bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a Module for Point-of-care Charge Capture and Submission Using an Anesthesia Information Management System
Authors: Reich David L. , Kahn Ronald A. , Wax David , Palvia Tanuj , Galati Maria , Krol Marina 
Published: June 2006

Background
The use of electronic charge vouchers in anesthesia practice is limited, and the effects on practice management are unreported. The authors hypothesized that the new billing technology would improve the effectiveness of the billing interface and enhance financial practice management measures.

Methods
A custom application was created to extract billing elements from the anesthesia information management system. The application incorporates business rules to determine whether individual cases have all required elements for a complete and compliant bill. The metrics of charge lag and days in accounts receivable were assessed before and after the implementation of the electronic charge voucher system.

Results
The average charge lag decreased by 7.3 days after full implementation. The total days in accounts receivable, controlling for fee schedule changes and credit balances, decreased by 10.1 days after implementation, representing a one-time revenue gain equivalent to 3.0% of total annual receipts. There are additional ongoing cost savings related to reduction of personnel and expenses related to paper charge voucher handling.

Conclusions
Anesthesia information management systems yield financial and operational benefits by speeding up the revenue cycle and by reducing direct costs and compliance risks related to the billing and collection processes. The observed reductions in charge lag and days in accounts receivable may be of benefit in calculating the return on investment that is attributable to the adoption of anesthesia information management systems and electronic charge transmission.
A peritonitis model with low mortality and persisting intra‐abdominal abscesses
Authors: Buyne Otmar R. , Bleichrodt Robert P. , Verweij Paul E. , Groenewoud Hans M. M. , Van Goor Harry , Hendriks Thijs 
Published: June 2006

SummaryIntra‐abdominal abscesses are a potential source of recurrent or residual infection after surgical intervention for secondary peritonitis. The development of therapies requires a model which combines low mortality with the formation of persisting abscesses and which is also suitable to study the local inflammatory response. Male Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with a mixture of sterile rat faeces, increasing doses of E. coli (104−108 cfu/ml) and a fixed dose of B. Fragilis (104 cfu/ml). After one h a laparotomy was performed and the peritoneal cavity was debrided. Blood samples were taken under anaesthesia after 6 and 24 h. Abdominal fluid samples were collected (by laparotomy) after 24 and 72 h. The rats were killed after 5 days and the abdomen was inspected for abscesses. Mortality was 90% in the two groups with the highest doses of E. coli and 30% in those with the two lowest doses. In the latter groups all surviving rats but one showed intraabdominal abscesses and bacteremia was encountered frequently, especially after 24 h in the 105 cfu E. coli group. The groups receiving 104−106 cfu E. coli showed similar plasma IL‐6 concentrations after 6 h which were lowered significantly after 24 h. No circulating TNF‐α was found. Considerable concentrations of TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐1β, and IL‐10, were found in the peritoneal fluid after 24 h but no differences were observed between the contro groups and those receiving 104−106 cfu E. coli. At 72 h cytokine levels were reduced significantly and remained the highest in the animals dosed with 106 cfu E. coli. The present model is suitable to study the mechanisms involved in, and prevention of, intra‐abdominal abscess formation after surgical treatment of generalized peritonitis.
Falciparum malaria in the north of Laos: the occurrence and implications of the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) gene haplotype SVMNT
Authors: Dittrich Sabine , Alifrangis Michael , Stohrer Jörg M , Thongpaseuth Vonthalom , Vanisaveth Viengxay , Phetsouvanh Rattanaxay , Phompida Samlane , Khalil Insaf F , Jelinek Tomas 
Published: June 2006

