bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sea Surface Temperature Thresholds for Tropical Cyclone Formation
Authors: Tory K. J. , Dare R. A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAlmost 70 years ago a sea surface temperature (SST) threshold of 26°–27°C, below which tropical cyclones (TCs) did not form, was proposed, based on a qualitative assessment of warm-season global SST and known TC formation regions. This threshold was widely accepted without further testing, until a recent study suggested a threshold of 25.5°C. That study is revisited here by reexamining the SST for all global TC formations from 1981 to 2008 using (i) a broader range of SST threshold values, (ii) an improved method for identifying subtropical storms—any storm that forms poleward of the subtropical jet (STJ), and (iii) a range of TC formation gestation periods, which refers to a time interval prior to formation in which the SST threshold is exceeded for at least one 6-h period. Consequently, thresholds reported in this paper are expressed as a combination of SST and gestation period.Using the STJ position to identify and exclude subtropical storms, the threshold of 25.5°C SST–48-h gestation period was found to be robust, but conservative. An examination of TCs of questionable validity (e.g., weak, short lived, and/or storms that formed with baroclinic influences) revealed a further 26 storms (1.2%) that could arguably be excluded from the analysis. With these storms removed, several SST–gestation period threshold combinations were found to be valid, including 25.5°C–18 h and 26.5°C–36 h. A practical threshold combination of 26.5°C–24 h is proposed as only two additional storms failed to meet this threshold, which supports the often-quoted 26.5°C SST necessary condition for TC formation.
Statistical Downscaling of Wintertime Temperatures over South Korea
Authors: Lee Seoyeon , Kim Kwang-Yul 
Published: August 2015

AbstractReanalysis data have global coverage and faithfully render large-scale phenomena. On the other hand, regional and small-scale characteristics of atmospheric variability are poorly resolved. In an attempt to improve reanalysis data for regional use, a statistical downscaling strategy is developed based on cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis. The developed algorithm is applied to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis data and to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data in order to produce winter temperatures at 60 Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) stations over the Korean Peninsula. The developed downscaling algorithm is evaluated by predicting winter daily temperatures from 17 November to 16 March for 35 years (1979–2014). For validating the downscaling algorithm the jackknife method is used, in which winter daily temperature is predicted over a 1-yr period not used for training. This procedure is repeated for the entire data period. The mean and variance of the resulting downscaled temperatures match reasonably well with those of the KMA measurements. Validation based on correlation and error variance shows that the temperatures at 60 KMA stations are faithfully reproduced based on coarse reanalysis data. The utility of this technique for downscaling model predictions based on future scenarios is also addressed.
Effects of Horizontal Diffusion on Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change and Structure in Idealized Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulations
Authors: Zhang Jun A. , Marks Frank D. 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
This study examines the effects of horizontal diffusion on tropical cyclone (TC) intensity change and structure using idealized simulations of the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model (HWRF). A series of sensitivity experiments were conducted with varying horizontal mixing lengths (Lh), but kept the vertical diffusion coefficient and other physical parameterizations unchanged. The results show that both simulated maximum intensity and intensity change are sensitive to the Lh used in the parameterization of the horizontal turbulent flux, in particular, for Lh less than the model’s horizontal resolution. The results also show that simulated storm structures such as storm size, kinematic boundary layer height, and eyewall slope are sensitive to Lh as well. However, Lh has little impact on the magnitude of the surface inflow angle and thermodynamic mixed layer height. Angular momentum budget analyses indicate that the effect of Lh is to mainly spin down a TC vortex. Both mean and eddy advection terms in the angular momentum budget are affected by the magnitude of Lh. For smaller Lh, the convergence of angular momentum is larger in the boundary layer, which leads to a faster spinup of the vortex. The resolved eddy advection of angular momentum plays an important role in the spinup of the low-level vortex inward from the radius of the maximum wind speed when Lh is small.
Deep brain stimulation in mental health: Review of evidence for clinical efficacy
Authors: Fitzgerald Paul B , Segrave Rebecca A 
Published: August 2015

