bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antipsychotic Drug Use and Risk of Pneumonia in Elderly People
Authors: Knol Wilma , Van Marum Rob J. , Jansen Paul A. F. , Souverein Patrick C. , Schobben Alfred F. A. M. , Egberts Antoine C. G. 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between antipsychotic drug use and risk of pneumonia in elderly people.DESIGN: A nested case‐control analysis.SETTING: Data were used from the PHARMO database, which collates information from community pharmacies and hospital discharge records.PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 22,944 elderly people with at least one antipsychotic prescription; 543 cases of hospital admission for pneumonia were identified. Cases were compared with four randomly selected controls matched on index date.MEASUREMENTS: Antipsychotic drug use in the year before the index date was classified as current, recent, or past use. No prescription for an antipsychotic in the year before the index date was classified as no use. The strength of the association between use of antipsychotics and the development of pneumonia was estimated using multivariate logistic regression analysis and expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).RESULTS: Current use of antipsychotics was associated with an almost 60% increase in the risk of pneumonia (adjusted OR=1.6, 95% CI=1.3–2.1). The risk was highest during the first week after initiation of an antipsychotic (adjusted OR=4.5, 95% CI=2.8–7.3). Similar associations were found after exclusion of elderly people with a diagnosis of delirium. Current users of atypical agents showed a higher risk of pneumonia (adjusted OR=3.1, 95% CI=1.9–5.1) than users of conventional agents (adjusted OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.2–1.9). There was no clear dose‐response relationship.CONCLUSION: Use of antipsychotics in elderly people is associated with greater risk of pneumonia. This risk is highest shortly after the initiation of treatment, with the greatest increase in risk found for atypical antipsychotics.
Forecasting Daily Patient Volumes in the Emergency Department
Authors: Jones Spencer S. , Thomas Alun , Evans R. Scott , Welch Shari J. , Haug Peter J. , Snow Gregory L. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground:  Shifts in the supply of and demand for emergency department (ED) resources make the efficient allocation of ED resources increasingly important. Forecasting is a vital activity that guides decision‐making in many areas of economic, industrial, and scientific planning, but has gained little traction in the health care industry. There are few studies that explore the use of forecasting methods to predict patient volumes in the ED.Objectives:  The goals of this study are to explore and evaluate the use of several statistical forecasting methods to predict daily ED patient volumes at three diverse hospital EDs and to compare the accuracy of these methods to the accuracy of a previously proposed forecasting method.Methods:  Daily patient arrivals at three hospital EDs were collected for the period January 1, 2005, through March 31, 2007. The authors evaluated the use of seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average, time series regression, exponential smoothing, and artificial neural network models to forecast daily patient volumes at each facility. Forecasts were made for horizons ranging from 1 to 30 days in advance. The forecast accuracy achieved by the various forecasting methods was compared to the forecast accuracy achieved when using a benchmark forecasting method already available in the emergency medicine literature.Results:  All time series methods considered in this analysis provided improved in‐sample model goodness of fit. However, postsample analysis revealed that time series regression models that augment linear regression models by accounting for serial autocorrelation offered only small improvements in terms of postsample forecast accuracy, relative to multiple linear regression models, while seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average, exponential smoothing, and artificial neural network forecasting models did not provide consistently accurate forecasts of daily ED volumes.Conclusions:  This study confirms the widely held belief that daily demand for ED services is characterized by seasonal and weekly patterns. The authors compared several time series forecasting methods to a benchmark multiple linear regression model. The results suggest that the existing methodology proposed in the literature, multiple linear regression based on calendar variables, is a reasonable approach to forecasting daily patient volumes in the ED. However, the authors conclude that regression‐based models that incorporate calendar variables, account for site‐specific special‐day effects, and allow for residual autocorrelation provide a more appropriate, informative, and consistently accurate approach to forecasting daily ED patient volumes.
