bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulated proteolytic processing of LRP6 results in release of its intracellular domain
Authors: Mi Kaihong , Johnson Gail V. W. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractLow‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 6 (LRP6) is a member of low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family which cooperates with Frizzled receptors to transduce the canonical Wnt signal. As a critical component of the canonical Wnt pathway, LRP6 is essential for appropriate brain development, however, the mechanism by which LRP6 facilitates Wnt canonical signaling has not been fully elucidated. Interestingly, LRP6 which lacks its extracellular domain can constitutively activate TCF/LEF and potentiate the Wnt signal. Further, the free cytosolic tail of LRP6 interacts directly with glycogen synthase kinase (GSK3) and inhibits GSK3’s activity in the Wnt canonical pathway which results in increased TCF/LEF activation. However, whether these truncated forms of LRP6 are physiologically relevant is unclear. Recent studies have shown that other members of the LDLR family undergo γ‐secretase dependent regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP). Using independent experimental approaches, we show that LRP6 also undergoes RIP. The extracellular domain of LRP6 is shed and released into the surrounding milieu and the cytoplasmic tail is cleaved by γ‐secretase‐like activity to release the intracellular domain. Furthermore, protein kinase C, Wnt 3a and Dickkopf‐1 modulate this process. These findings suggest a novel mechanism for LRP6 in Wnt signaling: induction of ectodomain shedding of LRP6, followed by the γ‐secretase involved proteolytic releasing its intracellular domain (ICD) which then binds to GSK3 inhibiting its activity and thus activates the canonical Wnt signaling pathway.
Cerebrospinal fluid acetylcholinesterase changes after treatment with donepezil in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: García‐Ayllón María‐Salud , Silveyra María‐Ximena , Andreasen Niels , Brimijoin Stephen , Blennow Kaj , Sáez‐Valero Javier 
Published: February 2007

AbstractWe analyzed whether donepezil differently influences acetylcholinesterase (AChE) variants from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) after long‐term treatment. Overall CSF‐AChE activity in AD patients before treatment was not different from controls, but the ratio between the major tetrameric form, G4, and the smaller G1 and G2 species was significantly lower. AChE levels at study outset were found to correlate positively with β‐amyloid 1–42 (Aβ42). When patients were re‐examined after 12 months treatment with donepezil, there was a remarkable increase in both the G4 and the lighter species of CSF AChE. As compared with placebo, donepezil caused decreases in the percentage of AChE that failed to bind to the lectin concanavalin A and the antibody AE1. These non‐binding species comprised primarily a small subset of G1 and G2 forms. In treated patients, these light variants were the only subset of CSF AChE that correlated with CSF‐Aβ42 levels. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that a 77‐kDa band, attributed in part to inactive AChE, was lower in AD patients than in controls. Unlike enzyme activity, the intensity of this band did not increase after donepezil treatment. The varying responses of different AChE species to ChE‐I treatment suggest different modes of regulation, which may have therapeutic implications.
Suppression of reactive oxygen species production enhances neuronal survival in vitro and in vivo in the anoxia‐tolerant turtle Trachemys scripta
Authors: Milton Sarah L. , Nayak Gauri , Kesaraju Shailaja , Kara Laurie , Prentice Howard M. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractHypoxia‐ischemia with reperfusion is known to cause reactive oxygen species‐related damage in mammalian systems, yet, the anoxia tolerant freshwater turtle is able to survive repeated bouts of anoxia/reoxygenation without apparent damage. Although the physiology of anoxia tolerance has been much studied, the adaptations that permit survival of reoxygenation stress have been largely ignored. In this study, we examine ROS production in the turtle striatum and in primary neuronal cultures, and examine the effects of adenosine (AD) on cell survival and ROS. Hydroxyl radical formation was measured by the conversion of salicylate to 2,3‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3‐DHBA) using microdialysis; reoxygenation after 1 or 4 h anoxia did not result in increased ROS production compared with basal normoxic levels, nor did H2O2 increase after anoxia/reoxygenation in neuronally enriched cell cultures. Blockade of AD receptors increased both ROS production and cell death in vitro, while AD agonists decreased cell death and ROS. As turtle neurons proved surprisingly susceptible to externally imposed ROS stress (H2O2), we propose that the suppression of ROS formation, coupled to high antioxidant levels, is necessary for reoxygenation survival. As an evolutionarily selected adaptation, the ability to suppress ROS formation could prove an interesting path to investigate new therapeutic targets in mammals.
The Impacts of the State Children's Health Insurance Program on Children Who Enroll: Findings from Ten States
Authors: Kenney Genevieve 
Published: February 2007

