bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Mangifera indica (Careless) on Microcirculation and Glucose Metabolism in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Buchwald-Werner Sybille , Schön Christiane , Frank Sonja , Reule Claudia
Published: February 2017

A commercial Mangifera indica fruit powder (Careless) showed beneficial acute effects on microcirculation in a randomized, double-blind, crossover pilot study. Here, long-term effects on microcirculation and glucose metabolism were investigated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 3-arm parallel-design study in healthy individuals. A daily dose of 100 mg or 300 mg of the fruit powder was compared to placebo after supplementation for 4 weeks. Microcirculation and endothelial function were assessed by the Oxygen-to-see System and pulse amplitude tonometry, respectively. Glucose metabolism was assessed under fasting and postprandial conditions by capillary glucose and HbA1c values.

Microcirculatory reactive hyperemia flow increased, especially in the 100 mg group (p = 0.025). The 300 mg of the M. indica fruit preparation reduced postprandial glucose levels by trend if compared to placebo (p = 0.0535) accompanied by significantly lower HbA1c values compared to baseline. Furthermore, 300 mg intake significantly improved postprandial endothelial function in individuals with decreased endothelial function after high-dose glucose intake (p = 0.0408; n = 11).

In conclusion, the study suggests moderate beneficial effects of M. indica fruit preparation on microcirculation, endothelial function, and glucose metabolism.
Protective Effects of Ellagic Acid on Cardiovascular Injuries Caused by Hypertension in Rats
Authors: Jordão Juliana , Porto Hellen , Lopes Flávio , Batista Aline , Rocha Matheus
Published: February 2017

Ellagic acid is described as having antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. Hence, it was hypothesized that ellagic acid could improve cardiovascular damage caused by hypertension. In this work, hypertension was induced in rats with Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (60 mg/kg/day in drinking water) for 6 weeks. Ellagic acid was coadministered (10 or 30 mg/kg/day by gavage) between the second and sixth week. Blood pressure was recorded every week by tail-cuff plethysmography. After 6 weeks, the rats were sacrificed, the hearts and kidneys were weighed, and blood was collected. Aortas were isolated and set up to isometric recordings in an organ bath for histological assay and measuring of calcium content. Hypertension (233.6 ± 9.5 mmHg) was reduced (p < 0.01) by treatment with ellagic acid 10 or 30 mg/kg. The blood levels of nitrate/nitrite were reduced in hypertensive rats and the ellagic acid restored these levels. While the vascular relaxations to acetylcholine and sodium nitoprusside and the contraction to phenylephrine were impaired in the hypertensive group, they were improved after ellagic acid treatment. The alkaline phosphatase activity was increased by hypertension and returned to control levels after ellagic acid treatment. In the aorta, the administration of ellagic acid resulted in less aortic wall thickening and less calcification. In conclusion, ellagic acid attenuates hypertension, possibly improving nitric oxide bioavailability. The vascular response to acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, and phenylephrine was impaired by hypertension and improved after treatment with ellagic acid. Moreover, plasmatic alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium content, and hypertrophy in vascular tissues during hypertension were attenuated by treatment with ellagic acid.
Topological Lifshitz transitions
Authors: Volovik G. E.
Published: February 2017

Different types of Lifshitz transitions are governed by topology in momentum space. They involve the topological transitions with the change of topology of Fermi surfaces, Weyl and Dirac points, nodal lines, and also the transitions between the fully gapped states.
High-temperature quantum kinetic effect in silicon nanosandwiches
Authors: Bagraev N. T. , Grigoryev V. Yu. , Klyachkin L. E. , Malyarenko A. M. , Mashkov V. A. , Romanov V. V. , Rul N. I.
Published: February 2017

The negative-U impurity stripes confining the edge channels of semiconductor quantum wells are shown to allow the effective cooling inside in the process of the spin-dependent transport, with the reduction of the electron-electron interaction. The aforesaid promotes also the creation of composite bosons and fermions by the capture of single magnetic flux quanta on the edge channels under the conditions of low sheet density of carriers, thus opening new opportunities for the registration of the quantum kinetic phenomena in weak magnetic fields at high-temperatures up to the room temperature. As a certain version noted above we present the first findings of the high temperature de Haas-van Alphen, 300 K, quantum Hall, 77 K, effects as well as quantum conductance staircase in the silicon sandwich structure that represents the ultra-narrow, 2 nm, p-type quantum well (Si-QW) confined by the delta barriers heavily doped with boron on the n-type Si (100) surface.
Long-lived magnetoexcitons in 2D-fermion system
Authors: Kulik L. V. , Zhuravlev A. S. , Gorbunov A. V. , Timofeev V. B. , Kukushkin I. V.
Published: February 2017

