bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The efficacy of Botulinum Toxin A for spasticity and pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach
Authors: Baker Jennifer A , Pereira Gavin 
Published: July 2013

Objectives: A systematic review and meta-analysis using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to evaluate Botulinum Toxin Type A efficacy on spasticity and pain in the upper/lower limb in adults. Data Sources: Pubmed, Cinahl, Amed, Embase and Cochrane Databases. English language. 1989 to April 2013. Review methods: All randomized controlled trials on adults with spasticity of any origin in the upper or lower limb, treated with a single dose of Botulinum Toxin A, with outcome measures for pain or spasticity. Quality was assessed by GRADE, which uses a transparent, structured process for developing and presenting summaries of evidence, including its quality, for systematic reviews. Results: A total of 37 studies were reviewed. A meta-analysis was carried out on 10 for pain and 21 for spasticity. Evidence quality was low/very low for pain. No significant effect was found in the upper limb (standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0.44, confidence interval (CI) –0.02 to 0.90, Z = 1.88, P=0.06), and no effect was found in the lower limb (risk ratio (RR) = 1.01 CI 0.19 to 5.36, Z = 0.02, P=0.99). Evidence quality for spasticity was moderate. Significant effects were found for Botulinum Toxin in the upper limb (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.88, CI 0.63 to 1.14, Z = 6.86, P<0.00001), and the lower limb (RR=2.42, CI 1.60 to 3.65, Z=4.18, P<0.0001). Conclusion: The use of Botulinum Toxin A is supported for upper and lower limb spasticity. Further evidence is needed for spasticity-related pain. Evidence quality is reduced by inadequate study design.
Functional and psychosocial effects of either a traditional dancing or a formal exercising training program in patients with chronic heart failure: a comparative randomized controlled study
Authors: Kaltsatou Antonia CH , Kouidi Evangelia I , Anifanti Maria A , Douka Stella I , Deligiannis Asterios P 
Published: July 2013

Objective: To compare the effects of traditional dancing with formal exercise training in terms of functional and cardiovascular benefits and motivation in patients with chronic heart failure. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Sports Medicine Laboratory. Subjects: Fifty-one Greek male patients aged 67.1±5.5 years with chronic heart failure of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II–III, participated in an eight-month study. Interventions: They were randomly assigned to either training with Greek traditional dances (group A, n=18), formal exercise training (group B, n=16) or a sedentary control group (group C, n=17). Main measures: At entry and the end of the study all patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing, functional ability assessment and quality of life evaluations. The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was also used to assess participants’ subjective experience. Results: After training group A showed increased peak oxygen consumption by 33.8% (19.5 vs. 26.1 ml/kg/min, p<0.05) and B by 32.3% (19.5 vs. 25.8 ml/kg/min, p<0.05), maximal treadmill tolerance by 48.5% ( p<0.05) and by 46.4% ( p<0.05), and a decreased Slope of expired minute ventilation for carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2) slope by 18% ( p<0.05) and 19.5% ( p<0.05), respectively. Trained patients revealed significant improvement in the quality of life indices. Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was increased only in group A by 26.2% (3.08 vs. 3.87, p<0.05). Conclusions: Exercise training in chronic heart failure patients with Greek traditional dances led to functional and cardiovascular benefits similar to formal exercise training and to a higher level of motivation.
Randomized controlled pilot study of customized pamphlets to promote physical activity and symptom self-management in women with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Plow Matthew , Bethoux Francois , McDaniel Corey , McGlynn Mark , Marcus Bess 
Published: July 2013

