bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Protean agonism of the lysophosphatidic acid receptor‐1 with Ki16425 reduces nerve growth factor‐induced neurite outgrowth in pheochromocytoma 12 cells
Authors: Moughal Noreen A. , Waters Catherine M. , Valentine William J. , Connell Michelle , Richardson Jill C. , Tigyi Gabor , Pyne Susan , Pyne Nigel J. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe report here a novel role for the constitutively active lysophosphatidic acid receptor‐1 (LPA1) receptor in providing Gβγ subunits for use by the Trk A receptor. This enhances the ability of nerve growth factor (NGF) to promote signalling and cell response. These conclusions were based on three lines of evidence. Firstly, the LPA1 receptor was co‐immunoprecipitated with the Trk A receptor from lysates, suggesting that these proteins form a complex. Secondly, Ki16425, a selective protean agonist of the LPA1 receptor, decreased constitutive basal and LPA‐induced LPA1 receptor‐stimulated GTPγS binding. Ki16425 reduced the LPA‐induced activation of p42/p44 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), while acting as a weak stimulator of p42/p44 MAPK on its own, properties typical of a protean agonist. Significantly, Ki16425 also reduced the NGF‐induced stimulation of p42/p44 MAPK and inhibited NGF‐stimulated neurite outgrowth. Thirdly, the over‐expression of the C‐terminal GRK‐2 peptide, which sequesters Gβγ subunits, reduced the NGF‐induced activation of p42/p44 MAPK. In contrast, the stimulation of PC12 cells with LPA leads to a predominant Giα2‐mediated Trk A‐independent activation of p42/p44 MAPK, where Gβγ subunits play a diminished role. These findings suggest a novel role for the constitutively active LPA1 receptor in regulating NGF‐induced neuronal differentiation.
Molecular phylogeny of treecreepers (Certhia) detects hidden diversity†
Authors: TIETZE DIETER THOMAS , MARTENS JOCHEN , SUN YUE‐HUA 
Published: July 2006

We sequenced a part of the mitochondrial cytochrome‐b gene from the seven treecreeper species, including 18 subspecies, to reconstruct the phylogeny of the genusCerthia. Species status of all seven species could be affirmed.Certhia discolor,C. himalayana,C.nipalensis, andC.tianquanensis, the species with relatively small distribution ranges in southeast Asia and simple territorial song, are found at the base of all phylogenetic trees, although without good support. A comparatively recent sister species ofC. tianquanensisisC. nipalensis, replacingC. discoloras closest relative.Certhia familiaris,C. brachydactylaandC. americanaform a derived set of species (again only weak support). The closest relative ofC. americanaisC. brachydactyla. TheC. familiarissubtree is deeply split into two well‐defined population groups: a Eurasian group including populations in northern China (Qinling range northward and all Eurasia) and a Sino‐Himalayan group (Himalayas and China excluding northern China). In accordance with acoustic characters, the three subspecieshodgsoni,mandelliiandkhamensisof the Sino‐Himalayan group are combined and elevated to species rank:Certhia hodgsoni.Certhia discolor manipurensisis deeply split from nominatediscoloras well, and is also promoted to species level. WithinC. brachydactyla(western palearctic) and withinC. hodgsoni(Himalayas, China) several populations form well‐supported separate lineages that diverged quite recently and represent subspecies level. In all other species, molecular–genetic and vocal characters support traditional species delimitation.
Nest survival and productivity of the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius
Authors: WATSON M. , WILSON J. M. , KOSHKIN M. , SHERBAKOV B. , KARPOV F. , GAVRILOV A. , SCHIELZETH H. , BROMBACHER M. , COLLAR N. J. , CRESSWELL W. 
