bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Success factors for Bakri™ balloon usage secondary to uterine atony: a retrospective, multicentre study
Authors: Vintejoux Emmanuelle , Ulrich Daniela , Mousty Eve , Masia Florent , Marès Pierre , de Tayrac Renaud , Letouzey Vincent 
Published: July 2015

BackgroundPost‐partum haemorrhage (PPH) is one of the major obstetric complications and remains a cause of avoidable maternal mortality and morbidity.AimsThe aims of this study were to assess the success and practicability of a Bakri™ balloon intrauterine tamponade for PPH and evaluate the predictive factors for success.Materials and MethodsWomen who received the Bakri™ balloon secondary to uterine atony and subsequent failure of routine drug treatment were identified at 6 hospital sites. Demographic, obstetric and specific factors in regard to the Bakri™ balloon use were recorded. Factors predictive of Bakri™ balloon success were evaluated.ResultsIntrauterine Bakri™ balloon tamponade was used in 36 women with uterine atony of which 28 received the balloon treatment after vaginal delivery: more than 50% of women (16/28) presented with PPH with blood loss > 1000 mL (mean blood loss: 1130 mL). Two balloon insertions failures were identified. Bakri balloon success was 100% for women with bleeding < 1000 mL. Twenty‐five women (69%) did not require invasive treatment; seven (19%) required arterial embolisation and four (11%) surgical management. No short‐term complication was observed after balloon insertion.ConclusionThe use of the Bakri™ balloon method, if undertaken early, is effective for the management of PPH with uterine atony (100% success compared to 69% overall success rate). Intrauterine balloon tamponade should included in PPH management guidelines.
Early fetal echocardiography: Experience of a tertiary diagnostic service
Authors: Mogra Ritu , Saaid Rahmah , Kesby Greg , Hayward Janette , Malkoun Jessica , Hyett Jon 
Published: July 2015

BackgroundThere is a growing body of evidence that most of the major cardiac abnormalities can be diagnosed at 14–15 weeks of gestation. We present our experience of early fetal echocardiography.Materials and MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of women referred for early fetal echocardiography at 13–16 weeks of gestation at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Sydney Ultrasound for Women between August 2011 and March 2014. Findings of early fetal echocardiography, details of subsequent ultrasound examinations and pregnancy outcome were recorded.ResultsEarly fetal echocardiography was performed in 400 euploid fetuses at a mean gestational age of 15+2 weeks. 85% of women were referred for increased nuchal translucency. 383/400 (96%) women had both normal early and late fetal echocardiograms 15/400 (3.7%) were found to have a cardiac defect at early fetal echocardiography, including 14 major and one minor abnormality. Two additional minor cardiac defects were diagnosed at later antenatal ultrasounds. One case, defined as being normal antenatally, was found to have a minor cardiac abnormality post‐natally. Eight (57%) women whose fetus had a major cardiac defect chose to terminate the pregnancy. In the pregnancies that continued, the sensitivity and specificity for major cardiac defects was 100%, 95% CI (0.98–1.00).ConclusionEarly fetal echocardiography is feasible and highly sensitive and specific in experienced hands. The high specificity facilitates early reassurance of those women assessed at increased risk for fetal cardiac malformations.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis presentation of a human T‐lymphotropic virus type‐1 myelopathy – insight into pathogenesis
Authors: Alkhawajah Nuha M. , Chapman Kristine M. , Moore G. R. Wayne , Oger Joel 
Published: July 2015

