bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laparoendoscopic single‐site (LESS) partial nephrectomy short‐term outcomes
Authors: Rais‐Bahrami Soroush , George Arvin K. , Montag Sylvia , Okhunov Zhamshid , Richstone Lee 
Published: July 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?
Laparoendoscopic single‐site (LESS) surgery has been used by urologists for a broad range of operations including LESS partial nephrectomy (LESS‐PN). To date, experiences of LESS‐PN have been presented as small series or as a subset of larger heterogeneous operative experiences, which have shown the overall feasibility and safety of this novel technique.
We report our experience with LESS‐PN with complete pathological resection and excellent short‐term oncological and renal functional outcomes in the select patient population who underwent this minimally invasive approach.
Objective
To present our experience of transumbilical laparoendoscopic single‐site (LESS) partial nephrectomy (PN) with pathological and short‐term oncological and renal functional outcomes.
Patients and Methods
In all, 15 LESS‐PNs were performed for cT1a tumours between July 2008 and August 2011 by one surgeon.
All patients underwent transumbilical LESS using a 5‐mm flexible‐tip laparoscope and a combination of flexible and conventional laparoscopic instruments.
The technique for transperitoneal LESS‐PN otherwise replicated conventional laparoscopic PN.
Demographic, perioperative, and postoperative variables were recorded and analysed.
Results
Of the 14 patients (eight men), undergoing 15 distinct LESS‐PN, the mean (sd) age was 57.9 (8.7) years and the mean (sd, range) tumour size resected was 2.4 (0.8; 1.2–4.0). There were 12 renal cell carcinomas, two angiomyolipomas, and two metanephric adenomas on final pathology, all with negative margins.
The mean (sd) operative duration was 169 (47) min with a mean (sd, range) warm ischaemia time of 14.7 (13.4; 0–37) min; bull‐dog clamps were used for hilar‐control in nine cases with the remaining six cases done without hilar vascular clamping.
The mean (sd) estimated blood loss in this series was 293 (325) mL (median 200 mL) and no cases required intraoperative or postoperative blood transfusions.
The mean (sd) hospital stay was 2.7 (0.8) days and mean inpatient analgesic requirement in morphine equivalents was 21.7 (11.6) mg.
Follow‐up surveillance imaging showed no recurrence at a mean (sd, range) follow‐up of 18.3 (12.2; 6–36) months and a negligible change in serum creatinine (<0.1 mg/dL) at a mean (sd, range) follow‐up of 17.1 (11.9; 1–36) months.
Conclusion
LESS‐PN is a feasible and effective operation, providing complete oncological resection along with excellent short‐term oncological and renal functional outcomes.
Challenges in sharing knowledge: reflections from the perspective of an expatriate nurse working in a South Sudanese hospital
Authors: Tjoflåt I. , Karlsen B. 
Published: July 2012

