bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fibromyalgia as a Predictor of Increased Postoperative Complications, Readmission Rates, and Hospital Costs in Patients Undergoing Posterior Lumbar Spine Fusion
Authors: Donnally Chester J. , Vakharia Rushabh M. , Rush Augustus J. , Damodar Dhanur , Vakharia Ajit J. , Goz Vadim , Lebwohl Nathan H. 
Published: July 2018

Study Design.
Retrospective review.

Objective.
The aim of this study was to identify whether a concomitant diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) influences postoperative complications, readmission rates or cost following primary 1 to 2 level lumbar fusions in an elective setting.

Summary of Background Data.
Patients with FM often are limited by chronic lower back pain, many of whom will seek operative treatment. No previous study has evaluated whether patients with a concomitant diagnosis of FM have more complications following spine surgery.

Methods.
Medicare data (2005–2014) from a national database was queried for patients who underwent primary 1 to 2 level posterolateral lumbar spine fusion for degenerative lumbar pathology. Thirty- and 90-day postoperative complication rates, readmission rates, and treatment costs were queried. To reduce confounding, FM patients were matched with a control cohort of non-FM patients using patient demographics, treatment modality, and comorbid conditions, and then analyzed by multivariable logistic regression.

Results.
Within the first 30-day postoperative, acute post hemorrhagic anemia (odds ratio [OR]: 2.58; P
< 0.001) and readmission rates were significantly higher in FM patients compared to controls. There was no significant difference in wound related complications within first 30-days (0.19% vs. 0.23%; P = 0.520) or with length of stay (3.60 vs. 3.53 days; P = 0.08). Within 90-day postoperative, FM patients had higher rates of pneumonia (OR: 3.73; P < 0.001) and incurred 5.31% more in hospital charges reimbursed compared to the control cohort.

Conclusion.
Primary 1 to 2 level lumbar fusions performed on FM patients have higher rates of postoperative anemia, pneumonia, cost of care, and readmission compared to match controls. FM patients and surgeons should be aware of these increased risks in an effort to control hospital costs and potential complications.

Level of Evidence: 3
Association Between Transfusion of RBCs and Subsequent Development of Delirium in Critically Ill Children*
Authors: Nellis Marianne E. , Goel Ruchika , Feinstein Sydney , Shahbaz Sevini , Kaur Savneet , Traube Chani 
Published: July 2018

Objectives:
To determine the temporal relationship between the transfusion of RBCs and the subsequent development of delirium in a cohort of critically ill children.

Design:
Nested retrospective cohort study within prospective cohort study.

Setting:
Urban academic tertiary care PICU.

Patients:
All consecutive admissions from September 2014 through August 2015.

Interventions:
Children were screened twice daily for delirium during their PICU admission.

Measurements and Main Results:
Among 1,547 independent admissions screened for delirium, 166 (10.7%) were transfused RBCs. Children who were transfused RBCs were more than twice as likely to be delirious during their admission compared with children who were never transfused, after controlling for known predictors of delirium development (adjusted odds ratio, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.38–3.37; p = 0.001). Among transfused children, a temporal relationship was observed between receipt of RBCs and the subsequent development of delirium. For each additional 10 mL/kg of RBCs transfused, the recipients were 90% more likely to develop delirium or coma in the 72 hours following the transfusion, after controlling for confounders (adjusted odds ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.14–3.17; p = 0.01). Anemia (represented by nadir hemoglobin prior to transfusion) was not associated with delirium development.

Conclusions:
In this cohort of critically ill children, there is an independent association between the receipt of an RBC transfusion and the subsequent development of delirium. Further prospective studies are warranted to replicate this finding and investigate possible pathophysiologic mechanisms for this association.
An Analysis of Risk Factors for Hemolysis in Children on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation*
Authors: Okochi Shunpei , Cheung Eva W. , Barton Sunjay , Zenilman Ariela , Shakoor Aqsa , Street Cherease , Streltsova Svetlana , Chan Christine , Brewer Michael P. , Middlesworth William 
Published: July 2018

Objectives:
Hemolysis is a known complication of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation associated with renal failure and mortality. We sought to identify predictors of hemolysis in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients and determine its influence on outcomes.

