bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cakes for cure: the role of charities in the embedding of innovative cancer treatment technologies
Authors: Ashmore Lisa 
Published: May 2011

AbstractBackground and Aims  Investment in innovative health technologies has been a focus of increasing critical interest in the social sciences. With proponents of such systems expounding new techniques, a strong normative context emerges for their adoption. Informed by the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), this study focuses on the discourse used by charitable organizations involved in such investments and how their involvement contributes to the enrolment of vulnerable groups, such as cancer sufferers. A central concern of STS is the strategies scientists use when talking about their work. Methods of communication may often suggest there is only one possible solution to a perceived problem. Such determinism may be reflected in material used by fundraisers where technologies are discussed in a normative, deterministic and definitely desirable way. Charitable organizations in charge of fundraising may thus become deeply enrolled within programmes of development in which the legitimacy of knowledge claims and evidence production are difficult to examine.Methods  Drawing on interviews with health‐care practitioners and anonymised examples from public fundraising campaigns linked to two UK hospitals, this study explores a theoretical proposition that fundraising materials can be regarded as tools for the enrolment of vulnerable groups in the processes of technological change.Results and Conclusions  Where patients are called upon to donate money for the newest, and hence perceived best, equipment, practitioners were of the opinion that unnecessary pressure may be placed on the public to support campaigns, the value of which may be unclear.
Follow‐up care in cancer: adjusting for referral targets and extending choice
Authors: Wilson Kate , Lydon Anne , Amir Ziv 
Published: May 2011

AbstractBackground  Over recent years, several initiatives have impacted on the referral of patients to secondary care, most notably targets for urgent referral in suspected cancer and the patient choice agenda. At the same time, improved long‐term survival in cancer has increased numbers attending follow‐up, doubts about the effectiveness of specialist follow‐up have emerged, and alternative models of follow‐up have been tested.Aim  The aim of the study was to explore patient and carer perspectives on the flexibility and responsiveness of cancer services. This article focuses on findings relating to referral, subsequent outpatient appointments and cessation of outpatient follow‐up.Methods  Issues were explored in a qualitative study using face‐to‐face interviews with a purposive sample of 54 people affected by cancer. Data were analysed concurrently with data collection, using qualitative analysis software.Findings  The study gave rise to a number of salient themes. Links were identified between three of these: choice and responsiveness during referral; the flexibility and responsiveness of outpatient appointment systems; and negotiating cessation of follow‐up. It appeared that policy on urgent referrals might be adversely affecting practice relating to appointment systems and the continuance of follow‐up.Discussion and conclusions  Hospital‐based cancer follow‐up is being given decreasing priority because of doubts about effectiveness and a target‐driven focus on referral. This is impacting on patients, who may value outpatient follow‐up as a ‘safety net’ but have difficulties in obtaining appointments, and may be discharged without negotiation or adequate support. For these reasons, new forms of flexible/responsive aftercare are urgently needed.
How to write good multiple‐choice questions
Authors: Campbell Dianne E 
Published: May 2011

AbstractMedical practitioners are frequently called upon to write multiple‐choice questions for high stakes examinations, such as final year medical student assessments and specialist college accreditation examinations. The fairness and validity of these examinations depends principally on the generation of high‐quality questions, which adequately sample the curriculum. The most common format for multiple‐choice examinations are single best answer and extended matching type questions. This paper provides a simple guideline that will assist with the production of high‐quality multiple‐choice papers in these formats.