Published: July 2006

The Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius is a critically endangered species, probably declining from 5000 pairs to 500 pairs in 11 years. Fieldwork was conducted at two sites in Kazakhstan, May–August 2004, to identify causes of the species’ decline. In total, 58 nests and a minimum of 36 broods in 16 colonies were found: colonies consisted of 1–8 nests that were on average 154 m apart, with 2.1 km between colonies. Although classified as biparental, the total proportion of time both parents spent incubating was low (77 ± 2% se, n = 13 nests). Daily survival rates (Mayfield method) were very low during incubation (0.943 ± 0.009 se) but high during the chick stage (0.986 ± 0.004 se); incubation and chick‐stage durations were found to be 28.5 and 29 days, respectively, so that the overall probability of any breeding attempt fledging chicks was 0.124 (0.055–0.274 95% confidence interval). A breeding attempt that produced fledglings, fledged 2.2 ± 0.2 se chicks (n = 26) on average. Observed productivity predicted the population decline over the last 11 years well (using the maximum number of nesting attempts per pair of 1.4 that could have occurred in this study, and assuming an adult and first‐year survival rate of 0.74 and 0.60, respectively, based on the means for Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus and Golden Plover Pluvialis apricalia). Nest survival during incubation (controlling for colony effects) may have been longer for nests in predominantly Artemisia rather than grass habitat. Mean nest survival for a colony was higher in areas with more bare ground and more nest predators, suggesting that predators were relatively unimportant in nest (egg or chick) mortality, but was lower in areas with high numbers of cattle, suggesting that trampling was important (64% of known‐cause nest failures, n = 11, were trampled). Nests were preferentially sited in areas of Artemisia, where there was greater dung abundance, and probably shorter vegetation, suggesting that highly grazed vegetation is important for nesting. Chicks preferentially selected areas with a lower percentage of bare ground and possibly taller vegetation, suggesting that more vegetated areas are important for chicks. The results suggest that low egg survival due to nesting in areas of high grazer density may be responsible for the Sociable Lapwing's decline. Although grazers may create suitable vegetation for initial nesting, if those grazers remain at high density as in anthropogenic systems then they may reduce nest survival, probably through trampling. Experimentally maintaining grazing early but reducing it later in the breeding season is the logical first step in managing the species to increase egg survival and so to increase productivity.
Experimental tail elongation in male Barn SwallowsHirundo rusticareduces provisioning of young, but only in second broods
Authors: CUERVO JOSÉ J. , MØLLER ANDERS P. 
Published: July 2006

At the beginning of the breeding season, the outermost tail feathers of 31 male Barn SwallowsHirundo rusticawere either shortened by 20 mm, elongated by 20 mm or left unmanipulated. In first broods, the number of feeding bouts (per nestling per hour) by males and females did not differ significantly among experimental groups. However, in second broods, males with elongated tails fed their nestlings less often than males with shortened or unmanipulated tails. Male tail elongation may have been detrimental to flight, making capture of insects more difficult. Females paired to long‐tailed males did not compensate for this reduction in feeding by males and their nestlings received less food. Neither feeding rates nor brood size differed significantly between first and second broods. Variation in abundance of large insects at different times of the day (high around noon and low in the morning and afternoon) matched variation in feeding rates, supporting the importance of large insects in the Barn Swallow diet. Different feeding rate patterns in first and second broods by males with elongated tails could have at least three explanations: (1) such males were able to adjust their parental effort to some extent, temporarily compensating for an imposed handicap; (2) they were more sensitive than males in the other experimental groups to late season food shortage (a decrease in numbers of large insects, the main Barn Swallow prey, was observed as the season progressed); and (3) they were more sensitive than males in the other experimental groups to the deterioration in their physical condition after first broods.
Is Some Provider Advice on Smoking Cessation Better Than No Advice? An Instrumental Variable Analysis of the 2001 National Health Interview Survey
Authors: Bao Yuhua , Duan Naihua , Fox Sarah A. 
Published: July 2006

Research Objective. To estimate the effect of provider advice in routine clinical contacts on patient smoking cessation outcome.Data Source. The Sample Adult File from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey. We focus on adult patients who were either current smokers or quit during the last 12 months and had some contact with the health care providers or facilities they most often went to for acute or preventive care.Study Design. We estimate a joint model of self‐reported smoking cessation and ever receiving advice to quit during medical visits in the past 12 months. Because providers are more likely to advise heavier smokers and/or patients already diagnosed with smoking‐related conditions, we use provider advice for diet/nutrition and for physical activity reported by the same patient as instrumental variables for smoking cessation advice to mitigate the selection bias. We conduct additional analyses to examine the robustness of our estimate against the various scenarios by which the exclusion restriction of the instrumental variables may fail.Principal Findings. Provider advice doubles the chances of success in (self‐reported) smoking cessation by their patients. The probability of quitting by the end of the 12‐month reference period increased from 6.9 to 14.7 percent, an effect that is of both statistical (p<.001) and clinical significance.Conclusions. Provider advice delivered in routine practice settings has a substantial effect on the success rate of smoking cessation among smoking patients. Providing advice consistently to all smoking patients, compared with routine care, is more effective than doubling the federal excise tax and, in the longer run, likely to outperform some of the other tobacco control policies such as banning smoking in private workplaces.
