bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Passive acoustic density estimation of sperm whales in the Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas
Authors: W ard Jessica A. , Thomas Len , Jarvis Susan , DiMarzio Nancy , Moretti David , Marques Tiago A. , Dunn Charlotte , C laridge Diane , Hartvig Eva , Tyack Peter 
Published: April 2012

AbstractLong‐term passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammals on navy ranges provides the opportunity to better understand the potential impact of sonar on populations. The navy range in Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO), Bahamas contains extensive hydrophone arrays, potentially allowing estimation of the density of deep diving, vocally active species such as the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Previous visual surveys in TOTO have been of limited spatio–temporal coverage and resulted in only sporadic sightings of sperm whales, whereas passive acoustic observations suggest the species is present year round. However, until now the means of acoustically determining the specific number of individuals in each cluster has been limited. We used recently developed algorithms to identify the number of echolocating whales present during a 42 d study period. We screened a 297 h acoustic data set to determine the proportion of time animals were present; fifty 10 min samples during presence were analyzed to estimate the number of individuals vocalizing during each sample. These counts were combined with an independent estimate of the proportion of 10 min periods when tagged animals vocalize. The estimated average density was 0.16 whales/1,000 km2(CV 27%; 95% CI 0.095–0.264). The method is potentially applicable to other areas containing dense hydrophone arrays.
Safety and tolerability of a 6‐week course of oseltamivir prophylaxis for seasonal influenza in children
Authors: Reisinger Keith , Shu Daniel , Cupelli Lisa , Marcadis Isaac , Dutkowski Regina 
Published: April 2012

Please cite this paper as: Reisinger et al. Safety and tolerability of a 6‐week course of oseltamivir prophylaxis for seasonal influenza in children. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI: 10.1111/j.1750‐2659.2012.00367.x.In an open‐label study, 49 children aged 1–12 years received oseltamivir (30–75 mg once daily depending on bodyweight) for 6 weeks for influenza prophylaxis. Seventeen participants reported 22 adverse events (AEs); in three participants, AEs were considered probably drug related (nausea or vomiting). No serious AEs were reported. The tolerability profile was similar to pooled safety data from treatment studies (duration of 5 days) in children.
The Promise of Racial and Ethnic Protective Factors in Promoting Ethnic Minority Youth Development
Authors: Neblett Enrique W. , Rivas‐Drake Deborah , Umaña‐Taylor Adriana J. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractExperiences of racial and ethnic discrimination pose significant threats to the development and well‐being of racial and ethnic minority children. Fortunately, not all youth who experience discrimination are susceptible to its harmful effects. Growing evidence points to several racial and ethnic factors that promote positive youth development and protect against the potentially damaging effects of racial and ethnic adversity. This article summarizes emerging research trends and conclusions regarding the “promotive” and “protective” effects of racial and ethnic identity, ethnic‐racial socialization, and cultural orientation, as well as some of the mechanisms that may account for their salutary properties. The article concludes with a brief discussion of important considerations and directions for the future study of racial and ethnic resilience processes in ethnic minority youth.
The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective
Authors: Zelazo Philip David , Lyons Kristen E. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractEarly childhood is marked by substantial development in the self‐regulatory skills supporting school readiness and socioemotional competence. Evidence from developmental social cognitive neuroscience suggests that these skills develop as a function of changes in a dynamic interaction between more top‐down (controlled) regulatory processes and more bottom‐up (automatic) influences on behavior. Mindfulness training—using age‐appropriate activities to exercise children's reflection on their moment‐to‐moment experiences—may support the development of self‐regulation by targeting top‐down processes while lessening bottom‐up influences (such as anxiety, stress, curiosity) to create conditions conducive to reflection, both during problem solving and in more playful, exploratory ways.
Left Ventricular Assist Device as Bridge to Recovery for Anthracycline‐Induced Terminal Heart Failure
Authors: Appel Jon M. , Sander Kåre , Hansen Peter B. , Møller Jacob E. , Krarup‐Hansen Anders , Gustafsson Finn 
Published: April 2012

