bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity of the Sheehan Disability Scale in a Spanish primary care sample
Authors: Luciano Juan V. , Bertsch Jordan , Salvador‐Carulla Luis , Tomás José M. , Fernández Ana , Pinto‐Meza Alejandra , Haro Josep M. , Palao Diego J. , Serrano‐Blanco Antoni 
Published: July 2010

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) is a three‐item instrument that measures disability in three inter‐related domains: work, family life/home responsibilities and social/leisure activities. The main objective of the present study was to examine the factor structure, reliability and construct validity of the SDS in a wide Spanish sample of primary care (PC) patients.Methods One phase cross‐sectional survey. A total of 3815 patients, aged 18 years or older attending PC for a medical visit, were interviewed between October 2005 and March 2006. The interviews included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV Axis I Disorders for depressive and anxiety disorders, the Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview for the rest of mental disorders, a medical conditions checklist, the 2.0 version of the 12‐item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐12) for measuring quality of life and the SDS.Results The principal component analysis and the subsequent confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the SDS is one‐dimensional (normed fit index = 0.990, non‐normed fit index = 0.987, comparative fit index = 0.991, goodness‐of‐fit index = 0.993, standardized root mean‐square residual = 0.037, root mean‐square error of approximation = 0.053). The internal consistency of the scale was good (α = 0.83) and it was significantly associated with the physical and mental component of the SF‐12. Concerning discriminative validity, patients with major depression or panic disorder scored higher on the SDS than patients with chronic medical conditions or with no chronic pathology. We also found that a cut‐off point of 8 in the SDS adequately discriminated between patients with and without depression (area under the curve = 0.814, sensitivity = 81.60%, specificity = 70.60%).Conclusions The SDS seems a reliable, valid and useful clinical tool for measuring disability in Spanish PC patients.
Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline in hemolymph from the Chinese mitten crab,Eriocheir sinensis
Authors: FENG Q. , WU G. H. , LIANG T. M. , JI H. Y. , JIANG X. J. , GU W. , WANG W. 
Published: July 2010

Feng, Q., Wu, G. H., Liang, T. M., Ji, H. Y., Jiang, X. J., Gu, W., Wang, W. Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline in hemolymph from the Chinese mitten crab,Eriocheir sinensis. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.34, 51–57.The purpose of this study was to investigate the hemolymph kinetics and depuration time of oxytetracycline following intramuscular administration at doses of 2, 8 and 40 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The concentration of OTC in hemolymph was assayed using solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography. The elimination half‐life of the terminal part of the elimination phase (t1/2β) ranged from 87.9 to 114.3 h. The total body clearance (CLb) was 0.0430 L/kg/h at the lower dose, 0.0123 L/kg/h at the medium dose and 0.0013 L/kg/h at the higher dose. The apparent volume of the central compartment (Vc) was found to be 1.383, 0.699 and 0.143 L/kg respectively. The depuration time for each dose was 13.6, 29.6 and 57.6 days, respectively. Results from the present study suggest that the 40 mg/kg dose might have the best therapeutic efficacy following intramuscular administration.
Pharmacokinetics of yohimbine following intravenous administration to horses
Authors: DiMAIO KNYCH H. K. , STEFFEY E. P. , DEUEL J. L. , SHEPARD R. A. , STANLEY S. D. 
Published: July 2010

