bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Troponin I Is Associated with Severity of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease, Age, and C‐Reactive Protein in Dogs
Authors: Ljungvall I. , Höglund K. , Tidholm A. , Olsen L.H. , Borgarelli M. , Venge P. , Häggström J. 
Published: November 2009

Background:Concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) might be associated with cardiac remodeling in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Age‐ and sex‐dependent variations in cTnI concentration have been described.Objective:To investigate whether plasma concentrations of cTnI and CRP are associated with severity of MMVD, and investigate potential associations of dog characteristics on cTnI and CRP concentrations.Animals:Eighty‐one client‐owned dogs with MMVD of varying severity.Methods:Dogs were prospectively recruited for the study. Dogs were classified according to severity of MMVD. Plasma cTnI was analyzed by a high sensitivity cTnI assay with a lower limit of detection of 0.001 ng/mL, and plasma CRP was analyzed by a canine‐specific CRP ELISA.Results:Higher cTnI concentrations were detected in dogs with moderate (0.014 [interquartile range 0.008–0.029] ng/mL,P= .0011) and severe (0.043 [0.031–0.087] ng/mL,P< .0001) MMVD, compared with healthy dogs (0.001 [0.001–0.004] ng/mL). Dogs with severe MMVD also had higher cTnI concentrations than dogs with mild (0.003 [0.001–0.024] ng/mL,P< .0001) and moderate (P= .0019) MMVD. There were significant associations of age, CRP, heart rate, and left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter, on cTnI concentration C‐reactive protein did not differ among severity groups, but was significantly associated with cTnI, breed, and systolic blood pressure on CRP concentration.Conclusions and Clinical Importance:Analysis of cTnI concentration has potential to increase knowledge of overall cardiac remodeling in dogs with MMVD. However, effect of age on cTnI needs consideration when assessing cTnI.
Effect of Tissue Processing on Assessment of Endoscopic Intestinal Biopsies in Dogs and Cats
Authors: Willard M.D. , Moore G.E. , Denton B.D. , Day M.J. , Mansell J. , Bilzer T. , Wilcock B. , Gualtieri M. , Olivero D. , Lecoindre P. , Twedt D.C. , Collett M.G. , Hall E.J. , Jergens A.E. , Simpson J.W. , Else R.W. , Washabau R.J. 
Published: November 2009

Background: Prior studies failed to detect significant association between hypoalbuminemia and small intestinal lesions.Hypothesis: Use of pictorial templates will enhance consistency of interpathologist interpretation and identification of intestinal lesions associated with hypoalbuminemia.Animals: Tissues from 62 dogs and 25 cats examined as clinical cases at 7 referral veterinary practices in 4 countries.Methods: Retrospective, observational study. Histopathology slides from sequential cases undergoing endoscopic biopsy were examined by 4 pathologists by pictorial templates. Changes for 9 microscopic features were recorded as normal, mild, moderate or severe, and 2‐ and 4‐point scales were tested for consistency of interpretation. Logistic regression models determined odds ratios (OR) of histologic lesions being associated with hypoalbuminemia while κ statistics determined agreement between pathologists on histologic lesions.Results: There was poor agreement (κ=−0.013 to 0.3) between pathologists, and institution of origin of slides had effect (κ= 1.0 for 3 of 4 lesions on slides from Institution 5) on agreement between pathologists on selected histologic features. Using 2 point as opposed to 4‐point grading scale increased agreement between pathologists (maximum κ= 0.69 using 4‐point scale versus maximum κ= 1.0 using 2‐point scale). Significant association (P= .019– .04; 95% OR = 3.14–10.84) between lacteal dilation and hypoalbuminemia was found by 3 pathologists.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Substantial inconsistency between pathologists remains despite use of pictorial template because of differences in slide processing. Distinguishing between mild and moderate lesions might be important source of the disagreement among pathologists.
Participants’ perceptions of motivation, randomisation and withdrawal in a randomised controlled trial of interventions for prevention of depression
Authors: Grant J Busby , Mackinnon A J , Christensen H , Walker J 
Published: November 2009

