bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The conceptual structure of face impressions
Authors: Stolier Ryan M. , Hehman Eric , Keller Matthias D. , Walker Mirella , Freeman Jonathan B.
Published: August 2018

Significance

Current theory of face-based trait impressions focuses on their foundation in facial morphology, from which emerges a correlation structure of face impressions due to shared feature dependence, “face trait space.” Here, we proposed that perceivers’ lay conceptual beliefs about how personality traits correlate structure their face impressions. We demonstrate that “conceptual trait space” explains a substantial portion of variance in face trait space. Further, we find that perceivers who believe any set of personality traits (e.g., trustworthiness, intelligence) is more correlated in others use more similar facial features when making impressions of those traits. These findings suggest lay conceptual beliefs about personality play a crucial role in face-based trait impressions and may underlie both their similarities and differences across perceivers.
Simultaneous improvements of strength and toughness in topologically interlocked ceramics
Authors: Mirkhalaf Mohammad , Zhou Tao , Barthelat Francois
Published: August 2018

Significance

Topologically interlocked materials (TIMs) use frictional sliding to generate large deformations and build toughness in otherwise all brittle components. TIMs can be up to 10 times more impact resistant than their monolithic form, but this improvement usually comes at the expense of static strength. Here we report a TIM design based on octahedral blocks which is not only much tougher (50×) than monolithic plates of the same material, but also stronger (1.2×). With no evidence of upper bounds for strength and toughness, TIMs have a tremendous potential as high-performance structural materials. Based on our experiments we propose a nondimensional “interlocking parameter” which could guide the exploration of new TIM designs and other new architectured systems.
Artificial Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Boden Margaret A.
Published: August 2018

The applications of Artificial Intelligence lie all around us and affect all aspects of our lives. The results of Artificial Intelligence have been invaluable to biologists, psychologists, and linguists in helping to understand the processes of memory, learning, and language from a fresh angle. As a concept, Artificial Intelligence has fuelled and sharpened the philosophical debates concerning the nature of the mind, intelligence, and the uniqueness of human beings. Artificial Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction considers the history of Artificial Intelligence, its successes, its limitations, and its future goals. It also reviews the philosophical and technological challenges raised by Artificial Intelligence, considering whether programs could ever be really intelligent, creative, or even conscious.
EstimatingEx AnteCost Functions for Stochastic Technologies
Authors: Chambers Robert G. , Serra Teresa
Published: August 2018

This paper revisits the problem of estimatingex antecost functions previously studied by Pope and Just in 1996, as well as Moschini in 2001. Anex antecost function that generalizes theirex antecost functions is introduced, and an econometric procedure for estimating a flexible approximation to it is developed. That generalized cost function is economically relevant not only for the Pope and Just 1996 choice setting, but for general producer risk preferences, general stochastic technologies, and general forms of price uncertainty. An econometric strategy for estimating the resulting cost structure that adapts Moschini's 2001 “full‐information” approach is developed, followed by an econometric application to U.S. agriculture.
Phylo-PFP: improved automated protein function prediction using phylogenetic distance of distantly related sequences
Authors: Jain Aashish , Kihara Daisuke
Published: August 2018

Motivation

Function annotation of proteins is fundamental in contemporary biology across fields including genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, systems biology and bioinformatics. Function prediction is indispensable in providing clues for interpreting omics-scale data as well as in assisting biologists to build hypotheses for designing experiments. As sequencing genomes is now routine due to the rapid advancement of sequencing technologies, computational protein function prediction methods have become increasingly important. A conventional method of annotating a protein sequence is to transfer functions from top hits of a homology search; however, this approach has substantial short comings including a low coverage in genome annotation.

Results

Here we have developed Phylo-PFP, a new sequence-based protein function prediction method, which mines functional information from a broad range of similar sequences, including those with a low sequence similarity identified by a PSI-BLAST search. To evaluate functional similarity between identified sequences and the query protein more accurately, Phylo-PFP reranks retrieved sequences by considering their phylogenetic distance. Compared to the Phylo-PFP’s predecessor, PFP, which was among the top ranked methods in the second round of the Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation (CAFA2), Phylo-PFP demonstrated substantial improvement in prediction accuracy. Phylo-PFP was further shown to outperform prediction programs to date that were ranked top in CAFA2.

Availability and implementation

Phylo-PFP web server is available for at http://kiharalab.org/phylo_pfp.php.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Efficient computation of the kinship coefficients
Authors: Kirkpatrick Brent , Ge Shufei , Wang Liangliang
Published: August 2018

Motivation

For families, kinship coefficients are quantifications of the amount of genetic sharing between a pair of individuals. These coefficients are critical for understanding the breeding habits and genetic diversity of diploid populations. Historically, computations of the inbreeding coefficient were used to prohibit inbred marriages and prohibit breeding of some pairs of pedigree animals. Such prohibitions foster genetic diversity and help prevent recessive Mendelian disease at a population level.

