bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Direct Identification of Aerobic Bacteria by Matrix‐Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time‐of‐Flight Mass Spectrometry Is Accurate and Robust
Authors: Mestas Javier , Quias Teephany , Dien Bard Jennifer 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundBacterial identification in the clinical laboratory can be laborious and expensive. Matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) is a rapid and cost‐effective diagnostic tool for the identification of organisms routinely found in the microbiology laboratory. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that identification of aerobic Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative organisms could be performed accurately and efficiently by MALDI‐TOF MS and the Bruker Biotyper system without the use of time‐consuming extraction methodologies.MethodsIsolates previously recovered by routine culture and workup from clinical specimens were cultured to appropriate media, identified directly by MALDI‐TOF MS, and compared to results from various biochemical identification methods.ResultsUsing the direct‐smear method, 99.5% and 98.0% of aerobic Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria, respectively, were identified to the genus level. At a score of ≥1.9, 97.6% Gram‐negative organisms and 94.6% Gram‐positive organisms were correctly identified to the species level by direct‐smear method. Only 1.1% of isolates required further reflex to direct‐plate extraction. The direct‐smear method proved to be robust, as various growth temperatures, media, culture age, and different operators had no notable impact on the bacterial identification rate.ConclusionThe direct‐smear method is an accurate and time‐saving method for routine species‐level bacterial identification.
The Association Between Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Mercan Ridvan , Bitik Berivan , Tufan Abdurrahman , Bozbulut Utku Burak , Atas Nuh , Ozturk Mehmet Akif , Haznedaroglu Seminur , Goker Berna 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundElevated neutrophil count is associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality in many conditions. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a marker of inflammation in neoplastic and cardiovascular disorders. Herein, we investigated utility of this simple tool in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).MethodsThe study consisted of 136 RA and 140 AS patients, along with 117 healthy control subjects. RA and AS activities were determined with Disease Activity Score (DAS) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity indices (BASDAI), respectively. The association between NLR and disease activity was analyzed.ResultsErythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C‐reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil counts were significantly higher in RA and AS patients compared to healthy controls. Similarly, NLR was higher compared to control subjects, both in RA (2.53 ± 1.4 vs. 2.16 ± 1.0, P = 0.019) and AS (2.43 ± 1.4 vs. 2.16 ± 1.0, P = 0.077). NLR correlated well with ESR and CRP, both in RA and AS. Moreover, NLR increased across worsening DAS28 activity groups (2.1 ± 1.0 in patients with remission, 2.5 ± 1.0 in low–moderate, 3.8 ± 2.5 in high disease activity). However, no association was found between NLR and BASDAI.ConclusionNLR is a cheap and readily available marker for the assessment of disease activity in RA.
Ultrasound measures of supraspinatus tendon thickness and acromiohumeral distance in rotator cuff tendinopathy are reliable
Authors: McCreesh Karen M. , Anjum Shakeel , Crotty James M. , Lewis Jeremy S. 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTPurposeRotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy has been widely ascribed to impingement of the supraspinatus tendon (SsT) in the subacromial space, measured as the acromiohumeral distance (AHD). Ultrasound (US) is suitable for measuring AHD and SsT thickness, but few reliability studies have been carried out in symptomatic populations, and interrater reliability is unconfirmed. This study aimed to examine the intrarater and interrater reliability of US measurements of AHD and SsT thickness in asymptomatic control subjects and patients with RC tendinopathy.MethodsSeventy participants were recruited and grouped as healthy controls (n = 25) and RC tendinopathy (n = 45). Repeated US measurements of AHD and SsT thickness were obtained by one rater in both groups and by two raters in the RC tendinopathy group.ResultsIntrarater and interrater reliability coefficients were excellent for both measurements (intraclass correlation > 0.92), but the intrarater reliability was superior. The minimal detectable change values in the symptomatic group were 0.7 mm for AHD and 0.6 mm for SsT thickness for a single experienced examiner; the values rose to 1.2 mm and 1.3 mm, respectively, for the pair of examiners.ConclusionsThe results support the reliability of US for the measurement of AHD and SsT thickness in patients with symptomatic RC tendinopathy and provide minimal detectable change values for use in future research studies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:159–166, 2016