Objective. Examine the extent to which enrollment in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) affects access to care and service use in 10 states that account for over 60 percent of all SCHIP enrollees.Data Sources/Study Setting. Surveys of 16,700 SCHIP enrollees were conducted in 2002 as part of a congressionally mandated study. Three domains of SCHIP enrollees were included: (1) children who were recently enrolled in SCHIP, (2) those who had been enrolled in SCHIP for 5 months or more, and (3) those who had recently disenrolled from SCHIP. Response rates varied across states and domains but were clustered between 75 and 80 percent. Five different types of indicators were examined: (1) service use; (2) unmet need; (3) parental perceptions about being able to meet their child's health care needs; (4) presence and type of a usual source of care; and (5) provider communication and accessibility.Study Design. The experiences SCHIP enrollees have while on the program are compared with those a separate sample of children had before enrolling using a separate sample pretest and posttest design, controlling for observable characteristics of the children and their families.Data Collection/Extraction Methods. The sample was drawn based on a list frame of SCHIP enrollees. The survey was administered in English and Spanish, by Computer‐Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). Field follow‐up was used to locate families who could not be reached by telephone and these interviews were conducted by cellular telephone.Principal Findings. SCHIP enrollment was found to improve access to care along a number of different dimensions, other things equal, particularly relative to being uninsured. Established SCHIP enrollees were more likely to receive office visits, preventive health and dental care, and specialty care, more likely to have a usual source for medical and dental care and to report better provider communication and accessibility, and less likely to have unmet needs, financial burdens, and parental worry associated with meeting their child's health care needs. The findings are robust with respect to alternative specifications and hold up for individual states and subgroups.Conclusions. Enrollment in SCHIP appears to be improving children's access to primary health care services, which in turn is causing parents to have greater peace of mind about meeting their children's needs.
Establishing the Essential Nursing Competencies for Genetics and Genomics
Authors: Jenkins Jean , Calzone Kathleen A. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose: To describe the development and process of consensus used to establish essential genetic and genomic nursing competencies relevant to the entire nursing profession in the United States (US) regardless of academic preparation, role, practice setting, or clinical specialty.
Organizing Construct: Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory applied to the adoption of genetics and genomics as the central science for health care.
Methods: Multiphased national nursing initiative to develop, refine, and establish with consensus essential competencies in genetics and genomics for all nurses.
Findings: Genetics and genomics have emerged as the central science for health care in the 21st century, transforming recommendations for nursing education, practice, regulation and quality control.
Conclusion: The Essential Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines for Genetics and Genomics indicate the minimal criteria for competency in genetics and genomics for the entire nursing profession in the US.
The Future of Genomic Nursing Research
Authors: Conley Yvette P. , Tinkle Mindy B. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose: To look toward the future of genomics research and identify genomic‐based resources and opportunities for nurse scientists to incorporate genomic concepts into their programs of research.
Organizing Framework: Five research themes for the future, developed by the National Institute of Nursing Research in collaboration with nurse scientists, are the framework for this article: (a) changing lifestyle behaviors for better health; (b) managing the effects of chronic illness to improve health and quality of life; (c) identifying effective strategies to reduce health disparities; (d) harnessing
advanced technologies to serve human needs; and (e) enhancing end‐of‐life experiences for patients and their families.
Conclusions: Nurse scientists around the world are increasingly integrating genomics into their programs of research. Emerging international genomic initiatives, discoveries, and resources will provide rich opportunities for nurse scientists, as members of interdisciplinary teams, to address important biological, behavioral, social, and ethical questions. This evolving genomic nursing science will be necessary in practice, education, and policy in a time when rapid genomic discoveries are occurring.
Nurses' Reported Thinking During Medication Administration
Authors: Eisenhauer Laurel A. , Hurley Ann C. , Dolan Nancy 
Published: February 2007

