bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of C2 pedicle screw placement via the freehand technique by neurosurgical trainees
Authors: Pham Martin H. , Bakhsheshian Joshua , Reid Patrick C. , Buchanan Ian A. , Fredrickson Vance L. , Liu John C. 
Published: June 2018

OBJECTIVEFreehand placement of C2 instrumentation is technically challenging and has a learning curve due the unique anatomy of the region. This study evaluated the accuracy of C2 pedicle screws placed via the freehand technique by neurosurgical resident trainees.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed all patients treated at the LAC+USC Medical Center undergoing C2 pedicle screw placement in which the freehand technique was used over a 1-year period, from June 2016 to June 2017; all procedures were performed by neurosurgical residents. Measurements of C2 were obtained from preoperative CT scans, and breach rates were determined from coronal reconstructions on postoperative scans. Severity of breaches reflected the percentage of screw diameter beyond the cortical edge (I = < 25%; II = 26%–50%; III = 51%–75%; IV = 76%–100%).RESULTSNeurosurgical residents placed 40 C2 pedicle screws in 24 consecutively treated patients. All screws were placed by or under the guidance of Pham, who is a postgraduate year 7 (PGY-7) neurosurgical resident with attending staff privileges, with a PGY-2 to PGY-4 resident assistant. The authors found an average axial pedicle diameter of 5.8 mm, axial angle of 43.1°, sagittal angle of 23.0°, spinal canal diameter of 25.1 mm, and axial transverse foramen diameter of 5.9 mm. There were 17 screws placed by PGY-2 residents, 7 screws placed by PGY-4 residents, and 16 screws placed by the PGY-7 resident. The average screw length was 26.0 mm, with a screw diameter of 3.5 mm or 4.0 mm. There were 7 total breaches (17.5%), of which 4 were superior (10.0%) and 3 were lateral (7.5%). There were no medial breaches. The breaches were classified as grade I in 3 cases (42.9%), II in 3 cases (42.9%), III in 1 case (14.3%), and IV in no cases. There were 3 breaches that occurred via placement by a PGY-2 resident, 3 breaches by a PGY-4 resident, and 1 breach by the PGY-7 resident. There were no clinical sequelae due to these breaches.CONCLUSIONSFreehand placement of C2 pedicle screws can be done safely by neurosurgical residents in early training. When breaches occurred, they tended to be superior in location and related to screw length choice, and no breaches were found to be clinically significant. Controlled exposure to this unique anatomy is especially pertinent in the era of work-hour restrictions.
Lipschitz stability for a piecewise linear Schrödinger potential from local Cauchy data
Authors: Alessandrini Giovanni , de Hoop Maarten V. , Gaburro Romina , Sincich Eva 
Published: June 2018

We consider the inverse boundary value problem of determining the potential q in the equation [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text], from local Cauchy data. A result of global Lipschitz stability is obtained in dimension [Formula: see text] for potentials that are piecewise linear on a given partition of Ω. No sign, nor spectrum condition on q is assumed, hence our treatment encompasses the reduced wave equation [Formula: see text] at fixed frequency k.
Beyond the muscular involvement in non-dystrophic myotonias: The emerging role of neuromodulation
Authors: Portaro Simona , Naro Antonino , Bramanti Alessia , Leo Antonino , Manuli Alfredo , Balletta Tina , Trinchera Antonia , Bramanti Placido , Calabrò Rocco Salvatore 
Published: June 2018

