bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Questionnaire for the Assessment of Self‐Disgust: The psychometric testing among mental disorders in China
Authors: Jin Yanfei , Li Yufeng , Gutiérrez‐Colón Mar , Jiménez‐Herrera Maria 
Published: April 2020

AbstractResearch on self‐disgust is relevant to psychopathologic tendencies because it has been shown to play a critical role in several mental disorders. Examining self‐disgust and exploring its role in mental health are significant goals. The purpose of this study was to translate the Questionnaire for the Assessment of Self‐Disgust (QASD) into Chinese and evaluate its validity and reliability. The translation and validation of the QASD were guided by the World Health Organization's Process of Translation and Adaptation of Instruments. Three phases were undertaken: (a) professional translation and expert panel review, (b) pretesting, and (c) psychometric evaluation. The psychometric evaluation was tested among 1,068 patients who were recruited from two psychiatric hospitals and three psychological clinics of tertiary hospitals. In this study, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the two‐factor structure of the original QASD construct. Measurement invariance showed that the QASD is invariant across the patients with heterogeneous mental health diagnoses. The correlation of QASD with the Self‐Esteem Scale (SES) and the Trait Anger Scale (TAS) showed that it has good convergent validity and discriminative validity. Internal consistency and test–retest yielded acceptable results. Thus, the findings suggest that the Chinese version of the QASD is a reliable and valid instrument with adequate psychometric properties for assessment of self‐disgust among patients with mental disorders in China.
Measuring the Hydraulic Conductivity of Grass Root Systems
Authors: Gal Atara , Hendel Elisha , Peleg Zvi , Schwartz Nimrod , Sade Nir 
Published: April 2020

AbstractRoot‐system hydraulic conductivity (RSHC) is an important physiological characteristic that describes the inherent ability of roots to conduct water across a water‐potential gradient between the root and the stem xylem. RSHC is commonly used as an indicator of plant functioning and adaptability to a given environment. A simple, fast, and easy‐to‐use protocol is described for the quantification of RSHC at the seedling stage in two important monocot species grown in hydroponic solution: Setaria viridis, a C4 model plant, and wheat, a C3 crop plant. This protocol can also be easily modified for use with almost any grass species and environmental treatments, such as salinity or hormone treatments. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Basic Protocol: Setaria hydrostatic root‐system hydraulic conductivityAlternate Protocol: Measuring the root conductivity of young plants with soft stems
Intra‐aortic balloon pump: is the technique really outdated?
Authors: Akodad Mariama , Delmas Clément , Bonello Laurent , Duflos Claire , Roubille François 
Published: April 2020

