bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors predicting the development of early osteoarthritis following lateral tibial plateau fractures: mid-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of 73 operatively treated patients
Authors: Parkkinen M. , Madanat R. , Mustonen A. , Koskinen S. K. , Paavola M. , Lindahl J. 
Published: April 2014

Background and Aims: The indications for operative treatment of lateral tibial plateau fractures are still controversial. The objective of this study was to determine whether residual articular surface depression and valgus malalignment of plated lateral tibial plateau fractures at medium-term follow-up affect the clinical and radiographic outcomes. Material and Methods: A chart review of patients with operatively treated (AO type B3.1) tibial plateau fractures that were admitted to our level I trauma center between 2002 and 2008 was performed. Out of 123 patients, 73 were available to participate in a clinical and radiographic follow-up examination. The mean follow-up time was 54 months. Patients were clinically assessed and completed the Lysholm knee score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Maximal articular surface depression, radiological mechanical axis, and degree of posttraumatic osteoarthritis were evaluated from standing radiographs. Results: Patients with valgus malalignment of 5° or greater at follow-up developed more advanced osteoarthritis (Kellgren–Lawrence grade 3–4) than patients with a normal mechanical axis (p = 0.006). Similarly, patients with articular depression greater than 2 mm at follow-up also developed more advanced osteoarthritis compared to patients with a depression of 2 mm or less (p = 0.001). The degree of valgus malalignment or articular depression had no effect on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index or Lysholm scores. Conclusions: The postoperative articular congruity and normal mechanical axis of the lower leg after plate fixation in lateral tibial plateau fractures seem to have a role in prevention of posttraumatic osteoarthritis but does not appear to predict clinical outcome at medium-term follow-up. The role of initial dislocation and associated cartilage damage in the development of osteoarthritis following these fractures is still unknown.
Through the 10-mm Looking Glass: Advances in Minimally Invasive Surgery in Trauma
Authors: Grushka J. , Ginzburg E. 
Published: April 2014

Background: Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly being used in trauma surgery as both a diagnostic and a therapeutic tool. However, significant debate regarding the accuracy, safety, and indications for minimally invasive surgery in trauma continues to impede widespread acceptance of these techniques among trauma surgeons. Method: Herein, we report a contemporary review of the current role of both laparoscopy and thoracoscopy in modern trauma surgery. Literature search was performed using PubMed database and the following keywords: “Trauma,” “Minimally Invasive Surgery,” “Laparoscopy,” and “Thoracoscopy.” Results: Current recommendations advocate for the use of laparoscopy as a diagnostic tool in penetrating trauma for the diagnosis of diaphragm injuries and peritoneal violation. A significant body of research demonstrates that laparoscopy in select hemodynamically normal patients can significantly decrease nontherapeutic laparotomy rates and hospital costs and is highly sensitive and specific with very low missed injury rates, including small bowel injuries. Laparoscopic repairs to a wide breadth of abdominal and thoracic injuries have been reported with impressive results. Adherence to a standardized laparoscopic examination system and routine use of laparoscopy in elective or acute care practice strongly influence positive results with minimally invasive surgery in trauma. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is most commonly used for evaluation of diaphragm, evacuation of retained hemothorax, and management of ongoing bleeding post-trauma. Conclusion: Minimally invasive surgery does offer several advantages compared to traditional open surgery and should be considered as an additional tool in the trauma surgeon’s armamentarium in the care of select injured patients.
The diagnostic value of a panel of serological markers in acute appendicitis
Authors: Farooqui W. , Pommergaard H-C. , Burcharth J. , Eriksen J. R. 
Published: April 2014

