bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of long-term mortality after ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in England and Sweden
Authors: Karthikesalingam A , Wanhainen A , Holt P J , Vidal-Diez A , Brownrigg J R W , Shpitser I , Björck M , Thompson M M , Mani K 
Published: December 2015

Abstract

Background
Concern has been raised regarding international discrepancies in perioperative mortality after repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). The variation in in-hospital mortality is difficult to interpret, owing to international differences in discharge strategies. This study compared 90-day and 5-year mortality in patients who had a rAAA in England and Sweden.

Methods
Patients undergoing rAAA repair were identified from English Hospital Episode Statistics and the Swedish Vascular Registry (Swedvasc) between 2003 and 2012. Ninety-day and 5-year mortality were compared after matching for age and sex. Within-country analyses examined the impact of co-morbidity, teaching hospital status or hospital annual caseload, adjusted with causal inference techniques.

Results
Some 12 467 patients underwent rAAA repair in England, of whom 83·2 per cent were men; the median (i.q.r.) age was 75 (70–80) years. A total of 2829 Swedish patients underwent rAAA repair, of whom 81·3 per cent were men; their median (i.q.r.) age was 75 (69–80) years. The 90-day mortality rate was worse in England (44·0 per cent versus 33·4 per cent in Sweden; P &lt; 0·001), as was 5-year mortality (freedom from mortality 38·6 versus 46·3 per cent respectively; P &lt; 0·001). In England, lower mortality was seen in teaching hospitals with larger bed capacity, higher annual caseloads and greater use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). In Sweden, lower mortality was associated with EVAR, high annual caseload, or surgery on weekdays compared with weekends.

Conclusion
Short- and long-term mortality after rAAA repair was higher in England. In both countries, mortality was lowest in centres performing greater numbers of AAA repairs per annum, and more EVAR procedures.
Multicentre observational study of the Gatekeeper™ for faecal incontinence
Authors: Ratto C , Buntzen S , Aigner F , Altomare D F , Heydari A , Donisi L , Lundby L , Parello A 
Published: December 2015

Abstract

Background
A variety of therapeutic approaches are available for faecal incontinence. Implantation of Gatekeeper™ prostheses is a new promising option. The primary endpoint of this prospective observational multicentre study was to assess the clinical efficacy of Gatekeeper™ implantation in patients with faecal incontinence. Secondary endpoints included the assessment of patients' quality of life, and the feasibility and safety of implantation.

Methods
Patients with faecal incontinence, with either intact sphincters or internal anal sphincter lesions extending for less than 60° of the anal circumference, were selected. Intersphincteric implantation of six prostheses was performed. At baseline, and 1, 3 and 12 months after implantation, the number of faecal incontinence episodes, Cleveland Clinic Faecal Incontinence, Vaizey and American Medical Systems, Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale and Short Form 36 Health Survey scores were recorded. Endoanal ultrasonography was performed at baseline and follow-up.

Results
Fifty-four patients were implanted. After Gatekeeper™ implantation, incontinence to gas, liquid and solid stool improved significantly, soiling was reduced, and ability to defer defaecation enhanced. All faecal incontinence severity scores were significantly reduced, and patients' quality of life improved. At 12 months, 30 patients (56 per cent) showed at least 75 per cent improvement in all faecal incontinence parameters, and seven (13 per cent) became fully continent. In three patients a single prosthesis was extruded during surgery, but was replaced immediately. After implantation, prosthesis dislodgement occurred in three patients; no replacement was required.

Conclusion
Anal implantation of the Gatekeeper™ in patients with faecal incontinence was effective and safe. Clinical benefits were sustained at 1-year follow-up.
Ichthyosis prematurity syndrome caused by a novel missense mutation in FATP4 gene‐a case report from India
Authors: George Renu , Santhanam Sridhar , Samuel Rekha , Chapla Aaron , Hilmarsen Hilde Tveitan , Braathen Geir Julius , Reinholt Finn P. , Jahnsen Frode , Khnykin Denis 
Published: December 2015