AbstractAimsIntra‐aortic balloon pump (IABP) utilization was expected to be quickly abandoned following the IABP‐shock trial and its class III, level B recommendation in the 2016 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of IABP compared with other mechanical support devices in a nationwide approach.Methods and resultsWe conducted a retrospective study based on the French national hospital discharge database. All patients undergoing assist device implantation by IABP, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or IMPELLA® from 2014 to 2018 (2 years before/2 years after the 2016 guidelines) were included. The primary endpoint was the incidence of IABP implantation over the years. Secondary endpoints were incidence of total assist device, ECMO, and IMPELLA® implantations. From 2014 to 2018, a total of 18 940 patients benefited from mechanical support by IABP (n = 6657, 35.2%), ECMO (n = 11 881, 62.7%), or IMPELLA® (n = 402, 2.1%) in France. The incidence of total mechanical support implantations (ECMO and IABP) was constant over the years. IABP implantations decreased progressively from 1725 implantations in 2014 to 996 in 2018 (−42%). By contrast, ECMO implantations increased progressively from 1919 implantations in 2014 to 2763 implantations in 2018 (+44%). IMPELLA® implantations remained stable over the years from 63 (1.7%) implantations in 2014 to 83 (2.1%) in 2018.ConclusionsIn this nationwide real‐life study, despite a significant decline in IABP implantations over the years since the ESC guidelines, this device remained used in clinical practice with around 1000 implantations in 2018. The size of centres was not strictly correlated with this use, suggesting differential uses depending on the local background.
Suppressive mechanisms by Heligmosomoides polygyrus‐induced Tregs in C57BL/6 mice change over time and differ to that of naïve mice
Authors: Bowron Joel , Ariyaratne Anupama , Luzzi Mayara de Cassia , Szabo Edina , Finney Constance A. M. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractDisrupting or harnessing immune suppression is leading to new therapeutic avenues in a number of immune‐related diseases. Understanding the suppressive functions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in different environments is therefore key. Parasitic worms are strong inducers of Tregs and previous research has suggested that parasite‐induced Tregs are stronger suppressors than naïve Tregs. In strains susceptible to the intestinal worm Heligmosomoides polygyrus, like C57BL/6 mice, it has been hypothesized that increased Treg suppression downregulates both Th1 and Th2 responses, leading to chronic infections and high worm burden. Here, we show that the suppressive capacity of Tregs is no different between cells from infected and/or naive animals. In vitro suppression induced by CD4+CD25+Tregs (Peyers’ Patches or the mesenteric lymph nodes), isolated early (day 7, tissue dwelling phase) or late (day 21, luminal phase) during infection was similar to that induced by cells from naïve animals. Suppression was CTLA‐4 dependent in Tregs from acute but not chronic infection or in Tregs from naïve animals. This highlights the versatility of Tregs and the importance of extensive Treg characterization prior to potential in vivo manipulation of this cell type.
Involvement of Proton Transfer for Carbon Dioxide Reduction Coupled with Extracellular Electron Uptake in Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1
Authors: La Cava Eugenio , Guionet Alexis , Saito Junki , Okamoto Akihiro 
