bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coronary Artery Dimensions in Febrile Children Without Kawasaki Disease
Authors: Muniz Juan-Carlos G. , Dummer Kirsten , Gauvreau Kimberlee , Colan Steven D. , Fulton David R. , Newburger Jane W. 
Published: January 2013

Background—
Coronary artery (CA) dilatation on echocardiography is a criterion for treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin for incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD). However, CA dimensions for febrile children are unknown. We compared CA dimensions in children with febrile illnesses other than KD to those of normal afebrile children and to KD patients.

Methods and Results—

We performed echocardiograms in 43 patients who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) age 3 months to 18 years, (2) daily fever >38°C for ≥96 hours, and (3) a diagnosis other than KD. These subjects had mean CA
z
scores greater than normative values (left main CA=0.66±0.75,
P
<0.001; right CA=0.28±0.81,
P
=0.03; left anterior descending CA=0.35±1.0,
P
=0.03). Maximum CA
z
score >2 was found in 2 subjects (osteomyelitis, Mycoplasma pneumonia). Among demographic and laboratory measures, only higher platelet count was associated with greater left anterior descending CA
z
scores (
P
=0.004) and maximum CA
z
score (
P
=0.03). Non-KD febrile subjects, compared with 144 KD patients, had smaller CA
z
scores (
P
=0.04,
P
<0.001, and
P
<0.001 for left main CA, right CA, and left anterior descending CA, respectively), and lower white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and platelet count (all
P
<0.001). A maximum CA
z
score cutoff of 2.0 had specificity of 95% (95% confidence interval, 84%–99%) and sensitivity of 32% (95% confidence interval, 25%–41%) in distinguishing non-KD febrile from KD patients; for maximum CA
z
score of 2.5, specificity was 98% and sensitivity was 20%.

Conclusions—
This pilot study found that mean CA dimensions in children with non-KD febrile illnesses are larger than those in normative afebrile subjects but smaller than dimensions in patients with KD. Future studies should augment the available data on CA dimensions in children with more severe febrile illnesses.
Regions of Low Endothelial Shear Stress Colocalize With Positive Vascular Remodeling and Atherosclerotic Plaque Disruption
Authors: Phinikaridou Alkystis , Hua Ning , Pham Tuan , Hamilton James A. 
Published: January 2013

Background—
Local hemodynamic factors, particularly low endothelial shear stress (ESS), play a role in the focal formation of atherosclerosis. We used in vivo MRI to investigate the role of the magnitude of ESS on vascular remodeling, plaque burden, and disruption using a rabbit model of controlled atherothrombosis.

Methods and Results—

Atherosclerosis was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by cholesterol diet and endothelial denudation. MRI was performed before (pretrigger) and after (posttrigger) inducing plaque disruption with Russell viper venom and histamine. Of the 134 vascular segments studied, 28 contained thrombus (disrupted) and 106 did not (nondisrupted). Disrupted plaques were histologically characterized by a thin, inflamed fibrous cap, a dense lipid core, and mural thrombus. Pretriggered MRI revealed that disrupted plaques clustered at regions with low mean ESS (11.55±5.3 versus 20.9±9.74 dynes/cm
2
;
P
<0.001) and low peak ESS (21.5±11.2 versus 49.2±21.5 dynes/cm
2
;
P
<0.001) compared with nondisrupted plaques. The peak ESS negatively correlated with the plaque area (
r
=−0.56,
P
<0.001) and remodeling ratio (
r
=−0.4,
P
=0.008). There was also a negative correlation between the mean ESS and the remodeling ratio (
r
=−0.55,
P
<0.001). Both the peak ESS and the mean ESS did not correlate with the % stenosis; there was a weak but statistically significant correlation with the % cross-sectional narrowing (
r
=0.3,
P
=0.002 and
r
=0.2,
P
=0.04, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that both mean (AUC=0.78; 95% CI, 0.69–0.87) and peak ESS (AUC=0.85; 95% CI, 0.78–0.93) identified disrupted plaques.

