bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Binge Alcohol Treatment Increases Vertebral Bone Loss Following Ovariectomy: Compensation by Intermittent Parathyroid Hormone
Authors: Callaci John J. , Juknelis Dainius , Patwardhan Avinash , Wezeman Frederick H. 
Published: March 2006

Background: Postmenopausal estrogen deficiency and alcohol abuse are known risk factors for osteoporosis. Previous studies of the combined effect of alcohol and ovariectomy on bone loss using chronic alcohol‐feeding models have not demonstrated additional alcohol‐induced bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) animals. Binge alcohol treatment causes rapid bone loss in male rats. We hypothesized that binge alcohol would cause additional bone loss in OVX rats.Methods: Ninety‐six adult (400 g) female Sprague–Dawley rats (48 sham‐operated and 48 OVX, pair fed) were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups: (a) saline‐treated, (b) binge alcohol‐treated (3 g/kg alcohol as a 20% weight to volume alcohol/saline solution, intraperitoneal (IP), 3 times per week), (c) parathyroid hormone (PTH)‐treated (80 μg/kg, SC, 5 d/wk), and (d) binge alcohol plus PTH. Rats were treated for either 2 or 4 weeks. Following treatment periods, blood was collected for alcohol concentration (BAC) measurements; lumbar vertebrae were removed for bone mineral density (BMD) levels, trabecular microarchitecture assessment, and vertebral compressive strength analysis.Results: Peak binge BACs averaged 300 mg/dL. Alcohol and OVX decreased cancellous BMD: alcohol and OVX treatment in combination caused additional cancellous BMD loss and significant cortical BMD reductions. Compressive strength was also decreased by OVX and alcohol. Combination treatment resulted in further declines in bone strength. Micro‐CT analysis revealed a significant effect of combined OVX and alcohol treatment resulting in decreased trabecular bone volume/total volume (BV/TV). Intermittent PTH administration compensated for losses of BMD, compressive strength, and restored BV/TV deficits caused by OVX, alcohol, or their combination.Conclusions: Bone loss following OVX can be significantly increased by concurrent binge alcohol treatment. The effects of alcohol and OVX are compensated by concurrent intermittent treatment with PTH. These results suggest that postmenopausal women who abuse alcohol may place their skeleton at additional risk for osteoporotic fracture.
Abnormalities in Fractal Heart Rate Dynamics in Chagas Disease
Authors: De Sousa Marcos Roberto , Huikuri Heikki V. , Lombardi Federico , Perez Amanda A. , Gomes Murilo E.D. , Lins Barros Marcio Vinícius , Val Barros Vladimir Costa , Costa Rocha Manoel Otávio , Pinho Ribeiro Antonio Luiz 
Published: March 2006

