bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
All-cause and disease-related health care costs associated with recurrent venous thromboembolism
Authors: Lefebvre Patrick , Nutescu Edith A. , Duh Mei Sheng , LaMori Joyce , Bookhart Brahim K. , Olson William H. , Dea Katherine , Hossou Yvonnick , Schein Jeff , Kaatz Scott , Laliberté François 
Published: October 2013

SummaryIt was the objective of this study to quantify the risk of complications and the incremental health care costs associated with recurrent VTE events. Health care insurance claims from the Ingenix IMPACT database from 01/2004−09/2008 were analysed. Subjects aged ≥18 years on the date of first recurrent VTE diagnosis with ≥12 months of baseline observation prior to the index recurrent VTE were matched 1:1 with no-recurrent VTE patients based on propensity scores. The risk of developing post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and other disease-related diagnoses (thrombocytopenia, superficial venous thrombosis, venous ulcer, pulmonary hypertension, stasis dermatitis, and venous insufficiency) was compared between the recurrent and no-recurrent VTE groups for up to one year. All-cause and disease-related costs per patient per year (PPPY) were calculated. The recurrent VTE and no-recurrent VTE cohorts (8,001 subjects in each group) were matched with respect to age, gender, and comorbidities. The risk ratios (RRs) indicated that the risk of developing post-event complications was significantly higher for the recurrent VTE group compared to the no-recurrent VTE group (RR [95% CI]: PTS: 2.7 [2.4 − 2.9], p-value <0.01). Patients with recurrent VTE had significantly higher average PPPY all-cause costs compared to no-recurrent VTE patients ($86,744 versus $37,525, cost difference: $49,219 [€33,617]; 95% CI= 46,253−51,989). Corresponding disease-related health care costs PPPY were also significantly higher for the recurrent VTE group ($11,120 vs $1,262, cost difference: $9,858 [€6,733]; 95% CI= $9,081-$10,476). In conclusion, in this large matched-cohort study, recurrent VTE patients had significantly higher risk of complications and health care costs compared to no-recurrent VTE patients.Note: Parts of this manuscript were presented at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting 2012, October 21–24, Hollywood, Florida and at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 18th Annual International Meeting 2013, May 18–22, New Orleans, LA, USA.
The effect of thrombus aspiration during primary percutaneous coronary intervention on clinical outcome in daily clinical practice
Authors: Kilic Sinem , Ottervanger Jan Paul , Dambrink Jan-Henk E. , Hoorntje Jan C. A. , Koopmans Petra C. , Gosselink A. T. Marcel , Suryapranata Harry , van ’t Hof Arnoud W. J. ,   the Zwolle Myocardial Infarction Study Group
Published: October 2013

SummaryIt was the purpose of this study to assess the effect of thrombus aspiration (TA) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) on reperfusion and clinical outcome in a real-world STEMI population. The decision to use TA (Export catheter, Medtronic) was at the discretion of the treating cardiologist. The primary endpoint was mortality at short (in-hospital) and long term (one year) follow-up. Secondary end points were post-PCI TIMI flow, residual ST deviation and enzymatic infarct size. Cox proportional hazard models (propensity-weighted) and logistic regression analysis were used to adjust for known covariates, associated with mortality. We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 2,552 consecutive PPCI-treated STEMI patients between 2007 and 2010. Use of TA increased from 6.9% in 2007 to 62.2% in 2010 (p<0.001). TA was performed in 899 patients (35.2%). In-hospital and one-year mortality rates were 3.0% and 6.0%, respectively, in the TA group and 3.5% and 7.6% in the no- TA group. After multivariate analysis, TA was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.33–1.49, p=0.36) nor one year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.75, 95%CI: 0.47–1.20, p=0.23) or cardiac mortality (HR: 0.81; 95%CI: 0.45–1.46, p=0.49). After matching on the propensity score, the HR in the TA group for one year mortality was 0.70 (95%CI: 0.41–1.20, p=0.19) and for one-year cardiac mortality 0.70 (95%CI: 0.36–1.34, p=0.28). In conclusion, no significant relationship of TA with one of the secondary end points was found. The use of TA increased over the last years but clinical outcome was similar in both groups (TA vs no-TA) in this large cohort of real-world, unselected STEMI patients.
Spectrum of Aortic Valve Abnormalities Associated With Aortic Dilation Across Age Groups in Turner Syndrome
Authors: Olivieri Laura J. , Baba Ridhwan Y. , Arai Andrew E. , Bandettini W. Patricia , Rosing Douglas R. , Bakalov Vladimir , Sachdev Vandana , Bondy Carolyn A. 
Published: October 2013

