bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Die Gelegenheit nutzen: Die Evaluation der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung durch den Wissenschaftsrat aus der Perspektive der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (AFK)
Authors: Engels Bettina , Schetter Conrad 
Published: April 2020

ZusammenfassungIn diesem Forumsbeitrag kommentieren wir die aktuelle Evaluation der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung in Deutschland durch den Wissenschaftsrat als (ehemalige) Vorsitzende der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (AFK e. V.). Wir reflektieren, was die Evaluation aus der Perspektive der AFK für das Forschungsfeld der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung und für den Verband selbst bedeutet. Dazu stellen wir dar, wie die AFK als Fachverband in der Evaluation berücksichtigt wurde. Anschließend beleuchten wir zentrale Themenfelder, die im Evaluationsbericht angesprochen werden: Professionalisierung, die normative Ausrichtung des Forschungsfelds, Interdisziplinarität, Internationalisierung, die Standortfrage, politischer Nutzen, Finanzierung und Nachwuchsförderung. Wir argumentieren, dass die Evaluation eine Gelegenheit für das Forschungsfeld generell und für die AFK im Besonderen darstellt, um über die Stärken und Perspektiven der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung in Deutschland reflektieren und Strategien entwickeln, diese strukturell und institutionell zu sichern und auszubauen. Die AFK als standort- und institutionenübergreifender Fachverband könnte hierbei und als Lobbyorganisation eine wichtige Rolle übernehmen.
LAW, RELIGION, AND SOCIETY IN CHINA: A CONTESTED TERRAIN
Authors: Mauldin Joshua T. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe tumult of the twentieth century had a great impact on the role of religion in Chinese society. Antipathy toward religion reached its height in China during the Cultural Revolution, one of the few times in history when religion was almost completely wiped out in a single country. Religion in China has experienced a resurgence since the beginning of the Reform and Opening Up period in 1978. With the renewal of religious practice, new proposals have been put forward for the role of religious ideas in public life. In addition to the endurance of Marxist and liberal conceptions of the place of religion in society, new voices have emerged, arguing for return to Confucianism as the source of moral vitality in public life, or advancing Christian public theology as a moral resource for individuals adrift and alienated by the rapid changes of a modernizing economy. These realities have reshaped debates about the protection of religious freedom in China. This article introduces these new social and discursive realities and sets the stage for the articles that follow.
An immunoproteomics approach to identifyLeishmania infantumproteins to be applied for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection
Authors: Machado Amanda S. , Ramos Fernanda F. , Oliveira-da-Silva João A. , Santos Thaís T. O. , Tavares Grasiele S. V. , Costa Lourena E. , Lage Daniela P. , Teixeira-Ferreira André , Perales Jonas , Fernandes Ana Paula , Moreira Ricardo L. F. , Duarte Mariana C. , Tupinambás Unaí , Caligiorne Rachel B. , Cota Gláucia F. , Coelho Eduardo A. F. , Ludolf Fernanda 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe co-infection between visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has increased in several countries in the world. The current serological tests are not suitable since they present low sensitivity to detect the most of VL/HIV cases, and a more precise diagnosis should be performed. In this context, in the present study, an immunoproteomics approach was performed usingLeishmania infantumantigenic extracts and VL, HIV and VL/HIV patients sera, besides healthy subjects samples; aiming to identify antigenic markers for these clinical conditions. Results showed that 43 spots were recognized by antibodies in VL and VL/HIV sera, and 26 proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Between them,β-tubulin was expressed, purified and tested in ELISA experiments as a proof of concept for validation of our immunoproteomics findings and results showed high sensitivity and specificity values to detect VL and VL/HIV patients. In conclusion, the identified proteins in the present work could be considered as candidates for future studies aiming to improvement of the diagnosis of VL and VL/HIV co-infection.
