bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mediterranean Weather Conditions and Exacerbations of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Saaroni Hadas , Sigal Amit , Lejbkowicz Izabella , Miller Ariel
Published: June 2010

Background: Previous studies provide increasing support for the impact of environmental factors on disease incidence and activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives: The purpose of this research was to assess the relationship between the incidence of MS relapses and weather conditions in Israel. Methods: Clinical data, including occurrence of relapses in 235 patients, during 3 consecutive years (2001–2003) were assessed against the general daily meteorological variables. Initially, the relationship between the relapses and their mode of distribution was evaluated. Second, the relationship between the number of relapses on a specific date and the meteorological variables was assessed. Third, the tendency to seasonality in the occurrence of relapses was examined. Results: No significant correlation was found between the number of relapses and a specific season, month or day. Moreover, no clear relationship was found between certain meteorological variables or a combination of variables and the frequency of the relapses. Conclusion: The meteorological parameters studied were not found to have a significant impact on the occurrence of relapses in this group of patients. These findings raise questions regarding the clinical significance of the impact of weather conditions, at least in the context of the Mediterranean climate, on the disease course of patients with MS.
Eplerenone Suppresses Salt-Induced Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression in the Kidney
Authors: Eatman Danita , Layas Mohammed F. , Bayorh Mohamed A.
Published: June 2010

Background/Aim: It is well accepted that high dietary salt intake accelerates both hypertension and target organ damage. We have previously shown that eplerenone attenuates sustained elevated systolic blood pressure in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats. In the present study, we investigated the role of eplerenone on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression because we suspected that eplerenone treatment may trigger a unique mechanism that relies on the downregulation of VEGF. Methods: Dahl SS rats were fed a high salt (8% NaCl) diet for 3 weeks and then switched to normal salt (0.3% NaCl) diet with or without treatment with eplerenone (100 mg/kg/day), enalapril (30 mg/kg/day) and their combination for an additional 3 weeks. Results: In addition to reducing blood pressure, eplerenone inhibited glomeruli sclerosis and suppressed the expression of VEGF and endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA as well as protein levels. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we suggest that in part, VEGF stimulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase plays a significant role in the eplerenone-induced reversal of the renal and vascular damage caused by high dietary salt intake.
Protein Nutrition Index as a Function of Patient Survival Rate in Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Chen Kuan-Hsing , Wu Ching-Herng , Hsu Ching-Wei , Chen Yu-Ming , Weng Shu-Man , Yang Chih-Wei , Hung Cheng-Chieh
Published: June 2010

Background/Aims: Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is a well-known risk factor of long-term survival in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Serum albumin is a measure of visceral protein, lean body mass is a measure of somatic protein stores and normalized protein nitrogen appearance is a measure of daily protein intake. A protein nutrition index (PNI) that combined these 3 factors was designed and tested as a function of survival in PD patients. Methods: We enrolled 552 PD patients for this study. Demographic, biochemical, nutritional markers, comorbidity and dialysis-related data were obtained. The PNI was calculated. All patients were followed up to investigate the risks for mortality. Results: Patients with probable PEW/low-average nutrition were older and had lower serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen, lower adequacy data and higher D4/P4 Cr compared with patients with high-average/good nutrition. 108 patients (19.6%) died during the observational period. By multivariate analysis, we found only age, comorbidity index and PNI (relative risk = 0.84, confidence interval: 0.76–0.93, p = 0.001) to be independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: The PNI at the start of PD is associated with all-cause mortality, and each increase by a score of 1 in PNI leads to a 16% decrease in the risk of mortality. Predialysis evaluation of this scoring system is recommended for further research in order to improve outcomes in PD patients.
Gene Expression Profiling of Apoptosis Regulators in Patients with Sepsis
Authors: Hoogerwerf Jacobien J. , van Zoelen Marieke A. , Wiersinga W. Joost , van ’t Veer Cornelis , de Vos Alex F. , de Boer Anita , Schultz Marcus J. , Hooibrink Berend , de Jonge Evert , van der Poll Tom
Published: June 2010

Introduction: Sepsis is associated with a dysregulation of apoptosis in immune cells, which has been implicated in both immunosuppression and multiple organ failure. We describe the expression profiles of genes encoding key regulators of apoptosis in highly purified monocytes, granulocytes and CD4+ T lymphocytes. Methods: Sixteen patients with sepsis were recruited from the intensive care unit and were compared with 24 healthy controls. RNA was isolated from highly purified monocyte, granulocyte and CD4+ T-lymphocyte populations. Gene expression profiles were determined using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification for the simultaneous detection of 30 pro- and anti-apoptotic target genes. Results: Relative to healthy controls, patients with sepsis showed increased transcription of both pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in peripheral blood leukocytes. Specific monocyte, granulocyte and CD4+ T-lymphocyte mRNA profiles were identified. Anti-apoptotic profiles were found in monocytes and granulocytes, while CD4+ T lymphocytes displayed a foremost pro-apoptotic mRNA profile. Conclusions: These data indicate that in patients with sepsis, the alterations in apoptosis of circulating leukocytes occur in a cell-specific manner.
Mutational Heterogeneity, Modifier Genes, and Environmental Influences Contribute to Phenotypic Diversity of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Sen-Chowdhry Srijita , Syrris Petros , Pantazis Antonios , Quarta Giovanni , McKenna William J. , Chambers John C.
Published: June 2010

