bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key Concepts for Informed Health Choices: a framework for helping people learn how to assess treatment claims and make informed choices
Authors: Chalmers Iain , Oxman Andrew D , Austvoll-Dahlgren Astrid , Ryan-Vig Selena , Pannell Sarah , Sewankambo Nelson , Semakula Daniel , Nsangi Allen , Albarqouni Loai , Glasziou Paul , Mahtani Kamal , Nunan David , Heneghan Carl , Badenoch Douglas
Published: January 2018

Many claims about the effects of treatments, though well intentioned, are wrong. Indeed, they are sometimes deliberately misleading to serve interests other than the well-being of patients and the public. People need to know how to spot unreliable treatment claims so that they can protect themselves and others from harm. The ability to assess the trustworthiness of treatment claims is often lacking. Acquiring this ability depends on being familiar with, and correctly applying, some key concepts, for example, that’ association is not the same as causation.’ The Informed Health Choices (IHC) Project has identified 36 such concepts and shown that people can be taught to use them in decision making. A randomised trial in Uganda, for example, showed that primary school children with poor reading skills could be taught to apply 12 of the IHC Key Concepts. The list of IHC Key Concepts has proven to be effective in providing a framework for developing and evaluating IHC resources to help children to think critically about treatment claims. The list also provides a framework for retrieving, coding and organising other teaching and learning materials for learners of any age. It should help teachers, researchers, clinicians, and patients to structure critical thinking about the trustworthiness of claims about treatment effects.
Catalogue of bias: allocation bias
Authors: Nunan David , Heneghan Carl , Spencer Elizabeth A
Published: January 2018

This article is part of a series of articles featuring the Catalogue of Bias introduced in this volume ofBMJ Evidence-Based Medicinethat describes allocation bias and outlines its potential impact on research studies and the preventive steps to minimise its risk. Allocation bias is a type of selection bias and is relevant to clinical trials of interventions. Knowledge of interventions prior to group allocation can result in systematic differences in important characteristics that could influence study findings. Allocation bias can overestimate effect size by up to 30%–40%. Sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes; containers; pharmacy-controlled randomisation and central computer randomisation are methods to minimise allocation bias.
Catalogue of bias: observer bias
Authors: Mahtani Kamal , Spencer Elizabeth A , Brassey Jon , Heneghan Carl
Published: January 2018

This article is part of a series featured from the Catalogue of Bias introduced in this volume ofBMJEvidence-Based Medicine that describes biases and outlines their potential impact in research studies. Observer bias is systematic discrepancy from the truth during the process of observing and recording information for a study. Many healthcare observations are at risk of this bias. Evidence shows that treatment effect estimates can be exaggerated by a third to two-thirds in the presence of observer bias in outcome assessment. Preventing observer bias involves proper masking in intervention studies including the use of matched placebo interventions where appropriate and training of observers to make assessment consistent and reduce biases resulting from conscious or unconscious prejudices. Where observers are involved in a research study, it is probably not possible for the study to be entirely free of observer biases.
Association between parent mental health and paediatric TBI: epidemiological observations from the 1987 Finnish Birth Cohort
Authors: Lowery Wilson Michael , Tenovuo Olli , Gissler Mika , Saarijärvi Simo
Published: January 2018

Background

This study examined whether parental mental illness has implications for child risk for traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Method

Data on 60 069 Finnish children born in 1987 and their parents were examined for demographic and mental health-related variables in relationship with paediatric TBI. Altogether, 15 variables were derived from the cohort data with ICD-10 F-codes being available for mental health diagnoses for all parents. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out using inpatient and outpatient diagnoses of child TBI.

Results

Paternal disorders due to psychoactive substance use (F10–F19) was associated with an increased inpatient TBI (OR=1.51; CI=1.07 to 2.14). Mood disorders (F30–F39) were associated with higher rates of outpatient TBI (OR=1.42; CI=1.06 to 1.90). Paternal personality and behavioural disorders (F60–F69) were linked with a twofold increase in risk across both categories of child TBI (OR=2.35; CI=1.41 to 3.90) and (OR=2.29; CI=1.45 to 3.61), respectively. Among the maternal mental health factors associated with child TBI, schizophrenia and other non-mood psychotic disorders (F20–F29) were associated with an increase in inpatient traumatic brain injuries (iTBI) (OR=1.78; 1.22 to 2.59). Mothers having mood disorders (F30–F39) were more likely to have had a child who experienced an iTBI (OR=1.64; CI=1.20 to 2.22). Mothers with personality and behavioural disorders (F60–F69) were also found to have had children with an increased risk for iTBI (OR=2.30; CI=1.14 to 3.65).

Conclusion

Taken together, these data should call attention to methods and strategies designed to augment and support caregiving environments with modalities that can foster mutually supportive households in cooperation with parents who have been diagnosed with a mental disorder.
Mycobacterial spindle cell pseudotumour: epidemiology and clinical outcomes
Authors: Sfeir Maroun M , Schuetz Audrey , Van Besien Koen , Borczuk Alain C , Soave Rosemary , Jenkins Stephen G , Walsh Thomas J , Small Catherine B
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Mycobacterial spindle cell pseudotumour (MSP) is a rare disease characterised by tumour-like local proliferation of spindle-shaped histiocytes containing acid-fast positive mycobacteria. The aim of this literature review is to describe the clinical parameters and treatment outcomes of patients with MSP.