The VNTR of the AS3MT gene is associated with brain activations during a memory span task and their training-induced plasticity
Authors: Zhao Wan , Zhang Qiumei , Chen Xiongying , Li Yang , Li Xiaohong , Du Boqi , Deng Xiaoxiang , Ji Feng , Wang Chuanyue , Xiang Yu-Tao , Dong Qi , Chen Chuansheng , Li Jun 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) gene has been identified as a top risk gene for schizophrenia in several large-scale genome-wide association studies. A variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) of this gene is the most significant expression quantitative trait locus, but its role in brain activity in vivo is still unknown.MethodsWe first performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan of 101 healthy subjects during a memory span task, trained all subjects on an adaptive memory span task for 1 month, and finally performed another fMRI scan after the training. After excluding subjects with excessive head movements for one or more scanning sessions, data from 93 subjects were included in the final analyses.ResultsThe VNTR was significantly associated with both baseline brain activation and training-induced changes in multiple regions including the prefrontal cortex and the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Additionally, it was associated with baseline brain activation in the striatum and the parietal cortex. All these results were corrected based on the family-wise error rate method across the whole brain at the peak level.ConclusionsThis study sheds light on the role of AS3MT gene variants in neural plasticity related to memory span training.
The reduced left hippocampal volume related to the delayed P300 latency in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Gao Lijuan , Gu Lihua , Shu Hao , Chen Jiu , Zhu Jianli , Wang Bi , Shi Yachen , Song Ruize , Li Kun , Li Xianrui , Zhang Haisan , Zhang Hongxing , Zhang Zhijun 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundAmnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is characterized by delayed P300 latency and reduced grey matter (GM) volume, respectively. The relationship between the features in aMCI is unclear. This study was to investigate the relationship between the altered P300 latency and the GM volume in aMCI.MethodsThirty-four aMCI and 34 well-matched normal controls (NC) were studied using electroencephalogram during a visual oddball task and scanned with MRI. Both tests were finished in the same day.ResultsAs compared with the NC group, the aMCI group exhibited delayed P300 latency in parietal cortex and reduced GM volumes in bilateral temporal pole and left hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus. A remarkable negative correlation was found between delayed P300 latency and reduced left hippocampal volume only in the aMCI group. Interestingly, the mediating analysis found P300 latency significantly mediated the association between right supramarginal gyrus volume and information processing speed indicated by Stroop Color and Word Test A scores.ConclusionsThe association between delayed P300 latency and reduced left hippocampal volume in aMCI subjects suggests that reduced left hippocampal volume may be the potential structural basis of delayed P300 latency.
The Flies of Summer: A Kantian Reply to Burke
Authors: Church Jeffrey 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis paper takes up a deep objection to liberalism associated most clearly with Edmund Burke, that liberalism's tendency to rapid change from generation to generation frustrates a fundamental human desire to participate in what is unchanging. To address this criticism, I examine Kant's political theory from the 1780s and 1790s, focusing on the themes of perpetual peace, revolution, and punishment. I argue that for Kant, the liberal community is best understood as an enduring partnership for the liberation of humanity, rather than as a partnership to protect material interests or rights. Understanding Kant's liberalism in this way confronts Burke's challenge and also helps solve some difficult puzzles in Kant scholarship.
Zeal without Fanaticism: Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the Religion of the Citizen
Authors: Cortes Alyssa 
Published: April 2020

