bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus onset patterns in Vietnamese children: a descriptive study of 45 children
Authors: Dung Nguyen Thi Ngoc , Loan Huynh Thoai , Nielsen Susan , Zak Marek , Petersen Freddy K 
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Background
Incidence and disease pattern of childhood-onset SLE is reported to differ among ethnic groups.

Methods
To describe disease pattern and 6 month follow-up in a referral based cohort of 45 Vietnamese children with SLE. Forty-five children who were subsequently diagnosed to have systemic lupus erythematosus (f/m = 4/1) were referred to the Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Hospital No.1 during a 12-month period in 2009.

Results
The mean age at diagnosis was 12.8 years (SD = 2.5). Thirty-seven (82%) fulfilled criteria for lupus nephritis (LN). At diagnosis, impressively high SLEDAI and ECLAM scores were recorded (mean and SD), 23.8 (11.6) and 6 (2.3), respectively. The mean renal SLEDAI score was 8.2. The mean haemoglobin (g/dL, SD) was 8.5 (2.1). The Coombs test was positive in 30 of 36 children (83%). The mean plasma creatinine was 0.98 (SD 1.2) and mean Westergren sedimentation rate was 83.6 (SD 37.4). The patient age at diagnosis was positively correlated to the SLEDAI (p = 0.034) and ECLAM (p = 0.022). At 6 month follow-up of the 45 children, 15 patients were in complete remission, 5 were in partial remission, 6 had stable disease, 3 had relapsed, 3 had evolving disease, 2 had ongoing resistant disease and 4 had died. Seven patients were lost to follow-up. A second renal biopsy showed an improved ISN class in 13 of 15; in 2 cases the ISN class remained unchanged.

Conclusions
Forty-five Vietnamese children with SLE were referred to Ho Chi Minh Children’s Hospital No. 1 during a16 month period from 2008–2009. These patients had a strikingly high prevalence of Coombs positive anaemia, a high prevalence of lupus nephritis, and very high SLEDAI and ECLAM scores at the time of diagnosis. While there may be referral biases, our Vietnamese SLE patients appear to have severe disease upon presentation but do reasonably well in the short-term.
Matrix to predict rapid radiographic progression of early rheumatoid arthritis patients from the community treated with methotrexate or leflunomide: results from the ESPOIR cohort
Authors: Fautrel Bruno , Granger Benjamin , Combe Bernard , Saraux Alain , Guillemin Francis , Le Loet Xavier 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Introduction
Early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients may show rapid radiographic progression (RRP) despite rapid initiation of synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The present study aimed to develop a matrix to predict risk of RRP despite early DMARD initiation in real life settings.

Methods
The ESPOIR cohort included 813 patients from the community with early arthritis for < 6 months; 370 patients had early RA and had received methotrexate or leflunomide during the first year of follow-up. RRP was defined as an increase in the van der Heijde-modified Sharp score (vSHS) ≥ 5 points at 1 year. Determinants of RRP were examined first by bivariate analysis, then multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis. A visual matrix model was then developed to predict RRP in terms of patient baseline characteristics.

Results
We analyzed data for 370 patients. The mean Disease Activity Score in 28 joints was 5.4 ± 1.2, 18.1% of patients had typical RA erosion on radiographs and 86.4% satisfied the 2010 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism. During the first year, mean change in vSHS was 1.6 ± 5.5, and 41 patients (11.1%) showed RRP. A multivariate logistic regression model enabled the development of a matrix predicting RRP in terms of baseline swollen joint count, C-reactive protein level, anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies status, and erosions seen on radiography for patients with early RA who received DMARDs.

Conclusions
The ESPOIR matrix may be a useful clinical practice tool to identify patients with early RA at high risk of RRP despite early DMARD initiation.
Boats and Tides and “Trickle Down” Theories: What Economists Presume about Wellbeing When They Employ Stochastic Process Theory in Modeling Behavior
Authors: Anderson Gordon 
Published: November 2012