Methods

A literature search was conducted using the search terms related to mycobacteria and spindle cell tumours. A previously unreported stem cell transplant recipient from our institution diagnosed with MSP was also included. Demographics, comorbidities, site of infection, treatment and clinical outcomes were analysed.

Results

Fifty-one patients were analysed. Twenty-six (51%) had HIV infection.Mycobacterium aviumcomplex was the most frequent organism isolated in 24 (47.1%) followed byMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex in eight (16%) cases. Lymph nodes were the most common site of infection (45.1%). Twenty (39.2%) patients received antimycobacterial agents, 12 (23.5%) underwent surgical resection and six (11.8%) received antimycobacterial agents plus surgery. Treatment was successful in 24 (47.1%) patients and failed in 15 (29.4%); 13 of these 15 patients died. Antimycobacterial therapy was significantly associated with successful outcome compared with surgical resection or no treatment (P<0.001).

Conclusion

MSP is a rare condition associated primarily with immunodeficiencies. Antimycobacterial therapy is significantly associated withsuccessfuloutcome.
Biomarker assessment of tobacco smoking exposure and risk of dementia death: pooling of individual participant data from 14 cohort studies
Authors: Batty G David , Shipley Martin J , Kvaavik Elisabeth , Russ Tom , Hamer Mark , Stamatakis Emmanouil , Kivimaki Mika
Published: January 2018

Background

While there is a suggestion that self-reported tobacco smoking may be a risk factor for dementia, to date, it has not been possible to explore the thresholds at which this exposure elevates risk. Accordingly, our aim was to relate cotinine, a biomarker of tobacco smoking, to risk of dementia death.

Methods

We pooled 14 prospective cohort studies that held data on cotinine (plasma or saliva), covariates and death records.

Results

In the 33 032 study members (17 107 women) with salivary cotinine data, a mean duration of 8.3 years of follow-up gave rise to 135 deaths ascribed to dementia; while in 15 130 study members (7995 women) with plasma cotinine data, there were 119 dementia deaths during 14.3 years of mortality surveillance. After multiple adjustment, both plasma cotinine (per 1 SD higher cotinine; 95% CI 1.29; (1.05 to 1.59)) and salivary cotinine (1.10 (0.89 to 1.36)) were positively related to dementia risk, with stronger effects apparent for plasma.

Conclusion

Our finding that plasma cotinine was related to an elevated risk of dementia death warrants testing in studies with measures of disease onset as opposed to just mortality.
Cost distribution of bluetongue surveillance and vaccination programmes in Austria and Switzerland (2007–2016)
Authors: Pinior Beate , Firth Clair L , Loitsch Angelika , Stockreiter Simon , Hutter Sabine , Richter Veronika , Lebl Karin , Schwermer Heinzpeter , Käsbohrer Annemarie
Published: January 2018

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an emerging transboundary disease in Europe, which can cause significant production losses among ruminants. The analysis presented here assessed the costs of BTV surveillance and vaccination programmes in Austria and Switzerland between 2007 and 2016. Costs were compared with respect to time, type of programme, geographical area and who was responsible for payment. The total costs of the BTV vaccination and surveillance programmes in Austria amounted to €23.6 million, whereas total costs in Switzerland were €18.3 million. Our analysis demonstrates that the costs differed between years and geographical areas, both within and between the two countries. Average surveillance costs per animal amounted to approximately €3.20 in Austria compared with €1.30 in Switzerland, whereas the average vaccination costs per animal were €6.20 in Austria and €7.40 in Switzerland. The comparability of the surveillance costs is somewhat limited, however, due to differences in each nation's surveillance (and sampling) strategy. Given the importance of the export market for cattle production, investments in such programmes are more justified for Austria than for Switzerland. The aim of the retrospective assessment presented here is to assist veterinary authorities in planning and implementing cost‐effective and efficient control strategies for emerging livestock diseases.
Incorporation of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in age-0 walleye (Sander vitreus) tissues following a laboratory diet switch experiment
Authors: Schumann David A. , Uphoff Christopher S. , Schoenebeck Casey W. , Graeb Katie N.B.
Published: January 2018

Trophic dynamics are often described by following the exchange of naturally occurring isotopes through aquatic communities. However, without experimentally derived isotopic turnover rates and discrimination factors for each species, tissue, and life stage, these trophic models can be misleading. We conducted a laboratory diet shift experiment to describe isotopic turnover and discrimination in age-0 walleye (Sander vitreus) dorsal muscle and gutted carcass samples. Although turnover of dietary δ13C (half-life: 10–12 days) and δ15N (half-life: ∼13 days) signatures was relatively rapid, the diet change was undetected in both tissues during a short transitional period (up to 1.2 times shorter in muscle). Our discrimination estimates generally conform to those of other fishes (ΔCarbon= 0.91, ΔNitrogen= 1.6), but were 30%–50% higher in muscle tissues than in gutted carcass samples. The assumption that young walleye tissues are in equilibrium with their diet is untrue for weeks following a diet shift, and when incorporated, discrimination factors differ between tissues. We provide tissue-specific parameters that remove uncertainty associated with the analysis of field collected isotopic age-0 walleye data.
Flow-mediated effects on travel time, routing, and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon in a spatially complex, tidally forced river delta
Authors: Perry Russell W. , Pope Adam C. , Romine Jason G. , Brandes Patricia L. , Burau Jon R. , Blake Aaron R. , Ammann Arnold J. , Michel Cyril J.
Published: January 2018

