bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reduction of Consecutive Esotropia Using Modified Contralateral Recession and Resection for Recurrent Intermittent Exotropia
Authors: Cho Soon Young , Lee Se Youp 
Published: October 2017

Purpose:To report consecutive esotropia in contralateral lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection for recurrent intermittent exotropia after unilateral lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection and to evaluate the surgical outcome of modified contralateral lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection for exotropia after unilateral lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection.Methods:A total of 36 patients were included in this retrospective study. As a primary surgery for exotropia, all patients underwent unilateral lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection on the non-dominant eye. Patients were subsequently assigned to either conventional contralateral lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection (surgical dosages based on Wright's surgical table) (n = 19; conventional group) or modified contralateral lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection (surgical dosages reduced by 5 prism diopters on Wright's surgical table) (n = 17; modified group) for recurrent exotropia. Surgical success rates were evaluated. Reoperation or prism glasses prescription rates due to consecutive esotropia were evaluated.Results:The mean follow-up durations after reoperation were 25.8 and 24.0 months in the conventional and modified groups, respectively. The surgical success rates were 73.7% and 82.4% (P= .538, Fisher's exact test) and the recurrence rates were 0% and 17.6% (P= .059, Fisher's exact test), respectively. The reoperation or prism glasses prescription rates due to consecutive esotropia were 26.3% and 0%, respectively (P= .025, Fisher's exact test).Conclusions:Final outcomes were better in the modified group compared to the conventional group. Consecutive esotropia was significantly more frequent in the conventional group than in the modified group. In surgery for recurrent exotropia, a reduction of the surgical dosage will reduce the incidence of consecutive esotropia.[J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2018;55(1):53–58.]
Combined Oral and Topical Beta Blockers for the Treatment of Early Proliferative Superficial Periocular Infantile Capillary Hemangioma
Authors: Marey Hatem M. , Elmazar Hesham F. , Mandour Sameh S. , Khairy Hany A. 
Published: October 2017

Purpose:
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined oral and topical beta blockers for the treatment of superficial periocular infantile hemangioma at the early proliferative stage.

Methods:
This was a randomized, controlled comparison trial involving 25 patients. Patients were randomly enrolled into two groups: the topical and systemic treatment and systemic treatment only groups. The topical and systemic treatment group was treated with oral propranolol (1 mg/kg per day initially, increased to 2 mg/kg per day gradually in 2 weeks) and timolol maleate 0.5% gel. The systemic treatment only group received oral propranolol (1 mg/kg per day initially, increased to 2 mg/kg per day gradually in 2 weeks) and simple eye ointment to be applied to the lesion. The Hemangioma Activity Score was used to record the proliferative activity of the hemangioma. The main outcomes of the study were the change in the hemangioma size, the proliferative activity, and the treatment side effects.

Results:

At the end of the treatment period, the Hemangioma Activity Score was significantly improved in both groups from their values before treatment. However, the score obtained after treatment was significantly better in the topical and systemic treatment group (
P
< .05). Regarding the response to treatment, 10 and 3 cases in the topical and systemic treatment and systemic treatment only groups, respectively, showed a good response, with a significant difference between the two groups (
P
< .50). There were no recorded serious local or systemic complications during treatment in either group.

Conclusions:
The results from combining topical with oral beta blockers showed that topical beta blockers are of additive value in treating superficial periocular infantile hemangioma in the early proliferative stage.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2018;55(1):37–42.]
Medial Rectus Bridge Faden Operations in Accommodative and Partially Accommodative Esotropia With Convergence Excess
Authors: Inal Asli , Ocak Osman Bulut , Aygit Ebru Demet , Celik Selcen , Ozturk Karabulut Gamze , Inal Berkay , Taskapili Muhittin , Gokyigit Birsen 
Published: October 2017

Purpose:
To evaluate the results of the bilateral bridge Faden operation on the medial rectus muscles with and without recession in the treatment of accommodative and partially accommodative esotropia with convergence excess.

