bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Use of nicotine replacement therapy during pregnancy and stillbirth: a cohort study
Authors: Strandberg‐Larsen K , Tinggaard M , Nybo Andersen A‐M , Olsen J , Grønbæk M 
Published: October 2008

Objective  The objective of this study was to examine whether the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth.Design  Cohort study with prospective data.Setting  Denmark 1996–2002.Population  A total of 87 032 singleton pregnancies enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort for which information on NRT use as well as smoking was available.Methods  Outcome of pregnancy was identified by register linkage, with <1% loss to follow up. We conducted Cox regression analyses to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI of stillbirth according to the use of NRT, type of NRT use and a combination of NRT use and smoking.Main outcome measures  Stillbirth, defined as delivery of a dead fetus after 20 completed weeks of gestation.Results  A total of 495 pregnancies (5.7 in 1000 births) ended in stillbirth, 8 of which were among NRT users (4.2 in 1000 births). After adjustment for confounders, women who used NRT during pregnancy had a HR of 0.57 (95% CI 0.28–1.16) for stillbirth compared with those who did not use NRT. Smoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of stillbirth (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.17–1.82), while women who both smoked and used NRT had a HR of 0.83 (95% CI 0.34–2.00) compared with nonsmoking women who did not use NRT.Conclusion  Our study does not indicate that use of NRT during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth.
Can symptomatology help in the diagnosis of endometriosis? Findings from a national case–control study—Part 1
Authors: Ballard KD , Seaman HE , De Vries CS , Wright JT 
Published: October 2008

Objective  To determine the value of patient‐reported symptoms in diagnosing endometriosis.Design  A national case–control study.Setting  Data from the UK General Practice Research Database for years 1992–2001.Sample  A total of 5540 women aged 15–55 years, diagnosed with endometriosis, each matched to four controls without endometriosis.Methods  Data were analysed to determine whether specific symptoms were highly indicative of endometriosis. Odds ratios for these symptoms were derived by conditional logistic regression analysis.Main outcome measures  Symptoms associated with endometriosis.Results  The prevalence of diagnosed endometriosis was 1.5%. A greater proportion of women with endometriosis had abdominopelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea or menorrhagia (73%) compared with controls (20%). Compared with controls, women with endometriosis had increased risks of abdominopelvic pain (OR 5.2 [95% CI: 4.7–5.7]), dysmenorrhoea (OR 8.1 [95% CI: 7.2–9.3]), menorrhagia (OR 4.0 [95% CI: 3.5–4.5]), subfertility (OR 8.2 [95% CI: 6.9–9.9]), dyspareunia and/or postcoital bleeding (OR 6.8 [95% CI: 5.7–8.2]), and ovarian cysts (OR 7.3 [95% CI: 5.7–9.4]), and of being diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (OR 1.6 [95% CI: 1.3–1.8]) or pelvic inflammatory disease (OR 3.0 [95% CI: 2.5–3.6]). Women with endometriosis were also found to consult the doctor more frequently than the controls and were twice as likely to have time off work.Conclusions  Specific symptoms and frequent medical consultation are associated with endometriosis and appear useful in the diagnosis. Endometriosis may coexist with or be misdiagnosed as pelvic inflammatory disease or IBS.
Chronic voluntary ethanol intake hypersensitizes 5‐HT1Aautoreceptors in C57BL/6J mice
Authors: Kelaï Sabah , Renoir Thibault , Chouchana Laurent , Saurini Françoise , Hanoun Naïma , Hamon Michel , Lanfumey Laurence 
Published: October 2008

