bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The regulation of private hospitals in Asia
Authors: Morgan Rosemary , Ensor Tim 
Published: May 2014

SUMMARYPrivate providers play a significant role in the provision of health services in low and middle income countries (LMICs), and the number of private hospitals is increasing rapidly. The growth of the sector has drawn attention to the many problems that are often associated with this sector and the need for effective regulation if private providers are to contribute to the effective provision of healthcare. This paper outlines three main regulatory strategies—command and control, incentives, and self‐regulation, providing examples of each approach in Asia. Traditionally, command and control regulatory instruments have dominated the regulation of private hospitals in Asia; however, when deciding on which approach is most appropriate, it is important to consider the goal of the regulation, the context in which it is to be implemented, and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. This paper concludes that regulation needs to extend beyond command and control to include a full range of mechanisms. Doing so will help address many of the challenges found within individual approaches, in addition to helping address the regulatory challenges particular to many LMICs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When Does the Stepping‐Stone Work? Fixed‐Term Contracts Versus Temporary Agency Work in Changing Economic Conditions
Authors: Givord Pauline , Wilner Lionel 
Published: May 2014

SummaryThis paper emphasizes differences among short‐term contracts in terms of career prospects. Using French data over the 2002–2010 period, we rely on a dynamic model with fixed effects to disentangle state dependence from unobserved heterogeneity. Although fixed‐term contracts may provide a ‘stepping‐stone’ to permanent positions, temporary agency work is hardly better than unemployment in this regard. The Great Recession of 2008 has changed the dynamics on the labor market and amplified the difference between fixed‐term contracts and temporary agency work. For both types of temporary workers, providing overtime work does not significantly increase the transition to permanent employment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of microstructure and strain on the degradation behavior of novel bioresorbable iron–manganese alloy implants
Authors: Heiden Michael , Kustas Andrew , Chaput Kevin , Nauman Eric , Johnson David , Stanciu Lia 
Published: May 2014

AbstractAdvancing the understanding of microstructural effects and deformation on the degradability of Fe–Mn bioresorbable alloys (specifically, Fe–33%Mn) will help address the current problems associated with designing degradable fracture fixation implants for hard tissues. Potentiostatic polarization tests were conducted on a wide variety of metal samples to examine how different deformation processes affect the instantaneous rate of degradation of Fe–Mn alloys. Large‐strain machining (LSM), a novel severe plastic deformation (SPD) technique was utilized during these experiments to modify the degradation properties of the proposed Fe–Mn alloy. It was discovered that Fe–33%Mn after LSM with a rake angle of 0° (effective strain = 2.85) showed the most promising increase in degradation rate compared to as‐cast, annealed, and additional deformation conditions (rolled and other LSM parameters) for the same alloy. The mechanisms for enhancement of the corrosion rate are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 738–745, 2015.
Hesperidin and Rutin, Antioxidant Citrus Flavonoids, Attenuate Cisplatin‐Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats
Authors: Kamel Kamel M. , Abd El‐Raouf Ola M. , Metwally Salwa A. , Abd El‐Latif Hekma A. , El‐sayed Mostafa E. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to assess the protective effect of hesperidin (HES) and rutin (RUT) against cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity in male rats. Cisplatin (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) caused significant increases in serum sodium, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, total sodium and potassium excreted in urine, urine volume, and lipid peroxides measured as the malondialdehyde content of kidney, with significant decreases in serum total protein, creatinine clearance, reduced glutathione content of kidney, and kidney superoxide dismutase activity as compared with the control group. On the other hand, administration of HES (200 mg/kg, per oral [p.o.]) or RUT (30 mg/kg, p.o.) for 14 days with a single cisplatin dose on the tenth day ameliorated the cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity as indicated by the restoration of kidney function and oxidative stress biomarkers. Furthermore, the test drugs reduced the histopathological changes induced by cisplatin. In conclusion, HES and RUT showed protective effects against cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity.
