bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prospective study on cost-effectiveness of home-based motor assessment in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Cubo E , Mariscal N , Solano B , Becerra V , Armesto D , Calvo S , Arribas J , Seco J , Martinez A , Zorrilla L , Heldman D 
Published: March 2016

Introduction Treatment adjustments in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are in part dependent on motor assessments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of home-based motor monitoring plus standard in-office visits versus in-office visits alone in patients with advanced PD. Methods The procedures consisted of a prospective, one-year follow-up, randomized, case-control study. A total of 40 patients with advanced PD were randomized into two groups: 20 patients underwent home-based motor monitoring by using wireless motion sensor technology, while the other 20 patients had in-office visits. Motor and non-motor symptom severities, quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and comorbidities were assessed every four months. Direct costs were assessed using a standardized questionnaire. Cost-effectiveness was assessed using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Results Both groups of PD patients were largely comparable in their clinical and demographic variables at baseline; however, there were more participants using levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel in the home-based motor monitoring group. There was a trend for lower Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale functional status (UPDRS II) scores in the patients monitored at home compared to the standard clinical follow-up ( p = 0.06). However, UPDRS parts I, III, IV and quality-adjusted life-years scores were similar between both groups. Home-based motor monitoring was cost-effective in terms of improvement of functional status, motor severity, and motor complications (UPDRS II, III; IV subscales), with an ICER/UPDRS ranging from €126.72 to €701.31, respectively. Discussion Home-based motor monitoring is a tool which collects cost-effective clinical information and helps augment health care for patients with advanced PD.
The PF Disjunction Theorem to Southern Min/Mandarin code-switching
Authors: Wang Sung-Lan 
Published: March 2016

Aim and research question: The aim of this study is to test Macswan’s ((1999). A minimalist approach to intrasentential code switching. New York, NY: Garland; (2000). The architecture of the bilingual language faculty: Evidence from intrasentential code-switching. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 3, 37–54; (2005). Codeswitching and generative grammar: A critique of the MLF model and some remarks on “modified minimalism”. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 8, 1–22.) PF Disjunction Theorem (PFDT), which was proposed based on Chomsky’s ((1995). The minimalist program. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.) minimalist programme, to answer the following question: Is code-switching (CS) behaviour governed by CS-specific grammar or an innate mechanism that produces monolingual and bilingual utterances in our language faculty? Methodology: A quantitative approach was adopted to test the PFDT with the Southern Min/Mandarin CS data. Data and analysis: 811 lexical items extracted from 343 bilingual clauses in my Southern Min/Mandarin CS corpus, and almost no violation against this model (i.e., a word-internal switch) was found, except one example that was regarded as the informant’s slip of tongue. Findings/conclusions: The results of this study confirm the prediction of the PFDT that phonological systems cannot be mixed within a word. Originality: Although the morphosyntactic structures and in some cases the pronunciations of morphemes are identical, tonal differences of these two languages still prohibit word-internal switches. Significance/implications: This study thus supports the PFDT and argues that CS behaviour is governed by a single innate mechanism that governs both monolingual and bilingual language production and that the so-called CS-specific grammar/mechanism is not necessary.
A nurse’s phenomenological enquiry into doctors’ end-of-life decision making
Authors: Charman Lesley Ann , Esterhuizen Philip 
Published: March 2016

This paper is based on an exploratory study conducted in a UK NHS oncology unit, informed by the interpretation of hermeneutic phenomenology by Van Manen and Dahlberg et al. Four senior oncology doctors (trainees) were recruited using homogenous purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted to understand participants’ lived experience of decision making for oncology patients near the end of life. Analysis followed a line-by-line approach, with consideration of the lifeworld existentials identified by ( Van Manen, 1990 ). Common themes were uncovered of empathy, the unacknowledged influence; dichotomy and conflict; and subverted emotion (uncovered through reflection). Findings are discussed in relation to current clinical decision-making theory, particularly cognitive continuum theory, current UK end of life care policy and practice, role socialisation and inter-professional team working.
Treatment of Chronic Achilles Tendon Ruptures With Large Defects
Authors: Ahmad Jamal , Jones Kennis , Raikin Steven M. 
Published: March 2016

