bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
D-dimer from central and peripheral blood samples in asymptomatic central venous catheter-related thrombosis in patients with cancer
Authors: Nañez-Terreros Homero , Jaime-Perez Jose C , Muñoz-Espinoza Linda E , Camara-Lemaroy Carlos R , Ornelas-Cortinas Gerardo E , Ramos-Dena Ricardo D , Gonzalez-Guerrero Juan F , Nangullasmu-Plasencia Tomas , Gonzalez-Escamilla Moises , Chipuli-Lopez Osvaldo 
Published: April 2018

Objectives To evaluate the usefulness of a negative D-dimer in peripheral or central venous blood to screen for asymptomatic catheter-related thrombosis in cancer patients. Methods D-dimer was measured in blood from central venous catheter and peripheral venous samples in 48 patients with cancer. Asymptomatic catheter-related thrombosis was identified via Doppler ultrasound. Bland and Altman’s limits of agreement analysis was used to compare sample sites. Sensitivity and specificity of D-dimer was calculated. Results Overall, 33 of the central samples and 32 of the peripheral samples had D-dimer levels below the cutoff (≥0.3 mg/l). Mean central D-dimer was 0.31 ± 0.35 mg/l; peripheral 0.24 ± 0.22 mg/l (p = 0.5). Bland–Altman plot showed that the two sample sites were not equivalent. Catheter-related thrombosis was demonstrated in five patients, and there were three false negatives. Peripheral D-dimer had a negative predictive value of 90.9%. Conclusions A negative D-dimer may be useful for screening asymptomatic catheter-related thrombosis in patients with cancer, but the central and peripheral sample sites are not equivalent.
Prevalence and determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour before and up to 12 months after total knee replacement: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Hodges Alison , Harmer Alison R , Dennis Sarah , Nairn Lillias , March Lyn , Crawford Ross , Parker David , Fransen Marlene 
Published: April 2018

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and determinants of inadequate physical activity and excessive sedentary behaviour before and after total knee replacement.Design, setting and subjects:Secondary analysis was performed on data from a cohort of 422 adults (45–74 years), drawn from 12 public or private hospitals, undergoing primary unilateral or bilateral total knee replacement surgery.Main measures:Questionnaires were used to determine the presence of inadequate physical activity and excessive sedentary behaviour before and 6  and 12 months after total knee replacement surgery. Knee pain, activity limitations, comorbidities, muscle strength, psychological well-being, fatigue, sleep and body mass index were measured/assessed as possible determinants of physical activity or sedentary behaviour.Results:Before surgery, 77% ( n = 326) of the cohort participated in inadequate physical activity according to World Health Organization guidelines, and 60% ( n = 253) engaged in excessive sedentary behaviour. Twelve months after surgery, 53% ( n = 185) of the cohort engaged in inadequate physical activity and 45% ( n = 157) in excessive sedentary behaviour. Inadequate physical activity before surgery ( P = 0.02), obesity ( P = 0.07) and comorbidity score >6 ( P = 0.04) predicted inadequate physical activity 12 months after surgery. Excessive sedentary behaviour and activity limitations before surgery predicted excessive sedentary behaviour 12 months after surgery.Conclusion:Although there were improvements after total knee replacement, 12 months after surgery about half the cohort did not meet World Health Organization recommendations for activity. Pre-surgery assessment of physical activity, activity limitations, sedentary behaviour and body mass index is essential to identify patients at risk for long-term inactivity.
The need for a patient-tailored Helicobacter pylori eradication protocol prior to bariatric surgery
Authors: Pintar Tadeja , Kaliterna Niko , Carli Tanja 
Published: April 2018

