bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of a sample pooling method for the accelerated assessment of the rate of uptake of drugs by the brain in rats
Authors: Kim Kang-Pil , Ahn Sung-Hoon , Sung Jong-Hyuk , Koo Tae-Sung , Byun Myong-Joo , Kim Dae-Duk , Shim Chang-Koo , Chung Suk-Jae 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of applying a sample pooling method to the accelerated estimation of the uptake clearance of drugs to the brain in rats. Brain uptake clearances (CLuptake) were estimated for five model compounds using the sample pooling method and an integration plot analysis. CLuptake was also evaluated for caffeine and theophylline by brain micro-dialysis. The parameters and throughput of the pooling method were compared with those of typically used standard methods. The correlation for CLuptake was statistically significant (P &lt; 0.005) between the integration plot and the current method; the throughput of evaluation was 15-fold higher for the sample pooling method. A comparison of CLuptake values indicated that the three methods showed comparable results for caffeine while the CLuptake of theophylline using the proposed method was significantly different from those of the other methods. A kinetic analysis indicated that a compound with a slower CLuptake and longer half-life (e.g., theophylline) is more prone to error and that the lower limit of the CLuptakeof 0.17 mL min−1 (g brain)−1 may beset so as to have an error less than 20% of the estimation. These results suggest that the sample pooling method is applicable for use in the accelerated estimation of the uptake clearance of compounds in the brain for which the value is greater than 0.17 mL min−1 (g brain)−1.
Vobasinyl-iboga bisindole alkaloids, potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from Tabernaemontana divaricata root
Authors: Ingkaninan Kornkanok , Changwijit Kanokwan , Suwanborirux Khanit 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
The roots of the Thai medicinal plant, Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R. Br. ex Roem. & Schult., were investigated for their content of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Bioassay-guided fractionation using the Ellman colorimetric method led to the isolation of two bisindole alkaloids, 19,20-dihydrotabernamine and 19,20-dihydroervahanine A. The compounds showed higher inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase in comparison with galanthamine, a well-known acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. The inhibitory activity of 19,20-dihydroervahanine A was proved to be specific, reversible and competitive. During the separation process, two inactive bisindole alkaloids, conodurine and tabernaelegantine A, were also isolated. The data suggest that the substitutions at the carbons 11′, 12′ and 16′ might affect the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity.
Endovenous laser obliteration for the treatment of primary varicose veins
Authors: Vuylsteke M , Van den Bussche D , Audenaert E A , Lissens P 
Published: May 2006

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the minimally invasive endovenous laser technique for treatment of primary varicose veins with the conventional stripping operation in terms of short-term recovery and cost for economically active patients. Methods: One hundred and sixty four patients with varicose veins caused by great saphenous vein insufficiency were assigned to the endovenous laser obliteration procedure ( n = 80, 118 legs) or stripping operation ( n = 84, 124 legs). Postoperative morbidity, the need for analgesics and the duration of sick leave were recorded. The comparison of costs included both direct medical costs and costs resulting from lost productivity of the patients. Results: Overall there were less postoperative complications in the laser group. Sick leave was significantly shorter in the endovenous obliteration group ( P<0.001). Although the variable costs of the conventional stripping operation were lower than those of the endovenous laser procedure, the total costs at public expense were higher because of the difference in lost productivity of the patients. Conclusions: Endovenous laser obliteration may offer advantages over the stripping operation in terms of reduced postoperative pain, shorter sick leave and faster return to usual occupational activities, and it appears to be cost-saving for society.
Concomitance of varicoceles and chronic venous insufficiency in young males
Authors: Bolcal C , Sargin M , Mataraci I , Iyem H , Doganci S , Kilic S , Temizkan V , Demirkilic U , Tatar H 
Published: May 2006

