bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Racial Differences in Preventive Practices of African‐American and Hispanic Women
Authors: Ganesan Kalpana , Teklehaimanot Senait , Akhtar Abbasi J. , Wijegunaratne Jayantha , Thadepalli Khyathi , Ganesan Nandakumar 
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVES: To compare the use of preventive practices of Hispanic‐ and African‐American women aged 50 and older.DESIGN: A cross‐sectional survey.SETTING: Inpatient and outpatient units of a teaching hospital located in South Central Los Angeles.PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 337 women aged 50 and older.MEASUREMENTS: Demographic and lifestyle characteristics and selected preventive practices. Preventive practices reported were self‐breast examination, mammography, Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, digital rectal examination and stool occult blood examination, sigmoidoscopy, chemoprophylaxis, and immunization. Information was obtained in a face‐to‐face interview.RESULTS: African‐American women were more likely to have had a Pap smear ever and to have used aspirin prophylaxis than Hispanic women.CONCLUSION: There were no major differences in the use of preventive services by the two ethnic groups except for Pap smear and aspirin use. Immunization and colorectal cancer screening rates were low in African‐American and Hispanic women.
AP‐2 and HNK‐1 define distinct populations of cranial neural crest cells
Authors: Minarcik J.C. , Golden J.A. 
Published: December 2004

Structured AbstractAuthors – Minarcik JC, Golden JAObjective – To determine if distinct populations of cranial neural crest cells (CNCC) exist by characterization of their divergent gene expression patterns.Design – Identification of unique populations of CNCC was determined by a combination of lineage and immunohistochemical analyses.Setting – Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104.Results – We found antibodies of two proteins previously described as identifying all CNCC, label three populations of CNCC at specific time‐points. Furthermore, the activating protein 2 (AP‐2) expressing CNCC become neural or mesenchymal NCC derivatives whereas the HNK‐1 labeled cells do not participate in the mesenchymal lineage.Conclusion – These data provide molecular markers for unique CNCC fates and thus will be invaluable in the characterizing of craniofacial anomalies related to defects in NCCS. In addition, our data suggest AP‐2 may function in determining the unique mesenchymal fate of CNCCs.
Orthodontic treatment of a case of Becker muscular dystrophy
Authors: Suda N. , Matsuda A. , Yoda S. , Ishizaki T. , Higashibori N. , Kim F. , Otani‐Saito K. , Ohyama K. 
Published: December 2004

AbstractBecker muscular dystrophy, similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is a X‐chromosomal linked anomaly characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. Duchenne‐type is known to have severe openbite with a steep mandibular plane, but there are no studies that describe the occlusal and skeletal patterns of the Becker‐type. Here, we report the orthodontic treatment of a Becker muscular dystrophy patient. In the correction of his severe skeletal open bite general anesthesia or orthognathic surgery was not an option. Multiloop edgewise archwires were employed for orthodontic treatment. After 3 years and 8 months the open bite was corrected. During the retention period contact between the anterior teeth was maintained 8 months after active treatment despite a marked relapse tendency.
The price of natural gas
Authors: Bakhtiari A.M. Samsam 
Published: December 2004

Natural gas used to be a relatively Cheap primary energy source, always at a discount to crude oil (on a comparative British thermal unit basis). It gradually evolved into a major resource during the 20th century — reaching a 24 per cent share of global primary energy in 1999.In the year 2000, natural gas prices in the USA rose to unheard‐of highs of $10/million Btu, ushering in a new era, with natural gas at a 120 per cent premium to crude oil. This clearly was a watershed for gas, somehow similar to the 1973‐74 watershed for oil prices. And similarly, any return to the status quo‐ante looks rather improbable, although a number of experts (alongside the International Energy Agency) still believe the 2000 price ‘spike’ to have been “only transitory”The consequences of higher gas prices (at a level equal to crude oil prices on a Btu basis) will be multifaceted and momentous, altering habits and uses in downstream industries and economic sectors, as well as providing added income for major gas‐exporters, such as Russia, Canada and Algeria.Another potential consequence of the 2000 watershed might be to propel US standard prices (such as the ‘Henry Hub’ spot) to international status and gas price‐setter, as the ‘WTI spot’ became an “international benchmark” for crude oils in the post‐1993 era.For the time being, the equality of gas and oil prices has become the new norm; but, in the longer term, a discount of crude oil relative to natural gas might be envisaged, as the latter is a cleaner fuel and emits less carbon dioxide when used.
Selection Incentives in a Performance‐Based Contracting System
Authors: Shen Yujing 
Published: December 2004

