bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microvascular decompression of the cochleovestibular nerve for treatment of tinnitus and vertigo: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data
Authors: van den Berge Minke J. C. , van Dijk J. Marc C. , Posthumus Iris A. , Smidt Nynke , van Dijk Pim , Free Rolien H. 
Published: December 2016

OBJECTIVEMicrovascular decompression (MVD) is regarded as a valid treatment modality in neurovascular conflicts (NVCs) causing, for example, trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasms. An NVC of the cochleovestibular nerve might cause tinnitus and/or vertigo; however, general acceptance of MVD for this indication is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness, safety, and prognostic factors for success of MVD of the cochleovestibular nerve.METHODSA systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data (IPD) were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Individual Patient Data (PRISMA-IPD) guidelines. By a comprehensive search (conducted in January 2016) in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar, eligible studies were identified. The collected outcome was a global measurement of improvement of 1) tinnitus, 2) vertigo, and 3) tinnitus combined with vertigo. For the meta-analysis, IPD were collected from the papers and/or from the authors. IPD were analyzed with logistic regression analysis while accounting for study clustering.RESULTSThirty-five studies (572 patients) were included. The level of evidence provided by these studies was low. In 28% of patients with tinnitus and 32% of patients with vertigo, complete relief following MVD was reported. Patients with both tinnitus and vertigo had complete relief in 62% of cases. In 11% of patients, ≥ 1 complications were reported. Meta-analysis of IPD (165 patients) demonstrated that patients with both tinnitus and vertigo had a higher chance of success (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.45–10.10) than patients with tinnitus alone. No other variables were significantly related to success.CONCLUSIONSDue to low success rates, MVD cannot be considered as a standard treatment method for tinnitus or vertigo. Moreover, a substantial complication rate was found. However, patients with combined symptoms had a higher chance of success. When combined symptoms occur, it is more likely that an NVC is the underlying pathology and MVD might be appropriate. Due to the low level of evidence in the included studies, this conclusion must be taken with caution. Further validation is necessary to evaluate whether patients with combined symptoms are indeed better candidates for MVD.
From qualitative to quantitative proofs of security properties using first-order conditional logic
Authors: Halpern Joseph Y. 
Published: December 2016

A first-order conditional logic is considered, with semantics given by a variant of ϵ-semantics where [Formula: see text] means that [Formula: see text] approaches 1 super-polynomially – faster than any inverse polynomial. This type of convergence is needed for reasoning about security protocols. A complete axiomatization is provided for this semantics, and it is shown how a qualitative proof of the correctness of a security protocol can be automatically converted to a quantitative proof appropriate for reasoning about concrete security.
Longer Duration of MAO-B Inhibitor Exposure is Associated with Less Clinical Decline in Parkinson’s Disease: An Analysis of NET-PD LS1
Authors: Hauser Robert A. , Li Ruosha , Pérez Adriana , Ren Xuehan , Weintraub Dan , Elm Jordan , Goudreau John L. , Morgan John C. , Fang John Y. , Aminoff Michael J. , Christine Chadwick W. , Dhall Rohit , Umeh Chizoba C. , Boyd James T. , Stover Natividad , Leehey Maureen , Zweig Richard M. , Nicholas Anthony P. , Bodis-Wollner Ivan , Willis Allison , Kieburtz Karl , Tilley Barbara C. ,   for the NINDS NET-PD Investigators
Published: December 2016

