bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outcomes After Stent Implantation for the Treatment of Congenital and Postoperative Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in Children
Authors: Balasubramanian Sowmya , Marshall Audrey C. , Gauvreau Kimberlee , Peng Lynn F. , Nugent Alan W. , Lock James E. , McElhinney Doff B. 
Published: January 2012

Background—
Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare condition that can lead to worsening pulmonary hypertension and cardiac failure in children, and it is frequently lethal. Surgical and transcatheter approaches are acutely successful but restenosis is common and rapid.

Methods and Results—

We reviewed outcomes among patients who underwent transcatheter pulmonary vein stent implantation for congenital or postoperative PVS at <18 years of age. A total of 74 pulmonary veins were stented with bare metal, drug-eluting, or covered stents in 47 patients. Primary diagnoses included PVS associated with anomalous venous return in 51%, PVS associated with other congenital cardiovascular defects in 36%, and congenital (“de novo”) PVS in 13% of patients. Median age at the time of pulmonary vein stent implantation was 1.4 years. During a median cross-sectional follow-up of 3.1 years, 21 patients died. Estimated survival was 62±8% at 1 year and 50±8% at 5 years after pulmonary vein stent implantation. Stent placement acutely relieved focal obstruction in all veins. Of the 54 stents reexamined with catheterization, 32 underwent reintervention. Freedom from reintervention was 62±7% at 6 months and 42±7% at 1 year. Stent occlusion was documented in 9 cases and significant in-stent stenosis in 17 cases. Stent implantation diameter ≥7 mm was associated with longer freedom from reintervention (hazard ratio, 0.32;
P
=0.015) and from significant in-stent stenosis (hazard ratio, 0.14;
P
=0.002). Major acute complications occurred in 5 cases.

Conclusions—
Transcatheter stent implantation can acutely relieve PVS in children, but reintervention is common. Larger stent lumen size at implantation is associated with longer stent patency and a lower risk of reintervention.
Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Cardiomyocytes Exhibit Beat Rate Variability and Power-Law Behavior
Authors: Mandel Yael , Weissman Amir , Schick Revital , Barad Lili , Novak Atara , Meiry Gideon , Goldberg Stanislav , Lorber Avraham , Rosen Michael R. , Itskovitz-Eldor Joseph , Binah Ofer 
Published: January 2012

Background—
The sinoatrial node is the main impulse-generating tissue in the heart. Atrioventricular conduction block and arrhythmias caused by sinoatrial node dysfunction are clinically important and generally treated with electronic pacemakers. Although an excellent solution, electronic pacemakers incorporate limitations that have stimulated research on biological pacing. To assess the suitability of potential biological pacemakers, we tested the hypothesis that the spontaneous electric activity of human embryonic stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) exhibit beat rate variability and power-law behavior comparable to those of human sinoatrial node.

Methods and Results—
We recorded extracellular electrograms from hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs under stable conditions for up to 15 days. The beat rate time series of the spontaneous activity were examined in terms of their power spectral density and additional methods derived from nonlinear dynamics. The major findings were that the mean beat rate of hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs was stable throughout the 15-day follow-up period and was similar in both cell types, that hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs exhibited intrinsic beat rate variability and fractal behavior, and that isoproterenol increased and carbamylcholine decreased the beating rate in both hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs.

Conclusions—
This is the first study demonstrating that hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs exhibit beat rate variability and power-law behavior as in humans, thus supporting the potential capability of these cell sources to serve as biological pacemakers. Our ability to generate sinoatrial-compatible spontaneous cardiomyocytes from the patient's own hair (via keratinocyte-derived iPSCs), thus eliminating the critical need for immunosuppression, renders these myocytes an attractive cell source as biological pacemakers.
Impact of Progression of Diastolic Dysfunction on Mortality in Patients With Normal Ejection Fraction
Authors: AlJaroudi Wael , Alraies M. Chadi , Halley Carmel , Rodriguez Leonardo , Grimm Richard A. , Thomas James D. , Jaber Wael A. 
Published: January 2012

Background—
Diastolic dysfunction is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction. There are limited data, however, on whether worsening of diastolic function is associated with worse prognosis.

