bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Status epilepticus: Clinical presentation, cause, outcome, and predictors of death in 119 Ethiopian patients
Authors: Amare Amanuel , Zenebe Guta , Hammack Julie , Davey Gail 
Published: March 2008

Summary
Purpose: Status epilepticus (SE) is a common neurological emergency with high morbidity and mortality. There is no study that has been conducted among Ethiopian patients with SE. The purpose of this study was to analyze clinical presentation, causes, complications, outcomes, and predictors of mortality.
Methods: In this retrospective study, patients aged ≥13 year with SE were included. Medical records were reviewed and demographic and clinical data were collected.
Results: Records of 119 patients were analyzed; preexisting epilepsy was found in 38.7%. Primarily generalized and focal with secondarily generalized (FWSG) seizures were identified in 60.5% and 36%, respectively. Simple partial SE occurred in 3.4%. Central nervous system (CNS) infection was the most common cause of SE in the whole group as well as in those with new onset seizure. Antiepileptic drug withdrawal (AEDW) was the main cause in those with preexisting seizure. One or more complications were detected in 61%. Intravenous diazepam and oral phenytoin were given to 95% and 97.5%, respectively. Case fatality was 20.2%; poor outcome occurred in 24%. Predictors of mortality were FWSG type, acute symptomatic etiology, stroke, systemic infection, and HIV/AIDS and its CNS complications. Idiopathic and SE due to AEDW were associated with good prognosis.
Conclusions: CNS infection was the most common cause of SE in the whole group and AEDW was the major cause in patients with preexisting epilepsy. Parenteral anticonvulsants, emergency measurement of serum AED level, and electroencephalography for urgent diagnosis and monitoring were unavailable. Mortality was related to underlying etiologies especially HIV/AIDS and its CNS complications.
Pronounced increase in breathing rate in the “hair dryer model” of experimental febrile seizures
Authors: Schuchmann Sebastian , Tolner Else A. , Marshall Pepin , Vanhatalo Sampsa , Kaila Kai 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARY In a study using a heated chamber for induction of experimental febrile seizures (eFS) in rat pups, ictal activity was shown to be precipitated by a respiratory alkalosis (Schuchmann et al., 2006). In sharp contrast to this, in a recent review Dubé et al., (2007) suggest that the respiratory alkalosis is model specific, and that no increase in respiratory rate is observed in the widely used “hair dryer model” of eFS. The data in the present work, based on well‐established techniques for measuring respiratory rates in rat pups, show a pronounced increase in the “hair dryer model” with values that are slightly higher than those recorded in the heated chamber model. Hence, a temperature‐evoked increase in respiration is a common feature of these two models of eFS.
Product Chain Actors' Potential for Greening the Product Life Cycle
Authors: Berlin Johanna , Sonesson Ulf , Tillman Anne‐Marie 
Published: March 2008

SummaryThe challenge in working with environmental improvements is to select the action offering the most substantial progress. However, not all actions are open to all actors in a product chain. This study demonstrates how life cycle assessment (LCA) may be used with an actor perspective in the Swedish postfarm milk chain. The potential measures were identified, applied by the dairy, retailer, and household, that gave the most environmental improvement in a life cycle perspective. Improved energy efficiency, more efficient transport patterns, reduced milk and product losses, and organic labeling were investigated. Milk, yogurt and cheese were considered. After LCAs of the products were established, improvement potentials of the actors were identified and quantified. The quantification was based mostly on literature studies but also on assumptions. Then the LCAs were recalculated to include the estimated improvement potential. To find the action with the greatest potential, the environmental impacts of the modified and original LCAs were compared for each actor. No action was superior to any other from the dairy perspective, but reduced wastage lowered most impacts for all three products. For retailers, using less energy is the most efficient improvement. From the household perspective, reducing wastage gives unambiguously positive results. When households choose organic products, reductions in energy use and greenhouse gases are even larger, but eutrophication increases. Overall, households have greatest potential for improvement while yogurt is the product offering the most improvement potential.
Massachusetts Health Care Reform: The View From One Year Out
Authors: Gruber Jonathan 
Published: March 2008

