bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bisoprolol in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: an explorative study
Authors: van Campen Jasmijn S.J.A. , de Boer Karin , van de Veerdonk Mariëlle C. , van der Bruggen Cathelijne E.E. , Allaart Cor P. , Raijmakers Pieter G. , Heymans Martijn W. , Marcus J. Tim , Harms Hendrik J. , Handoko M. Louis , de Man Frances S. , Vonk Noordegraaf Anton , Bogaard Harm-Jan 
Published: July 2016

While beta-blockers are considered contraindicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the prognostic significance of sympathetic nervous system over-activity suggests a potential benefit of beta-blocker therapy. The aim of this randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover, single centre study was to determine the effects of bisoprolol on right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) in idiopathic PAH (iPAH) patients. Additional efficacy and safety parameters were explored.Patients with optimally treated, stable iPAH (New York Heart Association functional class II/III) were randomised to placebo or bisoprolol. Imaging and functional measurements were performed at baseline, crossover and end of study.18 iPAH patients were included, because inclusion faltered before enrolment of the targeted 25 patients. 17 patients completed 6 months of bisoprolol, 15 tolerated bisoprolol, one patient required intravenous diuretics. Bisoprolol was associated with a lower heart rate (17 beats per minute, p=0.0001) but RVEF remained unchanged. A drop in cardiac index (0.5 L·min−1·m−2, p=0.015) was observed, along with a trend towards a decreased 6-min walking distance (6MWD).Although careful up-titration of bisoprolol was tolerated by most patients and resulted in a decreased heart rate, no benefit of bisoprolol in iPAH was demonstrated. Decreases in cardiac index and 6MWD suggest a deteriorated cardiac function. The results do not favour the use of bisoprolol in iPAH patients.
First evaluation of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus performance in contact screening
Authors: Barcellini Lucia , Borroni Emanuele , Brown James , Brunetti Enrico , Campisi Daniela , Castellotti Paola F. , Codecasa Luigi R. , Cugnata Federica , Di Serio Clelia , Ferrarese Maurizio , Goletti Delia , Lipman Marc , Rancoita Paola M.V. , Russo Giulia , Tadolini Marina , Vanino Elisa , Cirillo Daniela M. 
Published: July 2016

Identifying latently infected individuals is crucial for the elimination of tuberculosis (TB). We evaluated for the first time the performance of a new type of interferon-γ release assay, QuantiFERON-TB Plus (QFT-Plus), which includes an additional antigen tube (TB2), stimulating both CD4+and CD8+T-cells in contacts of TB patients.Contacts were screened for latent TB infection by tuberculin skin test, QFT-Plus and QuantiFERON-TB Gold in Tube (QFT-GIT).In 119 TB contacts, the overall agreement between QFT-Plus and QFT-GIT was high, with a Cohen's κ of 0.8. Discordant results were found in 12 subjects with negative QFT-GIT and positive QFT-Plus results. In analyses of markers of TB exposure and test results, the average time spent with the index case was the strongest risk factor for positivity in each of these tests. The difference in interferon-γ production between the two antigen tubes (TB2−TB1) was used as an estimate of CD8+stimulation provided by the TB2. TB2−TB1 values >0.6 IU·mL−1were significantly associated with proximity to the index case and European origin.QFT-Plus has a stronger association with surrogate measures of TB exposure than QFT-GIT in adults screened for latent TB infection. Interferon-γ response in the new antigen tube used an indirect estimate of specific CD8+response correlates with increasedMycobacterium tuberculosisexposure, suggesting a possible role in identifying individuals with recent infection.
Defining a standard set of patient-centred outcomes for lung cancer
Authors: Mak Kimberley S. , van Bommel Annelotte C.M. , Stowell Caleb , Abrahm Janet L. , Baker Matthew , Baldotto Clarissa S. , Baldwin David R. , Borthwick Diana , Carbone David P. , Chen Aileen B. , Fox Jesme , Haswell Tom , Koczywas Marianna , Kozower Benjamin D. , Mehran Reza J. , Schramel Franz M. , Senan Suresh , Stirling Robert G. , van Meerbeeck Jan P. , Wouters Michel W.J.M. , Peake Michael D. 
Published: July 2016

