bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Proximal and Distal Occlusion of Complex Cerebral Aneurysms—Implications of Flow Modeling by Fluid–Structure Interaction Analysis
Authors: Helthuis Jasper H G , Bhat Sindhoor , van Doormaal Tristan P C , Kumar Ramarathnam Krishna , van der Zwan Albert 
Published: December 2017

Abstract

BACKGROUND
In complex cerebral aneurysms, adequate treatment by complete occlusion is not always possible. Partial occlusion by either proximal or distal occlusion is an alternative. However, the hemodynamic consequences of these partial occlusion options are often not easily predictable.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility of fluid–structure interaction (FSI) analysis to investigate the hemodynamic changes after partial occlusion in cerebral aneurysms.

METHODS
Two patients were analyzed. One was treated by proximal occlusion and 1 by distal occlusion. In both, flow replacement bypass surgery was performed. Three-dimensional models were constructed from magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scans and used for FSI analysis. A comparative study was done for pre- and postoperative conditions. Postoperative thrombosis was modeled and analyzed for the distal occlusion. FSI results were compared to postoperative angiograms and computed tomography (CT)-scans.

RESULTS
Proximal occlusion resulted in reduction of velocity, wall shear stresses, and disappearance of helical flow patterns in the complete aneurysm. Distal occlusion showed a decrease of velocity and wall shear stress in the dome of the aneurysm. Results were validated against postoperative CT-scans and angiograms at 1-, 7-, and 9-mo follow-up. Addition of thrombus to the distal occlusion model showed no change in velocities and luminal pressure but resulted in decrease in wall tension.

CONCLUSION
This pilot study showed hemodynamic changes in 2 patients with proximal and distal occlusion of complex cerebral aneurysms. The FSI results were in line with the follow-up CT scans and angiograms and indicate the potential of FSI as a tool in patient-specific surgical interventions.
Narrative Dynamics, Perspective-Taking, and Engagement
Authors: Meretoja Hanna 
Published: December 2017

AbstractChapter 6 addresses the ethical issues involved in engaging with the perpetrator’s perspective by analyzing Jonathan Littell’s Les Bienveillantes (2006, The Kindly Ones). It discusses imaginative resistance, difficult empathy, and identification in relation to readerly engagement and perspective-taking. The chapter shows how the interplay between immersiveness and critical distance can produce a narrative dynamic that allows the reader to engage emotionally—but without uncritically adopting the protagonist’s perspective—with an ethically problematic life-world. It analyzes how the novel performatively shows, through the breakdown of narrative mastery, that no exhaustive comprehension is possible. In relation to different logics of narrative, the chapter articulates the ethical significance of self-reflexive narrative form and relates the hermeneutic notion of docta ignorantia—knowing that one does not know—to the novel’s way of dealing with the conditions of possibility of the Holocaust and with the limits of understanding, representing, and narrating it.
Old French declension
Authors: Kihm Alain 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Old French noun inflection emerged and disappeared early in the history of the French language. A number or reasons are examined including the nature of sound changes occurring between Late Latin and Old French. Paradigm structure is another reason. The declensional paradigms of masculine nouns produced a mismatch between morphological and semantic defaults for the number and case features. This was because the non-default values of these features came to be expressed by a morphologically default, uninflected word-form, thus resulting in a system that was both weird in terms of the morphology-semantics interface and probably hard to acquire and to process. Repairing the mismatch entailed giving up declension in favour of a simple number contrast where the semantic non-defaultness of plurality matches the inflectedness of the plural form. Default considerations thus played the role of analogy in the Neogrammarian scenario of language change, restoring order where sound change had created chaos.
Political Settlements and Structural Change
Authors: Osei Robert Darko , Ackah Charles , Domfe George , Danquah Michael 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
This chapter explores the extent to which political settlements interacting with the rents space affect the nature of the deals space and consequently help explain economic growth in Ghana. The discussions are centred around four break points and therefore five growth episodes for Ghana: pre-1966, 1966–74, 1974–83, 1983–2001, and 2001–14. First, there are signs that the post-2001 period has been more ordered and open than the first twenty-five years after independence. Second, the political settlement has also changed somewhat over the years, from a dominant to a more competitive type. However, it is argued that political patronage remains rife. Third, the chapter finds that the interplay of political settlements and rent space has been important in shaping the nature of the deals space in Ghana. Finally, it highlights two types of positive and negative feedback loop relating to these variables over the years.
Updates on Conservative Management of Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Corzo Camila , Santillan Natalia Barrientos , Westin Shannon N. , Ramirez Pedro T. 
Published: December 2017

