bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do the Benefits of Participation in a Hypertension Self-Management Trial Persist After Patients Resume Usual Care?
Authors: Maciejewski Matthew L. , Bosworth Hayden B. , Olsen Maren K. , Smith Valerie A. , Edelman David , Powers Benjamin J. , Kaufman Miriam A. , Oddone Eugene Z. , Jackson George L. 
Published: March 2014

Background—
Hypertension self-management has been shown to improve systolic blood pressure (BP) control, but longer-term economic and clinical impacts are unknown. The purpose of this article is to examine clinical and economic outcomes 18 months after completion of a hypertension self-management trial.

Methods and Results—
This study is a follow-up analysis of an 18-month, 4-arm, hypertension self-management trial of 591 veterans with hypertension who were randomized to usual care or 1 of 3 interventions. Clinic-derived systolic blood pressure obtained before, during, and after the trial were estimated using linear mixed models. Inpatient admissions, outpatient expenditures, and total expenditures were estimated using generalized estimating equations. The 3 telephone-based interventions were nurse-administered health behavior promotion, provider-administered medication adjustments based on hypertension treatment guidelines, or a combination of both. Intervention calls were triggered by home BP values transmitted via telemonitoring devices. Clinical and economic outcomes were examined 12 months before, 18 months during, and 18 months after trial completion. Compared with usual care, patients randomized to the combined arm had greater improvement in proportion of BP control during and after the 18-month trial and estimated proportion of BP control improved 18 months after trial completion for patients in the behavioral and medication management arms. Among the patients with inadequate baseline BP control, estimated mean systolic BP was significantly lower in the combined arm as compared with usual care during and after the 18-month trial. Utilization and expenditure trends were similar for patients in all 4 arms.

Conclusions—
Behavioral and medication management can generate systolic BP improvements that are sustained 18 months after trial completion.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00237692.
Effect of Provider Volume on the Accuracy of Hospital Report Cards
Authors: Austin Peter C. , Reeves Mathew J. 
Published: March 2014

Background—
Hospital report cards, in which outcomes after the provision of medical or surgical care are compared across healthcare providers, are being published with increasing frequency. However, the accuracy of such comparisons is controversial, especially when case volumes are small. The objective was to determine the relationship between hospital case volume and the accuracy of hospital report cards.

Methods and Results—
Monte Carlo simulations were used to examine the influence of hospital case volume on the accuracy of hospital report cards in a setting in which true hospital performance was known with certainty, and perfect risk-adjustment was feasible. The parameters used to generate the simulated data sets were obtained from empirical analyses of data on patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction in Ontario, Canada, in which the overall 30-day mortality rate was 11.1%. We found that provider volume had a strong effect on the accuracy of hospital report cards. However, provider volume had to be >300 before ≥70% of hospitals were correctly classified. Furthermore, hospital volume had to be >1000 before ≥80% of hospitals were correctly classified.

Conclusions—
Producers and users of hospital report cards need to be aware that, even when perfect risk adjustment is possible, the accuracy of hospital report cards is, at best, modest for small to medium-sized case loads (ie, 100–300). Hospital report cards displayed high degrees of accuracy only when provider volumes exceeded the typical annual hospital case load for many cardiovascular conditions and procedures.
Impact of Combat Deployment and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Newly Reported Coronary Heart Disease Among US Active Duty and Reserve Forces
Authors: Crum-Cianflone Nancy F. , Bagnell Melissa E. , Schaller Emma , Boyko Edward J. , Smith Besa , Maynard Charles , Ulmer Christi S. , Vernalis Marina , Smith Tyler C. 
Published: March 2014

Background—
The recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have exposed thousands of service members to intense stress, and as a result, many have developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The role of military deployment experiences and PTSD in coronary heart disease (CHD) is not well defined, especially in young US service members with recent combat exposure.

