bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy‐treated bone and joint infections in a tropical setting
Authors: White H. A. , Davis J. S. , Kittler P. , Currie B. J. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractBackground: Osteoarticular infections are a primary indication for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). The climate and geographical diversity of tropical Australia, together with the prevalence of melioidosis, disseminated gonococcal disease and community‐acquired methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus renders this a challenging environment in which to manage such infections. We evaluated patients managed by the Royal Darwin Hospital Hospital in the Home service for bone and joint infections.Methods: A retrospective analysis of the therapeutic outcomes at the end of intravenous therapy was carried out for patients treated between 1 January 2006 and 15 September 2007.Results: Fifty‐five patients were treated, including 21 (38%) indigenous Australians and 18 (33%) from remote communities. Baseline characteristics were similar to other published data, but there were two cases each of gonococcal septic arthritis and melioidosis. During treatment, 39 (71%) lived at home, with five (9%) of these receiving treatment at community clinics. Thirteen (24%) resided in self‐care units in the hospital grounds. Three (5%) were managed at hostels or in prison. Median duration of parenteral therapy was 42 days, with a median of 22 days outside hospital, providing a total saving of 1307 bed‐days. Clinical success at end of therapy was 84%, with no significant difference between indigenous and non‐indigenous cohorts.Conclusion: OPAT for osteoarticular infections is both feasible and effective in a tropical environment, including for indigenous patients. Extension of treatment to remote‐dwelling patients is facilitated by the innovative use of self‐care units and administration of treatment at remote clinics.
Necrotizing fasciitis: review of 82 cases in South Auckland
Authors: Nisbet M. , Ansell G. , Lang S. , Taylor S. , Dzendrowskyj P. , Holland D. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractBackground:  Early recognition of necrotizing fasciitis (NF) can be difficult, but is important as infections progress rapidly and have significant mortality. The aim of this study of patients with NF was to determine the clinical characteristics at presentation, causative pathogens and subsequent clinical outcome.Methods:  We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with NF presenting to Middlemore Hospital from January 2000 to June 2006.Results:  Eighty‐two patients were evaluated: 56% male, mean age 54.9 years (standard deviation 18.5), 40% Pacific Islanders. The site of infection was the lower limb in 46 (56%) patients, upper limb in 12 (15%) patients and perineum in 13 (16%) patients. Twenty‐two (27%) patients were taking non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, 29 (35%) had diabetes mellitus, 25 (30%) had gout and 17 (21%) had congestive heart failure. Forty‐nine (60%) patients had a surgical procedure within 24 h of admission. Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated from tissue or blood cultures in 33 (40%) patients and 26 (32%) patients had polymicrobial infection. Twenty‐five (30%) patients died, 17 (68%) within 72 h of admission. Independent predictors of mortality include congestive heart failure (P= 0.033) and a history of gout (P= 0.037).Conclusion:  NF remains an important disease in our community with significant morbidity and mortality. Pacific Islanders were disproportionately represented. Early diagnosis of NF can be difficult and requires a high index of suspicion in all patients presenting with cellulitis or unexplained sepsis. Congestive heart failure and gout are independent predictors of mortality and patients with these conditions and sepsis need early assessment with more aggressive hospital triaging.
Low prevalence of significant carotid artery disease on ultrasound in patients proceeding to coronary artery bypass surgery
Authors: Ansari S. , Tan J. Y. , Larcos G. S. , Paterson H. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractBackground: Cardiothoracic surgery is associated with an increased risk of perioperative stroke. Preoperative carotid ultrasonography can identify significant stenosis, but there is debate about the value of screening. The aims of this study were to (i) determine the prevalence of significant carotid artery disease in screened patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery and (ii) correlate their ultrasonographic findings with perioperative strokes.Methods: Retrospective analysis of 166 patients (118 men, 48 women) who underwent a preoperative carotid ultrasound and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) from 2004 to 2007. Perioperative strokes were recorded and compared with ultrasonographic and clinical data. A separate cohort of 1423 patients (1064 men, 359 women) who underwent CABG over the same period was also evaluated.Results: Only 11 screened patients (6.6%) had significant (>70%) carotid artery disease and two of these underwent simultaneous carotid endarterectomy. There were five perioperative strokes in screened patients, four of which occurred in individuals with <50% disease. Compared with the non‐screened cohort, ultrasound screened patients were older and more likely to have a prior stroke or transient ischaemic attack, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, peripheral vascular disease and/or renal impairment than non‐screened patients. There was no significant difference in perioperative strokes compared with non‐screened patients (3% vs 1.2% respectively, P= NS).Conclusion: There is a low prevalence of significant carotid artery disease in ultrasound screened patients. The risk of perioperative strokes in screened patients is low and not significantly different from non‐screened patients.
The current status of targeted therapy for non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Francis H. , Solomon B. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractLung cancer accounts for more cancer‐related deaths than any other malignancy in Australia and worldwide. Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of lung cancers and is associated with a 5‐year survival of only 15%. Treatment with platinum‐based doublets in the first‐line setting and single agent chemotherapy in the second‐line setting has improved survival and quality of life in patients with NSCLC. However, the benefits associated with chemotherapy are modest and serve to stress the need for novel therapeutic approaches. In the last decade a range of targeted therapies has been evaluated in NSCLC. Dramatic and often durable responses were seen in patients treated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) gefitinib and erlotinib particularly in females, non‐smokers, patients of East Asian ethnicity and those with adenocarcinomas – a group subsequently found to be enriched for tumours with activating EGFR mutations. Large randomized phase III trials have since established a role for EGFR TKI in the second‐ and third‐line setting as well as a potential role for the monoclonal antibodies bevacizumab and cetuximab, directed at vascular endothelial growth factor and EGFR, respectively, in the combination with chemotherapy in the first‐line setting. Recently it has been shown that patients with EGFR mutations may benefit from gefitinib in the first‐line setting. Other promising agents under evaluation are inhibitors of the insulin‐like growth factor‐1 receptor and inhibitors of recently described ALK gene rearrangements.
Targeted sugar provision promotes parasitism of the cereal leaf beetle Oulema melanopus
Authors: Evans Edward W. , Anderson Melody R. , Bowling Paul D. 
Published: December 2009