Conclusions—
We demonstrated that low ESS is associated with plaque burden, positive vascular remodeling, and plaque disruption in a rabbit model. Assessment of ESS by noninvasive MRI might be useful for assessing atherosclerotic risk.
Detectable Changes in the Frequency of Temperature Extremes
Authors: Morak Simone , Hegerl Gabriele C. , Christidis Nikolaos 
Published: January 2013

Abstract
This study determines whether observed recent changes in the frequency of hot and cold extremes over land can be explained by climate variability or whether they show a detectable response to external influences. The authors analyze changes in the frequency of moderate-to-extreme daily temperatures—namely, the number of days exceeding the 90th percentile and the number of days not reaching the 10th percentile of daily minimum (tn90 and tn10, respectively) and maximum (tx90 and tx10, respectively) temperature—for both cold and warm seasons. The analysis is performed on a range of spatial scales and separately for boreal cold- and warm-season data. The fingerprint for external forcing is derived from an ensemble of simulations produced with the Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model, version 1 (HadGEM1), with both anthropogenic and natural forcings. The observations show an increase in warm extremes and a decrease in cold extremes in both seasons and in almost all regions that are generally well captured by the model. Some regional differences between model and observations may be due to local forcings or changes in climate dynamics. A detection analysis, using both optimized and nonoptimized fingerprints, shows that the influence of external forcing is detectable in observations for both cold and warm extremes, and cold and warm seasons, over the period 1951–2003 at the 5% level. It is also detectable separately for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and over most regions analyzed. The model shows a tendency to significantly overestimate changes in warm daytime extremes, particularly in summer.
Endolaryngeal Hookwire Electrodes for Intraoperative Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Monitoring during Pediatric Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Cheng Jeffrey , Kazahaya Ken 
Published: January 2013

ObjectiveTo describe the senior author's surgical technique and discuss his experience with endolaryngeal hookwire electrodes for intraoperative, recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring during pediatric thyroid surgery.Study DesignConsecutive case series.SettingTertiary‐care, academic, children's hospital.Subjects and MethodsA consecutive case series review of pediatric patients (age <16 years) who underwent thyroid surgery with intraoperative, endolaryngeal hookwire recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring. Nerve injury was defined as vocal cord dysfunction present >12 months postoperatively.ResultsSeventeen patients were identified. There were 5 males and 12 females, and the average age was 11.7 years (range, 4‐15 years). Nineteen procedures were performed—4 hemithyroidectomies, 2 completion thyroidectomies, and 13 total thyroidectomies—with 32 nerves at risk. One patient had a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury with a nerve paresis that persisted longer than 12 months postoperatively, making our recurrent laryngeal nerve injury rate 3.1% (1/32). Fortunately, the nerve eventually recovered to normal function.ConclusionThyroid nodules and surgery in children consist of higher rates of malignancy and potentially higher risks for recurrent laryngeal nerve complications. Our injury rate was 3.1%. Intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring with endolaryngeal hookwire electrodes in pediatric thyroid surgery may be helpful in nerve identification and is very sensitive. This technique can be used in situations in which endotracheal tubes with surface electrodes cannot be accommodated by the smaller size of the pediatric airway.
Single‐Stage Excision of Localized Head and Neck Venous Malformations Using Preoperative Glue Embolization
Authors: Tieu David D. , Ghodke Basavaraj V. , Vo Nghia J. , Perkins Jonathan A. 
Published: January 2013

