bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seizure outcome and its predictors after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery in patients with normal MRI
Authors: Fong Joanna S. , Jehi Lara , Najm Imad , Prayson Richard A. , Busch Robyn , Bingaman William 
Published: July 2011

SummaryPurpose:  To characterize seizure outcomes following temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery in patients with normal preoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods:  We reviewed adult patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy and normal MRI who underwent TLE surgery (1996–2009). Seizure outcomes were analyzed using survival and multivariate regression with Cox proportional hazard modeling. Two analyses were performed using two favorable outcome definitions: complete seizure freedom and Engel classification.Key Findings:  Sixty‐four patients were analyzed (mean follow‐up 4.1 years; range 1–14.5 years). Most had a standard anterior temporal lobectomy (84%) and unremarkable pathology (45%). At 1 year, the chance of complete seizure freedom was 76% [95% confidence interval (CI) 71–81%] comparable to an 81% (95% CI 76–86%) chance of Engel score of 1. With longer follow‐up, a progressively broadening significant discrepancy between the two outcome measures was observed. The chance of complete seizure freedom was 66% (95% CI 61–71%) at 2 years, and 47% (95% CI 40–54%) at 7 years and beyond, whereas the respective chances of achieving an Engel 1 classification were 76% (95% CI 70–82%), and 69% (95% CI 63–75%) at similar time points. Seizure outcome as defined by either measure was worse in patients with higher baseline seizure frequency (adjusted risk‐ratio 2.7 when >12 seizures/month; p = 0.01) and with preoperative generalized tonic–clonic seizures (adjusted risk ratio 10.8; p = 0.0006). Memory measures declined with dominant hippocampus resections.Significance:  A normal MRI should not prevent presurgical evaluations in patients with suspected TLE, as favorable long‐term postoperative seizure outcomes are possible. Proposed mechanisms of epileptogenicity and seizure recurrence in this group are discussed.
Definition and natural history of Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome
Authors: Camfield Peter R. 
Published: July 2011

SummaryLennox‐Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a rare epileptic encephalopathy with a peak age of onset of 3–5 years of age. Reported prevalence rates for LGS vary widely from 1–10% of all childhood epilepsies. Incidence rates are much lower. LGS is characterized by intractable, multiple, generalized seizure types and an interictal electroencephalogram showing bursts of slow spike‐and‐wave, paroxysmal bursts of generalized polyspikes, and a slow background. All patients have tonic seizures during sleep that may be subtle, and nearly all have treatment‐resistant, lifelong epilepsy. Cognitive stagnation and behavioral problems are seen in almost all patients and lead to a life of dependency. The differential diagnosis includes other symptomatic generalized epilepsies and pseudo‐Lennox syndrome. Misdiagnosis is common. Children and adults with LGS have an enormous impact on their families, and efforts to improve the quality of life for these patients are complex.
Rational approach to treatment options for Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome
Authors: Montouris Georgia D. 
Published: July 2011

SummaryLennox‐Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is an intractable childhood‐onset epileptic encephalopathy. Seizure freedom is rare in LGS. One of the hallmarks of LGS is medical intractability, with generally poor response to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Nevertheless, several treatment options are available that can mitigate the severity of seizures and curtail their frequency. New AEDs have been validated in randomized, controlled trials for the treatment of seizures in LGS. In some cases, nonpharmacologic options may be effective, although more data are needed to confirm efficacy outcomes. Comprehensive patient assessments are critical to achieve an optimal AED treatment regimen and minimize the potential for adverse effects.
Does Variance in Drinking Motives Explain the Genetic Overlap Between Personality and Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms? A Twin Study of Young Women
Authors: Littlefield Andrew K. , Agrawal Arpana , Ellingson Jarrod M. , Kristjansson Sean , Madden Pamela A. F. , Bucholz Kathleen K. , Slutske Wendy S. , Heath Andrew C. , Sher Kenneth J. 