AbstractAphorisms that “rising tides raise all boats” or that material advances of the rich eventually “trickle down” to the poor are really maxims regarding the nature of stochastic processes that underlay the income/wellbeing paths of groups of individuals. This paper looks at the implications for the empirical analysis of wellbeing of conventional assumptions regarding such processes which are employed by both micro and macro economists in modeling economic behavior. The implications of attributing different processes to different groups in society following the club convergence literature are also discussed. Various forms of poverty, inequality, polarization and income mobility structures are considered and much of the conventional wisdom afforded us by such aphorisms is questioned. To exemplify these ideas the results are applied to the distribution of GDP per capita in the continent of Africa.
Adhesion of Heavy Silicone Oil to the Anterior Surfaces of the Posterior Lens Capsule
Authors: Yeşilirmak Nilüfer , Pinarci Eylem Yaman , Akkoyun Imren , Yilmaz Gursel 
Published: November 2012

Purpose TO report a case of heavy silicone oil adhesion to the anterior surfaces of posterior lens capsule. Methods Descriptive case report. Results A healthy 56-year-old pseudophakic man presented with visual disturbance in his right eye for a week. There was a large irregular retinal tear at 5–7 o'clock, mild vitreous hemorrhage, and total retinal detachment. He underwent 23-G pars plana vitrectomy and heavy silicone oil tamponade was injected. The retina remained attached postoperatively and heavy silicone oil was removed 2 months later. Anatomic and functional success was achieved and his vision had improved. Five months later, he presented with blurred and decreased vision secondary to tiny droplets of heavy silicone oil at the anterior surfaces of the posterior capsule. After applying Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy visual acuity improved and stayed stable during 1 year follow-up. Conclusions Heavy silicone oil adhesion to the anterior surfaces of the posterior lens capsule has not been reported before. This complication may be seen rarely and treated by Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy successfully.
A Method of Assessing the Severity of Cam Type Femoro-Acetabular Impingement in Three Dimensions
Authors: Masjedi Milad , Azimi David Y. , Nightingale Craig L. , Harris Simon J. , Cobb Justin P. 
Published: November 2012

Femoroacetabular impingement is caused by abnormal morphology of either the femur or acetabulum or both. Diagnostic criteria currently include an α angle of over 50° on a lateral radiograph. In this study, CT scans of symptomatic hips (n = 37) were compared with normal hips (n = 34) obtained from CT colonoscopy procedures. The femoral head described in terms of a three dimensional (3D) α angle and a 3D head neck margin (epiphysis) angle ‘3Dμ’ using a semi-automated algorithm. In normal hips 70% have a maximum 3Dα angle of more than 50° at some point around their femoral head (mean 53° ± 5°, range 42° - 64°), while in cam hips, it was significantly larger (mean 69° ± 10°, range 54° – 94°, p<0.001). The 3Dμ also varied significantly and had a reverse relationship to that of the α angle: cam hips have an articular extent that crossed over spherical limit of the hip joint (mean minimum 41° ± 7°) while the articular margin of normal hips always remained within the spherical limit (mean minimum 49° ± 6°). This semi-automated algorithm provides an objective measure of the femoral head in health and disease. It can reliably distinguish cam hips from normal, enabling cam hips to have their cam quantified and their surgery planned objectively.
Reconstruction of the Head and Neck Region Using Lower Trapezius Musculocutaneous Flaps
Authors: Yoon Soo Kwang , Song Seung Han , Kang Nakheon , Yoon Yeo-Hoon , Koo Bon Seok , Oh Sang-Ha 
Published: November 2012

Background Recent literature has indicated that free flaps are currently considered the preferred choice for head and neck reconstruction. However, head and neck cancer patients are frequently treated with chemoradiotherapy, which is often associated with a poor general and local condition, and thus, such patients are ineligible for free flap reconstruction. Therefore, other reconstruction modalities should be considered.
Methods We used lower trapezius musculocutaneous (LTMC) flap based on the dorsal scapular artery to reconstruct head and neck defects that arose from head and neck cancer in 8 patients. All of the patients had undergone preoperative chemoradiotherapy.
Results There were no complications except one case of partial flap necrosis; it was treated with secondary intention. Healing in the remaining patients was uneventful without hematoma, seroma, or infection. The donor sites were closed primarily.
Conclusions The LTMC flap is the preferred flap for a simple, reliable, large flap with a wide arc of rotation and minor donor-site morbidity. The authors recommend this versatile island flap as an alternative to microvascular free tissue transfer for the reconstruction of defects in the head and neck region, for patients that have undergone preoperative chemoradiotherapy.
Innervated Cross-Finger Pulp Flap for Reconstruction of the Fingertip
Authors: Lee Nae-Ho , Pae Woo-Sik , Roh Si-Gyun , Oh Kwang-Jin , Bae Chung-Sang , Yang Kyung-Moo 
Published: November 2012