ObjectiveDescribe single‐stage removal of head and neck venous malformations using percutaneous embolization with n–butyl cyanoacrylate (n‐BCA) glue prior to surgical resection.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary‐care pediatric hospital.Subjects and ResultsA total of 169 venous malformations were identified between 2000 and 2012, and 102 (60.1%) were in the head and neck. Thirty‐five of 102 (34.3%) were observed, 56 of 102 (54.9%) had invasive therapy, and 11 of 102 (10.8%) underwent n‐BCA embolization and surgery (“GES procedure”). The median age of the glue embolization and surgery cohort was 14 years (range, 6‐19), and 7 of 11 (63.6%) were female. Treated venous malformations involved the oral cavity/tongue (4/11; 36.4%) and parotid/face (7/11; 63.6%). During facial lesion excision, intraoperative facial nerve monitoring was used. All surgical sites (11/11) were closed primarily. No patient in this cohort had any posttreatment nerve deficits, dysarthria, and dysphagia or lesion persistence.ConclusionsLocalized venous malformations can be treated with preoperative percutaneous embolization with n‐BCA glue followed by surgical excision. This technique, with selective motor nerve monitoring, appears safe and allows for complete venous malformation removal with limited nerve dissection, to allow maximal tissue and functional preservation.
Calcium-sensing receptor and apoptosis in parathyroid hyperplasia of patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Lee Hye-Jeong , Seo U-Hyoung , Kim Woo-Young , Woo Sang-Uk , Lee Jae-Bok 
Published: January 2013

Objective This retrospective study investigated the characteristics of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) by examining the presence of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and the rate of cell proliferation and apoptosis in parathyroid glands. Methods Eighteen diffuse and 57 nodular hyperplastic parathyroid glands from 24 patients with SHPT were compared with 14 primary adenomas and 33 normal parathyroid glands using immunohistochemical staining of CaSR and a marker of proliferative activity (Ki67 antigen). Apoptosis was measured using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labelling assay. Results The mean ± SE labelling index (LI) of CaSR (12.8% ± 1.5%) in nodular hyperplasia was significantly lower than that in normal parathyroid glands (26.8% ± 0.8%), whereas the mean ± SE LI of CaSR in diffuse hyperplasia was similar to that in normal parathyroid glands (23.3% ± 1.8%). The mean ± SE LI of Ki67 antigen was significantly higher in primary adenoma and nodular hyperplasia than in normal parathyroid glands. Conclusion These results indicate that downregulation of CaSR, and a higher rate of proliferation over apoptosis, could contribute to the pathological progression of SHPT.
Brainstem activation in cluster headache: An adaptive behavioural response?
Authors: Morelli Nicola , Rota Eugenia , Gori Sara , Guidetti Donata , Michieletti Emanuele , De Simone Roberto , Di Salle Francesco 
Published: January 2013

Introduction The functional neuroimaging of headache patients has revolutionized our understanding of the pathophysiology of primary headaches, providing unique insights into these syndromes. Indeed, functional neuroimaging studies have shown the activation of specific brain structures, the brainstem in migraine and posterior hypothalamus in cluster headache (CH), as well as in other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. We describe the functional neuroimaging findings in a patient suffering from CH headache, investigated with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during typical pain attacks. Material and methods Two typical, consecutive CH attacks were investigated by two fMRI imaging sessions on the same day. Both fMRI scans were performed at rest, during the CH attacks and the pain-free state induced by subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan. Results Significant activation of the bilateral red nucleus, ventral pons and trigeminal root entry zone ipsilaterally to the pain side was detected during the pain state, in addition to the hypothalamic region ipsilaterally to the pain side. Conclusion Being that such structures are mainly involved in motor function and reactive behaviour, their activation, in our hypothesis, may be linked to pain avoidance and may well represent a defence reaction in cluster headache, which is characterised by a "fight-or-flight" type behavioural pattern during pain attacks.
The reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Thai version of systemic lupus erythematosus quality of life (SLEQOL-TH) instrument
Authors: Kasitanon N , Wangkaew S , Puntana S , Sukitawut W , Leong KP ,   Tan Tock Seng Hospital Lupus Study Group, Louthrenoo W 
Published: January 2013