SummaryObjective  The Pfcrt‐gene encodes a transmembrane protein located in the Plasmodium falciparum digestive vacuole. Chloroquine resistant (CQR) strains of African and Southeast Asian origin carry the Pfcrt‐haplotype (c72–76) CVIET, whereas most South American and Papua New Guinean CQR stains carry the SVMNT haplotype.Method  Eighty‐eight samples from an area with reported in vivo Chloroquine and in vitro Amodiaquine‐resistance were screened for the K76T mutation and their Pfcrt‐haplotype (c72–76) using a new SSOP‐ELISA.Results  Hundred percent of the analysed samples showed the K76T mutation which is highly associated with in vivo drug failure. This very high rate of a CQR‐marker is alarming in an area were CQ is still used as first line drug. The distribution of the three main Pfcrt‐haplotypes was as follows: 68% CVIET, 31% SVMNT, 0% CVMNT.Conclusions  These data show, for the first time, the South American/PNG ‐haplotype (SVMNT) on mainland Southeast Asia. SVMNT‐haplotype and others might be associated with a decreased efficacy of Amodiaquine and could therefore be potential markers for of amodiaquine resistance (AQR). If there is a correlation between AQR and the SVMNT‐haplotype as suggested, 31% prevalence of a potential resistance marker is cause for concern.
Emergence of W135 meningococcal meningitis in Ghana
Authors: Forgor Abudulai Adams , Leimkugel Julia , Hodgson Abraham , Bugri Akalifa , Dangy Jean‐Pierre , Gagneux Sébastien , Smith Tom , Pluschke Gerd 
Published: June 2006

Summary Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135, well known for a long time as a cause of isolated cases of meningococcal meningitis, has recently increasingly been associated with disease outbreaks of considerable magnitude. Burkina Faso was hit by W135 epidemics in the dry seasons of 2002–2004, but only four W135 meningitis cases were recorded between February 2003 and March 2004 in adjoining Ghana. This reconfirms previous findings that bottlenecks exist in the spreading of new epidemic N. meningitidis clones within the meningitis belt of sub‐Saharan Africa. Of the four Ghanaian W135 meningitis patients one died and three survived, of whom one had profound neurosensory hearing loss and speech impairment. All four disease isolates were sensitive to penicillin G, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime and had the multi‐locus sequence type (ST) 11, which is the major ST of the ET‐37 clonal complex. Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles of the Ghanaian disease isolates and recent epidemic isolates from Burkina Faso were largely identical. We conducted meningococcal colonization surveys in the home communities of three of the patients and in the Kassena Nankana District located at the border to Burkina Faso. W135 carriage rates ranged between 0% and 17.5%. When three consecutive surveys were conducted in the patient community with the highest carrier rate, persistence of W135 colonization over a period of 1 year was observed. Differences in PFGE profiles of carrier isolates taken at different times in the same patient community were indicative of rapid microevolution of the W135 bacteria, emphasizing the need for innovative fine typing methods to reveal the relationship between W135 isolates.
Oesophagostomum bifurcum in non‐human primates is not a potential reservoir for human infection in Ghana
Authors: van Lieshout Lisette , de Gruijter Johanna M. , Adu‐Nsiah Michael , Haizel Michael , Verweij Jaco J. , Brienen Eric A. T. , Gasser Robin B. , Polderman A. M. 
Published: June 2006

SummaryIn northern Togo and Ghana, human infection with the parasitic nematode Oesophagostomum bifurcum is of major health importance. Elsewhere, oesophagostomiasis is considered a zoonotic infection, non‐human primates being the natural host. We examined 349 faecal samples of the olive baboon, mona monkey and black and white colobus monkey from two geographically distinct areas in Ghana, outside the region endemic for O. bifurcum in humans. Using both microscopy and species‐specific PCR, we found a high prevalence of O. bifurcum (75–99%) in olive baboons and mona monkeys. The majority of the test‐positive faecal samples contained large numbers of larvae after copro‐culture (>100). No O. bifurcum was detected in the faeces of the black and white colobus monkeys. Observational studies on the behaviour of the non‐human primates, focusing on defecation, food consumption and the sharing of habitat with the local human population, indicated favourable conditions for zoonotic transmission. Given that no human infection with O. bifurcum has been reported from either study area, the present findings support the hypothesis that O. bifurcum from humans in the north of Ghana, and O. bifurcum from olive baboons and/or mona monkeys are distinct.
The effects of a treatment protocol for cardiac surgical patients with excessive blood loss on clinical outcomes
Authors: Karkouti K. , Yau T. M. , Rensburg A. van , McCluskey S. A. , Callum J. , Wijeysundera D. N. , Beattie W. S. 
Published: June 2006

