bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of Vascular Physical Examination Findings and Arteriographic Lesions in Large Vessel Vasculitis
Authors: GRAYSON PETER C. , TOMASSON GUNNAR , CUTHBERTSON DAVID , CARETTE SIMON , HOFFMAN GARY S. , KHALIDI NADER A. , LANGFORD CAROL A. , McALEAR CAROL A. , MONACH PAUL A. , SEO PHILIP , WARRINGTON KENNETH J. , YTTERBERG STEVEN R. , MERKEL PETER A. ,   the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium
Published: December 2011

Objective.To assess the utility of the vascular physical examination to detect arteriographic lesions in patients with established large vessel vasculitis (LVV), including Takayasu’s arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA).Methods.In total, 100 patients (TAK = 68, GCA = 32) underwent standardized physical examination and angiography of the carotid, subclavian, and axillary arteries. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the association between findings on physical examination focusing on the vascular system (absent pulse, bruit, and blood pressure difference) and arteriographic lesions defined as stenosis, occlusion, or aneurysm.Results.We found 67% of patients had at least 1 abnormality on physical examination (74% TAK, 53% GCA). Arteriographic lesions were seen in 76% of patients (82% TAK, 63% GCA). Individual physical examination findings had poor sensitivity (range 14%–50%) and good-excellent specificity (range 71%–98%) to detect arteriographic lesions. Even when considering physical examination findings in combination, at least 30% of arteriographic lesions were missed. Specificity improved (range 88%–100%) if individual physical examination findings were compared to a broader region of vessels rather than specific anatomically correlated vessels and if ≥ 1 physical examination findings were combined.Conclusion.In patients with established LVV, physical examination alone is worthwhile to detect arterial disease but does not always localize or reveal the full extent of arteriographic lesions. Abnormal vascular system findings on physical examination are highly associated with the presence of arterial lesions, but normal findings on physical examination do not exclude the possibility of arterial disease. Serial angiographic assessment is advisable to monitor arterial disease in patients with established LVV.
Apolipoprotein E Gene Polymorphisms Are Strong Predictors of Inflammation and Dyslipidemia in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: TOMS TRACEY E. , SMITH JACQUELINE P. , PANOULAS VASILEIOS F. , BLACKMORE HEATHER , DOUGLAS KAREN M.J. , KITAS GEORGE D. 
Published: December 2011

Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a condition with a strong genetic etiology, is associated with excess cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dyslipidemia in RA may be driven by inflammation and genetic factors. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is important for the regulation of lipid levels and CVD risk and immune function in the general population. We compared the frequency of 2 ApoE single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in patients with RA and controls, and studied the relationship of ApoE genotypes with lipids and inflammation in RA.Methods.A total of 387 patients with well-characterized RA and 420 non-RA controls were studied. Two ApoE SNP, rs7412 (ApoE2) and rs429358 (ApoE4), were identified.Results.Genotypic (p = 0.908) and allelic (p = 0.894) frequencies did not differ between RA and controls. Within RA, the E2 allele was associated with the lowest and E4 allele with the highest levels of total cholesterol (p = 0.007), low-density lipoproteins (p = 0.004), and apolipoprotein B (p = 0.009). The E4 allele was also associated with lower C-reactive protein (p = 0.007), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.001), and Disease Activity Score (p = 0.015) compared to the E3 allele. E2 or E4 alleles were not associated with CVD in RA, although a trend was observed (p = 0.074).Conclusion.The frequency of ApoE polymorphisms did not differ between patients with RA and controls. ApoE genotypes are strongly linked to inflammation and lipid levels in RA, raising interest in the prognostic implications of ApoE genotypes.
Prevalence of Annexin A5 Resistance in Children and Adolescents with Rheumatic Diseases
Authors: WAHEZI DAWN M. , ILOWITE NORMAN T. , RAJPATHAK SWAPNIL , RAND JACOB H. 
Published: December 2011

