bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Share Economy with Efficiency Wages
Authors: ELBAUM BERNARD
Published: May 2008

This paper examines the cyclical implications of share contracts in an efficiency wage model, with wage and share economy firms facing a common labor market constraint. In the efficiency wage context, I find that the share economy will no longer remain at full employment in the face of modest‐sized demand shocks. But suitably amended, Weitzman's (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986) conclusions regarding the cyclical employment benefits of share arrangements extend to an efficiency wage model.
Selected by the Institute of Industrial Relations Liberary University of California at Berkeley
Authors: HUWE TERENCE K. , KIMBALL JANICE
Published: May 2008

Catching the Wave: Workplace Reform in Australia. By John Mathews.

Comparable Worth and Gender Discrimination: An International Perspective. By Morley Gunderson.

Cooper Crucible: How the Arizona Miner's Strike of 1983 Recast Labor‐Management Relations in America. By Jonathan D. Rosenblum.

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: Issues and Strategies. By George Henderson.

The Employer's Legal Handbook. By Fred S. Steingold.

The Future of Industrial Relations: Global Change and Challenges. By John Niland, Chrissie Verevis, and Russell D. Lansbury.

Labor and Community: Mexican Citrus Worker Villages in a Southern California County, 1900–1950. By Gilbert G. Gonzalez.

Labor Arbitration: An Annotated Bibliography. Edited by Charles J. Coleman and theodora T. Haynes.

Labour's Dilemma: The Gender Politics of Auto Workers in Canada, 1937‐79. By Pamela Sugiman.

The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict through Empowerment and Recognition. By Robert A. Baruch Bush and Joseph P. Folger.

Ranbow at Midnight: Labor and Culture in the 1940s. By George Lipsitz.

Success While Others Fail: Social Movement Unionism and the Public Workplace. By Paul Johnston.

Trade Union Growth and Decline: An International Study. By Walter Galenson.
Is the New Deal System Collapsing? With What Might It Be Replaced?
Authors: STRAUSS GEORGE
Published: May 2008

The prevailing “New Deal” system of industrial relations laws and practices is working poorly, especially since private‐sector union density has declined. Both law and practice have failed to adjust to changing economic and technological conditions. The modest reforms recommended by the Dunlop Commission might have made some slight difference; however, these will not be enacted. The future may see more nonunion forms of representation and greater government regulation of employment conditions.
Using the Dunlop Report to Achieve Mutual Gains
Authors: KOSCHAN THOMAS A.
Published: May 2008

The Dunlop Commission report opens what is likely to be a long‐term debate over whether, and if so how, to modernize American labor and employment law. This article summarizes the major conclusions and recommendations of the commission report and outlines the steps needed to use it to full advantage. The potential benefits of using it to experiment with new approaches to employee participation, representation, and workplace dispute resolution are outlined and compared with the pitfalls of continuing the current stalemate over labor policy or attempting to implement only those recommendations that are consistent with the preferences of either business or labor.
Japanese Companies in Germany: A Case Study in Cross‐Cultural Management
Authors: LINCOLN JAMES R. , KERBO HAROLD R. , WITTENHAGEN ELKE
Published: May 2008

From a series of qualitative interviews with Japanese managers and German managers and workers in thirty‐one Japanese‐owned companies in the Düsseldorf region of western Germany, this article discusses differences in cultural patterns and organizational styles between the German and Japanese employees and the problems these pose for communication, cooperation, and morale. First, we deal with cultural contrasts: language issues, interpersonal styles (personability and politeness), and norms regarding the taking of responsibility. Second, we examine the impact on cross‐nationality relations of established organizational practice: for example, German specialism vs. Japanese generalism; direct and vertical vs. indirect and incremental decision making. We also discuss efforts by these firms to find compromise systems that would meet the needs and interests of both sides. The third focus is the reactions of Japanese companies in North Rhine‐Westphalia to German unions, works councils, and codetermination regulations. In the labor view, Japanese firms overall do no better or worse than comparable German firms.
Linking Union Density and Union Effectiveness: The North American Experience
Authors: ROSE JOSEPH B. , CHAISON GARY N.
Published: May 2008

This study considers how union performance in terms of organizing, bargaining, and political activity are related to severely declining union density (the percentage of the workforce in unions) in the United States and the higher and stable union density in Canada. Canadian unions have remained active in recruiting new members and assign a high priority to organizing, while American unions have shown diminished organizing effort and ability. Canadian unions have demonstrated superior performance in collective bargaining as measured by resistance to concession bargaining and negotiated wage gains, among other factors. Finally, although Canadian unions experienced some political setbacks, they wielded more political influence than their American counterparts in promoting union‐specific as well as broad social legislation. Density is examined as both a consequence and determinant of the divergence in union performance.
Flexible Work Hours and Productivity: Some Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: III EDWARD M. SHEPARD , CLIFTON THOMAS J. , KRUSE DOUGLAS
Published: May 2008

