bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predicting Heart Failure With Preserved and Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Ho Jennifer E. , Enserro Danielle , Brouwers Frank P. , Kizer Jorge R. , Shah Sanjiv J. , Psaty Bruce M. , Bartz Traci M. , Santhanakrishnan Rajalakshmi , Lee Douglas S. , Chan Cheeling , Liu Kiang , Blaha Michael J. , Hillege Hans L. , van der Harst Pim , van Gilst Wiek H. , Kop Willem J. , Gansevoort Ron T. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Gardin Julius M. , Levy Daniel , Gottdiener John S. , de Boer Rudolf A. , Larson Martin G. 
Published: June 2016

Background—
Heart failure (HF) is a prevalent and deadly disease, and preventive strategies focused on at-risk individuals are needed. Current HF prediction models have not examined HF subtypes. We sought to develop and validate risk prediction models for HF with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF, HFrEF).

Methods and Results—

Of 28,820 participants from 4 community-based cohorts, 982 developed incident HFpEF and 909 HFrEF during a median follow-up of 12 years. Three cohorts were combined, and a 2:1 random split was used for derivation and internal validation, with the fourth cohort as external validation. Models accounted for multiple competing risks (death, other HF subtype, and unclassified HF). The HFpEF-specific model included age, sex, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, antihypertensive treatment, and previous myocardial infarction; it had good discrimination in derivation (c-statistic 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78–0.82) and validation samples (internal: 0.79; 95% CI, 0.77–0.82 and external: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.71–0.80). The HFrEF-specific model additionally included smoking, left ventricular hypertrophy, left bundle branch block, and diabetes mellitus; it had good discrimination in derivation (c-statistic 0.82; 95% CI, 0.80–0.84) and validation samples (internal: 0.80; 95% CI, 0.78–0.83 and external: 0.76; 95% CI, 0.71–0.80). Age was more strongly associated with HFpEF, and male sex, left ventricular hypertrophy, bundle branch block, previous myocardial infarction, and smoking with HFrEF (
P
value for each comparison ≤0.02).

Conclusions—
We describe and validate risk prediction models for HF subtypes and show good discrimination in a large sample. Some risk factors differed between HFpEF and HFrEF, supporting the notion of pathogenetic differences among HF subtypes.
Legal Treatment of Honour Crimes: Comparison Between Iraqi National and the Kurdistan Region’s Laws
Authors: Begikhani Nazand , Faraj Najat M 
Published: June 2016

The article discusses the legal treatment of honour crimes in Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. It examines the judicial context in Kurdistan Region, focussing on the criminal justice system and law implementation mechanisms in relation to honour-based violence in general and honour killings in particular.
The article draws on several years’ research into honour crimes in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, including an investigation into honour-based violence led by the University of Bristol between 2008–2010. The research involved 131 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders addressing honour crimes, including legal professionals, MPs, prosecutors, police officers, victims, women’s rights activists, government officials and members of national and international agencies, including unami and undp.
The article will look at different sets of legal remedies for honour crimes along with the attempts and the challenges involved in establishing justice for women in the region torn by years of war, internal conflicts and the rise of radical ideologies in the form of political Islam.
Post-cardiotomy open chest management. A single-unit experience
Authors: Haughey Niamh , Booth Karen , Parissis Haralabos 
Published: June 2016

Objective Post-cardiotomy open chest management is used either for salvage or as a planned therapeutic option in patients with low cardiac output, hemorrhage, or intractable arrhythmias. We reviewed our experience with these patients. Methods Over a 3-year period, 2534 adult cardiac patients were operated on and 35 (1.4%) had delayed sternal closure. The median age was 72 years (range 46–86 years) and mean logistic EuroSCORE I was 11.29 (range 1.33–84.99). The patients were divided into two groups: group A (22/35, 62.9%) left the operating room without sternal closure due to hemodynamic instability after coming off cardiopulmonary bypass; group B (13/35, 37.1%) had a resternotomy and sternal closure was delayed due to acute deterioration in the cardiac intensive care unit. Results The median intensive care unit stay was 17 days (range 2–70 days). Mortality was 25.7% (9 patients). All survivors were followed-up for at least 2 years, with a 2-year survival rate of 57.1%. Overall mortality was broadly similar in both groups. There was a high rate of postoperative complications in both groups, including chest sepsis (77%), liver failure (14.3), renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy (42.9%), sternal wound infection (28.6%), gut ischemia (2.9%), cerebrovascular accident (11.4), and multiorgan failure (31.4%). Conclusions Some may argue that open chest management is an acceptable salvage procedure, however, follow-up demonstrated significant adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events in a short period following discharge, thus delayed sternal closure is really a salvage procedure but useful in centers without access to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Respiratory muscle strength training and neuromuscular electrical stimulation in subacute dysphagic stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Guillén-Solà Anna , Messagi Sartor Monique , Bofill Soler Neus , Duarte Esther , Barrera Mª Camelia , Marco Ester 
Published: June 2016

