bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prospective Change in Health-Related Quality of Life and Subsequent Mortality Among Middle-Aged and Older Women
Authors: Kroenke Candyce H. , Kubzansky Laura D. , Adler Nancy , Kawachi Ichiro 
Published: May 2008

Objectives. We sought to determine prospective changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures and subsequent mortality in middle-aged and older women.Methods. We obtained data from 40 337 healthy women from the Nurses’ Health Study aged 46 to 71 years in 1992. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate associations of changes in self-assessed physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS) scores from the Short Form 36 Health Survey between 1992 and 1996 and between 1996 and 2000, with all-cause mortality through 2004.Results. Women with low HRQoL (PCS and MCS scores) and the greatest HRQoL declines had higher mortality than did women with stable scores. Change in PCS score predicted mortality across the range of 4-year change: severe decline (relative risk [RR] = 3.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.45, 4.50), moderate decline (RR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.16, 1.79), slight decline (RR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.63), no change (reference category), improvement (RR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.56, 0.91; continuous P < .001). MCS score results were similar. Score increases were associated with lifestyle improvements, especially increased physical activity.Conclusions. Observed associations demonstrate the predictive validity of changes in self-assessed HRQoL for subsequent mortality in healthy populations. Future research should examine determinants of patterns of change.
The Effect of Widowhood on Mortality by the Causes of Death of Both Spouses
Authors: Elwert Felix , Christakis Nicholas A. 
Published: May 2008

Objectives. We investigated the effect of spousal bereavement on mortality to document cause-specific bereavement effects by the causes of death of both the predecedent spouse and the bereaved partner. Methods. We obtained data from a nationally representative cohort of 373 189 elderly married couples in the United States who were followed from 1993 to 2002. We used competing risk and Cox models in our analyses. Results. For both men and women, the death of a predecedent spouse from almost all causes, including various cancers, infections, and cardiovascular diseases, increased the all-cause mortality of the bereaved partner to varying degrees. Moreover, the death of a predecedent spouse from any cause increased the survivor's cause-specific mortality for almost all causes, including cancers, infections, and cardiovascular diseases, to varying degrees. Conclusions. The effect of widowhood on mortality varies substantially by the causes of death of both spouses, suggesting that the widowhood effect is not restricted to one aspect of human biology. Future research should examine the specific mechanisms of the widowhood effect and identify opportunities for health interventions.
Medicaid Prescription Formulary Restrictions and Arthritis Treatment Costs
Authors: Johnson Tricia J. , Stahl-Moncada Stephanie 
Published: May 2008

Objectives. We used the Arizona Medicaid program as a model to examine the consequences of the relative restrictiveness of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)–preferred drug lists on health care use and costs for Medicaid enrollees with arthritis. Methods. In a retrospective, cross-sectional study of Medicaid enrollees with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, we used data from the Arizona HealthQuery database and generalized linear regression models to estimate the effect of the restrictiveness of formularies on the association between number of NSAID drugs covered and the number of emergency department visits, ambulatory physician visits, hospital stays, and total health expenditures. Results. For plans with NSAID formularies that were more restrictive, enrollees with rheumatoid arthritis experienced 22% fewer ambulatory visits and 29% more hospitalizations, and enrollees with osteoarthritis experienced 38% fewer ambulatory visits and 52% more hospitalizations. These plans spent an additional $935 for medical care and prescription drugs annually per enrollee with rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusions. Formularies that are more restrictive significantly change the patterns of health care and prescription drug use and may have unintended consequences in terms of more frequent and, for those with rheumatoid arthritis, more expensive medical care.
The SECRET and SOUL of Marlboro
Authors: Stevenson Terrell , Proctor Robert N. 
