bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is interpregnancy interval associated with cardiovascular risk factors in later life? A cohort study
Authors: Knipe Duleeka W , Fraser Abigail , Lawlor Debbie A , Howe Laura D 
Published: March 2014

ObjectivesPregnancy represents a metabolic challenge to women; in a normal pregnancy, transient metabolic changes occur that support the needs of the growing fetus. It is possible that repeating this challenge within a relatively short amount of time may result in lasting damage to the woman's cardiovascular health. Conversely, it is also possible that a long interpregnancy interval (IPI) may reflect subfertility, which has been found to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examine the associations of short and long IPI with measures of cardiovascular health.DesignProspective cohort.SettingMothers of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).ParticipantsWomen with two live births in order to control for confounding by parity.Outcome measuresArterial distensibility, common carotid intima, adiposity, blood pressure, lipids, glucose, insulin, proinsulin, triglycerides, C reactive protein.Results25% (n=3451) of ALSPAC mothers had provided sufficient data to determine full reproductive history—of these, 1477 had two live births, with 54% mothers having non-missing data on all variables required for our analyses. A total of 1268 mothers with IPI (interbirth interval minus 9 months’ gestation) had CVD risk factors measured/imputed at mean age 48 years. After adjusting for confounding, we found no association of either short (≤15 months) or long (>27 months) IPI and increased levels of cardiovascular risk factors. There was some suggestion that women with long and short IPIs had a more favourable lipid profile compared with women whose IPI was 16–27 months; however, the differences were small in magnitude and imprecisely estimated.ConclusionsThis study does not support the hypothesis that either long or short IPI is a risk factor for later cardiovascular health.
Integrated disease prevention campaigns: assessing country opportunity for implementation via an index approach
Authors: Jiwani Aliya , Matheson Alastair , Kahn James G , Raut Abhishek , Verguet Stéphane , Marseille Elliot , Walson Judd 
Published: March 2014

ObjectivesTo help stakeholders identify and prioritise countries with the best opportunities for implementation of an integrated prevention campaign (IPC) focused on diarrhoea, malaria and HIV prevention.DesignCross-sectional analysis of country-specific epidemiological data using an index tool developed for this purpose.SettingWe calculated the total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributed to diarrhoea, malaria and HIV for 214 World Bank economies. Criteria for inclusion were: low-income and middle-income countries, and total annual DALY burden in the top tertile (≥87 000 DALYs). 70 countries met inclusion criteria and were included in our opportunity analysis.Outcome measuresWe synthesised data on 10 indicators related to the potential reduction in burden and new coverage achievable by an IPC. We scored and ranked countries based on three summary opportunity metrics: DALYs per capita across the diseases, a composite score of tertile rankings of burden for each disease, and a score combining burden and intervention opportunity.ResultsWe estimated the total annual global burden attributable to diarrhoea, malaria and HIV at 135 million DALYs. All of the countries with the highest opportunity for implementation of a diarrhoea, malaria and HIV IPC are in sub-Saharan Africa, regardless of opportunity metric used. Although the overall rank order changes, 16 countries rank among the top 23 highest opportunity countries for all three metrics.ConclusionsStakeholders can use this objective metric-based approach to prioritise countries for IPC scale-up. Priority countries are largely robust to the opportunity metric chosen.
Stenting of symptomatic intracranial stenosis using balloon mounted coronary stents: a single center experience
Authors: Durst Christopher R , Geraghty Scott R , Southerland Andrew M , Starke Robert M , Rembold Karen , Malik Shaneela , Wintermark Max , Liu Kenneth C , Crowley R Webster , Gaughen John , Jensen Mary E , Evans Avery J 
Published: March 2014

ObjectiveIntracranial atherosclerotic disease is the cause of up to 10% of ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks. Intracranial stenting with off-label balloon mounted coronary stents (BMCS) may be a viable alternative for patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis who fail best medical therapy.DesignBetween December 2005 and June 2012, 42 symptomatic intracranial stenoses were treated with a BMCS after failing medical management. Procedural records, clinical outcomes, and imaging follow-up were reviewed. Outcome measurements included technical success rate, morbidity and mortality, long term stent patency, and clinical outcomes, as measured by the modified Rankin Scale.ResultsThe technical success rate was 98% (41 of 42 lesions). Morbidity within the first 30 days was 7.1% (three of 42 lesions). Overall morbidity, including both periprocedural and long term evaluation, was 9.5% (four of 42 lesions). There were no deaths. Follow-up imaging was available for 30 stents (71%) with an average follow-up time of 35.1 months. Restenosis (>50%) and retreatment were observed in 20% and 10% of cases, respectively. Clinical evaluation by a neurologist ≥30 days postprocedure was available in 40 of 42 cases (95%) with an average of 32.1 months. At presentation, 55% of patients had a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of ≤2. At follow-up, 74% of patients were found to have an mRS score of ≤2.ConclusionsThis study suggests that BMCS may benefit patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis who experience stroke or transient ischemic attack in spite of best medical therapy.
A Formula for the Numerical Range of Elementary Operators
Authors: Barraa M. 
Published: March 2014

