bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Taxing the Poor: The Politics of Income Taxation in Ireland
Authors: Hardiman Niamh 
Published: July 2005

Income tax is the largest single means of generating revenue in modern states, and its impact is felt by virtually all members of society. How it is levied is therefore a matter of the highest political significance. Yet countries vary greatly in the manner in which they allocate the burden of paying income tax. In Ireland, the profile of income tax has changed dramatically throughout the course of economic modernization, since about 1960. By 1980 it was generally agreed that employees were carrying too much of the burden, especially those on fairly low incomes. Steady growth in recent years has enabled governments to cut tax rates while still bringing in rising revenue. But shifting the distribution of tax has proved very difficult, and tax reform has tended to favor the wealthy most. This article draws on comparative political science literature to highlight the political and institutional variables relevant to explaining these trends.“The Chancellor of the Exchequer is a man whose duties make him more or less of a taxing machine. He is entrusted with a certain amount of misery which it is his duty to distribute as fairly as he can” (Robert Lowe, Viscount Sherbrooke, (Liberal), Hansard, 1870, April 11, col. 1639).
Book Notes
Authors: Perkins William B. 
Published: July 2005

R. Douglas Arnold, Michael J. Graetz, and Alicia H. Munnell (Eds.), Framing the Social Security Debate: Values, Politics, and Economics.Eugene Bardach, Getting Agencies to Work Together: The Practice and Theory of Managerial Craftsmanship.J. Patrick Dobel, Public Integrity.Milton Fisk, Toward a Healthy Society: The Morality and Politics of American Health Care Reform.Marie Gottschalk, The Shadow Welfare State: Labor, Business, and the Politics of Health Care in the United States.Graeme A. Hodge, Privatization: An International Review of Performance.Donald F. Kettl, The Global Public Management Revolution: A Report on the Transformation of Governance.Steven G. Koven, Public Budgeting in the United States: The Cultural and Ideological Setting.George A. Krause, A Two‐way Street: The Institutional Dynamics of the Modern Administrative State.Michael T. McGuire and William H. Anderson, The U.S. Healthcare Dilemma: Mirrors and Chains.Kenneth J. Meier and Jeff Gill, What Works: A New Approach to Program and Policy Analysis.Karen Mossberger, The Politics of Ideas and the Spread of Enterprise Zones.Kate O'Neill, Waste Trading among Rich Nations: Building a New Theory of Environmental Regulation.William Simonsen and Mark D. Robbins, Citizen Participation in Resource Allocation.John D. Wirth, Smelter Smoke in North America: The Politics of Transborder Pollution.
Big City Labor Markets and Immigrant Economic Performance
Authors: James Franklin J. , Romine Jeff , Resnick Terry Phyllis 
Published: July 2005

Franklin J. James spent much of his career working to understand and improve our metropolitan communities. His interests were varied, ranging from impacts of fiscal and economic distress on urban areas to understanding socioeconomic forces reviving our central cities. During the last several years, Professor James had turned his attention to examining the positive economic impacts immigrants and ethnic communities have for reinvigorating our central cities‐and beginning to investigate how non‐native American's will impact America's suburbs in metropolitan settingsThis preliminary exploration examines destination choices of immigrants, the characteristics of immigrant labor markets, and the determinants of immigrant earnings. The article begins to explore indirect evidence on the economic efficiency with which immigrants and native workers distribute themselves within and among labor markets as well as the assimilation process facing new immigrants. Evidence is presented to explain how the earnings of recent immigrants are affected by their human capital characteristics, their race, and ethnicity, and other factors. We reject the hypothesis that immigrants participate in a tertiary sector of urban labor markets and conclude that the determinants of immigrant earnings are similar enough to those of U.S. natives that it makes sense to assume that they work in the same primary labor market in which most native White Americans work. We find that urban labor markets for immigrants are surprisingly efficient, thus enabling immigrants to take advantage of economic opportunities. A major exception concerns what appears to be a powerful effect of discrimination on the economic progress of Black immigrants.
