bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relationship between asthma control status, the Asthma Control Test™ and urgent health‐care utilization in Asia
Authors: LAI CHRISTOPHER K.W. , KO FANNY W.S. , BHOME ARVIND , DE GUIA TERESITA S. , WONG GARY W.K. , ZAINUDIN BIN M.Z. , NANG AN N. , BOONSAWAT WATCHARA , CHO SANG H. , GUNASEKERA KIRTHI D. , HONG JIAN G. , HSU JENG‐YUAN , VIET NHUNG N. , YUNUS FAISAL , MUKHOPADHYAY AMARTYA 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Accurate assessment of control is an integral part of asthma management. We investigated the relationship between control status derived from the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and urgent health‐care utilization.Methods:  Asthma Insights and Reality in Asia‐Pacific Phase 2 (AIRIAP 2) was a cross‐sectional, community‐based survey of 4805 subjects with asthma from urban centres across Asia. A symptom control index was derived from the AIRIAP 2 questionnaire using the GINA control criteria for day‐ and night‐time symptoms, need for rescue medication, activity limitation and exacerbations; lung function was excluded. The main outcomes were asthma control, based on these GINA criteria and the ACT, and the relationship between control and self‐reported urgent health‐care utilization (hospitalization, emergency room visits or other unscheduled urgent visits) related to asthma over the previous 12 months.Results:  Each of the symptom criteria was significantly associated with urgent health‐care utilization, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 2.25 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.94–2.61) for daytime symptoms to 2.57 (95% CI: 2.29–2.90) for nocturnal awakening. Similarly, control status was significantly associated with urgent health‐care utilization, with ORs of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.13–0.28), 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65–0.76) and 1.00 for controlled, partly controlled and uncontrolled, respectively. The optimal ACT cut‐off score for identifying uncontrolled asthma was ≤19 for subjects aged ≥12 years. Urgent health‐care utilization was reported by 57.2% versus 28.7% of patients scoring ≤19 versus >19 (P < 0.001).Conclusions:  The GINA control classification and the ACT are valid symptom‐based measures that are significantly associated with urgent health‐care utilization.
Pathology of the pleura: What the pulmonologists need to know
Authors: CAGLE PHILIP T. , ALLEN TIMOTHY CRAIG 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTPrimary and metastatic pleural neoplasms, and non‐neoplastic pleural diseases, can have similar clinical, radiographic and gross features. However, treatments and prognoses of these diverse pleural conditions vary greatly. Accurate diagnosis of pleural disease is therefore extremely important, and histological interpretation of pleural biopsies is vital to rendering an accurate diagnosis. Smaller biopsies contribute to the difficulties in accurately characterizing pleural lesions, and immunostains are frequently employed in their assessment. Diffuse malignant mesothelioma, the most common primary pulmonary neoplasm, is rare; however, other less common primary pleural neoplasms, including solitary fibrous tumour, the most common benign primary pleural neoplasm, occur. These neoplasms are discussed. Also, non‐neoplastic pleural diseases, including granulomatous pleuritis, eosinophilic pleuritis and fibrous and fibrinous pleuritis, among other diseases, are discussed.
Social protection and poverty
Authors: Barrientos Armando 
Published: March 2011

Barrientos A. Social protection and povertyInt J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 240–249 © 2011 United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.In the last decade, social protection has emerged as a policy framework employed to address poverty and vulnerability in developing countries. The article links social protection to new perspectives on poverty and vulnerability, identifies and discusses key issues in the emergence of social assistance programmes in developing countries, and assesses their potential contribution to addressing poverty and vulnerability in the South.
