bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Community outreach library services in the UK: a case study of Wirral Hospital NHS Trust (WHNT)
Authors: Dowse Frances Maria , Sen Barbara 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAims and objectives:  The study evaluates the Community Outreach Library Service at Wirral Hospital National Health Service Trust (WHNT). It considers the information seeking behaviour and information needs of primary care staff, and service effectiveness in meeting those needs.Methods:  A literature review established the current context and areas of best practice. The investigative case study used postal questionnaires to 250 primary care staff and an interview with the Community Outreach Librarian.Findings:  Themes emerged from the literature regarding information seeking behaviour, information needs, and meeting user needs through effective service delivery. Outreach services have value in terms of improving information skills and providing services at point of need. Time is a major constraint for both users and service providers.Conclusions:  Investment is needed from appropriate funding sources to support the provision and marketing of outreach library services. Librarians benefit from sharing best practice. The continued evaluation of outreach library services is recommended.
The education and training needs of health librarians—the generalist versus specialist dilemma
Authors: Petrinic Tatjana , Urquhart Christine 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAims and objectives:  The aims of the study were to examine whether and how librarians with a generalist background can transfer to roles demanding more expert knowledge in the health sector. The objectives were (i) to compare the education and training needs of health librarians with science degrees with the education and training needs of health librarians with arts and humanities degrees; (ii) to compare the education and training needs of librarians working in the National Health Service (NHS) sector with the education and training needs of librarians working for the health sector but within higher education.Methods:  Face‐to‐face interviews with 16 librarians, a convenience sample of librarians working in the Thames Valley NHS region.Results:  The main findings confirmed that structured continuing professional development (CPD) is required to meet the rapidly changing needs in the health sector. The emphasis ought to be on teaching skills, outreach work, marketing and promotion, research skills and methods, subject knowledge and terminology, and management skills. Library school curricula do not appear to meet the demands of medical library posts. A first degree in scientific subjects is advantageous in the early stages of a career but diminishes with continuing training and experience. There is no evidence of a significant difference in training needs and provision between the librarians in NHS posts as opposed to those in higher education (HE) posts.Conclusions:  The conclusions suggest that library schools need to update their programmes to include teaching skills, advanced search skills, project management skills, research methods, with more practical exercises. Particular attention should be given to librarians with a first degree in non‐scientific subjects in terms of time allocated for CPD, quality of training and access to reliable mentorship.
Retractions, press releases and newspaper coverage
Authors: Rada Roy F. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractObjectives:  To explore how often newspapers cover the retraction of a medical journal article and whether newspaper coverage corresponds with the appearance of a press release about the retraction.Methods:  Fifty citations were identified in PubMed that had been indexed with the Medical Subject Heading ‘Retracted Publication’. Next, the archives of LexisNexis's ‘Major Newspapers’ and EurekAlert's press releases were searched to find references to those retracted publications.Results:  Newspaper articles addressed exactly three of the 50 retracted publications, and press releases, exactly four of the 50 retracted publications. All three retracted publications that received newspaper coverage also had a press release. In other words, newspapers only covered a retraction that had been introduced by a press release.Conclusion:  One would expect that newspaper coverage would increase after a press release, but the suggested relationships among a medical journal article retraction, a press release and newspaper coverage should be further investigated. If the linkage suggested by the data of this study holds, and if newspaper coverage stimulates library patron interest, then a medical library might prepare itself for information requests following a press release.
Do published search filters to identify diagnostic test accuracy studies perform adequately?
