bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Corneal Thickness of Eyes with Unilateral Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Arikan Sedat , Ersan Ismail , Kara Selcuk , Gencer Baran , Korkmaz Safak , Vural Azer Sara 
Published: December 2014

Purpose To compare the central corneal thicknesses (CCT), peripheral corneal thicknesses, and corneal volumes (CV) of the 2 eyes of patients with unilateral age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Twenty patients who were diagnosed with unilateral AMD were included in this prospective study for the purpose of making comparison between the diseased and healthy eyes. Optical coherence tomography and fundus fluorescein angiography imaging were applied to all patients in order to confirm and reveal the presence of unilateral AMD. Then, the measurements of CCT, peripheral corneal thickness measured 4 mm distant from the center of the cornea (4 mm CT), and CV of each eye of these patients were obtained through the rotating Scheimpflug corneal topographer. Results Wilcoxon signed-rank test did not demonstrate a statistically sig nificant difference between the 2 eyes of patients with unilateral AMD when we compared the CCT and CV of diseased and healthy eyes (p>0.05). However, 4 mm CT of the diseased eyes of these patients were statistically significantly thicker than the healthy eyes (p<0.05). Conclusions The significant difference in terms of 4 mm CT between the diseased and healthy eyes of patients with unilateral AMD may demonstrate the possible effect of peripheral corneal thickness on the development of AMD.
Two Week, OCT-Based follow-up as Guidance for Retreatment with Ranibizumab for CNV Apparently Refractory to Therapy
Authors: Manousaridis Kleanthis , Talks James 
Published: December 2014

Purpose To assess the value of 2-week optical coherence tomography (OCT) follow-up for re-treatment decision-making in patients receiving monthly ranibizumab injections for choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV), which was apparently refractory to treatment. Methods A total of 25 eyes of 25 consecutive patients with refractory CNV were included. Patients were classified as having refractory disease if no visual acuity (VA) change and no change in the pattern of macular fluid was noticed on OCT after at least 3 consecutive monthly injections, excluding the loading doses. Repeat injection was given and reassessment with VA and OCT was undertaken at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Results Complete resolution or marked reduction of macular fluid was noted in 19 patients at 2 weeks (responders). In 18 responders, the fluid increased on 4- and persisted on 8- and 12-week follow-ups, so that further injections were given at these time points. In 6 patients, no significant change was noted at 2 weeks (nonresponders). In all of them, VA and OCT were stable on 4-, 8-, and 12-week follow-ups, without further injections. Conclusions As some patients are responding for at least part of the month, injections may be worth continuing or possibly more frequent injections, tailored to the individual's response, may need to be considered. Alternative therapies such as aflibercept may also need to be considered. In nonresponding eyes, other cytokines except for vascular endothelial growth factor are probably involved in the pathogenesis or such cases may have structural damage that will not respond to therapy.
Cataract Surgery under Topical Anesthesia in a Patient with Parkinson Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation: A Report of Feasibility
Authors: Posarelli Chiara , Del Prete Eleonora , Ceravolo Roberto , Nardi Marco , Figus Michele 
Published: December 2014

Purpose Deep brain stimulation provides benefits for people with Parkinson disease by managing some of their complications. None of the few reports in the current literature establishes the functionality of deep brain stimulation when activated during phacoemulsification. Methods A 70-year-old woman with subthalamic deep brain stimulator (DBS) for advanced Parkinson disease was referred to our center for cataract surgery. To evaluate any possible interference between ultrasounds and the DBS, we registered the impedance of the electrodes before and after surgery. Results The patient underwent uneventful phacoemulsification of her right eye under topical anesthesia with her internal pulse generator device activated. During the surgical procedure, all potential variations of the impedance of the electrodes were recorded. Conclusions This report demonstrates that phacoemulsification under topical anesthesia is a feasible procedure in patients with DBS, showing no interference between the ultrasounds and the internal pulse generator.
Effect of Rotary Blood Pump Pulsatility on Potential Parameters of Blood Compatibility and Thrombosis in Inflow Cannula Tips
Authors: Wong Kai Chun , Büsen Martin , Benzinger Carrie , Gäng René , Bezema Mirko , Greatrex Nicholas , Schmitz-Rode Thomas , Steinseifer Ulrich 
Published: December 2014