AbstractOne of the most important developments in health policy in recent years was the health reform plan enacted by Massachusetts in April 2006. This sweeping bill reformed insurance markets, subsidized insurance coverage for a large swath of the population, introduced a new purchasing mechanism (the “Connector"), and mandated insurance coverage for almost all citizens. In this article, I review the history of health reform in Massachusetts, highlighting the unique features that came together to make reform a reality in this state. I then turn to a discussion of the major issues that have been faced in the first year of implementing this reform and the compromises made to maintain a broad consensus of support in the state. I also discuss the lessons learned and contrast the Massachusetts approach with alternatives, most notably plans that rely more strongly on the employer‐based insurance system to expand insurance coverage in the United States.
Who Gets What From Employer Pay or Play Mandates?
Authors: Burkhauser Richard V. , Simon Kosali I. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractCritics of pay or play mandates, borrowing from the large empirical minimum wage literature, argue that they reduce employment. Borrowing from a smaller empirical minimum wage literature, we argue that they also are a blunt instrument for funding health insurance for the working poor. The vast majority of those who benefit from pay or play mandates, which require employers to either provide appropriate health insurance for their workers or pay a flat per hour tax to offset the cost of health care live in families with incomes twice the poverty line or more, and depending on how coverage is determined, the mandate will leave a significant share of the working poor ineligible for such benefits either because their hourly wage rate is too high or they work for smaller exempt firms.
When Do International Operations Lead to Improved Performance? An Analysis of Property‐Liability Insurers
Authors: Ma Yu‐Luen , Elango B. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractIn recent decades, insurers have been increasing their exposure to international markets. This article seeks to investigate the relationship between property‐liability insurers' international operations and their risk‐adjusted returns using cross‐section and time‐series data for the years 1992 through 2000. Our findings indicate that the relationship between international operations and performance is contingent upon the degree of product diversification. Insurance companies with focused operations in terms of product lines achieve higher risk‐adjusted performance as they increase their exposures to international markets. However, insurers who are highly diversified across product lines face declining returns with greater exposure to international markets.
Intangible Assets and Firm Asset Risk Taking: An Analysis of Property and Liability Insurance Firms
Authors: Yu Tong , Lin Bingxuan , Oppenheimer Henry R. , Chen Xuanjuan 
Published: March 2008

