bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving Appropriate Access to Care With Central Referral and Triage in Rheumatology
Authors: Hazlewood Glen S. , Barr Susan G. , Lopatina Elena , Marshall Deborah A. , Lupton Terri L. , Fritzler Marvin J. , Mosher Dianne P. , Steber Whitney A. , Martin Liam 
Published: January 2016

ObjectiveTo evaluate the short‐term and long‐term impact of a centralized system for the intake and triage of rheumatology referrals on access to care and referral quality.MethodsAn innovative central referral process, the Central Referral and Triage in Rheumatology (CReATe Rheum) program, was implemented in 2006, serving a referral base of 2 million people. Referrals are received in a central office, triaged by trained nurses, and assigned to the next available appointment on a prioritized basis. To evaluate the short‐term impact, we compared wait times, duplicate referrals, and no‐shows from a pre‐implementation practice audit to a 2‐year post‐implementation evaluation (January 2007 to December 2008). Rheumatologists also assessed the quality and completeness of the referral information and accuracy of the urgency category assigned during triage. We evaluated the long‐term impact by tracking referral volume, wait times, and rheumatologist manpower each year until December, 2013.ResultsDuring the first 2 years, wait‐time variability between rheumatologists decreased, and wait times were reduced for moderate and urgent referrals. CReATe Rheum improved the quality of referral information and eliminated duplicate referrals. The urgency of the referral was assigned correctly in 90% of referrals. Over the long term, CReATe Rheum maintained short wait times for more urgent patients despite a growing number of referrals and a stable number of rheumatologists.ConclusionA centralized system for the intake and triage of rheumatology referrals improved referral quality, reduced system inefficiencies, and effectively managed wait times on a prioritized basis for a large referral population.
Observed Incidence of Uveitis Following Certolizumab Pegol Treatment in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis
Authors: Rudwaleit M. , Rosenbaum J. T. , Landewé R. , Marzo‐Ortega H. , Sieper J. , van der Heijde D. , Davies O. , Bartz H. , Hoepken B. , Nurminen T. , Deodhar A. 
Published: January 2016

ObjectiveAxial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) is characterized by inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints and can also affect extraarticular sites, with the most common manifestation being uveitis. Here we report the incidence of uveitis flares in axial SpA patients from the RAPID‐axSpA trial, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic (nr) axial SpA.MethodsThe RAPID‐axSpA (NCT01087762) trial is double‐blind and placebo‐controlled to week 24, dose‐blind to week 48, and open‐label to week 204. Patients were randomized to certolizumab pegol (CZP) or placebo. Placebo patients entering the dose‐blind phase were re‐randomized to CZP. Uveitis events were recorded on extraarticular manifestation or adverse event forms. Events were analyzed in patients with/without history of uveitis, and rates reported per 100 patient‐years.ResultsAt baseline, 38 of 218 CZP‐randomized patients (17.4%) and 31 of 107 placebo‐randomized patients (29.0%) had past uveitis history. During the 24‐week double‐blind phase, the rate of uveitis flares was lower in CZP (3.0 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.6–8.8] per 100 patient‐years) than in placebo (10.3 [95% CI 2.8–26.3] per 100 patient‐years). All cases observed during the 24‐week double‐blind phase were in patients with a history of uveitis; in these patients, rates were similarly lower for CZP (17.1 [95% CI 3.5–50.1] per 100 patient‐years) than placebo (38.5 [95% CI 10.5–98.5] per 100 patient‐years). Rates of uveitis flares remained low up to week 96 (4.9 [95% CI 3.2–7.4] per 100 patient‐years) and were similar between AS (4.4 [95% CI 2.3–7.7] per 100 patient‐years) and nr‐axial SpA (5.6 [95% CI 2.9–9.8] per 100 patient‐years).ConclusionThe rate of uveitis flares was lower for axial SpA patients treated with CZP than placebo during the randomized controlled phase. Incidence of uveitis flares remained low to week 96 and was comparable to rates reported for AS patients receiving other anti–tumor necrosis factor antibodies.
