bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Versicherungsmathematische Bilanzen für die Bewertung der Nachhaltigkeit von Rentensystemen der sozialen Sicherheit
Authors: Billig Assia , Ménard Jean‐Claude 
Published: June 2013

AuszugDie Auswahl einer geeigneten Methode zur Erstellung der Bilanz von Rentensystemen der sozialen Sicherheit hängt im Wesentlichen vom Finanzierungsverfahren eines jeweiligen Systems ab. In diesem Artikel wird am Beispiel des Canada Pension Plan dargelegt, dass die Methode, die für die Beurteilung der finanziellen Nachhaltigkeit von umlagebasierten Systemen oder teilweise kapitalgedeckten Systemen mithilfe einer versicherungsmathematischen Bilanz ausgewählt wird, zukünftige Beitragszahlungen aktueller und zukünftiger Teilnehmer berücksichtigen sollte. Es werden Bilanzen untersucht, die anhand eines Ansatzes mit offenen Gruppen erstellt werden, sowie in den USA und in Schweden verwendete Methoden.
Leistungsabhängigkeit: Die Vor‐ und Nachteile der Verwendung von Fallzahlen für nationale und internationale Vergleiche
Authors: De Deken Johan , Clasen Jochen 
Published: June 2013

AuszugIn entwickelten Sozialstaaten sind Entscheidungsträger zunehmend besorgt darüber, dass zahlreiche Menschen im arbeitsfähigen Alter eine Unterstützung durch die soziale Sicherheit beantragen. In der Folge sind Strategien zur Verringerung der Zahl der „Leistungsabhängigen“ vermehrt in den Blickpunkt gerückt. Diese Strategien sind allerdings empirisch nicht sehr zuverlässig hergeleitet. Nur selten werden nationale Falldaten systematisch gesammelt, die Programme der sozialen Sicherheit überschneiden sich oft und die administrativen Kategorien verändern sich über die Zeit. Eine weitere Schwierigkeit für länderübergreifende Vergleiche entsteht durch die international uneinheitliche Kategorisierung der Transferprogramme. Dieser Artikel beschreibt und diskutiert zunächst einige dieser Probleme und zeigt Wege auf, wie sie angegangen werden können. Sodann wird anhand administrativer Antragstellerdaten aus sechs europäischen Ländern aufgezeigt, welche Trends über die Zeit und in den verschiedenen Ländern bestehen. Vorrangig soll ermittelt werden, wie groß das wissenschaftliche Potenzial ist für die Nutzung von Leistungsempfängerzahlen als Indikator für den Wandel des Sozialstaats über die Zeit und über die Länder hinweg.
Trends in immediate perioperative morbidity and delay in discharge after open and minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (RP): a 20‐year institutional experience
Authors: Pierorazio Phillip M. , Mullins Jeffrey K. , Ross Ashley E. , Hyams Elias S. , Partin Alan W. , Han Misop , Walsh Patrick C. , Schaeffer Edward M. , Pavlovich Christian P. , Allaf Mohamad E. , Bivalacqua Trinity J. 
Published: June 2013