The paper addresses the experimental technique that, when applied to a 2D-electron system in the integer quantum Hall regime with filling factor ν = 2 (the Hall insulating state), allows resonant excitation of magnetoexcitons, their detection, control of an ensemble of long-lived triplet excitons and investigation of their radiationless decay related to exciton spin relaxation into the ground state. The technique proposed enables independent control of photoexcited electrons and Fermi-holes using photoinduced resonance reflection spectra as well as estimate with a reasonable degree of accuracy the resulting density of photoinduced electron-hole pairs bound into magnetoexcitons. The mere existence of triplet excitons was directly established by inelastic light scattering spectra which were analyzed to determine the value of singlet-triplet exciton splitting. It was found that the lifetimes of triplet excitons conditioned by electron spin relaxation in highly perfect GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures with highly mobile 2D electrons are extremely long exceeding 100 μs at T < 1 K. The paper presents a qualitative explanation of the long-spin relaxation lifetimes which are unprecedented for translation-invariant 2D systems. This enabled us to create sufficiently high concentrations of triplet magnetoexcitons, electrically neutral excitations following Bose–Einstein statistics, in a Fermi electron system and investigate their collective properties. At sufficiently high densities of triplet magnetoexcitons and low temperatures, T < 1 K, the degenerate magnetofermionic system exhibits condensation of the triplet magnetoexcitons into a qualitatively new collective state with unusual properties which occurs in the space of generalized moments (magnetic translation vectors). The occurrence of a condensed phase is accompanied with a significant decrease in the viscosity of the photoexcited system, which is responsible for electron spin transport at macroscopic distances, as well as with the effects of threshold enhancement of the system response to the external action of the electromagnetic field and emergence of a new intensive radiative recombination channel.
Acoustic imaging in application to reconstruction of rough rigid surface with airborne ultrasound waves
Authors: Krynkin A. , Dolcetti G. , Hunting S.
Published: February 2017

Accurate reconstruction of the surface roughness is of high importance to various areas of science and engineering. One important application of this technology is for remote monitoring of open channel flows through observing its dynamic surface roughness. In this paper a novel airborne acoustic method of roughness reconstruction is proposed and tested with a static rigid rough surface. This method is based on the acoustic holography principle and Kirchhoff approximation which make use of acoustic pressure data collected at multiple receiver points spread along an arch. The Tikhonov regularisation and generalised cross validation technique are used to solve the underdetermined system of equations for the acoustic pressures. The experimental data are collected above a roughness created with a 3D printer. For the given surface, it is shown that the proposed method works well with the various number of receiver positions. In this paper, the tested ratios between the number of surface points at which the surface elevation can be reconstructed and number of receiver positions are 2.5, 5, and 7.5. It is shown that, in a region comparable with the projected size of the main directivity lobe, the method is able to reconstruct the spatial spectrum density of the actual surface elevation with the accuracy of 20%.
Mechanism of yellow luminescence in GaN at room temperature
Authors: Matys M. , Adamowicz B.
Published: February 2017

We investigated the excitation intensity (Φ) dependent photoluminescence (PL), at room temperature (RT), from GaN-based metal-insulator-semiconductor structures under gate bias (VG) from accumulation to deep depletion resulting in variations of the space charge region width. We found that depending on VG, different Φ-dependencies of the YL band energy position (blueshift or redshift), shape (band enlargement or narrowing) and intensity (signal saturation) can be obtained. In order to explain such an unusual YL behavior, we developed a phenomenological PL model, which is based on the solution of the three-dimensional Poisson's equation, current continuity equations and rate equations, and which takes into account the grain structure of GaN layers and the contribution of interface regions into recombination processes. Our model reproduced well the experimental Φ-dependencies of the YL band intensity. It also predicts that YL arises from the donor-acceptor pair (DAP) recombination in very limited areas (width of several nanometers) inside the depletion regions related to grain/grain interfaces and external crystal surfaces. On this basis, we showed that VG-controlled Φ-dependencies of the YL peak position and shape, can be well explained if we assume that YL is due to DAP-type transitions, in which the final state consists of the Coulomb interaction and strong interaction between the dipole moment of ionized DAP and the depletion region electric field. This recombination mechanism can play a significant role at RT, but should be negligible at low temperatures, where one can expect the significant reduction of interface barriers under illumination.
Specific features of magnetostriction at electron topological transitions in metals
Authors: Mikitik G. P. , Sharlai Yu. V.
Published: February 2017

The properties of magnetostriction in metals are studied in cases when the chemical potential of electrons is close to the critical energy of the electron energy spectrum, at which there is an electron topological transition of 2½ or 3½ kind. It is shown that the experimental study of magnetostriction can be an effective method for detecting these transitions in metals.
Magnetic field sensor based on coupled photonic crystal nanobeam cavities
Authors: Du Han , Zhou Guangya , Zhao Yunshan , Chen Guoqiang , Chau Fook Siong
Published: February 2017

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of a resonant Lorentz force magnetic field sensor based on dual-coupled photonic crystal nanobeam cavities. Compared with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) Lorentz force magnetometers, the proposed magnetic field sensor has an ultra-small footprint (less than 70 μm × 40 μm) and a wider operation bandwidth (of 160 Hz). The sensing mechanism is based on the resonance wavelength shift of a selected supermode of the coupled cavities, which is caused by the Lorentz force-induced relative displacement of the cavity nanobeams, and thus the optical transmission variation. The sensitivity and resolution of the device demonstrated experimentally are 22.9 mV/T and 48.1 μT/Hz1/2, respectively. The results can be further improved by optimizing the initial offset of the two nanobeams.
Effect of defects, magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and shape anisotropy on magnetic structure of iron thin films by magnetic force microscopy
Authors: Xu Ke , Schreiber Daniel K. , Li Yulan , Johnson Bradley R. , McCloy John
Published: February 2017

