bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Moving from Intersection to Integration: Public Health Law Research and Public Health Systems and Services Research
Authors: BURRIS SCOTT , MAYS GLEN P. , DOUGLAS SCUTCHFIELD F. , IBRAHIM JENNIFER K. 
Published: June 2012

Context:For three decades, experts have been stressing the importance of law to the effective operation of public health systems. Most recently, in a 2011 report, the Institute of Medicine recommended a review of state and local public health laws to ensure appropriate authority for public health agencies; adequate access to legal counsel for public health agencies; evaluations of the health effects and costs associated with legislation, regulations, and policies; and enhancement of research methods to assess the strength of evidence regarding the health effects of public policies. These recommendations, and the continued interest in law as a determinant of health system performance, speak to the need for integrating the emerging fields of Public Health Law Research (PHLR) and Public Health Systems and Services Research (PHSSR).Methods:Expert commentary.Findings:This article sets out a unified framework for the two fields and a shared research agenda built around three broad inquiries: (1) the structural role of law in shaping the organization, powers, prerogatives, duties, and limitations of public health agencies and thereby their functioning and ultimately their impact on public health (“infrastructure”); (2) the mechanisms through which public health system characteristics influence the implementation of interventional public health laws (“implementation”); and (3) the individual and system characteristics that influence the ability of public health systems and their community partners to develop and secure enactment of legal initiatives to advance public health (“innovation”). Research to date has laid a foundation of evidence, but progress requires better and more accessible data, a new generation of researchers comfortable in both law and health research, and more rigorous methods.Conclusions:The routine integration of law as a salient factor in broader PHSSR studies of public health system functioning and health outcomes will enhance the usefulness of research in supporting practice and the long‐term improvement of system performance.
Regional variations in the distribution and colocalization of extracellular matrix proteins in the juvenile bovine meniscus
Authors: Vanderploeg Eric J. , Wilson Christopher G. , Imler Stacy M. , Ling Carrie Hang‐Yin , Levenston Marc E. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractA deeper understanding of the composition and organization of extracellular matrix molecules in native, healthy meniscus tissue is required to fully appreciate the degeneration that occurs in joint disease and the intricate environment in which an engineered meniscal graft would need to function. In this study, regional variations in the tissue‐level and pericellular distributions of collagen types I, II and VI and the proteoglycans aggrecan, biglycan and decorin were examined in the juvenile bovine meniscus. The collagen networks were extensively, but not completely, colocalized, with tissue‐level organization that varied with radial position across the meniscus. Type VI collagen exhibited close association with large bundles composed of type I and II collagen and, in contrast to type I and II collagen, was further concentrated in the pericellular matrix. Aggrecan was detected throughout the inner region of the meniscus but was restricted to the pericellular matrix and sheaths of collagen bundles in the middle and outer regions. The small proteoglycans biglycan and decorin exhibited regional variations in staining intensity but were consistently localized in the intra‐ and/or peri‐cellular compartments. These results provide insight into the complex hierarchy of extracellular matrix organization in the meniscus and provide a framework for better understanding meniscal degeneration and disease progression and evaluating potential repair and regeneration strategies.
Glucocorticoid treatment does not alter early cardiac adaptations to growth restriction in preterm sheep fetuses
Authors: Tare M , Miller SL , Wallace EM , Sutherland AE , Yawno T , Coleman HA , Jenkin G , Parkington HC 
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: Tare M, Miller S, Wallace E, Sutherland A, Yawno T, Coleman H, Jenkin G, Parkington H. Glucocorticoid treatment does not alter early cardiac adaptations to growth restriction in preterm sheep fetuses. BJOG 2012;119:906–914.Objective  To study the consequences of glucocorticoid treatment in fetal growth restriction (FGR) on cardiac function.Setting  Laboratory.Sample  Sheep.Methods  Growth restriction was induced in sheep fetuses using single umbilical artery ligation (SUAL) on days 105–110 of gestation (term 147). Control fetuses were not ligated. Betamethasone (BM) (11.4 mg intramuscularly) or saline was administered to ewes on days 5 and 6 after surgery. Ewes were anaesthetised on day 7, the fetuses were removed, and their hearts were mounted on a Langendorff apparatus. Balloon catheters were inserted into the right and left ventricles.Outcome measures  Ventricular contractile function and infarct area following ischaemia/reperfusion.Results  The SUAL resulted in FGR (body weight 77% of control). The FGR was associated with increases in basal left ventricular pressure development and rates of contraction and relaxation. Right ventricular contraction was unaffected. Following brief ischaemia/reperfusion, the infarct area in FGR hearts was increased four‐fold compared with controls. Antenatal BM resulted in a proportional increase in heart size and coronary flow, especially in FGR fetuses, and left ventricular pressure and heart rate responses to β‐adrenoceptor activation were increased.Conclusions  Fetal hearts rapidly adapt to FGR to maintain substrate delivery to the brain and heart. The FGR greatly enhanced the area of ischaemia, with implications for susceptibility in postnatal life. Antenatal BM treatment does not interfere with these cardiac changes but appears to increase left ventricle β‐adrenoceptor responsiveness, which may render the offspring vulnerable to subsequent cardiac dysfunction.
