bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Successful Implementation of the World Health Organization Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy in a Referral Hospital in Mali, Africa
Authors: Allegranzi Benedetta , Sax Hugo , Bengaly Loséni , Riebet Hervé , Minta Daouda K. , Chraiti Marie-Noelle , Sokona Fatoumata Maiga , Gayet-Ageron Angele , Bonnabry Pascal , Pittet Didier ,   behalf of the World Health Organization “Point G” Project Management Committee
Published: December 2009

Objective.To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the World Health Organization hand hygiene improvement strategy in a low-income African country.Design.A before-and-after study from December 2006 through June 2008, with a 6-month baseline evaluation period and a follow-up period of 8 months from the beginning of the intervention.Setting.University Hospital, Bamako, Mali.Participants.TWO hundred twenty-four healthcare workers.Methods.The intervention consisted of introducing a locally produced, alcohol-based handrub; monitoring hand hygiene compliance; providing performance feedback; educating staff; posting reminders in the workplace; and promoting an institutional safety climate according to the World Health Organization multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy. Hand hygiene infrastructure, compliance, healthcare workers' knowledge and perceptions, and handrub consumption were evaluated at baseline and at follow-up.Results.Severe deficiencies in the infrastructure for hand hygiene were identified before the intervention. Local handrub production and quality control proved to be feasible, affordable, and satisfactory. At follow-up, handrubbing was the quasi-exclusive hand hygiene technique (93.3%). Compliance increased from 8.0% at baseline to 21.8% at follow-up (P< .001). Improvement was observed across all professional categories and medical specialities and was independently associated with the intervention (odds ratio, 2.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-3.5). Knowledge enhanced significantly (P< .05), and perception surveys showed a high appreciation of each strategy component by staff.Conclusions.Multimodal hand hygiene promotion is feasible and effective in a low-income country. Access to handrub was critical for its success. These findings motivated the government of Mali to expand the intervention nationwide. This experience represents a significant advancement for patient safety in developing countries.
Power to detect selective allelic amplification in genome-wide scans of tumor data
Authors: Dewal Ninad , Freedman Matthew L. , LaFramboise Thomas , Pe'er Itsik 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Motivation: Somatic amplification of particular genomic regions and selection of cellular lineages with such amplifications drives tumor development. However, pinpointing genes under such selection has been difficult due to the large span of these regions. Our recently-developed method, the amplification distortion test (ADT), identifies specific nucleotide alleles and haplotypes that confer better survival for tumor cells when somatically amplified. In this work, we focus on evaluating ADT's power to detect such causal variants across a variety of tumor dataset scenarios.
Results: Towards this end, we generated multiple parameter-based, synthetic datasets—derived from real data—that contain somatic copy number aberrations (CNAs) of various lengths and frequencies over germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genome-wide. Gold-standard causal sub-regions were assigned within these CNAs, followed by an assessment of ADT's ability to detect these sub-regions. Results indicate that ADT possesses high sensitivity and specificity in large sample sizes across most parameter cases, including those that more closely reflect existing SNP and CNA cancer data.
Availability: ADT is implemented in the Java software HADiT and can be downloaded through the SVN repository (via Develop→ Code→SVN Browse) at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/hadit/.
Contact: ninad.dewal@dbmi.columbia.edu
Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Temporal patterns of spatial genetic structure and effective population size in European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) along the west coast of Scotland and in the Irish Sea
Authors: Watts Phillip C. , Kay Suzanne M. , Wolfenden Drew , Fox Clive J. , Geffen Audrey J. , Kemp Stephen J. , Nash Richard D. M. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractWatts, P. C., Kay, S. M., Wolfenden, D., Fox, C. J., Geffen, A. J., Kemp, S. J., and Nash, R. D. M. 2010. Temporal patterns of spatial genetic structure and effective population size in European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) along the west coast of Scotland and in the Irish Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 607–616. The European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) is a relatively mobile flatfish species, and previous studies have reported broad-scale genetic homogeneity among samples distributed throughout much of its northern European range, with no evidence for isolation-by-distance (IBD) population structure. Using microsatellite loci, the pattern of spatial genetic structure and effective population size is characterized for >800 plaice collected from locations off the west coast of Great Britain over a 3-year period (2001–2003). The plaice populations are characterized by weak spatial genetic structure, consistent with tagging data, and relatively low effective population sizes. In contrast to previous work, a pattern of isolation by distance is present among pairs of plaice from within each sampling period. However, IBD spatial structure was not observed for comparisons of plaice from different sampling years or using the entire dataset, indicating a patchy temporal genetic structure. Therefore, pooling the data from several years can mask subtle patterns of population structure and potentially confound estimation of other important demographic parameters, such as effective population size.
