bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does Better Quality of Care for Falls and Urinary Incontinence Result in Better Participant‐Reported Outcomes?
Authors: Min Lillian C. , Reuben David B. , Adams John , Shekelle Paul G. , Ganz David A. , Roth Carol P. , Wenger Neil S. 
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether delivery of better quality of care for urinary incontinence (UI) and falls is associated with better participant‐reported outcomes.DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.SETTING: Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders Study 2 (ACOVE‐2).PARTICIPANTS: Older (≥75) ambulatory care participants in ACOVE‐2 who screened positive for UI (n=133) or falls or fear of falling (n=328).MEASUREMENTS: Composite quality scores (percentage of quality indicators (QIs) passed per participant) and change in Incontinence Quality of Life (IQOL, range 0–100) or Falls Efficacy Scale (FES, range 10–40) scores were measured before and after care was delivered (mean 10 months). Because the treatment‐related falls QIs were measured only on patients who received a physical examination, an alternative Common Pathway QI (CPQI) score was developed that assigned a failing score for falls treatment to unexamined participants.RESULTS: Each 10% increment in receipt of recommended care for UI was associated with a 1.4‐point improvement in IQOL score (P=.01). The original falls composite quality‐of‐care score was unrelated to FES, but the new CPQI scoring method for falls quality of care was related to FES outcomes (+0.4 points per 10% increment in falls quality, P=.01).CONCLUSION: Better quality of care for falls and UI was associated with measurable improvement in participant‐reported outcomes in less than 1 year. The connection between process and outcome required consideration of the interdependence between diagnosis and treatment in the falls QIs. The link between process and outcome demonstrated for UI and falls underscores the importance of improving care in these areas.
Metabolic Syndrome and Physical Performance in Elderly Men: The Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study
Authors: Everson‐Rose Susan A. , Paudel Misti , Taylor Brent C. , Dam Tien , Cawthon Peggy Mannen , LeBlanc Erin , Strotmeyer Elsa S. , Cauley Jane A. , Stefanick Marcia L. , Barrett‐Connor Elizabeth , Ensrud Kristine E. ,   for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Research Group
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and objective measures of physical performance.DESIGN: Cross‐sectional analysis of the cohort study, the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study.SETTING: Six clinical sites in the United States.PARTICIPANTS: Five thousand four hundred fifty‐seven ambulatory men (mean age 73.6 ± 5.9).MEASUREMENTS: Physical performance assessed according to grip strength, narrow walk speed, walking speed, and time to complete five repeated chair stands. Individual scores were converted to quintiles (worst=1 to best=5; unable to complete=0) and summed for an overall score (mean 11.6 ± 4.3, range, 1–20). MetS was defined according to World Health Organization criteria that include evidence of glucose dysregulation (insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, or hyperinsulinemia) and at least two additional characteristics: high blood pressure, low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, high triglycerides, obesity.RESULTS: More than one‐quarter (26.3%) of participants met criteria for MetS. In separate linear regression models, four of five MetS components were related to performance (P<.001); only high blood pressure was unrelated. Men with MetS had a 1.1‐point lower performance score (mean 10.8, 95% confidence interval (CI)=10.6–11.0) than men without MetS (mean 11.9, 95% CI=11.8–12.0) (P<.001), adjusting for age, race, education, and site. With further covariate adjustment, this difference was reduced but remained significant (β=−0.78, P<.001). A graded association was observed between number of MetS components (0, 1, 2, or ≥3) and performance (P for trend <.001). Findings were similar excluding men with diabetes mellitus or obese men.CONCLUSION: Metabolic dysregulation is related to objectively assessed poorer physical performance in relatively healthy older men.
Effect of Catheter Ablation on Progression of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: JONGNARANGSIN KRIT , SUWANAGOOL ARISARA , CHUGH AMAN , CRAWFORD THOMAS , GOOD ERIC , PELOSI FRANK , BOGUN FRANK , ORAL HAKAN , MORADY FRED 
Published: August 2011

Ablation and Progression of Atrial Fibrillation. Objective: The objective was to determine the effect of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) on progression of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).
