bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-term visual and anatomic outcomes of patients with peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome
Authors: Xu David , Garg Elisha , Lee Kook , Sakurada Yoichi , Amphornphruet Atchara , Phasukkijwatana Nopasak , Liakopoulos Sandra , Pautler Scott Eugene , Kreiger Allan E , Yzer Suzanne , Lee Won Ki , Sadda SriniVas , Freund K Bailey , Sarraf David 
Published: December 2020

Background/AimsTo analyse the long-term anatomic and visual outcomes of patients with peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome (PPS), a recently described entity in the pachychoroid disease spectrum.MethodsThis study retrospectively included patients from several retina centres worldwide. Visual acuity (VA), retinal thickness and choroidal thickness at baseline, 6 months and final follow-up were assessed. Temporal trends in VA and anatomic characteristics were evaluated. Visual and anatomic outcomes in eyes that were observed versus those that were treated were analysed.ResultsFifty-six eyes of 35 patients were included with mean follow-up of 27±17 months. Median VA was 20/36 at baseline and remained stable through follow-up (p=0.77). Retinal thickness significantly decreased subfoveally (p=0.012), 1.5 mm nasal to the fovea (p=0.002) and 3.0 mm nasal to the fovea (p=0.0035) corresponding to areas of increased thickening at baseline. Choroidal thickness significantly decreased subfoveally (p=0.0030) and 1.5 mm nasal to the fovea (p=0.0030). Forty-three eyes were treated with modalities including antivascular endothelial growth factor injection, photodynamic therapy, and others. VA remained stable in treated eyes over follow-up (p=0.67). An isolated peripapillary fluid pocket in the outer nuclear layer was characteristic of PPS.ConclusionPatients with PPS experienced decreased retinal oedema and decreased choroidal thickening throughout the course of disease. While some patients experienced visual decline, the overall visual outcome was relatively favourable and independent of trends in retinal or choroidal thickening.
Microvascular abnormalities and long-term efficacy after stereotactic radiotherapy under continued intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment for neovascular AMD
Authors: Hatz Katja , Zimmermann Frank , Lazaridis Emmanouil , Kardamakis Dimitrios , Guichard Magdalena , Türksever Cengiz , Pruente Christian , Schmidt-Erfurth Ursula Margarethe , Gerendas Bianca S 
Published: December 2020

BackgroundFor treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), multiple intravitreal injections of drugs targeting vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) result in a high burden for patients and healthcare systems. Low-energy stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) might reduce the anti-VEGF need. This study evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of adjunct SRT to anti-VEGF injections in a treat-and-extend regimen in nAMD.Methods50 consecutive patients were followed 3 years after single-session SRT, a safety analysis including standardised study imaging, and a reading centre based image analysis was performed after 2 years.ResultsAfter increase from baseline (4.24±0.66 weeks) to 12 months (7.52±3.05 weeks, p<0.001), mean recurrence-free anti-VEGF treatment interval remained stable at 24 (7.40±3.17, p=0.746) and 36 months (6.89±3.00, p=0.175). Mean visual acuity change was −5.8±15.9 and −11.0±20.1 letters at 24 and 36 months, respectively. 36% of eyes showed microvascular abnormalities (MVAs) on colour fundus photography and/or fluoresceine angiography most frequently located in parafoveal inferior and nasal regions.ConclusionIn real life, low-energy SRT was associated with a reduced anti-VEGF injection frequency through year 3. However, due to an observed visual acuity reduction and remarkable number of MVAs, a close follow-up of these patients is recommended. The real-life use, optimal treatment schedule and dose should be rediscussed critically.
Swept-source OCTA quantification of capillary closure predicts ETDRS severity staging of NPDR
Authors: Santos Torcato , Warren Lewis H , Santos Ana Rita , Marques Inês Pereira , Kubach Sophie , Mendes Luís G , Sisternes Luis de , Madeira Maria H , Durbin Mary , Cunha-Vaz Jose G 
Published: December 2020

