bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Robust Quantitative Trait Association Tests in the Parent‐Offspring Triad Design: Conditional Likelihood‐Based Approaches
Authors: Wang J.‐Y. , Tai J. J. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryAssociation studies, based on either population data or familial data, have been widely applied to mapping of genes underlying complex diseases. In family‐based association studies, using case‐parent triad families, the popularly used transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT) was proposed for avoidance of spurious association results caused by other confounders such as population stratification. Originally, the TDT was developed for analysis of binary disease data. Extending it to allow for quantitative trait analysis of complex diseases and for robust analysis of binary diseases against the uncertainty of mode of inheritance has been thoroughly discussed. Nevertheless, studies on robust analysis of quantitative traits for complex diseases received relatively less attention. In this paper, we use parent‐offspring triad families to demonstrate the feasibility of establishment of the robust candidate‐gene association tests for quantitative traits. We first introduce the score statistics from the conditional likelihoods based on parent‐offspring triad data under various genetic models. By applying two existing robust procedures we then construct the robust association tests for analysis of quantitative traits. Simulations are conducted to evaluate empirical type I error rates and powers of the proposed robust tests. The results show that these robust association tests do exhibit robustness against the effect of misspecification of the underlying genetic model on testing powers.
An Examination of the Medicaid Undercount in the Current Population Survey: Preliminary Results from Record Linking
Authors: Davern Michael , Klerman Jacob Alex , Baugh David K. , Call Kathleen Thiede , Greenberg George D. 
Published: January 2009

Objective. To assess reasons why survey estimates of Medicaid enrollment are 43 percent lower than raw Medicaid program enrollment counts (i.e., “Medicaid undercount”).Data Sources. Linked 2000–2002 Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS) and the 2001–2002 Current Population Survey (CPS).Data Collection Methods. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provided the Census Bureau with its MSIS file. The Census Bureau linked the MSIS to the CPS data within its secure data analysis facilities.Study Design. We analyzed how often Medicaid enrollees incorrectly answer the CPS health insurance item and imperfect concept alignment (e.g., inclusion in the MSIS of people who are not included in the CPS sample frame and people who were enrolled in Medicaid in more than one state during the year).Principal Findings. The extent to which the Medicaid enrollee data were adjusted for imperfect concept alignment reduces the raw Medicaid undercount considerably (by 12 percentage points). However, survey response errors play an even larger role with 43 percent of Medicaid enrollees answering the CPS as though they were not enrolled and 17 percent reported being uninsured.Conclusions. The CPS is widely used for health policy analysis but is a poor measure of Medicaid enrollment at any time during the year because many people who are enrolled in Medicaid fail to report it and may be incorrectly coded as being uninsured. This discrepancy should be considered when using the CPS for policy research.
A Systematic Review of Health Care Efficiency Measures
Authors: Hussey Peter S. , De Vries Han , Romley John , Wang Margaret C. , Chen Susan S. , Shekelle Paul G. , McGlynn Elizabeth A. 
Published: January 2009

Objective. To review and characterize existing health care efficiency measures in order to facilitate a common understanding about the adequacy of these methods.Data Sources. Review of the MedLine and EconLit databases for articles published from 1990 to 2008, as well as search of the “gray” literature for additional measures developed by private organizations.Study Design. We performed a systematic review for existing efficiency measures. We classified the efficiency measures by perspective, outputs, inputs, methods used, and reporting of scientific soundness.Principal Findings. We identified 265 measures in the peer‐reviewed literature and eight measures in the gray literature, with little overlap between the two sets of measures. Almost all of the measures did not explicitly consider the quality of care. Thus, if quality varies substantially across groups, which is likely in some cases, the measures reflect only the costs of care, not efficiency. Evidence on the measures' scientific soundness was mostly lacking: evidence on reliability or validity was reported for six measures (2.3 percent) and sensitivity analyses were reported for 67 measures (25.3 percent).Conclusions. Efficiency measures have been subjected to few rigorous evaluations of reliability and validity, and methods of accounting for quality of care in efficiency measurement are not well developed at this time. Use of these measures without greater understanding of these issues is likely to engender resistance from providers and could lead to unintended consequences.
Impact of Pharmacy Benefit Design on Prescription Drug Utilization: A Fixed Effects Analysis of Plan Sponsor Data
Authors: Roebuck M. Christopher , Liberman Joshua N. 
Published: January 2009

