bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Staircase sign: A newly described uterine contraction pattern seen in rupture of unscarred gravid uterus
Authors: Matsuo Koji , Scanlon Jennifer T. , Atlas Robert O. , Kopelman Jerome N. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAlthough extremely rare, rupture of an unscarred gravid uterus poses significant morbidity and mortality to both fetus and mother. In the past, loss of uterine contraction was thought to be characteristic of uterine rupture, while recent evidence shows that uterine contraction pattern is not associated with uterine rupture. We report two cases of rupture in the unscarred term uterus. Both patients were multiparous and denied any past medical complications, previous cesarean delivery or myomectomy. Uterine rupture occurred in the latent phase of labor at 1 cm dilation (Case 1) and during an intravenous oxytocin infusion after three doses of intravaginal misoprostol (Case 2). Case 2 required cesarean hysterectomy and blood transfusion. Case 1 was monitored with an external tocodynamometer, while Case 2 was monitored with an internal pressure transducer. External monitoring demonstrated the classic sign of complete loss of uterine tone. In contrast, internal monitoring demonstrated an increase in uterine resting tone. Both techniques revealed a stepwise gradual decrease in contraction amplitude followed by sudden onset of profound and prolonged fetal bradycardia (staircase sign). In cases of uterine rupture, differing baseline characteristics between contraction patterns were dependant on uterine monitoring technique. In both techniques a stepwise gradual decrease in contraction amplitude was followed by prolonged fetal bradycardia.
Could birthweight prediction models be improved by adding fetal subcutaneous tissue thickness?
Authors: Larciprete Giovanni , Di Pierro Giuseppe , Barbati Giulia , Deaibess Therese , Jarvis Sheba , Valensise Herbert , Romanini Maria Elisabetta , Gioia Stefano , Arduini Domenico 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAim:  The aims of the study were to: (i) compare the accuracy of standard ultrasonic algorithms in the estimation of fetal weight and; (ii) test two new algorithms in order to improve the global performance of birthweight prediction by adding fetal subcutaneous tissue thickness.Methods:  We enrolled 398 patients who were between 34 and 42 weeks' gestation. Routine ultrasonographic biometric parameters as well as subcutaneous tissue thickness ultrasound parameters were measured. Correlation matrices between ultrasound parameters, in order to evaluate the degree of multicollinearity between these parameters, were assessed to develop a stepwise multiple regression birthweight predictive model.Results:  Contributions of single ultrasound measurements in predicting birthweight were examined, by fitting Log‐transformed birthweight versus single ultrasound measurements. We found that the mid‐thigh tissue area was able to significantly improve the performance of the birthweight prediction process when added to the other standard ultrasound measurements. We derived two new algorithms which appeared to be better at predicting birthweight. Furthermore there was a lower minimum absolute estimation error noted when compared to other reported formulae.Conclusions:  Our algorithms showed that the addition of the mid‐thigh tissue evaluation in birthweight prediction was valuable in comparison to birthweight prediction models which are based on routine ultrasound parameters.
Laparoscopic vs transverse incision right colectomy for colon carcinoma
Authors: Veenhof A. A. F. A. , van der Pas M. H. G. M. , van der Peet D. L. , Bonjer H. J. , Meijerink W. J. H. J. , Cuesta M. A. , Engel A. F. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAim  We investigated whether laparoscopic right colectomy has short‐term and/or oncological advantages compared with transverse incision right colectomy.Method  Patients who underwent an elective laparoscopic right colectomy or an open right colectomy through a transverse incision at the VU University Medical Center or Zaans Medical Center from 2005 to 2009 were prospectively followed.Results  Patient groups were comparable in terms of gender, body mass index and American Society of Anesthesiology classification. Patients in the transverse incision group were older (68 years vs 75 years, P = 0.07) and blood loss was greater during this procedure (60 ml vs 130 ml, P = 0.001), which cost less than the laparoscopic procedure (€6.033 vs€7.221, P = 0.03). Hospital stay for the laparoscopic group was shorter (8 days vs 9 days, P = 0.04), but laparoscopic procedures took longer (155 min vs 77 min, P < 0.001) and 8% of patients in the laparoscopic group were converted to a median laparotomy. Postoperative complications were comparable for both groups (28%vs 32%, P = 0.74), and in both groups a radical resection rate of 96% (P = 0.94) was achieved. At a median follow up of 20 months the incidence of incisional hernia was similar in both groups and no patient required additional surgery as a result. Overall survival at 60 months was 70% for the laparoscopic group and 67% for the transverse incision group (P = 0.84).Conclusion  There are few clinically relevant differences between a laparoscopic right colectomy and a transverse incision right colectomy. Transverse incision right colectomy is cheaper. The study may be the first to compare these two techniques, but it is a nonrandomized trial and therefore has its limitations.
