bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Discordance between Patient and Physician Assessments of Disease Severity in Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: HUDSON MARIE , IMPENS ANN , BARON MURRAY , SEIBOLD JAMES R. , THOMBS BRETT D. , WALKER JENNIFER G. ,   the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group, STEELE RUSSELL 
Published: September 2010

Objective.To describe the magnitude and correlates of discordance between patient and physician assessments of disease severity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods.Subjects were patients enrolled in the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group Registry. The outcomes of interest were patient and physician global assessments of disease severity (scales ranging from 0–10). Predictors of disease severity represented the spectrum of disease in SSc (skin involvement, severity of Raynaud’s phenomenon, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal symptoms and pain, number of fingertip ulcers, tender and swollen joints, creatinine, and fatigue). The results of the analysis were validated in an independent sample of patients with SSc from the United States.Results.Patients perceived greater disease severity than physicians (mean difference 0.78 ± 2.65). The agreement between patient and physician assessments of disease severity was, at best, modest (intraclass correlation 0.3774; weighted κ 0.3771). Although both patients and physicians were influenced by skin scores, breathlessness, and pain, the relative importance of these predictors differed. Patients were also influenced by other subjective symptoms, while physicians were also influenced by disease duration and creatinine. The predictors explained 56% of the deviance in the patient global assessments and 29% in the physician assessments. These findings were confirmed in the US dataset.Conclusion.Patients and physicians rate SSc disease severity differently in magnitude and are influenced by different factors. Patient-assessed and physician-assessed measures of severity should be considered as complementary and used together in future studies of SSc.
A feasibility study of a quantitative microwave tomography technique for structural monitoring
Authors: Catapano I. , Crocco L. , Isernia T. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTQuantitative microwave tomography is an imaging method based on the solution of a non‐linear inverse scattering problem, which is able to provide an objective assessment of a region under test. Such a capability is relevant in the framework of non‐destructive structural monitoring, where it allows to process ground‐penetrating radar data so to achieve accurate information on the inner status of the probed structure. In this paper, we propose a two‐step quantitative microwave tomography approach in which the morphological characterization of the targets is first pursued and then their electric contrast is determined by exploiting the information previously gained. A feasibility assessment of the proposed strategy is given against synthetic data concerning the imaging of a leaking pipeline embedded in a wall.
GPR application to the structural control of historical buildings: two case studies in Rome, Italy
Authors: Barone P.M. , Di Matteo A. , Graziano F. , Mattei E. , Pettinelli E. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTPreservation of historical buildings requires particular care, as any intervention must not alter or damage the style, structure or contents of the edifice. In order to properly plan the restoration of a building, non‐destructive techniques can be used extensively to detect structural elements and weaknesses. Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) is particularly well adapted to this type of work, as the method is non‐invasive, rapid and provides high‐resolution images of contrasting subsurface materials.In the present work we show the successful application of the GPR technique to the investigation of two historical buildings that differ in age, structure and geometry.The first case is the GPR detection of fractures and internal lesions in the architrave of the Porticus Octaviae, a partially restored Roman building. The second case uses GPR in the important Zuccari Palace to determine the internal structure above vaulted ceilings that host a series of 16thcentury frescos. Both buildings are located in downtown Rome, Italy.These examples show that GPR can give detailed, non‐invasive data that describe the state of conservation of historical buildings. In particular, this technique can produce fundamental information for the restorers (e.g., location, dimension and geometry of the structural lesions) that will help them develop the best possible protection plan, retrieving quantitative information about the location and the dimension of the lesions as well as the thickness of the different layers.
