bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Operative results and learning curve: microscope-assisted tubular microsurgery for 1- and 2-level discectomies and laminectomies
Authors: Parikh Karishma , Tomasino Andre , Knopman Jared , Boockvar John , Härtl Roger 
Published: August 2008

Object
The authors present their clinical results and the learning curve associated with the use of tubular retractors for 1- and 2-level lumbar microscope-assisted discectomies and laminectomies.

Methods
The study involves a retrospective and prospective analysis of 230 patients who underwent noninstrumented minimally invasive procedures for degenerative lumbar spinal disease between 2004 and 2007. Data on patient demographic characteristics and operative results, including length of stay, blood loss, operative times, and surgical complications were collected. Clinical outcomes were assessed based on pre- and postoperative Visual Analog Scale scores, Oswestry Disability Index values, and the Macnab outcome scale scores.

Results
The results showed characteristic differences in blood loss and operating times between 1- and 2-level procedures and between discectomies and laminectomies. A significant learning curve was seen by a decrease in operating time for 1- level discectomies and 2-level laminectomies. Major complications were not observed.

Conclusions
The use of tubular retractors for microsurgical decompression of degenerative spinal disease is a safe and effective treatment modality. As with other techniques, minimally invasive procedures are associated with a significant learning curve. As surgeons become more comfortable with the procedure, its applications can be expanded to include, for example, spinal instrumentation and deformity correction.
Minimally invasive direct repair of lumbar spondylolysis with a pedicle screw and hook construct
Authors: Noggle Joseph C. , Sciubba Daniel M. , Samdani Amer F. , Anderson D. Greg , Betz Randal R. , Asghar Jahangir 
Published: August 2008

Object
Lumbar spondylolysis occurs in approximately 6% of the population and presents with localized mechanical back pain, often in young athletes. Surgical treatment may involve decompression, lumbar intersegmental fusion, or direct repair of pars defects. Although such open procedures may effectively resolve symptoms, minimal-access approaches may additionally decrease collateral damage to soft tissues, allowing young, active patients to resume athletic activities sooner. In this study, the authors review their experience repairing bilateral lumbar spondylolyses with screw and hook constructs placed via a minimal-access approach.

Methods
Five consecutive pediatric patients with bilateral L-5 spondylolysis were treated. Bilateral incisions (2.5 cm) were made over L-5. Exposure was maintained with bilateral expandable tubular retractor systems. Pedicle screws were placed in the L-5 pedicles and attached to hooks under the L-5 laminae. A direct repair was performed at the pars defect. Clinical characteristics, operative variables, and postoperative outcomes were collected.

Results
All 5 patients underwent surgery; 4 were male (80%) and 1 was female (20%), and the mean age was 15.8 years (range 15–17 years). The mean estimated blood loss and duration of surgery were 37 ml (range 15–75 ml) and 1.94 hours (range 1–3 hours), respectively. Postoperative hospital stays ranged from 1 to 3 days (mean 1.8 days). The only complication occurred in 1 patient who experienced minor superficial wound breakdown. All patients have experienced resolution of symptoms at this preliminary stage, which has continued over an 8-month follow-up period.

Conclusions
Lumbar spondylolysis can be adequately and safely treated via minimal-access surgical repair of the pars interarticularis by using pedicle screws and rod-hook constructs. This approach may decrease the collateral soft tissue damage common to open dissections, and may be ideal for young, active surgical candidates.
Semantic Structuring of and Information Extraction from Medical Documents Using the UMLS
Authors: Denecke K. 
Published: August 2008

Summary

Objectives:
This paper introduces SeReMeD (Semantic Representation of Medical Documents), a method for automatically generating knowledge representations from natural language documents. The suitability of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) as domain knowledge for this method is analyzed.

Methods: SeReMeD
combines existing language engineering methods and semantic transformation rules for mapping syntactic information to semantic roles. In this way, the relevant content of medical documents is mapped to semantic structures. In order to extract specific data, these semantic structures are searched for concepts and semantic roles. A study is carried out that uses
SeReMeD
to detect specific data in medical narratives such as documented diagnoses or procedures.

