bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trends in surgery for upper urinary tract calculi in the USA using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample: 1999–2009
Authors: Ghani Khurshid R. , Sammon Jesse D. , Karakiewicz Pierre I. , Sun Maxine , Bhojani Naeem , Sukumar Shyam , Peabody James O. , Menon Mani , Trinh Quoc‐Dien 
Published: March 2013

Objective
To determine trends in demographics and treatment for inpatient upper urinary tract calculi in the USA using a population‐based cohort.
Patients and Methods
All patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of kidney or ureteric calculus between 1999 and 2009 in the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample were extracted and weighted.
Temporal trend analyses were used to determine trends in gender, race and age presentation, as well as utilization rates of interventions.
Temporal trends were quantified using the estimated annual percent change (EAPC) using least squares linear regression analysis.
Results
Overall, 2 109 455 patients were hospitalized with upper urinary tract calculi over the 11‐year period. The majority of admissions were for ureteric calculi (63.4%).
Admissions for renal calculus increased by 12.1% during the study period (EAPC + 0.92%, P = 0.039, 95% CI: 0.17–1.66), whilst discharges for ureteric calculus remained stable.
A significant increase (25.4%) in hospitalizations for women was found (EAPC + 2.21%, P < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.40–3.03); by 2006, more women than men were admitted to hospital (95 953 vs. 94 556, respectively).
There were significant increases in hospitalization for black, Hispanic and older patients.
Significant changes in the use of all studied interventions were found except for ureteroscopy, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy and nephrectomy.
Conclusions
In this nationally representative sample of inpatient discharges, significant increases were found in admissions for renal compared with ureteric calculi, and for black, Hispanic and older patients.
With regard to surgical intervention, the largest increase was found in the use of procedures for kidney calculi.
Women now comprise the majority in the inpatient management of stone disease.
Phenological matching across hemispheres in a long‐distance migratory bird
Authors: Renfrew Rosalind B. , Kim Daniel , Perlut Noah , Smith Joseph , Fox James , Marra Peter P. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractAimIn the Northern Hemisphere, bird migration from the tropic to the temperate zone in spring is thought to proceed at a rate determined in large part by local phenology. In contrast, little is understood about where birds go or the factors that determine why they move or where they stop during the post‐breeding period.LocationStudy sites were in Oregon, Nebraska and Vermont, and location data we collected extend south to Argentina.MethodsWe deployed light‐level geolocators on individual Bobolinks from three populations across the breeding range and compare their southbound movement phenology to austral greening as indicated by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.ResultsBobolinks from all breeding populations synchronously arrived and remained for up to several weeks in two sequential, small non‐breeding areas that were separated by thousands of kilometres, before staging for pre‐alternate moult. Similar to the migration patterns of birds to northern breeding areas, movements into the Southern Hemisphere corresponded to increasing primary productivity.Main conclusionsOur findings suggest that the Bobolink's southbound migration is broadly constrained by resource availability, and its non‐breeding distribution has been shaped by the seasonal phenology of grasslands in both time and space. This is the first documentation of individual birds from across a continental breeding range exhibiting phenological matching during their post‐breeding southward migration. Known conservation threats overlap temporally and spatially with large concentrations of Bobolinks, and should be closely examined. We emphasize the need to consider how individuals move and interact with their environment throughout their annual cycle and over hemispheric scales.