The effects of low to moderate alcohol consumption and binge drinking in early pregnancy on executive function in 5‐year‐old children
Authors: Skogerbø Å , Kesmodel US , Wimberley T , Støvring H , Bertrand J , Landrø NI , Mortensen EL 
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: SkogerbøÅ, Kesmodel U, Wimberley T, Støvring H, Bertrand J, Landrø N, Mortensen E. The effects of low to moderate alcohol consumption and binge drinking in early pregnancy on executive function in 5‐year‐old children. BJOG 2012;119:1201–1210.Objective To examine the effects of low to moderate maternal alcohol consumption and binge drinking in early pregnancy on children’s executive functions at the age of 5 years.Design Follow‐up study.Setting Neuropsychological testing in four Danish cities 2003–2008.Population A cohort of 1628 women and their children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort.Methods Participants were sampled based on maternal alcohol drinking patterns during early pregnancy. When the children were 5 years old, the parent and teacher forms of the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) were completed by the mothers and a preschool teacher. Parental education, maternal IQ, prenatal maternal smoking, the child’s age at testing, and the child’s gender were considered core confounding factors. The full model also included maternal binge drinking or low to moderate alcohol consumption, maternal age, parity, maternal marital status, family home environment, postnatal parental smoking, pre‐pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI), and the health status of the child.Main outcome measures The BRIEF parent and teacher forms.Results Adjusted for all potential confounding factors, no statistically significant associations between maternal low to moderate average weekly consumption and BRIEF index scores were observed. In adjusted analyses, binge drinking in gestational week 9 or later was significantly associated with elevated Behavioural Regulation Index parent scores (OR 2.04, 95% CI 0.33–3.76), and with the risk of high scores on the Metacognitive Index assessed by the teacher (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.01–4.23).Conclusions This study did not observe significant effects of low to moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy on executive functioning at the age of 5 years. Furthermore, only weak and no consistent associations between maternal binge drinking and executive functions were observed.
Acceptance and Perception of Nigerian Patients to Medical Photography
Authors: Adeyemo W.L. , Mofikoya B.O. , Akadiri O.A. , James O. , Fashina A.A. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTThe aim of the study was to determine the acceptance and perception of Nigerian patients to medical photography. A self‐administered questionnaire was distributed among Nigerian patients attending oral and maxillofacial surgery and plastic surgery clinics of 3 tertiary health institutions. Information requested included patients' opinion about consent process, capturing equipment, distribution and accessibility of medical photographs. The use of non‐identifiable medical photographs was more acceptable than identifiable to respondents for all purposes (P = 0.003). Most respondents were favourably disposed to photographs being taken for inclusion in the case note, but opposed to identifiable photographs being used for other purposes most especially in medical websites and medical journals. Female respondents preferred non‐identifiable medical photographs to identifiable ones (P = 0.001). Most respondents (78%) indicated that their consent be sought for each of the outline needs for medical photography. Half of the respondents indicated that identifiable photographs may have a negative effect on their persons; and the most commonly mentioned effects were social stigmatization, bad publicity and emotional/psychological effects. Most of the respondents preferred the use of hospital‐owned camera to personal camera/personal camera‐phone for their medical photographs. Most respondents (67.8%) indicated that they would like to be informed about the use of their photographs on every occasion, and 74% indicated that they would like to be informed of the specific journal in which their medical photographs are to be published. In conclusion, non‐identifiable rather than identifiable medical photography is acceptable to most patients in the studied Nigerian environment. The use of personal camera/personal camera‐phone should be discouraged as its acceptance by respondents is very low. Judicious use of medical photography is therefore advocated to avoid breach of principle of privacy and confidentiality in medical practice.
WHAT DO ISLAMIC INSTITUTIONAL FATWAS SAY ABOUT MEDICAL AND RESEARCH CONFIDENTIALITY AND BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY?