Objective. To investigate whether a performance‐based contracting (PBC) system provides incentives for nonprofit providers of substance abuse treatment to select less severe clients into treatment.Data Sources. The Maine Addiction Treatment System (MATS) standardized admission and discharge data provided by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse (OSA) for fiscal years 1991–1995, provides demographic, substance abuse, and social functional information on clients of programs receiving public funding.Study Design. We focused on OSA clients (i.e., those patients whose treatment cost was covered by the funding from OSA) and Medicaid clients in outpatient programs. Clients were identified as being “most severe” or not. We compared the likelihood for OSA clients to be “most severe” before PBC and after PBC using Medicaid clients as the control. Multivariate regression analysis was employed to predict the marginal effect of PBC on the probability of OSA clients' being most severe after controlling for other factors.Principal Findings. The percentage of OSA outpatient clients classified as most severe users dropped by 7 percent (p<=0.001) after the innovation of performance‐based contracting, compared to the increase of 2 percent for Medicaid clients. The regression results also showed that PBC had a significantly negative marginal effect on the probability of OSA clients being most severe.Conclusions. Performance‐based contracting gave providers of substance abuse treatment financial incentives to treat less severe OSA clients in order to improve their performance outcomes. Fewer OSA clients with the greatest severity were treated in outpatient programs with the implementation of PBC. These results suggest that regulators, or payers, should evaluate programs comprehensively taking this type of selection behavior into consideration.
Medicare Breast Surgery Fees and Treatment Received by Older Women with Localized Breast Cancer
Authors: Hadley Jack , Mandelblatt Jeanne S. , Mitchell Jean M. , Weeks Jane C. , Guadagnoli Edward , Hwang Yi‐Ting 
Published: December 2004

Objective. To determine whether area‐level Medicare physician fees for mastectomy and breast conserving surgery were associated with treatment received by Medicare beneficiaries with localized breast cancer and to compare these results with an earlier analysis conducted using small areas (three‐digit zip codes) as the unit of observation.Data Source. Medicare claims and physician survey data for a national sample of elderly (aged 67 or older) Medicare beneficiaries with localized breast cancer treated in 1994 (unweighted n=1,787).Study Design. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate a model of treatment received as a function of Medicare fees, controlling for other area economic factors, patient demographic and clinical characteristics, physician experience, and region.Principal Findings. In 1994, average Medicare fees (adjusted for the effects of modifiers and procedure mix) for mastectomy (MST) and breast conserving surgery (BCS) were $904 and $305, respectively. Holding other fees and factors fixed, a 10 percent increase in the BCS fee increased the odds of breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy relative to mastectomy to 1.34 (p=0.02), while a 10 percent decrease in the MST fee increased the odds of breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy to 1.86 (p<0.01).Conclusions. Among older women with localized breast cancer, financial incentives appear to influence the use of mastectomy and breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that physicians are responsive to financial incentives when the alternative procedures have clinically equivalent outcomes and the patient's clinical condition does not dominate the treatment choice. We also find that the fee effects derived from this analysis of individual data with more precise measurement of both diagnosis and treatment are qualitatively similar to the results of the small‐area analysis. This suggests that the earlier study was not severely affected by ecological bias or other data limitations inherent in Medicare claims data.
Economic Expansion Is a Major Determinant of Physician Supply and Utilization
Authors: Cooper Richard A. , Getzen Thomas E. , Laud Prakash 
Published: December 2004

Objective. To assess the relationship between levels of economic development and the supply and utilization of physicians.Data Sources. Data were obtained from the American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Bureau of Health Professions, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau, Health Care Financing Administration, and historical sources.Study Design. Economic development, expressed as real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) or personal income, was correlated with per capita health care labor and physician supply within countries and states over periods of time spanning 25–70 years and across countries, states, and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) at multiple points in time over periods of up to 30 years. Longitudinal data were analyzed in four complementary ways: (1) simple univariate regressions; (2) regressions in which temporal trends were partialled out; (3) time series comparing percentage differences across segments of time; and (4) a bivariate Granger causality test. Cross‐sectional data were assessed at multiple time points by means of univariate regression analyses.Principal Findings Under each analytic scenario, physician supply correlated with differences in GDP or personal income. Longitudinal correlations were associated with temporal lags of approximately 5 years for health employment and 10 years for changes in physician supply. The magnitude of changes in per capita physician supply in the United States was equivalent to differences of approximately 0.75 percent for each 1.0 percent difference in GDP. The greatest effects of economic expansion were on the medical specialties, whereas the surgical and hospital‐based specialties were affected to a lesser degree, and levels of economic expansion had little influence on family/general practice.Conclusions Economic expansion has a strong, lagged relationship with changes in physician supply. This suggests that economic projections could serve as a gauge for projecting the future utilization of physician services.
Expression of occludin in human rectal carcinoid tumours as a possible marker for glandular differentiation
Authors: Tokunaga Y , Tobioka H , Isomura H , Kokai Y , Sawada N 
Published: December 2004

