bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Contextualising accounts of illness: notions of responsibility and blame in white and South Asian respondents’ accounts of diabetes causation
Authors: Lawton Julia , Ahmad Naureen , Peel Elizabeth , Hallowell Nina 
Published: January 2009

AbstractWe undertook a secondary analysis of in‐depth interviews with white (n = 32) and Pakistani and Indian (n = 32) respondents who had type 2 diabetes, which explored their perceptions and understandings of disease causation. We observed subtle, but important, differences in the ways in which these respondent groups attributed responsibility and blame for developing the disease. Whereas Pakistani and Indian respondents tended to externalise responsibility, highlighting their life circumstances in general and/or their experiences of migrating to Britain in accounting for their diabetes (or the behaviours they saw as giving rise to it), white respondents, by contrast, tended to emphasise the role of their own lifestyle ‘choices’ and ‘personal failings’. In seeking to understand these differences, we argue for a conceptual and analytical approach which embraces both micro‐ (i.e. everyday) and macro‐ (i.e. cultural) contextual factors and experiences. In so doing, we provide a critique of social scientific studies of lay accounts/understandings of health and illness. We suggest that greater attention needs to be paid to the research encounter (that is, to who is looking at whom and in what circumstances) to understand the different kinds of contexts researchers have highlighted in presenting and interpreting their data.
Responsibility and risk: accounts of reasons for seeking an HIV test
Authors: Lee Seung‐Hee , Sheon Nicolas 
Published: January 2009

AbstractUsing data from recordings of HIV test counselling sessions in publicly funded sites in Northern California, US, this paper examines the discussion of clients’ reasons for testing as a site for self‐presentation. While counsellors attempt to use the reason for testing discussion as a lead‐in to a discussion of risk behaviour, clients often describe their testing as part of a routine, not in response to a specific risk. Clients use three practices to present themselves as reasonable and responsible people who are in control of their HIV status. First, clients present the normal and routine nature of testing, thereby portraying their reasonableness in seeking an HIV test. Secondly, clients deny or downgrade their risk when counsellors seek to identify a specific risk. Thirdly, when introducing a particular risk, clients package it within mitigating contexts that emphasise their knowledge about and control over the risk. These practices can make it difficult for counsellors to focus the counselling session on a specific risk incident. One of the counsellors in our dataset provides an alternative approach that manages to elicit risk and legitimates routine testing as a reason for testing.
Interpreted consultations as ‘business as usual’? An analysis of organisational routines in general practices
Authors: Greenhalgh Trisha , Voisey Christopher , Robb Nadia 
Published: January 2009

AbstractUK general practices operate in an environment of high linguistic diversity, because of recent large‐scale immigration and of the NHS's commitment to provide a professional interpreter to any patient if needed. Much activity in general practice is co‐ordinated and patterned into organisational routines (defined as repeated patterns of interdependent actions, involving multiple actors, bound by rules and customs) that tend to be stable and to persist. If we want to understand how general practices are responding to pressures to develop new routines, such as interpreted consultations, we need to understand how existing organisational routines change. This will then help us to address a second question, which is how the interpreted consultation itself is being enacted and changing as it becomes routinised (or not) in everyday general practice. In seeking answers to these two questions, we undertook a qualitative study of narratives of interpreted primary care consultations in three London boroughs with large minority ethnic populations. In 69 individual interviews and two focus groups, we sought accounts of interpreted consultations from service users, professional interpreters, family member interpreters, general practitioners, practice nurses, receptionists, and practice managers. We asked participants to tell us both positive and negative stories of their experiences. We analysed these data by searching for instances of concepts relating to the organisational routine, the meaning of the interpreted consultation to the practice, and the sociology of medical work. Our findings identified a number of general properties of the interpreted consultation as an organisational routine, including the wide variation in the form of adoption, the stability of the routine, the adaptability of the routine, and the strength of the routine. Our second key finding was that this variation could be partly explained by characteristics of the practice as an organisation, especially whether it was traditional (small, family‐run, ‘personal’ identity, typically multilingual, loose division of labour, relatively insular) or contemporary (large, bureaucratic, ‘efficient’ identity, typically monolingual, clear division of labour, richly networked). We conclude that there is a fruitful research agenda to be explored that links the organisational dimension of interpreting services with studies of clinical care and outcomes.
Race and nutrition: an investigation of Black‐White differences in health‐related nutritional behaviours
Authors: Bahr Peter Riley 
Published: January 2009