Background: Appendicitis is a frequent reason for hospital admissions. Elevated C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and serum bilirubin have been suggested as individual markers for appendicitis and appendiceal perforation. The aim of this study was to analyze if a combination of serologic markers could increase the prognostic accuracy of diagnosing non-perforated and perforated appendicitis. Material and Methods: Demographic data, histological findings, blood tests, and clinical symptoms were collected on all patients who underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy, a laparoscopic appendectomy, or conventional (open) appendectomy between May 2009 and May 2012 from a surgical department. The patients were grouped into those with either perforated appendicitis, non-perforated appendicitis, or differential diagnosis. Univariate and multivariate models were used to identify which markers were useful in predicting acute and perforated appendicitis, and receiving operating characteristics curves were used to find the specificity, sensitivity, and the negative and positive predictive values. Results: A total of 1008 patients were operated under suspicion of appendicitis. From these, 700 patients had a pathologically verified inflamed appendix and 190 had a perforated appendix. Patients with acute appendicitis had significantly higher blood levels of white blood cell, bilirubin, C-reactive protein, and alanine transaminase than patients without appendicitis. Patients with perforated appendicitis had significantly higher levels of white blood cell, bilirubin, and C-reactive protein than patients with non-perforated appendicitis. The highest positive predictive value to discriminate between acute appendicitis and non-appendicitis was of a linear regression model combining white blood cell count, bilirubin, and alanine transaminase. C-reactive protein levels and a linear regression model, including white blood cell count, bilirubin, and C-reactive protein levels as variables, had the highest negative predictive values when discriminating between perforated and non-perforated appendicitis. Conclusion: Combining blood markers was useful in predicting appendicitis and perforated appendicitis. In addition to C-reactive protein and white cell count, blood levels of bilirubin, and alanine transaminase may be useful.
Aliskiren and losartan trial in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease
Authors: Woo Keng-Thye , Choong Hui-Lin , Wong Kok-Seng , Tan Han-Kim , Foo Marjorie , Fook-Chong Stephanie , Lee Evan JC , Anantharaman Vathsala , Lee Grace SL , Chan Choong-Meng 
Published: April 2014

Introduction: This is a report of a clinical trial on the therapeutic efficacy and safety of combined aliskiren and losartan (an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)) versus aliskiren alone and ARB alone in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD) over a 3-year period. Materials and methods: This was a randomised trial in 155 patients with non-diabetic CKD comparing aliskiren (150 mg/day) ( n=52) versus losartan (100 mg/day) ( n=52) and the third group aliskiren (150 mg/day) combined with losartan (100 mg/day) ( n=51). The trial utilised primary renal end points of eGFR <15 ml/min or end-stage renal failure. Results: All three groups had significant reduction of proteinuria ( p<0.001 for all). The changes in eGFR, total urinary protein from baseline to each year were not significantly different between the three therapeutic groups. Conclusion: This study in non-diabetic CKD patients showed that combination therapy with aliskiren and ARB was as efficacious as aliskiren alone and ARB alone. There was one patient who developed a non-fatal stroke in the combined aliskiren and ARB group while the other two groups had none.
Microscale technologies for regulating human stem cell differentiation
Authors: Cimetta Elisa , Vunjak-Novakovic Gordana 
Published: April 2014

During development and regeneration, tissues emerge from coordinated sequences of stem cell renewal, specialization, and assembly that are orchestrated by cascades of regulatory factors. This complex in vivo milieu, while necessary to fully recapitulate biology and to properly engineer progenitor cells, is difficult to replicate in vitro. We are just starting to fully realize the importance of the entire context of cell microenvironment—the other cells, three-dimensional matrix, molecular and physical signals. Bioengineered environments that combine tissue-specific transport and signaling are critical to study cellular responses at biologically relevant scales and in settings predictive of human condition. We therefore developed microbioreactors that couple the application of fast dynamic changes in environmental signals with versatile, high-throughput operation and imaging capability. Our base device is a microfluidic platform with an array of microwells containing cells or tissue constructs that are exposed to stable concentration gradients. Mathematical modeling of flow and mass transport can predict the shape of these gradients and the kinetic changes in local concentrations. A single platform, the size of a microscope slide, contains up to 120 biological samples. As an example of application, we describe studies of cell fate specification and mesodermal lineage commitment in human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. The embryoid bodies formed from these cells were subjected to single and multiple concentration gradients of Wnt3a, Activin A, bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4), and their inhibitors, and the gene expression profiles were correlated to the concentration gradients of morphogens to identify the exact conditions for mesodermal differentiation.
Lower risk for serious adverse events and no increased risk for cancer after PBSC vs BM donation
Authors: Pulsipher Michael A. , Chitphakdithai Pintip , Logan Brent R. , Navarro Willis H. , Levine John E. , Miller John P. , Shaw Bronwen E. , O’Donnell Paul V. , Majhail Navneet S. , Confer Dennis L. 
Published: April 2014

