bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Workplace Harassment — A Health Issue: Anti-Discrimination Cases and Workers' Compensation Claims
Authors: Guthrie Robert , Taplin Ross , Oliver Joseph 
Published: October 2011

This article describes the adverse health-related effects of racial and sexual harassment elicited from files held by the Western Australian Equal Opportunity Commission where the complainant has nominated sexual or racial harassment as a ground of discrimination. Those results are compared with publicly available data on work-related stress claims obtained from the Compendium of Workers' Compensation Statistics Australia 2004–06, arising from allegations of harassment. Information gleaned from a survey of unreported court decisions (from publicly available legal data bases, such as www.austlii.edu.au and www.ohs.alert.com ) is also reviewed. The purpose of examining this data is to consider the links between various forms of unlawful harassment, workplace stress and the evidence of adverse effect upon worker health. The results of this triangulation of data are consistent with that body of research which shows that workplace harassment can give rise to a range of adverse health outcomes. This paper explores how the inter-relationship of antidiscrimination and workers compensation laws may affect claimant behaviours.
Law as an Instrument of Social Change: The Constitution and Sexual Discrimination in Zambia
Authors: Munalula Mulela Margaret 
Published: October 2011

The paper looks at the process of achieving gender equity through law reform. By tracing the process of amending the Constitution and other overtly discriminating laws in Zambia. The paper questions the effectiveness of legal centralism in circumstances which clearly indicate the existence of legal pluralism. Whilst acknowledging the importance of a formal legal frame work with which to challenge the manifestation of discrimination, the paper argues that law should be treated with care because it maybe innately incapable of ensuring protection and the upholding of rights. Even where it is available, it may not be resorted to for myriad reasons. Thus the paper suggests that the search for gender equity should not stop at the law, nor should it be derailed by successes in law reform. Real change requires a broader strategy.
A grounded theory longitudinal study of carers’ experiences of caring for people with dementia
Authors: Lin Mei-Chun , Macmillan Maureen , Brown Norrie 
Published: October 2011

Introduction Increasingly the provision of care for older people with dementia has shifted from institutions to the community. This has resulted in an increase in burden and a reduction in autonomy for those who care for these individuals. Aims This study sought to identify, describe and explore the changes in the carers’ experiences of looking after a relative living with dementia, and the effects of caring on the carers’ autonomy and health over time. Research Methods A longitudinal, grounded theory approach in three phases was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with six spouses at the beginning, at six months and at eighteen months. A constant comparative analysis of taped and transcribed interviews was used. Findings Four categories emerged: My Life Changed, Commitment, Responsibility and Duty, and Support. The core category My Life Changed was identified as representing the beginning of the caregiving journey; and the learning from experience that occurred as a consequence of that journey, offering a new perspective on the experience of carers. Commitment refers to a deepened and sustained element; Responsibility and Duty increases over time and finally Support refers to the fluctuating nature of help provided by formal and informal sources. All participants experienced changes in the caregiving journey; the degree and nature of necessary adaptations varied. Conclusions A Theory of Caring emerged, but what changes were experienced did not appear to conform to any fixed pattern. All carers learned by experience to manage their situations. For all carers their autonomy and health was challenged.
Fine needle aspiration at endoscopic ultrasound with a novel side-port needle: a pilot experience
Authors: Kaffes Arthur , Corte Crispin 
Published: October 2011