Discrepancies between self‐ratings of and satisfaction with oral health in two older adult populations
Authors: Locker David , Gibson Barry 
Published: July 2005

Abstract –Objectives:  General health perceptions, usually measured by means of single‐item indicators, are commonly included in health and oral health surveys. The aim of the study reported here was to assess the relationship between self‐rated oral health and satisfaction with oral health in two studies of older adult populations.Methods:  Participants in Study 1 were aged 50 years and over, the majority of whom had multiple chronic medical conditions and disabilities and lived within a multi‐level geriatric care setting. They were recruited when attending a clinic in that setting for their annual dental screening. Participants in Study 2 were somewhat healthier community dwelling individuals, also aged 50 years and older, who took part. They were originally recruited by means of a telephone survey based on random‐digit dialling. For Study 1, data were collected by means of personal interviews and a review of dental clinic charts, while for Study 2 personal interviews, clinical examination and self‐completed questionnaires were used. Measures included self‐rated oral health, satisfaction with oral health, oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) and tooth loss.Results:  Data were obtained from 225 persons in Study 1 and 541 in Study 2. In both studies there was a significant association between self‐ratings of oral health and satisfaction with oral health. However, also in both studies there was a discrepancy between the measures: approximately 10% of those with favourable oral health ratings were dissatisfied while approximately half of those with unfavourable ratings were satisfied. Those with apparently discordant responses had significantly higher scores on OHRQoL measures such as the GOHAI and the OHIP‐14 than those with concordant responses. In Study 2, a similar discrepancy between self‐rated general health and satisfaction with general health was also observed.Conclusions:  There is degree of discordance between self‐ratings of and satisfaction with both oral and general health status in the older adult populations studied here. This may be because of the expectations concerning health in later life. More needs to be known about the frames of reference people use in constructing their responses to questions designed to assess health perceptions.
Laparoscopic partial hepatectomy
Authors: D’Angelica Michael 
Published: July 2005

Objective:  To review the literature that addresses carrying out laparoscopic partial hepatectomyMethodology:  A review and analysis of the English‐speaking literature addressing laparoscopic partial hepatectomy.Results:  Laparoscopic partial hepatectomy is carried out in limited numbers and mostly on small tumours requiring wedge or segmental resections. No prospective trials have been carried out comparing laparoscopic techniques to open surgery, but case control comparisons suggest that this technique is safe and associated with shortened hospital stay and decreased incisional pain. Major hepatectomies have been carried out laparoscopically, but in very limited numbers and published experience is not sufficient to formally address this operation.Conclusions:  Laparoscopic minor partial hepatectomy appears to be safe and of some benefit to patients if carried out by surgeons experienced in both laparoscopic and hepatic surgery. The ultimate utility of this novel surgical technique will have to be determined by future randomized prospective trials.
Pituitary adenomas: Trans‐sphenoidal experience of 300 cases
Authors: Golwa Habila Filimon , Lei Ting , Su Kai 
Published: July 2005

Objective:  The main aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness and complication rate of the 1 cm right‐sided unilateral sublabial trans‐sphenoidal surgery for patients with pituitary adenoma equal to or greater than 5 mm in diameter.Method:  A total of 350 patients were surgically treated for pituitary adenomas between December 1999 and December 2003 in an academic neurosurgical unit in China. Three hundred patients (86%) were treated with the 1‐cm right‐sided unilateral sublabial trans‐sphenoidal approach. The mean age of patients was 43 years (range 10–78 years) and female patients accounted for 59% of the total. One hundred and ninety‐six (64%) patients had functioning endocrine tumours and 104 (36%) patients had non‐functioning tumours or macroadenomas. Tumours which were outside this simple and basic classification were excluded from the study.Results:  There were no operative mortalities. One patient developed hypopituitarism and 16 (5%) developed transient diabetes insipidus that required pituitrin treatment. The remission rate for macroadenoma was 85% and that for microadenoma was 98.5% during a medium term follow‐up of 1–5 years. One hundred and fifteen patients had prolactin secreting tumours and 90.4% achieved endocrine remission. Fifty‐six patients had growth hormone secreting tumours and 75.4% achieved endocrine remission. Preoperatively, one hundred and fifty‐one patients presented with visual impairment and 148 (98%) achieved a documented improvement in visual acuity. The mean duration of hospital stay was 4 days (range 3–7 days).Conclusion:  This minimally invasive trans‐sphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas could be used as the primary treatment for small pituitary tumours. The effectiveness of the tumour removal and low morbidity rate compare favourably with the conventional sublabial approach as well as the more recently developed endoscopic endonasal approaches.