We evaluated the interacting influences of river flows and tides on travel time, routing, and survival of juvenile late-fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) migrating through the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. To quantify these effects, we jointly modeled the travel time, survival, and migration routing in relation to individual time-varying covariates of acoustic-tagged salmon within a Bayesian framework. We used observed arrival times for detected individuals and imputed arrival times for undetected individuals to assign covariate values in each reach. We found travel time was inversely related to river inflow in all reaches, yet survival was positively related to inflow only in reaches that transitioned from bidirectional tidal flows to unidirectional flow with increasing inflows. We also found that the probability of fish entering the interior Delta, a low-survival reach, declined as inflow increased. Our study illustrates how river inflows interact with tides to influence fish survival during the critical transition between freshwater and ocean environments. Furthermore, our analytical framework introduces new techniques to integrate formally over missing covariate values to quantify effects of time-varying covariates.
Adaptive Stochastic Resonance in Second-Order System with General Scale Transformation for Weak Feature Extraction and Its Application in Bearing Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Ma Qiang , Huang Dawen , Yang Jianhua
Published: January 2018

The theory of general scale transformation (GST) is put forward and used in the second-order underdamped bistable system to extract weak signal features submerged into strong noise. An adaptive stochastic resonance (SR) with GST is proposed and realized by the quantum particle swarm optimization (QPSO) algorithm. The harmonic signal and experimental signal are considered to compare GST with normalized scale transformation (NST) in the second-order system. The results show that detection effect of the adaptive SR with GST is better than the NST SR. In addition, the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is significantly improved in the GST method. Meanwhile, the dependence of the signal extraction efficiency on the noise intensity is researched. The output SNR is decreased with the increase of the noise intensity in two methods. However, the proposed method is always superior to the NST. Moreover, the superiority of the Brown particle oscillation in the single well is discussed. The proposed method has certain reference value in the extraction of the weak signal under the strong noise background.
Identification of potential drug targets for treatment of refractory epilepsy using network pharmacology
Authors: Bezhentsev Vladislav , Ivanov Sergey , Kumar Sandeep , Goel Rajesh , Poroikov Vladimir
Published: January 2018

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disease after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. Approximately one-third of all epilepsy cases are refractory to the existing anticonvulsants. Thus, there is an unmet need for newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) to manage refractory epilepsy (RE). Discovery of novel AEDs for the treatment of RE further retards for want of potential pharmacological targets, unavailable due to unclear etiology of this disease. In this regard, network pharmacology as an area of bioinformatics is gaining popularity. It combines the methods of network biology and polypharmacology, which makes it a promising approach for finding new molecular targets. This work is aimed at discovering new pharmacological targets for the treatment of RE using network pharmacology methods. In the framework of our study, the genes associated with the development of RE were selected based on analysis of available data. The methods of network pharmacology were used to select 83 potential pharmacological targets linked to the selected genes. Then, 10 most promising targets were chosen based on analysis of published data. All selected target proteins participate in biological processes, which are considered to play a key role in the development of RE. For 9 of 10 selected targets, the potential associations with different kinds of epilepsy have been recently mentioned in the literature published, which gives additional evidence that the approach applied is rather promising.
An Optimal Eighth-Order Scheme for Multiple Zeros of Univariate Functions
Authors: Behl Ramandeep , Zafar Fiza , Alshormani Ali Saleh , Junjua Moin-Ud-Din , Yasmin Nusrat
Published: January 2018

We construct an optimal eighth-order scheme which will work for multiple zeros with multiplicity [Formula: see text], for the first time. Earlier, the maximum convergence order of multi-point iterative schemes was six for multiple zeros in the available literature. So, the main contribution of this study is to present a new higher-order and as well as optimal scheme for multiple zeros for the first time. In addition, we present an extensive convergence analysis with the main theorem which confirms theoretically eighth-order convergence of the proposed scheme. Moreover, we consider several real life problems which contain simple as well as multiple zeros in order to compare with the existing robust iterative schemes. Finally, we conclude on the basis of obtained numerical results that our iterative methods perform far better than the existing methods in terms of residual error, computational order of convergence and difference between the two consecutive iterations.
Damage Index Distributions in RC Dual Lateral Load-Resistant Multi-Story Buildings Considering SSI Effects Under Bidirectional Earthquakes
Authors: Emami Ali R. , Halabian Amir M.
Published: January 2018