Results

This paper gives the fastest known algorithms for computing the kinship coefficient of a set of individuals with a known pedigree, especially for large pedigrees. These algorithms outperform existing methods. In addition, the algorithms given here consider the possibility that the founders of the known pedigree may themselves be inbred and compute the appropriate inbreeding-adjusted kinship coefficients, which has not been addressed in literature. The exact kinship algorithm has running-time O(n2) for an n-individual pedigree. The recursive-cut exact kinship algorithm has running time O(s2m) where s is the number of individuals in the largest segment of the pedigree and m is the number of cuts. The approximate algorithm has running-time O(nd) for an n-individual pedigree on which to estimate the kinship coefficients of n individuals of interest from n founder kinship coefficients and d is the number of samples.

Availability and implementation

The above polynomial-time exact algorithm and the linear-time approximation algorithms are implemented as PedKin in C++ and are available under the GNU GPL v2.0 open source license. The PedKin source code is available at: http://www.intrepidnetcomputing.com/research/code/.
Haplotype matching in large cohorts using the Li and Stephens model
Authors: Lunter Gerton
Published: August 2018

Motivation

The Li and Stephens model, which approximates the coalescent describing the pattern of variation in a population, underpins a range of key tools and results in genetics. Although highly efficient compared to the coalescent, standard implementations of this model still cannot deal with the very large reference cohorts that are starting to become available, and practical implementations use heuristics to achieve reasonable runtimes.

Results

Here I describe a new, exact algorithm (‘fastLS’) that implements the Li and Stephens model and achieves runtimes independent of the size of the reference cohort. Key to achieving this runtime is the use of the Burrows-Wheeler transform, allowing the algorithm to efficiently identify partial haplotype matches across a cohort. I show that the proposed data structure is very similar to, and generalizes, Durbin’s positional Burrows-Wheeler transform.
miES: predicting the essentiality of miRNAs with machine learning and sequence features
Authors: Song Fei , Cui Chunmei , Gao Lin , Cui Qinghua
Published: August 2018

Motivation

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one class of small noncoding RNA molecules, which regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and play important roles in health and disease. To dissect the critical miRNAs in miRNAome, it is needed to predict the essentiality of miRNAs, however, bioinformatics methods for this purpose are limited.

Results

Here we propose miES, a novel algorithm, for the prioritization of miRNA essentiality. miES implements a machine learning strategy based on learning from positive and unlabeled samples. miES uses sequence features of known essential miRNAs and performs miRNAome-wide searching for new essential miRNAs. miES achieves an AUC of 0.9 for 5-fold cross validation. Moreover, experiments further show that the miES score is significantly correlated with some established biological metrics for miRNA importance, such as miRNA conservation, miRNA disease spectrum width (DSW) and expression level.

Availability and implementation

The R source code is available at the download page of the web server, http://www.cuilab.cn/mies.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
NCycDB: a curated integrative database for fast and accurate metagenomic profiling of nitrogen cycling genes
Authors: Tu Qichao , Lin Lu , Cheng Lei , Deng Ye , He Zhili
Published: August 2018

Motivation

The nitrogen (N) cycle is a collection of important biogeochemical pathways in the Earth ecosystem and has gained extensive foci in ecology and environmental studies. Currently, shotgun metagenome sequencing has been widely applied to explore gene families responsible for N cycle processes. However, there are problems in applying publically available orthology databases to profile N cycle gene families in shotgun metagenomes, such as inefficient database searching, unspecific orthology groups and low coverage of N cycle genes and/or gene (sub)families.

Results

To solve these issues, this study built a manually curated integrative database (NCycDB) for fast and accurate profiling of N cycle gene (sub)families from shotgun metagenome sequencing data. NCycDB contains a total of 68 gene (sub)families and covers eight N cycle processes with 84 759 and 219 146 representative sequences at 95 and 100% identity cutoffs, respectively. We also identified 1958 homologous orthology groups and included corresponding sequences in the database to avoid false positive assignments due to ‘small database’ issues. We applied NCycDB to characterize N cycle gene (sub)families in 52 shotgun metagenomes from the Global Ocean Sampling expedition. Further analysis showed that the structure and composition of N cycle gene families were most strongly correlated with latitude and temperature. NCycDB is expected to facilitate N cycle studies via shotgun metagenome sequencing approaches in various environments. The framework developed in this study can be served as a good reference to build similar knowledge-based functional gene databases in various processes and pathways.

Availability and implementation

NCycDB database files are available at https://github.com/qichao1984/NCyc.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Traitpedia: a collaborative effort to gather species traits
Authors: Mier Pablo , Andrade-Navarro Miguel A
Published: August 2018

Traitpedia is a collaborative database aimed to collect binary traits in a tabular form for a growing number of species.

