bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reversible posterior leucoencephalopathy syndrome associated with anticancer drugs
Authors: Marinella M. A. , Markert R. J. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractBackground:  Reversible posterior leucoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) is an underappreciated clinical‐radiologic syndrome characterized by reversible cortical dysfunction preferentially involving the occipital lobes in conjunction with imaging findings of reversible subcortical oedema. As RPLS is being increasingly identified within the oncology population in association with cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted agents, a review of the published work in English was carried out.Methods:  A MEDLINE search of the published work in English was conducted to identify cases of RPLS in patients more than 16 years of age who were treated with anticancer drugs for documented malignancy. Only cases with adequate documentation regarding demographic and treatment data, cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and outcome were selected.Results:  We identified 24 patients with RPLS associated with a variety of anticancer drugs, most commonly complicating polychemotherapy and/or bevacizumab‐containing regimens. There was a female predominance: 18 females and 6 males (P= 0.023). Women were of premenopausal age and were younger than males: 49.3 ± 16.4 years versus 60.7 ± 6.4 years (P= 0.09). Most patients presented with acute headache (67%), seizures (63%), confusion (54%) or cortical blindness (46%) with mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 168 ± 15 and 98 ± 15 mm Hg, respectively. Findings on magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperintense lesions on T2‐weighted images in all patients, which involved the occipital lobes in 75% of patients; all patients experienced clinical and radiologic resolution within days to weeks. No deaths were directly attributed to RPLS.Conclusions:  Combination and single‐agent chemotherapy as well as novel anticancer drugs are associated with RPLS. We found RPLS to be overrepresented in premenopausal woman; the prevalence in this subgroup may be related to an anticancer drug–oestrogen interaction inducing altered cerebral vasoreactivity and endothelial dysfunction.
Color responses of the human lateral geniculate nucleus: selective amplification of S‐cone signals between the lateral geniculate nucleno and primary visual cortex measured with high‐field fMRI
Authors: Mullen Kathy T. , Dumoulin Serge O. , Hess Robert F. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is the primary thalamic nucleus that relays visual information from the retina to the primary visual cortex (V1) and has been extensively studied in non‐human primates. A key feature of the LGN is the segregation of retinal inputs into different cellular layers characterized by their differential responses to red‐green (RG) color (L/M opponent), blue‐yellow (BY) color (S‐cone opponent) and achromatic (Ach) contrast. In this study we use high‐field functional magnetic resonance imaging (4 tesla, 3.6 × 3.6 × 3 mm3) to record simultaneously the responses of the human LGN and V1 to chromatic and Ach contrast to investigate the LGN responses to color, and how these are modified as information transfers between LGN and cortex. We find that the LGN has a robust response to RG color contrast, equal to or greater than the Ach response, but a significantly poorer sensitivity to BY contrast. In V1 at low temporal rates (2 Hz), however, the sensitivity of the BY color pathway is selectively enhanced, rising in relation to the RG and Ach responses. We find that this effect generalizes across different stimulus contrasts and spatial stimuli (1‐d and 2‐d patterns), but is selective for temporal frequency, as it is not found for stimuli at 8 Hz. While the mechanism of this cortical enhancement of BY color vision and its dynamic component is unknown, its role may be to compensate for a weak BY signal originating from the sparse distribution of neurons in the retina and LGN.
Healthcare charges and utilization associated with diabetic neuropathy: impact of Type 1 diabetes and presence of other diabetes‐related complications and comorbidities
Authors: Zhao Y. , Ye W. , Boye K. S. , Holcombe J. H. , Swindle R. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAims  The aim was to examine the impact of Type 1 diabetes and having any other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity on healthcare charges and utilization in patients with diabetic neuropathy (DN).Methods  We selected individuals aged < 65 years who continuously enrolled in a large US commercial plan from July 2004 to June 2006 and who received at least one diagnosis of DN at any time from July 2004 to June 2005. We compared the prevalence of other diabetes‐related complications or comorbidities between patients with Type 1 and with Type 2 diabetes. In patients with DN with or without any other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity, we used multivariate regression to assess the marginal contribution of Type 1 diabetes on healthcare charges and utilization from July 2005 until June 2006.Results  The majority of DN patients had at least one other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity. Most of the DN patients had Type 2 diabetes. DN patients with Type 1 diabetes had more comorbid medical conditions than those with Type 2 diabetes. Compared with Type 2, Type 1 patients had a higher prevalence of each individual non‐DN diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity, except heart disease. Controlling for comorbidities, Type 1 and Type 2 patients with DN but no other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity had similar healthcare utilization. However, Type 1 patients had significantly higher charges than those with any other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity.Conclusions  Many patients with DN have Type 1 diabetes and other common diabetes‐related complications or comorbidities, which can have a significant impact on healthcare charges and utilization.