Microstructures of magnetic materials, including defects and crystallographic orientations, are known to strongly influence magnetic domain structures. Measurement techniques such as magnetic force microscopy (MFM) thus allow study of correlations between microstructural and magnetic properties. The present work probes effects of anisotropy and artificial defects on the evolution of domain structure with applied field. Single crystal iron thin films on MgO substrates were milled by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) to create different magnetically isolated squares and rectangles in [110] crystallographic orientations, having their easy axis 45° from the sample edge. To investigate domain wall response on encountering non-magnetic defects, a 150 nm diameter hole was created in the center of some samples. By simultaneously varying crystal orientation and shape, both magnetocrystalline anisotropy and shape anisotropy, as well as their interaction, could be studied. Shape anisotropy was found to be important primarily for the longer edge of rectangular samples, which exaggerated the FIB edge effects and provided nucleation sites for spike domains in non-easy axis oriented samples. Center holes acted as pinning sites for domain walls until large applied magnetic fields. The present studies are aimed at deepening the understanding of the propagation of different types of domain walls in the presence of defects and different crystal orientations.
Soluble secondary minerals of antimony in Pezinok and Kremnica (Slovakia) and the question of mobility or immobility of antimony in mine waters
Authors: Majzlan Juraj , Števko Martin , Lánczos Tomáš
Published: February 2017

Environmental contextAntimony enters the environment from tailings and mines but there are widely divergent statements about its mobility in the environment. This work addresses the question of mobility of Sb by a combination of mineralogical and geochemical studies.
AbstractThis work characterises two occurrences with an abundance of the supergene Sb minerals brandholzite [Mg[Sb(OH)6]2·6H2O], klebelsbergite [Sb4O4(OH)2(SO4)] and peretaite [CaSb4O4(OH)2(SO4)2·2H2O]. Brandholzite forms from near-neutral waters, where stibnite (Sb2S3) decomposes in the presence of abundant carbonates. The SbIII sulfates form from acidic waters, where stibnite decomposes in the presence of marcasite or pyrite (FeS2). These initial supergene minerals form rapidly (brandholzite within weeks) and supply Sb into local waters. Calculation of saturation indices from underground water (present study) and many waters discharged from Sb mines (data from the literature) show that brandholzite (and related soluble Sb minerals) are undersaturated. Hence, if they do exist, they should dissolve. Insoluble Sb phases, such as tripuhyite (FeSbO4) are grossly supersaturated, but do not form (or form very slowly). Hence, we conclude that the mobility of antimony observed in geochemical studies is due to the solubility of the initial supergene minerals. The immobility of antimony stated in mineralogical studies is due to the slow but persistent formation of insoluble tripuhyite. When the kinetics of formation of these minerals are taken into account, the widely divergent statements about mobility or immobility of antimony in the environment can be reconciled.
Restoration of immune and renal function in aged females by re-establishment of active ovarian function
Authors: Peterson Rhett L. , Parkinson Kate C. , Mason Jeffrey B.
Published: February 2017

Proper immune functioning is necessary to maximize reproductive success. In addition, age-associated uremia in women is often associated with hypothalamic­–pituitary–gonadal dysfunction. In the present experiments, we tested immune and renal function to determine if exposure of postreproductive mice to young, reproductively cycling ovaries would influence non-reproductive physiological functions. Control female CBA/J mice were evaluated at 6, 13 and 16 months of age. Additional mice received new (60-day-old) ovaries at 12 months of age and were evaluated at 16 months of age. Consequently, 6-month-old control mice and 16-month-old recipient mice both possessed 6-month-old ovaries and were reproductively cycling. A significant age-related decline in immune function (T-cell subset analysis) was found in 16-month-old mice, but was improved 64% by ovarian transplantation. Renal function (blood urea nitrogen : creatinine ratio) was also decreased with aging, but ovarian transplantation restored function to levels found in 6-month-old mice. In summary, we have shown that immune and renal function, which are negatively influenced by aging, can be positively influenced or restored by re-establishment of active ovarian function in aged female mice. These findings provide a strong incentive for further investigation of the positive influence of young ovaries on restoration of health in postreproductive females.
Generic analysis of bakery service encounters in Malaysia
Authors: Lau Yih-Long , Ting Su-Hie
Published: February 2017

