bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cancer-Specific Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Weng Pei-Hsuan , Hung Kuan-Yu , Huang Hsien-Liang , Chen Jen-Hau , Sung Pei-Kun , Huang Kuo-Chin 
Published: April 2011

Summary

Background and objectives
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to be associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but no large studies examined the cancer-specific mortality in non–dialysis-dependent CKD patients. Such outcome data are needed for proper allocation of resources and would help to develop better preventive services.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
Between 1998 and 1999, 123,717 adults were recruited from four health screening centers in Taiwan. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated using the four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation for the Chinese. Mortality was ascertained by computer linkage to the national death registry after a median follow-up of 7.06 years. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the impact of CKD on cancer-specific mortality.

Results
A higher risk for overall cancer mortality was found in CKD patients compared with non-CKD patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.2). CKD was associated with increased mortality from liver cancer, kidney cancer, and urinary tract cancer, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.74, 3.3, and 7.3, respectively. A graded relationship between the severity of renal impairment and cancer mortality was also found.

Conclusions
Patients with CKD had a higher mortality risk of liver cancer, kidney cancer, and urinary tract cancer. This is the first large study that showed an inverse association between renal function and liver cancer mortality. The increased mortality could be caused by higher cancer incidence or worse response to cancer treatment. Future research is warranted to clarify the mechanism.
A Call to Action
Authors: Friedman Scott E. , Palac Robert T. , Zlotnick David M. , Chobanian Michael C. , Costa Salvatore P. 
Published: April 2011

Summary

Background and objectives
Candidates for renal transplantation are at increased risk for complications related to cardiovascular disease; however, the optimal strategy to reduce this risk is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variability among existing guidelines for preoperative cardiac evaluation of renal transplant candidates.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
A consecutive series of renal transplant candidates (n = 204) were identified, and four prominent preoperative cardiac evaluation guidelines, pertaining to this population, were retrospectively applied to determine the rate at which each guideline recommended cardiac stress testing.

Results
The rate of pretransplant cardiac stress testing would have ranged from 20 to 100% depending on which guideline was applied. The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (ACC/AHA) guideline resulted in the lowest rate of testing (20%). In our population, 178 study subjects underwent stress testing: 17 were found to have ischemia and 10 underwent revascularization. The ACC/AHA approach would have decreased the number of noninvasive tests from 178 to 39; it would have identified only 4 of the 10 patients who underwent revascularization. The three other guidelines (renal transplant–specific guidelines) recommended widespread pretransplant cardiac testing and thus identified nearly all patients who had ischemia on stress testing.

Conclusions
The ACC/AHA perioperative guideline may be inadequate for identifying renal transplant candidates with coronary disease; however, renal transplant–specific guidelines may provoke significant overtesting. An intermediate approach based on risk factors specific to the ESRD population may optimize detection of coronary disease and limit testing.
Elevated Non-high-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (Non-HDL-C) Predicts Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Events in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Shoji Tetsuo , Masakane Ikuto , Watanabe Yuzo , Iseki Kunitoshi , Tsubakihara Yoshiharu 
Published: April 2011

Summary

Background and objectives
Dialysis patients show “reverse causality” between serum cholesterol and mortality. No previous studies clearly separated the risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the risk of death or fatality after such events. We tested a hypothesis that dyslipidemia increases the risk of incident atherosclerotic CVD and that protein energy wasting (PEW) increases the risk of fatality after CVD events in hemodialysis patients.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
This was an observational cohort study in 45,390 hemodialysis patients without previous history of myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral infarction (CI), or cerebral bleeding (CB) at the end of 2003, extracted from a nationwide dialysis registry in Japan. Outcome measures were new onsets of MI, CI, CB, and death in 1 year.

