bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Actualizing environmental sustainability at Vancouver 2010 venues
Authors: Ponsford Ian F.
Published: June 2011

Purpose

Philosophical espousal of the sustainability rubric is becoming widespread in the event industry. A business systems‐oriented literature has emerged that helps event organizers plan for and measure success of more environmentally responsible or sustainable events. While top‐down approaches to sustainability are increasingly well established, the practical application of these programs in the unique event planning and management context is less well understood. This paper aims to build understanding of operations‐level opportunities and constraints that may be faced by environmental practitioners in event organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with members of the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee's (VANOC) Environmental Management Team (EMT), a group of environmental professionals embedded in VANOC's venue infrastructure business unit.

Findings

Several organizational strategies are described but intra‐organizational relationships are found to be the medium by which the environmental sustainability concept is actualized at venues.

Originality/value

Although the EMT operated within the standardized event delivery model established by the International Olympic Committee, it is hoped the Vancouver 2010 experience will be useful for other event organizers instituting and delivering environmental programs.
Effects of influential factors on consumer perceptions of uncertainty for online shopping
Authors: Zhang Geng , Liu Zhenyu
Published: June 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate the effects of different influential factors on consumer perceptions of uncertainty for online shopping.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, consumer perceptions of uncertainty have been divided into perceived commodity uncertainty and perceived seller's behavior uncertainty, and the influential factors concerned are experienced commodity attributes, online communication, buyer's comments, and the warrants of the consumer to consumer (C2C) operator. Based on the theoretical framework, this paper takes a structural evaluation model to analyze the research hypotheses.

Findings

Taking TAOBAO.com as an example, the empirical research results indicate that perceived commodity uncertainty can be reduced by all the influential factors directly, and the perceived seller's behavior uncertainty can be reduced by online communication. In addition, the results also show that the perceived seller's behavior uncertainty can significantly affect the buyers' will, and perceived commodity uncertainty can indirectly affect the buyers will through the perceived seller's behavior uncertainty.

Practical implications

Based on the empirical results, the paper argues that in order to effectively reduce the seller's behavior uncertainty and eliminate information asymmetry, the main issues C2C are faced with currently is to establish a more comprehensive protection mechanism and to develop more equitable trade rules.

Originality/value

Compared with previous research on risk and uncertainty, this paper provides experimental analysis of the consumer perceptions of uncertainty for online buyers. It reveals the effects of different influential factors on the perceived uncertainty of consumers, which would help to explain the online consumer's behavior. Furthermore, the results from this research can enrich the understanding of the theory of risk.
Estimating the switching costs in wireless telecommunication market
Authors: Zhu Ge , Ao Shan , Dai Jianhua
Published: June 2011

Purpose

Switching cost is an important concept in the study of consumer loyalty which has implications for organizational business strategy and regulatory policies. Much research has already examined the formation and influence of switching costs on the consumers' repeated purchase intentions, but little research has focused on quantitative measurement of the switching cost itself. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

By game theory, a complete Nash‐Bertrand model is proposed to accurately estimate consumer switching costs considering price compensation and transport costs in a duopoly. The relationship between switching costs and market structure is then analyzed by using the example of Hong Kong's wireless telecommunication market. From the observed data of China's wireless telecommunication industry, the model calculates switching costs per year of China Mobile and China Unicom's users respectively, as well as other variables.

Findings

The results demonstrate that reducing consumer switching costs will benefit small operators and increase competition in a winner‐take‐all market.

Originality/value

The model is valuable in calculating unseen switching costs and studying the impact of switching costs on market structure, especially for a duopoly in telecommunication.
Cross-sectional study on the correlation of serum uric acid with disease severity in Korean patients with psoriasis
Authors: Kwon H. H. , Kwon I. H. , Choi J. W. , Youn J. I.
Published: June 2011

Background. Hyperuricaemia is a common finding in patients with psoriasis. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent results about the association between serum uric acid concentration (SUAC) and psoriasis severity. Recent studies have also reported that SUAC is associated with metabolic dysregulation.

Aim. To assess any association between SUAC and clinical features of psoriasis, and to investigate the characteristics of patients with psoriasis with hyperuricaemia compared with similar patients with normouricaemia.

Methods. Cross-sectional data from 198 Korean patients with psoriasis who visited our clinic were analysed. Association of SUAC with clinical features of psoriasis, body mass index (BMI) and various laboratory values was assessed in both genders separately.

Results. The average uric acid concentration of patients with psoriasis was not significantly different from that of the healthy population, for both genders (P > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between SUAC and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and BMI in patients with psoriasis (P < 0.05). There was no association with age of disease onset, family history of psoriasis, or other laboratory values (P > 0.05), in either gender. Of the other factors of disease severity, the extent of body surface involvement was correlated with uric acid concentration (P < 0.05) although there was no significant relationship with activity of individual lesions (P > 0.05). Mean PASI and extent of psoriasis were increased in hyperuricaemic compared with normouricaemic patients (P < 0.05).

