bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Labour Market Policy in the United States, Canada and Sweden: Addressing the Issue of Convergence
Authors: Olsen Gregg M. 
Published: July 2008

Abstract‘Convergence theorists’ suggest that domestic and/or global challenges and pressures are rendering welfare states broadly similar across national boundaries. ‘Resilience theorists’, in contrast, argue that a range of socio‐political factors have allowed states to respond differentially to these pressures and maintain their distinct national social policy approaches. However, both research streams have addressed the ‘welfare state’ writ large in a multitude of nations and typically relied upon narrow, quantitative budgetary indicators. This study examines qualitative changes to key income security and social service programmes in one central social policy domain – labour market policy – in three nations, the United States, Canada and Sweden. It suggests that there is evidence of some degree of ‘convergence’ in the broadest sense of the term across these three nations. However, while both the USA and Canada have readily embraced genuinely neo‐liberal restructuring, and become increasingly similar over the past two decades in this policy area, Sweden has managed to retain its distinctive social policy approach so far, despite notable changes, developments and trends. It also suggests that the character and direction of change may vary across and within policy domains in a single nation. The conclusion provides a discussion of universality, equality and solidarity, concepts that are commonly employed in accounts of welfare state change.
Varieties of Liberalism: Canadian Social Policy from the ‘Golden Age’ to the Present
Authors: Mahon Rianne 
Published: July 2008

Abstract The dominant welfare regimes approach, like the historical‐institutionalism on which it draws, predicts path‐dependent responses to contemporary challenges. According to this, Canada's social policy regime clearly belongs to the (mainly Anglo‐American) ‘liberal’ family, where markets and families retain a key role, supplemented by modest state supports. Yet, as some have recognized, there are important differences among liberal regimes and within a particular welfare regime over time. There are, in other words, ‘varieties of liberalism’. This article argues, moreover, that in the contemporary period Canadian welfare reform has been characterized by warring principles for redesign. While some have sought to deepen the postwar social project, the main trends have been neo‐liberal restructuring and, more recently, policies inspired by ‘inclusive liberalism’, though less deeply than under Blair's government in the UK. The continued existence of such alternatives suggests the need for a more nuanced conception of path‐dependent change, consistent with recent revisionist trends in historical‐institutionalism.
Social Exclusion and Double Jeopardy: The Management of Lone Mothers in the Market–State Social Field
Authors: Gingrich Luann Good 
Published: July 2008

Abstract The popular version of social exclusion has given rise to various forms of welfare‐to‐work initiatives in most developed capitalist nations. Social inclusion, therefore, is commonly assumed to be achieved through paid work. The delivery of social welfare through employment activation programmes is consequential, as it necessitates an unusual cooperation between the welfare state and the labour market. With a focus on Ontario Works, a relatively mature example of Canada's residualized social welfare services, this article is an empirical analysis of the social space in which the state and the market merge – by design – and the resulting processes and outcomes of social exclusion that operate for women who parent alone. I begin with a brief review of the most popular concept of social exclusion, and the pre‐eminent place of paid work in related social policy responses, followed by a consideration of the ideological context producing and reinforced by work‐first programmes. Our attention is turned to a reconfigured notion of social exclusion as process and outcome, spontaneously set in motion and self‐perpetuating in the fused market–state social field. Through a case study of lone mother experiences of Ontario Works, the specific ideological practices through which welfare‐to‐work strategies operate to keep women in their place are described. I argue that the analysis of the market‐state as a unified social field – ordered according to the paired ideologies of market neo‐liberalism and conservative ‘family values’– is necessary for conceiving policy responses that are effective in interrupting the dynamic process–outcome iterations of social exclusion.
The Healthcare Systems of the USA and Canada: Forever on Divergent Paths?
Authors: Cacace Mirella , Schmid Achim 
Published: July 2008

