bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Banking in Latin America
Authors: De Carvalho Fernando J. Cardim , De Paula Luiz Fernando , Williams Jonathan 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis chapter offers a unique portrayal of the evolution of banking in Latin America. We contextualize our analysis by providing a detailed assessment of how financial policy has evolved across the region beginning with development models of the post-1945 period. Events of the 1980s and 1990s are a source of recent developments, which we succinctly summarize as the financial deepening and growth of a market-oriented and more competitive environment. Specific developments include the repeal of state involvement in banking, and bank privatization including wider penetration of domestic banking by foreign banks. We examine the effects of consolidation on banking activity before considering the special role development banks have come to play, especially following the global financial crisis. Throughout the chapter, we present data to inform our comparative analysis across regional banking sectors, and between Latin America and other economies.
Supervised and unsupervised machine learning for automated scoring of sleep–wake and cataplexy in a mouse model of narcolepsy
Authors: Exarchos Ioannis , Rogers Anna A , Aiani Lauren M , Gross Robert E , Clifford Gari D , Pedersen Nigel P , Willie Jon T 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Despite commercial availability of software to facilitate sleep–wake scoring of electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) in animals, automated scoring of rodent models of abnormal sleep, such as narcolepsy with cataplexy, has remained elusive. We optimize two machine-learning approaches, supervised and unsupervised, for automated scoring of behavioral states in orexin/ataxin-3 transgenic mice, a validated model of narcolepsy type 1, and additionally test them on wild-type mice. The supervised learning approach uses previously labeled data to facilitate training of a classifier for sleep states, whereas the unsupervised approach aims to discover latent structure and similarities in unlabeled data from which sleep stages are inferred. For the supervised approach, we employ a deep convolutional neural network architecture that is trained on expert-labeled segments of wake, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep in EEG/EMG time series data. The resulting trained classifier is then used to infer on the labels of previously unseen data. For the unsupervised approach, we leverage data dimensionality reduction and clustering techniques. Both approaches successfully score EEG/EMG data, achieving mean accuracies of 95% and 91%, respectively, in narcoleptic mice, and accuracies of 93% and 89%, respectively, in wild-type mice. Notably, the supervised approach generalized well on previously unseen data from the same animals on which it was trained but exhibited lower performance on animals not present in the training data due to inter-subject variability. Cataplexy is scored with a sensitivity of 85% and 57% using the supervised and unsupervised approaches, respectively, when compared to manual scoring, and the specificity exceeds 99% in both cases.
Juvenile Toxicity Rodent Model to Study Toxicological Effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) at Dose Levels Derived From Italian Children Biomonitoring Study
Authors: Tassinari Roberta , Narciso Laura , Tait Sabrina , Busani Luca , Martinelli Andrea , Di Virgilio Antonio , Carli Fabrizia , Deodati Annalisa , La Rocca Cinzia , Maranghi Francesca ,   LIFE PERSUADED Project Group, Valeri Mauro , Mancini Francesca Romana , Cianfarani Stefano , Germani Daniela , Gastaldelli Amalia , Barsotti Graziano , Ciociaro Demetrio , Latta Veronica Della , Distante Graziella , Gaggini Melania , Landi Patrizia , Toffol Giacomo 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer with endocrine disrupting properties particularly relevant for children health. Recently BPA has been associated with metabolic dysfunctions but no data are yet available in specific, long-term studies. This study aimed to evaluate BPA modes of action and hazards during animal juvenile life-stage, corresponding to childhood. Immature Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes were orally treated with 0 (vehicle only—olive oil), 2, 6, and 18 mg/kg bw per day of BPA for 28 days, from weaning to sexual maturity. Dose levels were obtained from the PERSUADED biomonitoring study in Italian children. Both no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL)/low-observed-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) and estimated benchmark dose (BMD) approaches were applied. General toxicity, parameters of sexual development, endocrine/reproductive/functional liver and kidney biomarkers, histopathology of target tissues, and gene expression in hypothalamic-pituitary area and liver were studied. No mortality or general toxicity occurred. Sex-specific alterations were observed in liver, thyroid, spleen, leptin/adiponectin serum levels, and hypothalamic-pituitary gene expression. Thyroid homeostasis and liver were the most sensitive targets of BPA exposure in the peripubertal phase. The proposed LOAEL was 2 mg/kg bw, considering as critical effect the liver endpoints, kidney weight in male and adrenal histomorphometrical alterations and osteopontin upregulation in female rats. The BMD lower bounds were 0.05 and 1.33 mg/kg bw in males and females, considering liver and thyroid biomarkers, respectively. Overall, BPA evaluation at dose levels derived from children biomonitoring study allowed to identify sex-specific, targeted toxicological effects that may have significant impact on risk assessment for children.
