bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel pathways for glycoprotein import into chloroplasts
Authors: Faye L. , Daniell H.
Published: March 2006

Although the chloroplast contains its own genome, majority of its protein components are encoded by nuclear genes and must be imported post‐translationally. In general, proteins synthesized by cytosolic ribosomes are post‐translationally targeted to the chloroplast through interactions between their N‐terminal transit sequence and protein translocon Toc/Tic complexes in the chloroplast membranes. An alternative pathway that mediates post‐translational delivery of proteins to the chloroplast via the secretory pathway was recently described. This pathway provides new opportunities for complementation of the chloroplast protein maturation machinery with chaperones needing endoplasmic reticulum and/or Golgi typical maturations such as N‐glycosylation for their biological activity or using chloroplasts as a storage compartment for glycoproteins.
Estimation of Wood Fibre Length Distributions from Censored Data through an EM Algorithm
Authors: SVENSSON INGRID , SJÖSTEDT‐DE LUNA SARA , BONDESSON LENNART
Published: March 2006

Abstract. An expectation maximization (EM) algorithm is proposed to find fibre length distributions in standing trees. The available data come from cylindric wood samples (increment cores). The sample contains uncut fibres as well as fibres cut once or twice. The sample contains not only fibres, but also other cells, the so‐called ‘fines’. The lengths are measured by an automatic fibre‐analyser, which is not able to distinguish fines from fibres and cannot tell if a cell has been cut. The data thus come from a censored version of a mixture of the fine and fibre length distributions in the tree. The parameters of the length distributions are estimated by a stochastic version of the EM algorithm, and an estimate of the corresponding covariance matrix is derived. The method is applied to data from northern Sweden. A simulation study is also presented. The method works well for sample sizes commonly obtained from increment cores.
Doing Gender unto the Other: Fiction as a Mode of Studying Gender Discrimination in Organizations
Authors: Czarniawska Barbara
Published: March 2006

Although ‘doing gender’ has been recently defined as an accomplishment, an element of social practice, this understanding of the concept needs to be extended to coercive action such as subtle workplace discrimination. Even though great effort has been invested in revealing the dynamic of such social practices, the researcher's task is not easy for a variety of reasons. This type of study is difficult to conduct by following traditional research design and many alternative approaches have been tried. This article presents the possibility of using fiction as one possible and relatively unexploited venue of research.
Practising Gender at Work: Further Thoughts on Reflexivity
Authors: Martin Patricia Yancey
Published: March 2006

In an effort to make visible the subtle and seldom acknowledged aspects of gendering dynamics, Martin focuses on unreflexive practices that both communicate and constitute gender in paid work settings. She reviews the distinction between practices that are culturally available to ‘do gender’ and the literal practising of gender that is constituted through interaction. While acknowledging that agency is involved in any practicing of gender, she considers how intentionality and agency intersect, arguing that people in powerful positions routinely practise gender without being reflexive about it. Defining practising as emergent, directional, temporal, rapid, immediate and indeterminate, Martin shows how these qualities affect men as well as women in unexpected and often harmful ways. She concludes with a call for innovative ways to ‘catch gender in practice’ and for attention to reflexivity's role in the ongoing constitution of gender at work.
Gendering the Research Self: Social Practice and Corporeal Multiplicity in the Writing of Organizational Research
Authors: Pullen Alison
Published: March 2006

This article examines the problems inherent in taking a reflexively gendered position in writing research accounts. Such socially constructed accounts typically require researchers to do one of two things: to suppress the feminine and write implicitly as male, or to adopt a textual position as ‘woman’ that fails to do justice to the complex and unstable multiplicity that underpins the research self. It is argued that this shifting multiplicity is stabilized by the relationship between self and research text being corporeally grounded and gendered in practice. Three possible approaches to gender are considered: the discursive/textual approach (as developed by Foucault); the performance/social practice approach (as developed by Judith Butler) and the corporeal multiplicity approach (as developed by Elizabeth Grosz and Dorothea Olkowski). The article concludes by suggesting a tripartite approach to writing self‐multiplicity in research to extend the possibilities opened up by the social practice approach: re‐citing (redeploying discursive resources in intertextuality); re‐siting (changing the positioning of the self in power relations by reinscribing) and re‐sighting (opening up new, virtual visions of possibility).
‘Have You Got a Boyfriend or are You Single?’: On the Importance of Being ‘Straight’ in Organizational Research
Authors: Bruni Attila
Published: March 2006