Reduced lung function in smokers in a lung cancer screening cohort with asbestos exposure and pleural plaques
Authors: Lopatin Sarah , Tsay Jun‐Chieh , Addrizzo‐Harris Doreen , Munger John S. , Pass Harvey , Rom William N. 
Published: January 2016

BackgroundWhile low dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer is recommended for high‐risk smokers, ages 55–74 years, information about asbestos exposure may not be routinely elicited. Asbestos exposure is associated with declining respiratory function over time; however, the effect of a history of asbestos exposure in LDCT screening cohorts is limited. We report the relationship between asbestos exposure and pulmonary function in a cohort of heavy smokers with a history of occupational asbestos exposure, hypothesizing that these subjects will have additional decreased pulmonary function. We also examined relationships between spirometric measurements and the presence of isolated pleural plaques.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was performed using data from the NYU Lung Cancer Biomarker Center cohort to compare study subjects with a history asbestos exposure primarily in the period since 1970 when tighter federal standards were in place (n = 359) to those without asbestos exposure (n = 1038) with respect to pulmonary function, LDCT lung imaging findings, and clinical symptoms. We further classified individuals with asbestos exposure by length of exposure time to examine the effect of duration of exposure on pulmonary function. Lastly, for asbestos‐exposed participants, we examined the association of spirometric measurements with the presence of absence of isolated pleural plaques.ResultsIndividuals with asbestos exposure had decreased FVC % predicted compared to those with no asbestos exposure (76% vs. 85% predicted, P < 0.01) and FEV1 % predicted (64% vs. 67% predicted, P < 0.01). Since there was no change in FEV1/FVC ratio, the findings are consistent with restrictive impairment. Those with ≥20 years of exposure had a lower mean FVC % predicted compared to those with less than 20 years of exposure (74% vs. 78% predicted, P = 0.017). Individuals with asbestos exposure were more likely to have pleural plaques (P < 0.001) on CT. Those with isolated pleural plaques had lower mean % predicted FEV1 (P = 0.005) and FVC (P = 0.001) compared to those without pleural plaques.ConclusionsOccupational asbestos exposure in a cohort of heavy smokers was associated with a significant restrictive decline in pulmonary function, with longer duration of exposure associated with greater decline. The presence of isolated pleural plaques was also associated with reduced lung function. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:178–185, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Examining biological continuity across the late holocene occupation of the aleutian islands using cranial morphometrics and quantitative genetic permutation
Authors: Maley Blaine 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe number of distinct human migrations into the Aleutian Islands during the Holocene has been a recurrent debate in the anthropological literature. Stemming from Hrdlička's sorting of the prehistoric remains into two distinct populations based on archaeological context and cranial measurements, the human occupation of the Aleutian Islands has long been thought to be the consequence of two distinct human migrations, a Paleo‐Aleut migration that provided the initial settlement of the islands, and a Neo‐Aleut migration that replaced the original settlers around 1000 BP. This study examines the relationship of the Aleut cranial assemblages in the context of greater Alaskan population variability to assess the evidence for a substantial migration into the Aleutian Islands during the late Holocene.Materials and MethodsA battery of 29 cranial measurements that quantify global cranial shape were analyzed using Euclidean morphometric methods and quantitative genetic permutation methods to examine the plausibility for two distinct Aleut occupations (“Paleo‐Aleut” and “Neo‐Aleut”), the latter of which is held to share closer phenetic affinities to mainland Alaskan populations than the former. The Aleut skeletal assemblages were arranged according to temporal association, geographic location, and cranial typology, and analyzed within a comparative framework of mainland Alaskan samples using principal coordinates, biological distance and random skewers permutation methods.ResultsRegardless of how the Aleut assemblages are divided, they show greater similarity to each other than to any of the mainland Alaskan assemblages. These findings are consistent across the methodological approaches.DiscussionThe results obtained in this study provide no support for a cranial morphology‐based subdivision of the Aleuts into two distinct samples, Hence, there is no evidence for a substantial population migration of so‐called Neo‐Aleuts, nor for a population replacement event of an extant Paleo‐Aleut population by a mainland‐affiliated Neo‐Aleuts population at or after 1000 BP. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:71–85, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Metabolic crisis occurs with seizures and periodic discharges after brain trauma
