bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nucleotide Variation, Linkage Disequilibrium and Founder-Facilitated Speciation in Wild Populations of the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
Authors: Balakrishnan Christopher N , Edwards Scott V
Published: December 2008

The zebra finch has long been an important model system for the study of vocal learning, vocal production, and behavior. With the imminent sequencing of its genome, the zebra finch is now poised to become a model system for population genetics. Using a panel of 30 noncoding loci, we characterized patterns of polymorphism and divergence among wild zebra finch populations. Continental Australian populations displayed little population structure, exceptionally high levels of nucleotide diversity (π = 0.010), a rapid decay of linkage disequilibrium (LD), and a high population recombination rate (ρ ≈ 0.05), all of which suggest an open and fluid genomic background that could facilitate adaptive variation. By contrast, substantial divergence between the Australian and Lesser Sunda Island populations (KST = 0.193), reduced genetic diversity (π = 0.002), and higher levels of LD in the island population suggest a strong but relatively recent founder event, which may have contributed to speciation between these populations as envisioned under founder-effect speciation models. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that under a simple quantitative genetic model both drift and selection could have contributed to the observed divergence in six quantitative traits. In both Australian and Lesser Sundas populations, diversity in Z-linked loci was significantly lower than in autosomal loci. Our analysis provides a quantitative framework for studying the role of selection and drift in shaping patterns of molecular evolution in the zebra finch genome.
Incorporating Desirable Genetic Characteristics From an Inferior Into a Superior Population Using Genomic Selection
Authors: Ødegård J , Yazdi M H , Sonesson A K , Meuwissen T H E
Published: December 2008

Resistance to specific diseases may be improved by crossing a recipient line with a donor line (a distantly related strain) that is characterized by the desirable trait. However, considerable losses in the total merit index are expected when crossing recipient and donor lines. Repeated backcrossing with the recipient line will improve total merit index, but usually at the expense of the newly introgressed disease resistance, especially if this is due to polygenic effects rather than to a known single major QTL. This study investigates the possibilities for a more detailed introgression program based on marker-trait associations using dense marker genotyping and genomic selection. Compared with classical selection, genomic selection increased genetic gain, with the largest effect on low heritability traits and on traits not recorded on selection candidates (due to within-family selection). Further, within a wide range of economic weights and initial differences in the total merit index between donor and recipient lines, genomic selection produced backcrossed lines that were similar or better than the purebred lines within three to five generations. When using classical selection in backcrossing schemes, the long-term genetic contribution of the donor line was low. Hence, such selection schemes would usually perform similarly to simple purebreeding selection schemes.
A 4M tápanyagmodell adatigénye és gyakorlati felhasználása
Authors: Fodor Nándor , Máthéné Gáspár Gabriella , Kovács Géza J.
Published: December 2008

A 4M tápanyagmodell adatellátásával és gyakorlati
alkalmazásaival foglalkozunk e cikk keretében. A modell futásához napi
időjárási, növényi,valamint talajtani adatok szükségesek. Országos és
regionális időjárási adatbázist építettünk fel 169 magyarorszá__
Az oldott szervesanyag-tartalom (DOM) és a talajtulajdonságok összefüggése
Authors: Filep Tibor
Published: December 2008

Jelen közleményünkben a TIM adatbázis talajain és már
meglévő adatain alapuló statisztikai elemzést végeztünk, azzal a céllal, hogy
kiderítsük mely talajparaméterek okozzák az oldott szerves anyag (DOM),
valamint ezen belül is a DOC, DON koncentráció és a DOC/DON arány változását. A
talajokat két csoportra osztottuk: karbonátos (CaCO
3
tartalom >
0,1%) és karbonátmentes (CaCO
3
tartalom < 0,1%) talajokra.Mind a
karbonátos, mind a karbonátmentes talajcsoportnál az eredeti változókból
főkomponenseket képeztünk annak érdekében, hogy az egymással korreláló
változókat egy főkomponensbe sűrítsük, ezáltal a talajtulajdonságok hatásának
értelmezése könnyebbé válik. Három főkomponenst kaptunk a karbonátmentes
csoportban: F1 –amely a talaj humusztartalmát és a mechanikai összetételt, F2
–amely a talaj aciditási faktorait (pH, y
1
) és az F3 –amely a CaCl
2
-oldható
N-formákat tartalmazza. Karbonátos talajoknál szinte ugyanezt kaptuk, eltérés, hogy
ennél a talajcsoportnál az F1 főkomponenes tartalmazza az aciditási
tulajdonságokat, az F2 pedig a szerves-ásványi jellemzőket.
A vizsgálat eredményeit az alábbiakban
foglalhatjuk össze:–A legnagyobb hatással az oldott szerves anyag változókra
(DOC, DON, DOC/DON) a CaCl2-oldható N-formákat tömörítő
főkomponensnek volt mindkét talajcsoport esetében.–Az aciditási paramétereket
tömörítő (pH és y1) főkomponens és a talaj DOC tartalma között
szignifikáns, negatív összefüggést találtunk mind a karbonátos, mind a
karbonátmentes talajoknál. –Az irodalommal ellentétes módon a
„humusz-agyag”-főkomponensnek nagyon csekély hatását tapasztaltuk mind a DOC,
mind pedig a DON koncentrációira.–Karbonátmentes talajok esetében azt találtuk,
hogy a DOC mennyiségét a három főkomponens a következőképpen határozza meg: DOC
= 0,54*** F3(N) –0,36** F2(Hu) + 0,27** F1(Ac).–Karbonátos talajoknál a
regressziós egyenlet: DOC = –0,46** F1(Ac) + 0,42** F3(N) _+
A talajminták szelénformáinak változása tárolás során
Authors: Széles Éva , Kovács Béla , Prokisch József , Győri Zoltán
Published: December 2008

