bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Time Intervals Measured by Tissue Doppler Imaging M‐mode: Association With Hypertension, Left Ventricular Geometry, and Future Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Biering‐Sørensen Tor , Mogelvang Rasmus , Schnohr Peter , Jensen Jan Skov 
Published: January 2016

Background
We hypothesized that the cardiac time intervals reveal reduced myocardial function in persons with hypertension and are strong predictors of future ischemic cardiovascular diseases in the general population.

Methods and Results

In a large community‐based population study, cardiac function was evaluated in 1915 participants by using both conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (
TDI
). The cardiac time intervals, including the isovolumic relaxation time (
IVRT
), isovolumic contraction time (
IVCT
), and ejection time (
ET
), were obtained by
TDI
M‐mode through the mitral leaflet.
IVCT
/
ET
,
IVRT
/
ET
, and myocardial performance index [
MPI
=(
IVRT
+
IVCT
)/
ET
] were calculated. After multivariable adjustment for clinical variables the
IVRT
,
IVRT
/
ET
, and
MPI
, remained significantly impaired in persons with hypertension (n=826) compared with participants without hypertension (n=1082). Additionally, they displayed a significant dose–response relationship, between increasing severity of elevated blood pressure and increasing left ventricular mass index (
P
<0.001 for all). Further, during follow‐up of a median of 10.7 years, 435 had an ischemic cardiovascular disease (ischemic heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, or stroke). The
IVRT
/
ET
and
MPI
were powerful and independent predictors of future cardiovascular disease, especially in participants with known hypertension. They provide prognostic information incremental to clinical variables from the Framingham Risk Score, the
SCORE
risk chart, and the European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology risk chart.

Conclusion

The cardiac time intervals identify impaired cardiac function in individuals with hypertension, not only independent of conventional risk factors but also in participants with a normal conventional echocardiographic examination. The
IVRT
/
ET
and
MPI
are independent predictors of future cardiovascular disease especially in participants with known hypertension.
Comprehensive Assessment of Coronary Plaque Progression With Advanced Intravascular Imaging, Physiological Measures, and Wall Shear Stress: A Pilot Double‐Blinded Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Nebivolol Versus Atenolol in Nonobstructive Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Hung Olivia Y. , Molony David , Corban Michel T. , Rasoul‐Arzrumly Emad , Maynard Charles , Eshtehardi Parham , Dhawan Saurabh , Timmins Lucas H. , Piccinelli Marina , Ahn Sung Gyun , Gogas Bill D. , McDaniel Michael C. , Quyyumi Arshed A. , Giddens Don P. , Samady Habib 
Published: January 2016

Background

We hypothesized that nebivolol, a β‐blocker with nitric oxide–mediated activity, compared with atenolol, a β‐blocker without such activity, would decrease oxidative stress and improve the effects of endothelial dysfunction and wall shear stress (
WSS
), thereby reducing atherosclerosis progression and vulnerability in patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease.

Methods and Results

In this pilot double‐blinded randomized controlled trial, 24 patients treated for 1 year with nebivolol 10 mg versus atenolol 100 mg plus standard medical therapy underwent baseline and follow‐up coronary angiography with assessments of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, microvascular function, endothelial function, and virtual histology intravascular ultrasound.
WSS
was calculated from computational fluid dynamics. Virtual histology intravascular ultrasound segments were assessed for vessel volumetrics and remodeling. There was a trend toward more low‐
WSS
segments in the nebivolol cohort (
P
=0.06). Low‐
WSS
regions were associated with greater plaque progression (
P
<0.0001) and constrictive remodeling (
P
=0.04); conversely, high‐
WSS
segments demonstrated plaque regression and excessive expansive remodeling. Nebivolol patients had decreased lumen and vessel areas along with increased plaque area, resulting in more constrictive remodeling (
P
=0.002). There were no significant differences in biomarker levels, microvascular function, endothelial function, or number of thin‐capped fibroatheromas per vessel. Importantly, after adjusting for β‐blocker, low‐
WSS
segments remained significantly associated with lumen loss and plaque progression.