Key Points
BM donors have a threefold higher risk for life-threatening, serious unexpected, or chronic adverse events vs PBSC donors (0.99% vs 0.31%). Donors receiving granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for PBSC collection had no evidence of increased risk for cancer, autoimmune illness, and stroke.
A haemodynamic study of pulmonary hypertension in chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Authors: Oliveira Rudolf K.F. , Pereira Carlos A.C. , Ramos Roberta P. , Ferreira Eloara V.M. , Messina Carolina M.S. , Kuranishi Lilian T. , Gimenez Andrea , Campos Orlando , Silva Célia M.C. , Ota-Arakaki Jaquelina S. 
Published: April 2014

Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a common fibrotic interstitial lung disease. The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension diagnosed by right heart catheterisation and its cardiopulmonary function findings in patients with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis are unknown.Consecutive symptomatic patients with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis were prospectively evaluated. All patients were submitted to right heart catheterisation, pulmonary function testing, a 6-min walk test, echocardiography, blood gas determination and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide analyses. Nonhypoxaemic patients also underwent incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing.50 patients underwent right heart catheterisation; 25 (50%) of these had pulmonary hypertension and 22 (44%) had a pre-capillary haemodynamic pattern. The patients with pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension had lower forced vital capacity (mean±sd50±17%versus69±22% predicted, p<0.01), carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (37±12%versus47±14% predicted, p<0.01), arterial oxygen tension (median (interquartile range) 59.0 (47.8–69.3)versus73.0 (62.2–78.5) mmHg, p<0.01) and saturation after the 6-min walk test (78±8%versus86±7%, p<0.01). In pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension, oxygen uptake was also lower at the anaerobic threshold (41±11%versus50±8% predicted, p=0.04) and at peak exercise (12.8±1.6versus15.0±2.5 mL·kg−1·min−1, p=0.02).Pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension is common in symptomatic chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis and is related to interstitial lung disease severity. Additionally, pulmonary hypertension is more prevalent in hypoxaemic patients with impaired lung function and exercise capacity.
A missed opportunity – consequences of unknown levetiracepam pharmacokinetics in a peritoneal dialysis patient
Authors: Bahte Svenja K , Hiss Marcus , Lichtinghagen Ralf , Kielstein Jan T 
Published: April 2014

Abstract

Background
Levetiracetam is a frequently used drug in the therapy of partial onset, myoclonic and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The main route of elimination is via the kidneys, which eliminate 66% of the unchanged drug as well as 24% as inactive metabolite that stems from enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore dose adjustments are needed in patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5 D, i.e. patients undergoing dialysis treatment. In this patient population a dose reduction by 50% is recommended, so that patients receive 250–750 mg every 12 hours. However “dialysis” can be performed in using different modalities and treatment intensities. For most of the drugs pharmacokinetic data and dosing recommendations for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis are not available. This is the first report on levetiracetam pharmacokinetics in a peritoneal dialysis patient.

Case presentation
A 73-y-old Caucasian male (height: 160 cm, weight 93 kg, BMI 36.3 kg/m2) was admitted with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 10. Due to diabetic and hypertensive nephropathy he was undergoing peritoneal dialysis for two years. Eight weeks prior he was put on levetiracetam 500 mg twice daily for suspected partial seizures with secondary generalization. According to the patient’s wife, levetiracetam lead to fatigue and somnolence leading to trauma with fracture of the metatarsal bone. Indeed, even 24 hours after discontinuation of levetiracetam blood level was still 29.8 mg/l (therapeutic range: 12 – 46 mg/l). Fatigue and stupor had disappeared five days after discontinuation of the levetiracepam. A single dose pharamockinetic after re-exposure showed an increased half life of 18.4 hours (normal half life 7 hours) and levetiracetam content in the peritoneal dialysate. Both half-life and dialysate content might help to guide dosing in this patient population.