AbstractBlack‐White disparities in the incidence and prevalence of chronic disease and premature morbidity are persistent and well documented in the United States. Prevailing explanations for these disparities have focused upon socioeconomic inequality and related mechanisms as the causal factors. Yet, despite the explanatory power of socioeconomic status in models of health outcomes, an unexplained racial gap in health persists. This research contributes to the study of the Black‐White health divergence by exploring a mechanism with the prospect of explaining a portion of the racial gap in health remaining after adjustment for socioeconomic status. Specifically, using random coefficient regression to analyse pooled data from the 1993–1999 California Dietary Practices Survey, I identify significant differences between Blacks and Whites, after adjustment for socioeconomic status and other controls, both in global nutritional healthfulness and across a range of nutritional behaviours with established links to the development of chronic disease. Given the compelling body of literature linking nutritional behaviour to health outcomes, these differences between Blacks and Whites constitute evidence for the potential explanatory value of nutrition in future studies seeking to explain the residual racial gap in health remaining after adjustment for socioeconomic status and correlates of socioeconomic status.
Locating ethnicity and health: exploring concepts and contexts
Authors: Ahmad Waqar I. U. , Bradby Hannah 
Published: January 2009

AbstractWith the rapid development of ethnicity and health as a field of sociological research, this paper seeks to re‐evaluate the development of ideas around ethnicity, ‘race’ and culture and consider how they have been applied to the question of health. Ethnicity as a social characteristic is contingent on the situation in which it is manifest. The process of marking ‘other’ ethnic groups includes stereotyping and racialisation, a process through which ‘racial’ or ethnic differences predominate to the exclusion of a consideration of social, economic and power relations. In the British context, the history of empire and medicine's justification of racist treatment of enslaved and colonised people, is relevant to understanding how ethnic and cultural differences have come to be essentialised and pathologised. Immigration to Britain only became a mass phenomenon after World War II, with settlement patterns following employment opportunities and kinship alliances. The state has a longstanding history of ‘managing’ diversity, sometimes essentialising differences between groups, at other times tackling disadvantage and discrimination experiences through policy action. Sociologists of health were slow to study ethnicity, with initial research coming from tropical disease specialists. The tendency of medicine to pathologise minority cultures is explored through case studies of the approach to rickets and the assessment of health risks associated with consanguineous marriage. Anti‐racist approaches have encouraged the consideration of discrimination against and socioeconomic position of minorities. The field has developed with work on nomenclature and the operationalisation of ethnic identity, necessary to study health inequalities between ethnic groups and paying due heed to the contribution of socioeconomic position and racism to group experiences. Research into chronic conditions with complex analysis of a number of distinct contributory variables has been published of late. However, the excessive focus on South Asians and the record of measuring, analysing, but not necessarily tackling health disadvantage, are problems that remain to be addressed.
Asymmetrical lateral ventricular enlargement in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Lewis M. M. , Smith A. B. , Styner M. , Gu H. , Poole R. , Zhu H. , Li Y. , Barbero X. , Gouttard S. , McKeown M. J. , Mailman R. B. , Huang X. 
Published: January 2009

Background:  A recent case report suggested the presence of asymmetrical lateral ventricular enlargement associated with motor asymmetry in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The current study explored these associations further.Methods:  Magnetic resonance imaging (3T) scans were obtained on 17 PD and 15 healthy control subjects at baseline and 12–43 months later. Baseline and longitudinal lateral ventricular volumetric changes were compared between contralateral and ipsilateral ventricles in PD subjects relative to symptom onset side and in controls relative to their dominant hand. Correlations between changes in ventricular volume and United Parkinson’s disease rating scale motor scores (UPDRS‐III) whilst on medication were determined.Results:  The lateral ventricle contralateral to symptom onset side displayed a faster rate of enlargement compared to the ipsilateral (P = 0.004) in PD subjects, with no such asymmetry detected (P = 0.312) in controls. There was a positive correlation between ventricular enlargement and worsening motor function assessed by UPDRS‐III scores (r = 0.96, P < 0.001).Discussion:  There is asymmetrical lateral ventricular enlargement that is associated with PD motor asymmetry and progression. Further studies are warranted to investigate the underlying mechanism(s), as well as the potential of using volumetric measurements as a marker for PD progression.
Natalizumab is effective as second line therapy in the treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Putzki N. , Kollia K. , Woods S. , Igwe E. , Diener H. C. , Limmroth V. 
Published: January 2009