Methods and Results—

We reviewed clinical records and echocardiograms of consecutive patients who had baseline echocardiograms between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2009, that showed left ventricular ejection fraction ≥55% and who subsequently had a follow-up echocardiogram within 6 to 24 months. Diastolic function was labeled as normal, mild, moderate, or severe dysfunction. All-cause mortality was determined by use of the Social Security Death Index. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis with a proportional hazard model were performed to assess outcomes. A total of 1065 outpatients were identified (mean±SD age, 67.9±13.9 years; 58% male). Baseline diastolic dysfunction was present in 770 patients (72.3%), with mild being the most prevalent. On follow-up testing (mean±SD, 1.1±0.4 years), 783 patients (73%) had stable, 168 (16%) had worsening, and 114 (11%) had improved baseline diastolic function. Eighty-eight patients (8.3%) had a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction to <55% and were more likely to have advanced diastolic dysfunction (
P
=0.002). After a mean±SD follow-up (from the second study) of 1.6±0.8 years, 142 patients (13%) died. On multivariate analysis, a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction to <55% and any worsening of diastolic function were independently associated with increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–2.85;
P
=0.02; and hazard ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.21–2.59;
P
=0.003, respectively).

Conclusion—
In patients with normal baseline left ventricular ejection fraction, worsening of diastolic function is an independent predictor of mortality.
Local Economic Development and Transformations of the Political Discourse and Practices in China: Case Analyses from the Zhejiang Region from the 1980s
Authors: Ganne Bernard , Lu Shi 
Published: January 2012

AbstractWhile China has recently taken an amazing economic leap, completely transforming and liberalising its economic system, the absolute domination of the Communist party, operating in an extremely organised and centralised system and without free general elections, is the opposite of the models advocated by Western nations and remains a stumbling block for a number of Westerners.This governance from the top seems to exclude forms of expression and practices at the grassroots, but can this first reading explain the practical reality of Chinese politics?This paper looks into the links between the economic regeneration and the political transformations of two cities in Zhejiang. Studying the incredible advances of these two cities over 30 years reveals that their development was based not only on economic factors but also on a broad continuous movement of political and local reorganisation from the bottom up, promoting a new social and political dynamism, first locally then provincewide: a huge and profound change developed in a very specific way.Is this a premonitory model or announcement of the specifically Chinese methods of incorporating economic and political changes coming from the grassroots, which still affect certain sectors of the social and political spheres of Chinese society?
The Making of a Mission Field: Paradigms of Evangelistic Mission in Europe
Authors: Paas Stefan 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
Since the Second World War Europe has increasingly been considered as a ‘mission field’. Sometimes it is suggested that this belief could only emerge after the collapse of the colonial empires, effectively abolishing the difference between the ‘Christian’ and the ‘pagan’ world. However, this is only partially true. There has always been a strong undercurrent within European churches, especially among missionary practitioners, that Europe was not all that ‘Christian’, even when its institutions and laws were influenced by Christianity. In this article I argue that this consciousness even increased in the post-Reformation centuries. In fact, ‘home missions’ were in every bit a part of the great Protestant missionary movement, just as ‘foreign missions’. Before the 20th century the awareness of Europe as a mission field was embodied in two missionary paradigms that I have termed ‘confessional’ and ‘revivalist’. In the 20th century a new paradigm emerged that I have called ‘ideological’.
Thermodynamic and Aerosol Controls in Southeast Pacific Stratocumulus
Authors: Mechem David B. , Yuter Sandra E. , de Szoeke Simon P. 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
A near-large-eddy simulation approach with size-revolving (bin) microphysics is employed to evaluate the relative sensitivity of southeast Pacific marine boundary layer cloud properties to thermodynamic and aerosol parameters. Simulations are based on a heavily drizzling cloud system observed by the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown during the Variability of the American Monsoon Systems (VAMOS) Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Study—Regional Experiment (VOCALS-Rex) field campaign. A suite of numerical experiments examines the sensitivity of drizzle to variations in boundary layer depth and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration in a manner consistent with the variability of those parameters observed during VOCALS-Rex. All four simulations produce cellular structures and turbulence characteristics of a circulation driven predominantly in a bottom-up fashion. The cloud and subcloud layers are coupled by strong convective updrafts that provide moisture to the cloud layer. Distributions of reflectivity calculated from model droplet spectra agree well with reflectivity distributions from the 5-cm-wavelength scanning radar aboard the ship, and the statistical behavior of cells over the course of the simulation is similar to that documented in previous studies of southeast Pacific stratocumulus. The simulations suggest that increased aerosol concentration delays the onset of drizzle, whereas changes in the boundary layer height are more important in modulating drizzle intensity.
Decadal Variation of Rainfall Seasonality in the North American Monsoon Region and Its Potential Causes
Authors: Arias Paola A. , Fu Rong , Mo Kingtse C. 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
This study shows that the North American monsoon system’s (NAMS) strength, onset, and retreat over northwestern Mexico exhibit multidecadal variations during the period 1948–2009. Two dry regimes, associated with late onsets, early retreats, and weaker rainfall rates, occurred in 1948–70 and 1991–2005, whereas a strong regime, associated with early onsets, late retreats, and stronger rainfall rates, occurred in 1971–90. A recovery of the monsoon strength was observed after 2005. This multidecadal variation is linked to the sea surface temperature anomalies’ (SSTAs) variability, which is a combination of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) and the warming SST trends. These SST modes appear to cause an anomalous cyclonic circulation and enhanced rainfall over the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, which in turn increases the atmospheric stability over the monsoon region. However, these SST modes cannot fully explain the circulation and rainfall anomalies observed during the early-retreat monsoons. An expansion of the North Atlantic surface high (NASH) in recent decades also contributes to the anomalous circulation associated with the early retreats of the NAMS. A northwestward expansion of the NASH further enhances the anomalous cyclonic circulation and rainfall over the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico. Its associated northwestward shift of the subtropical jets over the western United States enhances subsidence over the NAMS region. The combined effects of the AMO, the warming trends, and the NASH expansion on atmospheric circulation contribute to a stronger and more persistent earlier retreat during the recent dry regime (1991–2005), while the earlier dry regime (1948–70) appears to be only influenced by the positive phase of the AMO.
Predicting exercise behaviour in Iranian college students: Utility of an integrated model of health behaviour based on the transtheoretical model and self-determination theory
Authors: Farmanbar Rabiollah , Niknami Shamsaddin , Lubans David R , Hidarnia Alireza 
Published: January 2012

