bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lung cancer in patients younger than 40 years in a multiracial Asian country
Authors: Liam Chong‐Kin , Lim Kim‐Hatt , Wong Catherine Mee‐Ming 
Published: March 2010

Objective:This study aimed to determine whether the clinicopathological features of lung cancer in patients younger than 40 years differ from that of older patients in an Asian country.Methodology:We undertook a review of the clinicopathological data of all patients with confirmed primary lung cancer at the Department of Medicine, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 1991 to September 1999.Results:Of the 580 patients with lung cancer, 36 (6.2%; 23 males, 13 females) were 21–39 years old at diagnosis. The percentage of people who had never smoked was higher among the younger patients (58.3%vs 19.1%, P < 0.001). Although adenocarcinoma was the most common cell type in both groups, its incidence was higher in the younger patients (24/36 (66.7%) vs 228/544 (41.9%), P = 0.007). The mean World Health Organization performance status at presentation was worse in the younger patients (2.4 vs 2, P = 0.007). In the case of non‐small cell lung cancer, all the younger patients presented with either stage IIIb or metastatic disease compared to 77.2% of the older patients (P < 0.001).Conclusions:Younger lung cancer patients were more likely than older patients to have never smoked, to have adenocarcinoma, and to present with poorer performance status and with more advanced‐stage non‐small cell lung cancer.
Bronchiolitis obliterans in children: Clinical profile and diagnosis
Authors: Chan P. W. K. , Muridan R. , Debruyne J. A. 
Published: March 2010

Objective:The aim of the study was to determine the clinical profile, aetiology and radiological categories in children diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans (BO).Methodology:We undertook a review of the medical records and radiological studies of 14 children with BO.Results:Unresolving cough and wheeze after a short respiratory illness was the commonest presentation. A viral pneumonitis was identified as the initial respiratory event prior to the development of BO in six children and Mycoplasma pneumoniae was the cause in another three children. Chest X‐ray findings could be divided into four distinct patterns that were hyperinflation (n = 5), mixed pattern of atelectasis, hyperlucency and bronchial thickening (n = 4), unilateral small hyperlucent lung (n = 3) and unilateral collapse of one lung (n = 2). High resolution computed tomogram (HRCT) chest showing areas of hyperaeration and mosaic ground glass patterns with bronchial thickening were commonly found in patients whose chest X‐ray showed bilateral changes. Patients with bilateral lung changes were more likely to have failure to thrive and persistent respiratory symptoms on follow up.Conclusion:A diagnosis of BO can be made from typical clinical features combined with an understanding of the different chest X‐ray categories and HRCT of the chest. A viral aetiology was the commonest cause for BO in our series.
Clinical manifestations of tuberculosis in HIV‐infected patients
Authors: Lee Man Po , Chan Johnny Wai Man , Ng Ka Kui Philip , Li Patrick Chung Ki 
Published: March 2010

Objective:The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of HIV infection on the clinical presentation of tuberculosis.Methodology:We retrospectively studied the impact of HIV infection on the clinical presentation of tuberculosis. A total of 60 consecutive patients co‐infected with HIV and tuberculosis were identified.Results:Majority were male (88.3%) and the most common transmission category was heterosexual contact (80%). Most were in the advanced stage of HIV infection; 93% had CD4 cell count less than 200/mm3. Concerning the site of tuberculosis involvement, 37% had pulmonary involvement alone, 13% had extrapulmonary disease involving one single site, 50% had both pulmonary and extrapulmonary involvement. Fifteen (25%) patients also met the criteria of disseminated tuberculosis, who had a significantly lower mean CD4 cell count than those with pulmonary involvement alone (mean 40 vs 102; P = 0.048). Chest radiographs comprised a wide spectrum of manifestations. A considerable proportion had primary pulmonary tuberculosis pattern (38%) and normal radiographs (8.5%).Conclusions:Our patients generally had advanced HIV infection; 93% of those had CD4 lymphocyte count <200/mm3. Extrapulmonary involvement and disseminated disease were common. Radiographic manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis were often ‘atypical’ due to the greater proportion of primary tuberculosis among our patients.
Modified Koyanagi's procedure for proximal hypospadias: Our experience
Authors: Nerli Rajendra , Santhoshi Poonacha , Guntaka Ajaykumar , Patil Shivagouda , Hiremath Murigendra 
Published: March 2010

