bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The analysis of repeated ‘direct’ measures of change illustrated with an application in longitudinal imaging
Authors: Frost Chris , Kenward Michael G. , Fox Nick C. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe use of repeated measures of an outcome variable to improve statistical power and precision in randomized clinical trials and cohort studies is well documented. Linear mixed models have great utility in the analysis of such studies in many medical applications including imaging. However, in imaging studies and other applications the basic outcome can be a ‘direct’ measure of change in a variable, as opposed to a difference calculated by subtraction of one measured value from another. The correlation structure of such repeated measures of ‘direct’ change, in particular the non‐independence of within‐person consecutive measures, adds complexity to the analysis. In this paper, we present a family of hierarchical mixed models for the analysis of such data and explain how to implement them using standard statistical software. We illustrate the use of our models with data from a cohort of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Understanding stress and quality of life for clergy and clergy spouses
Authors: Darling Carol Anderson , Hill E. Wayne , McWey Lenore M. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractTo better understand the stress and quality of life of clergy and clergy spouses, a survey research design was utilized involving a random sample of clergy. Of the 436 respondents involved in this study there were 259 clergy who were employed full‐time and 177 clergy spouses. Various scales related to Family Stress Theory and the ABC‐X model were used in this investigation. Whereas clergy spouses had greater psychological and physiological stress than clergy, clergy had a greater sense of coherence and spiritual resources. Clergy spouses, however had a greater level of coping. Findings indicated that for both clergy and clergy spouses spiritual resources had the greatest total effect on their quality of life. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient Java exception handling in just‐in‐time compilation
Authors: Lee SeungIl , Yang Byung‐Sun , Moon Soo‐Mook 
Published: October 2004

AbstractJava uses exceptions to provide elegant error handling capabilities during program execution. However, the presence of exception handlers complicates the job of the just‐in‐time (JIT) compiler, while exceptions are rarely used in most programs. This paper describes two techniques for reducing such complications. First, we delay the translation of an exception handler until the exception really occurs. This on‐demand translation of exception handlers allows more optimizations when translating the main flow, without being hindered by constraints caused by the exception flows. Secondly, for those exceptions that are actually thrown during program execution we insert exception‐type check code and a direct branch to the translated exception handlers. This exception handler prediction is motivated by an observation that frequently thrown exceptions are likely to be handled by the same exception handlers, so this will eliminate the exception processing overhead of the Java virtual machine. Our experiments indicate that the code quality of the main flow is no longer affected by the presence of exception handlers. Also, frequently thrown exceptions can be efficiently handled by the exception handler prediction. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Constraint Lingo: towards high‐level constraint programming
Authors: Finkel Raphael , Marek Victor W. , Truszczyński Mirosław 
Published: October 2004

AbstractLogic programming requires that the programmer convert a problem into a set of constraints based on predicates. Choosing the predicates and introducing appropriate constraints can be intricate and error prone. If the problem domain is structured enough, we can let the programmer express the problem in terms of more abstract, higher‐level constraints. A compiler can then convert the higher‐level program into a logic‐programming formalism. The compiler writer can experiment with alternative low‐level representations of the higher‐level constraints in order to achieve a high‐quality translation. The programmer can then take advantage of both a reduction in complexity and an improvement in runtime speed for all problems within the domain. We apply this analysis to the domain of tabular constraint‐satisfaction problems. Examples of such problems include logic puzzles solvable on a hatch grid