Objectives The English version of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Quality of Life Questionnaire (SLEQOL) is a validated disease-specific quality of life instrument. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Thai version of the SLEQOL (SLEQOL-TH). Methods Two independent translators translated the SLEQOL into Thai. The back translation of this version was performed by two other independent translators. The final version, SLEQOL-TH, was completed after resolving the discrepancies revealed by the back translation. One hundred and nine patients with SLE were enrolled to test the reliability, construct validity, floor and ceiling effects, and sensitivity to the changes of the SLEQOL-TH at six months. The differential item functioning (DIF) between the Thai and English versions was analyzed using the partial gamma. Results The internal consistency of the SLEQOL-TH was satisfactory with the overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.86. The test-retest reliability of the SLEQOL-TH was acceptable with the intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.86. Low correlations between the SLEQOL-TH and SLEDAI were observed. The total score of the SLEQOL-TH was moderately responsive to changes in quality of life, with a standardized response mean of 0.50. When comparing the SLEQOL-TH from Thai SLE patients with the original SLEQOL version obtained from Singapore SLE patients, 11 out of 40 items showed a moderate to large DIF. Conclusions The SLEQOL-TH has acceptable psychometric properties and shows construct validity. In comparison with the English version of SLEQOL, there are some items that showed DIF. The applicability of the SLEQOL-TH in real-life clinical practice and clinical trials needs to be determined.
Arthroscopic Excision of a Symptomatic Os Trigonum in a Lateral Decubitus Position
Authors: Park Chul Hyun , Kim Sung Yoon , Kim Jung Rae , Lee Woo Chun 
Published: January 2013

Background: The purpose of this study was to introduce our technique of arthroscopic excision of the os trigonum in the lateral decubitus position through anterolateral, centrolateral, and posterolateral portals and also to investigate the safety and clinical results of this technique. Methods: Between May 2007 and May 2011, 23 ankles of 23 consecutive patients underwent subtalar arthroscopic removal of the os trigonum in a lateral decubitus position. Twenty patients were male and 3 were female. All patients injured their ankles during sports activities. Mean duration of postoperative follow-up was 18 months, and no patients were lost to follow-up. Clinical evaluations were performed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. The time to return to work and sports activities was assessed. Results: Average AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score increased from 71.3 (range, 59-85) preoperatively to 94.7 (range, 90-100) postoperatively, and VAS for pain decreased from 6.7 (range, 3-10) to 1.5 (range, 0-3). Average plantarflexion of the ankle increased from 28.8 degrees (range, 15-40) preoperatively to 42.5 degrees (range, 25-50) postoperatively. Mean time to resumption of sports activities was 6.7 weeks (range, 5-12). There were no major complications in any patient. Conclusion: Arthroscopic excision of a symptomatic os trigonum using anterolateral, centrolateral, and posterolateral portals in the lateral decubitus position was a safe and effective technique. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.
Varus and Valgus Foot in Cerebral Palsy and its Management
Authors: Root Leon 
Published: January 2013

Varus and valgus foot, often associated with equinus, are common problems in cerebral palsy. These deformities can interfere with standing or walking, aggravate shoe wear, and lead to painful calluses on pressure areas of the foot. The deformities are caused by a basic muscle imbalance. If the posterior or anterior tibial muscles are overactive, the foot will swing into varus. If the peroneal muscles predominate, the foot assumes a valgus position. However, the alignment of the hip and knee play an important role in the production of deformity. Correction of the deformity must be preceded by assessment of the deforming forces. In the younger child, simple muscle releases weaken the overpowering muscles and help restore muscle balance. In some instances, muscle transfers, either whole or split, not only alleviate the deforming force but also may provide needed support for the weaker muscles. Once bone deformities are established, they must be corrected either prior to or simultaneously with muscle procedures. The purposes of this article is to outline the evaluation of the deformity and the various soft tissue and bone operations which can be performed to correct them in order to obtain a satisfactory plantigrade foot.
Bayesian adaptive phase II screening design for combination trials
Authors: Cai Chunyan , Yuan Ying , Johnson Valen E 
Published: January 2013

