bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reductions in prescription opioid diversion following recent legislative interventions in Florida
Authors: Surratt Hilary L. , O'Grady Catherine , Kurtz Steven P. , Stivers Yamilka , Cicero Theodore J. , Dart Richard C. , Chen Minxing 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACTPurposeFlorida has been at the center of the nation's ongoing prescription opioid epidemic, with largely unregulated pain clinics and lax prescribing oversight cited as significant contributors to the opioid problem in the state.MethodsIn an effort to mitigate prescription opioid abuse and diversion in Florida, legislative interventions were implemented during 2010 and 2011, which included two primary elements: (i) comprehensive legislation to better regulate the operation of pain clinics; and (ii) a statewide prescription drug monitoring program to promote safer prescribing practices. Using systematic longitudinal data collected on a quarterly basis from law enforcement agencies across Florida, this report examined changes in prescription opioid diversion rates following implementation of these regulatory initiatives. Quarterly diversion rates for buprenorphine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, and tramadol were calculated, and subsequently, hierarchical linear models were fit to test for differences in diversion rates over the 15 quarter period of interest.ResultsSignificant declines in diversion rates were observed for oxycodone, methadone, and morphine; hydrocodone displayed a marginally significant decline.ConclusionsThis study documented reductions in statewide opioid diversion rates following implementation of Florida's pain clinic and prescription drug monitoring program legislative interventions. Although these initial findings appear promising, continued surveillance of diversion is clearly warranted. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inflammatory response of prostate epithelial cells to stimulation by Trichomonas vaginalis
Authors: Seo Min‐Young , Im Su‐Jeong , Gu Na‐Young , Kim Jung‐Hyun , Chung Yong‐Hoon , Ahn Myoung‐Hee , Ryu Jae‐Sook 
Published: December 2013

BACKGROUNDTrichomonas vaginalis is known as the most common cause of sexually transmitted infection. However, its prevalence may have been underestimated. Trichomonads are detected in prostatic tissue in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Our objective was to investigate whether T. vaginalis could induce an inflammatory response in prostate epithelium.METHODSThe cytokine production by human prostate epithelial cell (RWPE‐1) activated with T. vaginalis was determined by ELISA and real‐time PCR. Intracellular ROS was evaluated by flow cytometry or spectrofluorometry. The protein levels of MAP kinase, NF‐κB were analyzed by Western blot. The migration of neutrophil and monocyte were performed in 24‐well microplates with filter insert.RESULTSIncubation of cells of a human prostate epithelial cell line with a live T. vaginalis T016 isolate increased expression of the inflammatory mediators IL‐1β, CCL2, and CXCL8. In addition, ROS, MAPK, and NF‐κB activities increased, while inhibitors of ROS, ERK, and NF‐κB reduced IL‐1β production. Medium conditioned by incubation of RWPE‐1 cells with T. vaginalis contained IL‐1β and stimulated the migration of human neutrophils and monocytes (THP‐1 cell line).CONCLUSIONSWe conclude that T. vaginalis may increase IL‐1β expression in human prostate epithelium through activation of ROS, ERK, and NF‐κB, and this in turn may induce the migration of neutrophils and monocytes and lead to an inflammatory response. This research is the first attempt to confirm inflammatory reaction caused by T. vaginalis in prostate epithelial cell. Prostate 74:441–449, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Some recent statistical learning methods for longitudinal high‐dimensional data
Authors: Chen Shuo , Grant Edward , Wu Tong Tong , Bowman F. DuBois 
Published: December 2013

Recent studies have collected high‐dimensional data longitudinally. Examples include brain images collected during different scanning sessions and time‐course gene expression data. Because of the additional information learned from the temporal changes of the selected features, such longitudinal high‐dimensional data, when incorporated into appropriate statistical learning techniques, are able to more accurately predict disease status or responses to a therapeutic treatment. In this article, we review recently proposed statistical learning methods dealing with longitudinal high‐dimensional data. WIREs Comput Stat 2014, 6:10–18. doi: 10.1002/wics.1282This article is categorized under:

