bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
QT interval prolongation in opioid agonist treatment: analysis of continuous 12‐lead electrocardiogram recordings
Authors: Isbister Geoffrey K. , Brown Amanda L. , Gill Anthony , Scott Alexander J. , Calver Leonie , Dunlop Adrian J. 
Published: May 2017

AimsMethadone is a widely used opioid agonist treatment associated with QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. We investigated the QT interval in patients treated with methadone or buprenorphine using continuous 12‐lead Holter recordings.MethodsWe prospectively made 24‐h Holter recordings in patients prescribed methadone or buprenorphine, compared to controls. After their normal dose a continuous 12‐lead Holter recorder was attached for 24 h. Digital electrocardiograms were extracted hourly from the Holter recordings. The QT interval was measured automatically (H‐scribe software, Mortara Pty Ltd) and checked manually. The QT interval was plotted against heart rate (HR) on the QT nomogram to determine abnormality. Demographics, dosing, medical history and laboratory investigations were recorded.ResultsThere were 58 patients (19 methadone, 20 buprenorphine and 19 control); median age 35 years (20–56 years); 33 males. Baseline characteristics were similar. Median dose of methadone was 110 mg day–1 (70–170 mg day–1) and buprenorphine was 16 mg day–1 (12–32 mg day–1). Seven participants had abnormal QT intervals. There was a significant difference in the proportion of prescribed methadone with abnormal QT intervals, 7/19 (37%; 95% confidence interval: 17–61%), compared to controls 0/19 (0%; 95% confidence interval: 0–21%; P = 0.008), but no difference between buprenorphine and controls (0/20). QT vs. HR plots showed patients prescribed methadone had higher QT‐HR pairs over 24 h compared to controls. There was no difference in dose for patients prescribed methadone with abnormal QT intervals and those without.ConclusionsMethadone is associated with prolonged QT intervals, but there was no association with dose. Buprenorphine did not prolong the QT interval. Twenty four‐hour Holter recordings using the QT nomogram is a feasible method to assess the QT interval in patients prescribed methadone.
Food and beverage television advertising exposure and youth consumption, body mass index and adiposity outcomes
Authors: Powell Lisa M. , Wada Roy , Khan Tamkeen , Emery Sherry L. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThis study examines the relationships between exposure to food and beverage product television advertisements and consumption and obesity outcomes among youth. Individual‐level data on fast food and soft drink consumption and body mass index (BMI) for young adolescents from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, kindergarten cohort, (1998–1999) and adiposity measures for children from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2004) were combined with designated market area (DMA) Nielsen media advertising ratings data. To account for unobserved individual‐level and DMA‐level heterogeneity, various fixed‐ and random‐effects models were estimated. The results showed that exposure to soft drink and sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) advertisements is economically and statistically significantly associated with higher frequency of soft drink consumption among youth even after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity, with elasticity estimates ranging from 0.4 to 0.5. The association between fast food advertising exposure and fast food consumption disappeared once we controlled for unobservables. Exposure to cereal advertising was significantly associated with young adolescents' BMI percentile ranking, but exposures to fast food and soft drink advertisements were not. The results on adiposity outcomes revealed that children's exposure to cereal advertising was associated with both percent body fatness and percent trunk fatness; fast food advertising was significantly associated with percent trunk fatness and marginally significantly associated with percent body fatness; and exposure to SSB advertising was marginally significantly associated with percent body and trunk fatness. The study results suggest that continued monitoring of advertising is important and policy debates regarding the regulation of youth‐directed marketing are warranted.
An empirical study of credit shock transmission in a small open economy
Authors: Bedock Nathan , Stevanović Dalibor 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIn this paper, we identify and estimate the dynamic effects of foreign (US) and national (Canadian) credit shocks in a small open economy. We use standard credit spreads as proxies to the external finance premium. Our first result suggests that the US and Canadian credit spreads contain substantial forecasting power for several measures of the Canadian real economic activity, especially during the recent financial crisis and its aftermath. Secondly, an adverse US credit shock generates a significant and persistent economic slowdown in Canada: the national external finance premium rises immediately while interest rates, credit aggregates, output and employment indicators decline. Variance decomposition reveals that credit shocks have a sizeable effect on real activity measures, leading indicators and credit spreads. Yet, the unexpected shocks in domestic credit spreads are not able to generate any significant dynamic response of the real activity once we control for the US credit market conditions.
Calculating the real return on a sovereign wealth fund
Authors: Benedictow Andreas , Boug Pål 
Published: May 2017

