bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Contribution of Primary Care Systems to Health Outcomes within Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Countries, 1970–1998
Authors: Macinko James , Starfield Barbara , Shi Leiyu 
Published: May 2003

Objective.To assess the contribution of primary care systems to a variety of health outcomes in 18 wealthy Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries over three decades.Data Sources/Study Setting.Data were primarily derived from OECDHealth Data 2001and from published literature. The unit of analysis is each of 18 wealthy OECD countries from 1970 to 1998 (totaln=504).Study Design.Pooled, cross‐sectional, time‐series analysis of secondary data using fixed effects regression.Data Collection/Extraction Methods.Secondary analysis of public‐use datasets. Primary care system characteristics were assessed using a common set of indicators derived from secondary datasets, published literature, technical documents, and consultation with in‐country experts.Principal Findings.The strength of a country's primary care system was negatively associated with (a) all‐cause mortality, (b) all‐cause premature mortality, and (c) cause‐specific premature mortality from asthma and bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia, cardiovascular disease, and heart disease (p<0.05 in fixed effects, multivariate regression analyses). This relationship was significant, albeit reduced in magnitude, even while controlling for macro‐level (GDP per capita, total physicians per one thousand population, percent of elderly) and micro‐level (average number of ambulatory care visits, per capita income, alcohol and tobacco consumption) determinants of population health.Conclusions.(1) Strong primary care system and practice characteristics such as geographic regulation, longitudinality, coordination, and community orientation were associated with improved population health. (2) Despite health reform efforts, few OECD countries have improved essential features of their primary care systems as assessed by the scale used here. (3) The proposed scale can also be used to monitor health reform efforts intended to improve primary care.
Accessibility of Addiction Treatment: Results from a National Survey of Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Organizations
Authors: Friedmann Peter D. , Lemon Stephenie C. , Stein Michael D. , D'Aunno Thomas A. 
Published: May 2003

Objectives This study examined organization‐level characteristics associated with the accessibility of outpatient addiction treatment.Methods Program directors and clinical supervisors from a nationally representative panel of outpatient substance abuse treatment units in the United States were surveyed in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Accessibility was measured from clinical supervisors' reports of whether the treatment organization provided “treatment on demand” (an average wait time of 48 hours or less for treatment entry), and of whether the program turned away any patients.Results In multivariable logistic models, provision of “treatment on demand” increased two‐fold from 1990 to 2000 (OR, 1.95; 95 percent CI, 1.5 to 2.6), while reports of turning patients away decreased nonsignificantly. Private for‐profit units were twice as likely to provide “treatment on demand” (OR, 2.2; 95 percent CI, 1.3 to 3.6), but seven times more likely to turn patients away (OR, 7.4; 95 percent CI, 3.2 to 17.5) than public programs. Conversely, units that served more indigent populations were less likely to provide “treatment on demand” or to turn patients away. Methadone maintenance programs were also less likely to offer “treatment on demand” (OR, .65; 95 percent CI, .42 to .99), but more likely to turn patients away (OR, 2.4; 95 percent CI, 1.4 to 4.3).Conclusions Although the provision of timely addiction treatment appears to have increased throughout the 1990s, accessibility problems persist in programs that care for indigent patients and in methadone maintenance programs.
The Quantitative Measurement of Organizational Culture in Health Care: A Review of the Available Instruments
Authors: Scott Tim , Mannion Russell , Davies Huw , Marshall Martin 
Published: May 2003

Objective. To review the quantitative instruments available to health service researchers who want to measure culture and cultural change.Data Sources. A literature search was conducted using Medline, Cinahl, Helmis, Psychlit, Dhdata, and the database of the King's Fund in London for articles published up to June 2001, using the phrase “organizational culture.” In addition, all citations and the gray literature were reviewed and advice was sought from experts in the field to identify instruments not found on the electronic databases. The search focused on instruments used to quantify culture with a track record, or potential for use, in health care settings.Data Extraction. For each instrument we examined the cultural dimensions addressed, the number of items for each questionnaire, the measurement scale adopted, examples of studies that had used the tool, the scientific properties of the instrument, and its strengths and limitations.Principal Findings. Thirteen instruments were found that satisfied our inclusion criteria, of which nine have a track record in studies involving health care organizations. The instruments varied considerably in terms of their grounding in theory, format, length, scope, and scientific properties.Conclusions. A range of instruments with differing characteristics are available to researchers interested in organizational culture, all of which have limitations in terms of their scope, ease of use, or scientific properties. The choice of instrument should be determined by how organizational culture is conceptualized by the research team, the purpose of the investigation, intended use of the results, and availability of resources.
'Conversations with Karl Barth (1886–1968) ‐ A review of recent studies'
Authors: Chalamet Christophe 
Published: May 2003