Evaluation of PCR for Diagnosis of Indian Kala-Azar and Assessment of Cure
Authors: Maurya R. , Singh R. K. , Kumar B. , Salotra P. , Rai M. , Sundar S. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT
This study was done to evaluate PCR with Ld1 primers for the diagnosis of Indian visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and to assess its role in prediction of the disease outcome. The PCR assay was performed with DNA isolated from the peripheral blood of parasitologically confirmed cases of VL before the initiation of treatment, just after the end of treatment, and at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. The pretreatment PCR result was positive for 100 of 101 patients (sensitivity, 99%; confidence interval [CI], 94 to 100%). None of the 150 negative controls tested were PCR positive (specificity, 100%; CI, 96.8 to 100%). Of 60 patients who were treated at our center, 51 (85%; CI, 73 to 93%) became negative immediately after treatment and continued to be negative at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. At the 3-month follow-up, two of the remaining nine patients were PCR positive, making 58 (96.7%; CI, 87 to 100%) patients PCR negative. At the 6-month follow-up, all patients became PCR negative. One patient who was PCR negative immediately after the end of treatment relapsed 11 months later. This limited prospective study with VL patients suggests that the PCR assay is a highly sensitive and specific (99% and 100%, respectively) tool for the diagnosis of VL. In the majority of patients, it can identify a successful disease outcome; however, its translation into the field setting remains a major challenge.
Molecular Detection and Quantitative Analysis of the Entire Spectrum of Human Adenoviruses by a Two-Reaction Real-Time PCR Assay
Authors: Ebner K. , Suda M. , Watzinger F. , Lion T. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT
Adenoviruses (AdV) can cause life-threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. Reliable diagnostic tests are therefore of paramount importance. Apparently, any of the six AdV species (A to F), currently comprising 51 different serotypes, can play a clinically important role in patients with impaired immune response. It is imperative therefore that diagnostic assays cover the entire spectrum of these viruses. We have sequenced presumably conserved regions of the adenoviral genome in all AdV serotypes. Based on the complete sequence information of the hexon gene, we were able to develop a two-reaction real-time PCR assay covering all human adenoviruses with equally high specificity and sensitivity. The detection systems were tested using reference strains for all 51 serotypes and >1,000 clinical samples derived from peripheral blood and stool specimens from pediatric patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The two-reaction assay presented permits highly specific detection and quantification of adenoviral DNA of any serotype. From the perspective of routine clinical diagnosis, the assay represents an important improvement over existing approaches by providing a sensitive and economic technique for early detection and monitoring of adenoviral infections.
