bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oncofetal Chondroitin Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans Are Key Players in Integrin Signaling and Tumor Cell Motility
Authors: Clausen Thomas Mandel , Pereira Marina Ayres , Al Nakouzi Nader , Oo Htoo Zarni , Agerbæk Mette Ø , Lee Sherry , Ørum-Madsen Maj Sofie , Kristensen Anders Riis , El-Naggar Amal , Grandgenett Paul M. , Grem Jean L. , Hollingsworth Michael A. , Holst Peter J. , Theander Thor , Sorensen Poul H. , Daugaard Mads , Salanti Ali 
Published: September 2016

Abstract
Many tumors express proteoglycans modified with oncofetal chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains (ofCS), which are normally restricted to the placenta. However, the role of ofCS in cancer is largely unknown. The function of ofCS in cancer was analyzed using the recombinant ofCS-binding VAR2CSA protein (rVAR2) derived from the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. We demonstrate that ofCS plays a key role in tumor cell motility by affecting canonical integrin signaling pathways. Binding of rVAR2 to tumor cells inhibited the interaction of cells with extracellular matrix (ECM) components, which correlated with decreased phosphorylation of Src kinase. Moreover, rVAR2 binding decreased migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth of tumor cells in vitro. Mass spectrometry of ofCS-modified proteoglycan complexes affinity purified from tumor cell lines on rVAR2 columns revealed an overrepresentation of proteins involved in cell motility and integrin signaling, such as integrin-β1 (ITGB1) and integrin-α4 (ITGA4). Saturating concentrations of rVAR2 inhibited downstream integrin signaling, which was mimicked by knockdown of the core chondroitin sulfate synthesis enzymes β-1,3-glucuronyltransferase 1 (B3GAT1) and chondroitin sulfate N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 1 (CSGALNACT1). The ofCS modification was highly expressed in both human and murine metastatic lesions in situ and preincubation or early intravenous treatment of tumor cells with rVAR2 inhibited seeding and spreading of tumor cells in mice. This was associated with a significant increase in survival of the animals. These data functionally link ofCS modifications with cancer cell motility and further highlights ofCS as a novel therapeutic cancer target.
Implications: The cancer-specific expression of ofCS aids in metastatic phenotypes and is a candidate target for therapy. Mol Cancer Res; 14(12); 1288–99. ©2016 AACR.
Global Anticoagulant Registry in the Field – Venous Thromboembolism (GARFIELD-VTE)
Authors: Haas Sylvia , Ageno Walter , Angchaisuksiri Pantep , Bounameaux Henri , Nielsen Joern , Goldhaber Samuel Z. , Goto Shinya , Kayani Gloria , Mantovani Lorenzo , Prandoni Paolo , Schellong Sebastian , Turpie Alexander G. G. , Kakkar Ajay K. , Weitz Jeffrey I. 
Published: September 2016

SummaryVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common disorder associated with significant rates of morbidity and mortality. VTE management aims to reduce mortality, the risks of recurrence, and long-term complications. VTE treatment is evolving with the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (NOACs). The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD – Venous Thromboembolism (GARFIELD-VTE) is a prospective, multicentre, observational study that will enrol 10,000 patients treated for acute VTE from ∼500 sites in 28 countries. Identified sites reflect the diversity of care settings, including hospital and outpatient settings. Patients will be managed according to local practices and followed for at least three years. The primary objective is to determine the extent to which VTE treatment varies in the real-world setting and to assess the impact of such variability on clinical and economic outcomes. Evolving patterns of care will be captured using two sequential cohorts. The GARFIELD-VTE registry will provide insights into the evolving global treatment patterns for VTE, both deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. By enrolling patients from diverse care settings, the registry will provide information on adherence to national and international guidelines, identify good practice as well as treatment deficiencies, and relate patient outcomes to clinical management. The incidence of death, recurrent VTE, bleeding, post-thrombotic syndrome and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension will be documented. By capturing information during and after anticoagulation treatment, the registry will not only define aspects of the natural history of VTE, but also its economic and societal impact at a regional and global level.
Changes in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Predict Survival and Hospitalization in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Breathett Khadijah , Allen Larry A. , Udelson James , Davis Gordon , Bristow Michael 
Published: September 2016

Background—
Left ventricular remodeling, as commonly measured by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), is associated with clinical outcomes. Although change in LVEF over time should reflect response to therapy and clinical course, serial measurement of LVEF is inconsistently performed in observational settings, and the incremental prognostic value of change in LVEF has not been well characterized.

