bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Additional Prognostic Value of EAS index in predicting the occurrence of rehospitalizations in chronic heart failure: data from the Daunia Heart Failure Registry
Authors: Correale Michele , Totaro Antonio , Ferraretti Armando , Musaico Francesco , Passero Tommaso , De Rosa Fiorella , Abruzzese Silvia , Ieva Riccardo , Di Biase Matteo , Brunetti Natale Daniele 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBackgroundTissue Doppler imaging (TDI) may be useful in identifying subjects at higher risk among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The clinical role of newly developed TDI parameters, however, still needs to be documented.MethodsA total of 287 consecutive patients with CHF enrolled in the Daunia Heart Failure Registry underwent echocardiography assessment and were followed prospectively for a median 255 (204–316) days. Conventional echocardiography and TDI parameters were calculated. We also quantified by TDI a combined index (EAS index) of diastolic and systolic performance E’/(A'xS’) and assessed its possible additional prognostic role in combination with ‘traditional’ parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and myocardial performance index (MPI).ResultsSubjects readmitted for worsening HF were characterized by higher levels of EAS index (median 0·14 (95% C.I. 0·12–0·21) vs. 0·11 (0·10–0·12, P < 0·05)). Increased rates of rehospitalization were found in subjects with EAS index >median (0·115) (21% vs. 10%, P < 0·05); higher EAS index values predicted the incidence of readmissions for worsening HF during follow‐up, even at multivariable analysis. The assessment of EAS index in addition to LVEF and MPI showed an adjunctive prognostic value (log‐rank P < 0·001 and P < 0·05, respectively).ConclusionsEAS index assessed by TDI may be helpful in predicting the risk of rehospitalizations in subjects with CHF. EAS index may represent an independent adjunctive tool for the risk stratification of patients with CHF in addition to ‘traditional’ tools such as LVEF or MPI.
The African rainforest: odd man out or megafaunal landscape? African and Amazonian forests compared
Authors: Terborgh J. , Davenport L. C. , Niangadouma R. , Dimoto E. , Mouandza J. C. , Schultz O. , Jaen M. R. 
Published: August 2015

Africa has been called the ‘odd man out’ because the hectare‐scale tree diversity of African equatorial forests is lower than that of forests in other parts of the tropics. Low diversity has been attributed to the smaller area of the African forest and a history of drought, fire and contraction. Several facts shed doubt on this interpretation. The current area of the central African forest is roughly 2 million km2. Even during periods of Pleistocene contraction, numerous moist refugia remained, including 6 posited for Gabon, a country the size of the U. S. state of Colorado. The gamma‐diversity of Gabon is high, implying higher alpha diversities. Finally, tree diversities on small islands in the Solomons and Fiji archipelagos are twice those prevalent in Gabonese forests, suggesting that historical contractions may not have been sufficient to reduce diversity to its current level.To place the African situation in perspective, we compared tree stands in Gabon and the Peruvian Amazon. Peruvian forests contained a mean of 618 trees ≥ 10 cm dbh per ha vs 377 for Gabon, or 64% more. Peruvian forests contained relatively more small trees (≥ 10, <20 cm dbh) and many fewer large trees (≥ 20 cm dbh) than Gabonese forests. These structural differences were consistent across 10 Gabonese and 10 Peruvian sites and transcended local gradients in climate and geology, suggesting that they are intrinsic to the two continents. Tree species diversity in Perú is concentrated in the small tree class (≥ 10, <20 cm dbh), whereas it is highest in the larger tree classes in Gabon. Alpha diversity is apparently lower relative to gamma diversity in Africa than it is in Amazonian Perú , implying higher beta diversity. The densities of small plants (<1 m tall) are similar in Gabonese and Peruvian forests; the observed structural differences develop later at the sapling and small tree stages. Explaining the low hectare‐scale diversity of African forests thus reduces to understanding why the density and diversity of small trees is so anomalously low.
