cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129263
title: Supplementary Material for: Utility of an Internal Retractor (EndoGrab) for the Management of the Vesicouterine Ligament during Laparoscopic Radical Hysterectomy

description: <b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> The study aims to prevent serious urologic injury during a radical hysterectomy; we propose that one of the most important procedural steps is the careful management of the vesicouterine ligament (VUL). <b><i>Patients and Methods:</i></b> Between January 2013 and October 2014, we used a novel internal retractor in 17 patients undergoing a laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) for early-stage cervical cancer to obtain and secure a better surgical view. For management of the VUL during the laparoscopic procedure, we routinely used an internal retractor (EndoGrab; Virtual Ports, Misgav, Israel) and vessel tape to reposition the ureter in a safe lateral-caudal direction. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Using an EndoGrab, we were easily able to reproduce a suitable surgical view that simulated the one obtained by an abdominal route for radical hysterectomy. Using this improved laparoscopic procedure, we completed radical hysterectomies in all 17 cases without a ureteral injury complication. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our modified method using an EndoGrab is effective for the prevention of ureteral injury during a LRH, and its ease of use makes it suitable even for those surgeons early in their laparoscopic learning curve.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129251
title: Supplementary Material for: Clinical and Genetic Heterogeneity of the 15q13.3 Microdeletion Syndrome

description: The 15q13.3 microdeletion is a recurrent CNV, presumably mediated by NAHR between segmental duplications in chromosome 15. The 15q13.3 deletion and duplication are associated with a wide range of clinical manifestations, such as intellectual deficits, seizures, autism, language and developmental delay, neuropsychiatric impairments, and behavioral problems illustrating incomplete penetrance and expressivity. This study comprises an evaluation of 106 symptomatic patients carrying the heterozygous deletion, as well as of 21 patients carrying the duplication, who have been described in previous studies. The analysis shows considerable heterogeneity for the manifestation of different key symptoms and familiar occurrence. Furthermore, 8 new patients are introduced. Convoluted familiar connections give new insights into the complexity of symptomatic manifestation. In previous studies, different opinions have been expressed as to the nature and precise location of the deletion breakpoints. Here, we show that not <i>CHRNA7 and CHRFAM7A</i>, but rather <i>FAM7A</i> or <i>GOLGA8,</i> serve as breakpoint regions concerning our patients. The deletion is described as heterogeneous in size. However, we assume that not only different breakpoints but also the imprecision of aCGH analysis on chromosome 15 due to segmental duplications accounts for the variability in size.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129254
title: Supplementary Material for: EASL-EASD-EASO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

description: Medicine
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129257.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: The Role of Antibiotics in Gut Microbiota Modulation: The Eubiotic Effects of Rifaximin

description: Antibiotics are mainly used in clinical practice for their activity against pathogens, but they also alter the composition of commensal gut microbial community. Rifaximin is a non-absorbable antibiotic with additional effects on the gut microbiota about which very little is known. It is still not clear to what extent rifaximin can be able to modulate gut microbiota composition and diversity in different clinical settings. Studies based on culture-dependent techniques revealed that rifaximin treatment promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Accordingly, our metagenomic analysis carried out on patients with different gastrointestinal and liver diseases highlighted a significant increase in Lactobacilli after rifaximin treatment, persisting in the short time period. This result was independent of the disease background and was not accompanied by a significant alteration of the overall gut microbial ecology. This suggests that rifaximin can exert important eubiotic effects independently of the original disease, producing a favorable gut microbiota perturbation without changing its overall composition and diversity.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129248
title: Supplementary Material for: Higher Levels of Cystatin C Are Associated with Extracranial Carotid Artery Steno-Occlusive Disease in Patients with Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke

description: <b><i>Background:</i></b> Large artery atherosclerosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke worldwide. Differential biomarker profiles associated with extra- and intracranial atherosclerosis are a topic of considerable interest. Cystatin C (CysC), a marker of renal function, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. <b><i>Aim:</i></b> We sought to determine whether CysC levels were associated with extra- and intracranial large artery stenosis (LAS) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively analyzed data of acute noncardioembolic ischemic stroke patients who were admitted to our stroke center within 5 days from symptom onset. Serum CysC levels were measured using latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay. Extra- and intracranial LAS were defined as ≥50% diameter stenosis or occlusion of the relevant internal carotid artery (ICA) and/or middle cerebral artery (MCA) using carotid echography and volume rendering on magnetic resonance angiography. Multivariate logistic analyses were used to assess the association between CysC levels and LAS after adjustment for potential confounders. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 205 patients (mean age 70.2 years), 76 (37.1%) had LAS. The distribution of LAS was 29 extracranial ICA, 34 intracranial ICA/MCA (8 ICA only, 25 MCA only, 1 ICA+MCA) and 13 tandem stenosis (both extracranial ICA and intracranial ICA/MCA). Levels of CysC were higher in patients with extracranial ICA stenosis than in those with intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis (1.23 ± 0.33 vs. 0.97 ± 0.21 mg/l, p &lt; 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the highest CysC tertile (&gt;1.04 mg/l) was significantly associated with extracranial ICA stenosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 5.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-16.63, p = 0.009) after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, current smoking, systolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and premorbid lipid-lowering drugs use. When CysC was considered as a continuous variable, 1 SD increase in CysC was significantly associated with extracranial ICA stenosis (adjusted OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.58-5.72, p = 0.001). However, there were no significant associations between CysC levels and intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis. In addition, CysC levels showed a weak but statistically significant correlation with hs-CRP levels (r = 0.195, p = 0.021). Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, CysC value displayed good performance in discriminating extracranial ICA stenosis (c-statistic 0.79, 95% CI 0.69-0.89, p &lt; 0.001). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This preliminary study suggests that higher levels of CysC were independently associated with symptomatic extracranial ICA stenosis, but not with intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis in patients with noncardioembolic stroke. Our findings provide new insights into the link between serum CysC and carotid atherosclerosis.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129254.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: EASL-EASD-EASO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

description: Medicine
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129263.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Utility of an Internal Retractor (EndoGrab) for the Management of the Vesicouterine Ligament during Laparoscopic Radical Hysterectomy

description: <b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> The study aims to prevent serious urologic injury during a radical hysterectomy; we propose that one of the most important procedural steps is the careful management of the vesicouterine ligament (VUL). <b><i>Patients and Methods:</i></b> Between January 2013 and October 2014, we used a novel internal retractor in 17 patients undergoing a laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) for early-stage cervical cancer to obtain and secure a better surgical view. For management of the VUL during the laparoscopic procedure, we routinely used an internal retractor (EndoGrab; Virtual Ports, Misgav, Israel) and vessel tape to reposition the ureter in a safe lateral-caudal direction. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Using an EndoGrab, we were easily able to reproduce a suitable surgical view that simulated the one obtained by an abdominal route for radical hysterectomy. Using this improved laparoscopic procedure, we completed radical hysterectomies in all 17 cases without a ureteral injury complication. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our modified method using an EndoGrab is effective for the prevention of ureteral injury during a LRH, and its ease of use makes it suitable even for those surgeons early in their laparoscopic learning curve.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129248.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Higher Levels of Cystatin C Are Associated with Extracranial Carotid Artery Steno-Occlusive Disease in Patients with Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke

description: <b><i>Background:</i></b> Large artery atherosclerosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke worldwide. Differential biomarker profiles associated with extra- and intracranial atherosclerosis are a topic of considerable interest. Cystatin C (CysC), a marker of renal function, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. <b><i>Aim:</i></b> We sought to determine whether CysC levels were associated with extra- and intracranial large artery stenosis (LAS) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively analyzed data of acute noncardioembolic ischemic stroke patients who were admitted to our stroke center within 5 days from symptom onset. Serum CysC levels were measured using latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay. Extra- and intracranial LAS were defined as ≥50% diameter stenosis or occlusion of the relevant internal carotid artery (ICA) and/or middle cerebral artery (MCA) using carotid echography and volume rendering on magnetic resonance angiography. Multivariate logistic analyses were used to assess the association between CysC levels and LAS after adjustment for potential confounders. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 205 patients (mean age 70.2 years), 76 (37.1%) had LAS. The distribution of LAS was 29 extracranial ICA, 34 intracranial ICA/MCA (8 ICA only, 25 MCA only, 1 ICA+MCA) and 13 tandem stenosis (both extracranial ICA and intracranial ICA/MCA). Levels of CysC were higher in patients with extracranial ICA stenosis than in those with intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis (1.23 ± 0.33 vs. 0.97 ± 0.21 mg/l, p &lt; 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the highest CysC tertile (&gt;1.04 mg/l) was significantly associated with extracranial ICA stenosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 5.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-16.63, p = 0.009) after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, current smoking, systolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and premorbid lipid-lowering drugs use. When CysC was considered as a continuous variable, 1 SD increase in CysC was significantly associated with extracranial ICA stenosis (adjusted OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.58-5.72, p = 0.001). However, there were no significant associations between CysC levels and intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis. In addition, CysC levels showed a weak but statistically significant correlation with hs-CRP levels (r = 0.195, p = 0.021). Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, CysC value displayed good performance in discriminating extracranial ICA stenosis (c-statistic 0.79, 95% CI 0.69-0.89, p &lt; 0.001). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This preliminary study suggests that higher levels of CysC were independently associated with symptomatic extracranial ICA stenosis, but not with intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis in patients with noncardioembolic stroke. Our findings provide new insights into the link between serum CysC and carotid atherosclerosis.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129251.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Clinical and Genetic Heterogeneity of the 15q13.3 Microdeletion Syndrome

