bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Obesity and Decompressive Laparotomy on Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis Requiring Intensive Care Unit Admission
Authors: Davis Philip J. B. , Eltawil Karim M. , Abu‐Wasel Bassam , Walsh Mark J. , Topp Trevor , Molinari Michele 
Published: October 2012

AbstractBackgroundControversy still exists on the effect that obesity has on the morbidity and mortality in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The primary purpose of this study was to compare the mortality rate of obese versus nonobese patients admitted to the ICU for SAP. Secondary goals were to assess the potential risk factors for abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and to investigate the performance of validated scoring systems to predict ACS and in‐hospital mortality.MethodsA retrospective cohort of adults admitted to the ICU for SAP was stratified by their body mass index (BMI) as obese and nonobese. The rates of morbidity, mortality, and ACS were compared by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Areas under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the discriminating performance of severity scores and other selected variables to predict mortality and the risk of ACS.ResultForty‐five patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and 24 (53 %) were obese with similar characteristics to nonobese patients. Among all the subjects, 11 (24 %) died and 16 (35 %) developed ACS. In‐hospital mortality was significantly lower for obese patients (12.5 vs. 38 %; P = 0.046) even though they seemed to develop ACS more frequently (41 vs. 28 %; P = 0.533). At multivariable analysis, age was the most significant factor associated with in‐hospital mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 1.273; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.052–1.541; P = 0.013) and APACHE II and Glasgow‐Imrie for the development of ACS (OR = 1.143; 95 % CI 1.012–1.292; P = 0.032 and OR = 1.221; 95 % CI 1.000–1.493; P = 0.05) respectively. Good discrimination for in‐hospital mortality was observed for patients’ age (AUC = 0.846) and number of comorbidities (AUC = 0.801). ACS was not adequately predicted by any of the clinical severity scores (AUC = 0.548–0.661).ConclusionsPatients’ age was the most significant factor associated with mortality in patients affected by SAP. Higher APACHE II and Glasgow‐Imrie scores were associated with the development of ACS, but their discrimination performance was unsatisfactory.
Uptake of Cardiac Screening and Genetic Testing Among Hypertrophic and Dilated Cardiomyopathy Families
Authors: Miller Erin M. , Wang Yu , Ware Stephanie M. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractCardiomyopathy is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous, life threatening disease which affects people of all ages. Recent guidelines provide recommendations for cardiac screening and genetic testing in at‐risk relatives, but the uptake and impact of these measures in the United States is unknown. This is a single institution retrospective study that characterizes the uptake of cardiac screening and genetic testing for relatives of a cohort of 57 probands with hypertrophic (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) who underwent both clinical evaluation and genetic testing. Cardiac screening was indicated for 302 relatives. One hundred and seventy‐three (57 %) completed cardiac screening. Forty of the 57 probands were mutation positive and genetic testing was indicated for 213 relatives. Eighty‐four (39 %) completed genetic testing. The uptake of cardiac surveillance was greater than the uptake of genetic testing (p < 0.0001) among relatives of mutation positive probands. Within the group of at‐risk, asymptomatic relatives of probands, cardiac screening and genetic testing were positive in 25 % and 40 % of cases, respectively. These data demonstrate the important role and utility of cascade cardiac screening and genetic testing in the care of patients and families with HCM or DCM. The approach to cardiac screening and genetic testing should be family‐specific and requires expertise in the genetics of cardiomyopathy.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Arab‐American Women Regarding Inherited Cancer Risk
Authors: Mellon Suzanne , Gauthier Jacqueline , Cichon Michelle , Hammad Adnan , Simon Michael S. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe increasing incidence of breast cancer in the Arab world, coupled with a relatively early age of onset, raises concern for the presence of hereditary risk factors in this population. However, due to potential structural and cultural barriers, Arab Americans make up the smallest percentage of individuals tested for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome in the United States. The objectives of this qualitative pilot focus group of 13 Arab‐American women were to explore attitudes, knowledge and beliefs regarding hereditary breast cancer in the Arab‐American community in metropolitan Detroit, identify barriers that would prevent women from seeking hereditary cancer screening/testing and determine who women would talk to about inherited cancer. Results indicated that cultural beliefs and personal experiences with cancer influenced the women's perspectives on hereditary cancer risk. A high level of secrecy about cancer within Arab‐American families was present, which may prevent accurate risk assessment and referral for genetic services. Other identified barriers that may influence hereditary risk assessment included stigma, fears and misconceptions of cancer. While these barriers were present, participants also expressed a strong need for education and tailored cancer risk information for their community.