Non‐anaemic iron deficiency – a disease looking for recognition of diagnosis: a systematic review
Authors: Pratt Jeremy J. , Khan Khalid S. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo capture all data meeting a rigid definition of non‐anaemic iron deficiency (NAID) and determine whether it is associated with poor outcomes compared with normal iron status and whether iron supplementation improves outcomes in NAID.DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesEMBASE, Medline, Web of Science, clinicaltrials.gov, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and Central from database inception to April 2014.Eligibility criteriaFerritin <16 μg/L (<12 μg/L if age <5 yr) in the absence of anaemia in observational studies or randomised trials. Where populations were deemed to be sufficiently similar, meta‐analysis was undertaken.ResultsThere were 21 studies included. NAID in pregnancy associated with reduction in birthweight (P = 0.028). Iron supplementation in NAID was associated with improvement in objective scores (P = 0.005) and self‐rating (P = 0.03) of fatigue. Meta‐analysis was limited and, where possible, was not statistically significant including the comparison of NAID with cardiovascular function in adults (VO2max P = 0.21, RERmax P = 0.68), educational attainment in children (P = 0.14), infant mental (P = 0.29) and psychomotor (P = 0.07) development, and iron supplementation in NAID with educational attainment in language (P = 0.31).ConclusionsThere is emerging evidence that NAID is a disease in its own right, deserving of further research in the development of strategies for detection and treatment.
Long‐term remission in idiopathic Castleman's disease with tocilizumab followed by consolidation with high‐dose melphalan—two case studies
Authors: Jerkeman Mats , Lindén Ola 
Published: August 2015

AbstractMulticentric Castleman's disease (MCD) is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder, often associated with a clinically aggressive behavior. No standard treatment has been established, but patients are usually treated with lymphoma‐type regimens such as rituximab or combination chemotherapy. Recently, immunotherapies targeting IL‐6 have proven effective and have been approved for this indication. However, these agents require long‐term administration. Here, we describe the clinical course of two patients, refractory to rituximab and chemotherapy, showing long‐term remission (18 and 24 months), following an induction phase with tocilizumab (an anti‐IL‐6 receptor antibody) and a consolidative phase with high‐dose melphalan accompanied by autologous stem cell support. This may prove to be an effective option for this group of patients with an orphan disorder.
Outpatient Combined Group and Individual Cognitive–Behavioral Treatment for Patients With Migraine and Tension‐Type Headache in a Routine Clinical Setting
Authors: Christiansen Sandra , Jürgens Tim P. , Klinger Regine 
Published: August 2015

ObjectiveTo test the long‐term clinical effectiveness (follow‐up at 3, 6 and 12 months) of an outpatient combined group and individual cognitive‐behavioral treatment (CBT) for headache patients following standard medical care. A decrease in headache intensity, frequency, headache‐specific impairment, depression, and change of pain‐related cognitions was expected.BackgroundThe efficacy of CBT for primary headaches has been confirmed in research, yet the translation into clinical practice has remained untested thus far.DesignIn this single‐group outcome study, 87 headache patients diagnosed with migraine and/or tension‐type headache received (1) headache‐specific medication for 10 weeks and (2) a subsequent CBT treatment made up of 13 individual and 12 group sessions consisting of psychoeducation, progressive muscle relaxation, coping strategies for pain and stress, and goal setting skills. Booster group sessions after 3 and 6 months were implemented to stimulate individual goal attainment, and follow‐up measures were recorded up to 12 months.ResultsA significant decrease was found for all primary and secondary outcome criteria, ie, average headache intensity (prae M: 6.0, standard deviation [SD]: 1.5 vs follow‐up [FU] 1 year M: 5.1, SD: 1.9), headache frequency (prae M: 16.0, SD: 9.5 vs FU 1 year M: 13.4, SD: 9.9), and catastrophizing (prae M: 3.4, SD: 1.0 vs FU 1 year M: 2.6, SD: 1.1). Coping strategies were increased (prae M: 3.4, SD: .9 vs FU 1 year M: 4.0, SD: 1.0).ConclusionCBT treatment is a useful component within a routine clinical setting and can improve standard medical care thereby helping patients in managing their headache pain.
