bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health services research in Europe and its use for informing policy
Authors: Ettelt Stefanie , Mays Nicholas 
Published: July 2011

Objective: As an applied field of research, health services research (HSR) is undertaken primarily to inform health care policy. However, the relationship between policy and HSR is not straightforward. Many policies are developed without taking account of available evidence. Our objective was to provide an overview of the infrastructure and capacity of HSR in Europe, and to explore the links between HSR and policy in European countries. Methods: A survey of health policy experts in 34 European countries undertaken between September 2009 and June 2010, covering: funding and prioritizing HSR; production and producers of HSR; health policy users of HSR; activities to promote the use of HSR; and barriers and facilitators to using HSR in policy-making. Experts were selected based on their professional expertise and reputation in HSR and/or health policy. Results: Information was returned from 30 of the 34 countries. Infrastructure and capacity for HSR varied widely across countries as did the mechanisms likely to promote the use of research for national policy-making. In many cases, HSR was not separately identified from other health-related research. Government funding for HSR varied between zero and over €170 million per year (in 2004). Few countries had mechanisms to match HSR priorities with those of policy-makers. Although most countries provided some relevant training, multidisciplinary training was available in few countries. Few mechanisms supporting the use of research in policy were reported. One exception was coverage decisions for new drugs and technologies where formal accountability for the use of health technology assessments appeared to be most developed. Overall, respondents struggled to locate information on many aspects of HSR, particularly its use in decision-making. Conclusion: HSR is unevenly developed across Europe. There is considerable scope to build the infrastructure and to take steps to improve the use of HSR in policy-making. There is also a need for research, as opposed to expert opinion, on how HSR is undertaken and used.
Mapping research on health systems in Europe: A bibliometric assessment
Authors: Garrido Marcial Velasco , Hansen Johan , Busse Reinhard 
Published: July 2011

Objective: Europe's health care decision-makers are facing an increasingly complex and rapidly changing landscape. It is crucial that health care problems are addressed with evidence-informed policy and that evidence finding is aimed at those topics most urgent on policy agendas. Research on health systems addresses the macro-level of health care delivery and aims at generating evidence for policy-making. Our aim was to assess the field of health systems research in Europe, primarily based on an analysis of the published literature. Methods: Starting from current definitions of health systems, during 2004-09 we identified four thematic areas for research and defined keywords to construct a sensitive literature search limited to European research. Results: The database search resulted in 26,945 hits between 2004-09. Until 2008, the annual number of publications on health systems research increased at an average rate of 5.2%. Most (88%) were in English. The largest producer of research on health systems has been the UK (nearly 10,000 in six years; 37% of the total for Europe), which is also the country most frequently the object of research. In contrast, seven countries had produced no publications. There were modest correlations between a country's research production and its gross domestic product (r 5 0.62) but less so with its population size (0.33). The most frequent keywords were ‘patients’ (49% of all references), ‘patient satisfaction’ (27%), ‘organization and administration’ (23%), ‘education’ (19%) and ‘attitude of health personnel’ (13%). Closer inspection of a sub-sample of 1000 abstracts revealed that only 24% met our definition of ‘health systems research’ rather than other fields of health services research. Conclusion: There is a wide-spread need to develop health systems research capacity, in particular in eastern European countries, and to address the effects of health care reform, particularly the effects of privatization and commercialization of health services.
Fatigue Testing of Traffic Signal Structures Using an Eccentric-Mass Oscillator
Authors: Schabron Christopher M. , Puckett Jay A. 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
Traffic signal and other ancillary structures have failed due to fatigue caused by wind. Such structures are typically lightly damped and have low natural frequencies. The fatigue cracks begin in the base metal near welds. Because of geometric and functional requirements, welds are often category E or lower. Additionally, transportation agencies use unique connection details for a variety of reasons including aesthetics and economy. Fatigue resistance is difficult to categorize because of the uniqueness of the geometries, member sizes, and manufacturing processes. A low-cost performance based procedure is needed in order to test joints as manufactured. Such a procedure would permit the many tests required to develop reliable fatigue performance of a connection. This research focuses on the development of an economical fatigue test procedure for mast arm connections and base plate connections. A full-scale cantilevered traffic signal structure was fitted with an eccentric-mass oscillator, and the oscillator was used to excite the structure near its natural frequency. Different stress ranges were achieved by controlling either the frequency of the motor or the mass-eccentricity of the oscillator in a reliable and repeatable manner. The observations indicate that near-constant amplitude and direction control are possible for in-plane, out-of-plane, and bi-directional load effects. The proposed test is conducted at a fraction of the cost of traditional actuator-controlled methods.
Tremadocian (Lower Ordovician) sea-level changes and biotas on the Avalon microcontinent
Authors: Landing ED , Fortey Richard A. 
Published: July 2011

