bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral health in pregnancy: educational needs of dental professionals and office staff
Authors: Kloetzel Megan K. , Huebner Colleen E. , Milgrom Peter , Littell Christopher T. , Eggertsson Hafsteinn 
Published: April 2012

AbstractObjective: Dental care during pregnancy is important for pregnant women and their children. Comprehensive guidelines for the provision of dental services for pregnant patients were published in 2006, but there is relatively little information about their use in actual practice. The aim of this study was to examine differences in knowledge and attitudes regarding dental care in pregnancy among dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and nonclinical office staff. A secondary aim was to identify sources of influence on attitudes and knowledge regarding the guidelines.Methods: A survey was used to collect information from 766 employees of a Dental Care Organization based in Oregon; responses from 546 were included in the analyses reported here.Results: Statistically significant differences in knowledge were found among the professional‐role groups. Dentists and hygienists consistently answered more items correctly than did other respondents. Within all professional‐role groups, knowledge gaps existed and were most pronounced regarding provision of routine and emergency services. Positive perceptions of providing dental care during pregnancy were associated with higher knowledge scores (z = 4.16, P < 0.001).Conclusions: Updated dental education and continuing education for all dental office personnel are needed to promote the diffusion of current evidence‐based guidelines for dental care during pregnancy.
Factors associated with mutans streptococci among young WIC‐enrolled children
Authors: Weber‐Gasparoni Karin , Goebel Bryce M. , Drake David R. , Kramer Katherine W.O. , Warren John J. , Reeve Johnmarshall , Dawson Deborah V. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractObjectives: The objective of this study is to assess relationships between the presence or absence of mutans streptococci (MS) and other covariates in children aged 12‐49 months.Methods: Data were analyzed using baseline information from 411 children enrolled in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) who participated in a psychoeducational study in Iowa. Children were assessed for MS using a semiquantitative method (RODAC plates). Dental examinations using d1d2.3 criteria and presence of visible plaque on incisors and molars were completed. Mothers completed a series of detailed questionnaires regarding their child's oral health, their socioeconomic status, their child's dietary/oral hygiene habits, and beverage consumption, among other behaviors. Bivariate relationships with the presence of MS were assessed and followed by multivariable modeling using logistic regression (alpha = 0.05).Results: MS was present in 144 children (35 percent). Bivariate relationships with MS presence were identified for multiple covariates that included demographic characteristics, type of beverage consumption, dental caries, and plaque measures. Multivariate logistic regression modeling suggested that MS presence in children was positively associated with nonwhite race of the child, number of teeth present, presence of cavitated lesions, proportion of teeth with plaque, and lower levels of maternal education.Conclusions: The presence of MS was associated with greater caries and plaque scores and with low maternal education and nonwhite racial background.
COVER: a priori estimation of coverage for metagenomic sequencing
Authors: Tamames Javier , de la Peña Santiago , de Lorenzo Victor 
Published: April 2012

SummaryIn any metagenomic project, the coverage obtained for each particular species depends on its abundance. This makes it difficult to determine a priori the amount of DNA sequencing necessary to obtain a high coverage for the dominant genomes in an environment. To aid the design of metagenomic sequencing projects, we have developed COVER, a web‐based tool that allows the estimation of the coverage achieved for each species in an environmental sample. COVER uses a set of 16S rRNA sequences to produce an estimate of the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the sample, provides a taxonomic assignment for them, estimates their genome sizes and, most critically, corrects for the number of unobserved OTUs. COVER then calculates the amount of sequencing needed to achieve a given goal. Our tests and simulations indicate that the results obtained through COVER are in very good agreement with the experimental results.
Liver analysis using gadolinium‐ethoxybenzyl‐diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging: Correlation with histological grading and quantitative liver evaluation prior to hepatectomy
Authors: Kumazawa Keigo , Edamoto Yoshihiro , Yanase Mikio , Nakayama Tomohiro 
Published: April 2012