Methods:
A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical records of 103 patients who underwent the bridge Faden operation on both medial rectus muscles, with or without recession, for the treatment of accommodative and partially accommodative esotropia with convergence excess. Preoperative and postoperative near and distance deviations and near–distance disparities were evaluated.

Results:

The study population consisted of 38 (37%) girls and 65 (63%) boys. The mean age was 9.32 ± 5.83 years (range: 1 to 18 years) and the mean follow-up period was 14.49 ± 2.78 months. Fifty-one patients underwent the bridge Faden operation on both medial rectus muscles with recession (recession group) and 52 patients underwent the bridge Faden operation on both medial rectus muscles without recession (no recession group). The mean preoperative amount of esotropia at near was 43.51 ± 7.00 and 24.24 ± 3.56 prism diopters (PD) for the recession and no recession groups, respectively. The mean preoperative amount of esotropia at distance was 26.63 ± 6.86 and 9.22 ± 2.09 PD for both groups, respectively. The mean preoperative near–distance disparity was 17.14 ± 3.00 and 14.05 ± 4.14 PD for both groups, respectively. In both groups, there was a statistically significant difference in the near and distance deviations and the near–distance disparity between preoperative and postoperative values (
P
< .05). Postoperatively, there was no significant difference between 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year and between 6 months and 1 year (
P
> .05).

Conclusions:
The bridge Faden operation on both medial rectus muscles either with or without recession was a successful surgical procedure in patients with accommodative and partially accommodative esotropia. During the follow-up period, the success rates did not decrease.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2017;54(6):369–374.]
Clinical Evaluation of an Extended Depth of Focus Intraocular Lens With the Salzburg Reading Desk
Authors: Attia Mary S. A. , Auffarth Gerd U. , Kretz Florian T. A. , Tandogan Tamer , Rabsilber Tanja M. , Holzer Mike P. , Khoramnia Ramin 
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND:
Clinical evaluation of an extended depth of focus (EDOF) intraocular lens (IOL) regarding visual performance at various distances, reading performance on an electronic reading desk, and depth of focus on the defocus curve.

METHODS:
In this prospective study, 30 eyes of 15 patients who received the Tecnis Symfony IOL (Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Santa Ana, CA) were examined 3.60 ± 1.54 months postoperatively. Uncorrected and corrected distance (UDVA and CDVA), uncorrected and distance-corrected intermediate (UIVA and DCIVA), and uncorrected and distance-corrected near (UNVA and DCNVA) visual acuity were determined. The defocus curve was performed with distance correction. Furthermore, the reading acuity at the preferred near and intermediate distances was measured with consideration of the reading distance, speed, and print size. A subjective questionnaire was also administered.

RESULTS:
Results showed a median UDVA of 0.03 logMAR or 20/21.43 Snellen (range: 0.44 to −0.18 logMAR or 20/55.08 to 20/13.21 Snellen), UNVA of 0.20 logMAR or 20/31.70 Snellen (range: 0.46 to 0.00 logMAR or 20/57.68 to 20/20 Snellen), and UIVA of −0.03 logMAR or 20/18.67 Snellen (range: 0.14 to −0.18 logMAR or 20/27.61 to 20/13.21 Snellen). The improved performance at intermediate distance was confirmed by an uncorrected reading acuity of 0.09 logMAR or 20/24.61 Snellen (range: 0.36 to 0.00 logMAR or 20/45.82 to 20/20.00 Snellen) at a preferred intermediate distance of 64.10 cm (range: 52.0 to 75.0 cm). The defocus curve showed an extended range of visual acuity of 0.10 logMAR or better between 1.00 and −1.50 diopters.

CONCLUSIONS:
The EDOF IOL design provided a wide range of improved visual and reading function between far and intermediate distances and also improved near visual acuity. Patients reported a high rate of satisfaction and spectacle independence at the various distances.

