bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Left Atrial Geometry Improves Risk Prediction of Thromboembolic Events in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: BISBAL FELIPE , GÓMEZ‐PULIDO FEDERICO , CABANAS‐GRANDÍO PILAR , AKOUM NAZEM , CALVO MIREIA , ANDREU DAVID , PRAT‐GONZÁLEZ SUSANNA , PEREA ROSARIO J. , VILLUENDAS ROGER , BERRUEZO ANTONIO , SITGES MARTA , BAYÉS‐GENÍS ANTONI , BRUGADA JOSEP , MARROUCHE NASSIR F. , MONT LLUÍS 
Published: March 2016

LA Sphericity and Stroke PredictionBackgroundLeft atrial (LA) sphericity (LASP) is a new remodeling parameter based on LA shape analysis, with independent predictive value for recurrence after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation.ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between LASP and thromboembolic events (TE) in patients with AF.MethodsTwenty‐nine AF patients and prior TE and 29 age‐ and gender‐matched controls were included. LASP was calculated using a 3D‐LA reconstruction. The LA appendage (LAA) volume and morphology were assessed. ROC curve analysis was performed for LASP, LA volume, LAA volume, and CHAD/CHA2D–VASc scores (Stroke2—the grouping variable—was excluded).ResultsMean age of the study population was 61 ± 11 years (79.3% males, 53.4% hypertension, 8.6% diabetes). Patients with prior TE had higher LASP than those without (82.5 ± 3.3% vs. 80.2 ± 3.1%, P = 0.008); there were no differences in CHAD or CHA2D–VASc scores, LA volume, LAA volume, or LAA morphology. The C‐statistic was higher for LASP (0.71) than for other tested variables (CHAD score = 0.58, CHA2D–VASc score = 0.59, LA volume = 0.50, LAA volume = 0.46; P < 0.01 for all vs. LASP). The best cutoff value for LASP was 83.6% (sensitivity 0.52, specificity 0.90). Logistic regression analysis showed predictive value for LASP (OR 1.26 per each 1% increase [1.85–52.20], P = 0.013), but not for clinical risk scores. The addition of LASP to the CHAD and CHA2D–VASc scores increased the predictive value over the risk scores alone (P = 0.004), and reclassified 45.5% of patients with CHAD = 0 (no anticoagulation indicated) to moderate‐risk (anticoagulation indicated).ConclusionLA sphericity is associated with prior TE in AF patients and improves the performance of the CHAD and CHA2D–VASc scores alone.
Alcohol consumption and risk of periodontitis: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Jiantao , Lv Jian , Wang Wanchun , Jiang Xiubo 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAimA meta‐analysis was conducted to quantitatively summarize the evidence from observational studies on alcohol consumption and risk of periodontitis.Material and MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and Embase databases to identify eligible studies published in English. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by random‐effects models. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess the dose–response relationship.ResultsEighteen studies were included in our meta‐analysis. The pooled RR of periodontitis for the highest with the lowest alcohol consumption was 1.59 (95% CI: 1.37–1.85). Significant associations were also found in stratified analysis by gender [males: (1.25, 95% CI: 1.11–1.41), females (2.15, 95% CI: 1.36–3.41)] and study design [cohort studies: 1.28 (1.04–1.57) and cross‐sectional studies: 1.66 (1.39–1.99)]. A linear dose–response relationship was found between alcohol consumption and periodontitis risk, and the risk of periodontitis increased by 0.4% [95% CI (1.002–1.007) (p = 0.002)] for each 1 g/day increment in alcohol consumption.ConclusionThis meta‐analysis suggested that alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of periodontitis.
Core food intakes of Australian children aged 9–10 years: nutrients, daily servings and diet quality in a community cross‐sectional sample
Authors: Whitrow M. J. , Moran L. , Davies M. J. , Collins C. E. , Burrows T. L. , Edwards S. , Moore V. M. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe present study aimed to evaluate core food intakes in 9–10‐year‐old Australian children by considering adequacy of nutrient intakes, comparing servings of core food groups with Australian recommendations and scoring overall diet quality.MethodsChildren from an established community‐based cohort study completed a semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Daily intakes of energy, macronutrients, micronutrients, servings of core (i.e. nutrient‐rich) foods and a diet quality index were calculated and compared with appropriate standards. Sex and socio‐economic differences were examined.ResultsThe 436 children participating were from low to high socio‐economic status families. As a group, over half of the children met estimated average requirements for key macro‐ and micronutrients, with the exception of fibre (inadequate in 41% of boys and 24% of girls). Children obtained 55% of their daily energy from core foods. Most children had fewer than the recommended servings of vegetables (91%) and meat/alternatives (99.8%), whereas boys generally ate fewer servings of grains and cereals than recommended (87%), and girls ate fewer servings of dairy (83%). Diet quality scores indicated room for improvement (median score of 26 for boys and 25 for girls, out of a maximum of 73 points).ConclusionsAs a group, a large proportion of children were able to meet their daily nutrient requirements. However, achieving this through noncore foods meant that diets were high in salt, saturated fat and sugar; more servings of core foods and greater dietary diversity would be preferable. These results suggest that families need more support to optimise dietary patterns of children in this age group.