Objective: There is increasing interest in the use of deep brain stimulation as a treatment for psychiatric disorders. In this review, we consider the evidence for the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation for psychiatric indications, with a primary focus on obsessive compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder. Methods: Case reports, case series and clinical trials where deep brain stimulation was primarily utilised in the treatment of a psychiatric disorder, including obsessive compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, anorexia nervosa or an addictive disorder were identified. The evidence for the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder was reviewed with studies clustered by the site of implantation. Results: The majority of identified manuscripts report small case series or single cases. A limited number of studies have reported some form of randomised or blinded stimulation comparison. All of these comparative reports have included small samples of subjects (less than 20 per study in total) compromising the feasibility of making statistical comparison between outcomes in the comparison phases. The two exceptions to this have been industry-sponsored studies conducted in the treatment of major depressive disorder. However, both were stopped prematurely due to concerns about poor efficacy. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence at this point in time to support the use of deep brain stimulation as a clinical treatment for any psychiatric disorder outside of research and programmes where formal outcome data are being systematically collated. While some promising initial data exist to support its potential efficacy for a number of psychiatric conditions, further research is required to establish optimal implantation targets, patient characteristics associated with positive therapeutic outcomes and optimal deep brain stimulation parameters and parameter-programming methods.
Effects of pharmacist-led patient education on diabetes-related knowledge and medication adherence: A home-based study
Authors: Chow Ee Pin , Hassali Mohamed Azmi , Saleem Fahad , Aljadhey Hisham 
Published: August 2015

Objective: Patient education is key to the management of acute and chronic conditions. However, the majority of such educational interventions have been reported from health-care settings. In contrast, this study aims to evaluate whether a home-based intervention can result in better understanding about type 2 diabetes mellitus and can increase adherence to prescribed medications. Method: A non-clinical randomised controlled trial was conducted whereby participants received a home-based educational intervention through a registered pharmacist. A total of 150 patients were randomly assigned to two groups (75 patients in each arm). Diabetes knowledge and medication adherence were measured by means of the 14-item Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test and the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, respectively. Results: No significant differences were observed in either group for demographic variables. There was, however, a significant increase in the participants’ levels of knowledge about type 2 diabetes mellitus and medication adherence in the home-based intervention group at the completion of the intervention ( p < .001). Significantly lower HbA1c levels were also observed among the home-based intervention group following the intervention ( p < .001). Conclusion: A pharmacist-led home-based intervention can significantly increase disease-related knowledge and medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Home-based interventional programmes offer a promising method of patient education and counselling.
Unilateral cancer-associated retinopathy: a case report
Authors: Javaid Zartash , Rehan Shahzaib M , Al-Bermani Ayad , Payne Gareth 
Published: August 2015

We write to report a rare case of unilateral cancer-associated retinopathy previously undocumented in the literature. Cancer-associated retinopathy is an uncommon paraneoplastic syndrome. It is characterised by retinal antigen autoantibodies causing rod and cone dysfunction and abnormal electroretinography findings with consequent progressive visual loss. Our patient, known to have a primary cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, presented with unilateral blurred vision as well as a disturbance in colour and night vision. Electroretinography findings of reduced a and b waves in the right eye, together with a fundoscopic appearance of a mottled retinal pigment epithelium, attenuated blood vessels and optic disc pallor were consistent with unilateral cancer-associated retinopathy. Posterior subtenon injections of triamcinolone were administered to control active disease. With periocular steroid injections, at 4 years, our patient’s visual acuity remained relatively stable and her condition persisted strictly unilaterally. Cancer-associated retinopathy may be the first presenting sign of an underlying malignancy or may indicate its recurrence. Moreover, in patients with a diagnosed gynaecological malignancy, visual symptoms could reflect cancer-associated retinopathy. In our patient visual symptoms came secondary to the diagnosis of cancer.
Total heat loss as a predictor of physiological response in wildland firefighter gear
Authors: DenHartog Emiel A , Walker Marika A , Barker Roger L 
Published: August 2015

In most types of protective clothing heat strain is an important issue. The wildland firefighter clothing system in the USA has seen no major revision over the last decades. In this project the wildland firefighter clothing system was studied at the material and the systems level. On the sweating guarded hot plate and the sweating thermal manikin effects of different base layers (cotton and modacrylic) and meta-aramid outer layers of different fabric weights were evaluated. Then, a human subject trial was performed on a limited set of clothing systems to validate the results from materials and manikin testing. The clothing systems were composed of relevant materials for wildland firefighters with extra configurations added to explore the effects of the highest and lowest levels of protection. All measurement techniques were reverted to a calculation of the total heat loss (THL), as predicted from the hot plate and the manikin and compared to the calculated heat loss from the human subjects. The prediction of the heat strain, based on the sweating guarded hot plate only, gives a large overestimation of the actual heat loss in humans. The currently used standard in the USA that utilizes THL values has no link to actual human heat loss. The manikin showed much better comparison to the human data in absolute terms, but in general underestimated heat loss and showed worse overall correlation to the human heat loss data than the hot plate values.
Optimising contraction and alignment of cellular collagen hydrogels to achieve reliable and consistent engineered anisotropic tissue
Authors: O’Rourke Caitriona , Drake Rosemary AL , Cameron Grant WW , Jane Loughlin A , Phillips James B 
Published: August 2015