The Chesley Drive Group, an Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician mudstone-dominated unit, is part of the Ediacaran–Ordovician cover sequence on the North American part of the Avalon microcontinent. The upper Chesley Drive Group on McLeod Brook, Cape Breton Island (previously “McLeod Brook Formation”), has two lithofacies-specific Tremadocian biotas. An older low-diversity benthic assemblage (shallow burrowers,Bathysiphon, phosphatic brachiopods, asaphid trilobites) is in lower upper Tremadocian green-gray mudstone. This wave-influenced, slightly dysoxic facies hasBathysiphon–brachiopod shell lags in ripple troughs. The upper fauna (ca. 483 +/- 1 Ma) is in dysoxic-anoxic (d-a), unburrowed, dark gray-black, upper upper (but not uppermost) Tremadocian mudstone with a “mass kill” of the olenidPeltocare rotundifrons(Matthew)—a provincial trilobite in Avalonian North America that likely tolerated low oxygen bottom waters.Scandodus avalonensisLanding n. sp. andLagenochitinaaff.conifundus(Poumot), probable nektic elements and the first upper Tremadocian conodont and chitinozoan reported from Avalon, occur in diagenetic calcareous nodules in the dark gray-black mudstone. An upper Tremadocian transition from lower greenish to upper black mudstone is not exposed on McLeod Brook, but is comparable to a coeval green-black mudstone transition in Avalonian England. The successions suggest that late late Tremadocian (probable Baltic Hunnebergian Age) sea level was higher in Avalon than is suggested from successions on other paleocontinents. The Tremadocian sea-level history of Avalon was a shoaling-deepening-shoaling sequence from d-a black mudstone (lower Tremadocian), to dysoxic green mudstone (lower upper Tremadocian), and back to black mudstone (upper upper Tremadocian).ScandodusLindström is emended, with the early speciesS. avalonensisLanding n. sp. assigned to the emended Family Protopanderodontidae.TriangulodusVan Wamel is considered a junior synonym ofScandodus. Peltocare rotundifronsis emended on the basis of complete specimens.
Opportunities and Challenges of Incorporating Climate Change Threats into Disaster Risk Management Planning: A Case Study in Costa Rica
Authors: Hori Tsuneki , Shaw Rajib 
Published: July 2011

AbstractDisaster losses due to climate and weather related events are increasing worldwide. Risk associated with climate and weather related events will be exacerbated by climate change in the coming decades. The high frequency of climate and weather related disasters intensifies vulnerability in developing countries. Costa Rica has recently approved the national policy instruments (Act 8488, PNGR 2010–2015, and ENCC) and incorporated the context of climate change threats into DRM planning. This paper discusses challenges and opportunities for incorporating climate change threats into DRM planning at the national level. A “checklist,” developed by the authorities of Latin American and Caribbean countries, is applied as a case study in Costa Rica. Results of the study indicate that the national policy instruments did provide an opportunity for incorporating climate change threats into DRM planning, especially within the context of risk identification, monitoring, and evaluation. However, several gaps are also identified when doing so in practice.
Climate Disaster Resilience of Dhaka City Corporation: An Empirical Assessment at Zone Level
Authors: Parvin Gulsan Ara , Shaw Rajib 
Published: July 2011

