bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nigeria: Trust Your Patron, not the Institutions
Authors: Daloz Jean-Pascal 
Published: July 2005

AbstractIn Nigeria, trust and mistrust remain a permanent and sensitive issue. This obviously concerns elite-population relationships or rather – when considering the personalized and particularistic aspects of political life- between patrons and their dependants. This issue of trust is also crucial when it comes to relations among "Big Men" leading factions cutting across communities. Emphasizing the lack of confidence in the institutions and the difficult question of reliance within informal clientelistic networks, this article proposes interpretations based on the study of socio-political relations in a long-term perspective.
Political Mistrust in Southeast Asia
Authors: Case William 
Published: July 2005

AbstractPolitics in Southeast Asia are often characterised by power abuses and corrupt practices, ramshackle political institutions, economic shocks, social inequities, and a steady erosion of cultural deference. In these conditions, mass-level mistrust of political leaders and institutions might be expected to surge. However, patterns of mistrust turn out to be more complex. Where political leaders are abusive and corrupt, while doing little to ease the declining fortunes of social forces, mistrust does indeed grow pervasive, even threatening political stability. But in other cases, political leaders, even though abusive, have ably mitigated mistrust, shifting mass-level grievances onto rival elites or social segments, deploying populist programs, or mobilising nationalist resentments, thereby perpetuating their standings. Analysis focuses on a number of contemporary leaderships in Southeast Asia that have produced variable amounts of mass-level mistrust, including those of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Improving medicine usage through patient information leaflets in India
Authors: Gupta Usha , Sharma Sangeeta , Sheth Prafull D , Jha Jeevan , Chaudhury Ranjit Roy 
Published: July 2005

The impact of patient information leaflets (PILs) was measured in an outpatient department of a large tertiary care public health facility in India. Patients were allocated to control (114) or intervention group (118). Patients in the intervention group received PILs. The primary indicators [mean±standard deviation (SD)] improved significantly in the intervention group compared with the control group (15.7±7.3 versus 12.2±5.4). A three-fold ( P<0.01) increase in the awareness of the supplementary scores was observed in the intervention group (9.5±5.2 versus 3.3±2.7) compared with the control group (3.5±2.8 versus 3.5±2.8). Confounding variables, viz. age, sex, literacy level, did not influence the patients' knowledge. When the number of drugs prescribed increased, the patient's knowledge decreased significantly ( P<0.0001). PILs provided to the patients by the pharmacist significantly improved knowledge about medication, and improved compliance at home.
Medical interns knowledge of TB in Pakistan
Authors: Khan J A , Zahid S , Khan R , Hussain S F , Rizvi N , Rab A , Javed A , Ahmad A , Ait-Khaled N , Enarson D A 
Published: July 2005

Of 460 interns from five Pakistani teaching hospitals surveyed, only 22% correctly identified the estimated number of new TB cases in Pakistan. The majority (96%) knew that droplet infection was the usual mode of transmission. Only 38% considered sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli as the best test for diagnosis of pulmonary TB and 43.5% for follow-up during TB treatment. The recommended four-drug anti-TB regimen was prescribed by 56.5% in the initiation phase and the recommended two-drug combination in the continuation phase by 52%. Most interns (82%) were unable to identify a single component of directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) strategy. Our study reflects poor awareness of and low compliance to the World Health Organization/National Tuberculosis Programme guidelines among interns. For effective control of TB, immediate action to improve undergraduate and continuing medical education is essential, with special emphasis on national guidelines.
Mortality of tetanus at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Authors: Ojini F I , Danesi M A 
Published: July 2005

