bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plasma Circular RNAs, Hsa_circRNA_025016, Predict Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Isolated Off‐Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Zhang Jian , Xu Yinli , Xu Shu , Liu Yu , Yu Liming , Li Zhi , Xue Xiaodong , Wang Huishan 
Published: January 2018

Background
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are pervasively expressed in highly divergent eukaryotes and are stable in body fluids. However, the link between circRNAs and onset of atrial fibrillation (AF) has not previously been investigated. We aimed to identify plasma circRNAs that are able predict AF after cardiac surgery.

Methods and Results
Plasma circRNA expression profiles were investigated in a total of 769 patients with or without AF after isolated off‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting. First, a circRNA microarray was used to screen 13 617 human circRNAs in plasma samples from patients in the discovery cohort (n=30). A quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was then applied to evaluate the expression of 9 selected circRNAs in the training cohort (n=365). This approach revealed that hsa_circRNA_025016 was upregulated in patients with new‐onset AF with a high diagnostic accuracy as assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (=0.802). Additionally, a satisfactory diagnostic performance of hsa_circRNA_025016 was found in the validation cohort (n=284). Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes biological pathway analysis indicated that hsa_circ_025016 participated in melanogenesis, insulin secretion, and the thyroid hormone signaling pathway. A positive correlation between hsa_circ_025016 and fasting blood glucose was also identified in both cohorts.

Conclusions
Hsa_circ_025016 is a potential biomarker for predicting new‐onset AF after isolated off‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting.
Transplantation of Allogeneic Pericytes Improves Myocardial Vascularization and Reduces Interstitial Fibrosis in a Swine Model of Reperfused Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Alvino Valeria Vincenza , Fernández‐Jiménez Rodrigo , Rodriguez‐Arabaolaza Iker , Slater Sadie , Mangialardi Giuseppe , Avolio Elisa , Spencer Helen , Culliford Lucy , Hassan Sakinah , Sueiro Ballesteros Lorena , Herman Andrew , Ayaon‐Albarrán Ali , Galán‐Arriola Carlos , Sánchez‐González Javier , Hennessey Helena , Delmege Catherine , Ascione Raimondo , Emanueli Costanza , Angelini Gianni Davide , Ibanez Borja , Madeddu Paolo 
Published: January 2018

Background

Transplantation of adventitial pericytes (
APC
s) promotes cardiac repair in murine models of myocardial infarction. The aim of present study was to confirm the benefit of
APC
therapy in a large animal model.

Methods and Results

We performed a blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled
APC
therapy trial in a swine model of reperfused myocardial infarction. A first study used human
APC
s (
hAPC
s) from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A second study used allogeneic swine
APC
s (
sAPC
s). Primary end points were (1) ejection fraction as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and (2) myocardial vascularization and fibrosis as determined by immunohistochemistry. Transplantation of
hAPC
s reduced fibrosis but failed to improve the other efficacy end points. Incompatibility of the xenogeneic model was suggested by the occurrence of a cytotoxic response following in vitro challenge of
hAPC
s with swine spleen lymphocytes and the failure to retrieve
hAPC
s in transplanted hearts. We next considered
sAPC
s as an alternative. Flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, and functional/cytotoxic assays indicate that
sAPC
s are a surrogate of
hAPC
s. Transplantation of allogeneic
sAPC
s benefited capillary density and fibrosis but did not improve cardiac magnetic resonance imaging indices of contractility. Transplanted cells were detected in the border zone.

Conclusions

Immunologic barriers limit the applicability of a xenogeneic swine model to assess
hAPC
efficacy. On the other hand, we newly show that transplantation of allogeneic
sAPC
s is feasible, safe, and immunologically acceptable. The approach induces proangiogenic and antifibrotic benefits, though these effects were not enough to result in functional improvements.
Relationship of High‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol With Renal Function in Patients Treated With Atorvastatin
Authors: Ong Kwok Leung , Waters David D. , Fayyad Rana , Vogt Liffert , Melamed Shari , DeMicco David A. , Rye Kerry‐Anne , Barter Philip J. 
Published: January 2018

Background

It is not known whether the concentration of high‐density lipoprotein (
HDL
) cholesterol is related to renal function in statin‐treated patients. We therefore investigated whether
HDL
cholesterol levels predicted renal function in atorvastatin‐treated patients in the TNT (Treating to New Targets) trial.