Spatiotemporal SNP analysis reveals pronounced biocomplexity at the northern range margin of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua
Authors: Therkildsen Nina Overgaard , Hemmer‐Hansen Jakob , Hedeholm Rasmus Berg , Wisz Mary S. , Pampoulie Christophe , Meldrup Dorte , Bonanomi Sara , Retzel Anja , Olsen Steffen Malskær , Nielsen Einar Eg 
Published: March 2013

AbstractAccurate prediction of species distribution shifts in the face of climate change requires a sound understanding of population diversity and local adaptations. Previous modeling has suggested that global warming will lead to increased abundance of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the ocean around Greenland, but the dynamics of earlier abundance fluctuations are not well understood. We applied a retrospective spatiotemporal population genomics approach to examine the temporal stability of cod population structure in this region and to search for signatures of divergent selection over a 78‐year period spanning major demographic changes. Analyzing >900 gene‐associated single nucleotide polymorphisms in 847 individuals, we identified four genetically distinct groups that exhibited varying spatial distributions with considerable overlap and mixture. The genetic composition had remained stable over decades at some spawning grounds, whereas complete population replacement was evident at others. Observations of elevated differentiation in certain genomic regions are consistent with adaptive divergence between the groups, indicating that they may respond differently to environmental variation. Significantly increased temporal changes at a subset of loci also suggest that adaptation may be ongoing. These findings illustrate the power of spatiotemporal population genomics for revealing biocomplexity in both space and time and for informing future fisheries management and conservation efforts.
Lumican is increased in experimental and clinical heart failure, and its production by cardiac fibroblasts is induced by mechanical and proinflammatory stimuli
Authors: Engebretsen Kristin V. T. , Lunde Ida G. , Strand Mari E. , Waehre Anne , Sjaastad Ivar , Marstein Henriette S. , Skrbic Biljana , Dahl Christen P. , Askevold Erik T. , Christensen Geir , Bjørnstad Johannes L. , Tønnessen Theis 
Published: March 2013

During progression to heart failure (HF), myocardial extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations and tissue inflammation are central. Lumican is an ECM‐localized proteoglycan associated with inflammatory conditions and known to bind collagens. We hypothesized that lumican plays a role in the dynamic alterations in cardiac ECM during development of HF. Thus, we examined left ventricular cardiac lumican in a mouse model of pressure overload and in HF patients, and investigated expression, regulation and effects of increased lumican in cardiac fibroblasts. After 4 weeks of aortic banding, mice were divided into groups of hypertrophy (AB) and HF (ABHF) based on lung weight and left atrial diameter. Sham‐operated mice were used as controls. Accordingly, cardiac lumican mRNA and protein levels were increased in mice with ABHF. Similarly, cardiac biopsies from patients with end‐stage HF revealed increased lumican mRNA and protein levels compared with control hearts. In vitro, mechanical stretch and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin‐1β increased lumican mRNA as well as secreted lumican protein from cardiac fibroblasts. Stimulation with recombinant glycosylated lumican increased collagen type I alpha 2, lysyl oxidase and transforming growth factor‐β1 mRNA, which was attenuated by costimulation with an inhibitor of the proinflammatory transcription factor NFκB. Furthermore, lumican increased the levels of the dimeric form of collagen type I, decreased the activity of the collagen‐degrading enzyme matrix metalloproteinase‐9 and increased the phosphorylation of fibrosis‐inducing SMAD3. In conclusion, cardiac lumican is increased in experimental and clinical HF. Inflammation and mechanical stimuli induce lumican production by cardiac fibroblasts and increased lumican altered molecules important for cardiac remodeling and fibrosis in cardiac fibroblasts, indicating a role in HF development.
In situ decarboxylation of acetic and formic acids in aqueous inclusions as a possible way to produce excess CH4
Authors: Ong A. , Pironon J. , Robert P. , Dubessy J. , Caumon M.‐C. , Randi A. , Chailan O. , Girard J.‐P. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractAccurate reconstruction of diagenetic P‐T conditions in petroleum reservoirs from fluid inclusion data relies on valid measurements of methane concentration in aqueous inclusions. Techniques have been developed (Raman spectrometry) to provide sufficiently accurate data, assuming measured methane concentration has not been modified after aqueous inclusion entrapment. This study investigates the likelihood that organic acids derived from petroleum fluids and dissolved in formation water might suffer decarboxylation upon postentrapment heating within the fluid inclusion chamber, thereby generating excess CH4 in the inclusions. Four different experiments were conducted in fused silica capillary capsules (FSCCs), mimicking fluid inclusions. The capsules were loaded with acetic (CH3COOH) or formic (HCOOH) acid solution and were heated to 250°C for short durations (<72 h) in closed‐system conditions, with or without applying a fixed PH2. Reaction products were characterized by Raman and FT‐IR spectrometry. Results indicate that decarboxylation reactions did take place, at variable degrees of progress, and that measurable excess CH4 was produced in one experiment using acetic acid. This suggests that methane may be produced from dissolved organic acids in natural aqueous inclusions in specific situations, possibly inducing errors in the thermodynamic interpretation.