Methods and Results—

We conducted a prospective cohort study to investigate the relationships between wartime experiences, PTSD, and CHD. Current and former US military personnel from all service branches participating in the Millennium Cohort Study during 2001 to 2008 (n=60 025) were evaluated for newly self-reported CHD. Electronic medical record review for
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification
codes for CHD was conducted among a subpopulation of active duty members (n=23 794). Logistic regression models examined the associations between combat experiences and PTSD with CHD with adjustment for established CHD risk factors. A total of 627 participants (1.0%) newly reported CHD over an average of 5.6 years of follow-up. Deployers with combat experiences had an increased odds of newly reporting CHD (odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–2.40) and having a diagnosis code for new-onset CHD (odds ratio, 1.93; 95% confidence interval, 1.31–2.84) compared with noncombat deployers. Screening positive for PTSD symptoms was associated with self-reported CHD before but not after adjustment for depression and anxiety and was not associated with a new diagnosis code for CHD.

Conclusions—
Combat deployments are associated with new-onset CHD among young US service members and veterans. Experiences of intense stress may increase the risk for CHD over a relatively short period among young adults.
Microstructural Impact of Ischemia and Bone Marrow–Derived Cell Therapy Revealed With Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tractography of the Heart In Vivo
Authors: Sosnovik David E. , Mekkaoui Choukri , Huang Shuning , Chen Howard H. , Dai Guangping , Stoeck Christian T. , Ngoy Soeun , Guan Jian , Wang Ruopeng , Kostis William J. , Jackowski Marcel P. , Wedeen Van J. , Kozerke Sebastian , Liao Ronglih 
Published: March 2014

Background—
The arrangement of myofibers in the heart is highly complex and must be replicated by injected cells to produce functional myocardium. A novel approach to characterize the microstructural response of the myocardium to ischemia and cell therapy, with the use of serial diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging tractography of the heart in vivo, is presented.

Methods and Results—
Validation of the approach was performed in normal (n=6) and infarcted mice (n=6) as well as healthy human volunteers. Mice (n=12) were then injected with bone marrow mononuclear cells 3 weeks after coronary ligation. In half of the mice the donor and recipient strains were identical, and in half the strains were different. A positive response to cell injection was defined by a decrease in mean diffusivity, an increase in fractional anisotropy, and the appearance of new myofiber tracts with the correct orientation. A positive response to bone marrow mononuclear cell injection was seen in 1 mouse. The response of the majority of mice to bone marrow mononuclear cell injection was neutral (9/12) or negative (2/12). The in vivo tractography findings were confirmed with histology.

Conclusions—
Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging tractography was able to directly resolve the ability of injected cells to generate new myofiber tracts and provided a fundamental readout of their regenerative capacity. A highly novel and translatable approach to assess the efficacy of cell therapy in the heart is thus presented.
Tenuipalpidae (Acari: Trombidiformes) from Casuarinaceae (Fagales)
Authors: BEARD JENNIFER J. , SEEMAN OWEN D. , BAUCHAN GARY R. 
Published: March 2014