Objective.The underlying mechanism(s) by which antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) result in thrombosis remains poorly understood. A significant body of evidence has evolved to support the hypothesis that antibody-mediated disruption of an annexin A5 anticoagulant shield may play a role in the pathogenesis; this proposed mechanism has not been previously studied in children.Methods.We investigated the association between aPL and resistance to annexin A5 anticoagulant activity in 90 children with a variety of rheumatic diseases using a novel mechanistic assay, the annexin A5 resistance assay (A5R).Results.Patients with a diagnosis of primary aPL syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and mixed connective tissue disease demonstrated lower mean A5R levels (p = 0.030), higher prevalence of positive aPL (p < 0.001), and more thrombotic events (p = 0.014) compared to those with other diagnoses. Patients with persistently positive aPL had significantly lower mean A5R compared to patients with no aPL (mean A5R = 203% ± 44% vs 247% ± 35%; p < 0.001), whereas patients with transient aPL did not. Patients with thrombosis had lower A5R levels compared to those without thrombosis (mean A5R = 207% ± 36% vs 237% ± 46%; p = 0.048).Conclusion.Children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases and persistent aPL have reduced annexin A5 anticoagulant activity, whereas transient, nonpathogenic aPL have less effect on annexin A5 activity.
Contribution of the Polymyalgia Rheumatica Activity Score to Glucocorticoid Dosage Adjustment in Everyday Practice
Authors: CLEUZIOU CAROLINE , BINARD AYMERIC , DE BANDT MICHEL , BERTHELOT JEAN-MARIE , SARAUX ALAIN 
Published: December 2011

Objective.To evaluate the usefulness of the polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) activity score (PMR-AS) in guiding adjustment of glucocorticoid (GC) dosage.Methods.Rheumatologists prospectively included patients receiving GC therapy for PMR. At each visit, they assessed disease activity using a visual analog scale for physician’s global assessment (VASph) and recorded whether a flare was diagnosed and/or the GC dosage was changed. In each patient, the PMR-AS was calculated using the formula of Leeb and Bird: C-reactive protein (mg/dl) + VAS pain score (0 to 10) + VASph (0 to 10) + (morning stiffness in min × 0.1) + elevation of upper limbs (0–3). We evaluated the correlation between PMR-AS and GC dosage changes in the group already treated with GC.Results.We included 89 patients (mean age 74.6 ± 6.2 yrs; disease duration 1.6 ± 2.2 yrs), who had a total of 149 visits. PMR-AS was available for 137 visits. Of those, 124 involved patients already treated with GC, and 13 patients who started GC treatment. The Spearman correlation coefficient between PMR-AS values and GC dosage change was 0.58 (p < 0.001). In the group already treated with GC, when the PMR-AS was higher than 20, GC dosages were never decreased. When the PMR-AS was between 10 and 20, GC dosages were decreased in 4 patients, unchanged in 4, and increased by < 5 mg in 4 patients. When PMR-AS was < 10, GC dosages were generally decreased.Conclusion.The PMR-AS is helpful for diagnosing flares of PMR and may also assist in everyday practice to decide how to change the GC dosage.
L’insertion des habitants des favelas de Rio de Janeiro dans la ville : le cas des pratiques de consommation et de loisirs
Authors: Chetry Michael 
Published: December 2011

Cet article présente des résultats d’une recherche sur les pratiques spatiales des habitants des favelas à Rio de Janeiro menée dans le cadre d’un doctorat. Il en ressort que loin de l’image d’immobilisme qui leur est accolée, les habitants des favelas témoignent d’une bonne expérience de l’espace urbain dans son ensemble et ont la volonté d’accéder aux différentes ressources mises à disposition par la ville, qui est hélas limitée par leur faible mobilité. Mais globalement, les habitants des favelas sont de plus en plus insérés dans l’espace urbain et vivre dans la favela n’implique en rien d’avoir un mode de vie différent de celui des autres urbains. Au contraire, celui-ci intègre les normes et valeurs de la société dominante et ses lieux centraux et symboliques.
First-year Ridge Loads on Moored Offshore Structures
Authors: Molyneux D. , Derradji-Aouat A. , Cholley J-M. 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
This paper describes the background, test methodology, experiment program and analytical methods used for a project to predict the peak mooring system loads that occur when a floating offshore structure encounters a first year ice ridge.
The project included the construction of simplified physical models of a Spar at 1/30 scale and a Floating Production Unit (FPU) at 1/40 scale. The Spar was a representative structure with a downward breaking cone and a vertical neck designed for operation in ice. A partial spar, consisting of the cone only was also evaluated. The Floating Production Unit (FPU) was a simplified barge. This model was tested with a rigid connection to the towing carriage and also on a representative mooring system that allowed for some compliance. The model FPU was also fitted with two load measuring panels designed to measure local ice loads on the hull.
The methods of producing the model ridges and measuring their physical properties are described. Each model was tested in a range of ridge geometries from temperate to Arctic regions. The experiments were carried out in the ice tank of the National Research Council of Canada's Institute for Ocean Technology. This paper describes the first phase of experiments on the spar model completed in December 2009 and the first phase of experiments on the FPU completed in June 2010.
The paper also presents the description of a parallel numerical approach to the problem, which looks at the methods needed to model the ridge-structure interaction using finite element methods. The results of the simulations and experiments are discussed in general terms.

