bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Are You at Risk for Hereditary Breast Cancer?”: Development of a Personal Risk Assessment Tool for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Cohn Wendy F. , Jones Susan M. , Miesfeldt Susan 
Published: January 2008

AbstractIdentification of risk for the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC) is important, as research has demonstrated the benefits of risk‐reducing interventions for women with or at risk for this disorder. Knowledge among women regarding risk factors for hereditary breast cancer and the existence of cancer genetics services appears limited. The goal of this project was to develop a tool to broaden women's awareness regarding their potential risk for HBOC. A formal instructional design process was used to develop a brochure to facilitate recognition of HBOC risk among women attending a no‐cost breast and cervical cancer screening clinic. Brochure development was guided by gathering feedback from potential users early and often. The resulting brochure included four parts: (1) a brief description of the impact of hereditary breast cancer risk on one's health; (2) a personal and family history collection table; (3) a series of questions enabling the user to self‐assess HBOC risk; (4) a list of resources for women at risk for HBOC. User feedback indicated that the brochure was easy to use. The project demonstrated that women can self‐evaluate their risk for HBOC. Future work will evaluate this tool among a broader population of women.
Up‐regulation of PPARγ in myocardial infarction
Authors: Fliegner Daniela , Westermann Dirk , Riad Alexander , Schubert Carola , Becher Eva , Fielitz Jens , Tschöpe Carsten , Regitz‐Zagrosek Vera 
Published: January 2008

AbstractBackground:Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) are key regulators for cardiac energy metabolism after myocardial injury. We hypothesized, that PPARs are regulated in myocardial infarction (MI) and their activity is modulated by angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).Methods:Following induction of MI, male rats were treated with placebo or the ARB irbesartan for three weeks. PPARα, β/δ and γ protein expression and gene expression of PPAR target genes and glucose transporters were measured. PPARγ‐protein expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence.Results:MI decreased LVP and dp/dtmax and increased LVEDP, this effect was counteracted by irbesartan. PPARα and PPARβ/δ protein expression was not altered in MI and was not affected by irbesartan. PPARγ protein content was increased in the infarcted area and localized to cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts. In parallel, expression of CTGF was increased 10‐fold in the infarcted zone. PPAR target genes (CD36, MCAD, ACO and GLUT4) were significantly decreased in infarcted tissue, and this was unaffected by irbesartan. However, CD36 and ACO in the non‐infarcted areas were up‐regulated by irbesartan.Conclusion:Endogenous up‐regulation of PPARγ in MI is insufficient to counteract the decrease in metabolic genes, but parallels an increase in the profibrotic mediator CTGF. Irbesartan increases fatty acid oxidating enzymes after MI independent of PPARγ regulation.
Role of β adrenergic receptor polymorphisms in heart failure: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Muthumala Amal , Drenos Fotios , Elliott Perry M. , Humphries Steve E. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractHeart Failure (HF) is a common disorder associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. β adrenergic receptors (βAR) are the primary pathway through which cardiac function is influenced. Chronic β1AR activation is implicated in the pathogenesis of HF and βAR blockade improves survival in left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Common functional polymorphisms in β adrenergic receptor genes (ADRB) have been associated with HF phenotypes, and with pharmacogenetic interaction with β adrenergic receptor blockers (β blockers). However, these associations have not been consistently replicated. The evidence forADRBvariant involvement in pathogenesis, progression and response to β blockers in HF is reviewed. In addition, a meta‐analysis of three studies analysing the effect ofADRB1Arg389Gly polymorphism on left ventricular remodelling with the use of β blockers, demonstrating a 5% improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction in Arg389 homozygotes, is presented. There is now accumulating molecular evidence for a different functional response to β blockers associated with this polymorphism. In the future, confirmed genotypic associations may enable patients to be identified who are either at greater risk of developing HF, whose HF may rapidly progress, or who are unlikely to benefit from β blockers, and such patients may benefit from targeted aggressive therapy.
What do different databases tell about the use of opioids in seven European countries in 2002?
Authors: Hamunen Katri , Laitinen‐Parkkonen Pirjo , Paakkari Pirkko , Breivik Harald , Gordh Torsten , Jensen Niels Henrik , Kalso Eija 
Published: January 2008

