bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Denmark: Between Local Democracy and Implementing
Agency of the Welfare State
Authors: Blom‐Hansen Jens , Heeager Anne 
Published: January 2011

Abstract
The Danish local government balances between self-government and central control. On the one hand, Denmark has a tradition of strong local government and on the other hand, Denmark has a tradition of central government control and interference in local affairs. This article focuses on the uneasy balance between local government and local democracy as an implementing agency in the central government. It discusses the historical background of the current system by tracing the emergence of tension between local and central government during the era of the absolutist royal rule. The article also discusses the present local government system. It discusses the reforms undertaken by the government which led to the large-scale municipal amalgations, the abolition of the counties, and the introduction of a new set of regions. The article concludes with a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of the Danish municipalities and regions as a result of the 2007 reform.
France: Between Centralization and Fragmentation
Authors: Cole Alistair 
Published: January 2011

Abstract
Pre-revolutionary France was marked largely by the attempts of the monarchy to impose central control, however, these changed at the advent of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1794. The revolution introduced the idea that the nation was no longer embodied by the monarch but by ‘the people’ and thus became largely synonymous with that of the Republic itself. For 150 years after 1789, France was under three periods of monarchy, five republics, two imperial rules, and reactionary wartime rule by the Vichy state. During these periods, there were attempts to restore monarchical and imperial forms of government as the political system of France. However, the republic became firmly embedded in the French political consciousness as a natural revolutionary form of government. This republic form of government was re-established several times over as the form of government in France and has been the political system of the nation from 1958 to the present. This article discusses the French political system with particular emphasis on the Fifth Republic. It discusses the two Acts of decentralization that have reduced the tutelage of the central state, introduced genuine territorial checks and balances, produced a degree of policy emulation across local authorities, and improved local democracy. While the institutions of French democracy contributed in a positive manner to the issue of trust in the broader polity, the French subnational government system, however, has many principal weaknesses: particularly in terms of the institutional layering and the public confusion on where the responsibility lies for delivering services. Topics included as well in this article include: local finances and public expenditure; transparency, layering, and democracy; new forms of central steering and European regulation. The article concludes with the challenges and constraints in the French political system.
Cyprus: Political Modernity and the Structures of
Democracy in a Divided Island
Authors: Varnava Andrekos , Yakinthou Christalla 
Published: January 2011

Abstract
This article discusses political and democratic development in Cyprus. Compared to the other nations discussed, Cyprus is a complicated case. The complicated nature of the Cyprus case is due to the stunted growth of political modernity and democracy in the nation during the colonial period and the disturbances caused by civil war and invasion. Modern democracy in Cyprus remains weak. The weakness and the slow progress of democracy and political modernity in the country are due to the perpetuation of conflicts and systematic tumours caused by the ongoing state of exception on both sides. While democracy and political modernity in the nation is facing a rough patch, the membership of Cyprus in the European Union brings about hope. Through its membership in the EU, it is hope that the irregularities of governance and democratic deficit in Cyprus will be ironed out. Even then, however, the united federal state of Cyprus must overcome the traditional and entrenched familial and clientelist networks of the nation that hinder the open and pluralistic functioning of the democratic processes.
Slovenia in Transition: Decentralization as a
Goal
Authors: Setnikar‐Cankar Stanka 
Published: January 2011

Abstract
This article discusses the development and transition of Slovenian self-governance and democracy after gaining independence from Yugoslavia. Until independence, for around seventy years of the twentieth century, the political and legal organization of Slovenia was subordinate to the Yugoslav state. During this period, Slovenia was a state within the socialist Yugoslavia with its own constitution and with a constitutionally defined right to self-determination. This political set-up heavily influenced the political and legal mentality of the Slovenes. In 1990, following a ten-day war and several months of partial international isolation, Slovenia gained independence. And in 1991, Slovenia adopted a new constitution and elected new higher branches of state power. These events marked the foremost and most dramatic phase of Slovenian transition to independent statehood. The second phase of the Slovenian transition is relatively difficult. This phase was compounded by the demands for a new legal system of government and by the demands for the successful functioning of all the three branches of political power: legislative, executive, and judicial. This phase was also complicated by the intense struggle among political parties for political, economic, and wide-ranging dominance. Regardless of the challenges faced by the Slovenian transition, the transition phase was nevertheless successful. By adopting a new constitution in 1991, Slovenia joined the Western European sphere of culture and civilization which is based on constitutionalism and the rule of law. The adoption of the constitution measured the maturity of the Slovenian nation and its politics.
Romania: From Historical Regions to Local
Decentralization via the Unitary State
Authors: Dobre Ana Maria 
Published: January 2011