INTRODUCTION
In the global search for new hydrocarbon deposits, the Arctic is once again receiving a high degree of scrutiny as it is expected that as much as 25% of the world's undiscovered reserves may be present in northern regions. World-wide demand for this energy has generated pressure to extract these resources, much of which lie beneath the sea bed. This presents a problem for many petroleum industry operators since exploration and production activities in such a harsh environment will require unique solutions to deal with the extremes of cold temperatures and large ice loads. The ice engineering challenges are great for everything that is used in the Arctic, including production equipment, emergency evacuation systems, supply vessels, floating platforms and fixed structures. In fact, even the task of installing infrastructure is more complicated by the harsh conditions found in the Arctic. The continuous interest of Total E&P and the engineering companies (Saipem, Technip, Doris, Entrepose) for the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions has lead them to begin a R&D study on the topic "Firstyear Ridge Loads on Moored Offshore Structures" through a French JIP (CITEPH, 2009).
Near Real Time Iceberg Detection and Sea Ice Classification Using Satellites - Status, Potential and Limitations for the Offshore Industry
Authors: Harnvig Klaus , Pedersen Leif Toudal 
Published: December 2011

Background
At the Danish Meteorological Institute's Center for Ocean and Ice, we monitor weather, ocean and ice conditions in the Arctic for several reasons. Partly to follow the climatological development, partly to produce physical data products for numerical weather and ocean models, and partly to support marine and offshore operators with the latest ice observations and predictions.
The Danish Meteorological Institute is the national weather service for Denmark, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland. The Institute was established in 1872. Since 1959 DMI has in addition operated the Greenland Ice Service which is responsible for providing ice charts for safe navigation around Greenland and which includes the permanently staffed Ice Central in Narsarsuaq, South Greenland.
In the early days of the ice service we used air reconnaissance flights to observe the sea ice conditions and draw ice charts, but since the 1970s we have gradually shifted to more and more use of satellite information. For the last 10 years, satellite data has been our primary source of sea ice information, although we still operate a helicopter for monitoring ice in the narrow fjord systems in southern Greenland.
During the last 10 years we have also expanded our commercial activities to cover the Caspian Sea, where we run a full scale ice service covering the Kashagan Oilfield, Antarctica and some areas of the Pacific.
Sea ice is an important element in the understanding of the global climate system. The changes in sea ice extent is closely monitored and analyzed by various climate centers around the world including DMI. Since the 1970s the extent of sea ice has been measured from satellites. From these measurements we know that the sea ice extent today is significantly smaller than 30 years ago. During the past 10 years the melting of sea ice has accelerated, and especially during the ice extent minimum in September large reductions have been observed.
Ice Management for Support of Arctic Floating Operations
Authors: Hamilton Jed , Holub Curtis , Blunt Joshua , Mitchell Douglas , Kokkinis Ted 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
As the industry moves further offshore in the Arctic where open water seasons are small to non-existent, ice management will be a critical enabling technology to allow floating vessels to keep station (for drilling, tanker loading, well workovers or subsea equipment maintenance). This paper describes some of the key considerations for accomplishing the complex task of ice management and demonstrates a simulation-based means for testing the efficacy of various tactics against measured ice data. Examples are provided wherein published ice management fleet deployment scenarios are evaluated using measured ice drift and thickness time histories provided by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans for prospective drilling sites in the Canadian Beaufort. The results provide insight into the ice management fleet composition, fleet deployment strategies and frequency/duration of expected downtime due to ice conditions that would exceed the operating limits of the fleet.

