bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of NGOs in Promoting Micro Health Insurance: A Study with Reference to ‘Sampoorna Suraksha’ Health Insurance Scheme by SKDRDP, Mangalore (India)
Authors: Pinto Vishal 
Published: December 2015

The insurance sector has penetrated towards many of the high-income individuals and families but was unable to reach to those poor who do not have the capacity to purchase these insurance products. Thus, it is has created a huge gap between the rich and the poor. Micro health insurance is a new phenomenon in the Indian insurance sector which is specifically designed for the poor. This insurance programme is very essential for the individuals to protect them from various uncertainties and risk. The insurance is normally a product designed for the convenience of the middle- and higher-income groups of people. The lower segments of the people are alienated from taking the insurance policies as the prices of the policies are too high and unaffordable for them. Microfinancial institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work with urban and rural poor felt the need for the security of these people. Thus, many such institutions have come forward to offer insurance facilities to the poor. They have kept policy prices low and the premium was priced according to their level of income. The Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Programme (SKDRDP) is one such institution which has focused on medical and hospitalization costs of the poor people. Accordingly, they designed a favourable micro health insurance product named as ‘Sampoorna Suraksha’ health insurance scheme. The scheme was introduced in the year 2004 and has witnessed tremendous progress over the years. In this article, we have analyzed the concept of micro-insurance, its development in India, its delivery models etc. We have also evaluated the ‘Sampoorna Suraksha’ scheme of SKDRDP and the progress of the insurance scheme in terms of enrolment, claim settlement, premium collection etc. The main objective of this article is to analyze the role of NGOs towards micro health insurance. In order to make an appropriate study, we have used exploratory and descriptive research methodology by taking the SKDRDP as a unit of the case study.
Short-term pre- and post-Operative Stress Prolongs Incision-Induced Pain Hypersensitivity without Changing Basal Pain Perception
Authors: Cao Jing , Wang Po-Kai , Tiwari Vinod , Liang Lingli , Lutz Brianna Marie , Shieh Kun-Ruey , Zang Wei-Dong , Kaufman Andrew G. , Bekker Alex , Gao Xiao-Qun , Tao Yuan-Xiang 
Published: December 2015

Background Chronic stress has been reported to increase basal pain sensitivity and/or exacerbate existing persistent pain. However, most surgical patients have normal physiological and psychological health status such as normal pain perception before surgery although they do experience short-term stress during pre-and post-operative periods. Whether or not this short-term stress affects persistent postsurgical pain is unclear. Results In this study, we showed that pre-or post-surgical exposure to immobilization 6 h daily for three consecutive days did not change basal responses to mechanical, thermal, or cold stimuli or peak levels of incision-induced hypersensitivity to these stimuli; however, immobilization did prolong the duration of incision-induced hypersensitivity in both male and female rats. These phenomena were also observed in post-surgical exposure to forced swimming 25 min daily for 3 consecutive days. Short-term stress induced by immobilization was demonstrated by an elevation in the level of serum corticosterone, an increase in swim immobility, and a decrease in sucrose consumption. Blocking this short-term stress via intrathecal administration of a selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU38486, or bilateral adrenalectomy significantly attenuated the prolongation of incision-induced hypersensitivity to mechanical, thermal, and cold stimuli. Conclusion Our results indicate that short-term stress during the pre- or post-operative period delays postoperative pain recovery although it does not affect basal pain perception. Prevention of short-term stress may facilitate patients' recovery from postoperative pain.
Survival Impact of Increasing Time to Treatment Initiation for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer in the United States
Authors: Murphy Colin T. , Galloway Thomas J. , Handorf Elizabeth A. , Egleston Brian L. , Wang Lora S. , Mehra Ranee , Flieder Douglas B. , Ridge John A. 
