bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Symptom‐association probability between meal ingestion and abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Does somatization play a role?
Authors: Arsiè E. , Coletta M. , Cesana B. M. , Basilisco G. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractBackgroundPatients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) complain of postprandial abdominal pain, but it is still unknown how much of this association is due to chance. Somatization enhances the perception of symptoms after a meal. We assessed: (i) the proportion of meal‐related pain periods and the symptom‐association probability (SAP) between the two variables in IBS patients; and (ii) how this association is affected by somatization.MethodsSeventy IBS patients recorded the times of meals and abdominal pain in a 10‐day diary card. The proportion of postmeal pain periods was calculated in relation to the total number of 90‐min periods with pain. Fisher's exact test was used to calculate the probability (p) of an association within a time window of 90 min, and the SAP was calculated as (1 − p) × 100%. The IBS Symptom Severity Scale, the SCL90‐R for psychological symptoms, and the SF‐36 for the quality of life were completed.Key ResultsThe proportion of postmeal pain periods was 42 ± 27%. SAP was significant (p < 0.05) in 32 patients (45%). Somatization was altered in 30 patients (47%), who were younger and had more severe IBS and a poorer quality of life. Somatization did not influence the association between meal ingestion and abdominal pain.Conclusions & InferencesMeal ingestion and abdominal pain are significantly associated in 45% of IBS patients. Somatization influences IBS severity and the patients' quality of life, but not the strength of the association between eating and pain.
Genome scans reveal candidate domestication and improvement genes in cultivated sunflower, as well as post‐domestication introgression with wild relatives
Authors: Baute Gregory J. , Kane Nolan C. , Grassa Christopher J. , Lai Zhao , Rieseberg Loren H. 
Published: January 2015

Summary

The development of modern crops typically involves both selection and hybridization, but to date most studies have focused on the former. In the present study, we explore how both processes, and their interactions, have molded the genome of the cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus), a globally important oilseed.

To identify genes targeted by selection during the domestication and improvement of sunflower, and to detect post‐domestication hybridization with wild species, we analyzed transcriptome sequences of 80 genotypes, including wild, landrace, and modern lines of H. annuus, as well as two cross‐compatible wild relatives, Helianthus argophyllus and Helianthus petiolaris.

Outlier analyses identified 122 and 15 candidate genes associated with domestication and improvement, respectively. As in several previous studies, genes putatively involved in oil biosynthesis were the most extreme outliers. Additionally, several promising associations were observed with previously mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs), such as branching. Admixture analyses revealed that all the modern cultivar genomes we examined contained one or more introgressions from wild populations, with every chromosome having evidence of introgression in at least one modern line.

