bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysing the Welfare State in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia: An Ideal‐Typical Perspective
Authors: Aspalter Christian , Jinsoo Kim , Sojeung Park 
Published: March 2009

Abstract This article applies ideal‐typical welfare state theory in analysing the recent transition and the current position of welfare state systems in Eastern Central Europe, taking the cases of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia. The article argues that Eastern Central European welfare state systems have returned to their historical and cultural roots of welfare state formation and development, to the time before the onset of state socialism in Soviet times. First, social security policies and social and labour laws were established when the vast bulk of Eastern Central European countries were member states of the Austro‐Hungarian Empire, sharing the same political economy, legal system and culture. Over the last 20 years, the socialist system of employment‐based social services and benefits has been replaced with Bismarckian‐type social security policy and systems. While there are major alterations here and there – in ideal‐typical perspective – the four countries under scrutiny share all the major traits of Continental European (Christian Democratic) welfare regimes.
Surveying Migrant Households: A Comparison of Census-Based, Snowball and Intercept Point Surveys
Authors: McKenzie David J. , Mistiaen Johan 
Published: March 2009

SummaryFew representative surveys of households of migrants exist, limiting our ability to study the effects of international migration on sending families. We report the results of an experiment that was designed to compare the performance of three alternative survey methods in collecting data from Japanese–Brazilian families, many of whom send migrants to Japan. The three surveys that were conducted were households selected randomly from a door-to-door listing using the Brazilian census to select census blocks, a snowball survey using Nikkei community groups to select the seeds and an intercept point survey that was collected at Nikkei community gatherings, ethnic grocery stores, sports clubs and other locations where family members of migrants are likely to congregate. We analyse how closely well-designed snowball and intercept point surveys can approach the much more expensive census-based method in terms of giving information on the characteristics of migrants, the level of remittances received and the incidence and determinants of return migration.
Analysing Direct Effects in Randomized Trials with Secondary Interventions: An Application to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention Trials
Authors: Rosenblum Michael , Jewell Nicholas P. , Laan Mark van der , Shiboski Stephen , Straten Ariane van der , Padian Nancy 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe ‘Methods for improving reproductive health in Africa’ trial is a recently completed randomized trial that investigated the effect of diaphragm and lubricant gel use in reducing infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among susceptible women. 5045 women were randomly assigned to either the active treatment arm or not. Additionally, all subjects in both arms received intensive condom counselling and provision, the ‘gold standard’ HIV prevention barrier method. There was much lower reported use of condoms in the intervention arm than in the control arm, making it difficult to answer important public health questions based solely on the intention-to-treat analysis. We adapt an analysis technique from causal inference to estimate the ‘direct effects’ of assignment to the diaphragm arm, adjusting for use of condoms in an appropriate sense. Issues raised in the trial apply to other trials of HIV prevention methods, some of which are currently being conducted or designed.
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediate the hypnotic and analgesic effects of emulsified inhalation anesthetics
Authors: Yan Su , Dai Ti‐Jun , Zeng Yin‐Ming 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis study was designed to investigate the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in hypnosis and analgesia induced by emulsified inhalation anesthetics. After having established the mice model of hypnosis and analgesia by intraperitoneal injections of appropriate doses of enflurane, isoflurane or sevoflurane, we intracerebroventricularly or intrathecally injected different doses of nicotine and then observed the effects on the sleeping time using awaken test and the pain threshold in hot‐plate test (HPPT) using hot‐plate test. In the awaken test, 10, 20 and 40 μg of nicotine (intracerebroventricularly) significantly decreased the sleeping time of the mice treated with the three emulsified inhalation anesthetics mentioned above (P < 0.05 or 0.01). In the HPPT, 5, 10 and 15 μg of nicotine (intrathecally) did not affect the HPPT in conscious mice (P > 0.05); in contrast, 5, 10 and 15 μg of nicotine (intrathecally) significantly decreased the HPPT of the mice treated with emulsified inhalation anesthetics (P < 0.05 or 0.01). The data presented in this study suggest that nAChRs may be important targets for the hypnotic and analgesic effects induced by emulsified enflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane.
Importance of medication adherence from the ONTARGET and TRANSCEND points of view
Authors: Barrios Vivencio , Escobar Carlos , Echarri Rocio 
Published: March 2009