Purpose Rotary Blood Pump (RBP) pulsatile strategies relative to the native cardiac cycle have been widely studied because of their benefits to hemodynamics. However, the effects that inducing pulses has on the blood compatibility of ventricular assist device (VAD) support have not yet been understood. Inflow cannulae have been found to be associated with thrombosis under conventional constant speed support of RBPs. To prevent further risks to blood compatibility, it is necessary to understand the relationship between cannula tip design and the induced pulsatility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the flow field of 5 different tip geometries under RBP pulsatile support using stereo-particle image velocimetry (PIV). Methods Inflow cannulae with conventional tip geometries (blunt, blunt with 4 side ports, beveled with 3 side ports, and cage) and a custom designed crown tip were studied. All cannulae were interposed between a mixed-flow RBP and a silicone left ventricle. The contractile function and hemodynamics were reproduced in a mock circulation loop (MCL). The RBP was configured to induce synchronous and counter-synchronous pulses relative to cardiac cycles while supporting the failing ventricle. Results Between both pulsing strategies, low shear volume ([Formula: see text], potential parameter of thrombus formation) showed no significant difference. However, counter-synchronous pulsatile mode induced less increase of both high shear volume ([Formula: see text], potential parameter of platelet activation) and recirculation volume (Vz>0, potential parameter of thrombus formation). Conclusions Although the clinical relationship cannot be inferred from this measurement, when considering the inflow tips only, a necessary trade-off should be made between adverse effects on blood compatibility and benefits for hemodynamics during RBP pulsatile mode.
New Option for the Treatment of Hyperbilirubinemia: In Vitro Direct Hemoperfusion with the Lixelle S-35
Authors: Sartori Marco , Sharma Aashish , Neri Mauro , Garzotto Francesco , Nalesso Federico , Giavarina Davide , Zancato Mirella , Ronco Claudio 
Published: December 2014

Purpose Limited options are available to treat critically ill patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (AoCLF), therefore we set up an in vitro study in order to test the bilirubin adsorption capacity of the Lixelle S-35 cartridge by direct hemoperfusion (DHP). Methods Mock DHP was performed for 120 min using hyperbilirubinic human plasma and blood obtained from a plasmapheresis and exchange transfusion, respectively. The total bilirubin (TBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) baseline concentrations were 17.57 ± 0.53, 12.57 ± 0.23 mg/dl for plasma and 23.10 ± 0.47, 15.37 ± 0.24 mg/dl for blood. Plasma and blood were separately circulated in a closed circuit simulating DHP using an adsorption column (Lixelle S-35) at flow rate of 100 ml/min. TBIL and DBIL levels were measured at 10, 30, 60, and 120 min from arterial and venous ports and assessed with the Jendrassik-Grof method. All tests were performed in triplicate. Results The total removal subsequent to DHP (120 min) was seen as TBIL in plasma 55.60%, TBIL in blood 62.16%, DBIL plasma 58.87%, DBIL in blood 64.41%, respectively. The estimated mass adsorption of TBIL in plasma 958.20 ± 5.72 mg, TBIL in blood 1233.60 ± 10.22 mg, DBIL in plasma 680.70 ± 10.68, DBIL in blood 818.10 ± 4.68, respectively. Conclusions The bilirubin adsorption rates after DHP were very promising for both hyperbilirubinic plasma and blood. Although further in vitro investigations are required, including comparisons with other techniques, these findings have shown that the Lexille S-35 should represent an option for the management of hyperbilirubinemia in ALF or AoCLF.
Clinical Evaluation of An Expert System for Arteriovenous Fistula Assessment
Authors: Chanliau Jacques , Charasse Christophe , Rose Cédric , Béné Bernard 
Published: December 2014

