bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Peripheral Nerve Blocks in the Outpatient Surgery Setting
Authors: Wright Imelda 
Published: July 2011

AbstractPeripheral nerve blocks involve injecting local anesthesia near or around a nerve or nerve plexus. This form of anesthesia allows surgeons to perform more complex surgeries and provides extended postoperative analgesia for patients. Patients experience reduced postoperative pain and length of hospital stay and increased satisfaction with the outcome of surgery because they are less likely to experience adverse effects. Use of peripheral nerve blocks in an outpatient setting is becoming more common and has increased the perioperative nurse's patient care responsibilities. The nurse must perform a preblock assessment and assist the anesthesia professional with administration of the block. Major responsibilities of the nurse include identifying and managing potential adverse effects (eg, pneumothorax, toxicity) associated with block administration and patient discharge education.
Descending pain modulation and its interaction with peripheral sensitization following sustained isometric muscle contraction in fibromyalgia
Authors: Ge H.‐Y. , Nie H. , Graven‐Nielsen T. , Danneskiold‐Samsøe B. , Arendt‐Nielsen L. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractObjectiveSustained isometric muscle contraction (fatiguing contraction) recruits segmental and/or extrasegmental descending inhibition in healthy subjects but not in fibromyalgia (FM). We hypothesized that fatiguing contraction may shift descending pain modulation from inhibition towards facilitation and that the effect of descending pain modulation be dependent on peripheral muscle pain sensitivity.MethodsPressure pain thresholds (PPT) were measured from 13 points bilaterally in the upper trapezius muscle and from the mid‐point bilaterally in the tibialis anterior before‐, immediately after‐, and 20 min after fatiguing contraction of shoulder abduction in 22 FM patients and 22 matched healthy controls. Rate of fatigue, pain intensity, and the duration of fatiguing contraction were recorded.ResultsThe duration of fatiguing contraction was significantly shorter in FM (132.4 ± 25.2 s) than healthy control groups (286.2 ± 24.1 s) (P < 0.05), pain intensity was significantly higher in FM (8.25 ± 0.8 cm) than in healthy controls (5.1 ± 0.65 cm) (P < 0.01), whereas both groups reported similar fatigue intensity (P > 0.05). Following the contraction, PPTs were increased significantly and heterogeneously in the upper trapezius over time, but not, in the tibialis anterior muscle in healthy controls. However, PPT were significantly decreased over time in the tibialis anterior (P < 0.05), but not, in the upper trapezius in FM.ConclusionsDescending pain modulation shifts from descending inhibition towards descending facilitation following muscle nociception in FM. Peripheral mechanical hyperalgesia and descending facilitation counterbalance the effect of descending inhibition in FM.
Retinal detachment in association with pre‐eclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome
Authors: Vigil‐De Gracia Paulino , Ortega‐Paz Luis 
Published: July 2011

AbstractObjectiveTo review case reports of retinal detachment in women with pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia.MethodsMedline was searched for case reports of retinal detachment associated with pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia. Articles written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese and published between 1990 and 2010 were reviewed.ResultsA total of 28 cases of retinal detachment were identified; 15 were associated with severe pre‐eclampsia (3 of these probably had hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets [HELLP] syndrome), 9 with HELLP syndrome, 2 with eclampsia, and 2 with both HELLP syndrome and eclampsia. The majority (60%) of women were nulliparous, 4 had abruptio placentae, and cesarean delivery was performed in 76%. Retinal detachment was bilateral in 89% and associated with delivery of the fetus in 96%; 69% were diagnosed postpartum. Within 2–12 weeks postpartum, all patients had complete recovery of vision with clinical management.ConclusionRetinal detachment in pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia might be associated with HELLP syndrome, indicating that microangiophatic hemolysis might have a role in the pathophysiology of retinal detachment. Its occurrence might not be correlated with the severity of pre‐eclampsia because pre‐eclampsia is a constellation of signs and symptoms (persistent vasospasms with hemolysis and hypoalbuminemia) rather than simply being hypertension.
A High-Throughput Microchromatography Platform for Quantitative Analytical Scale Protein Sample Preparation
Authors: Fulton Scott , Murphy Steve , Reich Jenn , Van Den Heuvel Zachary , Sakowski Robert , Smith Ronald , Agee Susan 
Published: July 2011