Background: Diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS FNA) varies relating to the equipment used and the site targeted. Multiple needle passes are usually required to obtain a diagnosis. A new needle incorporating a side port carries a theoretical advantage regarding acquisition of cytological material. Methods: To demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the Olympus side-port needle across a spectrum of indications for EUS FNA, a prospective collection of 16 consecutive cases was undertaken at a tertiary gastroenterology referral centre in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. EUS FNA was performed with the novel Olympus side-port needle. EUS FNA was otherwise performed in the conventional fashion. The number of needle passes required for diagnosis, number of passes total, diagnosis on cytology and conclusive diagnosis were recorded. Results: Diagnostic material was obtained at the first pass in 56.2% of patients. Mean number of passes required to reach a diagnosis was 2.1. Diagnosis was made on first pass in 62.5% of solid non-lymph-node lesions. The diagnosis was reached in 94%. Conclusions: The novel side-port needle is safe and effective; further evaluation with a prospective randomized trial is warranted.
Optimizing outcomes in multiple sclerosis: consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis in Latin America
Authors: Carrá Adriana , Macías-Islas Miguel Ángel , Gabbai Alberto Alan , Correale Jorge , Bolaña Carlos , Sotelo Eduardo Duriez , Bonitto Juan García , Vergara-Edwards Fernando , Vizcarra-Escobar Darwin 
Published: October 2011

Objective: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Latin America varies across different studies but an intermediate risk and increased frequency of the disease have been reported in recent years. The circumstances of Latin American countries are different from those of Europe and North America, both in terms of differential diagnoses and disease management. Methods: An online survey on MS was sent to 855 neurologists in nine Latin American countries. A panel of nine experts in MS analyzed the results. Results: Diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations were outlined with special emphasis on the specific needs and circumstances of Latin America. The experts proposed guidelines for MS diagnosis, treatment, and follow up, highlighting the importance of considering endemic infectious diseases in the differential diagnoses of MS, the identification of patients at high risk of developing MS in order to maximize therapeutic opportunities, early treatment initiation, and cost-effective control of treatment efficacy, as well as global assessment of disability. Conclusions: The experts recommended that healthcare systems allocate a longer consultation time for patients with MS, which must be conducted by neurologists trained in the management of the disease. All drugs currently approved must be available in all Latin American countries and must be covered by healthcare plans. The expert panel supported the creation of a permanent forum to discuss future clinical and therapeutic recommendations that may be useful in Latin American countries.
Forceps biopsy and suction catheter for sampling in pulmonary nodules and infiltrates
Authors: Peschke Antje , Wiedemann Bärbel , Höffken Gert , Koschel Dirk 
Published: October 2011

Transbronchial lung biopsy with forceps is a standard procedure in bronchoscopic tissue sampling. Suction catheter aspiration is another technique, but it is not widely known and almost no data exist regarding its diagnostic efficiency.272 patients were included in a prospective and randomised study between February 2007 and October 2009. All were referred for bronchoscopic evaluation of pulmonary nodules/masses or infiltrates. We compared the diagnostic yield of forceps biopsy and suction catheter aspiration for a definite diagnosis and looked at whether such a diagnosis depends on the underlying pulmonary change.All patients underwent bronchoscopy with forceps biopsy and catheter aspiration. A definitive diagnosis was reached in a total of 183 (67.3%) patients, with catheter aspiration in 140 (51.5%) patients and with forceps biopsy in 136 (50.0%) patients. In 90 (33.1%) patients, a definite diagnosis could only be reached with the combination of both techniques. The diagnostic yield of forceps biopsy was better than catheter aspiration in infiltrates (p=0.027), but was no different in nodules or masses (p=0.09).Suction catheter aspiration is a useful technique of bronchoscopic tissue sampling. The combination of catheter aspiration and forceps biopsy results in a higher diagnostic yield than either method used alone.
Radon and COPD mortality in the American Cancer Society Cohort
Authors: Turner Michelle C. , Krewski Daniel , Chen Yue , Pope C. Arden , Gapstur Susan M. , Thun Michael J. 
Published: October 2011