Published: December 2015

Purpose To estimate the overall survival (OS) impact from increasing time to treatment initiation (TTI) for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), we examined patients who received curative therapy for the following sites: oral tongue, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. TTI was the number of days from diagnosis to initiation of curative treatment. The effect of TTI on OS was determined by using Cox regression models (MVA). Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) identified TTI thresholds via conditional inference trees to estimate the greatest differences in OS on the basis of randomly selected training and validation sets, and repeated this 1,000 times to ensure robustness of TTI thresholds. Results A total of 51,655 patients were included. On MVA, TTI of 61 to 90 days versus less than 30 days (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.19) independently increased mortality risk. TTI of 67 days appeared as the optimal threshold on the training RPA, statistical significance was confirmed in the validation set (P < .001), and the 67-day TTI was the optimal threshold in 54% of repeated simulations. Overall, 96% of simulations validated two optimal TTI thresholds, with ranges of 46 to 52 days and 62 to 67 days. The median OS for TTI of 46 to 52 days or fewer versus 53 to 67 days versus greater than 67 days was 71.9 months (95% CI, 70.3 to 73.5 months) versus 61 months (95% CI, 57 to 66.1 months) versus 46.6 months (95% CI, 42.8 to 50.7 months), respectively (P < .001). In the most recent year with available data (2011), 25% of patients had TTI of greater than 46 days. Conclusion TTI independently affects survival. One in four patients experienced treatment delay. TTI of greater than 46 to 52 days introduced an increased risk of death that was most consistently detrimental beyond 60 days. Prolonged TTI is currently affecting survival.
Androgen Regulates Mafb Expression Through its 3′UTR During Mouse Urethral Masculinization
Authors: Matsushita Shoko , Suzuki Kentaro , Ogino Yukiko , Hino Shinjiro , Sato Tetsuya , Suyama Mikita , Matsumoto Takahiro , Omori Akiko , Inoue Satoshi , Yamada Gen 
Published: December 2015

AbstractExternal genitalia are prominent organs showing hormone-dependent sexual differentiation. Androgen is an essential regulator of masculinization of the genital tubercle, which is the anlage of external genitalia. We have previously shown that v-maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog B (MAFB) is an androgen-inducible regulator of embryonic urethral masculinization in mice. However, it remains unclear how androgen regulates Mafb expression. The current study suggests that the Mafb 3′ untranslated region (UTR) is an essential region for its regulation by androgen. We identified 2 functional androgen response elements (AREs) in Mafb 3′UTR. Androgen receptor is bound to such AREs in 3′UTR during urethral masculinization. In addition to 3′UTR, Mafb 5′UTR also showed androgen responsiveness. Moreover, we also demonstrated that β-catenin, one of genital tubercle masculinization factors, may be an additional regulator of Mafb expression during urethral masculinization. This study provides insights to elucidate mechanisms of gene regulation through AREs present in Mafb 3′UTR for a better understanding of the processes of urethral masculinization.
Evaluation of PEG-SAM Stabilities and Inhibition of Nonspecific Protein Adsorption during Storage for 2 Months
Authors: Aoki Takahiro , Okumura Yasuaki , Shioi Masahiko , Kawamura Tatsuro 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
We investigated the stabilities of poly(ethylene glycol)-terminated self-assembled monolayers (PEG-SAMs) and quantitatively evaluated their inhibition of nonspecific protein adsorption on Au substrates. PEG-SAMs with 16-carbon alkyl chains bound stably to the Au substrate and inhibited nonspecific protein adsorption, in contrast to PEG-SAMs with 11 or fewer carbon alkyl chains, as demonstrated by 2 months’ storage in a protein mixture at 37 °C.
Synthesis and Characterization of Heterofluorenes with Five-coordinated Group 13 Elements
Authors: Matsumoto Takuya , Takamine Hirofumi , Tanaka Kazuo , Chujo Yoshiki 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Heterofluorenes containing group 13 atoms such as aluminum (alumafluorene) and gallium (gallafluorene) were synthesized and characterized. The synthesized heterofluorenes had five-coordinated states in their single crystals. From UV–vis absorption measurements, the heterofluorenes presented similarly shaped spectra. Interestingly, in the emission spectra at room temperature, gallafluorene presented the phosphorescence property. At 77 K, gallafluorene showed larger phosphorescence than alumafluorene did. The heavy atom effect of gallium should be responsible for the phosphorescence property of gallafluorene.
Facile Preparation and Characterization of Polystyrene/Triphenyl Phosphate Nanocomposite via Suspension Polymerization
Authors: Zhang Cunwei , Li Xiangmei , Yang Rongjie 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
In this work, polystyrene (PS)/triphenyl phosphate (TPP) nanocomposites were prepared by suspension polymerization. The TPP dissolved firstly in styrene monomer, and then suspension polymerization was carried out. The results showed that TPP nanoparticles, being about 50 nm spheres, were homogeneously and uniformly dispersed in a PS matrix, which was first reported. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of TPP nanoparticles was simulated by the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method. The flame retardance of the PS/TPP nanocomposite was significantly improved, which was attributed to the nanodispersion of TPP particles in the PS matrix.
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(arylene vinylene ketone)s Bearing 1,1′-Binaphthylene Units through Mizoroki–Heck Coupling Polymerization
Authors: Tsukamoto Tadashi , Maeyama Katsuya , Higashibayashi Shuhei , Sakurai Hidehiro 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Mizoroki–Heck coupling polymerization of diiodonated 1,1′-binaphthyls ((S)-1/2) with divinylbenzenes (DVB-H/-Me/-OMe) afforded a series of poly(arylene vinylene ketone)s (PAVK1–PAVK6). The resulting PAVKs have high thermal stabilities, excellent solubilities in organic solvents, and pale blue to green fluorescence properties.
Ab Initio Study of Internal Conversion through S1/S2 and S2/S3 Conical Intersections of 6-Acetyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene
Authors: Kunisada Tomotaka , Ushiyama Hiroshi , Yamashita Koichi 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
In this letter, we report the results of an ab initio study on non-radiative decay from the S3 to S1 states of the ACEDAN molecule. We discuss if the process is likely to occur on an ultrafast time scale and if a coherent nuclear wavepacket is likely to be generated due to a non-adiabatic transition through the conical intersection. We conclude that the decay from S3 to S2 is likely to occur on an ultrafast time scale.
Healthy lifestyle behaviours in pregnancy: A prospective cohort study in Ireland
Authors: Dunney Clare , Murphy Deirdre J 
Published: December 2015

Background: Women attempting to conceive and those in early pregnancy are advised to alter their lifestyles to achieve and maintain a healthy pregnancy. This study aimed to determine women's reported health behaviours during pregnancy to identify ‘at risk’ groups of women and their pregnancy outcomes. Method: A cohort study of 907 women who booked for antenatal care and birth in a large maternity hospital in Dublin, was undertaken from 2010–2011. Eligible women completed an interview at the first visit, a postal questionnaire during the third trimester, and were followed-up until birth and hospital discharge. Results: Over 80% of women were found to have factors contributing to an unhealthy lifestyle during the first and third trimester of pregnancy. Clustering of unfavourable factors was evident, with 47% of women engaging in two or more unhealthy lifestyle behaviours during pregnancy. Women of Irish nationality, aged 35–39 years, or who had private health care, were identified as being more likely to have favourable factors for a healthy pregnancy. Women were more likely to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviours during the third trimester if they were having their first baby. Women with healthy lifestyles in pregnancy had better perinatal outcomes than unhealthy women. Conclusion: Many women continue to make unhealthy lifestyle choices during pregnancy despite guidelines that recommend healthy behaviours in pregnancy. The ongoing challenge for health professionals is to encourage healthy behaviour modification in women who are planning to conceive or who are already pregnant, particularly young women and those with an unplanned pregnancy.
Comparison of ceiling effects between two patient-rating scores and a physician-rating score in the assessment of outcome after the surgical treatment of distal radial fractures
Authors: Kim S-J. , Lee B-G. , Lee C-H. , Choi W-S. , Kim J-H. , Lee K-H. 