Fibre digestion potential in sugarcane across the harvesting window
Authors: Daniel J. L. P. , Capelesso A. , Cabezas‐Garcia E. H. , Zopollatto M. , Santos M. C. , Huhtanen P. , Nussio L. G. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe objectives of this study were to determine the proportion of indigestible neutral detergent fibre (iNDF) in the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) fraction of sugarcane, to estimate changes in NDF digestibility (NDFD) during the harvesting window and to predict sugarcane digestibility based on its fibre fractions. Whole plants of the IAC86‐2480 and IAC93‐3046 varieties were collected during the harvesting windows in 2007 and 2009, respectively. The in vitro true dry matter digestibility (IVTDMD) and fibre contents (NDF, iNDF, acid detergent fibre) were determined by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). The NDFD and potentially digestible NDF digestibility (pdNDFD) were estimated, and the fractional digestion rate of pdNDF was calculated. There was no relationship between growing days and iNDF as a proportion of NDF (P = 0·28) or with the fractional digestion rate of pdNDF (P = 0·30). Therefore, NDFD (mean = 335 g kg−1) and pdNDFD (mean = 657 g kg−1) remained almost constant during the harvesting window (P = 0·70 and P = 0·32 respectively). Acid detergent fibre and NDF were the best predictors of sugarcane dry matter (DM) digestibility. In conclusion, NDFD seems to be unchanged during crop growth. The point at which to harvest sugarcane as a forage source should therefore be decided based on NDF concentration, which is greatly influenced by sucrose accumulation.
Estimating theoretical radiation‐use efficiency for kale crops
Authors: Chakwizira E. , de Ruiter J. M. , Fletcher A. L. , Meenken E. D. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractEstablishing the radiation‐use efficiency (RUE) of forage brassica crops will aid our understanding of their photosynthetic performance. The concept of RUE has been developed for cereals and legumes, but there is limited information for forage brassica crops. Three experiments defining the influence of different sowing dates on ‘Gruner’ kale (Brassica oleracea acephala L.) dry matter production were conducted at Hastings (Hawkes Bay) and Lincoln (Canterbury) in New Zealand between 2002 and 2009. These trials were also evaluated for radiation interception and RUE. Delayed sowing increased RUE in two out of three experiments across sites: from 1·93 g MJ−1 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for December‐sown crops to 2·72 g MJ−1 PAR (P < 0·001) for January‐sown crops at Hastings and from 1·50 for September‐sown crops to 2·00 g MJ−1 PAR (P < 0·001) for November‐sown crops at Lincoln. The different sowing dates and years of experimentation provided a range of mean temperatures (from 13 to 16°C) during the vegetative period. Across years and sowing dates, RUE was strongly correlated with mean temperature (R2 = 0·81) and sowing date (R2 = 0·64), but weakly correlated with season length (R2 = 0·11) and dry matter (R2 = 0·002). There was also a strong correlation (R2 = 0·83) between sowing date and mean temperature. The increase in RUE with delayed sowing was therefore mainly attributed to increased mean temperatures. Radiation‐use efficiency increased at about 0·41 g MJ−1 for each 1°C increase from 13 to 16°C.
Composition, characterisation and analysis of seed oil of Suaeda salsa L
Authors: Xu Baoguo , Zhang Min , Xing Chaohong , Mothibe Kebitsamang Joseph , Zhu Chengpei 
Published: March 2013

SummaryAwareness of vegetable oils being beneficial for health has attracted researchers in exploring different vegetable oils. In this study, Suaeda salsa L. seed oil was extracted and characterised. The yield of S. salsa L. seed oil was 25.99%. Acidity, iodine number, saponification number, peroxide value and unsaponifiable matter were used to assess seed oil quality. Melting point and melting enthalpy were found to be −35.75 °C and 26.39 J g−1, respectively, from differential scanning calorimeter‐melting curves. Fatty acid and triacylglycerol composition of this oil was analysed by GC‐MS and HPLC‐MS, respectively. The main fatty acid in S. salsa L. seed oil is Linoleic (65.03%), and the dominant triacylglycerols (TAGs) were LLL and OLL. The oil was found to have high amounts of α‐tocopherol (36.72 mg 100 g−1) and β‐tocopherol (34.76 mg 100 g−1). All the results suggest that S. salsa L. seed oil may have potential applications in relating industries.