Aims:  To examine whether or not the tight junction‐associated transmembrane protein occludin is expressed in rosette or gland‐like structures in human rectal carcinoid tumours. The tight junction is crucial for the formation and maintenance of organized tubular structures in glandular epithelia. Previous studies have reported the presence of glandular structures in carcinoid tumours, though they are not believed to arise from glandular epithelium.Methods and results:  The expression profiles of occludin in 40 carcinoid tumours were examined immunohistochemically, using an anti‐occludin monoclonal antibody. In eight (20%) samples of typical carcinoid tumours, a small number of rosette‐like tubular structures outlined by occludin were detected.Conclusions:  Tight junction‐associated molecules, including occludin, are thought to be one of the most characteristic structural markers of polarized glandular structures. The results of the present study provide supportive evidence that carcinoid tumour cells are capable of glandular differentiation.
Expression of Tie‐1 and 2 receptors, and angiopoietin‐1, 2 and 4 in gastric carcinoma; immunohistochemical analyses and correlation with clinicopathological factors
Authors: Nakayama T , Yoshizaki A , Kawahara N , Ohtsuru A , Wen C Y , Fukuda E , Nakashima M , Sekine I 
Published: December 2004

Aims:  There is strong evidence that tyrosine kinases are involved in the regulation of tumour progression, cellular growth and differentiation. Recently, many kinds of tyrosine kinase receptors have been reported, and among them Tie‐1 and 2 constitute a major class. Angiopoietin (Ang)‐1 is known as a ligand of the Tie‐2 tyrosine kinase receptor. The aim of this study was to determine the expression profile of Tie‐1 and 2 and Ang‐1, 2 and 4 in gastric adenocarcinoma.Methods and results:  Eighty‐nine cases of surgically resected human gastric adenocarcinoma were studied by immunohistochemistry. Of these, 60 (67.4%), 61 (68.5%), 69 (77.5%), 75 (84.3%), and 47 cases (52.8%) showed positive staining in the cytoplasm of carcinoma cells for the Tie‐1 and 2 and Ang‐1, 2 and 4 proteins, respectively. The expression of Ties and Angs was significantly correlated with several type of histological differentiation and several clinicopathological factors.Conclusions:  Ties and Angs were highly expressed in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. These findings suggest that the Tie–Ang receptor–ligand complex is one of the factors involved in the cellular differentiation and progression of human gastric adenocarcinoma.
Condyloma acuminatum and condyloma‐like lesions of the oral cavity: a study of 11 cases with an intraductal component
Authors: Henley J D , Summerlin D‐J , Tomich C E 
Published: December 2004

Aims:  We studied the clinicopathological features of 11 condyloma and condyloma‐like lesions of the oral cavity with an unusual mixed pattern of exophytic and intraductal growth. The latter manifest as involvement of minor salivary gland ducts by the proliferative squamous lesions. This pattern of ductal involvement has not been previously described in oral condyloma.Methods and results:  The clinical history was available for nine patients ranging in age from 17 to 73 years. Two were female and seven male. The buccal mucosa (five cases) was the most common site of occurrence, followed by the floor of mouth (two cases), lingual frenum (two cases), and hard palate (one case). All lesions exhibited exophytic and intraductal growth. The latter manifested itself as extension of the lesions into the excretory ducts of minor salivary glands. Underlying minor salivary glands, present in many of the excisional biopsy specimens, typically showed changes of obstructive atrophy. The exophytic components of all cases exhibited some degree of parakeratosis, and cryptic invaginations of parakeratin were typically present. Koilocytes were present in seven lesions and were equivocal in four. Mucous cells were present in the intraductal component of all cases and the intraductal component was never keratinized, but often papillary. A mild stromal‐based, lymphocytic host response was present in three. A variably prominent neutrophilic infiltrate was present in the exophytic component of eight. Dysplasia was not present in any case. Five of 11 cases were positive with anti‐human papillomavirus (HPV) and two of 11 cases were positive for in‐situ hybridization probes directed against HPV 6/11. All cases were negative for HPV 16/18 and 13/33/35.Conclusions:  Oral condyloma acuminatum may involve the excretory ducts of minor salivary glands. The diagnosis of oral condyloma acuminatum is difficult, as these lesions share considerable histological overlap with squamous papilloma. Finally, the relationship between these two lesions is incompletely understood.
Cystic fibrohistiocytic tumours presenting in the lung: primary or metastatic disease?
Authors: Osborn M , Mandys V , Beddow E , Ladas G , Florio R , Sheppard M N , Fisher C , Bell S W , Travis W D , Nicholson A G 
Published: December 2004