Availability and implementation

Traitpedia can be accessed from http://cbdm-01.zdv.uni-mainz.de/~munoz/traitpedia.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Early Developmental Trajectories of Functional Connectivity Along the Visual Pathways in Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Kovacs-Balint Z , Feczko E , Pincus M , Earl E , Miranda-Dominguez O , Howell B , Morin E , Maltbie E , LI L , Steele J , Styner M , Bachevalier J , Fair D , Sanchez M
Published: August 2018

Early social interactions shape the development of social behavior, although the critical periods or the underlying neurodevelopmental processes are not completely understood. Here, we studied the developmental changes in neural pathways underlying visual social engagement in the translational rhesus monkey model. Changes in functional connectivity (FC) along the ventral object and motion pathways and the dorsal attention/visuo-spatial pathways were studied longitudinally using resting-state functional MRI in infant rhesus monkeys, from birth through early weaning (3 months), given the socioemotional changes experienced during this period. Our results revealed that (1) maturation along the visual pathways proceeds in a caudo-rostral progression with primary visual areas (V1–V3) showing strong FC as early as 2 weeks of age, whereas higher-order visual and attentional areas (e.g., MT–AST, LIP–FEF) show weak FC; (2) functional changes were pathway-specific (e.g., robust FC increases detected in the most anterior aspect of the object pathway (TE–AMY), but FC remained weak in the other pathways (e.g., AST–AMY)); (3) FC matures similarly in both right and left hemispheres. Our findings suggest that visual pathways in infant macaques undergo selective remodeling during the first 3 months of life, likely regulated by early social interactions and supporting the transition to independence from the mother.
Sustainability of clinical pathway guided care in cardiac surgery ICU patients; 9-years experience in over 7500 patients
Authors: van der Kolk B M , van den Boogaard M , van der Hoeven J G , Noyez L , Pickkers P
Published: August 2018

Objective

To determine trends over time regarding inclusion of post-operative cardiac surgery intensive care unit (ICU) patients in a clinical pathway (CP), and the association with clinical outcome.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

ICU of an academic hospital.

Participants

All cardiac surgery patients operated between 2007 and 2015.

Measures and Results

A total of 7553 patients were operated. Three patient groups were identified: patients treated according to CP (n = 6567), patients excluded from the CP within the first 48 h (n = 633) and patients never included in CP (n = 353). Patients treated according to CP increased significantly over time from 74% to 95% and the median Log EuroSCORE (predicted mortality score) in this group increased significantly over time (P = 0.016). In-hospital length of stay (LOS) decreased in all groups, but significantly in CP group (P < 0.001). Overall, the in-hospital, and 1-year mortality decreased from 1.5 to 1.1% and 3.7 to 2.9%, respectively (both P < 0.05). Patients with a Log EuroSCORE >10 were more likely excluded from CP (P < 0.001), but, if included in CP, these patients had a significantly shorter Intensive Care stay and in-hospital stay compared to excluded patients with a Log EuroSCORE >10 (both P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The use of a CP for all post-operative cardiac surgery patients in the ICU is sustainable. While more complex patients were treated according to the CP, clinical outcome improved in the CP group.
Beyond smartphones and sensors: choosing appropriate statistical methods for the analysis of longitudinal data
Authors: Barnett Ian , Torous John , Staples Patrick , Keshavan Matcheri , Onnela Jukka-Pekka
Published: August 2018

Objectives

As smartphones and sensors become more prominently used in mobile health, the methods used to analyze the resulting data must also be carefully considered. The advantages of smartphone-based studies, including large quantities of temporally dense longitudinally captured data, must be matched with the appropriate statistical methods in order draw valid conclusions. In this paper, we review and provide recommendations in 3 critical domains of analysis for these types of temporally dense longitudinal data and highlight how misleading results can arise from improper use of these methods.

Target Audience

Clinicians, biostatisticians, and data analysts who have digital phenotyping data or are interested in performing a digital phenotyping study or any other type of longitudinal study with frequent measurements taken over an extended period of time.

Scope

We cover the following topics: 1) statistical models using longitudinal repeated measures, 2) multiple comparisons of correlated tests, and 3) dimension reduction for correlated behavioral covariates. While these 3 classes of methods are frequently used in digital phenotyping data analysis, we demonstrate via actual clinical studies data that they may sometimes not perform as expected when applied to novel digital data.
Wealth in Ex-Combatants: Examining the Resilience of Ex-Command Structures in Postwar Liberia
Authors: Themnér Anders
Published: August 2018

Recent research has shown that disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs often fail to uproot wartime command structures. A key question is why some ex-commanders succeed in retaining control over their ex-fighters, while others are less successful. This study seeks to address this question by comparing four former midlevel commanders (ex-MiLCs) in Liberia and the ex-combatant networks that they head. Contrary to previous assumptions, which have stressed the tendency of ex-fighters to flock around ex-commanders operating in spaces of marginality, I argue that ex-MiLCs employed as government brokers and who funnel patronage from ruling elites to ex-combatants are likely to possess the most durable networks. These findings highlight how ex-military bonds thrive where previous research expects them to be weakest: close to government elites who are often designated as “agents of change” by international peacemakers.
Effects of Menthol Flavor Cigarettes or Total Urinary Menthol on Biomarkers of Nicotine and Carcinogenic Exposure and Behavioral Measures
Authors: Ahijevych Karen , Szalacha Laura A , Tan Alai
Published: August 2018

Introduction

The effects of either menthol flavor cigarettes or total urinary menthol on nicotine dependence, biomarkers of addictive and carcinogenic exposure, and behavioral measures may inform differences and similarities of these two approaches.

