bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Postnatal penile length and growth rate correlate to serum testosterone levels: a longitudinal study of 1962 normal boys
Authors: Boas Malene , Boisen Kirsten A , Virtanen Helena E , Kaleva Marko , Suomi Anne-Maarit , Schmidt Ida M , Damgaard Ida N , Kai Claudia M , Chellakooty Marla , Skakkebæk Niels E , Toppari Jorma , Main Katharina M 
Published: December 2005

Objective: Infant boys show a brief activation of their hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis shortly after birth, the physiological significance of which is poorly understood. The objective of the study was to investigate the correlation between endogenous testosterone levels and penile size and growth.
Design: Prospective, longitudinal population-based study taking place at two large primary obstetric centres at the University Hospitals of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Turku, Finland.
Methods: Infant boys, 728 Danish and 1234 Finnish, underwent clinical examinations at 0, 3, 18 and 36 months in Denmark and at 0, 3 and 18 months in Finland with blood samples taken at 3 months (n = 630). Penile length and growth were registered and reproductive hormones (testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, oestradiol) were analysed.
Results: Penile length increased from birth (3.49±0.4 cm) to 3 years of age (4.53±0.51 cm) with the highest growth velocity from birth to 3 months (1.0 mm/month). Penile length and growth were significantly, positively correlated to serum testosterone (r = 0.31 and 0.076, P = 0.006 and 0.001 respectively) and to free testosterone index (r = 0.385 and 0.094, P = 0.0001 and 0.0001 respectively).
Conclusions: We found that endogenous testosterone was significantly associated with penile size and growth rate in infant boys. Thus, the postnatal surge in reproductive hormones appears to be important for genital growth. Our data may serve as an updated reference for normal penile length in Caucasian boys up to 3 years of age.
Slush-Ice Storage of Catfish Carcasses
Authors: Bosworth Brian G , Wolters William R , Silva Juan L , Chamul Roberto S 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of 24-h slush-ice storage of carcasses of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus on subsequent fillet yield, shape, and color. Channel catfish were sorted into three size-classes based on carcass (unskinned, with head and viscera removed) weight: small (250–425 g), medium (426–550 g), and large (551–1,000 g). In each of three replicate trials, 40 carcasses from each size-class were processed immediately after being killed (immediately processed treatment) and 40 carcasses from each size-class were held in ice water slush for 24 h and then processed (slush-ice treatment). Slush-ice-treated fish had higher unskinned fillet yield (+1.7%), skinned fillet yield (+1.2%), shank fillet yield (+0.6%), and nugget yield (+0.7%) than immediately processed fish. Measures of fillet yield increased in both treatments as carcass size increased. Immediately processed fillets were shorter (maximum distance anterior to posterior margin) and deeper (maximum distance from dorsal to ventral margin), and had less surface area than slush-ice fillets 24 h after slaughter. Sensory panelists perceived fillets from the slush-ice treatment to be larger than immediately processed fillets in 74% of comparisons of fillet pairs of equal weight. No fillet color differences were detected between treatments. Commercial catfish processors could increase fillet yield by storing carcasses in slush ice before filleting. However, costs associated with chilling and holding carcasses and quality issues, such as fillet drip-loss, texture, and shelf life, need to be addressed to determine whether slush-ice storage of carcasses will be beneficial to commercial catfish processors.
Fishing and Natural Mortality of Bluegills and Redear Sunfish at Lake Panasoffkee, Florida: Implications for Size Limits
Authors: Crawford S. , Allen M. S. 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
Growth, annual exploitation (u), and natural mortality (v) of bluegills Lepomis macrochirus and redear sunfish L. microlophus were investigated on Lake Panasoffkee, Florida, during 1998 and 1999 to assess the potential benefits of several minimum size limits. The average u of 15.0-cm total length (TL) or larger fish was 0.14 for bluegills and redear sunfish during the 2-year period. For both species, exploitation increased up to threefold as fish size increased (e.g., u = 0.37 for bluegills ≥23.0 cm TL in 1999). Total annual mortality (A) was 0.64 for bluegills and 0.68 for redear sunfish. Natural mortality estimates were 0.50 (78% of A) for bluegills and 0.55 (81% of A) for redear sunfish. Simulations predicted that minimum size limits would decrease average total yield and harvest for both bluegills and redear sunfish, but that a 20.3-cm minimum length limit could slightly increase the number of fish harvested over 20.0 cm TL. A 22.9-cm minimum length limit was predicted to greatly reduce yield without creating a measurable increase in the harvest of fish over the size limit. Lake Panasoffkee sunfishes incurred record levels of estimated effort and harvest in 1998–1999, but size-selective exploitation acted essentially as a minimum size limit, resulting in no predicted benefit for a 20.3-cm limit. Separation of fishing mortality and natural mortality allowed us to conclude that natural mortality had a greater influence on Lake Panasoffkee sunfish population abundance and fishing quality than did fishing mortality, so a minimum size limit was not recommended. Estimates of exploitation, natural mortality, and growth rates are more valuable than measures of size structure and angler catch when considering or evaluating harvest restrictions.
Anatomical Compartments Modify the Response of Human Hematopoietic Cells to a Mitogenic Signal
Authors: Nagasawa Yasuo , Wood Brent L. , Wang Linlin , Lintmaer Ingrid , Guo Wenjin , Papayannopoulou Thalia , Harkey Michael A. , Nourigat Cynthia , Blau C. Anthony 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
Methods for specifically regulating transplanted cells have many applications in gene and cell therapy. We examined the response of human cord blood CD34+ cells to a specific mitotic signal in vivo. Using a conditional signaling molecule (F36VMpl) that is specifically activated by an artificial ligand called a chemical inducer of dimerization (CID), human hematopoietic cells transplanted into immune deficient mice were induced to proliferate. Only differentiating erythroid precursors and multipotential and erythroid progenitors (colony-forming unit [CFU]-mix and burst forming unitserythroid [BFUe]) responded; however, the nature of the response differed markedly between bone marrow and spleen. In the marrow, F36VMpl induced a 12- to 17-fold expansion of differentiated erythroid precursors and a loss of CFU-mix and BFUe. In the spleen, F36VMpl induced a marked rise in BFUe and CFU-mix and, relative to marrow, a much less prominent rise in more mature red cells. Clonal analysis was most consistent with the interpretation that the spleen and bone marrow differentially regulate the response of human progenitors to a mitotic signal, possibly influencing progenitor expansion versus differentiation. These findings establish CIDs as in vivo growth factors for human hematopoietic cells.
Rethinking the Hispanic Paradox: Death Rates and Life Expectancy for US Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic Populations
Authors: Smith David P. , Bradshaw Benjamin S. 
Published: December 2005

