bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Future relevance of genetic testing: A systematic horizon scanning analysis
Authors: Storz Philipp , Kolpatzik Kai , Perleth Matthias , Klein Silvia , Häussler Bertram 
Published: October 2007

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify research and development on genetic testing to find out if research addresses important disease areas, how far it is from potential clinical use, and what consequences might arise for the prioritization of health technology assessment (HTA) activities. Also a horizon scanning methodology developed in Germany is demonstrated.Methods: A systematic search on genetic testing was conducted in an innovation database (ZIM database). Based on a daily monitoring of literature and Internet sources, reports from 2003 up to 2005 were classified related to the type of innovation, the addressed disease categories, and the developmental phase of the technology. More detailed analyses for the most frequently addressed groups of diseases were conducted.Results: From 239 relevant reports, 41 percent referred to neoplasms; 10 percent to diseases of the cardiovascular system; 9 percent to diseases of the nervous system; 7 percent to mental and behavioral disorders; and 5 percent to endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases. A total of 69 percent of research is situated in basic preclinical research, 22 percent in clinical/experimental research, and 6 percent are genetic tests being used. Diagnostic applications were most frequently reported (28 percent), followed by therapeutic prediction (22 percent), preventive prediction (18 percent), pharmacogenetics (16 percent), and screening (16 percent).Conclusions: Widespread diseases are frequently addressed in research. HTA on genetic testing might focus on innovations addressing neoplastic diseases (in particular breast, colon, and prostate cancers) and pharmacogenetic applications for therapeutic prediction. The horizon scanning approach seems useful in the early steps of HTA processes to identify emerging new technologies that might have significant impact on future health care.
Health technology assessment agencies: An international overview of organizational aspects
Authors: Martelli Francesco , Torre Giuseppe La , Ghionno Elena Di , Staniscia Tommaso , Neroni Massimo , Cicchetti Americo , Bremen Konrade Von , Ricciardi Walter ,   NI-HTA Collaborative Group
Published: October 2007

Objectives:The aim of the study is to make an international comparison of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Agencies, to show their similarities and differences.Methods:An e-mail questionnaire was sent to thirty HTA agencies internationally. Questions related to the structure of the agency, the relationship with health-related institutions, the prescriptiveness of the decisions taken, the main core and the modalities to spread the assessment, and the type of funding.Results:Twenty-four HTA Agencies answered the questionnaire: 25 percent in America, 4.2 percent in Australia, and 70.8 percent in Europe. Fifty-four percent of HTA Agencies are governmental institutions (83.3 percent have central government funding), while 62.5 percent have relationships with health-related governmental institutions. Of the agencies, 87 percent reported that their decisions are not prescriptive, while for 20.8 percent and 8.3 percent of them stated that this was the case totally or partially, respectively, especially for the governmental and American Agencies. Seventeen agencies (70.8 percent) declared their work on multiannual programs (77 percent of the governmental HTA Agencies and 100 percent of the American ones). The assessments mainly addressed diagnostic procedures (85.7 percent) and pharmaceuticals (25 percent). The most common way to disseminate results is by means of paper report (91.7 percent), followed by the Internet (16.7 percent), and seminars to expert audiences (12.5 percent).Conclusions:The comparative analysis of HTA Agencies showed that governmental and American Agencies have a profound impact on the prescriptiveness of their assessment, and this could be linked to the fact that these types of Agencies work on multiannual programs. European and American HTA Agencies have many similarities in terms of type of assessment, funding, and dissemination of results.
Screening for fetal abnormalities: From a health technology assessment report to a national statute
Authors: Autti-Rämö Ilona , Mäkelä Marjukka 
Published: October 2007

