bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in postprocedural aortic regurgitation and mid‐term mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Ferrante Giuseppe , Pagnotta Paolo , Petronio Anna Sonia , Bedogni Francesco , Brambilla Nedy , Fiorina Claudia , Giannini Cristina , Mennuni Marco , De Marco Federico , Klugmann Silvio , Ettori Federica , Presbitero Patrizia 
Published: January 2014

BackgroundThe impact of female sex on mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is controversial. Post‐procedural aortic regurgitation (AR) ≥ 2 has been associated with poor outcomes. Whether sex differences in post‐procedural AR ≥ 2 could contribute to a mortality difference between women and men is not known.MethodsSix hundred fifty‐six patients, women (53.1%), men (46.9%), with aortic stenosis underwent TAVI with the CoreValve system (92.8%) or the Edwards SAPIEN valve system (7.2%). AR was graded semiquantitatively as 0 = none, 1 = trivial, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, and 4 = severe. The incidence of post‐procedural AR ≥ 2 was reported.ResultsProcedural success was similar in women as compared to men (97.9 vs 96.7%, P = 0.32). Post‐procedural AR ≥ 2 occurred less frequently in women than in men (20.9 vs 29.6%, P = 0.01). After a median follow‐up of 434 days, all‐cause mortality tended to be lower in women than in men (20.7 vs 26.6%, logrank P = 0.10), and was significantly higher in patients with AR ≥ 2 than in those without (34.8 vs 19.7%, logrank P < 0.001). AR ≥ 2 [hazard ratio (HR) 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22–2.43, P = 0.002], but not female sex (P = 0.17) was an independent predictor of all‐cause death at multivariable Cox regression. The predictive value of AR ≥ 2 was restricted to men (HR 2.96, P < 0.001 among men; HR 0.86, P = 0.60 among women; P for interaction = 0.002).ConclusionsWomen, as compared to men, present a trend toward lower mortality. A significant lower incidence of post‐procedural AR ≥ 2 among women contributes to this finding. Female sex, however, was not a significant independent predictor of death. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transesterification of Soybean Oil to Biodiesel in a Microwave‐Assisted Heterogeneous Catalytic System
Authors: Ye Bin , Qiu Fengxian , Sun Chuanjia , Li Yihuai , Yang Dongya 
Published: January 2014

AbstractA novel heterogeneous base catalyst for biodiesel production was prepared from the support of alumina/silica loaded with potassium sodium tartrate by a one‐step sol‐gel process and the optimal conditions were investigated. Microwave‐assisted transesterification of soybean oil was carried out for the production of biodiesel. The catalysts were characterized by FT‐IR, TG‐DSC, SEM, TEM, EDX, XRD, and the Hammett indicator. The effects of the molar ratio of methanol to oil, reaction temperature, and amount of catalyst on the biodiesel yield were determined. The prepared heterogeneous catalyst could be easily separated from the reaction system with high efficiency and its constant activity maintained after application for four cycles.
A general scalable and elastic matching service for content‐based publish/subscribe systems
Authors: Ma Xingkong , Wang Yijie , Pei Xiaoqiang , Li Xiaoyong 
Published: January 2014

SUMMARYCharacterized by the emergence of a large number of live content, the emergency applications have received increasing attention in recent years. Providing a general and scalable event, matching service can precisely notify users latest information that they are interested in. However, because the live content arrival rate may churn significantly in a short time and subscriptions with various patterns tend to be skewed, it is challenging to increase the generality, scalability, and elasticity of the matching process. We propose a novel parallel event matching service based on the cloud computing environment, called GSEM, to satisfy these requirements. GSEM first presents a two‐hop framework and a general subscription pattern to handle various patterns of subscriptions. To provide scalable matching service, a hybrid content space partition scheme is proposed to divide large skewed subscriptions into multiple small clusters managed by a group of parallel servers. To adapt to the sudden change of event arrival rate, GSEM elastically adjusts the scale of servers and rebalances their workloads through a performance‐aware detection technique. A prototype deployment on the OpenStack platform shows that GSEM achieves scalable matching throughput with the growth of servers, elastic service capacity with the change of event arrival rate, and significantly outperforms the existing cloud based systems in various workloads. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A temporal window of vulnerability for development of atrial fibrillation with advancing heart failure
Authors: Burashnikov Alexander , Di Diego José M. , Sicouri Serge , Doss Michael Xavier , Sachinidis Agapios , Barajas‐Martínez Hector , Hu Dan , Minoura Yoshino , Sydney Moise N. , Kornreich Bruce G. , Chi Liguo , Belardinelli Luiz , Antzelevitch Charles 
Published: January 2014

