bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distributed team design in small- and medium-sized enterprises: How to get it right
Authors: Thomson Avril , Stone Angela , Ion William 
Published: August 2007

AbstractReadily available and affordable technologies such as the Internet, groupware, and Web conferencing mean that sharing information and data within teams is simple and affordable. However, many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to implement or perform distributed collaborative design effectively or even at all. As part of the extended design team of large multinational companies it is not uncommon for SMEs to have collaborative working tools and practice imposed on them to meet the requirements of the multinational. However, many SMEs need to develop their own working practices to support effective, collaborative team design within their own organization or their extended design team. Through a series of case studies, this paper describes how a typical SME achieved successful distributed team design within their organization. A “strategy for effective distributed team design” encompassing the processes, methods, and tools developed and implemented within the company to achieve this success, is presented. In total, four live case studies, spanning a 2-year period, are described; two initial studies focus on current distributed design team practice clearly highlighting issues and areas for improvement, leading to the development of processes, methods, and tools to support distributed collaborative team design. A strategy for effective distributed team design encapsulating these processes methods and tools is presented together with its evaluation through two further live industrial case studies. The case studies themselves, together with the processes, methods, and tools developed by this company, could be adopted by other SMEs directly to achieve the same success. Generic and transferable findings drawn from this study aimed at helping others achieve this success form the conclusion of the paper.
Agents for multidisciplinary design in virtual worlds
Authors: Maher Mary Lou , Rosenman Michael , Merrick Kathryn 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAgent models provide a generalized approach to the design of systems that autonomously monitor and affect an environment. Societies of agents that reason and communicate about an environment can achieve complex emergent behavior to facilitate and augment human activities. This paper introduces artificial agent technologies as a means by which the behavioral complexity of virtual worlds can be extended to provide the functionality needed to support collaboration in multidisciplinary design teams. Three key roles are identified that artificial agents can play to provide this functionality: support for multiple views of designed objects, support for the expression of relationships between designed objects, and compatibility with existing design tools. The implementation of a society of agents fulfilling these roles within a virtual world based, multidisciplinary design tool called DesignWorld is described. The increased behavioral complexity and functionality of DesignWorld's underlying virtual world is demonstrated using the results of multidisciplinary design experiments with DesignWorld.
A congenital fistula between the descending aorta and the right pulmonary vein in a neonate presenting with heart failure
Authors: Shebani Suhair O. , Khan Mohammad D. , Tofeig Magdi A. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractWe report a large congenital fistula connecting the descending thoracic aorta to the right upper pulmonary vein in a newborn baby presenting on the seventh day of life with cardiac failure and a continuous murmur heard posteriorly. The fistula was detected echocardiographically, and shown at cardiac catheterisation not to be suitable for percutaneous occlusion. The anatomy of the fistula was confirmed at surgery, when it was ligated successfully.
Linear tabling strategies and optimizations
Authors: ZHOU NENG-FA , SATO TAISUKE , SHEN YI-DONG 
Published: August 2007

AbstractRecently there has been a growing interest in research in tabling in the logic programming community because of its usefulness in a variety of application domains including program analysis, parsing, deductive databases, theorem proving, model checking, and logic-based probabilistic learning. The main idea of tabling is to memorize the answers to some subgoals and use the answers to resolve subsequent variant subgoals. Early resolution mechanisms proposed for tabling such as OLDT and SLG rely on suspension and resumption of subgoals to compute fixpoints. Recently, the iterative approach named linear tabling has received considerable attention because of its simplicity, ease of implementation, and good space efficiency. Linear tabling is a framework from which different methods can be derived on the basis of the strategies used in handling looping subgoals. One decision concerns when answers are consumed and returned. This article describes two strategies, namely,lazyandeagerstrategies, and compares them both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicate that, while the lazy strategy has good locality and is well suited for finding all solutions, the eager strategy is comparable in speed with the lazy strategy and is well suited for programs with cuts. Linear tabling relies on depth-first iterative deepening rather than suspension to compute fixpoints. Each cluster of interdependent subgoals as represented by a topmost looping subgoal is iteratively evaluated until no subgoal in it can produce any new answers. Naive re-evaluation of all looping subgoals, albeit simple, may be computationally unacceptable. In this article, we also introduce semi-naive optimization, an effective technique employed in bottom-up evaluation of logic programs to avoid redundant joins of answers, into linear tabling. We give the conditions for the technique to be safe (i.e., sound and complete) and propose an optimization technique calledearly answer promotionto enhance its effectiveness. Benchmarking in B-Prolog demonstrates that with this optimization linear tabling compares favorably well in speed with the state-of-the-art implementation of SLG.
Inhibition of the cellular uptake of anandamide by genistein and its analogue daidzein in cells with different levels of fatty acid amide hydrolase‐driven uptake
Authors: Thors L , Eriksson J , Fowler C J 
Published: August 2007