Background:  Natalizumab has been recommended for the treatment of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis with insufficient response to interferon‐beta (IFN‐beta) or glatiramer acetate (GA).Method:  Prospective, observational study.Results:  We found a reduction of the annualized relapse rate from 2.1 under IFN‐beta or GA to 0.2 one year after switching to natalizumab. There were 94% fewer gadolinium enhancing lesions with natalizumab.Conclusion:  Natalizumab reduced short term clinical and MRI activity in second line therapy and efficacy is comparable to first line therapy as demonstrated in the pivotal trials.
The ‘hot cross bun’ sign in the patients with spinocerebellar ataxia
Authors: Lee Y.‐C. , Liu C.‐S. , Wu H.‐M. , Wang P.‐S. , Chang M.‐H. , Soong B.‐W. 
Published: January 2009

Background and purpose:  The ‘hot cross bun’ sign (HCBS), typically seen in the patients with multiple system atrophy, refers to a cruciform hyperintensity in the pons on T2‐weighted MRI. Little is known about its pathological basis and prevalence in other degenerative cerebellar diseases and healthy population. We investigate the frequency of HCBS in the patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and healthy controls.Methods:  The presence of HCBS on T2‐weighted axial MRIs from 138 SCA patients (three SCA1, 35 SCA2, 76 SCA3, 18 SCA6, one SCA7, three SCA8, and two SCA17) and 102 healthy controls was evaluated retrospectively.Results:  The overall prevalence of HCBS in the SCA patients is 8.7%, but the frequency varies in different subtypes: 25.7% in SCA2, 1.3% in SCA3, and none in SCA6 or healthy controls. Notably, one patient with SCA7 and one with SCA8 were also found to have HCBS.Conclusions:  The differential list of HCBS should be expanded to include SCA7 and SCA8. The elucidation of frequency of HCBS in various SCA subtypes may help prioritize the genetic testing in late‐onset dominant ataxia.
Influence of climatic factors in the incidence of multiple sclerosis relapses in a Portuguese population
Authors: Fonseca A. C. , Costa J. , Cordeiro C. , Geraldes R. , De Sá J. 
Published: January 2009

Background and purpose:  Environmental factors are thought to be important in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology. We aimed to evaluate if there was an association between MS relapses and some climatic factors in a Portuguese population.Methods:  Four year retrospective study analyzing 414 MS relapses in 249 consecutive relapsing–remitting patients. Non‐parametric statistics were used to compare the distribution of relapses across months and seasons. Spearman’s coefficient was determined to evaluate the correlation between relapses frequency and maximum and minimum atmospheric temperatures, humidity and atmospheric pressure.Results:  The mean number of relapses was not significantly different between months or seasons. No correlation was found between relapse frequency and any climatic factor.Conclusion:  Our series is one of the largest addressing the influence of specific climatic factors on MS relapses. The number of clinical MS relapses seems to be unrelated to climatic factors.
Platinum Group Metal Flows of Europe, Part II
Authors: Saurat Mathieu , Bringezu Stefan 
Published: January 2009

SummaryA model of the use of the platinum group metals (PGMs) platinum, palladium, and rhodium in Europe has been developed and combined with a model of the environmental pressures related to PGM production. Compared to the base case presented in Part I of this pair of articles, potential changes in PGM production and use are quantified with regard to cumulative and yearly environmental impacts and PGM resource use, for the period 2005–2020. Reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions of PGM producer Norilsk Nickel could cut the cumulative SO2 emissions associated with the use of PGMs in Europe by 35%. Cleaner electricity generation in South Africa could reduce cumulative SO2 emissions by another 9%. Increasing the recycling rate of end‐of‐life catalytic converters to 70% in 2020 could save 15% of the cumulative primary PGM input into car catalysts and 10% of the SO2 emissions associated with PGM production. In 2020, PGM requirements and SO2 emissions would be, respectively, 40% and 22% lower than the base case.Substituting palladium for part of the platinum in diesel catalysts, coupled with a probable palladium price increase, could imply 15% more cumulative SO2 emissions if recycling rates do not increase.A future large‐scale introduction of fuel cell vehicles would require technological improvements to significantly reduce the PGM content of the fuel cell stack. The basic design of such vehicles greatly influences the vehicle power, a key parameter in determining the total PGM requirement.
A distinct type of cell in myocardium: interstitial Cajal‐like cells (ICLCs)
Authors: Kostin S. , Popescu L. M. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThe existence of a novel type of interstitial cells in the heart, interstitial Cajal‐like cells (ICLCs), had been described for the first time in 2005. Their identification was mainly based on ultrastructural criteria: very long (tens up to hundreds of micrometres) and moniliform prolongations, which are extremely thin (less than 0.2 μm), below the resolving power of light microscopy. Myocardial ICLCs were also identified by methylene‐blue vital staining, silver impregnation, and immunoreactivity for CD 34, vimentin, CD117/c‐kit, etc. Although a series of studies provided evidence for the existence of ICLCs in human atria and rat ventricles, further investigations in other laboratories, using additional techniques, are required to substantiate the consistency of these findings. Here we provide further evidence for the existence of ICLCs in human and mammalian hearts (by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, as well as confocal laser scanning microscopy). Noteworthy, we confirm that ICLCs communicate with neighbouring cells via shedding (micro)vesicles. Although these so‐called ICLCs represent a distinct type of cells, different from classical interstitial cells of Cajal, or fibroblasts, their role(s) in myocardium remain(s) to be established. Several hypotheses are proposed: (i) adult stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells, which might participate in cardiac repair/remodelling; (ii) intercellular signalling (e.g. via shedding microvesicles); (iii) chemo‐mechanical transducers and (iv) players in pacemaking and/or arrhytmogenesis, and so on.
Violence among schizophrenia out‐patients compliant with medication: prevalence and associated factors
Authors: Bobes J. , Fillat O. , Arango C. 
Published: January 2009