Ras Oncoprotein Disrupts the TSH/CREB Signaling Upstream Adenylyl Cyclase in Human Thyroid Cell
Authors: Salzano Marcella , Russo Eleonora , Salzano Salvatore , Bifulco Maurizio , Vitale Mario 
Published: May 2014

AbstractActivating mutations in RAS genes and p21 Ras overactivation are common occurrences in a variety of human tumors. p21 Ras oncoproteins deregulate a number of signaling pathways, dedifferentiating the thyroid cell, and negatively regulating the expression of thyroid specific genes. In rat thyroid cells, Ras oncoproteins inhibit the TSH pathway by reducing PKA activity and thus the expression of thyroid specific genes, while in mouse melanocytes, Ras oncoproteins reduce the αMSH‐stimulated cAMP signaling by increasing the expression of the phosphodiesterase‐4B. Given these cell‐dependent differences, we investigated if and how the TSH/CREB pathway is modulated by Ras oncoprotein in a human thyroid cell line. CREB phosphorylation was stimulated by TSH and forskolin in TAD‐2 cells. RasV12 expression negatively regulated the TSH‐stimulated CREB phosphorylation but was ineffective on forskolin‐stimulated CREB phosphorylation. Phosphodiesterase inhibition by IBMX enhanced TSH‐stimulated CREB phosphorylation, but did not restore TSH‐stimulated CREB phosphorylation inhibited by Ras oncoprotein. These data indicate that Ras oncoprotein disrupts the TSH/CREB pathway, upstream adenylyl cyclase, and highlight the existence of mechanisms of interaction between Ras and the cAMP pathway different in human and in rat thyroid cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 2137–2141, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Monod and a biphasic biodegradation kinetics of diesel hydrocarbons by a biofilm of Pseudomonas and the potential electromotive force involved
Authors: Acuna‐Askar Karim , Pecina‐Chacon David Eduardo , Mas‐Trevino Marcela , Tijerina‐Menchaca Rolando , Rodriguez‐Perez Elba Guadalupe , Luna‐Olvera Hugo Alberto , Ascacio‐Martinez Jorge Angel , Barrera‐Saldana Hugo Alberto , Alfaro‐Barbosa Juan Manuel 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDTwo kinetic models for diesel degradation in a continuous‐flow reactor at a retention time of 1.5 h were compared. One model included the Monod equation and the other, a biphasic model, did not involve Monod parameters. The experiment included two Pseudomonas species. A thermodynamic study on the nitrate‐reducing degradation of diesel was performed in addition to a BOD5 /COD ratio to evaluate the biodegradability of both the diesel components and their residual concentrations.RESULTSThe Monod model revealed that both μmax,h and for the C10–C18 chains were 2.5‐fold and 11‐fold, respectively, lower than those of chains C20–C22. The biphasic model failed to detect the influent concentration range at which the biofilm slowed down processing the substrates. The shifts of the influent‐to‐effluent BOD5/COD ratios from 0.67 to 0.80 and from 0.80 to 0.95, for the lowest and highest substrate concentrations, respectively, confirmed that residuals in the effluent can be degraded. Stoichiometric calculations for C10–C22 revealed theoretical spontaneous release of Gibbs free energies from –6.89 to –70.27 kJ, and electromotive forces from 4.4 to 45.51 mV for both the lowest and highest diesel concentrations, respectively.CONCLUSIONThe influent diesel concentration interval of 1008–1344 mg L−1 was the range over which the maximum utilization rates of chains C10–C22 decreased from 1.12 to 0.57 vss−1 due to the inhibitory action of chains C10–C18 (P<0.05). Following the degradation of diesel, the organic residuals left in the effluent can be easily assimilated. The nitrate‐reducing degradation was able to produce an electromotive force spontaneously. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Global distribution and risk to shipping of very extreme sea states (VESS)