AimsHeart failure (HF) is associated with development of AF and life‐threatening ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation (VT/VF). Vulnerability to development of AF and VT/VF at different stages of HF and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are poorly defined. The present study was designed to determine the time‐course of development of electrical and structural remodelling of the atria and ventricles, and their contribution to induction of AF and VT/VF in a canine model of HF.Methods and resultsDogs were ventricular tachypaced (VTP) for 2–3 weeks or 5–6 weeks (‘early’ and ‘late’ HF, respectively). Electrophysiological studies were performed in isolated atrial and ventricular preparations and correlated with cardiac dimensions and haemodynamic parameters recorded in vivo. Vulnerability to programmed electrical stimulation‐induced AF was greater in early vs. late stages of HF (78% vs. 38%). In contrast, VT/VF was inducible in late but not in early stages of HF (38% vs. 0%). The temporal distinction in atrial and ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility was associated with a much more rapid development of electrical and structural remodelling in atria. Vulnerability to AF developed following moderate electro‐structural remodelling and waned with further progression to severe remodelling, which averted rapid atrial activation.ConclusionsA temporal window of vulnerability for AF appears relatively early during development of VTP‐induced HF in dogs, whereas VT/VF vulnerability is observed at more advanced stages of HF. These findings, if confirmed in humans, may have clinical implications with regard to prognosis and approach to therapy of patients with HF.
Urban and agricultural pesticide inputs to a critical habitat for the threatened delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus)
Authors: Weston Donald P. , Asbell Aundrea M. , Lesmeister Sarah A. , Teh Swee J. , Lydy Michael J. 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

The Cache Slough complex is an area of tidal sloughs in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta of California (USA), and is surrounding by irrigated agricultural lands. Among the species of concern in the area is the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a federally listed threatened species. Releases of the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos and pyrethroid insecticides were examined to determine whether they represented a threat to the copepods on which delta smelt feed (Eurytemora affinis and Pseudodiaptomus forbesi) and to aquatic life in general, represented by the standard testing organism, Hyalella azteca. There was a single incident of toxicity to H. azteca as a result of discharge of agricultural irrigation water containing chlorpyrifos. Pyrethroids were not found in samples collected during the dry season. Following rain events, however, the waters of western Cache Slough repeatedly became toxic to H. azteca because of the pyrethroids bifenthrin and cyhalothrin. The 96-h median lethal concentrations (LC50s) for E. affinis and P. forbesi for the pyrethroids bifenthrin and cyhalothrin were 16.7 ng/L to 19.4 ng/L when tested at 20 °C. However, their LC50s may be 5 mg/L to 10 ng/L at in situ temperatures of the Cache Slough, comparable to the peak bifenthrin concentration observed. The dominant pyrethroid source appeared to be urban runoff entering a creek 21 km upstream of Cache Slough. Pyrethroids of urban origin were supplemented by agricultural inputs of pyrethroids and chlorpyrifos as the creek flowed toward Cache Slough. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:920–929. © 2014 SETAC
Antibacterial activity of the soil-bound antimicrobials oxytetracycline and ofloxacin
Authors: Peng Feng-Jiao , Zhou Li-Jun , Ying Guang-Guo , Liu You-Sheng , Zhao Jian-Liang 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