Increased Bioactive Lipids Content in Human Subcutaneous and Epicardial Fat Tissue Correlates with Insulin Resistance
Authors: Błachnio‐Zabielska Agnieszka U. , Baranowski Marcin , Hirnle Tomasz , Zabielski Piotr , Lewczuk Anna , Dmitruk Iwona , Górski Jan 
Published: October 2012

AbstractObesity is a risk factor for metabolic diseases. Intramuscular lipid accumulation of ceramides, diacylglycerols, and long chain acyl‐CoA is responsible for the induction of insulin resistance. These lipids are probably implicated in obesity‐associated insulin resistance not only in skeletal muscle but also in fat tissue. Only few data are available about ceramide content in human subcutaneous adipose tissue. However, there are no data on DAG and LCACoA content in adipose tissue. The aim of our study was to measure the lipids content in human SAT and epicardial adipose tissue we sought to determine the bioactive lipids content by LC/MS/MS in fat tissue from lean non‐diabetic, obese non‐diabetic, and obese diabetic subjects and test whether the lipids correlate with HOMA‐IR. We found, that total content of measured lipids was markedly higher in OND and OD subjects in both types of fat tissue (for all p < 0.001) as compared to LND group. In SAT we found positive correlation between HOMA‐IR and C16:0‐Cer (r = 0.79, p < 0.001) and between HOMA‐IR and C16:0/18:2 DAG (r = 0.56, p < 0.001). In EAT we found a strong correlation between C16:0‐CoA content and HOMA‐IR (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). The study showed that in obese and obese diabetic patients, bioactive lipids content is greater in subcutaneous and epicardial fat tissue and the particular lipids content positively correlates with HOMA‐IR.
The DYNAMO-HIA Model: An Efficient Implementation of a Risk Factor/Chronic Disease Markov Model for Use in Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
Authors: Boshuizen Hendriek C. , Lhachimi Stefan K. , van Baal Pieter H. M. , Hoogenveen Rudolf T. , Smit Henriette A. , Mackenbach Johan P. , Nusselder Wilma J. 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
In Health Impact Assessment (HIA), or priority-setting for health policy, effects of risk factors (exposures) on health need to be modeled, such as with a Markov model, in which exposure influences mortality and disease incidence rates. Because many risk factors are related to a variety of chronic diseases, these Markov models potentially contain a large number of states (risk factor and disease combinations), providing a challenge both technically (keeping down execution time and memory use) and practically (estimating the model parameters and retaining transparency). To meet this challenge, we propose an approach that combines micro-simulation of the exposure information with macro-simulation of the diseases and survival. This approach allows users to simulate exposure in detail while avoiding the need for large simulated populations because of the relative rareness of chronic disease events. Further efficiency is gained by splitting the disease state space into smaller spaces, each of which contains a cluster of diseases that is independent of the other clusters. The challenge of feasible input data requirements is met by including parameter calculation routines, which use marginal population data to estimate the transitions between states. As an illustration, we present the recently developed model DYNAMO-HIA (DYNAMIC MODEL for Health Impact Assessment) that implements this approach.
Coherent Mortality Forecasting: The Product-Ratio Method With Functional Time Series Models
Authors: Hyndman Rob J. , Booth Heather , Yasmeen Farah 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
When independence is assumed, forecasts of mortality for subpopulations are almost always divergent in the long term. We propose a method for coherent forecasting of mortality rates for two or more subpopulations, based on functional principal components models of simple and interpretable functions of rates. The product-ratio functional forecasting method models and forecasts the geometric mean of subpopulation rates and the ratio of subpopulation rates to product rates. Coherence is imposed by constraining the forecast ratio function through stationary time series models. The method is applied to sex-specific data for Sweden and state-specific data for Australia. Based on out-of-sample forecasts, the coherent forecasts are at least as accurate in overall terms as comparable independent forecasts, and forecast accuracy is homogenized across subpopulations.
Paradox Revisited: A Further Investigation of Racial/Ethnic Differences in Infant Mortality by Maternal Age
Authors: Powers Daniel A. 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
I reexamine the epidemiological paradox of lower overall infant mortality rates in the Mexican-origin population relative to U.S.-born non-Hispanic whites using the 1995–2002 U.S. NCHS linked cohort birth-infant death files. A comparison of infant mortality rates among U.S.-born non-Hispanic white and Mexican-origin mothers by maternal age reveals an infant survival advantage at younger maternal ages when compared with non-Hispanic whites, which is consistent with the Hispanic infant mortality paradox. However, this is accompanied by higher infant mortality at older ages for Mexican-origin women, which is consistent with the weathering framework. These patterns vary by nativity of the mother and do not change when rates are adjusted for risk factors. The relative infant survival disadvantage among Mexican-origin infants born to older mothers may be attributed to differences in the socioeconomic attributes of U.S.-born non-Hispanic white and Mexican-origin women.