Background: Monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors exhibit neuroprotective effects in preclinical models of PD but clinical trials have failed to convincingly demonstrate disease modifying benefits in PD patients. Objective: To perform a secondary analysis of NET-PD LS1 to determine if longer duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure was associated with less clinical decline. Methods: The primary outcome measure was the Global Outcome (GO), comprised of 5 measures: change from baseline in the Schwab and England (ADL) scale, the 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), the UPDRS Ambulatory Capacity Scale, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and the most recent Modified Rankin Scale. A linear mixed model was used to explore the association between the cumulative duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure and the GO, adjusting for necessary factors and confounders. Associations between MAO-B inhibitor exposure and each of the five GO components were then studied individually. Results: 1616 participants comprised the analytic sample. Mean observation was 4.1 (SD = 1.4) years, and 784 (48.5%) participants received an MAO-B inhibitor. The regression coefficient of cumulative duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure (in years) on the GO was – 0.0064 (SE = 0.002, p = 0.001). Significant associations between duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure and less progression were observed for ADL ( p < 0.001), Ambulatory Capacity ( p < 0.001), and the Rankin ( p = 0.002). Conclusions: Our analysis identified a significant association between longer duration of MAO-B inhibitor exposure and less clinical decline. These findings support the possibility that MAO-B inhibitors slow clinical disease progression and suggest that a definitive prospective trial should be considered.
Representativeness of Honeypot Trial Participants to Australasian PD Patients
Authors: Zhang Lei , Badve Sunil V. , Pascoe Elaine M. , Beller Elaine , Cass Alan , Clark Carolyn , de Zoysa Janak , Isbel Nicole M. , Liu Xusheng , McTaggart Steven , Morrish Alicia T. , Playford Geoffrey , Scaria Anish , Snelling Paul , Vergara Liza A. , Hawley Carmel M. , Johnson David W. ,   for the HONEYPOT Study Collaborative Group
Published: December 2016

Background The HONEYPOT trial failed to establish the superiority of exit-site application of Medihoney compared with nasal mupirocin prophylaxis for the prevention of peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. This study aimed to assess the representativeness of the patients in the HONEYPOT trial to the Australian and New Zealand PD population. Methods This study compared baseline characteristics of the 371 PD patients in the HONEYPOT trial with those of 6,085 PD patients recorded on the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry. Results Compared with the PD population, the HONEYPOT sample was older (standardized difference [ d] = 0.19, p = 0.003), more likely to be treated with automated PD ( d = 0.58, p < 0.001), had higher residual renal function ( d = 0.26, p < 0.001) and a higher proportion of participants with end-stage kidney disease due to polycystic kidney disease ( d = 0.17) and lower proportion due to diabetes ( d = -0.17) and glomerulonephritis ( d = -0.18) ( p < 0.001), and lower proportions of indigenous people ( d = -0.17, p < 0.001), current smokers ( d = -0.10, p < 0.001), and people with prior histories of hemodialysis ( d = -0.16, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus ( d = -0.18, p < 0.001), and coronary artery disease ( d = -0.15, p < 0.001). Conclusions HONEYPOT trial participants tended to be healthier than the Australian and New Zealand PD patient population. Although the differences between the groups were generally modest, it is possible that their cumulative effect may have had some impact on external generalizability, which is not an uncommon occurrence in clinical trials.
Evaluation of A 12-Month Pilot of Long-Term and Temporary Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Bevilacqua Micheli U. , Turnbull Linda , Saunders Sushila , Er Lee , Chiu Helen , Hill Penny , Singh Rajinder S. , Levin Adeera , Copland Michael A. , Jamal Abeed , Brumby Catherine , Dunne Orla , Taylor Paul A. 
Published: December 2016