Introduction: The aim of this article was to evaluate the concomitance of symptomatic varicose veins and varicoceles in a young male patient group. Method: The study was conducted as a prospective, multicentre study in the cardiovascular outpatient clinics of two major military hospitals. The data of 1500 young male patients with symptomatic venous insufficiency were recorded regarding symptomatic varicoceles. Results: The median age of the patients was 21.2 ± 1.3 years. Symptomatic varicocele was a concomitant finding in 46.0% of the patients. In patients with chronic venous insufficiency, higher body mass index, high levels of smoking, standing occupation, positive family history, longer duration of symptoms and constipation were found as potential factors for concomitant varicocele in both univariate and multivariate analysis. A statistically significant, moderately positive correlation was found between grades of venous reflux in saphenofemoral junction and varicocele (Spearman's rho correlation r = 0.637, P <0.001). Conclusion: With the observation that varicoceles may be concomitant in nearly half of patients with venous insufficiency, it is thought that just a simple question in history taking may help these patients to be diagnosed and get treated for this potential cause of infertility.
Cost consequences of preoperative duplex examination before varicose vein surgery: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Blomgren L , Zethraeus N , Johansson G , Jönsson B , Bergqvist D 
Published: May 2006

Objectives: To investigate the cost consequences of the addition of a duplex scan to the routine clinical examination prior to surgery for varicose veins (VV). Methods: Cost data are based on a prospective study, which randomized 293 VV patients for surgery either with or without a preoperative duplex scan. Costs are collected during a two-year follow-up time and include direct costs for primary surgery and reoperation. Results: The mean cost for the primary operation was SEK 12,827 (€1410) in the duplex group and SEK 9856 (€1083) in the control group ( P<0.001). A significant part of this increase was due to more extensive primary surgery. Costs for redo surgery decreased by SEK 1131 (€124) ( P = 0.011). The mean net cost increase because of duplex is estimated to be SEK 1840 (€202) ( P<0.003). Conclusion: The savings in costs for redo surgery did not offset the costs for preoperative duplex examination before VV surgery during a two-year follow-up period.
An atypical herpetic vulval ulcer in an African woman: an important lesson
Authors: Palamaras Ioulios , Richardson Daniel , Healy Vourneen , Lyons Deirdre , Byrne Micheline , Lamba Harpal 
Published: May 2006

A 43-year-old woman from Southern Africa presented with an eight-month history of a painless vulval ulcer. She did not have any relevant past medical or drug history. She had never had, or ever been offered an HIV antibody test despite being from an endemic region. On examination, there was an ulcer on her right labia and a painless right inguinal lymph node. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 culture was positive. The HIV antibody test was also positive. Other cultures and serology including syphilis were negative. A biopsy was suggestive of herpes simplex. The vulval ulcer resolved on oral aciclovir only. Atypical genital herpes has been described in HIV disease, although it is often painful. This case emphasises the importance of offering an HIV antibody test to patients presenting with atypical genital ulcers. Moreover, it reinforces the paradigm that 'any anogenital ulcer (painful or not) can be herpetic in origin'.
Gendering family composition: Sex preferences for children and childbearing behavior in the Nordic countries
Authors: Andersson Gunnar , Hank Karsten , Rønsen Marit , Vikat Andres 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
It has been argued that a society’s gender system may influence parents’ sex preferences for children. If this is true, one should expect to find no evidence of such preferences in countries with a high level of gender equality. In this article, we exploit data from population registers from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden to examine continuities and changes in parental sex preferences in the Nordic countries during the past three to four decades. First, we do not observe an effect of the sex of the firstborn child on second-birth risks. Second, we detect a distinct preference for at least one child of each sex among parents of two children. For third births, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish parents seem to develop a preference for having a daughter, while Finns exhibit a signifiant preference for having a son. These findings show that modernization and more equal opportunities for women and men do not necessarily lead to parental gender indifference. On the contrary, they may even result in new sex preferences.
Unhealthy assimilation: Why do immigrants converge to American health status levels?
Authors: Antecol Heather , Bedard Kelly 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
It is well documented that immigrants are in better health upon arrival in the United States than their American counterparts but that this health advantage erodes over time. We study the potential determinants of this “healthy immigrant effect,” with a particular focus on the tendency of immigrants to converge to unhealthy American BMI levels. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, we find that average female and male immigrants enter the United States with BMIs that are approximately two and five percentage points lower than native-born women and men, respectively. Consistent with the declining health status of immigrants the longer they remain in the United States, we also find that female immigrants almost completely converge to American BMIs within 10 years of arrival, and men close a third of the gap within 15 years.
The rising share of nonmarital births: Fertility choice or marriage behavior?
Authors: Gray Jo Anna , Stockard Jean , Stone Joe 
Published: May 2006

