bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of anaemia at discharge following colorectal cancer surgery
Authors: Dru Rebecca C. , Curtis Nathan J. , Court Emma L. , Spencer Catherine , El Falaha Sara , Dennison Godwin , Dalton Richard , Allison Andrew , Ockrim Jonathan , Francis Nader K.
Published: June 2020

Objectives

Preoperative anaemia is common in patients with colorectal cancer and increasingly optimised prior to surgery. Comparably little attention is given to the prevalence and consequences of postoperative anaemia. We aimed to investigate the frequency and short- or long-term impact of anaemia at discharge following colorectal cancer resection.

Methods

A dedicated, prospectively populated database of elective laparoscopic colorectal cancer procedures undertaken with curative intent within a fully implemented ERAS protocol was utilised. The primary endpoint was anaemia at time of discharge (haemoglobin (Hb) < 120 g/L for women and < 135 g/L for men). Patient demographics, tumour characteristics, operative details and postoperative outcomes were captured. Median follow-up was 61 months with overall survival calculated with the Kaplan-Meier log rank method and Cox proportional hazard regression based on anaemia at time of hospital discharge.

Results

A total of 532 patients with median 61-month follow-up were included. 46.4% were anaemic preoperatively (cohort mean Hb 129.4 g/L ± 18.7). Median surgical blood loss was 100 mL (IQR 0–200 mL). Upon discharge, most patients were anaemic (76.6%, Hb 116.3 g/L ± 14, mean 19 g/L ± 11 below lower limit of normal,p < 0.001). 16.7% experienced postoperative complications which were associated with lower discharge Hb (112 g/L ± 12 vs. 117 g/L ± 14,p = 0.001). Patients discharged anaemic had longer hospital stays (7 [5–11] vs. 6 [5–8],p = 0.037). Anaemia at discharge was independently associated with reduced overall survival (82% vs. 70%,p = 0.018; HR 1.6 (95% CI 1.04–2.5),p = 0.034).

Conclusion

Anaemia at time of discharge following elective laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery and ERAS care is common with associated negative impacts upon short-term clinical outcomes and long-term overall survival.
Prostaglandin E2 receptor 3 (EP3) signaling promotes migration of cervical cancer via urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR)
Authors: Ye Yao , Peng Lin , Vattai Aurelia , Deuster Eileen , Kuhn Christina , Dannecker Christian , Mahner Sven , Jeschke Udo , von Schönfeldt Viktoria , Heidegger Helene H.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Cervical cancer metastasis results in poor prognosis and increased mortality, which is not separated from inflammatory reactions accumulated by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). As a specific G-protein coupled PGE2 receptor, EP3 is demonstrated as a negative prognosticator of cervical malignancy. Now, we aimed to investigate the pathological mechanism of EP3 in modulating cervical cancer carcinogenesis.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify PAI-1 and uPAR correlations with EP3 expression, as well as the prognosis of cervical cancer patients. In vitro analyses were carried out to investigate the role of EP3 on cervical cancer proliferation and migration.

Results

In vitro studies showed that sulprostone (an EP3 agonist) enhanced the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells, whereas silencing of EP3 inhibited their proliferation and migration. Furthermore, EP3 knockdown increased the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1), urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (p-ERK1/2), but decreased p53 expression. Bioinformatics analysis showed that both PAI-1 and uPAR were correlated with EP3 expression, as well as the prognosis of cervical cancer patients. The survival analysis further showed that uPAR overexpression (IRS≥2) was correlated with a lower overall survival rate of cervical cancer patients with advanced stages (FIGO III-IV).

Conclusion

These results indicated that EP3 signaling pathway might facilitate the migration of cervical cancer cells through modulating uPAR expression. Therefore, EP3 and uPAR could represent novel therapeutic targets in the treatment of cervical cancer in advantaged stages.
Mucin expression in gastric- and gastro-oesophageal signet-ring cell cancer: results from a comprehensive literature review and a large cohort study of Caucasian and Asian gastric cancer
Authors: Kerckhoffs K. G. P. , Liu D. H. W. , Saragoni L. , van der Post R. S. , Langer R. , Bencivenga M. , Iglesias M. , Gallo G. , Hewitt L. C. , Fazzi G. E. , Vos A. M. , Renaud F. , Yoshikawa T. , Oshima T. , Tomezzoli A. , de Manzoni G. , Arai T. , Kushima R. , Carneiro F. , Grabsch H. I.
Published: June 2020

Background

The literature on the prognostic relevance of signet-ring cell (SRC) histology in gastric cancer (GC) is controversial which is most likely related to inconsistent SRC classification based on haematoxylin–eosin staining. We hypothesised that mucin stains can consistently identify SRC-GC and predict GC patient outcome.

Methods

We performed a comprehensive literature review on mucin stains in SRC-GC and characterised the mucin expression in 851 Caucasian GC and 410 Asian GC using Alcian Blue (AB)-Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS), MUC2 (intestinal-type mucin), and MUC5AC (gastric-type mucin). The relationship between mucin expression and histological phenotype [poorly cohesive (PC) including proportion of SRCs, non-poorly cohesive (non-PC), or mucinous (MC)], clinicopathological variables, and patient outcome was analysed.