The study aimed to describe the staging of service encounters in a bakery in Sarawak, Malaysia. The specific aspects studied were
categories of transactions, staging of transactions, and nonverbal enactment of stages of transactions. A total of 100
interactions between Chinese vendors and Chinese, Malay, and Indigenous customers at a bakery operated by Chinese vendors in Sibu,
Sarawak were observed and recorded. The analysis revealed five categories: Instant Buying, where customers bought the cakes on the
spot; transactions where customers waited for the cakes to be baked; transactions where customers placed an order for the cakes;
transactions where the customers picked up the cakes they had ordered; and unsuccessful sales. The four obligatory stages were
Sale Request, Sale Compliance, Purchase, and Goods Handover. While all four stages could be realized nonverbally, the Purchase and
Goods Handover stages in the service encounters were always performed nonverbally. The results suggest no difference in the role
of nonverbal communication in service encounters with Chinese and non-Chinese customers but there are cultural differences in the
staging. The Chinese vendors were more likely to omit the opening (Sale Initiation and Greeting) and closing (Purchase Closure) in
their interactions with non-Chinese customers than with Chinese customers. The results suggest that service encounters in
high-context cultures involving customers from other ethnic groups are more likely to be instrumental exchanges with an omission
of the politeness rituals that characterize interpersonal relationships.
Biomechanics of judo backward breakfall for different throwing techniques in novice judokas
Authors: Koshida Sentaro , Ishii Takanori , Matsuda Tadamitsu , Hashimoto Toshihiko
Published: February 2017

It is generally accepted that proper learning of the breakfall technique during early judo training is essential for attenuating the risk of judo‐related head injury. Therefore, it is critical to understand the kinematics and head injury risks of breakfall motion to design a more safe and effective judo teaching paradigm that results in reduction of injury risk. We aimed to investigate the biomechanics of judo backward breakfalls by comparing osoto‐gari and ouchi‐gari in novice judokas. Twelve male novice judokas (age: 21.3 years, SD = 0.6 years; height: 1.74 m, SD = 0.04 m; body weight: 71.3, SD = 6.4 kg; body mass index: 23.5, SD = 2.3) volunteered to participate in this study. The kinematic data of the breakfall motion for both osoto‐gari and ouchi‐gari were collected using a three‐dimensional motion analysis technique (200 Hz). We observed significant differences between the movement patterns for the two techniques, especially in the lower extremity movements. In addition, a significantly greater peak extension momentum (osoto‐gari: 1.29, SD = 0.23 kg m2 s−1; ouchi‐gari: 0.84, SD = 0.29 kg m2 s−1) and lower head position along the vertical axis (osoto‐gari: 0.18, SD = 0.05 m; ouchi‐gari: 0.31, SD = 0.08 m) with a large effect size were found in the breakfall for osoto‐gari. Our results suggest that a different paradigm is needed for effectively teaching each breakfall technique that will enable us to substantially lower the risk of judo‐related head injuries in novice judokas.
Kollector: transcript-informed, targeted de novo assembly of gene loci
Authors: Kucuk Erdi , Chu Justin , Vandervalk Benjamin P , Hammond S Austin , Warren René L , Birol Inanc
Published: February 2017

Motivation

Despite considerable advancements in sequencing and computing technologies, de novo assembly of whole eukaryotic genomes is still a time-consuming task that requires a significant amount of computational resources and expertise. A targeted assembly approach to perform local assembly of sequences of interest remains a valuable option for some applications. This is especially true for gene-centric assemblies, whose resulting sequence can be readily utilized for more focused biological research. Here we describe Kollector, an alignment-free targeted assembly pipeline that uses thousands of transcript sequences concurrently to inform the localized assembly of corresponding gene loci. Kollector robustly reconstructs introns and novel sequences within these loci, and scales well to large genomes—properties that makes it especially useful for researchers working on non-model eukaryotic organisms.

Results

We demonstrate the performance of Kollector for assembling complete or near-complete Caenorhabditis elegans and Homo sapiens gene loci from their respective, input transcripts. In a time- and memory-efficient manner, the Kollector pipeline successfully reconstructs respectively 99% and 80% (compared to 86% and 73% with standard de novo assembly techniques) of C.elegans and H.sapiens transcript targets in their corresponding genomic space using whole genome shotgun sequencing reads. We also show that Kollector outperforms both established and recently released targeted assembly tools. Finally, we demonstrate three use cases for Kollector, including comparative and cancer genomics applications.

Availability and Implementation

Kollector is implemented as a bash script, and is available at https://github.com/bcgsc/kollector

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
VALORATE: fast and accurate log-rank test in balanced and unbalanced comparisons of survival curves and cancer genomics
Authors: Treviño Victor , Tamez-Pena Jose
Published: February 2017

The association of genomic alterations to outcomes in cancer is affected by a problem of unbalanced groups generated by the low frequency of alterations. For this, an R package (VALORATE) that estimates the null distribution and the P-value of the log-rank based on a recent reformulation is presented. For a given number of alterations that define the size of survival groups, the log-rank density is estimated by a weighted sum of conditional distributions depending on a co-occurrence term of mutations and events. The estimations are accurately accelerated by sampling across co-occurrences allowing the analysis of large genomic datasets in few minutes. In conclusion, the proposed VALORATE R package is a valuable tool for survival analysis.