Abstract
This article discusses Romania, a unitary nation-state created at the end of the nineteenth century through the territorial and political union of the historical regions of Moldavia, Vallachia, and Transylvania. The state's initial choice for the Napoleonic tradition gave rise to a centralized unitary model, which was reinforced during the pre-communist and communist historical periods. This model of unitary state evolved in the post-communist period with the inclusion and introduction of local governments. This reform in the unitary state model of Romania led to the shaping of a decentralized unitary state. In this article, the aim is to determine how the Romanian subnational democracy is connected to and shaped by the main state traditions and models of democracy. Roman accounts of democratization, decentralization, and regionalism are examined in a wider context to illustrate the evolution of Romanian subnational governance.
A randomized controlled trial of a smoking reduction plus nicotine replacement therapy intervention for smokers not willing to quit smoking
Authors: Chan Sophia S. C. , Leung Doris Y. P. , Abdullah Abu S. M. , Wong Vivian T. , Hedley Anthony J. , Lam Tai‐Hing 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTAims  To examine the effectiveness of smoking reduction counselling plus free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smokers not willing to quit.Design, setting and participants  A total of 1154 Chinese adult smokers not willing to quit but who were interested in reducing smoking were allocated randomly to three arms. Intervention group A1 (n = 479) received face‐to‐face counselling on smoking reduction and adherence to NRT at baseline, 1 week and 4 weeks with 4 weeks of free NRT. Group A2 (n = 449) received the same intervention, but without the adherence intervention. Control group B (n = 226) received simple cessation advice at baseline.Measurements  Self‐reported 7‐day point prevalence of tobacco abstinence and reduction of cigarette consumption (≥50%) at 6 months and continuous use of NRT for 4 weeks at 3 months.Findings  Using intention‐to‐treat analysis, compared to control group B, the intervention groups (A1 + A2) had achieved higher 6‐month tobacco abstinence (17.0% versus 10.2%, P = 0.01) and reduction rates (50.9% versus 25.7%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the 4‐week NRT adherence rate at 3 months, but group A1 achieved a higher abstinence rate than group A2 at 6 months (20.9% versus 12.9%; P = 0.001).Conclusions  In smokers with no immediate plans to quit, smoking reduction programmes with behavioural support and nicotine replacement therapy are more effective than brief advice to quit. Current guidelines recommend advice to quit on medical grounds as the best clinical intervention in this group of smokers, but smoking reduction programmes offer an alternative and effective option.
Perpetrators of pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions arising from altered cytochrome P450 activity: a criteria‐based assessment
Authors: Polasek Thomas M. , Lin Frank P. Y. , Miners John O. , Doogue Matthew P. 
Published: January 2011