Design:
Retrospective, single-center study.

Setting:
Urban, quaternary care center pediatric and neonatal ICU.

Patients:
Ninety-six patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Interventions:
None.

Measurements and Main Results:
Daily measurements of plasma-free hemoglobin were obtained while patients were on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Patients with a prior extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run, on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for less than 24 hours, or without complete medical records were excluded from the study. Ninety-six patients met inclusion criteria, of which, 25 patients (26%) had plasma-free hemoglobin greater than 30 mg/dL. Of those patients, 15 of 25(60%) had plasma-free hemoglobin greater than 50 mg/dL, and 21 of 25(84%) occurred during the first 7 days on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Compared with patients without hemolysis, those with hemolysis were younger (0.2 mo [0.06–3.2 mo] vs 8.2 mo [0.6–86 mo]; p < 0.001), had a higher pericannulation international normalized ratio (3.9 [3.5–5.5] vs 2.6 [1.8–3.7]; p = 0.003), lower pericannulation platelet count (33 × 103/μL [22–42 × 103/μL] vs 61 × 103/μL [38–86 × 103/μL]; p < 0.001), and had a less negative inlet pressure (–3.5 mm Hg [–14 to 11.5 mm Hg] vs –19 mm Hg [–47 to 0 mm Hg]; p = 0.01). A greater proportion of patients with hemolysis had a heparin assay less than 0.2 mg/dL (50% vs 17%; p = 0.001) and had fluid removal via slow continuous ultrafiltration (32% vs 6%; p < 0.001). Patients with hemolysis had increased risk of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 10.0; 95% CI 3.4–32; p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, continuous ultrafiltration (odds ratio, 8.0; 95% CI, 1.9–42; p = 0.007) and pericannulation international normalized ratio greater than 3.5 (odds ratio, 7.2; 95% CI, 2.3–26; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with hemolysis.

Conclusions:
Hemolysis is a common complication of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. We found that patients with hemolysis (plasma-free hemoglobin > 30 mg/dL) had a 10-fold increase in in-hospital mortality. In our study cohort, hemolysis was associated with continuous ultrafiltration use, but not continuous renal replacement therapy. Additionally, our results suggest that the degree of coagulopathy (international normalized ratio > 3.5) at the time of cannulation influences hemolysis. Additional prospective studies are necessary to define further strategies to prevent hemolysis and improve outcomes in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients.
Treatment of Intraosseous Ganglion Cyst of the Lunate
Authors: Li Sunlong , Sun Chao , Zhou Xijie , Shi Jialu , Han Tao , Yan Hede 
Published: July 2018

Purpose
Intraosseous ganglion cyst (IGC) is a rare disease, particularly in lunate. The objective of this study was to summarize current knowledge on the treatment of IGC of the lunate, through a literature review, to provide a therapeutic strategy for this rare disease.

Methods
The PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Science Direct database were searched with a set of predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Manual searches for references were performed to find potential relevant studies. The authors extracted data from the articles selected.

Results
Different treatment modalities of IGC of the lunate were described, all of which were divided into 3 categories: conservative treatment, classical surgical procedures, and novel surgical procedures. An overview on the main treatment modalities for IGC of the lunate was provided.

Conclusions
Conservative treatments can be the doctors' first choice for patients with IGC. Surgical procedure is advised when conservative treatment fails. Traditional surgical curettage with autologous bone grafting is the mainstay of treatment with satisfactory outcomes; however, novel surgical techniques like arthroscopically assisted minimally invasive technique or filling with bone cement are considered as more promising attempts with less trauma and shorter recovery period. Nonetheless, studies with high levels of evidence are guaranteed for developing widely accepted clinical treatment guidelines.
Different Embolization Approaches for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Internal Maxillary Artery
Authors: Granata Francesca , Mormina Enricomaria , Cinquegrani Antonella , Cervino Gabriele , Cicciù Marco , Longo Marcello , Nastro Siniscalchi Enrico 
Published: July 2018

