bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Scalp congenital hemangioma with associated high-output cardiac failure in a premature infant: Case report and review of literature
Authors: Shah Sumedh S , Snelling Brian M , Sur Samir , Ramnath Alexandra R , Bandstra Emmalee S , Yavagal Dileep R 
Published: October 2016

Introduction Scalp congenital hemangiomas (CHs) are rare vascular malformations among infants; they can be associated with an array of complications, including cardiac and cosmetic issues. Here, we report the endovascular treatment of a premature infant with a suspected large right parietal scalp hemangioma and associated high-output cardiac failure. Case description A two-day-old female premature infant (29 weeks gestational age; 1330 g birth weight) was referred by the neonatologists to our department for consultation and potential treatment of a large right parietal CH causing abrupt hypotension and high-output cardiac failure. Doppler ultrasound imaging at bedside revealed areas of arterial-venous shunting from the scalp and the presence of a superior sagittal sinus waveform, consistent with intracranial venous drainage. To alleviate cardiac dysfunction secondary to this lesion, trans-arterial embolization via n-butyl cyanoacrylate (nBCA) glue and deployment of detachable coils was performed via umbilical artery to occlude the right superficial temporal and occipital artery branches supplying the CH. Following treatment, the infant continued to require ventilator management, vasopressor support, and correction of coagulopathy, but by post-operative day two, her condition improved remarkably and the mass size began decreasing. The patient was discharged after a relatively uncomplicated subsequent 2½-month course in the neonatal intensive care unit. Conclusion Endovascular therapy proved effective and safe in treating cardiac failure associated with scalp CH, despite potential complications associated with neuro-interventional surgery in premature infants. Appropriate consideration in this patient population should be given to factors including blood loss, contrast use, radiation exposure, operative time, and possible intra-/post-operative complications.
Prevalence of decompression surgery in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome 8 years after initial treatment with a local corticosteroid injection
Authors: Hameso A. , Bland J. D. P. 
Published: October 2016

Repeated local corticosteroid injections have become a common mode of treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, despite an existing recommendation that no more than three injections should be given. We studied the clinical outcomes in 254 patients who initially opted for a corticosteroid injection into their carpal canal during 2007. Follow-up records of treatment were obtained for 157 patients of whom 41% had proceeded to surgery by 2015. A mean of 1.9 injections had been given before surgery. In the unoperated group, a mean of two (range 0–12) further injections had been given. The final subjective severity and functional status scores measured using the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire were significantly lower in the operated than in the unoperated group, but both groups improved significantly from baseline. The differences between the final scores are less than the estimated minimal clinically important difference for these measures. We conclude that repeated steroid injection may be a valid treatment option for some patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Level of evidence: III
No Association Between Return to Play After Injury and Increased Rate of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Men’s Professional Soccer
Authors: Lundblad Matilda , Waldén Markus , Hägglund Martin , Ekstrand Jan , Thomeé Christoffer , Karlsson Jón 
Published: October 2016

Background: Studies have shown that previous injury, not necessarily anatomically related, is an important injury risk factor. However, it is not known whether a player runs an increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury after returning to play from other injury types. Purpose: To analyze whether professional soccer players are more susceptible to ACL injury after returning to play from any previous injury. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 101 elite male soccer players suffering a first-time complete ACL injury between 2001 and 2014 were included and matched according to team, age, and playing position with control players who did not have a current injury (1:1 match). For each injured player, the 90-day period prior to the ACL injury was analyzed for injuries and compared with that of control players by using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Results: The odds of a player with an ACL injury sustaining a previous injury in the 90-day period did not differ significantly from that of controls (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.66-2.17; P = .65). Testing the frequency of absence periods due to injury between the groups revealed that the odds of a player with an ACL injury having a previous period of absence due to injury did not differ compared with controls (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.64-2.01; P = .77). Conclusion: Players with ACL injury did not have a greater occurrence of absence due to injury in the 3 months preceding their ACL injury compared with matched controls. This indicates that previous injury of any type does not increase the risk of suffering an ACL injury.
Seizures Related to Hypomagnesemia
Authors: Chen Becky Biqi , Prasad Chitra , Kobrzynski Marta , Campbell Craig , Filler Guido 
Published: October 2016

