bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Helmet use and reduction in skull fractures in skiers and snowboarders admitted to the hospital
Authors: Rughani Anand I. , Lin Chih-Ta , Ares Wiliam J. , Cushing Deborah A. , Horgan Michael A. , Tranmer Bruce I. , Jewell Ryan P. , Florman Jeffrey E. 
Published: March 2011

Object
Helmet use has been associated with fewer hospital visits among injured skiers and snowboarders, but there remains no evidence that helmets alter the intracranial injury patterns. The authors hypothesized that helmet use among skiers and snowboarders reduces the incidence of head injury as defined by findings on head CT scans.

Methods
The authors performed a retrospective review of head-injured skiers and snowboarders at 2 Level I trauma centers in New England over a 6-year period. The primary outcome of interest was intracranial injury evident on CT scans. Secondary outcomes included the following: need for a neurosurgical procedure, presence of spine injury, need for ICU admission, length of stay, discharge location, and death.

Results
Of the 57 children identified who sustained a head injury while skiing or snowboarding, 33.3% were wearing a helmet at the time of injury. Of the helmeted patients, 5.3% sustained a calvarial fracture compared with 36.8% of the unhelmeted patients (p = 0.009). Although there was a favorable trend, there was no significant difference in the incidence of epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, intraparenchymal hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or contusion in helmeted and unhelmeted patients. With regard to secondary outcomes, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in percentage of patients requiring neurosurgical intervention, percentage requiring admission to an ICU, total length of stay, or percentage discharged home. There was no difference in the incidence of cervical spine injury. There was 1 death in an unhelmeted patient, and there were no deaths among helmeted patients.

Conclusions
Among hospitalized children who sustained a head injury while skiing or snowboarding, a significantly lower number of patients suffered a skull fracture if they were wearing helmets at the time of the injury.
The Fungi: 1, 2, 3 … 5.1 million species?
Authors: Blackwell Meredith 
Published: March 2011

• Premise of the study: Fungi are major decomposers in certain ecosystems and essential associates of many organisms. They provide enzymes and drugs and serve as experimental organisms. In 1991, a landmark paper estimated that there are 1.5 million fungi on the Earth. Because only 70000 fungi had been described at that time, the estimate has been the impetus to search for previously unknown fungi. Fungal habitats include soil, water, and organisms that may harbor large numbers of understudied fungi, estimated to outnumber plants by at least 6 to 1. More recent estimates based on high‐throughput sequencing methods suggest that as many as 5.1 million fungal species exist.• Methods: Technological advances make it possible to apply molecular methods to develop a stable classification and to discover and identify fungal taxa.• Key results: Molecular methods have dramatically increased our knowledge of Fungi in less than 20 years, revealing a monophyletic kingdom and increased diversity among early‐diverging lineages. Mycologists are making significant advances in species discovery, but many fungi remain to be discovered.• Conclusions: Fungi are essential to the survival of many groups of organisms with which they form associations. They also attract attention as predators of invertebrate animals, pathogens of potatoes and rice and humans and bats, killers of frogs and crayfish, producers of secondary metabolites to lower cholesterol, and subjects of prize‐winning research. Molecular tools in use and under development can be used to discover the world's unknown fungi in less than 1000 years predicted at current new species acquisition rates.
HCV Core Gene Polymorphisms Correlate with Liver Fibrosis but Not Sustained Virological Response in Patients with Genotype 1 Infection
Authors: Hsu Shih–Jer , Hsu Ching-Sheng , Liu Chen-Hua , Liu Chun-Jen , Chen Chi-Ling , Chen Pei-Jer , Chen Ding-Shinn , Kao Jia-Horng 
Published: March 2011