Randomized controlled, multicentre clinical trial comparing a dual‐probe ultrasonic lithotrite with a single‐probe lithotrite for percutaneous nephrolithotomy
Authors: Krambeck Amy E. , Miller Nicole L. , Humphreys Mitchell R. , Nakada Stephen Y. , Denstedt John D. , Razvi Hassan , Preminger Glenn M. , Nadler Robert B. , Matlaga Brian R. , Paterson Ryan F. , Chew Ben H. , Munch Larry C. , Handa Shelly E. , Lingeman James E. 
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)Level of Evidence 4 What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Studies have indicated that not all ultrasonic lithotripters are created equal when it comes to efficiency of stone fragmentation and removal. To improve the efficiency of stone fragmentation and removal, combination pneumatic and ultrasonic devices have been developed. This study demonstrates that one available combination device, the Cyberwand, did not decrease the time to removal of the target stone nor did it increase the stone free rate compared to a standard ultrasonic lithotripter.OBJECTIVES• To compare the Cyberwand (Gyrus/ACMI, Southborough, MA, USA), a dual‐probe ultrasonic lithotrite, with a single‐probe ultrasonic lithotrite.• The Cyberwand incorporates coaxial high‐ and low‐frequency ultrasonic probes that work synergistically.PATIENTS AND METHODS• An institutional review board‐approved, multicentre, randomized controlled trial to compare the Cyberwand to the Olympus LUS‐II (Olympus America, Inc., Melville, NY, USA) single‐probe lithotrite was performed.• Patients undergoing a percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) with a target stone >2 cm in diameter were eligible for the study.• The primary outcome was the time to removal of the targeted stone.RESULTS• A total of 57 PCNLs were performed after randomization: 25 Cyberwand and 32 LUS‐II.• There was no difference (P > 0.05) observed between the two devices for target stone surface area (Cyberwand 526.6 cm3 vs LUS‐II 540.1 cm3), time to clearance of target stone (Cyberwand 15.8 min vs LUS‐II 14.2 min) and target stone clearance rate (Cyberwand 61.9 mm2/min vs LUS‐II 75.8 mm2/min).• Of the patients with stone analysis, hard stones (calcium oxalate monohydrate, brushite and cystine) were noted in 14 (56.0%) of the 25 Cyberwand and 18 (62.1%) of the 29 LUS‐II patients.• Fifteen of the 25 (60.0%) Cyberwand and 20 of the 32 (62.5%) LUS‐II patients were stone‐free after the initial PCNL.• Those patients not rendered stone‐free went on to receive a secondary PCNL.• Device malfunction occurred in eight of 25(32.0%) Cyberwand and five of 32 (15.6%) LUS II patients.• Complications were similar in both treatment groups.CONCLUSION• No appreciable difference between the dual‐probe Cyberwand and the standard ultrasonic Olympus LUS‐II lithotrites can be identified.
Laparoscopic high‐intensity focused ultrasound for renal tumours: a proof of concept study
Authors: Ritchie Robert W. , Leslie Tom A. , Turner Gareth D.H. , Roberts Ian S.D. , D’Urso Leonardo , Collura Devis , Demarchi Andrea , Muto Giovanni , Sullivan Mark E. 