Availability and Implementation

The R package is available in CRAN at https://cran.r-project.org and in http://bioinformatica.mty.itesm.mx/valorateR.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
FELLS: fast estimator of latent local structure
Authors: Piovesan Damiano , Walsh Ian , Minervini Giovanni , Tosatto Silvio C.E
Published: February 2017

Motivation

The behavior of a protein is encoded in its sequence, which can be used to predict distinct features such as secondary structure, intrinsic disorder or amphipathicity. Integrating these and other features can help explain the context-dependent behavior of proteins. However, most tools focus on a single aspect, hampering a holistic understanding of protein structure. Here, we present Fast Estimator of Latent Local Structure (FELLS) to visualize structural features from the protein sequence. FELLS provides disorder, aggregation and low complexity predictions as well as estimated local propensities including amphipathicity. A novel fast estimator of secondary structure (FESS) is also trained to provide a fast response. The calculations required for FELLS are extremely fast and suited for large-scale analysis while providing a detailed analysis of difficult cases.

Availability and Implementation

The FELLS web server is available from URL: http://protein.bio.unipd.it/fells/. The server also exposes RESTful functionality allowing programmatic prediction requests. An executable version of FESS for Linux can be downloaded from URL: protein.bio.unipd.it/download/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Binning_refiner: improving genome bins through the combination of different binning programs
Authors: Song Wei-Zhi , Thomas Torsten
Published: February 2017

Microbial genomes have recently been reconstructed from metagenomic datasets using binning approaches. Inconsistent binning results are however often observed between different binning programs, likely due to the different algorithms or statistical models used. We present Binning_refiner, a pipeline that merges the results of different binning programs. Our results demonstrated that Binning_refiner can significantly reduce the contamination level of genome bins and increase the total size of contamination-free and ‘good-quality’ genome bins. Binning_refiner is thus an useful tool to improve the quality of genome bins derived from metagenomic data.

Availability and Implementation

Binning_refiner is implemented in Python3 and is freely available at: https://github.com/songweizhi/Binning_refiner.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Quality of survival and cognitive performance in children treated for medulloblastoma in the PNET 4 randomized controlled trial
Authors: Câmara-Costa Hugo , Bull Kim S , Kennedy Colin , Wiener Andreas , Calaminus Gabriele , Resch Anika , Kieffer Virginie , Lalande Clémence , Poggi Geraldina , von Hoff Katja , Grill Jacques , Doz François , Rutkowski Stefan , Massimino Maura , Kortmann Rolf-Dieter , Lannering Birgitta , Dellatolas Georges , Chevignard Mathilde ,   on behalf of the Quality of Survival working group of the Brain Tumour Group of SIOP-Europe
Published: February 2017

Background

The relationship between direct assessments of cognitive performance and questionnaires assessing quality of survival (QoS) is reported to be weak-to-nonexistent. Conversely, the associations between questionnaires evaluating distinct domains of QoS tend to be strong. This pattern remains understudied.

Methods

In the HIT-SIOP PNET4 randomized controlled trial, cognitive assessments, including Full Scale, Verbal and Performance IQ, Working Memory, and Processing Speed, were undertaken in 137 survivors of standard-risk medulloblastoma from 4 European countries. QoS questionnaires, including self-reports and/or parent reports of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), the Health Utilities Index, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, were completed for 151 survivors. Correlations among direct cognitive assessments, QoS questionnaires, and clinical data were examined in participants with both assessments available (n = 86).

Results

Correlations between direct measures of cognitive performance and QoS questionnaires were weak, except for moderate correlations between the BRIEF Metacognition Index (parent report) and working memory (r = .32) and between health status (self-report) and cognitive outcomes (r = .35–.44). Correlations among QoS questionnaires were moderate to strong both for parent and self-report (r = .39–.76). Principal Component Analysis demonstrated that questionnaires and cognitive assessments loaded on 2 separate factors.

Conclusions

We hypothesize that the strong correlations among QoS questionnaires is partially attributable to the positive/negative polarity of all questions on the questionnaires, coupled with the relative absence of disease-specific questions. These factors may be influenced by respondents’ personality and emotional characteristics, unlike direct assessments of cognitive functioning, and should be taken into account in clinical trials.
Culture-Proven Thorn-Associated Infections in Arizona: 10-Year Experience at Mayo Clinic
Authors: Simmons Sierra C. , Budavari Adriane I. , Kusne Shimon , Zhang Nan , Vikram Holenarasipur R. , Blair Janis E.
Published: February 2017

Background

Thorn injuries are common in the desert Southwest; however, the frequency and microbiology of thorn-associated infections have not been systematically described. Most information comes from case reports describing infections from atypical or environmental microorganisms. Our aim was to summarize the spectrum of thorn-associated infections.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of electronic health records for patients presenting to our institution from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2014 for treatment of thorn-associated injuries and then focused on the patients with cultures.

Results

Of 2758 records reviewed, 1327 patients had thorn-associated injuries; however, only 58 (4.4%) had cultures. Of these patients, 37 (64%) had positive findings; 5 had polymicrobial infection. The most commonly identified organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (n = 22, 59.0%) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (n = 8, 21.6%). Other pathogens included Nocardia species (n = 3, 8.1%), Streptococcus species (n = 2, 5.4%), Gram-negative bacteria (n = 2, 5.4%), Aspergillus species (n = 2, 5.4%), Paecilomyces lilacinus (n = 1, 2.7%), and Candida species (n = 1, 2.7%). There were no infections caused by Pantoea agglomerans, Sporothrix schenckii, or Coccidioides spp.

