bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of left ventricular and atrial diastolic function using two‐dimensional (2D) strain imaging in patients with β‐thalassemia major
Authors: Karamanou Alexandra G. , Hamodraka Eftihia S. , Vrakas Spyridon C. , Paraskevaidis Ioannis , Lekakis Ioannis , Kremastinos Dimitrios Th. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBackgroundβ‐thalassemia major is a unique disease characterized by early severe diastolic dysfunction, due to iron myocardial deposition alone, while left ventricular systolic dysfunction and failure seem to be multifactorial in aitiology.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate left ventricular diastolic dysfunction using a new echo index as speckle tracking in comparison with the conventional methods.Material and methodsEighty‐eight consecutive patients (38 male, 50 female) aged 36 ± 8.2 yr with β‐thalassemia major and preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF>55%) were studied. Patients were divided into two groups according to the E mitral/E mitral annulus ratio (E/E′): group A patients with E/E′ ratio ≤8 and group B patients with E/E′ >8. Cutoff value of eight was used to separate patients with normal and abnormal diastolic function. All subjects were studied thoroughly by tissue Doppler echocardiography as also by 2D left ventricular and atrial strain imaging 2–4 d following blood transfusion. Blood samples were also taken for plasma BNP measurements at the same time.ResultsLeft atrial volumes(LAV max, LAV min) as also left atrial index were significantly higher in patients with diastolic dysfunction compared with patients without diastolic dysfunction(LAV max: 57.6 ± 19.4 vs. 71.3 ± 22.9, P < 0.01,LAV min: 20.2 ± 11.4 vs. 33.9 ± 18, P < 0.01, LAVI: 37.66 ± 12.18 vs. 47.13 ± 14.77, P < 0.01). Radial 2D strain (RS) and peak atrial 2D strain (AS) were significantly reduced in patients with suspected diastolic dysfunction compared with patients without diastolic dysfunction (RS: 43.48 ± 13.92 vs. 35.58 ± 11.32, P < 0.05; AS: 36.36 ± 8.45 vs. 29.85 ± 9.25, P < 0.01). Using ROC analysis, peak atrial 2D strain at a cutoff of 41.1 cm/s was highly accurate (AUC: 0.66, P < 0.05 in ruling out diastolic dysfunction (E/E′<8) with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 81%.ConclusionsB‐thalassemic major patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function had impaired left atrial function at the longitudinal axis and left ventricular function at the radial axis. The new echo markers have better prognostic value than the traditional echo indexes in detecting latent diastolic dysfunction in β‐thalassemia major, earlier than E/E′ ratio.
Characterization of different regimens for initiating anagrelide in patients with essential thrombocythemia who are intolerant or refractory to their current cytoreductive therapy: results from the multicenter FOX study of 177 patients in France
Authors: Rey Jérôme , Viallard Jean‐François , Keddad Karim , Smith Jonathan , Wilde Paul , Kiladjian Jean‐Jacques 
Published: October 2013

AbstractObjectivesTo identify switch modalities used when initiating second‐ or third‐line anagrelide for essential thrombocythemia (ET), assess whether anagrelide is initiated consistently with Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) recommendations, and determine whether different observed switch regimens have any relationship with maintenance, platelet response, or tolerability.MethodsThis observational study was conducted across 43 centers in France. High‐risk patients (>60 yr of age and/or history of thrombosis and/or platelet count >1000 × 109/L) with ET starting second‐ or third‐line anagrelide therapy were identified and monitored for 6 months.ResultsA total of 177 patients were enrolled. The SPC‐recommended starting dose (1 mg/d) was used in 52.6% of patients; 0.5 mg/d was used in 41.1%. 77.1% of patients underwent an anagrelide dose increase during the study. At 6‐month follow‐up, 84.7% of patients (n = 144/170) were still receiving anagrelide; 70.6% (n = 120/170) achieved a platelet response. A higher proportion of patients who discontinued previous cytoreductive therapy (CRT) after initiating anagrelide achieved a platelet response (n = 34/39, 87.2%) vs. patients who discontinued their previous CRT before anagrelide initiation (n = 77/115, 67.0%). Platelet response rates were higher in patients whose anagrelide initiation was consistent (n = 100/133, 75.2%) vs. inconsistent (n = 20/37, 54.1%) with the SPC. The incidence of adverse drug reactions was lower in patients whose anagrelide treatment was consistent (n = 52/133, 39.1%) vs. inconsistent (n = 25/37, 67.6%) with the SPC.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, the FOX study provides the first comprehensive real‐world data on the modalities used when switching from previous CRT to anagrelide. Highest platelet responses were observed when previous CRT was discontinued after anagrelide initiation or when anagrelide was initiated consistently with the SPC. Safety data corresponded with the SPC.