Methods

Stratified recruitment by cigarette (menthol flavor or regular) and race (African American and white) yielded a balanced sample of 136 adult smokers in a 36-hour inpatient protocol. Exposure measures assessed during 24-hour data collection included urinary menthol, total NNAL [4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol], 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites, baseline plasma cotinine, plasma nicotine pre- and post-smoking, exhaled carbon monoxide pre- and post-smoking, and cigarette puff volumes. The latter three were measured at four specified timepoints throughout the day.

Results

There were no significant differences between menthol flavor and regular cigarette smokers in measures of nicotine dependence, biomarkers of addictive and carcinogenic exposures, or behavioral measures. Significant race × cigarette type interaction effects were found for two biomarkers: plasma nicotine and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene. Total urinary menthol was significantly associated with higher levels of nearly all dependent variables including puff volume, exhaled carbon monoxide, plasma nicotine and cotinine, NNAL, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The significant effects of total urinary menthol were sustained after adjusting for menthol flavor and regular cigarette type and other covariates (eg, number of cigarettes per day, baseline cotinine, and baseline nicotine).

Conclusions

Urinary menthol is an independent predictive biomarker for nicotine dependence, addictive and carcinogenic exposure, and behaviors.

Implications

Comparison of the effects of menthol flavor and total urinary menthol on nicotine dependence, biomarkers of addictive and carcinogenic exposure, and behavioral measures emphasizes the important significant contribution of total urinary menthol concentrations in contrast to no significant associations by dichotomous cigarette type with these biomarkers.
High Prevalence of Late-Stage Disease in Newly Diagnosed Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients in Sierra Leone
Authors: Yendewa George A , Poveda Eva , Lakoh Sulaiman , Yendewa Sahr A , Jiba Darlinda F , Salgado-Barreira Angel , Sahr Foday , Salata Robert A
Published: August 2018

A high prevalence of late-stage disease (75.4%) and severe immunosuppression (23.3%) was observed in 155 newly diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus patients in Freetown, Sierra Leone during August to November 2017. Within the late-stage diagnosis group, a significantly high proportion of patients reported fever (84.2% vs 65.2%; P = .01), weight loss (82.2% vs 63.5%; P = .01), and malaise (89.7% vs 71.7%; P = .05). Fever was identified as the only independent predictor of late-stage disease in this study.
Black Skin, White Masks
Authors: Webber Jonathan
Published: August 2018

This chapter argues that Frantz Fanon’s first book Black Skin, White Masks is unified by a profoundly existentialist conception of human being and psychological functioning. It argues against the prevailing reading of the book as a conceptually and methodologically eclectic analysis of various problems of colonialism that offers no prospect of a solution. Rather, the underlying argument of the book is that people become racialized through the collective sedimentation of a colonial value system. The shared culture is suffused with the classification of people into superior and inferior groups and the internalization of this classification causes both social discrimination and psychic distress. This is an existentialist theory because it denies that there is any human nature, any inbuilt traits of groups of people, or any innate traits of individuals. Racialization can be overcome by changing the shared culture that encodes and transmits it.
A Distraught Hero (Chariton 3.5.5–6)
Authors: Hutchinson G. O.
Published: August 2018

The book now sets the Plutarchan passages in a larger context by considering passages from novelists. The passage from Chariton portrays the young hero Chaereas preparing to set sail. The emotional speech and body language of his mother lead to a conflict of feelings, and a brief attempt at suicide. The passage shows rhythm serving Chariton’s version of the pointed style, and enabling small eruptions of ingenuity and extremity—not without some humour. Stylistically and imaginatively, the reader is in a quite different world from that of the Lives.
On Mandatory Criminal Sentences, Legislative Interpretation, and the Prospective Application of the Law: A View from Singapore
Authors: Lau Kwan Ho
Published: August 2018

Can a court find that a criminal sentence is mandatory under the penal legislation but choose, exceptionally, to apply that finding only to future cases? This raises an interesting question on the prospective application of a correct construction of legislation, requiring consideration of difficult issues surrounding not just the temporal application of the law but also the protection of the interests belonging to all citizenry, including convicted persons. Recent decisions in Singapore and elsewhere provide an opening for a more detailed inquiry to be undertaken.
Electromyographic Characterization of Abdominal Wall Trigger Points Developed After Caesarean Section and Response to Local Anaesthesia: An Observational Study
Authors: Poli-Neto O. B. , Campos Martins Chamochumbi C. , Toscano P. , Pitanguy Julio M. , Marques W. , Rosa-e-Silva J. C. , Candido-dos-Reis F. J. , Nogueira A. A.
Published: August 2018

(Abstracted from BJOG 2018; doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.15204)

Chronic pain is a long-term complication of cesarean delivery. It occurs approximately in 1% to 18% of patients.
An Evaluation of the Implementation of Pharmacist-Prescribed Hormonal Contraceptives in California
Authors: Batra Priya , Rafie Sally , Zhang Zhiwei , Singh Amay V. , Bird Chloe E. , Sridhar Aparna , Sullivan J. Greer
Published: August 2018

