bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Socio‐economic influence on weight status through time in schoolchildren
Authors: Au Winnie Wing Yee , Yu Ignatius Tak Sun 
Published: April 2012

Aim:  This paper describes the developmental trajectory of adiposity in relation to socio‐demographic status in primary schoolchildren studying in local schools in Hong Kong.Methods:  Body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of overweight and obesity were determined in a cohort of primary schoolchildren annually from 2001/2002 to 2005/2006. To study the associations between socio‐demographic status and adiposity, repeated measures analysis of variance was used for the longitudinal change in BMI, while logistic regression was used with overweight and obesity development as outcomes.Results:  Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12.1% and 4.0%, respectively, at baseline, and 16.7% and 3.3%, respectively, at the end of the study period. Boys were more likely to be overweight and obese. Parents in the ‘Professional’ occupational group were less likely to have overweight and obese children. Among 32 781 children with normal weight at baseline, 2885 (8.8%) became overweight or obese after 4 years. Among 6286 children who were initially overweight or obese, 2079 (33.1%) returned to normal weight. Boys were more likely to move up from normal weight to overweight or obesity and less likely to move down the opposite direction during the study period. Parental education at degree level and the occupational group of ‘Professionals’ were, in general, associated with more favourable changes in weight status during follow‐up.Conclusion:  Overweight and obesity were not firmly established during early primary school years. Interventions at the school level on students and their parents might help prevent and control the future development of the obesity epidemic in the population.
Situations in Which I Was Wise: Autobiographical Wisdom Memories of Children and Adolescents
Authors: König Susanne , Glück Judith 
Published: April 2012

Previous studies with adults have shown that age has an important influence on laypeople's wisdom theories. However, children's and adolescents' understanding of the concept of wisdom has hardly been investigated. In the current study, 80 children and adolescents completed a questionnaire concerning an event where they had been wise and an event where another person acted wisely. Most participants reported difficult life situations such as conflicts or accidents. In describing their wisdom, they focused on being empathic and supportive, which is likely related to their predominant developmental tasks. The persons described as wise were on average 29 years old. Contrary to expectations more females than men were described as wise. As expected, wisdom descriptions differed somewhat by gender and age group.
Results of Microbial Testing Exploring the Etiology of Deep Breast Pain During Lactation: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Nonrandomized Trials
Authors: Betzold Christine M. 
Published: April 2012

Introduction: Controversy over the etiology of deep or burning breast pain during lactation continues to persist, despite a long history of published studies and case reports. This article reviews the literature exploring the etiology of deep breast pain, summarizes the results, and identifies possible explanations for the controversies surrounding this disorder.Methods: A clinical query and a librarian‐assisted search of MEDLINE were used to find articles published between 1896 and 2010. Inclusion criteria consisted of comparing microbial testing results from symptomatic and asymptomatic lactating women. Cases were restricted to those experiencing deep or burning breast pain when possible.Results: Prospective studies consisting of 1 unmatched case‐control and 6 cohorts were found. Trials typically detected higher microbial levels in the milk or nipple(s) or both of symptomatic women, irrespective of the detection method or type and range of microbes (bacterial, yeast, or fungal) studied. Case milk samples were positively associated with finding Staphylococcus aureus (relative risk ratio [RR] 7.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.25‐16.36) or Candida (RR 8.45; 95% CI, 3.96‐18.06). Moreover, recent reports about small‐colony variants and biofilm‐producing organisms may explain the atypical symptoms unique to this disorder.Discussion: In lactating women reporting deep breast pain, evidence consistent with infection is persistently found, and explanations exist for the disorder’s atypical characteristics. Although lactating women with deep breast pain are more likely to test positive for Candida, the risk of testing positive for S aureus is also present. Thus, these women should have cultures done. Management options include treating immediately while awaiting results or waiting until results are available to guide treatment. With either approach, providers must consider the risk of falsely negative tests.
Use of bean husk as an easily digestible fiber source for activating the fibrolytic rumen bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes and rice straw digestion
Authors: FUMA Ryosuke , OYAIZU Shinya , NUKUI Yoko , NGWE Tin , SHINKAI Takumi , KOIKE Satoshi , KOBAYASHI Yasuo 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTA series of in sacco and in vitro studies were carried out to evaluate bean husks for activation of fibrolytic rumen bacteria and rice straw digestion. First, lablab bean husk, chickpea husk and rice straw were suspended in the rumen of sheep to analyze the bacterial consortium developed on each fiber source. Known members of fiber‐associating bacteria were found on both lablab bean husk and rice straw, but some of these bacteria were lacking on chickpea husk. Second, a pure culture study was carried out using six strains of Fibrobacter succinogenes. Both husks stimulated the growth of all tested strains, including a strain that did not grow on rice straw. The strain OS128 that showed the highest growth on rice straw displayed even higher growth on lablab bean husk without a time lag. Finally, two‐step incubations were carried out to determine whether prior incubation of rumen fluid with husks stimulates subsequent rice straw digestion. Higher digestibility of rice straw was recorded in the second‐round incubation following the first incubation with bean husks. These results suggest that the tested bean husks improve the digestion of rice straw by activating fibrolytic F. succinogenes and other associated bacteria.
Consumption of national health insurance medical resources by hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated using radiofrequency ablation therapy
Authors: KUNG Chih‐Ming , MO Lein‐Ray , YAN Yu‐Hua 
Published: April 2012