Minor histocompatibility antigens as determinants for graft‐versus‐host disease after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Turpeinen H. , Ojala P. J. , Ojala K. , Miettinen M. , Volin L. , Partanen J. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryMinor histocompatibility antigens (minor H antigens) are genetically polymorphic peptides that have been shown to elicit immune response when mismatched between donor and recipient of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Depending on the expression profiles, mismatches in these genes may either lead to harmful graft‐versus‐host (GvH) reaction or desired graft‐versus‐leukaemia (GvL) effect. We analysed retrospectively the effect of HLA‐restricted matching 11 established autosomal minor H antigens on the risk of graft‐versus‐host disease and relapse in 311 HLA‐matched sibling HSCT of a single centre. Increased incidence of chronic GvH disease was shown to be associated with mismatches in the HA‐8 and ACC‐1. The mRNA expression profiles in a large set of healthy and malignant tissue samples of minor H antigen genes demonstrated in silico that the expression profiles of HA‐8 and ACC‐1 were surprisingly different: HA‐8 gene was expressed in practically all tissues, whereas ACC‐1 gene had a restricted profile. The results demonstrated that mismatches in minor H antigens HA‐8 and ACC‐1 predisposed to chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD).
A moment in time: emergency nurses and the Canterbury earthquakes
Authors: Richardson S. , Ardagh M. , Grainger P. , Robinson V. 
Published: March 2013

AimTo outline the impact of the Canterbury, New Zealand (NZ) earthquakes on Christchurch Hospital, and the experiences of emergency nurses during this time.BackgroundNZ has experienced earthquakes and aftershocks centred in the Canterbury region of the South Island. The location of these, around and within the major city of Christchurch, was unexpected and associated with previously unknown fault lines. While the highest magnitude quake occurred in September 2010, registering 7.1 on the Richter scale, it was the magnitude 6.3 event on 22 February 2011 which was associated with the greatest injury burden and loss of life. Staff working in the only emergency department in the city were faced with an external emergency while also being directly affected as part of the disaster.Sources of EvidenceThis paper developed following interviews with nurses who worked during this period, and draws on literature related to healthcare responses to earthquakes and natural disasters. The establishment of an injury database allowed for an accurate picture to emerge of the injury burden, and each of the authors was present and worked in a clinical capacity during the earthquake.DiscussionNurses played a significant role in the response to the earthquakes and its aftermath. However, little is known regarding the impact of this, either in personal or professional terms. This paper presents an overview of the earthquakes and experiences of nurses working during this time, identifying a range of issues that will benefit from further exploration and research. It seeks to provide a sense of the experiences and the potential meanings that were derived from being part of this ‘moment in time’.ConclusionExamples of innovations in practice emerged during the earthquake response and a number of recommendations for nursing practice are identified.
Doctor? Who? Nurses, patient's best interests and treatment withdrawal: when no doctor is available, should nurses withdraw treatment from patients?
Authors: Birchley Giles 
Published: March 2013

AbstractWhere a decision has been made to stop futile treatment of critically ill patients on an intensive care unit – what is termed withdrawal of treatment in the UK – yet no doctor is available to perform the actions of withdrawal, nurses may be called upon to perform key tasks. In this paper I present two moral justifications for this activity by offering answers to two major questions. One is to ask if it can be in patients' best interests for nurses to be the key actors in withdrawal of life‐sustaining treatment. The other is to ask if there is any reason that the nursing profession should not undertake such tasks if this is so. Both these questions require the resolution of weighty moral and philosophical issues. Thus, while offering a serious attempt to provide moral justifications for nurses undertaking withdrawal, this paper also invites debate over both the aim of task division between nurses and doctors, and how we might decide what is in the best interests of patients.