The Tenuipalpidae associated with the Casuarinaceae are reviewed, including one new genus, Palpipalpus gen. nov., twelve new species, and seven redescriptions. Two new generic records for Australia are established, Pentamerismus and Philippipalpus. The new species are: Chaudhripalpus costacola Beard and Seeman sp. nov., Crossipalpus gersoni Beard and Seeman sp. nov., Crossipalpus raveni Beard and Seeman sp. nov., Magdalenapalpus caperatus Beard and Seeman sp. nov., Magdalenapalpus forsteri Seeman and Beard sp. nov., Pentamerismus sititoris Beard and Seeman sp. nov., Pentamerismus hicklingorum Seeman and Beard sp. nov., Pentamerismus wardo Seeman and Beard sp. nov., Palpipalpus hesperius Beard and Seeman sp. nov. gen. nov., Philippipalpus flumaquercus Beard and Seeman sp. nov., Philippipalpus belah Beard and Seeman sp. nov., and Philippipalpus nigraquercus Seeman and Beard sp. nov. Meyeraepalpus delfinadae Smiley et al., is reinstated based on new material and an analysis of its phylogenetic relationships. Crossipalpus muellerianae Smiley et al., Crossipalpus verticillatae Smiley et al., and Tegopalpus conicus Womersley are redescribed and rediagnosed from the original type specimens and newly collected material; and Chaudhripalpus creelae (Smiley et al.), Magdalenapalpus strandtmanni (Smiley et al.) and Philippipalpus agohoi Corpuz-Raros are redescribed and rediagnosed from type material only. All flat mite species were host-specific. Up to three species of flat mite were collected from a single she-oak species. Leg setation and ontogeny are reviewed for the taxa studied. A key to Tenuipalpidae from Casuarinaceae is provided. A phylogeny of the subfamily Tegopalpinae found the following relationships: Meyeraepalpus (Australopalpus, Crossipalpus, Palpipalpus (Magdalenapalpus (Philippipalpus (Chaudhripalpus + Tegopalpus)))). Our preliminary analysis of the Tegopalpinae suggested the group is monophyletic and its sister group is Phytoptipalpus.
High-Resolution Polarimetric Radar Observations of Snow-Generating Cells
Authors: Kumjian Matthew R. , Rutledge Steven A. , Rasmussen Roy M. , Kennedy Patrick C. , Dixon Mike 
Published: March 2014

AbstractHigh-resolution X-band polarimetric radar data were collected in 19 snowstorms over northern Colorado in early 2013 as part of the Front Range Orographic Storms (FROST) project. In each case, small, vertically erect convective turrets were observed near the echo top. These “generating cells” are similar to those reported in the literature and are characterized by ~1-km horizontal and vertical dimensions, vertical velocities of 1–2 m s−1, and lifetimes of at least 10 min. In some cases, these generating cells are enshrouded by enhanced differential reflectivity ZDR, indicating a “shroud” of pristine crystals enveloping the larger, more isotropic particles. The anticorrelation of radar reflectivity factor at horizontal polarization ZH and ZDR suggests ongoing aggregation or riming of particles in the core of generating cells. For cases in which radiosonde data were collected, potential instability was found within the layer in which generating cells were observed. The persistence of these layers suggests that radiative effects are important, perhaps by some combination of cloud-top cooling and release of latent enthalpy through depositional and riming growth of particles within the cloud. The implications for the ubiquity of generating cells and their role as a mechanism for ice crystal initiation and growth are discussed.
A comparison of toxicity and health care resource use between eribulin, capecitabine, gemcitabine, and vinorelbine in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated in a community oncology setting
Authors: Dranitsaris G , Beegle N , Kalberer T , Blau S , Cox D , Faria C 
Published: March 2014

Background Capecitabine (C), gemcitabine (G), and vinorelbine (V) are commonly used as single agents in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Eribulin (E) is one of the most recent cytotoxic agents to gain regulatory approval for metastatic breast cancer in the United States as a single agent. EMBRACE – a large randomized trial demonstrated the safety and overall survival benefit of eribulin in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients compared to treatment of physician's choice. In this analysis, toxicity and the associated health care resource use were compared between the four agents in a sample of metastatic breast cancer patients treated in a US community oncology setting. Methods This study identified 411 patients (C=144, G=81, V=96, and E=90) who were treated in 19 community oncology clinics over the preceding two-year period. Data collection included baseline patient and disease characteristics, duration of therapy, use of supportive care drugs, type of dose limiting toxicities, and their impact on overall health care resource use. Results The median lines of therapy for C, G, V, and E were second, third, third, and fourth, respectively. Patients were comparable with respect to baseline comorbidities, performance status, serum creatinine, hemoglobin, neutrophil, and platelet counts. The proportion reporting at least one adverse event (any grade) with C, G, V, and E was 45%, 65%, 75%, and 63%. The most commonly reported toxicities (regardless of grade) for C, G, and V were diarrhea (19.4%), anemia (34.6%), and neutropenia (50.0%), respectively. The most common toxicity for E was neutropenia (32.2%). Overall, 5.6%, 19.8%, 22.9%, and 22.2% of patients receiving C, G, V, and E required at least one medical intervention to manage a toxic event. Toxicity was the cause of treatment discontinuation in 25.7%, 8.6%, 11.5%, and 8.9% of C, G, V, and E patients, respectively. The primary cause for treatment discontinuation in all four cohorts was disease progression. Conclusions Eribulin demonstrated a comparable patient safety profile to gemcitabine and vinorelbine, even when administered after three lines of prior therapies. Capecitabine was generally used in earlier lines, had less neutropenia and anemia, but more treatment discontinuations due to toxicity.
Altered functional connectivity and performance variability in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Wojtowicz Magdalena , Mazerolle Erin L , Bhan Virender , Fisk John D 
Published: March 2014