Background Amino acid (aa) substitutions in genotype 1 HCV core region (HCV-CR) serve as a negative predictor of treatment responses in Japanese chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Whether this phenomenon could be extrapolated to non-Japanese patients remains unclear. We evaluated the effect of aa substitutions in HCV-CR on clinicopathological features and treatment responses in Taiwanese patients. Methods Clinical and serial virological data were collected from 147 consecutive Taiwanese HCV genotype 1 patients who received pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy. Quantification of HCV RNA and sequences of HCV-CR were determined by molecular methods. Results Of 147 patients, 90 (61.2%) attained rapid virological response (RVR) and 97 (66.0%) attained sustained virological response (SVR). Patients without aa substitutions in HCV-CR (coreWW) had a higher SVR than those with both aa70 and aa91 substitutions (coreMM; 70.5% versus 45.0%; P=0.039). Moreover, coreMM was associated with a higher γ-glutamyl transpeptidase level ( P=0.026) as well as more severe liver fibrosis ( P=0.027) than coreWW, and patients with aa70 substitution (coreMW) were associated with more severe liver steatosis and fibrosis than those without ( P=0.020 and P=0.002, respectively). In multivariate analyses, lower pretreatment body mass index, milder liver fibrosis, 48 weeks of treatment and RVR, but not aa substitutions in HCV-CR, predicted a higher SVR rate. Conclusions Although aa substitution in genotype 1 HCV-CR is associated with more severe liver fibrosis and might be a negative predictor of SVR in Taiwanese CHC patients with interferon-based therapy, RVR and other clinical factors outweigh its role in predicting SVR.
Frequency of Bone Marrow Lesions and Association with Pain Severity: Results from a Population-based Symptomatic Knee Cohort
Authors: IP STEPHEN , SAYRE ERIC C. , GUERMAZI ALI , NICOLAOU SAVVAKIS , WONG HUBERT , THORNE ANONA , SINGER JOEL , KOPEC JACEK A. , ESDAILE JOHN M. , CIBERE JOLANDA 
Published: March 2011

Objective.To evaluate the prevalence of bone marrow lesions (BML) and their association with pain severity in a population-based cohort of symptomatic early knee osteoarthritis (OA).Methods.Subjects with knee pain (n = 255), age 40–79 years, were evaluated by radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and classified into OA stages: no OA (NOA), preradiographic OA (PROA), and radiographic OA (ROA). BML were graded 0–3 (none, mild, moderate, severe) in 6 regions and defined as (1) BMLsum = the sum of 6 scores; and (2) BMLmax = the worst score at any region. Pain was assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index (WOMAC). Linear regression analysis was completed to assess the association of Total WOMAC Pain (primary outcome) versus BMLsum or BMLmax. Secondary outcomes were WOMAC Pain on Walking and WOMAC Pain on Climbing Stairs. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, OA stage, joint effusion, and meniscal damage.Results.BML were present in 11% of NOA, 38% of PROA, and 71% of ROA subjects (p < 0.001). No association was seen for BMLsum or BMLmax versus Total WOMAC Pain or Pain on Walking. However, BMLsum was associated with Pain on Climbing Stairs [regression coefficients (RC) = 0.09, 95% CI 0.00–0.18]. BMLmax was associated with Pain on Climbing Stairs, with the strongest association for severe BML (RC 0.60, 95% CI 0.04–1.17).Conclusion.BML were present in 38% of PROA and 71% of ROA subjects in this symptomatic knee cohort. BML were significantly associated with Pain on Climbing Stairs but not Total WOMAC or Pain on Walking.
Autosome-wide Copy Number Variation Association Analysis for Rheumatoid Arthritis Using the WTCCC High-density SNP Genotype Data
Authors: UDDIN MOHAMMED , STURGE MITCH , RAHMAN PROTON , WOODS MICHAEL O. 
Published: March 2011

Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune rheumatic disease that is strongly influenced by genetic factors. Numerous genes are convincingly associated with RA, including genes in tumor necrosis factor signaling (TNF) and the nuclear factor-κB pathway. To date, except for genes within the HLA region, no data exist regarding potential copy number variations (CNV) involving RA-associated genes. We set out to identify genes affected by CNV that are associated with RA at a genome-wide level.Methods.Data from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) were used in our analyses. The initial WTCCC cohort genotyped 3004 controls and 1999 RA cases using the GeneChip 500k Mapping Array Set. We performed a comparative intensity analysis using the PennCNV algorithm, which uses a hidden Markov model to detect CNV. A total of 2271 controls and 1572 RA samples passed quality control criteria and were included for association analysis. Association analysis was performed in 2 phases: (1) to identify CNV that are < 1 Mb with a population frequency < 5%; and (2) to identify large CNV that are > 1 Mb. Fishers’ exact test was performed to quantify significance of the CNV.Results.We observed that the genome-wide CNV burden is 2-fold higher in patients with RA compared with controls. We identified 11 rare copy number variable regions with < 5% frequency that had an association with RA that reached a p < 1 × 10−4. These include TNFAIP3 and TNIP1, which has been implicated in association studies for RA, systemic lupus erythematosus, and psoriasis. We identified CNV involving IRF1, which functions as a transcription activator of genes induced by interferons; ALOX5AP and LCP2, involved in inflammatory mediation; B2M, an MHC-class I associated gene; and PRKCH, a gene involved in T cell signaling pathways. A 57 kb deletion with 1% frequency in RA cases at 7p21.3 was also observed. Six of these loci overlap with CNV catalogued in the Database of Genomic Variants.Conclusion.This is the first study to identify non-HLA RA-associated CNV using genome-wide analyses. Validation and functional significance of these deletions/duplications in RA and other autoimmune diseases need to be further investigated.
Prevalence of Vertebral Fractures by Semiautomated Morphometry in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: MONTALA NURIA , JUANOLA XAVIER , COLLANTES EDUARDO , MUÑOZ-GOMARIZ ELISA , GONZALEZ CARLOS , GRATACOS JORDI , ZARCO PEDRO , FERNANDEZ SUEIRO JOSE LUIS , MULERO JUAN , TORRE-ALONSO JUAN CARLOS , BATLLE ENRIQUE , CARMONA LORETO 
Published: March 2011

Objective.Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease mainly affecting the axial skeleton and characterized by ossification of the spinal disc, joints, and ligaments leading to progressive ankylosis. Vertebral osteoporosis is a recognized feature of AS. Studies have confirmed a moderate to high prevalence of vertebral fractures with extremely varying ranges in patients with AS. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of vertebral fractures in a representative Spanish population of patients with AS using a validated semiquantitative method, MorphoXpress®.Methods.Patients were randomly selected from the 10 initial participating centers of the Spanish National Registry of Spondyloarthropathies (REGISPONSER) by consecutive sampling. All patients fulfilled the New York modified criteria for AS and had a baseline thoracolumbar radiograph. A prevalent vertebral fracture was defined according to the Genant classification criteria.Results.The estimated prevalence of vertebral fractures was 32.4% (95% CI 25.5%–39.3%). The majority of fractures were localized in the thoracic segment (n = 100; 82.%) and were mild (n = 79; 64.8%). In logistic regression analysis, age (odds ratio per year 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.08, p < 0.001), disease duration (OR per year 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06, p = 0.011), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index score (OR per score 1.16, 95% CI 1.03–1.30, p = 0.015), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiographic Index-TS (OR per score 1.25, 95% CI 1.12–1.39, p < 0.001), and wall-occiput distance (OR per cm 1.15, 95% CI 1.08–1.23, p < 0.001) were all associated with prevalent fracture.Conclusion.Semiquantitative methods are needed to improve the diagnosis of vertebral fractures in AS in order to start early treatment and to avoid complications arising from osteoporosis.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Rheumatic Foot According to the RAMRIS System Is Reliable
Authors: BAAN HENRIËTTE , BEZOOIJEN ROLAND , AVENARIUS JOHANNES K.A. , DUBBELDAM ROSEMARY , DROSSAERS-BAKKER WIEPKE K. , van de LAAR MARTIN A.F.J. 
Published: March 2011

