bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do longer consultations improve the management of psychological problems in general practice? A systematic literature review
Authors: Hutton Catherine , Gunn Jane 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Background
Psychological problems present a huge burden of illness in our community and GPs are the main providers of care. There is evidence that longer consultations in general practice are associated with improved quality of care; but this needs to be balanced against the fact that doctor time is a limited resource and longer consultations may lead to reduced access to health care.
The aim of this research was to conduct a systematic literature review to determine whether management of psychological problems in general practice is associated with an increased consultation length and to explore whether longer consultations are associated with better health outcomes for patients with psychological problems.

Methods
A search was conducted on Medline (Ovid) databases up to7 June 2006. The following search terms, were used:
general practice or primary health care (free text) or family practice (MeSH)
AND consultation length or duration (free text) or time factors (MeSH)
AND depression or psychological problems or depressed (free text).
A similar search was done in Web of Science, Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library and no other papers were found.
Studies were included if they contained data comparing consultation length and management or detection of psychological problems in a general practice or primary health care setting. The studies were read and categories developed to enable systematic data extraction and synthesis.

Results
29 papers met the inclusion criteria. Consultations with a recorded diagnosis of a psychological problem were reported to be longer than those with no recorded psychological diagnosis. It is not clear if this is related to the extra time or the consultation style. GPs reported that time pressure is a major barrier to treating depression. There was some evidence that increased consultation length is associated with more accurate diagnosis of psychological problems.

Conclusion
Further research is needed to elucidate the factors in longer consultations that are associated with greater detection of psychological problems, and to determine the association between the detection of psychological problems and the attitude, gender, age or training of the GP and the age, gender and socioeconomic status of the patient. These are important considerations if general practice is to deal more effectively with people with psychological problems.
Biomechanical and system analysis of the human femoral bone: correlation and anatomical approach
Authors: Samaha Ali A , Ivanov Alexander V , Haddad John J , Kolesnik Alexander I , Baydoun Safaa , Yashina Irena N , Samaha Rana A , Ivanov Dimetry A 
Published: May 2007

AbstractBackgroundThe human femur is the subsystem of the locomotor apparatus and has got four levels of its organization. This phenomenon is the result of the evolution of the locomotor apparatus, encompassing both constitutional and individual variability. The main aim of this investigation was to study the organization of the human femur as a system of collaborating anatomical structures and, on the basis of system analysis, to define the less stable parameters, whose reorganization can cause the exchange of the system's status.MethodsTwenty-five (25) linear and non-linear (angle) parameters were, therefore, investigated by specially designed tool and caliper on a material of 166 macerated human femurs of adult individuals of both sexes. The absolute values were transformed into the relative one (1.0) by the meaning of the transverse diameter of the femoral diaphysis, and handled with current methods of descriptive statistical analysis. By the value of variance (q2), the results were distributed into four major classes.ResultsThe belonging of each group to the class was subsequently estimated in grades. According to this method, the excerpt was distributed into four classes as well depending on the total grades. The Pearson's coefficient in each class was calculated between the relative values of the investigated parameters. Two generations of system parameters were subsequently defined and analyzed.ConclusionThis study has derived that the system meaning of each level of the femoral organization is related to the 'shaping effect' of femoral units' functions. Inasmuch as the angular parameters were most instable at this system, they were defined as morphological substrates of the individual variety.