Purpose: To document nurses' reported thinking processes during medication administration before and after implementation of point‐of‐care technology.
Design and Methods: Semistructured interviews and real‐time tape recordings were used to document the thinking processes of 40 nurses practicing in inpatient care units in a large tertiary care teaching hospital in the northeastern US.
Findings: Content analysis resulted in identification of 10 descriptive categories of nurses' thinking: communication, dose‐time, checking, assessment, evaluation, teaching, side effects, work arounds, anticipating problem solving, and drug administration. Situations requiring judgment in dosage, timing, or selection of specific medications (e.g., pain management, titration of antihypertensives) provided the most explicit data about nurses' use of critical thinking and clinical judgment. A key element was nurses' constant professional vigilance to ensure that patients received their appropriate medications.
Conclusions: Nurses' thinking processes extended beyond rules and procedures and were based on patient data and interdisciplinary professional knowledge to provide safe and effective care. Identification of thinking processes can help nurses to explain the professional expertise inherent in medication administration beyond the technical application of the “5 rights.”
Using a Citizen Consensus Conference to Revise the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chiou‐Fen , Lu Meei‐Shiow , Chiang Hsien‐Hsien , Chung Chun‐Chih , Lin Tze‐Luen , Yin Teresa J.C. , Yang Che‐Ming 
Published: February 2007

Purpose: To revise the code of ethics for nurses in Taiwan.
Design: Citizen consensus conference, Delphi‐technique, and questionnaire survey were used in the revising process.
Methods: Citizen representatives were recruited for a 5‐day citizen consensus conference to develop a first draft of the revised code. Further modification resulted from three rounds of communication with Delphi technique among experts. Three conferences for nursing professionals were conducted where questionnaire surveys were administered. The final draft was approved by the general assembly of Taiwan National Union of Nurses Associations.
Findings: A revised code of ethics for nurses in Taiwan was proposed in six parts and 27 articles including: the fundamental responsibilities of nurses (1), nurses and clients (12), nurses and professional services (4), nurses and social interactions (4), nurses and teamwork (3), and nurses and professional growth (3).
Conclusions: The citizen consensus conference was helpful in identifying the general public's expectation of nurses in the revision process. The revised Taiwanese code of ethics for nurses has new elements, including environmental protection, personal safety, lifetime learning, and self‐care.
Valuing the Health Benefits of a Novel Functional Food
Authors: Malla Stavroula , Hobbs Jill E. , Perger Orsolya 
Published: February 2007

Awareness of the link between diet and health has led to an interest from consumers, the food industry, and policymakers in the health properties of foods. Food industry innovations are emerging that enhance the health attributes of foods. Recent scientific evidence has linked the consumption of foods high in trans fatty acids with elevated cholesterol levels and a higher incidence of coronary heart disease. Foods that reduce the risk of chronic diseases have potential social welfare benefits. This article values the potential health benefits of a healthy food: a trans fat‐free canola oil. Using a range of assumptions about the extent to which a trans fat‐free canola oil will substitute for existing oils, the paper shows how two alternative methods of computing reductions in the cost of illness reveal nontrivial benefits to society. Policy implications and suggestions for further research are discussed. La sensibilisation au lien qui existe entre l'alimentation et la santé a suscité chez les consommateurs, l'industrie alimentaire et les décideurs un intérêt pour les propriétés des aliments pour la santé. L'industrie alimentaire ne cesse d'innover afin d'accroître les attributs des aliments pour la santé. Des preuves scientifiques récentes ont établi un lien entre la consommation d'aliments riches en gras trans, des taux de cholestérol élevés et une incidence accrue de coronaropathie. Les aliments qui diminuent les risques de maladies chroniques ont des bienfaits potentiels sur le bien‐être social. Le présent article porte sur l'évaluation des bienfaits potentiels d'un aliment sain, soit une huile de canola sans gras trans. À l'aide de diverses hypothèses quant au degré de remplacement des huiles existantes par l'huile de canola, le présent article montre de quelle fa¸on deux méthodes de calcul des diminutions du coût de la maladie révèlent des avantages non négligeables pour la société. Nous discutons des incidences politiques et présentons des suggestions de recherche ultérieure.
Challenging Definitions: Human Agency, Diverse Religious Practices and the Problems of Boundaries
Authors: Ramey Steven 
Published: February 2007