Aim:  To examine the effectiveness of gadolinium‐ethoxybenzyl‐diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd‐EOB‐DTPA)‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of parenchymal liver fibrosis and quantitative liver function prior to hepatectomy.Methods:  Between July 2008 and September 2011, the data of 93 consecutive patients undergoing preoperative Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced MRI were analyzed, including serum fibrosis marker levels (hyaluronic acid, type IV collagen), 15‐min retention rates of indocyanine green (ICG‐R15) in the ICG clearance test, and technetium‐99m galactosyl serum albumin scintigraphy results. Liver intensity values were obtained by calculating the differences between the intensity of the liver and that of other organs in the hepatobiliary phase. Degrees of liver fibrosis were quantitatively assessed (F0–4). MRI data were correlated with the prospectively acquired clinical data.Results:  Varying degrees of liver fibrosis were detected in 31 of the 93 patients. The intensity ratio of the liver to spinal cord on MRI negatively correlated with hepatic fibrosis (R = −0.479, P < 0.001) and ICG‐R15 (R = −0.492, P < 0.001). When patients with F0–2 (normal/moderate) and F3–4 (severe) liver fibrosis were compared, the intensity ratio of the enhanced liver to spinal cord (IRLS) on MRI was significantly lower in the F3–4 group than in the F0–2 group. IRLS was correlated with liver fibrosis, and, when an IRLS criterion of less than 1.702 was used, severe liver fibrosis could be predicted with 68.8% sensitivity and 93.5% specificity.Conclusion:  Preoperative Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced MRI analysis can detect quantitative indicators of liver fibrosis and function, thus aiding the assessment of hepatic remnants prior to hepatectomy.
Development of specific and quantitative real‐time detection PCR and immunoassays for λ3‐interferon
Authors: Sugiyama Masaya , Kimura Tatsuji , Naito Shigeko , Mukaide Motokazu , Shinauchi Takanori , Ueno Masakatsu , Ito Kiyoaki , Murata Kazumoto , Mizokami Masashi 
Published: April 2012

Aim:  Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) around interferon (IFN)‐λ3 have been associated with the response to pegylated IFN‐α treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Specific quantification methods for IFN‐λ3 are required to facilitate clinical and basic study.Methods:  Gene‐specific primers and probes for IFN‐λ1, 2 and 3 were designed for real‐time detection PCR (RTD–PCR). Dynamic range and specificity were examined using specific cDNA clones. Total RNA from hematopoietic and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines was prepared for RTD–PCR. Monoclonal antibodies were developed for the IFN‐λ3‐specific immunoassays. The immunoassays were assessed by measuring IFN‐λ3 in serum and plasma.Results:  The RTD–PCR had a broad detection range (10–107 copies/assay) with high specificity (∼107‐fold specificity). Distinct expression profiles were observed in several cell lines. Hematopoietic cell lines expressed high levels of IFN‐λ compared with hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and Sendai virus infection induced strong expression of IFN‐λ. The developed chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassays (CLEIA) detected 0.1 pg/mL of IFN‐λ3 and showed a wide detection range of 0.1–10 000 pg/mL with little or no cross‐reactivity to IFN‐λ1 or IFN‐λ2. IFN‐λ3 could be detected in all the serum and plasma samples by CLEIA, with median concentrations of 0.92 and 0.86 pg/mL, respectively.Conclusion:  Our newly developed RTD–PCR and CLEIA assays will be valuable tools for investigating the distribution and functions of IFN‐λ3, which is predicted to be a marker for predicting outcome of therapy for hepatitis C or other virus diseases.
Evaluation of a novel non‐invasive 13C‐glucose breath test for the identification of diabetes mellitus in cirrhotic patients
Authors: Tsuchiya Masako , Yamasaki Takahiro , Sakaida Isao 
Published: April 2012