Results

Depending on mucin expression and cut-offs, the positivity rates of SRC-GC reported in the literature varied from 6 to 100%. Patients with MUC2 positive SRC-GC or SRC-GC with (gastro)intestinal phenotype had poorest outcome.

In our cohort study, PC with ≥ 10% SRCs expressed more frequently MUC2, MUC5AC, and ABPAS (p < 0.001, p = 0.004 and p < 0.001, respectively). Caucasians with AB positive GC or combined ABPAS-MUC2 positive and MUC5AC negative had poorest outcome (all p = 0.002). This association was not seen in Asian patients.

Conclusions

This is the first study to suggest that mucin stains do not help to differentiate between SRC-GC and non-SRC-GC. However, mucin stains appear to be able to identify GC patients with different outcome. To our surprise, the relationship between outcome and mucin expression seems to differ between Caucasian and Asian GC patients which warrants further investigations.
Interleukin-17A derived from mast cells contributes to fibrosis in gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination
Authors: Gunjigake Katsuya , Kinoshita Jun , Yamaguchi Takahisa , Saito Hiroto , Fujimori Daisuke , Horiike Toshihide , Harada Shinichi , Tajima Hidehiro , Ninomiya Itasu , Ohta Tetsuo , Fushida Sachio
Published: June 2020

Objectives

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is pro-inflammatory cytokine and acts as profibrotic factor in the fibrosis of various organs. Fibrosis tumor-like peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer interferes with drug delivery and immune cell infiltration because of its high internal pressure. In this study, we examined the relationship between IL-17A and tissue fibrosis in peritoneal dissemination and elucidated the mechanism of fibrosis induced by IL-17A using human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) and a mouse xenograft model.

Methods

Seventy gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination were evaluated. The correlation between IL-17A and fibrosis was examined by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. A fibrosis tumor model was developed based on subcutaneous transplantation of co-cultured cells (HPMCs and human gastric cancer cell line MKN-45) into the dorsal side of nude mice. Mice were subsequently treated with or without IL-17A. We also examined the effect of IL-17A on HPMCs in vitro.

Results

There was a significant correlation between IL-17A expression, the number of mast cell tryptase (MCT)-positive cells, and the degree of fibrosis (r = 0.417, P < 0.01). In the mouse model, IL-17A enhanced tumor progression and fibrosis. HPMCs treated with IL-17A revealed changes to a spindle-like morphology, decreased E-cadherin expression, and increased α-SMA expression through STAT3 phosphorylation. Moreover, HPMCs treated with IL-17A showed increased migration.

Conclusions

IL-17A derived from mast cells contributes to tumor fibrosis in peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer. Inhibiting degranulation of mast cells might be a promising treatment strategy to control organ fibrosis.
Explaining “spatial purport of perception”: a predictive processing approach
Authors: Rorot Wiktor
Published: June 2020

Despite the large interest in the human ability to perceive space present in neuroscience, cognitive science and psychology, as well as philosophy of mind, the issues regarding egocentric space representation received relatively less attention. In this paper I take up a unique phenomenon related to this faculty: the “spatial purport” of perceptual experiences. The notion was proposed by Rick Grush to describe the subjective, qualitative aspects of egocentric representations of spatial properties and relations. Although Grush offered an explanation of the mechanism giving rise to appearance of spatial purport, his model had considerable shortcomings. In the paper I thoroughly analyze both the notion of spatial purport and Grush’s explanation of the mechanism at its core in order to develop his theory using the insights provided by the predictive processing theory of mind, and more particularly by the active inference framework. The extended account I offer, named Predictive and Hierarchical Skill Theory, explains phenomena that escaped Grush’s model and furthers the research on egocentric space representation from the perspective of both neuroscience and philosophy of mind.
Experimental evaluation of thiamine as a new clay swelling inhibitor
Authors: Parvizi Ghaleh Saeed , Khodapanah Elnaz , Tabatabaei-Nezhad Seyyed Alireza
Published: June 2020

This study aims at evaluating the performance of thiamine as a new eco-friendly shale inhibitor in water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs). The evaluation experiments include sedimentation, bentonite inhibition, filtration, zeta potential, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, shale cuttings recovery, linear swelling and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The performance of thiamine was compared to potassium chloride. In contrast to deionized water, the aqueous solution of thiamine exhibited greater power to inhibit montmorillonite (Mt) dispersion, much more Mt loading capacity (280 g/L) and fluid loss, lower Mt mass loss, larger aggregated Mt particles, lower interlayer space of the Mt particles, less shale cuttings disintegration and lower linear swelling. Adsorption of thiamine on Mt led to a significant shift in the value of zeta potential (from −17.1 to +8.54 mV). Thiamine demonstrated superior inhibitive performance than potassium chloride. FTIR analysis confirmed that thiamine is adsorbed on Mt particles. The compatibility test revealed the compatibility of thiamine with conventional WBDF additives. It was concluded that the main probable inhibition mechanisms of thiamine are the cation exchange and Mt surface coating. In view of its prominent inhibition capacity and great environmental acceptability, thiamine is a promising inhibitor for drilling in water-sensitive formations.
Concept for the calculation of the distribution of heat input in the cathode area by GMA welding
Authors: Mokrov O. , Simon M. , Schiebahn A. , Reisgen U.
Published: June 2020