Objective.To study the impact of various elements of pharmacy benefit design on both the absolute and relative utilization of generics, brands, retail pharmacy, and mail service.Data Source.Panel data on 1,074 plan sponsors covering 21.6 million individuals over 12 calendar quarters (2005–2007).Study Design.A retrospective analysis of pharmacy claims.Statistical Methods.To control for potential endogeneity, linear fixed effects models were estimated for each of six dependent variables: the generic utilization rate, the brand utilization rate, the generic dispensing rate (GDR), the retail pharmacy utilization rate, the mail service utilization rate, and the mail distribution rate.Principal Findings.Most member cost‐share variables were nonlinearly associated with changes in prescription drug utilization. Marginal effects were generally greater in magnitude for brand out‐of‐pocket costs than for generic out‐of‐pocket costs. Time dummies, as well as other pharmacy benefit design elements, also yielded significant results.Conclusions.Prior estimates of the effect of member cost sharing on prescription drug utilization may be biased if complex benefit designs, mail service fulfillment, and unmeasured factors such as pharmaceutical pipelines are not accounted for. Commonly cited relative utilization metrics, such as GDR, may be misleading if not examined alongside absolute prescription drug utilization.
Urbanization and Socioeconomic Metabolism in Taipei
Authors: Huang Shu‐Li , Chen Chia‐Wen 
Published: January 2009

SummaryThe analysis of socioeconomic metabolism has largely been dominated by quantification of material flows on a mass basis. This neglects the energetic dimensions of the urban metabolism and makes analysis that integrates material and energy flows difficult. The present research applies Odum's emergy concept to integrate energy and material flows for the study of the socioeconomic metabolism of the Taipei area. We also take into consideration the urban sprawl in the Taipei area to study its relationship to the change of socioeconomic metabolism. We interpret SPOT satellite images from 1992 and 2002 to provide a deeper understanding of the whole urban system; results show that Taipei's urban areas increased in size during the past decades. Emergy‐based indicators show decreasing empower densities (total emergy use per area) of undeveloped and agricultural areas, whereas the empower density of urban areas has increased, which signals a convergence of resource flows toward urban areas. Such an increase of empower density is mainly due to fossil fuel use and translates into increased environmental loading and decreased sustainability. An analysis of the relationship between urbanization and socioeconomic metabolism indicates that changes in land use affect the characteristics of socioeconomic metabolism in Taipei. The effects of urban sprawl on Taipei's urban sustainability are also discussed.
Low‐fat oxidation may be a factor in obesity among men with schizophrenia
Authors: Sharpe J.‐K. , Stedman T. J. , Byrne N. M. , Hills A. P. 
Published: January 2009

Objective: Obesity associated with atypical antipsychotic medications is an important clinical issue for people with schizophrenia. The purpose of this project was to determine whether there were any differences in resting energy expenditure (REE) and respiratory quotient (RQ) between men with schizophrenia and controls.Method: Thirty‐one men with schizophrenia were individually matched for age and relative body weight with healthy, sedentary controls. Deuterium dilution was used to determine total body water and subsequently fat‐free mass (FFM). Indirect calorimetry using a Deltatrac metabolic cart was used to determine REE and RQ.Results: When corrected for FFM, there was no significant difference in REE between the groups. However, fasting RQ was significantly higher in the men with schizophrenia than the controls.Conclusion: Men with schizophrenia oxidised proportionally less fat and more carbohydrate under resting conditions than healthy controls. These differences in substrate utilisation at rest may be an important consideration in obesity in this clinical group.
Caveats in BerEP4 staining to differentiate basal and squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Yu Limin , Galan Anjela , McNiff Jennifer M. 
Published: January 2009

