bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Insole Geometry and Deformity by Using a Three-Dimensional Image Processing Technique: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Yick Kit-lun , Lo Wai-ting , Ng Sun-pui , Yip Joanne , Kwan Hung-hei , Kwong Yan-yee , Cheng Fai-chun 
Published: May 2019

Background:
Accurate representation of the insole geometry is crucial for the development and performance evaluation of foot orthoses designed to redistribute plantar pressure, especially for diabetic patients.

Methods:
Considering the limitations in the type of equipment and space available in clinical practices, this study adopted a simple portable three-dimensional (3-D) desktop scanner to evaluate the 3-D geometry of an orthotic insole and the corresponding deformities after the insole has been worn. The shape of the insole structure along horizontal cross sections is defined with 3-D scanning and image processing. Accompanied by an in-shoe pressure measurement system, plantar pressure distribution in four foot regions (hallux, metatarsal heads, midfoot, and heel) is analyzed and evaluated for insole deformity.

Results:
Insole deformities are quantified across the four foot regions. The hallux region tends to show the greatest changes in shape geometry (17%–50%) compared with the other foot regions after 2 months of insole wear. As a result of insole deformities, plantar peak pressures change considerably (–4.3% to +69.5%) during the course of treatment.

Conclusions:
Changes in shape geometry of the insoles could be objectively quantified with 3-D scanning techniques and image processing. This investigation finds that, in general, the design of orthotic insoles may not be adequate for diabetic individuals with similar foot problems. The drastic changes in the insole shape geometry and cross-sectional areas during orthotic treatment may reduce insole fit and conformity. An inadequate insole design may also affect plantar pressure reduction. The approach proposed herein, therefore, allows for objective quantification of insole shape geometry, which results in effective and optimal orthotic treatment.
Risk Factors for Below-the-Knee Amputation in Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis After Minor Amputation
Authors: Miller Whitney , Berg Chrystal , Wilson Michael L. , Heard Susan , Knepper Bryan , Young Heather 
Published: May 2019

Background:
Below-the-knee amputation (BKA) can be a detrimental outcome of diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO). Ideal treatment of DFO is controversial, but studies suggest minor amputation reduces the risk of BKA. We evaluated risk factors for BKA after minor amputation for DFO.

Methods:
This is a retrospective cohort of patients discharged from Denver Health Medical Center from February 1, 2012, through December 31, 2014. Patients who underwent minor amputation for diagnosis of DFO were eligible for inclusion. The outcome evaluated was BKA in the 6 months after minor amputation.

Results:
Of 153 episodes with DFO that met the study criteria, 11 (7%) had BKA. Failure to heal surgical incision at 3 months (P < .001) and transmetatarsal amputation (P = .009) were associated with BKA in the 6 months after minor amputation. Peripheral vascular disease was associated with failure to heal but not with BKA (P = .009). Severe infection, bacteremia, hemoglobin A1c, and positive histopathologic margins of bone and soft tissue were not associated with BKA. The median antibiotic duration was 42 days for positive histopathologic bone resection margin (interquartile range, 32–47 days) and 16 days for negative margin (interquartile range, 8–29 days). Longer duration of antibiotics was not associated with lower risk of BKA.

Conclusions:
Patients who fail to heal amputation sites in 3 months or who have transmetatarsal amputation are at increased risk for BKA. Future studies should evaluate the impact of aggressive wound care or whether failure to heal is a marker of another variable.
Levamisole-Induced Vasculitis in the Lower Extremities: A Case Report
Authors: Nguyen Vi , Dalal Deepal , Razzante Mark 
Published: May 2019

Background:
Since 2006 there have been increased reports of severe agranulocytosis and vasculitis associated with levamisole use. Historically, levamisole was an immunomodulatory agent used in various cancer treatments in the United States. Currently the drug is used as an antihelminthic veterinary medication, but it is also used as an additive in freebase cocaine. There are multiple reports of levamisole-induced vasculitis in the head and neck but limited reported cases in the lower extremities. This article describes a 60-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with multiple painful lower-extremity ulcerations.

