bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cost effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy in the Nordic region: An analysis based on the CARE‐HF trial
Authors: Blomström P. , Ekman M. , Lundqvist C. Blomström , Calvert M.J. , Freemantle N. , Lönnerholm S. , Wikström G. , Jönsson B; 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBackground:The aim of this study was to investigate the cost‐effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The analysis was based on the CARE‐HF trial, a randomised clinical trial investigating the efficacy of adding CRT (n=409) to optimal pharmacological treatment (n=404) in patients with moderate to severe heart failure with markers of cardiac dyssynchrony. The average follow‐up time was 29.4 months.Methods:The health effects were measured in terms of quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. Data on health care resource consumption from CARE‐HF was combined with costs for CRT implantation and hospitalisation from university hospitals in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Calculations were based on patients' expected life time. The expected device lifetime (6 years) was used for CRT, and no additional gains in clinical effects were assumed after the 6 years.Results:The cost‐effectiveness ratio per QALY gained was € 4800 in Denmark, € 3600 in Finland and € 6700 in Sweden. The 95% confidence intervals for the cost per QALY gained varied between a lower limit of € 1169 in Finland to an upper limit of € 17,482 in Sweden. These values were all below the threshold for being cost‐effective in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.Conclusion:The study indicates that CRT is a cost‐effective treatment in Scandinavian health care settings compared to traditional pharmacological therapy and can therefore be recommended for routine use in patients with moderate to severe heart failure and markers of dyssynchrony.
Lack of efficacy of alpha‐lipoic acid in burning mouth syndrome: A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Carbone Mario , Pentenero Monica , Carrozzo Marco , Ippolito Alessio , Gandolfo Sergio 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTBackground: A systematic review from the Cochrane Collaboration stated that alpha‐lipoic acid (ALA) may help in the management of burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Because all of the data on ALA came from a single group, it has been stressed that its effectiveness should be reproduced in other populations.Aim: A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study, including two test groups (Group A and Group B) and one control group (Group C), was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of systemic ALA (400mg) and ALA (400mg) plus vitamins in the treatment of BMS.Methods: Sixty‐six patients (54 females and 12 males) were included in an 8‐week trial. Symptoms were evaluated by using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks.Results: Fifty‐two patients (43 females and 9 males, aged 67.3±11.9 years) completed the study. All three groups had significant reductions in the VAS score and in the mixed affective/evaluative subscale of the MPQ; the responders’ rate (at least 50% improvement in the VAS score) was about 30%. No significant differences were observed among the groups either in the response rate or in the mean latency of the therapeutic effect.Conclusions: The fairly high placebo effect observed is very similar to data obtained from patients affected by atypical facial pain. This study failed to support a role for ALA in the treatment of BMS, and further investigations are needed to identify the cause of BMS in order to develop efficacious therapies.
Influence of age and movement complexity on kinematic hand movement parameters in childhood and adolescence
Authors: Rueckriegel Stefan Mark , Blankenburg Friederike , Burghardt Roland , Ehrlich Stefan , Henze Günter , Mergl Roland , Hernáiz Driever Pablo 
Published: August 2008