AbstractMedication adherence is crucial to improve the prognosis of patients with hypertension. Importantly, the variables associated with antihypertensive medication withdrawal do not occur immediately after the cessation, but likely in the following years. Nevertheless, since the current randomized clinical trials are limited to a short or mid follow‐up, the results provided from these studies cannot exactly reflect the importance of the therapy discontinuation. We discuss about two recent examples, the ONTARGET and the TRANSCEND trials, in which the inclusion of the discontinuation rates in the primary analysis change the results of these studies and subsequently, the interpretation of the data.
Early intervention in patients at ultra high risk of psychosis: benefits and risks
Authors: De Koning M. B. , Bloemen O. J. N. , Van Amelsvoort T. A. M. J. , Becker H. E. , Nieman D. H. , Van Der Gaag M. , Linszen D. H. 
Published: March 2009

Objective:  Prediction of transition to psychosis in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia has raised interest in intervention prior to the onset of frank psychosis. The aim of this review was to examine whether interventions in the prodromal phase have a favourable benefit/risk ratio.Method:  A literature search in PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO was performed.Results:  Three randomized clinical trials with antipsychotic medication and/or cognitive behavioural therapy as clinical intervention suggested a positive effect at the end of treatment, but no significant differences were found at the end of follow‐up periods from 1 to 4 years. Naturalistic studies present a hypothesis about a possible preventive effect of antidepressive medication. The results of eight other studies are more difficult to interpret. Side‐effects of antipsychotic medication and non‐adherence with medication are essential problems.Conclusion:  At the present time, the data concerning the benefits and risks do not justify prodromal intervention as standard clinical practice.
Pinpoint papular polymorphous light eruption in Asian skin: a variant in darker‐skinned individuals
Authors: Chiam Lynn Y. T. , Chong Wei‐Sheng 
Published: March 2009

Background: Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) is the most common idiopathic but probably immunologic photodermatosis and has wide morphological variants.Methods: The photobiological features of all patients diagnosed with the pinpoint papular variant of PMLE at a tertiary dermatology centre in Singapore over a five‐year period were retrospectively examined.Results: Twenty‐one patients were reviewed from 2003 to 2007. There were 11 (52.4%) Chinese, four (19%) Malays, five (23.8%) Indians and one (4%) Cambodian. 14 (66.7%) were males and seven (33.3%) were females. The face/neck (48%) and arms/forearms (95%) were most often affected. Nineteen (90.5%) had Fitzpatrick skin phototype IV and two (9.5%) had skin phototype V. Six (28.6%) had decreased minimal erythema dose (MED) to ultraviolet B (UVB) light only, one (4.8%) had decreased MED to ultraviolet A (UVA) light only and one had decreased MED to both UVA and UVB. Four patients had photoprovocation test done, of which three had positive testing to UVA and one had negative testing to both UVA and UVB. Two histological subtypes were found in our patients, one showing perivascular dermatitis and the other consistent with lichen nitidus.Conclusion: Our data suggest that pinpoint papular PMLE is not uncommon in darker‐skinned individuals in our cohort.
Indoor tanning in North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany: a self‐reported survey
Authors: Dissel Maria , Rotterdam Sebastian , Altmeyer Peter , Gambichler Thilo 
Published: March 2009

