bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hyperoxia and prevention of adhesion formation: a laparoscopic mouse model for open surgery
Authors: Binda MM , Koninckx PR 
Published: October 2009

Please cite this paper as: Binda M, Koninckx P. Hyperoxia and prevention of adhesion formation: a laparoscopic mouse model for open surgery. BJOG 2010;117:331–339.Objective  CO2 pneumoperitoneum with more than 10% oxygen enhances adhesions. As during open surgery the peritoneum is exposed to air (20% oxygen), in this hyperoxia‐enhanced adhesion model we evaluated the effect of hypothermia and products with known effectiveness in hypoxia (pure CO2 pneumoperitoneum) and normoxia (CO2 pneumoperitoneum plus 3–4% oxygen) models. Results were expected to be important for adhesion prevention in open surgery, and, moreover, similarities and differences between the three models would be important to identify differences in pathways of adhesion formation between laparoscopy and laparotomy.Design  Two experiments were performed in which the effect of hypothermia (32°C), a surfactant (phospholipids), a barrier (Hyalobarrier® gel), reactive oxygen species scavengers (superoxide dismutase, SOD, and ascorbic acid, AA), anti‐inflammatory agents (dexamethasone and nimesulide), a calcium channel blocker (diltiazem) and recombinant plasminogen activator (r‐PA) were evaluated upon adhesions.Setting  University Hospital.Population  BALB/c mice.Methods  Hyperoxia‐enhanced adhesions were induced by performing laparoscopically bipolar lesions during 60 minutes of CO2 pneumoperitoneum plus 12% oxygen at 37°C body temperature.Main outcome measures  Adhesions were scored after 7 days.Results  In this model, adhesions were reduced by hypothermia (P < 0.02; Wilcoxon), phospholipids (P = 0.03), Hyalobarrier® gel (P < 0.004), dexamethasone (P < 0.005) and diltiazem (P < 0.01). A significant but quantitatively borderline effect was seen for AA (P < 0.002) and r‐PA (P = 0.0005), whereas SOD and nimesulide did not have any effect.Conclusions  Hyperoxia‐enhanced adhesions were prevented by hypothermia, dexamethasone, phospholipids, Hyalobarrier® gel, diltiazem, r‐PA and AA. All effects were similar to those in the hypoxia‐enhanced adhesion model, suggesting that the underlying mechanisms are similar.
Low birthweight and preterm birth rates 1 year before and after the Irish workplace smoking ban
Authors: Kabir Z , Clarke V , Conroy R , McNamee E , Daly S , Clancy L 
Published: October 2009

Objective  It is well‐established that maternal smoking has adverse birth outcomes (low birthweight, LBW, and preterm births). The comprehensive Irish workplace smoking ban was successfully introduced in March 2004. We examined LBW and preterm birth rates 1 year before and after the workplace smoking ban in Dublin.Design  A cross‐sectional observational study analysing routinely collected data using the Euroking K2 maternity system.Setting  Coombe University Maternal Hospital.Population  Only singleton live births were included for analyses (7593 and 7648, in 2003 and 2005, respectively).Methods  Detailed gestational and clinical characteristics were collected and analysed using multivariable logistic regression analyses and subgroup analyses.Main outcome measures  Maternal smoking rates, mean birthweights, and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of LBW and preterm births in 2005 versus 2003.Results  There was a 25% decreased risk of preterm births (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59–0.96), a 43% increased risk of LBW (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10–1.85), and a 12% fall in maternal smoking rates (from 23.4 to 20.6%) in 2005 relative to 2003. Such patterns were significantly maintained when specific subgroups were also analysed. Mean birthweights decreased in 2005, but were not significant (P = 0.99). There was a marginal increase in smoking cessation before pregnancy in 2005 (P = 0.047).Conclusions  Significant declines in preterm births and in maternal smoking rates after the smoking ban are welcome signs. However, the increased LBW birth risks might reflect a secular trend, as observed in many industrialised nations, and merits further investigations.
Prescriptions filled during pregnancy for drugs with the potential of fetal harm
Authors: Kulaga S , Zagarzadeh A , Bérard A 
Published: October 2009