AbstractKoyanagi described an elegant technique for one‐stage proximal hypospadias repair. It is particularly suited for the most severe forms of hypospadias. A modified Koyanagi technique was used to repair the hypospadias in 14 children, aged 3–9 years. One child developed breakdown of the suture line, three other children developed small urethrocutaneous fistula needing closure and one child had post‐operative meatal stenosis. Despite the high rate of complications, modified Koyanagi's procedure is a good procedure of choice for severe/proximal hypospadias.
Robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in the Asian population: Modified port configuration and ultradissection
Authors: Jeong Wooju , Araki Motoo , Park Sung Yul , Lee Young Hoon , Kumon Hiromi , Hong Sung Joon , Rha Koon Ho 
Published: March 2010

AbstractWe have carried out over 360 cases of robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) to date. In the present study, we detail our current technique at Yonsei University College of Medicine. The six‐port transperitoneal approach is utilized. The most lateral two ports were placed medially and caudally in patients with a small pelvis to avoid interference between the ports and the pelvis (modified port configuration). Lymph node dissection is carried out in the external iliac, obturator and infraobturator area. The dissection on the lateral border of the bladder neck is carried out until it reaches the seminal vesicle (ultradissection). After transection of the bladder neck, vasa seminal vesicles are dissected further. Neurovascular bundles are preserved in selected patients. The dorsal venous complex (DVC) and the urethra are transected without suturing. Urethrovesical anastomosis is carried out with 3‐0 monocryl running suture, incorporating with the edge of DVC. The puboprostatic collar and bladder are incorporated by 3‐0 monocryl running suture (puboperineoplasty). Between November 2007 and September 2008, RARP was carried out using this technique in 182 patients. Median height, weight, body mass index and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) were 168 cm, 68 kg, 24 kg/M2 and 7.1 ng/mL, respectively. Mean operative time was 192 min and average blood loss was 250 mL. Median catheterization time was 8 days. Positive surgical margin rates for pT2, pT3 and pT4 disease was 12.7, 48 and 100%, respectively. Intraoperative complication rate was 2.7%. Fifty‐five patients completed a minimum of 10 months follow up. Their continence rate was 91%. RARP is a safe and feasible surgical modality for prostate cancer among Asian patients with a small pelvis. Our technique achieves a precise bladder neck dissection.
Toric implantable collamer lens for patients with moderate to severe myopic astigmatism: 12‐month follow‐up
Authors: Bhikoo Riyaz , Rayner Sandra , Gray Trevor 
Published: March 2010