Background/aims: We examined the prevalence of indoor tanning in North Rhine‐Westphalia and identified correlates of sunbed use.Methods: During regular skin cancer screening campaigns 1242 subjects completed and returned a structured questionnaire on constitutional parameters and indoor tanning habits.Results: The regular sunbed user rate (more than 10 exposures/year) was 15.4% (191/1242). Most sunbed users were under 29 years of age. The number of female sunbed users was greater than the number of male users. Respondents with secondary modern school qualification used sunbeds more infrequently than respondents with junior high school and high school qualifications. Respondents with skin type III and IV used sunbeds more frequently. Tanning and preparation for sunny holidays were the main reasons for sunbed use. The most frequently reported positive effects experienced by means of sunbed use were improved appearance and relaxation. Most respondents indicated that they hardly or never had sunburns following indoor tanning. Almost half of respondents consider radiation generated by sunbeds somewhat dangerous.Conclusions: Use of indoor tanning in North Rhine‐Westphalia has increased and is significantly associated with female gender, younger age, high‐level education, and skin type III and IV. The motivation for sunbed use and benefits experienced are mainly based on the perception of improved appearance due to tan and increased sense of well‐being.
Isolation and characterization of 12 microsatellite loci for cross‐species amplification in the cyprinid gudgeons Squalidus chankaensis and S. japonicus
Authors: KAKIOKA RYO , WATANABE KATSUTOSHI , TAKESHIMA HIROHIKO , NISHIDA MUTSUMI 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTwelve dinucleotide markers were successfully isolated and characterized from a microsatellite‐enriched genomic library obtained for the gudgeon Squalidus chankaensis biwae. These markers were also available for the congeners S. c. tsuchigae and S. japonicus from Japan, which had five to 46 alleles and an expected heterozygosity ranging from zero to 0.946. Linkage equilibrium was observed at all loci, and most loci did not show significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The isolated microsatellite markers will be useful for genetic diversity studies of Squalidus populations.
Characterization of polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers in Hakea oldfieldii Benth. (Proteaceae)
Authors: BYRNE M. , HANKINSON M. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractA genomic library was constructed and 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for Hakea oldfieldii, a woody shrub endemic to southwest Western Australia. Polymorphism was investigated for these markers in 28 individuals from a single population located in restricted habitat at the base of the Whicher Range south of Busselton. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.279 to 0.770 and averaged 0.633. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.321 to 0.786 and averaged 0.598. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2.0 to 6.0 and averaged 4.5. These markers will be used to assay genetic diversity and pollen dispersal in this species.
Chromosomal Integration of the Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Gene
bla
CTX-M-15
in
Salmonella enterica
Serotype Concord Isolates from Internationally Adopted Children
Authors: Fabre Laëtitia , Delauné Aurélia , Espié Emmanuelle , Nygard Karin , Pardos Maria , Polomack Lucette , Guesnier Françoise , Galimand Marc , Lassen Jørgen , Weill François-Xavier 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

We report the emergence of
Salmonella enterica
isolates of serotype Concord (and its monophasic variant 6,7:l,v:-) producing the extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) SHV-12 and CTX-M-15 in France and Norway between 2001 and 2006 (43 in France and 26 in Norway). The majority of these isolates were from adopted children from Ethiopia, most of whom were healthy carriers. Several symptomatic secondary cases were found in the adoptive families and health care facilities in France. Serotype Concord isolates collected before 2003 produced SHV-12 encoded on a 340-kb conjugative plasmid of replicon IncI1. Isolates collected after 2003 produced CTX-M-15. We detected two conjugative plasmids carrying
bla
CTX-M-15
. One plasmid, approximately 300 kb in size, was positive for the IncHI2 replicon and the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance gene
qnrA1
. The other plasmid, from one of the earliest CTX-M-15-producing isolates collected, was a fusion plasmid with IncY and IncA/C
2
replicons and was 200 kb in size. However, we showed, using Southern hybridization of I-CeuI-digested chromosomal DNA and S1 nuclease analysis of plasmid DNA, that most isolates had a
bla
CTX-M-15
gene located on chromosomal DNA. Analysis of the flanking regions of the chromosomally located
bla
CTX-M-15
gene by cloning revealed an IS
Ecp1
truncated by an intact IS
26
upstream from the
bla
CTX-M-15
gene and a truncated
orf477
gene downstream from
bla
CTX-M-15
. We found regions beyond the IS
26
and the
orf477
genes that were derived from IncA/C
2
plasmids, suggesting the chromosomal integration of part of the
bla
CTX-M-15
-carrying IncY and IncA/C
2
fusion plasmid from early CTX-M-15-producing isolates.
Violacein Extracted from
Chromobacterium violaceum
Inhibits
Plasmodium
Growth In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Lopes Stefanie C. P. , Blanco Yara C. , Justo Giselle Z. , Nogueira Paulo A. , Rodrigues Francisco L. S. , Goelnitz Uta , Wunderlich Gerhard , Facchini Gustavo , Brocchi Marcelo , Duran Nelson , Costa Fabio T. M. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