Comparison of Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis with Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis,
spa
Typing, and Multilocus Sequence Typing for Clonal Characterization of
Staphylococcus aureus
Isolates
Authors: Malachowa Natalia , Sabat Artur , Gniadkowski Marek , Krzyszton-Russjan Jolanta , Empel Joanna , Miedzobrodzki Jacek , Kosowska-Shick Klaudia , Appelbaum Peter C. , Hryniewicz Waleria 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), a new PCR-based method of typing
Staphylococcus aureus
, was compared to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE),
spa
typing, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) on a group of 59
S. aureus
(mostly methicillin-resistant) clinical isolates. The aim of the study was to establish possible criteria of clustering MLVA patterns and to check concordance levels between the results produced by MLVA and the three other typing methods. As in our earlier study, MLVA turned out to have discriminatory power similar to that of PFGE. Comparison of data obtained by the two approaches allowed us to propose a 70% or ca. 80% cutoff value of the similarity between two MLVA patterns, depending on a cutoff level applied to interpret the PFGE results, 75% or ca. 90%, respectively. The cutoff values corresponded to the difference of up to six or four bands, respectively, among maximum 14 bands in total produced by two isolates in the analysis. The MLVA clusters matched well those obtained by PFGE, and they were also consistent in general with clusters generated by
spa
typing and MLST, these latter methods characterized lower resolution. Our results suggest that MLVA may be reliable in shorter-term
S. aureus
epidemiological studies, including analyses of outbreaks and hospital-to-hospital strain transmission events. Well-known advantages of typing methods based on PCR (low cost, short time, and easiness of performance) make MLVA a method that may be useful in a variety of laboratories, including those performing routine microbiological analyses within medical centers.
Development of a Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of
Mycoplasma genitalium
Authors: Svenstrup Helle Friis , Jensen Jørgen Skov , Björnelius Eva , Lidbrink Peter , Birkelund Svend , Christiansen Gunna 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Mycoplasma genitalium
is known to cause nonchlamydial, nongonococcal urethritis in men and to be associated with pelvic inflammatory disease in women. Specific and sensitive PCR methods are needed for diagnosis of this bacterium because it is very difficult to culture from patient samples. To determine the bacterial load in patients' specimens, a quantitative real-time LightCycler PCR was developed. The housekeeping gene
gap
encoding glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was chosen as the target gene. The assay could consistently detect five genome copies per reaction. To evaluate the PCR, we tested 246 selected urethral swab samples from men attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Eighty-two of the samples were found positive for
M. genitalium
by a conventional 16S rRNA gene PCR assay, whereas 164 samples were randomly chosen among those tested negative. Of the positive samples, 78 (95.1%) were found positive, whereas 6 (3.7%) of the negatives were found positive by the LightCycler assay. The patient samples were also tested with a quantitative TaqMan assay, and the bacterial load was compared to the LightCycler results. A good linear correlation between the LightCycler and the TaqMan assays was found with a correlation coefficient of 0.89 and a slope of 0.99. Significantly more
M. genitalium
-positive men had urethritis, discharge, and dysuria than had
M. genitalium
-negative men. The
M. genitalium
DNA load in samples from patients with urethritis was significantly higher than in samples from those without (61 and 2.9 copies/μl, respectively [
P
= 0.0005]). This assay may prove useful in the monitoring of treatment and for optimizing sample preparation methods.
Detection of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Producing Metallo-β-Lactamases in a Large Centralized Laboratory
Authors: Pitout Johann D. D. , Gregson Daniel B. , Poirel Laurent , McClure Jo-Ann , Le Phillip , Church Deirdre L. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) have been increasingly recognized from clinical isolates worldwide, but the laboratory detection of these strains is not well defined. We report a study that developed an EDTA disk screen test and a molecular diagnostic assay for the detection of MBL-producing
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Using NCCLS disk methodology, inhibition zone diameters were determined in tests with imipenem (IPM) and meropenem (MEM) disks alone and in combination with 930 μg of EDTA. This test was compared with the MBL Etest. The duplex PCR assay showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for detecting MBL-producing control strains. Of the 241 clinical strains of IPM-nonsusceptible
P. aeruginosa
from the Calgary Health Region isolated from 2002 to 2004, 110/241 (46%) were MBL positive using phenotypic methods while 107/241 (45%) were PCR positive for MBL genes: 103/241 (43%) for
bla
VIM
and 4/241 (2%) for
bla
IMP
. The EDTA disk screen test using MEM showed 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity for detecting MBLs in control and clinical strains. The EDTA disk screen test is simple to perform and to interpret and can easily be introduced into the workflow of a clinical laboratory. We recommend that all IPM-nonsusceptible
P. aeruginosa
isolates be routinely screened for MBL production using the EDTA disk screen test and that PCR confirmation be performed at a regional laboratory.
