bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Management and prevalence of long‐term conditions in primary health care for adults with intellectual disabilities compared with the general population: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Cooper Sally‐Ann , Hughes‐McCormack Laura , Greenlaw Nicola , McConnachie Alex , Allan Linda , Baltzer Marion , McArthur Laura , Henderson Angela , Melville Craig , McSkimming Paula , Morrison Jill 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundIn the UK, general practitioners/family physicians receive pay for performance on management of long‐term conditions, according to best‐practice indicators.MethodManagement of long‐term conditions was compared between 721 adults with intellectual disabilities and the general population (n = 764,672). Prevalence of long‐term conditions was determined, and associated factors were investigated via logistic regression analyses.ResultsAdults with intellectual disabilities received significantly poorer management of all long‐term conditions on 38/57 (66.7%) indicators. Achievement was high (75.1%–100%) for only 19.6% of adults with intellectual disabilities, compared with 76.8% of the general population. Adults with intellectual disabilities had higher rates of epilepsy, psychosis, hypothyroidism, asthma, diabetes and heart failure. There were no clear associations with neighbourhood deprivation.ConclusionsAdults with intellectual disabilities receive poorer care, despite conditions being more prevalent. The imperative now is to find practical, implementable means of supporting the challenges that general practices face in delivering equitable care.
From positive psychology to psychopathology: the continuum of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Greven Corina U. , Buitelaar Jan K. , Salum Giovanni A. 
Published: July 2017

BackgroundIntegration of positive psychology into clinical research and treatment has been slow. This integration can be facilitated by the conceptualisation of mental disorders as the high, symptomatic extreme of continuous normal variation. This assumes that there is also a low, positive extreme, which is, however, unchartered territory. This study aims to examine how well current measures capture the low extreme of mental disorder continua, using attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an example.MethodsThe ability of three validated scales to capture ADHD as a continuous trait was examined using Item Response Theory in a sample of 9,882 adolescents from the UK population‐representative Twins Early Development Study. These scales were: the Strengths and Weakness of ADHD Symptoms and Normal behaviour scale (SWAN), Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ – hyperactivity subscale), and Conners’ Parent Rating Scale (Conners).ResultsOnly the SWAN reliably differentiated interindividual differences between participants lying at any level of the continuous ADHD latent trait, including the extreme low, positive end (z‐scores from −3 to +3). The SDQ showed low reliability across the ADHD latent trait. In contrast, the Conners performed best at differentiating individuals scoring at or above the mean to the high symptomatic range (z‐scores from 0 to +3). The SWAN was the only measure to provide indicators of ‘positive mental health’, endorsed in the presence of particularly good attentive abilities.ConclusionsScales such as the SWAN that reliably capture ADHD as a continuous trait, including the positive end, are important for not missing meaningful variation in population‐based studies. Indicators of positive mental health may be helpful in clinical practice, as positive attributes have been shown to directly influence as well as buffer negative effects of psychiatric symptoms.
Impact of simultaneous glutamate dehydrogenase and toxin A/B rapid immunoassay on Clostridium difficile diagnosis and treatment in hospitalized patients with antibiotic‐associated diarrhea in a university hospital of Brazil
Authors: Cançado Guilherme Grossi Lopes , Silva Rodrigo Otávio Silveira , Nader Amanda Pontes , Lobato Francisco Carlos Faria , Vilela Eduardo Garcia 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground and AimClostridium difficile is a major cause of health care‐associated infection, but disagreement between diagnostic tests is an ongoing barrier to clinical decision‐making. Conventional enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for toxin detection is currently the most frequently used technique for C. difficile infection (CDI) diagnosis, but its low sensitivity makes the development of an alternative strategy necessary for improving the diagnosis in developing countries.MethodsBetween years 2011 and 2015, 154 stool samples from patients with antibiotic‐associated diarrhea were examined by toxigenic culture and EIA for the diagnosis of CDI. In the year 2015, when glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) test was first available in Brazil, 53 of those fecal specimens were also tested by the C. diff Quik Chek Complete rapid immunoassay. At this time, we prospectively assessed the impact of this test on CDI treatment rates before and after it was introduced in clinical practice.ResultsThe GDH component of C. diff Quik Chek Complete test had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95.1% compared with toxigenic culture, with 89.8% concordance. The Tox A/B II EIA and the toxin portion of C. diff Quik Chek Complete yielded sensitivities between values of 50–58.3%, with 100% specificities. The introduction of GDH test increased the number of treated patients with CDI from 57.7% to 100%.ConclusionsGlutamate dehydrogenase test is a reliable method for the diagnosis of CDI and greatly increases the number of properly treated patients with CDI. Therefore, this exam should be considered the mainstay for the laboratory diagnosis of CDI in developing countries.
