bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Time to Address the Problem of Post-Mortem Procurement of Organs for Transplantation Occurring without Proper Pre-mortem Consent
Authors: Garwood-Gowers Austen 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Current cadaveric organ transplant systems allow individuals to be classified as donors after death where they registered wishes in favour of this prior to death. However, systems for registering wishes pertaining to donation fall woefully short of securing proper consent. Furthermore, even jurisdictions which technically require consent to be obtained in order to treat an individual as a donor, allow that consent to be given by next of kin after death in circumstances where there is no evidence of the individual having refused prior to death. This article explores these and related issues with current systems from the perspectives of health law norms, ethics and human rights. It concludes that proper pre-mortem consent ought to be a pre-requisite for post-mortem organ transplantation.
The Proposed EU-regulation on Clinical Trials on Medicinal Products: An Unethical Proposal?
Authors: Heringa Jilles , Dute Joseph 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
The Commission has proposed a regulation ‘on clinical trials on medicinal products for human use’ to introduce one regulatory framework for clinical trials in the European Union. This regulation should replace the current clinical trials directive (2001/20/EC). In this article we describe and critically review the main provisions of the proposed regulation. We assess the consequences for a sound authorisation procedure of clinical trials and the level of protection for human subjects. We note that the proposed regulation is inconsistent with applicable international legal documents, such as the Biomedicine Convention and the Declaration of Helsinki. We conclude that the proposed regulation does not ensure a “high level of human health protection” — required by its legal basis in the TFEU — because it may force Member States concerned to accept a reporting Member States’ approval of — in their estimation — an unethical clinical trial.
Reforming the EU Clinical Trials Directive: Streamlining Processes or a Radical “New” Agenda?
Authors: McHale Jean V. 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
From its conception the EU Clinical Trials Directive met with controversy. Some saw it as an unnecessary inhibitor to scientific research, introducing bureaucracy which was unduly expensive, slowing down the clinical trial approval system. The Directive however also enshrined respect for fundamental rights in relation to clinical trials decision-making and impacted upon the domestic law of member states facilitating the alignment of trial review processes. Nearly a decade after its implementation the EU is moving towards implementation of further reform in this area, from a Directive to a Regulation, from a system placing the research ethics system at the heart of the clinical trials approval committee to one which does not and which represents a see change in international and domestic approaches to research ethics. This article critically examines the proposed reform of the regulation of clinical trials on medicinal product through the introduction of a new EU Regulation and asks whether this can be seen as a natural streamlining of processes or a radical new agenda in EU health law and regulation.
The European Court of Human Rights and Standards of Proof in Religion Cases
Authors: Ambrus Mónika 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
In terms of evidence law, it can be argued that the degree of discretion allocated to the state party by the European Court of Human Rights also assigns the extent to which the allegations have to be proven by the state in order to be accepted, which can be translated as the applicable standard of proof. With the help of this procedural approach the article aims to explore the standards of proof narrated and actually applied in the case law in religion cases, that is cases under Article 9 ECHR, Article 14 in combination with Article 9 ECHR and Article 2 of Protocol I when interpreted in the light of Article 9 ECHR.
Crafting a Book: The Sequel to The Plum in the Golden Vase
Authors: Ling Xiaoqiao 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
This paper examines the book form of the original woodblock edition (ca. 1660) of Xu jin ping mei 續金瓶梅 (The sequel to Jin ping mei), a sequel to the acclaimed yet controversial sixteenth-century vernacular novel Jin ping mei 金瓶梅 (Plum in a golden vase). Critics tend to hold Xu jin ping mei in low regard because the sequel’s extensive citations from religious texts and morality books disrupt the flow of the narrative. As this paper shows, such ‘weakness’ is part of the sequel writer’s conscious exploration of the productive gap between the text and the book as an object—cover page, the front matter, illustration and fiction commentary all contribute to the totality of the bound text as an object of connoisseurship. Another indicator of the author-editor’s effort at creating the sequel’s own social reception is a list of cited books that captures the full spectrum of textual production in the seventeenth century, thereby inscribing Xu jin ping mei in a cultural matrix that accommodates multiple modes of reading with a sense of hierarchy. To situate Xu jin ping mei in the context of the burgeoning print industry will help us go beyond the textual level to assess the sequel as an important cultural phenomenon. It is exactly the desire to cash in on the popularity of the original masterworks that pushes author, editor, and publisher to craft the book as a referential field in which the implied author engages anticipated readers of different dispositions to comment on, extend, and improve the original work.
The Tastiest Dish in Edo: Print, Performance and Culinary Entertainment in Early-Modern Japan
Authors: Rath Eric C. 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Japanese television has turned cooking into a competition, as exemplified by the show Iron Chef and its imitators. Readers in the early modern period could enjoy similar contests between famous restaurants and popular dishes as presented on one-page broadsheets called ‘topical fight cards’ (mitate banzuke). Tracing the history of mitate banzuke as they developed from kabuki and sumo banzuke, this article offers a close reading of one culinary banzuke published in the 1830s, examining how it borrowed the format and graphic presentation of sumo banzuke to turn a listing of ordinary seafood and vegetable side dishes into an entertaining culinary contest. Sushi, sashimi, and tempura, which are the modern hallmarks of traditional Japanese cuisine, scarcely appear on the culinary banzuke examined here, which spotlights the more frugal fare and dietary preferences of urban commoners and illuminates the ways that popular print culture made fun with food.
Acute and transient psychotic disorder in a developing country
Authors: Esan Oluyomi , Fawole Olufunmilayo I 
Published: August 2013