Severe insulin resistance due to anti‐insulin antibodies: response to plasma exchange and immunosuppressive therapy
Authors: Greenfield J. R. , Tuthill A. , Soos M. A. , Semple R. K. , Halsall D. J. , Chaudhry A. , O’Rahilly S. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAnti‐insulin antibodies have been described in two contexts: in insulin‐naive individuals (so‐called ‘insulin autoimmune syndrome’) and in patients with insulin‐treated diabetes, in whom antibodies are rarely of clinical significance. We report the case of an 68‐year‐old woman who exhibited a local allergic reaction to subcutaneous insulin followed by severe insulin resistance, evidenced by poor glycaemic control despite treatment with > 3.5 U/kg of insulin per day. She was found to have circulating polyclonal anti‐insulin antibodies of the IgG subtype and responded clinically to a course of plasma exchange and immunosuppression with mycophenolate mofetil and, subsequently, intravenous immunoglobulin. Falling titres of antibodies on this regimen correlated with improved glycaemic control. This case suggests that clinicians should be alert to the possibility of insulin resistance due to anti‐insulin antibodies and that immunosuppression in this situation may be a valuable therapeutic option.
Strategic Choice and Performance in Late Movers: Influence of the Top Management Team's External Ties
Authors: Yoo Jae Wook , Reed Richard , Shin Shung Jae , Lemak David J. 
Published: November 2008

abstractThis work examines how the strategic choice and performance of late movers are influenced by the top management team's external ties, inside and outside the firm's industry. Using a multiyear sample of firms from the computer industry, we found that intra‐industry trade‐association ties of top managers led to the adoption of a resource‐imitation strategy by late movers while extra‐industry importation and professional‐association ties led to the adoption of a resource‐substitution strategy. We also found that trade association ties had a negative effect on the performance of late movers using resource‐substitution, while top managers' service on other firms' boards had a positive influence on the performance of those firms. Our findings not only confirm the importance of the role of fit in strategy and performance, but they also highlight the importance of the management and control of boundary‐spanning activities.
A Class of Two‐Group Polarization Measures
Authors: BOSSERT WALTER , SCHWORM WILLIAM 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe phenomenon of income polarization is generally associated with a disappearing middle class but there does not seem to be a generally accepted definition of this notion. We characterize classes of polarization quasi‐orderings and polarization measures in a framework where there are two income groups separated by the median. The axioms we employ are variants of within‐group clustering and between‐group spread properties, and an independence property. Furthermore, we illustrate that attempts to extend the axioms to more general settings severely restrict their appeal and conclude that alternative approaches may be required to capture concepts involving polarization.
Pachedu‐Zenzele in the Diaspora: Promoting Sexual Health Amongst Zimbabweans in England
Authors: Chinouya Martha Judith , O’Keefe Eileen 
Published: November 2008

AbstractMigrants have been found to be at enhanced risk for the Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) in comparison with settled populations. As they migrate, they often bring with them their traditions and cultural values, which may influence the ways they access or make sense of health promotion interventions in the host country. In the diaspora, should they experience compromised citizenship, marked by an unresolved immigration status, some may need to remain invisible and this may include not accessing or presenting late for vital health care interventions. Addressing the needs of such invisible populations is key to health promotion work and paramount to public health interests. This paper describes how ever‐changing “traditions”, in particular the notions of Pachedu and Zenzele, were harnessed to develop ethically grounded sexual health care interventions amongst Zimbabweans in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. These interventions were delivered in mundane settings that formed some of the key everyday networks of this population. The reinvention of “tradition” for the purposes of delivering health and social care interventions has been one of the cornerstones of health promotion interventions in Africa, where the rates of HIV are some of the highest in the world. The concept of Pachedu harnessed confidentiality in the delivery of sexual health interventions with Zenzele calling for communal involvement in such initiatives. A key point that resulted in the success of this intervention was partnership work between statutory providers and the local Zimbabwean population throughout the project’s life span. Rather than being construed as passive recipients of health and social care interventions, local Zimbabweans and their statutory partners were engaged in mutual capacity building initiatives. Local Zimbabweans were also engaged and consulted throughout, from the conceptualization of the project, delivery, monitoring, and dissemination of the findings.