AbstractPurpose:  To report on the 12‐month follow‐up of 77 eyes with moderate to high myopic astigmatism implanted with toric implantable collamer lenses (ICLs).Methods:  Retrospective case‐note review of 77 eyes from 42 patients undergoing toric ICL placement by one surgeon. Preoperative mean spherical equivalent −2.50 dioptres (D) to −15.00 D myopia and 1.00 D to 7.00 D astigmatism.Results:  At 12 months, mean manifest refractive cylinder (MRC) decreased 81% from 2.38 D to 0.44 D. MRC within 1.00 D occurred in 99% (76/77) of eyes, whereas 86% (66/77) had MRC within 0.75 D. 99% (76/77) had postoperative best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) better than or equal to preoperative values, whereas 78% (60/77) gained up to one line BCVA and 1% (1/77) lost one line BCVA. Uncorrected binocular vision of 6/6 or better occurred in 90% (38/42) of patients compared with binocular BCVA of 6/6 or better in 67% (28/42) preoperatively. One ICL was replaced due to low vaulting. Two eyes with astigmatism of 3.25 D and 3.50 D received subsequent laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) to reduce residual small refractive errors. Indications for ICL were: myopia too high for LASIK (73%), cornea too thin for LASIK (44%) and contact lens intolerance (33%). Night halos were reported in 10% (8/77) of eyes at 12 months. One ICL was removed due to unrecognized preoperative glaucoma. There were no cases of cataract formation, or endophthalmitis.Conclusion:  This study is the largest reported series of toric ICL implantation in New Zealand. It supports the safety, efficacy and predictability of toric ICLs to treat myopic astigmatism.
Carbonic anhydrase IX and pathological features as predictors of outcome in patients with metastatic clear‐cell renal cell carcinoma receiving vascular endothelial growth factor‐targeted therapy
Authors: Choueiri Toni K. , Regan Meredith M. , Rosenberg Jonathan E. , Oh William K. , Clement Jessica , Amato Angela M. , McDermott David , Cho Daniel C. , Atkins Michael B. , Signoretti Sabina 
Published: March 2010

Study Type – Prognosis (retrospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2bOBJECTIVETo investigate the utility of tumour carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) expression and histological features for predicting the outcome in patients with metastatic clear‐cell renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐targeted therapy.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe identified 118 patients with mRCC initiating first‐line VEGF‐targeted therapy, including 94 with clinical and histological data, and available tissue. The primary endpoint was to detect an interaction between sorafenib vs sunitinib treatment and CAIX status on tumour shrinkage. Other treatment outcomes were also assessed.RESULTSThere was heterogeneity in tumour responsiveness to sunitinib or sorafenib according to CAIX status; the mean shrinkage was –17% vs –25% for sunitinib‐treated patients with high vs low tumour CAIX expression, compared to –13% vs +9% for sorafenib‐treated patients (P interaction, 0.05). A higher tumour clear‐cell component was independently associated with greater tumour shrinkage (P= 0.02), response (P= 0.02) and treatment duration (P= 0.02).CONCLUSIONSAlthough CAIX expression had no prognostic value in patients with clear‐cell mRCC treated with VEGF‐targeted therapy, it might be a predictive biomarker for response to sorafenib treatment. Patients with a higher clear‐cell component in their tumours are likely to have a superior clinical benefit from VEGF‐targeted therapy.
Learning residential electrical wiring through computer simulation: The impact of computer‐based learning environments on student achievement and cognitive load
Authors: Liu Han‐Chin , Su I‐Hsien 
Published: March 2010

AbstractMultimedia learning environments such as computer simulations are widely accepted as tools for supporting science learning. Although the design of multimedia learning environments can be domain specific, few studies have focused on the use of computer simulations for learning residential electrical wiring. This study aimed to determine whether students using computer simulations learned better than traditional classroom learners in the domain of residential wiring. A quasi‐experiment was implemented with 169 high school students. The simulation group participated in a series of computer simulations, whereas the control group received lectures and demonstrations from an instructor. Students' cognitive load as elevated by multimedia leaning tasks was compared with that of students learning using traditional methods. The simulation group learned significantly better and reported higher cognitive load than did the control group. Moreover, the simulation group managed cognitive resources more efficiently on transfer of learning than did the control group. Having more opportunities to interact with a simulation‐based learning environment could result in higher cognitive load. The higher cognitive load seemed to result in better performance on the achievement test and, therefore, the learners' mental effort was possibly invested mainly in meaning making in the virtual learning environments. Discussion of the results, instruments and research design, as well as suggestions for future studies are provided.
Online role‐play environments for higher education
Authors: Russell Carol , Shepherd John 
Published: March 2010

