bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Calibrated integrated backscatter and myocardial fibrosis in patients undergoing cardiac surgery
Authors: Prior David L , Somaratne Jithendra B , Jenkins Alicia J , Yii Michael , Newcomb Andrew E , Schalkwijk Casper G , Black Mary J , Kelly Darren J , Campbell Duncan J 
Published: August 2015

ObjectiveThe reported association between calibrated integrated backscatter (cIB) and myocardial fibrosis is based on study of patients with dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and extensive (mean 15–34%) fibrosis. Its association with lesser degrees of fibrosis is unknown. We examined the relationship between cIB and myocardial fibrosis in patients with coronary artery disease.MethodsMyocardial histology was examined in left ventricular epicardial biopsies from 40 patients (29 men and 11 women) undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery, who had preoperative echocardiography with cIB measurement.ResultsTotal fibrosis (picrosirius red staining) varied from 0.7% to 4%, and in contrast to previous reports, cIB showed weak inverse associations with total fibrosis (r=−0.32, p=0.047) and interstitial fibrosis (r=−0.34, p=0.03). However, cIB was not significantly associated with other histological parameters, including immunostaining for collagens I and III, the advanced glycation end product (AGE) Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and the receptor for AGEs (RAGE). When biomarkers were examined, cIB was weakly associated with log plasma levels of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (r=0.34, p=0.03), creatinine (r=0.33, p=0.04) and glomerular filtration rate (r=−0.33, p=0.04), and was more strongly associated with log plasma levels of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) (r=0.44, p=0.01) and soluble RAGE (r=0.53, p=0.002).ConclusionsHigher cIB was not a marker of increased myocardial fibrosis in patients with coronary artery disease, but was associated with higher plasma levels of sVEGFR-1 and soluble RAGE. The role of cIB as a non-invasive index of fibrosis in clinical studies of patients without extensive fibrosis is, therefore, questionable.
Ischaemia change with revascularisation versus medical therapy in reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Mentz Robert J , Fiuzat Mona , Shaw Linda K , Farzaneh-Far Afshin , M O'Connor Christopher , Borges-Neto Salvador 
Published: August 2015

ObjectiveNuclear imaging data demonstrate that revascularisation leads to favourable effects on ischaemia burden and improved outcomes compared with medical therapy (MT). In patients with heart failure (HF), the effects of MT versus revascularisation on ischaemia change and its independent prognostic significance requires investigation.MethodsFrom the Duke Databank, we performed a retrospective analysis of 278 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and ejection fraction (EF) ≤40%, who underwent 2 serial myocardial perfusion scans between 1993 and 2009. Ischaemia change was calculated for patients undergoing MT alone, or revascularisation. Cox proportional hazards regression modelling was used to identify factors associated with death/myocardial infarction (MI).ResultsThe magnitude of ischeamia reduction was greater with revascularisation than with MT alone (median change of −6% vs 0%, p<0.001). With revascularisation, more patients experienced ≥5% ischaemia reduction compared with MT (52% vs 25%, p<0.01) and a similar percentage experienced ≥5% ischaemia worsening (13% vs 18%, p=0.37). After risk adjustment, ≥5% ischaemia worsening was associated withdecreaseddeath/MI (HR=0.58; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.96).ConclusionsIn patients with HF with CAD, revascularisation improves long-term ischaemia burden compared with MT. Ischaemia worsening on nuclear imaging was associated with reduced risk of death/MI, potentially related to development of ischaemic viable myocardium as opposed to scar tissue.
Moving beyond the cold war
Authors: Arquilla John 
Published: August 2015

The
Communications
Web site, http://cacm.acm.org, features more than a dozen bloggers in the BLOG@CACM community. In each issue of
Communications
, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts.

