bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safe early discharge for patients undergoing high dose chemotherapy with or without stem cell transplantation: a prospective analysis of clinical variables predictive for complications after treatment
Authors: Mank Arno , van der Lelie Johannes , de Vos Rien , Kersten Marie Jóse 
Published: September 2010

Aim.  To identify which patient groups can be safely discharged early after high dose chemotherapy.Background.  Until recently, the standard of care for patients with haematological malignancies who have been treated with high dose chemotherapy has been to hospitalise them until neutrophil recovery and clinical improvement. Over the past years, a more liberal approach has resulted in a tendency to discharge patients earlier. However, currently it is unclear which clinical variables are important and which patient groups are most suitable to be discharged early.Design.  Prospective cohort study.Methods.  The study group of 55 patients underwent 82 admission periods for a total of 2269 patient days, which could be classified into four categories: induction treatment, consolidation treatment and autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Different clinical variables potentially interfering with early discharge were subsequently analysed for their association with each treatment group.Results.  The median duration of admission was 27 days. The incidence of fever (82·9%) and use of intravenous antibiotics (79·3%) was high in all treatment groups. The only statistically significant differences between groups were found for performance status and mucositis. In the patient group undergoing consolidation chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia, the performance status was better and mucositis was less severe. The decline in performance status and the severity of mucositis were as expected most obvious 10–14 days after the start of chemotherapy.Conclusion.  Patients undergoing consolidation chemotherapy appear to be the most suitable candidates for early discharge, especially in the first‐week postchemotherapy treatment. Early discharge can also be considered in patients with a good performance status in the autologous stem cell transplantation group, directly after transplantation.Relevance to clinical practice.  An important factor in developing an early discharge programme is a good infrastructure, both at home and in the hospital.
The perception of friendship in adults with Down syndrome
Authors: Watt K. J. , Johnson P. , Virji‐Babul N. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractBackground  Measuring the perception of friendship in adults with Down syndrome (DS) has long been a research challenge. While there have been studies investigating the number of friends children with DS have in, the study of how adults with DS view the concept of friendship has been relatively unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of friendship in adults with DS using a visually based scale.Methods  Sixty‐six individuals participated in this study: 22 adults with DS, 22 typical mental age (MA) matched children and 22 typical adults matched for chronological age (CA). We administered a visually based Friendship scale made up of photographs depicting social interactions between individuals or groups. The scale was composed of two parts. In Part 1 participants were shown two photographs and asked to select the photograph that best depicted friends. In Part 2 participants were asked to view one photograph and asked, ‘Is it okay for friends to do this?’Results  Adults with DS scored lower on the Friendship scale in comparison with the CA and MA matched groups. Adults with DS made more errors in identifying ‘friends’ from ‘non‐friends’ but were equally able to distinguish friendly behaviours and actions from non‐friendly behaviours as their CA and MA matched peers. Individuals with DS were more likely to incorrectly identify photographs depicting a teacher, or a mother with a child as friends. Actions or behaviours that depicted subtle negative emotions were also incorrectly identified.Conclusions  These results are an important first step in understanding the perception of friendship and social behaviours related to friendship in adults with DS.
Dynamic changes of canopy‐scale mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion of sunflower as affected by CO2 concentration and abscisic acid
Authors: SCHÄUFELE RUDI , SANTRUCEK JIRI , SCHNYDER HANS 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTLeaf‐level measurements have shown that mesophyll conductance (gm) can vary rapidly in response to CO2 and other environmental factors, but similar studies at the canopy‐scale are missing. Here, we report the effect of short‐term variation of CO2 concentration on canopy‐scale gm and other CO2 exchange parameters of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) stands in the presence and absence of abscisic acid (ABA) in their nutrient solution. gm was estimated from gas exchange and on‐line carbon isotope discrimination (Δobs) in a 13CO2/12CO2 gas exchange mesocosm. The isotopic contribution of (photo)respiration to stand‐scale Δobs was determined with the experimental approach of Tcherkez et al. Without ABA, short‐term exposures to different CO2 concentrations (Ca 100 to 900 µmol mol−1) had little effect on canopy‐scale gm. But, addition of ABA strongly altered the CO2‐response: gm was high (approx. 0.5 mol CO2 m−2 s−1) at Ca < 200 µmol mol−1 and decreased to <0.1 mol CO2 m−2 s−1 at Ca >400 µmol mol−1. In the absence of ABA, the contribution of (photo)respiration to stand‐scale Δobs was high at low Ca (7.2‰) and decreased to <2‰ at Ca > 400 µmol mol−1. Treatment with ABA halved this effect at all Ca.
Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in the treatment of BK viremia and nephropathy in pediatric renal transplant recipients
Authors: Anyaegbu E. I. , Almond P. S. , Milligan T. , Allen W. R. , Gharaybeh S. , Al‐Akash S. I. 
Published: September 2010