Conclusions

In contrast to most published case reports, we found that typical cutaneous microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus species, caused the majority of culture-positive, thorn-related infections.
High-sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Elevation after Electroconvulsive Therapy
Authors: Duma Andreas , Pal Swatilika , Johnston Joshua , Helwani Mohammad A. , Bhat Adithya , Gill Bali , Rosenkvist Jessica , Cartmill Christopher , Brown Frank , Miller J. Philip , Scott Mitchell G. , Sanchez-Conde Francisco , Jarvis Michael , Farber Nuri B. , Zorumski Charles F. , Conway Charles , Nagele Peter
Published: February 2017

Background

While electroconvulsive therapy is widely regarded as a lifesaving and safe procedure, evidence regarding its effects on myocardial cell injury is sparse. The objective of this investigation was to determine the incidence and magnitude of new cardiac troponin elevation after electroconvulsive therapy using a novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study in adult patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy in a single academic center (up to three electroconvulsive therapy treatments per patient). The primary outcome was new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I elevation after electroconvulsive therapy, defined as an increase of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I greater than 100% after electroconvulsive therapy compared to baseline with at least one value above the limit of quantification (10 ng/l). Twelve-lead electrocardiogram and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I values were obtained before and 15 to 30 min after electroconvulsive therapy; in a subset of patients, an additional 2-h high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I value was obtained.

Results

The final study population was 100 patients and a total of 245 electroconvulsive therapy treatment sessions. Eight patients (8 of 100; 8%) experienced new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I elevation after electroconvulsive therapy with a cumulative incidence of 3.7% (9 of 245 treatments; one patient had two high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I elevations), two of whom had a non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction (incidence 2 of 245; 0.8%). Median high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I concentrations did not increase significantly after electroconvulsive therapy. Tachycardia and/or elevated systolic blood pressure developed after approximately two thirds of electroconvulsive therapy treatments.

Conclusions

Electroconvulsive therapy appears safe from a cardiac standpoint in a large majority of patients. A small subset of patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk factors, however, may develop new cardiac troponin elevation after electroconvulsive therapy, the clinical relevance of which is unclear in the absence of signs of myocardial ischemia.
Anesthetic Neuroprotection in Experimental Stroke in Rodents
Authors: Archer David P. , Walker Andrew M. , McCann Sarah K. , Moser Joanna J. , Appireddy Ramana M.
Published: February 2017

Background

Patients undergoing endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke may require general anesthesia to undergo the procedure. At present, there is little clinical evidence to guide the choice of anesthetic in this acute setting. The clinical implications of experimental studies demonstrating anesthetic neuroprotection are poorly understood. Here, the authors evaluated the impact of anesthetic treatment on neurologic outcome in experimental stroke.

Methods

Controlled studies of anesthetics in stroke using the filament occlusion model were identified in electronic databases up to December 15, 2015. The primary outcome measures, infarct volume, and neurologic deficit score were used to calculate the normalized mean difference for each comparison. Meta-analysis of normalized mean difference values provided estimates of neuroprotection and contributions of predefined factors: study quality, the timing of treatment, and the duration of ischemia.

Results

In 80 retrieved publications anesthetic treatment reduced neurologic injury by 28% (95% CI, 24 to 32%; P < 0.0001). Internal validity was high: publication bias enhanced the effect size by 4% or less, effect size increased with study quality (P = 0.0004), and approximately 70% of studies were adequately powered. Apart from study quality, no predefined factor influenced neuroprotection. Neuroprotection failed in animals with comorbidities. Neuroprotection by anesthetics was associated with prosurvival mechanisms.

Conclusions

Anesthetic neuroprotection is a robust finding in studies using the filament occlusion model of ischemic stroke and should be assumed to influence outcomes in studies using this model. Neuroprotection failed in female animals and animals with comorbidities, suggesting that the results in young male animals may not reflect human stroke.
Impact of Pain on Incident Risk of Disability in Elderly Japanese
Authors: Kaiho Yu , Sugawara Yumi , Sugiyama Kemmyo , Tomata Yasutake , Endo Yasuhiro , Toyama Hiroaki , Yamauchi Masanori , Tsuji Ichiro
Published: February 2017

Background

Although several cross-sectional studies have reported that pain is associated with functional disability in the elderly, data regarding a longitudinal association between pain and disability are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the association of pain severity with subsequent functional disability due to all causes as well as stroke, dementia, and joint disease/fracture.

Methods

The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of 13,702 Japanese individuals aged 65 yr or older. Information regarding pain severity during the previous 4 weeks and other lifestyle factors was collected via questionnaire in 2006. Data on the incidence of functional disability were retrieved from the Long-term Care Insurance database. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for incident functional disability.

