bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tissue factor and Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 in hyperglycaemia-hyperinsulinaemia
Authors: Singh Anamika , Boden Guenther , Rao A. Koneti 
Published: February 2015

SummaryDiabetes mellitus (DM) patients have an increased incidence of cardiovascular events. Blood tissue factor-procoagulant activity (TF-PCA), the initiating mechanism for blood coagulation, is elevated in DM. We have shown that hyperglycaemia (HG), hyperinsulinaemia (HI) and combined HG+HI (induced using 24-hour infusion clamps) increases TF-PCA in healthy and type 2 DM (T2DM) subjects, but not in type 1 DM (T1DM) subjects. The mechanisms for this are unknown. DM patients have elevated plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 ligand. We postulated that TLR4 plays a role in modulating TF levels. We studied the effect of HG+HI on TLR4 and TF-PCA in vivo during 24-hour HG+HI infusion clamps in healthy subjects, and T1DM and T2DM subjects, and in vitro in blood. In vivo, in healthy subjects, 24-hour HG + HI infusion increased TLR4 six-fold, which correlated with TF-PCA (r=0.91, p<0.0001). T2DM patients showed smaller increases in both. In T1DM subjects, TLR4 declined (50%, p<0.05) and correlated with TF-PCA (r=0.55; p<0.05). In vitro, HG (200 mg/dl added glucose) and HI (1-100 nM added insulin) increased TF-PCA in healthy subjects (˜2-fold, 2-4 hours). Insulin inhibited by ~30% LPSinduced increase in TF-PCA and high glucose reversed it. TLR4 levels paralleled TF-PCA (r=0.71, p<0.0001); HG and HI increased TLR4 and insulin inhibited LPS-induced TLR4 increase. This is first evidence that even in healthy subjects, HG of short duration increases TLR4 and TFPCA, key players in inflammation and thrombosis. TLR4-TF interplay is strikingly different in non-diabetic, T1DM and T2DM subjects.
Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation: 5 Years of Follow-Up
Authors: Borik Sharon , Crean Andrew , Horlick Eric , Osten Mark , Lee Kyong-Jin , Chaturvedi Rajiv , Friedberg Mark K. , McCrindle Brian W. , Manlhiot Cedric , Benson Lee 
Published: February 2015

Background—
Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is a safe, less invasive alternative to surgical valve replacement for the congenital heart disease patient with right ventricular (RV) outflow tract dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine whether reverse RV remodeling after PPVI was persistent in the longer term and whether timing of PPVI influenced outcomes.

Methods and Results—

Consecutive patients from the pediatric and adult congenital heart disease programs were enrolled. Cardiac MRI, echocardiography, metabolic exercise testing, chest radiography, and hemodynamics before intervention were compared with repeated follow-up measurements to assess changes over time. Fifty-one patients (including 23 patients <16 years old) were followed for a mean 4.5±1.9 (0.9–6.9) years after implantation, 59% of patients having available comparative cardiac MRI data. Freedom from any reintervention was 87% and 68% at 3 and 5 years, and freedom from surgery was 90% at 5 years. For every decade younger at implantation, there was an increase of 3.9%±1.0% in cardiac MRI left ventricular ejection fraction (
P
<0.001) and 2.4±0.9 mL/kg/min in maxVO
2
(
P
=0.005) and a decrease of 0.7±0.2 cm in RV end-diastolic dimension (
P
<0.001) after intervention. Younger patients displayed an additional decline in the RV/left ventricular end-diastolic volume ratio (
P
=0.05) and trended toward improved RV ejection fraction in late follow-up (50%±7% versus 41%±12%,
P
=0.07).

Conclusions—
This is the largest series to show that PPVI at a younger age yields incremental improvements in RV size and maximum oxygen consumption. Early valve implantation is associated with better RV function and should be considered in management planning for this population.
Comparison of Histopathologic Analysis Following Renal Sympathetic Denervation Over Multiple Time Points
Authors: Sakakura Kenichi , Tunev Stefan , Yahagi Kazuyuki , O’Brien Amanda J. , Ladich Elena , Kolodgie Frank D. , Melder Robert J. , Joner Michael , Virmani Renu 
Published: February 2015

Background—
The pathology of radiofrequency-derived sympathetic renal denervation has not been studied over time and may provide important understanding of the mechanisms resulting in sustained blood pressure reduction. The purpose of this study was to investigate chronological changes after radiofrequency-renal denervation in the swine model.