AbstractMuch contemporary scholarship in Religious Studies emphasizes communities who contest the standard definitions of their religion. However, religious labels and terms such as syncretism often implicitly validate the dominant definitions that identify these diverse practices as peripheral. This essay explores the challenges that the dominant definitions present to such communities and suggests an emphasis on agency and the contestation surrounding any definition of a religion to avoid privileging one definition of a religion and, thereby, to facilitate a more balanced analysis. The example of Sindhi Hindus illustrates the value of this emphasis on agency. Sindhi Hindu communities and individuals construct and defend their own definitions of religions in environments where non-Sindhis challenge Sindhi practices, which do not necessarily correspond exactly to the definitions that the Sindhis construct for themselves. Adding Bell's conception of ritual inscription to this discussion of agency further highlights how participation in practices commonly associated with different religions can foster internal tensions. Therefore, an emphasis on agency with its complexity and limitations enables scholars to recognize the internal pressures that exist in some constructions of religious practices without contributing to the external challenge from dominant definitions. This approach also enables a more nuanced analysis of processes of syncretism that are more complex than traditional applications of that term allow.
The Turkish Contribution to the History of Religions
Authors: Güngör Ali İsra 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThis article has as its subject researches in the field of history of religions in Turkey and describes a tradition that started in 1912 and has undergone a developmental process of its own up until today. This study evaluates, based on scholarly theses, published articles and books, an academic mentality which was initiated by Annemarie Schimmel and was further developed by Hikmet Tanyu and his students. It also classifies the studies in the field conducted in Turkey with examples and draws attention to the difficulties concerning the method employed. This article, moreover, provides information about the scholarly activities of the Turkish Association for the History of Religions, which was founded in 1994 with the purpose of improving the communication between Turkish historians of religions and establishing a closer dialogue with their Western colleagues.
Pharmacists' and mentors' views on the introduction of pharmacist supplementary prescribing: a qualitative evaluation of views and context
Authors: Lloyd Fran , Hughes Carmel M 
Published: February 2007

Abstract
Objective Supplementary prescribing has been a major policy initiative in the UK, which has seen pharmacists and nurses assume greater responsibility for prescribing in collaboration with doctors. This study explored the views and professional context of pharmacists and physicians (who acted as their training mentors), prior to the start of supplementary prescribing training.
Setting Primary and secondary healthcare settings in Northern Ireland.
Method All pharmacists (n = 63) from the first four cohorts enrolled for supplementary prescribing training in Northern Ireland were invited to participate in a series of focus groups, while mentors (n = 54) were asked to participate in face-to-face semi-structured interviews; the research took place between September 2003 and April 2005. All discussions/interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and analysed using constant comparison.
Key findings Nine pharmacist focus groups were convened (number per group ranging from 4 to 8; total n = 47) and 35 semi-structured interviews with mentors were conducted. The four main themes that emerged were internal drivers, benefits and concerns, relationships, and beyond the current professional comfort zone. Supplementary prescribing was broadly welcomed by both professional groups and was anticipated to produce improvements in patient care and interprofessional relationships, but there were some concerns about loss of diversity, deskilling of junior doctors, safety and professional encroachment. Caution was expressed with regard to a further extension of prescribing rights, particularly in relation to the role of pharmacists in diagnosis and independent prescribing decision making.
Conclusion Although supplementary prescribing was viewed positively, these findings should be considered in the light of more recent developments in prescribing rights for other health professionals, including pharmacists.
A randomised controlled trial of the effects of note-based medication review by community pharmacists on prescribing of cardiovascular drugs in general practice
Authors: Bond Christine M , Fish Alison , Porteous Terry H , Reid John P , Scott Anthony , Antonazzo Emanuela 
Published: February 2007

Abstract
Objective Recent trends in primary care have seen closer working relationships between community pharmacists and general practitioners (GPs) in an attempt to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of prescribing. Community pharmacists are appropriate for a role in the management of prescribed medicines because of their detailed training in pharmacology, therapeutics and pharmaceutics. The aim of this project was to quantify the benefit of a general practice-based, community pharmacist-led, note-based medication review of patients with hypertension or angina.
Method Trained community pharmacists (20), attached to Grampian general practices (43), reviewed repeat prescriptions of a random sample of patients taking cardiovascular drugs for the treatment of angina or hypertension, and made recommendations to the GP for changes, where appropriate. The effect of the pharmaceutical intervention was measured in terms of prescribing indicators, patient outcomes (quality of life, symptom control), and physiological and biochemical markers at baseline, 6 and 12 months. A control group was treated following standard practice. An economic evaluation of the interventions was also conducted.
Key findings The baseline standard of treatment as measured against guidelines was good. At 12 months, there was a small improvement in prescribing of antiplatelet drugs, but overall changes were minimal. Average overall cost per patient was higher in the intervention group. The quality of life measures showed no change between the groups.
Conclusions Improvements in the intervention group were small and less than in other reported studies of pharmacist interventions. The National Health Service (NHS) costs of the intervention group were higher than those of the controls. Note-based medication review by community pharmacists was found to be associated with minimal changes in prescribing.