bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Value of QT/RR Slope in Predicting Mortality in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: CYGANKIEWICZ IWONA , ZAREBA WOJCIECH , VAZQUEZ RAFAEL , ALMENDRAL JESUS , BAYES‐GENIS ANTONI , FIOL MIQUEL , VALDES MARIANO , MACAYA CARLOS , GONZALEZ‐JUANATEY JOSE R. , CINCA JUAN , DE LUNA ANTONI BAYES ,   on behalf of MUSIC Investigators
Published: June 2008

Introduction: Repolarization dynamics, reflecting adaptation of QT to changing heart rate, is considered a marker of unfavorable prognosis in patients with heart diseases. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of QT/RR slope in predicting total mortality (TM) and sudden death (SD) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods and Results: In 651 sinus rhythm patients with CHF in NYHA class II–III enrolled in the MUSIC study, 24‐hour Holter monitoring was performed at enrollment to assess slope of the QTa/RR (QT apex) and QTe/RR (QTend) during the entire 24‐hour Holter recording and separately during day and night periods. Patients were followed for a median of 44 months, with the primary endpoint defined as TM and the secondary as SD. Analysis of repolarization dynamics was feasible in 542 patients (407M), mean age 63 years, 83% in NYHA class II, 49% with ischemic cardiomyopathy, with mean LVEF 37%. Mean value of QTa/RR slope was 0.172 and QTe/RR was 0.193. During the 44‐month follow‐up there were 119 deaths including 47 SD. Nonsurvivors were characterized by steeper QT/RR slopes. Increased QT/RR slopes during the daytime (>0.20 for QTa and >0.22 for QTe) were independently associated with increased TM in multivariate analysis after adjustment for clinical covariates with respective hazard ratios 1.57 and 1.58, P = 0.002. None of the dynamic repolarization parameters was associated with increased risk of SD in the entire population. Conclusions: Abnormal repolarization dynamics reflected as increased daytime QT/RR slopes is an independent risk stratifier of all‐cause mortality in patients with chronic heart failure
Correlates of subjective and objective burden among caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder
Authors: Ostacher M. J. , Nierenberg A. A. , Iosifescu D. V. , Eidelman P. , Lund H. G. , Ametrano R. M. , Kaczynski R. , Calabrese J. , Miklowitz D. J. , Sachs G. S. , Perlick D. A. ,   the STEP‐BD Family Experience Collaborative Study Group
Published: June 2008

Objective:  We examined the relationship between mood symptoms and episodes in patients with bipolar disorder and burden reported by their primary caregivers.Method:  Data on subjective and objective burden reported by 500 primary caregivers for 500 patients with bipolar disorder participating in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP‐BD) were collected using semistructured interviews. Patient data were collected prospectively over 1 year. The relationship between patient course and subsequent caregiver burden was examined.Results:  Episodes of patient depression, but not mood elevation, were associated with greater objective and subjective caregiver burden. Burden was associated with fewer patient days well over the previous year. Patient depression was associated with caregiver burden even after controlling for days well.Conclusion:  Patient depression, after accounting for chronicity of symptoms, independently predicts caregiver burden. This study underscores the important impact of bipolar depression on those most closely involved with those whom it affects.
Objective social outcomes index (SIX): a method to summarise objective indicators of social outcomes in mental health care
Authors: Priebe S. , Watzke S. , Hansson L. , Burns T. 
Published: June 2008

Objective:  No method has yet been established to summarise different objective indicators of social outcomes into one score. The study aimed to develop and test a simple, brief and meaningful index of social outcomes that can be used across a broad range of mental health studies and is potentially obtainable from routine documentation.Method:  An index capturing employment, accommodation and living situation (range from 0 to 6; SIX) was devised and tested in three longitudinal datasets of patients with severe mental illness from Germany, Sweden and the UK.Results:  SIX showed an almost normal distribution cross‐sectionally in all three datasets. Between 58 and 78% of patients changed scores over time. Change scores were weakly associated with change scores of symptoms, quality of life, global functioning and disability.Conclusion:  A simple method to summarise different indicators of social outcomes provides meaningful results. It can be widely used in research and routine care.
The stethoscope as a vector of infectious diseases in the paediatric division
Authors: Youngster I , Berkovitch M , Heyman E , Lazarovitch Z , Goldman M 
Published: June 2008