Inelastic seismic responses of flexibly supported reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frames representing short-to-tall structures stiffened with ductile RC structural walls were evaluated considering both far-field and near-field ground motions. A dual shear wall-frame resisting system with symmetric reference plan was created by adding shear walls into excitation direction of the three-dimensional frames developed by generic structure algorithm. The current study also aims to take into account soil–structure interaction effects in to damage assessment of multi-story RC buildings in terms of ductility demand, damage index, story shear force and overturning moment, as well as kinetic energy profile over the structure height. In doing so, the developed set of generic frames was considered accounting for different values of story strength, stiffness distribution and number of stories. A realistic modeling of nonlinear ductile behavior of RC elements was developed in combination with the sub-structuring method to consider the foundation flexibility in nonlinear seismic responses. Conducting a parametric study through nonlinear static analyses (pushover) as well as nonlinear response history analyses, the results indicated that the near-field ground motion presents much more damage than the far-field one. Inelastic dynamic responses to near-field records demonstrated that structures with a fundamental period greater than the pulse period respond differently from those that have shorter periods. The results were also presented as charts and tables that provide helpful information for engineering design purposes such as damage assessment of multi-story RC buildings with specific fundamental natural period and base shear strength.
WNT signaling is required for peritoneal membrane angiogenesis
Authors: Padwal Manreet , Cheng Genyang , Liu Limin , Boivin Felix , Gangji Azim S. , Brimble Kenneth S. , Bridgewater Darren , Margetts Peter J.
Published: January 2018

The wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus integration site family (WNT) signaling pathway is involved in wound healing and fibrosis. We evaluated the WNT signaling pathway in peritoneal membrane injury. We assessed WNT1 protein expression in the peritoneal effluents of 54 stable peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and WNT-related gene expression in ex vivo mesothelial cell cultures from 21 PD patients. In a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-mediated animal model of peritoneal fibrosis, we evaluated regulation of the WNT pathway and the effect of WNT inhibition on peritoneal fibrosis and angiogenesis. WNT1 and WNT2 gene expression were positively correlated with peritoneal membrane solute transport in PD patients. In the mouse peritoneum, TGF-β-induced peritoneal fibrosis was associated with increased expression of WNT2 and WNT4. Peritoneal β-catenin protein was significantly upregulated after infection with adenovirus expressing TGF-β (AdTGF-β) along with elements of the WNT signaling pathway. Treatment with a β-catenin inhibitor (ICG-001) in mice with AdTGF-β-induced peritoneal fibrosis resulted in attenuation of peritoneal angiogenesis and reduced vascular endothelial growth factor. Similar results were also observed with the WNT antagonist Dickkopf-related protein (DKK)-1. In addition to this, DKK-1 blocked epithelial-mesenchymal transition and increased levels of the cell adhesion protein E-cadherin. We provide evidence that WNT signaling is active in the setting of experimental peritoneal fibrosis and WNT1 correlates with patient peritoneal membrane solute transport in PD patients. Intervention in this pathway is a possible therapy for peritoneal membrane injury.
IPV Screening and Readiness to Respond to IPV in Ob-Gyn Settings: A Patient-Physician Study
Authors: Jones Katherine M. , Taouk Laura H. , Castleberry Neko M. , Carter Michele M. , Schulkin Jay
Published: January 2018

Purpose. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious, preventable public health concern that largely affects women of reproductive age. Obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) have a unique opportunity to identify and support women experiencing IPV to improve women’s health. Considering recent efforts to increase IPV awareness and intervention, the present study aimed to provide a current evaluation of nationally representative samples to assess ob-gyn readiness to respond to IPV as well as patient IPV-related experiences. Methods. 400 ob-gyns were randomly selected from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network. Each physician was mailed one physician survey and 25 patient surveys. Results. IPV training/education and IPV screening practices were associated with most measures of ob-gyn readiness to respond to IPV. Among respondents, 36.8% endorsed screening all patients at annual exams; however, 36.8% felt they did not have sufficient training to assist individuals in addressing IPV. Workplace encouragement of IPV response was associated with training, screening, detection, preparation/knowledge, response practices, and resources. Thirty-one percent of patients indicated their ob-gyn had asked about possible IPV experiences during their medical visit. Conclusion. Findings highlight specific gaps in ob-gyns’ IPV knowledge and response practices to be further addressed by IPV training.
Bushenkangshuai Tablet Reduces Atherosclerotic Lesion by Improving Blood Lipids Metabolism and Inhibiting Inflammatory Response via TLR4 and NF‐κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Pang Shu-chao , Peng Li , Zhang Jun-ping , Wang Yuan-yuan , Jia Hui-yun , Bi Li-yuan , Chen Mei-ling
Published: January 2018

Bushenkangshuai tablet (BSKS) is a Chinese herbal compound which has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China for decades. This study intends to explore the molecular mechanism of BSKS against atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice. ApoE−/− mice were fed with western‐type diet for 6 weeks and then were given BSKS for 6 weeks. The results showed that BSKS attenuated the size of the atherosclerotic lesion, reduced visceral adipose content, and decreased blood lipids. We also found that BSKS promoted the expression of adiponectin and its receptors, inhibited the expression of Toll‐like receptor 4 and nuclear factor‐kappa B, decreased the levels of interleukin‐1 beta, monocyte chemotactic protein‐1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1, and increased the levels of interleukin‐10 and adiponectin. Our data provided evidence that BSKS exerted an antiatherosclerotic effect by lowering blood lipids and inhibiting inflammatory response via TLR4 and NF‐κB signaling pathway.
Iterative Approximation of Fixed Point of Multivalued ρ-Quasi-Nonexpansive Mappings in Modular Function Spaces with Applications
Authors: Okeke Godwin Amechi , Bishop Sheila Amina , Khan Safeer Hussain
Published: January 2018

