bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The agreement between self-reported cervical smear abnormalities and screening programme records
Authors: Canfell Karen , Beral Valerie , Green Jane , Cameron Rebecca , Baker Krys , Brown Anna 
Published: June 2006

Setting: The Million Women Study is a cohort study of women aged 50–64 years in England and Scotland. As a component of the follow-up questionnaire, participants were asked to indicate if they had an abnormal cervical smear in the previous five years. This study compared self-reported cervical abnormalities with screening records obtained from the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme. Methods: For 1944 randomly selected Million Women Study participants in Oxfordshire, screening records were assessed over a six-year period prior to the date of self-reporting. The six-year period was chosen to allow for errors in the recall of timing of abnormal smears. Results: A total of 68 women (3.5%) had a record of at least one equivocal or abnormal smear within the last six years, whereas 49 women (2.5%) self-reported an abnormality. There was a strong trend for an increased probability of self-reporting a history of an abnormal smear as the severity of the recorded abnormality increased ( P <0.001). For women with an NHS record of borderline dyskaryosis, mild dyskaryosis, or moderate dyskaryosis/severe dyskaryosis/invasive cancer, the proportions reporting an abnormality were 40%, 58% and 77%, respectively. For women with negative and inadequate smears, the proportion self-reporting an abnormality were 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively. Conclusions: These results indicate that among women whose screening programme records show an abnormal smear, the proportion self-reporting an abnormality increases with the severity of the recorded lesion. Almost all women with a record of negative or inadequate smear(s) correctly interpret the result and do not self-report an abnormality.
Failed Attendances at Hospital Dental Clinics among Young Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Rodd Helen D. , Clark Emma L. , Stern Melanie R. , Baker Sarah R. 
Published: June 2006