AbstractWe present a new methodology for calculating the real return on sovereign wealth funds (SWF) that share the investment objective of maximizing international purchasing power in terms of goods and services. Specifically, we modify the traditional approach for deflating the nominal return along three dimensions: the aggregator formula, the measure of international prices and the weighting scheme. We argue that a geometric average of price levels is an appropriate aggregator formula for capturing the deflationary effects of imports increasingly originating from low‐cost countries, and that import prices paid by the SWF owner and weights reflecting the owner's import pattern are consistent with the investment objective. Our proposed approach, using the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global as an illustration, raises the estimated average annual real rate of return over the sample period of 1998–2012 from 3.1% to 4.9%.
Prognostic value of preoperative anti‐thyroglobulin antibody in differentiated thyroid cancer
Authors: Jo Kwanhoon , Kim Min‐Hee , Ha Jeonghoon , Lim Yejee , Lee Sohee , Bae Ja Seong , Jung Chan Kwon , Kang Moo Il , Cha Bong Yun , Lim Dong‐Jun 
Published: May 2017

SummaryContextThe coexistence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and thyroid autoimmune disease could represent a better or worse prognosis. This study investigated the prognostic importance of preoperative anti‐thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) in DTC patients.Design and patientsThis retrospective hospital‐cohort study enrolled 1171 consecutive DTC patients with preoperative TgAb data, who underwent total thyroidectomy between January 2006 and December 2011. Clinical parameters studied included demographics, primary tumour characteristics, radioiodine therapy, thyroid function tests, preoperative thyroglobulin (Tg) and TgAb levels, and cancer persistence/recurrence.ResultsA total of 254 (21.7%) patients were preoperatively TgAb positive. The percentage positive for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody and lymphocytic thyroiditis was significantly higher in the TgAb‐positive group. The TgAb‐positive group had a significantly higher rate of lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis both overall and in patients without TPOAb and lymphocytic thyroiditis (non‐HT group). The mean number of total and central lymph nodes dissected and rate of lateral lymph node dissection were significantly higher in the TgAb‐positive group, both overall and in non‐HT patients. In regression analysis, preoperative TgAb was an independent risk factor for lateral lymph node metastasis. Over 50.2±14.5 months of follow‐up, disease persistence/recurrence was not significantly different between patients with and without TgAb, both overall and in non‐HT patients. Preoperative TgAb showed no significant correlation with final disease status.ConclusionPositive preoperative serum TgAb is associated with worse primary tumour characteristics but rarely showed poor prognosis, probably due to more aggressive treatment of these subjects.
Contracting Medial Surfaces Isotropically for Fast Extraction of Centred Curve Skeletons
Authors: Li Lei , Wang Wencheng 
Published: May 2017

AbstractCurve skeletons, which are a compact representation for three‐dimensional shapes, must be extracted such that they are high quality, centred and smooth. However, the centredness measurements in existing methods are expensive, lowering the extraction efficiency. Although some methods trade quality for acceleration, their generated low‐quality skeletons are not suitable for applications. In this paper, we present a method to quickly extract centred curve skeletons. It operates by contracting the medial surface isotropically to the locus of the centres of its maximal inscribed spheres, which are spheres that have their centres on the medial surface and cannot be further enlarged while remaining the boundary of their intersections with the medial surface composed of only the points on the sphere surfaces. Thus, the centred curve skeleton can be extracted conveniently. For fast extraction, we develop novel measures to quickly generate the medial surface and contract it layer by layer, with every layer contracted isotropically using spheres of equal radii to account for every part of the medial surface boundary. The experimental results show that we can stably extract curve skeletons with higher centredness and at much higher speeds than existing methods, even for noisy shapes.
Impact of the genetic variants of GLCCI1 on clinical features of asthmatic patients
Authors: Chiba Shinji , Nakamura Yutaka , Mizuno Tomoki , Abe Kazuyuki , Horii Yosuke , Nagashima Hiromi , Sasaki Nobuhito , Kanno Hiroyuki , Tanita Tatsuo , Yamauchi Kohei 
Published: May 2017

