bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Medicare Expenditures for Residents in Assisted Living: Data from a National Study
Authors: Phillips Charles D. , Holan Scott , Sherman Michael , Spector William , Hawes Catherine 
Published: March 2005

Objective. To provide preliminary data on Medicare expenditures for assisted living facility (ALF) residents and to investigate whether ALF characteristics were related to Medicare expenditures for ALF residents.Data Sources/Study Setting. Data from the National Study of Assisted Living for the Frail Elderly conducted in 1998–1999. This analysis was restricted to the 40 percent of ALFs in that sample that adhered to the assisted living (AL) philosophy by offering more than minimal levels of services and privacy. This study involved the approximately 1,200 residents who remained in an ALF from baseline to follow‐up data collection. Six months of postbaseline Medicare claims were acquired for 545 of these residents, who did not differ significantly from the larger sample.Data Collection. Baseline individual and facility data were collected in personal interviews with residents and a combination of personal and telephone interviews with facility staff. Medicare claims data were acquired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Study Design. Cross‐sectional analyses using logistic and ordinary least squares regression techniques were used to determine the relationships among individual and facility characteristics and Medicare utilization and expenditures.Principal Findings. On an annualized basis, AL residents incurred Medicare costs of approximately $4,800. Just less than 15 percent of AL residents accounted for over 75 percent of total Medicare costs. Both the likelihood of utilizing Medicare‐covered services and the intensity of service use were largely unaffected by the characteristics of the ALF in which residents lived. Utilization was largely a function of individual characteristics. The only exception to this general finding was that those individuals who utilized services and resided in smaller ALFs had significantly lower average expenditures than did individuals in larger ALFs.Conclusions. These preliminary data imply that both the level and distribution of Medicare expenditures among ALF residents were similar to those among the general community‐dwelling Medicare beneficiary population. No significant relationships were observed between ALF characteristics and Medicare expenditures, except the effect of facility size. This result may imply that how the AL industry eventually defines itself in terms of services and amenities, other than size, may have little impact on Medicare expenditures for ALF residents. However, this is a single, initial study, so caution must be exercised when considering the implications of these results.
A New Free-Free Resonant Column Device for Measurement of Gmax and Dmin at Higher Confining Stresses
Authors: Kalinski ME , Thummaluru MSR 
Published: March 2005

Abstract
The fixed-free resonant column device has traditionally been used to measure shear modulus in laboratory soil and rock specimens. It is a proven method that provides measurements over a range of shear strain and effective confining stress (σ′o), but the test relies on a specialized system of coils and magnets. The free-free resonant column device is a simpler device that allows for measurement of small-strain shear modulus (Gmax) and small-strain material damping (Dmin). However, σ′o in the free-free device has traditionally been limited to a maximum attainable vacuum pressure of around 80 kPa, because the test has not been configured in a pressurized cell. Therefore, a new free-free device was developed to allow measurements in a pressurized cell with σ′o greater than 80 kPa, while remotely exciting the specimen with a rotary solenoid. Test results demonstrate its potential for measuring Gmax and Dmin under higher levels of σ′o that are more representative of in situ conditions.
Field Validation of Superpave Shear Test on NCAT Test Track
Authors: Zhang J , Xie H , Kandhal PS , Powell RD 
Published: March 2005

Abstract
When the National Center for Asphalt Technology Test Track was built in 2000, one of the primary objectives was to determine the ability of a number of laboratory tests to predict the permanent deformation of various mixtures. Repeated Shear at Constant Height (RSCH) was included as one of the tests in the laboratory study. The subject of this paper is field validation of the Superpave Shear Tester (SST) based on the field rutting data from the Test Track. Permanent shear strain, slope of the deformation rate, repetitions to a certain strain level, and shear modulus were the parameters evaluated for RSCH. The sensitivity of SST test to asphalt binder type in the various test track sections was analyzed. The relationship between RSCH test results and field rut depth was poor. This was partly due to the good quality of the track construction, thick pavement structure, and mild summers during the loading of the 2000 track, which did not cause any significant rutting. The sensitivity study indicated that PG 76-22 binder performed better than the PG 67-22 binder in the RSCH test. The criteria developed by the Asphalt Institute seem to be in a reasonable range.
