bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Validity and clinimetric properties of the Spinal Alignment and Range of Motion Measure in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Chen Chia‐Ling , Wu Katie P H , Liu Wen‐Yu , Cheng Hsin‐Yi Kathy , Shen I‐Hsuan , Lin Keh‐Chung 
Published: April 2013

AimThe aim of this study was to assess the validity, responsiveness, and clinimetric properties of the Spinal Alignment and Range of Motion Measure (SAROMM) in children with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodSixty‐two children with CP (40 males, 22 females) with a median age of 3 years and 11 months (range 1–6y) and their caregivers participated in this study. Among the children, 56 had spastic CP while six had non‐spastic CP; 53 had bilateral CP, while nine had unilateral limb involvement. Thirty‐three children were classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to III and 23 as levels IV or V. Fifty‐six children (90%) received regular rehabilitation by means of regular physical or occupational therapy (50% once or twice per week and 40% more than two times per week) and six children (10%) received irregular rehabilitation (less than once a week). Construct validity was determined by assessing the strength of the correlation between the spinal alignment SAROMM (SAROMM‐SA), the range of motion SAROMM (SAROMM‐ROM), and the total SAROMM (SAROMM‐total), and construct measures, including the 66‐item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM‐66) and Functional Independence Measures for Children (WeeFIM), at baseline and at 6‐months follow‐up. Responsiveness was examined using effect size. Minimal detectable change (MDC) at the 90% confidence level (MDC90) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) were analysed.ResultsThe SAROMM with the GMFM‐66 and WeeFIM had fair to good construct validity. The effect size values of all SAROMM scales were 0.24 to 0.48. The MDC90 values and MCID range were 1.43 and 0.47 to 1.67 for the SAROMM‐SA, 3.12 and 3.68 to 4.07 for the SAROMM‐ROM, and 3.22 and 4.53 to 4.62 for the SAROMM‐total.InterpretationThe clinimetric properties of the SAROMM allow clinicians to determine whether a change in SAROMM score represents a clinically meaningful change.
Climate‐induced response of commercially important flatfish species during the 20th century
Authors: Sparrevohn Claus Reedtz , Lindegren Martin , Mackenzie Brian R. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThe consequence of elevated ocean temperatures on commercial fish stocks is addressed using time series of commercial landings (1906–2004) and juvenile survey catch data (1904–2006) collected around Denmark. We analyze (i) whether warm‐water sole (Solea solea) has increased relative to Boreal plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and (ii) whether two related warm‐water species (turbot, Psetta maxima and brill, Scophthalmus rhombus) show similar responses to increasing temperature or, alternatively, whether turbot (which has a broader juvenile diet) has been favored. Since the early 1980s, both sole and turbot have constituted an increasing part of the commercial landings and survey catches, as compared with plaice and brill, respectively. These changes in species composition were linked to sea surface temperatures, Northern Hemisphere temperature anomalies (NHA) and the North Atlantic Oscillation. NHA was closely related and explained 43% of the observed variation in sole survey catches relative to the plaice catches and almost 38% of the observed variation in the sole landings relative to the plaice landings. For the less common species, turbot and brill, none of the global change indicators explained more than 15% of the variation, although all showed a positive relationship. Survey catch per unit effort increased significantly for both sole and turbot around the early 1980s, whereas catch per unit effort for plaice and brill remained constant. The results indicate that the abundance of warm‐water species is likely to increase with increasing temperature but also that species with similar life histories might react differently according to degree of specialization.