AbstractAs online environments and tools have evolved over the last 15–20 years, their use for role‐based learning has expanded. This analysis draws on work for an Australian project that has been sharing and developing knowledge about the use of online role‐plays in higher education. We describe the learning needs that online role‐play can meet, and give examples of solutions—some using custom‐built software and some using standard online learning environments. We use these examples to develop a framework for evaluating how new technologies can support role‐based learning activities in universities, taking into account the needs of both learners and teachers.
Ontology and taxonomy design and development for personalised web‐based learning systems
Authors: Yalcinalp Serpil , Gulbahar Yasemin 
Published: March 2010

AbstractRecent developments and new directions in education have emphasised learners' needs, profile and pedagogical aspects by focusing on learner‐centered approaches in educational settings. e‐Learning, on the other hand, guarantees learners the opportunity of learning in their own way, and leads to new considerations in course design. e‐Learning is defined as the new form of learning, rather than the use of new technologies. It requires new considerations in educational aspects and delivery methods. Personalised technologies and new approaches such as the use of ontologies and Semantic Webs in e‐learning are some of the next challenges for both education and society in the future. This paper provides an overview and rationale for personalised web‐based learning and personalised technologies. Also, it presents ontologies by emphasising the various usages of this term in a variety of fields, the main ontology structures, methodologies and design principles, and its applications in education.
Modelling the factors that affect individuals’ utilisation of online learning systems: An empirical study combining the task technology fit model with the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Yu Tai‐Kuei , Yu Tai‐Yi 
Published: March 2010

AbstractUnderstanding learners’ behaviour, perceptions and influence in terms of learner performance is crucial to predict the use of electronic learning systems. By integrating the task‐technology fit (TTF) model and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this paper investigates the online learning utilisation of Taiwanese students. This paper provides a better understanding of individual, technological and social factors regarding online learning system performance. A total of 870 students who were earlier introduced to e‐learning were surveyed after a period of exposure to the system. The results of the research model were analysed using a structural equation modelling approach to verify 10 hypotheses; support was found for eight of them. This paper offers a new perspective on the mechanisms through the TTF and TPB model constructs, which facilitates e‐learning learner performance and offers important implications for understanding learner performance in online learning environments.
TERRITORIAL (DIS)CONTINUITY DYNAMICS BETWEEN CEUTA AND MOROCCO: CONFLICTUAL FORTIFICATION VIS‐À‐VIS CO‐OPERATIVE INTERACTION AT THE EU BORDER IN AFRICA
Authors: FERRER‐GALLARDO XAVIER 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACTThis contribution examines the development of territorial dynamics on the Ceuta‐Morocco border region in the context of the structural Spanish‐Moroccan rebordering that followed Spain's EU entry. The evolution of border practice is canvassed through the confronting notions of territorial discontinuity and territorial continuity. Clearly, current territorial dynamics between Ceuta and Morocco are characterised by both the existence of conflictive geopolitical cross‐border dialectics and the implementation of fortifying securitisation measures. However, simultaneously, the border region is also marked by intensifying patterns of cross‐border interaction which are sourced in the rising potentialities of economic and urban cross‐border co‐operation. In this light, the paper seeks to map the present intertwining of these apparently disagreeing territorial trends. To conclude, the paper underlines the ongoing modification of relational power between Ceuta and Morocco. It depicts the strengthening of local cross‐border co‐operative practices as a potential tool to cope with persistent sovereignty disputes in the border region.
Winners and losers in human‐made habitats: interspecific competition outcomes in two Neotropical vultures
Authors: Carrete M. , Lambertucci S. A. , Speziale K. , Ceballos O. , Travaini A. , Delibes M. , Hiraldo F. , Donázar J. A. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractUnderstanding the factors underlying species coexistence is a major focus in community ecology. When dealing with competition between native and exotic species, the competitive exclusion of the ‘weaker’ species can have consequences for biodiversity conservation. We examined interspecific interactions during foraging between black vultures Coragyps atratus and Andean condors Vultur gryphus in Southern Argentina. Previous studies suggest facilitatory interactions between them. However, in most parts of their distribution ranges, these species did not coexist until recently, when black vultures expanded their geographic range following human development. Thus, facilitatory processes or segregation patterns could not be fine‐tuned enough to allow their coexistence. Our hypothesis is that black vultures and Andean condors compete for food resources, and that this competitive scenario can change depending on local species abundances and habitat humanization. We experimentally placed sheep carcasses in two habitats differing in degrees of humanization to study the foraging patterns in these species. Both species exploited carcasses with similar temporal patterns. However, the first to arrive and the dominant species were different in both habitats, according to their abundances. Although black vultures do not completely prevent the arrival of Andean condors to carcasses, they represent serious obstacles for feeding. Thus, while dominance hierarchy at carcasses could be related to body size, carcass consumption was determined by species abundance. Our results support the hypothesis that the expansion of a ‘winning’ species may trigger interspecific competition with other ‘loser’ species, with negative responses towards human activities when they became abundant. Although the results are not conclusive, invasion and extinction processes could be occurring and they can have serious consequences for the diversity (i.e. richness and evenness) of the New World scavenger guilds.
Socio‐demographic determinants of gambling participation and expenditures: evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Tan Andrew K.G. , Yen Steven T. , Nayga, Jr. Rodolfo M. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThis study examined the socio‐demographic determinants of participation and expenditure decisions on gambling among non‐Muslim households in Malaysia using data from the 2005–2006 Malaysian Household Expenditures Survey. Heckman's sample selection analysis was used to obtain consistent (unbiased) empirical estimates for the regression equation of gambling expenditures in the presence of censoring (observed zeros) in the dependent variable. Marginal effects were also calculated to further explore the effects of socio‐demographic variables on the probability and levels of gambling expenditures. The results indicated that non‐Muslim households in Malaysia who are more likely to participate and spend more in gambling include Chinese, affluent, male‐headed, younger and non‐white collar households. Specifically, households of Chinese descent have higher gambling probabilities and expenditures than Indians and those of other ethnic backgrounds. While education reduces and age increases the likelihood and expenditures of gambling among Chinese households, these effects are non‐extant for Indians and other ethnic groups. Higher income and male‐headed households were more likely to partake and have higher expenditures in gambling among all non‐Muslim ethnic groups. Finally, Chinese and Indian households headed by a white‐collar worker have lower gambling likelihoods and unconditional expenditures than their blue‐collar cohorts. Based on these results, several anti‐gambling policies were suggested to target those more likely to participate and spend more in gambling activities.
Application of an interactive exercise tool: student activity, performance and satisfaction in a Household Technology course
Authors: Schmidberger Wolfgang , Stamminger Rainer 
Published: March 2010