Conclusion

Nebivolol, compared with atenolol, was associated with greater plaque progression and constrictive remodeling, likely driven by more low‐
WSS
segments in the nebivolol arm. Both β‐blockers had similar effects on oxidative stress, microvascular function, and endothelial function.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/
. Unique identifier:
NCT
01230892.
The Life of August Wilhelm Schlegel, Cosmopolitan of Art and Poetry
Authors: Paulin Roger 
Published: January 2016

This is the first full-scale biography, in any language, of a towering figure in German and European Romanticism: August Wilhelm Schlegel whose life, 1767 to 1845, coincided with its inexorable rise. As poet, translator, critic and oriental scholar, Schlegel's extraordinarily diverse interests and writings left a vast intellectual legacy, making him a foundational figure in several branches of knowledge. He was one of the last thinkers in Europe able to practise as well as to theorise, and to attempt to comprehend the nature of culture without being forced to be a narrow specialist. With his brother Friedrich, for example, Schlegel edited the avant-garde Romantic periodical Athenaeum; and he produced with his wife Caroline a translation of Shakespeare, the first metrical version into any foreign language. Schlegel's Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature were a defining force for Coleridge and for the French Romantics. But his interests extended to French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese literature, as well to the Greek and Latin classics, and to Sanskrit.
August Wilhelm Schlegel is the first attempt to engage with this totality, to combine an account of Schlegel’s life and times with a critical evaluation of his work and its influence. Through the study of one man's rich life, incorporating the most recent scholarship, theoretical approaches, and archival resources, while remaining easily accessible to all readers, Paulin has recovered the intellectual climate of Romanticism in Germany and traced its development into a still-potent international movement. The extraordinarily wide scope and variety of Schlegel's activities have hitherto acted as a barrier to literary scholars, even in Germany. In Roger Paulin, whose career has given him the knowledge and the experience to grapple with such an ambitious project, Schlegel has at last found a worthy exponent.
Effect of the East Asian Westerly Jet’s Intensity on Summer Rainfall in the Yangtze River Valley and Its Mechanism
Authors: Wang Shixin , Zuo Hongchao 
Published: January 2016

Abstract
Many studies have shown that the northward (southward) displacement of the East Asian westerly jet (EAWJ) drastically reduces (increases) summer rainfall in the Yangtze River valley (YRV). However, the effect of the jet’s intensity on interannual variation in summer rainfall has not been systematically studied. The present study investigates the effect of the EAWJ’s intensity on this interannual variation and analyzes the mechanism by which this process occurs. In early summer, the EAWJ consists of two branches: one located over northern continental East Asia [western branch (EAWJWB)] and one extending from southern China to the northern Pacific [eastern branch (EAWJEB)]. The former merges into the latter over the Yellow Sea. A stronger EAWJEB leads to increased rainfall in the YRV, while the EAWJWB does not significantly affect rainfall in the YRV. The faster EAWJEB directly strengthens midtropospheric warm advection over the YRV because the corresponding changes in the meridional wind and horizontal temperature gradient are insignificant. The strengthened warm advection increases rainfall in the YRV by accelerating both adiabatic ascent and the ascent associated with diabatic heating primarily generated by convection. In midsummer, the EAWJ has no branches and is located over the midlatitudes of Asia. The strengthening of the EAWJ reduces rainfall in the YRV in midsummer through the Pacific–Japan (PJ) pattern. As the EAWJ strengthens, the PJ pattern turns to its positive phase. This results in the deceleration of the midtropospheric westerly wind and a reduction in the meridional temperature contrast, which weakens midtropospheric warm advection. The weakened warm advection in turn reduces rainfall in the YRV, following the process outlined for early summer.
Ocean Convective Available Potential Energy. Part II: Energetics of Thermobaric Convection and Thermobaric Cabbeling
Authors: Su Zhan , Ingersoll Andrew P. , Stewart Andrew L. , Thompson Andrew F. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThe energetics of thermobaricity- and cabbeling-powered deep convection occurring in oceans with cold freshwater overlying warm salty water are investigated here. These quasi-two-layer profiles are widely observed in wintertime polar oceans. The key diagnostic is the ocean convective available potential energy (OCAPE), a concept introduced in a companion piece to this paper (Part I). For an isolated ocean column, OCAPE arises from thermobaricity and is the maximum potential energy (PE) that can be converted into kinetic energy (KE) under adiabatic vertical parcel rearrangements. This study explores the KE budget of convection using two-dimensional numerical simulations and analytical estimates. The authors find that OCAPE is a principal source for KE. However, the complete conversion of OCAPE to KE is inhibited by diabatic processes. Further, this study finds that diabatic processes produce three other distinct contributions to the KE budget: (i) a sink of KE due to the reduction of stratification by vertical mixing, which raises water column’s center of mass and thus acts to convert KE to PE; (ii) a source of KE due to cabbeling-induced shrinking of the water column’s volume when water masses with different temperatures are mixed, which lowers the water column’s center of mass and thus acts to convert PE into KE; and (iii) a reduced production of KE due to diabatic energy conversion of the KE convertible part of the PE to the KE inconvertible part of the PE. Under some simplifying assumptions, the authors also propose a theory to estimate the maximum depth of convection from an energetic perspective. This study provides a potential basis for improving the convection parameterization in ocean models.
Sanitaristas, Petistas, and the Post-Neoliberal Public Health State in Porto Alegre
Authors: Gibson Christopher L. 
Published: January 2016