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Renal cancer is increasingly diagnosed when tumours are small and asymptomatic, during routine abdominal imaging. Whilst surgery is an effective and potentially curative option, it carries a significant risk of complications. Recent work suggests that thermally ablative therapies (RFA, cryotherapy, HIFU) may be suitable minimally invasive treatment options in selected patients.The success of extracorporeal HIFU has been limited by the abdominal wall and rib‐cage limiting energy delivery. For this study, a purpose‐built laparoscopic HIFU probe was designed to allow direct application of the transducer to the tumour surface, thus facilitating tumour destruction. Successful and accurate tumour destruction was demonstrated, paving the way for further clinical trials, subject to device modifications.OBJECTIVE

To test and establish clinical proof of concept for a laparoscopic high‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device that facilitates delivery of ultrasound by direct application of a probe to the tumour surface.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twelve patients with renal tumours were treated with laparoscopic HIFU using a newly designed probe inserted via an 18‐mm laparoscopic port.
HIFU treatment was targeted at a pre‐defined proportion of the tumour and immediate laparoscopic partial or radical nephrectomy was then performed.

RESULTS

No tumour ablation was seen in the first five patients which made modifications in the treatment protocol necessary. After this, definite histological evidence of ablation was seen in the remaining seven patients.
The ablated zones were within the targeted area in all patients and no intra‐lesional skipping was seen.
Subcapsular skipping was seen at the probe–tumour interface in two patients with viable tumour cells seen at microscopy.
One patient did not undergo surgical extirpation; subsequent biopsy revealed no viable tumour cells.
There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications directly related to HIFU therapy and patients have reached a mean (range) follow‐up of 15 (8–24) months with no evidence of metastatic disease or late complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Tumour ablation with laparoscopic HIFU is feasible.
Homogenous ablation can be achieved with no vital tissue within the targeted zone.
The technique is associated with low morbidity and may have a role in the definitive management of small tumours.
Successful control of schistosomiasis and the changing epidemiology of bladder cancer in Egypt
Authors: Salem Shady , Mitchell Robert E. , El‐Alim El‐Dorey Abd , Smith Joseph A. , Barocas Daniel A. 
Published: September 2010

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? The association between squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder and schistosomal bladder infection is well‐known to most physicians. Less recognized is the remarkable cause and effect relationship between the eradication of schistosomiasis and the subsequent radical decline in squamous cell bladder cancer. Public health initiatives in Egypt have effectively eliminated the most common cause of death in young Egyptian men, and the result is a testament to how basic science, properly applied to public policy, can dramatically improve the health of an entire country.Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by flatworms that live in snail‐infested fresh water. It is endemic to 74 countries and affects some 200 million people worldwide, causing an estimated 200 000 deaths annually [1]. Schistosomiasis can affect the gastrointestinal tract and liver (S. mansoni and S. japonicum species), resulting in diarrhoeal disease and hepatic fibrosis, or the urinary tract (S. haematobium) where it causes haematuria, strictures, obstruction, super‐infection and, ultimately, cancer. In children and vulnerable adults, systemic effects such as anaemia, malnutrition, stunted growth and impaired cognition can be profound.The association between this parasitic infestation and the development of bladder cancer literally took millennia to uncover. It is unusual for a parasitic disease to result in a fatal neoplastic process, and rarer still to have public health efforts, aimed at eradication of the parasitic menace, to result in a dramatic shift in the epidemiology of the most common cancer in a nation.
Treatment of metastatic renal carcinoma patients with the combination of gemcitabine, capecitabine and bevacizumab at a tertiary cancer centre
Authors: Jonasch Eric , Lal Lincy S. , Atkinson Bradley J. , Byfield Stacey DaCosta , Miller Lesley Ann , Pagliaro Lance C. , Feng Chun , Tannir Nizar M. 
