bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Carvedilol reduces exercise‐induced hyperventilation: A benefit in normoxia and a problem with hypoxia
Authors: Agostoni Piergiuseppe , Contini Mauro , Magini Alessandra , Apostolo Anna , Cattadori Gaia , Bussotti Maurizio , Veglia Fabrizio , Andreini Daniele , Palermo Pietro 
Published: March 2006

AbstractAims:To evaluate whether carvedilol influences exercise hyperventilation and the ventilatory response to hypoxia in heart failure (HF).Methods and results:Fifteen HF patients participated to this double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, cross‐over study. Patients were evaluated by quality of life questionnaire, echocardiography, pulmonary function and cardiopulmonary exercise tests (ramp and constant workload) both in normoxia (FiO2=21%) and hypoxia (FiO2=16%, equivalent to a simulated altitude of 2000m). Carvedilol improved clinical condition and reduced left ventricle size, but had no effect on lung mechanics. In normoxia during exercise, ventilation was lower, VCO2 unchanged and PaCO2 (constant workload) or PetCO2 (ramp) higher with carvedilol, exercise capacity was unchanged (peak workload 92±22 and 90±22W for placebo and carvedilol, respectively). Abnormal VE/VCO2 slope was reduced by carvedilol. Hypoxia increased ventilation but less with carvedilol; exercise capacity decreased to 87±21W (placebo) and to 80±11W (carvedilol, p<0.01). With hypoxia, carvedilol decreased VE/VCO2 slope. At constant workload exercise with hypoxia, PaO2 decreased to 69±6 mm Hg (placebo) and to 64±5 (carvedilol, p<0.01).Conclusion:Carvedilol reduced hyperventilation possibly by reducing peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity as suggested by PaCO2 increase with normoxia and PaO2 decrease with hypoxia without VCO2 and VD/VT changes. Lessening hyperventilation is beneficial when breathing normally, but detrimental when hyperventilation is needed for exercise at high altitude.
Impact of obesity on quality of life and depression in patients with heart failure
Authors: Evangelista Lorraine S. , Moser Debra K. , Westlake Cheryl , Hamilton Michele A. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Dracup Kathleen 
Published: March 2006

AbstractBackground:The effect of obesity on health related quality of life (HRQOL) and depression in a number of disease states is well documented, but its impact in heart failure (HF) patients remains speculative. We therefore examined the relationship between obesity, HRQOL, and depression in 358 patients with HF.Methods and results:Comparative analyses were conducted to determine if body mass index (BMI) was associated with HRQOL and depression in three groups of patients with HF—normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, n=100), overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2, n=141), and obese (BMI ≤ kg/m2, n=117). Obese patients were younger than normal and overweight participants; all other demographic and clinical characteristics were similar. HRQOL and depression scores were significantly higher (worse) for obese patients. Body mass index was significantly correlated with all 3 scales of HRQOL (overall, r2=.160; physical, r2=.162; and mental, r2=.217) as well as with depression (r2=.166).Conclusion:Obese patients with HF are more likely to have poorer HRQOL, physical health, emotional well‐being and depressive symptoms. Poorer HRQOL is predictive of worse outcomes in patients with HF; however, given the apparent obesity paradox in HF, further investigation of the impact of obesity in HF is urgently required.
A longitudinal study of PTSD in a sample of adult mass-evacuated Kosovars, some of whom returned to their home country
Authors: Roth Göran , Ekblad Solvig , Ågren Hans 
Published: March 2006

