bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emergency nephrectomy due to severe urosepsis: a retrospective, multicentre analysis of 65 cases
Authors: Berger Ingrid , Wildhofen Sonja , Lee Alexander , Ponholzer Anton , Rauchenwald Michael , Zechner Othmar , Stackl Walter , Madersbacher Stephan 
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVETo assess the outcome of emergency nephrectomy in a retrospective, multicentre analysis, as emergency nephrectomy due to life‐threatening urosepsis is a rare clinical scenario with a high mortality, and there are few reports of clinical data on this issue.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe assessed retrospectively all patients who had a nephrectomy due to life‐threatening urosepsis in three referral centres in Vienna between 1994 and 2007. Patient characteristics, survival and risk factors for a fatal outcome were evaluated.RESULTSIn all 65 patients (44 women and 21 men; mean age 65 years) were analysed. The mean interval from the first medical consultation to hospital admission was 4.3 days. Two‐thirds of patients were admitted directly from their homes (63%), the remainder being transferred from other departments or hospitals. The most common pathological mechanism leading to urosepsis was acute pyelonephritis, often combined with nephrolithiasis. In all, 36 patients had a urological intervention before nephrectomy, i.e. percutaneous nephrostomy in 17, ureteric stent in 16 and percutaneous abscess drainage in three. Nephrectomy was performed a mean (range) of 5.7 (0–31) days after hospital admission. Thirteen patients (20%) died from septic multi‐organ failure after surgery. This group was almost 20 years older than those who survived (78.6 vs 61.8 years), had a higher comorbidity rate, had undergone endourological interventions more frequently (69% vs 52%), had a longer interval to nephrectomy (6.9 vs 5.4 days), higher C‐reactive protein level (294.9 vs 136.0 mg/L) and lower platelet counts (229.5 vs 307.7 million/L) at diagnosis.CONCLUSIONSeveral factors were identified that influence the outcome after emergency nephrectomy for life‐threatening urosepsis. Applied to the decision‐making process, these risk factors could have a positive impact on establishing a timely indication for nephrectomy that might ultimately reduce the high mortality rate.
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for unresectable pulmonary metastases from renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Soga Norihito , Yamakado Koichiro , Gohara Hideo , Takaki Haruyuki , Hiraki Takao , Yamada Tomomi , Arima Kiminobu , Takeda Kan , Kanazawa Susumu , Sugimura Yoshiki 
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical utility of lung radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with unresectable pulmonary metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (RCC).PATIENTS AND METHODSWe retrospectively examined 39 patients with unresectable metastases from RCC who were treated with lung RFA. Patients with six or fewer lung metastases measuring ≤6 cm that were confined in the lung, had all lung tumours ablated (curative ablation). Patients with extrapulmonary lesions, seven or more lung tumours, or large tumours of >6 cm, had mass reduction (palliative ablation). The primary endpoints was the overall survival, secondary endpoints were safety, local tumour progression rate, and recurrence‐free survival in the curative ablation group.RESULTSThere were significant differences in the overall survival rates between the curative and palliative groups at 1 year (100% vs 90%), 3 years (100% vs 52%) and 5 years (100% vs 52%) (P < 0.05). The maximum lung tumour diameter was also a significant prognostic factor. There was local tumour progression in 13 patients (33%) during the mean follow‐up of 25 months. The recurrence‐free survival rates were 92% at 1 year, 23% at 3 years and 23% at 5 years in the curative ablation group. Pneumothorax requiring chest tube placement (six of 89, 7%) and pneumonia (one of 89, 1%) were major complications.CONCLUSIONLung RFA is a safe and effective treatment for prolonging survival in patients with unresectable RCC lung metastases.