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of inspiratory/expiratory muscle training (IEMT) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to improve dysphagia in stroke. Design: Prospective, single-blind, randomized-controlled trial. Setting: Tertiary public hospital. Subjects: Sixty-two patients with dysphagia were randomly assigned to standard swallow therapy (SST) (Group I, controls, n=21), SST+ IEMT (Group II, n=21) or SST+ sham IEMT+ NMES (Group III, n=20). Interventions: All patients followed a 3-week standard multidisciplinary rehabilitation program of SST and speech therapy. The SST+IEMT group’s muscle training consisted of 5 sets/10 repetitions, twice-daily, 5 days/week. Group III’s sham IEMT required no effort; NMES consisted of 40-minute sessions, 5 days/week, at 80Hz. Main outcomes: Dysphagia severity, assessed by Penetration-Aspiration Scale, and respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures) at the end of intervention and 3-month follow-up. Results: Maximal respiratory pressures were most improved in Group II: treatment effect was 12.9 (95% confidence interval 4.5-21.2) and 19.3 (95% confidence interval 8.5-30.3) for maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, respectively. Swallowing security signs were improved in Groups II and III at the end of intervention. No differences in Penetration-Aspiration Scale or respiratory complications were detected between the 3 groups at 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: Adding IEMT to SST was an effective, feasible, and safe approach that improved respiratory muscle strength. Both IEMT and NMES were associated with improvement in pharyngeal swallowing security signs at the end of the intervention, but the effect did not persist at 3-month follow-up and no differences in respiratory complications were detected between treatment groups and controls.
Efficacy of a Subacromial Corticosteroid Injection for Persistent Pain After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Shin Sang-Jin , Do Nam-Hoon , Lee Juyeob , Ko Young-Won 
Published: June 2016

Background: Corticosteroid injections have been widely used for reducing shoulder pain. However, catastrophic complications induced by corticosteroid such as infections and tendon degeneration have made surgeons hesitant to use a corticosteroid injection as a pain control modality, especially during the postoperative recovery phase. Purpose: To determine the effectiveness and safety of a subacromial corticosteroid injection for persistent pain control during the recovery period and to analyze the factors causing persistent pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 458 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were included in this study. Patient-specific parameters, tear size and pattern, and pain intensity were reviewed. Seventy-two patients were administered a postoperative subacromial corticosteroid injection under ultrasound guidance. The corticosteroid injection was administered to patients who awakened overnight because of constant severe shoulder pain or whose pain was exacerbated at the time of rehabilitation exercises within 8 weeks after surgery. Pain intensity, patient satisfaction, and functional outcomes using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Constant scores were compared between the patients with and without a subacromial corticosteroid injection. The retear rate was evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging at 6 months postoperatively. Results: In patients with an injection, the mean (±SD) visual analog scale for pain (pVAS) score was 7.7 ± 1.2 at the time of the injection. This significantly decreased to 2.3 ± 1.4 at the end of the first month after the injection, demonstrating a 70.2% reduction in pain ( P < .01). At 3 months after the injection, the mean pVAS score was 1.2 ± 1.8. Functional outcomes at final follow-up showed no significant differences between patients with and without an injection (ASES score: 90.1 ± 14.6 with injection, 91.9 ± 8.2 without injection [ P = .91]; Constant score: 89.1 ± 12.9 with injection, 84.5 ± 13.0 without injection [ P = .17]). Patients with an injection showed no significant increase in the retear rate (6.8% with injection, 18.4% without injection; P = .06). According to the tear pattern, L-shaped rotator cuff tears (41.8%) showed a higher occurrence of severe postoperative persistent pain. Preoperative shoulder stiffness was revealed as a predisposing factor for persistent pain (odds ratio, 0.2; P = .04). Conclusion: A subacromial corticosteroid injection can be considered as a useful and safe modality for the treatment of patients having severe persistent pain during the recovery phase after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
Remote home management for chronic kidney disease: A systematic review
Authors: He Ting , Liu Xing , Li Ying , Wu Qiaoyu , Liu Meilin , Yuan Hong 
Published: June 2016