Background: Superficial skin biopsies of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) represent some of the most common dermatopathology specimens. Superficial shave biopsies containing partial samples of lesions with squamatization present difficulties in distinguishing BCC from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). BerEP4 has been employed as a dependable marker in differentiating between BCCs and SCCs.Methods: We collected 12 cases of superficial biopsies of BCC with centrally located cords and strands suggesting squamous differentiation at the Yale Dermatopathology Laboratory over a 3‐month period and stained them with BerEP4.Results: We found that all cases (12 out of 12) showed membranous and cytoplasmic staining with BerEP4 in the obvious areas of basaloid differentiation at the periphery of the tumors, while cords and strands of enlarged cells with squamoid features in the center and surface of the biopsy failed to label with BerEP4.Conclusions: BerEP4 labeling is not reliable in superficial biopsies of BCC with squamoid features. It is important to be aware of this caveat in interpreting BerEP4 staining for BCC and SCC.
Dermoscopy and entomology (entomodermoscopy)
Authors: Tschandl Philipp , Argenziano Giuseppe , Bakos Renato , Gourhant Jean‐Yves , Hofmann‐Wellenhof Rainer , Kittler Harald , Rosendahl Cliff , Minas Stelios , Zalaudek Iris 
Published: January 2009

SummaryAlthough dermoscopy has been primarily designed for aiding the in vivo diagnosis of skin tumors, recent advances indicate it is also useful in the diagnosis of common skin infections and infestations. As such, dermoscopy connects the research fields of dermatology and entomology into one field of “entomodermoscopy”. In this article we give an overview on the current applications of entomodermoscopy.
KNOWLEDGE OF AGEING: AN INTERGENERATIONAL COMPARISON
Authors: Luszcz M. A. , Paull I. , Fitzgerald K. M. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThirty adolescent, middle‐aged, and elderly people participated in a study examining cohort differences in knowledge of ageing. Each responded to Miller and Dodder's10 version of Palmore's1 Facts on Ageing Quiz. Age and percentage correct on the quiz were positively correlated. Adolescents knew significantly less about ageing than the aged but middle aged adults knew about the same. Physical aspects of ageing were known better than psychosocial and demographic characteristics. Cohorts shared the same misconceptions, but to differing degrees.
STATUS OF THE AGED
Authors: Sarantakos Sotirios 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe paper presents the findings of a study of 1897 Anglo‐Saxon, Greek and German Australians, of whom 687 were elderly persons. The main issues considered in this paper are social status and self‐esteem of the elderly. In addition. comparisons are made between the status and self‐esteem of the elderly on the one hand and status and self‐esteem of other age groups. Further comparisons are undertaken between the status and self‐esteem of the ethnic groups of the aged considered in this study. The paper also reports on the factors which affect the level of status of the elderly and describes the mechanisms employed by them in order to cope with the stress associated with certain levels of social status. Finally, consideration is given to the relevance of the theory of modernisation to our multicultural society.
Structure of the atrial natriuretic peptide receptor extracellular domain in the unbound and hormone‐bound states by single‐particle electron microscopy
Authors: Ogawa Haruo , Qiu Yue , Huang Liming , Tam‐Chang Suk‐Wah , Young Howard S. , Misono Kunio S. 
Published: February 2009