Results

The authors documented 2,686 (19.6%) cases of incident functional disability. The multivariate hazard ratio of functional disability was 1.15 (95% CI, 1.02 to 1.31) among respondents with moderate pain and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.54) among respondents with severe pain in comparison with those without pain (P trend < 0.001). These positive associations were particularly remarkable for disability due to joint disease/fracture: the multivariate hazard ratio was 1.88 (95% CI, 1.37 to 2.58) for moderate pain and 2.76 (95% CI, 1.93 to 3.95) for severe pain (P trend < 0.001). There was a negative association between pain severity and disability due to dementia (P trend = 0.041) and no significant association between pain severity and disability due to stroke.

Conclusions

Among elderly Japanese individuals, the authors found a significant positive association between pain severity and future incident functional disability.
Psychosocial Stress After a Disaster and Low Back Pain-Related Interference With Daily Living Among College Students
Authors: Kato Kinshi , Sekiguchi Miho , Nikaido Takuya , Otoshi Ken-ichi , Matsuo Yohei , Igari Takahiro , Kobayashi Yoshihiro , Takegami Misa , Fukumori Norio , Fukuma Shingo , Kikuchi Shin-ichi , Fukuhara Shun-ichi , Konno Shin-ichi
Published: February 2017

Study Design.

A cohort study.

Objective.

To investigate the association between psychosocial stress and low back pain (LBP)-related interference with daily living among college students.

Summary of Background Data.

Few longitudinal studies have examined the likelihood of developing LBP in the presence of a designated psychosocial stressor. All participants in the present study were suddenly affected by the Great East Japan disaster after enrolment in our cohort study.

Methods.

The present study was initiated among 95 students at Fukushima Medical University in January 2011. We assessed psychosocial stress in students using the Japanese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (JPSS). Follow-up surveys were conducted in July 2011 and May 2013, analyzing 94 students. Students were then divided into three groups (improved, −19 to −4; Maintained, −3 to +4; Aggravated, +5 to +22) based on the tertile points of JPSS change from baseline to 4 months after the disaster. LBP-related interference with daily living was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) questionnaire. Linear regression modeling was performed with BPI at 4 months after the disaster as the outcome, and JPSS change, sex, history of LBP, baseline physical activity, and baseline BPI as explanatory variables.

Results.

We found a significant increase in BPI score for the aggravated stress group (β coefficient, +0.79; 95% confidence interval, +0.06–+1.53), compared with the improved stress group. History of LBP and higher physical activity were also significantly associated with BPI.

Conclusion.

The present study suggests that perceived psychosocial stress induced by the disaster may be associated with LBP-related interference with daily living among college students in Fukushima.

Level of Evidence: 3
Prognostic Factors for Failure of Antibiotic Treatment in Patients With Osteomyelitis of the Spine
Authors: de Graeff Jan Jaap , Paulino Pereira Nuno Rui , van Wulfften Palthe Olivier D. , Nelson Sandra B. , Schwab Joseph H.
Published: February 2017

Study Design.

Retrospective cohort study.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to identify factors independently associated with antibiotic treatment failure in patients with spinal osteomyelitis.

Summary of Background Data.

There are few studies that have identified risk factors for antibiotic treatment failure in medically managed spinal osteomyelitis. Identifying such factors could help to identify patients who can be treated solely with antibiotics.

Methods.

All patients who underwent antibiotic treatment for spinal osteomyelitis in one of our institutions between January 1, 2001 and January 1, 2015 were identified. Patients who underwent surgery before the start of the antibiotic treatment were excluded.

Results.

We included 215 patients with a mean age of 58 years; 63 (29%) patients had failure of antibiotic treatment. Diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–2.79, P = 0.037), fever (HR 1.61, 95% CI 0.93–2.79, P = 0.088), osteomyelitis at an additional site (HR 5.17, 95% CI 2.63–27.9, P = 0.001), and the presence of an epidural abscess (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.05–3.45, P = 0.033) were associated with failure of antibiotic treatment. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, diabetes (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.03–2.79, P = 0.019), osteomyelitis at an additional site (HR 8.26, 95% CI 2.51–27.2, P = 0.001), fever (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.00–3.12, P = 0.050), and the presence of an epidural abscess (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.06–3.13, P = 0.030) were independently associated with failure of antibiotic treatment.

Conclusion.

Antibiotic treatment failed in 29% of patients; diabetes, current other osteomyelitis, and having an epidural abscess were independently associated with failure of antibiotic treatment.

Level of Evidence: 3
One-stage Surgical Management for Lumbar Brucella Spondylitis by Posterior Debridement, Autogenous Bone Graft and Instrumentation
Authors: Chen Yangbin , Yang Jun-Song , Li Tao , Liu Peng , Liu Tuan-Jiang , He Li-Min , Qian Li-Xiong , Hao Ding-Jun
Published: February 2017

Study Design.

Clinical case series.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of one-stage debridement, autogenous bone graft, and instrumentation for lumbar brucella spondylitis (LBS) via a posterior approach.

Summary of Background Data.

Reports on LBS are sporadic, and the therapeutic effect and safety of surgical interventions have not been assessed in clinical studies.