AbstractAlcoholism is a complex disorder involving, among others, the serotoninergic (5‐HT) system, mainly regulated by 5‐HT1Aautoreceptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus. 5‐HT1Aautoreceptor desensitization induced by chronic 5‐HT reuptake inactivation has been associated with a decrease in ethanol intake in mice. We investigated here whether, conversely, chronic ethanol intake could induce 5‐HT1Aautoreceptor supersensitivity, thereby contributing to the maintenance of high ethanol consumption. C57BL/6J mice were subjected to a progressive ethanol intake procedure in a free‐choice paradigm (3–10% ethanol versus tap water; 21 days) and 5‐HT1Aautoreceptor functional state was assessed using different approaches. Acute administration of the 5‐HT1Areceptor agonist ipsapirone decreased the rate of tryptophan hydroxylation in striatum, and this effect was significantly larger (+75%) in mice that drank ethanol than in those drinking water. Furthermore, ethanol intake produced both an increased potency (+45%) of ipsapirone to inhibit the firing of 5‐HT neurons, and a raise (+35%) in 5‐HT1Aautoreceptor‐mediated stimulation of [35S]GTP‐γ‐S binding in the dorsal raphe nucleus. These data showed that chronic voluntary ethanol intake in C57BL/6J mice induced 5‐HT1Aautoreceptor supersensitivity, at the origin of a 5‐HT neurotransmission deficit, which might be causally related to the addictive effects of ethanol intake.
Allele‐specific silencing of mutant Huntington’s disease gene
Authors: Zhang Yu , Engelman Joshua , Friedlander Robert M. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractHuntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal‐dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a poly‐glutamine expansion in huntingtin, the protein encoded by the HD gene. PolyQ‐expanded huntingtin is toxic to neurons, especially the medium spiny neurons of the striatum. At the same time, wild‐type huntingtin has important – indeed essential – protective functions. Any effective molecular therapy must preserve the expression of wild‐type huntingtin, while silencing the mutant allele. We hypothesized that an appropriate siRNA molecule would display the requisite specificity and efficacy. As RNA interference is incapable of distinguishing among alleles with varying numbers of CAG (glutamine) codons, another strategy is needed. We used HD fibroblasts in which the pathogenic mutation is linked to a polymorphic site: the Δ2642 deletion of one of four tandem GAG triplets. We silenced expression of the harmful Δ2642‐marked polyQ‐expanded huntingtin without compromising synthesis of its wild‐type counterpart. Following this success in HD fibroblasts, we obtained similar results with neuroblastoma cells expressing both wild‐type and mutant HD genes. As opposed to the effect of depleting wild‐type huntingtin, specifically silencing the mutant species actually lowered caspase‐3 activation and protected HD cells under stress conditions. These findings have therapeutic implications not only for HD, but also for other autosomal dominant diseases. This approach has great promise: it may lead to personalized genetic therapy, a holy grail in contemporary medicine.
Bias in freshwater biodiversity sampling: the case of Iberian water beetles
Authors: Sánchez‐Fernández David , Lobo Jorge M. , Abellán Pedro , Ribera Ignacio , Millán Andrés 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTExtensive distributional data bases are key tools in ecological research, and good‐quality data are required to provide reliable conservation strategies and an understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes. Although the evaluation of data bases requires the incorporation of estimates of sampling effort and bias, no studies have focused on these aspects for freshwater biodiversity data. We used here a comprehensive data base of water beetles from the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, and examine whether these data provide an unbiased, reliable picture of their diversity and distribution in the study area. Based on theoretical estimates using the Clench function on the accumulated number of records as a surrogate of sampling effort, about a quarter of the Iberian and Balearic 50 × 50 km Universal Transverse Mercator grid cells can be considered well prospected, with more than 70% of the theoretical species richness actually recorded. These well‐surveyed cells are not evenly distributed across biogeographical and physicoclimatic subregions, reflecting some geographical bias in the distribution of sampling effort. Our results suggest that recording was skewed by relatively simple variables affecting collector activity, such as the perceived ‘attractiveness’ of mountainous landscapes and protected areas with recently described species, and accessibility of sampling sites (distance from main research centres). We emphasize the importance of these evaluation exercises, which are useful to locate areas needed of further sampling as well as to identify potential biases in the distribution of current biodiversity patterns.
Where do Swainson's hawks winter? Satellite images used to identify potential habitat
Authors: Sarasola José Hernán , Bustamante Javier , Negro Juan José , Travaini Alejandro 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTDuring recent years, predictive modelling techniques have been increasingly used to identify regional patterns of species spatial occurrence, to explore species–habitat relationships and to aid in biodiversity conservation. In the case of birds, predictive modelling has been mainly applied to the study of species with little variable interannual patterns of spatial occurrence (e.g. year‐round resident species or migratory species in their breeding grounds showing territorial behaviour). We used predictive models to analyse the factors that determine broad‐scale patterns of occurrence and abundance of wintering Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni). This species has been the focus of field monitoring in its wintering ground in Argentina due to massive pesticide poisoning of thousands of individuals during the 1990s, but its unpredictable pattern of spatial distribution and the uncertainty about the current wintering area occupied by hawks led to discontinuing such field monitoring. Data on the presence and abundance of hawks were recorded in 30 × 30 km squares (n = 115) surveyed during three austral summers (2001–03). Sixteen land‐use/land‐cover, topography, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) variables were used as predictors to build generalized additive models (GAMs). Both occurrence and abundance models showed a good predictive ability. Land use, altitude, and NDVI during spring previous to the arrival of hawks to wintering areas were good predictors of the distribution of Swainson's hawks in the Argentine pampas, but only land use and NDVI were entered into the model of abundance of the species in the region. The predictive cartography developed from the models allowed us to identify the current wintering area of Swainson's hawks in the Argentine pampas. The highest occurrence probability and relative abundances for the species were predicted for a broad area of south‐eastern pampas that has been overlooked so far and where neither field research nor conservation efforts aiming to prevent massive mortalities has been established.
