bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of cardiac resynchronisation therapy in patients with heart failure with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Mustafa Usman , Atkins Jessica , Mina George , Dawson Desiree , Vanchiere Catherine , Duddyala Narendra , Jones Ryan , Reddy Pratap , Dominic Paari 
Published: March 2019

BackgroundCardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is beneficial in selected patients with heart failure (HF) in normal sinus rhythm (NSR). We sought to evaluate the impact of CRT with or without atrioventricular junction (AVJ) ablation in patients with HF with concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF)Methods and resultsLiterature was searched (inception through 30 August 2017) for observational studies that reported outcomes in patients with HF with CRT and AF that reported all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Thirty-one studies with 83, 571 patients were included. CRT did not decrease mortality compared with internal cardioverter defibrillator or medical therapy alone in patients with HF and AF with indications for CRT (OR: 0.851, 95% CI 0.616 to 1.176, p=0.328, I2=86.954). CRT-AF patients had significantly higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality than CRT-NSR patients ([OR: 1.472, 95% CI 1.301 to 1.664, p=0.000] and [OR: 1.857, 95% CI 1.350 to 2.554, p=0.000] respectively). Change in left ventricular ejection fraction was not different between CRT patients with and without AF (p=0.705). AVJ ablation, however, improved all-cause mortality in CRT-AF patients when compared with CRT-AF patients without AVJ ablation (OR: 0.485, 95% CI 0.247 to 0.952, p=0.035). With AVJ ablation, there was no difference in all-cause mortality in CRT-AF patients compared with CRT-NSR patients (OR: 1.245, 95% CI 0.914 to 1.696, p=0.165).ConclusionThe results of our meta-analysis suggest that AF was associated with decreased CRT benefits in patients with HF. CRT, however, benefits patients with AF with AVJ ablation.
Automorphisms of a generalized extraspecial ℚ-group and its extension
Authors: Wang Yulei , Liu Heguo 
Published: March 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a set of primes and [Formula: see text] be a ring consisting of all rational numbers as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are coprime, [Formula: see text] is a [Formula: see text]-number. The additive group of [Formula: see text] is denoted by [Formula: see text]. Suppose that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are two sets of primes and [Formula: see text] is a nonzero integer. Let [Formula: see text] be a generalized extraspecial [Formula: see text]-group as follows: [Formula: see text] Suppose that [Formula: see text] is a direct product of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] copies of [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be the normal subgroup of [Formula: see text] consisting of all elements of [Formula: see text] which act trivially on the derived subgroup [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] be the normal subgroup of [Formula: see text] consisting of all central automorphisms of [Formula: see text] which also act trivially on the center [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]. Then, (i) The extension [Formula: see text] is split; (ii) [Formula: see text]; (iii) If [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]; If [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
Revision of the subgenus Metaeuops Legalov of Euops Schoenherr (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea, Attelabidae) from the Papuan region
Authors: RIEDEL ALEXANDER 
Published: March 2019

The subgenus Metaeuops Legalov (stat.n.) of Euops Schoenherr is revised. The group is restricted to New Guinea and some small neighboring islands. It contains four previously described species: E. coelestinus Pascoe, E. ruficornis Voss, E. tibialis Voss, and E. violaceus Pascoe, and 14 new species: Euops arfakensis sp. n., E. biru sp. n., E. coeruleus sp. n., E. curvipes sp. n., E. illegalovi sp. n., E. judithae sp. n., E. oops sp. n., E. paratibialis sp. n., E. piceus sp. n., E. dintelmanni sp. n., E. ratcliffei sp. n., E. swartensis sp. n., E. tenuiflagellaris sp. n. and Euops torricelliensis sp. n.. Euops ruficornis Voss, formerly a subspecies of E. femoralis Voss, is recognized as a distinct species without any close relationship to E. femoralis Voss. Lectotypes are designated for E. coelestinus Pascoe, E. ruficornis Voss, E. tibialis Voss, and E. violaceus Pascoe. All species are described, and the characters relevant for their identification, especially the male genitalia, are illustrated. A key to the species is provided. A cladistic analysis is performed that confirms the monophyly of Metaeuops. The most important apomorphy of the group is a pair of sclerites in the mid portion of the male endophallus. Two additional characters imply secondary reduction in a few species: the subtriangular mesotibia of the males and a siphon-like extension of the female spermatheca. The original description of Metaeuops by Legalov contained contradictions between the diagnostic characters proposed and the characters present in the type species. Therefore, the concept of the genus is here modified.
Vertical Structure and Microphysical Characteristics of Frontal Systems Passing over a Three-Dimensional Coastal Mountain Range
Authors: Zagrodnik Joseph P. , McMurdie Lynn A. , Houze Robert A. , Tanelli Simone 
Published: March 2019

