bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Performance Outcomes and Return-to-Sport Rate of National Hockey League Athletes Vary After Common Orthopedic Surgical Procedures
Authors: Lubbe Ryan J. , Freshman Ryan D. , Singh Gurmit , Katchko Karina M. , Schneider Andrew D. , Sharma Sumender , Riederman Brett , Chang Alec , Hsu Wellington K. 
Published: November 2018

Objective:
Evaluate performance-based outcomes and return-to-sport rate in National Hockey League (NHL) athletes.

Design:
Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:
Public records. No direct patient care was provided.

Participants:
National Hockey League athletes who underwent different orthopedic procedures were identified using public records. Three hundred thirty-seven athletes met inclusion criteria.

Independent Variables:
Common orthopedic surgical procedures in NHL athletes.

Main Outcome Measures:
Return-to-play and preoperative and postoperative performance measures were collected to calculate a position-specific performance score. Short-term and medium-term outcomes were defined as 1 and 2 to 3 seasons after surgery, respectively.

Results:
Three hundred seven athletes (92.6%) successfully returned to play. The number of games played during the first season after surgery compared with baseline was significantly decreased for hip arthroscopy (HA), noninstability shoulder arthroscopy (ie, shoulder arthroscopy procedure to address pathology other than shoulder instability), knee arthroscopy, and sports hernia repair (P = 0.002, 0.009, 0.03, and 0.01, respectively). The number of games played for seasons 2 and 3 after surgery was significantly decreased for both HA and noninstability shoulder arthroscopy (P = 0.01 and 0.001, respectively). Short-term postoperative performance scores were significantly decreased for HA, noninstability shoulder arthroscopy, and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (P = 0.00004, 0.02, and 0.02, respectively) while medium-term scores were significantly decreased for HA only (P = 0.009).

Conclusions:
National Hockey League athletes return to play at a high rate after common orthopedic surgeries. However, certain procedures portend poorer performance scores and game participation than others. In particular, HA and noninstability shoulder arthroscopy have the greatest negative effect on NHL careers after surgery.
Can Exercise Targeting Mid-Thoracic Spine Segmental Movement Reduce Back Pain and Improve Sensory Perception in Cross-Country Skiers?
Authors: Kobesova Alena , Andel Ross , Cizkova Karolina , Kolar Pavel , Kriz Jiri 
Published: November 2018

Objective:
To assess the role of exercise targeting proper trunk stabilization and segmental spinal movement in back pain and sensory perception among cross-country skiers.

Design:
Randomized, controlled trial with blinded outcome assessors.

Setting:
University Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine.

Participants:
Twenty elite cross-country skiers aged 17 to 27 years.

Interventions:
Ten cross-country skiers integrated 3 types of exercise targeting segmental motion in mid-thoracic spine into their routine training practice for 2 months. The 10 controls performed routine athletic training.

Main Outcome Measures:
The Young Spine Questionnaire to measure intensity and frequency of back pain was completed at the start and end of study. Tactile sensory perception using 10-g Semmes–Weinstein monofilament, thermic perception using TIP THERM device, graphesthesia assessed by a touch monitor pencil, 2-point discrimination assessed by a digital caliper, and vibration perception assessed by a 128-Hz tuning fork measured in mid-thoracic spine 5 times.

Results:
No significant group differences in pain and sensory perception were identified at baseline. Over the 2-month study interval, repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that the experimental group improved significantly relative to the control group on pain intensity (P = 0.005 for cervical, P = 0.004 for thoracic, and P = 0.014 for lumbar) and frequency of pain in the thoracic area only (P = 0.011). Improvements were also observed in the experimental relative to control group on graphesthesia (P < 0.001), vibration perception (P = 0.002), and 2-point discrimination (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:
Exercise targeting the mid-thoracic spine may decrease back pain and improve sensory perception in cross-country skiers.