Methods and Results—

A total of 49 renal arteries from 28 animals with 4 different time points (7, 30, 60, and 180 days) were examined. Semiquantitative histological assessment of arteries and associated tissue was performed to characterize the chronological progression of the radiofrequency lesions. Arterial medial circumferential injury (%) was greatest at 7 days (38±13%), followed by 30 days (31±6%) and 60 days (31±15%), and least at 180 days (21±12%) (
P
=0.046). Nerve injury score was significantly greater (
P
<0.001) at 7 days (3.9±0.4) compared with 30 days (2.5±0.5), 60 days (2.6±0.5), and 180 days (1.9±0.9). Tyrosine hydroxylase score, which assesses functional nerve damage, was significantly less after 7 (1±1) and 30 days (0.7±0.6) compared with 60 (2.7±0.6) and 180 days (2.7±0.6;
P
=0.01). Focal nerve regeneration at the sites of radiofrequency ablation was observed in 17% of renal arteries at 60 days and 71% of 180 days.

Conclusions—
Nerve injury after radiofrequency ablation was greatest at 7 days, with maximum functional nerve damage sustained ≤30 days. Focal terminal nerve regeneration was observed only at the sites of ablation as early as 60 days and continued to 180 days. Renal artery and peri-arterial soft tissue injury is greatest in the subacute phase, and least in the chronic phase, suggesting gradual recovery of the renal arterial wall and surrounding tissue.
An Open Virtual Machine for Cross-Platform Weather Radar Science
Authors: Heistermann M. , Collis S. , Dixon M. J. , Helmus J. J. , Henja A. , Michelson D. B. , Pfaff Thomas 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
In a recent BAMS article, it is argued that community-based Open Source Software (OSS) could foster scientific progress in weather radar research, and make weather radar software more affordable, flexible, transparent, sustainable, and interoperable.
Nevertheless, it can be challenging for potential developers and users to realize these benefits: tools are often cumbersome to install; different operating systems may have particular issues, or may not be supported at all; and many tools have steep learning curves.
To overcome some of these barriers, we present an open, community-based virtual machine (VM). This VM can be run on any operating system, and guarantees reproducibility of results across platforms. It contains a suite of independent OSS weather radar tools (BALTRAD, Py-ART, wradlib, RSL, and Radx), and a scientific Python stack. Furthermore, it features a suite of recipes that work out of the box and provide guidance on how to use the different OSS tools alone and together. The code to build the VM from source is hosted on GitHub, which allows the VM to grow with its community.
We argue that the VM presents another step toward Open (Weather Radar) Science. It can be used as a quick way to get started, for teaching, or for benchmarking and combining different tools. It can foster the idea of reproducible research in scientific publishing. Being scalable and extendable, it might even allow for real-time data processing.
We expect the VM to catalyze progress toward interoperability, and to lower the barrier for new users and developers, thus extending the weather radar community and user base.
Daily Rainfall Detection and Estimation over Land Using Microwave Surface Emissivities
Authors: Birman Camille , Karbou Fatima , Mahfouf Jean-François 
Published: February 2015