Let BH be the algebra of bounded linear operators on a complex Hilbert space H. For k-tuples of elements of BH, A=A1,…,Ak and B=B1,…,Bk, let RA,B denote the elementary operator on BH defined by RA,BX=∑i=1kAiXBi. In this paper, we prove the following formula for the numerical range of
RA,B:
VRA,B,BBH=[∪U∈UHW(∑i=1kUAiU*Bi)-]-, where UH is the set of unitary operators.
Bregmanf-Projection Operator with Applications to Variational Inequalities in Banach Spaces
Authors: Pang Chin-Tzong , Naraghirad Eskandar , Wen Ching-Feng 
Published: March 2014

Using Bregman functions, we introduce the new concept of Bregman generalizedf-projection operatorProjCf, g:E*→C, whereEis a reflexive Banach space with dual spaceE*; f: E→ℝ∪+∞is a proper, convex, lower semicontinuous and bounded from below function;g: E→ℝis a strictly convex and Gâteaux differentiable function; andCis a nonempty, closed, and convex subset ofE. The existence of a solution for a class of variational inequalities in Banach spaces is presented.
Differential Effects of RUNX2 on the Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer: Synergistic Stimulation of a Gene Set Exemplified by SNAI2 and Subsequent Invasiveness
Authors: Little Gillian H. , Baniwal Sanjeev K. , Adisetiyo Helty , Groshen Susan , Chimge Nyam-Osor , Kim Sun Young , Khalid Omar , Hawes Debra , Jones Jeremy O. , Pinski Jacek , Schones Dustin E. , Frenkel Baruch 
Published: March 2014

AbstractChanges to androgen signaling during prostate carcinogenesis are associated with both inhibition of cellular differentiation and promotion of malignant phenotypes. The androgen receptor (AR)–binding transcription factor RUNX2 has been linked to prostate cancer progression but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully defined. In this study, we investigated the genome-wide influence of RUNX2 on androgen-induced gene expression and AR DNA binding in prostate cancer cells. RUNX2 inhibited the androgen response partly by promoting the dissociation of AR from its target genes such as the tumor suppressor NKX3-1. However, AR activity persists in the presence of RUNX2 at other AR target genes, some of which are cooperatively stimulated by androgen and RUNX2 signaling. These genes are associated with putative enhancers co-occupied by AR and RUNX2. One such gene, the invasion-promoting Snail family transcription factor SNAI2, was co-activated by AR and RUNX2. Indeed, these two transcription factors together, but neither alone stimulated prostate cancer cell invasiveness, which could be abolished by SNAI2 silencing. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical analysis of SNAI2 in archived primary prostate cancer specimens revealed a correlation with the RUNX2 histoscore, and simultaneous strong staining for SNAI2, RUNX2, and AR (but not any pair alone) was associated with disease recurrence. Overall, our findings suggest cooperation between AR and RUNX in the stimulation of oncogenes such as SNAI2, which might be targeted for individualized prostate cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 74(10); 2857–68. ©2014 AACR.
National Women’s Knowledge of Stroke Warning Signs, Overall and by Race/Ethnic Group
Authors: Mochari-Greenberger Heidi , Towfighi Amytis , Mosca Lori 
Published: March 2014

Background and Purpose—
Recognition of stroke warning signs may reduce treatment delays. The purpose of this study was to evaluate contemporary knowledge of stroke warning signs and knowledge to call 9-1-1, among a nationally representative sample of women, overall and by race/ethnic group.

Methods—
A study of cardiovascular disease awareness was conducted by the American Heart Association in 2012 among English-speaking US women ≥25 years identified through random-digit dialing (n=1205; 54% white, 17% black, 17% Hispanic, and 12% other). Knowledge of stroke warning signs, and what to do first if experiencing stroke warning signs, was assessed by standardized open-ended questions.

Results—

Half of women surveyed (51%) identified sudden weakness/numbness of face/limb on one side as a stroke warning sign; this did not vary by race/ethnic group. Loss of/trouble talking/understanding speech was identified by 44% of women, more frequently among white versus Hispanic women (48% versus 36%;
P
<0.05). Fewer than 1 in 4 women identified sudden severe headache (23%), unexplained dizziness (20%), or sudden dimness/loss of vision (18%) as warning signs, and 1 in 5 (20%) did not know 1 stroke warning sign. The majority of women said that they would call 9-1-1 first if they thought they were experiencing signs of a stroke (84%), and this did not vary among black (86%), Hispanic (79%), or white/other (85%) women.

