bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regional Anesthetic Blocks in Plastic Surgery Using Portable Ultrasound
Authors: Homsy Christopher , Lindsey John T. 
Published: January 2019

BackgroundWith the introduction of latest generation ultrasound technology and its easy availability and portability, regional anesthetic blocks, which were formally in the domain of anesthesiologists, have now become available to practicing plastic surgeons. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols for other specialties such as orthopedics and colorectal surgery have incorporated regional anesthetic blocks. These regional blocks have been shown to be effective in improving the patient comfort and experience and decreasing reliance on opioid medications.MethodsPatients scheduled for elective plastic surgery received PEC-1, serratus anterior plane, or transversus abdominis plane blocks as indicated for the proposed procedure. All blocks were performed under ultrasound guidance using the Philips Lumify system with the linear array 12-4 probe by the operating surgeon.ResultsA total of 83 patients received regional anesthetic blocks by the senior author. Thirty-three patients undergoing cosmetic breast augmentation or implant-based breast reconstruction received the PEC-1 and the serratus anterior plane blocks after the induction of anesthesia but before the prep and drape. Fifty patients undergoing either abdominoplasty or deep inferior epigastric perforator flap reconstruction received intraoperative transversus abdominis plane blocks. Anatomic planes were clearly visualized with this new ultrasound technology. Patients experienced good to excellent analgesia with less reliance on opioid medications and decreased need for refills. For hospitalized patients, length of stay in some cases was decreased up to 1 day, and PCA pumps were eliminated. There were no complications or adverse sequelae observed in any of these patients related to the regional blocks.ConclusionsIncorporation of these known regional anesthetic techniques in this single-surgeon experience seems to confirm reports of effectiveness in the anesthesia literature and may be of benefit to a wide range of plastic surgery patients.
Factors Associated With Complications in Immediate Breast Reconstruction in 1 Stage With Completely Submuscular Implants
Authors: Yazar Sukru , Altinkaya Altug , Bengur Fuat Baris , Karadag Emine Cigdem , Kara Halil , Uras Cihan 
Published: January 2019

Background
Immediate breast reconstruction in 1 stage using permanent implants is gaining popularity and can be performed with or without the use of acellular dermal matrices. This study aimed to investigate the results of breast implants placed submuscularly without acellular dermal matrix and assess the factors affecting surgical complications.

Methods
From November 2009 to March 2018, 138 patients underwent immediate breast reconstruction with permanent submuscular implants after concomitant skin-sparing or nipple-sparing mastectomies in a single institution. All implants were covered with sufficient soft tissue under a submuscular pocket.

Results
One hundred thirty-eight patients were enrolled, and a total of 196 breasts were operated. The average age and body mass index (BMI) of the patients were 44.9 ± 8.8 years and 23.7 ± 3.6 kg/m2, respectively. The majority of the mastectomies were therapeutic (81%). The average volume of implants was 389 ± 89 mL, and the mean follow-up was 33 months. The overall complication rate was 17% (n = 23), with skin necrosis being the most common complication followed by infections. Having a BMI equal to or greater than 25 kg/m2 was found to be a statistically significant predictor for overall complications (P = 0.002), whereas smoking history, age, and implant volume were not statistically significant.

Conclusions
Immediate breast reconstruction in 1 stage using permanent implants can be performed with acceptable complication rates and cosmetic outcomes. Our study demonstrated that high BMI is a risk factor for overall complications. With proper patient selection and surgical technique, implants could be completely covered under a submuscular pocket.
Lipopolysaccharide Stress Induces Cryptic Exon Splice Variants of the Human Glucocorticoid Receptor
Authors: Green Tajia L. , Leventhal Stacey M. , Lim Debora , Cho Kiho , Greenhalgh David G. 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT
Glucocorticoids are widely used in the treatment of numerous inflammatory conditions, including sepsis. Unfortunately, patient response to glucocorticoid therapy can be inconsistent. Variations in the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) may contribute to the differential patient response. We screened for hGR variants in the buffy coats of burn patients and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated with lipopolysaccharide. Three novel splice variants containing cryptic exons were upregulated in the PBMCs after lipopolysaccharide exposure at 3 and 13 h with the greatest observed expression at 3 h. Luciferase assays revealed that two of the isoforms had no significant activity in comparison with the reference hGR when stimulated with hydrocortisone. The third isoform had an augmented response that was greater than the reference hGR at a high cortisol dose. This shows that PBMCs are able to produce variant hGR isoforms in response to stress. Furthermore, lipopolysaccharide stress appears to induce these hGR variants, potentially by influencing mRNA splicing. In the future, identifying hGR expression profiles may be a key component in individually tailoring a patient's treatment to sepsis and injury.
Cannabinoid therapy in epilepsy
Authors: Billakota Santoshi , Devinsky Orrin , Marsh Eric 
Published: January 2019