Small RNAs in regulating temperature stress response in plants
Authors: Liu Qing , Yan Shijuan , Yang Tifeng , Zhang Shaohong , Chen Yue‐Qin , Liu Bin 
Published: July 2017

AbstractDue to global climate change, temperature stress has become one of the primary causes of crop losses worldwide. Much progress has been made in unraveling the complex stress response mechanisms in plants, particularly in the identification of temperature stress responsive protein‐coding genes. Recently discovered microRNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small‐interfering RNAs (siRN
As) have also been demonstrated as important players in plant temperature stress response. Using high‐throughput sequencing, many small RNAs, especially miRNAs, have been identified to be triggered by cold or heat. Subsequently, several studies have shown an important functional role for these small RNAs in cold or heat tolerance. These findings greatly broaden our understanding of endogenous small RNAs in plant stress response control. Here, we highlight new findings regarding the roles of miRNAs and siRNAs in plant temperature stress response and acclimation. We also review the current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of small RNAs in temperature stress response, and explore the outlook for the use of these small RNAs in molecular breeding for improvement of temperature stress tolerance in plants.
Influence of minor deterioration of renal function after PCI on outcome in patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Kanic Vojko , Suran David , Vollrath Maja , Tapajner Alojz , Kompara Gregor 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesOur aim was to assess the possible impact of a deterioration of renal function (DRF) not fulfilling the criteria for acute kidney injury after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on outcome in patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) on 30‐day and long‐term outcomes.BackgroundData is lacking on the influence of DRF after PCI on outcome in patients with STEMI.MethodsThe present study is an analysis of 2572 STEMI patients who underwent PCI. The group with DRF (1022 patients) and the group without DRF (1550 patients) were compared. Thirty‐day and long‐term all‐cause mortality were observed. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsSimilar mortality was observed in both groups at day 30 (4.2% patients with DRF died vs 3.2% without DRF; ns) but more patients had died in the DRF group (18.9% patients with DRF vs 14.0% without DRF; P = 0.001) by the end of the observation period. After adjustments, DRF did not independently predict long‐term mortality. Age more than 70 years, bleeding, hyperlipidemia, renal dysfunction on admission, anemia on admission, diabetes, PCI of LAD, the use of more than 200 mL contrast, but not DRF after PCI, were identified as independent prognostic factors for increased long‐term mortality. Renal dysfunction, bleeding, contrast >200 mL, hyperlipidemia, age >70 years, anemia, and PCI LAD predicted DRF.ConclusionDRF identified patients at increased risk of higher long‐term mortality but was not independently associated with mortality.
Acute hepatic porphyria and cancer risk: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Baravelli C. M. , Sandberg S. , Aarsand A. K. , Nilsen R. M. , Tollånes M. C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundAcute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is considered to be a risk factor for primary liver cancer (PLC), but varying risk estimates have been published.ObjectivesOur aim was to investigate the risk of PLC and other cancers in persons with AHP using a nationwide cohort design. Given that greater numbers of women than men tend to have manifest and more severe AHP, a further aim was to investigate sex differences in this risk.MethodsThe study sample consisted of all Norwegian residents aged 18 years or older during the period 2000–2011. Persons with AHP (n = 251) were identified through the Norwegian Porphyria Centre, and patients with a cancer diagnosis were identified by linkage to the Cancer Registry of Norway.ResultsFor persons with AHP, the annual incidence rate of PLC was 0.35%. PLC risk was substantially higher for individuals with an AHP diagnosis compared to the reference population [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 108, 95% confidence interval (CI) 56–207]. In a meta‐analysis of published studies on PLC and AHP, including ours, women had a higher risk than men. In addition, our results suggested that persons with AHP may have increased risks of kidney (aHR 7.4, 95% CI 2.4–23.1) and endometrial cancers (aHR 6.2, 95% CI 2.0–19.3).ConclusionsOur findings confirmed a substantially higher risk of PLC associated with AHP compared to the general population. In a meta‐analysis, the risk was shown to be greater for women than men. The novel findings of a moderate to substantial association between AHP and kidney and endometrial cancers should be investigated further.