The monitoring of ionic dialysance in hemodialysis allows early detection of arterio-venous fistula stenosis. One limitation to the practical use of ionic dialysance is that the analysis is very time consuming on a majority of normal cases. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the utility of an expert system reproducing a human analysis and allowing continuous monitoring of the ionic dialysance by helping the physician to focus his or her expertise on the abnormal cases. The method is based on a Bayesian model that analyzes the blood flow rate, the ionic dialysance, and the venous and arterial pressures measured on the extra corporeal circuit. The clinical evaluation was performed on 90 dialysis patients at the hospital dialysis center of Saint Brieux in France with a history of at least four consecutive months of validated recording. The retrospective automated analysis was evaluated in comparison to vascular access problems identified from invasive investigation or treatment. The sensitivity of the automated analysis is 92% with a specificity of 75%. As a conclusion we suggest that this expert system could be used in a continuous vascular access monitoring procedure consisting in a weekly review of the patient population at the dialysis center. The patients with the highest risk score need a further investigation of their historical data and their medical history in order to decide whether or not to perform an invasive intervention.
A Modeling Tool to Study the Combined Effects of Drug Administration and Lvad Assistance in Pathophysiological Circulatory Conditions
Authors: Mahmood Mohammad Nauzef , Fresiello Libera , Di Molfetta Arianna , Ferrari Gianfranco 
Published: December 2014

The aim of this work is to develop a tool to study the effect of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on hemodynamics in conjunction with baroreflex and mechanical circulatory assistance. To this aim, a numerical model of the pharmacodynamic effect of SNP was developed and inserted into a cardiovascular circulatory model integrated with baroreflex and LVAD (continuous flow pump with atrio-aortic connection) sub-models. The experiments were carried out in two steps. In the first step the model was verified comparing simulations with experimental data acquired from mongrel dogs on mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), peripheral resistance, and left ventricular properties. In the second step, the combined action of SNP and mechanical circulatory assistance was studied. Data were measured at pump off and at pump on (20000 rpm and 24000 rpm). At pump off, with a 2.5 μg/kg per min SNP infusion in heart failure condition, the MAP was reduced by approximately 8%, CO and HR increased by about 16% and 18%, respectively. In contrast, during assistance (24000 rpm) the changes in MAP, CO and HR were around −9%, +12%, and +20%, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of the drug on hemodynamic parameters at different heart conditions were significantly different. Thus, the model provides insight into the complex interactions between baroreflex, drug infusion, and LVAD and could be a support for clinical decision-making in cardiovascular pathologies.
Correlation between LDH levels and response to sorafenib in HCC patients: an analysis of the ITA.LI.CA database
Authors: Sacco Rodolfo , Mismas Valeria , Granito Alessandro , Musettini Gianna , Masi Gianluca , Caparello Chiara , Vivaldi Caterina , Felder Martina , Bresci Giampaolo , Fornaro Lorenzo 
Published: December 2014

Background Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a predictor of clinical outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, its predictive role in the clinical outcomes of sorafenib treatment has been poorly documented. The correlation between LDH levels and clinical outcomes in HCC patients treated with sorafenib and included in the nationwide Italian database ITA.LI.CA was investigated here. Patients and Methods  The ITA.LI.CA database contains data for 5,136 HCC patients. All patients treated with sorafenib treatment and with available LDH values were considered. Overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP) were compared in patients with LDH levels above and below a defined threshold, determined through an ROC analysis. An explorative analysis investigated the relationship between the variation of LDH levels during treatment and response to sorafenib. Results Baseline LDH levels were available for 97 patients. The most accurate cutoff value for LDH concentration was 297 U/L. Patients with LDH values above (n=45) and below (n=52) this threshold showed equal OS (12.0 months) and TTP (4.0 months) values. Data on LDH levels during sorafenib treatment were reported for 10 patients. LDH values decreased in 3 patients (mean difference = -219 U/L) who also reported a prolonged OS and TTP versus those with unmodified/increased LDH (OS: NE (not evaluated) vs. 8.0 months, p=0.0083; TTP: 19.0 vs. 3.0 months, p=0.008). Conclusions  The clinical benefits of sorafenib do not seem to be influenced by baseline LDH. According to the results of an explorative analysis, however, a decreased LDH concentration during sorafenib might be associated with improved clinical outcomes.
Serological tumor markers of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis
Authors: Hussein Tarek D. 
Published: December 2014