Methods.

Between January 2012 and January 2014, 24 consecutive patients with symptomatic LBS who underwent a one-stage operation that combined debridement, autogenous bone graft, and instrumentation via a posterior approach were enrolled. Back pain was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). The neurological status was evaluated with the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale. Bone healing was evaluated based on postoperative plain x-ray or computed tomography.

Results.

All cases were followed up for an average of 14.3 + 3.5 months. The VAS scores were significantly improved at every follow-up interval. An improvement of at least one grade level was observed in the ASIA score of each patient. The average time of bone fusion was 6.8 + 1.6 months. Significant improvements of the average segmental Cobb angle was observed from a preoperative value of 18.4° + 4.6° to a last follow-up value of 21.1° ± 3.7°. At the last follow up, the titers of antibodies against the standard tube agglutination test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein were negative for all patients.

Conclusion.

For LBS, systemic antibrucellosis chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment. When cauda equine syndrome, radiculopathy, spinal instability, and severe back pain caused by extradural nonabsorbable abscess or progressive collapse are present, surgical intervention is inevitable. One-stage debridement, autogenous bone graft, and instrumentation via a posterior approach could represent an alternative treatment for LBS, and the efficacy and safety of these techniques are satisfactory.

Level of Evidence: 4
Spinal Tissue Loading Created by Different Methods of Spinal Manipulative Therapy Application
Authors: Funabashi Martha , Nougarou François , Descarreaux Martin , Prasad Narasimha , Kawchuk Gregory N.
Published: February 2017

Study Design.

Comparative study using robotic replication of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) vertebral kinematics together with serial dissection.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to quantify loads created in cadaveric spinal tissues arising from three different forms of SMT application.

Summary of Background Data.

There exist many distinct methods by which to apply SMT. It is not known presently whether different forms of SMT application have different effects on spinal tissues. Should the method of SMT application modulate spinal tissue loading, quantifying this relation may help explain the varied outcomes of SMT in terms of effect and safety.

Methods.

SMT was applied to the third lumbar vertebra in 12 porcine cadavers using three SMT techniques: a clinical device that applies forces through a hand-held instrument (INST), a manual technique of applying SMT clinically (MAN) and a research device that applies parameters of manual SMT through a servo-controlled linear actuator motor (SERVO). The resulting kinematics from each SMT application were tracked optically via indwelling bone pins. The L3/L4 segment was then removed, mounted in a parallel robot and the resulting kinematics from SMT replayed for each SMT application technique. Serial dissection of spinal structures was conducted to quantify loading characteristics of discrete spinal tissues.

Results.

In terms of load magnitude, SMT application with MAN and SERVO created greater forces than INST in all conditions (P < 0.05). Additionally, MAN and SERVO created comparable posterior forces in the intact specimen, but MAN created greater posterior forces on IVD structures compared to SERVO (P < 0.05).

Conclusion.

Specific methods of SMT application create unique vertebral loading characteristics, which may help explain the varied outcomes of SMT in terms of effect and safety.

Level of Evidence: N/A
Cardiorespiratory Function Does Not Improve 2 Years After Posterior Surgical Correction of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Authors: Lorente Alejandro , Barrios Carlos , Burgos Jesús , Hevia Eduardo , Fernández-Pineda Luis , Lorente Rafael , Rosa Bárbara , Pérez-Encinas Cristina
Published: February 2017

Study Design.

A prospective evaluation of cardiorespiratory function following spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Objective.

To evaluate the cardiopulmonary function during exercise in patients with severe AIS, before and 2 years after undergoing a posterior spinal fusion.

Summary of Background Data.

After surgical correction of scoliosis, a greater cardiorespiratory adaptation to exercise would be expected from correction of the rib cage associated with the spine deformity. However, there is no clear evidence regarding whether tolerance to maximum exercise improves in the medium term after surgery in patients with severe curves.

Methods.

We include patients with AIS proposed for posterior surgical correction aging between 12 and 17 years. Every patient had a Cobb angle >45° and a Lenke type 1A scoliosis. Cardiac and respiratory functional measures, such as heart rate and blood pressure, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), eliminated volume of carbon dioxide (VCO2), quotient between ventilation and volume of exhaled carbon dioxide (VE/CO2), respiratory exchange rate, ventilatory capacity at maximal exercise (VEmax), were recorded before and 2 years after surgery.

Results.

Twenty patients were included in our study, 15 girls and 5 boys, with an average age of 13 years. The main scoliotic curve was corrected in the coronal plane in an average of 71.9%. The maximal aerobic power expressed by body weight normalized VO2max was found preoperatively to have an average of 30.9 ± 6.2 mL/kg/minute, indicating a poor aerobic capacity, which did not improve at final follow-up, decreasing to a mean value of 29.3 ± 5.7 but without statistical significance. However, the percentages of curve correction showed a statistically significant correlation with VO2max (r = 0.534; P < 0.05).

Conclusion.

Patients with severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis Lenke type 1A showed limited cardiorespiratory tolerance to maximum exercise that did not improve 2 years after surgery.

Level of Evidence: 3