AbstractAs midlatitude cyclones pass over a coastal mountain range, the processes producing their clouds and precipitation are modified, leading to considerable spatial variability in precipitation amount and composition. Statistical diagrams of airborne precipitation radar transects, surface precipitation measurements, and particle size distributions are examined from nine cases observed during the Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX). Although the pattern of windward enhancement and leeside diminishment of precipitation was omnipresent, the degree of modulation was largely controlled by the synoptic environment associated with the prefrontal, warm, and postfrontal sectors of midlatitude cyclones. Prefrontal sectors contained homogeneous stratiform precipitation with a slightly enhanced ice layer on the windward slopes and rapid diminishment to a near-complete rain shadow in the lee. Warm sectors contained deep, intense enhancement over both the windward slopes and high terrain and less prominent rain shadows owing to downstream spillover of ice particles generated over terrain. Surface particle size distributions in the warm sector contained a broad spectrum of sizes and concentrations of raindrops on the lower windward side where high precipitation rates were achieved from varying degrees of both liquid and ice precipitation-generating processes. Spillover precipitation was rather homogeneous in nature and lacked the undulations in particle size and concentration that occurred at the windward sites. Postfrontal precipitation transitioned from isolated convective cells over ocean to a shallow, mixed convective–stratiform composition with broader coverage and greater precipitation rates over the sloping terrain.
Tidal Conversion and Dissipation at Steep Topography in a Channel Poleward of the Critical Latitude
Authors: Hughes Kenneth G. , Klymak Jody M. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn high-latitude fjords and channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, walls support radiating internal tides as Kelvin waves. Such waves allow for significant barotropic to baroclinic tidal energy conversion, which is otherwise small or negligible when poleward of the critical latitude. This fundamentally three-dimensional system of a subinertial channel is investigated with a suite of numerical simulations in rectangular channels of varying width featuring idealized, isolated ridges. Even in channels as wide as 5 times the internal Rossby radius, tidal conversion can remain as high as predicted by an equivalent two-dimensional, nonrotating system. Curves of tidal conversion as a function of channel width, however, do not vary monotonically. Instead, they display peaks and nulls owing to interference between the Kelvin waves along the wall and similar waves that propagate along the ridge flanks, the wavelengths of which can be estimated from linear theory to guide prediction. Because the wavelengths are comparable to width scales of Arctic channels and fjords, the interference will play a first-order role in tidal energy budgets and may consequently influence the stability of glaciers, the ventilation of deep layers, the locations of sediment deposition, and the fate of freshwater exiting the Arctic Ocean.
Mesoscale SST Dynamics in the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension Region
Authors: Jing Zhao , Chang Ping , Shan Xuan , Wang Shengpeng , Wu Lixin , Kurian Jaison 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMesoscale eddies have been extensively studied based on the sea surface height anomaly (SSHA). However, it is the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) that is vital to the mesoscale eddy–atmosphere interactions. In this study, we analyze the amplitude relationship between SSHA and SSTA (referred to as the H-T amplitude relationship) in the Kuroshio–Oyashio extension (KOE) region using both observational and reanalysis data. It is found that the spatial distribution of mesoscale SSHA variance is not coincident with mesoscale SSTA variance. The former peaks in the Kuroshio extension around 35°N whereas the latter is strongest in the Oyashio extension around 40°N. Regression analyses indicate that the rate of SSTA change per SSHA change is 1.8°C m−1 in the Kuroshio extension (145°–160°E, 34°–36°N) but increases drastically by a factor of 3–4 to 6.2°C m−1 in the Oyashio extension (145°–160°E, 39°–41°N). A theoretical expression for the H-T amplitude relationship is derived. Analyzing this expression suggests that the stronger H-T amplitude relationship in the Oyashio extension than the Kuroshio extension is mainly attributed to 1) the smaller thermal expansion coefficient due to the colder background SST, 2) the stronger salinity compensation effect that works against the contribution of SSTA change to sea surface density anomaly (SSDA) change, and 3) the shallower vertical structure of mesoscale eddies. The second factor is ascribed to the strong surface salinity front in the Oyashio extension, while the third factor is found to be qualitatively consistent with the shallower baroclinically unstable modes due to the shallower density front there.
Exploring the spatial relationship between primary road distance to antenatal clinics and HIV prevalence in pregnant females of Lilongwe, Malawi
Authors: Amuquandoh Amy , Escamilla Veronica , Mofolo Innocent , Rosenberg Nora E 
Published: March 2019

