bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adding corticosteroids to the pudendal nerve block for pudendal neuralgia: a randomised, double‐blind, controlled trial
Authors: Labat JJ , Riant T , Lassaux A , Rioult B , Rabischong B , Khalfallah M , Volteau C , Leroi A‐M , Ploteau S 
Published: July 2016

ObjectiveTo compare the effect of corticosteroids combined with local anaesthetic versus local anaesthetic alone during infiltrations of the pudendal nerve for pudendal nerve entrapment.DesignRandomised, double‐blind, controlled trial.SettingMulticentre study.Population201 patients were included in the study, with a subgroup of 122 women.MethodsCT‐guided pudendal nerve infiltrations were performed in the sacrospinous ligament and Alcock's canal. There were three study arms: patients in Arm A (n = 68) had local anaesthetic alone, those in Arm B (n = 66) had local anaesthetic plus corticosteroid and those in Arm C (n = 67) local anaesthetic plus corticosteroid with a large volume of normal saline.Main outcome measuresThe primary end‐point was the pain intensity score at 3 months. Patients were regarded as responders (at least a 30‐point improvement on a 100‐point visual analogue scale of mean maximum pain over a 2‐week period) or nonresponders.ResultsThree months’ postinfiltration, 11.8% of patients in the local anaesthetic only arm (Arm A) were responders versus 14.3% in the local anaesthetic plus corticosteroid arms (Arms B and C). This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.62). No statistically significant difference was observed in the female subgroup between Arm A and Arms B and C (P = 0.09). No significant difference was detected for the various pain assessment procedures, functional criteria or quality‐of‐life criteria.ConclusionsCorticosteroids provide no additional therapeutic benefits compared with local anaesthetic and should therefore no longer be used.Tweetable abstractSteroid infiltrations do not improve the results of local anaesthetic infiltrations in pudendal neuralgia.
Imaging in multiple sclerosis: A new spin on lesions
Authors: Bou Fakhredin Rayan , Saade Charbel , Kerek Racha , El‐Jamal Lara , Khoury Samia J , El‐Merhi Fadi 
Published: July 2016

SummaryThis article evaluates the most relevant state‐of‐the‐art magnetic resonance (MR) techniques that are clinically available to investigate multiple sclerosis (MS). The presence of hypo‐ and hyperintense lesions on T1‐ and T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences in white matter (WM) is a common finding that is occasionally a diagnostic challenge for the radiologist. The technical requirements and how they may help to understand, classify or follow‐up these pathologies are briefly summarized. The gold standard for MS diagnosis is pathological correlation. Yet due to limited availability of biopsy and autopsy material, there is a high demand for imaging as a diagnostic as well as prognostic indicator. With the progress in MRI during the last decade, MRI now plays a leading role in the diagnosis and follow‐up of MS. A number of correlative pathological and MR studies have helped to define pathological substrates of MS in focal lesions and normal appearing white matter (NAWM). Vascular spaces mimicking MS lesions have been minimized by the enhanced differentiation of WM and grey (GM) matter parenchyma. The aim of this article is to enhance the current understanding of histopathology and radiological characteristics of MS lesions in space and time.
Predictive model of mortality in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
Authors: Poca M. , Alvarado‐Tapias E. , Concepción M. , Pérez‐Cameo C. , Cañete N. , Gich I. , Romero C. , Casas M. , Román E. , Castells L. , Vargas V. , Carrión J. A. , Guarner C. , Soriano G. 
Published: July 2016