Violacein is a violet pigment extracted from the gram-negative bacterium
Chromobacterium violaceum
. It presents bactericidal, tumoricidal, trypanocidal, and antileishmanial activities. We show that micromolar concentrations efficiently killed chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant
Plasmodium falciparum
strains in vitro; inhibited parasitemia in vivo, even after parasite establishment; and protected
Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi
-infected mice from a lethal challenge.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Famciclovir in Children with Herpes Simplex or Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection
Authors: Sáez-Llorens X. , Yogev R. , Arguedas A. , Rodriguez A. , Spigarelli M. G. , De León Castrejón T. , Bomgaars L. , Roberts M. , Abrams B. , Zhou W. , Looby M. , Kaiser G. , Hamed K. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

Two multicenter, open-label, single-arm, two-phase studies evaluated single-dose pharmacokinetics and single- and multiple-dose safety of a pediatric oral famciclovir formulation (prodrug of penciclovir) in children aged 1 to 12 years with suspicion or evidence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) or varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection. Pooled pharmacokinetic data were generated after single doses in 51 participants (∼12.5 mg/kg of body weight [BW] for children weighing <40 kg and 500 mg for children weighing ≥40 kg). The average systemic exposure to penciclovir was similar (6- to 12-year-olds) or slightly lower (1- to <6-year-olds) than that in adults receiving a 500-mg dose of famciclovir (historical data). The apparent clearance of penciclovir increased with BW in a nonlinear manner, proportional to BW
0.696
. An eight-step weight-based dosing regimen was developed to optimize exposure in smaller children and was used in the 7-day multiple-dose safety phases of both studies, which enrolled 100 patients with confirmed/suspected viral infections. Twenty-six of 47 (55.3%) HSV-infected patients who received famciclovir twice a day and 24 of 53 (45.3%) VZV-infected patients who received famciclovir three times a day experienced at least one adverse event. Most adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature. Exploratory analysis following 7-day famciclovir dosing regimen showed resolution of symptoms in most children with active HSV (19/21 [90.5%]) or VZV disease (49/53 [92.5%]). Famciclovir formulation (sprinkle capsules in OraSweet) was acceptable to participants/caregivers. In summary, we present a weight-adjusted dosing schedule for children that achieves systemic exposures similar to those for adults given the 500-mg dose.
Plasmodium falciparumNa+/H+Exchanger 1 Transporter Is Involved in Reduced Susceptibility to Quinine
Authors: Henry Maud , Briolant Sébastien , Zettor Agnès , Pelleau Stéphane , Baragatti Meili , Baret Eric , Mosnier Joel , Amalvict Rémy , Fusai Thierry , Rogier Christophe , Pradines Bruno 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTPolymorphisms in thePlasmodium falciparum crt(Pfcrt), Pfmdr1, and Pfmrpgenes were not significantly associated with quinine (QN) 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) in 23 strains ofPlasmodium falciparum. An increased number of DNNND repeats in Pfnhe-1microsatellite ms4760 was associated with an increased IC50of QN (P= 0.0007). Strains with only one DNNND repeat were more susceptible to QN (mean IC50of 154 nM). Strains with two DNNND repeats had intermediate susceptibility to QN (mean IC50of 548 nM). Strains with three DNNND repeats had reduced susceptibility to QN (mean IC50of 764 nM). Increased numbers of NHNDNHNNDDD repeats were associated with a decreased IC50of QN (P= 0.0020). Strains with profile 7 for Pfnhe-1ms4760 (ms4760-7) were significantly associated with reduced QN susceptibility (mean IC50of 764 nM). The determination of DNNND and NHNDNHNNDDD repeats in Pfnhe-1ms4760 could be a good marker of QN resistance and provide an attractive surveillance method to monitor temporal trends inP. falciparumsusceptibility to QN. The validity of the markers should be further supported by analyzing more isolates.
Gene Expression and Evolution of Antifungal Drug Resistance
Authors: Anderson James B. , Sirjusingh Caroline , Syed Nazia , Lafayette Shantelle 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

