bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Iodine nutrition in pregnancy and lactation in Iran
Authors: Azizi Fereidoun 
Published: December 2007

AbstractObjective: To describe studies evaluating urinary iodine excretion during pregnancy and lactation in women living in cities with adequate or more than adequate iodine intake.Design: Cross-sectional study conducted between 1996 and 1998 in pregnant women and a study of lactating women conducted in 2003.Settings and Subjects: Pregnant women attending prenatal clinics in four cities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Urinary iodine excretion and thyroid volume was measured in 403 women. In a second study, 100 lactating women from Taleghani Hospital in Gorgan, Iran were evaluated for thyroid size, and both urinary and breast milk iodine concentrations were determined.Results: In Rasht city, 84% of pregnant women had a urinary iodine concentration of ≥ 200 μg l-1, while in the other cities this percentage ranged from 45 to 55%. When data were combined for the cities of Ilam, Isfahan and Tehran, where women have an adequate or more than adequate median urinary iodine concentration, 51% of pregnant women had a urinary iodine concentration less than that recommended during pregnancy. In Rasht, where the median urinary iodine concentration indicates an excessive iodine intake, 15.4% of pregnant women had a urinary iodine concentration < 200 μg l-1. The mean urinary iodine concentration in lactating women was 250 μg l-1, and 16% of women had a urinary iodine concentration < 100 μg l-1. Grade 1 goitre was present in 8% of lactating women, and another 8% had grade 2 goitre.Conclusions: Findings of this study call for further attention to iodine intake during pregnancy and lactation. The currently recommended intake of iodine through universal salt iodisation may not be adequate for pregnant and lactating women, and supplementation during pregnancy and lactation should be further considered in light of the latest recommendations.
Iodine nutrition of pregnant and lactating women in Hong Kong, where intake is of borderline sufficiency
Authors: Kung Annie WC 
Published: December 2007

AbstractObjective: To describe the iodine nutrition of pregnant and lactating women in Hong Kong, where intake is of borderline sufficiency.Design: Review of cross-sectional and prospective studies.Setting: China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).Subjects: Pregnant and lactating women.Results: Studies of pregnant women in Hong Kong SAR have revealed an increase in the urinary iodine (UI) concentration as pregnancy advances. A significant percentage of women had a sub-normal serum thyroid hormone concentration at full term. Although iodine is concentrated by the mammary gland, 19% of all mothers had low iodine concentrations in their breast milk. The moderate correlation between the concentrations of iodine in breast milk and urine suggests that an adequate maternal urinary iodine concentration cannot reliably indicate that an infant is getting enough iodine in breast milk. Therefore, some breast-fed infants may still be at risk of low iodine intake, and additional iodine supplements, other than salt iodisation, would be warranted in this population.Conclusions: The currently recommended intake of iodine through universal salt iodisation may not be adequate for pregnant and lactating women, and supplementation during pregnancy and lactation should be further considered in light of the latest recommendations.
The consent process in radiotherapy
Authors: Robinson Keisha S. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractOver the past two decades The Department of Health has made the consent process one of its main focus and has issued numerous guidelines on how the process must be conducted in order to make it valid. This mandate has been in accordance with the new patient-centred health service, which has patient autonomy as its fundamental standard. This paper will critically appraise the consent process in a radiotherapy department against the Department of Health’s recommendations. The ethical and legal principles governing the process will also be discussed using guidance from medical professional bodies and reference to English case law. Additionally, the function of written consent and consent forms will be assessed in order to establish whether implied or oral consent has any role in radiotherapy. The paper found that to a large extent the Department of Health’s recommendations are followed in the radiotherapy department evaluated. One key outcome arising from this paper is that written consent is the most appropriate form of consent in radiotherapy; however the record of consent should not be solely confined to a consent form. Rather it is critical that adequate notes of all areas of the dialogue that took place during the consent process with the patient should be written in the patient’s medical notes.
Double-Blind, Randomized, Crossover Trial of 3 Hand Rub Formulations: Fast-Track Evaluation of Tolerability and Acceptability
Authors: Pittet Didier , Allegranzi Benedetta , Sax Hugo , Chraiti Marie-Noelle , Griffiths William , Richet Hervé ,   World Health Organization Global Patient Safety Challenge Alcohol-Based Handrub Task Force
Published: December 2007