Background and purpose:Genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to block caveolae dependent endocytosis, reduces the cellular uptake of anandamide in RBL2H3 basophilic leukaemia cells. However, genistein is also a competitive inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase, the enzyme responsible for anandamide hydrolysis. Here we have investigated whether inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase rather than inhibition of endocytosis is the primary determinant of genistein actions upon anandamide uptake.Experimental approach:Cellular uptake of anandamide, labelled in the arachidonoyl part of the molecule was assessed in four different cell lines using a standard method. Fatty acid amide hydrolase activity in homogenates and intact cells was measured using anandamide labelled in the ethanolamine part of the molecule.Key results:The fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597 inhibited anandamide uptake into RBL2H3 cells and R3327 AT‐1 prostate cancer cells, but not into 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes or PC‐3 prostate cancer cells. An identical pattern was seen with genistein. The related compound daidzein inhibited anandamide hydrolysis in homogenates and intact cells, and reduced its uptake into RBL2H3 and R3327 AT‐1, but not PC‐3 cells. Anandamide hydrolysis by cell homogenates was in the order RBL2H3 > R3327 AT‐1 > PC‐3 ≈3T3‐L1.Conclusions and implications:The ability of genistein to inhibit anandamide uptake is mimicked by daidzein (which does not affect tyrosine kinase), and is only seen in cells that show sensitivity to URB597. This indicates that blockade of fatty acid amide hydrolase is the primary determinant of the effects of genistein on cellular anandamide uptake.British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)152, 744–750; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707401; published online 6 August 2007
Molecular Epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi Based on traA, vapA, and vapB Virulence Plasmid Markers
Authors: Ocampo-Sosa Alain A , Lewis Deborah A , Navas Jesús , Quigley Frances , Callejo Raquel , Scortti Mariela , Leadon Desmond P , Fogarty Ursula , Vázquez-Boland José A 
Published: August 2007

AbstractMolecular typing of the actinomycete Rhodococcus equi is insufficiently developed, and little is known about the epidemiology and transmission of this multihost pathogen. We report a simple, reliable polymerase chain reaction typing system for R. equi based on 3 plasmid gene markers: traA from the conserved conjugal transfer machinery and vapA and vapB, found in 2 different plasmid subpopulations. This “TRAVAP” typing scheme classifies R. equi into 4 categories: traA+/vapA+B−, traA+/vapA−B+, traA+/vapAB−, and traA−/vapAB− (plasmidless). A TRAVAP survey of 215 R. equi strains confirmed the strong link between vapA (traA+/vapA+B− plasmids) and horse isolates and revealed other host-related plasmid associations: between traA+/vapA−B+ and pigs and between traA+/vapAB−—a new type of R. equi plasmid—and cattle. Plasmidless strains were more frequent among isolates from nonpathological specimens. All plasmid categories were common in human isolates, which possibly reflects the predominantly opportunistic nature of R. equi infection in this host and a zoonotic origin.
Infants who drink cows milk: A cohort study
Authors: Binns Colin W , Graham Kathleen I , Scott Jane A , Oddy Wendy H 
Published: August 2007

Aim:  The aim of this study was to document current practice in an Australia city regarding the introduction of whole cows milk to children under the age of 12 months.Methods:  A cohort study of mothers and infants, recruited at birth was undertaken in Perth, Australia. A total of 587 mothers were interviewed on seven occasions over a period of 12 months using a structured questionnaire. At each interview infant feeding methods were recorded in detail. At 12 months 453 mothers (78%) remained in the study.Results:  In this study the median age of introduction of cows milk was 41.5 weeks, a behaviour that has not changed in the past 8 years. Infants who were given solids earlier than 4 months were more likely to be introduced to cows milk before 12 months (odds ratio (OR) 2.06, confidence interval (CI) 1.4–3.1). Mothers who had a lower score on the IOWA Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale were more likely to give cows milk earlier (OR 1.83, CI 1.21–1.77). Where fathers did not support breastfeeding or were ambivalent infants were more likely to be given cows milk (OR 1.70, CI 1.23–2.58)Conclusions:  Despite recommendations that cows milk should not be given before 12 months of age, the majority of infants were given cows milk before this age. This suggests the need for further education programs.
Outcome and hospital cost for infants weighing less than 500 grams: A tertiary centre experience in Taiwan
Authors: Hsieh Wu‐Shiun , Jeng Suh‐Fang , Hung Yi‐Li , Chen Pau‐Chung , Chou Hung‐Chieh , Tsao Po‐Nien 
Published: August 2007

Aim:  To determine the outcome and hospital cost for infants weighing ≤500 g at a tertiary centre in Taiwan.Methods:  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of infants who were born alive with birthweight ≤500 g at the National Taiwan University Hospital from 1997 to 2004. Their outcome and hospital cost were analysed.Results:  A total of 168 infants were included for analysis that 146 of them died after compassionate care in the delivery room and 22 received postnatal resuscitation. The infants who received resuscitation were more likely to have higher birthweights, older gestational ages and multiple births compared with those who received compassionate care. After resuscitation, five of the infants died and 17 were admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for further management. Subsequently, 12 infants died and five infants survived to discharge. Two infants were discharged against advice and died within days. After exclusion of those receiving compassionate care, the NICU survival rate was 22.7% and the long‐term survival rate was 13.6%. The most common early morbidities were respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular haemorrhage and patent ductus arteriosus, whereas the late morbidities included cholestatic jaundice, retinopathy of prematurity and chronic lung disease. The average total hospital costs for the NICU survivors with birthweight ≤500 g was US$ 42 411 and the average hospital cost per day was US$ 350.Conclusion:  Exclusive compassionate care was given to the majority of the infants weighing ≤500 g in Taiwan. The survival rate remained low in these marginally viable infants.
DTPa‐HBV‐IPV vaccine for primary vaccination of infants
Authors: Nolan Terry , Lambert Stephen , Roberton Don , Marshall Helen , Richmond Peter , Streeton Catherine 
Published: August 2007

Aim:  Combined vaccines have an increasingly important role to play in delivering these antigens acceptably. We describe the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a combined DTPa‐HBV‐IPV vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, inactivated poliovirus (DTPa‐HBV‐IPV: Infanrix penta) ) when administered for the primary vaccination of infants resulting from a study where the primary objective was to demonstrate non‐inferiority of the immune response induced by DTPa‐HBV‐IPV using an industrial‐scale IPV production process.Methods:  Three hundred and fourteen infants received primary immunisation with DTPa‐HBV‐IPV at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. Routine Haemophilus influenzae immunisation was performed at 2 and 4 months of age at a separate injection site. Blood samples were taken at 2 and 7 months of age. Reactogenicity was assessed using diary cards for 7 days after each dose.Results:  One month after the primary course, at least 98.9% of subjects achieved seroprotective antibody concentrations/titres against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis‐B and polio types 1, 2 and 3. More than 97% had a vaccine response to pertussis antigens. The incidence of local injection site reactions after DTPa‐HBV‐IPV was similar to that for the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine site. General reactions of Grade 3 intensity were uncommon.Conclusions:  The DTPa‐HBV‐IPV vaccine is a new combination of vaccines previously available separately, with established effectiveness and safety profiles. Combined vaccines reduce storage requirements and minimise the number of injections required, thereby reducing distress for infants and parents. DTPa‐HBV‐IPV was immunogenic with an acceptable safety profile and could replace separate administration of DTPa, HBV and IPV vaccines in infants.
Human rights and child health
Authors: Raman Shanti , Woolfenden Susan , Williams Katrina , Zwi Karen 
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  Human rights are those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity.Children are at risk of human rights violations because of their vulnerability in society. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a United Nations (UN) treaty acknowledges that addressing children’s human rights requires special attention. In Australia groups such as children seeking asylum, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disabilities, children in care and children living in poverty are identified to be at particular risk. As individuals and collectively, we have had a long history of gathering information, advocacy and tailoring training to improve children’s health and well‐being. A human rights approach and the use of the CRC provide an additional framework to do this.
TRENDS IN PREVALENCE OF FATAL SURGICAL DISEASES AT FORENSIC AUTOPSY
Authors: Acosta Stefan , Krantz Peter 
Published: August 2007