Do non‐native species invasions lead to biotic homogenization at small scales? The similarity and functional diversity of habitats compared for alien and native components of Mediterranean floras
Authors: Lambdon Philip W. , Lloret Francisco , Hulme Philip E. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTAlthough a number of recent studies have demonstrated biotic homogenization, these have mainly focused on larger spatial scales. Homogenizing effects are equally important at finer resolutions, e.g. through increasing similarity between habitats, which may result in a simplification of ecosystem structure and function. One major cause of homogenization is the expanding ranges of alien species, although it is not clear whether they are inherently homogenizing at smaller scales. We therefore assessed whether the alien flora is less complex across habitats than the resident native flora of Mediterranean Islands. From a regional data base, we examined floristic lists for between‐habitat taxonomic and functional similarity, and within‐habitat functional diversity, using resampled data sets to control for sample size biases. Aliens and natives showed equivalent complexity in most respects. At the taxonomic level, between‐island and between‐habitat similarities were almost identical, and when ecosystem function was measured by a functional group classification system, this was also true of between‐habitat similarities and within‐habitat diversities. When ecosystem function was measured using Grime's CSR classification, aliens were found to be more functionally homogenous between‐habitats and less functionally diverse within habitats. However, since the CSR profiles of aliens and natives differed, simplification is not inevitable due to ecological segregation of the two floras (aliens tend to be recruited to disturbed habitats rather than displacing natives). One deficiency is a lack of large scale species abundance data. A simple simulation exercise indicated that this is likely to lead to substantial overestimation of true levels of similarity, although would only influence the comparison between aliens and natives if they have different abundance distribution curves. The results indicate that alien floras are not intrinsically more simple than natives, but a higher proportion of competitive strategists among aliens may still cause small‐scale homogenization as these include many strong competitors that are likely to dominate communities.
Hemodialysis Catheter‐Associated Central Venous Stenosis
Authors: Yevzlin Alexander S. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe purpose of this review is to explore the pathophysiology, epidemiology, and interventional treatment of central vein stenosis (CVS) that may result from central vein catheter (CVC) placement. The precise mechanism of CVC‐associated CVS remains largely undefined, though anatomic considerations appear to play a prominent pathologic role. The impact of CVC‐associated CVS on arteriovenous fistula outcomes is reviewed. The percutaneous treatment of CVS, observation, angioplasty, or angioplasty with stent placement is reviewed, along with potential surgical treatment options. As the treatment outcomes of CVC‐associated CVS have been disappointing, catheter avoidance remains the best strategy.
Antibiotic Lock for Treatment of Tunneled Hemodialysis Catheter Bacteremia
Authors: Maya Ivan D. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractCatheter‐related bacteremia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among catheter‐dependent hemodialysis patients. Microorganism biofilm matrix formation in the catheter is the pathogenic process of this entity. Administration of systemic antibiotics and removal of the offending catheter is the most logical treatment. This article discusses an alternative option, instillation of an antibiotic‐lock solution into the lumen of the catheter plus systemic antibiotic therapy. Recent studies suggest that this strategy could treat the infection and salvage the catheter, thus avoiding the need for further interventional procedures including but not limited to the removal of the catheter, placement of a temporary catheter, and finally placement of a new permanent catheter. The implementation of this effective approach will reduce morbidity and possibly reduce the cost and interventions associated with it.
Has the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative Caused an Increase in Catheter Prevalence?
Authors: Spergel Lawrence M. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe use of central venous hemodialysis catheters (CVC) continues to be high among the incident as well as the prevalent HD patients. Whereas many strategies have been implemented to decrease the use of CVCs, their placement rates have doubled since 1996. While many factors, including late referral, are responsible for the increased use of CVCs, the arteriovenous Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative (known as “Fistula First” [FF]) has also been implicated in the increased use of CVCs. It has been suggested that while the FF initiative has resulted in a substantial increase in arteriovenous fistulae placement and use, it has also resulted in an increase in the use of CVCs. This report argues that catheter rates have remained unchanged and provides data regarding the impact of the FF initiative on catheter use.
Voluntary Informed Consent in Research and Clinical Care: An Update
Authors: Cahana Alex , Hurst Samia A. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractInformed consent is important: in research, it allows subjects to make an informed and voluntary choice to participate—or refuse to participate—in a project where they will be asked to take risks for the benefit of others. In both research and clinical care, informed consent represents a permission to intervene on a person's private sphere. The elements of informed consent are usually described as disclosure, understanding, decision‐making capacity, and voluntariness. Each poses distinct difficulties, and can be amenable to improvements. However, research on the quality of informed consent and on strategies intended to improve it have only become the object of research relatively recently. In this article, we describe some results of this research, and outline how they can be relevant to informed consent in research and clinical care. Although much of the data suffers from limitations, it does suggest that disclosure has improved, but is still uneven, comprehension is often poor, for both patients and research subjects. Moreover, trust is a motivating factor for research participation, and thus we run risks if we allow false expectations and prove ourselves unworthy of this trust. Although improving consent forms does not have a clear effect on understanding, improving the consent process may help. Finally, better information may decrease anxiety and seems to have at most a small negative effect on research recruitment.
The Effects of Oklahoma's Pre‐K Program on Hispanic Children*
Authors: Gormley William T. 
Published: October 2008