Parasitoids may often lack access to sugar (e.g. floral nectar) in agricultural settings. Strategically timed spraying of host plants with sugar solution may provide one means of enhancing parasitism at the same time as minimizing nontarget effects (e.g. benefiting the pest itself).
Sucrose was sprayed in wheat fields of northern Utah (U.S.A.) to assess the effects on parasitism of the cereal leaf beetle Oulema melanopus by the larval parasitoid Tetrastichus julis.
Early‐season sugar provisioning, when larvae of the pest were first hatching and parasitoid adults were newly emerged, did not affect the numbers of cereal leaf beetle larvae that matured in treated plots but increased parasitism rates of beetle larvae by four‐fold in 2006 and by seven‐fold in 2007.
No net influx of adult parasitoids into plots was detected after the application of sugar. Locally‐emerging parasitoids may have spent less time searching for their own food needs versus hosts. A laboratory experiment also confirmed that access to sucrose significantly increased parasitoid longevity.
The field experimental results obtained demonstrate that applications of sugar, implemented to target a key time of the growing season when benefits are maximized for parasitoids and minimized for their hosts, can strongly promote parasitism of the cereal leaf beetle in wheat fields.
Oviposition preference and larval performance of the sweet potato butterfly Acraea acerata on Ipomoea species in Ethiopia
Authors: Azerefegne Ferdu , Solbreck Christer 
Published: December 2009