Published: July 2011

Background:  Genetic risk for alcohol dependence has been shown to overlap with genetic factors contributing to variation in dimensions of personality. Although drinking motives have been posited as important mediators of the alcohol–personality relation, the extent to which the genetic covariance between alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms (i.e., abuse and dependence criteria) and personality is explained by genetic factors contributing to variation in drinking motives remains unclear.Methods:  Using data from 2,904 young adult female twins, the phenotypic and genetic associations between personality dimensions (constraint [measured by the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire; Tellegen A, 1982 unpublished data], conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness [measured by the NEO‐PI; Costa and McCrae, 1985]), internal drinking motives (enhancement and coping motives [measured by the Drinking Motive Questionnaire; Cooper, 1994]), and AUD symptoms were tested.Results:  Significant genetic associations were found between all personality measures and AUD symptoms. Coping motives showed significant genetic overlap with AUD symptoms and most personality measures, whereas enhancement motives were not significantly heritable. Adjusting for coping motives, genetic correlations between AUD symptoms and traits of neuroticism and agreeableness were no longer statistically significant.Conclusions:  Findings suggest that genetic variation in drinking to cope might account for a considerable proportion of the genetic covariance between specific personality dimensions and AUD symptoms.
The Genetic Effect of Copy Number Variations on the Risk of Alcoholism in a Korean Population
Authors: Bae Joon Seol , Jung Myung Hun , Lee Boung Chul , Cheong Hyun Sub , Park Byung Lae , Kim Lyoung Hyo , Kim Jeong‐Hyun , Pasaje Charisse Flerida A. , Lee Jin Sol , Jung Kyoung Hwa , Chai Young Gyu , Shin Hyoung Doo , Choi Ihn‐Geun 
Published: July 2011

Background:  Alcoholism, a chronic behavioral disorder characterized by excessive alcohol consumption, has been a leading cause of morbidity and premature death. This condition is believed to be influenced by genetic factors. As copy number variation (CNV) has been recently discovered in human genome, genomic diversity of human genome is more frequent than previously thought. Many studies have reported evidences that CNV is associated with the development of complex diseases. In this study, we hypothesized that CNV can predict the risk of alcoholism.
Methods:  Using the Illumina HumanHap660W‐Quad BeadChip (∼660 k markers), genome‐wide genotyping was performed to obtain signal and allelic intensities from 116 alcoholic cases and 1,022 healthy controls (total n = 1,138) in a Korean population. To identify alcoholism‐associated CNV regions, we performed a genome‐wide association analysis, using multivariate logistic regression model controlling for age and gender.
Results:  We identified a total of 255,732 individual CNVs and 3,261 CNV regions (1,067 common CNV regions, frequency > 1%) in this study. Results from multivariate logistic regression showed that the chr20:61195302‐61195978 regions were significantly associated with the risk of alcoholism after multiple corrections (p = 5.02E−05, pcorr = 0.04). Most of the identified variations in this study overlapped with the previously reported CNVs in the Database of Genomic Variants (95.3%). The identified CNVs, which encompassed 3,226 functional genes, were significantly enriched in the cellular part, in the membrane‐bound organelle, in the cell part, in developmental processes, in cell communication, in neurological system process, in sensory perception of smell and chemical stimulus, and in olfactory receptor activity.
Conclusions:  This is the first genome‐wide association study to investigate the relationship between common CNV and alcoholism. Our results suggest that the newly identified CNV regions may contribute to the development of alcoholism.
A randomized controlled pilot study of adherence to transfusion strategies in cardiac surgery
Authors: Shehata Nadine , Burns Laura Alexandra , Nathan Howard , Hebert Paul , Hare Gregory M.T. , Fergusson Dean , Mazer C. David 
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: It is important to determine the optimal hemoglobin (Hb) concentration for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion for patients undergoing cardiac surgery because increased mortality has been associated with the severity of anemia and exposure to RBCs. Because a definitive trial will require thousands of patients, and because there is variability in transfusion practices, a pilot study was undertaken to determine adherence to proposed strategies.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A single‐center parallel randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted in high‐risk cardiac patients to assess adherence to two transfusion strategies. Fifty patients were randomly assigned either to a “restrictive” transfusion strategy (RBCs if their Hb concentration was 70 g/L or less intraoperatively during cardiopulmonary bypass [CPB] and 75 g/L or less postoperatively) or a “liberal” transfusion strategy (RBCs if their Hb concentration was 95 g/L or less during CPB and less than 100 g/L postoperatively).RESULTS: The percentage of adherence overall was 84% in the restrictive arm and 41% in the liberal arm. Twenty‐two (88%) patients were transfused 99 units of RBCs in the liberal group compared to 13 patients who were transfused 50 units in the restrictive group (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in individual adverse outcomes; however, more adverse events occurred in the restrictive group (38 vs. 15, p < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Adherence to the evaluated interventions is vital to all randomized controlled trials as it has the potential to affect outcomes. Further pilot studies are required to optimize enrollment and transfusion adherence before a definitive study is conducted.