Conclusions. SUAC in patients with psoriasis is positively associated with PASI, extent of skin involvement and BMI for both genders independently.
Activation of natural killer cells by hepatitis C virus particles in vitro
Authors: Farag M M S , Weigand K , Encke J , Momburg F
Published: June 2011

Little is known about the ability of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to alter early innate immune responses in infected patients. Previous studies have shown that natural killer (NK) cells are functionally impaired after interaction of recombinant HCV glycoprotein E2 with the co-stimulatory CD81 molecule in vitro; however, the functional consequences of a prolonged contact of NK cells with HCV particles have remained unclear. We have examined the phenotypes of purified, interleukin-2-activated NK cells from healthy donors and HCV genotype 1b patients after culture for 5 days with HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp) and serum samples containing HCV genotype 1b. NK cells from healthy donors and chronic HCV patients were found to up-regulate receptors associated with activation (NKp46, NKp44, NKp30, NKG2D), while NK receptors from the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor family (KIR/CD158), predominantly having an inhibitory function, were significantly down-modulated after culture in the presence of HCV particles compared with control cultures of NK cells. HCV-infected sera and HCVpp elicited significantly higher secretion of the NK effector lymphokines interferon-γ and tumour necrosis factor-α. Furthermore, HCV stimulated the cytotoxic potential of NK cells from normal donors and patients. The enhanced activation of NK cells after prolonged culture with HCVpp or HCV-containing sera for 5 days suggests that these innate effector cells may play an important role in viral control during early phases of HCV infection.
Effect of medium/ω-6 long chain triglyceride-based emulsion on leucocyte death and inflammatory gene expression
Authors: Cury-Boaventura M F , Gorjão R , Martins de Lima T , Fiamoncini J , Godoy A B P , Deschamphs F C , Soriano F G , Curi R
Published: June 2011

Lipid emulsion (LE) containing medium/ω-6 long chain triglyceride-based emulsion (MCT/ω-6 LCT LE) has been recommended in the place of ω-6 LCT-based emulsion to prevent impairment of immune function. The impact of MCT/ω-6 LCT LE on lymphocyte and neutrophil death and expression of genes related to inflammation was investigated. Seven volunteers were recruited and infusion of MCT/ω-6 LCT LE was performed for 6 h. Four volunteers received saline and no change was found. Blood samples were collected before, immediately afterwards and 18 h after LE infusion. Lymphocytes and neutrophils were studied immediately after isolation and after 24 and 48 h in culture. The following determinations were carried out: plasma-free fatty acids, triacylglycerol and cholesterol concentrations, plasma fatty acid composition, neutral lipid accumulation in lymphocytes and neutrophils, signs of lymphocyte and neutrophil death and lymphocyte expression of genes related to inflammation. MCT/ω-6 LCT LE induced lymphocyte and neutrophil death. The mechanism for MCT/ω-6 LCT LE-dependent induction of leucocyte death may involve changes in neutral lipid content and modulation of expression of genes related to cell death, proteolysis, cell signalling, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and transcription.
Male ornament size in a passerine predicts the inhibitory effect of testosterone on macrophage phagocytosis
Authors: Gil Diego , Culver Renée
Published: June 2011

1. The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) proposes that androgen‐induced immunosuppression is the mechanism that restricts the expression of exaggerated male ornaments to superior males. Numerous tests of this hypothesis have been conducted on the humoral and cell‐mediated components of immunity, with mixed results. Surprisingly, no study so far has addressed whether macrophage phagocytosis, a basic immune function, plays a role in the ICHH.

2. We tested whether the ornament size of male spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor) is a predictor of in vitro macrophage phagocytosis. We found that a moderate physiological concentration of testosterone (T) induced strong phagocytic inhibition. We found no relationship between ornament size and phagocytic activity in basal conditions.

3. Basal phagocytosis was not significantly predicted by ornament size or original testosterone levels. Contrary to expectations, phagocytosis under a moderate T concentration was negatively related to ornament size. Furthermore, a nonsignificant trend for original T concentration to negatively affect T‐medium phagocytosis was also found.

4. Our results provide support to the ICCH and suggest that males with exaggerated ornaments and high T concentrations may counteract the inhibitory action of testosterone by some compensatory mechanism. Possible candidates include the presence of immunoenhancing substances, such as melatonin or antioxidants, or differential receptor activity. These mechanisms should be evaluated when testing the reliability of the ICCH in wild populations.
Bayesian state‐space model of fin whale abundance trends from a 1991–2008 time series of line‐transect surveys in the California Current
Authors: Moore Jeffrey E. , Barlow Jay
Published: June 2011

1.Estimating temporal trends in animal abundance is central to ecology and conservation, but obtaining useful trend estimates is challenging when animal detection rates vary across surveys (e.g. because of differences in observers or conditions). Methods exist for obtaining abundance estimates using capture–recapture and distance sampling protocols, but only recently have some of these been extended to allow direct estimation of abundance trends when detection rates vary. Extensions to distance sampling for >2 surveys have not yet been demonstrated.

