bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is there a downside to customizing care? Implications of general and patient‐specific treatment strategies
Authors: Veazie Peter J. , Johnson Paul E. , O'Connor Patrick J. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Rationale, aims and objectives  The use of general clinical guidelines versus customization of patient care presents a dilemma for clinicians managing chronic illness. The objective of this project is to investigate the claim that the performance of customized strategies for the management of chronic illness depends on accurate patient categorization, and inaccurate categorization can lead to worse performance than that achievable using a general clinical guideline.
Methods  This paper is based on an analysis of a basic utility model that differentiates between the use of general management strategies and customized strategies.
Results  The analysis identifies necessary conditions for preferring general strategies to customized strategies as a trade‐off between strategy performance and the probability of correct patient categorization. The analysis shows that customized treatment strategies developed under optimal conditions are not necessarily preferred.
Conclusions  Results of the analysis have four implications regarding the design and use of clinical guidelines and customization of care: (i) the balance between the applications of more general strategies versus customization depends on the specificity and accuracy of the strategies; (ii) adoption of clinical guidelines may be stifled as the complexity of guidelines increases to account for growing evidence; (iii) clinical inertia (i.e. the failure to intensify an indicated treatment) can be a rational response to strategy specificity and the probability of misapplication; and, (iv) current clinical guidelines and other decision‐support tools may be improved if they accommodate the need for customization of strategies for some patients while providing support for proper categorization of patients.
A conditional model of evidence‐based decision making
Authors: Falzer Paul R. , Garman Melissa D. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Rationale, aims and objectives  Efforts to describe how individual treatment decisions are informed by systematic knowledge have been hindered by a standard that gauges the quality of clinical decisions by their adherence to guidelines and evidence‐based practices. This paper tests a new contextual standard that gauges the incorporation of knowledge into practice and develops a model of evidence‐based decision making. Previous work found that the forecasted outcome of a treatment guideline exerts a highly significant influence on how it is used in making decisions. This study proposed that forecasted outcomes affect the recognition of a treatment scenario, and this recognition triggers distinct contextual decision strategies.
Methods  Twenty‐one volunteers from a psychiatric residency programme responded to 64 case vignettes, 16 in each of the four treatment scenarios. The vignettes represented a fully balanced within‐subjects design that included guideline switching criteria and patient‐specific factors. For each vignette, participants indicated whether they endorsed the guideline's recommendation.
Results  Clinicians used consistent contextual decision strategies in responding to clearly positive or negative forecasts. When forecasts were more ambiguous or risky, their strategies became complex and relatively inconsistent.
Conclusion  The results support a three‐step model of evidence‐based decision making, in which clinicians recognize a decision scenario, apply a simple contextual strategy, then if necessary engage a more complex strategy to resolve discrepancies between general guidelines and specific cases. The paper concludes by noting study limitations and discussing implications of the model for future research in clinical and shared decision making, training and guideline development.
Comparative effectiveness research: evidence‐based medicine meets health care reform in the USA
Authors: Tanenbaum Sandra J. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Rationale  Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is the study of two or more approaches to a health problem to determine which one results in better health outcomes. It is viewed by some in the USA as a promising strategy for health care reform.
Aims and Objectives  In this paper, nascent US CER policy will be described and analysed in order to determine its similarities and differences with EBM and its chances of success.
Methods  Document review and process tracing
Results  CER shares the logic of policies promoting evidence‐based medicine, but invites greater methodological flexibility to ensure external validity across a range of health care topics.
Conclusions  This may narrow the inferential distance from knowledge to action, but efforts to change the US health care system through CER will face familiar epistemological quandaries and ‘patient‐centred’ politics on the left and right.
Where is the wisdom? I – A conceptual history of evidence‐based medicine
Authors: Wyer Peter C. , Silva Suzana A. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractRationale Evidence‐based medicine (EBM) has been acclaimed as a major advance in medical science, but criticized as a proposed alternative model for the practice and teaching of medicine. Ambiguity regarding the proper role of the contributions of EBM within the fabric of medicine and health care has contributed to this discrepancy.Aims and objectives We undertook a critical review of the history of the EBM movement, beginning with its origins in the 1970s and continuing through this century. We drew upon the results of an independent project that rationalized the EBM domain from the perspective of educational evaluation and assessment. We considered the content of EBM in relationship to the propositions and promises embodied in advocacy publications.Results EBM emerged in the context of the explosion of biomedical information in the decade preceding public access to the Internet in the mid‐1990s and drew upon the independently derived ‘information literacy’ formula developed by information scientists during the 1980s. The critically important content and achievements of EBM are fully explained within the confines of the information literacy model. The thesis that EBM offers an alternative paradigm for individualized health care, asserted in the advocacy literature, is not supported by published models of evidence‐based clinical practice.Conclusion A critical historical review of the origins, content and development of the EBM movement proposes that full integration of the fruits of the movement into routine clinical care remains a conceptual and practical challenge.