Cumulatively, introgressions cover c. 10% of the cultivated sunflower genome. Surprisingly, introgressions do not avoid candidate domestication genes, probably because of the reintroduction of branching.
Impact of bariatric surgery on physical functioning in obese adults
Authors: Steele T. , Cuthbertson D. J. , Wilding J. P. H. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryObesity is associated with a profound impairment in the ability to perform the basic physical activities required for everyday function. This impacts on quality of life and contributes to disability. Bariatric surgery leads to weight loss and metabolic improvements in severe obesity; however, less is known about its effect on physical functioning. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the effect of bariatric surgery on this outcome with a consideration of the mechanisms involved. Nine longitudinal observational studies reporting objective measures of physical functioning were identified. Inclusion criteria, follow‐up time and outcomes reported varied considerably between studies and sample sizes were small. They all showed a significant improvement in performance following surgery despite variations in baseline patient characteristics. Additionally, six studies were found in which subjects were subjected to exercise testing protocols. Performance of the test protocol improved in all. Where reported, peak oxygen uptake related to body weight improved; however, absolute values were either unchanged or decreased. In conclusion, observational evidence suggests that patients’ physical functioning improves following bariatric surgery. More evidence is required regarding mechanisms involved; however, it may be due to improved efficiency in performing activities as opposed to absolute improvements in cardiorespiratory or muscle function.
Effect of a neck collar on upper airway size in children sedated with propofol–midazolam combination during magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Moustafa Moustafa A. , Emara Doaa M. , Nouh Mohamed R. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryIntroductionPropofol and midazolam are widely used for pediatric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sedation. Increasing depth of sedation may be associated with airway obstruction. A neck collar supporting the mandible and maintaining the head in slight extension may be beneficial in maintaining airway patency.Aim of the studyPrimary aim: To assess upper airway size with and without a neck collar during pediatric MRI sedation with propofol–midazolam. Secondary aim: To evaluate complications encountered during the procedure.Materials and MethodsSixty patients aged 2–4 years scheduled for MRI of the brain were selected. They were sedated with intramuscular midazolam 0.1 mg·kg−1 30 min before the procedure. Patients were sedated with i.v. propofol 1 mg·kg−1 and continued with 50–100 μg·kg−1·min−1. T1 3D fast‐field echo axial sequence from the nasopharyngeal roof to subglottic region was taken with and without application of a neck collar. Airway dimensions were measured and analyzed at the base of the tongue, soft palate, and at the epiglottis.ResultsAt the base of the tongue and soft palate, the cross‐sectional area (CSA) and the anteroposterior diameter of the airway were respectively statistically significantly higher when the neck collar was applied. The CSA at the epiglottis was significantly less with application of the neck collar. Complications were not significantly different between the two sequences.ConclusionApplication of a soft neck collar in children aged 2–4 years may enhance the retropalatal and retroglossal airway dimensions during pediatric sedation in the supine position.
Selection of subspecialty fellows in anesthesia for pediatric anesthesia: a national survey of program directors in the United States
Authors: Benzon Hubert A. , De Oliveira Gildasio S. , Jagannathan Narasimhan , Suresh Santhanam 
Published: January 2015

SummaryBackgroundSeveral studies have investigated the selection process for medical students, residents, and fellows across different specialties. Currently, the selection criteria used by pediatric anesthesia program directors to select prospective pediatric anesthesia fellows are unknown.ObjectiveTo evaluate the criteria used by program directors in the selection of prospective pediatric anesthesia fellows in the United States.MethodsSurvey responses were solicited from 51 pediatric anesthesia fellowship directors in the United States. Questions evaluated department demographic information, the importance of fellowship selection criteria, and program satisfaction with the Match process.ResultsForty‐two of 51 fellowship directors responded to the survey (a response rate of 82%). The personal statement was reported as extremely/very important for 30 of 42 (71%) program directors, while research experience and prior publications were reported as extremely/very important for 16 of 41 (39%) and 16 of 41 (39%) program directors, respectively. Programs that offered all the spots through the Match were smaller, median (IQR) number of fellows of 3 (2–6) compared to the ones that did not offer all the spots through the Match, 8 (2–12), P = 0.03. In contrast, no difference in program directors’ satisfaction with the Match was detected between smaller (≤3 fellows) and larger programs (>3 fellows), P = 0.25.ConclusionA minority of pediatric fellowship program directors rated prior research experience as an important factor in the selection of prospective fellows. The lack of emphasis on research qualities for fellows is potentially concerning for the future of our specialty.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Fibromyalgia: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Knijnik Leonardo M. , Dussán‐Sarria Jairo A. , Rozisky Joanna R. , Torres Iraci L. S. , Brunoni Andre R. , Fregni Felipe , Caumo Wolnei 
Published: January 2015