Background: Acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPDs) are relatively under-researched. There is therefore a dearth of information on the disorders especially in developing countries, where they have been shown to be relatively common. Aim: To describe the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with ATPD, as well as to examine the factors that are associated with early recovery in patients with ATPD in a developing country. Methods: A review of 124 cases of untreated first episode of ATPD that presented at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria over a five-year period. Results: Of the new cases that presented at the psychiatry department of the hospital, 10.1% were ATPDs. There was no significant difference between the proportions of males and females presenting at the hospital (50.8% vs 49.2%). Mean age at presentation was 29.5 (SD = 9.6) years, while the mean duration of illness before presentation was 7.3 (SD = 6.1) days. Female gender was significantly associated with earlier recovery ( p = .047). Conclusion: ATPDs are common in developing countries. The epidemiology in developing countries is probably different from that of the developed countries.
Expressed emotion among relatives of chronic pain patients, the interaction between relatives’ behaviours and patients’ pain experience
Authors: Ballús-Creus Carles , Rangel M Virginia , Peñarroya Alba , Pérez Jordi , Leff Julian 
Published: August 2013

Background: Chronic pain is a sensory and emotional experience that causes significant disturbances to a patient’s life as well as to their family. Whether the family environment is affected by chronic pain and, in turn, affects the patients’ pain experience has yet to be investigated. The interaction between patients and spouses has been assessed using the expressed emotion (EE) construct, a tool previously described in the field of mental health. For schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses, a correlation exists between family EE and patients’ outcomes. Aims: The main objective of this study was to observe the presence of EE among relatives of chronic spinal pain patients and to evaluate its correlation with their symptoms. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on 54 patients and their spouses currently seen at the Chronic Pain Unit of Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. The following variables were recorded: age, gender, pain score, quality of life and EE. Results: Data showed that a considerable proportion of spouses were rated as high EE. There was an association between EE and patients’ quality of life, and the level of EE predicted some other variables of patients’ quality of life. Conclusion: The EE level of spouses of chronic pain patients affects the patients’ quality of life and thus the way that they experience their pain.
Risk Factors for Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome in a Physically Active Military Population
Authors: Waterman Brian R. , Liu Jet , Newcomb Ronald , Schoenfeld Andrew J. , Orr Justin D. , Belmont Philip J. 
Published: August 2013

Background: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a common source of lower extremity pain in physically active military service members. While anatomic risk factors of CECS have been proposed, there is no existing study that evaluates the correlation of demographic and occupational risk factors and the overall incidence rate of CECS in an active military population. Hypothesis: Young, enlisted service members in the United States (US) ground military forces would demonstrate higher incidence rates of CECS in the study population because of greater exposure to at-risk dismounted activity on the battlefield and in training. Study Design: Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A retrospective study of all US active military service members with diagnosed nontraumatic exertional compartment syndrome of the lower extremity (code 729.72 in the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition) between 2006 and 2011 was performed using the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database. Demographic and occupational risk factors such as sex, age, race, branch of military service, and military rank were individually subcategorized, and cumulative and subgroup incidence rates of CECS were calculated using a multivariate Poisson regression model. Results: A total of 4100 diagnosed cases of CECS were identified within an at-risk population of 8,320,201, which correlates to an incidence rate of 0.49 cases per 1000 person-years. The annual adjusted incidence rate of CECS increased from 0.06 cases per 1000 person-years in 2006 to 0.33 cases per 1000 person-years in 2009. Increasing chronological age, female sex, white race, junior enlisted rank, and Army service were significantly correlated with an elevated risk for CECS. Conclusion: This study systematically evaluated the epidemiology of CECS among an idealized subset at risk for this condition. Sex, age, race, military rank, and branch of service were all important factors associated with the incidence of CECS in this physically active population.
Reconstitution of anti-allergic activities of PG102 derived fromActinidia argutaby combining synthetic chemical compounds
Authors: Kim Donghyun , Choi Jinyong , Kim Mi-Jeong , Kim Seon Hee , Cho Sang Heon , Kim Sunyoung 
Published: August 2013