and combinatorial problems such as graph coloring and independent sets. The proper abstractions for these problems are rows, columns, entries, and their interactions. We present a higher‐level language, Constraint Lingo, dedicated to problems in this domain. We also describe how we translate programs from Constraint Lingo into lower‐level logic formalisms such as the logic of propositional schemata. These translations require that we choose among competing lower‐level representations in order to produce efficient results. The overall effectiveness of our approach depends on the appropriateness of Constraint Lingo, our ability to translate Constraint Lingo programs into high‐quality representations in logic formalisms, and the efficiency with which logic engines can compute answer sets. We comment on our computational experience with these tools in solving both graph problems and logic puzzles. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The influence of social factors on adult sex change and juvenile sexual differentiation in a diandric, protogynous epinepheline, Cephalopholis boenak (Pisces, Serranidae)
Authors: Liu Min , Sadovy Yvonne 
Published: October 2004

AbstractAdult sex change and juvenile sexual differentiation in the protogynous epinepheline Cephalopholis boenak were demonstrated in captivity to be influenced by social factors. Adult sex change in C. boenak occurred in two directions, female to male and male to female. The presence or absence of a larger male plays an important role in adult female sex change; female(s) did not change sex in the presence of a larger male, but sex change occurred after the removal of the larger males in the same social groups. In male pairs, either the larger or the smaller male changed sex. Male to female sex change has not been reported previously in Cephalopholis, and only rarely in epinephelines. This is the first report of direct male sexual differentiation from juveniles (i.e. primary male development), through manipulating the number of juveniles, in a protogynous epinepheline. All isolated, single, juveniles differentiated directly as males, and male to female sex ratios did not differ significantly from 1:1 in all experimental social groups of two to four juveniles. Differentiating males grew significantly faster than differentiating females and undifferentiated juveniles during the 57‐week experimental period. The role of growth rate in sex determination in C boenak is not known but clearly plays a part in juvenile sexual differentiation and merits further investigation. Social factors influencing bi‐directional adult sex change and juvenile sexual differentiation are a reflection of plasticity of sexual expression in C boenak, in particular, and the Serranidae in general.
Predation by wolves (Canis lupus) on roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in north‐eastern Apennine, Italy
Authors: Mattioli L. , Capitani C. , Avanzinelli E. , Bertelli I. , Gazzola A. , Apollonio M. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractPredation by wolves Canis lupus on roe deer Capreolus capreolus was studied by scat analysis in five areas of the Province of Arezzo, north‐eastern Tuscany, Italy. In the intensive study area (ISA) roe deer represented 19.1% of mean per cent volume (MPV) while in the other areas its use ranged between 10.9% and 53.4% of MPV A low degree of variation was found in both annual and seasonal use of roe deer, although seasonal differences were more marked in those areas where roe deer use was lower. In ISA, roe deer was negatively selected among species: the Ivlev's electivity index ranged between – 0.41 and – 0.89. Analysing intra‐specific selection, in ISA < 1‐year‐old individuals were preferred by wolves, mainly during the fawns’ first months of life. This trend was confirmed in the other areas, where fawns represented more than 50% of the relative number of roe deer prey. In ISA, the use of roe deer (as MPV) was not correlated with its density or with that of the main prey, wild boar, and in almost all the other areas no relation between use and density of roe deer was founded. However, in the one area where both roe deer density and use were the highest, these two variables seemed to exhibit a comparable trend. The use of roe deer was negatively correlated with the percentage of forest cover among all the study areas.
Association of Hepatitis C with Posttransplant Diabetes in Renal Transplant Patients on Tacrolimus
Authors: Bloom Roy D. , Rao Vinaya , Weng Francis , Grossman Robert A. , Cohen Debbie , Mange Kevin C. 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACT.
Posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) remains a common complication of immunosuppression. Although multiple risk factors have been implicated, none have been clearly identified as predisposing to the increased PTDM frequency observed in patients on tacrolimus. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been associated with diabetes and is a significant renal transplant comorbidity. In this study, records of 427 kidney recipients who had no known diabetes before transplantation were retrospectively examined. A multivariate logistic regression model was fit with covariates that had unadjusted relationships with PTDM to examine the independent relationship of HCV and the odds of development of PTDM by 12 mo posttransplant. A potential interaction between HCV and the use of tacrolimus as maintenance therapy on the odds of the development of PTDM was examined. Overall, PTDM occurred more frequently in HCV+ than HCV− patients (39.4% versus 9.8%; P = 0.0005). By multivariate logistic regression, HCV (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 5.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.63 to 11.83; P = 0.0001), weight at transplantation (adjusted OR 1.028; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.05; P = 0.001), and tacrolimus (adjusted OR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.01 to 5.28; P = 0.047) were associated with PTDM. A significant interaction (P = 0.0001) was detected between HCV status and tacrolimus use for the odds of PTDM. Among the HCV+ cohort, PTDM occurred more often in tacrolimus-treated than cyclosporine A–treated patients (57.8% versus 7.7%; P < 0.0001). PTDM rates in HCV− patients were similar between the two calcineurin inhibitors (10.0% versus 9.4%; P = 0.521, tacrolimus versus cyclosporine A). In conclusion, HCV is strongly associated with PTDM in renal transplant recipients and appears to account for the increased diabetogenicity observed with tacrolimus.
Angiotensin II Directly Stimulates ENaC Activity in the Cortical Collecting Duct via AT1 Receptors
Authors: Peti-Peterdi János , Warnock David G. , Bell P. Darwin 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACT.
Angiotensin II (AngII) helps to regulate overall renal tubular reabsorption of salt and water, yet its effects in the distal nephron have not been well studied. The purpose of these studies was to determine whether AngII stimulates luminal Na+ transport in the cortical collecting duct (CCD). Intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i), as a reflection of Na+ transport across the apical membrane, was measured with fluorescence microscopy using sodium-binding benzofuran isophthalate (SBFI) in isolated, perfused CCD segments dissected from rabbit kidneys. Control [Na+]i, during perfusion with 25 mM NaCl and a Na+-free solution in the bath containing the Na+-ionophore monensin (10 μM, to eliminate basolateral membrane Na+ transport) averaged 19.3 ± 5.2 mM (n = 16). Increasing luminal [NaCl] to 150 mM elevated [Na+]i by 9.87 ± 1.5 mM (n = 7; P < 0.05). AngII (10−9 M) added to the lumen significantly elevated baseline [Na+]i by 6.3 ± 1.0 mM and increased the magnitude (Δ = 25.2 ± 3.7 mM) and initial rate (≈5 fold) of change in [Na+]i to increased luminal [NaCl]. AngII when added to the bath had similar stimulatory effects; however, AngII was much more effective from the lumen. Thus, AngII significantly increased the apical entry of Na+ in the CCD. To determine if this apical entry step occurred via the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC), studies were performed using the specific ENaC blocker, benzamil hydrochloride (10−6 M). When added to the perfusate, benzamil almost completely inhibited the elevations in [Na+]i to increased luminal [NaCl] in both the presence and absence of AngII. These results suggest that AngII directly stimulates Na+ channel activity in the CCD. AT1 receptor blockade with candesartan or losartan (10−6 M) prevented the stimulatory effects of AngII. Regulation of ENaC activity by AngII may play an important role in distal Na+ reabsorption in health and disease.
The Position of the Polycystic Kidney Disease 1 (PKD1) Gene Mutation Correlates with the Severity of Renal Disease
Authors: Rossetti Sandro , Burton Sarah , Strmecki Lana , Pond Gregory R. , San Millán Jośe L. , Zerres Klaus , Barratt T. Martin , Ozen Seza , Torres Vicente E. , Bergstralh Erik J. , Winearls Christopher G. , Harris Peter C. 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACT.