Results
The incidence rates of MI, CI, and CB were 1.43, 2.53, and 1.01 per 100 person-years, and death rates after these events were 0.23, 0.21, and 0.29 per 100 person-years, respectively. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, incident MI was positively associated with non-HDL cholesterol (non–HDL-C) and inversely with HDL cholesterol (HDL-C). Incident CI was positively associated with non–HDL-C, whereas CB was not significantly associated with these lipid parameters. Among the patients who had new MI, CI, and/or CB, death risk was not associated with HDL-C or non–HDL-C, but with higher age, lower body mass index, and higher C-reactive protein levels.

Conclusions
In this hemodialysis cohort, dyslipidemia was associated with increased risk of incident atherosclerotic CVD, and protein energy wasting/inflammation with increased risk of death after CVD events.
Differential Effect of Low-Dose Aspirin for Primary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Events in Diabetes Management
Authors: Okada Sadanori , Morimoto Takeshi , Ogawa Hisao , Kanauchi Masao , Nakayama Masafumi , Uemura Shiro , Doi Naofumi , Jinnouchi Hideaki , Waki Masako , Soejima Hirofumi , Sakuma Mio , Saito Yoshihiko ,   for the Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis With Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) Trial Investigators
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE
Recent reports showed that low-dose aspirin was ineffective in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients overall. We hypothesized that low-dose aspirin would be beneficial in patients receiving insulin therapy, as a high-risk group.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
This study is a subanalysis of the Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis With Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) trial—a randomized, controlled, open-label trial. We randomly assigned 2,539 patients with type 2 diabetes and no previous cardiovascular disease to the low-dose aspirin group (81 or 100 mg daily) or to the no-aspirin group. The median follow-up period was 4.4 years. We investigated the effect of low-dose aspirin on preventing atherosclerotic events in groups receiving different diabetes management.

RESULTS
At baseline, 326 patients were treated with insulin, 1,750 with oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs), and 463 with diet alone. The insulin group had the longest history of diabetes, the worst glycemic control, and the highest prevalence of diabetic microangiopathies. The diet-alone group had the opposite characteristics. The incidence of atherosclerotic events was 26.6, 14.6, and 10.4 cases per 1,000 person-years in the insulin, OHA, and diet-alone groups, respectively. In the insulin and OHA groups, low-dose aspirin did not affect atherosclerotic events (insulin: hazard ratio [HR] 1.19 [95% CI 0.60−2.40]; OHA: HR 0.84 [0.57−1.24]). In the diet-alone group, low-dose aspirin significantly reduced atherosclerotic events, despite the lowest event rates (HR 0.21 [0.05−0.64]).

CONCLUSIONS
Low-dose aspirin reduced atherosclerotic events predominantly in the diet-alone group and not in the insulin or OHA groups.
The Added Mass Coefficient computation of sphere, ellipsoid and marine propellers using Boundary Element Method
Authors: Ghassemi Hassan , Yari Ehsan 
Published: April 2011