Records of 349 tetanus patients, aged 10 years and above, admitted to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between 1990 and 1999 were reviewed. The male:female ratio was 1.98:1, and the ages were between 10 and 88 years, with a mean age of 29.8 years. The overall case fatality rate (CFR) of tetanus was 36.96% (33.19% for men and 44.44% for women). The CFR is similar to that previously reported in the hospital, but higher than that reported from Europe and North America. The lowest CFR was in the 10-19-year age group, and there was a trend towards increasing CFR with increasing age. Tetanus patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) had a significantly higher CFR than those in the medical wards. Unlike in developed countries, where management of tetanus in ICU has resulted in a decrease in CFR, the CFR of tetanus at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has not significantly reduced over the years.
Quality surgical care for rural dwellers: the visiting option
Authors: Mungadi I A 
Published: July 2005

Although the majority of Africans live in rural areas, the existing surgical infrastructure and expertise are concentrated in urban centres. Many rural dwellers dislike visiting urban hospitals due to poverty, ignorance, fear, distance or unpleasant city experience. Trained personnel are unwilling to work in rural areas because of poor infrastructure and lack of incentive. The best means of bringing surgical care to rural dwellers is yet to be determined. We explored the visiting surgeon option. For three days every 4-6 weeks, a general surgeon visited a rural health centre in the Maiyama Local Government area of Kebbi State, Nigeria, and operated on selected surgical cases. In total, 111 patients had 125 surgical procedures during 18 visits (January 2001-May 2003). These represented 66.7% of all surgical cases seen during the visits. There were 22 (17.6%) paediatric surgical, 90 (72%) general surgical and 13 (10.4%) obstetric and gynaecological (O&G) cases. Fourteen (11.2%) procedures were performed as emergencies. The most common operation was inguinal herniorraphy, which constituted 36% of cases. The morbidity rate was 1.6% with no operative mortality. Easily treatable but potentially fatal surgical conditions are common among poor, rural dwellers. A visiting service can offer this population sustainable, cheap, good-quality care in a friendly environment.
Tuberculous meningitis in Turkish children: an evaluation of 38 cases
Authors: Ertekin V , Alp H , Altinkaynak S , Selimogğlu M A 
Published: July 2005

Thirty-eight cases of tuberculous meningitis in children were studied. Mortality was 28.9%; most of these presented with stage III disease. Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) still ranks as one of the most important communicable diseases in terms of morbidity and mortality. It is universally fatal if not treated and has high morbidity and mortality, if not recognized early. According to WHO's data, 1.3 million new TB cases under 15 year olds were reported. In Turkey, the TB prevalence is 0.4 %. According to data from the Turkish Ministry of Health, the number of admissions to hospitals dropped from 108 per 100,000 in 1971 to 51 per 10,000 in 1988. Early diagnosis and treatment of TBM are essential in order to prevent late sequelas and death. The diagnosis of TBM may be delayed because many patients initially have vague, seemingly minor, signs and symptoms. In this study, the clinical and laboratory findings of 38 patients with the diagnosis of TBM in our hospital were reviewed, retrospectively, during the past five years. Our purpose was to stress the importance of TBM as a public health problem in Turkey, particularly in the Eastern of Turkey.
Stress-Induced Protein S-Glutathionylation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Dixon David P. , Skipsey Mark , Grundy Nicholas M. , Edwards Robert 
Published: July 2005

