bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Empathy among dental students in a Nigerian institution
Authors: Ameh Priscilla O. , Uti Omolara G. , Daramola Opeyemi O. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractObjectivesTo determine the reliability and validity of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy‐Health Profession Students (JSE‐HPS) version as a tool to measure the empathy levels in undergraduate dental students in Nigeria.MethodsA cross‐sectional study conducted from 15 December 2015 to 12 January 2016 among 234 undergraduate dental students of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Participants were proportionately selected from the first to sixth year by systematic sampling technique. Data were collected with a self‐administered JSE‐HPS questionnaire with internal consistency determined by Cronbach's α‐coefficient reliability test. Data were analysed with SPSS software. Exploratory factor analysis was used to test for the fundamental construct validity of the scale among the students. P values <0.05 were considered significant.ResultsThe response rate of the respondents was 90.60% with 212 completed questionnaires with a mean age (SD) of 21.18 years (2.43) and internal reliability (Cronbach's α‐coefficient) was 0.84. Factor analysis revealed “Compassionate Care,” “Standing in Patients’ Shoes” and “Perspective Taking” as first, second and third factors, respectively. The total mean empathy score (SD) was 104.01 (19.64). The mean empathy for females (SD) of 105.34 (17.31) was not significantly higher than the males (P = 0.08). There was a significant difference in empathy levels between the second‐ and the fourth‐year students (P = 0.01).ConclusionThe mean JSE‐HPS score was comparable to those reported for dental, medical and other health professions students and physicians. Thus, this study demonstrates the construct validity and reliability of the JSE‐HPS for measuring empathy among Nigerian dental students.
Involvement of non‐melanocytic skin cells in vitiligo
Authors: Bastonini Emanuela , Bellei Barbara , Filoni Angela , Kovacs Daniela , Iacovelli Paolo , Picardo Mauro 
Published: December 2018

AbstractDespite melanocytes are the key players in vitiligo, a continuous cross‐talk between epidermal and dermal cells may strictly affect their functionality, in both lesional skin and non‐lesional skin. Focusing on this interplay, we have reviewed existing literature supporting evidence on cellular and functional alterations of surrounding epidermal keratinocytes, extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and fibroblasts in the underlying dermal compartment that may contribute to melanocyte disappearance in vitiligo. We have also examined some clinical and therapeutic aspects of the disease to sustain the non‐exclusive involvement of melanocytes within vitiligo. As a result, a different and more complex scenario has appeared that may enable to provide better understanding about origins and progress of vitiligo and that should be considered in the evaluation of new treatment approaches.
High‐Precision Barium Isotope Measurements of Carbonates by MC‐ICP‐MS
Authors: Zeng Zhen , Li Xiaohua , Liu Yi , Huang Fang , Yu Hui‐Min 
Published: December 2018

This study presents a high‐precision method to measure barium (Ba) isotope compositions of international carbonate reference materials and natural carbonates. Barium was purified using chromatographic columns filled with cation exchange resin (AG50W‐X12, 200–400 mesh). Barium isotopes were measured by MC‐ICP‐MS, using a 135Ba–136Ba double‐spike to correct mass‐dependent fractionation during purification and instrumental measurement. The precision and accuracy were monitored by measuring Ba isotope compositions of the reference material JCp‐1 (coral) and a synthetic solution obtained by mixing NIST SRM 3104a with other matrix elements. The mean δ137/134Ba values of JCp‐1 and the synthetic solution relative to NIST SRM 3104a were 0.21 ± 0.03‰ (2s, n = 16) and 0.02 ± 0.03‰ (2s, n = 6), respectively. Replicate measurements of NIST SRM 915b, COQ‐1, natural coral and stalagmite samples gave average δ137/134Ba values of 0.10 ± 0.04‰ (2s, n = 18), 0.08 ± 0.04‰ (2s, n = 20), 0.27 ± 0.04‰ (2s, n = 16) and 0.04 ± 0.03‰ (2s, n = 20), respectively. Barium mass fractions and Ba isotopes of subsamples drilled from one stalagmite profile were also measured. Although Ba mass fractions varied significantly along the profile, Ba isotope signatures were homogeneous, indicating that Ba isotope compositions of stalagmites could be a potential tool (in addition to Ba mass fractions) to constrain the source of Ba in carbonate rocks and minerals.