The Added Mass Coefficient computation of sphere, ellipsoid and marine propellers using Boundary Element MethodAdded mass is an important and effective dynamic coefficient in accelerating, non uniform motion as a result of fluid accelerating around a body. It plays an important role, especially in vessel roll motion, control parameters as well as in analyzing the local and global vibration of a vessel and its parts like propellers and rudders. In this article, calculating the Added Mass Coefficient has been examined for a sphere, ellipsoid, marine propeller and hydrofoil; using numerical Boundary Element Method. Since an Ellipsoid and a sphere have simple geometric shapes and the Analytical values of their added mass coefficients are available, so that the results of added mass matrix are obtained and evaluated, using the boundary element method. Then the added mass matrix is computed in a given geometrical and flow specifications for a specific propeller and its results are studied versus experimental results, which it's current numerical data In comparison with other numerical methods has a good conformity with experimental results. The most important advantage of the method in determining the added mass matrix coefficients for the surface and underwater vessels and the marine propellers is extracting all the added mass coefficients with very good Accuracy, while in other numerical methods it is impossible to extract all the coefficients with the Desired Accuracy.
Comparison of cancer incidence between production and office workers at a shipyard in Korea: A retrospective cohort study from 1992 to 2005
Authors: Jeong Kyoung‐Sook , Kim Yangho , Kim Moon‐Chan , Yoo Cheol‐In 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBackgroundCancer is a major concern in shipbuilding. Since 1970s, shipbuilding and repair has been a strategic industry in Korea, which has become currently the world's largest shipbuilding country. The aim of this study is to investigate the cancer incidence in shipyard workers in Korea.MethodsThe cohort comprised 30,288 male employees (20,647 production workers and 9,641 office workers) ever employed between 1992 and 2005 in a shipyard in Korea. The authors compared the cancer incidence between the groups using the participants' hospital medical records and data received from Korea National Cancer Incidence Database and Korean National Statistical Office.ResultsThe total number of cancers was 135 among office workers and 519 among production workers in the shipyard. The age‐standardized cancer rates among office and production workers were 136.2 and 179.7 per 100,000 person‐years, respectively. The standardized rate ratios for stomach cancer, liver cancer, and lung cancer in production workers compared with office workers were 1.67 (95% CI: 1.12–2.49), 2.13 (95% CI: 1.37–3.36), and 3.71 (95% CI: 1.68–8.19), respectively.ConclusionsThe observed increase in stomach, liver, and lung cancers among production workers suggests that some occupational factors in the shipyard might have contributed to the increased cancer risk. Further study is needed to clarify the risk of those cancers and to identify the specific factors involved. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:719–725, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Hubble parameter in the early universe with viscous QCD matter and finite cosmological constant
Authors: Tawfik A. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThe evolution of a flat, isotropic and homogeneous universe is studied. The background geometry in the early phases of the universe is conjectured to be filled with causal bulk viscous fluid and dark energy. The energy density relations obtained from the assumption of covariant conservation of energy‐momentum tensor of the background matter in the early universe are used to derive the basic equation for the Hubble parameter H. The viscous properties described by ultra‐relativistic equations of state and bulk viscosity taken from recent heavy‐ion collisions and lattice QCD calculations have been utilized to give an approximate solution of the field equations. The cosmological constant is conjectured to be related to the energy density of the vacuum. In this treatment, there is a clear evidence for singularity at vanishing cosmic time t indicating the dominant contribution from the dark energy. The time evolution of H seems to last for much longer time than the ideal case, where both cosmological constant and viscosity coefficient are entirely vanishing.
Association of hepatocyte growth factor promoter polymorphism with severity of interstitial lung disease in Japanese patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Hoshino Kana , Satoh Takashi , Kawaguchi Yasushi , Kuwana Masataka 
Published: April 2011