Evaluation of Risk Score Algorithms for Detection of Chlamydial and Gonococcal Infections in an Emergency Department Setting
Authors: Al‐Tayyib Alia A. , Miller William C. , Rogers Susan M. , Leone Peter A. , Law Dionne C. Gesink , Ford Carol A. , Rothman Richard E. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractObjectives:  To develop and evaluate screening algorithms to predict current chlamydial and gonococcal infections in emergency department (ED) settings and assess their performance.Methods:  Between 2002 and 2005, adult patients aged 18 to 35 years attending an urban ED were screened for Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and completed a brief demographic and behavioral questionnaire. Using multiple unconditional logistic regressions, the authors developed four separate predictive models and applicable clinical risk scores to screen for infection. They developed models for females and males separately, for Ct and GC infections combined, and for Ct infection alone. The sensitivities and specificities of the clinical risk scores at different cutoffs were used to examine performance of the algorithms.Results:  Among 5,537 patients successfully screened for Ct and GC, the overall prevalence of infection was 9.6%. Age was the strongest predictor of infection. Adjusting for other predictors, the prevalence odds ratio (POR) was 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7 to 2.8) for Ct and GC combined and 2.9 (95% CI = 2.1 to 4.1) for Ct alone comparing females 25 years and younger to females older than 25 years. Among males, the association was stronger with an adjusted POR of 3.3 (95% CI = 2.3 to 4.7) for Ct and GC combined and 3.2 (95% CI = 2.1 to 4.7) for Ct infection alone.Conclusions:  If the decision to incorporate Ct and GC screening into routine ED care is made, age alone appears to be a sufficient screening criterion.
Revisiting the UDI and IIQ: proposed more stable models
Authors: Sheward Louisa , Hagen Suzanne , McFadyen Angus 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAssessing and reviewing a person’s incontinence status is an essential task for nurses. Two clinically‐useful and widely used scales which measure the symptoms and impact of incontinence are the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ). Short forms, more amenable for use in nursing assessments, have been derived from sub‐scales contained within the long forms. The aim of the research was to assess the suitability of the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ) sub‐scales and their short forms for use with a Scottish population. Study participants were 237 females with urinary incontinence from two Scottish regions. Principal Components Analysis, Best Subset Regression, Structural Equation Modelling and Cronbach’s alpha were used to assess reliability and stability. New scales and sub‐scales were generated and tested for goodness‐of‐fit on the Scottish data. Stability was assessed using test‐retest data from the same population. The same structure of sub‐scales previously reported did not emerge, although some overlap was apparent. Different short forms also emerged. Using more flexible modelling methods, sub‐scales with greater stability were developed for the UDI and IIQ. The resulting 11‐item UDI and 11‐item IIQ models had good internal consistency. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.829 and 0.898 respectively. The researchers conclude that internationally robust yet practical measures of incontinence are needed in nursing. Previous reports on the UDI and IIQ sub‐scales and short forms and their associated psychometric properties may not be relevant to populations different to those in which the instruments were developed. Further retrospective and prospective assessment is recommended.
Staging anorexia nervosa: conceptualizing illness severity
Authors: Maguire Sarah , Le Grange Daniel , Surgenor Lois , Marks Peta , Lacey Hubert , Touyz Stephen 
Published: February 2008

AbstractIn recent years, there has been increasing attention to the conceptualization of anorexia nervosa (AN) and its diagnostic criteria. While varying levels of severity within the illness category of AN have long been appreciated, neither a precise definition of severity nor an empirical examination of severity in AN has been undertaken. The aim of this article is to review the current state of knowledge on illness severity and to propose a theoretical model for the definition and conceptualization of severity in AN. AN is associated with significant medical morbidity which is related to the ‘severity’ of presentation on such markers as body mass index, eating and purging behaviours. The development of a functional staging system, based on symptom severity, is indicated for reasons similar to those cited by the cancer lobby. Improving case management and making appropriate treatment recommendations have been the primary purpose of staging in other fields, and might also apply to AN. Such a standardized staging system could potentially ease communication between treatment settings, and increase the specificity and comparability of research findings in the field of AN.