While urbanization in a sub-Saharan African (SSA) context can lead to greater independence in women, various sociological, biological, and geographical factors in urban areas may keep women at a higher risk for HIV than men. Access to major roads during Malawi’s transition into rapid urbanization may leave women disproportionately vulnerable to HIV infection. It is not well established whether women who report to health clinics closer to major roads have higher or lower levels of HIV. In this study we explored the spatial heterogeneity of HIV prevalence among pregnant females in Lilongwe District, Malawi. Using Geographic Information Systems, we visually represented patterns of HIV prevalence in relation to primary roads. HIV prevalence data for 2015 were obtained from 44 antenatal clinics (ANC) in Lilongwe District. ANC prevalence data were aggregated to the administrative area and mapped. Euclidean distance between clinics and two primary roads that run through Lilongwe District were measured. A correlation was run to assess the relationship between area-level ANC HIV prevalence and clinic distance to the nearest primary road. ANC HIV prevalence ranged from 0% to 10.3%. Clinic to major road distance ranged from 0.1 to 35 km. Correlation results ( r= −0.622, p = 0.002) revealed a significant negative relationship between clinic distance to primary road and HIV prevalence, indicating that the farther the clinics stood from primary roads, the lower the reported antenatal HIV prevalence. Overall, the clinic catchments through which the major roads run reported higher ANC HIV prevalence. Antenatal HIV prevalence decreases as ANC distance from primary roads increases in Lilongwe, Malawi. As urbanization continues to grow in this region, road distance may serve as a good indicator of HIV burden and help to guide targeted prevention and treatment efforts.
Some Recent Cases in the Bottom of the Pyramid Concept: Lessons from India
Authors: Gupta Ananda Das 
Published: March 2019

Ethical concerns, challenges and problems are an integral part of every business endeavour because at the core of all business activity, there is the fundamental and natural tension between buyer and seller. Regardless of country, culture, income level, market served, product or service category, high or low tech, this tension is there, raising ethical questions that must be addressed. As has been emphasized above, engaging in business with the world’s poorest consumers towards the goal of eradicating global poverty creates its own unique set of ethical problems. Engagement with the base of the pyramid (BOP) markets can be successful only if the core elements of CSR are understood and incorporated into the BOP strategy. Satisfactory profits are essential, and the financial interest of shareholders can never be forgotten or neglected, but there are other stakeholders who must be considered as well. Indeed, engaging with the BOP creates an especially sensitive and complex stakeholder map. The ‘inclusive growth’ as a strategy of economic development received attention owing to growing concern that the benefits of economic growth have not been equitably shared. Growth is inclusive when it creates economic opportunities along with ensuring equal access to them.
Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use in older patients with multiple myeloma, related to fall risk and autonomous neuropathy
Authors: Umıt Elif G , Baysal Mehmet , Bas Volkan , Asker Ismail , Kırkızlar Onur , Demır Ahmet M 
Published: March 2019

