bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acculturation in Context: Gender, Age at Migration, Neighborhood Ethnicity, and Health Behaviors*
Authors: Kimbro Rachel Tolbert 
Published: October 2009

Objectives. This article investigates differences in smoking and binge‐drinking for Latinos by nativity, stratified by their age at immigration, and tests individual‐ and neighborhood‐level acculturation measures as determinants of those differences.Methods. Data are from the Los Angeles Families and Neighborhoods Study (N=2,023) and analyses use multilevel logistic regression.Results. The article finds that Latino immigrants are less likely to smoke or binge drink, compared to their U.S.‐born peers, and that acculturation measures account for some of the immigrant gaps in health behaviors, although results differ by gender and age at migration. Additionally, living in a neighborhood with a high foreign‐born concentration is associated with lower odds of binge‐drinking.Conclusions. Findings suggest that both individual‐ and neighborhood‐level measures of acculturation may contribute to immigrant health behavior advantages, and that it is important to consider these relationships within the context of gender and age at migration.
Explaining Suicide Among Blacks and Whites: How Socioeconomic Factors and Gun Availability Affect Race‐Specific Suicide Rates*
Authors: Kubrin Charis E. , Wadsworth Tim 
Published: October 2009

Objectives.What are the correlates of suicide among blacks and whites? One body of literature suggests that structural factors such as poverty, inequality, joblessness, and family disruption are the key contributors, while another literature considers the availability of firearms to be the central factor. No studies have thoroughly explored both possibilities together and thus we know little about the relative contributions of motivation to commit suicide due to structural conditions and opportunity to commit suicide due to firearm availability. The current study addresses this issue.Methods.Using suicide data from Mortality Multiple Cause of Death Records and 2000 Census data, we examine the roles of motivation and opportunity in shaping suicide rates among young white and young black males in U.S. cities.Results.We find racial differences in the predictors of suicide; although concentrated disadvantage directly affects suicide among young white males, it only raises levels for young black males by increasing access to firearms. This finding is confirmed in additional analyses, which examine the effects of concentrated disadvantage on black and white gun and nongun suicides separately.Conclusion.The findings suggest complex relationships among the structural characteristics of cities, gun availability, and suicide. They also begin to address unresolved issues in the literature including why blacks have demonstrated comparatively lower rates of suicide despite higher levels of disadvantage as well as what may have fueled the increase in young black male suicide over the last 30 years. Finally, the findings have important implications for the study of race and suicide prevention.
Perceptions of Neighborhood Disorder: The Role of Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics*
Authors: Elo Irma T. , Mykyta Laryssa , Margolis Rachel , Culhane Jennifer F. 
Published: October 2009

Objectives. The study of neighborhood effects on health and well‐being has regained prominence in recent years. Most authors have relied on Census data and other administrative data sources to assess neighborhood characteristics. Less commonly employed, but gaining in popularity, are measures from surveys that ask neighborhood residents about various aspects of their neighborhood environment. Such surveys are a potentially attractive alternative or augmentation to administrative data sources.Methods. Using data from a study of neighborhood effects on pregnancy outcomes among low‐income, inner‐city women in Philadelphia, PA (N=3,988), we examined psychometric and ecometric properties of scales used to assess perceptions of crime and safety, physical disorder and social disorder, and estimated effects of individual‐ and neighborhood‐level predictors on perceptions.Results. The three perceived neighborhood disorder scales had high internal consistency and good neighborhood‐level reliability. Several individual attributes of the women predicted perceptions of neighborhood disorder, controlling for neighborhood‐level characteristics (within Census tract, fixed‐effect estimates). In addition, our objective indicators of neighborhood crime and physical and social disorder were highly significant predictors of women's perceptions, explaining over 70 percent of the between‐neighborhood variation in perceptions.Conclusions. When data on objective neighborhood characteristics are unavailable, the inclusion of questions about residents' perceptions of neighborhood conditions in surveys of inner‐city residents provides a useful alternative to characterize neighborhood conditions.
European Union and Health Policy: The “Chaordic” Dynamics of Integration*
Authors: Lamping Wolfram , Steffen Monika 
Published: October 2009

