bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Motor evoked potentials in a mouse model of chronic multiple sclerosis
Authors: Amadio Stefano , Pluchino Stefano , Brini Elena , Morana Paolo , Guerriero Roberta , Boneschi Filippo Martinelli , Comi Giancarlo , Zaratin Paola , Muzio Valeria , Del Carro Ubaldo 
Published: November 2005

AbstractWe tested cortical motor evoked potentials (cMEPs) as a quantitative marker for in vivo monitoring of corticospinal tract damage in a murine multiple sclerosis model (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, EAE). The cMEPs, previously standardized in naive C57BL/6 developing and adult mice, were studied longitudinally in adult EAE mice. Central conduction times (CCTs) increased significantly shortly before the earliest clinical signs developed (10 days postimmunization, dpi), with peak delay in acute EAE (20–40 dpi). In clinically stable disease (80 dpi), CCTs did not increase further, but cMEP amplitude declined progressively, with complete loss in >80% of mice at 120 dpi. Increase in CCT correlated with presence of inflammatory infiltrates and demyelination in acute EAE, whereas small or absent cMEPs were associated with continuing axonal damage in clinically‐stabilized disease and beyond (>80 dpi). These results demonstrate that cMEPs are a useful method for monitoring corticospinal tract function in chronic‐progressive EAE, and provide insight into the pathological substrate of the condition. Muscle Nerve, 2006
Does agency competition improve the quality of policy analysis? Evidence from OMB and CBO fiscal projections
Authors: Krause George A. , Douglas James W. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractPublic management scholars often claim that agency competition provides an effective institutional check on monopoly authority, and hence, leads to improvement of administrative performance in public sector agencies. This logic was central for creating the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in 1975 to challenge the policy information provided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). We challenge this conventional wisdom by demonstrating that CBO has failed to enhance the quality of U.S. fiscal policy analysis on its own terms; nor has it spurred improvements in OMB's performance. Our empirical results indicate that the quality of OMB's fiscal projections has often deteriorated since the establishment of CBO as a rival bureau. We also show that both public and private information is being shared by these agencies to produce a similar caliber of task outputs. The broader implications of our study indicate that although politicians face incentives to employ agency competition in governmental settings, this type of bureaucratic strategy does not necessarily enhance the quality of administrative performance. © 2006 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
The effectiveness of regulatory disclosure policies
Authors: Weil David , Fung Archon , Graham Mary , Fagotto Elena 
Published: November 2005

AbstractRegulatory transparency—mandatory disclosure of information by private or public institutions with a regulatory intent—has become an important frontier of government innovation. This paper assesses the effectiveness of such transparency systems by examining the design and impact of financial disclosure, nutritional labeling, workplace hazard communication, and five other diverse systems in the United States. We argue that transparency policies are effective only when the information they produce becomes “embedded” in the everyday decision‐making routines of information users and information disclosers. This double‐sided embeddedness is the most important condition for transparency systems' effectiveness. Based on detailed case analyses, we evaluate the user and discloser embeddedness of the eight major transparency policies. We then draw on a comprehensive inventory of prior studies of regulatory effectiveness to assess whether predictions about effectiveness based on characteristics of embeddedness are consistent with those evaluations. © 2006 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Cardiac PPARα expression in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Schupp Michael , Kintscher Ulrich , Fielitz Jens , Thomas Jennifer , Pregla Reinhard , Hetzer Roland , Unger Thomas , Regitz‐Zagrosek Vera 
Published: November 2005

AbstractBackground:The peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a central regulator of myocardial fatty acid (FA) metabolism implicated in the pathogenesis of heart failure.Aims:To characterize PPARα regulation in human dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), we studied the expression of cardiac PPARα, cardiac carnitine palmitoyl‐transferase I (CPT‐1), a major PPARα target gene, and of the cardiac glucose transporter GLUT‐4 in patients with DCM.Methods:Left ventricular biopsies were taken from patients with DCM (n=16) and control subjects (n=15), and mRNA expression was quantitated using real‐time PCR (SYBR®Green) and protein expression was measured by Western immunoblotting.Results:Left ventricular PPARα mRNA levels were significantly increased in the DCM group compared to the control group (136±25.4% vs. control, p<0.01). Consistently, DCM patients had a significantly higher cardiac CPT‐1 mRNA expression (147±51% vs. control, p<0.05) compared to the control group. Cardiac GLUT‐4 expression was similar in both groups.Conclusion:Elevated cardiac PPARα levels followed by an induction of cardiac CPT‐1 expression may result in increased fatty acid metabolism for cardiac energy production in DCM, suggesting a specific cardiac metabolic program in human DCM compared to other types of cardiomyopathy.
Ethno-psychometric evaluation of the General Health Questionnaire in rural China
Authors: LEE DOMINIC T. S. , YIP WINNIE C. M. , CHEN YENFONG , MENG QINGYUE , KLEINMAN ARTHUR 
Published: November 2005

