bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of renal function on cardiovascular events in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for renal cancer
Authors: Takeshita Hideki , Yokoyama Minato , Fujii Yasuhisa , Chiba Koji , Ishioka Junichiro , Noro Akira , Kihara Kazunori 
Published: April 2012

Objective:  To examine the actual impact of renal dysfunction on cardiovascular events in Japanese patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for renal cancer.Methods:  This retrospective study included 178 Japanese patients who underwent radical nephrectomy between 1980 and 2010. Kaplan–Meier survival curves with a log–rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to investigate the impact of the estimated glomerular filtration rate at 1 month after the radical nephrectomy on cardiovascular‐event‐free, cancer‐specific and overall survivals.Results:  During a median follow up of 68 months, 23 patients experienced cardiovascular events and 32 died. Postoperative renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 1 month after radical nephrectomy) was a significant risk factor for postoperative cardiovascular events in addition to age and history of cardiovascular disease. After adjustment for preoperative characteristics, postoperative renal dysfunction increased the risk of cardiovascular events by 3.48‐fold (95% confidence interval 1.28–8.66). For overall and cancer‐specific survivals, postoperative renal dysfunction did not represent an independent risk factor.Conclusion:  Renal dysfunction has a significant impact on cardiovascular events in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for renal cancer.
Explaining failure through success: a critical analysis of reduction in road and stroke deaths as an explanation for Australia's low deceased organ donation rates
Authors: Bendorf A. , Kerridge I. H. , Kelly P. J. , Pussell B. , Guasch X. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground/Aim:  During the past two decades, Australian federal and state governments have funded many initiatives to bolster organ donation. Despite large investments of time, effort and money, Australia's deceased donation rate is in the bottom half of the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries and has only marginally increased from 11.9 donors per million people (pmp) in 1990 to 14.9 donors pmp in 2011. An often‐cited explanation for this situation is that Australia's success in increasing levels of public health and safety through reduced traffic and stroke fatalities has reduced its number of potential deceased organ donors. We refer to this as the ‘Failure Because of Success’ hypothesis. Although commonly accepted, this hypothesis is largely untested.Methods:  By analysing data from international donation and transplantation organisations and international public health and safety organisations, we compared historical deceased organ donation rates with traffic and stroke fatality rates in Australia and the seven countries with the world's highest deceased organ donation rates (Spain, Portugal, France, USA, Belgium, Austria and Italy).Results:  Traffic fatality rates across all countries in the study have fallen dramatically during the time period, with Spain having the lowest traffic fatality rates. Stroke fatality rates demonstrate similar reductions, with France showing the lowest cerebral vascular accident mortality rates.Conclusion:  When compared with countries with the world's highest deceased donation rates, Australia's improvements to public health and safety through reductions in traffic and stroke fatalities were neither unique nor exemplary and do not provide an adequate explanation for its low organ donor rates.
Single centre experience with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for hepatitis C: looking back before moving forward
Authors: Muller K. , Rodgers A. , Wundke R. , Waddell V. , Altus R. , Gordon D. L. , Wigg A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground:  Hepatitis C treatment is successful in 40–80% of patients in drug sponsored registration trials. However, few studies have examined treatment outcomes in non‐trial, routine clinical practice settings.Aim:  The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment outcomes and predictors of a sustained virological response in a routine clinical setting.Methods:  Data were collected retrospectively on patients treated for hepatitis C between January 2004 and March 2010 in a tertiary hospital setting. Demographics, treatment outcomes and potential predictors of outcome (viral genotype, viral load, virological response, platelet count, alanine transaminase level, glucose, ferritin, weight, fibrosis and cirrhosis, compliance, dose reductions, adverse events, psychiatric and alcohol history) were recorded. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were performed.Results:  A total of 405 patients was treated during the study period. On an intention to treat basis, sustained virological response rates were 55%, 82% and 72% in genotypes 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Predictors of response were gender, age, genotype, weight, fibrosis, cirrhosis, platelet count and alanine transaminase on univariate analysis. Age, genotype, cirrhosis and platelet count were independently associated with sustained virological response on multiple logistic regression.Conclusion:  In our cohort, treatment outcomes for genotype 1 and 2 were similar to results from clinical trials but results for genotype 3 were inferior. Clinicians should not assume that results from registration trials are transferable to their own clinical practice. This has particular relevance for the new era of triple therapy regimens containing direct antivirals.