A határkoncentrációkkal kapcsolatos vizsgálatokban a
természetes körülmények között folytatott szabadföldi kísérletek
elhagyhatatlanok. A kísérletek csak tartamjelleggel folytathatók, hiszen csak
így juthatunk statisztikailag megalapozott eredményekhez, amelyek segítségével,
pl. olyan környezetvédelem szempontjából fontos terhelési és toxicitási
határkoncentrációkat állapíthatunk meg, amelyek biztonságos útmutatást adnak a
gazdálkodásban, szaktanácsadásban, és a környezetvédelmi előírásokat is jól
teljesítik. A határkoncentrációk megállapításánál azért fontos
tartamkísérleteket folytatni minden országban, mivel az adott területen
speciálisan jellemző és egyedi a földtani, hidrológiai, éghajlati és az
agronómiai–gazdálkodási környezet. Így a határkoncentrációk ennek megfelelően
alakulnak.A tartamkísérletek mintáinak tárolhatósága, tárolási stabilitása
nagyon fontos kérdés. Hazánkban Kádár Imre a szennyezések vizsgálatára állított
be egy mikroelem-terheléses kísérletet 1991-ben az MTA Talajtani és Agrokémiai
Kutatóintézet Nagyhörcsöki Kísérleti Telepén, mészlepedékes csernozjom talajon.
A kísérletben 13 mikroelemet juttattak ki a területre és vizsgálták az
alkalmazott sók különböző dózisainak a szántóföldi növényekre, valamint a
talajéletre gyakorolt hatását. A szelént Na
2
SeO
3
-ként juttatták ki.A
nagyhörcsöki kísérlet szelénes kezelésű mintáinak modellezésére a területről
származó kontrolltalajmintát laboratóriumban kezeltük 10 mg·l
-1
koncentrációjú
nátrium-szelenit oldattal. A területről származó kontrolltalajminta
felhasználásával, a tartamkísérlet mintáiban mérhető szelénformák
stabilitásának vizsgálatához biztosítottuk az eredeti mintamátrixot. A mintákat
homogenizáltuk, majd 5 hónapon át három különböző hőmérsékleten (-20, 4 és 25
°C) tároltuk, 3 ismétlésben. 5 hónap elteltével IC-ICP-MS
(ionkromatográf–induktív csatolású plazma–tömegspektrométer) kapcsolt
rendszerrel vizsgáltuk a minták szelénformáit, amelyeket a talaj hideg vizes
(25 °C) extraktumában határoztuk meg. Az elemzett minták vizsgálati
eredményéből megállapítható volt, hogy a fagyasztóban (-20 °C) és
hűtőszekrényben (4 °C) tárolt minták szelénformái megfelelően stabilak; ezekben
a mintákban nem történt változás. A szobahőmérsékleten tárolt talajban a
szelenit kis mennyisége szerves formákká alakult, ez azonban olyan csekély
mértékű volt (< 0,01%), ami a kísérlet szempontjából nem számottevő. A
szelenit–szelenát átalakulás szobahőmérsékleten sem következett be. A szelenit átalakulása
szelenáttá és szerves formákká szabadföldi k_
The medical relations of open access initiative
Authors: Juhász Éva , Kührner Éva , Vasas Lívia
Published: December 2008

A sikeres orvosi munka és az orvostudományi kutatások fejlődésének egyik alapfeltétele a tudományos szakirodalmi források használata. Célunk az, hogy röviden bemutassuk az orvosi témájú nyílt hozzáférésű kiadókat, és felhívjuk a figyelmet a hozzájuk kapcsolódó nyílt hozzáférésű folyóiratok által kínált publikációs lehetőségekre, ezzel is ösztönözve a magyar orvosokat az ilyen típusú lapokban való publikálásra. Az interneten végzett vizsgálatunk eredményei azt mutatják, hogy az ezredforduló után dinamikusan növekszik a nyílt hozzáférésű publikációk száma. Nagyon biztató tény, hogy az orvosi témájú nyílt hozzáférésű kiadványok közül egyre több rendelkezik igen magas impaktfaktorral, amely garantálja a magas szakmai színvonalat. Reméljük, hogy elemzésünk hatására egyre több magyar orvos választja majd a publikálásnak ezt a módját.
Genetic risk factors in chronic pancreatitis
Authors: Sahin-Tóth Miklós , Hegyi Péter , Tóth Miklós
Published: December 2008

