bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endorsement of the Consort Statement by Chinese Journals of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Survey of Journal Editors and Review of Journals— Instructions for Authors
Authors: Ma Bin , Ke Fa-yong , Zheng Er-liang , Yang Zun-xian , Tang Qing-nan , Qi Guo-qing
Published: January 2016

Background

We aimed to assess the endorsement of the Consolidation Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement by Chinese journals of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its incorporation into their editorial processes.

Methods

PubMed, Embase and major Chinese databases were searched to identify journals of TCM from China for inclusion. The latest ‘instruction for authors’ (IFA) of each included journal was obtained and any text mentioning CONSORT or CONSORT extension papers was extracted. Subsequently, the editor of each of the included journals was surveyed about their journal's endorsement of the CONSORT recommendations and their incorporation into editorial and peer review processes.

Results

Sixty-three journals of TCM from China were examined. Of these, only three (5%) and one (2%) of the 63 journals mentioned the CONSORT statement and extension papers, respectively, in their IFA. Fifty-four of 63 (86%) of surveyed journals responded, with the majority of respondents being editors. Only 20% (11/54) of the respondents reported that they had any knowledge of the CONSORT statement. Only 6% (3/54) of the editors reported that they required authors to comply with the CONSORT statement or that they incorporated it into their peer review and editorial processes.

Conclusions

TCM journals in China endorsing the CONSORT statement constituted a small percentage of the total. The majority of editors surveyed were not familiar with the content of the CONSORT statement and extension papers. We strongly recommend that the China Periodicals Association issue a policy to promote the endorsement of the CONSORT statement and conduct relevant training for journal editors in China.
Temporal trends in death causes in adults attending an urban HIV clinic in Uganda: a retrospective chart review
Authors: Cox Janneke A , Kiggundu Daniel , Elpert Lana , Meintjes Graeme , Colebunders Robert , Alamo Stella
Published: January 2016

Objective

To study temporal trends of mortality in HIV-infected adults who attended an HIV clinic in Kampala, Uganda, between 2002 and 2012.

Design

Descriptive retrospective study.

Methods

Two doctors independently reviewed the clinic database that contained information derived from the clinic files and assigned one or more causes of death to each patient >18 years of age with a known date of death. Four cause-of-death categories were defined: ‘communicable conditions and AIDS-defining malignancies’, ‘chronic non-communicable conditions’, ‘other non-communicable conditions’ and ‘unknown’. Trends in cause-of-death categories over time were evaluated using multinomial logistic regression with year of death as an independent continuous variable.

Results

1028 deaths were included; 38% of these individuals were on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The estimated mortality rate dropped from 21.86 deaths/100 person years of follow-up (PYFU) in 2002 to 1.75/100 PYFU in 2012. There was a significant change in causes of death over time (p<0.01). Between 2002 and 2012, the proportion of deaths due to ‘communicable conditions and AIDS-defining malignancies’ decreased from 84% (95% CI 74% to 90%) to 64% (95% CI 53% to 74%) and the proportion of deaths due to ‘chronic non-communicable conditions’, ‘other non-communicable conditions’ and a combination of ‘communicable and non-communicable conditions’ increased. Tuberculosis (TB) was the main cause of death (34%). Death from TB decreased over time, from 43% (95% CI 32% to 53%) in 2002 to a steady proportion of approximately 25% from 2006 onwards (p<0.01).

Conclusions

Mortality rate decreased over time. The proportion of deaths from communicable conditions and AIDS-defining malignancies decreased and from non-communicable diseases, both chronic and non-chronic, increased. Nevertheless, communicable conditions and AIDS-defining malignancies continued to cause the majority of deaths, with TB as the main cause. Ongoing monitoring of cause of death is warranted and strategies to decrease mortality from TB and other common opportunistic infections are essential.
Effectiveness of varenicline and counselling for smoking cessation in an observational cohort study in China
Authors: Jiang Bin , He Yao , Zuo Fang , Wu Lei , Liu Qing-Hui , Zhang Li , Zhou Chang-Xi , Cheng K K , Chan Sophia S C , Lam Tai Hing
Published: January 2016

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of varenicline for smoking cessation in Chinese smokers in a real world cessation clinic practice.

Design

A prospective observational study.

Setting

Beijing, China.

Participants

A total of 924 smokers (883 men and 41 women) who attended a smoking cessation clinic of a large general hospital were assessed with data from structured questionnaires at baseline and follow-up at 1, 3 and 6 months. Trained physician counsellors provided free individual counselling for all subjects and follow-up interviews with brief counselling. 332 subjects additionally prescribed varenicline according to their own choice were compared with those without varenicline.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary outcomes were self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate and 3-month continuous abstinence rate at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were 7-day point prevalence abstinence rates at 1 and 3-month follow-up, and 1-month continuous abstinence rate at 3-month follow-up.