The article focuses on heterosexuality as a covert feature of organization studies as well as of organizational research. In fact, while organization studies have discussed the gendered and the gendering aspects of organizational practices and organizational theory, the implication of heterosexuality has yet to receive intensive analysis in these fields. And while the mutual and reflexive constitution of the observer and the observed has been the topic of a considerable amount of research, the dimension of (heterosexual) desire in this process of mutual constitution is still largely unexplored. Referring to three different episodes that occurred while the author was doing organizational ethnography, the article suggests that a heterosexual model of desire is called into action both in organizational and research activities and that focusing on it can be an occasion to question not only the gender (and heterosexual) biases of organizational practices but also the way in which gender and sexuality are mobilized while doing research. In particular, on the basis of the concept of cathexis, the article shows how heterosexuality is learnt and enacted as a situated practice and through a variety of processes: performing power, negotiating and displaying that one belongs to an organizational culture, obscuring the hetero‐normativity of professional identities and neglecting the emotional engagement that characterizes research activities and that exposes the researcher to an otherwise vulnerable position.
Craniofacial morphology and feeding behavior inCanis dirus, the extinct Pleistocene dire wolf
Authors: Anyonge W. , Baker A.
Published: March 2006

The craniofacial morphology of the extinct late Pleistocene dire wolfCanis diruswas compared with that of the living gray wolfCanis lupus, the spotted hyaenaCrocuta crocutaand the extinct late Miocene bone‐cracking canidBorophagus secundus. Fifteen indices that have previously been shown to reflect functional significance in the skull, jaws and related musculature of carnivorans were computed from a series of measurements made on the skulls of the four species and subjected to an analysis of variance and a principal components analysis. The results indicated that the extinct dire wolf was similar to the living gray wolf in 11 of the 15 indices. The dire wolf did not differ significantly from the gray wolf in the relative length of resistance arms to various tooth positions in the lower jaw or in the relative size, mechanical advantage and moment arm of the masseter muscle. The dire wolf was characterized by a relatively larger temporalis muscle that was capable of generating more force than that in the gray wolf. The extinct late Miocene borophagine dogB. secunduswas intermediate between the two wolves and the spotted hyaena in most of the cranial and jaw indices, but displayed more similarity to the latter in several key features that can be attributed to their specialization for bone cracking.Borophagus secundusand the spotted hyaena tended to have short resistance arms and large jaw muscles with increased mechanical advantage for bites at various teeth. It is inferred that the dire wolf exhibited feeding behavior that approached that of the living gray wolf, but may have differed in killing technique, where it held longer to its struggling prey.
Puncturing ability of idealized canine teeth: edged and non‐edged shanks
Authors: Freeman P. W. , Lemen C.
Published: March 2006