Published: May 2008

Philip Morris and other tobacco companies have been using ammonia in their manufacturing for more than half a century, and for a variety of purposes: to highlight certain flavors, to expand or “puff up” the volume of tobacco, to prepare reconstituted tobacco sheet (“recon”), to denicotinize (reduce the amount of nicotine in) tobacco, and to remove carcinogens. By the early 1960s, however, Philip Morris had also begun using ammonia to “freebase” the nicotine in cigarette smoke, creating low-yield (reduced-tar or -nicotine) cigarettes that still had the nicotine kick necessary to keep customers “satisfied” (i.e., addicted). We show that Philip Morris discovered the virtues of freebasing while analyzing the impact of the ammoniated recon used in Marlboro cigarettes. We also show how Marlboro’s commercial success catalyzed efforts by the rest of the tobacco industry to discover its “secret,” eventually identified as ammonia technology, and how Philip Morris later exploited the myriad uses of ammonia (e.g., for flavoring and expanding tobacco volume) to defend itself against charges of manipulating the nicotine deliveries of its cigarettes.
Exploring Potential Pathways Between Parity and Tooth Loss Among American Women
Authors: Russell Stefanie L. , Ickovics Jeannette R. , Yaffee Robert A. 
Published: May 2008

Objectives. We assessed the impact of parity on tooth loss among American women and examined mediators of this relationship. Methods. The study sample comprised 2635 White and Black non-Hispanic women who had taken part in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We examined the relationship between parity and tooth loss, by age and by socioeconomic position, and tested a theoretical model focusing on direct and indirect influences of parity on dental disease. Robust regression techniques were used to generate path coefficients. Results. Although parity was associated with tooth loss, the relationship was not moderated through dental care, psychosocial factors, or dental health–damaging behaviors. Conclusions. Parity is related to tooth loss among American women, but the mechanisms of the association remain undefined. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether disparities in dental health among women who have been pregnant are caused by differences in parity or to physiological and societal changes (e.g., factors related to pregnant women’s access to care) paralleling reproductive choices.
An action for a classical string, the equation of motion and group invariant classical solutions
Authors: Bracken Paul 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
A string action which is essentially a Willmore functional is presented and studied. This action determines the physics of a surface in Euclidean three space which can be used to model classical string configurations. By varying this action an equation of motion for the mean curvature of the surface is obtained which is shown to govern certain classical string configurations. Several classes of classical solutions for this equation are discussed from the symmetry group point of view and an application is presented.
In Vitro evaluation of the cytotoxic and anti-proliferative properties of resveratrol and several of its analogs
Authors: Billack Blase , Radkar Vijayalaxmi , Adiabouah Christelle 
Published: May 2008

AbstractResveratrol (RES), a component of red wine, possesses anti-inflammatory properties. The studies described in the present work were aimed at evaluating the potential for RES and related stilbene analogs (piceatannol, PIC; pterostilbene, TPS; trans-stilbene, TS; and trans-stilbene oxide, TSO) to exhibit toxicity towards RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages. The effect of TS, TSO, RES and TPS on RAW 264.7 macrophage viability was determined by two standard methods: (a) the MTT assay and (b) the trypan blue dye exclusion test. Whereas macrophages were more sensitive to PIC (LC50 trypan ∼ 1.3 μM) and to TPS (LC50 trypan ∼ 4.0 μM and LC50 MTT ∼ 8.3 μM) than to RES (LC50 trypan ∼ 8.9 μM and LC50 MTT ∼ 29.0 μM), they were relatively resistant to TSO (LC50 trypan ∼ 61.0 μM and LC50 MTT > 100 μM) and to TS (LC50 trypan ≥ 5.0 μM and LC50 MTT ≥ 5.0 μM). The ability of selected stilbenes (RES, TPS and PIC) to exhibit growth inhibitory effects was also examined. Although RES and TPS were observed to inhibit cell proliferation in macrophages (IC50 ≤ 25 μM), these cells were resistant to growth inhibition by PIC (IC50 ≥ 50 μM). The data obtained in the present analysis demonstrate that substituted stilbene compounds such as RES have the capacity to exhibit cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activities in macrophages.