Aims and background:Little is known about how participants perceive prevention trials, particularly trials designed to prevent mental illness. This study examined participants’ motives for participating in a trial and their views of randomisation and the ability to withdraw from a randomised controlled trial (RCT) for prevention of depression.Methods:Participants were older adults reporting elevated depression symptoms (N = 900) living in urban and regional locations in Australia who had consented to participate in an RCT of interventions to prevent depression. Participants rated their agreement with various statements describing motivations for enrolment in the trial and opinions regarding randomisation and withdrawal.Results:The majority of participants expressed a triad of altruistic motivation for participation, relative lack of concern about randomisation and commitment to the trial. Certain subgroups of participants, such as women and those with higher depression scores, reported higher levels of concern about specific issues.Conclusions:The findings suggest that participants enrolled in prevention trials for mental illness are likely to hold positive attitudes (eg, high commitment, low expectation of personal gain) towards research trials. The identification of relationships between key person factors and trial-related attitudes enabled profiling of participant groups, which can inform recruitment strategies and interactions of participants and research projects in future prevention trials.
Privacy impact assessment in the design of transnational public health information systems: the BIRO project
Authors: Di Iorio C T , Carinci F , Azzopardi J , Baglioni V , Beck P , Cunningham S , Evripidou A , Leese G , Loevaas K F , Olympios G , Federici M Orsini , Pruna S , Palladino P , Skeie S , Taverner P , Traynor V , Benedetti M Massi 
Published: November 2009

Objectives:To foster the development of a privacy-protective, sustainable cross-border information system in the framework of a European public health project.Materials and methods:A targeted privacy impact assessment was implemented to identify the best architecture for a European information system for diabetes directly tapping into clinical registries. Four steps were used to provide input to software designers and developers: a structured literature search, analysis of data flow scenarios or options, creation of an ad hoc questionnaire and conduction of a Delphi procedure.Results:The literature search identified a core set of relevant papers on privacy (n = 11). Technicians envisaged three candidate system architectures, with associated data flows, to source an information flow questionnaire that was submitted to the Delphi panel for the selection of the best architecture. A detailed scheme envisaging an “aggregation by group of patients” was finally chosen, based upon the exchange of finely tuned summary tables.Conclusions:Public health information systems should be carefully engineered only after a clear strategy for privacy protection has been planned, to avoid breaching current regulations and future concerns and to optimise the development of statistical routines. The BIRO (Best Information Through Regional Outcomes) project delivers a specific method of privacy impact assessment that can be conveniently used in similar situations across Europe.
Medical chaperoning at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: survey of physicians
Authors: Al-Gaai E A , Hammami M M 
Published: November 2009

Background:Medical chaperones (MC) are underutilised. The influence of Islamic culture on the use of MC is not known.Aim:To examine physicians’ use and perception of MC in Islamic culture.Setting:A major tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.Methods:315 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to attendees of grand rounds of 13 departments.Results:186 (59%) questionnaires were completed. 64.5% of the respondents were 30–49 years old, 75.8% were men and 31.2% were in training; 79% had a clinic load of under 50 patients per week and 47.8% had postgraduate training (PGT) in an Islamic country. MC were reported to be infrequently (⩽25% of the time) used by 44.1% (69.2% female vs 39% male physicians, p = 0.001; 58.6% in training vs 36.8% attending, p = 0.007; 52.1% PGT in Islamic vs 35.6% in western countries, p = 0.027), offered by 52.7% (78.9% female vs 46.8% male physicians, p<0.001) and requested by 79% of patients. MC were reported to be commonly (>75% of the time) used, offered by physicians and requested by patients by 38.2%, 29% and 7.5% of respondents, respectively. The most frequently cited reasons for not using MC were privacy/confidentiality (36.6%) and understaffing (30.5%). Equal numbers of respondents perceived MC use as a protection for physicians or patients (67.7% and 65.6%, respectively).Conclusions:MC are underutilised even in Islamic culture, especially among female physicians. Training in western countries is favourably associated with MC use. Underutilisation appears to be related to privacy/confidentiality, understaffing and failure of patients to request a MC.
The “how” and “whys” of research: life scientists’ views of accountability
Authors: Ladd J M , Lappé M D , McCormick J B , Boyce A M , Cho M K 
Published: November 2009