AbstractAim:  This study analyzed the health‐care resources consumed in cancer treatment to provide important reference guidance to national governments with regard to their health‐care policy prioritization and efficient health‐care resource allocation.Methods:  Researchers used a retrospective observational approach to study medical resources consumed by hospitalized hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment in Taiwan between 2002 and 2006.Results:  A systemic analysis of the results showed a mean patient age of 65.3 and average medical costs per patient of US$1403. Higher incidence of HCC was evident in rural areas in Taiwan, however smaller hospitals treated fewer patients diagnosed with HCC due to many patients seeking treatment at larger hospitals, usually in urban areas. Consumption of medical resources at regional hospitals was significantly higher than at medical centers in terms of costs of X‐rays and special materials as well as for the overall cost of treatment (P < 0.001). The average medical costs for hospitalized cancer patients who underwent RFA treatment were lower than for those that received other treatments such as surgical resection, TACE, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. This study further found an upward trend in the number of HCC patients receiving RFA treatments.Conclusion:  Taiwan operates a national insurance global budget payment system. Health‐care system budgetary pressures are exacerbated by increases in the costs of cancer treatment. While the cost of RFA for HCC may represent value for money, with cost savings in other treatment areas, it nonetheless places strain on Taiwan NHI global budget payment system.
Pulmonary metastasectomy for bone and soft tissue sarcoma in Australia: 114 patients from 1978 to 2008
Authors: DEAR Rachel F , KELLY Patrick J , WRIGHT Gavin M , STALLEY Paul , MCCAUGHAN Brian C , TATTERSALL Martin HN 
Published: April 2012

AbstractAims:  The aim of this study is to analyze the prognostic factors for overall and relapse‐free survival that may help select patients for pulmonary metastasectomy and inform their prognosis.Methods:  From 1978 to 2008 130 patients underwent pulmonary metastasectomy for bone (osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma) and soft tissue sarcomas. Outcome measures analyzed were time to death and relapse and Cox regression models analyzed the association of prognostic factors.Results:  In total 114 patients were analyzed. The 5‐year post‐metastasectomy overall survival rate was 43%. The 5‐year relapse‐free survival rate was 19%. In the multivariate analysis, an incomplete surgical resection (P = 0.02) was associated with an increased risk of death. There was weak evidence that a diameter of the largest resected metastasis ≥ 1.8 cm (P = 0.07) and a disease‐free interval of ≤ 18 months (P = 0.08) were associated with an increased risk of death.Conclusion:  Poor prognostic factors for overall survival after a pulmonary metastasectomy are an incomplete surgical resection, a large diameter of the biggest resected metastasis and a short disease‐free interval. The role of perioperative chemotherapy is uncertain.
Human bocavirus amongst an all‐ages population hospitalised with acute lower respiratory infections in Cambodia
Authors: Arnott Alicia , Vong Sirenda , Rith Sareth , Naughtin Monica , Ly Sowath , Guillard Bertrand , Deubel Vincent , Buchy Philippe 
Published: April 2012

Please cite this paper as:Arnottet al.(2013) Human bocavirus amongst an all‐ages population hospitalised with acute lower respiratory infections in Cambodia. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(2) 201–210.Background Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a novel parvovirus that is associated with respiratory and gastrointestinal tract disease.Objectives To investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of HBoV amongst hospitalized patients with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in Cambodia.Study Design Samples were collected from 2773 patients of all ages hospitalised with symptoms of ALRI between 2007 and 2009. All samples were screened by multiplex RT‐PCR/PCR for 18 respiratory viruses. All samples positive for HBoV were sequenced and included in this study.Results Of the samples tested, 43 (1·5%) were positive for HBoV. The incidence of HBoV did not vary between the consecutive seasons investigated, and HBoV infections were detected year‐round. The incidence of HBoV infection was highest in patients aged <2 years, with pneumonia or bronchopneumonia the most common clinical diagnosis, regardless of age. A total of 19 patients (44%) were co‐infected with HBoV and an additional respiratory pathogen. All isolates were classified as HBoV type 1 (HBoV‐1). High conservation between Cambodian NP1 and V1V2 gene sequences was observed.Conclusions Human bocavirus infection can result in serious illness, however is frequently detected in the context of viral co‐infection. Specific studies are required to further understand the true pathogenesis of HBoV in the context of severe respiratory illness.
Copula-based interpretation of continuous rainfall–runoff simulations of a watershed in northern Iran
Authors: Golian Saeed , Saghafian Bahram , Farokhnia Ashkan 
Published: April 2012