Flexible work hours potentially influence productivity through effects on absenteeism and turnover, organizational attachment, job attitudes, work‐related stress, and other areas. Prior studies suggest positive effects on productivity but are inconclusive because of small sample sizes, failure to apply direct productivity measures, or failure to account for other associated changes. We apply alternative fixed‐ and random‐effects models to estimate production functions using panel data, with controls included for firm effects, time effects, capital quality, autocorrelation, and specification error. The results suggest that flexible work schedules contribute to improvements of about 10 percent in productivity.
The Adoption of High‐Involvement Work Practices
Authors: PIL FRITS K. , MACDUFFIE JOHN PAUL
Published: May 2008

This article provides a theoretical framework for understanding why high‐involvement work practices are adopted more rapidly by some organizations than others. Drawing on evolutionary economics and innovation literature, we identify three key drivers: (1) the level of complementary human resource practices and technology; (2) performance achieved with previous practices; and (3) factors that alter the cost of introducing new practices. Empirical analyses of a unique longitudinal data set of forty‐three automobile assembly plants worldwide provide support for hypotheses about complementary HR practices (but not complementary technologies) and partial support for hypotheses about past performance and factors that alter adoption costs.
The Role of Sector‐Specific Skills in Post displacement Earnings
Authors: KLETZER LORI G.
Published: May 2008

This article examines how one form of transferable skills, those valued within an industry or sector, may influence reemployment and earnings following permanent job loss. The empirical analysis finds limited evidence of a sector‐specific component to the returns to job tenure. The importance of these skills varies across sectors, with the strongest evidence found for sectors with sustained labor demand and growing employment. There is stronger evidence, particularly in reemployment, for a broader form of sector specificity that is not related to tenure, such as job search skills and vocational training. There is also sectoral evidence that is consistent with the role of individual ability in the returns to tenure.
Workplace Transformation and the Disposable Workplace: Employee Involvement in Australia
Authors: DRAGO ROBERT
Published: May 2008

Employee involvement (EI) programs should mainly appear either where “workplace transformation” occurs or where managers create a “disposable workplace.” Cluster analysis of Australian workplace data supports the notion that transformed and disposable workplaces are distinct from one another and from traditional workplaces. These workplace categories are related to the reported incidence of EI programs as hypothesized. (JEL J41, J51, 553)
Who Decides in the Council of the European Union?*
Authors: HÄGE FRANK M.
Published: May 2008

This study presents reliable cross‐sectoral data on the relative involvement of working parties, senior committees and ministers in legislative decision‐making of the Council of the European Union. In general, the results challenge the received wisdom that ministers are hardly involved in legislative decision‐making. However, the findings also indicate that the involvement of different Council levels varies considerably across policy sectors. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for the debate about the democratic legitimacy of Council decision‐making.
Competing Models of EU Legitimacy: the Test of Popular Expectations*
Authors: EHIN PIRET
Published: May 2008

What are the appropriate criteria for assessing the legitimacy of the EU? This article uses data from the Eurobarometer to adjudicate between rival perspectives on EU legitimacy. The findings strengthen the case for holding the EU to the same liberal‐democratic standard of legitimacy that is applied to political authority in the nation‐state.
Ethnic cleansing in Eastern Europe: Poles and Ukrainians beside the Curzon Line
Authors: HANN CHRIS
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT. The article draws on anthropological fieldwork in southeast Poland to illuminate both the historical development of national identities and the contemporary revival of ethnic tensions. For many centuries Eastern Galicia, and within it the town and district of Przemys̀l, exemplified what Ernest Gellner refers to as the diversity of the ‘Agrarian Age’. A drive towards homogenisation (associated by Gellner with modern industrial society) began here in the later Habsburg period, and reached its culmination after the imposition of a new and much sharper national boundary in 1945. The socialist period opened with a further burst of ethnic cleansing. Memories of this and of earlier confrontations this century are central to the antagonisms that have emerged in the new public sphere since 1989. It is important to move beyond Gellnerian abstractions and to examine both the social mechanisms and the symbols whereby ethnic and national sentiments are mobilised for political ends. In these case materials, as elsewhere in the region, symbols related to religion and to violence seem to be the most powerful, while the main agents of ethnic antagonism are ex‐communists.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL VOLCANIC GLASS FROM THE SITE OF ROCCHICELLA (SICILY, ITALY)*
Authors: IOVINO M. R. , MANISCALCO L. , PAPPALARDO G. , PAPPALARDO L. , PUGLISI D. , RIZZO F. , ROMANO F. P.
Published: May 2008

The site of Rocchicella, near Catania, in eastern Sicily, has yielded important archaeological evidence from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. Extensive archaeological investigations of cultural layers dating from the Palaeo‐Mesolithic to the Copper Age have recently been undertaken, and volcanic glass, mainly obsidian, has been collected in the course of excavation. To determine the provenance of this volcanic glass, a non‐destructive elemental analysis was carried out to measure the concentration of characteristic trace elements. The analysis was carried out using a new XRF spectrometer equipped with a beam stability controller and a quantitative method developed at the LANDIS laboratory of the INFN–CNR Institutes of Catania. In addition to the obsidian, it was demonstrated for the first time that a local vitreous material similar to obsidian, but displaying a completely different composition, was used during all the investigated periods. This material was identified as a basaltic glass, characterized by a superficial product of devitrification called palagonite. Analysis of the obsidians has led to the identification of the island of Lipari as the provenance source. High‐ and low‐power microscopic use‐wear analysis on obsidian and basaltic glass artefacts indicated that soft wood and plant matter might have been processed at the site.
COAL AND CREMATION AT THE TSCHUDI BURN, CHAN CHAN, NORTHERN PERU*
Authors: BROOKS W. E. , GALVEZ MORA C. , JACKSON J. C. , McGEEHIN J. P. , HOOD D. G.
Published: May 2008