Background Trials of combination therapies for the treatment of cancer are playing an increasingly important role in the battle against this disease. To more efficiently handle the large number of combination therapies that must be tested, we propose a novel Bayesian phase II adaptive screening design to simultaneously select among possible treatment combinations involving multiple agents. Methods Our design is based on formulating the selection procedure as a Bayesian hypothesis testing problem in which the superiority of each treatment combination is equated to a single hypothesis. During the trial conduct, we use the current values of the posterior probabilities of all hypotheses to adaptively allocate patients to treatment combinations. Results Simulation studies show that the proposed design substantially outperforms the conventional multiarm balanced factorial trial design. The proposed design yields a significantly higher probability for selecting the best treatment while allocating substantially more patients to efficacious treatments. Limitations The proposed design is most appropriate for the trials combining multiple agents and screening out the efficacious combination to be further investigated. Conclusions The proposed Bayesian adaptive phase II screening design substantially outperformed the conventional complete factorial design. Our design allocates more patients to better treatments while providing higher power to identify the best treatment at the end of the trial.
Some results on the generalized Mittag-Leffler function operator
Authors: Prajapati JC , Jana RK , Saxena RK , Shukla AK 
Published: January 2013

Abstract
This paper is devoted to the study of a generalized Mittag-Leffler function operator introduced by Shukla and Prajapati (J. Math. Anal. Appl. 336:797-811, 2007). Laplace and Mellin transforms of this operator are investigated in this paper. Some special cases of the established results are also deduced as corollaries. The results obtained are useful where the Mittag-Leffler function occurs naturally.

MSC:33E12, 26A33, 44A45.
SOX11 contributes to the regulation of GDF5 in joint maintenance
Authors: Kan Akinori , Ikeda Toshiyuki , Fukai Atsushi , Nakagawa Takumi , Nakamura Kozo , Chung Ung-il , Kawaguchi Hiroshi , Tabin Clifford J 
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Background
Individual skeletal elements of the vertebrate limbs arise through a segmentation process introducing joints in specific locations. However, the molecular pathways controlling joint formation and subsequent joint maintenance are largely unknown. In this study, we focused on SOX11, and its contribution to the regulation of GDF5, a secreted signal necessary for proper joint formation and postnatal joint homeostasis.

Results

Sox11 is initially expressed broadly in the murine cartilage condensations at early stages of skeletal development, but its expression is specifically increased in the forming joint interzone as is forms. SOX11 overexpression can directly activate GDF5 expression both in vitro and in micromass cell cultures prepared from chick limb buds. Conserved SOX family binding sites are present in the 5’ UTR region of the GDF5 gene and we show SOX11 can specifically bind to one of them. While misexpression of Sox11 in developing chick limbs through RCAS virus infection does not induce Gdf5 expression in ectopic locations, it does enhance its expression. To explore the roles of Sox11 in joint homeostasis, we analyzed adult knee joints in an osteoarthritis mouse model where the medial meniscus and the medial collateral ligament were removed. We also analyzed knee joints from human subjects who underwent total knee replacement surgery. We find that SOX11 is mainly expressed in the weight-bearing areas of knee joints, and its expression is decreased in degraded cartilage during progression of knee osteoarthritis in both mice and humans.

Conclusions
This work implicates SOX11 as a potential regulator of GDF5 expression in joint maintenance and suggests a possible role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.
The Holliday junction resolvase RecU is required for chromosome segregation and DNA damage repair in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Pereira Ana R , Reed Patricia , Veiga Helena , Pinho Mariana G 
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Background
The Staphylococcus aureus RecU protein is homologous to a Bacillus subtilis Holliday junction resolvase. Interestingly, RecU is encoded in the same operon as PBP2, a penicillin-binding protein required for cell wall synthesis and essential for the full expression of resistance in Methicillin Resistant S. aureus strains. In this work we have studied the role of RecU in the clinical pathogen S. aureus.

Results
Depletion of RecU in S. aureus results in the appearance of cells with compact nucleoids, septa formed over the DNA and anucleate cells. RecU-depleted cells also show increased septal recruitment of the DNA translocase SpoIIIE, presumably to resolve chromosome segregation defects. Additionally cells are more sensitive to DNA damaging agents such as mitomycin C or UV radiation. Expression of RecU from the ectopic chromosomal spa locus showed that co-expression of RecU and PBP2 was not necessary to ensure correct cell division, a process that requires tight coordination between chromosome segregation and septal cell wall synthesis.

Conclusions
RecU is required for correct chromosome segregation and DNA damage repair in S. aureus. Co-expression of recU and pbp2 from the same operon is not required for normal cell division.