Objective.The objective of this article is to analyze the various components of EU health policy and to propose a conceptualization of the Europeanization of different countries' health policies.Method.Drawing on the methodology of public policy analysis, the authors identify core policies and their developments. They focus on the political processes and the stakeholders involved, and discuss future policy outcomes and their consequences.Results.The results show a two‐sided picture: on the one hand, Europeanization in the health policy field primarily results from indirect impacts, rather than from direct treaty‐based provisions or from a clear‐cut sectoral policy; on the other hand, the EU exercises an increasingly strong influence over health policy in Member States, justified by internal market imperatives as well as public health requirements.Conclusion.The conclusion identifies a growing European health policy compound characterized by new, complex, and often overlapping responsibilities between the national and supranational levels. It conceptualizes the Europeanization of health policy as a differential, multiple, and often accidental process, the effects of which nevertheless tend to be quite systematic.
Five‐year follow‐up of prematurely born children with postnatally developing caudothalamic cysts
Authors: Lind A , Lapinleimu H , Korkman M , Lehtonen L , Parkkola R , Haataja L ,   the PIPARI Study Group
Published: October 2009

AbstractAim:  To assess the long‐term developmental outcome of very low birth weight children with postnatally developing caudothalamic cysts.Methods:  Five very low birth weight children with postnatal caudothalamic cysts were examined using cranial ultrasound and brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging as neonates, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition, and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination at 2 years of corrected age, and with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence‐Revised and the standardization version of NEPSY II at 5 years of age. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain was repeated at 5 years of age. The developmental outcome at 5 years of age was compared with that of 23 very low birth weight children with normal brain structure.Results:  A cognitive level below normal and/or neuropsychological impairments was seen in all the children with caudothalamic cysts as well as in those with normal brain structure.Conclusion:  Very low birth weight children with postnatally developing caudothalamic cysts had cognitive and neuropsychological impairments similar to very low birth weight children without such cysts.
Prevalence of advance care directives in aged care facilities of the Northern Illawarra
Authors: Bezzina Andrew J 
Published: October 2009

AbstractObjective:  To assess the prevalence of advance care directives in the residential aged care facilities within the catchment for a single ED and to assess the systems in place for development of those advance care directives with focus on documentation and communication.Methods:  A de‐identified, paper‐based, mail‐out survey of all 30 residential aged care facilities potentially referring to the Wollongong Hospital ED.Results:  A total of 24 of 30 surveys were returned. Thirteen facilities reported at least some proportion of their residents having documented advance care directives. The median prevalence of advance care directives was 5% of residents (interquartile range 0–10%). Discussions with residents over advance care directives were reported in 9 of 24 survey returns. Not all facilities that reported documenting advance care directives had processes for regular review or 24 h access to the documentation for carers. Ten of the survey returns reported general practitioner involvement in advance care directive development.Conclusion:  The facilities surveyed reported that advance care directives are the exception rather than the rule. Where they were developed some facilities did not ensure regular review, dissemination of the information nor consistent involvement of the GP. This demonstrates low utilization and poor application, which has implications for care appropriate to patients' wishes and for resource use within the ED.
Malnutrition associated with increased risk of frail mechanical falls among older people presenting to an emergency department
Authors: Vivanti Angela P , McDonald Cameron K , Palmer Michelle A , Sinnott Michael 
Published: October 2009

AbstractObjective:  To identify associations between malnutrition falls risk and hospital admission among older people presenting to ED.Methods:  A prospective convenience sample of patients, aged 60 years or more, presenting to an Australian tertiary teaching hospital ED were included in this cross‐sectional study. Malnutrition Screening Tool and Subjective Global Assessment tool were administered to 126 non‐consecutive participants. Participants were categorized as non‐fallers, frail mechanical or active mechanical fallers. Self‐reported falls in past 6 months and hospital admission were documented.Results:  Participant age and sex (median age 74, interquartile range 65–82 years; male 59%, 74/126, 95% CI 50–67%) were representative of older people presenting to the ED. Malnutrition prevalence was 15% (19/126, 95% CI 9–21%). There was an increased risk of being assessed as malnourished when a frail mechanical faller relative to: a non‐faller (relative risk [RR]: 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.3, P= 0.001), an active mechanical faller (RR: 3.1, 95% CI 1.0–10.9, Fisher's Exact test P= 0.02) or a non‐faller and active mechanical faller combined (RR: 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.1, P= 0.001). Malnourished participants had an increased risk of self‐reported falls over 6 months (RR: 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.5, P= 0.03). There was over five times the risk of hospital admission if malnourished than if well‐nourished (RR: 5.3, 95% CI 1.4–20.0, Fisher's exact test P= 0.001). The Malnutrition Screening Tool captured 84% (16/19, 95% CI 78–92%) of participants assessed as malnourished by Subjective Global Assessment.Conclusions:  Older people presenting to ED should be nutritionally screened. Malnutrition prevalence of 15% was documented and was associated with an increased risk of frail mechanical falls and hospital admission. The Malnutrition Screening Tool was a simple and practical screen for ED.
Quality of Sexual Life in Hyperandrogenic Women Treated with an Oral Contraceptive Containing Chlormadinone Acetate
Authors: Caruso Salvatore , Rugolo Salvatore , Agnello Carmela , Romano Mattea , Cianci Antonio 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Hyperandrogenism produces change in quality of life of women.