AbstractDevelopment of fine motor functions, especially drawing and handwriting, are crucial for performance in school, autonomy in everyday life and the general human development. A variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions in childhood and adolescence stunt the normal development of fine motor skills. We sought to define the normal development of the kinematic parameters of fine motor movement and determine the influence of gender, laterality of handedness and extracurricular training on fine motor skills.One hundred and eighty‐seven children and adolescents (mean age: 11.6 years (±S.D.: 3.58), range: 6–18 years) were included in the study. Participants performed drawing and handwriting tasks on a digitizing graphic tablet. Movement and pressure data were transferred to a computer using a sensor‐equipped pen and post‐processed using CSWIN. Movements were segmented into strokes and several kinematic parameters were calculated. The kinematic parameters that were analyzed represented speed (frequency and stroke peak velocity), automation (number of direction changes of velocity per stroke), variability (variation coefficient of stroke peak velocity) and pressure.Progression of kinematic parameters for each movement domain of the handwriting and circle drawing tasks correlated significantly with age (Pearson's correlation, p < 0.003). Speed, automation and pressure increased with age, whereas variability decreased. Nonlinear regressions revealed maturation of hand movements at a certain age. Age of completed maturation depended on the task complexity (drawing circles vs. handwriting) and kinematic parameters. In the speed and automation domains, handwriting movements finish maturing later than circle drawing. Male subjects drew circles at significantly higher speeds than female subjects. Fine motor practice and laterality of handedness did not influence kinematic parameters. A repeated measure ANOVA confirmed the significant interdependency between age and complexity level for speed and automation (p < 0.001).The digitizing graphic tablet is an extremely valuable tool in determining the normal development of hand movement skills of children and adolescents by measuring relevant daily tasks like handwriting and drawing. In our study, we showed that future analyses of impaired movement in children and adolescents need to take age and gender into consideration. Furthermore, differences were observed in the maturation of different task complexities, the complex fine motor function reaching maturity later than basic and repetitive movement patterns.
Intimate partner and nonpartner violence against pregnant women in rural Haiti
Authors: Small Maria J. , Gupta Jhumka , Frederic Rikerdy , Joseph Gabriel , Theodore Melanie , Kershaw Trace 
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association between violence experienced by pregnant Haitian women in the previous 6 months and pregnancy‐related symptom distress.MethodsA total of 200 women seeking prenatal care at community health dispensaries in the Artibonite Valley were interviewed.ResultsOver 4 in 10 women (44.0%) reported that they had experienced violence in the 6 months prior to interview; 77.8% of these women reported that the violence was perpetrated by an intimate partner. Those who experienced intimate partner violence reported significantly greater pregnancy‐related symptom distress (β = 0.23, P = 0.001). No significant differences between violence perpetrated by family members or others and reporting of symptoms were observed (β = 0.06, P = 0.38).ConclusionThe findings indicate the need to integrate violence screening, resources, and primary prevention into prenatal care in rural Haiti.
The effect of monetary policy shocks on stock prices accounting for endogeneity and omitted variable biases
Authors: Farka Mira 
Published: August 2008

AbstractA new high frequency data set is used to estimate the impact of the Fed on the level and volatility of stock prices while accounting for endogeneity and omitted variable biases and potential asymmetries. Results show that after addressing these issues, the effect of policy shocks on the level and volatility of stock returns is higher than previously reported. GARCH findings indicate that the volatility impact is tent‐shaped, spiking during policy announcements and declining before and after the release. The level and conditional volatility of stock returns is found to respond asymmetrically to the type of policy shocks (timing versus future path of monetary policy) and the type of policy action (easing versus tightening).
Short-term effects of selenium supplementation of cows' feed on the content and distribution of selenium, copper and zinc in bovine milk, whey and blood plasma
Authors: Hoac Tien , Stagsted Jan , Lundh Thomas , Nielsen Jacob H , Åkesson Björn 
Published: August 2008

The effect of selenium supplementation of feed on the Se content in bovine milk, whey and plasma, and on the distribution of Se, Zn and Cu in whey and plasma was investigated. In a cross-over study two groups of cows were given a basal feed with 0·16 ppm selenite (approx. 3 mg Se/d) with or without 25 mg yeast Se/d for 2 weeks. In the supplemented group the Se content increased 10-fold in milk, 10-fold in whey and 2-fold in plasma, and after the cessation of the supplementation, selenium in milk decreased with a calculated half-life of 3·5 d. In another experiment, two groups of cows were given either 100 mg yeast Se/d for 1 week or only the basal feed. The increase in Se content in both whole and defatted milk was 40–50-fold, and in whey it was approx. 20-fold. Size-exclusion chromatography of whey using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for detection showed that supplementation increased the proportion of Se in the β-lactoglobulin-α-lactalbumin fraction. Distribution of Cu and Zn was essentially unaffected. In plasma, supplementation increased the Se content in all major Se fractions like selenoprotein P, albumin and low-molecular-weight compounds, but the distribution profiles of Zn and Cu underwent no major changes. The study showed for the first time the rapid kinetics of the Se increase and decrease in milk after the initiation and cessation of supplementation, respectively, and the preferential appearance of Se in the β-lactoglobulin-α-lactalbumin fraction of whey. Milk highly enriched in selenium will be a useful tool for different research purposes.
Isomerisation of cis-9 trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to trans-9 trans-11 CLA during acidic methylation can be avoided by a rapid base catalysed methylation of milk fat
Authors: Lee Michael R F , Tweed John K S 
Published: August 2008