TJOFLÅT I. & KARLSEN B. (2012) Challenges in sharing knowledge: reflections from the perspective of an expatriate nurse working in a South Sudanese hospital. International Nursing ReviewAim:  This account, based on the experience of the first author, aims to describe an example of practice from a hospital in South Sudan. The example illustrates a cross‐cultural encounter and the challenges that a Sudanese nurse and an expatriate nurse face in sharing knowledge when providing patient care.Content:  The constructed practical example between nurses with different knowledge bases and experiences was characterized by the expatriate nurse giving her instructions and not allowing the Sudanese nurse to respond to them. This ‘one‐way’ communication demonstrated that the expatriate nurse considered herself to have the better knowledge of nursing care. These aspects of the encounter formed the basis for the following discussion, which sheds light on how the expatriate nurse ideally could have worked by using a dialogue instead of one‐way communication. The importance of having knowledge and understanding of the context in cross‐cultural encounters was also emphasized.Conclusions:  The discussion of this practical example can provide insight for other nurses when working in cultures other than their own into the importance of using a dialogue when sharing knowledge in a cross‐cultural encounter. In addition, expatriates can be made aware of the importance of acquiring knowledge about the context for ‘the other’ when working cross culturally. Finally, it should be noted that the description and discussion of the experience reflect only the perspective of the expatriate nurse.
Whose Minerals, Whose Development? Rhetoric and Reality in Post‐Conflict Sierra Leone
Authors: Zulu Leo , Wilson Sigismond 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACTDespite boosts in mineral exports, popular post‐conflict minerals‐for‐development reforms in Sierra Leone have failed to significantly reduce poverty. This article uses power as an analytical lens to explore the reasons for this failure, with empirical material from the diamond sector's mining cooperatives scheme (2005), the Diamond Areas Community Development Fund (DACDF), and Kono District. The study shows that there was no significant improvement along four dimensions: material deprivation, education and health, vulnerability, and powerlessness. The authors argue that understanding the impact of these reforms requires a nuanced multi‐scalar examination of power relations, actors, and the social, political, economic and historical context within which mining is embedded. Their findings point to: 1) limits to mineral‐led poverty reduction and the need for realistic expectations and diversification of livelihood opportunities; and 2) the need for interventions that balance power asymmetries and the way that power is exercised among diverse actors, wherein decentralization offers early hope.
Economic Development under Climate Change
Authors: Arndt Channing , Chinowsky Paul , Robinson Sherman , Strzepek Kenneth , Tarp Finn , Thurlow James 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThe papers in this special issue represent some of the most comprehensive analyses of the implications of climate change for developing countries undertaken to date. The papers employ a bottoms‐up systems approach whereby the implications of climate change are evaluated using structural models of agriculture and infrastructure systems. The authors of the paper hail from multiple disciplines. This comprehensive, multi‐disciplinary, structural approach is designed to allow for more robust insight into the potential implications of climate change. The approach also allows for experimentation with alternative policy options for achieving development objectives in the context of climate change.
Current Climate Variability and Future Climate Change: Estimated Growth and Poverty Impacts for Zambia
Authors: Thurlow James , Zhu Tingju , Diao Xinshen 
Published: July 2012

AbstractEconomy‐wide and hydrological‐crop models are combined to assess the economic impacts of historical climate variability and future anthropogenic climate change in Zambia. Accounting for uncertainty, results indicate that, on average, current variability reduces gross domestic product by 4% over a 10‐year period and pulls 2% of the population below the poverty line. Socioeconomic impacts are much larger during major drought years, thus underscoring the importance of extreme weather events in determining climate damages. Climate change scenarios draw on projections for 2025. Results indicate that, in the worst case scenario, damages caused by climate change are half the size of those from current variability. The paper concludes that current climate variability, rather than climate change, will remain the more binding constraint on economic development in Zambia, at least over the next few decades.
A Stochastic Simulation Approach to Estimating the Economic Impacts of Climate Change in Bangladesh
Authors: Thurlow James , Dorosh Paul , Yu Winston 
Published: July 2012

AbstractClimate change assessments often inadequately address uncertainty when estimating damages. Using a dynamic economy‐wide model of Bangladesh, damages from historical climate variability and future anthropogenic climate change are estimated and decomposed. The stochastic simulation approach used avoids biases caused by non‐linear damage functions and fixed occurrences of extreme events in historical data. Using 10 climate projections, it is found that future anthropogenic climate change damages until 2050 are, on average, one‐fifth of those from historical climate variability. Climate change also alters the temporal distribution of damages and slows Bangladesh's long run shift (adaptation) into dry (winter) season rice production.
Climate Change and Roads: A Dynamic Stressor–Response Model
Authors: Chinowsky Paul , Arndt Channing 
Published: July 2012

