bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The mourning process and “living with the dead”: Two case reports and a review of the literature
Authors: Bosco Caterina , Tattoli Lucia , Di Vella Giancarlo , Ventura Francesco , Verde Alfredo , Rocca Gabriele 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe discovery of mummified bodies in domestic settings is not unusual in the medico‐legal context. It is often a marker of social isolation, even in our urban modern society, and usually occurs among elderly people living alone or in precarious conditions. However, bereaved subjects can sometimes be found managing their grief by deliberately keeping the corpses of their loved ones at home. Investigation of these atypical cases can be challenging and often requires a multidisciplinary effort by different forensic specialists. We report two cases of people who lived for several months with the mummified remains of a relative. In both cases, the judge ordered a forensic psychiatry assessment of the survivors’ competency and the reasons for this peculiar behavior, which is regarded as abnormal in our society. Case 1 describes a shared psychosis, which developed out of a condition of extreme seclusion of the entire family. Case 2 shows that even a mild personality disorder on which a series of traumatic events operates can trigger psychotic decompensation, causing extreme denial of the reality of death. The analysis of these cases contributes to our knowledge of the scantly studied phenomenon of “Living with the Dead” and raises questions about the psychopathology behind it. It is useful to identify subjects who are more prone to developing this “deviant” behavior, in order to distinguish people with mental illness from those who merely want to profit from the death of a loved one.
In search of identity: The field of forensic anthropology in Brazil—Profession and practice
Authors: Górka Katarzyna , Plens Cláudia Regina 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe existing divergencies in the development of forensic anthropology (FA) around the world justify an analysis of its situation in each country/region. Our objective is to report information gathered directly from professionals acting in the field of forensic anthropology in Brazil, with the aim of highlighting the challenges of the discipline and contributing to its advancement. The research consisted of personal visits in Medico‐Legal Institutes (IMLs) in nine states of the country and semi‐structured interviews with 16 professionals. Detailed analysis of the Results suggests the field of forensic anthropology, despite the engagement and dedication of its professionals, cannot yet be considered a well‐structured discipline across the country. The academic background of professionals is highly heterogenous. The applied methods vary, and common protocol is not always followed. The demand highly exceeds the available human resources. The lack of comparative material Results in high percentage of cases remaining unsolved. Important divergences exist in terms of infrastructure and professional resources between the states. The limited cooperation between different IMLs and between different sections of the same IML—together with a general disbelief in the usefulness of anthropological examination in forensic cases—hampers FA’s development. There is a great openness for scientific collaboration and an abundance of material for research. Our research demonstrated structural, political, and academic limitations that affect the FA field in Brazil. However, the expertise and dedication of professionals point to human potential as the chief strength of this discipline that supports and enables research, providing high‐quality services in a challenging context.
Functional properties of syrup from malted and unmalted rice of different varieties: A comparative study
Authors: Ofoedu Chigozie E. , Osuji Chijioke M. , Omeire Gloria C. , Ojukwu Moses , Okpala Charles Odilichukwu R. , Korzeniowska Małgorzata 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe continued increase in Nigeria's rice production makes product diversification very fitting, even to underutilized indigenous/local varieties. Further, rice converted to malt can bring about useful products like syrup with enhanced characteristics. In this context, a comparative study involving some functional properties of syrup from malted and unmalted rice of different varieties was carried out. Syrup from either filtered or centrifuged starch hydrolysates of enzyme hydrolyzed rice (malted/unmalted) flours gave rise to filtered unmalted (FUHR), filtered malted (FMHR), centrifuged unmalted (CUHR), and centrifuged malted hydrolyzed rice (CMHR) groups. From these, functional properties, that is, pH, total soluble proteins (TSP), total dissolved solids (TDS), total solids (TS), dextrose equivalent (DE), titratable acidity (TA), apparent brix (°B), specific gravity (SG), syrup yield (SY), and some minerals [calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn)] were determined. Results showed syrup from malted with significantly higher (P < 0.05) SY, Brix, pH, SG, TS, TDS, and TSP, but significantly lower (P < 0.05) TA, DE, and mineral contents (Ca, Zn, Fe, and Mg) over the unmalted group. Some significant interactions (P < 0.05) were found, between rice variety, treatment and separation method (TS, TDS, DE, Brix, SY, and Ca), rice variety and treatment (TSP, Zn, Mg, and Fe), as well as rice variety and separation method (TSP, pH). In addition, some positive and negative significant (P < 0.05) correlations between the studied functional properties were found. Overall, malting and processing methods can influence the functional properties of rice syrup—an acceptable specialty ingredient for brewing/beverage production.Practical ApplicationThrough the application of exogenous enzymes, rice syrup has been successfully produced from locally bred/improved rice varieties commercially available in Nigeria. By comparing some functional properties of syrup from malted and/or unmalted rice, the current research provides useful evidence that locally available rice varieties are potential candidates for product diversification to the food/brewing, pharmaceuticals, and other industries, not only in Nigeria but also in the West Africa subregion.
