bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Status of Hemoglobin A1c Measurement and Goals for Improvement: From Chaos to Order for Improving Diabetes Care
Authors: Little Randie R , Rohlfing Curt L , Sacks David B 
Published: December 2010

BACKGROUND
The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) established the importance of hemoglobin A1c (Hb A1c) as a predictor of outcome in patients with diabetes mellitus. In 1994, the American Diabetes Association began recommending specific Hb A1c targets, but lack of comparability among assays limited the ability of clinicians to use these targets. The National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) was implemented in 1996 to standardize Hb A1c results to those of the DCCT/UKPDS.

CONTENT
The NGSP certifies manufacturers of Hb A1c methods as traceable to the DCCT. The certification criteria have been tightened over time and the NGSP has worked with the College of American Pathologists in tightening proficiency-testing requirements. As a result, variability of Hb A1c results among clinical laboratories has been considerably reduced. The IFCC has developed a reference system for Hb A1c that facilitates metrological traceability to a higher order. The NGSP maintains traceability to the IFCC network via ongoing sample comparisons. There has been controversy over whether to report Hb A1c results in IFCC or NGSP units, or as estimated average glucose. Individual countries are making this decision.

SUMMARY
Variability among Hb A1c results has been greatly reduced. Not all countries will report Hb A1c in the same units, but there are established equations that enable conversion between different units. Hb A1c is now recommended for diagnosing diabetes, further accentuating the need for optimal assay performance. The NGSP will continue efforts to improve Hb A1c testing to ensure that clinical needs are met.
Sequence Analysis of CYP21A1P in a German Population to Aid in the Molecular Biological Diagnosis of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Authors: Cantürk Cumhur , Baade Ulrike , Salazar Ramona , Storm Niels , Pörtner Ralf , Höppner Wolfgang 
Published: December 2010

BACKGROUND
The high homology between the CYP21A2 (cytochrome P450, family 21, subfamily A, polypeptide 2) and CYP21A1P (cytochrome P450, family 21, subfamily A, polypeptide 1 pseudogene) genes is the major obstacle to risk-free genetic diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, especially regarding the quantification of gene dosage. Because of the lack of a comprehensive study providing useful information about the detailed genetic structure of CYP21A1P, we used a large data set to analyze and characterize this pseudogene.

METHODS
We amplified and directly sequenced the CYP21A1P and CYP21A2 genes of 200 unrelated individuals. The resulting sequence data were aligned against the manually curated transcript ENST0000448314 from Havana/Vega matching to the genebuild ENSG00000198457; all differences were documented. Copy number was measured by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification when necessary.

RESULTS
We found that 40 potentially variable positions in CYP21A2 were conserved in CYP21A1P in all study participants. In addition, we detected 14 CYP21A1P variants that were not previously reported in either CYP21A2 or CYP21A1P. Unlike CYP21A2, CYP21A1P possessed certain mutation haplotypes.

CONCLUSIONS
The genetic structure of CYP21A1P and the potential risks of false conclusions it may introduce are essential considerations in designing a PCR-based diagnosis procedure for congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Photostability and moisture uptake properties of wood veneers coated with a combination of thin sol-gel films and light stabilizers
Authors: Tshabalala Mandla A. , Libert Ryan , Schaller Christian M. 
Published: December 2010

Abstract
In recent years, there has been increased interest in the use of inorganic UV blocking nanoparticles for photostabilization of wood surfaces. Photostability and moisture uptake properties of wood veneers coated with a combination of hybrid inorganic-organic thin sol-gel films and organic light stabilizers was investigated. The light stabilizers were applied by brushing, and the thin sol-gel films were deposi-ted on the wood surface by dipping in a sol prepared from a mixture of methyltrimethoxysilane, hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, and aluminum isopropoxide precursors. Although the sol-gel film improved the moisture resistance of the wood veneers, it showed mixed results on photostability. Under light and spray conditions in a Weather-Ometer™, specimens treated with a combination of sol-gel thin film and a UV absorber, tris-resorcinol triazine and an acrylic self-crosslink-ing binder, or treated with lignin stabilizer/tris-resorcinol triazine/acrylic self-crosslinking binder showed good overall weathering performance. Under permanent light conditions in the Weather-Ometer™, specimens treated with a combination of sol-gel thin film, a lignin stabilizer, and a water soluble UV absorber – namely: (2-hydroxyphenyl)-benzotriazole – revealed a good overall weathering performance. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of using a combination of organic light stabilizers and sol-gel deposits of hybrid inorganic-organic thin films to improve weathering resistance of softwood substrates.
Using Scenario-Based Envisioning to Explore Wearable Flexible Displays
Authors: Hoffman Robert R. , Elliott Linda R. 
Published: December 2010