2.We demonstrate a Bayesian approach for estimating abundance and population trends, using a time series of line‐transect data for endangered fin whalesBalaenoptera physalusoff the west coast of the United States. We use a hierarchical model to partition state and observation processes. Population density is modelled as a function of covariates and random process terms, while observed counts are modelled as an overdispersed Poisson process with rates estimated as a function of population density and detection probability, which is modelled using distance sampling theory. We used Deviance Information Criteria to make multi‐model inference about abundance and trend estimates.

3.Bayesian posterior distributions for trend parameters provide strong evidence of increasing fin whale abundance in the California Current study area from 1991 to 2008, while individual abundance estimates during survey years were considerably more precise than previously reported estimates using the same data. Assuming no change in underlying population dynamics, we predict continued increases in fin whale numbers over the next decade. Our abundance projections account for both sampling error in parameter estimates and process variance in annual abundance about the mean trend.

4.Synthesis and applications.Bayesian hierarchical modelling offers numerous benefits for analysing animal abundance trends. In our case, these included its implicit handling of sampling covariance, flexibility to accommodate random effects and covariates, ability to compare trend models of different functional forms and ability to partition sampling and process error to make predictions. Ultimately, by placing distance sampling within a more general hierarchical framework, we obtained more precise abundance estimates and an inference about fin whale trends that would have otherwise been difficult.
What factors influence the prevalence and accuracy of nursing diagnoses documentation in clinical practice? A systematic literature review
Authors: Paans Wolter , Nieweg Roos MB , van der Schans Cees P , Sermeus Walter
Published: June 2011

Aim. To identify what determinants influence the prevalence and accuracy of nursing diagnosis documentation in clinical practice.

Background. Nursing diagnoses guide and direct nursing care. They are the foundation for goal setting and provide the basis for interventions. The literature mentions several factors that influences nurses’ documentation of diagnoses, such as a nurse’s level of education, patient’s condition and the ward environment.

Design. Systematic review.

Method. MEDLINE and CINAHL databases were searched using the following headings and keywords: nursing diagnosis, nursing documentation, hospitals, influence, utilisation, quality, implementation and accuracy. The search was limited to articles published between 1995–October 2009. Studies were only selected if they were written in English and were primary studies addressing factors that influence nursing diagnosis documentation.

Results. In total, 24 studies were included. Four domains of factors that influence the prevalence and accuracy of diagnoses documentation were found: (1) the nurse as a diagnostician, (2) diagnostic education and resources, (3) complexity of a patient’s situation and (4) hospital policy and environment.

Conclusion. General factors, which influence decision‐making, and nursing documentation and specific factors, which influence the prevalence and accuracy of nursing diagnoses documentation, need to be distinguished. To support nurses in documenting their diagnoses accurately, we recommend taking a comprehensive perspective on factors that influence diagnoses documentation. A conceptual model of determinants that influence nursing diagnoses documentation, as presented in this study, may be helpful as a reference for nurse managers and nurse educators.

Relevance to clinical practice. This review gives hospital management an overview of determinants for possible quality improvements in nursing diagnoses documentation that needs to be undertaken in clinical practice.
Sudden informal caregivers: the lived experience of informal caregivers after an unexpected event
Authors: Pereira Helder Rocha , Rebelo Botelho Maria Antónia
Published: June 2011

Aim.  The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experience of individuals taking on the role of informal adult caregivers after an unexpected event involving a relative.

Background.  The literature on the development of the role of informal caregivers widely recognises that protecting and promoting the quality of life of caregivers should be a priority for health professionals. However, knowledge about how individuals develop as sudden caregivers is scarce, with existing knowledge centring mainly on the physical aspects of caregiving. What it means to become a caregiver or to experience role redefinition remains largely unclear.

Design.  Hermeneutic phenomenology provided the framework that guided this study.

Methods.  Unstructured interviews were used for collecting data. We used Van Manen’s approach to analyse data and to reveal themes. Reflexivity and collaborative analysis were used to address rigour.

Results.  From caregivers’ interviews (n = 14), four main themes were identified: losing control over time, feeling alone, failing expectations and taking over someone else’s life.

Conclusions.  The caregiving experience is characterised as a transition process or a period of ongoing focussing and de‐focussing. The extent to which caregivers feel connected with others, redefine their personal use of time and feel comfortable with their new responsibilities indicates how they are managing this transition and how well they are achieving balance in their new role, i.e. from feeling ‘exclusively’ a caregiver to being ‘also’ a caregiver.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Facilitating successful transitions is within the scope of the role of professional nurses. Information about the meaning that caregivers attribute to their experience – relationships, options and strategies – is crucial, as it will help nurses to plan, assess and design adequate nursing interventions to support informal caregivers, especially in unexpected situations.
Trapping spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with combinations of vinegar and wine, and acetic acid and ethanol
Authors: Landolt P. J. , Adams T. , Rogg H.
Published: June 2011