Diaspora and Health? Traditional Medicine and Culture in a Mexican Migrant Community
Authors: Waldstein Anna 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAs members of the Mexican diaspora acculturate/assimilate to life in the United States they gain skills that help them improve their socioeconomic status and overcome barriers to the mainstream American healthcare system. Thus, we might expect better health among more acculturated Mexicans. However, most of the research conducted during the past 20 years shows that the health of Mexicans living in the United States deteriorates as acculturation increases. This suggests that certain health promoting aspects of Mexican culture are lost as migrants adapt to and adopt American ways of life. This paper is the first step in testing the hypothesis that declining health among acculturated people of Mexican descent is related to a loss of traditional medical knowledge.During an ethnographic study of women’s medical knowledge in an unacculturated Mexican migrant community in Athens, Georgia, I observed many ways low‐income, undocumented migrants maintain good health. Migrant women encourage health‐promoting behaviors and treat sick family members with a variety of home remedies that appear to be effective according to chemical and pharmacological analyses. Additionally, migrant women in Athens learn how to navigate the American medical and social service systems and overcome barriers to professional healthcare services using information provided through social networks. Nevertheless, migrant women often prefer to treat sick family at home and indicated a preference for Mexican folk medicines over professional medical care in most situations.This case study suggests that migration and diaspora need not always lead to disease. The maintenance of a Mexican culture that is distinct from the rest of American society helps ensure that traditional medical knowledge is not lost, while the social networks that link Mexicans to each other and to their homeland help minimize threats to health, which are usually associated with migration. Thus, increased access to professional medical care may not improve the health of migrants if it comes with the loss of traditional medical knowledge.
Complaints, Sensitivities and Responsibility: An Ethnographic Investigation into the Debates Concerning the Care of Bangladeshi Mothers in the East End
Authors: Griffith Laura 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe subject of this paper is a maternity services awareness day organised by a community centre in the East End of London. In what I interpret as the fractured political landscape of Tower Hamlets (in East London), this event formed a rare focus for the diverse groups of people I worked with in my fieldwork and provides a focal point through which to reflect upon issues of diaspora, culture and health care. This paper attempts to analyse the public voices of a diasporic community which were challenging mainstream health provision. In this paper, I suggest that the voicing of complaint both reified and contested the needs of Bangladeshi mothers specifically, yet did not alter the services provided. The ways in which “culture” is used or discarded as a critical platform on which to base claims about health care are discussed.
Assessment of game restocking contributions to anthropogenic hybridization: the case of the Iberian red‐legged partridge
Authors: Blanco‐Aguiar J. A. , González‐Jara P. , Ferrero M. E. , Sánchez‐Barbudo I. , Virgós E. , Villafuerte R. , Dávila J. A. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAnthropogenic hybridization in wildlife has been identified as one of the main causes of genetic homogenization, highlighting the need for identification and evaluation of populations at risk. Relocation of wildlife for game management purposes is a widespread practice that may promote the admixing of genetically different populations, subspecies or species. We undertook a large‐scale study on the Iberian Peninsula to assess the extent of hybridization in red‐legged partridge Alectoris rufa populations, which have been subject to extensive restocking of farm‐reared individuals. Using a polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism technique to assess the prevalence of individuals with mtDNA from other species, we examined samples of A. rufa from museum specimens (229), extant wild populations (955) and game farms (530). We found widespread occurrence of chukar partridge Alectoris chukar mtDNA lineages in samples obtained from game farm partridges (63% of game farms) and from wild partridges (45% of populations), but no allochthonous mtDNA lineages were found in museum partridges. We also found that the probability of occurrence and the number of partridges with allochthonous lineages was higher in localities where recent restocking had occurred. In addition, investigation of trends in bag records and the numbers of game farms over the past 30 years suggests that the general decline of wild populations has been accompanied by an increase in game farm facilities. These results suggest that supplemental stocking practices are threatening the integrity of the wild population gene pool. We recommend that rural development policies and associated wildlife management programs focused on maintaining high stock densities for hunting also need to consider the impact of game management on the genetic integrity of game populations.
The Human Ageing Genomic Resources: online databases and tools for biogerontologists
Authors: De Magalhães João Pedro , Budovsky Arie , Lehmann Gilad , Costa Joana , Li Yang , Fraifeld Vadim , Church George M. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryAging is a complex, challenging phenomenon that requires multiple, interdisciplinary approaches to unravel its puzzles. To assist basic research on aging, we developed the Human Ageing Genomic Resources (HAGR). This work provides an overview of the databases and tools in HAGR and describes how the gerontology research community can employ them. Several recent changes and improvements to HAGR are also presented. The two centrepieces in HAGR are GenAge and AnAge. GenAge is a gene database featuring genes associated with aging and longevity in model organisms, a curated database of genes potentially associated with human aging, and a list of genes tested for their association with human longevity. A myriad of biological data and information is included for hundreds of genes, making GenAge a reference for research that reflects our current understanding of the genetic basis of aging. GenAge can also serve as a platform for the systems biology of aging, and tools for the visualization of protein–protein interactions are also included. AnAge is a database of aging in animals, featuring over 4000 species, primarily assembled as a resource for comparative and evolutionary studies of aging. Longevity records, developmental and reproductive traits, taxonomic information, basic metabolic characteristics, and key observations related to aging are included in AnAge. Software is also available to aid researchers in the form of Perl modules to automate numerous tasks and as an SPSS script to analyse demographic mortality data. The HAGR are available online athttp://genomics.senescence.info.
