bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of ranibizumab versus dexamethasone for macular oedema following retinal vein occlusion: 1‐year results of the COMRADE extension study
Authors: Feltgen Nicolas , Hattenbach Lars‐Olof , Bertelmann Thomas , Callizo Josep , Rehak Matus , Wolf Armin , Berk Hüsnü , Eter Nicole , Lang Gabriele E. , Pielen Amelie , Schmitz‐Valckenberg Steffen , Quiering Claudia , Rose Uwe , Hoerauf Hans ,   the COMRADE Study Group
Published: June 2018

AbstractPurposeThe COMRADE studies are the first randomized controlled head‐to‐head trials comparing the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab versus dexamethasone (DEX) in patients with macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The COMRADE extension trial was designed to provide additional 6‐month data of patients who completed the core studies.MethodsIn this open‐label, phase IV study patients who completed the COMRADE core studies were prospectively enrolled. Overall, 92 branch RVO (BRVO) patients (ranibizumab 52, DEX 40) and 83 central RVO (CRVO) patients (ranibizumab 61, DEX 22) were treated, and 94.6% of BRVO patients and 97.6% of CRVO patients completed the extension study. Patients were assigned to the same treatment group as in the core studies. Patients were monitored monthly and received either 0.5 mg ranibizumab or a 0.7 mg DEX implant as needed.ResultsOver the course of the extension, treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) of the study eye occurred in 55.8% of BRVO patients on ranibizumab and in 62.5% of those on DEX. Among CRVO patients, 65.5% in the ranibizumab group and 59.1% in the DEX group developed TEAEs. Overall, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) was more frequent with DEX than ranibizumab treatment. Mean average change in best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in BRVO patients was significantly better for ranibizumab than DEX (p = 0.0249). The CRVO results were consistent with BRVO's, although not significant (p = 0.1119).ConclusionWhen used according to the European labels, ranibizumab revealed a better ocular safety profile and produced greater average BCVA gains than DEX. By the end of the additional 6‐month study period, this difference in BCVA was more pronounced in BRVO as in CRVO patients. The main limitation of the COMRADE studies was that DEX patients received only a single intravitreal treatment during the first 6 months, which is presumably not adequate. However, frequent DEX implants could lead to more steroid‐related side effects, especially to an increased intraocular pressure.
Choroidal vascularity index changes after vitreomacular surgery
Authors: Rizzo Stanislao , Savastano Alfonso , Finocchio Lucia , Savastano Maria Cristina , Khandelwal Neha , Agrawal Rupesh 
Published: June 2018

AbstractPurposeTo study the structural changes in the choroid using swept‐source (SS) optical coherence tomography (OCT), a tool for the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) following epiretinal membrane removal.MethodsFifty‐two eyes of 26 patients were evaluated in this prospective, single‐centre, observational study. Twenty‐six eyes underwent vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane removal (VT‐group), and the control group consisted of 26 corresponding fellow eyes (F‐group). All patients were evaluated at baseline, 30 and 90 days postsurgery. Using a modified image binarization algorithm for SS‐OCT scans, the subfoveal choroidal area was segmented into the luminal and stromal areas, and the CVI was measured by calculating the proportion of the luminal area (LA) to the cross‐sectional choroid area.ResultsThe mean CVI in the VT‐group was 63.86 ± 4.04% at the baseline, 62.45 ± 4.21% at 30 days postsurgery and 61.06 ± 3.79% at 90 days (p < 0.001). The F‐group had a mean CVI of 61.12 ± 2.29% at the baseline, 60.91 ± 2.25% at 30 days postsurgery and 61.05 ± 2.28% at 90 days (p = 0.29).ConclusionThe CVI decreases following epiretinal membrane removal when compared to the fellow eyes, which suggests structural changes in the vascular layers of the choroid. The implication of these results may be that secondary inflammation resulting from mechanical traction induces choroidal thickness by way of increased vascularization of the choroid.