Background—

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in the ≤35-year age group. The broad phenotypic spectrum encompasses left-dominant and biventricular subtypes, characterized by early left ventricular involvement, as well as the classic right-dominant form, better known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Mendelian inheritance patterns are accompanied by incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity, the latter manifesting as diversity in morphology, arrhythmic burden, and clinical outcomes.

Methods and Results—

To investigate the role of mutational heterogeneity, genetic modifiers and environmental influences in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, we studied phenotype variability in 9 quantitative traits among an affected-only sample of 231 cases from 48 families. Heritability was estimated by variance component analysis as a guide to the combined influence of mutational and genetic background heterogeneity. Nested ANOVA was used to distinguish mutational and genetic modifier effects. Heritability estimates ranged from 20% to 77%, being highest for left ventricular ejection fraction and right–to–left ventricular volume ratio and lowest for the ventricular arrhythmia grade, suggesting differing genetic and environmental contributions to these traits. ANOVA models indicated a predominant mutation effect for the left ventricular lesion score, an indicator of the extent of fat and late enhancement on cardiovascular magnetic resonance. In contrast, the modifier genetic effect appeared significant for right ventricular end-diastolic volume, ejection fraction, and lesion score; left ventricular ejection fraction; ventricular volume ratio; and arrhythmic events.

Conclusions—

Systematic investigation of modifier genes and environmental influences will be pivotal to understanding clinical diversity in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, refining prognostication, and developing targeted therapies.
Bayesian Online Learning of the Hazard Rate in Change-Point Problems
Authors: Wilson Robert C. , Nassar Matthew R. , Gold Joshua I.
Published: June 2010

Change-point models are generative models of time-varying data in which the underlying generative parameters undergo discontinuous changes at different points in time known as change points. Change-points often represent important events in the underlying processes, like a change in brain state reflected in EEG data or a change in the value of a company reflected in its stock price. However, change-points can be difficult to identify in noisy data streams. Previous attempts to identify change-points online using Bayesian inference relied on specifying in advance the rate at which they occur, called the hazard rate (h). This approach leads to predictions that can depend strongly on the choice of h and is unable to deal optimally with systems in which h is not constant in time. In this letter, we overcome these limitations by developing a hierarchical extension to earlier models. This approach allows h itself to be inferred from the data, which in turn helps to identify when change-points occur. We show that our approach can effectively identify change-points in both toy and real data sets with complex hazard rates and how it can be used as an ideal-observer model for human and animal behavior when faced with rapidly changing inputs.
A Grouped Ranking Model for Item Preference Parameter
Authors: Hino Hideitsu , Fujimoto Yu , Murata Noboru
Published: June 2010

Given a set of rating data for a set of items, determining preference levels of items is a matter of importance. Various probability models have been proposed to solve this task. One such model is the Plackett-Luce model, which parameterizes the preference level of each item by a real value. In this letter, the Plackett-Luce model is generalized to cope with grouped ranking observations such as movie or restaurant ratings. Since it is difficult to maximize the likelihood of the proposed model directly, a feasible approximation is derived, and the em algorithm is adopted to find the model parameter by maximizing the approximate likelihood which is easily evaluated. The proposed model is extended to a mixture model, and two applications are proposed. To show the effectiveness of the proposed model, numerical experiments with real-world data are carried out.
Tractable Multivariate Binary Density Estimation and the Restricted Boltzmann Forest
Authors: Larochelle Hugo , Bengio Yoshua , Turian Joseph
Published: June 2010

We investigate the problem of estimating the density function of multivariate binary data. In particular, we focus on models for which computing the estimated probability of any data point is tractable. In such a setting, previous work has mostly concentrated on mixture modeling approaches. We argue that for the problem of tractable density estimation, the restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) provides a competitive framework for multivariate binary density modeling. With this in mind, we also generalize the RBM framework and present the restricted Boltzmann forest (RBForest), which replaces the binary variables in the hidden layer of RBMs with groups of tree-structured binary variables. This extension allows us to obtain models that have more modeling capacity but remain tractable. In experiments on several data sets, we demonstrate the competitiveness of this approach and study some of its properties.
Who’s in Charge? Presidents, Assemblies, and the Political Control of Semipresidential Cabinets
Authors: Schleiter Petra , Morgan-Jones Edward
Published: June 2010

