bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Swedish social insurance officers' experiences of difficulties in assessing applications for disability pensions – an interview study
Authors: Ydreborg Berit , Ekberg Kerstin , Nilsson Kerstin 
Published: June 2007

AbstractBackgroundIn this study the focus is on social insurance officers judging applications for disability pensions. The number of applications for disability pension increased during the late 1990s, which has resulted in an increasing number of disability pensions in Sweden. A more restrictive attitude towards the clients has however evolved, as societal costs have increased and governmental guidelines now focus on reducing costs. As a consequence, the quantitative and qualitative demands on social insurance officers when handling applications for disability pensions may have increased. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the social insurance officers' experiences of assessing applications for disability pensions after the government's introduction of stricter regulations.MethodsQualitative methodology was employed and a total of ten social insurance officers representing different experiences and ages were chosen. Open-ended interviews were performed with the ten social insurance officers. Data was analysed with inductive content analysis.ResultsThree themes could be identified as problematic in the social insurance officers' descriptions of dealing with the applications in order to reach a decision on whether the issue qualified applicants for a disability pension or not: 1. Clients are heterogeneous. 2. Ineffective and time consuming waiting for medical certificates impede the decision process. 3. Perspectives on the issue of work capacity differed among different stakeholders. The backgrounds of the clients differ considerably, leading to variation in the quality and content of applications. Social insurance officers had to make rapid decisions within a limited time frame, based on limited information, mainly on the basis of medical certificates that were often insufficient to judge work capacity. The role as coordinating actor with other stakeholders in the welfare system was perceived as frustrating, since different stakeholders have different goals and demands. The social insurance officers experience lack of control over the decision process, as regulations and other stakeholders restrict their work.ConclusionA picture emerges of difficulties due to disharmonized systems, stakeholder-bound goals causing some clients to fall between two stools, or leading to unnecessary waiting times, which may limit the clients' ability to take an active part in a constructive process. Increased communication with physicians about how to elaborate the medical certificates might improve the quality of certificates and thereby reduce the clients waiting time.
Women's attitudes towards mechanisms of action of family planning methods: survey in primary health centres in Pamplona, Spain
Authors: de Irala Jokin , del Burgo Cristina Lopez , de Fez Carmen M Lopez , Arredondo Jorge , Mikolajczyk Rafael T , Stanford Joseph B 
Published: June 2007

Abstract

Background
Informed consent in family planning includes knowledge of mechanism of action. Some methods of family planning occasionally work after fertilization. Knowing about postfertilization effects may be important to some women before choosing a certain family planning method. The objective of this survey is to explore women's attitudes towards postfertilization effects of family planning methods, and beliefs and characteristics possibly associated with those attitudes.

Methods
Cross-sectional survey in a sample of 755 potentially fertile women, aged 18–49, from Primary Care Health Centres in Pamplona, Spain. Participants were given a 30-item, self-administered, anonymous questionnaire about family planning methods and medical and surgical abortion. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with women's attitudes towards postfertilization effects.

Results
The response rate was 80%. The majority of women were married, held an academic degree and had no children. Forty percent of women would not consider using a method that may work after fertilization but before implantation and 57% would not consider using one that may work after implantation. While 35.3% of the sample would stop using a method if they learned that it sometimes works after fertilization, this percentage increased to 56.3% when referring to a method that sometimes works after implantation. Women who believe that human life begins at fertilization and those who consider it is important to distinguish between natural and induced embryo loss were less likely to consider the use of a method with postfertilization effects.

Conclusion
Information about potential postfertilization effects of family planning methods may influence women's acceptance and choice of a particular family planning method. Additional studies in other populations are necessary to evaluate whether these beliefs are important to those populations.
The impact of different rehabilitation strategies after major events in the elderly: the case of stroke and hip fracture in the Tuscany region
Authors: Carinci Fabrizio , Roti Lorenzo , Francesconi Paolo , Gini Rosa , Tediosi Fabrizio , Di Iorio Tania , Bartolacci Simone , Buiatti Eva 
Published: June 2007

Abstract
Background
On a regional level, our aims were to describe rehabilitation patterns for elderly patients with stroke and hip fracture and to investigate mortality risk during the 6-month post acute period.