Extrapolating In Vitro Screening Assay Data for Thyroperoxidase Inhibition to Predict Serum Thyroid Hormones in the Rat
Authors: Hassan Iman , El-Masri Hisham , Ford Jermaine , Brennan Amanda , Handa Sakshi , Paul Friedman Katie , Gilbert Mary E 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Thyroperoxidase (TPO) is an enzyme essential for thyroid hormone (TH) synthesis and a target site for a number of xenobiotics that disrupt TH homeostasis. An in vitro high-throughput screening assay for TPO inhibition, the Amplex UltraRed-TPO (AUR-TPO), has been used to screen the ToxCast chemical libraries for this action. Output from this assay would be most useful if it could be readily translated into an in vivo response, namely a reduction of TH in serum. To this end, the relationship between TPO inhibition in vitro and serum TH decreases was examined in rats exposed to 2 classic TPO inhibitors, propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI). Serum and gland PTU, MMI, and TH levels were quantified using tandem liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Thyroperoxidase activity was determined in thyroid gland microsomes treated with PTU or MMI in vitro and ex vivo from thyroid gland microsomes prepared from exposed animals. A quantitative model was constructed by contrasting in vitro and ex vivo AUR-TPO results and the in vivo time-course and dose-response analysis. In vitro:ex vivo correlations of AUR-TPO outputs indicated that less than 30% inhibition of TPO in vitro was sufficient to reduce serum T4 by 20%, a degree of regulatory significance. Although further testing of model estimates using other TPO inhibitors is essential for verification of these initial findings, the results of this study provide a means to translate in vitro screening assay results into predictions of in vivo serum T4 changes to inform risk assessment.
Commitment Decisions in EU Competition Enforcement: Policy Effectiveness v. the Formal Rule of Law
Authors: Stones Ryan 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Marking the fifteenth anniversary of the entry into force of Regulation 1/2003, 2019 offers a vantage point from which to analyse the rise of commitment decisions as the primary enforcement mechanism for non-cartel competition law investigations at EU level. Commitment decisions, the closure of competition cases with a package of remedial obligations in response to Commission concerns, have an undeniable administrative appeal. They afford the Commission the absolute discretion to counteract any form of market conduct, whether beyond the pre-existing scope of the law deduced by the EU Courts from Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, or below exacting thresholds for prohibition of legally controversial business practices. Furthermore, the Commission can secure any remedial outcome, even if disproportionate or seemingly disconnected from its competitive concerns, to thereby redraw markets according to its idealized vision. In this regard, commitment decisions allow the Commission to achieve its policy goals with utmost effectiveness. Nevertheless, this article argues that such a method of market intervention represents a significant divergence from realizing the ideal of the formal rule of law in EU competition enforcement: normative certainty for businesses, facilitated by the equal application of generalized legal norms, which are subject to close oversight by courts. This offers an aspirational legal form of considerable political and economic value. Using commitment decisions to enforce EU competition policy via ad hoc, subject-specific decision making, conditional upon unforeseeable remedial obligations, is of systemic detriment to the legal comprehensibility of not just future Commission decision making, but the entire edifice of norms deduced from the Treaties by the EU Courts in this field. A rather relaxed approach to judicially reviewing the remedial proportionality of commitment decisions has partly contributed to this issue. However it is suggested that the EU Courts are largely unable to remedy the problems of novel theories of harm or subject-specific determinations, delivering upon their important residual role envisaged by the rule of law ideal, because of a factor mostly beyond their control: the lack of commitment decisions brought before them for review. To that end, the article concludes by recommending the automatic review of commitment decisions by the Courts. This would hopefully foster a more balanced reconciliation of effective policy achievement by the Commission and realization of the formal rule of law ideal in contemporary EU competition enforcement.
Prognostic Factors for the Failure of Endometrial Ablation
Authors: Beelen Pleun , Reinders Imke M. A. , Scheepers Wessel F. W. , Herman Malou C. , Geomini Peggy M. A. J. , van Kuijk Sander M. J. , Bongers Marlies Y. 
Published: November 2019