This study investigated the evolution of trans-9 trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) from cis-9 trans-11 CLA during methylation and its avoidance through a rapid base methylation of milk fat. The study examined three conditions shown to result in loss of cis-9 trans-11 CLA during methylation namely: temperature, methylation time, water contamination in old reagents and acidic conditions. Three techniques currently used for the conversion of milk fat into fatty acid methyl esters for analysis of CLA content by gas liquid chromatography and a fourth procedure designed to eliminate acidic conditions and to limit methylation temperature and time were used. The four methods were: (i) acidic methylation (AM); (ii) acidic and basic bimethylation with fresh reagents (FBM); (iii) acidic and basic bimethylation with pre-prepared reagents (PBM) and (iv) basic methylation (BM). Each regime was carried out on six milk samples over two periods and methylated 1 ml freeze-dried milk (n=12 per regime). Total CLA was not different across methylation regimes (0·30 mg/ml). Isomer cis-9 trans-11 was higher (P<0·01) with BM than the other regimes and lowest with AM: 21·2, 17·8, 18·8 and 14·7 mg/100 ml for BM, FBM, PBM and AM, respectively. The inverse relationship was shown for trans-9 trans-11 with higher (P<0·001) amounts with AM than the other regimes and lowest with BM: 0·57, 2·55, 2·36 and 3·69 mg/100 ml for BM, FBM, PBM and AM, respectively. The trans-10 cis-12 isomer was also shown to alter with methylation procedure being higher (P<0·001) with AM than the other regimes: 0·43, 0·47, 0·29 and 1·20 mg/100 ml for BM, FBM, PBM and AM, respectively. Validation with known CLA free fatty acid and triacylglycerol standards confirmed that AM resulted in conversion of cis-9 trans-11 to trans-9 trans-11, and also elevated trans-10 cis-12 whilst BM of triacylglycerol CLA did not isomerise cis-9 trans-11 and was comparable to FBM.
Reproductive biology of the slipper lobster Scyllarides deceptor (Decapoda: Scyllaridae) along the southern Brazilian coast
Authors: Oliveira Gabriela , Freire Andrea S. , Bertuol Paulo R.K. 
Published: August 2008

The reproductive biology of Scyllarides deceptor was studied along the southern Brazilian coast (27°S 48°W) from December 2002 to December 2003. Samples were collected monthly at Xavier Island, where animals were caught and marked. Fecundity and egg size were estimated from ovigerous females caught also in two adjacent islands, Arvoredo and Aranhas. A total of 98 females was recorded at Xavier Island during the sampling period, 24 of these were recaptured and presented time-at-liberty ranging from 14 to 297 days. Ovigerous females were observed during spring and summer, with the moulting period lasting from late winter to spring. Size at sexual maturity was assessed from 66 females caught during the breeding season and estimated in 85.33 mm of carapace length (CL). Mean fecundity of S. deceptor was estimated in 191,262 eggs (±17,811, SE) for females, on average, 94.74 mm long (±1.86 mm SE) (CL). Fecundity was significantly related to CL (R2 = 0.90) Mean egg size was 0.67 mm (±0.005 mm SE) and did not correlate significantly to CL (P = 0.78). The rocky bottom of Xavier Island was favourable for reproduction, presenting shelter and foraging grounds for the ovigerous females. For management purposes, our results suggest the closure of the S. deceptor fishery from November to January and the capture-size of females to be restricted to animals larger than 90 mm (CL).
Divine hiddenness and the value of divine–creature relationships
Authors: TUCKER CHRIS 
Published: August 2008

