bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Just Say “No”: Can Dentists Refuse Care on the Basis of Finances? A Survey Using an Ethical Vignette in an Iranian Dental School
Authors: Kazemian Ali , Fayyazi Mahsa , Shafiee Shahrzad 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate how dental students and tutors think about their position for, or against fee reduction at dental offices. Method: It was a questionnaire-based survey, which examined the ethical attitudes of students and tutors of an Iranian Dental School. The questionnaire included a vignette about an ethical dilemma at a dental office. Different ethical approaches, i.e. duty-based, virtue-oriented and consequentialist arguments, for or against fee reduction at dental office were suggested. Respondents were asked to rank those ethical options. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS 16.0. Result: 121 dental students and thirty-six faculty members (dental specialists) participated in this study. It revealed that a majority of dental students and tutors (68%) are in favor of charging patients less, when facing an imagined request at dental office, using either virtue-oriented (54%) or consequentialist (14%) argument for fee reduction. The difference between rankings of four options was statistically significant, while no statistically significant difference exists neither between male and female respondents, nor students and tutors. Conclusion: This case study provides a basis for fruitful discussions in ethics courses for dental students. Our study suggests that financial issues should be considered as a part of ethical training within the dental student's curriculum.
Vitamin C ameliorates tetrahydrocannabinol-induced spermatotoxicity in-vitro
Authors: Alagbonsi Abdullateef Isiaka , Olayaki Luqman Aribidesi 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: We investigated the in-vitro effects of vitamin C on delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced reduction in spermatozoa motility and kinematics. Methods: Six rats were used for the study. Semen from each of the 6 rats was randomly divided into 6 groups such that each rat’s semen was in all of the groups. Groups I-III received placebo, THC (1 mM), and vitamin C (5 mM) respectively. Group IV was pretreated with cannabinoid receptors’ blockers (CBs-) 1 and 2, followed by THC. Groups V and VI received THC and vitamin C, but group VI was additionally pre-treated with CBs-. Results: The spermatozoa progressive motility, average path velocity (VAP), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight-line velocity (VSL), amplitude of lateral head (ALH) and beat cross frequency (BCF) were reduced by THC (6.08±1.16%; 5.64±0.82 µm/s; 6.96±0.74 µm/s; 2.75±0.23 µm/s; 0.31±0.02 µm; and 0.78±0.08 Hz respectively) but increased by vitamin C (51.20±1.32 %; 17.90±0.21 µm/s; 25.11±0.96 µm/s; 8.80±0.27 µm/s; 0.75±0.01 µm; and 3.15±0.03 Hz respectively) when compared to control (39.72±0.38 %; 13.70±0.29 µm/s; 18.04±0.58 µm/s; 7.54±0.34 µm/s; 0.65±0.02 µm; and 2.79±0.01 Hz respectively). Vitamin C inhibited the THC-induced reduction in these parameters (37.36±0.73 %; 10.98±0.45 µm/s; 13.58±0.30 µm/s; 7.11±0.22 µm/s; 0.58±0.01 µm; and 2.60±0.01 Hz respectively) in the absence of CBs- 1 and 2, and even caused additional increases in progressive motility (49.54±1.01 %), VAP (15.70±0.38 µm/s) and VCL (22.53±0.29 µm/s) above the control levels with CBs-.Conclusion: Vitamin C ameliorates the THC-induced reduction in spermatozoa motility in-vitro by modulation of their kinematics.