Background Fingertip injuries involving subtotal or total loss of the digital pulp are common types of hand injuries and require reconstruction that is able to provide stable padding and sensory recovery. There are various techniques used for reconstruction of fingertip injuries, but the most effective method is functionally and aesthetically controversial. Despite some disadvantages, cross-finger pulp flap is a relatively simple procedure without significant complications or requiring special techniques.
Methods This study included 90 patients with fingertip defects who underwent cross-finger pulp flap between September 1998 and March 2010. In 69 cases, neurorrhaphy was performed between the pulp branch from the proper digital nerve and the recipient's sensory nerve for good sensibility of the injured fingertip. In order to evaluate the outcome of our surgical method, we observed two-point discrimination in the early (3 months) and late (12 to 40 months) postoperative periods.
Results Most of the cases had cosmetically and functionally acceptable outcomes. The average defect size was 1.7×1.5 cm. Sensory return began 3 months after flap application. The two-point discrimination was measured at 4.6 mm (range, 3 to 6 mm) in our method and 7.2 mm (range, 4 to 9 mm) in non-innervated cross-finger pulp flaps.
Conclusions The innervated cross-finger pulp flap is a safe and reliable procedure for lateral oblique, volar oblique, and transverse fingertip amputations. Our procedure is simple to perform under local anesthesia, and is able to provide both mechanical stability and sensory recovery. We recommend this method for reconstruction of fingertip injuries.
Elbow Reconstruction Using Island Flap for Burn Patients
Authors: Hur Gi Yeun , Song Woo Jin , Lee Jong Wook , Lee Hoon Bum , Jung Sung Won , Koh Jang Hyu , Seo Dong Kook , Choi Jai Ku , Jang Young Chul 
Published: November 2012

Background Deep burns of the elbow lead to soft tissue necrosis and infection, with exposure of deep structures. Adequate wound coverage of this area requires thin, pliable, and durable tissue, while optimal functional recovery requires early coverage and functional rehabilitation. We have found 3 types of island flaps that provide reliable coverage for the elbow.
Methods A retrospective study was performed on all patients who underwent flap coverage of an elbow defect at our hospital. The patients' data including age, sex, cause of injury, wound dimensions, timing of flap coverage, postoperative elbow motion, and complications were investigated.
Results Between 2001 and 2012, 16 patients were treated at our hospital. The mean age was 53.3 years. Three kinds of flaps were performed: 9 latissimus dorsi flaps, 4 lateral arm flaps, and 4 radial forearm flaps. The average defect size was 183.5 cm2 (range, 28 to 670 cm2). Wound coverage was performed at mean duration of 45.9 days (range, 14 to 91 days). The mean postoperative active elbow flexion was 98° (range, 85° to 115°). Partial flap failure occurred in 1 latissimus dorsi flap. Minor complications included partial flap loss (11.8%), hematoma (23.5%), seroma (35.3%), and wound infection (5.9%).
Conclusions Flap selection for elbow reconstruction is determined by the defect size and the extent of the adjacent tissue injury. Elbow reconstruction using an island flap is a single-staged, reliable, and relatively simple procedure that permits initiation of early rehabilitation, thereby improving a patient's functional outcome.
The SHE programme: a European initiative to improve the care of women living with HIV
Authors: Johnson M , Miralles C 
Published: November 2012