AbstractOver all OECD healthcare systems, we identify increasing similarities and common trends, especially with regard to the role of the state. Yet two countries, the USA and Canada, have ‘parted at the crossroads’ since the 1960s and therefore are quite frequently cited as examples for the opposite trend, i.e. for divergence. According to our position, it is far from evident that this trend has still been dominant in the past 15 years. In our contribution, we show that the USA and Canada have become more similar regarding the role of the state in financing, service provision and the regulation of healthcare systems. Furthermore, the article investigates potential explanations. We find that a most influential explanatory factor is the healthcare system itself, its deficiencies and functional requirements as reflected in the specific system type. As the system types of the USA and Canada vary, so too do their adaptive responses to problem pressure. By systematically acquiring non‐system‐specific elements, i.e. characteristics which were originally less developed or completely absent, the systems grow more similar and therefore converge.
The Changing Conception of Pension Rights in Canada, Mexico and the United States
Authors: Marier Patrik 
Published: July 2008

Abstract Relying on four conceptualizations of the welfare state (universalism, redistribution, state capacity, and intergenerational equity), this article presents an overview of recent pension reforms in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Each country has introduced important reforms in the past 25 years and is currently engaged in debates to make other adjustments. The state is reducing its financial and programmatic commitment towards current and future retirees and is promulgating reforms tightening the link between contributions and benefits. In Canada, the government raised contribution rates substantially to maintain the same level of benefits while it sought to alter its universal flat‐rate benefit. In the USA, changes to Social Security have resulted in a higher retirement age and lower replacement rates. In the case of Mexico, the most important public schemes have actually been privatized.
Appendicitis in HIV‐infected patients during the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Crum‐Cianflone N , Weekes J , Bavaro M 
Published: July 2008

BackgroundLimited studies have suggested increased incidence rates and unusual clinical presentations of appendicitis among HIV‐infected patients during the pre‐highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. Data in the HAART era are sparse, and no study has evaluated potential HIV‐related risk factors for the development of appendicitis.MethodsWe retrospectively studied 449 HIV‐infected patients receiving care at a US Naval hospital involving 4750 person‐years (PY) of follow‐up. We also evaluated the rates of appendicitis among HIV‐negative persons at our medical facility. We compared demographics, HIV‐specific data, and HAART use in HIV‐infected patients with and without appendicitis.ResultsSixteen (3.6%) of 449 patients developed appendicitis after HIV seroconversion. The incidence rate was 337 cases/100 000 PY, more than fourfold higher than among HIV‐negative persons. Eighty‐eight per cent of cases among HIV‐infected patients had an elevated white blood count at presentation, 39% were complicated, and 64% required hospitalization. HIV‐infected patients with appendicitis compared with those who did not develop appendicitis were less likely to be receiving HAART (25 vs. 71%, P<0.001), had higher viral loads (3.5 vs. 1.7 log10 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL, P=0.005), and were younger (median age of 30 vs. 41 years, P<0.002). In the multivariate model, receipt of HAART remained protective [odds ratio (OR) 0.21, P=0.012] for appendicitis, while younger age was positively associated (OR 1.08, P=0.048) with appendicitis.ConclusionAcute appendicitis occurs at higher incidence rates among HIV‐infected patients compared with the general population. Our study demonstrates that the lack of HAART may be a risk factor for appendicitis among HIV‐infected patients; further studies are needed.
Male circumcision for the prevention of heterosexually acquired HIV infection: a meta‐analysis of randomized trials involving 11 050 men*
Authors: Mills E , Cooper C , Anema A , Guyatt G 
Published: July 2008

ObjectivesObservational studies and a small collection of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that male circumcision may significantly reduce HIV transmission between sero‐discordant contacts. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organization have recently announced recommendations to scale up male circumcision in countries with generalized epidemics and low levels of male circumcision. However, no meta‐analysis has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of this intervention.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review of medical literature, and included any RCTs assessing male circumcision to prevent heterosexually acquired HIV infection among males. We used the DerSimonian–Laird random effects method to pool study outcomes. We calculated the relative risk (RR), risk difference, number needed to treat (NNT) and I2, all with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsWe identified three RCTs that met our inclusion criteria, involving a total of 11 050 men. The pooled RR was 0.44 (95% CI 0.33–0.60, P<0.0001, I2=0%, 95% CI 0–35%). The risk difference was 0.014 (95% CI 0.07–0.21), yielding a NNT of 72 (95% CI 50–143).ConclusionsMale circumcision is an effective strategy for reducing new male HIV infections. Its impact on a population level will require consistently safe sexual practices to maintain the protective benefit.
Recovery of fat following a switch to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor‐sparing therapy in patients with lipoatrophy: results from the 96‐week randomized ANRS 108 NoNuke Trial
Authors: Valantin MA , Lanoy E , Bentata M , Kalmykova O , Boutekadjirt A , Allavena C , Rozenbaum W , Peytavin G , Amellal B , Calvez V , Costagliola D , Katlama C ,   the NoNuke ANRS 108 Study Team
Published: July 2008

ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact on peripheral fat tissue of a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)‐sparing regimen in lipoatrophic HIV‐1 infected patients.MethodsThis 96‐week prospective, randomized study compared lipoatrophic patients switched to an NRTI‐sparing regimen with patients remaining on an NRTI‐containing regimen. The primary endpoint was the change in thigh subcutaneous fat tissue volume between baseline and week 48, as assessed by computerized tomography.ResultsOne hundred patients were included, 50 in each arm. At baseline, patients had been on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for a median time of 6.6 years (4.9–9.7); 71% of the patients had received thymidine analogues [stavudine (37%), zidovudine (34%)]. The mean change in fat volume between baseline and week 48 significantly favoured the NRTI‐sparing arm over the NRTI‐maintaining arm in the intent‐to‐treat analysis, with a last‐observation‐carried‐forward approach [+34 cm3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 5–63 cm3; P=0.002]. This was confirmed in the intent‐to‐treat analysis of available data, with a mean difference of +109 cm3 (95% CI 34–185 cm3) at week 96 (n=53; P=0.001). This corresponded to increases of 12 and 30% in fat volume at weeks 48 and 96, respectively, in the NRTI‐sparing arm.ConclusionsSwitching from an effective NRTI‐containing regimen to an NRTI‐sparing regimen preserves immunovirological status and increases subcutaneous fat volume at weeks 48 and 96.
Amoebiasis among patrons visiting gay saunas in Taiwan
Authors: Hung C‐C , Ko N‐Y , Ko W‐C , Lee H‐C , Ji D‐D , Liu W‐C , Chang S‐C 
Published: July 2008

AimsThis study aimed to assess the prevalence of amoebiasis among patrons visiting gay saunas in Taiwan.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was conducted using questionnaire interview and indirect hemagglutination assays and specific Entamoeba histolytica antigen assays of blood and rectal swab specimens, respectively, among patrons visiting 10 gay saunas between September 2006 and December 2006.ResultsDuring the three‐month study period, 208 blood and 120 rectal swab specimens were tested for E. histolytica infection. Amoebiasis was detected among 3.8% and 3.3% of the patrons by serologies and antigen assays, respectively. During the latest sexual encounter, more than 70% of the patrons had oral‐anogenital sex, and only 20% used condoms during oral‐anogenital contact.ConclusionOur findings suggest that there is a potential risk of E. histolytica transmission among the patrons visiting gay saunas who do not practise safe sex consistently in Taiwan.
The relationship betweenApoE, TNFA, IL1a, IL1bandIL12bgenes and HIV‐1‐associated dementia
Authors: Pemberton LA , Stone E , Price P , Van Bockxmeer F , Brew BJ 
Published: July 2008