Objectives: Previously in Finland, each municipality selected which methods to use in screening for fetal abnormalities. This resulted in practice variation and inequity. The national health technology assessment (HTA) office Finohta compared the methods and time frames available when screening for chromosomal and structural abnormalities. The assessment identified a need to discuss several value-laden questions before policy decisions could be taken.Methods: The National Screening Committee (NSC) at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (MOH) formulated a statement based on the HTA report to inform policy makers. This article describes the steps in the policy process.Results: The national screening committee organized an open forum to discuss the ethically relevant aspects of fetal screening, and a lengthy public discussion highlighted the viewpoints of various stakeholders. Based on the assessment, public discussion, and several committee meetings that heard further experts, the NSC formulated a conclusion based on equity of access. This also offered options for families unwilling to terminate a pregnancy due to fetal abnormality. The MOH sent the conclusion to a comment round, and the proposal was accepted with minor adjustments. The Ministry decided to unify the regulation of all public screening programs by one statute. The policy process lasted three years, and the methods to screen for fetal abnormalities will be unified after a further 3 years.Conclusions: The assessment of screening programs for fetal abnormalities reached beyond its original mandate. The process of examining values behind screening resulted in a program that respects the differing objectives and ethical values of pregnant families, and to national legislation on screening programs.
Impact of new medical technologies on health expenditures in Israel 2000–07
Authors: Rabinovich Mordechai , Wood Francis , Shemer Joshua 
Published: October 2007

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of new medical technologies on public healthcare expenditures in Israel over the period 2000–07.Methods: For each year, government estimates for the costs of new technologies recommended as high-priority for public funding were summarized. The ratio of projected costs of these technologies to total public healthcare expenditures was calculated and compared with actual governmental budget allocations for new technologies.Results: Funding all new high-priority medical technologies would have increased healthcare expenditures by 2.1 percent per year. Government allocations for new technologies raised expenditures by 1.0 percent per year.Conclusions: New medical technologies significantly increase healthcare expenditures in Israel. Budgetary constraints have reduced their actual impact by 52 percent. This study indicates the need for an annual addition of 2 percent to public healthcare budget for funding new high-priority technologies.
Syllabification patterns in Arabic dialects: long segments and mora sharing
Authors: Watson Janet C. E. 
Published: October 2007

In Classical Arabic and many modern Arabic dialects, syllables ending in VVC or in the left leg of a geminate have a special status. An examination of Kiparsky's (2003) semisyllable account of syllabification types and related phenomena in Arabic against a wider set of data shows that while this account explains much syllable-related variation, certain phenomena cannot be captured, and several dialects appear to exhibit conflicting syllable-related phenomena. Phenomena not readily covered by the semisyllable account commonly involve long segments – long vowels or geminate consonants. In this paper, I propose for relevant dialects a mora-sharing solution that recognises the special status of syllables incorporating long segments. Such a mora-sharing solution is not new, but has been proposed for the analysis of syllables containing long segments in a number of languages, including Arabic (Broselow 1992, Broselowet al.1995), Malayalam, Hindi (Broselowet al.1997) and Bantu languages (Maddieson 1993, Hubbard 1995).
The variable development of English word-final stops by Brazilian Portuguese speakers: A stochastic optimality theoretic account
Authors: Cardoso Walcir 
Published: October 2007

AbstractOne of the core problems in second language acquisition theory is how to describe and explain the highly variable (yet rule-governed) speech of second language learners. Is such variation simply random and most likely due to the first language's interference, or is it governed (at least in part) by general rules that reflect language universals? Within a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of variability in second language acquisition, this article addresses these questions in the context of a cross-sectional study involving the acquisition of word-final stops by Brazilian Portuguese speakers learning English in a classroom environment. The study follows a sociolinguistic approach for data collection and the analysis is couched within a stochastic version of Optimality Theory.
The Impact of Recording on Listening
Authors: CLARKE ERIC F. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThe development of recording is arguably the most significant change to have affected music in the twentieth century. Never before have people had access to so much music and in so many different ways and with so many different patterns of use. This paper examines some of the effects of recording on listening, starting with a brief outline of an ecological theory of listening and focusing on three specific characteristics of recordings: the interpenetration of music and the wider environment; recordings as medium and as object; and the relationship between social and solitary listening practices. Recording has attracted both utopian and dystopian commentaries on its effects on musical culture, and the paper concludes by considering both the opportunities and the drawbacks of recordings as a means of access to music.
EvolveAGene 3: A DNA coding sequence evolution simulation program
Authors: Hall Barry 
Published: October 2007