Results:
The system is tested on chest X-ray reports. In first evaluations of the system’s performance, the generation of semantic structures achieves a correctness of 80%, whereas the extraction of documented findings obtains values of 93% precision and 83% recall.

Conclusions:
The results suggest that the methods described here can be used to accurately extract data from medical narratives, although there is also some potential for improving the results. The proposed methods provide two main benefits. By using existing language engineering methods, the effort required to construct a medical information extraction system is reduced. It is also possible to change the domain knowledge and therefore to create a more (or less) specialized system, capable of handling various medical sub-domains.
Reliability Assessment of a Plaque Scoring Index Using Photographs
Authors: Kelly A. , Maia L. C. , Luiz R. R. , Vianna R. B. C. , Quintanilha L. E. L. P. , Antonio A. G. 
Published: August 2008

Summary

Objectives:
The need to evaluate the reliability of a clinical index before using it as a research tool is clearly recognized. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate whether a new calibration method by means of photographs would be useful for assessing the examiners’ reliability in the interpretation of a plaque index.

Methods:
Nine children were randomly recruited from a public school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Two trained examiners evaluated these children for dental plaque, in a classroom environment, in order to record plaque scores. The children’s teeth were dyed and colored photographs were taken of all tooth surfaces using a camera, mouth mirrors and lip retractors. The photographs were evaluated to select and identify the best visible tooth surfaces, and the final sample consisted of 343 tooth surfaces. One week after the clinical examination, both examiners scored the tooth surfaces from the photographs according to the index used. The intra and inter-examiner agreements were measured by intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for individual mean scores and for tooth surfaces scores.

Results:
The data showed an excellent agreement (ICC > 0.80) between clinical and photographic examinations, for both examiners, both for tooth surface and patient analysis. The statistics also demonstrated excellent (ICC > 0.80) inter-examiner agreement on clinical and photographic examinations.

Conclusion:
The method seems to be an effective technique to evaluate the reliability of the plaque index, improving the reproducibility of epidemiological studies.
Combining Hashing and Enciphering Algorithms for Epidemiological Analysis of Gathered Data
Authors: Fassa M. , Coatrieux G. , Trouessin G. , Allaert F. A. , Quantin C. 
Published: August 2008

Summary

Objectives:
Compiling individual records coming from different sources is necessary for multi-center studies. Legal aspects can be satisfied by implementing anonymization procedures. When using these procedures with a different key for each study it becomes almost impossible to link records from separate data collections.

Methods:
The originality of the method relies on the way the combination of hashing and enciphering techniques is performed: like in asymmetric encryption, two keys are used but the private key depends on the patient’s identity.

Results:
The combination of hashing and enciphering techniques provides a great improvement in the overall security of the proposed scheme.

Conclusion:
This methodology makes stored data available for use in the field of public health, while respecting legal security requirements.
Optimierung eines Raumes mithilfe von DIN 18599‐4 (Tageslicht), DIN 4108‐2 (sommerlicher Wärmeschutz) und weiterführenden Simulationen
Authors: Dietrich Udo 
Published: August 2008

AbstractDie Norm DIN 18599‐4 wird als geeignetes Werkzeug zur Optimierung der Qualität der Tageslichtversorgung eines Büroraumes hinsichtlich seiner Abmessungen und Größe und der Anordnung der Fenster erfolgreich eingesetzt. Für die weitere Optimierung des Raumes hinsichtlich des sommerlichen Wärmeschutzes führt der Einsatz von DIN 4108‐2 zu unkomfortablen Verhältnissen, wie in vergleichenden Simulationen gezeigt wird. Setzt man stattdessen Simulationsprogramme zur Optimierung ein und verwendet DIN EN 15251 zur Bewertung der thermischen Behaglichkeit, können mit weiterer Optimierung komfortable Verhältnisse erzielt werden. Empfehlungen für die entsprechende Ausstattung des Raumes hinsichtlich Verschattung, natürlicher Lüftung und Kunstlichtschaltung werden abgeleitet.
Neues Berechnungsverfahren zur Standsicherheit und Gebrauchstauglichkeit von Montagewänden mit Gipsplattenbeplankung für eine erhöhte Anwendungssicherheit bei hohen Wänden
Authors: Herfurth Dominik , Krämer Georg , Bohnsack Sven , Fink Rainer , Ostermann Ralph , Rohlfs Heinrich , Gutsch Alex‐W. , Bodendiek Peter , Hirschfeld Sandra 
Published: August 2008