Chinese isms dimensions in mainland China and Taiwan: Convergence and extension of American isms dimensions
Authors: Chen Zhuo Job , Hsu Kung‐Yu , Zhou Xinyue , Saucier Gerard 
Published: July 2017

AbstractObjectivePrevious studies of American English isms terms have uncovered as many as five broad factors: tradition‐oriented religiousness (TR), subjective spirituality (SS), communal rationalism (CR), unmitigated self‐interest (USI), and inequality aversion (IA). The present studies took a similar lexical approach to investigate the Chinese‐language isms structures in both mainland China and Taiwan.Method and ResultsIn Study 1, exploratory factor analyses with 915 mainland Chinese subjects uncovered four interpretable factors dimensionalizing 165 mainland Chinese dictionary isms terms. These factors represented contents of a combination of TR and SS, USI, CR, and a culturally unique Communist Party of China (CPC) ideology factor. In Study 2, exploratory factor analyses with 467 Taiwan Chinese subjects revealed four interpretable factors categorizing 291 Taiwan Chinese dictionary isms terms. These factors represented contents of a combination of TR and SS, USI, CR, and a culturally unique dimension expressing aspirations for happiness.ConclusionsThe results gave evidence for the existence of the isms factors TR and SS, USI, and CR in Chinese culture. Cultural uniqueness was reflected in the merging of TR and SS into the factor Syncretic Religiousness and the culture‐specific factors of CPC ideology in China and Happiness/Peace Promotion in Taiwan.
CEO Inside Debt and Risk Taking: Evidence From Property–Liability Insurance Firms
Authors: Milidonis Andreas , Nishikawa Takeshi , Shim Jeungbo 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWe examine the incentive effects of CEO inside debt holdings (pensions and deferred compensation) on risk taking using the sample of U.S. publicly traded property–liability insurers. To represent managerial risk taking, we employ value at risk (VaR) and expected shortfall (ES), which capture extreme movements in the lower tail of insurer stock return distribution. We also estimate firm default risk, equity volatilities, and insurance‐related risk as alternative measures of risk taking. We document that inside debt represents a significant component of CEOs’ compensation in the insurance industry. We find that there is a significant and negative relationship between CEO inside debt holdings and risk‐taking behavior. The results suggest that the structure of executive debt‐like compensation could be a potential method of reducing managers’ risk‐taking incentives.
Watchdogs in Our Midst: How Presidents Monitor Coalitions in Brazil's Multiparty Presidential Regime
Authors: Pereira Carlos , Batista Mariana , Praça Sérgio , Lopez Felix 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWhen delegating governing tasks to a coalition partner, the president would like to give a minister ample administrative powers to be able to effectively accomplish the political mission. Due to information asymmetries, the president runs the risk that this discretion might be used to pursue policy outcomes that may harm the president's preferences. This trade-off between delegation and control is key to understanding governance strategies the president chooses to minimize agency risks and coordinate public policies. With Brazil as a case study, this article demonstrates that presidents have strategically made frequent use of junior ministers as watch-dogs of coalition partners, especially when coalition allies are ideologically distant from the president's preferences. Yet neither the portfolio salience nor the president's decision to share powers with coalition partners proportionally seems to interfere in such strategic decisions.