Objectives. We examined the “Hispanic paradox,” whereby persons of Hispanic origin seemed to experience lower mortality than the non-Hispanic White population. This paradox coincided with a change from the classification of deaths and population by Spanish surname to the use of Hispanic-origin questions in the census and vital statistics. Methods. To estimate US Hispanic and non-Hispanic White mortality, we applied a familiar relation between death rates for population subgroups to Hispanic and non-Hispanic White population death rates. We calculated age-specific death rates for the Hispanic population and the non-Hispanic White population and computed life tables for each. Result. For Texas between 1980 (surname) and 1990 (origin), the change in Hispanic deaths in persons aged 65 years or older was only half as great as the change in population size, implying a relative omission of 15% to 20% of deaths. By a different approach, the life tables for the US Hispanic and non-Hispanic White populations pointed to a similar omission. Conclusions. There is no “Hispanic paradox.” The Hispanic paradox described in past research derives from inconsistencies in counts of Hispanic-origin deaths and populations.
Rapid Assessment and Response Studies of Injection Drug Use: Knowledge Gain, Capacity Building, and Intervention Development in a Multisite Study
Authors: Stimson Gerry V. , Fitch Chris , Jarlais Don Des , Poznyak Vladimir , Perlis Theresa , Oppenheimer Edna , Rhodes Tim 
Published: December 2005

Objectives. We evaluated the World Health Organization’s rapid assessment and response (RAR) method of assessing injection drug use and its associated health problems, focusing on knowledge gain, capacity building, and whether RAR leads to the development of interventions reducing the health effects of injection drug use. Methods. Data were derived from RAR studies conducted in Beijing, China; Bogotá, Colombia; Greater Rosario, Argentina; Hanoi, Vietnam; Kharkiv, Ukraine; Minsk, Belarus; Nairobi, Kenya; Penang, Malaysia; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Tehran, Iran. Results. Substantial gains in knowledge and response capacity were reported at all of the study sites. Before RAR initiation, prevention and intervention programs had been absent or inadequate at most of the sites. The RARs resulted in many new or modified interventions; 7 sites reported 24 health-related interventions that were subsequently developed and influenced by the RARs. Conclusions. RARs, which require relatively little external funding, appear to be effective in linking assessment to development of appropriate interventions. The present results add to the evidence that rapid assessment is an important public health tool.
Physicians’ Perceptions of Patients’ Social and Behavioral Characteristics and Race Disparities in Treatment Recommendations for Men With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: van Ryn Michelle , Burgess Diana , Malat Jennifer , Griffin Joan 
Published: December 2005