Fast-maturing flexible display technology, explored in a military application using this envisioning method, both reveals potential utility and raises questions for further study. Flexible displays (FDs) are thin, lightweight, flexible displays that use little power and can be easily stored, carried, or mounted on clothing. Diverse applications are being imagined for the emerging FD technology, but it will take more than imagination to develop applications that have high utility and functionality. In this article we focus on military applications of wearable FD technology and demonstrate a scenario-based envisioning research method that provides a realistic context for usability analysis. Via this method, participants were encouraged to generate ideas for the uses of wearable FDs and to identify possible problems and misapplications. Results show that FDs will take on different functionalities depending on the task context and the responsibilities of the user.
Roving Mars: Using Function Analysis to Develop a Concept System
Authors: Casey Steven , Montgomery Gregg 
Published: December 2010

Function analysis drives a bold concept for a vehicle that could transport humans around the harsh Martian terrain in the year 2037. Responding to a design challenge by the U.K. magazine Industrial Vehicle Technology International, ergonomist Steven Casey and industrial designer Gregg Montgomery joined forces to develop a concept for a manned Mars Exploration Rover to be used on the Red Planet in the year 2037. The exercise was a classic use of function analysis, an HF/E engineering method integral to the development of unique systems. The harsh Mars environment, overall mission objectives, living and working environments, and anticipated astronaut tasks were the driving forces behind the conceptual design. Their Mars Exploration Rover recently was awarded the prestigious GOOD DESIGN Award for “its bold, futuristic design” by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design with the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Behavior-Based Safety Programs Improve Worker Safety in India
Authors: Kaila H. L. 
Published: December 2010

Behavioral safety programs prove their rapid effectiveness in changing unsafe working behavior in Indian multinational organizations – or anywhere. An ongoing national action re search survey of behavior-based safety (BBS) in India counts among its participants 1,750 executives and 713 workers in 57 multinational organizations representing a variety of industries, such as petroleum, steel, cement, power, and chemicals. This article presents selected original case studies and field observations made in BBS training interventions conducted between 1997 and 2009. These observations can be useful in extending the BBS concept and process to human resources and safety professionals, as well as to anyone concerned about correcting unsafe behaviors in the workplace, reducing the incidence of accidents, and promoting safe behaviors to develop an injury-free culture in their organizations.
Islands of Hope: Building Local Capacity to Manage an Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the Pacific
Authors: Brostrom Richard , Fred Dorina , Heetderks Andy , Desai Mitesh , Song Rinn , Haddad Maryam , Wada Roylinne , Bamrah Sapna 
Published: December 2010

A single case of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) can overwhelm the technical and financial capacity of small TB programs. In May 2008, the island state of Chuuk requested assistance for their first cases of MDR-TB. Second-line drugs and isolation rooms were unavailable, lab capacity was limited, and clinicians lacked experience. Delayed response caused prolonged transmission among household contacts. Several agencies responded with technical assistance and resources. Subsequent evaluations identified 16 additional MDR-TB cases and 124 infected contacts. Within six months, the local TB program gained remarkable capacity to manage MDR-TB cases and contacts, and greatly improve care for all TB patients. The Chuuk outbreak demonstrates the importance of establishing MDR-TB readiness in smaller jurisdictions and maintaining an essential TB control infrastructure.
The Inter- and Intragenerational Impact of Gestational Diabetes on the Epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Osgood Nathaniel D. , Dyck Roland F. , Grassmann Winfried K. 
Published: December 2010