Methods and Results—
The β-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial measured LVEF by radionuclide ventriculography at baseline and at 3 and 12 months after randomization. We built a series of multivariable models with 16 clinical parameters plus change in LVEF for predicting 4 major clinical end points, including the trial’s primary end point of all-cause mortality. Among 2484 patients with at least 1 follow-up LVEF, change in LVEF was the second most significant predictor (behind baseline creatinine) of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio for improvement in LVEF by ≥5 U responder versus nonresponder [95% confidence intervals] for all-cause mortality=0.62 [0.52–0.73]). Other end points, including heart failure hospitalization or the composite of all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalization, yielded similar results. LVEF change ≥5 U was associated with a modest increase in discrimination when added to traditional predictors and was predictive of outcomes in both the bucindolol and placebo treatment groups. LVEF change as a predictor of outcomes was affected by sex and race, with evidence that LVEF improvement is associated with less survival benefit in African Americans and women.

Conclusions—
Serial evaluation for LVEF change predicts both survival and heart failure hospitalization and provides a dynamic/real-time measure of prognosis in heart failure with reduced LVEF.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00000560.
The Gogol-St. Petersburg Nexus
Authors: Tucker Janet 
Published: September 2016

From Alexander Pushkin and Fyodor Dostoevsky in the nineteenth century to Andrei Bitov in the twentieth, St. Petersburg functions as a critical element in Russian literature and social thought. The great nineteenth-century prose writer and playwright Nikolai Gogol strikingly embodies motifs and themes associated with Russia’s great yet dysfunctional and, ultimately, erstwhile capital city. Gogol is especially celebrated for his fragmented and surreal images, his sense of a terrifying void lurking beneath an apparently solid surface reality and his dehumanized characters, all of which are linked with the city of St. Petersburg. The reader encounters these elements from Gogol’s first tales, embedded in his native Ukraine. They will figure significantly in such St. Petersburg stories as “The Nose” and “The Overcoat.” Most importantly, even those later works not set in St. Petersburg – his play The Inspector General and his unfinished novel Dead Souls – incorporate features peculiar to Gogol’s reading of a terrifying and, in the end, alien urban environment. For Gogol, St. Petersburg betokens the void, a deceptive superficial reality, and a blurring of the boundaries between the phenomenal and noumenal worlds. Carried further, Gogol uses his reading of St. Petersburg symbolism to blur the line between the living and the dead, with damnation lying just beneath an illusory surface reality of an evil Westernized city founded by the tsar who led Russia away from traditional values. His characters embody this Westernized capital city and carry it around with themselves even in provincial settings far away from its dangerous glitter.
Acquiring Long-Term Turbulence Measurements from Moored Platforms Impacted by Motion
Authors: Bluteau Cynthia E. , Jones Nicole L. , Ivey Gregory N. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractFor measurements from either profiling or moored instruments, several processing techniques exist to estimate the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy ϵ, a core quantity used to determine oceanic mixing rates. Moored velocimeters can provide long-term measurements of ϵ, but they can be plagued by motion-induced contamination. To remove this contamination, two methodologies are presented that use independent measurements of the instrument’s acceleration and rotation in space. The first is derived from the relationship between the spectra (cospectra) and the variance (covariance) of a time series. The cospectral technique recovers the environmental (or true) velocity spectrum by summing the measured spectrum, the motion-induced spectrum, and the cospectrum between the motion-induced and measured velocities. The second technique recovers the environmental spectrum by correcting the measured spectrum with the squared coherency, essentially assuming that the measured signal shares variance with either the environmental signal or the motion signal. Both techniques are applied to moored velocimeters at 7.5 and 20.5 m above the seabed in 105 m of water. By estimating the orbital velocities from their respective spectra and comparing them against those obtained from nearby wave measurements, the study shows that the surface wave signature is recovered with the cospectral technique, while it is underpredicted with the squared coherency technique. The latter technique is particularly problematic when the instrument’s motion is in phase with the orbital (environmental) velocities, as it removes variance that should have been added to the measured spectrum. The estimated ϵ from the cospectral technique compares well with estimates from nearby microstructure velocity shear vertical profiles.
Religious forms in secularized society: Three Catholic groups in comparison
Authors: Turco Daniela 
Published: September 2016

Despite the evidence of a progressive disenchantment, the religious sphere maintains a strong grip on current societies though undertaking some transformations. Pluralism, individualism and privatization are three features we cannot ignore if we choose to study religion in the contemporary world and, more broadly, if we choose to study modernity. The aim of this article is to illustrate some features of the different forms of religiosity in the secular age (Taylor, 2007). We have focused on modern Catholicism, with particular reference to religious experience in the Catholic lay group. The stories of Catholic militants show that the motivation behind their choice is the crucial factor to analyze their religious experience and worldview. In this sense, we will try to reflect on some indicators that can help us to understand the resources and limits of the contemporary Catholic pluralism and the aspects of the ‘modern desire for God’ (Abbruzzese, 2010).
Automated delimitation of urban areas comprising small-sized towns – Comparison of two methodologies applied to mainland Portugal
Authors: Nicolau Rita , Cavaco Cristina 
Published: September 2016

