bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Image Processing Strategies Based on a Visual Saliency Model for Object Recognition Under Simulated Prosthetic Vision
Authors: Wang Jing , Li Heng , Fu Weizhen , Chen Yao , Li Liming , Lyu Qing , Han Tingting , Chai Xinyu 
Published: May 2015

AbstractRetinal prostheses have the potential to restore partial vision. Object recognition in scenes of daily life is one of the essential tasks for implant wearers. Still limited by the low‐resolution visual percepts provided by retinal prostheses, it is important to investigate and apply image processing methods to convey more useful visual information to the wearers. We proposed two image processing strategies based on Itti's visual saliency map, region of interest (ROI) extraction, and image segmentation. Itti's saliency model generated a saliency map from the original image, in which salient regions were grouped into ROI by the fuzzy c‐means clustering. Then Grabcut generated a proto‐object from the ROI labeled image which was recombined with background and enhanced in two ways—8‐4 separated pixelization (8‐4 SP) and background edge extraction (BEE). Results showed that both 8‐4 SP and BEE had significantly higher recognition accuracy in comparison with direct pixelization (DP). Each saliency‐based image processing strategy was subject to the performance of image segmentation. Under good and perfect segmentation conditions, BEE and 8‐4 SP obtained noticeably higher recognition accuracy than DP, and under bad segmentation condition, only BEE boosted the performance. The application of saliency‐based image processing strategies was verified to be beneficial to object recognition in daily scenes under simulated prosthetic vision. They are hoped to help the development of the image processing module for future retinal prostheses, and thus provide more benefit for the patients.
Health‐related quality of life after cataract surgery with the phacoemulsification technique and intraocular lens implantation
Authors: Porela‐Tiihonen Susanna , Roine Risto P. , Sintonen Harri , Kaarniranta Kai , Kokki Merja , Kokki Hannu 
Published: May 2015

AbstractPurposeDisease‐specific instruments have shown significant gains in measuring health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in subjects having cataract surgery. However, the usage of generic instruments has resulted in conflicting evidence.MethodsIn this prospective study, we have evaluated the impact of cataract surgery on subjects’HRQoL measured with a 15‐dimension generic instrument, the 15D. TheHRQoL of cataract subjects was compared with that of an age‐ and gender‐standardized sample of the general population in Finland. A total of 152 subjects (mean age 74 years, 66% females) with a first‐eye cataract surgery completed the 15D questionnaire both before and 12 months after cataract surgery.ResultsWhen compared with the general population, cataract subjects had much lowerHRQoL at baseline (mean difference 0.037 (95%CI: 0.020, 0.054), p < 0.001). At 12 months after cataract surgery, the overall utility index improved from the mean of 0.837 to 0.855 (mean difference 0.018 (95%CI: 0.007, 0.029), p = 0.002). Significant improvement was observed on the following five dimensions: seeing, moving, hearing, usual activities and discomfort/symptoms in the 15D questionnaire.ConclusionOur data indicate that at 12 months after first‐eye cataract surgery, patients’HRQoL is slightly better than that before surgery. However, patients’ postoperativeHRQoL may remain lower than that of an age‐and gender‐standardized control population.
High rate of sickle cell anaemia in Sub‐Saharan Africa underlines the need to screen all children with severe anaemia for the disease
Authors: Kadima Bertin Tshimanga , Gini Ehungu Jean Lambert , Ngiyulu René Makwala , Ekulu Pépé Mfutu , Aloni Michel Ntetani 
Published: May 2015