[
J Refract Surg.
2017;33(10):664–669.]
Repair of Irregularly Irregular Astigmatism by Transepithelial Phototherapeutic Keratectomy
Authors: Guglielmetti Stefano , Kirton Amy , Reinstein Dan Z. , Carp Glenn I. , Archer Timothy J. 
Published: October 2017

PURPOSE:
To evaluate the outcome of transepithelial phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in the management of irregularly irregular astigmatism.

METHODS:
This was a case series of two patients who underwent transepithelial PTK for irregularly irregular astigmatism. In the first case, the patient complained of diplopia due to corneal scarring caused by a metallic foreign body injury. The topography demonstrated irregularly irregular astigmatism with significant asymmetry in the inferotemporal to superonasal axis. In the second case, the patient complained of blurred vision and ghosting caused by significant central epithelial ingrowth through a buttonhole LASIK flap, which was causing a localized irregularity on topography. Due to the localized nature of the irregularities, a transepithelial PTK treatment was preferred to custom ablation given the degree of epithelial masking present.

RESULTS:
Transepithelial PTK was performed in both cases using the Schwind Amaris 500E excimer laser (Schwind eye-tech-solutions, Kleinostheim, Germany) and an 8-mm optical zone. The ablation depth was planned to reach the depth of the epithelium using a stepwise protocol, reviewing the pattern of the remaining epithelium and regularity of the stromal surface between each ablation. A marked improvement in the regularity of the topography was achieved in both cases, with only regular astigmatism remaining. Both patients reported a subjective improvement in quality of vision and the corrected distance visual acuity improved by one and two lines, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:
Transepithelial PTK was effective in treating these cases of localized irregularly irregular astigmatism, achieving both objective and subjective improvement in vision. Compensatory epithelial remodeling over the irregularities enabled the transepithelial PTK approach to target the stromal surface irregularities.

[
J Refract Surg.
2017;33(10):714–719.]
Experiences of Teach-Back in a Telephone Health Service
Authors: Morony Suzanne , Weir Kristie , Duncan Gregory , Biggs Janice , Nutbeam Don , McCaffery Kirsten 
Published: October 2017

Background:
Asking patients to “Teach-Back” information during a health care consultation is widely recommended, yet little is known about patient and provider experiences using this method. Teach-Back has not previously been evaluated in a consumer telephone health service, a situation in which low health literacy can be especially difficult to identify.

Objective:
This study sought to explore telenurse experiences using Teach-Back at a maternal and child health helpline, supplemented with caller experiences.

Method:

After training maternal and child health nurses to use Teach-Back (
n
= 15), we interviewed nurses and callers to the helpline service. We used semi-structured guides to conduct focus groups and telephone interviews and analyzed transcripts of nurse and caller data using the Framework method. This qualitative study forms part of a randomized controlled trial of Teach-Back involving 637 callers.

Key Results:

Nurses (
n
= 13) reported Teach-Back was helpful to invite questions from callers, summarize information, review action plans, and close calls. Some found it helpful to empower and calm (anxious) callers. Nurses reported they did not always use Teach-Back, either because it was not appropriate or they felt uncomfortable with phrasing. Comfort with using Teach-Back tended to improve with practice. Perceived effect on call duration was mixed. We report sample Teach-Back strategies used by nurses, including the lead-in phrase “just before you go…,” which was considered helpful for initiating Teach-Back at close of a call. Caller reports of Teach-Back were limited (
n
= 8) but mostly positive.

Conclusions:

Teach-Back is a simple communication technique that can be used in a consumer telehealth service to confirm caller understanding and actions to take, and in some cases it may also reduce caller anxiety. Further research on caller experiences and objective impact on call duration is needed.

[
Health Literacy Research and Practice
. 2017;1(4):e173–e181.]