In lung cancer, outcome measurement has been mostly limited to survival. Proper assessment of the value of lung cancer treatments, and the performance of institutions delivering care, requires more comprehensive measurement of standardised outcomes.The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement convened an international, multidisciplinary working group of patient representatives, medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pulmonologists, palliative care specialists, registry experts and specialist nurses to review existing data and practices. Using a modified Delphi method, the group developed a consensus recommendation (“the set”) on the outcomes most essential to track for patients with lung cancer, along with baseline demographic, clinical and tumour characteristics (case-mix variables) for risk adjustment.The set applies to patients diagnosed with nonsmall cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Our working group recommends the collection of the following outcomes: survival, complications during or within 6 months of treatment and patient-reported domains of health-related quality of life including pain, fatigue, cough and dyspnoea. Case-mix variables were defined to improve interpretation of comparisons.We defined an international consensus recommendation of the most important outcomes for lung cancer patients, along with relevant case-mix variables, and are working to support adoption and reporting of these measures globally.
Brain perfusion in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease: an arterial spin labeling MRI study on prodromal and mild dementia stages
Authors: Roquet Daniel , Sourty Marion , Botzung Anne , Armspach Jean-Paul , Blanc Frédéric 
Published: July 2016

Abstract
Background
We aimed to describe specific changes in brain perfusion in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) at both the prodromal (also called mild cognitive impairment) and mild dementia stages, relative to patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and controls.

Methods
Altogether, 96 participants in five groups (prodromal DLB, prodromal AD, DLB with mild dementia, AD with mild dementia, and healthy elderly controls) took part in an arterial spin labeling MRI study. Three analyses were performed: a global perfusion value comparison, a voxel-wise analysis of both absolute and relative perfusion, and a linear discriminant analysis. These were used to assess the global decrease in perfusion, regional changes, and the sensitivity and specificity of these changes.

Results
Patterns of perfusion in DLB differed from AD and controls in both the prodromal stage and dementia, DLB having more deficits in frontal, insular, and temporal cortices whereas AD showed reduced perfusion in parietal and parietotemporal cortices. Decreases but also increases of perfusion in DLB relative to controls were observed in both absolute and relative measurements. All these regional changes of perfusion classified DLB patients with respect to either healthy controls or AD with sensitivity from 87 to 100 % and specificity from 90 to 96 % depending on the stage of the disease.

Conclusions
Our results are consistent with previous studies. We extend the scope of those studies by integrating prodromal DLB patients and by describing both hypo- and hyperperfusion in DLB. While decreases in perfusion may relate to functional impairments, increases might suggest a functional compensation of some brain areas.
Letter to the Editor
Authors: Bhimasankaram V. L. S. 
Published: July 2016

Dear Dr. Stolt: During the 11th Annual Convention and Seminar on Exploration Geophysics of the Association of Exploration Geophysicists held at Bhubaneswar (India), November 22-24, 1985, a few speakers who presented papers dealing with the magnetotelluric prospecting method time and again referred to the method as the “MT” method. For some in the audience, especially non-geophysicists, the word seemed odd since it sounded like “empty.”
LEGAL AND LOGIC PROBLEMS IN INTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION
Authors: Романов Александр , Romanov Alyeksandr 
Published: July 2016

Legislation promulgated by the State has not only textual but also legal nature. Any text, including such as legislation one, needs to be interpreted, but legislation text needs to be not only read but competently comprehended in the legal context. In practice interpretation problem solving becomes complicated by a number of problems and circumstances. Among them besides a range of problems connected with juridical techniques special place is taken by legal and logical problems. Interpretation of legal acts requires special training, skills and know-how. Not all legal
problems of interpretation still become subject of theoretical study. Legal problems are concerned with exegesis and hermeneutics of interpretation, logical problems means isomorphism and antinomy of denotation relations.
Contract Structure for Joint Production: Risk and Ambiguity Under Compensatory Damages
Authors: Ryall Michael D. , Sampson Rachelle C. 
Published: July 2016