Objective: Investigate the feasibility and potential efficacy of a customized print-based intervention to promote physical activity and symptom self-management in women with multiple sclerosis. Design: A randomly allocated two-group repeated measures design, with a delayed-treatment contact group serving as the control. Participants were randomized to receive the intervention immediately ( n =14) or receive it at week 12 ( n =16). Outcome measures were administered at weeks 1, 12, and 24. Setting: Community-based in metropolitan area. Subjects: Thirty women with multiple sclerosis. Intervention: Prescribing a home-exercise program and following up with customized pamphlets, which are matched to participants’ stage of readiness to change physical activity behavior and physical activity barriers (e.g. encouraging self-management of symptoms). Main Measures: Physical Activity and Disability Survey-revised, Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, SF-12, Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis Scale, and 6-minute walk test. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses using mixed multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were conducted on (1) physical activity levels and (2) health and function outcomes. The mixed MANOVAs for physical activity levels and health and function outcomes indicated significant improvements in the immediate group compared with the delayed group (i.e. condition by time interaction was significant, Wilks’ λ = 0.59, F2, 27 = 9.31, P = 0.001 and Wilks’ λ = 0.70, F4, 25 = 2.72, P = 0.052, respectively). The intervention had moderate to large effect sizes in improving physical activity levels (d = 0.63 to 0.89), perceptions of physical function (d = 0.63), and 6-minute walk test (d=0.86). Conclusion: This pilot study indicates that a customized print-based intervention shows promise in improving physical activity levels and health and function in women with multiple sclerosis.
Volumetric analysis of lung nodules in computed tomography (CT): comparison of two different segmentation algorithm softwares and two different reconstruction filters on automated volume calculation
Authors: Christe Andreas , Brönnimann Alain , Vock Peter 
Published: July 2013

Background A precise detection of volume change allows for better estimating the biological behavior of the lung nodules. Postprocessing tools with automated detection, segmentation, and volumetric analysis of lung nodules may expedite radiological processes and give additional confidence to the radiologists. Purpose To compare two different postprocessing software algorithms (LMS Lung, Median Technologies; LungCARE®, Siemens) in CT volumetric measurement and to analyze the effect of soft (B30) and hard reconstruction filter (B70) on automated volume measurement. Material and Methods Between January 2010 and April 2010, 45 patients with a total of 113 pulmonary nodules were included. The CT exam was performed on a 64-row multidetector CT scanner (Somatom Sensation, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) with the following parameters: collimation, 24x1.2 mm; pitch, 1.15; voltage, 120 kVp; reference tube current-time, 100 mAs. Automated volumetric measurement of each lung nodule was performed with the two different postprocessing algorithms based on two reconstruction filters (B30 and B70). The average relative volume measurement difference (VME%) and the limits of agreement between two methods were used for comparison. Results At soft reconstruction filters the LMS system produced mean nodule volumes that were 34.1% ( P < 0.0001) larger than those by LungCARE® system. The VME% was 42.2% with a limit of agreement between −53.9% and 138.4%.The volume measurement with soft filters (B30) was significantly larger than with hard filters (B70); 11.2% for LMS and 1.6% for LungCARE®, respectively (both with P < 0.05). LMS measured greater volumes with both filters, 13.6% for soft and 3.8% for hard filters, respectively ( P < 0.01 and P > 0.05). Conclusion There is a substantial inter-software (LMS/LungCARE®) as well as intra-software variability (B30/B70) in lung nodule volume measurement; therefore, it is mandatory to use the same equipment with the same reconstruction filter for the follow-up of lung nodule volume.
Biological studies on the effect of estrogen on experimentally induced asthma in mice
Authors: El-Desouki Nabila I , Tabl Ghada A , Elkhodary Yasmin AA 
Published: July 2013