A hasnyálmirigy idült gyulladásos megbetegedését a mirigyszövet pusztulása, emésztési zavarok, krónikus fájdalom jellemzi, és cukorbetegség kísérheti. A betegséggel kapcsolatos genetikai tényezőket két csoportra oszthatjuk: 1. olyan génmutációk, amelyek önmagukban a betegség kialakulásához vezetnek, ezek elsősorban a kationos tripszinogén génjét érintik és igen ritkák, illetve 2. olyan génmutációk, amelyek hajlamosítanak a betegség kialakulására és egyéb kockázati tényezőkkel együtt okozzák a betegséget. Ezek tehát genetikai rizikófaktoroknak tekinthetők. Ilyen génmutációkat az utóbbi 10 évben ismertünk meg, előfordulásuk gyakori, ezért etiológiai jelentőségük is nagy. Az esetek többségében komplex módon öröklődnek, a betegek egyszerre több génben is hordozhatnak különböző mértékű kockázatot jelentő mutációt, és ezek hatásukban összeadódva, környezeti tényezőkkel társulva vezetnek a betegség kialakulásához. A mutációk okozta genetikai hajlam biokémiai hátterében a tripszin pancreason belüli fokozott ectopiás aktiválódása, illetve a tripszininaktiválásért felelős védőmechanizmusok elégtelen működése állhat.
Organizational Justice: Evidence of a New Psychosocial Predictor of Health
Authors: Elovainio Marko , Kivimäki Mika , Vahtera Jussi
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study examined the justice of decision-making procedures and interpersonal relations as a psychosocial predictor of health.

Methods. Regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between levels of perceived justice and self-rated health, minor psychiatric disorders, and recorded absences due to sickness in a cohort of 506 male and 3570 female hospital employees aged 19 to 63 years.

Results. The odds ratios of poor self-rated health and minor psychiatric disorders associated with low vs high levels of perceived justice ranged from 1.7 to 2.4. The rates of absence due to sickness among those perceiving low justice were 1.2 to 1.9 times higher than among those perceiving high justice. These associations remained significant after adjustment for behavioral risks, workload, job control, and social support.

Conclusions. Low organizational justice is a risk to the health of employees.
Deregionalization of Neonatal Intensive Care in Urban Areas
Authors: Howell Embry M. , Richardson Douglas , Ginsburg Paul , Foot Barbara
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This report describes the extent of deregionalization of neonatal intensive care in urban areas of the United States in the 1980s and 1990s and the factors associated with it.

Methods. We conducted a 15-year retrospective analysis of secondary data from US metropolitan statistical areas. Primary outcome measures are number of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) beds, number of NICU hospitals, and number of small NICUs.

Results. Growth in the supply of NICU care has outpaced the need. During the study period (1980–1995), the number of hospitals grew by 99%, the number of NICU beds by 138%, and the number of neonatologists by 268%. In contrast, the growth in needed bed days was only 84%. Of greater concern, the number of beds in small NICU facilities continues to grow. Local regulatory and practice characteristics are important in explaining this growth.

Conclusions. Local policymakers should examine the factors that facilitate the proliferation of services, especially the development of small NICUs. Policies that encourage cooperative efforts by hospitals should be developed. Eliminating small NICUs would not restrict the NICU bed supply in most metropolitan statistical areas.
On the Front Lines: An Environmental Asthma Intervention in New York City
Authors: Kinney Patrick L. , Northridge Mary E. , Chew Ginger L. , Gronning Erik , Joseph Evelyn , Correa Juan C. , Prakash Swati , Goldstein Inge
Published: December 2008

Asthma is now the leading cause of school absence among children of color in impoverished urban neighborhoods. Environmental interventions have the potential to augment clinical approaches to asthma management by directly reducing exposure to environmental triggers (e.g., cockroaches, rodents, and mold).

We implemented an apartment-based intervention to reduce exposures to indoor allergens among children living with asthma in 2 areas in New York City with rates of asthma morbidity and mortality that rank among the highest in the United States. Although the intervention phase of the present study is not yet complete, timely reporting of our field experiences may prove useful to other groups engaged in environmental intervention trials in urban communities.
Public Careers and Private Sexuality: Some Gay and Lesbian Lives in the History of Medicine and Public Health
Authors: Hansen Bert
Published: December 2008

This study explores the careers of 5 physicians active in public health and medicine during the first half of the 20th century to illustrate interactions between private and professional life. An examination of these individuals, who might today be variously designated as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer, suggests how historical understanding can be enriched by a greater willingness to investigate intimacy and sexual life as potentially relevant to career and achievements. Further, the narratives support a plea for all historians to provide readers with a more frank acknowledgment of the possible relevance of personal life to intellectual work, even in the sciences.

Additionally, this historical exploration of ways that careers and achievements may have been affected by a person's homosexuality (even when the person did not publicly embrace a gay identity) opens up a new area of research through biographical sketches based on historical sources combined with generalizations that are intentionally provisional. Included are the stories of Sara Josephine Baker, Harry Stack Sullivan, Ethel Collins Dunham, Martha May Eliot, and Alan L. Hart.
Medical Checkups: Who Does Not Get Them?
Authors: Culica Dan , Rohrer James , Ward Marcia , Hilsenrath Peter , Pomrehn Paul
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study determined which predisposing, enabling, need, behavioral, and disease factors predict the use of medical checkups.