Objective High-quality data indicating the advantages of preoperative Helicobacter pylori screening and eradication as well the clinical outcomes of patients with and without H. pylori after bariatric surgery are lacking. Methods In total, 96 morbidly obese patients with H. pylori preparing for bariatric surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Results Of 96 biopsy specimens, 73 (76%) were positive for H. pylori on initial Giemsa staining. These patients were treated with the standard 7-day antibiotic treatment protocol corrected by the individual patient’s creatinine clearance rate and body mass index and received a 30% higher dose because of their H. pylori positivity. A linear correlation was found between the effective antibiotic dose and the BMI with a recurrence rate of only 2.1% (2/96 patients). The preoperative percent estimated weight loss before surgery (17%) and in the first year of follow-up (68%–88%) was statistically equal between H. pylori-positive and -negative patients. Two early postoperative infectious complications and two postoperative surgical complications occurred in the preoperatively H. pylori-positive patients. Conclusions A patient-tailored H. pylori eradication protocol prior to bariatric surgery is mandatory to improve the eradication rate and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications in mostly asymptomatic H. pylori-positive bariatric candidates.
Child’s quality of life and mother’s burden in spastic cerebral palsy: a topographical classification perspective
Authors: Ozkan Yasemin 
Published: April 2018

Objective To evaluate the child’s quality of life (QoL), mother’s burden, and correlation between these parameters in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Methods Children with spastic CP (n = 120; mean age: 8.64 ± 3.45 years; range: 2–17 years) were classified into three groups of diplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia based on topographical classification. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and Zarit Burden Interview were used to determine the child’s QoL and the mother’s burden scores, respectively. Results Children’s QoL scores were lower in the quadriplegia group than in the hemiplegia and diplegia groups (except for emotional functioning). The mother’s burden was lower in the quadriplegia group than in the other groups, and it was lower in the diplegia group than in the hemiplegia group. Increases in children’s QoL scores were associated with decreases in the mothers’ burden scores. Conclusion Children’s QoL is associated with the mother’s burden in spastic CP, and quadriplegic children and their mothers are more affected. The burden of mothers ranked the highest in the quadriplegia group, followed by the diplegia group and the hemiplegia group. Topographical classification is a good indicator for children’s QoL and the mother’s burden in spastic CP.
E2F1 genetic variants and risk of cervical cancer in Indian women
Authors: Singh Sanjay , Gupta Manish , Seam Rajeev Kumar , Changotra Harish 
Published: April 2018

Introduction: Altered expression of many E2F family members have been reported in various human cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs3213172 C/T, rs3213173 C/T, and rs3213176 G/A) of the gene E2F1 with cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 181 samples including 90 cervical cancer patients and 91 healthy controls were genotyped. The genotype frequencies of these polymorphisms in collected samples were determined by either PCR-RFLP or PCR-ARFLP methods. SHEsis software was used to analyze the haplotypes. Results: Statistically significant differences in the alleles and the genotypes frequencies were observed in rs3213172 (C/T) and rs3213173 (C/T) polymorphisms. The rs3213172 (C/T) polymorphism was a risk factor for cervical cancer in dominant model (odds ratio (OR) 1.96; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07, 3.60; P = 0.02) and heterozygous model (OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.01, 3.57; P = 0.04). The rs3213173 (C/T) polymorphism increased the risk of cervical cancer in the homozygous model (OR 2.71; 95% CI 1.11, 6.58; P = 0.02). The rs3213176 (G/A) polymorphism was not associated with cervical cancer risk in any of the genotypic models. In the haplotypes analysis, three haplotypes (CTG, TCG, and TTA) were associated with the cervical cancer risk. Conclusions: These findings revealed that rs3213172 (C/T) and rs3213173 (C/T) polymorphisms and haplotypes (CTG, TCG, and TTA) of the E2F1 gene might play role in the susceptibility of cervical cancer. This is the first report showing an association of these polymorphisms with the cervical cancer risk.
Balloon Kyphoplasty in the Treatment of Neoplastic Spine Lesions: A Systematic Review
Authors: Astur Nelson , Avanzi Osmar 
Published: April 2018