Methods and Results

A total of 9542 participants were included in this analysis. Renal function was assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (
eGFR
).
HDL
cholesterol levels at month 3 were used as this is the time point at which on‐treatment
HDL
cholesterol levels became stable. Among 6319 participants with a normal
eGFR
(≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
) at baseline, higher
HDL
cholesterol levels at month 3 were significantly associated with lower risk of decline in
eGFR
(ie, having
eGFR
<60 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
) during follow‐up (
HR
of 1.04, 0.88, 0.85, and 0.77 for
HDL
cholesterol quintiles 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, relative to quintile 1,
P
for trend=0.006). Among 3223 participants with an
eGFR
(<60 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
) at baseline, higher
HDL
cholesterol levels at month 3 had less impact on
eGFR
during follow‐up, with statistical significance observed only when analyzing
HDL
cholesterol levels as a continuous variable (
P
=0.043), but not as a categorical quintile variable (
P
for trend=0.27).

Conclusions

In patients treated with atorvastatin, higher
HDL
cholesterol levels were associated with lower risk of
eGFR
decline in patients with normal
eGFR
at baseline. However, further study is needed to establish whether there is any causal relationship between
HDL
s and renal function.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
00327691.
Relationship of Arterial Stiffness Index and Pulse Pressure With Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality
Authors: Said M. Abdullah , Eppinga Ruben N. , Lipsic Erik , Verweij Niek , van der Harst Pim 
Published: January 2018

Background

Vascular aging results in stiffer arteries and may have a role in the development of cardiovascular disease (
CVD
). Arterial stiffness index (
ASI
), measured by finger photoplethysmography, and pulse pressure (
PP
) are 2 independent vascular aging indices. We investigated whether
ASI
or
PP
predict new‐onset
CVD
and mortality in a large community‐based population.

Methods and Results

We studied 169 613
UK
Biobank participants (mean age 56.8 years; 45.8% males) who underwent
ASI
measurement and blood pressure measurement for
PP
calculation. Mean±
SD ASI
was 9.30±3.1 m/s and mean±
SD PP
was 50.98±13.2 mm Hg. During a median disease follow‐up of 2.8 years (interquartile range 1.4–4.0), 18 190 participants developed
CVD
, of which 1587 myocardial infarction (
MI
), 4326 coronary heart disease, 1192 heart failure, and 1319 stroke. During a median mortality follow‐up of 6.1 years (interquartile range 5.8–6.3), 3678 participants died, of which 1180 of
CVD
. Higher
ASI
was associated with increased risk of overall
CVD
(unadjusted hazard ratio 1.27; 95% confidence interval [
CI
], 1.25–1.28), myocardial infarction (1.38; 95%
CI
, 1.32–1.44), coronary heart disease (1.31; 95%
CI
, 1.27–1.34), and heart failure (1.31; 95%
CI
1.24–1.37).
ASI
also predicted mortality (all‐cause,
CVD
, other). Higher
PP
was associated with overall
CVD
(1.57; 95%
CI
, 1.55–1.59), myocardial infarction (1.48; 95%
CI
, 1.42–1.54), coronary heart disease (1.47; 95%
CI
, 1.43–1.50), heart failure (1.47; 95%
CI
, 1.40–1.55), and
CVD
mortality (1.47; 95%
CI
, 1.40–1.55).
PP
improved risk reclassification of
CVD
in a non–laboratory‐based Framingham Risk Score by 5.4%,
ASI
by 2.3%.