Construction of tissue microarrays from core needle biopsies – a systematic literature review
Authors: Albanghali Mohammad , Green Andrew , Rakha Emad , Aleskandarany Mohamed , Nolan Chris , Ellis Ian , Cheung Kwok‐Leung 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn some clinical circumstances, core needle biopsy (CNB) may be the only source of material from cancer tissue for diagnostic use. The volume of tissue available in a CNB is low, and opportunities for research use can therefore be limited. The tissue microarray (TMA) principle, if applied to the use of CNBs, could facilitate research studies in circumstances where CNB specimens are available. However, various challenges are expected in applying such a technique in CNBs, which has limited their use in research. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the literature on this subject. A systematic search was carried out with CINAHL, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, and MEDLINE, to identify studies that have primarily developed methods for constructing TMAs from CNBs. Eight studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria; six of these employed the vertical rearrangement technique, and two used multiple layers of biopsy tissue. Representation of the CNB was significantly influenced by the quantity of tumour cells present in the original biopsy and the degree of heterogeneity of biomarker expression. This review shows that technologies have been developed to enable construction of TMAs from CNBs. However, challenges remain to improve amplification and representation.
Schleiermacher and Reformed Scholastics on the Divine Attributes
Authors: Pedersen Daniel J. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractSchleiermacher's doctrine of the divine attributes has been controversial from its day until the present, with various nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century figures seeing it as a theological novum. Recent work has clarified Schleiermacher's understanding of the status of the attributes, challenging the simplistic readings of his critics. However, the charge of novelty still has not been addressed. I argue in response to this charge that Schleiermacher's doctrine is best explained as an inheritance of the Reformed tradition. Not only is Schleiermacher's doctrine of the divine attributes nearly identical to that of his Reformed Scholastic predecessors, but Schleiermacher holds the same conceptions for the same reasons.
Australian case managers' views about the impact of antipsychotic medication on mental health consumers
Authors: Morrison Paul , Meehan Tom , Stomski Norman J. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThis study examined case managers' views about antipsychotic medications and the impact of side‐effects on mental health consumers in a community setting. Nine case managers were purposively sampled and interviewed. Content analysis was used to generate a series of themes. The findings indicated that case managers perceived that a lack of consumer insight was one of the main reasons for wanting to reduce, or altogether cease, antipsychotic medication. However, case managers lacked an adequate level of knowledge about antipsychotic medication side‐effects. Without a sufficient level of knowledge, case managers may be unable to fully address consumers' concerns.
Effects of group goal content on group processes, collective efficacy, and satisfaction
Authors: Winton Steven L. , Kane Thomas D. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractWe examined the efficacy of groups possessing learning as opposed to performance goals on an interactive group task. As such, we predicted that the possession of learning goals focuses groups more on strategic processes than the possession of performance or do‐best goals. We further hypothesized that collective efficacy beliefs are most strongly correlated with performance for groups that possess performance goals because performance goals direct attention to task outcomes. Results indicated that groups assigned learning goals discussed more strategic information and reported greater satisfaction with performance. In addition, the relationship between task performance and collective efficacy was stronger for performance‐goal groups than learning‐goal groups. Overall, results suggested that causing groups to attend to processes required for effective group performance influences how groups regulate behavior and interpret feedback.
Mobilizing cause supporters through group‐based interaction
Authors: Bongiorno Renata , McGarty Craig , Kurz Tim , Haslam S. Alexander , Sibley Chris G. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractCollective action expresses group‐based identities, formed by supporters seeking to further particular social causes. While the development of groups linked to action necessitates interaction among supporters, little research has examined how these groups form. Utilizing responses of supporters who participated in 1 of 29 action‐planning sessions, this research presents an initial attempt to identify the ingredients important to this process. It shows that to the extent that the actions agreed on in the course of group interactions were seen as capable of making a difference (action efficacy), and worthy of public expression (action voice), supporters’ group‐based identification was enhanced. This in turn increased their willingness to engage in collective action. Practical implications and avenues for future research to understand the mobilization process are discussed.