Organizational risk management and nurses' perceptions of workplace risk associated with sharps including needlestick injuries in nurses in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Kable Ashley K. , Guest Maya , McLeod Mary 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThis study aimed to determine nurse reported organizational risk management and nurses' perceptions of workplace risk associated with sharps‐related injuries. A cross‐sectional survey was carried out on a sample of nurses from the New South Wales Nurses' Association, Australia in 2007 (n = 7423), and there were 1301 eligible participants. Overall, 73% participants reported that organizational policies were followed in the event of a “sharps including needlestick” injury. Participants reported working in sharps safety oriented organizations, routine hepatitis B vaccination, sharps disposal containers at point‐of‐use locations and availability of safety engineered devices in their organizations. Sharps including needlestick injury data were not routinely provided to staff, many nurses reported recapping and just one‐third had recently attended sharps injury prevention training. Nurses' perceptions of risk associated with sharps including needlestick injury were variable. Health‐care organizations are responsible for provision of safe workplaces and work practices, policies, workplace culture and prevention strategies, and appropriate responses when nurses are injured. These results have been used to propose recommendations to improve some of these risk management strategies.
Australian guidelines for the assessment of iron overload and iron chelation in transfusion‐dependent thalassaemia major, sickle cell disease and other congenital anaemias
Authors: Ho P. J. , Tay L. , Lindeman R. , Catley L. , Bowden D. K. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractIron overload is the most important cause of mortality in patients with thalassaemia major. Iron chelation is therefore a critical issue in the management of these patients and others with transfusion‐dependent haemoglobinopathies and congenital anaemias. In recent years, significant developments have been made in the assessment of iron overload, including the use of magnetic resonance imaging for measuring liver and cardiac iron. Advances in the modalities available for iron chelation, with the advent of oral iron chelators including deferiprone and deferasirox in addition to parenteral desferrioxamine, have expanded treatment options. A group of Australian haematologists has convened to formulate guidelines for managing iron overload on the basis of available evidence, and to describe best consensus practice as undertaken in major Australian Haemoglobinopathy units. The results of their discussions are described in this article, with the aim of providing guidance in the management of iron overload in these patients.
Matrix metalloproteinase inhibition counteracts impairment of cortical experience‐dependent plasticity after photothrombotic stroke
Authors: Cybulska‐Klosowicz A. , Liguz‐Lecznar M. , Nowicka D. , Ziemka‐Nalecz M. , Kossut M. , Skangiel‐Kramska J. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractMatrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are fine modulators of brain plasticity and pathophysiology. The inhibition of MMPs shortly after ischaemic stroke reduces the infarct size and has beneficial effects on post‐stroke behavioural recovery. Our previous studies have shown that photothrombotic cortical stroke disrupts use‐dependent plasticity in the neighbouring cortex. The aim of the present study was to check whether the inhibition of MMPs after photothrombosis rescued the plastic capacity of the barrel cortex. To induce plasticity in adult mice, a unilateral deprivation of all vibrissae except row C was applied. The deprivation started immediately after stroke and lasted 7 days. This procedure, in control (non‐stroke) animals, results in an enlargement of functional representation of the spared row, as shown with [14C]2‐deoxyglucose uptake mapping. In mice with stroke induced by photothrombosis in the vicinity of the barrel cortex, vibrissae deprivation did not result in an enlargement of the cortical representation of the spared row C of vibrissae, which confirmed our previous results. However, when mice were injected with the broad‐spectrum inhibitor of MMPs FN‐439 (10 mg/kg, i.v.) immediately before a stroke, an enlargement of the representation of the spared row similar to the enlargement found in sham mice was observed. These results indicate the involvement of MMPs in the impairment of use‐dependent plasticity in the vicinity of an ischaemic lesion.