Methods. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to obtain state estimates in Iowa.

Results. A decreased likelihood of recent checkups was noted for persons aged 25 to 44, men, and those who faced cost barriers. An increased likelihood of recent checkups was associated with married people, highest household income, health insurance, fair and poor health status, physical exercise, occasional smoking, and some chronic diseases.

Conclusions. A profile of persons not having a checkup in the past 12 months emerged from the investigation.
Diversity, the Individual, and Proof of Efficacy: Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Medical Education
Authors: Park Constance M.
Published: December 2008

Patients will always have access to a variety of possibly effective, but unproved, therapies directed at maintaining health or treating illness. And there will always be complex, potentially therapeutic regimens that cannot be adequately tested for financial, ethical, or methodological reasons. Furthermore, even after adequate study of a given regimen, there will always be the fundamental uncertainty of medical practice: the fact that epidemiological research produces probabilistic results that cannot predict with certainty the best treatment for the single unique patient before us.

The exploration of complementary and alternative medicine topics in the medical school curriculum helps to elucidate the complex and uncertain nature of medical practice, sharpens skills for clinical decisionmaking, increases cultural sensitivity, and provides ideas for future research.
What We Can Learn From Shamanic Healing: Brief Psychotherapy With Latino Immigrant Clients
Authors: Dobkin de Rios Marlene
Published: December 2008

The author, a medical anthropologist and licensed psychotherapist, draws on a database of 700 Latino immigrant families whom she has treated to demonstrate concepts and techniques of psychotherapeutic intervention that are derived from shamanic roots in the immigrant’s original culture.

Congruences may exist between the shamanic techniques of the coastal and Amazonian regions of Peru and 3 Western psychotherapy techniques—hypnosis, behavior modification, and cognitive restructuring.

By using historic links with Hispanic culture and the techniques discussed in the commentary, psychotherapists can acquire cultural competence that will enable them to effectively reduce mental illness symptoms presented by US Latino immigrants in clinical practice.
Complementary or Alternative? Stronger vs Weaker Integration Policies
Authors: Hess David J.
Published: December 2008

Scientific research is particularly important as a guide to health care policy regarding the “integration” of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into conventional medical practices. A spectrum of possibilities has emerged around the question of balancing integration toward complementary vs alternative usages.

Although scientific research can guide policies and practices, it has become subject to greater scrutiny and linked to differences on policy issues. Using CAM cancer therapies as a case study, this commentary explores relationships between methodology and policy regarding the integration of CAM therapies.
Chinese Herbal Medicine and Interferon in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials
Authors: McCulloch Michael , Broffman Michael , Gao Jin , Colford John M.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (either alone or with interferon alfa) in treating chronic hepatitis B.

Methods. We searched the TCMLARS, AMED, CISCOM, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Collaboration databases and then hand-searched the articles’ bibliographies.

Results. Chinese herbal medicine significantly increased seroreversion of HBsAg and was equivalent to interferon alfa in seroreversion of HBeAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA; Chinese herbal medicine combined with interferon alfa significantly increased seroreversion of HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA. The Chinese herbal medicine active component bufotoxin combined with interferon alfa significantly increased HBeAg and HBV DNA seroreversion. The Chinese herbal medicine active component kurorinone was equivalent to interferon alfa in seroreversion of HBeAg and HBV DNA.

Conclusions. Although the quality of existing studies was poor, these data suggest that further trials of Chinese Herbal Medicine and interferon in chronic hepatitis B infection are justified.
Comparing the Satisfaction of Low Back Pain Patients Randomized to Receive Medical or Chiropractic Care: Results From the UCLA Low-Back Pain Study
Authors: Hertzman-Miller Ruth P. , Morgenstern Hal , Hurwitz Eric L. , Yu Fei , Adams Alan H. , Harber Philip , Kominski Gerald F.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study examined the difference in satisfaction between patients assigned to chiropractic vs medical care for treatment of low back pain in a managed care organization.

Methods. Satisfaction scores (on a 10–50 scale) after 4 weeks of follow-up were compared among 672 patients randomized to receive medical or chiropractic care.

Results. The mean satisfaction score for chiropractic patients was greater than the score for medical patients (crude difference = 5.5; 95% confidence interval = 4.5, 6.5). Self-care advice and explanation of treatment predicted satisfaction and reduced the estimated difference between chiropractic and medical patients’ satisfaction.

Conclusions. Communication of advice and information to patients with low back pain increases their satisfaction with providers and accounts for much of the difference between chiropractic and medical patients’ satisfaction.
Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Persons With Diabetes Mellitus: Results of a National Survey
Authors: Yeh Gloria Y. , Eisenberg David M. , Davis Roger B. , Phillips Russell S.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study sought to characterize the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among persons with diabetes mellitus residing in the United States.

Methods. Data from a 1997–1998 national survey (n = 2055) on CAM use were examined.

Results. Ninety-five respondents reported having diabetes, of whom 57% reported CAM use in the past year; fewer respondents (35%) reported use specifically for diabetes. Therapies used for diabetes included solitary prayer/spiritual practices (28%), herbal remedies (7%), commercial diets (6%), and folk remedies (3%). Excluding solitary prayer, only 20% of respondents used CAM to treat diabetes.