description: The 15q13.3 microdeletion is a recurrent CNV, presumably mediated by NAHR between segmental duplications in chromosome 15. The 15q13.3 deletion and duplication are associated with a wide range of clinical manifestations, such as intellectual deficits, seizures, autism, language and developmental delay, neuropsychiatric impairments, and behavioral problems illustrating incomplete penetrance and expressivity. This study comprises an evaluation of 106 symptomatic patients carrying the heterozygous deletion, as well as of 21 patients carrying the duplication, who have been described in previous studies. The analysis shows considerable heterogeneity for the manifestation of different key symptoms and familiar occurrence. Furthermore, 8 new patients are introduced. Convoluted familiar connections give new insights into the complexity of symptomatic manifestation. In previous studies, different opinions have been expressed as to the nature and precise location of the deletion breakpoints. Here, we show that not <i>CHRNA7 and CHRFAM7A</i>, but rather <i>FAM7A</i> or <i>GOLGA8,</i> serve as breakpoint regions concerning our patients. The deletion is described as heterogeneous in size. However, we assume that not only different breakpoints but also the imprecision of aCGH analysis on chromosome 15 due to segmental duplications accounts for the variability in size.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129236
title: Supplementary Material for: Decreased Toll-Like Receptor 2 and Toll-Like Receptor 7/8-Induced Cytokines in Parkinson's Disease Patients

description: <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are expressed in several immune cells including blood monocytes and resident macrophages, such as microglia in the central nervous system. TLRs recognize pathogen- or damage-associated molecular patterns, leading to the release of inflammatory and toxic molecules, which can contribute to neuroinflammation associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to compare the potential of peripheral blood cells from PD patients or healthy subjects to produce cytokines after exposure to TLR agonists, and to investigate TLR2 and TLR4 expression on monocyte subsets. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Twenty-one patients and 21 healthy controls were recruited. Patients were evaluated according to the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, and Hoehn and Yahr stage. Cytokines were measured in supernatants of whole blood cultures after incubation with TLR2, TLR4, or TLR7/8 agonists, by cytometric bead array. Expression of CD14, CD16, TLR2, and TLR4 was analyzed by cytometry. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Patient blood cells produced lower levels of cytokines in response to TLR2 and also after TLR7/8/R848 activation than controls. Percentages of CD14<sup>+</sup>CD16<sup>+</sup> or CD14<sup>+</sup>CD16<sup>-</sup> monocytes and TLR2 and TLR4 expression were similar between patients and controls. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Blood leukocyte TLR2 and TLR7/8 responses are impaired in PD. This was neither associated with imbalance in monocyte subsets nor with TLR2/TLR4 expression on these cells. The association between a decreased TLR response in periphery and damage of brain in PD must be further investigated.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129239
title: Supplementary Material for: Jules-Auguste Soury (1842-1915): A Centennial Call to Mind

description: Jules-Auguste Soury (1842-1915), a Parisian theorist and historian of science, was the author of ‘The Central Nervous System', one of the most comprehensive and original accounts, until 1900, of the history of brain research. A contemporary of Jules Déjerine (1849-1917), Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934), and other pioneers of neurology, with whom he maintained contact, Soury is a rare case of a French philosopher with solid foundations in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. A quaint savant, Soury has been depicted as a strange hybrid produced by nature. His odd personality was coupled with an elegance, solidity and thoroughness in his neurological works. His prodigious facility for assimilating and discoursing the ideas of others has been somewhat clouded by his lamentable ideological tenets. Nevertheless, in his neurological writings, he bequeathed a unique anatomical and physiological history of intelligence, a natural history of the human mind or, as he conceived it, a neurophilosophical sketch of the universe considered a cerebral phenomenon.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129242
title: Supplementary Material for: Presence of Atrial Fibrillation at the Time of Dialysis Initiation Is Associated with Mortality and Cardiovascular Events