Key Clinical MessageIchthyosis prematurity syndrome (IPS) is reported mainly from Scandinavia where most of the cases are homozygous or compound heterozygous for the nonsense mutation c.504C>A (p.Cys168*) in exon3 indicating a common ancestor for this mutation. The occurrence of IPS in an Indian patient suggests that it is more widespread than previously reported.
Quality and quantity: transitions in antimicrobial gland use for parasite defense
Authors: Tranter Christopher , Fernández‐Marín Hermógenes , Hughes William O. H. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractParasites are a major force in evolution, and understanding how host life history affects parasite pressure and investment in disease resistance is a general problem in evolutionary biology. The threat of disease may be especially strong in social animals, and ants have evolved the unique metapleural gland (MG), which in many taxa produce antimicrobial compounds that have been argued to have been a key to their ecological success. However, the importance of the MG in the disease resistance of individual ants across ant taxa has not been examined directly. We investigate experimentally the importance of the MG for disease resistance in the fungus‐growing ants, a group in which there is interspecific variation in MG size and which has distinct transitions in life history. We find that more derived taxa rely more on the MG for disease resistance than more basal taxa and that there are a series of evolutionary transitions in the quality, quantity, and usage of the MG secretions, which correlate with transitions in life history. These shifts show how even small clades can exhibit substantial transitions in disease resistance investment, demonstrating that host–parasite relationships can be very dynamic and that targeted experimental, as well as large‐scale, comparative studies can be valuable for identifying evolutionary transitions.
A new r‐ratio formulation for TVD schemes for vertex‐centered FVM on an unstructured mesh
Authors: Zhang Zhuo , Song Zhi‐yao , Kong Jun , Hu Di 
Published: December 2015

SummaryThe r‐ratio is a parameter that measures the local monotonicity, by which a number of high‐resolution and TVD schemes can be formed. A number of r‐ratio formulations for TVD schemes have been presented over the last few decades to solve the transport equation in shallow waters based on the finite volume method (FVM). However, unlike structured meshes, the coordinate directions are not clearly defined on an unstructured mesh; therefore, some r‐ratio formulations have been established by approximating the solute concentration at virtual nodes, which may be estimated from different assumptions. However, some formulations may introduce either oscillation or diffusion behavior within the vertex‐centered (VC) framework. In this paper, a new r‐ratio formulation, applied to an unstructured grid in the VC framework, is proposed and compared with the traditional r‐ratio formulations. Through seven commonly used benchmark tests, it is shown that the newly proposed r‐ratio formulation obtains better results than the traditional ones with less numerical diffusion and spurious oscillation. Moreover, three commonly used TVD schemes—SUPERBEE, MINMOD, and MUSCL—and two high‐order schemes—SOU and QUICK—are implemented and compared using the new r‐ratio formulation. The new r‐ratio formulation is shown to be sufficiently comprehensive to permit the general implementation of a high‐resolution scheme within the VC framework. Finally, the sensitivity test for different grid types demonstrates the good adaptability of this new r‐ratio formulation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Primary stability of inferior tilt fixation of the glenoid component in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: A finite element study
Authors: Chae Soo‐Won , Lee Haea , Kim Soo Min , Lee Juneyoung , Han Seung‐Ho , Kim Soung‐Yon 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTGlenoid component fixation with inferior tilt has been suggested as one of the surgical methods to decrease scapular notching and improve stability, but its clinically beneficial effect remains a concern. We evaluated the influence of inferior tilt fixation of the glenoid component on primary stability in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty by finite element analysis. Finite element models were constructed from cadaveric scapulae of females over the age of 60 years and glenoid components from reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. The relative micromotion at the bone–glenoid component interface, distribution of bone stress under the glenoid component and around the screws, contact area between the bone and screws, and cut surface area of the cancellous bone exposed after glenoid reaming were analyzed and compared between a neutral and 10° inferior tilt fixation of the glenoid component. The 10° inferior tilt fixation demonstrated greater relative micromotion and higher bone stress than the neutral tilt fixation. Eccentric reaming, which is done to produce the inferior tilt fixation of the glenoid component, increased glenoid cancellous bone exposure and decreased bone–screws contact area. Inferior tilt fixation of the glenoid component may adversely affect primary stability and longevity after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1061–1068, 2016.
Comparison of fluoride effects on germination and growth of Zea mays, Glycine max and Sorghum vulgare
Authors: Fina Brenda L , Lupo Maela , Dri Nicolas , Lombarte Mercedes , Rigalli Alfredo 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDFluorosis is a disease caused by over‐exposure to fluoride (F). Argentina's rural lands have higher fluorine content than urban lands. Evidence confirms that plants grown in fluoridated areas could have higher F content. We compared F uptake and growth of crops grown in different F concentrations. The effect of 0–8 ppm F concentrations on maize, soybeans and sorghum germination and growth was compared. After 6 days seeding, the germination was determined, the roots and aerial parts lengths were measured, and vigor index was calculated. F content was measured in each part of the plants. Controls with equal concentrations of NaCl were carried out.RESULTSSignificant decrease in roots and aerial parts lengths, and in vigor index of maize and soybeans plants was observed with F concentrations greater than 2 ppm. This was not observed in sorghum seedlings. Also, the amount of F in all crops augmented as F increases, being higher in roots and ungerminated seeds. Sorghum was the crop with the highest F content.CONCLUSIONFluoride decreased the germination and growth of maize and soybeans and therefore could influence on their production. Conversely, sorghum seems to be resistant to the action of F. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Intensity correction for multichannel hyperpolarized 13C imaging of the heart
Authors: Dominguez‐Viqueira William , Geraghty Benjamin J. , Lau Justin Y.C. , Robb Fraser J. , Chen Albert P. , Cunningham Charles H. 
Published: December 2015