AbstractObjective: The objective of this paper was to analyse opioid consumption in a number European countries using different sources of data.Methods: Data were extracted from the United Nations’ International Narcotics Control Board Report (INCB) 2003 and from the registers of the national health authorities in seven countries where data were available for 2002. The amount of opioid used was calculated as daily defined doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/1000/day). Danish Register of Medicinal Products Statistics was further explored for characteristics of opioid consumption (age, gender, type of opioids consumed) by patients in primary care. Total opioid consumption and consumption of 11 selected opioids (7 strong and 4 weak) were analysed. The amount of opioids consumed by outpatients was also examined.Results: There were considerable differences in the number of opioids reported and significant discrepancies in the amounts of opioids consumed between the national data and the INCB report. The source of data for the national registers on drug consumption varied (pharmacies or wholesale). The INCB data provide information on opioid import and estimated need rather than on medical consumption.Conclusions: Caution is required when interpreting the data on opioid consumption between countries because of differences in the collection and reporting of data. Better recording of opioid consumption is needed for meaningful analysis of opioid consumption and its possible effect on pain management in different countries. Data on opioids consumed for cancer‐related pain in comparison with chronic non‐malignant pain are needed. A uniform method of collection of data on analgesic consumption should be established for all European countries.
Non‐linear morphine‐induced depression of spinal excitation following long‐term potentiation of C fibre‐evoked spinal field potentials
Authors: Buesa Itsaso , Urrutia Andrés , Bilbao Juan , Aguilera Luciano , Zimmermann Manfred , Azkue Jon Jatsu 
Published: January 2008

AbstractReduced efficacy of opioid analgesics in some abnormal pain states is a common clinical observation. We tested whether the depressing effect of spinally administered morphine (MOR) on C fibre‐evoked spinal field potentials is diminished during long‐term potentiation (LTP) induced in the spinal dorsal horn by high‐frequency stimulation (HFS). MOR distinctly reduced evoked field potentials 2h after LTP induction, yet MOR doses suppressing spinal responses in control rats (500μM) failed to achieve so in HFS‐receiving rats. However, HFS and MOR administration at the 0.01–0.1mM range were found to interact positively as independent variables, suggesting that LTP induction may trigger an endogenous factor enhancing the effectiveness of spinally applied MOR.The present findings suggest that LTP‐like, long‐lasting enhancement of synaptic strength in the spinal dorsal horn can contribute to increasing MOR doses required for antinociception in some forms of abnormal pain.
Early maturation of GABAergic synapses in mouse retinal ganglion cells
Authors: Unsoeld Thomas , Stradomska Alicja M. , Wang Rui , Rathjen Fritz G. , Jüttner Rene 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis study was aimed to characterize the earliest phases of synapse development in mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by recording spontaneous postsynaptic currents (PSCs). First PSCs were detected at embryonic day 17 and completely suppressed by bicuculline, demonstrating their GABAergic nature. Starting from postnatal day 3 a small fraction of RGCs had rapidly decaying, most likely glutamatergic currents.The present results suggest that functional GABAergic synapses with RGCs appear before birth and that GABAergic synaptic transmission precedes that of glutamate in the retina. In this early period GABA acts in a depolarizing manner and takes over an excitatory function.
Development of 5‐HT1B, SERT and thalamo‐cortical afferents in early nutrionally restricted rats: An emerging explanation for delayed barrel formation
Authors: Medina‐Aguirre Ivett , Gutiérrez‐Ospina Gabriel , Hernández‐Rodríguez Jorge , Boyzo Alfonso , Manjarrez‐Gutiérrez Gabriel 
Published: January 2008

