bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders among women workers performing fish processing
Authors: Nag Anjali , Vyas Heer , Shah Priyanka , Nag Pranab K. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe study examined the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort (MSD) among workers engaged in fish processing activities and identified the occupational, environmental, and psychosocial factors contributing to the MSDs.MethodsAn ergonomics checklist and questionnaire on general health and psycho‐social issues were administered to women workers (N = 450). The relative risk for MSDs due to demographic factors, stress symptoms, and task variables were estimated.ResultsNearly 71% of the women (age 23.0 ± 6.4 years) reported MSDs, chiefly in upper back (54%), lower back (33%), knee (35%), and shoulders (27%). Workers engaged in mixed task (OR 13.8; CI 8.7–22.0), ring cutting (OR 18.3; CI 11.8–24.7), having job experience <3 years (OR1.9; CI1.3–2.9), being married (OR 1.5; CI 1.1–2.2), BMI18–25 (OR 1.7; CI 1.1–2.8) had increased risk of MSDs in the upper back. The severity of pain was high among the workers with elevated co‐morbidity (pain in two or more regions). One third of the workers perceived the work environment to be cause of their MSDs. Multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression model indicated that highly specialized job (OR 13.0; CI 4.7–14.2), high physical activity (OR 11.7; CI 4.6–12.7), improperly designed tools (OR 8.1; CI 3.5–9.5), poor training (OR 7.0; CI 3.3–7.5), and poor job satisfaction (OR 1.5; CI 1.1–4.8) significantly increased the risk of MSDs. Almost all the psychosocial and work stress factors were associated with lower back MSD.ConclusionA cold and humid environment, awkward standing work posture for long hours, high physical activities, poor task clarity, and high mental overload are important risk factors for the development of MSDs. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:833–843, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Middle meatal spacers for the prevention of synechiae following endoscopic sinus surgery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lee John M. , Grewal Aman 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground:Middle meatal (MM) synechiae is the most common complication following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis. To prevent synechiae formation, a variety of MM spacers have been employed, with varying success in the reported literature. There remains a continued debate on whether MM spacers actually reduce the risk of synechiae following ESS.Methods:The Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was used for reporting this review of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of MM spacers compared to no spacers in patients undergoing ESS. Where appropriate, a meta‐analysis on outcome data using a random effects model was performed.Results:Eight randomized controlled trials were included in this systematic review. A pooled analysis on relevant trials found a nonsignificant trend favoring MM spacers compared to no spacers for the prevention of synechiae following ESS (relative risk [RR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14‐1.12). Subgroup analysis suggested that nonabsorbable spacers (NAS) may be more effective than absorbable spacers (AS) for reducing the risk of synechiae compared to no spacers.Conclusion:MM spacers may be more effective than no spacers for the prevention of synechiae following ESS, especially when employing the use of an NAS. However, significant heterogeneity is observed among included trials and future studies are needed to further validate these findings. © 2012; 2:477–486
Risk factors for development of chronic rhinosinusitis in patients with allergic rhinitis
Authors: Sedaghat Ahmad R. , Gray Stacey T. , Wilke Claus O. , Caradonna David S. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground:Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a heterogeneous inflammatory condition of the sinonasal cavity. CRS may be preceded by other sinonasal inflammatory diseases including allergic rhinitis (AR). It is unclear what factors may predispose patients with AR to develop CRS.Methods:We performed a retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with AR (and not CRS) that presented to an otolaryngology clinic at a tertiary care center as part of a multidisciplinary allergy evaluation between March 2004 and November 2011. Medical records were evaluated for clinicodemographic factors including age, gender, smoking history, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), aspirin sensitivity, nasal polyposis, seasonal AR, perennial AR, categories of positive antigens on formal allergy testing, and the following sinonasal anatomic variants on computed tomography (CT): infraorbital (Haller) cells, concha bullosa, frontal intersinus cells, and anterior ethmoid frontal recess cells. Patients who did not develop CRS after at least 4 years of follow‐up were grouped into the AR cohort. Patients who developed CRS after at least 6 months of follow‐up were grouped into the AR‐CRS cohort.Results:We found a statistically significant association between the presence of infraorbital (Haller) cells (odds ratio [OR] = 6.27) and frontal intersinus cells (OR = 18.37) with development of CRS on both univariate and multivariate logistical regressions.Conclusion:Sinonasal anatomical variants, specifically infraorbital and frontal intersinus cells, are associated with development of CRS in patients with AR. The presence of these variants identifies patients who should be counseled on compliance with medical therapy for AR to potentially prevent progression to CRS. © 2012 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.