Published: December 2015

We compared the ceiling effects of two patient-rating scores, the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE), and a physician-rating score, the Modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS) in assessing the outcome of surgical treatment of an unstable distal radial fracture. A total of 77 women with a mean age of 64.2 years (50 to 88) who underwent fixation using a volar locking plate for an unstable distal radial fracture between 2011 and 2013 were enrolled in this study. All completed the DASH and PRWE questionnaires one year post-operatively and were assessed using the MMWS by the senior author. The ceiling effects in the outcome data assessed for each score were estimated.The data assessed with both patient-rating scores, the DASH and PRWE, showed substantial ceiling effects, whereas the data assessed with MMWS showed no ceiling effect.Researchers should be aware of a possible ceiling effect in the assessment of the outcome of the surgical treatment of distal radial fractures using patient-rating scores. It could also increase the likelihood of a type II error.Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1651–6.
Disproportionate growth between the spine and pelvis in patients with thoracic adolescent scoliosis
Authors: Bao H. , Liu Z. , Yan P. , Qiu Y. , Zhu F. 
Published: December 2015

A self-control ratio, the spine-pelvis index (SPI), was proposed for the assessment of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in this study. The aim was to evaluate the disproportionate growth between the spine and pelvis in these patients using SPI. A total of 64 female patients with thoracic AIS were randomly enrolled between December 2010 and October 2012 (mean age 13 years, standard deviation (sd) 2.17; 9 to 18) and a further 73 healthy female patients with a mean age of 12.4 years (mean age 12.4 years, sd 2.24; 9 to 18), were randomly selected from a normal control database at our centre. The radiographic parameters measured included length of spine (LOS), height of spine (HOS), length of thoracic vertebrae (LOT), height of thoracic vertebrae (HOT), width of pelvis (WOP), height of pelvis (HOP) and width of thorax (WOT). SPI was defined as the ratio LOS/HOP. The SPI and LOT/HOP in patients with AIS showed a significant increase when compared with normal girls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively), implying an abnormal pattern of growth of the spine relative to the pelvis in patients with AIS. No significant difference in SPI was found in different age groups in the control group, making the SPI an age-independent parameter with a mean value of 2.219 (2.164 to 2.239). We also found that the SPI was not related to maturity in the control group. This study, for the first time, used a self-control ratio to confirm the disproportionate patterns of growth of the spine and pelvis in patients with thoracic AIS, highlighting that the SPI is not affected by age or maturity. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1668–74.
Culture, arts and health: A multi-disciplinary Swedish perspective
Authors: Sigurdson Ola 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The primary aim of this article is to introduce how culture and health, as a field of enquiry as well as practice, is organized conceptually in Sweden. A secondary and minor aim is to launch a more general discussion of the relationship between ‘culture’, ‘arts’ and ‘health’ and their implication for multi-disciplinary research. After introducing how ‘Culture and Health’ as an academic as well as applied field of enquiry has been introduced in Sweden and giving some examples of current research, I relate this project to a more general discussion of definitions of health and culture in a Swedish and an English-speaking setting. In particular, I show that ‘Culture and Health’ in a Swedish setting encompasses both ‘Arts and Health’ and ‘Medical Humanities’. Finally, I offer some pragmatic considerations on why a multi-disciplinary perspective is vital for ‘Culture and Health’, ending up in a concluding presentation of the implications of this multi-disciplinarity for the organization of the field of ‘Culture and Health’ in Sweden.
‘Better than Medicine’: Theatre and health in the contemporary Norwegian context
Authors: Torrissen Wenche 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
This article documents the practice of act2 and Teater Vildenvei, two collaborative theatres in health companies in Norway. Based on an analysis of the companies’ aims and objectives, their ethos, their particular working methods and the plays they have produced, I will examine the values that underpin the work of the two companies. The aim here is to assess what strategies the companies use in their work to promote health and well-being for marginalized and socially excluded groups in society. Working with people affected by addiction and mental health service users, respectively, act2 and Teater Vildenvei are using the medium of theatre to facilitate change processes that help the participants gain access, networks and a voice to enable empowerment. If health is the manifestation of empowerment, what might the empowerment of these voices mean for both individuals and for the groups at large? This article will not address the health effects of theatre in terms of medical effects, but it will assess why some participants of act2 and Teater Vildenvei describe the interventions as ‘better than medicine’ and ‘good medicine’. A tentative explanation is that both act2 and Teater Vildenvei provide radically different solutions to people’s problems than those offered by the biomedical model of health. Instead of treatment and diagnosis, act2 and Teater Vildenvei focus on resources, personhood, enablement, social support and empowerment in their attempt to promote health and well-being.