OBJECTIVE:
To provide an overview of prognostic factors predicting failure of second-generation endometrial ablation.

DATA SOURCES:
MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched from 1988 until February 2019. The search was conducted without language restrictions using the following search terms: “endometrial ablation,” “prognosis,” “predict,” “long term,” “late onset,” “outcome.”

METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION:
The literature search provided a total of 990 studies. All types of studies reporting about prognostic factors of second-generation endometrial ablation failure were included.

TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS:
After screening for eligibility, 56 studies were included in this review, of which 21 were included in the meta-analysis. In these 56 studies, 157,830 women were included. We evaluated 10 prognostic factors: age, myomas, history of tubal ligation, body mass index, parity, preexisting dysmenorrhea, caesarean delivery, bleeding pattern, uterus position, and uterus length. Meta-analysis was performed for the primary outcome (surgical reintervention) to estimate summary treatment effects. Younger age (aged 35 years or younger, odds ratio [OR] 1.68, 95% CI 1.19–2.36; aged 40 years or younger, OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.30–1.93; aged 45 years or younger OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.28–2.07), prior tubal ligation (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.23–1.73), and preexisting dysmenorrhea (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.41–3.19) were associated with an increased risk of surgical reintervention. Studies investigating the prognostic factors myomas and obesity showed conflicting results.

CONCLUSION:
Younger age, prior tubal ligation and preexisting dysmenorrhea were found to be associated with failure of endometrial ablation. Obesity and the presence of large submucous myomas may be associated with failure, as well, though more research is necessary to estimate the influence of these factors. It is important to take the results of this review into account when counselling women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION:
PROSPERO, CRD42019126247.
Pregnancy Prolongation After Eculizumab Use in Early-Onset Preeclampsia
Authors: Lu Angela B. , Lazarus Benjamin , Rolnik Daniel L. , Palmer Kirsten R. 
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND:
Untreated microangiopathic hemolytic anemia in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Accurate diagnosis is challenging owing to nonspecific clinical features and pathologic findings. Timely initiation of appropriate management is essential to optimize maternal and perinatal outcomes.

CASE:
A 26-year-old primiparous woman presented at 20 weeks of gestation with new-onset microangiopathic hemolytic anemia on a background of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. She received eculizumab for presumed atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. At 24 weeks of gestation, she developed superimposed early-onset preeclampsia; she delivered at 27 weeks of gestation after continuing eculizumab.

CONCLUSION:
Eculizumab may prolong pregnancy in early-onset preeclampsia. Additional research is needed to assess short-term and long-term maternal and newborn outcomes.
Patient Experiences With Miscarriage Management in the Emergency and Ambulatory Settings
Authors: Miller Carolyn A. , Roe Andrea H. , McAllister Arden , Meisel Zachary F. , Koelper Nathanael , Schreiber Courtney A. 
Published: November 2019

OBJECTIVE:
To quantitatively and qualitatively describe the patient experience for clinically stable patients presenting with miscarriage to the emergency department (ED) or ambulatory clinics.

METHODS:
We present a subanalysis of a mixed-methods study from 2016 on factors that influence miscarriage treatment decision-making among clinically stable patients. Fifty-four patients were evaluated based on location of miscarriage care (ED or ambulatory-only), and novel parameters were assessed including timeline (days) from presentation to miscarriage resolution, number of health system interactions, and number of specialty-based provider care teams seen. We explored themes around patient satisfaction through in-depth narrative interviews.