Analyses of a 20–30 cm thick, completely combusted ash at the 25 × 70 m Tschudi burn at Chan Chan, northern Perú, contain 52–55 wt% SiO2, 180–210 ppm zirconium and are consistent with coal ash. Soil geochemistry across the burn showed elevated calcium and phosphorus content, possible evidence for reported human cremation. A calcined, 5 g, 4.5 cm skull fragment recovered from the burn was confirmed as human by protein radioimmunoassay (pRIA). X‐ray diffraction showed that the bone had been heated to 520°C. The burn took place c. ad 1312–1438 based on interpretation of a 14C date on carbonized plant tinder.
GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL LIME MORTARS: PROVENANCE INPUTS*
Authors: ORTEGA L. A. , ZULUAGA M. C. , ALONSO‐OLAZABAL A. , INSAUSTI M. , IBÁÑEZ A.
Published: May 2008

Chemical and mineralogical analyses were carried out on historical lime mortars from the parish church of Santa María La Real (Guipúzcoa). The study included various periods ranging from Roman to modern times and allowed the identification of various types of raw materials. In order to obtain pure binder, free of carbonate aggregates and charcoal particles, an innovative binder separation method was implemented. The chemical composition of the binder allows discrimination of different provenance areas for the raw materials, although those areas do not correlate with specific historical periods. In addition, the influence of burial processes on the primeval chemical features has been assessed and reveals that modern mortars display greater chemical modification than the Roman mortars.
Climate change adaptation and livestock activity choices in Kenya: An economic analysis
Authors: Kabubo‐Mariara Jane
Published: May 2008

This paper examines the impact of climate change on the decision of farmers to engage or not to engage in livestock activities and also on the choice of different livestock species in Kenya. To this end, cross‐sectional household level data supplemented by long‐term averages of climate data are used. The probit model is employed to derive the response of the probability of engaging in livestock activities to climate change. Probit and multivariate probit methods are employed to model the choice of different livestock species. Atmosphere–ocean global circulation models are used to project the impact of different climate scenarios on the probability of engaging in livestock activities and also of adopting different livestock species according to variations in climate. The results suggest that farmers adapt livestock management decisions to climate change. At low levels of temperature increase, the probability of engaging in livestock activities falls, but at higher levels of climate change, the probability rises. The results further show that as it gets hotter, farmers change their livestock choices from dairy cattle and sheep to beef cattle and goats.
Toward sustainable livelihoods after war: Reconstituting rural land tenure systems
Authors: Unruh Jon D.
Published: May 2008

Land tenure plays a primary role in sustainable development efforts. However armed conflict and its repercussions reconfigure the network of social relations upon which all land tenure systems depend. In post‐conflict settings new laws have the opportunity to address tenure issues in the context of what people are already doing ‘on the ground’, with a view to moving from the fluidity of post‐conflict situations to a more solidified and peaceful social and legal environment. However there exists a lack of tools to analyze postwar land tenure and the prospects for reconstituting tenure systems to support recovery and development. This paper uses the Sustainable Livelihoods framework to examine postwar land tenure issues in order to draw out latent opportunities within emergent informal smallholder tenure constructs which may have utility in the reconstitution of national tenure systems.
HIV and AIDS: Responding to a threat to education for sustainable development
Authors: Allemano Eric
Published: May 2008

The article seeks to sensitize the development community, particularly outside the education sector, about the issues surrounding education as a vehicle for promoting sustainable development in an AIDS environment in Africa. By illustrating how the epidemic impacts education sector staff as well as parents and students at all levels, the article intends to suggest how national authorities, NGOs and donor agencies can work out strategies to enhance the role of education in promoting sustainable development in Africa.

Analysis will demonstrate how the AIDS epidemic weakens the education sector, particularly in countries with a generalized epidemic (defined as more than 3% of the adult population being HIV‐positive), undermining the sector's ability to contribute to general literacy and sustainable development. The article will demonstrate that HIV and AIDS is still not fully accepted as an educational issue, which has hampered efforts to deal with its ravages in the educational sector. The need for holistic policy frameworks for supporting teachers and administrators living with HIV and AIDS will be discussed as well as how changes in curriculum and better relations with the community are important in addressing the needs of students.

The article will highlight options for developing innovative responses to HIV and AIDS in African education, showing how different forms of education can serve as vehicles for responding to the challenges of the epidemic. The examples emphasize the importance of learner‐centered instruction and partnerships with the health sector and other resources needed in an AIDS‐affected environment.