AbstractBackgroundFibromyalgia (FM) is a prevalent chronic pain syndrome with few effective therapeutic options available. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an emerging therapeutic alternative for this condition; however, results have been mixed.ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of rTMS on FM, a comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis were performed.MethodsRelevant published, English and Portuguese language, randomized clinical trials (RCT) comparing rTMS (irrespective of the stimulation protocol) to sham stimulation for treating FM pain intensity, depression, and/or quality of life (QoL) were identified, considering only those with low risk for bias. Trials available until April 2014 were searched through MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library Databases, and other 26 relevant medical databases covering from every continent. The outcomes for pain, depression, and QoL assessed closest to the 30th day after rTMS treatment were extracted, and changes from baseline were calculated to compare the effects of rTMS vs. placebo.ResultsOne hundred and sixty‐three articles were screened, and five with moderate to high quality were included. rTMS improved QoL with a moderate effect size (Pooled SMD = −0.472 95%CI = −0.80 to −0.14); it showed a trend toward reducing pain intensity (SMD = −0.64 95%CI = −0.31 to 0.017), but did not change depressive symptoms.ConclusionIn comparison with sham stimulation, rTMS demonstrated superior effect on the QoL of patients with FM 1 month after starting therapy. However, further studies are needed to determine optimal treatment protocols and to elucidate the mechanisms involved with this effect, which does not seem to be mediated by changes in depression, but that may involve pain modulation. Level of evidence 1b.
Breakdown of middle lamella pectin by ●OH during rapid abscission in Azolla
Authors: YAMADA YOSHIYA , KOIBUCHI MIZUKI , MIYAMOTO KENSUKE , UEDA JUNICHI , UHEDA EIJI 
Published: January 2015

AbstractAzolla, a small water fern, abscises its roots and branches within 30 min upon treatment with various stresses. This study was conducted to test whether, in the rapid abscission that occurs in Azolla, breakdown of wall components of abscission zone cells by ●OH is involved. Experimentally generated ●OH caused the rapid separation of abscission zone cells from detached roots and the rapid shedding of roots from whole plants. Electron microscopic observations revealed that ●OH rapidly and selectively dissolved a well‐developed middle lamella between abscission zone cells and resultantly caused rapid cell separation and shedding. Treatment of abscission zones of Impatiens leaf petiole with ●OH also accelerated the separation of abscission zone cells. However, compared with that of Azolla roots, accelerative effects in Impatiens were weak. A large amount of ●OH was cytochemically detected in abscission zone cells both of Azolla roots and of Impatiens leaf petioles. These results suggest that ●OH is involved in the cell separation process not only in the rapid abscission in Azolla but also in the abscission of Impatiens. However, for rapid abscission to occur, a well‐developed middle lamella, a unique structure, which is sensitive to the attack of ●OH, might be needed.
Efficacy and Safety of a New Technique of Conversion from Temporary to Tunneled Central Venous Catheters
Authors: Lomonte Carlo , Libutti Pasquale , Casucci Francesco , Lisi Piero , Basile Carlo 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe usually applied conversion technique from temporary to tunneled central venous catheters (CVCs) using the same venous insertion site requires a peel‐away sheath. We propose a conversion technique without peel‐away sheath: a guide wire is advanced through the existing temporary CVC; then, a subcutaneous tunnel is created from the exit to the venotomy site. After removing the temporary CVC, the tunneled one is advanced along the guide wire. The study group included all patients requiring a catheter conversion from January 2012 to June 2014; the control group included incident patients who had received de novo placement of tunneled CVCs from January 2010 to December 2011. The main outcome measures were technical success and immediate complications. Seventy‐two tunneled catheters (40 with our conversion technique and 32 with the traditional one) were placed in 72 patients. The technical success was 95% in the study group and 75% in the controls (p = 0.019). The immediate complications were one bleeding in the study group (2.5%) and one air embolism, one pneumothorax, and four bleedings (18.7%) in the controls (p = 0.039). Conversion from temporary to tunneled CVC using a guide wire and without a peel‐away sheath is an effective and safe procedure.
Impact of a Suicide‐Specific Intervention within Inpatient Psychiatric Care: The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality
Authors: Ellis Thomas E. , Rufino Katrina A. , Allen Jon G. , Fowler James C. , Jobes David A. 
Published: January 2015