Clinical and laboratory study of ocular rosacea in northern Greece
Authors: Lazaridou E. , Fotiadou C. , Ziakas N.G. , Giannopoulou C. , Apalla Z. , Ioannides D. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground  The prevalence of ophthalmic involvement in rosacea is probably higher than previously presumed and varies considerably among several studies.Objective  This study aimed to determine the incidence of ocular disease among a population of rosacea patients in Northern Greece, to objectively determine the presence of eye dryness in rosacea patients with and without clinical ophthalmic involvement and correlate the severity of ocular disease with the severity of cutaneous rosacea.Methods  One hundred patients with rosacea were assessed for the stage of their disease and examined for ocular symptoms and signs. In 24 of them the tear break up time (TBUT) and Schirmer test were performed in each eye, along with 24 controls.Results  A total of 33 patients (33%) were positive for ophthalmic findings. The most frequent symptoms and signs were burning sensation and tearing, and conjunctivitis and blepharitis, respectively. Eleven patients with ophthalmic manifestations had mild to moderate erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, 17 had moderate papulopustular rosacea and four exhibited findings of phymatous rosacea. The total mean value of patients’ Schirmer tests was significantly lower compared with the healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Mean TBUT was shorter in the rosacea group than that in the age‐matched controls (P < 0.0001).Conclusion  Ocular involvement in rosacea is a common phenomenon with eye dryness being an early sign. Tear function tests, like Schirmer test and TBUT, although not specific, could contribute to the screening and early diagnosis of the disease, to prevent the potential development of sight‐threatening conditions.
Plasma and tissue osteopontin in relation to plasma selenium in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Kadry D. , Rashed L. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground  The association between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is well documented yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Over‐expression of osteopontin (OPN) was reported in plasma of patients with psoriasis; with increased cardiovascular risk factors in these patients. Selenium (Se) compounds are effective in down‐regulation of OPN expression.Objective  We investigated the levels of OPN and Se in psoriasis, and their relation to metabolic status in patients to identify a possible link between these markers and co‐morbidities observed.Methods  Plasma and tissue samples from 20 patients with psoriasis and 10 control subjects were collected for enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The clinical significance of plasma, tissue OPN and plasma Se levels in patients vs. control subjects was analysed in relation to metabolic disorders.Results  Plasma and tissue OPN were significantly higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.001). Plasma Se levels were significantly lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.001). Elevated plasma OPN levels (≥51.10 ng/mL) and depressed plasma Se (≤5.19 μg/dL) were significantly associated with the occurrence of psoriasis. Plasma OPN negatively correlated with plasma Se in patients (P = 0.003), but not in controls (P = 0.183).Conclusions  High plasma OPN and low plasma Se levels are predictable factors for occurrence of psoriasis. Further studies examining the effects of Se supplementations on the levels of plasma OPN, together with their effects on psoriasis outcome and cardiovascular risk factors in these patients, are needed.
Serum Tie2 levels: clinical association with microangiopathies in patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Noda S. , Asano Y. , Aozasa N. , Akamata K. , Yamada D. , Masui Y. , Tamaki Z. , Kadono T. , Sato S. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground Tie2 and its ligand, angiopoietins (Ang), regulate the transition between vascular quiescence and angiogenesis. Although defective angiogenesis is one of the major causes of microangiopathies in systemic sclerosis (SSc), the role of Ang/Tie2 signalling in the development of SSc has never been examined.Objective To investigate the clinical significance of the soluble Tie2 domain (sTie2) in serum samples from SSc patients.Methods Serum sTie2 levels were determined by a specific enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 48 SSc patients and nine normal controls.Results There was no significant difference in serum sTie2 levels between SSc patients and healthy controls (14.8 ± 3.4 vs. 14.7 ± 1.1 ng/mL). When we set the cut‐off value at 16.97 ng/mL (mean + 2SD) based on the data of normal controls, 27% of SSc patients showed elevated serum sTie2 levels. The frequencies of nailfold bleeding and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were significantly higher in patients with increased serum sTie2 levels than in those with sTie2 levels not elevated (70% vs. 47% and 60% vs. 21%, respectively,P < 0.05). There was also a trend towards the elevation of serum sTie2 levels in SSc patients with PAH compared to those without; however, it did not reach statistical significance (16.7 ± 3.6 vs. 14.2 ± 3.4 ng/mL,P = 0.059).Conclusion Soluble Tie2 domain (sTie2) may be related to the development of vascular abnormalities in SSc, possibly by modulating the Ang/Tie2‐mediated angiogenic process. Furthermore, the serum sTie2 levels may serve as a useful marker for SSc‐related PAH, contributing to early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.
