bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Study of Cinacalcet in Japan
Authors: Akizawa Tadao , Koshikawa Shozo 
Published: June 2009

AbstractFor the approval of cinacalcet hydrochloride, five clinical trials have been performed excluding pharmacokinetic studies for healthy volunteers and hemodialysis patients. An early phase II dose‐finding study was started for regular hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism from a daily dose of 12.5 mg cinacalcet and increasing 25 mg up to 50 mg for 9 weeks. A placebo‐controlled double‐blind three dose–finding study (late phase II study) was then conducted. By this trial, an adequate initial dose of cinacalcet was determined as 25 mg daily, and the placebo‐controlled double‐blind study (phase III study) was started using this initial dose. Two long‐term (1 year) phase III open trials were also conducted during and after these phase II and III studies. The results of two double‐blind trials (phase II and phase III) and safety profiles of cinacalcet in all Japanese clinical trials for approval are summarized in this article.
Parathyroidectomy for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in the Era of Calcimimetics
Authors: Tominaga Yoshihiro , Matsuoka Susumu , Uno Nobuaki , Sato Tetsuhiko 
Published: June 2009

AbstractSecondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is one of the major complications experienced by patients with renal failure. Cinacalcet hydrochloride, a calcimimetic, is a new modality for the treatment of SHPT and is able to suppress a high parathyroid hormone level remarkably well. However, for patients with uncontrollable SHPT while on cinacalcet, those with severe SHPT symptoms and those with difficulty being treated with cinacalcet because of side‐effects, parathyroidectomy (PTx) may be indicated as usual. PTx can induce a remarkable improvement in SHPT: postoperative serum phosphorus and calcium levels are easily maintained within their target ranges, quality of life is improved, survival rates are improved and the procedure has high cost‐effectiveness, so for the patients with SHPT refractory to conventional vitamin D or vitamin D analog treatment in whom long‐term survival is expected, PTx might be a more preferable treatment. On the other hand, cinacalcet is the first choice for patients in whom it is difficult to manage SHPT with PTx. Indications are patients (i) for whom surgery under general anesthesia would be highly invasive; (ii) whose parathyroid glands are located in an area making resection difficult; (iii) in whom the affected parathyroid tissues are difficult to identify; (iv) in whom it is difficult to resect all affected parathyroid tissues; and (v) who have undergone repeated surgery or percutaneous ethanol injection therapy and may develop serious complications such as bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. Cinacalcet may be a rescuer treatment for these patients.
Role of Cinacalcet in Management of Mineral Bone Disorder in Chronic Kidney Disease (Control of Calcium, Phosphorus and Parathyroid Hormone)
Authors: Tahara Hideki 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe management of hemodialysis patients with chronic kidney disease–mineral bone disorder includes treatment to control levels of calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone, so as to prevent bone and soft‐tissue complications. Recently, pleiotropic effects of active vitamin D have attracted much attention, and its effect on outcome has also gained recognition. However, administration of active vitamin D may cause hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia. Now, the use of a novel class of drugs, cinacalcet hydrochloride, has been proposed as a strategy to reduce parathyroid hormone secretion, while decreasing levels of serum calcium, phosphorus, and calcium × phosphorus products. Among subjects with secondary hyperparathyroidism undergoing hemodialysis, combined therapy with cinacalcet and vitamin D sterols improved achievement of the biochemical targets for chronic kidney disease–mineral bone disorder recommended by the guidelines.
Disc formation and the origin of clumpy galaxies at high redshift
Authors: Agertz Oscar , Teyssier Romain , Moore Ben 
Published: June 2009

Abstract
Observations of high-redshift galaxies have revealed a multitude of large clumpy rapidly star-forming galaxies. Their formation scenario and their link to present-day spirals are still unknown. In this Letter, we perform adaptive mesh refinement simulations of disc formation in a cosmological context that are unrivalled in terms of mass and spatial resolution. We find that the so-called ‘chain-galaxies’ and ‘clump-clusters’ are a natural outcome of early epochs of enhanced gas accretion from cold dense streams as well as tidally and ram-pressured stripped material from minor mergers and satellites. Through interaction with the hot halo gas, this freshly accreted cold gas settles into a large disc-like system, not necessarily aligned to an older stellar component, that undergoes fragmentation and subsequent star formation, forming large clumps in the mass range 107–109 M⊙. Galaxy formation is a complex process at this important epoch when most of the central baryons are being acquired through a range of different mechanisms – we highlight that a rapid mass loading epoch is required to fuel the fragmentation taking place in the massive arms in the outskirts of extended discs, an accretion mode that occurs naturally in the hierarchical assembly process at early epochs.
Old open clusters in the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy tidal stream - kith or kin?
Authors: Carraro Giovanni , Bensby Thomas 
Published: June 2009