Objective: To determine the frequency of missed dental appointments among children with a cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). Design: A prospective study of failed appointments over a 12-month period. Setting: Three different CL/P clinics within a British dental hospital. Patients: Forty-five CL/P children (mean age of 8.8 years) and 45 age-matched, gender-matched, and postal code–matched noncleft patients. Main outcome measures: The overall percentage of missed appointments at three different clinics by CL/P patients and the difference in attendance rates at the pediatric dentistry clinic between CL/P and non-CL/P children. Results: Pediatric dentistry had the highest rate of missed appointments (22.4%), followed by the multidisciplinary cleft clinic (9.2%) and the orthodontic clinic (8.8%). CL/P patients missed a significantly greater proportion of their pediatric dentistry appointments than noncleft children (22.4% versus 11.9%). Patients with a bilateral CL/P were significantly more likely to miss an appointment than patients with a unilateral CL/P. Age, gender, medical history, and distance traveled had no significant effect on attendance rates. Conclusions: Further work is needed to identify risk factors for poor attendance and to develop strategies to reduce the frequency of missed appointments in this vulnerable group.
Pharmacokinetic interaction between fluoxetine and metoclopramide in healthy volunteers
Authors: Vlase Laurian , Leucuta Adrian , Farcau Dorin , Nanulescu Mircea 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe pharmacokinetic interaction of fluoxetine with metoclopramide in healthy volunteers was evaluated. A dose of 20 mg metoclopramide in combination with 60 mg fluoxetine was administered to 24 healthy male volunteers in a two treatment study design, separated by 8 days in which the fluoxetine alone was administered as a single p.o. dose daily. Plasma concentrations of metoclopramide were determined during a 24 h period following drug administration. Metoclopramide plasma concentrations were determined by a validated HPLC method. Pharmacokinetic parameters of metoclopramide were calculated using non‐compartmental analysis. In the two periods of treatment, the mean peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) were 44.02 ng/ml (metoclopramide alone) and 62.72 ng/ml (metoclopramide after pre‐treatment with fluoxetine). The times taken to reach Cmax and tmax, were 1.15 h and 1.06 h, respectively. The total areas under the curve (AUC0–∞) were 312.61 ng.h/ml and 590.62 ng.h/ml, respectively. The half‐life values (t1/2) were 5.52 h and 8.47 h. Statistically significant differences were observed for both AUC0–∞ and t1/2 of metoclopramide when administered alone or after 8 days treatment with fluoxetine. The experimental data demonstrate the pharmacokinetic interaction between fluoxetine and metoclopramide and suggest that the observed interaction may be clinically significant, but its relevance has to be confirmed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A midpoint assessment of the American Cancer Society challenge goal to halve the U.S. cancer mortality rates between the years 1990 and 2015
Authors: Byers Tim , Barrera Ermilo , Fontham Elizabeth T. H. , Newman Lisa A. , Runowicz Carolyn D. , Sener Stephen F. , Thun Michael J. , Winborn Sara , Wender Richard C. ,   on behalf of the American Cancer Society Incidence and Mortality Ends Committee
Published: June 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND.The American Cancer Society has challenged the U.S. to reduce cancer mortality rates 50% over the 25 years from 1990 to 2015. The current report is an analysis and commentary on progress toward that goal through 2002, the midpoint of the challenge period.METHODS.Cancer mortality rates were examined from 1990 through 2002, and projections to the Year 2015 were made. Cancer deaths that were prevented or deferred by the declining death rates were expressed as the difference between the observed and projected numbers of deaths and the numbers that would have been observed over that period had the 1990 death rates persisted.RESULTS.Since 1990, cancer mortality rates have been declining in the U.S. by approximately 1% per year. Trends especially have been favorable for cancers of the breast, prostate, and colorectum and for lung cancer among men. Should this rate of decline continue over the coming decade, death rates from cancer will be approximately 23% lower in the Year 2015 than they were in 1990, and approximately 1.8 million deaths from cancer will have been prevented or deferred.CONCLUSIONS.At this midpoint of the 25‐year challenge period, it appears that fully reaching the goal will require substantial breakthroughs in cancer early detection and/or in cancer therapy. Between now and 2015, however, many more cancer deaths can be averted by concerted action to control tobacco and obesity, by redoubling efforts in mammography and colorectal screening, and by enacting policies to close gaps in access to cancer detection and treatment services. Cancer 2006. ©2006 American Cancer Society.
Sheared Zonal Flow ExB Drifts Predicted from Emissive Probes and Measured by Laser‐Induced Fluorescence
Authors: McWilliams R. , Edrich D. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractAn electron beam sheet injected into a plasma created regions of oppositely‐directed electric fields above and below the sheet. An emissive probe was used to measure the spatial structure of the plasma potential from which the electric field could be deduced. Laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) was used to measure the spatial structure of the ion zonal flow velocity. The ExB velocity flow field predicted from the emissive probe results is compared to the LIF observations. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Comparative Study of Flat and Round Collectors Using a Validated 1D Fluid Probe Model
Authors: Peleman P. , Jachmich S. , Van Schoor M. , Van Oost G. , Knaepen W. , Boucher C. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractIn the literature two different types of Gundestrup‐like probe designs are proposed: design with flat and with round collectors. In this paper we study the influence of different collector shapes of Gundestrup‐like probes on the accuracy of the measurement of the parallel and perpendicular flows. A one dimensional fluid probe model is used for deducing both Mach numbers of the unperturbed flow from the probe data. An analytical expression relates the plasma flow to the measured ion saturation currents collected at the upstream and downstream collecting surfaces of the probe. For flat collectors, the analytical model is validated by comparing it to a two dimensional quasi‐neutral Particle In Cell (PIC) simulation code. An extension of the theoretical model then allows us to study round collectors. We performed an accuracy study which showed that systematic errors are introduced when round collectors are employed for determination of the perpendicular flow which is systematically overestimated. The error can reach more than 70% when the perpendicular flow increases and when the angle of the collecting surface with respect to the magnetic field (θ → 0)is small. The correct analytical expression is applied to experimental data from Gundestrup probe measurements with round collectors on the CASTOR tokamak. The analysis shows that for these measurements the error introduced by using the expression for flat collectors remains negligible, supporting our former use of the model for flat collectors. A new advanced Gundestrup‐like probe design and the motivation for the choice of flat collectors are presented. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Evaluation of growth quantification methods for modelling the growth of Penicillium expansum in an apple‐based medium
Authors: Marín Sonia , Morales Hector , Ramos Antonio J , Sanchis Vicente 
Published: June 2006

AbstractPenicillium expansum isolates were grown on an apple concentrate‐based medium modified to different water activity levels (0.83–0.99), and incubated at 3–29 °C for up to 14 days. The diameters of the growing colonies were measured and colonies were extracted for determination of ergosterol and N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase activity. Results showed good correlation of measured diameters in the repeated treatments, but slightly lower repeatability for the ergosterol determination, and poor repeatability for the determination of N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase activity. Primary and secondary models were built for colony diameter and ergosterol content of the colonies, which were similar for both isolates tested. Growth was prevented at low water activity values (0.83–0.85) outside the range 10–23 °C. However, given an unpreserved apple or apple product (aw > 0.97) left at room temperature growth may occur in a time as short as 1 day, probably leading to mycotoxin accumulation in a few days in the event of mycotoxigenic strains. This issue also highlights the importance of shortening the time of transport and storage operations when considering the use of culled apples unfit for other, higher quality and higher profit purposes to obtain apple by‐products such as puree, juices or jam. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Stem cells and cancer: an intimate relationship
Authors: Burkert J , Wright NA , Alison MR 
Published: June 2006