AbstractAlong with the threat of climate change and its related hazards, rapid urban growth is leading to unplanned urbanization, high population density and environmental degradation of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Already the severity of climate‐related hazards, especially flooding, is increasing. It is predicted that among the coastal mega‐cities Dhaka would be the most vulnerable to climate change. This research measures the existing level of climate disaster resilience of Dhaka City Corporation by assessing the problems and potentialities in different sectors. The Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) was calculated for 10 different zones of Dhaka City Corporation. CDRI analysis comprises five different dimensions (physical, social, economic, institutional and natural), 25 parameters and 125 variables (development issues). Findings show that besides location, the utility services, accessibility to roads, housing and land‐use, health, social capital and environmental conditions are each playing a role in determining the resilience level of different zones. It is interesting to note that the planned residential areas have relatively higher levels of climate disaster resilience, while old parts of the city and densely populated low income areas have lower levels of resilience. Dhaka, being the primate city of the country, continuously faces numerous challenges and opportunities. It is expected that by utilizing CDRI results in policy formulation and development planning, these challenges could be minimized and opportunities enhanced, leading to a more resilient city in the future.
Prevalence and severity of vestibular recession in mandibular incisors after orthodontic treatment
Authors: Vasconcelos Gisela , Kjellsen Kristian , Preus Hans , Vandevska-Radunovic Vaska , Hansen Bjørn Frode 
Published: July 2011

Abstract

Objective:
To assess the prevalence and severity of vestibular gingival recession of mandibular incisors after orthodontic treatment and to evaluate possible contributing factors.

Materials and Methods:
From the record pool of patients who completed orthodontic treatment from 1999–2006 at the Department of Orthodontics, University of Oslo, Norway, 588 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Intraoral color slides were used for the evaluation of gingival recessions (based on Miller classification), presence of visible plaque, and gingival inflammation. Cephalometric radiographs were used to assess the sagittal intermaxillary relation, mandibular and intermaxillary angles, and the position of the lower incisors. A control group was drawn from the same pool of 588 patients. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS.

Results:
The prevalence of gingival recessions after orthodontic treatment was 10.3%. Most (8.6%) were classified as Miller Class I, and 1.7% were classified as Miller Class II. Gingival recession was predominantly found on central incisors. Reduction of the sagittal intermaxillary angle and retroclination of the lower incisors was correlated with the development of a more severe gingival recession.

Conclusions:
The present study indicates that vestibular gingival recession of mandibular incisors after orthodontic treatment is of minor prevalence and severity. The presence of gingival recession or retroclination of the incisors with mesial basal relations increases the risk of more severe gingival recession.
High-Fat Diet–Induced Adipocyte Cell Death Occurs Through a Cyclophilin D Intrinsic Signaling Pathway Independent of Adipose Tissue Inflammation
Authors: Feng Daorong , Tang Yan , Kwon Hyokjoon , Zong Haihong , Hawkins Meredith , Kitsis Richard N. , Pessin Jeffrey E. 
Published: July 2011

OBJECTIVE
Previous studies have demonstrated that mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) develop insulin resistance with proinflammatory macrophage infiltration into white adipose tissue. Concomitantly, adipocytes undergo programmed cell death with the loss of the adipocyte-specific lipid droplet protein perilipin, and the dead/dying adipocytes are surrounded by macrophages that are organized into crown-like structures. This study investigated whether adipocyte cell death provides the driving signal for macrophage inflammation or if inflammation induces adipocyte cell death.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Two knockout mouse models were used: granulocyte/monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)–null mice that are protected against HFD-induced adipose tissue inflammation and cyclophilin D (CyP-D)–null mice that are protected against adipocyte cell death. Mice were fed for 4–14 weeks with a 60% HFD, and different markers of cell death and inflammation were analyzed.