Authors: ALAHMAD GHIATH , DIERICKX KRIS 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTProtecting confidentiality is an essential value in all human relationships, no less in medical practice and research.1 Doctor‐patient and researcher‐participant relationships are built on trust and on the understanding those patients' secrets will not be disclosed.2 However, this confidentiality can be breached in some situations where it is necessary to meet a strong conflicting duty.3Confidentiality, in a general sense, has received much interest in Islamic resources including the Qur'an, Sunnah and juristic writings. However, medical and research confidentiality have not been explored deeply. There are few fatwas about the issue, despite an increased effort by both individuals and Islamic medical organizations to use these institutional fatwas in their research.Infringements on confidentiality make up a significant portion of institutional fatwas, yet they have never been thoroughly investigated. Moreover, the efforts of organizations and authors in this regard still require further exploration, especially on the issue of research confidentiality.In this article, we explore medical and research confidentiality and potential conflicts with this practice as a result of fatwas released by international, regional, and national Islamic Sunni juristic councils. We discuss how these fatwas affect research and publication by Muslim doctors, researchers, and Islamic medical organizations.We argue that more specialized fatwas are needed to clarify Islamic juristic views about medical and research confidentiality, especially the circumstances in which infringements on this confidentiality are justified.
Changes in biodiversity and vegetation composition in the central Swiss Alps during the transition from pristine forest to first farming
Authors: Colombaroli Daniele , Beckmann Madlena , van der Knaap Willem O. , Curdy Philippe , Tinner Willy 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAimWe investigate the response of vegetation composition and plant diversity to increasing land clearance, burning and agriculture at the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition (c. 6400–5000 bc) when first farming was introduced.LocationThe Valais, a dry alpine valley in Switzerland.MethodsWe combine high‐resolution pollen, microscopic charcoal and sedimentological data to reconstruct past vegetation, fire and land use. Pollen evenness, rarefaction‐based and accumulation‐based palynological richness analyses were used to reconstruct past trends in plant diversity.ResultsOur results show that from c. 5500 cal. yr bc, slash‐and‐burn activities created a more open landscape for agriculture, at the expense of Pinus and Betula forests. Land clearance by slash‐and‐burn promoted diverse grassland ecosystems, while on the long term it reduced woodland and forest diversity, affecting important tree species such as Ulmus and Tilia.Main conclusionsUnderstanding the resilience of Alpine ecosystems to past disturbance variability is relevant for future nature conservation plans. Our study suggests that forecasted land abandonment in the Alps will lead to pre‐Neolithic conditions, with significant biodiversity losses in abandoned grassland ecosystems. Thus, management measures for biodiversity, such as ecological compensation areas, are needed in agricultural landscapes with a millennial history of human impact, such as the non‐boreal European lowlands. Our study supports the hypothesis that species coexistence is maximized at an intermediate level of disturbances. For instance, species richness decreased when fire exceeded the quasi‐natural variability observed during the Mesolithic times. Under a more natural disturbance regime, rather closed Pinus sylvestris and mixed oak forests would prevail.
Evaluating the performance of weed containment programmes
Authors: Dane Panetta F. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAimTo develop approaches to the evaluation of programmes whose strategic objectives are to halt or slow weed spread.LocationAustralia.MethodsKey aspects in the evaluation of weed containment programmes are considered. These include the relevance of models that predict the effects of management intervention on spread, the detection of spread, evidence for containment failure and metrics for absolute or partial containment. Case studies documenting either near‐absolute (Orobanche ramosaL., branched broomrape) or partial (Parthenium hysterophorus(L.) King and Robinson, parthenium) containment are presented.ResultsWhile useful for informing containment strategies, predictive models cannot be employed in containment programme evaluation owing to the highly stochastic nature of realized weed spread. The quality of observations is critical to the timely detection of weed spread. Effectiveness of surveillance and monitoring activities will be improved by utilizing information on habitat suitability and identification of sites from which spread could most compromise containment. Proof of containment failure may be difficult to obtain. The default option of assuming that a new detection represents containment failure could lead to an underestimate of containment success, the magnitude of which will depend on how often this assumption is made.Main conclusionsEvaluation of weed containment programmes will be relatively straightforward if containment is either absolute or near‐absolute and may be based on total containment area and direct measures of containment failure, for example, levels of dispersal, establishment and reproduction beyond (but proximal to) the containment line. Where containment is only partial, other measures of containment effectiveness will be required. These may include changes in the rates of detection of new infestations following the institution of interventions designed to reduce dispersal, the degree of compliance with such interventions, and the effectiveness of tactics intended to reduce fecundity or other demographic drivers of spread.
The extreme longevity of Arctica islandica is associated with increased peroxidation resistance in mitochondrial membranes
Authors: Munro Daniel , Blier Pierre U. 
