bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Growth and Management of Repaired Complete Tracheal Rings after Slide Tracheoplasty
Authors: Wilcox Lyndy J. , Schweiger Claudia , Hart Catherine K. , de Alarcon Alessandro , Peddireddy Nithin S. , Rutter Michael J. 
Published: April 2019

ObjectiveThis study documents the growth and course of repaired complete tracheal rings over time after slide tracheoplasty.Study DesignCase series with review.SettingTertiary pediatric academic medical center.Subjects/MethodsMedical records of pediatric patients with confirmed tracheal rings on bronchoscopy who underwent slide tracheoplasty between January 2001 and December 2015 were reviewed. Patients who had operative notes documenting tracheal sizing over time were included. Exclusion criteria included tracheal stenosis not caused by complete tracheal rings, surgical repair prior to presentation at our institution, or lack of adequate sizing information. The postoperative follow‐up was examined and airway growth over time documented.ResultsOf 197 slide tracheoplasties performed during the study time period, 139 were for complete tracheal rings, and 40 of those children met inclusion criteria. The median age at time of surgery was 7 months, and the median initial airway size was 3.9 mm (n = 34). The median growth postoperatively was 1.9 mm over a median follow‐up period of 57 months (0.42 mm/year), which is similar to growth rates of unrepaired complete tracheal rings (P =. 53). Children underwent a median of 10 postoperative endoscopies, with time between endoscopies increasing further out from surgery. The most commonly performed adjunctive procedure was balloon dilation.ConclusionsThis is the first study documenting continued growth of repaired complete tracheal rings after slide tracheoplasty. Postoperative endoscopic surveillance ensures adequate growth. Intervals between airway endoscopies can be increased as the child gets older, as the airway increases in size, and as long as symptoms are minimal.
Decision Making and End-of-Life Care in Critically Ill Children
Authors: Masri Christian , Farrell Catherine Ann , Lacroix Jacques , Rocker Graeme , Shemie Sam D. 
Published: April 2019

Objectives 1) To comment on the medical literature on decision making regarding end-of-life therapy, 2) to analyze the data on disagreement about such therapy, including palliative care, and withholding and withdrawal practices for critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and 3) to make some general recommendations. Data Sources and Study Selection All papers published in peer-reviewed journals, and all chapters on end-of-life therapy, or on conflict between parents and caregivers about end-of-life decisions in the PICU were retrieved. Results We found three case series, three systematic descriptive studies, two qualitative studies, four surveys, and many legal opinions, editorials, reviews, guidelines, and book chapters. The main determinants of end-of-life decisions are the child's age, premorbid cognitive condition and functional status, pain or discomfort, probability of survival, and quality of life. Risk factors in persistent conflict between parents and caregivers about end-of-life care include a grave underlying condition or an unexpected and severe event. Conclusion Making decisions about end-of-life care is a frequent event in the PICU. Children may need both intensive care and palliative care concurrently at different stages of their illness. Disagreements are more likely to be resolved if the root cause of the conflict is better understood.
Developing Palliative Care Surveillance in Canada: Results of a Pilot Study
Authors: Gaudette Leslie A. , Shi Fan , Lipskie Tammy , Allard Pierre , Fainsinger Robin L. , Maxwell David , Harlos Mike 
Published: April 2019

Objective A pilot study compiled data from six palliative care centres across Canada to assess the feasibility of developing a national surveillance system. Methods Data provided for the three-year period between 1993–1997 were combined into a comparative minimum data set. Analyses included 6,369 care episodes from five centres, plus 948 patients from one centre. Results Care was provided in various settings including acute care wards, dedicated palliative care units, tertiary care, chronic care, and at home. Palliative care patients comprised equal numbers of men and women, with a median age of 69 years; 92% had cancer diagnoses. Median length of stay (LOS) for each care episode was 13 days, increasing to 40–43 days for a patient's entire time in care. LOS varied greatly, by care setting, from seven days (dedicated unit), to 19 days (tertiary unit), 37 days (home), and 54 days (chronic care). Our findings are similar to those reported from national surveys in Australia and the United Kingdom. Summary This study generated useful baseline data and identified key issues requiring resolution before establishing a national surveillance system, including the need to track patients across care settings.
Are Supportive Services Meeting the Needs of Australians with Neurodegenerative Conditions and Their Families?
Authors: Kristjanson Linda J. , Aoun Samar M. , Yates Patsy 
Published: April 2019