Authors: Cardone V. J. , Callahan B. T. , Chen H. , Cox A. T. , Morrone M. A. , Swail V. R. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTThe impact of extreme sea states on offshore infrastructure is of intense interest in the ocean engineering community at the present time. In this study, a new quality‐controlled database of global satellite‐derived estimates of significant wave height (HS) and surface marine wind speed from seven missions spanning the period August 1991–March 2010, known as GlobWave, is scanned to yield over 5000 ocean basin specific orbit segments with peak HS > 12 m. This population was subsequently distilled to a population of 120 individual storms [so‐called very extreme sea states (VESS) storms], in which there was at least one altimeter estimate of HS > 16 m. The highest HSs were observed in the Northern Hemisphere with ten orbit segments in the North Atlantic Ocean (NAO) with a peak HS of >18 m followed by four segments in the North Pacific Ocean (NPO). Only three HS peaks >18 m were seen in the entire Southern Oceans. Three of the >5000 orbit segments had a peak HS >20 m with the highest at 20.6 m. The number of VESS storms detected is greatest in the NAO (the smallest basin), a result that appears to be consistent with general circulation studies of extratropical cyclogenesis frequency and intensity in general atmospheric circulation models.A new continuous 33‐year global wave hindcast (GROW2012) based on a new atmospheric reanalysis wind field product appears to provide unbiased estimates of the probability of exceedance of VESS in extratropical storms and small‐basin dependent biases (0.5–1.5 m) of peak HS greater than ∼16 m. GROW2012 was, therefore, applied with a voyage simulator for nine trade routes to assess the risk of a merchant vessel that does not avail itself of weather routing of encountering VESS. The highest monthly exceedance probabilities (MEPs) at the VESS threshold of 14 m are found in the NAO and NPO at ∼0.1% during winter months. The alternative statistical distribution of the MEP of the single maximum peak sea state to be expected for a voyage for any month (MEPm) shows that the highest MEPm is for the month of December in the NAO along the great circle route between the middle US East Coast and entrance to English Channel and in the NPO along the Yokohama–Seattle route, at about 3%. Still, the overall probability of a vessel encountering sea states that may contain waves capable of catastrophic damage over a 33‐year lifetime is quite small with mean number of hours of exposure to a vessel typically less than ∼3 h for six of the nine routes and a maximum of 10 h for two of the routes.
The effect of health insurance status on the treatment and outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Parikh Alexander A. , Robinson Jamie , Zaydfudim Victor M. , Penson David , Whiteside Martin A. 
Published: May 2014

Background and ObjectivesUninsured and underinsured cancer patients often have delayed diagnosis and inferior outcomes. As healthcare reform proceeds in the US, this disparity may gain increasing importance. Our objective was to investigate the impact of health insurance status on the presentation, treatment, and survival among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.MethodsA total of 10,692 patients diagnosed with CRC between 2004 and 2008 identified from the Tennessee Cancer Registry were stratified into five groups: Private, Medicare, Military, Medicaid, and uninsured. Multivariable regression models were constructed to test the association of insurance with receipt of recommended adjuvant therapy and overall survival (OS).ResultsUninsured and Medicaid patients were more often African American (AA) and presented with higher stage tumors (P < 0.001). Medicare patients were less likely to receive recommended adjuvant therapy (OR 0.54). Lack of insurance, Medicaid, and failure to receive recommended adjuvant therapy were independently associated with worse OS.ConclusionsAlthough uninsured and Medicaid patients receive recommended adjuvant therapy comparable to other patients, they present with later stage disease and have a worse OS. Future studies are needed to better explain these disparities especially in the light of changing healthcare climate in the US. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014 110:227–232. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nesting ecology and nest survival of lesser prairie‐chickens on the Southern High Plains of Texas