Simvastatin inhibits IFN-γ-induced CD40 gene expression by suppressing STAT-1α
Authors: Lee Sun Jung , Qin Hongwei , Benveniste Etty N 
Published: May 2007

AbstractCD40, a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, is critical for productive immune responses. Macrophages constitutively express CD40 at low levels, which are enhanced by IFN-γ. IFN-γ-induced CD40 expression involves activation of STAT-1α as well as NF-κB activation through an autocrine response to IFN-γ-induced TNF-α production. Statins are 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitors, which exert anti-inflammatory effects independent of their cholesterol-lowering actions. Herein, we describe that simvastatin (SS) inhibits IFN-γ-induced CD40 expression via the suppression of STAT-1α expression. This results in diminished STAT-1α recruitment to the CD40 promoter upon IFN-γ treatment, in addition to reduced RNA Polymerase II recruitment and diminished levels of H3 and H4 histone acetylation. SS-mediated inhibition of STAT-1α occurs through suppression of constitutive STAT-1α mRNA and protein expression. The inhibitory effect of SS on CD40 and STAT-1α is dependent on HMG-CoA reductase activity, as the addition of mevalonate reverses the inhibitory effect. In addition, CD40 and/or STAT-1α expression is inhibited by GGTI-298 or Clostridium difficile Toxin A, a specific inhibitor of Rho family protein prenylation, indicating the involvement of small GTP-binding proteins in this process. Collectively, these data indicate that SS inhibits IFN-γ-induced CD40 expression by suppression of STAT-1α, and altering transcriptional events at the CD40 promoter.
Virtual NO sensor for spark-ignition engines
Authors: Brand D , Onder C , Guzzella L 
Published: May 2007

A control-oriented, physics-based model for the estimation of the NO emissions of spark-ignition engines has been developed. The model consists of three submodels for the estimation of the in-cylinder pressure, of the burned gas temperature, and of the formation of NO. All submodels are based on physics first principles and chemical reactions. However, they are simplified in order to allow for an efficient evaluation in a control-oriented environment. The submodel of the pressure estimation incorporates a combustion model whose parameters are continuously adapted using the feedback of crankshaft angular velocity measurements. Measurement data have been acquired from a V6 3.2 1 engine at a set of reference operating points, each of them serving as a support point of the model parameters. Measurement data were obtained from variations of the operating conditions and compared with the corresponding simulations. The simulation results for the in-cylinder pressure and the engine-out NO emissions agree well with measured values, while the evaluation time of the model was shorter than the duration of one engine cycle. The calibration effort was found to be small, while the model demonstrated its capability to extrapolate engine behaviour beyond the calibration data set.
Profiling the Antibody Immune Response against Blood Stage Malaria Vaccine Candidates
Authors: Gray Julian C , Corran Patrick H , Mangia Elena , Gaunt Michael W , Li Qiuxiang , Tetteh Kevin KA , Polley Spencer D , Conway David J , Holder Anthony A , Bacarese-Hamilton Tito , Riley Eleanor M , Crisanti Andrea 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Background: The complexity and diversity of the antibody immune response to the antigen repertoire of a pathogen has long been appreciated. Although it has been recognized that the detection of antibodies against multiple antigens dramatically improves the clinical sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic assays, the prognostic value of serum reactivity profiles against multiple microbial antigens in protection has not been investigated.
Methods: Using malaria as a model we investigated whether antigen reactivity profiles in serum of children with different levels of clinical immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria correlated with protection. We developed a microarray immunoassay of 18 recombinant antigens derived from 4 leading blood-stage vaccine candidates for P. falciparum [merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1), MSP2, MSP3, and apical membrane antigen (AMA)-1]. Associations between observed reactivity profiles and clinical status were sought using k-means clustering and phylogenetic networks.
Results: The antibody immune response was unexpectedly complex, with different combinations of antigens recognized in different children. Serum reactivity to individual antigens did not correlate with immune status. By contrast, combined recognition of AMA-1 and allelic variants of MSP2 was significantly associated with protection against clinical malaria. This finding was confirmed independently by k-means clustering and phylogenetic networking.
Conclusions: The analysis of reactivity profiles provides a wealth of novel information about the immune response against microbial organisms that would pass unnoticed in analysis of reactivity to antigens individually. Extension of this approach to a large fraction of the proteome may expedite the identification of correlates of protection and vaccine development against microbial diseases.