This article develops an account of who controls Europe’s semipresidential cabinets politically. The authors ask which actors negotiate cabinet composition and what shapes who is in charge of the cabinet—questions that have been the focus of key debates about the political consequences of this regime type since Duverger. This article proposes and tests a principal—agent account of semipresidential governments as controlled by the president and assembly parties whose constitutional and electoral authority and ability to act on behalf of the voters critically shapes their influence on the government. The authors test their argument using data on 218 cabinets in 13 Eastern and Western European semipresidential regimes (1945—2005).
Using Insulin Pump Therapy in Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Wolff-McDonagh Phyllis , Kaufmann Judith , Foreman Stephen , Wisotsky Steven , Wisotsky Jo Ann , Wexler Craig
Published: June 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this pilot/feasibility study was to evaluate the use of insulin regimens among individuals with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. In addition, a secondary aim was to build the body of evidence regarding the use of insulin pumps in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

The setting was a suburban private endocrinology practice. Patients were a convenience sample of 15 adults, aged 40 to 64 years with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, as defined by a hemoglobin A1C (A1C) of 8% or higher when continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) was initiated. Baseline, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year A1C, body mass index (BMI), basal and bolus insulin use, and number of office visits were collected through medical record review. Descriptive, independent, and paired t tests were used to evaluate data.

Results

A significant reduction in basal insulin use was found. Significant reductions in A1Cs were found at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. A significant increase in BMI was noted.

Conclusions

Results indicated improvement in glycemic control with CSII for some patients with an associated increase in BMI. Reduction of basal insulin use was significant and, for some, cost effective using CSII. Current policies regarding CSII use in patients with type 2 diabetes need to be re-evaluated.
Placebo, Prozac and PLoS: significant lessons for psychopharmacology
Authors: Horder Jamie , Matthews Paul , Waldmann Robert
Published: June 2010

Kirsch et al. (2008, Initial severity and antidepressant benefits: a meta-analysis of data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. PLoS Med 5: e45), conducted a meta-analysis of data from 35 placebo controlled trials of four newer antidepressants. They concluded that while these drugs are statistically significantly superior to placebo in acute depression, the benefits are unlikely to be clinically significant. This paper has attracted much attention and debate in both academic journals and the popular media. In this critique, we argue that Kirsch et al.’s is a flawed analysis which relies upon unusual statistical techniques biased against antidepressants. We present results showing that re-analysing the same data using more appropriate methods leads to substantially different conclusions. However, we also believe that psychopharmacology has lessons to learn from the Kirsch et al. paper. We discuss issues surrounding the interpretation of clinical trials of antidepressants, including the difficulties of extrapolating from randomized controlled trials to the clinic, and the question of failed trials. We call for more research to establish the effectiveness of antidepressants in clinically relevant populations under naturalistic conditions, for example, in relapse prevention, in patients with co-morbidities, and in primary care settings.
Increased Presence of Stromal Myofibroblasts and Tenascin-C With Malignant Progression in Canine Mammary Tumors
Authors: Yoshimura H. , Michishita M. , Ohkusu-Tsukada K. , Takahashi K.
Published: June 2010

The aims of this study were to determine whether the appearance of stromal myofibroblasts and the expression of tenascin-C (Tn-C) correlate with the grade of malignancy in canine mammary tumors and to determine the main cellular source of Tn-C in these tumors. Single or double immunostaining using antibodies against α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Tn-C was performed on serial sections of normal canine mammary glands as well as those with lobular hyperplasia, simple adenoma, and simple carcinoma. Thirty-nine of 42 simple carcinomas (93%) exhibited stromal α-SMA–positive myofibroblasts and Tn-C expression. Only 6 of 11 cases of simple adenoma (55%) showed these changes, whereas no changes were observed in normal mammary gland tissue or cases of lobular hyperplasia. The distribution of stromal Tn-C correlated with the presence of myofibroblasts. However, Tn-C immunoreactivity was also occasionally observed in the basement membrane zone surrounding the myoepithelial layer in normal tissue, benign lesions, and tubulopapillary carcinomas. This pattern of staining was not related to the presence of myofibroblasts. The appearance of stromal myofibroblasts and expression of Tn-C were significantly correlated with higher histological grades of malignancy and vascular/lymphatic invasion in simple carcinomas. Stromal myofibroblasts appear to be a major cellular source of Tn-C and play an important role in the development of canine mammary tumors. The Tn-C expressed in the basement membrane zone of normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic mammary tissue, which is likely produced by neighboring myoepithelial cells, may differ functionally from the Tn-C produced by myofibroblasts.
Longitudinal Study of Clinicopathological Features of Johne’s Disease in Sheep Naturally Exposed to Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis
Authors: Dennis M. M. , Reddacliff L. A. , Whittington R. J.
Published: June 2010