A 41‐year‐old human T‐lymphotropic virus type 1‐positive woman developed a syndrome with upper and lower motor neuron signs sometime after bilateral vertebral artery dissections. Over 2 years, she developed a progressive myelopathy affecting predominantly the motor system. She had the picture of a ‘person in a barrel’ and died from complications. At autopsy, spinal cord revealed inflammatory infiltrates and extensive gliosis involving mainly the anterior horns. The vertebral arterial dissections may have permitted the entry of infected lymphocytes and macrophages, secreting cytokines and metalloproteinases, into the medulla progressing to the spinal cord. Few cases with pathological correlation have been reported.
Systematic review: bile acids and intestinal inflammation‐luminal aggressors or regulators of mucosal defence?
Authors: Pavlidis P. , Powell N. , Vincent R. P. , Ehrlich D. , Bjarnason I. , Hayee B. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryBackgroundInflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic conditions attributed to an aberrant immune response to luminal triggers. Recently, published work suggests a pathogenic role for bile acids in this context.AimTo perform a systematic review of studies investigating the role of bile acids in intestinal inflammation and present potentially relevant clinical implications.MethodsPubmed search for English language articles published up to May 2015. Terms used were: ‘bile’, ‘bile acid’, ‘barrier’, ‘small bowel injury’, ‘Crohn's’ and ‘colitis’.ResultsExperimental studies support a variable role for bile acids in intestinal barrier homoeostasis. This may be attributed to different physicochemical properties, variable effects on epithelia and immune cells via bile acids‐specific receptors, or through a cross‐talk with the gut microbiome. A reduction in the bile acids pool, with lower concentrations of secondary forms, has been recognised for some time in Crohn's disease and associated to ileal dysfunction and bile acids malabsorption. Recent work suggests that these changes, including an increase in sulphated forms, are related to inflammatory activity in both Crohn's disease and UC. The detrimental effects of ‘western diet’ elements such as emulsifiers and fat, which have been implicated in the development of the current IBD and obesity epidemics, may also be bile acid‐mediated.ConclusionsAlthough there are only a few observational clinical studies to support an interaction, in vivo human and animal studies support an association between bile acids metabolism, the gut microbiome and intestinal inflammation. This may well prove to have significant diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
Exact Confidence Intervals for the Relative Risk and the Odds Ratio
Authors: Wang Weizhen , Shan Guogen 
Published: July 2015

SummaryFor comparison of proportions, there are three commonly used measurements: the difference, the relative risk, and the odds ratio. Significant effort has been spent on exact confidence intervals for the difference. In this article, we focus on the relative risk and the odds ratio when data are collected from a matched-pairs design or a two-arm independent binomial experiment. Exact one-sided and two-sided confidence intervals are proposed for each configuration of two measurements and two types of data. The one-sided intervals are constructed using an inductive order, they are the smallest under the order, and are admissible under the set inclusion criterion. The two-sided intervals are the intersection of two one-sided intervals. R codes are developed to implement the intervals. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Rejoinder to Discussions on: Deductive Derivation and Turing-Computerization of Semiparametric Efficient Estimation
Authors: Frangakis Constantine E. , Qian Tianchen , Wu Zhenke , Díaz Iván 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
This article is the rejoinder to:
We thank the Editors and the Associate Editor for the opportunity to have this exchange. We also thank the discussants for welcoming this search to make semiparametric inference more deductive, and for all their very interesting and useful comments.
A novel multi‐parameter assay to dissect the pharmacological effects of different modes of integrin αLβ2 inhibition in whole blood
Authors: Welzenbach Karl , Mancuso Riccardo V , Krähenbühl Stephan , Weitz‐Schmidt Gabriele 
Published: July 2015