AbstractEvolveAGene 3 is a realistic coding sequence simulation program that separates mutation from selection and allows the user to set selection conditions, including variable regions of selection intensity within the sequence and variation in intensity of selection over branches. Variation includes base substitutions, insertions and deletions. Output includes a log file, the true tree and both unaligned coding sequence and protein sequences and the true DNA and protein alignments.
Determinants of Good Adherence to Hand Hygiene Among Healthcare Workers Who Have Extensive Exposure to Hand Hygiene Campaigns
Authors: Sax Hugo , Uçkay Ilker , Richet Hervé , Allegranzi Benedetta , Pittet Didier 
Published: October 2007

Objective.To quantify the different behavioral components of healthcare workers' motivation to comply with hand hygiene in a healthcare institution with a 10-year history of hand hygiene campaigning.Design.Cross-sectional study, by use of an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire.Setting.A 2,200-bed university teaching hospital.Participants.A stratified random sample of 2,961 medical and nursing staff.Results.A total of 1,042 questionnaires (35.2%) were returned. Of the respondents, 271 (26.0%) were physicians, 629 (60.4%) were nurses, and 141 (13.5%) were nursing assistants. Overall, 1,008 respondents provided information about sex; 718 (71.2%) of these were women. Respondents provided demographic information and data about various behavioral, normative, and control beliefs that determined their intentions with respect to performing hand hygiene. Among behavioral beliefs, the perception that healthcare-associated infections are severe for patients was highly ranked as a determinant of behavior by 331 (32.1%) of the respondents, and the perception that hand hygiene is effective at preventing these infections was ranked highly by 891 respondents (86.0%). Among normative beliefs, perceived social pressure from patients to perform hand hygiene was ranked highly by 760 respondents (73.7%), pressure from superiors was ranked highly by 687 (66.8%), pressure from colleagues was ranked highly by 596 (57.9%), and pressure from the person perceived to be most influential was ranked highly by 687 (68.8%). Among control beliefs, the perception that hand hygiene is relatively easy to perform was rated highly by 670 respondents (65.1%). High self-reported rates of adherence to hand hygiene (defined as performance of proper hand hygiene during 80% or more of hand hygiene opportunities) was independently associated with female sex, receipt of training in hand hygiene, participation in a previous hand hygiene campaign, peer pressure from colleagues, perceived good adherence by colleagues, and the perception that hand hygiene is relatively easy to perform.Conclusions.In a setting with a long tradition of hand hygiene campaigns, behavioral beliefs are strongly in favor of hand hygiene, but adherence is driven by peer pressure and the perception of high self-efficacy, rather than by reasoning about the impact of hand hygiene on patient safety. Female sex, training, and campaign exposure increased the likelihood of compliance with hand hygiene. This additional insight can help to shape future promotional activity.
Experimental investigation on the avoidance of self-excited vibrations
Authors: Kröger Matthias , Neubauer Marcus , Popp Karl 
Published: October 2007