AbstractAim: Nosocomial infections are of great concern in hospital settings, and even more so in the paediatric ward. Health professionals and their medical equipment have long been known to act as vectors of infectious diseases. This study aimed at evaluating the presence of bacterial pathogens on the stethoscopes of medical personnel in the paediatric division.Methods: Forty‐three stethoscopes belonging to senior physicians, residents, interns and medical students at the paediatric ward were sampled. Bacterial cultures and antibiotic sensitivity testing were carried out.Results: All but six bacterial cultures were positive (85.7%). Staphylococcal species were the most common contaminants (47.5%). One case of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus was encountered. Gram‐negative organisms were isolated in nine different samples (21%) including one case of Acinetobacter baumannii in the neonatal intensive care unit.Conclusion: Most stethoscopes harbour potential pathogens. The isolation of Gram‐negative organisms pose a real risk of spreading potentially serious infections, especially in the setting of intensive care departments. Apparently, the current recommendations of regular disinfection of stethoscopes are not carried out by health personnel that participated in the study.
Presenting the Sister Saints of Ely, or Using Kinship to Increase a Monastery's Status as a Cult Center
Authors: Blanton Virginia 
Published: June 2008

AbstractAt the time of the Norman Conquest, the monastery of Ely in Cambridgeshire was the second wealthiest in England, holding significant lands, boasting royal patrons, and housing a number of Benedictine monks. To augment its status as a cult center, the monastery developed a genealogical narrative about their founder, Æthelthryth, which included four sister saints, two nieces, and a great‐niece. This essay considers how the narrative of kinship was established, how it was maintained throughout the later medieval period, and why the monastic center felt compelled to augment the cult of Æthelthryth with the smaller cults of her sisters. This survey demonstrates not only the means by which audiences came to know the saints venerated at Ely, but it also illustrates how one might investigate the rhetorical strategies by which a monastery could develop its status as a cult center and compete with rival houses for pilgrims, money, and benefactors.
Non‐song acoustic communication in migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Authors: Dunlop Rebecca A. , Cato Douglas H. , Noad Michael J. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractHumpback whales are renowned for the complex structured songs produced by males. A second, relatively understudied area of humpback acoustic communication concerns un‐patterned sounds known as “social sounds,” produced by both males and females. These include vocalizations as well as sounds produced at the surface of the water as a result of surface behaviors (e.g., breaching, pectoral slapping). This study describes a portion of the non‐song social sound repertoire of southward migrating humpbacks in Australian waters, and explores the social relevance of these sounds. On migration, humpback whales travel in social groups of varying compositions. These social groups are not stable in that humpback whales continually change group composition by splitting from, or joining with, other groups. The results of this study suggest that “breaching” and “slapping” have a communicative function. Other sounds such as “underwater blows” and “cries” were heard mainly in competitive groups while other low‐frequency sounds such as “grumbles,”“snorts,”“thwops,” and “wops” may function in intra‐ or inter‐group communication. Particular sounds (“grunts,”“groans,” and “barks”) were almost exclusive to joining pods suggesting a role in social integration. Social sounds in humpbacks may have specific social and behavioral functions relating to social group composition, and the mediation of interactions between these social groups.
Neuropsychiatric dysfunction in patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis
Authors: Michitaka Kojiro , Tokumoto Yoshio , Uesugi Kazuhiro , Kisaka Yoshiyasu , Hirooka Masashi , Konishi Ichiro , Mashiba Toshie , Abe Masanori , Hiasa Yoichi , Matsuura Bunzo , Horiike Norio , Shoda Takaaki , Onji Morikazu 
Published: June 2008