Background and Methods: In order to study fractal HR dynamics in Chagas disease, we performed detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA)—along with analysis of power‐law β slope (β index) and standard deviation of N–N intervals (SDNN)—in edited and unedited (with ventricular premature beats — VPBs, only in DFA analysis) series of R‐R intervals from Holter monitoring of healthy controls (Group 0, n = 27) and Chagas disease patients with left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction >50% (Group 1, n = 137) and with LV ejection fraction <50% (Group 2, n = 23). Results: When analyzed from the edited R‐R interval data, the long‐term scaling exponent α2 is altered both among the Chagas patients with and without LV dysfunction. The short‐term scaling exponent α1 was higher in Group 1 Chagas patients as compared to controls (P < 0.01) and did not differ between Group 2 and controls. In unedited R‐R interval series, α1 was significantly reduced in Group 2 Chagas patients (0.55 ± 0.002) as compared to controls (0.90 ± 0.002) and Group 1 (0.91 ± 0.003) (P < 0.001), but did not differ between Group 1 and controls. Similarly α2 was lower in Group 2 compared to other groups (P < 0.001). SDNN did not differ between the groups, but the β index derived from 1/f model was reduced both in Group 1 and 2 Chagas patients as compared to controls (P < 0.01). There was strong correlation (rs = 0.82; P < 0.001) between the β and α2 index from edited series. There was an inverse correlation (rs =−0.63, P < 0.01) between the number of VPBs and α1 index of unedited series. Conclusions: The long‐term fractal HR dynamics altered in chagasic patients with and without LV dysfunction could be an early sign of autonomic dysfunction. Patients with impaired LV function show marked alterations in short‐term fractal HR dynamics toward more random behavior, mainly due to frequent ectopy. Prospective studies are necessary to define the value of these indices as predictors of death in Chagas disease.
Stenosis in hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula: Evaluation and treatment
Authors: CAMPOS Rodrigo P. , DO NASCIMENTO Marcelo M. , CHULA Domingos C. , DO NASCIMENTO Daniel E. , RIELLA Miguel C. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractVascular access complications are one of the main causes associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality in stage 5 chronic kidney disease patients. The arteriovenous fistula is regarded as the vascular access of choice for hemodialysis (HD) because of its superior patency and lower complication rates. Stenosis is considered the major cause of dysfunction of arteriovenous fistula. Despite the relatively low thrombosis rates of arteriovenous fistula, surveillance programs are necessary for detection of stenosis. We report a case of a HD patient who had never achieved an adequate Kt/V since the start of maintenance HD. During the investigation, abnormal findings were found on physical examination of the fistula, in addition to an alteration in intra‐access pressure (IAP) measurements. A venous stenosis was diagnosed by Doppler ultrasound and then promptly treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The purpose of the discussion is to highlight the peculiarities of arteriovenous fistulae, methods of surveillance, including physical examination, IAP, recirculation, and measurements of blood flow, and the importance of the correction procedures for the stenosis.
Separation, cultivation and biological characteristics of oral carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts
Authors: Liu Y , Hu T , Shen J , Li SF , Lin JW , Zheng XH , Gao QH , Zhou HM 
Published: March 2006

Objectives:  Carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been suggested to regulate the initiation and progression of many types of solid tumors. The aim of the study was to separate, cultivate, identify oral CAFs, and to investigate their biological characteristics.Materials and methods:  The primary CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs) of the tongue were obtained by tissue culture. Then cells were dissociated by 0.25% trypsin and purified by curettage method combining with trypsinization. The cells were verified according to morphological observation and immunohistochemical staining of certain proteins. Multiple proliferation indexes and karyotype of the cells were assayed.Results:  Third passage purified oral CAFs and NFs were attained successfully. The morphological characteristics of the CAFs changed significantly comparing to the NFs. The CAFs showed positive staining for vimentin, α‐smooth muscle actin and matrix metalloproteinases‐2. The proliferation and mitosis ability of the CAFs were significantly increased compared with the NFs (P < 0.05). No karyotypic abnormalities were found in the CAFs.Conclusions:  There were obvious differences in the biological characteristics between oral CAFs and NFs. The results may provide us an experimental foundation for further studies on the roles of CAFs in the initiation and progression of oral cancer.
Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Release in a Tropical Seasonal Rain Forest of Xishuangbanna, Southwest China1
Authors: Zheng Zheng , Shanmughavel P. , Sha Liqing , Cao Min , Warren Matthew 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTWe studied litter decomposition and nutrient release in a tropical seasonal rain forest of Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. The monthly decay rates (k) of leaf litter ranged from 0.02 to 0.21/mo, and correlated with rainfall and soil moisture. Annualkvalues for leaf litter (1.79/yr) averaged 4.2 times of those for coarse wood (2.5–3.5 cm in diameter). The turnover coefficients of forest floor mass (annual litterfall input/mean floor mass) were: 4.11/yr for flowers and fruits, 2.07/yr for leaves, and 1.17/yr for fine wood (≤2 cm in diameter), with resident time decreasing from fine woods (0.85 yr) to leaves (0.48 yr) and to flower and fruits (0.24 yr). Nutrient residence times in the forest floor mass were ranked as: Ca (1.0 yr) > P (0.92 yr) > Mg (0.64 yr) > N (0.36 yr) > K (0.31 yr). Our data suggest that rates of litter decomposition and nutrient release in the seasonal rain forest of Xishuangbanna are slower than those in typical lowland rain forests, but similar to those in tropical semideciduous forests.
“De‐risking” Corporate Pension Plans: Options for CFOs
Authors: Berner Richard , Boudreau Bryan , Peskin Michael 
Published: March 2006