DiMaio Knych, H.K., Steffey, E.P., Deuel, J.L., Shepard, R.A., Stanley, S.D. Pharmacokinetics of yohimbine following intravenous administration to horses. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.34, 58–63.Yohimbine is an alpha 2 adrenergic receptor antagonist used most commonly in veterinary medicine to reverse the effects of the alpha 2 receptor agonists, xylazine and detomidine. Most notably, yohimbine has been shown to counteract the CNS depressant effects of alpha 2 receptor agonists in a number of species. The recent identification of a yohimbine positive urine sample collected from a horse racing in California has led to the investigation of the pharmacokinetics of this compound. Eight healthy adult horses received a single intravenous dose of 0.12 mg/kg yohimbine. Blood samples were collected at time 0 (prior to drug administration) and at various times up to 72 h post drug administration. Plasma samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) and data analyzed using both noncompartmental and compartmental analysis. Peak plasma concentration was 114.5 + 31.8 ng/mL and occurred at 0.09 + 0.03 h. Mean ± SD systemic clearance (Cls) and steady‐state volume of distribution (Vdss) were 13.5 + 2.1 mL/min/kg and 3.3 + 1.3 L/kg following noncompartmental analysis. For compartmental analysis, plasma yohimbine vs. time data were best fitted to a two compartment model. Mean ± SD Cls and Vdss of yohimbine were 13.6 ± 2.0 mL/min/kg and 3.2 ± 1.1 L/kg, respectively. Mean ± SD terminal elimination half‐life was 4.4 ± 0.9 h following noncompartmental analysis. Immediately following administration, two horses showed signs of sedation, while the other six appeared behaviorally unaffected. Gastrointestinal sounds were moderately increased compared to baseline while fecal consistency appeared normal.
Silybin inhibits interleukin‐1β‐induced production of pro‐inflammatory mediators in canine hepatocyte cultures
Authors: AU A. Y. , HASENWINKEL J. M. , FRONDOZA C. G. 
Published: July 2010

Au, A. Y., Hasenwinkel, J. M., Frondoza, C. G. Silybin inhibits interleukin‐1β‐induced production of pro‐inflammatory mediators in canine hepatocyte cultures. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.34, 120–129.Hepatocytes are highly susceptible to cytokine stimulation and are fundamental to liver function. We established primary canine hepatocyte cultures to study effects of anti‐inflammatory agents with hepatoprotective properties. Hepatocyte cultures were incubated with control media alone, silybin (SB), or the more bioavailable silybin–phosphatidylcholine complex (SPC), followed by activation with interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β; 10 ng/mL). Inflammatory response was measured by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), and monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1) production and also nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) translocation. Hepatocyte cultures continued production of the phenotypic marker albumin for more than 7 days in culture. IL‐1β exposure increased PGE2, IL‐8, and MCP‐1 production, which was paralleled by NF‐κB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Pretreatment with SB and SPC significantly inhibited IL‐1β‐induced production of pro‐inflammatory markers and attenuated NF‐κB nuclear translocation. We demonstrate for the first time that primary canine hepatocyte cultures can be maintained in culture without phenotypic loss. The observation that hepatocyte cultures respond to pro‐inflammatory IL‐1β activation indicates hepatocytes as primary cellular targets of extrinsic IL‐1β. The ability of SB and SPC to inhibit hepatocyte culture activation by IL‐1β reinforces the notion of their hepatoprotective effects. Our primary canine hepatocyte culture model facilitates identification of hepatoprotective agents and their mechanism of action.
Association of ADH4 genetic variants with alcohol dependence risk and related phenotypes: results from a larger multicenter association study
Authors: Preuss Ulrich W. , Ridinger Monika , Rujescu Dan , Samochowiec Jerzy , Fehr Christoph , Wurst Friedrich M. , Koller Gabriele , Bondy Brigitta , Wodarz Norbert , Debniak Tadeusz , Grzywacz Anna , Soyka Michael , Zill Peter 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTGenetic variants of the alcohol‐metabolizing enzyme ADH4, located on chromosome 4q22–4q23, have been related to alcohol dependence (AD) risk in previous research. The aim of this association study in a large multicenter sample of alcohol‐dependent individuals and controls is to confirm ADH4 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and haplotype association with AD and relevant related phenotypes. One thousand, six hundred and twenty‐two (1622) inpatient subjects and 1469 control subjects with DSM‐IV. AD from four addiction treatment centres were included. Characteristics of AD and related phenotypes including alcohol withdrawal, Cloninger's type I and II and first ages of drinking, regular drinking and AD onset were obtained using standardized structured interviews. After subjects were genotyped for 2 ADH4 polymorphisms, single SNP case‐control and haplotype analyses were conducted. Both variants—rs1800759 and rs1042364—and the A‐A and C‐G haplotypes were significantly related to AD across samples. Furthermore, associations with AD‐related phenotypes and subtypes revealed a potential protective influence of this haplotype. This study confirms the significant relationship of ADH4 variants with AD and related phenotypes. While the rs1800759 and rs1042364 A‐A haplotype had a potential protective influence on the risk for several AD‐related phenotypes, this effect is rather small compared to functional variants of other alcohol or acetaldehyde‐metabolizing enzymes like ALDH2*2 or ADH1B*2.
Why values elicitation techniques enable people to make informed decisions about cancer trial participation
Authors: Abhyankar Purva , Bekker Hilary L. , Summers Barbara A. , Velikova Galina 
Published: July 2010

