bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-term visual outcome after microsurgical removal of occipital lobe cavernomas
Authors: Kivelev Juri , Koskela Elina , Setälä Kirsi , Niemelä Mika , Hernesniemi Juha 
Published: June 2012

Object
Cavernomas in the occipital lobe are relatively rare. Because of the proximity to the visual cortex and incoming subcortical tracts, microsurgical removal of occipital cavernomas may be associated with a risk of visual field defects. The goal of the study was to analyze long-term outcome after operative treatment of occipital cavernomas with special emphasis on visual outcome.

Methods
Of the 390 consecutive patients with cavernomas who were treated at Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1980 and 2011, 19 (5%) had occipital cavernomas. Sixteen patients (4%) were surgically treated and are included in this study. The median age was 39 years (range 3–59 years). Seven patients (56%) suffered from hemorrhage preoperatively, 5 (31%) presented with visual field deficits, 11 (69%) suffered from seizures, and 4 (25%) had multiple cavernomas. Surgery was indicated for progressive neurological deterioration. The median follow-up after surgery was 5.25 years (range 0.5–14 years).

Results
All patients underwent thorough neuroophthalmological assessment to determine visual outcome after surgery. Visual fields were classified as normal, mild homonymous visual field loss (not disturbing the patient, driving allowed), moderate homonymous visual field loss (disturbing the patient, driving prohibited), and severe visual field loss (total homonymous hemianopia or total homonymous quadrantanopia). At the last follow-up, 4 patients (25%) had normal visual fields, 6 (38%) had a mild visual field deficit, 1 (6%) complained of moderate visual field impairment, and 5 (31%) had severe homonymous visual field loss. Cavernomas seated deeper than 2 cm from the pial surface carried a 4.4-fold risk of postoperative visual field deficit relative to superficial ones (p = 0.034). Six (55%) of the 11 patients presenting with seizures were seizure-free postoperatively. Eleven (69%) of 16 patients had no disability during the long-term follow-up.

Conclusions
Surgical removal of occipital cavernomas may carry a significant risk of postoperative visual field deficit, and the risk is even higher for deeper lesions. Seizure outcome after removal of these cavernomas appeared to be worse than that after removal in other supratentorial locations. This should be taken into account during preoperative planning.
Preoperative multimodal motor mapping: a comparison of magnetoencephalography imaging, navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation, and direct cortical stimulation
Authors: Tarapore Phiroz E. , Tate Matthew C. , Findlay Anne M. , Honma Susanne M. , Mizuiri Danielle , Berger Mitchel S. , Nagarajan Srikantan S. 
Published: June 2012

Object
Direct cortical stimulation (DCS) is the gold-standard technique for motor mapping during craniotomy. However, preoperative noninvasive motor mapping is becoming increasingly accurate. Two such noninvasive modalities are navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) imaging. While MEG imaging has already been extensively validated as an accurate modality of noninvasive motor mapping, TMS is less well studied. In this study, the authors compared the accuracy of TMS to both DCS and MEG imaging.

Methods
Patients with tumors in proximity to primary motor cortex underwent preoperative TMS and MEG imaging for motor mapping. The patients subsequently underwent motor mapping via intraoperative DCS. The loci of maximal response were recorded from each modality and compared. Motor strength was assessed at 3 months postoperatively.

Results
Transcranial magnetic stimulation and MEG imaging were performed on 24 patients. Intraoperative DCS yielded 8 positive motor sites in 5 patients. The median distance ± SEM between TMS and DCS motor sites was 2.13 ± 0.29 mm, and between TMS and MEG imaging motor sites was 4.71 ± 1.08 mm. In no patients did DCS motor mapping reveal a motor site that was unrecognized by TMS. Three of 24 patients developed new, early neurological deficit in the form of upper-extremity paresis. At the 3-month follow-up evaluation, 2 of these patients were significantly improved, experiencing difficulty only with fine motor tasks; the remaining patient had improvement to 4/5 strength. There were no deaths over the course of the study.

Conclusions
Maps of the motor system generated with TMS correlate well with those generated by both MEG imaging and DCS. Negative TMS mapping also correlates with negative DCS mapping. Navigated TMS is an accurate modality for noninvasively generating preoperative motor maps.
A prospective randomized controlled study comparing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion techniques for degenerative spondylolisthesis: unilateral pedicle screw and 1 cage versus bilateral pedicle screws and 2 cages
Authors: Aoki Yasuchika , Yamagata Masatsune , Ikeda Yoshikazu , Nakajima Fumitake , Ohtori Seiji , Nakagawa Koichi , Nakajima Arata , Toyone Tomoaki , Orita Sumihisa , Takahashi Kazuhisa 
Published: June 2012

Object
Many surgeons currently prefer to use transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), placing 1 unilateral pedicle screw (PS) and 1 cage. However, no study has examined whether unilateral fixation improves surgical outcome. The authors conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial with a minimum 2-year follow-up to analyze TLIF outcomes for 2 techniques: placement of a unilateral PS and a cage compared with placement of bilateral PSs and 2 cages.