Results

By intention-to-treat, the 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate with varenicline and counselling at 6 months was significantly higher than counselling only (37.0% vs 23.1%; OR, 1.75; 95% CI 1.46 to 2.62; p=0.001). The 3-month continuous abstinence rate at 6 months was higher with varenicline (33.1% vs 18.4%; OR, 2.04; 95% CI 1.61 to 2.99; p<0.001). Varenicline also showed better secondary outcomes.

Conclusions

Varenicline prescription in the smoking cessation clinic appeared to be effective with doubling of quit rates in Chinese smokers in a real world cessation clinic practice.

Clinical trial registration

NCT01935505; Results.
Endoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) hernia repair for inguinal disruption (Sportsman's hernia): rationale and design of a prospective observational cohort study (TEP-ID-study)
Authors: Voorbrood C E H , Goedhart E , Verleisdonk E J M M , Sanders F , Naafs D , Burgmans J P J
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Chronic inguinal pain is a frequently occurring problem in athletes. A diagnosis of inguinal disruption is performed by exclusion of other conditions causing groin pain. Up to now, conservative medical management is considered to be the primary treatment for this condition. Relevant large and prospective clinical studies regarding the treatment of inguinal disruption are limited; however, recent studies have shown the benefits of the totally extraperitoneal patch (TEP) technique.

This study provides a complete assessment of the inguinal area in athletes with chronic inguinal pain before and after treatment with the TEP hernia repair technique.

Methods and analysis

We describe the rationale and design of an observational cohort study for surgical treatment with the endoscopic TEP hernia repair technique in athletes with a painful groin (inguinal disruption).

The study is being conducted in a high-volume, single centre hospital with specialty in TEP hernia repair. Patients over 18 years, suffering from inguinal pain for at least 3 months during or after playing sports, and whom have not undergone previous inguinal surgery and have received no benefit from physiotherapy are eligible for inclusion. Patients with any another cause of inguinal pain, proven by physical examination, inguinal ultrasound, X-pelvis/hip or MRI are excluded.

Primary outcome is reduction in pain after 3 months. Secondary outcomes are pain reduction, physical functioning, and resumption of sport (in frequency and intensity).

Ethics and dissemination

An unrestricted research grant for general study purposes was assigned to the Hernia Centre. This study itself is not directly subject to the above mentioned research grant or any other financial sponsorship. We intend to publish the outcome of the study, regardless of the findings. All authors will give final approval of the manuscript version to be published.
Acupuncture treatment for ischaemic stroke in young adults: protocol for a randomised, sham-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Chen Lifang , Fang Jianqiao , Jin Xiaoming , Keeler Crystal Lynn , Gao Hong , Fang Zhen , Chen Qin
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Stroke in young adults is not uncommon. Although the overall incidence of stroke has been recently declining, the incidence of stroke in young adults is increasing. Traditional vascular risk factors are the main cause of young ischaemic stroke. Acupuncture has been shown to benefit stroke rehabilitation and ameliorate the risk factors for stroke. The aims of this study were to determine whether acupuncture treatment will be effective in improving the activities of daily living (ADL), motor function and quality of life (QOL) in patients of young ischaemic stroke, and in preventing stroke recurrence by controlling blood pressure, lipids and body weight.

Methods and analysis

In this randomised, sham-controlled, participant-blinded and assessor-blinded clinical trial, 120 patients between 18 and 45 years of age with a recent (within 1 month) ischaemic stroke will be randomised for an 8-week acupuncture or sham acupuncture treatment. The primary outcome will be the Barthel Index for ADL. The secondary outcomes will include the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for motor function; the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) for QOL; and risk factors that are measured by ambulatory blood pressure, the fasting serum lipid, body mass index and waist circumference. Incidence of adverse events and long-term mortality and recurrence rate during a 10-year and 30-year follow-up will also be investigated.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. Protocol V.3 was approved in June 2013. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at international congresses. The results will also be disseminated to patients by telephone during follow-up calls enquiring on the patient's post-study health status.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR-TRC- 13003317; Pre-results.
Development and testing of a text-mining approach to analyse patients’ comments on their experiences of colorectal cancer care
Authors: Wagland Richard , Recio-Saucedo Alejandra , Simon Michael , Bracher Michael , Hunt Katherine , Foster Claire , Downing Amy , Glaser Adam , Corner Jessica
Published: January 2016

Background

Quality of cancer care may greatly impact on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Free-text responses to patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) provide rich data but analysis is time and resource-intensive. This study developed and tested a learning-based text-mining approach to facilitate analysis of patients’ experiences of care and develop an explanatory model illustrating impact on HRQoL.

Methods

Respondents to a population-based survey of colorectal cancer survivors provided free-text comments regarding their experience of living with and beyond cancer. An existing coding framework was tested and adapted, which informed learning-based text mining of the data. Machine-learning algorithms were trained to identify comments relating to patients’ specific experiences of service quality, which were verified by manual qualitative analysis. Comparisons between coded retrieved comments and a HRQoL measure (EQ5D) were explored.