Conclusions. The prevalence of CAM therapy use among persons with diabetes is comparable to that among the general population. Use of CAM therapies specifically to treat diabetes, however, is much less common.
Massage Therapy and Frequency of Chronic Tension Headaches
Authors: Quinn Christopher , Chandler Clint , Moraska Albert
Published: December 2008

Objectives. The effect of massage therapy on chronic nonmigraine headache was investigated.

Methods. Chronic tension headache sufferers received structured massage therapy treatment directed toward neck and shoulder muscles. Headache frequency, duration, and intensity were recorded and compared with baseline measures.

Results. Compared with baseline values, headache frequency was significantly reduced within the first week of the massage protocol. The reduction of headache frequency continued for the remainder of the study (P = .009). The duration of headaches tended to decrease during the massage treatment period (P = .058). Headache intensity was unaffected by massage (P = .19).

Conclusions. The muscle-specific massage therapy technique used in this study has the potential to be a functional, nonpharmacological intervention for reducing the incidence of chronic tension headache.
The Jerusalem Experience: Three Decades of Service, Research, and Training in Community-Oriented Primary Care
Authors: Epstein Leon , Gofin Jaime , Gofin Rosa , Neumark Yehuda
Published: December 2008

Community-oriented primary care (COPC) developed and was tested over nearly 3 decades in the Hadassah Community Health Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Integration of public health responsibility with individual-based clinical management of patients formed the cornerstone of the COPC approach.

A family medicine practice and a mother and child preventive service provided the frameworks for this development. The health needs of the community were assessed, priorities determined, and intervention programs developed and implemented on the basis of detailed analysis of the factors responsible for defined health states. Ongoing health surveillance facilitated evaluation, and the effectiveness of interventions in different population groups was illustrated.

The center’s international COPC involvement has had effects on primary health care policy worldwide.
International Efforts Spotlight Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine
Authors: Fink Sheri
Published: December 2008

Affordable, available, and ever more popular at home and abroad, "alternative" healers are finally getting positive attention from Western practitioners. This rapprochement has enormous implications for public health worldwide.
Reductions in Injury Crashes Associated With Red Light Camera Enforcement in Oxnard, California
Authors: Retting Richard A. , Kyrychenko Sergey Y.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study estimated the impact of red light camera enforcement on motor vehicle crashes in one of the first US communities to employ such cameras—Oxnard, California.

Methods. Crash data were analyzed for Oxnard and for 3 comparison cities. Changes in crash frequencies were compared for Oxnard and control cities and for signalized and nonsignalized intersections by means of a generalized linear regression model.

Results. Overall, crashes at signalized intersections throughout Oxnard were reduced by 7% and injury crashes were reduced by 29%. Right-angle crashes, those most associated with red light violations, were reduced by 32%; right-angle crashes involving injuries were reduced by 68%.

Conclusions. Because red light cameras can be a permanent component of the transportation infrastructure, crash reductions attributed to camera enforcement should be sustainable. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:1822–1825)
Rearrest Rates After Incarceration for DWI: A Comparative Study in a Southwestern US County
Authors: Kunitz Stephen J. , Woodall W. Gill , Zhao Hongwei , Wheeler Denise R. , Lillis Robert , Rogers Everett
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study was undertaken to assess a 28-day detention and treatment program’s effect, in a multiethnic county with high rates of alcohol-related arrests and crashes, on first-time offenders sentenced for driving while impaired (DWI).

Methods. We used comparison of baseline characteristics, survival curves of subsequent arrest, and Cox proportional hazards regression to examine probability of rearrest of those sentenced and those not sentenced to the program.

Results. Probability of not being rearrested was significantly higher for the treatment group after adjustment for covariates. At 5 years, probability of not being rearrested for the treatment vs the nontreatment group was 76.6% vs 59.9%.

Conclusions. Results suggest that this county’s program has significantly affected rearrest rates for Native Americans, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites.
Ethnic Differences in Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Midlife: Longitudinal Results From SWAN Participants
Authors: Bair Yali A. , Gold Ellen B. , Greendale Gail A. , Sternfeld Barbara , Adler Shelley R. , Azari Rahman , Harkey Martha
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We estimated the prevalence and longitudinal correlates of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at midlife among participants of the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

Methods. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between baseline survey–reported symptoms and use of herbal, spiritual, and physical manipulation therapies 1 year later.

Results. Almost half of all women had used CAM in the past year. Baseline psychological symptoms were associated with subsequent use of spiritual therapies among White and Chinese women. Baseline CAM use was a major predictor of subsequent use in White, Japanese, and Chinese women.