Aims:  Cystic fibrohistiocytic tumour of the lung is a rare proliferative process. Its histogenesis is uncertain, but evidence suggests that some cases represent metastatic disease from apparently indolent skin lesions, namely cellular fibrous histiocytomas. This study presents four cases and reviews the literature concerning this pattern of disease and its aetiology.Methods and results:  All patients were male (age range 35–54 years). Two presented with recurrent haemoptysis. Two cases had histories of cutaneous fibrohistiocytic lesions in the chest wall, excised 10 and 23 years prior to presentation with lung disease. Imaging data showed multiple bilateral cystic lung lesions in all four patients with nodular cavitating opacities seen on high‐resolution computed tomography scans. Microscopy showed variably dilated thin‐walled cystic airspaces lined by cuboidal epithelium and an underlying layer of mildly pleomorphic spindle cells with slightly wavy morphology and storiform architecture, admixed with inflammatory cells. Tumour cells stained for CD68 in three of four cases. All cases were negative for CD34. All patients were alive with disease, although one required pneumonectomy for intractable haemoptysis.Conclusion:  This study and a review of published cases show that the majority of cystic fibrohistiocytic tumours of the lung probably represent metastases from cellular fibrous histiocytomas. However, rare cases may be either primary in origin or the primary site remains occult; the term cystic fibrohistiocytic tumour remains appropriate for such cases.
Lymph node reticulum cell neoplasm with progression into cytokeratin‐positive interstitial reticulum cell (CIRC) sarcoma: a case study
Authors: Lucioni M , Boveri E , Rosso R , Benazzo M , Necchi V , Danova M , Incardona P , Franco C , Viglio A , Riboni R , Lazzarino M , Magrini U , Canevari A , Paulli M 
Published: December 2004

Aims:  To detail on sequential biopsies the morphological and immunohistochemical features of a case of primary lymph nodal fibroblastic reticulum cell (FBRC) tumour which progressed into a clinically aggressive cytokeratin‐positive interstitial reticulum cell (CIRC) sarcoma.Methods and results:  A 70‐year‐old female underwent surgical excision of an enlarged submandibular lymph node. The nodal architecture was effaced by a neoplastic proliferation of medium to large cells, round to oval to spindle in shape, growing in a storiform pattern. The tumour stained for vimentin, CD68, factor XIIIa, α1‐antitrypsin, fascin and actin. Dendritic and endothelial cell markers were negative. A diagnosis of FBRC tumour was made by combining pathological and clinical data. The patient received no therapy but 5 months later the tumour relapsed, exhibiting a deceptively pleomorphic cytology, phenotypic changes (strong cytokeratin positivity), intense p53 expression and aggressive clinical course with fatal outcome. In‐situ hybridization for Epstein–Barr virus was negative.Conclusions:  We speculate that the morphological changes and p53 expression of the relapsing neoplasm might reflect tumour cell dedifferentiation, in keeping with the aggressive clinical course. The intense p53 expression suggests that this oncoprotein might also play a role in reticulum cell tumorigenesis.
Cathepsin B, D and K expression in adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas relates to their levels of differentiation as determined by the patterns of retinoic acid receptor expression
Authors: Lubansu A , Ruchoux M‐M , Brotchi J , Salmon I , Kiss R , Lefranc F 
Published: December 2004

Aims:  To investigate the potential predictive value of cathepsins B, D and K in a series of 51 adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas. While almost always benign, craniopharyngiomas exhibit a high propensity to recur postsurgically and biological markers are therefore needed to predict their recurrence. We have previously demonstrated the potential predictive value of retinoic acid receptors (RARs) (Lefranc et al., J. Neurosurg. 2003; 98; 145–153).Methods and results:  Computer‐assisted microscopy was used to determine quantitatively the immunohistochemical levels of expression of the α, β and γ RAR subtypes and cathepsins B, D and K. The levels of expression of cathepsin D and of cathepsin B correlated significantly with the levels of expression of RARβ. The levels of expression of cathepsin K correlated significantly with the levels of expression of RARγ.Conclusions:  Recurrent adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas are characterized by low levels of RARβ and high levels of RARγ. The tendency to recurrence seems, at least partly, to relate to the fact that (i) craniopharyngiomas with low levels of RARβ express low levels of cathepsin D, and (ii) craniopharyngiomas with high levels of RARγ express high levels of cathepsin K.