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT• Many drugs inhibit or induce cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP) to cause clinically significant changes in the concentrations of other drugs, i.e. ‘perpetrate’ pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions (PK‐DDIs).• Tables that list the substrates, inhibitors and inducers of CYP are common, but they lack consistency and are constructed from evidence of variable quality.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS• This is the first study to catalogue important perpetrators of PK‐DDIs using objective criteria and clinical pharmacokinetic drug interaction studies. This information is intended to inform clinical decisions on PK‐DDIs.• Existing tables of CYP inhibitors and inducers have low sensitivity and low positive predictive value in identifying the major perpetrators of PK‐DDIs.• Several drugs were identified which potentially perpetrate CYP‐mediated PK‐DDIs, but quality clinical pharmacokinetic interaction studies are lacking. This information may be used to inform future research.AIMS To catalogue the perpetrators of CYP‐mediated pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions (PK‐DDIs) using clinically relevant criteria, and to compare this with an analogous catalogue.METHODS Candidate inhibitors and inducers of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A (‘perpetrators’) were evaluated using published clinical pharmacokinetic interaction studies. Studies were selected on the basis of ≥six human subjects, use of a validated in vivo probe substrate for the CYP enzyme, and clinically relevant dosing. Inhibitors were described according to the FDA classifications of strong, moderate or weak, whereas inducers were classified as major (≥twofold decrease in AUC) or weak (<twofold decrease in AUC). A catalogue of major perpetrators was constructed based on twofold changes in the clearance of probe substrates. Perpetrators in the clinical version of the Cytochromes P450 Drug Interaction Table (CDIT) were compared with the ‘accepted’ major perpetrators.RESULTS From a list of 216 candidate drugs (349 CYP‐perpetrator pairs, CYP‐PPs), 36 inhibitors and eight inducers were accepted as major perpetrators of PK‐DDIs, resulting in 58 CYP‐PPs. In comparison, the clinical version of the CDIT had a sensitivity of 33% and a positive predictive value of 68%. One hundred and ninety‐nine CYP‐PPs were rejected as major perpetrators, and 92 CYP‐PPs had insufficient published human pharmacokinetic data for robust classification.CONCLUSIONS Using a criteria‐based assessment, the number of drugs that are proven or likely major perpetrators of CYP‐mediated PK‐DDIs is relatively small. Current clinical decision support on PK‐DDIs is inconsistent with the published evidence and can be improved using simple criteria.
Inhibition of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of myeloma and other cancers
Authors: Richardson Paul G. , Mitsiades Constantine S. , Laubach Jacob P. , Lonial Sagar , Chanan‐Khan Asher A. , Anderson Kenneth C. 
Published: January 2011

SummaryHeat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a molecular chaperone that is induced in response to cellular stress and stabilizes client proteins involved in cell cycle control and proliferative/anti‐apoptotic signalling. HSP90 is overexpressed in a range of cancers, and may contribute to tumour cell survival by stabilizing aberrant signalling proteins and by interfering with apoptosis. Tanespimycin, an HSP90 inhibitor, reduces tumour cell survivalin vitro. In multiple myeloma (MM), HSP90 inhibition affects multiple client proteins that contribute to tumour cell survival, including the IGF1 receptor and the IL‐6 receptor, and elements of the PI3/Akt, STAT3, and MAPK signalling pathways. HSP90 inhibition also abrogates the protective effect of bone marrow stromal cells and inhibits angiogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. Tanespimycin acts synergistically with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in MM cells and tumour explants, possibly reducing their ability to resist bortezomib‐induced stress to the endoplasmic reticulum. The combination of tanespimycin and bortezomib has demonstrated significant and durable responses with acceptable toxicity in a phase I/II study in patients with relapsed and relapsed/refractory MM. HSP90 inhibition is a promising strategy in MM especially in combination with bortezomib; additional studies will further evaluate optimal dosings of candidate drugs and schedules, as well as confirm efficacy in comparative phase III trials.
Using peer mentoring for people with spinal cord injury to enhance self‐efficacy beliefs and prevent medical complications
Authors: Ljungberg Inger , Kroll Thilo , Libin Alexander , Gordon Samuel 
Published: January 2011

