bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Rare Finding During a Common Procedure: Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis
Authors: Taskesen Fatih , Arikanoglu Zulfu , Uslukaya Omer , Oguz Abdullah , Aliosmanoglu Ibrahim , Dusak Abdurrahim , Turkcu Gul , Kuzu Hekim 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is a rare variant of chronic cholecystitis characterized by severe proliferative fibrosis and accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in regions of destructive inflammation. Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis clinically and radiologically mimics early-stage gallbladder cancer, with wall thickening on computed tomography. The study included 14 xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis patients that were identified following retrospective analysis of the records of 1248 patients that underwent cholecystectomy between 2005 and 2011. Mean age of the 5 male and 9 female patients was 56.7 years. All 14 patients had gallbladder stones; 10 had a history of acute cholecystitis, 1 had cholangitis, and 2 presented with obstructive jaundice. A right-upper quadrant mass was palpable in 2 patients. All patients underwent cholecystectomy. Open surgery was planned and performed in 6 of the 14 patients, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy was planned in 8 patients, but was converted to open surgery in 1 case. In total, 1 patient developed wound infection, 1 patient had postoperative pneumonia, and 1 patient developed intraabdominal hematoma. None of the patients in the series died. Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is difficult to diagnose, both preoperatively and intraoperatively, and definitive diagnosis depends exclusively on pathological examination. Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis should be a consideration in all difficult cholecystectomy cases.
Assessment of Postoperative Symptoms After Laparoscopy-Assisted Distal Gastrectomy for Stage I Gastric Cancer
Authors: Kawamura Hideki , Takahashi Norihiko , Homma Shigenori , Minagawa Nozomi , Shibasaki Susumu , Takahashi Masahiro , Taketomi Akinobu 
Published: December 2014

AbstractLaparoscopic gastrectomy has the advantage of early recovery at the initial phase after surgery. However, there are only few reports of mid- or long-term observations of patients' quality of life. In all, 254 Stage IA or IB [laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG): 177, open distal gastrectomy (ODG): 77] patients were enrolled. Heart burn, diarrhea, abdominal pain, amount of food intake, and body weight of each patient were investigated at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Recovery of the amount of oral intake for the LADG group occurred earlier than for the ODG group; significant differences were seen at months 1 and 6 postoperatively. A significantly lower incidence of diarrhea was observed in the LADG group at months 6 and 12 postoperatively. Early recovery of the amount of food intake and fewer incidences of diarrhea were shown to have mid-term merits for postgastrectomy symptoms.
Waterjet Dissection for Partial Nephrectomy Without Hilar Clamping in a Porcine Model
Authors: Yu Shengqiang , Gao Zhenli , Lin Chunhua , Sun Xizhi , Men Changping , Yu Luxin , Yang Diandong 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Hilar clamping is typically used in partial nephrectomy to control hemorrhage, which may damage the renal tissue under warm ischemia conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate waterjet technology in partial nephrectomy without renal hilar vascular control in a porcine model. Bilateral partial nephrectomy using waterjet was performed in 8 pigs (16 kidneys: 8 for wedge resections, 8 for pole resections). The operations were performed successfully in all animals. The mean dissection time was 30.6 ± 2.9 minutes for pole resections and 36.5 ± 3.5 minutes for wedge resections. The mean blood loss was 51.6 ± 11.7 mL for pole resections and 38.7 ± 9.2 mL for wedge resections. The novel waterjet technique provided precise and effective hydrodissection of the kidney, avoiding damage to the vascular structures or collecting system.
Central Bisegmentectomy for Malignant Liver Tumors: Experience in 8 Patients
Authors: Shiba Hiroaki , Haruki Koichiro , Futagawa Yasuro , Iida Tomonori , Furukawa Kenei , Fujiwara Yuki , Wakiyama Shigeki , Misawa Takeyuki , Yanaga Katsuhiko 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Central bisegmentectomy (CBS) of the liver is an en bloc hepatic resection of Couiaud segments 4, 5, and 8. The indications for CBS include benign and malignant tumors occupying both the left medial and right anterior segments. However, CBS has rarely been reported. Here, we investigate CBS in patients with suboptimal liver function for whom an extended lobectomy is not an optimal solution. Each case was 1 of 8 patients who underwent CBS for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) at the Department of Surgery, Jikei University Hospital. Indications for CBS consisted of CRLM in 3 patients and HCC in 5 patients. The median duration of operation was 552 minutes, and median blood loss was 2263 g. No postoperative nor in-hospital mortalities occurred. In this study, 1-, 2-, and 3-year disease-free survival rates were 62.5%, 12.5%, and 12.5%, respectively, and 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 100%, 100%, and 85.7%, respectively. CBS is advocated for central liver tumors in patients with suboptimal liver function for whom extended lobectomy could result in less than optimal remnant liver volume and function.
The Current Status of International Partnerships for Child Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Ekenze Sebastian O. , Onumaegbu Okechukwu O. , Nwankwo Okechukwu E. 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Disparity still exists in the surgical care between sub-Saharan Africa and developed countries. Several international initiatives have been undertaken in the past decades to address the disparity. This study looks at the impact of these programs in child surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa. Review of electronic databases Medline and African Index Medicus on international partnerships for child surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa was undertaken. Four types of international initiatives were identified and consist of periodic medical missions; partnerships between foreign medical institutions or charities and local institutions; international health electives by surgical residents; and training of individual surgeons from developing countries in foreign institutions. The results of these efforts were variable, but sustainability and self-reliance of host nations were limited. Sociocultural factors, dearth of facilities, and lack of local governments' commitment were main impediments to effective local development or transfer of modern protocols of surgical management and improvement of pediatric surgical care at the host community level. Current initiatives may need improvements with better understanding of the sociocultural dynamics and local politics of the host nation, and improved host nation involvement and commitment. This may engender development of locally controlled viable services and sustainable high level of care.
Ethics and Triage
Authors: Domres Bernd , Koch Michael , Manger Andreas , Becker Horst D. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractA disaster is characterized by an imbalance between needs and supplies. In circumstances in which there occur mass casualties, it is not possible to provide care for all of the victims. Thus, it may be necessary to triage the casualties according to pre-established priorities. The performance of triage is associated with many ethical issues.Currently, no Europe-wide agreement on triage and ethics exists. One system based on a categorization into four groups is proposed. Triage should be avoided whenever possible, but, when it is required, there is an obligation to respect human rights and the humanitarian laws, especially with reference to the Geneva Convention of 1864 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The condition of informed consent must be followed, even in mass casualty situations. Triage always must follow established medical criteria and cannot be based on any other principles. Triage implies constant re-evaluation of victims as conditions of the victims and of available resources change continuously. In order to facilitate international coordination and cooperation, a universal classification system must be adopted.
Standing-wave-excited multiplanar fluorescence in a laser scanning microscope reveals 3D information on red blood cells
Authors: Amor Rumelo , Mahajan Sumeet , Amos William Bradshaw , McConnell Gail 
Published: December 2014