Aim
To prespectively determine the changes of the sexual behaviour of hyperandrogenic women using an oral contraceptive containing 30 µg ethinylestradiol and 2 mg chlormadinone acetate (EE/CMA).

Methods
Seventy-two volunteer women (age range, 18–32 years), with moderate to severe hirsutim and acne were treated with EE/CMA for 9 cycles.

Main Outcomes Measure(s)
To assess hirsutism, the Ferriman-Gallwey (F-G) scoring system was used. Serum FSH, LH, estradiol, total and free testosterone, DHEAS, androstenedione, and SHBG levels were measured at baseline and at the 9th cycle of pill intake. The Short Personal Experience Questionnaire (SPEQ), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and a visual analog scales questionnaires were used to assess the QoL, at baseline and after 3, 6 and 9 cycles of pill use.

Result(s)
A reduction of 65% and 81% in the total mean F-G score was observed after the 6th cycle and the 9th cycle, respectively. The serum Androstenedione, and total and free testosterone levels decreased, and SHBG levels increased after the 9th cycle (p &lt; 0.05). The SF-36 score was higher after 6 (p &lt; 0.05) 9 cycles (p &lt; 0.001) with respect to baseline. Frequency of sexual intercourse and of orgasm by intercourse increased, and the frequency of masturbation decreased during the 6th (p &lt; 0.05) and the 9th cycle (p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusion(s)
The EE/CMA pill has anti-androgenic properties reducing the anti-aesthetic effect of hyperandrogenism and improving female sexual and social self-esteem.
Food Commodity Prices in the Long Run: The Crucial Role of Agricultural Research and Productivity  Les prix à long terme des produits alimentaires primaires : le rôle décisif de la recherche et de la productivité agricoles  Langfristige Preisentwicklung von Nahrungsmitteln: Die entscheidende Rolle der Agrarforschung und landwirtschaftlicher Produktivität
Authors: Alston Julian M. , Beddow Jason M. , Pardey Philip G. 
Published: October 2009

SummaryFood Commodity Prices in the Long Run: The Crucial Role of Agricultural Research and ProductivityOver the past 50 years and longer, the supply of food commodities has grown faster than the effective market demand, in spite of increasing population and per capita incomes. Consequently, the real (deflated) prices of food commodities have steadily trended down. The past increases in agricultural productivity and production, and the resulting real price trends, are attributable in large part to technological changes enabled by investments in agricultural R&D. A range of evidence indicates a slowdown in the long‐term path of agricultural productivity growth. A slowdown in the long‐term rate of growth can be difficult to discern in the context of myriad other secular and random changes, and even more difficult to attribute among potential causes. It seems likely that at least some of the recent slowdown in productivity growth is attributable to shifts in agricultural R&D spending: a progressive slowing down in the growth rate of total spending on agricultural R&D and a redirection of the funds away from farm productivity that began 20–30 years ago. The effects of a productivity slowdown are cumulative and enduring with potentially serious consequences. Regardless of what caused the slowdown in productivity, a restoration of past growth rates is likely to require an acceleration of spending on farm‐productivity‐oriented R&D.
Thyroid hormone receptor α can control action potential duration in mouse ventricular myocytes through the KCNE1 ion channel subunit
Authors: Mansén A. , Tiselius C. , Sand P. , Fauconnier J. , Westerblad H. , Rydqvist B. , Vennström B. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractAims:  The reduced heart rate and prolonged QTend duration in mice deficient in thyroid hormone receptor (TR) α1 may involve aberrant expression of the K+ channel α‐subunit KCNQ1 and its regulatory β‐subunit KCNE1. Here we focus on KCNE1 and study whether increased KCNE1 expression can explain changes in cardiac function observed in TRα1‐deficient mice.Methods:  TR‐deficient, KCNE1‐overexpressing and their respective wildtype (wt) mice were used. mRNA and protein expression were assessed with Northern and Western blot respectively. Telemetry was used to record electrocardiogram and temperature in freely moving mice. Patch‐clamp was used to measure action potentials (APs) in isolated cardiomyocytes and ion currents in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.Results:  KCNE1 was four to 10‐fold overexpressed in mice deficient in TRα1. Overexpression of KCNE1 with a heart‐specific promoter in transgenic mice resulted in a cardiac phenotype similar to that in TRα1‐deficient mice, including a lower heart rate and prolonged QTend time. Cardiomyocytes from KCNE1‐overexpressing mice displayed increased AP duration. CHO cells transfected with expression plasmids for KCNQ1 and KCNE1 showed an outward rectifying current that was maximal at equimolar plasmids for KCNQ1‐KCNE1 and decreased at higher KCNE1 levels.Conclusion:  The bradycardia and prolonged QTend time in hypothyroid states can be explained by altered K+ channel function due to decreased TRα1‐dependent repression of KCNE1 expression.
Evidence‐based transfusion: young versus old blood as a case study
Authors: Benjamin R. J. 
Published: October 2009