PurposeTo test whether a single or composite set of parameters evaluated with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), representing retinal capillary closure, can predict non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) staging according to the gold standard ETDRS grading scheme.Methods105 patients with diabetes, either without retinopathy or with different degrees of retinopathy (NPDR up to ETDRS grade 53), were prospectively evaluated using swept-source OCTA (SS-OCTA, PlexElite, Carl Zeiss Meditec) with 15×9 mm and 3×3 mm angiography protocols. Seven-field photographs of the fundus were obtained for ETDRS staging. Eyes from age-matched healthy subjects were also imaged as control.ResultsIn eyes of patients with type 2 diabetes without retinopathy or ETDRS levels 20 and 35, retinal capillary closure was in the macular area, with predominant alterations in the parafoveal retinal circulation (inner ring). Retinal capillary closure in ETDRS stages 43–53 becomes predominant in the retinal midperiphery with vessel density average values of 25.2±7.9 (p=0.001) in ETDRS 43 and 23.5±3.4 (p=0.001) in ETDRS 47–53, when evaluating extended areas of 15×9 protocol. Combination of acquisition protocols 3×3 mm and 15×9 mm, using SS-OCTA, allows discrimination between eyes with mild NPDR (ETDRS 10, 20, 35) and eyes with moderate-to-severe NPDR (ETDRS grades 43–53).ConclusionsRetinal capillary closure, quantified by SS-OCTA, can identify NPDR severity progression. It is located mainly in the perifoveal retinal capillary circulation in the initial stages of NPDR, whereas the retinal midperiphery is predominantly affected in moderate-to-severe NPDR.
Detection of neovascularisation in the vitreoretinal interface slab using widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography in diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Lu Edward S , Cui Ying , Le Rongrong , Zhu Ying , Wang Jay C , Laíns Inês , Katz Raviv , Lu Yifan , Zeng Rebecca , Garg Itika , Wu David M , Eliott Dean , Vavvas Demetrios G , Husain Deeba , Miller Joan W , Kim Leo A , Miller John B 
Published: December 2020

AimsTo compare the efficacy of diabetic retinal neovascularisation (NV) detection using the widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (WF SS-OCTA) vitreoretinal interface (VRI) Angio slab and SS-OCT VRI Structure slab.MethodsA prospective, observational study was performed at Massachusetts Eye and Ear from January 2019 to June 2020. Patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and patients with diabetes but without diabetic retinopathy were included. All patients were imaged with WF SS-OCTA using the 12×12 mm Angio scan protocol centred on the fovea and optic disc. The en-face SS-OCTA VRI Angio slab and SS-OCT VRI Structure slab were evaluated for the presence or absence of NV. SS-OCTA B-scan was used to classify NV according to cross-sectional morphology (forward, tabletop or flat). All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS V.26.0.ResultsOne hundred and forty-two eyes of 89 participants were included in the study. VRI Angio detected NV at higher rates compared with VRI Structure (p<0.05). Combining VRI Angio and Structure improved detection rates compared with VRI Angio alone (p<0.05). Due to segmentation errors of the internal limiting membrane, NV with flat morphological classification had lower rates of detection on VRI Angio compared with NV with forward and tabletop morphology (p<0.05).ConclusionsWF SS-OCTA 12×12 mm VRI Angio and SS-OCT VRI Structure imaging centred on the fovea and optic disc detected NV with high sensitivity and low false positives. The VRI slab may be useful to diagnose and monitor PDR in clinical practice.
Treating low back pain in athletes: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Thornton Jane S , Caneiro J P , Hartvigsen Jan , Ardern Clare L , Vinther Anders , Wilkie Kellie , Trease Larissa , Ackerman Kathryn E , Dane Kathryn , McDonnell Sarah-Jane , Mockler David , Gissane Conor , Wilson Fiona 
Published: December 2020

Objective
To summarise the evidence for non-pharmacological management of low back pain (LBP) in athletes, a common problem in sport that can negatively impact performance and contribute to early retirement.

Data sources
Five databases (EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus) were searched from inception to September 2020. The main outcomes of interest were pain, disability and return to sport (RTS).

Results
Among 1629 references, 14 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving 541 athletes were included. The trials had biases across multiple domains including performance, attrition and reporting. Treatments included exercise, biomechanical modifications and manual therapy. There were no trials evaluating the efficacy of surgery or injections. Exercise was the most frequently investigated treatment; no RTS data were reported for any exercise intervention. There was a reduction in pain and disability reported after all treatments.