Mitochondrial DNA HVRI variation in Balearic populations
Authors: Picornell A. , Gómez‐Barbeito L. , Tomàs C. , Castro J.A. , Ramon M.M. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractThe Balearic archipelago (Majorca, Minorca, and Ibiza islands and the Chuetas, a small and inbred community of descendants of Sephardic Jews) and Valencia were studied by means of the sequencing of a 404‐bp segment of hypervariable region I (HVRI) mtDNA in 231 individuals. In total, 127 different haplotypes defined by 92 variable positions were identified. The incidence of unique haplotypes was very low, especially in Ibiza and the Chuetas. A remarkable observation in the Chueta community was the high frequency (23%) of preHV‐1, a Middle Eastern lineage that is closely related, though not identical, to many others found at high frequencies in different Jewish populations. The presence of this haplogroup convincingly supported the Jewish origin of the Chueta community. The studied populations showed a reduced African contribution, and no individuals were detected with North African haplogroup U6, indicating a lack of maternal contribution from the Moslem settlement to these populations. Only Ibiza showed a lower diversity, indicating a possible genetic drift effect, also supported by the historical information known about this island. The variability in the sequence of mtDNA hypervariable region I correlated well with the existing information from the populations, with the exception of that of the Y‐chromosome, which could indicate a differential contribution of the maternal and paternal lineages to the genetic pool of the Balearic Islands. The phylogenetic trees showed the intermediate position of the Chueta population between the Middle Eastern and Majorcan samples, confirming the Jewish origin of this population and their Spanish admixture. Am J Phys Anthropol 128:119‐130, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of the length of the carbochain on the phase behavior of side‐chain cholesteric liquid‐crystalline elastomers
Authors: He Xiao‐Zhi , Zhang Bao‐Yan , Meng Fan‐Bao , Lin Jian‐Rong 
Published: March 2005

AbstractIn this study, we prepared two series of new side‐chain cholesteric liquid‐crystalline elastomers (PI and PII) derived from the same chiral bisolefinic crosslinking units and different nematic liquid‐crystalline monomers. The chemical structures of the monomers and polymers obtained were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and 1H‐NMR spectroscopy. The phase behavior properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and polarizing optical microscopy. The effect of the length of the carbochain on the phase behavior of the elastomers was investigated. The polymers of the PI and PII series showed similar properties. Polymer P1 showed a nematic phase, P2–P7 showed a cholesteric phase, and P4–P7, with more than 6 mol % of the chiral crosslinking agent, exhibited a selective reflection of light. The elastomers containing less than 15 mol % of the crosslinking units displayed elasticity, a reversible phase transition with wide mesophase temperature ranges, and a high thermal stability. The experimental results demonstrate that the glass‐transition temperatures first decreased and then increased; the isotropization temperatures and the mesophase temperature ranges decreased with increasing content of crosslinking agent. However, because of the different lengths of the carbochain, the glass‐transition temperatures and phase‐transition temperatures of the PI series were higher than those of the PII series, and the PI and PII elastomers had their own special optical properties. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1204–1210, 2005
Artificial Metalloenzymes for Enantioselective Catalysis Based on the Noncovalent Incorporation of Organometallic Moieties in a Host Protein
Authors: Ward Thomas R. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractEnzymatic and homogeneous catalysis offer complementary means to produce enantiopure products. Incorporation of achiral, biotinylated aminodiphosphine–rhodium complexes in (strept)avidin affords enantioselective hydrogenation catalysts. A combined chemogenetic procedure allows the optimization of the activity and the selectivity of such artificial metalloenzymes: the reduction of acetamidoacrylate proceeds to produce N‐acetamidoalanine in either 96 % ee (R) or 80 % ee (S). In addition to providing a chiral second coordination sphere and, thus, selectivity to the catalyst, the phenomenon of protein‐accelerated catalysis (e.g., increased activity) was unraveled. Such artificial metalloenzymes based on the biotin–avidin technology display features that are reminiscent of both homogeneous and of enzymatic catalysis.