Background: The central nervous system involvement, in terms of a maladaptive sensory-motor plasticity, is well known in patients with dystrophic myotonias (DMs). To date, there are no data suggesting a central nervous system involvement in non-dystrophic myotonias (NDMs). Objective: To investigate sensory-motor plasticity in patients with Myotonia Congenita (MC) and Paramyotonia Congenita (PMC) with or without mexiletine. Methods: Twelve patients with a clinical, genetic, and electromyographic evidence of MC, fifteen with PMC, and 25 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. TMS on both primary motor cortices (M1) and a rapid paired associative stimulation (rPAS) paradigm were carried out to assess M1 excitability and sensory-motor plasticity. Results: patients showed a higher cortical excitability and a deterioration of the topographic specificity of rPAS aftereffects, as compared to HCs. There was no correlation among neurophysiological and clinical-demographic characteristics. Noteworthy, the patients who were under mexiletine showed a minor impairment of the topographic specificity of rPAS aftereffects as compared to those who did not take the drug. Conclusion: our findings could suggest the deterioration of cortical sensory-motor plasticity in patients with NDMs as a trait of the disease.
Effect of insulin–coated trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles on IGF-1, IGF-2, and apoptosis in the hippocampus of diabetic male rats
Authors: Kalantarian Giti , Ziamajidi Nasrin , Mahjub Reza , Goodarzi Mohammad Taghi , Saidijam Massoud , Soleimani Asl Sara , Abbasalipourkabir Roghayeh 
Published: June 2018

Background: Subcutaneous injection of insulin can lead to problems such as hypoglycemia and edema. Objective: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of oral insulin-coated trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles on control of glycemic status, IGF-1 and IGF-2 levels, and apoptosis in the hippocampus of rats with diabetes mellitus. Methods: Insulin-coated trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by the polyelectrolyte complex method (PEC) method. Insulin loading content, loading efficiency, quantity and quality of particle size were evaluated. In vivo study was performed in different treatment groups of male Wistar rats with diabetes mellitus by insulin-coated trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles or subcutaneous injection of trade insulin. The duration of diabetes was eight weeks and the treatment was started after that time and continued for another two weeks. Body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBS), hippocampal apoptosis, and immunohistochemical (IHC) protein levels of IGF-1 and IGF-2 were assessed at the end of the experiments. Results: The size and polydispersity indexes were 533 nanometers and 0.533, respectively. Insulin coated trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles showed high loading efficiency (97.67% ) and loading content (48.83% ). The spherical shape of nanoparticle was confirmed by transmission electron microscopic (TEM). The amine, amide, ether and aliphatic groups were evaluated using FT-IR spectrophotometer which represented the correctness of the insulin coated trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles. Although the apoptotic index was not changed either by insulin-coated nano-particles or commercial insulin, in vivo results showed the efficacy of insulin-coated nanoparticles as well as commercial insulin in compensated weight loss, FBS and protein levels of IGF-1 and IGF-2. Conclusions: The present study showed the efficacy of insulin coated nanoparticle in oral route manner that can be tested in Phase I– III clinical trials. However, a behavioral study could reveal the efficacy of insulin-loaded nanoparticles in the improvement of cognitive changes through the modulation of IGF-1 and IGF-2 levels in the hippocampus.
Phenelzine, a small organic compound mimicking the functions of cell adhesion molecule L1, promotes functional recovery after mouse spinal cord injury
Authors: Li Rong , Sahu Sudhanshu , Schachner Melitta 
Published: June 2018