AbstractMuch of the sharp rise in the share of nonmarital births in the United States has been attributed to changes in the fertility choices of unmarried and married women—in response, it is often argued, to public policy. In contrast, we develop and test a model that attributes the rise to changes in marriage behavior, with no necessary changes in fertility. A variety of empirical tests strongly support this conclusion and invites focused attention to issues related to marriage behavior as well as to the interactions between marriage and fertility.
Foreign-born emigration: A new approach and estimates based on matched CPS files
Authors: Van Hook Jennifer , Zhang Weiwei , D. Bean Frank , S. Passel Jeffrey 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
The utility of postcensal population estimates depends on the adequate measurement of four major components of demographic change: fertility, mortality, immigration, and emigration. Of the four components, emigration, especially of the foreign-born, has proved the most difficult to gauge. Without “direct” methods (i.e., methods identifying who emigrates and when), demographers have relied on indirect approaches, such as residual methods. Residual estimates, however, are sensitive to inaccuracies in their constituent parts and are particularly ill-suited for measuring the emigration of recent arrivals. Here we introduce a new method for estimating foreign-born emigration that takes advantage of the sample design of the Current Population Survey (CPS): repeated interviews of persons in the same housing units over a period of 16 months. Individuals appearing in a first March Supplement to the CPS but not the next include those who died in the intervening year, those who moved within the country, and those who emigrated. We use statistical methods to estimate the proportion of emigrants among those not present in the follow-up interview. Our method produces emigration estimates that are comparable to those from residual methods in the case of longer-term residents (immigrants who arrived more than 10 years ago), but yields higher—and what appear to be more accurate—estimates for recent arrivals. Although somewhat constrained by sample size, we also generate estimates by age, sex, region of birth, and duration of residence in the United States.
Reproductive health and domestic violence: Are the poorest women uniquely disadvantaged?
Authors: Kishor Sunita , Johnson Kiersten 
Published: May 2006

AbstractWe use Demographic and Health Survey data from Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti to compare women in different poverty and violence categories in terms of their experience of selected reproductive health outcomes. “Poor” women are those who belong to the bottom quintile of households arrayed according to a widely accepted asset-based wealth index. The results suggest that women who are both poor and have experienced violence are not unique in their reproductive health disadvantage. In particular, for all three reproductive health outcomes we consider, the negative association with having experienced violence cuts across all women, poor and wealthy.
Sex preferences and fertility in South Korea during the year of theHorse
Authors: Lee Jungmin , Paik Myungho 
Published: May 2006