PG102, a water-soluble extract from an edible fruit, Actinidia arguta, has previously been shown to control various factors involved in allergy pathogenesis. It was investigated whether the original activities of PG102 could be reconstituted by mixing chemical compounds present in PG102. Six compounds present in PG102 were, individually or in the form of mixtures, tested for their effects on the expression of various Th2 cytokines and inflammatory mediators in the cell-based assay. Each chemical inhibited IL-4 expression to varying degrees. The chemical compounds were combined at a ratio present in PG102, resulting in two formulations, CQMIIH and CQM, consisting of all or the first three of the following chemicals, citric, quinic, and malic acids, myo-inositol, isoquercitrin, and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde. The mixtures reconstituted original activities of PG102 to a significant level. In the murine asthma model, CQM ameliorated asthmatic symptoms and significantly decreased the level of IgE and IL-5. The decreased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was observed in cells and mice treated with PG102 and the mixtures. Our data indicated that the substantial portion of PG102’s anti-allergic activities could be reconstituted, in vitro and in vivo, by mixing six chemical compounds, suggesting the possibility of developing a new type of anti-allergic agent. This approach may be useful for developing chemically defined functional products from complex botanical extracts.
Erythropoietin promotes the repair effect of acute kidney injury by bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation
Authors: Liu Nanmei , Han Guofeng , Cheng Jin , Huang Jian , Tian Jun 
Published: August 2013

Bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation is effective for acute kidney injury (AKI) repair but with limited efficiency. In the present study, BMSCs marked by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) were transplanted to the AKI mouse model with erythropoietin (EPO) being subcutaneously injected. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) levels, pathological changes, distribution of BMSCs, expressions of the cytokeratin 18 (CK18) and the stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) in the nephridial tissues were measured. The directional migration of BMSCs to the AKI microenvironment in vitro was also tested. The results showed that BMSCs transplantation or EPO injection alone decreased the BUN and Scr levels and the acute tubular necrosis (ATN) scoring in varied degrees. The combination of these decreased the above indicators’ levels significantly. BrdU+ cells (BMSCs) were observed in the AKI nephridial tissues, and CK18 expressed in the cytoplasm of these cells. EPO injection increased the proportion of BrdU+ cells with the enhanced expression of SDF-1 in the AKI nephridial tissues. EPO increased the migrating number of BMSCs to the AKI microenvironment in vitro, and additional anti-SDF-1 treatment with SDF-1 antibody neutralized this effect. Our results showed that EPO increased the number of the transplanted BMSCs in the injured nephridial tissues and enhanced the AKI repair effect of BMSCs transplantation. The enhanced kidney-homing efficiency for BMSCs mediated by the SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway is one of the possible mechanisms for EPO performance.
Symptom attribution and risk perception in individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance to electromagnetic fields and in the general population
Authors: van Dongen Diana , Smid Tjabe , Timmermans Daniëlle RM 
Published: August 2013

Aim: To investigate differences in health perception and electromagnetic fields (EMF) between people within the general population reporting sensitivity or non-sensitivity to EMF, and people who registered themselves as sensitive to EMF at a non-governmental organisation (NGO). Methods: Correlations and regression analysis to compare a sample of the general population recruited via internet panel to individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance to EMF (IEI-EMF) recruited via an interest group. Results: The general population sensitive group was more similar to the non-sensitive group in personal characteristics than to the NGO sensitive group. They experienced more – and more frequent – non-specific symptoms, reported higher perceived risk of EMF, and attributed their symptoms more to EMF than the non-sensitive group, but less than the NGO sensitive group. There was a positive association between attribution of symptoms to EMF and reported intensity of non-specific symptoms, which was stronger for the NGO sensitive subjects than for the general population. Conclusions: People sensitive to EMF and recruited via an internet panel differ from people sensitive to EMF and recruited via an NGO, who reported a higher frequency of non-specific symptoms. Attribution of symptoms to EMF is one of the predictors of the intensity of physical symptoms. Changing the perceived association between EMF and health problems in individuals with IEI-EMF might contribute to a better health experience.
Pyocyanin-induced mucin production is associated with redox modification of FOXA2
Authors: Hao Yonghua , Kuang Zhizhou , Xu Ying , Walling Brent E , Lau Gee W 
Published: August 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe redox-active pyocyanin (PCN) is a toxic, secondary metabolite secreted by the respiratory pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). Previously, we have shown that mouse lungs chronically exposed to PCN develop goblet cell hyperplasia and metaplasia (GCHM) and mucus hypersecretion, fibrosis and emphysema. These pathological features are commonly found in the airways of several chronic lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF), as well as in mouse airways deficient in the forkhead box A2 (FOXA2), a transcriptional repressor of goblet GCHM and mucus biosynthesis. Furthermore, PCN inhibits FOXA2 by activating the pro-GCHM signaling pathways Stat6 and EGFR. However, it is not known whether PCN-generated reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species posttranslationally modify and inactivate FOXA2.MethodsWe examined the posttranslational modifications of FOXA2 by PCN using specific antibodies against oxidation, nitrosylation, acetylation and ubiquitination. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to examine the ability of modified FOXA2 to bind the promoter ofMUC5Bmucin gene. In addition, we used quantitative real time PCR, ELISA, immunofluorescence and mouse lung infection to assess whether the loss of FOXA2 function caused GCHM and mucin overexpression. Finally, we examined the restoration of FOXA2 function by the antioxidant glutathione (GSH).ResultsWe found that PCN-generated ROS/RNS caused nitrosylation, acetylation, ubiquitination and degradation of FOXA2. Modified FOXA2 had reduced ability to bind the promoter of theMUC5Bgene. The antioxidant GSH alleviated the modification of FOXA2 by PCN, and inhibited the overexpression of MUC5AC and MUC5B mucins.ConclusionThese results suggest that PCN-mediated posttranslational modifications of FOXA2 are positively correlated with GCHM and overexpression of airway mucins. Furthermore, antioxidant treatment restores the function of FOXA2 to attenuate GCHM and mucus hypersecretion.
Interferon beta 1b following natalizumab discontinuation: one year, randomized, prospective, pilot trial
Authors: Gobbi Claudio , Meier Dominik S , Cotton François , Sintzel Martina , Leppert David , Guttmann Charles R G , Zecca Chiara 
Published: August 2013

