bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aminoglycoside-Based Triple-Antibiotic Therapy Versus Monotherapy for Children With Ruptured Appendicitis
Authors: Goldin Adam B. , Sawin Robert S. , Garrison Michelle M. , Zerr Danielle M. , Christakis Dimitri A. 
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the use of triple therapy versus monotherapy for children and adolescents with perforated appendicitis and to determine whether there has been a transition to monotherapy within the freestanding children's hospitals that contribute to the Pediatric Health Information System database.METHODS. We used the Pediatric Health Information System database, which includes billing and discharge data for 32 children's hospitals in the United States, to examine the trend in antibiotic usage and whether the postappendectomy antibiotic regimen was associated with differences in complication-related readmissions, length of stay, or charges in a population of children and adolescents with ruptured appendicitis and discharge dates between March 1, 1999, and September 30, 2004. Pairwise regression analyses were performed to compare the most common monotherapy regimens with the triple therapy.RESULTS. A total of 8545 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 58%, over the entire study period, received the aminoglycoside-based triple antibiotic therapy on postoperative day 1. There was, however, a notable transition over this 6-year period, from 69% to 52% of surgeons using aminoglycoside-based combination therapy. There were no significant differences in the odds of readmission at 30 days except for the group receiving ceftriaxone, which was associated with significantly decreased odds. The subgroup receiving piperacillin/tazobactam monotherapy demonstrated significantly decreased length of stay (−0.90 days) and total hospital charges, and the group receiving cefoxitin demonstrated significantly decreased length of stay (−1.89 days), as well as decreased pharmacy and total hospital charges.CONCLUSIONS. Single-agent antibiotic therapy in the treatment of perforated appendicitis is being used with increasing frequency, is at least equal in efficacy to the traditional aminoglycoside-based combination therapy, and may offer improvements in terms of length of stay, pharmacy charges, and hospital charges.
The Effect of Breastfeeding on Cardiorespiratory Risk Factors in Adult Life
Authors: Rudnicka Alicja R. , Owen Christopher G. , Strachan David P. 
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE. Nutrition in the first weeks of life may program disease risk in adulthood. We examined the influence of initial infant feeding on cardiorespiratory risk factors in adulthood.
PATIENTS AND METHODS. A total of 9377 persons born during 1 week in 1958 in England, Scotland, and Wales were followed-up periodically from birth into adulthood. Infant feeding was recorded from a parental questionnaire at 7 years old as never breastfed, breastfed partially or wholly for &lt;1 month, or breastfed for &gt;1 month. Height; waist circumference; hip circumference; waist/hip ratio; body mass index; blood pressure; forced expiratory volume; total, high-density, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; triglycerides; hemoglobin A1c; fibrinogen; fibrin D-dimer; C-reactive protein; von Willebrand factor; and tissue plasminogen activator antigen were measured at 44 to 45 years of age.
RESULTS. Breastfeeding for &gt;1 month was associated with reduced waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, von Willebrand factor, and lower odds of obesity compared with formula feeding after adjustment for birth weight, prepregnancy maternal weight, maternal smoking during pregnancy, socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood, region of birth, gender, and current smoking status. Infant feeding status was not associated with other cardiorespiratory risk factors after adjustment, except for lower fibrinogen and C-reactive protein levels in women.
CONCLUSIONS. The inverse associations of breastfeeding for &gt;1 month with measures of central obesity and inflammatory markers in the current study are small and of little public health importance. Although there was no substantial long-term protective effect of breastfeeding for &gt;1 month on other cardiorespiratory risk factors in adult life, further studies with contemporaneous data on exclusive breastfeeding are needed to confirm these findings.
Adverse Associations of Infant and Child Sleep Problems and Parent Health: An Australian Population Study
Authors: Martin Joanna , Hiscock Harriet , Hardy Pollyanna , Davey Belinda , Wake Melissa 
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE. Infant sleep problems are strongly associated with poorer maternal mental health. It is not known whether they are also associated with poorer paternal mental health, nor whether sleep problems in older children are associated with maternal or paternal mental health. We aimed to examine relationships between child sleep problems and maternal and paternal mental health and general well-being in each of the infant and preschool-aged groups.