AbstractPTSD among a sample of mass-evacuated adults from Kosovo was studied using a prospective design with a baseline study and follow-ups at 3 and 6 months in Sweden, and with an additional follow-up after 1.5 years in both Sweden and Kosovo. Trauma events and PTSD-related symptoms were measured by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). At the additional follow-up after 1.5 years the same measure (HTQ) was used as well as clinical diagnostic interviews with the SCID instrument and measurement of saliva cortisol levels. Thirty-seven percent had PTSD-related symptoms at baseline. Morbidity increased at the three follow-ups. About 80% of the participants had PTSD at the additional follow-up after 1.5 years. The HTQ results were confirmed by clinical diagnoses and the participants diagnosed with PTSD also had low saliva cortisol levels. The results are discussed in terms of trauma, time needed to develop PTSD, post-migration stress and selection mechanisms.
Switching to amisulpride monotherapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia
Authors: Kontaxakis V.P. , Havaki-Kontaxaki B.J. , Ferentinos P.P. , Paplos K.G. , Soldatos C.R. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess switching to amisulpride (AMS) in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Seven male subjects were switched to AMS and followed for 8 weeks. PANSS scores improved from 123 to 66 over this period. We conclude that AMS is of interest in the treatment of refractory schizophrenia.
Risk of Hospital-Acquired Legionnaires' Disease in Cities Using Monochloramine Versus Other Water Disinfectants
Authors: Heffelfinger James D. , Kool Jacob L. , Fridkin Scott , Fraser Victoria J. , Hageman Jeffrey , Carpenter Joseph , Whitney Cynthia G. ,   Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjective:To measure the association between the disinfection of municipal drinking water with monochloramine and the occurrence of hospital-acquired legionnaires' disease (LD).Setting:One hundred sixty-six U.S. hospitals.Design:Survey of 459 members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) for hospital features; endemic- and outbreak-related, hospital-acquired LD; the source of the hospital water supply; and the methods of disinfection used by the hospitals and municipal water treatment plants.Results:SHEA members representing 166 (36%) of 459 hospitals responded; 33 (20%) reported one or more episodes of hospital-acquired LD during the period from 1994 to 1998 and 23 (14%) reported an outbreak of hospital-acquired LD during the period from 1989 to 1998. Hospitals with an occurrence of hospital-acquired LD had a higher census (median, 319 vs 221;P= .03), more acute care beds (median, 500 vs 376;P= .04), and more intensive care unit beds (median, 42 vs 24;P= .009) than did other hospitals. They were also more likely to have a transplant service (74% vs 42%;P= .001) and to perform surveillance for hospital-acquired disease (92% vs 61%;P= .001). After adjustment for the presence of a transplant program and surveillance for legionnaires' disease, hospitals supplied with drinking water disinfected with monochloramine by municipal plants were less likely to have sporadic cases or outbreaks of hospital-acquired LD (odds ratio, 0.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.07 to 0.56) than were other hospitals.Conclusion:Water disinfection with monochloramine by municipal water treatment plants significantly reduces the risk of hospital-acquired LD.
Surveillance for Hospital-Acquired Infections on Surgical Wards in a Dutch University Hospital