Conclusions

ASI
and
PP
are independent predictors of
CVD
and mortality outcomes. Although both improved risk prediction for new‐onset disease,
PP
appears to have a larger clinical value than
ASI
.
Toward the Application of Decadal Climate Predictions
Authors: Towler Erin , PaiMazumder Debasish , Done James 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDecadal prediction is a relatively new branch of climate science that bridges the gap between seasonal climate forecasts and multidecadal-to-century projections of climate change. This paper develops a three-step framework toward the potential application of decadal temperature predictions using the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4). In step 1, the predictions are evaluated and it is found that the temperature hindcasts show skill over some regions of the United States and Canada. In step 2, the predictions are manipulated using two methods: a deterministic-anomaly approach (like climate change projections) and a probabilistic tercile-based approach (like seasonal forecasts). In step 3, the predictions are translated by adding a delta (for the anomaly manipulation) and conducting a weighted resample (for the probabilistic manipulation), as well as using a new hybrid method. Using the 2010 initialized hindcast, the framework is demonstrated for predicting 2011–15 over two case-study watersheds [Ottawa (Canada) and Colorado]. For the Colorado watershed, there was a noticeable shift toward higher temperatures, and the delta, weighted resample, and hybrid translations all were better at capturing the observed temperatures than was an approach that used climatological values. For the Ottawa watershed, the observed temperatures over the period of prediction were only subtly different than the climatological values; therefore, the difference between the translation methods was less noticeable. The advantages and disadvantages of the manipulation and translation approaches are discussed, as well as how their use will depend on the user context. The authors emphasize that skill evaluations should be tailored to particular applications and identify additional steps that are needed before the decadal temperature predictions can be readily incorporated into applications.
Unrealistic Increases in Wind Speed Explain Reduced Eastern Pacific Heat Flux in Reanalyses
Authors: Liu Chunlei , Allan Richard P. 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
Tropical eastern Pacific sea surface temperature plays a pivotal role in mechanisms that determine global mean surface temperature variability. In this study, the surface flux contribution to recent cooling of the tropical eastern Pacific is investigated using data from three atmospheric reanalyses with full assimilation of observations, an observation-based net surface energy flux reconstruction, and 15 atmosphere-only climate model simulations. For ERA-Interim, 78% of the decrease in net surface flux (−0.65 W m−2 yr−1 over 1988–2008) is explained by the latent heat flux variability. Latent heat flux variability differs between datasets, and this is investigated using a bulk formula. It is found that discrepancies in wind speed change explain contrasting latent heat flux trends across datasets. The significant increase in wind speed of 0.26 m s−1 decade−1 over the tropical eastern Pacific in ERA-Interim is not reproduced by satellite or buoy observations or atmosphere-only climate model simulations, casting questions on the reliability of reanalysis-based surface fluxes over the tropical eastern Pacific.
Implementing evidence-based practice: A context analysis to examine use of task-based approaches to upper-limb rehabilitation
Authors: Radomski Mary Vining , Anheluk Mattie , Arulanantham Christine , Finkelstein Marsha , Flinn Nancy 
Published: January 2018

Statement of context Many occupational therapists experience challenges in implementing evidence-based practice, which may be best approached as a context-specific enterprise. Critical reflection on practice This practice analysis article reports the results of analyzing 24 home programs that occupational therapists issued to rehabilitation inpatients with stroke upon their discharge home. Home programs did not reflect a task-based approach to upper-limb recovery, even though this is supported by established evidence. Examination of contextual factors provides a framework to facilitate evidence implementation. Implications for practice Occupational therapists may optimize evidence-based practice implementation by first evaluating and addressing practice-specific contextual factors.
Safety, Efficacy, and Timeliness of Intravenous Potassium Chloride Replacement Protocols in a Pediatric Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Amirnovin Rambod , Lieu Phuong , Imperial-Perez Flerida , Taketomo Carol , Markovitz Barry P. , Moromisato David Y. 
Published: January 2018