Managerial incentives and corporate leverage: evidence from the United Kingdom
Authors: Florackis Chrisostomos , Ozkan Aydin 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis paper investigates the effect of managerial incentives and corporate governance on capital structure using a large sample of UK firms during the period 1999–2004. The analysis revolves around the view that managerial incentives are important in determining a firm's leverage. However, we argue that the exact impact of these incentives on leverage is likely to be determined by firm‐specific governance characteristics. To conduct our investigation, we construct a simple corporate governance measure using detailed ownership and governance information. We present evidence of a significant non‐monotonic relationship between executive ownership and leverage. There is also strong evidence suggesting that corporate governance practices have a significant impact on leverage. More importantly, the results reveal that the nature of the relation between executive ownership and leverage depends on the firm's corporate governance structure.
The Application of GIS in Education Administration: Protecting Students from Hazardous Roads
Authors: Masouleh Fatemah Admadi Nejad , Murayama Yuji , Rho'Dess Todd Wendell 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThough enrolment by proximity is an official educational policy in Iran, the lack of clearly defined school attendance areas has resulted in an informal open enrolment system where parents may choose public schools outside their residential areas. Two major consequences of parental choice are longer commutes to schools and increased use of motor vehicle transport. To delineate school attendance areas for public female junior high schools in the city of Rasht in Northern Iran, this research used the multiplicatively weighted Voronoi diagram (MWVD) technique to construct school attendance areas. The approach was shown to be useful in developing countries like Iran where accident fatalities are not only disproportionately high but the public school system lacks sufficient educational diversity to offset the societal costs of opting out of neighbourhood schools. A GIS‐based specialist package was used for constructing the proposed school attendance areas. Given the MWVD utility in demarcating spaces so that all journeys within them are closest to a chosen point, the research concluded that proposed school attendance areas can result in shorter and more convenient commutes on foot for students. This can eliminate the need to travel by vehicle for the overwhelming majority of students and thus make their journeys more convenient and safer.
Spatial Modeling of Geotechnical Information Using GML
Authors: Bardet Jean‐Pierre , Zand Amir 
Published: March 2009

AbstractGeotechnical data characterizes the geometry and physical properties of soil deposits, which are determined from field observations, in‐situ and laboratory tests, and engineering analyses. Until now, geotechnical information was mainly described and exchanged as relational data, which occasionally included spatial characteristics. Hereafter, the spatial features of geotechnical data are investigated by invoking the geotechnical data model of the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS), which is widely used in the United Kingdom to exchange geotechnical data in engineering practice. The basic geometric objects in AGS geotechnical data are first identified. These geometric objects are mapped to basic geometric features of the Geography Markup Language (GML). AGS data can therefore be fully rendered using GML‐conformant schemas, which make geotechnical data readily importable into GML‐aware applications. The data can be also imported to mainstream GIS applications using Extensible Markup Language (XML) transformations. This article demonstrates the rendition of AGS data format to a GML‐conformant schema and illustrates the implementation of the new format through a few geotechnical examples.
Research Design in European Studies: The Case of Europeanization*
Authors: EXADAKTYLOS THEOFANIS , RADAELLI CLAUDIO M. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn this article, we contribute to the debate on research design and causal analysis in European integration studies by considering the sub‐field of Europeanization. First, we examine the awareness of research design issues in the literature on Europeanization through a review of the debate on causality, concept formation and methods. Second, we analyse how much of the discussion of the trade‐offs in causal analysis in mainstream political science has percolated into Europeanization studies. We therefore construct a sample of the Europeanization literature, comparing it to a control group of highly cited articles on European integration. This enables us to control if some patterns are specific to the Europeanization literature or reflect a more general trend in European integration. We then look at trade‐offs in the Europeanization sample and in the control group. Our findings indicate that awareness of research design is still low. Europeanization articles differ from the control group in the focus on mechanisms (rather than variables) and the qualitative aspects of time in politics. Complex notions of causality prevail in Europeanization but not in the control group and the cause‐of‐effects approach is preferred to effects‐of‐causes in the control group but not in Europeanization – in both cases, however, the difference is slight. We conclude by explaining differences and similarities and make proposals for future research.