(Abstracted from Obstet Gynecol 2018;131:850–865)

Nearly half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. With decreasing rates of contraceptive use, the risk of unintended pregnancy increases.
Effect of Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture on Live Births Among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Smith Caroline A. , de Lacey Sheryl , Chapman Michael , Ratcliffe Julie , Norman Robert J. , Johnson Neil P. , Boothroyd Clare , Fahey Paul
Published: August 2018

(Abstracted from JAMA 2018;319:1990–1998)

Acupuncture during in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a frequently used adjunctive treatment. Evidence for its efficacy is conflicting.
Reconstructive Science in Orthopedic Oncology
Authors: Burke Zachary D.C. , Blumstein Gideon W. , Zoller Stephen D. , Park Howard Y. , Bernthal Nicholas M.
Published: August 2018

Limb salvage is widely practiced as standard of care in most cases of extremity bone sarcoma. Allograft and endoprosthesis reconstructions are the most widely utilized modalities for the reconstruction of large segment defects; however, complication rates remain high. Aseptic loosening and infection remain the most common modes of failure. Implant integration, soft-tissue function, and infection prevention are crucial for implant longevity and function. Macroalterations and microalterations in implant design are reviewed in this manuscript. Tissue engineering principles using nanoparticles, cell-based, and biological augments have been utilized to develop implant coatings that improve osseointegration and decrease infection. Similar techniques have been used to improve the interaction between soft tissues and implants. Tissue engineered constructs used in combination with, or in place of, traditional reconstructive techniques may represent the next major advancement in orthopedic oncology reconstructive science, although preclinical results have yet to achieve durable translation to the bedside.
The role of surgical resection in patients with brain metastases
Authors: Carapella Carmine M. , Gorgoglione Nicola , Oppido Piero Andrea
Published: August 2018

Purpose of review

Treatment of brain metastases represent a critical issue and different options have to be considered according to patients and tumour characteristics; in recent years, new therapeutic strategies have been proposed. In this review, we discuss the role of surgical resection on the basis of patient selection, new surgical techniques and the use of intraoperative adjuncts. The integration with postoperative whole brain radiotherapy will be also outlined because alternative treatment options are currently available.

Recent findings

Surgical removal has been considered the mainstay in the treatment of brain metastases, in selected patients, with limited number of intracranial lesions and controlled primary disease, mainly in combination with whole brain radiotherapy. In the last few years, the increasing role of stereotactic focal radiotherapy has deeply modified the indications to open surgical procedures and whole brain radiotherapy.

The appearance of brain metastases is considered a sign of bad prognosis. Treatment of these lesions is important for quality of life, providing local tumour control, preventing death from neurological causes and improving survival, although potentially only in a minority of patients. Careful patient selection, with adequate evaluation of clinical prognostic score, the use of appropriate surgical techniques and surgical adjuncts are major determinants of favourable outcome in patients undergoing resection of brain metastases.
Glucagonoma-Associated Necrolytic Migratory Erythema: The Broad Spectrum of the Clinical and Histopathological Findings and Clues to the Diagnosis
Authors: Toberer Ferdinand , Hartschuh Wolfgang , Wiedemeyer Katharina
Published: August 2018

Necrolytic migratory erythema (NEM) is associated with glucagonoma, an endocrine malignancy of the pancreas. It is a rare and a likely underrecognized paraneoplastic dermatitis. A 38-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a 3-year history of reocurring pruritic skin rashes with increasing intensity. The skin lesions presented with active annular borders, central scaling, and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, but also with erosions, pustules, and crusted lesions. Multiple skin biopsies were taken. The workup of the patient revealed a tumor localized in the head of the pancreas, and glucagon serum levels were elevated. Clues to the diagnosis of NEM were the waxing and waning of serpiginous erythemas with active borders localized on extremities, intertriginous areas, and face. On histopathology, dyskeratosis in all layers of the epidermis were an early feature of NEM, and long-standing lesions typically showed psoriasiform hyperplasia with pallor and necrosis of upper epidermal layers. Clinicians and histopathologists need to be aware of the wide spectrum of skin manifestations in glucagonoma. Early diagnosis of the tumor is crucial for patients.
Cutaneous Angiomyolipoma of the Ear: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Mannan Abul Ala Syed Rifat , Khandakar Binny , Yuan Songyang
Published: August 2018

Cutaneous angiomyolipoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor, distinct from its renal counterpart. Only few cases have been reported in English language literature to date. Here, we report a case in a 36-year-old man who presented with a painless swelling on his right ear. Microscopy revealed a well-circumscribed tumor, composed of an admixture of mature adipocytes, blood vessels, and bundles of smooth muscles. The tumor cells were positive for desmin and calponin but negative for HMB45, melan-A, SOX10, tyrosinase, and CD10. We present the case to emphasize the uniqueness of cutaneous angiomyolipoma from its renal counterpart. We also review the relevant literature on this topic.
Childhood Phimosis Secondary to Lichen Sclerosus: Is There a Spatial Pattern of Histopathological Changes?
Authors: Singh Lavleen , Sengar Mamta , Goyal Surbhi , Mansi Meha , Khurana Nita , Mohta Anup
Published: August 2018

Introduction:

The accurate histopathological diagnosis of the phimotic prepuce is indispensable because early diagnosis, treatment, and close follow-up are crucial in genital dermatosis such as lichen sclerosus (LS). This study analyzes the histopathological spectrum of childhood phimosis with special emphasis on LS. We also highlight a peculiar pattern of histopathological evolution in LS, prepuce.