Abstract
Pseudoaneurysm is an abnormal dilation of an artery that could be caused either by iatrogenic or traumatic events and it is associated with high rupture risk. Pseudoaneurysm rarely involves internal maxillary artery. Computed tomography angiography and digital subtraction angiography are essential tools to perform a proper diagnosis and treatment of pseudoaneurysms. The authors described 2 different cases of internal maxillary artery pseudoaneurysm, treated by different embolization approaches. The first case was treated by a well-known arterial catheterism technique, whereas the second one was performed by an uncommon approach with a direct percutaneous puncture.
Socioeconomic Factors, Perioperative Complications, and 30-Day Readmission Rates Associated With Delayed Cranial Vault Reconstruction for Craniosynostosis
Authors: Sergesketter Amanda R. , Elsamadicy Aladine A. , Lubkin David T. , Kemeny Hanna , Harward Stephen C. , Krucoff Kate B. , Krucoff Max O. , Fuchs Herbert , Thompson Eric M. , Allori Alexander C. , Marcus Jeffrey R. , Muh Carrie R. 
Published: July 2018

Background:
Premature fusion of the cranial sutures can lead to significant neurocognitive, developmental, and esthetic consequences, especially if not corrected within the first year of life. This study aimed to identify the drivers of delayed cranial vault reconstruction (CVR) and its impact on complication and 30-day readmission rates among craniosynostosis patients.

Methods:
The medical records of all children who underwent CVR for craniosynostosis between 2005 and 2017 at an academic institution were retrospectively reviewed. A delay in operation was defined by surgery performed >12 months of age. Patient demographics, comorbidities, perioperative complication rates, and 30-day readmission rates were collected.

Results:
A total of 96 patients underwent primary CVR, with 79 (82.3%) patients undergoing nondelayed surgery and 17 (17.7%) patients undergoing surgery >12 months of age. Children undergoing delayed surgery were significantly more likely to be non-White (P < 0.0001), have Medicaid insurance (P = 0.023), and have a non-English primary language (P < 0.005). There was increased incidence of developmental disability identified at first consult (no-delay: 3.9% vs delay: 41.2%, P < 0.0001) and increased intracranial pressure (no-delay: 6.3% vs delay: 29.4%, P < 0.005) among children undergoing delayed surgery. The delayed cohort had a significantly higher unplanned 30-day readmission rate (no-delay: 0.0% vs delay: 5.9%, P = 0.03).

Conclusion:
Our study suggests that craniosynostosis patients who are non-White, have a non-English primary language, and have Medicaid insurance are at risk for delayed primary surgery, which may lead to increased 30-day readmission. Interventions are necessary to reduce craniosynostosis patients’ barriers to care to minimize the sequelae associated with delayed surgery.
Facing up to the hard question of consciousness
Authors: Dennett Daniel C. 
Published: July 2018

The so-called hard problem of consciousness is a chimera, a distraction from the hard question of consciousness, which is once some content reaches consciousness, ‘then what happens?’. This question is seldom properly asked, for reasons good and bad, but when asked it opens up avenues of research that promise to dissolve the hard problem and secure a scientifically sound theory of how the human brain produces the (sometimes illusory) convictions that mislead us.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Perceptual consciousness and cognitive access'.
Phenomenal consciousness and cognitive access
Authors: Overgaard Morten 
Published: July 2018