Objective. The objective of this work is to determine how much Hispanics benefit from a high‐quality pre‐K program and which Hispanic students benefit the most.Methods. Hispanic students in Tulsa, Oklahoma were tested (in English, Spanish) in August 2006. A regression discontinuity design addressed potential selection bias by comparing pre‐K alumni (treatment group) with pre‐K entrants (control group), controlling for age and other demographic variables.Results. Hispanic students experienced substantial improvements in prereading, prewriting, and premath skills. Hispanic students whose parents speak Spanish at home or whose parents were born in Mexico benefited the most. English‐language test gains were stronger than Spanish‐language test gains, but the latter were sometimes significant.Conclusions. Preschool education has considerable potential to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children.
Executive‐Legislative Relations: Where You Sit Really Does Matter*
Authors: Bernick Ethan M. , Lee Bernick E. 
Published: October 2008

Objectives.Do state legislators believe there is a proper balance of power between the governor and the legislature? The research uses both individual and institutional factors to explain the variation in legislators' opinions.Methods.The results of a mail survey sent to all legislators in nine states were used as the basic data source for the study. The dependent variable required the legislators to indicate if a proper balance of power existed. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) was performed.Results.A sizeable majority of legislators (66 percent) thought there was a proper balance of power between the governor and the legislature. HGLM found no discernable role for a number of state‐level characteristics. The analysis did uncover a negative relationship between perceived balance of power and whether the governor had previously served in the legislature. Female legislators were more likely to express a lower level of satisfaction with the balance of power than their male counterparts. The partisan relationship between legislators and governors as well as the majority/minority status of the legislators proved to be most important in explaining legislators' perceptions.Conclusions.Contrary to popular opinion, the relationships between the two branches of government are not inherently contentious. Legislators from the governor's party were most likely to assess the relationship as proper.
English‐ and Spanish‐Language Media Coverage of Immigration: A Comparative Analysis*
Authors: Branton Regina , Dunaway Johanna 
Published: October 2008

Objective. We apply economic theories of news to explain differences between English‐ and Spanish‐language newspaper coverage of immigration.Methods. Using content analysis and contextual data, we examine newspaper coverage of immigration as a function of economic incentives of news organizations and the language of the newspaper outlet.Results. The results indicate that Spanish‐language news outlets generate a larger volume of coverage and more positive coverage of immigration when compared to English‐language news outlets.Conclusions. This specific topic is important and politically relevant because of the potential implications variability in media coverage of this issue hold for public opinion on immigration.
Inappropriate ICD Discharges in Single‐Chamber Versus Dual‐Chamber Devices in the Pediatric and Young Adult Population
Authors: LAWRENCE DAVID , VON BERGEN NICHOLAS , LAW IAN H. , BRADLEY DAVID J. , DICK II MACDONALD , FRIAS PATRICIO A. , STREIPER MARGARET J. , FISCHBACH PETER S. 
Published: October 2008

Inappropriate ICD Discharges in Pediatric Patients.
Background: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) use is increasing in young patients and is frequently complicated by inappropriate device discharges (IDs), leading to discomfort, anxiety and, potentially, proarrhythmia. Dual‐chamber (DC) ICDs may decrease IDs by improving rhythm discrimination, but are associated with increased size, expense, and implant complications. We examined whether the frequency of IDs was the same in dual‐ and single‐chamber (SC) ICDs in young patients. Methods: A multicenter review of patients ≤30 years of age with ICDs was performed. Demographic data and number of appropriate discharges (ADs) and IDs were collected. ADs and IDs were categorized after review of the episode by the primary electrophysiologist. Results: Of 168 subjects (SC = 52; female = 76), 41 patients received 139 ADs, while 35 patients received 159 IDs. There were no differences related to gender or primary diagnosis, but patients with SC versus DC devices were younger (12.3 ± 5.0 years vs 14.9 ± 4.4 years, P < 0.0001) at implant. SC and DC devices were implanted with the same frequency for primary and secondary prevention. There were no significant differences in the incidence of IDs or ADs between the patients with SC or DC devices (AD: 12/52 SC vs 29/116 DC, P = 0.79; ID 7/52 SC vs 28/116 DC, P = 0.13). Conclusion: In this cohort of young patients, DC ICDs did not provide added protection from IDs. Hence, the added complexity and cost of an atrial lead appear unwarranted if used solely for assistance with rhythm discrimination in young patients. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 20, pp. 287‐290, March 2009)