Engineered anisotropic tissue constructs containing aligned cell and extracellular matrix structures are useful as in vitro models and for regenerative medicine. They are of particular interest for nervous system modelling and regeneration, where tracts of aligned neurons and glia are required. The self-alignment of cells and matrix due to tension within tethered collagen gels is a useful tool for generating anisotropic tissues, but requires an optimal balance between cell density, matrix concentration and time to be achieved for each specific cell type. The aim of this study was to develop an assay system based on contraction of free-floating cellular gels in 96-well plates that could be used to investigate cell–matrix interactions and to establish optimal parameters for subsequent self-alignment of cells in tethered gels. Using C6 glioma cells, the relationship between contraction and alignment was established, with 60–80% contraction in the 96-well plate assay corresponding to alignment throughout tethered gels made using the same parameters. The assay system was used to investigate the effect of C6 cell density, collagen concentration and time. It was also used to show that blocking α1 integrin reduced the contraction and self-alignment of these cells, whereas blocking α2 integrin had little effect. The approach was validated by using primary astrocytes in the assay system under culture conditions that modified their ability to contract collagen gels. This detailed investigation describes a robust assay for optimising cellular self-alignment and provides a useful reference framework for future development of self-aligned artificial tissue.
Early memories: Clinical relevance and significance
Authors: van der Watt Gillian , Coall David , Sng Adelln , Janca Aleksandar 
Published: August 2015

Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine earliest memories in patients with a mental disorder and their clinical relevance to diagnosis and treatment. Method: A semi-structured early memory questionnaire was developed and 50 patients with anxiety, depression or a psychotic disorder were interviewed. A thematic analysis was conducted to extract dominant themes from the qualitative data. Results: Family events, play, and receiving attention were dominant themes of pleasant memories, while unpleasant memories consisted of fear-provoking situations, abuse/violence, and death-related themes. Participants were able to recall the feelings they had experienced at the time of their earliest memories and most participants stated that their first memories had significant impact in their lives. Conclusions: The findings of this exploratory study suggest that earliest memories may be of clinical significance for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in psychiatry.
A case report using the mental state examination scale (MSES): a tool for measuring change in mental state
Authors: Fernando Irosh , Carter Gregory 
Published: August 2015

Objective: There is a need for a simple and brief tool that can be used in routine clinical practice for the quantitative measurement of mental state across all diagnostic groups. The main utilities of such a tool would be to provide a global metric for the mental state examination, and to monitor the progression over time using this metric. Method: We developed the mental state examination scale (MSES), and used it in an acute inpatient setting in routine clinical work to test its initial feasibility. Results: Using a clinical case, the utility of MSES is demonstrated in this paper. When managing the patient described, the MSES assisted the clinician to assess the initial mental state, track the progress of the recovery, and make timely treatment decisions by quantifying the components of the mental state examination. Conclusion: MSES may enhance the quality of clinical practice for clinicians, and potentially serve as an index of universal mental healthcare outcome that can be used in clinical practice, service evaluation, and healthcare economics.
Lung clearance index in cystic fibrosis subjects treated for pulmonary exacerbations
Authors: Sonneveld Nicole , Stanojevic Sanja , Amin Reshma , Aurora Paul , Davies Jane , Elborn J. Stuart , Horsley Alex , Latzin Philipp , O'Neill Katherine , Robinson Paul , Scrase Emma , Selvadurai Hiran , Subbarao Padmaja , Welsh Liam , Yammine Sophie , Ratjen Felix 
Published: August 2015

Pulmonary exacerbations are important clinical events for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Studies assessing the ability of the lung clearance index (LCI) to detect treatment response for pulmonary exacerbations have yielded heterogeneous results. Here, we conduct a retrospective analysis of pooled LCI data to assess treatment with intravenous antibiotics for pulmonary exacerbations and to understand factors explaining the heterogeneous response.A systematic literature search was performed to identify prospective observational studies. Factors predicting the relative change in LCI and spirometry were evaluated while adjusting for within-study clustering.Six previously reported studies and one unpublished study, which included 176 pulmonary exacerbations in both paediatric and adult patients, were included. Overall, LCI significantly decreased by 0.40 units (95% CI −0.60– −0.19, p=0.004) or 2.5% following treatment. The relative change in LCI was significantly correlated with the relative change in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), but results were discordant in 42.5% of subjects (80 out of 188). Higher (worse) baseline LCI was associated with a greater improvement in LCI (slope: −0.9%, 95% CI −1.0– −0.4%).LCI response to therapy for pulmonary exacerbations is heterogeneous in CF patients; the overall effect size is small and results are often discordant with FEV1.
Increased respiratory symptoms in COPD patients living in the vicinity of livestock farms
Authors: Borlée Floor , Yzermans C. Joris , van Dijk Christel E. , Heederik Dick , Smit Lidwien A.M. 
Published: August 2015