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Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blogCACM
http://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm
John Arquilla assesses the need for cyber arms control.
GPUswap
Authors: Kehne Jens , Metter Jonathan , Bellosa Frank 
Published: August 2015

Over the last few years, GPUs have been finding their way into cloud computing platforms, allowing users to benefit from the performance of GPUs at low cost. However, a large portion of the cloud's cost advantage traditionally stems from oversubscription: Cloud providers rent out more resources to their customers than are actually available, expecting that the customers will not actually use all of the promised resources. For GPU memory, this oversubscription is difficult due to the lack of support for demand paging in current GPUs. Therefore, recent approaches to enabling oversubscription of GPU memory resort to software scheduling of GPU kernels -- which has been shown to induce significant runtime overhead in applications even if sufficient GPU memory is available -- to ensure that data is present on the GPU when referenced.
In this paper, we present GPUswap, a novel approach to enabling oversubscription of GPU memory that does not rely on software scheduling of GPU kernels. GPUswap uses the GPU's ability to access system RAM directly to extend the GPU's own memory. To that end, GPUswap transparently relocates data from the GPU to system RAM in response to memory pressure. GPUswap ensures that all data is permanently accessible to the GPU and thus allows applications to submit commands to the GPU directly at any time, without the need for software scheduling. Experiments with our prototype implementation show that GPU applications can still execute even with only 20 MB of GPU memory available. In addition, while software scheduling suffers from permanent overhead even with sufficient GPU memory available, our approach executes GPU applications with native performance.
Targeted Knockdown of Hepatic SOAT2 With Antisense Oligonucleotides Stabilizes Atherosclerotic Plaque in ApoB100-only LDLr
−/−
Mice
Authors: Melchior John T. , Olson John D. , Kelley Kathryn L. , Wilson Martha D. , Sawyer Janet K. , Link Kerry M. , Rudel Lawrence L. 
Published: August 2015

Objective—
To test the hypothesis that the attenuation of cholesterol oleate packaging into apoB-containing lipoproteins will arrest progression of pre-existing atherosclerotic lesions.

Approach and Results—

Atherosclerosis was induced in apoB-100 only, LDLr
–/–
mice by feeding a diet enriched in
cis
-monounsaturated fatty acids for 24 weeks. A subset of mice was then euthanized to quantify the extent of atherosclerosis. The remaining mice were continued on the same diet (controls) or assigned to the following treatments for 16 weeks: (1) a diet enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, (2) the
cis
-monounsaturated fatty acid diet plus biweekly injections of an antisense oligonucleotide specific to hepatic sterol-O-acyltransferase 2 (SOAT2); or (3) the
cis
-monounsaturated fatty acid diet and biweekly injections of a nontargeting hepatic antisense oligonucleotide. Extent of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta was monitored morphometrically in vivo with magnetic resonance imaging and ex vivo histologically and immunochemically. Hepatic knockdown of SOAT2 via antisense oligonucleotide treatment arrested lesion growth and stabilized lesions.

Conclusions—

Hepatic knockdown of SOAT2 in apoB100-only, LDLr
–/–
mice resulted in remodeling of aortic atherosclerotic lesions into a stable phenotype, suggesting SOAT2 is a viable target for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Association of Smoking Status With Angina and Health-Related Quality of Life After Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Buchanan Donna M. , Arnold Suzanne V. , Gosch Kensey L. , Jones Philip G. , Longmore Lance S. , Spertus John A. , Cresci Sharon 
Published: August 2015

Background—
Smoking cessation after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) decreases the risk of recurrent AMI and mortality by 30% to 50%, but many patients continue to smoke. The association of smoking with angina and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after AMI is unclear.

Methods and Results—
Patients in 2 US multicenter AMI registries (n=4003) were assessed for smoking and HRQOL at admission and 1, 6, and 12 months after AMI. Angina and HRQOL were measured with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire and Short Form-12 Physical and Mental Component Scales. At admission, 29% never had smoked, 34% were former smokers (quit before AMI), and 37% were active smokers, of whom 46% quit by 1 year (recent quitters). In hierarchical, multivariable, regression models that adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical and treatment factors, never and former smokers had similar and the best HRQOL in all domains. Recent quitters had intermediate HRQOL levels, with angina and Short Form-12 Mental Component Scale scores similar to never smokers. Persistent smokers had worse HRQOL in all domains compared with never smokers and worse Short Form-12 Mental Component Scale scores than recent quitters.

