bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Familial deficiency of vitamin K‐dependent clotting factors
Authors: WESTON B. W. , MONAHAN P. E.
Published: September 2010

Summary.  Combined deficiency of vitamin K‐dependent clotting factors II, VII, IX and X (and proteins C, S, and Z) is usually an acquired clinical problem, often resulting from liver disease, malabsorption, or warfarin overdose. A rare inherited form of defective γ‐carboxylation resulting in early onset of bleeding was first described by McMillan and Roberts in 1966 and subsequently has been termed ‘vitamin K‐dependent clotting factor deficiency’ (VKCFD). Biochemical and molecular studies identify two variants of this autosomal recessive disorder: VKCFD1, which is associated with point mutations in the γ‐glutamylcarboxylase gene (GGCX), and VKCFD2, which results from point mutations in the vitamin K epoxide reductase gene (VKOR). Bleeding ranges in severity from mild to severe. Therapy includes high oral doses of vitamin K for prophylaxis, usually resulting in partial correction of factor deficiency, and episodic use of plasma infusions or prothrombin complex concentrate. Recent molecular studies have the potential to further our understanding of vitamin K metabolism, γ‐carboxylation, and the functional role this post‐translational modification has for other proteins. The results may also provide potential targets for molecular therapeutics and pharmacogenetics.
RET rearrangements and BRAF mutation in undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas having papillary carcinoma components
Authors: Mochizuki Kunio , Kondo Tetsuo , Nakazawa Tadao , Iwashina Masanori , Kawasaki Tomonori , Nakamura Nobuki , Yamane Tetsu , Murata Shin‐ichi , Ito Koichi , Kameyama Kaori , Kobayashi Makio , Katoh Ryohei
Published: September 2010

Mochizuki K, Kondo T, Nakazawa T, Iwashina M, Kawasaki T, Nakamura N, Yamane T, Murata S‐i, Ito K, Kameyama K, Kobayashi M & Katoh R (2010) Histopathology 57, 444–450 RET rearrangements and BRAF mutation in undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas having papillary carcinoma components

Aims:  To elucidate the genetic background of anaplastic transformation, RET rearrangements and BRAF mutation were studied in composite undifferentiated carcinomas (UCs) of the thyroid, which are UCs having papillary carcinoma (PC) components.

Methods and results:  Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) was performed for RET rearrangements and PCR for BRAF mutation in UC and PC components that were microdissected separately from seven composite UCs. Forty‐two thyroid cancers with single component histology (14 UCs and 28 PCs) were also studied in the same manner. RET/PTC1 was undetectable in both components from all seven composite UCs, and RET/PTC3 was identified in both components of one composite UC. BRAF mutation was identified in both components from three composite UCs and only in the PC components from two composite UCs. In contrast, in thyroid carcinomas with single component histology, RET/PTC1 was detected in 11% of PCs and in none of the UCs, and RET/PTC3 was not found in any of the tumours studied. BRAF mutation was identified in 82% of PCs and in 21% of UCs.

Conclusions:  The high frequency of BRAF mutation and the absence of RET rearrangements in UC components from composite UCs supports the hypothesis that UCs may actually represent progressive malignant degeneration of a BRAF‐mutated, well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
Liberibacters associated with orange jasmine in Brazil: incidence in urban areas and relatedness to citrus liberibacters
Authors: Lopes S. A. , Frare G. F. , Camargo L. E. A. , Wulff N. A. , Teixeira D. C. , Bassanezi R. B. , Beattie G. A. C. , Ayres A. J.
Published: September 2010

Two surveys (2005/2006 and 2009) were conducted in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, to investigate the incidence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ and ‘Ca. L. americanus’, two liberibacters associated with citrus huanglongbing (HLB) disease and both transmitted by Diaphorina citri, in orange jasmine (Murraya exotica), a widespread ornamental tree in cities and villages. The graft‐transmissibility of the two species, and their DNA relatedness to citrus‐associated liberibacters, were also investigated. Quantitative PCR was applied to PCR‐positive orange jasmine and HLB‐positive citrus growing in backyards and orchards to assess their inoculum source potentials. Liberibacters were detected in 91 of 786 sampled orange jasmine plants in 10 of 76 sampled locations. PCR‐positive trees exhibited yellow shoots and/or dieback symptoms indistinguishable from those on PCR‐negative trees. ‘Candidatus Liberibacter americanus’ was more common in 2005/2006 (96·6%) and ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ in 2009 (84·8%). rplJ nucleotide sequences were identical within all populations of either species. Graft transmission succeeded only in homologous host combinations, including ‘Ca. L. americanus’ (2/10) from/to orange jasmine and ‘Ca. L. americanus’ (5/18) and ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ (5/9) from/to citrus. Symptoms were mild and developed less rapidly in orange jasmine than in citrus, probably as a result of lower liberibacter multiplication rates. Respective titres of ‘Ca. L. americanus’ and ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ in orange jasmine averaged 4·3 and 3·0 log cells g−1 tissue, compared with 5·5 and 7·3 in citrus. The results indicate that orange jasmine does not favour liberibacter multiplication as much as citrus. However, its importance in HLB epidemics should not be underestimated as it is a preferred host of D. citri and is not under any strict tree‐eradication programme or measures for insect control.
Plant community diversity influences vector behaviour and Barley yellow dwarf virus population structure
Authors: Hall G. S. , Peters J. S. , Little D. P. , Power A. G.
Published: September 2010