AbstractBackground Decision aids help patients make informed treatment decisions. Values clarification (VC) techniques are part of decision aids that help patients assimilate the information with their personal values. There is little evidence that these techniques contribute to enhanced decision making over and above the provision of good quality information.Objectives To assess whether VC techniques are active ingredients in enhancing informed decision making and explain how and why they work.Methods Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (i) information only, (ii) information plus implicit task, (iii) information plus explicit task. Thirty healthy women from a UK University participated by making a hypothetical choice between taking part in a clinical trial and having the standard treatment for breast cancer. Verbal protocols were elicited by think‐aloud method and content analysed to assess informed decision making; a questionnaire was completed after the decision assessing decision preference, perceptions of decisional conflict and ambivalence. Data were analysed using multivariate statistics.Findings No participants changed their decision preference as a result of the VC techniques. Women in the explicit VC group evaluated more information in accord with personal values, expressed lower ambivalence, decisional uncertainty and greater clarity of personal values than those in the implicit VC and control groups. Feelings of ambivalence about both options were related to decisional conflict.Conclusion Explicit VC techniques are likely to be active ingredients in decision aids. They work by enabling people to deliberate about the decision information in accord with their personal values, which is associated with a better decision experience.
Neural correlates of the orthographic neighborhood size effect in Chinese
Authors: Li Qing‐Lin , Bi Hong‐Yan , Zhang J. X. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractWord recognition research with alphabetical scripts has revealed a facilitatory neighborhood size effect, whereby naming of words with more orthographic neighbors is faster than that of words with fewer neighbors. Preliminary behavioral evidence in Chinese revealed both facilitatory and inhibitory neighborhood size effects, depending on whether there are higher‐frequency neighbors (HFNs) than the target. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined the neural substrates of the neighborhood size effect with silent naming. Neighborhood size and the HFN factor were factorially manipulated. Behavioral results replicated previous findings showing that larger neighborhood size facilitated naming in the absence of HFNs, but inhibited naming in their presence. Imaging results identified greater activation in the left middle frontal gyrus for small than larger neighborhood size, and bilateral inferior frontal activations for the with‐HFN condition as compared with the without‐HFN condition. Critically, there was an interaction in the right middle occipital gyrus showing greater activation for large than for small neighborhood size in the absence of HFNs but no neighborhood size effect in their presence. The results support a proposal that, in addition to a facilitatory contribution from orthographic activation of neighborhoods, naming is also affected by whether there are higher‐frequency neighbors, particularly in scripts with deep orthography, where orthographically similar words can be pronounced very differently.
Flight ability and reproductive development in newly‐emerged pine weevil Hylobius abietis and the potential effects of climate change
Authors: Tan Janine Y. , Wainhouse David , Day Keith R. , Morgan Geoffrey 
Published: July 2010