Alloimmunization to transfused HOD red blood cells is not increased in mice with sickle cell disease
Authors: Hendrickson Jeanne E. , Hod Eldad A. , Perry Jennifer R. , Ghosh Samit , Chappa Prasanthi , Adisa Olufolake , Kean Leslie S. , Ofori‐Acquah Solomon F. , Archer David R. , Spitalnik Steven L. , Zimring James C. 
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: Increased rates of red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization in patients with sickle cell disease may be due to transfusion frequency, genetic predisposition, or immune dysregulation. To test the hypothesis that sickle cell pathophysiology influences RBC alloimmunization, we utilized two transgenic mouse models of sickle cell disease.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Transgenic sickle mice, which express human α and βS globin, were transfused with fresh or 14‐day‐stored RBCs containing the HOD (hen egg lysozyme, ovalbumin, and human Duffyb) antigen; some recipients were inflamed with poly(I : C) before transfusion. Anti‐HOD alloantibody responses were subsequently measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and flow crossmatch; a cohort of recipients had posttransfusion serum cytokines measured by bead array.RESULTS: Both Berkeley and Townes homozygous (SS) and heterozygous (AS) mice had similar rates and magnitude of anti‐HOD RBC alloimmunization after fresh HOD RBC transfusion compared with control animals; under no tested condition did homozygous SS recipients make higher levels of alloantibodies than control animals. Unexpectedly, homozygous SS recipients had blunted cytokine responses and lower levels of anti‐HOD alloantibodies after transfusion of 14‐day stored RBCs, compared with control animals.CONCLUSIONS: In sum, homozygous βS expression and the ensuing disease state are not alone sufficient to enhance RBC alloimmunization to transfused HOD RBCs in two distinct humanized murine models of sickle cell disease under the conditions examined. These data suggest that other factors may contribute to the high rates of RBC alloimmunization observed in humans with sickle cell disease.
Reinvestigations of six unusual paternity cases by typing of autosomal single‐nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: Børsting Claus , Morling Niels 
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: In some relationship cases, the initial investigations of autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) lead to an ambiguous conclusion and supplementary investigations become necessary.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Six unusual paternity cases were previously investigated by other researchers and published as case work examples in forensic journals. Here, the cases were reinvestigated by typing the samples for 49 autosomal single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using the SNPforID multiplex assay.RESULTS: Three cases were solved by the SNP investigation without the need for any additional testing. In two cases, the SNP results supported the conclusions based on STRs. In the last case, the SNP results spoke in favor of paternity, and the combined paternity index based on autosomal STRs and SNPs was 12.3 billion. Nevertheless, the alleged father was excluded by X‐chromosome typing.CONCLUSION: The case work examples underline the importance of performing supplementary investigations, and they advocate for the implementation of several panels that may be used in the highly unusual cases. Panels with SNPs or other markers with low mutation probabilities are preferable as supplementary markers, because the risk of detecting (additional) mutations is very low.