The genetic divergence of prehistoric populations of the south‐central Andes as established by means of craniometric traits
Authors: Varela Héctor H. , O'Brien Tyler G. , Cocilovo Jose A. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe peopling of the south‐central Andean region can be determined by exploring a combination of cultural, economic, and biological factors that influence the structure of populations and determine particular dispersals of gene frequencies. Quantitative characters from 1,586 adult crania of both sexes from northern Chile, northwestern Argentina, and the Cochabamba valleys in Bolivia were analyzed employing multivariate statistical analyses. Biological distances, representing phenotypic variation between these regions and their subregions, were studied within a population genetics framework. An analysis of Mahalanobis D2 distances establishes two principle directions of interaction: the first between the Cochabamba valleys and northern Chile, and the second between the Cochabamba region and northwestern Argentina. The Chile and Argentina regions are shown to be less related to each other than each is to the Bolivian region. A higher mean genetic divergence is found for the entire region (FST = 0.195); with northwestern Argentina having the highest spatial isolation (FST = 0.143) and northern Chile the lowest (FST = 0.061). These results allow us to propose a populating model based on the dispersion of several lines from a common ancestral population similar to those who inhabited the Cochabamba valleys. These lines differentiated themselves in time and space according to the effective size and the rate of gene flow, eventually producing the human groups which inhabited the valleys of northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Occupational physical activities and long‐term functional and radiographic outcomes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Ward Michael M. , Reveille John D. , Learch Thomas J. , Davis John C. , Weisman Michael H. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjectiveWe sought to identify specific occupational activities associated with functional limitations and radiographic damage in patients with longstanding ankylosing spondylitis (AS).MethodsWe asked patients diagnosed with AS for ≥20 years to report all past occupations, which we mapped to specific physical activities using the Occupational Information Network, which is the US Department of Labor job classification database. For each occupation reported, we obtained ratings for 13 physical abilities of the worker and 13 aspects of the work environment or work tasks (work context) thought to be most relevant to patients with AS. Averages for each measure, weighted by the number of years in each job, were related to the degree of functional limitation as assessed by the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI) and to the extent of spinal radiographic damage as assessed by the Bath AS Radiology Index for the spine (BASRI‐s).ResultsAmong 397 patients, those with a history of jobs requiring dynamic flexibility (the ability to repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach) had more functional limitations than those whose past jobs required little or no dynamic flexibility (adjusted mean BASFI score 48.3 in the top quartile versus 38.1 in all others). Those whose past jobs required more dynamic flexibility, extent flexibility, and exposure to whole body vibration also had significantly higher BASRI‐s scores.ConclusionBending, twisting, and stretching are the occupational activities associated with greater functional limitations and radiographic damage in patients with longstanding AS. Exposure to whole body vibration was also associated with more radiographic damage.
The relationship between affect balance style and clinical outcomes in fibromyalgia
Authors: Hassett Afton L. , Simonelli Laura E. , Radvanski Diane C. , Buyske Steven , Savage Shantal V. , Sigal Leonard H. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjectiveAffective balance, relative levels of negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA), better describes emotional functioning than NA or PA alone. Affect balance styles and their relationship to clinical outcomes were compared between patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and controls.MethodsFM patients (n = 79) were compared with patients with other medical conditions (controls; n = 92). Patients underwent a physical examination, completed questionnaires, and were screened for clinical disorders such as depression, with diagnoses confirmed by structured interview. Affect balance style categories were calculated as follows: healthy (high PA/low NA), low (low PA/low NA), reactive (high PA/high NA), and depressive (low PA/high NA).ResultsCompared with controls, FM patients had lower levels of PA (P = 0.0031; P values are adjusted for multiple testing), higher levels of NA (P = 0.0061), lower levels of functioning (P < 0.0001), and more clinical disorders (P = 0.0031). Groups differed regarding affect balance style (P = 0.0061), with FM patients being more likely than controls to be categorized as depressive (odds ratio 5.60) and reactive (odds ratio 3.81). FM patients and controls with reactive and depressive affect balance styles reported poorer functioning (P < 0.0001) compared with patients with healthy affect balance style. Finally, there was an association between affect balance style and psychiatric comorbidity (P < 0.0001), with patients with depressive and reactive affect balance styles having a 9.00 and 4.75 odds ratio, respectively, of having psychiatric comorbidity compared with patients with healthy affect balance style.ConclusionDepressive (low PA, high NA) and reactive (high PA, high NA) affect balance styles were predominant in FM patients and related to poor functioning and psychiatric comorbidity.