(Abstracted from J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2017; http://dx.doi.org/doi: 10.1016/j.jmig.2017.07.022)
The aim of this article was to review current data from the literature on conservative management of endometrial cancer (EC). The authors provide the latest updates on ongoing prospective trials exploring strategies in women with medical comorbidities or those of reproductive age who want to preserve futility.
Efficacy of daclatasvir-based quadruple therapy in nonresponder patients infected by hepatitis C virus genotype 4: the ANRS HC32 QUATTRO study
Authors: Roulot Dominique , Thibault Vincent , Laforest Claire , Fontaine Hélène , Bronowicki Jean-Pierre , Asselah Tarik , Bourlière Marc , Canva Valérie , Leroy Vincent , Loustaud-Ratti Véronique , Ouzan Denis , Zoulim Fabien , Schischmanoff Olivier , Rousseau Chloé , Renault Alain , Petrov-Sanchez Ventzislava , Diallo Alpha , Bellissant Eric , Serfaty Lawrence 
Published: December 2017

Background
A few direct antiviral agents have been studied in difficult-to-treat patients infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 (GT4). The efficacy of daclatasvir (DCV), asunaprevir (ASV), pegylated interferon and ribavirin (Peg-IFN/RBV) association was investigated in these patients.

Patients and methods
This open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study was conducted in HCV GT4 patients who were null or partial responders to Peg-IFN/RBV. Patients received 24 weeks of DCV (60 mg, once daily), ASV (100 mg, twice daily) and Peg-IFN/RBV. The primary endpoint was sustained virologic response at post-treatment week 12 [sustained virologic response (SVR)12].

Results
Sixty patients were included; 45 (75%) were previous null responders and 27 (45%) had cirrhosis. The most frequent subtypes were GT4a (48%) and GT4d (27%) with 25% of the patients being infected with other subtypes such as 4c, 4r, 4f, 4k, 4j and 4q. The global SVR12 was 95% (90% confidence interval: 90.4–99.6) and 96.3% (90% confidence interval: 87.5–99.5) in cirrhotic patients. All patients achieving SVR12 also achieved SVR24. Previous Peg-IFN/RBV response, IL28b genotype, cirrhosis status or GT4 subtypes did not influence SVR12 rates. Serious adverse events occurred in 13% of the patients, four being cirrhotic and four noncirrhotic. Three (5%) patients stopped HCV therapy prematurely: one because of virologic breakthrough and two because of serious adverse events. Grade 3/4 laboratory abnormalities included leukopenia (33%), neutropenia (27%), thrombocytopenia (4%) and transaminases increase (2%).

Conclusion
Association of DCV plus ASV and peg-IFN/RBV for 24 weeks demonstrated a high rate of SVR12 in HCV GT4-infected prior nonresponders, independently of the cirrhotic status or the GT4 subtype. The safety profile was acceptable, even in cirrhotic patients.
What is Clinical Efficacy of Transesophageal Echocardiography in Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke?
Authors: Christiansen Michael E. , Van Woerkom Ryan C. , Demaerschalk Bart M. , Wingerchuk Dean M. , O’Carroll Cumara B. 
Published: December 2017

Background:
Adults with cryptogenic stroke often undergo transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) because this is the gold-standard for evaluation of potential proximal sources of emboli. The risks of performing this invasive test must be weighed against its clinical efficacy and limitations, determined by the rate of positive findings, and the impact on clinical outcome for the patient.

Objective:
To critically appraise current evidence regarding the rate of positive TEE findings in cryptogenic stroke patients, and analyze the implications of these findings on management decisions and outcomes.

Methods:
The objective was addressed through the development of a structured, critically appraised topic. We incorporated a clinical scenario, background information, a structured question, literature search strategy, critical appraisal, results, evidence summary, commentary, and bottom line conclusions. Participants included consultant and resident neurologists, a medical librarian, and vascular neurology and cardiology content experts.