Brain–computer interfaces for communication with nonresponsive patients
Authors: Naci Lorina , Monti Martin M. , Cruse Damian , Kübler Andrea , Sorger Bettina , Goebel Rainer , Kotchoubey Boris , Owen Adrian M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractA substantial number of patients who survive severe brain injury progress to a nonresponsive state of wakeful unawareness, referred to as a vegetative state (VS). They appear to be awake, but show no signs of awareness of themselves, or of their environment in repeated clinical examinations. However, recent neuroimaging research demonstrates that some VS patients can respond to commands by willfully modulating their brain activity according to instruction. Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) may allow such patients to circumvent the barriers imposed by their behavioral limitations and communicate with the outside world. However, although such devices would undoubtedly improve the quality of life for some patients and their families, developing BCI systems for behaviorally nonresponsive patients presents substantial technical and clinical challenges. Here we review the state of the art of BCI research across noninvasive neuroimaging technologies, and propose how such systems should be developed further to provide fully fledged communication systems for behaviorally nonresponsive populations. Ann Neurol 2012;72:312–323
Associated injuries in casualties with traumatic lower extremity amputations caused by improvised explosive devices (Br J Surg 2012; 99: 362–366)
Authors: Kurzer M 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
The Editors welcome topical correspondence from readers relating to articles published in the Journal. Responses should be sent electronically via the BJS website (http://www.bjs.co.uk). All letters will be reviewed and, if approved, appear on the website. A selection of these will be edited and published in the Journal. Letters must be no more than 250 words in length.
Video‐driven state‐aware facial animation
Authors: Zeng Ming , Liang Lin , Liu Xinguo , Bao Hujun 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTIt is important in computer animation to synthesize expressive facial animation for avatars from videos. Some traditional methods track a set of semantic feature points on the face to drive the avatar. However, these methods usually suffer from inaccurate detection and sparseness of the feature points and fail to obtain high‐level understanding of facial expressions, leading to less expressive and even wrong expressions on the avatar. In this paper, we propose a state‐aware synthesis framework. Instead of simply fitting 3D face to the 2D feature points, we use expression states obtained by a set of low‐cost classifiers (based on local binary pattern and support vector machine) on the face texture to guide the face fitting procedure. Our experimental results show that the proposed hybrid framework enjoys the advantages of the original methods based on feature point and the awareness of the expression states of the classifiers and thus vivifies and enriches the face expressions of the avatar. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chronic fatigue syndrome and subsequent risk of cancer among elderly US adults
Authors: Chang Cindy M. , Warren Joan L. , Engels Eric A. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND:The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown but is thought to be associated with immune abnormalities or infection. Because cancer can arise from similar conditions, associations between CFS and cancer were examined in a population‐based case‐control study among the US elderly.METHODS:Using linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare registry data, approximately 1.2 million cancer cases and 100,000 controls (age range, 66‐99 years; 1992‐2005) were evaluated. CFS was identified in the period more than 1 year prior to selection, using linked Medicare claims. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) comparing the CFS prevalence in cases and controls, adjusting for age, sex, and selection year. All statistical tests were 2‐sided.RESULTS:CFS was present in 0.5% of cancer cases overall and 0.5% of controls. CFS was associated with an increased risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (OR = 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16‐1.43, P = 1.7 × 10−6). Among NHL subtypes, CFS was associated with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.12‐1.61), marginal zone lymphoma (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.38‐2.57), and B cell NHL not otherwise specified (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.03‐2.23). CFS associations with NHL overall and NHL subtypes remained elevated after excluding patients with medical conditions related to CFS or NHL, such as autoimmune conditions. CFS was also associated, although not after multiple comparison adjustment, with cancers of the pancreas (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.07‐1.47), kidney (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.07‐1.49), breast (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.74‐0.98), and oral cavity and pharynx (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.49‐1.00).CONCLUSIONS:Chronic immune activation or an infection associated with CFS may play a role in explaining the increased risk of NHL. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Effect of body mass index on the outcome of children with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Inaba Hiroto , Surprise Harriet C. , Pounds Stanley , Cao Xueyuan , Howard Scott C. , Ringwald‐Smith Karen , Buaboonnam Jassada , Dahl Gary , Bowman W. Paul , Taub Jeffrey W. , Campana Dario , Pui Ching‐Hon , Ribeiro Raul C. , Rubnitz Jeffrey E. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND:The effect of body mass index (BMI) on the treatment outcomes of children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is unclear and needs further evaluation.METHODS:Children with AML (n = 314) who were enrolled in 4 consecutive St. Jude protocols were grouped according to BMI (underweight, <5th percentile; healthy weight, 5th to 85th percentile; and overweight/obese, ≥85th percentile).RESULTS:Twenty‐five patients (8%) were underweight, 86 patients (27.4%) were overweight/obese, and 203 patients (64.6%) had healthy weight. The 5‐year overall survival rate of overweight/obese patients (46.5% ± 7.3%) was lower than the rate of patients with healthy weight (67.1% ± 4.3%; P < .001); underweight patients also tended to have lower survival rates (50.6% ± 10.7%; P = .18). In a multivariable analysis that was adjusted for age, leukocyte count, French‐American‐British classification, and study protocols, patients with healthy weight had the best survival rate among the 3 groups (P = .01). When BMI was considered as continuous variable, patients with lower or higher BMI percentiles had worse survival (P = .03). There was no difference in the occurrence of induction failure or relapse among BMI groups, although underweight and overweight/obese patients had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of treatment‐related mortality, especially because of infection (P = .009).CONCLUSIONS:An unhealthy BMI was associated with worse survival and more treatment‐related mortality in children with AML. Meticulous supportive care with nutritional support and education, infection prophylaxis, and detailed laboratory and physical examination is required for these patients. These measures, together with pharmacokinetics‐guided chemotherapy dosing, may improve outcome. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Pilot prognostic model of extremely poor survival among high‐risk hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Authors: Wray Curtis J. , Harvin John A. , Silberfein Eric J. , Ko Tien C. , Kao Lillian S. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND:Populations with low income, economic barriers, and cultural and/or linguistic access barriers to medical care are at risk for worse cancer‐related outcomes. Medically underserved patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have decreased survival compared with those in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Given this suboptimal outcome, the high cost of HCC treatment, and unknown risk‐to‐benefit ratios of invasive therapies, the authors sought to identify a predictive model of extremely poor overall survival (OS).METHODS:A retrospective review of an institutional HCC database was conducted. Payor status, race, treatment, clinicopathologic, and outcome parameters were recorded. The primary outcome was OS <1 month. A logistic regression model predictive of OS <1 month was developed using backward, stepwise elimination and bootstrapping techniques.RESULTS:In total, 337 patients HCC (272 men and 65 women) were identified. Only 4% of patients had Medicare coverage; whereas 96% relied on publicly funded, safety‐net health programs. OS <1 month was noted in 90 patients (26.7%). There were no differences in race or sex between patients who had an OS <1 month and those with an OS >1 month. A higher percentage of patients who had an OS <1 month had advanced stage disease and did not receive therapy for HCC. Advanced liver disease, as measured by laboratory parameters and a composite score (Child‐Pugh and Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease [MELD]), alpha fetoprotein level, creatinine level, disease stage, and lack of treatment were predictors of OS <1 month.CONCLUSIONS:Survival for medically underserved patients with HCC remains poor. Advanced clinical stage and liver disease appear to preclude treatment, and novel methods to identify those who may benefit from palliative care/symptom control may be indicated for patients who are predicted to have poor survival. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Energy harvesting technologies for low‐power electronics
Authors: Alvarado U. , Juanicorena A. , Adin I. , Sedano B. , Gutiérrez I. , de Nó J. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTPower consumption is one of the most critical issues when designing low‐cost electronic devices, such as sensing nodes in wireless sensor networks. To support their operation, such systems usually contain a battery; however, when the battery has consumed all its energy, the node (e.g. the sensor) must be retrieved and the battery replaced. If the node is located in a remote and non‐accessible placement, battery replacement can become an expensive (and even impossible) task. This way, energy harvesting has emerged as a suitable alternative to supply low‐power electronic systems, by converting ambient energy into electric power. Scavenged energy can be used to directly supply the circuits, or stored to be used when needed. This paper summarises the power needs of a general wireless sensor node and describes the main principles of most representative energy harvesting technologies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of chemical structure on absolute odour thresholds and odour characteristics of ortho‐ and para‐halogenated phenols and cresols
