bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An update on adjunctive treatment options for bipolar disorder
Authors: Dean Olivia M , Gliddon Emma , Van Rheenen Tamsyn E , Giorlando Francesco , Davidson Sandra K , Kaur Manreena , Ngo Trung T , Williams Lana J 
Published: January 2018

ObjectivesBipolar disorder is a complex illness often requiring combinations of therapies to successfully treat symptoms. In recent years, there have been significant advancements in a number of therapies for bipolar disorder. It is therefore timely to provide an overview of current adjunctive therapeutic options to help treating clinicians to inform their patients and work towards optimal outcomes.MethodsPublications were identified from PubMed searches on bipolar disorder and pharmacotherapy, nutraceuticals, hormone therapy, psychoeducation, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, cognitive remediation, mindfulness, e‐Health and brain stimulation techniques. Relevant articles in these areas were selected for further review. This paper provides a narrative review of adjunctive treatment options and is not a systematic review of the literature.ResultsA number of pharmacotherapeutic, psychological and neuromodulation treatment options are available. These have varying efficacy but all have shown benefit to people with bipolar disorder. Due to the complex nature of treating the disorder, combination treatments are often required. Adjunctive treatments to traditional pharmacological and psychological therapies are proving useful in closing the gap between initial symptom remission and full functional recovery.ConclusionsGiven that response to monotherapy is often inadequate, combination regimens for bipolar disorder are typical. Correspondingly, psychiatric research is working towards a better understanding of the disorder's underlying biology. Therefore, treatment options are changing and adjunctive therapies are being increasingly recognized as providing significant tools to improve patient outcomes. Towards this end, this paper provides an overview of novel treatments that may improve clinical outcomes for people with bipolar disorder.
Relational autonomy, care, and Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany
Authors: Rajtar Małgorzata 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDrawing from an ethics of care, relational approaches to autonomy have recently emerged in bioethics. Unlike individual autonomy with its emphasis on patients’ rights, choice, and self‐determination which has been the hallmark of bioethics consistent with the ideology of individualism in neoliberal democracies in Western countries, relational autonomy highlights the relatedness, interdependency, and social embeddedness of patients. By examining the mediating role that male Hospital Liaison Committee members in Germany play in facilitating care that supports Jehovah's Witnesses’ refusal of blood transfusions, this article moves beyond ‘dyadic relations’ and contexts of caregiving. It also contributes to a deeper understanding of care and relational conceptualizations of Witness patients’ autonomy globally.
Fragile lives with fragile rights: Justice for babies born at the limit of viability
Authors: Hendriks Manya J. , Lantos John D. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThere is an inconsistency in the ways that doctors make clinical decisions regarding the treatment of babies born extremely prematurely. Many experts now recommend that clinical decisions about the treatment of such babies be individualized and consider many different factors. Nevertheless, many policies and practices throughout Europe and North America still appear to base decisions on gestational age alone or on gestational age as the primary factor that determines whether doctors recommend or even offer life‐sustaining neonatal intensive care treatment. These policies are well intentioned. They aim to guide doctors and parents to make decisions that are best for the baby. That is an ethically appropriate goal. But in relying so heavily on gestational age, such policies may actually do the babies a disservice by denying some babies treatment that might be beneficial and lead to intact survival. In this paper, we argue that such policies are unjust to premature babies and ought to be abolished. In their place, we propose individualized treatment decisions for premature babies. This would treat premature babies as we treat all other patients, with clinical decisions based on an individualized estimation of likelihood that treatment would be beneficial.
Screening for mental health problems in a Norwegian preschool population. A validation of the ages and stages questionnaire: Social‐emotional (ASQ:SE)
Authors: Stensen Kenneth , Stenseng Frode , Lydersen Stian , de Wolff Marianne Suzanne , Wallander Jan , Drugli May Britt 
Published: January 2018

BackgroundEarly detection of mental health problems in childhood is important. However, studies on screening instruments for preschool children are rare. The aim of this study was to validate the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social‐Emotional (ASQ:SE) with teacher reports and examine its screening accuracy in a preschool population.MethodsA total of 1428 children, aged 18 months – 5 years, attending child‐care centers were recruited in Norway. Their teachers completed a survey including the ASQ:SE and the Caregiver‐Teacher Report Form (C‐TRF). The Spearman's correlation was calculated for the convergence between the ASQ:SE and the C‐TRF and the screening accuracy of the ASQ:SE was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with the criterion of a score at or above the 90th percentile for the C‐TRF total problem score.ResultsThe Spearman's correlation between the total scores for the ASQ:SE and the C‐TRF were from .49 to .72. The ROC analyses demonstrated that the ASQ:SE had a promising ability to classify children at risk based on the C‐TRF criterion with AUC ranging from .87 to .96 for the different forms. The ASQ:SE generally demonstrated high specificity across all forms and some forms (from age 30 months upwards) produced both high sensitivity and high specificity using the selected cutoff values.ConclusionsThe ASQ:SE could serve as a good starting point for screening for social‐emotional problems among children in child‐care centers. The 30‐ to 60‐month ASQ:SE forms exhibit promising psychometric properties and may prove useful for early detection. The 18‐ to 24‐month ASQ:SE forms demonstrate more limited efficacy in detecting children at risk.
Modulation of AKR1C2 by curcumin decreases testosterone production in prostate cancer
Authors: Ide Hisamitsu , Lu Yan , Noguchi Takahiro , Muto Satoru , Okada Hiroshi , Kawato Suguru , Horie Shigeo 
Published: January 2018