AbstractBarrel formation is delayed in nutritionally restricted rats. The underlying cause of such delay is yet unclear. Because barrels appear upon the arrival of somatosensory thalamo‐cortical afferents and the reorientation of the dendritic arborizations of cortical spiny stellate neurons, it is likely that at least one of these processes is altered by nutritional restriction. Also, the serotoninergic afferent system has been implicated in regulating barrel segregation and growth during early postnatal life. We then evaluated the pattern of immunostaining of the serotonin transporter (SERT) and of the serotonin receptor 1B (5‐HT1B), as well as the growth and arrival time of somatosensory thalamo‐cortical afferents, to infer the contribution of these elements in the delayed formation of barrels observed in nutritionally restricted rats. It was found that the rates of development and the segregation of thalamo‐cortical fibers were normal in nutritionally restricted rats. SERT, but not 5‐HT1B immunoreactivity, was decreased in the primary somatosensory cortex during barrel specification. The availability of both proteins in nutritionally restricted rats was lower than that observed in their well fed counterparts at later developmental times. It is concluded that the delayed formation of barrels observed in nutritionally restricted rats is due to a retarded reorientation of dendritic arbors of cortical neurons. This might happen as a secondary effect of decreasing the availability of SERT and/or increasing the availability of 5‐HT1B receptor early in postnatal life.
Abelson tyrosine kinase and Calmodulin interact synergistically to transduce midline guidance cues in the Drosophila embryonic CNS
Authors: Hsouna Anita , VanBerkum Mark F.A. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractCalmodulin and Abelson tyrosine kinase are key signaling molecules transducing guidance cues at the Drosophila embryonic midline. A reduction in the signaling strength of either pathway alone induces ectopic midline crossing errors in a few segments. When Calmodulin and Abelson signaling levels are simultaneously reduced, the frequency of ectopic crossovers is synergistically enhanced as all segments exhibit crossing errors. But as the level of signaling is further reduced, commissures begin to fuse and large gaps form in the longitudinal connectives. Quantitative analysis suggests that the level of Abelson activity is particularly important. Like Calmodulin, Abelson interacts with son‐of‐sevenless to increase ectopic crossovers suggesting all three contribute to midline repulsive signaling. Axons cross the midline in almost every segment if Frazzled is co‐overexpressed with the Calmodulin inhibitor, but the crossovers induced by the Calmodulin inhibitor itself do not require endogenous Frazzled. Thus, Calmodulin and Abelson tyrosine kinase are key signaling molecules working synergistically to transduce both midline attractive and repulsive cues. While they may function downstream of specific receptors, the emergence of commissural and longitudinal connective defects point to a novel convergence of Calmodulin and Abelson signaling during the regulation of actin and myosin dynamics underlying a guidance decision.
When the South Emulates the North: Energy Policies and Nationalism in the Twentieth Century
Authors: MADUREIRA NUNO LUÍS 
Published: January 2008

AbstractDifferences in natural endowments, in geographical conditions and in per capita income set up an historical bifurcation between northern states, with abundant renewable hydrological resources, and less well-endowed southern states. While the first embraced a model of electricity adding, with the embodiment of this form of energy in capital goods and intermediate goods, the second followed a path of electricity substitution, with mixed strategies of replacing inputs in established sectors of industry, public utilities, transport and private consumption. This article examines the different plans for and achievements of economic nationalism in the twentieth century and its consequences, discussing the possibility of reproducing in Portugal the pattern of the stimulus to industrial manufacturing of cheap electricity.
Stemming Indonesian
Authors: Adriani Mirna , Asian Jelita , Nazief Bobby , Tahaghoghi S. M.M. , Williams Hugh E. 
Published: January 2008