Background. When Achilles tendon ruptures become chronic, a defect often forms at the rupture site. There is scant literature regarding the treatment of chronic Achilles ruptures with defects of 6 cm or larger. We examined outcomes from combining a turndown of the proximal, central Achilles with a flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer to treat this condition. Materials. Between September 2002 and December 2013, 32 patients presented with a chronic Achilles rupture and a defect of 6 cm or more. Twenty patients were male and 12 were female. Patient age was between 20 and 74 years, with a mean of 53.3 years. Eighteen and 14 patients had their right and left Achilles tendon affected, respectively. The number of days between injury and surgery ranged from 30 to 315 days, with a mean of 102 days. Reconstruction of the Achilles involved a turndown of the proximal, central tendon and FHL augmentation. Final patient follow-up ranged from 18 to 150 months, with a mean of 62.3 months. Results: At surgery, the gap between the ruptured ends of the Achilles ranged from 6 to 12 cm, with a mean gap of 7.5 cm. Full healing was achieved in all 32 patients (100%) by 5 months postoperatively. Mean Foot and Ankle Ability Measures scores increased from 36.3% to 90.2% between initial and latest follow-up (P < .05). Mean visual analogue scales of pain decreased from 6.6 to 1.8 of 10 between first and last encounter (P < .05). Postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients (15.6%), including 3 (9.4%) superficial wound problems, 1 (3.1%) deep wound infection, and 1 (3.1%) deep vein thrombosis. Discussion. Outcomes from treating chronic Achilles ruptures with large defects are scant within the orthopaedic literature. Our method of Achilles reconstruction results in a high rate of improved function and pain relief. Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV: Case series
The “inflammatory penumbra” in ischemic stroke: From clinical data to experimental evidence
Authors: Gauberti Maxime , De Lizarrondo Sara Martinez , Vivien Denis 
Published: March 2016

Purpose The objective of the present review is to provide an overview of the available clinical and preclinical data supporting the existence of an “inflammatory penumbra” in ischemic stroke. Findings Recent data from clinical trials suggest the existence of an inflammatory area at risk, surrounding the initial ischemic lesion and secondarily infiltrated by lymphocytes, that is ultimately recruited by the ischemic core: called the “inflammatory penumbra.” Experimental results support this concept. Lymphocytes, especially T-cells, enter the brain in the perilesional area in a vascular-cell adhesion molecule-1 dependent manner and participate in delayed neuronal cell death. Methods For writing this review, we used the more recent publications in the field, including the preclinical and clinical studies. We have also used our own experise in the field of in vivo imaging of inflammatory processes. Discussion Consequently, the intensity of the inflammatory reaction and the size of the inflammatory penumbra may vary considerably in patients, as it is the case in experimental stroke models in mice. By analogy with the ischemic penumbra of the acute phase of stroke, this secondary inflammatory penumbra represents a therapeutic opportunity during the subacute phase of stroke. Large clinical trials that target lymphocyte trafficking are currently taking place. However, to improve the benefit of such therapeutic strategies, adequate patient selection may be mandatory. Conclusion In this context, innovative imaging methods including magnetic resonance imaging of adhesion molecules may contribute to noninvasively detect this inflammatory penumbra and thus to select patients eligible for such therapy.
IL-4 enhances expression and function of surface IgM in CLL cells
Authors: Aguilar-Hernandez Maria M. , Blunt Matthew D. , Dobson Rachel , Yeomans Alison , Thirdborough Stephen , Larrayoz Marta , Smith Lindsay D. , Linley Adam , Strefford Jonathan C. , Davies Andrew , Johnson Peter M. W. , Savelyeva Natalia , Cragg Mark S. , Forconi Francesco , Packham Graham , Stevenson Freda K. , Steele Andrew J. 
Published: March 2016