Study Design: Systematic review. Objectives: To assess the efficacy of kyphoplasty in controlling pain and improving quality of life in oncologic patients with metastatic spinal disease and pathologic compression fractures of the spine. Methods: A literature search through medical database was conducted (using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and LILACS) for randomized controlled trials comparing balloon kyphoplasty versus the traditional treatment for compression fractures of the spine due to metastatic disease. Two investigators independently assessed all titles and abstracts to select potential articles to be included. Inclusion criteria consisted of randomized controlled trials involving patients with pathologic compression fractures due to spinal metastasis or multiple myeloma treated with balloon kyphoplasty procedure as one of the study interventions, while the control group was any other treatment modality. The risk of bias in individual studies was assessed. Results: Two studies, with a combined total of 181 patients, met inclusion criteria. Because of data heterogeneity, the meta-analysis was not possible, and individual analysis of studies was performed. There is moderate evidence that patients treated with balloon kyphoplasty displayed better scores for pain (Numeric Rating Scale), disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire), quality of life (Short Form–36 Health Survey), and functional status (Karnofsky Performance Status) compared with those undergoing the conventional treatment. Patients treated with kyphoplasty also have better recovery of vertebral height. Conclusions: This study concluded that balloon kyphoplasty could be considered as an early treatment option for patients with symptomatic neoplastic spinal disease, although further randomized clinical trials should be performed for improvement of the quality of evidence.
Clinical Outcomes After Four-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
Authors: Kreitz Tyler M. , Hollern Douglas A. , Padegimas Eric M. , Schroeder Gregory D. , Kepler Christopher K. , Vaccaro Alexander R. , Hilibrand Alan S. 
Published: April 2018

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Objectives: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) demonstrates reliable improvement in neurologic symptoms associated with anterior compression of the cervical spine. There is a paucity of data on outcomes following 4-level ACDFs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes for patients undergoing 4-level ACDF. Methods: All 4-level ACDFs with at least 1-year clinical follow-up were identified. Clinical outcomes, including fusion rates, neurologic outcomes, and reoperation rates were determined. Results: Retrospective review of our institutional database revealed 25 patients who underwent 4-level ACDF with at least 1-year clinical follow-up. Average age was 57.5 years (range 38.2-75.0 years); 14 (56%) were male, and average body mass index was 30.2 kg/m2 (range 19.9-43.4 kg/m2). Two (8%) required secondary cervical surgery at an average of 94.5 days postoperatively while the remaining 23 did not with an average follow-up of 19 months. Of 23 patients not requiring revision surgery, 16 (69%) patients fused by definition of less than 1 mm of spinous process motion per fused level in flexion and extension. Fifteen (65%) had at least one muscle group with one grade of weakness preoperatively. Nineteen of these patients (83%) had improved to full strength while no patients lost muscle strength. Conclusions: Review of our institution’s experience demonstrated a low rate of revision cervical surgery for any reason of 8% at mean 19 months follow-up, and neurological examinations consistently improved, despite a high rate of radiographic nonunion (31%).
Novel role of prostate apoptosis response-4 tumor suppressor in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: McKenna Mary K. , Noothi Sunil K. , Alhakeem Sara S. , Oben Karine Z. , Greene Joseph T. , Mani Rajeswaran , Perry Kathryn L. , Collard James P. , Rivas Jacqueline R. , Hildebrandt Gerhard C. , Fleischman Roger A. , Durbin Eric B. , Byrd John C. , Wang Chi , Muthusamy Natarajan , Rangnekar Vivek M. , Bondada Subbarao 
Published: April 2018

Key Points
CLL cells overexpress a well-defined tumor suppressor Par-4, which promotes malignant B-CLL growth and is regulated through BCR signaling. Robust regulation of cell-cycle modulator p21/WAF1 by Par-4 in CLL cells.
The neuropsychiatry of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ron Maria A. 
Published: April 2018

