year of life.RESULTS:Infants who were diagnosed with food allergy by the time they were 2 years of age were introduced to solids earlier (≤16 weeks of age) and were less likely to be receiving breast milk when cow’s milk protein was first introduced into their diet.CONCLUSIONS:This study supports the current American Academy of Pediatrics’ allergy prevention recommendations and the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition recommendations on complementary feeding to not introduce solids before 4 to 6 months of age. It also supports the American Academy of Pediatrics’ breastfeeding recommendations that breastfeeding should continue while solids are introduced into the diet and that breastfeeding should continue for 1 year, or longer, as mutually desired by mother and infant.
Probiotic Effects on Late-onset Sepsis in Very Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Jacobs Susan E. , Tobin Jacinta M. , Opie Gillian F. , Donath Susan , Tabrizi Sepehr N. , Pirotta Marie , Morley Colin J. , Garland Suzanne M. 
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:
Late-onset sepsis frequently complicates prematurity, contributing to morbidity and mortality. Probiotics may reduce mortality and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants, with unclear effect on late-onset sepsis. This study aimed to determine the effect of administering a specific combination of probiotics to very preterm infants on culture-proven late-onset sepsis.

METHODS:
A prospective multicenter, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized trial compared daily administration of a probiotic combination (Bifidobacterium infantis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium lactis, containing 1 × 109 total organisms) with placebo (maltodextrin) in infants born before 32 completed weeks’ gestation weighing &lt;1500 g. The primary outcome was at least 1 episode of definite late-onset sepsis.

RESULTS:
Between October 2007 and November 2011, 1099 very preterm infants from Australia and New Zealand were randomized. Rates of definite late-onset sepsis (16.2%), NEC of Bell stage 2 or more (4.4%), and mortality (5.1%) were low in controls, with high breast milk feeding rates (96.9%). No significant difference in definite late-onset sepsis or all-cause mortality was found, but this probiotic combination reduced NEC of Bell stage 2 or more (2.0% versus 4.4%; relative risk 0.46, 95% confidence interval 0.23 to 0.93, P = .03; number needed to treat 43, 95% confidence interval 23 to 333).

CONCLUSIONS:
The probiotics B infantis, S thermophilus, and B lactis significantly reduced NEC of Bell stage 2 or more in very preterm infants, but not definite late-onset sepsis or mortality. Treatment with this combination of probiotics appears to be safe.
Social-Cognitive Predictors of STEM Career Interests and Goal Persistence in College Students With Disabilities From Racial and Ethnic Minority Backgrounds
Authors: Cardoso Elizabeth da Silva , Dutta Alo , Chiu Chung-Yi , Johnson Ebonee T. , Kundu Madan , Chan Fong 
Published: November 2013

Objective:To examine the relations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics’s (STEM) self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and contextual supports and barriers to STEM educational goals in college students with disabilities from racial and ethnic minority backgroundsDesign:Quantitative descriptive research design using hierarchical regression analysis (HRA)Participants:115 underrepresented minority students with disabilities receiving services from the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Minority-Disability (MIND) Alliance in STEM project at Hunter College, City University of New York and Southern University at Baton Rouge for the years 2008−2011.Outcome Measures:TheSocial-Cognitive STEM measuresResults:The HRA results indicated that gender, advanced placement (AP) classes, father’s educational level, academic milestone self-efficacy, and STEM interest were significant predictors of goal persistence in African American and Hispanic college students with disabilities. The final model accounted for 57% of the variance in STEM persistence, which is considered a large effect size.Conclusion:The research findings provide good support for the use of the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) framework to identify predictors of STEM persistence and to design academic retention services and career development interventions for college students who are underrepresented minorities with disabilities.
Electrochemical Treatment of Reactive Black 5 Textile Wastewater: Optimization, Kinetics, and Disposal Study
Authors: Bansal Sachin , Kushwaha Jai Prakash , Sangal Vikas Kumar 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT: This research reports treatment of textile wastewater containing Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and other industrial constituents which are found in textile industry effluent, by the electrochemical treatment method using aluminum electrodes. Initial pH, current density (J), and electrolysis time (t) were selected as operational variables to observe the effects on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency (Y1), dye removal efficiency (Y2), and specific energy consumed (Y3) (kWh/kg of COD removed). A response surface methodology (RSM) with full factorial central composite design (CCD) was used for designing and optimizing responses. To optimize the multiple responses, multi‐response optimization with a desirability function were utilized for maximizing Y1 and Y2, and simultaneously minimizing Y3. To address issues of treated wastewater disposal, aluminum mass balance was performed. Electrocoagulation with subsequent adsorption, electrofloatation, and electro‐oxidation were found to be the mechanism for removal of the pollutants.
Attention to Form in Collaborative Writing Tasks: Comparing Pair and Small Group Interaction
Authors: Dobao Ana Fernández 
Published: November 2013

Abstract:This study examines the opportunities that a collaborative writing task completed in pairs and in small groups offers for attention to form. Previous research suggests that collaborative writing activities encourage learners to focus their attention on language and to collaborate in the resolution of their language-related problems in ways that facilitate learning. While that research focused almost exclusively on dyads, the present study compares the performance of the same writing task by learners working in pairs (n = 64) and in groups of four (n = 80). It investigates the role played by the number of participants on the frequency, resolution, and length of language-related episodes (LREs) focused on Spanish past tense morphology. It also examines the learners’ level of engagement in these LREs. Findings indicate that both groups and pairs focused their attention on form relatively often, but groups produced a significantly higher number of past tense LREs and were also more successful at solving them. As a result, their texts were more accurate. The LREs produced by the groups were also longer and showed more evidence of elaborate engagement with past tense morphology, therefore providing enhanced opportunities for second language learning. The pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.
Shifts in diversification rates and clade ages explain species richness in higher‐level sedge taxa (Cyperaceae)
Authors: Escudero Marcial , Hipp Andrew 
Published: November 2013