Recommendations for monitoring spotted wing drosophila (SWD) Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) are to use either vinegar or wine as a bait for traps. Traps baited with vinegar and traps baited with wine, in field tests in northwest Oregon, captured large numbers of male and female SWD flies. Numbers of SWD trapped were significantly greater with a mixture of vinegar and wine compared with vinegar alone or wine alone. Attraction of SWD to vinegar and wine may be due in part to responses to acetic acid and ethanol evaporated from the two baits, respectively. Numbers of SWD captured in traps baited with 2% acetic acid in water were significantly greater than in unbaited traps, indicating a fly response to acetic acid. Very few flies were captured in traps baited with 10% ethanol in water. Traps baited with a combination of acetic acid and ethanol in water captured more SWD flies than traps baited with acetic acid or ethanol solutions alone. These results indicate a synergy of the two materials, and of the two chemicals, as lures for SWD. A comparison of a mixture of acetic acid with ethanol in water versus a mixture of vinegar with wine showed stronger fly attraction to the vinegar/wine mixture, indicating potential attractiveness of vinegar and wine volatiles in addition to acetic acid and ethanol.
Measuring antibiotic prescribing in hospitalised children in resource‐poor countries: A systematic review
Authors: Irwin Adam , Sharland Mike
Published: June 2011

Antibiotic resistance represents a significant threat to global health. Widespread exposure to antibiotics drives the development of antibiotic resistance. Little is known about the exposure to antibiotics of hospitalised children, particularly in resource‐poor countries where the burden of infectious disease is highest. The review sought to identify original research quantifying antibiotic use in hospitalised children in resource countries. The methods used were: A systematic search of the MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, LILACS and African Index Medicus databases. Eighteen papers were identified and the methodology varied considerably. Only seven used a recognised defined daily dose (DDD) methodology. The studies reveal a high exposure of hospitalised children to antibiotics. With the exception of data from China, the studies were limited by their design. Limited evidence of the variation in drug, dose and total exposure to antibiotic use in hospitalised children in resource‐poor countries exists. An international network of surveillance of both antimicrobial prescribing and resistance using a simple standardised methodology in this context remains an important goal. A simplified paediatric version of the adult DDD methodology is required to allow international comparison between populations.
The Doppler cerebroplacental ratio predicts non‐reassuring fetal status in intrauterine growth restricted fetuses at term
Authors: Murata Susumu , Nakata Masahiko , Sumie Masahiro , Sugino Norihiro
Published: June 2011

Aim:  To investigate whether cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) can be a useful marker to predict non‐reassuring fetal status (NRFS) in small for gestational age (SGA) infants at term.

Material and Methods:  Three hundred and nine singleton SGA infants delivered between 37 and 41 weeks of gestation were included in this study. SGA infants were defined as birthweight less than 10th percentile for gestational age. Doppler measurements were recorded once a week until delivery. The incidence of NRFS or an emergency cesarean delivery, and relationship between CPR and NRFS in SGA infants were compared with appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants at term, and a receiver–operator characteristics curve analysis was performed.

Results:  The incidences of NRFS was significantly higher in SGA (27.8%) infants compared with in AGA infants (18.0%), and the rate of emergency cesarean delivery was significantly higher in SGA (14.6%) infants compared with AGA infants (8.3%). CPR was obtained from 63 SGA infants, and 16 out of 63 cases (25.4%) resulted in NRFS. The infants complicated with NRFS showed significantly lower CPR values compared with those without NRFS (1.05 ± 0.2 vs 1.23 ± 0.2, P = 0.013), while middle cerebral artery resistance index and ‘umbilical artery resistance index were not statistically different between the two groups. A cut‐off value of CPR 1.1 based on the receiver–operator characteristics curve provided the best combination with 62.5% sensitivity and 74.5% specificity to predict NRFS occurrence.

Conclusions:  The SGA infants complicated with NRFS showed significantly lower CPR values compared with those without NRFS.
Acute kidney injury complicating septic unsafe abortion: Clinical course and treatment outcomes of 44 cases
Authors: Srinil Sukanya , Panaput Thanachai
Published: June 2011

Aim:  The aim of this study was to present the clinical course and treatment outcomes of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) after septic unsafe abortion.

Material and Methods:  Medical records of patients with AKI after septic unsafe abortion admitted at Khon Kaen Hospital between January 2003 and December 2009 were reviewed.

Results:  Forty‐four patients with an average age of 24.3 years were included and 25% were teenage girls. The most common method of induced abortion was transvaginal chemical injection (81.8%). One patient had a hysterectomy due to severe peritonitis and sepsis that was not responsive to medical treatment. AKI developed on day 4.5 ± 3.6 with the range of onset 1–14 days after induced abortion. Oliguric AKI was present in 70.4% of patients with the mean duration of oliguria of 7.4 ± 5 days. Seventeen patients required dialysis. The mortality rate was 9%. The average duration of recovery from AKI was 24.8 ± 16.6 days.