Conclusions. Baseline CAM use, rather than presence of symptoms, was the major predictor of subsequent CAM use. Premenopausal health behaviors are important determinants of choice of therapy during midlife.
The Pan American Health Organization’s First 100 Years: Reflections of the Director
Authors: Alleyne George A. O.
Published: December 2008

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has responded to changing political times and different health challenges and has played a significant role in some of the recent achievements in health in the region of the Americas. Some of the more remarkable health gains of the past 8 years owe their success to the broad principles of equity and Pan-Americanism that guide PAHO’s work. The production and use of scientific–technical information is the fundamental underpinning of the technical cooperation that has facilitated the health work of countries. The future is bright for PAHO’s next century.
The Defense Medical Surveillance System and the Department of Defense Serum Repository: Glimpses of the Future of Public Health Surveillance
Authors: Rubertone Mark V. , Brundage John F.
Published: December 2008

The Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) is the central repository of medical surveillance data for the US armed forces. The DMSS integrates data from sources worldwide in a continuouslyexpanding relational database that documents the military and medical experiences of servicemembers throughout their careers.

The Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) is a central archive of sera drawn from servicemembers for medical surveillance purposes.

Currently, the DMSS contains data relevant to more than 7 million individuals who have served in the armed forces since 1990, and the DoDSR contains more than 27 million specimens that are linkable to data in the DMSS. Recent applications of the DMSS and DoDSR provide glimpses of the capabilities and uses of comprehensive public health surveillance systems.
Allocating HIV-Prevention Resources: Balancing Efficiency and Equity
Authors: Kaplan Edward H. , Merson Michael H.
Published: December 2008

The primary goal of HIV prevention is to prevent as many infections as possible. This requires allocating HIV-prevention resources according to costeffectiveness principles: those activities that prevent more infections per dollar are favored over those that prevent fewer. This is not current practice in the United States, where prevention resources from the federal government to the states flow in proportion to reported AIDS cases.

Although such allocations might be considered equitable, more infections could be prevented for the same expenditures were cost-effectiveness principles invoked. The downside of pure cost-effective allocations is that they violate common norms of equity. In this article, we argue for a middle ground that promotes both equity and efficiency in allocating federal HIV-prevention resources.
Development of a Prototype System for Statewide Asthma Surveillance
Authors: Deprez Ronald D. , Asdigian Nancy L. , Oliver L. Christine , Anderson Norman , Caldwell Edgar , Baggott Lee Ann
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We developed and evaluated a statewide and community-level asthma surveillance system.

Methods. Databases and measures included a community prevalence survey, hospital admissions data, emergency department/outpatient clinic visit records, and a physician survey of diagnosis and treatment practices. We evaluated the system in 5 Maine communities varying in population and income.

Results. Asthma hospitalizations were high in the rural/low-socioeconomic-status communities studied, although diagnosed asthma was low. Males were more likely than females to experience asthma symptoms, although they were less likely to have been diagnosed with asthma or to have used hospital-based asthma care.

Conclusions. Databases were useful for estimating asthma burden and identifying service needs as well as high-risk groups. They were less useful in estimating severity or in identifying environmental risks.
HIV Prevalence Among Foreign- and US-Born Clients of Public STD Clinics
Authors: Harawa Nina T. , Bingham Trista A. , Cochran Susan D. , Greenland Sander , Cunningham William E.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We examined differences in HIV seroprevalence and the likely timing of HIV infection by birth region.

Methods. We analyzed unlinked HIV antibody data on 61 120 specimens from 7 public health centers in Los Angeles County from 1993 to 1999.

Results. Most (87%) immigrant clients were Central American/Mexican–born. HIV prevalence was similar for US- and foreign-born clients (1.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.7%, 1.9%] and 1.6% [95% CI = 1.5%, 1.8%], respectively). Seroprevalence was high among sub-Saharan African females and low among Asian/Pacific Islander males and females. For HIV-positive immigrants, the average age at and time since immigration were 20.6 years and 12.3 years, respectively.

Conclusions. The relatively young age at arrival and long time since arrival for HIVpositive foreign-born clients suggest that most were infected after immigration.
Racial Differences in Prenatal Care Use in the United States: Are Disparities Decreasing?
Authors: Alexander Greg R. , Kogan Michael D. , Nabukera Sara
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We examined trends and racial disparities (White, African American) in trimester of prenatal care initiation and adequacy of prenatal care utilization for US women and specific high-risk subgroups, e.g., unmarried, young, or less-educated mothers.

Methods. Data from 1981–1998 US natality files on singleton live births to US resident mothers were examined.

Results. Overall, early and adequate use of care improved for both racial groups, and racial disparities in prenatal care use have been markedly reduced, except for some young mothers.

Conclusions. While improvements are evident, it is doubtful that the Healthy People 2000 objective for prenatal care will soon be attained for African Americans or Whites. Further efforts are needed to understand influences on and to address barriers to prenatal care.
The Correspondence Between Interracial Births and Multiple-Race Reporting
Authors: Parker Jennifer D. , Madans Jennifer H.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. Race-specific health statistics are routinely reported in scientific publications; most describe health disparities across groups. Census 2000 showed that 2.4% of the US population identifies with more than 1 race group. We examined the hypothesis that multiple-race reporting is associated with interracial births by comparing parental race reported on birth certificates with reported race in a national health survey.

Methods. US natality data from 1968 through 1998 and National Health Interview Survey data from 1990 through 1998 were compared, by year of birth.

Results. Overall multiple-race survey responses correspond to expectations from interracial births. However, there are discrepancies for specific multiple-race combinations.