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?
Standard clinical care pathways to discharge have been established for a number of operations including radical prostatectomy (RP). The pathway after RP has changed dramatically over the past two decades due to improvements in surgical technique, anaesthesia and most recently, the introduction of minimally invasive RP (MIRP).
This study adds evidence that the emergence of MIRP is associated with a decrease in LOS for all patients undergoing RP. In addition, it catalogues the development of the clinical care pathway over 20 years at a large, tertiary care hospital with extensive experience in RP. Finally, it defines the common reasons patients fall ‘off‐pathway’ (ileus, urine leak, anaemia and re‐exploration for bleeding) and defines the immediate perioperative morbidity profile of RP. Specifically, it addresses approach‐specific morbidities and indicates that MIRP is associated with higher rates of ‘off‐pathway’ discharge, most often due to ileus.
Objective
To investigate the development of the clinical care pathway to discharge after radical prostatectomy (RP) at a large, academic medical centre over the past 20 years, focusing on the rates and reasons for deviation.
Patients and Methods
In all, 18 049 men were identified from the Johns Hopkins RP database who had undergone surgery since 1991.
Patients in whom the length of stay (LOS) was ≤95th percentile, defined the clinical care pathway to discharge and those in whom LOS was ≥98th percentile were termed ‘off‐pathway’.
Results
The mean LOS decreased from 7.7 days in 1991 to 1.6 days in 2010.
Of 7126 patients undergoing RP since 2005, 1803(25.3%), 4881(68.5%) and 312 (4.4%) were discharged on postoperative day (POD) 1, 2 and 3, respectively; 126 (1.8%) patients, discharged on POD4–21 were ‘off‐pathway’.
The most common reasons for delay of discharge were ileus (44, 0.615%), urine leak (12, 0.17%), anaemia requiring blood transfusion (nine, 0.126%) and bleeding requiring re‐exploration (six, 0.08%).
The proportion of patients ‘off‐pathway’ was 1.20%, 1.06% and 4.01% for retropubic RP (RRP), laparoscopic RP (LRP) and robot‐assisted laparoscopic RP (RALRP), respectively (P < 0.001).
Ileus delayed discharge in 0.28%, 0.37% and 1.9% of patients undergoing RRP, LRP and RALRP, respectively (P < 0.001).
Conclusions
The clinical care pathway to discharge after RP has changed dramatically at our institution over the past 20 years.
RALRP appears to result in a higher proportion of ‘off‐pathway’ patients, primarily due to ileus, compared with RRP and LRP. However, very few patients were discharged ‘off‐pathway’.
Serum Biochemical Parameters Following Heroin Withdrawal: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Divsalar Kouros , Meymandi Manzumeh Shamsi , Afarinesh Mohammadreza , Zarandi Mahdi Mahmoudi , Haghpanah Tahereh , Keyhanfar Fariborz , Mahmoodi Majid , Kruszewski Stefan P. 
Published: June 2013