Oral health status and physical, mental and cognitive disabilities among nursing home residents in Jordan
Authors: Almomani Fidaa , Hamasha Abed Al‐Hadi , Williams Karen B. , Almomani Murad 
Published: April 2013

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to describe physical, mental and cognitive disabilities and periodontal status as indicated by periodontal health, edentulism and use of dentures among nursing home residents in Jordan.MethodsA sample of 221 subjects with a mean age of 62.4 years (121 males and 100 females) from nursing home residents in Jordan were recruited to participate in this study. Oral health status, mini mental state examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Tinetti Assessment Battery for gait and balance (TAB) and disability of arm, shoulder and hand test (DASH) were assessed for all subjects.ResultsThe response rate was about 88%. The multivariate analysis showed that the degree of upper limb disabilities, as measured by DASH, and reporting not brushing of teeth were the main risk indicators for severity of periodontal disease. Residents with dentures were found to have significantly higher cognitive abilities scores (MMSE), better upper arm abilities (DASH) and gait and balance score (TAB) in comparison with edentulous adults without dentures. Edentulous residents were found to suffer more from cognitive impairment (MMSE) than dentate residents. There was no predilection of upper limb (DASH) and lower limb (TAB) disabilities or depressive symptoms (GDS) for edentulous over dentate subjects.ConclusionsResults suggest that nursing home residents with a variety of physical, cognitive and psychological disabilities are at increased risk of deterioration of their oral health. All those associated with the health of residents need to be aware of this issue and take preventive and therapeutic measures as needed.
Technical issues: flow cytometry and rare event analysis
Authors: Hedley B. D. , Keeney M. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryFlow cytometry has become an essential tool for identification and characterization of hematological cancers and now, due to technological improvements, allows the identification and rapid enumeration of small tumor populations that may be present after induction therapy (minimal residual disease, MRD). The quantitation of MRD has been shown to correlate with relapse and survival rates in numerous diseases and in certain cases, and evidence of MRD is used to alter treatment protocols. Recent improvements in hardware allow for high data rate collection. Improved fluorochromes take advantage of violet laser excitation and maximize signal‐to‐noise ratio allowing the population of interest to be isolated in multiparameter space. This isolation, together with a low background rate, permits for detection of residual tumor populations in a background of normal cells. When counting such rare events, the distribution is governed by Poisson statistics, with precision increasing with higher numbers of cells collected. In several hematological malignancies, identification of populations at frequencies of 0.01% and lower has been attained. The choice of antibodies used in MRD detection facilitates the definition of a fingerprint to identify abnormal populations throughout treatment. Tumor populations can change phenotype, and an approach that relies on ‘different from normal’ has proven useful, particularly in the acute leukemias. Flow cytometry can and is used for detection of MRD in many hematological diseases; however, standardized approaches for specific diseases must be developed to ensure precise identification and enumeration that may alter the course of patient treatment.
Wallace Coulter's life and his impact on the world
Authors: Simson E. 
Published: April 2013

Summary2013 is the centenary of Wallace Coulter's birth. He was an engineer, inventor, entrepreneur and visionary. He transformed the practice of laboratory hematology with his invention of the Coulter Principle and its application to blood cell analysis, together with the company he founded to bring it and his subsequent inventions and innovations to the world. He was born in modest circumstances and he remained modest in his outlook on life, despite his magnificent achievements, his successes, his numerous prestigious awards and his wealth later in life. This article traces his early life, his career, his achievements and the immense benefits he brought to the people of this planet.
Molecular testing for disorders of hemostasis
Authors: Lillicrap D. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryThe investigation of inherited bleeding disorders with routine tests of hemostasis will yield clear diagnostic information in the majority of subjects with an unequivocal history of bleeding and especially in those where the phenotypic severity is severe and where an obvious family history of bleeding is present. Nevertheless, a significant minority of subjects with obvious bleeding symptoms will remain without a definite diagnosis after extensive hemostatic testing. With these facts in mind, the role of molecular testing for inherited disorders of hemostasis now includes the following: confirmation of a phenotypic diagnosis through targeted genetic analysis, the distinction of bleeding phenocopies by molecular analysis, and provision of genetic testing as the investigation of choice in situations such as prenatal diagnosis and detection of the carrier state for inherited bleeding traits. In addition, molecular testing can sometimes be used to provide supplementary knowledge that can be used to enhance clinical care. Finally, the utility of genome‐wide approaches to identify novel genetic associations may provide new information to explain the cause of bleeding in the population of bleeders without established diagnoses.