Effectiveness of a modified tutorless problem‐based learning method in dermatology – a pilot study
Authors: Kaliyadan F. , Amri M. , Dhufiri M. , Amin T.T. , Khan M.A. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground and aims Problem‐Based Learning (PBL) is a student‐centred instructional strategy in which students learn in a collaborative manner, the learning process being guided by a facilitator. One of the limitations of conventional PBL in medical education is the need for adequate resources in terms of faculty and time. Our study aimed to compare conventional PBL in dermatology with a modified tutorless PBL in which pre‐listed cues and the use of digital media help direct the learning process.Methods Thirty‐one‐fifth year medical students were divided into two groups: the study group comprising 16 students were exposed to the modified PBL, whereas the control group comprising 15 students were given the same scenarios and triggers, but in a conventional tutor‐facilitated PBL. Knowledge acquisition and student feedback were assessed using a post‐test and a Likert scale‐based questionnaire, respectively.Results The post‐test marks showed no significant statistical differences between the two groups. The general feedback regarding the modified PBL was positive and the students felt comfortable with the module. The learning objectives were met satisfactorily in both groups.Conclusion Modified tutorless PBL modules might be an effective method to incorporate student‐centred learning in dermatology without constraints in terms of faculty resources or time.
Long‐term patterns in harbour seal site‐use and the consequences for managing protected areas
Authors: Cordes L. S. , Duck C. D. , Mackey B. L. , Hall A. J. , Thompson P. M. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThere have been marked declines of UK harbour seal populations over at least the last decade. Protected areas, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), provide one tool to improve the conservation status of these populations. However, the design and management of SACs is often limited by a lack of information on long‐term patterns in the use of seal haul‐out sites and foraging areas. The Moray Firth is the only UK region where long‐term harbour seal population studies have been conducted in parallel with detailed studies of foraging ecology. We used this opportunity to investigate changes in the use of haul‐out sites and foraging areas within two adjacent estuaries, where annual haul‐out counts were made over a 20‐year period. In 1988, >99% of seals and all mother‐pup pairs were located at haul‐out sites within an area that was subsequently designated as a SAC to protect harbour seals. In addition to previously reported declines in this area, we detected a shift in haul‐out distribution resulting from the development of a new pupping site that, by 2008, held 37% of mother pup pairs in the area. Foraging areas of breeding females were compared in 1989 and 2009 using a combination of VHF and GPS–GSM telemetry, confirming that females foraged in broadly similar areas in both periods. This suggests that the development of this new pupping site was not driven by the need to forage further offshore, but instead was more likely due to local variation in haul‐out site characteristics. These results are discussed in relation to potential drivers of haul‐out site choice and the need to develop a broader suite of measures for managing habitat quality within this and other SACs for harbour seals.