AbstractObjectiveTo examine associations of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c‐met with disease susceptibility and organ involvement in Japanese patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).MethodsFour SNPs (HGF –1652 C/T, +44222 C/T, and +63555 G/T, and c‐met –980 T/A) were analyzed in 159 SSc patients and 103 healthy control subjects with the use of a polymerase chain reaction–based assay. The influence of the HGF –1652 SNP on transcription activity was evaluated with a luciferase reporter assay and an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA).ResultsThere was no difference in the distribution of HGF/c‐met SNPs between SSc patients and controls. HGF –1652 TT was found much more frequently in SSc patients with end‐stage lung disease (ESLD) than in those without (41% versus 8%; P = 0.0004). This association was confirmed by a replication study involving a separate cohort of 155 SSc patients. Kaplan‐Meyer analysis revealed that HGF –1652 TT carriers had a higher probability of developing ESLD than did CT or CC carriers. The HGF promoter carrying the HGF –1652 T allele had lower transcription activity than did the promoter carrying the C allele. EMSA showed the presence of a potential negative transcription regulator that binds specifically to the HGF promoter carrying a T allele at position –1652. Finally, TT carriers had a relative inability to increase circulating HGF levels even in the presence of advanced interstitial lung disease.ConclusionA SNP in the HGF promoter region may modulate the severity of interstitial lung disease by controlling the transcriptional efficiency of the HGF gene.
Coping with complexity: Machine learning optimization of cell‐free protein synthesis
Authors: Caschera Filippo , Bedau Mark A. , Buchanan Andrew , Cawse James , de Lucrezia Davide , Gazzola Gianluca , Hanczyc Martin M. , Packard Norman H. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBiological systems contain complex metabolic pathways with many nonlinearities and synergies that make them difficult to predict from first principles. Protein synthesis is a canonical example of such a pathway. Here we show how cell‐free protein synthesis may be improved through a series of iterated high‐throughput experiments guided by a machine‐learning algorithm implementing a form of evolutionary design of experiments (Evo‐DoE). The algorithm predicts fruitful experiments from statistical models of the previous experimental results, combined with stochastic exploration of the experimental space. The desired experimental response, or evolutionary fitness, was defined as the yield of the target product, and new experimental conditions were discovered to have ∼350% greater yield than the standard. An analysis of the best experimental conditions discovered indicates that there are two distinct classes of kinetics, thus showing how our evolutionary design of experiments is capable of significant innovation, as well as gradual improvement. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108:2218–2228. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adaptive generalised predictive control of high purity internal thermally coupled distillation column
Authors: Liu Xinggao , Wang Chengyu , Cong Lin , Ding Feng 
Published: April 2011

AbstractInternal thermally coupled distillation column (ITCDIC) is a frontier in the energy‐saving distillation researches. One of the bottlenecks to prevent the column from being commercialised is the difficulty in control design due to the high sensitivity to disturbances, strong asymmetric nonlinearity and inverse response especially under high purity. An adaptive multivariable generalised predictive control (AM‐GPC) strategy of ITCDIC process is proposed to solve the difficulties in high purity. The simulation results of AM‐GPC are compared with single input and single output GPC (S‐GPC), multivariable GPC (M‐GPC), modified IMC (M‐IMC) and traditional PID control in detail. The performances confirm the accuracy and validity of AM‐GPC for the high‐purity ITCDIC process. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Efficient multichannel coil data compression: A prospective study for distributed detection in wireless high‐density arrays
Authors: Jutras Jean‐David , Fallone B. Gino , De Zanche Nicola 
Published: April 2011

AbstractWireless links have been proposed to connect magnetic resonance (MR) array receiver coils to the rest of the system to eliminate the safety and cross‐talk issues encountered using coaxial cables. Analog transmission methods are unsuited because of limited dynamic range and noise figure; therefore, fully independent individual digital receiver modules must be developed. Limited data rates supported by wireless links restrict the number of coil channels that can be transmitted to well below those of the state‐of‐the‐art high‐density arrays that would benefit the most from wireless technology. Two independent methods of compressing MR data prior to transmission are presented that when combined can readily reduce it to one‐third or less of the original amount with negligible impact on image quality parameters such as artifact power (AP) and signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). These conservative results were obtained from arrays of six to 16 channels which is typical of today's clinical systems and show that compression efficiency improves with increasing channel density. Simulated and experimental 2D spiral data acquired from a standard head array at 3 tesla was used to evaluate AP as a function of compression by off‐line processing. Spectral compression reduces the acquired data by up to 45% using dynamic demodulation, filtering and decimation. Dynamic range compression followed by bit‐depth reduction further reduces the data by up to 37.5% without visible image artifacts. Image SNR improves 1–25% at the periphery of the field‐of‐view (FOV) due to spectral compression, while dynamic range compression results in a uniform SNR gain of 4–8% over the whole FOV. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 39B: 64–77, 2011
A constant‐volume ventilator and gas recapture system for hyperpolarized gas MRI of mouse and rat lungs
Authors: Nouls John , Fanarjian Manuel , Hedlund Laurence , Driehuys Bastiaan 
Published: April 2011