An aid to the dissection of a cyst in the floor of the mouth: a technical note
Authors: Bhatt V. , Whear N.M. , Shetty S. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe dissection of cysts in the floor of the mouth is technically difficult. The dissection of a thin‐walled large ranula invariably results in rupture and as a result subsequent dissection and removal of the cyst can be difficult. We describe a simple method to allow for easier dissection of the cyst following rupture, which reduces the risk of damage to adjacent structures.
Submandibular gland excision: a 16 year clinicopathological review of cases in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital
Authors: Adeyemo W.L. , Ajayi O.F. , Anunobi C.C. , Ogunlewe M.O. , Ladeinde A.L. , Omitola O.G. , Abdulkareem F.B. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAim:  This study presents a review of the clinicopathological features of excised submandibular glands over a 16 year period of time at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.Materials and methods:  A retrospective review of excised submandibular glands over a period of 16 years (January 1990 to December 2005) was conducted. Parameters studied included: age and gender of patients, symptoms and duration of symptoms and histologic diagnosis.Results:  A total of 47 patients had their submandibular gland excised during the period of the study. There were 28 men and 19 women (men :  women ratio of 1.5:1). Mean age [standard deviation (SD)] of patients at presentation was 40.5 ± 18.1 years (range, 13–84 years). There were 34 (72%) histologically diagnosed neoplasms and 13 (28%) non‐neoplastic pathologies. Patients with neoplastic pathologies were significantly older than those with non‐neoplastic pathologies (P = 0.004). The most common neoplasm was pleomorphic adenoma (35%), followed by adenocystic carcinoma (12%) and anaplastic carcinoma (12%). Chronic sialadenitis with or without sialolithiasis (85%) was the most common non‐neoplastic pathology.Conclusion:  The most common submandibular salivary gland pathology that necessitated surgical excision, in our institution, was neoplasia, predominately pleomorphic adenomas. The most common non‐neoplastic pathology was chronic sialadenitis with or without sialolithiasis.
Escherichia coli
Strains of Serotype O51:H40 Comprise Typical and Atypical Enteropathogenic
E. coli
Strains and Are Potentially Diarrheagenic
Authors: Moreira Fabiana C. , Vieira Mônica A. M. , Ferreira Antonio J. P. , Girão Dennys M. , Vaz Tânia M. I. , Rosa Ana Cláudia P. , Knobl Terezinha , Irino Kinue , Freymüller Edna , Gomes Tânia A. T. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

Escherichia coli
strains of serotype O51:H40 were studied with regard to the presence of several virulence properties and their genetic diversity and enteropathogenicity in rabbit ileal loops. This serotype encompasses potential enteropathogenic strains mostly classified as being atypical enteropathogenic
E. coli
(EPEC) strains, which are genetically closer to enterohemorrhagic
E. coli
than to typical EPEC strains.