Development of long-term larval indices for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) on the northeast US continental shelf
Authors: Richardson David E. , Hare Jonathan A. , Overholtz William J. , Johnson Donna L. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Richardson, D. E., Hare, J. A., Overholtz, W. J., and Johnson, D. L. 2010. Development of long-term larval indices for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) on the northeast US continental shelf. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 617–627. The incorporation of data from ichthyoplankton programmes into the stock assessment process has lagged far behind the use of data from comparable adult-monitoring programmes. This can in part be attributed to a mismatch between established analytical approaches to larval-index development and the inconsistencies in sampling for many long-term ichthyoplankton datasets. Along the northeast US continental shelf, ichthyoplankton surveys have been carried out by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/NOAA) multiple times annually since 1971, but the spatial and seasonal allocation of sampling has varied substantially. Here, we present a non-linear least-squares approach to larval-index development. We use the age structure and abundance of larvae on each survey to derive the larval index, along with parameters describing the survival of larvae and the seasonal cycle of hatching. Application to Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) revealed a large drop in the index around 1976, an increase in the index through the late 1980s, and another large drop in 2004. This index was correlated with the stock assessment estimate of Atlantic herring spawning-stock biomass from 1971 to 2003, but differed substantially during 2004. Our results demonstrate that our approach to larval-index development is flexible to the inconsistencies in sampling effort.
Combination of RET siRNA and irinotecan inhibited the growth of medullary thyroid carcinoma TT cells and xenografts via apoptosis
Authors: Koga Kimiko , Hattori Yoshiyuki , Komori Mihoko , Narishima Ryota , Yamasaki Masahiro , Hakoshima Motoki , Fukui Tetsuya , Maitani Yoshie 
Published: December 2009

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare endocrine tumor that frequently metastasizes, and treatment with irinotecan (CPT‐11) is limited because of side effects. Mutations in the Rearranged during transfection (RET) proto‐oncogene are considered the causative event of MTC. The objective of this study was to examine whether small interfering RNA (siRNA) and its combined treatment with CPT‐11 could inhibit MTC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. The transfection of RET siRNA suppressed RET expression, reduced proliferation, and increased caspase‐3/7 activity via the down‐regulation of Bcl‐2 expression. Combined treatments with CPT‐11 or SN‐38 significantly increased caspase 3/7 activity compared with RET siRNA, CPT‐11 or SN‐38 treatment alone. Importantly, intratumoral injection of RET siRNA along with intravenous injection of CPT‐11 significantly inhibited the tumor growth of MTC xenografts via an increased apoptotic effect. These findings that RET siRNA enhanced sensitivity for CPT‐11 will provide a novel strategy for the treatment of MTC with RET mutation.(Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 941–947)
The trouble with drink: why ideas matter
Authors: Edwards Griffith 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTThis paper builds upon the work of previous authors who have explored the evolution of ideas in the alcohol arena. With revisions in the relevant sections of ICD and DSM forthcoming, such matters are of considerable contemporary importance. The focus here will be upon the history of the last 200 years. The main themes to be explored include the flux of ideas on what, over time, has counted as the trouble with drink, ideas on the cause of the problem and the impact of this thinking on public action. Medical authorities of the late Enlightenment period made the revolutionary suggestion that habitual drunkenness constituted a disease, rather than a vice. The thread of that idea can be traced to the present day, but with an alternative perception of drink itself or alcohol‐related problems generally, as cause for concern, also having a lineage. There are several inferences to be drawn from this history: the need for vigilance lest disease formulations become stalking‐horses for moralism and social control, the need to integrate awareness of alcohol dependence as a dimensional individual‐level problem, with a public health understanding of the vastly amorphous and at least equally important universe of alcohol‐related problems; the dangers lurking in scientific reductionism when the problems at issue truly require a multi‐disciplinary analysis; and the need for global consensus rather than cultural imposition of ideas on what counts as the problem with drink.
Immune function in hypopituitarism: time to reconsider?
Authors: Mukherjee Annice , Helbert Matthew , Davis Julian , Shalet Stephen 
Published: December 2009

SummaryHypopituitarism is not currently considered as a potential cause of immune disruption in humans. Accumulating data from in vitro and animal models support a role for the pituitary gland in immune regulation. Furthermore, the increased mortality risk noted in patients with adult hypopituitarism remains poorly explained and immune dysfunction could conceivably contribute to this observation. In a recent issue of Clinical & Experimental Immunology, we presented new data relating to immune status in adults with treated, severe hypopituitarism. We observed humoral immune deficiency in a significant proportion, despite stable pituitary replacement, including growth hormone (GH). This was especially evident in those with low pretreatment IGF‐I levels and appeared independent of anticonvulsant use or corticosteroid replacement. These observations require substantiation with future studies. In this short review, we summarize existing data relating to the effects of pituitary hormones on immune function and discuss potential clinical implications surrounding the hypothesis of immune dysregulation in severe hypopituitarism.