Review of Truth or Profit: The Ethics and Business of Public Accounting by Dean Neu and Duncan Green
Authors: Gunz Sally P. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTTruth or Profit: The Ethics and Business of Public Accounting, by Dean Neu and Duncan Green, addresses timely issues from an original and creative perspective. The subtitle of the book describes its theme ‐ namely, the tension between the business and professional “calling” of the public accounting profession in Canada. It tracks the history of the public accounting profession in Canada from its inception until 2006, often through the eyes of the editor of the principal contemporary professional accounting magazine/journal. A subplot is that of the “normal accident", a term that is used to describe both the inevitability of this tension and the crises it produces from time to time. This work, slim (164 pages) and affordable, would be a useful resource for an upper‐level course that considers accounting ethics.Dans leur ouvrage Truth or Profit: The Ethics and Business of Public Accounting, Dean Neu et Duncan Green se penchent sur les questions de l'heure sous un angle original et créatif. Le sous‐titre du volume en indique le thème: celui de la tension entre les exigences commerciales de l'expertise comptable et ses exigences professionnelles, au Canada. Les auteurs relatent l'histoire de la profession d'expertise comptable au Canada, de sa création jusqu'en 2006, souvent à travers les yeux de l'éditeur du principal magazine contemporain sur la profession comptable. L'ouvrage traite, au second plan, de l'«accident normal», expression utilisée pour décrire à la fois le caractère inévitable de cette tension et les crises qu'elle provoque, à intervalle. L'ouvrage, succinct (164 pages) et abordable, peut être une ressource utile dans le cadre d'un cours de niveau supérieur portant sur l'éthique de la comptabilité.
La Chevrotière, Coopérative agro‐alimentaire*
Authors: Morissette Raymond , Turbide Johanne 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTL'histoire de La Chevrotière est celle du développement d'une coopérative agricole en milieu rural québécois. Fondée en 1925, la coopérative La Chevrotière a connu une croissance contrôlée en étant à l'affût d'occasions d'affaires correspondant à son orientation de développement, pour et par le milieu agricole régional. Ses principaux secteurs d'activité étaient ceux de la machinerie agricole et de l'approvisionnement de la ferme. Par la suite, La Chevrotière a étendu ses activités aux secteurs de la production porcine, du fromage et de la transformation du lait (beurre et crème glacée). La coopérative emploie aujourd'hui 738 personnes.Le cas se déroule le 9 janvier 2006, lors d'une réunion du conseil d'administration ayant pour objet l'analyse des résultats financiers de l'exercice terminé le 31 décembre 2005, la révision du plan stratégique triennal et l'approbation du budget de fonctionnement pour le prochain exercice. C'est la première fois en dix ans que la coopérative n'a pas atteint ses objectifs financiers. De plus, les membres du conseil d'administration doivent choisir, parmi trois projets d'investissement majeurs, lequel s'arrime le mieux à leur plan stratégique triennal.Nota: Une version anglaise de ce cas ainsi que les notes d'enseignement en français et en anglais sont également disponibles. Les notes d'enseignement relatives aux cas didactiques ne sont pas publiées dans la revue mais sont mises à la disposition des abonnés qui sont membres à part entière de l'ACPC, dans une zone du site Web de l'ACPC protégée par un mot de passe. Rendez‐vous à l'adresse https://www.caaa.ca/fr/publications-et-recherche/perspectives-comptables-pc/notes-p%C3%A9dagogiques/ pour pouvoir consulter ces notes.The “La Chevrotière” case tells the story of the development of a food co‐operative ("Co‐op") located in rural Quebec. Founded in 1925, the La Chevrotière Co‐operative has enjoyed regular growth by pursuing business opportunities aligned with the Co‐op's path of development ‐ for and by means of regional agriculture. Initially, its two main sectors of activities were farm machinery and agricultural supplies. With time, La Chevrotière has extended its activities to include pork production, cheese making, and milk processing (butter and ice cream). Today, the Co‐op has a staff of 738.The case unfolds on January 9, 2006, during a board of directors meeting whose purpose is to analyze the financial results of the period ended December 31, 2005; to review the three‐year strategic plan; and to approve the operating budget for the next period. This is the first time in 10 years that the Co‐op has not attained its financial objectives. Moreover, the members of the board of directors must take a hard look at three major investment projects and choose the one which fits in best with their three‐year strategic plan.