AbstractJean-Jacques Rousseau is well known for his love of the ancients. His use of examples from Sparta and republican Rome emphasized what he found lacking in modern times. This article attempts to establish how Rousseau's views on the ancients are related to his religious-political thought, particularly as it relates to his description of citizen religion in the last chapter of the Social Contract. While Rousseau admired many aspects of citizen religion, he rejects it for two reasons: reasons of humanity in the Geneva Manuscript and reasons of self-interest in the Social Contract. This article attempts to understand how the two can be reconciled through the view of citizen religion's contribution to patriotism and fanaticism.
Emotional blunting and sensation seeking in HIV-infected individuals
Authors: Bungener C , Lacour C , Carton S , Lefrere J J , Widlocher D , Jouvent R 
Published: April 2020

SummaryTwenty five asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive subjects were matched with 25 healthy seronegative low-risk individuals to evaluate emotional patterns. Seropositive subjects scored significantly higher, and an important emotional deficit was noticed. Sensation seeking subscores were significantly lower in the seropositive group.
Therapeutic strategies in atypical depressive syndrome in the UK
Authors: Peveler R 
Published: April 2020

SummaryIn the UK, the majority of patients with depressive disorders are treated by general practitioners, and there is little agreement on the nomenclature for atypical disorders including dysthymia, atypical depression, neurasthenia and recurrent brief depression. Mixed depressive and anxiety symptoms are considered to be the norm, and antidepressant drugs are increasingly being used in place of benzodiazepines. Unfortunately, antidepressant regimens prescribed by GPs tend to be inadequate in terms of both duration and dosage, and an educational campaign is underway to remedy this problem. British psychiatrists employ the full range of available antidepressant drugs for depression, and the severity of the disorder is not a primary determinant for choice of drug; on the other hand, ECT is reserved primarily for psychotic depression. Neurasthenia is frequently diagnosed as “chronic fatigue syndrome”, or “myalgic encephalomyelitis”, and a psychological treatment protocol has given encouraging initial results.
Diagnostic and therapeutic issues of atypical depression in Japan
Authors: Asai M , Nakane Y , Kanba S 
Published: April 2020

SummaryDepressive conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, persistent depression and chronic mild depression have recently been the subject of much interest in Japan. The term “atypical depression” is not in common use, however depressive states falling outside the “typical” categories of the major depressive disorders (MDD) can be discussed in terms of symptomatology, etiology, and response to treatment. The term “neurasthenia” which refers to a hypochondriacal disorder with or without physical illness, as well as to a subtype of neurosis (ICD-9, 300.5), is no longer extensively used. “Dysthymia” is classically employed to signify either a dysphoric state accompanied by mild depression and irritability, as defined by the German school, or a mild depressive personality disorder; it is currently used as an alternative to “neurotic depression” (ICD-9 300.4), or “dysthymic disorder” (DSM III-R). Recurrent brief depression is not yet a prevalent concept in Japan. Despite the observation of depression with hyperphagia and/or hypersomnia, these phenomena have not received a specific designation. Therapeutic approaches to depression include both non-drug modalities (psychotherapy, environmental modification, etc) and the standard drug regimens (antidepressants, anxiolytics, etc); clinical trials are currently underway with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors which we expect to be effective in treatment-resistant depression. Plant-based traditional remedies are still widely employed in Japan, and several of these are described. Finally, we discuss the Morita therapy, a specifically Japanese modality for treatment of mild depression with obsessive-compulsive symptoms based upon the Zen philosophy. This approach involves an initial period of absolute bed-rest, followed by gradual resumption of work and social activities with support and counseling.
Therapeutic strategies in atypical depression. A German perspective
Authors: Möller HJ 
Published: April 2020

SummaryIn Germany a major distinction is made between endogenous and neurotic depression. While traditionally neurotic depression was seen as being amenable only to psychotherapy, there is an increasing tendency to treat neurotic patients presenting the full depressive syndrome with antidepressant drugs. Those psychiatrists who are aware of the concept of atypical depression in the stricter sense (anxiety-depression, depression with reversed somatic symptoms, etc) tend to treat these patients with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The diagnosis of “dysthymia”, Possibly equivalent to “neurotic depression”, has not yet come into common usage. While the term “neurasthenia” is traditional, general Practitioners prefer other designations; treatment involves supportive psychotherapy, benzodiazepines and sedative antidepressants. Mixed anxiety-depression is treated with anxiolytic antidepressants, sedatives or, for the milder cases, with low-dose neuroleptics. This indication for neuroleptics is controversial, and a treatment protocol has been codified for use by the general practitioners so as to avoid the potential major adverse reactions seen with the class. The new concept of recurrent brief depression is confined to academic milieu, where treatment is the same as for unipolar depression.
Clinical target syndromes in psychiatry: latent structure analysisversusfactor analysis
Authors: Bech P 
Published: April 2020