The objective of this study was to describe chronological changes in infection status and enteric lesions of sheep naturally exposed to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratubercuolosis. Samples of terminal ileum (TI) and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) were collected from 77 Merino sheep via surgical biopsy at 12, 18, and 24 months of age and necropsy at 36 months of age. Infection status at each sampling period was determined by fecal, TI, and MLN culture. Quantitative grading schemes were used to gauge the severity of granulomatous inflammation and degree of mycobacterial colonization affecting TI and MLN sections. Incidences of infection and disease were steady throughout the study; 46 of the 77 (59.7%) sheep became infected, and 30 of the 77 (39.0%) developed Johne’s disease. Infection was first detected after 18 months of age in many sheep, and age when infection was first detected was not associated with clinical outcome. Culture of MLN detected 44 of the 46 (95.6%) infected sheep and initial lesions always involved MLN. Sheep typically developed lesions within 6–12 months following detection of infection by culture. The severity of enteritis and mycobacterial colonization progressed at variable rates among sheep. Severe multibacillary enteritis never regressed, and affected sheep expressed clinical signs within the following 12 months. Lymphocyte-rich paucibacillary enteritis was observed in 3 sheep, causing clinical signs in one and progressing to severe multibacillary enteritis in another. Six of the 46 (8.7%) biopsy-culture–positive sheep later had negative cultures at necropsy, suggesting recovery from infection. Further study is needed to identify factors associated with clearance of infection or progression of disease.
Taboo Buster
Authors: Ess Schurr Kristen
Published: June 2010

The first online radio station in the Arab world is tackling subjects state-owned media won’t touch, writes Kristen Ess Schurr
Open Mike
Authors: Neier Aryeh
Published: June 2010

Hatemongering broadcasters have degraded political culture in the US, says Aryeh Neier. But protection for free speech remains the best antidote
New Waves
Authors: Sambrook Richard
Published: June 2010

International radio can no longer go it alone. With shrinking audiences, its future depends on television and new technology, says Richard Sambrook
Interrupted Service
Authors: Calleja Aleida
Published: June 2010

Community radio broadcasters are on the front line in Mexico, writes Aleida Calleja
My Best Friend
Authors: Mahloujian Azar
Published: June 2010

An extract from Javad Mahzadeh’s novel, Take Away My Laughter, with an introduction and synopsis by Azar Mahloujian
Rulers of the Airwaves
Authors: Reynolds Gillian
Published: June 2010

When television took off in the 1950s no one thought radio would last, writes Gillian Reynolds. It did. Nine out of ten people in the UK listen every day
Home and community composting for on-site treatment of urban organic waste: perspective for Europe and Canada
Authors: Adhikari Bijaya K , Trémier Anne , Martinez José , Barrington Suzelle
Published: June 2010

As a result of urbanization and economic prosperity, which has accelerated the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) along with its organic fraction, the management of MSW is a challenge faced by urban centres worldwide, including the European Union (EU) and Canada. Within a concept of waste recovery, the source separation and on-site treatment of urban organic waste (UOW) can resolve some of the major economic issues faced by urban centres along with the environmental and social issues associated with landfilling. In this context and in a comparison with the traditional landfilling practice, this paper examines on-site UOW composting strategies using a combination of centralized composting facilities, community composting centres and home composting. This study consisted of a feasibility and economic study based on available data and waste management costs. The results indicate that on-site treatment of UOW using practices such as home and community composting can lower management costs by 50, 37 and 34% for the rich European countries (annual GDP over US$25 000), the poorer European countries (annual GDP under US$25 000), and Canada, respectively. Furthermore, on-site composting can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% for Europe and Canada, despite gas capture practices on landfill sites. However, the performance of home composters and the quality of the compost products are issues to be further addressed for the successful implementation of UOW on-site composting.
Induced Lactation and Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding of Adopted Premature Twins
Authors: Szucs Kinga A. , Axline Sherry E. , Rosenman Marc B.
Published: June 2010

The authors report the first published case of premature twins whose adoptive mother induced lactation. Both infants are receiving exclusively human milk (adoptive mother’s milk) at 2 months of age. This remarkable achievement reflects careful planning by the adoptive mother beginning in the prenatal period, her active role during the infants’ hospital stay, and support from health care personnel and family members. Health care professionals are encouraged to support any adoptive mother who expresses interest in breastfeeding her infant(s). J Hum Lact. 26(3):309-313.
Protective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on liver damage by a single dose of CCl 4 in male rats
Authors: Chávez-Morales RM , Jaramillo-Juárez F. , Posadas del Río FA , Reyes-Romero MA , Rodríguez-Vázquez ML , Martínez-Saldaña MC
Published: June 2010