An Australian Survey of the Clinical Practice Patterns of Case Management for Clients with Brain Injury
Authors: Lannin Natasha , Henry Kareena , Turnbull Michelle , Elder Megan , Campisi Josephine 
Published: October 2012

Aim: To investigate the characteristics of Australian organisations providing case management to individuals who have acquired brain injury, and to determine the methods of case management service delivery including professional development and evaluation of outcomes.Method: An anonymous 23-item web-based survey was used. Respondents were case managers who deliver services to adults and/or children with brain injuries. A snowball sampling method was used to recruit respondents from around Australia.Findings: Fifty-one case managers completed the survey. Respondents were from a wide range of professions, the largest group being occupational therapy. The majority of respondents were based in metropolitan areas, were employed within the public health system and were based in the community. Respondents reported that the main determinant for clients receiving case management was the severity of the brain injury followed by complex family needs. Variations in practice and a lack of consistency in outcome measurement, goal setting and professional development were noted.Discussion: This study provides an overview of characteristics of case management practices for people with acquired brain injury (ABI). Identifying roles and responsibilities of case managers is the first step to developing future research designs, which determine the effectiveness of case management.
Macro-quantization of the guiding centre motion of charged particles in a magnetic field
Authors: VARMA RAM K. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThis review describes the results of investigations on charged particle dynamics in a magnetic field carried out over a number of years. The studies have unravelled the existence of some very surprising and unusual phenomena. Though existing on the macro-scale, they are found to be of quantum origin, and are thereby not covered by the Lorentz equation, which has been regarded conventionally as the descriptor of electrodynamic phenomena on the macro-scale. These novel phenomena have been found to be attributed to the ‘quantum modulation’ of the de Broglie wave along the magnetic field. This is brought about through the scattering-induced transition across Landau levels, leading to the modulation of the plane wave state along the field as a result of the entanglement between the parallel and perpendicular degrees of freedom. These findings were motivated by the predictions of a formalism developed by the author and include such unusual phenomena as (i) macro-scale matter wave interference effects and (ii) the detection of curl-free vector potential also on the macro-scale, both attributed to quantum modulation which is a matter wave on the macro-scale. The formalism is thus described as ‘macro-quantization of guiding centre motion’.
The Path of the Courtier: Castiglione, Machiavelli, and the Loss of Republican Liberty
Authors: Lovett Frank 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAlthough Castiglione'sThe Courtierwas one of the most popular products of the Italian Renaissance, it has largely escaped the attention of modern political theorists. Many dismissThe Courtieras an apolitical work characterized by nostalgia and escapism, but it should not be so dismissed: on the contrary, Castiglione's book expresses a definite political program. This essay explores that program as a “politics of the second best”—as a pragmatic response to unfortunately diminished political opportunities. Put simply, given the choice between trying to make one's master a better person, on the one hand, and not having a master at all, on the other, surely one would not opt for the former unless the latter was not available. Reflection on this point informs the debate between proponents of “negative liberty” and those of “republican liberty.”
John Locke on Custom's Power and Reason's Authority
Authors: Grant Ruth W. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractLocke stresses the power of custom in shaping opinion and behavior, though this aspect of his thought has been underappreciated. Recognizing its importance raises critical issues, particularly the relation between custom and reason and the role of authoritative custom in supporting political and social power. Locke explains in detail the various psychological and sociological mechanisms by which the power of custom is manifested; but he nonetheless consistently and emphatically rejects its authority. Instead, Locke is a champion of the authority of reason. Because custom is powerful, but reason is authoritative, Locke attempts to enlist the power of custom in the service of reason and of reasonable politics, and because custom is powerful and its impact unavoidable, individual intellectual independence cannot mean being without cultural prejudices. At best, it means the ability to gain some critical distance from them. These observations place Locke's relation to the Enlightenment in a new perspective.
Probably Intersecting Families are Not Nested
Authors: RUSSELL PAUL A. , WALTERS MARK 
Published: October 2012

It is well known that an intersecting family of subsets of an n-element set can contain at most 2n−1 sets. It is natural to wonder how ‘close’ to intersecting a family of size greater than 2n−1 can be. Katona, Katona and Katona introduced the idea of a ‘most probably intersecting family’. Suppose that is a family and that 0 < p < 1. Let (p) be the (random) family formed by selecting each set in independently with probability p. A family is most probably intersecting if it maximizes the probability that (p) is intersecting over all families of size ||.Katona, Katona and Katona conjectured that there is a nested sequence consisting of most probably intersecting families of every possible size. We show that this conjecture is false for every value of p provided that n is sufficiently large.