This study evaluates the influence of estrogen hormone on the experimentally induced asthma in male mice. The animals were divided into four groups, with 20 mice in each group; group I (control mice) included mice that received no treatment, group II included mice that received intraperitoneal estrogen injection (0.25 mg/kg body weight (bw), twice on day 28 of the experiment), group III (asthmatic mice) included asthmatic mice that received intraperitoneal injection of two doses of ovalbumin (OVA; 2 µg of OVA mixed with 100 µg of aluminum potassium sulfate) on days 1 and 14 of the experiment and then challenged intranasally with a single dose of OVA (50 µg dissolved in 0.05 ml phosphate-buffered saline; PBS) on day 28 of the experiment, and group IV (asthmatic mice treated with estrogen) included asthma model male mice that received the estrogen (0.5 mg/kg bw in 40 ml PBS, twice on the day 28 of the experiment). The immunohistochemical studies observed a marked intensity of CD15 immunoreactivity in the lung tissues of asthma model mice. Physiological results recorded that the total and differential count of leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of asthma model mice recorded a significant increase in the number of leukocytes especially in the number of eosinophil cells. The BALF of asthma model mice showed high levels of interleukins 4 and 5 (IL-4 and IL-5), and there was a significant decrease in both the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 in BALF of asthma model mice treated with estrogen. In conclusion, the obtained results indicated that the asthma is responsible for certain immunohistochemical and physiological alterations induced in lung tissues of mice. The administration of estrogen to asthmatic male mice could improve these changes. For this reason, the present findings support the possible role of estrogen in modulating the inflammatory effects caused by asthma in male mice and may be helpful to cure many asthmatic progressions.
Managing Information
Authors: Galasiński Dariusz , Ziółkowska Justyna 
Published: July 2013

Doctors are required to document their examinations of the patient. This task is particularly important in psychiatry, where what the patient says is practically the only source of information available to the clinician. In our article we shall focus on the process of information management in psychiatry and trace the information which was recorded in the patients’ notes back to its origin in the interview. Our data consists of eight recordings of psychiatric interviews along with the patients’ notes. Our main argument is that the notes are not merely written from the point of view of the psychiatrist, but might have little or nothing to do with the interview. We demonstrate, first, that accurate notes are a record of how the doctor conducted the interview. Second, the notes doctors made also misrepresent the interview with the patient: doctors record false information, distort it, take out of its context.
Early life factors initiate a ‘vicious circle’ of affective and gastrointestinal symptoms: A longitudinal study
Authors: Jones Michael P , Van Oudenhove Lukas , Koloski Natasha , Tack Jan , Talley Nicholas J 
Published: July 2013

ObjectiveFunctional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) have been shown to be associated with both comorbid mood disorders and traumatic events such as abuse earlier in life. In a longitudinal study, we tested a model that hypothesized: (i) childhood abuse was associated with subsequent mood disorder and pain or interference in life by bowel symptoms both directly and indirectly via neurotic personality; and (ii) an ongoing cycle of mood disorder impacts on bowel symptoms.DesignSubjects from the general population classified as irritable bowel syndrome and/or functional dyspepsia (IBS/FD, n  = 207) or free of FGID (n  = 100) were prospectively studied every 6 months over 18 months. In addition to bowel symptom interference and abdominal pain, measures of personality (neuroticism), childhood abuse history, depression, and anxiety were obtained. The hypothesized model was tested via Path Modelling.ResultsChildhood abuse was found to be directly associated with neuroticism but only indirectly associated with baseline interference and mood disorders (via neuroticism). The data further supported an ongoing cycle of elevations in mood disorders and pain/interference by bowel symptoms. The data supported direct effects of interference at one time point on interference at the subsequent time point in addition to indirect effects of prior anxiety and depression. Repeating the model with pain frequency as the outcome yielded almost identical findings which suggests the findings are generalized across domains of symptoms and quality‐of‐life.ConclusionOur data provide support for a model characterized by a ‘vicious circle’ between mood disorders and FGID symptoms in adulthood, with initial input from early life factors.
Endosonography For Right‐sided and Acute Upper Intestinal Misery: the EFRAIM study
Authors: Jung Andreas , Schlag Christoph , Becker Valentin , von Delius Stefan , Lersch Christian , Jeliazkova Petia , Herner Alexander , Bajbouj Monther , Schuster Tibor , Meining Alexander 
Published: July 2013

BackgroundAcute upper abdominal pain is a frequent symptom leading to hospital admission.ObjectiveTo determine whether a primary intra‐ and extraluminal diagnostic approach enabled by endoscopic ultrasound is as effective as a conventional diagnostic algorithm of transabdominal ultrasound followed by oesophagogastroduodenoscopy.MethodsA total of 240 patients who presented with acute right‐sided and/or upper abdominal pain were prospectively recruited. Exclusion criteria were chronic pain, malignancy, prior abdominal surgery, bleeding, peritonitis, and elevated liver enzymes or lipase as defined 3‐times higher than upper reference value. All patients underwent first transabdominal ultrasound and were then randomized (1 : 1) to either endoscopy followed by endoscopic ultrasound or vice versa. Patients and respective examiners were blinded to prior findings.ResultsA total of 223 patients were included. Endoscopic ultrasound provided a higher diagnostic yield than the combination of transabdominal ultrasound and endoscopy (62.3 vs. 50.7%; p  = 0.001). For mucosal/intraluminal lesions, we observed a very good agreement between both endoscopic modalities (kappa 0.89). The agreement for pancreatic and biliary causes was good between both ultrasound modalities (kappa 0.66).ConclusionsDue to its high diagnostic yield, endoscopic ultrasound as a primary diagnostic modality appears to be a valuable option in patients with acute upper abdominal pain.
The value of allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in prognostically favorable acute myeloid leukemia with double mutant CEBPA
Authors: Schlenk Richard F. , Taskesen Erdogan , van Norden Yvette , Krauter Jürgen , Ganser Arnold , Bullinger Lars , Gaidzik Verena I. , Paschka Peter , Corbacioglu Andrea , Göhring Gudrun , Kündgen Andrea , Held Gerhard , Götze Katharina , Vellenga Edo , Kuball Juergen , Schanz Urs , Passweg Jakob , Pabst Thomas , Maertens Johan , Ossenkoppele Gert J. , Delwel Ruud , Döhner Hartmut , Cornelissen Jan J. , Döhner Konstanze , Löwenberg Bob 
Published: July 2013

Key Points
In AML with bialleleic CEBPA-mut relapse-free survival was improved by allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In relapsed patients second complete remission rate was high and survival was favorable after an allogeneic transplantation.
Design and validation of a supragenome array for determination of the genomic content of Haemophilus influenzae isolates
Authors: Eutsey Rory A , Hiller N Luisa , Earl Joshua P , Janto Benjamin A , Dahlgren Margaret E , Ahmed Azad , Powell Evan , Schultz Matthew P , Gilsdorf Janet R , Zhang Lixin , Smith Arnold , Murphy Timothy F , Sethi Sanjay , Shen Kai , Post J Christopher , Hu Fen Z , Ehrlich Garth D 
Published: July 2013

Abstract

Background

Haemophilus influenzae colonizes the human nasopharynx as a commensal, and is etiologically associated with numerous opportunistic infections of the airway; it is also less commonly associated with invasive disease. Clinical isolates of H. influenzae display extensive genomic diversity and plasticity. The development of strategies to successfully prevent, diagnose and treat H. influenzae infections depends on tools to ascertain the gene content of individual isolates.

Results
We describe and validate a Haemophilus influenzae supragenome hybridization (SGH) array that can be used to characterize the full genic complement of any strain within the species, as well as strains from several highly related species. The array contains 31,307 probes that collectively cover essentially all alleles of the 2890 gene clusters identified from the whole genome sequencing of 24 clinical H. influenzae strains. The finite supragenome model predicts that these data include greater than 85% of all non-rare genes (where rare genes are defined as those present in less than 10% of sequenced strains). The veracity of the array was tested by comparing the whole genome sequences of eight strains with their hybridization data obtained using the supragenome array. The array predictions were correct and reproducible for ~ 98% of the gene content of all of the sequenced strains. This technology was then applied to an investigation of the gene content of 193 geographically and clinically diverse H. influenzae clinical strains. These strains came from multiple locations from five different continents and Papua New Guinea and include isolates from: the middle ears of persons with otitis media and otorrhea; lung aspirates and sputum samples from pneumonia and COPD patients, blood specimens from patients with sepsis; cerebrospinal fluid from patients with meningitis, as well as from pharyngeal specimens from healthy persons.

