bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Generating genius: how an Alzheimer’s drug became considered a ‘cognitive enhancer’ for healthy individuals
Authors: Wade Lucie , Forlini Cynthia , Racine Eric 
Published: May 2014

Abstract

Background
Donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, has been widely cited in media and bioethics literature on cognitive enhancement (CE) as having the potential to improve the cognitive ability of healthy individuals. In both literatures, this claim has been repeatedly supported by the results of a small study published by Yesavage et al. in 2002 on non-demented pilots (30–70 years old). The factors contributing to this specific interpretation of this study’s results are unclear.

Methods
We examined print media and interdisciplinary bioethics coverage of this small study, aiming to provide insight into how evidence from research may be shaped within different discourses, potentially influencing important policy, ethics, and clinical decisions. Systematic qualitative content analysis was used to examine how this study was reported in 27 media and 22 bioethics articles. Articles were analyzed for content related to: (1) headlines and titles; (2) colloquialisms; and, (3) accuracy of reporting of the characteristics and results of the study.

Results
In media and bioethics articles referencing this small study, strong claims were made about donepezil as a CE drug. The majority of headlines, titles, and colloquialisms used enhancement language and the majority of these suggest that donepezil could be used to enhance intellectual ability. Further, both literatures moved between reporting the results of the primary study and magnifying the perceived connection between these results and the CE debate that was alluded to in the primary study. Specific descriptions of the results overwhelmingly reported an improvement in performance on a flight simulator, while more general statements claimed donepezil enhanced cognitive performance. Further, a high level of reporting accuracy was found regarding study characteristics of the original study, but variable levels of accuracy surrounded the presentation of complex characteristics (i.e., methods) or contentious properties of the CE debate (i.e., initial health status of the study subjects).

Conclusions
Hyped claims of CE effects cannot be completely accounted for by sheer inaccuracy in reporting. A complex interaction between the primary and secondary literature, and expectations and social pressures related to CE appears to drive enthusiastic reports.
Substitution of physicians by nurses in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Martínez-González Nahara Anani , Djalali Sima , Tandjung Ryan , Huber-Geismann Flore , Markun Stefan , Wensing Michel , Rosemann Thomas 
Published: May 2014

Abstract

Background
In many countries, substitution of physicians by nurses has become common due to the shortage of physicians and the need for high-quality, affordable care, especially for chronic and multi-morbid patients. We examined the evidence on the clinical effectiveness and care costs of physician-nurse substitution in primary care.

Methods
We systematically searched OVID Medline and Embase, The Cochrane Library and CINAHL, up to August 2012; selected and critically appraised published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared nurse-led care with care by primary care physicians on patient satisfaction, Quality of Life (QoL), hospital admission, mortality and costs of healthcare. We assessed the individual study risk of bias, calculated the study-specific and pooled relative risks (RR) or standardised mean differences (SMD); and performed fixed-effects meta-analyses.

Results
24 RCTs (38,974 participants) and 2 economic studies met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analyses showed higher overall scores of patient satisfaction with nurse-led care (SMD 0.18, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.23), in RCTs of single contact or urgent care, short (less than 6 months) follow-up episodes and in small trials (N ≤ 200). Nurse-led care was effective at reducing the overall risk of hospital admission (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.91), mortality (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.96), in RCTs of on-going or non-urgent care, longer (at least 12 months) follow-up episodes and in larger (N > 200) RCTs. Higher quality RCTs (with better allocation concealment and less attrition) showed higher rates of hospital admissions and mortality with nurse-led care albeit less or not significant. The results seemed more consistent across nurse practitioners than with registered or licensed nurses. The effects of nurse-led care on QoL and costs were difficult to interpret due to heterogeneous outcome reporting, valuation of resources and the small number of studies.