Real-Time Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification Using Molecular Beacons for Detection of Enterovirus RNA in Clinical Specimens
Authors: Landry Marie L. , Garner Robin , Ferguson David 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT
Real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) using molecular beacon technology (NASBA-beacon) was compared to standard NASBA with postamplification hybridization using electrochemiluminescently labeled probes (NASBA-ECL) for detection of enteroviruses (EV) in 133 cerebrospinal fluid and 27 stool samples. NASBA-ECL and NASBA-beacon were similar in sensitivity, detecting 55 (100%) and 52 (94.5%) EV-positive samples, respectively. There were no false positives. Both NASBA assays were significantly more sensitive than culture. Real-time NASBA-beacon reagents and equipment rental were more expensive than those for NASBA-ECL; however, time to result was shortened by 1.5 h, hands-on time was reduced by 25 min, and the assay was much simpler for technologists to learn and perform.
Applicability of Oral Fluid Collected onto Filter Paper for Detection and Genetic Characterization of Measles Virus Strains
Authors: Chibo Doris , Riddell Michaela A. , Catton Mike G. , Birch Chris J. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT
Expansion of measles molecular surveillance to developing countries where measles is endemic will help facilitate measles control. Limited infrastructure in these areas is a barrier to referral of specimens suitable for measles virus (MV) genotyping. In this study, we demonstrate that oral fluid dried onto filter paper can be used for the detection and characterization of MV strains. Using this approach, an MV-positive sample by reverse transcriptase PCR could be obtained from 67% of serologically confirmed acute measles cases. Mimicking certain environmental conditions and duration of transportation established that MV RNA remained detectable and suitable for nucleic acid sequencing in oral fluid spots for at least 1 week. In the context of a measles outbreak in a remote region of the world where infrastructure is poor, oral fluid samples dried onto filter paper and sent to a specialized laboratory for testing will aid in the identification and characterization of the causative MV strain.
Clinical and Prognostic Importance of Serotyping
Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare
Complex Isolates in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Negative Patients
Authors: Maekura Ryoji , Okuda Yoshinari , Hirotani Atsusi , Kitada Seigo , Hiraga Touru , Yoshimura Kenji , Yano Ikuya , Kobayashi Kazuo , Ito Masami 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

We studied whether the serotypes of
Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare
complex (MAC) isolates determine the prognosis for pulmonary MAC disease. We prospectively monitored a cohort of 68 patients with pulmonary MAC disease for whom the serotype-specific glycopeptidolipids in isolates were identified using thin-layer chromatography and fast atom bombardment mass-spectrometry in 1990 and 1995. Serovar 4
Mycobacterium avium
was detected in 40/68 patients (58.8%). Other serotypes were serotypes 1 (five cases), 6 (three cases), 8 (seven cases), 9 (three cases), 14 (four cases), and 16 (six cases). Patients with serovar 4 were significantly (
P
< 0.01) younger (63.0 ± 9.8 years) than patients with other serotypes (71.8 ± 10.3). Patients who failed treatment had a significantly poorer prognosis than other patients. There were no cases of MAC-related death in the cured group. Chest radiographic findings progressively worsened in 36 (90%) of patients with serotype 4, and 14/36 died from respiratory failure caused by pulmonary
Mycobacterium avium
disease. The patients with serotype 4 had a significantly poorer prognosis than patients with other serotypes. These results show that both the outcome of chemotherapy and the serotypes of MAC isolates are important for assessing the prognosis of pulmonary MAC disease.