Randomised clinical trial: Tong‐Xie‐Yao‐Fang granules versus placebo for patients with diarrhoea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Chen M. , Tang T.‐C. , Wang Y. , Shui J. , Xiao X.‐H. , Lan X. , Yu P. , Zhang C. , Wang S.‐H. , Yao J. , Zheng H. , Huang D.‐Q. 
Published: June 2018

SummaryBackgroundTong‐Xie‐Yao‐Fang (TXYF) is a Chinese herbal formula for treating chronic diarrhoea accompanied by abdominal pain. The results were inconsistent in previous trials examining its effect.AimTo study the efficacy of TXYF granules for treating diarrhoea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS‐D).MethodsWe performed a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled randomised trial and enrolled 160 participants with IBS‐D. The participants had VAS scores ≥3 cm in IBS‐D global symptoms and ≥2 days in a week with abdominal pain and loose stools (Bristol score 5, 6 or 7). They were randomly assigned to received TXYF or placebo during a treatment period of 4 weeks, and they were followed up for 8 weeks after treatment. The primary outcome was adequate relief of IBS‐D global symptoms for at least 2 of 4 weeks during weeks 1‐4. Secondary outcomes included mean weekly VAS scores of IBS‐D major symptoms, mean weekly stool frequency, mean weekly Bristol score, and adverse events.Results155 of 160 patients completed the trial. We found a significantly higher rate of adequate relief of global symptoms in TXFY group during weeks 1 to 4 (57.5% vs 37.5%, χ2 = 5.6391, P = 0.017); logistic regression analysis showed a similar result (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2‐4.4, P = 0.016). Most of the secondary outcomes showed superiority of TXYF over placebo in weekly assessment from week 3 to week 7. The adverse event rate was low in both groups (3.8% vs 3.8%, P = 1.000).ConclusionDuring a 4 week trial, TXFY granules were superior to placebo in controlling symptoms of IBS‐D.
Usefulness of a novel, slim long syringe‐like device for applying surgical mesh through a 5‐mm trocar
Authors: Nakase Yuen , Nakamura Kei , Sougawa Akira , Nagata Tomoyuki , Mochizuki Satoshi , Kitai Shouzo , Inaba Seishirou 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWe developed a device for introducing surgical mesh through a 5‐mm trocar during transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair. This device is like a slim long syringe; it has a polypropylene outer sheath (outer diameter, 5.8 mm; inner diameter, 5.6 mm; length, 2500 mm) and inner rod, and is made in a similar manner to a drinking straw. Therefore, the manufacturing costs are low. To use the device, folded mesh is placed inside it with a grasper before surgery. The device is then inserted through the trocar, and the mesh is pushed out by the inner rod and applied. The folded mesh extrudes smoothly pubis side to lateral side along the inguinal curve. It reinforces the area without any contamination and expands in a manner that makes it easy for the surgeon to place and fix the mesh. Our device allows mesh to be applied smoothly, comfortably, and economically, and it may reduce the risk of infection.
Transanal minimally invasive surgery for local excision of early rectal tumor
Authors: Yoshitomi Mami , Hasegawa Suguru , Takahashi Ryo , Hida Koya , Kawada Kenji , Sakai Yoshiharu 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIntroductionLocal excision (LE) is used in early rectal cancer and other pathologies for diagnostic purposes and curative treatment, as well as for palliative surgery in patients who are medically unfit for radical resection. Recently, transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) has been increasingly accepted as a means for performing LE. Here, we present a TAMIS technique for LE to which endoscopic submucosal dissection was applied.Materials and Surgical TechniqueWe used conventional laparoscopic instruments, including a 10‐mm 30° camera. A GelPOINT Path® was introduced into the anal canal to maintain stable pneumorectum and valve‐free access. After injecting MucoUp® (SI‐4404) into the submucosal layer at the edge of the tumor, we marked dots on the mucosa with cautery using the point of the monopolar diathermy L‐hook; we then performed circumferential mucosal incision and submucosal dissection. The remaining defects do not always have to be sutured.DiscussionTAMIS for LE was performed for seven patients with no postoperative complication and mortality. One lesion required full‐thickness resection, one lesion required partial full‐thickness resection, and five lesions were dissected completely beneath the submucosal layer. Based on the pathological results, three patients underwent conventional radical resections. One patient had local recurrence at the 8‐month follow‐up and underwent endoscopic mucosal resection. TAMIS may be a promising option for LE that provides acceptable oncological outcomes and benefits to quality of life.