Conclusions
The available evidence continues to be limited by the quality of the research considered. Nurse-led care seems to have a positive effect on patient satisfaction, hospital admission and mortality. This important finding should be confirmed and the determinants of this effect should be assessed in further, larger and more methodically rigorous research.
The Canadian Society of Nephrology Methods in Developing and Adapting Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Review
Authors: Mustafa Reem A , Levin Adeera , Akbari Ayub , Foster Bethany J , Zimmerman Deborah , Nesrallah Gihad E , Knoll Greg A , Rioux Jean-Philippe , Barton Jim , Ruzicka Marcel , Muirhead Norman , Moist Louise , Pannu Neesh , McFarlane Phil , Klarenbach Scott , Samuel Susan , Clark William F , Hemmelgarn Brenda R 
Published: May 2014

Introduction: The Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) was established to promote the highest quality of care for patients with renal diseases and to encourage research related to the kidney and its disorders. The CSN Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) Committee develops guidelines with clear recommendations to influence physicians' practice and improve the health of patients with kidney disease in Canada. Review: In this review we describe the CSN process in prioritizing CPGs topics. We document the CSN experience using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. We then detail the CSN process in developing de novo CPGs and in adapting existing CPGs and developing accompanying commentaries. We also discuss challenges faced during this process and suggest solutions. Furthermore, we summarize the CSN effort in disseminating and implementing their guidelines. Additionally, we describe recent development and partnerships that allow evaluation of the effect of the CSN guidelines and commentaries. Conclusion: The CSN follows a comprehensive process in identifying priority areas to be addressed in CPGs. In 2010, the CSN adopted GRADE, which enhanced the rigor and transparency of guideline development. This process focuses on systematically identifying best available evidence and carefully assessing its quality, balancing benefits and harms, considering patients' and societies' values and preferences, and when possible considering resource implications. Recent partnership allows wider dissemination and implementation among end users and evaluation of the effects of CPG and commentaries on the health of Canadians.
Post-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting prognosis in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma receiving sunitinib as first line therapy
Authors: Park Yong Hyun , Ku Ja Hyeon , Kwak Cheol , Kim Hyeon Hoe 
Published: May 2014

Abstract

Purpose
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was evaluated as a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) receiving sunitinib as first line therapy.

Methods
Between December 2005 and December 2011, 109 patients with metastatic clear cell RCC were treated with sunitinib. The values of NLR were assessed at two time points: at baseline (pre-treatment) and on day 1 of the second cycle (post-treatment). The prognostic significance of NLR on treatment outcome was evaluated with adjustment for known confounding risk factors.

Results
The median follow-up duration after sunitinib treatment was 24 months. There was no association between the pre-treatment NLR and tumor response (median pre-treatment NLRs: 2.2 for partial response [PR], 2.3 for stable disease [SD], and 1.9 for progressive disease [PD]; p = 0.531). However, lower post-treatment NLR (1.1 for PR, 1.2 for SD, 2.3 for PD; p = 0.021) and larger reduction in NLR after treatment (-45.8% for PR, -45.6% for SD, 14.8% for PD; p = 0.009) was significantly associated with a better tumor response. When the patients were divided into two subgroups according to the cutoff value of the post-treatment NLR 1.1, the differences in median cancer-specific survival were observed between subgroups (not reached vs. 19.0 months, p = 0.012). In multivariate analysis, body mass index, MSKCC risk group, serum hemoglobin, and post-treatment NLR were significantly associated with cancer-specific mortality.

Conclusions
Higher post-treatment NLR was associated with poor prognosis. An early reduction in the NLR after sunitinib treatment may indicate survival benefit in patients with metastatic clear cell RCC.
The window of opportunity: a relevant concept for axial spondyloarthritis
Authors: Robinson Philip C , Brown Matthew A 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe window of opportunity is a concept critical to rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Early treatment changes the outcome of rheumatoid arthritis treatment, in that response rates are higher with earlier disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug treatment and damage is substantially reduced. Axial spondyloarthritis is an inflammatory axial disease encompassing both nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis and established ankylosing spondylitis. In axial spondyloarthritis, studies of magnetic resonance imaging as well as tumor necrosis factor inhibitor treatment and withdrawal studies all suggest that early effective suppression of inflammation has the potential to reduce radiographic damage. This potential would suggest that the concept of a window of opportunity is relevant not only to rheumatoid arthritis but also to axial spondyloarthritis. The challenge now remains to identify high-risk patients early and to commence treatment without delay. Developments in risk stratification include new classification criteria, identification of clinical risk factors, biomarkers, genetic associations, potential antibody associations and an ankylosing spondylitis-specific microbiome signature. Further research needs to focus on the evidence for early intervention and the early identification of high-risk individuals.
Re-Orientation
Authors: Chen John T. 
Published: May 2014