AbstractDecision‐makers who are responsible for determining when and where infrastructure should be developed and/or enhanced are facing a new challenge with the emerging topic of climate change. The paper introduces a stressor–response methodology where engineering‐based models are used as a basis to estimate the impact of individual climate stressors on road infrastructure in Mozambique. Through these models, stressor–response functions are introduced that quantify the cost impact of a specific stressor based on the intensity of the stressor and the type of infrastructure it is affecting. Utilizing four climate projection scenarios, the paper details how climate change response decisions may cost the Mozambican government in terms of maintenance costs and long‐term roadstock inventory reduction. Through this approach the paper details how a 14% reduction in inventory loss can be achieved through the adoption of a proactive, design standard evolution approach to climate change.
Sex, Drugs, and Catholic Schools: Private Schooling and Non-Market Adolescent Behaviors
Authors: Figlio David , Ludwig Jens 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThis study examines the effects of private schooling on adolescent non-market behaviors. We control for differences between private and public school students by making use of the rich set of covariates available with our NELS micro-dataset. We also employ an instrumental-variables strategy that exploits variation across metropolitan areas in the costs that parents face in transporting their children to private schools, which stem from differences in the quality of the local transportation infrastructure. We find evidence to suggest that religious private schooling reduces involvement in the most consequential risky behaviors such as teen sexual activity, arrests, and use of hard drugs (cocaine), but not drinking, smoking and marijuana use.
Does the STAF score help detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in acute stroke patients?
Authors: Horstmann S. , Rizos T. , Güntner J. , Hug A. , Jenetzky E. , Krumsdorf U. , Veltkamp R. 
Published: July 2012

Background and purposeDetecting paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) soon after acute cerebral ischaemia has a major impact on secondary stroke prevention. Recently, the STAF score, a composite of clinical and instrumental findings, was introduced to identify stroke patients at risk of pAF. We aimed to validate this score in an independent study population.MethodsConsecutive patients admitted to our stroke unit with acute ischaemic stroke were prospectively enrolled. The diagnostic work‐up included neuroimaging, neuroultrasound, baseline 12‐channel electrocardiogram (ECG), 24‐h Holter ECG, continuous ECG monitoring, and echocardiography. Presence of AF was documented according to the medical history of each patient and after review of 12‐lead ECG, 24‐h Holter ECG, or continuous ECG monitoring performed during the stay on the ward. Additionally, a telephone follow‐up visit was conducted for each patient after 3 months to inquire about newly diagnosed AF. Items for each patient–age, baseline NIHSS, left atrial dilatation, and stroke etiology according to the TOAST criteria – were assessed to calculate the STAF score.ResultsOverall, 584 patients were enrolled in our analysis. AF was documented in 183 (31.3%) patients. In multivariable analysis, age, NIHSS, left atrial dilatation, and absence of vascular etiology were independent predictors for AF. The logistic AF‐prediction model of the STAF score revealed fair classification accuracy in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with an area under the curve of 0.84. STAF scores of ≥5 had a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 74% for predicting AF.ConclusionThe value of the STAF score for predicting the risk of pAF in stroke patients is limited.
A neurophysiological marker of impaired preparation in an 11‐year follow‐up study of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Authors: Doehnert Mirko , Brandeis Daniel , Schneider Gudrun , Drechsler Renate , Steinhausen Hans‐Christoph 
Published: July 2012

Background:  This longitudinal electrophysiological study investigated the course of multiple impaired cognitive brain functions in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from childhood to adulthood by comparing developmental trajectories of individuals with ADHD and typically developing controls.Methods:  Subjects with ADHD (N = 11) and normal controls (N = 12) diagnosed in childhood [mean age ADHD/CTRL = 10.9 years [SD 1.72]/10.0 years (SD 1.03)] were followed up after 1.1 and 2.4 years, and as young adults [ADHD/CTRL: 21.9 years (SD 1.46)/21.1 years (SD 1.29)].At all four times, event‐related potential (ERP) maps were recorded during a cued continuous performance test (CPT). We focused on residual deficits as adults, and on developmental trajectories (time and time × group effects) for CPT performance and attentional (Cue P300), preparatory (CNV: contingent negative variation) and inhibitory (NoGo P300) ERP components.Results:  All ERP components developed without significant time × group interactions. Only the CNV remained reduced in the ADHD group, although 8/11 individuals no longer met a full ADHD diagnosis as adults. Cue P300 and NoGo P300 group differences became nonsignificant in early adulthood. The CNV parameters correlated with reaction time (RT) and RT‐SD. Perceptual sensitivity improved and the groups’ trajectories converged with development, while RT‐SD continued to be elevated in adult ADHD subjects.Conclusions:  Attentional and preparatory deficits in ADHD continue into adulthood, and the attenuated CNV appears to reflect a particularly stable ADHD marker. Although some deficit reductions may have gone undetected due to small sample size, the findings challenge those developmental lag models postulating that most ADHD‐related deficits become negligible with brain maturation.
Life Cycle Sustainability Dashboard
Authors: Traverso Marzia , Finkbeiner Matthias , Jørgensen Andreas , Schneider Laura 
Published: July 2012