Abstract
S-Glutathionylation (thiolation) is a ubiquitous redox-sensitive and reversible modification of protein cysteinyl residues that can directly regulate their activity. While well established in animals, little is known about the formation and function of these mixed disulfides in plants. After labeling the intracellular glutathione pool with [35S]cysteine, suspension cultures of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia) were shown to undergo a large increase in protein thiolation following treatment with the oxidant tert-butylhydroperoxide. To identify proteins undergoing thiolation, a combination of in vivo and in vitro labeling methods utilizing biotinylated, oxidized glutathione (GSSG-biotin) was developed to isolate Arabidopsis proteins/protein complexes that can be reversibly glutathionylated. Following two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry proteomics, a total of 79 polypeptides were identified, representing a mixture of proteins that underwent direct thiolation as well as proteins complexed with thiolated polypeptides. The mechanism of thiolation of five proteins, dehydroascorbate reductase (AtDHAR1), zeta-class glutathione transferase (AtGSTZ1), nitrilase (AtNit1), alcohol dehydrogenase (AtADH1), and methionine synthase (AtMetS), was studied using the respective purified recombinant proteins. AtDHAR1, AtGSTZ1, and to a lesser degree AtNit1 underwent spontaneous thiolation with GSSG-biotin through modification of active-site cysteines. The thiolation of AtADH1 and AtMetS required the presence of unidentified Arabidopsis proteins, with this activity being inhibited by S-modifying agents. The potential role of thiolation in regulating metabolism in Arabidopsis is discussed and compared with other known redox regulatory systems operating in plants.
Regulation of Photosynthetic GAPDH Dissected by Mutants
Authors: Sparla Francesca , Zaffagnini Mirko , Wedel Norbert , Scheibe Renate , Pupillo Paolo , Trost Paolo 
Published: July 2005

Abstract
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) of higher plants catalyzes an NADPH-consuming reaction, which is part of the Calvin cycle. This reaction is regulated by light via thioredoxins and metabolites, while a minor NADH-dependent activity is constant and constitutive. The major native isozyme is formed by A- and B-subunits in stoichiometric ratio (A2B2, A8B8), but tetramers of recombinant B-subunits (GapB) display similar regulatory features to A2B2-GAPDH. The C-terminal extension (CTE) of B-subunits is essential for thioredoxin-mediated regulation and NAD-induced aggregation to partially inactive oligomers (A8B8, B8). Deletion mutant B(minCTE) is redox insensitive and invariably tetrameric, and chimeric mutant A(plusCTE) acquired redox sensitivity and capacity to aggregate to very large oligomers in presence of NAD. Redox regulation principally affects the turnover number, without significantly changing the affinity for either 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate or NADPH. Mutant R77A of GapB, B(R77A), is down-regulated and mimics the behavior of oxidized GapB under any redox condition, whereas mutant B(E362Q) is constantly up-regulated, resembling reduced GapB. Despite their redox insensitivity, both B(R77A) and B(E362Q) mutants are notably prone to aggregate in presence of NAD. Based on structural data and current functional analysis, a model of GAPDH redox regulation is presented. Formation of a disulfide in the CTE induces a conformational change of the GAPDH with repositioning of the terminal amino acid Glu-362 in the proximity of Arg-77. The latter residue is thus distracted from binding the 2′-phosphate of NADP, with the final effect that the enzyme relaxes to a conformation leading to a slower NADPH-dependent catalytic activity.
Argentina: Economic Disaster and the Rejection of the Political Class
Authors: Carballo Marita , Turner Frederick 
Published: July 2005

AbstractThe Argentine economic crisis of 1999-2003 caused GDP to drop precipitously and levels of poverty and unemployment to rise greatly. Although more profound, this crisis resembled three others since 1966, and it led Argentines overwhelmingly to reject the members of their political class. In 1999, the confidence of Argentine citizens in politicians and political institutions was already very low, reflecting in part the earlier crises and the fact that income distribution in the country had become far more unequal in the 1990s. Causes for the economic crisis include economic policies, political constraints, and the structure of Argentine society and values. Although some economic growth has returned under the presidency of Néstor Kirchner since 2003, the depth of the rejection of the political class is so great that it may lead to some change in Argentine values.
Erosion of Confidence in Thirty European Democracies
Authors: Dogan Mattei 
Published: July 2005

AbstractThe deficit of confidence is attested by a wealth of empirical data. The analysis deals with some nine institutions, political parties, discredit of politicians, the tandem of judges and journalists in denouncing the wrongdoings, the decreasing mistrust between nations as a compensatory trend of mistrust within nations. The countries are ranked according to the level of mistrust, which permeates all social strata. Corruption is an ubiquitous phenomenon in Europe, with few exceptions. Two illustrative emblematic cases are compared; Britain and Italy. In spite of the widespread feeling of mistrust, the legitimacy of democracy remains unchallenged. What types of citizens are needed in advanced democracies? Ignorant, credulous, believers in myths or well informed rationally distrustful citizens? Today democracy is permanently under the supervision of the public, as attested by surveys conducted periodically.
Norway: Trust Among Elites in a Corporatist Democracy
Authors: Gulbrandsen Trygve 
Published: July 2005

