bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a Microportable Imaging System for Otoscopy and Nasoendoscopy Evaluations
Authors: VanLue Michael , Cox Kenneth M. , Wade James M. , Tapp Kevin , Linville Raymond , Cosmato Charlie , Smith Tom 
Published: March 2007

Objective: Imaging systems for patients with cleft palate typically are not portable, but are essential to obtain an audiovisual record of nasoendoscopy and otoscopy procedures. Practitioners who evaluate patients in rural, remote, or otherwise medically underserved areas are expected to obtain audiovisual recordings of these procedures as part of standard clinical practice. Therefore, patients must travel substantial distances to medical facilities that have standard recording equipment. This project describes the specific components, strengths and weaknesses of an MPEG-4 digital recording system for otoscopy/nasoendoscopy evaluation of patients with cleft palate that is both portable and compatible with store-and-forward telemedicine applications. Materials: Three digital recording configurations (TabletPC, handheld digital video recorder, and an 8-mm digital camcorder) were used to record the audio/ video signal from an analog video scope system. Results: The handheld digital video recorder was most effective at capturing audio/video and displaying procedures in real time. The system described was particularly easy to use, because it required no postrecording file capture or compression for later review, transfer, and/or archiving. Conclusions: The handheld digital recording system was assembled from commercially available components. The portability and the telemedicine compatibility of the handheld digital video recorder offers a viable solution for the documentation of nasoendosocopy and otoscopy procedures in remote, rural, or other locations where reduced medical access precludes the use of larger component audio/video systems.
The Crown Size and Sexual Dimorphism of Permanent Teeth in Jordanian Cleft Lip and Palate Patients
Authors: Rawashdeh Ma'amon A. , Bakir Ikhlas Fawaz Bani 
Published: March 2007

Objective: To provide a detailed description of crown size dimensions in the permanent dentition of Jordanian cleft lip and palate patients and to compare the findings with those of other populations. Method: The mesiodistal crown diameters of the permanent teeth of 47 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), 25 patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP), and 74 controls were measured. Results: The cleft group (UCLP and BCLP patients) generally demonstrated a smaller tooth size for both the maxillary and mandibular arches than did the control group. A sexual dimorphism pattern with males having larger teeth than females was observed for controls and UCLP patients. More males with BCLP had smaller teeth than did females. In the maxilla, the UCLP cleft-side teeth showed the largest percentage (4%) of sexual dimorphism, whereas the BCLP teeth achieved the highest percentage (3.4%) in the mandible. The UCLP cleft-side maxillary lateral incisors (13.2%) and BCLP mandibular canines (6%) displayed greater sexual dimorphism in crown size than did any other tooth class. Conclusions: Tooth size reduction occurred across all permanent tooth types and among early and late-forming teeth in cleft patients compared with the controls. This reduction was more pronounced in the maxillary incisor field. Males with UCLP and control males had larger teeth than did females, whereas a reversal of the normal dimorphism pattern was observed in patients with BCLP.
Contraction-Induced Injury to Single Permeabilized Muscle Fibers from Normal and Congenitally-Clefted Goat Palates
Authors: Rader Erik P. , Cederna Paul S. , Weinzweig Jeffrey , Panter Kip E. , Yu Deborah , Buchman Steven R. , Larkin Lisa M. , Faulkner John A. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: Levator veli palatini muscles from normal palates of adult humans and goats are predominantly slow oxidative (type 1) fibers. However, 85% of levator veli palatini fibers from cleft palates of adult goats are physiologically fast (type 2). This fiber composition difference between cleft and normal palates may have implications in palatal function. For limb muscles, type 2 muscle fibers are more susceptible to lengthening contraction-induced injury than are type 1 fibers. We tested the hypothesis that, compared with single permeabilized levator veli palatini muscle fibers from normal palates of adult goats, those from cleft palates are more susceptible to lengthening contraction-induced injury. Interventions: Congenital cleft palates were the result of chemically-induced decreased movement of the fetal head and tongue causing obstruction of palatal closure. Each muscle fiber was maximally activated and lengthened. Outcome Measures: Fiber type was determined by contractile properties and gel electrophoresis. Susceptibility to injury was assessed by measuring the decrease in maximum force following the lengthening contraction, expressed as a percentage of the initial force. Results: Compared with fibers from normal palates that were all type 1 and had force deficits of 23 ± 1%, fibers from cleft palates were all type 2 and sustained twofold greater deficits, 40 ± 1% (p = .001). Conclusion: Levator veli palatini muscles from cleft palates of goats contain predominantly type 2 fibers that are highly susceptible to lengthening contraction-induced injury. This finding may have implications regarding palatal function and the incidence of velopharyngeal incompetence.
Assessment of Bone Resorption after Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting Using Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography: A Three-Year Study
Authors: Feichtinger Matthias , Mossböck Rudolf , Kärcher Hans 
Published: March 2007