Methods
Data sources included administrative data relative to patients aged 65+ resident in Tuscany admitted in hospital for stroke or hip fracture between 2001 and 2003, traced up to 3 years before and 6 months following index admission. The study design involves computerized linkage of administrative data, and an exploratory analysis of the association between rehabilitation patterns and 6-month mortality, adjusting for clinical, demographic, and acute-related care characteristics using multivariate Cox regression.

Results
Rehabilitation patterns vary greatly across Tuscany with considerable cost implications. Six month mortality risk for stroke patients is significantly lower among residents of Local Health Authorities where patients are more frequently rehabilitated, specifically in extra-hospital settings.

Conclusion
Our study, targeting two crucial conditions for elderly patients, found a high variability of rehabilitation patterns across a region, albeit coherent between the two pathologies, associated with remarkable differences in average expenditure. Differences in hazard rates for 6-month mortality after stroke at population level were also found. These results need to be confirmed and further investigated through a more robust information framework.
Practice size, caseload, deprivation and quality of care of patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension and stroke in primary care: national cross-sectional study
Authors: Saxena Sonia , Car Josip , Eldred Darren , Soljak Michael , Majeed Azeem 
Published: June 2007

Abstract
Background
Reports of higher quality care by higher-volume secondary care providers have fuelled a shift of services from smaller provider units to larger hospitals and units. In the United Kingdom, most patients are managed in primary care. Hence if larger practices provide better quality of care; this would have important implications for the future organization of primary care services. We examined the association between quality of primary care for cardiovascular disease achieved by general practices in England and Scotland by general practice caseload, practice size and area based deprivation measures, using data from the New General Practitioner (GP) Contract.

Methods
We analyzed data from 8,970 general practices with a total registered population of 55,522,778 patients in England and Scotland. We measured practice performance against 26 cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, left ventricular disease, and stroke) Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicators for patients on cardiovascular disease registers and linked this with data on practice characteristics and census data.

Results
Despite wide variations in practice list sizes and deprivation, the prevalence of was remarkably consistent, (coronary heart disease, left ventricular dysfunction, hypertension and cerebrovascular disease was 3.7%; 0.45%; 11.4% and 1.5% respectively). Achievement in quality of care for cardiovascular disease, as measured by QOF, was consistently high regardless of caseload or size with a few notable exceptions: practices with larger list sizes, higher cardiovascular disease caseloads and those in affluent areas had higher achievement of indicators requiring referral for further investigation. For example, small practices achieved lower scores 71.4% than large practices 88.6% (P < 0.0001) for referral for exercise testing and specialist assessment of patients with newly diagnosed angina.

Conclusion
The volume-outcome relationship found in hospital settings is not seen between practices in the UK in management of cardiovascular disorders in primary care. Further work is warranted to explain apparently poorer quality achievement in some aspects of cardiovascular management relating to initial diagnosis and management among practices in deprived areas, smaller practices and those with a smaller caseload.
In vitro activity of ferroquine (SSR 97193) against Plasmodium falciparum isolates from the Thai-Burmese border
Authors: Barends Marion , Jaidee Anchalee , Khaohirun Nopparat , Singhasivanon Pratap , Nosten François 
Published: June 2007

Abstract

Background
On the borders of Thailand, Plasmodium falciparum has become resistant to nearly all available drugs, and there is an urgent need to find new antimalarial drugs or drug combinations. Ferroquine (SSR97193) is a new 4-aminoquinoline antimalarial active against chloroquine resistant and sensitive P. falciparum strains in vivo and in vitro. This antimalarial organic iron complex (a ferrocenyl group has been associated with chloroquine) is meant to use the affinity of Plasmodium for iron to increase the probability for encountering the anti-malarial molecule.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the activity of ferroquine against P. falciparum isolates from an area with a known high multi-drug resistance rate.