Objective: Childhood seizures have various nonneurological etiologies. The patient’s magnesium levels should be measured when evaluating afebrile seizures. The purpose of the current case series is to describe a systematic approach for diagnosing hypomagnesemia using 3 recent patient cases. Methods: This case series describes 3 patients with unprovoked hypomagnesemia-associated seizures. The authors describe the differential diagnosis, pathophysiology, and the workup of hypomagnesemia-associated seizures. Results: Hypomagnesemia contributed to the cause of the seizures in all 3 cases. Various causes of hypomagnesemia were investigated, including genetic etiologies. All 3 patients were maintained at a magnesium level >0.65 mmol/L, which improved or eliminated the seizures. Significance: Magnesium levels should always be measured when trying to determine the etiology of seizures. Hypomagnesemia and afebrile seizures should be treated with the goal of maintaining a magnesium concentration >0.65 mmol/L. Although rare, genetic causes of hypomagnesemia should be considered, once common causes of hypomagnesemia are ruled out.
An analysis of simple computational strategies to facilitate the design of functional molecular information processors
Authors: Lee Yiling , Roslan Rozieffa , Azizan Shariza , Firdaus-Raih Mohd , Ramlan Effirul I. 
Published: October 2016

Abstract
Background
Biological macromolecules (DNA, RNA and proteins) are capable of processing physical or chemical inputs to generate outputs that parallel conventional Boolean logical operators. However, the design of functional modules that will enable these macromolecules to operate as synthetic molecular computing devices is challenging.

Results
Using three simple heuristics, we designed RNA sensors that can mimic the function of a seven-segment display (SSD). Ten independent and orthogonal sensors representing the numerals 0 to 9 are designed and constructed. Each sensor has its own unique oligonucleotide binding site region that is activated uniquely by a specific input. Each operator was subjected to a stringent in silico filtering. Random sensors were selected and functionally validated via ribozyme self cleavage assays that were visualized via electrophoresis.

Conclusions
By utilising simple permutation and randomisation in the sequence design phase, we have developed functional RNA sensors thus demonstrating that even the simplest of computational methods can greatly aid the design phase for constructing functional molecular devices.
Specific disruption of Lnk in murine endothelial progenitor cells promotes dermal wound healing via enhanced vasculogenesis, activation of myofibroblasts, and suppression of inflammatory cell recruitment
Authors: Lee Jun Hee , Ji Seung Taek , Kim Jaeho , Takaki Satoshi , Asahara Takayuki , Hong Young-Joon , Kwon Sang-Mo 
Published: October 2016

AbstractBackgroundAlthough endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to wound repair by promoting neovascularization, the mechanism of EPC-mediated wound healing remains poorly understood due to the lack of pivotal molecular targets of dermal wound repair.Methods and ResultsWe found that genetic targeting of theLnkgene in EPCs dramatically enhances the vasculogenic potential including cell proliferation, migration, and tubule-like formation as well as accelerates in vivo wound healing, with a reduction in fibrotic tissue and improved neovascularization via significant suppression of inflammatory cell recruitment. When injected into wound sites,Lnk-/-EPCs gave rise to a significant number of new vessels, with remarkably increased survival of transplanted cells and decreased recruitment of cytotoxic T cells, macrophages, and neutrophils, but caused activation of fibroblasts in the wound-remodeling phase. Notably, in a mouse model of type I diabetes, transplantedLnk-/-EPCs induced significantly better wound healing thanLnk+/+EPCs did.ConclusionsThe specific targeting of Lnk may be a promising EPC-based therapeutic strategy for dermal wound healing via improvement of neovascularization but inhibition of excessive inflammation as well as activation of myofibroblasts during dermal tissue remodeling.
On-site monitoring for better selection of stone repairs: a case study
Authors: Demoulin Thibault , Girardet Fred , Wangler Timothy P. , Scherer George W. , Flatt Robert J. 
Published: October 2016

Abstract
Weathering of clay-bearing sandstones does not only depend on material properties but also on the environmental conditions they are exposed to. The same is true for repaired stones, in which the compatibility of the repair mortar should be studied not only in terms of material properties, but also in terms of the climatic conditions it will be subjected, in order to maximize this compatibility. This paper proposes a methodology to quantify the thermal and hygric stresses in clay-bearing sandstones and their repair, based on the measurement of temperature and relative humidity at the surface and at several depths in a repaired and a non-repaired stone, as well as wind-driven rain and absorbed water. This is illustrated by a case study in an historical building. The data are used to quantify the stresses in the materials and to propose possible degradation mechanisms.
A hidden Markov model analysis of subject-specific seizure time-series data as a potential aid to clinical decision making
Authors: King Martin D. , Pujar Suresh , Scott Rod C. 
Published: October 2016