Background—
Congenital aortic valve fusion is associated with aortic dilation, aneurysm, and rupture in girls and women with Turner syndrome. Our objective was to characterize aortic valve structure in subjects with Turner syndrome and to determine the prevalence of aortic dilation and valve dysfunction associated with different types of aortic valves.

Methods and Results—

The aortic valve and thoracic aorta were characterized by cardiovascular MRI in 208 subjects with Turner syndrome in an institutional review board–approved natural history study. Echocardiography was used to measure peak velocities across the aortic valve and the degree of aortic regurgitation. Four distinct valve morphologies were identified: tricuspid aortic valve, 64% (n=133); partially fused aortic valve, 12% (n=25); bicuspid aortic valve, 23% (n=47); and unicuspid aortic valve, 1% (n=3). Age and body surface area were similar in the 4 valve morphology groups. There was a significant trend, independent of age, toward larger body surface area–indexed ascending aortic diameters with increasing valve fusion. Ascending aortic diameters were (mean±SD) 16.9±3.3, 18.3±3.3, and 19.8±3.9 mm/m
2
(
P
<0.0001) for tricuspid aortic valve, partially fused aortic valve, and bicuspid aortic valve+unicuspid aortic valve, respectively. Partially fused aortic valve, bicuspid aortic valve, and unicuspid aortic valve were significantly associated with mild aortic regurgitation and elevated peak velocities across the aortic valve.

Conclusions—
Aortic valve abnormalities in Turner syndrome occur with a spectrum of severity and are associated with aortic root dilation across age groups. Partial fusion of the aortic valve, traditionally regarded as an acquired valve problem, had an equal age distribution and was associated with an increased ascending aortic diameters.
Dissimulation or Assimilation? The Case of the Mandæans
Authors: Häberl Charles G. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractOne of the smallest ethno-religious groups native to Iraq and Iran, the Mandæans can claim to be one of the region’s longest surviving traditions as the last remaining Gnostic religion from Late Antiquity. Their survival is as puzzling as it is remarkable. According to their own traditions, they have always lived in close proximity to members of other faiths, never composing more than a small fraction of the population, and were always subject to the rule of others. Perhaps for this reason, the Mandæans have often presented their faith to outsiders in a manner that emphasizes common practices and shared beliefs, while still establishing barriers to full assimilation. While this strategy may have sustained the Mandæans as a community over the centuries, it has also repeatedly failed to protect them in times of intense sectarian conflict and is beginning to break down as Mandæans increasingly spread throughout the world.
Reproductive traits of the lake prawn Palaemon paucidens De Haan, 1844 (Decapoda, Palaemonidae), from Goesan Lake, South Korea
Authors: Puspitasari Indah , Oh Chul Woong , Lee Wan Ok 
Published: October 2013