Spie charts for quantifying treatment effectiveness and safety in multiple outcome network meta-analysis: A proof-of-concept study
Authors: Daly Caitlin , Mbuagbaw Lawrence , Thabane Lehana , Straus Sharon E , Hamid Jemila S 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: Network meta-analysis (NMA) simultaneously synthesises direct and indirect evidence on the relative efficacy and safety of at least three treatments. A decision maker may use the coherent results of an NMA to determine which treatment is best for a given outcome. However, this evidence must be balanced across multiple outcomes. This study aims to provide a framework that permits the objective integration of the comparative effectiveness and safety of treatments across multiple outcomes.Methods: In the proposed framework, measures of each treatment’s performance are plotted on its own pie chart, superimposed on another pie chart representing the performance of a hypothetical treatment that is the best across all outcomes. This creates a spie chart for each treatment, where the coverage area represents the probability a treatment ranks best overall. The angles of each sector may be adjusted to reflect the importance of each outcome to a decision maker. The framework is illustrated using two published NMA datasets comparing dietary oils and fats and psoriasis treatments. Outcome measures are plotted in terms of the surface under the cumulative ranking curve. The use of the spie chart was contrasted with that of the radar plot.Results: In the NMA comparing the effects of dietary oils and fats on four lipid biomarkers, the ease of incorporating the lipids’ relative importance on spie charts was demonstrated using coefficients from a published risk prediction model on coronary heart disease. Radar plots produced two sets of areas based on the ordering of the lipids on the axes, while the spie chart only produced one set. In the NMA comparing psoriasis treatments, the areas inside spie charts containing both efficacy and safety outcomes masked critical information on the treatments’ comparative safety. Plotting the areas inside spie charts of the efficacy outcomes against measures of the safety outcome facilitated simultaneous comparisons of the treatments’ benefits and harms.Conclusions: The spie chart is more optimal than a radar plot for integrating the comparative effectiveness or safety of a treatment across multiple outcomes. Formal validation in the decision-making context, along with statistical comparisons with other recent approaches are required.
Cancer Associated Macrophage-Like Cells and Prognosis of Esophageal Cancer after Chemoradiation Therapy
Authors: Gironda Daniel Joseph , Adams Daniel Lee , He Jianzhong , Xu Ting , Gao Hui , Qiao Yawei , Komaki Ritsuko , Reuben James M. , Liao Zhongxing , Blum-Murphy Mariela , Hofstetter Wayne L. , Tang Cha-Mei , Lin Steven H. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background:Cancer Associated Macrophage-Like cells (CAMLs) are polynucleated circulating stromal cells found in the bloodstream of numerous solid-tumor malignancies. Variations within CAML size have been associated with poorer progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in a variety of cancers; however, no study has evaluated their clinical significance in esophageal cancer (EC). Methods:To examine this significance, we ran a two-year prospective pilot study consisting of newly diagnosed stage I-III EC patients (n=32) receiving chemoradiotherapy (CRT). CAML sizes were sequentially monitored prior to CRT (BL), ~2 weeks into treatment (T1), and at the first available sample after the completion of CRT (T2). Results:We found CAMLs in 88% (n=28/32) of all patient samples throughout the trial, with a sensitivity of 76% (n=22/29) in pre-treatment screening samples. Improved 2 year PFS and OS was found in patients with CAMLs <50μm by the completion of CRT over patients with CAMLs ≥50μm; PFS (HR=12.0, 95%CI=2.7-54.1, p=0.004) and OS (HR=9.0, 95%CI=1.9-43.5, p=0.019).Conclusions:Tracking CAML sizes throughout CRT as a minimally invasive biomarker may serve as a prognostic tool in mapping EC progression, and further studies are warranted to determine if presence of these cells prior to treatment suggest diagnostic value for at-risk populations.
Allogeneic Administration of Human Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Preliminary Outcomes in Four Vietnamese Infants.
Authors: Thanh Liem Nguyen , Hong Thai Trieu Thi , Hong Hue Bui Thi , Hoang Van T. , Tuyet Anh Nguyen Thi , Hong Nhung Trinh Thi , Nguyen Kien T. , Hoang Duc M. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a severe condition in premature infants that compromises lung function and necessitates oxygen support. Despite major improvements in perinatal care minimizing the devastating effects, BPD remains the most frequent complication of extreme preterm birth. Our study reports the safety of the allogeneic administration of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (allo-UC-MSCs) and the preliminary improvements in four infants with established BPD.Methods: UC tissue was collected from a healthy donor, followed by propagation at the Stem Cell Core Facility at Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology. UC-MSC culture was conducted under xeno- and serum-free conditions. Four patients with established BPD were enrolled in this study between May 25, 2018, and December 31, 2018. All four patients received two intravenous doses of allo-UC-MSCs (1 million cells/kg patient body weight (PBW) per dose) with an intervening interval of 7 days. Safety and patient conditions were evaluated during hospitalization and at 7 days and 1, 6 and 12 months postdischarge.Results: No intervention-associated severe adverse events or prespecified adverse events were observed in the four patients throughout the study period. At the time of this report, all patients had recovered from BPD and were weaned off of oxygen support. Chest X-rays and CT scans confirmed the potential reductions in fibrosis.Conclusions: Allo-UC-MSC administration is safe and might improve respiratory function and decrease lung fibrosis in preterm infants with established BPD.Trial registration: This preliminary study was approved by the Vinmec International Hospital Ethics Board (approval number: 88/2019/QĐ-VMEC; retrospectively registered March 12, 2019).