Voluntary disclosure, mandatory disclosure and the cost of capital
Authors: He Jing , Plumlee Marlene A. , Wen He 
Published: December 2018

AbstractWe examine the association between a firm's cost of capital and its voluntary and mandatory disclosures. We include two types of mandatory disclosure: those that are a function of periodic reports that are realizations of ex‐ante reporting systems and those that arise due to specific corporate events. To capture a firm's voluntary and event‐driven mandatory disclosures, we use information the firm provides via 8K filings. To capture periodic mandatory disclosures, we use earnings quality measures derived from the literature. Consistent with endogenous relations predicted by theory, we find that voluntary disclosure and both types of mandatory disclosure are correlated, although only event‐driven mandatory disclosures are significant in models that explain voluntary disclosure. We also find that the cost of capital is generally influenced by each of these disclosure types. We also find that controlling for periodic mandatory disclosure does not affect the relationship between voluntary disclosure and the cost of capital, while controlling for event‐driven mandatory disclosure sometimes affects the relationship depending on the measures used. Our study suggests that a firm's disclosure environment includes the three types of disclosure examined, although the inclusion of mandatory disclosures does not affect the measured association between voluntary disclosure and the cost of capital.
Perception on family support and predictors’ of satisfaction with the healthcare service among families of children and adolescents with serious mental illnesses who are in active psychiatric treatment
Authors: Svavarsdottir Erla Kolbrun , Gisladottir Margret , Tryggvadottir Gudny Bergthora 
Published: December 2018

AbstractProblemLittle is known about the factors related to satisfaction with healthcare services among families of children with serious mental illness who were in active psychiatry treatment.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted to explore perceived family support, illness beliefs, and families’ satisfaction with healthcare services. Sixty‐eight families of children with anxiety, depression, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, and autism/Asperger's syndrome participated. Data were collected from March 2015 to December 2016.FindingsIllness beliefs and perceived family support explained 23% of the variance in family satisfaction with the healthcare service.ConclusionFamily interventions need to specifically focus on the families’ satisfaction with healthcare services and on utilizing the family support network, offering emotional support, and exploring illness beliefs.
Excitation of murine cardiac myocytes by nanosecond pulsed electric field
Authors: Azarov Jan E. , Semenov Iurii , Casciola Maura , Pakhomov Andrei G. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIntroductionOpening of voltage‐gated sodium channels takes tens to hundreds of microseconds, and mechanisms of their opening by nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) stimuli remain elusive. This study was aimed at uncovering the mechanisms of how nsPEF elicits action potentials (APs) in cardiomyocytes.Methods and ResultsFluorescent imaging of optical APs (FluoVolt) and Ca2+‐transients (Fluo‐4) was performed in enzymatically isolated murine ventricular cardiomyocytes stimulated by 200‐nanosecond trapezoidal pulses. nsPEF stimulation evoked tetrodotoxin‐sensitive APs accompanied or preceded by slow sustained depolarization (SSD) and, in most cells, by transient afterdepolarization waves. SSD threshold was lower than the AP threshold (1.26 ± 0.03 vs 1.34 ± 0.03 kV/cm, respectively,
P < 0.001). Inhibition of
l‐type calcium and sodium‐calcium exchanger currents reduced the SSD amplitude and increased the AP threshold (
P < 0.05). The threshold for Ca
2+‐transients (1.40 ± 0.04 kV/cm) was not significantly affected by a tetrodotoxin‐verapamil cocktail, suggesting the activation of a Ca
2+ entry pathway independent from the opening of Na
+ or Ca
2+ voltage‐gated channels. Removal of external Ca
2+ decreased the SSD amplitude (
P = 0.004) and blocked Ca
2+‐transients but not APs. The incidence of transient afterdepolarization waves was decreased by verapamil and by removal of external Ca
2+ (
P = 0.002).ConclusionsThe study established that nsPEF stimulation caused calcium entry into cardiac myocytes (including routes other than voltage‐gated calcium channels) and SSD. Tetrodotoxin‐sensitive APs were mediated by SSD, whose amplitude depended on the calcium entry. Plasma membrane electroporation was the most likely primary mechanism of SSD with additional contribution from l‐type calcium and sodium‐calcium exchanger currents.