Currently used approaches for the modeling of the heat input in gas metal arc (GMA) welding process simulation usually assume an axisymmetrical Gaussian distribution of heat flux in the cathode region. However, as in GMA welding, cathodic electron emission of non-refractory metals is involved; the attachment region consists of multiple highly mobile cathode spots, which have a highly concentrated current density, which cannot be explained solely by thermionic emission, as is present in refractory cathodes. In this work, a novel concept is presented to determine the distribution of the cathode spots, allowing to determine the distribution of heat flux and current density, to serve as boundary conditions in a magneto-hydrodynamic weld pool simulation. While the concept does not yet deliver a fully convergent solution, a model lies at its core, which takes into account the experimentally determined high current density and provides a relationship between the cathode surface temperature, the generated heat flux, and the current density. By applying a stochastic cellular automaton method, the weighted random walk of the movement of the cathode spots is simulated, according to a probability determined by the potentially released heat flux. Averaging over time gives a spatially resolved distribution of heat flux and current density.
Superlubricitive engineering—Future industry nearly getting rid of wear and frictional energy consumption
Authors: Luo Jianbin , Zhou Xiang
Published: June 2020

Superlubricity has been developing very rapidly in recent years as a new and important area in tribology. Many new phenomena and materials, as well as some new mechanisms in both liquid and solid superlubricity have been obtained. In liquid superlubricity, tens of new kinds of liquids with superlubricity have been found (e.g., water-based liquids, oil-based lubricants, and liquids combined with additives of two-dimensional (2D) materials that exhibit very good superlubricity properties under high pressure). In the field of solid superlubricity, more materials with superlubricity have been observed, including graphene-to-graphene surfaces, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite to graphene surfaces, and heterostructure surfaces where a friction coefficient as low as 0.00004 has been obtained. However, superlubricity is still under laboratory research. What is the future of superlubricity? What is the barrier restricting superlubricity from industrial applications? How do we transfer superlubricity from scientific research to industrial application? These questions and application fields of superlubricity in near future have been analyzed, and the concept of “superlubricitive engineering” has been proposed in the present work.
Micro- and macrovascular function in patients suffering from primary adrenal insufficiency: a cross-sectional case–control study
Authors: Müller M. , Beiglböck H. , Fellinger P. , Winhofer Y. , Luger A. , Gschwandtner M. , Willfort-Ehringer A. , Koppensteiner R. , Kautzky-Willer A. , Krebs M. , Schlager O. , Wolf P.
Published: June 2020

Background

Despite adequate glucocorticoid (GC) and mineralocorticoid (MC) replacement therapy, patients suffering from primary adrenal insufficiency (AI) have an increased mortality, mainly due to cardiovascular diseases. Only little knowledge exists on the contribution of MC substitution to the cardiovascular risk. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of plasma renin concentration on parameters of micro- and macrovascular function.

Methods

26 patients with primary AI [female = 18, age: 51 (28; 78) years; BMI: 24 (18; 40) kg/m2; disease duration: 18 (5; 36) years] were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Intima media thickness (IMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were investigated to assess macrovascular remodeling and arterial stiffness. Microvascular function was estimated by post-occlusive reactive hyperemia using laser Doppler fluxmetry. Baseline perfusion, biological zero, peak perfusion, time to peak and recovery time were recorded. Patients were grouped according to their median plasma renin concentration of previous visits (Reninhigh vs Reninlow) and were compared to a group of healthy women [age: 44 (43; 46) years; BMI: 24.2 (21.8; 27.5)].

Results

PWV was significantly higher in AI patients compared to controls [9.9 (5; 18.5) vs 7.3 (6.8; 7.7) m/s; p < .01], whereas no differences in microvascular function could be found. In Reninlow time to peak perfusion was significantly longer [6.0 (3; 15) vs 3.5 (1.5; 11) s; p < .05], whereas no differences in IMT and PWV were observed between Reninhigh and Reninlow. No impact of GC dose was observed.

Conclusions

Microvascular function is not impaired in patients with primary AI under adequate replacement therapy, although higher renin concentrations are associated with subclinical improvements. No relation between RAAS activity and macrovascular function is observed, while arterial stiffness might be increased in primary AI.
A lab test on the decision not to decide
Authors: Schade Christian D. , Snir Avichai
Published: June 2020

Decisions are often postponed even when future profits are not expected to compensate for the losses. This is especially relevant for financial and entrepreneurial disinvestment choices, as investors often have a disposition to hold on to losing assets for too long. We use an experiment with real real-options to study one possible behavioral motivation. Studies in psychology suggest that individuals have different styles of handling the stress involved in making decisions. We find that participants' styles of decision-making and risk aversion as well as the interaction of those can assist in predicting the likelihood that the participants will make investments and the timing of their disinvestment decisions. We also find the overall structure of the findings to be in line with a planner–doer model.
Organic geochemical characteristics of bark coal in Changguang area: evidence from aromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: Lin Yuhan , Wang Shaoqing , Sha Yuming , Yang Kun
Published: June 2020