Conclusions
While several treatments for LBP in athletes improved pain and function, it was unclear what the most effective treatments were, and for whom. Exercise approaches generally reduced pain and improved function in athletes with LBP, but the effect on RTS is unknown. No conclusions regarding the value of manual therapy (massage, spinal manipulation) or biomechanical modifications alone could be drawn because of insufficient evidence. High-quality RCTs are urgently needed to determine the effect of commonly used interventions in treating LBP in athletes.
Lessons in applying adaptive management on a dynamic coastline: a case study at the inlet to Pagham Harbour, UK
Authors: Scott C. R. , Harris E. , Townend I. H. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Many of the world’s coastlines are vulnerable to erosion and at risk from tidal flooding. Addressing and managing these risks presents major challenges especially when seeking to sustainably balance the requirements for coastal protection with other economic, environmental, and societal objectives. The nature and scale of these challenges varies greatly from site to site and can often be magnified on dynamic shorelines that are subject to a high degree of physical and ecological change. Applying an ongoing process of adaptive management is widely agreed to be a key mechanism for dealing with such dynamic conditions and issues of uncertainty. However, under this process it can be difficult for different stakeholders to reach a consensus about the most suitable intervention actions. In part, this can arise because there is an incomplete understanding about past, present, and, especially, future environmental processes. It can also occur due to differences in the perceptions and priorities of the relevant stakeholders. This paper reviews some of these complexities using, as a case study, recent developments of a shingle spit and tidal inlet at Pagham Harbour, on the south coast of the UK. This example provides lessons in the application of adaptive management and working with nature concepts in a particularly complex coastal setting. This paper considers these lessons in the context of the site’s history, the legal and policy framework, and established understanding about the natural environment.
Quantification of Curcuminoids in Turmeric Using Visible Reflectance Spectra and a Decision-Tree Based Chemometric Approach
Authors: Suresh Hasika , Behera Amruta Ranjan , Selvaraja Shankar Kumar , Pratap Rudra 
Published: December 2020