AbstractSurface emissivities computed at 89 GHz from AMSU-A, AMSU-B, and SSMI/S instruments are used to detect rain events and to estimate a daily precipitation rate over land surfaces. This new retrieval algorithm, called the emissivity rainfall retrieval (EMIRR) algorithm, is evaluated over France and compared with several other precipitation products. The precipitation detection is performed using temporal changes in daily surface emissivities. A statistical fit, derived from a rainfall analysis product using rain gauge and radar data, is devised to estimate a daily precipitation rate from surface emissivities. Rain retrievals are evaluated over a 1-yr period in 2010 against other precipitation products, including rain gauge measurements. The EMIRR algorithm allows a reasonable detection of rainy events from daily surface emissivities. The number of rainy days and the daily rainfall rates compare well to estimates from other precipitation products. However, the algorithm tends to overestimate low precipitation amounts and to underestimate higher ones, with reduced performances in the presence of snow. Despite such limitations, this new method is very promising and provides a demonstration of the potential use of the 89-GHz surface emissivities to infer relevant information (occurrence and amounts) related to daily precipitation over land surfaces.
The Role of Clouds in Modulating Global Aerosol Direct Radiative Effects in Spaceborne Active Observations and the Community Earth System Model
Authors: Matus Alexander V. , L’Ecuyer Tristan S. , Kay Jennifer E. , Hannay Cecile , Lamarque Jean-Francois 
Published: February 2015

AbstractObservational benchmarks of global and regional aerosol direct radiative effects, over all surfaces and all sky conditions, are generated using CloudSat’s new multisensor radiative fluxes and heating rates product. Improving upon previous techniques, the approach leverages the capability of CloudSat and CALIPSO to retrieve vertically resolved estimates of cloud and aerosol properties required for complete and accurate assessment of aerosol direct effects under all conditions. The global annually averaged aerosol direct radiative effect is estimated to be −1.9 W m−2 with an uncertainty range of ±0.6 W m−2, which is in better agreement with previously published estimates from global models than previous satellite-based estimates. Detailed comparisons against a fully coupled simulation of the Community Earth System Model, however, reveal that this agreement on the global annual mean masks large regional discrepancies between modeled and observed estimates of aerosol direct effects. A series of regional analyses demonstrate that, in addition to previously documented biases in simulated aerosol distributions, the magnitude and sign of these discrepancies are often related to model biases in the geographic and seasonal distribution of clouds. A low bias in stratocumulus cloud cover over the southeastern Pacific, for example, leads to an overestimate of the radiative effects of marine aerosols in the region. Likewise, errors in the seasonal cycle of low clouds in the southeastern Atlantic distort the radiative effects of biomass burning aerosols from southern Africa. These findings indicate that accurate assessment of aerosol direct effects requires models to correctly represent not only the source, strength, and optical properties of aerosols, but their relative proximity to clouds as well.
Recent Winter Precipitation Increase in the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley since the Late 1970s: A Response to Warming in the Tropical Indian Ocean
Authors: Li Xiao-Feng , Li Jianping , Li Yun 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
The middle–lower valley of the Yangtze River (MLY), located in the middle of eastern China, has been one of the largest economic centers of China since ancient times. Winter precipitation variability over the MLY is important for China because of its significant influence on the local economy. However, few studies have focused on the long-term variability of winter precipitation over the MLY. This study reports a significant wetting trend over the MLY in winter during the three decades since the late 1970s, forming a “mid-east-China winter wetting” pattern, which has become an important feature of precipitation change under the weakening East Asian winter monsoon. This wetting trend in the MLY also implies the poleward extension of the precipitation belts of southern China.
Further investigation reveals that the increasing sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) is the dominant factor responsible for recent increases in precipitation over the MLY. The thermal forcing driven by warming of the TIO SST gives rise to an anomalous cyclonic circulation along the coast of eastern China. This transports more water vapor onto the Chinese mainland, shifts and causes anomalous convergence over the MLY, and generates the increase in precipitation there. As such, the increasing SST in the TIO induces over 80% of the observed wetting trend over the MLY. This mechanism was verified by results obtained from two sets of sensitivity experiments using a numerical spectral atmospheric general circulation model. Thus, increasing SST in the TIO has made a dominant contribution to the recent winter precipitation increase over the MLY.
Evaluation of the PERSIANN-CDR Daily Rainfall Estimates in Capturing the Behavior of Extreme Precipitation Events over China
Authors: Miao Chiyuan , Ashouri Hamed , Hsu Kuo-Lin , Sorooshian Soroosh , Duan Qingyun 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis study evaluates the performance of a newly developed daily precipitation climate data record, called Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks–Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), in capturing the behavior of daily extreme precipitation events in China during the period of 1983–2006. Different extreme precipitation indices, in the three categories of percentile, absolute threshold, and maximum indices, are studied and compared with the same indices from the East Asia (EA) ground-based gridded daily precipitation dataset. The results show that PERSIANN-CDR depicts similar precipitation behavior as the ground-based EA product in terms of capturing the spatial and temporal patterns of daily precipitation extremes, particularly in the eastern China monsoon region, where the intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall events are very high. However, the agreement between the datasets in dry regions such as the Tibetan Plateau in the west and the Taklamakan Desert in the northwest is not strong. An important factor that may have influenced the results is that the ground-based stations from which EA gridded data were produced are very sparse. In the station-rich regions in eastern China, the performance of PERSIANN-CDR is significant. PERSIANN-CDR slightly underestimates the values of extreme heavy precipitation.
A National View of Storm Surge Risk and Inundation
Authors: Zachry Brian C. , Booth William J. , Rhome Jamie R. , Sharon Tarah M. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), specifically the National Weather Service’s (NWS) National Hurricane Center (NHC), utilizes the hydrodynamic Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model to simulate storm surge in 27 basins along the U.S East and Gulf Coasts. This information is provided to federal, state, and local partners to assist in a range of planning processes, risk assessment studies, and decision making. Based on climatology, tens of thousands of hypothetical hurricanes are simulated in each basin, and the potential storm surges are calculated. Storm surge composites—maximum envelopes of water (MEOWs) and maximum of maximums (MOMs)—are created to assess and visualize storm surge risk under varying conditions.While MEOWs and MOMs provide a local assessment of storm surge risk, they do not provide a national perspective owing to the 27 discrete grids. National assessments must therefore merge the grids together, which is a laborious task requiring considerable SLOSH and hydrodynamic modeling expertise. This paper describes the technique used to create national inundation maps for category 1–5 hurricanes using the SLOSH MOM product, and it provides a simple quantitative assessment of the potential societal impacts. Approximately 22 million people along the U.S East and Gulf Coasts are vulnerable to storm surge. For all hurricane categories, a substantial portion of the coastal population and housing units are at risk, and many evacuation routes become inundated. Florida is the most vulnerable state with 40% of its population at risk. These maps and analyses provide a new way to view, analyze, and communicate national storm surge risk and inundation.
Is Nebulized Lidocaine Adequate Topical Anesthesia for Diagnostic Transnasal Tracheoscopy?
Authors: Sharma Giriraj K. , Verma Sunil P. 
Published: February 2015