Level of Evidence:
Original research, level I.
Evaluation of Baseline Impedance During Water-perfused High Resolution Impedance Manometry in Patients With Symptomatic GERD
Authors: Hung Jui-Sheng , Wong Ming-Wun , Liu Tso-Tsai , Yi Chih-Hsun , Lei Wei-Yi , Chen Chien-Lin 
Published: November 2018

Goals:
We aimed to investigate the hypothesis whether baseline impedance measured during water-perfused high resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) can help discriminate patients with reflux symptoms from the controls and predict the response to the proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

Background/Aim:
Baseline impedance measured during solid-state HRIM can reliably discriminate patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) from controls.

Study:
We enrolled consecutive patients with typical reflux symptoms and healthy controls for the measurement of baseline impedance during the landmark period of HRIM. All patients were given PPIs and PPI response was assessed after 8 weeks of the treatment.

Results:
Baseline mucosa impedance measured during HRIM was lower in GERD patients than the controls (1861±183 vs. 3371±250 Ω; P<0.001). Baseline impedance during water-perfused HRIM had moderate diagnostic accuracy for differentiating symptomatic GERD with an area under the curve of 0.853 on receiver operating characteristics analysis. A threshold of 2530 Ω for baseline impedance had a sensitivity of 88.3% and specificity of 82.4% for GERD with a positive predictive value of 83.4% and negative predictive value of 87.6%. Among symptomatic GERD patients, poor PPI responders had higher baseline impedance than those without it (2340±260 vs. 1479±189 Ω; P=0.02). BMI negatively correlated to base impedance in either controls (r=−0.59; P=0.012) or GERD patients (r=−0.47; P=0.047).

Conclusions:
Baseline impedance measurement during water-perfused HRIM helps differentiate patients with typical reflux symptoms from controls and also serves as a potential utility in predicting PPI response.
Is There Evidence of a July Effect Among Patients Undergoing Hysterectomy Surgery?
Authors: Varma Sanskriti , Mehta Ambar , Hutfless Susan , Stone Rebecca L. , Wethington Stephanie L. , Fader Amanda N. 
Published: November 2018

(Abstracted from Am J Obstet Gynecol 2018;219:176.e1–176.e9)
It has been hypothesized that yearly turnover and hospitals' overall transition from more experienced to less experienced trainees from July to September may be responsible for an increase in medical errors and poorer outcomes, a phenomenon known as the July effect. A large number of studies have investigated the July effect in both medical and surgical fields, but results have been largely mixed.
A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Onabotulinumtoxin A as First-Line Treatment for Overactive Bladder
Authors: Shepherd Jonathan P. , Carter-Brooks Charelle M. , Chermanksy Christopher 
Published: November 2018

(Abstracted from Int Urogynecol J 2018;29:1213–1219)
First-line therapy for overactive bladder (OAB) includes an anticholinergic (ACH) medication and behavioral modification. There are high rates of discontinuation with ACH because of adverse effects such as dry mouth, dry eyes, and constipation.
Robustness and Reproducibility of Radiomics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Baeßler Bettina , Weiss Kilian , Pinto dos Santos Daniel 
Published: November 2018

Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate the robustness and reproducibility of radiomic features in different magnetic resonance imaging sequences.

Materials and Methods
A phantom was scanned on a clinical 3 T system using fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), T1-weighted (T1w), and T2-weighted (T2w) sequences with low and high matrix size. For retest data, scans were repeated after repositioning of the phantom. Test and retest datasets were segmented using a semiautomated approach. Intraobserver and interobserver comparison was performed. Radiomic features were extracted after standardized preprocessing of images. Test-retest robustness was assessed using concordance correlation coefficients, dynamic range, and Bland-Altman analyses. Reproducibility was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients.

Results
The number of robust features (concordance correlation coefficient and dynamic range ≥ 0.90) was higher for features calculated from FLAIR than from T1w and T2w images. High-resolution FLAIR images provided the highest percentage of robust features (n = 37/45, 81%). No considerable difference in the number of robust features was observed between low- and high-resolution T1w and T2w images (T1w low: n = 26/45, 56%; T1w high: n = 25/45, 54%; T2 low: n = 21/45, 46%; T2 high: n = 24/45, 52%). A total of 15 (33%) of 45 features showed excellent robustness across all sequences and demonstrated excellent intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.75).