Background Remote home management is a new healthcare model that uses information technology to enhance patients' self-management of disease in a home setting. This study is designed to identify the effects of remote home management on patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods A comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was performed in January 2015. The reference listings of the included articles in this review were also manually examined. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed to evaluate the effects of remote home management on patients with CKD were included. Results Eight trials were identified. The results of this study suggest that the quality of life (QOL) enabled by remote home management was higher than typical care in certain dimensions. However, the effects of remote home management on blood pressure (BP) remain inconclusive. The studies that assessed health service utilization demonstrated a significant decrease in hospital readmission, emergency room visits, and number of days in the hospital. Another favorable result of this study is that regardless of their gender, age or nationality, patients tend to comply with remote home management programs and the use of related technologies. Conclusions The available data indicate that remote home management may be a novel and effective disease management strategy for improving CKD patients' QOL and influencing their attitudes and behaviors. And, relatively little is known about BP and cost-effectiveness, so future research should focus on these two aspects for the entire population of patients with CKD.
Midterm outcomes of catheter-directed interventions for the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism
Authors: Liang Nathan L , Chaer Rabih A , Marone Luke K , Singh Michael J , Makaroun Michel S , Avgerinos Efthymios D 
Published: June 2016

Objective The hemodynamic benefits of catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute pulmonary embolism have not been clearly defined beyond the periprocedural period. The objective of this study is to report midterm outcomes of catheter-directed thrombolysis for treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. Methods Records of all patients undergoing catheter-directed thrombolysis for high- or intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism were retrospectively reviewed. Endpoints were clinical success, procedure-related complications, mortality, and longitudinal echocardiographic parameter improvement. Results A total of 69 patients underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis (mean age 59 ± 15 y, 56% male). Eleven had high-risk and 58 intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. Baseline characteristics did not differ by pulmonary embolism subtype. Fifty-two percent of patients underwent ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis, 39% standard catheter-directed thrombolysis, and 9% other interventional therapy; 89.9% had bilateral treatment. Average treatment time was 17.7 ± 11.3 h with average t-Pa dose of 28.5 ± 19.6 mg. The rate of clinical success was 88%. There were two major (3%) and six minor (9%) periprocedural bleeding complications with no strokes. All echocardiographic parameters demonstrated significant improvement at one-year follow-up. Pulmonary embolism-related in-hospital mortality was 3.3%, and estimated survival was 81.2% at one year. Conclusions Catheter-directed thrombolysis is safe and effective for treatment of acute pulmonary embolism, with sustained hemodynamic improvement at one year. Further prospective large-scale studies are needed to determine comparative effectiveness of interventions for acute pulmonary embolism.
A Case-Control Study to Determine the Prognostic Features of Salivary Epithelial Cells in Periodontitis
Authors: Wang A. , Swinford C. , Zhao A. , Ramos E.D. , Gregory R.L. , Srinivasan M. 
Published: June 2016

Periodontitis—a biofilm-induced immunoinflammatory pathology—often progresses gradually, exhibiting periodic bursts and resolution. Exfoliating oral epithelial cells act as reservoirs for key periodontal pathogens, facilitating reinfection or infection of new sites. Since saliva is a rich source of oral epithelial cells, we hypothesized that the microbial and functional profile of salivary epithelial cells (SECs) will reflect the in situ host response and disease severity. We used a case-control study design. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from 20 chronic periodontitis patients and 20 healthy controls in accordance with the institutional review board. The isolated SECs were assessed for viability by trypan blue exclusion. Gram-stained SECs were analyzed by ImageJ, and Gram stain index (GSI) per SEC was calculated. Equal numbers of SECs from each sample were exposed to 2 periodontal pathogens— Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum—in biofilm or planktonic formulations at varying proportions. Cytokines in culture supernatants were assessed by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Additionally, soluble Toll-like receptor 2 (sTLR-2)—a pattern recognition receptor capable of binding microbial ligands associated with periodontitis—was measured in clarified saliva by ELISA. An increased number of SECs, a higher GSI/SEC, and a lower sTLR-2 were observed in periodontitis saliva as compared with healthy saliva. SECs from periodontitis saliva secreted higher amounts of interleukin 8 in response to P. gingivalis, and the presence of F. nucleatum dampened the response. Nonsurgical periodontal treatment improved clinical parameters, reduced the number of SECs, decreased GSI/SEC, and increased sTLR-2 in clarified saliva. In conclusion, our data suggest that SECs can provide a phenotypically distinct individualized resource for assessing epithelial response to pathogens in the course of periodontal disease. Furthermore, correlation between the sTLR-2 and GSI/SEC suggests that the expression profile of epithelial and soluble Toll-like receptor could provide an indirect measure of periodontal disease–associated dysbiosis. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study can be used for prognostic evaluation of chronic periodontitis in response to therapy and provide an opportunity for early identification of poor responders. A chip-based simple test incorporating the identified salivary epithelial cell characteristics can be developed and validated for future clinical applications, especially for monitoring patients with increased susceptibility for refractory and/or recurrent periodontitis.
Structural geologic modeling as an inference problem: A Bayesian perspective
Authors: de la Varga Miguel , Wellmann J. Florian 
Published: June 2016