Protein analysis (using either specific protein quantitation by methods such as HPLC and immunoassays or structural analysis by methods such as LC-MS) usually requires significant sample preparation, including quantitative purification of the target protein from complex sample matrices and potentially enzymatic treatment or labeling. We have developed platform for high-throughput microchromatography, capable of running 96 or more small volume samples in parallel, producing from 10 pg to 100 μg of purified protein from each sample. The platform is based on disposable cartridge devices with 5 μL packed bed of resin. The cartridges may be operated as spin columns or run on a modified 96-channel liquid handler with ultra-low dead volume syringes that directly connect to the cartridges, providing very precisely controlled positive-displacement flow control. A major application is quantitative purification of target proteins using affinity or physical chromatography. Using large diameter nonporous beads, standard microplate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reagents can be used to perform 30-min immunoassays. Enzymatic digestion methods have also been developed on the system for application in glycan profiling.
Tumor suppressive activity of prolyl isomerase Pin1 in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Teng Brian L. , Hacker Kathryn E. , Chen Shufen , Means Anthony R. , Rathmell W. Kimryn 
Published: July 2011

AbstractPin1 specifically recognizes and catalyzes the cis‐trans isomerization of phosphorylated‐Ser/Thr‐Pro bonds, which modulate the stability, localization, and function of numerous Pin1 targets involved in tumor progression. However, the role of Pin1 in cancer remains enigmatic as the gene is located on chromosome 19p13.2, which is a region subject to loss of heterozygosity in several tumors. Since Pin1 protein is frequently under‐expressed in kidney cancer, we have explored its role in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Here we show evidence for PIN1 gene deletion and mRNA under‐expression as a mechanism of Pin1 reduction in ccRCC tumors. We demonstrate that restoration of Pin1 in cell lines found to be deficient in Pin1 protein expression can attenuate the growth of ccRCC cells in soft agar and a xenograft tumor model. Moreover, this ability of Pin1 to negatively influence tumor growth in ccRCC cells may be dependent on the presence of functional p53, which is infrequently mutated in ccRCC. These observations suggest Pin1 may have a mild tumor suppressive role in ccRCC.
Folic Acid Supplementation Improves Vascular Function in Professional Dancers With Endothelial Dysfunction
Authors: Hoch Anne Z. , Papanek Paula , Szabo Aniko , Widlansky Michael E. , Gutterman David D. 
Published: July 2011

ObjectiveTo determine if folic acid supplementation improves vascular function (brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation [FMD]) in professional dancers with known endothelial dysfunction.DesignProspective cross‐sectional study.SettingAcademic institution in the Midwestern United States.SubjectsTwenty‐two professional ballet dancers volunteered for this study.Main Outcome MeasuresSubjects completed a 3‐day food record to determine caloric and micronutrient intake. Menstrual status was determined by interview and questionnaire. Endothelial function was determined as flow‐induced vasodilation measured by high‐frequency ultrasound of the brachial artery. A change in brachial diameter of <5% to hyperemic flow stimulus was defined a priori as endothelial dysfunction. Subjects with abnormal FMD took 10 mg of folic acid daily for 4 weeks, and FMD testing was then repeated. Serum whole blood was measured for folic acid levels before and after supplementation.ResultsSixty‐four percent of dancers (n = 14) had abnormal brachial artery FMD (<5%) (mean ± standard deviation, 2.9% ± 1.5%). After 4 weeks of folic acid supplementation (10 mg/day), FMD improved in all the subjects (7.1% ± 2.3%; P < .0001).ConclusionsThis study reveals that vascular endothelial function improves in dancers after supplementation with folic acid (10 mg/day) for at least 4 weeks. This finding may have clinically important implications for future cardiovascular disease risk prevention.
Spatial clustering and longitudinal variation ofAnopheles darlingi(Diptera: Culicidae) larvae in a river of the Amazon: the importance of the forest fringe and of obstructions to flow in frontier malaria
Authors: Barros F.S.M. , Arruda M.E. , Gurgel H.C. , Honório N.A. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractDeforestation has been linked to a rise in malaria prevalence. In this paper, we studied longitudinally 20 spots, including forested and deforested portions of a temporary river in a malarigenous frontier zone. Larval habitat parameters influencing distribution ofAnopheles darlingi(Diptera: Culicidae) larvae were studied. We observed that larvae were clustered in forested-deforested transitions. For the first time in the literature, it was verified that parameters determining larval distribution varied from deforested to forested areas. The proximity to human dwellings was also a significant factor determining distribution, but larvae was most importantly associated with a previously undescribed parameter, the presence of small obstructions to river flow, such as tree trunks within the river channel, which caused pooling of water during the dry season (‘microdams’). In deforested areas, the most important factor determining distribution of larvae was shade (reduced luminance). Larvae were absent in the entire studied area during the wet season and present in most sites during the dry season. During the wet-dry transition, larvae were found sooner in areas with microdams, than in other areas, suggesting that flow obstruction prolongs the breeding season ofAn. darlingi.Adult mosquito densities and malaria incidence were higher during the dry season. Our data correlate well with the published literature, including the distribution of malaria cases near the forest fringes, and has permitted the creation of a model ofAn. darlingibreeding, where preference for sites with reduced luminance, human presence and microdams would interact to determine larval distribution.
Riot, regeneration and reaction: Spain in the aftermath of the 1898 Disaster
Authors: Balfour Sebastian 
Published: July 2011