We develop a model in which the parties to a joint production project have a choice of specifying contractual performance in terms of actions or deliverables. Penalties for noncompliance are not specified; rather, they are left to the courts under the legal doctrine of compensatory damages. We analyze three scenarios of increasing uncertainty: full information, where implications of partner actions are known; risk, where implications can be probabilistically quantified; and ambiguity, where implications cannot be so quantified. Under full information, action requirements dominate: they always induce the maximum economic value. This dominance vanishes in the risk scenario. Under ambiguity, deliverables specifications can interact with compensatory damages to create a form of “ambiguity insurance,” where ambiguity aversion is assuaged in a way that increases the aggregate, perceived value of the project. This effect does not arise under contracts specifying action requirements. Thus, deliverables contracts may facilitate highly novel joint projects that would otherwise be foregone as a result of excessive uncertainty. Suggested empirical implications include the choice of contract clause type depending on the level of uncertainty in a joint development project, one application being the level of partner experience with interfirm collaborations. This paper was accepted by Bruno Cassiman, business strategy.
Measuring Multichannel Advertising Response
Authors: Zantedeschi Daniel , Feit Eleanor McDonnell , Bradlow Eric T. 
Published: July 2016

Advances in data collection have made it increasingly easy to collect information on advertising exposures. However, translating this seemingly rich data into measures of advertising response has proven difficult, largely because of concerns that advertisers target customers with a higher propensity to buy or increase advertising during periods of peak demand. We show how this problem can be addressed by studying a setting where a firm randomly held out customers from each campaign, creating a sequence of randomized field experiments that mitigates (many) potential endogeneity problems. Exploratory analysis of individual holdout experiments shows positive effects for both email and catalog; however, the estimated effect for any individual campaign is imprecise, because of the small size of the holdout. To pool data across campaigns, we develop a hierarchical Bayesian model for advertising response that allows us to account for individual differences in purchase propensity and marketing response. Building on the traditional ad-stock framework, we are able to estimate separate decay rates for each advertising medium, allowing us to predict channel-specific short- and long-term effects of advertising and use these predictions to inform marketing strategy. We find that catalogs have substantially longer-lasting impact on customer purchase than emails. We show how the model can be used to score and target individual customers based on their advertising responsiveness, and we find that targeting the most responsive customers increases the predicted returns on advertising by approximately 70% versus traditional recency, frequency, and monetary value–based targeting. This paper was accepted by Pradeep Chintagunta, marketing.
Sourcing Under Supplier Responsibility Risk: The Effects of Certification, Audit, and Contingency Payment
Authors: Chen Li , Lee Hau L. 
Published: July 2016

Companies that source from emerging economies often face supplier responsibility risks, namely, financial and reputational burdens that the companies have to bear when their suppliers’ engagement in noncomplying labor and environmental practices becomes public. To mitigate such risks, companies can invest in screening mechanisms and design incentive schemes in sourcing contracts. Common mitigation instruments include supplier certification, process audits, and contingency payments. The interactions of these instruments are often not well understood. We first note that the effectiveness of any mitigation instrument depends on how it changes the economic trade-offs faced by a supplier in compliance to social and environmental standard, and hence we develop a model that explicitly captures such trade-offs. As a result, our model endogenizes the supplier’s noncompliance probability and connects it with various factors, including the supplier’s intrinsic ethical level that is unobservable to the buyer. We then study the buyer’s optimal contracting problem under different mitigation instruments. We find that although the process audit and contingency payment instruments can directly lower supplier responsibility risk, they, acting alone, are not as effective as the supplier certification instrument in screening suppliers with different ethical levels. Nevertheless, these instruments are all complementary to each other; when used jointly, they make supplier screening more effective and result in lower sourcing cost. These findings provide explanations for some of the observed practices used in industry to mitigate supplier responsibility risks. This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.
Behavior-Based Pricing in Vertically Differentiated Industries
Authors: Rhee Ki-Eun , Thomadsen Raphael 
Published: July 2016