Framing the ethical and legal issues of human artificial gametes in research, therapy, and assisted reproduction: A German perspective
Authors: Advena‐Regnery Barbara , Dederer Hans‐Georg , Enghofer Franziska , Cantz Tobias , Heinemann Thomas 
Published: June 2018

AbstractRecent results from studies on animals suggest that functional germ cells may be generated from human pluripotent stem cells, giving rise to three possibilities: research with these so‐called artificial gametes, including fertilization experiments in vitro; their use in vivo for therapy for the treatment of human infertility; and their use in assisted reproductive technologies in vitro. While the legal, philosophical, and ethical questions associated with these possibilities have been already discussed intensively in other countries, the debate in Germany is still at its beginning. A systematic and detailed analysis of the legal framework in Germany is provided with regard to the three possibilities, including the applicable statutory laws as well as the constitutional law. The question emerges as to whether the statutory laws as well as the constitution justify a distinction to be made between embryos of artificial and natural origin. This question is subject to philosophical analysis, discussing the distinction between person and thing, dignity and price, personality and property, and nature and technique. As a result, the criterion of naturalness alone may not be sufficient to differentiate between embryos of natural and artificial origin, and other criteria need to be identified.
The emerging alliance of sphingosine‐1‐phosphate signalling and immune cells: from basic mechanisms to implications in hypertension
Authors: Don‐Doncow Nicholas , Zhang Yun , Matuskova Hana , Meissner Anja 
Published: June 2018

The immune system plays a considerable role in hypertension. In particular, T‐lymphocytes are recognized as important players in its pathogenesis. Despite substantial experimental efforts, the molecular mechanisms underlying the nature of T‐cell activation contributing to an onset of hypertension or disease perpetuation are still elusive. Amongst other cell types, lymphocytes express distinct profiles of GPCRs for sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) – a bioactive phospholipid that is involved in many critical cell processes and most importantly majorly regulates T‐cell development, lymphocyte recirculation, tissue‐homing patterns and chemotactic responses. Recent findings have revealed a key role for S1P chemotaxis and T‐cell mobilization for the onset of experimental hypertension, and elevated circulating S1P levels have been linked to several inflammation‐associated diseases including hypertension in patients. In this article, we review the recent progress towards understanding how S1P and its receptors regulate immune cell trafficking and function and its potential relevance for the pathophysiology of hypertension.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Immune Targets in Hypertension. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.12/issuetoc
Feature Curve Co‐Completion in Noisy Data
Authors: Gehre Anne , Lim Isaak , Kobbelt Leif 
Published: June 2018

AbstractFeature curves on 3D shapes provide important hints about significant parts of the geometry and reveal their underlying structure. However, when we process real world data, automatically detected feature curves are affected by measurement uncertainty, missing data, and sampling resolution, leading to noisy, fragmented, and incomplete feature curve networks. These artifacts make further processing unreliable. In this paper we analyze the global co‐occurrence information in noisy feature curve networks to fill in missing data and suppress weakly supported feature curves. For this we propose an unsupervised approach to find meaningful structure within the incomplete data by detecting multiple occurrences of feature curve configurations (co‐occurrence analysis). We cluster and merge these into feature curve templates, which we leverage to identify strongly supported feature curve segments as well as to complete missing data in the feature curve network. In the presence of significant noise, previous approaches had to resort to user input, while our method performs fully automatic feature curve co‐completion. Finding feature reoccurrences however, is challenging since naïve feature curve comparison fails in this setting due to fragmentation and partial overlaps of curve segments. To tackle this problem we propose a robust method for partial curve matching. This provides us with the means to apply symmetry detection methods to identify co‐occurring configurations. Finally, Bayesian model selection enables us to detect and group re‐occurrences that describe the data well and with low redundancy.