Key messages of the article are that the HIV and AIDS epidemic is a multi‐sectoral problem and that responding to it effectively in the education sector requires coherent responses that address the needs of learners and instructors, including those who are personally affected or infected by HIV and AIDS. Adapting the Education for Sustainable Development initiative to address the challenges posed by the epidemic must be supported by policy development, leadership and advocacy. Diverse partnerships are essential, as the education sector alone cannot deal with the challenge of HIV and AIDS to sustainable development.
Toward energy and livelihoods security in Africa: Smallholder production and processing of bioenergy as a strategy
Authors: Ejigu Mersie
Published: May 2008

The past few years have seen a phenomenal rise in the production and consumption of biofuels and biodiesel at the global level. This development is of special significance to Africa, where about 550 million people (75% of the total population in Sub‐Saharan Africa) depend on traditional biomass (wood, charcoal, cow dung, etc.) and lack access to electricity or any kind of modern energy service. Derived from plants and agricultural crops, biofuels and biodiesel represent modern forms of bioenergy and more efficient use of biomass energy. Beyond efficiency, modern bioenergy offers tremendous opportunities to meet growing household energy demands, increase income, reduce poverty, and mitigate environmental degradation. In the African setting, energy and livelihoods security are indeed inseparable.

This paper argues economic, social, and environmental benefits of modern bioenergy can be realized through a strategy that centres on smallholder production and processing schemes and pursuit of a livelihood approach to energy development. Such a scheme opens up new domestic markets, generates new cash incomes, improves social wellbeing, enhances new technology adoption, and lays the ground for rural economic transformation and sustainable land use. The paper concludes by underlining the vital importance of considering sound property rights and strategic planning of sustainable development as tools for sustainable energy and livelihoods security.
Impacts of Norwegian Milk Quotas on Output Growth: A Modified Distance Function Approach
Authors: Kumbhakar Subal C. , Lien Gudbrand , Flaten Ola , Tveterås Ragnar
Published: May 2008

Quota regulations that prevent output expansion of farms and reallocation of output between farms can cause lower growth in output and productivity. The aim of this study was to explain the output growth rate of Norwegian dairy farms since 1976, and to decompose it into output, input, socioeconomic and technical change components. Instead of using the standard distance function approach for multi‐output technologies, we use a growth rate formulation, which automatically removes the farm‐specific effects. This formulation also helps to impose non‐negativity constraints on marginal products of inputs (input elasticities), which are often violated for many observations, especially when flexible functional forms are used. The farm‐level panel data cover three periods: before the quota scheme was introduced (1976–1982); the period with the most output‐restricting quota scheme (1983–1996); and the period with a more flexible quota scheme (from 1997 onwards). Results show that the milk quota regulations had a significant constraining effect on output growth, in particular on milk output in the period 1983–1996. Furthermore, the output mix has shifted towards meat production for the average farm. What emerges from this study is that output growth and technical change are negatively influenced by policy aims where productive performance has not been the primary objective, and that there is scope for increased farm growth if the quota regime is liberalised.
Technical Efficiency Estimates of Scottish Agriculture: A Note
Authors: Barnes Andrew
Published: May 2008

Within the UK there has been a lack of studies of technical efficiency at the Scottish level. This note compares the results obtained using Scottish data with a recent study by Hadley [Journal of Agricultural Economics (2006) Vol. 57, pp. 81–100] for English and Welsh farms. Four major sectors are investigated, namely: (i) cereals, (ii) dairy, (iii) sheep and (iv) beef over the period 1989 to 2004. Some distinct differences in efficiencies, returns to scale and causes of efficiency are found.
What Is a Tree Worth? Green‐City Strategies, Signaling and Housing Prices
Authors: Wachter Susan M. , Wong Grace
Published: May 2008

We investigate the correlation between curbside tree plantings and housing price movements in Philadelphia from 1998 to 2003, comparing two programs, one by the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) that requires block‐group effort that focuses on low‐income neighborhoods and the other by the Fairmount Park Commission that is individual‐based without specific target areas. A 7 to 11% price differential is identified within 4,000 feet of the Fairmount tree plantings. We argue that this is largely driven by either social capital creation or a signaling mechanism, on top of an intrinsic tree value (around 2%). Findings using the PHS tree program suggest that development of social capital or environmentally conscious behavior might be a less important channel. Any positive changes brought by the PHS tree plantings were not detected with sufficient statistical power.
Global Financial Integration and Real Estate Security Returns
Authors: Bardhan Ashok , Edelstein Robert , Tsang Desmond
Published: May 2008

Have globalization and increasing economic and financial integration affected the rates of return of publicly traded real estate companies around the world? Using a set of multifactor models for annual data for 946 firms from 16 countries over the sample period, 1995–2002, we estimate the impact of a country's economic openness on returns of publicly traded real estate firms, controlling for the effects of global capital markets, domestic macroeconomic conditions and firm‐specific variables. We find that a country's real estate security excess (risk‐adjusted) returns are negatively related to its openness. The results are robust across different multifactor model specifications and are a testament to increasing global financial integration and its interplay with the real estate sector.
A potential pathogenetic role of iron in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Silvestri Laura , Camaschella Clara
Published: May 2008

The role of iron in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still unclear, despite the evidence that it accumulates in the same brain regions characterized by the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) accumulation. Here we propose that iron directly influences the Aβ production through the modulation of furin, a proconvertase involved in the regulation of the α‐secretase‐dependent processing of the amyloid protein precursor (APP).
Density and Water Exchange‐Dependent Growth and Survival of Litopenaeus setiferus Postlarvae
Authors: Palomino Gabriela , Contreras Fabian , Sanchez Adolfo , Rosas Carlos
Published: May 2008