Coping strategies of women having chronic pelvic pain
Authors: Gokyildiz Sule , Beji Nezihe Kizilkaya , Avcibay Burcu , Ozgunen Fatma Tuncay 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACTChronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a very common health problem among women. Women's quality of life significantly decreases because they are affected by the nervousness and negativity caused by pain in their daily activities. The purpose of this study is to find out the features of pain experienced by women with CPP and identify the coping mechanisms used by them. This descriptive study was conducted in one state hospital and one university hospital. The participants are volunteer women who have had pain complaint in their pelvis/lower abdomen or genital area for 6 months and/or more (n = 134). Average age of the participants is 34·02 ± 10·58; 28·6% of them (n = 38) have had pain for more than 2 years. Of all the participants, 42·9% described their pain as stabbing. The women were found to use pain killers (85·7%), sleep (46·6%), rest (46·6%), have a hot bath (34·6%) and massage (28·6%) with a view to reduce pain. The coping strategies used by the participants were identified as trying to think something else (27·8%), praying that the pain will not last long (38·3%), distracting attention by dealing with something else (32·3%), trying to feel better by ignoring pain (17·3%) and trying to heal pain by talking to themselves (16·5%). Women with CPP use both medical and spiritual methods with a view to cope with pain. It was found that use of pain killers increased with the increase in level of pain.
Regulators of chromatin state and transcription in CD4 T‐cell polarization
Authors: Josefowicz Steven Z. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryMature naive CD4 T‐cells possess the potential for an array of highly specialized functions, from inflammatory to potently suppressive. This potential is encoded in regulatory DNA elements and is fulfilled through modification of chromatin and selective activation by the collaborative function of diverse transcription factors in response to environmental cues. The mechanisms and strategies employed by transcription factors for the programming of CD4 T‐cell subsets will be discussed. In particular, the focus will be on co‐operative activity of environmental response factors in the initial activation of regulatory DNA elements and chromatin alteration, and the subsequent role of ‘master regulator’ transcription factors in defining the fidelity and environmental responsiveness of different CD4 T‐cell subsets.
Decomposition of a compliance tensor for fractures and transversely isotropic medium
Authors: Diner Çağrı 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to develop an analytical method to decompose an observed anisotropic compliance tensor into two transversely isotropic (TI) tensors that are associated with layers and fractures. Specifically, the fracture parameters and the TI background medium parameters are obtained from a given monoclinic compliance tensor. Here the set of parallel fractures and TI medium can be arbitrarily oriented in ; they are not constrained to vertical and horizontal directions respectively. First the summation of the two TI tensors, which represent fractures and layerings, is obtained in order to have the form of the resultant monoclinic medium. The orientation of each TI medium is represented by one Euler angle once the mirror plane normal of the monoclinic tensor is determined. This is because the mirror plane normal of the monoclinic medium is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the two TI tensors. Thus a layered medium with one set of parallel fractures is represented by nine parameters; two for rotationally symmetric fractures, five for a generic background TI medium and two Euler angles for the orientations of the structures. The decomposition problem, which is to find these nine parameters from a given monoclinic compliance tensor with thirteen parameters, is solved in the paper. Finally, the decomposition method is extended to media with three structures, namely two sets of fractures and layerings whose rotation axes lie in the same plane.