Aims and objectives.  Individuals with spinal cord injury/disease are faced with a myriad of psychosocial adjustment challenges. This article describes the implementation of a peer‐mentoring programme designed to support this adjustment process for people with SCI/disease and the programme’s believed impact on self‐efficacy and prevention of medical complications.Background.  With shorter length of stay in acute inpatient rehabilitation after spinal cord injury/disease, peer mentor programmes are becoming an important component to assist with education and community re‐integration.Design.  Quasi‐experimental non‐controlled pretest/post‐test.Method.  Patients with newly acquired spinal cord injury/disease participated in a one‐ year spinal cord injury peer‐mentoring programme. Peer mentors met with their assigned participants regularly during inpatient care and on discharge to track medical complications and assist with adjusting to life after spinal cord injury/disease.Results.  In all, of 37 mentees enrolled, 24 successfully completed the programme. Sixty‐seven per cent showed improved self‐efficacy score between the two time points. Medical complications and doctor visits all decreased significantly between 0–6 months and 7–12 months. Our findings indicate that the older an individual is, the lower the likelihood of having a urinary tract infection (p = 0·006). The programme was well received by all mentees who felt they could connect well with their peer mentor.Conclusion.  Peer mentoring in a rehabilitation setting enhances the understanding of challenges that patients and medical staff deal with on a day‐to‐day basis. Our findings suggest it is important to monitor and educate individuals with spinal cord injury/disease at the acute stage to improve medical outcomes. Caution is advised in the interpretation of these results as they were obtained in a small non‐random sample using self‐report data.Relevance to clinical practice.  Peer mentors play an increasingly important role in nurse‐delivered education in the spinal cord injury/disease population.
Apoptosis: A Programme of Cell Death or Cell Disposal?
Authors: Pereira W. O. , Amarante‐Mendes G. P. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractBased primarily on morphological features, apoptosis was described as the cell death that occurs during physiological situations, whereas necrosis was observed during acute harmful conditions. Apoptosis was, therefore, associated with a programme of cell death, as opposed to necrosis, considered an accidental, uncontrolled, pathological cell death. The apoptotic machinery was first unravelled in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, where a protease called CED‐3 was central to the execution of cells destined to die. Inactivation of ced‐3 gene prevents developmental cell death in the worm, an observation that reinforces the notion that apoptosis holds the switch between life and death. In mammals, proteins homologous to CED‐3, members of the family collectively called caspases, are considered the executioner proteases responsible for generating fundamentally all aspects of apoptosis. However, inhibition of the so‐called executioner caspases (i.e. inhibition of apoptosis) does not prevent cell death to occur. Consequently, in mammals, the decision switch between life and death resides upstream of the activation of caspases and the ensuing apoptotic cell death. Therefore, apoptosis is not a programme of cell death but purely a termination step of a cell death programme, responsible for proper disposal of the already‐committed, dying cells.
Use of the Whole Leucocyte Population in the Study of the NFκB Pathway
Authors: Reilly S.‐J. , Odeberg J. , Tornvall P. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThe nuclear factor NF‐{kappa}B (NFκB) is involved in the regulation of innate immunity and in particular, inflammatory genes. It is associated with the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD). It is believed that individual susceptibility to CHD might be affected by differences in gene transcription and therefore gene expression in circulating cell populations such as leucocytes is of interest. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the total white blood cell population (leucocytes) could be used to study the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment on the expression of genes of the NFκB pathway. Gene expression of the NFκB pathway was examined in total leucocyte, monocyte and neutrophil populations. The majority of the 84 genes examined were up‐regulated after treatment with LPS for 12 h in all cell populations examined. The total leucocyte population behaved in a similar manner to both neutrophils and monocytic cells, indicating that it alone could be used in studies, therefore avoiding cell separation, which is time‐consuming and can result in cell activation. Furthermore, in clinical studies, it enables a larger number of patient samples to be studied simultaneously, while also reducing the amount of blood required from each. This will provide enough starting material for use with molecular techniques, such as chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIP‐sequencing, and allow large‐scale gene expression studies of the NFκB pathway in patients with chronic and acute inflammation with established CHD.
Effect of artesunate and mefloquine in combination on the Fridericia corrected QT intervals inPlasmodium falciparuminfected adults from Thailand
Authors: Krudsood S. , Looareesuwan S. , Wilairatama P. , Leowattana W. , Tangpukdee N. , Chalermrut K. , Ramanathan S. , Navaratnam V. , Olliaro P. , Vaillant M. , Kiechel J. R. , Taylor W. R. J. 
Published: January 2011