Methods
Parasite isolates were obtained from patients with acute falciparum malaria attending the clinics of SMRU. In vitro cultures of these isolates were set-up in the SMRU-laboratory on pre-dosed drug plates, and grown in culture for 42 hours. Parasite growth was assessed by the double-site enzyme-linked pLDH immunodetection (DELI) assay.

Results
Sixty-five P. falciparum isolates were successfully grown in culture. The ferroquine mean IC50 (95% CI) was 9.3 nM (95% C.I.: 8.7 – 10.0). The mean IC50 value for the principal metabolite of ferroquin, SR97213A, was 37.0 nM (95% C.I.: 34.3 – 39.9), which is four times less active than ferroquine. The isolates in this study were highly multi-drug resistant but ferroquine was more active than chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine and piperaquine. Only artesunate was more active than ferroquine. Weak but significant correlations were found between ferroquine and its principal metabolite (r2 = 0.4288), chloroquine (r2 = 0.1107) and lumefantrine (r2 = 0.2364).

Conclusion
The results presented in this study demonstrate that the new ferroquine compound SSR97193 has high anti-malarial activity in vitro against multi-drug resistant P. falciparum.
A specific box switches the cell fate determining activity of XOTX2 and XOTX5b in the Xenopus retina
Authors: Onorati Marco , Cremisi Federico , Liu Yang , He Rong-Qiao , Barsacchi Giuseppina , Vignali Robert 
Published: June 2007

Abstract
Background
Otx genes, orthologues of the Drosophila orthodenticle gene (otd), play crucial roles in vertebrate brain development. In the Xenopus eye, Xotx2 and Xotx5b promote bipolar and photoreceptor cell fates, respectively. The molecular basis of their differential action is not completely understood, though the carboxyl termini of the two proteins seem to be crucial. To define the molecular domains that make the action of these proteins so different, and to determine whether their retinal abilities are shared by Drosophila OTD, we performed an in vivo molecular dissection of their activity by transfecting retinal progenitors with several wild-type, deletion and chimeric constructs of Xotx2, Xotx5b and otd.

Results
We identified a small 8–10 amino acid divergent region, directly downstream of the homeodomain, that is crucial for the respective activities of XOTX2 and XOTX5b. In lipofection experiments, the exchange of this 'specificity box' completely switches the retinal activity of XOTX5b into that of XOTX2 and vice versa. Moreover, the insertion of this box into Drosophila OTD, which has no effect on retinal cell fate, endows it with the specific activity of either XOTX protein. Significantly, in cell transfection experiments, the diverse ability of XOTX2 and XOTX5b to synergize with NRL, a cofactor essential for vertebrate rod development, to transactivate the rhodopsin promoter is also switched depending on the box. We also show by GST-pull down that XOTX2 and XOTX5b differentially interact with NRL, though this property is not strictly dependent on the box.

Conclusion
Our data provide molecular evidence on how closely related homeodomain gene products can differentiate their functions to regulate distinct cell fates. A small 'specificity box' is both necessary and sufficient to confer on XOTX2 and XOTX5b their distinct activities in the developing frog retina and to convert the neutral orthologous OTD protein of Drosophila into a positive and specific XOTX-like retinal regulator. Relatively little is known of what gives developmental specificity to homeodomain regulators. We propose that this box is a major domain of XOTX proteins that provides them with the appropriate developmental specificity in retinal histogenesis.
Comparative analysis of transposed element insertion within human and mouse genomes reveals Alu's unique role in shaping the human transcriptome
Authors: Sela Noa , Mersch Britta , Gal-Mark Nurit , Lev-Maor Galit , Hotz-Wagenblatt Agnes , Ast Gil 
Published: June 2007

Abstract
Background
Transposed elements (TEs) have a substantial impact on mammalian evolution and are involved in numerous genetic diseases. We compared the impact of TEs on the human transcriptome and the mouse transcriptome.