Conclusions—
Knowledge of stroke warning signs was low among a nationally representative sample of women, especially among Hispanics. In contrast, knowledge to call 9-1-1 when experiencing signs of stroke was high.
Architectural Design Controls on Places of Worship in Australia: State Encroachment on Religious Expression and Exercise
Authors: Villaroman Noel G. 
Published: March 2014

Abstract
This article analyses the ramifications to the right to religious freedom when the design of proposed places of worship is subjected to architectural design controls imposed by Australian planning authorities. First, such design controls can impinge on the freedom of religious expression—that is, the ability of religious communities to express their beliefs through their built structures. Such expression of beliefs may be vital to their prescribed manner of worship, observance, practice or teaching. Second, they can pose a physical obstacle to a religious group’s freedom of religious exercise—that is, their actual conduct of rituals, ceremonies and other kinds of worship. It is argued that the rigid application of design controls hinders the ability of religious groups in Australia to fully exercise their right to establish and maintain places of worship which is a constituent element of the right to religious freedom as guaranteed in international human rights law.
Predictability of December–April Rainfall in Coastal and Andean Ecuador
Authors: Recalde-Coronel G. Cristina , Barnston Anthony G. , Muñoz Ángel G. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractIn Ecuador, forecasts of seasonal total rainfall could mitigate both flooding and drought disasters through warning systems if issued at useful lead time. In Ecuador, rainfall from December to April contributes most of the annual total, and it is crucial to agricultural and water management. This study examines the predictive skill for February–April and December–February seasonal rainfall totals using statistical and dynamical approaches. Fields of preceding observed sea surface temperature (SST) are used as predictors for a purely statistical prediction, and predictions of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) are used as predictors with a model output statistics correction design using canonical correlation analysis. For both periods, results indicate considerable predictive skill in some, but not all, portions of the Andean and especially coastal regions. The skill of SST and AGCM predictors comes mainly through skillful rainfall anomaly forecasts during significant ENSO events. Atlantic Ocean SST plays a weaker predictive role. For the simultaneous diagnostic highest skill is obtained using the eastern Pacific Ocean domain, and for time-lagged forecasts highest scores are found using the global tropical ocean domain. This finding suggests that, while eastern Pacific SST is what matters most to Ecuadorian rainfall, at sufficient lead time these local SSTs become most effectively predicted using basinwide ENSO predictors. In Ecuador’s coastal region, and in some parts of the Andean highlands, skill levels are sufficient for warning systems to reduce economic losses associated with flood and drought. Accordingly, the Instituto Nacional Meteorologia e Hidrologia of Ecuador issues forecasts each month using methods described here—also implemented by countries of the Latin American Observatory partnership, among other South American organizations.
Description and Derived Climatologies of Automated In Situ Eddy-Dissipation-Rate Reports of Atmospheric Turbulence
Authors: Sharman R. D. , Cornman L. B. , Meymaris G. , Pearson J. , Farrar T. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe statistical properties of turbulence at upper levels in the atmosphere [upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS)] are still not well known, partly because of the lack of adequate routine observations. This is despite the obvious benefit that such observations would have for alerting aircraft of potentially hazardous conditions, either in real time or for route planning. To address this deficiency, a research project sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration has developed a software package that automatically estimates and reports atmospheric turbulence intensity levels (as EDR ≡ ε1/3, where ε is the energy or eddy dissipation rate). The package has been tested and evaluated on commercial aircraft. The amount of turbulence data gathered from these in situ reports is unprecedented. As of January 2014, there are ~200 aircraft outfitted with this system, contributing to over 137 million archived records of EDR values through 2013, most of which were taken at cruise levels of commercial aircraft, that is, in the UTLS. In this paper, techniques used for estimating EDR are outlined and comparisons with pilot reports from the same or nearby aircraft are presented. These reports allow calibration of EDR in terms of traditionally reported intensity categories (“light,” “moderate,” or “severe”). The results of some statistical analyses of EDR values are also presented. These analyses are restricted to the United States for now, but, as this program is expanded to international carriers, such data will begin to become available over other areas of the globe.
Observing Interannual Variations in Hadley Circulation Atmospheric Diabatic Heating and Circulation Strength
Authors: Loeb Norman G. , Rutan David A. , Kato Seiji , Wang Weijie 
Published: March 2014