AbstractDie Arbeitsgruppe Technik der Industriegruppe Gipsplatten (IGG) hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, das bereits hohe Niveau der Trockenbauweise in Montage, Anwendungssicherheit und Qualität durch Vervollkommnung des technischen Regelwerkes noch weiter zu verbessern. Nachfolgend berichten die Autoren über das neueste Ergebnis eines weiterentwickelten, durch umfangreiche Untersuchungen untersetzten Rechenverfahrens, das eine zuverlässige Bemessung von Ständerwänden auch für große Wandhöhen ermöglicht und als Standard‐Berechnungsverfahren ab sofort in der Leichtbauweise mit Gipsplatten Einsatz findet.
Mechanism of Binding of Fluoroquinolones to the Quinolone Resistance‐Determining Region of DNA Gyrase: Towards an Understanding of the Molecular Basis of Quinolone Resistance
Authors: Madurga Sergio , Sánchez‐Céspedes Javier , Belda Ignasi , Vila Jordi , Giralt Ernest 
Published: August 2008

AbstractWe have studied the bacterial resistance to fluoroquinolones that arises as a result of mutations in the DNA gyrase target protein. Although it is known that DNA gyrase is a target of quinolone antibacterial agents, the molecular details of the quinolone–gyrase interaction remain unclear. The mode of binding of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin to DNA gyrase was analyzed by means of docking calculations over the surface of the QRDR of GyrA. The analysis of these binding models allows study of the resistance mechanism associated with gyrA mutations more commonly found in E. coli fluoroquinolone‐resistant strains at the atomic level. Asp87 was found to be critical in the binding of these fluoroquinolones because it interacts with the positively charged nitrogens in these bactericidal drugs. The role of the other most common mutations at amino acid codon Ser83 can be explained through the contacts that the side chain of this residue establishes with fluoroquinolone molecules. Finally, our results strongly suggest that, although Arg121 has never been found to be associated with fluoroquinolone resistance, this residue makes a pivotal contribution to the binding of the antibiotic to GyrA and to defining its position in the QRDR of the enzyme.
Peptide‐Grafted Nanodiamonds: Preparation, Cytotoxicity and Uptake in Cells
Authors: Vial Stéphanie , Mansuy Christelle , Sagan Sandrine , Irinopoulou Theano , Burlina Fabienne , Boudou Jean‐Paul , Chassaing Gérard , Lavielle Solange 
Published: August 2008

AbstractNanodiamonds that were prepared by high pressure/high temperature were functionalised with biomolecules for biological applications. Nanodiamonds (NDs, ≤35 nm) that were coated by silanisation or with polyelectrolyte layers were grafted with a fluorescent thiolated peptide via a maleimido function; this led to an aqueous colloidal suspension that was stable for months. These substituted NDs were not cytotoxic for CHO cells. Their capacity to enter mammalian cells, and their localisation inside were ascertained after labelling the nucleus and actin, by examining the cells by confocal, reflected light and fluorescence microscopy.
ChemInform Abstract: Atomic Fluorine Anion Storage Emission Material C12A7‐F‐ and Etching of Si and SiO2 by Atomic Fluorine Anions.
Authors: Song Chongfu , Sun Jianqiu , Qiu Songbai , Yuan Lixia , Tu Jing , Torimoto Youshifumi , Sadakata Masayoshi , Li Quanxin 
Published: August 2008