©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Anthracycline treatments are hampered by dose‐related cardiotoxicity, frequently leading to heart failure (HF) with a very poor prognosis. The authors report a case of a 19‐year‐old man developing HF after anthracycline treatment for Ewing sarcoma. Despite medical treatment, his condition deteriorated to terminal HF, leading to implantation of a mechanical left ventricular assist device (LVAD). His heart function recovered, allowing explantation of the device 14 months after implantation. Heart transplantation is often contraindicated in the first years after treatment for cancers, and LVAD as “bridge to recovery” may be warranted in similar patients.
Reliability of Shoulder Symptom Recall after 1 Year in a Retrospective Application of the Oxford Shoulder Score
Authors: Held Michael , Roche Steve , Vrettos Basil , Laubscher Maritz , Walters Johan 
Published: April 2012

Background The accuracy of retrospective recall of shoulder symptoms has not been well documented. This prospective study assesses the ability of patients to recall their preoperative shoulder function one year after a surgical intervention, using the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS). Methods 35 patients completed an OSS before undergoing shoulder surgery. One year later, patients were asked to recall their symptoms prior to their surgery. The recalled OSS of the patients as a group was compared to their preoperative score. The recall bias of each test pair was assessed with a Bland – Altman plot. Results On recall after a mean of 12.6 months, the mean OSS from the index assessment increased from 36.25 to 38.25 points. The mean difference of 2 points for the patients as a group was not significant (p = 0.14). The statistical limits of agreement of the Bland – Altman plot were set at +/-2 SD = 14.079 points. The plotted points showed fair correlation between each individual test pair. Conclusion The recall of symptoms of a large group of patients at 1 year after the index intervention appears to have a moderate correlation with the preoperative scoring. Although statistically acceptable, this limit of agreement is much larger than the 4.5-point difference, established to be clinically relevant in prior studies. The variation seen within the scores at the individual level suggests that these data cannot be used as a retrospective tool.
Preparation and physicochemical characterization of a novel paclitaxel-loaded amphiphilic aminocalixarene nanoparticle platform for anticancer chemotherapy
Authors: Weeden Clare , Hartlieb Karel J , Lim Lee Yong 
Published: April 2012

Abstract

Objectives
This paper describes the development and optimization of a nanoparticle delivery platform for the anticancer agent, paclitaxel, using a novel amphiphilic carrier, tetrahexyloxy-tetra-p-aminocalix[4]arene (A4C6).

Methods
Nanoparticles were successfully prepared at pH 4 by an emulsion evaporation method whereby an organic phase containing paclitaxel : A4C6 (molar ratio 1 : 10) was dispersed by probe sonication into an aqueous phase containing 0.5% w/v polyvinyl alcohol as stabilizer.

Key findings
The drug-loaded nanoparticles had a mean size of 78.7 ± 20.7 nm, surface potential of 38.3 ± 7.67 mV, and paclitaxel loading and encapsulation efficiencies of 69.1 ± 5.3 µg drug/mg carrier and 50.4 ± 3.2%, respectively. Transmission electron micrographs showed discrete particles with no evidence of agglomeration. In-vitro dissolution into phosphate buffered saline supplemented with 4% bovine serum albumin showed 32.7 ± 3.9%, 82.6 ± 5.3% and 91.0 ± 6.0% of the encapsulated paclitaxel load was released at 5, 72 and 120 h, respectively.

Conclusions
This is the first report on the use of amino-substituted amphiphilic calixarenes for the encapsulation of anticancer agents. The nanoparticles produced were significantly smaller than, but had comparable drug loads to the Abraxane nanoparticles, and have the potential to achieve targeted delivery of paclitaxel to tumour tissues.
BND-12, a novel nonhaematotoxic naphthalimide derivative, inhibits tumour growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Xie Song-qiang , Li Qian , Zhang Ya-hong , Li Zhan , Zhao Jin , Wang Chao-jie 
Published: April 2012

Abstract

Objectives
Naphthalimides have shown potent antitumour activity against a variety of murine and human cancer cells. However, most of them have been abandoned because of a poor therapeutic index and haematotoxicity, such as amonafide. To overcome these disadvantages, many novel naphthalimide derivatives have been designed and synthesized as antitumour agents.