New strategies in model order reduction of trajectory piecewise‐linear models
Authors: Mohseni Seyed Saleh , Yazdanpanah Mohammad Javad , Ranjbar N. Abolfazl 
Published: December 2015

AbstractModel order reduction based on trajectory piecewise linearization (TPWL) is a beneficial technique for approximating nonlinear models. One efficient method for building projection matrix in TPWL reduction is by aggregation of projection matrices of linearization points (LPs). However, in this method, the size of projection matrix will also grow up by increasing the number of LPs, which yield the increment of the size of reduced model. In other words, the size of reduced model will depend on the number of LPs. In this paper, we will address this issue and propose two new strategies for obviating this problem. Contrarily to former works in TPWL modeling, we established a model via TWPL based on output weighting of parallel linear models. Then, we proposed two reduction strategies for suggested TPWL model. The first algorithm inspires from former works in this field but in a parallel structure that enable segregation of projection matrices whereas the second algorithm remedies the problem by considering the high‐order TPWL model as a unit linear model and reduces this model like a linear model but uses back projection method for constructing different outputs. The efficiency of methods is shown by comparison with former TPWL methods through vast simulations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatiotemporal structure of the moisture sources feeding heavy precipitation events over the Sichuan Basin
Authors: Bin Chen , Xiang‐De Xu 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTThe Sichuan Basin (SCB), in southwest China, is characterized by a high frequency of heavy precipitation (HP) events in the boreal summer. In this study, the top 50 HP events that occurred in the SCB were selected, based on daily precipitation gauge data during 1980–2013, and the moisture sources for these events have been identified. Taking advantage of the Lagrangian approach, we particularly examined the spatiotemporal structure of the moisture sources, both in their magnitude and temporal sequence. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: (1) the quantification of the contribution of the moisture sources indicated that the remote sources of moisture originating from the Tibetan Plateau, Indian Peninsula, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea made considerable contributions to the moisture in the HP events; however, these areas were only the third most important factor in climatology, following the stronger influence of moisture uptake from the SCB local regions and the nearby Indo‐China Peninsula and South China Sea regions; (2) the time that moisture involved in the HP events varies between a few hours to more than a week before the HP events. Most of the moisture uptakes happened 1–5 days before the events, with maximum uptake occurring about 1 day before; (3) individual event‐to‐event variability of moisture sources was apparent. However, in contrast to the primary moisture contributors, this event‐to‐event variation depended largely on the externally imported moisture, particularly water vapor conveyed by both dominant southwest circulations and the moisture exported from the Tibetan Plateau, rather than the local SCB region. These results have established the atmospheric flow patterns that are prerequisites for HP events; meanwhile, regional moisture availability over the SCB region could also be an essential component of forecasting the HP events and needs to be better understood.
Comparison of fecal pooling methods and DNA extraction kits for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
Authors: Mita Akiko , Mori Yasuyuki , Nakagawa Tetsuo , Tasaki Tomoko , Utiyama Katsuo , Mori Hitomi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe aim of the study was to develop a sensitive method using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with pooled fecal samples for the screening of Johne's disease (JD). Manufacturer‐specified and our new pooling method in combination with five commercial kits for DNA extraction and purification were compared. Different volumes of pooled fecal suspensions were tested, and the results were compared for individual samples and three pool sizes (5, 10, and 50 samples); each of the fecal suspensions, which were prepared from healthy dairy and beef cattle was spiked with 0, 10, 100, or 1000 cultured Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) organisms or was mixed with fecal suspensions from experimentally infected cattle. The MAP DNA detection proportion with our pooling method in combination with Johne‐Spin kit (Fasmac, Japan) was 100% for all models and all pool sizes, except for the low shedder model with a pool size of 50. There was no loss of sensitivity in pools of 10 subjects or less by using the new method. These results suggest that new method is a sensitive, practical, and cost‐effective screening test for the detection of MAP‐infected cattle and the monitoring of JD‐free herds.