Background Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is challenging for patients with functional limitations, and assisted PD can support these patients, but previous reports of assisted PD have not examined the role of temporary assisted PD and had difficulty identifying adequate comparator cohorts. Methods Peritoneal Dialysis Assist (PDA), a 12-month pilot of long-term and temporary assisted PD was completed in multiple PD centers in British Columbia, Canada. Continuous cycler PD (CCPD) patients were identified for PDA by standardized criteria, and service could be long-term or temporary/respite. The PDA program provided daily assistance with cycler dismantle and setup, but patients remained responsible for cycler connections and treatment decisions. Outcomes were compared against both the general CCPD population and patients who met PDA criteria but were not enrolled (PDA-eligible). Results Fifty-three PDA patients had an 88% 1-year death- and transplant-censored technique survival that was similar to the general CCPD cohort (84%) and PDA-eligible cohort (86%). The PDA cohort had lower peritonitis rates (0.18 episodes/patient-year vs 0.22 and 0.36, respectively), but higher hospitalization (55% vs 34% and 35%, respectively). Long-term PDA cost approximately CDN$15,000/year in addition to existing dialysis costs. A total of 8/11 respite PDA patients (73%) returned to self-care PD after a median PDA use of 29 days, which costs $1,250/patient. Conclusions Peritoneal Dialysis Assist provides effective support to functionally-limited CCPD patients and yields acceptable clinical outcomes. The program costs less than transfer to HD or long-term care, which represents cost minimization for failing self-care PD patients. Respite PDA provides effective temporary support; most patients returned to self-care PD and service was cost-effective compared with alternatives of hospitalization or transfer to HD.
MEASURING STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS THROUGH STACKING GALAXY IMAGES
Authors: Li Yubin , Zheng Xian Zhong , Gu Qiu-Sheng , Wang Yi-Peng , Wen Zhang Zheng , Guo Kexin , An Fang Xia 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT
It remains challenging to detect the low surface brightness structures of faint high-z galaxies, which are key to understanding the structural evolution of galaxies. The technique of image stacking allows us to measure the averaged light profile beneath the detection limit and probe the extended structure of a group of galaxies. We carry out simulations to examine the recovery of the averaged surface brightness profile through stacking model Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys images of a set of galaxies as functions of the Sérsic index (n), effective radius (R
e) and axis ratio (AR). The Sérsic profile best fitting the radial profile of the stacked image is taken as the recovered profile, in comparison with the intrinsic mean profile of the model galaxies. Our results show that, in general, the structural parameters of the mean profile can be properly determined through stacking, though systematic biases need to be corrected when spreads of R
e and AR are counted. We find that the Sérsic index is slightly overestimated and R
e is underestimated at

because the stacked image appears to be more compact due to the presence of inclined galaxies; the spread of R
e biases the stacked profile to have a higher Sérsic index. We stress that the measurements of structural parameters through stacking should take these biases into account. We estimate the biases in the recovered structural parameters from stacks of galaxies when the samples have distributions of

, AR and n seen in local galaxies.
NO THERMAL INVERSION AND A SOLAR WATER ABUNDANCE FOR THE HOT JUPITER HD 209458B FROM HST/WFC3 SPECTROSCOPY
Authors: Line Michael R. , Stevenson Kevin B. , Bean Jacob , Desert Jean-Michel , Fortney Jonathan J. , Kreidberg Laura , Madhusudhan Nikku , Showman Adam P. , Diamond-Lowe Hannah 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT
The nature of the thermal structure of hot Jupiter atmospheres is one of the key questions raised by the characterization of transiting exoplanets over the past decade. There have been claims that many hot Jupiters exhibit atmospheric thermal inversions. However, these claims have been based on broadband photometry rather than the unambiguous identification of emission features with spectroscopy, and the chemical species that could cause the thermal inversions by absorbing stellar irradiation at high altitudes have not been identified despite extensive theoretical and observational effort. Here we present high-precision Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 observations of the dayside thermal emission spectrum of the hot Jupiter HD 209458b, which was the first exoplanet suggested to have a thermal inversion. In contrast to previous results for this planet, our observations detect water in absorption at 6.2σ confidence. When combined with Spitzer photometry, the data are indicative of a monotonically decreasing temperature with pressure over the range of 1–0.001 bars at 7.7σ confidence. We test the robustness of our results by exploring a variety of model assumptions, including the temperature profile parameterization, presence of a cloud, and choice of Spitzer data reduction. We also introduce a new analysis method to determine the elemental abundances from the spectrally retrieved mixing ratios with thermochemical self-consistency and find plausible abundances consistent with solar metallicity (0.06–10 × solar) and carbon-to-oxygen ratios less than unity. This work suggests that high-precision spectrophotometric results are required to robustly infer thermal structures and compositions of extrasolar planet atmospheres and to perform comparative exoplanetology.
THE POPULATION OF LONG-PERIOD TRANSITING EXOPLANETS
Authors: Foreman-Mackey Daniel , Morton Timothy D. , Hogg David W. , Agol Eric , Schölkopf Bernhard 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT
The Kepler mission has discovered thousands of exoplanets and revolutionized our understanding of their population. This large, homogeneous catalog of discoveries has enabled rigorous studies of the occurrence rate of exoplanets and planetary systems as a function of their physical properties. However, transit surveys such as Kepler are most sensitive to planets with orbital periods much shorter than the orbital periods of Jupiter and Saturn, the most massive planets in our solar system. To address this deficiency, we perform a fully automated search for long-period exoplanets with only one or two transits in the archival Kepler light curves. When applied to the ∼40,000 brightest Sun-like target stars, this search produces 16 long-period exoplanet candidates. Of these candidates, six are novel discoveries and five are in systems with inner short-period transiting planets. Since our method involves no human intervention, we empirically characterize the detection efficiency of our search. Based on these results, we measure the average occurrence rate of exoplanets smaller than Jupiter with orbital periods in the range 2–25 years to be 2.0 ± 0.7 planets per Sun-like star.
PORTRAIT OF A DARK HORSE: A PHOTOMETRIC AND SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF THE ULTRA-FAINT MILKY WAY SATELLITE PEGASUS III*
Authors: Kim Dongwon , Jerjen Helmut , Geha Marla , Chiti Anirudh , Milone Antonino P. , Costa Gary Da , Mackey Dougal , Frebel Anna , Conn Blair 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT
Pegasus III (Peg III) is one of the few known ultra-faint stellar systems in the outer halo of the Milky Way. We present the results from a follow-up campaign with Magellan/IMACS and Keck/DEIMOS. Deep stellar photometry down to