Objective.In rheumatology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is predominantly applied in the assessment and outcome measurement of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in hands and wrists, leading to the development of the RAMRIS (RA-MRI-Scoring) system. It was initiated by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials (OMERACT). The RAMRIS system has not been applied widely in the measurement of feet. We investigated the interreader and intrareader agreement of the RAMRIS scoring system in the assessment of feet in RA.Methods.Twenty-nine patients with RA who had radiological damage and/or arthritis underwent MRI. Two experienced readers independently read both complete sets. One reader read 6 random sets after the initial session, in order to assess the intrareader agreement. For evaluation of the intrareader and interreader reliability, quadratic-weighted κ scores were calculated per joint and lesion.Results.For the forefeet, interreader scores were excellent, ranging from 0.77 (bone edema) to 0.95 (bone erosion). Hindfoot interreader agreement scores were highest for erosion (0.90) and synovitis global score (0.88), but edema and synovial thickness agreement were also acceptable (0.83 and 0.86). Intrareader scores were on the whole slightly lower, but excellent.Conclusion.Reliability (interreader and intrareader agreement) in the assessment of the rheumatoid foot according to the RAMRIS method is excellent.
A New Approach to Clinical Care of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: The Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report
Authors: FILOCAMO GIOVANNI , CONSOLARO ALESSANDRO , SCHIAPPAPIETRA BENEDETTA , DALPRÀ SARA , LATTANZI BIANCA , MAGNI-MANZONI SILVIA , RUPERTO NICOLINO , PISTORIO ANGELA , PEDERZOLI SILVIA , CIVINO ADELE , GUSEINOVA DINARA , MASALA ESTER , VIOLA STEFANIA , MARTINI ALBERTO , RAVELLI ANGELO 
Published: March 2011

Objective.To develop and test a new multidimensional questionnaire for assessment of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in standard clinical care.Methods.The Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) includes 15 parent or patient-centered measures or items that assess well-being, pain, functional status, health-related quality of life, morning stiffness, disease activity, disease status and course, joint disease, extraarticular symptoms, side effects of medications, therapeutic compliance, and satisfaction with illness outcome. The JAMAR is proposed for use as both a proxy-report and a patient self-report, with the suggested age range of 7–18 years for use as a self-report. From March 2007 to September 2009, the questionnaire was completed by the parents of 618 children with JIA in 1814 visits and by 332 children in 749 visits.Results.The JAMAR was found to be feasible and to possess face and content validity. All parents and children reported that the questionnaire was simple and easy to understand. Completion and scoring appeared to be quick, requiring < 15 minutes. There were very few missing data. Parents’ proxy-reported and children’s self-reported data were remarkably concordant. The JAMAR provided thorough information for the study patients about recent medical history and current health status. It performed similarly across different children’s ages and characterized the level of disease activity and disability well.Conclusion.The development of the JAMAR introduces a new approach in pediatric rheumatology practice. This new questionnaire may help enhance the quality of care of children with JIA.
Association Study of ITGAM, ITGAX, and CD58 Autoimmune Risk Loci in Systemic Sclerosis: Results from 2 Large European Caucasian Cohorts
Authors: COUSTET BAPTISTE , AGARWAL SANDEEP K. , GOURH PRAVITT , GUEDJ MICKAEL , MAYES MAUREEN D. , DIEUDE PHILIPPE , WIPFF JULIEN , AVOUAC JEROME , HACHULLA ERIC , DIOT ELISABETH , CRACOWSKI JEAN LUC , TIEV KIET , SIBILIA JEAN , MOUTHON LUC , FRANCES CAMILLE , AMOURA ZAHIR , CARPENTIER PATRICK , MEYER OLIVIER , KAHAN ANDRE , BOILEAU CATHERINE , ARNETT FRANK C. , ALLANORE YANNICK 
Published: March 2011

Objective.Accumulating evidence shows that shared autoimmunity is critical for the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) belongs to the connective tissue disorders, and recent data have highlighted strong associations with autoimmunity genes shared with other autoimmune diseases. To determine whether novel risk loci associated with systemic lupus erythematosus or multiple sclerosis may confer susceptibility to SSc, we tested single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from ITGAM, ITGAX, and CD58 for associations.Methods.SNP harboring associations with autoimmune diseases, ITGAM rs9937837, ITGAX rs11574637, and CD58 rs12044852, were genotyped in 2 independent cohorts of European Caucasian ancestry: 1031 SSc patients and 1014 controls from France and 1038 SSc patients and 691 controls from the USA, providing a combined study population of 3774 individuals. ITGAM rs1143679 was additionally genotyped in the French cohort.Results.The 4 polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the 2 control populations, and allelic frequencies were similar to those expected in European Caucasian populations. Allelic and genotypic frequencies for these 3 SNP were found to be statistically similar in SSc patients and controls. Subphenotype analyses for subgroups having diffuse cutaneous subtype disease, specific autoantibodies, or fibrosing alveolitis did not reveal any difference between SSc patients and controls.Conclusion.These results obtained through 2 large cohorts of SSc patients of European Caucasian ancestry do not support the implication of ITGAM, ITGAX, and CD58 genes in the genetic susceptibility of SSc, although they were recently identified as autoimmune disease risk genes.
Interaction Between Smoking and Polymorphism in the Promoter Region of the VEGFA Gene Is Associated with Ischemic Heart Disease and Myocardial Infarction in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: CHEN YING , DAWES PETER T. , PACKHAM JONATHAN C. , MATTEY DEREK L. 
Published: March 2011