Published: April 2020

AbstractMicrobial biosynthesis of hydrocarbon from CO2 reduction driven by electron uptake process from the cathodic electrode has gained intensive attention in terms of potential industrial application. However, a lack of a model system for detailed studies on the mechanism of the CO2 reduction hinders the improvement in efficiency for microbial electrosynthesis. Here, we examined the mechanism of microbial CO2 reduction at the cathode by a well‐described microbe for extracellular electron uptake, Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1, capable of reducing gaseous CO2 to produce formic acid. Using whole‐cell electrochemical assay, we observed stable cathodic current production at −0.65 V vs Ag/AgCl KCl sat. associated with the introduction of CO2. The observed cathodic current was enhanced by the addition of 4 μM riboflavin, which specifically accelerates the electron uptake process of MR‐1 by the interaction to its outer‐membrane c‐type cytochromes. The significant impact of an uncoupler agent and a mutant strain of MR‐1 lacking sole F‐type ATPase suggested the importance of proton import to the cytoplasm for the cathodic CO2 reduction. The present data suggest that MR‐1 potentially serves as a model system for microbial electrosynthesis from CO2.
Chinese Bioethicists Speak Out on Covid‐19, and Others Follow
Authors: Gilbert Susan 
Published: April 2020

AbstractShortly after Wuhan, the city where the novel coronavirus was first identified, was placed on lockdown in January, I received an email from two Hastings Center fellows in China: Renzong Qiu, of Renmin University of China in Beijing, and Ruipeng Lei, of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. Attached was a post for our blog, Hastings Bioethics Forum, that raised ethical and legal questions about China's response. “Hegel says, ‘We learn from history that we do not learn from history,’” their piece began. “The recurrence of the coronavirus epidemic in China proves his insight to be right.” This bold report from bioethicists in China was courageous and eye‐opening. It was among the first discussions in bioethics of what has since become a global crisis, and it turned out to be the first in a string of commentaries in Hastings Bioethics Forum with insights about the crisis, the issues it raises, and how the world should respond to it.
All People
Authors: Kaebnick Greg 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIn early March 2020, the March‐April Hastings Center Report was very nearly assembled and contained nothing about Covid‐19, which was still just beginning to make itself publicly known in the United States. Two weeks later, the editorial line‐up was undergoing a remix, and essays that lay out sweeping agendas for the response to the worldwide crisis were in preparation. The central theme in the agenda that Lawrence O. Gostin and colleagues develop is that the pandemic requires a sharp break from usual ethical norms yet simultaneously demands a return to core ethical commitments. A similar theme is sounded by Mildred Z. Solomon and colleagues in a commentary calling for federal actions to keep the health care system functioning. Other essays in the issue take up an assortment of topical issues—including international patient dumping—that were simmering along prior to the pandemic, and the two articles take up foundational questions about the nature of moral reasoning.
The Legal Challenge of Abortion Stigma—and Government Restrictions on the Practice of Medicine
Authors: Fox Dov 
Published: April 2020