Background and PurposeThe integrin αLβ2 plays central roles in leukocyte adhesion and T cell activation, rendering αLβ2 an attractive therapeutic target. Compounds with different modes of αLβ2 inhibition are in development, currently. Consequently, there is a foreseeable need for bedside assays, which allow assessment of the different effects of diverse types of αLβ2 inhibitors in the peripheral blood of treated patients.Experimental ApproachHere, we describe a flow cytometry‐based technology that simultaneously quantitates αLβ2 conformational change upon inhibitor binding, αLβ2 expression and T cell activation at the single‐cell level in human blood. Two classes of allosteric low MW inhibitors, designated α I and α/β I allosteric αLβ2 inhibitors, were investigated. The first application revealed intriguing inhibitor class‐specific profiles.Key ResultsHalf‐maximal inhibition of T cell activation was associated with 80% epitope loss induced by α I allosteric inhibitors and with 40% epitope gain induced by α/β I allosteric inhibitors. This differential establishes that inhibitor‐induced αLβ2 epitope changes do not directly predict the effect on T cell activation. Moreover, we show here for the first time that α/β I allosteric inhibitors, in contrast to α I allosteric inhibitors, provoked partial downmodulation of αLβ2, revealing a novel property of this inhibitor class.Conclusions and ImplicationsThe multi‐parameter whole blood αLβ2 assay described here may enable therapeutic monitoring of αLβ2 inhibitors in patients' blood. The assay dissects differential effect profiles of different classes of αLβ2 inhibitors.
Care leavers on social work courses: a study of identity management
Authors: Ward Simon , Devereux Rose , Mayall Helen , O'Neill Teresa , Worsley Aidan 
Published: July 2015

AbstractCare leavers constitute a small but important minority of social work students. Their dual role as previous ‘consumers’ of care and students is of inherent interest to both those involved in social work education and providers of social work services. This paper discusses a small research project that explored the experiences of such students through semi‐structured interviews. One theme that reoccurred in the analyses of the interview transcripts was how the students managed their identities, through the time that they were in care, in the period having left care and having been accepted on a social work course. What the interviewees had to say about their care and subsequent life experiences is worthy of consideration in terms of its implications for the delivery of social work education generally and how care leavers on social work courses should be treated by academics and on placement particularly.
Leprosy profiles in post‐elimination stage: a tertiary care hospital experience
Authors: Mowla Mohammad Rafiqul , Ara Shamim , Tripura Sanai 
Published: July 2015

AbstractBackgroundMost countries that were previously highly endemic for leprosy have achieved elimination at the national level.ObjectivesTo find out the pattern, prevalence, and trends of leprosy in the post‐elimination stage.MethodsA descriptive retrospective cross‐sectional study was carried out using the registered records of patients attending the leprosy clinic in Chittagong Medical College Hospital between the periods 2001 and 2011.ResultsThe new case detection rate was declining. The prevalence rate was 0.75 at the end of 2011. Of a total of 789 patients, males (74%) outnumbered the females (26%). The age of the patients in the study group ranged from 6 years to 87 years with mean age 35.58 years ± 0.05 SEM. Paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) cases were 314 (39.80%) and 475 (60.20%), respectively. MB percentage was increasing more among new cases in the study period, and 119 (15.08%) patients presented with grade 2 deformities. Smear positive cases were 141 (17.87%). Leprosy reaction comprised of 193 (24.46%) type 1, 68 (8.62%) type 2, and 97 (12.29%) neuritis cases.LimitationsThis is a retrospective study from a single tertiary health center.ConclusionMB cases with grade 2 deformities are in an upward trend, and rates of children are declining. Developing reinforced new therapies to curb reactions, deformities are very important and contact tracing, especially of children, is essential. Domiciliary treatment needs to be made available to ensure early diagnosis.
New and emerging concepts in managing and preventing community‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections
Authors: Gupta Aditya K. , Lyons Danika C. A. , Rosen Ted 
Published: July 2015

AbstractMethicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections occurring within communities are increasing and can affect healthy individuals who have had little to no experience with hospital or healthcare settings (community‐associated MRSA, CA‐MRSA). CA‐MRSA infections have multiple presentations which can make diagnosis and timely treatment difficult yet often manifest as a skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) requiring dermatological intervention. There is emerging evidence of multiple environmental sources of bacteria that may contribute to recurrence. As with other infections, preventing transmission and recurrence depends on adherence to hand‐washing and personal hygiene practices. Pharmaceutical intervention should be culture‐ rather than empirically‐guided. The goal of this review is to provide dermatologists with a brief summary of the diagnostic features of CA‐MRSA infections and updated strategies for management and prevention of transmission and recurrence of CA‐MRSA infections, infections likely to present to dermatology offices.
Allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA‐A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 genes in polytransfused patients in ethnically diverse populations from Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues C. , Macedo L. C. , Bruder A. V. , Quintero F. d. C. , de Alencar J. B. , Sell A. M. , Visentainer J. E. L. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryThe red blood transfusion is a practice often used in patients with haematological and oncological diseases. However, the investigation of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) system frequency in these individuals is of great importance because multiple transfusions may lead to HLA alloimmunization. Brazil is a country that was colonized by many other ethnicities, leading to a mixed ethnicity and regionalized population. In view of the importance of HLA typing in these patients, the aim of this study was to investigate the allele and haplotype frequencies from polytransfused patients from three different regions from Brazil. HLA‐A, HLA‐B, HLA‐C, HLA‐DRB1 and HLA‐DQB1 genotyping of 366 patients was performed by PCR‐SSO, based on the Luminex technology (One Lambda®), and the anti‐HLA class I and class II antibodies were analysed using LabScreen Single Antigen Antibody Detection (One Lambda, Inc.). Allele and haplotype frequencies of polytransfused patients of three regions from Brazil were obtained using the Arlequin program. The most frequent allele frequencies observed were HLA‐A*02, A*03, B*15, B*35, B*51, C*07, C*04, C*03, DRB1*13, DRB1*11, DRB1*07, DRB1*03, DRB1*01, DQB1*03, DQB1*02, DQB1*06 and DQB1*05. There were differences between the groups for allele variants HLA‐B*57 (between Group 1 and Group 2) and HLA‐C*12 (between Group 1 and Group 3). The most frequent haplotypes found in the sample were HLA‐A*01B*08DRB1*03, DRBI*07DQB1*02, DRB1*01DQB1*05, DRB1*13DQB1*06 and A*02B*35. HLA class I and II antibodies were detected in 77.9% and 63.9% patients, respectively, while the both alloantibodies were detected in 62 (50.9%) patients. In conclusion, the HLA typing for polytransfused patients in each region has a great importance, as seen in this study; individuals from different regions from Brazil have HLA distribution not completely homogeneous.
Accelerated simulated annealing algorithm applied to the flexible job shop scheduling problem
Authors: Cruz‐Chávez Marco Antonio , Martínez‐Rangel Martín G. , Cruz‐Rosales Martín H. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThis paper presents a simulated annealing algorithm accelerated by a partial scheduling mechanism and a cooling schedule mechanism that is a function of the standard deviation. This facilitates a rapid approach to good solutions in the flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSSP). The results demonstrate that for benchmark instances of several sizes, simulated annealing that implements the proposed mechanism converges more quickly to good solutions than simulated annealing that does not implement the proposed mechanism.
An evolutionary implicit enumeration procedure for solving the resource‐constrained project scheduling problem
Authors: Zamani Reza 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThis paper presents a procedure for solving the resource‐constrained project scheduling problem. It consists of an implicit enumeration module and a genetic algorithm. If the procedure is provided access to all of its required computational resources of the problem at hand, it guarantees the optimality of the produced solution. In contrast, and in the case of limited access to computational resources, the procedure gradually moves the root of the search‐tree downward, and consequently prunes part of the search space, trading speed with precision effectively. In the cases where speed has been traded with precision, and the guarantee of optimality has been lost, the final schedule created by the implicit enumeration module is used as a template whose modified instances fill an initial pool of a genetic algorithm to improve the proposed solution. The procedure has been applied to 2040 benchmark instances. The results are promising; whereas for all small‐ and some medium‐sized instances, the procedure has found and guaranteed optimal solutions, for other instances, whose optimal solutions cannot be guaranteed within the limit of computational resources, it has produced high‐quality solutions.