A randomized multicenter study on ambulatory blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients treated with valsartan/amlodipine or nifedipine GITS
Authors: Xu Shao‐Kun , Huang Qi‐Fang , Zeng Wei‐Fang , Sheng Chang‐Sheng , Li Yan , Wang Ji‐Guang 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIn a pre‐specified subgroup analysis of a 12‐week randomized multicenter study, we investigated effects of valsartan/amlodipine 80/5 mg single‐pill combination (n = 75) and nifedipine GITS 30 mg (n = 75) on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness assessed by brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. At week 12, the between‐treatment mean differences in systolic/diastolic BP were smaller for 24‐hour and daytime (–2.1/–1.7 and −2.0/−1.5 mm Hg, respectively, P ≥ 0.22) but greater (P < 0.01) for nighttime (–4.0/‐2.8 mm Hg, P ≤ 0.09), especially in sustained uncontrolled hypertension (−5.0/−4.1 mm Hg, P ≤ 0.04) and non‐dippers (−6.5/−3.7 mm Hg, P ≤ 0.07), in favor of valsartan/amlodipine. At week 12, PWV was significantly reduced from baseline by valsartan/amlodipine (n = 59, P < 0.0001) but not nifedipine (n = 59, P = 0.06). The changes in PWV were significantly associated with that in ambulatory systolic BP and pulse pressure in the nifedipine (P ≤ 0.0008) but not valsartan/amlodipine group (P ≥ 0.57), with a significant interaction (P ≤ 0.045). The valsartan/amlodipine combination was more efficacious than nifedipine GITS in lowering nighttime BP in sustained uncontrolled hypertension and non‐dippers, and in lowering arterial stiffness independent of BP lowering.
ALPHABETA: a dedicated open‐source tool for calculating TEM stage tilt angles
Authors: CAUTAERTS N. , DELVILLE R. , SCHRYVERS D. 
Published: December 2018

SummaryThis work describes the concepts, the mathematical framework and the implementation of the open source ALPHABETA software, a dedicated tool for calculating α and β tilt angles on any TEM double tilt stage. ALPHABETA provides an intuitive user interface to calibrate the orientation of the region of interest and to subsequently calculate the angle tilts to reach a zone axis, to perform a rotation around a given reflection, or to set up a 2‐beam or weak beam condition. The orientation of the sample on the stage and the tilt range reachable domain can be visualised in a stereographic projection plot. The accuracy of the method to reach a set of zone axis was evaluated and some case studies are presented. The tool significantly reduces time for tilting work as major tilts can be performed in image mode and reachable zones are beforehand indicated in the software. Besides facilitating the tilting to different zone axes, the software can be used for miscellaneous applications such as making dark field tilt series without specialised hardware.Lay DescriptionALPHABETA is an open‐source program we developed to make the life of transmission electron microscope users easier. Work on the transmission electron microscope, or TEM, is done by correctly orienting a thin sample with respect to the electron beam. The orientation determines how images made from the sample will look. Studying a sample may require the user to orient it in multiple different ways. This orienting must be done by adjusting ‘tilt’ parameters of the stage on which the sample sits in the microscope. Correctly adjusting these tilt parameters to obtain the correct orientation is a job that requires practice and experience. Our program should facilitate this step of working with the microscope, because it calculates the tilt parameters to achieve a certain orientation. This paper describes the mathematics behind the software and provides some examples from the work of the authors. We also evaluate how accurate the calculation is. The examples included are orienting to different zone axes, which are special crystal orientations, and making a series of images that provide a 3D effect when played after each other of particles that can only be visualised in particular orientations.