Background Evidence‐based medicine incorporates critical appraisal of the literature, individual clinical expertise, patient values, clinical circumstances and societies’ expectations into medical decision‐making. This approach is increasingly utilized to formulate individual transfusion decisions and to set national transfusion policies.Aims To describe the process of evidence‐based decision‐making and its application to transfusion medicine through the analysis of a test case.Methods Critical appraisal of the literature and evidence‐based medicine techniques are described and applied to the issue of the duration of red cell storage and the incidence of complications after transfusion, as raised by the report of Kochet al.(N Engl J Med358:12, 1229–39). This report compared the outcomes of patients transfused with blood after ≤ 14 or > 14 days of storage during and after cardiac surgery.Results The methods and logic of literature appraisal and evidence‐based medicine are reviewed, and applied to the paper by Kochet al(N Engl J Med358:12, 1229–39).This report describes a case‐controlled, retrospective observational study with Level 3‐4 evidence to support the use of younger blood (≤14 days old) in cardiac surgery patients. Issues are raised concerning the equivalence of the prestudy prognosis of the test and control groups and the use of non‐risk adjusted statistics in comparing data. After risk adjustment, the association of an older blood transfusion with a poorly defined composite index of adverse outcomes has only marginal significance (OR: 1·16, 95% CI: 1·01–1·33). Reports of systematic review of the literature reveals 19 publications: 14 studies are retrospective observational studies and many suggest an association of older blood with various adverse outcomes. Five prospective studies fail to show an adverse relationship, however, these are small and underpowered. Society values emphasize the availability of blood products, which at this time requires inventory management practices that prevent the transfusion of blood < 14 days storage on a routine basis for all patients.Conclusions Evidence‐based decision‐making provides a formal process to evaluate the information supporting individual clinical and national policy decisions in transfusion medicine. Application to the specific problem of whether to limit the use of older blood suggests that the level of available evidence does not yet justify changing clinical practice. Adequately powered randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the relative safety of older blood compared with younger blood in transfusion practice.
Advanced General Dentistry program directors’ attitudes on physician involvement in pediatric oral health care
Authors: Raybould Ted P. , Wrightson A. Stevens , Massey Christi Sporl , Smith Tim A. , Skelton Judith 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTChildhood oral disease is a significant health problem, particularly for vulnerable populations. Since a major focus of General Dentistry Program directors is the management of vulnerable populations, we wanted to assess their attitudes regarding the inclusion of physicians in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of childhood oral disease. A survey was mailed to all General Practice Residency and Advanced Education in General Dentistry program directors (accessed through the ADA website) to gather data. Spearman's rho was used to determine correlation among variables due to nonnormal distributions. Overall, Advanced General Dentistry directors were supportive of physicians’ involvement in basic aspects of oral health care for children, with the exception of applying fluoride varnish. The large majority of directors agreed with physicians’ assessing children's oral health and counseling patients on the prevention of dental problems. Directors who treated larger numbers of children from vulnerable populations tended to strongly support physician assistance with early assessment and preventive counseling.
Continuum Modeling of Biological Tissue Growth by Cell Division, and Alteration of Intracellular Osmolytes and Extracellular Fixed Charge Density
Authors: Ateshian Gerard A. , Costa Kevin D. , Azeloglu Evren U. , Morrison Barclay , Hung Clark T. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractA framework is formulated within the theory of mixtures for continuum modeling of biological tissue growth that explicitly addresses cell division, using a homogenized representation of cells and their extracellular matrix (ECM). The model relies on the description of the cell as containing a solution of water and osmolytes, and having a porous solid matrix. The division of a cell into two nearly identical daughter cells is modeled as the doubling of the cell solid matrix and osmolyte content, producing an increase in water uptake via osmotic effects. This framework is also generalized to account for the growth of ECM-bound molecular species that impart a fixed charge density (FCD) to the tissue, such as proteoglycans. This FCD similarly induces osmotic effects, resulting in extracellular water uptake and osmotic pressurization of the ECM interstitial fluid, with concomitant swelling of its solid matrix. Applications of this growth model are illustrated in several examples.