At European level, the different methodologies used for the classification of urban areas rely on the spatial allocation of population to 1 km2 grid cells, failing therefore to identify small-sized settlements that play an important role in urban systems mostly composed by small towns, such as the Portuguese. This paper reports the development of alternative methodologies which overcome the problem stated, successfully enabling the automated recognition and delimitation of small-sized urban settlements – the prime goal of this work. Two alternative methodologies (A and B) were developed and later compared. The settlements identified by A are clusters of census tracts, previously classified using an urban–rural typology proposed by the authors. In B an adaptation of the Urban Morphological Zones methodology published by the European Environment Agency was used, whereby settlements are clusters of specific Land Use/Land Cover classes combined with the urbanised areas defined by Municipal Master Plans.
Predictors of Neurological Outcome of Tuberculous Meningitis in Childhood
Authors: Dhawan Sumeet R. , Gupta Anju , Singhi Pratibha , Sankhyan Naveen , Malhi Prahbhjot , Khandelwal N. 
Published: September 2016

Aims: To assess the long-term outcome of childhood tuberculous meningitis treated with modern 4-drug antitubercular regimens and to determine predictors of survival and morbidity. Methods: In this single-center prospective cohort, outcome of children with tuberculous meningitis treated with standard regimens was assessed at 6 months and 12 months after discharge using the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category Scale. Results: Of 130 children, 38 died in hospital and 34 were either severely disabled or comatose/vegetative at discharge. At 6 and 12 months, 87% of the survivors were either normal (n = 62) or mildly disabled (n = 17, on the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category scale). On multivariate analysis, the factors associated with poor outcome at 12 months were stage III at admission (adjusted odds ratio 4.4, 95% confidence interval, 1.7-11.2, P = .002) and presence of infarcts on neuroimaging (adjusted odds ratio 2.6, 95% confidence interval, 1.1-6.6, P = .037). Conclusions: Despite the high in-hospital mortality, in resource-constraint settings, the survivors showed remarkable improvement, with two-thirds returning to a normal functional status at 6 months’ follow-up.
Endoscopy-Assisted Achilles Tendon Reconstruction With a Central Turndown Flap and Semitendinosus Augmentation
Authors: Gedam Prashant N. , Rushnaiwala Faizaan M. 
Published: September 2016

Background: The objective of this study was to report the results of a new minimally invasive Achilles reconstruction technique and to assess the perioperative morbidity, medium- to long-term outcomes, and functional results. Methods: Our series was comprised 14 patients (11 men and 3 women), with a mean age of 45.6 years at surgery. Each patient had a chronic Achilles tendon rupture. The mean interval from rupture to surgery was 5.5 months (range, 2-10). The mean total follow-up was 30.1 months (range, 12-78). All patients were operated with a central turndown flap augmented with free semitendinosus tendon graft and percutaneous sutures in a minimally invasive approach assisted by endoscopy. The patients underwent retrospective assessment by clinical examination, the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot score, and the Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS). Paired t tests were used to assess the preoperative and postoperative AOFAS scores, ATRS scores, and ankle range of motion. Results: The length of the defect ranged from 3 to 8 cm (mean, 5.1), while the length of the turndown flap ranged from 8 to 13 cm (mean, 10.1). The mean AOFAS score improved from 64.5 points preoperatively to 96.9 points at last follow-up. The mean ATRS score improved from 49.4 preoperatively to 91.4 points at last follow-up. None of the patients developed a wound complication. No patient had a rerupture or sural nerve damage. Conclusion: All patients in our study had a favorable outcome with no complications. We believe that with this triple-repair technique, one can achieve a strong and robust repair such as in open surgery while at the same time reducing the incidence of complications. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Hypertension in von Willebrand Disease
Authors: Apostolova Mariya H. , Seaman Craig D. , Comer Diane M. , Yabes Jonathan G. , Ragni Margaret V. 
Published: September 2016