Successful treatment of early‐stage lower extremity lymphedema with side‐to‐end lymphovenous anastomosis with indocyanine green lymphography assisted
Authors: Ito Ran , Wu Chieh‐Tsai , Lin Miffy Chia‐Yu , Cheng Ming‐Huei 
Published: December 2015

PurposeThis study was to investigate intraoperative assessment of side‐to‐end lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) with indocyanine green (ICG) and the correlation between its patency and surgical outcome.MethodsLVA was applied to five patients with early‐stage lower extremity lymphedema. Side‐to‐end anastomosis and then end‐to‐end anastomosis were created as a second alternative. Immediately after the anastomosis, ICG was used to confirm its patency.ResultsThe mean number of anastomoses was 2.0 ± 0.7, and the types of anastomoses were primarily side‐to‐end and secondarily end‐to‐end. The mean reduction rate was 63.8 ± 20.2% after LVA at 10 ± 6.4 months of follow‐up. In all cases, the affected extremities became soft immediately after surgery, and no cellulitis episodes were observed.ConclusionSide‐to‐end LVA can be an effective treatment for early‐stage lower extremity lymphedema. ICG lymphodynamic assessment is useful not only in the preoperative identification of functional lymphatics but also in the intraoperative visualization of new drainage routes in LVA surgery. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 36:310–315, 2016.
Phase‐cycled simultaneous multislice balanced SSFP imaging with CAIPIRINHA for efficient banding reduction
Authors: Wang Yi , Shao Xingfeng , Martin Thomas , Moeller Steen , Yacoub Essa , Wang Danny J.J. 
Published: December 2015

PurposeTo present a time‐efficient technique for banding reduction in balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) imaging using phase‐cycled simultaneous multislice (SMS) acquisition with CAIPIRINHA (controlled aliasing in parallel imaging results in higher acceleration).TheoryThe proposed technique exploits the inherent phase modulation of SMS imaging with CAIPIRINHA to acquire multiple phase‐cycled images, which can be combined for efficient banding reduction within the same scan time of a single‐band bSSFP scan.MethodsBloch equation simulation, phantom and in vivo brain, abdominal and cardiac imaging experiments were performed on healthy volunteers at 3T using multi‐channel head and body array coils with SMS acceleration factors of two to four. The performance of banding reduction was quantitatively evaluated based on the percent ripple of signal distribution and signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) efficiency in both phantom and human studies.ResultsThe banding artifact was successfully removed or suppressed using phase‐cycled SMS bSSFP imaging across SMS factors of two to four. The performance of banding reduction improved with higher SMS factors along with increased SNR efficiency.ConclusionPhase‐cycled SMS bSSFP with CAIPIRINHA is a promising technique for efficient band reduction in bSSFP without prolonged scan time. Further evaluation of this technique in clinical applications is warranted. Magn Reson Med 76:1764–1774, 2016. © 2015 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Polyglucosan bodies in intramuscular nerve branches are a poor predictor of GBE1 mutation and adult polyglucosan body disease
Authors: Furtado Larissa V. , Kadri Sabah , Wurst Michelle N. , Long Bradley C. , Segal Jeremy P. , Pytel Peter 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) is associated with formation of polyglucosan bodies in peripheral nerve branches. Some muscle biopsies show these inclusions in intramuscular nerve branches. It has not been established whether the presence of multiple polyglucosan bodies in intramuscular peripheral nerve branches could or should suggest testing for APBD. Methods: Fifteen muscle biopsies from adults between the ages of 36 and 84 years, all showing polyglucosan bodies in intramuscular peripheral nerve twigs, were tested by sequencing of the GBE1 gene. Results: In 4 patients, testing identified heterozygous missense mutations not previously described. No homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations were identified. Conclusions: The presence of polyglucosan bodies in intramuscular nerve twigs by itself, even if they are multiple, is not an indication of APBD. Further testing may only be indicated in patients with clinical disease manifestations. Muscle Nerve 53: 473–475, 2016
Chaotic map‐based time‐aware multi‐keyword search scheme with designated server