Ketamine for post‐operative pain treatment in spinal surgery. A protocol for a systematic review with meta‐analysis and trial sequential analysis
Authors: Pind Alison Holten , Laursen Christina Cleveland , Andersen Cheme , Maagaard Mathias , Mathiesen Ole 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundPost‐operative pain treatment with ketamine has been demonstrated to have post‐operative opioid‐sparing and anti‐hyperalgesic effects. However, evidence regarding the beneficial and harmful effects and the optimal dose and timing of perioperative treatment with ketamine for patients undergoing spinal surgery is unclear. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the analgesic, serious and non‐serious adverse effects of perioperative pain treatment with ketamine for patients undergoing spinal surgery.MethodsThis protocol for a systematic review is written according to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis Protocols guidelines. We will search Embase, CENTRAL, PubMed, WHO’s ICTRP, EU Clinical Trial Register and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify relevant randomised clinical trials. We will include all randomised clinical trials assessing perioperative ketamine treatment versus placebo or no intervention for patients undergoing spinal surgery. Two authors will independently screen trials for inclusion using Covidence, extract data and assess risk of bias using Cochrane's RoB tool. We will analyse data using Review Manager and Trial Sequential Analysis. Meta‐analysis will be performed according to the Cochrane guidelines and results will be validated according to the eight‐step procedure suggested by Jakobsen et al. We will present our primary findings in a ‘summary of findings’ table. We will evaluate the overall certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach.DiscussionThis systematic review will assess the beneficial and harmful effects of perioperative pain treatment with ketamine for patients undergoing spinal surgery and have the potential to inform best practice and advance research.
The effect of mannitol on oxidation‐reduction potential in patients undergoing deceased donor renal transplantation—A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Reiterer Christian , Hu Karin , Sljivic Samir , Falkner von Sonnenburg Markus , Fleischmann Edith , Kabon Barbara 
Published: September 2020

BackgroundMannitol, an osmotic diuretic, is proposed to be an oxygen radical scavenger. Mannitol is often used in renal transplantation to attenuate oxidative stress and thus to protect renal graft function. We tested the hypothesis that mannitol reduces overall oxidative stress during deceased donor renal transplantation.MethodsWe randomly assigned 34 patients undergoing deceased donor renal transplantation to receive a solution of mannitol or placebo shortly before graft reperfusion until the end of surgery. We evaluated oxidative stress by measuring the static oxidative‐reduction potential (sORP) and the capacity of the oxidative‐reduction potential (cORP). sORP and cORP were measured pre‐operatively, before and within 10 minutes after graft reperfusion, and post‐operatively.ResultsSeventeen patients were enrolled in the mannitol group and 17 patients were enrolled in the placebo group. Mannitol had no significant effect on sORP (148.5 mV [136.2; 160.2]) as compared to placebo (143.6 mV [135.8; 163.2], P = .99). There was also no significant difference in cORP between the mannitol (0.22 µC [0.16; 0.36]) and the placebo group (0.22 µC [0.17; 0.38], P = .76).ConclusionMannitol showed no systemic redox scavenging effects during deceased donor renal transplantation. To evaluate the direct effect of mannitol on the renal graft further studies are needed.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02705573.