The severity of renal cystic disease in the major form of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD1) is highly variable. Clinical data was analyzed from 324 mutation-characterized PKD1 patients (80 families) to document factors associated with the renal outcome. The mean age to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was 54 yr, with no significant difference between men and women and no association with the angiotensin-converting enzyme polymorphism. Considerable intrafamilial variability was observed, reflecting the influences of genetic modifiers and environmental factors. However, significant differences in outcome were also found among families, with rare examples of unusually late-onset PKD1. Possible phenotype/genotype correlations were evaluated by estimating the effects of covariants on the time to ESRD using proportional hazards models. In the total population, the location of the mutation (in relation to the median position; nucleotide 7812), but not the type, was associated with the age at onset of ESRD. Patients with mutations in the 5′ region had significantly more severe disease than the 3′ group; median time to ESRD was 53 and 56 yr, respectively (P = 0.025), with less than half the chance of adequate renal function at 60 yr (18.9% and 39.7%, respectively). This study has shown that the position of the PKD1 mutation is significantly associated with earlier ESRD and questions whether PKD1 mutations simply inactivate all products of the gene.
Mesangial Cell-Binding Anti-DNA Antibodies in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Chan Tak-Mao , Leung Jack Kok-Hung , Ho Stephen Kar-Nung , Yung Susan 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACT.
The mechanisms by which anti-DNA antibodies contribute to the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN) remain to be elucidated. This study investigates the binding of polyclonal anti-DNA immunoglobulins from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to human mesangial cells (HMC) in vitro. Testing of cross-sectional serum samples from 280 LN patients (108 during active disease; 172 during remission), 35 SLE patients without renal involvement, 72 patients with non-lupus primary glomerular diseases, and 37 healthy subjects with a cellular enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed significant IgG mesangial cell-binding activity in patients with SLE, particularly those with active LN (P < 0.0001). Significant HMC-binding activity was demonstrated in 83.9%, 42.8%, and 47.1% of patients with active LN, inactive LN, and non-renal SLE, respectively. This was predominantly attributed to binding by anti-DNA antibodies, and immune complex binding accounted for 4.6%, 3.5%, and 2.8% of seropositive samples in the respective groups. Longitudinal studies in 27 LN patients demonstrated correlation between serial levels of anti-DNA antibodies, serum HMC-binding activity, and disease activity in 18 patients (66.7%). Affinity-purified polyclonal IgG anti-DNA antibodies from sera with HMC-binding activity showed significant binding to cultured HMC, and to a lesser extent glomerular and proximal tubular epithelial cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, but not tumor cell lines, peritoneal mesothelial cells, bronchial epithelial cells, or fibroblasts. The binding of anti-DNA antibodies to HMC was increased 1.47-fold (P = 0.0059) after the removal of Ig-associated DNA by DNase treatment, but it was unaffected by DNase treatment of HMC membrane. Controlled trypsinization of membrane proteins in HMC resulted in a 1.26-fold (P = 0.0025) increase in their binding by anti-DNA antibodies. In conclusion, subsets of anti-DNA antibodies from patients with SLE are capable of binding to HMC. The association of such binding with renal involvement and disease activity and its modulation by DNA concentration suggest that Ig binding to HMC can be a potential marker for disease activity in selected patients and that the binding of anti-DNA antibodies to HMC may be a pathogenetic mechanism in LN.
Racial Differences in the Progression from Chronic Renal Insufficiency to End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States
Authors: Hsu Chi-yuan , Lin Feng , Vittinghoff Eric , Shlipak Michael G 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACT.