Conclusions:  Conservative treatment of AKI‐related septic unsafe abortion was dialysis without hysterectomy. The treatment results were minimal morbidity and mortality. Conservative management may be a better alternative to hysterectomy for the treatment of septic unsafe abortion with AKI. However the current study was a retrospective study, and we were not able to obtain certain follow‐up data, such as fertility outcomes after recovery. Therefore, further study of these issues should be considered.
Experience managing postpartum hemorrhage at Minia University Maternity Hospital, Egypt: No mortality using external aortic compression
Authors: Soltan Mohamed H. , Sadek Refaat R.
Published: June 2011

Aim:  To compare maternal mortality and morbidity due to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) at Minia University Maternity Hospital, El‐Minia, Egypt, before and while external aortic compression was applied as an adjunct intervention, and to identify the effect of aortic compression.

Methods:  The obstetric data and outcomes of women with PPH were compared for the period 1999 through 2007, when only a regular PPH management protocol was followed, and for 2008 through 2009, when external aortic compression was applied before initiating the protocol. The El‐Minia aortic compression device (EACD) was used in 2008 and the manual aortic compression maneuver (MACM) in 2009. Outcomes and treatment measures were analyzed by the ×2 test and multivariate regression.

Results:  During the first period, PPH annually caused 1–6 deaths and 22–31 severe conditions, such as acute renal failure, loss of consciousness, anemia persisting after treatment, postpartum infection, or the need for a hysterectomy. The incidence of PPH declined from 4.6% in 1999 to 0.9% at the end of the study. In 2008 and 2009, there were no deaths due to PPH and only four complications were recorded in each of these two years. Regression analysis identified aortic compression as the second most effective measure preventing severe shock and death, with blood transfusions being the first. The almost similar results reached with the EACD and MACM allow a choice, but fewer units of blood were needed following application of the device.

Conclusions:  Including the EACD and MACM in the regular management protocol may improve the outcome of severe PPH.
Comparison of vaginal misoprostol tablets and prostaglandin E2 gel for the induction of labor in premature rupture of membranes at term: A randomized comparative trial
Authors: Chaudhuri Snehamay , Mitra Sankar Nath , Banerjee Pradip Kumar , Biswas Pranab Kumar , Bhattacharyya Sudipta
Published: June 2011

Aim:  To compare immediate induction with vaginal misoprostol tablets and immediate induction with vaginal dinoprostone (naturally occurring prostaglandin E2[PGE2]) gel in women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at term.

Methods:  Two hundred and twelve women with PROM at term were assigned randomly to receive either an intravaginal 25 µg misoprostol tablet, 4‐hourly, with a maximum of five doses, or 0.5 mg intravaginal PGE2 gel, 6‐hourly, with a maximum of two doses. The primary outcome measures were the admission‐to‐delivery interval and the induction‐to‐delivery interval. Secondary outcomes included cesarean section rate, mode of delivery, and maternal and neonatal safety outcome. Results were calculated applying Fisher's exact test, χ2‐test, t‐test and calculating the P‐value using an alpha level of 0.05 for Type I errors.

Results:  The mean time from admission to delivery was 13.53 h in the misoprostol group and 12.30 h in the PGE2 group (P = 0.090). The induction‐to‐delivery interval was also comparable between the groups (10.75 h vs 9.37 h), while the cesarean section rate did not differ significantly between them (7.61% vs 15.30%). More women in the misoprostol group had an instrumental delivery (12.38% vs 2.94%). The only significant difference in neonatal outcome was a greater number of babies born with Apgar score < 7 at 1 min in the misoprostol group. Maternal outcomes were not significantly different, except for a higher number of digital vaginal examinations in the misoprostol group.

Conclusion:  Vaginal misoprostol is equally efficacious in labor induction and demonstrates a similar fetal and maternal safety profile to PGE2 gel.
Volunteer Engagement: Does Engagement Predict the Degree of Satisfaction among New Volunteers and the Commitment of Those who have been Active Longer?
Authors: Vecina María L. , Chacón Fernando , Sueiro Manuel , Barrón Ana
Published: June 2011

This study examines the concept of engagement in samples of volunteers from different non‐profit organisations. Study 1 analyzes the psychometric properties of the abbreviated version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (Schaufeli, Bakker, & Salanova, 2006a). Two factorial structures are examined: one‐dimensional and three‐dimensional structures. Based on the Three‐Stage Model of Volunteers' Duration of Service (Chacón, Vecina, & Dávila, 2007), Study 2 investigates the relationship between engagement, volunteer satisfaction, and intention to remain in a sample of new volunteers and the relationship between engagement, organisational commitment, and intention to remain in a sample of veteran volunteers. Moderated mediation analysis is provided using duration of service as a moderator in order to set a splitting point between new and veteran volunteers. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the three‐factor model fits better to the data. Regarding the structural models, the first one shows that engagement is crucial to volunteer satisfaction during the first stage, while volunteer satisfaction is the key variable in explaining intention to continue. The second structural model shows that engagement reinforces the participant's commitment to the organisation, while organisational commitment predicts intention to continue. Both models demonstrate a notable decline when samples are changed.
Anabolic steroids and male infertility: a comprehensive review
Authors: de Souza Guilherme Leme , Hallak Jorge
Published: June 2011

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The negative impact of AAS abuse on male fertility is well known by urologists. The secondary hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is often highlighted when AAS and fertility are being discussed. On the other hand, the patterns of use, mechanisms of action and direct effects over the testicle are usually overseen. The present study reviews the vast formal and “underground” culture of AAS, as well as their overall implications. Specific considerations about their impact on the male reproductive system are made, with special attention to the recent data on direct damage to the testicle. To our knowledge this kind of overview is absolutely unique, offering a distinguished set of information to the day‐by‐day urologists.