Intratumoral androgen biosynthesis has been recognized as an essential factor of castration‐resistant prostate cancer. The present study investigated the effects of curcumin on the inhibition of intracrine androgen synthesis in prostate cancer. Human prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells were incubated with or without curcumin after which cell proliferation was measured at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively. Prostate tissues from the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model were obtained after 1‐month oral administration of 200 mg/kg/d curcumin. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in LNCaP prostate cancer cells were determined through LC‐MS/MS assay. Curcumin inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Curcumin decreased the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory proteins, CYP11A1 and HSD3B2 in prostate cancer cell lines, supporting the decrease of testosterone production. After 1‐month oral administration of curcumin, Aldo‐Keto reductase 1C2 (AKR1C2) expression was elevated. Simultaneously, decreased testosterone levels in the prostate tissues were observed in the TRAMP mice. Meanwhile, curcumin treatments considerably increased the expression of AKR1C2 in prostate cancer cell lines, supporting the decrease of dihydrotestosterone. Taken together, these results suggest that curcumin's natural bioactive compounds could have potent anticancer properties due to suppression of androgen production, and this could have therapeutic effects on prostate cancer.
Development and validation of the Cholinergic Urticaria Quality‐of‐Life Questionnaire (CholU‐QoL)
Authors: Ruft J. , Asady A. , Staubach P. , Casale T. , Sussmann G. , Zuberbier T. , Maurer M. , Weller K. , Altrichter S. 
Published: January 2018

