bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Root Shock Revisited: Perspectives of Early Head Start Mothers on Community and Policy Environments and Their Effects on Child Health, Development, and School Readiness
Authors: McAllister Carol L. , Thomas Tammy L. , Wilson Patrick C. , Green Beth L. 
Published: December 2008

Racial differences in school readiness are a form of health disparity. By examining, from the perspective of low-income minority families participating in an Early Head Start study, community and policy environments as they shape and inform lived experiences, we identified several types of social and economic dislocation that undermine the efforts of parents to ready their children for school.The multiple dislocations of community triggered by housing and welfare reform and “urban renewal” are sources of stress for parents and children and affect the health and development of young children. Our findings suggest that racial differences in school readiness result not from race but from poverty and structural racism in American society.
Alcohol Environments and Disparities in Exposure Associated With Adolescent Drinking in California
Authors: Truong Khoa Dang , Sturm Roland 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We investigated sociodemographic disparities in alcohol environments and their relationship with adolescent drinking. Methods. We geocoded and mapped alcohol license data with ArcMap to construct circular buffers centered at 14 595 households with children that participated in the California Health Interview Survey. We calculated commercial sources of alcohol in each buffer. Multivariate logistic regression differentiated the effects of alcohol sales on adolescents' drinking from their individual, family, and neighborhood characteristics. Results. Alcohol availability, measured by mean and median number of licenses, was significantly higher around residences of minority and lower-income families. Binge drinking and driving after drinking among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were significantly associated with the presence of alcohol retailers within 0.5 miles of home. Simulation of changes in the alcohol environment showed that if alcohol sales were reduced from the mean number of alcohol outlets around the lowest-income quartile of households to that of the highest quartile, prevalence of binge drinking would fall from 6.4% to 5.6% and driving after drinking from 7.9% to 5.9%. Conclusions. Alcohol outlets are concentrated in disadvantaged neighborhoods and can contribute to adolescent drinking. To reduce underage drinking, environmental interventions need to curb opportunities for youth to obtain alcohol from commercial sources by tightening licensure, enforcing minimum-age drinking laws, or other measures.
Race, Ethnicity, and Self-Reported Hypertension: Analysis of Data From the National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2005
Authors: Borrell Luisa N. 
Published: December 2008

Objective. I estimated the association between race and self-reported hypertension among Hispanics and non-Hispanics and determined whether this association was stronger among non-Hispanics. Methods. With data from the 1997–2005 National Health Interview Survey, I used logistic regression to estimate the strength of the association between race/ethnicity and self-reported hypertension among US adults. Results. The overall prevalence of self-reported hypertension was 24.5%, with lower prevalence among Hispanics (16.7%) than among non-Hispanics (25.2%; P < .01). Blacks, regardless of ethnicity, had the highest prevalence. Compared with non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks had 48% (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41, 1.55) greater odds of reporting hypertension; Hispanic Whites had 23% (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.76, 0.88) lower odds. There was no difference in the strength of the association between race and self-reported hypertension observed among non-Hispanics (OR for Blacks = 1.47) and among Hispanics (OR for Blacks = 1.20; for interaction, P = 0.43). Conclusions. The previously reported hypertension advantage of Hispanics holds for Hispanic Whites only. As Hispanics continue their rapid growth in the United States, race may have important implications on their disease burden, because most US health disparities are driven by race and its socially patterned experiences.
Influence of Life Course Socioeconomic Position on Older Women's Health Behaviors: Findings From the British Women's Heart and Health Study
Authors: Watt Hilary C. , Carson Claire , Lawlor Debbie A. , Patel Rita , Ebrahim Shah 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We examined the association between health behaviors and socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood and adult life. Methods. Self-reported diet, smoking, and physical activity were determined among 3523 women aged 60 to 79 years recruited from general practices in 23 British towns from 1999 through 2001. Results. The most affluent women reported eating more fruit, vegetables, chicken, and fish and less red or processed meat than did less affluent women. Affluent women were less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise. Life course SES did not influence the types of fat, bread, and milk consumed. Adult SES predicted consumption of all foods considered and predicted smoking and physical activity habits independently of childhood SES. Childhood SES predicted fruit and vegetable consumption independently of adult SES and, to a lesser extent, predicted physical activity. Downward social mobility over the life course was associated with poorer diets and reduced physical activity. Conclusions. Among older women, healthful eating and physical activity were associated with both current and childhood SES. Interventions designed to improve social inequalities in health behaviors should be applied during both childhood and adult life.
Health Among Caregivers of Children With Health Problems: Findings From a Canadian Population-Based Study
Authors: Brehaut Jamie C. , Kohen Dafna E. , Garner Rochelle E. , Miller Anton R. , Lach Lucyna M. , Klassen Anne F. , Rosenbaum Peter L. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We used population-based data to evaluate whether caring for a child with health problems had implications for caregiver health after we controlled for relevant covariates.Methods. We used data on 9401 children and their caregivers from a population-based Canadian study. We performed analyses to compare 3633 healthy children with 2485 children with health problems. Caregiver health outcomes included chronic conditions, activity limitations, self-reported general health, depressive symptoms, social support, family functioning, and marital satisfaction. Covariates included family (single-parent status, number of children, income adequacy), caregiver (gender, age, education, smoking status, biological relationship to child), and child (age, gender) characteristics.Results. Logistic regression showed that caregivers of children with health problems had more than twice the odds of reporting chronic conditions, activity limitations, and elevated depressive symptoms, and had greater odds of reporting poorer general health than did caregivers of healthy children.Conclusions. Caregivers of children with health problems had substantially greater odds of health problems than did caregivers of healthy children. The findings are consistent with the movement toward family-centered services recognizing the link between caregivers' health and health of the children for whom they care.
Effect of Individual or Neighborhood Disadvantage on the Association Between Neighborhood Walkability and Body Mass Index
Authors: Lovasi Gina S. , Neckerman Kathryn M. , Quinn James W. , Weiss Christopher C. , Rundle Andrew 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We sought to test whether the association between walkable environments and lower body mass index (BMI) was stronger within disadvantaged groups that may be particularly sensitive to environmental constraints. Methods. We measured height and weight in a diverse sample of 13 102 adults living throughout New York City from 2000–2002. Each participant's home address was geocoded and surrounded by a circular buffer with a 1-km radius. The composition and built environment characteristics of these areas were used to predict BMI through the use of generalized estimating equations. Indicators of individual or area disadvantage included low educational attainment, low household income, Black race, and Hispanic ethnicity. Results. Higher population density, more mixed land use, and greater transit access were most consistently associated with a lower BMI among those with more education or higher incomes and among non-Hispanic Whites. Significant interactions were observed for education, income, race, and ethnicity. Conclusions. Contrary to expectations, built environment characteristics were less consistently associated with BMI among disadvantaged groups. This pattern may be explained by other barriers to maintaining a healthy weight encountered by disadvantaged groups.
Motor Control Exercise for Persistent, Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review
Authors: Macedo Luciana G , Maher Christopher G , Latimer Jane , McAuley James H 
Published: December 2008

BackgroundPrevious systematic reviews have concluded that the effectiveness of motor control exercise for persistent low back pain has not been clearly established.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to systematically review randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of motor control exercises for persistent low back pain.MethodsElectronic databases were searched to June 2008. Pain, disability, and quality-of-life outcomes were extracted and converted to a common 0 to 100 scale. Where possible, trials were pooled using Revman 4.2.ResultsFourteen trials were included. Seven trials compared motor control exercise with minimal intervention or evaluated it as a supplement to another treatment. Four trials compared motor control exercise with manual therapy. Five trials compared motor control exercise with another form of exercise. One trial compared motor control exercise with lumbar fusion surgery. The pooling revealed that motor control exercise was better than minimal intervention in reducing pain at short-term follow-up (weighted mean difference=−14.3 points, 95% confidence interval [CI]=−20.4 to −8.1), at intermediate follow-up (weighted mean difference=−13.6 points, 95% CI=−22.4 to −4.1), and at long-term follow-up (weighted mean difference=−14.4 points, 95% CI=−23.1 to −5.7) and in reducing disability at long-term follow-up (weighted mean difference=−10.8 points, 95% CI=−18.7 to −2.8). Motor control exercise was better than manual therapy for pain (weighted mean difference=−5.7 points, 95% CI=−10.7 to −0.8), disability (weighted mean difference=−4.0 points, 95% CI=−7.6 to −0.4), and quality-of-life outcomes (weighted mean difference=−6.0 points, 95% CI=−11.2 to −0.8) at intermediate follow-up and better than other forms of exercise in reducing disability at short-term follow-up (weighted mean difference=−5.1 points, 95% CI=−8.7 to −1.4).ConclusionsMotor control exercise is superior to minimal intervention and confers benefit when added to another therapy for pain at all time points and for disability at long-term follow-up. Motor control exercise is not more effective than manual therapy or other forms of exercise.
Phosphatase and tensin homolog in cerebral cavernous malformation: a potential role in pathological angiogenesis
Authors: Zhu Yuan , Peters Christian , Hallier-Neelsen Monika , Miller Dorothea , Pagenstecher Axel , Bertalanffy Helmut , Sure Ulrich 
Published: December 2008

Object
Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are the most common vascular malformation of the central nervous system and involve dysregulated angiogenesis. However, the underlying mechanism of this disease is poorly understood. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) plays a crucial role in regulating angiogenesis. The authors attempted to determine whether PTEN is involved in the pathological angiogenesis of CCM.

Methods
The authors used Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical methods to detect the expression of PTEN, PCNA, and P-Akt in the surgical specimens of CCMs and controls. The function of PTEN in cell proliferation was studied after PTEN silencing in endothelial cultures by using the short interfering RNA technique.

Results
Western blot analysis showed significant reduction of PTEN protein expression in CCMs compared with control brain tissue (p < 0.01). Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed PTEN insufficiency in 33% of vascular endothelia of CCMs, which was significantly higher than that of controls (2%, p < 0.01). Furthermore, PTEN insufficiency occurred more frequently in multiple CCMs (44%) and in small lesions (39%) than in single CCMs (28%, p < 0.05) and large lesions (30%, p < 0.05), respectively, suggesting a potential role of PTEN in the progression of the lesions. Of note, a negative correlation was observed between the expression of PTEN and PCNA in CCM endothelial cells. However, Akt was not constitutively activated in CCMs. Using cultured endothelial cells, the authors demonstrated that PTEN silencing by short interfering RNA increased Akt activation, PCNA expression, and cell proliferation (p < 0.001). Surprisingly, the PTEN silencing–mediated increase in endothelial proliferation was not reversed by the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin.

Conclusions
In this study, the authors report for the first time a significant PTEN insufficiency in CCM vessels associated with endothelial proliferation. The in vitro study provides direct evidence for a pivotal role of PTEN in regulating endothelial proliferation, most likely through a PI3K-independent pathway. The authors suggest that PTEN insufficiency is potentially involved in CCM by stimulating angiogenesis.
Serial volumetric assessment of the natural history and growth pattern of incidentally discovered meningiomas
Authors: Hashiba Tetsuo , Hashimoto Naoya , Izumoto Shuichi , Suzuki Tsuyoshi , Kagawa Naoki , Maruno Motohiko , Kato Amami , Yoshimine Toshiki 
Published: December 2008

Object
Due to advances in neuroimaging and the increasing use of imaging to screen for brain disease (“brain checkups”), meningiomas are now often detected as an incidental finding. The natural history of these asymptomatic meningiomas remains unclear, however. In this study, the authors investigated the natural history and growth pattern of incidentally detected meningiomas using serial volumetric assessment and regression analysis.

Methods
In 70 patients with incidentally discovered meningiomas who underwent follow-up for longer than 1 year, tumor volumes were calculated volumetrically at each follow-up visit, and tumor growth was determined. In patients with tumor growth, regression analysis was performed to determine the pattern of growth.

Results
Forty-four tumors exhibited growth and 26 did not. In a regression analysis, 16 of the tumors that grew followed an exponential growth pattern and 15 exhibited linear growth patterns. The presence of calcification was the only imaging characteristic that significantly distinguished the group with tumor growth from that without, although no radiological characteristics significantly distinguished the exponential growth group from the linear growth group. Two patients with obvious tumor growth underwent surgical removal and the pathological specimens extracted showed a high proliferative potential.

Conclusions
The authors found that incidentally discovered meningiomas did not always follow an exponential growth pattern but often exhibited more complex patterns of growth. Serial monitoring of tumor volumes and regression analysis may reveal the growth pattern of incidental meningiomas and provide information useful for determining treatment strategy.
Acute vasoconstriction: decrease and recovery of cerebral blood flow after various intensities of experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats
Authors: Westermaier Thomas , Jauss Alina , Eriskat Jörg , Kunze Ekkehard , Roosen Klaus 
Published: December 2008

Object
Immediate vasoconstriction after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has been observed in a number of experimental studies. However, it has not yet been examined which pattern this acute-type vascular reaction follows and whether it correlates with the intensity of SAH. It was the purpose of the present study to vary the extent of SAH using the endovascular filament model of SAH with increasing filament sizes and to compare the course of intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF).

Methods
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to SAH using the endovascular filament model. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was induced using a 3-0, 4-0, or 5-0 Prolene monofilament (8 rats in each group). Eight animals served as controls. Bilateral rCBF (laser Doppler flowmetry), mean arterial blood pressure, and ICP were continuously monitored. Thereafter, the rats were allowed to wake up. Twenty-four hours later, the animals were killed, their brains were removed, and the extent of SAH was determined.

Results
After induction of SAH, ICP steeply increased while CPP and rCBF rapidly declined in all groups. With increasing size of the filament, the increase of ICP and the decrease of CPP were more pronounced. However, the decline of rCBF exceeded the decline of CPP in all SAH groups. In a number of animals with minor SAH, an oscillating pattern of rCBF was observed during induction of SAH and during early recovery.

Conclusions
The disparity between the decline and recovery of CPP and rCBF suggests that acute vasoconstriction occurs even in SAH of a minor extent. Acute vasoconstriction may contribute significantly to a perfusion deficit in the acute stage after SAH. The oscillating pattern of rCBF in the period of early recovery after SAH resembles the pattern of synchronized vasomotion, which has been thoroughly examined for other vascular territories and may yield therapeutic potential.
Incidence patterns for ependymoma: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results study
Authors: McGuire Courtney S. , Sainani Kristin L. , Fisher Paul G. 
Published: December 2008

Object
Previous small studies disagree about which clinical risk factors influence ependymoma incidence. The authors analyzed a large, population-based cancer registry to examine the relationship of incidence to patient age, sex, race, and tumor location, and to determine incidence trends over the past 3 decades.

Methods
Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER-9) study, which was conducted from 1973 to 2003. Histological codes were used to define ependymomas. Age-adjusted incidence rates were compared by confidence intervals in the SEER*Stat 6.2 program. Multiplicative Poisson regression and Joinpoint analysis were used to determine annual percentage change and to look for sharp changes in incidence, respectively.

Results
From the SEER database, 1402 patients were identified. The incidence rate per 100,000 person-years was significantly higher in male than in female patients (males 0.227 ± 0.029, females 0.166 ± 0.03). For children, the age at diagnosis differed significantly by tumor location, with the mean age for patients with infratentorial tumors calculated as 5 ± 0.4 years; for supratentorial tumors it was 7.77 ± 0.6 years, and for spinal lesions it was 12.16 ± 0.8 years. (Values are expressed as the mean ± standard error [SE].) Adults showed no difference in the mean age of incidence by location, although most tumors in this age group were spinal. Between 1973 and 2003, the incidence increased significantly among adults but not among children, and there were no sharp changes at any single year, both before and after age adjustment.

Conclusions
Males have a higher incidence of ependymoma than do females. A biological explanation remains elusive. Ependymoma occurs within the CNS at distinct locations at different ages, consistent with hypotheses postulating distinct populations of radial glial stem cells within the CNS. Ependymoma incidence appears to have increased over the past 3 decades, but only in adults.
Persistent Elevation of Fibrin D-Dimer Predicts Longterm Outcome in Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: BLOOM BRADLEY J. , ALARIO ANTHONY J. , MILLER LAURIE C. 
Published: December 2008

Objective.We previously demonstrated that levels of fibrin d-dimer correlate with disease activity and response to therapies in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA). We hypothesized that persistence of D-dimer elevation in the patterns previously described, but over a longer followup period, would signal poor outcome.Methods.We studied 31 children identified from 2 centers. Subjects were assigned a risk category based on their first obtained D-dimer concentration. Risk categories were based on results of our initial study, where normalization of D-dimer in patients no longer taking immunosuppressive therapy predicted good short-term outcome, and persistent D-dimer elevation while taking immunosuppressives predicted bad outcome (radiographic abnormalities, joint replacement surgery, or poor functional class) or a severe systemic manifestation. Outcome was determined at the last followup visit, a minimum of 2 years after measurement of the initial d-dimer level.Results.The 31 children were a mean 16.4 years old at an average of 8.8 years after their initial diagnosis. Ten children had a severe outcome during this period; all 10 had a study baseline risk category of “high.” Of the 14 subjects who had a high risk category at study baseline, none had a mild outcome.ConclusionOur study indicated that a paradigm of risk of severe disease based upon persistent elevation of fibrin d-dimer on first measurements (greater than a mean of 29 months in our initial study and at least 24 months in the additional subjects) is promising to predict poor longer-term outcome in sJIA. A larger prospective study is warranted to substantiate the preliminary data and assess the relative comparative value to other biomarkers and clinical endpoints.
Evaluation of Heart Rhythm Variability and Arrhythmia in Children with Systemic and Localized Scleroderma
Authors: WOZNIAK JACEK , DABROWSKI RAFAL , LUCZAK DARIUSZ , KWIATKOWSKA MALGORZATA , MUSIEJ-NOWAKOWSKA ELZBIETA , KOWALIK ILONA , SZWED HANNA 
Published: December 2008

Objective.To evaluate possible disturbances in autonomic regulation and cardiac arrhythmias in children with localized and systemic scleroderma.Methods.There were 40 children included in the study: 20 with systemic and 20 with localized scleroderma. The control group comprised 20 healthy children.Results.In 24-hour Holter recording, the average rate of sinus rhythm was significantly higher in the groups with systemic and localized scleroderma than in the control group, but there was no significant difference between them. The variability of heart rhythm in both groups was significantly decreased. In the group with systemic scleroderma, single supraventricular ectopic beats were observed in 20% and runs were seen in 40% of patients. In the group with localized scleroderma, supraventricular single ectopic beats occurred in 35% of patients and runs in 45% of those studied. Ventricular arrhythmia occurred in 2 children with systemic scleroderma, but in 1 child, it was complex.Conclusion.The most frequent cardiac arrhythmias in both types of scleroderma in children were of supraventricular origin, whereas ventricular arrhythmias did not occur very often. There were no significant differences in autonomic disturbances manifesting as a higher heart rate and decreased heart rate variability between localized and systemic scleroderma.