Objective:  Aggressive behaviour has been related to schizophrenia both in in‐patient and out‐patient samples. In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with aggressive behaviour in out‐patient compliant with their prescribed medication.Method:  Eight hundred and ninety‐five patients were interviewed at Community‐Based Mental Health Services about aggressive–violent behaviour within the week prior to the study visit. Adult patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and receiving stable pharmacological treatment were enrolled. Presence of aggressive episodes, including type of aggression, severity and frequency, was assessed with the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS). Violence was defined as a score of 3 or more in any of the MOAS subscores.Results:  Prevalence of recent aggressive behaviour was 5.07%, (95% CI 5.04–5.10), where 47% (43 behaviours 91) reached the violent threshold. Among the 91 violent episodes rated, most episodes were verbal (44%), followed by physical violence towards objects (29%), violence towards others (19%) and self‐directed violence (8%). Recent episodes of any severity were more likely among patients with a history of violence and also with relapses within the previous year and with low treatment satisfaction.Conclusion:  Five per cent of the studied cases showed aggressive behaviour in the week prior to assessment, despite having been compliant with their medication. Most aggressive behaviour was verbal rather than physical.
Autism spectrum disorder in children with and without epilepsy: impact on social functioning and communication
Authors: Turk Jeremy , Bax Martin , Williams Clare , Amin Pooja , Eriksson Mats , Gillberg Christopher 
Published: January 2009

AbstractAim: To compare developmental and psychological functioning in two groups of children with autism spectrum disorder (asd), one with epilepsy and one without.Methods: Sixty 7–17‐year‐old children in each group were recruited through a range of services in order to screen as representative a sample as possible. Parents were interviewed using the diagnostic interview for social and communication disorders (DISCO‐11), and children were clinically examined and their medical histories assessed.Results: The asd and epilepsy (asd+e) group demonstrated a substantially more even gender ratio, with a greater proportion of girls. They were more likely to have received later asd diagnoses and additional medical diagnoses. They also showed more motor difficulties, developmental delays and challenging behaviours, but were no more likely to be aloof and passive. The asd‐only group experienced more abnormal fascinations with objects and used brief glances as a means of eye contact more than the asd+e group.Conclusion: Results support important between‐group differences with diagnostic and therapeutic implications. asds often present atypically in children with seizures. However, both groups showed widely varying social and linguistic presentations.
Faecal short chain fatty acid pattern and allergy in early childhood
Authors: Sandin Anna , Bråbäck Lennart , Norin Elisabeth , Björkstén Bengt 
Published: January 2009

AbstractAim: To investigate whether functional changes of the gut flora over time were related to sensitization and allergic symptoms at four years of age.Methods: The levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in faecal samples at one (n = 139) and four (n = 53) years of age were related to the development of positive skin prick tests (SPT) and allergic symptoms during the first four years of life.Results: Faecal acetic (p < 0.01) and propionic (p < 0.01) acids decreased from one to four years of age, while valeric acid (p < 0.001) increased. Low levels of i‐butyric (p = 0.01), i‐valeric (p = 0.03) and valeric acids (p = 0.02) at one year were associated with questionnaire‐reported symptoms of food allergy at four years. Positive SPTs and allergic symptoms at four years were associated with low faecal levels of i‐butyric, i‐valeric and valeric acids. At one year of age, infants with, as compared to without older siblings had higher median levels of valeric acid.Conclusion: A slow functional maturation of the gut microflora, as measured by faecal levels of SCFAs is associated with allergy both at one and four years. The findings lend further support to an association between allergy and the development of microbial diversity.