Plain Language Summary:
Low health literacy can be difficult to identify, especially over the telephone. Asking callers to summarize important information and agreed actions (known as Teach-Back) could help telehealth providers confirm understanding. We interviewed nurses operating a maternal and child health helpline and callers about their experiences with Teach-Back. Findings support Teach-Back for telehealth and suggest Teach-Back can also reduce caller anxiety.
The Evaluation of Total Mercury and Arsenic in Skin Bleaching Creams Commonly used in Trinidad and Tobago and their Potential Risk to the People of the Caribbean
Authors: Mohammed Terry , Mohammed Elisabeth , Bascombe Shermel 
Published: October 2017

Background Skin lightening is very popular among women and some men of the Caribbean, and its popularity appears to be growing. The lightening of skin colour is done to produce a lighter complexion which is believed to increase attractiveness, social standing and improves one's potential of being successful. Design and Methods Fifteen (15) common skin lightening creams found in pharmacies and cosmetic retailers throughout Trinidad and Tobago were evaluated for Mercury by Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (CVAAS) and Arsenic by Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (HGAAS). The results obtained were compared to global standards and previous research. Results Fourteen (14) of the fifteen samples analysed contained Mercury in the range of 0.473 μg/g to 0.766 μg/g. One sample had a Mercury content of 14,507.74±490.75 μg/g which was over 14,000 times higher than the USFDA limit for mercury in cosmetics of 1 μg/g. All samples contained Arsenic in the range 1.016 μg/g to 6.612 μg/g, which exceeds the EU limit for cosmetics of 0 μg/g. Conclusions All the samples analysed contained significant amounts of Mercury and Arsenic and none of them can be considered safe for prolonged human use. The samples that contained Mercury levels which were lower than the USFDA limit contained Arsenic levels which exceeded the EU standard of 0 μg/g in cosmetics. The popularity of these skin lightening creams in the Caribbean region places the population at elevated risk of chronic Mercury and Arsenic poisoning and possibly acute Mercury Poisoning.
Proteomic Analysis in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy using Bioinformatics Approach
Authors: Rao Allam Appa , Thota Hanuman , Adapala Ramamurthy , Changalasetty Suresh Babu , Gumpeny Ramachandra Sridhar , Akula Annapurna , Thota Lalitha Saroja , Challa Siva Reddy , Rao M.R. Narasinga , Das Undurti N. 
Published: October 2017

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a distinct clinical entity that produces asymptomatic heart failure in diabetic patients without evidence of coronary artery disease and hypertension. Abnormalities in diabetic cardiomyopathy include: myocardial hypertrophy, impairment of contractile proteins, accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, formation of advanced glycation end products, and decreased left ventricular compliance. These abnormalities lead to the most common clinical presentation of diabetic cardiomyopathy in the form of diastolic dysfunction. We evaluated the role of various proteins that are likely to be involved in diabetic cardiomyopathy by employing multiple sequence alignment using ClustalW tool and constructed a Phylogenetic tree using functional protein sequences extracted from NCBI. Phylogenetic tree was constructed using Neighbour—Joining Algorithm in bioinformatics approach. These results suggest a causal relationship between altered calcium homeostasis and diabetic cardiomyopathy that implies that efforts directed to normalize calcium homeostasis could form a novel therapeutic approach.
Normalization and Gene p-Value Estimation: Issues in Microarray Data Processing
Authors: Fundel Katrin , Küffner Robert , Aigner Thomas , Zimmer Ralf 
Published: October 2017