Conclusions
These analyses provided the most comprehensive and detailed genomic/phylogenetic look at this species to date, and identified a subset of highly divergent strains that form a separate lineage within the species. This array provides a cost-effective and high-throughput tool to determine the gene content of any H. influenzae isolate or lineage. Furthermore, the method for probe selection can be applied to any species, given a group of available whole genome sequences.
Comparative genomics in acid mine drainage biofilm communities reveals metabolic and structural differentiation of co-occurring archaea
Authors: Yelton Alexis P , Comolli Luis R , Justice Nicholas B , Castelle Cindy , Denef Vincent J , Thomas Brian C , Banfield Jillian F 
Published: July 2013

Abstract

Background
Metal sulfide mineral dissolution during bioleaching and acid mine drainage (AMD) formation creates an environment that is inhospitable to most life. Despite dominance by a small number of bacteria, AMD microbial biofilm communities contain a notable variety of coexisting and closely related Euryarchaea, most of which have defied cultivation efforts. For this reason, we used metagenomics to analyze variation in gene content that may contribute to niche differentiation among co-occurring AMD archaea. Our analyses targeted members of the Thermoplasmatales and related archaea. These results greatly expand genomic information available for this archaeal order.

Results
We reconstructed near-complete genomes for uncultivated, relatively low abundance organisms A-, E-, and Gplasma, members of Thermoplasmatales order, and for a novel organism, Iplasma. Genomic analyses of these organisms, as well as Ferroplasma type I and II, reveal that all are facultative aerobic heterotrophs with the ability to use many of the same carbon substrates, including methanol. Most of the genomes share genes for toxic metal resistance and surface-layer production. Only Aplasma and Eplasma have a full suite of flagellar genes whereas all but the Ferroplasma spp. have genes for pili production. Cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and tomography (cryo-ET) strengthen these metagenomics-based ultrastructural predictions. Notably, only Aplasma, Gplasma and the Ferroplasma spp. have predicted iron oxidation genes and Eplasma and Iplasma lack most genes for cobalamin, valine, (iso)leucine and histidine synthesis.

Conclusion
The Thermoplasmatales AMD archaea share a large number of metabolic capabilities. All of the uncultivated organisms studied here (A-, E-, G-, and Iplasma) are metabolically very similar to characterized Ferroplasma spp., differentiating themselves mainly in their genetic capabilities for biosynthesis, motility, and possibly iron oxidation. These results indicate that subtle, but important genomic differences, coupled with unknown differences in gene expression, distinguish these organisms enough to allow for co-existence. Overall this study reveals shared features of organisms from the Thermoplasmatales lineage and provides new insights into the functioning of AMD communities.
Transcriptome analyses of the human retina identify unprecedented transcript diversity and 3.5 Mb of novel transcribed sequence via significant alternative splicing and novel genes
Authors: Farkas Michael H , Grant Gregory R , White Joseph A , Sousa Maria E , Consugar Mark B , Pierce Eric A 
Published: July 2013

Abstract

Background
The retina is a complex tissue comprised of multiple cell types that is affected by a diverse set of diseases that are important causes of vision loss. Characterizing the transcripts, both annotated and novel, that are expressed in a given tissue has become vital for understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathology of disease.

Results
We sequenced RNA prepared from three normal human retinas and characterized the retinal transcriptome at an unprecedented level due to the increased depth of sampling provided by the RNA-seq approach. We used a non-redundant reference transcriptome from all of the empirically-determined human reference tracks to identify annotated and novel sequences expressed in the retina. We detected 79,915 novel alternative splicing events, including 29,887 novel exons, 21,757 3′ and 5′ alternate splice sites, and 28,271 exon skipping events. We also identified 116 potential novel genes. These data represent a significant addition to the annotated human transcriptome. For example, the novel exons detected increase the number of identified exons by 3%. Using a high-throughput RNA capture approach to validate 14,696 of these novel transcriptome features we found that 99% of the putative novel events can be reproducibly detected. Further, 15-36% of the novel splicing events maintain an open reading frame, suggesting they produce novel protein products.

Conclusions
To our knowledge, this is the first application of RNA capture to perform large-scale validation of novel transcriptome features. In total, these analyses provide extensive detail about a previously uncharacterized level of transcript diversity in the human retina.