bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic Selection for Enhanced Health Characteristics
Authors: Miah Andy 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThis paper examines the UK regulatory framework and the ethical arguments surrounding the use of genetic tests, specifically considering how they would apply to selecting for enhanced health characteristics. It discusses the Human Genetic Commission reports on the use of genetic information more broadly, identifying the implied values and concerns arising from their conclusions. It argues that the HGC conflates the concepts of ‘best’ and ‘enhancement’ and this limits the persuasiveness of their moral stance
A Framework Interpreting Bender Element Tests, Combining Time-Domain and Frequency-Domain Methods
Authors: Viana da Fonseca António , Ferreira Cristiana , Fahey Martin 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
Bender element (BE) testing is a powerful and increasingly common laboratory technique for determining the shear S-wave velocity of geomaterials. There are several advantages of BE testing, but there is no standard developed for the testing procedures or for the interpretation of the results. This leads to high degree of uncertainty and subjectivity in the interpretation. In this paper, the authors review the most common methods for the interpretation of BE tests, discuss some important technical requirements to minimize errors, and propose a practical framework for BE testing, based on the comparison of different interpretation techniques in order to obtain the most reliable value for the travel time. This new procedure consists of the application of a methodical, systematic, and objective approach for the interpretation of the results, in the time and frequency domains. The use of an automated tool enables unbiased information to be obtained regarding variations in the results to assist in the decision of the travel time. Two natural soils were tested: residual soil from Porto granite, and Toyoura sand. Specimens were subjected to the same isotropic stress conditions and the results obtained provided insights on the effects of soil type and confining stress on the interpretation of BE results; namely, the differences in testing dry versus saturated soils, and in testing uniform versus well-graded soils.
Development of a Direct Simple Shear Apparatus for Peat Soils
Authors: Boylan Noel , Long Michael 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
This paper discusses the design and development of a new direct simple shear (DSS) apparatus for testing peat soils. The apparatus has been designed to test peat at low effective stresses, representative of its in situ condition and allow the deformation of the specimen to be monitored. This device uses particle image velocimetry (PIV) image analysis techniques to monitor the side of the peat specimen and provide an insight into the behavior of peat during shearing. A set of comparative tests on reconstituted clay have been conducted with another widely used DSS apparatus and has shown both to yield similar undrained strength ratios (su/σvc′) for a range of stress levels. Application of the apparatus to peat soils is demonstrated by a set of tests on a high water content blanket bog peat. Analysis of these tests using the PIV technique reveals the complex shear strain and volumetric strain behavior of peat undergoing shearing. Identification of partial slippage of a specimen is also shown through these analyses.
Manual on Drilling, Sampling, and Analysis of Coal, Compiled by ASTM Subcommittees D05.18 and D05.23
Authors: Luppens JA , Wilson SE , Stanton RW 
Published: December 2008

Description
Guidelines on state-of-the-art aspects of drilling and sampling coal. Can be modified as necessary to fit your specific needs (for example, you can use them to prepare your own field manual to standardize exploration activities). Chapters include: drilling equipment; • geophysical logging; • description of coal and rocks; • sampling of coal cores; • laboratory analysis of coal and rock drill core samples; • and evaluation of core data.
Also serves as a reference document for those who use the core sampling ASTM standard Practice for Collection of Coal Samples from Core (D 5192) (included in the Appendix).
Eight-Year Clinical Outcomes of Long-Term Enzyme Replacement Therapy for 884 Children With Gaucher Disease Type 1
Authors: Andersson Hans , Kaplan Paige , Kacena Katherine , Yee John 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to analyze the clinical responses to enzyme replacement therapy with alglucerase or imiglucerase in a large international cohort of children with Gaucher disease type 1.
METHODS. Anonymized data from 884 children in the International Collaborative Gaucher Group Gaucher Registry were analyzed to determine the effects of long-term enzyme replacement therapy with alglucerase or imiglucerase on hematologic and visceral manifestations, linear growth, and skeletal disease. The parameters measured were hemoglobin levels, platelet counts, spleen and liver volumes, z scores for height and bone mineral density, and reports of bone pain and bone crises.
RESULTS. The median height z score for the study population was −1.4 at baseline. After 8 years of treatment, the median height approximated the median value for the normal population. Anemia, although not severe, was present in &gt;50% of patients at baseline and resolved for all patients after 8 years of treatment. More than 50% of patients had platelet counts of &lt;100000 platelets per mm3 at baseline, but &gt;95% had platelet counts above this level after 8 years of treatment. Liver and spleen volumes decreased over 8 years of treatment. The mean bone mineral density z score was −0.34 at baseline, and values normalized within 6.6 years of treatment. Seventeen percent of patients reported a bone crisis before treatment and in the first 2 years of treatment, but no bone crises were reported after 2 years of enzyme replacement therapy. Few patients (2.5%) without bone crises before enzyme replacement therapy had a crisis after the start of treatment.