Purpose of review
To review the history, pharmacology, and clinical science of cannabidiol (CBD) in the treatment of epilepsy.

Recent findings
Phase III randomized controlled trials and prospective open label trials have provided efficacy and safety data for the use of CBD in pediatric onset severe epilepsies. The product that was studied in the vast majority of these published trials, Epidiolex (>99% of CBD and <0.10% Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); GW pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, UK), has now been FDA approved based on this published data.

Summary
Identification of CBD, Δ9-THC, and the endocannabinoid system in the mid-20th century has led to advancement of cannabis-based therapies for epilepsy. Based on clinical trial data, Epidiolex is the first CBD medication approved by a national regulatory agency (US Food and Drug Administration for Dravet and Lennox Gastaut syndrome). Approval of CBD as a treatment for these rare and severe pediatric-onset epilepsy syndromes is an important milestone, but the complete spectrum of use of cannabis-derived products, and the use of CBD for other epilepsy syndromes remains to be determined.
Neurological profiles beyond the sleep disorder in patients with anti-IgLON5 disease
Authors: Gaig Carles , Compta Yaroslau 
Published: January 2019

Purpose of review
Anti-IgLON5 disease is a novel entity characterized by a distinctive sleep disorder associated with a variety of neurological symptoms, antibodies against IgLON5, and pathological findings of neuronal tauopathy. The characteristic sleep disorder occurs in most patients, but other neurological symptoms are also important because they can be the presenting and most disabling problem and mimic other conditions. This review focuses on nonsleep neurological symptoms and presentations of anti-IgLON5 disease.

Recent findings
Apart from sleep problems, the most frequent neurological symptoms in anti-IgLON5 disease are bulbar dysfunction and gait abnormalities. Other symptoms include movement disorders like chorea or abnormal orofacial movements, oculomotor abnormalities, cognitive impairment, and symptoms of nervous system hyperexcitability. All these symptoms can present in different combinations and severity leading to distinct clinical phenotypes beyond the sleep disorder: bulbar syndrome; syndrome resembling progressive supranuclear palsy; cognitive impairment, sometimes with chorea, mimicking Huntington disease; gait ataxia; and stiff-person-like syndrome.

Summary
These clinical presentations may suggest degenerative or other neurological disorders, but anti-IgLON5 disease has to be considered, and confirmed by the detection of IgLON5 antibodies, when the criteria for the diagnosis of the initially suspected disorders are not fulfilled, confirmatory laboratory tests are negative, and significant sleep problems are present.
Clinical and EEG Characteristics of Ifosfamide-Related Encephalopathy
Authors: Gusdon Aaron M. , Malani Rachna , Chen Xi 
Published: January 2019

Purpose:
Ifosfamide can lead to a syndrome of central nervous system toxicity. Here, we investigate the clinical and EEG characteristics of patients with ifosfamide-related encephalopathy.

Methods:
Retrospective data were collected on patients from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who developed encephalopathy associated with ifosfamide between 2007 and 2017. Patients who had an EEG performed were included. Clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively collected. Each EEG recording was reviewed and compared with the originally documented EEG report.