Purpose Multiple myeloma is a chronic, uncurable hematological cancer with the involvement of multiple organ systems. As a disease affecting older patients, the treatment of multiple myeloma should be based on individual patient characteristics. Polypharmacy is an increasing problem in the care of older patients and in patients with multiple myeloma, polypharmacy is almost inevitable. We aimed to evaluate the applicability of polypharmacy definitions and the relation of polypharmacy with disease outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma. Methods Eighty patients older than 65 years and diagnosed with multiple myeloma were retrospectively enrolled. Patient files, prescriptions, evaluations for polypharmacy were determined according to Beers and START/STOPP criteria. Outcomes were recorded from files in terms of fractures, autonomous neuropathy, and renal functions. Results Polypharmacy with ≥4 drugs was observed in 65 patients while polypharmacy with ≥5 drugs was observed in 51 patients. Autonomous neuropathy, polypharmacy with more than four or five medications, and use of multiple medications in the same category were related with poor ECOG performance status in women, while prolonged use of benzodiazepines and central nervous system (CNS) affecting drugs and inappropriate polypharmacy were more frequent in men with poor ECOG performance status. The majority of patients aged 75–84 years were observed to use inappropriate polypharmacy. Autonomous neuropathy and fall risk were observed to be significantly related with inappropriate polypharmacy. Conclusions Drugs affecting balance and perception should be reconsidered in patients with multiple myeloma.
Hospital Care and Surgical Treatment of Children With Congenital Upper Limb Defects
Authors: Koskimies-Virta E. , Helenius I. , Pakkasjärvi N. , Nietosvaara Y. 
Published: March 2019

Background and Aims: To evaluate hospital care of children with congenital upper limb defects. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and sixty-two children with an upper limb defect, born 1993–2005, and alive after birth admission were identified in the Finnish Register of Congenital Malformations. The data on hospital care, with focus on operative treatment, were collected from the National Hospital Discharge Register, until 31 December 2009. Mean follow-up was 10.2 years (range: 4–17 years). The results were compared with data on the whole children population (1.1 million) in Finland. Results: Most children (321, 87%) with upper limb defects had hospital admissions: on average, one admission/year (range: 0–36), and they were treated in hospital 5 days/year (range: 0–150), which is 11-fold compared with an average child in Finland. Four surgical procedures/child were done (range: 0–45), including one hand surgical procedure. The most common procedures were orthopedic (513); gastrointestinal (263); ear, nose, and throat (143); dental (118); thoracic (48); and urologic (44). Of the 513 orthopedic procedures, 326 were directed to upper limbs, 107 to the lower limbs, and 10 to the spine. Median operation age was 2 years 7 months. Altogether, 60% of hospital admissions were non-surgical. Leading causes of non-operative hospital admissions were congenital anomalies (32%), gastroenterological problems (20%), respiratory tract conditions (13%), neurological problems (7%), perinatal conditions (5%), and infectious diseases (5%). Conclusion: Treatment of children with upper limb defects is teamwork between pediatric and surgical subspecialties. Burden of hospital care is 11-fold as compared with an average child.
Endovascular therapy versus femoropopliteal bypass surgery for medium-length TASC II B and C lesions of the superficial femoral artery: An observational propensity-matched analysis
Authors: Vossen RJ , Vahl AC , Fokkema TM , Leijdekkers VJ , van Swijndregt AD Montauban , Balm R 
Published: March 2019