Seven coal samples were collected from Changguang area, a typical bark coal field in Zhejiang Province, China. The organic geochemical characteristics and depositional environment of bark coal were studied by Rock–Eval pyrolysis, gas chromatography (GC), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. The results show that all samples are type II kerogen. The values of total organic carbon (TOC), potential yield (S1 + S2), and hydrogen index of these samples ranged from 65.80 wt%–87.00 wt%, 170.43–232.89 mg HC/g, and 234–295 mg HC/g TOC, respectively. In aromatic hydrocarbons compounds of bark coal samples, the phenanthrene series occupy the largest proportion (43.48%–53.74%), followed by the dibenzothiophens (7.33%–16.53%). The distributions of naphthalenes, diphenyls, and chrysene of the samples indicate the source inputs are mainly derived from terrestrial higher plants. Furthermore, the ratios of naphthalene and phenanthrene series compounds reveal the samples are in the mature stage. Some biomarkers (Pr/Ph and C35/C31–35homohopane), aromatic hydrocarbons (fluorene, dibenzofuran and dibenzothiophene), and high inertinite contents (14.7%–41.8%) suggest that bark coal was formed under relatively oxic conditions and was influenced by marine or brackish lakes environment.
Hypersonic similarity for the two dimensional steady potential flow with large data
Authors: Kuang Jie , Xiang Wei , Zhang Yongqian
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we establish the first rigorous mathematical result on the validation of the hypersonic similarity globally, which is also called the Mach-number independence principle, for the two dimensional steady potential flow. The hypersonic similarity is equivalent to the Van Dyke's similarity theory, that is, if the hypersonic similarity parameter
K
is fixed, the shock solution structures (after scaling) are consistent, when the Mach number of the flow is sufficiently large. One of the difficulty is that after scaling, the solutions are usually of large data since the perturbation of the hypersonic flow is usually not small related to the sonic speed. In order to make it, we first develop a modified Glimm scheme to construct the approximate solutions with large data and find fine structure of the elementary wave curves to obtain the global existence of entropy solutions with large data, for fixed
K
and sufficiently large Mach number of the incoming flow

M_{\infty }

. Finally, we further show that for a fixed hypersonic similarity parameter
K
, if the Mach number

M_{\infty }\rightarrow \infty

, the solutions obtained above approach to the solution of the corresponding initial-boundary value problem of the hypersonic small-disturbance equations. Therefore, the Van Dyke's similarity theory is verified rigorously for the first time.
Biovacc-19: A Candidate Vaccine for Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Developed from Analysis of its General Method of Action for Infectivity
Authors: Sørensen Birger , Susrud Andres , Dalgleish Angus George
Published: June 2020

This study presents the background, rationale and method of action of Biovacc-19, a candidate vaccine for corona virus disease 2019 (Covid-19), now in advanced preclinical development, which has already passed the first acute toxicity testing. Unlike conventionally developed vaccines, Biovacc-19’s method of operation is upon nonhuman-like (NHL) epitopes in 21.6% of the composition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)’s spike protein, which displays distinct distributed charge including the presence of a charged furin-like cleavage site. The logic of the design of the vaccine is explained, which starts with empirical analysis of the aetiology of SARS-CoV-2. Mistaken assumptions about SARS-CoV-2’s aetiology risk creating ineffective or actively harmful vaccines, including the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement. Such problems in vaccine design are illustrated from past experience in the human immunodeficiency viruses domain. We propose that the dual effect general method of action of this chimeric virus’s spike, including receptor binding domain, includes membrane components other than the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor, which explains clinical evidence of its infectivity and pathogenicity. We show the nonreceptor dependent phagocytic general method of action to be specifically related to cumulative charge from insertions placed on the SARS-CoV-2 spike surface in positions to bind efficiently by salt bridge formations; and from blasting the spike we display the NHL epitopes from which Biovacc-19 has been down-selected.
Comparative performance and digestive physiology ofDiaphania indica(Lepidoptera: Crambidae) onTrichosanthes anguina(Cucurbitaceae) cultivars
Authors: Debnath Rahul , Mobarak Syed Husne , Mitra Paroma , Barik Anandamay
Published: June 2020

Diaphania indica(Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an important phytophagous pest ofTrichosanthes anguinaL. in India. We studied life table parameters by age-stage, two-sex, amylolytic and proteolytic activities, and food utilization parameters ofD. indicaon the leaves of threeT. anguinacultivars (Baruipur Long, Polo No. 1 and MNSR-1). Further, nutrients (total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, amino acids and nitrogen) and antinutrients (total phenols, flavonols and tannins) in leaves were determined. The development time (egg to adult emergence) was the shortest on MNSR-1 (19.79 d) and the longest on Polo No. 1 (25.72 d). Fecundity was the highest and lowest on MNSR-1 (259 eggs) and Polo No. 1 (151.22 eggs), respectively. The lowest intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and net reproductive rate (R0) ofD. indicaon Polo No. 1 were 0.1112 d−1and 27.22 offspring individual−1, respectively. The mean generation time (T) was the shortest on MNSR-1 (23.99 days) and the longest on Polo No. 1 (29.70 d). The larvae ofD. indicafed with MNSR-1 had the highest level of amylolytic and proteolytic activities, and the lowest activities were in the larvae fed with Polo No. 1. The fifth-instar larvae fed with Polo No. 1 had the lowest consumption index and growth rate. The higher larval development time and lower fecundity ofD. indicaon Polo No. 1 were due to the lower level of nutrients and a higher level of antinutrients than other cultivars. Our results concluded that Polo No. 1 cultivar could be suggested for cultivation.
Effects of functional traits of perennial ryegrass cultivars on forage quality in mixtures and pure stands
Authors: Komainda Martin , Isselstein Johannes
Published: June 2020