CONCLUSIONS. These longitudinal data quantitate the benefits of continuous enzyme replacement therapy with alglucerase/imiglucerase for children with Gaucher disease type 1. Within 8 years of enzyme replacement therapy, most clinical parameters studied became normal or nearly normal.
Descriptive Epidemiological Features of Bronchiolitis in a Population-Based Cohort
Authors: Koehoorn Mieke , Karr Catherine J. , Demers Paul A. , Lencar Cornel , Tamburic Lillian , Brauer Michael 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to investigate the epidemiological features of incident bronchiolitis by using a population-based infant cohort.METHODS. Outpatient and inpatient health records were used to identify incident bronchiolitis cases among 93 058 singleton infants born in the Georgia Air Basin between 1999 and 2002. Additional health-related databases were linked to provide data on sociodemographic variables, maternal characteristics, and birth outcome measures.RESULTS. From 1999 to 2002, bronchiolitis accounted for 12 474 incident health care encounters (inpatient or outpatient contacts) during the first year of life (134.2 cases per 1000 person-years). A total of 1588 hospitalized bronchiolitis cases were identified (17.1 cases per 1000 person-years). Adjusted Cox proportional-hazard analyses for both case definitions indicated an increased risk of incident bronchiolitis in the first year of life (follow-up period: 2–12 months) for boys, infants of First Nations status, infants with older siblings, and infants living in neighborhoods with smaller proportions of maternal postsecondary education. The risk also was elevated for infants born to young mothers (&lt;20 years of age) or mothers who did not initiate breastfeeding in the hospital. Infants with low (1500–2400 g) or very low (&lt;1500 g) birth weight and those with congenital anomalies also had increased risk. Maternal smoking during pregnancy increased the risk of hospitalized bronchiolitis.CONCLUSIONS. This population-based study of the epidemiological features of bronchiolitis provides evidence for intervening with high-risk infants and their families. Clinical and public health interventions are recommended for the modifiable risk factors of maternal breastfeeding and smoking and for modification of vulnerable environments where possible (eg, limiting exposure to other young children), during high-risk periods such as the first few months of life or the winter season.
Prevalence and Impact of Respiratory Viral Infections in Young Children With Cystic Fibrosis: Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: van Ewijk Bart E. , van der Zalm Marieke M. , Wolfs Tom F. W. , Fleer Andre , Kimpen Jan L. L. , Wilbrink Berry , van der Ent Cornelis K. 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. We aimed to investigate differences in upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms in relation to respiratory viral infections detected with polymerase chain reaction assays in young children with cystic fibrosis and healthy control subjects.
METHODS. In a 6-month winter period, 20 young children with cystic fibrosis and 18 age-matched, healthy, control subjects were contacted twice per week for detection of symptoms of an acute respiratory illness. If any symptom was present, then a home visit was made for physical examination and collection of nasopharyngeal swabs for viral analysis. In addition, parents were instructed to collect nasopharyngeal swabs every 2 weeks.
RESULTS. Children with cystic fibrosis and healthy control subjects had similar frequencies of acute respiratory illnesses (3.8 ± 1.0 and 4.2 ± 1.7 episodes, respectively). Although there were no significant differences in upper respiratory tract symptoms, the children with cystic fibrosis had longer periods of lower respiratory tract symptoms (22.4 ± 22.2 vs 12.8 ± 13.8 days) and a higher mean severity score per episode (2.35 ± 0.64 vs 1.92 ± 0.46). In addition, similar increases in upper respiratory tract symptom scores were associated with significantly greater increases in lower respiratory tract symptom scores in children with cystic fibrosis. No differences in the seasonal occurrences and distributions of respiratory viruses were observed, with picornaviruses and coronaviruses being the most prevalent.
CONCLUSIONS. Although there were no differences in the seasonal occurrences and distributions of polymerase chain reaction-detected respiratory viruses, acute respiratory illnesses were frequently associated with increased lower respiratory tract morbidity in young children with cystic fibrosis.
