bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immediate Vitrectomy Following Inadvertent Intravitreal Injection of Depo-Medrol
Authors: Karsaliya Gopal , Dooner James W. , Wong Robert W. 
Published: June 2018

Purpose: To report a case of an iatrogenic intraocular injection of Depo-Medrol where prompt vitrectomy was performed leading to a good visual and anatomical outcome. Methods: Retrospective case report and review of the literature. Results: A 61-year-old man received an injection of Depo-Medrol for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia that was inadvertently injected into the globe of the left eye leading to sudden and severe vision loss. Prompt vitrectomy was performed within 4 hours. Electroretinogram revealed that b-wave amplitudes in scotopic and photopic conditions were decreased by 25%. Following subsequent cataract surgery, the patient’s visual acuity improved to 20/20 vision. Conclusions: The toxic effects of Depo-Medrol may be dependent on the temporal and spatial contact of the preservative with the retina where prolonged exposure may cause widespread retinal damage hindering visual rehabilitation. Immediate vitrectomy may be crucial to preserve the anatomy and function of the retina.
Individuals seeking gender reassignment: marked increase in demand for services
Authors: Fielding Josephine , Bass Christopher 
Published: June 2018

Aims and methodTo describe the pattern of referrals and characteristics of people aged over 18 seeking gender reassignment in Oxfordshire over a 6-year period (2011–2016).ResultsA total of 153 individuals attended for assessment (of 162 referred); 97 (63.4%) were natal males and 56 (36.6%) were natal females. Mean age at referral was markedly different between the two groups, with females being younger. The number of referral significantly increased over the time period, by an average of 18% per year (95% CI 1.08–1.30). Eighty-seven patients sought transition from male to female, and 46 from female to male, while a smaller group (n = 13) had non-binary presentations. Twelve patients (7.8%) had autism spectrum disorder.Clinical implicationsThere are various possible reasons for the increased demand for services for people with gender dysphoria, which we discuss here. When planning services in the UK, both the increase in overall referral rates and the apparent earlier age at referral should be taken into account.Declaration of interestNone.
Delivery of Pediatric Cancer Care in Mexico: A National Survey
Authors: Rodriguez-Romo Laura , Olaya Vargas Alberto , Gupta Sumit , Shalkow-Klincovstein Jaime , Vega-Vega Lourdes , Reyes-Lopez Alfonso , Cicero-Oneto Carlo , Mejia-Arangure Juan , Gonzalez-Ramella Oscar , Pineiro-Retif Rafael , Lopez-Facundo Aracely , de los Angeles Del Campo-Martinez Maria , Tejocote Isidoro , Brennan Kelly , Booth Christopher M. 
Published: June 2018

Purpose Limited data describe the delivery of pediatric cancer care in Mexico. We report a nationwide survey of pediatric cancer units. Methods An electronic survey was distributed to 74 pediatric cancer units in Mexico to describe case volumes; organization of care; and availability of medical/surgical specialists, supportive care, complex therapies, and diagnostic services. Centers were classified as low (< 30 new patients/year), medium (30 to 59/year) and high (≥ 60/year). Results Sixty-two centers completed the survey (response rate, 84%). The median annual new case volume per center was 50 (interquartile range [IQR], 23 to 81). Thirty-four percent (n = 21), 26% (n = 16), and 40% (n = 25) of units were low-, medium-, and high-volume centers, respectively. Treatment units reported a median of two pediatric oncologists (IQR, 2) and one pediatric hematologist (IQR, 1 to 2). Availability of medical and surgical subspecialists varied by center size, with substantially more specialist support at higher-volume centers ( P < .01). Multidisciplinary tumor boards are available at 29% (six of 21), 56% (nine of 16), and 76% (19 of 25) of low- to high-volume centers, respectively ( P = .005). Radiation and palliative care services are available at 42% (n = 26) and 63% (n = 36) of all centers, which did not vary by center volume. Educational support for hospitalized children and school reintegration programs are available at 56% (n = 36) and 58% (n = 36) of centers, respectively. One third (38% [n = 23]) of centers reported that at least one half of patients were lost to follow-up during the transition from pediatric to adult programs. Conclusion A large variation exists in annual case volumes across Mexican pediatric cancer centers. Additional efforts to increase access to multidisciplinary, supportive, and palliative care across all pediatric cancer units in Mexico are required.
Readmissions After Complex Cancer Surgery: Analysis of the Nationwide Readmissions Database
Authors: Zafar Syed Nabeel , Shah Adil A. , Nembhard Christine , Wilson Lori L. , Habermann Elizabeth B. , Raoof Mustafa , Wasif Nabil 
Published: June 2018