Recently, Khan and Abbas initiated the study of approximating fixed points of multivalued nonlinear mappings in modular function spaces. It is our purpose in this study to continue this recent trend in the study of fixed point theory of multivalued nonlinear mappings in modular function spaces. We prove some interesting theorems for ρ-quasi-nonexpansive mappings using the Picard-Krasnoselskii hybrid iterative process. We apply our results to solving certain initial value problem.
Radiation Recall Dermatitis in Patients Treated with Sorafenib
Authors: Mehta Keyur , Kaubisch Andreas , Tang Justin , Pirlamarla Aneesh , Kalnicki Shalom
Published: January 2018

Introduction. Radiation recall dermatitis (RRD) is a phenomenon that occurs in previously irradiated areas shortly after administration of a chemotherapeutic agent. As the use of sorafenib expands, the incidence of radiation recall dermatitis induced by sorafenib will likely increase. Here, we report on a patient who developed RRD and describe his clinical characteristics along with a review of the literature. Case Presentation. Our patient was treated with palliative radiation therapy (RT) to a painful metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma lesion in the right forearm. He completed his radiation course with grade 1 dermatitis, which had resolved by the time he was started on sorafenib 400 mg twice daily 7 days afterwards. On the 21st day after RT, he presented with desquamation and erythema in the previously irradiated area of the right forearm, consistent with RRD. The sorafenib was discontinued and his symptoms subsequently resolved with conservative topical management. Conclusions. Although the pathophysiologic mechanism of sorafenib-related radiation recall dermatitis remains to be investigated, practitioners should be aware of its presence and management in order to improve clinical outcomes.
Tubular Duplication of the Midgut Presenting with Acute Abdomen and Hematochezia: A Case Report from Northern Tanzania
Authors: Herman Ayesiga M. , Msuya David , Kaino Mwemezi , Shilanaiman Hilary , Magoma Joachim , Issangya Christian , Lodhia Jay , Tarmohamed Murad , Pyuza Jeremia , Amsi Patric , Mremi Alex , Mbwasi Ronald , Letara Nuru
Published: January 2018

Enteric duplication is one of the rare malformations affecting the small intestine more than the other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. It poses a challenge in diagnosis due to nonspecific symptoms that may mimic other pathologies. Furthermore, the management options including total resection, mucosal striping, and internal drainage of the duplicate depend on the presentation of the patient, site, and length of the involved bowel. We present the first documented case of enteric duplication in Tanzania, a 3-year-old male, who was found to have a 90 cm long jejunoileal duplicate. We discuss the presentation and management offered.
Long-Term Natural Outcomes of Simple Hemorrhage Associated with Lacquer Crack in High Myopia: A Risk Factor for Myopic CNV?
Authors: Liu Bing , Zhang Xiongze , Mi Lan , Chen Ling , Wen Feng
Published: January 2018

Purpose. To investigate the relationship between simple hemorrhage (SH) associated with lacquer crack (LC) and myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in high myopia.Methods. A cross-sectional evaluation including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), axial length, refractive error, color fundus photography, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed in patients diagnosed with high myopia and SH. Fundus fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography were performed if the eye was suspected with CNV.Results. Thirty-three eyes of 27 patients with SH were enrolled in the study. None of the eyes developed CNV at final examination following the occurrence of hemorrhage. Recurrent hemorrhage was observed in 36.5% of the eyes. Compared with the initial BCVA, the final BCVA was significantly improved (P<0.001) and correlated with the integrity of the ellipsoid zone in SD-OCT. There was no significant difference in the final BCVA between group 1 (LC crossed the central fovea) and group 2 (no LC crossed the central fovea) (P=0.299).Conclusions. SH associated with LC is not a risk factor for the development of myopic CNV in patients with high myopia. LCs have little influence on the final BCVA unless the integrity of the ellipsoid zone in the central fovea is disrupted.
Image Segmentation Using a Trimmed Likelihood Estimator in the Asymmetric Mixture Model Based on Generalized Gamma and Gaussian Distributions
Authors: Zhou Yi , Zhu Hongqing
Published: January 2018

Finite mixture model (FMM) is being increasingly used for unsupervised image segmentation. In this paper, a new finite mixture model based on a combination of generalized Gamma and Gaussian distributions using a trimmed likelihood estimator (GGMM-TLE) is proposed. GGMM-TLE combines the effectiveness of Gaussian distribution with the asymmetric capability of generalized Gamma distribution to provide superior flexibility for describing different shapes of observation data. Another advantage is that we consider the spatial information among neighbouring pixels by introducing Markov random field (MRF); thus, the proposed mixture model remains sufficiently robust with respect to different types and levels of noise. Moreover, this paper presents a new component-based confidence level ordering trimmed likelihood estimator, with a simple form, allowing GGMM-TLE to estimate the parameters after discarding the outliers. Thus, the proposed algorithm can effectively eliminate the disturbance of outliers. Furthermore, the paper proves the identifiability of the proposed mixture model in theory to guarantee that the parameter estimation procedures are well defined. Finally, an expectation maximization (EM) algorithm is included to estimate the parameters of GGMM-TLE by maximizing the log-likelihood function. Experiments on multiple public datasets demonstrate that GGMM-TLE achieves a superior performance compared with several existing methods in image segmentation tasks.
Modern Myoma Treatment in the Last 20 Years: A Review of the Literature
Authors: El-Balat Ahmed , DeWilde Rudy Leon , Schmeil Iryna , Tahmasbi-Rad Morva , Bogdanyova Sandra , Fathi Ali , Becker Sven
Published: January 2018