Methods
The cytotoxicity of 6,6-(propane-1,3-diylbis(azanediyl)bis(2-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-1H-benzo[de]isoquinoline-1-3(2H)-dione) (BND-12) was evaluated using multiparameter cytotoxicity 2 kit by High Content Screening (HCS). The antiproliferative ability of BND-12 was evaluated using MTT assay. BND-12-mediated cell apoptosis was evaluated using HCS. Antitumor effects and systemic toxicity of BND-12 were evaluated in vivo using Kunming male mice.

Key findings
After screening, we found BND-12, a novel naphthalimide derivative, exerted favourable antitumour activity in vitro and in vivo. Our data demonstrated that the cytotoxicity of BND-12 was due to cell apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. Interestingly, we demonstrated that BND-12 exerted more potent antitumour activity in subcutaneous xenograft tumour growth, survival time and lung metastasis than amonafide in vivo. Encouragingly, preliminary toxicological evaluation demonstrated that BND-12 had no obvious systemic toxicity at the therapeutic dose, especially haematotoxicity.

Conclusions
BND-12 exerted potent effects against HCC in vivo and in vitro, importantly, it had no obvious systemic toxicity at the therapeutic dose.
Fatigue of survivors following cardiac surgery: Positive influences of preoperative prayer coping
Authors: Ai Amy L. , Wink Paul , Shearer Marshall 
Published: April 2012

Objectives. Fatigue symptoms are common among individuals suffering from cardiac diseases, but few studies have explored longitudinally protective factors in this population. This study examined the effect of preoperative factors, especially the use of prayer for coping, on long‐term postoperative fatigue symptoms as one aspect of lack of vitality in middle‐aged and older patients who survived cardiac surgery.Method. The analyses capitalized on demographics, faith factors, mental health, and on medical comorbidities previously collected via two‐wave preoperative interviews and standardized information from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ national database. The current participants completed a mailed survey 30 months after surgery. Two hierarchical regressions were performed to evaluate the extent to which religious factors predicted mental and physical fatigue, respectively, after controlling for key demographics, medical indices, and mental health.Results. Preoperative prayer coping, but not other religious factors, predicted less mental fatigue at the 30‐month follow‐up, after controlling for key demographics, medical comorbidities, cardiac function (previous cardiovascular intervention, congestive heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association Classification), mental health (depression, anxiety), and protectors (optimism, hope, social support). Male gender, preoperative anxiety, and reverence in secular context predicted more mental fatigue. Physical fatigue increased with age, medical comorbidities, and preoperative anxiety. Including health control beliefs in the model did not eliminate this effect.Conclusions. Prayer coping may have independent and positive influences on less fatigue in individuals who survived cardiac surgery. However, future research should investigate mechanisms of this association.
Quantification with a dedicated breast PET/CT scanner
Authors: Bowen Spencer L. , Ferrero Andrea , Badawi Ramsey D. 
Published: April 2012