Modified Calgary score in differential diagnosis between cardiac syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome-associated syncope in children
Authors: Yang Jinyan , Zhu Lulu , Chen Stella , Li Xueying , Zhang Qingyou , Zhang Fengwen , Chen Li , Tang Chaoshu , Du Junbao , Jin Hongfang 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe present study was designed to analyse the usefulness of a modified Calgary score system during differential diagnosis between cardiac syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome-associated syncope through a large sample sized clinical investigation. The study included 213 children, including 101 boys and 112 girls, with cardiac syncope or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome-associated syncope in the age group of 2–19 years (mean 11.8 ± 2.9 years). A modified Calgary score was created, which was analysed to predict differential diagnoses between cardiac syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome-associated syncope using a receiver operating characteristic curve. The median of modified Calgary scores for cardiac syncope was −5.0, which significantly differed from that of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (0.0; p < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of a differentiation score of less than −2.5 was 96.3% and 72.7%, respectively. Owing to the fact that the modified Calgary score was an integer, when less than −3.0 the diagnosis could be considered as cardiac syncope. The modified Calgary score could be used to make an initial differential diagnosis between cardiac syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome-associated syncope in the clinic.
The Use of μCT and ESEM in the Study of the Osmosis-Induced Water Uptake by Eurobitum Bituminized Radioactive Waste
Authors: Mariën An , Valcke Elie , Bleyen Nele , Van Geet Maarten , Wevers Martine 
Published: October 2012

AbstractLaboratory water uptake tests are performed at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN to obtain insight into the hydromechanical behavior of Eurobitum bituminized radioactive waste under geological disposal conditions. Small nonradioactive and radioactive Eurobitum samples are hydrated in restricted swelling conditions (i.e., nearly constant volume conditions and constant stress conditions). Microfocus X-ray computer tomography (μCT) proves to be a very suitable technique to follow up the ingress of water in the samples. μCT analyses demonstrate that, under the studied hydration conditions, the water uptake by Eurobitum samples is a diffusion controlled process. A characterization of the partially leached samples with environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) shows that the hydration of salt crystals and the subsequent dilution of the salt solution result in an increase in pore size that is limited to a few tens of μm in restricted swelling conditions. The μCT and ESEM analyses allow improvement in the understanding of water uptake by Eurobitum in restricted swelling conditions. In this article we discuss the μCT and ESEM analyses of nonradioactive Eurobitum samples that were hydrated for 2 to 4 years at a constant stress of 1, 22, 33, and 44 bar or in nearly constant volume conditions.
Use of force during occupation: law enforcement and conduct of hostilities
Authors: Watkin Kenneth 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThis article explores the law governing the maintenance of public order and safety during belligerent occupation. Given the potential for widespread violence associated with international armed conflict, such as occurred in 2003–2004 in Iraq, it is inevitable that military and police forces will be engaged in activities that interface and overlap. Human-rights-based norms governing law enforcement, such as the right to life, are found in humanitarian law, permitting an application of both law enforcement and conduct of hostilities norms under that body of law. This results in the simultaneous application of these norms through both humanitarian and human rights law, which ultimately enhances the protection of inhabitants of the occupied territory.
Development of the ITHACA Toolkit for monitoring human rights and general health care in psychiatric and social care institutions
Authors: Randall J. , Thornicroft G. , Burti L. , Katschnig H. , Lewis O. , Russo J. , Shaw T. , Wahlbeck K. , Rose D. 
Published: October 2012

Background.Human rights violations are commonly experienced by people in psychiatric and social care institutions. States and private organizations providing such health and social services must comply with international human rights law. Monitoring of such compliance is increasingly recognized as a vital component in ensuring that rights are respected and violations are brought out in the open, remedied and prevented.Aims.The Institutional Treatment, Human Rights and Care Assessment (ITHACA) project produced a method to document violations and good practice with the aim of preventing human rights violations and improving general health care practice in psychiatric and social care institutions (www.ithacastudy.eu).Methods.A methodological and implementation study conducted across 15 European countries developed and assessed the ITHACA Toolkit in monitoring visits to 87 mental health organizations.Results.The toolkit is available in 13 European languages and has demonstrated applicability in a range of contexts and conditions. The information gathered through monitoring visits can document both good practice and areas for improvement.Conclusions.The ITHACA Toolkit is an acceptable and feasible method for the systematic monitoring of human rights and general health care in psychiatric and social care institutions that explicitly calls for the participation of service users in the monitoring of human rights violations and general health care practice.