Aim:  The aim of this study is to clarify the cerebral functions in patients with chronic hepatitis (CH) as well as those with liver cirrhosis (LC).Methods:  We studied 58 patients with CH (20 in fibrosis stage F1, 20 in F2, 18 in F3), 77 with LC (46 rated as Child–Pugh class A, 24 as B, 7 as C), and 20 healthy volunteers (HV). Computer‐aided quantitative neuropsychiatric function test systems, including eight neuropsychiatric tests were performed.Results:  Subjects with results over the cut‐off value for healthy subjects ranged from 11.1–28.6% in CH and 19.5–36.4% in LC. The percentages with abnormality in at least one test in CH and LC were 72.4% and 80.6%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that in the HV group (35.0%) (P = 0.003, P = 0.0003, respectively). Among CH subjects, those with three or more abnormal results in the F1, F2 and F3 subgroups were 15.0%, 20.0% and 38.9%, respectively. Among LC subjects, those with three or more abnormal results in the Child–Pugh class A, B and C subgroups comprised 30.4%, 50.0% and 57.1%, respectively. The rate in the CH F3 subgroup (P = 0.011) and in all three LC subgroups (P = 0.023, P = 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively) were significantly higher than that in the HV group.Conclusion:  The percentage of patients with neuropsychiatric function impairment was high in both LC and CH, especially in stage F3. Neuropsychiatric dysfunction may initiate in CH in a considerable number of patients.
Flow Past Oscillating Cylinders
Authors: Yeung R. W. , Vaidhyanathan M. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
The phenomenon of vortex shedding by oscillating cylinders is a complex one. Its understanding is, however, of utmost importance in marine-related engineering, particularly in connection with motions of deep submersibles and marine risers. In this paper, computational results are presented so that the behavior of the shedding as a function of certain parameter space can be elucidated. A methodology based on the random vortex method and a complex-variable boundary-integral formulation is used to study both forced and vortex-induced oscillations of a circular cylinder. Preliminary evaluation of this method indicates that it has been successful in predicting a number of experimentally observed behavior, among which the phenomena of “lock-in” associated with oscillations of the cylinder are well captured.
Prestressing Buried Pipelines by Heating With Air
Authors: King G. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
Buried pipelines operating at elevated temperatures experience high longitudinal compressive stresses because the surrounding soil prevents thermal expansion. At high operating temperatures, buried pipelines can push through the soil at bends and buckle catastrophically. In soft soils they can lose lateral stability, and they can develop plastic failures. Thermally induced problems can be prevented with varying degrees of success by using thicker wall pipe, higher strength steel, longer radius bends, deeper burial, better backfill compaction, and/or prestressing during construction. Prestressing is most appropriate for pipelines operating at temperatures more than 80°C above ambient. One technique for prestressing a buried pipeline, that has been found to be both easy and economical for a liquid sulphur pipeline in Alberta, is to heat it with hot air and bury it while it is still hot. Pipe diameter and prestressing temperature both have a significant impact on the kind of heating equipment that is required.
Hydrodynamic Loads on a Three-Dimensional Body in a Narrow
Tank
Authors: Vazquez J. H. , Williams A. N. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
An integral equation approach is utilized to investigate the influence of tank walls on the hydrodynamic forces experienced by an arbitrary three-dimensional body situated in a narrow wave tank. An appropriate three-dimensional Green function which satisfies the tank-wall boundary conditions is developed to facilitate the solution. Numerical results are presented for truncated cylinders of circular and elliptic cross section which illustrate the effect of the tank walls on the wave-induced forces. The numerical results indicate that the hydrodynamic loads on a three-dimensional body in a narrow tank may be quite different from those on the same body in the open sea.