AbstractBackgroundSeveral gene variants are associated with a response to an inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) treatment in patients with bronchial asthma. A variant of the glucocorticoid‐induced transcript 1 (GLCCI1) genes has previously been associated with decreased lung function improvement upon treatment with ICSs in patients with bronchial asthma. Another report has also demonstrated that this genetic biomarker did not influence the change in flow volume in 1 second. However, no studies have considered the treatment content and the GLCCI1 variants. We were able to determine the relationship between the pulmonary function and clinical features and the variant of the GLCCI1 in Japanese asthmatic patients receiving long‐term ICS treatment.Materials and methodsIn this study, 405 patients with bronchial asthma, who were receiving ICS and living in Japan, were recruited, genotyped and underwent pulmonary function tests. To identify the GLCCI1 protein expression cells, endobronchial biopsy specimens were examined.ResultsWe found that the pulmonary function was not significantly different in the homozygotes compared to the wild types. Also, the homozygotes increased the risk of a sustained step‐up of the asthma treatment when compared to the wild type and heterozygotes. GLCCI1‐positive cells were localized to the bronchial epithelial cells. The amount of GLCCI1 protein that cultured epithelial cells harboring GLCCI1 variants produced was less than the GLCCI1 wild type in the presence of a corticosteroid.ConclusionsA worsening of pulmonary function caused by GLCCI1 variants could be prevented due to recently used medications based on new action mechanisms.
Use of TBAg/PHA ratio in distinguishing tuberculoma from cancer in solitary pulmonary nodule or mass
Authors: Wang Feng , Hou Hongyan , Zhou Hongmin , Wu Shiji , Mao Lie , Huang Min , Yin Botao , Huang Jing , Sun Ziyong 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIntroductionDifferentiation of tuberculoma from cancer in solitary pulmonary nodule or mass still remains a major challenge in diagnostic laboratories.ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to determine the performance of T‐SPOT.TB assay in discriminating these 2 diseases.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 331 patients with a solitary pulmonary nodule or mass on computed tomography scans. Conventional tests and T‐SPOT.TB assay were simultaneously performed in all participants.ResultsOur results showed that the performance of directly using T‐SPOT.TB results in distinguishing tuberculoma from cancer in solitary pulmonary nodule or mass was not satisfactory because of moderate sensitivity and specificity. However, a further calculation of the ratio of TB‐specific antigen (TBAg) to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) (TBAg/PHA ratio) of T‐SPOT.TB assay may lead to improvement in distinguishing these 2 diseases. If using the threshold value of 0.236, the sensitivity and specificity of the TBAg/PHA ratio in distinguishing tuberculoma from cancer in solitary pulmonary nodule or mass were, respectively, 80.6% and 93.3%. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.921 (95% confidence interval, 0.875‐0.967). Furthermore, the TBAg/PHA ratio may also be used to distinguish tuberculoma from other benign diseases (AUC: 0.909, sensitivity: 85.07%, specificity: 90%).ConclusionsCalculation of the TBAg/PHA ratio might provide a useful non‐invasive tool for distinguishing tuberculoma from cancer in patients with a solitary pulmonary nodule or mass in TB‐endemic countries.
Use of intra‐aortic counterpulsation in cardiogenic shock post‐liver transplantation
Authors: Palanisamy Arun P , Nadig Satish N , Chedister Gabriel R , Dowden Jacob E , Koch David G , Stoll William D , McGillicuddy John W , Chavin Kenneth D 
Published: May 2017