Conclusion
If levetiracetam is used in peritoneal dialysis patients it should be regularly monitored to avoid supratherapeutic levels that could lead to severe sequelae.
The effect of topically applied tissue expanders on radial forearm skin pliability: A prospective self-controlled study
Authors: Chung Jeffson , Bonaparte James P , Odell Michael , Corsten Martin 
Published: April 2014

Background The use of pre-operatively applied topical tissue expansion tapes have previously demonstrated increased rates of primary closure of radial forearm free flap donor sites. This is associated with a reduced cost of care as well as improved cosmetic appearance of the donor site. Unfortunately, little is known about the biomechanical changes these tapes cause in the forearm skin. This study tested the hypothesis that the use of topically applied tissue expansion tapes will result in an increase in forearm skin pliability in patients undergoing radial forearm free flap surgery. Methods Twenty-four patients scheduled for head and neck surgery requiring a radial forearm free flap were enrolled in this prospective self-controlled observational study. DynaClose tissue expansion tapes (registered Canica Design Inc, Almonte, Canada) were applied across the forearm one week pre-operatively. Immediately prior to surgery, the skin pliability of the dorsal and volar forearm sites were measured with the Cutometer MPA 580 (registered Courage-Khazaka Electronic GmbH, Cologne, Germany) on both the treatment and contralateral (control) arms. Paired t-tests were used to compare treatment to control at both sites, with p < 0.025 defined as statistically significant. Results There was a statistically significant increase in pliability by a mean of 0.05 mm (SD = 0.09 mm) between treatment and control arms on the dorsal site (95% CI [0.01, 0.08], p = 0.018). This corresponded to an 8% increase in pliability. In contrast, the volar site did not show a statistically significant difference between treatment and control (mean difference = 0.04 mm, SD = 0.20 mm, 95% CI [−0.04, 0.12], p = 0.30). Conclusions This result provides evidence that the pre-operative application of topical tissue expansion tapes produces measurable changes in skin biomechanical properties. The location of this change on the dorsal forearm is consistent with the method of tape application. While this increase in skin pliability may account for the improved rate of primary donor site closure reported using this technique, the results did not reach our definition of clinical significance.
Do Tetranychus urticae males avoid mating with familiar females?
Authors: Yoshioka Tsubasa , Yano Shuichi 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae usually lives in kin groups under common webs. Since only the first mating results in fertilisation in female T. urticae, adult males guard quiescent deutonymph females, those at the stage immediately before maturation, to ensure paternity. Therefore, the cost of precopulatory guarding time seems considerable for males. Moreover, the fitness indices of daughters from intra-population crosses were significantly lower than those of daughters from inter-population crosses, indicating that inbreeding depression exists in T. urticae. Therefore, we hypothesised that T. urticae males should be choosy in guarding familiar females to avoid inbreeding depression. Furthermore, webs should be a key element of the environment shared by familiar individuals. In this study, we demonstrated the inbreeding avoidance mechanism of T. urticae males in relation to webs produced by familiar females (known webs) or unfamiliar females (unknown webs). Regardless of surrounding webs (known or unknown), males preferred unfamiliar to familiar females. We further examined whether males detect unfamiliar females by their webs. When males had experienced a female's web without encountering that female, they subsequently preferred females that did not produce the surrounding webs in which the choice experiment was conducted. Results suggest that putative kin recognition for inbreeding avoidance in T. urticae males is based on the relationship between webs and females, and not on the discrimination of webs in shared environments.
Osmoregulation in the Hawaiian anchialine shrimpHalocaridina rubra(Crustacea: Atyidae): expression of ion transporters, mitochondria-rich cell proliferation, and hemolymph osmolality during salinity transfers