Exploring the Gulf of Kachh: Regional Economy and Trade in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Nadri Ghulam 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThis paper explores the economic dynamics of the Gulf of Kachh littoral in the eighteenth century. First, the region's production and trade potential is foregrounded by examining the scale and scope of its major products—cotton and textiles—and by tracking the inland and overseas commercial networks. The politico-economic crisis in Gujarat and the ensuing relocation of merchants and manufacturers combined with the rise of the Omani commercial empire served as the context for the mid-century expansion in the commerce of the Gulf of Kachh. Second, the development of the Dutch commercial interaction with this region will be analyzed from the perspective of the Dutch East India Company's trade at Surat in connection with the growing English influence in the Arabian Sea. Cette contribution explore deux principaux aspects de la vitalité économique du littoral du Golfe de Cutch au dix-huitième siècle. Premièrement, le potentiel de production et de commerce de la région est souligné en examinant l'importance et l'éventail des produits principaux échangés, notamment des cotons et des tissus, et en suivant les réseaux d'échanges terrestres et maritimes La crise socio-économique qui frappe le Gujarat au début de ce siècle et le déplacement des marchands et manufacturiers qui en découle, mais également la montée de la puissance commerciale omanaise, permettent en effet l'essor commercial du Golfe de Cutch au milieu du siècle. Deuxièmement, le développement de l'interaction commerciale entre cette région et la Compagnie néerlandaise des Indes orientales est relevé. La présence de cette compagnie au Golfe est mise en perspective avec ses activités à Surat et l'influence anglaise grandissante en mer d'Arabie.
Amos vii 10-17 and Royal Attitudes Toward Prophecy in the Ancient Near East
Authors: Couey J. Blake 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThis study examines the confrontation between the priest Amaziah and the prophet Amos in Amos vii 10-17 against the background of selected ancient Near Eastern texts that deal with royal attitudes toward prophecy. Texts from Mari, Nineveh, and Lachish all provide evidence for the role of royal officials, including priests, in reporting prophecy to the king in the ancient world. In light of this evidence, Amaziah's actions in this narrative appear to be motivated by state interests more than specifically cultic interests, as suggested in the text by his appeal to the royal sponsorship of the Bethel shrine (v. 13). Read in this way, the narrative points to the complexity of the relationship among priests, prophets, and kings in ancient Israel.
Joshua's Double Demise (Josh. xxiv 28-31; Judg. ii 6-9): Making Sense of a Repetition
Authors: Frolov Serge 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe article argues that the text's syntax militates against the common interpretations of the duplicate account of Joshua's departure in Judg. ii 6-9 as a redactional byproduct or a flashback and identifies it instead as a pivotal element of a complex narrative trajectory that has Judg. i 27-ii 5 revisit, and substantially re-evaluate, the period covered by Joshua xiv-xxiv. This temporal loop plays, in its turn, a major role in the rhetorical strategy of the Former Prophets.
Genomic mid-range inhomogeneity correlates with an abundance of RNA secondary structures
Authors: Bechtel Jason M , Wittenschlaeger Thomas , Dwyer Trisha , Song Jun , Arunachalam Sasi , Ramakrishnan Sadeesh K , Shepard Samuel , Fedorov Alexei 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Background
Genomes possess different levels of non-randomness, in particular, an inhomogeneity in their nucleotide composition. Inhomogeneity is manifest from the short-range where neighboring nucleotides influence the choice of base at a site, to the long-range, commonly known as isochores, where a particular base composition can span millions of nucleotides. A separate genomic issue that has yet to be thoroughly elucidated is the role that RNA secondary structure (SS) plays in gene expression.