SummaryThe algorithms for the demonstration of shared phenomenology of psychiatric syndromes in DSM-III are resistant to quantification. In contrast, the rating scale approach quantifies clinical target syndromes in psychiatry. The two most useful statistical models for quantifying shared phenomenology by symptom rating scales have been reviewed; namely factor analysis and latent structure analysis. Results have shown that factor analysis has demonstrated dimensions of dementia, delirium, schizophrenia, mania, outward aggression, depression and anxiety. Latent structure analysis has confirmed that the items of brief rating scales (such as the Melancholia Scale) are additively related implying that their total scores are sufficient statistics for the measurement of these factors or dimensions. Latent structure analysis should be considered as a psychometric “glasnost” compared to algorithm-resistant logic of quantification in DSM-III.
Diagnostic criteria in psychiatry: a straitjacket or a prop?
Authors: Jablensky A 
Published: April 2020

SummaryClinical psychiatrists face the dilemma of ‘humanism’ versus ‘reductionism’ when confronting the problem of diagnosing and classifying patients. The introduction of ‘operational’ or ‘explicit’ diagnostic criteria (ODC) should provide a middle-ground enabling the clinician to combine person-oriented approach with a more rigorous application of knowledge-based decision rules. More than a decade of world-wide experience with ODC should enable at least a preliminary evaluation of their utility and cost not only from the point of view of the clinician and researcher but also from the position of mental health care consumers. In order to maximize usefulness, the developpers and users of ODC should avoid their ‘reification’ as the ultimate standard in psychiatric diagnosis and retain an attitude of epistemological openness.
Evaluation of safety and side effects in the process of anti-anxiety drug development *
Authors: Bourin M , Couetoux du Tertre A , Payeur R 
Published: April 2020

SummaryAs with other drugs it is necessary to look for changes induced by anxiolytics on vital signs, laboratory parameters and adverse events. In return, in a more specific way for anxiolytics, we will look at side effects at the central nervous system level with psychological and physiological battery tests. We will also assess the safety of use of anxiolytics in certain specific conditions, such as overdose or withdrawal and in certain populations such as the elderly, neonates and children. The assessment of safety and side effects, whatever the drug type studied, must come early in the developing process of a drug (phases I, II and III).
Comparison of the efficacy of moclobemide and fluvoxamine in elderly patients with a severe depressive episode
Authors: Bocksberger JP , Gachoud JP , Richard J , Dick Ρ 
Published: April 2020

SummaryIn a double-blind study carried out on elderly patients (older than 65 years) the efficacy and tolerability of the new antidepressant moclobemide was compared. Moclobemide belongs to a new class of substances called RIMA (Reversible inhibitor of the monoamine oxidase type A). Fluvoxamine, a selective reuptake-inhibitor of 5-HT, belongs to a class of antidepressants known for their better tolerability compared to tricyclic especially with elderly patients. Forty elderly patients (mean age 75 years) with major depression (according to DSM III) were randomized to receive either moclobemide (300 mg) or fluvoxamine (100 mg) twice daily. Dosages were increased when necessary on day 8, to a maximum of 450 mg moclobemide or 200 mg fluvoxamine and in most cases were maintained at these levels for the remainder of the study period (four weeks). Moclobemide was more effective than fluvoxamine showing a marked antidepressant effect and an earlier effect on psychomotor retardation. The two drugs were well tolerated showing a low incidence of side effects.
Secondary psychotic symptoms in a patient with biphasic meningo-encephalitis
Authors: Modell S , Kurtz G , Müller-Spahn F , Schmölz E 
Published: April 2020