Objective  To assess the extent of prescriptions filled by pregnant women for drugs with recognised potential of fetal harm, and to document the outcomes of these pregnancies.Design  Cross‐sectional study.Population  Quebec Pregnancy Registry.Methods  We identified women who were pregnant during a five‐year period and who were insured for prescription medications under the provincial drug plan. We obtained information on prescriptions filled during pregnancy for drugs with known potential of fetal harm.Main outcome measures  Prescriptions filled for study drugs during the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy; termination of pregnancy (TOP) or delivery, and whether the baby was diagnosed with a major congenital malformation (MCM).Results  Of 109 344 women, 56% filled at least one prescription for a medication during pregnancy; 6.3% filled at least one prescription for a drug known to pose a risk to the fetus. Overall, 47% (95% CI, 45.8–48.2) of pregnancies exposed to drugs under study ended in TOP versus 36.2% (95% CI, 35.9–36.5) of those not exposed; 8.2% (95% CI, 8.0–10.0) of live births were diagnosed with an MCM during the first year of life versus 7.1% (95% CI, 6.9–7.3) of those not exposed.Conclusions  This study documents an important level of prescriptions filled during pregnancy for drugs harmful to the developing fetus. The proportions of both TOPs and babies born with MCMs were elevated compared with the expected values. Clinicians caring for women during pregnancy should conduct a medication inventory prior to a planned pregnancy, or as soon as an unplanned pregnancy is recognised.
Preliminary evaluation of novel 68Ga‐DOTAVAP‐PEG‐P2 peptide targeting vascular adhesion protein‐1
Authors: Silvola Johanna , Autio Anu , Luoto Pauliina , Jalkanen Sirpa , Roivainen Anne 
Published: October 2009

SummaryIntroduction:  Expression of vascular adhesion protein‐1 (VAP‐1) is induced at the sites of inflammation where extravasation of leukocytes from blood to the peripheral tissue occurs. VAP‐1 is a potential target for anti‐inflammatory therapy and for in vivo imaging of inflammation. Purpose of this study was to preliminarily evaluate a novel VAP‐1‐targeting peptide as a potential PET imaging agent.Methods:  Cyclic 17‐amino‐acid peptide selected from phage display libraries was 1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐N,N′,N′′,N′′′‐tetraacetic acid (DOTA) conjugated via 8‐amino‐3,6‐diooxaoctanoyl linker (polyethylene glycol, PEG derivative) and labelled with 68Ga (68Ga‐DOTAVAP‐PEG‐P2). In vitro stability of 68Ga‐DOTAVAP‐PEG‐P2 was determined in saline, rat plasma and human plasma by radio‐HLPC. Lipophilicity was measured by calculating octanol‐water partition coefficient (logP). Whole‐body distribution kinetics and stability after intravenous injection in healthy rats was studied in vivo by PET imaging, ex vivo by measuring radioactivity of excised tissues, and by radio‐HPLC.Results:  In vitro the 68Ga‐DOTAVAP‐PEG‐P2 remained stable >4 h in saline and rat plasma, but degraded slowly in human plasma after 2 h of incubation. The logP value of 68Ga‐DOTAVAP‐PEG‐P2 was −1·3. In rats, 68Ga‐radioactivity cleared rapidly from blood circulation and excreted quickly in urine. At 120 min after injection the fraction of intact 68Ga‐DOTAVAP‐PEG‐P2 were 77 ± 6·0% and 99 ± 1·0% in rat plasma and urine, respectively.Conclusions:  These basic and essential in vitro and in vivo studies of the new VAP‐1 targeting peptide revealed promising properties for an imaging agent. Further investigations to clarify in vivo VAP‐1 targeting are warranted.
Show Us the Money: Lessons in Transparency from State Pharmaceutical Marketing Disclosure Laws
Authors: Chimonas Susan , Rozario Natassia M. , Rothman David J. 
Published: October 2009