Abstract
A widely supported formation scenario for the Galactic disc is that it formed inside-out from material accumulated via accretion events. The Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr dSph) is the best example of such an accretion, and its ongoing disruption has resulted in that its stars are being deposited in the Milky Way halo and outer disc. It is therefore appealing to search for possible signatures of the Sgr dSph contribution to the build-up of the Galactic disc. Interestingly, models of the Sgr dSph stream clearly indicate that the trailing tail passes through the outer Galactic disc, at the same Galactocentric distance as some anticentre old open star clusters. We investigate in this Letter the possibility that the two outermost old open clusters, Berkeley 29 and Saurer 1, could have formed inside the Sgr dSph and then left behind in the outer Galactic disc as a result of tidal interaction with the Milky Way. The actual location of these two star clusters, inside the Sgr dSph trailing tail, is compatible with this scenario, and their chemical and kinematical properties, together with our present understanding of the age–metallicity relationship in the Sgr dSph, lend further support to this possible association. Hence, we find it likely that the old open star clusters, Berkeley 29 and Saurer 1, have extragalactic origins.
FOOD SAFETY CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN IN HONG KONG
Authors: CHAN S.F. , CHAN ZENOBIA C.Y. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT Successive food safety crises in Hong Kong not only have trapped the local public in panic, but also raised the alarm in the public health system's crises preparedness for food safety problems. Although the Office of Crisis Management of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Crisis Management Academy and the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed in European countries have been established for coordinating emergency and crisis response activities on food safety issues, there is inadequate emergency and crises management of food safety by the local food authorities. This article aimed to formulate a local food safety crisis management plan which consists of preventive phase, emergency phase and reconstruction phase based on the revised crisis preparedness model. It was suggested that a cross‐boundary liaison with health authorities overseas, a close inter‐ and intradepartmental cooperation in the government, a balance between economic and political issues, considerations on public culture, and an introduction of education for food safety and morality should be the determinants of success in the plan. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSCrisis preparedness on food safety seems to be the indispensable proactive measure to safeguard the public health by the local food authorities. This article aimed to discuss the formulation of a local crisis management plan on contingent food safety problems in preventive phase, emergency phase and reconstruction phase based on the revised crisis preparedness model (Elsubbaugh et al. 2004). This food safety crisis management plan not only can safeguard the public health but also regain the confidence on food safety from the local public and stakeholders. Although further improvement can be made, the proposed plan is worthwhile because no similar planning for food safety crisis management has been found in the local food authorities. It also provides a stepping stone for the future development of food safety crisis management to the local policy makers in the public health sector.
Bounded rationality of identity thieves: Using offender‐based research to inform policy*
Authors: Copes Heith , Vieraitis Lynne M. 
Published: June 2009

Research Summary Data for this study were collected in semistructured interviews with 59 individuals serving time in federal prisons for identity theft. We explore how offenders' experiences and life circumstances affected their subjective assessments of risks and rewards and thus facilitated the decision to engage in identity theft. Our findings suggest that offenders perceive identity theft as an easy, rewarding, and relatively risk‐free way to fund their chosen lifestyles. Policy Implications The findings suggest that several situational crime‐prevention measures may be effective at curbing identity theft. Crime‐prevention programs that are geared toward removing excuses and advertising consequences may be effective in deterring potential offenders. We also recommend that rehabilitation programs for convicted identity thieves be cognitive‐based interventions aimed at changing the way offenders think about their crimes.
Short‐ versus long‐term effects of Ohio's switch to more structured sentencing on extralegal disparities in prison sentences in an urban court*
Authors: Wooldredge John 
Published: June 2009

Research Summary The impact of Ohio's presumptive guidelines on sentencing disparities was examined for one of the state's largest jurisdictions to determine whether the switch to more structured sentencing in 1996 had any enduring effects. Sentencing patterns were examined both before and shortly after the 1996 reform, as well as 9 years later. Findings revealed weaker race and marital status effects on imprisonment under guidelines versus stronger age effects, no changes in disparities based on a defendant's sex and means of support, and (virtually) no changes in the magnitude of legally relevant effects. Policy Implications Ohio's guidelines are more flexible relative to other guideline schemes, possibly accounting for the general stability in effects across regimes. Ohio has since transitioned to voluntary guidelines, which raised concerns that the change will yield higher levels of sentencing disparities. Findings suggest that the transition may coincide with no changes in legal effects, yet with greater disparities based on a defendant's race and marital status.
The impact of after‐school programs on the routine activities of middle‐school students: Results from a randomized, controlled trial*
Authors: Cross Amanda Brown , Gottfredson Denise C. , Wilson Denise M. , Rorie Melissa , Connell Nadine 
Published: June 2009