Clinical and genetic characteristics and prenatal diagnosis of patients presented GDD/ID with rare monogenic causes
Authors: Lin Liling , Zhang Ying , Pan Hong , Wang Jingmin , Qi Yu , Ma Yinan 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: Global developmental delay/intellectual disability (GDD/ID), used to be named as mental retardation (MR), is one of the most common phenotypes in neurogenetic diseases. In this study, we described the diagnostic courses, clinical and genetic characteristics and prenatal diagnosis of a cohort with patients presented GDD/ID with monogenic causes, from the perspective of a tertiary genetic counseling and prenatal diagnostic center.Method:We retrospectively analyzed the diagnostic courses, clinical characteristics, and genetic spectrum of patients presented GDD/ID with rare monogenic causes. We also conducted a follow-up study on prenatal diagnosis in these families. Pathogenicity of variants was interpreted by molecular geneticists and clinicians according to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG).Results:Among 81 [1] patients with GDD/ID caused by rare monogenic variants it often took 0.5-4.5 years and 2-8 referrals to obtain genetic diagnoses. Devlopmental delay typically occurred before 3 years of age, and patients usually presented severe to profound GDD/ID. The most common co-existing conditions were epilepsy (58%), microcephaly (21%) and facial anomalies (17%). In total, 111 pathogenic variants were found in 62 different genes among the 81 pedigrees, and 56 variants were novel. The most common inheritance patterns in this outbred Chinese population were autosomal dominant (AD; 47%), following autosomal recessive (AR; 37%), and X-linked (XL; 16%). SCN2A, SHANK3 and STXBP1 were important causal genes. Hot-spot variants were rarely found. By the follow-up, 33 affected families, including 15, 13 and 5 families inherited in AR, AD and XL modes respectively, had undergone prenatal diagnosis. And the recurrence rates are 26.7%, 15.4% and 20% for families inherited in AR, AD, and XL patterns.Conclusion:Patients presented with GDD/ID caused by rare single gene variants are characterized by early onset, relatively severe symptoms and great clinical variability and genetic heterogeneity. Timely referrals to genetic counseling and prenatal diagnostic laboratories are important for affected families planning to have additional children.
Assessment of irreducible aspects in developmental hip dysplasia by magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Jia Huihui , Wang Liang , Chang Yan , Song Yongrui , Liu Yuqi , Zhang Fuyong , Feng Jie , Yang Xiaodong , Sheng Mao 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: The developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) can cause a wide range of pathological changes, and often requires surgical treatment. Preoperative evaluation is very important for DDH. We aimed to assess the diagnostic capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for irreducible aspects preventing hip reduction in DDH. Methods: A total of 39 pediatric patients who received DDH evaluation in pediatric orthopedics from January 2015 to December 2019 were included. The samples included 4 cases of bilateral DDH and 35 cases of unilateral DDH, a total of 43 hip joint samples. All patients underwent surgical treatment, pathological examination and MRI of hip joint.Results: With pathological results or intraoperative findings as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of MRI were 90.3% and 83.3% for the affected labrum, 92% and 83.3% for thickening of the round ligament, 90.0% and 91.3% for atrophy of the iliopsoas muscle, and 100% and 100% for fibrofatty pulvinar tissue and joint effusion, respectively. Conclutions: The MRI showed an extraordinary capability of detecting these irreducible factors and helped surgeon choose the appropriate treatment strategies.
