bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Non‐ablative fractional resurfacing in the treatment of scar contracture
Authors: Finney Robert , Torbeck Richard , Saedi Nazanin 
Published: August 2015

Background and ObjectivesA 28‐year‐old female presented with extensive scarring after a traumatic injury to her right lower extremity. She had been hit by a vehicle one year prior to presentation and had several open fractures with extensive overlying cutaneous damage, which required multiple surgeries and skin grafts. She had limited range of motion of the affected limb secondary to scar contracture.Study Design/Materials and MethodsThe patient received 6 treatments with a non‐ablative fractional resurfacing (NAFR) device with two wavelengths (Fraxel DUAL, Solta Medical, Hayward, CA) spaced 4–8 weeks apart. The patient received two treatments with the 1927 nm NAFR thulium laser (10 mJ, 30% density, 8 passes) and two treatments with the 1550 nm NAFR laser (40 mJ, 17–26% density, 8 passes). Before and after treatment photographs were taken, as well as range of motion measurements with respect to her right ankle.ResultsThe patient had 50–75% improvement in the texture and discoloration. There was both subjective and objective improvement in the range of motion of her right lower extremity. The patient experienced mild erythema and edema, both of which resolved after 7–10 days.ConclusionRecent studies have shown great functional improvement in scar contractures with ablative fractional laser treatments; however, these treatments are accompanied by significant downtime along with risk of further scarring and infection. NAFR is an accessible treatment with a low side effect profile and to our knowledge has not been reported as efficacious in the treatment of scar contracture. This case report is novel in its demonstration of the utility of a dual wavelength NAFR in the treatment of scar contracture and functional impairment. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:170–173, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional connectivity changes related to cognitive and motor performance in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2
Authors: Hernandez‐Castillo Carlos R. , Galvez Víctor , Mercadillo Roberto E. , Díaz Rosalinda , Yescas Petra , Martinez Leticia , Ochoa Adriana , Velazquez‐Perez Luis , Fernandez‐Ruiz Juan 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBackgroundSeveral neuropathological studies in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) have revealed significant atrophy of the cerebellum, brainstem, sensorimotor cortex, and several regions in the frontal lobe. However, the impact of the neurodegeneration on the functional integration of the remaining tissue is unknown. To analyze the clinical impact of these functional changes, we correlated the abnormal functional connectivity found in SCA2 patients with their scores in clinical scales. To obtain the functional connectivity changes, we followed two approaches. In one we used areas with significant cerebellar gray matter atrophy as anchor seeds, and in the other we performed a whole‐brain data‐driven analysis.MethodsFourteen genetically confirmed SCA2 patients and aged‐matched healthy controls participated in the study. Voxel‐based morphometry and resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were done to analyze structural and functional brain changes. Independent component analysis and dual regression were used for intrinsic network comparison. Significant functional connectivity differences were correlated with the behavioral scores.ResultsSeed‐based analysis found reduced functional connectivity within the cerebellum and between the cerebellum and frontal/parietal cortices. Cerebellar functional connectivity increases were found with parietal, frontal, and temporal areas. Intrinsic network analysis found a functional decrease in the cerebellar network, and increase in the default‐mode and fronto‐parietal networks. Further analysis showed significant correlations between clinical scores and the abnormal functional connectivity strength.ConclusionOur findings show significant correlations between functional connectivity changes in key areas affected in SCA2 and these patients' motor and neuropsychological impairments, adding an important insight to our understanding of the pathophysiology of SCA2. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Transversally oriented pedicled perforator flaps: A reliable alternative for lower leg reconstruction
Authors: Brunetti Beniamino , Poccia Igor , Tenna Stefania , Campa Stefano , Persichetti Paolo 
Published: August 2015