AbstractBackgroundNatalizumab (NTZ) discontinuation leads to multiple sclerosis reactivation.The objective of this study is to compare disease activity in MS patients who continued on NTZ treatment to those who were switched to subcutaneous interferon 1b (IFNB) treatment.Methods1-year randomized, rater-blinded, parallel-group, pilot study (ClinicalTrial.gov ID: NCT01144052). Relapsing remitting MS patients on NTZ for ≥12 months who had been free of disease activity on this therapy (no relapses and disability progression for ≥6 months, no gadolinium-enhancing lesions on baseline MRI) were randomized to NTZ or IFNB. Primary endpoint was time to first on-study relapse. Additional clinical, MRI and safety parameters were assessed. Analysis was based on intention to treat.Results19 patients (NTZ n=10; IFNB n=9) with similar baseline characteristics were included. 78% of IFNB treated patients remained relapse free (NTZ group: 100%), and 25% remained free of new T2 lesions (NTZ group: 62.5%). While time to first on-study relapse was not significantly different between groups (p=0.125), many secondary clinical and radiological endpoints (number of relapses, proportion of relapse free patients, number of new T2 lesions) showed a trend, or were significant (new T2 lesions at month 6) in favoring NTZ.ConclusionsDe-escalation therapy from NTZ to IFNB over 1 year was associated with some clinical and radiological disease recurrence. Overall no major safety concerns were observed.
Bone marrow-derived progenitor cells in end-stage lung disease patients
Authors: Gilpin Sarah E , Lung Kalvin , de Couto Geoffrey T , Cypel Marcelo , Sato Masaaki , Singer Lianne G , Keshavjee Shaf , Waddell Thomas K 
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Background
Chronic lung diseases are marked by progressive inflammation, tissue damage and remodelling. Bone marrow-derived progenitor cells may contribute to these processes. The objectives of this study were to (1) to quantify CD45+Collagen-1+ fibrocytes and a novel epithelial-like population of bone marrow-derived cells, which express Clara Cell Secretory Protein, in patients at the time of lung transplant and (2) to evaluate mediators that may act to recruit these cells during injury.

Methods
Using an observational design, progenitor cells were quantified by flow cytometry from both bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB). Migration was tested using in vitro transwell assays. Multiplex bead-based assays were used to quantify plasma cytokines.

Results
An increase in CD45+Collagen-1+ fibrocytes was found in pulmonary fibrosis and bronchiolitis obliterans patients. Cystic fibrosis patients had an increase in CCSP+ cells in both the BM and PB. The proportion of CCSP+ cells in the BM and PB was correlated. CCSP+ cells express the chemokine receptors CCR2, CCR4, CXCR3, and CXCR4, and significantly migrated in vitro toward Stromal Derived Factor-1 (SDF-1) and Stem Cell Growth Factor-β (SCGF-β). Plasma cytokine levels differed between disease groups, with a significant correlation between SCGF-β and CCSP+ cells and between Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 and fibrocytes.

Conclusions
Different bone marrow-derived cells are found in various lung diseases. Increased fibrocytes were associated with fibrotic lung diseases. An increase in the novel CCSP+ epithelial-like progenitors in cystic fibrosis patients was found. These differences may be mediated by alterations in plasma cytokines responsible for cell recruitment.