Determination of de novo and pool emissions of terpenes from four common boreal/alpine trees by 13CO2 labelling and PTR‐MS analysis
Authors: GHIRARDO ANDREA , KOCH KRISTINE , TAIPALE RISTO , ZIMMER INA , SCHNITZLER JÖRG‐PETER , RINNE JANNE 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTBoreal forests emit a large amount of monoterpenes into the atmosphere. Traditionally these emissions are assumed to originate as evaporation from large storage pools. Thus, their diurnal cycle would depend mostly on temperature. However, there is indication that a significant part of the monoterpene emission would originate directly from de novo synthesis. By applying 13CO2 fumigation and analyzing the isotope fractions with proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR‐MS) and classical GC‐MS, we determined the fractions of monoterpene emissions originating from de novo biosynthesis in Pinus sylvestris (58%), Picea abies (33.5%), Larix decidua (9.8%) and Betula pendula (100%). Application of the observed split between de novo and pool emissions from P. sylvestris in a hybrid emission algorithm resulted in a better description of ecosystem scale monoterpene emissions from a boreal Scots pine forest stand.
Drought and salt tolerances in wild relatives for wheat and barley improvement
Authors: NEVO EVIATAR , CHEN GUOXIONG 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTDrought and salinity are the major abiotic stresses that dramatically threaten the food supply in the world. Tribe Triticeae, including wheat and barley, possesses tremendous potential for drought and salt tolerance that has been extensively and practically identified, tested, and transferred to wheat cultivars with proven expression of tolerance in experimental trials. Triticum dicoccoides and Hordeum spontaneum, the progenitors of cultivated wheat and barley, have adapted to a broad range of environments and developed rich genetic diversities for drought and salt tolerances. Drought‐ and salt‐tolerant genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been identified in T. dicoccoides and H. spontaneum and have great potential in wheat and barley improvement. Advanced backcross QTL analysis, the introgression libraries based on wild wheat and wild barley as donors, and positional cloning of natural QTLs will play prevailing roles in elucidating the molecular control of drought and salt tolerance. Combining tolerant genes and QTLs in crop breeding programs aimed at improving tolerance to drought and salinity will be achieved within a multidisciplinary context. Wild genetic resistances to drought and salinity will be shifted in the future from field experiments to the farmer.
Hidden cytoplasmic incompatibility alters the dynamics of male-killer/host interactions
Authors: Hornett E. A. , Engelstädter J. , Hurst G. D. D. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Wolbachia manipulate the reproduction of their arthropod hosts in a variety of ways. Recent work has demonstrated that these bacteria may combine phenotypes – possessing a ‘male killing’ phenotype and, where males survive, induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). We here develop a mathematical model to investigate the extent to which ‘hidden’ CI may affect the evolutionary dynamics of host genes that suppress male-killing activity. We observed that for high prevalence infections, CI drives both suppressor and bacterium to higher frequency, such that the strain appears to solely exhibit CI. In contrast, for low prevalence infections, CI impedes suppressor invasion as surviving infected males are incompatible with the majority of females in the population. Our results demonstrate that ‘hidden’ phenotypes as well as observable ones can impact on the dynamics of the interaction, and knowledge of these is therefore required to predict when suppressor genes will invade, and the consequences of their invasion.
Mitochondrial haplotype does not affect sperm velocity in the zebra finchTaeniopygia guttata
Authors: MOSSMAN J. A. , SLATE J. , BIRKHEAD T. R. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation has been suggested as a possible cause of variation in male fertility because sperm activity is tightly coupled to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production, both of which are sensitive to mtDNA mutations. Since male‐specific phenotypes such as sperm have no fitness consequences for mitochondria due to maternal mitochondrial (and mtDNA) inheritance, mtDNA mutations that are deleterious in males but which have negligible or no fitness effect in females can persist in populations. How often such mutations arise and persist is virtually unknown. To test whether there were associations between mtDNA variation and sperm performance, we haplotyped 250 zebra finchesTaeniopygia guttatafrom a large pedigreed‐population and measured sperm velocity using computer‐assisted sperm analysis. Using quantitative genetic ‘animal’ models, we found no effect of mtDNA haplotype on sperm velocity. Therefore, there is no evidence that in this system mitochondrial mutations have asymmetric fitness effects on males and females, leading to genetic variation in male fertility that is blind to natural selection.