Material and methods:

The histopathology slides of all the pediatric preputial circumcision specimens performed for the indication of pathological phimosis (n = 43) during the study period (2012–2017) were analyzed. Eight histopathological features viz. hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, epidermal atrophy, acanthosis, dermoepidermal cleft, upper dermal edema and homogenization, mid dermal lymphocytic band, and interface dermatitis were studied in each case, separately in inner preputial surface, tip, and outer preputial surface. On the basis of evolution of the disease and histopathological features, the lesions of LS were classified into early, established, and advanced.

Result:

LS was found in 32 cases, whereas 11 cases showed nonspecific inflammation and fibrosis. The upper dermal homogenization (n = 29), dermoepidermal cleft (n = 28), and mid dermal band (n = 27) were the commonest histopathological changes. The established and advanced changes were confined to the inner preputial surface (n = 31), and the outer preputial skin surface was unaffected in all the cases. A peculiar histopathological evolution pattern was seen with established or advanced lesions, early lesion, and normal histology on the inner preputial surface, mucocutaneous junction, and outer preputial skin, respectively.

Conclusions:

LS is a common cause of childhood phimosis. It shows a peculiar histopathological evolution that mandates the thorough analysis of inner mucosal surface.
CyclinD1 Is Useful to Differentiate Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis From Reactive Langerhans Cells
Authors: Chatterjee Debajyoti , Vishwajeet Vikarn , Saikia Uma Nahar , Radotra Bishan , De Dipankar , Bansal Deepak
Published: August 2018

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare histiocytic disorder characterized by clonal proliferation of neoplastic Langerhans cells (LCs). LC proliferation can also be seen in different reactive dermatosis. CyclinD1 is a downstream marker of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway, which is often activated in LCH. This study aimed to evaluate the role of cyclinD1 to differentiate reactive LC proliferation from LCH. All cases of cutaneous LCH diagnosed by biopsy in the past 3 years (n = 13) were immunostained with CD1a, p53, CD31, and cyclinD1. Seven cases each of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and lichen planus (LP) were taken as control. Presence of p53, CD31, and cyclinD1-positive LCs (CD1a-positive) were compared in the dermis. In all LCH cases, dermal neoplastic LCs showed diffuse CD1a positivity and 12 cases (92.3%) showed variable (30%–70%) cyclinD1 expression. Weak p53 and CD31 expression were seen in 61.5% and 46.1% of LCH cases, respectively. In the control group, 5 cases of LP and 4 cases of DLE showed variable LC proliferation, highlighted by CD1a positivity. However, no case of reactive dermatosis showed cyclinD1 or p53 expression by the reactive LCs. Weak and patchy CD31 expression by the reactive LCs were found in 1 (25%) and 2 (40%) cases of DLE and LP, respectively. To conclude, cyclinD1 is frequently expressed in neoplastic LCs in LCH. It is an efficient marker to differentiate neoplastic from reactive LC proliferation, and can be used as a surrogate marker in LCH.
Effect of Case Management With Goal-Setting on Diet Scores and Weight Loss in Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients
Authors: Aspry Karen , Dunsiger Shira , Breault Christopher , Stabile Loren , DeAngelis Julianne , Wu Wen-Chih
Published: August 2018

Purpose:

The impact of cognitive-behavioral strategies and clinical factors on diet change during cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is not well studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of collaborative goal-setting and clinical predictors on diet scores and weight loss in a case management model of CR.

Methods:

We retrospectively examined the effects of clinical factors and goal-setting facilitated by case managers on diet scores and weight loss in 629 consecutive patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease enrolled in our CR program between 2014 and 2016. The Rate Your Plate (RYP) diet score was used to measure diet quality at baseline and discharge. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify predictors of diet score change in a subsample with goal-setting data (n = 615). Analysis of variance was conducted in the subset with complete weight data (n = 584) to compare weight loss between those who improved their RYP scores versus those who did not.

Results:

Participants were 27.9% female, with a mean age of 63.4 ± 11.5 y. The average body mass index at baseline was 30.3 ± 6.8, and 51.7% reported diet change and/or weight loss as a goal. After an average of 33 CR sessions, 27.3% improved their RYP scores by at least 1 risk category (mean score, 54.0 ± 9.0 vs 58.2 ± 7.3, P < .001) and the average weight loss was 1.5 ± 2.9 kg (P < .001). After logistic regression modeling, dietary goal-setting was significantly associated with improvement in diet scores and with greater weight loss (2.2 ± 3.1 kg vs 0.84 ± 2.6 kg, P < .001).