description: <b><i>Background:</i></b> Death in dialysis patients results mainly from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. To our knowledge, no prospective study has compared the rates of mortality or cardiovascular events between patients with and without atrial fibrillation (AF) at the time of dialysis initiation. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This study included 1,516 patients who were initiated into dialysis between October 2011 and August 2013. Rates of mortality and cardiovascular events were compared between patients with and without AF, and between AF patients with and without warfarin (WF) treatment. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The study comprised 1,025 men and 491 women with a mean age of 67.5 ± 13.1. Of these patients, 93 had AF, while 1,423 did not; 22.6% of the former group and 9.7% of the latter group died by March 2014 (p &lt; 0.01). Cardiovascular events occurred in 34.4% of patients with AF and 15.1% of patients without (p &lt; 0.01). Even after adjustments for various factors, AF remained an independent risk factor for mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.873, 95% CI 1.168-3.002, p &lt; 0.01). It was also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events (HR 1.872, 95% CI 1.262-2.778, p &lt; 0.01). No difference in any parameter was noted between the groups that did and did not receive WF treatment. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Patients with AF at the time of dialysis initiation show a poor prognosis and are at high risk of cardiovascular events. Therefore, AF should be taken into consideration in dialysis patients.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129245
title: Supplementary Material for: Elie Metchnikoff, the Man and the Myth

description: The year 2016 marks the centenary of the death of Elie Metchnikoff, the father of innate immunity and discoverer of the significance of phagocytosis in development, homeostasis and disease. Through a series of intravital experiments on invertebrates and vertebrates, he described the role of specialised phagocytic cells, macrophages and microphages, subsequently renamed neutrophils and polymorphonuclear leucocytes, in the host response to injury, inflammation, infection and tissue repair. As a vigorous proponent of cellular immunity, he championed its importance versus humoral immunity in the so-called antibody wars. By 1908, when the Nobel Prize was awarded to Elie Metchnikoff and Paul Ehrlich, this debate was not yet resolved. Even earlier, Metchnikoff had turned his research interests to the process of ageing and the possible link to intestinal auto-intoxication, giving rise to the current interest in the microbiome of the gut and the use of probiotics to promote health and longevity. During the past century, Metchnikoff's reputation has waxed and waned, as lymphocyte heterogeneity, specificity and memory began to dominate the field of adaptive immunity, yet his benign visage continues to provide an iconic presence for specialists in innate immunology, whose studies have made a striking comeback in the past decade. In this review, I shall consider the nature of his studies and the person as well as the legendary description of his Eureka experience in Messina in 1882, a story loved by students and investigators alike, that marked, in his own words, his transformation from zoologist to pathologist.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129245.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Elie Metchnikoff, the Man and the Myth

description: The year 2016 marks the centenary of the death of Elie Metchnikoff, the father of innate immunity and discoverer of the significance of phagocytosis in development, homeostasis and disease. Through a series of intravital experiments on invertebrates and vertebrates, he described the role of specialised phagocytic cells, macrophages and microphages, subsequently renamed neutrophils and polymorphonuclear leucocytes, in the host response to injury, inflammation, infection and tissue repair. As a vigorous proponent of cellular immunity, he championed its importance versus humoral immunity in the so-called antibody wars. By 1908, when the Nobel Prize was awarded to Elie Metchnikoff and Paul Ehrlich, this debate was not yet resolved. Even earlier, Metchnikoff had turned his research interests to the process of ageing and the possible link to intestinal auto-intoxication, giving rise to the current interest in the microbiome of the gut and the use of probiotics to promote health and longevity. During the past century, Metchnikoff's reputation has waxed and waned, as lymphocyte heterogeneity, specificity and memory began to dominate the field of adaptive immunity, yet his benign visage continues to provide an iconic presence for specialists in innate immunology, whose studies have made a striking comeback in the past decade. In this review, I shall consider the nature of his studies and the person as well as the legendary description of his Eureka experience in Messina in 1882, a story loved by students and investigators alike, that marked, in his own words, his transformation from zoologist to pathologist.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5129233
title: Supplementary Material for: Survival in Frontotemporal Dementia Phenotypes: A Meta-Analysis

description: <b><i>Background:</i></b> Survival in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is not well understood. We conducted a mixed effects meta-analysis of survival in FTD to examine phenotype differences and contributory factors. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane databases were searched for studies describing survival or natural history of behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD), progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA), semantic dementia (SD), FTD with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS), progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. There were no language restrictions. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We included 27 studies (2,462 subjects). Aggregate mean and median survival were derived for each phenotype and, for comparison, Alzheimer's disease (AD) (using data from the selected studies). Survival was shortest in FTD-ALS (2.5 years). Mean survival was longest in bvFTD and PNFA (8 years) and median survival in SD (12 years). AD was comparable in survival to all except FTD-ALS. Age and sex did not affect survival; the education effect was equivocal. Heterogeneity in FTD survival was largely, but not wholly, explained by phenotypes. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Survival differs for FTD phenotypes but, except for FTD-ALS, compares well to AD survival. Elucidating the potential causes of within-phenotype heterogeneity in survival (such as complicating features and comorbidities) may open up opportunities for tailored interventions.