AbstractAimNeonatal screening for sickle cell anaemia is not common practice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we determined the prevalence in children with unknown electrophoresis of haemoglobin and anaemia.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted in four hospitals in the country's capital Kinshasa.ResultsWe screened 807 patients with anaemia (Hb < 6 g/dL) for sickle cell disease. The overall mean age at presentation was 42.7 months ± 29.7 months, and most patients (76.3%) were less than five years of age, with a peak incidence at seven to 36 months of age (45%). The median age at the first transfusion was 29 months (range 4–159 months). Of these 807 children, 36 (4.5%) were homozygous for haemoglobin S disease and 45 (5.6%) were heterozygotes. The proportion of patients with homozygous sickle cell anaemia was slightly higher in children with a medical history of hand foot syndrome, in children who had received more than three transfusions and in children up to 36 months of age at their first transfusion.ConclusionThe high prevalence of sickle cell anaemia in children in Sub‐Saharan Africa underlines the need for neonatal screening or, if that is not possible, screening of all children with severe anaemia to identify patients with the disease and provide early management.
Is there a limit to transanal endoscopic surgery? A comparative study between standard and technically challenging indications among 168 consecutive patients
Authors: Saget A. , Maggiori L. , Petruciani N. , Ferron M. , Panis Y. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractAimTo assess the surgical outcome of transanal endoscopic surgery (TES) for rectal neoplasms in technically challenging indications.MethodAll patients who underwent TES for a rectal neoplasm from 2007 to 2014 were included. Technically challenging indications included a tumour with (i) diameter ≥ 5 cm, (ii) involving ≥ 50% of the rectal circumference and (iii) located ≥ 10 cm from the anal verge. Patients were divided into three groups according to how many of these features they had, as follows: Group 1, none; Group 2, one; Group 3, two or more.ResultsOf the 168 patients (80 benign and 88 malignant tumours) included in the study, 73 (44%) were in Group 1, 46 (27%) in Group 2 and 49 (29%) in Group 3. There was no difference between Group 1 and Group 2 with regard to peritoneal perforation (P = 0.210), severe postoperative morbidity (P = 0.804), length of hospital stay (P = 0.444), incomplete resection (P = 0.441), piecemeal resection (P = 0.740), locoregional recurrence (P = 0.307) and long‐term symptomatic rectal stenosis (P = 0.076). Conversely Group 3 showed significantly impaired results compared with Group 1 with regard to peritoneal perforation (P = 0.003), piecemeal resection (P = 0.005), incomplete resection (P = 0.025), locoregional recurrence (P = 0.035) and long‐term symptomatic rectal stenosis (P < 0.001), but no difference in severe postoperative morbidity (P = 0.328).ConclusionTransanal endoscopic surgery for rectal neoplasms appears to be safe and effective, even in patients presenting with a technically challenging tumours. Although the short‐ and long‐term outcomes after TES are worse in patients with highly challenging tumours, nevertheless the technique should still be considered in patients at high risk of requiring a proctectomy.
The Cognitive Social Network in Dreams: Transitivity, Assortativity, and Giant Component Proportion Are Monotonic
Authors: Han Hye Joo , Schweickert Richard , Xi Zhuangzhuang , Viau‐Quesnel Charles 
Published: May 2015

AbstractFor five individuals, a social network was constructed from a series of his or her dreams. Three important network measures were calculated for each network: transitivity, assortativity, and giant component proportion. These were monotonically related; over the five networks as transitivity increased, assortativity increased and giant component proportion decreased. The relations indicate that characters appear in dreams systematically. Systematicity likely arises from the dreamer's memory of people and their relations, which is from the dreamer's cognitive social network. But the dream social network is not a copy of the cognitive social network. Waking life social networks tend to have positive assortativity; that is, people tend to be connected to others with similar connectivity. Instead, in our sample of dream social networks assortativity is more often negative or near 0, as in online social networks. We show that if characters appear via a random walk, negative assortativity can result, particularly if the random walk is biased as suggested by remote associations.
Effect of food intake on left and right ventricular systolic tissue Doppler measurements
Authors: Dieden Anna , Gårdinger Ylva , Hlebowicz Joanna , Björgell Ola , Dencker Magnus 
Published: May 2015