Background:  In 1992, there were major changes in Swedish law of the deceased, which had led to a dramatic decrease in autopsy rates. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of fatal or potential fatal surgical diseases within a Swedish forensic autopsy cohort, before and after this change in legislation.Methods:  Deaths referred for forensic autopsy at the Institution of Forensic Medicine, Lund University Hospital, Sweden, between 1970–1982 and 2000–2004, were studied regarding the prevalence of aorto‐iliac diseases, acute abdomen and abdominal cancer.Results:  The forensic autopsy rates in the population during the two time periods were 14.0% (29 399 patients) and 5.3% (4487 patients), respectively. The total prevalence of surgical diseases has increased significantly from 67.3 (95% confidence interval 64.3–70.2) to 83.4 (74.9–91.8) per 1000 autopsies, respectively. The cause‐specific mortality ratios in patients with fatal acute abdomen increased significantly from 16.5 (15.1–18.0) to 39.0 (33.2–44.8) per 1000 autopsies, respectively, and there was almost a three‐time increase in patients with fatal gastrointestinal haemorrhage and acute alcohol‐related pancreatitis.Conclusion:  Forensic autopsy data continues to be invaluable, despite changes in legislation in Sweden, for epidemiological studies on fatal or potential fatal surgical diseases.
PULMONARY HYDATIDOSIS: CLINICAL PROFILE AND FOLLOW UP FROM AN ENDEMIC REGION
Authors: Fatimi Saulat H. , Naureen Sameera , Moizuddin Sonia S. , Puri Mohammad M. , Yousuf Mian A. , Javed Muhammad A. , Ahmad Usman 
Published: August 2007

Objectives:  The aim of this case series was to study the clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of pulmonary hydatid cyst disease at a tertiary care centre.Methods:  A retrospective review of case records was carried out to collect demographic, clinical and outcome data on patients with pulmonary hydatid disease, treated over a 10 year period.Results:  A total of 49 cases were included in the series. The most common presenting complaint was cough. Twenty‐four per cent had bilateral lung involvement whereas 38% had both lung and liver involvement. Surgery was carried out in 38 cases. Surgical treatment was supplemented by pre‐op and post‐op chemotherapies. Muscle‐preserving thoracotomy and cystectomy were most commonly carried out. Nineteen (39%) patients had post‐op complications; however, there was no death. Ten patients were lost to follow up. Mean follow up was for 18 months without any recurrence.Conclusion:  Pakistan is an endemic area for the disease. The patients in our series were relatively younger as compared with those in other reports. Surgery is the treatment of choice for hydatid disease and has good results. Pre‐op and post‐op chemotherapies decrease the risk of intraoperative infection and recurrence. Chest X‐ray and abdominal ultrasound should be carried out in case of even minimum clinical suspicion, especially in endemic areas.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS CLASSIFICATION OF PHYSICAL STATUS AS A PREDICTOR OF WOUND INFECTION
Authors: Woodfield John C. , Beshay Nagy M. Y. , Pettigrew Ross A. , Plank Lindsay D , Van Rij Andre M. 
Published: August 2007

