bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Household air pollution and measures of blood pressure, arterial stiffness and central haemodynamics
Authors: Baumgartner Jill , Carter Ellison , Schauer James J , Ezzati Majid , Daskalopoulou Stella S , Valois Marie-France , Shan Ming , Yang Xudong 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveWe evaluated the exposure–response associations between personal exposure to air pollution from biomass stoves and multiple vascular and haemodynamic parameters in rural Chinese women.MethodsWe analysed the baseline information from a longitudinal study in southwestern China. Women’s brachial and central blood pressure and pulse pressure, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and augmentation index, and their 48-hour personal exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon were measured in summer and winter. We evaluated the associations between exposure to air pollution and haemodynamic parameters using mixed-effects regression models adjusted for known cardiovascular risk factors.ResultsWomen’s (n=205, ages 27–86 years) exposures to PM2.5 and black carbon ranged from 14 µg/m3 to 1405 µg/m3 and 0.1–121.8 µg/m3, respectively. Among women aged ≥50 years, increased PM2.5 exposure was associated with higher systolic (brachial: 3.5 mm Hg (P=0.05); central: 4.4 mm Hg (P=0.005)) and diastolic blood pressure (central: 1.3 mm Hg (P=0.10)), higher pulse pressure (peripheral: 2.5 mm Hg (P=0.05); central: 2.9 mm Hg (P=0.008)) and lower peripheral–central pulse pressure amplification (−0.007 (P=0.04)). Among younger women, the associations were inconsistent in the direction of effect and not statistically significant. Increased PM2.5 exposure was associated with no difference in pulse wave velocity and modestly higher augmentation index though the CI included zero (1.1%; 95% CI −0.2% to 2.4%). Similar associations were found for black carbon exposure.ConclusionsExposure to household air pollution was associated with higher blood pressure and central haemodynamics in older Chinese women, with no associations observed with pulse wave velocity.
Disparities in injury morbidity among young adults in the USA: individual and contextual determinants
Authors: Schmidt Susanne , Sparks P Johnelle 
Published: February 2018

BackgroundInjuries have been recognised as important public health concerns, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Few studies have examined injuries using a multilevel perspective that addresses individual socioeconomic status (SES) and health behaviours and local socioeconomic conditions in early adolescence. We offer a conceptual framework incorporating these various components.MethodsWe test our conceptual framework using population data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Wave 4 when respondents were young adults and linked them to contextual level data from when they were middle-schoolers. We use logistic and multilevel regression models to examine self-reported injury risk in young adults by sex (n=14 356).ResultsLogistic regression models showed that men were more likely to experience serious injuries than women (OR 1.75, P<0.0001), but SES and health behaviours operated differently by sex. In stratified models, men with lower education had consistently higher injury risk, while only women with some college had increased injury risk (OR 1.40, P=0.0089) than college graduates. Low household income (OR 1.54, P=0.0011) and unemployment (OR 1.50, P=0.0008) increased female injury risk, but was non-significant for men. Alcohol consumption increased injury risk for both sexes, while only female smokers had elevated injury risk (OR 1.38, P=0.0154). In multilevel models, significant county-level variation was only observed for women. Women living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods during adolescence had increased injury risk (OR 1.001, P<0.0001).ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of investigating mechanisms that link early-life contextual conditions to early adult SES and health behaviours and their linkage to injury risk, particularly for women.
Risk category system to identify pituitary adenoma patients with AIP mutations
Authors: Caimari Francisca , Hernández-Ramírez Laura Cristina , Dang Mary N , Gabrovska Plamena , Iacovazzo Donato , Stals Karen , Ellard Sian , Korbonits Márta 
Published: February 2018