SummarySystolic tissue Doppler measurements (s′) have been used to measure the velocity in myocardial motion and are a valuable tool for evaluating the systolic function of the left and right ventricles. Digestion of food is known to significantly alter hemodynamics and may therefore affect s′. The effect of food intake on s′ parameters has not yet been studied. We assessed whether s′ is affected by food intake. Nineteen healthy subjects aged 26·2 ± 4·2 years were investigated. s′ was measured with pulsed tissue Doppler imaging in the right and left ventricles before the subjects ate a standardized meal and also 30 and 110 min after the meal. Three measurements were taken in each projection, and a mean value was calculated for each. s′ increased significantly (P<0·05) from fasting to 30 min after food intake in every measured site except in the left inferolateral wall (P = 0·15, NS). Several, but not all, variables returned to base value 110 min after food intake. This study shows that food intake affects the tissue Doppler variables used to evaluate systolic heart function. Further studies are needed in older healthy subjects and older subjects with various cardiovascular diseases.
Near infrared spectroscopy for frontal lobe oxygenation during non‐vascular abdominal surgery
Authors: Sørensen Henrik , Grocott Hilary P. , Secher Niels H. 
Published: May 2015

SummaryPurposeCerebral deoxygenation, as determined by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), seems to predict postoperative complications following cardiac surgery. We identify the type of non‐vascular abdominal surgery associated with cerebral deoxygenation and/or hyperoxygenation, how such deviations affect patient outcome, and whether maintained cerebral oxygenation improves outcome.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Clinicaltrials.gov.ResultsA total of 901 patients from 24 publications are described. A decrease in NIRS (>15% relative to baseline) manifested with reverse Trendelenburg's positioning and in 24% (median) of especially elderly patients undergoing open surgery and demonstrated a correlation to hospital stay (LOS). However, if cerebral deoxygenation was reversed promptly, improved postoperative cognitive function (28 versus 26; mini‐mental state examination) and reduced LOS (14 versus 23 days) were seen. Also, during liver transplantation (LTx), impaired cerebral autoregulation (25%), cerebral deoxygenation in the anhepatic phase (36%) and cerebral hyperoxygenation with reperfusion of the grafted liver (14%) were identified by NIRS and could lead to adverse neurological outcome, that is seizures, transient hemiparesis and stroke.ConclusionNIRS seems important for predicting neurological complications associated with LTx. Also, surgery in reverse Trendelenburg's position and in other types of abdominal surgery about one‐fourth of the patients are subjected to episodes of cerebral deoxygenation that seems to predict a poor outcome. Although there are currently only few studies available for patients going through abdominal surgery, the available evidence points to that it is an advantage to maintain the NIRS‐determined cerebral oxygenation.
Anything to Stay Alive: The Challenges of a Campaign for an Experimental Drug
Authors: Geffen Nathan 
Published: May 2015

AbstractDrug‐resistant tuberculosis (TB) has a high mortality rate. Most medicines used to treat it are poorly tested and have terrible side effects. Activists have campaigned for patients with drug‐resistant TB to have access to experimental drugs, particularly one called bedaquiline, before these have been approved by regulatory authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States (US) and the Medicines Control Council (MCC) in South Africa. Some activists have also campaigned for bedaquiline to be approved by regulatory authorities before testing of the drug is completed. These campaigns raise ethical concerns about whether patients should be offered experimental, unapproved, medicines for the treatment of life‐threatening illnesses, and if authorities should approve drugs for life‐threatening illnesses when vital questions about safety and efficacy remain outstanding.
Parasitism of a native Hawaiian stream fish by an introduced nematode increases with declining precipitation across a natural rainfall gradient
Authors: Gagne Roderick B. , Blum Michael J. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractClimate change can promote disease emergence if shifting conditions favour infection of native fauna by introduced parasites and pathogens. In Hawai'i, climate warming is predicted to reduce net precipitation and surface flow in streams, which in turn could increase parasitism of native stream fishes by non‐native parasites. In this study, we utilised a natural precipitation gradient across the Hamakua coast on the island of Hawai'i to assess the relationship between precipitation and infection of Awaous stamineus, a native amphidromous goby, by the introduced nematode Camallanus cotti. We found that the abundance, intensity and prevalence of C. cotti in A. stamineus increased with declining rainfall. Our results also show that parasitism tracks precipitation patterns across the archipelago and that parasitism increases even with moderate decreases in rainfall. As the Hamakua coast precipitation gradient represents a proxy for predicted climate‐driven reductions in precipitation, these findings suggest that infection of native Hawaiian fishes by introduced parasites will increase if climate conditions change as expected. Our findings also suggest that parasitism may be exacerbated by other factors that reduce surface flow, including water extraction for agricultural and urban uses. If so, then adaptive management of minimum flow standards in Hawai'i and elsewhere could improve the well‐being of at‐risk native fishes by alleviating parasitism under current and future climate conditions.
Canopy interactions and physical stress gradients in subtidal communities
Authors: Bennett Scott , Wernberg Thomas , de Bettignies Thibaut , Kendrick Gary A. , Anderson Robert J. , Bolton John J. , Rodgers Kirsten L. , Shears Nick T. , Leclerc Jean‐Charles , Lévêque Laurent , Davoult Dominique , Christie Hartvig C. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractSpecies interactions are integral drivers of community structure and can change from competitive to facilitative with increasing environmental stress. In subtidal marine ecosystems, however, interactions along physical stress gradients have seldom been tested. We observed seaweed canopy interactions across depth and latitudinal gradients to test whether light and temperature stress structured interaction patterns. We also quantified interspecific and intraspecific interactions among nine subtidal canopy seaweed species across three continents to examine the general nature of interactions in subtidal systems under low consumer pressure. We reveal that positive and neutral interactions are widespread throughout global seaweed communities and the nature of interactions can change from competitive to facilitative with increasing light stress in shallow marine systems. These findings provide support for the stress gradient hypothesis within subtidal seaweed communities and highlight the importance of canopy interactions for the maintenance of subtidal marine habitats experiencing environmental stress.
Metabolic syndrome in female migraine patients is associated with medication overuse headache: a clinic‐based study in China
Authors: He Z. , Dong L. , Zhang Y. , Kong Q. , Tan G. , Zhou J. 
Published: May 2015

