bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sequential Therapy for Remission Induction in Severe Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody-Associated Glomerulonephritis
Authors: Kant Sam , Habbach Amr , Gapud Eric J. , Manno Rebecca L. , Gattu Rishma , Seo Philips , Geetha Duvuru 
Published: October 2019

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The introduction of combination therapy with glucocorticoids (GC) and cyclophosphamide (CYC) or rituximab (RTX) has resulted in remission rates exceeding 90% in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). However, early treatment-related mortality remains a major concern and has driven the search for safer induction regimens exploring minimization or avoidance of GC and CYC. Most trials have excluded patients with severe renal disease. We report the outcomes of AAV patients with severe renal disease treated with sequential therapy (ST) starting with (GC) and oral (CYC) followed by transition to (RTX). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Patients with new or relapsing severe AAV who presented with severe renal disease and/or rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) were identified. RPGN was defined as at least a 20% decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over a 2-week period along with hematuria and proteinuria. Induction treatment included pulse (GC) for 3 days followed by oral prednisone tapered to 5 mg by month 6, oral (CYC) adjusted for GFR until improvement in Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), and serum creatinine at which point (CYC) was stopped and induction dose of (RTX) was given. Use of plasmapheresis (PLEX) was allowed. The primary outcome was complete remission defined as BVAS of zero by 6 months. Descriptive data are presented as median with range and mean with SD. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Nine patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age at diagnosis was 63 years. The majority were females, myeloperoxidase ANCA positive, and had a new diagnosis. The mean nadir (SD) eGFR was 12 (5) with 3 requiring dialysis. The median BVAS at the time of diagnosis was 15. All patients received ST and 3 received PLEX. The median exposure to oral CYC was 35 days. The mean (SD) eGFR and median BVAS were 26 (12) and 3, respectively, at the time of switching to RTX. The median prednisone dose at 6M was 5 mg. The median follow-up was 44 months. All patients achieved remission. One patient with relapsing disease reached ESRD. The mean (SD) eGFR in the remaining 8 patients at last FU was 37 (27), and the mean (SD) eGFR rise at 1 year was 26 (25). Adverse events included 2 patients with pneumonia and 3 with bone marrow suppression. There were no deaths. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> ST with GC and CYC followed by RTX is effective for in AAV patients with severe renal disease. Therapy-related adverse events are comparable to other studies, and further modification in ST with decrease in GC dosage should be explored.
Spatial Expressions of Ascetic Tendencies in the Qurʾan
Authors: Mortensen Mette Bjerregaard 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIn this article, I propose viewing the early Qurʾanic movement as an expression of strong ascetic tendencies. More specifically, I suggest seeing aspects of Qurʾanic rhetorics as offering a specifically spatial expression to broader ascetic tendencies that characterized late antiquity as a whole, and which may be labeled “axial,” insofar as they can be traced back to the middle of the first millennium B.C.E., i.e., to the period coined by Karl Jaspers and others as “the Axial Age.” In the Qurʾan, rhetoric about striving for religious perfection takes on a spatial and horizontal expression, since the soteriological aspirations are formulated, to a certain extent, as a spatial ambition of “going out in the way of God.” As I suggest here, spatial imagery constitutes a prevalent theme throughout the Qurʾan and, based on an analysis of a number of examples, I argue that this spatial rhetoric indicates ascetic tendencies within the early Qurʾanic movement. The Qurʾan’s articulation of the tension between the believers and the surrounding world, including the tension between the muhājirūn (emigrants) and “those who stay behind,” is a prevalent theme throughout the text. This suggests that ascetic piety should be enacted spatially. In the last section of the article, I discuss the apparent change in semantics of two Qurʾanic terms that suggests the later Islamic exegetical tradition appears to favor an interpretation of these terms that allows for a more settled mentality and “stationary piety.”
Effects of Ocean Slow Response under Low Warming Targets
Authors: Long Shang-Min , Xie Shang-Ping , Du Yan , Liu Qinyu , Zheng Xiao-Tong , Huang Gang , Hu Kai-Ming , Ying Jun 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThe 2015 Paris Agreement proposed targets to limit global-mean surface temperature (GMST) rise well below 2°C relative to preindustrial level by 2100, requiring a cease in the radiative forcing (RF) increase in the near future. In response to changing RF, the deep ocean responds slowly (ocean slow response), in contrast to the fast ocean mixed layer adjustment. The role of the ocean slow response under low warming targets is investigated using representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6 simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. In RCP2.6, the deep ocean continues to warm while RF decreases after reaching a peak. The deep ocean warming helps to shape the trajectories of GMST and fuels persistent thermosteric sea level rise. A diagnostic method is used to decompose further changes after the RF peak into a slow warming component under constant peak RF and a cooling component due to the decreasing RF. Specifically, the slow warming component amounts to 0.2°C (0.6°C) by 2100 (2300), raising the hurdle for achieving the low warming targets. When RF declines, the deep ocean warming takes place in all basins but is the most pronounced in the Southern Ocean and Atlantic Ocean where surface heat uptake is the largest. The climatology and change of meridional overturning circulation are both important for the deep ocean warming. To keep the GMST rise at a low level, substantial decrease in RF is required to offset the warming effect from the ocean slow response.
Incorporating Climate Nonstationarity and Snowmelt Processes in Intensity–Duration–Frequency Analyses with Case Studies in Mountainous Areas
Authors: Hou Zhangshuan , Ren Huiying , Sun Ning , Wigmosta Mark S. , Liu Ying , Leung L. Ruby , Yan Hongxiang , Skaggs Richard , Coleman Andre 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Downscaled high-resolution climate simulations were used to provide inputs to the physics-based Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM), which accounts for the combined effects of snowmelt and rainfall processes, to determine spatially distributed available water for runoff (AWR). After quasi-stationary time windows were identified based on model outputs extracted for two different mountainous field sites in Colorado and California, intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves for precipitation and AWR were generated and evaluated at each numerical grid to provide guidance on hydrological infrastructure design. Impacts of snowmelt are found to be spatially variable due to spatial heterogeneity associated with topography according to geostatistical analyses. AWR extremes have stronger spatial continuity compared to precipitation. Snowmelt impacts on AWR are more pronounced at the wet California site than at the semiarid Colorado site. The sensitivities of AWR and precipitation IDFs to increasing greenhouse gas emissions are found to be localized and spatially variable. In subregions with significant snowfall, snowmelt can result in an AWR (e.g., 6-h 100-yr events) that is 70% higher than precipitation. For comparison, future greenhouse gas emissions may increase 6-h 100-yr precipitation and AWR by up to 50% and 80%, respectively, toward the end of this century.
The ANT Executive Control Index: No Evidence for Temporal Decrement
Authors: Zholdassova Manzura , Kustubayeva Almira , Matthews Gerald 
Published: October 2019