METHODS. Participants of this cross-sectional survey included families of infants (n = 5107) and preschool-aged children (n = 4983) participating in the first wave of the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, surveyed March through November 2004. The primary outcomes were mother and father serious psychological distress (measured by the Kessler-6) and general health (parent report of general health taken from the 12-item Short Form Health Survey and dichotomized into poor versus good health). A primary caregiver's report of the child's sleep problem was dichotomized into moderate/severe versus none/mild.
RESULTS. The prevalence of severe psychological distress ranged from 3% to 5%, and prevalence of poor general health ranged from 8% to 11%. Moderate to severe sleep problems affected 17% of infants and 14% of preschool-aged children. Infant sleep problems were associated with poor general health in mothers and with poor general health in fathers. Preschool sleep problems were associated with poor maternal general health. In mothers with no past history of depression, infant sleep problems had a greater effect on severe psychological distress compared with mothers with a past history of depression.
CONCLUSIONS. Sleep problems are common in infants and preschool-aged children. Infant sleep problems, in particular, are associated with poorer health in both parents, especially the mental health of mothers with no past history of depression.
Sleep Duration and Overweight in Adolescents: Self-reported Sleep Hours Versus Time Diaries
Authors: Knutson Kristen L. , Lauderdale Diane S. 
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE. Studies of children have found an inverse association between sleep duration and overweight on the basis of parental report of sleep duration. Studies in adolescents have been inconsistent but used varied measures of sleep. We used a nationally representative sample of adolescents that included 2 different measures of sleep duration (24-hour time diaries and self-reported usual sleep hours) to examine whether the association with overweight is sensitive to how sleep is measured in a single study population. We expected that the 2 measures of sleep would be strongly correlated and that the time-diary sleep would be more strongly associated with overweight risk because it is likely the more accurate measure of sleep.
METHODS. In 2001–2002, adolescents from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics completed 24-hour time diaries on a random weekday and weekend. Adolescents also self-reported average sleep duration. Both sleep measures were categorized into quartiles. Height and weight were measured, and a BMI z score for age and gender was calculated. Overweight was defined as above the 95th percentile.
RESULTS. The final sample included 767 male and 779 female subjects who were aged 10 to 19 years. Mean time-diary sleep was nearly 9 hours on weekdays and &gt;10 hours on weekends. Mean self-reported sleep duration was 8 hours. Time-diary sleep and self-reported sleep were weakly correlated. Time-diary sleep was not significantly associated with overweight. Self-reported sleep was associated with overweight, but the association was not linear. When both sleep measures were included in the same model, their effects on overweight were independent.
CONCLUSIONS. The weak correlation between self-reported sleep and time-diary sleep and the independence of their associations with overweight raise questions about what different measures of sleep duration in adolescents represent.
A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Benchmarking and Multimodal Quality Improvement to Improve Rates of Survival Free of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia for Infants With Birth Weights of Less Than 1250 Grams
Authors: Walsh Michele , Laptook Abbott , Kazzi S. Nadya , Engle William A. , Yao Qing , Rasmussen Maynard , Buchter Susie , Heldt Gregory , Rhine William , Higgins Rose , Poole Kenneth ,   for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE. We tested whether NICU teams trained in benchmarking and quality improvement would change practices and improve rates of survival without bronchopulmonary dysplasia in inborn neonates with birth weights of &lt;1250 g.
METHODS. A cluster-randomized trial enrolled 4093 inborn neonates with birth weights of &lt;1250 g at 17 centers of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Three centers were selected as best performers, and the remaining 14 centers were randomized to intervention or control. Changes in rates of survival free of bronchopulmonary dysplasia were compared between study year 1 and year 3.