Authors: Ritchie Gill , Glanville Julie , Lefebvre Carol 
Published: August 2007

AbstractObjectives:  To assess the performance of published search filters in finding diagnostic test accuracy studies.Methods:  Diagnostic test accuracy search filters were identified by searching medline, our own files and by requesting unpublished filters from colleagues. We applied the filters to a case study review of diagnostic test accuracy studies for urinary tract infections (UTI) in young children. The included studies with records in medline formed the gold standard. The performance of the filters in finding those gold standard records was assessed.Results:  We identified twenty‐three diagnostic test accuracy search filters for use with medline. The case study systematic review of UTI included 179 studies of diagnostic test accuracy, of which 160 were available in medline. The filters showed a wide range of sensitivities (range: 20.6% to 86.9%) and precision (range: 1% to 9.4%).Conclusions:   Our results broadly support those reported in two other studies. The search filters tested do not offer an adequate trade‐off between sensitivity and precision to be used to identify studies for systematic reviews. However, there are methods available to explore whether search filters are viable based on an objective statistical analysis of the text and indexing used in records.
Adult astroglia is competent for Na+/Ca2+ exchanger‐operated exocytotic glutamate release triggered by mild depolarization
Authors: Paluzzi Silvio , Alloisio Susanna , Zappettini Simona , Milanese Marco , Raiteri Luca , Nobile Mario , Bonanno Giambattista 
Published: August 2007

AbstractGlutamate release induced by mild depolarization was studied in astroglial preparations from the adult rat cerebral cortex, that is acutely isolated glial sub‐cellular particles (gliosomes), cultured adult or neonatal astrocytes, and neuron‐conditioned astrocytes. K+ (15, 35 mmol/L), 4‐aminopyridine (0.1, 1 mmol/L) or veratrine (1, 10 μmol/L) increased endogenous glutamate or [3H]d‐aspartate release from gliosomes. Neurotransmitter release was partly dependent on external Ca2+, suggesting the involvement of exocytotic‐like processes, and partly because of the reversal of glutamate transporters. K+ increased gliosomal membrane potential, cytosolic Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]i, and vesicle fusion rate. Ca2+ entry into gliosomes and glutamate release were independent from voltage‐sensitive Ca2+ channel opening; they were instead abolished by 2‐[2‐[4‐(4‐nitrobenzyloxy)phenyl]ethyl]isothiurea (KB‐R7943), suggesting a role for the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger working in reverse mode. K+ (15, 35 mmol/L) elicited increase of [Ca2+]i and Ca2+‐dependent endogenous glutamate release in adult, not in neonatal, astrocytes in culture. Glutamate release was even more marked in in vitro neuron‐conditioned adult astrocytes. As seen for gliosomes, K+‐induced Ca2+ influx and glutamate release were abolished by KB‐R7943 also in cultured adult astrocytes. To conclude, depolarization triggers in vitro glutamate exocytosis from in situ matured adult astrocytes; an aptitude grounding on Ca2+ influx driven by the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger working in the reverse mode.
Transthyretin enhances nerve regeneration
Authors: Fleming Carolina E. , Saraiva Maria J. , Sousa Mónica M. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractMutations in transthyretin (TTR) are associated with familial amyloid polyneuropathy, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by TTR deposition in the PNS. The aim of this study was to unravel whether TTR has a role in nerve physiology that could account for its preferential accumulation in the PNS, when mutated. The sensorimotor performance of wild‐type and TTR knockout (KO) littermate mice was compared and showed impairment in mice lacking TTR. Given the possibility that, upon regeneration, the consequences arising from TTR absence might be exacerbated, nerve crush was performed in both strains. TTR KO mice presented delayed functional recovery resulting from decreased number of myelinated and unmyelinated fibers. Moreover, in transgenic mice in a TTR KO background, expressing human TTR in neurons, this phenotype was rescued, reinforcing that TTR enhances nerve regeneration. In vitro assays showed that neurite outgrowth and extension were decreased in the absence of TTR, probably underlying the decreased number of regenerating axons in TTR KO mice. Our findings demonstrate that TTR participates in nerve physiology and that it enhances nerve regeneration. Moreover, the assignment of a TTR function in nerve biology and repair, may explain its preferential deposition, when mutated, in the PNS of familial amyloid polyneuropathy patients.