BackgroundThe use of a transverse pattern for perforator flap design and its possible clinical applications in the field of lower leg reconstruction are previously unreported in the medical literature. The purpose of this report is to describe our clinical experience with the use of transversally oriented pedicled perforator flaps in lower leg reconstruction.Patients and methodsSeven patients underwent lower leg reconstruction with transversally oriented pedicled perforator flaps. Patients age ranged from 42 to 68 years. All defects resulted from skin cancer ablation. Defect sizes ranged from 9 × 5 to 5 × 2.5 cm. The technique was applied to patients presenting with vertically oriented, long, and narrow defects, not feasible for primary closure, with the only audible perforators detected at a significant distance from the wound.ResultsAll flaps were based on a single perforator vessel. One of them was converted to a perforator‐plus peninsular flap design, which retained an additional source of blood supply from the opposite skin bridge. The flaps were always mobilized in V‐Y fashion. Donor sites were always closed primarily. Flap dimensions ranged from 15 × 7 to 8 × 3.5 cm. Operative time ranged from 40 to 90 minutes. All flaps survived uneventfully. Follow‐up ranged from 6 months to 2 years. All patients were satisfied with the surgical outcome.ConclusionsThe use of transversally oriented pedicled perforator flaps proved to be a reliable alternative option to reconstruct small to medium size defects of the lower leg. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:541–545, 2015.
NMR studies of dilithiostyrenes: aggregation, NMR parameters, and DFT calculations for (E)‐1‐Lithio‐2‐(o‐lithiophenyl)‐1‐trimethylsilylethene
Authors: Böhler Bernd , Günther Harald , Reider Kerstin , Maercker Adalbert , Gerbig Dennis , Hausmann Heike 
Published: August 2015

The dilithio compound (E)‐1‐lithio‐2‐(o‐lithiophenyl)‐1‐trimethylsilylethene (5) was synthesized from 2‐trimethylsilylbenzo‐[b]tellurophene (6) with lithium‐6 and a detailed analysis of its 1H, 6Li, 13C, and 29Si NMR spectra showed 5 to form a dimer 52 in tetrahydrofuran and diethylether, while addition of tetramethylethylenediamine stabilizes a monomer 51. A monomer–dimer equilibrium exists with K at 230 K = 1.25 and
= −0.43 kJ mol−1. Homonuclear 6Li,6Li coupling of 0.25 ± 0.07 Hz in the dimer was detected by a 1D‐6Li,6Li INADEQUATE experiment, and scalar 6Li,13C coupling constants were obtained from 13C satellites in the 6Li spectrum, from 13C multiplet simulation and 6Li,13C‐HMQC spectra. In addition, structures and coupling constants of 51 and 52 were calculated by density functional theory (DFT) methods. It was found that the magnitude of the 6Li,13C spin–spin interactions shows an inverse correlation with the C‐Li bond lengths. The intra‐aggregate exchange in the dimer, caused by 180° rotation of one monomer unit within the solvent cage, was studied by 6Li DNMR and line shape analysis and yielded
= 60 ± 3 kJ mol−1; ΔH≠ = 84 ± 3 kJ mol−1; ΔS≠ = 80 ± 3 J mol−1 K−1 for this process. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lipopolysaccharide‐induced expression of FAS ligand in cultured immature boar sertoli cells through the regulation of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and miR‐187
Authors: Wang Yi , Zhang Jiao‐Jiao , Yang Wei‐Rong , Luo Hong‐Yan , Zhang Jia‐Hua , Wang Xian‐Zhong 
Published: August 2015

SUMMARYLipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces germ cell apoptosis, but its mechanism of action is not clear. One possibility is that LPS regulates the expression of FAS ligand (FASLG) in Sertoli cells, which will then influence germ cell apoptosis. In this study, LPS reduced the viability of cultured, immature boar Sertoli cells in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner; enhanced the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor α (TNFA), interleukin‐1β (IL1B), nitric oxide (NO), and transforming growth factor‐β (TGFB); and increased the expression of FASLG in a dose‐dependent manner. While 10 μg/ml LPS enhanced the expression of FASLG, reduced cell cycle progression, and impaired the ultrastructure of Sertoli cells, this dose did not induce apoptosis. LPS also had no effect on the activity or expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 or 9 (MMP2 or MMP9). In contrast, the expression of ssc‐miR‐187 increased following LPS challenge, and inhibition of ssc‐miR‐187 blocked LPS‐induced expression of FASLG. Our results therefore suggest that LPS reduces the viability of and enhances FASLG expression in cultured, immature boar Sertoli cells through elevated secretion of TNFA, IL1B, NO, and TGFB as well as through the regulation of ssc‐miR‐187 potency. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 82: 880–891, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
STAT5 plays a critical role in regulating the 5′‐flanking region of the porcine whey acidic protein gene in transgenic mice
Authors: Ji Mi‐ran , Lee Sang In , Jang Ye‐Jin , Jeon Mi‐hyang , Kim Jeom Sun , Kim Kyung‐Woon , Park Jin‐Ki , Yoo Jae Gyu , Jeon Ik‐Soo , Kwon Dae‐Jin , Park Choon‐Keun , Byun Sung June 
Published: August 2015

