bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
From Shared Cost to Block Funding and Beyond
Authors: Van Loon R. J. 
Published: January 2008

This paper takes as its starting point recent major changes in arrangements between the federal and provincial governments in Canada concerning the sharing of costs for health insurance programs. The switch from a shared cost (conditional grant) to a modified block funding system was motivated by federal desires to limit and make predictable their expenditures, by provincial desires to increase the flexibility of their allocation of funds and by a mutual desire to limit any growth of health care costs as a proportion of GNP. Concerns related directly to improving medical care delivery were insignificant.
The changes will effectively centralize responsibility for program financing and program delivery, thus providing a powerful incentive for provincial governments to apply very strong measures to control costs. For reasons largely external to the relationship between public sector insurers and the suppliers of medical services, these attempts are unlikely to be successful in the short run. The probable impact of this difficulty on government and members of the health care delivery system is assessed.
Federal Influence on State Health Policy
Authors: Buntz C. Gregory , Macaluso Theodore F. , Azarow Jay Allen 
Published: January 2008

This paper reports on research that was intended to demonstrate the impact of federal programs on state health policy goals. The sample included four Public Health Service programs (Health Planning and Resources Development, Nurse Training, Cooperative Health Statistics and the Community Mental Health Centers program) in six states (Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas).
The authors conclude that, in general, states' political environments tailor program implementation to suit state preferences.
A Guide to Benefit-Cost Analysis, as Seen Through a Controlled Experiment in Treating the Mentally Ill
Authors: Weisbrod Burton A. 
Published: January 2008

The study reported on here is the first benefit-cost analysis of a controlled (random assignment) experiment in the mental health field. It compares, in terms of an unusually wide variety of tangible and intangible forms of benefits and costs, a traditional, hospital-based approach to treating the mentally ill with a nontraditional community-based approach.
The research reported here supports the hypothesis that hospitalization of the mentally ill is, except for emergencies, less effective than community-based treatment of approximately equal cost. The research also confirms the hypothesis that the forms taken by the social costs of alternative programs can be so different that it is easy to mistake a change in the form of costs for a change in their level. Finally, this study highlights the fact that benefit-cost analysis, despite advances at both the conceptual and empirical levels, remains a mixture of science and art.
The Economics of Safety Deregulation: Lives and Dollars Lost Due to Repeal of Motorcycle Helmet Laws
Authors: Hartunian Nelson S. , Smart Charles N. , Willemain Thomas R. , Zador Paul L. 
Published: January 2008

Between 1976 and 1980, 28 state legislatures in the United States repealed or weakened their motorcycle helmet-use laws. This paper estimates the number of excess deaths attributable to this deregulatory activity, and the associated economic costs to society. Because of data limitations, no attempt was made to estimate the excess nonfatal injuries and associated costs.
We applied a variant of log-linear contingency-table analysis to the monthly counts of motorcycle fatalities in the 48 contiguous states over the period 1975 through 1980. This analysis produced estimates of the total number of deaths, in each of 36 age-sex groups, that could be attributed to changes in the helmet laws. We then estimated the direct and indirect economic costs associated with fatalities in each age-sex group. Our findings indicate that 516 excess deaths occurred in 1980 in the 28 states that weakened or repealed their helmet laws. This represented 24 percent of the total motorcycle fatalities occurring in those states. Women and younger cyclists of both sexes comprised a disproportionate share of excess deaths. The economic costs to society that are associated with the excess fatalities resulting from the repeals of helmet laws total at least $180 million.
Report from Germany: Current Conditions and Controversies in the Health Care System
Authors: Schulenburg J.-Matthias Graf 
Published: January 2008