Authors: Zhou Yousheng , Xu Guangxia , Wang Yong , Wang Xiaojun 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe cloud storage service has been widely used in daily life because of its convenience. However, the service frequently suffers confidentiality problems. To address this problem, some efforts have been made on keyword search over encrypted data schemes. For instance, the chaotic‐based keyword search scheme over encrypted data has been proposed recently. However, the scheme just only support single‐ keyword search each time, which severely limits its utilization in cloud storage. This article proposes a novel chaotic‐based time‐aware multi‐keyword search scheme with designated server. Inner product similarity is adopted in our scheme to realize multiple keyword search and remove the constraint of single‐keyword search each time. Timed‐release encryption is integrated into the proposed scheme at the same time, which enables the data sender to specify the time when the cloud servers can search the encrypted data. Analysis indicates that our scheme not only can counter off‐line guessing attacks to the ciphertext and trapdoor, but also supports ranked search with a reasonable computational cost. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Severity of Acute Cholecystitis and Risk of Iatrogenic Bile Duct Injury During Cholecystectomy, a Population‐Based Case–Control Study
Authors: Törnqvist Björn , Waage Anne , Zheng Zongli , Ye Weimin , Nilsson Magnus 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundAcute cholecystitis is a common complication to gallstone disease. The relation between the severity of acute cholecystitis and risk of bile duct injury during cholecystectomy has not yet been addressed and is the main focus of this study.MethodsAll cases with iatrogenic bile duct injury during cholecystectomy, within the Lake Mälaren region, Sweden, were identified through ICD procedure codes for biliary reconstruction within the Swedish Inpatient Register and matched to non‐injured cholecystectomized controls. Information regarding perioperative variables was collected through medical record review.ResultsAfter review, 158 cases and 623 controls remained for analyses. Adjusted risk of bile duct injury was doubled among patients with acute cholecystitis (OR 1.97 95 % CI 1.05–3.72), whereas a mild acute cholecystitis (Tokyo grade I) did not affect the risk of bile duct injury (OR 0.96 95 % CI 0.41–2.25), a moderate (Tokyo grade II) more than doubled the risk (OR 2.41 95 % CI 1.21–4.80). Severe cholecystitis (Tokyo grade III) had a close to significant eightfold increase in risk (OR 8.43 95 % CI 0.97–72.9). The intention to use intraoperative cholangiography reduced injury risk by 52 % (OR 0.48, 95 % CI 0.29–0.81).ConclusionsPatients with on‐going acute cholecystitis had twice the risk of sustaining a biliary lesion compared to patients without acute cholecystitis. There was a relation between the Tokyo guidelines severity grading of acute cholecystitis and injury risk and the intention to use intraoperative cholangiography halved the risk of reconstructed bile duct injury during cholecystectomy.
Where Oncologic and Surgical Complication Scoring Systems Collide: Time for a New Consensus for CRS/HIPEC
Authors: Lehmann Kuno , Eshmuminov Dilmurodjon , Slankamenac Ksenija , Kranzbühler Benedict , Clavien Pierre‐Alain , Vonlanthen René , Gertsch Philippe 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIntroductionMorbidity and mortality rates after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are important quality parameters to compare peritoneal surface malignancy centers. A major problem to assess postoperative outcomes among centers is the inconsistent reporting due to two coexisting systems, the diagnose‐based common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) classification and the therapy‐oriented Clavien‐Dindo classification. We therefore assessed and compared both reporting systems.Patients and MethodsComplications after CRS/HIPEC were recorded in 147 consecutive patients and independently graded by an expert board using both systems. In a next step, a group of residents, experienced surgeons, and medical oncologists evaluated a set of twelve real complications, either with the Clavien‐Dindo or CTCAE classification.ResultsThe postoperative complication rate after CRS/HIPEC was 37 % (54/147), 6.8 % (10/147) were reoperated, and three (2 %) patients died. The most frequent complications were intestinal fistula or abscess, pulmonary complications, and ileus. Grading of complications with the CTCAE classification resulted in a significantly higher major morbidity rate compared to the Clavien‐Dindo classification (25 vs. 8 %, p = 0.001). Evaluating a set of complications, residents, surgeons, and oncologists correctly assessed significantly more complications with the Clavien‐Dindo compared to the CTCEA classification (p < 0.001). In addition, all participants evaluated the Clavien‐Dindo classification as more simple. Residents (p < 0.001) and surgeons (p < 0.01) required less time with the Clavien‐Dindo classification; there was no difference for oncologist.ConclusionIn conclusion, our data indicate that there is a different interpretation of severity grades of complications after CRS/HIPEC between the two classifications. There is a need for a common language in the field of CRS/HIPEC, which should be defined by a new consensus to compare surgical outcomes.