Introduction Numerous methods exist for basic processing, e.g. normalization, of microarray gene expression data. These methods have an important effect on the final analysis outcome. Therefore, it is crucial to select methods appropriate for a given dataset in order to assure the validity and reliability of expression data analysis. Furthermore, biological interpretation requires expression values for genes, which are often represented by several spots or probe sets on a microarray. How to best integrate spot/probe set values into gene values has so far been a somewhat neglected problem. Results We present a case study comparing different between-array normalization methods with respect to the identification of differentially expressed genes. Our results show that it is feasible and necessary to use prior knowledge on gene expression measurements to select an adequate normalization method for the given data. Furthermore, we provide evidence that combining spot/probe set p-values into gene p-values for detecting differentially expressed genes has advantages compared to combining expression values for spots/probe sets into gene expression values. The comparison of different methods suggests to use Stouffer's method for this purpose. The study has been conducted on gene expression experiments investigating human joint cartilage samples of Osteoarthritis related groups: a cDNA microarray (83 samples, four groups) and an Affymetrix (26 samples, two groups) data set. Conclusion The apparently straight forward steps of gene expression data analysis, e.g. between-array normalization and detection of differentially regulated genes, can be accomplished by numerous different methods. We analyzed multiple methods and the possible effects and thereby demonstrate the importance of the single decisions taken during data processing. We give guidelines for evaluating normalization outcomes. An overview of these effects via appropriate measures and plots compared to prior knowledge is essential for the biological interpretation of gene expression measurements.
Methodology for Constructing Problem Definitions in Bioinformatics
Authors: Hauth Amy M. , Burger Gertraud 
Published: October 2017

Motivation A recurrent criticism is that certain bioinformatics tools do not account for crucial biology and therefore fail answering the targeted biological question. We posit that the single most important reason for such shortcomings is an inaccurate formulation of the computational problem. Results Our paper describes how to define a bioinformatics problem so that it captures both the underlying biology and the computational constraints for a particular problem. The proposed model delineates comprehensively the biological problem and conducts an item-by-item bioinformatics transformation resulting in a germane computational problem. This methodology not only facilitates interdisciplinary information flow but also accommodates emerging knowledge and technologies.
Classifying Variants of Undetermined Significance in BRCA2 with Protein Likelihood Ratios
Authors: Karchin Rachel , Agarwal Mukesh , Sali Andrej , Couch Fergus , Beattie Mary S. 
Published: October 2017

BackgroundMissense (amino-acid changing) variants found in cancer predisposition genes often create difficulties when clinically interpreting genetic testing results. Although bioinformatics has developed approaches to predicting the impact of these variants, many of these approaches have not been readily applicable in the clinical setting. Bioinformatics approaches for predicting the impact of these variants have not yet found their footing in clinical practice because 1) interpreting the medical relevance of predictive scores is difficult; 2) the relationship between bioinformatics “predictors” (sequence conservation, protein structure) and cancer susceptibility is not understood.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe present a computational method that produces a probabilistic likelihood ratio predictive of whether a missense variant impairs protein function. We apply the method to a tumor suppressor gene, BRCA2, whose loss of function is important to cancer susceptibility. Protein likelihood ratios are computed for 229 unclassified variants found in individuals from high-risk breast/ovarian cancer families. We map the variants onto a protein structure model, and suggest that a cluster of predicted deleterious variants in the BRCA2 OB1 domain may destabilize BRCA2 and a protein binding partner, the small acidic protein DSS1. We compare our predictions with variant “re-classifications” provided by Myriad Genetics, a biotechnology company that holds the patent on BRCA2 genetic testing in the U.S., and with classifications made by an established medical genetics model [ 1 ]. Our approach uses bioinformatics data that is independent of these genetics-based classifications and yet shows significant agreement with them. Preliminary results indicate that our method is less likely to make false positive errors than other bioinformatics methods, which were designed to predict the impact of missense mutations in general.Conclusions/SignificanceMissense mutations are the most common disease-producing genetic variants. We present a fast, scalable bioinformatics method that integrates information about protein sequence, conservation, and structure in a likelihood ratio that can be integrated with medical genetics likelihood ratios. The protein likelihood ratio, together with medical genetics likelihood ratios, can be used by clinicians and counselors to communicate the relevance of a VUS to the individual who has that VUS. The approach described here is generalizable to regions of any tumor suppressor gene that have been structurally determined by X-ray crystallography or for which a protein homology model can be built.