Anyaegbu EI, Almond PS, Milligan T, Allen WR, Gharaybeh S, Al‐Akash SI. Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in the treatment of BK viremia and nephropathy in pediatric renal transplant recipients.  Pediatr Transplantation 2012: 16: E19–E24. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  Polyoma BKVN is a significant cause of allograft dysfunction and loss in renal transplant recipients. Reduction in immunosuppression is accepted as first‐line therapy to decrease viral load and prevent allograft injury and dysfunction. We report our experience with persistent BKV after reduction in immunosuppression followed by successful clearance of BKV in three pediatric renal transplant recipients and histological resolution of BKVN in a fourth patient following therapy with IVIG. Once BKV was detected, immunosuppression was reduced and BKV was monitored until clearance was achieved. All four patients were given IVIG in a dose of 2 g/kg. Allograft function remained stable in all patients. Early routine screening for BKV allows early intervention to prevent the development of BKVN and permanent allograft damage. While immunosuppression reduction is a logical first‐line therapy, second‐line therapy is not well established. IVIG seems to be an effective treatment for persistent BKV after reduction in immunosuppression and for BKVN and can therefore be considered as a therapeutic option in these patients.
Opportunistic virus DNA levels after pediatric stem cell transplantation: serostatus matching, anti‐thymocyte globulin, and total body irradiation are additive risk factors
Authors: Kullberg‐Lindh C. , Mellgren K. , Friman V. , Fasth A. , Ascher H. , Nilsson S. , Lindh M. 
Published: September 2010

C. Kullberg‐Lindh, K. Mellgren, V. Friman, A. Fasth, H. Ascher, S. Nilsson, M. Lindh. Opportunistic virus DNA levels after pediatric stem cell transplantation: serostatus matching, anti‐thymocyte globulin, and total body irradiation are additive risk factors. Transpl Infect Dis 2011: 13: 122–130. All rights reservedAbstract: Viral opportunistic infections remain a threat to survival after stem cell transplantation (SCT). We retrospectively investigated infections caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV6), or adenovirus (AdV) during the first 6–12 months after pediatric SCT. Serum samples from 47 consecutive patients were analyzed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay. DNAemia at any time point occurred for CMV in 47%, for EBV in 45%, for HHV6 in 28%, and for AdV in 28%. Three patients (6.3%) died of CMV‐, EBV‐, or AdV‐related complications 4, 9, and 24 weeks after SCT, respectively, representing 21% of total mortality. These 3 cases were clearly distinguishable by DNAemia increasing to high levels. Serum positivity for CMV immunoglobulin G in either recipient or donor at the time of SCT, total body irradiation, and anti‐thymocyte globulin conditioning were independent risk factors for high CMV or EBV DNA levels. We conclude that DNAemia levels help to distinguish significant viral infections, and that surveillance and prophylactic measures should be focused on patients with risk factors in whom viral complications rapidly can become fatal.
Effect of methoprene application, adult food and feeding duration on male melon fly starvation survival
Authors: Haq I. , Cáceres C. , Liedo P. , Soriano D. , Jessup A. , Hendrichs J. , Teal P. E. A. , Robinson A. S. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe application of methoprene and access to protein in adult diet has been shown to enhance mating success in male melon flyBactrocera cucurbitaeCoquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae), supporting their incorporation into operational area‐wide programmes integrating the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of methoprene, diet including protein and feeding days on male starvation survival to determine the minimum number of feeding days required prior to male release in the field. The study was performed in the laboratory by treating males with (i) both protein and methoprene (M+P+), (ii) only protein (M−P+), (iii) only methoprene (M+P−) or (iv) untreated (M−P−). The males were starved after exposure for an increasing number of days (1–7) to their respective treatment. Mean longevity was highest after 3‐day post‐emergence feeding duration for M+P+, M+P− and M−P− males, but 4 days of feeding for M−P+ males. Additional feeding days after 4 days, did not increase male survival and feeding for 7 days decreased starvation survival of sugar‐fed males. Application of methoprene and/or access to diet including protein had no adverse effect on starvation survival but feeding duration had a significant positive effect on starvation survival. To the contrary, the current study provides a strong evidence for the benefits of methoprene application and protein incorporation into the adult diet of sterile males. Treated males achieve higher sexual success, reach sexual development several days earlier, and are therefore much closer to sexual maturity when released in SIT action programmes after being held in the fly emergence and release facility for a post‐emergence feeding duration of at least 3 days.
Intramuscular AAV delivery of NT‐3 alters synaptic transmission to motoneurons in adult rats
Authors: Petruska Jeffrey C. , Kitay Brandon , Boyce Vanessa S. , Kaspar Brian K. , Pearse Damien D. , Gage Fred H. , Mendell Lorne M. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractWe examined whether elevating levels of neurotrophin‐3 (NT‐3) in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) would alter connections made by muscle spindle afferent fibers on motoneurons. Adeno‐associated virus (AAV) serotypes AAV1, AAV2 and AAV5, selected for their tropism profile, were engineered with the NT‐3 gene and administered to the medial gastrocnemius muscle in adult rats. ELISA studies in muscle, DRG and spinal cord revealed that NT‐3 concentration in all tissues peaked about 3 months after a single viral injection; after 6 months NT‐3 concentration returned to normal values. Intracellular recording in triceps surae motoneurons revealed complex electrophysiological changes. Moderate elevation in cord NT‐3 resulted in diminished segmental excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) amplitude, perhaps as a result of the observed decrease in motoneuron input resistance. With further elevation in NT‐3 expression, the decline in EPSP amplitude was reversed, indicating that NT‐3 at higher concentration could increase EPSP amplitude. No correlation was observed between EPSP amplitude and NT‐3 concentration in the DRG. Treatment with control viruses could elevate NT‐3 levels minimally resulting in measurable electrophysiological effects, perhaps as a result of inflammation associated with injection. EPSPs elicited by stimulation of the ventrolateral funiculus underwent a consistent decline in amplitude independent of NT‐3 level. These novel correlations between modified NT‐3 expression and single‐cell electrophysiological parameters indicate that intramuscular administration of AAV(NT‐3) can exert long‐lasting effects on synaptic transmission to motoneurons. This approach to neurotrophin delivery could be useful in modifying spinal function after injury.
Depicting more accurate pictures of protistan community complexity using pyrosequencing of hypervariable SSU rRNA gene regions
Authors: Behnke Anke , Engel Matthias , Christen Richard , Nebel Markus , Klein Rolf R. , Stoeck Thorsten 
Published: September 2010

SummaryInitial environmental pyrosequencing studies suggested highly complex protistan communities with phylotype richness decisively higher than previously estimated. However, recent studies on individual bacteria or artificial bacterial communities evidenced that pyrosequencing errors may skew our view of the true complexity of microbial communities. We pyrosequenced two diversity markers (hypervariable regions V4 and V9 of the small‐subunit rDNA) of an intertidal protistan model community, using the Roche GS‐FLX and the most recent GS‐FLX Titanium sequencing systems. After pyrosequencing 24 reference sequences we obtained up to 2039 unique tags (from 3879 V4 GS‐FLX Titanium reads), 77% of which were singletons. Even binning sequences that share 97% similarity still emulated a pseudodiversity exceeding the true complexity of the model community up to three times (V9 GS‐FLX). Pyrosequencing error rates were higher for V4 fragments compared with the V9 domain and for the GS‐FLX Titanium compared with the GS‐FLX system. Furthermore, this experiment revealed that error rates are taxon‐specific. As an outcome of this study we suggest a fast and efficient strategy to discriminate pyrosequencing signals from noise in order to more realistically depict the structure of protistan communities using simple tools that are implemented in standard tag data‐processing pipelines.
An Optimizing Compiler for Automatic Shader Bounding
Authors: Clarberg Petrik , Toth Robert , Hasselgren Jon , Akenine‐Möller Tomas 
Published: September 2010

AbstractProgrammable shading provides artistic control over materials and geometry, but the black box nature of shaders makes some rendering optimizations difficult to apply. In many cases, it is desirable to compute bounds of shaders in order to speed up rendering. A bounding shader can be automatically derived from the original shader by a compiler using interval analysis, but creating optimized interval arithmetic code is non‐trivial. A key insight in this paper is that shaders contain metadata that can be automatically extracted by the compiler using data flow analysis. We present a number of domain‐specific optimizations that make the generated code faster, while computing the same bounds as before. This enables a wider use and opens up possibilities for more efficient rendering. Our results show that on average 42–44% of the shader instructions can be eliminated for a common use case: single‐sided bounding shaders used in lightcuts and importance sampling.
SafeGI: Type Checking to Improve Correctness in Rendering System Implementation
Authors: Ou Jiawei , Pellacini Fabio 
Published: September 2010

AbstractHistorically, rendering system development has been mainly focused on improving the numerical accuracy of the rendering algorithms and their runtime efficiency. In this paper, we propose a method to improve the correctness not of the algorithms themselves, but of their implementation. Specifically, we show that by combining static type checking and generic programming, rendering system and shader development can take advantage of compile‐time checking to perform dimensional analysis, i.e. to enforce the correctness of physical dimensions and units in light transport, and geometric space analysis, i.e. to ensure that geometric computations respect the spaces in which points, vectors and normals were defined. We demonstrate our methods by implementing a CPU path tracer and a GPU renderer which previews direct illumination. While we build on prior work to develop our implementations, the main contribution of our work is to show that dimensional analysis and geometric space checking can be successfully integrated into the development of rendering systems and shaders.
Interactive, Multiresolution Image‐Space Rendering for Dynamic Area Lighting
Authors: Nichols Greg , Penmatsa Rajeev , Wyman Chris 
Published: September 2010

AbstractArea lights add tremendous realism, but rendering them interactively proves challenging. Integrating visibility is costly, even with current shadowing techniques, and existing methods frequently ignore illumination variations at unoccluded points due to changing radiance over the light's surface. We extend recent image‐space work that reduces costs by gathering illumination in a multiresolution fashion, rendering varying frequencies at corresponding resolutions. To compute visibility, we eschew shadow maps and instead rely on a coarse screen‐space voxelization, which effectively provides a cheap layered depth image for binary visibility queries via ray marching. Our technique requires no precomputation and runs at interactive rates, allowing scenes with large area lights, including dynamic content such as video screens.
Two Methods for Fast Ray‐Cast Ambient Occlusion
Authors: Laine Samuli , Karras Tero 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAmbient occlusion has proven to be a useful tool for producing realistic images, both in offline rendering and interactive applications. In production rendering, ambient occlusion is typically computed by casting a large number of short shadow rays from each visible point, yielding unparalleled quality but long rendering times. Interactive applications typically use screen‐space approximations which are fast but suffer from systematic errors due to missing information behind the nearest depth layer.In this paper, we present two efficient methods for calculating ambient occlusion so that the results match those produced by a ray tracer. The first method is targeted for rasterization‐based engines, and it leverages the GPU graphics pipeline for finding occlusion relations between scene triangles and the visible points. The second method is a drop‐in replacement for ambient occlusion computation in offline renderers, allowing the querying of ambient occlusion for any point in the scene. Both methods are based on the principle of simultaneously computing the result of all shadow rays for a single receiver point.
A Closed‐Form Solution to Single Scattering for General Phase Functions and Light Distributions
Authors: Pegoraro Vincent , Schott Mathias , Parker Steven G. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractDue to the intricate nature of the equation governing light transport in participating media, accurately and efficiently simulating radiative energy transfer remains very challenging in spite of its broad range of applications. As an alternative to traditional numerical estimation methods such as ray‐marching and volume‐slicing, a few analytical approaches to solving single scattering have been proposed but current techniques are limited to the assumption of isotropy, rely on simplifying approximations and/or require substantial numerical precomputation and storage. In this paper, we present the very first closed‐form solution to the air‐light integral in homogeneous media for general 1‐D anisotropic phase functions and punctual light sources. By addressing an open problem in the overall light transport literature, this novel theoretical result enables the analytical computation of exact solutions to complex scattering phenomena while achieving semi‐interactive performance on graphics hardware for several common scattering modes.
Interactive Rendering of Non‐Constant, Refractive Media Using the Ray Equations of Gradient‐Index Optics
Authors: Cao Chen , Ren Zhong , Guo Baining , Zhou Kun 
Published: September 2010

AbstractExisting algorithms can efficiently render refractive objects of constant refractive index. For a medium with a continuously varying index of refraction, most algorithms use the ray equation of geometric optics to compute piecewise‐linear approximations of the non‐linear rays. By assuming a constant refractive index within each tracing step, these methods often need a large number of small steps to generate satisfactory images. In this paper, we present a new approach for tracing non‐constant, refractive media based on the ray equations of gradient‐index optics. We show that in a medium of constant index gradient, the ray equation has a closed‐form solution, and the intersection point between a ray and the medium boundaries can be efficiently computed using the bisection method. For general non‐constant media, we model the refractive index as a piecewise‐linear function and render the refraction by tracing the tetrahedron‐based representation of the media. Our algorithm can be easily combined with existing rendering algorithms such as photon mapping to generate complex refractive caustics at interactive frame rates. We also derive analytic ray formulations for tracing mirages – a special gradient‐index optical phenomenon.
On Floating‐Point Normal Vectors
Authors: Meyer Quirin , Süßmuth Jochen , Sußner Gerd , Stamminger Marc , Greiner Günther 
Published: September 2010

AbstractIn this paper we analyze normal vector representations. We derive the error of the most widely used representation, namely 3D floating‐point normal vectors. Based on this analysis, we show that, in theory, the discretization error inherent to single precision floating‐point normals can be achieved by 250.2 uniformly distributed normals, addressable by 51 bits. We review common sphere parameterizations and show that octahedron normal vectors perform best: they are fast and stable to compute, have a controllable error, and require only 1 bit more than the theoretical optimal discretization with the same error.