Electrical stimulation accelerates nerve regeneration and functional recovery in delayed peripheral nerve injury in rats
Authors: Huang Jinghui , Zhang Yongguang , Lu Lei , Hu Xueyu , Luo Zhuojing 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe present study aims to investigate the potential of brief electrical stimulation (ES; 3 V, 20 Hz, 20 min) in improving functional recovery in delayed nerve injury repair (DNIR). The sciatic nerve of Sprague Dawley rats was transected, and the repair of nerve injury was delayed for different time durations (2, 4, 12 and 24 weeks). Brief depolarizing ES was applied to the proximal nerve stump when the transected nerve stumps were bridged with a hollow nerve conduit (5 mm in length) after delayed periods. We found that the diameter and number of regenerated axons, the thickness of myelin sheath, as well as the number of Fluoro‐Gold retrograde‐labeled motoneurons and sensory neurons were significantly increased by ES, suggesting that brief ES to proximal nerve stumps is capable of promoting nerve regeneration in DNIR with different delayed durations, with the longest duration of 24 weeks. In addition, the amplitude of compound muscle action potential (gastrocnemius muscle) and nerve conduction velocity were also enhanced, and gastrocnemius muscle atrophy was partially reversed by brief ES, indicating that brief ES to proximal nerve stump was able to improve functional recovery in DNIR. Furthermore, brief ES was capable of increasing brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the spinal cord in DNIR, suggesting that BDNF‐mediated neurotrophin signaling might be one of the contributing factors to the beneficial effect of brief ES on DNIR. In conclusion, the present findings indicate the potential of using brief ES as a useful method to improve functional recovery for delayed repair of peripheral nerve lesions.
Parallelism in the brain's visual form system
Authors: Shigihara Yoshihito , Zeki Semir 
Published: October 2013

AbstractWe used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to determine whether increasingly complex forms constituted from the same elements (lines) activate visual cortex with the same or different latencies. Twenty right‐handed healthy adult volunteers viewed two different forms, lines and rhomboids, representing two levels of complexity. Our results showed that the earliest responses produced by lines and rhomboids in both striate and prestriate cortex had similar peak latencies (40 ms) although lines produced stronger responses than rhomboids. Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) showed that a parallel multiple input model to striate and prestriate cortex accounts best for the MEG response data. These results lead us to conclude that the perceptual hierarchy between lines and rhomboids is not mirrored by a temporal hierarchy in latency of activation and thus that a strategy of parallel processing appears to be used to construct forms, without implying that a hierarchical strategy may not be used in separate visual areas, in parallel.
The effect of task‐irrelevant visual backgrounds on human transcranial magnetic stimulation‐evoked electroencephalography responses and cortical alpha activity
Authors: Rutiku Renate , Einberg Anu , Imanaka Kuniyasu , Bachmann Talis 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBrain responses evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in task‐free experimental contexts are known to depend on psychophysiological states such as sleep, vegetative state and caffeine‐induced arousal. Much less is known about how TMS‐evoked responses depend on task‐irrelevant steady perceptual input. Here, we examined ongoing alpha activity and the mean amplitude of EEG potentials in response to occipitally applied TMS as a function of task‐irrelevant visual backgrounds. Responses to TMS were robustly modulated by photographs of natural scenes and man‐made environments. These effects began as early as during the N100 and continued for several hundred milliseconds after the stimulation. There was also a more general effect of background along with other stimuli, such as blank backgrounds, sinusoidal gratings and moving dot‐patterns. This effect was observable from ongoing alpha activity as well. Based on these results we conclude that different types of steady perceptual input modulate visual cortex reactivity and/or connectivity and it is possible to measure these modulations by combining TMS with electroencephalography.
Predicting evolutionary responses to climate change in the sea
Authors: Munday Philip L. , Warner Robert R. , Monro Keyne , Pandolfi John M. , Marshall Dustin J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAn increasing number of short‐term experimental studies show significant effects of projected ocean warming and ocean acidification on the performance on marine organisms. Yet, it remains unclear if we can reliably predict the impact of climate change on marine populations and ecosystems, because we lack sufficient understanding of the capacity for marine organisms to adapt to rapid climate change. In this review, we emphasise why an evolutionary perspective is crucial to understanding climate change impacts in the sea and examine the approaches that may be useful for addressing this challenge. We first consider what the geological record and present‐day analogues of future climate conditions can tell us about the potential for adaptation to climate change. We also examine evidence that phenotypic plasticity may assist marine species to persist in a rapidly changing climate. We then outline the various experimental approaches that can be used to estimate evolutionary potential, focusing on molecular tools, quantitative genetics, and experimental evolution, and we describe the benefits of combining different approaches to gain a deeper understanding of evolutionary potential. Our goal is to provide a platform for future research addressing the evolutionary potential for marine organisms to cope with climate change.