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
Ectopic expression of LIM‐nebulette (LASP2) reveals roles in cell migration and spreading
Authors: Deng Xiaodi A. , Norris Andrea , Panaviene Zivile , Moncman Carole L. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractLIM‐nebulette (LASP2) is a small focal adhesion protein and a member of the nebulin family of actin binding proteins. This recently identified splice variant of the nebulette locus is widely expressed and highly enriched in neuronal tissue. Other than that LIM‐nebulette is a focal adhesion protein and interacts with zyxin, nothing is known about its function. Given that LIM‐nebulette has an identical modular organization and overlapping tissue distributions to that of LASP1, we have analyzed the role of LIM‐nebulette in comparison with that of LASP1. We find that LIM‐nebulette is a dynamic focal adhesion protein that increases the rate of attachment and spreading of fibroblasts on fibronectin coated surfaces. Additionally, LIM‐nebulette is recruited from the cortical cytoskeleton in non‐motile cells to focal adhesions at the leading edge of stimulated cells. In confluent cultures of HeLa and NIH3T3 cells, LIM‐nebulette co‐localizes with α‐catenin in putative adherens junctions, whereas LASP1 is devoid of these areas. Interestingly, overexpression of LIM‐nebulette in PC6 cells inhibits neurite outgrowth in response to growth factors. Collectively, our data indicate that LIM‐nebulette and LASP1 have distinct roles in the actin cytoskeleton. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gibbs measures on Brownian currents
Authors: Gubinelli Massimiliano , Lörinczi József 
Published: August 2008

AbstractMotivated by applications to quantum field theory, we consider Gibbs measures for which the reference measure is Wiener measure and the interaction is given by a double stochastic integral and a pinning external potential. In order to properly characterize these measures through Dobrushin‐Lanford‐Ruelle (DLR) equations, we are led to lifting Wiener measure and other objects to a space of configurations where the basic observables are not only the position of the particle at all times but also the work done by test vector fields. We prove existence and basic properties of such Gibbs measures in the weak coupling regime by means of cluster expansion. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Serum levels of pigment epithelium‐derived factor (PEDF) are positively associated with visceral adiposity in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Nakamura Kazuo , Yamagishi Sho‐ichi , Adachi Hisashi , Kurita‐Nakamura Yayoi , Matsui Takanori , Inoue Hiroyoshi 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBackgroundPigment epithelium‐derived factor (PEDF) inhibits endothelial cell injury. Further, serum levels of PEDF are elevated in the metabolic syndrome. These observations suggest that PEDF may be elevated as a counter‐system against vascular cell damage in the metabolic syndrome. However, little is known about the regulation of PEDF in patients with diabetes. In order to clarify the determinants of serum PEDF, here, we examined the relationship between the 1‐year changes in PEDF levels and those in anthropometric and metabolic variables in type 2 diabetic patients.MethodsEighty‐six consecutive outpatients with type 2 diabetes underwent a complete history and physical examination, determination of blood chemistries, and serum levels of PEDF at baseline and 1 year after. PEDF gene expression in cultured subcutaneous or omental adipocytes were analysed by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reactions.ResultsMultiple regression analyses revealed that waist circumference, triglycerides, creatinine, and TNF‐α were independently associated with PEDF. Further, the percent changes in serum levels of PEDF during 1‐year observational periods were positively correlated with those of BMI. In addition, PEDF mRNA levels in cultured adipocytes were increased in parallel to the BMI values of subjects from whom adipocytes were derived, especially in omental adipocytes.ConclusionThese results demonstrated that serum levels of PEDF were positively associated with metabolic components and TNF‐α in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Our present study suggests that PEDF may be generated from adipose tissues and play some role in visceral obesity in type 2 diabetic patients. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asymmetric Henry Reactions Catalyzed by Metal Complexes of Chiral Boron‐Bridged Bisoxazoline (borabox) Ligands
Authors: Toussaint Aurélie , Pfaltz Andreas 
Published: August 2008