Objectives:To investigate life scientists’ views of accountability and the ethical and societal implications of research.Design:Qualitative focus group and one-on-one interviews.Participants:45 Stanford University life scientists, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty.Results:Two main themes were identified in participants’ discussions of accountability: (1) the “how” of science and (2) the “why” of science. The “how” encompassed the internal conduct of research including attributes such as honesty and independence. The “why,” or the motivation for conducting research, was two-tiered: first was the desire to positively impact the research community and science itself, and second was an interest in positively impacting the external community, broadly referred to as society. Participants noted that these motivations were influenced by the current systems of publications, grants and funding, thereby supporting a complex notion of boundary-setting between science and non-science. In addition, while all participants recognised the “how” of science and the two tiers of “why,” scientists expressed the need to prioritise these domains of accountability. This prioritisation was related to a researcher’s position in the academic career trajectory and to the researcher’s subsequent “perceived proximity” to scientific or societal concerns. Our findings therefore suggest the need for institutional change to inculcate early-stage researchers with a broader awareness of the implications of their research. The peer review processes for funding and publication could be effective avenues for encouraging scientists to broaden their views of accountability to society.
Improved Separations between Nondeterministic and Randomized Multiparty Communication
Authors: David Matei , Pitassi Toniann , Viola Emanuele 
Published: November 2009

We exhibit an explicit function
f
: {0, 1}
n
→{0, 1} that can be computed by a nondeterministic number-on-forehead protocol communicating
O
(log
n
) bits, but that requires
n
Ω(1)
bits of communication for randomized number-on-forehead protocols with
k
=
δ
·log
n
players, for any fixed
δ
< 1. Recent breakthrough results for the Set-Disjointness function [Lee and Shraibman 2008; Chattopadhyay and Ada 2008] based on the work of Sherstov [2009; 2008a] imply such a separation but only when the number of players is
k
< loglog
n
.

We also show that for any
k
=
A
·loglog
n
the above function
f
is computable by a small circuit whose depth is constant whenever
A
is a (possibly large) constant. Recent results again give such functions but only when the number of players is
k
< loglog
n
.
Hardness of Solving Sparse Overdetermined Linear Systems
Authors: Guruswami Venkatesan , Raghavendra Prasad 
Published: November 2009

A classic result due to Håstad established that for every constant
ε
> 0, given an overdetermined system of linear equations over a finite field F
q
where each equation depends on exactly 3 variables and at least a fraction (1 −
ε
) of the equations can be satisfied, it is NP-hard to satisfy even a fraction (1/
q
+ ε) of the equations.

In this work, we prove the analog of Håstad’s result for equations over the integers (as well as the reals). Formally, we prove that for every
ε
,
δ
> 0, given a system of linear equations with integer coefficients where each equation is on 3 variables, it is NP-hard to distinguish between the following two cases: (i) there is an assignment of integer values to the variables that satisfies at least a fraction (1 −
ε
) of the equations, and (ii) no assignment even of real values to the variables satisfies more than a fraction
δ
of the equations.
Design space exploration and data memory architecture design for a hybrid nano/CMOS dynamically reconfigurable architecture
Authors: Zhang Wei , Jha Niraj K. , Shang Li 
Published: November 2009