AbstractApparently, relationships between God (if He exists) and His creatures would be very valuable. Appreciating this value raises the question of whether it can motivate a certain premise in John Schellenberg's argument from divine hiddenness, a premise which claims, roughly, that if some capable, non-resistant subject fails to believe in God, then God does not exist. In this paper, I argue that the value of divine–creature relationships can justify this premise only if we have reason to believe that the counterfactuals of freedom work out in certain ways. Unfortunately, we can't acquire such a reason, at least not without relying on other successful arguments (if there are any) for the relevant premise of Schellenberg's hiddenness argument.
The impact of the Clandestine Marriages Act: three case-studies in conformity
Authors: PROBERT REBECCA , BROWN LIAM D'ARCY 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTThis article examines the extent of compliance with the Clandestine Marriages Act 1753 through three parish studies. It demonstrates that the vast majority of the sample cohort of parents whose children were baptized in church, and indeed of couples living together, had married in church as required by the 1753 Act, and shows how the proportion of marriages traced rises as more information about the parties becomes available. Through a study of settlement examinations, the article posits an explanation of why some marriages have not been traced, and argues that researchers should be cautious in inferring non-compliance from the absence of a record in a specific parish. It is also argued that the reason for such high rates of compliance has less to do with the power of statute and more to do with the fact that the 1753 Act was not such a radical break with the past as has been assumed.
Compromise between seabird enjoyment and disturbance: the role of observed and observers
Authors: MARTÍNEZ-ABRAÍN ALEJANDRO , ORO DANIEL , CONESA DAVID , JIMÉNEZ JUAN 
Published: August 2008

SUMMARYNatural areas are increasingly visited by people, and urban human visitors expect to watch wildlife as close as possible, but this may have associated disturbance costs. Here, effects of number of visitors and bird density on flight initiation distance (FID) as a proxy of disturbance vulnerability were evaluated in the large ground-nesting yellow-legged gull,Larus michahellis. Mean FID decreased with increasing number of visitors and with increasing gull densities, suggesting that (1) ground-nesting gulls habituate to massive human presence, while retaining their antipredatory mechanisms, and (2) dense groups of gulls were more reluctant to fly away. This density effect may be due to the increased risk of clutch predation by conspecifics at high densities and, if so, FID is a reliable metric of disturbance vulnerability in ground-nesting gulls. In conclusion, set-back distances are specific to local populations and it is unnecessary to ban or restrict human visits to ground-nesting gull colonies; redistributing visits, taking into account both the number of visitors and gull density, is preferable.
Ecosystem model predictions of fishery and conservation trade-offs resulting from marine protected areas in the East China Sea
Authors: JIANG HONG , CHENG HE-QIN , LE QUESNE WILLIAM J.F. , XU HAI-GEN , WU JUN , DING HUI , ARREGUÍN-SÁNCHEZ FRANCISCO 
Published: August 2008

SUMMARYThe East China Sea (ECS) supports a highly productive fishery and is rich in biodiversity, but economic development in China and peripheral countries has led to intensifying anthropogenic impacts in the ECS. In response to this the Chinese government has introduced a range of marine spatial management measures. A spatial ecosystem model (Ecospace) of the ECS was developed to examine (1) the likely nature of trade-offs between fishery and conservation goals resulting from the marine protected areas (MPAs) and (2) possible trade-offs within the fishery sector resulting from the MPAs. The results suggest that overall the fishery has benefited from all of the simulated MPAs, whereas, although they defy categorical interpretation, effects of the MPAs on biodiversity and ecosystem structure are variable. Simultaneous application of several metrics of ecosystem status indicates that the perceived effect of an MPA on ecosystem status can depend on which metrics for ecosystem status are used, and how these metrics are interpreted. The simulations indicate that a fisheries and conservation outcome beneficial to all is possible, but not guaranteed, with the creation of an MPA. Total landings and profitability are predicted to have increased as a result of each of the MPAs, albeit at the cost of reduced landings and profits to some sectors of the fishery. This study demonstrates the benefits of the additional information relating to biodiversity, ecosystem structure and within fishery dynamics available from spatial ecosystem models compared to the single species models typically used to examine MPA effects. However, the use of a more complex ecosystem model introduces additional uncertainty in model interpretation.
Deforestation dynamics in a fragmented region of southern Amazonia: evaluation and future scenarios
Authors: MICHALSKI FERNANDA , PERES CARLOS A. , LAKE IAIN R. 
Published: August 2008