Self-excited vibrations are observed in many technical applications. Frictional contacts are often involved in the mechanism which generates vibrations. Reasons for the excitation mechanisms are decreasing friction characteristics depending on the sliding velocity, fluctuating normal loads or different geometrical effects. First, the mechanisms are explained using simple examples. The practical relevance of self-excited, friction-induced vibrations is exemplified with three technical systems: a system with an axial seal; a tread block of a tyre; and a disc brake.
The knowledge of the excitation mechanism is necessary to introduce successfully design countermeasures. These measures to avoid self-excited vibrations are important to solve practical problems. They are the main focus of this work. Further, additional passive and active subsystems are described and validated experimentally. Therefore, a large range of design, active and passive solutions are given.
Reconstructing migrations of individual cod (Gadus morhuaL.) in the Baltic Sea by using electronic data storage tags
Authors: NEUENFELDT STEFAN , HINRICHSEN HANS‐HARALD , NIELSEN ANDERS , ANDERSEN KEN H. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractA new methodology is presented to reconstruct migration pathways of individual fish inhabiting ecosystems with moderate‐to‐strong gradients in temperature or salinity. The method uses measurements of ambient pressure, temperature and salinity obtained from electronic data storage tags attached to individual fish and is particularly applicable in areas with negligible tides. We demonstrate the method with Baltic cod. Hydrographic fields obtained from hydrodynamic modelling were used as a geolocation database to identify daily positions of Baltic cod by comparison with the environmental data collected by the tags. Using randomly distributed individual parameter perturbations in the range of the instrument precision of the tag we simulated a cod migrating through the Baltic Sea. The distance between the prescribed and geolocated positions of this artificial cod was on average 2.9 ± 4.7 (SD) km. Subsequently, the method was used to reconstruct migration routes of 10 real cod tagged in the Bornholm Basin of the Baltic Sea in early spring 2003. Differences were compared between the tag data and the geolocation database. The uncertainty in geolocation at recapture day was on average 75 ± 23 (SD) km, as shown by comparison between geolocated position and recapture position.
Iron deficiency prevalence and dietary patterns by school district in Istanbul
Authors: Manios Y. , Moschonis G. , Kolotourou M. , Keskin Y. , Sur H. , Kocaoglu B. , Hayran O. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractIntroduction  The aim of this study was to record the prevalence of iron deficiency (serum ferritin concentration <15 μg L−1) among schoolchildren and identify possible factors related to the development of this medical condition.Materials and methods  The study population consisted of 504 schoolchildren attending three primary schools, located in two districts of Istanbul with higher and lower socio‐economic level (SEL) respectively. Certain biochemical and haematological indices of iron status were measured. Dietary intake was estimated using the 24‐h recall technique and a food frequency questionnaire.Results  The prevalence of iron deficiency in the lower SEL school district was twice that of the higher SEL school district (42% and 21.2% respectively). Furthermore, the levels of serum ferritin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (all P < 0.001) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (P = 0.016) were higher for students in the higher than in the lower SEL school district. Consumption of tea, cola beverages and dairy products was more frequent by children living in the lower than in the higher SEL school district. Furthermore, consumption of red meat and citrus fruits was less frequent by boys in the lower than in the higher SEL school district.Conclusions  Iron deficiency was more prevalent among children from the lower SEL school district. Different patterns in the consumption of foods and beverages that inhibit or enhance intestinal iron absorption between children in the two school districts could provide some explanation for the observed differences in the prevalence of iron deficiency.
Nutritional status of patients who have fallen in an acute care setting
Authors: Bauer J. D. , Isenring E. , Torma J. , Horsley P. , Martineau J. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractBackground  Falls may result in injury, loss of independence and higher healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to examine the nutritional status of patients who had fallen in an acute care setting.Methods  Forty‐nine patients who had experienced a fall while admitted at an Australian private hospital participated in the study (age: 71.2 (SD 14.1) years; 21 male: 28 female). Nutritional status was assessed using subjective global assessment. Protein and energy intake was determined by dietary history and analysed using Australian computerised food composition data.Results  According to subjective global assessment, 27 patients were well nourished and 22 malnourished (21 moderately, one severely malnourished). Well nourished fallers had significantly higher BMI (mean difference 3.7 kg/m2, CI: 1.2‐6.2), dietary protein (mean difference 19.8 g, CI: 2.0‐37.5) and energy intake (mean difference 1751 kJ, CI: 332‐3170) compared to malnourished fallers. There was no difference in severity of falls based on nutritional status, weight or BMI.Conclusions  There was a high prevalence of malnutrition and poor intake in this sample of patients who had fallen in hospital. Nutrition assessment and intervention for patients who have fallen in the acute care setting should be considered.
Extremely high levels of melanoma in Tauranga, New Zealand: Possible causes and comparisons with Australia and the northern hemisphere
Authors: Salmon Paul JM , Chan Weng Chen , Griffin Jenny , McKenzie Richard , Rademaker Marius 
Published: October 2007