AbstractWe present a ventilator that enables high‐resolution proton and hyperpolarized gas MR imaging of mice and rats. The design differs from previous approaches by eliminating the need for a custom pneumatic valve located near the trachea. This permits the system to be constructed from off‐the‐shelf components and reduces dead volumes sufficiently to make HP gas MRI feasible in the mouse. The constant‐volume ventilator routinely ventilates mice and rats for period of time up to 6 hrs and maintains reproducible tidal volumes over extended image acquisition periods, as we demonstrate with high‐resolution 3D lung images in the mouse using 1H, 3He and 129Xe. The ventilator is designed to deliver a constant tidal volume regardless of changes in airway resistance, which we demonstrate with 3He MR images acquired during severe broncho‐constriction. While the images reveal clear airway narrowing, the 3He signal intensity remained within ±10% of baseline level. Finally, given the paucity of 3He and the high cost of enriched 129Xe, the ventilator has been designed to enable the recapture of these rare gases and we demonstrate a compact system to compress and store them for subsequent reprocessing. We expect that this constant‐volume ventilator will be readily reproducible by other laboratories, which we facilitate by providing extensive parts lists, detailed wiring diagrams and complete plumbing schematics. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 39B: 78–88, 2011
Testing MR image artifacts generated by engineering materials
Authors: Tse Zion Tsz Ho , Elhawary Haytham , Montesinos CéSar Antonio Fuentes , Rea Marc , Young Ian , Lamperth Michael 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBackground: To develop mechatronic devices that are compatible with the MR environment, suitable materials must be selected, which can be used correctly within the magnetic fields present while not adversely affecting the MR images. Therefore, suitable technology must be sourced commercially or custom developed for use in MR compatible medical devices. Method: To evaluate the impact a particular material has on the MR environment, methods to quantify the interaction between the scanner and the object are presented. A total number of 22 materials in different geometric configurations were tested using standardized protocols to quantify the artifacts they produced on the MR image of a phantom. Results: The quantification of image artifacts generated are shown, with the materials selected based on their susceptibility, cost and machinability. A simple design methodology for material selection was devised from the test results, which provides systematic guidelines for engineers and researchers to select suitable materials for use inside an MRI scanner, depending on requirements of rigidity and location of the object inside the scanner room. Conclusion: A thorough image artifact examination of 22 commonly‐used engineering materials has been discussed and a systemic design guideline is presented for selecting materials used in MR compatible devices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 39B: 109–117, 2011
A NOS1 variant implicated in cognitive performance influences evoked neural responses during a high density EEG study of early visual perception
Authors: O'Donoghue Therese , Morris Derek W. , Fahey Ciara , Costa Andreia Da , Foxe John J. , Hoerold Doreen , Tropea Daniela , Gill Michael , Corvin Aiden , Donohoe Gary 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBackground: The nitric oxide synthasase‐1 gene (NOS1) has been implicated in mental disorders including schizophrenia and variation in cognition. The NOS1 variant rs6490121 identified in a genome wide association study of schizophrenia has recently been associated with variation in general intelligence and working memory in both patients and healthy participants. Whether this variant is also associated with variation in early sensory processing remains unclear. Methods: We investigated differences in the P1 visual evoked potential in a high density EEG study of 54 healthy participants. Given both NOS1's association with cognition and recent evidence that cognitive performance and P1 response are correlated, we investigated whether NOS1's effect on P1 response was independent of its effects on cognition using CANTAB's spatial working memory (SWM) task. Results: We found that carriers of the previously identified risk “G” allele showed significantly lower P1 responses than non‐carriers. We also found that while P1 response and SWM performance were correlated, NOS1 continued to explain a significant proportion of variation in P1 response even when its effects on cognition were accounted for. Conclusion: The schizophrenia implicated NOS1 variants rs6490121 influences visual sensory processing as measured by the P1 response, either as part of the gene's pleiotropic effects on multiple aspects of brain function, or because of a primary influence on sensory processing that mediates the effects already seen in higher cognitive processes. Hum Brain Mapp, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.