RESULTS:
Median time to miscarriage resolution was 11 days (range 5–57) (ED) and 8 days (range 0–47) (ambulatory-only). We recorded a mean of 4.4±1.4 (ED) and 3.0±1.2 (ambulatory-only) separate care teams and a median of 13 (range 8–20) (ED) and 19 (range 8–22) (ambulatory-only) health system interactions. Patients seeking care in the ED were younger (28.3 vs 34.0, odds ratio [OR] 5.8, 95% CI 1.8–18.7), more likely to be of black race (28.3 vs 34.0, OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.1–10.0), uninsured or insured through Medicaid (16 vs 6, OR 6.8, 95% CI 2.1–22.5), and more likely to meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder when compared with ambulatory-only patients (10 vs 3, OR 6.0, 95% CI 1.5–23.4). Patients valued diagnostic clarity, timeliness, and individualized care. We found that ED patients reported a lack of clarity surrounding their diagnosis, inefficient care, and a mixed experience with health care provider sensitivity. In contrast, ambulatory-only patients described a streamlined and sensitive care experience.

CONCLUSION:
Patients seeking miscarriage care in the ED were more likely to be socioeconomically and psychosocially vulnerable and were less satisfied with their care compared with those seen in the ambulatory setting alone. Expedited evaluation of early pregnancy problems, with attention to clear communication and emotional sensitivity, may optimize the patient experience.
Performance of ultrasound for the visualization of the placental cord insertion
Authors: Rodriguez Diana , Eliner Yael 
Published: November 2019

Purpose of review
The purpose of this review was to review the literature on the performance of ultrasound for the visualization of the placental cord insertion (PCI) and for the diagnosis of abnormal placental cord insertion (APCI). APCI included both marginal cord insertion (MCI) and velamentous cord insertion (VCI) PCI.

Recent findings
The overall rate of visualization of the PCI across all trimesters is 90.3% and for those studies routinely using color Doppler, 98.1% (P < 0.0001). Although the visualization was lower with advancing gestational age, it remained high even into the late third trimester. In all studies, where time was reported, the PCI was visualized in most cases in less than 1 min. Ultrasound performed best for the diagnosis of VCI with a sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of 100, 99.9 and 85.7%, respectively, with routine use of color Doppler.

Summary
Ultrasound is an excellent screening test for the evaluation of PCI across all trimesters. The use of color Doppler increases the rate of visualization and should be routinely used. Ultrasound with color Doppler is also an excellent screening test for the diagnosis of VCI. However, the performance of ultrasound is reduced with the inclusion of MCI.
Phacoemulsification Combined With Endoscopic Versus Transscleral Cyclophotocoagulation in Poorly Controlled Glaucoma: A Comparative Case Series
Authors: Rodrigues Ian A.S. , Bloch Edward , Lim Wei Sing , Goyal Saurabh 
Published: November 2019

Objective:
The objective of this study was to report medium-term outcomes of a novel combination of phacoemulsification with transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (phaco-TCP) compared with combined phacoemulsification and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (phaco-ECP) in patients with uncontrolled or suboptimally controlled glaucoma and coexisting cataract.

Materials and Methods:
Retrospective case series of 80 consecutive patients with a minimum of 12 months of follow-up. In total, 46 eyes underwent phaco-ECP and 34 phaco-TCP. Success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) between 6 and 21 mm Hg with ≥20% reduction from preoperative IOP (with no increase in ocular hypotensive medications or further glaucoma surgery). Secondary outcomes were change in IOP, number of ocular hypotensive medications and safety.

Results:
The mean follow-up was 32.6 ±10.3 months. Preoperative clinical characteristics were similar in both groups. At latest follow-up, success rate was greater with phaco-TCP than phaco-ECP (67.6% and 47.8%, P=0.037). IOP was also significantly lower after phaco-TCP (14.88±5.57 mm Hg, from 22.62±6.52 mm Hg) than phaco-ECP (18.07±6.72 mm Hg, from 22.83±7.88, P=0.0273). Ocular hypotensive medications required reduced similarly after phaco-TCP (from 3.38±0.88 to 2.65±1.04 medications, P=0.0012) and phaco-ECP (from 3.07±0.929 to 2.63±1.42 medications, P=0.0108). There were no cases of hypotony or reduction in vision related to glaucoma with either surgical intervention and a similar proportion required further glaucoma surgery (phaco-ECP 15.2%, phako-TCP 5.9%, P=0.2884).