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) plays a major role in blood pressure and volume regulation. ANP activities are mediated by a cell surface, single‐span transmembrane receptor linked to its intrinsic guanylate cyclase activity. The crystal structures of the dimerized ANP receptor extracellular domain (ECD) with and without ANP have revealed a novel hormone‐induced rotation mechanism occurring in the juxtamembrane region that appears to mediate signal transduction [Ogawa H, Qiu Y, Ogata CM & Misono KS (2004) J Biol Chem 279, 28625–28631]. However, the ECD crystal packing contains two major intermolecular contacts that suggest two possible dimer pairs: ‘head‐to‐head’ (hh) and ‘tail‐to‐tail’ (tt) dimers associated via the membrane‐distal and membrane‐proximal subdomains, respectively. The existence of these two potential dimer forms challenges the proposed signaling mechanism. In this study, we performed single‐particle electron microscopy (EM) to determine the ECD dimer structures occurring in the absence of crystal contacts. EM reconstruction yielded the dimer structures with and without ANP in only the hh dimer forms. We further performed steady‐state fluorescence spectroscopy of Trp residues, one of which (Trp74) occurs in the hh dimer interface and none of which occurs in the tt dimer interface. ANP binding caused a time‐dependent decrease in Trp emission at 350 nm that was attributable to partially buried Trp74 in the unbound hh dimer interface becoming exposed to solvent water upon ANP binding. Thus, the results of single‐particle EM and Trp fluorescence studies have provided direct evidence for hh dimer structures for unbound and ANP‐bound receptor. The results also support the proposed rotation mechanism for transmembrane signaling by the ANP receptor.
Erectile Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetic Men: Relationship to Exercise Fitness and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Look AHEAD Trial
Authors: Rosen Raymond C. , Wing Rena R. , Schneider Stephen , Wadden Thomas A. , Foster Gary D. , West Delia Smith , Kitabchi Abbas E. , Brancati Frederick L. , Maschak-Carey Barbara J. , Bahnson Judy L. , Lewis Cora E. , Gendrano Isaias N. 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Determinants of erectile dysfunction in diabetic men have not been adequately investigated as potential mediators of change.

Aim
To determine the prevalence and correlates of erectile dysfunction (ED) in overweight men with type 2 diabetes in the multicenter, Look AHEAD trial (Action for Health in Diabetes).

Main Outcome Measures
International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), self-reported use of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, laboratory measures of adiposity, cardiometabolic parameters, and exercise fitness.

Methods
Male participants aged 45–75 in the Look AHEAD trial in a committed relationship were recruited for an ongoing study of sexual function and diabetes. Eligible participants completed the IIEF questionnaire and provided updated information on use of medical treatments for sexual dysfunction. Baseline sexual function results for participants in the male ancillary study are reported here; intervention data and results for female participants are presented elsewhere.

Results
A total of 373 eligible male participants completed all sexual function questionnaires, of whom 263 (68.7%) were sexually active at the time of the study. Almost half (49.8%) of the men reported mild or moderate degrees of ED, and 24.8% had complete ED. Among sexually active participants, 42.6% had sought medical help for their problem, and 39.7% reported use of ED medications. ED was significantly associated with age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05; confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.10) baseline HbA1c (OR = 1.31; CI: 1.05–1.63), hypertension history (OR = 2.41; CI: 1.34–4.36), and metabolic syndrome (OR = 3.05, CI: 1.31–7.11). Of note, cardiorespiratory fitness was found to be protective of ED in a multivariable analysis (OR = 0.61; P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions
ED is prevalent in this sample of obese, type 2 diabetic men in the Look AHEAD study. Cardiovascular risk factors were highly associated with ED in this population, and cardiorespiratory fitness was protective in this analysis.
Interaction between a Dark Septate Endophytic Isolate from Dendrobium sp. and Roots of D. nobile Seedlings
Authors: Hou Xiao‐Qiang , Guo Shun‐Xing 
Published: January 2009