Plant breeding has brought about improvements in the herbage yield potential, forage quality and functional traits of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Under conditions of low external inputs, grassland swards based on perennial ryegrass often contain dicotyledonous species (legume and non-legume). Cultivar-specific functional traits such as growth form or phenology affect the competitive ability and yield in mixtures, but the extent to which cultivars with different functional traits affect forage quality in mixtures compared with pure stands is unknown. Therefore, we analysed four perennial ryegrass cultivars, each representing a combination of two functional traits with respect to phenology (early v. late heading) and growth form (upright v. prostrate) on forage quality, in a field experiment over 5 years. Each cultivar was grown in binary-mixtures with Trifolium repens L., as four-species mixtures with Taraxacum officinale L. and Plantago lanceolata L., and as grass monocultures. The effect of functional traits was dominant in the primary growth and persisted in pure stands but not in the mixtures from the third year onwards. Prostrate cultivars allowed the development of a greater proportion of clover and forbs within the mixtures, resulting in increased protein and energy and reduced fibre contents. In mixtures, forage quality was generally higher in the last regrowth. In conclusion, the indirect effects of growth form on forage quality due to modifications of botanical composition were more important than direct effects on forage quality.
Stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and other stigmatizing conditions in China using two cultural-sensitive measures of stigma: interpersonal distance and occupational restrictiveness
Authors: Xiong Wei , Phillips Michael R. , Wang Zhizhong , Zhang Yuhong , Cheng Hui G. , Link Bruce G.
Published: June 2020

Background

Reducing stigma is a perennial target of mental health advocates, but effectively addressing stigma relies on the ability to correctly understand and accurately measure culture-specific and location-specific components of stigma and discrimination.

Methods

We developed two culture-sensitive measures that assess the core components of stigma. The 40-item Interpersonal Distance Scale (IDS) asks respondents about their willingness to establish four different types of relationships with individuals with 10 target conditions, including five mental health-related conditions and five comparison conditions. The 40-item Occupational Restrictiveness Scale (ORS) asks respondents how suitable it is for individuals with the 10 conditions to assume four different types of occupations. The scales – which take 15 min to complete – were administered as part of a 2013 survey in Ningxia Province, China to a representative sample of 2425 adult community members.

Results

IDS and ORS differentiated the level of stigma between the 10 conditions. Of the total, 81% of respondents were unwilling to have interpersonal relationships with individuals with mental health-related conditions and 91% considered them unsuitable for various occupations. Substantial differences in attitudes about the five mental health-related conditions suggest that there is no community consensus about what constitutes a ‘mental illness’.

Conclusions

Selection of comparison conditions, types of social relationships, and types of occupations considered by the IDS and ORS make it possible to develop culture-sensitive and cohort-specific measures of interpersonal distance and occupational restrictiveness that can be used to compare the level and type of stigma associated with different conditions and to monitor changes in stigma over time.
Should euthanasia and assisted suicide for psychiatric disorders be permitted? A systematic review of reasons
Authors: Nicolini Marie E. , Kim Scott Y. H. , Churchill Madison E. , Gastmans Chris
Published: June 2020

Background

Euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS) based on a psychiatric disorder (psychiatric EAS) continue to pose ethical and policy challenges, even in countries where the practice has been allowed for years. We conducted a systematic review of reasons, a specific type of review for bioethical questions designed to inform rational policy-making. Our aims were twofold: (1) to systematically identify all published reasons for and against the practice (2) to identify current gaps in the debate and areas for future research.

Methods

Following the PRISMA guidelines, we performed a search across seven electronic databases to include publications focusing on psychiatric EAS and providing ethical reasons. Reasons were grouped into domains by qualitative content analysis.

Results

We included 42 articles, most of which were written after 2013. Articles in favor and against were evenly distributed. Articles in favor were mostly full-length pieces written by non-clinicians, with articles against mostly reactive, commentary-type pieces written by clinicians. Reasons were categorized into eight domains: (1) mental and physical illness and suffering (2) decisional capacity (3) irremediability (4) goals of medicine and psychiatry (5) consequences for mental health care (6) psychiatric EAS and suicide (7) self-determination and authenticity (8) psychiatric EAS and refusal of life-sustaining treatment. Parity- (or discrimination-) based reasons were dominant across domains, mostly argued for by non-clinicians, while policy reasons were mostly pointed to by clinicians.