Software for Computational Statistics > Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Support Vector Machines
Lymphatic Transport of α‐Linolenic Acid and Its Conversion to Long Chain n‐3 Fatty Acids in Rats Fed Microemulsions of Linseed Oil
Authors: Sugasini D. , Devaraj V. C. , Ramesh Mullangi , Lokesh B. R. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractIn the present study we evaluated the uptake of ALA and its conversion to EPA + DHA in rats given linseed oil (LSO) in native form or as a microemulsion in whey protein or in lipoid. In a single oral dose study in which rats maintained on rodent pellets deficient in ω‐3 fatty acids were intubated with 0.35 g LSO in lipoid, the amount of ALA present in lymph was increased reaching a maximum concentration of 16.23 mg/ml at 2.5 h. The amount of ALA present in lymph was increased to a maximum level of 10.95 mg/ml at 4 h in rats given LSO as a microemulsion in whey protein. When LSO was given without emulsification, the amount of ALA present in lymph was found to reach a maximum level of 7.08 mg/ml at 6 h. A similar result was observed when weaning rats were intubated with 0.15 g of LSO per day for a period of 60 days. Higher levels of ALA by 41 and 103 % were observed in lymph lipids of rats given microemulsions of LSO in whey protein and in lipoid respectively as compared to rats given LSO without pre‐emulsification. Very little conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA was observed in lymph lipids but higher amounts of EPA + DHA was observed in liver and serum of rats given LSO in microemulsion form. This study indicated that ALA concentration in lymph lipids was increased when LSO was given in microemulsion form in lipoid and further conversion to EPA and DHA was facilitated in liver and serum.
A comprehensive framework of forest stand property–density relationships: perspectives for plant population ecology and forest management
Authors: Long James N. , Vacchiano Giorgio 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
• Context

There are many stand property–density relationships in ecology which represent emergent properties of plant populations. Examples include self-thinning, competition–density effect, constant final yield, and age-related decline in stand growth. We suggest that these relationships are different aspects of a general framework of stand property–density relationships.

• Aims

We aim to illustrate the generalities and ecological implications of stand property–density relationships, and organize them in a comprehensive framework.

• Methods

We illustrate relationships between stand property and density (1) at one point in time, (2) over time, and (3) independent of time. We review the consequences of considering different variables to characterize stand property (mean tree size, mean tree growth, stand growth, stand yield, stand leaf area).

• Results

We provide a framework that integrates the broad categories of stand property–density relationships and individual expressions of these relationships. For example, we conclude that constant final yield is a special case of the growth–growing stock relationship for life forms were yield is a reasonable approximation of growth (non-woody plants).