Authors: Kamp-Hopmans Titia E. M. , Blok Hetty E. M. , Troelstra Annet , Gigengack-Baars Ada C. M. , Weersink Annemarie J. L. , Vandenbroucke-Grauls Christina M. J. E. , Verhoef Jan , Mascini Ellen M. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjectives:To determine incidence rates of hospital-acquired infections and to develop preventive measures to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.Methods:Prospective surveillance for hospital-acquired infections was performed during a 5-year period in the wards housing general and vascular, thoracic, orthopedic, and general gynecologic and gynecologic-oncologic surgery of the University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. Data were collected from patients with and without infections, using criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Results:The infection control team recorded 648 hospital-acquired infections affecting 550 (14%) of 3,845 patients. The incidence density was 17.8 per 1,000 patient-days. Patients with hospital-acquired infections were hospitalized for 19.8 days versus 7.7 days for patients without hospital-acquired infections.Prolongation of stay among patients with hospital-acquired infections may have resulted in 664 fewer admissions due to unavailable beds. Different specialties were associated with different infection rates at different sites, requiring a tailor-made approach. Interventions were recommended for respiratory tract infections in the thoracic surgery ward and for surgical-site infections in the orthopedic and gynecologic surgery wards.Conclusions:Surveillance in four surgical wards showed that each had its own prominent infection, risk factors, and indications for specific recommendations. Because prospective surveillance requires extensive resources, we considered a modified approach based on a half-yearly point-prevalence survey of hospital-acquired infections in all wards of our hospital. Such surveillance can be extended with procedure-specific prospective surveillance when indicated.
Surgical-Site Infection Following Spinal Fusion: A Case-Control Study in a Children's Hospital
Authors: Labbé Annie-Claude , Demers Anne-Marie , Rodrigues Ramona , Arlet Vincent , Tanguay Kim , Moore Dorothy L. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjectives:To determine the rates of surgical-site infections (SSIs) after spinal surgery and to identify the risk factors associated with infection.Design:SSIs had been identified by active prospective surveillance. A case-control study to identify risk factors was performed retrospectively.Setting:University-associated, tertiary-care pediatric hospital.Patients:All patients who underwent spinal surgery between 1994 and 1998. Cases were all patients who developed an SSI after spinal surgery. Controls were patients who did not develop an SSI, matched with the cases for the presence or absence of myelodysplasia and for the surgery date closest to that of the case.Results:There were 10 infections following 125 posterior spinal fusions, 4 infections after 50 combined anterior-posterior fusions, and none after 95 other operations. The infection rate was higher in patients with myelodysplasia (32 per 100 operations) than in other patients (3.4 per 100 operations; relative risk = 9.45;P< .001). Gram-negative organisms were more common in early infections andStaphylococcus aureusin later infections. Most infections occurred in fusion involving sacral vertebrae (odds ratio [OR] = 12.0;P= .019). Antibiotic prophylaxis was more frequently suboptimal in cases than in controls (OR = 5.5;P= .034). Five patients required removal of instrumentation and 4 others required surgical debridement.Conclusions:Patients with myelodysplasia are at a higher risk for SSIs after spinal fusion. Optimal antibiotic prophylaxis may reduce the risk of infection, especially in high-risk patients such as those with myelodysplasia or those undergoing fusion involving the sacral area.
Low Frequency of Fires From Alcohol-Based Hand Rub Dispensers in Healthcare Facilities
Authors: Boyce John M. , Pearson Michele L. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractWe administered a web-based questionnaire to SHEA, APIC, and EIN members to assess the frequency of fires associated with alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) dispensers in healthcare settings. None of the 798 responding facilities using ABHRs reported a dispenser-related fire; 766 facilities had accrued an estimated 1,430 hospital-years of ABHR use.
Rethinking Sterilization Practices: Evidence for Event-Related Outdating
Authors: Webster Joan , Lloyd Wendy , Ho Ping , Burridge Christine , George Narelle 
Published: March 2006