SUMMARYThe objective of the study was to determine the incidence of melanoma in the Tauranga region of New Zealand, to compare these findings within Australasia and the northern hemisphere, and to understand the causes of the relatively high rates in Tauranga. Data were obtained from retrospective review of histology reports from the public and private health systems in greater Tauranga (Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty Districts). Primary cutaneous melanomas (including both invasive and in situ melanomas) reported during 2003 were included. Age‐standardized melanoma rates were calculated for the entire population as well as for the non‐Maori population of the region, identified from the 2001 New Zealand Census. The age‐standardized incidence of invasive melanoma in the non‐Maori population of the greater Tauranga region was 79/100 000. The age‐standardized rate for the entire population was 70/100 000. The rate of in situ disease was 78/100 000 for non‐Maori and 72/100 000 for the entire population. The Tauranga region of New Zealand has an exceptionally high incidence of invasive and in situ melanomas. This is likely related to environmental, geographical and societal factors, including relatively high levels of UV exacerbated in recent times by ozone depletion, relatively cool summer temperatures which encourage outdoor exposure, and relatively fair skin colouring.
Reticulate keloidal purpura associated with transient antiphospholipid antibodies and hyperhomocysteinaemia
Authors: Fisher Jemima , Parsi Kurosh , Hannaford Rodney 
Published: October 2007

SUMMARYA 66‐year‐old woman presented with a reticulate pattern of purpuric, keloidal scarring affecting her lower legs and necrosis of her left thumb and little finger as sequelae of an episode of staphylococcal septicaemia. Her premorbid past history includes three miscarriages, three episodes of pulmonary embolism and an internal iliac vein thrombosis. Skin biopsy specimens showed keloidal scar tissue in the dermis but no evidence of thrombosis or vasculitis. Blood tests demonstrated moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia. Elevated levels of anticardiolipin antibodies were found on one occasion but this was not detected on initial or repeat testing.
Long‐term hair repigmentation following a hair transplant for frontal scarring alopecia
Authors: Dinh Hope V , Sinclair Rodney , Martinick Jennifer 
Published: October 2007

SUMMARYA 57‐year‐old woman developed repigmentation of white donor hairs 9 months after undergoing hair transplantation for an area of frontal scarring alopecia present since childhood. The hairs have remained repigmented more than 2 years post transplant. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying long‐term follicular repigmentation of white hairs.
Annular erythema with eosinophilia: A subset of Wells' syndrome
Authors: Howes R. , Kossard S. 
Published: October 2007

We present a 52‐year‐old lady with a 5‐year history of a persistent, widespread, annular erythema associated with lethargy, arthralgias, and an inflammatory synovitis. Skin biopsies have shown mild lichenoid change at the dermoepidermal junction; and oedema, mucin, and a diffuse lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltrate without flame figures in the dermis. A full blood count including an eosinophil count; liver, renal and thyroid function; rheumatoid factor, ANA, ENA, dsDNA, complement studies, immunoglobulins, and serum protein elecrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis; flow cytometry of peripheral blood for lymphocyte markers; stool examination for ova, cysts and parasites; and a CT scan of the chest and abdomen have shown no significant abnormality. Hydroxychloroquine has stabilised but not cleared her condition.Cases presenting clinically with annular erythema and histologically with eosinophilic cellulitis are difficult to classify. We discuss the classification of this case in the context of the literature.