Adult pine weevils Hylobius abietis emerge from conifer root‐stumps, on which larvae develop, over an extended period during summer and autumn. Newly‐emerged weevils were tested for their ability to fly and assessed for wing muscle and reproductive development. In addition, the effect of summer–autumn maturation feeding on reproductive development was assessed in field bioassays.
There was considerable variation in development between newly‐emerged weevils that was related to the timing of emergence. The first weevils, emerging in early July, weighed less than later‐emerging ones, had undeveloped flight muscles and did not fly. Over the emergence period, wing muscle size and flight ability increased markedly, with 50–60% flying by mid‐September. Differences between emerging adults are likely to have been affected by temporal changes in the quality of the bark on which the larvae feed.
Reproductive development lagged behind that of wing muscles but, in early August, there was a rapid increase in the proportion of weevils with immature eggs and a corresponding increase in oocyte size. However, although wing muscles were fully formed in later‐emerging weevils, immature eggs were only approximately 10% of the volume of mature eggs.
In field bioassays of summer–autumn maturation feeding, eggs continued to develop and some weevils laid mature eggs. Feeding and development during the pre‐overwinter period is likely to influence winter survival and also dispersal and reproduction in the following spring.
The potential effects of climate change on the weevil life cycle are briefly discussed. Weevils are likely to benefit from the higher temperatures and later autumns predicted under climate change, resulting in an increase in damage to transplants.
The effect of agrochemicals on indicator bacteria densities in outdoor mesocosms
Authors: Staley Zachery R. , Rohr Jason R. , Harwood Valerie J. 
Published: July 2010

SummaryWater bodies, which are monitored for microbial water quality by quantification of faecal indicator organisms (IOs), can contain various zoonotic pathogens contributed by livestock waste and other sources. Sediments can serve as reservoirs of IOs and other enteric microorganisms, including pathogens. Agrochemicals may influence the survival of these microorganisms in water bodies impacted by livestock waste by enhancing or reducing their survival. Complex, 1100 l, freshwater mesocosms containing leaf litter, zooplankton, periphyton, phytoplankton, and invertebrate and vertebrate animals were used to investigate the response of Escherichia coli and enterococci to agrochemicals. Replicate tanks were treated with atrazine, malathion, chlorothalonil and inorganic fertilizer, either alone at 1× or 2× their expected environmental concentrations (EECs) or in pair‐wise combinations at their EECs. IOs inoculated in sediment (∼104 cfu per 100 ml) were enumerated over 28 days. IOs generally declined over time, but manova revealed that addition of fertilizer and atrazine resulted in significantly greater IO densities. Malathion, chlorothalonil and agrochemical concentration (1× vs 2×) did not significantly affect IO densities and no significant interactions between agrochemicals were noted. The augmentation of IO densities in sediments by fertilizer and atrazine may impact their reliability as accurate predictors of water quality and human health risk, and indicates the need for a better understanding of the fate of IOs and enteric pathogens in sediments exposed to agrochemicals.
One Uniform Welfare State or a Multitude of Welfare Municipalities? The Evolution of Local Variation in Swedish Elder Care
Authors: Trydegård Gun‐Britt , Thorslund Mats 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThe Nordic welfare states, including Sweden, have an inbuilt dilemma between two main principles: universalism and local autonomy. The concept of ‘welfare municipalities’ has been used to characterize the social policy construction of independent local authorities implementing national welfare policies. The aim of the article is to study the evolution of the balance between universal, centralized versus local, decentralized principles in Swedish welfare services, using elder care as a case. The article follows up previous studies on the extensive diversity and the local path dependency in the distribution of elder‐care services in Sweden. A predominant impression from the present exploration is that the pattern has changed in many aspects during the first decade of the new millennium, and in a complex way. The coverage of home help and residential care has become less generous, a sign of weaker universalism. On the other hand, the decentralization tendencies have decreased, the earlier reported geographical disparity appears to have been reduced and the municipalities are increasingly adjusting to the national average. Also, the earlier strong local path dependency has faded out and therefore the concepts ‘welfare municipality’ and ‘local social policy’ appear to be less accurate than heretofore when describing the Swedish model of elder care.
Reforming Long‐term Care in Portugal: Dealing with the Multidimensional Character of Quality
Authors: Santana Silvina 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThis article provides an overview of the informal and institutional setting of long‐term care in Portugal and focuses on service quality, discussing it alongside broader problems related to the organization of long‐term care in the country. We argue that quality assessment and management are critical actions that must be implemented alongside major efforts being made and that quality must be understood, researched and pursued as a multidimensional and complex aspect, entailing objective but also subjective dimensions and a plethora of actors and modelling factors. We conclude that the information and data available are clearly insufficient to support any deep analysis of the situation and field action, and that this represents an important opportunity for further investigation and practice improvement.
Expectation of life and unexpected death in open spina bifida: a 40‐year complete, non‐selective, longitudinal cohort study
Authors: OAKESHOTT PIPPA , HUNT GILLIAN M , POULTON ALISON , REID FIONA 
Published: July 2010