Scholars of the post-neoliberal state in Latin America commonly trace universal social policies to ruling left parties and deepened democracy. Yet, such accounts often overlook how subnational politics in highly decentralized democracies like Brazil’s can mediate this relationship. Examining such politics in the Brazilian município of Porto Alegre since 1988 suggests that structural constraints and competing programmatic agendas of Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers’ Party—PT) governments complicated expansion of the public health sector. The município’s surprisingly modest delivery of such services is traceable to enduring deemphasis on critical dimensions of state building in this sector by several PT administrations and the integration of civil society actors into multiple participatory governance institutions with little power over this process. Even in such contexts, far-reaching participatory democratic institutions are no panacea for fulfilling the universal social policy ambitions of local post-neoliberal states that depend heavily upon high-level political appointees for their effectiveness. Estudiosos do Estado pós-neoliberal na América Latina frequentemente associam políticas sociais universais aos partidos governantes de esquerda e à solidificação da democracia. Contudo, tais narrativas ignoram como a política subnacional em democracias muito descentralizadas, como a brasileira, mediam esse relacionamento. Um exame dessa dinâmica política no município de Porto Alegre desde 1988 sugere que restrições estruturais e agendas programáticas competitivas de governos do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) ampliou a complexidade de expansão do setor de saúde pública. A modesta oferta de serviços de saúde naquele município pode ser atribuída a um esvaziamento contínuo das dimensões criticas da ingerencia do Estado nesse setor por parte de várias administrações petistas e à integração de atores da sociedade civil em múltiplas instituições de governança participatória com pouco poder de decisão sobre tal processo. Mesmo nesses contextos, instituições democráticas com alcance amplo não constituem uma panacéia que realize as ambições sociais universais de Estados locais pós-neoliberais, os quais dependem muito de políticos do alto escalão em cargos comissionados para serem eficientes.
Diagnostic performance of abdominal CT for diagnosis of pelvic fractures: comparison with pelvic CT
Authors: Yun Seong Jong , Jin Wook , Yoon So Hee , Chun Young Soo , Cha Jang Gyu , Koo Hye-Soo , Park So Young , Park Ji Seon , Ryu Kyung Nam , Lee Sun Hwa , Shin Jong Soo 
Published: January 2016

Background In the emergency department, patients with abdominopelvic trauma inadvertently undergo both abdominal computed tomography (CT) (for intra-abdominal and intra-pelvic organs) and pelvic CT (CT with multiplanar reformation in three orthogonal planes of the bony pelvis). However, the systemic use of CT is concerning given the cumulative radiation dose. Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic value of abdominal CT in comparison to pelvic CT in patients with suspected pelvic fractures. Material and Methods Seventy-two patients who underwent abdominal CT and pelvic CT within a 2-week period to evaluate pelvic fractures were included. Two reviewers retrospectively analyzed eight anatomical regions of the pelvic bones on both abdominal CT and pelvic CT over a 1-week interval. The interpretation of pelvic CT scans by two senior musculoskeletal radiologists was considered as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance and inter-observer agreement of both CT scans were evaluated. Results For reviewers 1 and 2, abdominal CT showed high accuracy (98% and 98%, respectively) as did pelvic CT. For both abdominal CT and pelvic CT, fracture detection in all anatomical regions of the pelvic bones was not significantly different for the two reviewers ( P ≥ 0.25). Inter-observer agreement for all anatomical regions of the pelvic bones was excellent or good (k = 0.785–1.0). Conclusion Not only pelvic CT but also abdominal CT is acceptable for detection of pelvic fractures, in spite of its thicker sections and different reconstruction algorithm. Therefore, if abdominal CT has already been performed, additional pelvic CT might no longer be necessary in order to exclude a pelvic fracture.
Vitamin D Dosing Strategies Among Jordanians With Hypovitaminosis D
Authors: Khawaja Nahla , Liswi Mohammed , El-Khateeb Mohammed , Hyassat Dana , Bajawi Dalila , Elmohtaseb Mayada , Alkhateeb Hussein , Ajlouni Kamel 
Published: January 2016

Objective: To compare between weekly and daily cholecalciferol in patients with hypovitaminosis D and to determine the optimal maintenance dose. Methods: Seventy-one volunteers with hypovitaminosis D were randomly assigned to 2 dose regimens: cholecalciferol 50 000 IU weekly for 8 weeks, then 50 000 IU monthly for 2 months (group A) and 7000 IU daily for 8 weeks, then 12 500 IU weekly for 2 months (group B). Cholecalciferol was stopped for 2 months and reintroduced as 50 000 IU bimonthly for group A and 50 000 IU monthly for group B. Results: Two months after therapy, the mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level increased from 11.4 to 51.2 ng/mL and from 11.7 to 44.9 ng/mL in groups A and B, respectively ( P = .065). The levels of 25(OH)D declined similarly in both groups during maintenance and after holding therapy. After resuming cholecalciferol, 25(OH)D levels increased to 33.8 and 28.8 ng/mL in groups A and B, respectively ( P = .027). There was a negative correlation between serum 25(OH)D levels and body mass index (BMI; P = .040). Conclusion: Timing and frequency of the dosing (daily vs weekly) have no effect on the rise in serum 25(OH)D levels as long as the accumulative dose of cholecalciferol is similar. Cholecalciferol 50 000 IU bimonthly is required to maintain sufficient 25(OH)D levels.
Posttraumatic Growth Among Japanese Parentally Bereaved Adolescents: A Web-Based Survey
Authors: Hirooka Kayo , Fukahori Hiroki , Akita Yumi , Ozawa Miwa 
Published: January 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents bereaved owing to parental cancer in Japan. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional Web-based survey was conducted, enrolling adolescents bereaved because of parental cancer in the previous 5 years. Posttraumatic growth, number of social support members, support from medical staff, and behaviors after bereavement were measured. Multiple linear regression was performed to explore the association between total PTG score and possible related factors. Results: We assessed 57 participants in this study. Mean age was 19.3 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.0) years, and most participants were female (75.4%). Mean total score of the Japanese version of the PTG inventory was 43.0 (SD = 25.6). Participants’ mean number of social support members was 2.1 (SD = 1.3), and these support members were the surviving parent (66.7%), friends (38.6%), and siblings (36.8%). The multiple linear regression model explained 45% of the variance in PTG. In this model, the following 3 behaviors after bereavement were associated with PTG: “putting palms together in front of a parent’s picture or an altar” (β = .36, P = .006), “visiting a parent’s grave” (β = .29, P = .03), and “having fun with friends” (β = .25, P = .04). Conclusion: Parentally bereaved adolescents in Japan experience PTG. Specific behaviors after bereavements might be recommended for PTG among Japanese adolescents bereaved because of parental cancer.
High- versus low-dose leucovorin in the modified FOLFOX6 regimen for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Reynolds Jana , Chamberland-Tremblay April , Herrington Jon D , Munoz Maldonado Yolanda , Wong Lucas 
Published: January 2016

Background In response to the national leucovorin shortage in 2008, our institution adjusted the modified FOLFOX6 (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) protocol to utilize a lower dose of leucovorin (20 mg/m2). This adjustment was based on prospective studies suggesting that lower doses of leucovorin may be equally effective in other fluorouracil containing regimens. This retrospective study evaluates outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with low- (20 mg/m2) vs. high-dose (400 mg/m2) leucovorin in the FOLFOX6 regimen for mCRC. Methods This retrospective analysis included consecutive mCRC patients from 2004 to 2011 if they received at least one cycle of modified FOLFOX6 as first line therapy. Patients who received an initial leucovorin dose other than 20 mg/m2 or 400 mg/m2 on their first cycle were excluded. Patient characteristics included demographics, metastatic site at initial diagnosis, and treatment history including chemotherapy and surgery. Primary outcome was date of death or last contact. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were utilized to evaluate the effect of leucovorin dose on overall survival. Log-rank tests were used to compare median survival times by dose group. Results Of the 93 mCRC patients who received first line modified FOLFOX6, leucovorin 400 mg/m2 was administered to 47 (51%) patients and 20 mg/m2 to 46 (49%) patients. There were no differences of baseline characteristics between the groups with exception of primary site of cancer ( p = 0.038). The overall survival time was 22.5 months (95% CI 16.6–29.6). The median survival time in the leucovorin 400 mg/m2 group was 23.1 months (95% CI 16.2–35.7) compared to leucovorin 20 mg/m2 which was 20.5 months (95% CI 14.2–34.2); p = 0.573. The median survival times in patients with one versus two or more sites with metastasis were statistically different (26.9 vs. 16.2 months, p = 0.009). Metastatic site removal or ablation showed differences in the median survival, 34.2 months (95% CI 20.8–50.9) vs. 16.6 months (95% CI 14.1–23.6) without metastatic disease removal ( p = 0.004). The odds of dying for patients with two metastatic sites was higher compared with the odds of those patients with one site, HR 1.8 (95% CI 1.08–3.0). Patients without metastatic site removal or ablation had higher odds of dying compared to those patients without this procedure, HR 0.47 (95% CI 0.27–0.81). Conclusion In this single center retrospective study, there was no difference in overall survival for mCRC patients treated with first line FOLFOX6 with low- vs. high-dose leucovorin.
Comparison of real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, serum and cell-free body cavity effusion for the diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis
Authors: Doenges Stephanie J , Weber Karin , Dorsch Roswitha , Fux Robert , Hartmann Katrin 
Published: January 2016

Objectives Diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) remains challenging, especially in cats without effusions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detecting feline coronavirus (FCoV) RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum in comparison with the same real-time RT-PCR in cell-free body cavity effusion. Methods This prospective case-control study included 92 cats. Forty-three cats had a definitive diagnosis of FIP, established either by histopathological examination (n = 28) or by positive immunofluorescence staining of FCoV antigen in macrophages of effusions (n = 11), or by both methods (n = 4). Forty-nine control cats had other diseases but similar clinical signs. Real-time RT-PCR was performed on PBMCs of 37 cats (21 cats with FIP, 16 controls), on serum of 51 cats (26 cats with FIP, 25 controls) and on cell-free body cavity effusion of 69 cats (36 cats with FIP, 33 controls). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, including 95% confidence intervals (CI), were calculated. Results Real-time RT-PCR of PBMCs, serum and cell-free body cavity effusion showed a specificity of 100% (95% CI 79.4–100% in PBMCs, 86.3–100% in serum, 89.4–100% in cell-free body cavity effusion) and a sensitivity of 28.6% (95% CI 11.3–52.2%) in PBMCs, 15.4% (95% CI 4.4–34.9%) in serum and 88.9% (95% CI 73.9–96.9%) in cell-free body cavity effusion to diagnose FIP. Conclusions and relevance Although it is known that RT-PCR can often provide false-positive results in healthy cats, this real-time RT-PCR was shown to be a specific tool for the diagnosis of FIP when applied in a clinical setting. Sensitivity in cell-free body cavity effusion was high but low in PBMCs and serum. PBMC samples showed a higher sensitivity than serum samples, and are therefore a better choice if no effusion is present.