Repairing Inconsistent Curve Networks on Non‐parallel Cross‐sections
Authors: Huang Z. Y. , Holloway M. , Carr N. , Ju T. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn this work we present the first algorithm for restoring consistency between curve networks on non‐parallel cross‐sections. Our method addresses a critical but overlooked challenge in the reconstruction process from cross‐sections that stems from the fact that cross‐sectional slices are often generated independently of one another, such as in interactive volume segmentation. As a result, the curve networks on two non‐parallel slices may disagree where the slices intersect, which makes these cross‐sections an invalid input for surfacing. We propose a method that takes as input an arbitrary number of non‐parallel slices, each partitioned into two or more labels by a curve network, and outputs a modified set of curve networks on these slices that are guaranteed to be consistent. We formulate the task of restoring consistency while preserving the shape of input curves as a constrained optimization problem, and we propose an effective solution framework. We demonstrate our method on a data‐set of complex multi‐labeled input cross‐sections. Our technique efficiently produces consistent curve networks even in the presence of large errors.
PointProNets: Consolidation of Point Clouds with Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Roveri Riccardo , Öztireli A. Cengiz , Pandele Ioana , Gross Markus 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWith the widespread use of 3D acquisition devices, there is an increasing need of consolidating captured noisy and sparse point cloud data for accurate representation of the underlying structures. There are numerous algorithms that rely on a variety of assumptions such as local smoothness to tackle this ill‐posed problem. However, such priors lead to loss of important features and geometric detail. Instead, we propose a novel data‐driven approach for point cloud consolidation via a convolutional neural network based technique. Our method takes a sparse and noisy point cloud as input, and produces a dense point cloud accurately representing the underlying surface by resolving ambiguities in geometry. The resulting point set can then be used to reconstruct accurate manifold surfaces and estimate surface properties. To achieve this, we propose a generative neural network architecture that can input and output point clouds, unlocking a powerful set of tools from the deep learning literature. We use this architecture to apply convolutional neural networks to local patches of geometry for high quality and efficient point cloud consolidation. This results in significantly more accurate surfaces, as we illustrate with a diversity of examples and comparisons to the state‐of‐the‐art.
Terrain Super‐resolution through Aerial Imagery and Fully Convolutional Networks
Authors: Argudo O. , Chica A. , Andujar C. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractDespite recent advances in surveying techniques, publicly available Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of terrains are low‐resolution except for selected places on Earth. In this paper we present a new method to turn low‐resolution DEMs into plausible and faithful high‐resolution terrains. Unlike other approaches for terrain synthesis/amplification (fractal noise, hydraulic and thermal erosion, multi‐resolution dictionaries), we benefit from high‐resolution aerial images to produce highly‐detailed DEMs mimicking the features of the real terrain. We explore different architectures for Fully Convolutional Neural Networks to learn upsampling patterns for DEMs from detailed training sets (high‐resolution DEMs and orthophotos), yielding up to one order of magnitude more resolution. Our comparative results show that our method outperforms competing data amplification approaches in terms of elevation accuracy and terrain plausibility.
A Physically Consistent Implicit Viscosity Solver for SPH Fluids
Authors: Weiler Marcel , Koschier Dan , Brand Magnus , Bender Jan 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn this paper, we present a novel physically consistent implicit solver for the simulation of highly viscous fluids using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) formalism. Our method is the result of a theoretical and practical in‐depth analysis of the most recent implicit SPH solvers for viscous materials. Based on our findings, we developed a list of requirements that are vital to produce a realistic motion of a viscous fluid. These essential requirements include momentum conservation, a physically meaningful behavior under temporal and spatial refinement, the absence of ghost forces induced by spurious viscosities and the ability to reproduce complex physical effects that can be observed in nature. On the basis of several theoretical analyses, quantitative academic comparisons and complex visual experiments we show that none of the recent approaches is able to satisfy all requirements. In contrast, our proposed method meets all demands and therefore produces realistic animations in highly complex scenarios. We demonstrate that our solver outperforms former approaches in terms of physical accuracy and memory consumption while it is comparable in terms of computational performance. In addition to the implicit viscosity solver, we present a method to simulate melting objects. Therefore, we generalize the viscosity model to a spatially varying viscosity field and provide an SPH discretization of the heat equation.
