University of Kansas

About: University of Kansas is a education organization based out in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 38183 authors who have published 81381 publications receiving 2986312 citations. The organization is also known as: KU & Univ of Kansas.

The point of triangulation.

Abstract: Purpose: To explore various types of triangulation strategies and to indicate when different types of triangulation should be used in research. Methods: Reviews included literature on triangulation and multimethod strategies published since 1960 and research books specifically focusing on triangulation. Findings: Triangulation is the combination of at least two or more theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, data sources, investigators, or data analysis methods. The intent of using triangulation is to decrease, negate, or counterbalance the deficiency of a single strategy, thereby increasing the ability to interpret the findings. Conclusions: The use of triangulation strategies does not strengthen a flawed study. Researchers should use triangulation if it can contribute to understanding the phenomenon; however, they must be able to articulate why the strategy is being used and how it might enhance the study.

Chemotherapy followed by surgery compared with surgery alone for localized esophageal cancer

Abstract: Background We performed a multi-institutional randomized trial comparing preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery with surgery alone for patients with local and operable esophageal cancer. Methods Preoperative chemotherapy for patients randomly assigned to the chemotherapy group included three cycles of cisplatin and fluorouracil. Surgery was performed two to four weeks after the completion of the third cycle; patients also received two additional cycles of chemotherapy after the operation. Patients randomly assigned to the immediate-surgery group underwent the same surgical procedure. The main end point was overall survival. Results Of the 440 eligible patients with adequate data, 213 were assigned to receive preoperative chemotherapy and 227 to undergo immediate surgery. After a median possible study time of 55.4 months, there were no significant differences between the two groups in median survival: 14.9 months for the patients who received preoperative chemotherapy and 16.1 months for those who u...

Photoremovable Protecting Groups in Chemistry and Biology: Reaction Mechanisms and Efficacy

Abstract: The review covers the knowledge on photoremovable protecting groups and includes all relevant chromophores studied in the time period of 2000–2012; the most relevant earlier works are also discussed.

American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Provisional Definition of Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis for Clinical Trials

Abstract: Objective Remission in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an increasingly attainable goal, but there is no widely used defi nition of remission that is stringent but achievable and could be applied uniformly as an outcome measure in clinical trials. This work was undertaken to develop such a defi nition. Methods A committee consisting of members of the American College of Rheumatology, the European League Against Rheumatism, and the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Initiative met to guide the process and review prespecifi ed analyses from RA clinical trials. The committee requested a stringent defi nition (little, if any, active disease) and decided to use core set measures including, as a minimum, joint counts and levels of an acute-phase reactant to defi ne remission. Members were surveyed to select the level of each core set measure that would be consistent with remission. Candidate defi nitions of remission were tested, including those that constituted a number of individual measures of remission (Boolean approach) as well as defi nitions using disease activity indexes. To select a defi nition of remission, trial data were analysed to examine the added contribution of patient-reported outcomes and the ability of candidate measures to predict later good radiographic and functional outcomes. Results Survey results for the defi nition of remission suggested indexes at published thresholds and a count of core set measures, with each measure scored as 1 or less (eg, tender and swollen joint counts, C reactive protein (CRP) level, and global assessments on a 0–10 scale). Analyses suggested the need to include a patientreported measure. Examination of 2-year follow-up data suggested that many candidate defi nitions performed comparably in terms of predicting later good radiographic and functional outcomes, although 28-joint Disease Activity Score–based measures of remission did not