Objective To identify the needs for supportive care/palliative care services of people in Australia with four neurodegenerative disorders—motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease—and the needs of their families; and to determine the extent to which existing supportive and palliative care services models meet these needs. Design A mailed self-administered questionnaire to individuals with the four neurodegenerative diseases and their carers, in Western Australia, Victoria, and Queensland, using stratified proportional sampling from membership lists of the disease associations. Participants A total of 503 patients and 373 carers responded, representing a response rate of 25.6% and 19.0%, respectively. Exclusion criteria included those who had been recently diagnosed, and those too sick or disabled to participate. Results As patient dependency increased and more support was needed, both patients and carers exhibited higher distress symptoms and a poorer quality of life. Those who received more tailored services and more palliative care services were the most satisfied. The results highlighted the need for tailored and flexible models of care for these groups with unique care requirements. Conclusions This is the first empirical evidence of the needs and services used by these patient groups in Australia, and will form the basis for future developments of palliative and supportive care services for people with these four neurological conditions.
Symptom Prevalence and Severity in People Severely Affected by Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Higginson Irene J. , Hart Sam , Silber Eli , Burman Rachel , Edmonds Polly 
Published: April 2019

Aim This study sought to assess symptom severity and prevalence in people severely affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods We collected data on symptoms and problems of patients as self-reported to trained interviewers on standardized questionnaires (including the Palliative Outcome Scale MS symptom checklist, POS-MSS). Results 52 patients were included, mean age 53 years; 26 had secondary progressive MS, 23 had primary progressive MS, three had other forms; 32/52 were unable to walk independently. Patients reported a mean of nine (median=8.5, mode=12) symptoms. Six symptoms affected more than 50% of patients: problems using legs, problems using arms, fatigue/lack of energy, spasms, pain, and feeling sleepy. Higher levels of disability were correlated with greater symptom severity for nine symptoms (Spearman rho ranged 0.28–0.56, p<0.05). Conclusion Many symptoms in people severely affected by MS are as highly prevalent and severe as those experienced by patients with advanced cancer. Increased disability is associated with increased severity for some symptoms.
Interlinkages Between USD–INR, EUR–INR, GBP–INR and JPY–INR Exchange Rate Markets and the Impact of RBI Intervention
Authors: Dua Pami , Suri Ritu 
Published: April 2019

This article examines interlinkages between four major exchange rates, namely, USD–INR, EUR–INR, GBP–INR and JPY–INR in terms of returns and volatility spillovers using a vector autoregressive-multivariate GARCH–BEKK framework. In addition, we analyse the impact of RBI intervention on the returns, volatility and covariance of these exchange rates. The study finds significant bidirectional causality-in-mean and causality-in-variance between all four exchange rates. The estimation results suggest that RBI intervention in the form of net purchase of dollars leads to depreciation of INR vis-à-vis USD, EUR, GBP and JPY. Furthermore, we find that RBI intervention not only significantly affects the volatility of INR vis-à-vis USD, EUR and GBP but also explains significant amount of covariance between USD–INR and the other three exchange rates. JEL Classification: C32, G15, E58, F31
Gambling among Swedish youth: Predictors and prevalence among 15- and 17-year-old students
Authors: Svensson Johan , Sundqvist Kristina 
Published: April 2019

Background: Gambling among adolescents is a growing public health concern in Sweden as in many other countries. Excessive gambling has been found to be associated with a wide range of negative consequences such as financial problems, strained relationships, criminal behaviour, depression, and an elevated risk for suicide. Research suggests a link between alcohol consumption and gambling, particularly among male gamblers. There are nevertheless gaps in the available knowledge pertaining to school-aged students in Sweden. Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate predictors of gambling and frequent gambling among Swedish students in Grade 9 and Grade 11 (ages 15 and 17 years). Data and method: Data on gambling and alcohol consumption were obtained from the Swedish Council on Information and Other Drugs yearly school surveys ( n = 4763) in Grade 9 and Grade 11 ( n = 3720). Poisson regression models have been applied to estimate the association between less frequent and frequent gambling with the predictors of gender, family and school satisfaction, school situation, and alcohol and drug use. Results: Gambling among Swedish students is a highly gendered activity: boys gamble more and more frequently than girls. Having consumed alcohol was associated with both less frequent and more frequent gambling among Grade 9 students while controlling for other variables. In Grade 9, heavy episodic drinking was only associated with less frequent gambling, not with frequent gambling. Among Grade 11 students, both alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking was associated with less frequent gambling but heavy episodic drinking was only associated with frequent gambling. Moreover, drug use was associated with less frequent gambling in Grade 11. Skipping classes was the only school factor that was found to be associated with less frequent gambling (Grade 11). Such factors as family satisfaction and two measurements of economic situation were not associated with gambling at all.
Applicability of ENCHANTED trial results to current acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for intravenous thrombolysis in England and Wales: Comparison with the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme registry
Authors: Robinson Thompson G , Bray Benjamin D , Paley Lizz , Sprigg Nikola , Wang Xia , Arima Hisatomi , Bath Philip M , Broderick Joseph P , Durham Alice C , Kim Jong S , Lavados Pablo M , Lee Tsong-Hai , Martins Sheila , Nguyen Thang H , Pandian Jeyaraj D , Parsons Mark W , Pontes-Neto Octavio M , Ricci Stefano , Sharma Vijay K , Wang Jiguang , Woodward Mark , Rudd Anthony G , Chalmers John , S Anderson Craig ,   for the ENCHANTED Investigators and the SSNAP Collaboration
Published: April 2019