PurposeDevelop and test an analytic correction method to correct the signal intensity variation caused by the inhomogeneous reception profile of an eight‐channel phased array for hyperpolarized 13C imaging.Theory and MethodsFiducial markers visible in anatomical images were attached to the individual coils to provide three dimensional localization of the receive hardware with respect to the image frame of reference. The coil locations and dimensions were used to numerically model the reception profile using the Biot‐Savart Law. The accuracy of the coil sensitivity estimation was validated with images derived from a homogenous 13C phantom. Numerical coil sensitivity estimates were used to perform intensity correction of in vivo hyperpolarized 13C cardiac images in pigs.ResultsIn comparison to the conventional sum‐of‐squares reconstruction, improved signal uniformity was observed in the corrected images.ConclusionThe analytical intensity correction scheme was shown to improve the uniformity of multichannel image reconstruction in hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate and 13C‐bicarbonate cardiac MRI. The method is independent of the pulse sequence used for 13C data acquisition, simple to implement and does not require additional scan time, making it an attractive technique for multichannel hyperpolarized 13C MRI. Magn Reson Med 75:859–865, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Concomitant Administration of a Histamine2 Receptor Antagonist and Proton Pump Inhibitor Enhances Gastric Acid Suppression
Authors: Abdul‐Hussein Mustafa , Freeman Janice , Castell Donald 
Published: December 2015