RESULTS
HFD induced a normal extent of adipocyte cell death in GM-CSF–null mice, despite a marked reduction in adipose tissue inflammation. Similarly, depletion of macrophages by clodronate treatment prevented HFD-induced adipose tissue inflammation without any affect on adipocyte cell death. However, CyP-D deficiency strongly protected adipocytes from HFD-induced cell death, without affecting adipose tissue inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that HFD-induced adipocyte cell death is an intrinsic cellular response that is CyP-D dependent but is independent of macrophage infiltration/activation.
Contribution of tidal submergence to phosphorus nutrition and yield of rice
Authors: Haque MA 
Published: July 2011

Two pot and two field experiments were conducted at Patuakhali Science and Technology University research farm to investigate the contribution of tidal submergence to phosphorus nutrition and yield of rice. Pot and field experiments were conducted in the Aus and Aman seasons of 2009, respectively. The factorial experiments include two levels of water source- i) tidal water and ii) ground water, and three levels of fertilizers- i) absolute control (no fertilizer), ii) NK (P omission) and iii) NPK (P addition). The rice varieties used were BRRI dhan27 (HYV) and Local Mala (Traditional variety) in Aus season and BR23 (HYV) and Lalmota (Traditional variety) in Aman season. A general increase in growth, yield and yield contributing parameters were found due to irrigation with tidal water. Tidal water contributed about 21 (BR23) and 7 (Lalmota) % higher grain yield in Aman season 2009 and about 2 g biomass yield per pot (both BRRI dhan27 and Local Mala) in Aus season of 2009 compared to ground water. Phosphorus content of rice grain and straw was always higher when plants are irrigated with tidal water. In general tidal submergence increases P uptake of rice. Phosphorus uptake from tidal water treatments increased when plants were supplied with N and K fertilizer. Tidal submergence contributed about 5-6 kg P/ha in P omission plot, and about 12-14 kg P/ha in plots with added P. Keywords: Phosphorus; Rice; Tidal submergence DOI: 10.3329/jbau.v8i2.7927 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 8(2): 207-212 2010
Vous avez dit « parentification » ? Revue du concept et réactualisation selon les derniers résultats empiriques
Authors: Heck Laurent , Janne Pascal 
Published: July 2011