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate an integrated theoretical model of health behaviour based on constructs from the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and Self-determination Theory (SDT). Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Participants ( N = 418) were students from five medical sciences universities located in northern Iran. Participants completed translated versions of Godin and Shephard’s Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and another questionnaire which included a range of constructs from the TTM and SDT. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlation and structural equation modeling. Results: The relationships between exercise behaviour and all of the constructs from the TTM and SDT (except external regulation) were statistically significant. The modified model provided a good fit to the data and explained 82% of the variance in current exercise behaviour. All of the structural pathways, with the exception of pros and cons, were significant and positive. Conclusions: Study findings support the application of an integrated model of health behaviour combining constructs from the TTM and SDT to explain the exercise behaviour of Iranian college students.
Toxic effects of chromium on tannery workers at Sialkot (Pakistan)
Authors: Khan Dilshad Ahmed , Mushtaq Shahida , Khan Farooq Ahmad , Khan Muhammad Qaiser Alam 
Published: January 2012

Chromium is widely used in the leather industry, and tannery workers are under constant threat of adverse health effects due to its excessive exposure. Our objective was to find out the toxic effects of chromium on tannery workers at Sialkot, Pakistan. A total of 240 males consisting of 120 workers from tanneries at Sialkot and equal number of controls were included. Blood complete counts, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, malondialdehyde and routine biochemical tests were carried out by routine procedures. Chromium levels in blood (BCr) and urine were analyzed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer Perkin Elmer analyst-200. Results revealed that all the workers were male with average age of 33 years and 15 (13%) had skin rashes, 14 (12%) had chronic bronchitis, 10 (8%) had gastritis and 4 (3%) conjunctivitis. The tannery workers had significantly raised median (interquartile range) of BCr 569 (377–726) nmol/L as compared to 318 (245–397) nmol/L in the control ( p < 0.001). Sixty-five (54%) workers had BCr levels above the upper limit set by Agency for Toxic Substance and Drug Registry. The urinary chromium excretion was significantly high in workers 131 (46–312) nmol/L as compared to 13 (3–26) nmol/L in controls ( p < 0.01). The workers had hematological, hepatic and renal function impairment because of oxidative stress on body systems. It is concluded that about half of the workers had excessive exposure to chromium in the tanneries at Sialkot. They had significantly raised chromium levels in their biological fluids and adverse health effects due to enhanced oxidative stress and inflammatory changes.
Protein biomarkers for multiple sclerosis: semi-quantitative analysis of cerebrospinal fluid candidate protein biomarkers in different forms of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Avsar Timucin , Korkmaz Didem , Tütüncü Melih , Demirci N Onat , Saip Sabahattin , Kamasak Mustafa , Siva Aksel , Turanli Eda Tahir 
Published: January 2012