This present study was designed to investigate the effects of stocking density and water exchange on the growth rate, survival and performance index of L. setiferus postlarvae under controlled laboratory conditions. The experiment was done with postlarvae (PL10 to PL40) at densities of 50, 150, 250 and 350 shrimp/m2 and various different water exchanges rate per day (0, 6, 12 and 18%). The maximum growth rate was obtained for shrimp with 12% water exchange per day at all densities. A reduction of the maximum growth rate was observed in relation to density with the highest values in shrimp stocked in a density of 50 and 150 shrimp/m2 (mean value of 0.53 mg/d) and the lowest in shrimp stocked in a density of 350 shrimp/m2 (0.24 mg/d). The multiple regression equation obtained to relate performance index (growth rate* survival : PI), shrimp density (X1) and water exchange (X2) was: PI = 0.31 + (0.001) X1+ 0.039 X2+ 2.28 × 10−6 X12+ (−0.0017) X22+ (0.000026)X1X2,R2= 0.78; P > 0.03. According to this equation the optimum shrimp density‐water exchange comhination was between 5 to 12% of water exchange at stocking density of between 50 and 150 shrimp/m2. Salinity, ammonia‐N and nitrite‐N increased according to the time spent in tanks without water exchange. With no (0%) water exchange, water quality parameters measured were outside the optimum for L. setiferus postlarvae. The use of optimum density and water exchange in a nursery system for L. setiferus with optimum variables established is proposed.
Utilization of Gracilaria chilensis (Rhodophyta: Gracilariaceae) as a Biofilter in the Depuration of Effluents from Tank Cultures of Fish, Oysters, and Sea Urchins
Authors: Chow Fungyi , Macchiavello Juan , Cruz Sergio Santa , Fonck Erika , Olivares Jorge
Published: May 2008

An evaluation was made on a seasonal basis of the effect of the marine macroalga culture Gracilaria chilensis on concentrations of some soluble and particulate wastes emitted during tank cultures of a fish Isacia conteptionis, an oyster Crassostrea gigas, and a sea urchin Loxechinus albus species. The animals were each cultured in separate tanks, and effluent from each was directed through separate tanks, which contained dense cultures of the Gracilaria chilensis. Inflow‐outflow monitoring was conducted for the presence of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and phosphate. Also evaluated were particulate nitrogen and phosphate. The most significant wastes were ammonium from the fish culture and nitrate from the oyster culture. These were completely removed from the water, with minor exceptions, by the alga during all seasons of the year. Lesser amounts of soluble phosphate and nitrite, arising from the fish cultures, were also removed. Of the particulate matter, only nitrogen was in evidence from the fish cultures in the summer. It was concluded that Gracilaria chilensis culture was highly efficient at biofiltration of the soluble nutrients tested but had little effect on particulate emissions. The best growth of Gracilaria chilensis occurred in the ammonium‐rich effluent from the fish culture.
The Application of Hydrogen Peroxide as a Treatment for the Ectoparasite Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown 1931) on the Pacific Threadfin Polydactylus sexfilis
Authors: Montgomery‐Brock Dee , Sato Vernon T. , Brock James A. , Tamaru Clyde S.
Published: May 2008

Ectoparasite infections can cause death or a decline in the general health of farm‐raised finfish. This paper reports the findings from two studies conducted to evaluate the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide as a therapeu‐tant for the control of infections of Amyloodinium sp. on cultured Pacific threadfin Polydactylus sexfilis (locally called “moi”). Threadfin with amyloodiniasis collected from a commercial farm were used in both trials. Prior to the trials, and following hydrogen peroxide treatment, the extent of infection was determined by a gill biopsy procedure. An initial trial was conducted in the laboratory to assess the response of juvenile threadfin and Amyloodinium sp. trophonts to hydrogen peroxide exposure at four dosages: 0, 75, 150, or 300 mg/L for 30 min. In a trial on a commercial farm, a hydrogen peroxide treatment at 75 mg/L for 30 min was applied to juvenile threadfin in a grow‐out tank. In both trials, hydrogen peroxide was immediately flushed from the culture system with sea‐water after the 30 min exposure period. In the laboratory trial, treatment with 300 mg/L hydrogen peroxide resulted in 100% mortality of the exposed group of fish. However, single treatments with hydrogen peroxide at concentrations of 75 or 150 mg/L eliminated Amyloodinium sp. trophonts without causing loss of fish. In the field trial, a single treatment with 75 mg/L hydrogen peroxide greatly reduced levels of Amyloodinium infestation, and a second treatment 6 d later reduced Amyloodinium trophonts to a nondetectable level. These findings suggest that hydrogen peroxide is a suitable chemical for the treatment of amyloodiniasis of cultured, juvenile Pacific threadfin.
Ascites due to pre‐sinusoidal portal hypertension in dogs: a retrospective analysis of 17 cases
Authors: James FE , Knowles GW , Mansfield CS , Robertson ID
Published: May 2008

Accumulation of a pure transudate abdominal effusion in the absence of significant hypoalbuminaemia is uncommon in dogs and is due to pre‐sinusoidal portal hypertension. Reported causes of pre‐sinusoidal portal hypertension vary, but suggest a reasonable prognosis. A retrospective analysis of 17 dogs that presented to our institution with ascites due to pre‐sinusoidal portal hypertension identified idiopathic hepatic fibrosis or canine chronic hepatitis as the underlying cause in the majority of cases. Twelve (70.5%) dogs were 4 years of age or younger at time of presentation. Total serum protein was higher in dogs with chronic hepatitis than it was in dogs without inflammatory disease. The prognosis was generally poor and no histological, imaging or biochemical parameters were useful as prognostic indicators. Dogs died or were euthanased due to severe clinical signs associated with the portal hypertension and/or perceived poor prognosis.
Impact of topical anaesthesia on pain alleviation and wound healing in lambs after mulesing
Authors: Lomax S , Sheil M , Windsor P A
Published: May 2008

Objective   To investigate the impact of using the topical anaesthetic preparation Tri‐Solfen® on pain alleviation and wound healing in lambs undergoing mulesing.

Design  Three separate trials, placebo controlled and/or randomised, were carried out over a 5 month period on three mobs of between 60 and 263 merino lambs undergoing routine mulesing.

Procedure   Wound pain was assessed using 10 and 75 g calibrated Von‐Frey monofilaments to determine sensitivity to light touch and pain stimulation over a 4 to 8 h period. Pain‐related behaviour was documented by trained, blinded observers using a numerical rating scale. Wound healing rates were determined using scaled digital photography and image analysis software to calculate contraction in wound surface area 2 and 4 weeks after mulesing.

Results   There was rapid (3 min) and prolonged (up to 8 h) wound analgesia as shown by pain response scores (P ≤ 0.01), with absent or significantly diminished primary and secondary hyperalgesia (P ≤ 0.01) and significant reduction in pain‐related behaviour (P < 0.001) in treated versus untreated lambs. In addition there was improved wound healing in the treated lambs (P ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion   Tri‐Solfen® effects rapid and prolonged wound analgesia, reduction in pain‐related behaviour and improved wound healing in lambs undergoing routine mulesing, providing effective alleviation of pain associated with routine mulesing in sheep.
Virulence Factors and Antimicrobial Susceptibility ofEscherichia coliIsolated from Calves in Turkey
Authors: Güler L. , Gündüz K. , Ok Ü
Published: May 2008

Escherichia coliisolates from calves were investigated by multiplex PCR assays for the presence of genes encoding K99, F41, F17‐related fimbriae, heat‐stabile enterotoxin a (STa), intimin (eae) and Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2). A total of 120E. coliisolates, 75 isolated from diarrhoeic or septicemic calves and 45 from clinically healthy calves aged between 1 day and 2 months were tested. Each isolate was obtained from different calves in different herds. Among the isolates from diseased animals, 12 (16%) isolates from 1‐ to 7‐day‐old diarrhoeic calves were detected as enterotoxigenicE. coliwhich possessed K99, F41 and STa in combination; F17‐related fimbriae genes were detected in 33 (44%) isolates and they were found in combination with K99 + F41 + STa in two isolates. Of 120 isolates, 16 carriedeae, eightstx1 and fivestx2 genes alone or in combination. None of theeae‐ or stx‐positive strains was identified as O157:H7. However, results indicate that calves may be carrier of Shiga toxin‐producingE. coliwhich have potential as a human pathogen. Antimicrobial susceptibility of 75 isolates from diseased calves was determined by agar disk diffusion method for 14 antimicrobial agents. In 77.3% of the isolates, multiresistance was detected. Higher resistance rates were detected for cephalothin (72%), tetracycline (69.3%), kanamycin (69.3%), ampicillin (65.3%), nalidixic acid (53.3%), trimethoprim‐sulphamethoxazole (52%) and enrofloxacin (41.3%), respectively. No resistance was found for ceftiofur and cefoxitin.
High Frequency ofMycobacterium bovisDNA in Colostra from Tuberculous Cattle Detected by Nested PCR
Authors: Serrano‐Moreno B. A. , Romero T. A. , Arriaga C. , Torres R. A. , Pereira‐Suárez A. L. , García‐Salazar J. A. , Estrada‐Chávez C.
Published: May 2008

We evaluated by nested PCR reaction, different cow secretions from a herd with 48% of prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (BTB), seeking to determine niches whereMycobacterium boviscould be found. Postmortem examination of 18 (75%) tuberculin reacting cows allowed demonstrates BTB‐compatible lesions in six, all of them PCR positives in milk and four in colostra samples. Our results showed that up to 62% of the colostra analysed containedM. bovisDNA, whereas only 18% of milk gave a positive reaction. Moreover, in bronchoalveolar lavages from cattle with compatible lesions in lungs or lymph nodes, where macrophages account up to 90% of cells, we did not find evidences ofM. bovis. Altogether, these results suggest that differences in the anti‐bacterial capacity of bovine macrophages, dependent upon microenvironment and organ‐specific factors, exist. Alternatively, we hypothesize that hypoxic conditions that are encountered in mammary glands macrophages could induceM. bovisentrance into a ‘dormancy‐like’ state, and that the high number of colostra samples wereM. boviswas detected, could be an indicator of reactivation during ‘peripartum’.
Effects of Age and Oral Disease on Systemic Inflammatory and Immune Parameters in Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Ebersole J. L. , Steffen M. J. , Gonzalez-Martinez J. , Novak M. J.
Published: May 2008

This report evaluated systemic inflammatory and immune biomarkers in a cohort ofMacaca mulatta(rhesus monkeys) maintained as a large family social unit, including an age range from <1 year to >24 years. We hypothesized that the systemic host responses would be affected by the age, gender, and clinical oral presentation of the population, each contributing to inflammatory and immune responses that would reflect chronic oral infections. The results demonstrated that the prevalence and severity of periodontitis, including missing teeth, increased significantly with age. Generally, minimal differences in clinical parameters were noted between the genders. Systemic inflammatory mediators, including acute-phase reactants, prostaglandin E2(PGE2), cytokines/chemokines, and selected matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), demonstrated significant differences among the various age groups of animals. Levels of many of these were increased with age, although PGE2, RANTES, bactericidal permeability-inducing factor (BPI), MMP-1, and MMP-9 levels were significantly increased in the young group (∼1 to 3 years old) relative to those for the older animals. We observed that in the adult and aged animals, levels of the systemic inflammatory mediators related to gingival inflammation and periodontal tissue destruction were significantly elevated. Serum antibody levels in response to a battery of periodontal pathogens were generally lower in the young animals, <50% of those in the adults, and were significantly related to aging in the cohort. The levels of antibodies, particularly those toPorphorymonas gingivalis,Fusobacterium nucleatum, andTannerella forsythia, were most significantly elevated in animals with periodontal disease, irrespective of the age of the animal. These results provide a broad description of oral health and host responses in a large cohort of nonhuman primates from very young animals to the aged of this species. The findings afford a base of data with which to examine the ontogeny of host responses at mucosal sites, such as the gingival tissues.
Memory T Cells Specific for Novel Human Papillomavirus Type 16 (HPV16) E6 Epitopes in Women Whose HPV16 Infection Has Become Undetectable
Authors: Wang Xuelian , Moscicki Anna-Barbara , Tsang Laura , Brockman Andrea , Nakagawa Mayumi
Published: May 2008

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-specific T-cell response to the HPV type 16 (HPV16) E6 protein has been shown to be associated with successful viral clearance. The patterns of CD8 T-cell epitopes within HPV16 E6 protein were previously studied in two women with HPV16 clearance. The goal of this study was to characterize these epitopes in terms of their minimal and optimal amino acid sequences and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction molecules. The presence of the epitope-specific memory T cells after viral clearance was also examined. In subject A, the dominant epitope was characterized to be E6 75-83 (KFYSKISEY), restricted by the HLA-B62 molecule, while that of subject B was E6 133-142 (HNIRGRWTGR), restricted by the HLA-A6801 molecule. Homologous epitopes were identified in five other high-risk HPV types for both of these epitopes, but they were not recognized by respective T-cell clone cells. An enzyme-linked immunospot assay or tetramer analysis was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from blood samples collected after viral clearance but prior to isolation of the T-cell clones. The presence of epitope-specific memory T cells was demonstrated. These data suggest that HPV-specific memory T cells were generated in vivo and that they may remain in circulation many months, if not years, after viral clearance. Our findings broaden the spectrum of the CD8 T-cell epitopes of the HPV16 E6 protein. The characterization of novel T-cell epitopes and long-lasting epitope-specific memory T cells may be useful for the development of a potential epitope-based vaccine.
Evaluation of Seven Tests for Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis in an Area Where the Disease Is Endemic
Authors: Gómez M. Concepción , Nieto José A. , Rosa Carmen , Geijo Paloma , Escribano M. Ángeles , Muñoz Amparo , López Clara
Published: May 2008

The results of seven serologic tests for diagnosis of human brucellosis were evaluated. The titrated Rose Bengal test, microagglutination test, microtiter-adapted Coombs test, and immunocapture-agglutination test (Brucellacapt) were positive for all sera from patients with acute brucellosis. The immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA commercial enzyme immunoassays (ELISAs) failed to show specific antibodies in 3 patients, 10 patients, and 1 patient, respectively. The sensitivity of ELISA is not higher than that of conventional tests.
Detection of Caspofungin Resistance in
Candida
spp. by Etest
Authors: Desnos-Ollivier Marie , Dromer Françoise , Dannaoui Eric
Published: May 2008

The caspofungin susceptibilities of 28
Candida
sp. clinical isolates, including 8 caspofungin-resistant isolates characterized by mutations in the Fks1 protein, were determined by the Etest in RPMI and AM3 media. Good discrimination between wild-type and mutant isolates was obtained. These results suggest that the Etest is valuable for the detection of caspofungin resistance in
Candida
spp.
Optimization of a Laboratory-Developed Test Utilizing Roche Analyte-Specific Reagents for Detection of
Staphylococcus aureus
, Methicillin-Resistant
S. aureus
, and Vancomycin-Resistant
Enterococcus
Species
Authors: Mehta Maitry S. , Paule Suzanne M. , Hacek Donna M. , Thomson Richard B. , Kaul Karen L. , Peterson Lance R.
Published: May 2008