Strategic control in decision‐making under uncertainty
Authors: Venkatraman Vinod , Huettel Scott A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractComplex economic decisions – whether investing money for retirement or purchasing some new electronic gadget – often involve uncertainty about the likely consequences of our choices. Critical for resolving that uncertainty are strategic meta‐decision processes, which allow people to simplify complex decision problems, evaluate outcomes against a variety of contexts, and flexibly match behavior to changes in the environment. In recent years, substantial research has implicated the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in the flexible control of behavior. However, nearly all such evidence comes from paradigms involving executive function or response selection, not complex decision‐making. Here, we review evidence that demonstrates that the dmPFC contributes to strategic control in complex decision‐making. This region contains a functional topography such that the posterior dmPFC supports response‐related control, whereas the anterior dmPFC supports strategic control. Activation in the anterior dmPFC signals changes in how a decision problem is represented, which in turn can shape computational processes elsewhere in the brain. Based on these findings, we argue for both generalized contributions of the dmPFC to cognitive control, and specific computational roles for its subregions depending upon the task demands and context. We also contend that these strategic considerations are likely to be critical for decision‐making in other domains, including interpersonal interactions in social settings.
Generalization of value in reinforcement learning by humans
Authors: Wimmer G. Elliott , Daw Nathaniel D. , Shohamy Daphna 
Published: April 2012

AbstractResearch in decision‐making has focused on the role of dopamine and its striatal targets in guiding choices via learned stimulus–reward or stimulus–response associations, behavior that is well described by reinforcement learning theories. However, basic reinforcement learning is relatively limited in scope and does not explain how learning about stimulus regularities or relations may guide decision‐making. A candidate mechanism for this type of learning comes from the domain of memory, which has highlighted a role for the hippocampus in learning of stimulus–stimulus relations, typically dissociated from the role of the striatum in stimulus–response learning. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and computational model‐based analyses to examine the joint contributions of these mechanisms to reinforcement learning. Humans performed a reinforcement learning task with added relational structure, modeled after tasks used to isolate hippocampal contributions to memory. On each trial participants chose one of four options, but the reward probabilities for pairs of options were correlated across trials. This (uninstructed) relationship between pairs of options potentially enabled an observer to learn about option values based on experience with the other options and to generalize across them. We observed blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) activity related to learning in the striatum and also in the hippocampus. By comparing a basic reinforcement learning model to one augmented to allow feedback to generalize between correlated options, we tested whether choice behavior and BOLD activity were influenced by the opportunity to generalize across correlated options. Although such generalization goes beyond standard computational accounts of reinforcement learning and striatal BOLD, both choices and striatal BOLD activity were better explained by the augmented model. Consistent with the hypothesized role for the hippocampus in this generalization, functional connectivity between the ventral striatum and hippocampus was modulated, across participants, by the ability of the augmented model to capture participants’ choice. Our results thus point toward an interactive model in which striatal reinforcement learning systems may employ relational representations typically associated with the hippocampus.
Instrumental vigour in punishment and reward
Authors: Dayan Peter 
Published: April 2012

AbstractRecent notions about the vigour of responding in operant conditioning suggest that the long‐run average rate of reward should control the alacrity of action in cases in which the actual cost of speed is balanced against the opportunity cost of sloth. The average reward rate is suggested as being reported by tonic activity in the dopamine system and thereby influencing all actions, including ones that do not themselves lead directly to the rewards. This idea is syntactically problematical for the case of punishment. Here, we broaden the scope of the original suggestion, providing a two‐factor analysis of obviated punishment in a variety of operant circumstances. We also consider the effects of stochastically successful actions, which turn out to differ rather markedly between appetitive and aversive cases. Finally, we study how to fit these ideas into nascent treatments that extend concepts of opponency between dopamine and serotonin from valence to invigoration.