Gravimetric geoid modeling from the combination of satellite gravity model, terrestrial and airborne gravity data: a case study in the mountainous area, Colorado
Authors: Jiang Tao , Dang Yamin , Zhang Chuanyin 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Constructing a high precision and high resolution gravimetric geoid model in the mountainous area is a quite challenging task because of the the lack of terrestrial gravity observations, rough high, rough nature of topography and the geological complexity. One way out is to use as hight quality and well distributed satellite and airborne gravity data to fill the gravity data gapsmany gravity observations from different sources as possible such as satellite, terrestrial and airborne gravity data, thus the proper combination of heterogeneous gravity datasets is critical. In a rough topographic area in Colorado, we computed a set of gravimetric geoid models based on different combination modes of satellite gravity models, terrestrial and airborne gravity data using the spectral combination method. The gravimetric geoid model obtained from the combination of satellite gravity model GOCO06S and terrestrial gravity data agrees with the GPS leveling measured geoid heights at 194 benchmarks in 5.8 cm in terms of the standard deviation of discrepancies, and the standard deviation reduces to 5.3 cm after including the GRAV-D airborne gravity data collected at ~6.2 km altitude into the data combination. The contributions of airborne gravity data to the signal and accuracy improvements of the geoid models were quantified for different spatial distribution and density of terrestrial gravity data. The results demonstrate that, although the airborne gravity survey was flown at a high altitude, the additions of airborne gravity data improved the accuracies of geoid models by 13.4% - 19.8% in the mountainous area (elevations > 2000 m) and 12.7% - 21% (elevations < 2000 m) in the moderate area in the cases of terrestrial gravity data spacings are larger than 15 km.
Variation of mitochondrial minichromosome composition in Hoplopleura lice (Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) from rats
Authors: Fu Yi-Tian , Nie Yu , Duan De-Yong , Liu Guo-Hua 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: The family Hoplopleuridae contains at least 183 species of blood-sucking lice, which widely parasitize both mice and rats. Fragmented mitochondrial (mt) genomes have been reported in two rat lice (Hoplopleura kitti and H. akanezumi) from this family, but some minichromosomes were unidentified in their mt genomes.Methods: We sequenced the mt genome of the rat louse Hoplopleura sp. with an Illumina platform and compared its mt genome organization with H. kitti and H. akanezumi.Results: Fragmented mt genome of the rat louse Hoplopleura sp. contains 37 genes which are on 12 circular mt minichromosomes. Each mt minichromosome is 1.8–2.7 kb long and contains 1–5 genes and one large non-coding region. The gene content and arrangement of mt minichromosomes of Hoplopleura sp. (n = 3) and H. kitti (n = 3) are different from those in H. akanezumi (n = 3). Phylogenetic analyses based on the deduced amino acid sequences of the eight protein-coding genes showed that the Hoplopleura sp. was more closely related to H. akanezumi than to H. kitti, and then they formed a monophyletic group.Conclusions: Comparison among the three rat lice revealed variation in the composition of mt minichromosomes within the genus Hoplopleura. Hoplopleura sp. is the first species from the family Hoplopleuridae for which a complete fragmented mt genome has been sequenced. The new data provide useful genetic markers for studying the population genetics, molecular systematics and phylogenetics of blood-sucking lice.
Comparison of adherence between fixed and unfixed topical combination glaucoma therapies using Japanese healthcare/pharmacy claims database: A retrospective non-interventional cohort study
Authors: Shirai Chikako , Matsuoka Nobushige , Nakazawa Toru 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: Adherence to chronic therapies is crucial to prevent the progression of disease, such as glaucoma. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated them using real-world data in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate Japanese patients’ adherence to fixed- and unfixed-combination eye drops as a second-line therapy for glaucoma in real-world practice.Methods: This retrospective, non-interventional cohort study utilized a commercially available Japanese healthcare database (MinaCare database). Medical/pharmacy claims data were collected from 2011 to 2016. The primary endpoint was adherence to medications, assessed by proportion of days covered (PDC) with medication during a 12-month post-index period. Meanwhile, the secondary endpoints included the persistence rate.Results: A total of 738 patients were included in this study: 309 and 329 in the fixed- and unfixed-combination cohorts, respectively. Prostaglandin analog (PG)/β-blocker (BB) was most commonly claimed in 241/309 (78.0%) patients in the fixed-combination cohort. In the unfixed-combination cohort, PG and BB were claimed in 130/329 (39.5%) patients, whereas PG and α2-agonist were claimed in 87/329 (26.4%) patients. Patients were more adherent to the fixed-combination than the unfixed-combinations (mean PDCs [SD], 79.1% [32.1] vs. 62.2% [38.0]; P < 0.0001). The proportion of patients with good adherence (PDC ≥ 80%) was also higher in the fixed-combination cohort (69.6%) than in the unfixed-combination cohort (48.6%) (P < 0.0001). During the 12-month post-index period, the persistence rate was higher in the fixed-combination cohort than in the unfixed-combination cohort (47.6% [95% confidence intervals (CI): 41.9–53.0] vs. 24.9% [95% CI: 20.4–29.7], P < 0.0001).Conclusions: Japanese patients with glaucoma preferred the fixed-combination therapies over the unfixed-combination therapies. Hence, fixed-combination therapies would contribute to the improvement of adherence.