In consciousness research, it is common to distinguish between phenomenal consciousness and access consciousness. Recently, a number of scientists have attempted to show that phenomenal content can be empirically separated from cognitive access and, accordingly, that the mental content that is accessed is not (always) identical to the content that is experienced. One notable position is that of Ned Block who suggests that phenomenal content overflows cognitive access. I will review the evidence and show that existing data, in fact, do not demonstrate overflow. I will further argue that overflow is theoretically possible—yet highly difficult to empirically demonstrate—under the condition that ‘cognitive access’ is defined as working memory or attention. However, if ‘access’ is defined as information becoming ‘cognitively available’, in a broader sense, I will argue that a separation between subjective experience and access is impossible.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘Perceptual consciousness and cognitive access’.
Image content is more important than Bouma’s Law for scene metamers
Authors: Wallis Thomas S. A. , Funke Christina M. , Ecker Alexander S. , Gatys Leon A. , Wichmann Felix A. , Bethge Matthias 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe subjectively perceive our visual field with high fidelity, yet large peripheral distortions can go unnoticed and peripheral objects can be difficult to identify (crowding). A recent paper proposed a model of the mid-level ventral visual stream in which neural responses were averaged over an area of space that increased as a function of eccentricity (scaling). Human participants could not discriminate synthesised model images from each other (they were metamers) when scaling was about half the retinal eccentricity. This result implicated ventral visual area V2 and approximated “Bouma’s Law” of crowding. It has subsequently been interpreted as a link between crowding zones, receptive field scaling, and our rich perceptual experience. However, participants in this experiment never saw the original images. We find that participants can easily discriminate real and model-generated images at V2 scaling. Lower scale factors than even V1 receptive fields may be required to generate metamers. Efficiently explaining why scenes look as they do may require incorporating segmentation processes and global organisational constraints in addition to local pooling.
Climate, human influence, and the distribution limits of the invasive European earwig, Forficula auricularia, in Australia
Authors: Hill Matthew P , Binns Matthew , Umina Paul A , Hoffmann Ary A , Macfadyen Sarina 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDBy modelling species-environment relationships of pest species, it is possible to understand potential limits to their distributions when they invade new regions, and their likely continued spread. The European earwig, Forficula auricularia, is a non-native invasive species in Australia that has been in the country for over 170 years. However, in the last few decades it has invaded new areas. Unlike in other countries, F. auricularia is a pest species of grains production in Australia. In this study we detail the Australian distribution of this species, adding new samples focussed around grain growing regions. Using this information we build global species distribution models for F. auricularia to better understand species-environment relationships.RESULTSOur models indicated that the distribution of F. auricularia is strongly associated with temperate through to semi-arid environments, a high winter rainfall and pronounced temperature seasonality. We identified regions that hold suitable, but as yet vacant, niche space for Australian populations, suggesting further potential for range expansion. Beyond climate, an index describing human influence on the landscape was important to understand the distribution limits of this pest. We identified regions where there was suitable climate space, but which F. auricularia has not occupied likely due to low levels of human impact.CONCLUSIONModelling the global distribution of a non-native pest species aided understanding of the regional distribution limits within Australia and highlighted the usefulness of human impact measures for modelling globally invasive insect species.
Hitchhiking, collapse and contingency in phage infections of migrating bacterial populations
Authors: Ping Derek , Wang Tong , Fraebel David T. , Maslov Sergei , Sneppen Kim , Kuehn Seppe 
Published: July 2018