Background and purposeMigraine and metabolic syndrome have been reported to coexist to a marked degree, especially in women migraine patients, but the relationship between these two conditions is still unclear. This study was performed to evaluate the association of headache characteristics and its comorbidities with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in female migraine patients.MethodsA total of 142 women with migraine who fulfilled the criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders 2nd edition were recruited in a neurological outpatient department in China. The characteristics of migraine and its comorbidities (analgesic use, psychiatric disorders and disability) were assessed with a detailed questionnaire. Anthropometrics, blood biochemistry and transcranial Doppler sonography were used for metabolic measurements and vascular function.ResultsOf 142 participants, 70.4% had one or more metabolic abnormalities and 12.0% had MetS. After adjustment for age, residence, body mass index, waist‐to‐height ratio, smoking and drinking history, chronic migraine in women patients was associated with MetS [odds ratio (OR) = 5.342, P = 0.032], but when the chronic migraine patients were comorbid with medication overuse headache (MOH), the risk for MetS increased significantly (OR = 12.68, P = 0.007). In addition, MOH was associated with abdominal obesity and hypertension amongst the components of MetS (OR = 4.205 and 3.234, P = 0.043 and 0.039, respectively).ConclusionsOur study may suggest that chronic migraine is associated with MetS, especially when it is comorbid with analgesic overuse. MOH may be the risk factor for MetS in female migraine patients and associated with abdominal obesity and hypertension.
Non‐motor symptoms burden in treated and untreated early Parkinson's disease patients: argument for non‐motor subtypes
Authors: Zis P. , Martinez‐Martin P. , Sauerbier A. , Rizos A. , Sharma J. C. , Worth P. F. , Sophia R. , Silverdale M. , Chaudhuri K. Ray 
Published: May 2015