Abstract
Satellite and reanalysis data are used to observe interannual variations in atmospheric diabatic heating and circulation within the ascending and descending branches of the Hadley circulation (HC) during the past 12 yr. The column-integrated divergence of dry static energy (DSE) and kinetic energy is inferred from satellite-based observations of atmospheric radiation, precipitation latent heating, and reanalysis-based surface sensible heat flux for monthly positions of the HC branches, determined from a mass weighted zonal mean meridional streamfunction analysis. Mean surface radiative fluxes inferred from satellite and surface measurements are consistent to 1 W m−2 (&lt;1%) over land and 4 W m−2 (2%) over ocean. In the ascending branch, where precipitation latent heating dominates over radiative cooling, discrepancies in latent heating among different precipitation datasets reach 22 W m−2 (17%), compared to 3–6 W m−2 in the descending branches. Whereas direct calculations of DSE divergence from two reanalyses show opposite trends, the implied DSE divergence from the satellite observations of atmospheric diabatic heating exhibits no trend in all three HC branches and is strongly correlated (reaching 0.90) with midtropospheric vertical velocity. The implied DSE divergence from satellite observations thus provides a useful independent measure of HC circulation strength variability. The sensitivity to circulation change is 4–5 times larger for precipitation latent heating compared to atmospheric radiative cooling in the descending branches and 20 times larger in the ascending branch. The difference in sensitivity is due to cloud radiative effects, which enhance atmospheric radiative cooling in the descending branches in response to an increase in HC strength but decrease it in the ascending branch.
Flexible Carbon Dioxide Laser-Assisted Endoscopic Marsupialization and Ablation of a Laryngeal Saccular Cyst in a Neonate
Authors: Massoth Landon J. , Digoy G. Paul 
Published: March 2014

Objective: To report the occurrence of a neonate with a lateral saccular cyst that was successfully managed by flexible, carbon dioxide laser-assisted endoscopic marsupialization and ablation. Case Summary: A full-term, 14-day-old girl presented to the clinic for progressively worsening stridor since birth. On fiber optic laryngoscopy, she was found to have a large, right saccular cyst obstructing the laryngeal inlet. The patient was admitted and underwent microlaryngeal endoscopic CO2 laser marsupialization and ablation of the saccular cyst. She was observed overnight and was discharged without complication the next day. At that time, stridor was no longer present and she remained symptom free at both her 2-week and 3-month follow-up. Discussion: The congenital saccular cyst is a rare, abnormal dilation of the laryngeal saccule that is known to be a cause of airway obstruction. A variety of contrasting treatment strategies for laryngeal saccular cysts in children have been reported in the literature. Determining the definitive treatment modality thus remains a challenge that is compounded further by the rarity of the lesion. Conclusion: We introduce a new surgical technique that employs a 30-degree angled telescope with a flexible laser fiber system that provides excellent visualization of saccular cysts, in particular, lateral lesions that are less visible using line-of-sight technology.
Contribution of a Muscle Fatigue Protocol to a Dynamic Stability Screening Test for Exertional Medial Tibial Pain
Authors: Verrelst Ruth , De Clercq Dirk , Willems Tine Marieke , Victor Jan , Witvrouw Erik 
Published: March 2014

Background: Enhancing the accuracy of a risk factor screening test is an important element of sports injury prevention. Purpose: To determine the effect of muscle fatigue on a screening tool for those at risk of exertional medial tibial pain (EMTP). Study Design: Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Sixty-nine female students in a physical education program with a mean age of 19.24 ± 0.86 years were tested at the beginning of their first academic year and followed for 1 to 2 years. Participants completed an online questionnaire every week and a retrospective control questionnaire every 3 months, which were used to assess injury follow-up. A diagnosis of EMTP was made by an experienced medical doctor. A Cox regression analysis was used to identify the potential risk factors by comparing prefatigue and postfatigue data between uninjured participants and those with EMTP. Both the leg that developed EMTP and the contralateral leg were compared with legs of a matched control group. Results: During injury follow-up, 21 female participants were diagnosed with EMTP. Results of the comparison between uninjured versus EMTP participants, respectively, are as follows: For the leg at risk in the nonfatigued state, only increased range of motion in the transverse plane (ROMT) of the hip during landing could be identified as a risk factor (8.44° ± 2.94° vs 11.69° ± 3.41°; P = .002). In the fatigued state, increased ROMT of the hip and pelvis during landing (hip: 8.04° ± 2.34° vs 9.36° ± 3.22°; P = .038; pelvis: 6.99° ± 2.20° vs 8.58° ± 3.13°; P = .040) and increased ROMT of the thorax during pushoff (8.83° ± 2.74° vs 10.69° ± 3.20°; P = .036) could be identified. For the leg not at risk for EMTP, increased ROMT of the knee during landing (10.96° ± 3.12° vs 14.07° ± 4.88°; P = .023) and decreased ROMT of the pelvis during pushoff (8.16° ± 3.48° vs 6.47° ± 2.47°; P = .034) were identified in the nonfatigued state but were not significant in the fatigued state. Conclusion: Adding a muscle fatigue protocol to the single-legged drop jump as a screening test for EMTP risk factors may enhance the possibility of identifying the leg at risk in a predisposed athlete and might determine the proximal risk factors for that leg at risk more thoroughly.