SummaryBackgroundHospital mortality in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is high despite albumin treatment, particularly in those with worse liver and/or renal function.AimTo determine the independent predictive factors of in‐hospital mortality and to create and validate a predictive model of mortality in patients with SBP.MethodsWe analysed all cirrhotic patients with high‐risk SBP (serum urea ≥11 mmol/L and/or serum bilirubin ≥68 μmol/L) between 2001 and 2011. We developed a predictive model of in‐hospital mortality and validated this in a different cohort.ResultsWe included 118 high‐risk SBP episodes treated with antibiotics and albumin. In‐hospital mortality was 33/118 (28%). The independent predictive factors of in‐hospital mortality at SBP diagnosis were serum urea, blood leucocyte count, Child–Pugh score and mean arterial pressure. A predictive model including these four variables showed a discrimination accuracy (AUC) of 0.850, 95% CI 0.777–0.922. A cut‐off point of 0.245 showed a sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.75. The in‐hospital mortality was 28/49 (57.1%) in patients with a model value ≥0.245, and 5/69 (7.2%) in patients with a model value <0.245 (P < 0.001). The validation series included 161 patients with an in‐hospital mortality of 40/161 (24.8%), 30/77 (39.0%) in patients with a model value ≥0.245, and 10/84 (11.9%) in those with a model value <0.245 (P < 0.001).ConclusionsWe developed and validated a predictive model of mortality that includes serum urea, blood leucocyte count, Child–Pugh score and mean arterial pressure in high‐risk patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. These findings may help to identify patients who would benefit from additional therapeutic strategies.
Of migrants and middlemen: Cultivating access and challenging exclusion along the Vietnam–Cambodia border
Authors: Gorman Timothy , Beban Alice 
Published: July 2016

AbstractIn a possible sign of a new trend in Southeast Asia, economic pressures are driving smallholder shrimp farmers from Vietnam's Mekong Delta across the Cambodian border in search of new land. Building from ethnographic research with Vietnamese shrimp farmers in Kampot province, Cambodia, this paper explores the structures, mechanisms and relations that facilitate and impede the ability of Vietnamese migrants to gain and maintain access to land in Cambodia. The Vietnamese migrants in our study bring capital and farming skills, but their ambiguous legal status and their lack of social networks and experience with the terms of access in Cambodia render them vulnerable to exclusion and dependent on a local broker to mediate their interactions with landowners and authorities. We recount the migrants' attempts to overcome the uncertainty of their mediated access by bypassing the broker and cultivating direct social ties with Khmer villagers, border authorities and the landowners themselves. This study generates new insights into the dynamics of cross‐border livelihoods in mainland Southeast Asia and more broadly illuminates the central importance of migrant–broker relationships and migrant agency in seeking to overcome dependency on brokers by forging new social relations in border areas.
Beyond prices: The cultural economy of water in the Cordillera highlands of Northern Luzon, Philippines
Authors: Abansi Corazon L. , Doble Maria Consuelo C. , Cariño Jessica K. , Rola Agnes C. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThis paper analyses how the economic actions of water distribution and exchange are embedded in the culture of indigenous communities in the Cordillera highlands of Northern Luzon, Philippines. Such actions are fundamental to water access and provisioning. Data was derived from a series of focus group discussions conducted with various water users, including households, farmers, enterprises and local government officials, and from upstream, midstream and downstream communities along the Balili River, a critical watershed in the Cordillera highlands. The study area exhibits a mix of livelihood systems and both formal and traditional institutions of decision‐making. Recognising that water is both an economic and social good, this paper draws inspiration from Polanyi's concept of embeddedness. Cases of three communities suggest that water distribution and exchange are embedded in the community's socio‐cultural spaces, but the extent of embeddedness declines as communities transform from subsistence to market‐based economies. Embeddedness also determines value and availability of water. The paper contributes to the discourse on the cultural economy of water and provides direction on new modes of decision‐making on river management that promise more inclusive, equitable and ecologically sustainable outcomes.
Major Element Chemical Heterogeneity in Geo2 Olivine Microbeam Reference Material: A Spatial Approach to Quantifying Heterogeneity in Primary Reference Materials
Authors: Pankhurst Matthew J. , Walshaw Richard , Morgan Daniel J. 
Published: July 2016