Conclusions. Projected estimates of the multiple-race population can be only partially informed by vital records.
Chiropractic Health Care in Health Professional Shortage Areas in the United States
Authors: Smith Monica , Carber Lynne
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We compared chiropractic practice volume in areas of high versus areas of low or no shortages of primary care providers.

Methods. Using data from a cross-sectional survey of US chiropractors and data from the Bureau of Health Professions’ Area Resource File, we conducted multiple linear and logistic regression modeling of the effects of rural or Health Professional Shortage Area location on chiropractic practice volume and wait times.

Results. Chiropractors in rural and high-shortage areas have busier, higher-volume practices than do those in other locales (after control for other chiropractors in the same market service area).

Conclusions. Chiropractic providers render a substantial amount of care to underserved and rural populations. Health policy planners should consider the full complement of providers available to improve access to care. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:2001–2009)
Health Care Revival Renews, Rekindles, and Revives
Authors: Lawson Erma , Young Azzie
Published: December 2008

In a Black community in Boston, Mass, a community health center developed a faith-based initiative to improve the health of community residents. In partnership with a steering committee composed of community health advocates, church leaders, and community leaders, the community health center planned and implemented annual Health Care Revival meetings at which screening activities and dissemination of health information are integrated with inspirational singing and scripture readings.

The success of the Health Care Revival initiative is demonstrated by an increased use of community health center services after each revival meeting, by participants' evaluations, and by an increase in the number of community health improvement projects begun as a direct result of the Health Care Revival initiative.
“Health for Three-Thirds of the Nation”
Authors: Derickson Alan
Published: December 2008

The public health community has made important, original contributions to the debate over universal access to health services in the United States. Well before the decision of the American Public Health Association in 1944 to endorse a health plan encompassing virtually the entire populace, prominent public health practitioners and scholars embraced universality as an essential principle of health policy. Influenced by Arthur Newsholme, C.-E. A. Winslow began to promote this principle in the 1920s. Many others came to justify universal medical care as a corollary of the traditional ideal of all-inclusive public health services. By the 1940s, most leaders in the field saw national health insurance as the best way to attain universal access. For the past 30 years, advocates of universalism have asserted a social right to health services.
Adolescent Same-Sex Romantic Attractions and Relationships: Implications for Substance Use and Abuse
Authors: Russell Stephen T. , Driscoll Anne K. , Truong Nhan
Published: December 2008

Objectives. Nationally representative data were used to examine associations of romantic attractions and relationships with substance use and abuse.

Methods. Data from the Add Health Study were examined. Youths reporting same-sex and both-sex romantic attractions and relationships were compared with those reporting opposite-sex attractions. Survey regression and logistic regression were used to control for sample design effects.

Results. In the case of certain outcomes, romantic attraction affected males differently than females. Youths with both-sex attractions were at a somewhat higher risk for substance use and abuse than were heterosexual youths; females with same-sex attractions were also at higher risk for some outcomes. Sexual-minority youths varied little from heterosexual youths in regard to trajectories of substance use and abuse.

Conclusions. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between youths with only same-sex attractions and those with both-sex attractions. These findings also call into question previous findings indicating that sexual-minority youths are automatically “at risk.”
Knowledge of Welfare Reform Program Provisions Among Families of Children With Chronic Conditions
Authors: Smith Lauren A. , Wise Paul H. , Wampler Nina S.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study examined the knowledge of and application for health-related welfare program provisions among beneficiaries with children who have chronic conditions.

Methods. We administered a survey to 143 parents of children aged 3 to 16 years with asthma or sickle cell anemia in 2 clinical settings.

Results. Respondents indicated incomplete knowledge of work requirements (69.9%) and work exemptions (50.3%). Applications for work exemptions were rare, even among Supplemental Security Income recipients (30%).

Conclusions. Welfare beneficiaries with children who have chronic conditions show limited knowledge and use of program provisions, placing them at risk for penalties or benefit termination.
Boards of Health as Venues for Clean Indoor Air Policy Making
Authors: Dearlove Joanna V. , Glantz Stanton A.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study sought to determine the tobacco industry's strategies for opposing health board actions and to identify elements necessary for public health to prevail.

Methods. Newspaper articles, personal interviews, and tobacco industry documents released through litigation were reviewed.

Results. Twenty-five instances in which the tobacco industry opposed health board regulations were identified. It was shown that the tobacco industry uses 3 strategies against health boards: “accommodation” (tobacco industry public relations campaigns to accommodate smokers in public places), legislative intervention, and litigation. These strategies are often executed with the help of tobacco industry front groups or allies in the hospitality industry.

Conclusions. Although many tobacco control advocates believe that passing health board regulations is easier than the legislative route, this is generally not the case. The industry will often attempt to involve the legislature in fighting the regulations, forcing advocates to fight a battle on 2 fronts. It is important for health boards to verify their authority over smoking restrictions and refrain from considering nonhealth factors (including industry claims of adverse economic impacts) so as to withstand court challenges.
The SUCCESS Project: The Effect of Program Format and Incentives on Participation and Cessation in Worksite Smoking Cessation Programs
Authors: Hennrikus Deborah J. , Jeffery Robert W. , Lando Harry A. , Murray David M. , Brelje Kerrin , Davidann Beth , Baxter Judith S. , Thai Dzung , Vessey John , Liu Jane
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study examined the effect of program format and incentives on participation and cessation in worksite smoking cessation programs.