SummaryOne method to assess the sustainability performance of products is life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA), which assesses product performance considering the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the life cycle. The results of LCSA can be used to compare different products or to support decision making toward sustainable production and consumption. In both cases, LCSA results could be too disaggregated and consequently too difficult to understand and interpret by decision makers. As non‐experts are usually the target audience of experts and scientists, and are also involved in decision‐making processes, the necessity for a straightforward but comprehensive presentation of LCSA results is becoming strategically important.The implementation of the dashboard of sustainability proposed in this article offers a possible solution. An outstanding characteristic of the dashboard of sustainability is the communicability of the results by means of a graphical representation (a cartogram), characterized by a suitable chromatic scale and ranking score.The integration of LCSA and the dashboard of sustainability into a so‐called Life Cycle Sustainability Dashboard (LCSD) is described here. The first application of LCSD to a group of hard floor coverings is presented to show the applicability and limitations of the methodology.
Predictors of 1‐Year Change in Patient Activation in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Disease
Authors: Chubak Jessica , Anderson Melissa L. , Saunders Kathleen W. , Hubbard Rebecca A. , Tuzzio Leah , Liss David T. , Morales Leo S. , Reid Robert J. 
Published: July 2012

ObjectivesTo identify patterns and predictors of 1‐year change in patient activation in chronically ill older adults.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingIntegrated healthcare delivery system.ParticipantsMembers of an integrated delivery system from 2007 to 2009 in western Washington state aged 65 and older with diabetes mellitus or heart disease; participants responded to baseline and 1‐year follow‐up mailed surveys about their health and health care (N = 2,341).MeasurementsPatient activation was measured using the 13‐item Patient Activation Measure (PAM) at baseline and follow‐up. Automated diagnoses and procedure data were extracted from databases. Multinomial logistic regression, stratified according to baseline activation stage, was used to estimate the odds ratios for increasing or decreasing activation stage associated with participant characteristics and serious adverse health events.ResultsFifty‐two percent of participants changed activation stage between baseline and follow‐up. Of people who changed stage, 54% increased, and 46% decreased. Older age and worse baseline self‐reported health were independent predictors of activation change in multivariate models. Changes in health status or serious adverse health events such as the occurrence of hospitalizations, new major diagnoses, or procedures were not related to changes in activation in this age group.ConclusionPatient activation, as measured using the PAM, changes over time in elderly adults with chronic diseases. Clinicians and researchers who use the PAM for patient care or as an outcome measure in research studies should be aware of its fluctuation over time in chronically ill older persons.
The Relationship of Smoking Status to Alcohol Use, Problems, and Health Behaviors in College Freshmen
Authors: Haas Amie L. , Smith Shelby K. 
Published: July 2012