Results:
TEE commonly identifies abnormalities, including aorta atherosclerosis in 51%, patent foramen ovale in 43%, and atrial septal aneurysm in 13% of patients. Findings such as left-sided chamber thrombus or intracardiac tumor that definitively warrant a change in management by guideline-supported use of anticoagulation are less common, occurring in ∼3% of patients.

Conclusions:
TEE identifies potential causal sources of embolus in patients with cryptogenic stroke that leads to changes in management and outcomes at least 3% of the time. Other findings, particularly aorta atherosclerosis, are identified much more commonly but the causal link to stroke is uncertain, thus changes in management in these cases is variable and data describing resulting outcomes are lacking.
The Efficacy of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Antiphospholipid Antibody-positive Patients With Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage and High D-dimer Levels
Authors: Li Chiao-Zhu , Liu Feng-Cheng , Li Chiao-Ching , Lin Meng-Chi , Hsieh Chih-Chuan , Lin Bon-Jour , Chen Nan-Fu , Chen Chun-Lin , Chung Tzu-Tsao , Tang Chi-Tun , Hueng Dueng-Yuan , Ju Da-Tong , Ma Hsin-I , Liu Ming-Ying , Lu Ching Hsiang , Chen Yuan-Hao 
Published: December 2017

Objective:
We investigated the efficacy of plasma exchange (PE) in antiphospholipid antibody (aPL)-positive patients with a spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and high D-dimer levels.

Materials and Methods:
From May 2013 to May 2016, we evaluated 32 patients who were below the age of 50 and presented with spontaneous ICH. Five patients were positive for aPL antibody and 3 had a higher level of D-dimer. These 3 patients underwent 5 sessions of PE using fresh frozen plasma as replacement fluid. We analyzed the days postadmission until PE-start, the days of intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization, D-dimer series, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, and modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores. D-dimer levels and GCS scores were recorded at both pre-PE and post-PE stages. The mRS scores were recorded at pre-PE stage and 3 months post-PE.

Results:
The mean postadmission period until PE-start was 8.33 days. The mean ICU hospitalization was 17.33 days. The D-dimer level pre-PE ranged from 2.34 to 5.44 mg/L fibrinogen equivalent unit (FEU). The D-dimer level post-PE ranged from 1.05 to 3.30 mg/L FEU. The amount of decline of the D-dimer level between pre-PE and post-PE ranged from 0.65 to 2.14 mg/L FEU. The GCS score pre-PE was between 7 and 8. The highest post-PE GCS score was 14. The improved GCS scores post-PE ranged from 3 to 6. The improved mRS scores of 3 months post-PE ranged from 3 to 4.

Conclusions:
The concurrent presence of positive aPL and a higher D-dimer level may worsen the neurological outcome of patients with a spontaneous ICH. Aggressive PE is effective for the treatment of such patients, decreasing the extent of the ICU hospitalization.
T2 Mapping for Noninvasive Assessment of Interstitial Edema in Acute Cardiac Allograft Rejection in a Mouse Model of Heterotopic Heart Transplantation
Authors: Hartung Dagmar , Hueper Katja , Chen Rongjun , Gutberlet Marcel , Wacker Frank , Meier Martin , Rong Song , Jang Mi-Sun , Bräsen Jan H. , Gueler Faikah 
Published: December 2017

Objectives
Heart transplantation (HTX) in mice is used to characterize gene-deficient mice and to test new treatment strategies. The purpose was to establish noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging techniques in mice to monitor pathophysiological changes of the allograft during rejection.

Materials and Methods
Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at baseline and days 1 and 6 after isogenic (n = 10, C57BL/6) and allogenic (n = 12, C57BL/6 to BALB/c) heterotopic HTX on a 7 T small animal scanner. Respiratory- and electrocardiogram-gated multislice multi-echo spin echo sequences were acquired, and parameter maps of T2 relaxation time were generated. T2 times in septal, anterior, lateral, and posterior myocardial segments as well as global T2 times were calculated and compared between groups. At day 7 animals were sacrificed and graft pathology was assessed by semiquantitative regional analysis and correlated with magnetic resonance imaging results.