RESULTS. Intervention centers implemented potentially better practices successfully; changes included reduced oxygen saturation targets and reduced exposure to mechanical ventilation. Five of 7 intervention centers and 2 of 7 control centers implemented use of high-saturation alarms to reduce oxygen exposure. Lower oxygen saturation targets reduced oxygen levels in the first week of life. Despite these changes, rates of survival free of bronchopulmonary dysplasia were all similar between intervention and control groups and remained significantly less than the rate achieved in the best-performing centers (73.3%).
CONCLUSIONS. In this cluster-randomized trial, benchmarking and multimodal quality improvement changed practices but did not reduce bronchopulmonary dysplasia rates.
Effectiveness of Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole for Children With Chronic Active Otitis Media: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: van der Veen Erwin L. , Rovers Maroeska M. , Albers Frans W. J. , Sanders Elisabeth A. M. , Schilder Anne G. M. 
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to determine the clinical effectiveness of prolonged outpatient treatment with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for children with chronic active otitis media.
METHODS. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 101 children (1–12 years of age) with chronic active otitis media (defined as otorrhea for ≥12 weeks). In addition to a short course of steroid and antibiotic eardrops, children were assigned randomly to receive 6 to 12 weeks of orally administered trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (18 mg/kg, 2 times per day) or placebo and were monitored for 1 year.
RESULTS. At 6 weeks, 28% of children in the trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole group and 53% of children in the placebo group had otomicroscopic signs of otorrhea. At 12 weeks, these values were 32% and 47%, respectively. At 1 year, the numbers of children with otorrhea were similar in the 2 groups (25% and 20%, respectively). One child in the trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole group developed a skin rash. Vomiting or diarrhea was reported for 9% of the trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole group and 2% of the placebo group. Pure-tone hearing levels and health-related quality of life improved during the study but did not differ between the trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole group and the placebo group. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently isolated bacteria in the otorrhea samples from both groups.
CONCLUSIONS. A 6- to 12-week course of high-dose, orally administered trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole therapy is beneficial for children with chronic active otitis media. The treatment effect is most pronounced with the shorter course and disappears if administration of the medication is discontinued.
Determinants of Outcomes After Head Cooling for Neonatal Encephalopathy
Authors: Wyatt John S. , Gluckman Peter D. , Liu Ping Y. , Azzopardi Denis , Ballard Roberta , Edwards A. David , Ferriero Donna M. , Polin Richard A. , Robertson Charlene M. , Thoresen Marianne , Whitelaw Andrew , Gunn Alistair J. ,   for the CoolCap Study Group
Published: May 2007

OBJECTIVE. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of factors that may determine the efficacy of treatment with delayed head cooling and mild systemic hypothermia for neonatal encephalopathy.METHODS. A total of 218 term infants with moderate to severe neonatal encephalopathy plus abnormal amplitude-integrated electroencephalographic recordings, assigned randomly to head cooling for 72 hours, starting within 6 hours after birth (with the rectal temperature maintained at 34.5 ± 0.5°C), or conventional care, were studied. Death or severe disability at 18 months of age was assessed in a multicenter, randomized, controlled study (the CoolCap trial).RESULTS. Treatment, lower encephalopathy grade, lower birth weight, greater amplitude-integrated electroencephalographic amplitude, absence of seizures, and higher Apgar score, but not gender or gestational age, were associated significantly with better outcomes. In a multivariate analysis, each of the individually predictive factors except for Apgar score remained predictive. There was a significant interaction between treatment and birth weight, categorized as ≥25th or &lt;25th percentile for term, such that larger infants showed a lower frequency of favorable outcomes in the control group but greater improvement with cooling. For larger infants, the number needed to treat was 3.8. Pyrexia (≥38°C) in control infants was associated with adverse outcomes. Although there was a small correlation with birth weight, the adverse effect of greater birth weight in control infants remained significant after adjustment for pyrexia and severity of encephalopathy.CONCLUSIONS. Outcomes after hypothermic treatment were strongly influenced by the severity of neonatal encephalopathy. The protective effect of hypothermia was greater in larger infants.