Conclusions—
Smoking after AMI is associated with more angina and worse HRQOL in all domains, whereas smokers who quit after AMI have similar angina levels and mental health as never smokers. These observations may help encourage patients to stop smoking after AMI.
Development and Validation of a Short Version of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire
Authors: Spertus John A. , Jones Philip G. 
Published: August 2015

Background—
There is a growing demand to collect patients’ experiences of their health status (their symptoms, function, and quality of life) in clinical trials, quality assessment initiatives, and in routine clinical care. In heart failure, the 23-item, disease-specific Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) has been shown to be valid, reliable, sensitive to clinical change, and prognostic of both clinical events and costs. However, its use has been limited, in part, by its length. We sought to develop a shortened version of the instrument that maintains the psychometric properties of the full KCCQ.

Methods and Results—
Using data from 3 clinical studies incorporating 4168 patients, we derived and validated a 12-item KCCQ, the KCCQ-12, to capture symptom frequency, physical and social limitations, and quality of life impairment as a result of heart failure, as well as an overall summary score. The KCCQ-12 scores had high correlations with the original scales (>0.93 for all scales in all clinical settings), high test–retest reliability (>0.76 for all domains), high responsiveness (16–31 point improvements after discharge from hospitalization; standardized response mean =0.61–1.12), and comparable prognostic significance and interpretation of clinically important differences as compared with the full KCCQ.

Conclusions—
The KCCQ-12 is a shorter version of the original 23-item instrument that should be more feasible to implement while preserving the psychometric properties of the full instrument.
Predicting Collateral Status With Magnetic Resonance Perfusion Parameters
Authors: Lee Mi Ji , Son Jeong Pyo , Kim Suk Jae , Ryoo Sookyung , Woo Sook-Young , Cha Jihoon , Kim Gyeong-Moon , Chung Chin-Sang , Lee Kwang Ho , Bang Oh Young 
Published: August 2015

Background and Purpose—
Good collateral flow is an important predictor for favorable responses to recanalization therapy and successful outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. Magnetic resonance perfusion–weighted imaging (MRP) is widely used in patients with stroke. However, it is unclear whether the perfusion parameters and thresholds would predict collateral status. The present study evaluated the relationship between hypoperfusion severity and collateral status to develop a predictive model for good collaterals using MRP parameters.

Methods—

Patients who were eligible for recanalization therapy that underwent both serial diffusion-weighted imaging and serial MRP were enrolled into the study. A collateral flow map derived from MRP source data was generated through automatic postprocessing. Hypoperfusion severity, presented as proportions of every 2-s
T
max strata to the entire hypoperfusion volume (
T
max≥2 s), was compared between patients with good and poor collaterals. Prediction models for good collaterals were developed with each
T
max strata proportion and cerebral blood volumes.

Results—

Among 66 patients, 53 showed good collaterals based on MRP-based collateral grading. Although no difference was noted in delays within 16 s, more severe
T
max delays (
T
max
16–18 s
,
T
max
18–22 s
,
T
max
22–24 s
, and
T
max
>24 s
) were associated with poor collaterals. The probability equation model using
T
max strata proportion demonstrated high predictive power in a receiver operating characteristic analysis (area under the curve=0.9303; 95% confidence interval, 0.8682–0.9924). The probability score was negatively correlated with the volume of infarct growth (
P
=0.030).