Natural bacterial populations are subject to constant predation pressure by phages. Bacteria use a variety of well-studied molecular mechanisms to defend themselves from phage predation. However, since phage are non-motile, perhaps the simplest defense against phage would be for bacteria to outrun their predators. In particular, chemotaxis, the active migration of bacteria up attractant gradients, may help the bacteria escape slowly diffusing phages. Here we study phage infection dynamics in migrating bacterial populations driven by chemotaxis through low viscosity agar plates. We find that expanding phage-bacteria populations support two migrating fronts, an outermost “bacterial” front driven by nutrient uptake and chemotaxis and an inner “phage” front at which bacterial population collapses due to phage predation. We show that with increasing adsorption rate and initial phage population, the rate of migration of the phage front increases, eventually overtaking the bacterial front and driving the system across a “phage transition” from a regime where bacteria outrun a phage infection to one where they must evolve phage resistance to survive. We confirm experimentally that this process requires phages to “surf” the bacterial front by repeatedly reinfecting the fastest moving bacteria. A deterministic model recapitulates the transition. Macroscopic fluctuations in bacterial densities at the phage front suggest that a feedback mechanism, possibly due to growth rate dependent phage infection rates, drives millimeter scale spatial structure in phage-bacteria populations. Our work opens a new, spatiotemporal, line of investigation into the eco-evolutionary struggle between bacteria and their phage predators.Significance StatementThe infection of bacteria by phage requires physical contact. This fact means that motile bacteria may avoid non-motile phage by simply running away. By this mechanism bacterial chemotaxis may help bacteria to escape phages. Here we show that when phage infect bacteria moving in soft agar plates, high phage populations or infectivity rates result in phages stopping and killing all bacteria. Conversely, when initial phage numbers or infectivity rates are low, bacteria are able to migrate away from phage successfully, despite phage ability to “surf” bacterial fronts for more than 24 hours. Between these regimes we document a “phage transition” where bacterial physiology and contingency in phage infection manifest through large-scale fluctuations in spatio-temporal dynamics.
Gene expression profiling of The Cancer Genome Atlas supports an inverse association between body mass index (BMI) and major oesophageal tumour subtypes
Authors: Seim Inge , Jeffery Penny L. , Chopin Lisa K. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIn the last decade the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program has revealed significant insights into molecular events of dozens of cancers. These data sets are continuously updated, providing an unprecedented resource to the research community. There is now an emerging link between obesity and the development and progression of cancer. In this study we wished to identify genes related to body mass index (BMI) in TCGA datasets. Supporting epidemiological data, our gene expression profiling analyses suggest that oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) can be considered a true obesity-associated cancer subtype, presenting avenues for prevention and treatment.
A framework for analysis of real-time nucleic acid amplification data using novel multidimensional standard curves
Authors: Moniri Ahmad , Rodriguez-Manzano Jesus , Georgiou Pantelis 
Published: July 2018

ABSTRACTResearch into improving methods for absolute quantification of nucleic acids using standard curves has plateaued despite its positive, far-reaching impact on biomedical applications and clinical diagnostics. Currently, the mathematics involved in this mature area is restricted by the simplicity of conventional standard curves such as the gold standard cycle-threshold (Ct) method. Here, we propose a novel framework that expands current methods into multidimensional space and opens the door for more complex mathematical techniques, signal processing and machine learning to be implemented. The heart of this work revolves around two new concepts: the multidimensional standard curve and its home - the feature space. This work has been validated using phage lambda DNA and standard qPCR instruments. We show that the capabilities of standard curves can be extended in order to simultaneously: enhance absolute quantification, detect outliers and provide insights into the intersection between molecular biology and amplification data. This work and its vision aims to maximise the information extracted from amplification data using current instruments without increasing the cost or complexity of existing diagnostic settings.
Genetic controls of mouseTas1r3-independent sucrose intake
Authors: Lin Cailu , Tordoff Michael G. , Li Xia , Bosak Natalia P. , Inoue Masashi , Ishiwatari Yutaka , Beauchamp Gary K. , Bachmanov Alexander A. , Reed Danielle R. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe have previously shown that variation in sucrose intake among inbred mouse strains is due in part to polymorphisms in theTas1r3gene, which encodes a sweet taste receptor subunit and accounts for theSaclocus on distal Chr4. To discover other quantitative trait loci (QTLs) influencing sucrose intake, voluntary daily sucrose intake was measured in an F2intercross with theSaclocus fixed; in backcross, reciprocal consomic strains; and in single- and double-congenic strains. Chromosome mapping identifiedScon3, located on Chr9, and epistasis ofScon3withScon4on Chr1. Mice with different combinations ofScon3andScon4genotypes differed more than threefold in sucrose intake. To understand how these two QTLs influenced sucrose intake, we measured resting metabolism, glucose and insulin tolerance, and peripheral taste responsiveness in congenic mice. We found that the combinations ofScon3andScon4genotypes influenced thermogenesis and the oxidation of fat and carbohydrate. Results of glucose and insulin tolerance tests, peripheral taste tests, and gustatory nerve recordings ruled out plasma glucose homoeostasis and peripheral taste sensitivity as major contributors to the differences in voluntary sucrose consumption. Our results provide evidence that these two novel QTLs influence mouse-to-mouse variation in sucrose intake and that both likely act through a common postoral mechanism.