Results

The survey response rate was 63.3% (21 802/34 467), of which 25.8% (n=5634) participants provided free-text comments. Of retrieved comments on experiences of care (n=1688), over half (n=1045, 62%) described positive care experiences. Most negative experiences concerned a lack of post-treatment care (n=191, 11% of retrieved comments) and insufficient information concerning self-management strategies (n=135, 8%) or treatment side effects (n=160, 9%). Associations existed between HRQoL scores and coded algorithm-retrieved comments. Analysis indicated that the mechanism by which service quality impacted on HRQoL was the extent to which services prevented or alleviated challenges associated with disease and treatment burdens.

Conclusions

Learning-based text mining techniques were found useful and practical tools to identify specific free-text comments within a large dataset, facilitating resource-efficient qualitative analysis. This method should be considered for future PROM analysis to inform policy and practice. Study findings indicated that perceived care quality directly impacts on HRQoL
Formative evaluation of a participatory women's group intervention to improve reproductive and women's health outcomes in rural Bangladesh: a controlled before and after study
Authors: Harris-Fry Helen A , Azad Kishwar , Younes Leila , Kuddus Abdul , Shaha Sanjit , Nahar Tasmin , Hossen Munir , Costello Anthony , Fottrell Edward
Published: January 2016

Background

Women's groups using participatory methods reduced newborn mortality in rural areas of low income countries. Our study assessed a participatory women's group intervention that focused on women's health, nutrition and family planning.

Methods

The study was conducted in three districts in Bangladesh between October 2011 and March 2013, covering a population of around 230 000. On the basis of allocation for the preceding cluster randomised trials, three unions per district were randomly allocated to receive a women's group intervention and three per district were control clusters. Outcomes included unmet need for family planning, morbidity, dietary diversity, night blindness, healthcare decision-making and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, nutrition and anaemia. A difference-in-difference analysis was used to adjust for secular trends and baseline differences between women taking part in the intervention and a random sample from control clusters.

Results

We interviewed 5355 (91% response rate) women before the intervention and 5128 after (96% response rate). There were significant improvements in women's dietary diversity score (increase of 0.2 (95% CI 0.1 to 0.3)) and participation in healthcare decision-making (proportion increase (95% CI) 14.0% (10.6% to 17.4%)). There were also increases in knowledge about: contraception (4.2% (2.0% to 6.3%)), ways to treat (55.4% (52.2% to 58.5%)) and prevent (71.0% (68.0% to 74.1%)) sexually transmitted infections, nutrition (46.6% (43.6% to 49.6%)) and anaemia prevention (62.8% (60.9% to 64.6%)). There were no significant differences in unmet need for family planning, morbidity or night blindness.

Conclusions

Participatory women's groups have considerable potential to improve women's health knowledge, but evidence of impact on certain outcomes is lacking. Further formative work and intervention development is needed to optimise the impact of this approach for women's health.
HOW PROLONGED DROUGHTS AND FARM SUBSIDIES INFLUENCE ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES BY FARMERS
Authors: RANJAN RAM
Published: January 2016

A conceptual model of entrepreneurial uptake by water-scarce farmers explores how farmers accumulate social and human capitals while managing multiple risks in current and future livelihood choices. Social networking and human capital accumulation differentially impact on successes in agriculture and entrepreneurial ventures. The risk of farm subsidy removal and the uncertainties associated with finding and succeeding in a suitable enterprise, present the farmer with difficult trade-offs in terms of which type of capital to accumulate. Results suggest that in the presence of multiple risks, farmers may act to increase their investments in human capital even when chances of finding a suitable business opportunity are low; whereas in some cases, they may accumulate higher social capital to enhance their farm subsidy support even under better chances of finding suitable business opportunities. Further, an increase in risk of agricultural unviability, by itself, does not automatically lead to farmers shifting to enterprise.
LoneStar RAID
Authors: Grawinkel Matthias , Nagel Lars , Brinkmann André
Published: January 2016

The need for huge storage archives rises with the ever growing creation of data. With today’s big data and data analytics applications, some of these huge archives become active in the sense that all stored data can be accessed at any time. Running and evolving these archives is a constant tradeoff between performance, capacity, and price. We present the LoneStar RAID, a disk-based storage architecture, which focuses on high reliability, low energy consumption, and cheap reads. It is designed for MAID systems with up to hundreds of disk drives per server and is optimized for “write once, read sometimes” workloads. We use dedicated data and parity disks, and export the data disks as individually accessible buckets. By intertwining disk groups into a two-dimensional RAID and improving single-disk reliability with intradisk redundancy, the system achieves an elastic fault tolerance that can at least recover all 3-disk failures. Furthermore, we integrate a cache to offload parity updates and a journal to track the RAID’s state. The LoneStar RAID scheme provides a mean time to data loss (MTTDL) that competes with today’s erasure codes and is optimized to require only a minimal set of running disk drives.
Iteration Interleaving--Based SIMD Lane Partition
Authors: Wang Yaohua , Wang Dong , Chen Shuming , Liu Zonglin , Chen Shenggang , Chen Xiaowen , Zhou Xu
Published: January 2016