How Do Doctors in Different Countries Manage the Same Patient? Results of a Factorial Experiment
Authors: McKinlay John , Link Carol , Arber Sara , Marceau Lisa , O'Donnell Amy , Adams Ann 
Published: July 2006

Objective.To determine the relative contributions of: (1) patient attributes; (2) provider characteristics; and (3) health care systems to health care disparities in the management of coronary heart disease (CHD) and depression.Data Sources/Study Setting.Primary experimental data were collected in 2001–2 from 256 randomly sampled primary care providers in the U.S. (Massachusetts) and the U.K. (Surrey, Southeast London, and the West Midlands).Study Design.Two factorial experiments were conducted in which physicians were shown, in random order, two clinically authentic videotapes of “patients” presenting with symptoms strongly suggestive of CHD and depression. “Patient” characteristics (age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status [SES]) were systematically varied, permitting estimation of unconfounded main effects and the interaction of patient, provider, and system‐level influences.Data Collection/Data Extraction Methods.Analysis of variance was used to measure provider decision‐making outcomes, including diagnosis, information seeking, test ordering, prescribing behavior, lifestyle recommendations, and referrals/follow‐ups.Principal Findings.There is a high level of consistency in decision making for CHD and depression between the U.S. and the U.K. Most physicians in both countries correctly identified conditions depicted in the vignettes, although U.S. doctors engage in more information seeking, are more likely to prescribe medications, and are more certain of their diagnoses than their U.K. counterparts. The absence of any national differences in test ordering is consistent for both of the medical conditions depicted. U.K. physicians, however, were more likely than U.S. physicians to make lifestyle recommendations for CHD and to refer those patients to other providers.Conclusions.Substantively, these findings point to the importance of patient and provider characteristics in understanding between‐country differences in clinical decision making. Methodologically, our use of a factorial experiment highlights the potential of these methods for health services research—especially the estimation of the influence of patient attributes, provider characteristics, and between‐country differences in the quality of medical care.
Cinemas of Empire
Authors: Chapman James 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThis article surveys the subject of ‘Cinemas of Empire’ from the 1930s to the present. It discusses the role of the American and British cinemas in promoting an ideology of popular imperialism during the 1930s and how the genre of ‘imperial film’ was modified in response to political and cultural determinants during and after the Second World War as it came to terms with the retreat from empire. It then considers the emergence of a radical anti‐colonialist cinema in the Third World during the 1960s. It concludes by showing how postcolonial discourse has informed the national cinemas of Australia, Ireland and India in recent decades.
Women's perception of sexuality during pregnancy and after birth
Authors: Gerda TRUTNOVSKY , Josef HAAS , Uwe LANG , Edgar PETRU 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground:  Pregnancy and birth mark a distinct period in the life of a woman. Hormonal alterations and bodily and social changes impact on women's physical well‐being, mood, relationship and sexuality. Most existing research on sexuality during pregnancy focuses on the quantitative analysis of sexual activities, but neglects subjective experiences of women.Aims:  To examine women's sexual needs, sexual activities, subjective importance of sexuality and contentment with sex life, focusing on the changes over the course of pregnancy and post‐partum.Methods:  Twenty‐six women completed a series of three extensive interviews in early and late pregnancy, as well as 6 months post‐partum. A semiqualitative approach, combining visual analogue scales and a semistructured interview with self‐developed questions, was used.Results:  The statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease of perceived ‘importance of sexuality’, ‘importance of sexual intercourse’ and ‘contentment with present sex life’, from prepregnancy over early pregnancy to late pregnancy, which was followed by a slight increase in the post‐partum period. Samples from the structured interviews provide a detailed insight into female experiences, perceptions and opinions, and demonstrate the high interindividual variability.Conclusion:  Doctors can provide invaluable advice to women regarding the psychosexual changes and help them to understand the normal fluctuations in sexual interest during pregnancy and the post‐partum.
After the FLUSH trial: A prospective observational study of lipiodol flushing as an innovative treatment for unexplained and endometriosis‐related infertility
Authors: BRENT Kira , HADDEN Wendy E. , WESTON‐WEBB Marianne , JOHNSON Neil P. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractObjectives:  To assess the demographics, efficacy and safety of lipiodol flushing fertility treatment.Design:  Prospective observational study.Setting:  Secondary level care infertility clinic and radiology centre based in Auckland, New Zealand.Population:  The first cohort of 100 New Zealand women with infertility to undergo lipiodol flushing as an innovative fertility treatment.Methods:  Women received lipiodol flushing performed by a hysterosalpingogram technique and were followed up at 6 months.Main outcome measures:  Clinical pregnancy at 6 months post‐treatment; and live birth or ongoing pregnancy.Results:  The overall pregnancy rate was 30% and the live birth or ongoing pregnancy rate 27%. For women under 40 years old, a 32% pregnancy rate and a 25% live birth or ongoing pregnancy rate were seen in women with unexplained infertility, and a 50% pregnancy rate and a 47% live birth or ongoing pregnancy rate were seen in women with endometriosis. Of women aged 40 years and older, the pregnancy rate was 13% and the live birth or ongoing pregnancy rate was 13%. The pregnancy rates included those occurring after additional interventions, such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilisation, accounting for 12 of the 30 pregnancies. There were no treatment complications.Conclusion:  This study provides further evidence of the efficacy and safety of lipiodol flushing fertility treatment.