Functional and morphological alterations were generated by p.o. (per os) administration of a single oral dose of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4; 0.125 mL/kg b.w., equivalent to 293 mg/kg) to adult male Wistar rats. CCl4 significantly increased (p < 0.05) the serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 7478 ± 1044%) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST; 6964 ± 833%), compared to control rats; CCl4 also significantly decreased serum concentration of albumin (23 ± 5.5%) and increased the concentration of malondialhdeyde (MDA) in liver (300 ± 33%). Furthermore, CCl 4 down-regulated the mRNA steady-state level of tumor necrosis factor a(TNF-a). CCl4 produced necrosis in the central lobe area, extended to the periphery, nuclear alterations (pycnosis, karyolysis and karyorrhexis), and cytoplasmic acidophilia. The pretreatment with 4 mg/kg (p.o.) of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE), for 5 days, prevented most of the damage caused by CCl4: significantly decreased the serum activities of ALT and AST (54 and 65%, respectively), compared to CCl4-treated rats; GbE partially prevented the increase of liver MDA (55 ± 14%) and the decrease of albumin concentration to 12 ± 0.2%. This pretreatment prevented the down-regulation of TNF-a and up-regulated the interleukine 6 (IL-6) mRNA steady-state level. Moreover, the GbE reduced the amount of necrotic areas in the central lobe area, compared to CCl4-treated rats.
Emplacing the Research Encounter: Exploring Farm Life Histories
Authors: Riley Mark
Published: June 2010

The article is concerned with the placing of, and making place central to, the research interview. Drawing on research on changing agricultural practices in the Peak District, the United Kingdom, the article explores how interviewing “in place,” and making place the central theme of discussion, can have both practical and theoretical advantages for the research encounter. Emplacing the encounter means that often marginalized voices can be brought into a more coconstructed and democratic narrative, while the farm and its associated micropolitics can provide a medium through which new, and often unforeseen, trajectories and narratives can develop. Moving outside, it is seen, may offer a freedom to the research. Such mobile interviewing offers devices, contexts, and instances that support and enhance the interview process, and also open up an appreciation of other forms of knowledge and narration.
Now, He’s Not Alive
Authors: Teman Eric D.
Published: June 2010

Through a mini-educational ethnography of a queer cultural center at a midsized, Western U.S. university, I explored the center’s cultural importance on the college campus and in its surrounding community. During the course of this study, one of my gay male participants, an undergraduate student leader of the center, committed suicide. While interviewing several participants (three gay males and one lesbian), I inquired into their feelings about suicide in the gay community in general and into the suicide of the center’s leader in particular. The words of four of my participants are captured in this poem.
Hide and Seek: Exploring Connections Between Embodied Rhythmic Associations of Experiences and of Stories
Authors: Day Angela M.
Published: June 2010

This performative text investigates whether familial narratives climb into our psyche, crawl under our skin, and transform notions of who we think we are. Specifically, it reveals a connection between familial stories, cultural stories, and the embodiment of them. This autoethnographic account of one family’s instances of sexual abuse examines the relationship between embodied memories of abusive experiences and the familial stories shared about the abuse. This exploration suggests that a tension exists between asexualized abuse stories and adolescent sexualized abusive experience. Stylistically, repetition is used to create a rhythm in the work that functions as the “grain” of the author’s story.
Problematizing Classed Identities in Fatherhood: Development of Integrative Case Studies for Analysis and Praxis
Authors: D'Enbeau Suzy , Buzzanell Patrice M. , Duckworth John
Published: June 2010

This article analyzes the discourse and practices of two men from different life circumstances punctuated by race, class, education, occupation, number of children, relational history, and familial background. The authors create a new data analytic technique, the integrative case study, that juxtaposes excerpts and analyses of these fathers’ interview data in imagined conversational space through poststructuralist feminist lenses. The authors foreground identity struggles that emerge in their discussions of their home and work lives, enactments of fatherhood, and strategies for managing work—life balance. Although the authors do not claim that these men are representative of the groups for which they report membership, they note the ways in which their language and embodied identity performances influence and are influenced by their portrayals.
Evidence-Based Practice Problems: Form and Focus
Authors: Rice Michael J.
Published: June 2010

Health care reform poses major challenges for psychiatric mental health care. Foremost among the challenges is a mandate for reimbursement based on performance-based outcomes. Clinicians can increase the efficiency of evidence-based practice searches by using the correct form of PICOT (population, intervention, comparator, outcome, time frame) question to focus the search, based on (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment, (c) prognosis, (d) etiology, (e) prevention, and (f) meaning. The correct form of a PICOT question focuses the literature search by requiring a minimum of sorting to find relevant studies. Quickly and effectively locating the critical evidence will help meet the performance standard mandates required by new health care reform legislation.
Have State Tax Interdependencies Changed Over Time?
Authors: Deskins John , Hill Brian
Published: June 2010