Cyclic AMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) phosphorylates Ser362 and 467 and protein kinase C phosphorylates Ser550 within the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of human nicotinic receptor α4 subunits
Authors: Pollock Veronica V. , Pastoor Tina E. , Wecker Lynn 
Published: August 2007

AbstractStudies have suggested that the expression, translocation, and function of α4β2 nicotinic receptors may be modulated by α4 subunit phosphorylation, but little direct evidence exists to support this idea. The objective of these experiments was to identify specific serine/threonine residues on α4 subunits that are phosphorylatedin vivoby cAMP‐dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C (PKC). To accomplish this, DNAs coding for human α4 subunits containing alanines in place of serines/threonines predicted to represent phosphorylation sites were constructed, and transiently transfected with the DNA coding for wild‐type β2 subunits into SH‐EP1 cells. Cells were pre‐incubated with32Pi and incubated in the absence or presence of forskolin or phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate. Immunoprecipitated α4 subunits were subjected to immunoblot, autoradiographic and phosphoamino acid analyses, and two‐dimensional phosphopeptide mapping. Results confirmed the presence of two α4 protein bands, a major band of 71/75 kDa and a minor band of 80/85 kDa. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the major band indicated that only serine residues were phosphorylated. Phosphopeptide maps demonstrated that Ser362 and 467 on the M3/M4 cytoplasmic domain of the α4 subunit represent major cAMP‐dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sites, while Ser550 also contained within this major intracellular loop is a major site for protein kinase C phosphorylation.
Characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the blowfly Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
Authors: TORRES TATIANA TEIXEIRA , DE AZEREDO‐ESPIN ANA MARIA LIMA 
Published: August 2007

Abstract Chrysomya albiceps is a blowfly of great medical, sanitary and forensic importance widely distributed in the Afrotropical, southern Palaearctic, northern Oriental regions and, recently, in Central and South Americas. Here, we report the characterization of 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers for C. albiceps. The number of alleles ranged from three to 13 alleles with expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.4668 to 0.8408. These markers will be extremely useful for investigating many important aspects of this species such as population structure, dispersal and colonization dynamics.
Development and characterization of microsatellites markers from the macaw
Authors: NUCCI S. M. , AZEVEDO‐FILHO J. A. , COLOMBO C. A. , PRIOLLI R. H. G. , COELHO R. M. , MATA T. L. , ZUCCHI M. I. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractMacaw (Acrocomia aculeata) is a native palm tree from tropical forests, highly abundant in Brazil and cited as one of the principal sources of plant oil, thus presenting a high potential for biodiesel production. We have optimized and utilized a set of eight polymorphic microsatellite markers for A. aculeata from an enriched genomic library. Automatic sequencing and fluorescence detection were employed to analyse 43 individuals from natural populations. In this study, we have obtained an average number of five alleles per locus. These loci will be employed in future studies of population genetics by providing subsidy information for the species conservation and genetic breeding.
PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Fifteen polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci from Hawaii's Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae: Myrtales), a model species for ecology and evolution
Authors: CRAWFORD NICHOLAS G. , HAGEN CRIS , SAHLI HEATHER F. , STACY ELIZABETH A. , GLENN TRAVIS C. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractWe developed 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci from the Hawaiian tree Metrosideros polymorpha. These loci were screened against two varieties from several populations and from 23 individuals from one mid‐elevation population on Hawaii Island. Loci were variable with the number of alleles per locus ranging from three to 24. Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.222 to 0.941, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.261 to 0.955.
PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Eighteen new polymorphic microsatellite markers for the endangered Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris
Authors: TRINGALI MICHAEL D. , SEYOUM SEIFU , CARNEY SUSAN L. , DAVIS MICHELLE C. , RODRIGUEZ‐LOPEZ MARTA A. , REYNOLDS III JOHN E. , HAUBOLD ELSA 
Published: August 2007

AbstractHere we describe 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci for Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee), isolated using a polymerase chain reaction‐based technique. The number of alleles at each locus ranged from two to four (mean = 2.5) in specimens from southwest (n = 58) and northeast (n = 58) Florida. Expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.11 to 0.67 (mean = 0.35) and from 0.02 to 0.78 (mean = 0.34), respectively. Departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium occurred at two loci. There was no evidence of genotypic disequilibrium for any pair of loci. For individual identification, mean random‐mating and θ‐corrected match probabilities were 9.36 × 10−7 and 1.95 × 10−6, respectively.
PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Microsatellite DNA primers for the candy darter, Etheostoma osburni and variegate darter, Etheostoma variatum, and cross‐species amplification in other darters (Percidae)
Authors: SWITZER JOHN F. , WELSH STUART A. , KING TIM L. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractIn order to investigate a potential hybrid zone between the candy darter, Etheostoma osburni, and variegate darter, Etheostoma variatum, and examine population variation within E. osburni, a suite of primers for 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed. The average number of alleles per locus was 5.5 in E. osburni and 7.6 in E. variatum, and the average observed heterozygosities were 62.5% and 71.4%, respectively. There were no deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and no observed linkage disequilibrium after Bonferroni correction. The utility of these primers was also tested in 11 species of darters representing all four genera of darters. Success of cross‐species amplification was largely consistent with phylogenetic relationships of darters.
Stromatolite branching in the Neoproterozoic of the Centralian Superbasin, Australia: an investigation into sedimentary and microbial control of stromatolite morphology
Authors: PLANAVSKY NOAH , GREY KATHLEEN 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTThe extensive and well‐preserved Neoproterozoic Acaciella australica Stromatolite assemblage of Australia is ideal for examining the relative roles of microbial and environmental influences on stromatolite branching and stromatolite macrostructure across a wide geographical area. Detailed sedimentological analyses indicate that the basal hemispheroidal section of bioherms contains abundant sediment. By contrast, the columnar sections of bioherms are composed almost exclusively of micritic laminae. These micritic laminae display little evidence for environmental, especially sedimentary, control over stromatolite morphology. The change from a hemispheroidal morphology to branching morphology is linked to variations in the relative contributions of sediment and framework growth. The shift to columns appears to be closely linked to a decrease in sediment supply that resulted in a more stable environment in which microbially mediated framework growth began to control stromatolite morphology. Branching in the A. australica assemblage stromatolites appears to be caused by shifting sedimentary and microbial control on stromatolite morphology.
Calorie restriction extends the chronological lifespan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae independently of the Sirtuins
Authors: Smith, Jr Daniel L. , McClure Julie M. , Matecic Mirela , Smith Jeffrey S. 
Published: August 2007

SummaryCalorie restriction (CR) extends the mean and maximum lifespan of a wide variety of organisms ranging from yeast to mammals, although the molecular mechanisms of action remain unclear. For the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae reducing glucose in the growth medium extends both the replicative and chronological lifespans (CLS). The conserved NAD+‐dependent histone deacetylase, Sir2p, promotes replicative longevity in S. cerevisiae by suppressing recombination within the ribosomal DNA locus and has been proposed to mediate the effects of CR on aging. In this study, we investigated the functional relationships of the yeast Sirtuins (Sir2p, Hst1p, Hst2p, Hst3p and Hst4p) with CLS and CR. SIR2, HST2, and HST4 were not major regulators of CLS and were not required for the lifespan extension caused by shifting the glucose concentration from 2 to 0.5% (CR). Deleting HST1 or HST3 moderately shortened CLS, but did not prevent CR from extending lifespan. CR therefore works through a Sirtuin‐independent mechanism in the chronological aging system. We also show that low temperature or high osmolarity additively extends CLS when combined with CR, suggesting that these stresses and CR act through separate pathways. The CR effect on CLS was not specific to glucose. Restricting other simple sugars such as galactose or fructose also extended lifespan. Importantly, growth on nonfermentable carbon sources that force yeast to exclusively utilize respiration extended lifespan at nonrestricted concentrations and provided no additional benefit when restricted, suggesting that elevated respiration capacity is an important determinant of chronological longevity.