Aim:  Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported to worsen the long‐term prognosis of cirrhotic patients, and many studies have reported that DM is an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, an accurate diagnosis of DM is sometimes difficult in cirrhotic patients. Recently, a novel non‐invasive 13C‐glucose breath test has been reported to be useful for diagnosing insulin resistance in non‐cirrhotic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of this tool for the identification of DM in cirrhotic patients.Methods:  Thirty eight cirrhotic patients with normal fasting serum glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels underwent the 13C‐glucose breath test and the oral glucose tolerance test. Blood and breath samples were collected at baseline and at 30, 60 and 120 min after ingestion of 100 mg 13C‐labeled glucose and 75 g glucose.Results:  There was a strong correlation between the change in the concentrations at 2 h for the measured 13C‐glucose breath test (2h‐BT) and the 2 h plasma glucose level (r = −0.60, P < 0.0001). In a receiver–operator curve analysis using the 2h‐BT, the area under the curve was determined to be 0.88, with a sensitivity and specificity (cut‐off value of 3.5‰) of 82% and 85%, respectively, for the detection of DM. Multivariate analysis showed the 2h‐BT to be an independent parameter to identify DM.Conclusion:  The 13C‐glucose breath test is a useful tool and has the potential to become a routine outpatient examination for the screening of DM in cirrhotic patients.
The Effects of Executive Stock Options and Stock Bonuses on Payout Policies in Taiwan
Authors: Chan Chia‐Ying , Tai Vivian W. , Chan Chi‐Hung , Li Kuo‐An 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThis study investigates how executive stock‐based compensation affects the payout policies of a company. Stock bonuses, which are dividend‐protected, induce executives to pay out cash dividends. Conversely, stock options, which are not dividend‐protected, discourage the payment of dividends. We posit that the structure of executive stock‐based compensation plays a crucial role in determining the payout policies of a firm, particularly for those firms with higher percentages of institutional investors and shareholders with ultimate controlling power. We further examine the effects of the 2008 stock option expensing policy reform in Taiwan as well as the repercussions, if any, that this policy had on payout choices in 2009. The empirical results not only indicate that executive stock‐based compensation has a conspicuous influence on the payout policies of a firm, but also that there is a positive relation between stock bonuses and cash dividends. Furthermore, in the case of Taiwan, which has a relatively low corporate income tax rate, firms with higher percentages of shareholders with ultimate controlling power have less preference to pay cash dividends and greater preference to retain profits within the company.
The Effects of Outside Board on Firm Value in the Emerging Market from the Perspective of Information Transaction Costs*
Authors: Joh Sung Wook , Jung Jin‐Young 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThis paper examines whether the problem of high information asymmetry lowers the positive impact of board independence on firm value. Independent directors are outside directors who have never had business and professional ties with the firm. We adopt various proxies for information transaction costs from the market microstructure literature and traditional measures, such as firm size, firm age, number of analyst reports, governance scores, credit ratings, and institutional ownership, to see how they interact. Using data on publicly listed firms and their directors between 1999 and 2006 in Korea, we find that independent directors are correlated with higher corporate value when the firm has lower information transaction costs. The results suggest that the monitoring role of independent directors is limited when transferring firm‐specific information is costly.
Effect of potential therapeutic agents in reducing oxidative stress in pulmonary tissues of recurrent airway obstruction‐affected and clinically healthy horses
Authors: VENUGOPAL C. , MARIAPPAN N. , HOLMES E. , KEARNEY M. , BEADLE R. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryReasons for performing study:To determine and compare the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) in pulmonary tissues of horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and clinically healthy horses, and to evaluate the effectiveness of potential therapeutic agents in reducing ROS and RNS in the tissues of these horses.Objectives:We hypothesised that RAO‐affected horses would have high levels of reactive species and that the test agents would reduce them. The objectives were as follows: 1) to determine the level of ROS and RNS in pulmonary tissues (bronchial and arterial rings) of RAO‐affected and clinically healthy horses; and 2) to determine the ability of pentoxifylline, pyrrolidine‐dithiocarbamate and a combined use of endothelin A and B receptor antagonists (BQ123 and BQ788, respectively) in reducing reactive species.Methods:Arterial and bronchial rings were collected from the diaphragmatic lung lobe of each horse immediately after euthanasia. The levels of ROS and RNS were measured in control tissues and those incubated with test agents, using an electron paramagnetic resonance instrument.Results:The levels of ROS and RNS were significantly greater in arterial and bronchial tissues of RAO‐affected than of clinically healthy horses. Pentoxifylline and endothelin antagonists reduced both ROS and RNS in tissues from RAO‐affected horses. Basal levels of reactive species in clinically healthy horses were not affected by these agents. No difference in the level of reactive species was observed between arterial and bronchial tissues.Conclusions:Horses affected by RAO had higher ROS and RNS than clinically healthy horses. Pentoxifylline and endothelin antagonists effectively reduced ROS and RNS in pulmonary tissues of RAO‐affected horses.Potential relevance:The study suggested a potential use for pentoxifylline and endothelin antagonists in treating RAO‐affected horses. As endothelin is involved in physiological functions, therapeutic use of its antagonists is cautioned.
The use of equipment and training practices and the prevalence of owner‐reported ridden behaviour problems in UK leisure horses
Authors: HOCKENHULL J. , CREIGHTON E. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryReasons for performing study: UK leisure horses are owned primarily for riding. Ridden behaviour problems may compromise the use of the horse in this role and lead to harsh redress or relinquishment of the horse. Despite the consequences of these problems little is known about their prevalence or the working lives of UK leisure horses.Objectives: To generate data on the work undertaken by leisure horses, the equipment and training practices used with them and prevalence of ridden behaviour problems.Methods: An internet survey was used to generate horse‐level data from a convenience sample of leisure horse carers. Respondents were asked to report on their practices in the week prior to the survey's completion to minimise recall bias. The survey was online for one year to allow for seasonal variation in practices. Data were collected on the tack and equipment used on the horse, the regularity that professional services (e.g. farriers) were used, type of training employed and frequency the owner reported that horse displayed 15 ridden behaviour problems.Results: The survey generated data on 1326 individual horses. Data describing practices relating to the horse's working life are presented. Ridden behaviour problems were reported in 91% of horses in the week preceding data collection.Conclusions and potential relevance: Descriptive data on the working lives of UK leisure horses provides valuable baseline statistics for this largest section of the UK horse population. High prevalence of owner‐reported ridden behaviour problems represents a concern in such leisure horses and may indicate significant rider safety and horse welfare concerns.
Effect of viscous additives on the absorption and hepatic disposition of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) after application to liver surface in rats
Authors: Kodama Yukinobu , Horishita Miyuki , Fumoto Shintaro , Mine Toyoharu , Miyamoto Hirotaka , Yoshikawa Naoki , Hirata Haruna , Sasaki Hitoshi , Nakamura Junzo , Nishida Koyo 
Published: April 2012