For quantification of curcumin content in turmeric, a low-cost multivariate-analysis-based sensing system is desired. It can be realized by exploiting the spectra in the visible region, which enables the use of off-the-shelf, relatively inexpensive light sources and detectors. To address this, we propose a novel decision-tree method for improved prediction accuracy. Two sets of models with PLSR algorithm are developed with the measured reflectance spectra from 66 turmeric samples in the range of 360–750 nm, and their respective curcuminoids content are quantified by HPLC. A suite of a coarse-model for initial prediction of turmeric samples in the broad range of 1%–4%, and five finer-models for subsequent prediction (in the ranges 1%–2%, 2%–3%, 3%–4%, 1.5%–2.5%, and 2.5%–3.5%) constitute the proposed decision-tree approach. The method’s efficacy is substantiated from an improved coefficient of determination (R
2) for the finer models (0.90–0.96) as compared to the coarse-model’s 0.92. This is further corroborated with lower RMSECV of 0.06–0.13 and an RMSEP of 0.15–0.25 for finer models, as compared to 0.219 and 0.45 for the coarse model, respectively. Testing reveals that the method results in 46% reduction in prediction error. Realization of a robust prediction approach in the visible range sets the stage for the development of cost-effective field-deployable devices for on-site measurement of curcumin.
“A Barbarian by Birth, Yet a Hellene in Everything Else”
Authors: Vedeshkin Mikhail A. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The Christianisation of the Roman Empire in the 4th-5th centuries led to a blurring of the traditional ethnocultural dichotomy (Barbarians – Romans), and to the emergence of a new type of social division on the basis of religion: pagan – Christian. The present article is devoted to the analysis of the image of a “pious” (pagan) barbarian, formed in Late Antique pagan historiography. The conclusion is made that pagans saw their barbarian coreligionists as the defenders of their faith against the anti-pagan state policy. Comparing pagan barbarians to their fellow Christian tribesmen, they tried to prove that only pagans can be true allies of Rome. Finally, the military successes of the pagan warlords served as evidence of the active participation of the gods in the affairs of their followers and acted as an argument for the preservation of the traditional forms of worship.
The Christian Lark: Spenser’s Faerie Queene I. x.51 and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29
Authors: Walls Kathryn 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The likening of the lark to the Christian worshipper as in Herbert’s “Easter Wings” was anticipated by both Spenser and Shakespeare in references that have been overlooked to date. These stand in a tradition most richly represented by the early fourteenth- century French allegorist Guillaume de Deguileville, in his Pèlerinage de l’Ame, in which the pilgrim soul, guided towards the gate of Heaven by his guardian angel, finds himself surrounded by larks whose cruciform shapes in flying match their singing of the name “Jhesu.” Having fallen for the second time when fighting the dragon, Spenser’s Red Cross Knight rises on the third morning to find himself victorious. In his rising he is compared with the lark at dawn. The Edenic setting (which underlines the theme of the redemption of “fallen” man by the risen Christ) is also illuminated by Deguileville’s Ame; Spenser’s two trees are reminiscent of the “green and the dry” in the French allegory, according to which Christ appears as the apple pinned to the dry tree in reparation for the apple stolen by Adam. When one examines Shakespeare’s reference to the lark in Sonnet 29 in the light of the tradition represented by Deguileville (whose work not only Spenser but also Shakespeare might have read in English translation) the question arises as to whether the beloved addressed in line 10 (“thee”) could be Christ, and the speaker a Christian worshipper moving from self reproach to Christian gratitude. Such an interpretation is challenged by the standard assumption that the sonnets reflect a narrative produced by a love triangle. But from Petrarch’s Canzoniere on, sequences of love sonnets had contained poems of religious adoration.
The Power of Philanthropy
Authors: Goldstein-Sabbah S.R. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
This article explores aspects of Middle Eastern and North African (mena) Jewry in the first half of the twentieth century through their engagement with philanthropy. Specifically, this article demonstrates how many urban Jewish communities in mena adopted and adapted Western European philanthropic structures to fit the needs of their local communities by engaging with multiple public spheres (Jewish, Arab, imperial) that were, at times, in conflict with each other. By highlighting the transnational nature of mena Jewry in the twentieth century, this article demonstrates the importance of philanthropic networks as an articulation of power and social status. Finally, this piece suggests that local Jewish philanthropic initiatives can act as a prism by which we understand power structures within transnational religious networks.
Natural history of monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis among relatives in CLL families
Authors: Slager Susan L. , Lanasa Mark C. , Marti Gerald E. , Achenbach Sara J. , Camp Nicola J. , Abbasi Fatima , Kay Neil E. , Vachon Celine M. , Cerhan James R. , Johnston James B. , Call Timothy G. , Rabe Kari G. , Kleinstern Geffen , Boddicker Nicholas J. , Norman Aaron D. , Parikh Sameer A. , Leis Jose F. , Banerji Versha , Brander Danielle M. , Glenn Martha , Ferrajoli Alessandra , Curtin Karen , Braggio Esteban , Shanafelt Tait D. , McMaster Mary L. , Weinberg J. Brice , Hanson Curtis A. , Caporaso Neil E. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) has one of the highest familial risks among cancers. Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL), the precursor to CLL, has a higher prevalence (13%-18%) in families with 2 or more members with CLL compared with the general population (5%-12%). Although, the rate of progression to CLL for high-count MBLs (clonal B-cell count ≥500/µL) is ∼1% to 5%/y, no low-count MBLs have been reported to progress to date. We report the incidence and natural history of MBL in relatives from CLL families. In 310 CLL families, we screened 1045 relatives for MBL using highly sensitive flow cytometry and prospectively followed 449 of them. MBL incidence was directly age- and sex-adjusted to the 2010 US population. CLL cumulative incidence was estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. At baseline, the prevalence of MBL was 22% (235/1045 relatives). After a median follow-up of 8.1 years among 449 relatives, 12 individuals progressed to CLL with a 5-year cumulative incidence of 1.8%. When considering just the 139 relatives with low-count MBL, the 5-year cumulative incidence increased to 5.7%. Finally, 264 had no MBL at baseline, of whom 60 individuals subsequently developed MBL (2 high-count and 58 low-count MBLs) with an age- and sex-adjusted incidence of 3.5% after a median of 6 years of follow-up. In a screening cohort of relatives from CLL families, we reported progression from normal-count to low-count MBL to high-count MBL to CLL, demonstrating that low-count MBL precedes progression to CLL. We estimated a 1.1% annual rate of progression from low-count MBL, which is in excess of that in the general population.
Spontaneous muscle hematoma in older patients with COVID-19: two case reports and literature review
Authors: Rogani Sara , Calsolaro Valeria , Franchi Riccardo , Calabrese Alessia Maria , Okoye Chukwuma , Monzani Fabio 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background
In late December 2019, a cluster of pneumonia cases due to a novel betacoronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 was reported in China. The so-called COVID 19 is responsible not only for respiratory symptoms, from mild up to pneumonia and even acute respiratory distress syndrome, but also for extrapulmonary involvement.