Gray matter differences contribute to variation in cognitive performance in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Gerrits N. J. H. M. , van der Werf Y. D. , Hofman M. , Foncke E. M. J. , Klein M. , Berendse H. W. , van den Heuvel O. A. 
Published: October 2013

Background and purposeA substantial proportion of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer from cognitive deficits, although there is a large variability in the severity of these impairments. Whilst the cognitive deficits are often attributed to monoaminergic changes, there is evidence that alterations in structural brain volume also play a role. The aim of our study was to gain more insight into the variability of cognitive performance amongst PD patients by examining the relation between regional gray matter (GM) volume and cognitive performance.MethodsLinear regression analyses were performed between task performance and GM volume for six neuropsychological tasks within a group of 93 PD patients; they were additionally compared at a group level with matched healthy controls, using voxel‐based morphometry.ResultsOur most important findings were positive correlations between GM volume and cognitive performance for (i) parahippocampal gyrus and verbal memory, (ii) medial temporal lobe and putamen and visuospatial memory, and (iii) middle temporal gyrus and frontal lobe and verbal fluency. In addition, decreased GM volume was found in the frontal, parietal and temporal cortices of PD patients compared with matched healthy controls.ConclusionsIt is argued that the large variability in cognitive function across PD patients is partly mediated by GM volume differences in the implicated areas. Volume differences in these brain regions do not discriminate between patients and controls but explain cognitive variation within the patient population.
Sex‐related and non‐sex‐related comorbidity subtypes of tic disorders: a latent class approach
Authors: Rodgers S. , Müller M. , Kawohl W. , Knöpfli D. , Rössler W. , Castelao E. , Preisig M. , Ajdacic‐Gross V. 
Published: October 2013

Background and purposeRecent evidence suggests that there may be more than one Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS)/tic disorder phenotype. However, little is known about the common patterns of these GTS/tic disorder‐related comorbidities. In addition, sex‐specific phenomenological data of GTS/tic disorder‐affected adults are rare. Therefore, this community‐based study used latent class analyses (LCA) to investigate sex‐related and non‐sex‐related subtypes of GTS/tic disorders and their most common comorbidities.MethodsThe data were drawn from the PsyCoLaus study (n = 3691), a population‐based survey conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland. LCA were performed on the data of 80 subjects manifesting motor/vocal tics during their childhood/adolescence. Comorbid attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive‐compulsive disorder, depressive, phobia and panic symptoms/syndromes comprised the selected indicators. The resultant classes were characterized by psychosocial correlates.ResultsIn LCA, four latent classes provided the best fit to the data. We identified two male‐related classes. The first class exhibited both ADHD and depression. The second class comprised males with only depression. Class three was a female‐related class depicting obsessive thoughts/compulsive acts, phobias and panic attacks. This class manifested high psychosocial impairment. Class four had a balanced sex proportion and comorbid symptoms/syndromes such as phobias and panic attacks. The complementary occurrence of comorbid obsessive thoughts/compulsive acts and ADHD impulsivity was remarkable.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study applying LCA to community data of GTS symptoms/tic disorder‐affected persons. Our findings support the utility of differentiating GTS/tic disorder subphenotypes on the basis of comorbid syndromes.
Effect of aminotriazole on antioxidant defense system of tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta
Authors: Patra Bamadeb , Sahu Smaranika , Dandapat Jagneshwar 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThis study was designed to find out the metabolic consequences of H2O2 following catalase inhibition by aminotriazole in the fat body of an Antheraea mylitta pupa. H2O2 content in the pupal fat body exhibited a decreasing trend over the experimental period (up to 48 h). However, a substantial decrease in its level was marked after 12, 24 and 48 h of treatment. The level of lipid peroxidation was elevated within 4 h of aminotriazole injection. Nevertheless, its level significantly decreased after 12, 24 and 48 h of treatment. Superoxide dismutase activity was elevated within 4 h, followed by a transient decrease in its activity at 12 h of treatment and again increased over the experimental period. Catalase activity was found to decline in the fat body within 4 h of aminotriazole treatment compared to the control. However, it was surprising to observe that there was a two‐fold increase in catalase activity compared to its previous experimental group after 12 h, followed by a rapid decline in its activity at 24 h of aminotriazole injection and non‐detectable catalase activity at 48 h. Ascorbic acid content was found to be elevated after 12 h of injection and maintained an increasing trend over the rest of the experimental period compared to the respective control. Despite the progressive inhibition of catalase activity beyond 12 h of treatment, H2O2 accumulation was not observed as a consequence of catalase inhibition. Hence, catalase depletion by aminotriazole involves compensatory changes in other components of the antioxidant system for the efficient removal of H2O2.
