bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal cohort study to determine effectiveness of a novel simulated case and feedback system to improve clinical pathway adherence in breast, lung and GI cancers
Authors: Kubal Timothy , Letson Doug G , Chiappori Alberto A , Springett Gregory M , Shimkhada Riti , Tamondong Lachica Diana , Peabody John W 
Published: September 2016

ObjectivesThis study examined whether a measurement and feedback system led to improvements in adherence to clinical pathways.DesignThe M-QURE (Moffitt—Quality, Understanding, Research and Evidence) Initiative was introduced in 2012 to enhance and improve adherence to pathways at Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) in three broad clinical areas: breast, lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. M-QURE used simulated patient vignettes based on MCC's Clinical Pathways to benchmark clinician adherence and monitor change over three rounds of implementation.SettingMCC, located in Tampa, Florida, a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center.ParticipantsThree non-overlapping cohorts at MCC (one each in breast, lung and GI) totalling 48 providers participated in this study, with each member of the multidisciplinary team (composed of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons and advanced practice providers) invited to participate.InterventionsEach participant was asked to complete a set of simulated patient vignettes over three rounds within their own cancer specialty. Participants were required to complete all assigned vignettes over each of the three rounds, or they would be excluded from this study.Primary outcome measureIncreased domain and overall provider care adherence to clinical pathways, as scored by blinded physician abstractors.ResultsWe found significant improvements in pathway adherence between the third and first rounds of data collection particularly for workup and treatment of cancer cases. By clinical grouping, breast improved by 13.6% (p<0.001), and lung improved by 12.1% (p<0.001) over baseline, whereas GI showed a decrease of 1.4% (p=0.68).ConclusionsClinical pathway adherence improved in a short timeframe for breast and lung cancers using group-level measurement and individual feedback. This suggests that a measurement and feedback programme may be a useful tool to improve clinical pathway adherence.
Needle‐tract implantation after fine‐needle aspiration biopsy of a renal cell carcinoma in a dog
Authors: Livet Véronique , Sonet Juliette , Saadeh Daria , Pillard Paul , Carozzo Claude 
Published: September 2016

A seven‐year‐old neutered female Cane Corso dog was brought in emergency for black‐coloured urine associated with dysorexia for less than 24 hours. Ultrasound examination and abdominal CT scan showed a heterogeneous right renal mass and local invasion of the adjacent caudal vena cava. A percutaneous ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration biopsy of the right renal mass was performed and concluded with a renal cell carcinoma. A right nephro‐ureterectomy in conjunction with a partial resection of the vena cava was performed. Eight months postoperatively, needle‐tract implantation was observed. To the authors’ knowledge, the seeding of renal cell carcinoma on the abdominal wall after percutaneous ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration biopsy has never been reported. This rare complication should not discourage its use in the evaluation of renal mass lesions. However, practitioners should be informed about the risk of a tumour spreading along the needle tract and the need for long‐term follow‐up and control.
Are Lock-Free Concurrent Algorithms Practically Wait-Free?
Authors: Alistarh Dan , Censor-Hillel Keren , Shavit Nir 
Published: September 2016

Lock-free concurrent algorithms guarantee that some concurrent operation will always make progress in a finite number of steps. Yet programmers prefer to treat concurrent code as if it were wait-free, guaranteeing that all operations always make progress. Unfortunately, designing wait-free algorithms is generally a very complex task, and the resulting algorithms are not always efficient. Although obtaining efficient wait-free algorithms has been a long-time goal for the theory community, most nonblocking commercial code is only lock-free.
This article suggests a simple solution to this problem. We show that for a large class of lock-free algorithms, under scheduling conditions that approximate those found in commercial hardware architectures, lock-free algorithms behave as if they are wait-free. In other words, programmers can continue to design simple lock-free algorithms instead of complex wait-free ones, and in practice, they will get wait-free progress.
Our main contribution is a new way of analyzing a general class of lock-free algorithms under a stochastic scheduler. Our analysis relates the individual performance of processes to the global performance of the system using Markov chain lifting between a complex per-process chain and a simpler system progress chain. We show that lock-free algorithms are not only wait-free with probability 1 but that in fact a general subset of lock-free algorithms can be closely bounded in terms of the average number of steps required until an operation completes.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to analyze progress conditions, typically stated in relation to a worst-case adversary, in a stochastic model capturing their expected asymptotic behavior.
Dual Roles for CXCL4 Chemokines and CXCR3 in Angiogenesis and Invasion of Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Quemener Cathy , Baud Jessica , Boyé Kevin , Dubrac Alexandre , Billottet Clotilde , Soulet Fabienne , Darlot Florence , Dumartin Laurent , Sire Marie , Grepin Renaud , Daubon Thomas , Rayne Fabienne , Wodrich Harald , Couvelard Anne , Pineau Raphael , Schilling Martin , Castronovo Vincent , Sue Shih-Che , Clarke Kim , Lomri Abderrahim , Khatib Abdel-Majid , Hagedorn Martin , Prats Hervé , Bikfalvi Andreas 
Published: September 2016