ObjectivesHost genetic factors implicated in AIDS dementia complex (ADC) were studied.MethodsDNA from ADC patients (n=56), unselected HIV‐seropositive patients (n=112, 171, 185 and 204) and HIV‐seronegative controls (n=204, 60, 60, 96 and 624) were typed for polymorphic loci in genes encoding tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐1α, IL‐1β, IL‐12 and Apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Diagnosis of ADC was based on neurological symptoms, signs and neuroimaging findings with other causes of dementia excluded. Patients selected had ADC stage ≥1 and CD4 counts of <500 cells/μL.ResultsAllele 2 of TNFA‐308 was more common in ADC patients compared to HIV‐positive or HIV‐negative controls (P=0.005, 0.024). No other differences between ADC patients and control groups were significant. Meta‐analyses confirmed these results.ConclusionsThis study suggests that TNFA‐308 allele 2 or an allele in linkage disequilibrium with this locus influences ADC.
Switching from twice‐daily abacavir and lamivudine to the once‐daily fixed‐dose combination tablet of abacavir and lamivudine improves patient adherence and satisfaction with therapy
Authors: Maitland D , Jackson A , Osorio J , Mandalia S , Gazzard BG , Moyle GJ ,   for the Epivir‐Ziagen (EZ) Switch Study Team
Published: July 2008

BackgroundPatients prefer fewer pills and once‐daily (qd) dosing without food restrictions. We assessed the impact on adherence [by Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) cap monitoring] of switching from abacavir (ABC) and lamivudine (3TC) twice daily (bid) to ABC/3TC fixed‐dose formulation (FDC, Kivexa®) qd to achieve a qd regimen.MethodsA randomized, open‐label, 8‐week study comparing adherence, efficacy and safety of immediate vs. delayed switching from ABC/3TC to FDC qd.ResultsNinety‐four patients were dosed. Significantly improved adherence was observed at week 4 with qd ABC/3TC across all three adherence variables: taking compliance 99.2% (90.7–100%) vs. 96.6% (60.0–100%) (P=0.017); dosing compliance 97.1% (64.3–100%) vs. 91.9% (33.3–100%) (P=0.016); and timing compliance 95.5% (53.8–100%) vs. 86.3% (4.3–100%) (P=0.006). Treatment satisfaction increased significantly at week 4 with ABC/3TC qd [92% (82–99%) vs. 85% (75–93%) (P=0.004)]. Two patients were withdrawn from the study because of intolerance to ABC/3TC.ConclusionsSwitching from ABC and 3TC bid to ABC/3TC FDC qd significantly improved adherence by MEMS cap monitoring at week 4 and improved patient satisfaction with therapy. The results remain to be confirmed over a longer follow‐up. Use of qd regimens supports adherence and improves treatment satisfaction relative to bid regimens.
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen‐4 exon 1 A/G polymorphism in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Haghighi A. Borhani , Ghahramani S. , Azarpira N. , Pourjafar M. , Nikseresht A. R. 
Published: July 2008

Background:  Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4) is a T‐cell surface receptor of activated T cells.Material and methods:  We studied 100 Iranian patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) and 100 ethnic, sex‐ and age‐matched controls. CTLA‐4 exon 1 A/G polymorphism was compared amongst patients and controls.Results:  There was no statistically significant difference in the allelic [odds ratio (OR): 1.19, confidence interval (CI) 95%: 0.76–1.85, P = 0.4] and genotypes (OR: 1.60, CI 95%: 0.911–2.824, P = 0.102) distribution amongst patients and controls. Also gender, course and progression index did not reveal any statistically significant differences in allele and genotype distribution of A/G polymorphism.Conclusion:  As a non‐European patient population, our results are consistent with the major previous studies showing no significant associations between CTLA4 exon 1 polymorphism and neither MS nor any of its subtypes.
An open‐label trial of Korean red ginseng as an adjuvant treatment for cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Heo J.‐H. , Lee S.‐T. , Chu K. , Oh M. J. , Park H.‐J. , Shim J.‐Y. , Kim M. 
Published: July 2008