Background. Most mental health research tools are developed in Western, urban contexts. Few studies have evaluated the applicability of these research tools in rural populations of non-Western countries. We examined the cultural acceptance and psychometric performance of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in China's rural villages.Method. Ethnographic investigations were conducted to assess the cultural applicability of self-report rating scales among villagers. This was followed by a survey of 1401 rural residents, randomly selected from 48 villages of Shandong province using stratified multistage cluster sampling. The respondents were administered the GHQ and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).Results. The GHQ, when administered by trained interviewers, was culturally acceptable to rural residents. The scale had good psychometric properties in the study population. The area under the curve was 0·86. At a cut-off of 1/2, the sensitivity and specificity were 80·6% and 79·3% respectively.Conclusions. The ethno-psychometric evaluation showed that the GHQ was both culturally valid and psychometrically sound in the Chinese rural context.
No evidence of time trends in the urban–rural differences in schizophrenia risk among five million people born in Denmark from 1910 to 1986
Authors: PEDERSEN CARSTEN BØCKER 
Published: November 2005

Background. There have been conflicting reports on time trends in urban–rural differences in the incidence of schizophrenia. This study explored the potential time trends in these differences with regard to birth cohort and age at onset.Method. Linking data from the Danish Civil Registration system with data from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, a cohort born in Denmark from 1910 to 1986 was established (5·05 million people). Overall, 23051 people were classified with schizophrenia in 1970–2001.Results. Urban–rural differences in schizophrenia risk may have existed for people born in Denmark since 1910, and have existed at a constant level for people born from 1945 to 1986. Males aged <20 years had a risk of 3·90 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3·28–4·65] associated with urban birth while males [ges ]20 years had a risk of 2·12 (1·98–2·27). Females <20 years had a risk of 2·49 (95% CI 2·01–3·09) associated with urban birth while females [ges ]20 years had a risk of 1·90 (95% CI 1·74–2·08). At age 46, 1·84% (95% CI 1·76–1·93) of males and 1·05% (95% CI 0·99–1·12) of females born in the capital area had developed schizophrenia, while 0·81% (95% CI 0·75–0·86) of males and 0·56% (95% CI 0·51–0·60) of females born in the rural area had developed schizophrenia.Conclusions. There was no evidence of time trends in the urban–rural differences in the incidence of schizophrenia in Denmark, suggesting that the cause(s) responsible for these differences were not related to exposures that became more prevalent in urban areas over time. This finding is in contrast to findings from Finland and The Netherlands.
DNA assembly with gaps (Dawg): simulating sequence evolution
Authors: Cartwright Reed A. 
Published: November 2005

Abstract
Motivation: Relationships amongst taxa are inferred from biological data using phylogenetic methods and procedures. Very few known phylogenies exist against which to test the accuracy of our inferences. Therefore, in the absence of biological data, simulated data must be used to test the accuracy of methods which produce these inferences. Researchers have limited or non-existent options for simulations useful for studying the impact of insertions, deletions, and alignments on phylogenetic accuracy.
Results: To satisfy this gap I have developed a new algorithm of indel formation and incorporated it into a new, flexible, and portable application for sequence simulation. The application, called Dawg, simulates phylogenetic evolution of DNA sequences in continuous time using the robust general time reversible model with gamma and invariant rate heterogeneity and a novel length-dependent model of indel formation. On completion, Dawg produces the true alignment of the simulated sequences. Unlike other applications, Dawg allows indel lengths to be explicitly distributed via a biologically realistic power law. Many options are available to allow users to customize their simulations and results. Because simulating with indels would be problematic if biologically realistic parameters could not be estimated, a script is provided with Dawg that can estimate the parameters of indel formation from sequence data. Dawg was applied to the sequences of four chloroplast trnK introns. It was used to parametrically bootstrap an estimation of the rate of indel formation for the phylogeny. Because Dawg can assist in parametric bootstrapping of sequence data it is useful beyond phylogenetics, such as studying alignment algorithms or parameters of molecular evolution.
Availability: Dawg 1.0.0 can be obtained at the following websites: or . The package includes source code, example files, a brief manual and helper scripts. Binary distributions are available for Windows and Macintosh OS X. A development page for Dawg exists at , with links to a Subversion repository, mailing lists and updated versions.
Contact: rac@uga.edu
A structure and evolution-guided Monte Carlo sequence selection strategy for multiple alignment-based analysis of proteins
Authors: Mihalek I. , Reš I. , Lichtarge O. 
Published: November 2005