Background The seizure-count time series data acquired from three children with refractory epilepsy were used in a statistical modelling analysis designed to provide an explanation for the marked variation in seizure frequency that often occurs over time (over-dispersed Poisson behaviour). This was motivated by an expectation that a better understanding of the spontaneous shifts in seizure-activity that are observed in some cases should reduce the risk of over-treatment caused by inappropriate changes in medication. Methods The analyses were performed using Poisson hidden Markov models (HMMs), both Bayesian and non-Bayesian, implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo and the expectation-maximisation algorithm, respectively. A defining feature of the models, as applied to epilepsy, is the assumed existence of two or more pathological states, with state-specific Poisson rates, and random transitions between the states. Posterior predictive simulation was used to assess the validity of the Bayesian HMMs. Results The results are presented in the form of state transition probability and Poisson rate estimates (i.e., the primary HMM parameters), together with information derived from these primary parameters. State-specific mean-duration (sojourn time) estimates and sojourn-time complementary cumulative probability distributions are the main focus. HMM analyses are presented for three children that differed markedly in their seizure behaviour. The first is characterised by an extreme seizure count on one occasion; the second underwent a spontaneous decrease in seizure activity during the observation period; the third seizure-count time trajectory is characterised by a gradual change in mean seizure activity. We show that, despite their considerable differences, each of the observed seizure-count trajectories can be treated adequately using an HMM. Conclusions The study demonstrates that clinically relevant information can be obtained using HM modelling in three cases with markedly different seizure behaviour. The resulting subject-specific statistics provide useful clinical insights which should aid those engaged in clinical decision making.
Call Center Staffing: Service-Level Constraints and Index Priorities
Authors: Soh Seung Bum , Gurvich Itai 
Published: October 2016

Call centers attribute different values to different customer segments. These values are reflected in quality-of-service targets. The prevalent target service factor (TSF) formulation requires, for example, that 80% of VIP customers wait less than 20 seconds while setting the target to 30 seconds for non-VIP customers. The call center must determine the staffing level together with a prioritization rule that meets these targets at minimal cost. In practice, because of the underlying complexity of these systems, the prioritization rule is often selected in a heuristic manner rather than being systematically optimized. When considering the universe of prioritization policies, index rules provide a customizable and easy to define heuristic and for this reason are implemented in various call center software packages. We use the TSF formulation as a stepping stone toward a better understanding of index rules. We first construct an asymptotically optimal solution for the TSF problem. The prioritization component of our solution is a tracking policy rather than an index rule. We prove that despite index rules’ significant flexibility, no instance of these prioritization rules is optimal for the TSF problem. The suboptimality of index rules follows from an essential characteristic of these: restricting attention to index rules (as is heuristically done in practice) is asymptotically equivalent to requiring that a VIP customer always waits less than a regular (non-VIP) customer who arrives at the same time. This, in particular, implies that the use of index rules in practice can be rationalized if (and only if) the manager requires such strong differentiation.
Prostate cancer among Jamaican men: exploring the evidence for higher risk
Authors: Anderson Beverley , Marshall-Lucette Sylvie 
Published: October 2016