Background and Objectives  Excessive blood loss (EBL) is a common complication of cardiac surgery that is associated with adverse events. The objective of this before/after study was to determine whether the implementation of a protocol for management of cardiac surgical patients with EBL was associated with improved clinical outcomes.Materials and Methods  In November 2002, a protocol for prompt identification and aggressive management of cardiac surgical patients with EBL was implemented at our institution. The independent relationship between protocol implementation and adverse outcomes was measured by comparing the outcomes of patients who received ≥ 4 RBC (red blood cell) units within 1 day of surgery and were operated on before protocol implementation (2000–02) with those operated on after protocol implementation (2003–05), using multivariable logistic regression analysis to control for the effects of confounders. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse events that included death, renal failure, stroke, and sepsis. Bootstrapping was used to confirm the validity of the results.Results  Of the 11 314 patients who underwent surgery during the study period, 1875 (16·6%) received ≥ 4 RBC units within 1 day of surgery, with 958 and 917 in the pre‐ and postprotocol periods, respectively. The composite adverse outcome occurred in 164 (17·1%) patients in the preprotocol period and 115 (12·5%) patients in the postprotocol period (P = 0·005). Protocol implementation was independently associated with reduced odds of the composite adverse outcome (odds ratio 0·67; 95% confidence interval 0·50, 0·91; P= 0·01). This estimate was stable in bootstrap sampling.Conclusion  Implementation of a protocol to manage EBL in cardiac surgery was independently associated with improved outcomes.
Platelet content and growth factor release in platelet‐rich plasma: a comparison of four different systems
Authors: Leitner G. C. , Gruber R. , Neumüller J. , Wagner A. , Kloimstein P. , Höcker P. , Körmöczi G. F. , Buchta C. 
Published: June 2006