• Conclusion

There is support in the literature for leaf area being broadly integrative with respect to various expressions of stand property–density relationships. We show how this is and suggest implications for plant population ecology and forest management.
Influence of combinations of drugs that act on the CYP2D6 metabolic pathway in the treatment of major depressive disorder: A population-based study
Authors: Sicras-Mainar A. , Guijarro P. , Armada B. , Blanca-Tamayo M. , Navarro-Artieda R. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the frequency of drug combinations (substrate-substrate or substrate-inhibitor) with the potential to interfere with the CYP2D6 metabolic pathway in patients receiving antidepressant medication for major depressive disorder.MethodsWe carried out an observational study using outpatient medical records. We included adult subjects who initiated antidepressant medication during 2008–2010. Patients were assigned to three study groups: no combination, substrate-substrate, and substrate-inhibitor. Follow-up period was 12 months. Main measures: demographics, comorbidity and medication persistence. Statistical analysis included a logistic regression model,P< 0.05.ResultsFive thousand six hundred and thirty patients were recruited (61.9 years, 76.9% female), 24.4% (CI: 23.8 – 26.0%) received some kind of drug combination (substrate-substrate: 15.4%, substrate-inhibitor: 9.0%). Variables significantly associated with drugs combinations that may act on the CYP2D6 metabolic pathway were: dementia (OR = 4.2), neuropathy (OR = 4.2) and stroke (OR = 1.9),P< 0.001. Medication persistence at 12 months was longer in patients with no combination (55.3%) than in patients receiving substrate-substrate (50.5%) or substrate-inhibitor (45.0%) combinations,P< 0.001.ConclusionsTwenty-five percent of major depressive disorder patients received a combination of drugs with the potential to interfere with CYP2D6 metabolic pathway. These combinations increased with comorbidity and resulted in shorter medication persistence of antidepressant treatment.
Bioconvection under uniform shear: linear stability analysis
Authors: Hwang Yongyun , Pedley T. J. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe role of uniform shear in bioconvective instability in a shallow suspension of swimming gyrotactic cells is studied using linear stability analysis. The shear is introduced by applying a plane Couette flow, and it significantly disturbs gravitaxis of the cell. The unstably stratified basic state of the cell concentration is gradually relieved as the shear rate is increased, and it even becomes stably stratified at very large shear rates. Stability of the basic state is significantly changed. The instability at high wavenumbers is drastically damped out with the shear rate, while that at low wavenumbers is destabilized. However, at very large shear rates, the latter is also suppressed. The most unstable mode is found as a pair of streamwise uniform rolls aligned with the shear, analogous to Rayleigh–Bénard convection in plane Couette flow. To understand these findings, the physical mechanism of the bioconvective instability is reexamined with several sets of numerical experiments. It is shown that the bioconvective instability in a shallow suspension originates from three different physical processes: gravitational overturning, gyrotaxis of the cell and negative cross-diffusion flux. The first mechanism is found to rule the behaviour of low-wavenumber instability whereas the last two mechanisms are mainly associated with high-wavenumber instability. With the increase of the shear rate, the former is enhanced, thereby leading to destabilization at low wavenumbers, whereas the latter two mechanisms are significantly suppressed. For streamwise varying perturbations, shear with sufficiently large rates is also found to play a stabilizing role as in Rayleigh–Bénard convection. However, at small shear rates, it destabilizes these perturbations through the mechanism of overstability discussed by Hill, Pedley and Kessler (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 208, 1989, pp. 509–543). Finally, the present findings are compared with a recent experiment by Croze, Ashraf and Bees (Phys. Biol., vol. 7, 2010, 046001) and they are in qualitative agreement.
R u a smkn m0m?: Aspects of a Text Messaging Smoking Cessation/Reduction Intervention for Younger Mothers
Authors: Soklaridis Sophie , López Jenna , Czyzewski Karina , Dragonetti Rosa , Selby Peter 
Published: December 2013

Introduction:Women who are younger in age are more likely to smoke during pregnancy and postpartum and tend to have less success with cessation/reduction. There is an unmet need for interventions targeted to pregnant and postpartum young women that provide them with support to quit/reduce long-term into the postpartum period and beyond.Aims:Our study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the perspectives of young pregnant and postpartum women of text messaging (TM) as a conduit for smoking cessation/reduction, and to determine the appropriate content, frequency, duration and unique features needed for an effective cessation/reduction TM programme.Methods:Six focus groups and six telephone interviews were convened with 36 pregnant and postpartum women 16–30 years of age.Results:Three main themes were identified: 1) topic areas that women would like TM to focus on; 2) the need for messages to be tailored; and 3) the importance for the programme to take a woman-centered approach.Conclusions:Respondents supported the idea of a TM cessation/reduction intervention and had clear programme recommendations. A personalised, woman-centered TM programme that meets a young woman's unique needs and addresses her concerns through her participation and direction is likely to empower and support her to quit/reduce.
Vegetable, fruit and nitrate intake in relation to the risk of Barrett's oesophagus in a large Dutch cohort
Authors: Keszei András. P. , Schouten Leo J. , Driessen Ann L. C. , Huysentruyt Clément J. R. , Keulemans Yolande C. A. , Goldbohm R. Alexandra , van den Brandt Piet A. 
Published: December 2013