Results:
Sixteen patients with ifosfamide-related encephalopathy were included, with primary tumors consisting of lymphoma (N = 9), sarcoma (N = 4), poorly differentiated ovarian cancer (N = 1), neuroblastoma (N = 1), and papillary serous adenocarcinoma (N = 1). Laboratory results ruled out other etiologies of encephalopathy. Generalized periodic discharges with or without triphasic morphology were seen most commonly (N = 9), with a distinct pattern of interspersed intermittent background attenuation seen in five patients. Background slowing and intermittent rhythmic delta activity (N = 4), bursts of bilateral synchronized delta activity (N = 2), and frontal predominant intermittent delta activity (N = 1) were also seen. One patient demonstrated a pattern consistent with nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Although most patients experienced resolution of symptoms, those who died demonstrated a variety of EEG abnormalities. Abnormal movements were common, with six patients demonstrating characteristic orofacial myoclonus.

Conclusions:
Ifosfamide-related encephalopathy commonly results in a distinct pattern of generalized periodic discharges admixed with intermittent background attenuation on EEG. Abnormal movements, in particular orofacial myoclonus, are also common. Recognizing these clinical and EEG features might lead to early detection of ifosfamide-related encephalopathy.
Area Under the Curve of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials Detects Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Jorge Ahmed , Zhou James , Dixon Edward C. , Hamilton Kojo D. , Balzer Jeffrey , Thirumala Parthasarathy 
Published: January 2019

Purpose:
Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring using somatosensory evoked potentials has been linked to a reduction in the incidence of neurological deficits during corrective surgery. Nonetheless, quantitative assessments of somatosensory evoked potential waveforms are often difficult to evaluate, because they are affected by anesthesia, injury, and noise. Here, we discuss a novel method that integrates somatosensory evoked potential signals into a single metric by calculating the area under the curve (AUC).

Methodology:
Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a laminectomy procedure and were then randomly assigned to a control group or to receive a contusive spinal cord injury ranging from 100 to 200 kilodynes. Neurophysiological testing was completed at various points perioperatively and postoperatively. Somatosensory evoked potential traces obtained were processed and the AUC metric was calculated.

Results:
The AUC significantly decreased to 11% of its baseline value after impact and remained at 25% baseline after 1 hour for the 200-kdyn cohort. Postimpact, AUC for the control versus the 150-kdyn and 200-kdyn groups, and the 150-kdyn versus 200-kdyn groups were significantly higher (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, and P < 0.05, respectively). Across days, the only significant parameter accounting for AUC variability was impact force, P < 0.0001 (subject parameters and number of days were not significant).