Soil contamination of antimicrobials has become an increasing concern because of the potential risks to the soil microbial ecosystem and human health. The present study investigated sorption and desorption behaviors of oxytetracycline (OTC) and ofloxacin (OFL) in 3 typical soils (A, B, and C), and evaluated the antibacterial activity of soil-adsorbed compounds to a pure sensitive strain Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. The results showed different sorption and desorption behaviors of OTC and OFL in the 3 soils, behaviors that were mainly influenced by soil organic matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC) as well as pH value. In addition, complexation and cation-exchange reactions were shown to be the main sorption mechanisms. Strong adsorption was found in soil B (with a high organic matter content) and in soil C (with high CEC), whereas enhanced desorption was observed in soil A (with low organic matter content). The results also demonstrated that soil-bound antimicrobials retained antibacterial activity toward E. coli. Opposite patterns of antibacterial activity were found for the 2 antimicrobials in the 3 soils: A &gt; B &gt; C for OFL; and C &gt; B &gt; A for OTC. This finding suggests that soil-bound antimicrobials could still exert selective pressure on soil bacteria although less effectively in comparison with the dissolved forms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:776–783. © 2014 SETAC
Population pharmacokinetics of TC‐5214, a nicotinic channel modulator, in phase I and II clinical studies
Authors: Xu Hongmei , Henningsson Anja , Alverlind Sofie , Tummala Raj , Toler Steven , Beaver Jessica S. , Al‐Huniti Nidal 
Published: January 2014

AbstractTC‐5214 (dexmecamylamine) is a nicotinic channel modulator that has previously been evaluated for treatment of major depression disorder (MDD) and is currently being evaluated by Targacept as a treatment for overactive bladder. A comprehensive population pharmacokinetic (POP PK) model of TC‐5214 was developed using nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling of pooled plasma concentration data from 6 early phase I studies in 179 healthy participants or patients with non‐MDD and 1 phase II study in 68 MDD patients. Concentration–time profiles of TC‐5214 after either single or multiple oral doses of TC‐5214 was described by a one‐compartment model with first‐order absorption with lag time and first‐order elimination. Covariate analysis revealed that creatinine clearance was a significant covariate on clearance and that body weight significantly influenced the central volume of distribution. The final model (with identified covariates) was used to simulate steady‐state exposure for patients with impaired renal function. Results from forest plots reveal that patients with moderate to severe renal impairment or end stage renal disease are associated with significantly higher Cssmax and AUC compared to patients with normal renal function. The proposed final POP PK model could be employed in defining a TC‐5214 dosage regimen in patients with impaired renal function.
Effect of polarity‐reversal and electrical intensity on the oil removal from soil
Authors: Li Tingting , Guo Shuhai , Wu Bo , Zhang Lingyan , Gao Yongchao 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDAlthough electro‐bioremediation (EK‐Bio) is effective at removing organic contaminants from soil, the role of electrical intensity (EI) and polarity‐reversal (PR) remains unclear. Two electrokinetic reactors (ER I and II) with six treatments (EK‐I, EK‐PR‐I, Bio‐I, EK‐Bio‐I, EK‐Bio‐PR‐I and EK‐PR‐II) were applied for 42 days to examine the effect of EI and PR on oil EK‐Bio remediation.RESULTSThe final oil degradation rate in EK‐Bio‐PR‐I was 27.8%, representing an increase of 18.4%, 11.3% and 7.6% compared with EK‐I, Bio‐I and EK‐Bio‐I, respectively. Soil pH remained at around 6.6, and the average bacterial counts increased from 7.66 to 8.41 log10 cfu g‐1 dry soil by the end of EK‐Bio‐PR‐I. There was a significant positive linear correlation between EI and the oil degradation rate in EK‐I (y = 0.6919x + 9.2278; Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.9887). The simulated oil degradation rate was assessed according to the above equation in an amplification experiment (EK‐PR‐II), and the observed oil degradation rate showed no significant difference with the simulated data (P > 0.05).CONCLUSIONEI and PR have positive effects on oil degradation efficiency and soil bacteria, indicating that EK‐Bio with appropriate EI and periodic PR is the best approach for removing oil from soil. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Predictors of olfactory dysfunction in rhinosinusitis using the brief smell identification test
Authors: Alt Jeremiah A. , Mace Jess C. , Buniel Maria C. F. , Soler Zachary M. , Smith Timothy L. 
Published: January 2014