Conclusions:

A case management model that incorporates dietary goal-setting is associated with improved measures of diet quality and weight loss during CR.
Impact of Dry Eye on Psychosomatic Symptoms and Quality of Life in a Healthy Youthful Clinical Sample
Authors: Asiedu Kofi , Dzasimatu Selassie K. , Kyei Samuel
Published: August 2018

Objective:

To determine the impact of dry eye on quality of life, depression, anxiety, and stress in a healthy youthful clinical sample.

Methods:

This was a clinic-based cross-sectional study. Subjects were patients visiting the University of Cape Coast Eye Clinic for comprehensive eye examination. The age range for recruitment into the study was 16 to 35 years. Eligible participants completed three questionnaires namely the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), short version of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21), dry eye quality of life score (DEQS) questionnaire. All eligible participants underwent clinical assessment including meibomian gland expressibility, corneal staining, tear breakup time, and Schirmer 1 test. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between variables. Univariate and multivariate analyses of variance were used to determine the impact of the OSDI score on DASS-21 subscales scores and the dry eye quality of life scores.

Results:

All 211 subjects who met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. The mean age for the entire sample was 21.6±3.0 years with a range of (17–31) years. Spearman correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant association between OSDI scores and DEQSs (P<0.001), anxiety scores (P<0.001), depression scores (P<0.001), and stress scores (P<0.001). Spearman correlation coefficient showed no statistically significant association between clinical test results and quality of life scores (P>0.05), DASS-21 subscales scores (P>0.05), except anxiety subscale and meibomian gland expressibility score (P=0.026). There were no statistically significant association between clinical test results and OSDI scores (P>0.05) except for the tear breakup time (P=0.018). Using Pillai's trace in the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), there was a significant effect of OSDI severity classification on depression, anxiety, and stress subscales scores of the DASS-21, V=0.37, F(3, 207)=9.67, P<0.001. Furthermore, separate univariate analyses of variances on the outcome variables revealed a significant effect of OSDI severity classification on depression F(3, 207)=35.24, P<0.001, anxiety F(3, 207)=25.27, P<0.001, and stress F(3, 207)=13.08, P<0.001. The MANOVA was followed up with a discriminant analysis, which revealed three discriminant functions. When subjects were classified according to the OSDI grading of severity, there were a statistically significant difference between all levels of severity dry eye symptoms for the DEQSs (F(3, 207) = 63.9.3 P<0.001, η2=0.48).

Conclusion:

The study showed that the severity of dry eye symptoms impacted on psychosomatic symptoms and quality of life. The study also revealed that the severity of dry eye symptoms impacted more on the depressive symptoms compared with other psychosomatic symptoms in this youthful clinical sample.
Reflections on 50 Years of Pediatric Neuroscience Nursing
Authors: Weak Lindsey , Fecske Erin , Breedt Amanda , Cartwright Cathy , Crawford Daniel , Forbes Angela
Published: August 2018

Throughout the past 50 years, the role of the neuroscience nurse has become more specialized as we continue to keep pace with new innovations and improvement in care for our patients. This is evident when reviewing the hundreds of articles that have been published in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing over the last half-century. These authors have had a tremendous influence over neuroscience nursing through dissemination of their expert knowledge. This article will review the areas of pediatric hydrocephalus, brain tumors, and epilepsy and the role neuroscience nurses have played in the advancement of these specialties.
Virtual Fitting and Hemodynamic Simulation of the EVAHEART 2 Left Ventricular Assist Device and Double-Cuff Tipless Inflow Cannula
Authors: Sonntag Simon Johannes , Lipinski Erin , Neidlin Michael , Hugenroth Kristin , Benkowski Robert , Motomura Tadashi , Kaufmann Tim Arne Simon
Published: August 2018

Inflow malposition during surgery, postoperative pump migration, inflow obstruction, and right ventricular compression are major contributors to low flow and adverse events in patients with ventricular assist devices (VADs). These position abnormalities can lead to adverse events including ischemic stroke. To address these problems, we conducted a virtual anatomical fitting study and hemodynamic simulation on iterative cannula designs, resulting in the EVAHEART 2 with the novel double-cuff tipless (DCT) inflow cannula and smaller pump design. Anatomical fitting was based on computed tomography scans of six patients with heart failure, and a fluid-structure-integration (FSI) model of the left ventricle with a lumped parameter model of the entire cardiovascular system during VAD support was created. Using this model, the hemodynamics of three inflow cannula insertion lengths for two patient-specific ventricles were calculated for both full and partial VAD support. The DCT cannula with the smaller pump housing proved resistant to obstruction even when the pump housing was adjusted. The complete system also had a smaller pump pocket size than the other designs and avoided position abnormalities that commonly lead to adverse events. Compared with conventional cadaver studies, virtual fitting and numerical simulations are more beneficial and economical for iteratively designing medical devices.
Towards increasing shelf life and haemostatic potency of stored platelet concentrates
Authors: Hegde Shailaja , Akbar Huzoor , Zheng Yi , Cancelas Jose A.
Published: August 2018

Purpose of review

Platelet transfusion is a widely used therapy in treating or preventing bleeding and haemorrhage in patients with thrombocytopenia or trauma. Compared with the relative ease of platelet transfusion, current practice for the storage of platelets is inefficient, costly and relatively unsafe, with platelets stored at room temperature (RT) for upto 5–7 days.