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)Level of Evidence 4 What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? At this point there is very little known about the benefit of combining antiangiogenic therapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. This retrospective study provides important preliminary data on combination therapy, and forms the basis of an ongoing clinical trial testing the combination of gemcitabine, capecitabine and bevacizumab in patients with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma.OBJECTIVE• To investigate the effect of combining gemcitabine plus capecitabine (GX) with bevacizumab (A) in patients with metastatic RCC previously treated with cytokines and targeted agents.METHODS• The combination of GX + A was evaluated in patients with metastatic RCC using institutional databases.• Data included demographics, previous therapies, number of metastatic sites, Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center risk stratification variables, and previous nephrectomy status.• Descriptive statistics and survival analysis were employed for data analysis.RESULTS• Between January 2005 and October 2008, 28 patients were identified. Mean age was 55.7 years. Fifteen (53.57%) patients had been given tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) previously. Nine (32.14%) patients had clear cell histology, 10 (35.71%) patients had sarcomatoid features on histopathology, and 19 patients (67.86%) had a prior nephrectomy.• Initial treatment consisted of G (mean dose 786.07 mg/m2) every 2 weeks, X (mean dose 2.73 g/day), and A (mean dose 10 mg/kg) every 2 weeks. Median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 5.9 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 10.4 months.• In patients with previous TKI therapy, median PFS was 6.2 months and median OS was 11.7 months.• In patients with sarcomatoid features, median PFS was 3.9 months and OS was 9.0 months.• Three patients discontinued one or more of the drugs because of adverse reactions.CONCLUSIONS• The combination of GX + A shows potential efficacy and acceptable tolerability in patients with intermediate and poor prognosis metastatic RCC.• Based on these observations, a phase II trial is now underway assessing this combination in patients with sarcomatoid RCC.
Retrospective multicentre study of carboplatin monotherapy for clinical stage I seminoma
Authors: Steiner Hannes , Scheiber Karl , Berger Andreas P. , Rein Patrick , Hobisch Alfred , Aufderklamm Josef , Pilloni Stefania , Stoehr Brigitte , Aigner Friedrich , Fritzer Andreas , Zangerl Florian 
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (prospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2a What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? The debate concerning standard treatment following unilateral inguinal orchiectomy for patients with clinical stage I seminoma is ongoing. The MRC TE19/EORTC 30982 trial has proven the non‐inferiority of carboplatin to radiotherapy, representing a strong argument for the potential use of carboplatin especially with respect to a good long‐term side‐effect profile.More data and a longer follow‐up for carboplatin are required. Different guidelines state that ‘two courses of adjuvant carboplatin seem to further reduce the relapse rate. . . . but further experience and long‐term observations are needed’. The present study retrospectively evaluated the long‐term oncological efficacy and morbidity of this approach in a multicentre setting to add further long‐term data to this topic.OBJECTIVE• To evaluate, in a retrospective multicentre study, the long‐term oncological efficacy and morbidity of using carboplatin as an alternative treatment for patients with clinical stage I seminoma.PATIENTS AND METHODS• Patients with clinical stage I seminoma treated with two cycles of adjuvant single‐agent carboplatin (400 mg/m2 body surface) from February 1990 until September 2008 were retrospectively identified.• A database was created (including information on patient characteristics, initial tumour staging, tumour marker levels, follow‐up, oncological outcome, treatment side effects and long‐term side effects), descriptive analyses were performed and the data were compared with those available in the literature.RESULTS• Of 282 stage I seminomas identified in 276 patients, risk factors for progression (pT2/3, vessel invasion or tumour diameter ≥4 cm) were detected in 48.2% of tumours.• Chemotherapy was well tolerated, with patients experiencing only mild nausea. Bone marrow suppression was common (leucopaenia in 36.7% and thrombocytopaenia in 50.5% of patients, mainly grade 1/2). Neither neutropenic fever, nor any bleeding complication occurred.• During a mean follow‐up of 75 months, three patients (1.06%) developed a retroperitoneal recurrence within the first 2 years after receiving adjuvant treatment and were salvaged by cisplatin‐based chemotherapy. A contralateral second testicular germ cell tumour was diagnosed in five patients.CONCLUSIONS• Two cycles of carboplatin monotherapy are highly effective and very well tolerated by all patients. The frequency of contralateral tumours appears to be reduced.• Despite the lack of a randomized trial, the available data in the literature suggest that the administration of two cycles instead of one cycle could lead to a reduction in recurrence rates of ≈50%.