This paper presents a structured survey of the West German health care and health insurance system, and analyzes major developments of current German health policy. In order to make the analysis more accessible to a largely American audience, brief historical remarks, comparisons with U.S. experience, and considerable data and tabular information are provided.
The German statutory health insurance scheme is known as a very comprehensive and generous one. However, under the pressure from rapidly expanding health care expenditures and a severe economic recession, the German governments under Helmut Schmidt and his successor Helmut Kohl imposed a number of cost-containment measures, namely a change in the mode of remuneration for physician services, certain regulations of the drug market, and increased cost-sharing. Cost-sharing is especially favored by the new conservative-liberal government. The article concludes with a summary of striking similarities between the American and German health care schemes, and an outlook on proposals for reform which are currently under investigation by the German government.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives for anti-inflammatory, analgesic and ulcerogenic activity
Authors: El-Gazzar Abdel-Rahman , Hussein Hoda , Hafez Hend 
Published: January 2008

Synthesis and biological evaluation of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives for anti-inflammatory, analgesic and ulcerogenic activity5-Methyl-6-phenyl-2-thioxothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidone derivative (2) reacted with hydrazonoyl chloride derivatives to afford triazolothienopyrimidones4a-f.Also, acetone-1-(2-amino-5-isopropyl-thiophene-3-carbonitrile) (3) reacted with functional and bifunctional groups to yield the corresponding compounds5-11. The new products showed anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and ulcerogenic activities comparable to that of indomethacin and acetylsalicylic acid, respectively.
Functional evidence for presence of lipid rafts in erythrocyte membranes: Gsα in rafts is essential for signal transduction
Authors: Kamata Kotoe , Manno Sumie , Ozaki Makoto , Takakuwa Yuichi 
Published: January 2008

AbstractMembrane microdomains enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids and containing specific membrane proteins are designated as lipid rafts. Lipid rafts have been implicated in cell signaling pathways in various cell types. Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide‐binding protein (Gsα) has been shown to be a raft component of erythrocytes and has been implicated in cell signaling. Rafts are isolated as detergent‐resistant microdomains (DRMs) for biochemical analysis. Cholesterol depletion is widely used to disrupt raft structures to study their function in biological membranes. In the present study, we developed an alternate strategy for disrupting raft structures without altering membrane cholesterol content. Lidocaine hydrochloride, an amphipathic local anesthetic, is shown to reversibly disrupt rafts in erythrocyte membranes and alter the Gsα dependent signal transduction pathway. These findings provide evidence for the presence of rafts while maintaining normal cholesterol content in erythrocyte membranes and confirm a role for raft‐associated Gsα in signal transduction in erythrocytes. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prevalence of polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia
Authors: Ma Xiaomei , Vanasse Gary , Cartmel Brenda , Wang Yun , Selinger H. Andrew 
Published: January 2008

AbstractPolycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are common types of myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), the prevalence of which has not been well documented in the United States. Recent breakthroughs in the molecular etiology of these disorders and the accelerated development of targeted pharmacotherapeutics to treat them underscore the need to define the affected population. In this study, we obtained health claims data from major commercial insurance payers in Connecticut and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to estimate the prevalence of PV and ET. Specifically, logistic regression was utilized to develop algorithms to predict the probability that an individual with claims suggestive of MPD truly has PV or ET, and the algorithms were then applied to health claims to estimate the number of PV and ET patients in Connecticut. As of 2003, the age‐standardized prevalence was 22 per 100,000 and 24 per 100,000 for PV and ET, respectively, in Connecticut. Applying the age‐specific prevalence of PV and ET to the entire US population resulted in an estimated total of 65,243 patients with PV and 71,078 patients with ET in the United States in 2003. This study is the first to assess the prevalence of PV and ET in a large US population. Given the large number of individuals afflicted with these diseases and the fact that demographic changes alone will further increase the burden of these diseases in the foreseeable future, it is imperative to conduct more systematic research into the etiology and treatment of PV and ET. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Green tobacco sickness and skin integrity among migrant latino farmworkers
Authors: Arcury Thomas A. , Vallejos Quirina M. , Schulz Mark R. , Feldman Steven R. , Fleischer Alan B. , Verma Amit , Quandt Sara A. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractBackgroundGreen tobacco sickness (GTS) affects approximately one‐quarter of tobacco workers. The primary aim of this analysis is to expand existing knowledge of GTS risk factors by delineating the association of measures of skin integrity with the prevalence of GTS among Latino farmworkers.MethodsData are from a longitudinal study of skin disease among 304 North Carolina Latino farmworkers conducted in 2005.Results18.4% of the farmworkers met the GTS case definition. Self‐reported rash increased the odds of having GTS in the bivariate (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.21, 4.35), and multivariate analyses (OR 3.30, CI 2.17, 5.02). Self‐reported itch (OR 3.54, CI 2.38, 5.24) and superficial wounds (OR 2.49, CI 1.15, 5.39) had a significant relationship to GTS in the bivariate analysis.ConclusionsThese analyses extend current knowledge of GTS risk factors to include skin integrity. Farmworkers with rash and other skin conditions can protect these affected skin areas from exposure to the tobacco plant to reduce their risk of GTS. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:195–203, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synthesis and aging properties of reactive antioxidant NAPM in natural rubber vulcanizates
Authors: Lu Yunling , Yang Jianhua , Yin Dehong , Tan Ming , Wang Jinqu 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe rubber antioxidant N‐(4‐anilinophenyl) methacrylamide (NAPM) was synthesized by a two‐step reaction using thionyl chloride (SOCl2) with methacrylic acid (MAA) and consequently 4‐aminodiphenylamine (ADPA) as precursors. NAPM was characterized by IR, 1H NMR and elemental analysis. Thermal stability, aging property of NAPM and mechanical properties of natural rubber (NR) vulcanizates containing NAPM were investigated and compared with two other commercial antioxidants N‐isopropyl‐N′‐phenyl‐p‐phenylene diamide (4010NA) and N‐(1, 3‐dimethyl butyl)—N′‐phenyl‐p‐phenylene diamide (4020). It was found that NAPM was an effective antioxidant with a better thermal stability and higher antiaging resistance than unreactive antioxidants 4010NA and 4020. And unsaturation level of NR vulcanizates containing NAPM was lower than that of 4010NA and 4020. Moreover, an antiaging resistant mechanism of a surface reaction between NAPM and cis‐1, 4‐polyisoprene in NR was proposed to explain the better properties of NAPM based on the IR and SEM analyses. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Preparation and application of silver nanoparticles on silk for imparting antimicrobial properties
Authors: Gulrajani M. L. , Gupta Deepti , Periyasamy S. , Muthu S. G. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractSilver nanoparticles were produced by a chemical reduction method that reduced silver nitrate with reducing agents such as hydrazine and glucose. The silver nanoparticles were characterized with transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, and optical microscope. The effects of process parameters such as the stirring speed, temperature, type of reducing agent, and dispersing agent on the particle size were studied. The particle size decreased with an increase in the stirring speed and a decrease in the process temperature. Smaller particles were formed when the silver nitrate was reduced by glucose versus those that were formed by reduction with hydrazine. Silver nanoparticles with average sizes of 10 and 35 nm, produced by reduction with hydrazine at 5 and 40°C, were applied to silk by an exhaust method. Silk fabrics treated with 40 ppm silver hydrosol produced at 5°C and 60 ppm silver hydrosol produced at 40°C showed 100% antimicrobial activity against the gram‐positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. The durability of the antimicrobial property of the treated silk fabric to washing was also examined and is presented. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
In vitro release of complexed pDNA from biodegradable polymer films
Authors: Ramgopal Y. , Venkatraman S. S. , Godbey W. T. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe controlled delivery of low‐molecular weight drugs and proteins from biodegradable polymers has received considerable attention. However, controlled release studies of pDNA from such polymers have not been reported to date. In this study, a plasmid DNA was complexed with the cationic polymer called polyethylenimine (PEI). This gene vector has been shown to be very effective in transfecting cells. The complexed DNA were then incorporated into different types of poly‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid (PLGA) film; PLGA 53/47 (Mw 90 kDa), 50/50 (Mw 11 kDa, end group is lauryl ester) and 75/25 (Mw 120 kDa). Their release profiles from a buffer solution were studied. An initial (small) burst release of PEI‐DNA from film was observed in PLGA 53/47 and 50/50, followed by a plateau phase and finally a rapid erosion‐controlled release. For PLGA 50/50, the rapid release started after 14 days; erosion‐controlled release for PLGA 53/47 started after 9 days; for PLGA 75/25, the release rate was governed by an initial burst release (10%) followed by a slow release controlled by diffusion. No obvious erosion‐controlled release rate was observed for this polymer up to 27 days. Thus, the controlled release of complexed DNA follows the general features exhibited by lower‐ Mw drugs. This is of significance in designing gene vector matrices that offer the promise of more lasting gene therapy compared with particulate formulations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone)s prepared by direct copolymerization as proton exchange membranes: Synthesis and comparative investigation on transport properties
Authors: Zhao Chengji , Li Xianfeng , Lin Haidan , Shao Ke , Na Hui 
Published: January 2008

AbstractSulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s (SPAEK) copolymers were synthesized by aromatic nucleophilic polycondensation from 3,3′, 5,5′‐tetramethyl‐4, 4′–biphenol, 1,4‐bis(4‐fluorobenzoyl) benzene, and disulfonated difluorobenzophenone. The SPAEK membranes did not exhibit excessive swelling in hot water and at the same time show the proton conductivities in the range of 0.030 S/cm to 0.099 S/cm at 80°C. The methanol diffusion coefficients of the SPAEK membranes were in the range of 4.7 × 10−7 to 8.1 × 10−7cm2/s measured at 25°C. The transport properties of this series of SPAEK copolymers were compared to poly(aryl ether ether ketone)s (SPEEK), poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s (SPEEKK), and Nafion® membranes. It was found that the transport properties (including proton conductivity and methanol permeability) follows the trend of SPEEKK‐60 < SPAEK‐60 < SPEEK‐60 < Nafion® 117, the order of which is also attributed to the differences in the chemical structure of the polymers and the membrane morphology. In general, this novel series of SPAEK membranes possess various advantages, such as low cost of the initial monomers, high thermal and mechanical stability, and low methanol permeability while simultaneously possessing sufficient proton conductivity, which makes them notably promising as proton exchange membrane (PEM) materials in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Synthesis of the Bicyclo[7.3.0]dodecadiyne Core of the Maduropeptin Chromophore
Authors: Iso Kentaro , Inoue Masayuki , Kato Nobuki , Hirama Masahiro 
Published: January 2008