The Nature of Feeding in Infants with Unrepaired Cleft Lip and/or Palate Compared with Healthy Noncleft Infants
Authors: Masarei A. G. , Sell D. , Habel A. , Mars Michael , Sommerlad B. C. , Wade A. 
Published: May 2007

Objective: Feeding difficulties are reported widely in infants with cleft lip and/ or palate. There is, however, a paucity of objective information about the feeding patterns of these infants. This study compared patterns of feeding in infants with unrepaired cleft lip and palate with healthy noncleft infants of a similar age. Setting: North Thames Regional Cleft Centre. The noncleft cohort was recruited from West Middlesex University Hospital, a general hospital with similar demographics. Participants: Fifty newborn infants with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate or a cleft of the soft and at least two thirds of the hard palate who were referred to the North Thames Regional Cleft Centre participated. Parents of 20 randomly selected, noncleft infants agreed to participate. Main Outcome Measures: Feeding patterns were rated using the Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale. Additional objective information was collected using the Great Ormond Street Measurement of Infant Feeding (Masarei et al., 2001; Masarei, 2003). Results: Infants with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate or a cleft of the soft and at least two thirds of the hard palate had less efficient sucking patterns than their noncleft peers had. They used shorter sucks (mean difference, 0.30 second; p < .0005), a faster rate of sucking (mean difference, 34.20 sucks/second; p < .0005), higher suck-swallow ratios (mean difference, 1.87 sucks/swallow; p < .0005), and a greater proportion of intraoral positive pressure generation (mean difference, 45.97% positive pressure; p < .0005). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the sucking patterns of infants with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate or a cleft of the soft and at least two thirds of the hard palate differ from those of their noncleft peers.
Three-Dimensional Computerized Anthropometry of the Nose: Landmark Representation Compared to Surface Analysis
Authors: Ferrario Virgilio F. , Mian Fabrizio , Peretta Redento , Rosati Riccardo , Sforza Chiarella 
Published: May 2007

Objective: To compare three-dimensional nasal measurements directly made on subjects to those made on plaster casts, and nasal dimensions obtained with a surface-based approach to values obtained with a landmark representation. Methods: Soft-tissue nasal landmarks were directly digitized on 20 healthy adults. Stone casts of their noses were digitized and mathematically reconstructed using nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS) curves. Linear distances, angles, volumes and surface areas were computed using facial landmarks and NURBS-reconstructed models (surface-based approach). Results: Measurements on the stone casts were somewhat smaller than values obtained directly from subjects (differences between −0.05 and −1.58 mm). Dahlberg's statistic ranged between 0.73 and 1.47 mm. Significant (p < .05) t values were found for 4 of 15 measurements. The surface-based approach gave values 3.5 (volumes) and 2.1 (surface area) times larger than those computed with the landmark-based method. The two values were significantly related (volume, r = 0.881; surface, r = 0.924; p < .001), the resulting equations estimated actual values well (mean difference, volume −0.01 mm3, SD 1.47, area 0.05 cm2, SD 1.44); limits of agreement between −2.89 and 2.87 mm3 (volume); −2.88 and 2.78 cm2 (area). Conclusions: Considering the characteristics of the two methods, and for practical purposes, nasal distances and angles obtained on plaster models were comparable to digital data obtained directly from subjects. Surface areas and volumes were best obtained using a surface-based approach, but could be estimated using data provided by the landmark representation.
Evaluation of an accelerometer for at-home monitoring of spontaneous activity in dogs
Authors: Hansen Bernard D. , Lascelles B. Duncan X. , Keene Bruce W. , Adams Allison K. , Thomson Andrea E. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Objective—To determine the correlation between activity as measured by an accelerometer and videographic measurements of movement and mobility in healthy dogs.
Animals—4 healthy dogs.