Background Randomized controlled trials provide high-level evidence, but the necessity to include selected patients may limit the generalisability of their results. Methods Comparisons were made of baseline and outcome data between patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) recruited into the alteplase-dose arm of the international, multi-center, Enhanced Control of Hypertension and Thrombolysis Stroke study (ENCHANTED) in the United Kingdom (UK), and alteplase-treated AIS patients registered in the UK Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) registry, over the study period June 2012 to October 2015. Results There were 770 AIS patients (41.2% female; mean age 72 years) included in ENCHANTED at sites in England and Wales, which was 19.5% of alteplase-treated AIS patients registered in the SSNAP registry. Trial participants were significantly older, had lower baseline neurological severity, less likely Asian, and had more premorbid symptoms, hypertension and atrial fibrillation. Although ENCHANTED participants had higher rates of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage than those in SSNAP, there were no differences in onset-to-treatment time, levels of disability (assessed by the modified Rankin scale) at hospital discharge, and mortality over 90 days between groups. Conclusions Despite the high level of participation, equipoise over the dose of alteplase among UK clinician investigators favored the inclusion of older, frailer, milder AIS patients in the ENCHANTED trial. Clinical trial registration Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01422616
Efficacy results of a phase 2 trial of first-line idelalisib plus ofatumumab in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Lampson Benjamin L. , Kim Haesook T. , Davids Matthew S. , Abramson Jeremy S. , Freedman Arnold S. , Jacobson Caron A. , Armand Philippe A. , Joyce Robin M. , Arnason Jon E. , Rassenti Laura Z. , Kipps Thomas J. , Fein Joshua , Fernandes Stacey M. , Hanna John R. , Fisher David C. , Brown Jennifer R. 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
PI3 kinase (PI3K) activity is critical for survival of neoplastic B cells in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Blockade of PI3K signaling with idelalisib is effective for the treatment of relapsed CLL in combination with the anti-CD20 antibody ofatumumab. In this single-arm, open-label, nonrandomized phase 2 study, we investigated the efficacy and safety of idelalisib with ofatumumab in 27 patients with treatment-naïve CLL in need of therapy. Patients were planned to receive idelalisib for 2 monthly cycles, then idelalisib and ofatumumab for 6 cycles, followed by idelalisib indefinitely. The study was closed early and all patients ceased therapy when an increased rate of death as a result of infection was observed on other first-line idelalisib trials. Median time on therapy was 8.1 months, and median duration of follow-up was 39.7 months. We previously reported high rates of hepatotoxicity in a smaller cohort of patients in this trial; toxicities necessitated therapy discontinuation in 15 patients after a median of 7.7 months. The most frequent grade ≥3 adverse events were transaminitis (52% of patients), neutropenia (33%), and colitis/diarrhea (15%). The best overall response rate (ORR) was 88.9%, including 1 complete response. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 23 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 18-36 months); 11 patients have not yet required second-line therapy. Idelalisib and ofatumumab demonstrated an unacceptable safety profile in the first-line setting, which resulted in a short PFS despite a high ORR. Future development of PI3K inhibitors for use in treatment-naïve CLL will require novel approaches to mitigate toxicities. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02135133.
QuBiT: a quantitative tool for analyzing epithelial tubes reveals unexpected patterns of organization in the Drosophila trachea
Authors: Yang Ran , Li Eric , Kwon Yong-Jae , Mani Madhav , Beitel Greg J. 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
Biological tubes are essential for animal survival, and their functions are dependent on tube shape. Analyzing the contributions of cell shape and organization to the morphogenesis of small tubes has been hampered by the limitations of existing programs in quantifying cell geometry on highly curved tubular surfaces and calculating tube-specific parameters. We therefore developed QuBiT (Quantitative Tool for Biological Tubes) and used it to analyze morphogenesis of the embryonic Drosophila trachea (airway). In the main tube, we find previously unknown anterior-to-posterior (A-P) gradients of cell apical orientation and aspect ratio, and periodicity in the organization of apical cell surfaces. Inferred cell intercalation during development dampens an A-P gradient of the number of cells per cross-section of the tube, but does not change the patterns of cell connectivity. Computationally ‘unrolling’ the apical surface of wild-type trachea and the hindgut reveals previously unrecognized spatial patterns of the apical marker Uninflatable and a non-redundant role for the Na+/K+ ATPase in apical marker organization. These unexpected findings demonstrate the importance of a computational tool for analyzing small diameter biological tubes.