Books reviewed:John W. Hart. Karl Barth vs. Emil Brunner. The Formation and Dissolution of a Theological Alliance, 1916–1936.Terry L. Cross. Dialectic in Karl Barth's Doctrine of God.Richard E. Burnett. Karl Barth's Theological Exegesis. The Hermeneutical Principals of the Römerbrief Period.Joseph L. Mangina. Karl Barth on the Christian Life: The Practical Knowledge of God.
'Saving the Roman Catholic Church?'
Authors: Percy Martyn 
Published: May 2003

Books reviewed:Francis Buckley. The Church in Dialogue: Culture and Traditions.Anthony Gittins. Ministry at the Margins: Strategy and Spirituality for Mission.John Fuellenbach. Church: Community for the Kingdom.Nicholas Healy. Church, World and Christian Life: Practical‐Prophetic Ecclesiology.
Structuring the Classroom for Performance: Cooperative Learning with Instructor‐Assigned Teams*
Authors: Koppenhaver Gary D. , Shrader Charles B. 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACTThe main concern is a longstanding one in classroom instruction—the determinants of effective team performance. The paper explicitly examines the effect of teacher‐controlled factors on the use and functioning of student teams. From a sample of 500 undergraduate students, data are obtained on aptitude, diversity, instability, motivation, personality style, size, and performance. The regression results suggest that team motivation and instability, which are both partly controlled by the instructor, are particularly important in determining a team's performance. An implication is that instructor decisions about team make‐up and incentives can have a significant impact on student achievement.
Knowledge Acquisition and Memory Effects Involving an Expert System Designed as a Learning Tool for Internal Control Assessment*
Authors: Lenard Mary Jane 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACTThe assessment of internal control is a consideration in all financial statement audits, as stressed by the Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 78. According to this statement, “the auditor should obtain an understanding of internal control sufficient to plan the audit” (Accounting Standards Board, 1995, p. 1). Therefore, an accounting student will progress through the auditing course with the responsibility of learning how and why internal controls are assessed. Research in expert systems applied to auditing has shown that there is strong support for the constructive dialogue used in expert systems as a means of encouraging their use in decision making (Eining, Jones, & Loebbecke, 1997). The purpose of this study is to provide the student or novice auditor with a method for developing a more comprehensive understanding of internal controls and the use of internal controls in audit planning. The results of the study reinforce previous findings that novices do better when an expert system applies analogies along with declarative explanations, and clarifies the length of time in which the use of active learning in a training system can provide an improvement to declarative knowledge, but procedural knowledge must be acquired over a longer time frame.
Testing for the Transfer of Tacit Knowledge: Making a Case for Implicit Learning
Authors: Benjamin Martz Wm. , Shepherd Morgan M. 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACTCompanies are beginning to realize that simply storing data in warehouses and databases is not sufficient to ensure the usefulness of that data or information. As information is processed with a purpose (Ackoff & Emery, 1972), it becomes knowledge. Knowledge exists on many planes; one is the tacit‐explicit plane described byPolanyi (1966). Knowledge‐based applications are becoming a key factor in determining organizational value. For example, Activity‐Based Costing (ABC) and Knowledge Value Added (KVA) are two methodologies that organizations use to measure explicit knowledge. However, this interest in measuring and managing knowledge creates two important questions. First, do companies include tacit knowledge in their measurements of knowledge? Second, can educators demonstrate that they are helping increase tacit knowledge? This paper posits that companies may not be including the full range of knowledge in their endeavor to measure knowledge in their organizations. To help make a case for including tacit knowledge and implicit learning, an active learning exercise is created to demonstrate a method to quantify and test for changes in both types of knowledge. The results show that the activity created observable changes in explicit and tacit knowledge. Future research will need to concentrate further on understanding how the two types of knowledge interact. For now though, these results demonstrate one way to observe the two types of knowledge and more importantly, point out the need for organizations to find ways to value both implicit and explicit knowledge.
The Impact of Coordination Methods on the Enhancement of Business Writing
Authors: Prater Edmund , Rhee Hyeun‐Suk 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACTUniversities with limited resources are being pressured to cover more material within their degree programs. Because of this, schools are looking to integrate material from different classes. This paper sets out to determine if students can learn business writing within the context of another class, specifically, an information systems class. The goal is to eliminate the need for a separate business‐writing course. However, the students will have to learn the material with limited support in order not to place an additional load on the instructor. This study investigates whether individuals can develop their business‐writing skills during the course of repeated group work and whether there are differences in the level of their learning, based on collaborative media. The results show that individuals can learn business‐writing skills with a minimum of support through direct instruction. In addition, there is no difference between individuals working in face‐to‐face (F2F) groups and those working in groups using electronic collaborative work (ECW) systems.
No Downturn Here: Tracking E‐business Programs in Higher Education*
Authors: Fusilier Marcelline , Durlabhji Subhash 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACTAs the fortunes of e‐businesses fluctuate, what is the state of e‐business educational offerings? The present study attempted to explore this question by investigating the number and nature of e‐business programs available in colleges and universities. Results were compared to previously published findings on e‐business education. Data were collected from program web sites. Master's and bachelor's degree programs based in North America and elsewhere in the world were examined. Despite the “dot‐bomb” economy, the present data suggested large increases in all foreign and North American bachelor's programs between the start of the fall semester of 2000 and November 2001. The number of North American master's programs appeared to increase dramatically during the year 2000 and at a lesser rate afterward. Findings also suggested that bachelor's and foreign master's programs involved more technical e‐business courses than the North American master's programs. The educational and economic factors possibly underlying these trends are discussed.
Problem‐Based Learning for Production and Operations Management
Authors: Kanet John J. , Barut Mehmet 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we describe our application of “problem‐based learning” in the teaching of production/operations management. We describe a study of the effectiveness of this approach and present the results and analysis of this study. We provide a collection of our experiences in using this method and conclude with some general observations on its appropriateness to the teaching of production/operations management.
Macrolide Resistance by Ribosomal Mutation in Clinical Isolates of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
from the PROTEKT 1999-2000 Study
Authors: Farrell D. J. , Douthwaite S. , Morrissey I. , Bakker S. , Poehlsgaard J. , Jakobsen L. , Felmingham D. 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACT

Sixteen (1.5%) of the 1,043 clinical macrolide-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae
isolates collected and analyzed in the 1999-2000 PROTEKT (Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology for the Ketolide Telithromycin) study have resistance mechanisms other than rRNA methylation or efflux. We have determined the macrolide resistance mechanisms in all 16 isolates by sequencing the L4 and L22 riboprotein genes, plus relevant segments of the four genes for 23S rRNA, and the expression of mutant rRNAs was analyzed by primer extension. Isolates from Canada (
n
= 4), Japan (
n
= 3), and Australia (
n
= 1) were found to have an A2059G mutation in all four 23S rRNA alleles. The Japanese isolates additionally had a G95D mutation in riboprotein L22; all of these originated from the same collection center and were clonal. Three of the Canadian isolates were also clonal; the rest were not genetically related. Four German isolates had A2059G in one, two, and three 23S rRNA alleles and A2058G in two 23S rRNA alleles, respectively. An isolate from the United States had C2611G in three 23S rRNA alleles, one isolate from Poland had A2058G in three 23S rRNA alleles, one isolate from Turkey had A2058G in four 23S rRNA alleles, and one isolate from Canada had A2059G in two 23S rRNA alleles. Erythromycin and clindamycin resistance gradually increased with the number of A2059G alleles, whereas going from one to two mutant alleles caused sharp rises in the azithromycin, roxithromycin, and rokitamycin MICs. Comparisons of mutation dosage with rRNA expression indicates that not all alleles are equally expressed. Despite their high levels of macrolide resistance, all 16 isolates remained susceptible to the ketolide telithromycin (MICs, 0.015 to 0.25 μg/ml).
Variable Sensitivity to Bacterial Methionyl-tRNA Synthetase Inhibitors Reveals Subpopulations of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
with Two Distinct Methionyl-tRNA Synthetase Genes
Authors: Gentry Daniel R. , Ingraham Karen A. , Stanhope Michael J. , Rittenhouse Stephen , Jarvest Richard L. , O'Hanlon Peter J. , Brown James R. , Holmes David J. 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACT

As reported previously (J. R. Jarvest et al., J. Med. Chem. 45:1952-1962, 2002), potent inhibitors (at nanomolar concentrations) of
Staphylococcus aureus
methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetS; encoded by
metS1
) have been derived from a high-throughput screening assay hit. Optimized compounds showed excellent activities against staphylococcal and enterococcal pathogens. We report on the bimodal susceptibilities of
S. pneumoniae
strains, a significant fraction of which was found to be resistant (MIC, ≥8 mg/liter) to these inhibitors. Using molecular genetic techniques, we have found that the mechanism of resistance is the presence of a second, distantly related MetS enzyme, MetS2, encoded by
metS2
. We present evidence that the
metS2
gene is necessary and sufficient for resistance to MetS inhibitors. PCR analysis for the presence of
metS2
among a large sample (
n
= 315) of
S. pneumoniae
isolates revealed that it is widespread geographically and chronologically, occurring at a frequency of about 46%. All isolates tested also contained the
metS1
gene. Searches of public sequence databases revealed that
S. pneumoniae
MetS2 was most similar to MetS in
Bacillus anthracis
, followed by MetS in various non-gram-positive bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic species, with streptococcal MetS being considerably less similar. We propose that the presence of
metS2
in specific strains of
S. pneumoniae
is the result of horizontal gene transfer which has been driven by selection for resistance to some unknown class of naturally occurring antibiotics with similarities to recently reported synthetic MetS inhibitors.
Susceptibilities to Levofloxacin in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
,
Haemophilus influenzae
, and
Moraxella catarrhalis
Clinical Isolates from Children: Results from 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 TRUST Studies in the United States
Authors: Karlowsky James A. , Thornsberry Clyde , Critchley Ian A. , Jones Mark E. , Evangelista Alan T. , Noel Gary J. , Sahm Daniel F. 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACT

Among respiratory tract isolates of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
from children, resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) increases on an annual basis. Pediatric patients who do not respond to conventional therapy for respiratory tract infections someday may be treated with fluoroquinolones. In this study, MICs of β-lactams, azithromycin, SXT, and levofloxacin were determined and interpreted by using NCCLS guidelines for isolates of
S. pneumoniae
(2,834 from children and 10,966 from adults),
Haemophilus influenzae
(629 from children and 2,281 from adults), and
Moraxella catarrhalis
(389 from children and 1,357 from adults) collected during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 respiratory illness seasons in the United States as part of the ongoing TRUST surveillance studies. Rates of resistance to penicillin, azithromycin, and SXT were ≥7.5% higher among patients ≤4 years old than among patients 5 to 10, 11 to 17, and ≥18 years old in both the 2000-2001 and the 2001-2002 respiratory illness seasons. Levofloxacin resistance was detected in 2 of 2,834 isolates (0.07%) from patients <18 years old. Levofloxacin MICs of 0.25 to 1 μg/ml accounted for 99.6, 99.5, 99.3, 99.7, 98.4, and 98.0% of isolates from patients <2, 2 to 4, 5 to 10, 11 to 17, 18 to 64, and >64 years old. Multidrug resistance was twice as common among patients ≤4 years old (25.3%) as among patients 5 to 10 years old (13.7%), 11 to 17 years old (11.9%), 18 to 64 years old (12.1%), and >64 years old (12.4%). The most common multidrug resistance phenotype in
S. pneumoniae
isolates for all age groups was resistance to penicillin, azithromycin, and SXT (70.3 to 76.6%). For
H. influenzae
and
M. catarrhalis
isolates from patients <2, 2 to 4, 5 to 10, 11 to 17, 18 to 64, and >64 years old, levofloxacin MICs at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited were 0.015 and 0.03 to 0.06 μg/ml, respectively, in the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 respiratory illness seasons. In the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 respiratory illness season surveillance studies in the United States, 99.9% of pediatric isolates of
S. pneumoniae
were susceptible to levofloxacin. If fluoroquinolones become a treatment option for pediatric patients, careful monitoring of fluoroquinolone susceptibilities will be increasingly important in future surveillance studies.
Oral Bioavailability and In Vivo Efficacy of the Helicase-Primase Inhibitor BILS 45 BS against Acyclovir-Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1
Authors: Duan Jianmin , Liuzzi Michel , Paris William , Liard Francine , Browne Abigail , Dansereau Nathalie , Simoneau Bruno , Faucher Anne-Marie , Cordingley Michael G. 
Published: May 2003

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the oral bioavailability and efficacy of BILS 45 BS, a selective herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase inhibitor, against acyclovir (ACV)-resistant (ACV
r
) infections mediated by the HSV type 1 (HSV-1)
dl
sptk and PAA
r
5 mutant strains. In vitro, the compound was more potent than ACV against wild-type clinical and laboratory HSV-1 strains and ACV
r
HSV isolates, as determined by a standard plaque reduction assay, with a mean 50% effective concentration of about 0.15 μM. The oral bioavailability of BILS 45 BS in hairless mice was 49%, with a peak concentration in plasma of 31.5 μM after administration of a single dose of 25 mg/kg. Following cutaneous infection of nude mice, both the HSV-1
dl
sptk and PAA
r
5 mutant strains induced significant, reproducible, and persistent cutaneous lesions that lasted for more than 2 weeks. Oral treatment with ACV (100 or 125 mg/kg/day, three times a day by gavage) did not affect either mutant-induced infection. In contrast, BILS 45 BS at an oral dose of 100 mg/kg/day almost completely abolished cutaneous lesions mediated by both ACV
r
HSV-1 mutants. The 50% effective doses of BILS 45 BS were 56.7 and 61 mg/kg/day against
dl
sptk- and PAA
r
5-induced infections, respectively. Taken together, our results demonstrate very effective oral therapy of experimental ACV
r
HSV-1 infections in nude mice and support the potential use of HSV helicase-primase inhibitors for the treatment of nucleoside-resistant HSV disease in humans.