AbstractStanding-wave excitation of fluorescence is highly desirable in optical microscopy because it improves the axial resolution. We demonstrate here that multiplanar excitation of fluorescence by a standing wave can be produced in a single-spot laser scanning microscope by placing a plane reflector close to the specimen. We report here a variation in the intensity of fluorescence of successive planes related to the Stokes shift of the dye. We show by the use of dyes specific for the cell membrane how standing-wave excitation can be exploited to generate precise contour maps of the surface membrane of red blood cells, with an axial resolution of ≈90 nm. The method, which requires only the addition of a plane mirror to an existing confocal laser scanning microscope, may well prove useful in studying diseases which involve the red cell membrane, such as malaria.
Explaining cross‐national variation in the relationship between priority congruence and satisfaction with democracy
Authors: Reher Stefanie 
Published: December 2014

AbstractPrevious research has shown that citizens tend to be more satisfied with the functioning of democracy when their ideological positions are more proximate to representatives'. This article argues that congruence in policy priorities between citizens and political elites should have a similar effect: citizens whose concerns are shared by elites should perceive them to be more attentive and responsive to public concerns and societal needs. Yet, the relationship might vary with differences in expectations towards democracy and representation. Specifically, it should be stronger in more democratic countries and older democracies. The hypotheses are empirically tested in a multilevel regression framework, where voter survey data from the 2009 European Election Study is linked with candidate survey data. The results indicate that citizens are indeed more satisfied with democracy if elites share their concerns, and the effect increases with democratic experience.
Liraglutide, leptin and their combined effects on feeding: additive intake reduction through common intracellular signalling mechanisms
Authors: Kanoski S. E. , Ong Z. Y. , Fortin S. M. , Schlessinger E. S. , Grill H. J. 
Published: December 2014