Objective This study tested whether indices of executive control, alertness, and orienting measured with Attention Network Test (ANT) are vulnerable to temporal decrement in performance. Background Developing the resource theory of sustained attention requires identifying neurocognitive processes vulnerable to decrement. Executive control processes may be prone to impairment in fatigue states. Such processes are also highlighted in alternative theories. Determining the role of executive control in vigilance can both advance theory and contribute to practical countermeasures for decrement in human factors contexts. Method In Study 1, 80 participants performed the standard ANT for an extended duration of about 55 to 60 min. Study 2 (160 participants) introduced manipulations of trial blocking and stimulus degradation intended to increase resource depletion. Reaction time and accuracy measures were analyzed. Subjective stress and workload were assessed in both studies. Results In both studies, the ANT induced levels of subjective workload and task disengagement consistent with previous sustained attention studies. No systematic decrement in any performance measure was observed. Conclusion Executive control assessed by the ANT is not highly vulnerable to temporal decrement, even when task demands are elevated. Future work should differentiate executive control processes; proactive control may be more implicated in sustained attention decrement than in reactive control. Application Designing systems and interfaces to reduce executive control demands may be generally beneficial but will not directly mitigate temporal performance decrement. Enhancing design guidelines and neuroergonomic methods for monitoring operator attention requires further work to identify key neurocognitive processes for decrement.
Should You Follow the Better‐Hearing Ear for Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection and Isolated Sensorineural Hearing Loss?
Authors: Torrecillas Vanessa , Allen Chelsea M. , Greene Tom , Park Albert , Chung Winnie , Lanzieri Tatiana M. , Demmler‐Harrison Gail 
Published: October 2019