Evaluating the efficiency of a two‐stage production process using data envelopment analysis
Authors: Rho Sangkyu , An Jungnam 
Published: August 2007

AbstractData envelopment analysis (DEA) has been widely used to evaluate the comparative efficiencies of production processes. Most of the DEA applications assume that production processes consist of one stage. However, many production processes such as IT investments have more than one stage. In a two‐stage production process, the first stage inputs produce intermediate outputs, which are used as inputs to the second stage to produce the final outputs. In such cases, using single‐stage DEA may result in inaccurate efficiency evaluation. To address such problems, DEA models assuming two‐stage production processes have been developed. In this paper, we extend two‐stage DEA models by considering input and output slacks. We apply our model to the data from the banking industry and compare the results with those of the previous two‐stage DEA models. Our model can identify weakly efficient units of evaluation that could not be identified by the previous models.
Data transformation in the evidential reasoning‐based decision making process
Authors: Sonmez Mahmut 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThis paper describes the application of an evidential reasoning (ER)‐based decision making process to multiple‐criteria decision making (MCDM) problems having both quantitative and qualitative criteria. The ER approach is based on the decision theory and the theory of evidence and it uses the concept of ‘degree of belief’ to assess decision alternatives on each attribute. When faced with MCDM problems, evaluation and selection or ranking of alternatives appear to be both challenging and vital to arrive at a rational and robust decision. In the presence of both qualitative and quantitative evaluations in an MCDM problem, it is necessary, when using the ER‐based decision making process, to transform or convert quantitative data into a belief structure using a number of grades so that the converted belief structure and the original quantitative data are equivalent in values or utilities. This paper suggests three scenarios for data transformation and examines how the ranking of decision alternatives is changed when different scenarios of data transformation are used. Ranking of UK universities using the ER approach is illustrated as an example.
Medicaid HMO Penetration and Its Mix: Did Increased Penetration Affect Physician Participation in Urban Markets?
Authors: Adams E. Kathleen , Herring Bradley 
Published: August 2007

Objective. To use changes in Medicaid health maintenance organization (HMO) penetration across markets over time to test for effects on the extent of Medicaid participation among physicians and to test for differences in the effects of increased use of commercial versus Medicaid‐dominant plans within the market.Data Sources/Study Setting. The nationally representative Community Tracking Study's Physician Survey for three periods (1996–1997, 1998–1999, and 2000–2001) on 29,866 physicians combined with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and InterStudy data.Study Design. Market‐level estimates of Medicaid HMO penetration are used to test for (1) any participation in Medicaid and (2) the degree to which physicians have an “open” (i.e., nonlimited) practice accepting new Medicaid patients. Models account for physician, firm, and local characteristics, Medicaid relative payment levels adjusted for geographic variation in practice costs, and market‐level fixed effects.Principal Findings. There is a positive effect of increases in commercial Medicaid HMO penetration on the odds of accepting new Medicaid patients among all physicians, and in particular, among office‐based physicians. In contrast, there is no effect, positive or negative, from expanding the penetration of Medicaid‐dominant HMO plans within the market. Increases in cost‐adjusted Medicaid fees, relative to Medicare levels, were associated with increases in the odds of participation and of physicians having an “open” Medicaid practice. Provider characteristics that consistently lower participation among all physicians include being older, board certified, a U.S. graduate and a solo practitioner.Conclusions. The effects of Medicaid HMO penetration on physician participation vary by the type of plan. If states are able to attract and retain commercial plans, participation by office‐based physicians is likely to increase in a way that opens existing practices to more new Medicaid patients. Other policy variables that affect participation include the presence of a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in the county and cost‐adjusted Medicaid fees relative to Medicare.