Objective. To assess legislation requiring drug companies to report gifts to providers, and to evaluate the information obtained.Data Sources. Data included legislation in Vermont, Minnesota, Maine, Massachusetts, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and company disclosure data from Vermont.Study Design. We evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of state legislation. We also analyzed 4 years of company disclosures from Vermont, assessing the value and distribution of industry–provider exchanges and identifying emerging trends in companies' practices.Data Collection Methods. State legislation is publically available. We obtained Vermont's data through requests to the state's Attorney General's office.Principal Findings. Of the state laws, only Vermont's yielded robust, publically available data. These data show gifting was dominated by a few major corporations, and <2 percent of Vermont's prescribers received 69 percent of gifts and payments. Companies were especially generous to specialists in psychiatry, endocrinology/diabetes/metabolism, internal medicine, and neurology. Companies increasingly used loopholes in the law to avoid public scrutiny.Conclusions. Disclosure laws are an important first step in bringing greater transparency to physician–industry relationships. But flaws and weaknesses limit the states' ability to render physician–industry exchanges fully transparent. Future efforts should build on these lessons to render physician–industry relationships fully transparent.
Debt Covenants and Accounting Conservatism
Authors: NIKOLAEV VALERI V. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTUsing a sample of over 5,000 debt issues, I test whether firms with more extensive use of covenants in their public debt contracts exhibit timelier recognition of economic losses in accounting earnings. Covenants govern the transfer of decision‐making and control rights from shareholders to bondholders when a company approaches financial distress and thereby limit managers’ abilities to expropriate bondholder wealth. Covenants are expected to constrain managerial opportunism, however, only if the accounting system recognizes economic losses in earnings in a timely fashion. Thus, the demand for timely loss recognition should increase with a contract's reliance on covenants. Consistent with this conjecture, I find evidence that reliance on covenants in public debt contracts is positively associated with the degree of timely loss recognition. I also find evidence that the presence of prior private debt mitigates this relationship.
The Crisis in the Investiture Crisis Narrative
Authors: Miller Maureen C. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractRecent research has undermined the connection between lay investiture and the iconic event usually seen as the most dramatic expression of the investiture conflict: the encounter of Pope Gregory VII and King Henry IV of Germany at Canossa. This is just one, however, of many interpretive problems plaguing historical narratives of the investiture crisis. This essay briefly summarizes the classic interpretations that have dominated 20th‐century understanding of these events and sets out the major problem raised in more recent research. Arguing that a new interpretive framework is necessary, the author suggests two paths forward: a radical reconsideration of the papacy from a truly post‐confessional perspective and a reevaluation of the conflict in the context of new understandings of lordship and political change.
Defining Prostitution and Redefining Women’s Roles: The Colonial State and Society in Early 19th Century India
Authors: Wald Erica 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe seismic shifts in Indian society which took place over the course of the 19th century have been the focus of a number of studies in recent years. These changes permanently altered the lives and livelihoods of many groups across the socioeconomic spectrum. Among the most dramatically affected were those women who would come to be categorised as ‘prostitutes’. Prior to their inclusion in the category of ‘prostitute’, the women ranged from temple dancers, erudite courtesans and (monogamous) concubines to those women who come closest to our contemporary understanding of ‘prostitute’– working as they did in bazaars or cantonments as sex workers. Yet, in the century before, very few of these groups of women would have considered themselves to be of ‘ill‐repute’. These ideas about ‘morality’ and ‘prostitution’ in India were not simply adopted from Europe. Instead, they were born out of a complex process of contestation and negotiation across the subcontinent, involving various parties, from army surgeons to pandits. As this article will argue, analysing the conditions which prompted these changed categories is as important as understanding the political and social implications of the practice of prostitution in India and the empire.
Gendered Epidemiology: Sexual Equality and the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Sub‐Saharan Africa*
Authors: Niëns Laurens , Lowery David 
Published: October 2009