Purpose:Dedicated breast PET/CT is expected to have utility in local staging, surgical planning, monitoring of therapy response, and detection of residual disease for breast cancer. Quantitative metrics will be integral to several such applications. The authors present a validation of fully 3D data correction schemes for a custom built dedicated breast PET/CT (DbPET/CT) scanner via18F‐FDG phantom scans.Methods:A component‐based normalization was implemented, live‐time was estimated with a multicomponent model, and a variance reduced randoms estimate was computed from delayed coincidences. Attenuation factors were calculated by using a CT based segmentation scheme while scatter was computed using a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation method. As no performance standard currently exists for breast PET systems, custom performance tests were created based on prior patient imaging results. Count‐rate linearity for live‐time and randoms corrections was measured with a decay experiment for a solid polyethylene cylinder phantom with an offset line source. A MC simulation was used to validate attenuation correction, a multicompartment phantom with asymmetric activity distribution provided an assessment of scatter correction, and image uniformity after geometric and detector normalization was measured from a high count scan of a uniform cylinder phantom. Raw data were reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) after Fourier rebinning. To quantify performance absolute activity concentrations, contrast recovery coefficients and image uniformity were calculated through region of interest analysis.Results:The most significant source of error was attributed to mispositioning of events due to pile‐up, presenting in count‐related axial and transaxial nonuniformities that were not corrected for with the normalization method used here. Within the range of singles counts observed during clinical trials residual error after applying all corrections was comparable to that of a commercial whole body PET/CT system.Conclusions:The results suggest that DbPET/CT is capable of producing quantitative images under the operating conditions expected during patient imaging.
Evolving treatment plan quality criteria from institution‐specific experience
Authors: Ruan D. , Shao W. , DeMarco J. , Tenn S. , King C. , Low D. , Kupelian P. , Steinberg M. 
Published: April 2012

Purpose:The dosimetric aspects of radiation therapy treatment plan quality are usually evaluated and reported with dose volume histogram (DVH) endpoints. For clinical practicality, a small number of representative quantities derived from the DVH are often used as dose endpoints to summarize the plan quality. National guidelines on reference values for such quantities for some standard treatment approaches are often used as acceptance criteria to trigger treatment plan review. On the other hand, treatment prescription and planning approaches specific to each institution warrants the need to report plan quality in terms of practice consistency and with respect to institution‐specific experience. The purpose of this study is to investigate and develop a systematic approach to record and characterize the institution‐specific plan experience and use such information to guide the design of plan quality criteria. In the clinical setting, this approach will assist in (1) improving overall plan quality and consistency and (2) detecting abnormal plan behavior for retrospective analysis.Methods:The authors propose a self‐evolving methodology and have developed an in‐house prototype software suite that (1) extracts the dose endpoints from a treatment plan and evaluates them against both national standard and institution‐specific criteria and (2) evolves the statistics for the dose endpoints and updates institution‐specific criteria.Results:The validity of the proposed methodology was demonstrated with a database of prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy cases. As more data sets are accumulated, the evolving institution‐specific criteria can serve as a reliable and stable consistency measure for plan quality and reveals the potential use of the “tighter” criteria than national standards or projected criteria, leading to practice that may push to shrink the gap between plans deemed acceptable and the underlyingunknown optimality.Conclusions:The authors have developed a rationale to improve plan quality and consistency, by evolving the plan quality criteria from institution‐specific experience, complementary to national standards. The validity of the proposed method was demonstrated with a prototype system on prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) cases. The current study uses direct and indirect DVH endpoints for plan quality evaluation, but the infrastructure proposed here applies to general outcome data as well. The authors expect forward evaluation together with intelligent update based on evidence‐based learning, which will evolve the clinical practice for improved efficiency, consistency, and ultimately better treatment outcome.
Using spatial information about recurrence risk for robust optimization of dose‐painting prescription functions
Authors: Bender Edward T. 
Published: April 2012

Purpose:To develop a robust method for deriving dose‐painting prescription functions using spatial information about the risk for disease recurrence.Methods:Spatial distributions of radiobiological model parameters are derived from distributions of recurrence risk after uniform irradiation. These model parameters are then used to derive optimal dose‐painting prescription functions given a constant mean biologically effective dose.Results:An estimate for the optimal dose distribution can be derived based on spatial information about recurrence risk. Dose painting based on imaging markers that are moderately or poorly correlated with recurrence risk are predicted to potentially result in inferior disease control when compared the same mean biologically effective dose delivered uniformly. A robust optimization approach may partially mitigate this issue.Conclusions:The methods described here can be used to derive an estimate for a robust, patient‐specific prescription function for use in dose painting. Two approximate scaling relationships were observed: First, the optimal choice for the maximum dose differential when using either a linear or two‐compartment prescription function is proportional to R, where R is the Pearson correlation coefficient between a given imaging marker and recurrence risk after uniform irradiation. Second, the predicted maximum possible gain in tumor control probability for any robust optimization technique is nearly proportional to the square of R.
Inverse‐planned modulated‐arc total‐body irradiation
Authors: Kirby Neil , Held Mareike , Morin Olivier , Fogh Shannon , Pouliot Jean 
Published: April 2012