Structural geologic models are widely used to represent the spatial distribution of relevant geologic features. Several techniques exist to construct these models on the basis of different assumptions and different types of geologic observations. However, two problems are prevalent when constructing models: (1) observations and assumptions, and therefore also the constructed model, are subject to uncertainties and (2) additional information is often available, but it cannot be considered directly in the geologic modeling step — although it could be used to reduce model uncertainties. The first problem has been addressed in recent work. Here we develop a conceptual approach to consider the second aspect: We combine uncertain prior information with geologically motivated likelihood functions in a Bayesian inference framework. The result is that we not only reduce uncertainties in the ensemble of generated models, but we also gain the potential to learn additional features about the model parameters. We develop an implementation of this concept in a probabilistic programming framework, in which we extend the functionality of a 3D implicit potential-field interpolation method with geologic likelihood functions. With schematic examples, we show how this combination leads to suites of models with reduced uncertainties and how it provides a deeper insight into parameter correlations. Furthermore, the integration into a hierarchical Bayesian model provides an insight into potential extensions of the method, for example, the interpolation functional itself, and other types of information, such as gravity or magnetic potential-field data. These aspects constitute promising paths for future research.
Local dispersion curve estimation from seismic ambient noise using spatial gradients
Authors: Edme Pascal , Yuan Shihao 
Published: June 2016

A novel acquisition and processing technique is described to derive surface-wave dispersion curves from seismic ambient noise. We have determined that the use of spatial gradients of the wavefield provides new opportunities for high-resolution near-surface characterization with minimal field effort. In contrast to conventional active source data analysis that provides spatially smoothed results from large and dense arrays of receivers, our method provides local phase velocity information from ambient noise using only three closely spaced geophones. A time-frequency domain polarization-based analysis scheme is implemented to (1) detect the useful part of the data satisfying fundamental gradiometry assumptions, (2) estimate the noise source azimuthal distribution, and finally, (3) derive the desired local dispersion curves. The robustness and effectiveness of the developed method is demonstrated using the synthetic and real data, with a comparison to results from active source measurements.
Nominal or Real? The Impact of Regional Price Levels on Satisfaction with Life
Authors: Deckers Thomas , Falk Armin , Schildberg-Hörisch Hannah 
Published: June 2016

Abstract
According to economic theory, real income, i. e., nominal income adjusted for purchasing power, should be the relevant source of life satisfaction. Previous work, however, has studied the impact of inflation-adjusted nominal income and hardly taken into account regional differences in purchasing power. We use novel data to study how regional price levels affect life satisfaction. The data set comprises a price level for each of the 428 administrative districts in Germany. Controlling for district heterogeneity other than the price level, our results show that higher price levels significantly reduce life satisfaction.
Business cycle synchronization across U.S. states
Authors: Aguiar-Conraria Luís , Brinca Pedro , Guðjónsson Haukur Viðar , Soares Maria Joana 
Published: June 2016

Abstract
We use wavelet analysis to conclude that individual U.S. states’ business cycles are very well synchronized. We also find evidence of a strong and significant correlation between business cycle dissimilitudes and the distance between each pair of states, consistent to gravity type mechanisms where distance affects trade. Trade, in turn, increases business cycle synchronization, while a higher degree of industry specialization is associated with a higher dissimilitude of the state cycle with the aggregate economy. Finally, there is evidence that business cycle dissimilitudes have been decreasing with time, consistent with the previous findings coupled with the idea that information and communications technology make distances smaller.
Open and closed shear-walls in high-rise structural systems: Static and dynamic analysis
Authors: Carpinteri Alberto , Lacidogna Giuseppe , Nitti Giuseppe 
Published: June 2016

AbstractIn the present paper, a General Algorithm is applied
to the analysis of high-rise structures. This algorithm
is to be used as a calculation tool in preliminary design; it
allows to define the interaction between closed and open,
straight or curved shear-walls, and the forces exchanged in
structures subject to mainly horizontal loads. The analysis
can be performed in both static and dynamic regimes, the
mode shapes and the natural frequencies being assessed.
This general formulation allows analyses of high-rise
structures by taking into account the torsional rigidity and
the warping deformations of the elements composing the
building without gross simplifications. In thisway it is possible
to model the structure as a single equivalent cantilever,
thus minimising the degrees of freedom of the system,
and consequently the calculation time.
Finally, potentials of the method proposed are demonstrated
by a numerical example which emphasizes the
link between global displacements and stresses in the elements
composing the structure.