Functional Analysis of Maize RAD51 in Meiosis and Double-Strand Break Repair
Authors: Li Jin , Harper Lisa C , Golubovskaya Inna , Wang C Rachel , Weber David , Meeley Robert B , McElver John , Bowen Ben , Cande W Zacheus , Schnable Patrick S 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIn Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rad51p plays a central role in homologous recombination and the repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs). Double mutants of the two Zea mays L. (maize) rad51 homologs are viable and develop well under normal conditions, but are male sterile and have substantially reduced seed set. Light microscopic analyses of male meiosis in these plants reveal reduced homologous pairing, synapsis of nonhomologous chromosomes, reduced bivalents at diakinesis, numerous chromosome breaks at anaphase I, and that &gt;33% of quartets carry cells that either lack an organized nucleolus or have two nucleoli. This indicates that RAD51 is required for efficient chromosome pairing and its absence results in nonhomologous pairing and synapsis. These phenotypes differ from those of an Arabidopsis rad51 mutant that exhibits completely disrupted chromosome pairing and synapsis during meiosis. Unexpectedly, surviving female gametes produced by maize rad51 double mutants are euploid and exhibit near-normal rates of meiotic crossovers. The finding that maize rad51 double mutant embryos are extremely susceptible to radiation-induced DSBs demonstrates a conserved role for RAD51 in the repair of mitotic DSBs in plants, vertebrates, and yeast.
The Plexin PLX-2 and the Ephrin EFN-4 Have Distinct Roles in MAB-20/Semaphorin 2A Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans Morphogenesis
Authors: Nakao Fumi , Hudson Martin L , Suzuki Motoshi , Peckler Zachary , Kurokawa Rie , Liu Zhicen , Gengyo-Ando Keiko , Nukazuka Akira , Fujii Takashi , Suto Fumikazu , Shibata Yukimasa , Shioi Go , Fujisawa Hajime , Mitani Shohei , Chisholm Andrew D , Takagi Shin 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Semaphorins are extracellular proteins that regulate axon guidance and morphogenesis by interacting with a variety of cell surface receptors. Most semaphorins interact with plexin-containing receptor complexes, although some interact with non-plexin receptors. Class 2 semaphorins are secreted molecules that control axon guidance and epidermal morphogenesis in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that the C. elegans class 2 semaphorin MAB-20 binds the plexin PLX-2. plx-2 mutations enhance the phenotypes of hypomorphic mab-20 alleles but not those of mab-20 null alleles, indicating that plx-2 and mab-20 act in a common pathway. Both mab-20 and plx-2 mutations affect epidermal morphogenesis during embryonic and in postembryonic development. In both contexts, plx-2 null mutant phenotypes are much less severe than mab-20 null phenotypes, indicating that PLX-2 is not essential for MAB-20 signaling. Mutations in the ephrin efn-4 do not synergize with mab-20, indicating that EFN-4 may act in MAB-20 signaling. EFN-4 and PLX-2 are coexpressed in the late embryonic epidermis where they play redundant roles in MAB-20-dependent cell sorting.
Locating Multiple Interacting Quantitative Trait Loci Using Rank-Based Model Selection
Authors: Żak Małgorzata , Baierl Andreas , Bogdan Małgorzata , Futschik Andreas 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIn previous work, a modified version of the Bayesian information criterion (mBIC) was proposed to locate multiple interacting quantitative trait loci (QTL). Simulation studies and real data analysis demonstrate good properties of the mBIC in situations where the error distribution is approximately normal. However, as with other standard techniques of QTL mapping, the performance of the mBIC strongly deteriorates when the trait distribution is heavy tailed or when the data contain a significant proportion of outliers. In the present article, we propose a suitable robust version of the mBIC that is based on ranks. We investigate the properties of the resulting method on the basis of theoretical calculations, computer simulations, and a real data analysis. Our simulation results show that for the sample sizes typically used in QTL mapping, the methods based on ranks are almost as efficient as standard techniques when the data are normal and are much better when the data come from some heavy-tailed distribution or include a proportion of outliers.