From 1938 to 1947, a Chinese Muslim scholar named Muhammad Tawāḍuʿ Pang (known in China as Pang Shiqian) lived and studied at al-Azhar, Cairo’s famed center of Islamic learning. During his time in Egypt, he produced his Arabic-language magnum opus, China and Islam, published by the Muslim Brotherhood in May 1945. In addition to introducing Arabic-speaking audiences to Chinese Islam, the book exhibited four important features. First, it sought to place Chinese Muslim history firmly within Islamic history generally. Second, it responded to the geopolitical crisis brought upon the Chinese Muslims by the Ottoman Empire’s collapse and by China’s war with Japan. Third, it equated the modern condition of Muslims in both Egypt and China and absorbed otherwise competing intellectual genealogies from al-Azhar and the Muslim Brotherhood. Fourth, it synthesized these genealogies by calling for a return to the principles of the “golden age” of Islam and a revitalization of pre-modern intra-Asian relations as the surest path to modern “progress.” While this body of thought and sentiment had little in common with modern nationalism, elements of it were nevertheless soon co-opted by the nascent Third World movement.Building on diverse fields including Chinese, Islamic, Middle Eastern, and global history, this essay seeks to decouple Chinese Muslim history from narratives of marginalization and to decouple histories of China and the Middle East from the fraught encounter between “West” and “non-West.” Through its reading of Tawāḍuʿ Pang’s China and Islam, it also attempts to recall a now unfamiliar world in which the nation-state did not yet enjoy the dominance it achieved once decolonization was fully underway.
Template-free Preparation and Characterization of Novel Hierarchical BiPO4 Six-angular Microcolumns
Authors: Ma Lin , Xu Limei , Xu Xuyao , Zhou Xiaoping , Zhang Lingling 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
A facile template-free route has been employed to synthesize well-dispersed novel BiPO4 six-angular microcolumns with hierarchical architectures. The obtained products were characterized using XRD, EDX, and SEM. The experimental results indicate that the BiPO4 six-angular microcolumns are assembled by numerous nanoparticles in an oriented way. Additionally, the different solvent ratios have a significant influence on the morphology and crystal phase of the final products.
Astrocytes require insulin-like growth factor I to protect neurons against oxidative injury
Authors: Genis Laura , Dávila David , Fernandez Silvia , Pozo-Rodrigálvarez Andrea , Martínez-Murillo Ricardo , Torres-Aleman Ignacio 
Published: May 2014