Purpose: Hospital readmissions after surgery are a focus of quality improvement efforts. Although some reflect appropriate care, others are potentially preventable readmissions (PPRs). We aim to describe the burden, timing, and factors associated with readmissions after complex cancer surgery. Methods: The Nationwide Readmissions Database (2013) was used to select patients undergoing a complex oncologic resection, which was defined as esophagectomy/gastrectomy, hepatectomy, pancreatectomy, colorectal resection, lung resection, or cystectomy. Readmissions within 30 days from discharge were analyzed. International Classification of Diseases (9th revision) primary diagnosis codes were reviewed to identify PPRs. Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified demographic, clinical, and hospital factors associated with readmissions. Results: Of the 59,493 eligible patients, 14% experienced a 30-day readmission, and 82% of these were deemed PPRs. Half of the readmissions occurred within the first 8 days of discharge. Infections (26%), GI complications (17%), and respiratory conditions (10%) accounted for most readmissions. Factors independently associated with an increased likelihood of readmission included Medicaid versus private insurance (odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.48), higher comorbidity score (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.33 to 1.63), discharge to a facility (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.29 to 1.51), prolonged length of stay (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.52), and occurrence of a major in-hospital complication (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.34). Conclusion: One in seven patients undergoing complex cancer surgery suffered a readmission within 30 days. We identified common causes of these and identified patients at high risk for such an event. These data can be used by physicians, administrators, and policymakers to develop strategies to decrease readmissions.
Use of sodium 4-phenylbutyrate to define therapeutic parameters for reducing intracerebral hemorrhage and myopathy in Col4a1 mutant mice
Authors: Hayashi Genki , Labelle-Dumais Cassandre , Gould Douglas B. 
Published: June 2018

ABSTRACT
Collagen type IV alpha 1 (COL4A1) and alpha 2 (COL4A2) form heterotrimers that constitute a major component of nearly all basement membranes. COL4A1 and COL4A2 mutations cause a multisystem disorder that includes variable cerebrovascular and skeletal muscle manifestations. The pathogenicity of COL4A1 and COL4A2 mutations is generally attributed to impaired secretion into basement membranes. Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (4PBA) is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that promotes mutant heterotrimer secretion in vitro and in vivo. Here, we use different 4PBA treatment paradigms to define therapeutic parameters for preventing cerebrovascular and muscular pathologies in Col4a1 mutant mice. We show the efficacy of long-term 4PBA treatment in reducing the severity of intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs) in Col4a1 mutant mice aged up to 8 months. In addition, we demonstrate that maximal efficacy of 4PBA on ICH and myopathy was achieved when treatment was initiated prenatally, whereby even transient 4PBA administration had lasting benefits after being discontinued. Importantly, postnatal treatment with 4PBA also reduced ICH and skeletal myopathy severities in Col4a1 mutant mice, which has significant clinical implications for patients with COL4A1 and COL4A2 mutations.
This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Best practice data life cycle approaches for the life sciences
Authors: Griffin Philippa C. , Khadake Jyoti , LeMay Kate S. , Lewis Suzanna E. , Orchard Sandra , Pask Andrew , Pope Bernard , Roessner Ute , Russell Keith , Seemann Torsten , Treloar Andrew , Tyagi Sonika , Christiansen Jeffrey H. , Dayalan Saravanan , Gladman Simon , Hangartner Sandra B. , Hayden Helen L. , Ho William W.H. , Keeble-Gagnère Gabriel , Korhonen Pasi K. , Neish Peter , Prestes Priscilla R. , Richardson Mark F. , Watson-Haigh Nathan S. , Wyres Kelly L. , Young Neil D. , Schneider Maria Victoria 
Published: June 2018