Abstract

Objectives
The aim was to study the effect of viscous additives on the absorption and hepatic disposition of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) after application to the liver surface in rats.

Methods
5-FU solution with or without viscous additives was applied to the rat liver surface with a cylindrical diffusion cell. Then, blood and the remaining solution in the diffusion cell were collected at selected times, followed by excision of the liver. The excised liver was divided into three sites and assayed for 5-FU content.

Key findings
The absorption rate of 5-FU from the liver surface was decreased in the presence of carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC-Na) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as compared with the control. The ka values of PVA 15% and CMC-Na 1% were reduced to about 80 and 67% of the control. The maximum plasma concentration of 5-FU was decreased by incorporation of viscous additives. The 5-FU concentration at the diffusion cell attachment site of the liver (site 1) plateaued at 180 min in the absence of viscous additives. On the other hand, the concentration of 5-FU at site 1 increased in a time-dependent manner until 360 min in the presence of viscous additives.

Conclusion
Viscous additives might be useful for retaining drugs at their application site and controlling the rate of absorption from the liver surface.
Computerized cognitive behavioural therapy and the therapeutic alliance: A qualitative enquiry
Authors: Barazzone Natalie , Cavanagh Kate , Richards David A 
Published: April 2012

Objectives. Computerized cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) for depression has a growing evidence base, and is recommended as a treatment choice for depression in recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2009) guidelines to health services in England and Wales. cCBT programs are designed to translate the evidence‐based tasks and techniques of CBT into an accessible, multimedia format, but it is less clear whether they also translate critical common factors of therapy, which may be necessary for engagement and associated with therapeutic outcomes. This study investigates whether and to what extent three widely used cCBT programs for depression incorporate and convey key features that serve to establish, develop, and maintain a therapeutic alliance with program users.Design. This study adopted a qualitative approach to develop a thematic framework of alliance features specific to cCBT.Method. Three online cCBT programs designed to treat mild‐to‐moderate depression were investigated for alliance‐related themes and sub‐themes.Results. The analysis revealed substantial evidence of therapeutic alliance features across the sample of cCBT programs, the prevalence and quality of which varied across relational stages.Conclusions. cCBT programs build on traditional self‐help tools, offering unique relational features. Findings raise theoretical implications, in addition to guidance for future cCBT program development and service provision.
To master or perform? Exploring relations between achievement goals and conceptual change learning
Authors: Ranellucci John , Muis Krista R. , Duffy Melissa , Wang Xihui , Sampasivam Lavanya , Franco Gina M. 
Published: April 2012

Background. Research is needed to explore conceptual change in relation to achievement goal orientations and depth of processing.Aims. To address this need, we examined relations between achievement goals, use of deep versus shallow processing strategies, and conceptual change learning using a think‐aloud protocol.Sample and Method. Seventy‐three undergraduate students were assessed on their prior knowledge and misconceptions about Newtonian mechanics, and then reported their achievement goals and participated in think‐aloud protocols while reading Newtonian physics texts.Results. A mastery‐approach goal orientation positively predicted deep processing strategies, shallow processing strategies, and conceptual change. In contrast, a performance‐approach goal orientation did not predict either of the processing strategies, but negatively predicted conceptual change. A performance‐avoidance goal orientation negatively predicted deep processing strategies and conceptual change. Moreover, deep and shallow processing strategies positively predicted conceptual change as well as recall. Finally, both deep and shallow processing strategies mediated relations between mastery‐approach goals and conceptual change.Conclusions. Results provide some support for Dole and Sinatra's (1998) Cognitive Reconstruction of Knowledge Model of conceptual change but also challenge specific facets with regard to the role of depth of processing in conceptual change.