Idealized edged and non‐edged indenters, mimicking canine teeth, were used to puncture thin materials and thick materials. Less force was needed for the edged (triangular in cross section) indenter to penetrate thin Mylar, paper, leather, beetle elytra and turkey skin than the non‐edged (circular in cross‐section) indenter. Oak, grass and magnolia leaves responded equally to both indenters. In thick materials, the edged indenter punctured beetles, shrimp, bananas, and chicken flesh more easily than the non‐edged indenter. Apple, tomato and avocado were punctured equally well. The edged indenter directs cracks at the corners so that the material can fold away in the direction of puncture, whereas cracks form unpredictably with the non‐edged indenter. Edged indenters have the advantage in many of the materials tested.
GEOMETRIC MORPHOMETRICS OF THE SKULL ROOF OF STEREOSPONDYLS (AMPHIBIA: TEMNOSPONDYLI)
Authors: STAYTON C. TRISTAN , RUTA MARCELLO
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  Geometric morphometric analysis using relative warps is applied to the skull roof of 62 species of stereospondyls and their closest outgroups (i.e. basal archegosauriforms) from among temnospondyl amphibians. Twenty‐one landmarks and five taxonomic groups are used for comparisons. Their skull evolution is quantified in a morphospace defined by two relative warps axes. The majority of groups show poor concordance between morphological and phylogenetic distances. The only exception is represented by Yates and Warren's study of stereospondyl relationships, in which concordance is high. Only basal archegosauriforms and rhinesuchids show significant overlap in morphospace, although this might be due to low sample sizes. Regression of estimated mean disparity against taxon sample size shows that species within both the trematosauroid and the rhytidostean groups are more widely dispersed in morphospace than species belonging to any of the remaining stereospondyl groups. Stereospondyl skull evolution was characterized by divergence between major clades and convergence within those clades. Changes in patterns of morphospace occupation through time agree with the hypothesis of an ‘explosive’ radiation in the early Early Triassic, after the extinction of basal archegosauriforms at the end of the Permian.
A NEW SEMIONOTIFORM (ACTINOPTERYGII, NEOPTERYGII) FROM UPPER JURASSIC – LOWER CRETACEOUS DEPOSITS OF NORTH‐EAST THAILAND, WITH COMMENTS ON THE RELATIONSHIPS OF SEMIONOTIFORMS
Authors: CAVIN LIONEL , SUTEETHORN VARAVUDH
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  A new semionotiform fish, Isanichthys palustris gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous Phu Kradung Formation, north‐east Thailand. I. palustris is known from a single, nearly complete specimen found alongside abundant Lepidotes specimens at the Phu Nam Jun locality. I. palustris shows a mixture of semionotid‐like characters, such as the pattern of cheek ossifications, and lepisosteid‐like characters, such as the body shape and a dorsal fin opposed by an anal fin. I. palustris possesses only some of the characters currently used to define the Semionotidae. Cladistic analyses including various semionotid and gar taxa, together with Amia calva and Leptolepis coryphaenoides, suggest that the Semionotiformes (Lepisosteidae and ‘Semionotidae’) form a monophyletic clade, but the ‘Semionotidae’ taxa form an unresolved polytomy. The relationships between Semionotiformes, Halecomorphi and Teleostei are unresolved. When restricted to the best‐known taxa, however, the analysis shows the monophyly of the Semionotidae sensu stricto (Semionotus + Lepidotes) and a sister‐group relationship between halecomorphs and teleosts. These last two results are regarded as the preferred hypothesis for further studies. I. palustris is the only known example of a predaceous, probably piscivorous, ‘semionotid’. It illustrates the great diversity and ecological adaptation of the semionotiforms during the Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous. We question the phylogenetic relationships of ‘ancient fishes’ founded on molecular‐based trees because we suspect that the use of very few Recent taxa as representatives of previously diverse lineages is an inevitable, but important, bias in the construction of such trees.
A NEW SNAKE MACKEREL FROM THE MIOCENE OF ALGERIA
Authors: CARNEVALE GIORGIO
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  A new genus and species of gempylid is described from the Late Miocene (Messinian) diatomite deposits of the Chelif Basin, north‐east Algeria. Although its skeleton is incomplete, Chelifichthys goujeti gen. et sp. nov. possesses a unique combination of features that justifies its recognition as a new genus. Chelifichthys goujeti is characterized by remarkably elongate and serrated dorsal‐fin spines, the absence of external pelvic‐fin elements, and sculptured frontals and opercular bones. Chelifichthys appears to be closely related to the living genera Nealotus, Prometichthys, Rexea and Rexichthys. Chelifichthys goujeti represents the third record of the family Gempylidae in the Neogene of the Mediterranean.
CHILBINIA GEN. NOV., AN ARCHAIC SEED FERN IN THE LATE TRIASSIC CHINLE FORMATION OF ARIZONA, USA
Authors: ASH SIDNEY R.
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  A seed‐bearing pinnate leaf found in the Chinle Formation of Late Triassic age in Arizona appears to be an archaic seed fern that more closely resembles typical Carboniferous–Permian seed fern leaves than any younger form. The fossil, which is described here as Chilbinia lichii gen. et sp. nov., incorporates characters of several Palaeozoic taxa. These characters include pinnules that have reticulate venation resembling that in some species of Lonchopteris, cordate bases similar to those found in many species of Sphenopteris, and, except for a significant difference in size, linear ovate seeds that resemble the radially symmetrical seeds found attached to a species of Alethopteris in the Permian of China. The presence of this fossil in strata of Late Triassic age is further evidence that plant extinctions after the Permian–Triassic ecological crisis followed a stepwise pattern and apparently continued for at least 20–25 myr after the end of the Permian in western parts of the Triassic paratropical belt.
VARIATIONS IN THE MORPHOLOGY OF EMU (DROMAIUS NOVAEHOLLANDIAE) TRACKS REFLECTING DIFFERENCES IN WALKING PATTERN AND SUBSTRATE CONSISTENCY: ICHNOTAXONOMIC IMPLICATIONS
Authors: MILÀN JESPER
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  Fossil footprints appear in a variety of preservational states, each revealing a different morphology that can give rise to misidentification and misinterpretations. Comparative ichnological work was conducted using living emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae). It was clearly demonstrated that the morphological variation that occurred in footprints of the same animal, walking in the same manner, was caused by variation in substrate consistency. Dry sand substrates are unlikely to preserve any anatomical details of the foot, whereas damp sand or mud of firm consistency preserves a high level of anatomical detail. The finest anatomical details, such as skin impressions, are only preserved in firm mud or clay. In semi‐fluid to fluid mud the track walls collapse, destroying the shape of the footprint. Increased speed of progression affects the shape of the footprint dramatically as the distal ends of the digits become more deeply impressed in the substrate during acceleration. Plantigrade stance adopted by the emu while feeding produces highly elongated footprints. Applying these observations to the study of fossil footprints demonstrates that great care should be paid to the original sedimentary conditions at the time of track making, as well as to the stance and gait of the trackmaker.
RHYTIDOSTEID TEMNOSPONDYLS IN GONDWANA: A NEW TAXON FROM THE LOWER TRIASSIC OF BRAZIL
Authors: DIAS‐DA‐SILVA SÉRGIO , MARSICANO CLAUDIA , SCHULTZ CESAR LEANDRO
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  A new South American Early Triassic stereospondyl is described and considered to represent a new taxon, Cabralia lavinai gen. et sp. nov. The material consists of two well‐preserved skull fragments. According to recent phylogenetic analyses of rhytidosteids and related taxa, the new taxon is referred to the Rhytidosteidae based on the presence of orbits that are located close to the skull margins, an otic notch that is reduced to an embayment, tabular horns that are reduced and broad based, a straight posterior margin of the palate, skull sculpture with nodules and pustules, and a ‘twisted’ quadrate ramus of the pterygoid. The presence of a prominent lacrimal bone suggests a basal position within Rhytidosteidae for C. lavinai, and possibly a close relationship with the Indian Indobrachyops, because all other known rhytidosteids exhibit the derived condition of an absence of the lacrimal. The presence of a basal rhytidosteid in the Paraná Basin of South America strongly supports previous hypotheses of a Gondwanan origin and radiation of stereospondyl temnospondyls during the Early Triassic, but leaves unresolved the question of where exactly they arose within that region.
LUTETIACADER, A PUZZLING NEW GENUS OF CANTACADERID LACE BUGS (HETEROPTERA: TINGIDAE) FROM THE MIDDLE EOCENE MESSEL MAAR, GERMANY
Authors: WAPPLER TORSTEN
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  A new genus of cantacaderid lace bugs, Lutetiacader gen. et sp. nov., is described from the lower Middle Eocene of Messel Quarry, Germany. It clearly belongs to the cantacaderid lineage of Tingidae, and is the second known fossil genus of the tribe Cantacaderini (after Paleocader Froeschner). It appears to be most similar to extant species of the genera Nectocader Drake (Brazil) and Teratocader Drake (Malay Peninsula). Lutetiacader occupies a central position with respect to the geographical gap between the ranges of these two extant genera. Its biogeographical significance is discussed.
A NEOSELACHIAN SHARK FROM THE NON‐MARINE WESSEX FORMATION (WEALDEN GROUP: EARLY CRETACEOUS, BARREMIAN) OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT, SOUTHERN ENGLAND
Authors: SWEETMAN STEVEN C. , UNDERWOOD CHARLIE J.
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  Bulk screening of Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation strata exposed on the south‐east coast of the Isle of Wight, southern England, has resulted in the recovery of neoselachian shark teeth referred to the scyliorhinid Palaeoscyllium. These are the first neoselachian remains from the British Wealden Group and represent the geologically oldest neoselachian yet recovered from a freshwater deposit. This is also the only known example of a non‐marine occurrence of a member of the Scyliorhinidae.
Subcellular Localization of Mammalian Type II Membrane Proteins
Authors: Aturaliya Rajith N. , Fink J. Lynn , Davis Melissa J. , Teasdale Melvena S. , Hanson Kelly A. , Miranda Kevin C. , Forrest Alistair R. R. , Grimmond Sean M. , Suzuki Harukazu , Kanamori Mutsumi , Kai Chikatoshi , Kawai Jun , Carninci Piero , Hayashizaki Yoshihide , Teasdale Rohan D.
Published: March 2006

Application of a computational membrane organization prediction pipeline, MemO, identified putative type II membrane proteins as proteins predicted to encode a single alpha‐helical transmembrane domain (TMD) and no signal peptides. MemO was applied to RIKEN's mouse isoform protein set to identify 1436 non‐overlapping genomic regions or transcriptional units (TUs), which encode exclusively type II membrane proteins. Proteins with overlapping predicted InterPro and TMDs were reviewed to discard false positive predictions resulting in a dataset comprised of 1831 transcripts in 1408 TUs. This dataset was used to develop a systematic protocol to document subcellular localization of type II membrane proteins. This approach combines mining of published literature to identify subcellular localization data and a high‐throughput, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based approach to experimentally characterize subcellular localization. These approaches have provided localization data for 244 and 169 proteins. Type II membrane proteins are localized to all major organelle compartments; however, some biases were observed towards the early secretory pathway and punctate structures. Collectively, this study reports the subcellular localization of 26% of the defined dataset. All reported localization data are presented in the LOCATE database (http://www.locate.imb.uq.edu.au).
Final steps in the catabolism of nicotine
Authors: Chiribau Calin‐Bogdan , Mihasan Marius , Ganas Petra , Igloi Gabor L. , Artenie Vlad , Brandsch Roderich
Published: March 2006