SUMMARYMultiple sclerosis (MS), an immune-mediated demyelinating condition, is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in the UK. It has a high psychiatric comorbidity and over half of patients have some degree of cognitive impairment that adds to the burden of disability. This article reviews the psychiatric and cognitive manifestations of MS and their detection and treatment. Recent advances in the treatment of the disease are briefly reviewed and the impact of disease-modifying therapies on psychiatric morbidity and cognitive impairment is discussed.LEARNING OBJECTIVES•Understand the psychiatric morbidity in MS and its biological counterparts•Understand the cognitive impairment and its biological counterparts•Become familiar with the detection and treatment of the psychiatric and cognitive manifestations of MSDECLARATION OF INTERESTNone.
Clozapine use in old age psychiatry
Authors: Kirrane Amey , Majumdar Biswadeep , Richman Anna 
Published: April 2018

SUMMARYClozapine is one of the most effective drugs available to psychiatrists for treating psychosis. It is currently licensed for use in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and psychosis in Parkinson's disease, but its use in old age psychiatry is very uncommon. With the ageing population, and the increased incidence of psychosis in older patients, it is important to consider whether this is a drug that is not being used to its full advantage.LEARNING OBJECTIVES•Appreciate the differences in titration and monitoring of clozapine in older adults, compared with working-age adults•Consider the efficacy of clozapine in older people and its impact on mortality•Understand the side-effect profile of clozapine in older adultsDECLARATION OF INTERESTNone.
Do patterns of synaptic pruning underlie psychoses, autism and ADHD?
Authors: de Silva Prasanna N. 
Published: April 2018

SUMMARYThis review of available longitudinal structural imaging and immunological findings in first-onset schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism suggests that different patterns of synaptic pruning lead to various phenotypes. Proposals for future research strategies to try to replicate these findings are suggested, potential biomarkers to assist in diagnosis and determining the optimum duration of maintenance treatment are considered and ideas of potential immunotherapy augmentation are outlined.LEARNING OBJECTIVES•Understand the immunological basis of synaptic pruning•Comprehend the available research on longitudinal brain imaging•Be aware of future immunological therapeutic strategies in psychosis, ADHD and autismDECLARATION OF INTERESTNone.
Association of Neuraxial Anesthesia With Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism After Noncardiac Surgery: A Propensity-Matched Analysis of ACS-NSQIP Database
Authors: Turan Alparslan , Bajracharya Gausan R. , Leung Steve , Yazici Kara Merve , Mao Guangmei , Botsford Thomas , Ruetzler Kurt , Maheshwari Kamal , Ali Sakr Esa Wael , Elsharkawy Hesham , Sessler Daniel I. 
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND:
Neuraxial anesthesia improves components of the Virchow’s triad (hypercoagulability, venous stasis, and endothelial injury) which are key pathogenic contributors to venous thrombosis in surgical patients. However, whether neuraxial anesthesia reduces the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) remain unclear. We therefore tested the primary hypothesis that neuraxial anesthesia reduces the incidence of 30-day VTE in adults recovering from orthopedic surgery. Secondarily, we tested the hypotheses that neuraxial anesthesia reduces 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality, and the duration of postoperative hospitalization.

METHODS:
Inpatient orthopedic surgeries from American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2011–2015) in adults lasting more than 1 hour with either neuraxial or general anesthesia were included. Groups were matched 1:1 by propensity score matching for appropriate confounders. Logistic regression model was used to assess the effect of neuraxial anesthesia on 30-day VTE, 30-day mortality, and readmission, while Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to assess its effect on length of stay.