Objectives. A growing body of evidence suggests that provider decisionmaking contributes to racial/ethnic disparities in care. We examined the factors mediating the relationship between patient race/ethnicity and provider recommendations for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods. Analyses were conducted with a data set that included medical record, angiogram, and provider survey data on postangiogram encounters with patients who were categorized as appropriate candidates for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Results. Race significantly influenced physician recommendations among male, but not female, patients. Physicians’ perceptions of patients’ education and physical activity preferences were significant predictors of their recommendations, independent of clinical factors, appropriateness, payer, and physician characteristics. Furthermore, these variables mediated the effects of patient race on provider recommendations. Conclusions. Our findings point to the importance of research and intervention strategies addressing the ways in which providers’ beliefs about patients mediate disparities in treatment. In addition, they highlight the need for discourse and consensus development on the role of social factors in clinical decisionmaking.
The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention
Authors: Garland Cedric F. , Garland Frank C. , Gorham Edward D. , Lipkin Martin , Newmark Harold , Mohr Sharif B. , Holick Michael F. 
Published: December 2005

Vitamin D status differs by latitude and race, with residents of the northeastern United States and individuals with more skin pigmentation being at increased risk of deficiency. A PubMed database search yielded 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk, including 30 of colon, 13 of breast, 26 of prostate, and 7 of ovarian cancer, and several that assessed the association of vitamin D receptor genotype with cancer risk.The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer. The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects.
Disparities in Asthma Hospitalization in Massachusetts
Authors: Ash Michael , Brandt Sylvia 
Published: December 2005

Objectives. We examined racial disparities in asthma morbidity in Massachusetts. Methods. We used Massachusetts case-mix data from 1994 to 2002 to screen and track individual asthma morbidity and hospitalizations, which resulted in a sample of 10145 patients who were first hospitalized for asthma between 1997 and 2000. We followed these patients for 2 years after their first hospitalization. Because asthma is widely considered a preventable cause of hospitalization, we interpreted a readmission for asthma as an indication of failed asthma management. Results. We found substantial racial/ethnic disparities in readmission rates that persisted after control for comorbidities, payer type, and income. We estimated that the costs of repeat hospitalizations for asthma are in excess of one quarter of all asthma hospitalization costs. Conclusion. Racial/ethnic disparities in asthma readmission rates show that Massachusetts is not on the frontier of asthma treatment.
Cancer Screening and Risk Factor Rates Among American Indians
Authors: Swan Judith , Breen Nancy , Burhansstipanov Linda , Satter Delight E. , Davis William W. , McNeel Timothy , Snipp C. Matthew 
Published: December 2005

Objectives. We examined cancer screening and risk factor patterns in California using 4 different statistical tabulations of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations. Methods. We used the 2001 California Health Interview Survey to compare cancer screening and risk factor data across 4 different tabulation approaches. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates by gender and race/ethnicity for cancer screening and risk factors, sociodemographic characteristics, and access to care variables. We compared AIAN men and women with members of other racial groups and examined outcomes among AIAN men and women using the 4 tabulation methods. Results. Although some differences were small, in general, screening and risk factor rates among American Indians/Alaska Natives were most similar to rates among Whites when the most inclusive multiracial tabulation approach was used and least similar when the more exclusive US census “single-race” approach was used. Conclusions. Racial misclassification and undercounting are among the most difficult obstacles to obtaining accurate and informative data on the AIAN population. Our analysis suggests some guidelines for overcoming these obstacles.
Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Periodontal Disease: The Dental Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Authors: Borrell Luisa N. , Beck James D. , Heiss Gerardo 
Published: December 2005

Objectives. We used data from the Dental Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study to examine whether individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic characteristics were associated with periodontal disease. Methods. We assessed severe periodontitis with a combination of clinical attachment loss and pocket depth measures. Marginal logistic regression modeling was used to estimate the association between individual and neighborhood socioeconomic indicators and prevalence of severe periodontitis before and after control for selected covariates. Residual intraneighborhood correlations in outcomes were taken into account in the analyses. Results. Individual-level income and education were associated with severe periodontitis among Whites and African Americans, and these associations remained significant after adjustment for age, gender, recruitment center, and neighborhood socioeconomic score. Low-income Whites residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods had 1.8-fold (95% confidence interval=1.2, 2.7) higher odds of having severe periodontitis than high-income Whites residing in advantaged neighborhoods. Conclusions. Individual income and education were associated with severe periodontitis independently of neighborhood socioeconomic circumstances. Although the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status and severe periodontitis was not statistically significant, poverty and residence in a disadvantaged neighborhood were associated with higher odds of severe periodontitis among Whites.
Relative Effectiveness of Worker Safety and Health Training Methods
Authors: Burke Michael J. , Sarpy Sue Ann , Smith-Crowe Kristin , Chan-Serafin Suzanne , Salvador Rommel O. , Islam Gazi 
Published: December 2005