Abnormalities in the 24‐hour rhythm of skin temperature in cirrhosis: Sleep‐wake and general clinical implications
Authors: Garrido Maria , Saccardo Desy , De Rui Michele , Vettore Elia , Verardo Alberto , Carraro Paolo , Di Vitofrancesco Nicola , Mani Ali R. , Angeli Paolo , Bolognesi Massimo , Montagnese Sara 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground & AimsSleep preparation/onset are associated with peripheral vasodilatation and a decrease in body temperature. The hyperdynamic syndrome exhibited by patients with cirrhosis may impinge on sleep preparation, thus contributing to their difficulties falling asleep. The aim of this study was the assessment of skin temperature, in relation to sleep‐wake patterns, in patients with cirrhosis.MethodsFifty‐three subjects were initially recruited, and 46 completed the study. Of the final 46, 12 were outpatients with cirrhosis, 13 inpatients with cirrhosis, 11 inpatients without cirrhosis and 10 healthy volunteers. All underwent baseline sleep‐wake evaluation and blood sampling for inflammatory markers and morning melatonin levels. Distal/proximal skin temperature and their gradient (DPG) were recorded for 24 hours by a wireless device. Over this period subjects kept a sleep‐wake diary.ResultsInpatients with cirrhosis slept significantly less well than the other groups. Inpatients and outpatients with cirrhosis had higher proximal temperature and blunted rhythmicity compared to the other groups. Inpatients with/without cirrhosis had higher distal temperature values and blunted rhythmicity compared to the other groups. Inpatients and outpatients with cirrhosis had significantly lower DPG values compared to the other groups, and DPG reached near‐zero values several hours later. Significant correlations were observed between temperature and sleep‐wake variables and inflammatory markers.ConclusionsAlterations of distal/proximal skin temperature, their gradient and their time‐course were observed in patients with cirrhosis, which may contribute to their sleep disturbances.
IFNL4 rs368234815 and rs117648444 variants predict off‐treatment HBsAg seroclearance in IFN‐treated HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B patients
Authors: Galmozzi Enrico , Facchetti Floriana , Grossi Glenda , Loglio Alessandro , Viganò Mauro , Lunghi Giovanna , Colombo Massimo , Lampertico Pietro 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground & AimRobust baseline predictors of interferon (IFN) response in HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients are not currently available. The recently described rs368234815 TT/ΔG dinucleotide and rs117648444 nonsynonymous P70S polymorphisms in IFN lambda 4 (IFNL4) gene, which are strongly associated with response to IFN in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, could be also useful in IFN‐treated CHB patients. Here we assessed whether IFNL4 rs368234815 and rs117648444 polymorphisms predict IFN‐induced HBsAg clearance in CHB patients.MethodsWe sequenced the IFNL4 gene on genomic DNA collected from 126 HBeAg‐negative CHB patients treated with IFN and followed up for a median of 11 (1‐23) years.ResultsThe 15‐year cumulative probability of HBsAg loss in the 62 carriers of the rs368234815 TT/TT genotype, which abolishes the IFNλ4 protein production, was comparable to that of 19 patients carrying the rs117648444 T allele predicted to produce an impaired IFNλ4‐S70 protein (39% vs 42%, P  =  .827). In contrast, these 81 patients, either not producing IFNλ4 or producing an impaired IFNλ4‐S70 protein, had a significantly higher 15‐year probability of HBsAg loss compared to the 45 subjects predicted to encode only the fully functional IFNλ4‐P70 (42% vs 11% P = .003). At multivariate analysis, combination of the rs368234815 and rs117648444 genotypes strongly predicted HBsAg clearance (HR 5.90, 95% CI 1.70‐20.9, P = .006) together with pretreatment serum HBV DNA levels (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.39‐0.83, P = .003).ConclusionIFNL4 rs368234815 and rs117648444 functional variants are worth to be investigated as pretreatment combined predictors of IFN response in HBeAg‐negative CHB patients.