Results:
Radiographs, laboratory studies, and punch biopsy were performed. Physical examination findings and laboratory results were negative for signs of infection. Treatment included local wound care and education on cocaine cessation, and the patient was transferred to a skilled nursing facility. Her continued use of cocaine, however, prevented her ulcers from healing.

Conclusions:
Local wound care and cocaine cessation is the optimal treatment for levamisole-induced lesions. With the increase in the number of patients with levamisole-induced vasculitis, podiatric physicians and surgeons would benefit from the immediate identification of these ulcerations, as their appearance alone can be distinct and pathognomonic. Early identification of levamisole-induced ulcers is important for favorable treatment outcomes. A complete medical and social history is necessary for physicians to treat these lesions with local wound care and provide therapy for patients with addictions.
Bone Mineral Density Among Men and Women Aged 35 to 50 Years
Authors: Bass Martha A. , Sharma Ankita , Nahar Vinayak K. , Chelf Stacy , Zeller Brittany , Pham Linda , Allison Ford M. 
Published: May 2019

Abstract

Context
Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and has been thought to only be a major health concern for postmenopausal women. However, osteoporosis and its risk factors have been greatly understudied in the middle-aged and male populations.

Objective
To assess the likelihood of low BMD and its association with related risk factors in early–middle-aged (defined in this study as 35-50 years) men and women.

Methods
Eligible men and women completed a questionnaire assessing calcium intake, hours per week of exercise, and other related risk factors associated with osteoporosis and osteopenia. The primary outcome variable, BMD, was attained using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans taken at the femoral neck, trochanter, intertrochanteric crest, total femur, and lumbar spine.

Results
Of the 173 participants in this study, 23 men (28%) and 24 women (26%) had osteopenia at the femoral neck. In men, there was a significant and negative correlation between exercise and femoral neck BMD (r=−0.296, P=.01). In women, correlation analyses showed significant positive correlations between exercise and BMD of the trochanter (r=0.329, P=.003), intertrochanteric crest (r=0.285, P=.01), total femur (r=0.30, P=.01), and lumbar spine (r=0.29, P=.01).

Conclusions
Osteopenia was found in more than 25% of both male and female participants, which suggests that more osteoporosis screening and prevention programs need to be targeted to persons in the studied age group because osteopenia can lead to osteoporosis.
Relationship Between Elevated Automatic Blood Pressure Readings and Manual Blood Pressure Readings in Adult Patients With Normal and High Body Mass Index
Authors: Hussain Munif M. , Solomon Ian E. , Pazdernik Vanessa , Bandarpalle Sushant , Navarro Isaac , Shneyder Tanya , LeBeau Lawrence 
Published: May 2019

Abstract

Context
Discrepancies in ambulatory blood mercury sphygmomanometers pressure readings exist between automated blood pressure machines and manual mercury sphygmomanometers. For patients with elevated blood pressure, consistent blood pressure readings between these methods are important across all body mass index (BMI) levels.

Objective
To determine the relationship between automated and manual blood pressure readings and the effect of BMI in patients with an elevated automated blood pressure reading.

Methods
Automated and manual blood pressure readings (using the same arm) were collected from July 2014 to December 2016 across community-oriented primary care clinics in New York City for a retrospective medical record review. Automated systolic blood pressure (SBP) readings greater than 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) readings greater than 90 mm Hg were qualifying criteria for a manual blood pressure assessment. The difference in automated blood pressure readings relative to a manual blood pressure reading was assessed overall and for any relationship with BMI using linear regression and analysis of variance.