Recent findings

During storage, especially at cold temperatures, platelets undergo progressive and deleterious changes, collectively termed the ‘platelet storage lesion’, which decrease their haemostatic function and posttransfusion survival. Recent progress in understanding platelet activation and host clearance mechanisms is leading to the consideration of both old and novel storage conditions that use refrigeration and/or cryopreservation to overcome various storage lesions and significantly extend platelet shelf-life with a reduced risk of pathogen contamination.

A review of the advantages and disadvantages of alternative methods for platelet storage is presented from both a clinical and biological perspective. It is anticipated that future platelet preservation involving cold, frozen and/or pathogen reduction strategies in a proper platelet additive solution will enable longer term and safer platelet storage.
Vascularized composite allotransplantation in children: what we can learn from solid organ transplantation
Authors: McDiarmid Sue V.
Published: August 2018

Purpose of review

This review will focus on the lessons learned over several decades of solid organ transplantation in children, and their relevance to the emerging field of pediatric VCA. Particular attention will be focused on the risk–benefit ratio of immunosuppression as it applies to children receiving a life-enhancing transplant as compared with a life-saving transplant. Potential indications for pediatric VCA will be considered.

Recent findings

The report in 2015 of the first child to receive a VCA, bilateral upper extremity grafts from a nonrelated deceased donor, is a seminal event. The case is unique in that the child was already immunosuppressed after a prior kidney transplant. Early graft function is excellent and cortical re-organization has been described.

Although the risks of immunosuppression remain a formidable obstacle to the wider spread application of VCA for children, careful consideration of indications and outcomes for these innovative procedures, which have the potential to restore form and function not otherwise achievable, is warranted.
P-glycoprotein Activity Correlates With Treatment Response in 2 Leukemia Child Patients
Authors: Muñoz-Pérez María J. , Casco Stephania , Garza-González María d.C. , Soto-Vega Elena
Published: August 2018

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most important childhood cancer. Multidrug resistance is an important factor of poor prognosis. We present the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) activity in 2 patients with different outcomes. Both patients had B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia; they were responding properly to the treatment, but one of them had an increment in the P-gp activity that correlates with an increment in the disease manifestation, the patient had to be hospitalized and developed sepsis and subsequently died. P-gp levels were correlated with disease progression. P-gp activity needs to be evaluated during treatment to assess and prevent disease relapse or the patient´s death.
Intraventricular Rituximab in Pediatric CD20-positive Refractory Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma
Authors: Wada-Shimosato Yuko , Ikeda Junji , Tsujimoto Shin-ichi , Sasaki Koji , Yanagimachi Masakatsu , Kajiwara Ryosuke , Shiba Norio , Murata Hidetoshi , Kawahara Nobutaka , Yamanaka Shoji , Tanoshima Reo , Ito Shuichi
Published: August 2018

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare and aggressive type of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma that carries an unsatisfactory prognosis. Treating refractory PCNSL is challenging because of resistance to conventional cytotoxic and intrathecal chemotherapies. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches are needed. Here, we report a 12-year-old boy with CD20-positive PCNSL, which was refractory to combination chemotherapy and intravenous rituximab. However, the patient achieved complete remission after repeated intraventricular rituximab administration. The results of this case indicate that intraventricular rituximab is an effective option to treat refractory PCNSL in children.
Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma in an Infant With Familial ATM Mutations
Authors: Mijalovsky Analia , Halperin Daniel , Perez Yonatan , Zafarov Beatrice , Shaco-Levy Ruthy , Kapelushnik Joseph , Flusser Hagit , Birk Ohad S.
Published: August 2018

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by progressive neurologic dysfunction, oculocutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency, and cancer susceptibility, is caused by mutations in the ATM gene. A previous study of 4 A-T patients identified 2 rare homozygous missense mutations residing on the same allele of the ATM gene: c.1514T>C and c.1547T>C, which were shown to decrease ATM levels and increase T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia predisposition. We studied 5 patients from 2 consanguineous Bedouin families of the same tribe, presenting with A-T. Whole-exome sequencing data identified the 2 aforementioned mutations in ATM, which segregated within all family members as expected of autosomal recessive heredity. Interestingly, one individual was diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM), an extremely rare neoplasm in pediatric patients. Here, we describe a case of a 4-month-old infant homozygous for the 2 ATM mutations, who developed MPM and died by the age of 2 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of peritoneal mesothelioma in an infant bearing ATM mutations, and one of the youngest pediatric mesotheliomas described. Thus, the risk of MPM might be considered in the follow-up of A-T patients, and ATM mutations sought in cases of early-onset MPM.