mag at 50% completeness level has allowed accurate measurements of its photometric and structural properties. The color–magnitude diagram of Peg III confirms that the stellar system is well described by an old (≳12 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H] ≲ −2.0 dex) stellar population at a heliocentric distance of 215 ± 12 kpc. The revised half-light radius

pc, ellipticity

, and total luminosity

are in good agreement with the values quoted in our previous paper. We further report on the spectroscopic identification of seven, possibly eight, member stars of Peg III. The Ca ii triplet lines of the brightest member stars indicate that Peg III contains stars with metallicity as low as [Fe/H] = −2.55 ± 0.15 dex. Peg III has a systemic velocity of −222.9 ± 2.6 km s−1 and a velocity dispersion of

km s−1. The inferred dynamical mass within the half-light radius is

and the mass-to-light ratio

, providing further evidence that Peg III is a dwarf galaxy satellite. We find that Peg III and another distant dwarf satellite Pisces II lie relatively close to each other (

kpc) and share similar radial velocities in the Galactic standard-of-rest frame (

km s−1). This suggests that they may share a common origin.
A GENERALIZED TWO-COMPONENT MODEL OF SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE AND AB INITIO DIFFUSION MEAN-FREE PATHS AND DRIFT LENGTHSCALES OF COSMIC RAYS
Authors: Wiengarten T. , Oughton S. , Engelbrecht N. E. , Fichtner H. , Kleimann J. , Scherer K. 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT
We extend a two-component model for the evolution of fluctuations in the solar wind plasma so that it is fully three-dimensional (3D) and also coupled self-consistently to the large-scale magnetohydrodynamic equations describing the background solar wind. The two classes of fluctuations considered are a high-frequency parallel-propagating wave-like piece and a low-frequency quasi-two-dimensional component. For both components, the nonlinear dynamics is dominanted by quasi-perpendicular spectral cascades of energy. Driving of the fluctuations by, for example, velocity shear and pickup ions is included. Numerical solutions to the new model are obtained using the Cronos framework, and validated against previous simpler models. Comparing results from the new model with spacecraft measurements, we find improved agreement relative to earlier models that employ prescribed background solar wind fields. Finally, the new results for the wave-like and quasi-two-dimensional fluctuations are used to calculate ab initio diffusion mean-free paths and drift lengthscales for the transport of cosmic rays in the turbulent solar wind.
THE EVOLUTION OF POST-STARBURST GALAXIES FROM z ∼ 1 TO THE PRESENT
Authors: Pattarakijwanich Petchara , Strauss Michael A. , Ho Shirley , Ross Nicholas P. 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT
Post-starburst galaxies are in the transitional stage between blue, star-forming galaxies and red, quiescent galaxies and therefore hold important clues for our understanding of galaxy evolution. In this paper, we systematically searched for and identified a large sample of post-starburst galaxies from the spectroscopic data set of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 9. In total, we found more than 6000 objects with redshifts between z ∼ 0.05 and z ∼ 1.3, making this the largest sample of post-starburst galaxies in the literature. We calculated the luminosity function of the post-starburst galaxies using two uniformly selected subsamples: the SDSS main galaxy sample and the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey CMASS sample. The luminosity functions are reasonably fit by half-Gaussian functions. The peak magnitudes shift as a function of redshift from M ∼ −23.5 at z ∼ 0.8 to M ∼ −20.3 at z ∼ 0.1. This is consistent with the downsizing trend, whereby more massive galaxies form earlier than low-mass galaxies. We compared the mass of the post-starburst stellar population found in our sample to the decline of the global star formation rate and found that only a small amount (∼1%) of all star formation quenching in the redshift range z = 0.2–0.7 results in post-starburst galaxies in the luminosity range our sample is sensitive to. Therefore, luminous post-starburst galaxies are not the place where most of the decline in the star formation rate of the universe is happening.
Five-year Efficacy and Safety of Tocilizumab Monotherapy in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Who Were Methotrexate- and Biologic-naive or Free of Methotrexate for 6 Months: the AMBITION Study
Authors: Jones Graeme , Wallace Thomas , McIntosh Matthew J. , Brockwell Laura , Gómez-Reino Juan J. , Sebba Anthony 
Published: December 2016