Background The clinical value of serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been questioned due to its low sensitivity and specificity. Other than AFP, several new serum biomarkers including glypican-3 (GPC3), des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), α-L-fucosidase enzyme (AFU) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have been identified as useful HCC markers. Material and methods A systematic search on PubMed, Web of Science and others was performed. Twenty-six case-control studies on HCC-related biomarkers published from 2000 to 2014 were included in this analysis. Data on sensitivity and specificity of tests were extracted and analyzed using the Meta-DiSc 1.4 statistical program. Fixed or random-effects models were used depending on the absence or presence of significant heterogeneity. Summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curves were obtained to evaluate the accuracy of the studied markers. Results The areas under the sROC curve of AFP, GPC3, DCP, AFU, VEGF and the combination of each of the last 4 markers with AFP were 0.869, 0.928, 0.832, 0.851, 0.834, 0.964, 0.972, 0.873 and 0.948, respectively. A combination of AFP+GPC3, AFP+DCP or AFP+VEGF was superior to AFP alone in detecting HCC. The area under the sROC curve of GPC3 alone was significantly higher than that of AFP, whereas the areas of DCP, AFU and VEGF were comparable to that of AFP. Conclusions GPC3, DCP, AFU and VEGF are suitable markers for HCC, and their determination with AFP may prove to be useful in the diagnosis and screening of HCC.
Prognostic effect of high pretreatment neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio on survival of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma in China
Authors: Qiu Miaozhen , Zhou Yixin , Jin Ying , Wei Xiao-li , Wang De-shen , Ren Chao , Bai Long , Yang Da-jun , Xu Rui-hua 
Published: December 2014

Background A high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a strong predictor of poor survival in patients with colorectal, breast, pancreatic and lung cancers, while the prognostic value of NLR in gastric cancer is still controversial. The aim of our study was to determine the prognostic value of pretreatment NLR in a Chinese population of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods Our retrospective study used an unselected cohort of gastric adenocarcinoma patients treated in the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2001 and December 2008. We used the data from 341 healthy individuals as controls to understand the difference of NLR between the gastric cancer patients and normal individuals. A total of 706 patients had a complete blood count (CBC) record prior to treatment. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR. Results Gastric adenocarcinoma patients had a significantly higher NLR as well as neutrophilic granulocyte and lower lymphocyte counts compared with healthy individuals. By combining the nearby groups of NLR whose survival had no significant difference, we got a cutoff value for NLR of 3. Patients with a high NLR had a significantly lower survival rate than patients with a low NLR. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for tumor stage and other clinicopathologic factors, high NLR turned out to be an independent risk factor for poor survival (p=0.016). Conclusions Gastric cancer patients had a significantly higher incidence rate of high NLR compared with healthy individuals. High pretreatment NLR in gastric cancer was an independent prognostic factor.
The role of circulating adiponectin in prostate cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Liao Qiaofang , Long Chan , Deng Zhuojuan , Bi Xiaoxia , Hu Jun 
Published: December 2014

Purpose Emerging evidence suggests that adiponectin may play a protective role in tumor progression and prognosis. However, available evidence in prostate cancer is conflicting. Therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis to evaluate the role of circulating adiponectin and prostate cancer. Methods and results An extensive search was performed on Google, PubMed, Elsevier Science and Springer from the date of the inception of those services to December 2013. Eleven studies with 2,504 patients and 3,565 controls concerning this association were included in our analysis. Standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) was used to estimate this association. The pooled analysis showed that circulating adiponectin concentrations were lower in patients with prostate cancer than controls, with a pooled SMD of -0.893 μg/mL (95% CI, -1.345 to -0.440, p=0.000). Dose-response relationships between concentrations of adiponectin and risk of prostate cancer were evaluated. We found that decreased concentrations of adiponectin were associated with a significantly greater risk of prostate cancer (p for nonlinearity = 0.043). Conclusions The results of our analysis indicated that concentration of adiponectin in cancer patients was significantly lower than in controls. Thus, adiponectin may serve as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of this disease. We also found that decreased concentration of adiponectin was associated with a significantly greater risk of prostate cancer. However, more studies in future, especially larger, prospective studies, are needed to confirm this association with underlying biological mechanisms.
FBXW7 Mutation Analysis and its Correlation with Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Chang Chia-Chu , Lin Hung-Hsin , Lin Jen-Kou , Lin Chun-Chi , Lan Yuan-Tzu , Wang Huann-Sheng , Yang Shung-Haur , Chen Wei-Shone , Lin Tzu-Chen , Jiang Jeng-Kai , Chang Shih-Ching 
Published: December 2014