Objective: Secondary bone grafting plays an important role in the dental rehabilitation of patients with clefts of the lip, alveolus, and palate. A major complication of this surgical technique is resorption of the grafted bone transplant. Conventional two-dimensional radiographs are often inconclusive and do not demonstrate the true deficit. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the amount and exact location of bone loss on the basis of three-dimensional models over a period of 3 years. Design: Twenty-four patients with unilateral cleft palate were included in this prospective study. Axial computed tomography scans of all patients were taken immediately preoperatively, and 1, 2, and 3 years postoperatively. Volumetric analysis was performed on three-dimensional models of the cleft defects and the bone bridges using three-dimensional computed tomography. Interventions: All patients were treated by secondary alveolar bone grafting prior to eruption of the permanent canine. Results: Extensive bone resorption was found in the bucco-palatal dimension of the alveolar portion of the transplant. The success rate of secondary bone grafting was high in cases of rapid orthodontic gap closures. The mean bone loss in the first year after surgery was 49.5%. The transplants remained almost constant in the following 2 years. Conclusions: Radiographic scales based on orthopantomography only evaluate the vertical dimension of the transplants. This study, however, showed that bone resorption in the transversal dimension is clearly underestimated with conventional two-dimensional radiographs.
Interorganizational Network Structures and Diffusion of Information Through a Health System
Authors: Gibbons Deborah E. 
Published: March 2007

Objectives. I used computational models to test the relationship between interorganizational network structures and diffusion of moderate- to high-priority health information throughout a system. I examined diffusion effects of mean and variance in organizational partnering tendencies, arrangement of ties among subgroups of the system, and the diffusing organization’s effective network size. Methods. I used agent-based models to simulate local information-sharing processes and observe the outcomes of system-level diffusion. Graphs of diffusion curves demonstrated differences among intergroup structures, and regression models were used to test effects of parameterized and emergent network variables on diffusion. Results. The average tendency of participating organizations to engage in partnerships with other network members influenced diffusion of information, but variance in partnering tendencies had little effect. Fully connected subgroup structures outperformed hierarchical connections among subgroups, and all outperformed group-to-group chains. Introduction of a small proportion of randomness in connections among members of the chain structure improved diffusion without increasing network density. Finally, greater effective size in the diffusing organization’s network increased diffusion of information. Conclusions. Small interventions that build connecting structures among subgroups within a health system can be particularly effective at facilitating natural dissemination of information.
The Effect of Antidepressant Warnings on Prescribing Trends in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Kurdyak Paul A. , Juurlink David N. , Mamdani Muhammad M. 
Published: March 2007

Objectives. We studied whether 5 regulatory agency advisories concerning the possible increased risk of suicidal behavior during antidepressant therapy had an effect on antidepressant prescription trends in Ontario. Methods. We conducted a population-based, time-series analysis of new monthly antidepressant prescriptions dispensed by the Ontario Drug Benefits program in 3 age groups (younger than 20 years, 20–65 years old, and older than 65 years) over a 7-year period (April 1998 to March 2005). The impact of five advisories about the possible risk of suicide during antidepressant therapy was also analyzed. Results. The number of new prescriptions for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as a group did not change after any antidepressant warning in any age group. However, the rate of new paroxetine prescriptions in patients younger than 20 years declined by 54% immediately after the first warning for paroxetine was issued in the United Kingdom in June 2003. That same warning had no effect on new paroxetine prescriptions in the other age categories. Conclusion. The warning about paroxetine use in depressed patients younger than 18 years that was issued in the United Kingdom led to a significant decrease in new paroxetine prescriptions for young patients in this country. By contrast, warnings in North America did not influence new antidepressant prescription rates in any patient group.
Ethics in Public Health Research
Authors: Curtis Valerie A. , Garbrah-Aidoo Nana , Scott Beth 
Published: March 2007

Skill in marketing is a scarce resource in public health, especially in developing countries. The Global Public–Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap set out to tap the consumer marketing skills of industry for national handwashing programs. Lessons learned from commercial marketers included how to (1) understand consumer motivation, (2) employ 1 single unifying idea, (3) plan for effective reach, and (4) ensure effectiveness before national launch. After the first marketing program, 71% of Ghanaian mothers knew the television ad and the reported rates of handwashing with soap increased. Conditions for the expansion of such partnerships include a wider appreciation of what consumer marketing is, what it can do for public health, and the potential benefits to industry. Although there are practical and philosophical difficulties, there are many opportunities for such partnerships.
Crisis & Commitment: 150 Years of Service by Los Angeles County Public Hospitals
Authors: Cousineau Michael R. , Tranquada Robert E. 
Published: March 2007

The Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center will open soon, replacing the county’s current 74-year-old facility with a modern, although smaller, facility. Los Angeles County has provided hospital care to the indigent since 1858, during which time, the operation of public hospitals has shifted from a state-mandated welfare responsibility to a preeminent part of the county’s public health mission. As this shift occurred, the financing of Los Angeles County hospitals changed from primarily county support to state and federal government sources, particularly Medicaid. The success of the new hospital will depend on whether government leaders at all levels provide the reforms needed to help the county and its partners stabilize its funding base.
Efficacy of tiludronate in the treatment of horses with signs of pain associated with osteoarthritic lesions of the thoracolumbar vertebral column
Authors: Coudry Virginie , Thibaud Dominique , Riccio Barbara , Audigié Fabrice , Didierlaurent David , Denoix Jean-Marie 
Published: March 2007

Abstract
Objective—To evaluate the efficacy of tiludronate for the treatment of horses with signs of pain associated with lesions of the thoracolumbar vertebral column.
Animals—29 horses with clinical manifestations of pain associated with lesions of the thoracolumbar vertebral column and abnormal radiographic findings indicative of osteoarthritis of the articular processes–synovial intervertebral joints.
Procedures—Horses were initially examined in accordance with a standardized protocol, which included radiographic, ultrasonographic, and scintigraphic examinations. Fifteen horses were randomly assigned to receive tiludronate (1 mg/kg, IV, as a slow-rate infusion), and 14 horses received a control substance (day 0). Horses were monitored for the subsequent 120 days. Clinical evaluations were performed on days 60 and 120. Horses that had no evidence of clinical improvement on day 60 were administered tiludronate. Statistical analyses were performed to compare efficacy at day 60, improvement of dorsal flexibility at day 120, and dorsal flexibility before and 60 days after administration of tiludronate.
Results—Horses treated with tiludronate had significant improvement in dorsal flexibility between days 0 and 60, compared with control horses. Clinical improvement in dorsal flexibility was still evident at day 120. The percentage of positive responses was higher in the tiludronate group at 60 days.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Tiludronate had efficacy in the treatment of horses with signs of pain induced by osteoarticular lesions of the thoracolumbar vertebral column, causing a significant improvement in dorsal flexibility. Tiludronate may offer a treatment option for the management of horses with intervertebral lesions and the associated pain.
Synaptic Transmission: Intracellular Signaling
Authors: Benjamin Free R. , Hazelwood Lisa A. , Namkung Yoon , Rankin Michele L. , Rex Elizabeth B. , Sibley David R. 
Published: March 2007

Abstract
In synaptic signaling, the response of an individual neuron is determined by its complement of receptors. As discussed in other chapters in this volume, ligand‐gated ion channels mediate fast synaptic transmission between neurons. However, signaling within an individual neuron is mediated by a complex set of interactions that occur primarily as a result of G protein linked signal transduction. The beauty of this system is in its diversity and inherent capacity for amplification and plasticity in the modulation of many different cellular functions. The initial signal sequence in this type of signaling typically is the generation of a second messenger inside the cell that then in turn activates a number of different proteins capable of modifying cellular processes. This chapter will present examples and an in depth discussion of these intracellular signaling pathways beginning with G protein linked signaling, perpetuated by G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) stimulation. Next, ion channel modulation via G proteins as well as direct GPCR interactions with the channels will be discussed. The long list of intracellular downstream effector pathways including cyclic nucleotide signaling, protein kinase signaling and calcium regulated signaling are also described. The final focus of the chapter is protein phosphorylation cascades, a predominant mechanism in many signal transduction schemes. It is through these complex interactions that an individual cell is able to respond to neurotransmitter stimulation and modify many of its cellular processes to contribute to the overall symphony of synaptic signaling.
Neurobiology of Anxiety
Authors: Toth Miklos , Zupan Bojana 
Published: March 2007