Until the stock market bubble burst in 2000–2002, most CFOs viewed their defined benefit pension plans as profit centers and relatively risk‐free sources of income. Since neither pension assets nor liabilities were reported on corporate balance sheets, and expected returns on pension stocks could be substituted for actual returns when reporting net income, the risks associated with DB plans were masked by GAAP accounting and thus assumed to have no bearing on corporate capital structure. But when stock prices and corporate profits fell together, the risks associated with conventional stock‐heavy pension plans showed up first in reduced pension surpluses (or, in many cases, deficits) and then later in higher required cash contributions and lower reported earnings. As a consequence, today's investors (and rating agencies) are viewing pension and other legacy liabilities as corporate debt, and demands for transparency and increased funding have triggered accounting changes and proposed legislative reforms that will further unmask the economics.This article aims to provide both private‐sector and public‐sector CFOs with suggestions for reducing and controlling the cost of providing for the retirement of their employees. Profitable, tax‐paying companies with DB plans should consider (1) funding any unfunded liabilities (if necessary, by issuing debt) and (2) reducing pension equity and interest rate exposures by shifting some (if not all) pension assets into bonds and defeasing the pension liability (achieving a tax arbitrage in the process). And in cases where the expected costs of maintaining DB plans outweigh the benefits, companies should consider freezing or terminating their plans and switching to a defined contribution (DC) or some form of hybrid plan. The authors also propose similar changes for public pension plans, where underfunding and mismatch problems are greater, less transparent, and in some ways less tractable than those of corporate DB plans.
Risk Allocation in Retirement Plans: A Better Solution
Authors: Fuerst Donald E. 
Published: March 2006

The corporate world is reconsidering the cost‐effectiveness of defined benefit pension plans while contemplating a change to defined contribution plans. This article begins by examining the three primary risks faced by sponsors of most DB pension plans—investment risk, interest rate risk, and longevity risk—and shows how shifting these risks to employees through a DC plan would affect both the corporation and the individual. Although DC plans clearly help companies manage risks, they provide at best an incomplete solution for individual participants.This article describes an innovation in pension design—the Retirement Shares Plan (RSP)—that combines many of the best features of DB and DC plans. An RSP provides:

predictable and stable cost to the plan sponsor, with little chance of unfunded liabilities;
lifetime income, guaranteeing that retirees will never outlive their benefits;
a benefit accrual pattern comparable to that of traditional pension plans that preserves value for older, long‐service employees; and
potential inflation protection for retirees.

The RSP accomplishes this by allocating risk to sponsors and individuals differently than either a traditional DB plan or a DC plan. Unlike most DB plans, the RSP shifts investment and interest rate risks from plan sponsors to participants. Unlike DC plans, the RSP keeps longevity risk with the sponsor.
The Employer's Role in Reforming the U.S. Health Care System
Authors: Sperling Kenneth L. 
Published: March 2006

In 2005 large U.S. employers spent an average of almost $7,400 per head on health care benefits, a 73% increase in the last five years. If the current trend continues, American companies may find it difficult to compete in a global marketplace where international competitors provide labor with heath care at a fraction of U.S. costs.This article argues that effective reform of the U.S. health care system will require major efforts from all major “stakeholders,” starting with the federal government and state and local governments and including insurance companies and the “consumers” of health care services. By far the important role, however, is reserved for private‐sector employers, which have been the incubator for recent innovations in American health care and are in the best position to coordinate and drive health care reform.But incremental steps in cost‐sharing, small‐scale pilot projects of consumer‐based designs, and employee awareness campaigns will not be enough. Employers need to take radical steps to break through the inertia that has built up among all stakeholders over the past 50 years. Chief among the author's proposals for employers are the following:

In choosing a health care plan for employees, use value‐based purchasing criteria that consider more than just the price and access to services.
Help consumers by demanding information from providers and insurers about the cost and efficacy of health care services, and of alternative treatments, before the choices are made.
Encourage “consumerism” by setting up benefit plans that have a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA) component.