AbstractDuring the 2016 election, Donald Trump won conservative support by promising that he would, if elected, nominate “pro‐life” justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Whether President Trump makes good on his campaign promise to restrict abortion rights may come down to competing impulses of the chief justice, John Roberts. These dueling dispositions—from the man whom many see as the new “swing justice”—hold the key to a blockbuster new case that legal historians call “the most unpredictable the Supreme Court has been on abortion in decades.” The case, June Medical Services v. Russo, turns on arduous new requirements that Louisiana has imposed on facilities and clinicians that provide abortion. But the case is not just about abortion access. The Court will have to decide whether a clinic has a right to challenge the law in the first place.
Health Care Surrogacy Laws Do Not Adequately Address the Needs of Minors
Authors: Gandhi Rupali , Paquette Erin Talati , Ross Lainie Friedman , Flanagan Erin 
Published: April 2020

AbstractA couple and their five‐year‐old daughter are in a car accident. The parents are not expected to survive. The child is transported to a children's hospital, and urgent treatment decisions must be made. Whom should the attending physician approach to make decisions for the child? When such cases arise in, for example, the hospitals where we work, the social worker or chaplain is instructed to use the Illinois Health Care Surrogacy Act as a guidepost to identify a decision‐maker. But in our state and the country overall, the limitations of such statutes leave hospital workers to make a judgment call among friends, family, and clergy who may come forward. While surrogate decision‐making statutes comprehensively address surrogate decision‐makers for adults, a patchwork of laws—permanency statutes, kinship provider statutes, standby guardianship statutes, and, in some cases, surrogate decision‐making statutes—provide variable decision‐making pathways for children.
The large‐scale structural connectome of task‐specific focal dystonia
Authors: Hanekamp Sandra , Simonyan Kristina 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe emerging view of dystonia is that of a large‐scale functional network disorder, in which the communication is disrupted between sensorimotor cortical areas, basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum. The structural underpinnings of functional alterations in dystonia are, however, poorly understood. Notably, it is unclear whether structural changes form a larger‐scale dystonic network or rather remain focal to isolated brain regions, merely underlying their functional abnormalities. Using diffusion‐weighted imaging and graph theoretical analysis, we examined inter‐regional white matter connectivity of the whole‐brain structural network in two different forms of task‐specific focal dystonia, writer's cramp and laryngeal dystonia, compared to healthy individuals. We show that, in addition to profoundly altered functional network in focal dystonia, its structural connectome is characterized by large‐scale aberrations due to abnormal transfer of prefrontal and parietal nodes between neural communities and the reorganization of normal hub architecture, commonly involving the insula and superior frontal gyrus in patients compared to controls. Other prominent common changes involved the basal ganglia, parietal and cingulate cortical regions, whereas premotor and occipital abnormalities distinctly characterized the two forms of dystonia. We propose a revised pathophysiological model of focal dystonia as a disorder of both functional and structural connectomes, where dystonia form‐specific abnormalities underlie the divergent mechanisms in the development of distinct clinical symptomatology. These findings may guide the development of novel therapeutic strategies directed at targeted neuromodulation of pathophysiological brain regions for the restoration of their structural and functional connectivity.
The ENIGMA Stroke Recovery Working Group: Big data neuroimaging to study brain–behavior relationships after stroke
Authors: Liew Sook‐Lei , Zavaliangos‐Petropulu Artemis , Jahanshad Neda , Lang Catherine E. , Hayward Kathryn S. , Lohse Keith R. , Juliano Julia M. , Assogna Francesca , Baugh Lee A. , Bhattacharya Anup K. , Bigjahan Bavrina , Borich Michael R. , Boyd Lara A. , Brodtmann Amy , Buetefisch Cathrin M. , Byblow Winston D. , Cassidy Jessica M. , Conforto Adriana B. , Craddock R. Cameron , Dimyan Michael A. , Dula Adrienne N. , Ermer Elsa , Etherton Mark R. , Fercho Kelene A. , Gregory Chris M. , Hadidchi Shahram , Holguin Jess A. , Hwang Darryl H. , Jung Simon , Kautz Steven A. , Khlif Mohamed Salah , Khoshab Nima , Kim Bokkyu , Kim Hosung , Kuceyeski Amy , Lotze Martin , MacIntosh Bradley J. , Margetis John L. , Mohamed Feroze B. , Piras Fabrizio , Ramos‐Murguialday Ander , Richard Geneviève , Roberts Pamela , Robertson Andrew D. , Rondina Jane M. , Rost Natalia S. , Sanossian Nerses , Schweighofer Nicolas , Seo Na Jin , Shiroishi Mark S. , Soekadar Surjo R. , Spalletta Gianfranco , Stinear Cathy M. , Suri Anisha , Tang Wai Kwong W. , Thielman Gregory T. , Vecchio Daniela , Villringer Arno , Ward Nick S. , Werden Emilio , Westlye Lars T. , Winstein Carolee , Wittenberg George F. , Wong Kristin A. , Yu Chunshui , Cramer Steven C. , Thompson Paul M. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe goal of the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta‐Analysis (ENIGMA) Stroke Recovery working group is to understand brain and behavior relationships using well‐powered meta‐ and mega‐analytic approaches. ENIGMA Stroke Recovery has data from over 2,100 stroke patients collected across 39 research studies and 10 countries around the world, comprising the largest multisite retrospective stroke data collaboration to date. This article outlines the efforts taken by the ENIGMA Stroke Recovery working group to develop neuroinformatics protocols and methods to manage multisite stroke brain magnetic resonance imaging, behavioral and demographics data. Specifically, the processes for scalable data intake and preprocessing, multisite data harmonization, and large‐scale stroke lesion analysis are described, and challenges unique to this type of big data collaboration in stroke research are discussed. Finally, future directions and limitations, as well as recommendations for improved data harmonization through prospective data collection and data management, are provided.
Regional health disparities in Burkina Faso during the period of health care decentralization. Results of a macro‐level analysis
Authors: Zon Hilaire , Pavlova Milena , Groot Wim 
Published: April 2020