Results
We present novel data and approaches that show that a mid-range inhomogeneity (~30 to 1000 nt) not only exists in mammalian genomes but is also significantly associated with strong RNA SS. A whole-genome bioinformatics investigation of local SS in a set of 11,315 non-redundant human pre-mRNA sequences has been carried out. Four distinct components of these molecules (5'-UTRs, exons, introns and 3'-UTRs) were considered separately, since they differ in overall nucleotide composition, sequence motifs and periodicities. For each pre-mRNA component, the abundance of strong local SS (< -25 kcal/mol) was a factor of two to ten greater than a random expectation model. The randomization process preserves the short-range inhomogeneity of the corresponding natural sequences, thus, eliminating short-range signals as possible contributors to any observed phenomena.

Conclusion
We demonstrate that the excess of strong local SS in pre-mRNAs is linked to the little explored phenomenon of genomic mid-range inhomogeneity (MRI). MRI is an interdependence between nucleotide choice and base composition over a distance of 20–1000 nt. Additionally, we have created a public computational resource to support further study of genomic MRI.
Uracil within DNA: an actor of antiviral immunity
Authors: Sire Joséphine , Quérat Gilles , Esnault Cécile , Priet Stéphane 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
Uracil is a natural base of RNA but may appear in DNA through two different pathways including cytosine deamination or misincorporation of deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nucleotide (dUTP) during DNA replication and constitutes one of the most frequent DNA lesions. In cellular organisms, such lesions are faithfully cleared out through several universal DNA repair mechanisms, thus preventing genome injury. However, several recent studies have brought some pieces of evidence that introduction of uracil bases in viral genomic DNA intermediates during genome replication might be a way of innate immune defence against some viruses. As part of countermeasures, numerous viruses have developed powerful strategies to prevent emergence of uracilated viral genomes and/or to eliminate uracils already incorporated into DNA. This review will present the current knowledge about the cellular and viral countermeasures against uracils in DNA and the implications of these uracils as weapons against viruses.
Lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. in Brazil and the impact of the Sao Francisco River in the speciation of this sand fly vector
Authors: Coutinho-Abreu Iliano V , Sonoda Ivan V , Fonseca Jose A , Melo Marcia A , Balbino Valdir Q , Ramalho-Ortigão Marcelo 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the principal vector of Leishmania infantum chagasi in the Americas, and constitutes a complex of species. Various studies have suggested an incipient speciation process based on behavioral isolation driven by the chemotype of male sexual pheromones. It is well known that natural barriers, such as mountains and rivers can directly influence population divergence in several organisms, including insects. In this work we investigated the potential role played by the Sao Francisco River in eastern Brazil in defining the current distribution of Lu. longipalpis s.l. Our studies were based on analyses of polymorphisms of the cytochrome b gene (cyt b) sequences from Lu. longipalpis s.l. available in public databases, and from additional field-caught individuals. Altogether, 9 distinct populations and 89 haplotypes were represented in the analyses. Lu. longipalpis s.l. populations were grouped according to their distribution in regards to the 10°S parallel: north of 10°S (<10°S); and south of 10°S (>10°S). Our results suggest that although no polymorphisms were fixed, moderate genetic divergences were observed between the groups analyzed (i.e., F

ST
= 0.184; and Nm = 2.22), and were mostly driven by genetic drift. The population divergence time estimated between the sand fly groups was about 0.45 million years (MY), coinciding with the time of the change in the course of the Sao Francisco River, during the Mindel glaciation. Overall, the polymorphisms on the cyt b haplotypes and the current speciation process detected in Lu. longipalpis s.l. with regards to the distribution of male sexual pheromones suggest a role of the Sao Francisco River as a significant geographical barrier in this process.
Faster clearance of omeprazole in rats with acute renal failure induced by uranyl nitrate: contribution of increased expression of hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A1 and intestinal CYP1A and 3A subfamilies
Authors: Lee Dae Y , Jung Young S , Shin Hyun S , Lee Inchul , Kim Young C , Lee Myung G 
Published: June 2008

AbstractIt has been reported that omeprazole is mainly metabolized via hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1/2, CYP2D1 and CYP3A1/2 in male Sprague-Dawley rats, and the expression of hepatic CYP3A1 is increased in male Sprague-Dawley rats with acute renal failure induced by uranyl nitrate (U-ARF rats). Thus, the metabolism of omeprazole would be expected to increase in U-ARF rats. After intravenous administration of omeprazole (20 mgkg−1) to U-ARF rats, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC) was significantly reduced (371 vs 494 μg min mL−1), possibly due to the significantly faster non-renal clearance (56.6 vs 41.2 mL min−1 kg−1) compared with control rats. This could have been due to increased expression of hepatic CYP3A1 in U-ARF rats. After oral administration of omeprazole (40 mg kg−1) to U-ARF rats, the AUC was also significantly reduced (89.3 vs 235 μg min mL−1) compared with control rats. The AUC difference after oral administration (62.0% decrease) was greater than that after intravenous administration (24.9% decrease). This may have been primarily due to increased intestinal metabolism of omeprazole caused by increased expression of intestinal CYP1A and 3A subfamilies in U-ARF rats, in addition to increased hepatic metabolism.