ObjectiveTo describe the progression of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in the better‐ and poorer‐hearing ears in children with asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with isolated SNHL.Study DesignLongitudinal prospective cohort study.SettingTertiary medical center.Subjects and MethodsWe analyzed hearing thresholds of the better‐ and poorer‐hearing ears of 16 CMV‐infected patients with isolated congenital/early‐onset or delayed‐onset SNHL identified through hospital‐based CMV screening of >30,000 newborns from 1982 to 1992.ResultsBy 12 months of age, 4 of 7 patients with congenital/early‐onset SNHL developed worsening thresholds in the poorer‐hearing ear, and 1 had an improvement in the better‐hearing ear. By 18 years of age, all 7 patients had worsening thresholds in the poorer‐hearing ear and 3 patients had worsening thresholds in the better‐hearing ear. Hearing loss first worsened at a mean age of 2 and 6 years in the poorer‐ and better‐hearing ears, respectively. Nine patients were diagnosed with delayed‐onset SNHL (mean age of 9 years vs 12 years for the poorer‐ and better‐hearing ears), 6 of whom had worsening thresholds in the poorer‐hearing ear and 1 in both ears.ConclusionIn most children with congenital CMV infection and isolated SNHL, the poorer‐hearing ear worsened earlier and more precipitously than the better‐hearing ear. This study suggests that monitoring individual hearing thresholds in both ears is important for appropriate interventions and future evaluation of efficacy of antiviral treatment.
Plasma Ablation–Assisted Endoscopic Management of Postintubation Laryngotracheal Stenosis: An Alternate Tool for Management
Authors: Virk Ramandeep Singh , Bansal Sandeep , Nayak Gyanaranjan , P Lokesh 
Published: October 2019

The current study was conducted to highlight the use of plasma ablation as a promising method in management of adult laryngotracheal stenosis. We present our institutional experience with a minimum follow‐up of 6 months. Seventy adult patients with acquired postintubation laryngotracheal stenosis were included. Efficacy and clinical outcomes of plasma ablation in endoscopic management and eventual decannulation rate were studied. Number of patients with Myer‐Cotton stenosis grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 20, 25, 18, and 7, respectively. The mean number of surgical interventions required in each grade of stenosis were 1, 2, 3.8, and 4, respectively. Overall, 47 patients (67%) were without tracheotomy by the end of 6 months. Plasma ablation is an effective treatment option for adult laryngotracheal stenosis, with a better success rate for lower‐grade stenosis. It has lesser complications and requires fewer surgical interventions.
Genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes is associated with severity of coronary artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndromes
Authors: Zheng Qiwen , Jiang Jie , Huo Yong , Chen Dafang 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Background
Accumulating evidence has shown that type 2 diabetes (T2D) and coronary artery disease (CAD) may stem from a ‘common soil’. The aim of our study was to examine the association between genetic predisposition to T2D and the risk of severe CAD among patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing angiography.

Methods
The current case–control study included 1414 ACS patients with at least one major epicardial vessel stenosis > 50% enrolled in the ACS Genetic Study. The severity of CAD was quantified by the number of coronary arteries involved. Genetic risk score (GRS) was calculated using 41 common variants that robustly associated with increased risk of T2D in East Asians. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between GRS and the severity of CAD.