The sweet potato butterfly Acraea acerata is an indigenous species in Ethiopia that has become a major pest on the introduced sweet potato Ipomoea batatas. To assess the role of wild Ethiopian Ipomoea species as host plants, the presence of larvae on wild ipomoeas was studied, and female oviposition choice and larval performance were tested on five wild ipomoeas, as well as on sweet potato.
In laboratory tests, oviposition and larval development were successful on two wild ipomoeas (Ipomoea tenuirostris and Ipomoea cairica) but no oviposition occurred on the remaining three species. Of the latter, larvae did not feed on Ipomoea hochstetteri and Ipomoea indica, and survival rates were extremely low on Ipomoea purpurea.
Sweet potato was a better host plant than I. tenuirostris and I. cairica in terms of oviposition preference, larval survival and pupal size; pupae were larger, resulting in more fecund female butterflies.
In the wild butterfly populations were abundant on I. tenuirostris but absent on I. cairica. Females also tended to prefer I. tenuirostris to I. cairica in oviposition choice experiments. However, no significant differences in performance were found between larvae raised on I. tenuirostris and I. cairica in the laboratory.
Wild populations of A. acerata also existed on Ipomoea obscura, a plant not investigated in the present study.
The abundance of A. acerata on wild ipomoeas is too low to likely affect butterfly population densities on sweet potato. However, wild populations may act as reservoirs subsequent to butterfly population bottlenecks on sweet potato.
Radiocesium transfer between Medicago truncatula plants via a common mycorrhizal network
Authors: Gyuricza Veronika , Thiry Yves , Wannijn Jean , Declerck Stéphane , Dupré de Boulois Hervé 
Published: December 2009

SummaryCommon mycorrhizal networks of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have been reported to transfer cesium between plants. However, a direct hyphae‐mediated transfer (via cytoplasm/protoplasm) cannot be distinguished from an indirect transfer. Indeed, cesium released by the roots of the donor plant can be taken up by the receiver plant or fungal hyphae. In the present study, Medicago truncatula plants were connected by a common mycorrhizal network and Prussian Blue (ammonium‐ferric‐hexacyano ferrate) was added in the growth medium to adsorb the released radiocesium. A direct transfer of radiocesium to roots and shoots of the receiver plant was clearly demonstrated for the first time. Even though this transfer was quantitatively low, it suggested that shared mycorrhizal networks could contribute to the redistribution of this radionuclide in the environment, which otherwise would be restricted both in time and space. This finding may also help to understand the behaviour of its chemical analogue, potassium.
Incorrect and incomplete coding and classification of diabetes: a systematic review
Authors: Stone M. A. , Camosso‐Stefinovic J. , Wilkinson J. , De Lusignan S. , Hattersley A. T. , Khunti K. 
Published: December 2009

Diabet. Med. 27, 491–497 (2010)AbstractAims  To conduct a systematic review to identify types and implications of incorrect or incomplete coding or classification within diabetes or between diabetes and other conditions; also to determine the availability of evidence regarding frequency of occurrence.Methods  Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free‐text terms were used to search relevant electronic databases for papers published to the end of August 2008. Two researchers independently reviewed titles and abstracts and, subsequently, the full text of potential papers. Reference lists of selected papers were also reviewed and authors consulted. Three reviewers independently extracted data.Results  Seventeen eligible studies were identified, including five concerned with distinguishing between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Evidence was also identified regarding: the distinction between diabetes and no‐diabetes, failure to specify type of diabetes, and diagnostic errors or difficulties involving maturity‐onset diabetes of the young, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, pancreatic diabetes, persistence of foetal haemoglobin and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The sample was too heterogeneous to derive accurate information about frequency, but our findings suggested that misclassification occurs most commonly in young people. Implications relating to treatment options and risk management were highlighted, in addition to psychological and financial implications and the potential impact on the validity of quality of care evaluations and research.Conclusions  This review draws attention to the occurrence and implications of incorrect or incomplete coding or classification of diabetes, particularly in young people. A pragmatic and clinically relevant approach to classification is needed to assist those involved in making decisions about types of diabetes.
Top Management Teams in Family‐Controlled Companies: ‘Familiness’, ‘Faultlines’, and Their Impact on Financial Performance
Authors: Minichilli Alessandro , Corbetta Guido , MacMillan Ian C. 
Published: December 2009