Effects of TNF‐α blocking on experimental periodontitis and type 2 diabetes in obese diabetic Zucker rats
Authors: Grauballe Morten Bay , Østergaard Jakob Appel , Schou Søren , Flyvbjerg Allan , Holmstrup Palle 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectiveTumour necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) is considered a key signalling modulator in the pathogenesis of both periodontitis (PD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). This study aims at elucidating the effect of TNF‐α blocking on the interplay between PD and DM2.MethodsObese diabetic Zucker rats and their lean littermates were divided into five treatment groups with or without periodontitis. Anti‐TNF‐α treatment was provided with Etanercept injections. Diabetic state was evaluated by oral glucose tolerance test, the homeostatic model assessment, free fatty acids and blood glucose. Systemic inflammation was assessed by measurement of interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α in plasma. Kidney complications were evaluated by real‐time rtPCR, creatinine clearance rate, urinary albumin excretion and increase in weight. PD was evaluated by registration of alveolar bone level.ResultsAfter 4 weeks the diabetic state was modified by Etanercept treatment with lower insulin levels and lower homeostatic model assessment. Furthermore, while kidney complications were reduced by Etanercept treatment, PD had no effect. PD was influenced by diabetic state, but the impact was attenuated by Etanercept treatment.ConclusionIn this study anti‐TNF‐α treatment improved glucose tolerance and compensated for the increased periodontal disease in obese diabetic Zucker. PD did not influence diabetic parameters assessed including complications of the rats kidneys.
Assessment of gastric emptying in children: Establishment of control values utilizing a standardized vegetarian meal
Authors: Malik Rohan , Srivastava Anshu , Gambhir Sanjay , Yachha Surender K , Siddegowda Murthy , Ponnusamy Madusudhanan , Poddar Ujjal 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBackground and Aim:Disorders of gastric emptying constitute an important group of conditions in children. The diagnostic gold standard is scintigraphy, and recommendations for standardization have been published with adult normative data. Pediatric literature lacks standardized age specific normative values. Our aim was to establish normal values of solid phase gastric emptying utilizing scintigraphy in children (5–18 years) using the recommended imaging protocol and standardized meal.Methods:Gastric emptying was assessed by scintigraphy of a 99mTc‐labeled vegetarian meal. Image acquisition was dynamic for first hour and static at 2, 3, and 4 h. Results were reported as percent intragastric retention; lag phase defined as time to 5% emptying.Results:Thirty (17 boys) healthy children, mean ages of 9.5 ± 3.1 (range 5 to 16) years, were enrolled. Median values (5th and 95th percentiles) for percent gastric retention at 30 min, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h were 90% (76 and 100%), 77% (56 and 96%), 33% (10 and 71%), 16% (3 and 44%), and 7% (0.5 and 22%). The median (5th and 95th percentiles) lag phase was 18 min (6 and 60 min). Lag phase had no correlation with gastric retention at 4 h.Conclusions:This study provides valuable normative ranges for solid phase gastric emptying in children. Using adult normative data in children may be inappropriate.
SAVINGS IN TIMES OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE: LESSONS FROM THE GERMAN EXPERIENCE
Authors: Börsch‐Supan Axel , Bucher‐Koenen Tabea , Coppola Michela , Lamla Bettina 
Published: August 2015

AbstractPension reforms in many developed countries make individuals shoulder a bigger share of longevity and income risks. The desired response is that individuals accumulate private assets for retirement. Whether this actually takes place, is of paramount relevance for scientists and policy makers. We take Germany as an example: Twenty years of pension reform have transformed the monolithic German pension system into a multipillar system. Formerly generous public pension benefits are gradually being reduced, whereas substantial incentives are granted to occupational and private saving schemes. Has this transition worked out? We survey the reform steps and households’ reactions: How did individuals adjust their labor market behavior? How did private and occupational pension plans take off? How do behavioral adjustments vary in the population? Most Germans adapted to the new situation. Both actual and expected retirement decisions changed and the share of households without supplementary pensions decreased from 73% to 39% in little more than a decade. This is a remarkable success. Nonetheless, households with low education, low income and less financial education did neither adjust their retirement behavior nor pick up supplementary pension plans and are thus likely to face difficulties in bridging the gap arising in future pension income.