Authors: Grisham Blake A. , Borsdorf Philip K. , Boal Clint W. , Boydston Kathy K. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTThe decline in population and range of lesser prairie‐chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) throughout the central and southern Great Plains has raised concerns considering their candidate status under the United States Endangered Species Act. Baseline ecological data for lesser prairie‐chickens are limited, especially for the shinnery oak‐grassland communities of Texas. This information is imperative because lesser prairie‐chickens in shinnery oak grasslands occur at the extreme southwestern edge of their distribution. This geographic region is characterized by hot, arid climates, less fragmentation, and less anthropogenic development than within the remaining core distribution of the species. Thus, large expanses of open rangeland with less anthropogenic development and a climate that is classified as extreme for ground nesting birds may subsequently influence nest ecology, nest survival, and nest site selection differently compared to the rest of the distribution of the species. We investigated the nesting ecology of 50 radio‐tagged lesser prairie‐chicken hens from 2008 to 2011 in the shinnery oak‐grassland communities in west Texas and found a substantial amount of inter‐annual variation in incubation start date and percent of females incubating nests. Prairie‐chickens were less likely to nest near unimproved roads and utility poles and in areas with more bare ground and litter. In contrast, hens selected areas dominated by grasses and shrubs and close to stock tanks to nest. Candidate models including visual obstruction best explained daily nest survival; a 5% increase in visual obstruction improved nest survival probability by 10%. The model‐averaged probability of a nest surviving the incubation period was 0.43 (SE = 0.006; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.56). Our findings indicate that lesser prairie‐chicken reproduction during our study period was dynamic and was correlated with seasonal weather patterns that ultimately promoted greater grass growth earlier in the nesting season that provided visual obstruction from predators. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Calcitonin pump improves nerve regeneration after transection injury and repair
Authors: Yan Ji‐Geng , Logiudice John , Davis John , Zhang Lin‐Ling , Agresti Michael , Sanger James , Matloub Hani S. , Havlik Robert 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTIntroduction: After nerve injury, excessive calcium impedes nerve regeneration. We previously showed that calcitonin improved nerve regeneration in crush injury. We aimed to validate the direct effect of calcitonin on transected and repaired nerve. Methods: Two rat groups (n = 8) underwent sciatic nerve transection followed by direct repair. In the calcitonin group, a calcitonin‐filled mini‐osmotic pump was implanted subcutaneously, with a catheter parallel to the repaired nerve. The control group underwent repair only, without a pump. Evaluation and comparison between the groups included: (1) compound muscle action potential recording of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle; (2) tetanic muscle force test of EDL; (3) nerve calcium concentration; and (4) nerve fiber count and calcified spot count. Results: The calcitonin pump group showed superior recovery. Conclusions: Calcitonin affects injured and repaired peripheral nerve directly. The calcitonin‐filled mini‐osmotic pump improved nerve functional recovery by accelerating calcium absorption from the repaired nerve. This finding has potential clinical applications. Muscle Nerve 51: 229–234, 2015
Optimizing measures of HIV‐associated neuropathy
Authors: Robinson‐Papp Jessica , Sharma Sandeep , Dhadwal Neetu , Simpson David M. , Morgello Susan 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) is common in HIV and is associated with autonomic impairment. However tools to measure HIV‐DSP do not include autonomic indices. We sought to optimize the Total Neuropathy Score (TNS) and the Composite Autonomic Severity Score (CASS) for use in HIV. Methods: HIV‐infected adults (n = 102) underwent neurologic examination, quantitative sensory testing (QST), nerve conduction studies, and autonomic testing. Modifications of the TNS and CASS were assessed for validity based on correlation with the original measure and internal consistency. Results: The TNS version commonly used in HIV‐DSP is valid, but it is improved by elimination of QST and addition of autonomic indices. A modified version of the CASS (M‐CASS) which was designed for sensitivity to milder impairment was also valid. Conclusions: A modified TNS that excludes QST and includes autonomic indices is optimal for HIV‐DSP. The M‐CASS is a valid measure of autonomic impairment in HIV. Muscle Nerve 51: 56–64, 2015
Inverse Analysis of Deep Excavation Using Differential Evolution Algorithm
Authors: Zhao B. D. , Zhang L. L. , Jeng D. S. , Wang J. H. , Chen J. J. 