How reliably can autoimmune hypophysitis be diagnosed without pituitary biopsy
Authors: Howlett Trevor A. , Levy Miles J. , Robertson Iain J. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryAutoimmune hypophysitis is a rare chronic inflammatory condition of the pituitary gland which typically presents with hypopituitarism and a pituitary mass. Cases involving anterior pituitary alone (65%) are six times more common in women, typically presenting during pregnancy or postpartum (57%). Anterior and posterior pituitary involvement (25%) are twice as common in women, and neurohypophysis alone (10%) occurs equally in both sexes. It has a prevalence of around 5 per million, an annual incidence of 1 in 7 to 9 million and in our experience represents the known or suspected cause of 0·5% of cases of hypopituitarism, <1% of pituitary masses and 2% of nonfunctioning macro lesions presenting to an endocrine clinic. However, ‘missed’ cases of autoimmune hypophysitis may be the aetiology of some other unexplained cases of hypopituitarism. Clinically, headache and visual disturbance are common. Anterior hypopituitarism shows a characteristic but atypical pattern of deficiency of ACTH followed by TSH, gonadotrophins and prolactin deficiency or hyperprolactinaemia. Eighteen percent of cases have evidence of another autoimmune condition. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), autoimmune hypophysitis is typically symmetrical and homogeneous with thickened but undisplaced stalk in contrast to typical findings with pituitary tumours. Ultimately, the histological diagnosis of autoimmune hypophysitis can only be confirmed by surgery but a presumptive diagnosis can often be made on the basis of a combination of context and clinical features, and pituitary biopsy is not always clinically necessary for effective clinical management of the patient.
Evaluation of documented nursing care plans by the use of nursing‐sensitive outcome indicators
Authors: Jansson Inger , Pilhammar‐Andersson Ewa , Forsberg Anna 
Published: December 2009

AbstractRationale and aim  There is a lack of evidence that nursing care plans affect patient outcomes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether documented nursing care plans affect patient outcomes by the use of nursing‐sensitive outcome indicators.Method  A retrospective, cross‐sectional design with patients surveyed at time of discharge from two hospital units for patients with stroke and after 2–3 weeks at home. The control unit (A) did not employ care plans. The intervention unit (B) used care plans on a daily basis. Outcome was measured by ‘the National Stroke Register’ and the two questionnaires: ‘Quality of patients' perspective’ and ‘Euroquol five dimensions’. Data were collected over a 5‐month period (October 2007–February 2008).Results  In total, 87 patients were included in the study. Patient characteristics in the two groups at admission and the health‐related quality of life 2 to 3 weeks after discharge were similar. The patients from unit B were more satisfied with individual care (P = 0.03) and participation (P = 0.007). Unit B also had a shorter length of stay (P = 0.004).Conclusions  The effects of documented care plans are difficult to evaluate from a patient perspective, as many factors can improve the outcome. However, documentation of care plans is a prerequisite for measuring the quality and outcome of the care provided. This small study indicates that documented care plans may affect patient satisfaction regarding individual care, participation and length of hospital stay.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of the NiNbZrTiAl amorphous alloys with 10 and 25 at.% Nb content
Authors: CZEPPE T. , OCHIN P. , SYPIEŃ A. , MAJOR Ł. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryThe results of investigation of two different Ni‐based glasses with compositions Ni58Nb10Zr13Ti12Al7 and Ni58Nb25Zr8Ti6Al3 are presented. The structure of the melt spun ribbons was amorphous. The supercooled liquid range decreased and primary crystallization temperature increased with increasing Nb content while the parameter Tg/Tm slightly increased. The crystallization process proceeded in a different way. The ribbon containing 10 at.% Nb showed typical primary crystallization of the 50 nm grains of the NiTi(Nb) cubic phase; the ribbon containing 25 at.% of Nb revealed high thermal stability of the amorphous phase, which crystallized only in a small amount in the range of primary crystallization, preserving large fraction of the amorphous phase even high above the end of the crystallization. The tensile load–displacement curves were also different. In both cases, the ribbons revealed quite a large range of the plastic elongation. The ribbon containing 10% Nb showed stress relaxation and was maximally elongated up to 0.6. The ribbon with 25 at.% Nb revealed a hardening effect and the slightly smaller maximal elongation following it. The microstructure of the deformed specimens showed deformation bands parallel to the tensile axis, microcracks formation along shear bands and river‐like pattern at the fracture surfaces. In both cases, high resolution electron microscope did not reveal any crystallization after deformation.