The self‐evaluation of upper‐gastrointestinal symptoms in Chinese patients with digestive disease: A multicenter questionnaire survey
Authors: Lin Rong , Wang Weijun , Hou Xiaohua 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAim:To investigate the self‐evaluation of upper gastrointestinal symptoms in Chinese patients. To observe the role of patients' characters, such as sex, age, education background, and clinic visits, which might affect the self‐understanding of patients.Methods:The nationwide cross‐sectional questionnaire was administered to 3000 patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms at 50 hospitals across 9 provinces in China. Questionnaire items covered four basic patients' characters and five major upper gastrointestinal symptoms.Results:A total of 2799 questionnaires (response rate: 93.3%) were analyzed. Only 35.29% patients could precisely understand the definition of dyspepsia. The misunderstanding of lower‐gastroenterology discomforts is the major reason leading to low accuracy rate of dyspepsia. The accuracy rate of early satiety and postprandial fullness is 37.7% and 52.27% separately; they are most interrelated and easily confused concepts to each other. The accuracy rate of heartburn is 30.02%, while the location of burning sensation is the key aspect for misunderstanding of heartburn. The self‐understanding of symptoms in patients was decreased with increasing age, and enhanced with higher education background and time of clinic visits. Gender is not the independent factor.Conclusion:Based on the low accuracy rate of self‐understanding of patients, this survey suggests that the gastroenterologists should re‐evaluate the symptoms of patients during the clinical inquiry.
Survey of intimate partner violence before and during pregnancy among Japanese women
Authors: Kataoka Yaeko , Imazeki Mikiko , Shinohara Eriko 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAimIntimate partner violence (IPV) causes serious health problems, which could be life‐threatening to pregnant women and their babies. Despite several IPV studies in Japan, the screening timeframe for IPV during pregnancy remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of IPV among Japanese women before and during pregnancy.MethodsA survey was conducted at a hospital's outpatient clinic in Nagano, Japan, during October through December 2011 and March through July 2012. The Violence Against Women Screen (VAWS) questionnaire was distributed to 93 eligible women and 84 (89.5%) agreed to be assessed for the occurrence of IPV before and during pregnancy.ResultsThe mean VAWS total score before pregnancy was 1.43 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.64; range, 0–7), and during pregnancy it was 0.83 (SD = 1.03; range, 0–6), and was significantly different (t = 4.98, P < 0.001). In addition, more women experienced IPV prior to pregnancy (34.9%) than during pregnancy (20.7%). All women who screened positive during pregnancy were also positive before pregnancy. Prevalence of intimate partner physical violence was 4.9% prior to pregnancy and declined to 3.7% during pregnancy.ConclusionEven though the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy had decreased compared with before pregnancy, all women experiencing IPV before pregnancy continued to be victimized during pregnancy. Therefore, IPV screening questions should include IPV that had occurred a year prior.
Ovarian pregnancy associated with a fresh blastocyst transfer following in vitro fertilization
Authors: Ishikawa Hiroshi , Sanada Michio , Shozu Makio 
Published: July 2015

AbstractOvarian pregnancy is a rare subtype of ectopic pregnancy, and its mechanisms have not been clarified. We report a case of ovarian pregnancy that supports a blastocyst migration mechanism. An infertile woman became pregnant after a single blastocyst transfer following in vitro fertilization during a fresh non‐donor cycle. Transvaginal ultrasound revealed a gestational sac‐like structure containing an active fetus that was located adjacent to the corpus luteum of the right ovary. Laparoscopy identified a red, swollen implantation site in the ovary, which was completely removed by wedge resection without damaging the remaining parenchyma. This case demonstrated that a fresh blastocyst transferred into the endometrial cavity migrated through the fallopian tube, implanted on an ovarian surface, and formed an ovarian pregnancy.