AbstractTumour‐wide ‘omics’ approaches have long held sway as the approach to identifying useful therapeutic targets. This view is changing with the realization that many, if not all, cancers contain a minority population of self‐renewing stem cells, the cancer stem cells, which are entirely responsible for sustaining the tumour as well as giving rise to proliferating but progressively differentiating cells that are responsible for much of the cellular heterogeneity that is so familiar to histopathologists. Moreover, although many tumours probably have their origins in normal stem cells, persuasive evidence from the haematopoietic system suggests that genetic alterations in more committed progenitor cells can reactivate the self‐renewal machinery, resulting in a further source of cancer stem cells. Thus, the bulk of the tumour is not the problem, and so the identification of cancer stem cells and the factors that regulate their behaviour are likely to have an enormous bearing on the way that we treat neoplastic disease in the future. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
UK drug analysis prints and anaesthetic adverse drug reactions
Authors: Holdcroft Anita 
Published: June 2006

AbstractPurposeAnaesthetic drugs were selected from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Drug Analysis Prints in order to determine the number and types of reported reactions and associated mortality.MethodsThe chosen drug groups were the intravenous induction agents, the neuromuscular blocking drugs and neostigmine, the inhalational anaesthetic agents and nitrous oxide, local anaesthetic agents and a selection of analgesics agents, naloxone and midazolam and its antagonist flumazenil. From each drug file, the number and type of reactions were analysed. Mortality was calculated as a percentage of the number of deaths against patient reports.ResultsA total of 11 199 reactions were analysed from 6603 patients of whom 620 (9%) died. Few drug records reported reactions from multiple constituent formulations. The majority of reactions were not allergic. The highest mortality was in the inhalational anaesthetic group. Although the greatest number of fatal events was associated with halothane, this drug is no longer used. Nevertheless the percentage remains high because cardiovascular mortality is still being reported. Local anaesthetic use was associated with the smallest percentage mortality (3%). The highest reported number of reactions was associated with the intravenous induction agents and idiosyncratic neurological and peripheral vascular reactions were linked with the use of etomidate.ConclusionsThe reporting of allergic reactions was low. The data demonstrate that induction of anaesthesia presents the highest risk of adverse drug reaction; there is also mortality from newer drugs for example, desflurane, remifentanil as well as from drugs for which there is no alternative, for example, suxamethonium. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microstructural characterization of terpolymers of leucine, β‐benzyl aspartate, and valine
Authors: Wamsley Andrea , Phiasivongsa Pasit , Jasti Bhaskara , Li Xiaoling 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThree different characterization methods—13C NMR spectroscopy, a terminal terpolymerization model, and a probability analysis based on the Poisson distribution—were used to determine the microstructure of random terpolymers. The methods were used to determine the amino acid sequence distribution of random terpolymers prepared from the polymerization of N‐carboxyanhydrides that contained L‐leucine, β‐benzyl‐L‐aspartate, and L‐valine. Poly(L‐leucine‐L‐aspartic acid‐L‐valine) [poly(LDV)] was designed as a target specific substrate for the α4β1 integrin that recognizes the tripeptide sequence leucine‐aspartic acid‐valine (LDV). The presence of the tripeptide sequence LDV within the polymer was determined to be eight LDV triad sequences on average in terpolymers of approximately 100 kDa. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4328–4337, 2006
Simulation of p‐type diffusion in compound semiconductor: the case of beryllium implanted in InGaAs
Authors: Saad A. , Fedotov A. , Velichko O. , Pachynin V. , Davydko A. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractA system of equations describing transient enhanced diffusion of beryllium in InGaAs due to kick‐out mechanism or due to formation, migration, and dissociation of the pairs “beryllium atom–group III self‐interstitial” is proposed and analyzed. Simulation of coupled diffusion of beryllium atoms and self‐interstitials in InGaAs during rapid thermal annealing was done for the case of dual implantation. For the experiment under consideration the first ion implantation of phosphorus atoms produced the region of extended defects that led to “uphill” diffusion of implanted Be in the defect region and in the vicinity of the surface. The suggested reason of “uphill” diffusion could be related to the nonuniform distribution of group III self‐interstitials that was formed due to the absorption of point defects on the extended defects and on the surface of a semiconductor. The calculated dopant profile agreed well with the experimental one and a comparison with the experimental data resulted in obtaining the values of beryllium diffusivity and other parameters describing Be diffusion in InGaAs. Further improvements of the model are also discussed. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The role of process improvement in IT departments: experiences and lessons learned
Authors: Salvaneschi Paolo , Grasso Daniele , Besurga Maurizio 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThis article presents the experience gained and the lessons learned during the process assessment and improvement of the IT department of a large retail company. The characteristics of the company and the IT department are discussed shortly. The business motivations and the main approaches and results of the assessment process are presented and discussed. The assessment led to an improvement in the project that is currently running. We highlight the improvement process and finally discuss some aspects that may be useful for assessing and improving similar types of organizations. Among them is the role of the global service provider in IT departments, the relevance of communication and knowledge management processes and the need for assessment tailoring and people involvement. We also discuss the role of the ISO 9001:2000 certification approach in the improvement process and the need for a blend of technical and organizational aspects as well as communication and training/mentoring actions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dating, sex, and substance use as correlates of adolescents’ subjective experience of age
Authors: Arbeau Kelly J. , Galambos Nancy L. , Mikael Jansson S. 
Published: June 2006