Body mass index in long‐term adult survivors of childhood cancer
Authors: Meacham Lillian R. , Gurney James G. , Mertens Ann C. , Ness Kirsten K. , Sklar Charles A. , Robison Leslie L. , Oeffinger Kevin C. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe goals of the current study were to determine the distribution of body mass index (BMI) of survivors of common pediatric malignancies and to identify factors associated with abnormal BMI.METHODSThe Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a multicenter cohort study of ≥ 5‐year survivors of pediatric cancer diagnosed between 1970 and 1986. Self‐reported heights and weights were used to calculate BMI for 7195 adult survivors, compared with population‐based, age‐specific, and gender‐specific norms from the 1995 National Health Interview Survey. Underweight was defined as a BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 and obese as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2.RESULTSSurvivors of leukemia were more likely to be obese (females: odds ratio [OR] = 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–1.8; males: OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0–1.5). Survivors more likely to be underweight included female and male survivors of Hodgkin disease (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3–2.3 and OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 2.3–5.3) and Wilms tumor (OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2–2.8 and OR = 5.5; 95% CI, 3.1–9.7), female survivors of bone carcinoma without amputation (OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2–2.9), and male survivors of leukemia (OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6–3.6), brain tumors (OR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6–4.4), non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (OR = 3.1; 95% CI, 1.9–5.2), neuroblastoma (OR = 4.9; 95% CI, 2.48–10.0), and soft tissue sarcoma (OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 2.0–6.0). In females, treatment with total body irradiation, alkylating agents, and anthracyclines and in males, treatment with abdominal radiation, younger age at treatment, and treatment with anthracyclines and alkylating agents were associated with being underweight. Underweight survivors were more likely to report adverse health and major medical conditions.CONCLUSIONSA significant proportion of childhood survivors of cancer are underweight as adults and the impact of this on the general health of survivors will need to be addressed further. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Capillary electrophoresis‐electrospray‐mass spectrometry of nucleosides and nucleotides: Application to phosphorylation studies of anti‐human immunodeficiency virus nucleosides in a human hepatoma cell line
Authors: Liu Charles C. , Huang Jyy S. , Tyrrell David L. J. , Dovichi Norman J. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractWe report the use of capillary electrophoresis‐electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry (CE‐ESI‐MS) for the determination of antiretroviral dideoxynucleosides (ddNs), their nucleotides, and a set of ribonucleosides and ribonucleotides. A CE system for separation of most commonly used antiretroviral ddNs has been developed based on a basic buffer with a volatile electrolyte suitable for ESI‐MS detection in an untreated capillary column. Positive and negative ionization modes are investigated and compared for sensitive and stable electrospray performance. A 14‐compound mixture of nucleosides and nucleotides is profiled in a single capillary zone electrophoresis separation with a distinct elution order: electroosmotic flow, ddNs, mononucleotides, dinucleotides, and trinucleotides in less than 18 min. The fragmentation pathways of the nucleosides and nucleotides in ESI‐MS have been interpreted. Concentration limits of detection are 100 to 200 nM with an injection volume of ∼10 nL. This technique has been used to detect naturally occurring nucleotides and to study the metabolism of lamivudine (3TC) in the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2. 3TC and its metabolites 3TC‐monophosphate, 3TC‐diphosphate, and 3TC‐triphosphate were detected after 10 h of incubation of 3TC with the cells.