AbstractWhile there have been many studies of ordinary citizens' institutional trust, there is very little knowledge about how national elites or leaders evaluate the trustworthiness of public institutions. This article contributes to filling this knowledge gap. Based on data from the Norwegian Power and Democracy Project's Leadership Study 2000, it is demonstrated that Norwegian top leaders have more trust in the main institutions of the society than citizens do in general. They rank, however, the various institutions in the same way. As found in studies of citizens' institutional trust, ideological orientation is an important cause of institutional trust among the top leaders. How they relate to the public/private cleavage as well as to the centre/periphery cleavage has significant impact upon their trust giving. The degree of trust in a particular institution is also positively affected by how much contact a top leader has with the leaders of this institution. The elites in Norway are involved in an extensive network of contacts and relations with leaders in other sectors and institutions. An indirect, and thus not always discernable effect of this network of relations seems to be that a higher degree of mutual trust is emerging among all the elites in the system.
Ectopic pregnancy: an 11-year review in a tertiary centre in the Niger Delta
Authors: Igberase G O , Ebeigbe P N , Igbekoyi O F , Ajufoh B I 
Published: July 2005

Ectopic pregnancy still remains a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in the first trimester of pregnancy and also a significant cause of reproductive failure in Nigeria. A descriptive review of 211 consecutive cases of ectopic gestation over an 11-year period was undertaken. Ectopic pregnancy constituted 9.5% of gynaecological admissions. In all, 86% were nulliparous and 62.6% were married. Abdominal pain and tenderness were the most consistent modes of presentation. Also, 95.3% presented as ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Induced abortion (72%) was the most common factor associated with ectopic pregnancy. Anaemia was the most common post-operative complication. In all, 21% had prior dilatation and curettage as a result of misdiagnoses. The case fatality rate was 2.5%. Ectopic pregnancy presents a major public health challenge among women of reproductive age in this region. Community-based comprehensive health education programme focusing on contraception, sex education, prevention and treatment of postabortal sepsis, pelvic inflammatory disease and puerperal sepsis are urgently needed.
Perception and attitude to epilepsy among teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in middle belt Nigeria
Authors: Sanya E O , Salami T A T , Goodman O O , Buhari O I N , Araoye M O 
Published: July 2005

Compared with the disability associated with repeated seizures or side-effects of antiepileptic medications, the social stigma associated with epilepsy is often a major handicap to people living with this condition. This study therefore looked at the knowledge, attitude and perception of teachers who see a lot of epileptics, relates on daily bases and have a high influence on students with epilepsy. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information from 460 randomly selected teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in Kwara State-middle belt of Nigeria. The response rate was 75%. Almost all of the teachers had heard about epilepsy, but their awareness does not equate with the acceptance and understanding of epilepsy. About 30.5% believed that it could be contracted through the saliva of an epileptic, 27.7% thought it was synonymous with possession with evil spirit, while 10% misunderstood epilepsy for insanity. Close to one-fifth of the teachers were of the opinion that epileptic students have a below average mental capacity compared with other students and so cannot attainment the highest possible education. Negative attitude and bias towards epilepsy is still deeply ingrained among teachers in Nigeria. Apart from formal education, teachers need to have health education courses on common disease conditions such as epilepsy that are prevalent in school age. This might help to reduce prejudice and increase the acceptance of epileptic individuals into the classroom.
A randomized trial of pain relief in termination of pregnancy in South Africa
Authors: Owolabi O T , Moodley J 
Published: July 2005