Aim  The aim of our study was to investigate survival and causes of death in a complete cohort of open spina bifida at the mean age of 40 years.Method  We conducted a community‐based, prospective study of 117 consecutive infants (50 males, 67 females) with open spina bifida whose backs were closed non‐selectively within 48 hours of birth between 1963 and 1971 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Of those who survived to age 1 year, 89% (82 out of 92) had a cerebrospinal fluid shunt. In 2007, all survivors were surveyed by postal questionnaire backed up by telephone interview. Details of deaths were obtained from the Office for National Statistics, medical records, and autopsy reports, and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were constructed.Results  One in three of the cohort (40/117) died before the age of 5 years. A further 26% (31/117) died during the next 35 years, over 10 times the national average. Half the deaths (16/31) after the age of 5 were sudden and unexpected. All occurred in the community and were followed by a coroner’s autopsy. The most frequent causes of these unexpected deaths were epilepsy, pulmonary embolus, acute hydrocephalus, and acute renal sepsis. The prognosis for survival was strikingly poor in those with the most extensive neurological deficit. Only 17% (7/42) of those born with a high sensory level (above T11) survived to the mean age of 40 years, compared with 61% (23/38) of those with a low sensory level (below L3; p=0.001).Interpretation  Doctors and care planners need to be aware that, contrary to previous suggestions, there is continuing high mortality throughout adult life in individuals with open spina bifida, and many deaths are unexpected.
Fractures in children and adolescents with spina bifida: the experience of a Portuguese tertiary‐care hospital
Authors: MARREIROS HUMBERTO , MONTEIRO LUÍSA , LOFF CLARA , CALADO EULÁLIA 
Published: July 2010

Aim  The morbidity associated with osteoporosis and fractures in children and adolescents with spina bifida highlights the importance of osteoporosis prevention and treatment in these patients. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence and pattern of bone fractures in paediatric patients with spina bifida.Method  We reviewed the data of all paediatric patients with spina bifida who were treated in our centre between 1999 and 2008.Results  One hundred and thirteen patients were included in the study (63 females, 50 males; mean age 10y 8mo, SD 4y 10mo, range 6mo–18y). The motor levels were thoracic in six, upper lumbar in 22, lower lumbar in 42, and sacral in 43 patients. Of the 113 patients, 58 (51.3%) had shunted hydrocephalus. Thirty‐six (31.8%) were non‐ambulatory (wheelchair–dependent [unable to self‐propel wheelchair] n=3, wheelchair‐independent [able to self‐propel wheelchair] n=33), 13 were partial ambulators, 61 were full ambulators, and three were below the age of walking. Forty‐five fractures were reported in 25 patients. The distal femur was the most common fracture site. Statistical analyses showed that patients with higher levels of involvement and in wheelchairs had a significantly increased risk of having a second fracture (p<0.001). Spontaneous fractures were the principal mechanism of injury, and an association was identified between fracture mechanism, type of ambulation, and lesion level: the fractures of patients with higher levels of motor functioning and those in wheelchairs were mainly pathological (p=0.01). We identified an association between risk of a second fracture, higher motor level lesion, and non‐ambulation. There was an increased risk of having a second fracture after a previous spontaneous fracture (p=0.004).Interpretation  Data in this study indicate a high prevalence of fractures in patients with spina bifida.