Background: The complex pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, combined with an unpredictable prognosis, requires identification of disease-specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Objective: To determine whether inflammatory proteins, such as neurofilament light chain, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and myelin basic protein, and neurodegenerative proteins, such as tau and glial fibrillary acidic protein, can serve as biomarkers for predicting the clinical subtype and prognosis of MS. Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples were collected from patients with a diagnosis of clinically isolated syndrome ( n = 46), relapsing–remitting MS ( n = 67) or primary-progressive MS ( n = 22) along with controls having other non-inflammatory neurological disease ( n = 22). Western blot analyses were performed for the listed proteins. Protein levels were compared among different clinical subtypes using one-way analysis of variance analysis. The k-nearest neighbour algorithm was further used to assess the predictive use of these proteins for clinical subtype classification. Results: The results showed that each of tau, GFAP, MOG and NFL protein concentrations differed significantly ( p < 0.001) in multiple sclerosis clinical subtypes compared with the controls. Levels of the proteins also differed between the multiple sclerosis clinical subtypes, which may be associated with the underlying disease process. Classification studies revealed that these proteins might be useful for identifying multiple sclerosis clinical subtypes. Conclusions: We showed that select biomarkers may have potential in identifying multiple sclerosis clinical subtypes. We also showed that the predictive value of the prognosis increased when using a combination of the proteins versus using them individually.
A Biomechanical Assessment of Alternate Keyboards Using Tendon Travel
Authors: Treaster D. E. , Marras W. S. 
Published: January 2012

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of alternate keyboard designs on the tendon travel of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP). A repeated measures experiment was conducted with 10 keyboard conditions. Independent variables were Pitch (positive vs negative pitch), Roll (zero vs positive roll) and Yaw (zero vs positive yaw). Dependent variables were tendon travel with anthropometric data collected as covariates. Subjects also adjusted the Pitch, Roll and Yaw angles on an adjustable keyboard to their preference for one condition. Fifteen experienced touch typists (8 women, 7 men) typed a standard text. Wrist and finger goniometers, developed in the Biodynamics Laboratory at Ohio State University, provided data on joint kinematics for the wrist, MP, PIP, and DIP joints. Regression equations were used to calculate tendon travel from joint angle. Tendon travel was used as an indicator of the internal biomechanical loading. The results showed that alternate keyboards can change tendon travel by as much as 11%. Positive pitch keyboards produced significantly lower amounts of tendon travel than negative pitch. A highly significant Gender effect was also found: male subjects showed higher tendon travel across all test conditions. This gender difference was only partially explained by differences in hand anthropometry.
Prevention of Cumulative Trauma Disorders: An Ergonomic Study on Radio Assembly Lines for the Automotive Industry
Authors: Dias Marta , Brandão M. Filomena , Simões Anabela 
Published: January 2012

This study aimed the design and implementation of a plan for job rotation, as well as the workstation' improvement at the three radio assembly lines for the automotive industry in order to prevent and reduce the cumulative trauma disorders affecting the upper limbs. It was carried out in three phases: ergonomic analysis, design and development of the plan for job rotation and proposal for workstation improvement and implementation, as well as the corresponding evaluation and re-adjustments. The preliminary results of the implementation of the plan for job rotation express a decreasing amount of the complains in 40% and for the number of the seack-leaves repetitive work-related.
Beyond Requirements: Improving Software Tools for Intelligence Analysts
Authors: Geitz Sarah , Moon Brian , D'Amico Anita , Hoffman Robert R. , Page Rob 
Published: January 2012

The goal of this panel is to discuss critical human factors concerns in the development of software for intelligence analysts. The panel presentations are designed to provide a high level overview of the software development process, the intelligence analysis process, and the challenges encountered in both obtaining user feedback. Presentations will examine a variety of issues including the analysis of imagery, text, information assurance, data fusion, visualization models and in establishing situational awareness, as well as empowering analysts with open source software. The panel discussion will focus on extracting generic processes that can be applied to obtaining more accurate software metrics, requirements and solutions from a world where certain topics cannot be discussed. Methods and metaphors for better describing to individuals working outside of the classified world the context a within which a tool will be used, may be touched upon, as well as identifying ways of overcoming both internal and external politics. Human factors concerns may also be addressed, such as evaluating how trust affects the feedback received from individual analysts and communication and interaction within and between groups of analysts. Identifying and overcoming potential perceptual problems in the software development process will also be discussed. The anticipated outcome of the panel will be to target individual processes, techniques and technologies that can be applied to obtaining requirements to support cognitive processes, which can in turn be applied developing software tools that better fit the needs intelligence analysts.