Background: Neural cell adhesion molecule L1 contributes to nervous system development and maintenance by promoting neuronal survival, neuritogenesis, axonal regrowth/sprouting, myelination, and synapse formation and plasticity. L1 also enhances recovery after spinal cord injury and ameliorates neurodegenerative processes in experimental rodent models. Aiming for clinical translation of L1 into therapy we screened for and functionally characterized in vitro the small organic molecule phenelzine, which mimics characteristic L1 functions. Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the potential of this compound in vivo in a mouse model of spinal cord injury. Methods and Results: In mice, intraperitoneal injection of phenelzine immediately after severe thoracic compression, and thereafter once daily for 6 weeks, improved hind limb function, reduced astrogliosis and promoted axonal regrowth/sprouting at 4 and 5 weeks after spinal cord injury compared to vehicle control-treated mice. Phenelzine application upregulated L1 expression in the spinal cord and stimulated the cognate L1-mediated intracellular signaling cascades in the spinal cord tissue. Phenelzine-treated mice showed decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in the injured spinal cord during the acute phase of inflammation. Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the role of phenelzine in L1-mediated neural functions and modulation of inflammation. The combined results raise hopes that phenelzine may develop into a therapeutic agent for nervous system injuries.
A feasibility study of combined intermittent theta burst stimulation and modified constraint-induced aphasia therapy in chronic post-stroke aphasia
Authors: Szaflarski Jerzy P. , Griffis Joseph , Vannest Jennifer , Allendorfer Jane B. , Nenert Rodolphe , Amara Amy W. , Sung Victor , Walker Harrison C. , Martin Amber N. , Mark Victor W. , Zhou Xiaohua 
Published: June 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this feasibility study was to assess whether combined intermittent theta burst suppression (iTBS) applied to the ipsilesional hemisphere and modified constraint-induced aphasia therapy (mCIAT) are safe and logistically feasible within the time interval associated with iTBS induced long-term potentiation in patients with post-stroke aphasia. We also wanted to determine whether combining priming with iTBS and CIAT improves language functions after treatment. Methods: Twelve participants received fMRI (semantic decision/tone decision task) and neuropsychological testing of language skills at three time points – before starting the iTBS/mCIAT intervention (T1), immediately after completing 2-week long course of intervention (T2), and at 3-months follow-up (T3). ITBS was applied to the individually determined fMRI language “hot spot” located in the left fronto-temporal regions. Results: There were no serious adverse events, and all mCIAT group therapy sessions (3–4 subjects each) were initiated within 30 minutes of the first group subject receiving iTBS. Neuropsychological assessments of language showed a significant effect of session on Western Aphasia Battery aphasia quotient (WAB-AQ; p = 0.04) and spontaneously correct responses on Boston Naming Test (BNT; p = 0.002), with improvement noted at T2 ( p = 0.002) and T3 ( p = 0.05) versus T1. FMRI showed significant changes between all timepoints. Post-hoc correlations showed associations between improvements in WAB-AQ from T2 to T3 and decreased BOLD signal in left inferior parietal lobe, and improvements in BNT from T1 to T3 with decreased signal in right inferior frontal gyrus. Conclusion: This study shows feasibility and safety for combining behavioral and neurostimulation interventions for chronic post-stroke aphasia. Observed changes in linguistic measures were relatively small. However, they were statistically significant and associated with parallel changes observed in the neuroimaging. Our findings support further development and testing of the combined mCIAT and iTBS protocol and comparisons to either CIAT/mCIAT or iTBS applied alone for the treatment of post-stroke aphasia.
Assessment of systemic administration of PEGylated IGF-1 in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury
Authors: Sama Diana M. , Carlson Shaun W. , Joseph Binoy , Saenger Stefanie , Metzger Friedrich , Saatman Kathryn E. 
Published: June 2018

Background: Traumatic brain injury can result in lasting cognitive dysfunction due to degeneration of mature hippocampal neurons as well as the loss of immature neurons within the dentate gyrus. While endogenous neurogenesis affords a partial recovery of the immature neuron population, hippocampal neurogenesis may be enhanced through therapeutic intervention. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has the potential to improve cognitive function and promote neurogenesis after TBI, but its short half-life in the systemic circulation makes it difficult to maintain a therapeutic concentration. IGF-1 modified with a polyethylene glycol moiety (PEG-IGF-1) exhibits improved stability and half-life while retaining its ability to enter the brain from the periphery, increasing its viability as a translational approach. Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of systemic PEG-IGF-1 administration to attenuate acute neuronal loss and stimulate the recovery of hippocampal immature neurons in brain-injured mice. Methods: In a series of studies utilizing a well-established contusion brain injury model, PEG-IGF-1 was administered subcutaneously after injury. Serum levels of PEG were verified using ELISA and histological staining was used to investigate numbers of degenerating neurons and cortical contusion size at 24 h after injury. Immunofluorescent staining was used to evaluate numbers of immature neurons at 10 d after injury. Results: Although subcutaneous injections of PEG-IGF-1 increased serum IGF-1 levels in a dose-dependent manner, no effects were observed on cortical contusion size, neurodegeneration within the dentate gyrus, or recovery of hippocampal immature neuron numbers. Conclusions: In contrast to its efficacy in rodent models of neurodegenerative diseases, PEG- IGF-1 was not effective in ameliorating early neuronal loss after contusion brain trauma.
Machine Learning Techniques for Stellar Light Curve Classification
Authors: Hinners Trisha A. , Tat Kevin , Thorp Rachel 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWe apply machine learning techniques in an attempt to predict and classify stellar properties from noisy and sparse time-series data. We preprocessed over 94 GB ofKeplerlight curves from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) to classify according to 10 distinct physical properties using both representation learning and feature engineering approaches. Studies using machine learning in the field have been primarily done on simulated data, making our study one of the first to use real light-curve data for machine learning approaches. We tuned our data using previous work with simulated data as a template and achieved mixed results between the two approaches. Representation learning using a long short-term memory recurrent neural network produced no successful predictions, but our work with feature engineering was successful for both classification and regression. In particular, we were able to achieve values for stellar density, stellar radius, and effective temperature with low error (∼2%–4%) and good accuracy (∼75%) for classifying the number of transits for a given star. The results show promise for improvement for both approaches upon using larger data sets with a larger minority class. This work has the potential to provide a foundation for future tools and techniques to aid in the analysis of astrophysical data.
Light Element Abundances and Multiple Populations in M10
Authors: Gerber Jeffrey M. , Friel Eileen D. , Vesperini Enrico 
Published: June 2018