Stemming words to (usually) remove suffixes has applications in text search, machine translation, document summarization, and text classification. For example, English stemming reduces the words "computer," "computing," "computation," and "computability" to their common morphological root, "comput-." In text search, this permits a search for "computers" to find documents containing all words with the stem "comput-." In the Indonesian language, stemming is of crucial importance: words have prefixes, suffixes, infixes, and confixes that make matching related words difficult.
This work surveys existing techniques for stemming Indonesian words to their morphological roots, presents our novel and highly accurate CS algorithm, and explores the effectiveness of stemming in the context of general-purpose text information retrieval through ad hoc queries.
Extended ENSO Predictions Using a Fully Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Model
Authors: Luo Jing-Jia , Masson Sebastien , Behera Swadhin K. , Yamagata Toshio 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
Using a fully coupled global ocean–atmosphere general circulation model assimilating only sea surface temperature, the authors found for the first time that several El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events over the past two decades can be predicted at lead times of up to 2 yr. The El Niño condition in the 1997/98 winter can be predicted to some extent up to about a 1½-yr lead but with a weak intensity and large phase delay in the prediction of the onset of this exceptionally strong event. This is attributed to the influence of active and intensive stochastic westerly wind bursts during late 1996 to mid-1997, which are generally unpredictable at seasonal time scales. The cold signals in the 1984/85 and 1999/2000 winters during the peak phases of the past two long-lasting La Niña events are predicted well up to a 2-yr lead. Amazingly, the mild El Niño–like event of 2002/03 is also predicted well up to a 2-yr lead, suggesting a link between the prolonged El Niño and the tropical Pacific decadal variability. Seasonal climate anomalies over vast parts of the globe during specific ENSO years are also realistically predicted up to a 2-yr lead for the first time.
Successive Modulation of ENSO to the Future Greenhouse Warming
Authors: An Soon-Il , Kug Jong-Seong , Ham Yoo-Geun , Kang In-Sik 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
The multidecadal modulation of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) due to greenhouse warming has been analyzed herein by means of diagnostics of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) and the eigenanalysis of a simplified version of an intermediate ENSO model. The response of the global-mean troposphere temperature to increasing greenhouse gases is more likely linear, while the amplitude and period of ENSO fluctuates in a multidecadal time scale. The climate system model outputs suggest that the multidecadal modulation of ENSO is related to the delayed response of the subsurface temperature in the tropical Pacific compared to the response time of the sea surface temperature (SST), which would lead a modulation of the vertical temperature gradient. Furthermore, an eigenanalysis considering only two parameters, the changes in the zonal contrast of the mean background SST and the changes in the vertical contrast between the mean surface and subsurface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, exhibits a good agreement with the CGCM outputs in terms of the multidecadal modulations of the ENSO amplitude and period. In particular, the change in the vertical contrast, that is, change in difference between the subsurface temperature and SST, turns out to be more influential on the ENSO modulation than changes in the mean SST itself.
The Dynamics of the Profit Rate in Spain (1954—2001)
Authors: Cámara Izquierdo Sergio 
Published: January 2008

The article evaluates the Spanish economy from 1954 to 2001 from the standpoint of capital profitability. The profit rate combines a cyclical behavior caused by evolution of income distribution and a downward trend caused by increase in capital composition. Increase in capital composition is caused by mechanization of the economy, while the evolution of income distribution is conditioned by a particular performance of real wages. JEL classification: P-17, E-11, J-30
From “Pressure Group Politics” To “Medical-Industrial Complex”
Authors: Weller G. R. 
Published: January 2008