Objective: Hypokalemia in children following cardiac surgery occurs frequently, placing them at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias. However, renal insufficiency after cardiopulmonary bypass warrants careful administration of potassium (K+). Two different nurse-driven protocols (high dose and tiered dosing) were implemented to identify an optimal K+ replacement regimen, compared to an historical low-dose protocol. Our objective was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and timeliness of these protocols. Design: A retrospective cohort review of pediatric patients placed on intravenous K+ replacement protocols over 1 year was used to determine efficacy and safety of the protocols. A prospective single-blinded review of K+ repletion was used to determine timeliness. Patients: Pediatric patients with congenital or acquired cardiac disease. Setting: Twenty-four-bed cardiothoracic intensive care unit in a tertiary children’s hospital. Interventions: Efficacy was defined as fewer supplemental potassium chloride (KCl) doses, as well as a higher protocol to total doses ratio per patient. Safety was defined as a lower percentage of serum K+ levels ≥4.8 mEq/L after a dose of KCl. Between-group differences were assessed by nonparametric univariate analysis. Results: There were 138 patients with a median age of 3.0 (interquartile range: 0.23-10.0) months. The incidence of K+ levels ≥4.8 mEq/L after a protocol dose was higher in the high-dose protocol versus the tiered-dosing protocol but not different between the low-dose and tiered-dosing protocols (high dose = 2.2% vs tiered dosing = 0.5%, P = .05). The ratio of protocol doses to total doses per patient was lower in the low-dose protocol compared to the tiered-dosing protocol ( P < .05). Protocol doses were administered 45 minutes faster ( P < .001). Conclusion: The tiered-dosed, nurse-driven K+ replacement protocol was associated with decreased supplemental K+ doses without increased risk of hyperkalemia, administering doses faster than individually ordered doses; the protocol was effective, safe, and timely in the treatment of hypokalemia in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery.
Age- and Occupation-Based Public Health Considerations Related to Osteoarthritis of the Knee Joint: A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Immonen Jessica , Siefring Chris 
Published: January 2018

Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) literature makes minimal suggestion regarding age of disease onset or preventative strategies to reduce risk for onset in various populations. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 33.6% of Americans 65+ years old were affected by OA; this cadaveric analysis suggests this is largely underestimated. The objective of this assessment is to identify at-risk populations for OA in the knee joint and make recommendations to prevent or delay disease onset. Design Morphometric analyses of the articular cartilage of the tibial plateau were performed on cadaver specimens using Image Pro software on 3 age populations and surface area measurements for articular cartilage degradation were compared with donors’ reported ages, clinical histories, and occupations. Results Data showed that by the seventh decade of life, when patients are in their 60s, articular cartilage degeneration on the tibial plateau had commenced in 100% of specimen. All “homemakers” displayed above-average medial tibial plateau degeneration (32.33% ± 24.85%) for their age group while simultaneously reporting pathologies in their clinical history that encourage a sedentary lifestyle. Conclusions This assessment identifies an occupational class with a propensity to develop disease and also identifies a more realistic time frame than previous advisory committees have produced regarding age of disease onset and initiation of preventative measures. It is recommended that strengthening of the hip abductors and the musculature supporting the knee commence early in adult life to avoid valgus collapse and shearing at the knee joint.
HIV RNA Suppression during and after Pregnancy among Women in the HIV Outpatient Study, 1996 to 2015
Authors: Patel Monita , Tedaldi Ellen , Armon Carl , Nesheim Steven , Lampe Margaret , Palella Frank , Novak Richard , Sutton Madeline , Buchacz Kate 
Published: January 2018

Objective: To examine HIV viral suppression during/after pregnancy. Design: Prospective observational cohort. Methods: We identified pregnancies from 1996 to 2015. We examined HIV RNA viral load (VL), VL suppression (≤500 copies/mL), and antiretroviral therapy (ART) status at pregnancy start, end, and 6 months postpartum. We estimated risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for VL nonsuppression. Results: Among 253 pregnancies analyzed, 34.8% of women exhibited VL suppression at pregnancy start, 60.1% at pregnancy end, and 42.7% at 6 months postpartum. Median VL (log10 copies/mL) was 2.80 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.40-3.85) at pregnancy start, 1.70 (IQR: 1.40-2.82) at pregnancy end, and 2.30 (IQR: 1.40-3.86) at postpartum. Risk of postpartum VL nonsuppression was also lower among women on ART and with VL suppression at pregnancy end (versus those not; adjusted RR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.17-0.53). Conclusions: Maintaining VL suppression among US women remains a challenge, particularly during postpartum. Achieving VL suppression earlier during pregnancy benefits women subsequently.
Tracking the Evolution of Resistance to ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Through Longitudinal Analysis of Circulating Tumor DNA
Authors: Dagogo-Jack Ibiayi , Brannon A. Rose , Ferris Lorin A. , Campbell Catarina D. , Lin Jessica J. , Schultz Katherine R. , Ackil Jennifer , Stevens Sara , Dardaei Leila , Yoda Satoshi , Hubbeling Harper , Digumarthy Subba R. , Riester Markus , Hata Aaron N. , Sequist Lecia V. , Lennes Inga T. , Iafrate Anthony John , Heist Rebecca S. , Azzoli Christopher G. , Farago Anna F. , Engelman Jeffrey A. , Lennerz Jochen K. , Benes Cyril H. , Leary Rebecca J. , Shaw Alice T. , Gainor Justin F. 
Published: January 2018