AbstractLeft ventricular dysfunction resulting in cardiogenic shock occurs infrequently following organ reperfusion in liver transplantation. The etiology of the cardiogenic shock is often multifactorial and difficult to manage due to the complex nature of the procedure and the patient's baseline physiology. Traditionally, this hemodynamic instability is managed medically using inotropic agents and vasopressor support. If medical treatment is insufficient, the use of an intra‐aortic balloon pump for counterpulsation may be employed to improve the hemodynamics and stabilize the patient. Here, we analyze three cases and review the literature.
Open‐access evidence database of controlled trials and systematic reviews in youth mental health
Authors: De Silva Stefanie , Bailey Alan P. , Parker Alexandra G. , Montague Alice E. , Hetrick Sarah E. 
Published: May 2017

AimTo present an update to an evidence‐mapping project that consolidates the evidence base of interventions in youth mental health. To promote dissemination of this resource, the evidence map has been translated into a free online database (https://orygen.org.au/Campus/Expert‐Network/Evidence‐Finder or https://headspace.org.au/research‐database/). Included studies are extensively indexed to facilitate searching.MethodsA systematic search for prevention and treatment studies in young people (mean age 6–25 years) is conducted annually using Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library. Included studies are restricted to controlled trials and systematic reviews published since 1980.ResultsTo date, 221 866 publications have been screened, of which 2680 have been included in the database. Updates are conducted annually.ConclusionsThis shared resource can be utilized to substantially reduce the amount of time involved with conducting literature searches. It is designed to promote the uptake of evidence‐based practice and facilitate research to address gaps in youth mental health.
General Oral Health Assessment Index: A new evaluation proposal
Authors: Campos Juliana A. D. B. , Zucoloto Miriane L. , Bonafé Fernanda S. S. , Maroco João 
Published: May 2017

ObjectivesTo validity the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) among adults who sought dental care and to present a new proposal for calculating scores on self‐perception of oral health.BackgroundThere is no study that presents a GOHAI scores using weight of the items.Materials and MethodsThe one‐factor model, the three‐factor model (physical function, psychosocial/psychological function and pain/discomfort) and the second‐order hierarchical model (SOHM) were evaluated from confirmatory factor analysis (λ, χ2/df, CFI,GFI and RMSEA). The reliability (CR,α) was estimated. Concurrent validity was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14). The invariance of the models was estimated in independent samples. The calculation of an overall score using the factor scores was proposed to obtain the overall weighted scores. These overall weighted scores were compared to the scores estimated as the simple arithmetic mean (overall unweighted scores) using a repeated measures analysis of variance.ResultsA total of 1000 individuals participated (74.1% female; age: 40.7 (SD=14.3) years). Three items of the GOHAI were excluded (λ<0.40). The one‐factor model (λ=0.40‐0.77; χ2/df=6.291; CFI=0.947; GFI=0.960; RMSEA=0.073) and the three‐factor model (λ=0.40‐0.78; χ2/df=8.321; CFI=0.932; GFI=0.954; RMSEA=0.086) each presented an adequate fit. Reliability was adequate (one‐factor: CR=0.83/α=0.83; three‐factor: CR=0.53‐0.76/α=0.53‐0.73), with the exception of the pain/discomfort factor. The GOHAI was invariant in independent samples, and the concurrent validity was adequate. The overall unweighted scores overestimated self‐perceptions of oral health when compared with the weighted scores.ConclusionBoth the one‐factor and three‐factor models of the GOHAI were found to be valid, reliable and invariant for the sample after the exclusion of three items. The use of overall weighted scores is recommended for calculating the score of self‐perception of oral health.
Preparation and Measurement of Cassiterite for Sn Isotope Analysis
Authors: Mathur Ryan , Powell Wayne , Mason Andrea , Godfrey Linda , Yao Junming , Baker Mark E. 
Published: May 2017