In recent years, research on nanotechnology has advanced rapidly. Novel nanodevices have been developed, such as those based on carbon nanotubes, nanowires, etc. Using these emerging nanodevices, diverse nanoarchitectures have been proposed. Among them, hybrid nano/CMOS reconfigurable architectures have attracted attention because of their advantages in performance, integration density, and fault tolerance. Recently, a high-performance hybrid nano/CMOS reconfigurable architecture, called NATURE, was presented. NATURE comprises CMOS reconfigurable logic and interconnect fabric, and CMOS-fabrication-compatible nanomemory. High-density, fast nano RAMs are distributed in NATURE as on-chip storage to store multiple reconfiguration copies for each reconfigurable element. It enables cycle-by-cycle runtime reconfiguration and a highly efficient computational model, called temporal logic folding. Through logic folding, NATURE provides more than an order of magnitude improvement in logic density and area-delay product, and significant design flexibility in performing area-delay trade-offs, at the same technology node. Moreover, NATURE can be fabricated using mainstream photolithography fabrication techniques. Hence, it offers a currently commercially viable reconfigurable architecture with high performance, superior logic density, and outstanding design flexibility, which is very attractive for deployment in cost-conscious embedded systems.
In order to fully explore the potential of NATURE and further improve its performance, in this article, a thorough design space exploration is conducted to optimize its architecture. Investigations in terms of different logic element architectures, interconnect designs, and various technologies for nano RAMs are presented. Nano RAMs can not only be used as storage for configuration bits, but the high density of nano RAMs also makes them excellent candidates for large-capacity on-chip data storage in NATURE. Many logic- and memory-intensive applications, such as video and image processing, require large storage of temporal results. To enhance the capability of NATURE for implementing such applications, we investigate the design of nano data memory structures in NATURE and explore the impact of memory density. Experimental results demonstrate significant throughput improvements due to area saving from logic folding and parallel data processing.
Preattentive Phonotactic Processing as Indexed by the Mismatch Negativity
Authors: Steinberg Johanna , Truckenbrodt Hubert , Jacobsen Thomas 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
Processing of an obligatory phonotactic restriction outside the focus of the participants' attention was investigated by means of ERPs using (reversed) experimental oddball blocks. Dorsal fricative assimilation (DFA) is a phonotactic constraint in German grammar that is violated in *[ɛx] but not in [ɔx], [ɛ∫], and [ɔ∫]. These stimulus sequences engage the auditory deviance detection mechanism as reflected by the MMN component of the ERP. In Experiment 1 (n = 16), stimuli were contrasted pairwise such that they shared the initial vowel but differed with regard to the fricative. Phonotactically ill-formed deviants elicited stronger MMN responses than well-formed deviants that differed acoustically in the same way from the standard stimulation but did not contain a phonotactic violation. In Experiment 2 (n = 16), stimuli were contrasted such that they differed with regard to the vowel but shared the fricative. MMN was elicited by the vowel change. An additional, later MMN response was observed for the phonotactically ill-formed syllable only. This MMN cannot be attributed to any phonetic or segmental difference between standard and deviant. These findings suggest that implicit phonotactic knowledge is activated and applied in preattentive speech processing.
On the Approximation of Local and Linear Radiative Damping in the Middle Atmosphere
Authors: Hitchcock Peter , Shepherd Theodore G. , Yoden Shigeo 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
The validity of approximating radiative heating rates in the middle atmosphere by a local linear relaxation to a reference temperature state (i.e., “Newtonian cooling”) is investigated. Using radiative heating rate and temperature output from a chemistry–climate model with realistic spatiotemporal variability and realistic chemical and radiative parameterizations, it is found that a linear regression model can capture more than 80% of the variance in longwave heating rates throughout most of the stratosphere and mesosphere, provided that the damping rate is allowed to vary with height, latitude, and season. The linear model describes departures from the climatological mean, not from radiative equilibrium. Photochemical damping rates in the upper stratosphere are similarly diagnosed. Three important exceptions, however, are found. The approximation of linearity breaks down near the edges of the polar vortices in both hemispheres. This nonlinearity can be well captured by including a quadratic term. The use of a scale-independent damping rate is not well justified in the lower tropical stratosphere because of the presence of a broad spectrum of vertical scales. The local assumption fails entirely during the breakup of the Antarctic vortex, where large fluctuations in temperature near the top of the vortex influence longwave heating rates within the quiescent region below. These results are relevant for mechanistic modeling studies of the middle atmosphere, particularly those investigating the final Antarctic warming.