Purpose:To develop a simple and robust method for inverse‐planned total‐body irradiation (TBI) that is more comfortable and has better dose homogeneity than the conventional forward‐planned techniques and that can be delivered in a standard‐sized treatment vault.Methods:Modulated‐arc TBI (MATBI) utilizes an arc of static open‐field beams to irradiate patients as they lay on a stationary couch beneath the gantry, with cerrobend blocks suspended over organs at risk to provide shielding. Prior to treatment, full‐body computed tomography (CT) images are acquired of each patient and imported into thePINNACLE3 planning system, which modulates the monitor units for the open‐field beams to optimize the body dose uniformity. The volume of the body within 10% of the prescription dose, V(±10), is used as a metric to evaluate the dose uniformity. For comparison to MATBI, the dose distribution of a conventional forward‐planned treatment is also calculated. Quality assurance measurements are acquired before treatment by delivering the plans to a phantom and during treatment with an ionization chamber inside a buildup block, placed between the patient's ankles.Results:For MATBI, the achieved values of V(±10) were 75.8%, 90.2%, 84.6%, and 79.8% compared to 60.3%, 77.4%, 65.6%, and 68.5% for the conventional TBI technique, respectively. The pretreatment ion chamber measurements in the phantom had an average error of 1.2%. Those acquired during treatment had larger errors, with most points being within 3% of predictions.Conclusions:MATBI provides better dose uniformity and comfort than the conventional forward‐planned TBI techniques. In addition, the technique can be implemented on most linacs, in standard‐sized vaults, without the use of a translating couch.
Comparative economic analyses of patient safety improvement strategies in acute care: a systematic review
Authors: Etchells Edward , Koo Marika , Daneman Nick , McDonald Andrew , Baker Michael , Matlow Anne , Krahn Murray , Mittmann Nicole 
Published: April 2012

BackgroundThe objective was to systematically review comparative economic analyses of patient safety improvements in the acute care setting.MethodsA systematic review of 15 patient safety target conditions and six improvement strategies was conducted. The authors searched the published literature through Medline (2000–November 2011) using the following search terms for costs: ‘costs and cost analysis’, ‘cost-effectiveness’, ‘cost’ and ‘financial management, hospital’. The methodological quality of potentially relevant studies was appraised using Cochrane rules of evidence for clinical effectiveness in quality improvement, and standard economic methods.ResultsThe authors screened 2151 abstracts, reviewed 212 potentially eligible studies, and identified five comparative economic analyses that reported a total of seven comparisons based on at least one clinical effectiveness study of adequate methodological quality. Pharmacist-led medication reconciliation to prevent potential adverse drug events dominated (lower costs, better safety) a strategy of no reconciliation. Chlorhexidine for vascular catheter site care to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections dominated a strategy of povidone-iodine for catheter site care. The Keystone ICU initiative to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections was economically dominant over usual care. Detecting surgical foreign bodies using standard counting compared with a strategy of no counting had an incremental cost of US$1500 (CAN$1676) for each surgical foreign body detected. Several safety improvement strategies were less economically attractive, such as bar-coded sponges for reducing retained surgical sponges compared with standard surgical counting, and giving erythropoietin to reduce transfusion requirements in critically ill patients to avoid one transfusion-related adverse event.ConclusionsFive comparative economic analyses were found that reported a total of seven comparisons based on at least one effectiveness study of adequate methodological quality. On the basis of these limited studies, pharmacist-led medication reconciliation, the Keystone ICU intervention for central line-associated bloodstream infections, chlorhexidine for vascular catheter site care, and standard surgical sponge counts were economically attractive strategies for improving patient safety. More comparative economic analyses of such strategies are needed.