Objectives/HypothesisAssociations between olfactory function to quality‐of‐life (QOL) and disease severity in patients with rhinosinusitis is poorly understood. We sought to evaluate and compare olfactory function between subgroups of patients with rhinosinusitis using the Brief Smell Identification Test (B‐SIT).Study DesignCross‐sectional evaluation of a multicenter cohort.MethodsPatients with recurrent acute sinusitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyposis were prospectively enrolled from three academic tertiary care sites. Each subject completed the B‐SIT, in addition to measures of disease‐specific QOL. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and clinical measures of disease severity were compared between patients with normal (BSIT ≥9) and abnormal (BSIT <9) olfaction scores. Regression modeling was used to identify potential risk factors associated with olfactory impairment.ResultsPatients with rhinosinusitis (n = 445) were found to suffer olfactory dysfunction as measured by the B‐SIT (28.3%). Subgroups of rhinosinusitis differed in the degree of olfactory dysfunction reported. Worse disease severity, measured by computed tomography and nasal endoscopy, correlated to worse olfaction. Olfactory scores did not consistently correlate with the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index or Sinonasal Outcome Test scores. Regression models demonstrated nasal polyposis was the strongest predictor of olfactory dysfunction. Recalcitrant disease and aspirin intolerance were strongly predictive of worse olfactory function.ConclusionsOlfactory dysfunction is a complex, multifactorial process found to be differentially expressed within subgroups of rhinosinusitis. Olfaction was associated with disease severity as measured by imaging and endoscopy, with only weak associations to disease‐specific QOL measures.Level of Evidence2b. Laryngoscope, 124:E259–E266, 2014
Fluridone: a combination germination stimulant and herbicide for problem fields?
Authors: Goggin Danica E , Powles Stephen B 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDProblem weeds in agriculture, such as Lolium rigidum Gaud., owe some of their success to their large and dormant seed banks, which permit germination throughout a crop‐growing season. Dormant weed seed banks could be greatly depleted by application of a chemical that stimulates early‐season germination and then kills the young seedlings. Fluridone, a phytoene desaturase‐inhibiting herbicide that can also break seed dormancy, was assessed for its efficacy in this regard.RESULTSThe germination of fluridone‐treated Lolium rigidum seeds was stimulated on soils with low organic matter, and almost 100% seedling mortality was observed, while the treatment was only moderately effective on a high‐organic‐matter potting mix. Seedlings from wheat, canola, common bean and chickpea seeds sown on fluridone‐treated sandy loam were bleached and did not survive, but lupins and field peas grew normally.CONCLUSIONThis proof‐of‐concept study with fluridone suggests that it may be possible to design safe and effective molecules that act as germination stimulants plus herbicides in a range of crop and soil types: a potentially novel way of utilising herbicides to stimulate seed bank germination and a valuable addition to an integrated weed management system. [[ArtCopyrightmsg]]
Cycle length distributions in random permutations with diverging cycle weights
Authors: Dereich Steffen , Mörters Peter 
Published: January 2014

AbstractWe study the model of random permutations with diverging cycle weights, which was recently considered by Ercolani and Ueltschi, and others. Assuming only regular variation of the cycle weights we obtain a very precise local limit theorem for the size of a typical cycle, and use this to show that the empirical distribution of properly rescaled cycle lengths converges in probability to a gamma distribution.Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 46,635–650, 2015
Health status and microbial (Pasteurellaceae) flora of free‐ranging bighorn sheep following contact with domestic ruminants
Authors: Drew Mark L. , Rudolph Karen M. , Ward Alton C. S. , Weiser Glen C. 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTEighteen bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) with known or suspected contact with domestic ruminants on public or private land were removed to prevent possible disease transmission. Live bighorns maintained in captivity were monitored for evidence of respiratory disease. Contacts with cattle (n = 4) occurred in December, January, and July; whereas, most contacts with domestic sheep (n = 10), goats (n = 3), or both (n = 1) occurred between April and October. Four bighorns died within 7 days following capture and 10 survived from 47 days to 57 months in captivity. Five bighorns had gross and/or histological evidence of pneumonia. Pasteurellaceae were isolated from 17/18 bighorns, and domestic ruminants that were contacted by 4 bighorns. Isolates included multiple biovariants of Mannheimia spp. and Bibersteinia trehalosi, and Pasteurella multocida subspecies and biotypes. Pasteurellaceae from pneumonic lungs included Mannheimia spp. biovariant 1, P. multocida subsp. multocida a, and B. trehalosi biovariant 2B. The Mannheimia spp. biovariant 1, isolated from 2 pneumonic bighorns and contacted domestic sheep, had restriction fragment‐length pattern similarity coefficient values of 1.0, indicating high similarity and likely sharing between the species. Management implications include the need for species separation and rapid responses to contact situations because 28% of the bighorns died with evidence of respiratory disease following domestic ruminant contact. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Selenium‐Rich Octanuclear Iridium Clusters with Mixed‐Valent Selenium Ligands in the Densest Known Packing of Ellipsoids
Authors: Stolze Karoline , Günther Anja , Hoffmann Herbert C. , Ruck Michael 
Published: January 2014