Marriage and Women's Health in Japan
Authors: Lim Sojung , Raymo James M. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIn this study, we evaluate alternative hypotheses about the potentially harmful or beneficial effects of marriage on women's health and examine the factors underlying observed relationships between marriage and health. Using data from the Japanese Panel Survey of Consumers, an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of Japanese women (N = 1,610), our study advances current scholarship on marriage and health by focusing on a context characterized by a high degree of gender inequality. Results from models employing different approaches to the potential role of health‐related selection into marriage consistently indicate that marriage is associated with better mental and physical health and that the lower levels of employment among married women play an important role in explaining this relationship. Our findings highlight the importance of considering how the specific pathways linking marriage and health may vary across societies with different gender and institutional contexts.
Performance of CT Angiography on a Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit: Implications for Triage
Authors: John Seby , Stock Sarah , Masaryk Thomas , Bauer Andrew , Cerejo Russell , Uchino Ken , Winners Stacey , Rasmussen Peter , Hussain Muhammad S. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDThere is a strong inverse relationship between outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke from emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO), and time to reperfusion from intra‐arterial therapy. Delay in transferring patients to thrombectomy‐capable centers is currently a major limitation. The mobile stroke unit (MSU) concept with onboard portable computed tomography (CT) scanner enables rapid performance of CT angiography (CTA) of the intracranial vessels to detect ELVO in the field, and allows for rapid triage of patients to interventional‐capable centers.METHODSOur institution implemented a mobile stroke treatment unit (MSTU) program that started on July 2014, and CTA capability was added on April 2015. The eligibility criteria, equipment, and method of CTA imaging are described. We report the first case of CTA being performed in the field in the United States to aid in triage of ELVO patients.RESULTSMSTU was dispatched for reported new onset of right hemiparesis in a patient. Teleneurological assessment detected findings consistent with a severe left middle cerebral artery (MCA) syndrome. Noncontrast CT head revealed left lenticulostriate hypoattenuation. A CTA was performed subsequently on the MSTU that showed an MCA cutoff. Based on these findings, patient was immediately transferred to the main hospital with neurointerventional capability, where he underwent successful recanalization with improvement in symptoms.CONCLUSIONCTA is possible on an MSTU, enabling rapid detection and triage of ELVO cases directly to thrombectomy‐capable centers, which significantly reduces time to endovascular treatment.
Patterns of impaired oral health‐related quality of life dimensions
Authors: John M. T. , Rener‐Sitar K. , Baba K. , Čelebić A. , Larsson P. , Szabo G. , Norton W E. , Reissmann D. R. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryHow dental patients are affected by oral conditions can be described with the concept of oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL). This concept intends to make the patient experience measurable. OHRQoL is multidimensional, and Oral Function, Oro‐facial Pain, Oro‐facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact were suggested as its four dimensions and consequently four scores are needed for comprehensive OHRQoL assessment. When only the presence of dimensional impact is measured, a pattern of affected OHRQoL dimensions would describe in a simple way how oral conditions influence the individual. By determining which patterns of impact on OHRQoL dimensions exist in prosthodontic patients and general population subjects, we aimed to identify in which combinations oral conditions’ functional, painful, aesthetical and psychosocial impact occurs. Data came from the Dimensions of OHRQoL Project with Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)‐49 data from 6349 general population subjects and 2999 prosthodontic patients in the Learning Sample (N = 5173) and the Validation Sample (N = 5022). We hypothesised that all 16 patterns of OHRQoL dimensions should occur in these individuals who suffered mainly from tooth loss, its causes and consequences. A dimension was considered impaired when at least one item in the dimension was affected frequently. The 16 possible patterns of impaired OHRQoL dimensions were found in patients and general population subjects in both Learning and Validation Samples. In a four‐dimensional OHRQoL model consisting Oral Function, Oro‐facial Pain, Oro‐facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact, oral conditions’ impact can occur in any combination of the OHRQoL dimensions.