Conclusions:
The AUC metric can detect an iatrogenic contusive spinal cord injury immediately after its occurrence. Moreover, this metric can detect different iatrogenic injury impact force levels and identify injury in the postoperative period. The AUC integrates multiple Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring measures into a single metric and thus has the potential to help clinicians and investigators evaluate spinal cord impact injury status.
Galton-Watson Process and Bayesian Inference: A Turnkey Method for the Viability Study of Small Populations
Authors: Cloez B. , Daufresne T. , Kerioui M. , Fontez B. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractSharp prediction of extinction times is needed in biodiversity monitoring and conservation management.The Galton-Watson process is a classical stochastic model for describing population dynamics. Its evolution is like the matrix population model where offspring numbers are random. Extinction probability, extinction time, abundance are well known and given by explicit formulas. In contrast with the deterministic model, it can be applied to small populations.Parameters of this model can be estimated through the Bayesian inference framework. This enables to consider nonarbitrary scenarios.We show how coupling Bayesian inference with the Galton-Watson model provides several features: i) a flexible modelling approach with easily understandable parameters ii) compatibility with the classical matrix population model (Leslie type model) iii) A non-computational approach which then leads to more information with less computing iv) a non-arbitrary choice for scenarios, parameters… It can be seen to go one step further than the classical matrix population model for the viability problem.To illustrate these features, we provide analysis details for two examples whose one of which is a real life example.
A fruitful endeavor: scent cues and echolocation behavior used by Carollia castanea to find fruit
Authors: Leiser-Miller Leith B. , Kaliszewska Zofia A. , Lauterbur M. Elise , Mann Brianna , Riffell Jeffrey A. , Santana Sharlene E. 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACTFrugivores have evolved sensory and behavioral adaptations that allow them to find ripe fruit effectively, but the relative importance of different senses in varying foraging scenarios is poorly known. Within Neotropical ecosystems, short-tailed fruit bats (Carollia: Phyllostomidae) are abundant nocturnal frugivores, relying primarily on plants of the genus Piper as a food resource. Previous research has demonstrated Carollia employ olfaction and echolocation to locate Piper fruit, but it is unknown how their sensory use and foraging decisions are influenced by the complex diversity of chemical cues that fruiting plants produce. Using wild C. castanea and their preferred food, Piper scintillans, we conducted behavioral experiments to test two main hypotheses: (1) foraging decisions in C. castanea are primarily driven by ripe fruit scent and secondarily by vegetation scent, and (2) C. castanea re-weight their sensory inputs to account for available environmental cues, such that bats rely more heavily on echolocation in the absence of adequate scent cues. Our results suggest that C. castanea requires olfactory information and relies almost exclusively on ripe fruit scent to make foraging attempts. Ripe fruit scent is chemically distinct from vegetation scent in P. scintillans, with a greater abundance of β-caryophyllene, germacrene D and β-elemene, and a few unique compounds. Although variation in echolocation call parameters was independent of scent cue presence, bats emitted longer and more frequent echolocation calls in trials where no fruit scent was present. Altogether, these results highlight the adaptations, plasticity, and potential constraints in the sensory system of neotropical fruit bats.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTLittle is known about the relative importance of different senses and which plant cues are most important for fruit location by frugivores. We conducted behavioral experiments on short-tailed fruit bats (Carollia castanea), which use a combination of olfaction and echolocation to find ripe fruit, and their preferred food source (Piper scintillans) to test (1) which plant scent cues drive food selection and (2) if bats alter their echolocation behaviors based on which scent cues are present. We find that C. castanea rely almost exclusively on ripe fruit scent to forage, and echolocate more frequently when fruit scent is absent. Ripe fruit scent is chemically different from vegetation scent in P. scintillans, potentially providing a clear signal of food availability to mutualistic bats. These results highlight the sensory adaptations and behavioral flexibility of fruit bats as they navigate the cues provided by fruiting plants.
Deciphering tea tree chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of Camellia sinensis var. assamica
Authors: Zhang Fen , Li Wei , Gao Cheng-wen , Gao Li-zhi 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACTTea is the most popular non-alcoholic caffeine-containing and the oldest beverage in the world. Despite its enormous industrial, cultural and medicinal values, the chloroplast (cp) and mitochondrial (mt) genomes are not available for Camellia sinensis var. assamica. In this study, we de novo assembled the cp genome sequence of C. sinensis var. assamica into a circular contig of 157,100 bp in length with an overall GC content of 37.29%, comprising a large single-copy region (LSC, 86,649 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 18,285 bp) separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 26,083 bp). We annotated a total of 141 cp genes, of which 87 are protein-coding genes, 46 are tRNA genes, and eight are rRNA genes. We also de novo assembled the mt genome of C. sinensis var. assamica into two complete circular scaffolds (702,253 bp and 178,082 bp) with overall GC contents of 45.63% and 45.81%, respectively. We annotated a total of 71 mt genes, including 44 protein-coding genes, 24 tRNAs, and 3 rRNAs. Comparative analysis suggests repeat-rich nature of the mt genome compared to the cp genome, for example, with the characterization of 37,878 bp and 149 bp of long repeat sequences and 665 and 214 SSRs, respectively. We also detected 478 RNA-editing sites in 42 protein-coding mt genes, which are ∼4.4-fold more than 54 RNA-editing sites detected in 21 protein-coding cp genes. The high-quality cp and mt genomes of C. sinensis var. assamica presented in this study will become an invaluable resource for a range of genetic, functional, evolutionary and comparative genomic studies in tea tree and other Camellia species of the Theaceae family.
Genotypic frequencies at equilibrium for polysomic inheritance under double-reduction
Authors: Huang Kang , Wang Tongcheng , Dunn Derek W. , Zhang Pei , Cao Xiaoxiao , Liu Rucong , Li Baoguo 
Published: January 2019