Increased interest in the fractionation of Sn isotopes has led to the development of several techniques for preparing cassiterite (SnO2, the primary ore of Sn) for isotopic analysis. Two distinct methods have been applied in recent isotopic studies of cassiterite: (a) reduction to tin metal with potassium cyanide (KCN) at high temperature (800 °C), with subsequent dissolution in HCl, and (b) reduction to a Sn solution with hydriodic acid (HI) at low temperature (100 °C). This study compares the effectiveness and accuracy of these two methods and contributes additional methodological details. The KCN method consistently yielded more Sn (> 70% in comparison with < 5%), does not appear to fractionate Sn isotopes at high temperatures over a 2‐hour period and produced consistent Sn isotope values at flux mass ratios of ≥ 4:1 (flux to mineral) with a minimum reduction time of 40 min. By means of a distillation experiment, it was demonstrated that HI could volatilise Sn, explaining the consistently low yields by this method. Furthermore, the distillation generated Sn vapour, which is up to 0.38‰ per mass unit different from the starting material, the largest induced Sn fractionation reported to date. Accordingly, the HI method is not recommended for cassiterite preparation for Sn isotopic analysis.
Evolution of Heterogeneous Mixed Siliciclastic/Carbonate Aquifers Containing Metastable Sediments
Authors: Franco Daniel , Coulibaly Kapo , Kunberger Tanya , Kinzli Kristoph‐Dietrich , Arbelaez Sebastian , Missimer Thomas M. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractMixed carbonate and siliciclastic marine sediments commonly become freshwater aquifers in eastern coastal regions of the United States and many other global locations. As these deposits age, the carbonate fraction of the sediment is commonly removed by dissolution and the aquifer can become a solely siliciclastic system or contain zones or beds of pure quartz sand. During aquifer evolution, the sediment grain size characteristics, hydraulic conductivity, and porosity change. An investigation of these changes using mixed carbonate/siliciclastic sediment samples collected from a modern barrier island beach in southern Florida showed that the average mean grain diameter decreased with removal of the carbonate fraction, but the average hydraulic conductivity and porosity increased slightly, but not to statistical significance. This counterintuitive result occurs because of the change in the pore types from a combined shelter and intergranular pore system producing a dual porosity system in the mixed sediments to a single intergranular pore system in the siliciclastic sediment fraction. Within the mixed carbonate/siliciclastic sediment, in the pure carbonate fraction, large shell fractions form grain‐supported large pores, which become filled with sand‐sized quartz as the shell fragments decrease in size or as the sediment becomes compacted. The hydraulic conductivity increases because the shell fragments that were oriented perpendicular to flow caused an increase in the length of the flow path, or a larger scale tortuosity, compared with the flow through pure quartz sand.
Visual Auras in Epilepsy and Migraine – An Analysis of Clinical Characteristics
Authors: Hartl Elisabeth , Angel Jose , Rémi Jan , Schankin Christoph J. , Noachtar Soheyl 
Published: May 2017

ObjectiveTo evaluate the characteristics of visual auras (VA) in epilepsy and migraine.BackgroundBoth disorders are usually diagnosed on clinical grounds, but differentiation might be challenging in isolated auras or because of the similar presentation in migraine and epilepsy.MethodsA retrospective study of two cohorts was performed to compare the VA characteristics of 27 epilepsy patients and 27 age‐matched migraine patients.ResultsThe duration of VA was significantly shorter in epilepsy (median: 56s; 1st quartile Q1: 26s; 3rd quartile Q3: 130s) than in migraine (20 min; Q1: 10 min; Q3: 30 min) (P < .0001). A cutoff duration of ≥5 minutes identified all migraine patients (100% sensitivity, 92% specificity). VAs of epileptic etiology were characterized by restriction to a visual hemifield (74.1% vs 29.6% in migraine,P = .0024) with stereotypic affection of one hemifield (55.5% vs 7.4% in migraine,P = 0.0003). Centrifugal or centripetal spread of visual phenomena only occurred in migraine (37.0%), but not in epilepsy (P = 0.0007). If present, accompanying symptoms such as nausea/vomiting (19/27) or photo‐/phonophobia (17/27) identify migrainous auras (vs 0/27 in the epilepsy patients;P < .0001). Headache presented in all migraine patients, but was also observed in six of the epilepsy patients during cephalic auras or the postictal phase (P < .0001). None of the visual migrainous auras evolved into an epileptic seizure, a concept called migralepsy.ConclusionsSeveral clinical characteristics differentiate VA of epileptic and migrainous origin – if presenting in classical manner. Additional EEG evaluations should be performed in patients with VA of unclear etiology and epileptic VA features added to current classifications to increase their discriminatory power.