Results
Myocardial T2 relaxation time was significantly increased in allogenic (33.4 ± 0.1 ms) and isogenic cardiac grafts (31.8 ± 1.8 ms) on day 1 after HTX compared with healthy donor hearts at baseline (23.1 ± 0.3 ms, P < 0.001). Until day 6 after HTX, myocardial T2 further increased markedly in allografts but not in isografts (43.4 ± 1.9 vs 31.2 ± 1.1 ms, P < 0.001). Mean segmental T2 values as well as mean global T2 values in allogenic compared with isogenic cardiac grafts on day 6 were significantly higher (P < 0.01). Histologically, isogenic grafts were almost normal besides small focal leukocyte infiltrates and signs of interstitial edema, most likely due to ischemia reperfusion injury (histological sum score, 0.9 ± 0.4). In allogenic HTX, histology revealed severe inflammation and tissue edema representing allograft rejection with increased histological scores (5.3 ± 0.7, P < 0.001). Higher histological scores of rejection were significantly associated with increased T2 times on a segmental and a global level.

Conclusions
We could show that T2 mapping is a suitable noninvasive imaging method to monitor global and regional HTX pathologies in experimental heart transplantation in mice. Progressive prolongation of T2 time was significantly associated with pathological signs of rejection.
Discordant Findings on 18F-NaF and 99mTc-HDP Bone Scans in a Patient With ATTR Cardiac Amyloidosis
Authors: Ng Quinn K.T. , Sethi Pooja , Saunders Tara A. , Pampaloni Miguel Hernandez , Flavell Robert R. 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Cardiac amyloidosis is an important cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. Bone scintigraphy with [99mTc]hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (99mTc-HDP) and [18F]sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) have been investigated in the noninvasive diagnosis of transthyretin (ATTR)–related cardiac amyloidosis. We present a case of a 76-year-old man with metastatic prostate cancer who underwent 99mTc-HDP bone scintigraphy with an incidental finding of diffuse left ventricular abnormal uptake suggesting ATTR cardiac amyloidosis. Review of previous imaging showed a negative 18F-NaF PET/CT study. This example suggests that the mechanism of uptake of 99mTc-HDP and 18F-NaF may differ in patients with ATTR cardiac amyloidosis.
Subacute Cerebellar Infarction With Uptake on 68Ga–Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT
Authors: Oh Geon , Miles Kenneth 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
We report a case of subacute cerebellar infarction mimicking metastasis on prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT. A 77-year-old man with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy and radiotherapy with rising prostate-specific antigen was referred for 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT. Apart from PSMA-expressing tumor of the left prostate, PSMA PET/CT demonstrated radiotracer uptake in the right cerebellar hemisphere, corresponding to a site of subacute infarction demonstrated on an MRI of the brain performed 35 days previously. As cerebellar infarcts are considerably less common than cerebral infarcts, they may not be anticipated as a potential cause for false-positive radiotracer uptake on PSMA PET.
Ventriculopleural Shunt Dysfunction Due to a Loculated Pleural Collection Demonstrated on SPECT/CT Imaging
Authors: Szajer Jeremy , Russo Roberto , Mansberg Robert 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
A 35-year-old woman presented with increasing drowsiness on a background of childhood meningitis and hydrocephalus managed with a ventriculopleural shunt. Her cerebral CT and chest radiograph were unchanged from previous imaging and did not identify significant pathology. Because of clinical suspicion of cerebrospinal fluid shunt dysfunction, she was referred for a cerebrospinal fluid shunt study, which demonstrated tracer accumulation within a loculated pleural collection in the left costophrenic recess.
Primary Aspergillosis of the Sphenoid Sinus Observed on Bone SPECT/CT
Authors: Son Seung Hyun , Jeong Shin Young , Lee Sang-Woo , Ahn Byeong-Cheol , Lee Jaetae 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
The bone SPECT/CT allows for precise anatomic delineation of bone activity, which can be valuable for diagnosis of nonmalignant bone diseases. We report an extremely rare case of sphenoid sinus aspergillosis, observed on bone SPECT/CT imaging, as an isolated disease in an immunocompetent individual. A 58-year-old woman with a history of plantar fasciitis was assessed for infection in the tarsal bones. Planar bone scan image revealed incidental focal lesion in skull base, which was considered to be the left sphenoid sinusitis by the bone SPECT/CT scan.
Identification of the first endogenous Ophiovirus sequence
Authors: Marsile-Medun Soledad , Debat Humberto Julio , Gifford Robert James 
Published: December 2017