AbstractItkA is a new interactive exercise software tool, which provides both a training mode and a test mode. A random generator compiles exercises from a question database. In each test, students have the opportunity to score up to 50 points. The construction of ItkA is based on Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives in the cognitive domain. ItkA has been tested and evaluated in a Household Technology course. In addition to attending face‐to‐face lectures, students had the opportunity to practise as much as they wanted to, parallel to which seven tests were provided and evaluated. Furthermore, data were collected by use of a preliminary survey and a follow‐up survey.The aim of the study was to learn more about students' learning activities and learning behaviour in the Household Technology course. The authors evaluated the students' degree of participation and their results on the tests provided. Finally, student satisfaction with course support and with the design of the course was evaluated.The results clearly show that students only learn actively when lecturers give detailed advice or tasks. Although the test results were surprisingly good, half of the students had difficulties in organizing themselves and were not able to pass all the tests in the given period.There is a significant negative correlation between average test results and the number of questions in the database. In addition, a significant positive correlation between average test time and the number of database questions was found. To minimize this effect, the number of questions should be increased for certain topics.The participants were very satisfied with the course and software support. They rated the whole course as ‘good’ and the ItkA software as slightly, but significantly, better. In summary, ItkA contributes to the improvement of Household Technology courses. Furthermore, the whole course organization was highly consistent with the needs of the students. It is, therefore, recommended that ItkA is implemented in future courses in Household Technology as well as in other courses.