As the author states in closing, “Let these reforms begin with employers as the organizing force to drive needed change across the system. That may very well be the only way to save our employment‐based model.”
New Leadership at the Federal Reserve*
Authors: Plosser Charles I. 
Published: March 2006

As Chairman of the Federal Reserve for the past 18 years, Alan Greenspan deserves praise for his stewardship of monetary policy. He has guided the Fed and monetary policy in a way that has led to low and stable inflation. But if Greenspan's record clearly deserves praise, he could have done more to move monetary policy into the 21st century and prepare the institution for the future.Greenspan has relied heavily on his personal judgment and has argued repeatedly that the Fed must have extensive flexibility to respond to the economic environment. But if Greenspan's judgment, skill, and luck have served him and the country well, it is dangerous to rely so heavily on the judgment of a single individual. When he departed, he took with him his skill and judgment, as well as his credibility and his personal commitment to low inflation. The Fed he leaves behind has no explicit institutional commitment to long‐run price stability.This article argues that by operating with a set of rules and guidelines, or at a minimum clearly stated institutional objectives, the Fed would eliminate much of the second guessing about what it is doing and why, and the associated volatility in markets. More generally, the benefits of more explicit guidelines for monetary policy include:

Increasing public understanding of monetary policy, including what it can and cannot do.
Increasing transparency and accountability. Most organizations have clear goals and we hold their leaders accountable. The Fed is different. The Fed seems to be held accountable for all things economic and thus it is truly accountable for nothing. It never has to explain its actions and what went right or wrong.
Establishing a clear focus for the Fed regarding its goals and objectives.
Creating increased confidence that sound monetary policy will be followed in the future.
Promoting nurse practitioner practice through research: Opportunities, challenges, and lessons
Authors: Hayes Eileen 
Published: March 2006

AbstractPurpose: To discuss the opportunities derived, challenges faced, and lessons learned in the research process, including recruiting and retaining nurse practitioner (NP) participants, obtaining institutional approval, and solving research team issues in a National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research (NIH/NINR)‐funded study of communication between NPs and their older patients in managed care and non–managed care settings.Data sources: The video‐taped interactions between 30 NPs and 150 patients, research team experiences in conducting the research, and a review of relevant literature.Conclusions: Key factors in NP study participation included recognizing the importance of research in demonstrating the effectiveness of the NP role and for advancing the profession, having participated in previous research, enjoying the research process, employer incentives, membership in NP professional organizations, relationships with the university and the school of nursing conducting the research, and knowledge of the coinvestigator's work. NP recruitment was facilitated by word of mouth, professional organization assistance, and articles in a widely distributed, free nursing journal. Data collection was significantly delayed by attrition of NP participants, logistical problems with scheduling and travel, and varied approval procedures by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at study sites. The pace of nursing research could be much more efficient if IRB processes involved fewer bureaucratic entanglements. Preliminary study findings, however, show positive outcomes for older patients after NP care.Implications for practice: To demonstrate positive patient outcomes and move the NP profession forward, NPs must be willing to commit to participation in research on their effectiveness as providers in today's healthcare environment.
Analysis of canine and feline blood samples using the Kuadro in‐house wet‐reagent chemistry analyser
Authors: Papasouliotis K. , Dodkin S. , Murphy K. , Woloszczuk G. , Fleming M. 
Published: March 2006