Results
Data from 281 patients (166 [59%] women, 115 [41%] men; mean [SD] age of 57 [12.6] years) were assessed. For SBP, automated readings had an overall mean that was 8.0% greater than manual readings (P<.001). This relative difference decreased linearly by 2.7 points (95% CI, 1.0-4.4) for each 10-unit increase in BMI (P=.002). For DBP, automated readings had an overall mean that was 4.5% greater than manual readings (P<.001). This relative difference followed a quadratic relationship with BMI (P=.01), where the downward curve peaked at 6.6% (95% CI, 4.5-8.7) for a BMI of 35. When BMI was grouped into 4 categories, (normal weight, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese), morbidly obese patients had a smaller mean percentage SBP difference (4.3% [95% CI, 1.5-7.1]) compared with the other 3 categories (8.6% [95% CI, 7.2-9.9], P=.007). No relative differences between automated and manual methods for DBP were found among the BMI categories (P=.11).

Conclusions
The current study found significant differences between automated and manual blood pressure readings. The relationship of these differences with BMI was also statistically significant, but their clinical significance remains inconclusive. Because manual blood pressure readings may have clinical value when evaluating or treating a patient with elevated blood pressure, better adherence to proper technique may improve accuracy.
Dermoscopy: A Review of the Structures That Facilitate Melanoma Detection
Authors: Marghoob Nadeem G. , Liopyris Konstantinos , Jaimes Natalia 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Melanoma is currently the fifth most common cancer in the United States, resulting in more than 9000 deaths each year. Despite numerous improvements in the management of advanced melanoma, the cornerstone to ensuring a cure remains early detection. Both patient and physician awareness regarding the signs and symptoms of early melanoma remain paramount. As a result, much effort has been and continues to be expended in developing and refining effective diagnostic algorithms to help identify melanomas and differentiate them from nevi, such as the ABCDE rule (A for asymmetry, B for border irregularity, C for color variegation, D for diameter >6 mm, and E for evolution in lesion size, shape, or color). To assist in the detection of more subtle melanomas requires technology to augment a visual examination. Toward this end, a simple instrument called a dermatoscope has transformed not only the appreciation of the morphology of melanoma but also its growth dynamics. The discipline of dermoscopy has improved the detection of melanoma and other skin cancers, has resulted in the detection of thinner melanomas, and has helped improve the ability to differentiate nevi (benign lesions) from melanomas, which, in turn, has resulted in fewer biopsies of benign lesions. Since patients often first present to their primary care physicians for their health-related concerns, it is imperative that primary care physicians be able to recognize the lesions that are suspicious for melanoma. This review is intended to introduce osteopathic physicians to the dermoscopic features associated primarily with melanomas located on nonglabrous skin.
Integrating Osteopathic Philosophy in Cancer Care
Authors: Brown Zachary J. , Martin Sean P. , Carman Robert 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Recent breakthroughs in the fields of genomics and biology have resulted in a better understanding of diseases and their underlying biology. New targeted and immune-based therapies take advantage of these new discoveries to treat the patient individually. This scientific revolution toward personalized medicine reflects osteopathic medicine's emphasis on patient-centered care and its tenets, which go against the “one-size-fits-all” approach. The authors discuss the importance of applying osteopathic philosophy to the delivery of patient-directed cancer care revolutionized by scientific advances.
The Predictive Influence of Demographic and Personality Traits on Risky Driving Behaviour among Traffic Offenders in Osun State, Nigeria
Authors: Akinniyi R. J. , Akinnawo E. O. , Akpunne B. C. , Oyeleke J. T. 
Published: May 2019

Aim: Accidents are a common phenomenon on Nigerian roads and are attributed to individual, environmental and contextual factors such as excessive speeding, disobeying traffic laws, aggressive driving among others. This study investigated the predictive influence of demographic and personality traits on risky driving behaviour among traffic offenders in Osun state, Nigeria.
Study Design: Cross-sectional survey design.
Place of Study: Federal Road Safety Commission office and Redeemer’s University Osun State, South western Nigeria.
Methodology: Two hundred and eighty three (283) traffic offenders were selected through systematic sampling technique from the population of traffic offenders docked by Traffic offenders Tribunal and formally screened using Driving Behaviour Survey (DBS) and Big-five Personality Inventory (BFI). Descriptive and inferential statistics was used for data analysis.
Results: Personality traits jointly predicted risky driving behaviour. Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience significantly independently predicted driving. Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experiences jointly predicted anxiety based performance, exaggerated safety caution behaviour, and hostile aggressive behaviour. Demographics variable were observed to be weak predictors of risky driving behaviour among the traffic offenders.
Conclusion: There was high incidence of risky driving behavior among traffic offenders; extraversion, agreeableness conscientiousness and openness to experience were factors predicting risky driving behavior. The study recommends psychological assessment for traffic offenders and applicants of driver’s license.
Group B Streptococcus Colonization in Pregnancy: Prevalence, Determinants and Antibacterial Susceptibility Pattern in Sagamu, Nigeria
Authors: Akadri Adebayo A. , Osuolale Bamidele D. , Shorunmu Tessie O. , Odelola Oluwaseyi I. 
Published: May 2019

Aims: To establish the prevalence, determinants and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Group B streptococcus in pregnant women in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Study Design: Prospective cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the antenatal clinic at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria, between July 2017 and December 2017.
Methodology: The study involved 184 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic. Lower vaginal and rectal swabs were collected under aseptic condition and immediately sent to the laboratory for processing. The samples were assayed for the presence of group B streptococcus using conventional methods. Information on the socio demographic characteristics and details of delivery were recorded on a data capture sheet.
Results: The prevalence of Group B streptococcus was 27.7%. The odds of Group B streptococcus colonization was significantly higher among women of low parity (≤ 2) and binary logistic regression analysis showed that parity was predictive of Group B streptococcus colonization (OR 3.7; 95% CI = 1.03-13.46; P=.045). Younger women (age ≤ 30 years) and women carrying term pregnancies had a non significant trend towards higher odds of Group B streptococcus colonization [(OR= 1.22, 95% CI: 0.6-2.3, P = .54) and (OR=1.6, CI: 0.8-3.2; P = .15) respectively]. The resistance of group B streptococcus isolates to penicillin and ampicillin was 39.2% and 37.3% respectively.
Conclusion: The group B streptococcus colonization rate in this study is high. Factors such as low parity, young maternal age and term pregnancies are associated with increased odds of colonization. The emergence of resistance to the commonly prescribed antibiotics calls for re-evaluation of the current recommendations regarding the antibiotics prophylaxis.
Physiological Quality of Cowpea Beans (Vigna unguiculata L.) Seeds in the Function of Cultivars and Planting Times
Authors: Crispim Joabe Freitas , Lima Jailma Suerda Silva de , Fir Cristiane Wigna dos Santos Rodrigues , Medeiros Araújo Cost Jacqueline Alves de , Correia da Silva Antônio Gideilson , Bento José Elinaldo Alves 
Published: May 2019

Germination and vigour evaluation of improved cultivars and creole of cowpea bean seeds as a function of different planting seasons. A completely randomized design in a factorial scheme, with six treatments and two planting periods, with four replications, each repetition with 25 seeds. The treatments consisted of six cowpea bean (Vigna unguiculata L.) cultivars, and two improved (BRS Tumucumaque, BRS Guariba) and four creoles, (Governor, Passagem, Chico Joaquim and Espírito Santo). The experiment place and timing was carried out under greenhouse on a riparian zone of the Federal Rural Semi-Arid University (UFERSA), located in the municipality of Mossoró-RN, Brazil. The first sowing season comprised the period from April 3 to April 18, 2017, and the second one from January 15 to 30, 2018. The sowing was done in plastic trays. Was used the sand washed and sterilized as a substrate. The trays were kept in a greenhouse at room temperature. Two irrigations were realized daily. In order to avoid the local effect, the trays were changed position each day. The evaluated characteristics were: Germination percentage, emergence speed index, seedling height, leaf number, root length, stem diameter, fresh and dry mass of seedlings. Creole cultivars showed superior quality to those improved in the second season. In the first season, the cultivars BRS Guariba and BRS Tumucumaque were the most outstanding. It was concluded that the physiological quality of cowpea beans is directly influenced by the cultivars and the planting season, as well as by the interaction of these two factors.
A Tunable Microfluidic Device Enables Cargo Encapsulation by Cell‐ or Organelle‐Sized Lipid Vesicles Comprising Asymmetric Lipid Bilayers
Authors: Romanov Valentin , McCullough John , Gale Bruce K. , Frost Adam 
Published: May 2019