The reproductive biology of Palaemon paucidens De Haan, 1844, from Goesan Lake, Korea, was investigated during the period May 2010-October 2011. The proportion of females was significantly greater than that of males (female : male ratio, 1 : 0.7). The gonadosomatic index (GSI) varied monthly, reaching a maximum in May and a minimum in September. Monthly variations in the proportions of ovigerous females showed peaks in April and May. The highest values of the GSI coincided with the breeding period of P. paucidens (April-August). There was no significant difference between the mean GSI of females with non-eyed and eyed eggs, indicating that P. paucidens is a non-consecutive breeder. There was a significant correlation between the number of eggs and the carapace length at early egg stages. There was no significant difference in the intercepts of the regressions of the number of eggs versus carapace length between females carrying non-eyed and eyed egg stages, indicating that there was no brood loss during the incubation period. Egg volume increased significantly (by 75.6%) as eggs developed from the non-eyed to the eyed stage. Reproductive output was 0.20 ± 0.04, based on dry weights in early egg stages. The results were compared with other studies of P. paucidens in Sukdang Lake and other species of palaemonids in different habitats. This comparison reveals intra- and inter-specific variations in reproductive traits of palaemonid shrimp. The phenomenon is suggested to be a result of adaptations to different environmental conditions. Variation in reproductive traits within the same species reflects a different life strategy adaptation in species that will require a different approach in fisheries management. Information on intra- and inter-specific variation in reproductive traits is important to be used as one basic issue of biological information to support an effective fisheries management of P. paucidens, which has been locally exploited in Korea and Japan.
A novel CYP450 gene (CYP4V18) of the shrimp Penaeus schmitti Burkenroad, 1936 (Decapoda, Dendrobranchiata): cloning and down-regulation of CYP4V18 expression by the imidazole derivative KK-42
Authors: Xichao X. , Wenfeng W. , Xin L. , Xueshen W. , Li L. , Ning Qianji 
Published: October 2013

The CYP4 family is the most ancient and diversified group of P450 and some members are associated with ecdysteroid metabolism in arthropods. In an attempt to research the possible molecular mechanism of KK-42 action on Penaeus schmitti Burkenroad, 1936, one CYP4 cDNA sequence from the hepatopancreas was first cloned and its spatiotemporal expressions were analysed using real-time PCR, and the haemolymph 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) level was measured by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Results showed that the full-length cDNA contains a 1545 bp open reading frame encoding a predicted protein of 515 amino acids named CYP4V18 by the P450 nomenclature committee. The highest cyp4v18 mRNA level was detected in hepatopancreas. Compared with that of the KK-42 treatment group, the hepatopancreas cyp4v18 expression in the control group increased to >72.3%, even 187.7% () on day 6. The haemolymph 20E levels increased slightly in KK-42-treated shrimps compared to that in controls during the experimental stage. The results show that the hepatopancreas CYP4V18 is not involved in 20E biosynthesis, and likely plays other roles in the shrimp, P. schmitti.
A rapid direct assay for the routine measurement of oestradiol and oestrone by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Owen Laura J , Wu Frederick C , Keevil Brian G 
Published: October 2013

Background Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is rapidly becoming the technology of choice for measuring steroid hormones. We have developed a rapid LC-MS/MS assay for the routine analysis of serum oestradiol and oestrone. The assay uses a relatively small volume and has a rapid run time. Methods Supported liquid extraction was performed on 250  µL of sample using methyl tertiary butyl ether. The extract was dried and reconstituted with 100  µL of 40% methanol. Online automated solid phase extraction was performed on 75  µL of extract using C18 cartridges on a Waters OSM coupled to a Waters TQS mass spectrometer. Serum samples ( n = 197) were analysed by LC-MS/MS and a commercial immunoassay. Results The lower limit of quantitation for oestradiol and oestrone was 10 and 6 pmol/L, respectively. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the assay for oestradiol and oestrone concentrations of 125 pmol/L was <7%. The assay had a CV of 10% at 22 pmol/L for oestradiol and 5% at 16 pmol/L for oestrone. The average recovery for oestradiol was 102% and oestrone was 106%. The comparison with a commercial immunoassay gave the following equation: Immunoassay = 0.94 × LC-MS/MS + 21 pmol/L. The run time was 4.5 min per sample. Discussion We have developed a rapid assay for the LC-MS/MS measurement of oestradiol and oestrone which does not require derivatization in the sample preparation. The assay is suitable for routine clinical use or for clinical trials. The assay demonstrated superior performance compared to immunoassays at lower concentrations making it more suitable for use in males and patients on aromatase inhibitors.
Homeless mentally ill in Athens area: A cross-sectional study on unmet needs and help-seeking
Authors: Chondraki Paraskevi , Madianos Michael G , Dragioti Elena , Papadimitriou George N 
Published: October 2013