A flow cytometric method for platelet counting in platelet concentrates
Authors: van der Meer Pieter F. , Karssing‐van Leeuwen Willy , Kurtz Jim , Spengler Hans‐Peter , Blair AbbeJane , Devine Dana , Harrison Paul , Lambrecht Bernd , VandenBroeke Tania , de Wildt Janny , de Korte Dirk ,   on behalf of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: The platelets (PLTs) in PLT concentrates are counted with hematology analyzers, but varying results among different hematology analyzers are observed, making comparisons very difficult. Due to the absence of red blood cells in PLT concentrates, the International Council for Standardization in Hematology (ICSH) reference method was modified to be used for PLT concentrates and validated in an international comparative study.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Five PLT samples were shipped to eight participating centers of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative and counted on the same day. PLTs were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate–labeled anti‐CD41a in tubes (TruCount, BD Biosciences), measured on a flow cytometer, and analyzed with a uniform template. These samples were also counted on 15 hematology analyzers.RESULTS: The ICSH method and newly developed BEST method yielded PLT counting results with less than 1% difference (not significant). The intercenter coefficient of variation (CV) of the BEST method was on average 6.3% versus 7.6% on average for hematology analyzers. The CV of individual hematology analyzers was on average 0.9%, which was considerably lower than for the flow cytometers with a mean of 3.7%.CONCLUSION: The BEST flow cytometric method has a smaller intercenter CV and a smaller center‐to‐center deviation from the group mean compared to hematology analyzers. Conversely, individual hematology analyzers are more precise than the flow cytometric method. Thus, the flow cytometric method provides a calibration tool to allow comparisons between centers, but there is no need to replace routine counting with hematology analyzers.
Increased numbers of total nucleated and CD34+ cells in blood group O cord blood: an analysis of neonatal innate factors in the Korean population
Authors: Lee Hye Ryun , Park Jeong Su , Shin Sue , Roh Eun Youn , Yoon Jong Hyun , Han Kyou Sup , Kim Byung Jae , Storms Robert W. , Chao Nelson J. 
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: We analyzed neonatal factors that could affect hematopoietic variables of cord blood (CB) donated from Korean neonates.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The numbers of total nucleated cells (TNCs), CD34+ cells, and CD34+ cells/TNCs of CB in neonates were compared according to sex, gestational age, birth weight, birth weight centile for gestational age, and ABO blood group.RESULTS: With 11,098 CB units analyzed, blood group O CB showed an increased number of TNCs, CD34+ cells, and CD34+ cells/TNCs compared with other blood groups. Although TNC counts were lower in males, no difference in the number of CD34+ cells was demonstrated because the number of CD34+ cells/TNCs was higher in males. An increase in the gestational age resulted in an increase in the number of TNCs and decreases in the number of CD34+ cells and CD34+ cells/TNCs. The numbers of TNCs, CD34+ cells, and CD34+ cells/TNCs increased according to increased birth weight centile as well as birth weight.CONCLUSION: CB with blood group O has unique hematologic variables in this large‐scale analysis of Korean neonates, although the impact on the storage policies of CB banks or the clinical outcome of transplantation remains to be determined.
Splanchnic‐cerebral oxygenation ratio as a marker of preterm infant blood transfusion needs
Authors: Bailey Sean M. , Hendricks‐Muñoz Karen D. , Mally Pradeep 
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: Premature neonates often receive red blood cell (RBC) transfusions to improve tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery. Clinical and laboratory indicators used to guide transfusion therapy are inadequate to determine physiologic need with high predictability and transfusions frequently do not result in clinical improvement. The splanchnic‐cerebral oxygenation ratio (SCOR) provides insight into overall tissue oxygen sufficiency and can be determined using near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Our aim was to assess the usefulness of SCOR as a marker for transfusion need in preterm infants.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was a prospective observational pilot study utilizing NIRS to analyze the SCOR in symptomatic anemic premature neonates receiving RBC transfusions and nontransfused asymptomatic premature neonates with similarly low hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Subject clinical status was determined based on frequency of apnea, bradycardia, pulse‐oximetry desaturation events, heart rate, respiratory support, and feeding tolerance. We then assessed for any difference between baseline (pretransfusion) SCOR of 1) symptomatic subjects who improved after transfusion, 2) symptomatic subjects who did not improve, and 3) asymptomatic subjects.RESULTS: The study included 52 subjects (34 transfused, 18 asymptomatic): mean birth weight was 1164 g, mean gestational age was 28.6 weeks, and mean Hb level was 9.0 g/dL. Of 34 transfused subjects, 19 improved (56%). Mean baseline SCOR values were lower in neonates who improved with transfusion, 0.61 ± 0.22, when compared to those without improvement, 0.75 ± 0.17, and asymptomatic neonates, 0.77 ± 0.16 (p = 0.03). Infants with a low baseline SCOR (≤0.73) were more likely to improve after transfusion (likelihood ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1‐6.7).CONCLUSION: SCOR may help identify premature infants who will benefit from RBC transfusion.