SummaryBackgroundBurkina Faso has undertaken decentralization reforms in the health care sector to improve the performance of the health system. This study aimed to analyze the differences in health outcomes by health district's demographic and economic status, and the distribution of health resources during the period of health care decentralization.MethodsA bivariate correlation analysis was conducted using data at the health districts and regions level. Data from the health management information system (HMIS) and national households' surveys were used.ResultsThe results indicate a strong correlation between district's population size and the availability of health resources (P ≤ .05). The health visits per capita and skilled birth attendance are correlated with the economic status of the health district (P ≤ .05). Malnutrition among under‐five and maternal mortality was associated with the availability of health personnel and health infrastructures (P ≤ .05). No correlation was found between financial resources and health outcomes.ConclusionThe results indicated disparities in health among the health districts in Burkina Faso. The ways to address this inequality include more transparent resource allocation, as well as policies to address the socio‐economic disparities and financial barriers to health services. Further research is needed to collect relevant data and investigate the effects of decentralization, which was not possible in our study.
Conflicts of interest, intra‐group financing and procedural coordination of group insolvencies
Authors: Kokorin Ilya 
Published: April 2020

AbstractModern insolvency law instruments recognise the specificity of enterprise group insolvencies, premised on the existence of close operational and financial links between group members. It is widely accepted that maximisation of insolvency estate value and procedural efficiency depend on coordination of insolvency proceedings opened with respect to group entities. Such coordination is prescribed in the European Insolvency Regulation (recast), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Enterprise Group Insolvency and the recently reformed German insolvency law. Yet in insolvency, group members retain their own insolvency estates and pools of creditors. This is based on the traditional company law principle of entity shielding. Active communication and cooperation between insolvency practitioners and courts do not sit well with the separate (atomistic) nature of insolvency proceedings, as well as different and oftentimes conflicting interests of creditors in such proceedings. As a result, communication and cooperation may be restricted in a situation of conflicts of interest. This article explores how in the context of group distress the risks arising from conflicts of interest can be controlled and mitigated, while ensuring efficient cross‐border cooperation and communication to the maximum extent possible. It analyses three cutting‐edge coordination mechanisms, namely (a) cross‐border insolvency agreements or protocols, (b) special (group coordination and planning) proceedings and (c) the appointment of a single insolvency practitioner. It concludes that both the likelihood and significance of conflicts of interest correlate with the degree of procedural coordination. Therefore, conflict mitigation tools and strategies need to be tailor‐made and targeted at a specific level and coordination mechanism.
Diagnostic performance of circulating exosomes in human cancer: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Guo Dongming , Yuan Jinpeng , Xie Aosi , Lin Zeyin , Li Xinxin , Chen Juntian 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundCancer has become a public health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Recent publications have shown that exosomes can be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers of cancer. However, the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of circulating exosomes remain unclear. The present meta‐analysis was conducted to comprehensively summarize the overall diagnostic performance of circulating exosomes for cancer.MethodsEligible studies published up to June 27, 2019, on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were selected for the meta‐analysis. All statistical analyses were performed by STATA 15.1 statistical software and Meta‐DiSc 1.4. Quality Assessment for Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy 2 tool was used to access the quality of included studies. A bivariate mixed‐effects model was applied to calculate the diagnostic indexes from included studies.ResultsA total of 5924 participants comprising 3161 cases and 2763 controls from 42 eligible studies were analyzed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under the curve with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were as follows: 0.79 (0.75‐0.82), 0.81 (0.78‐0.84), 4.1 (3.5‐4.8), 0.26 (0.22‐0.31), 16 (12‐21), and 0.87 (0.84‐0.89), respectively. Sensitivity analysis suggested no study exclusively contributed to the heterogeneity, and Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test indicated no potential publication bias (P = .09).ConclusionsThe meta‐analysis indicated that circulating exosomes could serve as effective and minimally invasive biomarkers for diagnosis of cancer, especially in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma or ovarian cancer, serum‐based samples and exosomal proteins.
Association between C‐reactive protein gene variant and treatment efficacy of etanercept in ankylosing spondylitis patients receiving hip arthroplasty
Authors: Xu Yuansheng , Jiang Wei , Zhang Hui 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundC‐reactive protein (CRP) level is one of the most widely used parameters to assess ankylosing spondylitis (AS), since CRP is associated with poor radiographic progression of AS patients. Recent studies have investigated the association between CRP gene variants and AS risk, but with conflicting findings.Material and MethodsWe enrolled 232 AS cases and 314 controls in this case‐control study. Next, we assessed the association of CRP gene rs3091244 polymorphism with the efficacy of etanercept for AS. Genotyping was done using a custom‐by‐design 48‐Plex SNP scanTM Kit.ResultsCRP gene rs3091244 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of AS in this Chinese population. Clinical indicators of AS patients including morning stiffness time, Bath AS function index (BASFI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and CRP were significantly decreased after 12 weeks of etanercept treatment. Furthermore, AA genotype carriers showed higher values of VAS, BASDAI, BASFI, and CRP before etanercept treatment. AA genotype or A allele of rs3091244 polymorphism was associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis Assessment Study group response criteria 20 scores (ASAS20) and Assessment in SpondyloArthritis international Society 40 response (ASAS40) improvement. In addition, AA genotype carriers showed significantly higher CRP levels compared with genotype GG carriers (16.3 vs 8.8 mg/L).ConclusionCRP gene rs3091244 polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of AS. Additionally, rs3091244 polymorphism could serve as a biomarker for good response to etanercept treatment in AS.