SUMMARYThe ‘arc of deforestation’ of southern Amazonia has one of the highest deforestation rates documented anywhere in the world. Landscape changes in a poorly studied but strategically important region in the Brazilian Amazon were studied using biennial Landsat TM/ETM+ images from 1984 to 2004. Deforestation rate for the period 1984–2004 was 2.47% yr−1in the 7295 km2study area, but decreased to 1.99% and 2.15% in 2000–2002 and 2002–2004, respectively. Landscape structure changes were characterized by smaller forest patches that were further apart, but increasingly complex in shape. Deforestation was mainly driven by cattle ranching, which in turn was affected by distance to roads, with forest cover increasing at greater distances from roads. A multi-layer perceptron was used to develop future scenarios based on Markov Chain analysis. Based on current land use, forest cover in the region will decline from 42% in 2004 to 21% by 2016. Results indicate a critical threshold at 51% of forest cover in which landscape structure and connectivity changes abruptly. This suggests that the region requires greater efforts in environmental law enforcement, land-use planning and education programmes to maintain the remaining forest cover near this threshold.
Control effects as a modality
Authors: THIELECKE HAYO 
Published: August 2008

AbstractWe combine ideas from types for continuations, effect systems and monads in a very simple setting by defining a version of classical propositional logic in which double-negation elimination is combined with a modality. The modality corresponds to control effects, and it includes a form of effect masking. Erasing the modality from formulas gives classical logic. On the other hand, the logic is conservative over intuitionistic logic.
A quantitative human monoclonal antibody immunoassay using anti‐idiotypic antibody as a membrane antigen surrogate with surface‐plasmon‐resonance detection
Authors: Wong Rosie B. , Lee An‐Horng , Rangan Vangipuram S. , Cheng Kuang‐Chuan 
Published: August 2008

Biologically active membrane proteins are difficult to isolate. Very often the isolated membrane proteins have low binding affinity or no biological integrity at all. Despite some success in isolation, one has to overcome the hurdles of obtaining sufficient quantity of the proteins and maintaining biological activity upon coating them on surfaces for developing an ELISA. Thus an alternative approach may be useful. The present study describes a quantification assay method for a therapeutic hmAb‐1 (human monoclonal antibody‐1) that recognizes a cell‐surface protein employing an anti‐ID (anti‐idiotypic antibody) to hmAb‐1 as a surrogate antigen in an immunoassay format using surface‐ plasmon‐resonance technology. This assay is applicable for quantification of hmAb‐1 in process streams, final drug‐product quality control, as well as low‐concentration drug substances in intravenous‐solution bags. The surrogate nature of the anti‐ID was confirmed by demonstrating that the anti‐ID displaced the interaction between the hmAb‐1 and its membrane antigen in a FACS titration test. The assay format involves first capturing hmAb‐1 on the flow‐cell surface, which then binds quantitatively to anti‐ID in a mixture of increasing quantity of hmAb‐1 in solution. An inverse dose–response relation between this anti‐ID bound signal (or resonance units) and hmAb‐1 concentration was established. The dose–response range of the calibration curve for hmAb‐1 was between 20 and 300 ng/ml. The precision, accuracy and specificity of the assay are reported in the present paper.