Authors: Strube Andrea , Buettner Andrea , Czerny Michael 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTHalogenated phenols and cresols belong to a group of volatiles consistently reported as off‐flavour compounds. For example, 2‐iodophenol and 2‐iodo‐4‐methylphenol with their typical medicinal smell were found to negatively affect bottled mineral water. Even though these compounds are widespread in nature no comprehensive information about their chemo‐analytical as well as odour properties is available. Therefore, the objective of this study were (1) to provide systematic chemo‐analytical data on these substances, such as mass spectral data and retention parameters in gas chromatographic analysis, and (2) to determine, on a direct comparative basis, the sensory properties of eight mono‐halogenated phenols, four di‐halogenated phenols and four halogenated cresols. Evaluations focused on the determination of odour quality and odour threshold concentration in air and water. With regard to the relationship between substitution pattern and odour character, the location of an iodine atom in the ortho‐position was demonstrated to obviously be an important prerequisite for medicinal, plaster‐like or ink‐like smell. Faecal or horse stable‐like odour notes were predominantly related to compounds being substituted either by halogen moieties or by a methyl group in the para‐position. The 2‐halogenated 4‐methylphenols were found to be the odorants with the lowest odour threshold concentrations of all the compounds investigated in this study, and that, generally, compounds with ortho‐halogenation exhibited exceptionally low odour threshold concentrations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microglia/monocytes with NG2 expression have no phagocytic function in the cortex after LPS focal injection into the rat brain
Authors: Zhu Lie , Xiang Ping , Guo Kun , Wang Anni , Lu Jia , Tay Samuel Sam Wah , Jiang Hua , He Bei Ping 
Published: May 2012

AbstractWhile OX42+ microglia/macrophages have been considered as a scavenger in the brain, NG2+ cells are generally considered as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells or function‐unknown glial cells. Recent evidence showed that under some pathological conditions, certain cells have become positive for both anti‐NG2 and anti‐OX42 antibodies. Our results suggested that some OX42+ microglia or macrophages were induced to express NG2 proteins 3 and 5 days later after focal injection of lipopolysaccharide into the brain cortex of Sprague‐Dawley rats. In consideration of the induction of NG2 expression may associate with gaining or losing functions of microglia/macrophages, we further showed that, while OX42+ or ED1+ microglia/macrophages presented active phagocytic function, NG2+/OX42+ cells failed to engulf latex beads. The induced expression of NG2 protein may possibly indicate the functional diversity of activated microglia/macrophages in the brain. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effects of dependence and function on costs of care for Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in Ireland
Authors: Gillespie P , O'Shea E , Cullinan J , Lacey L , Gallagher D , Ni Mhaolain A ,   B. Lawlor for the Enhancing Care in Alzheimer's Disease (ECAD) Study Team
Published: May 2012

ObjectiveTo explore the incremental effects of patient dependence and function on costs of care for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Ireland.MethodsCost analysis based on reported resource use for a cross‐section of 100 community‐based people with AD and MCI. Formal care included general practice visits, hospitalizations, outpatient clinic consultations, accident and emergency visits, respite care, meals on wheels services and other health and social care professional consultations. Informal care included time input provided by caregivers. Resource unit costs were applied to value formal care and the opportunity cost method was used to value informal care. Patient dependence on others was measured using the Dependence Scale and patient functional capacity using the Disability Assessment for Dementia scale. Multivariate regression analysis was used to model the cost of care.ResultsBoth dependence and function were independently and significantly associated with total formal and informal care cost: a one point increase in dependence was associated with a €796 increase in total cost and a one point improvement in function with a €417 reduction in total cost over 6 months. Patient function was significantly associated with formal care costs, whereas patient function and dependence were both significantly associated with informal care costs.ConclusionThe costs of care for patients with AD and MCI in Ireland are substantial. Interventions that reduce patient dependence on others and functional decline may be associated with important economic benefits. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quality of life of nursing‐home residents with dementia subject to surveillance technology versus physical restraints: an explorative study
Authors: te Boekhorst S. , Depla M. F. I. A. , Francke A. L. , Twisk J. W. R. , Zwijsen S. A. , Hertogh C. M. P. M. 
Published: May 2012

ObjectiveAs physical restraints should only be used in exceptional cases, there is an urgent need for alternatives to restraint use. Surveillance technology could be such an alternative. This study explored whether nursing‐home residents with dementia subjected to surveillance technology had better quality of life scores for mood, behavioral and societal dimensions than residents with physical restraints.MethodsQuality of life was assessed longitudinally, with three measurements in six psychogeriatric nursing homes of residents with surveillance technology (n = 170) and residents with physical restraints (n = 22). QUALIDEM subscales were used to measure five dimensions of quality of life. Multilevel longitudinal univariate and multivariate regression techniques were used to analyze the data.ResultsBecause physical restraints were almost exclusively used in residents with low activities of daily living (ADL) independency (18 of the 22), we restricted the regression analyses to residents with a Barthel Index score ≤ 5 (overall n = 53). Univariate results showed that highly ADL‐dependent residents with surveillance technology had significantly more positive affect than highly ADL‐dependent residents with physical restraints. However, this difference proved to be no longer significant after adjustment for the confounders: age, sex and stage of dementia.ConclusionsQuality of life of highly ADL‐dependent nursing‐home residents with dementia seems to be unrelated to the use of surveillance technology as opposed to physical restraints. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.