A Maternal Screen for Genes Regulating Drosophila Oocyte Polarity Uncovers New Steps in Meiotic Progression
Authors: Barbosa Vitor , Kimm Naomi , Lehmann Ruth 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Meiotic checkpoints monitor chromosome status to ensure correct homologous recombination, genomic integrity, and chromosome segregation. In Drosophila, the persistent presence of double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) activates the ATR/Mei-41 checkpoint, delays progression through meiosis, and causes defects in DNA condensation of the oocyte nucleus, the karyosome. Checkpoint activation has also been linked to decreased levels of the TGFα-like molecule Gurken, which controls normal eggshell patterning. We used this easy-to-score eggshell phenotype in a germ-line mosaic screen in Drosophila to identify new genes affecting meiotic progression, DNA condensation, and Gurken signaling. One hundred eighteen new ventralizing mutants on the second chromosome fell into 17 complementation groups. Here we describe the analysis of 8 complementation groups, including Kinesin heavy chain, the SR protein kinase cuaba, the cohesin-related gene dPds5/cohiba, and the Tudor-domain gene montecristo. Our findings challenge the hypothesis that checkpoint activation upon persistent DSBs is exclusively mediated by ATR/Mei-41 kinase and instead reveal a more complex network of interactions that link DSB formation, checkpoint activation, meiotic delay, DNA condensation, and Gurken protein synthesis.
Multiple Functions of Drosophila BLM Helicase in Maintenance of Genome Stability
Authors: McVey Mitch , Andersen Sabrina L , Broze Yuri , Sekelsky Jeff 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Bloom Syndrome, a rare human disorder characterized by genomic instability and predisposition to cancer, is caused by mutation of BLM, which encodes a RecQ-family DNA helicase. The Drosophila melanogaster ortholog of BLM, DmBlm, is encoded by mus309. Mutations in mus309 cause hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents, female sterility, and defects in repairing double-strand breaks (DSBs). To better understand these phenotypes, we isolated novel mus309 alleles. Mutations that delete the N terminus of DmBlm, but not the helicase domain, have DSB repair defects as severe as those caused by null mutations. We found that female sterility is due to a requirement for DmBlm in early embryonic cell cycles; embryos lacking maternally derived DmBlm have anaphase bridges and other mitotic defects. These defects were less severe for the N-terminal deletion alleles, so we used one of these mutations to assay meiotic recombination. Crossovers were decreased to about half the normal rate, and the remaining crossovers were evenly distributed along the chromosome. We also found that spontaneous mitotic crossovers are increased by several orders of magnitude in mus309 mutants. These results demonstrate that DmBlm functions in multiple cellular contexts to promote genome stability.
Contrasting Effects of in Vitro Fertilization and Nuclear Transfer on the Expression of mtDNA Replication Factors
Authors: Bowles Emma J , Lee Joon-Hee , Alberio Ramiro , Lloyd Rhiannon E I , Stekel Dov , Campbell Keith H S , St. John Justin C 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is normally only inherited through the oocyte. However, nuclear transfer (NT), the fusion of a donor cell with an enucleated oocyte, can transmit both donor cell and recipient oocyte mtDNA. mtDNA replication is under the control of nuclear-encoded replication factors, such as polymerase gamma (POLG) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). These are first expressed during late preimplantation embryo development. To account for the persistence of donor cell mtDNA, even when introduced at residual levels (mtDNAR), we hypothesized that POLG and TFAM would be upregulated in intra- and interspecific (ovine–ovine) and intergeneric (caprine–ovine) NT embryos when compared to in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos. For the intra- and interspecific crosses, PolGA (catalytic subunit), PolGB (accessory subunit), and TFAM mRNA were expressed at the 2-cell stage in both nondepleted (mtDNA+) and mtDNAR embryos with protein being expressed up to the 16-cell stage for POLGA and TFAM. However, at the 16-cell stage, there was significantly more PolGA expression in the mtDNAR embryos compared to their mtDNA+ counterparts. Expression for all three genes first matched IVF embryos at the blastocyst stage. In the intergeneric model, POLG was upregulated during preimplantation development. Although these embryos did not persist further than the 16+-cell stage, significantly more mtDNAR embryos reached this stage. However, the vast majority of these embryos were homoplasmic for recipient oocyte mtDNA. The upreglation in mtDNA replication factors was most likely due to the donor cells still expressing these factors prior to NT.