A growing body of literature indicates that suicidal patients differ from other psychiatric patients with respect to specific psychological vulnerabilities and that suicide‐specific interventions may offer benefits beyond conventional care. This naturalistic controlled‐comparison trial (n = 52) examined outcomes of intensive psychiatric hospital treatment (mean length of stay 58.8 days), comparing suicidal patients who received individual therapy from clinicians utilizing the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) to patients whose individual therapists did not utilize CAMS. Propensity score matching was used to control for potential confounds, including age, sex, treatment unit, and severity of depression and suicidality. Results showed that both groups improved significantly over the course of hospitalization; however, the group receiving CAMS showed significantly greater improvement on measures specific to suicidal ideation and suicidal cognition. Results are discussed in terms of the potential advantages of treating suicide risk with a suicide‐specific intervention to make inpatient psychiatric treatment more effective in reducing risk for future suicidal crises.
Immediate and extended effects of abrasion on stratum corneum natural moisturizing factor
Authors: Hoffman D. R. , Kroll L. M. , Basehoar A. , Reece B. , Cunningham C. T. , Koenig D. W. 
Published: January 2015

BackgroundNatural moisturizing factor (NMF), principally comprised of hygroscopic amino acids and derivatives that absorb moisture from the surrounding environment, serves as the primary humectant of the stratum corneum (SC). Acute barrier disruption has been shown to differentially affect the concentration of NMF in the SC. This study measured the recovery kinetics of NMF after mechanical damage of the SC, which is not well understood.MethodsThe study population included 20 healthy female volunteers (18–72‐year old) with no history of dermatological disorders. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, and SC water and NMF were measured at all sites before abrasion, 30 min following abrasion, and 1–3, 6, 8, and 10 days following abrasion. Measurements obtained from the abraded site were compared with those obtained from an untreated site.ResultsAs expected, both TEWL and erythema increased significantly with abrasion. Erythema and TEWL values remained higher at the abraded site for 2 and 6 days, respectively, after abrasion. No changes in NMF component levels in the SC were observed at 30 min after abrasion. One day following abrasion, reduced levels of glycine, histidine pH4, trans‐urocanic acid (tUca) pH4, and tUca pH8 were observed. In addition, a significantly lower level of serine was observed at the abraded site 2 and 6 days following abrasion. Within 8 days after abrasion, these components returned to levels comparable to those observed in untreated skin. Throughout the study, no differences were observed in the level of water in the SC.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that acute barrier disruption induced by mechanical abrasion has relatively little impact on biochemical events responsible for NMF generation. Though reductions in certain NMF components were observed, abrasion had no measureable effect on SC water content over the duration of the study. This implies that the reduced NMF components may not contribute substantially to water retention in the SC. The reduced components belong to a group of NMF molecules thought to be principally derived through degradation of S‐100 proteins in the epidermis. NMF components measured in this study that are derived from sweat and/or urea cycling were not impacted. These data imply that while abrasion elicits clinical signs of barrier disruption within the SC, effects on its biochemical constituents and ability to retain water are relatively minor.
Tuberculosis before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with hematologic diseases: report of a single‐center experience
Authors: Eom K.‐S. , Lee D.‐G. , Lee H.‐J. , Cho S.‐Y. , Choi S.‐M. , Choi J.‐K. , Kim Y.‐J. , Lee S. , Kim H.‐J. , Cho S.‐G. , Lee J.‐W. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractBackgroundFew reports discuss the optimal management of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) before scheduled stem cell transplantation (SCT), who then proceed with transplantation.MethodsWe found 13 patients with TB before SCT (proven, n = 9; probable, n = 3; possible, n = 1) in the medical records of our institution.ResultsMost of the patients had pulmonary TB (n = 8; disseminated, n = 2; extrapulmonary, n = 3). Eight of 9 patients with proven disease had SCT after at least 100 days of anti‐tuberculous medication, ranging from 103 to 450 days. None of those patients suffered TB‐related events after SCT. However, 1 patient with proven pulmonary TB who underwent SCT after only 40 days of anti‐tuberculous therapy subsequently died of TB meningitis. Patients with possible and probable disease had their transplants after 6–176 days of anti‐tuberculous medication, and all were alive at the time of analysis. The entire duration of anti‐tuberculous medication was 12 months in most cases. With a follow‐up duration ranging from 0.7 to 87.5 months, 4 patients died, but TB was the cause of death in only 1 case.ConclusionIn conclusion, for proven cases of TB, SCT after >100 days of anti‐tuberculous medication is probably feasible and safe, in terms of TB control, in patients with various hematologic diseases.
Semi‐automated counting method of axons in transmission electron microscopic images
Authors: Kim Chan Yun , Rho Seungsoo , Lee Naeun , Lee Chang‐Kyu , Sung Youngje 
Published: January 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the accuracy of a new semi‐automated method for counting axons in transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images.ProceduresOptic nerve cross sections were obtained from both eyes of Sprague Dawley rats after unilateral induction of chronic ocular hypertension. TEM images (3000× magnification) of cross sections were evaluated by both semi‐automated and manual counting methods. The semi‐automated counting method was performed using ImageJ software after simple image optimization, and the resulting estimate of axon damage was compared with semiquantitative damage grading scale from light microscopic (LM) images.ResultsAxon counts obtained from the semi‐automated method were strongly correlated with those obtained from the manual counting method (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.996, P < 0.001) and from the full manual count from LM images (Spearman's ρ = 0.973, P < 0.001). The semi‐automated method measured axonal damage with an error of 0.94 ± 3.16% (mean ± standard deviation), with worse axonal damage associated with greater error. Interobserver and intra‐observer variability in axons counts were low (Spearman's ρ = 0.999, P < 0.005). The results of the semi‐automated counting method were highly correlated with semiquantitative damage grading scale (Spearman's ρ = 0.965, P < 0.001).ConclusionResults of our semi‐automated method for counting axons in TEM images were strongly correlated with those of conventional counting methods and showed excellent reproducibility.
Optimal Parallelogram Selection for Hierarchical Tiling
Authors: Zhou Xing , Garzarán María J. , Padua David A. 
Published: January 2015