Background:  Wound infection occurs when bacterial contamination overcomes the hosts’ defences against bacterial growth. Wound categories are a measurement of wound contamination. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification of physical status may be an effective indirect measurement of the hosts’ defence against infection. This study examines the association between the ASA score of physical status and wound infection.Methods:  A retrospective review of a prospective study of antibiotic prophylaxis was carried out. Patients with a documented ASA score who received optimal prophylactic antibiotics were included. The anaesthetist scored the ASA classification of physical status in theatre. Other risk factors for wound infection were also documented. Patients were assessed up to 30 days postoperatively.Results:  Of 1013 patients there were 483 with a documented ASA score. One hundred and one may not have received optimal prophylaxis, leaving a database of 382 patients. There were 36 wound infections (9.4%). Both the ASA classification of physical status (P = 0.002) and the wound categories (P = 0.034) significantly predicted wound infection. The duration of surgery, patient’s age, acuteness of surgery and the organ system being operated on did not predict wound infection. On logistic regression analysis the ASA score was the strongest predictor of wound infection.Conclusion:  When effective prophylactic antibiotics were used the ASA classification of physical status was the most significant predictor of wound infection.
FACTORS AFFECTING FLUID REQUIREMENT ON THE FIRST DAY AFTER SEVERE BURN TRAUMA
Authors: Csontos Csaba , Foldi Viktor , Fischer Tamas , Bogar Lajos 
Published: August 2007

Background:  Parkland formula (PF) is the most often used schema for calculating intravenous resuscitation fluid requirement in burn patients. Some studies have reported that PF underestimates the fluid requirement in 45–63% of patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse factors influencing first‐day intravenous fluid replacement set for a targeted urinary output in severely burnt patients.Methods:  Data of 47 patients with burn injury affecting equal or more than 15% of body surface area were retrieved from the archived files. The local intensive care protocol rendered the infusion rate of lactated Ringer’s solution to achieve a urinary output of 0.5–1.0 mL/kg per hour in the first 24 h after burn trauma.Results:  First‐day i.v. infusion volume was significantly higher than PF preferred. In the first 24 h the hourly volume of intravenous fluid resuscitation per bodyweight per burnt surface area showed significant negative correlation to the burnt body surface area and body mass index, (r = −0.553, P < 0.001; r = −0.570, P < 0.001, respectively) no correlation was found to bodyweight, height or patient age. Patients having deep‐burn injury required higher intravenous fluid resuscitation rate than patients having superficial injury only (P < 0.01).Conclusion:  Our data suggest that fluid requirement is higher than predicted by PF if the extent of burn or body mass index is low and less if the extent of burn or body mass index is high. The presence of deep burn increases fluid requirement.
LAPAROSCOPIC GASTRIC RESECTION FOR BENIGN AND MALIGNANT CONDITIONS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 35 CONSECUTIVE CASES
Authors: Liew Victor , Taylor Craig , Ghusn Michael , Jamnagerwalla Murtaza , Layani Laurent 
Published: August 2007

Introduction:  Despite significant advances in laparoscopy, gastric surgery is still generally carried out by conventional open techniques. The aim of the study was to report the short‐ and medium‐term outcomes of gastric surgery when carried out laparoscopically for a variety of benign and malignant conditions.Methods:  A retrospective review was carried out for all patients who underwent a laparoscopic gastric resection between January 2000 and September 2006. Follow up was carried out at the private consulting rooms and by telephone interview.Results:  Thirty‐five consecutive laparoscopic gastric resection were carried out in 31 patients for a variety of benign lesions, six early gastric cancer and 13 adenocarcinomas. The totally intracorporeal laparoscopic procedures included four total, eight distal and 21 partial gastrectomies. There were two open conversions (6%). There was one in‐hospital mortality (3%) and one non‐fatal anastomotic leak. Median operative duration and length of stay were 75, 205 and 252 min and 5, 6.5 and 8 days for laparoscopic partial, distal and total gastrectomy, respectively. After malignant resections, there were six recurrences; however, 15 patients remained disease‐free at up to 60 months follow up.Conclusion:  Laparoscopic gastric resection is feasible with good short‐ and medium‐term results and may be an appropriate treatment option in selected cases.