New enzymes of nicotine catabolism instrumental in the detoxification of the tobacco alkaloid by Arthrobacter nicotinovorans pAO1 have been identified and characterized. Nicotine breakdown leads to the formation of nicotine blue from the hydroxylated pyridine ring and of γ‐N‐methylaminobutyrate (CH3‐4‐aminobutyrate) from the pyrrolidine ring of the molecule. Surprisingly, two alternative pathways for the final steps in the catabolism of CH3‐4‐aminobutyrate could be identified. CH3‐4‐aminobutyrate may be demethylated to γ‐N‐aminobutyrate by the recently identified γ‐N‐methylaminobutyrate oxidase [Chiribau et al. (2004) Eur J Biochem271, 4677–4684]. In an alternative pathway, an amine oxidase with noncovalently bound FAD and of novel substrate specificity removed methylamine from CH3‐4‐aminobutyrate with the formation of succinic semialdehyde. Succinic semialdehyde was converted to succinate by a NADP+‐dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Succinate may enter the citric acid cycle completing the catabolism of the pyrrolidine moiety of nicotine. Expression of the genes of these enzymes was dependent on the presence of nicotine in the growth medium. Thus, two enzymes of the nicotine regulon, γ‐N‐methylaminobutyrate oxidase and amine oxidase share the same substrate. The Km of 2.5 mm and kcat of 1230 s−1 for amine oxidase vs. Km of 140 µm and kcat of 800 s−1 for γ‐N‐methylaminobutyrate oxidase, determined in vitro with the purified recombinant enzymes, may suggest that demethylation predominates over deamination of CH3‐4‐aminobutyrate. However, bacteria grown on [14C]nicotine secreted [14C]methylamine into the medium, indicating that the pathway to succinate is active in vivo.
The Risk of Breast, Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer in Users of Hormonal Preparations
Authors: Bernstein Leslie
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Because endogenous hormones play a major role in the risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer, the impact on risk of oral contraceptives and of hormonal therapy given at about the time of menopause has been a major concern. Numerous studies provide insight into whether risk is increased or decreased in association with use of these preparations. Oral contraceptives present a chemopreventive opportunity for endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer as risk is dramatically lower among women who have used these preparations than among those who have not. Balanced against this is the potential for risk of breast cancer to be increased with oral contraceptive use. A pooled analysis of studies conducted through the early 1990s found that only current or recent users were at higher risk of breast cancer, but two more recent studies provide conflicting results with one showing no impact of oral contraceptives on risk of any group of women and the other showing an increase in risk with use. Among women participating in observational studies who are current or recent users of oestrogen therapy and who have relatively long durations of use, risk of breast cancer is modestly elevated; results from the Women's Health Initiative trial, based on a relatively short duration of oestrogen use are consistent with these observations. Oestrogen therapy increases endometrial cancer risk dramatically. It may also increase the risk of ovarian cancer; however more study of this issue is needed as the literature is inconsistent. Combined oestrogen and progestin therapy increases breast cancer risk by as much as 10% per year of use. Endometrial cancer risk is not elevated when combined therapy is given in a cyclic manner with progestin administered only part of the time and it is reduced when both oestrogen and progestin are administered on a daily basis. As with oestrogen therapy, the impact of combined therapy on ovarian cancer risk is uncertain.
Making the Most of Spontaneous Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting
Authors: Waller Patrick C.
Published: March 2006