Fiscal Federalism and Electoral Accountability
Authors: AIDT TOKE S. , DUTTA JAYASRI 
Published: March 2016

AbstractWe evaluate how governance uncertainty—exemplified by turnout uncertainty—affects the trade‐off between internalization of externalities and political accountability in the design of the fiscal state. We show that centralization only weakens political accountability in the presence of negative externalities. Unlike positive externalities, negative externalities allow federal politicians to extract higher rents. This yields two new insights. First, decentralization can only Pareto dominate centralization in economies with negative externalities. Second, centralization may not be Pareto efficient in economies with positive externalities despite the fact that policy can be tailored to regional taste differences and centralization internalizes the positive externality.
Schooling and the Intergenerational Transmission of Values
Authors: GIUSTA MARINA DELLA , HASHIMZADE NIGAR , MYLES GARETH D. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractWe present a model of the evolution of identity via dynamic interaction between the choice of education and the transmission of values in a community from parents to children, when parents care about the preservation of their traditional community values, different from the values of the host society. We compare the educational and socioeconomic outcomes in different scenarios (melting pot versus multiculturalism). If schooling shifts children's identity away from their parents' values, parents may choose lower levels of education for their children, at the cost of reducing their future earnings. We show how this effect can be attenuated and reversed when the school or, indeed, the host society are willing to accommodate the values of the community and/or to adjust to these values; otherwise the community gradually becomes alienated. This approach may be applied to the analysis of temporal changes in values and attitudes in a community of immigrants, as well as ethnic, religious, or other minority groups.
Periodontal disease and percentage of calories from fat using national data
Authors: Hamasaki T. , Kitamura M. , Kawashita Y. , Ando Y. , Saito T. 
Published: March 2016

Background and ObjectiveThe association between periodontal disease and nutrient intake was examined using linked data from the 2005 National Health and Nutrition Survey, the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions and the Survey of Dental Diseases from the same year ‘using linked data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey, the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions and the Survey of Dental Diseases, all from 2005’. There has been increasing focus on the importance of nutritional factors in disease in recent years, but very few studies in Japan have looked at the association between periodontal disease and nutrients. Therefore, in the present study we investigated factors associated with periodontal disease, particularly in terms of nutrient intake.Material and MethodsData from 3043 individuals, ≥ 20 years of age (the original study sample comprised 4873 individuals, but those younger than 20 years of age and pregnant women were excluded from the present study) were compiled from linked responses to these three surveys from the same year. Permission to use the data was obtained from the Lifestyle‐Related Diseases Control General Affairs Division of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, Japan. Information including basic attributes, family structure, economic status, physical condition, lifestyle habits, diet, dental habits, blood data, intake of foods (including the categories of food) and nutrient‐related information were obtained from the linked data. The individual maximum Community Periodontal Index (CPI) was used as an index of periodontal disease. Subjects were divided, according to maximumCPI, into groups in which CPI = 0–2 or CPI = 3–4, and associations betweenCPIand basic attributes, family structure, economic status, physical condition, lifestyle habits, diet, blood data and food intake were analyzed.ResultsMultivariate analysis revealed that the percentage of calories from fat was a nutrient factor associated with periodontal disease, with the percentage of calories from fat being significantly lower in the group with advanced periodontal disease.ConclusionThe results suggest that a low‐fat, high‐carbohydrate diet is related to periodontal disease. A more detailed analysis of this topic will be conducted in the future using different indices of periodontal disease.
Hepatitis C treatment failure is associated with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lu Mei , Li Jia , Rupp Loralee B. , Holmberg Scott D. , Moorman Anne C. , Spradling Philip R. , Teshale Eyasu H. , Zhou Yueren , Boscarino Joseph A. , Schmidt Mark A. , Lamerato Lois E. , Trinacty Connie , Trudeau Sheri , Gordon Stuart C. ,   the CHeCS Investigators
Published: March 2016

SummarySustained virological response (SVR) to antiviral therapy for hepatitis C (HCV) reduces risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but there is little information regarding how treatment failure (TF) compares to lack of treatment. We evaluated the impact of treatment status on risk of HCC using data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study (CHeCS–an observational study based in four large US health systems, with up to 7 years of follow‐up on patients). Multivariable analyses were used to adjust for bias in treatment selection, as well as other covariates, followed by sensitivity analyses. Among 10 091 HCV patients, 3681 (36%) received treatment, 2099 (57%) experienced treatment failure (TF), and 1582 (43%) of these achieved sustained virological response (SVR). TF patients demonstrated almost twice the risk of HCC than untreated patients [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50–2.53]; this risk persisted across all stages of fibrosis. Several sensitivity analyses validated these results. Although African Americans were at increased risk of treatment failure, they were at lower risk for HCC and all‐cause mortality compared to White patients. SVR patients had lower risk of HCC than TF patients (aHR = 0.48, CI 0.31–0.73), whereas treatment – regardless of outcome – reduced all‐cause mortality (aHR = 0.45, CI 0.34–0.60 for SVR patients; aHR = 0.78, CI 0.65–0.93 for TF patients).