For several decades, testosterone and its synthetic derivatives have been used with anabolic and androgenic purposes. Initially, these substances were restricted to professional bodybuilders, becoming gradually more popular among recreational power athletes. Currently, as many as 3 million anabolic‐androgenic steroids (AAS) users have been reported in the United States, and considering its increasing prevalence, it has become an issue of major concern. Infertility is defined as the failure to achieve a successful pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected intercourse, with male factor being present in up to 50% of all infertile couples. Several conditions may be related to male infertility. Substance abuse, including AAS, is commonly associated to transient or persistent impairment on male reproductive function, through different pathways. Herein, a brief overview on AAS, specially oriented to urologists, is offered. Steroids biochemistry, patterns of use, physiological and clinical issues are enlightened. A further review about fertility outcomes among male AAS abusers is also presented, including the classic reports on transient axial inhibition, and the more recent experimental reports on structural and genetic sperm damage.
Extreme Traumatization in Chile: the Experience and Treatment of Families
Authors: Roizblatt Arturo , Biederman Niels , Brown Jac
Published: June 2011

Chile entered a period of political turmoil when Dr Salvador Allende, a socialist, won the 1970 presidential election. After he was overthrown, Chile was governed by a military dictatorship that engaged in massive human rights violations. Some 30 years later, this article summarizes the psychological consequences of the traumas that victims experienced and the emotions triggered in these individuals and their families, as well as the very real difficulties they faced. This report focuses on the loss and grief that many families experienced after a family member was imprisoned and tortured or assassinated, or both. Systemic therapeutic implications of the difficulties these families faced are proposed.
The neurocognitive connection between physical activity and eating behaviour
Authors: Joseph R. J. , Alonso‐Alonso M. , Bond D. S. , Pascual‐Leone A. , Blackburn G. L.
Published: June 2011

As obesity rates increase worldwide, healthcare providers require methods to instill the lifestyle behaviours necessary for sustainable weight loss. Designing effective weight‐loss interventions requires an understanding of how these behaviours are elicited, how they relate to each other and whether they are supported by common neurocognitive mechanisms. This may provide valuable insights to optimize existing interventions and develop novel approaches to weight control. Researchers have begun to investigate the neurocognitive underpinnings of eating behaviour and the impact of physical activity on cognition and the brain. This review attempts to bring these somewhat disparate, yet interrelated lines of literature together in order to examine a hypothesis that eating behaviour and physical activity share a common neurocognitive link. The link pertains to executive functions, which rely on brain circuits located in the prefrontal cortex. These advanced cognitive processes are of limited capacity and undergo relentless strain in the current obesogenic environment. The increased demand on these neurocognitive resources as well as their overuse and/or impairment may facilitate impulses to over‐eat, contributing to weight gain and obesity. This impulsive eating drive may be counteracted by physical activity due to its enhancement of neurocognitive resources for executive functions and goal‐oriented behaviour. By enhancing the resources that facilitate ‘top‐down’ inhibitory control, increased physical activity may help compensate and suppress the hedonic drive to over‐eat. Understanding how physical activity and eating behaviours interact on a neurocognitive level may help to maintain a healthy lifestyle in an obesogenic environment.
PARALLEL STRUCTURES IN THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY: A PROBLEMATIC QUICK FIX
Authors: EL BARADEI LAILA
Published: June 2011

This paper investigates the proliferation of parallel structures – also known as project implementation units (PIUs) and technical offices (TOs) – within the Egyptian public administration system and the pressures since the 1990s that have led to their increasing numbers, including the current political turmoil. To determine whether these structures are a viable tool for the implementation of reform in Egypt, the paper examines international experience, analyses the literature, and assesses the results of a brief survey of staff working in the traditional bureaucracy and those in parallel structures. The paper concludes that while PIUs may sometimes be necessary for initiating reform in the short term, long term sustainable reform requires genuine commitment of both donor and recipient governments to improve governance, build capacity within the traditional national institutions, apply performance management with a focus on policy impacts, and adopt alternative mechanisms in implementing development projects such as general budget support.
ON SURRENDER AND DEFAULT RISKS
Authors: Le Courtois Olivier , Nakagawa Hidetoshi
Published: June 2011