Purpose of the studyIn Europe, the number of women living with HIV is increasing, but data are limited and guidelines scarce. HIV care poses unique challenges for women living with HIV and their healthcare providers. The SHE programme is a response to these unmet needs. SHE supports women living with HIV to feel empowered to get the most from their healthcare services and provides education to healthcare providers. The objective of SHE is to improve the quality of life of women living with HIV.MethodsSHE is run by a community faculty and a scientific faculty. Both faculties include women living with HIV and healthcare professionals. SHE scientific faculty reviewed available data pertaining to HIV in women. Data gaps were validated and prioritised at a scientific meeting held in June 2011, attended by 80 invited delegates from 13 European countries. SHE community faculty held advisory workshops to examine the challenges faced by women living with HIV. Following these activities, medical and community toolkits have been developed. To integrate scientific and community activities, ‘SHE units’ are being launched at specific sites. Each SHE unit will be a multidisciplinary team working to improve and promote best clinical practice.Summary of resultsThe scientific faculty identified five key topics: 1. situation of women with HIV in Europe; 2. challenges of testing; 3. antiretroviral treatment (ART); 4. women with HIV of childbearing age; and 5. long‐term treatment. The highest priority gaps were guidance on the management of women living with HIV, coordination of registries of ART in pregnant women, and more gender‐specific data. An educational ‘medical toolkit’ has been developed including an overview of current data on these topics and a summary of continuing data gaps. A peer support toolkit has been developed for women living with HIV who wish to facilitate peer support sessions. The toolkit includes topics such as diagnosis, accessing healthcare, relationships, and HIV treatment, and was launched at the 2011 IAS Conference. The toolkit is online at http://www.shetoshe.org and being translated into seven European languages. SHE units have been established in France, Germany and Portugal. Additional units are planned across Europe.ConclusionsSHE is a successful ongoing programme providing education and support in clinical and community settings to improve the care of women living with HIV. SHE is integrated to reflect both patient and physician perspectives.
Circular Dichroism in Protein Folding Studies
Authors: Clarke David T. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractProtein folding is a biological process of both fundamental significance and practical importance, and protein misfolding is implicated in a number of serious diseases of both humans and animals. The study of protein folding requires a technique that is able to monitor changes in protein structure in solution, with millisecond time resolution. Ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD) is such a technique, providing information on both secondary and tertiary protein structure. This unit describes the procedures for performing CD experiments for the study of protein folding, and identifies commonly encountered problems and their solutions. Curr. Protoc. Protein Sci. 70:28.3.1‐28.3.17. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Adaptation of Stem Cells to 96‐Well Plate Assays: Use of Human Embryonic and Mouse Neural Stem Cells in the MTT Assay
Authors: Behar Rachel Z. , Bahl Vasundhra , Wang Yuhuan , Weng Jo‐Hao , Lin Sabrina C. , Talbot Prue 
Published: November 2012

AbstractHuman embryonic stem cells (hESC) are difficult to adapt to 96‐well plate assays, such as the MTT assay, because they survive best when plated as colonies, which are not easily counted and plated accurately. Two methods were developed to address this problem. In the first, ROCK inhibitor (ROCKi) was used, which allows accurate counting and plating of single hESC. In the second, small colonies were plated without ROCKi but with adaptations for accurate counting and plating. The MTT assay was also adapted for use with mouse neural stem cells. These methods allow the MTT assay to be conducted rapidly and accurately with high reproducibility between replicate experiments. When screening volatile chemicals in a 96‐well plate, vapor effects may occur and dose ranges must be carefully defined. The methods were validated using the NIH assay guidance tool. These methodss could readily be translated to other 96‐well plate assay. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 23:1C.13.1‐1C.13.21. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Variability of Poisson's Ratio and Enhanced Ductility in Amorphous Metal
Authors: Liss Klaus‐Dieter , Qu Dongdong , Yan Kun , Reid Mark 
Published: November 2012