Abstract
We present CN and CH band measurements for 137 red giant branch (RGB) and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Galactic globular cluster M10. Our measurements come from low-resolution spectroscopy taken with the Hydra spectrograph on the WIYN-3.5 m telescope. We use these measurements to identify two populations of stars within the cluster, CN-normal and CN-enhanced, and find that in our sample 60% of stars are CN-enhanced. Our large sample allows us to conduct a detailed analysis on the carbon and nitrogen abundances and the radial distribution of each population separately. Our analysis of the radial dependence shows that each population has the same radial distribution in the cluster, which is likely due to the cluster being dynamically evolved. We also compare our results to other methods of classifying multiple populations in globular clusters such as the Na–O anti-correlation and the HST pseudo-color–magnitude diagrams. We find that these three methods of identifying multiple populations are in good agreement with each other for M10 and all lead to an estimate of the fraction of second-generation stars approximately equal to 60%. Among AGB stars, when classified by the CN band, there appears to be a lack of second-generation stars when compared to the RGB stars. However, when classified by [N/Fe], we find a similar 60% of AGB stars in the second generation. Finally, we use the measured carbon and nitrogen abundances in RGB stars to study the change of each element with magnitude as stars evolve up the RGB, comparing the results to globular clusters of similar metallicity, M3 and M13.
Evidence of a Sub-Saturn around EPIC 211945201
Authors: Chakraborty Abhijit , Roy Arpita , Sharma Rishikesh , Mahadevan Suvrath , Chaturvedi Priyanka , Prasad Neelam J. S. S. V , Anandarao B. G. 
Published: June 2018

Abstract
We report here strong evidence for a sub-Saturn around EPIC 211945201 and confirm its planetary nature. EPIC 211945201b was found to be a planetary candidate from K2 photometry in Campaigns 5 and 16, transiting a bright star (V
mag = 10.15, G0 spectral type) in a 19.492 day orbit. However, the photometric data combined with false positive probability calculations using VESPA was not sufficient to confirm the planetary scenario. Here, we present high-resolution spectroscopic follow up of the target using the PARAS spectrograph (19 radial velocity observations) over a time baseline of 420 days. We conclusively rule out the possibility of an eclipsing binary system and confirm the 2σ detection of a sub-Saturn planet. The confirmed planet has a radius of 6.12 ± 0.1 R
⊕, and a mass of

. We also place an upper limit on the mass (within the 3σ confidence interval) at 42 M
⊕ above the nominal value. This results in the Saturn-like density of

. Based on the mass and radius, we provide a preliminary model-dependent estimate that the heavy element content is 60%–70% of the total mass. This detection is important as it adds to a sparse catalog of confirmed exoplanets with masses between 10 and 70 M
⊕ and radii between 4 and 8 R
⊕, whose masses and radii are measured to a precision of 50% or better (only 23 including this work).
A Study of a Compound Solar Eruption with Two Consecutive Erupting Magnetic Structures
Authors: Dhakal Suman K. , Chintzoglou Georgios , Zhang Jie 
Published: June 2018