Study ObjectiveBecause it has been hypothesized that histamine2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) might interfere with the action of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) when the drugs are given concomitantly, we sought to compare the pharmacodynamic effects of simultaneous administration of a PPI and an H2RA with the effects of each drug administered alone.DesignProspective, randomized, double‐blind, three‐way crossover study.SettingEsophageal motility laboratory at a large teaching hospital.SubjectsTwenty‐one healthy volunteers.InterventionSubjects were randomized to one of three treatment arms: an H2RA (ranitidine 300 mg) plus placebo, a PPI (omeprazole 40 mg) plus placebo, or ranitidine 300 mg plus omeprazole 40 mg, all given once/day at 8 a.m., 30 minutes before a standard breakfast, for 1 week. The subjects then received the other two treatments, with each treatment period separated by a 1‐week washout period.Measurements and Main ResultsThe primary outcome was length of time that the gastric pH remained higher than 4. Secondary outcomes were median gastric pH higher than 4 and percentage of time that the gastric pH remained higher than 4. On day 7, ambulatory intragastric pH was recorded over an 8‐hour period in each treatment arm. The combination of ranitidine and omeprazole resulted in a significantly longer time that the gastric pH remained higher than 4 (median 410.5 min [interquartile range (IQR) 298.5–454.25 min]) versus either omeprazole alone (median 356.7 min [IQR 254.9–419.2 min], p=0.023) or ranitidine alone (134.1 min [IQR 99.9–302.5 min], p<0.0001). Median gastric pH was also significantly higher when omeprazole and ranitidine were given in combination (pH 5.92 [IQR 4.75–6.46]) than either omeprazole alone (pH 4.88 [IQR 4.27–6.11], p=0.001) or ranitidine alone (pH 2.31 [IQR 2.04–5.27], p=0.0003). Likewise, the percentage of time that the gastric pH remained higher than 4 was significantly higher when omeprazole and ranitidine were given in combination (median 85.52%) than either omeprazole alone (74.31%, p=0.027) or ranitidine alone (27.94%, p=0.0002).ConclusionWhen a PPI and H2RA were administered concomitantly 30 minutes before breakfast, the H2RA did not decrease the acid suppressive ability of the PPI; rather, it improved gastric acid control. Thus these results failed to support the initial hypothesis of this study. Further prospective studies are needed to test these findings in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease as well as those with erosive esophagitis.
Idiographic quality of life assessment before radical cystectomy
Authors: Anderson Christopher B. , Rapkin Bruce , Reaves Brieyona C. , Sun Arony J. , Morganstern Bradley , Dalbagni Guido , Donat Machele , Herr Harry W. , Laudone Vincent P. , Bochner Bernard H. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundWe sought to determine if idiographic, or self‐defined, measures added to our understanding of patients with bladder cancer's quality of life (QOL) prior to radical cystectomy (RC). We tested whether idiographic measures increased prediction of global QOL beyond standard (nomothetic) measures of QOL components.MethodsWe administered the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires (QLQ)‐C30 and QLQ‐BLM30, and our own idiographic Quality of Life Appraisal Profile prior to RC. Idiographic measures included number of goal statements, distance from goal attainment, and ability to complete goal attainment activities. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict measures of global QOL and related constructs of life satisfaction and mental health.ResultsTwo hundred fiftheen patients reported a median of 8 (interquartile range [IQR] 6, 11) goals and half had an average goal attainment rating above 6.9 out of 10 (IQR 5.5, 8.2). On multivariable analysis, QLQ‐C30 role functioning and QLQ‐BLM30 future perspective explained 15.7% of the variability in preoperative global QOL. Including goal attainment and activity difficulty explained an additional 12% of global QOL variance. Smaller gains were seen on measures of global health, life satisfaction, mental health, and activity, suggesting that idiographic measures capture aspects of QOL distinct from health and functional status defined by nomothetic scales.ConclusionsIdiographic assessment of QOL added to prediction of global QOL above and beyond health‐related components measured using nomothetic instruments. This self‐defined information may be valuable in communicating with cancer patients about their QOL. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Internal Audit of Compliance with a Perioperative Checklist in a Tertiary Care Neurosurgical Unit
Authors: Gagné Jean-François , Labidi Moujahed , Turmel André 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackground: In 1999, the Institute of Medicine reported that, in the United States, 44,000 to 98,000 people die annually as a result of avoidable medical errors. Among the many initiatives undertaken to stem avoidable surgical errors, the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has certainly been one of the most successful. Many surgical units have implemented adapted versions of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, audited their performance and discussed issues relating to the implementation process. However, such literature is still lacking in neurosurgery. Methods: A prospective observational study of 171 neurosurgical cases was conducted over an 8-week period. An independent observer assessed compliance with and completeness of the three steps in the perioperative checklist: Sign-in, Time-out and Sign-out. Factors that may reduce compliance were also analyzed. Results: Compliance with the Sign-in, Time-out and Sign-out steps was 82%, 99% and 93% respectively. On average, 92% of the Time-out elements were verified. The emergent nature of a surgery was the only factor that caused a statistically significant reduction in compliance with the checklist. Overall compliance diminished during the observation period. Conclusion: In this internal audit study, compliance with the preoperative checklist reached a satisfactory level. Further work is still needed, however, on some aspects of our surgical strategy, namely, a relatively low compliance rate with the Sign-in process was recorded and emergent cases were associated with decreased performance.