ABSTRACTThe crisis of legitimacy following Spain's loss of empire in 1898 combined with the effects of a longer-term crisis of modernization to undermine efforts to reform the political system and regenerate the social and economic life of Spain. Rising social agitation, middle-class movements for national regeneration, Catalan bourgeois nationalism and military reaction all interacted to block the development of a modernizing alternative to the Restoration regime. As a result, the gap between the established order and society grew wider and the potential for peaceful change diminished. Events in the first decade of the century thus established the pattern of conflict that was to dominate Spanish politics until the Civil War.
Earnings Management Surrounding Seasoned Bond Offerings: Do Managers Mislead Ratings Agencies and the Bond Market?
Authors: Caton Gary L. , Chiyachantana Chiraphol N. , Chua Choong-Tze , Goh Jeremy 
Published: July 2011

AbstractWe study earnings management (EM) efforts surrounding seasoned bond offerings using discretionary current accruals. We find that issuers tend to inflate earnings performance prior to an offering. In order for EM efforts to effectively mislead ratings agencies and the bond market, they must lead to inflated bond ratings and decreased offering yields. Regression results indicate the opposite; aggressive EM efforts are associated with lower initial ratings and higher offering yields. We also find a statistically lower proportion of subsequent downgrades for firms with the most aggressive EM efforts, which is inconsistent with these firms’ inflated initial ratings. While some firms may attempt to mislead ratings agencies and market participants by window-dressing earnings, these efforts appear to be counterproductive.
Dimensional synthesis of the Delta robot using transmission angle constraintsDimensional synthesis of the Delta robot using transmission angle constraints
Authors: Zhang LiMin , Mei JiangPing , Zhao XueMan , Huang Tian 
Published: July 2011

SUMMARYThis paper deals with dynamic dimensional synthesis of the Delta robot using the pressure/transmission angle constraints. Two types of pressure/transmission angles are defined, with which the direct and indirect singularities can be identified in a straightforward manner. Two novel global dynamic metrics are proposed for minimisation, which are associated respectively with the inertial and centrifuge/Coriolis components of the driving torque. Various geometrical and performance constraints are taken into account in terms of workspace/machine volume ratio, pressure/transmission angles, etc. The effects of pressure/transmission angle constraints on the feasible domain of design variables are investigated in depth via an example, and a set of optimised dimensional parameters is obtained for achieving a good kinematic and dynamic performance throughout the entire task workspace.
Unified analysis of statics of some limited-DOF parallel manipulators
Authors: Hu Bo , Lu Yi , Zhang Xiuli , Yu Jianping 
Published: July 2011