Background: Progression to persistent AF may occur in up to 50% of patients with paroxysmal AF receiving pharmacological therapy. Hypertension, age, prior transient ischemic event, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart failure (HATCH score) have been identified as independent risk factors for progression of AF.
Methods: RFA was performed in 504 patients (mean age: 58 ± 10 years) to eliminate paroxysmal AF. A repeat RFA procedure was performed in 193 patients (38%). Clinical variables predictive of outcome and their relation to progression of AF after RFA were assessed using multivariate analysis.
Results: At a mean follow‐up of 27 ± 12 months after RFA, 434/504 patients (86%) were in sinus rhythm; 49/504 patients (9.5%) continued to have paroxysmal AF; and 14 (3%) were in atrial flutter. Among the 504 patients, 7 (1.5%) progressed to persistent AF. In patients with recurrent AF after RFA, paroxysmal AF progressed to persistent AF in 7/56 (13%, P < 0.001). The progression rate of AF was 0.6% per year after RFA (P < 0.001 compared to 9% per year reported in pharmacologically treated patients). Age >75 years, duration of AF >10 years and diabetes were independent predictors of progression to persistent AF. The HATCH score was not significantly different between patients with paroxysmal AF who did and did not progress to persistent AF (0.7 ± 0.8 vs 1.0 ± 0.5, P = 0.3).
Conclusions: Compared to a historical control group of pharmacologically treated patients with paroxysmal AF, RFA appears to reduce the rate of progression of paroxysmal AF to persistent AF. Age, duration of AF, and diabetes are independent risk factors for progression to persistent AF after RFA. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 9‐14, January 2012)
Atrial Fibrosis Quantified Using Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI is Associated With Sinus Node Dysfunction Requiring Pacemaker Implant
Authors: AKOUM NAZEM , MCGANN CHRISTOPHER , VERGARA GASTON , BADGER TROY , RANJAN RAVI , MAHNKOPF CHRISTIAN , KHOLMOVSKI EUGENE , MACLEOD ROB , MARROUCHE NASSIR 
Published: August 2011

Atrial Fibrosis and Sinus Node Dysfunction. Introduction: Sinus node dysfunction (SND) commonly manifests with atrial arrhythmias alternating with sinus pauses and sinus bradycardia. The underlying process is thought to be because of atrial fibrosis. We assessed the value of atrial fibrosis, quantified using Late Gadolinium Enhanced‐MRI (LGE‐MRI), in predicting significant SND requiring pacemaker implant.
Methods:
Three hundred forty‐four patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) presenting for catheter ablation underwent LGE‐MRI. Left atrial (LA) fibrosis was quantified in all patients and right atrial (RA) fibrosis in 134 patients. All patients underwent catheter ablation with pulmonary vein isolation with posterior wall and septal debulking. Patients were followed prospectively for 329 ± 245 days. Ambulatory monitoring was instituted every 3 months. Symptomatic pauses and bradycardia were treated with pacemaker implantation per published guidelines.
Results:
The average patient age was 65 ± 12 years. The average wall fibrosis was 16.7 ± 11.1% in the LA, and 5.3 ± 6.4% in the RA. RA fibrosis was correlated with LA fibrosis (R2= 0.26; P < 0.01). Patients were divided into 4 stages of LA fibrosis (Utah I: <5%, Utah II: 5–20%, Utah III: 20–35%, Utah IV: >35%). Twenty‐two patients (mean atrial fibrosis, 23.9%) required pacemaker implantation during follow‐up. Univariate and multivariate analysis identified LA fibrosis stage (OR, 2.2) as a significant predictor for pacemaker implantation with an area under the curve of 0.704.