This paper examines certain types of saving institutions or insurance companies that are subject to surrender and default risks, in a stochastic interest rate context. In the setting under study, investors are endowed with an option to surrender. The goal of the paper is to study how this option impacts the default risk of the issuing company and the value of the contracts it issues. Surrender risk has been extensively studied in arbitrated markets, using trees or least‐squares Monte Carlo methods for valuations, although practitioners often rely on econometric methods. We deal with surrender risk in a third way, assuming policyholders have sets of information and preferences that differ from those of financial market agents, but without relying on econometric methods. In particular, policyholders are supposed to be only partially rational (at least in the financial sense). This is done by modeling surrender risk through a Cox process correlated to the assets and interest rate dynamics. The paper provides formulas for the dynamics of the assets of the issuing firm (these dynamics drive the default time of the company), and for the valuation of liabilities and equity. A numerical illustration is provided.
POSITIVE ALPHAS, ABNORMAL PERFORMANCE, AND ILLUSORY ARBITRAGE
Authors: Jarrow Robert , Protter Philip
Published: June 2011

Jensen’s alpha is well known to be a measure of abnormal performance in the evaluation of securities and portfolios where abnormal performance is defined to be an expected return that exceeds the equilibrium risk adjusted rate. It is also well known that in estimating Jensen’s alpha, a nonzero value can be obtained by using incorrect factors or not employing time varying betas. This paper makes two additional contributions to the performance evaluation literature. First, we show that a stronger statement is true regarding the meaning of a nonzero Jensen’s alpha. In fact, a nonzero Jensen’s alpha represents an arbitrage opportunity. Second, we show that even if the correct factors and time varying betas are used, a nonzero Jensen’s alpha can result if the estimate is conditioned on the wrong information set in the presence of an asset price bubble. We call this illusory arbitrage. Both facts are relevant to interpreting the existing empirical literature evaluating the performance of mutual and hedge funds.
GREED, LEVERAGE, AND POTENTIAL LOSSES: A PROSPECT THEORY PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Jin Hanqing , Zhou Xun Yu
Published: June 2011

This paper quantifies the notion of greed, and explores its connection with leverage and potential losses, in the context of a continuous‐time behavioral portfolio choice model under (cumulative) prospect theory. We argue that the reference point can serve as the critical parameter in defining greed. An asymptotic analysis on optimal trading behaviors when the pricing kernel is lognormal and the S‐shaped utility function is a two‐piece CRRA shows that both the level of leverage and the magnitude of potential losses will grow unbounded if the greed grows uncontrolled. However, the probability of ending with gains does not diminish to zero even as the greed approaches infinity. This explains why a sufficiently greedy behavioral agent, despite the risk of catastrophic losses, is still willing to gamble on potential gains because they have a positive probability of occurrence whereas the corresponding rewards are huge. As a result, an effective way to contain human greed, from a regulatory point of view, is to impose a priori bounds on leverage and/or potential losses.
“LOVE YOUR ENEMIES”: USURY, CITIZENSHIP AND THE FRIEND‐ENEMY DISTINCTION
Authors: BRETHERTON LUKE
Published: June 2011

Through an analysis of the Scriptural treatment of usury, a constructive theological analysis of the question of the friend‐enemy distinction as a political category, its relationship to a Christian conception of universalism as determined by being in Christ, and the nature of faithful citizenship is forged. This essay argues that usury is a paradigmatic instance of the friend‐enemy distinction as defined by Carl Schmitt and as such is primarily a political act. The article closes by analysing Schmitt's reading of Jesus’ commandment to love enemies and suggests that after Christ, the friend‐enemy distinction ceases to be political and becomes missiological instead. The implication of this missiological conception is then related back to the on‐going question of usury.
MAKING ROOM FOR THE OTHER: MATERNAL MOURNING AND ESCHATOLOGICAL HOPE
Authors: THOMPSON JANICE ALLISON
Published: June 2011

Working with the experiences of mothers, the author explores a two‐part thesis: first, that birth‐giving and mourning are both works that seek to “make room” for another person; and second, extending the first thesis, that a theology of creation and eschatology can be fruitfully linked by this theme of making room. The author uses the theology of Johann Baptist Metz to explore the contingent nature of living in history, especially by engaging a narrative theological anthropology and an eschatological time‐sensitivity, and argues further that the struggle to become human in history depends also on the work of others who make room for us in our struggle.
RELEASING THE FEMININE VOICE: A CAVELLIAN EPISTEMOLOGY FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Authors: VIEFHUES‐BAILEY LUDGER
Published: June 2011

How can we imagine anew the discipline of philosophy of religion, given the feminist critiques that it privileges thinking driven by the needs of male subject formation? I address this question first by arguing with Cavell that a specific masculine aversion of erotic reciprocity produces a particular skeptical epistemology. Overcoming this phallocentric thinking requires therefore a new eros. Secondly, I will argue that the fluidly gendered subjectivities I detect in Cavell's work on film enable such a new erotic and epistemic orientation. I conclude by outlining the consequences of this orientation for the pursuits of philosophy of religion.
Peace, a Contested Identity: Japan’s Constitutional Revision and Grassroots Peace Movements
Authors: Ogawa Akihiro
Published: June 2011