Oxidative stress is a proposed mechanism in brain aging, making the study of its regulatory processes an important aspect of current neurobiological research. In this regard, the role of the aging regulator insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in brain responses to oxidative stress remains elusive as both beneficial and detrimental actions have been ascribed to this growth factor.Because astrocytes protect neurons against oxidative injury, we explored whether IGF-I participates in astrocyte neuroprotection and found that blockade of the IGF-I receptor in astrocytes abrogated their rescuing effect on neurons. We found that IGF-I directly protects astrocytes against oxidative stress (H2O2). Indeed, in astrocytes but not in neurons, IGF-I decreases the pro-oxidant protein thioredoxin-interacting protein 1 and normalizes the levels of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, IGF-I cooperates with trophic signals produced by astrocytes in response to H2O2 such as stem cell factor (SCF) to protect neurons against oxidative insult. After stroke, a condition associated with brain aging where oxidative injury affects peri-infarcted regions, a simultaneous increase in SCF and IGF-I expression was found in the cortex, suggesting that a similar cooperative response takes place in vivo. Cell-specific modulation by IGF-I of brain responses to oxidative stress may contribute in clarifying the role of IGF-I in brain aging.
The Performance and Properties of Wood–Polypropylene Panels as Affected by Wood Aqueous Extraction
Authors: Nasser Ramadan A. , Aref Ibrahim M. 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
The manufacturing of wood–polymer composites (WPCs) by compounding wood particles with plastic at temperatures above their melting point may cause thermal degradation of the wood, which can lead to undesirable properties, including odor, discoloration, and degradation of the mechanical properties of the panels. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a particle pretreatment (cold-water soaking and hot-water extraction) on the performance and properties of WPC panels made of four lignocellulosic materials (LCMs) and polypropylene (PP), 50/50 by weight. Composites filled with pretreated and untreated particles of three wood species and date palm midrib fronds were manufactured using a melt blending technique followed by compression molding. The physical, mechanical, and dimensional stability properties of the WPC panels were evaluated. The results indicated that the four LCMs are significantly different in all chemical constituents. Pretreating the wood particles by either cold or hot water resulted in significant improvements in the compatibility of each wood species with PP, as was observed by an increase in the mechanical properties and by a decrease in the water uptake and thickness swelling of the composite panels. An enhancement in strand color and a decrease in smoke and excessive odor during the compounding process were also observed, which resulted in an enhancement in the performance of the produced panels, particularly for the date palm midrib fronds.
Manufacturing Particleboard Using Hemp Shiv and Wood Particles with Low Free Formaldehyde Emission Urea-Formaldehyde Resin
Authors: Li Xiaoping , Wang Siqun , Du Guanben , Wu Zhangkang , Gong Yingchun 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
In order to better use the hemp shiv in manufacturing particleboard panels, tests for determining the mechanical and physical properties of this particleboard were performed according to the Chinese standard for wood-based paneling. The results showed the following. (1) The properties of the particleboard are optimal, with a 1:1 ratio of hemp shiv to wood particles; hemp shiv and wood particles actually strengthen each other when particleboard is made from a mixture of hemp shiv and wood particles. (2) The low density and the low mechanical properties of fiber cell walls were both advantages for the hemp shiv used to manufacture the particleboard panels.
Synthesis of New Multiple Layered Dion-Jacobson Perovskites
Authors: Gustin Léa , Lefebvre Jérôme , Davis-Wheeler Clare , Pressley Amy K. , Wiley John B. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTNew multiple layered perovskites with general formula RbLaNaxNb2+xO7+3x, x = 1 and 2, were synthesized via a ceramic method. While the triple layered compound could be obtained by simple direct reaction, the quadruple layered one was synthesized using a two-step solid state approach. The compounds were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction; the newly obtained compounds appear to be isostructural with the previously reported RbCa2Nb3O10 and RbCa2NaNb4O13 for RbLaNaNb3O10 and RbLaNa2Nb4O13, respectively. Preliminary results show that the new compounds can undergo ion exchange reactions involving alkali metals and transition metal chlorides.
Structural and Optical Properties of Thin Metal-Oxide Films (ZnO and SnOx) Deposited on Glass and Silicon Substrates
Authors: Tokmoldin Serekbol Zh. , Mukashev Bulat N. , Beisenkhanov Nurzhan B. , Aimagambetov Azamat B. , Ovcharenko Irina V. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThin ZnO films deposited on silicon and glass substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering were exposed to a sequence of thermal treatments at 400°C in vacuum, then in air, then in vacuum again. Photoluminescence studies of these ZnO films exited at 325 nm by He-Cd laser revealed an appearance of a photoluminescence band around 380 nm upon the annealing in vacuum.Thin SnOx films were deposited on glass substrates by ion-beam sputtering using pure oxygen as a working gas. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that as-deposited films consist of textured SnO2- and Sn2O3-crystallites which are transformed into polycrystalline SnO2 phase at a moderate temperature near 200°C. It is shown that the growth of the SnO2 crystallite size upon the annealing is mainly due to the disappearance of an amorphous phase at 400°C and coalescence of crystallites at 600°C.
The Structures of Polynuclear Th(IV) Hydrolysis Products
Authors: Wilson Richard E. , Skanthakumar S. , Soderholm L. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe hydrolysis chemistry of the tetravalent actinides is discussed based on recent studies with thorium. The coupling of high energy x-ray scattering and single crystal diffraction has provided insight into the structures of the polynuclear complexes formed by hydrolytic reactions of the tetravalent actinides. The success of these experiments with thorium presents many opportunities for the elucidation of the structures and thermodynamic quantities describing the dissolved polynuclear complexes of the heavier actinides.
High-Resolution-Electron-Microscopy Investigation of Nanosize Inclusions
Authors: Dahmen U. , Johnson E. , Xiao S.Q. , Johansen A. 
Published: May 2014