ABSTRACTThis study examined in a random community‐based sample of 664 12–19‐year‐olds, the relation of subjective experience of age (SEA) with chronological age, dating experience, sexual activity, and substance use. The results revealed a positive linear relation between SEA and chronological age: individuals who were chronologically older felt subjectively older than their actual age. Several possible sources of interindividual differences in SEA were identified. Adolescents who were dating an older partner felt older compared to other dating adolescents. Sexually experienced adolescents felt older than their non‐experienced counterparts. Smoking (in boys), higher alcohol use, and higher drug use were also related to an older SEA. These results suggest an increasing discrepancy between SEA and chronological age across the teen years as young people experience the normative changes associated with adolescence. Dating, sexual, and substance use activities may figure importantly in the way that adolescents experience their age.
The sustained benefits of long‐term neurostimulation in patients with refractory chest pain and normal coronary arteries
Authors: de Vries Jessica , DeJongste Mike J.L. , Durenkamp Ans , Zijlstra Felix , Staal Michiel J. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractObjectives: To assess the long‐term efficacy of neurostimulation for treating refractory angina pectoris‐like chest pain, we followed patients, treated with either transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or spinal cord stimulation (SCS).Methods: Neurostimulation was judged successful and subsequently continued when initial pain was reduced at least 50%. All patients started with TENS, but if skin irritation occurred during TENS, a SCS system was implanted. The quality of life was measured at baseline and follow‐up with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire. Additional information was gathered concerning anti‐anginal medication, complaints, and physical condition.Results: Of 36 patients treated successfully with neurostimulation, we identified 24 patients after a mean (SD) follow‐up period of 5.08 (3.86) years; 12 patients dropped out of the study. In 13 of the remaining 24 patients, TENS induced skin irritation. Eight of these 13 patients received successful SCS, while five refused implantation. In the 24 patients, a mean pain reduction of 57% was achieved in conjunction with an increased exercise capacity of 30% and walking distance increased from 0.73 (0.83) to 1.62 (1.62) (p=0.018). Within the Seattle Angina Questionnaire the domain ‘disease perception’ improved from 38.89 (16.61) to 49.31 (21.83) (p=0.004), the domain ‘physical limitation’ improved from 29.89 (15.10) to 40.97 (22.63) (p=0.001) and ‘anginal frequency’ improved from 41.67 (24.08) to 55.00 (23.03) (p=0.005). In addition, nitroglycerin consumption was reduced from 7.85 (8.49) to 1.98 (2.19) (p=0.001).Conclusion: Neurostimulation techniques should thus be of widespread value for treating angina pectoris‐like chest pain in patients who are refractory to medication.
Contextual cognitive‐behavioral therapy for severely disabled chronic pain sufferers: Effectiveness and clinically significant change
Authors: McCracken Lance M. , MacKichan Fiona , Eccleston Christopher 
Published: June 2006

AbstractInterdisciplinary pain management programs have an established record of significantly improving the functioning of persons disabled with chronic pain. There is a group of pain sufferers, however, who have difficulty accessing these programs and for whom the effectiveness of these treatments in unknown, these are patients whose mobility and self‐care deficits leave them unable to meet the practical demands of many treatment environments. The purpose of this study was to examine the results of a treatment program designed to meet the needs of these highly disabled individuals (n=53) in comparison to results obtained from a standard less‐disabled group attending treatment at the same facility (n=234). Results from the highly disabled patients showed statistically significant change after treatment in eight of nine outcome variables, including improvements in pain‐related distress, disability, depression, pain‐related anxiety, daytime rest, and performance during an activity tolerance test. Effect size calculations showed a number of large treatment effects, for psychosocial disability, depression, and acceptance of pain. Analysis of reliable change and clinical significance demonstrated that results were not merely statistically significant but clinically meaningful. Results appeared stable at three months following treatment. This research plays an important part in establishing an evidence base to inform service development, ensuring that chronic pain services do not exclude people on the basis of the severity of their disability.