This article provides an ethnographic account of peace in contemporary Japanese society, focusing on the ongoing political agenda—the revision of Japan’s Constitution. For the Japanese people, pacifism is a culturally embedded concept that has defined their social and political lives during the post‐World War II era. It has shaped Japanese individual and group identities, social relations, and practices. This article explores the ways in which peace represents a set of contested identities constructed through politics at the state level as well as through everyday life at the individual level. Peace is not a fixed concept nor can it be defined only by the state or authorities. The dynamic process of identity construction is examined through distinct narratives generated by both pro‐revisionists and grassroots anti‐revisionists on the Constitution.
Where does learning take place? The role of intergovernmental cooperation in policy diffusion
Authors: FÜGLISTER KATHARINA
Published: June 2011

Although it is widely accepted that a decentralised system can enhance policy learning and the spread of best practices, an under‐researched question is where that learning process takes place. Using data on the diffusion of health care policies in Switzerland, this article analyses the role of institutionalised intergovernmental cooperation and its impact on the spread of successful policies. The results show that joint membership of policy makers in health policy specific intergovernmental bodies is related to the diffusion of best practices.
Haemodynamic response to abdominal decompression in acute Budd–Chiari syndrome
Authors: Joshi Deepak , Saha Sujit , Bernal William , Heaton Nigel , Wendon Julia , Auzinger Georg
Published: June 2011

Background: Intra‐abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome commonly occur in patients with liver disease.

Aims: We compared haemodynamic variables pre‐ and post‐abdominal decompression in patients with acute Budd–Chiari syndrome (BCS) and patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), ascites and IAH.

Methods: Patients with IAH admitted to the Liver ICU, King's College Hospital were studied. Transpulmonary thermodilution cardiac output (CO) monitoring was performed with the PiCCO® system.

Results: Ten patients with decompensated BCS (median age 39 years, 20–52) and eight patients with CLD (59 years, 33–65) and tense ascites requiring paracentesis were studied. Intra‐abdominal pressure (IAP) was raised in both groups pre‐intervention (BSC 23 mmHg, 17–40; CLD 26, 20–40). Intrathoracic blood volume (ITBVI) was persistently low in the BCS group (632 ml/m2, 453–924) despite volume resuscitation. Post‐intervention, reduction in IAP was noted in both groups (BCS P<0.001, CLD P<0.0001). The ITBVI increased (P=0.001) in the BCS group only. An increase in cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume index (SVI) was noted in both groups (BCS: CI P=0.003, SVI: P=0.007; CLD: CI P=0.005, SVI P=0.02). The central venous pressure did not change in either group and did not correlate with markers of flow (CI, SVI) or IAP. Both groups demonstrated an inverse relationship between IAP, CI and SVI.

Conclusion: Patients with BCS and IAH have evidence of central hypovolaemia. In addition to raised IAP, hepatic venous obstruction and caudate lobe hypertrophy limit venous return in patients with BCS. Reduction in IAP and re‐establishment of caval flow restores preload with improvement in CO.
Successful Reversal of Hyperalgesia/Myoclonus Complex with Low‐Dose Ketamine Infusion
Authors: Forero Mauricio , Chan Philip S. L. , Restrepo‐Garces Carlos E
Published: June 2011

Abstract:  We report the successful use of low‐dose ketamine infusion for treating a severe episode of painful myoclonus in the lower extremities, associated with opioid‐induced hyperalgesia (OIH), in a patient who was receiving long‐term, high dose intrathecal hydromorphone therapy. A low‐dose ketamine infusion immediately relieved the painful myoclonus. It also enabled a reduction in the intrathecal opioid dosage leading to a resolution of the acute symptoms attributed to OIH.
A family study of the Chinese Rhnull individual of the regulator type: a novel single missense mutation identified in RHAG gene
Authors: Tian Li , Song Ning , Yao Zhi‐Qiang , Huang Mei , Hou Li
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND: Rhnull is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, and Rhnull of the regulator type may result from mutation of the RHAG gene, which encodes RhAG glycoprotein and modulates Rh antigen expression. This study described the molecular genetic analysis of a Chinese Rhnull family and identified a novel mutation in the RHAG gene.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: RBCs from the Rhnull family members were analyzed for Rh phenotype by standard methods. DNA sequences of all 10 exons of RHAG gene were analyzed using genomic DNA by polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequencing.

RESULTS: Genomic DNA analyses showed that a 672C>A mutation in Exon 5 of the RHAG gene was present at the homozygous state in DH and at the heterozygous state in the other members of the Rhnull family. The 672C>A missense mutation converted serine into arginine at Position 224 in the Transmembrane Segment 7 of RhAG glycoprotein.

CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that the 672C>A missense mutation in the RHAG gene could result in Rhnull of the regulator type, and the single‐amino‐acid change (Ser to Arg) might be critical for assembly of the Rh antigen complex within the membrane.