A MANAGEMENT ORIENTED APPROACH TO THE ESTIMATION OF FARM PRODUCTION COSTS AND RETURNS IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Authors: Low A. R. C. , Kemp R. L. 
Published: November 2008

The normal methods used to estimate farm production costs and returns in rural development project planning are based on the extrapolation of one or a few representative production unit models to the scale of the overall project. Although such models may be adequate for ex‐ante evaluation they are generally not sufficiently specific to provide relevant guidelines for project implementation or a meaningful framework for ex‐post evaluation at the farm production level. This paper describes an area specific, management oriented approach to crop production cost and return estimation which was adopted for the preparation of a rural development project in Swaziland and which, it is argued, has particular advantages for project implementation and ex‐post evaluation.RésuméUNE MÉTHODE ORIENTÉE SUR LA GESTION POUR ESTIMER LES COÜTS ET RENDEMENTS DE LA PRODUCTION DES EXPLOITATIONS AGRICOLES DANS LES PROGRAMMES DE DÉVELOPPEMENT RURALLes méthodes normalement utilisées pour faire l'estimation des coûts et rendements de la production des exploitations agricoles dans la planification des programmes de développement rural sont basées sur l'extrapolation d'un ou quelques modèles d'unités de production représentatifs appliquée à l'échelle du projet global. Bien que ces modèles puissent remplir leur objectif lorsqu'il s'agit de faire une évaluation prospective, ils sont généralement insuffisamment spécifiques pour fournir une orientation correcte à la mise en oeuvre des projets ou un cadre de travail utile pour effectuer une évaluation rétroactive au niveau de la production des exploitations. Cet article décrit une méthode, spécifique à une certaine région et orientée sur la gestion, destinée à faire l'estimation des coûts et rendements de la production culturale, méthode qui fut adoptée pour préparer un projet de developpement rural au Souaziland et qui, selon les arguments développés, présente des avantages particuliers pour la mise en oeuvre des projets et l'évaluation prospective.ZusammenfassungEIN MANAGEMENTORIENTIERTER NÄHERUNGSVERSUCH ZUR SCHÄTZUNG VON FARMPRODUKTIONSKOSTEN UND ERTRÄGEN IN LÄNDLICHEN ENTWICKLUNGSPROJEKTENDie normalen Methoden zur Schätzung von Farmproduktions‐kosten und Erträgen in der Planung ländlicher Entwicklungsprojekte basieren auf der Extrapolation von einem oder wenigen repräsentativen Modellen von Produktionseinheiten auf die Grössenordnung des gesamten Projektes. Solche Modelle mögen für die ex‐ante Evaluierung angemessen sein, aber für die Projektdurchführung oder für ein aussagekräftiges Rahmenwerk zur ex‐post Evaluierung auf Farmproduktionsniveau sind sie im allgemeinen nicht bestimmt genug. Dieser Artikel beschreibt einen gebietsspezifischen, manage‐mentorientierten Näherungsversuch zur Schätzung von Ernteproduktionskosten und Erträgen, der zur Vorbereitung eines ländlichen Entwicklungsprojektes in Swaziland benützt wurde und der, so wird argumentiert, besondere Vorteile für die Projektdurchführung und ex‐ante Evaluierung hat.
A MODEL OF THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY
Authors: Thomson K. J. 
Published: November 2008

Several efforts have been made since 1980 to estimate the costs and benefits of the European Community's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This paper summarises the approach and method adopted in developing one such effort, which aims to provide results at country, commodity and interest group level both for the CAP as a whole, and for changes in it.Economic analysis of the effects of price changes in the CAP is carried out with the use of direct and crossprice elasticities of supply and demand for sixteen major commodities, using base levels of production, consumption, and gross trade flows in each member state, along with rest‐of‐world data. A number of CAP instruments, such as subsidies, levies, quotas and ‘green’ exchange rates, are built into the calculations and can be varied, along with support prices, to produce new situations in domestic markets and in world price levels. Both financial (budgetary) and welfare (economic surplus) effects of such exogenous price changes can be calculated. Certain policy changes, such as a move to ‘free’ markets, involve endogenous calculation of equilibrium prices. Trend projections subject to a priori constraints are used to produce results for years beyond the extent of data currently available.The types of model run commonly carried out are discussed, along with several strategic judgments that became necessary in carrying out the research. Finally, questions concerning the future development and use of the model are addressed.