AbstractSince antiquity, people in several East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and South Korea, have believed that a person is destined to possess specific characteristics according to the sign of the zodiac under which he or she was born. South Koreans, in particular, have traditionally considered that the year of the Horse bears inauspicious implications for the birth of daughters. Using monthly longitudinal data at the region level in South Korea between 1970 and 2003, we found that in the year of the Horse, the sex ratio at birth significantly increased while fertility decreased.
Marriage or dissolution? Union transitions among poor cohabiting women
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Qian Zhenchao , Mellott Leanna M. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
The objective of this paper is to identify the incentives and barriers to marriage among cohabiting women, especially disadvantaged mothers who are targets of welfare reform. We use the newly released cohabitation data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979–2000), which tracks the partners of cohabiting women across survey waves. Our results support several conclusions. First, cohabiting unions are short-lived—about one-half end within one year, and over 90% end by the fifth year. Unlike most previous research, our results show that most cohabiting unions end by dissolution of the relationship rather than by marriage. Second, transitions to marriage are especially unlikely among poor women; less than one-third marry within five years. Cohabitation among poor women is more likely than that among nonpoor women to be a long-term alternative or substitute for traditional marriage. Third, our multinomial analysis of transitions from cohabitation into marriage or dissolution highlights the salience of economically disadvantaged family backgrounds, cohabitation and fertility histories, women’s economic resources, and partner characteristics. These results are interpreted in a policy environment that increasingly views marriage as an economic panacea for low-income women and their children.
Reassessing racial and socioeconomic disparities in environmental justice research
Authors: Mohai Paul , Saha Robin 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
The number of studies examining racial and socioeconomic disparities in the geographic distribution of environmental hazards and locally unwanted land uses has grown considerably over the past decade. Most studies have found statistically significant racial and socioeconomic disparities associated with hazardous sites. However, there is considerable variation in the magnitude of racial and socioeconomic disparities found; indeed, some studies have found none. Uncertainties also exist about the underlying causes of the disparities. Many of these uncertainties can be attributed to the failure of the most widely used method for assessing environmental disparities to adequately account for proximity between the hazard under investigation and nearby residential populations. In this article, we identify the reasons for and consequences of this failure and demonstrate ways of overcoming these shortcomings by using alternate, distance-based methods. Through the application of such methods, we show how assessments about the magnitude and causes of racial and socioeconomic disparities in the distribution of hazardous sites are changed. In addition to research on environmental inequality, we discuss how distance-based methods can be usefully applied to other areas of demographic research that explore the effects of neighborhood context on a range of social outcomes.
Unmarried cohabitation and union stability: Testing the role of diffusion using data from 16 European countries
Authors: Liefbroer Aart C. , Dourleijn Edith 
Published: May 2006

AbstractCohabitors and married people who cohabited before marriage have higher risks of union dissolution than people who married without prior cohabitation. However, these differences in union stability vary markedly between countries. We hypothesize that the impact of cohabitation on union stability depends on how far cohabitation has diffused within a society. We test this hypothesis with data from 16 European countries. The results support our hypothesis: former cohabitors run a higher risk of union dissolution than people who married without prior cohabitation only in societies in which cohabitation is a small minority or a large majority phenomenon.
The foster care crisis: What caused caseloads to grow?
Authors: Swann Christopher A. , Sylvester Michelle Sheran 
Published: May 2006

AbstractFoster care caseloads more than doubled from 1985 to 2000. This article provides the first comprehensive study of this growth by relating state-level foster care caseloads to state-specific characteristics and policies. We present evidence that increases in female incarcerations and reductions in cash welfare benefits played dominant roles in explaining the growth in foster care caseloads over this period. Our results highlight the need for child welfare policies designed specifically for the children of incarcerated parents and parents who are facing less generous welfare programs.
Quantifying axonal loss after optic neuritis with optical coherence tomography
Authors: Costello Fiona , Coupland Stuart , Hodge William , Lorello Gianni R. , Koroluk Jeannie , Pan Y. Irene , Freedman Mark S. , Zackon David H. , Kardon Randy H. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractObjectiveTo determine to what degree changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness after optic neuritis (ON) correlate with either visual recovery or impairment.MethodsON can cause visible defects within the RNFL, which can be quantified using optical coherence tomography (OCT). It may be possible to predict visual recovery by measuring RNFL loss after ON. Fifty‐four patients underwent repeated evaluations with optical coherence tomography and standardized ophthalmic testing after ON. Regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between RNFL thickness and visual function.ResultsThinning of the RNFL was seen in the majority of patients (74%), and it tended to occur within 3 to 6 months of ON. The average RNFL value was thinner (p < 0.0001) in the affected (78μm) compared with the unaffected eye (100μm). Patients with incomplete visual recovery demonstrated greater RNFL loss after ON. Regression analyses demonstrated a threshold of RNFL thickness (75μm), below which RNFL measurements predicted persistent visual dysfunction.InterpretationDetermination of RNFL thickness may predict visual recovery after ON, and lower RNFL values correlate with impaired visual function. Optical coherence tomography may have a potential role as a surrogate marker for axonal integrity within the optic nerve among patients with ON. Ann Neurol 2006;59:963–969
Risk factors for excessive sleepiness in older adults
Authors: Pack Allan I. , Dinges David F. , Gehrman Philip R. , Staley Bethany , Pack Frances M. , Maislin Greg 
Published: May 2006