The efficacy of single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) architectures is limited when handling divergent control flows. This circumstance results in SIMD fragments using only a subset of the available lanes. We propose an iteration interleaving--based SIMD lane partition (IISLP) architecture that interleaves the execution of consecutive iterations and dynamically partitions SIMD lanes into branch paths with comparable execution time. The benefits are twofold: SIMD fragments under divergent branches can execute in parallel, and the pathology of fragment starvation can also be well eliminated. Our experiments show that IISLP doubles the performance of a baseline mechanism and provides a speedup of 28% versus instruction shuffle.
Blurred Persistence
Authors: Lu Youyou , Shu Jiwu , Sun Long
Published: January 2016

Persistent memory provides data durability in main memory and enables memory-level storage systems. To ensure consistency of such storage systems, memory writes need to be transactional and are carefully moved across the boundary between the
volatile
CPU cache and the
persistent
main memory. Unfortunately, cache management in the CPU cache is hardware-controlled. Legacy transaction mechanisms, which are designed for disk-based storage systems, are inefficient in ordered data persistence of transactions in persistent memory. In this article, we propose the
Blurred Persistence
mechanism to reduce the transaction overhead of persistent memory by blurring the volatility-persistence boundary.
Blurred Persistence
consists of two techniques. First,
Execution in Log
executes a transaction in the log to eliminate duplicated data copies for execution. It allows persistence of the volatile uncommitted data, which are detectable with reorganized log structure. Second,
Volatile Checkpoint with Bulk Persistence
allows the committed data to aggressively stay volatile by leveraging the data durability in the log, as long as the commit order across threads is kept. By doing so, it reduces the frequency of forced persistence and improves cache efficiency. Evaluations show that our mechanism improves system performance by 56.3% to 143.7% for a variety of workloads.
Boundary enforcement and social disruption through computer-mediated communication
Authors: Elder Alexis
Published: January 2016

In this paper, I investigate the impact boundary-promoting communication technology -- such as texts, comments, microblogging, and instant messaging -- have on friendships, and arrive at the surprising conclusion that these technologies are, despite appearances, good for personal relationships, and thereby good for us.
The creation of facts in the cloud
Authors: Gotterbarn Don
Published: January 2016

Like most significant changes in technology, Cloud Computing and Big Data along with their associated analytic techniques are claimed to provide us with new insights unattainable by any previous knowledge techniques. It is believed that the quantity of virtual data now available requires new knowledge production strategies. Although they have yielded significant results, there are problems with advocated processes and resulting facts. The primary process treats "pattern recognition" as a final result rather than using "pattern recognition" to lead to yet to be tested testable hypotheses. In data analytics, the discovery of a pattern is treated as knowledge rather than going further to understand the possible causes of those patterns. When this is used as the primary approach to knowledge acquisition unjustified inferences are made - "fact generation". These pseudo-facts are used to generate new pseudo-facts as those initial inferences are fed back into analytic engines as established facts. The approach of generating "facts from data analytics" is introducing highly risky scenarios where "fiction becomes fact" very quickly. These "facts" are then given elevated epistemic status and get used in decision making. This, misleading approach is inconsistent with the moral duty of computing professionals embodied in their Codes of Ethics. There are some ways to mitigate the problems generated by this single path approach to knowledge generation.
Cloud computing
Authors: Patrignani Norberto , Kavathatzopoulos Iordanis
Published: January 2016

This paper proposes a reflection on cloud computing among users, organizations, policy makers, and providers. In particular the focus is on the social and ethical implications for organizations developing a strategy for cloud computing. Also the new roles and responsibilities of the CIOs are analyzed within the complexity of the stakeholders' network around cloud computing. The cloud opportunities but also the issues of concerns are investigated due to their importance for organizations that are more and more shifting towards virtual enterprises.
Operationalising design fiction for ethical computing
Authors: Lindley Joseph , Sharma Dhruv
Published: January 2016

Design fiction is a type of speculative design, where story worlds are crafted to then be used as a canvas upon which so-called diegetic prototypes can be sketched [10]. Because these prototypes exist only within story worlds they are not constrained by currently available technology; because of this design fictions are excellent means to open up space for critical conversations about the future [3, 8]. This project experiments with using design fiction as a novel way to explore the complexities of technology and ethics. We focus on one specific case to demonstrate the method we adopted, however the contribution is general in nature and may be applicable to other cases too. The work consists of two parts, this paper and a 'design fiction documentary' film, 'Care for a Robot' [6]. The paper and film are intended to be viewed together.
The ethics of human-chicken relationships in video games
Authors: Fothergill B. Tyr , Flick Catherine
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we look at the historical place that chickens have held in media depictions and as entertainment, analyse several types of representations of chickens in video games, and draw out reflections on society in the light of these representations. We also look at real-life, modern historical, and archaeological evidence of chicken treatment and the evolution of social attitudes with regard to animal rights, and deconstruct the depiction of chickens in video games in this light.
From participatory design and ontological ethics, towards an approach to constructive ethics
Authors: Gram-Hansen Sandra Burri , Ryberg Thomas
Published: January 2016