SUMMARYThe mammary gland serves as a valuable bioreactor system for the production of recombinant proteins in lactating animals. Pharmaceutical‐grade recombinant protein can be harvested from the milk of transgenic animals that carry a protein of interest under the control of promoter regions genes encoding milk proteins. Whey acidic protein (WAP), for example, is predominantly expressed in the mammary gland and is regulated by lactating hormones during pregnancy. We cloned the 5′‐flanking region of the porcine WAP gene (pWAP) to confirm the sequence elements in its promoter that are required for gene‐expression activity. In the present study, we investigated how lactogenic hormones—including prolactin, hydrocortisone, and insulin—contribute to the transcriptional activation of the pWAP promoter region in mammalian cells, finding that these hormones activate STAT5 signaling, which in turn induce gene expression via STAT5 binding sites in its 5′‐flanking region. To confirm the expression and hormonal regulation of the 5′‐flanking region of pWAP in vivo, we generated transgenic mice expressing human recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factor (hCSF2) in the mammary gland under the control of the pWAP promoter. These mice secreted hCSF2 protein in their milk at levels ranging from 242 to 1,274.8 ng/ml. Collectively, our findings show that the pWAP promoter may be useful for confining the expression of foreign proteins to the mammary gland, where they can be secreted along with milk. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 82: 957–966, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the failure of a discrete axial chain using a continualized nonlocal Continuum Damage Mechanics approach
Authors: Picandet Vincent , Hérisson Benjamin , Challamel Noël , Perrot Arnaud 
Published: August 2015

SummaryThe failure of a discrete elastic‐damage axial system is investigated using both a discrete and an equivalent continuum approach. The Discrete Damage Mechanics approach is based on a microstructured model composed of a series of periodic elastic‐damage springs (axial Discrete Damage Mechanics lattice system). Such a discrete damage system can be associated with the finite difference formulation of a Continuum Damage Mechanics evolution problem. Several analytical and numerical results are presented for the tensile failure of this axial damage chain under its own weight.The nonlocal Continuum Damage Mechanics models examined in this paper are mainly built from a continualization procedure applied to centered or uncentered finite difference schemes. The asymptotic expansion of the first‐order upward difference equations leads to a first‐order nonlocal model, whereas the asymptotic expansion of the centered finite difference equations leads to a second‐order nonlocal Eringen's approach. To complete this study, a phenomenological nonlocal gradient approach is also examined and compared with the first continualization methods.A comparison of the discrete and the continuous problems for the chains shows the effectiveness of the new micromechanics‐based nonlocal Continuum Damage modeling, especially for capturing scale effects. For both continualized approaches, the length scale of the nonlocal models depends only on the cell size, while for the so‐called phenomenological approach, the length scale may depend on the loading parameter. This apparent load‐dependent length scale, already discussed in the literature with numerical arguments, is found to be sensitive to the postulated structure of the nonlocal model calibrated according to a lattice approach. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact of Child‐Care Subsidies on Child Development: Evidence from Geographic Variation in the Distance to Social Service Agencies
Authors: Herbst Chris M. , Tekin Erdal 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we examine the impact of U.S. child‐care subsidies on the cognitive and behavioral development of children in low‐income female‐headed families. We identify the effect of subsidy receipt by exploiting geographic variation in the distance that families must travel from home to reach the nearest social service agency that administers the subsidy application process. Using data from the Kindergarten cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, our instrumental variables estimates suggest that children receiving subsidized child care in the year before kindergarten score lower on tests of cognitive ability and reveal more behavior problems throughout kindergarten. An auxiliary analysis of longer‐run outcomes shows that these negative effects largely disappear by the time children finish first grade.
Longitudinal annular displacement by M‐mode (MAPSE and TAPSE) in twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome before and after laser surgery
Authors: Ortiz Javier U. , Crispi Fatima , Yamamoto Ryo , Masoller Narcis , Cruz‐Lemini Monica , Gómez Olga , Bennasar Mar , Lobmaier Silvia M. , Eixarch Elisenda , Martinez Josep M. , Gratacós Eduard 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate mitral and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE and TAPSE) in fetuses with twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) before and after laser therapy.MethodsA prospective study in 24 fetal pairs with TTTS evaluated 24 h before and within 48 h after fetoscopy and 13 gestational age‐matched normal monochorionic fetal pairs. MAPSE and TAPSE were measured in an apical or basal four‐chamber view by placing the M‐mode cursor at the lateral valve ring.ResultsMean preoperative MAPSE (controls 3.6 ± 1.3 mm vs. donors 2.7 ± 0.8 mm vs. recipients 2.8 mm ± 0.9; P < 0.001) and TAPSE (controls 4.4 ± 1.5 mm vs. donors 3.3 ± 1 mm vs. recipients 3.6  ± 1.1 mm; P < 0.001) values were significantly reduced in both TTTS fetuses. When subdividing according to TTTS stages, changes were significant in both stage I–II and III–IV subgroups, although differences were more pronounced in the latter. All observations remained unchanged 48 h post‐fetoscopy.ConclusionBoth recipient and donor fetuses had decreased global longitudinal motion, even in early TTTS stages. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of optic nerve development using post‐mortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in fetuses and newborns
Authors: Soo Audrey , Taha Syed , Lally Peter , Kirmi Olga , Jones Brynmor , Thayyil Sudhin 
Published: August 2015