Using Syllogistics to Teach Metalogic
Authors: Demey Lorenz 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis article describes a specific pedagogical context for an advanced logic course and presents a strategy that might facilitate students’ transition from the object‐theoretical to the metatheoretical perspective on logic. The pedagogical context consists of philosophy students who in general have had little training in logic, except for a thorough introduction to syllogistics. The teaching strategy tries to exploit this knowledge of syllogistics, by emphasizing the analogies between ideas from metalogic and ideas from syllogistics, such as existential import, the distinction between contradictories and contraries, and the square of opposition. This strategy helps to improve students’ understanding of metalogic, because it allows the students to integrate these new ideas with their previously acquired knowledge of syllogistics.
Rejoinder to Wall
Authors: Forschler Scott 
Published: July 2017

AbstractEdmund Wall's criticism of the author's earlier analysis of Hare's consequentialism and Kantian ethics claims that the author overlooked Hare's commitment to preference satisfaction as an “ultimate good.” This rejoinder points out that Hare never uses the phrase in question, nor any equivalent phrase or concept, in presenting his own arguments and refers only to the standard of “universalizability” as ultimate, in contexts that support the author's original argument. Hence Wall has only given us yet another example of how Hare's views can be misunderstood by philosophers who fail to attend to the details of Hare's approach.
Three Pervasive Presuppositions about Human Life and Ethics Strongly Warrant Analysis
Authors: Miller Lantz Fleming 
Published: July 2017

AbstractCommon philosophical discussions concerning the ethics of human interaction with the biosphere and universe have been significantly informed by certain presuppositions: (1) nature is conquerable; (2) human cultural and social (contrasted with moral) progress is somewhat like a thing, beyond human control, and is inevitable and benevolent; and (3) Homo sapiens is the superior life‐form. Although arguments, such as whether humans should conquer nature, founded upon these presuppositions have sometimes been challenged, each of these three presuppositions wants direct analysis. The three have become so ingrained in professional and everyday discourse that they have mythic proportions, as though beyond question. Because of the weightiness of the relevant philosophical issues, they merit overt analysis. Although they are independent and may be analyzed separately, this article treats them as whole, as they often work together in arguments. After finding substantial problems, the article suggests alternative ways of building sustainable presuppositions in similar territory.
Armchair Disagreement
Authors: Weber Marc Andree 
Published: July 2017

AbstractA commonly neglected feature of the so‐calledEqual Weight View, according to which we should give our peers’ opinions the same weight we give our own, is its prima facie incompatibility with the common picture of philosophy as an armchair activity: an intellectual effort to seek a priori knowledge. This view seems to imply that our beliefs are more likely to be true if we leave our armchair in order to find out whether there actually are peers who, by disagreeing with us, force us to revise our beliefs. This article argues that the Equal Weight View should be spelled out in such a way that not only actual peer disagreement requires us to revise our beliefs, but also merely possible peer disagreement. This result is not areductio ad absurdumof the view. Quite the opposite: it shows that the view is, contrary to appearance, compatible with our common way of doing philosophy.
Evidence of unique genetic diversity in Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from Cameroon
Authors: Ashu Eta E. , Korfanty Gregory A. , Xu Jianping 
Published: July 2017

SummaryAspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that can cause lethal invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. Recent studies have shown that Eurasian and North American populations of A. fumigatus often consist of genetically diverse strains. However, very little is known about African populations of A. fumigatus. Here, we characterise the genetic diversity and triazole susceptibility of A. fumigatus in Cameroon, West Africa. A total of 495 soil samples were obtained from nine collection sites in three Cameroonian regions. Nine microsatellite markers were used to genotype all 51 identified A. fumigatus isolates. In vitro susceptibility to itraconazole and voriconazole was tested using micro broth dilution. The 51 Cameroonian A. fumigatus isolates belonged to 45 genotypes. Consistent with recombination, 32 of 36 possible pairwise loci combinations are phylogenetically incompatible. Interestingly, evidence for geographic sub‐structuring was found within Cameroon and the sub‐population with the most evidence of recombination was also the least susceptible sub‐population to the triazole antifungals tested. Furthermore, the Cameroonian sample was significantly differentiated from those in Eurasia and North America. Overall, our results indicate the genetic uniqueness of Cameroonian A. fumigatus populations and that additional novel genetic diversity likely exist in other parts of Africa.