A detailed study of monolithic contacts and electrical losses in a large‐area thin‐film module
Authors: Brecl Kristijan , Topič Marko , Smole Franc 
Published: March 2005

AbstractA study of the electrical losses of thin‐film modules is presented. Using the electrical circuit simulator PSpice, the influence of the distributed series resistance of the top and the bottom contact of the active area and the influence of the monolithic contact area on the module performance was revealed and demonstrated. A large impact of the distributed series resistance of transparent conducting oxide layer on the module performance was analysed. Study of the monolithic contact area shows a crucial impact of the back‐contact separation cut on the module performance. All other regions that form the monolithic contact contribute significantly to the width of the dead area region in a module. An application of the CIGS‐based study of the monolithic contact on an a‐Si/μc‐Si module is presented. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Holistic and part‐based face recognition in children with autism
Authors: Joseph Robert M. , Tanaka James 
Published: March 2005

Background:  There is substantial evidence that children with autism are impaired in face recognition. Although many researchers have suggested that this impairment derives from a failure of holistic face processing and a tendency to represent and encode faces on a part‐by‐part basis, this hypothesis has not been tested directly.Method:  Holistic face processing was assessed by comparing children's ability to recognize a face part (eyes, nose, or mouth) in the context of the whole face in which it was learned with their ability to recognize the same face part in isolation.Results:  In Study 1, as expected, typically developing 9‐year‐olds (n=27) and 11‐year‐olds (n=30) were significantly better at recognizing face parts presented in the whole than in the part test condition, and this effect was limited to upright faces and not found for inverted faces. Consistent with prior findings, typically developing children were most accurate when face recognition depended on the eyes. In Study 2, high‐functioning children with autism (n=22) evidenced a whole‐test advantage for mouths only, and were markedly deficient when face recognition depended on the eyes. Their pattern of performance diverged from age‐ and IQ‐matched comparison participants (n=20), who performed similarly to the typically developing children in Study 1.Conclusions:  These findings suggest that face recognition abnormalities in autism are not fully explained by an impairment of holistic face processing, and that there is an unusual significance accorded to the mouth region when children with autism process information from people's faces.
Do sibling and friend relationships share the same temperamental origins? A twin study
Authors: Pike Alison , Atzaba‐Poria Naama 
Published: March 2005

Background:  Friendship and sibling relationships differ in that there is an element of choice in friendships, whilst the latter represent a fixed and given relationship. The present study set out to investigate the temperamental correlates of friendships and sibling relationships, as well as to examine their genetic and environmental components.Method  Two hundred and twelve same‐sex twin‐pairs (102 MZ and 110 DZ; 104 male pairs and 108 female pairs) aged between 12 and 15, together with their parents, comprised the sample. The twins themselves reported on both negative and positive aspects of the two relationships, and all family members provided reports of the twins’ temperament (mothers, fathers, and adolescent self‐reports).Results:  Analyses revealed that negative aspects of both the sibling relationship and friendship were related to emotionality, while the positive aspects of these relationships were associated with sociability and activity. Genetic influences and the shared environment accounted for variance seen in the sibling relationship. In addition, nonshared environment accounted for a moderate amount of the sibling relationship variability and explained most of the variance for the friendship components. Finally, bivariate analyses of the covariance between temperament and close relationships highlighted the importance of nonshared environmental influences during adolescence.Conclusion:  Three themes emerged. First, congruent temperamental expressions were seen across these two relationships’ contexts. Second, friendship and the sibling relationship have distinct etiological profiles, indicating the child‐specific character of adolescent friendships versus the reciprocal nature of the sibling relationship. Finally, the common influences to temperament and relationship quality provided evidence for the validity of adolescents’ unique, nonshared experiences.
Agreements among traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Sung J. J. Y. , Leung W. K. , Ching J. Y. L. , Lao L. , Zhang G. , Wu J. C. Y. , Liang S. M. , Xie H. , Ho Y. P. , Chan L. S. , Berman B. , Chan F. K. L. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryBackground : Traditional Chinese Medicine was frequently used by patients with irritable bowel syndrome.Aim : To evaluate the agreement on diagnoses and prescription of irritable bowel syndrome among Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners.Methods : Consecutive irritable bowel syndrome patients were interviewed independently by four Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. The study was divided into three phases: (i) blinded individual assessment, (ii) discussion to achieve consensus on diagnosis and treatment, (iii) individual assessment based on consensual diagnostic criteria. Patients with other causes of diarrhoea were recruited as controls in phase (iii). Percentage agreement and kappa‐value in diagnosis, treatment principle and regime were determined.Results : Thirty‐nine irritable bowel syndrome patients were assessed in phase (i) whereas 65 irritable bowel syndrome patients and 17 non‐irritable bowel syndrome controls were studied in phase (iii). The mean agreement rates in diagnosis, treatment principle and regimen were: 57, 58 and 52% for phase (i) and 80, 81 and 80% for phase (iii) (P = 0.002). Accordingly, there was significant improvement in the mean kappa‐values in diagnosis (0.11–0.34, P = 0.015) and treatment principle (0.16–0.37, P = 0.002) but not in treatment regime.Conclusions : Variations in diagnosis and treatment principles do exist among Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. Concordant diagnosis can be reached by mutual understanding and converging opinion among Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners.