Key PointsIL-4 treatment augments sIgM expression and subsequent downstream signalling in a JAK3/STAT6 dependent manner within CLL samples. IL-4 exposure partially opposes the activity of Bruton tyrosine kinase or PI3K inhibitors on sIgM-mediated signalling.
Leveraging protein quaternary structure to identify oncogenic driver mutations
Authors: Ryslik Gregory A. , Cheng Yuwei , Modis Yorgo , Zhao Hongyu 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackgroundIdentifying key “driver” mutations which are responsible for tumorigenesis is critical in the development of new oncology drugs. Due to multiple pharmacological successes in treating cancers that are caused by such driver mutations, a large body of methods have been developed to differentiate these mutations from the benign “passenger” mutations which occur in the tumor but do not further progress the disease. Under the hypothesis that driver mutations tend to cluster in key regions of the protein, the development of algorithms that identify these clusters has become a critical area of research.ResultsWe have developed a novel methodology,QuartPAC(QuaternaryProteinAmino acidClustering), that identifies non-random mutational clustering while utilizing the protein quaternary structure in 3D space. By integrating the spatial information in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and the mutational data in the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC),QuartPACis able to identify clusters which are otherwise missed in a variety of proteins. The R package is available on Bioconductor at:http://bioconductor.jp/packages/3.1/bioc/html/QuartPAC.html.ConclusionQuartPACprovides a unique tool to identify mutational clustering while accounting for the complete folded protein quaternary structure.
pcaReduce: hierarchical clustering of single cell transcriptional profiles
Authors: žurauskienė Justina , Yau Christopher 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Background
Advances in single cell genomics provide a way of routinely generating transcriptomics data at the single cell level. A frequent requirement of single cell expression analysis is the identification of novel patterns of heterogeneity across single cells that might explain complex cellular states or tissue composition. To date, classical statistical analysis tools have being routinely applied, but there is considerable scope for the development of novel statistical approaches that are better adapted to the challenges of inferring cellular hierarchies.

Results
We have developed a novel agglomerative clustering method that we call pcaReduce to generate a cell state hierarchy where each cluster branch is associated with a principal component of variation that can be used to differentiate two cell states. Using two real single cell datasets, we compared our approach to other commonly used statistical techniques, such as K-means and hierarchical clustering. We found that pcaReduce was able to give more consistent clustering structures when compared to broad and detailed cell type labels.

Conclusions
Our novel integration of principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering establishes a connection between the representation of the expression data and the number of cell types that can be discovered. In doing so we found that pcaReduce performs better than either technique in isolation in terms of characterising putative cell states. Our methodology is complimentary to other single cell clustering techniques and adds to a growing palette of single cell bioinformatics tools for profiling heterogeneous cell populations.
Incorporating Androgen Deprivation With Dose-Escalated External-Beam Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Dosoretz Arie P. , Yu James B. 
Published: March 2016

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors’ suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice. A 71-year-old man was seen by his primary care physician for routine evaluation in early 2015. On digital rectal examination, his prostate was moderately enlarged, although he had no obvious areas of palpable disease. His prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 7.1 ng/mL. A standard ultrasound-guided biopsy of his prostate revealed a 60-mL prostate volume and a single core (out of 12) of Gleason 3 + 3 disease. He chose to undergo surveillance. Six months later, his PSA level had risen to 10.0 ng/mL; there was still no palpable disease on digital rectal examination. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of his prostate and pelvis revealed two suspicious intraprostatic lesions with restricted diffusion, focal and earlier enhancement with contrast than adjacent normal prostate, and hypointense features on T2-weighted imaging; these findings were highly suspicious for high-grade prostate cancer ( Fig 1 ). Magnetic resonance imaging–ultrasound fusion targeted biopsy of each lesion yielded a total of four positive biopsy cores of Gleason 4 + 3 = 7, involving 50% to 80% of each core, with perineural invasion noted. The patient’s medical history is notable for overweight (but not morbidly obese), hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, cataract surgeries, and inguinal hernia repair, but the patient is otherwise healthy. He has decided against prostatectomy and brachytherapy because of strong personal preference. In particular, he wanted to avoid anesthesia, and was concerned about the potential for greater urinary incontinence and/or urinary irritation associated with these treatments compared with external-beam radiotherapy (RT). 1 , 2
Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF-23) Levels Differ Across Populations by Degree of Industrialization
Authors: Yuen Shennin N. , Kramer Holly , Luke Amy , Bovet Pascal , Plange-Rhule Jacob , Forrester Terrence , Lambert Vicki , Wolf Myles , Camacho Pauline , Harders Regina , Dugas Lara , Cooper Richard , Durazo-Arvizu Ramon 
Published: March 2016