Published: May 2014

SummaryThis paper presents the applications of the differential evolution (DE) algorithm in back analysis of soil parameters for deep excavation problems. A computer code, named Python‐based DE, is developed and incorporated into the commercial finite element software ABAQUS, with a parallel computing technique to run an FE analysis for all trail vectors of one generation in DE in multiple cores of a cluster, which dramatically reduces the computational time. A synthetic case and a well‐instrumented real case, that is, the Taipei National Enterprise Center (TNEC) project, are used to demonstrate the capability of the proposed back‐analysis procedure. Results show that multiple soil parameters are well identified by back analysis using a DE optimization algorithm for highly nonlinear problems. For the synthetic excavation case, the back‐analyzed parameters are basically identical to the input parameters that are used to generate synthetic response of wall deflection. For the TNEC case with a total of nine parameters to be back analyzed, the relative errors of wall deflection for the last three stages are 2.2, 1.1, and 1.0%, respectively. Robustness of the back‐estimated parameters is further illustrated by a forward prediction. The wall deflection in the subsequent stages can be satisfactorily predicted using the back‐analyzed soil parameters at early stages. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dietary pulses, satiety and food intake: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of acute feeding trials
Authors: Li Siying S. , Kendall Cyril W.C. , de Souza Russell J. , Jayalath Viranda H. , Cozma Adrian I. , Ha Vanessa , Mirrahimi Arash , Chiavaroli Laura , Augustin Livia S.A. , Blanco Mejia Sonia , Leiter Lawrence A. , Beyene Joseph , Jenkins David J.A. , Sievenpiper John L. 
Published: May 2014

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of dietary pulses (beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils) on acute satiety and second meal intake, a systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted.MethodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Registry (through May 6, 2013) were searched for acute controlled trials examining the effect of dietary pulses on postprandial satiety or second meal intake compared with isocaloric controls. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality and risk of bias. Data were pooled by generic inverse variance random effects models and expressed as ratio of means (RoMs) for satiety and mean differences (MDs) for second meal food intake, with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed (Q statistic) and quantified (I2 statistic). Protocol registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01605422.ResultsNine trials met the eligibility criteria. Dietary pulses produced a 31% greater satiety incremental area under the curve (IAUC) (RoM = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.58, P = 0.004; Phet = 0.96; I2 = 0%) without affecting second meal intake (MD = −19.94, 95% CI: −75‐35, P = 0.48; Phet = 0.01; I2 = 63%). Our data are limited by the small sample sizes, narrow participant characteristics and significant unexplained heterogeneity among the available trials.ConclusionsPooled analyses show that dietary pulses contribute to acute satiety but not second meal intake.
Maths in medicine: a life saving formula?
Authors: Swaminathan K , Kumaran OR 
Published: May 2014

AbstractDiabetic ketoacidosis is a life threatening medical emergency. Occasionally, pulmonary thromboembolism can complicate the picture, potentially exacerbating the risk of cardiac arrest. Arterial blood gases are one among the first‐line investigations done in diabetic ketoacidosis. Proper interpretation of blood gases can unmask co‐existent pulmonary thromboembolism and can be life saving.
Use of Dynamic Occupancy Models to Assess the Response of Darters (Teleostei: Percidae) to Varying Hydrothermal Conditions in a Southeastern United States Tailwater
Authors: Shea C. P. , Bettoli P. W. , Potoka K. M. , Saylor C. F. , Shute P. W. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractDuring the past 100 years, most large rivers in North America have been altered for flood control, hydropower, navigation or water supply development. Although these activities clearly provide important human services, their associated environmental disturbances can profoundly affect stream‐dwelling organisms. We used dynamic multi‐species occupancy models combined with a trait‐based approach to estimate the influence of site‐level and species‐level characteristics on patch dynamic rates for 15 darter species native to the Elk River, a large, flow‐regulated Tennessee River tributary in Tennessee and Alabama. Dynamic occupancy modelling results indicated that for every 2.5 °C increase in stream temperature, darters were 3.94 times more likely to colonize previously unoccupied stream reaches. Additionally, large‐bodied darter species were 3.72 times more likely to colonize stream reaches compared with small‐bodied species, but crevice‐spawning darter species were 5.24 times less likely to colonize previously unoccupied stream reaches. In contrast, darters were 2.21 times less likely to become locally extinct for every 2.5 °C increase in stream temperature, but high stream discharge conditions elevated the risk of local extinction. Lastly, the presence of populations in neighbouring upstream study reaches contributed to a lower risk of extinction, whereas the presence of populations in neighbouring downstream study reaches contributed to higher rates of colonization. Our study demonstrates the application of a trait‐based approach combined with a metapopulation framework to assess the patch dynamics of darters in a regulated river. Results from our study will provide a baseline for evaluating the ecological consequences of alternative dam operations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.