A clinical trial with valproic acid and hydralazine in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by doxorubicin and dacarbazine for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Liu Yao‐Chung , Su Chien‐Wei , Ko Po‐Shen , Lee Rheun‐Chuan , Liu Chia‐Jen , Huang Yi‐Hsiang , Gau Jyh‐Pyng , Liu Jin‐Hwang 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundSurvival benefit from chemotherapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was limited till now. New chemoregimens with cytotoxicity modulators were explored to improve efficacy. Chemotherapy modulated with valproic acid (VA) as a deacetylation inhibitor of histone and DNA damage response proteins, and hydralazine (HZ) as a DNA hypomethylating agent, hypothetically suppressing DNA repair, were used in phase II trial here for advanced HCC.MethodsBetween July 2008 and March 2016, patients with chemo‐naive advanced HCC, regardless of previous sorafenib treatment, not amenable to local therapy and with Child Pugh score ≤7, were treated with VA (200 mg thrice per day) and HZ (12.5 mg twice per day) in conjunction with gemcitabine and cisplatin (GCGG): gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2, D1; 800 mg/m2 D8, 15) and cisplatin (70 mg/m2, D1) every 28 days till disease progression and then with Dox‐DTIC: doxorubicin (45 mg/m2) and dacarbazine (450 mg/m2) every 28 days. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); the secondary endpoints were safety, progression‐free survival (PFS) and response rate (RR).ResultsThirty‐seven patients with 16 sorafenib‐experienced, underwent GCGG treatment, and 30 of them underwent the following Dox‐DTIC treatment. The median OS was 14.6 months (95% confidence interval: 6.0–23.1). The median PFSs for patients treated with VA‐ and HZ‐combined GCGG and Dox‐DTIC were 3.7 and 4.2 months, respectively; the RRs were 10/37 (27.0%) and 7/30 (23.3%); and grade 3/4 neutropenia were 54% and 51%. However, there were no chemotherapy‐related deaths.ConclusionVA‐ and HZ‐combined sequential chemotherapy was effective in advanced HCC with manageable toxicities.
Women’s experiences of decision‐making and beliefs in relation to planned caesarean section: A survey study
Authors: Coates Dominiek , Donnolley Natasha , Thirukumar Purshaiyna , Lainchbury Anne , Spear Virginia , Henry Amanda 
Published: September 2020

BackgroundThe caesarean section (CS) rate is over 25% in many high‐income countries, with a substantial minority of CSs occurring in women with low‐risk pregnancies. CS decision‐making is influenced by clinician and patient beliefs and preferences, and clinical guidelines increasingly stipulate the importance of shared decision‐making (SDM). To what extent SDM occurs in practice is unclear.AimsTo identify women’s birth preferences and SDM experience regarding planned CS.Material and MethodsSurvey of women at eight Sydney hospitals booked for planned CS. Demographic data, initial mode of birth preferences, reason for CS, and experiences of SDM were elicited using questions with multiple choice lists, Likert scales, and open‐ended responses. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data using content analysis. Responses of women who perceived their CS as 'requested' vs 'recommended' were compared.ResultsOf 151 respondents, repeat CS (48%) and breech presentation (14%) were the most common indications. Only 32% stated that at the beginning of pregnancy they had a definite preference for spontaneous labour and birth. Key reasons for wanting planned CS were to avoid another emergency CS, prior positive CS experience, and logistical planning. Although 15% of women felt pressured (or were unsure) about their CS decision, the majority reported positive experiences, with over 90% indicating they were informed about CS benefits and risks, had adequate information, and understood information provided.ConclusionsThe majority (85%) of women appeared satisfied with the decision‐making process, regardless of whether they perceived their CS as requested or recommended.