Background:Historically, black men of African descent have been disproportionately affected by prostate cancer compared with Caucasian men. African-Caribbean men are generally at higher risk of prostate cancer, with Jamaican men noted to have the highest incidence in the world. No robust evidence exists for the increased incidence among Jamaican men, or indeed, a clear explanation for the reasons these men are at a greater risk of developing the disease in comparison with other African-Caribbean men.Methods and findings:A literature review was undertaken. The findings indicated that black men of African descent, specifically Jamaican men, are at greater risk of prostate cancer and this finding applies to Africa, the Caribbean, the UK and USA.Conclusions:Current evidence for the higher incidence of prostate cancer among Jamaican men remains inconclusive and does not provide a clear explanation for its prevalence. More comparative studies are required to identify any predisposing factors responsible for this anomaly, worldwide. The involvement of health professionals in these research undertakings is important to obtaining insight into prostate cancer and in devising strategies to improve management and health outcomes.
Preservation of Essential Odor-Guided Behaviors and Odor-Based Reversal Learning after Targeting Adult Brain Serotonin Synthesis
Authors: Carlson Kaitlin S. , Whitney Meredith S. , Gadziola Marie A. , Deneris Evan S. , Wesson Daniel W. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThe neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) is considered a powerful modulator of sensory system organization and function in a wide range of animals. The olfactory system is innervated by midbrain 5-HT neurons into both its primary and secondary odor-processing stages. Facilitated by this circuitry, 5-HT and its receptors modulate olfactory system function, including odor information input to the olfactory bulb. It is unknown, however, whether the olfactory system requires 5-HT for even its most basic behavioral functions. To address this question, we established a conditional genetic approach to specifically target adult braintryptophan hydroxylase 2(Tph2), encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in brain 5-HT synthesis, and nearly eliminate 5-HT from the mouse forebrain. Using this novel model, we investigated the behavior of 5-HT–depleted mice during performance in an olfactory go/no-go task. Surprisingly, the near elimination of 5-HT from the forebrain, including the olfactory bulbs, had no detectable effect on the ability of mice to perform the odor-based task.Tph2-targeted mice not only were able to learn the task, but also had levels of odor acuity similar to those of control mice when performing coarse odor discrimination. Both groups of mice spent similar amounts of time sampling odors during decision-making. Furthermore, odor reversal learning was identical between 5-HT–depleted and control mice. These results suggest that 5-HT neurotransmission is not necessary for the most essential aspects of olfaction, including odor learning, discrimination, and certain forms of cognitive flexibility.
Developmental Ethanol Exposure Leads to Long-Term Deficits in Attention and Its Underlying Prefrontal Circuitry
Authors: Louth Emma L. , Bignell Warren , Taylor Christine L. , Bailey Craig D.C. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractChronic prenatal exposure to ethanol can lead to a spectrum of teratogenic outcomes that are classified in humans as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). One of the most prevalent and persistent neurocognitive components of FASD is attention deficits, and it is now thought that these attention deficits differ from traditional attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their quality and response to medication. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying attention deficits in FASD are not well understood. We show here that after developmental binge-pattern ethanol exposure, adult mice exhibit impaired performance on the five-choice serial reaction time test for visual attention, with lower accuracy during initial training and a higher rate of omissions under challenging conditions of high attention demand. Whole-cell electrophysiology experiments in these same mice find dysregulated pyramidal neurons in layer VI of the medial prefrontal cortex, which are critical for normal attention performance. Layer VI neurons show decreased intrinsic excitability and increased responses to stimulation of both nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate receptors. Moreover, although nicotinic acetylcholine responses correlate with performance on the five-choice task in control mice, these relationships are completely disrupted in mice exposed to ethanol during development. These findings demonstrate a novel outcome of developmental binge-pattern ethanol exposure and suggest that persistent alterations to the function of prefrontal layer VI neurons play an important mechanistic role in attention deficits associated with FASD.
Does a Higher Cutoff Value of Lymph Node Retrieval Substantially Improve Survival in Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer?—Time to Embrace a New Digit
Authors: Liu Yu-Yin , Fang Wen-Liang , Wang Frank , Hsu Jun-Te , Tsai Chun-Yi , Liu Keng-Hao , Yeh Chun-Nan , Chen Tse-Ching , Wu Ren-Chin , Chiu Cheng-Tang , Yeh Ta-Sen 
Published: October 2016

Abstract

Background
The present study assessed the impact of the retrieval of &gt;25 lymph nodes (LNs) on the survival outcome of patients with advanced gastric cancer after curative-intent gastrectomy.

Patients and Methods
A total of 5,386 patients who had undergone curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer from 1994 to 2011 were enrolled. The clinicopathological parameters and overall survival (OS) were analyzed according to the number of LNs examined (≤15, n = 916; 16–25, n = 1,458; and &gt;25, n = 3,012).

Results
The percentage of patients with &gt;25 LNs retrieved increased from 1994 to 2011. Patients in the LN &gt;25 group were more likely to have undergone total gastrectomy and to have a larger tumor size, poorer tumor differentiation, and advanced T and N stages. Hospital mortality among the LN ≤15, LN 16–25, and LN &gt;25 groups was 6.1%, 2.7%, and 1.7%, respectively (p &lt; .0001). The LN &gt;25 group consistently exhibited the most favorable OS, in particular, with stage II disease (p = .011) when OS was stratified according to tumor stage. Similarly, the LN &gt;25 group had significantly better OS in all nodal stages (from N1 to N3b). The discrimination power of the lymph node ratio (LNR) for the LN ≤15, LN 16–25, and LN &gt;25 groups was 483, 766, and 1,560, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the LNR was the most important prognostic factor in the LN &gt;25 group.

Conclusion
Retrieving more than 25 lymph nodes during curative-intent gastrectomy substantially improved survival and survival stratification of advanced gastric cancer without compromising patient safety.