Objective.To compare healthcare workers' skin tolerance for and acceptance of 3 alcohol-based hand rub formulations.Design.Double-blind, randomized, crossover clinical trial.Setting.Intensive care unit in a university hospital.Participants.Thirty-eight healthcare workers (HCWs).Intervention.A total of 3 alcohol-based hand rub formulations (hereafter, formulations A, B, and C) were used in random order for 3-5 consecutive working days during regular nursing shifts. Formulations A and B contained the same emollient, and formulations B and C contained the same alcohol at the same concentration. Use of each test formulation was separated by a “washout” period of at least 2 days. A visual assessment of skin integrity by a blinded observer using a standard 6-item scale was conducted before and after the use of each formulation. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used for the assessment of risk factors for skin alteration, and product acceptability was assessed by use of a customized questionnaire after the use of each formulation.Results.Thirty-eight HCWs used each of 3 formulations for a median of 3 days (range, 3-5 days). The mean amount of product used daily (±SD) was 54.9 ± 23.5 mL (median, 50.9 mL). Both subjective and objective evaluation of skin conditions after use showed lower HCW tolerance for product C. Male sex (odds ratio [OR], 3.17 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.1-8.8]), fair or very fair skin (OR, 3.01 [95% CI, 1.1-7.9]), skin alteration before hand rub use (OR, 3.73 [95% CI, 1.7-8.1]), and use of formulation C (OR, 8.79 [95% CI, 2.7-28.4]) were independently associated with skin alteration.Conclusions.This protocol permits a fast-track comparison of HCWs' skin tolerance for different alcohol-based hand rub formulations that are used in healthcare settings. The emollient in formulation C may account for its inferior performance.
Relationship Between Rates of Antimicrobial Consumption and the Incidence of Antimicrobial Resistance inStaphylococcus aureusandPseudomonas aeruginosaIsolates From 47 French Hospitals
Authors: Rogues A. M. , Dumartin C. , Amadéo B. , Venier A. G. , Marty N. , Parneix P. , Gachie J. P. 
Published: December 2007

Objective.To investigate relationships between rates of antimicrobial consumption and the incidence of antimicrobial resistance inStaphylococcus aureusandPseudomonas aeruginosaisolates from hospitals.Methods.We conducted an observational study that used retrospective data from 2002 and linear regression to model relationships. Hospitals were asked to collect data on consecutiveS. aureusandP. aeruginosaisolates, consumption rates for antibiotics (ie, anti-infectives for systemic use as defined by Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical class J01), and hospital characteristics, including infection control policies. Rates of methicillin resistance inS. aureusand rates of ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin resistance inP. aeruginosawere expressed as the percentage of isolates that were nonsusceptible (ie, either resistant or intermediately susceptible) and as the incidence of nonsuceptible isolates (ie, the number of nonsuceptible isolates recovered per 1,000 patient-days). The rate of antimicrobial consumption was expressed as the number of defined daily doses per 1,000 patient-days.Setting.Data were obtained from 47 French hospitals, and a total of 12,188S. aureusisolates and 6,370P. aeruginosaisolates were tested.Results.In the multivariate analysis, fewer antimicrobials showed a significant association between the consumption rate and the percentage of isolates that were resistant than an association between the consumption rate and the incidence of resistance. The overall rate of antibiotic consumption, not including the antibiotics used to treat methicillin-resistantS. aureusinfection, explained 13% of the variance between hospitals in the incidence of methicillin resistance amongS. aureusisolates. The incidence of methicillin resistance inS. aureusisolates increased with the use of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin and with the percentage of the hospital's beds located in intensive care units (adjusted multivariate coefficient of determination [aR2], 0.30). ForP. aeruginosa, the incidence of ceftazidime resistance was greater in hospitals with higher consumption rates for ceftazidime, levofloxacin, and gentamicin (aR2, 0.37). The incidence of ciprofloxacin resistance increased with the use of fluoroquinolones and with the percentage of a hospital's beds located in intensive care (aR2, 0.28).Conclusions.A statistically significant relationship existed between the rate of fluoroquinolone use and the rate of antimicrobial resistance amongS. aureusandP. aeruginosaisolates. The incidence of resistant isolates showed a stronger association with the rate of antimicrobial use than did the percentage of isolates with resistance.
Development of an Algorithm for Surveillance of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia With Electronic Data and Comparison of Algorithm Results With Clinician Diagnoses
Authors: Klompas Michael , Kleinman Ken , Platt Richard 
Published: December 2007

Objective.Surveillance for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) using standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria is labor intensive and involves many subjective assessments. We sought to improve the efficiency and objectivity of VAP surveillance by adapting the CDC criteria to make them amenable to evaluation with electronic data.Design.Prospective comparison of the accuracy of VAP surveillance by use of an algorithm with responses to prospective queries made to intensive care physicians. CDC criteria for VAP were used as a reference standard to evaluate the algorithm and clinicians' reports.Setting.Three surgical intensive care units and 2 medical intensive care units at an academic hospital.Methods.A total of 459 consecutive patients who received mechanical ventilation for a total of 2,540 days underwent surveillance by both methods during consecutive 3-month periods. Electronic surveillance criteria were chosen to mirror the CDC definition. Quantitative thresholds were substituted for qualitative criteria. Purely subjective criteria were eliminated. Increases in ventilator-control settings were taken to indicate worsening oxygenation. Semiquantitative Gram stain of pulmonary secretion samples was used to assess whether there was sputum purulence.Results.The algorithm applied to electronic data detected 20 patients with possible VAP. All cases of VAP were confirmed in accordance with standard CDC criteria (100% positive predictive value). Prospective survey of clinicians detected 33 patients with possible VAP. Seventeen of the 33 possible cases were confirmed (52% positive predictive value). Overall, 21 cases of confirmed VAP were identified by either method. The algorithm identified 20 (95%) of 21 known cases, whereas the survey of clinicians identified 17 (81%) of 21 cases.Conclusions.Surveillance for VAP using electronic data is feasible and has high positive predictive value for cases that meet CDC criteria. Further validation of this method is warranted.
Experimental Study of
Pressure Drop and Heat Transfer in a Single-Phase Micropin-Fin Heat
Sink
Authors: Siu-Ho Abel , Qu Weilin , Pfefferkorn Frank 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
The pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of a single-phase micropin-fin heat sink were investigated experimentally. Fabricated from 110 copper, the heat sink contained an array of 1950 staggered square micropin fins with 200×200μm2 cross section by 670μm height. The ratios of longitudinal pitch and transverse pitch to pin-fin equivalent diameter are equal to 2. De-ionized water was employed as the cooling liquid. A coolant inlet temperature of 25°C, and two heat flux levels, qeff″=50W∕cm2 and qeff″=100W∕cm2, defined relative to the platform area of the heat sink, were tested. The inlet Reynolds number ranged from 93 to 634 for qeff″=50W∕cm2, and from 127 to 634 for qeff″=100W∕cm2. The measured pressure drop and temperature distribution were used to evaluate average friction factor and local averaged heat transfer coefficient/Nusselt number. Predictions of the previous friction factor and heat transfer correlations that were developed for low Reynolds number (Re&lt;1000) single-phase flow in short pin-fin arrays were compared to the present micropin-fin data. Moores and Joshi’s friction factor correlation (2003, “Effect of Tip Clearance on the Thermal and Hydrodynamic Performance of a Shrouded Pin Fin Array,” ASME J. Heat Transfer, 125, pp. 999–1006) was the only one that provided acceptable predictions. Predictions from the other friction factor and heat transfer correlations were significantly different from the experimental data collected in this study. These findings point to the need for further fundamental study of single-phase thermal/fluid transport process in micropin-fin arrays for electronic cooling applications.
Gene therapy in head and neck cancer: a review
Authors: Chisholm E , Bapat U , Chisholm C , Alusi G , Vassaux G 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Gene therapy for cancer is a rapidly evolving field with head and neck squamous cell cancer being one of the more frequently targeted cancer types. The number of clinical trials in the UK is growing and there is already a commercially available agent in China. Various gene therapy strategies along with delivery mechanisms for targeting head and neck cancer are reviewed.
Impact of Soil Moisture Anomalies on Summer Rainfall over East Asia: A Regional Climate Model Study
Authors: Kim Jung-Eun , Hong Song-You 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Numerous modeling studies have shown that soil moisture anomalies in later spring have a significant effect on the summer rainfall anomalies in North America. On the other hand, the role of soil moisture in forming monsoonal precipitation in East Asia has not been identified. This study attempts to clarify the importance of soil moisture on the summer rainfall in late spring in East Asia. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Regional Spectral Model (RSM) is utilized for 3-month (June–August) simulations in 1998 (above-normal precipitation year) and 1997 (below-normal precipitation year). Initial and boundary conditions are derived from the NCEP–Department of Energy (DOE) reanalysis. The control run uses the initial soil moisture from the reanalysis, whereas it is set as a saturation and wilting point for “wet” and “dry” experiments, respectively.
The impact of soil moisture anomalies on the simulated summer rainfall in East Asia is not significant. The change in precipitation between the wet and dry experiments is about 10%. A conflict between the local feedback of soil moisture and a change in large-scale circulations associated with the summertime monsoonal circulation in East Asia can be attributed as a reason for this anomaly. It is found that enhanced (suppressed) evaporation from the soil to the atmosphere in wet (dry) initial soil moisture reduces (increases) the land–sea contrast between East Asia and the Pacific Ocean, leading to a weakened sensitivity of the monsoonal circulations to the initial soil moisture. It can be concluded that the impact of the initial soil moisture is significant on the dynamic circulation in East Asia.
Multiscale Impacts of Variable Heating in Climate
Authors: Sardeshmukh Prashant D. , Sura Philip 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
While it is obvious that the mean diabatic forcing of the atmosphere is crucial for maintaining the mean climate, the importance of diabatic forcing fluctuations is less evident in this regard. Such fluctuations do not appear directly in the equations of the mean climate but affect the mean indirectly through their effects on the time-mean transient-eddy fluxes of heat, momentum, and moisture. How large are these effects? What are the effects of tropical phenomena associated with substantial heating variations such as ENSO and the MJO? To what extent do variations of the extratropical surface heat fluxes and precipitation affect the mean climate? What are the effects of the rapid “stochastic” components of the heating fluctuations? Most current climate models misrepresent ENSO and the MJO and ignore stochastic forcing; they therefore also misrepresent their mean effects. To what extent does this contribute to climate model biases and to projections of climate change?
This paper provides an assessment of such impacts by comparing with observations a long simulation of the northern winter climate by a dry adiabatic general circulation model forced only with the observed time-mean diabatic forcing as a constant forcing. Remarkably, despite the total neglect of all forcing variations, the model reproduces most features of the observed circulation variability and the mean climate, with biases similar to those of some state-of-the-art general circulation models. In particular, the spatial structures of the circulation variability are remarkably well reproduced. Their amplitudes, however, are progressively underestimated from the synoptic to the subseasonal to interannual and longer time scales. This underestimation is attributed to the neglect of the variable forcing. The model also excites significant tropical variability from the extratropics on interannual scales, which is overwhelmed in reality by the response to tropical heating variability. It is argued that the results of this study suggest a role for the stochastic, and not only the coherent, components of transient diabatic forcing in the dynamics of climate variability and the mean climate.
Review: New approaches to the assessment of left ventricular hypertrophy
Authors: Agabiti-Rosei Enrico , Muiesan Maria Lorenza , Salvetti Massimo 
Published: December 2007

In hypertension, Left ventricular hypertrophy is initially a useful compensatory process that represents an adaptation to increased ventricular wall stress; however, it is also the first step toward the development of overt clinical disease. For this reason most international guidelines recommend the assessment of cardiac target organ damage in hypertensive patients for cardiovascular risk stratification. It is therefore of great importance to keep in mind the strengths and weakness of the different available methods for LVH assessment. Several methods are currently available for the assessment of LVH; however the various techniques differ in cost, availability, sensitivity and specificity. Due to its wide availability and its low cost, eLectrocardiography should be part of all routine assessment of subjects with high blood pressure; however, despite its good specificity, the sensitivity for LVH detection is low. Several other methods have been proposed for LVH detection. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging allows 3D reconstruction of the heart with high spatial resolution; however its main limitation is represented by the relatively low availability and by its costs. Echocardiography certainly represents a valuable method for the detection of LVH in hypertensive patients, due to its wide availability and its relatively low cost. The main limitations of the technique are represented by the lower spatial resolution and reproducibility in comparison with magnetic resonance. The development of new matrix-array transducers and new software for 3D reconstruction with echocardiography make this approach particularly promising for the future; in the meantime, standard echocardiography, widely available and with low cost, will probably remain the most used tool for the evaluation of left ventricular structure and function in hypertension.
Impaired response to GM-CSF and G-CSF, and enhanced apoptosis in C/EBPβ-deficient hematopoietic cells
Authors: Akagi Tadayuki , Saitoh Takayuki , O'Kelly James , Akira Shizuo , Gombart Adrian F. , Koeffler H. Phillip 
Published: December 2007

AbstractTranscription factors known as CCAAT enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) are involved in hematopoietic differentiation, including myelopoiesis and granulopoiesis. C/EBPβ-deficient mice develop normally; however, they exhibit defective macrophage function, resulting in increased susceptibility to infection. Little is known about the role of C/EBPβ in granulopoiesis; therefore, we examined granulopoiesis in C/EBPβ-deficient mice. Morphology, the number of peripheral blood and bone marrow cells, and the expression of genes specific for the myeloid lineage were normal in C/EBPβ-deficient mice. Interestingly, the hematopoietic progenitor cells of C/EBPβ-deficient mice did not respond normally to granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor and granulocyte colony stimulating factor. In addition, C/EBPβ-deficient neutrophils displayed enhanced apoptosis compared with wild-type neutrophils. Our present results indicate that C/EBPβ helps regulate survival of neutrophils, downstream of the granulocyte colony stimulating factor receptor.