Background and purpose:  Ginseng is one of the most popular herbs worldwide. Ginseng has various medical applications, and it seems to have significant effects as a cognition‐enhancing drug. In this study, we examined the efficacy of Korean red ginseng (KRG) as an adjuvant therapy to conventional anti‐dementia medications in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.Methods:  The trial was designed as a 12‐week randomized study. Sixty‐one patients (24 males and 37 females) with Alzheimer’s disease were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment groups: low‐dose KRG (4.5 g/day, n = 15), high‐dose KRG (9 g/day, n = 15) or control (n = 31). The Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS), Korean version of the Mini‐Mental Status Examination (K‐MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale were used to assess the change in cognitive and functional performance at the end of the 12‐week study period.Results:  The patients in the high‐dose KRG group showed significant improvement on the ADAS and CDR after 12 weeks of KRG therapy when compared with those in the control group (P = 0.032 and 0.006 respectively). The KRG treatment groups showed improvement from baseline MMSE when compared with the control group (1.42 vs. −0.48), but this improvement was not statistically significant.Conclusions:  KRG showed good efficacy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease; however, further studies with larger samples of patients and a longer efficacy trial should be conducted to confirm the efficacy of KRG.
Upper limb corticomotor projections and physiological changes that occur with botulinum toxin‐A therapy in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy
Authors: Redman T. A. , Gibson N. , Finn J. C. , Bremner A. P. , Valentine J. , Thickbroom G. W. 
Published: July 2008

Aim:  To investigate the corticomotor projection to the upper limb in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) and the changes that occur with botulinum toxin (BTX)‐A.Methods:  The study design is a pilot prospective randomized trial. Twenty‐two children with hemiplegic CP aged 7 years to 13 years 11 months were recruited. Treatment group (12) received one series of BTX‐A injections into the upper limb. Control group (10) did not receive upper limb BTX‐A. All participants except one treatment group participant also received lower limb BTX‐A. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was performed at baseline, and 1, 3 and 6 months post‐injection. Outcome measures were: change in position of affected and unaffected side first dorsal interosseous optimal site of stimulation (OPTx).Results:  A shift in affected and unaffected side OPTx was observed for both treatment and control groups, and there was no statistically significant difference between groups at 1, 3 or 6 months. Poor tolerance of TMS cortical stimuli >80% was observed.Conclusion:  Corticomotor projections associated with the upper limb in children with hemiplegic CP show significant variability over a 6‐month period. This variability may reflect central motor reorganization because of systemic BTX‐A effect or developmental changes. Upper limb BTX‐A therapy is associated with reorganization of both affected and unaffected projections. Poor tolerance of the TMS procedure, in conjunction with higher cortical thresholds, may limit the usefulness of TMS as an investigatory tool in young children with movement disorders.
Obesity may not be a risk factor for idiopathic intracranial hypertension in Asians
Authors: Kim Tae Wan , Choung Ho Kyung , Khwarg Sang In , Hwang Jeong‐Min , Yang Hee Jin 
Published: July 2008

Background and purpose:  Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a clinical condition characterized by signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. We demonstrated the clinical presentation of IIH of Asians and investigated any ethnic difference in pathogenesis.Methods and results:  Ten patients who fulfilled the modified Dandy criteria and four with presumed diagnosis for IIH were included. Only one patient (7.1%) was obese according to body mass index, seven were overweight, and six weighed normal.Conclusions:  Obesity was not frequently found in Caucasians with IIH. This data indirectly suggest that obesity may not play a major role in the pathogenesis of IIH in Asians. Awareness of this is helpful in early diagnosis and treatment of IIH in Asians.
Parents labelled with Intellectual Disability: Position of the IASSID SIRG on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors:   IASSID Special Interest Research Group on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities
Published: July 2008

Background  On August 5th, 2006, the third meeting of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID) Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities was convened in Maastricht, The Netherlands, coinciding with the 2nd International Congress of IASSID‐Europe. The SIRG Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities membership includes scholars from a number of countries including the United States, Canada, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. These scholars come from a range of academic and professional disciplines, including sociology, psychology, education, nursing, social work and occupational therapy.Method  This position paper developed by the Parenting SIRG brings into sharp relief the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the General Assembly in December 2006. The convention affirms the right of persons with disabilities to marry and found a family (Article 23, (1)(a)). Further, states parties are bound to ‘take effective action and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in all matters relating to marriage, family, parenthood and relationships…’ (Article 23 (1)), and ‘…render appropriate assistance to persons with disabilities in the performance of their child‐rearing responsibilities’ (Article 23 (2)).Results  This position paper synthesizes messages from research about the challenges that parents labelled with intellectual disability face, and how they can be assisted in their parenting role.