La parentification est une ancienne notion de l’approche systémique un peu tombée en désuétude. Bien qu’une littérature approfondie existe sur le sujet, peu de recherches empiriques ont été menées sur le sujet. Cette revue a pour but de présenter les derniers faits empiriques s’y rapportant : définitions, comparaison des conceptions classiques, étiologie s’appuyant sur la psychologie du self et de la relation à l’objet, divers précurseurs dont le genre, la culture et l’abus sexuel et enfin les conséquences à moyen et à long termes, tant au niveau de la personnalité qu’au niveau relationnel. Enfin, un regard critique de cette littérature sera établi concluant sur la nécessité de créer un modèle intégratif et explicatif sur la parentification, appuyé par des faits empiriques.
CD31 Is Required on CD4+ T Cells To Promote T Cell Survival during Salmonella Infection
Authors: Ross Ewan A. , Coughlan Ruth E. , Flores-Langarica Adriana , Bobat Saeeda , Marshall Jennifer L. , Hussain Khiyam , Charlesworth James , Abhyankar Nikita , Hitchcock Jessica , Gil Cristina , López-Macías Constantino , Henderson Ian R. , Khan Mahmood , Watson Steve P. , MacLennan Ian C. M. , Buckley Christopher D. , Cunningham Adam F. 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
Hematopoietic cells constitutively express CD31/PECAM1, a signaling adhesion receptor associated with controlling responses to inflammatory stimuli. Although expressed on CD4+ T cells, its function on these cells is unclear. To address this, we have used a model of systemic Salmonella infection that induces high levels of T cell activation and depends on CD4+ T cells for resolution. Infection of CD31-deficient (CD31KO) mice demonstrates that these mice fail to control infection effectively. During infection, CD31KO mice have diminished numbers of total CD4+ T cells and IFN-γ–secreting Th1 cells. This is despite a higher proportion of CD31KO CD4+ T cells exhibiting an activated phenotype and an undiminished capacity to prime normally and polarize to Th1. Reduced numbers of T cells reflected the increased propensity of naive and activated CD31KO T cells to undergo apoptosis postinfection compared with wild-type T cells. Using adoptive transfer experiments, we show that loss of CD31 on CD4+ T cells alone is sufficient to account for the defective CD31KO T cell accumulation. These data are consistent with CD31 helping to control T cell activation, because in its absence, T cells have a greater propensity to become activated, resulting in increased susceptibility to become apoptotic. The impact of CD31 loss on T cell homeostasis becomes most pronounced during severe, inflammatory, and immunological stresses such as those caused by systemic Salmonella infection. This identifies a novel role for CD31 in regulating CD4 T cell homeostasis.
Insulinoma-Released Exosomes or Microparticles Are Immunostimulatory and Can Activate Autoreactive T Cells Spontaneously Developed in Nonobese Diabetic Mice
Authors: Sheng Huiming , Hassanali Saleema , Nugent Courtney , Wen Li , Hamilton-Williams Emma , Dias Peter , Dai Yang D. 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
Exosomes (EXO) are secreted intracellular microparticles that can trigger inflammation and induce Ag-specific immune responses. To test possible roles of EXO in autoimmunity, we isolated small microparticles, mainly EXO, from mouse insulinoma and examined their activities to stimulate the autoimmune responses in NOD mice, a model for human type 1 diabetes. We demonstrate that the EXO contains strong innate stimuli and expresses candidate diabetes autoantigens. They can induce secretion of inflammatory cytokines through a MyD88-dependent pathway, and activate purified APC and result in T cell proliferation. To address whether EXO or the secreted microparticles are possible autoimmune targets causing islet-specific inflammation, we monitored the T cell responses spontaneously developed in prediabetic NOD mice for their reactivity to the EXO, and compared this reactivity between diabetes-susceptible and -resistant congenic mouse strains. We found that older NOD females, which have advanced islet destruction, accumulated more EXO-reactive, IFN-γ–producing lymphocytes than younger females or age-matched males, and that pancreatic lymph nodes from the prediabetic NOD, but not from the resistant mice, were also enriched with EXO-reactive Th1 cells. In vivo, immunization with the EXO accelerates insulitis development in nonobese diabetes-resistant mice. Thus, EXO or small microparticles can be recognized by the diabetes-associated autoreactive T cells, supporting that EXO might be a possible autoimmune target and/or insulitis trigger in NOD or congenic mouse strains.
TNF Receptor 1 Deficiency Increases Regulatory T Cell Function in Nonobese Diabetic Mice
Authors: Chee Jonathan , Angstetra Eveline , Mariana Lina , Graham Kate L. , Carrington Emma M. , Bluethmann Horst , Santamaria Pere , Allison Janette , Kay Thomas W. H. , Krishnamurthy Balasubramanian , Thomas Helen E. 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
TNF has been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. When administered early in life, TNF accelerates and increases diabetes in NOD mice. However, when administered late, TNF decreases diabetes incidence and delays onset. TNFR1-deficient NOD mice were fully protected from diabetes and only showed mild peri-insulitis. To further dissect how TNFR1 deficiency affects type 1 diabetes, these mice were crossed to β cell-specific, highly diabetogenic TCR transgenic I-Ag7–restricted NOD4.1 mice and Kd-restricted NOD8.3 mice. TNFR1-deficient NOD4.1 and NOD8.3 mice were protected from diabetes and had significantly less insulitis compared with wild type NOD4.1 and NOD8.3 controls. Diabetic NOD4.1 mice rejected TNFR1-deficient islet grafts as efficiently as control islets, confirming that TNFR1 signaling is not directly required for β cell destruction. Flow cytometric analysis showed a significant increase in the number of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells in TNFR1-deficient mice. TNFR1-deficient T regulatory cells were functionally better at suppressing effector cells than were wild type T regulatory cells both in vitro and in vivo. This study suggests that blocking TNF signaling may be beneficial in increasing the function of T regulatory cells and suppression of type 1 diabetes.
Parallel Molecular Dynamics with Irregular Domain Decomposition
Authors: Bisson Mauro , Bernaschi Massimo , Melchionna Simone 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe spatial domain of Molecular Dynamics simulations is usually a regular box that can be easily divided in subdomains for parallel processing. Recent efforts aimed at simulating complex biological systems, like the blood flow inside arteries, require the execution of Parallel Molecular Dynamics (PMD) in vessels that have, by nature, an irregular shape. In those cases, the geometry of the domain becomes an additional input parameter that directly influences the outcome of the simulation. In this paper we discuss the problems due to the parallelization of MD in complex geometries and show an efficient and general method to perform MD in irregular domains.