AbstractIntangible assets facilitate insurers' capacity to retain existing business and attract new clients. In this study we analyze how the incentives to protect intangible assets affect asset risk‐taking behavior of property and liability insurers. The result supports the view that insurers' incentives to protect their intangible assets lead to an inverse relation between intangible assets and asset risk. Consistent with the view that highly levered firms may go for broke, asset risk of highly levered insurers is less elastic to intangible assets than that of lower‐levered insurers. An additional notable finding of our article is that tangible factors like firm size and capitalization increase insurers' appetites for asset risk taking.
A Comparative Analysis of U.S. Property and Casualty Reinsurers and Insurers
Authors: Cole Cassandra R. , McCullough Kathleen A. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractIn empirical research related to the property‐casualty insurance industry, studies commonly focus on either insurers or reinsurers. However, in many cases, the definition used to make the distinction between the two groups is often not clearly defined and/or the definition varies across studies. This variation could result in a substantially different group of firms being included or excluded from the study, thereby affecting the empirical results obtained. This study builds upon Chen and Hamwi, who compare the performance of U.S. insurers and reinsurers. The objective of the study is fourfold: (1) to compare the definitions of insurer and reinsurer commonly used in prior research to identify differences, (2) to expand upon the traditional methods of classifying insurers and reinsurers, (3) to compare the individual firm‐level characteristics of insurers and reinsurers to detect potential variation across categories and across definitions, and (4) to analyze the impact of different definitions on the results of multivariate analyses exploring common research questions. The univariate results indicate that there are some variations in the characteristics of the firms based on the categorization of insurers and reinsurers arising from different definitions. In addition, we find that there are significant differences in the regression results when comparing models based on various definitions of reinsurers utilized in prior research and when professional reinsurers and incidental reinsurers are grouped together. As such, it is possible that the definition used to include or exclude reinsurers from the sample can impact the results.
Academic Dishonesty: An Exploratory Study Examining Whether Insurance Students Are Different From Other College Students
Authors: Eastman Kevin L. , Eastman Jacqueline K. , Iyer Rajesh 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThis exploratory study compares academic dishonesty scores for insurance students in one insurance program to those for other college students using survey data from business and nonbusiness students at two universities. Academic dishonesty was measured using a modified version of a scale developed by McCabe and Trevino, with a higher score indicating greater academic dishonesty. The average score on total academic dishonesty was significantly higher for insurance students than for other business students and lower, but not significantly so, than the scores for nonbusiness students. Regression analysis indicates that a significant predictor of academic dishonesty for both insurance students and other business students is the perceived relevance of the work to the student's major coursework. There were some differences, however, in the other significant predictors for insurance students versus other business students. Specifically, year in school was significant only for insurance majors, while membership in a Greek social organization and a belief that there was a low risk of getting caught were significant only for other business majors. Furthermore, the significant predictors of academic dishonesty were different for insurance students and nonbusiness students. Overall, the results indicate that insurance students are more likely to engage in academically dishonest behavior than other business students, and the motivation for academic dishonesty differs for insurance students and other students (both nonbusiness and other business). This suggests a need for insurance educators to address academic dishonesty using an approach that is somewhat different than that used for other students.
Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Worsens Heart Rate Variability, Activity and Heart Rate, as Shown by a Continuous Monitoring by Implantable Biventricular Pacemakers in Heart Failure Patients
Authors: PUGLISI ANDREA , GASPARINI MAURIZIO , LUNATI MAURIZIO , SASSARA MASSIMO , PADELETTI LUIGI , LANDOLINA MAURIZIO , BOTTO GIOVANNI LUCA , VINCENTI ANTONIO , BIANCHI STEFANO , DENARO ALESSANDRA , GRAMMATICO ANDREA , BORIANI GIUSEPPE ,   on behalf of InSync III Italian Registry Investigators
Published: March 2008