Objectives. We investigated the contribution of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) to the historic epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Saskatchewan. Methods. We constructed a population-level simulation model of the inter- and intragenerational interaction of GDM and T2DM for the period 1956 to 2006. The model was stratified by gender, ethnicity, and age; parameterized with primary and secondary data; and calibrated to match historic time series. Risk of diabetes was sigmoidally trended to capture exogenous factors. Results. Best-fit calibrations suggested GDM may be responsible for 19% to 30% of the cases of T2DM among Saskatchewan First Nations people, but only for approximately 6% of cases among other persons living in Saskatchewan. The estimated contribution of GDM to the growth in T2DM was highly sensitive to assumptions concerning the post-GDM risk of developing T2DM. Conclusions. GDM may be an important driver for the T2DM epidemic in many subpopulations. Because GDM is a readily identifiable, preventable, and treatable condition, investments in prevention, rapid diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment of GDM in at-risk populations may offer substantial benefit in lowering the T2DM burden over many generations. Model-informed data collection can aid in assessing intervention tradeoffs.
The Breathe-Easy Home: The Impact of Asthma-Friendly Home Construction on Clinical Outcomes and Trigger Exposure
Authors: Takaro Tim K. , Krieger James , Song Lin , Sharify Denise , Beaudet Nancy 
Published: December 2010

Objectives. We examined the asthma-control benefit of moving into an asthma-friendly Breathe-Easy home (BEH). Methods. We used a quasi-experimental design to compare the asthma outcomes of 2 groups of low-income children and adolescents with asthma: 34 participants who moved into a BEH, and a local matched cohort of 68 participants who had received a previous asthma-control intervention. Both groups received in-home asthma education. BEHs were constructed with moisture-reduction features, enhanced ventilation systems, and materials that minimized dust and off-gassing. Results. BEH residents’ asthma-symptom–free days increased from a mean of 8.6 per 2 weeks in their old home to 12.4 after 1 year in the BEH. The proportion of BEH residents with an urgent asthma-related clinical visit in the previous 3 months decreased from 62% to 21%. BEH caretakers’ quality of life increased significantly. The BEH group improved more than did the comparison group, but most differences in improvements were not significant. Exposures to mold, rodents, and moisture were reduced significantly in BEHs. Conclusions. Children and adolescents with asthma who moved into an asthma-friendly home experienced large decreases in asthma morbidity and trigger exposure.
Pet Overpopulation: An Economic Analysis
Authors: Coate Stephen , Knight Brian 
Published: December 2010

Abstract
The market for pets in the U.S. is important economically and socially. Pets differ from standard economic goods in significant ways, and the market displays a number of interesting problems, most notably pet overpopulation. Despite this, the market has been ignored by economists. This paper develops a dynamic model of the market for pets and uses it to study the problem of pet overpopulation. The positive predictions of the model square well with key features of the markets for dogs and cats in the U.S. The model is used to understand, from a welfare economic perspective, the sense in which there is overpopulation of pets and the underlying causes of the problem. The paper also employs the model to consider what policies might be implemented to deal with the problem. A calibrated example is developed to illustrate these corrective policies and quantify the potential welfare gains.
Prescribed Dietary Phosphate Restriction and Survival among Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Lynch Katherine E. , Lynch Rebecca , Curhan Gary C. , Brunelli Steven M. 
Published: December 2010

Summary

Background and objectives
Hyperphosphatemia is common among hemodialysis patients. Although prescribed dietary phosphate restriction is a recommended therapy, little is known about the long-term effects on survival.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
We conducted a post hoc analysis of data from the Hemodialysis Study (n = 1751). Prescribed dietary phosphate was recorded at baseline and annually thereafter. Marginal structural proportional hazard models were fit to estimate the adjusted association between dietary phosphate restriction and mortality in the setting of time-dependent confounding.