Conclusions

The ethical debate about psychiatric EAS is relatively young, with prominent reasons of parity. More direct engagement is needed to address ethical and policy considerations.
International criminal law and border control: The expressive role of the deportation and extradition of genocide suspects to Rwanda
Authors: Palmer Nicola
Published: June 2020

The use of criminal law in border control has gained increasing and warranted scholarly attention. International criminal law is no exception, although the orientation of the debates in international law is different from that at the national level. While scholarship on domestic border control is characterized by a deep scepticism of the use of criminal sanction, the focus in international criminal law has been on the exclusion of individuals suspected of involvement in an international crime from the protective sphere of refugee law. The divergence of this scholarship does not fully account for how responses to allegations of involvement in an international crime are often embedded within domestic immigration laws, making concerns regarding domestic border control relevant for discussions in international criminal law. To examine these domestic entanglements, this article analyses an independently generated dataset of 122 cases in 20 countries concerning 102 individuals alleged to have participated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. This dataset enables an empirical analysis of the role that international criminal law is playing in their extradition, deportation or domestic prosecution. It argues that these cases are underpinned by plural types of expressive work. They communicate not only an ongoing commitment to recognizing the universal wrong of genocide, but also more ambiguous messaging about what constitutes a fair trial in Rwanda, who constitutes a ‘criminal migrant’ and, to a Rwandan audience, the transnational penal reach of the Rwandan state.
Noise and Silence inRigoletto's Venice
Authors: Jones Alessandra
Published: June 2020

In this article I explore how public acts of defiant silence can work as forms of historical evidence, and how such refusals constitute a distinct mode of audio-visual attention and political resistance. After the Austrians reconquered Venice in August 1849, multiple observers reported that Venetians protested their renewed subjugation via theatre boycotts (both formal and informal) and a refusal to participate in festive occasions. The ostentatious public silences that met the daily Austrian military band concerts in the city's central piazza became a ritual that encouraged foreign observers to empathise with the Venetians’ plight. Whereas the gondolier's song seemed to travel separate from the gondolier himself, the piazza's design instead encouraged a communal listening coloured by the politics of the local cafes. In the central section of the article, I explore the ramifications of silence, resistance and disconnections between sight and sound as they shape Giuseppe Verdi'sRigoletto, which premiered at Venice's Teatro la Fenice in 1851. The scenes inRigolettomost appreciated by the first Venetian audiences hinge on the power to observe and overhear, suggesting that early spectators experienced the opera through a mode of engagement born of the local material conditions and political circumstances.
Conceptual Barriers to Palliative Care and Enlightenment From Chuang-tze’s Thoughts
Authors: LIU JUNXIANG , ZHANG TIANYU , LIAN YIYAO , LI FEI , NING XIAOHONG
Published: June 2020

This paper claims that palliative care (PC) is a suitable approach for offering comprehensive support to patients with life-threatening illness and unavoidable asthenia, to enhance their quality of life in aging and chronic illness. There are however some conceptual barriers to accessing that care on the Chinese Mainland: (1) Death-denying culture and society; (2) Misguidance and malpractice derived from the biomedical model; (3) Prejudice against PC and certain deviant understandings of filial piety culture. To counter these obstacles, the study introduces the philosophy of Chinese Taoist Chuang-tze to enlighten the public from ignorance and remove some illusions about death and dying; inspire people to face and accept illness and death calmly, and keep harmony and inner peace of mind to alleviate suffering, with the aim of providing wisdom and a shift of attitude toward life and death. Chuang-tze’s thoughts are consistent with the provision of palliative care, and to a certain degree, can promote its acceptability and delivery, and the conception of good death in practice.
Commentary: In Search of Medical Ethics and Its Foundation with Rosamond Rhodes
Authors: TAKALA TUIJA , HÄYRY MATTI
Published: June 2020

In her thorough and thoughtful contribution to theCambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethicstitled “Medical Ethics: Common or Uncommon Morality” Rosamond Rhodes argues that contrary to American mainstream bioethics, medical ethics is not, and should not be, based on common morality, but rather, that the medical profession requires its own distinctive morality.1She goes on to list sixteen duties that, according to her, form the core of medical ethics proper.
Neuroscience-based Psychiatric Assessments of Criminal Responsibility: Beyond Self-Report?
Authors: MEYNEN GERBEN
Published: June 2020

Many legal systems have an insanity defense, which means that although a person has committed a crime, she is not held criminally responsible for the act. A challenge with regard to these assessments is that forensic psychiatrists have to rely to a considerable extent on the defendant's self-report. Could neuroscience be a way to make these evaluations more objective? The current value of neuroimaging in insanity assessments will be examined. The author argues that neuroscience can be valuable for diagnosing neurological illnesses, rather than psychiatric disorders. Next, he discusses to what extent neurotechnological 'mind reading' techniques, if they would become available in the future, could be useful to get beyond self-report in forensic psychiatry.
Retrieving the Moral in the Ethics of Maternal-Fetal Surgery
Authors: BARTLETT VIRGINIA L. , BLITON MARK J.
Published: June 2020