Objectives: Kuadro is a new wet‐reagent biochemistry analyser that is available for in‐house use. The aim of this study was to compare the results produced by this analyser with those obtained by a wet‐reagent analyser (KoneLab 30i) that served as the reference instrument. Methods: Blood samples from 80 clinical cases (40 dogs and 40 cats) were analysed for urea, creatinine, total proteins, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, amylase, total calcium, and phosphate using both the reference and Kuadro instruments. Results: Kuadro performed very well on canine and feline samples, showing clinically acceptable correlations (r value) (canine/feline) for urea (0·99/0·97), creatinine (0·99/0·98), total proteins (0·95/0·97), albumin (0·98/0·90), glucose (0·99/0·99), cholesterol (0·99/0·99), alanine aminotransferase (1·00/0·99), alkaline phosphatase (0·96/0·99), total bilirubin (1·00/1·00), amylase (0·98/0·96), and phosphate (0·91/0·92). The correlation for total calcium measurements was clinically unacceptable (0·78/0·83). Clinical Significance: Urea, creatinine, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and phosphate Kuadro values can be used interchangeably with those generated by the reference analyser. Alkaline phosphatase, amylase, and total proteins Kuadro values cannot be used interchangeably, as Kuadro overestimated alkaline phosphatase and amylase and underestimated total protein measurements. Kuadro significantly underestimated total calcium concentrations due to the shorter incubation time used by the Kuadro analyser compared with the incubation time used in the reference analyser assay system.
Distribution, abundance, and individual strategies: a multi‐scale analysis of dasyurid marsupials in arid central Australia
Authors: Haythornthwaite Adele S. , Dickman Christopher R. 
Published: March 2006

We investigated the effects of different environmental factors on the distribution and abundance of 6 species of dasyurid marsupials using a multiple‐scale analysis. Data collected in the spinifex dunefields of the Simpson Desert, Australia, were analysed at 3 spatial scales spanning more than 5 orders of magnitude: “metasite” (covering an area of 1000–2000 km2), site (2–12 km2) and grid (0.01 km2). Temporal variability was also investigated, using data collected in March, April, and May in 4 consecutive years from 1997 to 2000. Both abiotic and biotic factors influenced the capture rates of different species at different times and spatial scales. At the coarsest spatial scale, Dasycercus cristicauda (mulgara) was consistently limited in its distribution by the intensity of rainfall, probably as an indirect result of increased grazing pressure from pastoral activity and a higher density of feral predators in high rainfall areas. However, at the finest spatial scale, this partly carnivorous species was scarce in areas of dense spinifex, perhaps because such habitats yield lowest returns during foraging, and was more common in areas where small invertebrate prey were abundant. Factors affecting the distribution of the most abundant dasyurid species in the study area, Sminthopsis youngsoni (lesser hairy‐footed dunnart), could not be identified at any scale; we conclude that this reflects the opportunistic foraging strategies and flexible habitat requirements of this insectivorous species. Both Ningaui ridei (wongai ningaui) and Sminthopsis hirtipes (hairy‐footed dunnart) were less abundant throughout the study region. For N. ridei, a spinifex specialist, predictors of occurrence could be identified only at the finest scale of analysis; at the grid level, a close positive association was detected in 2 of the 4 study years between capture rate and spinifex cover. For S. hirtipes, all 3 levels of spatial analysis revealed a negative association between capture rate and both rainfall and spinifex density. For the rarely‐caught S. crassicaudata (fat‐tailed dunnart) and Planigale tenuirostris (narrow‐nosed planigale), no clear results were obtained at any spatial scale, and we interpret this to indicate that the study region represents sub‐optimal habitat for these species.Given that different factors affected the distribution and abundance of dasyurids at different spatial scales over time, we conclude that a multiple‐scale approach to population and community analysis is vital to accurately identify which environmental processes shape population and community dynamics. Understanding the interplay between regional and local processes will be crucial for management of existing species populations and for prediction of their distributions and abundances in future.