Objectives This study was designed to compare clinical outcomes of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with optional stenting (PTA/s) and femoropopliteal bypass (FPB) surgery as primary invasive treatment in patients with medium-length superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective, observational analysis in all consecutive patients who had undergone initial invasive treatment for medium-length, TASC II B and TASC II C, SFA lesions from 2004 to 2015. Primary endpoints were primary and secondary clinical patency. Secondary endpoints were complication rates and number of amputations. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to compare patency rates in the two treatment groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to adjust for confounding variables and propensity score matching analysis was used to balance treatment groups. Results A total of 362 patients with a mean observation period of 4.0 years (SD ± 2.6) were analyzed. In this group, 231 patients (64%) underwent PTA/s and 131 patients (36%) FPB surgery. There was no difference in primary clinical patency at one-, three- and five-year follow-up between the PTA/s and FPB group, with rates of 79% vs. 63%, 53% vs. 78% and 71% vs. 66%, respectively ( P = 0.46). Secondary clinical patency estimates were comparable, resulting in one-, three- and five-year secondary clinical patency rates of 88%, 76% and 67% in the PTA/s group versus 88%, 80% and 79% in the bypass group ( P = 0.40). Multivariate analysis revealed no significant differences between the PTA/s and FPB groups in terms of primary clinical patency (HR 1.4; 95% CI 0.9–2.2) and secondary clinical patency (HR 1.7; 95% CI 0.9–2.9). This was confirmed in the propensity score analysis. Hospital stay (4.8 vs. 10.3 days) and complication rate (2.6% vs. 18.3%) were significantly lower in the PTA/s group ( P = 0.00). The number of amputations was comparable ( P = 0.75). Conclusions The clinical success of endovascular therapy and surgery for medium-length SFA lesions is comparable. Taking into account the lower morbidity rate, shorter length of hospital stay and the less invasive character of PTA/s compared with bypass surgery, patients with medium-length SFA lesions are ideally treated by an endovascular-first approach.
Nickel nanoparticles inside carbon nanostructures: atomistic simulation
Authors: Safina Liliya R. , Baimova Julia A. , Mulyukov Radik R. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractNi nanoparticle on a graphene substrate, inside the fullerene and carbon nanotube was studied by molecular dynamics simulation technique. Morse interatomic potential have been used for Ni-Ni and Ni-C interactions, and AIREBO potential has been used for C-C interaction. The pairwise Morse potential was chosen for the description of the Ni–C interaction because of its simplicity. It is shown that Morse potential can satisfactory reproduce the properties of graphene-nickel system. The effect of boundary conditions on the interaction of Ni nanoparticle and graphene sheet are investigated. It is shown, that if the edges of graphene plane are set to be free, coverage of Ni nanoparticle by graphene or just crumpling of graphene is observed depending on the size of nanoparticle. It is found, that Ni nanoparticle tend to attach to the carbon surface - graphene plane or the shell of fullerene and nanotube. Moreover, Ni nanoparticle induce the deformation of the surface of carbon polymorph. The obtained results are potentially important for understanding of the fabrication of metal-carbon composites and interaction between graphene and metal nanoparticles in such a system.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Hepatitis B Virus Screening and Management in Patients With Hematologic or Solid Malignancies Anticipating Immunosuppressive Cancer Therapy
Authors: Hwang Jessica P. , Huang Danmeng , Vierling John M. , Suarez-Almazor Maria E. , Shih Ya-Chen Tina , Chavez-MacGregor Mariana , Duan Zhigang , Giordano Sharon H. , Hershman Dawn L. , Fisch Michael J. , Cantor Scott B. 
Published: March 2019

PURPOSENational hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening recommendations for patients with cancer anticipating systemic anticancer therapy range from universal screening to screening based on risk of HBV infection, cancer therapy–specific risk of HBV reactivation, or both. We conducted cost-effectiveness analyses to identify optimal HBV screening strategies.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe constructed decision-analytic models to analyze three strategies (no screening, universal screening, and selective screening based on use of an HBV infection risk tool) for hypothetic cohorts of patients anticipating anticancer therapy at high or lower risk for HBV reactivation. Model parameters were drawn from previously published studies, the SEER-Medicare database, and other online resources. Outcomes included lifetime expected cost, quality-adjusted life expectancy, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, measured in US dollars required to gain an additional quality-adjusted life-year (QALY).RESULTSFor patients at high reactivation risk, universal screening dominated (ie, was cheaper and more effective than) the other two strategies. Universal screening was associated with a gain in life expectancy of 0.01 QALY compared with no screening and cost $76.06 less than no screening and $4.34 less than selective screening. For those at lower reactivation risk, universal screening still dominated selective screening; however, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of the universal screening strategy compared with no screening was $186,917 per QALY gained.CONCLUSIONUniversal HBV screening is cost effective and cheaper for patients receiving anticancer therapy associated with a high reactivation risk. For patients receiving anticancer therapy associated with a lower reactivation risk, universal screening is not cost effective.