Several studies have investigated the effect of livestock farm emissions on the respiratory health of local residents, but results are inconsistent. This study aims to explore associations between the presence of livestock farms and respiratory health in an area of high-density livestock farming in the Netherlands. We focused especially on associations between farm exposures and respiratory symptoms within subgroups of potentially susceptible patients with a pre-existing lung disease.In total, 14 875 adults (response rate 53.4%) completed a questionnaire concerning respiratory health, smoking habits and personal characteristics. Different indicators of livestock farm exposures relative to the home address were computed using a geographic information system.Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma was lower among residents living within 100 m of a farm (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24–0.91 and OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.45–0.93, respectively). However, >11 farms in 1000 m compared to fewer than four farms in 1000 m (fourth quartileversusfirst quartile) was associated with wheezing among COPD patients (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.01–2.89). Using general practitioners' electronic medical records, we demonstrated that selection bias did not affect the observed associations.Our data suggest a protective effect of livestock farm emissions on the respiratory health of residents. Nonetheless, COPD patients living near livestock farms reported more respiratory symptoms, suggesting an increased risk of exacerbations.
Time trends in surgery for lung cancer in France from 2005 to 2012: a nationwide study
Authors: Morgant Marie-Catherine , Pagès Pierre-Benoit , Orsini Bastien , Falcoz Pierre-Emmanuel , Thomas Pascal-Alexandre , Barthes Françoise Le Pimpec , Dahan Marcel , Bernard Alain 
Published: August 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of survival in patients treated surgically for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) between 2005 and 2012.From January 2005 to December 2012, 34 006 patients underwent pulmonary resection for NSCLC and were included in the French national database Epithor. Patients' characteristics, procedures and survival were analysed. Survival according to the management was evaluated for each 2-year period separately: 2005–2006, 2007–2008, 2009–2010 and 2011–2012.The proportions of early-stage cancers and adenocarcinomas increased significantly over the periods. 3-year overall survival (OS) increased significantly from 80.5% for the first period to 81.4% for the last period. For the periods 2005–2006 and 2007–2008, 3-year OS was lower after segmentectomy than after lobectomy (77 and 73%versus82 and 83%, respectively). For the periods 2009–2010 and 2011–2012, 3-year OS in the two sub-groups was similar. OS after bi-lobectomy or pneumonectomy was lower than after lobectomy for all periods analysed. Systematic nodal dissection increased OS for all periods. Chemotherapy but not radiotherapy improved OS in the first 12 postoperative months for all periods.Changes in histological type and stage linked to advances in surgical and medical practices since 2005 led to an increase in OS in patients with surgical-stage NSCLC.
High D-dimer levels after stopping anticoagulants in pulmonary embolism with sleep apnoea
Authors: García Suquia Angela , Alonso-Fernández Alberto , de la Peña Mónica , Romero David , Piérola Javier , Carrera Miguel , Barceló Antonia , Soriano Joan B. , Arque Meritxell , Fernández-Capitán Carmen , Lorenzo Alicia , García-Río Francisco 
Published: August 2015

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a risk factor for pulmonary embolism. Elevated D-dimer levels and other biomarkers are associated with recurrent pulmonary embolism. The objectives were to compare the frequency of elevated D-dimer levels (>500 ng·mL−1) and further coagulation biomarkers after oral anticoagulation withdrawal in pulmonary embolism patients, with and without obstructive sleep apnoea, including two control groups without pulmonary embolism.We performed home respiratory polygraphy. We also measured basic biochemical profile and haemogram, and coagulation biomarkers (D-dimer, prothrombin fragment 1+2, thrombin-antithrombin complex, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, and soluble P-selectin).64 (74.4%) of the pulmonary embolism cases and 41 (46.11%) of the controls without pulmonary embolism had obstructive sleep apnoea. Plasmatic D-dimer was higher in PE patients with OSA than in those without obstructive sleep apnoea. D-dimer levels were significantly correlated with apnoea–hypopnoea index, and nocturnal hypoxia. There were more patients with high D-dimer after stopping anticoagulants in those with pulmonary embolism and obstructive sleep apnoea compared with PE without obstructive sleep apnoea (35.4%versus19.0%, p=0.003). Apnoea–hypopnoea index was independently associated with high D-dimer.Pulmonary embolism patients with obstructive sleep apnoea had higher rates of elevated D-dimer levels after anticoagulation discontinuation for pulmonary embolism than in patients without obstructive sleep apnoea and, therefore, higher procoagulant state that might increase the risk of pulmonary embolism recurrence.