AimTo investigate the behavioural and intracellular mechanisms by which the glucagon like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonist, liraglutide, and leptin in combination enhance the food intake inhibitory and weight loss effects of either treatment alone.MethodsWe examined the effects of liraglutide (a long‐acting GLP‐1 analogue) and leptin co‐treatment, delivered in low or moderate doses subcutaneously (s.c.) or to the third ventricle, respectively, on cumulative intake, meal patterns and hypothalamic expression of intracellular signalling proteins [phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription‐3 (pSTAT3) and protein tyrosine phosphatase‐1B (PTP1B)] in lean rats.ResultsA low‐dose combination of liraglutide (25 µg/kg) and leptin (0.75 µg) additively reduced cumulative food intake and body weight, a result mediated predominantly through a significant reduction in meal frequency that was not present with either drug alone. Liraglutide treatment alone also reduced meal size; an effect not enhanced with leptin co‐administration. Moderate doses of liraglutide (75 µg/kg) and leptin (4 µg), examined separately, each reduced meal frequency, cumulative food intake and body weight; only liraglutide reduced meal size. In combination these doses did not further enhance the anorexigenic effects of either treatment alone. Ex vivo immunoblot analysis showed elevated pSTAT3 in the hypothalamic tissue after liraglutide‐leptin co‐treatment, an effect which was greater than that of leptin treatment alone. In addition, s.c. liraglutide reduced the expression of PTP1B (a negative regulator of leptin receptor signalling), revealing a potential mechanism for the enhanced pSTAT3 response after liraglutide‐leptin co‐administration.ConclusionsCollectively, these results show novel behavioural and molecular mechanisms underlying the additive reduction in food intake and body weight after liraglutide‐leptin combination treatment.
Brazilian nursing history on the shoulders of giants
Authors: Oguisso T. , de Freitas G.F. 
Published: December 2014

BackgroundThis study describes the route followed by nursing in Brazil, through the foundation of nursing organizations and the emergence of nursing leaders and pioneers.AimTo present the origins of modern nursing in Brazil, identifying the main nurse‐leaders and analysing their performance for the creation and consolidation of the nursing organizations.MethodsIt is a historical and social study with descriptive approach, to describe the process of Brazilian nursing professionalization and leadership through a literature review.ResultsThe oldest nursing organization is the Brazilian Nursing Association that holds scientific and cultural activities. There are also nurses' unions and nursing specialty associations, such as the Brazilian Academy for the History of Nursing, and the Federal Nursing Council. The latter has compulsory membership for controlling nursing services according to the qualifications of the personnel. The very first school for nurses in the Nightingale system was created in São Paulo, 1894, at the Samaritan Hospital, and by the government in 1923, in Rio de Janeiro, for which American nurses, led by Ethel Parsons, sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation, were essential for the creation of the Anna Nery Nursing School, still in operation within a federal university. Some nurses pioneered these works such as Edith Fraenkel, Maria Rosa Pinheiro, Amalia Carvalho and others.ConclusionThe work done by nursing leaders has brought to the profession a better status and made it more recognized by the society.
The importance of the oxidative status of dairy cattle in the periparturient period: revisiting antioxidant supplementation
Authors: Abuelo A. , Hernández J. , Benedito J. L. , Castillo C. 
Published: December 2014

SummaryDairy cows are especially vulnerable to health disorders during the transition period, when they shift from late pregnancy to the onset of lactation. Diseases at this stage affect not only the animals' well‐being, but also cause a major economic impact in dairy farms, because apart from treatment costs, affected cows will not reach their peak milk‐producing capacity. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative stress, which has been identified as an underlying factor of dysfunctional inflammatory responses. Supplementation with vitamins and trace elements attempts to minimize the harmful consequences of excessive ROS production, thereby trying to improve animals' health status and to reduce disease incidence. However, results regarding the effects of supplementing antioxidants on dairy cows' health and performance have been inconsistent, because in most cases, the antioxidant potential of the animals was not assessed beforehand and the nutritional strategy planned accordingly. Therefore, reviewing the physiological and harmful effects of ROS production, along with the different options available for assessing the redox balance in dairy cattle and some of the key findings of different supplementation trials, could bring one step forward the on‐farm application of determinations of oxidative status for establishing nutritional strategies early enough in the dry period that could improve transition cow health.
The sunflower downy mildew pathogen Plasmopara halstedii
Authors: Gascuel Quentin , Martinez Yves , Boniface Marie‐Claude , Vear Felicity , Pichon Magalie , Godiard Laurence 
Published: December 2014