Ground‐penetrating radar and microwave tomography to evaluate the crack and joint geometry in historical buildings: some examples from Chania, Crete, Greece
Authors: Bavusi M. , Soldovieri F. , Piscitelli S. , Loperte A. , Vallianatos F. , Soupios P. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTDiagnostics of historical buildings is crucial for the definition of a reliable restoration project or in the study of the seismic behaviour of a building. This was one of the objectives of the international project ‘Advanced techniques for Seismic RISK Reduction in Mediterranean Archipelago Regions’ (SE RISK). In particular, in the framework of the project, the present work is concerned with the exploitation of GPR for the inspection of two historical buildings of Crete Island, Greece, the Prefecture of Chania and Venizelo’s House. In particular, the surveys aim at gaining information about the structure of the floors fracture areas and structural joint zones via high‐resolution measurements thanks to the use of a 1500 MHz nominal centre frequency antenna. With regard to the Prefecture of Chania, the specific aim of the survey was to detect and localize fracture areas and joint zones thanks to a scanning line acquired orthogonally to the ‘defects visible’ at the surface of the floors. In Venizelo’s House, the aim was to detect and localize fracture areas in the stone masonry.Besides the classical time data processing, a microwave tomography based approach was applied to the data. The comparison between the two approaches has shown that the results of both the procedures are in good agreement suggesting both the reliability of the standard processing routine and the new microwave approach. In addition, the microwave tomographic approach provides more detailed and higher resolution images allowing an easier data interpretation. The microwave tomographic approach also offers the advantage of performing an automatic procedure, thus mitigating the risk of introducing subjective elements as in the case of the classical approach.
Iwahori-Hecke Algebras of SL2over 2-Dimensional Local Fields
Authors: Lee Kyu-Hwan 
Published: September 2010

AbstractIn this paper we construct an analogue of Iwahori–Hecke algebras of SL2over 2-dimensional local fields. After considering coset decompositions of double cosets of a Iwahori subgroup, we define a convolution product on the space of certain functions on SL2, and prove that the product is well-defined, obtaining a Hecke algebra. Then we investigate the structure of the Hecke algebra. We determine the center of the Hecke algebra and consider Iwahori–Matsumoto type relations.
Carcinogenicity of occupational nickel exposures: An evaluation of the epidemiological evidence
Authors: Grandjean Philippe , Andersen Ole , Nielsen Gitte D. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe health effects documented in recent epidemiological studies of nickel‐exposed workers relate to past exposures, mostly of unknown magnitude and unknown nickel speciation. Major studies have been carried out at nickel smelters and refineries. Although each study suffers from some deficiencies, as is common in such retrospective studies, the findings in concert strongly indicate that nickel emitted from the calcining and sintering operations is a potent carcinogen resulting in nasal and pulmonary cancers. Some risk appears to be present in other refinery operations, such as Orford furnace, copper and nickel sulfate, and crushing departments, and one study has suggested a risk associated with soluble nickel compounds in the electrolysis department, although this finding has not been confirmed. Only one study demonstrated an exposure‐response relationship, which, however, was not statistically significant. Other studies showed a relationship between increased exposure time and augmented cancer risk. In nickel‐using industries, no excess cancer related to nickel exposures has been demonstrated beyond doubt; concurrent exposures to other potential carcinogens constitute a confounding variable that makes interpretation difficult. However, the studies have not excluded that a cancer hazard may be present outside the nickel‐producing facilities. Further, case‐referent studies of respiratory cancers suggest that a nickel‐related etiology may well exist in the nickel‐using industries. As the exact identity of the carcinogenic form or forms of nickel remains unknown, exposure to all nickel compounds should be kept as low as reasonably achievable.
1,1,1‐trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) in urine as biological index of exposure
Authors: Imbriani M. , Ghittori S. , Pezzagno G. , Huang J. , Capodaglio E. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractFifteen human volunteers were exposed to 1,1,1‐trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) vapor at 72–495 mg/m3 for a period of 2 to 4 hours at rest (ten cases) and during light physical exercise (five cases). Subsequently 60 workers occupationally exposed to 1,1,1‐trichloroethane in a refrigerator manufacturing plant were studied (median value: 178 mg/m3; geometrical standard deviation: 2.19 mg/m3). As expected, the relative uptake (R) of 1,1,1‐trichloroethane decreased in the course of exposure at rest (R = 0.44 after 20 minutes of exposure; R = 0.26 after 240 minutes of exposure). Both in the experimentally exposed subjects and in the occupationally exposed workers, the urinary concentration of 1,1,1‐trichloroethane showed a linear relationship to the corresponding environmental time‐weighted average concentration. The correlation coefficients (r) were 0.95 in occupationally exposed subjects and more than 0.90 in experimentally exposed groups.A linear equation also existed between urinary concentration and amount of 1,1,1‐trichloroethane absorbed (r = 0.88). The findings indicate that the urinary concentration of 1,1,1‐trichloroethane can be used as an appropriate biological exposure indicator. In occupationally exposed subjects performing moderate work, the urinary 1,1,1‐trichloroethane concentration corresponding to the time‐weighted average of the threshold limit value was found to be 860 μg/L and its 95% lower confidence limit (biological threshold) 805 μg/L.