Background: Homelessness, a worldwide psychosocial phenomenon, is now also prevalent in Greece, mainly in Athens area. Methods: The possible psychiatric morbidity related to help-seeking and the underlying factors were explored in a sample of 254 homeless people from Greater Athens area, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). Results: The sample was predominantly male (74%) with mean age of 51 years, being in their majority homeless for over 25 months, 34.3% of them living in rough sleeping places. Overall, 56.7% of the sample met the criteria for a current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) psychiatric disorder with 20.8% comorbidity. Only 36.2% of the identified psychiatric cases had any recent psychiatric care, while 44.4% were taking non-prescribed medication and 20.2% have been hospitalized in the last year. On the contrary, 70% of alcohol- and drug-dependent persons have been treated in a psychiatric agency, while 60.0% of them participated in rehabilitation program the last year. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being older, more educated with longer duration of homelessness, recognizing the suffering from a psychiatric problem as well as being diagnosed as ‘psychotic’ increased the likelihood to seek help. Conclusions: The vast majority of the homeless mentally ill persons were lacking any current psychiatric care. The planning of a mental health–care delivery parallel to the existing social welfare system is needed to serve the unmet mental health needs of this population.
Noncomfort Medication Use in Acute Care Inpatients Comanaged by Palliative Care Specialists Near the End of Life
Authors: Ma Grace , Downar James 
Published: October 2013

Background/Objective: To examine comfort medication (CM) and noncomfort (NC) medication use in inpatients comanaged by palliative care (PC) near the end of life. Methods: Chart review of inpatients comanaged by the PC service at 2 academic hospitals. Medications were categorized as CM and NC medication according to the published guidelines. Results: Seventy patients met inclusion criteria. In the final week of life, inpatients were receiving a mean of 6 CM (40 doses) and 7 NC medications (41 doses). Four new NC medications were started per patient, but only 3 were discontinued. The NC medications were most frequently discontinued on the day of PC consult, but 14% were stopped on the day of death/PC unit transfer. Conclusion: Inpatients comanaged by PC continue to receive NC medications as they near the end of life.
Red Cell Distribution Width Identifies Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Patients With Headache
Authors: Demir Recep , Saritemur Murat , Ozel Lutfi , Ozdemir Gokhan , Emet Mucahit , Ulvi Hızır 
Published: October 2013

Background: Diagnosing cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in patients referring to emergency service or neurology outpatient unit with complaints of headache is a challenging task. Magnetic resonance (MR) venography is the gold standard, but there are limitations regarding its use. Aim: To evaluate the validity of red cell distribution width (RDW) in CVST diagnosis in patients presenting with headache. Methods: A total of 138 patients comprising 37 patients with CVST and 101 control primer headache cases were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Control group consists of hospitalized patients with primary headache. Venous blood hemoglobin (Hb), platelet, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), RDW, fibrinogen, and vitamin B12 levels of the patients were recorded at the first referral. Diagnosis of CVST was established by MR venography. Results: The RDW ratio of patients with a diagnosis of CVST was significantly higher than that in patients with primary headache (15.3 ± 1.4 vs 13.3 ± 0.5; P <.0001). Fibrinogen and vitamin B12 levels were not significantly different between the 2 groups. In a total of 11 patients, there was more than 1 thrombosis. In 21 of the patients with CVST, gene mutation was detected. There was no significant difference between the patients with and without mutations regarding RDW values. Diagnostic validity of RDW was found to be excellent in differentiating patients with CVST and primary headache (area under the curve = 0.996; 95% CI: 0.990-1.000). Optimum RDW cutoff value was determined as 14.1% (sensitivity: 91.9%, specificity: 99%, positive predictive value: 92.8, negative predictive value: 0.082). Conclusion: We suppose that among patients presenting with the complaint of headache, RDW value may lead to diagnose CVST.
Experience With Vena Cava Filters at a Large Community Hospital and Level-I Trauma Center
Authors: Swami Umang , Annunziata Giuseppe , Fulger Ilmana 
Published: October 2013