Abstract
Anxiety/fear is a normal reaction to threatening situations and it represents a physiologically protective function. Anxiety/fear is often manifested as avoidance and is also characterized by overt sympathetic reactions. Pathological anxiety is a level of anxiety that is disproportionate to the threat and can be manifested even in the absence of threat. In clinical practice, categorical systems set the boundary at which a particular level of anxiety becomes an anxiety disorder.
Although a genetic contribution to anxiety disorders has long been suspected, it is only recently that genetic polymorphisms in various neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory systems have been linked to anxiety disorders. Still, the contribution of these factors is relatively small to the overall disease phenotype and the complex interaction between genetic factors and the environment will ultimately explain the development of susceptibility to anxiety.
Genetic and biochemical studies, combined with the analysis of mouse strains with induced genetic mutations implicate multiple neurobiological processes in anxiety disorders. Although the association of neurotransmitters and their receptors with anxiety‐like behavior is not surprising, cytokines and cell adhesion molecules were also identified as modulators of anxiety. Furthermore, intracellular signaling pathways and their target genes were linked to anxiety allowing the assembly of specific “anxiety” pathways. It is apparent that anxiety‐related pathways and processes involve communication between various neurons that, via signaling pathways, eventually converge onto regulation of transcription and/or translation. The proper function of these pathways is especially crucial during early postnatal development and one can hypothesize that abnormalities in these pathways at any level lead to, via altered gene expression, to changes in neuronal morphology and/or function. Importantly, all commonly used anxiolytic drugs can be integrated into this model implying that anxiolytic drugs target and modulate the molecular and cellular pathways which establish and/or control the level of anxiety.
Invertebrates as Powerful Genetic Models for Human Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Nass Richard , Nichols Charles D. 
Published: March 2007

Abstract

Our attempt to elucidate the basic mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and to identify pharmaceuticals that can affect these diseases has largely been inhibited by the complexities of the vertebrate brain and the difficulties of modeling the diseases in cell cultures. Most studies involving rodent or cell culture models require some prior knowledge of the molecular pathways that
could
be involved in the disease. Now, through the completion of genome‐sequencing projects and the development of genetic technologies, we can begin to identify novel molecular components involved in human diseases using genetically tractable organisms. In this chapter we will briefly summarize recent advances using the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans
and fruitfly
Drosophila melanogaster
to model a number of neurodegenerative diseases and describe the potential these organisms have to identify novel proteins and environmental compounds that could confer cell death as well as pharmaceutical targets that can protect against these disorders.
A latent variable modeling approach to identifying subtypes of serious and violent female juvenile offenders
Authors: Odgers Candice L. , Moretti Marlene M. , Burnette Mandi L. , Chauhan Preeti , Waite Dennis , Reppucci N. Dickon 
Published: March 2007

AbstractFemales have recently become an important population in research related to serious and violent juvenile offending. Although a small body of research exists on girls in the deep end of the system, very few studies have examined the degree of heterogeneity within high‐risk female samples. This study applied latent class analysis (LCA) to identify subgroups of female juvenile offenders based on their self‐report of offending profiles (N=133). Results supported a three‐class solution with subgroups characterized by patterns of ‘violent and delinquent’, ‘delinquency only’, and ‘low’ offending patterns. The LCA solution was replicated in an independent sample of high‐risk females. The ‘violent and delinquent’ class was characterized by significantly higher rates of DSM‐IV diagnoses for internalizing disorders, affect dysregulation, exposure to violence (within the home, school and neighborhood), and familial histories of criminality. Implications for future research, policy and clinical practice are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 33:339–352, 2007.  ©2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Executive cognitive functioning and the recognition of facial expressions of emotion in incarcerated violent offenders, non‐violent offenders, and controls
Authors: Hoaken Peter N.S. , Allaby David B. , Earle Jeff 
Published: March 2007

AbstractViolence is a social problem that carries enormous costs; however, our understanding of its etiology is quite limited. A large body of research exists, which suggests a relationship between abnormalities of the frontal lobe and aggression; as a result, many researchers have implicated deficits in so‐called “executive function” as an antecedent to aggressive behaviour. Another possibility is that violence may be related to problems interpreting facial expressions of emotion, a deficit associated with many forms of psychopathology, and an ability linked to the prefrontal cortex. The current study investigated performance on measures of executive function and on a facial‐affect recognition task in 20 violent offenders, 20 non‐violent offenders, and 20 controls. In support of our hypotheses, both offender groups performed significantly more poorly on measures of executive function relative to controls. In addition, violent offenders were significantly poorer on the facial‐affect recognition task than either of the other two groups. Interestingly, scores on these measures were significantly correlated, with executive deficits associated with difficulties accurately interpreting facial affect. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of a broader understanding of violent behaviour. Aggr. Behav. 33:412–421, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Binge drinking and violence against dating partners: the mediating effect of antisocial traits and behaviors in a multinational perspective
Authors: Hines Denise A. , Straus Murray A. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractResearch has consistently shown a link between alcohol use and partner violence (PV). Little is known concerning the strength of this association across cultures and genders, and few have assessed possible mediators. This study assesses the link between binge drinking and PV among 7,921 college students in 38 sites around the world, and investigates the mediating role of antisocial traits and behaviors (ASTB). A significant association was found between binge drinking and PV, the strength of which differed by site but not by gender. ASTB fully mediated this association. The mean level of binge drinking at each site did not significantly influence the strength of the association between binge drinking and PV. Aggr. Behav. 33:441–457, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.