Abstract
We report a study of a compound solar eruption that was associated with two consecutively erupting magnetic structures and correspondingly two distinct peaks, during impulsive phase, of an M-class flare (M8.5). Simultaneous multi-viewpoint observations from SDO, GOES and STEREO-A show that this compound eruption originated from two pre-existing sigmoidal magnetic structures lying along the same polarity inversion line. Observations of the associated pre-existing filaments further show that these magnetic structures are lying one on top of the other, separated by 12 Mm in height, in a so-called “double-decker” configuration. The high-lying magnetic structure became unstable and erupted first, appearing as an expanding hot channel seen at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. About 12 minutes later, the low-lying structure also started to erupt and moved at an even faster speed compared to the high-lying one. As a result, the two erupting structures interacted and merged with each other, appearing as a single coronal mass ejection in the outer corona. We find that the double-decker configuration is likely caused by the persistent shearing motion and flux cancellation along the source active region’s strong-gradient polarity inversion line. The successive destabilization of these two separate but closely spaced magnetic structures, possibly in the form of magnetic flux ropes, led to a compound solar eruption. The study of the compound eruption provides a unique opportunity to reveal the formation process, initiation, and evolution of complex eruptive structures in solar active regions.
Dinâmica organizacional de empreendimentos que comercializam produtos amazônicos na capital do estado do Pará
Authors: Alcantara Edivaldo Rodrigues , Campos Pereira Sirlyanne Cilene 
Published: June 2018

A floresta amazônica representa a região de maior biodiversidade do mundo, sendo extremamente rica em frutas e plantas. Seus vastos acervos de matéria prima vêm conquistando cada dia mais o mercado empreendedor, fazendo com que inúmeras empresas da capital do Pará trabalhem com seus produtos. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é identificar de que modo essas empresas se organizam para comercializar tais produtos. Para tanto, a pesquisa foi desenvolvida a partir de métodos qualitativo e quantitativo, com uso de entrevistas com os gestores e a clientela. Essas ferramentas utilizadas visam à ocorrência da sincronia entre organização e cliente. Portanto, foi identificado a forma de abastecimento, do transporte das mercadorias, da determinação da precificação, do tempo de permanência dos produtos no empreendimento e o descarte dos resíduos. E para os clientes, a pesquisa focou o atendimento e o retorno à empresa. Diante dos argumentos expostos, conclui-se que o comércio local de produtos oriundos da própria região amazônica está firme e em expansão, somado a ideia de preservação e favorecendo a aplicação de leis relacionadas ao meio ambiente. Na região Norte, as microempresas possuem uma grande representatividade nesse mercado, contudo, foi obtido também a dissemelhança entre elas, já que nas macro empresas, a implementação da inovação nos equipamentos e serviços oferecidos são maiores, mostrando a discrepância na dinâmica.
Le bocal de Veyne
Authors: Brossat Alain 
Published: June 2018

Nous formons nos pensées, énonçons des jugements et parlons, remarque Paul Veyne, de l’intérieur d’un bocal aux parois transparentes dont nous ignorons l’existence. Aussi éprouvons-nous une grande incrédulité face aux conditions différentes dans lesquelles d’autres, enfermés dans d’autres bocaux, forment leurs pensées, énoncent des jugements, parlent. Nous passons d’un bocal à l’autre, parfois, mais subrepticement, sans nous aviser que les conditions qui rendent possibles nos pratiques du vrai et du faux ont changé. Nous sommes de bien étourdis poissons rouges ou batraciens…Cet article présente quelques unes des conséquences de cette proposition, appliquée à la façon dont nous envisageons la question du « droit à la vie » aujourd’hui, dont nous problématisons l’immunisation nécessaire, sans restriction ni exclusion, du vivant humain – et au delà, de toute forme de vie. Il rappelle combien cette approche s’est récemment imposée à nous et contraste avec toutes sortes d’énoncés qui, hier encore, faisaient autorité…