Population density and the evolution of male aggression
Authors: Knell R. J. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn some cases male animals engage in aggressive contests for access to females, in others they adopt more passive strategies and invest in traits that assist them in detecting females or in competing with rivals in other ways, such as sperm competition. One possible factor determining the fitness of these different strategies is population density. Theoretically, aggressive tactics should be found at intermediate population densities. At low densities males that invest in traits related to searching for mates could be favoured, whereas at the highest densities males that fight over females might pay excessive costs for this behaviour because of the number of rival males that they will encounter. Current empirical evidence is mostly consistent with this scheme: in some cases it seems that traits that are associated with locating mates are favoured at low densities, with aggression related traits favoured at higher densities, and in other cases aggression is selected but as density increases less aggressive strategies become more common. There remain substantial differences between species, however, and I discuss how variation in mating system, in the costs of aggression and in the nature of sperm competition, plus ecological differences between species, can change the relationship between population density and the fitness consequences of aggressive and passive behavioural strategies.
Longitudinal study of motor performance and its relation to motor capacity in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: VAN ECK MIRJAM , DALLMEIJER ANNET J , VOORMAN JEANINE M , BECHER JULES G 
Published: March 2009

Aim  The aim of this study was to describe the course of motor performance and analyse its relationship with motor capacity over a period of 3 years in 104 children (66 males, 38 females; 43% of those initially invited) with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 9, 11, and 13 years at the start of the study. Forty‐one had hemiplegia, 42 diplegia, 21 tetraplegia; 83 spastic CP, 17 dyskinetic/mixed, and four ataxic CP. Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels were I, n=49; II, n=15; III, n=10; IV, n=12; and V, n=18.Method  Motor performance (what a child does do) was determined using the gross motor skills subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales and motor capacity [what a child can do] was determined using the Gross Motor Function Measure‐66 (GMFM‐66). The measurements were performed annually over a period of 3 years.Results  The course of motor performance in mildly affected children (GMFCS level I) was more favorable than in more severely affected children. An increase in motor capacity was significantly related to an improvement in motor performance over the 3 years.Interpretation  Training motor capacity in children with CP seems to be important for improving motor performance. Interventions should also focus on environmental adaptations and improving mobility equipment. A limitation of this study was that the instruments used did not contain the same items on capacity and performance level.
The preadult origins of postmaterialism: A longitudinal sibling study
Authors: KROH MARTIN 
Published: March 2009

AbstractUsing a research design that traces siblings' preferences for postmaterialist values in Germany over two decades, this article provides new evidence on the origins of value preferences. Focusing on Inglehart's thesis of value change, the combined socialisation and scarcity hypothesis is tested against the social learning hypothesis – a prominent rival account of preadult value preference formation. Sibling estimates show that the shared preadult environment does indeed exert lasting effects on preferences for postmaterialist policies. In addition to the weak effect of the shared experience of socioeconomic scarcity, it is found that the intergenerational transmission of postmaterialism, disregarded by Inglehart's original thesis, plays a significant role in value preference acquisition. The implications of individual‐level findings for forecasts of aggregate‐level trends in value change are discussed.
Perinatal outcome in fetuses with extremely large nuchal translucency measurement
Authors: SCOTT Fergus , EVANS Jackie , McLENNAN Andrew 
Published: March 2009

Background: Studies have suggested that an entirely normal outcome is likely when the nuchal translucency (NT) measurement is very large and the karyotype, morphology and echocardiography scans are normal. Recently this has been questioned as it is based on very small numbers.Aim: Assess the outcome of pregnancies with an NT measurement of 6.5 mm or greater.Methods: Audit of a large first trimester screening program.Results: Over the ten years to 2006, 76 813 patients underwent first trimester screening, with 120 having an extremely large NT. Thirty‐one cases had normal karyotypes, of which there were four sets of twins that demised. Six cases miscarried and ten were terminated, some with morphological abnormalities. Eight cases were still alive for the morphology scan, with the only abnormality being mild pyelectasis in one case. At birth, three cases were normal and another three cases had a good outcome. Two cases had coarctation of the aorta and a good outcome. One case had Noonan's syndrome, another had cerebral palsy and the case with pyelectasis had hydronephrosis, dilated ureters and some contractures.Conclusions: When the karyotype and morphology scan are normal, the outcome is often good in spite of an extremely large NT. However, even a subtle ultrasound anomaly can indicate a genetic syndrome and echocardiography cannot exclude mild cardiac abnormalities.