Abstract: The primary purpose of spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting is to provide early warnings or “signals” of previously unrecognized drug toxicity. The method was developed in the 1960s in response to the thalidomide tragedy and is now well‐established throughout the developed world. Health professionals are the key original source of reports, the value of patient reporting is yet unclear. Electronic transmission of all reports is likely to become the norm within a few years. This is well‐advanced between pharmaceutical companies and regulatory authorities but still in its infancy for health professionals in many parts of the world. Considered globally, the process may be inefficient and movement towards centralization of databases with appropriate access controls is logical. Alternative methods for capturing clinical suspicions of adverse drug reactions should be investigated and could provide more systematic data. However much it can be improved, spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting is unlikely to identify all important unrecognized drug safety hazards. Complementary approaches therefore still need to be identified and developed.
Indications for Propensity Scores and Review of their Use in Pharmacoepidemiology
Authors: Glynn Robert J. , Schneeweiss Sebastian , Stürmer Til
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Use of propensity scores to identify and control for confounding in observational studies that relate medications to outcomes has increased substantially in recent years. However, it remains unclear whether, and if so when, use of propensity scores provides estimates of drug effects that are less biased than those obtained from conventional multivariate models. In the great majority of published studies that have used both approaches, estimated effects from propensity score and regression methods have been similar. Simulation studies further suggest comparable performance of the two approaches in many settings. We discuss five reasons that favour use of propensity scores: the value of focus on indications for drug use; optimal matching strategies from alternative designs; improved control of confounding with scarce outcomes; ability to identify interactions between propensity of treatment and drug effects on outcomes; and correction for unobserved confounders via propensity score calibration. We describe alternative approaches to estimate and implement propensity scores and the limitations of the C‐statistic for evaluation. Use of propensity scores will not correct biases from unmeasured confounders, but can aid in understanding determinants of drug use and lead to improved estimates of drug effects in some settings.
Measuring Prescribing Improvements in Pragmatic Trials of Educational Tools for General Practitioners
Authors: Maclure Malcolm , Nguyen Anne , Carney Greg , Dormuth Colin , Roelants Hendrik , Ho Kendall , Schneeweiss Sebastian
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Randomized pragmatic trials of drugs, physician education and drug policies are needed to improve pharmacosurveillance and cost‐effectiveness of prescribing. Since 1994, we have developed and tested methods for low‐cost education and policy trials to improve prescribing in primary care in Canada. We review methodology for using drug claims and other health services data to evaluate prescribing improvement programs and policies. We apply the lessons to a proposed trial of physician education tools (PET) for quality improvement of prescribing. Design issues for the trial include defining the potential programme in causal terms using counterfactuals, narrowing the denominator to the population affected, excluding noise from the numerator, calculating the prescribing preference, adjusting for baseline differences, controlling for modifiers and confounders, accounting for uncertainty when measuring impacts, and grouping practices for feedback and recognition. Data from a randomized trial of academic detailing illustrate measurement challenges. A decade of progress on methods for evaluating prescribing improvement programs with drug claims data has enabled planning of routine randomized pragmatic trials of education and policies in primary care in Canada.
Non‐Steroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs and the Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Hernández‐Díaz Sonia , Varas‐Lorenzo Cristina , García Rodríguez Luis A.
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Whether non‐aspirin non‐steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) affect the risk of myocardial infarction is unclear. Also, it is unknown whether the effect varies by individual NSAIDs. To summarize the evidence from published observational studies on the risk of myocardial infarction associated with both traditional NSAIDs (tNSAIDs) and selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase‐2 (Coxibs), the authors conducted a systematic review of cohort and case‐control studies on NSAIDs and myocardial infarction published between 2000 and 2005. Sixteen original studies were selected according to predefined criteria. Two researchers independently extracted the data on individual study characteristics and results. The authors calculated pooled relative risk (RR) estimates of myocardial infarction for specific NSAIDs compared with no NSAID use, tested the heterogeneity of effects, and evaluated potential reasons for heterogeneity. The pooled RR of myocardial infarction was 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92–1.05) for naproxen, 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02–1.12) for ibuprofen, 1.44 (95% CI: 1.32–1.56) for diclofenac, 0.96 (95% CI: 0.90–1.02) for celecoxib, and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.17–1.36) for rofecoxib (all doses). The pooled RR for rofecoxib at doses >25 mg/day was 1.78 (95% CI: 1.36–2.34), and 1.18 (95% CI: 1.07–1.31) for doses ≤25 mg/day. The RR associated with naproxen was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72–0.90) among non‐users of low‐dose aspirin. The RR associated with rofecoxib (all doses) was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.25–1.54) among subjects without a history of myocardial infarction. The risk of myocardial infarction varies with individual NSAIDs. An increased risk was observed for diclofenac and rofecoxib, the latter one with a clear dose‐response trend. There was a suggestion of a small increased risk with ibuprofen. Also, data suggest a small reduced risk for naproxen present only in non‐users of aspirin, mainly people free of clinically apparent vascular disease.
Comparison of Dynamic Treatment Regimes via Inverse Probability Weighting
Authors: Hernán Miguel A. , Lanoy Emilie , Costagliola Dominique , Robins James M.
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Appropriate analysis of observational data is our best chance to obtain answers to many questions that involve dynamic treatment regimes. This paper describes a simple method to compare dynamic treatment regimes by artificially censoring subjects and then using inverse probability weighting (IPW) to adjust for any selection bias introduced by the artificial censoring. The basic strategy can be summarized in four steps: 1) define two regimes of interest, 2) artificially censor individuals when they stop following one of the regimes of interest, 3) estimate inverse probability weights to adjust for the potential selection bias introduced by censoring in the previous step, 4) compare the survival of the uncensored individuals under each regime of interest by fitting an inverse probability weighted Cox proportional hazards model with the dichotomous regime indicator and the baseline confounders as covariates. In the absence of model misspecification, the method is valid provided data are available on all time‐varying and baseline joint predictors of survival and regime discontinuation. We present an application of the method to compare the AIDS‐free survival under two dynamic treatment regimes in a large prospective study of HIV‐infected patients. The paper concludes by discussing the relative advantages and disadvantages of censoring/IPW versus g‐estimation of nested structural models to compare dynamic regimes.
Use of Health Care Databases in Pharmacoepidemiology
Authors: Hennessy Sean
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Pharmacoepidemiology is the study of the use and effects of medications in populations. Large health care databases are often used to address research questions within pharmacoepidemiology. This paper briefly describes the kinds of research questions that can be addressed using pharmacoepidemiology databases, provides an overview of pharmacoepidemiologic databases, describes some differences between medical records and administrative databases, discusses factors that should be considered when choosing a database for a particular study, and considers what the future holds.
Is there an Interaction between the Cardiovascular Protective Effects of Low‐Dose Aspirin and Ibuprofen?
Authors: MacDonald Thomas M. , Wei Li
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Laboratory studies and studies in normal volunteers have suggested a possible adverse interaction between aspirin and ibuprofen. It is thought that ibuprofen prevents aspirin from gaining access to platelet cyclooxygenase. Following the publication of these studies, a number of observational and other studies have been published. We review these studies identified by structured searching of Medline and Pubmed databases. We conclude that on the balance of probabilities that ibuprofen is more likely to interact with aspirin than not. This interaction is more likely in those who take ibuprofen chronically and is more important in those at high cardiovascular risk. Thus, a reasonable strategy might be to advise aspirin takers to avoid chronic ibuprofen.
Is it Possible to Measure Prescribing Quality using only Prescription Data?
Authors: Andersen Morten
Published: March 2006