Differences in drinking, consequences, and perceptions were examined between alcohol‐using college students by smoking status (current, past, and lifetime nonsmoker). Entering freshmen (N = 558: 45% male, 72% Caucasian, age M = 18) completed a questionnaire assessing smoking, drinking and current health perceptions. Results indicated current smokers drank more frequently, were more likely to drink to intoxication, and had more physiological consequences (e.g., blackouts, coordination problems) than past or lifetime nonsmokers, but past smokers also reported riskier drinking than lifetime nonsmokers. Despite a higher prevalence of alcohol‐related health problems in both current and past smokers, no current health differences were found. Results replicate findings that current smokers are at increased risk for problematic drinking and identify past smokers as another risk group.
Lookback procedures after postdonation notifications during a Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands
Authors: van Kraaij Marian G.J. , Slot Ed , Hogema Boris M. , Zaaijer Hans L. 
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND: Since 2007, large outbreaks of Q fever occurred in the Netherlands. The unprecedented number of Q fever infections resulted in the need for the Dutch blood transfusion service to evaluate the risk of transmission of Coxiella burnetii via blood.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A lookback procedure (recipient tracing) was performed for transfused blood products of whole blood donors with confirmed C. burnetii infection within 3 weeks before to 3 weeks after blood donation. Repository samples of index donations were tested with real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for C. burnetii DNA. Hospitals were asked to review the medical records of recipients and—if considered necessary—to test the recipients for infection with C. burnetii.RESULTS: From 2007 through 2011, a total of 33 blood donors notified the blood bank of infection with C. burnetii. Thirteen donations fulfilled the criteria for a lookback procedure (18 blood products). C. burnetii PCR was positive in 1 of 13 repository samples of index donations. Blood products were transfused to 18 recipients. Information was retrieved from 12 of them; seven were tested for C. burnetii. Two recipients showed positive serology. However, transmission of C. burnetii via transfusion was unlikely, especially since most recipients lived in the same Q fever–affected area as the donors.CONCLUSION: Blood donors who have clinical Q fever around the time of blood donation are unlikely to test positive for C. burnetii by PCR in repository samples. Transmission of C. burnetii via transfusion of blood products could not be demonstrated in a lookback exercise.
A Randomized‐Controlled Pilot Study Comparing ICD Implantation with and Without Intraoperative Defibrillation Testing in Patients with Heart Failure and Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction: A Substudy of the RAFT Trial
Authors: HEALEY JEFF S. , GULA LORNE J. , BIRNIE DAVID H. , STERNS LAWRENCE , CONNOLLY STUART J. , SAPP JOHN , CRYSTAL EUGENE , SIMPSON CHRIS , EXNER DEREK V. , KUS TERESA , PHILIPPON FRANCOIS , WELLS GEORGE , TANG ANTHONY SL. 
Published: July 2012

Comparing ICD Implantation with and Without Intraoperative Defibrillation Testing.
Introduction:
The need to perform defibrillation testing (DT) at the time of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) insertion is controversial. In the absence of randomized trials, some regions now perform more than half of ICD implants without DT.
Methods:
During the last year of enrolment in the Resynchronization for Ambulatory Heart Failure Trial, a substudy randomized patients to ICD implantation with versus without DT.
Results:
Among 252 patients screened, 145 were enrolled; 75 randomized to DT and 70 to no DT. Patients were similar in terms of age (65.9 ± 9.3 years vs 67.9 ± 8.9 years); LVEF (24.7 ± 4.6% vs 23.6 ± 4.6%), QRS width (154.8 ± 23.5 vs 155.8 ± 23.6 ms), and history of atrial fibrillation (5% vs 6%). All 68 patients in the DT arm tested according to the protocol achieved a successful DT (≤25 J); 96% without requiring any system modification. No patient experienced perioperative stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure (HF), intubation or unplanned ICU stay. The length of hospital stay was not prolonged in the DT group: 20.2 ± 26.3 hours versus 21.3 ± 23.0 hours, P = 0.79. One patient in the DT arm had a failed appropriate shock and no patient suffered an arrhythmic death. The composite of HF hospitalization or all‐cause mortality occurred in 10% of patients in the no‐DT arm and 19% of patients in the DT arm (HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.21–1.31, P = 0.14).
Conclusions:
In this randomized trial, perioperative complications, failed appropriate shocks, and arrhythmic death were all uncommon regardless of DT. There was a nonsignificant increase in the risk of death or HF hospitalization with DT. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1313‐1316, December 2012)