Conclusions—

Collateral status is associated with more severe
T
max delays than previously defined. The present
T
max severity–weighted model can determine good collaterals and subsequent infarct growth.
The Relationship between Atmospheric Convective Radiative Effect and Net Energy Transport in the Tropical Warm Pool
Authors: Harrop Bryce E. , Hartmann Dennis L. 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Reanalysis data and radiation budget data are used to calculate the role of the atmospheric cloud radiative effect in determining the magnitude of horizontal export of energy by the tropical atmosphere. Because tropical high clouds result in net radiative heating of the atmosphere, they increase the requirement for the atmosphere to export energy from convective regions. Increases in upper-tropospheric water vapor associated with convection contribute about a fifth of the atmospheric radiative heating anomaly associated with convection. Over the warmest tropical oceans, the radiative effect of convective clouds and associated water vapor is roughly two-thirds the value of the atmospheric energy transport. Cloud radiative heating and atmospheric heat transport increase at the same rate with increasing sea surface temperature, suggesting that the increased energy export is supplied by the radiative heating associated with convective clouds. The net cloud radiative effect at the top of the atmosphere is insensitive to changes in SST over the warm pool. Principal component analysis of satellite-retrieved cloud data reveals that the insensitivity of the net cloud radiative effect to SST is the result of changes in cloud amount offsetting changes in cloud optical thickness and cloud-top height. While increasing upward motion makes the cloud radiative effect more negative, that decrease is offset by reductions in outgoing longwave radiation owing to increases in water vapor.
Type I Thyroplasty in Previously Irradiated Patients
Authors: Rosow David E. , Al‐Bar Mohammad H. 
Published: August 2015

Objectives(1) Review and report our experience performing medialization thyroplasty (MT) in previously irradiated patients and (2) compare complications and voice outcomes in 2 cohorts (irradiated vs nonradiated) to evaluate safety and efficacy.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingAcademic medical center.SubjectsAll patients (44 total) who underwent MT from 2011 to 2015.MethodsDemographic data, complications, and acoustic and subjective voice outcome parameters were collected. The complication rates and voice outcome results were compared between 2 cohorts: patients with a history of radiation to the neck versus those with no radiation history.ResultsThere were 7 previously irradiated patients and 37 nonradiated patients, with median follow‐up of 314 and 538 days, respectively. One complication was noted in each group, and this complication rate was not significantly different (P =. 26). Both cohorts demonstrated significant postoperative improvement in subjective voice assessment (P =. 04, P <. 0001) as well as maximum phonation time (P =. 02,. 001) when compared with preoperative data.ConclusionsOur study suggests that MT can be safely and effectively performed in irradiated patients. We found no statistically significant difference in the safety of performing MT in irradiated versus nonradiated patients, and there was significant improvement in subjective voice parameters and maximum phonation time in both groups. A larger prospective study is required to statistically determine whether the significant improvements in objective parameters seen in the nonradiated group are present in irradiated patients as well.
Increased Pharyngeal Reflux in Patients Treated for Laryngeal Cancer
Authors: LeBlanc Blake , Lewis Ellen , Caldito Gloria , Nathan Cherie‐Ann O. 
Published: August 2015

ObjectiveLaryngopharyngeal reflux may cause significant morbidity in the head and neck cancer population. The goal was to determine if pharyngeal reflux is increased as a result of treatment for laryngeal cancer.Study DesignA prospective clinical trial.SettingTertiary care center.SubjectsHead and neck cancer patients treated at LSU Health–Shreveport with a plan for total laryngectomy.MethodsPharyngeal pH probes with resultant reflux scores were utilized in patients with laryngeal/pharyngeal cancer with a plan for total laryngectomy.ResultsTwenty‐four patients were enrolled, of whom 10 underwent postlaryngectomy pH probe monitoring. The mean upright Ryan score for patients with prior radiotherapy was 238.4 (n = 8), compared with 22.0 (n = 16) in those without prior radiotherapy (P =. 02). The supine score was 12.7 in the radiotherapy group and 2.7 in those without radiotherapy (P =. 12). For those who completed the postlaryngectomy pH study (n = 10), the mean preoperative upright Ryan score was 106.32 ± 279.1 versus a postoperative score of 209.0 ± 352.6 (P =. 04). The mean supine preoperative Ryan score in this group was 3.9 ± 3.47, as opposed to 8.1 ± 9.6 postoperatively (P =. 13)ConclusionsThis study suggests that treatment of laryngeal cancer may increase the incidence of pharyngeal reflux. Consider screening for reflux in patients previously treated for laryngeal cancer.
Bedside Injection Medialization Laryngoplasty in Immediate Postoperative Patients
Authors: Barbu Anca M. , Gniady John P. , Vivero Richard J. , Friedman Aaron D. , Burns James A. 
Published: August 2015