Open-uterine surgery to repair spina bifida, or ‘fetal surgery of open neural tube defects,’ has generated questions throughout its history—and continues to do so in a variety of contexts. As clinical ethics consultants who worked (Mark J. Bliton) and trained (Virginia L. Bartlett) at Vanderbilt University—where the first successful cases of open-uterine repair of spina bifida were carried out—we lived with these questions for nearly two decades. We worked with clinicians as they were developing and offering the procedure, with researchers in refining and studying the procedure, and with pregnant women and their partners as they considered whether to undergo the procedure. From this experience in the early studies at Vanderbilt, we learned that pregnant women and their partners approach the clinical uncertainty of such a risky procedure with a curious and unique combination of practicality, self-reflection, fear, and overwhelming hope. These early experiences were a major contributing factor to the inclusion of an ethics-focused interview in the informed consent process for the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) trial study design.
Resveratrol protects boar spermin vitrovia its antioxidant capacity
Authors: Sun Linlin , Fan Xiaoteng , Zeng Yao , Wang Liqian , Zhu Zhendong , Li Rongnan , Tian Xiue , Wang Yongjun , Lin Yan , Wu De , Zeng Wenxian
Published: June 2020

The objective of the present study was to elucidate whether resveratrol could facilitate the survival of boar sperm during liquid preservation and fast cooling processes. Boar semen were diluted with Modena extender containing different concentrations of resveratrol. Sperm motility was evaluated by visual estimation. Membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and mitochondrial membrane potentials were measured by SYBR-14/PI, FITC-PNA and JC-1 staining, respectively. Moreover, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malonaldehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were measured using commercial assay kits. B-cell lymphoma protein-2 (BCL2) content was determined by western blotting. During liquid preservation at 17oC, the addition of 50 μM resveratrol to the Modena extender significantly improved sperm motility, membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and sperm mitochondrial membrane potentials. Similar results were also observed in the 150 μM resveratrol group during the fast cooling process. Furthermore, addition of resveratrol led to a decrease of ROS and MDA, and an increase in the content of T-AOC and BCL2. These observations suggest that addition of resveratrol to Modena extender protects boar sperm against oxidative stress. The optimal concentrations of resveratrol are 50 μM and 150 μM during liquid preservation and fast cooling process, respectively.
Expression levels of FSHR, IGF1R, CYP11al and HSD3β in cumulus cells can predict in vitro developmental competence of bovine oocytes
Authors: Khurchabilig Atchalalt , Sato Akane , Ashibe Shiori , Hara Asuka , Fukumori Rika , Nagao Yoshikazu
Published: June 2020

The efficiency of in vitro embryo production technologies would be improved by the development of suitable non-invasive biomarkers that allow the selection of good quality cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs). The present study used whole, single oocyte culture to investigate whether the expression levels of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), insulin-like factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and three steroidogenesis-related enzymes (CYP11al, CYP19al and HSD3β) in cumulus cells reflected the developmental competence of COCs. Cumulus cells were collected from single COCs before maturation culture and relative mRNA levels were assessed using real-time PCR. The analysis indicated that mRNAs for FSHR, IGF1R, CYP11al and HSD3β were present at higher levels in cumulus cells from COCs that failed to form blastocysts compared with cumulus cells from COCs that formed blastocysts. Moreover, FSHR and IGF1R mRNA levels were positively correlated with those of genes for steroidogenesis-related enzymes. In conclusion, poor developmental competence of COCs was related to higher expression of FSHR, IGF1R, CYP11al and HSD3β in cumulus cells, which may indicate the advanced differentiation of cumulus cells into granulosa cells.
Ebstein anomaly combined with unique pulmonary venous abnormality in a 9-month-old child
Authors: Sanders Emily N. , Zakaria Dala
Published: June 2020

Ebstein anomaly is a rare CHD known for its wide spectrum of presentation with the age of diagnosis dependent on the malformation’s severity. Here, the authors describe a case of delayed diagnosis of Ebstein anomaly, secondary to lack of medical attention, which resulted in severe tricuspid regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension. Furthermore, the case was complicated by a unique pulmonary venous abnormality.
HOW ECONOMISTS ENTERED THE ‘NUMBERS GAME’: MEASURING DISCRIMINATION IN THE US COURTROOMS, 1971–1989
Authors: Chassonnery-Zaïgouche Cléo
Published: June 2020

The paper explores why and how economists entered the courtrooms as expert witnesses in employment discrimination cases in the US. The main sources are published legal decisions. I analyze the courts’ and economists’ discourses on the use of a specific method: multiple regression analysis in relation to litigation history, academic debates, and the institutional settings of expertise within the courts. I first show how the early reception of the method in the late 1970s did not involve systematic rejection from the courts but rather a large amount of skepticism. I then illustrate how economic theory underlying the method was progressively introduced in the “judicial tool kit” and how the debates in the courtrooms relate to the debates in academia in the 1980s. By 1989, practical and ethical questions regarding the institutional settings of experts’ testimony took center stage, reflecting the increasing professionalization of forensic economics.
COST Lecture 2019 AE GM Barcelona: International Network to Encourage the Use of Monitoring and Forecasting Dust Products (InDust)
Authors: Nemuc Anca , Basart Sara , Tobias Aurelio , Nickovic Slobodan , Barnaba Francesca , Kazadzis Stelios , Mona Lucia , Amiridis Vassilis , Vukovic Ana , Christel Isadora J. , Waldhauserová Pavla Dagsson , Monteiro Alexandra
Published: June 2020