Conclusions:
Phaco-TCP appears more successful in controlling IOP than phaco-ECP with similar safety. Further investigation is warranted of this newly proposed combination which may be particularly useful where access or experience with ECP or other minimally invasive glaucoma surgery is limited.
Evaluating the efficacy of an attention modification program for patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Carleton R. Nicholas , Asmundson Gordon J.G. , Korol Stephanie L. , LeBouthillier Daniel M. , Hozempa Kadie , Katz Joel D. , Vlaeyen Johan W.S. , Crombez Geert 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Persons with chronic musculoskeletal pain may be hypervigilant for pain-related cues which, paradoxically, may be maintaining their pain. Several randomized controlled trials have assessed whether a modified dot-probe protocol (ie, attention bias modification [ABM]) reduces chronic pain- and pain-related symptoms in persons with several diagnoses, including fibromyalgia. Scalability and economic efficiency potentiates the appeal of ABM protocols; however, research results have been mixed, with only some studies evidencing significant symptom gains from ABM and some evidencing gains for the control group. The current randomized controlled trial sought to replicate and extend previous ABM research using idiosyncratic word stimuli and a 1-month follow-up. Participants included treatment-seeking adult women (n = 117) with fibromyalgia who were randomly assigned to a standard (ie, control) or active (ie, ABM) condition. The protocol was delivered online and involved twice-weekly 15-minute sessions, for 4 weeks, with questionnaires completed at baseline, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. Symptom reports were analysed with mixed hierarchical modelling. There was no evidence of differences between the control and ABM groups. Both groups had small significant (Ps < 0.05) improvements in pain experiences at posttreatment, but not at follow-up (Ps > 0.05). There were no significant changes for either group on measures of anxiety sensitivity, illness/injury sensitivity, pain-related fear, pain-related anxiety, or attentional biases (Ps > 0.05). The current findings add to the emerging and mixed literature regarding ABM for pain by demonstrating that ABM produces no substantive improvements in pain or pain-related constructs in a large sample of patients with fibromyalgia.
Gastric Mucosal Hypertrophy Masquerading as Metastasis From Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Pancreas Detected on 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT
Authors: Malik Dharmender , Elumalai Ramkumar , Verma Ritu , Belho Ethel Shangne , Seniaray Nikhil , Mahajan Harsh 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
A 57-year-old man, on octreotide treatment for metastatic neuroendocrine tumor pancreas, was referred for whole-body 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scan to evaluate treatment response. PET/CT scan revealed DOTANOC-avid lesion in the head of the pancreas with multiple tracer-avid soft tissue lesions in the liver, bilateral adrenal glands, and periportal lymph nodes. In addition, diffuse intense DOTANOC-avid mural thickening with intraluminal polypoidal mass formation was noted within the stomach causing significant luminal compromise, histopathological examination of which turned out be hypertrophic hypersecretory gastropathy. This case highlights the possibility of overexpression of somatostatin receptors in gastric hypertrophy, which has been little explored in literature.
Demonstration of 99mTc-MDP Uptake in a Mobile Urinary Bladder Calculus on SPECT/CT
Authors: Carnahan Molly B. , Hoang Peter , Eversman William G. , Yang Ming 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
We report a large mobile bladder calculus with intense 99mTc-MDP uptake demonstrated on both whole-body bone scintigraphy and SPECT/CT images in a patient with complicated chronic history of urolithiasis and urinary tract infection. Bone tracer uptake in bladder calculus is a rare phenomenon and might be related to the composition and matrix of calculus, direct exposure to excreted radiotracer, and bacterial colonization on the surface of calculus.
18F-PSMA 1007 Uptake in Brain Metastases From Breast Cancer
Authors: Marafi Fahad , Sasikumar Arun , Alfeeli Mahmoud , Fathallah Wael 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
A 64-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer on follow-up had suspicious recurrent brain metastases. She underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT, 18F-PSMA 1007 brain PET/CT, and brain MRI. 18F-PSMA 1007 showed intense tracer localization in the suspected recurrent brain metastasis in right parietal lobe and also picked up 2 more metastatic brain lesions, which had concurrent findings of metastasis in subsequent MRI. Our case highlights the feasibility of 18F-PSMA 1007 PET/CT imaging of brain metastases from nonprostate cancers. It may be used as surrogate imaging tracer for potential theranostic application using alpha or beta emitters considering its similarity to PSMA-617.