AbstractDuctile bulk metallic glass of composition 53.0Zr–18.7Cu–12.0Ni–16.3Al (at%) is plastically deformed under uniaxial compression and observed in situ by synchrotron high‐energy X‐ray diffraction. The diffraction patterns reveal the induced atomic strain is orientation dependent. At the onset of plastic deformation, the atomic strain in the compression direction saturates to a close‐nearest‐neighbor distance while atoms relax in the transverse direction. The ever increasing transverse atomic strain expresses in an augmentation of the apparent Poisson's ratio up to ν = 0.5, which is consistent with volume conservation. Contradicting phenomena from linear mechanics, such as the non‐vanishing shear modulus at ν = 0.5 can be explained by the non‐affine character of the deformation, giving rise to characteristics of a localized martensitic phase transformation. The findings explain the often‐reported phenomena such as, the high Poisson's ratio values found in metallic glasses, the partially liquid character of the structure, the free volume increase and the Bauschinger effect.
Effect of Polymer Crystallinity in P3HT:PCBM Solar Cells on Band Gap Trap States and Apparent Recombination Order
Authors: Spoltore Donato , Oosterbaan Wibren D. , Khelifi Samira , Clifford John N. , Viterisi Aurelien , Palomares Emilio , Burgelman Marc , Lutsen Laurence , Vanderzande Dirk , Manca Jean 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe non‐geminate recombination of charge carriers in polymer‐fullerene solar cells has been modeled in the last few years with a trap‐assisted recombination model, which states that the apparent recombination order depends on the concentration of trapped charges tailing into the band gap. Higher concentrations of trapped charges lead to higher apparent recombination orders. In this work, the mass fractionfof highly crystalline nanofibrillar P3HT to the total P3HT content in P3HT:PCBM solar cells is consistently varied, controlling the temperature of a nanofibers‐P3HT casting dispersion. A systematic study of the apparent recombination order, measured with a transient photovoltage technique, as a function offis presented. A correlation is shown between the apparent recombination order, the P3HT crystallinity, and the trap concentration in the band gap measured with an admittance spectroscopy technique.
Three polymorphisms in IRF6 and 8q24 are associated with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate: Evidence from 20 studies
Authors: Wang Meilin , Pan Yongchu , Zhang Zhengdong , Wang Lin 
Published: November 2012

AbstractNonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) is one of the most common craniofacial malformation in humans. Three polymorphisms, rs2235371 and rs642961 in interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6), rs987525 on 8q24, have been shown to be associated with NSCL/P risk in several studies. However, the magnitudes of the association varied between studies. We therefore performed a meta‐analysis to investigate this relationship. Two authors independently extracted information on the characteristics of the eligible studies. Either a fixed‐ or a random‐effects model was used to calculate the overall combined risk estimates. Overall, 20 published case–control studies were included in the meta‐analysis. We found that rs2235371 A allele had a significantly decreased risk (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61–0.88), whereas rs642961 A allele had a significantly increased risk of NSCL/P (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.30–1.59), compared with the G allele. For 8q24 rs987525, the A allele was associated with a significantly increased risk of NSCL/P, compared with the C allele (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.40–2.09). Furthermore, in the stratified analysis by ethnicity and types of NSCL/P, significant associations were still observed in the subgroups of ethnicity and types. Taken together, the results suggest that the IRF6 rs2235371, rs642961, and 8q24 rs987525 polymorphisms are associated with NSCL/P risk. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia interval on chromosome 8p23.1 characterized by genetics and protein interaction networks
Authors: Longoni Mauro , Lage Kasper , Russell Meaghan K. , Loscertales Maria , Abdul‐Rahman Omar A. , Baynam Gareth , Bleyl Steven B. , Brady Paul D. , Breckpot Jeroen , Chen Chih P. , Devriendt Koenraad , Gillessen‐Kaesbach Gabriele , Grix Arthur W. , Rope Alan F. , Shimokawa Osamu , Strauss Bernarda , Wieczorek Dagmar , Zackai Elaine H. , Coletti Caroline M. , Maalouf Faouzi I. , Noonan Kristin M. , Park Ji H. , Tracy Adam A. , Lee Charles , Donahoe Patricia K. , Pober Barbara R. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractChromosome 8p23.1 is a common hotspot associated with major congenital malformations, including congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and cardiac defects. We present findings from high‐resolution arrays in patients who carry a loss (n = 18) or a gain (n = 1) of sub‐band 8p23.1. We confirm a region involved in both diaphragmatic and heart malformations. Results from a novel CNVConnect algorithm, prioritizing protein–protein interactions between products of genes in the 8p23.1 hotspot and products of previously known CDH causing genes, implicated GATA4, NEIL2, and SOX7 in diaphragmatic defects. Sequence analysis of these genes in 226 chromosomally normal CDH patients, as well as in a small number of deletion 8p23.1 patients, showed rare unreported variants in the coding region; these may be contributing to the diaphragmatic phenotype. We also demonstrated that two of these three genes were expressed in the E11.5–12.5 primordial mouse diaphragm, the developmental stage at which CDH is thought to occur. This combination of bioinformatics and expression studies can be applied to other chromosomal hotspots, as well as private microdeletions or microduplications, to identify causative genes and their interaction networks. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.