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) demonstrate slower and more variable performance on attention and information processing speed tasks. Greater variability in cognitive task performance has been shown to be an important predictor of neurologic status and provides a unique measure of cognitive performance in MS patients. Objectives: This study investigated alterations in resting-state functional connectivity associated with within-person performance variability in MS patients. Methods: Relapsing–remitting MS patients and matched healthy controls completed structural MRI and resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) scans, as well as tests of information processing speed. Performance variability was calculated from reaction time tests of processing speed. rsfMRI connectivity was investigated within regions associated with the default mode network (DMN). Relations between performance variability and functional connectivity in the DMN within MS patients were evaluated. Results: MS patients demonstrated greater reaction time performance variability compared to healthy controls ( p<0.05). For MS patients, more stable performance on a complex processing speed task was associated with greater resting-state connectivity between the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the frontal pole. Conclusions: Among MS patients, greater functional connectivity between medial prefrontal and frontal pole regions appears to facilitate performance stability on complex speed-dependent information processing tasks.
An empowerment model of workplace support following disclosure, for people with MS
Authors: Kirk-Brown AK , Van Dijk PA 
Published: March 2014

Background: Vocational interventions aimed at increasing job retention for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are reliant upon a partnership with a supportive work environment. A better understanding of the types of psychosocial support that are most conducive to retaining employees’ sense of work-efficacy will enhance the success of interventions aimed at reducing workplace barriers to job maintenance. Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the types of psychosocial support that people with MS require post-disclosure, in order to maintain their employment status. In particular, we examined the roles of psychological safety and work-efficacy. Methods: We interviewed 40 employees with MS either individually ( n = 25) or within three focus groups ( n = 15). These interviews were audio-taped and the content analysed, using an inductive thematic approach. Results: Themes to emerge in organisational responses to disclosure were: a focus on ability (leading to enhanced perceptions of psychological safety and higher work-efficacy) and on disability (leading to diminished psychological safety and reduced perceptions of work-efficacy). Conclusion: Organisational responses to disclosure demonstrating trust and inclusive decision making, and focussing on employee abilities, enhance perceptions of psychological safety at work. This increases the likelihood that employees with MS will retain their sense of work-efficacy and reduce their intentions to leave.
Bilinear Calderón-Zygmund operators of type "Equation missing" on non-homogeneous space
Authors: Zheng Taotao , Tao Xiangxing , Wu Xiaomei 
Published: March 2014

Abstract
Let

(
X
,
d
,
μ
)

be a geometrically doubling metric spaces and the measure μ satisfy the upper doubling condition. The aim of this paper, under this assumption, is to study the boundedness of the bilinear Calderón-Zygmund operator of type

ω
(
t
)

. As an application, we obtain the Morrey boundedness properties of the bilinear operator.