Objectives: To evaluate if nebulized 4% lidocaine alone provides adequate laryngopharyngeal anesthesia for office-based diagnostic transnasal tracheoscopy (TNT). Methods: A retrospective chart review (January 2011 to June 2014) and a prospective case series (July 2014 to December 2014) of patients who underwent diagnostic TNT were performed at a university voice and swallowing center. TNT cases were categorized by method of topical laryngopharyngeal anesthesia: nebulized 4% lidocaine and 4% lidocaine drip (phase I) and nebulized 4% lidocaine only (phase II). Results: TNT was performed a total of 59 times on 38 patients. Eleven (69%) of 16 phase I TNT procedures involved significant patient discomfort and severe cough following the lidocaine drip. Forty-two (98%) of 43 phase II TNT procedures were completed comfortably; 1 case required additional anesthesia by lidocaine drip. Retrospectively, 100% (n = 8) of patients who underwent both phase I and phase II TNTs were noted to prefer anesthesia with nebulizer alone. In a prospective case series of 14 phase II TNT cases, 6 (86%) of 7 patients who previously underwent phase I TNT reported preference for anesthesia with nebulizer alone. Conclusions: Nebulized lidocaine appears to provide sufficient laryngopharyngeal anesthesia for diagnostic TNT. It is preferred by patients over laryngeal drip.
Severe Transient Pharyngeal Paralysis Following C2 Fracture Repair
Authors: Cumpston Evan C. , Bock Jonathan M. 
Published: February 2015