Objectives. Given that HIV/AIDS in sub‐Saharan Africa is largely spread through heterosexual contact, there is marked variation in levels of gender equity across sub‐Saharan African countries, and levels of gender equity are likely to influence both exposure to sexual practices that increase the likelihood of exposure to HIV and the efficacy of prevention programs, we hypothesize that levels of gender equity account for the levels of and changes in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS across sub‐Saharan African countries.Methods. We explore this hypothesis by first discussing the role of gender and several other contextual variables in the spread of HIV/AIDS. The resulting model is tested with regression analyses of both the level and change of HIV/AIDS in sub‐Saharan African.Result. We find strong support for our hypothesis.Conclusion. This suggests that further policy attention be given to gender equity in combating HIV/AIDS.
Contextual Effects and Adolescent Substance Use: Exploring the Role of Neighborhoods*
Authors: Snedker Karen A. , Herting Jerald R. , Walton Emily 
Published: October 2009

Objective.The purpose of this article is to explore the additive and moderating effects of neighborhood context on substance use among youth.Methods.Using a regional sample of adolescents and matching the data to Census tracts, we use hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and neighborhood instability on alcohol and marijuana use while controlling for individual, family, and peer characteristics.Results.For both alcohol and marijuana use measures, we find neighborhood disadvantage has a consistent negative direct effect; adolescents living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods have lower rates of use. In addition, neighborhood disadvantage moderates the effect of a key individual risk factor. Specifically, we find living in areas with higher neighborhood disadvantage reduces the effect of deviant peers on adolescent substance use.Conclusions.Findings, while showing effects of neighborhood disadvantage, are inconsistent with the typical neighborhood disorganization framework. We discuss the implications of our findings for ongoing research on neighborhood contextual effects and adolescent behaviors.
Robotically Assisted Ablation Produces More Rapid and Greater Signal Attenuation Than Manual Ablation
Authors: KOA‐WING MICHAEL , KOJODJOJO PIPIN , MALCOLME‐LAWES LOUISA C. , SALUKHE TUSHAR V. , LINTON NICK W.F. , GROGAN AARON P. , BERGMAN DALE , LIM PHANG BOON , WHINNETT ZACHARY I. , McCARTHY KAREN , HO SIEW YEN , O’NEILL MARK D. , PETERS NICHOLAS S. , DAVIES D. WYN , KANAGARATNAM PRAPA 
Published: October 2009

Introduction:
Robotic remote catheter ablation potentially provides improved catheter‐tip stability, which should improve the efficiency of radiofrequency energy delivery. Percentage reduction in electrogram peak‐to‐peak voltage has been used as a measure of effectiveness of ablation. We tested the hypothesis that improved catheter‐tip stability of robotic ablation can diminish signals to a greater degree than manual ablation.
Methods:

In vivo NavX™ maps of 7 pig atria were constructed. Separate lines of ablation were performed robotically and manually, recording pre‐ and postablation peak‐to‐peak voltages at 10, 20, 30, and 60 seconds and calculating signal amplitude reduction. Catheter ablation settings were constant (25W, 50°, 17 mL/min, 20–30 g catheter tip pressure). The pigs were sacrificed and ablation lesions correlated with NavX maps.
Results:
Robotic ablation reduced signal amplitude to a greater degree than manual ablation (49 ± 2.6% vs 29 ± 4.5% signal reduction after 1 minute [P = 0.0002]). The mean energy delivered (223 ± 184 J vs 231 ± 190 J, P = 0.42), power (19 ± 3.5 W vs 19 ± 4 W, P = 0.84), and duration of ablation (15 ± 9 seconds vs 15 ± 9 seconds, P = 0.89) was the same for manual and robotic. The mean peak catheter‐tip temperature was higher for robotic (45 ± 5°C vs 42 ± 3°C [P < 0.0001]). The incidence of >50% signal reduction was greater for robotic (37%) than manual (21%) ablation (P = 0.0001).
Conclusion:
Robotically assisted ablation appears to be more effective than manual ablation at signal amplitude reduction, therefore may be expected to produce improved clinical outcomes.
A retrospective evaluation of the impact of total smoking cessation on psychiatric inpatients taking clozapine
Authors: Cormac I. , Brown A. , Creasey S. , Ferriter M. , Huckstep B. 
Published: October 2009