Methods. Twenty-four worksites were randomized to 6 conditions that differed in cessation program format and the use of incentives. Programs were offered for 18 months in each worksite. A total of 2402 cigarette smokers identified at baseline were surveyed 12 and 24 months later to assess participation in programs and cessation.

Results. A total of 407 (16.9%) of the smoker cohort registered for programs; on the 12- and 24-month surveys, 15.4% and 19.4% of the cohort, respectively, reported that they had not smoked in the previous 7 days. Registration for programs in incentive sites was almost double that of no-incentive sites (22.4% vs 11.9%), but increased registration did not translate into significantly greater cessation rates. Program type did not affect registration or cessation rates.

Conclusions. Although incentives increase rates of registration in worksite smoking cessation programs, they do not appear to increase cessation rates. Phone counseling seems to be at least as effective as group programs for promoting smoking cessation in worksites.
The Differential Effects of Face-to-Face and Computer Interview Modes
Authors: Newman Jessica Clark , Des Jarlais Don C. , Turner Charles F. , Gribble Jay , Cooley Phillip , Paone Denise
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study assessed the differential effects of face-to-face interviewing and audio-computer assisted self-interviewing (audio-CASI) on categories of questions.

Methods. Syringe exchange program participants (n = 1417) completed face-to-face interviews or audio-CASI. The questionnaire was categorized into the groups “stigmatized behaviors,” “neutral behaviors,” and “psychological distress.” Interview modes were compared for questions from each category.

Results. Audio-CASI elicited more frequent reporting of “stigmatized behaviors” than face-to-face interviews. Face-to-face interviewing elicited more frequent reporting of “psychological distress” than audio-CASI.

Conclusions. Responding to potentially sensitive questions should not be seen as merely “providing data,” but rather as an activity with complex motivations. These motivations can include maintaining social respect, obtaining social support, and altruism. Ideally, procedures for collecting self-report data would maximize altruistic motivation while accommodating the other motives.
Ensuring a Public Health Impact of Programs to Reduce HIV Transmission From Mothers to Infants: The Place of Voluntary Counseling and Testing
Authors: Bassett Mary Travis
Published: December 2008

Since 1999, many African governments have launched programs to offer short-course antiretroviral drug regimens to reduce mother-to child transmission of HIV. HIV testing in prenatal care is the gateway to these antiretroviral regimens. Pilot projects in Africa show an uptake of antiretroviral drugs in 8% to 50% of pregnant women presumed to be HIV infected; often, a minority of eligible women in care received these regimens. Use of lay counselors and rapid onsite HIV testing may alleviate health service barriers.

Community education to promote voluntary counseling and testing, which involves men, is the long-term solution. In the short term, possibilities to enhance delivery of an effective intervention include group pretest counseling, universal offer of testing with women having the right to “opt out,” universal treatment (mass treatment for those whose HIV status is not determined by voluntary counseling and testing), universal testing with women having the right to “opt out” of learning their test results, and mass treatment for all without testing.
Effect of Nevirapine Toxicity on Choice of Perinatal HIV Prevention Strategies
Authors: Stringer Jeffrey S. A. , Sinkala Moses , Rouse Dwight J. , Goldenberg Robert L. , Vermund Sten H.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study evaluated the validity of concerns about the toxicity of nevirapine (NVP) that have delayed its implementation as a perinatal HIV prevention strategy.

Methods. A decision analysis model compared 3 strategies: single-dose NVP, short-course zidovudine (ZDV), and no intervention.

Results. NVP would prevent more deaths than ZDV and no intervention as long as the rate of NVP toxicity did not exceed, respectively, 9 times that observed in the earlier NVP clinical trial and 42 times that observed in the clinical trial. NVP would be economically preferable to ZDV as long as the rate of toxicity did not exceed 22 times that observed in the clinical trial.

Conclusions. Field implementation of NVP should not be delayed by concerns about its toxicity. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:365–366)
Relationships of Stigma and Shame to Gonorrhea and HIV Screening
Authors: Fortenberry J. Dennis , McFarlane Mary , Bleakley Amy , Bull Sheana , Fishbein Martin , Grimley Diane M. , Malotte C. Kevin , Stoner Bradley P.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between stigma and shame associated with seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and undergoing testing for gonorrhea and HIV.

Methods. Participants were 847 males and 1126 females (mean age: 24.9 years) in 7 cities. Two scales assessed STD-related stigma and STD-related shame.

Results. Rates of stigma and shame were higher among participants without a gonorrhea test in the past year and among those without an HIV test. Sex, age, health service use, previous suspicion of gonorrhea, and low levels of stigma were independently associated with gonorrhea testing. Age, enrollment site, use of health services, gonorrhea testing, and low levels of stigma were independently associated with HIV testing.

Conclusions. Shame is part of the experience of seeking STD-related care, but stigma may be a more powerful barrier to obtaining such care. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:378–381)