Background  Different systems for preparation of platelet‐rich plasma are commercially available, but data for comparison of these systems have not been published so far.Materials and Methods  We investigated the performance of Vivostat PRF Preparation Kit®, PCCS Platelet Concentrate Collection System®, Harvest® SmartPReP 2 APC 60 Process, and Fibrinet® Autologous Fibrin & Platelet System.The preparations provided by these systems are platelet concentrates with high numbers of platelets in a small volume of plasma and PDGF‐AB is released continuously during the 5 days after preparation.Results  Vivostat PRF Preparation Kit, PCCS Platelet Concentrate Collection System, Harvest SmartPReP 2 APC 60 Process are comparable in platelet yield and total amount of released PDGF‐AB after 120 h while with Fibrinet the lowest platelet yield and PDGF‐AB content of supernatant was achieved. The ability of growth factor release was equal in all four systems.Conclusion  In conclusion, all four systems for preparation of platelet‐rich plasma investigated result in considerable growth factor release. In what extent the total content of PDGF‐AB as a consequence of platelet yield has an impact on wound healing has to be further investigated
Lake Biwa: Have sustainable development objectives been met?
Authors: Nakamura M. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe need to control and manage the effects of urban, industrial and agricultural development on Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, led to the formation of the Lake Biwa Comprehensive Development Project (LBCDP). This article describes the nature and effects of the development, how the LBCDP was conceptualized, implemented and managed, and comments on its effectiveness. Although the basic objective of the project was to promote development of the Keihanshin region by providing additional water, other important objectives included the conservation of the natural environment, the promotion of public welfare, and the restoration of water quality. To achieve objectives on a sustainable basis, extensive political, legislative, social, technological and environmental matters needed comprehensive consideration. This article considers such matters in detail.
Strategies for building partnerships in the context of river basin management: The role of ecotechnology and ecological engineering
Authors: Tundisi J. G. , Straškraba M. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe theory of ecosystem management is described and its importance and application to the management of river basins and watersheds is considered. Eleven ecosystem principles and their application within the context of watershed management are discussed. The development of partnerships in river basin management is important. In their development, the research system, public and private sectors, and community participation are seen as key components.
Lake Corangamite, Australia, a permanent saline lake: Conservation and management issues
Authors: Williams W. D. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractLake Corangamite in western Victoria, Australia, is the largest permanent lake on the Australian mainland. Its levels and salinities fluctuated naturally until recently. Since about 1960, its major inflow creek has been diverted for management purposes and lake levels have fallen and salinities risen. The changes have been most profound since 1980. Since 1980, salinity has risen from ∼35g/L to >50g/L, water levels have fallen by nearly 2m, and many islands have become peninsulas or have disappeared. The major effect has been a change in the composition of the biota from one that is characteristic of lakes in the region of moderate salinity (>35g/L) to one that is characteristic of more saline lakes (50‐100 g/L). In particular, Austrochiltonia subtenuis (Amphipoda), Coxiella (Gastropoda), Galaxias maculatus (Pisces) and Ruppia (macrophyte) have almost disappeared. The loss of these species has greatly decreased the value of the lake to the avifauna in particular and as a natural resource in general.The changes to Lake Corangamite resulted largely from the diversion of the inflowing waters from the Woady Yaloak Creek, the major influent stream, into the Barwon River. The diversion scheme, undertaken by the Rural Water Commission of Victoria, was implemented mainly to minimize the possibility of flooding of land adjacent to the lake. The environmental consequences of such diversion were not fully considered. The paper documents the physico‐chemical and biological changes that occurred up to 1992, and discusses issues of conservation and management interest associated with the changes. Changes in the level of Lake Corangamite and associated limnological features accord with the pattern observed in many salt lakes worldwide.
Reservoir system management and environmental flows
Authors: McMahon T. A. , Finlayson B. L. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractConsiderable attention has been paid to the downstream effects of reservoirs on the ecology of rivers, streams and wetlands. However, most reservoirs were constructed well before ecological concerns became prominent. Little attention has been given to the question of what extent existing structures and management systems can accommodate changes. The paper discusses this matter and a range of associated issues. It is concluded that many problems can be rectified by structural means but that such rectification will be very expensive. While based primarily on Australian systems, the conclusions and examination are considered to be globally applicable.
Pollution of Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya: A case study for preliminary risk assessment
Authors: Calamari D. , Akech M. O. , Ochumba P. B. O. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractA preliminary risk assessment was undertaken on the Kenyan part of Lake Victoria to identify the major causes of degradation of water quality. Urban, industrial and agricultural loads were quantified and related to geographical and climatic conditions. A few analyses of persistent contaminants were carried out on fish. Monthly limnological investigations were conducted together with river water quality analyses. Phosphorus loads and consequent eutrophication were identified as the major causes of water quality degradation.
Macrobenthic fauna in Thale Sap Songkla, a brackish lake in southern Thailand
Authors: Angsupanich S. , Kuwabara R. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe macrobenthic fauna in Thale Sap Songkhla was investigated at 2–3 month intervals from October 1991 to October 1993. The abundance of the benthic fauna ranged from 53 to 9529 individuals m−2. The abundance and species composition were generally higher during the late southwest monsoon (October) than during the mid‐northeast monsoon (December). One hundred and twenty‐two species belonging to six phyla were found. Three major groups of macrobenthic fauna consisted of 44 species of Polychaeta (36%), 44 species of Crustacea (36%) and 28 species of Mollusca (28%). The other six species (5%) were minor groups belonging mainly to the Nematoda, Oligochaeta, Sipunculida and Pisces (fish larvae). The predominant polychaetes were Diopatra neapolitana and Heteromastus filiformis. Diopatra neapolitana was found only at two stations close to the sea (20–1440 individuals m−2), while H. filiformis was found at all stations (6‐2255 individuals m−2). Apseudes sp. 1 (Tanaidacea), Apanthura africana (Isopoda), Amphipoda (many species) and Eupogebia sp. (Anomura) were the main groups of Crustacea. The most abundant crustacean was Apseudes sp. 1., with a maximum density of 5726 individuals m−2. The dendrogram of Jaccard's coefficient shows two clusters of communities. An increase of polychaetes was observed in the second year of the study.
The application of ecological indicators to assess the ecological condition of a lake
Authors: Jørgensen Sven Erik 
Published: June 2006