Authors: Havird Justin C. , Santos Scott R. , Henry Raymond P. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractStudies of euryhaline crustaceans have identified conserved osmoregulatory adaptions allowing hyper-osmoregulation in dilute waters. However, previous studies have mainly examined decapod brachyurans with marine ancestries inhabiting estuaries or tidal creeks on a seasonal basis. Here, we describe osmoregulation in the atyid Halocaridina rubra, an endemic Hawaiian shrimp of freshwater ancestry from the islands' anchialine ecosystem (coastal ponds with subsurface fresh water and seawater connections) that encounters near-continuous spatial and temporal salinity changes. Given this, survival and osmoregulatory responses were examined over a wide salinity range. In the laboratory, H. rubra tolerated salinities of ~0-56‰, acting as both a hyper- and hypo-osmoregulator and maintaining a maximum osmotic gradient of ~868 mOsm/kg H2O in freshwater. Furthermore, hemolymph osmolality was more stable during salinity transfers relative to other crustaceans. Silver nitrate and vital mitochondria-rich cell staining suggest all gills are osmoregulatory, with a large proportion of each individual gill functioning in ion transport (including when H. rubra acts as an osmoconformer in seawater). Additionally, expression of ion transporters and supporting enzymes that typically undergo up-regulation during salinity transfer in osmoregulatory gills (i.e., Na+/K+-ATPase, carbonic anhydrase, Na+/K+/2Cl- cotransporter, V-type H+-ATPase, and arginine kinase) were generally unaltered in H. rubra during similar transfers. These results suggest H. rubra (and possibly other anchialine species) maintains high, constitutive levels of gene expression and ion transport capability in the gills as a means of potentially coping with the fluctuating salinities that are encountered in anchialine habitats. Thus, anchialine taxa represent an interesting avenue for future physiological research.
Control of moth flight posture is mediated by wing mechanosensory feedback
Authors: Dickerson Bradley H. , Aldworth Zane N. , Daniel Tom L. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractFlying insects rapidly stabilize after perturbations using both visual and mechanosensory inputs for active control. Insect halteres are mechanosensory organs that encode inertial forces to aid rapid course correction during flight but serve no aerodynamic role and are specific to two orders of insects (Diptera and Strepsiptera). Aside from the literature on halteres and recent work on the antennae of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, it is unclear how other flying insects use mechanosensory information to control body dynamics. The mechanosensory structures found on the halteres, campaniform sensilla, are also present on wings, suggesting that the wings can encode information about flight dynamics. We show that the neurons innervating these sensilla on the forewings of Manduca exhibit spike-timing precision comparable to that seen in previous reports of campaniform sensilla, including haltere neurons. In addition, by attaching magnets to the wings of moths, and subjecting these animals to a simulated pitch stimulus via a rotating magnetic field during tethered flight, we elicited the same vertical abdominal flexion reflex these animals exhibit in response to visual or inertial pitch stimuli. Our results indicate that, in addition to their role as actuators during locomotion, insect wings serve as sensors that initiate reflexes that control body dynamics.
Thermoresponsive Self-assembly and Conformational Changes of Amphiphilic Monodisperse Short Poly(ethylene glycol)s in Water
Authors: Sadhukhan Nabanita , Muraoka Takahiro , Abe Daisuke , Sasanuma Yuji , Subekti Dwiky Rendra Graha , Kinbara Kazushi 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
Physicochemical and supramolecular properties of monodisperse amphiphilic short poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) bearing a phenyl group at the one end are studied to investigate the effects of substitution and length of the PEG unit on these properties. It was found that the aromatic substitution encourages these molecules to adopt gauche conformation at the neighboring ethylene units of PEGs and that the octaethylene glycol derivative revealed more PEG-like thermal response of aggregation than the tetraethylene glycol derivative.
Synthesis and Photoluminescence Properties of Mn4+-doped BaMg6Ti6O19 Phosphor
Authors: Sasaki Takuya , Fukushima Jun , Hayashi Yamato , Takizawa Hirotsugu 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
A Mn4+-doped BaMg6Ti6O19 red phosphor was synthesized by a solid-state reaction. This phosphor showed red emission with a peak at 660 nm because of the 2E → 4A2 transition of Mn4+ upon excitation in the region from near ultraviolet to blue. The specimen doped with 0.1% Mn and synthesized at 1250 °C exhibited the maximum emission intensity. BaMg6Ti6O19:Mn4+ is a novel red phosphor of titanate, which is the host material.