SummaryObjective To ascertain whether mefloquine (MQ) produces electrocardiogram (ECG) changes that could be a risk for Torsades de Pointe (TdP), a potentially malignant, ventricular tachyarrhythmia.Methods We measured the Fridericia corrected QT (QTcF) intervals on 12 lead ECGs on days (D) 0, 3, 7 inPlasmodium falciparuminfected adults, treated with oral artesunate (AS) and MQ as a new fixed dose (n = 25) combination or loose tablets (n = 25) over 3 days. Target total doses were 12 mg/kg of AS and 24–25 mg/kg of MQ. MQ concentrations ([MQ]) were measured by HPLC.Results All ECG intervals were similar between drug arms and were combined for analysis. Mean QTcF values were 389 (D0), 407 (D3) and 399 (D7) ms (Ps < 0.003vs.D0); corresponding heart rates and [MQ]s were 83, 67 and 73 beats/minute (Ps≤0.0003vs.D0) and 0, 3095 and 1721 ng/ml. One male patient (loose arm) had a D3 QTcF 504 ms (D0 406 ms, D7 433 ms). In the modelling of QTcF and JTcF from D0 to D7, significant effects were observed individually for [MQ], temperature and heart rate (HR). The MQ AUC0‐∞was not a significant factor. Using a manual descending, model building approach to select variables, the HR was the only significant variable (P = 0.001) over time in the model that best explained the changes in the QTcF and JTcF intervals.Conclusions In this small group of patients, slowing heart rates due to malaria resolution best explained the observed increases in the QTcF intervals.
Lobar displacement following pediatric heart‐lung transplantation: Case report and review of literature
Authors: Guglani Lokesh , Tadros Sameh , Morell Victor O. , Spahr Jonathan E. , Webber Steve A. , Kurland Geoffrey 
Published: January 2011

Guglani L, Tadros S, Morell VO, Spahr JE, Webber SA, Kurland G. Lobar displacement following pediatric heart‐lung transplantation: Case report and review of literature.Abstract:  Lobar displacement (LD) after heart–lung transplantation (HLT) has been reported in adults, but there are no reported pediatric cases. Its occurrence may cause vascular compromise of the displaced lung segment leading to necrosis, infection and bronchiectasis, as well as compression of contralateral lobes. We report two cases of LD in children following HLT, treated differently and with different outcomes. Assessment of pulmonary perfusion and weighing the risk of surgical repair may be considered for optimal patient management of this condition.
Dermatofibroma and halo dermatitis
Authors: Schofield Clare , Weedon David , Kumar Sandeep 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTThe occurrence of a halo of dermatitis surrounding acquired naevi was initially reported by Meyerson in 1971 with histological features of focal spongiosis, parakeratosis, irregular acanthosis and a lymphocytic infiltrate in the upper dermis. When the same inflammatory reaction occurs around other lesions it is referred to as the Meyerson phenomenon or halo dermatitis. We report a rare case of the Meyerson phenomenon occurring around a dermatofibroma in a 69‐year‐old woman. This case highlights that the phenomenon may occur in a broad range of clinical scenarios and is not limited to acquired naevi in young adults.
Molecular cloning, characterisation and expression analysis of a QM homologue in Mythimna separate (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Li Ke , Xi Geng‐Si , Yin Huan , Lian Zhen‐Min 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThe QM protein has been reported to have an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In our study, a homologue of human QM was isolated from Mythimna separate (Walker). The full‐length cDNA of M. separate QM (MsQM) is 832 bp, containing a 5′‐untranslated region (5′‐UTR) of 116 bp and a 3′‐UTR of 57 bp. The open reading frame of 660 bp encodes a deduced 219‐amino‐acid peptide with a predicted molecular mass of 25.4997 kilodaltons. The deduced MsQM shares an overall identity of 76.7–97.7% with other known QM homologues. The result of real‐time quantitative PCR revealed that the QM transcript levels were well coincident with the amplification of neuroblasts proliferation and the volume increase of neuropils with age. This result suggests that MsQM is developmentally regulated at the level of transcription.