The dependence of brain mitochondria reactive oxygen species production on oxygen level is linear, except when inhibited by antimycin A
Authors: Stepanova Anna , Konrad Csaba , Manfredi Giovanni , Springett Roger , Ten Vadim , Galkin Alexander 
Published: December 2018

AbstractReactive oxygen species (ROS) are by‐products of physiological mitochondrial metabolism that are involved in several cellular signaling pathways as well as tissue injury and pathophysiological processes, including brain ischemia/reperfusion injury. The mitochondrial respiratory chain is considered a major source of ROS; however, there is little agreement on how ROS release depends on oxygen concentration. The rate of H2O2 release by intact brain mitochondria was measured with an Amplex UltraRed assay using a high‐resolution respirometer (Oroboros) equipped with a fluorescent optical module and a system of controlled gas flow for varying the oxygen concentration. Three types of substrates were used: malate and pyruvate, succinate and glutamate, succinate alone or glycerol 3‐phosphate. For the first time we determined that, with any substrate used in the absence of inhibitors, H2O2 release by respiring brain mitochondria is linearly dependent on the oxygen concentration. We found that the highest rate of H2O2 release occurs in conditions of reverse electron transfer when mitochondria oxidize succinate or glycerol 3‐phosphate. H2O2 production by complex III is significant only in the presence of antimycin A and, in this case, the oxygen dependence manifested mixed (linear and hyperbolic) kinetics. We also demonstrated that complex II in brain mitochondria could contribute to ROS generation even in the absence of its substrate succinate when the quinone pool is reduced by glycerol 3‐phosphate. Our results underscore the critical importance of reverse electron transfer in the brain, where a significant amount of succinate can be accumulated during ischemia providing a backflow of electrons to complex I at the early stages of reperfusion. Our study also demonstrates that ROS generation in brain mitochondria is lower under hypoxic conditions than in normoxia.Open science badgesThis article has received a badge for *Open Materials* because it provided all relevant information to reproduce the study in the manuscript. The complete Open Science Disclosure form for this article can be found at the end of the article. More information about the Open Practices badges can be found at https://cos.io/our-services/open-science-badges/.
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The relationship between self‐esteem and hair transplantation satisfaction in male androgenetic alopecia patients
Authors: Liu Fang , Miao Yong , Li Xingdong , Qu Qian , Liu Yang , Li Kaitao , Feng Chuanbo , Hu Zhiqi 
Published: December 2018

SummaryBackgroundFrustrated with the embarrassing appearance, patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) suffer from poor quality of life and low self‐esteem. Moreover, several researches indicate that self‐esteem is an important factor affecting outcomes of cosmetic surgery.ObjectiveThis retrospective study aims to investigate the impact of hair transplantation on patients’ self‐esteem and satisfaction with appearance, as well as relationship between self‐esteem and patient satisfaction which includes preoperative and postoperative satisfaction.MethodsThe preoperative and 9‐month postoperative self‐esteem were evaluated by Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale (RSES), and preoperative satisfaction indicators (satisfaction with appearance, visual age and expected visual age) were assessed by Face‐Q scale. At the same time, postoperative satisfaction indicators (satisfaction with appearance, visual age, satisfaction with decision, psychological well‐being, and social function) were reevaluated as well.ResultsOf the 1106 male AGA patients, 875 completed a 9‐month postoperative questionnaire. Compared with preoperative scores, postoperative scores of self‐esteem and satisfaction with appearance showed an increase of 1.56 and 30.25 respectively (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with high self‐esteem level trended to have higher scores of postoperative satisfaction with appearance (P = 0.129), psychological well‐being (P = 0.168), social function (P = 0.027), and satisfaction with decision (P = 0.043) compared with patients with low and average self‐esteem level.ConclusionHair transplantation significantly elevated self‐esteem level and increased satisfaction with appearance of AGA patients. Meanwhile, patients with low self‐esteem level trended to have worse postoperative satisfaction. Thus, apart from ensuring the quality of operation, plastic surgeons should offer guidance based on patients’ psychological state to improve postoperative satisfaction.