Cost-Effectiveness of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in the Initial Evaluation of Hypertension in Children
Authors: Swartz Sarah J. , Srivaths Poyyapakkam R. , Croix Beth , Feig Daniel I. 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to determine the cost-effectiveness of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the initial evaluation of stage 1 hypertension.METHODS. Retrospective chart review of data for children referred to Texas Children's Hospital hypertension clinic between January 2005 and August 2006 was performed. We compared the costs of standard evaluations versus the initial use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring for children with clinic blood pressure measurements suggesting stage 1 hypertension. Charges for clinic visits, laboratory tests, and imaging were obtained from the Texas Children's Hospital billing department.RESULTS. A total of 267 children were referred. One hundred thirty-nine children did not receive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; 54 met clinical indications for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring but did not receive it because it was not a covered expense (44 children) or the family refused the study (10 children). One hundred twenty-six children received clinically indicated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, paid for either through insurance or by the family. Fifty-eight children (46%) had confirmed white-coat hypertension, 62 (49%) stage 1 hypertension, and 6 (5%) stage 2 hypertension. With the observed prevalence of white-coat hypertension, initial ambulatory blood pressure monitoring use yielded net savings after evaluation of 3 patients, with projected savings of $2.4 million per 1000 patients.CONCLUSIONS. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the initial evaluation of suspected childhood hypertension is highly cost-effective. Awareness of cost saving potential may increase the availability of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring for evaluation of new-onset hypertension.
Postdischarge Growth and Development in a Predominantly Hispanic, Very Low Birth Weight Population
Authors: Powers George C. , Ramamurthy Rajam , Schoolfield John , Matula Kathleen 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVES. The goals were to assess postdischarge growth and developmental progress of very low birth weight (birth weight: &lt;1500 g) premature infants in a predominantly Hispanic population and to identify predictors for neurodevelopmental impairment at 3 years of age.
METHODS. A cohort of 135 very low birth weight infants (gestational age: 23 to 35 weeks) were monitored to 3 years of age. Maternal and neonatal characteristics, anthropometric z scores, and developmental performance (using corrected age until 24 months) were analyzed collectively and according to gestational age groups. Specific criteria for failure to thrive and microcephaly were used.
RESULTS. A characteristic pattern of poor weight gain in the first 12 months was followed by accelerated weight gain starting at 18 months, whereas head growth decreased at 18 months, with recovery beginning at 30 months of age. Infants born at gestational age of ≤26 weeks remained growth-impaired at 3 years of age, whereas infants born at gestational age of ≥27 weeks achieved catch-up growth by 30 months of age. Mean developmental scores also decreased in infancy, with improvements in motor development emerging at 18 months and cognitive skills at 30 months. Growth z scores, particularly for head growth, correlated with developmental scores. Infants born at gestational age of ≤26 weeks were most likely to have neonatal morbidities, failure to thrive, and neurodevelopmental impairment. With adjustment for gestational age and neonatal morbidities, Hispanic acculturation, failure to thrive, and microcephaly were predictive of neurodevelopmental impairment.
CONCLUSIONS. Very low birth weight infants exhibited growth patterns that coincided with developmental progress in the first 3 years of life. Birth at gestational age of ≤26 weeks was associated with greatest risk for developmental impairment, whereas failure to thrive and microcephaly increased neurodevelopmental impairment risk regardless of gestational age.
Unintentional Child Poisonings Treated in United States Hospital Emergency Departments: National Estimates of Incident Cases, Population-Based Poisoning Rates, and Product Involvement
Authors: Franklin Robert L. , Rodgers Gregory B. 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVES. The goals were to develop national estimates of unintentional child poisoning cases treated in US hospital emergency departments, to determine population-based poisoning rates, and to evaluate characteristics of the victims and the products involved.METHODS. Cases reported through the US Consumer Product Safety Commission National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, involving a national probability sample of US hospital emergency departments, were used as a basis for developing national estimates of product-related poisonings involving children &lt;5 years of age treated in US hospital emergency departments in 2004.RESULTS. There were an estimated 86194 child poisoning incidents treated in US hospital emergency departments in 2004, amounting to 429.4 poisonings per 100000 children. Approximately 70% of the poisonings involved children 1 or 2 years of age, slightly more than one half involved boys, and 13.3% resulted in hospital admission. Approximately 59.5% of the poisonings involved oral prescription drugs, oral nonprescription drugs, or supplements. Other major product categories resulting in poisonings included cleaning products (13.2%), drugs and ointment preparations intended for external use (4.9%), and personal care products (4.7%). Approximately 54.7% of the poisonings involved products already subject to child-resistant packaging requirements under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.CONCLUSIONS. Despite advances in recent years, unintentional child poisonings remain an important public health concern. The circumstances surrounding poisonings need to be evaluated further, and intervention strategies need to be developed.