Methods
Fifty patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis undergoing single-level TLIF were randomly assigned to receive either unilateral or bilateral fixation. Parameters compared between the groups were surgical invasiveness, severity of intermittent claudication, pre- and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores (from 0 to 10 for back pain, lower-extremity pain, and lower-extremity numbness), postoperative disability scores for lumbar spinal disorders (Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire [JOABPEQ]), and fusion rates.

Results
The mean operative time for TLIF was significantly (p = 0.05) shorter and mean estimated blood loss was significantly lower in the unilateral than in the bilateral group. Intermittent claudication improved in response to each technique, but there was no significant intergroup difference. The unilateral group had a nonsignificant tendency toward less improvement in VAS score for back pain (1.5 vs 3.7 for the bilateral group) and exhibited significantly less improvement in VAS score for lower-extremity pain (2.1 vs 5.1, respectively) and numbness (1.7 vs 4.4). There were no significant differences between the groups in postsurgical scores for all 5 items of the JOABPEQ. The fusion rates were 87.5% (21 of 24 patients) in the unilateral group and 95.7% (22 of 23) in the bilateral group.

Conclusions
Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion involving unilateral PS fixation and a single-cage technique is less invasive than a 2-cage technique and bilateral fixation, and it improved patients' symptoms. However, it resulted in less improvement in back pain, lower-extremity pain, and lower-extremity numbness. When considering unilateral PS fixation and a single cage, the surgeon should be aware of the potential limitations of this technique. Clinical trial registration no.: UMIN000007833 (UMIN).
Survey on the awareness of using painkillers among the University students of Bangladesh
Authors: Naheed Mahmuda , Patwary Naimul Alam , Uddin M Azad , Alam Saiful 
Published: June 2012

The aim of the study was to determine the Awareness of using Painkillers among the University Students of Bangladesh. The main objective of this survey was to determine the percentage of young adults using painkillers without prescription. The survey carried out among 300 students of different public and private universities. Data were collected using structured questionnaires containing 5 questions related to the students demographics and 15 questions related to the awareness of using painkillers. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and Chi square test were used for data analysis. A total of 300 questionnaires were completed and collected. Both male and female students studying in different public and private universities completed questionnaires distributed. The most important finding was 69% students are unaware about taking painkillers. The study concluded that the university students are not conscious about using painkiller. A big percentage of students use painkiller without physicians prescription.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/icpj.v1i7.10811International Current Pharmaceutical Journal 2012, 1(7): 171-175
Sensitivity and Specificity of Machine Learning Classifiers and Spectral Domain OCT for the Diagnosis of Glaucoma
Authors: Vidotti Vanessa G. , Costa Vital P. , Silva Fabrício R. , Resende Graziela M. , Cremasco Fernanda , Dias Marcelo , Gomi Edson S. 
Published: June 2012

Purpose. To investigate the sensitivity and specificity of machine learning classifiers (MLC) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for the diagnosis of glaucoma. Methods. Sixty-two patients with early to moderate glaucomatous visual field damage and 48 healthy individuals were included. All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, achromatic standard automated perimetry, and RNFL imaging with SD-OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, California, USA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were obtained for all SD-OCT parameters. Subsequently, the following MLCs were tested: Classification Tree (CTREE), Random Forest (RAN), Bagging (BAG), AdaBoost M1 (ADA), Ensemble Selection (ENS), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Radial Basis Function (RBF), Naive-Bayes (NB), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Areas under the ROC curves (aROCs) obtained for each parameter and each MLC were compared. Results. The mean age was 57.0±9.2 years for healthy individuals and 59.9±9.0 years for glaucoma patients (p=0.103). Mean deviation values were −4.1±2.4 dB for glaucoma patients and −1.5±1.6 dB for healthy individuals (p<0.001). The SD-OCT parameters with the greater aROCs were inferior quadrant (0.813), average thickness (0.807), 7 o'clock position (0.765), and 6 o'clock position (0.754). The aROCs from classifiers varied from 0.785 (ADA) to 0.818 (BAG). The aROC obtained with BAG was not significantly different from the aROC obtained with the best single SD-OCT parameter (p=0.93). Conclusions. The SD-OCT showed good diagnostic accuracy in a group of patients with early glaucoma. In this series, MLCs did not improve the sensitivity and specificity of SD-OCT for the diagnosis of glaucoma.
ICOS, SLAM and PD‐1 expression and regulation on T lymphocytes reflect the immune dysregulation in patients with HIV‐related illness with pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Jurado Javier Oscar , Pasquinelli Virginia , Alvarez Ivana Belén , Martínez Gustavo Javier , Laufer Natalia , Sued Omar , Cahn Pedro , Musella Rosa María , Abbate Eduardo , Salomón Horacio , Quiroga María Florencia 
Published: June 2012