Background and purposeNon‐motor symptoms (NMSs) occurring at an early stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) may impair quality of life more than motor symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the severity of overall NMS profile and burden of NMSs in early PD patients, treated (time since confirmed diagnosis of 5 years or less) or drug naive (DN).MethodsCross‐sectional data from an ongoing multicentre study (16 sites) were obtained and specifically an NMS data set from validated scales was analysed in treated and DN PD patients.ResultsA full data set was available in 234 unique early PD patients. Of them, there were 170 treated (63.5% males, mean age 68.2 years) and 64DN patients (64.1% males, mean age 66.5 years). Compared to DN patients the time since confirmed diagnosis was significantly longer in treated PD patients (1.9 years vs. 3.7 years, P < 0.001). Fatigue (57.7%), urinary urgency (57.1%), nocturia (55.3%), memory difficulties (51.2%) and urinary frequency (48.8%) were the most prevalent NMSs amongst treated PD, whereas DN PD reported most frequently sadness (57.8%), fatigue (57.8%), lightheadedness (53.1%), memory difficulties (48.4%) and urinary urgency (46.9%).ConclusionsOur results suggest that NMSs are dominant in the untreated and early phase of PD causing a considerable burden. This warrants investigation of the issue of NMS subtyping within PD.
Familial neonatal seizures in 36 families: Clinical and genetic features correlate with outcome
Authors: Grinton Bronwyn E. , Heron Sarah E. , Pelekanos James T. , Zuberi Sameer M. , Kivity Sara , Afawi Zaid , Williams Tristiana C. , Casalaz Dan M. , Yendle Simone , Linder Ilan , Lev Dorit , Lerman‐Sagie Tally , Malone Stephen , Bassan Haim , Goldberg‐Stern Hadassa , Stanley Thorsten , Hayman Michael , Calvert Sophie , Korczyn Amos D. , Shevell Michael , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Mulley John C. , Berkovic Samuel F. 
Published: May 2015

SummaryObjectiveWe evaluated seizure outcome in a large cohort of familial neonatal seizures (FNS), and examined phenotypic overlap with different molecular lesions.MethodsDetailed clinical data were collected from 36 families comprising two or more individuals with neonatal seizures. The seizure course and occurrence of seizures later in life were analyzed. Families were screened for KCNQ2, KCNQ3, SCN2A, and PRRT2 mutations, and linkage studies were performed in mutation‐negative families to exclude known loci.ResultsThirty‐three families fulfilled clinical criteria for benign familial neonatal epilepsy (BFNE); 27 of these families had KCNQ2 mutations, one had a KCNQ3 mutation, and two had SCN2A mutations. Seizures persisting after age 6 months were reported in 31% of individuals with KCNQ2 mutations; later seizures were associated with frequent neonatal seizures. Linkage mapping in two mutation‐negative BFNE families excluded linkage to KCNQ2, KCNQ3, and SCN2A, but linkage to KCNQ2 could not be excluded in the third mutation‐negative BFNE family. The three remaining families did not fulfill criteria of BFNE due to developmental delay or intellectual disability; a molecular lesion was identified in two; the other family remains unsolved.SignificanceMost families in our cohort of familial neonatal seizures fulfill criteria for BFNE; the molecular cause was identified in 91%. Most had KCNQ2 mutations, but two families had SCN2A mutations, which are normally associated with a mixed picture of neonatal and infantile onset seizures. Seizures later in life are more common in BFNE than previously reported and are associated with a greater number of seizures in the neonatal period. Linkage studies in two families excluded known loci, suggesting a further gene is involved in BFNE.
Do Yellow‐Bellied Marmots Perceive Enhanced Predation Risk When they are Farther from safety? An experimental study
Authors: Monclús Raquel , Anderson Alexandra M. , Blumstein Daniel T. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractWhereas there are many studies of the time allocated to antipredator vigilance while animals forage, the vast majority of these studies remain correlative. This is potentially problematic because a variety of factors other than variation in perceived risk might influence putative antipredator behaviors such as time allocated to vigilance and foraging. We conducted an experimental study of yellow‐bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) antipredator behavior while marmots foraged at a replicated set of feeding stations established 1, 5, 10, and 20 m from their main burrows. Marmots appeared to perceive a reduced risk of predation when they foraged in the presence of other marmots; they allocated more time to foraging and decreased the time allocated to vigilance. When they foraged farther from their burrows, marmots initiated foraging after a substantially greater amount of time, tended to increase the frequency of their bouts of vigilance, and decreased the duration of each bout. Yearling marmots took less time to begin foraging than adults. Marmot flight initiation distance at our feeding trays was independent of the distance they foraged away from the burrow. Taken together, these experimental results demonstrate that marmots' perceptions of risk increased with distance to the burrow and decreased when other individuals were within 10 m of them while they foraged.