This paper explores, analyses and discusses the potential of applying Danish theologian and philosopher K. E. Løgstrup's ontological approach to ethics, when planning and conducting participatory design activities. By doing so, ethical considerations, will transform from being a summative evaluation perspective typically included at the end of a design process, to becoming a more formative and constructive perspective which influences the entire process. The approach presented in this paper will support on-going research within the field of Value Sensitive Design with theoretically based principles. These are principles that practitioners may consider when planning e.g. workshops in order to ensure that the activities facilitate both the design process and establish an ethical foundation for the design process. In addition to the theoretical contribution of the paper, the notion of constructive ethics is exemplified in practice by on-going research in the cross field between persuasive design and learning, carried out in collaboration with the Danish Military. Previous research has suggested that both participatory design and ethics may be essential to persuasive design in theory and in practice. However, considering the impact interactive technologies have on users in general, the principles exemplified through this case are relevant in a much broader perspective and to many other design traditions.
The ethics of driverless cars
Authors: McBride Neil
Published: January 2016

This paper critiques the idea of full autonomy, as illustrated by Oxford University's Robotcar. A fully autonomous driverless car relies on no external inputs, including GPS and solely learns from its environment using learning algorithms. These cars decide when they drive, learn from human drivers and bid for insurance in real time. Full autonomy is pitched as a good end in itself, fixing human inadequacies and creating safety and certainty by the elimination of human involvement. Using the ACTIVE ethics framework, an ethical response to the fully autonomous driverless cars is developed by addressing autonomy, community, transparency, identity, value and empathy. I suggest that the pursuit of full autonomy does not recognise the essential importance of interdependencies between humans and machines. The removal of human involvement should require the driverless car to be more connected with its environment, drawing all the information it can from infrastructure, internet and other road users. This requires a systemic view, which addresses systems and relationships, which recognises the place of driverless cars in a connected system, which is open to the study of complex relationships, both networked and hierarchical.
Trusting the (ro)botic other
Authors: de Laat Paul B.
Published: January 2016

How may human agents come to trust (sophisticated) artificial agents? At present, since the trust involved is non-normative, this would seem to be a slow process, depending on the outcomes of the transactions. Some more options may soon become available though. As debated in the literature, humans may meet (ro)bots as they are embedded in an institution. If they happen to trust the institution, they will also trust them to have tried out and tested the machines in their back corridors; as a consequence, they approach the robots involved as being trustworthy ("zones of trust"). Properly speaking, users rely on the overall accountability of the institution. Besides this option we explore some novel ways for trust development: trust becomes normatively laden and thereby the mechanism of exclusive reliance on the normative force of trust (
as-if
trust) may come into play - the efficacy of which has already been proven for persons meeting face-to-face or over the Internet (virtual trust). For one thing, machines may evolve into moral machines, or machines skilled in the art of deception. While both developments might seem to facilitate proper trust and turn as-if trust into a feasible option, they are hardly to be taken seriously (while being science-fiction, immoral, or both). For another, the new trend in robotics is towards coactivity between human and machine operators in a team (away from making robots as autonomous as possible). Inside the team trust is a necessity for smooth operations. In support of this, humans in particular need to be able to develop and maintain accurate mental models of their machine counterparts. Nevertheless, the trust involved is bound to remain non-normative. It is argued, though, that excellent opportunities exist to build relations of trust toward
outside
users who are pondering their reliance on the coactive team. The task of managing this trust has to be allotted to human operators of the team, who operate as linking pin between the outside world and the team. Since the robotic team has now been turned into an anthropomorphic team, users may well develop normative trust towards them; correspondingly, trusting the team in as-if fashion becomes feasible.
Robots make ethics honest
Authors: Klein Wilhelm E. J.
Published: January 2016

This paper revisits major revolutions in human self-perception, and pursues their insights to their logical conclusions, using robots as conceptual archetypes for fully naturalistic, talking, walking and thinking agents. Doing so, humans are reconsidered as bio-bots and ontologically not of significant difference from techno-bots; morality is stripped of metaphysical remnants of the past and updated to a preference-utilitarian morality
2
, and moral agency re-examined in light of a determinism and the non-existence of free will. Taken together, this robot-catalysed level of philosophical honesty provides a sound foundation for the task of making robots ethical.
Implementing an ethical approach to big data analytics in assistive robotics for elderly with dementia
Authors: Felzmann Heike , Beyan Timur , Ryan Mark , Beyan Oya
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we analyse the ethical relevance of emerging informational aspects in robotics for the area of care robotics. We identify specific informational characteristics of contemporary and emerging robots, especially the fact of their increasing informational connectedness. We then outline specific ethical considerations arising in the design process in the H2020 project MARIO which aims to develop a care robot for persons with mild to moderate dementia in home and residential care settings. Ethical considerations regarding specific functionalities of the proposed care robot are outlined.
Addressing responsible research and innovation to industry
Authors: Yaghmaei Emad
Published: January 2016

Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is taking a role to assist all types of stakeholders including industry to move research and innovation initiatives to responsible manner for tackling grand challenges. The literature on RRI focuses little on how industry can implement RRI principles. In solving such gap in the literature, this article constructs a solid framework that provides a conceptual starting point for future research on levels of RRI. It draws a fundamental path to align industrial activities with environmental and societal needs. The framework develops a normatively grounded conceptual path for managing and assessing RRI principles in industry. This study depicts five successive RRI implementation stages and exhibits three RRI dimensions that represent different categories and corresponding indicators for that. The rationale behind this framework has been derived from extant models of corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature. Drawing on these models, this study develops stages and dimensions of RRI for discussing why industry should become engaged in RRI, how industry can embed RRI principles into research and innovation processes, how companies progress from one RRI stage to another, and how industry can manage all RRI dimensions systematically.
Role of protein phosphatases in the run down of guinea pig cardiac Cav1.2 Ca2+ channels
Authors: Yu Lifeng , Xu Jianjun , Minobe Etsuko , Kameyama Asako , Yang Lei , Feng Rui , Hao Liying , Kameyama Masaki
Published: January 2016

This study aimed to investigate protein phosphatases involved in the run down of Cav1.2 Ca2+ channels. Single ventricular myocytes obtained from adult guinea pig hearts were used to record Ca2+ channel currents with the patch-clamp technique. Calmodulin (CaM) and ATP were used to restore channel activity in inside-out patches. Inhibitors of protein phosphatases were applied to investigate the role of phosphatases. The specific protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1) inhibitor (PP1 inhibitor-2) and protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A) inhibitor (fostriecin) abolished the slow run down of Cav1.2 Ca2+ channels, which was evident as the time-dependent attenuation of the reversing effect of CaM/ATP on the run down. However, protein phosphatase type 2B (PP2B, calcineurin) inhibitor cyclosporine A together with cyclophilin A had no effect on the channel run down. Furthermore, PP1 inhibitor-2 mainly prolonged the open time constants of the channel, specifically, the slow open time. Fostriecin primarily shortened the slow close time constants. Our data suggest that PP1 and PP2A were involved in the slow phase of Cav1.2 Ca2+ channel run down. In addition, they exerted different effects on the open-close kinetics of the channel. All above support the view that PP1 and PP2A may dephosphorylate distinct phosphorylation sites on the Cav1.2 Ca2+ channel.
Interferon-γ is increased in the gut of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and modulates serotonin metabolism
Authors: Barbaro Maria Raffaella , Di Sabatino Antonio , Cremon Cesare , Giuffrida Paolo , Fiorentino Michelangelo , Altimari Annalisa , Bellacosa Lara , Stanghellini Vincenzo , Barbara Giovanni
Published: January 2016

Mucosal immune activation and altered serotonin metabolism participate in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the reciprocal interplay between these two systems remains unknown. We evaluated the expression and release of interferon (IFN)-γ from the colonic mucosa of patients with IBS and its impact on serotonin reuptake transporter ( SERT) gene expression in Caco-2 cells. qPCR was used to evaluate IFN-γ gene expression in colonic mucosal biopsies, whereas IFN-γ protein amount was assessed by ELISA. Colonic T box expressed in T cells (T-bet) and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 protein amount were evaluated by Western blot. The impact of colonic mucosal mediators on SERT gene expression was evaluated in Caco-2 cells using qPCR. IFN-γ receptor was silenced in Caco-2 cells to determine the effect of IFN-γ released by mucosal biopsies. Compared with asymptomatic controls (ACs), the expression of IFN-γ gene and its transcription factor T-bet were markedly increased in the colonic mucosa of patients with IBS. Compared with ACs, IFN-γ protein tissue levels and its release by mucosal biopsies were significantly increased in IBS. The exposure of Caco-2 cells to IBS supernatants induced a significant decrease in SERT gene expression, independently of IBS subtypes, compared with AC mucosal supernatants. In Caco-2 cells, IFN-γ receptor silencing reversed the reduction of SERT expression evoked by IBS supernatants vs. nonsilenced cell lines. IFN-γ gene, its transcription factor T-bet, IFN-γ protein expression, and its release are increased in the colonic mucosa of patients with IBS and downregulate SERT gene expression in vitro. These results suggest that IFN-γ downregulates SERT expression, hence likely playing a role in altered serotonin metabolism of patients with IBS.
mPGES-1-derived PGE2contributes to adriamycin-induced podocyte injury
Authors: Yu Jing , Gong Wei , Wu Yimei , Li Shuzhen , Cui Yiyun , Ma Yifei , Zhang Yue , Yang Guangrui , Huang Songming , Jia Zhanjun , Zhang Aihua
Published: January 2016