Arginine behaviour after arginine or citrulline administration in older subjects
Authors: Moinard C. , Maccario J. , Walrand S. , Lasserre V. , Marc J. , Boirie Y. , Cynober L. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractArginine (ARG) and its precursor citrulline (CIT) are popular dietary supplements, especially for the elderly. However, age-related reductions in lean body mass and alterations in organ functions could change their bioavailability. Pharmacokinetics and tolerance to amino acid (AA) loads are poorly documented in elderly subjects. The objective here was to characterise the plasma kinetics of CIT and ARG in a single-dosing study design. Eight fasting elderly men underwent two separate isomolar oral loading tests (10 g of CIT or 9·94 g of ARG). Blood was withdrawn over an 8-h period to measure plasma AA concentrations. Only CIT, ornithine and ARG plasma concentrations were changed. Volume of distribution was not dependent on AA administered. Conversely, parameters related to ARG kinetics were strongly dependent on AA administered: after ARG load, elimination was higher (ARG>CIT; P=0·041) and admission period+time at peak concentration was lower (ARG<CIT; P=0·033), and the combination of both phenomena results in a marked increase in ARG availability when CIT was administered (ARG<CIT; P=0·033) compared with ARG administration itself. In conclusion, a single CIT administration in the elderly is safe and well tolerated, and CIT proves to be a better in vivo ARG precursor than ARG itself in healthy elderly subjects.
Vitamin D is associated with cardiopulmonary exercise capacity: results of two independent cohorts of healthy adults
Authors: Kaul A. , Gläser S. , Hannemann A. , Schäper C. , Nauck M. , Felix S. B. , Bollmann T. , Ewert R. , Friedrich N. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractVitamin D has an important role in calcium homeostasis and is known to have various health-promoting effects. Moreover, potential interactions between vitamin D and physical activity have been suggested. This study aims to investigate the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and exercise capacity quantified by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). For this, 1377 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-1) and 750 participants from the independent SHIP-TREND cohort were investigated. Standardised incremental exercise tests on a cycle ergometer were performed to assess exercise capacity by VO2at anaerobic threshold, peakVO2, O2pulse and peak power output. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured by an automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. In SHIP-1, 25(OH)D levels were positively associated with all considered parameters of cardiopulmonary exercise capacity. Subjects with high 25(OH)D levels (4th quartile) showed an up to 25 % higher exercise capacity compared with subjects with low 25(OH)D levels (1st quartile). All associations were replicated in the independent SHIP-TREND cohort and were independent of age, sex, season and other interfering factors. In conclusion, significant positive associations between 25(OH)D and parameters of CPET were detected in two large cohorts of healthy adults.
Personality diatheses and Hurricane Sandy: effects on post-disaster depression
Authors: Kopala-Sibley D. C. , Kotov R. , Bromet E. J. , Carlson G. A. , Danzig A. P. , Black S. R. , Klein D. N. 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundAccording to diathesis–stress models, personality traits, such as negative emotionality (NE) and positive emotionality (PE), may moderate the effects of stressors on the development of depression. However, relatively little empirical research has directly examined whether NE and PE act as diatheses in the presence of stressful life events, and no research has examined whether they moderate the effect of disaster exposure on depressive symptoms. Hurricane Sandy, the second costliest hurricane in US history, offers a unique opportunity to address these gaps.MethodA total of 318 women completed measures of NE and PE 5 years prior to Hurricane Sandy. They were also assessed for lifetime depressive disorders on two occasions, the latter occurring an average of 1 year before the hurricane. Approximately 8 weeks after the disaster (mean = 8.40, s.d. = 1.48 weeks), participants completed a hurricane stress exposure questionnaire and a measure of current depressive symptoms.ResultsAdjusting for lifetime history of depressive disorders, higher levels of stress from Hurricane Sandy predicted elevated levels of depressive symptoms, but only in participants with high levels of NE or low levels of PE.ConclusionsThese findings support the role of personality in the development of depression and suggest that personality traits can be useful in identifying those most vulnerable to major stressors, including natural disasters.