Different dorsal striatum circuits mediate action discrimination and action generalization
Authors: Hilario Mónica , Holloway Terrell , Jin Xin , Costa Rui M. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractGeneralization is an important process that allows animals to extract rules from regularities of past experience and apply them to analogous situations. In particular, the generalization of previously learned actions to novel instruments allows animals to use past experience to act faster and more efficiently in an ever‐changing environment. However, generalization of actions to a dissimilar instrument or situation may also be detrimental. In this study, we investigated the neural bases of action generalization and discrimination in mice trained on a lever‐pressing task. Using specific schedules of reinforcement known to bias animals towards habitual or goal‐directed behaviors, we confirmed that action generalization is more prominent in animals using habitual rather than goal‐directed strategies. We discovered that selective excitotoxic lesions of the dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum have opposite effects on the generalization of a previously learned action to a novel lever. Whereas lesions of the dorsolateral striatum impair action generalization, dorsomedial striatum lesions affect action discrimination and bias subjects towards action generalization. Importantly, these lesions do not affect the ability of animals to explore or match their lever‐pressing rate to the reinforcement rate, or the ability to distinguish between different levers. The data presented here reveal that dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatal circuits have opposing roles in the generalization of previously learned actions to novel instruments, and suggest that these circuits compete for the expression of generalization in novel situations.
Decision value computation in DLPFC and VMPFC adjusts to the available decision time
Authors: Sokol‐Hessner Peter , Hutcherson Cendri , Hare Todd , Rangel Antonio 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIt is increasingly clear that simple decisions are made by computing decision values for the options under consideration, and then comparing these values to make a choice. Computational models of this process suggest that it involves the accumulation of information over time, but little is known about the temporal course of valuation in the brain. To examine this, we manipulated the available decision time and observed the consequences in the brain and behavioral correlates of choice. Participants were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they chose to eat or not eat basic food items, in two conditions differing in the amount of time provided for choice. After identifying valuation‐related regions with unbiased whole‐brain general linear models, we analyzed two regions of interest: ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Finite impulse response models of the upsampled estimated neural activity from those regions allowed us to examine the onset, duration and termination of decision value signals, and to compare across regions. We found evidence for the immediate onset of value computation in both regions, but an extended duration with longer decision time. However, this was not accompanied by behavioral changes in either the accuracy or determinants of choice. Finally, there was modest evidence that DLPFC computation correlated with, but lagged behind, VMPFC computation, suggesting the sharing of information across these regions. These findings have important implications for models of decision value computation and choice.
Is ethnicity associated with morphine’s side effects in children? Morphine pharmacokinetics, analgesic response, and side effects in children having tonsillectomy
Authors: Jimenez Nathalia , Anderson Gail D. , Shen Danny D. , Nielsen Susan S. , Farin Federico M. , Seidel Kristy , Lynn Anne M. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryObjectives/Aims:  To examine whether morphine pharmacokinetics (PK) and/or genetic polymorphisms in opioid‐related genes, underlie differences in analgesic response and side effects to morphine in Latino (L) vs non‐Latino Caucasian (NL) children.Background:  Morphine has high interindividual variability in its analgesic response and side effects profile. Earlier studies suggest that morphine response may vary by race and ethnicity.Methods:  Prospective cohort study in L and NL children, 3–17 years of age comparing pain scores, occurrence of side effects, plasma morphine, morphine‐6‐ and morphine‐3‐glucuronide concentrations measured after a single morphine IV bolus administration. Noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis and genotyping for 28 polymorphisms in eight genes (UGT1A8, UGT2B7, ABCB1, COMT, STAT6, MC1R, OPRM1, and ARRB2) were performed.Results:  We enrolled 68 children (33 L, 35 NL). There were no differences in pain scores or need for rescue analgesia. Statistically significant differences in the occurrence of side effects were documented: While 58% of L children experienced at least one side effect only 20% of NL did (P = 0.001). Pruritus was four times (P = 0.006) and emesis seven times (P = 0.025) more frequent in L compared with NL. PK parameters were similar between groups. None of the assessed polymorphisms mediated the association between ethnicity and side effects.Conclusions:  We found statistically significant differences in the occurrence of side effects after morphine administration between L and NL children. Neither differences in morphine or metabolite concentrations, nor the genetic polymorphisms examined explain these findings. Studies are needed to further investigate reasons for the increase in morphine side effects by Latino ethnicity.