Podocyte damage is a common pathological feature in many types of glomerular diseases and is involved in the occurrence and progression of kidney disease. However, the pathogenic mechanisms leading to podocyte injury are still uncertain. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of microsomal PGE synthase (mPGES)-1 in adriamycin (ADR)-induced podocyte injury as well as the underlying mechanism. In both mouse kidneys and in vitro podocytes, application of ADR remarkably enhanced mPGES-1 expression in line with a stimulation of cyclooxygenase-2. Interestingly, inhibition of mPGES-1 with a small interfering RNA approach significantly attenuated ADR-induced downregualtion of podocin and nephrin. Moreover, ADR-induced podocyte apoptosis was also markedly blocked in parallel with blunted caspase-3 induction. In agreement with the improvement of cell phenotypic alteration and apoptosis, the enhanced inflammatory markers of IL-1β and TNF-α were also significantly suppressed by mPGES-1 silencing. More importantly, in mPGES-1-deficient mice, albuminuria induced by ADR showed a remarkable attenuation in line with decreased urinary output of PGE2and TNF-α, highly suggesting an in vivo role of mPGES-1 in mediating podocyte injury. In summary, findings from the present study offered the first evidence demonstrating a pathogenic role of mPGES-1 in mediating ADR-induced podocyte injury possibly via triggering an inflammatory response.
Comparative Profiling of Triple-Negative Breast Carcinomas Tissue Glycoproteome by Sequential Purification of Glycoproteins and Stable Isotope Labeling
Authors: Chen Xiang , Wu Jindao , Huang Huaxing , Ding Qiang , Liu Xiaoan , Chen Lin , Zha Xiaoming , Liang Mengdi , He Jing , Zhu Qiannan , Wang Shui , Xia Tiansong
Published: January 2016

Background: Women with triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) have a poor prognosis due to lack of suitable targeted therapies. Changes in the protein glycosylation are increasingly being recognized as an important modification associated with cancer etiology. Methods: In an attempt to identify TNBC biomarkers with greater diagnostic and prognostic capabilities, hydrazide- based chemistry method combined with LC-MS/MS were used to purify and identify N-linked glycopeptides or glycoproteins of tissues from TNBC patients. Results: A total of 550 unique N-linked glycoproteins were identified, among these proteins, 72 unique N-linked glycoproteins were significantly regulated in tumor tissues, of which 56 proteins were upregulated and 16 proteins were downregulated. To assess the validity of the results, three selected proteins including Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, Insulin receptor, Tissue factor pathway inhibitor were selected for western blot analysis, and these proteins were found as potential biomarkers of TNBC. The top three pathways of differentially expressed glycoproteins participated in were caveolar-mediated endocytosis signaling, agrin interactions at neuromuscular junction and LXR/RXR activation. Conclusion: This work provides potential glycoprotein markers to function as a novel tissue-based biomarker for TNBC.
Efficiency of Attentional Components in Elderly with Mild Neurocognitive Disorders Shown by the Attention Network Test
Authors: Lu Hanna , Chan Sandra S.M. , Fung Ada W.T. , Lam Linda C.W.
Published: January 2016

Aims: Complex attention, serving as a main diagnostic item of mild neurocognitive disorders (NCD), has been reported to be susceptible to pathological ageing. This study aimed to evaluate the attention network functions in older adults with subtypes of NCD. Methods: 36 adults with NCD due to Alzheimer's disease (NCD-AD), 31 adults with NCD due to vascular disease (NCD-vascular) and 137 healthy controls were recruited. Attention Network Test (ANT) was conducted to assess the efficiency of alerting, orienting and executive control. Results: Significant between-group differences were found in executive control (conventional score: F = 11.472, p < 0.001; ratio score: F = 8.430, p < 0.001) and processing speed (F = 4.958, p = 0.008). NCD subgroups demonstrated poorer performance on the ANT, particularly on executive control (healthy 59.9 ± 45.9, NCD-vascular 88.9 ± 44.8, NCD-AD 97.0 ± 53.9). Moreover, the NCD-AD group showed both less efficient executive control and prominent slowing processing speed (reaction time: healthy 687.5 ± 106.0 ms, NCD-vascular 685.3 ± 97.1 ms, NCD-AD 750.6 ± 132.6 ms). Conclusions: The NCD-vascular group appeared to be less efficient in executive control, while the NCD-AD group demonstrated less effective executive control and also slower processing speed. These results suggest that the characterized performance of ANT, processing speed and executive control in particular, might help differentiate adults at risk of different forms of cognitive impairment.
Treatment with Tumor-Treating Fields Therapy and Pulse Dose Bevacizumab in Patients with Bevacizumab-Refractory Recurrent Glioblastoma: A Case Series
Authors: Ansstas George , Tran David D.
Published: January 2016

Patients with bevacizumab-refractory recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have a poor prognosis. We propose that instead of continuing on bevacizumab, patients should switch to treatment with Optune™, a novel antimitotic Tumor-Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy approved in the United States for newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM. This would reserve bevacizumab for subsequent disease progression. In this case series, we describe 8 patients with recurrent GBM who had disease progression on bevacizumab, discontinued bevacizumab treatment, and were treated with TTFields therapy alone. After subsequent radiographic or clinical progression, 5 patients were rechallenged with bevacizumab in a ‘pulse dose' fashion, an approach not previously described. Following treatment with TTFields therapy, median overall survival (OS) was 216 days (7.2 months). Median OS from last dose of initial bevacizumab was 237 days (7.9 months), twice that of historical controls for bevacizumab failures, and median OS from the first dose of bevacizumab rechallenge was 172 days (5.7 months). TTFields therapy was well tolerated, with a mean adherence rate of 74.2% (range, 48.2-92.9%). These results support the use of TTFields therapy with pulse dose bevacizumab as an option in patients with refractory GBM.
Aortic Root Calcification: A Possible Imaging Biomarker of Coronary Atherosclerosis
Authors: Nafakhi Hussein , Al-Nafakh Hasan A. , Al-Mosawi Abdulameer A.
Published: January 2016