The aim of this prospective trial was to evaluate and compare paracervical block with diclofenac for pain relief during manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for surgical termination of pregnancy. Participants were randomized into three groups, viz. group (i) diclofenac 75 mg intramuscularly (i.m.) 30 min before the procedure; (ii) diclofenac 75 mg i.m. 30 min before the procedure, together with local infiltration of the cervix with lignocaine 1% (10 mL); (iii) diclofenac 75 mg i.m. 30 min before the procedure together with local infiltration of the cervix with lignocaine 1% (10 mL) and paracervical block with lignocaine 1% (5 mL). There was a significant difference in pain scores during the procedure between groups (i) and (ii) ( P<0.001), and between groups (i) and (iii) ( P<0.001) in pain scores during the procedure. There was no difference in pain score between groups (ii) and (iii) ( P=0.144). Post procedure analysis of pain score also showed significant difference between group (i) on one hand, and groups (ii) and (iii) ( P<0.001), but no significant difference between groups (ii) and (iii)( P=0.029). The local anaesthetic infiltration of the cervix in combination with diclofenac or together with diclofenac and paracervical block provides better pain relief during and after the MVA.
Reinventing Welfare Regimes Employers and the Implementation of Active Social Policy
Authors: Martin Cathie Jo 
Published: July 2005

Denmark and Britain have adopted quite similar “active” social reforms in which employers play a major role in the programmatic delivery of services; however, the implementation of the programs has differed dramatically in the two countries. Danish firms, despite having had virtually no prior involvement in administering social programs, have participated in far greater numbers than British employers, who, by contrast, have long provided private, employment-based social benefits.Drawing from interviews with 107 randomly selected British and Danish corporations, this article seeks to explain why Danish employers have participated at higher rates than their British counterparts. Subtle programmatic differences that reflect each country's welfare regime have had profound feedback effects on firms' willingness to participate in the programs; these findings have implications for regimes' capacities both to correct for traps and to revise social protections to meet the needs of the new economy.
Rethinking The Origins of Federalism: Puzzle, Theory, and Evidence from Nineteenth-Century Europe
Authors: Ziblatt Daniel 
Published: July 2005

This article examines the paradox of how federal political institutions are created: how can a state-building core be unyielding enough to forge a union but accommodating enough to grant federal concessions to subunits? A comparison of the trajectories of national unification in nineteenth-century Germany and Italy indicates that the formation of federations does not come about exclusively through voluntary “contract”; instead, coercion and cooperation go hand in hand in the formation of all states, including federations. Whether the outcome is federal or unitary depends on the level of subunit infrastructural capacity at the moment of founding.The article finds that where the constituents of a potential federation are parliamentary and well governed, they can deliver the benefits of state formation, assuring their continued existence in a federation. Where such subunits are patrimonial and poorly governed, they are absorbed within a unitary model of governance. This institutional explanation supplements accounts emphasizing the cultural sources of federalism and revises arguments that only militarily weak founding cores make federal concessions to their constituents.
Arthrogryposis multiplex with deafness, inguinal hernias, and early death: A family report of a probably autosomal recessive trait
Authors: Tiemann Christian , Bührer Christoph , Burwinkel Barbara , Wirtenberger Michael , Hoehn Thomas , Hübner Christoph , van Landeghem Frank K.H. , Stoltenburg Gisela , Obladen Michael 
Published: July 2005

AbstractWe report on three male newborn infants of a highly inbred Lebanese family presenting with a characteristic phenotype: arthrogryposis multiplex, deafness, large inguinal hernia, hiccup‐like diaphragmatic contractions, and inability to suck, requiring nasogastric gavage feeding. All three boys died from respiratory failure during the first 3 months of life. Intra vitam or post mortem examinations revealed myopathic changes and elevated glycogen content of muscle tissue. This new syndrome is probably transmitted in an autosomal recessive mode, although X‐linked inheritance cannot be excluded. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.