MSC:42B20, 42B25, 42B35.
T-cell activation discriminates subclasses of symptomatic primary humoral immunodeficiency diseases in adults
Authors: Picat Marie-Quitterie , Thiébaut Rodolphe , Lifermann François , Delbrel Xavier , Adoue Daniel , Wittkop Linda , Fauchais Anne-Laure , Rispal Patrick , Moreau Jean-François , Viallard Jean-François 
Published: March 2014

Abstract

Background
Symptomatic Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency Diseases (PHID) constitute a highly heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by a shared hypogammaglobulinemia, resulting in increased risk of recurrent or severe infections. Associations have been described with a variety of immunological abnormalities involving B and T-cell differentiation, T-cell activation and innate immunity. However, PHID discrimination remains based on B-lymphocyte abnormalities and other components of the immune system have not been sufficiently taken into account. We carried out unsupervised and supervised methods for classification in a cohort of 81 symptomatic PHID patients to evaluate the relative importance of 23 immunological parameters and to select relevant markers that may be useful for diagnosis and prognosis.

Results
We identified five groups of patients, among which the percentage of PHID complications varied substantially. Combining the set of markers involved in PHID supported the existence of two distinct mechanisms associated with complications. Switched memory B-cell attrition and CD8+ HLA-DR + activated T-cell increase were the prominent abnormalities observed in PHID complications. Furthermore, in a subgroup of 57 patients with common variable immunodeficiency, the classification that added CD8+ HLA-DR + to the consensual EUROclass classification was better than the EUROclass model in predicting complications.

Conclusion
These results highlight the importance of T-cell activation that may improve discrimination of PHID patients in specific subgroups and help to identify patients with different clinical outcomes.
Building interior layout reconstruction from through-the-wall radar image using MST-based method
Authors: Chen Bo , Jin Tian , Lu Biying , Zhou Zhimin 
Published: March 2014

Abstract
In order to reconstruct the building interior layout from the through-the-wall radar image, this paper proposes a method based on minimum spanning tree (MST) which comes from the graph theory. The building layout graph (BLG) model is firstly established using the wall-wall-floor trihedrals inside the building. The vertex set and the edge set including the weight between any two nodes of the graph are defined afterwards. Then, the MST-based method is used to reconstruct the building interior layout. We have also improved the traditional method by applying the MST model with restricted conditions to solve the reconstruction problem when there exist interference targets in a building. The anechoic chamber measurements are carried out to demonstrate the suitability and efficacy of the MST-based method.
High-resolution measurements of the multilayer ultra-structure of articular cartilage and their translational potential
Authors: He Bo , Wu Jian Ping , Kirk Thomas Brett , Carrino John A , Xiang Chuan , Xu Jiake 
Published: March 2014

AbstractCurrent musculoskeletal imaging techniques usually target the macro-morphology of articular cartilage or use histological analysis. These techniques are able to reveal advanced osteoarthritic changes in articular cartilage but fail to give detailed information to distinguish early osteoarthritis from healthy cartilage, and this necessitates high-resolution imaging techniques measuring cells and the extracellular matrix within the multilayer structure of articular cartilage. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of the cellular components and extracellular matrix of articular cartilage as well as high-resolution imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance image, electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, second harmonic generation microscopy, and laser scanning confocal arthroscopy, in the measurement of multilayer ultra-structures of articular cartilage. This review also provides an overview for micro-structural analysis of the main components of normal or osteoarthritic cartilage and discusses the potential and challenges associated with developing non-invasive high-resolution imaging techniques for both research and clinical diagnosis of early to late osteoarthritis.
The ‘availability’ bias: underappreciated but with major potential implications
Authors: Fares Wassim H 
Published: March 2014

AbstractMany biases have been described that potentially introduce prejudice or a systemic error into a study that would favor one outcome versus another. One major source of bias has, so far, been underappreciated: the availability bias. When the study intervention is available to clinicians outside of the clinical trial, the trial could become biased to favor the control study arm. Clinicians may, consciously or unconsciously, use this intervention outside of the trial on patients whom they believe would benefit from the intervention, and enroll in the trial those patients for whom they do not feel strongly about the benefit of the intervention. The clinicians do not always share the equipoise of the study investigators. This could have major implications on the analysis of clinical trials, including the systematic reviews that originate from such trials.