Authors: Vespa Paul , Tubi Meral , Claassen Jan , Buitrago‐Blanco Manuel , McArthur David , Velazquez Angela G. , Tu Bin , Prins Mayumi , Nuwer Marc 
Published: January 2016

ObjectiveTraumatic brain injury (TBI) results in persistent disruption of brain metabolism that has yet to be mechanistically defined. Early post‐traumatic seizures are one potential mechanism for metabolic crisis and hence could be a therapeutic target. We hypothesized that seizures and pseudoperiodic discharges (PDs) may be mechanistically linked to metabolic crisis as measured by cerebral microdialysis.MethodsA prospective multicenter study of surface and intracortical depth electroencephalography (EEG) was performed in conjunction with cerebral microdialysis in a cohort of severe TBI patients with time‐locked analysis of the neurochemical response to seizures and pseudoperiodic discharges.ResultsSeizures or PDs occurred in 61% of 34 subjects, with 42.9% of these seizures noted only on intracortical depth EEG and in some cases lasting for many hours. Metabolic crisis as measured by elevated cerebral microdialysis lactate/pyruvate ratio occurred during seizures or PDs but not during electrically nonepileptic epochs.InterpretationIn TBI patients, seizures and periodic discharges are one mechanism for metabolic crisis, and hence represent a therapeutic target for future study. Ann Neurol 2016;79:579–590
Design of highly tough poly(l‐lactide)‐based ternary blends for automotive applications
Authors: Bouzouita Amani , Samuel Cédric , Notta‐Cuvier Delphine , Odent Jérémy , Lauro Franck , Dubois Philippe , Raquez Jean‐Marie 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTTechnical renewable poly(l‐lactide) (PLA)‐based blends represent an elegant way to achieve attractive properties for engineering applications. Recently, the miscibility between PLA and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) gave rise to new formulations with enhanced thermo‐mechanical properties but their high brittleness still remains a challenge to be overcome. This work here focuses on rubber‐toughened PLA/PMMA formulations for injection‐molding processes upon the addition of a commercially available ethylene‐acrylate impact modifier (BS). The miscibility between PLA and PMMA is not altered by the presence of BS but the incorporation of BS (17% by weight) into a PLA/PMMA matrix could enhance both ductility and toughness of PLA/PMMA blends for PMMA content up to 50 wt %. An optimum range of particle sizes (dn ∼0.5 µm) of the dispersed domains for high impact toughness is identified. These bio‐based ternary blends appear as promising alternatives to petro‐sourced blends such as ABS‐based blends in engineering injection‐molding parts. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43402.
Synthesis and characterization of cetirizine‐containing, pH‐sensitive acrylic acid/poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels
Authors: Ranjha Nazar Mohammad , Hanif Muhammad , Naz Aqsa , Shah Muhammad Shahid , Abbas Ghulam , Afzal Zunaira 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTIn this study, interpenetrated acrylic acid (AA)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels were prepared by free‐radical polymerization with N,N‐methylene bisacrylamide (MBAAm) as a crosslinker. The basic structural parameters, such as the molecular weight between crosslinks, volume interaction parameter, number of crosslinks, Flory–Huggins solvent interaction parameter, and diffusion coefficient, were calculated. Cetirizine dihydrochloride was loaded as a model drug in selected samples. The prepared hydrogels were evaluated for swelling, sol–gel fraction, and porosity. The swelling of the AA/PVA hydrogels was found to be directly proportional to the pH, that is, 1.2–7.5, depending on composition. The percentage of cetirizine hydrochloride was found to be directly proportional to the buffer pH and was at its maximum at pH 7.5, that is, 90–95%, and its lowest at pH 1.2, that is, 20–30%. The gel fraction increased with increasing concentration of AA and MBAAm, whereas the porosity showed the same response with AA, but an inverse relationship was observed with MBAAm. The drug‐release data were fitted into various kinetics models, including the zero‐order, first‐order, Higuchi, and Peppas models, which showed non‐Fickian diffusion. The prepared hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and no interaction was found among the polymer ratio and the drug. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43407.
Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate from brominated poly(isobutylene‐co‐isoprene) via atom transfer radical polymerization
Authors: Wang Jinyuan , Wan Chaoying , Zhang Yong , Zhai Yinghao , Song Shiqiang , Ren Wentan , Peng Zonglin 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTCommercial brominated poly(isobutylene‐co‐isoprene) (BIIR) rubber has been directly used for the initiation of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) by utilizing the allylic bromine atoms on the macromolecular chains of BIIR. The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) from the backbone of BIIR which was used as a macroinitiator was carried out in xylene at 85 °C with CuBr/N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as a catalytic complex. The polymerization conditions were optimized by adjusting the catalyst and monomer concentration to reach a higher monomer conversion and meanwhile suppress macroscopic gelation during the polymerization process. This copolymerization followed a first‐order kinetic behavior with respect to the monomer concentration, and the number‐average molecular weight of the grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) increased with reaction time. The resultant BIIR‐graft‐PMMA copolymers showed phase separation morphology as characterized by atomic force microscopy, and the presence of PMMA phase increased the polarity of the BIIR copolymers. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using commercial BIIR polymer directly as a macromolecular initiator for ATRP reactions, which opens more possibilities for BIIR modifications for wider applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43408.
Preparation and properties of polyvinyl chloride ultrafiltration membranes blended with functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and MWCNTs/Fe3O4 hybrids
Authors: Wang Caihong , Wu Hao , Qu Fangshu , Liang Heng , Niu Xiaojun , Li Guibai 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTTo investigate the influence of magnetic materials combined with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as fillers on the membrane properties, multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized by mixed acids (VH2SO4:VHNO3=3:1) were loaded by Fe3O4 through a hydrothermal method. The obtained MWCNTs/Fe3O4 hybrids were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Infrared spectroscopy (IR) spectrum, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and then blended with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to prepare ultrafiltration (UF) membranes through a phase inversion process. Simultaneously, two other UF membranes, PVC blended with acid‐treated MWCNTs and PVC blended with nothing, were also prepared. The results showed that the membrane porosity and mean pore size increased slightly with the addition of fillers. Static contact angle showed that MWCNTs/Fe3O4 hybrids improved the hydrophilicity of membrane surface better than the acid‐treated MWCNTs. Pure water flux increased consistently with the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface. SEM and atomic force microscope (AFM) images showed that the MWCNTs/Fe3O4 blended membrane formed a relatively complete pore structure throughout the cross‐section and had a rougher top surface. However, the mechanical properties of membranes with fillers were reduced compared with the pristine PVC membrane. The rejections of membranes for Bovine serum albumin (BSA), Bisphenol A (BPA), and Norfloxacin (NOR) showed that MWCNTs/Fe3O4 played an important role in trapping pollutants in membrane filtration. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43417.
In situ compatibilization of polylactide/thermoplastic polyester elastomer blends using a multifunctional epoxide compound as a processing agent
Authors: Wang Sisi , Pang Sujuan , Xu Nai , Pan Lisha , Lin Qiang 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTIn situ compatibilized poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyester elastomer (PLA/TPEE) (80/20) blends are prepared by using multifunctional epoxide oligomer (coded as ADR) as a reactive modifier. Experiments such as torque, melt mass flow rate (MFR), SEM, DSC and tensile test were conducted to characterize properties of the PLA/TPEE/ADR blends. In situ reactions between PLA, TPEE and ADR were researched using a lab torque rheometer. It was proposed that ADR may initiate a variety of chain extension/branching reactions between PLA and TPEE under mixing process. In particular, the formed copolymer PLA‐ADR‐TPEE could be viewed as an in situ compatibilizer to improve the compatibility of PLA and TPEE. As expected, the value of MFR decreased greatly with increasing the ADR addition. The morphology reveals that interface adhesion of PLA/TPEE blend was enhanced with the incorporation of ADR, which led to a reduction in TPEE domain size. Moreover, tensile ductility of PLA/TPEE (80/20) blend was improved greatly by addition of the reactive modifier, e.g. the elongation at break was increased from 53% to the maximum value of 213% with addition of 1.2 phr ADR. The toughening effect can be explained by crazing with shear yielding mechanism. Attempts were made to produce ductile films from these PLA/TPEE/ADR blends by using extrusion blowing method. Effect of ADR on blowing stability and tensile property of these blends was investigated. Improvement on blowing stability and tensile ductility of PLA/TPEE/ADR films also shows that ADR is an efficiently reactive compatibilizer, as well as a viscosity enhancer for PLA/TPEE blends. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43424.