Abstract
The CXCL4 paralog CXCL4L1 is a less studied chemokine that has been suggested to exert an antiangiogenic function. However, CXCL4L1 is also expressed in patient tumors, tumor cell lines, and murine xenografts, prompting a more detailed analysis of its role in cancer pathogenesis. We used genetic and antibody-based approaches to attenuate CXCL4L1 in models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Mechanisms of expression were assessed in cell coculture experiments, murine, and avian xenotransplants, including through an evaluation of CpG methylation and mutation of critical CpG residues. CXCL4L1 gene expression was increased greatly in primary and metastatic PDAC. We found that myofibroblasts triggered cues in the tumor microenvironment, which led to induction of CXCL4L1 in tumor cells. CXCL4L1 expression was also controlled by epigenetic modifications at critical CpG islands, which were mapped. CXCL4L1 inhibited angiogenesis but also affected tumor development more directly, depending on the tumor cell type. In vivo administration of an mAb against CXCL4L1 demonstrated a blockade in the growth of tumors positive for CXCR3, a critical receptor for CXCL4 ligands. Our findings define a protumorigenic role in PDAC development for endogenous CXCL4L1, which is independent of its antiangiogenic function. Cancer Res; 76(22); 6507–19. ©2016 AACR.
Combination of Whole Genome Sequencing, Linkage, and Functional Studies Implicates a Missense Mutation in Titin as a Cause of Autosomal Dominant Cardiomyopathy With Features of Left Ventricular Noncompaction
Authors: Hastings Robert , de Villiers Carin P. , Hooper Charlotte , Ormondroyd Liz , Pagnamenta Alistair , Lise Stefano , Salatino Silvia , Knight Samantha J.L. , Taylor Jenny C. , Thomson Kate L. , Arnold Linda , Chatziefthimiou Spyros D. , Konarev Petr V. , Wilmanns Matthias , Ehler Elisabeth , Ghisleni Andrea , Gautel Mathias , Blair Edward , Watkins Hugh , Gehmlich Katja 
Published: September 2016

Background—
High throughput next-generation sequencing techniques have made whole genome sequencing accessible in clinical practice; however, the abundance of variation in the human genomes makes the identification of a disease-causing mutation on a background of benign rare variants challenging.

Methods and Results—
Here we combine whole genome sequencing with linkage analysis in a 3-generation family affected by cardiomyopathy with features of autosomal dominant left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. A missense mutation in the giant protein titin is the only plausible disease-causing variant that segregates with disease among the 7 surviving affected individuals, with interrogation of the entire genome excluding other potential causes. This A178D missense mutation, affecting a conserved residue in the second immunoglobulin-like domain of titin, was introduced in a bacterially expressed recombinant protein fragment and biophysically characterized in comparison to its wild-type counterpart. Multiple experiments, including size exclusion chromatography, small-angle x ray scattering, and circular dichroism spectroscopy suggest partial unfolding and domain destabilization in the presence of the mutation. Moreover, binding experiments in mammalian cells show that the mutation markedly impairs binding to the titin ligand telethonin.