Survey of Australasian clinicians’ prior beliefs concerning lipiodol flushing as a treatment for infertility: A Bayesian study
Authors: JOHNSON Neil P. , FISHER Rosalie A. , BRAUNHOLTZ David A. , GILLETT Wayne R. , LILFORD Richard J. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractObjective:  To evaluate clinicians’ beliefs concerning the effectiveness of lipiodol flushing as a treatment for unexplained infertility, and to integrate these prior beliefs with evidence from randomised trials.Design:  Survey.Setting:  Specialists in Australasian in vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics in 2001.Methods:  One of two types of structured survey was used to gather information from fertility specialists in Australasian IVF clinics. Prior beliefs were captured graphically and textually from responses.Results:  Nineteen specialists returned questionnaires. Eighteen of the 19 specialists believed that lipiodol flushing was more likely to be beneficial than harmful. The most widely held prior belief, reflected in both textual and numerical responses, was that lipiodol was likely to produce a small beneficial response. The credible limits of this belief were compatible with a reasonable fertility benefit, as more than 50% believed that a 1.5‐fold increase in pregnancy rate was plausible. The two surveys found that a 1.2‐fold or 1.4‐fold increase in pregnancy rate was the median expected level of benefit at which clinicians would have been inclined to recommend lipiodol flushing to their patients (combined range 1.1‐ to 2.3‐fold) – new evidence suggests that for women with endometriosis but otherwise unexplained infertility, these levels of benefit are exceeded.Conclusions:  Among Australasian fertility specialists there is variation in prior beliefs concerning the effectiveness of lipiodol flushing as a treatment for unexplained infertility and in the expected level of benefit at which clinicians are inclined to recommend this treatment. Generalisability of these beliefs remains uncertain owing to a low study response rate.
Birth outcomes for teenage women in New South Wales, 1998–2003
Authors: ROBSON Stephen , CAMERON Carolyn A. , ROBERTS Christine L. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground:  Pregnancy and childbirth in teenage women are associated with obstetric and social risks, and there is evidence that the birth rate among teenagers in rural and remote areas of Australia is not in decline. The combination of non‐urban residence and young age at delivery might define a subgroup of women at special risk of adverse birth outcomes.Aims:  To compare birth outcomes of New South Wales (NSW) teenagers residing in rural and remote areas with those living in larger centres with greater access to services.Methods:  Outcomes for all singleton deliveries to teenage women living in NSW during the period 1998–2003 were reviewed. The women's place of residence was assigned an ARIA (Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia) classification according to remoteness and access to services. Analysis included obstetric factors (such as parity), and smoking status. Logistic regression analysis was undertaken to examine the impact of maternal factors on obstetric outcomes.Results:  During the study period, 21 880 teenage women had singleton deliveries. Babies of teenage mothers in very remote areas had higher rates of preterm birth, small‐for‐gestational age and stillbirth. Rates of smoking were higher in more remote areas, and smoking correlated with preterm birth and stillbirth.Conclusions:  Teenagers living in remote areas of NSW face a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes than their urban cousins.
End‐of‐life experience of demented elderly patients at home: findings from DEATH project
Authors: HIRAKAWA Yoshihisa , MASUDA Yuichiro , KUZUYA Masafumi , KIMATA Takaya , IGUCHI Akihisa , UEMURA Kazumasa 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground:  As the number of demented elderly patients choosing to die at home continues to rise, it is important to ascertain how cognitive impairment is associated with symptom experience and end‐of‐life care received at home. A number of studies have suggested that patients with dementia often receive poor end‐of‐life care, with inadequate pain or other symptom control, so far however, very little research has dealt with community settings. The aim of the present study is to compare symptom experience and end‐of‐life care received by home patients based on cognitive function.Methods:  The present data was obtained from the Dying Elderly at Home (DEATH) project, a multicenter observational study conducted in Japan. The following information was collected: decedent characteristics, observed symptoms and end‐of‐life care provided during the last 48 h of life. A total of 98 decedents with dementia and 112 decedents without dementia were included in the analysis. To assess the differences in characteristics and clinical course among decedents, the survey data was divided into two groups: dementia and non‐dementia.Results:  Demented decedents were prone to incontinence or cough, but experienced relatively little pain, nausea and vomiting. Demented decedents were given more antibiotics but less opioids than non‐demented decedents. Also, they received a larger volume of intravenous infusion at 24–48 h before death. After controlling for age and other differences in baseline characteristics, dementia was determined to be a significant independent predictor of incontinence or uncontrolled pain. After controlling for age, other differences in baseline characteristics and symptom experience, dementia was determined not to be a significant independent predictor of use of antibiotics or opioids.Conclusions:  Our findings suggest that dementia itself was an independent predictor of incontinence or less pain, and that it was not a significant independent predictor of use of end‐of‐life in a home setting.