abstractThis article examines the affect of family management on performance of the company. We examine how familiness can provide further insights beyond the classical demographic measures of top management teams (TMTs) in explaining variations in firms' financial performance. We combine arguments on the ‘bright’ and ‘dark’ side of family involvement in the firm; we complement positive predictions on family involvement with negative predictions and develop family firm‐specific measures of TMTs' familiness. Results indicate that while the presence of a family CEO is beneficial for firm performance, the coexistence of ‘factions’ in family and non‐family managers within the TMT has the potential to create schisms among the subgroups and consequently hurt firm performance. We find support for a hypothesized U‐shaped relationship between the ratio of family members in the TMT and firm performance. Additional evidence related to interactions between firm listing and CEO type on firm performance is then presented and discussed.
Diversification Decisions in Family‐Controlled Firms
Authors: Gomez‐Mejia Luis R. , Makri Marianna , Kintana Martin Larraza 
Published: December 2009

abstractThis study examines diversification decisions of family firms and suggests that on average family firms diversify less both domestically and internationally than non‐family firms. When they do diversify, family firms tend to opt for domestic rather than international diversification, and those that go the latter route prefer to choose regions that are ‘culturally close’. Lastly, we find that family firms are more willing to diversify as business risk increases. The hypotheses are tested using a sample of 360 firms, 160 of them being family‐controlled and the rest (200) non‐family‐controlled.
Locus of Ownership and Family Involvement in Small Private Firms
Authors: Fiegener Mark K. 
Published: December 2009

abstractThe relationship between ownership and family involvement in small businesses is not altogether clear because empirical studies have not distinguished among family ownership, family management, and owner‐management in composing their samples. In the present study, a large sample of small private firms is parsed into sub‐samples with distinctly different types of owners in order to isolate the effects of locus of ownership. The results show that firms with different locus of ownership behave differently with respect to the extent of involvement by the CEO's relatives as employees, key managers, advisors, and board members. Although owner‐managers and sole‐proprietors would seem to have more authority than other CEOs to involve family members in the operations of the business, the findings indicate that these self‐owned firms have significantly less family involvement than firms owned entirely by relatives of the CEO.
Industry Event Participation and Network Brokerage among Entrepreneurial Ventures
Authors: Stam Wouter 
Published: December 2009

abstractDespite the recognition that network brokerage is beneficial for entrepreneurial ventures, little is known about its antecedents. This study examines how participation in industry events (e.g. conferences) relates to entrepreneurs' brokerage positions in informal industry networks and how these positions, in turn, impact new venture performance. Using a unique dataset of 45 events and subsequent network relations among entrepreneurs from 90 firms in the open source software industry, results indicate that: (1) entrepreneurs who participated in heterogeneous events or who bridged between events with few common participants were more likely to be brokers; (2) the relationship between event bridging and brokerage was stronger for entrepreneurs with broader prior career experiences; and (3) network brokerage mediated the event participation–performance link. It appears that events may limit structural opportunities for brokerage and that individual differences matter for exploiting these opportunities. Overall, this study increases understanding of how and when particular networking behaviours are beneficial for entrepreneurs.
Lopinavir protein binding in HIV‐1‐infected pregnant women
Authors: Aweeka FT , Stek A , Best BM , Hu C , Holland D , Hermes A , Burchett SK , Read J , Mirochnick M , Capparelli EV ,   the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group (IMPAACT) P1026s Protocol Team
Published: December 2009