A microsatellite linkage map for Drosophila montana shows large variation in recombination rates, and a courtship song trait maps to an area of low recombination
Authors: Schäfer M. A. , Mazzi D. , Klappert K. , Kauranen H. , Vieira J. , Hoikkala A. , Ritchie M. G. , Schlötterer C. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Current advances in genetic analysis are opening up our knowledge of the genetics of species differences, but challenges remain, particularly for out-bred natural populations. We constructed a microsatellite-based linkage map for two out-bred lines of Drosophila montana derived from divergent populations by taking advantage of the Drosophila virilis genome and available cytological maps of both species. Although the placement of markers was quite consistent with cytological predictions, the map indicated large heterogeneity in recombination rates along chromosomes. We also performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis on a courtship song character (carrier frequency), which differs between populations and is subject to strong sexual selection. Linkage mapping yielded two significant QTLs, which explained 3% and 14% of the variation in carrier frequency, respectively. Interestingly, as in other recent studies of traits which can influence speciation, the strongest QTL mapped to a genomic region partly covered by an inversion polymorphism.
Rapid and accurate detection of Ceratocystis fagacearum from stained wood and soil by nested and real‐time PCR
Authors: Wu C. P. , Chen G. Y. , Li B. , Su H. , An Y. L. , Zhen S. Z. , Ye J. R. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryA nested and real‐time PCR assay was developed for the rapid and accurate detection of Ceratocystis fagacearum, which is the causal agent of oak wilt in stained wood and soil. Based on the differences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of Ceratocystis spp., one pair of species‐specific primers, CF01/CF02, was designed. Whereas a 280‐bp product was amplified using the purified DNA from three isolates of C. fagacearum as the template, no PCR product was obtained from template of other 18 fungi. The detection sensitivity was 10 pg genomic DNA per 25‐μl PCR reaction volume. To increase detection sensitivity, a nested PCR was developed by using ITS1/ITS4 as the first‐round primers and CF01/CF02 in the second round, as it can detect 1 pg genomic DNA per 25‐μl PCR reaction volume. More importantly, CF01/CF02 primers were successfully adapted to real‐time PCR with a detection limit of 0.1 pg genomic DNA per 20‐μl PCR reaction volume. Using these two methods, we could rapidly and accurately detect the pathogen in artificially infected wood and soil.
Anti‐inflammatory actions of probiotics through activating suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) expression and signaling in Helicobacter pylori infection: A novel mechanism
Authors: Lee Jeong Sang , Paek Nam Soo , Kwon Oh Sang , Hahm Ki Baik 
Published: December 2009

AbstractBackground and Aims:  In spite of the International Agency for Research on Cancer's definition that Helicobacter pylori is the definite carcinogen of gastric cancer, the simple eradication of the bug is not enough to prevent resultant gastric cancer, and increasing microbial resistance further limits the eradication application. Therefore, probiotics, non‐pathogenic microbial feed that can affect the host in a beneficial manner, could be an alternate way to enhance anti‐inflammation against H. pylori. However, the mechanism of their anti‐inflammatory actions is still unclear. In the current study, we hypothesized that suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) signaling could be a feasible anti‐inflammatory mechanism of probiotics against H. pylori infection.Results:  H. pylori infection or their lipopolysaccharide stimulation led to significant increased expressions of inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐8, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase‐2 in AGS cells and pretreatment of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosis and Lactobacillus acidophilus significantly attenuated the expressions of these inflammatory mediators in accordance with the blocking action of nuclear factor‐κB nuclear translocation. Probiotic administration increased expression of SOCS‐2 and SOCS‐3 and exerted the active SOCS signaling featured with earlier and higher expressions of SOCS‐2 and SOCS‐3. In contrast to weak inactivation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases including p‐38 and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2, probiotic‐induced SOCS expressions were mediated through either significant phosphorylation of signal transducers and activation of transcription (STAT)‐1 and STAT‐3 or simultaneous inhibition of Janus kinase (JAK)2 phosphorylation, which is known to signal SOCS‐2/SOCS‐3 negatively.Conclusion:  Anti‐inflammatory signals of SOCS through STAT‐1/STAT‐3 activation and JAK2 inactivation might be a key anti‐inflammatory mechanism of probiotics, setting probiotics as a non‐microbial strategy to H. pylori infection.