Gestation as mothering
Authors: Murphy Timothy F. , Parks Jennifer A. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractSome commentators maintain that gestational surrogates are not ‘mothers’ in a way capable of grounding a claim to motherhood. These commentators find that the practices that constitute motherhood do not extend to gestational surrogates. We argue that gestational surrogates should be construed as mothers of the children they bear, even if they fully intend to surrender those children at birth to the care of others. These women stand in a certain relationship to the expected children: they live in changed moral circumstances by reason of their pregnancy, and they engage in the practices said to define motherhood in the post‐birth context. By contrast, ovum donors and embryo donors are not similarly ‘mothers’ because they do not find themselves involved in these circumstances. Not all women involved in three‐parent in vitro fertilization qualify as mothers either. Given this analysis of mothering, we note that transmen who gestate children are engaged in mothering activity even if they otherwise function as a father to those children. By itself, this defence of the maternity of gestational surrogates does not confer moral title to the children they bear; gestation would not by itself override the contractual arrangements gestational surrogates have made regarding the disposition of their children. This interpretation of gestational surrogates as mothers does, however, undercut cultural understandings of these women as mere ‘vessels’, devoid of entitlement to respect as persons and parents. We also consider the meaning of mothering for ‘brain‐dead’ women kept alive to give birth and for the prospect of extracorporeal gestation.
Diagnostic performance of 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT compared to standard skeletal survey for detecting bone destruction in smouldering multiple myeloma: time to move forward
Authors: Hill Elizabeth , Mena Esther , Morrison Candis , Dew Alexander , Choyke Peter , Lindenberg Liza , Kazandjian Dickran 
Published: September 2020

SummarySkeletal survey (SS) continues to be used in the community to detect bone disease in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). While the false‐negative rate is high, the specificity of SS is less well characterised. Here, we compare the diagnostic accuracy of SS compared to 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) in 79 patients referred to our tertiary centre with a diagnosis of smouldering MM. SS had a specificity of 83·1% (95% confidence interval: 72·0–90·5%). This study reinforces the importance of using more specific imaging techniques to avoid inaccurate diagnosis that could lead to the risks associated with unnecessary therapy in patients with smouldering MM.
The biology of human hair greying
Authors: O'Sullivan James D. B. , Nicu Carina , Picard Martin , Chéret Jérémy , Bedogni Barbara , Tobin Desmond J. , Paus Ralf 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTHair greying (canities) is one of the earliest, most visible ageing‐associated phenomena, whose modulation by genetic, psychoemotional, oxidative, senescence‐associated, metabolic and nutritional factors has long attracted skin biologists, dermatologists, and industry. Greying is of profound psychological and commercial relevance in increasingly ageing populations. In addition, the onset and perpetuation of defective melanin production in the human anagen hair follicle pigmentary unit (HFPU) provides a superb model for interrogating the molecular mechanisms of ageing in a complex human mini‐organ, and greying‐associated defects in bulge melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) represent an intriguing system of neural crest‐derived stem cell senescence. Here, we emphasize that human greying invariably begins with the gradual decline in melanogenesis, including reduced tyrosinase activity, defective melanosome transfer and apoptosis of HFPU melanocytes, and is thus a primary event of the anagen hair bulb, not the bulge. Eventually, the bulge MSC pool becomes depleted as well, at which stage greying becomes largely irreversible. There is still no universally accepted model of human hair greying, and the extent of genetic contributions to greying remains unclear. However, oxidative damage likely is a crucial driver of greyingviaits disruption of HFPU melanocyte survival, MSC maintenance, and of the enzymatic apparatus of melanogenesis itself. While neuroendocrine factors [e.g. alpha melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), ß‐endorphin, corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH), thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH)], and micropthalmia‐associated transcription factor (MITF) are well‐known regulators of human hair follicle melanocytes and melanogenesis, how exactly these and other factors [e.g. thyroid hormones, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), P‐cadherin, peripheral clock activity] modulate greying requires more detailed study. Other important open questions include how HFPU melanocytes age intrinsically, how psychoemotional stress impacts this process, and how current insights into the gerontobiology of the human HFPU can best be translated into retardation or reversal of greying.