Objectives. We sought to determine the relative effectiveness of different methods of worker safety and health training aimed at improving safety knowledge and performance and reducing negative outcomes (accidents, illnesses, and injuries). Methods. Ninety-five quasi-experimental studies (n=20991) were included in the analysis. Three types of intervention methods were distinguished on the basis of learners’ participation in the training process: least engaging (lecture, pamphlets, videos), moderately engaging (programmed instruction, feedback interventions), and most engaging (training in behavioral modeling, hands-on training). Results. As training methods became more engaging (i.e., requiring trainees’ active participation), workers demonstrated greater knowledge acquisition, and reductions were seen in accidents, illnesses, and injuries. All methods of training produced meaningful behavioral performance improvements. Conclusions. Training involving behavioral modeling, a substantial amount of practice, and dialogue is generally more effective than other methods of safety and health training. The present findings challenge the current emphasis on more passive computer-based and distance training methods within the public health workforce.
Tobacco Cessation Services Through Community Health Workers for Spanish-Speaking Populations
Authors: Martinez-Bristow Zuzanne , Sias Jeri J. , Urquidi Ulysses J. , Feng Chun 
Published: December 2005

Partnerships were established with the University of Arizona’s Healthcare Partnership to train promotores—Spanish-speaking community health workers—as tobacco cessation counselors. Tobacco Free El Paso certified promotores to help identify tobacco users and offer tobacco cessation counseling services. The project certified 89 participants, of whom 95% were promotores; 88% were Hispanic/Latino, 67% were females, and 62% indicated Spanish as their primary language. Participants who completed Técnicas Básicas, Treatment Specialist, and Déjate de ese Vicio certifications significantly increased self-confidence levels to deliver brief smoking cessation interventions (P < .05). Satisfaction scores (scale = 1–5) were also relatively high for each certification (Técnicas Básicas, mean = 4.8; Treatment Specialist, mean = 4.7; Déjate de ese Vicio, mean = 4.6). The results suggest that promotores understood the concepts and methodologies presented.
Growing the Field of Health Impact Assessment in the United States: An Agenda for Research and Practice
Authors: Dannenberg Andrew L. , Bhatia Rajiv , Cole Brian L. , Dora Carlos , Fielding Jonathan E. , Kraft Katherine , McClymont-Peace Diane , Mindell Jennifer , Onyekere Chinwe , Roberts James A. , Ross Catherine L. , Rutt Candace D. , Scott-Samuel Alex , Tilson Hugh H. 
Published: December 2005

Health impact assessment (HIA) methods are used to evaluate the impact on health of policies and projects in community design, transportation planning, and other areas outside traditional public health concerns. At an October 2004 workshop, domestic and international experts explored issues associated with advancing the use of HIA methods by local health departments, planning commissions, and other decisionmakers in the United States. Workshop participants recommended conducting pilot tests of existing HIA tools, developing a database of health impacts of common projects and policies, developing resources for HIA use, building workforce capacity to conduct HIAs, and evaluating HIAs. HIA methods can influence decisionmakers to adjust policies and projects to maximize benefits and minimize harm to the public’s health.
Foreign Trade in Environmental Products; The WTO Regulations and Environmental Programs
Authors: Wysokinska Zofia Maria 
Published: December 2005

The aim of this paper is to present some aspects related to the Multilateral Trade Regulations and transnational and national environmental programs, from the point of view of their implications for foreign trade in environmental products. It should be noted that the elimination of trade barriers increases the efficiency of the world economic system by enabling countries to specialize in those sectors in which they possess economic advantages, which includes those sectors in which they possess favorable natural environmental conditions. In the latter half of the 1990’s one could observe a rapid and dynamic increase in the environmental protection industry’s share in the world economy. The overall global value of production in the environmental protection industry was estimated at 550 billion USD in the year 2001. In relative terms, this environmental market is not as large as the steel or agriculture markets, but roughly the same size as the pharmaceuticals and information technology markets. The environmental policy in the “old” and also “new” EU countries contributes to the achievement of the main goals of the global sustainable development strategy via the development of cleaner production and by the support for foreign trade in environmental friendly goods. The results of the empirical foreign trade analysis of trade in environmental products which are presented in the paper cover 11 countries of the OECD, including the USA, seven “old” EU member states, and one “new” member state - Poland . It is based on an international comparable database for environmental friendly goods, calculated by the author according to the OECD requirements (OECD-EUROSTAT, WTO, 1999). The analysis enables the author to present some important trends in foreign trade affecting the main exporters and importers of environmental goods in the USA and the EU. The analysis is also related to some regulations issued by the Committee for Trade and Environment of the WTO, with special reference to the conclusions of the Fourth and Fifth Ministerial Conferences in Doha and Cancun. The paper will also examine the effects of environmental measures on market access within the multilateral liberalization process.