Myomas, also known as fibroids, are a specific characteristic of the human species. No other primates develop fibroids. At a cellular level, myomas are benign hyperplastic lesions of uterine smooth muscle cells. There are interesting theoretical concepts that link the development of myomas in humans with the highly specific process of childbirth from an upright position and the resulting need for greatly increased “expulsive” forces during labor. Myomas might be the price our species pays for our bipedal and highly intelligent existence. Myomas affect, with some variability, all ethnic groups and approximately 50% of all women during their lifetime. While some remain asymptomatic, myomas can cause significant and sometimes life-threatening uterine bleeding, pain, infertility, and, in extreme cases, ureteral obstruction and death. Traditionally, over 50% of all hysterectomies were performed for fibroids, leading to a significant healthcare burden. In this article, we review the developments of the past 20 years with regard to multiple new treatment strategies that have evolved during this time.
Gamma-Ray Burst Prompt Correlations
Authors: Dainotti M. G. , Del Vecchio R. , Tarnopolski M.
Published: January 2018

The mechanism responsible for the prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is still a debated issue. The prompt phase-related GRB correlations can allow discriminating among the most plausible theoretical models explaining this emission. We present an overview of the observational two-parameter correlations, their physical interpretations, and their use as redshift estimators and possibly as cosmological tools. The nowadays challenge is to make GRBs, the farthest stellar-scaled objects observed (up to redshift z=9.4), standard candles through well established and robust correlations. However, GRBs spanning several orders of magnitude in their energetics are far from being standard candles. We describe the advances in the prompt correlation research in the past decades, with particular focus paid to the discoveries in the last 20 years.
On the Passivity and Positivity Properties in Dynamic Systems: Their Achievement under Control Laws and Their Maintenance under Parameterizations Switching
Authors: Sen M. De la
Published: January 2018

This paper is devoted to discuss certain aspects of passivity results in dynamic systems and the characterization of the regenerative systems counterparts. In particular, the various concepts of passivity as standard passivity, strict input passivity, strict output passivity, and very strict passivity (i.e., joint strict input and output passivity) are given and related to the existence of a storage function and a dissipation function. Later on, the obtained results are related to external positivity of systems and positivity or strict positivity of the transfer matrices and transfer functions in the time-invariant case. On the other hand, how to achieve or how eventually to increase the passivity effects via linear feedback by the synthesis of the appropriate feed-forward or feedback controllers or, simply, by adding a positive parallel direct input-output matrix interconnection gain is discussed.
Modeling and Characteristic Analysis of Wireless Ultrasonic Vibration Energy Transmission Channels through Planar and Curved Metal Barriers
Authors: Yang DingXin , Hou BaoJian , Tian Dong , Wang Siyuan
Published: January 2018

Wireless ultrasonic vibration energy transmission systems through metal barriers based on piezoelectric transducers have drawn a lot of focus due to the advantage of nonpenetration of the barriers, thus maintaining the integrity of sealed structures. It is meaningful to investigate appropriate modeling methods and to characterize such wireless ultrasonic energy transmission channels with different geometric shapes. In this paper, equivalent circuit modeling and finite element modeling methods are applied to the planar metal barrier channel, and a 3‐dimensional finite element modeling method is applied to the cylindrical metallic barrier channel. Meanwhile, the experimental setup is established and measurements are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the corresponding modeling methods. The results show that Leach’s equivalent circuit modeling method and finite element modeling method are nearly similarly effective in characterizing the planar metal barrier channel. But for a cylindrical metal barrier, only the three‐dimensional finite element modeling method is effective. Furthermore, we found that, for the planar barrier, the effect of standing waves on the efficiency of wireless energy transmission is dominated. But for the curved barrier, only the resonant phenomenon of the piezoelectric transducer exists.
Antipsoriatic Effects of Wannachawee Recipe on Imiquimod‐Induced Psoriasis‐Like Dermatitis in BALB/c Mice
Authors: Na Takuathung Mingkwan , Wongnoppavich Ariyaphong , Panthong Ampai , Khonsung Parirat , Chiranthanut Natthakarn , Soonthornchareonnon Noppamas , Sireeratawong Seewaboon
Published: January 2018