The importance of local environmental, hydrogeomorphological and spatial variables for beta diversity of macrophyte assemblages in a Neotropical floodplain
Authors: Schneider Berenice , Cunha Eduardo R. , Espínola Luis A. , Marchese Mercedes , Thomaz Sidinei M. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractQuestionsUnderstanding the processes that determine the variation in community composition (β‐diversity) is a major challenge in ecology, evolution, and conservation. Here we assess the importance of abiotic variables associated with local environmental features, hydrogeomorphology, and space to explain β‐diversity patterns in macrophytes by addressing the following questions: (1) Which are the sets of environmental, hydrogeomorphological, and spatial variables that contribute significantly to the spatial variation of macrophytes? (2) Which are their relative contributions to explaining the total β‐diversity, nestedness and turnover of macrophyte assemblages?Study SiteMiddle Paraná River floodplain, Argentina.MethodsWe sampled 20 lakes at low and high water levels in the Middle Paraná River floodplain. To investigate the relationship of total β‐diversity, turnover and nestedness with explanatory variables, we used the constrained analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). We used variation partitioning to assess the proportion of the variation related to each subset of variables (environmental, hydrogeomorphological and spatial).ResultsAmong four alternatives considered to explain the spatial structure, the distance between lakes by watercourses best described the spatial organization of β‐diversity. Species turnover was largely explained by hydrogeomorphological variables, followed by spatial descriptors, whereas nestedness was exclusively related to spatial variables.ConclusionsIn the Middle Paraná River floodplain β‐diversity of macrophyte communities is partly shaped by turnover (mainly driven by the hydrogeomorphology of the floodplain) and nestedness (resulting from dispersal limitation by watercourses), but it also seems to be randomly organized (possibly because of random colonization and extinction, due to disturbances such as floods). Our work indicates that environmental pressures reflect differences between macrophyte communities of lakes with different geomorphological and hydrographical conditions. This suggests that certain ecological processes (such as species sorting) are driven at a higher degree by hydrogeomorphology than by local environment.
LiaR‐independent pathways to daptomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis reveal a multilayer defense against cell envelope antibiotics
Authors: Miller William R. , Tran Truc T. , Diaz Lorena , Rios Rafael , Khan Ayesha , Reyes Jinnethe , Prater Amy G. , Panesso Diana , Shamoo Yousif , Arias Cesar A. 
Published: December 2018

SummaryThe lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin (DAP) is a key drug against serious enterococcal infections, but the emergence of resistance in the clinical setting is a major concern. The LiaFSR system plays a prominent role in the development of DAP resistance (DAP‐R) in enterococci, and blocking this stress response system has been proposed as a novel therapeutic strategy. In this work, we identify LiaR‐independent pathways in Enterococcus faecalis that regulate cell membrane adaptation in response to antibiotics. We adapted E. faecalis OG1RF (a laboratory strain) and S613TM (a clinical strain) lacking liaR to increasing concentrations of DAP, leading to the development of DAP‐R and elevated MICs to bacitracin and ceftriaxone. Whole genome sequencing identified changes in the YxdJK two‐component regulatory system and a putative fatty acid kinase (dak) in both DAP‐R strains. Deletion of the gene encoding the YxdJ response regulator in both the DAP‐R mutant and wild‐type OG1RF decreased MICs to DAP, even when a functional LiaFSR system was present. Mutations in dak were associated with slower growth, decreased membrane fluidity and alterations of cell morphology. These findings suggest that overlapping stress response pathways can provide protection against antimicrobial peptides in E. faecalis at a significant cost in bacterial fitness.