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) continues to be the most frequent cause of illness and death from an infectious agent globally, and its interaction with HIV is having devastating effects. To investigate how HIV alters the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), we assessed basal and Mtb‐induced proliferation, cytokine production, and expression of signalling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM), inducible costimulator (ICOS) and programmed death‐1 (PD‐1) on T lymphocytes from HIV‐positive individuals coinfected with TB, HIV‐positive subjects, TB patients and healthy donors (HD).FindingsHIV‐TB patients showed increased ICOS, SLAM and PD‐1 basal levels on T lymphocytes, whereas HIV‐positive individuals displayed elevated levels of SLAM and PD‐1, TB patients high levels of SLAM, and HD low levels of the three proteins. Mtb‐stimulation enhanced ICOS expression in the four groups, but only TB and HD increased SLAM and PD‐1 levels.ConclusionsThese data show the immune deregulation that takes place during the immune response against TB in different study populations.
Infrared Spectroscopy of Biological Applications: An Overview
Authors: Stuart Barbara H. 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Infrared spectroscopy has proved to be a powerful tool for the study of biological molecules, including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. This spectroscopic approach enables such molecules to be identified and changes to their chemical structures to be characterized. The application of this technique to biological problems is continually expanding, particularly with the advent of increasingly sophisticated sampling techniques associated with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Biological systems, including animal and plant tissues, microbial cells, clinical samples, and food, have all been successfully studied using infrared spectroscopy. In particular, recent decades have seen a rapid expansion in the number of studies of more complex systems, such as diseased tissues. This article reviews the sampling methods available for biological molecules. The interpretation of infrared data, both qualitatively and quantitatively, for such systems is covered. The specific information to be obtained from the main types of biological molecules is detailed, and the application of biological infrared spectroscopy is reviewed.
Affinity Chromatography
Authors: Hage David S. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAffinity chromatography is a type of liquid chromatography that makes use of biological interactions for the separation and specific analysis of sample components. This article discusses the basic principles behind the theory and use of this method. Various factors that are important in the development of an affinity chromatographic system are considered, such as the choice of affinity ligand, support material, immobilization method, and elution conditions. A survey of the different types of affinity chromatography is also presented; this includes bioaffinity chromatography, immunoaffinity chromatography, dye–ligand affinity chromatography, immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, and analytical affinity chromatography. In addition, some areas of expected future growth are considered, such as the use of molecular imprints or aptamers as ligands in affinity columns and the coupling of affinity chromatography with other analytical techniques.
Analytical Applications of Ionic Liquids
Authors: Acree William E. , Grubbs Laura M. 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Analytical methods involving ionic liquids (ILs) have significantly increased in recent years, in part because of the unique solubilization and physical properties on this class of organic compounds. This article provides an overview of the different applications of ionic liquids in analytical chemistry. The presentation is divided into a section describing the properties of liquids that are of interest to analytical chemists, followed by nine sections pertaining to simple biphasic liquid‐liquid extractions, liquid‐phase microextraction methods, ionic liquid‐based solid‐phase microextractions (SPME), thin layer chromatographic (TLC) and high‐performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods, electromigration methods, gas‐liquid chromatographic (GLC) methods, supported ionic liquid membrane separations, mass spectrometric methods, electrochemical methods, and spectroscopic methods. Representative samples of each application are given, along with specific references to the ionic liquid used and type of sample analyzed.
Aptamers in Analytical Chemistry
Authors: Aragonés Guillermo Lasarte , Rodríguez Rafael Lucena , Cárdenas Aranzana Ma Soledad 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAptamers have gained importance in the recent years. They can be defined as specific nucleic acid sequences that are able to bind to target molecules with high affinity and specificity. They can be synthesized using combinatorial libraries of nucleic acids in an iterative process, each cycle comprising several sequential steps (selection, partition, and amplification). Their exceptional selectivity has been exploited in different areas such as proteomics or drug discovery. Analytical chemistry has also made use of the exceptional binding capacity of aptamers for the development of more selective analytical devices. In this context, they have appeared as an alternative to antibodies, thanks to their versatility, stability, reusability, and better batch‐to‐batch reproducibility and to their in vitro synthesis. Concerning the analytical applications of aptamers, their use as recognition element in biosensors is the most reported in literature. Indeed, a specific term, aptasensors, has been coined to refer to such devices. Aptamers can be immobilized in a variety of supports, which can be coupled to different transducers in order to generate the most appropriate analytical signal. This article first presents an overview of the synthetic selection process of aptamers. Next, their advantages over antibodies are discussed. Finally, their main uses in biosensors development and fruitful combination with nanoparticles are outlined to conclude with future perspectives in the analytical context.
Microextraction Technique for Determination of Aromatic Pollutant in Environmental Samples
Authors: Galán‐Cano Francisco , Lucena Rodríguez Rafael , Cárdenas Soledad 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a family of organic pollutants that present carcinogenic and mutagenic nature as established by international organizations. Their widespread presence and their variable distribution in different compartments (water, soils/sediments, and air) causes them to be a serious problem with environmental and health connotations. Therefore, their determination in environmental samples is crucial in order to control the human exposure to them. In this context, the sample treatment is a key step in these strategies since it allows the efficient isolation and preconcentration of the analytes before their instrumental determination. Within the available techniques, the miniaturized procedures have gained importance in the past years because of their exceptional capabilities and their reduced impact on the environment since they dramatically minimize the volume of reagents and the generated wastes. This article presents in depth this environmental problem, introducing as well the main tools that an analytical chemist has to face.
High hydrostatic pressure effect on proteins: Fluorescence studies
Authors: Ando Nozomi , Barstow Buz 
Published: June 2012