Isolated trees as nuclei of regeneration in tropical pastures: testing the importance of niche‐based and landscape factors
Authors: Derroire Géraldine , Coe Richard , Healey John R. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractQuestionsOur study tests the relative importance of different attributes of isolated trees in explaining the properties of the regeneration assemblage beneath their crowns to evaluate their effect on the composition of early successional stages and understand the processes underlying this effect. We asked: (1) does the regeneration assemblage contain a high proportion of individuals conspecific with the isolated tree; (2) how does the landscape surrounding an isolated tree influence the properties of the regeneration assemblage; and (3) what is the respective importance of structural variables and functional traits of isolated trees for their influence on the properties of the regeneration assemblage?LocationThree pasture sites in Guanacaste Province, a tropical seasonally dry area, Costa Rica.MethodsNinety isolated trees were characterized by their position in the landscape relative to patches of trees, individual structural variables related to tree and crown size, and species functional traits. The assemblage of woody plants regenerating under their crowns was characterized by number of individuals and species, and taxonomic and functional composition. To understand the mechanisms underlying the facilitative effect of isolated trees on regeneration, correlations between their attributes and properties of the regeneration assemblage were assessed.ResultsWe found that a low proportion of regenerating individuals were conspecific with the isolated trees beneath which they have established. Landscape factors influenced the regeneration but their effects were site‐dependent. The attributes of isolated trees correlated well with the functional composition of the regeneration assemblage: their structure and phenological habits with traits associated with drought tolerance, and their dispersal syndrome with the dispersal syndrome of the regeneration assemblage. However, isolated tree attributes correlated poorly with the regeneration assemblage's taxonomic composition.ConclusionsOur study shows that an approach based on functional composition can provide a better understanding of community assembly mechanisms than does a taxonomic approach. Two main mechanisms are suggested to explain the influence of isolated trees on the regeneration assemblage: modification of micro‐scale environmental conditions (shade and moisture) and influence on dispersal agents. The effect of attributes of isolated trees on the properties of the regeneration assemblage predicts a long‐term legacy of the early stages of succession.
Gut microbes in correlation with mood: case study in a closed experimental human life support system
Authors: Li L. , Su Q. , Xie B. , Duan L. , Zhao W. , Hu D. , Wu R. , Liu H. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackgroundGut microbial community, which may influence our mood, can be shaped by modulating the gut ecosystem through dietary strategies. Understanding the gut–brain correlationship in healthy people is important for maintenance of mental health and prevention of mental illnesses.MethodsA case study on the correlation between gut microbial alternation and mood swing of healthy adults was conducted in a closed human life support system during a 105‐day experiment. Gut microbial community structures were analyzed using high‐throughput sequencing every 2 weeks. A profile of mood states questionnaire was used to record the mood swings. Correlation between gut microbes and mood were identified with partial least squares discrimination analysis.Key ResultsMicrobial community structures in the three healthy adults were strongly correlated with mood states. Bacterial genera Roseburia, Phascolarctobacterium, Lachnospira, and Prevotella had potential positive correlation with positive mood, while genera Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Anaerostipes were correlated with negative mood. Among which, Faecalibacterium spp. had the highest abundance, and showed a significant negative correlation with mood.Conclusions & InferencesOur results indicated that the composition of microbial community could play a role in emotional change in mentally physically healthy adults.
Preparing Student Nurses as Parent‐based Adolescent Sexual Health Educators: Results of a Pilot Study
Authors: Santa Maria Diane , Markham Christine , Crandall Stacy , Guilamo‐Ramos Vincent 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjectivesWhile health promotion and patient education are central to the scope of practice of professional nurses, they often feel ill‐equipped to assume the role of sexual health educator and lack adequate knowledge and skills to effectively engage parents in adolescent sexual and reproductive health efforts.Design and SampleEmploying a mixed‐methods study consisting of both pre‐ and post‐test survey and exit interviews, a pilot study was conducted to assess the impact of implementing a parent‐based adolescent sexual health intervention on baccalaureate nursing student outcomes (N = 31).ResultsWe found statistically significant improvements in student outcome expectancies of parenting strategies, barriers to sexual health communication, self‐efficacy, and sexual health counseling experience. Using thematic content analysis of exit interview content, emerging themes were (1) need for increased sexual and reproductive health (SRH) preparation, (2) wanting greater experience and opportunity for involvement in nursing research, and (3) educational gaps in family‐focused community public health.ConclusionsIncorporating adolescent sexual health education into public health nursing clinical training can prepare nurses as parent‐based adolescent sexual health educators, a core competency for nurses working with families in communities and across all health care delivery settings.