Acoustic Detection of Oceanic Double-Diffusive Convection: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Ross Tetjana , Lavery Andone 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe feasibility of using high-frequency acoustic scattering techniques to map the extent and evolution of the diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection in the ocean is explored. A scattering model developed to describe acoustic scattering from double-diffusive interfaces in the laboratory, which accounted for much of the measured scattering in the frequency range from 200 to 600 kHz, is used in conjunction with published in situ observations of diffusive-convection interfaces to make predictions of acoustic scattering from oceanic double-diffusive interfaces. Detectable levels of acoustic scattering are predicted for a range of different locations in the world’s oceans. To corroborate these results, thin acoustic layers detected near the western Antarctic Peninsula using a multifrequency acoustic backscattering system are shown to be consistent with scattering from diffusive-convection interfaces.
An Improved Statistical Scheme for the Prediction of Tropical Cyclones Making Landfall in South China
Authors: Zung-Ching Goh Andy , Chan Johnny C. L. 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
This study describes an improved statistical scheme for predicting the annual number of tropical cyclones (TCs) making landfall along the coast of south China using data from 1965 to 2005. Based on the factors affecting TC behavior inside the South China Sea (SCS), those responsible for TCs making landfall are identified. Equations are then developed using the coefficients of empirical orthogonal functions of these factors to predict, in April, the number of these TCs in the early (May–August) and late (September–December) seasons, and in June, the number in the period between July to December. The new scheme achieves a forecast skill of 51% over climatology, or an improvement of about 11% compared to previous studies, when predicting landfalling TC for the whole season, and it seems to be able to capture the decrease in their number in the recent years. Analyses of the flow patterns suggest that the conditions inside the SCS are apparently the major factor affecting the number of landfalling TCs. In years in which this number is above normal, conditions inside the SCS are favorable for TC genesis, and vice versa. The strength of the 500-hPa subtropical high also seems to be a factor in determining whether TCs from the western North Pacific (WNP) could enter the SCS and make landfall.
Muscarinic M3 receptor stimulation increases cigarette smoke-induced IL-8 secretion by human airway smooth muscle cells
Authors: Gosens R. , Rieks D. , Meurs H. , Ninaber D. K. , Rabe K. F. , Nanninga J. , Kolahian S. , Halayko A. J. , Hiemstra P. S. , Zuyderduyn S. 
Published: November 2009

Acetylcholine is the primary parasympathetic neurotransmitter in the airways and is known to cause bronchoconstriction and mucus secretion. Recent findings suggest that acetylcholine also regulates aspects of remodelling and inflammation through its action on muscarinic receptors.In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of muscarinic receptor stimulation on cytokine production by human airway smooth muscle cells (primary and immortalised cell lines). The muscarinic receptor agonists carbachol and methacholine both induced modest effects on basal interleukin (IL)-8 and -6 secretion, whereas the secretion of RANTES, eotaxin, vascular endothelial growth factor-A and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 was not affected. Secretion of IL-8 and -6 was only observed in immortalised airway smooth muscle cells that express muscarinic M3 receptors. In these cells, methacholine also significantly augmented IL-8 secretion in combination with cigarette smoke extract in a synergistic manner, whereas synergistic effects on IL-6 secretion were not significant.Muscarinic M3 receptors were the primary subtype involved in augmenting cigarette smoke extract-induced IL-8 secretion, as only tiotropium bromide and muscarinic M3 receptor subtype selective antagonists abrogated the effects of methacholine.Collectively, these results indicate that muscarinic M3 receptor stimulation augments cigarette smoke extract-induced cytokine production by airway smooth muscle. This interaction could be of importance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.