Treating renal calculi 1–2 cm in diameter with minipercutaneous or retrograde intrarenal surgery: a prospective comparative study
Authors: Sabnis Ravindra B. , Jagtap Jitendra , Mishra Shashikant , Desai Mahesh 
Published: April 2012

Study Type – Therapy (pattern of practice survey)Level of Evidence 2bWhat's known on the subject? and What does the study add?Miniperc and RIRS are commonly used modality for treating non‐bulky renal urolithiasis. Both the treatment options are invasive and are associated with inherent complications. There are only a few studies that compare these two treatment modalities.Both the modalities are effective to render patient stone free with minimal complications. Immediate stone free rate is higher with miniperc but comparable in both the modalities at 1 month. RIRS is associated with favourable pain scores and lower hemoglobin drop.OBJECTIVE
To plan a prospective comparative case–control designed study aiming to compare minipercutaneous (miniperc) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) for a renal calculus of size 1–2 cm.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A total of 64 cases (32 in each arm) underwent miniperc and RIRS during the study period from March 2009 to April 2011.
The primary and secondary outcome objective was stone‐free rate and retreatment rate, complications, operation duration, patient visual pain scores, analgesic requirement, haemoglobin drop and hospital stay, respectively.
RESULTS
Miniperc and RIRS had stone clearance rates of 100% and 96.88%, respectively.
In the RIRS group, one patient required retreatment at 1 month.
Hospital stay (0.24) and intra‐operative (0.99) and postoperative complications (0.60) were similar in both groups.
Operation duration (P= 0.003) was lower in the miniperc group.
Haemoglobin drop (P < 0.001), patient pain and visual analogue scale score (each P < 0.001) at 6, 24 and 48 h, as well as analgesic requirement (P < 0.003), were all lower in the RIRS group.
CONCLUSIONS
The stone clearances in both modalities are high and complications are low.
RIRS requires a larger operation duration, although it is associated with favourable pain scores and a lower haemoglobin drop.
High normal HbA1c levels were associated with impaired insulin secretion without escalating insulin resistance in Japanese individuals: the Toranomon Hospital Health Management Center Study 8 (TOPICS 8)
Authors: Heianza Y. , Arase Y. , Fujihara K. , Tsuji H. , Saito K. , Hsieh S. D. , Kodama S. , Shimano H. , Yamada N. , Hara S. , Sone H. 