Screening for occupational disease among workers in a high‐risk trade: Examination of cost, yield, and potential for increased efficiency
Authors: Schwartz David A. , Rosenstock Linda , Barnhart Scott , Inui Thomas S. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractWe evaluated the cost and yield of a general health surveillance program emphasizing the identification of occupationally related diseases among workers in a high‐risk trade. Of approximately 4,000 eligible members of two local plumbers and pipefitters unions, 639 were screened in this program. Screening tests indicated either by specific occupational exposures (eg, chest X‐ray, spirometry, and audiometry) or general clinical risk factors (urine analysis for those with a positive urine dipstick, and stool heme occult testing for those over 45 years of age) proved to be far less costly for each positive finding than those procedures (physical examination, complete blood count, and blood chemistry panel) that were not specifically indicated. A discriminant analysis revealed predictor variables (age, years in the trade, and presence of respiratory symptoms) that, in subsequent screening efforts, could be used in the unscreened population either to identify individuals who are more likely to have any positive test result or to “tailor” the content of the initial screening program for a single individual. Increasing the yield and decreasing the direct costs of screening activities may make programs like these more affordable. In addition, this program assisted workers in filing for compensation and thus served to promote the appropriate transfer of cost for the identification and management of occupational diseases from traditional forms of payment to workers' compensation insurance programs.
Determinants of pattern of breathing during respirator use
Authors: Harber Philip , Shimozaki Steven , Barrett Thomas , Fine Gil 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe relationship between the pattern of breathing in response to respirator‐type loads and an individual's psychophysiologic sensitivity to loads (load scaling sensitivity, LSS) was investigated in the study of 11 normal volunteers. LSS was measured by having the subjects numerically rate a series of resistors; Stevens's Psychophysical Law was used to evaluate sensitivity as the slope relating log (sensation) to log (stimulus). Peak pressure and actual added resistance were the stimuli. Inspiratory time, peak pressure, duty cycle, and tidal volume were inversely related to independently measured LSS during exercise and with a respirator‐type dead space and inspiratory resistance load. Because the need for changes in respiratory timing is a major adaptation in respirator use, it suggests that workers who are very sensitive to loads may have limited ability to adapt to respirator use.
An update of respiratory cancer and occupational exposure to arsenicals
Authors: Sobel Wendy , Bond Gregory G. , Baldwin Charles L. , Ducommun Dale J. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractMortality was updated through 1982 for 611 arsenic‐exposed employees originally studied through 1973. In the earlier report, total mortality was observed to have been below the comparable U.S. population; however, mortality was significantly elevated for respiratory cancer. The focus of the update was on respiratory cancer and of special interest was whether the risk of respiratory cancer remained in excess for individuals alive as of the end of the last study. In the update, 9 additional respiratory cancers were observed subsequent to 1973, the end of the follow‐up in the original study, versus 7.8 expected. The risk ratio for the time‐interval 1974–1982 (standardized mortality ratio SMR = 116) was diminished compared to that reported in the original study (SMR = 330). When the entire study period was analyzed, the risk of respiratory cancer did not appear to decline with interval since exposure cessation. Analyses by duration of arsenic exposure and interval since first exposure did not reveal any obvious dose‐response relationships.
Use of hospital discharge data in the surveillance of occupational disease
Authors: Rosenman Kenneth D. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractComputerized hospital discharge diagnoses are useful for occupational disease surveillance. One thousand one hundred twenty‐six individuals with asbestosis and 268 individuals with silicosis were identified in New Jersey for the four‐year period 1979–1982. Computer‐generated maps help to dramatize the localization of these conditions to certain geographic areas.The attributes and limitations of using hospital discharge diagnoses for occupational disease surveillance are discussed: initial follow‐up data are presented for individuals with silicosis.
Surveillance of occupational skin disease using the supplementary data system
Authors: O'Malley Michael , Thun Michael , Morrison Jack , Mathias C. G. Toby , Halperin W. E. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe utility of the Supplementary Data System (SDS) compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in conducting surveillance of occupational skin disease was evaluated by examining 14,703 workers' compensation cases reported to the SDS for the year 1981. Combined with state employment denominators obtained from the BLS Employment and Earnings Program, rates of illness (cases of dermatitis/10,000 employed) calculated for eight major industrial divisions varied significantly according to the criteria used for reporting cases. Despite quantitative variations in the rate of skin disease that depended on specific reporting criteria, the relative ranking of the major industrial divisions remained unchanged, with highest rates of skin disease consistently found in three major industry divisions: agriculture, manufacturing, and construction. This ranking of major industry divisions by rate of dermatitis corresponded extremely well with rankings generated from the 1981 Annual Survey (Spearman rank correlation = .98, p < .01). At the two‐digit level of the Standard Industrial Classification, the rankings based on the SDS had a 77% rank correlation with those from the Annual Survey. Two‐digit SIC codes identified from the top 10 in both sets of rankings included crop and livestock production from the agricultural division and leather products, food products, rubber and plastic products from the manufacturing division.
Malignant melanoma in the printing industry
Authors: Mclaughlin Joseph K. , Malker Hans S. R. , Blot William J. , Ericsson Jan L. E. , Gemne Gosta , Fraumeni Joseph F. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractTo evaluate a recent report of malignant melanoma among printers, we used the Cancer‐Environment Registry of Sweden, which links national cancer incidence and employment data. Employees in the newspaper printing industry had almost twice the incidence of melanoma than expected (p < 0.01). Elevated risks were found not only among typographers and machine repairers, but also among journalists, editors, and business executives in the printing industry. Further studies are needed to clarify this relationship and identify specific exposures that may be responsible.
Erythropoietin plus insulin‐like growth factor‐I protects against neuronal damage in a murine model of human immunodeficiency virus‐associated neurocognitive disorders
Authors: Kang Yeon‐Joo , Digicaylioglu Murat , Russo Rossella , Kaul Marcus , Achim Cristian L. , Fletcher Lauren , Masliah Eliezer , Lipton Stuart A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjectiveProlonged human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) infection leads to neurological debilitation, including motor dysfunction and frank dementia. Although pharmacological control of HIV infection is now possible, HIV‐associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain intractable. Here, we report that chronic treatment with erythropoietin (EPO) and insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) protects against HIV/gp120‐mediated neuronal damage in culture and in vivo.MethodsInitially, we tested the neuroprotective effects of various concentrations of EPO, IGF‐I, or EPO+IGF‐I from gp120‐induced damage in vitro. To assess the chronic effects of EPO+IGF‐I administration in vivo, we treated HIV/gp120‐transgenic or wild‐type mice transnasally once a week for 4 months and subsequently conducted immunohistochemical analyses.ResultsLow concentrations of EPO+IGF‐I provided neuroprotection from gp120 in vitro in a synergistic fashion. In vivo, EPO+IGF‐I treatment prevented gp120‐mediated neuronal loss, but did not alter microgliosis or astrocytosis. Strikingly, in the brains of both humans with HAND and gp120‐transgenic mice, we found evidence for hyperphosphorylated tau protein (paired helical filament‐I tau), which has been associated with neuronal damage and loss. In