BackgroundLong‐term consumption of opioid compounds, even after withdrawal, affects serum biochemical parameters. Investigating these alterations is a new approach in substance abuse studies.MethodThis study investigated clinical laboratory results in men who are currently active, recently abstinent and non‐heroin users. Participants (N = 240) of this matched cohort study included heroin dependent men referred for abstinence treatment, volunteer men who did not abuse opioids matched for age, sex, body mass index, and educational level (control group). The groups were further sub‐divided for analysis into (a) continuous heroin users for more than 2 years (N = 70), the dependent group; (b) heroin abusers with 1 month abstinence period (N = 70), identified as ex‐heroin dependents; and (c) a matched, non‐dependent control group (N = 100). All participants were tested for fasting blood sugar (FBS), sodium, potassium, calcium, uric acid (UA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, total cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), total protein, fibrinogen, and prothrombin.ResultsCompared to the control group, ex‐heroin dependents showed decreased FBS and significantly higher sodium, creatinine, and cholesterol levels. Compared to the heroin dependent group, the ex‐heroin dependents showed significant differences in FBS, sodium, calcium, creatinine, UA, and thrombin time. No significant differences were noted between ex‐heroin dependents and controls in potassium, calcium, UA, BUN, TGs, total protein, and thrombin time.ConclusionThese results demonstrate altered laboratory markers in long‐term heroin dependents as well as ex‐heroin dependents and suggest the need for further identification, population distribution, and etiological understanding of these biomarkers in individuals who have abused heroin. (Am J Addict 2014;23:48–52)
Mechanisms of Parenchymal Cell Death In‐Vivo after Microvascular Hemorrhage
Authors: WILMS HERBERT , DELANO FRANK A. , SCHMID‐SCHÖNBEIN GEERT W. 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACTObjective: In vitro studies suggest that microhemorrhages with escape of red cells into the tissue may be cytotoxic to parenchymal cells due to oxygen free radical formation. We examined in the rat mesentery the impact of microhemorrhages on parenchymal cell death, as detected by propidium iodide staining, using an intravital approach.Methods and Results: Postcapillary venules were punctured with a closed‐end micropipette, permitting escape of blood cells and plasma into the mesentery interstitium. Over a period of 2 h, no significant increase in parenchymal cell death was encountered in tissues with hemorrhagic sites compared with non‐hemorrhagic control sites. Interstitial microinjections of plasma derived from whole blood incubated for several hours with and without a combination of sodium azide (2mM) and hydrogen peroxide (1 mM) led to significantly increased levels of cell death compared to control experiments. Interventions against the hydroxyl radical with dimethylthiourea (DMTU, 2 mM) or 2,2′‐dipyridyl (DPD, 2 mM), a lipid soluble iron chelator, provided no protective effect against the parenchymal cell death. DMTU slightly delayed the cytotoxic reaction.Conclusions: These observations suggest that a newly formed microhemorrhage is not necessarily cytotoxic to parenchymal tissue cells. Interstitial microinjections of plasma, derived from whole blood after prolonged exposure to oxygen free radicals or just aging under in vitro conditions, may be cytotoxic to mesenteric parenchymal cells without effective blockade by interventions against the hydroxyl radical.
The Inflammatory Reaction During Venous Hypertension in the Rat
Authors: TAKASE SHINYA , LEROND LAURANCE , BERGAN JOHN J. , SCHMID‐SCHÖNBEIN GEERT W. 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACTObjective: Numerous studies have examined arterial occlusion followed by reperfusion but few studies have reported about venular occlusion which, in contrast to arterial occlusion, is associated with elevation of the capillary blood pressure. Here we examine leukocytes infiltration and tissue injury in rat mesentery during local venular occlusion and venous hypertension followed by reperfusion, and determine the level of protection offered by pretreatment with micronized, purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF).Methods: Leukocyte rolling, adhesion, migration, and parenchymal cell death as detected by propidium iodide labeling were determined during venular occlusion using a micropipette followed by reperfusion in the rat mesenteric microcirculation pretreated with 0, 50, or 100 mg/kg MPFF for 7 days. Spontaneous leukocyte activation by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and expression of CD18 and CD62L on naive donor neutrophils incubated with plasma from each treatment group were determined.Results: Venous occlusion led to elevated levels of leukocyte rolling, adhesion, and migration as well as parenchymal cell death. These injurious processes were significantly inhibited by MPFF in a dose‐dependent fashion. MPFF reduced spontaneous leukocyte NBT reduction and the neutrophil expression of CD62L, even though CD18 was not affected.Conclusion: These results suggested that microvascular occlusion in venules with elevation of the micropressure followed by reperfusion is a highly cytotoxic process in the rat mesentery which can be attenuated by MPFF pretreatment.
Early Pliocene range expansion of a clade of subterranean Pyrenean beetles
Authors: Rizzo Valeria , Comas Jordi , Fadrique Floren , Fresneda Javier , Ribera Ignacio 
Published: June 2013