SUMMARYAn observation approach is proposed for determining the poses of the active/constrained wrench and the unified statics of some limited-DOF parallel manipulators (PMs) are studied systematically. First, a general PM model is constructed, and the unified inverse displacement is analyzed. Second, various types of acceptable legs are synthesized; the poses of the active/constrained wrench exerted on the various acceptable legs are determined by the observation approach. Third, a unified 6 × 6 Jacobina matrix and a unified statics equation are derived for solving active/constrained wrench of many limited-DOF PMs. Finally, two PMs are presented to illustrate this approach.
Du verbe de perception visuelle au marqueur parenthétique ‘tu vois’: Grammaticalisation et changement linguistique
Authors: BOLLY CATHERINE 
Published: July 2011

RÉSUMÉL'objectif de cet article est de montrer comment le marqueur parenthétiquetu voiss'est pragmaticalisé au cours des siècles. Afin de déterminer s'il existe une corrélation entre l'émergence de contextes syntaxiques et l'apparition de sens nouveaux pour ce marqueur, nous avons adopté une méthode d'analyse, en diachronie, de données de corpus pseudo-orales. Après avoir mis en exergue les résultats d'analyse en termes de déplacement sémantique et de complexification syntaxique, l'article montrein fineen quoi le recours à la grammaticalisation semble insuffisant pour expliquer l'évolution des parenthétiques et propose d'inscrire ce processus dans la perspective plus large du changement linguistique.
Formalising Overlap Algebras in Matita
Authors: SACERDOTI COEN CLAUDIO , TASSI ENRICO 
Published: July 2011

We describe some formal topological results, formalised in Matita 1/2, presented in predicative intuitionistic logic and in terms of Overlap Algebras.Overlap Algebras are new algebraic structures designed to ease reasoning about subsets in an algebraic way within intuitionistic logic. We find that they also ease the formalisation of formal topological results in an interactive theorem prover.Our main result is the existence of a functor between two categories of ‘generalised topological spaces’, one with points (Basic Pairs) and the other point-free (Basic Topologies). This formalisation is part of a wider scientific collaboration with the inventor of the theory, Giovanni Sambin. His goal is to verify in what sense his theory is ‘implementable’, and to discover what problems may arise in the process. We check that all intermediate constructions respect the stringent size requirements imposed by predicative logic. The formalisation is quite unusual, since it has to make explicit size information that is often hidden.We found that the version of Matita used for the formalisation was largely inappropriate. The formalisation drove several major improvements of Matita that will be integrated in the next major release (Matita 1.0). We show some motivating examples, taken directly from the formalisation, for these improvements. We also describe a possibly sub-optimal solution in Matita 1/2, which is exploitable in other similar systems. We briefly discuss a better solution available in Matita 1.0.
A pluralist approach to the formalisation of mathematics
Authors: ADAMS ROBIN , LUO ZHAOHUI 
Published: July 2011

We present a programme of research forpluralist formalisations, that is, formalisations that involve proving results in more than one foundation.A foundation consists of two parts: a logical part, which provides a notion of inference, and a non-logical part, which provides the entities to be reasoned about. An LTT is a formal system composed of two such separate parts. We show how LTTs may be used as the basis for a pluralist formalisation.We show how different foundations may be formalised as LTTs, and also describe a new method for proof reuse. If we know that a translation Φ exists between two logic-enriched type theories (LTTs)SandT, and we have formalised a proof of a theorem α inS, we may wish to make use of the fact that Φ(α) is a theorem ofT. We show how this is sometimes possible by writing a proof scriptMΦ. For any proof scriptMαthat proves a theorem α inS, if we changeMαso it first importsMΦ, the resulting proof script will still parse, and will be a proof of Φ(α) inT.In this paper, we focus on the logical part of an LTT-framework and show how the above method of proof reuse is done for four cases of Φ: inclusion, the double negation translation, theA-translation and the Russell–Prawitz modality. This work has been carried out using the proof assistant Plastic.
Improved early results with cavopulmonary connections
Authors: Mott Antonio R. , Spray Thomas L. , Gaynor J. William , Godinez Rodolfo I. , Nicolson Susan C. , Steven James M. , DeCampli William M. , Schears Gregory J. , Wernovsky Gil 
Published: July 2011