Abstract: A large number of prescribing quality indicators based on register data have been proposed and many are used routinely in quality management. Often the content and face validity of indicators have been assessed by consensus methods, but studies analysing other validity aspects are scarce. Prescription data are frequently used for indicators, but they do not provide any direct information about disease and patient factors important for judging the quality of prescribing. If register‐based proxies for diagnoses, disease severity or risk factors are employed, validation is essential. The concurrent validity of indicators should be assessed by comparing to a “gold standard” quality assessment at the patient level using all available clinical information. The validity of frequently used quality indicators of asthma treatment has been questioned and should be further investigated. NSAID prescribing indicators are currently under evaluation. In the future, detailed clinical information from practice databases and computerised hospital records will be an important data source for indicators and for validation studies. Furthermore, the statistical and epidemiological properties of prescribing quality indicators need more attention.
Xanthogranulomatous Inflammation of Corpus Cavernosum
Authors: Seo Young , Jo Hyang Jeong , Rim Joung Sik
Published: March 2006

Introduction

Xanthogranulomatous inflammation is a rare, chronic destructive inflammatory lesion. The pathological finding is typically lymphocyte and plasma cell infiltration, surrounded by accumulating lipid-laden macrophages.

Methods

A 65-year-old healthy man presented with a 3-week history of a painless palpable mass in the penis.

Results

The patient underwent an excision of the mass with a tunica albuginea, and a graft from the tunica vaginaglis. Histopathological findings showed the diffuse xanthogranulomatous inflammation.

Conclusions

Xanthogranulomatous inflammation of corpus cavernosum in old men is a rare condition. The inflammatory mass should be treated by complete excision and graft.
AGN-controlled cooling in elliptical galaxies
Authors: Best P. N. , Kaiser C. R. , Heckman T. M. , Kauffmann G.
Published: March 2006

A long-standing problem for models of galaxy formation has been the mismatch between the predicted shape of the mass function of dark matter halos and the observed shape of the luminosity function of galaxies. The number of massive haloes is predicted to decrease as a power law (N∝M−2) out to very large masses, while the galaxy luminosity function cuts off exponentially at luminosities above L*. This implies that the efficiency with which gas cools onto massive systems is lower than expected. This letter investigates the role of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) in continually re-heating the cooling gas. By combining two observational results, the time-averaged energy output associated with recurrent radio source activity is determined, as a function of the black hole mass of the host galaxy: . It is shown that for massive elliptical galaxies this radio-source heating balances the radiative energy losses from the hot gas surrounding the galaxy. The recurrent radio-loud AGN activity may therefore provide a self-regulating feedback mechanism capable of controlling the rate of growth of galaxies.
The growth of the nuclear black holes in submillimetre galaxies
Authors: Granato G. L. , Silva L. , Lapi A. , Shankar F. , De Zotti G. , Danese L.
Published: March 2006

We show that the ABC scenario we proposed for the co-evolution of spheroids and QSOs predicts accretion rates and masses of supermassive black holes in submillimetre galaxies in keeping with recent X-ray determinations. These masses are well below the local values as well as those predicted by alternative models. The observed column densities may be mostly due to interstellar medium in the galaxy. The contribution of the associated nuclear activity to the X-ray background is likely negligible, while they may contribute a sizeable fraction of ∼10 per cent to hard X-ray cumulative counts at the faintest observed fluxes.
Making New Zealanders through commemoration: Assembling Anzac Day in Auckland, 1916–1939
Authors: Henry Matthew
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  Anzac Day in New Zealand has been traditionally framed within a nationalist discourse, in which the events of the day have provided the medium for the remembrance of a singular national event. Moving beyond this interpretative tradition the paper examines Anzac Day as a moment in the exercise of an ongoing governmental power concerned with issues of contemporary conduct. Focusing on interwar Auckland the paper traces the assemblage of time, space and rhetoric, which enabled the production of a commemorative, governmental landscape.
‘Toheroa Wars’: Cultural politics and everyday resistance on a northern New Zealand beach
Authors: Murton Brian
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  This paper examines how the cultural politics of resource management were played out on the North Kaipara beach between about 1900 and 1971 between Māori and the representative of the Crown, the Marine Department. Particular attention is devoted to how, after regulations were introduced to protect toheroa, the giant surf clam, Māori struggled to assert their rights through a range of transgressions. The paper argues that this illustrates how cultural politics works both from the top down (the Marine Department's implementation of policy) and the bottom up (Māori resistance). It concludes that through an examination of this particular ‘culture war’, the foreshore emerges as a contested domain where politics, culture and epistemology are inseparable.
Wind and water: Environmental learning in early colonial New Zealand
Authors: Holland Peter , Mooney Bill
Published: March 2006