SummaryBackgroundCholinergic urticaria (CholU), a common form of chronic inducible urticaria, is characterized by itchy weals that occur in response to physical exercise or passive warming. CholU patients frequently exhibit a high burden of disease. As of yet, no specific instrument is available to assess their disease‐related quality‐of‐life (QoL) impairment.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop and validate the first disease‐specific QoL instrument for CholU patients, the Cholinergic Urticaria Quality‐of‐Life Questionnaire (CholU‐QoL).MethodsUsing a combined approach of the literature search, semistructured patient interviews and expert opinion, we developed 96 potential CholU‐QoL items. Subsequent item selection was performed by means of impact analysis complemented by an expert review for face validity. The resulting final CholU‐QoL was then tested for levels of validity, reliability and influence factors in 88 CholU patients. In parallel, an US American‐Canadian English version of the CholU‐QoL was developed.ResultsThe final 28‐item CholU‐QoL was found to have a 5‐domain structure (“symptoms,” “functional life,” “social interaction,” “therapy,” “emotions”) with excellent internal consistency. The CholU‐QoL also showed a valid total score, and good levels of convergent validity, known‐groups validity, as well as test‐retest reliability. Multiple regression analysis found no significant drivers of the CholU‐QoL total score.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceThe CholU‐QoL is the first disease‐specific QoL instrument for CholU and also the first specific QoL measure in the field of chronic inducible urticarias. It may serve as a valuable tool for clinical trials and improve routine patient management.
Landscape consequences of aggregation rules for functional equivalence in compensatory mitigation programs
Authors: Accatino Francesco , Creed Irena F. , Weber Marian 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMitigation and offset programs designed to compensate for ecosystem function losses due to development must balance losses from affected ecosystems with gains in restored ecosystems. Aggregation rules applied to ecosystem functions to assess site equivalence are based on implicit assumptions about the substitutability of functions among sites and can profoundly influence the distribution of restored ecosystem functions on the landscape. We investigated the consequences of rules applied to the aggregation of ecosystem functions for wetland offsets in the Beaverhill watershed in Alberta, Canada. We considered the fate of 3 ecosystem functions: hydrology, water purification, and biodiversity. We set up an affect‐and‐offset algorithm to simulate the effect of aggregation rules on ecosystem function for wetland offsets. Cobenefits and trade‐offs among functions and the constraints posed by the quantity and quality of restorable sites resulted in a redistribution of functions between affected and offset wetlands. Hydrology and water purification functions were positively correlated with one another and negatively correlated with biodiversity function. Weighted‐average rules did not replace functions in proportion to their weights. Rules prioritizing biodiversity function led to more monofunctional wetlands and landscapes. The minimum rule, for which the wetland score was equal to the worst performing function, promoted multifunctional wetlands and landscapes. The maximum rule, for which the wetland score was equal to the best performing function, promoted monofunctional wetlands and multifunctional landscapes. Because of implicit trade‐offs among ecosystem functions, no‐net‐loss objectives for multiple functions should be constructed within a landscape context. Based on our results, we suggest criteria for the design of aggregation rules for no net loss of ecosystem functions within a landscape context include the concepts of substitutability, cobenefits and trade‐offs, landscape constraints, heterogeneity, and the precautionary principle.
Both rare and common species make unique contributions to functional diversity in an ecosystem unaffected by human activities
Authors: Chapman Abbie S. A. , Tunnicliffe Verena , Bates Amanda E. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAimRare species typically contribute more to functional diversity than common species. However, humans have altered the occupancy and abundance patterns of many species—the basis upon which we define “rarity.” Here, we use a globally unique dataset from hydrothermal vents—an untouched ecosystem—to test whether rare species over‐contribute to functional diversity.LocationJuan de Fuca Ridge hydrothermal vent fields, Northeast Pacific Ocean.MethodsWe first conduct a comprehensive review to set up expectations for the relative contributions of rare and common species to functional diversity. We then quantify the rarity and commonness of 37 vent species with relevant trait information to assess the relationship between rarity and functional distinctiveness—a measure of the uniqueness of the traits of a species relative to traits of coexisting species. Next, we randomly assemble communities to test whether rare species over‐contribute to functional diversity in artificial assemblages ranging in species richness. Then, we test whether biotic interactions influence functional diversity contributions by comparing the observed contribution of each species to a null expectation. Finally, we identify traits driving functional distinctiveness using a distance‐based redundancy analysis.ResultsAcross functional diversity metrics and species richness levels, we find that both rare and common species can contribute functional uniqueness. Some species always offer unique trait combinations, and these species host bacterial symbionts and provide habitat complexity. Moreover, we find that contributions of species to functional diversity may be influenced by biotic interactions.Main conclusionsOur findings show that many common species make persistent, unique contributions to functional diversity. Thus, it is key to consider whether the abundance and occupancy of species have been reduced, relative to historical baselines, when interpreting the contributions of rare species to functional diversity. Our work highlights the importance of testing ecological theory in ecosystems unaffected by human activities for the conservation of biodiversity.
A review of GLP‐1 receptor agonists: Evolution and advancement, through the lens of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Aroda Vanita R. 
Published: January 2018

AimsTo review the evolution and advancement of GLP‐1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1RA) therapy, through the lens of randomised controlled trials, from differentiating characteristics, efficacy, safety, tolerability, and cardiovascular outcomes, to evidence gaps and next steps.MethodsClinical review of published phase 3 or later RCT data studying efficacy, safety, and outcomes of approved GLP‐1 RA therapies.ResultsThrough a wealth of studies, including both placebo‐controlled and active‐controlled studies, GLP‐1 RAs have demonstrated high glycemic efficacy and ability to facilitate weight loss, with minimal risk of hypoglycemia, potential to restore beta cell function, and evidence for improved cardiovascular outcomes in those at risk.ConclusionsOver a decade of clinical studies have established the unique contributions of GLP‐1 RAs in the treatment of diabetes. Individual differences between the different GLP‐1 RAs, in delivery, pharmacokinetic and clinical effects, exist, allowing for tailored approaches to clinical care. The strength of evidence generated through RCTs, both short‐term and long‐term studies, will continue to evolve and inform our current paradigms in diabetes care.
Synchronization of intrinsic 0.1‐Hz blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent oscillations in amygdala and prefrontal cortex in subjects with increased state anxiety
Authors: Pfurtscheller Gert , Schwerdtfeger Andreas , Seither‐Preisler Annemarie , Brunner Clemens , Aigner Christoph Stefan , Calisto João , Gens João , Andrade Alexandre 
Published: January 2018