Morphology and chemical composition of Ag/Sn/Ag interconnections
Authors: SKRZYNIARZ P. , WOJEWODA‐BUDKA J. , WIERZBICKA‐MIERNIK A. , ZIEBA P. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryThe main goal of the present contribution was to describe morphology and chemical composition of the intermetallic phases, which were formed during diffusion soldering process of the silver using tin. The Ag3Sn intermetallics is the main constituent of the joint after diffusion soldering at 235°C and 265°C. A closer inspection of the Ag/Ag3Sn interface revealed also the small crystallites of the second intermetallic phase, Ag5Sn, which was not previously observed using scanning electron microscope. Both phases are characterized by high melting temperatures: 480°C and 724°C, respectively. Therefore, their presence guarantees high thermal stability of the interconnection, which can be even three times higher than the temperature used for soldering.
The chemical phenol extraction of intermetallic particles from casting AlSi5Cu1Mg alloy
Authors: MRÓWKA‐NOWOTNIK G. , SIENIAWSKI J. , NOWOTNIK A. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryThis paper presents a chemical extraction technique for determination of intermetallic phases formed in the casting AlSi5Cu1Mg aluminium alloy. Commercial aluminium alloys contain a wide range of intermetallic particles that are formed during casting, homogenization and thermomechanical processing. During solidification, particles of intermetallics are dispersed in interdendritic spaces as fine primary phases. Coarse intermetallic compounds that are formed in this aluminium alloy are characterized by unique atomic arrangement (crystallographic structure), morphology, stability, physical and mechanical properties. The volume fraction, chemistry and morphology of the intermetallics significantly affect properties and material behaviour during thermomechanical processing. Therefore, accurate determination of intermetallics is essential to understand and control microstructural evolution in Al alloys. Thus, in this paper it is shown that chemical phenol extraction method can be applied for precise qualitative evaluation. The results of optical light microscopy LOM, scanning electron microscopy SEM and X‐ray diffraction XRD analysis reveal that as‐cast AlSi5Cu1Mg alloy contains a wide range of intermetallic phases such as Al4Fe, γ‐ Al3FeSi, α‐Al8Fe2Si, β‐Al5FeSi, Al12FeMnSi.
Formation and reduction of streak artefacts in electron tomography
Authors: CAO M. , ZHANG H.‐B. , LU Y. , NISHI R. , TAKAOKA A. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryWe have analysed the formation of streak artefacts in the reconstruction based on the filtered back projection algorithm in electron tomography (ET) and accordingly applied an adaptive interpolation technique to artefact reduction. In the adaptive interpolation to recover the missing information, the edge positions in a projection curve were tracked to reduce the interpolation error. A simulation was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the artefact reduction. Furthermore, image reconstruction of integrated circuit specimens in the ET experiments with the ultra‐high voltage electron microscope show that the strong streak artefacts can be reduced effectively by our artefact reduction technique.
Association of plasma pentosidine concentrations with renal function in kidney graft recipients
Authors: Slowik‐Zylka Dorota , Safranow Krzysztof , Dziedziejko Violetta , Ciechanowski Kazimierz , Chlubek Dariusz 
Published: December 2009

Slowik‐Zylka D, Safranow K, Dziedziejko V, Ciechanowski K, Chlubek D. Association of plasma pentosidine concentrations with renal function in kidney graft recipients.  Clin Transplant 2010: 24: 839–847. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  Background:  Advanced glycation end‐products accumulate in the plasma of uremic patients. We aimed to assess the changes of free (Pfree) and total (Ptot) plasma pentosidine concentrations in kidney graft recipients, create a model describing their profile and analyze associations with clinical parameters.Material and methods:  We measured Pfree and Ptot in the plasma of 12 non‐diabetic patients before and after kidney transplantation by HPLC.Results:  P
tot concentrations were significantly decreasing after transplantation. The changes were well described by the exponential model assuming an asymptotic fall until the steady‐state concentration is attained. Ptot before and after transplantation displayed a strong negative correlation with mean daily diuresis (Rs = −0.64, p < 0.05 before; Rs = −0.94, p < 0.01 after 20 d). The rate of fall of the Ptot was positively correlated with the mean daily volume of urine passed in the second week after operation (Rs = +0.58, p < 0.05).Conclusions:  The rate of fall of the Ptot after transplantation displays a strong correlation with diuresis, and the Ptot before transplantation is a potential prognostic factor for diuresis after the operation. Further prospective studies are necessary to demonstrate whether an effort to reduce carbonyl stress and pentosidine concentration before transplantation improves renal outcome.