AbstractDark‐red air‐stable crystals of Ir8Se28Br14·2H2O were obtained by reacting iridium in an excess of selenium and selenium tetrabromide at 300 °C for one week. The crystal structure is monoclinic (space group P21/n) with a = 1274.66(3) pm, b = 1211.48(3) pm, c = 1743.82(4) pm, and β = 91.227(1)° at 296(1) K. The structure consists of uncharged clusters Ir8Se28Br14 = (Ir3+)8(Se22–)(Se42–)6(SeBr2)2(Br–)10 with two water molecules attached to each of them. Selenium adopts three different oxidation states, –I in the diselenide dumbbell, –I and ±0 in the tetraselenide chains, and +II in the SeBr2 units. The iridium(III) cations are coordinated octahedrally by selenium atoms and bromide ions. The octahedra share common vertices, while the oligoselenide anions provide high intra‐cluster connectivity: μ6‐η2 in the case of Se22– and μ4‐η3 for Se42–. In parts the cluster resembles a cut‐out of the rhombohedral Ir3Se8 framework structure. The ellipsoidal clusters form an excellent approximation of the mathematically predicted densest known packing of ellipsoids, featuring the coordination number of 14.
Limitations of ACS‐NSQIP in Reporting Complications for Patients Undergoing Pancreatectomy: Underscoring the Need for a Pancreas‐Specific Module
Authors: Epelboym Irene , Gawlas Irmina , Lee James A. , Schrope Beth , Chabot John A. , Allendorf John D. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBackgroundLarge centralized databases are used with increasing frequency for reporting hospital‐specific and nationwide trends and outcomes after various surgical procedures in order to improve quality of surgical care. American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS‐NSQIP) is a risk‐adjusted, case‐weighted complication tracking initiative that reports 30‐day outcomes from more than 400 academic and community institutions in the US. However, the accuracy of event reporting specific to pancreatic surgery has never been examined in depth.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients, the information on whose postoperative course was originally reported through ACS‐NSQIP between 2006 and 2010. Preoperative characteristics, operative data, and postoperative events were recorded after review of electronic medical records including physician and nursing notes, operative room records and anesthesiologist reports. Fidelity of reported clinical events was assessed. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated for each variable of interest.ResultsTwo hundred and forty‐nine pancreatectomies were reviewed, including 145 (58.2 %) Whipple procedures, 19 (7.6 %) total pancreatectomies, 65 (26.1 %) distal pancreatectomies, and 15 (6.0 %) central or partial resections. Median age was 65.7, males comprised 41.5 % of the group, and 74.3 % of patients were Caucasian. The overall rate of complications reported by NSQIP was 44.0 %, compared with 45.0 % in our review, however discordance was observed in 27.3 % of the time, including 34 cases of reporting a complication where there was not one, and 34 cases of missed complication. The most frequently reported event was postoperative bleeding requiring transfusion, however this was also the event most commonly misclassified. Additionally, three procedures unrelated to the index operation were recorded as reoperation events. While a pancreas‐specific module does not yet exist, ACS‐NSQIP reports a 7.6 % rate of organ‐space surgical site infections; when compared with our institutional rate of Grades B and C postoperative fistula (10.4 %), we observed discordance 4.4 % of the time. Delayed gastric emptying, a common post‐pancreatectomy morbidity, was not captured at all. Additionally, there were significant inaccuracies in reporting urinary tract infections, postoperative pneumonia, wound complications, and postoperative sepsis, with discordance rates of 4.4, 3.2, 3.6, and 6.8 %, respectively.ConclusionsACS‐NSQIP data are an important and valuable tool for evaluating quality of surgical care, however pancreatectomy‐specific postoperative events are often misclassified, underscoring the need for a hepatopancreatobiliary‐specific module to better capture key outcomes in this complex and unique patient population.