All Middle‐Class Families Are Not Created Equal: Explaining the Contexts that Black and White Families Face and the Implications for Adolescent Achievement*
Authors: Lindsay Constance A. 
Published: July 2011

Objectives.This article examines the relationship between race, socioeconomic status, and achievement using an ecological perspective.Methods.Conventional theory suggests that as parent human capital increases, family resources increase, and therefore student achievement should increase. However, differential academic achievement is still observed between black and white adolescents in similar middle‐class families. I first provide a descriptive analysis of three domains of the local ecology that I theorize influence adolescent achievement: neighborhoods, parenting styles, and time use. I then use OLS regression analysis to explore whether the inclusion of various domains of adolescents' environments eliminates the black‐white test score differential.Results.I find that the inclusion of the three domains lessens, but does not eliminate, the black‐white test score differential.Conclusion.Black and white adolescents at all socioeconomic levels face different contexts; these different contexts are associated with differences in achievement.
Cooperative Institutions and Inequality in the OECD: Bringing the Firm Back In*
Authors: Alemán José A. 
Published: July 2011

Objective. To examine the relationship between firm‐level cooperation, inequality, and redistribution in 18 advanced industrialized democracies.Methods. The relationships are investigated using multiple regression analyses of institutional, political, and economic variables.Results. Multilevel models reveal that contrary to neocorporatism, firm‐level cooperative ties have significant inegalitarian effects, particularly in the distribution of pretax, pretransfer market income. The effects, however, are also felt in the distribution of posttax, posttransfer income.Conclusion. By paying attention to the effect of firm‐level cooperation, the study sheds new light on inequality in the OECD as a result of both market‐based and nonmarket coordination.
How mathematics warp biology: round‐off of umbilical cord blood gas case value decimals distorts calculation of metabolic acidosis at birth
Authors: OLOFSSON PER , MOKARAMI PARISA , KÄLLÉN KARIN , WIBERG NANA 
Published: July 2011

AbstractObjective. To illustrate the impact on settling neonatal metabolic acidosis diagnosis by rounding off pH and base deficit (BD) case value decimals. Design. Comparative study. Setting. University maternity units. Sample. Umbilical cord arterial blood gas values from 18 831 newborns. Main outcome measures. Prevalences of pH <7.05 and metabolic acidosis diagnosis (pH <7.05 plus BD >12.0 mmol/L). Methods. Calculation of BD from pH and pCO2 values, and calculating the prevalences of metabolic acidosis before and after rounding off three‐decimal values to two or one decimals. The ‘round to half even’ and ‘round half up’ round‐off rules were used for digit 5. Results. Arterial pH was ≤7.049 in 339 newborns (1.8%). In 27 (8.0%) pH was 7.045–7.049, rounded off to 7.05 when truncated to two decimals (crude vs. round‐off values; McNemar's test, p<0.000001). Depending on round‐offs of pH case value decimals before or after calculation of BD, and round‐offs of resulting three‐decimal BD values to one decimal, metabolic acidosis ‘disappeared’ or ‘appeared’ in eight of 75 metabolic acidosis cases (10.7%). With different modes of calculation, the number of metabolic acidosis cases varied between 75 and 71 cases (p≥0.1). Conclusion. Due to pH and BD case value decimal round‐offs, a diagnostic discrepancy of acidotic pH values occurred in 8%, and of metabolic acidosis diagnosis in 10.7% of cases. A drift of a dichotomy parameter value cut‐off due to decimal round‐offs will result in a shift in distribution of positive and negative cases in a population sample.