AbstractLife on Earth can survive and often thrive at pressures ranging from half atmospheric pressure to over 10 000 times atmospheric pressure. Despite this fact, the effects of pressure on biological systems remain relatively unexplored, particularly those on biological macromolecules. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a sensitive probe of the structural and chemical states of macromolecules and is the most widely available and affordable technique for the study of macromolecules under high pressure. When combined with structural techniques such as high‐pressure X‐ray crystallography and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), fluorescence spectroscopy provides deep insights into the forces that bind proteins together and imbue them with function. In this article, we describe modern experimental techniques for high‐pressure fluorescence spectroscopy along with examples of their use in the study of the protein structure‐function relationship and protein unfolding under high pressure.
Genetically Modified Organisms Detection by Analytical and Spectroscopical Methods
Authors: Holck Askild L. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractGenetically modified plants (GMPs) are grown on 10% of the world's fields and the area is continuously increasing. GMPs are subject to extensive regulations due to public health and environmental concerns. Legislation in the European Union requires labeling of food and feed containing authorized GMP above 0.9%. Other countries have different thresholds. European Union has a zero tolerance for unauthorized materials, which have not undergone a risk assessment. Analytical methods play a central role in enforcing legislation. A large number of methods for identification of genetic modification based on DNA detection has been developed. Detection relies often on quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. The increasing number of GMP entering the market spurs development of both qualitative and quantitative multiplex methods. Qualitative multiplex PCR is usually performed with several primer pairs, detecting one target each. To increase multiplexing and obtain quantitative results, ligation‐mediated PCR has been employed. PCR products are often detected by capillary electrophoresis (CE) or by hybridization to microarrays. In addition, other non‐PCR‐based methods exist. Identification of unknown samples is often a two‐step process. First, commonly used GM (genetically modified) elements are detected, and second, specific GM events are determined based on the results from the first analysis. Immunological detection methods also exist for separating GMP and non‐GMP grain lots at farm and elevator level.
Gas Turbine Engine Combustors
Authors: Chang Clarence T. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe combustor of aircraft gas turbine engines is designed to burn fuel and air at high pressures to greatly increase the working‐fluid temperature for work extraction by the turbine. The double‐shelled structure design concept has evolved to become structurally more robust and durable, aerodynamically more stable to enable broader operating ranges, and burns cleaner with markedly less pollutant formation.
Polymers in Space
Authors: Skurat Vladimir E. 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Polymeric materials are widely used in space engineering because of the beneficial combination of their working properties. Being in harsh space environment conditions, mainly in the form of thin films, they are subjected to the action of numerous destructive factors that are absent during their exploitation on Earth. Most serious problems are connected with changes of thermo‐optical properties, deterioration of mechanical properties, production of components of the intrinsic outer atmosphere of spacecraft that respond to contamination of its surface, and last but not least, mass losses. Here, the main focus is on polymers of two types that are generally used in multilayer insulation (MLI) of spacecraft as thin films – polyimide Kapton H and perfluorocarbon polymers – polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). Both types of polymers show mass losses, but they are caused by different factors. For Kapton H, it is fast atomic oxygen (FAO) on low Earth orbits (LEO) (altitudes 200–1000 km). For PTFE and FEP, it is mainly the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) component of solar radiation (wavelengths 1–200 nm) (all altitudes for space flights). Possible mechanisms of mass losses are considered.