Conclusions
FLAIR delivers the most robust substrate for radiomic analyses. Only 15 of 45 features showed excellent robustness and reproducibility across all sequences. Care must be taken in the interpretation of clinical studies using nonrobust features.
Analysis of Cranial Morphology of Healthy Infants Using Homologous Modeling
Authors: Kuwahara Kosuke , Hikosaka Makoto , Kaneko Tsuyoshi , Takamatsu Ako , Nakajima Yukari , Ogawa Rei , Miyazaki Osamu , Nosaka Shunsuke 
Published: November 2018

Objective:
Data on cranial morphology of healthy individuals can be used as the guide in the treatment of cranial deformity. There are many reports analyzing the cranial morphology of healthy children in the past. But most of them focus on 2-dimensional values, and there are only a few reports, which analyzed the cranial morphology of Japanese healthy infants. We report a novel method that enables the comprehensive analysis of cranial morphology of Japanese healthy infants in 3D.

Methods:
Craniofacial CT data of 20 healthy infants (9 males, 11 females) ranging in age from 1 to 11 months were collected. Based on the CT data, we created 20 homologous models of cranium using software specifically designed to support homologous modeling. We averaged vertex coordinates of the homologous models to create average model. We further performed principal component analysis, and created virtual models based on each principal component. The contribution rate was calculated, and the features described by each principal component were interpreted.

Results:
We created the average cranial model of Japanese healthy infants. Seven principal components (cumulative contribution rate: 89.218%) were interpreted as to which part of the cranial shape each component was related to. The elements were extracted that may characterize the cranial morphology of some of the clinical conditions such as dolico/brachycephaly and deformational plagiocephaly. Some of these elements have not been mentioned in the past literature.

Conclusion:
Homologous modeling was considered to be valid and strong tool for comprehensive analysis of cranial morphology.
Māori: living and dying with cardiovascular disease in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Mason Kathleen , Toohey Frances , Gott Merryn , Moeke-Maxwell Tess 
Published: November 2018

Purpose of review
This article provides an informed perspective on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and palliative care need among Māori New Zealanders. High Māori CVD risk factors will contribute to a sharp increase in older Māori deaths which has implications for health and palliative care service provision.

Recent findings
CVD is New Zealand's leading cause of premature deaths and disability among Māori. A projected rise in older Māori deaths within the next 30 years will require increased palliative care. However, accessing palliative care and obtaining and understanding information can be challenging for families who are already often overburdened with high social and economic disadvantages. Meeting the high financial costs associated with end-of-life care make living with CVD challenging. Engaging with the health system's biomedical approach when holistic care is preferable can be a major barrier.

Summary
Māori families provide the bulk of care at end-of-life, but they can become fatigued with the challenges that accompany long-term progressive illnesses, such as CVD. They are also burdened by the financial costs associated with end-of-life. It is often difficult for Māori to access palliative care and to obtain and understand information about the illness and treatment. Navigating an unfamiliar and complex health system, low health literacy among Māori and poor relationship building and communication skills of health professionals are significant barriers. Cultural safety training would help to increase health and cardiovascular professionals’ cultural understanding of Māori and their holistic end-of-life preferences; this could go some way to strengthen rapport building and communication skills necessary for effective engagement and informational exchanges. Increasing the Māori palliative care workforce and introducing cultural safety training among health professionals could help to bridge the gap. A current study to gather traditional care customs and present these to whānau and the health and palliative care sectors in the form of an online resource could contribute to this decolonizing objective.
Molecular aspects of multivalent engagement between Syk and FcεRIγ
Authors: Travers Timothy , Kanagy William , Jhamba Elton , Goldstein Byron , Lidke Diane S. , Wilson Bridget S. , Gnanakaran S. 
Published: November 2018