BackgroundPregnancy may alter protein binding (PB) of highly bound protease inhibitors due to changes in plasma concentrations of albumin and α‐1 acid glycoprotein (AAG). Small changes in PB can greatly impact the fraction of drug unbound (FU) exerting pharmacological effect. We report lopinavir (LPV) PB during third trimester (antepartum, AP) compared to ≥1.7 weeks postpartum (PP) to determine if FU changes compensate for reduced total concentrations reported previously.MethodsP1026s enrolled women receiving LPV/ritonavir, soft gel capsules 400/100 mg or 533/133 mg twice daily. LPV FU, albumin and AAG were determined AP and PP.ResultsAP/PP samples were available from 29/25 women respectively with all but one woman receiving the same dose AP/PP. LPV FU was increased 18% AP vs. PP (mean 0.96±0.16% AP vs. 0.82±0.21% PP, P=0.001). Mean protein concentrations were reduced AP (AAG=477 mg/L; albumin=3.28 mg/dL) vs. PP (AAG=1007 mg/L; albumin=3.85 mg/dL) (P<0.0001 for each comparison). AAG concentration correlated with LPV binding. Total LPV concentration did not correlate with LPV FU AP or PP. However, higher LPV concentration PP was associated with reduced PB and higher FU after adjustment for AAG.ConclusionsLPV FU was higher and AAG lower AP vs. PP. The 18% increase in LPV FU AP is smaller than the reduction in total LPV concentration reported previously and is not of sufficient magnitude to eliminate the need for an increased dose during pregnancy.
World Cities and Global Commodity Chains: an introduction
Authors: DERUDDER BEN , WITLOX FRANK 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThe purpose of this special anniversary issue is to assess the possible cross‐fertilization between two prominent analytical frameworks: the World City Network framework, in which researchers have studied the emergence of a globalized urban system for the provision of a host of advanced corporate services; and the Global Commodity Chain framework, in which researchers have scrutinized the interconnected functions, operations and transactions through which specific commodities are produced, distributed and consumed in a globalized economy. These two approaches have developed in parallel but have rarely been brought together. This introductory essay identifies the common roots and recent history of these two frameworks, and outlines how the six articles contribute to their theoretical and empirical cross‐fertilization.
World City Networks and Global Commodity Chains: towards a world‐systems' integration
Authors: BROWN ED , DERUDDER BEN , PARNREITER CHRISTOF , PELUPESSY WIM , TAYLOR PETER J. , WITLOX FRANK 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThere are two literatures that explicitly describe the spaces of flows that constitute contemporary globalization – World City Network analysis and Global Commodity Chain analysis. We explore the possibilities of their integration by returning to their common origins in world‐systems analysis. Each model is described and critiqued and it is argued that each can be used to address some of the other's limitations. This is illustrated through world city process additions to understanding the coffee commodity chain and commodity chain additions to understanding Mexico City and Santiago's positioning in the World City Network. This complementarity is just a first step towards a more complete integration; the conclusion describes the next steps towards just such a research agenda.
City networks and commodity chains: identifying global flows and local connections in Ho Chi Minh City
Authors: VIND INGEBORG , FOLD NIELS 
Published: December 2009

AbstractAny analytical framework for understanding actual forms of the intensified incorporation of cities into the world economy needs to go beyond the exclusive focus on advanced producer services, which is characteristic of most of the World City Network (WCN) approach. Simultaneously, an account of the role of advanced producer services will strengthen Global Commodity Chain (GCC) analysis. A combination of the literatures on WCN and GCC can contribute to a broader conceptualization of the connections and connectivities of global cities. In addition, a combined approach will improve our understanding of globalization processes within many so‐called ‘third‐world’ cities that are experiencing booms in export‐oriented industrialization and in migration from rural hinterlands as they are being integrated into Global Commodity Chains. We illustrate our argument with insights from GCC analyses of the electronics industry located in Ho Chi Minh City and the agricultural sector in its rural hinterland, the Mekong Delta.