Conclusions—
Here we present genetic and functional evidence implicating the novel A178D missense mutation in titin as the cause of a highly penetrant familial cardiomyopathy with features of left ventricular noncompaction. This expands the spectrum of titin’s roles in cardiomyopathies. It furthermore highlights that rare titin missense variants, currently often ignored or left uninterpreted, should be considered to be relevant for cardiomyopathies and can be identified by the approach presented here.
Efficacy and Safety of Alirocumab 150 mg Every 4 Weeks in Patients With Hypercholesterolemia Not on Statin Therapy: The ODYSSEY CHOICE II Study
Authors: Stroes Erik , Guyton John R. , Lepor Norman , Civeira Fernando , Gaudet Daniel , Watts Gerald F. , Baccara‐Dinet Marie T. , Lecorps Guillaume , Manvelian Garen , Farnier Michel , Kostner K. , Lehman S. , Descamps O. , Gheyle L. , Mathieu C. , Bergeron J. , Elliott T. , Girard G. , Gupta A. , Hoag G. , Hove J. , Jeppesen J. , Kjærulf J.H. , Klarlund K. , Thomsen K.K. , Basart D.C.G. , Kooy A. , Liem A. , Swart H. , Troquay R. , Van Het Hof‐Wiersma J , Viergever P. , Visseren F. , Doughty R.N. , Scott R. , Calvo C. , Díaz‐Díaz J.L. , Fuentes F. , Gil‐Extremera B. , Jericó C. , Matas Pericas L. , Mediavilla Garcia J.D. , Bolster D.E. , Koren M. , El Shahawy M. , Vardi G. , Weinstein D. , Zuzarte K. , Ginsberg Henry , Robinson Jennifer G. , Rader Daniel J. , Cannon Christopher P. , Colhoun Helen , Kastelein John J.P. , Huo Yong , Olsson Anders , Waters David , Larrey Dominique , Rosenson Robert S. , Patriarca Peter A. , Molenberghs Geert , Tricoci Pierluigi , Mahaffey Kenneth W. , Lopes Renato D. , Shah Bimal R. , Mehta Rajendra H. , Roe Matthew T. , Eapen Zubin , Armaganijan Luciana , Bertolami Adriana , Leonardi Sergio , Kolls Bradley J. , Jordan J. Dedrick , Ducrocq Grégory , Puymirat Etienne , Mathews Robin 
Published: September 2016

Background

The
PCSK
9 antibody alirocumab (75 mg every 2 weeks; Q2W) as monotherapy reduced low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (
LDL
‐C) levels by 47%. Because the option of a monthly dosing regimen is convenient,
ODYSSEY CHOICE II
evaluated alirocumab 150 mg Q4W in patients with inadequately controlled hypercholesterolemia and not on statin (majority with statin‐associated muscle symptoms), receiving treatment with fenofibrate, ezetimibe, or diet alone.

Methods and Results

Patients were randomly assigned to placebo, alirocumab 150 mg Q4W or 75 mg Q2W (calibrator arm), with dose adjustment to 150 mg Q2W at week (W) 12 if W8 predefined
LDL
‐C target levels were not met. The primary efficacy endpoint was
LDL
‐C percentage change from baseline to W24. Mean baseline
LDL
‐C levels were 163.9 mg/dL (alirocumab 150 mg Q4W, n=59), 154.5 mg/dL (alirocumab 75 mg Q2W, n=116), and 158.5 mg/dL (placebo, n=58). In the alirocumab 150 mg Q4W and 75 mg Q2W groups (49.1% and 36.0% of patients received dose adjustment, respectively), least‐squares mean
LDL
‐C changes from baseline to W24 were −51.7% and −53.5%, respectively (placebo [+4.7%]; both groups
P
<0.0001 versus placebo). In total, 63.9% and 70.3% of alirocumab‐treated patients achieved their
LDL
‐C targets at W24. Treatment‐emergent adverse events occurred in 77.6% (alirocumab 150 mg Q4W), 73.0% (alirocumab 75 mg Q2W), and 63.8% (placebo) of patients, with injection‐site reactions among the most common treatment‐emergent adverse events.

Conclusions

Alirocumab 150 mg Q4W can be considered in patients not on statin with inadequately controlled hypercholesterolemia as a convenient option for lowering
LDL
‐C.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
02023879.
Comparing the Effects of 10-Hz Repetitive TMS on Tasks of Visual STM and Attention
Authors: Emrich Stephen M. , Johnson Jeffrey S. , Sutterer David W. , Postle Bradley R. 
Published: September 2016

Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated that visual STM (VSTM) and attention are tightly linked processes that share a number of neuroanatomical substrates. Here, we used repetitive TMS (rTMS) along with simultaneous EEG to examine the causal relationship between intraparietal sulcus functioning and performance on tasks of attention and VSTM. Participants performed two tasks in which they were required to attend to or remember colored items over a brief interval, with 10-Hz rTMS applied on some of the trials. Although no overall behavioral changes were observed across either task, rTMS did affect individual performance on both the attention and VSTM tasks in a manner that was predicted by individual differences in baseline performance. Furthermore, rTMS also affected ongoing oscillations in the alpha and beta bands, and these changes were related to the observed change in behavioral performance. The results reveal a causal relationship between intraparietal sulcus activity and tasks measuring both visual attention and VSTM.
An Online Structural Plasticity Rule for Generating Better Reservoirs
Authors: Roy Subhrajit , Basu Arindam 
Published: September 2016

In this letter, we propose a novel neuro-inspired low-resolution online unsupervised learning rule to train the reservoir or liquid of liquid state machines. The liquid is a sparsely interconnected huge recurrent network of spiking neurons. The proposed learning rule is inspired from structural plasticity and trains the liquid through formating and eliminating synaptic connections. Hence, the learning involves rewiring of the reservoir connections similar to structural plasticity observed in biological neural networks. The network connections can be stored as a connection matrix and updated in memory by using address event representation (AER) protocols, which are generally employed in neuromorphic systems. On investigating the pairwise separation property, we find that trained liquids provide 1.36 [Formula: see text] 0.18 times more interclass separation while retaining similar intraclass separation as compared to random liquids. Moreover, analysis of the linear separation property reveals that trained liquids are 2.05 [Formula: see text] 0.27 times better than random liquids. Furthermore, we show that our liquids are able to retain the generalization ability and generality of random liquids. A memory analysis shows that trained liquids have 83.67 [Formula: see text] 5.79 ms longer fading memory than random liquids, which have shown 92.8 [Formula: see text] 5.03 ms fading memory for a particular type of spike train inputs. We also throw some light on the dynamics of the evolution of recurrent connections within the liquid. Moreover, compared to separation-driven synaptic modification', a recently proposed algorithm for iteratively refining reservoirs, our learning rule provides 9.30%, 15.21%, and 12.52% more liquid separations and 2.8%, 9.1%, and 7.9% better classification accuracies for 4, 8, and 12 class pattern recognition tasks, respectively.
Characterization of 14 novel microsatellite loci in the Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) via 454 pyrosequencing
Authors: Wood Jared P. , Campbell Todd S. , Page Robert B. 
Published: September 2016

We have developed 14 novel microsatellite loci for the Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae), using samples from invasive populations from the US state of Florida. Pyrosequencing was used to identify 3154 potentially amplifiable microsatellite loci and to subsequently develop 14 informative markers. These 14 markers were screened for variation in 40 individuals from Miami-Dade County, Florida. All loci were polymorphic and contained between 2 and 4 alleles per locus (mean ± SE = 2.71 ± 0.24), with observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.00 to 0.88 (mean ± SE = 0.38 ± 0.07). Four of the loci (Teg4, Teg5, Teg17, Teg19) significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg proportions and three of these loci (Teg4, Teg5, Teg19) showed evidence of null alleles. In addition, there was statistical evidence for genotypic disequilibrium between Teg14 and Teg19. BLASTn searches of NCBI’s ‘nr/nt’ database using microsatellite containing 454 fragments as queries were largely uninformative; however, it is likely that some of these markers will be of utility in S. merinae’s native range.
Liquid–Ice Mass Partition in Tropical Maritime Convective Clouds
Authors: Yang Jing , Wang Zhien , Heymsfield Andrew , Luo Tao 
Published: September 2016

Abstract
The liquid–ice mass partitioning in tropical maritime convective clouds is studied using data collected by the National Center for Atmospheric Research C-130 research aircraft during the Ice in Clouds Experiment–Tropical project. The clouds investigated by the C-130 in this study generally contained weak to moderate updrafts. The liquid water content (LWC) is calculated using a combination of hot-wire and imaging probes. The total condensed water content (CWC) is measured by a counterflow virtual impactor. The ice water content (IWC) is calculated as CWC minus LWC. Taking into account potential significant measurement uncertainties, the liquid fraction [i.e., LWC/(LWC + IWC)] between 0° and −15°C appears to decrease by a factor of about 3 in updrafts near (&lt;500 m) cloud top and a factor of 2 in updrafts far below (&gt;500 m) cloud top. The decrease in liquid fraction as a function of temperature is also correlated with cloud life cycle. In dissipating clouds, ice dominates in all temperature ranges. A comparison between this study and two parameterizations shows that at different geographic locations the liquid fraction in convective clouds differs. Because of the sampling bias and the limitations of instruments, more measurements, especially with more advanced instruments, are needed in the future.
Urban Governance and Economic Development in Medellín
Authors: Franz Tobias 
Published: September 2016