Abstract Interactions between an isolate of dark septate endophytes (DSE) and roots of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. seedlings are reported in this paper. The isolate was obtained from orchid mycorrhizas on Dendrobium sp. in subtropical forest. The fungus formed typical orchid mycorrhiza in aseptic co‐culture with D. nobile seedlings on modified Murashige‐Skoog (MMS) medium. Anatomic observations of the infected roots showed that the DSE hyphae invaded the velamen layer, passed through passage cells in exodermis, entered the cortex cells, and then formed fungal pelotons of orchid mycorrhiza. D. nobile seedlings' plant height, stem diameter, new roots number and biomass were greatly enhanced by inoculating the fungus to seedlings. The fungus was identified as Leptodontidium by sequencing the polymerase chain reaction‐amplified rDNA ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer (ITS)) regions and comparison with similar taxa.
The popularity of foodservice systems in Australian hospitals
Authors: Assaf A. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractResearch in the area of foodservice systems is limited. This paper provides details of the current prevalence, characteristics and popularity of different foodservice systems in Australian hospitals. The results from 90 hospitals show that the traditional cook‐fresh system is still popular in Australian hospitals, with cook‐chill and hybrid systems to a lesser extent. The trend of shifting away from in‐house production and using external suppliers is also growing.
Rule and Meaning in the Teaching of Grammar
Authors: Davis Joseph 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWhile the construct of rule as a manipulation of purely formal properties of language has been widely abandoned in both formal and functional linguistics, it persists, though with diminished importance, in the field of second language acquisition. This is true even in form‐focused instruction, including focus‐on‐form, which emphasizes meaning as both classroom focus and element of language structure. This paper illustrates the meaningfulness of grammar, even where treatment has often appealed to such rules; identifies areas of overlap between what is identified by the term rule and what is identified by the terms meaning (semantics) and form (morphology); and points out the lack of descriptive adequacy of some familiar rules. The author offers research‐ and practice‐based recommendations for pursuing a fully meaning‐based communicative approach to teaching grammar even while suitable and comprehensive resource materials for such methods in language education are lacking.
Climatology at Urban Long‐Term Ecological Research Sites: Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Central Arizona–Phoenix
Authors: Brazel Anthony J. , Heisler Gordon M. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThe Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) and Central Arizona–Phoenix (CAP) Long‐Term Ecological Research (LTER) programs, established in 1997, are part of an international National Science Foundation long‐term ecology monitoring and research network. The study sites are excellent laboratories to integrate ideas on climate of urban areas and how climate change and local variability of climate relate to social, political, economic, and ecological processes over a long time period. A large variety of research data are available online from individual LTER Web sites and a combined database called CLIMDB/HYDRODB is available for climate and ecology researchers and others, to investigate climate and hydrology in LTER study regions including those of BES and CAP. The basic program, climate aspects of these two areas, selected past research, and current ongoing work is briefly reviewed. A large benefit of this National Science Foundation program is the maintenance of support over a very long period of time. With the advent of a National Ecological Observatory Network, continuing collection of climate and environmental information over the coming decades at the local and regional scales, and maintenance of protocols of measurement, it is hoped that a more meaningfully integrated urban climatology with urban ecology will emerge. This will better prepare scientists to gage the impending rapid global warming expected not only of natural environments, but also of burgeoning urban places around the world.
Should Economic Geographers Count?
Authors: Essletzbichler Jurgen 
Published: January 2009

AbstractWith the rise of political economy and humanistic approaches in geography in the 1970s, quantitative geography was criticized for its positivist epistemology, its search for generalizations rather than local differentiation, its claim to objective research and the removal of the researcher from the research process, its reactionary political outlook and the inability to excite students. These criticisms have been echoed by ‘cultural turn’ economic geographers. This article argues that many of the criticisms are misdirected and unfounded in the light of recent advances in quantitative methodologies that stress the local, computational and visual and that explicitly incorporate the subjective beliefs of the researcher. Moreover, while serving the interests of proponents and opponents of quantitative economic geography, the artificial separation between quantitative and qualitative economic geography does little for a pluralist discipline founded on critical engagement among economic geographers striving to build an emancipatory, critical and policy‐relevant economic geography.