Results
At baseline, prescribed daily phosphate was restricted to levels ≤870, 871 to 999, 1000, 1001 to 2000 mg, and not restricted in 300, 314, 307, 297, and 533 participants, respectively. More restrictive prescribed dietary phosphate was associated with poorer indices of nutritional status on baseline analyses and a persistently greater need for nutritional supplementation but not longitudinal changes in caloric or protein intake. On marginal structural analysis, there was a stepwise trend toward greater survival with more liberal phosphate prescription, which reached statistical significance among subjects prescribed 1001 to 2000 mg/d and those with no specified phosphate restriction: hazard ratios (95% CIs) 0.73 (0.54 to 0.97) and 0.71 (0.55 to 0.92), respectively. Subgroup analysis suggested a more pronounced survival benefit of liberal dietary phosphate prescription among nonblacks, participants without hyperphosphatemia, and those not receiving activated vitamin D.

Conclusions
Prescribed dietary phosphate restriction is not associated with improved survival among prevalent hemodialysis patients, and increased level of restriction may be associated with greater mortality particularly in some subgroups.
Uloga nuklearne medicine u transplantaciji bubrega
Authors: Jaksic Emilija , Beatovic Slobodanka , Han Ruben 
Published: December 2010

<zakljucak> Znacaj uro-nefroloskih nuklearnomedicinskih metoda u ispitivanju presadjenog bubrega je u pravovremenom otkrivanju komplikacija i njihovom pracenju. Rezultati ovih ispitivanja imaju visestruk znacaj: -	vazne su implikacije tih rezultata na klinicki stav, jer opredeljuju klinicara u cesto vitalnoj odluci izmedju konzervativne i radikalne terapije, -	rezultati nuklearnomedicinskih ispitivanja omogucuju pracenje perfuzijske funkcijske i urodinamske reakcije presadjenog bubrega na lecenje, -	imaju i prognosticki znacaj, jer omogucavaju da se predvidi stepen ocekivanog oporavka funkcije presadjenog bubrega posle lecenja.
The Effect of Trading Volume on Analysts’ Forecast Bias
Authors: Beyer Anne , Guttman Ilan 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT: This study models the interaction between a sell-side analyst and risk-averse investors. It derives an analyst’s optimal earnings forecast and investors’ optimal trading decisions in a setting where the analyst’s payoff depends on the trading volume the forecast generates as well as on the forecast error. In the fully separating equilibrium, we find that the analyst biases the forecast upward (downward) if his private signal reveals relatively good (bad) news.
The model predicts that: (1) the analyst biases the forecast upward more often than downward and the forecast is on average optimistic; (2) the magnitude of the analyst’s bias is increasing in the per-share benefit from trading volume he receives; and (3) the analyst’s expected squared forecast error may increase in the precision of his private information. Finally, we characterize the circumstances under which the (rational) analyst acts as if he overweights or underweights his private information.
The Growth and Deformation of Ice Crystals
Authors: Glen J. W. , Perutz M. F. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractX-ray diffraction photographs were taken of ice dendrites grown from water and from the vapour. In both cases [1120] was found to be the growth direction.A method of growing cylindrical single crystals of any desired orientation has been devised. Some of these crystals were extended to several times their original length. Slip took place exclusively on the basal plane. Experiments designed to locate the glide direction gave inconclusive results and suggested that, in general, crystals near the melting point can glide in any direction.Before deformation, ice crystals gave fairly sharp X-ray diffraction spots on Laue photographs. After deformation the spots are drawn out into streaks which later break up into rows of small spots. This indicates that bending of the crystals is followed by the formation of small crystallites of slightly differing orientations. Analogous effects are observed in metals.
Ice Movement and Temperature Distribution in Glaciers and Ice Sheets
Authors: Robin G. de Q. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThe distribution of temperature throughout an ice sheet has been considered, taking into account the influence of ice movement as well as other items previously considered, such as conduction, the geothermal outflow of heat and heat generated by ice movement. By making certain simplifying assumptions, a quantitative method of estimating the temperature distribution near the centre of an ice sheet has been put forward.It is shown that even a small mean annual accumulation will have considerable effect on the temperature distribution in a large ice sheet. For a moderate rate of accumulation a substantial fraction of the total thickness of ice at the centre of a large ice sheet may be isothermal at the prevailing surface ice temperature. Under these conditions at some distance from the centre, the change in the surface ice temperature with elevation may produce a temperature gradient opposite to normal, that is the temperature falls with increasing depth below the surface, due to the outward movement of the ice. Observed temperature gradients on ice sheets fit the proposed hypotheses roughly, but it appears that climatic change should also be taken into account.It is suggested that a rise from temperatures below melting point at the base of ice sheets may provide an explanation of the occasional catastrophic advances of certain glaciers.
Density of Single Crystals of Ice from a Temperate Glacier
Authors: Butkovich T. R. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractDensity of single crystals of ice from the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska, a temperate glacier, was determined by the hydrostatic weighing method. It was found that the densities of single crystals are slightly but measurably variable from one crystal to another. The values range from a minimum of 0.91712 gm./cm.3 to a maximum of 0.91728 gm./cm.3, when corrected for −3.5° C., for the eight crystals measured. Any imperfections such as Tyndall figures (hexagonal prismatic voids) were immediately evident in the density determinations, and correction for these imperfections give a corrected density essentially the same as that of clear specimens. Two clear crystal aggregate specimens tested had a lower density than the pure single ice crystals. An error computation gives the value of the estimated maximum error of the density determinations as ±2.1×10−5 gm./cm.3.
Studies in Glacier Physics on the Penny Ice Cap, Baffin Island, 1953: Part III: Seismic Sounding
Authors: Röthlisberg H. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractFirn and ice thickness measurements were carried out by seismic refraction and reflection methods on a flat col of the highland snowfields of the Penny Ice Cap and on a medium-sized valley glacier (Highway Glacier). The longitudinal wave velocities were found to vary from some 1000 m./sec. (3280 ft./sec.) in firn to 3810 m.,/sec. (12,500 ft./sec.) in ice and approximately 6000 m.% sec. (20,000 ft./sec.) in the bedrock (gneiss). The thickness of firn and ice at the firn col was found to be 254 m. (834 ft.). On Highway Glacier some 80 reflections were evaluated, giving position, dip and strike of the bedrock surface. A longitudinal profile of Highway Glacier from the junction of three main tributary glaciers to the tongue is given; the ice thickness slowly decreases. At the junction, the bedrock is 400 m. (1310 ft.) deep, there is no deep basin as might be expected from the surface features. The mean slope of the glacier surface is about 3° of arc and of the bed about 1°.
Glaciological Observations on Some of the Outlet Glaciers of South-West Vatnajökull, Iceland, 1954: Part I: Glacier Regime
Authors: King Cuchlaine A. M. , Ives J. D. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractAccumulation and ablation measurements on Morsárjökull are described and a tentative glacier budget for the three seasons 1951–52, 1952–53 and 1953–54 is presented. Observations of glacier flow on Morsárjökull, Svinafellsjökull and Skaftafellsjökull are considered. The recent fluctuations of the snouts of Skaftafellsjökull and Svinafellsjökull are discussed and related to variations in the height of the accumulation zones of the glaciers; recent glacier thinning is also mentioned.
Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand: Observations on its Crater Lake and Glaciers
Authors: Odell N. E. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractMt. Ruapehu, the highest summit in the North Island of New Zealand, is a semi-dormant volcano, whose crater lake was responsible for the flood that caused the disastrous railway accident on Christmas Eve, 1953. Since the last eruption of 1945, when mostly ash was ejected, the crater lake that subsequently formed has been contained by a barrier partly composed of lava and partly of névé and ash. It was the breaking through of the latter weaker portion of the dam that was responsible for the flood of mud and boulders which descended via the Whangaehu Glacier and struck the railway 25 miles (40 km.) distant. There is no evidence of eruptive activity having been the cause of the outbreak. During three ascents of the mountain, observations were made of the glaciers, which have been in a state of gradual shrinkage over a number of years. But during the past Summer—a season of exceptional dryness—the process of ablation and wastage has been greatly accelerated, so that immense areas of rock and ash have freshly emerged, and crevasses and dirt-ridges have taken the place of smooth névé or glacier surfaces.