Conclusions:
In patients with AF presenting for catheter ablation, LGE‐MRI quantification of atrial fibrosis demonstrates preferential LA involvement. Significant atrial fibrosis is associated with clinically significant SND requiring pacemaker implantation. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 44‐50, January 2012)
Intestinal and plasma VEGF levels in cirrhosis: the role of portal pressure
Authors: Huang Hui‐Chun , Haq Omar , Utsumi Teruo , Sethasine Supatsri , Abraldes Juan G. , Groszmann Roberto J. , Iwakiri Yasuko 
Published: August 2011

AbstractIncreased levels of intestinal VEGF are thought to worsen portal hypertension. The cause of the increase in the level of intestinal VEGF found during cirrhosis is not known. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a relationship between portal pressure (PP) and intestinal/ plasma VEGF levels in different stages of fibrosis/cirrhosis. In this experiment, rats were exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for 6, 8 and 12 weeks. At the end of exposure, the three groups of rats exhibited three different stages of pathology: non‐cirrhotic, early fibrotic and cirrhotic, respectively. For those rats and their age‐matched controls, PP and intestinal/plasma VEGF levels were measured. Rats inhaling CCl4 for 12 weeks developed portal hypertension (18.02 ± 1.07 mmHg), while those exposed for 6 weeks (7.26 ± 0.58 mmHg) and for 8 weeks (8.55 ± 0.53 mmHg) did not. The rats exposed for 12 weeks also showed a 40% increase in the level of intestinal VEGF compared to the controls (P < 0.05), while those rats exposed to CCl4 inhalation for 6 and 8 weeks did not. There was a significant positive correlation between PP and intestinal VEGF levels (r2 = 0.4, P < 0.005). Plasma VEGF levels were significantly elevated in those rats exposed to 12 weeks of CCl4 inhalation (63.7 pg/ml, P < 0.01), compared to the controls (8.5 pg/ml). However, no correlation was observed between PP and plasma VEGF levels. It is concluded that portal pressure modulates intestinal VEGF levels during the development of cirrhosis.
Matrix metalloproteinase‐1 contribution to sarcoma cell invasion
Authors: Garamszegi Nandor , Garamszegi Susanna P. , Scully Sean P. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractMatrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1) activity has been linked to numerous disease processes from arthritis to ulcer. Its proteolytic activity has been implicated inconsistently in different steps of tumourigenesis and metastasis. The discrepancies may be attributable to our limited understanding of MMP‐1 production, cellular trafficking, secretion and local activation. Specifically, regulation of MMP‐1 directional delivery versus its general extracellular matrix secretion is largely unknown. Inhibition of prenylation by farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI‐276) decreased extracellular MMP‐1 and subsequently reduced invasiveness by 30%. Parallel, stable cell line RNAi knockdown of MMP‐1 confirmed its role in cellular invasiveness. The prenylation agonist farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) partially normalized FTI‐276 inhibited extracellular MMP‐1 levels and invasion capacity while transiently delayed its cellular podia distribution. MMP‐1 directional delivery to these structures were confirmed by combination of a MMP‐1–specific fluorogenic substrate, a MMP1‐Ds‐Red fusion protein construct expression and DQ‐collagen degradation, which demonstrated coupling of directional delivery and activation. MetaMorph analysis of cellular lamellipodia structures indicated that FTI‐276 inhibited formation and delivery to these structures. Farnesyl pyrophosphate partially restored lamellipodia area but not MMP‐1 delivery under the time frame investigated. These results indicate that MMP‐1 directional delivery to podia structures is involved in the invasive activity of sarcoma cells, and this process is prenylation sensitive.