Psoriasis is a common immune‐mediated chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by thick and erythema raised plaques with adherent silvery scales. T‐cells are activated via the IL‐23/Th17 axis which is involved in psoriasis pathogenesis. Conventional treatments of psoriasis have adverse events that influence patients’ adherence. Wannachawee Recipe (WCR) is Thai traditional medicine that is known to be effective for psoriasis patients; however, preclinical evidence is still lacking. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of WCR on antiproliferant activity using imiquimod‐ (IMQ‐) induced psoriasis‐like dermatitis in a mouse model. Psoriasis‐like dermatitis was induced on the shaved dorsal skin and right ear pinna of BALB/c mice by topical application of IMQ for 15 consecutive days after which WCR was administered to the mice by oral gavage for 10 days. Phenotypical observations, histopathological examinations, and ELISA of skin and blood samples were conducted. WCR significantly ameliorated development of IMQ‐induced psoriasis‐like dermatitis and reduced levels of Th17 cytokines (IL‐17A, IL‐22, and IL‐23) in both serum and dorsal skin. Histopathological findings showed a decrease in epidermal thickness and inflammatory T‐cell infiltration in the WCR‐treated groups. The WCR has pharmacological actions which regulate Th17 related cytokines suggesting that it is a potential alternative therapeutic strategy for psoriasis.
Input‐to‐State Stability of Nonlinear Switched Systems via Lyapunov Method Involving Indefinite Derivative
Authors: Li Peng , Li Xiaodi , Cao Jinde
Published: January 2018

This paper studies the input‐to‐state stability (ISS) of nonlinear switched systems. By using Lyapunov method involving indefinite derivative and average dwell‐time (ADT) method, some sufficient conditions for ISS are obtained. In our approach, the time‐derivative of the Lyapunov function is not necessarily negative definite and that allows wider applications than existing results in the literature. Examples are provided to illustrate the applications and advantages of our general results and the proposed approach.
Prevalence and Antibiotics Susceptibility Pattern of Salmonella and Shigella Species among Diarrheal Patients Attending Nekemte Referral Hospital, Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors: Terfassa Alemayehu , Jida Mulissa
Published: January 2018

The main objective of this study was determining the prevalence and antibiotics resistance pattern of Salmonella and Shigella sp. from diarrheal patients attending Nekemte Referral Hospital. A total of 422 patients were included in the study and their sociodemographic and clinical information was collected using questionnaire. Stool samples of the patients were collected and processed following standard bacteriological protocols. Presumptive colonies of Salmonella and Shigella species were identified and subcultured to their respective genera by standard biochemical tests. Antibiotics susceptibility of the isolates was tested using disk diffusion assay. The prevalences of Salmonella and Shigella sp. among the patients were 7.1% and 2.1%, respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility test results of the isolates showed that they are highly resistant to amoxicillin (30 μg). In contrast, the isolates showed relatively lower resistance level to ceftriaxone (30 μg), nalidixic acid (30 μg), norfloxacin (10 μg), and ciprofloxacin (5 μg). This study revealed 9.2% prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella sp. which were resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics. Thus, intervention measures such as health education, provision of safe drinking water, improvement of waste disposal systems, and surveillance of antibiotics susceptibility of the pathogens should be done regularly.
Flt-3L Expansion of Recipient CD8α+ Dendritic Cells Deletes Alloreactive Donor T Cells and Represents an Alternative to Posttransplant Cyclophosphamide for the Prevention of GVHD
Authors: Markey Kate A. , Kuns Rachel D. , Browne Daniel J. , Gartlan Kate H. , Robb Renee J. , Martins J. Paulo , Henden Andrea S. , Minnie Simone A. , Cheong Melody , Koyama Motoko , Smyth Mark J. , Steptoe Raymond J. , Belz Gabrielle T. , Brocker Thomas , Degli-Esposti Mariapia A. , Lane Steven W. , Hill Geoffrey R.
Published: January 2018

Purpose: Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) provides curative therapy for leukemia via immunologic graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects. In practice, this must be balanced against life threatening pathology induced by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Recipient dendritic cells (DC) are thought to be important in the induction of GVL and GVHD.

Experimental Design: We have utilized preclinical models of allogeneic BMT to dissect the role and modulation of recipient DCs in controlling donor T-cell–mediated GVHD and GVL.

Results: We demonstrate that recipient CD8α+ DCs promote activation-induced clonal deletion of allospecific donor T cells after BMT. We compared pretransplant fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 ligand (Flt-3L) treatment to the current clinical strategy of posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) therapy. Our results demonstrate superior protection from GVHD with the immunomodulatory Flt-3L approach, and similar attenuation of GVL responses with both strategies. Strikingly, Flt-3L treatment permitted maintenance of the donor polyclonal T-cell pool, where PT-Cy did not.

Conclusions: These data highlight pre-transplant Flt-3L therapy as a potent new therapeutic strategy to delete alloreactive T cells and prevent GVHD, which appears particularly well suited to haploidentical BMT where the control of infection and the prevention of GVHD are paramount. Clin Cancer Res; 24(7); 1604–16. ©2018 AACR.
Krüppel-like Factor 4 Suppresses Serine/Threonine Kinase 33 Activation and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer through Reversing Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Kong Fanyang , Sun Tao , Kong Xiangyu , Xie Dacheng , Li Zhaoshen , Xie Keping
Published: January 2018

Background: Cancers with aberrant expression of Serine/threonine kinase 33 (STK33) has been reported to be particularly aggressive. However, its expression, clinical significance, and biological functions in gastric cancer remain largely unknown. In the present study, we determined the expression and function of STK33 in gastric cancer and delineated the clinical significance of the Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4)/STK33 signaling pathway.