Instability of spatial encoding by CA1 hippocampal place cells after peripheral nerve injury
Authors: Cardoso‐Cruz Helder , Lima Deolinda , Galhardo Vasco 
Published: May 2011

AbstractSeveral authors have shown that the hippocampus responds to painful stimulation and suggested that prolonged painful conditions could lead to abnormal hippocampal functioning. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the induction of persistent peripheral neuropathic pain would affect basic hippocampal processing such as the spatial encoding performed by CA1 place cells. These place cells fire preferentially in a certain spatial position in the environment, and this spatial mapping remains stable across multiple experimental sessions even when the animal is removed from the testing environment. To address the effect of prolonged pain on the stability of place cell encoding, we chronically implanted arrays of electrodes in the CA1 hippocampal region of adult rats and recorded the multichannel neuronal activity during a simple food‐reinforced alternation task in a U‐shaped runway. The activity of place cells was followed over a 3‐week period before and after the establishment of an animal model of neuropathy, spared nerve injury. Our results show that the nerve injury increased the number of place fields encoded per cell and the mapping size of the place fields. In addition, there was an increase in in‐field coherence while the amount of spatial information content that a single spike conveyed about the animal location decreased over time. Other measures of spatial tuning (in‐field firing rate, firing peak and number of spikes) were unchanged between the experimental groups. These results demonstrate that the functioning of spatial place cells is altered during neuropathic pain conditions.
Improvement of diabetes care in a small but geographically widely spread population in Greenland. Effects of a national diabetes care programme
Authors: Pedersen M. L. , Jacobsen J. L. 
Published: May 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 1425–1432 (2011)AbstractAims  To estimate the prevalence of diagnosed Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Greenland and to evaluate the quality of the diabetes care before and after implementation of a new diabetes programme.Methods  In this observational and cross‐sectional study, data from the medical records were collected in Greenland in 2008 and 2010. Information about age, gender, most recently measured HbA1c, blood pressure and serum cholesterol and from the examination of eyes, feet and urine was obtained. The prevalence was estimated using the whole adult population in Greenland as background population. The quality of the diabetes care was monitored by six process, three biological and three treatment indicators. A diabetes concept based on national guidelines, systematized recording in an electronic medical record and feedback to the clinics were used to improve diabetes care.Results  Four hundred and sixty‐five patients were included in the 2008 sample and 691 in the 2010 sample. The total prevalence increased from 2.3 (95% CI 2.1–2.5) % in 2008 to 2.7 (95% CI 2.5–3.0) among Greenlanders aged 40 years old or above, corresponding to an increase of 19% (P = 0.006). All process indicators improved significantly between the two observations.Conclusions  Along with an increasing prevalence of diagnosed Type 2 diabetes, all six process quality indicators increased. It is strongly recommended that focus on the quality of diabetes care in Greenland should be maintained in order to benefit from the programme in the longer term.
Tick‐borne encephalitis in Latvia 1973–2009: epidemiology, clinical features and sequelae
Authors: Karelis G. , Bormane A. , Logina I. , Lucenko I. , Suna N. , Krumina A. , Donaghy M. 
Published: May 2011

Background and purpose:  To report a 37‐year observational experience in Latvia relating the incidence of human tick‐borne encephalitis (TBE) and its clinical manifestations, to the field abundance of ticks.Methods:  Tick abundance was measured by standard flagging techniques. Incidence of human tick‐borne disease was derived from Public Health reporting data. Clinical and follow‐up data were determined from hospital cohorts from 1973 to 2009.Results:  Two TBE incidence peaks in the mid‐1970s and the 1990s correlated with increased field abundance of ticks. Increased human TBE in the 1970s was associated with higher field abundance of both Ixodes ricinis and I. Persulcatus. The 1990s peak was particularly associated with I. ricinus, the species predominating in western/central Latvia, and with other factors, including changed agricultural land usage. Proportions of patients with meningitic or focal forms of TBE were similar in the two outbreaks and the intervening periods. Meningeal irritation occurred in 90%, altered consciousness in 19%, ataxia in 34%, seizures in 9%, bulbar features in 2–3% and limb weakness in 15% with shoulder amyotrophy predominating in 5%. Annual mortality varied from 0 to 1.3% and was not related to the overall incidence of TBE. Follow‐up for 1–13 years of a cohort of 100 patients revealed long‐term sequelae in over 50%, more commonly in those suffering focal forms of acute TBE.Conclusions:  Clinical features and mortality of the 1970s and 1990s TBE outbreaks were similar and did not point to a change in virulence.