Stimulus Parameters Underlying Sound‐Symbolic Mapping of Auditory Pseudowords to Visual Shapes
Authors: Lacey Simon , Jamal Yaseen , List Sara M. , McCormick Kelly , Sathian K. , Nygaard Lynne C. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractSound symbolism refers to non‐arbitrary mappings between the sounds of words and their meanings and is often studied by pairing auditory pseudowords such as “maluma” and “takete” with rounded and pointed visual shapes, respectively. However, it is unclear what auditory properties of pseudowords contribute to their perception as rounded or pointed. Here, we compared perceptual ratings of the roundedness/pointedness of large sets of pseudowords and shapes to their acoustic and visual properties using a novel application of representational similarity analysis (RSA). Representational dissimilarity matrices (RDMs) of the auditory and visual ratings of roundedness/pointedness were significantly correlated crossmodally. The auditory perceptual RDM correlated significantly with RDMs of spectral tilt, the temporal fast Fourier transform (FFT), and the speech envelope. Conventional correlational analyses showed that ratings of pseudowords transitioned from rounded to pointed as vocal roughness (as measured by the harmonics‐to‐noise ratio, pulse number, fraction of unvoiced frames, mean autocorrelation, shimmer, and jitter) increased. The visual perceptual RDM correlated significantly with RDMs of global indices of visual shape (the simple matching coefficient, image silhouette, image outlines, and Jaccard distance). Crossmodally, the RDMs of the auditory spectral parameters correlated weakly but significantly with those of the global indices of visual shape. Our work establishes the utility of RSA for analysis of large stimulus sets and offers novel insights into the stimulus parameters underlying sound symbolism, showing that sound‐to‐shape mapping is driven by acoustic properties of pseudowords and suggesting audiovisual cross‐modal correspondence as a basis for language users' sensitivity to this type of sound symbolism.
Protect or perish: Quantitative analysis of state‐level species protection supports preservation of the Endangered Species Act
Authors: Mothes Caitlin C. , Stemle Leyna R. , Fonseca Theresa N. , Clements Stephanie L. , Howell Hunter J. , Searcy Christopher A. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractTo combat biodiversity loss in the United States, imperiled species are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is currently threatened by political initiatives seeking to weaken it and potentially transfer substantial authority to the states. To assess the conservation capacity of current state laws, we conducted a quantitative analysis of imperiled species protection within all 50 states by compiling data on all state‐listed species, ESA‐listed species, and IUCN Red List species in each state. We found that currently 16% of ESA‐listed species and 52% of IUCN imperiled species are not protected by any state law, and if the ESA were repealed these numbers could increase to 73% of ESA‐listed species and 81% of IUCN imperiled species unprotected. Although protection varies widely among states, our results suggest that revoking the ESA would be highly detrimental to imperiled species conservation and recovery in the United States.
Effects of smokıng on patıents wıth obstructıve sleep apnea syndrome
Authors: Yosunkaya Sebnem , Kutlu Ruhusen , Vatansev Hülya 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the relationship between the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS) and smoking using pulmonary function tests and polysomnographic data.Materials and MethodsThis analytical cross‐sectional study was done by retrospectively examining the files of patients who applied to the Meram Medical Faculty Chest Diseases Sleep Laboratory between 07.01.2016 and 30.12.2018. Three‐hundred and thirty‐three patients who were diagnosed with OSAS or simple snoring by polysomnography (PSG) were included in the study.ResultsThose involved in the study; 17.1% were simple snoring [apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) < 5]; 15.3% were mild OSAS (AHI: 5‐15); 30.6% were moderate OSAS (AHI: 16‐30); 36.9% were severe OSAS (AHI > 30), and 48.6% of the study participants never smoked. There was a significant correlation between the number of pack‐years, minimum O2 saturation, mean O2 saturation, ratio of sleep time to total sleep time with oxygen saturation below 90%, %NREM 3 sleep time, Hb, HTC values, and FEV1/FVC values. According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis; the effect of package‐year, age, and BMI on OSAS severity was found to be statistically significant (β = 0.153 P = 0.004, β = 0.123 P = 0.025, β = 0.208 P < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionIt was revealed that patients with severe OSAS were heavy smokers, and increased smoking increased the OSAS severity both by increasing the AHI and by reducing the oxygen saturation overnight. One unit increase in the package‐year results in a 15.3% increase in the AHI.