Development and validation of a needs‐based quality of life instrument for osteoarthritis
Authors: Keenan Anne‐Maree , Mckenna Stephen P. , Doward Lynda C. , Conaghan Philip G. , Emery Paul , Tennant Alan 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo develop and validate a disease‐specific quality of life (QOL) measure for osteoarthritis (OA), the OAQoL, using the needs‐based conceptual model.MethodsIn the first phase of this study, in‐depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 44 OA patients to explore the issues associated with impact of OA and to derive items for a draft OAQoL questionnaire. In phase 2, 17 OA patients were interviewed on the relevance, clarity, and ease of completion of the measure in structured interviews. In phase 3, the draft questionnaire was mailed to 635 patients to test the psychometric properties of the questionnaire using Rasch analysis. Test–retest assessment of the revised questionnaire was performed in phase 4 by mailing the questionnaire to an additional 201 participants, with a second questionnaire repeated 2 weeks later.ResultsA 38‐item draft measure was devised during phase 1 and mailed in phase 2. Rasch analysis of the draft questionnaire (n = 259) indicated initial misfit, which was rectified with the removal of 13 problematic items (χ2[75] = 83.602, P = 0.232). For the test–retest assessment (n = 60), 3 additional items were removed, leaving a 22‐item OAQoL that demonstrated good fit to the Rasch model (χ2[44] = 44.559, P = 0.533) with excellent test–retest correlation (ρ = 0.925, P < 0.001; z = −0.06, P = 0.995).ConclusionThe OAQoL is a simple and easy to use 22‐item unidimensional questionnaire developed specifically to assess the impact of OA on QOL. The measure has been developed as a true patient‐based questionnaire and demonstrates good psychometric properties, including test–retest reliability.
Improvement in patient‐reported outcomes in a rituximab trial in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis refractory to anti–tumor necrosis factor therapy
Authors: Keystone E. , Burmester G. R. , Furie R. , Loveless J. E. , Emery P. , Kremer J. , Tak P. P. , Broder M. S. , Yu E. , Cravets M. , Magrini F. , Jost F. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the effects of treatment with rituximab plus methotrexate on patient‐reported outcomes in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who experienced inadequate response to anti–tumor necrosis factor therapy.MethodsPatients with active RA were randomly assigned to rituximab (1,000 mg on days 1 and 15) or placebo. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with an American College of Rheumatology 20% response at week 24. Additional goals were to assess treatment effects on pain, fatigue, functional disability, health‐related quality of life, and disease activity by comparing mean changes between groups. The analysis was conducted in the intent‐to‐treat population. The proportion of patients who achieved the minimum clinically important difference on the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability index (DI), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT‐F), and Short Form 36 (SF‐36) was determined.ResultsRituximab patients had statistically significantly greater pain relief. The FACIT‐F showed significantly greater improvement in rituximab patients than placebo patients from weeks 12 through 24. Mean improvement from baseline in functional disability (measured by the HAQ DI) was significantly greater in rituximab patients from weeks 8 to 24. The mean ± SD change from baseline for the SF‐36 Physical Component Score was 6.64 ± 8.74 for rituximab patients and 1.48 ± 7.32 for placebo patients (P < 0.0001). The mean change from baseline for the SF‐36 Mental Component Score was 5.32 ± 12.41 for rituximab patients and 2.25 ± 12.23 for placebo patients (P = 0.0269).ConclusionRituximab produced rapid, clinically meaningful, and statistically significant improvements in patient‐reported pain, fatigue, functional disability, health‐related quality of life, and disease activity. These effects were sustained throughout the study.