Results
In the age-, sex- and BMI-adjusted model, each additional risk allele was associated with a 6% increased risk of multi-vessel disease (OR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.09). The OR was 1.43 (95% CI 1.08–1.89) for the risk of severe CAD when comparing the extreme tertiles of T2D-GRS. The association was not reduced after further adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Additional adjustment for T2D status in our regression model attenuated the association by approximately one quarter. In subgroup analysis, the strengths of the associations between GRS and the severity of CAD were broadly similar in terms of baseline demographic information and disease characteristics.

Conclusions
Our data indicated that genetic predisposition to T2D is associated with elevated risk of severe CAD. This association revealed a possible causal relationship and is partially mediated through diabetic status.
Engaging patients and the public in Health Research: experiences, perceptions and training needs among Manitoba health researchers
Authors: Crockett Leah K. , Shimmin Carolyn , Wittmeier Kristy D. M. , Sibley Kathryn M. 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Background
The significance of patient and public engagement is increasingly recognized in health research, demonstrated by explicit requirements for patient and public engagement by funding agencies and journals. Such requirements have charged health researchers with leading patient and public engagement efforts, but evidence suggests that this practice is still evolving. Little research has explored the experiences and training needs of health researchers. This study aimed to establish a baseline understanding of the experiences, perceptions and training needs of health researchers in engaging patients and the public in health research in the context of Manitoba.

Methods
A cross-sectional 50-item questionnaire was distributed using a multi-phase purposive sampling strategy targeting health researchers in Manitoba, Canada. Data was summarized using frequencies, percentages and analyzed using chi-square testing. A local patient engagement advisory group was consulted at the interpretation stage of the study to obtain feedback and input on the findings and their implications.

Results
Responses from 53 health researchers were included. Most participants had engaged patients and the public in their own research (n = 43, 81.1%). Those who had engaged reported having some (n = 19, 44.2%), extensive (n = 14, 32.6%) or a little (n = 10, 23.3%) experience with this process. Most engaged at the levels of inform, consult or involve (81.3, 64.6 and 54.2% respectively), while fewer engaged at the collaborate (37.5%) or patient-directed levels (12.5%). Recruitment occurred using a number of approaches and engagement occurred at various phases of the research process, while main groups engaged were patients (n = 38, 82.6%) and families/caregivers (n = 25, 54.4%). Barriers to engaging patients and the public in health research included funding, time, compensation, logistics, recruitment, motivation at both the patient and researcher level, and skills of researchers to engage. Researchers reported an overwhelming need and interest for supports, funding and training to effectively engage patients and the public in health research. Consultation with the patient advisory group provided further insight on study findings and areas for future research.

Conclusions
Participating Manitoba health researchers engaged patients and the public in health research at multiple, but typically lower levels of involvement. Findings highlight the barriers to effective, authentic and meaningful patient and public engagement and support the need for targeted training, supports, funding and time for health researchers.
RETRACTED: Identification and delineation of potash deposits in Saskatchewan, Canada using pulsed radar technology
Authors: Stove Gordon , Robinson Michael , Fourie Louis , Neufeld Paul , Ferguson Mike 
Published: October 2019