Epilepsy surgery, vision, and driving: What has surgery taught us and could modern imaging reduce the risk of visual deficits?
Authors: Winston Gavin P. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryUp to 40% of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) are refractory to medication. Surgery is an effective treatment but may cause new neurologic deficits including visual field deficits (VFDs). The ability to drive after surgery is a key goal, but a postoperative VFD precludes driving in 4–50% of patients even if seizure‐free. VFDs are a consequence of damage to the most anterior portion of the optic radiation, Meyer's loop. Anatomic dissection reveals that the anterior extent of Meyer's loop is highly variable and may clothe the temporal horn, a key landmark entered during temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. Experience from surgery since the 1940s has shown that VFDs are common (48–100%) and that the degree of resection affects the frequency or severity of the deficit. The pseudowedge shape of the deficit has led to a revised retinotopic model of the organization of the optic radiation. Evidence suggests that the left optic radiation is more anterior and thus at greater risk. Alternative surgical approaches, such as selective amygdalo‐hippocampectomy, may reduce this risk, but evidence is conflicting or lacking. The optic radiation can be delineated in vivo using diffusion tensor imaging tractography, which has been shown to be useful in predicting the postoperative VFDs and in surgical planning. These data are now being used for surgical guidance with the aim of reducing the severity of VFDs. Compensation for brain shift occurring during surgery can be performed using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but the additional utility of this expensive technique remains unproven.
Getting a scientific paper published in Epilepsia: An editor's perspective
Authors: Schwartzkroin Philip A. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryGetting a paper published in Epilepsia depends first and foremost on the quality of the work reported, and on the clarity and convincingness of the presentation. Papers should focus on important and interesting topics with clearly stated objectives and goals. The observations and findings are of greatest interest when they are novel and change our views on the mechanisms and/or treatment of an epileptic disease. Studies should be carefully designed to include adequate sample size, comparison groups, and statistical analyses. Critically, the data must be clearly presented and appropriately interpreted. If followed, these recommendations will improve an author's chances of having his/her paper accepted in a high quality journal like Epilepsia.
Neuroimaging characteristics of MRI‐negative orbitofrontal epilepsy with focus on voxel‐based morphometricMRIpostprocessing
Authors: Wang Z. Irene , Ristic Aleksandar J. , Wong Chong H. , Jones Stephen E. , Najm Imad M. , Schneider Felix , Wang Shuang , Gonzalez‐Martinez Jorge A. , Bingaman W. , Alexopoulos Andreas V. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryPurposeThe orbitofrontal (OF) region is one of the least explored regions of the cerebral cortex. There are few studies on patients with electrophysiologically and surgically confirmedOFepilepsy and a negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. We aimed to examine the neuroimaging characteristics ofMRI‐negativeOFepilepsy with the focus on a voxel‐based morphometricMRIpostprocessing technique.MethodsWe included six patients withOFepilepsy, who met the following criteria: surgical resection of theOFlobe with/without adjacent cortex, seizure‐free for ≥12 months, invasive video–electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring showing ictal onset from theOFarea, and preoperativeMRIregarded as negative. Patients were investigated in terms of their image postprocessing and functional neuroimaging characteristics, electroclinical characteristics obtained from noninvasive and invasive evaluations, and surgical pathology.MRIpostprocessing on T1‐weighted high‐resolution scans was implemented with a morphometric analysis program (MAP) inMATLAB.Key FindingsSingleMAP+ abnormalities were found in four patients; three were in theOFregion and one in the ipsilateral mesial frontal area. These abnormalities were included in the resection. One patient had bilateralMAP+ abnormalities in theOFregion, with the ipsilateral one completely removed. TheMAP+ foci were concordant with invasive electrophysiologic data in the majority ofMAP+ patients (four of five). The localization value of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose‐positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) and ictal single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is low in this cohort. Surgical pathology included focal cortical dysplasia, remote infarct, Rosenthal fiber formation and gliosis.SignificanceOur study highlights the importance ofMRIpostprocessing in the process of presurgical evaluation of patients with suspected orbitofrontal epilepsy and “normal”MRI. UsingMAP, we were able to positively identify subtle focal abnormalities in the majority of the patients.MAPresults need to be interpreted in the context of their electroclinical findings and can provide valuable targets in the process of planning invasive evaluation.