•Premise of the study:Understanding heterogeneity in species richness across the tree of life is a challenge in evolutionary biology. The sedge family, Cyperaceae, is classified into tribes that exhibit a roughly 200‐fold range in species richness. The Cyperaceae present an excellent case study in the determinants of species richness within higher‐level taxa.•Methods:We used secondary calibration based on prior studies and fossils from a rush (Juncaceae) and five sedges to calibrate two previously published Cyperaceae phylogenies, then compared our results to previous molecular clock analyses. We used an information‐theoretic approach to identify shifts in lineage diversification rates and phylogenetic generalized least squares to fit alternative models of clade species richness.•Key results:Our results suggest a late Cretaceous origin for Cyperaceae (76–89 mya). The inferred 0.06 speciation events Ma–1is comparable to overall diversification rates in the order Poales but faster than angiosperm background rates. A threefold increase in diversification rate at the base of the species‐rich SDC+FAEC clade is correlated with climatic changes during the Paleocene–Eocene boundary (ca. 55 mya). The greater driver of among‐clade variance in species richness, however, is clade age (simpleR2= 0.334,P= 0.0006).•Conclusions:Although shifts in diversification rates play a role in the generation of heterogeneous patterns of species richness, our study demonstrates that variance in clade age alone explains ca. 33% of among‐clade variation in species diversity, which stands in contrast to the general pattern for angiosperms.
Genome-Wide Regulatory Analysis Reveals That T-bet Controls Th17 Lineage Differentiation through Direct Suppression of IRF4
Authors: Gökmen M. Refik , Dong Rong , Kanhere Aditi , Powell Nick , Perucha Esperanza , Jackson Ian , Howard Jane K. , Hernandez-Fuentes Maria , Jenner Richard G. , Lord Graham M. 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
The complex relationship between Th1 and Th17 cells is incompletely understood. The transcription factor T-bet is best known as the master regulator of Th1 lineage commitment. However, attention is now focused on the repression of alternate T cell subsets mediated by T-bet, particularly the Th17 lineage. It has recently been suggested that pathogenic Th17 cells express T-bet and are dependent on IL-23. However, T-bet has previously been shown to be a negative regulator of Th17 cells. We have taken an unbiased approach to determine the functional impact of T-bet on Th17 lineage commitment. Genome-wide analysis of functional T-bet binding sites provides an improved understanding of the transcriptional regulation mediated by T-bet, and suggests novel mechanisms by which T-bet regulates Th cell differentiation. Specifically, we show that T-bet negatively regulates Th17 lineage commitment via direct repression of the transcription factor IFN regulatory factor-4 (IRF4). An in vivo analysis of the pathogenicity of T-bet–deficient T cells demonstrated that mucosal Th17 responses were augmented in the absence of T-bet, and we have demonstrated that the roles of T-bet in enforcing Th1 responses and suppressing Th17 responses are separable. The interplay of the two key transcription factors T-bet and IRF4 during the determination of T cell fate choice significantly advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of pathogenic T cells.
Protective Role of the Neuropeptide Urocortin II against Experimental Sepsis and Leishmaniasis by Direct Killing of Pathogens
Authors: Campos-Salinas Jenny , Caro Marta , Cavazzuti Antonio , Forte-Lago Irene , Beverley Stephen M. , O’Valle Francisco , Gonzalez-Rey Elena 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
We currently face an alarming resurgence in infectious diseases characterized by antimicrobial resistance and therapeutic failure. This has generated the urgent need of developing new therapeutic approaches that include agents with nontraditional modes of action. A recent interest focused on approaches based on our natural immune defenses, especially on peptides that combine innate antimicrobial activity against diverse pathogens and immunoregulatory functions. In this study, to our knowledge, we describe for the first time the antimicrobial activity of the neuropeptide urocortin II (UCNII) against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and tropical parasites of the genus Leishmania. Importantly, this cytotoxicity was selective for pathogens, because UCNII did not affect mammalian cell viability. Structurally, UCNII has a cationic and amphipathic design that resembles antimicrobial peptides. Using mutants and UCNII fragments, we determined the structural requirements for the interaction between the peptide and the surface of pathogen. Following its binding to pathogen, UCNII caused cell death through different membrane-disrupting mechanisms that involve aggregation and membrane depolarization in bacteria and pore formation in Leishmania. Noteworthily, UCNII killed the infective form of Leishmania major even inside the infected macrophages. Consequently, UCNII prevented mortality caused by polymicrobial sepsis and ameliorated pathological signs of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Besides its presence in body physical and mucosal barriers, we found that innate immune cells produce UCNII in response to infections. Therefore, UCNII could be considered as an ancient highly-conserved host peptide involved in the natural antimicrobial defense and emerge as an attractive alternative to current treatments for microbial disorders with associated drug resistances.
Action Research for Sustainable Mobile Learning: Perspectives from the Field in Dharavi, Mumbai
Authors: Hakimi Laura 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis research seeks to understand how a widely available and relatively affordable technology - the mobile phone - can be used to help disadvantaged young people in the urban slum of Dharavi, Mumbai, to improve their English language skills. In partnership with a technical organisation and a local NGO, and employing the principles of action research, this study is researching the extent to which a piece of learning software for mobile phones can sustainably enhance the learning of participants enrolled on a local NGO's educational initiative. With fieldwork currently underway, this poster presentation will seek to present the study's aims and preliminary findings, and discuss some of the methodological challenges associated with action research.