AbstractBackground: We describe the recent results in a large cohort of patients with functionally single ventricle who underwent various modifications of cavopulmonary connections.Methods: Using the database at our institution, we identified all children who underwent cavopulmonary connection operations between June 1995 and June 1997. Demographic data, surgical history, and perioperative course were reviewed.Results: We performed 130 consecutive operations in 113 patients. The procedures included superior cavopulmonary connections in the form of the HemiFontan procedure in 45 instances, and bidirectional Glenn procedures in 11, and bilateral superior cavopulmonary connections in 7. The median age of these patients was 7.0 months. We completed Fontan operations using a fenestrated lateral tunnel on 47 occasions, and using an extracardiac conduit 9 times, 5 of which were fenestrated. A lateral tunnel without fenestration was constructed inone patient. The median age for these procedures was 19.5 months. In the remaining 10 instances, we revised Fontan procedures at a median age of 8 years. Diagnoses included hypoplastic left heart syndrome in 43 patients, double outlet right ventricle in 22, heterotaxy in 13, tricuspid atresia in 13, and a miscellaneous group accounting for the other 22. One death (0.7%) occurred within 30 days of surgery. Clinical seizures occurred in 7 children (5.3%), 6 had no residual neurologic deficits. Atrial pacing was needed in 14 children (10.7%) because of transient junctional rhythm, and 2 received treatment for supraventricular tachycardia. Pleural effusions were diagnosed radiographically after 31 of 130 (24%) procedures. Diuretic therapy resolved the effusion in 21 of these, with only 6 children requiring thoracostomy catheter drainage, and 4 undergoing thoracentesis alone. The median length of stay on the intensive care unit was 2 days, with a range from 1 to 30 days, and median stay in hospital was 6 days, with a range from 3 to 58 days.Conclusion: Mortality and perioperative morbidity after cavopulmonary connections have decreased dramatically in the current era. The long-term results of staged reconstruction for functionally single ventricle, nonetheless, await ongoing study.
Coagulation profile, hepatic function, and hemodynamics following Fontan-type operations
Authors: Tomita Hideshi , Yamada Osamu , Ohuchi Hideo , Ono Yasuo , Arakaki Yoshio , Yagihara Toshikatsu , Echigo Shigeyuki 
Published: July 2011

AbstractWe analyzed retrospectively the relationship between coagulation profile, and either hepatic function or hemodynamics, in patients who had undergone a Fontan-type procedure, comparing them, first, with a control group of 12 patients without significant hemodynamic abnormality, and, second, with a group of 14 patients who had not undergone a Fontan procedure, but whose mean right atrial pressure exceeded 8 mmHg. Follow-up catheterization had been performed in all 30 patients submitted to the Fontan-type operation. Prothrombin time, and factor XIII, were significantly lower in those who had undergone the Fontan procedure than in the other groups. Those submitted to the Fontan operation also had lower levels of protein C than controls, and their levels of plasminogen were lower than the patients with high right atrial pressure. Both aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were higher in those undergoing the Fontan procedure than in the other groups, while gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in these patients was higher than in the control group. Mean right atrial pressure was highest in those under-going the Fontan procedure, while cardiac index was lowest. Prothrombin time was correlated to some extent with aspartate aminotransferase, mean right atrial pressure, and cardiac index. Protein C correlated with both aspartate aminotransferase and mean right atrial pressure, while factor XIII correlated with alanine aminotransferase, mean right atrial pressure, and cardiac index. Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, parameters of hepatic function, correlated significantly with mean right atrial pressure. In those who had undergone the Fontan procedure, decreased synthesis of pro-and anti-coagulant factors is a risk factor for both thrombosis and bleeding. Abnormal hemodynamics, in the absence of a right sided pumping chamber, may predispose to subclinical hepatic dysfunction, leading to selective disturbances of protein synthesis.
Unusual totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection in right isomerism and functionally univentricular heart
Authors: Chowdhury Ujjwal K. , Kothari Shyam S. , Airan Balram 
Published: July 2011

AbstractWe report a rare variation in the pattern of totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection in that two vertical veins drained into the left brachiocephalic vein from a common pulmonary venous confluence. The child had associated right isomerism and functionally univentricular heart. Awareness of this possibility may avoid a reoperation or even death.