Throughout history, the life sciences have been revolutionised by technological advances; in our era this is manifested by advances in instrumentation for data generation, and consequently researchers now routinely handle large amounts of heterogeneous data in digital formats. The simultaneous transitions towards biology as a data science and towards a ‘life cycle’ view of research data pose new challenges. Researchers face a bewildering landscape of data management requirements, recommendations and regulations, without necessarily being able to access data management training or possessing a clear understanding of practical approaches that can assist in data management in their particular research domain. Here we provide an overview of best practice data life cycle approaches for researchers in the life sciences/bioinformatics space with a particular focus on ‘omics’ datasets and computer-based data processing and analysis. We discuss the different stages of the data life cycle and provide practical suggestions for useful tools and resources to improve data management practices.
Laboratory growth of denitrifying water column microbial consortia from deep-sea shipwrecks in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Haridas Dhanya , Biffinger Justin C. , Boyd Thomas J. , Fulmer Preston A. , Hamdan Leila J. , Fitzgerald Lisa A. 
Published: June 2018

Background: Shipwrecks serve as a rich source for novel microbial populations that have largely remained undiscovered. Low temperatures, lack of sunlight, and the availability of substrates derived from the shipwreck’s hull and cargo may provide an environment in which microbes can develop unique metabolic adaptations. Methods: To test our hypothesis that shipwrecks could influence the microbial population involved in denitrification when a consortium is grown in the laboratory, we collected samples proximate to two steel shipwrecks in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Then under laboratory conditions, we grew two independent denitrifying microbial consortia. Each consortium was grown by using the BART assay system and analyzed based on growth kinetics, ion chromatography and 16S amplicon sequencing.Results: Both denitrifying consortia were different from each other based on varied growth profiles, rates of nitrate utilization and 16S amplicon sequencing.Conclusions: Our observations conclude that the laboratory grown water column microbial consortia from deep-sea shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico are able to undergo aggressive denitrification.
Case Report: Pulmonary and Liver Sarcoidosis Suspected of Metastasis
Authors: Jafari Behnam , Sabz Gholamabas , Masnavi Elahe , Panahi Roghaye , Jokar Saeid , Roozbehi Amrollah , Hasanzadeh Sajad 
Published: June 2018

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease with unknown cause that can vary from an asymptomatic condition. Almost half of the patients with sarcoidosis have no symptoms. In this article, we describe a sarcoidosis patient with lung and liver engagement; it may be confused with metastasis. Case report: A 39-year-old man, with known as hypothyroidism who had come to the emergency ward with dyspnea and coughing after exposure to detergents in a closed environment. The patient smoked for 10 years (3 pack/year). No other findings were found in clinical examinations except for wheezing in the right lung. The patient's chest radiography was shown a mass. For further investigation, spiral CT scan was performed. Large lymph nodes on the right side of the trachea, measuring about 23 mm and a mass of 70 × 77 mm in the vicinity of the right lung hilum and a hypodense nodule in the posterior part of the liver with malignancy suspicious were reported. After several biopsy results was shown chronic granulomatous inflammation, the most important differential diagnosis is tuberculosis (TB) and sarcoidosis. Sputum smear, culture, and PCR were performed for tuberculosis. Also, the level of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) was measured for sarcoidosis. the results ruled out TB and shown a higher level of ACE (ACE = 88 IU/L).After diagnosis treatment started with prednisolone. Now, the patient is in the follow- up. Conclusion: In hilar lymphadenopathy of lung sarcoidosis is the importance differential diagnosis that should be considered.
Autonomic nervous system assessment in people with HIV: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Rosario Martin , Gonzalez-Sola Maryvi 
Published: June 2018