the mouse brain following transnasal treatment with EPO+IGF‐I, in addition to neuroprotection we observed increased phosphorylation/activation of Akt (protein kinase B) and increased phosphorylation/inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)‐3β, dramatically decreasing downstream hyperphosphorylation of tau. These results indicate that the peptides affected their cognate signaling pathways within the brain parenchyma.InterpretationOur findings suggest that chronic combination therapy with EPO+IGF‐I provides neuroprotection in a mouse model of HAND, in part, through cooperative activation of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt/GSK‐3β signaling. This combination peptide therapy should therefore be tested in humans with HAND. ANN NEUROL 2010;68:342–352
Role of interleukin‐1β in postoperative cognitive dysfunction
Authors: Cibelli Mario , Fidalgo Antonio Rei , Terrando Niccolò , Ma Daqing , Monaco Claudia , Feldmann Marc , Takata Masao , Lever Isobel J. , Nanchahal Jagdeep , Fanselow Michael S. , Maze Mervyn 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective:Although postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) often complicates recovery from major surgery, the pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. We explored whether systemic inflammation, in response to surgical trauma, triggers hippocampal inflammation and subsequent memory impairment, in a mouse model of orthopedic surgery.Methods:C57BL/6J, knock out (lacking interleukin [IL]‐1 receptor, IL‐1R−/−) and wild type mice underwent surgery of the tibia under general anesthesia. Separate cohorts of animals were tested for memory function with fear conditioning tests, or euthanized at different times to assess levels of systemic and hippocampal cytokines and microglial activation; the effects of interventions, designed to interrupt inflammation (specifically and nonspecifically), were also assessed.Results:Surgery caused hippocampal‐dependent memory impairment that was associated with increased plasma cytokines, as well as reactive microgliosis and IL‐1β transcription and expression in the hippocampus. Nonspecific attenuation of innate immunity with minocycline prevented surgery‐induced changes. Functional inhibition of IL‐1β, both in mice pretreated with IL‐1 receptor antagonist and in IL‐1R−/− mice, mitigated the neuroinflammatory effects of surgery and memory dysfunction.Interpretation:A peripheral surgery‐induced innate immune response triggers an IL‐1β‐mediated inflammatory process in the hippocampus that underlies memory impairment. This may represent a viable target to interrupt the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. ANN NEUROL 2010;68:360–368
Exercise and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in cognitively normal older adults
Authors: Liang Kelvin Y. , Mintun Mark A. , Fagan Anne M. , Goate Alison M. , Bugg Julie M. , Holtzman David M. , Morris John C. , Head Denise 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjectiveIn addition to the increasingly recognized role of physical exercise in maintaining cognition, exercise may influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, as transgenic mouse studies show lowered levels of AD pathology in exercise groups. The objective of this study was to elucidate the association between exercise and AD pathology in humans using Pittsburgh compound‐B (PIB), amyloid‐β (Aβ)42, tau, and phosphorylated tau (ptau)181 biomarkers.MethodsSixty‐nine older adults (17 males, 52 females) aged 55 to 88 years, were recruited and confirmed to be cognitively normal. A questionnaire on physical exercise levels over the past decade was administered to all. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from 56 participants, and amyloid imaging with PIB was performed on 54 participants.ResultsParticipants were classified based on biomarker levels. Those with elevated PIB (p = 0.030), tau (p = 0.040), and ptau181 (p = 0.044) had significantly lower exercise, with a nonsignificant trend for lower Aβ42 (p = 0.135) to be associated with less exercise. Results were similar for PIB after controlling for covariates; tau (p = 0.115) and ptau181 (p = 0.123) differences were reduced to nonsignificant trends. Additional analyses also demonstrated that active individuals who met the exercise guidelines set by the American Heart Association had significantly lower PIB binding and higher Aβ42 levels with and without controlling for covariates (PIB: p = 0.006 and p = 0.001; Aβ42: p = 0.042 and p = 0.046). Last, the associations between exercise engagement and PIB levels were more prominent in APOE epsilon 4 noncarriers.InterpretationCollectively, these results are supportive of an association between exercise engagement and AD biomarkers in cognitively normal older adults. Ann Neurol 2010;68:311–318