Results
We compiled a dataset of all TEs in the human and mouse genomes, identifying 3,932,058 and 3,122,416 TEs, respectively. We than extracted TEs located within human and mouse genes and, surprisingly, we found that 60% of TEs in both human and mouse are located in intronic sequences, even though introns comprise only 24% of the human genome. All TE families in both human and mouse can exonize. TE families that are shared between human and mouse exhibit the same percentage of TE exonization in the two species, but the exonization level of Alu, a primate-specific retroelement, is significantly greater than that of other TEs within the human genome, leading to a higher level of TE exonization in human than in mouse (1,824 exons compared with 506 exons, respectively). We detected a primate-specific mechanism for intron gain, in which Alu insertion into an exon creates a new intron located in the 3' untranslated region (termed 'intronization'). Finally, the insertion of TEs into the first and last exons of a gene is more frequent in human than in mouse, leading to longer exons in human.

Conclusion
Our findings reveal many effects of TEs on these two transcriptomes. These effects are substantially greater in human than in mouse, which is due to the presence of Alu elements in human.
Toll-like receptors 1 and 6 are involved in TLR2-mediated macrophage activation by hepatitis C virus core and NS3 proteins
Authors: Chang Serena , Dolganiuc Angela , Szabo Gyongyi 
Published: June 2007

AbstractHepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of end-stage liver disease through sustained inflammation of the liver produced by the host’s immune system. The mechanism for HCV evasion or activation of the immune system is not clear. TLRs are cellular activators of the innate immune system. We recently reported that TLR2-mediated innate immune signaling pathways are activated by HCV core and NS3 proteins. TLR2 activation requires homo- or heterodimerization with TLR1 or TLR6. Here, we aimed to determine whether TLR2 coreceptors participated in cellular activation by HCV core or NS3 proteins. By designing small interfering RNAs targeted to TLR2, TLR1, and TLR6, we showed that knockdown of each of these receptors impairs pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine activation by TLR-specific ligands as well as by HCV core and NS3 proteins in human embryonic kidney-TLR2 cells and in primary human acrophages. We found that HCV core and NS3 proteins induced TNF-α and IL-10 production in human monocyte-derived macrophages, which was impaired by TLR2, TLR1, and TLR6 knockdown. Contrary to human data, results from TLR2, TLR1, or TLR6 knockout mice indicated that the absence of TLR2 and its coreceptor TLR6, but not TLR1, prevented the HCV core and NS3 protein-induced peritoneal macrophage activation. In conclusion, TLR2 may use TLR1 and TLR6 coreceptors for HCV core- and NS3-mediated activation of macrophages and innate immunity in humans. These results imply that multiple pattern recognition receptors could participate in cellular activation by HCV proteins.
Endothelial selectins regulate skin wound healing in cooperation with L-selectin and ICAM-1
Authors: Yukami Toru , Hasegawa Minoru , Matsushita Yukiyo , Fujita Tomoyuki , Matsushita Takashi , Horikawa Mayuka , Komura Kazuhiro , Yanaba Koichi , Hamaguchi Yasuhito , Nagaoka Tetsuya , Ogawa Fumihide , Fujimoto Manabu , Steeber Douglas A , Tedder Thomas F , Takehara Kazuhiko , Sato Shinichi 
Published: June 2007

AbstractSkin wound healing is mediated by inflammatory cell infiltration that is highly regulated by various adhesion molecules. Mice lacking intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) delayed skin wound healing and mice lacking both L-selectin and ICAM-1 (L-selectin/ICAM-1−/−) show more delayed wound healing. Deficiency of both endothelial selectins (E-selectin or P-selectin) also delays wound healing. However, the relative contribution and interaction of selectins and ICAM-1 to the wound healing remain unknown. To clarify them, repair of excisional wounds was examined in L-selectin/ICAM-1−/− mice, wild-type mice with both E- and P-selectin blockade, and L-selectin/ICAM-1−/− mice with both E- and P-selectin blockade. Wild-type mice with both E- and P-selectin blockade showed delayed wound healing that was comparable with that in L-selectin/ICAM-1−/− mice. Combined E- and P-selectin blockade in L-selectin/ICAM-1−/− mice resulted in more significant delay. Mice lacking or blocked for adhesion molecules also showed suppressed keratinocyte migration, angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, leukocyte infiltration, and cytokine expression, including transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-6. Application of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) but not platelet-derived growth factor to the wounds significantly improved wound healing in L-selectin/ICAM-1−/− mice with both E- and P-selectin blockade. bFGF significantly increased the leukocyte infiltration and subsequent fibrogenic cytokine production, as well as keratinocyte migration, angiogenesis, and collagen synthesis despite the loss of four kinds of adhesion molecules. These results indicate that skin wound healing is regulated cooperatively by all selectins and ICAM-1 and may provide critical information for the therapy of skin wounds.
Gene expression profiling during differentiation of human monocytes to macrophages or dendritic cells
Authors: Lehtonen Anne , Ahlfors Helena , Veckman Ville , Miettinen Minja , Lahesmaa Riitta , Julkunen Ilkka 
Published: June 2007