Procedures—After determination that accelerometers had good agreement, 5 identical accelerometers were used simultaneously to test their output at 8 locations (rotated among collar, vest, and forelimb stocking locations) on each dog. Movement and mobility for each dog were recorded continuously with a computerized videography system for 7-hour ses-sions on 4 consecutive days. Accelerometer values were combined into 439 fifteen-minute intervals and compared with 3 videographic measurements of movement and mobility (distance traveled, time spent walking > 20 cm/s, and time spent changing position by > 12% of 2-dimensional surface area during 1.5 seconds).
Results—96% of values compared between the most discordant pair of accelerometers were within 2 SDs of the mean value from all 5 accelerometers. All mounting locations provided acceptable correlation with videographic measurements of movement and mobility, and the ventral portion of the collar was determined to be the most convenient location.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Use of an accelerometer was adequate for at-home activity monitoring, an important end point in clinical trials of treatment for chronic disease, and provided information about daily activity that is unattainable by other methods.
Plasma concentration and local anesthetic activity of procaine hydrochloride following subcutaneous administration to horses
Authors: Kuchembuck Natasha L. , Colahan Patrick T. , Zientek Keith D. , Pirman David A. , Wegner Kirsten , Cole Cynthia A. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Objective—To determine the durations of the local anesthetic effect and plasma procaine concentrations associated with 5- and 10-mg doses of procaine hydrochloride (with or without 100 μg of epinephrine) administered SC over the lateral palmar digital nerves of horses.
Animals—6 healthy adult horses.
Procedures—The hoof withdrawal reflex latency (HWRL) period was determined by use of a focused heat lamp before and after administration of procaine with and without epinephrine. Blood samples were collected immediately before determination of each HWRL period to assess plasma concentrations of procaine via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry–mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS).
Results—10 but not 5 mg of procaine alone and 5 and 10 mg of procaine administered with epinephrine significantly prolonged the HWRL period (mean durations of effect, 5, 120 and 180 minutes, respectively), compared with baseline values. Plasma procaine concentrations did not correlate well with local anesthetic activity; for example, although the HWRL was prolonged to the maximum permitted duration of 20 seconds at 60 to 180 minutes following administration of the 5-mg dose of procaine with epinephrine in certain horses, plasma procaine concentrations were less than the limit of quantitation of the LC-MS-MS assay.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Small doses of procaine coadministered with epinephrine provided long-lasting local analgesia and resulted in plasma procaine concentrations that were not always detectable via LC-MS-MS. On the basis of these results, the use of regulatory limits or thresholds for procaine concentration in equine plasma samples obtained after racing should be seriously reconsidered.
Effects of vertebral mobilization and manipulation on kinematics of the thoracolumbar region
Authors: Haussler Kevin K. , Hill Ashley E. , Puttlitz Christian M. , McIlwraith C. Wayne 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Objective—To measure passive spinal movements induced during dorsoventral mobilization and evaluate effects of induced pain and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) on passive vertebral mobility in standing horses.
Animals—10 healthy adult horses.
Procedures—Baseline vertical displacements, applied force, stiffness, and frequency of the oscillations were measured during dorsoventral spinal mobilization at 5 thoracolumbar intervertebral sites. As a model for back pain, fixation pins were temporarily implanted into the dorsal spinous processes of adjacent vertebrae at 2 of the intervertebral sites. Vertebral variables were recorded again after pin placement and treadmill locomotion. In a random-ized crossover study, horses were allocated to control and treatment interventions, separated by a 7-day washout period.The SMT consisted of high-velocity, low-amplitude thrusts applied to the 3 non–pin-placement sites. Control horses received no treatment.
Results—The amplitudes of vertical displacement increased from cranial to caudal in the thoracolumbar portion of the vertebral column. Pin implantation caused no immediate changes at adjacent intervertebral sites, but treadmill exercise caused reductions in most variables. The SMT induced a 15% increase in displacement and a 20% increase in applied force, compared with control measurements.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The passive vertical mobility of the trunk varied from cranial to caudal. At most sites, SMT increased the amplitudes of dorsoventral displacement and applied force, indicative of increased vertebral flexibility and increased tolerance to pressure in the thoracolumbar portion of the vertebral column.