What's already known about this topic?

Biometric studies of fetal orbit and lens development have been shown to correlate with gestational age.
No available data on optic nerve measurements in fetuses/neonates.
What does this study add?

Normal fetal/neonatal optic nerve diameter measurements for gestational age as measured on post‐mortem MRI scans.
Evaluation of the Potential Role of Alirocumab in the Management of Hypercholesterolemia in Patients with High‐Risk Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Okere Arinze Nkemdirim , Serra Courtney 
Published: August 2015

A high level of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) has proved to have a positive correlation with mortality from cardiovascular disease, and it is the key modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Lowering levels of LDL‐C with statins reduces both vascular morbidity and mortality; however, myalgias occur in 10% to 15% of patients, and many patients managed with statins achieve suboptimal levels of LDL‐C. The injectable drug alirocumab—the first of a new class of drugs called proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors—is a monoclonal antibody to the PCSK9 gene, which regulates LDL receptor expression and circulating levels of LDL‐C. In this review, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of alirocumab and its potential role in the management of patients with high‐risk cardiovascular disease. Data were gathered from articles indexed in the PubMed database (2006–April 2015). All English‐language, prospective, randomized, double‐blinded trials evaluating the efficacy of alirocumab, as a monotherapy or in combination with statins, for treatment of hypercholesterolemia were identified. Five clinical trials were evaluated, and the results from these studies revealed that the use of alirocumab, both as monotherapy or in combination with statins, significantly reduced LDL‐C levels. Patients treated with alirocumab, with or without statins, were more likely to achieve LDL‐C goals of less than 100 or 70 mg/dl compared with placebo. Despite its ability to lower LDL‐C level, one study did not show any antiinflammatory activity (i.e., reduced C‐reactive protein level) among patients who received alirocumab; however, more clinical trials will be needed to further assess this effect. Alirocumab also appears to cause regression of plaque. The most commonly reported adverse effect was mild injection‐site reaction. With increased odds of statin discontinuation among patients taking high‐intensity statins, alirocumab will contribute to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk reduction. However, morbidity and mortality data, as well as long‐term safety data, are pending. Therefore, we propose that alirocumab will better serve as an adjuvant therapy for the management of hypercholesterolemia in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. As with all new promising injectable drugs, cost will also be a key consideration.
Amphiphilic silica/fluoropolymer nanoparticles: Synthesis, tem‐responsive and surface properties as protein‐resistance coatings
Authors: Huang Hongpu , Qu Jia , He Ling 
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACTA series of amphiphilic silica/fluoropolymer nanoparticles of SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) were prepared by silica surface‐initiating atom transfer radical polymerization (SI‐ATRP) of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) and poly dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (P12FMA). Their amphiphilic behavior, lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and surface properties as protein‐resistance coatings were characterized. The introduction of hydrophobic P(12FMA) block leads SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) to form individual spherical nanoparticles (∼150 nm in water and ∼170 nm in THF solution) as P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) shell grafted on SiO2core (∼130 nm), to gain obvious lower LCST at 36–52 °C and higher thermostability at 290–320 °C than SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA) (LCST = 78–90 °C,Td = 220 °C). The water‐casted SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) films obtain much rougher surface (125.3–178.4 nm) than THF‐casted films (11.5–16.9 nm) and all SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA) films (26.8–31.3 nm). Therefore, the water‐casted surfaces exhibit obvious higher water adsorption amount (Δf = −494 ∼ −426 Hz) and harder adsorbed layer (viscoelasticity of ΔD/Δf = −0.28 ∼ −0.36 × 10−6/Hz) than SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA) films, but present loser adsorbed layer than THF‐casted films (ΔD/Δf = −0.29 ∼ −0.63 × 10−6/Hz). While, the introduction of P(12FMA) segments does not show obviously reduce in the protein‐repelling adsorption of SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) films (△f = −15.7 ∼ −22.3 Hz) compared with SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA) films (△f = −8.3 ∼ −11.3 Hz) and no obvious influence on water adsorption of ancient stone. Therefore, SiO2‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) is suggested to be used as protein‐resistance coatings. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem.2016,54, 381–393
Tellurium vacancy in cadmium telluride revisited: Size effects in the electronic properties
Authors: Menéndez‐Proupin E. , Orellana W. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe quantum states and thermodynamical properties of the Te vacancy in CdTe are addressed by first principles calculations, including the supercell size and quasiparticle corrections. It is shown that the 64‐atoms supercell calculation is not suitable to model the band structure of the isolated Te vacancy. This problem can be solved with a larger 216‐atoms supercell, where the band structure of the defect seems to be a perturbation of that of the perfect crystal. It is interesting to note that the Te‐vacancy formation energy calculated with both supercell sizes are close in energy, which is attributed to error cancelation. We also show that the interplay between supercell size effects and the band gap underestimation of the generalized gradient approximation strongly influences the predicted symmetry of some charge states.
Performance improvement techniques for the DVB‐RCS2 return link air interface
Authors: Mathiopoulos P. T. , Candreva E. A. , Awoseyila A. B. , Dalakas V. , Tarchi D. , Evans B. G. , Vanelli‐Coralli A. , Corazza G. E. 
Published: August 2015

SummaryThis paper presents performance improvement techniques for the second‐generation digital video broadcast return channel via satellite air interface, which can be used for supporting future demands for Tbit/s traffic requirements. In particular, we have investigated minimum‐shift keying (MSK) type of continuous phase modulation (CPM) waveforms by considering both single‐carrier and multi‐carrier transmission and single‐amplitude and multi‐amplitude signals, which improve the spectral efficiency. In addition, we consider frame timing and synchronization techniques, which make synchronization more accurate and robust. Our research has shown that the MSK single‐carrier frequency‐division multiple access (SC‐FDMA) outperforms the quadrature phase‐shift keying SC‐FDMA in terms of resilience to distortion with the performance gap increasing when the amplifier shows a milder distortion. The performance of a multi‐amplitude CPM scheme, based upon the superposition of two single‐amplitude MSK signals at the radio frequencies level, is also investigated. In comparison with other equivalent linear modulation schemes, performance evaluation results have been shown that the proposed multi‐amplitude CPM scheme significantly improves the spectral efficiency in the presence of adjacent channel interference. Finally, we have proposed a viable and efficient methodology, which enables reliable and accurate timing and frequency synchronization for the SC‐FDMA satellite return link. This involves a combination of global positioning system (GPS)‐based pre‐compensation of differential timing between user terminals, preamble detection in an integrated random access channel, and user channel frequency estimation based on repetitive symbols in the time domain. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.