Comorbidity of irritable bowel syndrome in general practice: a striking feature with clinical implications
Authors: Vandvik P. O. , Wilhelmsen I. , Ihlebæk C. , Farup P. G. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryBackground : Somatic comorbid symptoms might identify irritable bowel syndrome patients with different aetiologies and needs of treatment.Aims : To measure comorbid symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in general practice, and to explore characteristics of patients with low, intermediate and high somatic comorbidity.Methods : Prospective study of 208 of 278 consecutive patients with irritable bowel syndrome (Rome II) in nine general practices. Questionnaires assessed 22 comorbid symptoms (subjective health complaint inventory), psychosocial factors including psychological distress (Symptom Check list‐10) and quality of life (Short form‐12). Subjective health complaint data from 1240 adults (controls) constituted a reference material. Patients with low, intermediate and high somatic comorbidity were identified by a somatic comorbidity score (17 subjective health complaint items). Health care seeking was assessed after 6–9 months.Results : Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (67% females, mean age 50, s.d. 16) reported 20 of 22 comorbid symptoms significantly more frequent than controls (odds ratios = 2–7, P < 0.001). The somatic comorbidity score correlated with psychological distress (R = 0.46, P < 0.001). Patients with high somatic comorbidity reported higher levels of mood disorder, health anxiety, neuroticism, adverse life events and reduced quality of life and increased health care seeking when compared to those with low and intermediate somatic comorbidity (P‐values < 0.05).Conclusions : Our findings support the hypothesis that structured assessment of comorbid somatic symptoms might identify subgroups with different aetiology and needs of treatment.
New ovine PrP gene haplotypes as a result of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PrP gene promoter
Authors: O'Neill G.T. , Cairns D. , Toovey L. , Goldmann W. , Hunter N. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryIncidence of scrapie in sheep is strongly associated with PrP gene amino acid codon variants at positions 136, 154 and 171. However, there are breed differences in disease linkage and anomalous disease patterns which cannot obviously be explained by the ‘3 codon’ genotype. Mouse studies indicate that PrP protein levels can influence scrapie disease progression and this prompted us to study the sheep PrP gene promoter region in a search for novel polymorphisms which may influence gene expression and hence disease susceptibility. The incidence of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at positions C/A‐5354, T/C‐5382 and C/G‐5622 within the PrP gene promoter region was determined from Neuropathogenesis Unit (NPU) and New Zealand (NZ) Cheviot and UK and NZ Suffolk sheep. The SNP variants A‐5354 and G‐5622 created consensus sequences for STAT and SP1 transcription factors, respectively, and C‐5382 was within Motif 1, one of four conserved motifs found within the promoter region of mammalian PrP genes. The occurrence of C/A‐5354 and T/C‐5384 SNP exhibited differential associations with the PrP open reading frame (ORF) variants linked to scrapie susceptibility. A significant imbalance in the incidence of the C‐5354/AXQ haplotype was found in the NPU Cheviot flock. C‐5382 was not found in Suffolk sheep of either UK or NZ origin. The G‐5622 SNP was found at a lower incidence in Suffolk sheep compared with Cheviots. The range of transcription factor binding motif profiles in the PrP gene promoter may act to modulate PrP gene activity and warrants further large‐scale study.