A 270 spot‐analysis study was conducted across a large (ca. 1200 μm × 1200 μm) chip of Geo2 olivine from a commercially available GEO Mk2 block (P and H Developments , Standards for EPMA), which revealed an 8.7% relative range in FeO abundance. Interleaved and overlapping grids of different resolutions were measured sequentially to prove spatial patterns are not due to drift or other external sources of error. Results were mapped and interpolated using commercially available geographical information system software, such that composition could be predicted according to location with high accuracy. The simple, systematic zonation pattern observed demonstrates that useful‐sized regions of acceptable homogeneity do exist for some elements. This knowledge allows a user to target individual regions of a characterised chip for use as distinct measurement standards. As analysis times decrease and data sets grow, this approach may maximise laboratory efficiency by characterising large chips and extending time between conventional block repolish and coating, particularly in those cases where the avoidance of prior beam damage is a key concern.
Alternate promoter usage generates two subpopulations of the neuronal RhoGEF Kalirin‐7
Authors: Miller Megan B. , Yan Yan , Wu Yi , Hao Bing , Mains Richard E. , Eipper Betty A. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractKalirin (Kal), a dual Rho GDP/GTP exchange factor (GEF), plays essential roles within and outside the nervous system. Tissue‐specific, developmentally regulated alternative splicing generates isoforms with one (Kal7) or two (Kal9, Kal12) GEF domains along with a kinase (Kal12) domain; while Kal9 and Kal12 are crucial for neurite outgrowth, Kal7 plays important roles in spine maintenance and synaptic plasticity. Tissue‐specific usage of alternate Kalrn promoters (A, B, C, D) places four different peptides before the Sec14 domain. cSec14, with an amphipathic helix encoded by the C‐promoter (Kal‐C‐helix), is the only variant known to interact with phosphoinositides. We sought to elucidate the biological significance of Kalirin promoter usage and lipid binding. While Ex1B expression was predominant early in development, Ex1C expression increased when synaptogenesis occurred. Kal‐C‐helix‐containing Kal7 (cKal7) was enriched at the postsynaptic density, present in the microsomal fraction and absent from cytosol; no significant amount of cKal9 or cKal12 could be identified in mouse brain. Similarly, in primary hippocampal neurons, endogenous cKalirin colocalized with postsynaptic density 95 in dendritic spines, juxtaposed to Vglut1‐positive puncta. When expressed in young neurons, bSec14‐EGFP was diffusely distributed, while cSec14‐EGFP localized to internal puncta. Transfected bKal7‐EGFP and cKal7‐EGFP localized to dendritic spines and increased spine density in more mature cultured neurons. Although promoter usage did not alter the Rac‐GEF activity of Kal7, the synaptic puncta formed by cKal7‐EGFP were smaller than those formed by bKal7‐EGFP. Molecular modeling predicted a role for Kal‐C‐helix residue Arg15 in the interaction of cSec14 with phosphoinositides. Consistent with this prediction, mutation of Arg15 to Gln altered the localization of cSec14‐EGFP and cKal7‐EGFP. These data suggest that phosphoinositide‐dependent interactions unique to cKal7 contribute to protein localization and function.
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Cover Image for this issue: doi. 10.1111/jnc.13791.
Dispositional Affect Moderates the Stress‐Buffering Effect of Social Support on Risk for Developing the Common Cold
Authors: Janicki Deverts Denise , Cohen Sheldon , Doyle William J. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractObjectiveThe aim was to examine whether trait positive and negative affect (PA, NA) moderate the stress‐buffering effect of perceived social support on risk for developing a cold subsequent to being exposed to a virus that causes mild upper respiratory illness.MethodAnalyses were based on archival data from 694 healthy adults (Mage = 31.0 years,SD = 10.7 years; 49.0% female; 64.6% Caucasian). Perceived social support and perceived stress were assessed by self‐report questionnaire and trait affect by aggregating responses to daily mood items administered by telephone interview across several days. Subsequently, participants were exposed to a virus that causes the common cold and monitored for 5 days for clinical illness (infection + objective signs of illness).ResultsTwo 3‐way interactions emerged—Support × Stress × PA and Support × Stress × NA. The nature of these effects was such that among persons with high trait PA or low trait NA, greater social support attenuated the risk of developing a cold when under high but not low perceived stress; this stress‐buffering effect did not emerge among persons with low trait PA or high trait NA.ConclusionsDispositional affect might be used to identify individuals who may be most responsive to social support and support‐based interventions.
Is it possible to achieve bio-equivalence between an oral solid immediate-release and an analogue enteric-coated formulation?
Authors: Licht Dannit , Cohen Rachel , Spiegelstein Ofer , Rabinovich-Guilatt Laura , Zholkovsky Marina , Gilbert Adrian , Dressman Jennifer B , Safadi Muhammad 
Published: July 2016

Abstract

Objectives
While bioequivalence between enteric-coated and immediate-release formulations can be achieved in terms of AUC, gastric emptying of enteric-coated dosage forms is a stochastic event, usually leading to lower Cmax values than those observed with the corresponding immediate release. This article examines challenges of developing enteric-coated dosage forms which are bioequivalent to the corresponding immediate-release formulations in terms of both AUC and Cmax using rasagiline as a model compound.