SummaryDowny mildew of sunflower is caused by Plasmopara halstedii (Farlow) Berlese & de Toni. Plasmopara halstedii is an obligate biotrophic oomycete pathogen that attacks annual Helianthus species and cultivated sunflower, Helianthus annuus. Depending on the sunflower developmental stage at which infection occurs, the characteristic symptoms range from young seedling death, plant dwarfing, leaf bleaching and sporulation to the production of infertile flowers. Downy mildew attacks can have a great economic impact on sunflower crops, and several Pl resistance genes are present in cultivars to protect them against the disease. Nevertheless, some of these resistances have been overcome by the occurrence of novel isolates of the pathogen showing increased virulence. A better characterization of P. halstedii infection and dissemination mechanisms, and the identification of the molecular basis of the interaction with sunflower, is a prerequisite to efficiently fight this pathogen. This review summarizes what is currently known about P. halstedii, provides new insights into its infection cycle on resistant and susceptible sunflower lines using scanning electron and light microscopy imaging, and sheds light on the pathogenicity factors of P. halstedii obtained from recent molecular data.TaxonomyKingdom Stramenopila; Phylum Oomycota; Class Oomycetes; Order Peronosporales; Family Peronosporaceae; Genus Plasmopara; Species Plasmopara halstedii.Disease symptomsSunflower seedling damping off, dwarfing of the plant, bleaching of leaves, starting from veins, and visible white sporulation, initially on the lower side of cotyledons and leaves. Plasmopara halstedii infection may severely impact sunflower seed yield.Infection processIn spring, germination of overwintered sexual oospores leads to sunflower root infection. Intercellular hyphae are responsible for systemic plant colonization and the induction of disease symptoms. Under humid and fresh conditions, dissemination structures are produced by the pathogen on all plant organs to release asexual zoosporangia. These zoosporangia play an important role in pathogen dissemination, as they release motile zoospores that are responsible for leaf infections on neighbouring plants.Disease controlDisease control is obtained by both chemical seed treatment (mefenoxam) and the deployment of dominant major resistance genes, denoted Pl. However, the pathogen has developed fungicide resistance and has overcome some plant resistance genes. Research for more sustainable strategies based on the identification of the molecular basis of the interaction are in progress.Useful websiteshttp://www.heliagene.org/HP, http://lipm‐helianthus.toulouse.inra.fr/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=start, https://www.heliagene.org/PlasmoparaSpecies (soon available).
Determining Reassessment Intervals From Successive In-Line Inspections
Authors: Bubenik Tom , Harper William V. , Moreno Pam , Polasik Steven 
Published: December 2014

Pipeline operators around the world use in-line inspections and corrosion control systems to manage the integrity of their systems. Determining when to inspect is a critical consideration, which depends in part on whether corrosion growth takes place between inspections. Remaining life estimates based on estimated corrosion growth rates typically form the basis for reassessment intervals.
Remaining life assessments often use assumptions about corrosion rates that, while conservative, can lead to unrealistic results. Excess conservatism leads to short reassessment intervals and unnecessary mitigation. This paper discusses how data analyses can be used to identify and verify areas where corrosion is actually taking place. By identifying and addressing these areas, operators can minimize unnecessary mitigation in low growth areas, ensure high growth areas are mitigated in a timely manner, and extend overall reassessment intervals.
This paper discusses an integrated approach to identifying corrosion activity using a combination of statistics, inspection signal comparisons, and engineering analyses. The approach relies on a full understanding of the mechanisms that cause corrosion and its growth. Pipeline operators can use this approach to calculate remaining life, prioritize repairs and mitigation, and extend reassessment intervals. This process is collectively known as Statistically Active Corrosion (SAC) 1,2,3.
Modulating Pressure Setpoints in Pipeline Pressurizing
Authors: Federico Heitor Honda , Torci Douglas Estevam , Garcia Cláudio Rogério 
Published: December 2014

Automation projects concerning the operation of long pipelines aim to not just improve the operational activities but also contribute to the safety of the facilities and reduce any potential environmental impact of the activity. It is common knowledge that oil companies need to have their pipelines flowing fully pressurized so that its contents can be controlled and accounted for. Therefore, many companies have installed automated control valves at arrival point of the pipelines in order to guarantee that the pressure inside the pipeline is optimal and controlled. This operation has led to important studies in control theory and Proportional, Derivative and Integrative control systems PID.
Several articles study methods and optimal gains for the precise positioning of the control valve. The problem presents itself when the valve is required to compensate a severe change in the pressure set point. For instance, if one pump is disconnected from the pipeline by a safety-automated measure in a multi-pump scenario, the rapid movement of the control valve may result in an undesired large overshoot and stabilization period. This can be observed in small diameter or short pipelines in which the system responds fast to any alteration in the control valve position. This behavior can not always be compensated by altering the gains of the PID controller as they are set to work on the most common scenario and can only be expected to correctly respond when the changes in pressure are sufficiently small.
Faced with this problem in a pipeline, the engineers and technicians of an oil company installed a pressure set point curve in order to avoid the described behavior of the valve, even if momentarily depressurizing the pipeline. Throughout this article, the results of this alteration are described and it is suggested ways to further improve the control system without jeopardizing the safety of the pipeline operation.