Cormac I, Brown A, Creasey S, Ferriter M, Huckstep B. A retrospective evaluation of the impact of total smoking cessation on psychiatric inpatients taking clozapine.Objective:  To investigate the effect of a complete smoking ban on a group of psychiatric inpatients maintained on the antipsychotic medication clozapine.Method:  Retrospective data on clozapine dose and plasma levels were collected from a three month period before and a six month period after the introduction of the smoking ban.Results:  Before the ban only 4.2% of patients who smoked had a plasma clozapine level ≥1000 μg/l but after the ban this increased to 41.7% of the sample within the six month period following the ban despite dose reductions.Conclusion:  Abrupt cessation of smoking is associated with a potentially serious risk of toxicity in patients taking clozapine. Plasma clozapine levels must be monitored closely and adjustments made in dosage, if necessary, for at least six months after cessation.
Identifying target groups for the prevention of anxiety disorders in the general population
Authors: Batelaan N. M. , Smit F. , De Graaf R. , Van Balkom A. J. L. M. , Vollebergh W. A. M. , Beekman A. T. F. 
Published: October 2009

Batelaan NM, Smit F, de Graaf R, van Balkom AJLM, Vollebergh WAM, Beekman ATF. Identifying target groups for the prevention of anxiety disorders in the general population.Objective:  To avert the public health consequences of anxiety disorders, prevention of their onset and recurrence is necessary. Recent studies have shown that prevention is effective. To maximize the health gain and minimize the effort, preventive strategies should focus on high‐risk groups.Method:  Using data from a large prospective national survey, high‐risk groups were selected for i) the prevention of first ever (n = 4437) and ii) either first‐ever or recurrent incident anxiety disorders (n = 4886). Indices used were: exposure rate, odds ratio, population attributable fraction and number needed to be treated. Risk indicators included sociodemographic, psychological and illness‐related factors.Results:  Recognition of a few patient characteristics enables efficient identification of high‐risk groups: (subthreshold) panic attacks; an affective disorder; a history of depressed mood; a prior anxiety disorder; chronic somatic illnesses and low mastery.Conclusion:  Preventive efforts should be undertaken in the selected high‐risk groups.
Face shape of unaffected parents with cleft affected offspring: combining three‐dimensional surface imaging and geometric morphometrics
Authors: Weinberg SM , Naidoo SD , Bardi KM , Brandon CA , Neiswanger K , Resick JM , Martin RA , Marazita ML 
Published: October 2009

Structured AbstractAuthors – Weinberg SM, Naidoo SD, Bardi KM, Brandon CA, Neiswanger K, Resick JM, Martin RA, Marazita MLObjective – Various lines of evidence suggest that face shape may be a predisposing factor for non‐syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P). In the present study, 3D surface imaging and statistical shape analysis were used to evaluate face shape differences between the unaffected (non‐cleft) parents of individuals with CL / P and unrelated controls.Methods – Sixteen facial landmarks were collected from 3D captures of 80 unaffected parents and 80 matched controls. Prior to analysis, each unaffected parent was assigned to a subgroup on the basis of prior family history (positive or negative). A geometric morphometric approach was utilized to scale and superimpose the landmark coordinate data (Procrustes analysis), test for omnibus group differences in face shape, and uncover specific modes of shape variation capable of discriminating unaffected parents from controls.Results – Significant disparity in face shape was observed between unaffected parents and controls (p < 0.01). Notably, these changes were specific to parents with a positive family history of CL / P. Shape changes associated with CL / P predisposition included marked flattening of the facial profile (midface retrusion), reduced upper facial height, increased lower facial height, and excess interorbital width. Additionally, a sex‐specific pattern of parent‐control difference was evident in the transverse dimensions of the nasolabial complex.Conclusions – The faces of unaffected parents from multiplex cleft families displayed meaningful shape differences compared with the general population. Quantitative assessment of the facial phenotype in cleft families may enhance efforts to discover the root causes of CL /P.