Background: People diagnosed with HIV may exhibit orthostatic hypotension (OH) as a result of the infection and of secondary effects of medications. Such impairments are attributed to autonomic nervous system (ANS) deficits. The purpose of this study was to assess OH during a balance sensory condition test (SCT) and evaluate the role of the cardiac autonomic system, regarding blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), during this balancing task. We hypothesized that BP and heart rate would rise with an increase in postural instability, thus revealing OH. Methods: Eight individuals diagnosed with HIV were recruited from a community health center in the area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. BP and HR were measured after 5 minutes of sitting, immediately after standing up and 1 minute after this, during the SCT. A t-test was used to assess the difference between BP in sitting, BP in standing, and BP while performing the SCT. HR was also evaluated the same way. Results: There was an increase of more than 10 mmHg in systolic BP (SBP) from sitting compared to standing while performing the SCT (p≤0.01). Likewise, HR and SBP standing versus standing during the SCT increased significantly (p≤0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the ANS may be impaired in people with HIV.
Measuring the effectiveness of maternal delivery services: A cross-sectional and qualitative study of perinatal mortality in six primary referral hospitals, Kenya
Authors: Ayah Richard , Ongore Dismas , Agwanda Alfred T.O. 
Published: June 2018

Background: The effective performance of hospitals is critical to overall health system goal achievement. Global health system performance frameworks are often used as part of global benchmarking, but not within low and middle-income countries as part of service delivery performance measurement. This study explored the utility of perinatal mortality as a measure of hospital effectiveness. Methods: A cross sectional, mixed methods study of six primary referral hospitals, differentiated by ownership, was conducted from 10th June to 9th October 2015. Monthly summary hospital data of maternal delivery services (MDS) were abstracted to determine the perinatal mortality. Tests of associations were used to correlate bed turnover, skilled staffing, method of delivery and perinatal mortality. Additionally, 40 questionnaire interviews were held with hospital board members and the management team to assess the availability of standard operating procedures (SOP) in MDS. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. Results: All six hospitals reported having SOP in managing MDS. The average perinatal mortality rate for all the hospitals was 24.63 per 1,000 live births. However, a perinatal death was 2.6 times more likely in public hospitals compared to private hospitals (29.8 vs 11.4 per 1,000 births respectively). The average caesarean section rate for all hospitals was 25.9%, but the odds of a caesarean section were 1.67 higher in a private hospital compared to a public hospital (P<0.001 95% CI: 1.58-1.77). Perinatal mortality was associated with bed turnover ratio (R squared 0.260, P=0.001), and skilled staff availability (R squared 0.064,P<0.001). Discussion: The high perinatal mortality reported in public hospitals may be due to high bed turnover and relatively low caesarean section rate. Input measures of performance such as reporting standards of care and staffing levels are not useful performance indicators. Perinatal mortality as a performance indicator may be an ideal measure of the effectiveness of hospitals.
Morphology and performance of polyvinyl chloride membrane modified with Pluronic F127
Authors: Arahman Nasrul , Fahrina Afrilia , Wahab Mukramah Yusuf , Fathanah Umi 
Published: June 2018

Background: Attempts to modify the morphology of membrane for application in industrial separation are being undertaken by many researchers. The present study discusses the morphological modification of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane by combining the hydrophilic surfactant Pluronic F127 (PF127) in a polymer solution to improve the performance of the membrane. Method: The membrane is formed using the non-solvent induced-phase separation (NIPS) method. PF127 is added to the membrane solution as a membrane modifying agent. The effects of the surfactant concentration in the dope solution on the permeability of pure water, solute rejection, hydrophilic characteristics, and membrane morphology are investigated. Results: Higher concentrations of PF127 had a significant effect on the permeability of pure water. The highest membrane permeation was 45.65 l/m2.hr.atm with the addition of 7% PF127 additive. Conclusion: PF127 is successfully proposed as a membrane pore-forming agent in this work; the blending of this additive in appropriate amounts in the polymer solution is adequate to improve the performance of the PVC membrane.
Regenerative collagen biomembrane: Interim results of a Phase I veterinary clinical trial for skin repair
Authors: Kaasi Andreas , Lima-Neto João F. , Matiello-Filho José A. , Calejo Mário H.S. , Jardini André L. , Kharmandayan Paulo 
Published: June 2018