This paper analyzes the development of the study of the politics of health. In doing so it explores the connection between the changing conceptions of the politics of health and actual changes in the health systems of the western world.
Three stages are identified in the development of health care systems. These are labelled the eras of benign neglect, health insurance and government regulation. It is then noted that three basic approaches to the politics of health have been taken over the years. These are labelled the group, modified group and holistic approaches. The article then argues that these three approaches tend to reflect the basic assumption explicit and implicit in the three stages of the development of the actual health systems of Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
After critically commenting upon the value of each of the approaches, the paper notes that very few political scientists have used anything other than a rather narrow group approach to analyze the politics of health and therefore have failed to explain the dynamism of the health care field. Then a few explanations for this unhappy state of affairs are ventured and the conclusion states a case for eclecticism in the study of the politics of health.
Medicare Implementation and the Policy Process
Authors: Feder Judith M. 
Published: January 2008

This article argues that Medicare policy toward hospitals has been profoundly influenced by the perspectives and goals its administrators acquired in a social insurance agency. The social insurance perspective meant priority to efficient claims payment over controlling the impact of payment on the costs and quality of medical care. Initially reinforced by concern that exercising control would antagonize the hospitals and threaten Medicare's survival, this perspective became entrenched over time as administrators grew accustomed to established operating procedures and working relationships with the hospitals. Despite internal skepticism about the appropriateness of some established arrangements, SSA sought to avoid the administrative disruption and political conflict associated with change. Even where external pressure arose, SSA's response was cautious and limited. The fact that such pressure has been both intermittent and significantly limited has reinforced SSA's preferred course of action. As a result. Medicare policy has continued to support inadequate and unsafe hospitals and to exacerbate hospital cost inflation.
The tendency for administrators to become committed to established procedures and avoid political conflict is not unique to Medicare. As the article shows. SSA's implementation strategy has much in common with strategies of similar agencies in similar circumstances. The lesson this experience offers is that new directions in policy require changes both in administrators' predispositions—through changes in organization, leadership, etc.—and in the pressures they face in the political environment.
A New Strategy for Regulating Long-Term Care Facilities
Authors: Ruchlin Hirsch S. 
Published: January 2008

This study analyzes the failure of current regulatory efforts to elicit an acceptable level of performance in long-term care facilities and proposes a strategy for correcting that failure. Seven factors are identified as being responsible for the failure of current regulatory efforts: inadequate financing, inadequate knowledge, bureaucratic apathy, legal constraints, political constraints, a fragmentation of agency responsibility, and a shortage of conforming beds.
Public utility status, market regulation, and non-profit control are reviewed and rejected as alternatives to the current approach. A new strategy aimed at improving the regulatory process and environment is proposed. The process can be improved by adopting a program rather than taking a functional approach to agency organization; linking the inspection and rate-setting processes; creating a role for consumer groups in the inspection process; and exposing the process and results of regulation to public scrutiny. Five proposals are offered for improving the regulatory environment. These focus on eliminating barriers to entry, supporting alternatives to institutionalization, federalizing the Medicaid program, abandoning exclusive reliance on the medical model as the guide for regulatory standards, and changing the focus of regulation from structure-process to outcome.
Technology and the Governance of the Health Care Industry: The Dilemma of Reform
Authors: Strosberg Martin A. , Levine Charles , Mauet Alfred 
Published: January 2008

With increasing public expenditures for health care services, the accountability of the health care industry has become a major political issue. Concomitant issues concern the structures and processes through which the public as patients, customers, and citizens can directly influence the delivery of health care services. These issues, which are currently part of the national health policy debate, are indicative of the larger question concerning the relationship of the individual to his increasingly complex society.
This paper presents three arguments. (1) The medical profession, through its control of technology and its monopolistic hold on legitimate claims of expertise, is the primary determiner of the way health services are structured and resources are allocated. (2) Domination of doctor-patient relationships, medical care delivery organizations, and the national health care policy process, enables physicians to remain unaccountable to democratic institutions and insulated from public participation in decision-making. (3) Lack of accountability, disproportionate professional power and the failure of governmental regulation raise questions about the role and impact of the medical profession as a quasi-institutional political actor in terms of (a) the return on the investment of $135 billion spent annually for medical care, (b) claims of expertise and self-regulation, and (c) overarching democratic values.