It has been reported that coronary atherosclerosis risk assessment using coronary artery calcium and thoracic aorta calcium quantification may improve risk stratification as it can lead to the reclassification of persons at increased risk. The aortic root has been characterized by its close anatomical proximity to the ostial origins of the right and left coronary arteries, and it can be evaluated using multi-detector computed tomography without additional radiation exposure and the use of contrast. The correlations between aortic root calcification and coronary atherosclerotic markers as well as cardiac risk factors have been analyzed.
Rhizopus Keratitis Associated with Poor Contact Lens Hygiene
Authors: Warner David B. , Wright III Hugh E. , Rosenbaum Eric R.
Published: January 2016

We report a case of Rhizopus keratitis in a young woman with poor contact lens hygiene. The mold was highly sensitive to treatment with amphotericin 0.15% drops, after a relatively prompt diagnosis. Obtaining cultures of both corneal infiltrates and presumably infected contact lenses may help to avoid a delay in proper treatment.
Prognostic Benefits of Carvedilol, Bisoprolol, and Metoprolol Controlled Release/Extended Release in Hemodialysis Patients with Heart Failure: A 10‐Year Cohort
Authors: Tang Chao‐Hsiun , Wang Chia‐Chen , Chen Tso‐Hsiao , Hong Chuang‐Ye , Sue Yuh‐Mou
Published: January 2016

Background

Heart failure is a highly prevalent cardiovascular complication among patients receiving long‐term hemodialysis, but the benefits of carvedilol, bisoprolol, and metoprolol controlled release/extended release on the outcomes of these patients remain unclear. In this study, we address the use of these 3 β‐blockers and their associations with mortality.

Methods and Results

Long‐term hemodialysis patients, aged ≥35 years, with new‐onset heart failure and receiving various medications were identified through the use of 1999–2010 data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. From the total of 4435 heart failure patients, we selected 1700 new users of the 3 β‐blockers (study group) and 1700 nonusers (control group), by using matched cohorts according to their propensity scores, and then compared the 5‐year all‐cause mortality rates by using Cox proportional hazard regressions and time‐dependent covariate adjustment. During 3944 person‐years of follow‐up, 666 (39.2%) deaths occurred within the study group, compared with 918 (54%) deaths during 2893 person‐years of follow‐up in the control group. The 5‐year mortality rate for the study (control) group was 54.5% (70.3%);
P
<0.001. Adjusted hazard regression analyses revealed that the therapeutic effects of β‐blockers remained significant for all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.80, 95%
CI
0.72 to 0.90). Subgroup analyses revealed that patients in the study group receiving β‐blockers plus renin‐angiotensin system antagonists exhibited the lowest mortality rate, while the highest mortality rate was found among patients in the control group receiving neither β‐blockers nor renin‐angiotensin system antagonists.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the 3 β‐blockers were associated with improved survival in long‐term hemodialysis patients with heart failure.
Decadal Modulations of Interhemispheric Global Atmospheric Circulations and Monsoons by the South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Lopez Hosmay , Dong Shenfu , Lee Sang-Ki , Goni Gustavo
Published: January 2016

This study presents a physical mechanism on how low-frequency variability of the South Atlantic meridional heat transport (SAMHT) may influence decadal variability of atmospheric circulation. A multicentury simulation of a coupled general circulation model is used as basis for the analysis. The highlight of the findings herein is that multidecadal variability of SAMHT plays a key role in modulating global atmospheric circulation via its influence on interhemispheric redistributions of momentum, heat, and moisture. Weaker SAMHT at 30°S produces anomalous ocean heat divergence over the South Atlantic, resulting in negative ocean heat content anomalies about 15–20 years later. This forces a thermally direct anomalous interhemispheric Hadley circulation, transporting anomalous atmospheric heat from the Northern Hemisphere (NH) to the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and moisture from the SH to the NH, thereby modulating global monsoons. Further analysis shows that anomalous atmospheric eddies transport heat northward in both hemispheres, producing eddy heat flux convergence (divergence) in the NH (SH) around 15°–30°, reinforcing the anomalous Hadley circulation. The effect of eddies on the NH (SH) poleward of 30° depicts heat flux divergence (convergence), which must be balanced by sinking (rising) motion, consistent with a poleward (equatorward) displacement of the jet stream. This study illustrates that decadal variations of SAMHT could modulate the strength of global monsoons with 15–20 years of lead time, suggesting that SAMHT is a potential predictor of global monsoon variability. A similar mechanistic link exists between the North Atlantic meridional heat transport (NAMHT) at 30°N and global monsoons.