Editorial notice: This article has been retracted. See the associated retraction notice here . Saskatchewan, Canada, contains almost half of the world’s known potash deposits, within the Middle Devonian Prairie Evaporite Formation. As the global demand for potash increases, so does the need for faster, greener and cheaper methods of potash identification and extraction. The primary methods for exploration and development of potash include traditional 2D and 3D seismic methods, along with exploration drilling, downhole geophysical logging, coring, and assays for geological interpretation. One challenge with existing seismic geophysical methods in potash exploration is the difficulty in differentiating the responses and interpretation between the evaporite (sylvinite and halite (NaCl)) beds which are intermittently deposited within the Prairie Evaporite Formation. We field tested a new pulsed radar method for subsurface geophysical measurements at the Vanguard Area, Saskatchewan, to demonstrate whether subsurface evaporties could be directly identified non-invasively from ground level. In the Vanguard Area, the Prairie Evaporite Formation occurs at a depth of approximately 1500 m below ground surface (BGS). Achieving deep penetration of the transmitted pulsed radar wave packets, whilst discerning the materials from which the reflected wave packets (containing difference frequency and energy levels) bounced back from, was another scientific challenge. Following robust testing and due diligence on the method, we have been able to confirm that the pulsed radar method is capable of identifying broad lithological zones, differentiating halite units from sylvinite units (the potash-bearing members) within the Prairie Evaporite Formation, and also differentiating individual sub-members within each major potash member. A high-level identification of potash grade (%KCl) of the potash sub-members was also assessed. Based on this preliminary work, the results presented provide significant evidence and resulting confidence in the promise of utilizing the pulsed radar technology for successful identification and delineation of potash deposits
The train is always arriving: Nostalgic remediation in Remembrance
Authors: Kilbourn Russell J. A. 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
In Remembrance's distinctively Canadian transposition of Chris Marker's La Jetée, mnemonist Alfred Graves escapes a comparable recursivity by following the woman who triggered the flashback in the first place. In the end he escapes the bounds of the short film genre as the protagonist of the TV series X Company.
30 Systematic Review on Viral Hepatitis-Induced Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Imam Zaid , Simons-Linares Roberto , Chahal Prabhleen 
Published: October 2019

INTRODUCTION:
Viral hepatitis that concomitantly causes acute pancreatitis (AP) has been reported but not comprehensively studied. We sought to investigate the frequency of viral hepatitis that concomitantly causes AP, its impact on AP and the clinical features of the disease.

METHODS:
A comprehensive review of PubMed's database of English language until April 12th, 2019 was performed using all relevant MeSH (medical subject headings) keywords. AP diagnosis and severity were defined as per the Revised Atlanta Classification (RAC). Viral infections were diagnosed by serology and/or histology. A diagnosis of viral infection, with a concurrent AP diagnosis, a temporal resolution of both entities and the attempt to exclude the most common etiologies of AP defined viral induced AP. Graft pancreatitis studies and non-English publications were excluded. Two independent blinded reviewers (Z.I, C.R.S.L.) reviewed the publications. Bias risk was assessed with the Murad tool derived from the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

RESULTS:
71 cases of viral hepatitis causing concomitant AP were found. 20 AP cases were attributed to Hepatitis A virus (HAV), 16 AP cases to Hepatitis B virus (HBV), and 35 AP cases to Hepatitis E virus (HEV). Mean ages were 24.3 ± 1.9, 40.5 ± 3.1, and 31.5 ± 3.05 for HAV, HBV, HEV cases respectively. Male to female ratio were 2.25:1, 4.33:1 and 8:1 respectively. 37.5% of HBV AP patients were immunocompromised (IC). Latency of AP from jaundice onset was 6.7 (range: 0–21), 11.9 (0–60), 8.8 (0–37) days respectively. Mean AST levels were 1042 (44–5520), 1550 (514–3200), 362 (71–3690) and ALT levels were 1406 (20–6680), 1894 (72–7521), 1093 (103–5214) respectively. AP severity: mild and moderately severe AP were reported in 80% of HAV-attributed cases, 31.3% of HBV-attributed cases and 82.9% of HEV-attributed cases. Severe AP was reported in 20%, 66.7% and 14.3% of HAV, HBV and HEV-attributed cases respectively. Mortality was reported in 25% of HAV-attributed cases, 56.3% of HBV-attributed cases and 11.8% of HEV-attributed cases. Only one case of HCV-attributed AP was reported. Findings are summarized in Table 1.

CONCLUSION:
Viral hepatitis causing concomitant AP is a rare entity and outcomes vary depending on the type of hepatitis virus. HEV AP appears to have a male predominance. Over one-third of HBV attributed AP occurred in IC patients, with higher mortality. Direct acinar injury by active viral replication has been suggested as the mechanism of injury.