AbstractLow‐frequency oscillations with a dominant frequency at 0.1 Hz are one of the most influential intrinsic blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent (BOLD) signals. This raises the question if vascular BOLD oscillations (originating from blood flow in the brain) and intrinsic slow neural activity fluctuations (neural BOLD oscillations) can be differentiated. In this study, we report on two different approaches: first, on computing the phase‐locking value in the frequency band 0.07–0.13 Hz between heart beat‐to‐beat interval (RRI) and BOLD oscillations and second, between multiple BOLD oscillations (functional connectivity) in four resting states in 23 scanner‐naïve, anxious healthy subjects. The first method revealed that vascular 0.1‐Hz BOLD oscillations preceded those in RRI signals by 1.7 ± 0.6 s and neural BOLD oscillations lagged RRI oscillations by 0.8 ± 0.5 s. Together, vascular BOLD oscillations preceded neural BOLD oscillations by ~90° or ~2.5 s. To verify this discrimination, connectivity patterns of neural and vascular 0.1‐Hz BOLD oscillations were compared in 26 regions involved in processing of emotions. Neural BOLD oscillations revealed significant phase‐coupling between amygdala and medial frontal cortex, while vascular BOLD oscillations showed highly significant phase‐coupling between amygdala and multiple regions in the supply areas of the anterior and medial cerebral arteries. This suggests that not only slow neural and vascular BOLD oscillations can be dissociated but also that two strategies may exist to optimize regulation of anxiety, that is increased functional connectivity between amygdala and medial frontal cortex, and increased cerebral blood flow in amygdala and related structures.
Understanding the dominant controls on biochar decomposition using boosted regression trees
Authors: Chao L. , Zhang W. D. , Wang S. L. 
Published: January 2018

SummaryExtensive studies have been carried out to investigate the decomposition of biochar. Biochar properties, soil characteristics and incubation conditions are considered key factors that control the rate of biochar decomposition. However, the relative contributions of these factors to its decomposition remain unknown. Approximately 812 individual measurements of the rate of biochar decomposition were collected from 23 studies involving 13C or 14C isotope techniques to evaluate the effects of incubation conditions, soil characteristics and biochar properties on its decomposition with a boosted regression tree (BRT) model. The BRT model accounted for 95% of the variation in biochar decomposition. Incubation conditions, soil characteristics and biochar properties accounted for 41, 31 and 28% of variation in the rate of biochar decomposition, respectively. The most important single predictor of biochar decomposition was incubation time (contributing 33% to the rate), followed by soil carbon: nitrogen (C:N) ratio (9%), pyrolysis time (9%), soil N content (8%) and biochar C content (7%). The rate of decomposition of biochar decreased with time for incubation times less than 1 year. Soil with a large C content and a small C:N ratio resulted in a large rate of biochar decomposition. Type of feedstock and biochar N content had little or no effect on biochar decomposition. Our results provide further insight into the factors that affect biochar decomposition and quantify the relative contributions of these factors to it.Highlights
We studied the dominant factors that control biochar decomposition with BRT modelling.
We quantified relative contributions of incubation conditions, soil characteristics and biochar properties to biochar decomposition.
Rate of biochar decomposition explained by incubation conditions (41%), soil characteristics (31%) and biochar properties (28%).
The most important predictor of biochar decomposition was incubation time.
Impact of Both Local Item Dependencies and Cut‐Point Locations on Examinee Classifications
Authors: Rubright Jonathan D. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPerformance assessments, scenario‐based tasks, and other groups of items carry a risk of violating the local item independence assumption made by unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models. Previous studies have identified negative impacts of ignoring such violations, most notably inflated reliability estimates. Still, the influence of this violation on examinee ability estimates has been comparatively neglected. It is known that such item dependencies cause low‐ability examinees to have their scores overestimated and high‐ability examinees' scores underestimated. However, the impact of these biases on examinee classification decisions has been little examined. In addition, because the influence of these dependencies varies along the underlying ability continuum, whether or not the location of the cut‐point is important in regard to correct classifications remains unanswered. This simulation study demonstrates that the strength of item dependencies and the location of an examination systems’ cut‐points both influence the accuracy (i.e., the sensitivity and specificity) of examinee classifications. Practical implications of these results are discussed in terms of false positive and false negative classifications of test takers.
Improving e‐learning recommendation by using background knowledge
Authors: Mbipom Blessing , Craw Susan , Massie Stewart 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThere is currently a large amount of e‐Learning resources available to learners on the Web. However, learners often have difficulty finding and retrieving relevant materials to support their learning goals because they lack the domain knowledge to craft effective queries that convey what they wish to learn. In addition, the unfamiliar vocabulary often used by domain experts makes it difficult to map a learner's query to a relevant learning material. We address these challenges by introducing an innovative method that automatically builds background knowledge for a learning domain. In creating our method, we exploit a structured collection of teaching materials as a guide for identifying the important domain concepts. We enrich the identified concepts with discovered text from an encyclopedia, thereby increasing the richness of our acquired knowledge. We employ the developed background knowledge for influencing the representation and retrieval of learning resources to improve e‐Learning recommendation. The effectiveness of our method is evaluated using a collection of Machine Learning and Data Mining papers. Our method outperforms the benchmark, demonstrating the advantage of using background knowledge for improving the representation and recommendation of e‐Learning materials.