Efficacy of NVC‐422 in the treatment of dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes using a guinea pig model
Authors: Ghannoum Mahmoud A. , Long Lisa , Cirino Amber J. , Miller Anthony R. , Najafi Ron , Wang Lu , Sharma Kuldeepak , Anderson Mark , Memarzadeh Bahram 
Published: April 2013

AbstractObjectives  Dermatophytes, belonging to genera including Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, and Microsporum, are the causative agents of superficial fungal infections, prevalences of which are estimated to be as high as 25% in the worldwide population. This study evaluated the activity of topical formulations of NVC‐422 (sodium 2‐[dichloroamino]‐2‐methylpropane‐1‐sulfonate), the lead compound in a new class of antimicrobials that consist of broad‐spectrum, fast‐acting, nonantibiotic antimicrobial molecules based on the endogenously produced N‐chlorotaurines.Methods  The antifungal efficacy of NVC‐422 was investigated using a guinea pig model of infection with Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Infected guinea pigs were randomly assigned to four treatment and two control groups. The efficacy of the treatments was assessed clinically and mycologically at 72 hours after the final topical dose.Results  The test compound 2% NVC‐422 in 1% Noveon Gel demonstrated the highest level of clinical efficacy. Outcomes of treatment with all other test compounds differed significantly from outcomes in the untreated control group (P = 0.003, P = 0.029, P = 0.012, and P < 0.0001, respectively). Fungal elements were detectable in skin sections from untreated guinea pigs but not in skin sections obtained from any of the treatment groups.Conclusions  Evaluation of the efficacy of NVC‐422 in the treatment of dermatophytosis using an experimental guinea pig model showed that this compound possesses potent antifungal efficacy as measured by mycological and clinical endpoints. The highest degree of clinical and mycological efficacy was demonstrated by 2% NVC‐422 in 1% Noveon Gel. These data show that NVC‐422 has potent antifungal activity in vivo. Clinical evaluation of NVC‐422 in the treatment of superficial infections caused by dermatophytes, including onychomycosis, is warranted.
Two cases of autosomal recessive woolly hair with LIPH gene mutations
Authors: Harada Kazutoshi , Inozume Takashi , Kawamura Tatsuyoshi , Shibagaki Naotaka , Kinoshita Tomoko , Deguchi Nobuhiro , Shimada Shinji 
Published: April 2013

AbstractBackgroundWoolly hair is a hereditary disorder characterized by fine and tightly curled hair. Autosomal recessive woolly hair (ARWH) was recently determined to result from mutations in either the lipase H (LIPH) or the LPAR6 (P2RY5) gene.Case reportAn 8‐year‐old boy (proband) and his 11‐year‐old brother presented with tightly coiled and sparse scalp hair. The boys did not have cardiomyopathy, palmoplantar keratoderma, or facial dysmorphism. Their parents had normal hair growth and no woolly hair. The sequence analysis of their genomic DNA revealed that the proband and his brother had a homozygous mutation of c.736T > A in the LIPH gene. On the basis of these findings, these patients were diagnosed with ARWH.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, only 20 cases of ARWH have been previously reported in Japan. However, several reports showed that one mutation was detected in the 4/200 normal and unrelated alleles in healthy Japanese control individuals, indicating the presence of ARWH in patients with extremely mild symptoms.
Herb Use, Vitamin Use, and Diet in Low‐Income, Postpartum Women
Authors: Gardiner Paula , Jarrett Kelli , Filippelli Amanda , Pecci Christine , Mauch Maya , Jack Brian 
Published: April 2013

IntroductionLittle is known about herb use among underserved postpartum women and their patterns of communication about herb use with prenatal providers.MethodsWe interviewed women from the postpartum unit at an urban hospital about herb use during pregnancy, socioeconomic factors, prenatal vitamin use, and diet. We asked women if they discussed use of herbs and vitamins with their prenatal care providers and asked about their satisfaction with these discussions. We reviewed inpatient chart medication lists for herb use.ResultsOf 160 women surveyed, 39% reported using herbs during pregnancy. Sixty‐five percent of participants took a prenatal vitamin. Fifty‐seven percent of herb users (n = 40) reported taking prenatal vitamins. Herb users were significantly more likely to report making any dietary change during their pregnancies than non‐herb users (P = .03). Only 38% of herb users discussed it with their prenatal providers, and 82% were satisfied with the conversation. Of all 160 participants, 125 had prenatal vitamin use documented, and no women had herbal medicine use documented in the medical record during their birth hospitalization.DiscussionWe report a higher frequency of herb use during pregnancy than other studies. The fact that women of all backgrounds and economic statuses report using herbs during pregnancy makes it even more important for all women to be asked about their use of herbs.