Introduction: Inferior vena cava filters (IVCF) are used liberally in clinical practice and have been associated with multiple complications. Herein, we present results from our institution. Methods: Records of consecutive patients discharged between January 1, 2009 and 2012 were reviewed. Indications were subcategorized under absolute, relative, and prophylactic. Student t test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were employed. Results: During this period, 254 vena cava filters (VCF) were placed. Of these, 65 were placed for absolute indication, 28 for relative, and 161 for prophylaxis. Follow-up imaging was available for 96 patients of which 15 showed complications. Successful retrieval of 19 filters was achieved. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that most IVCF are being placed for prophylaxis with low retrieval rate. This contradicts current recommendations. Moreover frequent migration and penetration of IVCF can lead to serious complications. Strict enforcement of IVCF placement guidelines and setting up of filter clinics for timely retrieval is suggested.
Using group replication for resilience on exascale systems
Authors: Bougeret Marin , Casanova Henri , Robert Yves , Vivien Frédéric , Zaidouni Dounia 
Published: October 2013

High performance computing applications must be resilient to faults. The traditional fault-tolerance solution is checkpoint-recovery, by which application state is saved to and recovered from secondary storage throughout execution. It has been shown that, even when using an optimal checkpointing strategy, the checkpointing overhead precludes high parallel efficiency at large scale. Additional fault-tolerance mechanisms must thus be used. Such a mechanism is replication, that is, multiple processors performing the same computation so that a processor failure does not necessarily imply an application failure. In spite of resource waste, replication can lead to higher parallel efficiency when compared to using only checkpoint-recovery at large scale. We propose to execute and checkpoint multiple application instances concurrently, an approach we term group replication. For exponential failures we give an upper bound on the expected application execution time. This bound corresponds to a particular checkpointing period that we derive. For general failures, we propose a dynamic programming algorithm to determine non-periodic checkpoint dates as well as an empirical periodic checkpointing solution whose period is found via a numerical search. Using simulation we evaluate our proposed approaches, including comparison to the non-replication case, for both exponential and Weibull failure distributions. Our broad finding is that group replication is useful in a range of realistic application and checkpointing overhead scenarios for future exascale platforms.
Gene expression analysis of relapsing–remitting, primary progressive and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ratzer R , Søndergaard HB , Christensen J Romme , Börnsen L , Borup R , Sørensen PS , Sellebjerg F 
Published: October 2013

Background: Previous studies of multiple sclerosis (MS) have indicated differences in the pathogenesis in relapsing–remitting (RRMS), secondary progressive (SPMS) and primary progressive (PPMS) disease. Objective: We hypothesized that different MS subtypes would show differences in gene expression that could be traced to specific subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Methods: Gene expression in RRMS, SPMS, PPMS and healthy control (HC) PBMCs was analyzed on Affymetrix arrays. In addition, we studied gene expression in pools of purified PBMC subsets. Results: We found 380 genes that were differentially expressed in RRMS, PPMS, SPMS and HCs (false discovery rate < 5%). There were no major differences between the subtypes of MS. The genes showing most prominent expression changes in RRMS were associated with adaptive immune pathways, while genes in PPMS were associated with innate immune system pathways. SPMS patients shared pathways with RRMS and PPMS patients. Gene expression changes were most prominent in B cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes. Conclusion: Differences in gene expression, which could be traced to B cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes, were found between MS patients and HCs but only minor differences were observed between MS subgroups.
Registration of Alzheimer’s Disease in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Wen-Fu , Chiu Pai-Yi , Lin Yu-Te , Hu Chaur-Jong , Fuh Jong-Ling , Yang Yuan-Han 
Published: October 2013

Background: To obtain updated data of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their informants in Taiwan with the aim of fostering and supporting collaborative research. Methods: In total, 691 patients with the diagnosis of AD were recruited at 6 sites in Taiwan. The Uniform Data Set (UDS; form A) was administrated. Results: The mean age of the patients with AD was 79.3 ± 7.7 years and the mean age of informants was 57.5 ± 13.7 years. In all, 69% of the informants lived with patients and 77% of patients lived with spouse, partner, or children; 11% had 1 sibling with dementia, 1.8% had 2 siblings with dementia, and 0.5% had 3 or more siblings with dementia. Conclusion: We have reported the updated status of AD in Taiwan through a UDS that will foster future collaboration among countries using UDS. The updated information of patients with AD and their informants will direct the future care of AD in Taiwan.