AbstractContext:Compensatory increases in fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) with increasing phosphate intake may adversely impact health. However, population and clinical studies examining the link between phosphate intake and FGF23 levels have focused mainly on populations living in highly industrialized societies in which phosphate exposure may be homogenous.Objective:The objective of the study was to contrast dietary phosphate intake, urinary measures of phosphate excretion, and FGF23 levels across populations that differ by the level of industrialization.Design:This was a cross-sectional analysis of three populations.Setting:The study was conducted in Maywood, Illinois; Mahé Island, Seychelles; and Kumasi, Ghana.Participants:Adults with African ancestry aged 25–45 years participated in the study.Main Outcome:FGF23 levels were measured.Results:The mean age was 35.1 (6.3) years and 47.9% were male. Mean phosphate intake and fractional excretion of phosphate were significantly higher in the United States vs Ghana, whereas no significant difference in phosphate intake or fractional excretion of phosphate was noted between the United States and Seychelles for men or women. Overall, median FGF23 values were 57.41 RU/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 43.42, 75.09) in the United States, 42.49 RU/mL (IQR 33.06, 55.39) in Seychelles, and 33.32 RU/mL (IQR 24.83, 47.36) in Ghana. In the pooled sample, FGF23 levels were significantly and positively correlated with dietary phosphate intake (r = 0.11; P &lt; .001) and the fractional excretion of phosphate (r = 0.13; P &lt; .001) but not with plasma phosphate levels (r = −0.001; P = .8). Dietary phosphate intake was significantly and positively associated with the fractional excretion of phosphate (r = 0.23; P &lt; .001).Conclusion:The distribution of FGF23 levels in a given population may be influenced by the level of industrialization, likely due to differences in access to foods preserved with phosphate additives.
Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain Is Depressed in a Bovine Model of Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Bartels Karsten , Brown R. Dale , Fox Daniel L. , Bull Todd M. , Neary Joseph M. , Dorosz Jennifer L. , Fonseca Brian M. , Stenmark Kurt R. 
Published: March 2016

BACKGROUND:
Pulmonary hypertension and resulting right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are associated with significant perioperative morbidity and mortality. Although echocardiography permits real-time, noninvasive assessment of RV function, objective and comparative measures are underdeveloped, and appropriate animal models to study their utility are lacking. Longitudinal strain analysis is a novel echocardiographic method to quantify RV performance. Herein, we hypothesized that peak RV longitudinal strain would worsen in a bovine model of pulmonary hypertension compared with control animals.

METHODS:
Newborn Holstein calves were randomly chosen for induction of pulmonary hypertension versus control conditions. Pulmonary hypertension was induced by exposing animals to 14 days of hypoxia (equivalent to 4570 m above sea level or 430 mm Hg barometric pressure). Control animals were kept at ambient pressure/normoxia. At the end of the intervention, transthoracic echocardiography was performed in awake calves. Longitudinal wall strain was analyzed from modified apical 4-chamber views focused on the RV. Comparisons between measurements in hypoxic versus nonhypoxic conditions were performed using Student t test for independent samples and unequal variances.