Methods: STK33 expression and its association with multiple clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed immunohistochemically in human gastric cancer specimens. STK33 knockdown and overexpression were used to dissect the underlying mechanism of its functions in gastric cancer cells. Regulation and underlying mechanisms of STK33 expression by KLF4 in gastric cancer cells were studied using cell and molecular biological methods.

Results: Drastically higher expression of STK33 was observed in gastric cancer and gastric intraepithelial neoplasia tissues compared with adjacent normal gastric tissues. Increased STK33 expression correlated directly with tumor size, lymph node, and distant metastasis; and patients with low STK33 expression gastric cancer were predicted to have a favorable prognosis. Enforced expression of STK33 promoted gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo, whereas reduced STK33 did the opposite. Moreover, STK33 promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro. Mechanistically, KLF4 transcriptionally inhibited STK33 expression in gastric cancer cells. KLF4-mediated inhibition of gastric cancer cell invasion was reversed by upregulation of STK33 expression.

Conclusions: STK33 has pro-tumor function and is a critical downstream mediator of KLF4 in gastric cancer. STK33 may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for gastric cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 24(10); 2440–51. ©2018 AACR.
Integration of Oncogenes via Sleeping Beauty as a Mouse Model of HPV16+ Oral Tumors and Immunologic Control
Authors: Lin Yi-Hsin , Yang Ming-Chieh , Tseng Ssu-Hsueh , Jiang Rosie , Yang Andrew , Farmer Emily , Peng Shiwen , Henkle Talia , Chang Yung-Nien , Hung Chien-Fu , Wu T.-C.
Published: January 2018

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) is the etiologic factor for cervical cancer and a subset of oropharyngeal cancers. Although several prophylactic HPV vaccines are available, no effective therapeutic strategies to control active HPV diseases exist. Tumor implantation models are traditionally used to study HPV-associated buccal tumors. However, they fail to address precancerous phases of disease progression and display tumor microenvironments distinct from those observed in patients. Previously, K14-E6/E7 transgenic mouse models have been used to generate spontaneous tumors. However, the rate of tumor formation is inconsistent, and the host often develops immune tolerance to the viral oncoproteins. We developed a preclinical, spontaneous, HPV16+ buccal tumor model using submucosal injection of oncogenic plasmids expressing HPV16-E6/E7, NRasG12V, luciferase, and sleeping beauty (SB) transposase, followed by electroporation in the buccal mucosa. We evaluated responses to immunization with a pNGVL4a-CRT/E7(detox) therapeutic HPV DNA vaccine and tumor cell migration to distant locations. Mice transfected with plasmids encoding HPV16-E6/E7, NRasG12V, luciferase, and SB transposase developed tumors within 3 weeks. We also found transient anti-CD3 administration is required to generate tumors in immunocompetent mice. Bioluminescence signals from luciferase correlated strongly with tumor growth, and tumors expressed HPV16-associated markers. We showed that pNGVL4a-CRT/E7(detox) administration resulted in antitumor immunity in tumor-bearing mice. Lastly, we demonstrated that the generated tumor could migrate to tumor-draining lymph nodes. Our model provides an efficient method to induce spontaneous HPV+ tumor formation, which can be used to identify effective therapeutic interventions, analyze tumor migration, and conduct tumor biology research. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(3); 305–19. ©2018 AACR.
CCL20 Expression by Tumor-Associated Macrophages Predicts Progression of Human Primary Cutaneous Melanoma
Authors: Samaniego Rafael , Gutiérrez-González Alejandra , Gutiérrez-Seijo Alba , Sánchez-Gregorio Sandra , García-Giménez Jorge , Mercader Enrique , Márquez-Rodas Iván , Avilés José Antonio , Relloso Miguel , Sánchez-Mateos Paloma
Published: January 2018

The chemokine axis CCR6/CCL20 is involved in cancer progression in a variety of tumors. Here, we show that CCR6 is expressed by melanoma cells. The CCR6 ligand, CCL20, induces migration and proliferation in vitro, and enhances tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Confocal analysis of melanoma tissues showed that CCR6 is expressed by tumor cells, whereas CCL20 is preferentially expressed by nontumoral cells in the stroma of certain tumors. Stromal CCL20, but not tumoral CCR6, predicted poor survival in a cohort of 40 primary melanoma patients. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), independently of their M1/M2 polarization profile, were identified as the main source of CCL20 in primary melanomas that developed metastasis. In addition to CCL20, TAMs expressed TNF and VEGF-A protumoral cytokines, suggesting that melanoma progression is supported by macrophages with a differential activation state. Our data highlight the synergistic interaction between melanoma tumor cells and prometastatic macrophages through a CCR6/CCL20 paracrine loop. Stromal levels of CCL20 in primary melanomas may be a clinically useful marker for assessing patient risk, making treatment decisions, and planning or analyzing clinical trials. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(3); 267–75. ©2018 AACR.