Methods
In vitro drug release profiles of enteric-coated formulations were obtained and compared to those of the immediate-release formulation by dissolution testing. Pharmacokinetics was evaluated in bioequivalence studies in healthy human volunteers after single oral administration of enteric-coated and immediate-release formulations.

Key findings
The initial enteric-coated pellet formulation prototype was equivalent in terms of AUC, but differed in Cmax; a second formulation prototype, consisting of a single-unit core and enteric-coating film, proved to be bioequivalent to immediate-release rasagiline tablets in terms of AUC and Cmax. In vitro, it released rasagiline rapidly at a pH of 6.8.

Conclusions
Despite differences in gastric emptying between disintegrating immediate-release and enteric-coated solid dosage forms, bioequivalence in pharmacokinetic studies was achieved.
Health and Health Care Access of Rural Women Veterans: Findings From the National Survey of Women Veterans
Authors: Cordasco Kristina M. , Mengeling Michelle A. , Yano Elizabeth M. , Washington Donna L. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractPurposeDisparities in health and health care access between rural and urban Americans are well documented. There is evidence that these disparities are mirrored within the US veteran population. However, there are few studies assessing this issue among women veterans (WVs).MethodsUsing the 2008–2009 National Survey of Women Veterans, a population‐based cross‐sectional national telephone survey, we examined rural WVs’ health and health care access compared to urban WVs. We measured health using the Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form (SF‐12); access using measures of regular source of care (RSOC), health care utilization, and unmet needs; and barriers to getting needed care.FindingsRural WVs have significantly worse physical health functioning compared to urban WVs (mean physical component score of 43.6 for rural WVs versus 47.2 for urban WVs; P = .007). Rural WVs were more likely to have a VA RSOC (16.4% versus 10.6%; P = .009) and use VA health care (21.7% versus 12.9%; P < .001), and had fewer non‐VA health care visits compared with urban WVs (mean 4.2 versus 5.9; P = .021). They had similar overall numbers of health care visits (mean 5.8 versus 7.1; P = .11 ). Access barriers were affordability for rural WVs and work release time for urban WVs. Rural WVs additionally reported that transportation was a major factor affecting health care decisions.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate VA's crucial role in addressing disparities in health and health care access for rural WVs. As VA continues to strive to optimally meet the needs of all WVs, innovative care models need to account for their high health care needs and persistent barriers to care.
Hospital‐based study of the distribution of pathogens in adult bacterial meningitis with underlying disease in Tokyo, Japan
Authors: Takahashi Keiko , Ogawa Katsuhiko , Ishikawa Harumi , Morita Akihiko , Hara Makoto , Minami Masayuki , Shiota Hiroshi , Suzuki Yutaka , Teramoto Hiroko , Ebashi Momoko , Saito Mari , Ninomiya Satoko , Akimoto Takayoshi , Shiobara Keiji , Mitsuke Kazutaka , Kamei Satoshi 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBackground and AimTherapeutic management of bacterial meningitis worldwide has been established based on the patient age and risk factors.AimThe present study investigated the distribution of pathogens and outcomes in adult bacterial meningitis with underlying disease in Tokyo, Japan.MethodsParticipants in this retrospective study were 131 adult cases diagnosed with having bacterial meningitis based on their clinical symptoms and laboratory data. All patients had been admitted to our hospitals (Nihon University Itabashi Hospital and Surugadai Hospital) in Tokyo, Japan, between 1984 and 2013. Bacterial meningitis was classified with underlying disease into three groups, as follows: group 1, invasive procedures or complicated head trauma within the preceding 3 months (n = 35); group 2, immunocompromised status (n = 37); or group 3, both conditions (n = 31). Poor outcome was defined as a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1–3.ResultsThe distribution of pathogens differed significantly in each group. The most common pathogen in each group was Staphylococcus epidermidis (23.7%) in group 1; penicillin‐intermediate Streptococcus pneumoniae (12.8%) in group 2; and Staphylococcus epidermidis (13.9%) in group 3. The highest rate of mortality and poor outcome was shown in group 2, and followed by group 3 and 1. The rate of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria was 68.9% for all pathogens in bacterial meningitis with underlying disease, 70.6% in group 1, 55.6% in group 2 and 80.6% in group 3.ConclusionThis is the first retrospective study of the distribution of pathogens and outcomes in adult bacterial meningitis with underlying disease in Japan.
Effectiveness of demand generation interventions on use of modern contraceptives in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Belaid L. , Dumont A. , Chaillet N. , Zertal A. , De Brouwere V. , Hounton S. , Ridde V. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractObjectivesTo synthesise evidence on the implementation, costs and cost‐effectiveness of demand generation interventions and their effectiveness in improving uptake of modern contraception methods.MethodsA Cochrane systematic review was conducted. Searches were performed in electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE) and the grey literature. Randomised controlled trials, cluster randomised trials and quasi‐experimental studies, including controlled before–after studies (CBAs) and cost and cost‐effectiveness studies that aimed to assess demand interventions (including community‐ and facility‐based interventions, financial mechanisms and mass media campaigns) in low‐ and middle‐income countries were considered. Meta‐analyses and narrative synthesis were conducted.ResultsIn total, 20 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this review. Of those, 13 were used for meta‐analysis. Few data were available on implementation and on the influence of context on demand interventions. Involving family members during counselling, providing education activities and increasing exposure to those activities could enhance the success of demand interventions. Demand generation interventions were positively associated with increases in current use (pooled OR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.46–1.69, P < 0.01). Financial mechanism interventions (vouchers) appeared effective to increase use of modern contraceptive methods (pooled OR 2.16; 95% CI: 1.91–2.45, P < 0.01; I2 = 0%). Demand interventions improved knowledge (pooled OR 1.02; 95% CI 0.63–1.64, P = 0.93) and attitudes towards family planning and improved discussion with partners/husbands around modern contraceptive methods. However, given the limited number of studies included in each category of demand generation interventions, the dates of publication of the studies and their low quality, caution is advised in considering the results. Very limited evidence was available on costs; studies including data on costs were old and inconsistent.ConclusionDemand generation interventions contribute to increases in modern contraceptive methods use. However, more studies with robust designs are needed to identify the most effective demand generation intervention to increase uptake of modern contraceptive methods. More evidence is also needed about implementation, costs and cost‐effectiveness to inform decisions on sustainability and scaling‐up.
CRR1 encoding callose synthase functions in ovary expansion by affecting vascular cell patterning in rice
Authors: Song Longzhen , Wang Ruci , Zhang Li , Wang Yueming , Yao Shanguo 
Published: July 2016