In the present work, the joint response of key hydrologic variables, including total precipitation depths and the corresponding simulated peak discharges, are investigated for different antecedent soil moisture conditions using the copula method. The procedure started with the calibration and validation of the soil moisture accounting (SMA) loss rate algorithm incorporated in the Hydrologic Engineering Center – hydrologic modeling system (HEC–HMS) model for the study watershed. A 1000 year long time series of hourly rainfall was then generated by the Neyman–Scott rectangular pulses (NSRP) rainfall generator, which was then transformed into the runoff rate by the HEC–HMS model. This long-term continuous hydrological simulation resulted in characterizing the response of the watershed for various input conditions such as initial soil moisture content (AMC), total rainfall depth, and rainfall duration. For each initial soil moisture class, the copula method was employed to determine the joint probability distribution of rainfall depth and peak discharge. For instance, for dry AMC condition and 1 h rainfall duration, the Joe family fitted best to the data, compared with six other one-parameter families of copulas. Results showed that the bivariate analysis of rainfall–runoff using the copula method can well characterize the watershed hydrological behavior. The derived offline curves could provide a probabilistic real-time peak discharge forecast.
TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION TO REACH INNOVATION CAPACITY IN HIGH-TECH SMES
Authors: CHEN TE FU 
Published: April 2012

The study aims to explore how high-tech small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) utilize integrative innovation resource strategy to transforming knowledge into action to reach innovation capacity via integrating innovation culture, knowledge management (KM), managing and organizing innovation, to achieve sustained innovation and value creation, and then to reach KM performances. The study uses multidimensional perspectives to construct an integrative innovation model, and through four case studies to examine this model, compares the distinct features between smaller and larger high-tech SMEs in utilizing integrative innovation resource strategy.The finding indicates predicting whether an innovative action will progress through an organization, and effectively planning the action, requires managers to identify, understand, and analyze all individual and organizational support that might bear on the action. Management and other integrated processes set up support for action that protect the organization's identity.
Human Energy Budget Modeling in Urban Parks in Toronto and Applications to Emergency Heat Stress Preparedness
Authors: Vanos Jennifer K. , Warland Jon S. , Gillespie Terry J. , Slater Graham A. , Brown Robert D. , Kenny Natasha A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe current study tests applications of the Comfort Formula (COMFA) energy budget model by assessing the moderating effects of urban parks in contrast to streets, and it also looks at the influence of park types (“open” or “treed”). Exploration into energy budget modeling is based on empirical meteorological data collected in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on fair-weather days plus the effects of a heat wave and climate change, at various metabolic activity levels. Park cooling temperature intensities ranged from 3.9° to 6.0°C, yet human energy budgets were more closely correlated to incoming solar radiation than to air temperature. A strong linear dependence was found, with absorbed radiation (correlation coefficient squared r2 = 0.858) explaining the largest fraction of energy budget output. Hence, although the four parks that were examined are classified as urban green space, the distinctive treed areas showed a greater budget decrease than did open park areas (−25.5 W m−2). The greatest difference in budget decrease was found when modeling the highest metabolic rate, giving −20 W m−2 for “whole park,” −32 W m−2 for treed sections, and −3 W m−2 in open park areas. These results are intuitive within energy budget modeling and indicate that blocking radiant energy is a vital aspect in lowering high budgets under the conditions tested. Strong empirical support was provided through successful prediction of emergency-response calls during a heat wave in Toronto (5–7 July 2010) and surrounding days. Calls were found to be significantly dependent on the energy budget estimations (r2 = 0.860). There is great potential for outdoor energy budget modeling as a meaningful guide to heat stress forecasting, future research, and application in bioclimatic urban design for improving thermal comfort.
Histopathological and Postoperative Behavioral Comparison of Rodent Oral Tongue Resection
Authors: Shires Courtney B. , Saputra Jennifer M. , King Lauren , Thompson Jerome W. , Heck Detlef H. , Sebelik Merry E. , Boughter John D. 
Published: April 2012