Published: April 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 1285–1290 (2012)AbstractAims  We aimed to characterize the association of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion and β‐cell dysfunction in relation to HbA1c levels in a non‐diabetic range in Japanese individuals without clinically diagnosed diabetes.Methods  This cross‐sectional study included 1444 individuals without a history of outpatient treatment of diabetes or use of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic agents. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and beta‐cell function, insulinogenic index, Matsuda index and disposition index were calculated using data from 75‐g oral glucose tolerance tests and compared across quintile (Q) categories of HbA1c levels.Results  Fasting plasma glucose and 30‐min and 60‐min plasma glucose (PG) levels were significantly higher when HbA1c exceeded 36 mmol/mol (5.4%). A HbA1c concentration of 36–37 mmol/mol (5.4–5.5%) (Q3) was significantly associated with a 15% lower homeostasis model assessment of β‐cell function value and 31% lower insulinogenic index value compared with HbA1c ≤ 32 mmol/mol (≤ 5.1%) (Q1) (P <0.01). Further, a HbA1c concentration of 38–40 mmol/mol (5.6–5.8%) (Q4) was associated with 17% (P <0.01) and 24% (P <0.05) reductions in those indexes, respectively. However, the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was not significantly elevated and the Matsuda index was not significantly lower unless HbA1c exceeded 41 mmol/mol (5.9%). Individuals with HbA1c ≥ 41 mmol/mol (≥ 5.9%) (Q5) had a 69% lower disposition index than those with a HbA1c concentration of ≤ 32 mmol/mol (≤ 5.1%) (Q1).Conclusions  Elevated HbA1c levels ≥ 41 mmol/mol (≥ 5.9%) were associated with substantial reductions in insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and β‐cell dysfunction in Japanese individuals not treated for diabetes. High normal HbA1c levels of 36–40 mmol/mol (5.4–5.8%) were also associated with impaired insulin secretion without marked insulin resistance in Japanese individuals.
Focusing on the major function‐oriented zone: A new spatial planning approach and practice in China and its 12th Five‐Year Plan 关注主体功能区——中国“十二五规划”新的空间规划探索与实践
Authors: Fan 樊杰 Jie , Sun 孙威 Wei , Yang 杨振山 Zhenshan , Fan 凡芃 Peng , Chen 陈东 Dong 
Published: April 2012

AbstractFor a long time, China has been focusing primarily on pursuing economic growth, with less concern about social and environmental development issues. This may make China's development unsustainable. In contrast to its current economic‐oriented approach predominated by economic growth, this research note presents a newly proposed approach of ‘major function‐oriented zone’ (MFOZ) that is designed by our research team and is largely accepted by the central government and incorporated into its 12th Five‐Year Plan. This approach tries to rationalise China's regional development and insists that each region should have its unique functions to perform, determined by its own characteristics, conditions and requirements. With this approach, the central government is able to monitor and coordinate regional and local developments, and hence the ‘Planning of MFOZ’ is seen by the central government as a tool to steer spatial arrangements for the country's long‐turn sustainable development.摘要长期以来，中国各地都着力于追求快速经济增长，较少关注社会发展和生态保护等问题，这种发展模式是不可持续的。本研究团队提出按照功能区进行国土空间组织，即不同地区应分别承担人口和工业化集聚、粮食安全保障、生态屏障建设等不同功能，实施差异化的发展模式。政策建议得到中央政府认可，主体功能区在“十二五”规划中上升为区域发展战略。本文在介绍主体功能区形成背景和研究框架基础上，对该团队在过去5年中所开展的研究工作进行阐释。包括发展类和保护类主体功能区分类、地域功能识别指标体系构成和内涵、采用单项指标评价和综合指标评价国土空间功能适宜性的缘由及结果、空间综合分析方法和主体功能区草案的研制等。最后简析主体功能区规划和战略实施的制度障碍，提出开展对主体功能区实施情况动态监测和评估的新研究命题。
Parallel Surface Reconstruction for Particle‐Based Fluids
Authors: Akinci G. , Ihmsen M. , Akinci N. , Teschner M. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThis paper presents a novel method that improves the efficiency of high‐quality surface reconstructions for particle‐based fluids using Marching Cubes. By constructing the scalar field only in a narrow band around the surface, the computational complexity and the memory consumption scale with the fluid surface instead of the volume. Furthermore, a parallel implementation of the method is proposed. The presented method works with various scalar field construction approaches. Experiments show that our method reconstructs high‐quality surface meshes efficiently even on single‐core CPUs. It scales nearly linearly on multi‐core CPUs and runs up to fifty times faster on GPUs compared to the original scalar field construction approaches.