RESULTS:
Neuraxial anesthesia decreased odds of 30-day VTE (odds ratio 0.85, 95% confidence interval, 0.78–0.95; P = .002) corresponding to number-needed-to-treat of 500. Although there was no difference in 30-day mortality, neuraxial anesthesia reduced 30-day readmission (odds ratio 0.90, 98.3% confidence interval, 0.85–0.95; P < .001) corresponding to number-needed-to-treat of 250 and had a shortened hospitalization (2.87 vs 3.11; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:
Neuraxial anesthesia appears to provide only weak VTE prophylaxis, but can be offered as an adjuvant to current thromboprophylaxis in high-risk patients.
Aquatic–terrestrial transitions of feeding systems in vertebrates: a mechanical perspective
Authors: Heiss Egon , Aerts Peter , Van Wassenbergh Sam 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACTTransitions to terrestrial environments confront ancestrally aquatic animals with several mechanical and physiological problems owing to the different physical properties of water and air. As aquatic feeders generally make use of flows of water relative to the head to capture, transport and swallow food, it follows that morphological and behavioral changes were inevitably needed for the aquatic animals to successfully perform these functions on land. Here, we summarize the mechanical requirements of successful aquatic-to-terrestrial transitions in food capture, transport and swallowing by vertebrates and review how different taxa managed to fulfill these requirements. Amphibious ray-finned fishes show a variety of strategies to stably lift the anterior trunk, as well as to grab ground-based food with their jaws. However, they still need to return to the water for the intra-oral transport and swallowing process. Using the same mechanical perspective, the potential capabilities of some of the earliest tetrapods to perform terrestrial feeding are evaluated. Within tetrapods, the appearance of a mobile neck and a muscular and movable tongue can safely be regarded as key factors in the colonization of land away from amphibious habitats. Comparative studies on taxa including salamanders, which change from aquatic feeders as larvae to terrestrial feeders as adults, illustrate remodeling patterns in the hyobranchial system that can be linked to its drastic change in function during feeding. Yet, the precise evolutionary history in form and function of the hyolingual system leading to the origin(s) of a muscular and adhesive tongue remains unknown.
Controlling vs. Enabling
Authors: Hagiu Andrei , Wright Julian 
Published: April 2018

How does a firm decide whether to employ professionals and control how they deliver services to clients, or to operate as a platform enabling independent professionals to provide services directly to clients? Similarly, how does a manufacturer decide whether to allow sales agents to choose certain costly actions (e.g., kickbacks to clients) or to take control of these actions itself? We answer this question using a principal–agent framework in which both the principal and the agent must be incentivized to carry out investments (or effort) that increase the revenue they jointly create. Our theory explains when the principal should take control over a particular decision (“control”) or should instead allow the agent to make the decision (“enable”). It does so both for the case when there are multiple such transferable decisions for a single agent, and for the case when there are many agents and one transferable decision for each. We also consider the possibility of cost asymmetries between the principal and the agent, spillovers across agents, and the misclassification of the principal as an employer even though agents are allocated the relevant control rights. Finally, we explain how the “control versus enable” choice and its associated trade-offs differ from the classic “make versus buy” choice. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2956 . This paper was accepted by Joshua Gans, business strategy.
Enhancing critical thinking through active learning
Authors: Kusumoto Yoko 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
Today the Framework for 21st Century Learning developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) is widely recognized and has been used in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. P21 defines and illustrates the skills and knowledge students need and states that critical thinking is fundamental for twenty-first century success and essential for success in an academic context. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also values the importance of cultivating critical thinking. However, critical thinking is not a part of the EFL curriculum in Japan, and lessons are not focused on the development of meta-cognitive strategies. How do we help students learn foreign languages and twenty-first Century Skills at the same time? Active learning and content and language integrated learning (CLIL) offer such a learning environment where learners enhance their cognitive skills and gain knowledge while they are learning content and language. This paper reports on a study that explores how active learning with CLIL instruction helps Japanese EFL learners to develop critical thinking skills. In the author’s student-centered instruction based class, critical thinking was stimulated with questions based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy to develop lower and higher order thinking skills while various scaffolding activities were provided. Pretest-posttest results from the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS) and the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) Level Z were compared to determine to what extent, if any, EFL learners developed critical thinking disposition and skills through active learning in CLIL classes. The results of the CTDS and CCTT suggest that active learning has value for increasing critical thinking.