Objectives: We report a case of isolated pharyngeal plexus injury following posterior plating of a C2 fracture in an 84-year-old white male. Methods: Methods include a case report with literature review. Results: The patient presented with dense pharyngeal paralysis and inability to initiate swallowing but maintained true vocal cord movement. The patient required gastrostomy tube feeding for 3 months but eventually recovered his swallowing function. Prior literature on acute pharyngeal paralysis following upper cervical spine fracture repairs is reviewed with recommendations for care of this unique patient population. Conclusions: Traumatic C2 fracture repair can lead to isolated dense pharyngeal paralysis due to pharyngeal plexus injury with subsequent severe dysphagia. Observation may be appropriate in this population, with consideration of tracheotomy for recurrent aspiration.
A Supported Employment linkage intervention for people with schizophrenia who want to work: a survey of patients’ views
Authors: Solar Ann 
Published: February 2015

Objective: Take into account patient views in developing a linkage intervention to the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support approach to Supported Employment (SE) for patients with schizophrenia on a mental health unit (MHU) who want to work in competitive employment. Methods: Analysis of 20 once-off, face-to-face interviews, with informed consent, between author and voluntary MHU inpatients with schizophrenia about getting into SE from the MHU. Results: From the major category ‘patient ideas about SE linkage intervention from MHU’ the three themes of ‘patient choice’, ‘type of support’ and ‘start from the MHU’ emerged. The other major category, ‘patient attitude to the author’s proposed SE linkage intervention’, revealed the theme of ‘positive attitude’. Conclusions: There may be enough interest from patients with schizophrenia on a MHU who want to work, to test a pilot of the author’s proposed voluntary SE linkage intervention.
The impact of code-switching, language context, and language dominance on suprasegmental phonetics: Evidence for the role of predictability
Authors: Olson Daniel J 
Published: February 2015

Purpose: The present study investigates the suprasegmental reflexes of code-switching, considering both language context (i.e., language mode) and language dominance. Design: To this end, an experimental oral production paradigm was administered to 14 Spanish-English bilinguals, comparing code-switched to non-switched productions and varying both context (monolingual or bilingual) and response language (dominant or non-dominant). Data and Analysis: Productions were analyzed for two suprasegmental features: pitch height and stressed vowel duration. Conclusions: Results indicate a significant effect of code-switching on suprasegmental production, with code-switched tokens produced with overall greater pitch movement and duration relative to non-switched tokens. These effects, however, were modulated by both language context and language dominance. Originality: Given the relation of prosody to cognitive factors, this novel approach to the suprasegmental features of code-switching, specifically considering language dominance and context, provides a unique opportunity to further the understanding of the underlying language switching process. Significance: These findings are addressed within a theoretical framework of predictability and hyper-articulation, and it is suggested that the suprasegmental realizations of code-switched tokens correspond to a degree of contextually driven predictability.
Social workers' attitudes to privatization in five countries
Authors: Kallio Johanna , Meeuwisse Anna , Scaramuzzino Roberto 
Published: February 2015

Summary European welfare states have been subject to significant restructuring including a general trend towards downsizing the role of the state, and to a greater extent engaging other actors in social policy and social services. While comparative welfare research often overlooks the distinction between for-profit and non-profit actors, third sector research emphasizes the different logics underlying these two types of non-state actors. The purpose of this article was to analyse Nordic and Italian social workers' attitudes towards a greater involvement of for-profit and non-profit actors in social work. The empirical base for the study is nation-wide surveys among social workers in four Nordic countries and in Italy answered by a total of 8,272 social workers. Findings In general, social workers perceived privatization in terms of for-profit organizations more critically than privatization through voluntary sector actors. Their attitudes towards privatization were only partly connected to which welfare model they worked within. Age and working sector of the respondents were other factors of significance. An important finding was that there are different explanatory factors behind positive attitudes towards for-profit and non-profit privatization, which indicate that social workers do not interpret the role of for-profit and non-profit organizations in the same way. Application The article shows that reforms involving subsidiarization, privatization and marketization of social welfare services should take account of the different logics underlying for-profit and non-profit actors and the different levels of trust that these actors enjoy among practitioners.