SummaryThe ovary of rice undergoes rapid expansion immediately after fertilization, and this process determines the final sink strength potential of caryopses. To date, work on rice grain development has mainly focused on endosperm filling, whereas information on the essential elements for ovary expansion remains limited. We report here a functional analysis of the ovary expansion retarded mutant crr1 in rice. Map‐based cloning revealed that CRR1 encodes a protein homologous to the Arabidopsis callose synthases AtGSL8 and AtGSL10. Point mutation in crr1 resulted in alternative splicing, which led to the formation of the truncated crr1 protein without the β‐glucan synthase domain. Iodine staining showed that there were few starch granules and these were unevenly distributed in the pericarp of crr1, and a 5,6‐carboxyfluorescein diacetate transport assay revealed that carbohydrates were less efficiently unloaded from the lateral vasculature into the developing caryopsis. CRR1 transcripts were detected in all plant organs, with the highest level found in receptacles, which are mainly composed of vascular tissues. Analysis of pCRR1::GUS transgenic plants showed that CRR1 was specifically expressed in vascular bundle cells. Consistently, loss of function of CRR1 led to disordered patterns of vascular cells in the ovaries and receptacles of the mutant. Furthermore, a small portion of cells in the vascular bundles of crr1 showed defective cell wall formation, and callose deposition was specifically reduced at the plasmodesmata (PD) of cells with aberrant walls. Our results suggest that CRR1 performs a pivotal role in determining initial ovary expansion in rice, possibly via the PD‐mediated permeability of cell fate determinants for vascular cell differentiation.