Hair Modeling and Simulation by Style
Authors: Jung Seunghwan , Lee Sung‐Hee 
Published: June 2018

AbstractAs the deformation behaviors of hair strands vary greatly depending on the hairstyle, the computational cost and accuracy of hair movement simulations can be significantly improved by applying simulation methods specific to a certain style. This paper makes two contributions with regard to the simulation of various hair styles. First, we propose a novel method to reconstruct simulatable hair strands from hair meshes created by artists. Manually created hair meshes consist of numerous mesh patches, and the strand reconstruction process is challenged by the absence of connectivity information among the patches for the same strand and the omission of hidden parts of strands due to the manual creation process. To this end, we develop a two‐stage spectral clustering method for estimating the degree of connectivity among patches and a strand‐growing method that preserves hairstyles. Next, we develop a hairstyle classification method for style‐specific simulations. In particular, we propose a set of features for efficient classifications and show that classifiers trained with the proposed features have higher accuracy than those trained with naive features. Our method applies efficient simulation methods according to the hairstyle without specific user input, and thus is favorable for real‐time simulation.
State of the Art on 3D Reconstruction with RGB‐D Cameras
Authors: Zollhöfer Michael , Stotko Patrick , Görlitz Andreas , Theobalt Christian , Nießner Matthias , Klein Reinhard , Kolb Andreas 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe advent of affordable consumer grade RGB‐D cameras has brought about a profound advancement of visual scene reconstruction methods. Both computer graphics and computer vision researchers spend significant effort to develop entirely new algorithms to capture comprehensive shape models of static and dynamic scenes with RGB‐D cameras. This led to significant advances of the state of the art along several dimensions. Some methods achieve very high reconstruction detail, despite limited sensor resolution. Others even achieve real‐time performance, yet possibly at lower quality. New concepts were developed to capture scenes at larger spatial and temporal extent. Other recent algorithms flank shape reconstruction with concurrent material and lighting estimation, even in general scenes and unconstrained conditions. In this state‐of‐the‐art report, we analyze these recent developments in RGB‐D scene reconstruction in detail and review essential related work. We explain, compare, and critically analyze the common underlying algorithmic concepts that enabled these recent advancements. Furthermore, we show how algorithms are designed to best exploit the benefits of RGB‐D data while suppressing their often non‐trivial data distortions. In addition, this report identifies and discusses important open research questions and suggests relevant directions for future work.
What is the impact of professional learning on physical activity interventions among preschool children? A systematic review
Authors: Peden M. E. , Okely A. D. , Eady M. J. , Jones R. A. 
Published: June 2018

SummaryThe purpose of this systematic review was to investigate professional learning models (length, mode, content) offered as part of objectively measured physical childcare‐based interventions. A systematic review of eight electronic databases was conducted to June 2017. Only English, peer‐reviewed studies that evaluated childcare‐based physical activity interventions, incorporated professional learning and reported objectively measured physical activity were included. Study designs included randomized controlled trails, cluster randomized trials, experimental or pilot studies. The search identified 11 studies. Ten studies objectively measured physical activity using accelerometers; five studies used both accelerometer and direct observation tools and one study measured physical activity using direct observation only. Seven of these studies reported statistically significant intervention effects. Only six studies described all components of professional learning, but only two studies reported specific professional learning outcomes and physical activity outcomes. No patterns were identified between the length, mode and content of professional learning and children's physical activity outcomes in childcare settings. Educators play a critical role in modifying children's levels of physical activity in childcare settings. The findings of this review suggest that professional learning offered as part of a physical activity intervention that potentially impacts on children's physical activity outcomes remains under‐reported.