AbstractMaduropeptin, an extremely potent antitumor agent, consists of a 1:1 complex of a carrier protein and a chromophore. We report herein a general and efficient route for the synthesis of the highly strained bicyclo[7.3.0]dodecadiyne core of the chromophore. The key feature of the synthetic strategy is the use of two Sonogashira coupling reactions in a stepwise manner to construct the conjugated dienyne substructure of the fused‐ring system, including the Z alkene at C4,C13.
Total Synthesis of (−)‐Reidispongiolide A, an Actin‐Targeting Macrolide Isolated from the Marine Sponge Reidispongia coerulea
Authors: Paterson Ian , Ashton Kate , Britton Robert , Cecere Giuseppe , Chouraqui Gaëlle , Florence Gordon J. , Knust Henner , Stafford Jonathan 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA stereocontrolled total synthesis of the microfilament‐destabilizing cytotoxic macrolide (−)‐reidispongiolide A, isolated from the New Caledonian marine sponge Reidispongia coerulea, is described. This synthesis utilizes a convergent aldol‐based strategy to construct the 26‐membered macrolactone, followed by the late‐stage coupling of a derived aldehyde with an N‐vinylformamide‐containing ketone subunit to install the full side chain. Two alternative routes were examined for the introduction of the 2E,4E‐dienoate region, and a complex Mukaiyama aldol coupling was used to connect the northern and southern hemispheres to install the C13 stereocenter. This constitutes the first chemical synthesis of any member of the reidispongiolide/sphinxolide family of marine macrolides and unequivocally establishes the relative and absolute configuration.
Monitoring Transport Phenomena of Paramagnetic Metal‐Ion Complexes Inside Catalyst Bodies with Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Bergwerff Jaap A. , Lysova Anna A. , Espinosa‐Alonso Leticia , Koptyug Igor V. , Weckhuysen Bert M. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractAn indirect magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method has been developed to determine in a noninvasive manner the distribution of paramagnetic Co2+ complexes inside Co/Al2O3 catalyst extrudates after impregnation with Co2+/citrate solutions of different pH and citrate concentrations. UV/Vis/NIR microspectroscopic measurements were carried out simultaneously to obtain complementary information on the nature of the Co2+ complexes. In this way, it could be confirmed that the actual distribution of Co2+ inside the extrudates could be derived from the MRI images. By combining these space‐ and time‐resolved techniques, information was obtained on both the strength and the mode of interaction between [Co(H2O)6]2+ and different Co2+ citrate complexes with the Al2O3 support. Complexation of Co2+ by citrate was found to lead to a stronger interaction of Co with the support surface and formation of an eggshell distribution of Co2+ complexes after impregnation. By addition of free citrate and by changing the pH of the impregnation solution, it was possible to obtain the rather uncommon egg‐yolk and egg‐white distributions of Co2+ inside the extrudates after impregnation. In other words, by carefully altering the chemical composition and pH of the impregnation solution, the macrodistribution of Co2+ complexes inside catalyst extrudates could be fine‐tuned from eggshell over egg white and egg yolk to uniform.
Gas‐Phase Study on the CC Coupling of Naphthol Catalyzed by CuII⋅TMEDA: Evidence for the Key Role of Binuclear Clusters
Authors: Roithová Jana , Schröder Detlef 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe mechanism of oxidative coupling of two naphthol molecules to form binaphthol catalyzed by Cu(OH)Cl⋅TMEDA (TMEDA=N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine) was approached by means of a gas‐phase model system. Concise evidence is provided that the coupling reaction proceeds in clusters with two CuII centers, whereby the intermediacy of free naphthoxy radicals in the coupling step is avoided. In the absence of TMEDA, the cluster is bound via a bridging counterion and the coupling reaction is followed by cluster cleavage. The coordination of one or two TMEDA molecules to the reactive complex results in more efficient coupling of naphthol molecules, and moreover, the binuclear cluster is also conserved after the reaction is completed. The effect of TMEDA is twofold: First, it supports clustering of copper and, second, as a ligand bound to a copper center in the reactive complex, it weakens the bond between copper and the naphtholato ligand such that the naphtholato unit is more prone to undergo CC coupling. Furthermore, a pronounced counterion effect is found that correlates well with condensed‐phase data: weakly bridging counterions (e.g., NO3−) yield less stable dicopper clusters and the coupling reaction hardly occurs, whereas better bridging counterions (e.g., Cl− or Br−) provide more stable clusters that make the coupling reaction more efficient.
Reaction Mechanism of Apocarotenoid Oxygenase (ACO): A DFT Study
Authors: Borowski Tomasz , Blomberg Margareta R. A. , Siegbahn Per E. M. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe mechanism of the oxidative cleavage catalyzed by apocarotenoid oxygenase (ACO) was studied by using a quantum chemical (DFT: B3 LYP) method. Based on the available crystal structure, relatively large models of the unusual active‐site region, in which a ferrous ion is coordinated by four histidines and no negatively charged ligand, were selected and used in the computational investigation of the reaction mechanism. The results suggest that binding of dioxygen to the ferrous ion in the active site promotes one‐electron oxidation of carotenoid leading to a substrate radical cation and a Fe‐bound superoxide radical. Recombination of the two radicals, which can be realized in at least two different ways, yields a reactive peroxo species that subsequently evolves into either a dioxetane or an epoxide intermediate. The former easily decays into the final aldehyde products, whereas the oxidation of the epoxide to the proper products of the reaction requires involvement of a water molecule. The calculated activation barriers favor the dioxetane mechanism, yet the mechanism involving the epoxide intermediate cannot be ruled out.
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis, Structure and Properties of Li2Rh3B2.
Authors: Bailey Mark S. , Lobkovsky Emil B. , Hinks David G. , Claus Helmut , Hor Yew San , Schlueter John A. , Mitchell John F. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.