Abstract:  In the 19th century, pamphlets and handbooks written for intending settlers often depicted New Zealand as environmentally benign. Upon arrival, however, the newcomers experienced episodes of stormy weather and flooding. They also found greater variations across the country, between the seasons, and from year to year, than they had been led to expect. Primarily by experience, but in part guided by Māori informants, rural people learned to recognize the signs of impending storms and flooding in lowland rivers. They also came to appreciate the less predictable features of eastern South Island weather systems, and found ways to reduce their economic and environmental impact.
Psychosocial Differences Between Whites and African Americans Living With HIV/AIDS in Rural Areas of 13 US States
Authors: Heckman Bernadette Davantes
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACT: 
Context: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevalence rates are increasing rapidly in rural areas of the United States. As rural African Americans are increasingly affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), it is important to identify psychosocial factors unique to this group so that AIDS mental health interventions can be culturally contextualized to meet their unique needs. Purpose: The current study characterized psychosocial functioning in 43 rural African Americans living with HIV/AIDS and compared their levels of functioning to those of 196 HIV‐infected rural white persons. Methods: All participants were recruited through AIDS service organizations in 13 US states. Surveys were completed as part of a preintervention phase of a randomized clinical trial evaluating 2 mental health interventions for HIV‐infected rural persons. Findings: Compared to their white counterparts, fewer African Americans had progressed to AIDS. African American participants also reported higher levels of coping self‐efficacy, more support from family members, and marginally fewer depressive symptoms, and they engaged in more active coping. African Americans who had greater HIV disease severity also received less support from family members and experienced more loneliness. Conclusions: Study findings caution that rural African Americans and whites living with HIV disease should not be considered a homogeneous group.
Geographic Access to Health Care for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Chan Leighton , Hart L. Gary , Goodman David C.
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACT: Context:Patients in rural areas may use less medical care than those living in urban areas. This could be due to differences in travel distance and time and a utilization of a different mix of generalists and specialists for their care.Purpose:To compare the travel times, distances, and physician specialty mix of all Medicare patients living in Alaska, Idaho, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington.Methods:Retrospective design, using 1998 Medicare billing data. Travel time was determined by computing the road distance between 2 population centroids: the patient's and the provider's zone improvement plan codes.Findings:There were 2,220,841 patients and 39,780 providers in the cohort, including 6,405 (16.1%) generalists, 24,772 (62.3%) specialists, and 8,603 (21.6%) nonphysician providers. There were 20,693,828 patient visits during the study. The median overall 1‐way travel distance and time was 7.7 miles (interquartile range 1.9–18.7 miles) and 11.7 minutes (interquartile range 3.0–25.7 minutes). The patients in rural areas needed to travel 2 to 3 times farther to see medical and surgical specialists than those living in urban areas. Rural residents with heart disease, cancer, depression, or needing complex cardiac procedures or cancer treatment traveled the farthest. Increasing rurality was also related to decreased visits to specialists and an increasing reliance on generalists.Conclusions:Residents of rural areas have increased travel distance and time compared to their urban counterparts. This is particularly true for rural residents with specific diagnoses or those undergoing specific procedures. Our results suggest that most rural residents do not rely on urban areas for much of their care.
Variations in Health Insurance Coverage for Rural and Urban Nonelderly Adult Residents of Florida, Indiana, and Kansas
Authors: Hu Hsou Mei , Duncan R. Paul , Radcliff Tiffany A. , Porter Colleen K. , Hall Allyson G.
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACT: 
Context: Evidence exists for differences in health insurance coverage among states, but less is known about variations across different kinds of communities within states. Purpose: This article assesses the role of residential setting (metropolitan county, rural adjacent, and rural nonadjacent) in health insurance coverage for adult residents, under age 65, using data from large‐scale surveys collected in 3 diverse states (Florida, Indiana, and Kansas). Methods: Descriptive statistics are provided, and logistic regression models are used to examine the relationship between uninsurance status and residential settings while controlling for personal characteristics. Adjusted uninsurance rates by residential settings are presented for each state. Findings: Residential settings are significantly associated with uninsurance status in 2 of the 3 states we examined. We find that adult Floridians of rural adjacent counties are more likely to be uninsured than those in urban counties, but, for Indiana residents, uninsurance status is comparable between urban and rural adjacent residents. Rural nonadjacent Indiana residents are more likely to be uninsured compared to those in urban counties. The insurance status of adult Kansans does not vary across residential settings. Conclusion: Residential settings are significantly associated with being uninsured, but the significance of this link between residential locations and uninsurance status varies from state to state.
Characteristics of Registered Nurses in Rural Versus Urban Areas: Implications for Strategies to Alleviate Nursing Shortages in the United States
Authors: Skillman Susan M. , Palazzo Lorella , Keepnews David , Hart L. Gary
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACT: Methods:This study compares characteristics of rural and urban registered nurses (RNs) in the United States using data from the 2000 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. RNs in 3 types of rural areas are examined using the rural‐urban commuting area taxonomy.Findings:Rural and urban RNs are similar in age and sex; nonwhites and Hispanics are underrepresented in both groups. Rural RNs have less nursing education, are less likely to work in hospitals, and are more likely to work full time and in public/community health than urban RNs. The more rural an RN's residence, the more likely he/she commutes to another area for work and the lower salary he/she receives.Conclusions:Strategies to reduce nurse shortages should consider differences in education, work patterns, and commuting behavior among rural and urban RNs. Solutions for rural areas require understanding of the impact of the workplace on these behaviors.