The behavior of solids in the nanometer size regime, as their dimensions approach the atomic scale, is of increasing fundamental and applied interest in materials research. Electronic, optical, magnetic, mechanical, or thermodynamic properties all may depend on the size and shape of the solid. As a result, in the nanoscale regime, size and shape may be used as design variables to tailor a material's properties such as giant magnetoresistance in multilayer films, or the optical properties in semiconductor nanocrystals. In most cases, the size dependence of properties is not well-understood. Nanophase materials constitute a new frontier in materials science, and accurate nanoscale characterization is extremely important in exploring this new frontier. In this area, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) plays a key role. Because of its unique ability to provide information on the structure and composition of internal interfaces in solids, TEM is particularly important in cases of buried nanophase structures such as small solid inclusions—that is, solid particles embedded within another solid.Nanoscale inclusions have recently been shown to exhibit unusual melting behavior that depends strongly on their size and the embedding matrix. For example, small inclusions of Pb in SiO exhibit melting-point depressions of several hundred degrees, whereas similarsized Pb inclusions in aluminum have shown large increases in melting point. Although a full understanding of these effects is still lacking, it appears that they are related not just to inclusion size but also to their shape and interface structure.
Effectiveness of Training for International Rehabilitation Counseling Graduates
Authors: Alsaman Marwa A. 
Published: May 2014

Purpose: To examine the experiences of international rehabilitation counseling graduates who had returned to their home countries or had moved to other countries to work. The study focused on their perceptions of the effectiveness of the training they had received in the United States.Method: A qualitative methodology was used to conduct the study. There were 5 participants interviewed, and data from interviews were analyzed and coded.Results: 6 themes emerged from data analysis: (a) lack of training programs in home countries, (b) support received from faculty members, (c) level of satisfaction with curriculum, (d) classroom experiences, (e) opportunities offered by the training program, and (f) difficulties applying the U.S. training to other countries.Conclusion: The study indicated that the participants had varied perceptions about the effectiveness of the training they had received in the United States. Implications for training international rehabilitation counseling students are discussed.
Preheating Impact on the Degree of Conversion and Water Sorption/Solubility of Selected Single-bottle Adhesive Systems
Authors: Vale MRL , Afonso FAC , Borges BCD , Freitas AC , Farias-Neto A , Almeida EO , Souza-Junior EJ , Geraldeli S 
Published: May 2014

SUMMARY

Objective
This study evaluated the degree of conversion (DC) and the water sorption/solubility of preheated single-bottle adhesive systems.

Methods and Materials
Five adhesive systems were tested: Adper Easy One and Adper Single Bond 2 (3M ESPE), Excite and Tetric N-Bond (Ivoclar/Vivadent), and XP Bond (Dentsply/Caulk). After storage for two hours at 25°C or 60°C, 50 samples (n=5) were prepared for all adhesive systems and stored dry in lightproof containers at 37°C for 24 hours. Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy was used to evaluate the DC, and water sorption/solubility was measured by means of mass loss and gain after water storage. The data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test (p&lt;0.05).

Results
Preheated adhesive systems showed statistically significantly higher DC than those kept at 25°C. Except for XP Bond, preheated adhesive systems presented statistically significantly lower water sorption/solubility means.

Conclusions
Preheating improved the DC for all tested adhesive systems. Also, it promoted a decrease of water sorption/solubility, except for the XP Bond adhesive system.