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) induces loss of atrial contribution, heart rate irregularity, and fast ventricular rate. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to accurately measure AF incidence and to investigate the mutual temporal patterns of AF and heart failure (HF) in patients indicated to cardiac resynchronization therapy. Methods: Four hundred ten consecutive patients (70% male, age 69 ± 11) with advanced HF (NYHA = 3.0 ± 0.6), low ejection fraction (EF = 27 ± 9%), and ventricular conduction delay (QRS = 165 ± 29 ms) received a biventricular pacemaker. Enrolled patients were divided into two groups: G1 = 249 patients with no AF history, G2 = 161 patients with history of paroxysmal/persistent AF. Results: In a median follow‐up of 13 months, AF episodes longer than 5 minutes occurred in 105 of 249 (42.2%) G1 patients and 76 of 161 (47.2%) G2 patients, while AF episodes longer than one day occurred in 14 of 249 (5.6%) G1 patients and in 36 of 161 (22.4%) G2 patients. Device diagnostics monitored daily values of patient activity, night heart rate (NHR), and heart rate variability (HRV). Comparing 30‐day periods before AF onset and during persistent AF, significant (P < 0.0001) changes were observed in patient activity, which decreased from 221 ± 13 to 162 ± 12 minutes, and in NHR, which increased from 68 ± 3 to 94 ± 7 bpm. HRV significantly decreased (from 75 ± 5 ms before AF onset to 60 ± 6 ms after AF termination). NHR during AF was significantly (P < 0.01) and inversely correlated (R2= 0.73) with activity, with a significant lower activity associated with NHR ≥ 88 bpm. Conclusion: AF is frequent in HF patients. Persistent AF is associated with statistically significant decrease in patient activity and HRV and NHR increase.
Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 magnifies lifestyle risks for dementia: a population‐based study
Authors: Kivipelto Miia , Rovio Suvi , Ngandu Tiia , Kåreholt Ingemar , Eskelinen Marjo , Winblad Bengt , Hachinski Vladimir , Cedazo‐Minguez Angel , Soininen Hilkka , Tuomilehto Jaakko , Nissinen Aulikki 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) probably results from an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and putative interactions between the apoE ɛ4 allele and lifestyle related risk factors for dementia and AD. Participants of the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) study were derived from random, population‐based samples previously studied in 1972, 1977, 1982 or 1987. After an average follow‐up of 21 years, 1449 individuals (72.5%) aged 65–79 years were re‐examined in 1998. The apoE ɛ4 allele was an independent risk factor for dementia/AD even after adjustments for sociodemographic, lifestyle and vascular factors (odds ratio [OR]= 2.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]ɛ1.61–4.97). Physical inactivity, alcohol drinking and smoking increased the risk of dementia/AD particularly among the apoE ɛ4 carriers. Furthermore, low–moderate intake of polyunsaturated, and moderate–high intake of saturated fats were associated with an increased risk of dementia/AD more pronouncedly among apoE ɛ4 carriers. Composite effect of the lifestyle factors was particularly seen among the ɛ4 carriers (OR = 11.42, 95% CI = 1.94–67.07 in the 4th quartile). Physical inactivity, dietary fat intake, alcohol drinking and smoking at midlife are associated with the risk of dementia and AD, especially among the apoE ɛ4 carriers. The apoE ɛ4 carriers may be more vulnerable to environmental factors, and thus, lifestyle interventions may greatly modify dementia risk particularly among the genetically susceptible individuals.
Stratified epithelial sheets engineered from a single adult murine corneal/limbal progenitor cell
Authors: Kawakita Tetsuya , Shimmura Shigeto , Hornia Armand , Higa Kazunari , Tseng Scheffer C. G. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe limbal region of the adult cornea contains stem cells which are ultimately responsible for regeneration of the corneal epithelium during wound repair. However, primarily‐isolated murine corneal/limbal epithelial cells rapidly senesce on plastic in a serum‐free low [Ca2+] medium, suggesting only transit amplifying cells are promoted. We developed a novel expansion method by seeding at a low cell density (<500 cells/cm2) and prolonging each culture time beyond the lifespan of transit amplifying cells (4 weeks). Expanded cells were uniformly small, negative to K12 keratin, but positive for p63 nuclear staining, and could be subcultured beyond 100 passages. After limiting dilution, one clone (TKE2) was selected that exhibited single cell clonal expansion with a doubling time of 34.2 hrs, and had normal karyotyping, but no anchorage‐independent growth. A single cell could be continually expanded to a confluent monolayer on denuded amniotic membrane and became stratified by exposing to the air‐medium interface. The resultant stratified epithelium expressed K14 keratin, involucrin, connexin 43 and p63, but not K12 keratin or Pax 6. However, expression of K12 could be up‐regulated by increasing extracellular calcium concentration and addition of foetal bovine serum (FBS) at P12, but less so at P85. Therefore, this murine lim‐bal/corneal epithelium‐derived progenitor cell line still retained the plasticity for adopting corneal lineage differentiation, could be useful for investigating limbal niche cues that may promote corneal epithelial fate decision.
Epidermal growth factor receptor and cancer: control of oncogenic signalling by endocytosis
Authors: Grandal Michael Vibo , Madshus Inger Helene 
Published: March 2008

Introduction
Endocytosis of EGFR
Cellular and molecular requirements for lysosomal degradation of EGFR