AbstractObjectiveTo determine risk factors for excessive daytime sleepiness in older adults.MethodsThis is a cross‐sectional study assessing multiple risk factors for excessive daytime sleepiness in older subjects (mean age, 78 years; range 65–98 years) with (n = 149) and without (n = 144) complaints of frequent excessive daytime sleepiness. Assessment of risk factors included full in‐laboratory sleep studies.ResultsExcessive sleepiness among the elderly is multifactorial. Multivariable modeling identified the following as simultaneously significant risk factors for excessive sleepiness: severe sleep‐disordered breathing (apnea–hypopnea index, >30 episodes/hr), self‐report of poor sleep quality, increased percentage of time in rapid eye movement sleep, pain at night at least three times per week, wheezing or whistling from chest at night, and medications with sleepiness as a side effect. Male sex also was associated with increased risk, whereas alcohol use (more than seven beverages per week) reduced the risk for sleepiness. Multiple risk factors were more commonly present in those with complaints of sleepiness. The presence of periodic limb movements, which are common in older adults, was not associated with sleepiness.InterpretationThere is a distinct differential diagnosis of excessive daytime sleepiness in older adults. Many of the risk factors that we identified are treatable. Ann Neurol 2006;59:893‐904
Frontotemporal dementia: Clinicopathological correlations
Authors: Forman Mark S. , Farmer Jennifer , Johnson Julene K. , Clark Christopher M. , Arnold Steven E. , Coslett H. Branch , Chatterjee Anjan , Hurtig Howard I. , Karlawish Jason H. , Rosen Howard J. , Van Deerlin Vivianna , Lee Virginia M.‐Y. , Miller Bruce L. , Trojanowski John Q. , Grossman Murray 
Published: May 2006

AbstractObjectiveFrontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is characterized by impairments in social, behavioral, and/or language function, but postmortem studies indicate that multiple neuropathological entities lead to FTLD. This study assessed whether specific clinical features predict the underlying pathology.MethodsA clinicopathological correlation was performed on 90 consecutive patients with a pathological diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia and was compared with an additional 24 cases accrued during the same time period with a clinical diagnosis of FTLD, but with pathology not typically associated with frontotemporal dementia.ResultsPostmortem examination showed multiple pathologies including tauopathies (46%), FTLD with ubiquitin‐positive inclusions (29%), and Alzheimer's disease (17%). The pathological groups manifested some distinct demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological features, although these attributes showed only a statistical association with the underlying pathology. FTLD with ubiquitin‐positive inclusions was more likely to present with both social and language dysfunction, and motor neuron disease was more likely to emerge in these patients. Tauopathies were more commonly associated with an extrapyramidal disorder. Alzheimer's disease was associated with relatively greater deficits in memory and executive function.InterpretationClinical and neuropsychological features contribute to delineating the spectrum of pathology underlying a patient diagnosed with FTLD, but biomarkers are needed that, together with the clinical phenotype, can predict the underlying neuropathology. Ann Neurol 2006;59:952‐962