Intelligence, Wellbeing and Procreative Beneficence
Authors: Carter J. Adam , Gordon Emma C. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIf Savulescu's (2001, 2009) controversial principle of Procreative Beneficence (PB) is correct, then an important implication is that couples should employ genetic tests for non‐disease traits in selecting which child to bring into existence. Both defenders as well as some critics of this normative entailment of PB have typically accepted the comparatively less controversial claim about non‐disease traits: that there are non‐disease traits such that testing and selecting for them would in fact contribute to bringing about the child who is expected to have the best life. We challenge this less controversial claim, not by arguing deductively for its falsity, but by showing that Savulescu's central argument for this presumably less controversial claim fails. Savulescu offers intelligence as the paradigm example of a testable non‐disease trait such that testing and selecting for it would increase the likelihood that the child selected would be the one who is expected to have the best life (or at least as good a life as the others). We provide a series of arguments aimed at demonstrating that Savulescu's argument from intelligence fails. If our arguments are successful, the upshot is not that PB is false, but more modestly, that the burden of proof remains squarely with Savulescu.
Why ‘Nonexistent People’ Do Not Have Zero Wellbeing but No Wellbeing at All
Authors: Herstein Ori J. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractSome believe that the harm or benefit of existence is assessed by comparing a person's actual state of wellbeing with the level of wellbeing they would have had had they never existed. This approach relies on ascribing a state or level of wellbeing to ‘nonexistent people’, which seems a peculiar practice: how can we attribute wellbeing to a ‘nonexistent person'? To explain away this oddity, some have argued that because no properties of wellbeing can be attributed to ‘nonexistent people’ such people may be ascribed a neutral or zero level of wellbeing, setting the baseline for comparatively assessing the harm or benefit of coming into existence. However, this line of argumentation conflates the category of having zero wellbeing with the category of having no wellbeing. No Φ, unlike a zero level of Φ, is not comparable to levels of Φ — neutral, positive, or negative. Considering the nature of wellbeing and the fact that ‘nonexistent people’ cannot (metaphysically or conceptually) have wellbeing determinative properties, it follows that ‘nonexistent people’ have no wellbeing rather than zero wellbeing.
Lead Thrombi Associated with Externalized Cables on Riata ICD Leads: A Case Series
Authors: GOYAL SANDEEP K. , ELLIS CHRISTOPHER R. , ROTTMAN JEFFERY N. , WHALEN S. PATRICK 
Published: March 2013

Thrombi on Riata ICD LeadsSt. Jude Riata family ICD leads are subject to an FDA class I recall due to insulation failure, cable extrusions, and a high rate of electrical failures. We present multiple cases of large intravascular thrombus formation adherent to externalized conductor cables on Riata leads. Our observations highlight a previously unknown risk of large or calcified thrombus formation involving externalized conductors. We suggest that these leads should be screened for thrombi prior to potential lead extraction to determine the safest approach. Serial echocardiography may help detect progressive thrombus formation. The role of systemic anticoagulation for prevention or treatment of these thrombi remains unclear.
Percutaneous Stellate Ganglion Block Suppressing VT and VF in a Patient Refractory to VT Ablation
Authors: HAYASE JUSTIN , PATEL JIGAR , NARAYAN SANJIV M. , KRUMMEN DAVID E. 
Published: March 2013

Percutaneous Stellate Ganglion Block Suppressing VT and VFIntroductionElectrical storm is a condition characterized by multiple episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) in a short period of time.Case PresentationAn 80‐year‐old male with a history of ischemic cardiomyopathy presented with multiple ICD shocks. As a last resort, he underwent percutaneous left, followed by right, stellate ganglion block under fluoroscopic guidance. Since his discharge, he has been managed with alternating, biweekly left and right stellate ganglion blocks, and he has received no ICD shocks.DiscussionThis case illustrates the potential of ongoing, temporary percutaneous stellate ganglion blockade in suppressing ventricular arrhythmogenesis.