AbstractMacrophages and dendritic cells (DC) are APC, which regulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Macrophages function locally mainly, maintaining inflammatory responses in tissues, whereas DC take up microbes, mature, and migrate to local lymph nodes to present microbial antigens to naïve T cells to elicit microbe-specific immune responses. Blood monocytes can be differentiated in vitro to macrophages or DC by GM-CSF or GM-CSF + IL-4, respectively. In the present study, we performed global gene expression analyses using Affymetrix HG-U133A Gene Chip oligonucleotide arrays during macrophage and DC differentiation. During the differentiation process, 340 and 350 genes were up-regulated, and 190 and 240 genes were down-regulated in macrophages and DC, respectively. There were also more that 200 genes, which were expressed differentially in fully differentiated macrophages and DC. Macrophage-specific genes include, e.g., CD14, CD163, C5R1, and FcγR1A, and several cell surface adhesion molecules, cytokine receptors, WNT5A and its receptor of the Frizzled family FZD2, fibronectin, and FcεR1A were identified as DC-specific. Our results reveal significant differences in gene expression profiles between macrophages and DC, and these differences can partially explain the functional differences between these two important cell types.
Plasma Osteopontin Levels and Expression in Adipose Tissue Are Increased in Obesity
Authors: Gómez-Ambrosi Javier , Catalán Victoria , Ramírez Beatriz , Rodríguez Amaia , Colina Inmaculada , Silva Camilo , Rotellar Fernando , Mugueta Carmen , Gil María J. , Cienfuegos Javier A. , Salvador Javier , Frühbeck Gema 
Published: June 2007

Abstract
Context: Obesity acts as a cardiovascular risk factor by mechanisms that are not fully understood. Osteopontin (OPN) is a proinflammatory mediator involved in tissue remodeling that plays a role in atherosclerosis and diabetes.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the circulating concentrations of OPN and its mRNA expression in omental adipose tissue of lean, overweight, and obese individuals and to analyze the effect of weight loss.
Subjects and Methods: Plasma concentrations of OPN were measured in 77 volunteers. OPN mRNA expression in omental adipose tissue obtained from 12 women was quantified by real-time PCR. In addition, the concentrations of OPN in 12 obese men were measured before and after weight loss following a dietetic program.
Setting: The study was conducted at a University Hospital.
Results: Obese and overweight patients exhibited significantly increased circulating OPN concentrations as compared with lean subjects (obese 72.6 ± 28.5, overweight 68.2 ± 20.8, lean 42.7 ± 27.9 ng/ml; P &lt; 0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between OPN levels and body fat (r = 0.45; P &lt; 0.0001). Obese individuals showed significantly increased (P &lt; 0.05) mRNA expression of OPN in omental adipose tissue as compared with lean volunteers, which was further increased in obese diabetic patients. Diet-induced weight loss significantly decreased OPN concentrations from 64.7 ± 22.1 to 36.6 ± 20.1 ng/ml (P = 0.006).
Conclusions: These findings represent the first observation that plasma OPN and mRNA expression of OPN in omental adipose tissue are increased in overweight/obese patients with the latter being further elevated in obesity-associated diabetes. Moreover, weight loss reduces OPN concentrations, which may contribute to the beneficial effects accompanying weight reduction. Measurement of OPN might be useful for evaluating the outcomes of various clinical interventions for obesity-related cardiovascular diseases.