Differential Mucoid Exopolysaccharide Production by Members of the
Burkholderia cepacia
Complex
Authors: Zlosnik James E. A. , Hird Trevor J. , Fraenkel Monica C. , Moreira Leonilde M. , Henry Deborah A. , Speert David P. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

We demonstrate that all nine species of the
Burkholderia cepacia
complex can express the mucoid phenotype. A survey of clinical isolates showed that strains of
B. cenocepacia
, the most virulent species of the complex, are most frequently nonmucoid. Additionally, isolates from patients with chronic infections can convert from mucoid to nonmucoid.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viremia Induces Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Activation In Vivo and Diminished Alpha Interferon Production In Vitro
Authors: Tilton John C. , Manion Maura M. , Luskin Marlise R. , Johnson Alison J. , Patamawenu Andy A. , Hallahan Claire W. , Cogliano-Shutta Nancy A. , Mican JoAnn M. , Davey Richard T. , Kottilil Shyam , Lifson Jeffrey D. , Metcalf Julia A. , Lempicki Richard A. , Connors Mark 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACTHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection has been associated with perturbations of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC), including diminished frequencies in the peripheral blood and reduced production of type I interferons (IFNs) in response to in vitro stimulation. However, recent data suggest a paradoxical increase in production of type 1 interferons in vivo in HIV-infected patients compared to uninfected controls. Using a flow cytometric assay to detect IFN-α-producing cells within unseparated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we observed that short-term interruptions of antiretroviral therapy are sufficient to result in significantly reduced IFN-α production by PDC in vitro in response to CpG A ligands or inactivated HIV particles. The primary cause of diminished IFN-α production was reduced responsiveness of PDC to de novo stimulation, not diminished per cell IFN-α production or migration of cells to lymphoid organs. Real-time PCR analysis of purified PDC from patients prior to and during treatment interruptions revealed that active HIV-1 replication is associated with upregulation of type I IFN-stimulated gene expression. Treatment of hepatitis C virus-infected patients with IFN-α2b and ribavirin for hepatitis C virus infection resulted in a profound suppression of de novo IFN-α production in response to CpG A or inactivated HIV particles, similar to the response observed in HIV-infected patients. Together, these results suggest that diminished production of type I interferons in vitro by PDC from HIV-1-infected patients may not represent diminished interferon production in vivo. Rather, diminished function in vitro is likely a consequence of prior activation via type I interferons or HIV virions in vivo.
ICAM-1 Participates in the Entry of West Nile Virus into the Central Nervous System
Authors: Dai Jianfeng , Wang Penghua , Bai Fengwei , Town Terrence , Fikrig Erol 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

Determining how West Nile virus crosses the blood-brain barrier is critical to understanding the pathogenesis of encephalitis. Here, we show that ICAM-1
−/−
mice are more resistant than control animals to lethal West Nile encephalitis. ICAM-1
−/−
mice have a lower viral load, reduced leukocyte infiltration, and diminished neuronal damage in the brain compared to control animals. This is associated with decreased blood-brain barrier leakage after viral infection. These data suggest that ICAM-1 plays an important role in West Nile virus neuroinvasion and that targeting ICAM-1 signaling may help control viral encephalitis.
The Western Arctic Linkage Experiment (WALE): Overview and Synthesis
Authors: McGuire A. D. , Walsh J. E. , Kimball J. S. , Clein J. S. , Euskirchen S. E. , Drobot S. , Herzfeld U. C. , Maslanik J. , Lammers R. B. , Rawlins M. A. , Vorosmarty C. J. , Rupp T. S. , Wu W. , Calef M. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
The primary goal of the Western Arctic Linkage Experiment (WALE) was to better understand uncertainties of simulated hydrologic and ecosystem dynamics of the western Arctic in the context of 1) uncertainties in the data available to drive the models and 2) different approaches to simulating regional hydrology and ecosystem dynamics. Analyses of datasets on climate available for driving hydrologic and ecosystem models within the western Arctic during the late twentieth century indicate that there are substantial differences among the mean states of datasets for temperature, precipitation, vapor pressure, and radiation variables. Among the studies that examined temporal trends among the alternative climate datasets, there is not much consensus on trends among the datasets. In contrast, monthly and interannual variations of some variables showed some correlation across the datasets. The application of hydrology models driven by alternative climate drivers revealed that the simulation of regional hydrology was sensitive to precipitation and water vapor differences among the driving datasets and that accurate simulation of regional water balance is limited by biases in the forcing data. Satellite-based analyses for the region indicate that vegetation productivity of the region increased during the last two decades of the twentieth century because of earlier spring thaw, and the temporal variability of vegetation productivity simulated by different models from 1980 to 2000 was generally consistent with estimates based on the satellite record for applications driven with alternative climate datasets. However, the magnitude of the fluxes differed by as much as a factor of 2.5 among applications driven with different climate data, and spatial patterns of temporal trends in carbon dynamics were quite different among simulations. Finally, the study identified that the simulation of fire by ecosystem models is particularly sensitive to alternative climate datasets, with little or no fire simulated for some datasets. The results of WALE identify the importance of conducting retrospective analyses prior to coupling hydrology and ecosystem models with climate system models. For applications of hydrology and ecosystem models driven by projections of future climate, the authors recommend a coupling strategy in which future changes from climate model simulations are superimposed on the present mean climate of the most reliable datasets of historical climate.