The literature investigating strategic tax competition among U.S. state has shown significant variation in terms of the magnitude, and even the sign, of tax competition effects. One dimension upon which variation in results may occur is the period of analysis. It is plausible that tax competiveness may change over time as the economic environment changes, and as such, an investigation into dynamic strategic tax responsiveness may be of value. We systematically examine whether, and to what extent, tax interdependencies have changed over time using a series of spatial regression models using a panel of state-level data covering U.S. states from 1978 through 2006. Results consistently provide evidence that the degree to which states change personal income tax (PIT) rates in response to changes in neighboring states diminished over much of the period of analysis. Results provide some evidence that responsiveness in setting sales tax rates also changed.
Strategic Tax Competition: An Experimental Study
Authors: Gunessee Sailesh
Published: June 2010

This paper examines a strategic tax competition model. I study the effect of different preferences for the public good (and resulting payoff changes) on choices, where policy makers choose one of four tax rates. Three tax competition games are derived with symmetrically low preferences and payoffs; asymmetric preferences and payoffs; and symmetrically high preferences and payoffs. Policy makers are paired both randomly and repeatedly. I investigate the effect of (1) asymmetric needs for the public good (and resulting payoff advantage) and (2) symmetrically higher public good needs. I establish that preference for the public good does affect tax choices but not always as predicted by theory. My results show (1) fiercer competition for symmetrically higher public good needs, (2) difference in behavior of policy makers under asymmetric preferences, and (3) that under repeated interactions, cooperation can be sustained only when countries have symmetric public good needs, with almost no cooperation emerging for asymmetric preferences.
Bond Insurance and Liquidity Provision: Impacts in the Municipal Variable Rate Debt Market, 2008-09
Authors: Martell Christine R. , Kravchuk Robert S.
Published: June 2010

This article explores the effects of credit enhancement, and downgrades to credit enhancement providers, on the costs to municipal issuers for holding variable rate debt during the 2008—09 market crisis. Although municipal issuers were potentially subject to pressure on their debt issues due to credit contraction, the extent of the problem has not been well researched, especially regarding credit enhancement. This study empirically investigates whether liquidity providers affect the cost of municipal variable rate debt and whether the impact is affected by credit downgrades of liquidity providers. Several important contributions are made. First, this research emphasizes the role of liquidity provision as a form of credit enhancement. Second, the value of liquidity provision is examined in the environment of credit downgrades to liquidity providers. Third, the research tests capital market efficiency using variable, as opposed to fixed rate debt, which allows for the identification of liquidity risk and default risk.
Facilitating stroke care planning through simulation modelling
Authors: Bayer Steffen , Petsoulas Christina , Cox Benita , Honeyman Alasdair , Barlow James
Published: June 2010

Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term severe disability. A major difficulty facing stroke care provision in the UK is the lack of service integration between the many authorities, professionals and stakeholders involved in the process. The objective of this article is to describe a prototype model to support integrative planning for local stroke care services.The model maps the flow of care in the acute and community segments of the care pathway for stroke patients and allows exploring alternatives for care provision. Simulation modelling can help to develop an understanding of the systemic impact of service change and improve the design and targeting of future services.
Double vision: An exploration of radiologists’ and general practitioners’ views on using picture archiving and communication systems (PACS)
Authors: Carlin Leslie , Smith Helen , Henwood Flis , Flowers Steve , Jones Andrea , Prentice Rebecca , Miles Ken
Published: June 2010

This article explores the perspectives of two user groups, general practitioners (GPs) and consultant radiologists (CRs), on the rollout of picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) within acute trusts and eventually to primary care as part of the electronic patient record. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 CRs and 31 GPs. Analysis was carried out using a grounded theory approach. Radiologists expressed positive views about the implementation of PACS in secondary care, but were wary of GPs accessing radiological images. GPs expressed concerns about the added burdens that PACS might bring to primary care, but most felt that sharing images with patients could benefit doctor—patient communication and increase patient satisfaction. This study highlights both impediments and pathways to the implementation of PACS in primary care, and illustrates the importance of regarding PACS as socially embedded and users as culturally disparate.
Agreement between structured checklists and Medicaid claims for preventive dental visits in primary care medical offices
Authors: Pahel Bhavna T. , Rozier R. Gary , Stearns Sally C.
Published: June 2010

For program evaluation purposes, the feasibility of matching Medicaid claims with physician-completed structured checklists (encounter forms, EFs) was assessed in a pediatric office-based preventive dental program. We examined agreement on visits (weighted kappa) and predictors of a match between EFs and claims (multinomial logit model with practice-level clustering). In total, 34,171 matches occurred between 41,252 EFs and 40,909 claims, representing 82.8 per cent of EFs and 83.5 per cent of claims. Agreement on visits was 56 per cent (weighted kappa = 0.66). Pediatric practices provided the majority of visits (82.4%) and matches. Increasing age of child and residence in same county as the medical practice increased the likelihood of a match. Structured checklists can be combined with claims to better assess provision of preventive dental services in pediatric primary care. However, future research should examine strategies to improve the completion of structured checklists by primary care providers if data beyond claims are to be used for program evaluation.
The public and the Internet: Multifaceted drives for seeking health information
Authors: Boot Cécile R L , Meijman Frans J
Published: June 2010