Black Americans experience a disproportionate burden of ESRD compared with whites. Whether this is caused by the increased prevalence of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) among blacks or by their increased progression from CRI to ESRD was investigated. A birth cohort analysis was performed using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the United States Renal Data System. It was assumed that those who developed ESRD in 1996 aged 25 to 79 yr came from the source population with CRI aged 20 to 74 yr that was sampled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (midpoint 1991). GFR was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation. The prevalence of CRI (GFR 15 to 59 ml/min per 1.73 m2) was not different among black compared with white adults (2060 versus 2520 per 100,000; P = 0.14). For each 100 blacks with CRI in 1991, five new cases of ESRD developed in 1996, whereas only one case of ESRD developed per 100 whites with CRI (risk ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.9 to 8.4). The increased risk for blacks compared with whites was only modestly affected by adjustment for age, gender, and diabetes. Blacks with CRI had higher systolic (147 versus 136 mmHg; P = 0.001) and diastolic (82 versus 77 mmHg; P = 0.02) BP and greater albuminuria (422 versus 158 μg urine albumin/mg urine creatinine; P = 0.01). The higher incidence of ESRD among blacks is not due to a greater prevalence of CRI among blacks. The key to understanding black–white differences in ESRD incidence lies in understanding the extreme differences in their progression from CRI to ESRD. E-mail: hsuchi@medicine.ucsf.edu
The Fine Specificity and Cytokine Profile of T-Helper Cells Responsive to the α3 Chain of Type IV Collagen in Goodpasture’s Disease
Authors: Cairns Lindsay S. , Phelps Richard G. , Bowie Laura , Hall Andrew M. , Saweirs Walaa W.M. , Rees Andrew J. , Barker Robert N. 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACT.
Goodpasture’s disease is a severe nephritis characterized by autoantibodies to the α3 chain of type IV collagen, α3(IV)NC1, in the glomerular basement membrane. The disease is very strongly associated with HLA-DR15, the affinities of α3(IV)NC1 peptides for DR15 are known, and elution experiments have identified major naturally processed sequences. Here, the fine specificity and cytokine profile of α3(IV)NC1-reactive T cells from patients with Goodpasture’s disease is defined. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients at diagnosis proliferated in response to significantly more peptides (χ2 = 8.6, P = 0.004) from a panel spanning the sequence of α3(IV)NC1 than did those from control DR15-positive donors and were highly focused (P = 0.0002, binomial distribution) on two peptides, α371–90 and α3131–150. Some peptides induced interferon-γ, but none induced IL-4. Resolution of disease was accompanied by a striking deviation of the responses from proliferation to secretion of the T-regulatory cytokine IL-10, and addition of neutralizing antibody confirmed that such IL-10 production was suppressive. The affinity of the peptides for DR15 molecules was positively correlated (χ2 = 14.6, P = 0.00067) with the ability to elicit proliferation. However, unlike foreign antigens, this hierarchy is not due to responses against the major naturally processed peptides, which rarely stimulated proliferation and which have only intermediate affinity for DR15 molecules. It is inferred that the helper response to α3(IV)NC1 in Goodpasture’s disease is dominated by epitopes that are normally inefficiently presented because of processing constraints. E-mail: r.n.barker@abdn.ac.uk
Association of High Serum Creatinine and Anemia Increases the Risk of Coronary Events
Authors: Jurkovitz Claudine T. , Abramson Jerome L. , Vaccarino L. Viola , Weintraub William S. , McClellan William M. 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACT.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease or anemia. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the association between renal function and risk of CHD is modified by hemoglobin (Hgb) status. Analyses were based on data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, a community-based study of risk factors for CHD in middle-aged people. People with known CHD at baseline were excluded from the analysis. Participants were followed for 9 yr for the occurrence of CHD. Anemia was defined as Hgb <13 g/dl in men and <12 g/dl in women. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the relative risk (RR) of CHD occurrence according to Hgb status, after adjusting for other risk factors (demographics, lipids, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, body mass index, and carotid intima-media thickness). A total of 13,329 participants were included. The interaction between Hgb concentration and serum creatinine (Scr) was significant (P = 0.02). Among people with anemia, a Scr ≥1.2 mg/dl in women or ≥1.5 mg/dl in men was associated with a higher risk of CHD (RR, 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.42 to 5.28) than those with normal Scr. In contrast, among those without anemia, this association was not noted (RR, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.67). In conclusion, this study indicates that high Scr is associated with almost a threefold risk of CHD among middle-aged people with anemia, whereas no increased risk is found in people with high Scr in the absence of anemia. E-mail: cjurkov@emory.edu