Although radon gas is a known cause of lung cancer, the association between residential radon and mortality from non-malignant respiratory disease has not been well characterised.The Cancer Prevention Study-II is a large prospective cohort study of nearly 1.2 million Americans recruited in 1982. Mean county-level residential radon concentrations were linked to study participants' residential address based on their ZIP code at enrolment (mean±sd53.5±38.0 Bq·m−3). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for non-malignant respiratory disease mortality associated with radon concentrations. After necessary exclusions, a total of 811,961 participants in 2,754 counties were included in the analysis.Throughout 2006, there were a total of 28,300 non-malignant respiratory disease deaths. Radon was significantly associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality (HR per 100 Bq·m−31.13, 95% CI 1.05–1.21). There was a significant positive linear trend in COPD mortality with increasing categories of radon concentrations (p<0.05).Findings suggest residential radon may increase COPD mortality. Further research is needed to confirm this finding and to better understand possible complex inter-relationships between radon, COPD and lung cancer.
Distinct epithelial gene expression phenotypes in childhood respiratory allergy
Authors: Giovannini-Chami Lisa , Marcet Brice , Moreilhon Chimène , Chevalier Benoît , Illie Marius I. , Lebrigand Kévin , Robbe-Sermesant Karine , Bourrier Thierry , Michiels Jean-François , Mari Bernard , Crénesse Dominique , Hofman Paul , de Blic Jacques , Castillo Laurent , Albertini Marc , Barbry Pascal 
Published: October 2011

Epithelial cell contribution to the natural history of childhood allergic respiratory disease remains poorly understood. Our aims were to identify epithelial pathways that are dysregulated in different phenotypes of respiratory allergy.We established gene expression signatures of nasal brushings from children with dust mite-allergic rhinitis, associated or not associated with controlled or uncontrolled asthma. Supervised learning and unsupervised clustering were used to predict the different subgroups of patients and define altered signalling pathways. These profiles were compared with those of primary cultures of human nasal epithelial cells stimulated with either interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-β or IFN-γ, or duringin vitrodifferentiation.A supervised method discriminated children with allergic rhinitis from healthy controls (prediction accuracy 91%), based on 61 transcripts, including 21 T-helper cell (Th) type 2-responsive genes. This method was then applied to predict children with controlled or uncontrolled asthma (prediction accuracy 75%), based on 41 transcripts: nine of them, which were down-regulated in uncontrolled asthma, are directly linked to IFN. This group also includedGSDML, which is genetically associated with asthma.Our data revealed a Th2-driven epithelial phenotype common to all children with dust mite allergic rhinitis. It highlights the influence of epithelially expressed molecules on the control of asthma, in association with atopy and impaired viral response.
Factors associated with hospital mortality in community-acquired legionellosis in France
Authors: Chidiac C. , Che D. , Pires-Cronenberger S. , Jarraud S. , Campèse C. , Bissery A. , Weinbreck P. , Brun-Buisson C. , Sollet J-P. , Ecochard R. , Desenclos J-C. , Etienne J. , Vanhems P. ,   the French Legionnaires’ Disease Study Group
Published: October 2011

The aims of this study were to describe the clinical, biological and radiological features of community-acquired (CA) Legionnaires’ disease (LD) and identify the predictors of mortality in hospitalised patients.Demographic data, risk factors, clinical and biological features, medical management, complications, and outcome from 540 hospitalised patients with confirmed CA LD were prospectively recorded.8.1% of patients (44 out of 540) died. The predictors of survival after Kaplan–Meier analysis were male sex (p=0.01), age <60 yrs (p=0.02), general symptoms (p=0.006), intensive care unit (ICU) stay (p<0.001), and class II–III Pneumonia Severity Index score (p=0.004). Six predictors of death were identified by multivariate analysis: age (per 10-yr increment) (relative hazard (RH) 1.50, 95% CI 1.21–1.87), female sex (RH 2.00, 95% CI 1.08–3.69), ICU admission (RH 3.31, 95% CI 1.67–6.56), renal failure (RH 2.73, 95% CI 1.42–5.27), corticosteroid therapy (RH 2.54, 95% CI 1.04–6.20) and C-reactive protein (CRP) >500 mg·L−1(RH 2.14, 95% CI 1.02–4.48). Appropriate antibiotic therapy was prescribed for 70.8% (292 out of 412) of patients after admission and for 99.8% (537 out of 538) of patients after diagnosis confirmation.In conclusion, female sex, age, ICU stay, renal failure, corticosteroid treatment and increased level of CRP are significant risk factors for mortality in CA LD.
Validation of lung function prediction equations from patient survival data
Authors: Ward Helen , Cooper Brendan , Miller Martin R. 
Published: October 2011