The aim of this study was to gain insight into people’s drives, or motives, for seeking health information on the Internet. A systematic literature review, restricted to handbooks and reviews, was conducted by searching the databases of various disciplines. Each drive was translated into the context of health information. Five drives were retrieved from the fields of psychology, mass communication, library and information science, and medical science: drives regarding the retrieval of knowledge, social contact or support, tempering uncertainty, entertainment, and self-actualization. Based on these results, three hypotheses were generated for future research: (1) drives are interconnected and may be present simultaneously in the process of seeking information; (2) they not only serve as antecedents for the need for information, but are present throughout the entire information-seeking process; (3) they are subject to change throughout the information-seeking process. Various drives play a role in the health information-seeking process.
The Study of the Low K of PTFE Composites with Hollow Glass Spheres
Authors: Tsai I-Shou , Kuo Ya-Chen
Published: June 2010

This study uses air-filled hollow glass spheres (HGS) to study the dielectric constant of different high-frequency electric circuits following the evidence cited in our previous experiment, which found that air has a low dielectric constant (K), and is an excellent thermal insulating medium. A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/HGS composite board was fabricated using various proportions of PTFE as the matrix, and nitrogen gas-filled glass spheres as the fillers. In order to measure the dielectric properties of particular composites, composite boards were made from 60% solid content PTFE emulsion with HGS. A composite board was compounded with the help of a barbender with evenly spread HGS. To obtain a composites board, the gel was mixed in a blender and then molded and calendared to release bubbles and increase the surface uniformity. After cooling and sintering, this material formed a composites board. Furthermore, composite boards were made by the sandwich method, with one layer of PTFE emulsion mixed with HGS between two PTFE films. Several series of boards were made by varying a wide range of parameters, including the addition of different amounts of HGS powders, the powder size of HGS, and different fabrication procedures. All these parameters appeared to have varying effects on the dielectric properties. Both the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss factor were increased by additions of HGS loading. The amount of HGS was found to be 30%, which would achieve a dielectric constant of 1.65 and a dielectric loss factor of 0.0008. Both the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss factor were decreased by increasing the hollow pores; these factors reached minimal levels with 5000 rpm of blender rotation speed, then increased to add an HGS ball of 20 μm powder size with 1% loading to obtain the best conditions for the dielectric properties of PTFE/ HGS composite materials.
Insights from the conduct of a device trial in older persons: low magnitude mechanical stimulation for musculoskeletal health
Authors: Kiel Douglas P , Hannan Marian T , Barton Bruce A , Bouxsein Mary L , Lang Thomas F , Brown Kathleen M , Shane Elizabeth , Magaziner Jay , Zimmerman Sheryl , Rubin Clinton T
Published: June 2010

Background Osteoporosis is a common complication of aging. Alternatives to pharmacologic treatment are needed for older adults. Nonpharmacologic treatment with low magnitude, high frequency mechanical stimulation has been shown to prevent bone loss in animal and human studies.

Methods The VIBES (Vibration to Improve Bone Density in Elderly Subjects) study is a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial of the efficacy of low magnitude, high frequency mechanical stimulation in 200 men and women aged 60 years and older with bone mineral density T-scores by dual X-ray absorptiometry between —1 and —2.5 at entry. Participants are healthy, cognitively intact residents of independent living communities in the Boston area who receive free calcium and Vitamin D supplements. They are randomly assigned to active or sham treatment and stand on their assigned platform once daily for 10 min. All platforms have adherence data collection software downloadable to a laptop computer. Adverse events are closely monitored. 174 participants were randomized and will be followed for 2 years. Almost all active subjects have attained 1 year of follow-up. Bone mineral density is measured by both dual X-ray absorptiometry and quantitative computed tomography at baseline and annually. The main analysis will compare mean changes from baseline in volumetric bone density by quantitative computed tomography in active and sham groups. Adherence and treatment effect magnitude will also be evaluated. Secondary analyses will compare changes in two biochemical markers of bone turnover as well as longitudinal comparisons of muscle and balance endpoints.

Results The VIBES trial has completed its first year of data collection and encountered multiple challenges leading to valuable lessons learned about the areas of recruitment from independent living communities, deployment of multiuser mechanical devices using radio frequency identification cards and electronic adherence monitoring, organization of transportation for imaging at a central site, and the expansion of study aims to include additional musculoskeletal outcomes.

Conclusions These lessons will guide future investigations in studies of individuals of advanced age. Clinical Trials 2010; 7: 354—367. http://ctj.sagepub.com
A Bayesian adaptive design with biomarkers for targeted therapies
Authors: Eickhoff Jens C , KyungMann Kim  , Beach Jason , Kolesar Jill M , Gee Jason R
Published: June 2010

Background Targeted therapies are becoming increasingly important for the treatment of various diseases. Biomarkers are a critical component of a targeted therapy as they can be used to identify patients who are more likely to benefit from a treatment. Targeted therapies, however, have created major challenges in the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials. In traditional clinical trials, treatment effects for various biomarkers are typically evaluated in an exploratory fashion and only limited information about the predictive values of biomarkers obtained.