Association of non‐diabetic hyperglycemia with autonomic shift in acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Sykora M. , Diedler J. , Poli S. , Rizos T. , Kellert L. , Turcani P. , Steiner T. 
Published: May 2011

Background and purpose:  The etiology of hyperglycemia in acute stroke remains controversial. It is unclear whether hyperglycemia arises as an epiphenomenon of stroke or as a reflection of underlying diabetes. Autonomic shift to sympathetic overactivity has been repeatedly observed in acute stroke. We hypothesize that hyperglycemia in acute stroke relates to autonomic imbalance and that the respective deleterious effects on stroke outcome may be cross‐linked.Methods:  A total of 75 non‐diabetic patients with ischaemic stroke were included in a prospective study. Glucose levels at admission, fasting glucose, and glucose profiles were recorded. Autonomic function was quantified by the assessment of spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) using a cross‐correlation method. Demographic and clinical data including stroke volumes and admission National Institute of Heath Stroke Scale scores were included into the analysis. Functional outcome at 90 days was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale.Results:  Hyperglycemia was correlated with decreased BRS independent of stroke severity or volume (r = −0.46, P < 0.001). In two separate regression models, glucose levels and BRS independently predicted unfavorable outcome at 3 months (OR = 1.06, CI = 1.02–1.11, P = 0.004 and OR = 0.75, CI = 0.56–0.99, P = 0.04). However, combining the models, only glucose levels (OR = 1.06, CI = 1.02–1.11, P = 0.004) remained independent predictor of outcome at 3 months.Conclusions:  We observed an association between hyperglycemia and decreased BRS in non‐diabetic patients, suggesting that hyperglycemic reaction in acute stroke may reflect stroke‐related autonomic changes. Moreover, outcome effects of autonomic changes and hyperglycemia seem to be interdependent, putatively having the sympatho‐vagal imbalance as common underlying mechanism. The possible therapeutic relevance of this finding warrants further studies.
Visceral lesions occurring during follow‐up of melanoma patients: a true place for other diagnosis than melanoma metastasis
Authors: Battistella M. , Robert C. , Gossot D. , Dupuy A. , Mateus C. , Kérob D. , Avril M.F. , Basset‐Seguin N. , Lebbé C. , de Kerviler E. , Viguier M. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractBackground  Diagnosis of melanoma metastasis is often based on a combination of clinical and radiological examinations in patients with a past history of melanoma. Chemotherapeutic treatment is often proposed without histological proof of the metastatic status.Objective  The aim of this study was to investigate a cohort of melanoma patients with invasive diagnostic procedures (IDPs) for pathological confirmation of metastasis in case of suspicious visceral lesions.Methods  A total of 109 melanoma patients with IDPs for suspicious visceral lesion(s) were included. Data about primary melanoma, IDPs characteristics, pathological result and therapeutic consequence were collected. Patients with AJCC Stage I–III melanoma at the time of the IDP were statistically analysed for various characteristics according to the final diagnosis yielded by the IDP.Results  A total of 64 diagnostic surgical resections, 38 CT‐guided core‐needle biopsies, 15 ultrasound‐guided core‐needle biopsies, 6 surgical biopsies and 6 per‐endoscopic biopsies were performed. Main target organs were the lungs (43.5%), breasts (8.5%) and liver (8%). IDPs were well tolerated and provided adequate samples for reliable diagnoses. Among the 105 IDPs in stage I–III patients, 56 melanoma metastases (53%), 25 benign lesions (24%) and 23 other cancers (22%) were found. One IDP was not informative. Multivariate analysis showed that nodular type of the primary melanoma, time‐lag between primary melanoma and IDP over 12 months and the presence of suspicious lesions outside the organ biopsied were significantly associated with melanoma metastasis diagnosis.Conclusion  Suspected melanoma metastasis was ruled out for benign lesion or second cancer in nearly half of the stage I–III patients having undergone an IDP, therefore modifying the medical treatment.