There are few epidemiological data on the dietary risk factors of Barrett's oesophagus, a precursor of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The present study investigated the association between vegetable, fruit and nitrate intake and Barrett's oesophagus risk in a large prospective cohort. The Netherlands Cohort Study recruited 120 852 individuals aged 55–69 years in 1986. Vegetable and fruit intake was assessed using a 150-item FFQ, and nitrate intake from dietary sources and drinking water was determined. After 16·3 years of follow-up, 433 cases (241 men and 192 women) of Barrett's oesophagus with specialised intestinal metaplasia and 3717 subcohort members were analysed in a case–cohort design using Cox proportional hazards models while adjusting for potential confounders. Men exhibited a lower risk of Barrett's oesophagus in the highest v. the lowest quintile of total (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0·66, 95 % CI 0·43, 1·01), raw (HR 0·63, 95 % CI 0·40, 0·99), raw leafy (HR 0·55, 95 % CI 0·36, 0·86) and Brassica (HR 0·64, 95 % CI 0·41, 1·00) vegetable intake. No association was found for other vegetable groups and fruits. No significant associations were found between vegetable and fruit intake and Barrett's oesophagus risk among women. Total nitrate intake was inversely associated with Barrett's disease risk in men (HR 0·50, 95 % CI 0·25, 0·99) and positively associated with it in women (HR 3·77, 95 % CI 1·68, 8·45) (P for interaction = 0·04). These results suggest that vegetable intake may contribute to the prevention of Barrett's oesophagus. The possible differential effect in men and women should be evaluated further.
DETERMINANTS OF SMALL SCALE DAIRY SHEEP PRODUCERS’ DECISIONS TO USE MIDDLEMEN FOR ACCESSING MARKETS AND GETTING LOANS IN DRY MARGINAL AREAS IN SYRIA
Authors: ABDELALI-MARTINI MALIKA , DHEHIBI BOUBAKER , AW-HASSAN ADEN 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYThe paper describes value chain actors and institutional arrangements along value chains, and identifies major determinants of farmers’ decision making to work with middlemen/traders ‘jabbans’ (or cheese makers), and based on those identify short implications for research, development and policy processes. We hypothesize that small-scale sheep producers are more dependent on middlemen for market and loans than larger holders, leading to welfare losses. Our empirical findings based on a Heckman model applied for 120 farming households conducted in Khanasser region (Syria) show that despite unequal benefits, local arrangements are more blessing than curse for the poor. Small-scale sheep producers and middlemen developed intricate institutional arrangements that are mutually beneficial. Producers act collectively to pool sufficient quantity of milk to be attractive to traders (jabban) while gaining access to market and cash loans mainly for feed. This provides the middlemen needed supplies with reduced transaction costs. This suggests that development organizations should support local capacity of producing organizations to work together, small-scale producers to organize, develop small scale dairy processing workshops for pooling and possibly processing milk, support training for direct market access and facilitate access to loans. Finally, supporting organizations such as rural financial services and micro-finance need to ensure up-to-date market information is available to ensure fair prices are paid. They should also be able to negotiate favourable conditions for loans and reach out to these resource-poor rural populations where formal credit systems are absent.
YIELDS AND QUALITY OF PHASEOLUS BEAN CULTIVARS UNDER FARMERS’ CONDITIONS IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
Authors: HØGH-JENSEN HENNING , KAMALONGO DONWELL , NGWIRA AMOS , MYAKA FIDELIS A. 
Published: December 2013