Moving Least Squares Coordinates
Authors: Manson Josiah , Schaefer Scott 
Published: September 2010

AbstractWe propose a new family of barycentric coordinates that have closed‐forms for arbitrary 2D polygons. These coordinates are easy to compute and have linear precision even for open polygons. Not only do these coordinates have linear precision, but we can create coordinates that reproduce polynomials of a set degree m as long as degree m polynomials are specified along the boundary of the polygon. We also show how to extend these coordinates to interpolate derivatives specified on the boundary.
Trivial Connections on Discrete Surfaces
Authors: Crane Keenan , Desbrun Mathieu , Schröder Peter 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThis paper presents a straightforward algorithm for constructing connections on discrete surfaces that are as smooth as possible everywhere but on a set of isolated singularities with given index. We compute these connections by solving a single linear system built from standard operators. The solution can be used to design rotationally symmetric direction fields with user‐specified singularities and directional constraints.
Mixed Finite Elements for Variational Surface Modeling
Authors: Jacobson Alec , Tosun Elif , Sorkine Olga , Zorin Denis 
Published: September 2010

AbstractMany problems in geometric modeling can be described using variational formulations that define the smoothness of the shape and its behavior w.r.t. the posed modeling constraints. For example, high‐quality C2 surfaces that obey boundary conditions on positions, tangents and curvatures can be conveniently defined as solutions of high‐order geometric PDEs; the advantage of such a formulation is its conceptual representation‐independence. In practice, solving high‐order problems efficiently and accurately for surfaces approximated by meshes is notoriously difficult. For modeling applications, the preferred approach is to use discrete geometric schemes which are efficient and robust, but their convergence properties are less well understood compared to higher‐order FEM. In this paper, we explore discretizations of common geometric PDEs on meshes using mixed finite elements, where additional variables for the derivatives in the problem are introduced. Such formulations use first‐order derivatives only, allowing a discretization with simple linear elements. Various boundary conditions can be naturally discretized in this setting. We formalize continuous region constraints commonly used in modeling applications, and show that these seamlessly fit into the mixed framework. We demonstrate that some of the commonly used discrete geometric discretizations can be regarded as a particular case of mixed finite elements. We study the convergence behavior of our discretizations, and how they can be applied to implement common modeling tasks.
Enhancing Bounding Volumes using Support Plane Mappings for Collision Detection
Authors: Vogiannou Athanasios , Moustakas Konstantinos , Tzovaras Dimitrios , Strintzis Michael G. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractIn this paper we present a new method for improving the performance of the widely used Bounding Volume Hierarchies for collision detection. The major contribution of our work is a culling algorithm that serves as a generalization of the Separating Axis Theorem for non parallel axes, based on the well‐known concept of support planes. We also provide a rigorous definition of support plane mappings and implementation details regarding the application of the proposed method to commonly used bounding volumes. The paper describes the theoretical foundation and an overall evaluation of the proposed algorithm. It demonstrates its high culling efficiency and in its application, significant improvement of timing performance with different types of bounding volumes and support plane mappings for rigid body simulations.
Polygonal Boundary Evaluation of Minkowski Sums and Swept Volumes
Authors: Campen Marcel , Kobbelt Leif 
Published: September 2010

AbstractWe present a novel technique for the efficient boundary evaluation of sweep operations applied to objects in polygonal boundary representation. These sweep operations include Minkowski addition, offsetting, and sweeping along a discrete rigid motion trajectory. Many previous methods focus on the construction of a polygonal superset (containing self‐intersections and spurious internal geometry) of the boundary of the volumes which are swept. Only few are able to determine a clean representation of the actual boundary, most of them in a discrete volumetric setting. We unify such superset constructions into a succinct common formulation and present a technique for the robust extraction of a polygonal mesh representing the outer boundary, i.e. it makes no general position assumptions and always yields a manifold, watertight mesh. It is exact for Minkowski sums and approximates swept volumes polygonally. By using plane‐based geometry in conjunction with hierarchical arrangement computations we avoid the necessity of arbitrary precision arithmetics and extensive special case handling. By restricting operations to regions containing pieces of the boundary, we significantly enhance the performance of the algorithm.