Patterns and controls of above‐ground net primary production in meadows of Patagonia. A remote sensing approach
Authors: Irisarri J. Gonzalo N. , Oesterheld Martín , Paruelo José M. , Texeira Marcos A. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractQuestions:(1) Can above‐ground net primary production (ANPP) of Patagonian meadows be estimated from remote sensing? (2) How does ANPP of Patagonian meadows change in space and time?Location:Northwestern Patagonia, meadows embedded in a steppe matrix (39–43°S, 70–72ºW; area: 85 000 km2).Methods:For the first question, we contrasted field ANPP measurements with MODIS high‐spatial resolution (pixel size: 0.0625 km2) data and developed a model that estimates radiation use efficiency. For the second question, we applied the model to a 6‐year MODIS record for 14 meadows whose physiognomic heterogeneity was known from previous work.Results:Up to 77% of the field‐based ANPP variation was accounted for by the absorbed photosynthetic radiation, based on a linear transformation of the normalized difference vegetation index derived from MODIS data. Mean radiation use efficiency was 0.54 g dry matter MJ−1. ANPP ranged between 610 and 1060 g m−2 year−1, which represents three to 5.3 times the ANPP of the surrounding arid and semi‐arid steppes. The inter‐annual coefficient of variation of ANPP was 10%, which is higher than other systems of similar productivity, but much lower than the surrounding steppes (33%). At the level of management units (paddock), ANPP spatial variations were mainly related to the proportion of Prairies, a proxy for low topographic position in the landscape, and longitude, a proxy for precipitation. ANPP inter‐annual variation was most related to latitude, a proxy for temperature.Conclusion:The model developed and tested can be used to infer ANPP from remote sensing data at a spatial resolution that allows one to detect variability within meadows and management units. Variations at both the physiognomic unit and paddock level were associated with geographic patterns and topography. Meadows were three to five times more productive and less fluctuating than nearby steppes. When compared with other ecosystems, their productivity was high, but more variable inter‐annually, likely due to exceptionally high variability of precipitation in Patagonia.
Antioxidant Activity and Protective Effect Against Plasmid DNA Strand Scission of Leaf, Bark, and Heartwood Extracts from Acacia catechu
Authors: Guleria Sanjay , Tiku A.K. , Singh Gurjinder , Vyas Dhiraj , Bhardwaj Ashwani 
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  The antioxidant activity of methanol extract/fractions of leaf, bark, and heartwood of Acacia catechu was evaluated by various antioxidant assays, including free radical, superoxide and hydroxyl radical, reducing power, metal ion chelation, as well as hydroxyl radical induced DNA strand scission. The leaf, bark, and heartwood powder was extracted in methanol and the lyophilized methanol extract was fractionated with different solvents in the order of increasing polarity. The results indicate that ethyl acetate fraction of heartwood has the highest antioxidant capacities, presenting lower EC50 values particularly in free radical scavenging activity, including DPPH radicals (4.76 ± 0.14 μg/mL), superoxide anions (26.21 ± 0.79 μg/mL), and hydroxyl radicals (33.69 ± 1.42 μg/mL), in direct assay systems. Reducing power was also highest in ethyl acetate fraction of heartwood (EC50 of 79.05 ± 1.02 μg/mL). As for the chelating power on ferrous ions, leaf extract was more effective than bark and heartwood extracts. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate and acetone fractions of heartwood significantly protected pBR322 supercoiled plasmid DNA against strand scission induced by hydroxyl radicals in a Fenton's reaction mixture.Practical Application:  The present investigation suggests that the three organs of A. catechu differ significantly in their antioxidant potential as seen in the DPPH radical scavenging assay, reducing power assay, metal ion chelating assay, superoxide radical scavenging assay and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. Further, our results showed that crude methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction of heartwood of A. catechu might have a good potential as a source for natural health products due to its antioxidant and DNA protective activities.
Interventional Treatments for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Mohiddin Saidi A. , Knight Charles 
Published: August 2011

SUMMARYHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiac disorder. This autosomal dominant condition is defined by left ventricular hypertrophy and associated with functional limitation and premature death. In fact, many individuals are asymptomatic and the annual mortality in most modern series is 1% or less. However, severe symptoms may develop at any age, and the risk of premature death from arrhythmia, stroke, and progressive systolic impairment may complicate asymptomatic disease. The clinical management of patients with HCM therefore encompasses (1) genetic counseling including discussion of indications for genetic testing and cascade family screening, (2) assessment of prognostic risk from ventricular arrhythmia, stroke, and heart failure, and (3) symptom management. This article describes the interventional treatments in the management of severe symptoms associated with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO).
Local frequency as a key to interpreting species occurrence data when recording effort is not known
Authors: Hill Mark O. 