Introduction
A major challenge of high-Arctic development lies in water depths exceeding about 100 m, where the traditional bottom-founded structures become impractical and stationary floating vessels are required for drilling and other key offshore operations. Unmanaged drifting sea ice can generate loads far beyond the capabilities of conventional station-keeping systems that use either dynamic positioning (DP) or anchored moorings. Ice management -- the process of protecting a stationary vessel in moving ice using icebreakers working upstream of the vessel to create a continuous channel of thoroughly broken-up floes (Figure 1) -- is required to reduce ice loads to manageable levels. Contrary to traditional icebreaker operations, where escort icebreakers exploit weak zones in the ice to create a channel for a transiting vessel, ice management for a stationary vessel must deal with whatever ice drifts across the fixed location. Amongst the challenges is that sea ice frequently drifts at speeds over 1 knot, which can make it difficult for a reasonable number of icebreakers to process the ice into sufficiently small floe sizes. Additionally, the ice drift heading varies constantly, with frequent changes of 180 degrees or more in a few hours, which challenges the fleet's ability to maintain the protected vessel within the managed ice channel created by icebreakers working updrift in the moving ice. Finally, some multi-year ice floes in the high-Arctic are too thick to be broken by even the largest conceivable icebreakers, so it is important to know the frequency with which these features may be encountered.
Numerical Prediction of Spilled Oil Behavior in the Sea of Okhotsk Under Sea Ice Conditions
Authors: Yamaguchi Hajime , Ohshima Kay I. , Nakazawa Naoki 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
A numerical prediction system for sea ice and spilled oil has been developed specifically for the Okhotsk Sea. Our method enables the prediction of the behavior of oil spilled in an ocean with sea ice present using PCs to obtain high resolution results; a one-week forecast of spilled oil behavior can be obtained in a few hours of computation. First, sea ice behavior is computed for the entire Okhotsk Sea (grid size: 16 km×16 km). Second, appropriate results such as ice concentration and velocities are set as boundary conditions for high-resolution (grid size: 4 km×4 km or 2 km×2 km) computations of areas of interest. Third, predictions of sea-ice and spilled oil behavior are computed. We used a Distributed Mass/Discrete Floe (DMDF) model for sea ice computations that can predict the behavior of spilled oil on both open water and ice-covered seas. The DMDF model combines the advantages of both a continuum model and a discrete element model: the shorter computation times found in continuum models as well as being able to express the discrete nature of sea ice. In addition, this combined model can treat a larger number of floes in much shorter computation times than previously developed discrete element models.

Introduction
In cold ocean environments with sea ice present, oil-spill cleanup is technologically difficult since spilled oil remains under/between sea-ice cover. Up-to-date information of spilled oil drift is indispensable for the development and implementation of an effective response. In particular, shorter computation times would be advantageous for timely implementation of oil-spill cleanup procedures, e.g., deployment of oilspill equipment, protection of fisheries, and rescue of wildlife. Sea ice is generated every winter in the Okhotsk Sea and drifts to the coastal area of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. Within this environment, the Sakhalin Oil & Gas Project, undergoing continuing development offshore of Sakhalin Island, has greatly increased oil transportation in the Okhotsk Sea. Any oil spilled in this area may drift to the coastal areas of Hokkaido and cause damage to the marine environment and economy of this area. The risk of oil spill incidents requires a system for anticipating, simulating, and monitoring oil spills. Figure 1 shows the affected region, including Hokkaido, Japan, and Sakhalin Island.
The Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA) started a six-year program, "A Study to Predict Spilled Oil Behavior in the Okhotsk Sea Under Sea Ice Conditions," in 2003 that was sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan. The University of Tokyo (Prof. Hajime Yamaguchi) and Hokkaido University (Prof. Kay I. Ohshima) joined the project to work on the numerical modeling of the ice-spilled-oil rheology and the ocean circulation, respectively, of the Okhotsk Sea.
Tacticity in Vinyl Polymers
Authors: Woo Eamor M. , Chang Ling 
Published: December 2011