AbstractPolyploids are organisms whose genomes consist of more than two complete sets of chromosomes. Both autopolyploids and allopolyploids may display polysomic inheritance. A peculiarity of polysomic inheritance is multivalent formation during meiosis resulting in double-reduction, which occurs when sister chromatid fragments are segregated into the same gamete. Double-reduction can result in gametes carrying identical-by-descent alleles and slightly increasing homozygosity. This will cause the genotypic frequencies to deviate from expected values and will thus bias the results of standard population genetic analytical methods used in molecular ecology and selective breeding. In this study, we extend existing double-reduction models to account for any even level of ploidy, and derive the symbolic expressions for genotypic frequencies via two methods. Inbreeding coefficients and heterozygosity under double-reduction and inbreeding are also calculated. Numerical solutions obtained by computer simulations are compared with analytical solutions predicted by the model to validate the model.
Is it time to change the reference genome?
Authors: Ballouz Sara , Dobin Alexander , Gillis Jesse 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe use of the human reference genome has shaped methods and data across modern genomics. This has offered many benefits while creating a few constraints. In the following piece, we outline the history, properties, and pitfalls of the current human reference genome. In a few illustrative analyses, we focus on its use for variant-calling, highlighting its nearness to a “type specimen”. We suggest that switching to a consensus reference offers important advantages over the current reference with few disadvantages.
Gene sharing networks to automate genome-based prokaryotic viral taxonomy
Authors: Jang Ho Bin , Bolduc Benjamin , Zablocki Olivier , Kuhn Jens H. , Roux Simon , Adriaenssens Evelien M. , Brister J. Rodney , Kropinski Andrew M , Krupovic Mart , Turner Dann , Sullivan Matthew B. 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACTViruses of bacteria and archaea are likely to be critical to all natural, engineered and human ecosystems, and yet their study is hampered by the lack of a universal or scalable taxonomic framework. Here, we introduce vConTACT 2.0, a network-based application to establish prokaryotic virus taxonomy that scales to thousands of uncultivated virus genomes, and integrates confidence scores for all taxonomic predictions. Performance tests using vConTACT 2.0 demonstrate near-identical correspondence to the current official viral taxonomy (>85% genus-rank assignments at 96% accuracy) through an integrated distance-based hierarchical clustering approach. Beyond “known viruses”, we used vConTACT 2.0 to automatically assign 1,364 previously unclassified reference viruses to tentative taxa, and scaled it to modern metagenomic datasets for which the reference network was robust to adding 16,000 viral contigs. Together these efforts provide a systematic reference network and an accurate, scalable taxonomic analysis tool that is critically needed for the research community.
The hidden costs of dietary restriction: implications for its evolutionary and mechanistic origins
Authors: McCracken Andrew W , Adams Gracie , Hartshorne Laura , Simons Mirre J. P. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractDietary restriction (DR) consistently and universally extends health-and lifespan across taxa. Despite efforts to uncover the mechanisms underpinning DR - and ultimately translate its beneficial outcomes to humans - precise and universal mechanisms have not been identified. In biomedical science, the effects of DR are interpreted as regulating pro-longevity molecular pathways. This reasoning is guided by the conviction that DR evolved as an adaptive, pro-longevity physiological response to restricted food intake. Current evolutionary theory states that organisms should invest in their soma more heavily during periods of DR, and, when their resource availability improves, should outcompete age-matched rich-fed controls in survival and/or reproduction. Here we present a formal test of these key predictions utilising a large-scale demographic approach detailing mortality and fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster fed alternating dietary regimes (N > 66,000 flies across 11 genetic lines). Our experiments reveal surprising and substantial mortality costs when returning to a rich diet after periods of DR. These results suggest the effects of DR are not necessarily intrinsically pro-longevity and could be considered an escape from costs incurred under nutrient-rich conditions, in addition to novel, discrete costs associated with restricting dietary protein. These insights question the relevance of current evolutionary explanations of DR in interpreting the mechanistic basis of dietary restriction.