Can an art museum help in combating loneliness?
Authors: Overgaard Iben , Sørensen Nelli Øvre 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
This article discusses two research projects, which took place during the period 2012–2015 at the Storm P. Museum. The projects were headed by Iben Overgaard and Nelli Sørensen. The intention was to study how the museum space can contribute towards an inclusive environment that stimulates the creation of communities between socially lonely people. The first project was an art workshop for mentally vulnerable adults who were often stigmatized and therefore felt socially excluded. The second project was a reminiscence workshop for lonely elderly people in which the participants talked about their own life-experience and discussed the influence Storm P’s art had had on their family and on social culture in Copenhagen, while the museum contributed with narratives about Storm P’s art and life. Both projects emerged from a wish to study how workshops in a museum context could enable participation in activities that both stimulate relational processes and contribute to the participants’ experience of greater meaning in their lives. The projects were funded by The Danish Agency for Culture and Frederiksberg Municipality. The projects provided a space for collaboration between the museum and the target groups. The participants found the art and reminiscence projects at the museum meaningful, both socially and culturally. We found that the Storm P. Museum has potential as an agent of social inclusion via co-creation, and that museums may address community building and recovery. The projects proved to be mutually beneficial, as participants had life-enriching experiences and felt less lonely, while the museum and the researchers gained valuable sociocultural knowledge.
Annotated bibliography of Arts in Health in Scandinavia
Authors: Burt Lucy 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The role that the arts can play in the promotion of health has been a point of increasing focus over the last two decades, particularly in Scandinavia. This bibliography provides an overview of some of the research that has been conducted in Scandinavia, including articles on public health, cultural activities, music and drama-based interventions, clown doctors and museums. Some of the articles describe successful, innovative projects that have already been conducted, while some provide arguments for future movements and some present evidence from formal research studies.
‘Sharing Air’ with ‘Gandhi Toxin’ during ‘Exile’ in ‘2099’ AD: Manjula Padmanabhan’s short stories
Authors: Khan Sami Ahmad 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
This article studies four (science fiction [SF]) short stories written by Manjula Padmanabhan in order to draw linkages between the texts and their contemporary material realities. Using the theoretical framework of Darko Suvin’s novum, it focuses on the extent to which contemporary discourses contour the narrative framework and thematic concerns of an SF text. Each story studied here represents at least one specific malady that afflicts contemporary India. This article seeks to locate and determine how Padmanabhan engages in social criticism, and how the self-aware delivery mechanism of SF is deployed for this sociopolitical indictment.
Innovating for public health: Towards harmonized medicines regulatory systems in Africa
Authors: Mugwagwa Julius 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Harmonization of activities in various facets of health systems is an area of considerable historical and current policy and practice interest in Africa. This article emanates from a two-year analysis of processes towards harmonization of medicines regulatory systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed due to low levels of regulatory expertise, high regulatory costs and increasing prevalence of unregistered and counterfeit medicines, African countries are pursuing the feasibility of harmonization of their medicines regulatory systems as a policy option. Some of the challenges for attainment of harmonized cross-national regulatory systems include perennial weaknesses in national medicines regulatory systems and continuous changes in stakeholders, champions, motivations and models for the processes and outputs of harmonization. Confirming the presence of an active agenda towards harmonization of medicines regulatory systems in Africa, this article cautions though that harmonization should not be an isolated activity, but should leverage existing regional integration agendas and political legitimacy, while balancing between commercial and health care interests.