Cases presentation
Here we present two cases of spontaneous muscle hematoma in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, both on therapeutic LMWH for atrial fibrillation: the first one was an 86-year-old Caucasian female with a history of hypertensive cardiomyopathy and the second one was an 81-year-old Caucasian male with a history of hypertension, diabetes and ischemic heart disease. Blood tests revealed a considerable drop of hemoglobin and alterations of coagulation system. In both cases, embolization of femoral artery was performed. A few other cases of bleeding manifestations are reported in literature, while a lot has been published about the hypercoagulability related to COVID-19.

Conclusions
Our reports and literature review highlight the need of active surveillance for possible hemorrhagic complications in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Pre-operative beta-blocker therapy does not affect short-term mortality after esophageal resection for cancer
Authors: Reda Souheil , Ahl Rebecka , Szabo Eva , Stenberg Erik , Forssten Maximilian Peter , Sjolin Gabriel , Cao Yang , Mohseni Shahin 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background
It has been postulated that the hyperadrenergic state caused by surgical trauma is associated with worse outcomes and that β-blockade may improve overall outcome by downregulation of adrenergic activity. Esophageal resection is a surgical procedure with substantial risk for postoperative mortality. There is insufficient data to extrapolate the existing association between preoperative β-blockade and postoperative mortality to esophageal cancer surgery. This study assessed whether preoperative β-blocker therapy affects short-term postoperative mortality for patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery.

Methods
All patients with an esophageal cancer diagnosis that underwent surgical resection with curative intent from 2007 to 2017 were retrospectively identified from the Swedish National Register for Esophagus and Gastric Cancers (NREV). Patients were subdivided into β-blocker exposed and unexposed groups. Propensity score matching was carried out in a 1:1 ratio. The outcome of interest was 90-day postoperative mortality.

Results
A total of 1466 patients met inclusion criteria, of whom 35% (n = 513) were on regular preoperative β-blocker therapy. Patients on β-blockers were significantly older, more comorbid and less fit for surgery based on their ASA score. After propensity score matching, 513 matched pairs were available for analysis. No difference in 90-day mortality was detected between β-blocker exposed and unexposed patients (6.0% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.798).

Conclusion
Preoperative β-blocker therapy is not associated with better short-term survival in patients subjected to curative esophageal tumor resection.
Maximizing PHB content in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: a new metabolic engineering strategy based on the regulator PirC
Authors: Koch Moritz , Bruckmoser Jonas , Scholl Jörg , Hauf Waldemar , Rieger Bernhard , Forchhammer Karl 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background
PHB (poly-hydroxy-butyrate) represents a promising bioplastic alternative with good biodegradation properties. Furthermore, PHB can be produced in a completely carbon–neutral fashion in the natural producer cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. This strain has been used as model system in past attempts to boost the intracellular production of PHB above ~ 15% per cell-dry-weight (CDW).

Results
We have created a new strain that lacks the regulatory protein PirC (product of sll0944), which exhibits a higher activity of the phosphoglycerate mutase resulting in increased PHB pools under nutrient limiting conditions. To further improve the intracellular PHB content, two genes involved in PHB metabolism, phaA and phaB, from the known producer strain Cupriavidus necator, were introduced under the control of the strong promotor PpsbA2. The resulting strain, termed PPT1 (ΔpirC-REphaAB), produced high amounts of PHB under continuous light as well under a day-night regime. When grown in nitrogen and phosphorus depleted medium, the cells produced up to 63% per CDW. Upon the addition of acetate, the content was further increased to 81% per CDW. The produced polymer consists of pure PHB, which is highly isotactic.

Conclusion
The amounts of PHB achieved with PPT1 are the highest ever reported in any known cyanobacterium and demonstrate the potential of cyanobacteria for a sustainable, industrial production of PHB.