AbstractCellular membranes play host to a wide variety of morphologically and chemically complex processes. Although model membranes, like liposomes, are already widely used to reconstitute and study these processes, better tools are needed for making model bilayers that faithfully mimic cellular membranes. Existing methods for fabricating cell‐sized (µm) or organelle‐sized (tens to hundreds of nanometers) lipid vesicles have distinctly different requirements. Of particular note for biology, it remains challenging for any technique to efficiently encapsulate fragile cargo molecules or to generate liposomes with stable, asymmetric lipid leaflets within the bilayer. Here a tunable microfluidic device and protocol for fabricating liposomes with desired diameters ranging from ≈10 µm to ≈100 nm are described. Lipid vesicle size is templated by the simple inclusion of a polycarbonate filter within the microfluidic system and tuned with flow rate. It is shown that the vesicles made with this device are stable, unilamellar, lipid asymmetric, and capable of supporting transmembrane protein assembly, peripheral membrane protein binding, as well as soluble cargo encapsulation (including designer nanocages for biotechnology applications). These fabricated vesicles provide a new platform for studying the biophysically rich processes found within lipid–lipid and lipid–protein systems typically associated with cellular membranes.
Conductive Scaffolds for Cardiac and Neuronal Tissue Engineering: Governing Factors and Mechanisms
Authors: Burnstine‐Townley Alex , Eshel Yoni , Amdursky Nadav 
Published: May 2019

AbstractTissue engineering is a promising therapeutic approach in medicine, targeting the replacement of a diseased tissue with a healthy one grown within an artificial scaffold. Due to the high prevalence of cardiac and brain‐related ailments that involve some necrosis of tissue, cardiac and neuronal tissue engineering are intensely studied fields in regenerative medicine. A growing trend in the use of conductive scaffolds for the growth of these tissues has been witnessed recently. While the results are irrefutable, the mechanism of how an electrically conducting scaffold interacts with an electroactive tissue remains has remained elusive. An up‐to‐date summary of all work done in the field is reported, with a special focus on the specific contribution of the conductive scaffold on the performance of the formed tissue. The cell–scaffold electronic interface is then explored from an electrical engineering perspective. The electronic configuration of the system and the mechanisms and governing factors controlling the ability of a conductive scaffold to support cardiac and neuronal tissues are discussed. Using several simulations, the required conductivity of the scaffold in order for it to be suitable for tissue engineering—which also depends on the nature of the charge carriers—is also discussed.
Water‐Based Solution Processing and Wafer‐Scale Integration of All‐Graphene Humidity Sensors
Authors: Torres Alonso Elias , Shin Dong‐Wook , Rajan Gopika , Neves Ana I. S. , Russo Saverio , Craciun Monica F. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractOne of the main advantages of 2D materials for various applications is that they can be prepared in form of water‐based solutions. The high yield and cost‐effectiveness of this method make them of great interest for printed electronics, composites, and bio‐ and healthcare technologies. However, once deposited on a substrate, etching away these solution‐processed materials is a difficult task, yet crucial for pattern definition and thus device fabrication. In particular, the realization of micrometer‐sized patterns requires mesh and paste optimization when screen‐printed or solvent‐engineered and surface functionalization when inkjet‐printed, both usually involving additional postdeposition steps. These constraints are holding back the integration of these 2D materials in devices and applications. In this work, a method for the fabrication of micrometer‐sized well‐defined patterns in water‐based 2D materials is presented, with an extensive characterization of the films and patterns obtained. The method is ultimately used to create humidity sensors with performance comparable to that of commercial ones. These sensor devices are fabricated onto a 4′ silicon and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wafers to create all‐graphene humidity sensors that are flexible, transparent, and compatible with current complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) and roll‐to‐roll workflows.