We study behavior-based pricing (BBP) in a vertically differentiated model. Vertical differentiation is innately asymmetric because all customers prefer the higher-quality product when prices are equal. This asymmetry causes BBP to have different properties than symmetric horizontally differentiated models. We highlight two dimensions that affect the analysis: the role of quality-adjusted cost differences between the firms and the role of consumer discounting relative to firm discounting. In the second period, consistent with the prior literature, we find that there are conditions based on market shares and quality-adjusted costs under which either the low-quality firm or the high-quality firm—but not both—will reward its current customers with lower prices than it charges to new customers. We then consider whether these conditions can arise in a two-period equilibrium. We find that if consumers sufficiently discount the future periods, then firms at enough of a competitive disadvantage will reward their customers: i.e., the low-quality firm will reward its current customers if the quality-adjusted cost differential between the two firms is small, while the high-quality firm will reward its current customers if this cost differential is large. Conversely, we find that if consumers do not discount the future very much, then the firm at a competitive disadvantage (i.e., a low-quality firm competing against a low-cost high-quality firm, or a high-quality firm that has very high costs) can earn greater profits with BBP than without BBP, although there are cases where both firms may benefit from BBP. This paper was accepted by J. Miguel Villas-Boas, marketing.
Medium-term durability of giant hiatus hernia repair without mesh
Authors: Furtado RV , Vivian SJ , van der Wall H , Falk GL 
Published: July 2016

Introduction This is the second report on objective review of 100 patients who underwent composite fundoplication-cardiopexy for repair of giant hiatus hernia (GHH) at a median of 24 months following surgery. Outcomes were objective follow-up by endoscopy and quality of life (QoL) by Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI), modified Visick scores and dysphagia scores. The initial report for this cohort suggested a low objective recurrence rate (9%) and substantial improvements in QoL indices. Methods The rate of hernia recurrence was assessed with Kaplan–Meier analysis and covariates were analysed with the Cox proportional hazards model. Paired t-tests and related samples Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare QoL scores. Unpaired data were compared with the independent samples t-test and Mann–Whitney U test. Results Objective review was obtained in 97% of the patients. There were five recurrences of hernias that had a vertical height of >2cm from the diaphragmatic hiatus, with three patients requiring reoperation for severe dysphagia. Small recurrences (<2cm) occurred in 20 patients. The median time to recurrence was 40 months (95% confidence interval: 34–46 months). At two years, recurrence of any size had occurred in 24% of cases. At follow-up review (median: 27 months), the mean GIQLI score was 109 (p=0.279), the median modified Visick score was 2 (p=0.954) and the median dysphagia score was 41 (p=0.623). There was no evidence that the GIQLI score (p=0.089), the modified Visick score (p=0.339) or the dysphagia score (p=0.445) changed significantly after recurrence. Conclusions There was a sustained improvement in overall QoL and reflux scores after GHH repair. QoL scores showed persistent improvement in reflux and overall health, even in the subgroup with recurrence. The majority (80%) of recurrences were small and recurrent herniation did not appear to significantly change QoL. The rates of recurrence and QoL are comparable with those for other methods of repair.
Brazilian oral pathology: a retrospective survey of 245 cases from a Surgical Pathology Hospital Laboratory
Authors: Nascimento Juliana Souza , Takahama Jr Ademar , Pires Fábio Ramôa , Barros Eleni Maria Viana de Brandão , Azevedo Rebeca Souza 
Published: July 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the range of oral histopathological diagnoses in a Brazilian survey obtained from a surgical pathology hospital laboratory. Material and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed, and all histological slides from the oral and maxillofacial region during a 14-year period were reviewed. The materials were grouped into five major diagnostic categories, and age and sex were specified. Results: A total of 769 samples were collected and submitted for histopathological analysis. There were 245 oral cases, which were divided into 48 different diagnoses. There was no sex predilection, and the mean age was about 44 years old. Proliferative non-neoplastic lesions (43.2%) and malignant neoplasms (26.5%) comprised the main two groups of diagnoses. Conclusion: The malignant prevalence observed in this Brazilian sample may be due to the nature of the population or, most probably, to the nature of the source, a referral hospital center in the city.
Psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics among sudanese high school students.
Authors: Abualela Mustafa , Abuaffan Amal Hussein 
Published: July 2016

Objective: Dental aesthetics essential part of facial attractiveness, plays a vital role in the social as well as the psychological well being of individuals. This study aimed to assess the level of dental aesthetics by the self-rated Aesthetic Component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics using the ‘Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire’ (PIDAQ). Material Methods: A total of 192 high school students (13-16 years old), genders equally participated in the study and completed a modified version of the ‘Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire’ (PIDAQ). Dental aesthetics were assessed by the IOTN Aesthetic Component (self-rated IOTN-AC). The data was processed and analyzed using computer software program “SPSS” (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 17. T-test has been used, P-value of less than 0.05 was considered as significance. Results: All the variables of the PIDAQ showed a significant difference with the groups of the IOTN-AC (P-value < 0.05). Inter-gender significant difference was found among the students. Conclusion: Self-perceived dental aesthetics has a strong influence on the psychological as well as the social wellbeing of individuals. Therefore self-perception of dental aesthetics maybe an important key in deciding the orthodontic treatment need.Keywords: Dental aesthetics; Psychosocial impact; Malocclusion; IOTN; Students.
Microtensile bond strength of a universal adhesive to deep dentin
Authors: Gre Cristina , Amaral Caldeira de Andrada MAuro , Monteiro Junior Sylvio 
Published: July 2016

Objective: This study evaluated the microtensile bond strength of a universal adhesive system applied to deep dentin under different bonding strategies. Material and Methods: Fifteen human third molars had the coronal portion removed exposing deep dentin and were assigned into 3 groups according to the adhesive system: G1(control): 2-steps totaletch (Adper Single Bond 2, 3M ESPE); G2: 1-step self-etch universal adhesive (Scotchbond Universal, 3M ESPE); G3:2 steps total-etch universal adhesive (Scotchbond Universal, 3M ESPE). Composite buildups were performed on the dentin surfaces and after water storage for 24 h, teeth were sectioned to obtain 40 bonded beams per group with sectional area of 0.9 mm2 . The specimens were submitted to the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) test until failure. Statistical analyses were computed using one-way ANOVA (p = 0.05). Results: The mean µTBS (in MPa) were G1 = 22.27, G2 = 22.85 and G3 = 20.3. After statistical analysis, no significant differences were observed among the groups. Conclusions: Universal adhesive system performed similarly to the total-etch adhesive and was not affected by the adhesion strategy. KEYWORDS Microtensile; Adhesive system; Dentin.
Generalized Carrier-Based PWM Method for a
12-Switch Converter
Authors: Aganah Kennedy Adinbo , Ojo Olorunfemi 
Published: July 2016

Abstract
This paper proposes a generalized carrier-based
pulse-width modulation (CBPWM) method for a 12-switch
converter feeding three independent loads. The converter
topology is part of the (3N + 3)-switch converter family
where N is the number of outputs (N = 3 for this special
case). Its more famous sibling is the 9-switch converter
which is gaining considerable interest from researchers
because of its reduced-switch count architecture. The
structure and limitations of the converter are elaborated;
its modulation method applicable to both equal and different
frequency (and/or amplitude) operations is formulated.
The generalized neutral voltages for the converter is
derived for the first time and used as the offset voltages required
by this type of topology to decouple its three outputs.
The proposed algorithm is validated by both theoretical
simulations and experimental results.