SummaryWe report on the case of a patient who developed an acute meningitis and, after a period of about two weeks, without any neuropsychiatric problems, an acute paranoid-hallucinatory and catatonic syndrome. The symptomatology is discussed, in relation with the diagnostic difficulties of differentiating between a biphasic meningo-encephalitis with an organic psychosis or a first manifestation of an endogenous psychosis.
Cortical metabolic patterns in schizophrenia: a mismatch with the positive-negative paradigm
Authors: Huret JD , Mazoyer BM , Lesur A , Martinot JL , Pappata S , Baron JC , Lemperière T , Syrota A 
Published: April 2020

SummaryThe cortical metabolic patterns of 12 schizophrenics experiencing hallucinations and/or pseudo-hallucinations were investigated using positron tomography and 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose. Andreasen's scales were scored and the patients (all “mixed“) were classified in a “positive” or a “negative” group and compared to a group of 6 normal controls. The data were analyzed across groups for absolute metabolic rates, metabolic indices (cortical region/whole studied cortex), and specific indices exploring the sensory non-association/posterior parietal association and the prefrontal association/posterior parietal association dimensions. Whole-cortex metabolic rate in the negative group was found to be lower than both the control (P=0.02) and the positive group (P = 0.002) while the positive group did not differ significantly from the controls. We found “hypofrontality” to be without difference between the positive and the negative group (controls: 7±0.7, positive: 5.9±0.2, negative: 4.9±0.15, mean±SEM in mg/min/100 g). However, the prefrontal association/posterior parietal association ratio was increased in the negative group (P=0.02). A major finding was an increase in the posterior non-association/posterior parietal association ratio in the whole schizophrenic group as compared to the controls (P = 0.004), this being more marked in the negative (P=0.01) than in the positive group. Arguments are given to support the hypothesis that this particular increase could be related to the hallucinatory activity of the patients.
Widlöcher's Depressive Retardation Scale and Montgomery Asberg's Depression Rating Scale: an inter-rater study
Authors: Lang F , Pellet J , Postic Y , Beau JM , Lancrenon S , Blanchon Y , Chazot L , Decrat M , Marcon M , Perrier E , Ouvry MC 
Published: April 2020

SummaryTo study the reliability of two depression assessment scales, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Psychomotor Retardation Scale, 30 patients with depression according to Feighner's criteria were evaluated, by two groups of raters: 5 were trained psychiatrists or psychologists, and 6 were untrained raters. The experiment lasted three months. The patients were recorded on video-tape by two psychiatrists who did not take part in the experiment, during pre-designed interviews. Each scoring was discussed by the trained group but not by the untrained group. The Kappa test and the sign-test were used for the statistical analysis of global and itemized results, respectively. Intraclass coefficient Q3 was applied to global scores. With regard to global scores, there was no significant difference among the members of the trained group, who scored higher than those of the untrained group; a significant difference between some of the untrained raters, induced a significant difference with the trained group. With regard to each item of both scales, reliability appeared to be slight to moderate, and there was no significant difference between trained and inexpert raters. These results are discussed and modifications are proposed to improve the consistency of the two scales. The authors emphasize the necessity for therapeutic trials to be conducted with permanent groups of assessors who continue training even outside of trial procedures.
Placebo response in schizophrenia
Authors: Lewander Τ 
Published: April 2020

SummaryA review of the literature on placebo-controlled studies in schizophrenia reveals, that the percentage of placebo responders in short-term trials amounts to 0–40%; on active treatment the response rate is 40–60%. In relapse prevention studies 18–100% of patients on placebo relapsed as compared to 0–40% on active treatment. Factors of importance for the variability between studies are discussed. Desirable designs of explanatory and pivotal studies, the importance of placebo controlled relapse prevention studies, and more rigorous assessment methods,egvideo-taped and structured interviews for diagnostic and symptom rating purposes, are proposed as a means to improve the quality of the clinical documentation of new drugs.