Background: von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a biomarker for endothelial damage. Increased VWF levels are observed in hypertension (HTN) and disorders of endothelial dysfunction, for example, atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) and diabetes. Whether low VWF protects against HTN is unknown. Methods: To determine prevalence and risk factors for HTN in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD), we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample, 2009 to 2011. Group comparisons were performed by Rao-Scott χ2 test. Odds of HTN and HTN outcomes in VWD were estimated by weighted multivariable logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of hypertension in patients with VWD (N = 7556), 37.35%, was significantly lower than that in non-VWD patients (N = 19 918 970), 49.40%, P < .0001. Hypertension risk factors (hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, hepatitis C, and HIV) and HTN outcomes (ASHD, myocardial infarction [MI], ischemic stroke, and renal failure) were less common in patients with VWD than in non-VWD patients, all P ≤ .0001. Patients with VWD were younger, 49.67 versus 57.30 years, Caucasian, 82.23% versus 68.35%, and female, 75.44% versus 59.61%, P < .0001. Patients with HTN were older, 67.55 versus 47.29 years, male, 45.99% versus 34.90%, and had more HTN risk factors and HTN outcomes than those without HTN, all P < .0001, including male and female subgroups, each P < .0001. The unadjusted odds of HTN in patients with VWD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.611, P < .0001) and of HTN outcomes in patients with VWD (ASHD, OR = 0.509; MI, OR = 0.422; ischemic stroke, OR = 0.521; renal failure, OR = 0.420, all P < .0001) became insignificant after adjustment for HTN risk factors plus demographics (age/race/gender), OR = 1.035, P = .260. Conclusion: The risk of HTN is reduced in patients with VWD, but not after adjustment for HTN risk factors plus demographics, as patients with VWD not having HTN are also typically young, Caucasian, and female.
Sutureless open vascular anastomosis connector: An experimental study
Authors: Kapischke Matthias , Gerhard Dietmar , Pries Alexandra 
Published: September 2016

The objective of this study was to assess the safety of a new developed sutureless vascular adapter system in a porcine model. In five pigs, 4-cm-long polyester prosthesis (6 mm diameter) were implanted and anastomosed with the newly developed adapter proximally and suture anastomosis distally. The integration of the adapter was investigated in comparison to the suture anastomosis. These investigations were performed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Median operative time for performing the adapter anastomosis was significantly shorter compared to suture anastomosis (66 s vs. 246 s, p < 0.05). Median estimated blood loss during adapter anastomosis implementation was 22.5 mL (range 19.0–25.0 mL) compared to 48.2 mL (range 45.4–63.5 mL, p < 0.05). In five hand-sewn anastomoses, overall eight additional stitches were necessary whereas all adapter anastomoses showed primary leak tightness. This in vivo study shows the technical feasibility of the newly developed adapter.
Prospective study of percutaneous tracheostomy: Role of bronchoscopy and surgical technique
Authors: Laisaar Tanel , Jakobson Eero , Sarana Bruno , Sarapuu Silver , Vahtramäe Jüri , Raag Mait 
Published: September 2016

Objective: Percutaneous tracheostomy is a common procedure but varies considerably in approach. The aim of our study was to evaluate the need for intraoperative bronchoscopy and to compare various surgical techniques. Methods: During 1 year all percutaneous tracheostomies in three intensive care units were prospectively documented according to a unified protocol. In one unit, bronchoscopy was used routinely and in others only during the study. Results: A total of 111 subjects (77 males) with median age 64 (range, 18–86) years and body mass index 25.4 (range, 15.9–50.7) were included. In unit A, tracheal wall was directly exposed; in unit B, limited dissection to enable tracheal palpation was made. In both units, bronchoscopy was used to check the location of an already inserted guiding needle; needle position required correction in 8% and 12% of cases, respectively. In unit C, in tracheostomies without pretracheal tissue dissection, bronchoscopy was used to guide needle insertion; needle position required correction in 66% of cases. Median duration of operations performed by thoracic surgeons and residents was 10 (range, 3–37) min and by intensive care doctors and residents was 16.5 (range, 3–63) min (p < 0.001). Time from the beginning of preparations for tracheostomy until the end of the whole procedure was median 32 min for bedside tracheostomies and 64 min for operations in the operating theatre (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Limited pretracheal tissue dissection enabled proper guiding needle insertion and bronchoscopy was rarely needed. Percutaneous tracheostomies performed by thoracic surgeons took less time, and duration of the whole procedure was remarkably shorter when performed at bedside.
Psychosis: call a surgeon? A rare etiology of psychosis requiring resection
Authors: Medepalli Kantha , Lee Cody M , Benninger Lauryn A , Elwing Jean M 
Published: September 2016

Objective: Anti–N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis is a rare but emerging cause of autoimmune encephalitis. Our objective is to present a case of this rare disease while highlighting the importance of an aggressive search for underlying malignancy as well as the common mischaracterization of primary psychiatric illness that occurs in these patients. Methods: A young Caucasian female with no known psychiatric history presented with acute onset of seizures and psychosis. Results: Magnetic resonance imaging abdomen and pelvis showed a 6-mm ovarian teratoma which was not visualized on initial computed tomographic scans. Pathology was consistent with a mature teratoma. Both serum and cerebrospinal fluid N-methyl- d-aspartate receptor antibodies were positive. Conclusion: An exhaustive search for underlying malignancy and specifically ovarian teratoma in young women should be completed in these patients. Diagnosis often is delayed given the prominent psychiatric manifestations and providers should be aware and strongly consider this in younger women with acute onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms.