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Health expenditure and household budgets in rural Liberia.

Fieldwork conducted in Kpelle village in north-central Liberia revealed that health-care expenses constitute a major part of domestic spending. The actual transactions for major health-care expenditures are handled by men, typically using income that jointly belongs to the couple in addition to the husband's personal income. Women are likely to spend their personal incomes on minor health expenses for themselves and their children. Women's health expenditure, as well as their income handling arrangements, seem to differ according to the type of conjugal union they are in. Although Kpelle wives have input in most financial decisions, they tend to defer to men on issues which are associated with the Western world, namely Western health care, educational and tax expenditures.

Adolescent↗

General practice fundholding: progress to date.

BACKGROUND: The cornerstone of the National Health Service (NHS) reforms was the establishment of an internal market, which separated purchasing and providing roles. As purchasers of care, general practice fundholders were seen as a pivotal part of the 'new patient-led NHS', which was intended to lead to improved cost-containment and cost-effectiveness, quality of care, and patient choice and empowerment. AIM: To review published evidence of the extent to which these objectives may have been achieved over the past six years. METHOD: Keyword search of on-line databases (MEDLINE and Econ-lit) from 1990 to 1996, plus manual search of references within those articles identified. RESULTS: In the absence of any formal evaluation of fundholding, it is difficult to assess the overall success of this reform. However, in terms of cost-containment and cost-effectiveness, there is mixed evidence. In some areas, such as prescribing, the evidence suggests cost-savings, although the evidence is less clear on reductions or changes in referrals. There is also evidence that suggests that improvements in prescribing may have been achieved at substantial additional administration and transaction costs. With respect to quality of care, the evidence suggests that, although quality in the procedural aspects of health provision has improved, there is little evidence about how health outcomes may have been affected. In terms of patient choice and empowerment, the evidence suggests that, whilst general practitioner choice of secondary providers has improved, little progress has been made with regard to increased consumer choice. CONCLUSION: Evidence concerning the success or otherwise of general practice fundholding over the past six years is incomplete and mixed. The major deficiency concerns any effect on health outcomes that may be the result of fundholding. Until such research is conducted, the jury will have to remain out on whether fundholding has secured improved efficiency in the delivery of health care.

Contract Services↗

Noncoding control region of naturally occurring BK virus variants: sequence comparison and functional analysis.

The human polyomavirus BK (BKV) has a proven oncogenic potential, but its contribution to tumorigenesis under natural conditions remains undetermined. As for other primate polyomaviruses, the approximately 5.2 kbp double-stranded circular genome of BKV has three functional regions: the coding regions for the two early (T, t antigens) and four late (agno, capsid proteins; VP1-3) genes separated by a noncoding control region (NCCR). The NCCR contains the origin of replication as well as a promoter/enhancer with a mosaic of cis-acting elements involved in the regulation of both early and late transcription. Since the original isolation of BKV in 1971, a number of other strains have been identified. Most strains reveal a strong sequence conservation in the protein coding regions of the genome, while the NCCR exhibits considerable variation between different BKV isolates. This variation is due to deletions, duplications, and rearrangements of a basic set of sequence blocks. Comparative studies have proven that the anatomy of the NCCR may determine the transcriptional activities governed by the promoter/enhancer, the host cell tropism and permissivity, as well as the oncogenic potential of a given BKV strain. In most cases, however, the NCCR sequence of new isolates was determined after the virus had been passaged several times in more or less arbitrarily chosen cell cultures, a process known to predispose for NCCR rearrangements. Following the development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), it has become feasible to obtain naturally occurring BKV NCCRs, and their sequences, in samples taken directly from infected human individuals. Hence, the biological significance of BKV NCCR variation may be studied without prior propagation of the virus in cell culture. Such variation has general interest, because the BKV NCCRs represent typical mammalian promoter/enhancers, with a large number of binding motifs for cellular transacting factors, which can be conveniently handled for experimental purposes. This communication reviews the naturally occurring BKV NCCR variants, isolated and sequenced directly from human samples, that have been reported so far. The sequences of the different NCCRs are compared and analyzed for the presence of proven and putative cellular transcription factor binding sites. Differences in biological properties between BKV variants are discussed in light of their aberrant NCCR anatomies and the potentially modifying influence of transacting factors.

BK Virus↗

Life cycle of a data warehousing project in healthcare.

Hill Physicians Medical Group (and its medical management firm, PriMed Management) early on recognized the need for a data warehouse. Management demanded that data from many sources be integrated, cleansed, and formatted. As a first step, an operational data store (ODS) was built and populated with data from the main transactional system; encounter data were added. The ODS has served its purpose well and has whetted management's appetite for more information and faster, more reliable access, all in one location. PriMed hired Annams Systems Consulting (Annams) for this effort. A team was formed, made up of consultants from Annams and members of PriMed's information services (IS) team. The "classical" approach is being taken: enhancing the ODS, which is largely normalized in structure, and integrating data from various sources, along with enforcing business rules. The team is designing and implementing data marts and a "star schema" style of data modeling--a useful tool for management to evaluate results before investing further.

California↗

Economic valuation of ecosystem services: discussion and application.

Ecosystems provide a wide range of services that improve human welfare. Changes in ecosystems imply potential changes in the generation of these ecosystem services and thus changes in welfare. In the lingo of economists, these welfare changes are measured as changes in economic values--increases in welfare being benefits and decreases in welfare being costs. For instance, individuals may benefit from, and thus value, reductions in risks to endangered species. Yet values for many changes in ecosystem services are not captured in market transactions, and thus measuring these values requires nonmarket valuation methods. This paper discusses ecosystem services and values from the viewpoint of an economist, explains what is meant by the valuation of ecosystems, and provides an overview of methods for valuation of ecosystem services. An example is presented from a recent natural resource damage assessment--the Green Bay total value equivalency study. Resources in the Lower Fox River and Green Bay in Wisconsin have been injured by polychlorinated biphenyl contamination from numerous paper mills along the river over several decades. The Green Bay study examines individuals' preferences and values for reducing ecosystem risks and improving ecosystem services and how these values are related to individuals' awareness of and use of ecosystem services in the area. The study uses methods from nonmarket valuation to scale potential restoration projects.

Animals↗

In vivo modulation of the rat cytochrome P450 1A1 by double-stranded phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides.

CYP1A1 gene expression is regulated by known cis- and transacting elements controlling inhibition and induction of CYP1A1 transcription. The influence of a double-stranded phosphorothioate oligonucleotide (dsODN) with sequence identical to the CYP1A1 negative regulatory element (NRE) was examined in Sprague-Dawley rats. Two strategies were employed: (i) two single-stranded complementary 25-mer ODNs that form a double-stranded ODN (ODN1) and (ii) a 54-base, self-complementary ODN which forms a dsODN hairpin (ODN2). A dsODN hairpin with scrambled NRE sequence was evaluated as a control (ODN3). Zoxazolamine paralysis times, an in vivo marker of CYP1A1 activity, were reduced from 184 +/- 18 min in saline-treated rats to 103 +/- 12.5 min 24 hr after a single 1.7-mg ODN1 iv injection. Liver microsomal EROD, an in vitro marker of CYP1A1/2 activity, was increased from 210 +/- 10 pmol in saline-treated animals to 703 +/- 73 and 623 +/- 89 pmol resorufin/mg protein/min after iv ODN1 and iv ODN2, respectively. ODN1's activity did not change PNP hydroxylation and PROD, markers of CYPs 2E1 and 2B1/2. ODN2 did not significantly change PNP but did significantly alter PROD. The ODN3 did not cause any significant changes in any assay measured. The ODN1-induced responses in ZX paralysis and EROD were observed post-iv injection, but not following ip injection of ODN1. Western blot analysis of ODN1- and HPO-treated rat liver microsomes also revealed increased in CYP1A1 protein. These data indicate double-stranded ODNs mimic the cis-acting NRE in vivo inducing CYP1A1 in the absence of other xenobiotics.

Animals↗

Supportive relationships and sexual risk behavior in adolescence: an ecological-transactional approach.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the longitudinal associations between supportive relationships with friends and parents and sexual risk behavior in adolescence based on an ecological-transactional perspective. METHODS: Analyses were conducted on 2,652 sexually active adolescents from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). RESULTS: African-American adolescents had lower risk for sexual risk behavior. Supportive friendships and parent connectedness interacted in predicting decreased likelihood of sexual risk behavior. Mother-child communication about sex contributed to decreased likelihood of sexual risk only for girls. There were also small reciprocal effects of sexual risk behavior on decreased relationship quality over time. CONCLUSION: To better understand the parents' role in adolescent sexual risk behavior, multiple facets of parenting, the social contexts of parenting and adolescents' peers, and the effects of adolescents' behavior on these relationships should be taken into consideration.

Adolescent↗

Evidence that an adrenal-specific nuclear protein regulates the cAMP responsiveness of the human CYP21B (P450C21) gene.

Based on competition analysis of gel shift assays utilizing nuclear extracts from the mouse adrenal Y1 cell line, the cAMP-responsive element of the human CYP21B gene (-129/-96 base pairs (bp] is found to contain two overlapping nuclear protein binding elements. One, -126/-113 bp, interacts specifically with an adrenal-specific protein factor (ASP) while the other, -119/-110 bp, contains a GC boxlike sequence and binds Sp1. The nucleotide replacements (GG----CC at -113 and -112 bp) introduced within the sequence -129/-96 bp greatly decreased the binding affinities of both Sp1 and ASP to the fragment and resulted in a loss of cAMP-enhanced transcription of a reporter gene in transient transfection experiments. When the 14-bp ASP-binding sequence was inserted in front of the reporter gene, induced transcription by cAMP was observed that could be increased by multimerization of this -126/-113-bp sequence. The -126/-113-bp fragment revealed specific binding only with nuclear extracts from adrenal Y1 cells among various types of cells tested, indicating that the protein factor ASP is specifically expressed in adrenal cells. The nucleotide replacement (G----C at -117 bp) of the -126 -113-bp sequence not only abolishes the binding to ASP but also the cAMP-dependent transcription, strongly supporting the hypothesis that ASP is a tissue-specific transacting protein that directly functions as a transcription factor essential to the cAMP-dependent transcription. Furthermore, the -129/-115-bp sequence of the bovine cytochrome P450C21 gene corresponding to the human -126/-113-bp sequence is demonstrated to be functionally conserved with respect to both cAMP-dependent enhancement of transcription and ASP binding.

Adrenal Glands↗

Predicting mothers' beliefs about preschool-aged children's social behavior: evidence for maternal attitudes moderating child effects.

Maternal beliefs about children's social behavior may be important contributors to socialization and development, but little is known about how such beliefs form. Transactional models suggest that children's characteristics may influence parents. At 2 years of age, the shy and aggressive behaviors of 65 toddlers (28 females) were observed during interactions with an unfamiliar peer; as well, mothers described the extent to which they advocated protective and authoritarian childrearing attitudes. These variables were used to predict mothers emotions, attributions, parenting goals, and socialization strategies in response to vignettes depicting aggressive and withdrawn child behaviors 2 years later. Most child effects were moderated by maternal attitudes or gender effects. Authoritarian mothers of aggressive toddlers were most likely to report high control and anger, to blame their children for aggression, and to focus on obtaining compliance rather than teaching skills to their children. Protective mothers reported that they would use warmth and involvement to comfort withdrawn children, especially their daughters.

Adult↗

The spread: pilot study of an undocumented source of pharmacy benefit manager revenue.

OBJECTIVE: To document the difference between what pharmacy benefits management companies (PBMs) charge employers and what they pay dispensing pharmacies for the drug ingredient portion of prescription transactions (the "spre DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Two large employer groups, each of which used a different PBM, and six independent community pharmacies participating in these plans during 2002. INTERVENTIONS: Two sets of financial records issued by each of two PBMs were reviewed retrospectively, including 129 line-item prescription transactions billed to the employer and the line-item transaction information that accompanies the PBM payment to the dispensing pharmacy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Spread between drug ingredient cost billed to the employer by the PBM and drug ingredient cost paid to the dispensing pharmacy by the PBM for brand name versus generic drug products. RESULTS: For both PBMs, the mean (+/- SD) spread was dollar 12.29 +/- 27.93 per prescription, with a range of -dollar 1.67 to dollar 201.65. Considering all 129 transactions, the mean spreads for brand name and generic medications were significantly different from one another, with mean (+/- SD) spreads of dollar 4.65 +/- 10.47 and dollar 23.45 +/- 39.47 per prescription, respectively. The two PBMs differed significantly in their spreads for brand name drugs (dollar 3.20 +/- 2.85 and dollar 5.93 +/- 14.12), but the spreads for generic products did not achieve statistical significance in absolute dollars (dollar 10.83 +/- 13.58 and dollar 31.74 +/- 48.11) because of their greater variation (as reflected in the larger standard deviations). However, the percentages difference for generic products differed significantly. CONCLUSION: This pilot study indicates the possibility of substantial and widely varying differences in the spread and spread percentage between PBMs for brand name and generic medications. A more transparent business model for the PBM industry could produce better relations with PBM clients and business partners, including community pharmacies.

Contracts↗

A functional analysis of 5', intronic and promoter regions of the homeotic gene proboscipedia in Drosophila melanogaster.

In Drosophila, the homeotic gene proboscipedia (pb) is required for the formation of the adult mouthparts. To determine the functional significance of putative pb regulatory DNA, we have performed an in vivo analysis of sequences upstream of and within pb using a series of minigenes. Additionally, we have initiated a dissection of pb's promoter and enhancer elements using lacZ reporter gene constructs. Our results establish that a conserved region located in the second intron is essential for proper formation of the adult mouthparts. A 0.5 kb fragment from this region was shown to direct lacZ expression in a pb pattern in both embryos and third instar labial discs when combined with a 600 bp pb basal promoter sequence. A 32 bp element contained within the 0.5 kb region functions as a labial disc enhancers for pb. Surprisingly, the conserved second intron pb enhancers do not function properly with a heterologous hsp70 promoter, suggesting that promoter-specific interactions occur at the pb locus. We also found redundant and cryptic enhancers in the large introns of pb that are not required for pb function. Finally, we demonstrate that the pb transcription unit does not require sequences upstream of -98 bp to provide pb function in the labial discs. Rather, pb's upstream DNA appears to contain negative regulatory DNA required for silencing PB accumulation in inappropriate domains of third instar imaginal discs. Thus, we have defined many of pb's cis-controlling sequences to an experimentally manageable size, thereby making this an attractive system for the discovery of transacting proteins and, consequently, for elucidating the mechanisms of homeotic gene regulation.

Animals↗

Competition and containment in health care.

In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, the preconditions for well-functioning internal markets (in relation to market structure, transaction costs, and information) may not exist in health care. Similar doubts exist about the impact of internal markets on cost-effectiveness. While the quantity of health care has increased, the effects on quality are ambiguous and costs have not been successfully restrained. With respect to equity of health care, fears have been raised that sections of the population may be discriminated against. In the United Kingdom, resources have been shifted away from deprived areas and toward the more affluent. Health care services are once again being reformed, by New Labour in the United Kingdom and similar administrations elsewhere. The rhetoric of competition has given way to talk of partnership. The imposition of new forms of rationing has been reshaped, not abandoned. Additional funding is required, along with an effective commitment to the pursuit of equity and quality in health care.

Aged↗

Standards for privacy of individually identifiable health information. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, DHHS. Proposed rule.

This rule proposes standards to protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information maintained or transmitted in connection with certain administrative and financial transactions. The rules proposed below, which would apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and certain health care providers, propose standards with respect to the rights individuals who are the subject of this information should have, procedures for the exercise of those rights, and the authorized and required uses and disclosures of this information. The use of these standards would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public and private health programs and health care services by providing enhanced protections for individually identifiable health information. These protections would begin to address growing public concerns that advances in electronic technology in the health care industry are resulting, or may result, in a substantial erosion of the privacy surrounding individually identifiable health information maintained by health care providers, health plans and their administrative contractors. This rule would implement the privacy requirements of the Administrative Simplification subtitle of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

Confidentiality↗

Postnatal foraging demands alter adrenocortical activity and psychosocial development.

Mother squirrel monkeys stop carrying infants at earlier ages in high-demand (HD) conditions where food is difficult to find relative to low-demand (LD) conditions. To characterize these transitions in psychosocial development, from 10- to 21-weeks postpartum we collected measures of behavior, adrenocortical activity, and social transactions coded for initiator (mother or infant), goal (make-contact or break-contact), and outcome (success or failure). Make-contact attempts were most often initiated by HD infants, but mothers often opposed these attempts and less than 50% were successful. Break-contact attempts were most often initiated by LD infants, but mothers often opposed these attempts and fewer LD than HD infant break-contact attempts were successful. Plasma levels of cortisol were significantly higher in HD than LD mothers, but differences in adrenocortical activity were less consistent in their infants. HD and LD infants also spent similar amounts of time nursing on their mothers and feeding on solid foods. By rescheduling some transitions in development (carry-->self-transport), and not others (nursing-->self-feeding), mothers may have partially protected infants from the immediate impact of an otherwise stressful foraging task.

Analysis of Variance↗

Biochemical characterization of mouse brain necdin.

Necdin is a protein encoded by neural differentiation-specific mRNA derived from embryonal carcinoma cells (P19). Necdin of mouse brain was characterized by Western blotting and silver-staining analysis by using affinity purified antibodies to 17 synthetic peptides of deduced C-terminal amino acids. Necdin exhibits a molecular mass of 51 kDa on SDS/PAGE, and is localized in the S1 and S2 nucleosomal fractions. Sonicated necdin is found in all fractions of Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration chromatography, with a peak at 700 kDa. Necdin is released on microsomal nuclease digestion, which is essential for electrophoretic migration on acetic acid/urea/Triton gels, suggesting that it could be a DNA-binding protein. Nucleosomal necdin shows two peaks at approx. 10 S and approx. 20 S on sucrose gradient centrifugation in the presence of 0.6 M NaCl, and a single peak in the presence of 2.0 M NaCl. Necdin forms a huge complex through chemical cross-linking with glutaraldehyde or dimethyl sulphate. The silver-staining intensity of the 51 kDa band corresponds to the decrease in the immuno-staining in a reagent concentration-dependent manner. Necdin binds tightly to a double-stranded DNA affinity chromatography column, and can be eluted from it with 2.0 M NaCl after washing with 0.6 M NaCl (approx. 100 ng per ml of gel). This purified necdin exhibits of pI of 9.1 on isoelectric focusing. The nucleosomal necdin complex (>200 kDa) was adsorbed on an organomercurial agarose affinity chromatography column and was eluted with 10 mM DTT, revealing that necdin is possibly involved in the transactive nucleosomal complex. These data show that necdin is a nuclear basic DNA-binding protein that associates with other molecules to regulate transcriptionally active genes and nuclear function.

Aging↗

Cis-acting sites contributing to expression of divergently transcribed DAL1 and DAL4 genes in S. cerevisiae: a word of caution when correlating cis-acting sequences with genome-wide expression analyses.

Correlating genome-wide expression profiles with sequence searches of promoter regions is being used as a technique to identify putative binding sites for transacting factors or to refine consensus sequences of those already known. To evaluate the limitations of such an approach in our studies of GATA-mediated transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we identified the relative contributions made to DAL1 and DAL4 expression by each of five Gln3p-, and/or Gat1p-, and three Dal82p-binding site homologous sequences situated in the 829-bp intergenic region separating these highly related, divergently transcribed genes. Our data suggest that although the correlation of repeated sequences or sequence homologies appearing within promoter regions with expression profiles obtained from genome-wide transcription analyses can provide useful starting points for analyses of cis-acting sites, significant limitations and possibilities for misinterpretation also abound.

Amidohydrolases↗

Contrasting acute care and long-term care information systems needs.

Information systems in nursing facilities have their own set of requirements. While these may appear to be less complex than those required of acute care systems, they offer their own series of traps and pitfalls and the information systems manager should be wary of vendors who suggest that acute care systems can be readily modified for long-term care usage. Well-designed and implemented long-term care applications demand the same challenges to integration as do acute care products. Information provided by these systems must be designed to support not only the routine transactions of the facility, but also the strategic planning necessary for intelligent management decision making. It is not sufficient in this era to record and replay data. Data must be synthesized into meaningful summaries in order to be effectively used by executives. [7] This is also true for clinicians. Assessment data are increasingly used to position a patient in a case-mix or reimbursement group. Whereas acute care revolves around DRGs and ICD-9 codes (soon to be ICD-10), long-term care uses a patient review instrument (PRI), resident assessment protocols (RAPs), and resource utilization groups (RUGS). The successful information systems manager will have all of these measures at his or her disposal by financial class, insurance class, and days receivable if eyes are kept on the goal of planning all of the systems with equal care and an eye to the future.

Acute Disease↗

Physician specialty and the outcomes and cost of admissions for end-stage liver disease.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic liver disease is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of physician specialty on length of stay, mortality, and costs during hospitalizations for end-stage liver disease. METHODS: We used data from the HBS International EXPLORE database. Patients hospitalized for treatment of variceal hemorrhage, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, or hepatic encephalopathy were identified from primary discharge diagnoses. Patients were characterized by the specialty of the attending physician and by whether a gastroenterology consultation was obtained. Procedures performed were identified using ICD-9CM procedure codes. Costs were computed using proprietary HBS International Standard Transaction Codes. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the effect of physician specialty and consultation on length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and costs. RESULTS: Attending gastroenterologist care was associated with a shorter length of stay compared to nongastroenterologist attending care (median 4 vs 5 days, p = 0.01), which persisted after adjustment for differences in patient age, comorbidity, and number of procedures performed. There was a strong trend toward greater in-hospital mortality for patients without a gastroenterology attending or consultant (adjusted OR 1.72; 95% CI = 0.99, 2.98) compared to patients with a gastroenterology attending. Costs of hospital care were not significantly different between physician groups. CONCLUSIONS: Gastroenterologist involvement in inpatient care for end-stage liver disease was associated with shorter length of stay and a strong trend toward improved survival. Hospital costs were similar for patients cared for by the different physician groups.

Gastroenterology↗