Child and parental literacy levels within families with a history of dyslexia
Authors: van Bergen Elsje , de Jong Peter F. , Plakas Anna , Maassen Ben , van der Leij Aryan 
Published: May 2011

Background:  The present study concerns literacy and its underlying cognitive skills in Dutch children who differ in familial risk (FR) for dyslexia. Previous studies with FR‐children were inconclusive regarding the performance of FR‐children without dyslexia as compared to the controls. Moreover, van Bergen et al. (2011) recently showed that FR‐children with and without dyslexia differed in parental reading skills, suggesting that those who go on to develop dyslexia have a higher liability. The current study concerned 1) the comparison of three groups of children at the end of second grade and 2) the intergenerational transfer of reading and its underlying cognitive skills from parent to child.Method:  Three groups of children were studied at the end of second grade: FR‐dyslexia (n = 42), FR‐no‐dyslexia (n = 99), and control children (n = 66). Parents and children were measured on naming, phonology, spelling, and word and pseudoword reading.Results:  The FR‐dyslexia children were severely impaired across all tasks. The FR‐no‐dyslexia children performed better than the FR‐dyslexia children, but still below the level of the controls on all tasks; the only exception was rapid naming (RAN), on which they were as fast as the controls. Focusing on the FR subsample, parental reading and RAN were related to their offspring’s reading status.Conclusions:  We replicated and extended van Bergen et al.’s study in showing that the FR‐children who develop dyslexia are likely to have a higher liability. Both the group comparisons and the parent–child relations highlight the importance of good RAN skills for reading acquisition.
Parkin promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of the mitochondrial fusion factor mitofusin 1
Authors: Glauser Liliane , Sonnay Sarah , Stafa Klodjan , Moore Darren J. 
Published: May 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 118, 636–645.AbstractMutations in the parkin gene cause early‐onset, autosomal recessive Parkinson’s disease. Parkin functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase to mediate the covalent attachment of ubiquitin monomers or linked chains to protein substrates. Substrate ubiquitination can target proteins for proteasomal degradation or can mediate a number of non‐degradative functions. Parkin has been shown to preserve mitochondrial integrity in a number of experimental systems through the regulation of mitochondrial fission. Upon mitochondrial damage, parkin translocates to mitochondria to mediate their selective elimination by autophagic degradation. The mechanism underlying this process remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that parkin interacts with and selectively mediates the atypical poly‐ubiquitination of the mitochondrial fusion factor, mitofusin 1, leading to its enhanced turnover by proteasomal degradation. Our data supports a model whereby the translocation of parkin to damaged mitochondria induces the degradation of mitofusins leading to impaired mitochondrial fusion. This process may serve to selectively isolate damaged mitochondria for their removal by autophagy.
Summer survival of arbuscular mycorrhiza extraradical mycelium and the potential for its management through tillage options in Mediterranean cropping systems
Authors: Brito I. , De Carvalho M. , Goss M. J. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThe potential to manage arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization within Mediterranean agricultural systems depends on the summer survival of extraradical mycelium. To investigate this further a three‐stage experiment was undertaken. The first stage was the creation of two contrasting levels of extraradical mycelium development, achieved by two contrasting levels of soil disturbance (typifying full tillage and no‐till). In the second stage, this differential mycelial inoculum was subjected to Mediterranean summer temperature and soil water regimes representing the post‐harvest fallow. During the third stage, corresponding to the next growing season, survival was evaluated without further soil disturbance (typifying no‐till conditions) using wheat as host crop. The results clearly indicate that the extraradical mycelium survived the prevailing summer conditions. The knowledge that extraradical mycelium can survive the Mediterranean summer encourages the use of tillage systems that minimize mechanical disturbance of the soil, such as no‐till. The results from this study suggest that by making the appropriate choice of crops to establish a mycorrhizal‐supportive rotation there can be opportunities for agro‐ecosystem management to benefit from the symbiotic relationship.