Permanent changes in gene expression result from certain forms of antifungal resistance. In this study, we asked whether any changes in gene expression are required for the evolution of a drug-resistant phenotype in populations. We examined the changes in gene expression resulting from the evolution of resistance in experimental populations of the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
with two antifungal drugs, fluconazole (FLC) in a previous study and amphotericin B (AmB) in this study, in which five populations were subjected to increasing concentrations of AmB, from 0.25 to 128 μg/ml in twofold increments. Six genes, YGR035C,
YOR1
,
ICT1
,
GRE2
,
PDR16
, and YPLO88W, were consistently overexpressed with resistance to AmB reported here and with resistance to FLC involving a mechanism of increased efflux reported previously. We then asked if the deletion of these genes impaired the ability of populations to evolve resistance to FLC over 108 generations of asexual reproduction in 32 and 128 μg/ml FLC, the same conditions under which FLC-resistant types evolved originally. For each of three deletion strains,
YOR1
,
ICT1
, and
PDR16
strains, extinctions occurred in one of two replicate populations growing in 128 μg/ml FLC. Each of these three deletion strains was mixed 1:1 with a marked version of the wild type to measure the relative ability of the deletion strain to adapt over 108 generations. In these assays, only the
PDR16
deletion strain consistently became extinct both at 32 and at 128 μg/ml FLC. The deletion of
PDR16
reduces the capacity of a population to evolve to resistance to FLC.
An ABC Transporter of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Involved in Susceptibility to Vancoresmycin and Bacitracin
Authors: Becker Petra , Hakenbeck Regine , Henrich Bernhard 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

Vancoresmycin is a novel tetramic acid antibiotic, probably interfering with functions of the cytoplasmic membrane. To investigate its mode of action, mutants of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
exhibiting reduced susceptibility to vancoresmycin were isolated at a low frequency. Four of them were further examined and showed similar pleiotropic phenotypes, including reduced growth rate, early autolysis, and chain formation. In one mutant, the level of transcripts from a single locus encoding the potential ABC transporter Spr0812-Spr0813 was increased sixfold. The corresponding DNA sequence revealed a nonsense mutation (C1744T) in spr0813, leading to the formation of a truncated permease lacking 2 of the 10 predicted transmembrane helices. As demonstrated by deletion and transformation analysis and reconstructing the spr0813
C1744T
mutation in the wild-type background, this nucleotide exchange was sufficient to cause reduced susceptibility to vancoresmycin and higher amounts of spr0812-spr0813 mRNA. Mapping and reporter assays of the cognate promoter P

abc

showed that spr0812 and spr0813 are cotranscribed with a preceding small gene and that the spr0813
C1744T
mutation does not affect the activity of P

abc

. Due to the similarity of Spr0812-Spr0813 to bacitracin transporters of
Streptococcus mutans
and
Bacillus
spp., the bacitracin susceptibility of spr0813 mutants was examined. Both the spr0813
C1744T
nonsense mutation and the deletion of the transporter genes led to a clearly increased sensitivity to bacitracin. Thus, the intact transporter is required for intrinsic resistance to bacitracin, whereas reduced vancoresmycin susceptibility is mediated by the truncated permease.