AbstractMetal complexes of boron‐bridged bisoxazolines (borabox ligands) were evaluated as catalysts for the Henry reaction. Copper(II) complexes induced high enantio‐ and diastereoselectivity in reactions with nitroethane and nitropropane. The amount of base added had a strong influence on the formation of the chiral complex and the enantioselectivity. Comparison with the corresponding dimethylmethylene‐bridged bisoxazoline and other privileged ligands showed that borabox was the most suitable ligand system for the enantio‐ and diastereoselective formation of nitroalcohols derived from nitropropane and aliphatic aldehydes.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Identification of ARHGEF17, DENND2D, FGFR3, and RB1 mutations in melanoma by inhibition of nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay
Authors: Bloethner Sandra , Mould Arne , Stark Mitchell , Hayward Nicholas K. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractGene identification by nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay inhibition (GINI) has proven to be a strategy for genome‐wide discovery of genes containing inactivating mutations in colon and prostate cancers. Here, we present the first study of inhibition of the nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway in melanoma. We used a combination of emetine and actinomycin D treatment to stabilize mRNAs containing premature termination codons (PTCs), followed by microarray analysis and sequencing to identify novel tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) in a panel of 12 melanoma cell lines. Stringent analysis of the array data was used to select 35 candidate genes for sequencing. Of these, 4 (11%) were found to carry PTCs, including ARHGEF17, DENND2D, FGFR3, and RB1. While RB1 mutations have previously been described in melanoma, the other three genes represent potentially novel melanoma; TSGs. ARHGEF17 showed a G1865A mutation leading to W622X in a cell line derived from a mucosal melanoma; in RB1 a C1411T base change resulting in Q471X was discovered in a cell line derived from an acral melanoma; and the FGFR3 and DENND2D genes had intronic insertions leading to PTCs in cell lines derived from superficially spreading melanomas. We conclude that although the false positive rate is high, most likely due to the lack of DNA mismatch repair gene defects, the GINI protocol is one approach to discover novel TSGs in melanoma. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Patterns of structural complexity in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Young Karl , Du An‐Tao , Kramer Joel , Rosen Howard , Miller Bruce , Weiner Michael , Schuff Norbert 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe goal of this project was to utilize an information theoretic formalism for medical image analysis initially proposed in [Young et al. (2005): Phys Rev Lett 94:098701‐1] to detect and quantify subtle global and regional differences in spatial patterns in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) by estimating the structural complexity of anatomical brain MRI. The sensitivity and specificity of the results are compared with those of a recent analysis, currently considered state of the art for MR studies of neurodegeneration. The previous study used regional estimates of cortical thinning and/or volume loss to differentiate between normal aging, AD, and FTD. The analysis illustrates that the structural complexity estimation method, a general multivariate approach to the study of variation in brain structure which does not depend on highly specialized volumetric and thickness estimates, is capable of providing sensitive and interpretable diagnostic information. Human Brain Mapp 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Amomum tsao‐ko
Authors: Yang Yang , Yan Run‐Wei , Cai Xiao‐Qiang , Zheng Zhong‐Liang , Zou Guo‐Lin 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBACKGROUND: The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the dried fruits of Amomum tsao‐ko was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated against 16 micro‐organisms using agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods.RESULTS: Seventy‐three compounds, constituting about 97.56% of the total oil, were identified. The main components were 1,8‐cineole (45.24%), ρ‐propylbenzaldehyde (6.04%), geraniol (5.11%), geranial (4.52%), α‐terpineol (3.59%) and α‐phellandrene (3.07%). The essential oil showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against all the tested micro‐organisms, including Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, and fungi. The oil exerted the strongest bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus CCTCC AB91118, with minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of 0.20 g L−1.CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the Amomum tsao‐ko essential oil could be one of new medicinal resources for antibacterial and antifungal agents. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry