bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Value of the NHIS for Studying Changes in State Coverage Policies: The Case of New York
Authors: Long Sharon K. , Graves John A. , Zuckerman Stephen 
Published: August 2007

Research Objective. (1) To assess the effects of New York's Health Care Reform Act of 2000 on the insurance coverage of eligible adults and (2) to explore the feasibility of using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) as opposed to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to conduct evaluations of state health reform initiatives.Study Design. We take advantage of the natural experiment that occurred in New York to compare health insurance coverage for adults before and after the state implemented its coverage initiative using a difference‐in‐differences framework. We estimate the effects of New York's initiative on insurance coverage using the NHIS, comparing the results to estimates based on the CPS, the most widely used data source for studies of state coverage policy changes. Although the sample sizes are smaller in the NHIS, the NHIS addresses a key limitation of the CPS for such evaluations by providing a better measure of health insurance status. Given the complexity of the timing of the expansion efforts in New York (which encompassed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks), we allow for difference in the effects of the state's policy changes over time. In particular, we allow for differences between the period of Disaster Relief Medicaid (DRM), which was a temporary program implemented immediately after September 11th, and the original components of the state's reform efforts—Family Health Plus (FHP), an expansion of direct Medicaid coverage, and Healthy New York (HNY), an effort to make private coverage more affordable.Data Sources. 2000–2004 CPS; 1999–2004 NHIS.Principal Findings. We find evidence of a significant reduction in uninsurance for parents in New York, particularly in the period following DRM. For childless adults, for whom the coverage expansion was more circumscribed, the program effects are less promising, as we find no evidence of a significant decline in uninsurance.Conclusions. The success of New York at reducing uninsurance for parents through expansions of both public and private coverage offers hope for new strategies to expand coverage. The NHIS is a strong data source for evaluations of many state health reform initiatives, providing a better measure of insurance status and supporting a more comprehensive study of state innovations than is possible with the CPS.
Agreement between Self‐Reported and Administrative Race and Ethnicity Data among Medicaid Enrollees in Minnesota
Authors: McAlpine Donna D. , Beebe Timothy J. , Davern Michael , Call Kathleen T. 
Published: August 2007

Objective. This paper measures agreement between survey and administrative measures of race/ethnicity for Medicaid enrollees. Level of agreement and the demographic and health‐related characteristics associated with misclassification on the administrative measure are examined.Data Sources. Minnesota Medicaid enrollee files matched to self‐report information from a telephone/mail survey of 4,902 enrollees conducted in 2003.Study Design. Measures of agreement between the two measures of race/ethnicity are computed. Using logistic regression, we also assess whether misclassification of race/ethnicity on administrative files is associated with demographic factors, health status, health care utilization, or ratings of quality of health care.Data Extraction. Race/ethnicity fields from administrative Medicaid files were extracted and merged with self‐report data.Principal Findings. The administrative data correctly classified 94 percent of cases on race/ethnicity. Persons who self‐identified as Hispanic and those whose home language was English had the greater odds (compared with persons who self‐identified as white and those whose home language was not English) of being misclassified in administrative data. Persons classified as unknown/other on administrative data were more likely to self‐identify as white.Conclusions. In this case study in Minnesota, researchers can be reasonably confident that the racial designations on Medicaid administrative data comport with how enrollees self‐identify. Moreover, misclassification is not associated with common measures of health status, utilization, and ratings of quality of care. Further replication is recommended given variation in how race information is collected and coded by Medicaid agencies in different states.
Incidence of psychiatric side effects during pegylated interferon‐ α retreatment in nonresponder hepatitis C virus‐infected patients
Authors: Quarantini Lucas C. , Bressan Rodrigo A. , Galvão Amanda , Batista‐Neves Susana , Paraná Raymundo , Miranda‐Scippa Ângela 
Published: August 2007

AbstractObjective:Evaluate the incidence of mental disorders using pegylated interferon plus ribavirin retreatment in nonresponder hepatitis C virus‐infected patients.Method:The Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to evaluate 30 hepatitis C virus‐infected interferon‐nonresponder patients at baseline and following 4, 12 and 24 weeks of pegylated interferon retreatment.Results:During the pegylated interferon/ribavirin retreatment, 5(16.6%) patients developed psychiatric side effects: 3(10%) were diagnosed with major depressive disorder, 1(3.3%) had a brief psychotic disorder and 1(3.3%) presented with panic attacks.Conclusion:This is the first prospective study evaluating the incidence of neuropsychiatric side effects during interferon retreatment of hepatitis C virus‐infected patients, suggesting that the risk of acquiring serious psychiatric symptoms during retreatment with interferon‐α (IFN‐α) may not be higher than during the first antiviral therapy. This finding challenges the hypothesis that during a second treatment with IFN‐α, patients with hepatitis C may be at greater risk for neuropsychiatric side effects than naïve patients.
Evolution of hepatitis C virus non‐structural 5A gene in the progression of liver disease to hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: De Mitri Maria Stella , Cassini Romina , Bagaglio Sabrina , Morsica Giulia , Andreone Pietro , Marino Nicoletta , Bernardi Mauro 
Published: August 2007

AbstractBackground:The interaction between the hepatitis C virus (HCV) non‐structural 5A (NS5A) protein of HCV and the protein kinase R (PKR), which is an effector of the cellular antiviral response and has been defined as a tumour suppressor, may affect the control of protein synthesis and cell growth.Aim:We investigated the genetic evolution of the NS5A region in the NS5A PKR‐binding domain (NS5A‐PKRbd) of patients with HCV 1b‐related cirrhosis who subsequently developed or not hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Patients and Methods:The quasispecies composition of NS5A‐PKRbd was inferred by sequencing an average of 15 clones per sample in specimens obtained from 26 patients with cirrhosis who developed or not HCC during a follow‐up of 5 years.Results:At baseline, 13/17 patients with final HCC and six out of nine patients with cirrhosis who subsequently did not develop HCC harboured a wild‐type (wt) strain master sequence. Over time, the prevalence of wt strain was higher in patients who developed HCC with respect to those who maintained the cirrhosis status (15/17 vs 4/9, respectively;P=0.0166).Conclusion:The maintenance of or evolution to the wt strain of the NS5A domain in cirrhotic patients with final HCC highlights the central role of NS5A protein in the viral life cycle and in the progression of liver disease.
Development of autoimmune hepatitis in primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Gossard Andrea A. , Lindor Keith D. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAim/Background: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease of unknown aetiology. Up to 10% of patients with typical features of PBC will have additional features of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). A subset, however, have no such features but go on to develop a ‘sequential’ AIH overlap syndrome.Objectives: Describe our experience with eight patients who developed AIH after the diagnosis of PBC was made.Methods: We reviewed the charts of all PBC patients over a 9‐year period (from 1996 to 2005). Only PBC patients with no features of AIH were included.Results: There were 1476 patients with PBC. Of these, eight patients developed features of AIH overlap syndrome based on biochemical and histological parameters. Treatment included prednisone and azathioprine for 24 or more months. The majority of patients remained on ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) throughout treatment. Response to therapy was defined by improvement in enzymes, and was rapid for all patients. One patient was able to discontinue treatment with prednisone and azathioprine, while seven have continued on therapy to date.Conclusions: A ‘sequential’ overlap syndrome of AIH with PBC can occur. Treatment with prednisone and azathioprine may lead to a rapid improvement in aminotransferase levels.
Serum C‐reactive protein levels predict survival in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Nagaoka Sakae , Yoshida Takafumi , Akiyoshi Junji , Akiba Jun , Torimura Takuji , Adachi Hisashi , Kurogi Junichi , Tajiri Nobuyoshi , Inoue Kinya , Niizeki Takashi , Koga Hironori , Imaizumi Tsutomu , Kojiro Masamichi , Sata Michio 
Published: August 2007

AbstractBackground/Aims: C‐reactive protein (CRP) was recently identified as a prognostic factor for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgical resection. We investigated the relationship between the serum levels of high sensitivity CRP (H‐CRP) and the prognosis of HCC patients.Method: We conducted a cohort study of 90 HCC patients enrolled from 1997 to 1998. All patients were treated and followed for a mean period of 3.2 years. Clinical variables were compared between patients positive for H‐CRP (serum H‐CRP levels ≥3.0 mg/L, n=47) and those negative for H‐CRP (serum H‐CRP levels <3.0 mg/L, n=43). We also determined the relationship between serum H‐CRP and prognosis in HCC patients.Results: The survival rate of patients of the H‐CRP‐positive group was lower than that of H‐CRP‐negative patients. Tumour stage (stages 3 or 4), total bilirubin ≥1.2 mg/dL, albumin (Alb) <3.5 g/dL, des‐γ‐carboxy prothrombin ≥40 mAU/mL, positive H‐CRP and initial treatment (transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy or best supportive care) were identified as significant poor prognostic factors by univariate analysis, while positive H‐CRP [hazard ratio (HR), 1.58; P=0.048], Alb<3.5 g/dL (HR, 2.10; P=0.004), tumour stage (stages 3 or 4; HR, 3.05; P=0.001) and initial treatment (HR, 1.88; P=0.029) were considered to be significant determinants of poor prognosis by multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis.Conclusions: The prognosis of H‐CRP‐positive patients was poorer compared with H‐CRP‐negative patients. This study confirmed that H‐CRP, like CRP, is a marker of poor prognosis in HCC patients.
Clinical Research in Interventional Pain Management Techniques: The Clinician's Point of View
Authors: Van Zundert Jan 
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  Interventional pain management techniques are considered for patients whose pain proves refractory to conventional treatment. According to the evidence‐based medicine (EBM) guidelines, the highest level of evidence for efficacy and safety of a treatment is generated in high‐quality randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews. A randomized controlled trial is defined as an experiment that determines the influence of an intervention on the natural history of the disease, which means that the comparative group should receive placebo, which is a sham intervention in case of the interventional pain management techniques. The systematic review summarizes in a structured way the results of the available information. When randomized controlled trials are available, observational studies will often be discarded. As new information on a treatment becomes available the perceived value may change, thus determining the survival time of clinical evidence. This survival time is not different when based on randomized or nonrandomized studies.The inclusion criteria are an important component of the randomized controlled trial and are designed to test a treatment in a homogeneous patient population. As interventional pain management techniques are mainly used for the management of spinal pain, it needs to be stressed that there is no gold standard for the diagnosis. This lack of validated standard diagnostic procedures is at the origin of different patient selection criteria, which makes the interpretation of the different randomized controlled trials and the meta‐analyses very difficult. Moreover, the extrapolation of randomized controlled trials with carefully selected patient populations to daily practice is a major problem.Randomized controlled trials in interventional pain management techniques often prove to be underpowered, which can be attributed to the difficulty in motivating patients and the referring physicians to participate in a trial where there is 50% chance of receiving a placebo/sham for intractable pain. Furthermore, the validity of sham intervention as a reflection of the natural course of the disease is questioned. It is stated that any new technique should prove to be at least equally effective as the best available treatment option, which offers the possibility of comparing two groups, both receiving active treatment. The reference treatment may be pharmacological or a rehabilitation program (cognitive behavioral) in which case blinding becomes a problem. It has been demonstrated that large observational studies with a cohort or case–control design do not systematically overestimate the magnitude of the associations between exposure and outcome as compared with the results of randomized controlled trials. There is an urgent need for guidelines on performing prospective cohort trials that should be designed to confirm or refute the anecdotal findings from retrospective studies.
Gastric Hypomotility Following Epicardial Vagal Denervation Ablation to Treat Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: PISANI CRISTIANO F. , HACHUL DENISE , SOSA EDUARDO , SCANAVACCA MAURICIO 
Published: August 2007

We report a case of a 55‐year‐old man with vagal paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) who was submitted to selective epicardial and endocardial atrial vagal denervation with the objective of treating AF. Radiofrequency pulses were applied on epicardial and endocardial surface of the left atrium close to right pulmonary veins (PVs) and also on epicardial surface close to left inferior PV. Following the procedure, patient presented with symptoms of gastroparesis, which was documented on CT scan and gastric emptying scintigraphy. Symptoms were transient and the patient recovered completely.[Correction added after online publication, 16 August, 2007: The abstract title “Treating Atrial Fibrillation” has been amended to “Gastric Palsy Following AF Vagal Ablation.”]
Expenditure on different categories of meat in Greece: the influence of changing tastes
Authors: Morrison J.A. , Balcombe K. , Bailey A. , Klonaris S. , Rapsomanikis G. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThis paper employs a latent variable approach to isolate the effects of changing tastes on the share of total meat expenditure on different categories of meat products in Greece during the period 1965–1995. We find that changes in the relative expenditure on different categories of meat cannot be explained by changes in the relative prices of the different meat products and increased expenditure alone. For pork products in particular, the increase in the share of expenditure has been greater than would be expected as a result of the relative fall in their price. The increase can therefore be associated with changes in taste. This finding is of general interest to those conducting empirical research into consumer behaviour both in economies where there have been significant changes in patterns of food consumption, and where, as in the case of many less industrialised economies, rapid structural changes in food consumption patterns are still to come. It is also of importance to policy makers in assessing die effectiveness of advertising or promotional campaigns in influencing longer term changes in consumer preferences for different products.
Predicting technology adoption to improve research priority—setting
Authors: Batz Franz‐J. , Janssen Willem , Peters Kurt J. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThis paper presents an improved approach for predicting the speed and ceiling of technology adoption, which is a crucial information for research priority setting. In the models it is assumed that both the speed and ceiling of adoption depend on the perceived characteristics of technologies. Knowing the characteristics that have determined adoption in the past provides relevant information about the characteristics which will enable new technologies to be quickly and widely adopted in the future. Using a case study from Meru District in Kenya, it is shown that relative investment, relative risk and relative complexity significantly influenced the speed and ceiling of adoption of dairy technologies in the past. These empirical results are used to predict the speed and ceiling of adoption of potential new dairy technologies to be developed by the Dairy Cattle Research Programme (DCRP) of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). The approach is theoretically sound and based on empirical evidence. It clearly distinguishes promising technologies from less promising technologies and is transparent to participants in priority setting exercises. Allowing for the participation of all interest groups within the research system, the approach improves the quality of the assessment and hence the credibility of results.
Institutions and agricultural productivity in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Fulginiti Lilyan E. , Perrin Richard K. , Yu Bingxin 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAgricultural productivity in 41 Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) countries from 1960 to 1999 is examined by estimating a semi‐nonparametric Fourier production frontier. Over the four decades the estimated rate of productivity change was 0.83% per year, although the average rate from 1985 to 1999 was a strong 1.90% per year. Former UK colonies exhibited significantly higher productivity gains than others, while Liberia and countries that had been colonies of Portugal or Belgium exhibited net reductions in productivity. We measure a significant reduction in productivity during political conflicts and wars, and a significant increase in productivity among those countries with higher levels of political rights and civil liberties.
Strategies to increase agricultural productivity and reduce land degradation: evidence from Uganda
Authors: Pender John , Nkonya Ephraim , Jagger Pamela , Sserunkuuma Dick , Ssali Henry 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThis paper estimates a structural econometric model of household decisions regarding income strategies, participation in programs and organisations, crop choices, land management, and labour use, and their implications for agricultural production and soil erosion; based upon a survey of over 450 households and their farm plots in Uganda. Many factors have context‐specific impacts and involve trade‐offs between increasing production and reducing land degradation. Government agricultural extension and training programs contribute to higher value of crop production in the lowlands, but to soil erosion in the highlands. By contrast, non‐governmental organization (NGO) programs focusing on agriculture and environment help to reduce erosion, but have less favourable impacts on production in the lowlands. Education increases household incomes, but also reduces crop production in the lowlands. Poverty has mixed impacts on agricultural production, depending on the nature of poverty: smaller farms obtain higher crop production per hectare, while households with fewer livestock have lower crop production. Population pressure contributes to agricultural intensification, but also to erosion in the densely populated highlands. Several household income strategies contribute to increased value of crop production, without significant impacts on soil erosion. We find little evidence of impact of access to markets, roads and credit, land tenure or title on agricultural intensification and crop production and land degradation. In general, the results imply that the strategies to increase agricultural production and reduce land degradation must be location‐specific, and that there are few ‘win‐win’ opportunities to simultaneously increase production and reduce land degradation.
The impact of transport‐and transaction‐cost reductions on food markets in developing countries: evidence for tempered expectations for Burkina Faso
Authors: Rujis Arjan , Schweigman Caspar , Lutz Clemens 
Published: August 2007

AbstractReductions in transport and transaction costs are expected to have a major effect on the functioning of food markets in developing countries. For Burkina Faso, this is a relevant issue as it may have important consequences for the food markets in urban and rural deficit areas. A partial equilibrium model is presented to analyze the short‐term effects of reduced costs on price formation, inter‐regional cereal trade, and farmers' and traders' storage strategies. Our results show that the high expectations with regard to the direct effects of cost reductions on food prices and food availability require some nuance. The effects of a reduction of transport costs will be small. Moreover, also the unintended negative consequences on the competitive position of farmers and traders in other regions that do not profit from road construction should be taken into account. Finally, it is concluded that only if transport and transaction costs are reduced simultaneously, will both the consumers and farmers benefit significantly.
Courts and contract enforcement in transition agriculture: theory and evidence from Poland
Authors: Beckmann Volker , Boger Silke 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThe paper investigates theoretically and empirically the role of courts for contract enforcement in transition agriculture. In a survey of 306 Polish farmers conducted in 1999, only 38.5% respondents reported to believe that they could use courts to enforce contracts with their most important customer. Furthermore, those who believed the legal system could be used would accept significant financial losses before taking action. We develop a theoretical model, based on the costs and benefits of court enforcement, which captures the boundary between contracts to be regarded as ‘enforceable’ and ‘not‐enforceable’ and, simultaneously, the threshold of taking legal action. The empirical analysis strongly supports our model: (1) the farmers' responses can be explained by cost‐benefit calculations regarding the use of courts, (2) the legal ‘enforceability’ of contracts depends not only on the efficiency of the legal system but also on the attributes of the transaction, the contracts and the relationship between buyer and seller and (3) the threshold of taking legal action is significantly influenced by indirect costs of court enforcement, such as the disruption of a valuable business relationship, and by the availability of alternative enforcement mechanisms.