Abstract
Motivation: Various multiple sequence alignment-based methods have been proposed to detect functional surfaces in proteins, such as active sites or protein interfaces. The effect that the choice of sequences has on the conclusions of such analysis has seldom been discussed. In particular, no method has been discussed in terms of its ability to optimize the sequence selection for the reliable detection of functional surfaces.
Results: Here we propose, for the case of proteins with known structure, a heuristic Metropolis Monte Carlo strategy to select sequences from a large set of homologues, in order to improve detection of functional surfaces. The quantity guiding the optimization is the clustering of residues which are under increased evolutionary pressure, according to the sample of sequences under consideration. We show that we can either improve the overlap of our prediction with known functional surfaces in comparison with the sequence similarity criteria of selection or match the quality of prediction obtained through more elaborate non-structure based-methods of sequence selection. For the purpose of demonstration we use a set of 50 homodimerizing enzymes which were co-crystallized with their substrates and cofactors.
Contact: imihalek@bcm.tmc.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pressure-induced polymorphism in cyclopropylamine
Authors: Lozano-Casal Patricia , Allan David R. , Parsons Simon 
Published: November 2005

The crystal structure of cyclopropylamine at 1.2 GPa has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The structure of this phase is orthorhombic, space group Pbca and the unit-cell dimensions are a = 5.0741 (10), b = 9.7594 (10) and c = 13.305 (2) Å. Only one of the two H atoms of the amino group actively participates in the formation of the hydrogen-bonded chains, C(2) in graph-set notation, which lie parallel to the crystallographic a axis. Additionally, the topology of the crystal packing is studied using both Voronoi–Dirichlet polyhedra and Hirshfeld surface analyses for the low-temperature and the high-pressure structures of cyclopropylamine and the results are compared.
Gender differences in drinking: why do they still exist?
Authors: Holmila Marja , Raitasalo Kirsimarja 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTAims  The paper discusses the kinds of reasoning that have been presented as possible mechanisms and reasons for gender differences in alcohol consumption.Design and methods  An overview of the existing literature from different countries is presented.Findings  The existing studies provide a picture of great cultural variance in patterns of alcohol use among men and women. The gender differences in drinking behaviour have been shown to be linked with many aspects of biological differences between men and women leading to women's greater vulnerability to alcohol, of women's and men's differing needs, reasons and motivations in relation to drinking, of gender‐specific roles in other areas of life and of ways in which societies regulate peoples’ behaviour, often giving women the role of warden or moderator of others’ drinking.Conclusions  The gender differences in drinking behaviour continue to be considerable and are found in all cultures studied so far. Several studies have argued for reasons underlying these differences, but they still remain largely unexplained.
Multi‐level analysis of alcohol‐related injury among emergency department patients: a cross‐national study*
Authors: Cherpitel Cheryl J. , Ye Yu , Bond Jason , Rehm Jürgen , Poznyak Vladimir , Macdonald Scott , Stafström Martin , Hao Wei 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTAim  The aim of this analysis was to examine the average rate and variation of alcohol‐related injury across emergency department (ED) studies, the effect of usual drinking on likelihood of alcohol‐related injury, whether cross‐study variation in rate of alcohol‐related injury can be explained by between‐study difference in usual consumption and whether social‐cultural contextual variables help explain cross‐study variations, after between‐study difference in usual consumption has been controlled.Design  Data were merged from the Emergency Room Collaborative Alcohol Analysis Project (ERCAAP) and the WHO Collaborative Study on Alcohol and Injuries, together representing 28 studies in 16 countries, and include 8423 (drinking) injury patients who arrived in the ED within 6 hours after injury. Alcohol‐related injury was based, separately, on a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and self‐reported drinking within 6 hours prior to injury. A multi‐level design and hierarchical generalized linear models were used for analysis in which patients were nested within studies.Findings  Overall prevalence of alcohol‐related injury was 24% and 29% for positive BAC and self‐report, respectively. At the patient level, log‐transformed alcohol consumption in the last 12 months was a significant predictor of alcohol‐related injury. At the study level significant variation in rates of alcohol‐related injury was observed; studies with higher overall average consumption reported a higher rate of alcohol‐related injury. When volume was controlled, societies with higher detrimental drinking pattern and higher legal level for intoxication while driving were more likely to have an increased rate of alcohol‐related injury.Conclusions  Alcohol‐related injury varies across EDs and countries. While it is associated with an individual's usual alcohol consumption, it is also affected by a number of societal drinking characteristics including the aggregate volume of consumption, overall drinking pattern and legislative policies to control drinking and related harms.
Addiction and its brain science