Diagnosing and managing pulmonary disease usually requires judging lung function against predicted values. We explored patient survival data to help identify the best equations for our population.The earliest spirometry, lung volumes and gas transfer data for all Caucasian patients were extracted from our database. Survival status was available for 8,139 patients. Lung function as standardised residuals (SR) from various prediction equations was used in Cox regression to predict the hazard ratio (HR) for death.The best lung function predictor of all-cause mortality was diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DL,CO), followed by forced vital capacity (FVC). These were best with the equations of Miller, derived from a US population, with Chi-squared values of 1,468 and 1,043 forDL,COand FVC, respectively, having taken age, sex, smoking status and body mass index into account. The HR (95% CI) for SR < -3 were 8.5 (6.0–12.1) and 2.9 (2.3–3.5), respectively. Spirometric equation prediction models varied less than those forDL,CO, with the Miller equations being slightly better than Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) equations. SomeDL,COequations introduced sex bias (male sex HR of 3.0versus1.5 for other equations).We conclude that LMS or Miller spirometry equations and Miller’sDL,COequations were best for our patient population. Using patient survival data is a new approach to help select which lung function prediction equations to use.
Prevalence of inappropriate tuberculosis treatment regimens: a systematic review
Authors: Langendam M.W. , van der Werf M.J. , Huitric E. , Manissero D. 
Published: October 2011

A potential threat to the success of new tuberculosis (TB) drugs is the development of resistance. Using drugs in appropriate regimens, such as those recommended in the World Health Organization (WHO) treatment guidelines, prevents the development of resistance. We performed a systematic review to assess the prevalence of inappropriate prescription of TB drugs for the treatment of TB.MEDLINE, EMBASE and other databases were searched for relevant articles in January 2011. Observational studies published from 2000 that included TB patients receiving treatment were selected. A treatment regimen was considered inappropriate if the regimen was not a WHO recommended regimen.37 studies were included. Inappropriate treatment regimens were prescribed in 67% of studies. The percentage of patients receiving inappropriate regimens varied between 0.4% and 100%. In 19 studies the quality of treatment regimen reporting was low.Despite the fact that assessment of inappropriate treatment was hampered by low quality of reporting, our data indicate a reasonable amount of inappropriate prescription of TB treatment regimens. Thus, there is a risk that new drugs will be used in inappropriate treatment regimens, even with WHO guidelines in place, introducing the risk of resistance development. This article highlights the need to improve implementation of the WHO treatment of TB guidelines.
Multidrug resistance after inappropriate tuberculosis treatment: a meta-analysis
Authors: van der Werf Marieke J. , Langendam Miranda W. , Huitric Emma , Manissero Davide 
Published: October 2011

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the evidence for the postulation that inappropriate tuberculosis (TB) regimens are a risk for development of multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB.MEDLINE, EMBASE and other databases were searched for relevant articles in January 2011. Cohort studies including TB patients who received treatment were selected and data on treatment regimen, drug susceptibility testing results and genotyping results before treatment and at failure or relapse were abstracted from the articles.Four studies were included in the systematic review and two were included in the meta-analysis. In these two studies the risk of developing MDR-TB in patients who failed treatment and used an inappropriate treatment regimen was increased 27-fold (RR 26.7, 95% CI 5.0–141.7) when compared with individuals who received an appropriate treatment regimen.This review provides evidence that supports the general opinion that the development of MDR-TB can be caused by inadequate treatment, given the drug susceptibility pattern of theMycobacterium tuberculosisbacilli. It should be noted that only two studies provided data for the meta-analysis. The information can be used to advocate for adequate treatment for patients based on drug resistance profiles.
Alarming levels of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Belarus: results of a survey in Minsk
Authors: Skrahina Alena , Hurevich Henadz , Zalutskaya Aksana , Sahalchyk Evgeni , Astrauko Andrei , van Gemert Wayne , Hoffner Sven , Rusovich Valiantsin , Zignol Matteo 
Published: October 2011