Paxillin-dependent regulation of apical-basal polarity in mammary gland morphogenesis
Authors: Xu Weiyi , Gulvady Anushree C. , Goreczny Gregory J. , Olson Eric C. , Turner Christopher E. 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
Establishing apical-basal epithelial cell polarity is fundamental for mammary gland duct morphogenesis during mammalian development. While the focal adhesion adapter protein paxillin is a well-characterized regulator of mesenchymal cell adhesion signaling, F-actin cytoskeleton remodeling and single cell migration, its role in epithelial tissue organization and mammary gland morphogenesis in vivo has not been investigated. Here, using a newly developed paxillin conditional knockout mouse model with targeted ablation in the mammary epithelium, in combination with ex vivo three-dimensional organoid and acini cultures, we identify new roles for paxillin in the establishment of apical-basal epithelial cell polarity and lumen formation, as well as mammary gland duct diameter and branching. Paxillin is shown to be required for the integrity and apical positioning of the Golgi network, Par complex and the Rab11/MyoVb trafficking machinery. Paxillin depletion also resulted in reduced levels of apical acetylated microtubules, and rescue experiments with the HDAC6 inhibitor tubacin highlight the central role for paxillin-dependent regulation of HDAC6 activity and associated microtubule acetylation in controlling epithelial cell apical-basal polarity and tissue branching morphogenesis.
Modeling congenital kidney diseases in Xenopus laevis
Authors: Blackburn Alexandria T. M. , Miller Rachel K. 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) occur in ∼1/500 live births and are a leading cause of pediatric kidney failure. With an average wait time of 3-5 years for a kidney transplant, the need is high for the development of new strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of CAKUT and preserving renal function. Next-generation sequencing has uncovered a significant number of putative causal genes, but a simple and efficient model system to examine the function of CAKUT genes is needed. Xenopus laevis (frog) embryos are well-suited to model congenital kidney diseases and to explore the mechanisms that cause these developmental defects. Xenopus has many advantages for studying the kidney: the embryos develop externally and are easily manipulated with microinjections, they have a functional kidney in ∼2 days, and 79% of identified human disease genes have a verified ortholog in Xenopus. This facilitates high-throughput screening of candidate CAKUT-causing genes. In this Review, we present the similarities between Xenopus and mammalian kidneys, highlight studies of CAKUT-causing genes in Xenopus and describe how common kidney diseases have been modeled successfully in this model organism. Additionally, we discuss several molecular pathways associated with kidney disease that have been studied in Xenopus and demonstrate why it is a useful model for studying human kidney diseases.
Sexual dimorphism, estrous cycle and laterality determine the intrinsic and synaptic properties of medial amygdala neurons in rat
Authors: Dalpian Francine , Rasia-Filho Alberto A. , Calcagnotto Maria Elisa 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is a sex steroid-sensitive area that modulates different social behavior by relaying chemosensorial information to hypothalamic nuclei. However, little is known about MePD cell type diversity and functional connectivity. Here, we have characterized neurons and synaptic inputs in the right and left MePD of adult male and cycling female (in diestrus, proestrus or estrus) rats. Based on their electrophysiological properties and morphology, we found two coexisting subpopulations of spiny neurons that are sexually dimorphic. They were classified as Class I (predominantly bitufted-shaped neurons showing irregular spikes with frequency adaptation) or Class II (predominantly stellate-shaped neurons showing full spike frequency adaptation). Furthermore, excitatory and inhibitory inputs onto MePD cells were modulated by sex, estrous cycle and hemispheric lateralization. In the left MePD, there was an overall increase in the excitatory input to neurons of males compared to cycling females. However, in proestrus, the MePD neurons received mainly inhibitory inputs. Our findings indicate the existence of hemispheric lateralization, estrous cycle and sexual dimorphism influences at cellular and synaptic levels in the adult rat MePD.
Book Reviews
Authors: Bolton Alexandra , Tichy Amy 
Published: April 2019

Creating Healing School Communities: School-Based Interventions for Students Exposed to Trauma, Catherine DeCarlo Santiago, Tali Ravi and Lisa H. Jaycox (2018) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 132 pp., ISBN-13 978-1-43382-862-1, p/bk, $44.95
A Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Children and Adolescents with Developmental Trauma, Karen Treisman (2017) London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 424pp., ISBN 978-1-78592-263-3, h/bk, $39.95; ISBN 978-1-78450-553-0, e/bk, $39.95