Research Summary Unsupervised after‐school time for adolescents is a concern for parents and policymakers alike. Evidence linking unsupervised adolescent socializing to problem behavior outcomes heightens this concern among criminologists. Routine activities theory suggests that, when youth peer groups congregate away from adult authority, both opportunity for and motivation to engage in deviant acts increase. After‐school programs are a possible solution to unsupervised teen socializing during afternoon hours and are much in demand. However, empirical research has yet to test the relationship between the availability of after‐school programs and youth routine activities. This study presents evidence from a multisite, randomized, controlled trial of an after‐school program for middle‐school students in an urban school district. Policy Implications Youth in the treatment group engaged in less unsupervised socializing after school than youth in the control group but not as much less as would be expected if the after‐school program was providing consistent supervision to youth who would otherwise be unsupervised. Additional analyses examined why the influence of the after‐school program was not more pronounced. We found that, although program attendance was related to decreases in unsupervised socializing, the program did not attract many delinquency‐prone youths who were unsupervised, which suggests that the students most in need of the program did not benefit. Furthermore, data obtained from a mid‐year activity survey revealed that youth in the study were highly engaged in a variety of after‐school activities. The addition of the after‐school program into the mixture of available activities had little effect on the frequency with which students participated in organized activities after school.
Racial profiling and searches: Did the politics of racial profiling change police behavior?*
Authors: Warren Patricia Y. , Tomaskovic‐Devey Donald 
Published: June 2009

Research Summary Scholarly research has documented repeatedly that minority citizens are disproportionately stopped, searched, and arrested relative to their baseline populations. In recent years, policymakers have brought increased attention to this issue as law‐enforcement agencies across the United States have faced allegations of racial profiling. In the 1990s, the politics generated by accounts of racially biased policing placed heightened pressure on law‐enforcement agencies. However, to date, few studies have explored whether the increased social and political scrutiny placed on police organizations influenced or changed their general pattern of enforcement among black and white citizens. Using data in the search and citation file from the North Carolina Highway Traffic Study, this research specifically examined whether the politics generated by the media coverage of racial profiling and racial profiling legislation in North Carolina influenced the search practices of officers of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol's drug interdiction team. The findings suggest that media accounts and the passage of new legislation were particularly powerful influences, which thereby reduced racial disparity in searches. Declines in the use of consent searches and an increased probability of finding contraband also were influenced by the politics of racial profiling. Policy Implications The results of this study suggest several important policy recommendations. First, law‐enforcement agencies must monitor the policing practices of their officers because such supervision can influence officer compliance with fair and unbiased policing policies. Next, supervisors need to familiarize themselves with enforcement data to identify potential problem officers and organizational practices. By doing so, police organizations will not only increase officer accountability but also will potentially improve communication with their local communities. Such communication can empower community members to file charges against officers who violate their civil rights. Next, the media and political effects documented in this study suggest that external oversight can be particularly influential on police practices. Therefore, police agencies should consider developing a citizen complaint board, which is an external oversight board that would be responsible for investigating allegations against officers who engage in racial profiling or other racially biased enforcement practices. Such a board could assist police administrators in identifying problem officers as well as in making recommendations for corrective action. Finally, external social and political pressure must continually be placed on police forces to improve equity in police behavior. These external forces can assist in creating opportunities for police to increase the overall quality and efficacy of policing.
Rural Health Clinics and Diabetes‐Related Primary Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries in Oregon
Authors: Kirkbride Kelly , Wallace Neal 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT:
Background: This study assessed whether Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) were associated with higher rates of recommended primary care services for adult beneficiaries diagnosed with diabetes in Oregon's Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). Methods: OHP claims data from 2002 to 2003 were used to assess quality of diabetic care for beneficiaries residing in urban areas or rural areas with or without at least 1 RHC. Study subjects included Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or disabled beneficiaries, aged 18‐64, who were enrolled in the OHP for 12 months per study year and had at least 1 claim with a diabetes diagnosis (n = 6,267). Diabetes‐related primary care was measured by the proportion of patients receiving each of 3 recommended tests at least once during the calendar year: hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), lipid profile, and eye exam. Logistic regression models were used to identify differences in testing rates across the geographic areas, after controlling for individual differences including age, race, sex, and health status. Results: Rural areas with no RHC had significantly lower rates of HbA1c testing, lipid profiles, and eye exams than urban areas (P < .01). Rural areas with at least 1 RHC had significantly higher rates for lipid profiles and eye exams than other rural areas (P < .05). No significant differences were detected in testing rates between rural areas with an RHC present and urban areas. Conclusions: RHCs in rural Oregon were associated with higher rates of recommended primary care for diabetes, consistent with the intent of the policy intervention.
Practical and Policy Implications of Using Different Rural‐Urban Classification Systems: A Case Study of Inpatient Service Utilization Among Veterans Administration Users
Authors: Berke Ethan M. , West Alan N. , Wallace Amy E. , Weeks William B. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT:
Context: Several classification systems exist for defining rural areas, which may lead to different interpretations of rural health services data. Purpose: To compare rural classification systems on their implications for estimating Veterans Administration (VA) utilization. Methods: Using 7 classification systems, we counted VA health care enrollees who lived in each category, and number admitted to VA hospitals or non‐VA hospitals under Medicare. For dual VA‐Medicare enrollees over age 65, we compared VA and private sector hospitalizations on numbers of admissions and bed‐days of care. We compared VA enrollees’ relative proportions across rural to urban categories for each classification system and evaluated discordance between systems at the veterans‐integrated service networks (VISN) level. Findings: Enrollment and inpatient utilization counts for rural veterans vary considerably from one classification system to another, though the systems generally agree that admission rates, length of stay, and reliance on the VA for care are lower for rural veterans. Among older dual VA and Medicare enrollees, rural residents rely on non‐VA facilities more, though this effect also varies widely depending on the classification scheme. VISNs vary greatly in the proportions of patients who are rural residents, and in the degree to which classification systems are discordant in designating patients as rural. Conclusions: Decisions about allocating VA health care resources to target “rural” patients may be affected greatly by the rural classification system chosen, and the impact of this choice will affect some hospital networks much more than others.
UV‐B Action Spectrum for UVR8‐Mediated HY5 Transcript Accumulation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Brown Bobby A. , Headland Lauren R. , Jenkins Gareth I. 
Published: June 2009