Published: August 2011

Summary1. Data on the occurrence of species in grid cells are collected by biological recording schemes, typically with the intention of publishing an atlas. Interpretation of such data is often hampered by the lack of information on the effort that went into collecting them. This is the ‘recorder effort problem’.2. One measure of recorder effort is the proportion of a suite of common species (‘benchmark species’) found at a given location and time. Benchmark species have in the past been taken as a uniform set across a territory. However, if records are available from a neighbourhood surrounding a given location, then a local set benchmark species can be defined by pooling records from the neighbourhood and selecting the commonest species in the pooled set.3. Neighbourhoods differ in species richness, so that the list of species that ‘ought’ to be found in one location may be longer than that for another. If the richness of a neighbourhood can be estimated, then a suite of benchmark species can be standardized to be the commonest of a fixed proportion of the total expected for the neighbourhood. Recording effort is then defined as the proportion of benchmark species that were found.4. A method of estimating species richness is proposed here, based on the local frequencies fj of species in neighbouring grid cells. Species discovery is modelled as a Poisson process. It is argued that when a neighbourhood is well sampled, the frequency‐weighted mean frequency /∑fj of species in the neighbourhood will assume a standard value.5. The method was applied to a data set of 2 000 000 records detailing the occurrence of bryophytes in 3695 out of the total 3854 hectads (10‐km squares) in Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.6. Three main applications are outlined: estimation of recording effort, scanning data for unexpected presences or absences and measurement of species trends over time. An explicit statistical model was used to estimate trends, modelling the probability of species j being found at location i and time t as the outcome of Poisson process with intensity Qijtxjt, where xjt is a time factor for species j, and Qijt depends on recording effort at location i and time t and on the time‐independent probability of species j being found in hectad i.
Gain Scheduling-Inspired Boundary Control for Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Siranosian Antranik A. , Krstic Miroslav , Smyshlyaev Andrey , Bement Matt 
Published: August 2011

Abstract
We present a control design method for nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) based on a combination of gain scheduling and backstepping theory for linear PDEs. A benchmark first-order hyperbolic system with an in-domain nonlinearity is considered first. For this system a nonlinear feedback law, based on gain scheduling, is derived explicitly, and a proof of local exponential stability, with an estimate of the region of attraction, is presented for the closed-loop system. Control designs (without proofs) are then presented for a string PDE and a shear beam PDE, both with Kelvin–Voigt (KV) damping and free-end nonlinearities of a potentially destabilizing kind. String and beam simulation results illustrate the merits of the gain scheduling approach over the linearization based design.
Equating quantitative emphysema measurements on different CT image reconstructions
Authors: Bartel Seth T. , Bierhals Andrew J. , Pilgram Thomas K. , Hong Cheng , Schechtman Kenneth B. , Conradi Susan H. , Gierada David S. 
Published: August 2011

Purpose:To mathematically model the relationship between CT measurements of emphysema obtained from images reconstructed using different section thicknesses and kernels and to evaluate the accuracy of the models for converting measurements to those of a reference reconstruction.Methods:CT raw data from the lung cancer screening examinations of 138 heavy smokers were reconstructed at 15 different combinations of section thickness and kernel. An emphysema index was quantified as the percentage of the lung with attenuation below −950 HU (EI950). Linear, quadratic, and power functions were used to model the relationship between EI950 values obtained with a reference 1 mm, medium smooth kernel reconstruction and values from each of the other 14 reconstructions. Preferred models were selected using the corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc), coefficients of determination (R2), and residuals (conversion errors), and cross‐validated by a jackknife approach using the leave‐one‐out method.Results:The preferred models were power functions, with modelR2 values ranging from 0.949 to 0.998. The errors in converting EI950 measurements from other reconstructions to the 1 mm, medium smooth kernel reconstruction in leave‐one‐out testing were less than 3.0 index percentage points for all reconstructions, and less than 1.0 index percentage point for five reconstructions. Conversion errors were related in part to image noise, emphysema distribution, and attenuation histogram parameters. Conversion inaccuracy related to increased kernel sharpness tended to be reduced by increased section thickness.Conclusions:Image reconstruction‐related differences in quantitative emphysema measurements were successfully modeled using power functions.