Ordered mesoporous carbon preparation by the in situ radical polymerization of acrylamide and its application for resorcinol removal
Authors: Shou Wan , Chao Bing , Ahmad Zaki Uddin , Gang Daniel Dianchen 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTIn this study, acrylamide (AM) was, for the first time, successfully used to synthesize ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) through in situ polymerization inside SBA‐15 (Santa Barbara Amorphous type material) as a hard template. A straightforward and environmentally friendly method was proposed and verified with an emphasis on the precursor modification for the preparation of OMC. The influences of the structure and the amount of SBA‐15 on the OMC structure and adsorption capacity were evaluated. To improve the adsorption capacity and yield, the following three approaches were tried: (1) the use of concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to fix carbon and nitrogen, (2) the use of a crosslinking agent, and (3) the addition of melamine as a possible nitrogen source. The adsorption capacities for resorcinol were evaluated, and they showed an improvement of 37% in comparison with that of the commercially available granular activated carbon (27 mg/g). Well‐OMC materials were obtained with higher yields with H2SO4 and crosslinking agent compared with those obtained for the pure AM precursor. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43426.
The thermal, optical, flame retardant, and morphological consequence of embedding diacid‐capped ZnO into the recycled PET matrix
Authors: Mallakpour Shadpour , Javadpour Mashal 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTWe extended our work to a fast and facile nanocomposites (NCs) manufacturing by incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on to a recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) PET as a polymer matrix prepared by a dissolution/reprecipitation method. The surface of ZnO NPs was functionalized with synthesized optically active diacid containing alanine amino acid. Organo‐modified NPs which provided using solution blending technique through ultrasonic irradiation, were embedded into recycled PET. PET@ZnO/DA NCs containing different loadings of functionalized NPs (1, 3, 5 wt %) were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–visible spectroscopy. Morphological studies revealed uniformly dispersed ZnO/DA NPs in the polymer matrix. The crystalline nature of PET slightly improved as a function of the NPs concentration. Char yield in TGA and LOI values indicated that the obtained NCs were capable of exhibiting flame retardant properties. The NCs were found to exhibit more absorbance in the UV and visible region in compare to the neat PET. The effect of ultrasonication in different solvent on the morphology of the recycled polymer particle was also studied. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43433.
Risk of End‐Stage Renal Disease in Patients With Lupus Nephritis, 1971–2015: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Tektonidou Maria G. , Dasgupta Abhijit , Ward Michael M. 
Published: January 2016

Objective End‐stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major consequence of lupus nephritis, but how this risk has changed over time is unknown. We conducted this systematic review to examine changes in ESRD among adults with lupus nephritis from 1971 to 2015 and to estimate risks of ESRD among contemporary patients.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for cohort studies and clinical trials on ESRD in adults with lupus nephritis. We analyzed studies from developed and developing countries separately. The outcome was probability of ESRD at 5, 10, and 15 years of lupus nephritis.Results We included 187 articles that reported on 18,309 patients. In developed countries, the 5‐year risk of ESRD decreased from 16% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 14–17%) in 1970–1979 to 11% (95% CI 10–12%) in the mid‐1990s and then plateaued. ESRD risks at 10 years and 15 years showed steeper declines in the 1970s and 1980s but also plateaued in 1993–1997, with a notable increase in the late 2000s. The decrease in risk after 1980 coincided with increased use of cyclophosphamide. The 15‐year ESRD risk was higher in developing countries than in developed countries. Patients with class IV lupus nephritis had the greatest risk of ESRD, with a 15‐year risk of 44% during the 2000s.Conclusion Risks of ESRD in lupus nephritis improved between the 1970s and the mid‐1990s and then plateaued, with an increase in the late 2000s. This pattern suggests limitations in the effectiveness of, or access to, current treatments.