Amongst the most significant extreme meteorological phenomena are the Sand and Dust Storms (SDS). Owing to significant amounts of airborne mineral dust particles generated during these events, SDS have impacts on climate, the environment, human health, and many socio-economic sectors (e.g. aviation, solar energy management). Many studies and reports have underlined that the society has to understand, manage and mitigate the risks and effects of SDS on life, health, property, the environment and the economy in a more unified way. The EU-funded European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action ‘InDust: International network to encourage the use of monitoring and forecasting Dust products’ has an overall objective to establish a network involving research institutions, service providers and potential end users on airborne dust information. We are a multidisciplinary group of international experts on aerosol measurements, aerosol modelling, stakeholders and social scientists working together, exchanging ideas to better coordinate and harmonize the process of transferring dust observation and prediction data to users, as well as to assist the diverse socio-economic sectors affected by the presence of high concentrations of airborne mineral dust. This article highlights the importance of being actively engaged in research networking activities, supported by EU and COST actions since common efforts help not only each scientist by shaping their expertise and strengthening their position, but also all communities.
Philosophical Plumbing in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Mckinnell Liz
Published: June 2020

Mary Midgley famously compares philosophy to plumbing. In both cases we are dealing with complex systems that underlie the everyday life of a community, and in both cases we often fail to notice their existence until things start to smell a bit fishy. Philosophy, like plumbing, is performed by particular people at particular times, and it is liable to be done in a way that suits the needs of those people and those whom they serve. I employ Mary Midgley's philosophy and biography to explore the importance of a diversity of voices for academic philosophy, and for society as a whole.
Iris Murdoch and Common Sense Or, What Is It Like To Be A Woman In Philosophy
Authors: Altorf Hannah Marije
Published: June 2020

Philosophy is one of the least inclusive disciplines in the humanities and this situation is changing only very slowly. In this article I consider how one of the women of the Wartime Quartet, Iris Murdoch, can help to challenge this situation. Taking my cue from feminist and philosophical practices, I focus on Murdoch's experience of being a woman and a philosopher and on the role experience plays in her philosophical writing. I argue that her thinking is best characterised with the notion of common sense orsensus communis. This term recognises her understanding of philosophy as based in experience and as a shared effort ‘to make sense of our life’, as Mary Midgley puts it.
The association of the glucokinase rs4607517 polymorphism with gestational diabetes mellitus and its interaction with sweets consumption in Chinese women
Authors: Ao Deng , Zhao Qian , Song Jie-Yun , Liu Zheng , Wang Yan , Wang Hai-Jun , Yang Hui-Xia
Published: June 2020

Objective:

To identify the association of the glucokinase gene (GCK) rs4607517 polymorphism with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and determine whether sweets consumption could interact with the polymorphism on GDM in Chinese women.

Design:

We conducted a case–control study at a hospital including 1015 participants (562 GDM cases and 453 controls). We collected the data of pre-pregnancy BMI, sweets consumption and performed genotyping of the GCK rs4607517 polymorphism. Logistic regression was performed to test the association between the rs4607517 polymorphism and GDM, and the stratified analyses by sweets consumption were conducted, using an additive genetic model.

Setting:

A case–control study of women at a hospital in Beijing, China.

Participants

One thousand and fifteen Chinese women.

Results:

The GCK rs4607517 A allele was significantly associated with GDM (OR 1·35, 95 % CI 1·03, 1·77; P = 0·028). Furthermore, stratified analyses showed that the A allele increased the risk of GDM only in women who had a habitual consumption of sweet foods (sweets consumption ≥ once per week) (OR 1·61, 95 % CI 1·17, 2·21; P = 0·003). Significant interaction on GDM was found between the rs4607517 A allele and sweets consumption (P = 0·004).

Conclusions:

This study for the first time reported the interaction between the GCK rs4607517 polymorphism and sweets consumption on GDM. The results provided novel evidence for risk assessment and personalised prevention of GDM.
Schooled by Strikes? The Effects of Large-Scale Labor Unrest on Mass Attitudes toward the Labor Movement
Authors: Hertel-Fernandez Alexander , Naidu Suresh , Reich Adam
Published: June 2020

Strikes are a central tool of organized labor, yet existing research has focused on the economic consequences of strikes, rather than their political effects. We examine how labor actions by teachers, a well-organized group of public sector workers, affect mass attitudes about the strikes and interest in the labor movement more generally. Our context involves large-scale teacher strikes and walkouts in six states in 2018. Using an original survey in the affected states, we study the causal effect of strike exposure among parents whose children’s ages place them in or out of school. Firsthand strike exposure increased parents’ support for the teachers and for the labor movement, as well as parents’ interest in labor action (though not necessarily through traditional unions). Our results highlight the importance of strikes as a political strategy for unions: not only can they build stronger public support for the striking workers but they can also inspire greater interest in further labor action among other workers.