AbstractApplication of ecological indicators to assess what is called ecosystem health and ecosystem integrity has gained an increasing interest. The idea is in short to find an index which will account for the most crucial properties of ecosystems. Exergy, the amount of potential work that the system possesses, structural exergy (exergy/biomass) and buffer capacities have, in this paper, been proposed as measures of ecosystem health. The applicability of using these three concepts in practical lake management was investigated in 15 case studies.
Schistosomiasis in the Weija Lake: A case study of the public health importance of man‐made lakes
Authors: Ampofo Joseph Addo , Zuta Prince Charles 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe Weija lake, located 17 km west of Accra, capital of Ghana, has a shoreline of 48 km. The creation of the Weija lake in 1979 by the Government of Ghana to supply piped water and to support irrigation and fisheries programmes has provided ideal conditions for disease transmission. A survey on schistosomiasis conducted in and around the lake from 1991 to 1992 showed prevalence rates ranging between 25 and 89.4%.Migration of disease‐infected fishermen and peasant farmers, flaws in resettlement programmes, changes in the flow rate of water, proliferation of water weeds and conditions favouring the growth and development of host snails were found to be responsible for the increasing incidence of schistosomiasis in the lake basin.
Long‐term effect of tourism on the recent upward trend of phosphorus in a shallow alpine lake, Japan
Authors: Yajima Kumikoa 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe trend of total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in May‐October of the tourist season was analyzed to examine the effect of more than 30 years of tourism on a shallow oligo‐mesotrophic lake, Lake Oze‐Numa. Annual mean TP concentrations increased rapidly at the rate of 11.6%/yr, from 7.5mg/m3 to 14.4 mg/m3 in 1982‐90, and a mesotrophic condition of 23.1 mg/m3 is predicted for the year 2000. TP concentrations at the end of the tourist season were higher than at the beginning due to autumn circulation of the bottom sediment, and correlated with the current year TP loadings from tourists. TP concentrations in May were the lowest for the season, and showed good correlation with previous year concentrations. The recent upward trend of phosphorus concentration was mainly brought about by long‐term tourism because 10% of the TP loading by tourists was estimated to accumulate annually in the water column. Phosphorus reduction measures should be taken urgently in such a shallow lake which now shows an accelerated rate of eutrophication.
Effect of selenium on the growth of some selected green and blue‐green algae
Authors: Abdel‐Hamid Mohammad I. , Skulberg Olav M. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractAn algal assay procedure using microplate technique was carried out to assess the effect of selenium on the growth of some green and blue‐green algae. Sodium selenite pentahydrate (Na2SeO3.5H2O) and selendioxide (Se2O4) were tested as selenium. The test algae were Selenastrum capricornutum, Scenedesmus obliquus, Chlorella sp., Monoraphidium convolutum, Monoraphidium contortum, Monoraphidium griffithii, Anabaena flos‐aquae, Micro‐cystis aeruginosa, and Oscillatoria agardhii. The blue‐green algae are toxin‐producing strains. Cell number and in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence were the growth parameters of green and blue‐green algae respectively. Dose‐response curves quantify the selenium toxicity in terms of EC50. The lowest selenium concentrations giving no detectable growth (EC100) were visually inspected. The test algae showed distinctly different responses to various selenium treatments. Selenium at concentrations < 0.1 mg L−1 stimulates, to varying degrees, the growth of all the green algae with one exception: S. capricornutum was dramatically inhibited at all treatments. O. agardhii, A. flos‐aquae and M. aeruginosa showed marginal growth stimulation up to 0.1 mg Se L−1, 1.0 mg Se L−1 and 3.2 mg Se L−1 respectively. In terms of EC50, the compound selendioxide was more toxic to greens than sodium selenite. The reverse was indicated for the blue‐greens. In general, the EC50 presented a wide range (0.08–7.2 mg Se L−1), with the lowest values reported for S. obliquus and the highest for M. aeruginosa. All the test algae, except S. obliquus, maintained observable growths at higher selenium levels (EC100>1.0<100mg Se L−1).