GENUINE SAVINGS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Authors: Hanley Nick , Dupuy Louis , McLaughlin Eoin 
Published: August 2015

AbstractGenuine Savings (GS) has emerged as the leading economic indicator of sustainable economic development at the country level. It derives from the literatures on weak sustainability, wealth accounting and national income accounting. We discuss the theoretical underpinnings of GS, focusing on the relationship between changes in a nation's extended capital stock and the future path of consumption. The indicator has entered widespread use propelled by the World Bank's publications, despite its varying performance as a predictor for future consumption. Notwithstanding the extensive body of literature reviewed, promising future research avenues are identified.
DEFINING THE GOVERNMENT'S DEBT AND DEFICIT
Authors: Irwin Timothy C. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAlthough the budget deficit and the public debt feature prominently in political debate and economic research, there is no agreement about how they should be measured. They can be defined for different sets of public institutions, including the nested sets corresponding to central government, general government, and the public sector, and, for any definition of government, there are many measures of the debt and deficit, including those generated by four kinds of accounts (cash, financial, full accrual, and comprehensive), which can be derived from four nested sets of assets and liabilities. Each debt and deficit measure says something about public finances, but none tells the whole story. Each is also vulnerable to manipulation, and is likely to be manipulated if it is subject to a binding fiscal rule or target. Narrow definitions of government encourage the shifting of spending to entities outside the defined perimeter of government. Narrow definitions of debt and deficit encourage operations involving off‐balance‐sheets assets and liabilities, while broad measures are susceptible to the mismeasurement of on‐balance‐sheet assets and liabilities. Reviewing the literature on these issues, the paper concludes that governments should publish several measures of the debt and deficit in a form that clearly reveals their interrelationships.
STUDENT DEBT EFFECTS ON FINANCIAL WELL‐BEING: RESEARCH AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Elliott William , Lewis Melinda 
Published: August 2015

AbstractReviewing the data regarding effects of student debt on students’ financial outcomes following college – whether successful graduation or premature exit – makes clear that there is a price to pay for having to borrow money to go to college. Indebted college graduates have lower net worth, less home equity, and compromised ability to accumulate assets, as compared to their peers with the same level of education but no student debt. They may also experience poorer educational outcomes, with independent effects on earning power and, then, later wealth accumulation. Especially given the relationship between initial household wealth and children's later educational outcomes, these findings about the post‐college financial outcomes of indebted students and graduates raise the specter of ongoing, sustained, and cross‐generational perpetuation of societal divides. In the United States, higher education is valued not just as a good in itself, but also as a means to the end of greater economic security and the primary lever for economic mobility. Evaluating student loans through this lens underscores the long‐term, volatile, and often hidden effects of student loan dependence and raises the stakes for consideration of alternative approaches to higher education finance.
Perspectives on next steps in classification of oro‐facial pain – part 2: role of psychosocial factors
Authors: Durham J. , Raphael K. G. , Benoliel R. , Ceusters W. , Michelotti A. , Ohrbach R. 
Published: August 2015

SummaryThis study was initiated by a symposium, in which the present authors contributed, organised by the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network in March 2013. The purpose of the study was to review the status of biobehavioural research – both quantitative and qualitative – related to oro‐facial pain (OFP) with respect to the aetiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of OFP conditions, and how this information can optimally be used for developing a structured OFP classification system for research. In particular, we address representation of psychosocial entities in classification systems, use of qualitative research to identify and understand the full scope of psychosocial entities and their interaction, and the usage of classification system for guiding treatment. We then provide recommendations for addressing these problems, including how ontological principles can inform this process.