ObjectivesThe morbidity of glottic insufficiency resulting from unilateral vocal fold immobility may significantly compromise postoperative recovery in patients with decreased pulmonary reserve or inability to protect their airway. Injection medialization laryngoplasty is an effective means of treating glottic insufficiency due to unilateral vocal fold immobility. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with bedside transoral injection medialization laryngoplasty in the immediate postoperative period.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingAcademic tertiary care hospital.Subjects and MethodsPatient demographics, clinical characteristics, procedural details, and short‐term outcome measures of oral intake were recorded in a cohort of 68 patients over 5 years with unilateral vocal cord paralysis who underwent injection medialization as a bedside procedure in the immediate postoperative period.ResultsMean time to injection was 8.2 days postoperatively. At the time of injection, 40 of 68 patients were nil per os. Seventy percent (28 of 40) had their diet advanced to adequate oral intake within 5 days of injection. Greater than half of the injections (36 of 68) were performed in the intensive care unit. No complications were noted, and all patients in this cohort were able to tolerate the bedside injection.ConclusionBedside injection medialization laryngoplasty in the immediate postoperative period via the transoral approach can be performed in patients, even in the intensive care unit, while on anticoagulation, and may be of benefit for hospitalized patients with unilateral vocal fold immobility. Further studies quantifying improvement in voice and swallowing data are merited.
An OR- Approach Based on Markov Modelling To Analyse Immigration Process
Authors: Venugopal N. , Mehary Tesfa-Yesus , Rao K.S. 
Published: August 2015

Population Change is a fascinating area of investigation attracting big interest of demographers in current times. In this paper, we attempt to introduce dynamic stochasticity through Markov models (See [3]) and employ the well known technique of ABC-Analysis (See [2]) to the immigration data and predict future state probabilities of the immigration process through ȁCsteady state” (See [31). To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a methodology is developed synthesising techniques in the theories of OR and Stochastic processes to investigate into the random phenomenon of migration. The theoretical results are supported by empirical work on the immigration data of Eritrea, during 1994 through 1997.
Quantitative Decision Making: A Case of Route Selection for Laying Cross Country Petroleum Pipelines
Authors: Kumar Dey PROF. Prashant 
Published: August 2015

Selection of route for laying cross country petroleum pipeline is governed by the factors like shortest distance between supply and demand points, constructability, minimum effect on environment, approachability etc. This paper establishes a decision support system (DSS) for pipeline route selection with the application of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-attribute decision making technique. AHP allows the consideration of all factors in interactive way with the intervention of decision-makers. The application of the model has been demonstrated through a case of pipeline route selection from Indian perspective. The cost- benefit comparison of shortest route (conventionally selected) and optimal route establishes the effectiveness of the model.
Vascularized posterior interosseous pedicled bone grafting for infected forearm nonunion
Authors: Kamrani R. S. , Farhoud A. , Nabian M. H. , Zanjani L. O. , Farzan M. 
Published: August 2015

Infected forearm nonunion is challenging to treat. We have used a vascularized pedicled bone graft from the distal ulna based on the posterior interosseous artery to treat forearm nonunion with current or previous signs of infection in six patients. Bone union was achieved after a mean of 3.8 months. After a mean follow-up of 25.7 months, no signs of persistent or reactivation of infection were seen in any patient. The mean Quick DASH score significantly improved from 77.4 to 17.6. In addition, the active range of motion of the wrist improved significantly after surgery. In our patients, a vascularized posterior interosseous pedicled bone from the distal ulna is a reliable vascularized bone graft for managing infected forearm nonunion. The Level of evidence of this study is 4.