Loop tiling is an effective optimization to improve performance of multiply nested loops, which are the most time-consuming parts in many programs. Most massively parallel systems today are organized hierarchically, and different levels of the hierarchy differ in the organization of parallelism and the memory models they adopt. To make better use of these machines, it is clear that loop nests should be tiled hierarchically to fit the hierarchical organization of the machine; however, it is not so clear what should be the exact form of these hierarchical tiles. In particular, tile shape selection is of critical importance to expose parallelism of the tiled loop nests. Although loop tiling is a well-known optimization, not much is known about tile shape selection.
In this article, we study tile shape selection when the shapes are any type of parallelograms and introduce a model to relate the tile shape of the hierarchy to the execution time. Using this model, we implement a system that automatically finds the tile shapes that minimize the execution time in a hierarchical system. Our experimental results show that in several cases, the tiles automatically selected by our system outperform the most intuitive tiling schemes usually adopted by programmers because of their simplicity.
On Using the Roofline Model with Lower Bounds on Data Movement
Authors: Elango Venmugil , Sedaghati Naser , Rastello Fabrice , Pouchet Louis-Noël , Ramanujam J. , Teodorescu Radu , Sadayappan P. 
Published: January 2015

The roofline model is a popular approach for “bound and bottleneck” performance analysis. It focuses on the limits to the performance of processors because of limited bandwidth to off-chip memory. It models upper bounds on performance as a function of operational intensity, the ratio of computational operations per byte of data moved from/to memory. While operational intensity can be directly measured for a specific implementation of an algorithm on a particular target platform, it is of interest to obtain broader insights on bottlenecks, where various semantically equivalent implementations of an algorithm are considered, along with analysis for variations in architectural parameters. This is currently very cumbersome and requires performance modeling and analysis of many variants.
In this article, we address this problem by using the roofline model in conjunction with upper bounds on the operational intensity of computations as a function of cache capacity, derived from lower bounds on data movement. This enables bottleneck analysis that holds across all dependence-preserving semantically equivalent implementations of an algorithm. We demonstrate the utility of the approach in assessing fundamental limits to performance and energy efficiency for several benchmark algorithms across a design space of architectural variations.