ABSTRACTSyk/Zap70 family kinases are essential for signaling via multichain immune-recognition receptors such as the tetrameric (αβγ2) FcεRI The simplest model assumes that Syk activation occurs throughcisbinding of its tandem SH2 domains to dual phosphotyrosines within immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs of individual γ chains. In this model, Syk activity is modulated by phosphorylation occurring between adjacent Syk molecules docked on γ homodimers and by Lyn molecules bound to FcεRIβ. However, the mechanistic details of Syk docking on γ homodimers are not fully resolved, particularly the possibility oftransbinding orientations and the impact of Y130 autophosphorylation within Syk interdomain A. Analytical modeling shows that multivalent interactions lead to increased WT Sykcis-oriented binding by three orders of magnitude. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show increased inter-SH2 flexibility in a Y130E phosphomimetic form of Syk, associated with reduced overall helicity of interdomain A. Hybrid MD/worm-like chain polymer models show that the Y130E substitution reducescisbinding of Syk. We report computational models and estimates of relative binding for all possiblecisandtrans2:2 Syk:FcεRIγ complexes. Calcium imaging experiments confirm model predictions thatcisbinding of WT Syk is strongly preferred for efficient signaling, whiletransconformations trigger weak but measurable responses.
Predictability changes what we remember in familiar temporal contexts
Authors: Kim Hyojeong , Schlichting Margaret L. , Preston Alison R. , Lewis-Peacock Jarrod A. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThe human brain constantly anticipates the future based on memories of the past. Encountering a familiar situation reactivates memory of previous encounters which can trigger a prediction of what comes next to facilitate responsiveness. However, a prediction error can lead to pruning of the offending memory, a process that weakens its representation in the brain and leads to forgetting. Our goal in this study was to evaluate whether memories are spared from pruning in situations that allow for more abstract yet reliable predictions. We hypothesized that when the category, but not the identity, of a new stimulus can be anticipated, this will reduce pruning of existing memories and also reduce encoding of the specifics of new memories. Participants viewed a sequence of objects, some of which reappeared multiple times (“cues”), followed always by novel items. Half of the cues were followed by new items from different (unpredictable) categories, while others were followed by new items from a single (predictable) category. Pattern classification of fMRI data was used to identify category-specific predictions after each cue. Pruning was observed only in unpredictable contexts, while encoding of new items suffered more in predictable contexts. These findings demonstrate that how episodic memories are updated is influenced by the reliability of abstract-level predictions in familiar contexts.
Precursor miRNAs are trafficked along axons associated with vesicles and locally processed to regulate growth cone steering
Authors: Corradi Eloina , Gavoci Antoneta , Strohbuecker Stephanie , Rocuzzo Michela , Costa Irene Dalla , Iyer Archana , Bridi Simone , Rodriguez Gabriela Santoz , Abreu-Goodger Cei , Baudet Marie-Laure 
Published: November 2018