On the Assessment of Nonlocal Climate Feedback. Part II: EFA-SVD and Optimal Feedback Modes*
Authors: Liu Zhengyu , Wen Na 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
The equilibrium feedback assessment (EFA) is combined with the singular value decomposition (SVD) to assess the large-scale feedback modes from a lower boundary variability field onto an atmospheric field. The leading EFA-SVD modes are the optimal feedback modes, with the lower boundary forcing patterns corresponding to those that generate the largest atmospheric responses, and therefore provide upper bounds of the feedback response. The application of EFA-SVD to an idealized coupled ocean–atmosphere model demonstrates that EFA-SVD is able to extract the leading feedback modes successfully. Furthermore, these large-scale modes are the least sensitive to sampling errors among all the feedback processes and therefore are the most robust for statistical estimation. The EFA-SVD is then applied to the observed North Atlantic ocean–atmosphere system for the assessment of the sea surface temperature (SST) feedback on the surface heat flux and the geopotential height, respectively. The dominant local negative feedback of SST on heat flux is confirmed, with an upper bound of about 40 W m−2 K−1 for basin-scale anomalies. The SST also seems to exert a strong feedback on the atmospheric geopotential height: the optimal SST forcing has a dipole pattern that generates an optimal response of a North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) pattern, with an upper bound of about 70 m K−1 at 500 hPa. Further issues on the EFA-SVD analysis are also discussed.
The Influence of Storm Size on Hurricane Surge
Authors: Irish Jennifer L. , Resio Donald T. , Ratcliff Jay J. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
Over the last quarter-century, hurricane surge has been assumed to be primarily a function of maximum storm wind speed, as might be estimated from the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale. However, Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that wind speed alone cannot reliably describe surge. Herein it is shown that storm size plays an important role in surge generation, particularly for very intense storms making landfall in mildly sloping regions. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, analysis of the historical hurricane record evidenced no clear correlation between surge and storm size, and consequently little attention was given to the role of size in surge generation. In contrast, it is found herein that, for a given intensity, surge varies by as much as 30% over a reasonable range of storm sizes. These findings demonstrate that storm size must be considered when estimating surge, particularly when predicting socioeconomic and flood risk.
Autologous bone marrow transplantation in autoimmune arthritis restores immune homeostasis through CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells
Authors: Roord Sarah T. A. , de Jager Wilco , Boon Louis , Wulffraat Nico , Martens Anton , Prakken Berent , van Wijk Femke 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
Despite the earlier use of potent immunosuppressive or cytostatic drugs and the recent emergence of biologicals as treatment for human autoimmune diseases (AIDs), some patients still remain unresponsive to treatment. To those severely ill patients, autologous bone marrow transplantation (aBMT) is applied as a last resource, leading to disease remission in a majority of patients. The underlying mechanism of action of aBMT is still largely unknown. Here, we showed that regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a role in the natural disease course of proteoglycan-induced arthritis (PGIA) and in disease remission by aBMT. aBMT led to an initial phase of rapid disease improvement corresponding with a relative increase in CD4+CD25+ T cells. At this time, the CD4+CD25+ cells did not yet show an increase in Foxp3 expression and showed less potent suppression. After this initial improvement, disease relapsed but stabilized at a level below the severity before aBMT. This second phase was actively regulated by potently suppressive CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs. This work provided further insight into the role of Tregs in restoration of the immune balance by aBMT and can open the way to explore therapeutic interventions to further improve treatment of AID and disease relapses.