AbstractAimTo investigate the possibility of range expansion and diversification within the subterranean environment in a genus of troglobiont beetles of the family Leiodidae (Troglocharinus), which have a disjunct distribution between the Pyrenees and the Catalonian coast.LocationNorth‐eastern Iberian Peninsula.MethodsWe sequenced 4 kb of five mitochondrial and two nuclear genes of 50 specimens of 12 of the 18 species of Troglocharinus, plus several outgroups. We reconstructed a phylogeny using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood, estimated divergence times using Bayesian probabilities and an a priori evolutionary rate, compared the diversification of the main clades within the genus, and reconstructed their ancestral distribution using maximum likelihood.ResultsWe found strong support for the monophyly of Troglocharinus and the clades in each of the geographical areas, which diverged in the early Pliocene. The coastal clade was further divided into geographically well‐defined lineages, separated by Quaternary deposits. The origin of the coastal clade was a single colonization in the early Pliocene from the central Pyrenees. The diversification of the Pyrenean clade followed a constant rate, while the diversification rate of the coastal clade significantly decreased through the Plio‐Pleistocene transition.Main conclusionsTroglocharinus expanded its range from its ancestral area in the central Pyrenees to the coast of Catalonia and subsequently diversified, probably within the subterranean environment. Our favoured scenario is a stepping‐stone migration, with possibly short‐distance dispersals through the surface, along the eastern margin of the north‐eastern Ebro basin. The range expansion took place in a narrow temporal window with favourable conditions between the early Pliocene and the onset of the Mediterranean climate by the mid‐Pliocene. Surface dispersal was probably severely limited afterwards, as shown by the fragmentation of the coastal lineage.
Evaluation of Metal Ion Release from Ti6Al4V and Co‐Cr‐Mo Casting Alloys: In Vivo and In Vitro Study
Authors: El Sawy Amal A. , Shaarawy Mohammed A. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of ions released from Ti6Al4V and Co‐Cr‐Mo alloys both in vivo and in vitro.Materials and MethodsTwenty‐one discs of each alloy were constructed and divided into seven groups. Three specimens from each group were immersed in a buffered saline solution over a period of 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Twenty‐eight participants were also included in the study, where the study group consisted of 14 mandibular partially edentulous patients, and the control group consisted of 14 volunteers. The study group was further divided into two equal groups: the first group received removable partial dentures (RPDs) constructed from Co‐Cr‐Mo alloy, while the second group received RPDs constructed from Ti6Al4V alloy. Saliva samples were collected from each participant over the same study period. The conditioning media and saliva samples were analyzed using a spectrophotometer. One‐way ANOVA and Tukey tests were used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05).ResultsThe concentrations of metal ions released from the studied alloys were significantly higher in the in vitro than in the in vivo study group during the follow‐up periods. A statistically significant increase in ion concentrations of the different elements for both alloys was found with time (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe amounts of released metallic ions from Co‐Cr‐Mo and Ti6Al4V alloys were higher in the buffered saline solutions than in the studied saliva samples and control groups; however, these amounts were still within the physiological limit of trace elements in the human body.
The Active Patient Role and Asthma Outcomes in an Underserved Rural Community
Authors: Young Henry N. , Larson Tonja L. , Cox Elizabeth D. , Moreno Megan A. , Thorpe Joshua M. , MacKinnon Neil J. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractPurposePatient activation, an individual's knowledge, skills, and confidence for managing their own health and health care, can play an important role in the management of chronic conditions. However, few studies have examined patient activation in underserved rural communities. The purpose of this study was to describe patient activation and examine how patient activation is associated with adherence to asthma maintenance medication and disease control in a low‐income rural population with asthma.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional telephone survey with 98 adults. Patient activation was assessed with the Patient Activation Measure. Adherence to long‐term controller (LTC) medications and asthma control were examined using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) and Asthma Control Test (ACT). Multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the associations between patient activation and: (1) adherence to LTC medications and (2) asthma control.FindingsThe majority of participants (50%) were classified in the highest level of patient activation. The least activated participants had lower mean MMAS and ACT scores in comparison to participants who were classified in higher patient activation levels. Multivariate analyses found significant positive associations between patient activation and adherence and asthma control.ConclusionsPatient activation may be instrumental in low‐income rural patients’ use of asthma medication and disease control. Study results inform interventions to help patients use asthma medications appropriately and achieve better asthma control. In addition to increasing access to health care services in rural communities, health care professionals also may develop and implement strategies to positively impact rural patients’ involvement in care.
Golgi organization and the apical extension of fungal hyphae: an essential relationship
Authors: Harris Steven D. 
Published: June 2013

SummaryThe Golgi apparatus performs crucial functions in the sorting and processing of proteins destined for secretion from eukaryotic cells. In filamentous fungi, organization of the Golgi apparatus reflects the unique challenges brought about by the highly polarized nature of hyphal growth. Recent results show that Golgi compartments are spatially segregated within hyphal tip cells in a manner that depends upon the integrity of the cytoskeleton. Moreover, loss of normal Golgi organization stops polarized hyphal extension and triggers de‐polarization of the hyphal tip. These results emphasize the point that a spatially organized and dynamic Golgi apparatus represents an adaptation that is as important for hyphal extension as is the presence of a Spitzenkörper. In addition, they also identify regulatory mechanisms that could enable controlled de‐polarization of hyphae during development or infection‐related morphogenesis.
Dysfunction of the PI3K–Akt–GSK‐3 pathway is a common feature in cell culture and in vivo models of prion disease
Authors: Simon D. , Herva M. E. , Benitez M. J. , Garrido J. J. , Rojo A. I. , Cuadrado A. , Torres J. M. , Wandosell F. 
Published: June 2013