AbstractVarious issues of tacticity in vinyl polymers are discussed. First, tacticity is defined and the concepts of tactic forms in polymers as a stereoregular configuration order are introduced, and illustration schemes for common polymer tacticity are shown. Effects of tacticity in polymer structures on crystalline morphology and property are briefly discussed. Several commercially useful tactic polymers are examined, by using examples of vinyl‐type polymers such as tactic polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Catalysts and synthesis routes for producing stereoregular tactic polymers are discussed mainly using PMMA as an example. Tacticity in polymers is related to differences in microstructures, morphology, crystalline polymorphism, and physical/mechanical properties. Tactic polymers possess structural order and are to crystallize. Tacticity and crystalline properties of polymers are discussed. Crystal polymorphism in some tactic polymers, such as syndiotactic polystyrene (s‐PS), is discussed in greater detail. Complex formation in mixtures of polymers of opposite tacticities, just like mixtures of polymers of opposite chiral forms, has been reported. Complex formation in mixtures of polymers of opposite (s‐ and i‐tacticity) is discussed using examples of isotactic PMMA (i‐PMMA) and syndiotactic PMMA (s‐PMMA); on the other hand, complex formation of mixtures of other tactic polymers, such as i‐PS/s‐PS or i‐PP/s‐PP, is not known. Effects of tacticity on the miscibility and phase behavior in blends of tactic polymers with other polymers are surveyed and expounded. Blends of polymers of same chemical structure but opposite tacticities are not always miscible, as exemplified in a blend of nonpolar and highly crystalline s‐PP with i‐PP, showing immiscibility with upper critical solution temperature behavior but a‐PP being miscible with s‐PP or i‐PP. In addition, phase behaviors of binary blends of two isomeric polymers are addressed. In blends with weak interactions and borderline phase homogeneity, the tacticity effect on miscibility is usually more pronounced; in contrast, the effect on the phase behavior may be minimal in systems with strong intermolecular interactions.
Radiopaque Polymers
Authors: Cabasso Israel 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
Radiopaque polymers have been primarily developed for the service of radiographic nondestructive evaluation by x‐rays absorption. The x‐ray adsorption depends on the fourth power of the atomic number, and consequently elements with high atomic number are associated with effective x‐ray absorption of a material. Materials that are composed of solely of light elements as most polymers are essentially x‐ray transparent. The synthesis of a radiopaque polymer is accomplished by either dispersing the radiopacifying agent into the polymer resin or permanently anchoring the additive to the polymer matrix. So far, only elements in the sixth period (or higher) of the periodical table, except iodine, have been found commonly useful as radiopaque compounds. Iodine, barium, lead, bismuth, and to a lesser degree other organometallic compounds, which can be incorporated into a variety of polymers, have been presently in use in the medical and other fields. Toxicity and uncontrolled degradation and release of the radiopacifier from the polymer matrix are the important factors in the selection of these materials. The preparation, systems relation and measurements, and a wide variety of radiopaque polymers are discussed.
Solid‐State Polymerization
Authors: Vouyiouka S. N. , Papaspyrides C. D. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractSolid‐state polymerization (SSP) comprises a bulk polymerization technique industrially applied for step‐growth polymers. It involves heating the starting material (crystalline monomer or prepolymer) in an inert atmosphere or under vacuum, at a temperature below its melting point, permitting the initiation and propagation of typical polymerization reactions. Both chemical and physical steps occur during an SSP process, namely chemical reactions, reactive chain end movement in the amorphous phase, and condensate removal through diffusion. These phenomena are herewith discussed and correlated to operational variables, such as reaction temperature, initial stoichiometry and crystallinity, reacting particles size, condensate content in the surroundings, catalyst's presence. Equipment requirements and pertinent assemblies are also presented, and SSP of the most important polyamides and polyesters is summarized.