­­­­The usage of Mate Select, a web-based selection tool for pedigree dogs for promoting sustainable breeding
Authors: Janes Mateja , Lewis Thomas W. , Ilska Joanna J. , Woolliams John A. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
BackgroundInbreeding is a phenomenon that accumulates through the mating of relatives within closed populations, such as pedigree dog breeds, and results in reduced genetic variation within breeds, and may lead to poorer health and fertility from inbreeding depression. The impact of inbreeding is driven by the selection and mating of parents, but information on choices to reduce inbreeding is difficult to assess for individual breeders. Tools to inform dog breeders on the current state of the inbreeding and the relationships among possible parents are potentially useful for providing guidance towards choices that are more beneficial to the breed. However, their utility depends on their usage and this study examines the usage of Mate Select, a web-based tool offered by The Kennel Club, covering 222 breeds for a period of 7 years following its launch in 2011.ResultsThe average usage was 2830 searches/week in 2012 with a slight fall of 2.2% per year (P<0.001) to 2480 searches/week in 2018. Of these, 4% originated from outside the UK, across all continents except Antarctica, with the majority coming from English speaking countries. Searches/week showed a cyclical pattern with two cycles of 26.0 and 50.11 weeks. Sin­­­­ce Mate Select’s launch there has been a steady increase in searches from mobile devices, from 11% in 2012 to 43% in 2018. For the 197 breeds with more than 10 dams registered with the Kennel Club during the study period, there was a relationship between usage and registrations, with the average number of searches as a multiple of the number of dams increasing from 2 to 10 for breeds with up to 70 dams and declining towards 2 again for the largest breeds with approximately 20,000 registered dams. However, there remained substantial variation among breeds of similar size, and breeds for which EBVs had become available during the study period had a 2.46 fold greater frequency of searches per registered bitch (P<0.001), but this was not linked directly to the publication of EBVs.Conclusions Mate Select has sustained and substantial usage, although there is also substantial variation in usage among breeds, which offers an opportunity to develop further guidance.
A Hypocaloric High-Protein Diet Supplemented with β-Cryptoxanthin Improves Non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Haidari Fatemeh , Hojhabrimanesh Abdollah , Helli Bizhan , Seyedian Seyed-Saeed , Ahmadi-Angali Kambiz , Abiri Behnaz 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background: Despite promising animal data, there is no randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effects of high protein (HP)-diet and/or β-cryptoxanthin in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Aims: Safety and efficacy assessment of a hypocaloric HP-diet supplemented with β-cryptoxanthin in NAFLD.Methods: Ninety-two Iranian NAFLD outpatients were recruited for this 12-week, single-center, parallel-group, double-blind RCT and randomized into 4 arms (n=23): HP-diet & β-cryptoxanthin (hypocaloric HP-diet + β-cryptoxanthin), HP-diet (hypocaloric HP-diet + placebo), β-cryptoxanthin (standard hypocaloric diet + β-cryptoxanthin), and control (standard hypocaloric diet + placebo). Serum levels of liver enzymes and grade of hepatic steatosis were assessed at baseline and study endpoint as outcome measures.Results: In the intention-to-treat population (N=92), HP-diet & β-cryptoxanthin group experienced greater 12-week reductions in serum levels of liver enzymes than control group (mean difference for alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase: -27.2, -7.2, -39.2, and -16.3 IU/L, respectively; all p<0.010). Clinical remission rate (achieving grade 0 hepatic steatosis) in HP-diet & β-cryptoxanthin group (82.6%) was also higher than other groups (13.0%, 17.4%, and 0.0% in HP-diet, β-cryptoxanthin, and control groups, respectively; p<0.001). Sixteen patients reported minor adverse events.Conclusion: A hypocaloric HP-diet supplemented with β-cryptoxanthin safely and efficaciously improves NAFLD.Trial registration number: This trial was registered at http://www.irct.ir as IRCT2017060210181N10.