Pregnancy outcome in the setting of extremely low first trimester PAPP‐A levels
Authors: SCOTT Fergus , COATES Anne , McLENNAN Andrew 
Published: March 2009

Background: Serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) is part of first trimester Down syndrome screening. Low levels have been associated with adverse outcome as well as chromosomal abnormality.Aims: To assess the incidence of adverse outcome when PAPP‐A levels are at or below 0.2 multiples of the median (MoM).Methods: Data on consecutive patients attending a first trimester screening program were collected. Those with PAPP‐A levels ≤ 0.2 MoM were divided into three groups: ≤ 0.1 MoM; 0.11–0.15 MoM; and 0.16–0.2 MoM.Results: Screening 44 535 patients resulted in 197 with PAPP‐A levels ≤ 0.2 MoM. The incidence of karyotypic abnormality increased with decreasing PAPP‐A levels. In the absence of chromosome abnormality, pregnancy outcomes were defined as ‘normal’ in at least 30% and ‘good’ in at least 60%, with both percentages increasing as the PAPP‐A level rose. The PAPP‐A levels were significantly lower in the group with a poor outcome. The incidence of prematurity was similar in the three groups, but higher than the statewide average, while the incidence of extreme prematurity appeared to be related to reducing PAPP‐A levels. The incidence of growth restriction in the three groups was similar, but was still double the incidence in the normal population.Conclusion: If the PAPP‐A level is ≤ 0.2 MoM and the karyotype is normal, there is an increased risk of adverse outcome. Even with PAPP‐A below 0.1 MoM, a good outcome can be expected in 60% of cases. Careful morphological assessment is suggested and later monitoring of fetal growth and well‐being.
Hippocampal Navβ3 expression in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Van Gassen Koen L. I. , De Wit Marina , Van Kempen Marian , Saskia van der Hel W. , Van Rijen Peter C. , Jackson Antony P. , Lindhout Dick , De Graan Pierre N. E. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryVoltage‐dependent sodium channels consist of a pore‐forming alpha‐subunit and regulatory beta‐subunits. Alterations in these channels have been implicated in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and several genetic epilepsy syndromes. Recently we identified Navβ3 as a TLE‐regulated gene. Here we performed a detailed analysis of the hippocampal expression of Navβ3 in TLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and without HS (non‐HS) and compared expression with autopsy controls (ACs). Immunoblot analysis showed that Navβ3 levels were dramatically reduced in the hippocampus, but not in the cortex of non‐HS patients when compared to HS patients. This was confirmed by immunohistochemistry showing reduced Navβ3 expression in all principal neurons of the hippocampus proper. Sequence analysis revealed no Navβ3 mutations. The functional consequences of the reduced Navβ3 expression in non‐HS patients are unknown. Altered Navβ3 expression might influence microcircuitry in the hippocampus, affecting excitability and contributing to epileptogenesis in non‐HS patients. Further experiments are required to elucidate these functional possibilities.