Purpose ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) rearrangements predict for sensitivity to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs); however, responses to ALK TKIs are generally short lived. Serial molecular analysis is an informative strategy used to identify genetic mediators of resistance. Although multiple studies support the clinical benefits of repeat tissue sampling, the clinical utility of longitudinal circulating tumor DNA analysis has not been established in ALK-positive lung cancer. Patients and Methods We used a 566-gene hybrid-capture next-generation sequencing assay to perform a longitudinal analysis of plasma specimens from 22 ALK-positive patients with acquired resistance to ALK TKIs to track the evolution of resistance during treatment. To determine tissue–plasma concordance, we compared plasma findings with the results of repeat biopsies. Results At disease progression, we detected an ALK fusion in plasma from 19 (86%) of 22 patients and identified ALK resistance mutations in plasma specimens from 11 patients (50%). There was 100% agreement between tissue- and plasma-detected ALK fusions. Among 16 patients for which contemporaneous plasma and tissue specimens were available, we observed 100% concordance between ALK mutation calls. ALK mutations emerged and disappeared during treatment with sequential ALK TKIs, which suggests that plasma mutation profiles were dependent on the specific TKI administered. ALK G1202R—the most frequent plasma mutation detected after progression on a second-generation TKI—was consistently suppressed during treatment with lorlatinib. Conclusion Plasma genotyping by next-generation sequencing is an effective method for detecting ALK fusions and ALK mutations in patients who experience disease progression on ALK TKIs. The correlation between plasma ALK mutations and the response to distinct ALK TKIs highlights the potential for plasma analysis to guide the selection of ALK-directed therapies.
Gradient-Based Adaptive Stochastic Search for Simulation Optimization Over Continuous Space
Authors: Zhou Enlu , Bhatnagar Shalabh 
Published: January 2018

We extend the idea of model-based algorithms for deterministic optimization to simulation optimization over continuous space. Model-based algorithms iteratively generate a population of candidate solutions from a sampling distribution and use the performance of the candidate solutions to update the sampling distribution. By viewing the original simulation optimization problem as another optimization problem over the parameter space of the sampling distribution, we propose to use a direct gradient search on the parameter space to update the sampling distribution. To improve the computational efficiency, we further develop a two-timescale updating scheme that updates the parameter on a slow timescale and estimates the quantities involved in the parameter updating on the fast timescale. We analyze the convergence properties of our algorithms through techniques from stochastic approximation, and demonstrate the good empirical performance by comparing with two state-of-the-art model-based simulation optimization methods. The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2017.0771 .
Development of a Wood Computed Tomography Imaging System Using a Butterworth Filtered Back-Projection Algorithm
Authors: Qi Yuhan , Zhou Yucheng , Xu Jiahe , Ge Zhedong 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
Aiming to provide economical equipment support for nondestructive wood testing, we developed a wood computed tomography (CT) imaging system to aid wood researchers in accurately understanding wood internal structures and defect characteristics. The wood CT system consists of an X-ray source, an X-ray detector, an electric rotational stage, and a computer. The X-ray source projects a fan-shaped X-ray beam to the wood, and the X-ray detector captures the penetrated X-ray intensity data when the wood is at different angles of rotation. The projection data were preprocessed before they were used for image reconstruction. An improved filtered back-projection (FBP) algorithm specialized for wood cross section CT image reconstruction was proposed. The traditional Ram-Lak (RL) filter and Shepp-Logan (SL) filter were replaced by a Butterworth filter. The Butterworth parameters were determined to achieve a desirable compromise between spatial resolution and image noise. Two pieces of cylindrical log (Thuja sp., Pinus sp.) and a block of laminated timber were scanned. The reconstructed images clearly revealed the internal structures of wood, and the fine features such as pith, annual growth rings, radial cracks, knots, and outer edge were enhanced, while the image noise and blurring effect were suppressed.