Objective.To report on the 5-year efficacy and safety results of the AMBITION (Actemra versus Methotrexate double-Blind Investigative Trial In mONotherapy) monotherapy study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00109408, NCT00720798).Methods.Patients with rheumatoid arthritis for whom biologics had not failed or who did not discontinue methotrexate because of lack of efficacy or tolerability were followed up for 5 years to assess the efficacy and serious adverse events (SAE) of tocilizumab (TCZ) monotherapy.Results.Longterm efficacy results showed that efficacy was maintained or improved for up to 264 weeks in patients receiving TCZ monotherapy. Serious infection was the most frequent SAE; no new safety signals were reported.Conclusion.Longterm monotherapy with TCZ demonstrated continuing efficacy and safety.
Continual Maintenance of Remission Defined by the ACR/EULAR Criteria in Daily Practice Leads to Better Functional Outcomes in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Shidara Kumi , Nakajima Ayako , Inoue Eisuke , Hoshi Daisuke , Sugimoto Naoki , Seto Yohei , Tanaka Eiichi , Momohara Shigeki , Taniguchi Atsuo , Yamanaka Hisashi 
Published: December 2016

Objective.To evaluate longterm functional outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on the number of times that the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) or the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) remission criteria were fulfilled.Methods.Patients with RA who participated in all 6 data collections in an observational cohort from 2008 to 2010 and who fulfilled the DAS28 remission criteria at baseline were studied. Patients were classified by the number of times they fulfilled the ACR/EULAR [Boolean trial, Boolean practice, Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), or Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI)] or DAS28 remission criteria at each collection. The OR for the Japanese version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ) progression, based on the number of times each set of remission criteria was fulfilled, were calculated by logistic regression.Results.A total of 915 patients were studied. The OR (95% CI) for J-HAQ progression were 0.54 (0.33–0.87), 0.55 (0.33–0.92), 0.48 (0.28–0.82), 0.29 (0.16–0.51), 0.24 (0.13–0.47), and 0.07 (0.03–0.15) for those fulfilling the Boolean trial remission from 1 to 6 times. This tendency was also observed for the other 4 criteria. The OR (95% CI) for J-HAQ progression in patients who achieved remission at all 6 data collections were 0.07 (0.03–0.14) for the Boolean practice, 0.10 (0.05–0.20) for the SDAI, and 0.07 (0.04–0.15) for the CDAI, whereas 0.15 (0.08–0.29) for the DAS28.Conclusion.Continual fulfillment of any remission criteria was strongly effective in preventing patients from progression of functional disability; however, the ACR/EULAR criteria appear to be preferable.