Evaluating the Combined Effect of Temperature, Shear Rate and Water Content on Wild‐Flower Honey Viscosity Using Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System and Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Al‐Mahasneh M.A. , Rababah T.M. , Ma'Abreh A.S. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractHandling, processing and shelf life determination of honey requires the knowledge of rheological properties. In this study, rheological properties of eight different untreated wild‐flower honey samples collected in Jordan were modeled using three important parameters including temperature (28–58C), water content (16.1–17.3%) and shear rate (2.2–47/s). Artificial neural network (ANN) (feed forward [FF] and radial basis function [RBF] ANNs) and adaptive neural fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were used because conventional analytical models were insufficient. The results showed that both ANNs and ANFIS were able to model honey viscosity very well. RBF‐ANNs and FF‐ANNs were able to model viscosity with R2 from 0.961 to 0.986 and mean square error (MSE) of 1.43–4.71. An important analysis of input variables showed that shear rate was the most influential factor with 60% weight, followed by temperature (25% weight) and finally water content (15% weight). ANFIS was also found to adequately model honey viscosity using three, four and five triangular and bell‐shaped membership functions. The results showed that R2 and MSE varied between 0.953 and 0.984 and between 1.41 and 4.24, respectively. ANFIS provided an extra advantage over ANNs because it presented a set of fuzzy if‐then rules that can be used for predictions of new viscosity data. It was concluded that both ANNs and ANFIS were able to provide an excellent alternative to conventional analytical rheological models.Practical ApplicationsDetermination of honey rheological properties is of great interest to honey keepers, processors and handlers. It is difficult to predict the combined effect of temperature, water content and shear rate on honey rheological properties using conventional rheological models. More recent intelligent techniques such as artificial neural networks and neural fuzzy logic systems have been alternatively used to model such complex systems. This paper deals with the implementation of intelligent modeling to predict untreated honey viscosity as a function temperature, shear rate, water content and geographic location, which cannot otherwise be modeled using conventional analytical models.
A prototype tobacco‐associated oral squamous cell carcinoma classifier using RNA from brush cytology
Authors: Kolokythas Antonia , Bosman Mitchell J. , Pytynia Kristen B. , Panda Suchismita , Sroussi Herve Y. , Dai Yang , Schwartz Joel L. , Adami Guy R. 
Published: April 2013

BackgroundOral cancer in the form of squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is typically detected in advanced stages when treatment is complex and may not be curative. The need for surgical biopsy may contribute to delays in diagnosis and impede early detection. Multiple studies of RNA from surgically obtained tumor samples have revealed many genes differentially expressed with this disease. We sought to determine whether the identified mRNAs could be used as markers by a non‐invasive detection system for OSCC using RNA from brush cytology.MethodsLevels of mRNAs from 21 genes known to be differentially expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma surgical samples, compared with controls, were shown to be quantifiable in oral brush cytology samples. These mRNAs were quantified in a training set of 14 tumor and 20 non‐malignant brush cytology samples from tobacco/betel nut users. With the measurement of two additional mRNAs and analysis using support vector machines algorithm for class prediction of these cancers was produced.ResultsThis OSCC classifier based on the levels of 5 mRNAs in RNA from brush cytology initially showed 0.93 sensitivity and 0.91 specificity in differentiating OSCC from benign oral mucosal lesions based on leave‐one‐out cross‐validation. When used on a test set of 19 samples from 6 OSCCs and 13 non‐malignant oral lesions, we found misclassification of only one OSCC and one benign lesion.ConclusionsThis shows the promise of using RNA from brush cytology for early OSCC detection and the potential for clinical usage of this non‐invasive classifier.