Correlation Between Symptoms and Function in Older Adults with Comorbidity
Authors: Whitson Heather E. , Sanders Linda L. , Pieper Carl F. , Morey Miriam C. , Oddone Eugene Z. , Gold Deborah T. , Cohen Harvey Jay 
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVES: To describe the relationship between symptom scores and mobility function measures, assess whether symptom scores and disease scores are similarly associated with mobility function, and identify clusters of symptoms that are most strongly associated with functional status in older adults.DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data from three cohorts.SETTING: Academic medical center.PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ninety‐five community‐dwelling subjects with poor flexibility or cardiorespiratory fitness (fitness cohort), 211 female retirement community residents with vertebral fractures (VF cohort), and 61 subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD cohort).MEASUREMENTS: Twenty‐item self‐reported symptom scale, 17‐item self‐reported disease scale, Medical Outcomes Study 36‐item Short Form Survey (SF‐36) Physical Functioning Scale, 5‐item Nagi Disability scale, 10‐m walk time, supine to stand time.RESULTS: Symptom scores correlated with mobility function measures (Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.222 to 0.509) at least as strongly as, if not more strongly than, did disease scores. Symptom scores remained associated with functional outcomes after controlling for disease score and demographic variables. Adding symptom scores to models that contained disease scores significantly increased the association with functional outcomes. In the fitness cohort, muscle weakness was the most explanatory single symptom, associated with an average decrease of 17.8 points on the Physical Functioning Scale. A model that included only muscle weakness, pain, and shortness of breath accounted for 21.2% of the variability in the Physical Functioning Score.CONCLUSION: Symptoms represent useful indicators of disability burden in older adults and are promising targets for interventions to improve function in medically complex patients.
Goat milk acceptance and promotion methods in Japan: The questionnaire survey to middle class households
Authors: OZAWA Takeyuki , MUKUDA Kumiko , FUJITA Masaru , NISHITANI Jiro 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTA consumer questionnaire conducted with the purpose of ascertaining the acceptability of goat milk and related products in Japan was carried out on 345 guarantees of Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University in December 2006. 275 effective responses (79%) representing middle class urban households were returned. The results revealed that (1) 30% of respondents have experienced drinking goat milk and only 10% are aware of the current retail situation of goat milk and related products; (2) over 70% of goat milk drinkers raised goats by hand at some point in their past and their first experience drinking goat milk was in infancy; (3) those with experience in drinking goat milk expressed a vague evaluation and minimal understanding of drinking goat milk; (4) respondents who were inexperienced goat milk drinkers expressed a strong desire to taste and a weak desire to purchase goat milk; (5) respondents expressed low recognition regarding retailed goat milk products, but those who had already purchased goat milk products expressed a high evaluation and strong desire to purchase these products again; and (6) recognition of goat milk characteristics is low, but those with high recognition also rate goat milk highly. Goats are perceived as being ‘mild and familiar.’ It is necessary for those who manage goat husbandry to present goat milk and related product tasting opportunities to consumers. The key point is to make the functional differences between cow and goat milk clear and present the advantages of goat milk at the fore of this promotion. Goat milk should not be promoted merely as a drink that is similar to cow milk, but must be positioned as a functional drink or health food in order to expand the Japanese goat milk market.
Too Many Males in China: The Causes and the Consequences
Authors: Hesketh Thérèse 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
We expect that, roughly, as many boys will be born into the world as girls. However, in some places, social pressures combined with modern medicine seriously distort the ratio of the sexes. In China, there are a million excess male births each year. Thérèse Hesketh looks at what this will mean for the generation that lacks women.
The Flavour of Whisky
Authors: Wishart David 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Lagavulin, Talisker, Ardbeg—the names roll off the tongue and the liquid slides gloriously down the throat. Single malt Scotch whiskies count among the pleasures of life. But how can you classify their complex and various flavours? David Wishart savours a smoky, medicinal, peat-filled Islay and comes up with a scheme.
Big Brother and State Control—A New Career for Statisticians?
Authors: Goddard Ivor 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Big Brother is watching you—and he will be recruiting statisticians to help him. Dictators mine digital information to control their citizens. Even in Britain the laws to allow the biggest—and potentially most oppressive—super-database of all are before Parliament now. Ivor Goddard sounds a warning—and looks over his shoulder with trepidation.