Type 2 diabetes: perceptions of quality of life and attitudes towards diabetes from a gender perspective
Authors: Svenningsson Irene , Marklund Bertil , Attvall Stig , Gedda Birgitta 
Published: March 2011

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 688–695Type 2 diabetes: perceptions of quality of life and attitudes towards diabetes from a gender perspectiveObjective:  To compare obese and normal‐weight people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), with a focus on their attitudes towards the disease, quality of life (QoL) and treatment from a gender perspective.Methods:  Two hundred and eighty‐seven people with T2DM participated in a cross‐sectional study. Health‐related quality of life (HRQL) data from the Medical Outcomes Short Form Study 36 (SF 36), Well‐Being Questionnaire (W‐BQ12), Diabetes Attitude Scale (DAS) and Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQs) were used. The results are presented descriptively. The Mann–Whitney U‐test was conducted to examine differences between normal‐weight and obese diabetics and between women and men.Results:  The results of this study show that there was a gender difference in the perception of QoL; obese females with diabetes experienced more limitations in daily life due to physical and emotional problems than obese males with diabetes. Obese men had reduced physical and vitality scores compared to normal‐weight individuals. Compared to normal‐weight females with diabetes, obese women had lower vitality scores, more body pain and more severe physical impacts. The negative emotional impact for obese females with diabetes was also demonstrated by the results of the W‐BQ12 questionnaire. Obese females with diabetes felt that the disease was more overwhelming and difficult to handle in comparison to obese males with diabetes. There was no difference between the groups in terms of how they experienced treatment.Conclusion:  There was a gender difference in the perceptions of QoL of people with T2DM. There was also a difference between the QoL of obese and normal‐weight people with T2DM, as the obese may suffer from underlying depression. Further investigations are needed for health professionals to be able to meet the unique needs of each specific diabetic group.
When do parties emphasise extreme positions? How strategic incentives for policy differentiation influence issue importance
Authors: WAGNER MARKUS 
Published: March 2011

AbstractParties have an incentive to take up extreme positions in order to achieve policy differentiation and issue ownership, and it would make sense for a party to stress these positions as well. These incentives are not the same for all issues and all parties but may be modified by other strategic conditions: party size, party system size, positional distinctiveness and systemic salience. Using manifesto‐based measures of salience and expert assessments of party positions, the findings in this article are that parties emphasise extreme positions if, first, they are relatively small in terms of vote share; second, the extreme position is distinctive from those of other parties; and third, other parties fail to emphasise the issue. These findings have consequences for our understanding of party strategies, party competition and the radicalisation of political debates.
Fenoxycarb modulates ecdysone receptor B1 and programmed cell death of the anterior silk gland of silkworm Bombyx mori
Authors: GONCU Ebru , PARLAK Osman 
Published: March 2011

AbstractFenoxycarb, O‐ethyl N‐(2‐(4‐phenoxyphenoxy)‐ethyl) carbamate has been shown to be one of the most potent juvenile hormone analogues against a variety of insect species. In the present study, topical application of fenoxycarb to fifth‐instar larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) was performed immediately after the fourth ecdysis (on day 0), day 3 and day 6 of the instar and then its effects on the anterior silk glands (ASG) and ecdysone receptor B1 (EcR‐B1) protein were investigated during larval pupal development. Fenoxycarb application increased the instar length and prevented metamorphic events, depending on the application time. The ASGs of B. mori undergo programmed cell death during the larval–pupal metamorphosis and an insect steroid, 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E), triggers this cell death. The exact mechanism by which 20E and juvenile hormone regulates programmed cell death in insect tissues is poorly understood. To gain insights into how juvenile hormone regulates metamorphic events like programmed cell death in the anterior silk glands, we analyzed the progression of programmed cell death with morphological observations and biochemical experiments like acid phosphatase activity and DNA electrophoresis. Then we examined the EcR‐B1 protein levels and their relationships with programmed cell death. Our results indicated that fenoxycarb modulates programmed cell death of the anterior silk glands and EcR‐B1 protein level, depending on the application time. Fenoxycarb may exhibit its effects in at least two different ways: (i) acting on prothoracic gland secretory activity; and/or (ii) regulation of EcR‐B1 expression in the anterior silk glands for programmed cell death process.