Screening for Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure Among Inner-City Children With Asthma
Authors: Halterman Jill S. , Borrelli Belinda , Tremblay Paul , Conn Kelly M. , Fagnano Maria , Montes Guillermo , Hernandez Telva 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVES. The goals were (1) to develop an index measure of environmental tobacco smoke based on parent self-report of smoking behaviors and (2) to determine whether the index score was associated with children's present and future cotinine levels.METHODS. Data were drawn from a community intervention for inner-city children with persistent asthma (N = 226; response rate: 72%). Measures of child salivary cotinine levels and parent self-reported environmental tobacco smoke-related behaviors were obtained at baseline and 7 to 9 months later. To develop the index score, we used a 15-fold cross-validation method, with 70% of our data, that considered combinations of smoke exposure variables and controlled for demographic features. We chose the most parsimonious model that minimized the mean square predictive error. The resulting index score included primary caregiver smoking and home smoking ban status. We validated our model with the remaining 30% of the data. Analysis of variance and multivariate analyses were used to determine the association of the index score with children's cotinine levels.RESULTS. Fifty-four percent of children with asthma lived with ≥1 smoker, and 51% of caregivers reported a complete home smoking ban. The children's mean baseline cotinine level was 1.55 ng/mL (range: 0.0–21.3 ng/mL). Children's baseline and follow-up cotinine levels increased as scores on the index measure increased. In a linear regression, the index score was significantly positively associated with children's cotinine measurements at baseline and 7 to 9 months later.CONCLUSION. An index measure with combined information regarding primary caregiver smoking and household smoking restrictions helped to identify children with asthma with the greatest exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and could predict which children would have elevated cotinine levels 7 to 9 months later.
Glucose Intolerance and Cardiometabolic Risk in Children Exposed to Maternal Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Utero
Authors: Tam Wing Hung , Ma Ronald Ching Wan , Yang Xilin , Ko Gary Tin Choi , Tong Peter Chun Yip , Cockram Clive Stewart , Sahota Daljit Singh , Rogers Michael Scott , Chan Juliana Chung Ngor 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to examine the carbohydrate tolerance and cardiometabolic risk among children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus in utero.METHODS. In this study, 164 Chinese children whose mothers had participated in a previous study on the screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (63 had gestational diabetes mellitus and 101 had normal glucose tolerance during the index pregnancies) underwent follow-up evaluations at a median age of 8 years (range: 7–10 years). Children's weight, height, hip and waist circumferences, and blood pressure were measured, and weight-adjusted oral glucose tolerance tests were performed.RESULTS. Six children (3.7%) demonstrated impaired glucose regulation or diabetes mellitus at the follow-up evaluation. Children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus had significantly higher systolic (94 ± 1.2 vs 88 ± 0.9 mmHg) and diastolic (62 ± 0.8 vs 57 ± 0.6 mmHg) blood pressure values and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.58 ± 0.04 vs 1.71 ± 0.03 mmol/L) levels, after adjustment for age and gender. A high (≥90th percentile) umbilical cord insulin level at birth was associated with abnormal glucose tolerance in the offspring.CONCLUSIONS. Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus increases the offspring's cardiometabolic risk, and in utero hyperinsulinemia is an independent predictor of abnormal glucose tolerance in childhood.
Effectiveness of a Clinical Pathway for the Emergency Treatment of Patients With Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Authors: Zand Dina J. , Brown Kathleen M. , Lichter-Konecki Uta , Campbell Joyce K. , Salehi Vesta , Chamberlain James M. 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to measure the effectiveness of a clinical pathway for the emergency department care of patients with inborn errors of metabolism.
METHODS. Two years after the implementation of a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for patients with inborn errors of metabolism in our urban, academic, pediatric emergency department, we compared measures of timeliness and effectiveness for patients treated before the pathway with the same measures for patients treated after implementation of the pathway. Measures of timeliness included time to room, time to doctor, time to glucose infusion, and total emergency department length of stay. Measures of clinical effectiveness included the proportion of patients receiving adequate glucose infusions, proportion of patients admitted, inpatient length of stay, and proportion of patients requiring PICU admission.
RESULTS. A total of 214 emergency department visits for patients with inborn errors of metabolism were analyzed, 90 before and 124 after initiation of the pathway. All measures of timeliness of care except total emergency department length of stay demonstrated significant improvement in comparisons of values before and after initiation of the pathway. Measures of clinical effectiveness also demonstrated significant improvements after initiation of the pathway. There was improvement in the proportion of patients who received adequate glucose infusions, with a decrease in the proportion of patients who required admission to the PICU. Emergency department length of stay, inpatient length of stay, and the proportion of patients admitted to the hospital were not affected.
CONCLUSIONS. Most measures of timeliness and 2 measures of effectiveness showed improvement after implementation of an emergency department pathway for patients with inborn errors of metabolism. Therefore, a clinical pathway can improve the emergency care of patients with inborn errors of metabolism.