Nasal and perianal swab specimens were tested for detection of
Staphylococcus aureus
and vancomycin-resistant
Enterococcus
species (VRE) using a laboratory-developed real-time PCR test and microbiological cultures. The real-time PCR and culture results for
S. aureus
were similar. PCR had adequate sensitivity, but culture was more specific for the detection of VRE.
Lyme Disease in Oregon
Authors: Doggett J. Stone , Kohlhepp Sue , Gresbrink Robert , Metz Paul , Gleaves Curt , Gilbert David
Published: May 2008

The incidence of Lyme disease in Oregon is calculated from cases reported to the Oregon State Health Division. We reviewed the exposure history of reported cases of Lyme disease and performed field surveys for infected
Ixodes pacificus
ticks. The incidence of Lyme disease correlated with the distribution of infected
I
.
pacificus
ticks.
Detection of Pathogenic Protozoa in the Diagnostic Laboratory: Result Reproducibility, Specimen Pooling, and Competency Assessment
Authors: Libman M. D. , Gyorkos T. W. , Kokoskin E. , MacLean J. D.
Published: May 2008

Stool microscopy as performed in clinical parasitology laboratories is a complex procedure with subjective interpretation. Quality assurance (QA) programs often emphasize proficiency testing as an assessment tool. We describe a result reproducibility assessment tool, which can form part of a broader QA program, and which is based on the blinded resubmission of selected clinical samples, using concordance between the reports of the initial and resubmitted specimen as an indicator. Specimens preserved in sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin can be stored for several months for use in such a program. The presence of multiple protozoa in one specimen does not affect concordance. Some dilution of specimens occurs in this process, and this may explain poor concordance when specimens with low protozoal concentrations are resubmitted. Evaluation of this tool in a large parasitology laboratory revealed concordance rates for pathogenic protozoa (Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar,Giardia lamblia, andDientamoeba fragilis) of about 80%, which may be considered for use as a benchmark value. We also used this tool to demonstrate that when pairs of specimens from one patient are pooled to create a single specimen, concordance between the results of the individual and pooled specimens is high.
Comparison of PCR, Immunofluorescence Assay, and Pathogen Isolation for Diagnosis of Q Fever in Humans with Spontaneous Abortions
Authors: Vaidya V. M. , Malik S. V. S. , Kaur Simranpreet , Kumar Satish , Barbuddhe S. B.
Published: May 2008

Coxiella burnetii
, an obligate intracellular parasite with a worldwide distribution, is the causative agent of Q fever in humans. We tested a total of 368 samples (placental bits, genital swabs, fecal swabs, and urine and serum samples) collected from women (
n
= 74) with spontaneous abortions for
C. burnetii
by a PCR assay targeting IS
1111
, the repetitive transposon-like region of
C. burnetii
(trans-PCR); real-time PCR; an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA); and the isolation of the pathogen. The IFA showed seropositivity for 25.68% of the women with spontaneous abortions, whereas trans-PCR and real-time PCR each detected the pathogen in 21.62% of cases. Overall, 25.68% of the subjects were positive by one or more assays. Real-time PCR showed a slightly higher level of sensitivity than trans-PCR. With the IFA as the reference, the two PCR assays showed a higher level of sensitivity (84.21%) than pathogen isolation (26.31%), while both the PCR assays and pathogen isolation were specific (100%). The detection of high numbers of
C. burnetii
cells in clinical samples and the frequent association of the pathogen with cases of spontaneous abortions observed in this study revealed that Q fever remains underdiagnosed and that the prevalence in India is underestimated.
Rapid Screening for Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
by PCR and Associated Costs
Authors: Bühlmann Manuela , Bögli-Stuber Katja , Droz Sara , Mühlemann Kathrin
Published: May 2008

PCR tests for the rapid and valid detection of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) are now available. We evaluated the costs associated with contact screening for MRSA carriage in a tertiary-care hospital with low MRSA endemicity. Between 1 October 2005 and 28 February 2006, 232 patients were screened during 258 screening episodes (644 samples) for MRSA carriage by GenoType MRSA Direct (Hain Lifescience GmbH, Nehren, Germany). Conventional culture confirmed all PCR results. According to in-house algorithms, 34 of 258 screening episodes (14.7%) would have qualified for preemptive contact isolation, but such isolation was not done upon negative PCR results. MRSA carriage was detected in 4 (1.5%) of 258 screening episodes (i.e., in four patients), of which none qualified for preemptive contact isolation. The use of PCR for all 258 screening episodes added costs (in Swiss francs [CHF]) of CHF 104,328.00 and saved CHF 38,528.00 (for preemptive isolation). The restriction of PCR screening to the 34 episodes that qualified for preemptive contact isolation and screening all others by culture would have lowered costs for PCR to only CHF 11,988.00, a savings of CHF 38,528.00. Therefore, PCR tests are valuable for the rapid detection of MRSA carriers, but high costs require the careful evaluation of their use. In patient populations with low MRSA endemicity, the broad use of PCR probably is not cost-effective.