SUMMARYCommon bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a dominant grain legume in eastern and southern Africa, where it constitutes a major source of protein and microminerals in peoples’ diet. The current studies aimed at determining how initially promising genotypes of bean responded in terms of yield and grain element composition under farmers’ cropping conditions. It was found that variations between genotypes in the proportions of elements in the grain dry matter across a wide range of conditions could be linear with an additional 20% iron (Fe) or zinc (Zn) for some genotypes. However, this linearity was only identifiable under relatively favourable conditions. Further, a favourable season could enhance the proportion of Fe in the grains of the same genotypes by up to 20%, whereas Zn did not respond. Fe and Zn correlated only to some degree with P (r2 > 0.35). It is concluded that the supply of elements in the diet may best be secured by selecting for high-yielding cultivars as the amounts of phosphorus (P), Fe and Zn in the grains correlated strongly (r2 > 0.93) to the dry matter grain yield.
International Courts as Agents of Legal Change: Evidence from LGBT Rights in Europe
Authors: Helfer Laurence R. , Voeten Erik 
Published: December 2013

AbstractDo international court judgments influence the behavior of actors other than the parties to a dispute? Are international courts agents of policy change or do their judgments merely reflect evolving social and political trends? We develop a theory that specifies the conditions under which international courts can use their interpretive discretion to have system-wide effects. We examine the theory in the context of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues by creating a new data set that matches these rulings with laws in all Council of Europe (CoE) member states. We also collect data on LGBT policies unaffected by ECtHR judgments to control for the confounding effect of evolving trends in national policies. We find that ECtHR judgments against one country substantially increase the probability of national-level policy change across Europe. The marginal effects of the judgments are especially high where public acceptance of sexual minorities is low, but where national courts can rely on ECtHR precedents to invalidate domestic laws or where the government in power is not ideologically opposed to LGBT equality. We conclude by exploring the implications of our findings for other international courts.
Relaxed states in electron-depleted electronegative dusty plasmas with two-negative ion species
Authors: Iqbal M. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe relaxation of an electron-depleted electronegative dusty plasma with two-negative ions is investigated. When the ratio of canonical vorticities to corresponding flows of all the plasma species is the same and all inertial and non-inertial forces are present, the relaxed state appears as a double Beltrami magnetic field which is the superposition of two force-free relaxed states. The numerical results show that highly diamagnetic relaxed magnetic fields can be obtained by controlling the flow and vorticities through a single Beltrami parameter. The study is useful to investigate the creation of diamagnetic plasma configurations which are considered to be very important in the context of nuclear fusion.
Electron dynamics inside a vacuum tube diode through linear differential equations
Authors: González Gabriel , Orozco Fco. Javier González 
Published: December 2013

AbstractIn this paper we analyze the motion of charged particles in a vacuum tube diode by solving linear differential equations. Our analysis is based on expressing the volume charge density as a function of the current density and coordinates only, i.e. ρ=ρ(J,z), while in the usual scheme the volume charge density is expressed as a function of the current density and electrostatic potential, i.e. ρ=ρ(J,V). We show that, in the case of slow varying charge density, the space-charge-limited current is reduced up to 50%. Our approach gives the well-known behavior of the classical current density proportional to the three-halves power of the bias potential and inversely proportional to the square of the gap distance between electrodes, and does not require the solution of the nonlinear differential equation normally associated with the Child–Langmuir formulation.
A new species ofTritonia(Opisthobranchia: Nudibranchia: Tritoniidae) from the tropical South Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Silva Felipe de Vasconcelos , Azevedo Victor Manuel De , Matthews-Cascon Helena 
Published: December 2013

A new species of the family Tritoniidae is described from the tropical South Atlantic Ocean. The animal was found off north-east Brazil.Tritonia khaleesisp. nov. is up to 12 mm long, with a slender white body, of which the notum is covered with one broad white band extending from between the eyes and veil to the tail; veil with 4 velar appendages; retractable white rhinophores; rhinophoral sheath with fleshy extension; seven pairs of branchial plumes; the anus is located between the 3rd and 4th gills on the right side, and the genital opening is under the 2nd gill. Internally,T. khaleesisp. nov. is distinguished from other tritoniids by jaws with 10–14 rows of denticles on the inner lips, absence of stomach plates and the radular formula 32 × 2–5.1.1.1.2–5 teeth.Tritonia khaleesisp. nov. is the onlyTritoniathat possesses a unicuspid rachidian tooth as an adult.