Published: June 2012

SummaryThe deleterious reactive carbonyls released upon oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in biological membranes are believed to foster cellular aging. Comparative studies in mammals and birds have shown that the susceptibility to peroxidation of membrane lipids peroxidation index (PI) is negatively correlated with longevity. Long‐living marine molluscs are increasingly studied as longevity models, and the presence of different types of lipids in the membranes of these organisms raises questions on the existence of a PI–longevity relationship. We address this question by comparing the longest living metazoan species, the mud clam Arctica islandica (maximum reported longevity = 507 year) to four other sympatric bivalve molluscs greatly differing in longevity (28, 37, 92, and 106 year). We contrasted the acyl and alkenyl chain composition of phospholipids from the mitochondrial membranes of these species. The analysis was reproduced in parallel for a mix of other cell membranes to investigate whether a different PI–longevity relationship would be found. The mitochondrial membrane PI was found to have an exponential decrease with increasing longevity among species and is significantly lower for A. islandica. The PI of other cell membranes showed a linear decrease with increasing longevity among species and was also significantly lower for A. islandica. These results clearly demonstrate that the PI also decreases with increasing longevity in marine bivalves and that it decreases faster in the mitochondrial membrane than in other membranes in general. Furthermore, the particularly low PI values for A. islandica can partly explain this species’ extreme longevity.
Influence of Helicobacter pylori Infection on Gastric Acid Secretion in Pre‐School Bangladeshi Children
Authors: Sarker Shafiqul A. , Sultana Shamima , Sattar Samima , Ahmed Tahmeed , Beglinger Christoph , Gyr Niklaus , Fuchs George J. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe effect of
Helicobacter pylori (
H. pylori) infection on gastric acid secretion (GAS) is poorly defined in children.ObjectiveTo determine whether
H. pylori infection is associated with abnormal GAS in children.MethodsWe studied 30
H. pylori‐infected children (identified by a positive urea breath test) and 30 noninfected children of both sexes, aged 2–5 years. Gastric pH and GAS were measured before and 8 weeks after the completion of a 2‐week course of anti‐
H. pylori therapy (omeprazole, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin). Gastric acid output (GAO) was quantified during a 1‐h basal period (GAO‐B) (mmol/h) and a 1‐hour stimulated period (GAO‐S) (mmol/hour) following subcutaneous administration of pentagastrin (6 μg/kg).ResultsA significantly greater number of infected children had a high gastric pH (>4.0, p = 0.03) compared with the noninfected group. GAO‐B and GAO‐S in
H. pylori‐infected children were significantly lower, around 50%, compared with children without
H. pylori infection.
H. pylori‐eradication therapy resulted in a rise of both the mean GAO‐B (paired t‐test before vs. after therapy; 0.28 ± 0.40 vs. 0.62 ± 1.0, p = 0.12) and GAO‐S (before vs. after therapy; 2.0 ± 1.4 vs. 3.4 ± 2.5, p = 0.001), with values reaching equivalence to those in the
H. pylori‐negative children (0.71 ± 0.56 for BAO, 3.3 ± 2.0 for SAO, p = NS).ConclusionThe results suggest that the gastric barrier is compromised in children with
H. pylori infection in Bangladesh. Improvement of GAO following anti‐
H. pylori therapy suggests a causal link between
H. pylori infection and depressed GAO in this population.
Finding a better drug for epilepsy: Preclinical screening strategies and experimental trial design
Authors: Simonato Michele , Löscher Wolfgang , Cole Andrew J. , Dudek F. Edward , Engel Jerome , Kaminski Rafal M. , Loeb Jeffrey A. , Scharfman Helen , Staley Kevin J. , Velíšek Libor , Klitgaard Henrik 
Published: June 2012

SummaryThe antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) introduced during the past two decades have provided several benefits: they offered new treatment options for symptomatic treatment of seizures, improved ease of use and tolerability, and lowered risk for hypersensitivity reactions and detrimental drug–drug interactions. These drugs, however, neither attenuated the problem of drug‐refractory epilepsy nor proved capable of preventing or curing the disease. Therefore, new preclinical screening strategies are needed to identify AEDs that target these unmet medical needs. New therapies may derive from novel targets identified on the basis of existing hypotheses for drug‐refractory epilepsy and the biology of epileptogenesis; from research on genetics, transcriptomics, and epigenetics; and from mechanisms relevant for other therapy areas. Novel targets should be explored using new preclinical screening strategies, and new technologies should be used to develop medium‐ to high‐throughput screening models. In vivo testing of novel drugs should be performed in models mimicking relevant aspects of drug refractory epilepsy and/or epileptogenesis. To minimize the high attrition rate associated with drug development, which arises mainly from a failure to demonstrate sufficient clinical efficacy of new treatments, it is important to define integrated strategies for preclinical screening and experimental trial design. An important tool will be the discovery and implementation of relevant biomarkers that will facilitate a continuum of proof‐of‐concept approaches during early clinical testing to rapidly confirm or reject preclinical findings, and thereby lower the risk of the overall development effort. In this review, we overview some of the issues related to these topics and provide examples of new approaches that we hope will be more successful than those used in the past.