AbstractA prospective study was conducted during a 2-year period to evaluate the effectiveness of event-related outdating. Hospital-prepared sterilized items (n = 152) were shelved in wards and every 3 months, several articles were retrieved and microbiologically tested. During the 2-year period, all of the items tested were sterile.
Use of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis in Infection Control Issues ConcerningBurkholderia cepacia
Authors: Jenney Adam , Liolios Lisa , Spelman Denis , Russo Philip , Wilson John , Wesselingh Steven , Kotsimbos Tom 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThere was concern that nosocomial person-to-person transmission ofBurkholderia cepaciahad occurred when two patients with cystic fibrosis shared a bathroom. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the two isolates were unrelated. Subsequent testing of 34 stored isolates ofB. cepaciademonstrated that no particular clone predominated in our hospital.
Prediction Model to Identify Patients WithStaphylococcus aureusBacteremia at Risk for Methicillin Resistance
Authors: Lodise Thomas P. , McKinnon Peggy S. , Rybak Michael 
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjectives:To identify institution-specific risk factors for MRSA bacteremia and develop an objective mechanism to estimate the probability of methicillin resistance in a given patient withStaphylococcus aureusbacteremia (SAB).Design:A cohort study was performed to identify institution-specific risk factors for MRSA. Logistic regression was used to model the likelihood of MRSA A stepwise approach was employed to derive a parsimonious model. The MRSA prediction tool was developed from the final model.Setting:A 279-bed, level 1 trauma center.Patients:Between January 1, 1999, and June 30, 2001, 494 patients with clinically significant episodes of SAB were identified.Results:The MRSA rate was 45.5%. Of 18 characteristics included in the logistic regression, the only independent features for MRSA were prior antibiotic exposure (OR, 9.2; CI95, 4.8 to 17.9), hospital onset (OR, 3.0; CI95, 1.9 to 4.9), history of hospitalization (OR, 2.5; CI95, 1.5 to 3.8), and presence of decubitus ulcers (OR, 2.5; CI95, 1.2 to 4.9). The prediction tool was derived from the final model, which was shown to accurately reflect the actual MRSA distribution in the cohort.Conclusion:Through multivariate modeling techniques, we were able to identify the most important determinants of MRSA at our institution and develop a tool to predict the probability of methicillin resistance in a patient with SAB. This knowledge can be used to guide empiric antibiotic selection. In the era of antibiotic resistance, such tools are essential to prevent indiscriminate antibiotic use and preserve the longevity of current antimicrobials.
Duration of Empiric Antibiotics for Suspected Early-Onset Sepsis in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants
Authors: Cordero Leandro , Ayers Leona W. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjectives:To study multicenter antibiotic practices for suspected early-onset sepsis (EOS) with negative blood cultures (NegBCs) and to identify opportunities for reduction of antimicrobial exposure.Design:Retrospective study.Setting:Thirty academic hospitals (University HealthSystem Consortium) located in 24 states.Methods:Data were from a survey of 790 extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Total antibiotic exposures (antibiotic-days per patient) were calculated.Results:On admission to the NICU, 94% of 790 ELBW infants had BCs performed and empiric antibiotics initiated. When PosBC and NegBC infants were compared, 47 patients with PosBCs were similar to 695 with NegBCs in birth weight, gestational age (GA), and mortality. Patients with suspected EOS but NegBCs given ampicillin/aminoglycosides were grouped by length of administration and GA. For GA of 26 weeks or younger, 170 infants given a short (≤ 3 days) and 157 given a long (≥ 7 days) course were similar regarding birth weight, mortality, antepartum history, and CRIB scores, but were different (P < .01) in number receiving a third antimicrobial (3% and 17%) and antibiotic-days (23 and 38). For GA of 27 weeks or older, 113 infants given a short and 77 given a long course differed (P < .01) in number receiving a third antimicrobial (2% and 23%) and antibiotic-days (19 and 30).Conclusions:Most suspected EOS infants with NegBCs are given antibiotics, but no antepartum historical risk factors or neonatal clinical signs explained prolonged administration. Discontinuing empiric antibiotics when BCs are negative in asymptomatic ELBW infants can reduce antimicrobial exposure without compromising clinical outcome.
Outcomes Associated With Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Salgado Cassandra D. , Farr Barry M. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractBackground:Because patients with vancomycin-resistantEnterococcusbacteremia (VREB) usually have a higher severity of illness, it has been unclear whether VREB is worse than vancomycin-susceptibleEnterococcusbacteremia (VSEB).Methods:Data on morbidity and case fatality rates and costs were pooled from studies comparing VREB and VSEB, identified by Medline (January 1986 to April 2002) and meeting abstracts. Heterogeneity across studies was assessed with contingency table chi-square. Multivariate analyses (MVAs) controlling for other predictors were evaluated.Results:Thirteen studies compared case-fatality rates of VREB and VSEB. VREB case fatality was significantly higher (48.9% vs 19%; RR, 2.57; CI95, 2.27 to 2.91; attributable mortality = 30%). Five studies compared VREB with VSEB when bacteremia was the direct cause of death; VREB case fatality was significantly higher (39.1% vs 21.8%; RR, 1.79; CI95, 1.28 to 2.5; attributable mortality = 17%). Four MVAs found significant increases in case-fatality rates (OR 2.10 to 4.0), 3 showed trends toward increase (OR, 1.74 to 3.34 with wide confidence intervals), and 3 with low statistical power found no difference. VREB recurred in 16.9% versus 3.7% with VSEB (P< .0001). Three studies reported significant increases in LOS, costs, or both with VREB.Conclusion:Most studies have had inadequate sample size, inadequate adjustment for other predictors of adverse outcomes, or both, but available data suggest that VREB is associated with higher recurrence, mortality, and excess costs than VSEB including multiple studies adjusting for severity of illness.
A triangulation of 𝐺𝐿(𝑛,𝐹)
Authors: Tupan Alexandru 
Published: March 2006