Background: The availability of commercial tissue engineering skin repair products for veterinary use is scarce or non-existent. To assess features of novel veterinary tissue engineered medical devices, it is therefore reasonable to compare with currently available human devices. During the development and regulatory approval phases, human medical devices that may have been identified as comparable to a novel veterinary device, may serve as predicate devices and accelerate approval in the veterinary domain. The purpose of the study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of the biomembrane for use in skin repair indications. Methods: In the study as a whole (3 year total length), 15 patients (animals), dogs and cats (male/female, <8 years) with skin lesions of different etiologies considered difficult to heal (size, >2 cm), with a wound depth equivalent to 2nd/3rd degree burns are to be studied from Day 0 to Day 120-240, post-application of the biomembrane. This interim report covers the 5 patients assessed to date and deemed eligible, of which 3 enrolled, and 2 have completed the treatment. Wound beds were prepared and acellular collagen biomembranes (Eva Scientific Ltd, São Paulo, Brazil) applied directly onto the wounds, and sutured at the margins to the patient's adjacent tissue. Wound size over time, healing rate, general skin quality and suppleness were assessed as outcomes. Qualitative (appearance and palpation) and quantitative (based on Image Analysis of photographs) wound assessment techniques were used. Results: Both patients’ wounds healed fully, with no adverse effects, and the healing rate was comparable in both, maxing out at approximately 1 cm2/day. Conclusions: Early results on the biomembrane's safety and efficacy indicate suitability for skin repair usage in veterinary patients.
Looking for effects of qualia on event-related brain potentials of close others in search for a cause of the similarity of qualia assumed across individuals
Authors: Bouten Sheila , Pantecouteau Hugo , Debruille J. Bruno 
Published: June 2018

Qualia, the individual instances of subjective conscious experience, are private events. However, in everyday life, we assume qualia of others and their perceptual worlds, to be similar to ours. One way this similarity is possible is if qualia of others somehow contribute to the production of qualia by our own brain and vice versa. To test this hypothesis, we focused on the mean voltages of event-related potentials (ERPs) in the time-window of the P600 component, whose amplitude correlates positively with conscious awareness. These ERPs were elicited by images of the international affective picture system in 16 pairs of friends, siblings or couples going side by side through hyperscanning without having to interact. Each of the 32 members of these 16 pairs faced one half of the screen and could not see what the other member was presented with on the other half. One stimulus occurred on each half simultaneously. The sameness of these stimulus pairs was manipulated as well as the participants’ belief in that sameness by telling subjects’ pairs that they were going to be presented with the same stimuli in two blocks and with different ones in the two others. ERPs were more positive at all electrode subsets for stimulus pairs that were inconsistent with the belief than for those that were consistent. In the N400 time window, at frontal electrode sites, ERPs were again more positive for inconsistent than for consistent stimuli. As participants had no way to see the stimulus their partner was presented with and thus no way to detect inconsistence, these data might reveal an impact of the qualia of a person on the brain activity of another. Such impact could provide a research avenue when trying to explain the similarity of qualia across individuals.
Laboratory data as a quality indicator of health-care-associated infections in England
Authors: Jeyaratnam Dakshika , Planche Timothy 
Published: June 2018

Routine diagnostic laboratory results, e.g. numbers of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias, have been used as health-care-associated infection quality indicators for decades. The English health-care-associated infection quality indicator system was one of the earliest in the world to mandate the collection and public reporting of such data and has been associated with a reduction of MRSA bacteraemias and Clostridium difficile infections but has shown mixed results for other infections. Diagnostic laboratory data vary greatly between hospitals depending not only on the underlying frequency of the infection of interest, but on the case mix, numbers of samples processed and laboratory factors, which limits benchmarking. Further, over-reliance on laboratory reports has led to unintended negative consequences in England. So, while acknowledging the successes of the English system, the authors believe that it should be appraised in light of the goals of quality of care, patient safety, fairness and providing meaningful data, and alternative healthcare-associated infection quality indicator measurements considered.