Purpose This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of mutations in the tumor suppressor gene FBXW7 for clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods Between January 2000 and December 2009, FBXW7 mutations in tumor tissues from 1,519 CRC patients at Taipei Veterans General Hospital were assessed using a MassArray system. We compared the clinicopathological variables and prognosis between the wild-type and mutant tumor tissue groups. Results FBXW7 mutations were present in 114/1,519 CRC patients (7.5%). In stage I/II CRC patients, mutant FBXW7 was more common than wild-type FBXW7 (62.3% vs. 50.8%). CRC patients with FBXW7 mutations did not differ significantly in their 5-year overall survival (OS). Stage I/II CRC patients with FBXW7 mutations had lower OS, but this difference was not significant (71.6% vs. 78.2%). Among FBXW7 tumors, S582L was the most frequent mutation type (19.3%), followed by R465H (16.6%), R505C (14.9%) and R479Q (14.9%). Subgroup analysis of FBXW7 mutants showed that R465H/R465C/R479Q had better 5-year OS than other mutant types (76.9% vs. 56.0%; p=0.012). Conclusions There was no strong association between patient prognosis and FBXW7 mutations in our large-scale study.
Bilateral Metachronous Adrenal Metastases of Operated Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Ozturk Hakan , Karapolat Inanç , Saklamaz Ali 
Published: December 2014

Background The adrenal glands are among the target metastatic organs due to the potential of systemic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The number of cases with bilateral metachronous metastases from RCC is about twenty. Patients and Methods A sixty-one-year-old man presented for routine checks due to an operated left renal tumor (clear cell carcinoma, PT2N0M0, Fuhrman grade III). The patient underwent 18FDG-PET/CT in order to restage the disease upon observation of bilateral adrenal masses on ultrasound and CT. A bilateral metachronous metastasis was found, whose SUVmax was 6.7 × 50 × 38 × 20 cm on the left adrenal gland, and another metastasis whose SUVmax was 5.5 40 × 29 × 20 on the right adrenal gland. Results The patient underwent a CT-guided biopsy and diagnosis of adrenal metastasis was made by pathological and immunohistochemical examination. The laparoscopic treatment was performed. Conclusions There is no standard approach for the treatment of these patients in the literature. But metastasectomy is the most realistic part of the treatment. Making definitive diagnosis with biopsy, following hormonal examination and treatment with minimally invasive adrenal sparing surgical procedure containing frozen-section are strongly recommended. Cancer specific survival significantly increases with metastasectomy.
Soil: Threshold Spaces of Subjectivity, Pedagogy, and Place in Landscape Art
Authors: Pente Patti 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Through intersections of place, art, and pedagogy, normative ways of understanding landscape art and subjectivity are opened to other possibilities. With the creation of eight pieces of art, and the various activities related to them, I offer alternatives to the metaphor of wilderness that informs nationalism. With this a/r/tographical inquiry into elements of the land that serve as structural and heuristic supports, interwoven with the philosophy of Jean-Luc Nancy and Jacques Derrida, I draw on understandings of subjectivity theorized and performed from the premise that it, like learning, is an unpredictable, relational activity of emergence that exists as a threshold space. In the early spring, the Boreal is brown beneath and above me: the colour of nature’s sleep. By burying a piece of cloth, I foresee that I will initiate a drawing, making an arc of soil and dead grass. It will be a brown, gestural line cracking the future uniformity of the lawn. But that is not what happens. It all turns green and weeks later I have to move blades of grass and search carefully to find the thin scar that is the only evidence of my art. The grass covers and erases the art, laughing in silent chorus.