RESULTS:
After 14 days at normoxic versus hypoxic conditions, 15 calves were examined with echocardiography. Pulmonary hypertension was confirmed by right heart catheterization and associated with reduced RV systolic function. Mean systolic strain measurements were compared in normoxia-exposed animals (n = 8) and hypoxia-exposed animals (n = 7). Peak global systolic longitudinal RV strain after hypoxia worsened compared to normoxia (−10.5% vs −16.1%, P = 0.0031). Peak RV free wall strain also worsened after hypoxia compared to normoxia (−9.6% vs −17.3%, P = 0.0031). Findings from strain analysis were confirmed by measurement of tricuspid annular peak systolic excursion.

CONCLUSIONS:
Peak longitudinal RV strain detected worsened RV function in animals with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension compared with control animals. This relationship was demonstrated in the transthoracic echocardiographic 4-chamber view independently for the RV free wall and for the combination of the free and septal walls. This innovative model of bovine pulmonary hypertension may prove useful to compare different monitoring technologies for the assessment of early events of RV dysfunction. Further studies linking novel RV imaging applications with mechanistic and therapeutic approaches are needed.
Book Reviews
Authors: Shen Wenjing 
Published: March 2016

In Book Reviews, we review an extensive and diverse range of books. They cover theory and applications in operations research, statistics, management science, econometrics, mathematics, computers, and information systems. In addition, we include books in other fields that emphasize technical applications. The editor will be pleased to receive an email from those willing to review a book, with an indication of specific areas of interest. If you are aware of a specific book that you would like to review, or that you think should be reviewed, please contact the editor. The following books are reviewed in this issue of Interfaces, 46(2), March–April 2016: Causes of Supply Chain Disruptions: An Empirical Analysis in Cold Chains for Food and Pharmaceuticals, Verena Brenner; Multichannel Commerce: A Consumer Perspective on the Integration of Physical and Electronic Channels, Manuel Trenz.
Signaling Low Margin Through Assortment
Authors: Kuksov Dmitri , Lin Yuanfang 
Published: March 2016

Oftentimes, close competitors carry partially overlapping assortments in seeming contradiction to the principle of maximum differentiation. One of the justifications of such practice is that an overlapping assortment with competitive prices on the common products may prevent further consumer search and therefore could be useful even when profits from the overlapping products do not justify the costs of carrying them. In this paper, we examine the validity of this intuition and show that such strategy may indeed be optimal when consumers are uncertain about prices they might find elsewhere and face shopping costs for discovery of all prices. Specifically, we show that the (larger) assortment with product overlap may signal a “competitive” price of the relatively unique product and prevent further consumer search for a lower price on it. An implication of this finding is that a consumer may rationally behave as if she likes a larger assortment even if the assortment is enlarged by adding products the consumer has no interest in. Furthermore, we show that the optimal pricing strategy may include pricing of common products or products with known costs at a loss, which provides a novel explanation of loss-leader pricing. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2015.2384 . This paper was accepted by Pradeep Chintagunta, marketing.
A comparison of hydrofibre and alginate dressings on open acute surgical wounds
Authors: Foster L. , Moore P. , Clark S. 
Published: March 2016

This study aimed to compare the performance of a hydrofibre (Aquacel) and an alginate (Sorbsan) dressing on acute surgical wounds left to heal by secondary intention. A total of 100 patients were prospectively randomised pre-operatively to receive either the hydrofibre or the alginate dressing. Dressing performance was measured at operation, at 24 hours and seven days. Parameters measured included ease of: application and removal of the first dressing; re-application on the first postoperative day; and removal and re-application one week postoperatively. The hydrofibre dressing received higher scores for all of these categories. Patients in this group also experienced less pain (mild or none) on removal of the first dressing and at one week. However, these results did not achieve statistical significance, and should be seen as a trend. Nevertheless, the authors recommend the use of hydrofibre dressings on open acute surgical wounds.