Abstract Arabidopsis thalianaUV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8) is a UV‐B‐specific signaling component that mediates low fluence, photomorphogenic responses to UV‐B. It is required for UV‐B‐induced expression of the gene encoding the ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5) transcription factor. HY5 is a key effector of responses mediated by UVR8. In mature leaf tissue, HY5 transcript accumulation occurred rapidly in response to a brief UV‐B treatment and no induction was observed in a uvr8 mutant over a broad range of UV wavelengths. In response to monochromatic light, maximal transcript accumulation occurred in wild‐type plants at wavelengths 280–300 nm. HY5 transcript accumulation showed reciprocity between the fluence rate and duration of UV‐B exposure, and on this basis conditions were chosen to generate an action spectrum for the UVR8 signaling pathway. Dose–response curves were produced for a range of UV wavelengths using 20 min exposure to UV and harvesting tissue 2 h after the start of illumination. Experiments using mutants defective in sinapate ester and flavonoid biosynthesis indicated that the presence of UV‐absorbing compounds did not affect the construction of an action spectrum under the conditions employed. The action spectrum for the induction of HY5 by the UVR8 pathway showed a main peak at 280 nm with a smaller peak at 300 nm. The data are discussed in relation to the proposed mechanisms of UV‐B photoreception.
Laser Selection Significantly Affects Cell Viability Following Single‐Cell Nanosurgery
Authors: Zeigler Maxwell B. , Chiu Daniel T. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThis paper compares the viability of over 700 NG108 cells after membrane disruption either with a single 3 ns pulse at 337 nm or with a 5 ms train of 110 fs pulses (80 MHz) at 770 nm. Cell viability was monitored over a period of 12 h so as to understand the effect of laser ablation‐induced cell apoptosis. The use of one‐photon membrane disruption with the UV–laser resulted in ∼36% cell viability after 12 h while the use of two‐photon ablation with the femtosecond laser resulted in a much higher viability of ∼79% after 12 h, which was the same within error of the ∼79% viability of cells in the control group. Changing the laser power to achieve a 90% probability of membrane disruption (PMD) from 50% PMD did not change the percentage of viable cells after 12 h, regardless of whether one‐ or two‐photon ablation was employed. A systematic comparison between different methods of cellular ablation and their effect upon the viability of single cells has not been done before over such a long time frame. These results show the importance of laser choice when cell viability postsurgery is a concern.
Disclosure Control of Business Microdata: A Density‐Based Approach
Authors: Ichim Daniela 
Published: June 2009

Summary For continuous key variables, a measure of the individual risk of disclosure is proposed. This risk measure, the local outlier factor, estimates the density around a unit. A selective masking method based on the nearest‐neighbour principle and microaggregation is also introduced. Some results of an application to the Italian sample of the Community Innovation Survey are presented.