Incidence of melanoma and other malignancies among rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with methotrexate
Authors: Buchbinder Rachelle , Barber Melissa , Heuzenroeder Louise , Wluka Anita E. , Giles Graham , Hall Stephen , Harkness Andrew , Lewis Daniel , Littlejohn Geoff , Miller Marian H. , Ryan Peter F. J. , Jolley Damien 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo determine cancer risk in a cohort of 459 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with methotrexate in community practice.MethodsAll RA patients who started methotrexate prior to June 1986 and were attending 1 of 6 rheumatologists were studied. Demographic data were matched to the State Cancer Registry to identify all malignancies (except nonmelanoma skin cancer) for 1983–1998, and to the National Death Index to identify all deaths to the end of 1999. Followup started on the date when methotrexate was started and ended either on the last confirmed date on which the patient was seen by the rheumatologist or at death. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated using state population cancer rates stratified by sex, age (in 5‐year groups), and calendar year.ResultsThere were 4,145 person‐years of followup (average 9.3 years). Eighty‐seven malignancies were identified (14 before, 64 during, and 9 after the followup period). There was an estimated 50% excess risk of malignancy among methotrexate‐exposed RA patients relative to the general population (SIR 1.5, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.2–1.9), with a 3‐fold increase in melanoma (SIR 3.0, 95% CI 1.2–6.2), a 5‐fold increase in non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (SIR 5.1, 95% CI 2.2–10.0), and an almost 3‐fold increase in lung cancer (SIR 2.9, 95% CI 1.6–4.8).ConclusionCompared with the general population, methotrexate‐treated RA patients have an increased incidence of melanoma, non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, and lung cancer. There may be a role for regular skin cancer screening for all RA patients, particularly those receiving immunosuppressive therapy.
Acute radio frequency irradiation does not affect cell cycle, cellular migration, and invasion
Authors: Lee Je‐Jung , Kwak Hee‐Jin , Lee Yun‐Mi , Lee Joong‐Won , Park Myung‐Jin , Ko Young‐Gyu , Choi Hyung‐Do , Kim Nam , Pack Jeong‐Ki , Hong Seok‐Il , Lee Jae‐Seon 
Published: May 2008

AbstractAlthough in vitro studies have been previously conducted to determine the biological effects of radio frequency (RF) radiation, it has not yet been determined whether or not RF radiation poses a potential hazard. This study was conducted to determine whether RF radiation exposure exerts detectable effects on cell cycle distribution, cellular invasion, and migration. NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts were exposed to 849 MHz of RF radiation at average SAR values of 2 or 10 W/kg for either 1 h, or for 1 h per day for 3 days. During the exposure period, the temperature in the exposure chamber was maintained isothermally by circulating water throughout the cavity. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed at 24 and 48 h after exposure, by flow cytometry. We detected no statistically significant differences between the sham‐exposed and RF radiation‐exposed cells. Cellular invasion and migration were assessed by in vitro Matrigel invasion and Transwell migration assays. The RF radiation‐exposed groups evidenced no significant changes in motility and invasiveness compared to the sham‐exposed group. However, the ionizing radiation‐exposed cells, used as a positive control group, manifested dramatic alterations in their cell cycle distribution, cellular invasiveness, and migration characteristics. Our results show that 849 MHz RF radiation exposure exerts no detectable effects on cell cycle distribution, cellular migration, or invasion at average SAR values of 2 or 10 W/kg. Bioelectromagnetics 29:615–625, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.