Physical and motor fitness are both related to cognition in old age
Authors: Voelcker‐Rehage Claudia , Godde Ben , Staudinger Ursula M. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThe benefits of fitness for cognitive performance in healthy older adults have repeatedly been demonstrated. Animal studies, however, have revealed differential relationships between physical and motor fitness and brain metabolism. We therefore investigated whether for older humans different dimensions of fitness are differentially associated with cognitive performance and brain activation patterns. Seventy‐two participants (mean age 68.99 years, SD = 3.66; 52 females) completed four psychometric tests reflecting two primary abilities of higher cognitive functioning (executive control, perceptual speed) and a battery of fitness tests comprising two fitness dimensions (physical and motor fitness). We found that not only physical fitness indexed by cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength, but also motor fitness including movement speed, balance, motor coordination and flexibility showed a strong association with cognitive functioning. Additionally, functional brain imaging data revealed that physical and motor fitness were differentially related to cognitive processes. Results are discussed with regard to the compensation hypothesis and potential consequences for intervention work.
Electrophysiological signature of working and long‐term memory interaction in the human hippocampus
Authors: Axmacher Nikolai , Lenz Sarah , Haupt Sven , Elger Christian E. , Fell Juergen 
Published: December 2009

AbstractRecent findings indicate that the hippocampus is not only crucial for long‐term memory (LTM) encoding, but plays a role for working memory (WM) as well. In particular, it has been shown that the hippocampus is important for WM maintenance of multiple items or associations between item features. Previous studies using intracranial electroencephalography recordings from the hippocampus of patients with epilepsy revealed slow positive potentials during maintenance of a single item and during LTM encoding, but slow negative potentials during maintenance of multiple items. These findings predict that WM maintenance of multiple items interferes with LTM encoding, because these two processes are associated with slow potentials of opposing polarities in the hippocampus. Here, we tested this idea in a dual‐task paradigm involving a LTM encoding task nested into a WM Sternberg task with either a low (one item) or a high (three items) memory load. In the high WM load condition, LTM encoding was significantly impoverished, and slow hippocampal potentials were more negative than in the low WM load condition. Time‐frequency analysis revealed that a reduction of slow hippocampal activity in the delta frequency range supported LTM formation in the low load condition, but not during high WM load. Together, these findings indicate that multi‐item WM and LTM encoding interfere within the hippocampus.
Effects of disconnection of amygdala dopamine and nucleus accumbens N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptors on ethanol‐seeking behavior in mice
Authors: Gremel Christina M. , Cunningham Christopher L. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThere is a strong interest in harnessing the genetic manipulations that are possible in mice to investigate the functional neural mechanisms modulating the associative processes that control drug‐seeking behavior. However, it is unknown whether intracranial techniques, such as the disconnection procedure commonly used in rats to examine serial connectivity between implicated areas, can be successfully applied to mice. We have previously demonstrated that the expression of ethanol‐seeking behavior in mice is dependent upon amygdala (Amy) dopamine and nucleus accumbens (Acb) N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation (Gremel & Cunningham, 2009). Here, we used a neuropharmacological disconnection procedure to investigate whether dopamine activation of the Amy directly leading to increases in Acb glutamate release and binding of NMDA receptors modulates the expression of ethanol‐seeking behavior. Immediately before testing the expression of an ethanol‐induced conditioned place preference, mice were given an Amy infusion of flupenthixol and either an ipsilateral or contralateral Acb infusion of AP‐5. Although both ipsilateral and contralateral manipulations reduced the expression of ethanol conditioned place preference, in a separate experiment we demonstrated that a unilateral Acb infusion of AP‐5, but not Amy flupenthixol, is sufficient to disrupt preference. The finding of a significant blockade by unilateral AP‐5 into the Acb precludes any conclusions about a unique role for the Amy/Acb neuroanatomical connection in this model of ethanol‐seeking behavior. Further, the current results suggest potential limitations in transferring techniques from rats to mice in order to study serial interactions between neural areas underlying motivated behaviors. Nevertheless, these findings provide evidence showing that Acb NMDA receptors play an important role in the expression of ethanol‐conditioned behavior.
The Rise of the New South Governmentality: Competing Southern Revitalization Projects and Police Responses to the Black Civil Rights Movement 1961–1965
Authors: HOHLE RANDOLPH 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThis article examines the southern response to the civil rights movement and its relationship to the broader struggle for southern influence and control. Drawing from governmentality studies and the concept of “security”, I trace the correlation of two competing southern revitalization projects with distinct southern policing styles to consider the importance of normative political cultures, rather than the instrumental and immediate political outcomes of each local movement, on the southern response to the civil rights movement. Despite the development of new south police practices that curtained civil rights protest and produced a politically modern and racially tolerant idealized new south image, the old south project, in its failures, gained influence on the county, statewide, and regional levels. Although the conflicting revitalization projects differed in their objectives, the linkages between them set the stage for subsequent southern revitalization and development that started in the 1970s.