AbstractVarious species of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are enriched in subcellular compartments but the mechanisms orchestrating their delocalization and their local functions remain largely unknown. We investigated both aspects using the elongating retinal ganglion cell axon and its tip, the growth cone, as models. We reveal that specific endogenous precursor microRNAs (pre-miRNAs) are actively trafficked, anchored to CD63-positive vesicles, to distal axons along microtubules. Upon exposure to the chemotropic cue Sema3A, pre-miRNAs are processed specifically within axons into newly synthesized mature miRNAs, which, in turn, silence the basal translation of TUBB3 but not of APP. At the organismal level, these mature miRNAs are required for growth cone steering and a fully functional visual system. Overall, our results uncover a novel mode of ncRNA transport from one cytosolic compartment to another within polarized cells. They also reveal that newly synthesized miRNAs are critical components of a ncRNA-based signaling pathway that transduces environmental signals into the structural remodelling of subcellular compartments.HighlightsPrecursor miRNAs are actively transported along axons to the growth cone tethered to CD63-positive vesiclesSema3A but not Slit2 induces the local biogenesis of specific miRNAs within axonsMature miRNAs are important for growth cone responsivenessex vivoand the establishment of functional connectionsin vivoNewly synthesized miRNAs inhibit the basal translation of TUBB3 but not APP upon Sema3A exposure
PP4 phosphatase cooperates in recombinational DNA repair by enhancing double-strand break end resection
Authors: Villoria María Teresa , Gutiérrez-Escribano Pilar , Ramos Facundo , Alonso-Rodríguez Esmeralda , Merino Eva , Montoya Alex , Kramer Holger , Aragón Luis , Clemente-Blanco Andrés 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThe role of Rad53 in response to a DNA lesion is central for the accurate orchestration of the DNA damage response. Rad53 activation relies on its phosphorylation by the Mec1 kinase and its own auto-phosphorylation in a manner dependent on the adaptor Rad9. While the mechanism behind Rad53 phosphorylation and activation has been well documented, less is known about the processes that counteract its kinase activity during the response to DNA damage. Here, we describe that PP4 phosphatase dephosphorylates Rad53 during the repair of a double-strand break, a process that impacts on the phosphorylation status of multiple factors involved in the DNA damage response. PP4-dependent Rad53 dephosphorylation stimulates DNA end resection by relieving the negative effect that Rad9 exerts over the Sgs1/Dna2 exonuclease complex. Consequently, elimination of PP4 activity affects DNA resection and repair by single-strand annealing, defects that are bypassed by reducing the hyper-phosphorylation state of Rad53 observed in the absence of the phosphatase. These results confirm that Rad53 is one of the main targets of PP4 during the repair of a DNA lesion and demonstrate that the attenuation of its kinase activity during the initial steps of the repair process is essential to efficiently enhance recombinational DNA repair pathways that depend on long-range resection.
A platform for case-control matching enables association studies without genotype sharing
Authors: Artomov Mykyta , Loboda Alexander A. , Artyomov Maxim N. , Daly Mark J. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractAcquiring a sufficiently powered cohort of control samples can be time consuming or, sometimes, impossible. Accordingly, an ability to leverage control samples that were already collected and sequenced elsewhere could dramatically improve power in all genetic association studies. However, since majority of the genotyped and sequenced human DNA samples to date are subject to strict data sharing regulations, large-scale sharing of, in particular, control samples is extremely challenging. Using insights from image recognition, we developed a method allowing selection of the best-matching controls in an external pool of samples that is compliant with personal genotype data protection restrictions. Our approach uses singular value decomposition of the matrix of case genotypes to rank controls in another study by similarity to cases. We demonstrate that this recovers an accurate case-control association analysis for both ultra-rare and common variants and implement and provide online access to a library of ~17,000 controls that enables association studies for case cohorts lacking control subjects.
Myocardin ablation in a cardiac-renal rat model
Authors: Mittal Anupam , Rana Santanu , Sharma Rajni , Kumar Akhilesh , Prasad Rishikesh , Raut Satish K , Sarkar Sagartirtha , Saikia Uma Nahar , Bahl Ajay , Dhandapany Perundurai S , Khullar Madhu 
Published: November 2018

AbstractCardiorenal syndrome is defined by primary heart failure conditions influencing or leading to renal injury or dysfunction. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major co-existing form of heart failure (HF) with renal diseases. Myocardin (MYOCD), a cardiac-specific co-activator of serum response factor (SRF), is increased in DCM mice and patient cardiac tissues and plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of DCM. Inhibiting the increased MYOCD has shown to be partially rescuing the DCM mice phenotype. However, expression levels of MYOCD in the cardiac tissues of the cardiorenal syndromic patients and the beneficial effect of inhibiting MYOCD in a cardiorenal syndrome model remains to be explored.Here, we analyzed the expression levels of MYOCD in the DCM patients with and without renal diseases. We also explored, whether cardiac specific silencing of MYOCD expression could ameliorate the cardiac remodeling and improve cardiac function in a renal artery ligated rat model (RAL). We observed an increase in MYOCD levels in the endomyocardial biopsies of DCM patients associated with renal failure compared to DCM alone. Silencing of MYOCD in RAL rats by a cardiac homing peptide conjugated MYOCD siRNA resulted in attenuation of cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and restoration of the left ventricular functions.Our data suggest hyper-activation of MYOCD in the pathogenesis of the cardiorenal failure cases. Also, MYOCD silencing showed beneficial effects by rescuing cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, size and function in a cardiorenal rat model.