ObjectiveTo compare operative time and hemostasis of fiber‐enabled CO2 laser (FECL) energy to that of the electrocautery (EC) technique for oral tongue resection, to compare return to oral intake and preoperative weight after FECL and EC resection, and to compare histologic changes in adjacent tissue after FECL and EC resection.Study DesignProspective animal study.SettingResearch laboratory.Subjects and MethodsThe CO2 laser fiber and the Bovie cautery were each used to resect the anterior tongue in 15 adult rats. Fixative perfusion and killing were performed on postoperative day 0 (n = 10), 3 (n = 10), or 7 (n = 10). Body weight, food intake, and water intake were recorded daily for 3‐ and 7‐day survival rats. After preparation for histologic analysis, the tongue tissue was graded with a mucosal wound‐healing scale (MWHS).ResultsA higher incidence of intraoperative bleeding and shorter operative times were noted in the EC group. No statistically significant difference in postoperative food or water intake between the EC and FECL groups was noted. The FECL group returned to baseline weight by postoperative day 6. MWHS scores were lower in the EC group by postoperative day 3 and lower in the FECL group by postoperative day 7.ConclusionsBoth EC and FECL are effective for resection of the tongue in rats. EC has the advantage of shorter operative time and lower MWHS scores by postoperative day 3; FECL has the advantages of less intraoperative bleeding, faster return to baseline body weight, and lower MWHS score by postoperative day 7.
The protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 against hypertension target-organ damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Chen Hui , Yin Jun , Deng Yanpin , Yang Min , Xu Lingling , Teng Fukang , Li Defang , Cheng Yufan , Liu Sha , Wang Dong , Zhang Tingting , Wu Wanying , Liu Xuan , Guan Shuhong , Jiang Baohong , Guo Dean 
Published: April 2012

Abstract

Background
Although a number of medicines are available for the management of hypertension, the organ damage induced by hypertension is not resolved. The aim of this study was to investigate the protection of ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) against vascular remodeling and organ damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

Methods
Male SHR were treated with 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg Rg1 through intraperitoneal injection per day for 1 month. SHR or Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) receiving vehicle (saline) was used as control. Blood pressure detection and pathological stain, transmission electron microscope, immunohistochemical assay were used to elucidate the protection of Rg1.

Results
Blood pressures were not different between control SHR rats and Rg1 treated SHR rats, but Rg1 improved the aortic outward remodeling by lowering the lumen diameter and reducing the media thickness according the histopathological and ultrastructural detections. Rg1 also protected the retinal vessels against inward remodeling detected by immunohistochemical assay. Furthermore, Rg1 attenuated the target heart and kidney damage with improvement on cardiac and glomerular structure.

Conclusions
These results suggested that Rg1 held beneficial effects on vascular structure and further protected against the organ-damage induced by hypertension. These findings also paved a novel and promising approach to the treatment of hypertensive complications.
Outcomes of prolonged mechanic ventilation: a discrimination model based on longitudinal health insurance and death certificate data
Authors: Lu Hsin-Ming , Chen Likwang , Wang Jung-Der , Hung Mei-Chuan , Lin Ming-Shian , Yan Yuan-Horng , Chen Cheng-Ren , Fan Po-Sheng , Huang Lynn Chu , Kuo Ken N 
Published: April 2012

Abstract

Background
This study investigated prognosis among patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) through exploring the following issues: (1) post-PMV survival rates, (2) factors associated with survival after PMV, and (3) the number of days alive free of hospital stays requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) care after PMV.

Methods
This is a retrospective cohort study based on secondary analysis of prospectively collected data in the national health insurance system and governmental data on death registry in Taiwan. It used data for a nationally representative sample of 25,482 patients becoming under PMV (> = 21 days) during 1998-2003. We calculated survival rates for the 4 years after PMV, and adopted logistic regression to construct prediction models for 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year survival, with data of 1998-2002 for model estimation and the 2003 data for examination of model performance. We estimated the number of days alive free of hospital stays requiring MV care in the immediate 4-year period after PMV, and contrasted patients who had low survival probability with all PMV patients.

Results
Among these patients, the 3-month survival rate was 51.4%, and the 1-year survival rate was 31.9%. Common health conditions with significant associations with poor survival included neoplasm, acute and unspecific renal failure, chronic renal failure, non-alcoholic liver disease, shock and septicaemia (odd ratio < 0.7, p < 0.05). During a 4-year follow-up period for patients of year 2003, the mean number of days free of hospital stays requiring MV was 66.0 in those with a predicted 6-month survival rate < 10%, and 111.3 in those with a predicted 2-year survival rate < 10%. In contrast, the mean number of days was 256.9 in the whole sample of patients in 2003.

Conclusions
Neoplasm, acute and unspecific renal failure, shock, chronic renal failure, septicemia, and non-alcoholic liver disease are significantly associated with lower survival among PMV patients. Patients with anticipated death in a near future tend to spend most of the rest of their life staying in hospital using MV services. This calls for further research into assessing PMV care need among patients at different prognosis stages of diseases listed above.