BackgroundPredictive tools to identify patients at risk for gene mutations related to pituitary adenomas are very helpful in clinical practice. We therefore aimed to develop and validate a reliable risk category system for aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) mutations in patients with pituitary adenomas.MethodsAn international cohort of 2227 subjects were consecutively recruited between 2007 and 2016, including patients with pituitary adenomas (familial and sporadic) and their relatives. All probands (n=1429) were screened for AIP mutations, and those diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma prospectively, as part of their clinical screening (n=24), were excluded from the analysis. Univariate analysis was performed comparing patients with and without AIP mutations. Based on a multivariate logistic regression model, six potential factors were identified for the development of a risk category system, classifying the individual risk into low-risk, moderate-risk and high-risk categories. An internal cross-validation test was used to validate the system.Results1405 patients had a pituitary tumour, of which 43% had a positive family history, 55.5% had somatotrophinomas and 81.5% presented with macroadenoma. Overall, 134 patients had an AIP mutation (9.5%). We identified four independent predictors for the presence of an AIP mutation: age of onset providing an odds ratio (OR) of 14.34 for age 0-18 years, family history (OR 10.85), growth hormone excess (OR 9.74) and large tumour size (OR 4.49). In our cohort, 71% of patients were identified as low risk (<5% risk of AIP mutation), 9.2% as moderate risk and 20% as high risk (≥20% risk). Excellent discrimination (c-statistic=0.87) and internal validation were achieved.ConclusionWe propose a user-friendly risk categorisation system that can reliably group patients into high-risk, moderate-risk and low-risk groups for the presence of AIP mutations, thus providing guidance in identifying patients at high risk of carrying an AIP mutation. This risk score is based on a cohort with high prevalence of AIP mutations and should be applied cautiously in other populations.
Quality of Life Is Poorer for Patients With Stroke Who Require an Interpreter
Authors: Kilkenny Monique F. , Lannin Natasha A. , Anderson Craig S. , Dewey Helen M. , Kim Joosup , Barclay-Moss Karen , Levi Chris , Faux Steven , Hill Kelvin , Grabsch Brenda , Middleton Sandy , Thrift Amanda G. , Grimley Rohan , Donnan Geoffrey , Cadilhac Dominique A. 
Published: February 2018

Background and Purpose—
In multicultural Australia, some patients with stroke cannot fully understand, or speak, English. Language barriers may reduce quality of care and consequent outcomes after stroke, yet little has been reported empirically.

Methods—
An observational study of patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (2010–2015) captured from 45 hospitals participating in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry. The use of interpreters in hospitals, which is routinely documented, was used as a proxy for severe language barriers. Health-Related Quality of Life was assessed using the EuroQoL-5 dimension-3 level measured 90 to 180 days after stroke. Logistic regression was undertaken to assess the association between domains of EuroQoL-5 dimension and interpreter status.

Results—

Among 34 562 registrants, 1461 (4.2%) required an interpreter. Compared with patients without interpreters, patients requiring an interpreter were more often women (53% versus 46%;
P
<0.001), aged ≥75 years (68% versus 51%;
P
<0.001), and had greater access to stroke unit care (85% versus 78%;
P
<0.001). After accounting for patient characteristics and stroke severity, patients requiring interpreters had comparable discharge outcomes (eg, mortality, discharged to rehabilitation) to patients not needing interpreters. However, these patients reported poorer Health-Related Quality of Life (visual analogue scale coefficient, −9; 95% CI, −12.38, −5.62), including more problems with self-care (odds ratio: 2.22; 95% CI, 1.82, 2.72), pain (odds ratio: 1.84; 95% CI, 1.52, 2.34), anxiety or depression (odds ratio: 1.60; 95% CI, 1.33, 1.93), and usual activities (odds ratio: 1.62; 95% CI, 1.32, 2.00).

Conclusions—
Patients requiring interpreters reported poorer Health Related Quality of Life after stroke/transient ischemic attack despite greater access to stroke units. These findings should be interpreted with caution because we are unable to account for prestroke Health Related Quality of Life. Further research is needed.
Sensitivity of Regulated Flow Regimes to Climate Change in the Western United States
Authors: Zhou Tian , Voisin Nathalie , Leng Guoyong , Huang Maoyi , Kraucunas Ian 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWater management activities modify water fluxes at the land surface and affect water resources in space and time. Conventional understanding on the role of water management suggests that regulated river flow would be less sensitive to future climate conditions than natural flow in terms of the absolute changes in mean monthly flows. In this study the authors evaluate such an assumption by redefining sensitivity as the difference in the emergence of changes in cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of future regulated and natural flows in response to climate change with respect to their respective historical regulated and natural flow conditions. The emergence of changes (shift in CDFs) in natural and regulated river flow regimes across the western United States from simulations driven by multiple climate models and scenarios were compared. Forty percent of Hydrologic Unit Codes 4 (HUC4s) over the western United States might perceive such a shift in seasonal regulated flow earlier than they would have seen in natural flow conditions, although the absolute change is smaller than that under natural conditions. About 10% of the regulated HUC4s see a delay and are therefore less sensitive to climate change. In the spring (MAM), the overall sensitivity tends to decrease as the level of river regulation increases, as expected. However, in the winter (DJF) and summer (JJA) seasons, the sensitivity tends to increase with increasing levels of regulation, with changes in smaller magnitudes than under natural conditions. The results could inform integrated assessment studies when designing adaptation strategies in the water–energy–food nexus.
Ekman and Eddy Exchange of Freshwater and Oxygen across the Labrador Shelf Break
Authors: Howatt Tara , Palter Jaime B. , Robin Matthews John Brian , Brad deYoung  , Bachmayer Ralf , Claus Brian 
Published: February 2018

AbstractTransport of freshwater from the Labrador Shelf into the interior Labrador Sea has the potential to impact deep convection via its influence on the salinity of surface waters. To examine this transport, the authors deployed two underwater gliders on a mission to traverse the continental shelf break multiple times between 5 July and 22 August 2014, the period when Arctic meltwater has historically peaked in transport down the Labrador Shelf. The field campaign yielded a unique dataset of temperature, salinity, and oxygen across the shelf break to a depth of 1000 m at unprecedented spatial resolution. Two mechanisms of cross-shelf transport were examined: Ekman transport and transport due to mesoscale eddies. Ekman transport is quantified using satellite wind stress and near-surface hydrographic properties, and eddy-induced transport is scaled using a parameterized eddy diffusivity and thickness gradients of layers of uniform potential density, as well as the tracer gradients along those isopycnals. Both the Ekman and eddy terms transport high-oxygen and low-salinity water from the shelf to the Labrador Sea during the field campaign. The influence of the eddy-driven oxygen flux from the shelf to the Labrador Sea on oxygen budgets depends strongly on the size of the region over which this eddy flux converges. The deduced offshore transport of freshwater (4 ± 6 mSv; 1 mSv = 103 m3 s−1) from both Ekman and eddy mechanisms, which is likely at a seasonal maximum during this summertime survey, represents about 3% of the annual-mean freshwater flowing through Hudson and Davis Straits but may be an important component of the total freshwater budget of the interior Labrador Sea.
Ideal Characteristics of a Laser-Protected Endotracheal Tube: ABEA and AHNS Member Survey and Biomechanical Testing
Authors: Friedman Aaron D. , Gerber Mark E. , Bhayani Mihir K. , Kuchta Kristine , Kumar Kanav , Ma Aobo , Ren Yupeng , Zhang Li-Qun 
Published: February 2018

Objectives: To determine the characteristics of laser-protected endotracheal tubes (LPETs) valued by otolaryngologists performing transoral laser surgery in the head and neck and to measure LPET stiffness. Methods: An online questionnaire was completed by American Broncho-Esophagological Association (ABEA) and American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) members. LPET distal end compliance was measured in a biomechanics laboratory. Results: A total of 228 out of 2109 combined ABEA and AHNS members completed the survey. The following LPET characteristics, which were properties of the Medtronic Laser-Shield II tube (MLST), were highly valued: softness and flexibility, surface smoothness, and a tight-to-shaft balloon (all P < .01). Prior to industry-driven discontinuation of the MLST, 52% of surgeons (78% of fellowship-trained laryngologists [FTLs]) reported using it; afterward, 58% reported using the stainless steel, Mallinckrodt Laser-Flex tube (MLFT). Forty-six percent of all respondents (69% of FTLs) did not consider cost being a factor in LPET choice. Biomechanical testing revealed the distal end of the MLST to be 3.45 times more compliant than the MLFT ( P < .01). Conclusion: Members of the ABEA and AHNS, particularly FTLs, highly value distinguishing properties of the now discontinued MLST. Manufacturers should consider this in the design of new LPETs.
Removal of evidential motion-contaminated and poorly fitted image data improves IVIM diffusion MRI parameter scan–rescan reproducibility
Authors: Chevallier Olivier , Zhou Nan , He Jian , Loffroy Romaric , Wáng Yì Xiáng J 
Published: February 2018

Background It has been reported that intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan–rescan reproducibility is unsatisfactory. Purpose To study IVIM MRI parameter reproducibility for liver parenchyma after the removal of motion-contaminated and/or poorly fitted image data. Material and Methods Eighteen healthy volunteers had liver scans twice in the same session to assess scan–rescan repeatability, and again in another session after an average interval of 13 days to assess reproducibility. Diffusion-weighted images were acquired with a 3-T scanner using respiratory-triggered echo-planar sequence and 16 b-values (0–800 s/mm2). Measurement was performed on the right liver with segment-unconstrained least square fitting. Image series with evidential anatomical mismatch, apparent artifacts, and poorly fitted signal intensity vs. b-value curve were excluded. A minimum of three slices was deemed necessary for IVIM parameter estimation. Results With a total 54 examinations, six did not satisfy inclusion criteria, leading to a success rate of 89%, and 14 volunteers were finally included for the repeatability/reproducibility study. A total of 3–10 slices per examination (mean = 5.3 slices, median = 5 slices) were utilized for analysis. Using threshold b-value = 80 s/mm2, the coefficient of variation and within-subject coefficient of variation for repeatability were 2.86% and 3.36% for Dslow, 3.81% and 4.24% for perfusion fraction (PF), 18.16% and 24.88% for Dfast; and those for reproducibility were 2.48% and 3.24% for Dslow, 4.91% and 5.38% for PF, and 21.18% and 30.89% for Dfast. Conclusion Removal of motion-contaminated and/or poorly fitted image data improves IVIM parameter reproducibility.
The effect of glioblastoma heterogeneity on survival stratification: a multimodal MR imaging texture analysis
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhang Xi , Feng Na , Yin Lulu , He Yalong , Xu Xiaopan , Lu Hongbing 
Published: February 2018

Background Quantitative evaluation of the effect of glioblastoma (GBM) heterogeneity on survival stratification would be critical for the diagnosis, treatment decision, and follow-up management. Purpose To evaluate the effect of GBM heterogeneity on survival stratification, using texture analysis on multimodal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Material and Methods A total of 119 GBM patients (65 in long-term and 54 in short-term survival group, separated by overall survival of 12 months) were selected from the Cancer Genome Atlas, who underwent the T1-weighted (T1W) contrast-enhanced (CE), T1W, T2-weighted (T2W), and FLAIR sequences. For each sequence, the co-occurrence matrix, run-length matrix, and histogram features were extracted to reflect GBM heterogeneity on different scale. The recursive feature elimination based support vector machine was adopted to find an optimal subset. Then the stratification performance of four MR sequences was evaluated, both alone and in combination. Results When each sequence used alone, the T1W-CE sequence performed best, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.7915, 80.67%, 78.45%, and 83.33%, respectively. When the four sequences combined, the stratification performance was basically equal to that of T1W-CE sequence. In the optimal subset of features extracted from multimodality, those from the T2W sequence weighted the most. Conclusion All the four sequences could reflect heterogeneous distribution of GBM and thereby affect the survival stratification, especially T1W-CE and T2W sequences. However, the stratification performance using only the T1W-CE sequence can be preserved with omission of other three sequences, when investigating the effect of GBM heterogeneity on survival stratification.
Tailored CT angiography in follow-up after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR): combined dose reduction techniques
Authors: Böning Georg , Rotzinger Roman A , Kahn Johannes F , Freyhardt Patrick , Renz Diane M , Maurer Martin , Streitparth Florian 
Published: February 2018

Background Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) requires lifelong surveillance by computed tomography angiography (CTA). This is attended by a substantial accumulation of radiation exposure. Iterative reconstruction (IR) has been introduced to approach dose reduction. Purpose To evaluate adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) at different levels of tube voltage concerning image quality and dose reduction potential in follow-up post EVAR. Material and Methods One hundred CTAs in 67 patients with EVAR were examined using five protocols: protocol A (n = 40) as biphasic standard using filtered back projection (FBP) at 120 kV; protocols B (n = 40), C (n = 10), and D1 (n = 5) biphasic using ASIR at 120, 100, and 80 kV, respectively; and protocol D2 (n = 5) with a monophasic splitbolus ASIR protocol at 80 kV. Image quality was assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. Applied doses were determined. Results Applied doses in ASIR protocols were significantly lower than FBP standard (up to 75%). Compared to protocol A, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) (e.g. arterial CNR intra-/extra-stent lumen: A = 35.4 ± 13.5, B = 34.2 ± 10.0, C = 29.6 ± 6.8, D1 = 32.1 ± 6.3, D2 = 40.8 ± 23.1) in protocol B were equal and in protocols C and D equal to partially inferior, however not decisive for diagnostic quality. Subjective image quality ratings in all protocols were good to excellent without impairments of diagnostic confidence (A–D2: 5), with high inter-rater agreement (60–100%). Conclusion ASIR contributes to significant dose reduction without decisive impairments of image quality and diagnostic confidence. We recommend an adapted follow-up introducing ASIR and combined low-kV in the long-term surveillance after EVAR.
Visibility of the graft hepatic artery using superb microvascular imaging in liver transplantation recipients: initial experience
Authors: Jang Hye Young , Kim Kyoung Won , Kim So Yeon , Kim Jin Sil , Choi Sang Hyun , Kim Se-Young , Lee Sung-Gyu 
Published: February 2018

Background Hepatic artery (HA) obstruction is one of the most threatening complications following liver transplantation (LT); however, conventional color Doppler imaging (CDI) suffers from technical limitations regarding the visualization of fine vessels and low-velocity blood flow. Purpose To test the visibility of HA in postoperative evaluation of LT using a superb microvascular imaging (SMI). Material and Methods This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board. Fifty-five consecutive patients (58 grafts; mean age = 56 years) who underwent LT with Doppler ultrasonography (US) on postoperative day 1 were included. We compared the subjective visibility of HA and objective measurements of HA caliber, visible HA length on CDI, monochrome SMI (mSMI), contrast-enhanced mSMI (CE-mSMI), and contrast harmonic imaging (CHI). Reproducibility of HA caliber measurements on SMI techniques were also evaluated by using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results The subjective image quality for visibility of HA tended to be graded higher with mSMI than CDI, and with CE-mSMI than mSMI ( P < 0.001). The overall reproducibility of HA caliber measurements was good to excellent for both mSMI and CE-mSMI (ICC = 0.674–0.855). HA caliber measurements on mSMI and CE-mSMI strongly correlated with CHI ( R = 0.785, 0.798, P < 0.001), while mean HA length on mSMI was significantly longer than on CDI (1.88 ± 0.83 vs. 1.42 ± 1.01cm, P = 0.004), and even longer on CE-mSMI (vs. 3.28 ± 1.11 cm, P < 0.001). Conclusion The mSMI technique shows good reproducibility and correlates well with currently used methods for postoperative evaluation of HA in LT recipients. It is further improved by administration of an US contrast agent.
Measurement of third-order elastic constants and stress dependent coefficients for steels
Authors: Takahashi Sennosuke 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
Background
There has been little discussion of the third-order elastic constants of steels in the literature until now. In this study, the precise second- and third-order elastic constants of polycrystalline steels were measured under adiabatic and isothermal conditions.

Method
To measure the minute change in the propagation time of the elastic wave corresponding to the tensile stress, the uniform and isotropic specimens were processed with high precision, the measuring instruments were strictly calibrated, and the temperature of the measurement chamber was kept constant. The author proposes an experimental formula to obtain the third-order elastic constants of steels. The stress dependent coefficients α
ij
in this formula are absolutely necessary to obtain the third-order elastic constants.

Results
The obtained stress dependent coefficients clearly indicated that there is a special relationship between the directions of stress and that of the oscillation of the elastic wave. When the frequency direction of the elastic wave matched the direction of the applied stress, α
ij
became a larger negative value. Lamè constants and Murnaghan’s third-order elastic constants ℓ,m,n were obtained for four types of steels.

Conclusions
The second- and third-order elastic constants under adiabatic conditions were smaller than those under isothermal conditions. Oscillation of crystal lattice is nonlinear and this is observed as the third-order elastic constants. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the knowledge on the internal stress and the thermal properties of the materials. This is also the basis of theoretical discussion of the thermal expansion coefficients.