AbstractThe epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and other members of the EGFR/ErbB receptor family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are important regulators of proliferation, angiogenesis, migration, tumorigenesis and metastasis. Overexpression, mutations, deletions and production of autocrine ligands contribute to aberrant activation of the ErbB proteins. The signalling output from EGFR is complicated given that other ErbB proteins are often additionally expressed and activated in the same cell, resulting in formation of homo‐and/or heterodimers. In particular, association of EGFR with ErbB2 prevents its down‐regulation, underscoring the importance of the cellular background for EGFR effects. Signalling from ErbB proteins can either be terminated by dissociation of ligand resulting in dephosphorylation, or blunted by degradation of the receptors. Although proteasomal targeting of ErbB proteins has been described, lysosomal degradation upon ligand‐induced endocytosis seems to play the major role in EGFR down‐regulation. Preclinical and clinical data have demonstrated that EGFR is a central player in cancer, especially in carcinomas, some brain tumours and in non‐small cell lung cancer. Such studies have further validated EGFR as an important molecular target in cancer treatment. This review focuses on mechanisms involved in ligand‐induced EGFR activation and endocytic down‐regulation. A better understanding of EGFR biology should allow development of more tumour‐selective therapeutic approaches targeting EGFR‐induced signalling.
Introducing a single‐cell‐derived human mesenchymal stem cell line expressing hTERT after lentiviral gene transfer
Authors: Böcker Wolfgang , Yin Zhanhai , Drosse Inga , Haasters Florian , Rossmann Oliver , Wierer Matthias , Popov Cvetan , Locher Melanie , Mutschler Wolf , Docheva Denitsa , Schieker Matthias 
Published: March 2008

AbstractHuman mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) can be readily isolated from bone marrow and differentiate into multiple tissues, making them a promising target for future cell and gene therapy applications. The low frequency of hMSCs in bone marrow necessitates their isolation and expansion in vitro prior to clinical use, but due to senescence‐associated growth arrest during culture, limited cell numbers can be generated. The lifespan of hMSCs has been extended by ectopic expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) using retroviral vectors. Since malignant transformation was observed in hMSCs and retroviral vectors cause insertional mutagenesis, we ectopically expressed hTERT using lentiviral gene transfer. Single‐cell‐derived hMSC clones expressing hTERT did not show malignant transformation in vitro and in vivo after extended culture periods. There were no changes observed in the expression of tumour suppressor genes and karyotype. Cultured hMSCs lack telomerase activity, but it was significantly increased by ectopic expression of hTERT. HTERT expression prevented hMSC senescence and the cells showed significantly higher and unlimited proliferation capacity. Even after an extended culture period, hMSCs expressing hTERT preserved their stem cells character as shown by osteogenic, adipogenic and chon‐drogenic differentiation. In summary, extending the lifespan of human mesenchymal stem cells by ectopic expression of hTERT using lentiviral gene transfer may be an attractive and safe way to generate appropriate cell numbers for cell and gene therapy applications.
Prevalence and Correlates of Three Types of Pelvic Pain in a Nationally Representative Sample of Australian Men
Authors: Pitts Marian , Ferris Jason , Smith Anthony , Shelley Julia , Richters Juliet 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Introduction
Recent international prevalence studies of pelvic pain in men have estimates ranging between 2% and 10%. These studies conclude that it is an important international health problem.

Aims
The aims of this study were to establish the first population-based study of pelvic pain in Australian men, and identify correlates with men's sexual and reproductive histories and other health conditions.

Methods
A representative household sample of 4,290 Australian men aged 16–64 years completed a computer-assisted telephone interview. They were asked about their experiences of pain in the pelvic region during the past 12 months.

Main Outcome Measures
Prevalence of correlates of pain associated with sexual intercourse, pain associated with urination, and pelvic pain not associated with intercourse or urination.

Results
Five percent of men reported pain during urination, 5% reported pain related to sexual intercourse, and 12% of men reported other chronic pelvic pain. There was little overlap in reporting any of the three types of pelvic pain, with 18% of men reporting some form of pelvic pain. Men reporting any of the pain conditions were significantly more likely than other men to report a sexual experience when they had felt forced or frightened. Men reporting pain during intercourse and/or chronic pelvic pain were significantly more likely than other men to report same sex experience. All three groups of men with pelvic pain were more likely than other men to report some form of sexual difficulties. A report of ever receiving a diagnosis of depression or a report of anxiety was significantly associated with all forms of pelvic pain.

Conclusions
More than one man in six report having some form of pelvic pain in the past 12 months. It is likely that men would benefit from a discussion about possible symptoms during consultations with their physicians.