Authors: Spanagel Rainer , Heilig Markus 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTAims  To illustrate how modern neurobiological approaches will help to identify the neurocircuits and genes involved in addictive behavior.Background  The current disorder concept of addiction includes neurobiological foundations and neurobiological research assuming irreversible molecular and structural changes within the brain dopamine reinforcement system, constituting the ‘molecular and structural switch’ from controlled drug intake to compulsive drug abuse. However, those irreversible changes have not so far been identified and it is suggested that in addition to the mesolimbic dopamine system, other brain systems including the mesocortical and nigrostriatal pathways as well as their non‐dopaminergic feedback‐loops might be involved in addictive behavior.Neurobiological approach  A three‐step neurobiological approach is described that allows in a first step via novel animal models and imaging techniques to identify the neuroanatomical sites mediating voluntary drug intake, reinstatement of drug‐seeking behavior, relapse, loss of control and drug intake despite negative consequences. In a subsequent step, forward genetic approaches including quantitative trait loci (QTL)‐analysis and gene expression profiling are helpful in identifying so‐called candidate genes. In a final step, conditional animal mutants and selective pharmacological tools are used to functionally validate candidate genes. Following this validation process, the transfer to the human situation has to be made and candidate genes have to be verified further in well‐phenotyped cohorts of addicted patients.Conclusion  This three‐step neurobiological approach, that must involve an interdisciplinary team including experimental psychologists, geneticists, molecular biologists and finally clinical addiction researchers, will allow us to understand where and how the addicted brain goes awry.
A controlled trial of methylphenidate in adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorders
Authors: Carpentier Pieter J. , De Jong Cor A. J. , Dijkstra Boukje A. G. , Verbrugge Cor A. G. , Krabbe Paul F. M. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTAims  Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common among adult patients with substance use disorders. The benefits of treating ADHD in these patients are uncertain and the prescription of psychostimulants is disputed, because of the risk of abuse. This study examined the short‐term effectiveness of methylphenidate treatment for ADHD in adults with substance use disorders.Design  Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, multiple cross‐over (A‐B‐A‐B design) comparative trial of methylphenidate versus placebo.Setting  In‐patient addiction treatment facility.Participants  Twenty‐five patients with ADHD who were receiving in‐patient treatment for various substance use disorders.Intervention  During the course of 8 weeks, each participant completed two phases of placebo and two phases of active medication treatment, in a fixed low‐dosage schedule (up to 0.6 mg/kg/day). Abstinence was maintained during the study.Measurements  The outcome measure was ADHD symptomatology, as measured with the ADHD rating scale‐IV. The results were compared using MANOVA repeated measures.Findings  Nineteen of the 25 patients completed the trial. A significant reduction in ADHD symptoms was observed in the first week in both conditions. The positive response to active treatment (nine patients; 36%) was not significantly higher than that to placebo (five patients; 20%).Conclusions  In this small pilot study, the effect of low‐dose methylphenidate in adult ADHD patients with concomitant substance use disorders is limited. ADHD symptoms in adults were susceptible to a distinct short‐term placebo response.
Mixed messages on tobacco: comparative exposure to public health, tobacco company‐ and pharmaceutical company‐sponsored tobacco‐related television campaigns in the United States, 1999–2003
Authors: Wakefield Melanie , Szczypka Glen , Terry‐McElrath Yvonne , Emery Sherry , Flay Brian , Chaloupka Frank , Saffer Henry 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTAims To describe and compare the extent of exposure among youth and adults to antitobacco advertising funded by tobacco control agencies, and to smoking‐related advertising from tobacco and pharmaceutical companies.Design Archival records of television advertising exposures from Nielsen Media Research for the largest 75 media markets in the United States from 1999 to 2003.Measurements Mean monthly advertising exposures for households with televisions and adolescents aged 12–17 years for: state tobacco control programs; the national American Legacy Foundation (Legacy) program; tobacco company advertising for youth smoking prevention, parent advertising and corporate image; pharmaceutical company advertising for nicotine replacement therapy and Zyban®; and other miscellaneous tobacco‐related advertising.Findings Combined tobacco company youth/parent advertising exposures matched those for combined State/Legacy campaigns (4.56 advertisements/month versus 4.97 advertisements/month among households; 3.05 advertisements/month versus 3.38 advertisements/month among adolescents). Tobacco company corporate image advertising averaged 3.25 advertisements/month among households and 0.73 advertisements/month among adolescents. Tobacco company advertising exceeded public health‐sponsored advertising by a factor of 1.57–1, and among youth by 1.11–1. Pharmaceutical companies were the largest sponsor of tobacco‐related advertising for households (10.37 advertisements/month) and provided significant exposure among adolescents (2.61 advertisements/month).Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate systematically that public health‐sponsored antitobacco campaigns in the United States are matched or exceeded by tobacco company advertising, as well as pharmaceutical cessation product advertising. Research is needed to determine whether such advertising may dilute or undermine the established benefits of tobacco control‐sponsored campaigns.