Many of the academic analyses calling Medellín’s development an “urban miracle” fall short with regard to discussion of the political economic implications of institutional shifts. An emerging transnational capitalist class promoted ‘good governance’ reforms and the embedding of neoliberalism in the urban context. Medellín’s neoliberal development agenda is not only a market-led strategy but also a particular form of hierarchic rule and distribution of power. Increased economic activities in the tertiary sector, the promotion of flexible labor markets, and the incorporation of the city into the global economy at the lower end of the value chain have not served as sustainable growth escalators for Medellín’s economy. The city continues to have high rates of un- and underemployment and is still the country’s most unequal city. These developments can by no means be described as miraculous. Muchos de los análisis académicos que describen el desarrollo de Medellín como un “milagro urbano” se quedan cortos en cuanto a la discusión de las implicaciones político-económicas de los cambios institucionales. Una nueva clase capitalista transnacional promovió las reformas de buena gobernanza y la incorporación del neoliberalismo en el contexto urbano. El plan de desarrollo neoliberal de Medellín no es sólo una estrategia orientada al mercado sino que también es una forma jerárquica de gobierno y distribución del poder. El aumento de las actividades económicas en el sector sectario, la promoción de un mercado laboral flexible y la incorporación de la ciudad en la economía global en el nivel más bajo de la cadena de valor no han servido como palancas para el crecimiento económico sustentable de Medellín. La ciudad sigue teniendo las tasas de desempleo y subempleo más altas de Colombia y todavía es la ciudad más desigual del país. Estos desarrollos no pueden ser descritos en modo alguno como milagrosos.
Morphology and Anatomic Patellar Instability Risk Factors in First-Time Traumatic Lateral Patellar Dislocations: A Prospective Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Skeletally Immature Children
Authors: Askenberger Marie , Janarv Per-Mats , Finnbogason Throstur , Arendt Elizabeth A. 
Published: September 2016

Background: The incidence of primary lateral patellar dislocation (LPD) in children aged 9 to 14 years is 0.6 to 1.2 per 1000. Causation is assumed to be multifactorial, including anatomic variants of the patellofemoral (PF) joint that result in a higher risk of LPD. No publication has compared the morphology of the PF joint and anatomic patellar instability risk factors (APIFs) in a primary LPD population versus controls, defining children by skeletal maturity. Purpose: To characterize the PF morphology and APIFs (trochlear dysplasia, abnormal lateral patellar tilt, elevated tibial tubercle–trochlear groove [TT-TG] distance, patella alta) through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements in skeletally immature children with and without a primary LPD and to identify (potential) distinctive differences between these 2 groups. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A prospective series of 103 skeletally immature children aged 9 to 14 years with an MRI-confirmed primary LPD were matched with a control group of 69 children. The PF morphology and APIFs were assessed during a 2.5-year period with standardized MRI using sagittal and axial views. Results: In the LPD group, 79% had 2 to 4 APIFs compared with 7% in the control group. All major measurements of trochlear dysplasia were significantly different between the 2 groups. The mean central condylar height was significantly higher in the LPD group compared with the control group, resulting in a lower trochlear depth (2.3 vs 4.5 mm, respectively) and higher sulcus angle (156.7° vs 141.1°, respectively). The LPD group had significantly higher values of patellar height, Caton-Deschamps index (1.33 vs 1.15, respectively), lateral patellar tilt (21.1° vs 8.5°, respectively), and TT-TG distance (13.9 vs 9.8 mm, respectively) compared with the control group. The main divergent APIF was trochlear dysplasia (defined as trochlear depth <3 mm), seen in 74% of the LPD group compared with 4% of the control group. Elevated TT-TG distance as a single APIF was never present in the LPD group; patellar tilt was only seen in the LPD group. The most common APIF in the control group was patella alta (36%). Conclusion: There was a significant difference in mean values of all established APIFs between the children with a first-time LPD and the controls. Trochlear dysplasia was the main APIF, and together with lateral patellar tilt (≥20°), they had the strongest association with LPD.