Flying distance of frass kicked by the grasshopper Atractomorpha lata and factors affecting the flying distance
Authors: TANAKA Yosuke , KASUYA Eiiti 
Published: March 2011

AbstractAdults of the grasshopper Atractomorpha lata use a hind leg kick to project their frass a considerable distance from themselves. To clarify the defecation behavior quantitatively and collect basic information that aids in clarification of the adaptive significance of this behavior, we measured the flying distance of kicked frass and examined the factors affecting the flying distance in adult A. lata. Males and females kicked their frass an average of 252 and 487 mm away, respectively. This represented more than ten times the body length or 100 times the length of the frass pellet for either sex. Only sex affected the flying distance of frass. There were sexual differences in hind‐femur length (females longer than males), volume of frass pellet (females larger than males) and ratio of diameter to length of frass pellet (RFP; larger in males than in females). The flying distance appears to be affected by the femur length, volume of frass pellet and RFP when data of both males and females were combined for analysis. However, none of these effects were observed when testing the effects within each sex. These results suggest that the sex difference in the flying distance does not result from the sex difference in femur length, volume of frass pellet or RFP. Because A. lata kicked their frass far away in both sexes, the frass‐kicking behavior might give benefit common to both males and females.
Evaluation of a Tenoscopic Approach for Desmotomy of the Accessory Ligament of the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon in Horses
Authors: Caldwell Fred J. , Waguespack R. Wayne 
Published: March 2011

Objective:To develop a tenoscopic approach for desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL‐DDFT) in horses.Study Design:Experimental.Animals:Cadaveric forelimbs (n=10) and 4 forelimbs from 2 horses anesthetized for terminal teaching procedures, and 12 forelimbs of 6 experimental horses.Methods:Saline distention of the carpal flexor sheath facilitated insertion of an arthroscope into the distal medial aspect of the sheath between the AL‐DDFT and deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). Location of an instrument portal on the lateral aspect of the metacarpus was identified with a needle. The lateral aspect of the AL‐DDFT was transected and the arthroscope and instrument were switched to transect the remaining fibers on the medial aspect. Cadaveric specimens were dissected for evaluation. Experimental horses were monitored for 30 days postoperatively.Results:Minor complications including incomplete division of the AL‐DDFT and shallow incision into the suspensory ligament were observed in some cadaver specimens. The AL‐DDFT was completely transected in all experimental horses with no suspensory ligament damage. Mean±SD surgical time (incision to skin closure) was 28.3±11.8 minutes. On ultrasonographic examination, transection of the AL‐DDFT was complete in all experimental horses. Minor DDFT fiber disruption was noted in 1 limb during ultrasound examination at day 30.Conclusions:A tenoscopic approach through the carpal flexor sheath provided adequate access for desmotomy of the AL‐DDFT.
Acetabular Ventroversion with Double Pelvic Osteotomy Versus Triple Pelvic Osteotomy: A Cadaveric Study in Dogs
Authors: Punke John P. , Fox Derek B. , Tomlinson James L. , Davis J. Wade , Mann F. A. 
Published: March 2011

Objective:To determine which of 3 different plate angles (20°, 25°, 30°) used in double pelvic osteotomy (DPO) would result in the most similar acetabular angle (AA) achieved with a 20° triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) technique in dogs.Study Design:Experimental anatomic study.Animals:Cadaveric canine pelves (n=8).Methods:Transverse plane computed tomographic images of cadaveric pelves with intact sacroiliac joints, mounted in a custom jig, were made (baseline) and again after DPO (20°, 25°, 30°) and TPO (20°) and pelvic angles measured in 6 transverse planes. Pelvic angles of the 3 DPO techniques were compared with TPO using concordance correlation to determine which DPO angle resulted in an acetabular ventroversion angle closest to TPO.Results:Mean ± SD AAs were 32.89 ± 2.23 (baseline), 47.39 ± 4.39 (20° DPO), 51.43 ± 5.06 (25° DPO), 54.75 ± 4.38 (30° DPO), and 50.20 ± 5.76 (20° TPO). Concordance correlations for the AA compared with 20° TPO were 0.027 (baseline), 0.721 (20° DPO), 0.902 (25° DPO), and 0.593 (30° DPO). A concordance correlation of ≥0.8 indicates good correlation.Conclusions:A 25° DPO is most similar in acetabular ventroversion to 20° TPO (concordance correlation, 0.902).