AimsTransmissible spongiform encephalopathies, also called prion diseases, are characterized by the cerebral accumulation of misfolded prion protein (PrPSC) and subsequent neurodegeneration. However, despite considerable research effort, the molecular mechanisms underlying prion‐induced neurodegeneration are poorly understood. Here, we explore the hypothesis that prions induce dysfunction of the PI3K/Akt/GSK‐3 signalling pathway.MethodsWe employed two parallel approaches. Using cell cultures derived from mouse primary neurones and from a human neuronal cell line, we identified common elements that were modified by the neurotoxic fragment of PrP106–126. These studies were then complemented by comparative analyses in a mouse model of prion infection.ResultsThe presence of a polymerized fragment of the prion protein (PrP106–126) or of a prion strain altered PI3K‐mediated signalling, as evidenced by Akt inhibition and GSK‐3 activation. PI3K activation by the addition of insulin or the expression of a constitutively active Akt mutant restored normal levels of Akt and GSK‐3 activity. These changes were correlated with a reduction in caspase activity and an increase in neuronal survival. Moreover, we found that activation of caspase 3, Erk and GSK‐3 are common features of PrP106–126‐mediated neurotoxicity in cellular systems and prion infection in the mouse cerebellum, while activation of caspase 12 and JNK was observed in cellular models.ConclusionsOur findings in cell culture and in vivo models of prion disease demonstrate marked alterations to the PI3K/Akt/GSK‐3 pathway and suggest that two additional pathways contribute to PrP‐induced neurotoxicity as responsible of JNK and caspase 12 activation.
Decomposing oil use per vehicle in modelling oil demand in the US road transportation
Authors: Mazraati Mohammad 
Published: June 2013

AbstractOil demand growth, driven by transportation sector, were affected by many variables including the number of vehicle on road, average vehicle mile travelled, average fuel economy of the vehicle stock and alternative fuels in the transportation sector. The amount of oil either avoided due to penetration of advanced technologies or replaced by consumption of alternative fuels will affect the so‐called oil consumption per vehicle (OPV) variable. This is a vital variable in forecasting oil demand in large models through vehicle stock model. This paper tries to show that by decomposing the OPV variable, the impact of alternative fuels and advanced technologies on oil demand in road transportation can be better traced. Decomposition of the US road fuel consumption shows that more than 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day will be avoided or replaced by 2035 due to the penetration of alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles. The annual average decline rate of OPV in United States could be −1.5 per cent, −1.3 per cent and −1.1 per cent, in the high, low and medium scenarios, respectively, in the period from 2009 to 2035 depending on the past alternative and advanced technologies are penetrating. It illustrates the huge uncertainty that facing future oil demand forecast in road transportation even in the case of OPV decomposition.
Econometric modelling of world oil supplies: terminal price and the time to depletion
Authors: Mohaddes Kamiar 
Published: June 2013

AbstractThis paper develops a novel approach by which to identify the price of oil at the time of depletion; the so‐called ‘terminal price’ of oil. It is shown that while the terminal price is independent of both gross domestic product growth and the price elasticity of energy demand, it is dependent on the world real interest rate and the total lifetime stock of oil resources, as well as on the marginal extraction and scarcity cost parameters. The theoretical predictions of this model are evaluated using data on the cost of extraction, cumulative production and proven reserves. The predicted terminal prices seem sensible for a range of parameters and variables, as illustrated by the sensitivity analysis. Using the terminal price of oil, we calculate the time to depletion and determine the extraction and price profiles over the lifetime of the resource. The extraction profiles generated seem to be in line with the actual production and the predicted prices are generally in line with those currently observed.