Objective.To determine whether variants in the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) gene are associated with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and/or myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and whether there is evidence of a gene-smoking interaction.Methods.PCR-RFLP assays were used to determine the genotypes of VEGFA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) including VEGFA–2578A/C (rs699947), −460C/T (rs833061), +405C/G (rs2010963), and +936C/T (rs3025039) in 418 subjects with RA. Smoking history was obtained on each patient, and IHD and MI status was recorded. Associations with IHD/MI were assessed using contingency tables and logistic regression analyses.Results.Strong linkage disequilibrium was detected among VEGFA–2578, −460, and +405. SNP located in the VEGFA promoter region (−2578, −460) were found to be associated with IHD and MI, whereas +405 and +936, in the 5′-untranslated region (UTR) and 3′-UTR, respectively, were not. Haplotype analysis suggested that the A/C/G haplotype was associated with increased risk of IHD (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.22–4.62) and MI (OR 4.10, 95% CI 1.45–11.49). Smoking was also independently associated with IHD and MI, and evidence of interaction between smoking and the VEGFA promoter SNP was found. Multivariate analyses indicated that the strongest associations with IHD and MI were due to the combined effect of the VEGFA–2578 A allele and smoking (OR 3.52 and 7.11, respectively), independent of risk factors such as age, sex, diabetes, C-reactive protein, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension.Conclusion.Interaction between smoking and polymorphism in the VEGFA gene is associated with IHD and MI in patients with RA.
Are Symptoms of Late Whiplash Specific? A Comparison of SCL-90-R Symptom Profiles of Patients with Late Whiplash and Patients with Chronic Pain Due to Other Types of Trauma
Authors: RADANOV BOGDAN P. , MANNION ANNE F. , BALLINARI PIETRO 
Published: March 2011

Objective.Focusing on symptoms referred to as specific for late whiplash may contribute to misconceptions in assessment, treatment, and settlements. We compared Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R) symptom profiles of patients with late whiplash and patients with chronic pain due to other types of trauma.Methods.We compared 156 late whiplash patients (WP group) with 54 chronic pain patients who had suffered different bodily trauma (non-WP group) with regard to the following aspects of the SCL-90-R: the Positive Symptom Total (PST); the nine SCL-90-R dimensions and additional global indices, i.e., Global Severity Index (GSI) and Positive Symptom Distress (PSD); and complaints referred to as specific for late whiplash syndrome.Results.The mean adjusted T score for PST was in the normal range for the WP group (T = 56.1, 95% CI 54.1–58.1) and in the pathological range for the non-WP group (T = 61.1, 95% CI 57.3–64.9). Both the WP and non-WP groups showed mean T scores in the pathological range for the dimensions “Somatization,” “Obsessive-Compulsive,” and PSD. Only the non-WP group had an average score in the pathological range for the dimensions “Depression,” “Anxiety,” and “Phobic Anxiety” and for the global indices GSI and PST. Multivariable regression controlling for gender and education level was used to identify complaints “specific for late whiplash” that were significantly associated with being in the WP group rather than the non-WP group: greater headache (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.16, 2.03; p = 0.003) and lower emotional lability (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.93, 0.98; p = 0.003) were the only significant variables.Conclusion.Late whiplash is not a chronic pain condition characterized by specific symptoms, other than greater headache.