Let

F
F

be a non-Archimedian field. We prove that each open and compact subset of

G
L

n

(
F
)

\mathrm {GL}_n(F)

can be decomposed into finitely many open, compact, and self-conjugate subsets. As a corollary, we obtain a short, elementary proof of a well-known theorem of I.M. Gelfand and D.A. Kazhdan.
Unravelling the multi‐stage burial history of the Swiss Molasse Basin: integration of apatite fission track, vitrinite reflectance and biomarker isomerisation analysis
Authors: Mazurek Martin , Hurford Anthony J. , Leu Werner 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTA complex basin evolution was studied using various methods, including thermal constraints based on apatite fission‐track (AFT) analysis, vitrinite reflectance (VR) and biomarker isomerisation, in addition to a detailed analysis of the regional stratigraphic record and of the lithological properties. The study indicates that (1) given the substantial amount of data, the distinction and characterisation of successive stages of heating and burial in the same area are feasible, and (2) the three thermal indicators (AFT, VR and biomarkers) yield internally consistent thermal histories, which supports the validity of the underlying kinetic algorithms and their applicability to natural basins. All data pertaining to burial and thermal evolution were integrated in a basin model, which provides constraints on the thickness of eroded sections and on heat flow over geologic time.Three stages of basin evolution occurred in northern Switzerland. The Permo‐Carboniferous strike–slip basin was characterised by high geothermal gradients (80–100°C km−1) and maximum temperature up to 160°C. After the erosion of a few hundreds of metres in the Permian, the post‐orogenic, epicontinental Mesozoic basin developed in Central Europe, with subsidence triggered by several stages of rifting. Geothermal gradients in northern Switzerland during Cretaceous burial were relatively high (35–40°C km−1), and maximum temperature typically reached 75°C (top middle Jurassic) to 100°C (base Mesozoic). At least in the early Cretaceous, a stage of increased heat flow is needed to explain the observed maturity level. After erosion of 600–700 m of Cretaceous and late Jurassic strata during the Paleocene, the wedge‐shaped Molasse Foreland Basin developed. Geothermal gradients were low at this time (≤20°C km−1). Maximum temperature of Miocene burial exceeded that of Cretaceous burial in proximal parts (<35 km from the Alpine front), but was lower in more distal parts (>45 km). Thus, maximum temperature as well as maximum burial depth ever reached in Mesozoic strata occurred at different times in different regions. Since the Miocene, 750–1050 m were eroded, a process that still continues in the proximal parts of the basin. Current average geothermal gradients in the uppermost 2500 m are elevated (32–47°C km−1). They are due to a Quaternary increase of heat flow, most probably triggered by limited advective heat transport along Paleozoic faults in the crystalline basement.
Association between non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and haplotypes in the TNF region
Authors: Spink Charlotte F. , Keen Leigh J. , Mensah Fiona K. , Law Graham R. , Bidwell Jeff L. , Morgan Gareth J. 
Published: March 2006

SummaryThe cytokines tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) and lymphotoxin‐α (LTα) are known to play key roles in B‐cell growth, differentiation and maturation. Genetic polymorphism within regulatory regions of these cytokine genes can alter expression levels and may be important in development of lymphoid malignancy. This study investigates a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellite variants present within these genes in a large cohort of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cases including 211 cases of follicular lymphoma (FL) and 281 cases of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and 478 unaffected controls. The study investigated whether particular alleles at these loci, or their combination across the TNF region in the form of haplotypes, may act as markers for predisposition and development of NHL. The study provided evidence for an influence of the TNF region in the susceptibility to NHL, whereby the loci −863, −857, TNFe and TNFd categorised five haplotype groups over which risk of both FL and DLBCL varied significantly. Prediction of disease risk was improved by the addition of loci to the haplotype, demonstrating the importance of considering the haplotype‐specific context of the loci in genetic risk assessment.
William Hewson (1739–74): the father of haematology
Authors: Doyle Derek 
Published: March 2006

SummaryWilliam Hewson has been called the father of haematology. Initially working alongside the Hunter brothers in London in the mid‐18th century, he advanced our knowledge of red and white cells (but mistakenly thought some red cells started as white cells and could not recognise different varieties of white corpuscles), showed that it was fibrinogen and not the cells that led to coagulation, greatly advanced our knowledge of the lymphatic system in humans, fishes and amphibians, explored the functions of the thymus and spleen and, investigated pneumothorax and surgical emphysema. His life, cut short at 35 years, was often intertwined with those of the Hunters, Alexander Monro secundus and Benjamin Franklin. This paper reviews his work, his relationships and his impact on a nascent science.