AbstractEndogenous viral elements (EVEs) are sequences in eukaryotic genomes that are derived from the ancestral integration of viral sequences into germline cells. Ophioviruses (family Ophioviridae) are a recently established family of viruses that infects plants. In this report, we describe the first example of an EVE derived from an ophiovirus, in the genome of eelgrass (Zostera marina). These findings extend the host range of ophioviruses to include seagrasses of the family Zosteraceae, and provide a potential time calibration for the evolution of the Ophioviridae family.
bioSyntax: Syntax Highlighting For Computational Biology
Authors: Babaian Artem , Ebou Anicet , Fegen Alyssa , Kam Ho Yin (Jeffrey) , Novakovsky German E. , Wong Jasper 
Published: December 2017

AbstractComputational biology requires the reading and comprehension of biological data files. Plain-text formats such as SAM, VCF, GTF, PDB and FASTA, often contain critical information that is obfuscated by the complexity of the data structures. bioSyntax (http://bioSyntax.org) is a freely available suite of syntax highlighting packages for vim, gedit, Sublime, and less, which aids computational scientists to parse and work with their data more efficiently.
Assessment of patient-specific efficacy of chemo- and targeted-therapies: a micropharmacology approach
Authors: Karolak Aleksandra , Huffstutler Branton , Khan Zain , Rejniak Katarzyna A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBoth targeted and standard chemotherapy drugs are subject to various intratumoral barriers that impede their effectiveness. The tortuous vasculature, dense and fibrous extracellular matrix, irregular cellular architecture, and nonuniform expression of cell membrane receptors hinder drug molecule transport and perturb its cellular uptake. In addition, tumor microenvironments undergo dynamic spatio-temporal changes during tumor progression and treatment, which can also obstruct drug efficacy. To examine these aspects of drug delivery on a cell-to-tissue scale (single-cell pharmacology), we developed themicroPKPDmodels and coupled them with patient-specific data to test personalized treatments.
The compound topology of a continent-wide interaction network explained by an integrative hypothesis of specialization
Authors: Felix Gabriel Moreira , Pinheiro Rafael Barros Pereira , Poulin Robert , Krasnov Boris R. , de Mello Marco Aurelio Ribeiro 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACTIs there a prevalent pattern among interaction networks: nestedness or modularity? Must consumers always trade-off generalism for average performance in resource exploitation? These two questions have been addressed in various systems, with contradictory results. A recent integrative hypothesis combines both questions within a common theoretical framework, proposing that ecological specialization is structured by different prevailing processes in smaller and larger network units. This should produce both a compound interaction network, formed by internally nested modules, and a scale-dependence on the relationship between consumer performance and generalism. Here, we confirm both predictions in a large dataset on host-parasite interactions. We show that modules indeed constrain nestedness at the whole network level, and that the relationship between parasite generalism and performance on their hosts changed from negative at large to positive at small scales. Our results shed light on both debates, and provide some clues to their integration and solution.
Real-value and confidence prediction of protein backbone dihedral angles through a hybrid method of clustering and deep learning
Authors: Gao Yujuan , Wang Sheng , Deng Minghua , Xu Jinbo 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundProtein dihedral angles provide a detailed description of protein local conformation. Predicted dihedral angles can be used to narrow down the conformational space of the whole polypeptide chain significantly, thus aiding protein tertiary structure prediction. However, direct angle prediction from sequence alone is challenging.MethodIn this study, we present a novel method to predict realvalued angles by combining clustering and deep learning. That is, we first generate certain clusters of angles (each assigned a label) and then apply a deep residual neural network to predict the label posterior probability. Finally, we output real-valued prediction by a mixture of the clusters with their predicted probabilities. At the same time, we also estimate the bound of the prediction errors at each residue from the predicted label probabilities.ResultIn this article, we present a novel method (named RaptorX-Angle) to predict real-valued angles by combining clustering and deep learning. Tested on a subset of PDB25 and the targets in the latest two Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction (CASP), our method outperforms the existing state-of-art method SPIDER2 in terms of Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE). Our result also shows approximately linear relationship between the real prediction errors and our estimated bounds. That is, the real prediction error can be well approximated by our estimated bounds.ConclusionsOur study provides an alternative and more accurate prediction of dihedral angles, which may facilitate protein structure prediction and functional study.