Variation of morphological and chemical traits in sexes of the dioecious perennial grassPoa ligularisin relation to shrub cover and aridity in Patagonian ecosystems
Authors: Moreno Laura , Bertiller Mónica B. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractSexes of dioecious species may have dimorphic responses to environmental variation due to differences in resource requirements and reproductive costs. We analyzed the effect of aridity/relative shrub cover, and vicinity to shrub patches on morpho‐chemical traits of sexes of the dioecious perennial grassPoa ligularisin patchy arid ecosystems in northern‐central Patagonia. We hypothesized that sexes ofP. ligularishave dimorphic responses in morpho‐chemical traits in relation to the environmental variation induced by aridity/relative shrub cover and vicinity to shrub patches. We selected seven sites across a gradient of increasing aridity and relative shrub cover. We randomly collected 5–10P. ligularisplants per site registering the sex (female or male) and location with respect to shrub patches (shrub patch or inter‐patch). For each plant, we assessed morpho‐chemical traits (height of the vegetative tillers, length/dry weight/area of blades, specific blade area, nitrogen and soluble phenol concentration in blades). Sexes showed dimorphic responses in height of vegetative tillers, blade length, and blade area with respect to vicinity to shrub patches; and in variation of soluble phenolics in blades in relation to aridity/relative shrub cover. Responses in both sexes were opposite to those expected by aridity, highlighting the role of favorable environments induced by shrub canopies on dimorphic responses of sexes ofP. ligularis.Resource‐rich microsites associated with shrub canopies promoted increased plant performance of females with high reproductive costs while resource‐poor open areas, favorable for pollen dispersal, induced improved chemical defenses of males. These results are consistent with the resource availability hypothesis.
Accuracy of Dual Phase Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Correlation with Serum Parathyroid Hormone Levels
Authors: Koberstein Wade , Fung Christopher , Romaniuk Kristy , Abele Jonathan T. 
Published: December 2015

Purpose The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the accuracy of dual-phase 99mTc -methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) with single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) for the preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas in the setting of primary hyperparathyroidism; 2) to determine the accuracy of localization for ectopic glands; and 3) to assess the relationship between accuracy and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Methods Eighty-eight patients who underwent 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT imaging for primary hyperparathyroidism at our institution over a 27-month period were retrospectively assessed. The preoperative SPECT/CT results were compared to intraoperative findings (within 1 year of imaging). The relationship between serum PTH level (within 3 months) and SPECT/CT accuracy was then evaluated. Results Accuracy indices for the retrothyroid subgroup were sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 96.4%, positive predictive value 98.1%, negative predictive value 77.1%, and accuracy 89.8%. Accuracy indices for ectopic parathyroid adenomas were sensitivity 81.5%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 92.4%, and accuracy 94.3%. For the overall group, SPECT/CT demonstrated a sensitivity of 85.1% and a PPV of 98.7%. SPECT/CT correctly identified the abnormal parathyroid gland in 60% of patients with a normal serum PTH (<6.9 pmol/L), 73% between 6.9-9.9 pmol/L, 86% between 10.0-14.9 pmol/L, 100% between 15.0-19.9 pmol/L, 88% between 20.0-24.5 pmol/L, and 100% of patients with a PTH greater than 25.0 pmol/L. Conclusions Dual-phase 99mTc- MIBI with SPECT/CT is an accurate and reliable means to correctly localize both retrothyroid and ectopic parathyroid adenomas for the purpose of surgical planning. The accuracy of SPECT/CT increases with increasing serum PTH levels.