Resistance to anti-tuberculosis (TB) medicines is a major public health threat in most countries of the former Soviet Union. As no representative and quality-assured information on the magnitude of this problem existed in Belarus, a survey was conducted in the capital city of Minsk.Between November 2009 and December 2010, 156 consecutively diagnosed new and 68 previously treated culture-positive TB patients residing in Minsk were enrolled in the survey.Mycobacterium tuberculosisisolates were obtained from each patient and tested for susceptibility to first- and second-line anti-TB drugs.Multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB was found in 35.3% (95% CI 27.7–42.8) of new patients and 76.5% (95% CI 66.1–86.8) of those previously treated. Overall, nearly one in two patients enrolled had MDR-TB. Extensively drug-resistant TB was reported in 15 of the 107 MDR-TB patients (14.0%, 95% CI 7.3–20.7). Patients <35 yrs of age have shown a two times higher odds ratio of multidrug-resistant TB than those aged >35 yrs.The findings of this survey in Minsk city are alarming and represent the highest proportions of MDR-TB ever recorded in the world. This study greatly contributes to the understanding of the burden of drug-resistant TB in urban areas of Belarus.
Targets of anti-endothelial cell antibodies in pulmonary hypertension and scleroderma
Authors: Dib Hanadi , Tamby Mathieu C. , Bussone Guillaume , Regent Alexis , Berezné Alice , Lafine Claudine , Broussard Cédric , Simonneau Gérald , Guillevin Loïc , Witko-Sarsat Véronique , Humbert Marc , Mouthon Luc 
Published: October 2011

Anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECAs) have been identified in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) with and without pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (iPAH). However, their target antigens remain poorly identified.Sera from 24 patients with SSc without PAH, 20 patients with SSc with PAH, 30 with iPAH and 12 healthy controls were collected. Target antigens were identified by two-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting in protein extracts of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Targeted antigens were identified by mass spectrometry.Serum immunoglobulin G from patients with SSc with or without PAH and patients with iPAH specifically recognised 110, 82 and 37 protein spots, respectively. Among others, target antigens of AECAs included lamin A/C, tubulin β-chain and vinculin. One-dimension immunoblotting experiments confirmed the identification of lamin A/C and tubulin β-chain.In conclusion, our results confirm the presence of AECA in patients with systemic sclerosis with and without pulmonary arterial hypertension and in those with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, and provide evidence for the identification of target antigens of these autoantibodies including lamin A/C and tubulin β-chain.
RefNetBuilder: a platform for construction of integrated reference gene regulatory networks from expressed sequence tags
Authors: Li Ying , Gong Ping , Perkins Edward J , Zhang Chaoyang , Wang Nan 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background
Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) provide integrated views of gene interactions that control biological processes. Many public databases contain biological interactions extracted from experimentally validated literature reports, but most furnish only information for a few genetic model organisms. In order to provide a bioinformatic tool for researchers who work with non-model organisms, we developed RefNetBuilder, a new platform that allows construction of putative reference pathways or GRNs from expressed sequence tags (ESTs).

Results
RefNetBuilder was designed to have the flexibility to extract and archive pathway or GRN information from public databases such as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). It features sequence alignment tools such as BLAST to allow mapping ESTs to pathways and GRNs in model organisms. A scoring algorithm was incorporated to rank and select the best match for each query EST. We validated RefNetBuilder using DNA sequences of Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism having manually curated KEGG pathways. Using the earthworm Eisenia fetida as an example, we demonstrated the functionalities and features of RefNetBuilder.

Conclusions
The RefNetBuilder provides a standalone application for building reference GRNs for non-model organisms on a number of operating system platforms with standard desktop computer hardware. As a new bioinformatic tool aimed for constructing putative GRNs for non-model organisms that have only ESTs available, RefNetBuilder is especially useful to explore pathway- or network-related information in these organisms.