Purpose New study designs are required, which effectively evaluate both the diagnostic and the therapeutic implication of biomarkers.

Methods The Bayesian approach provides a useful framework for optimizing the clinical trial design by directly integrating information about biomarkers and clinical outcomes as they become available. We propose a Bayesian covariate-adjusted response-adaptive randomization design, which utilizes individual biomarker profiles and patient’s clinical outcomes as they become available during the course of the trial, to assign the most efficacious treatment to individual patients. Predictive biomarker subgroups are determined adaptively using a partial least squares regression approach.

Results A series of simulation studies were conducted to examine the operating characteristics of the proposed study design. The simulation studies show that the proposed design efficiently identifies patients who benefit most from a targeted therapy and that there are substantial savings in the sample size requirements when compared to alternative designs.

Limitations The design does not control for the type I error in the traditional sense and a positive result should be confirmed by conducting an independent phase III study focusing on the selected biomarker profile groups.

Conclusions We conclude that the proposed design may serve a useful role in the early efficacy phase of targeted therapy development. Clinical Trials 2010; 7: 546—556. http://ctj.sagepub.com
Evaluation of an automated method to assist with error detection in the ACCORD central laboratory
Authors: Strylewicz Gregory , Doctor Jason
Published: June 2010

Background Errors in clinical laboratory data are rare but their potential high cost both in terms of harm to the subject as well as diluted statistical power results in a significant workload for experts, who must review large volumes of data in the search for these errors.

Purpose The current research objective is to develop and evaluate a method to assist in detecting potential errors in laboratory data for an interventional clinical trial, such as Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes, where treatment effects may be influenced by errors in the data.

Methods Utilizing data from a clinical trial investigating the effect of intensive glycemic control on major cardiovascular disease events, we constructed an algorithm that conducts probabilistic error detection called a ‘Bayesian network’. Using a synthetic error model, errors were introduced into a testing dataset, and the Bayesian network’s performance in identifying those errors was compared to laboratory experts. For each laboratory result we used the Bayesian network to compute the probability, the measured value was erroneous. This probability was then used to compute a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Three laboratory experts were recruited and took a survey consisting of 200 laboratory results. The task was to evaluate if these results were erroneous or not and to provide a confidence rating on a 6-point subjective probability scale.

Results The Bayesian network’s overall area under the ROC curve was calculated to be 0.79, whereas the three laboratory experts had areas under the ROC curve of 0.73, 0.73, and 0.72. Perfect error prediction and random guessing yield a ROC of 1.00 and 0.50, respectively. This difference in performance was statistically significant for all three experts. Human experts were also generally overconfident in their ability to detect errors.

Limitations The model is, by design, specific to a novel intervention in a specific diabetic population and, therefore, the specific Bayesian network discussed may not generalize to other interventions and populations. In addition, the study is limited by the small number of expert eligible to complete the survey.

Conclusions The results of this study suggest that continuous Bayesian networks, suitably constructed, may serve as an effective tool to assist experts in the review of voluminous laboratory data by flagging unlikely results for more thorough review. Clinical Trials 2010; 7: 380—389. http://ctj.sagepub.com
Successful subject recruitment for a prostate cancer behavioral intervention trial
Authors: Heiney Sue P , Arp Adams Swann , Drake Bettina F , Bryant Lisa H , Bridges Lynne , Hebert James R
Published: June 2010

Background Inadequate participant recruitment, which may lead to unrepresentative study samples that threaten a study’s validity, is often a major challenge in the conduct of research studies.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a recruitment plan and evaluate the different recruitment strategies for a prostate cancer behavioral intervention trial.

Methods Our recruitment plan was based on a framework (The Heiney—Adams Recruitment Model) that we developed, which combines relationship building and social marketing. We evaluated the success of our model using several different recruitment sources including: mailed letters, physician referral, and self-referral.

Results Recruitment rates ranged from 67% for a support services department mailing to 100% for physician referral. While our original list of contacted patients was comprised of only 13% African American (AA) men, 22% of our recruited participants were AA.

Limitations One of the strongest barriers to recruitment was strict patient eligibility. Another significant barrier was the lack of electronic records systems to allow for the identification of large numbers of potential participants.

Conclusions In conclusion, our model incorporating social marketing and relationship building was quite successful in recruiting for a prostate cancer behavioral study, particularly AA participants. In developing strategies, future researchers should attend to issues of staffing, financial resources, physician support, and eligibility criteria in the light of study accrual. Clinical Trials 2010; 7: 411—417. http://ctj.sagepub.com