The species composition of a plant community can affect the distribution and abundance of other organisms including plant pathogens. The goal of this study was to understand the role of host diversity in the transmission of two Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) species that share insect vectors and hosts. Greenhouse experiments measured the transmission rate of BYDV species PAV and PAS from infected oat plants to healthy agricultural and wild grasses and from these species back to healthy oat seedlings. In the field component of the study, the rate of spread of PAV and PAS was measured in monoculture plots planted with agricultural grasses. In greenhouse experiments, the aphid vector more readily transmitted PAV from agricultural grasses and more readily inoculated PAS to the wild grass species assayed. In the field experiment, disease prevalence was greater in wheat, but there was no difference in the rate of spread of PAV and PAS. These results indicate an interaction between vector and host genotype that selects for greater PAV transmission in grain crops, contributes to differences in disease prevalence between grass types, and maintains pathogen diversity within the larger plant community (i.e. agricultural and non‐agricultural hosts).
Analysis of the natural infection of European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) by Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi
Authors: Steele H , Laue B. E , MacAskill G. A , Hendry S. J , Green S
Published: September 2010

Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi (Psa) is an emerging bacterial pathogen responsible for a recent epidemic of bleeding canker of European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) in northwest Europe. Very little is known about the infection biology of this pathogen, which can cause lethal cankers in the branches and stem of its host. In this study, branches and whole trees of European horse chestnut naturally infected with Psa were subjected to detailed morphological and histological examination to identify the primary infection sites, the time of infection, and the patterns of subsequent lesion expansion within the host. Lesions developed during the host dormant season on the 2003–2009 extension growth increments and were centred mainly on lenticels, leaf scars and nodes. The oldest lesion developed in the 2004/2005 dormant season and the number of new lesions increased in each subsequent year. The lesions developed in the cortex and phloem and extended into the cambium to cause cankers, but there was no evidence of necrosis in the xylem. All lesions on the branches were discrete and apparently contained by a necrophylactic periderm, although there was evidence that Psa could survive within such periderms and subsequently breach them. Examination of two whole 30‐year‐old trees revealed extensive, continuous cankers in the phloem and cambium which had formed within a single growing season. Thus, the success of Psa as a tree pathogen and the causal agent of a large‐scale epidemic may in part reflect an ability to infect the aerial woody parts of its host directly.
Bacterial response to contrasting sediment geochemistry in the Central Indian Basin
Authors: DAS ANINDITA , FERNANDES CHRISTABELLE E. G. , NAIK SONALI S. , NAGENDER NATH B. , SURESH I. , MASCARENHAS‐PEREIRA M. B. L. , GUPTA S. M. , KHADGE N. H. , PRAKASH BABU C. , BOROLE D. V. , SUJITH P. P. , VALSANGKAR ANIL B. , SHASHIKANT MOURYA BABU , BICHE SUSHANTA U. , SHARMA RAHUL , LOKA BHARATHI P. A.
Published: September 2010

In order to investigate whether geochemical, physiographic and lithological differences in two end‐member sedimentary settings could evoke varied microbe–sediment interactions, two 25 cm long sediment cores from contrasting regions in the Central Indian Basin have been examined. Site TVBC 26 in the northern siliceous realm (10°S, 75·5°E) is organic‐C rich with 0·3 ± 0·09% total organic carbon. Site TVBC 08 in the southern pelagic red clay realm (16°S, 75·5°E), located on the flank of a seamount in a mid‐plate volcanic area with hydrothermal alterations of recent origin, is organic‐C poor (0·1 ± 0·07%). Significantly higher bacterial viability under anaerobic conditions, generally lower microbial carbon uptake and higher numbers of aerobic sulphur oxidizers at the mottled zones, characterize core TVBC 26. In the carbon‐poor environment of core TVBC 08, a doubling of the14C uptake, a 250 times increase in the number of autotrophic nitrifiers, a four‐fold lowering in the number of aerobic sulphur oxidizers and a higher order of denitrifiers exists when compared with core TVBC 26; this suggests the prevalence of a potentially autotrophic microbial community in core TVBC 08 in response to hydrothermal activity.Microbial activity at the northern TVBC 26 is predominantly heterotrophic with enhanced chemosynthetic activity restricted to tan‐green mottled zones. The southern TVBC 08 is autotrophic with increased heterotrophic activity in the deepest layers. Notably, the bacterial activity is generally dependent on the surface productivity in TVBC 26, the carbon‐rich core, and mostly independent in TVBC 08, the carbon‐poor, hydrothermally influenced core. The northern sediment is more organic sink‐controlled and the southern sediment is more hydrothermal source‐controlled. Hydrothermal activity and associated rock alteration processes may be more relevant than organic matter delivery in these deep‐sea sediments. Thus, this study highlights the relative importance of hydrothermal activity versus organic delivery in evoking different microbial responses in the Central Indian Basin sediments.
Automicrite in a ‘nummulite bank’ from the Monte Saraceno (Southern Italy): evidence for synsedimentary cementation
Authors: GUIDO ADRIANO , PAPAZZONI CESARE A. , MASTANDREA ADELAIDE , MORSILLI MICHELE , LA RUSSA MAURO F. , TOSTI FABIO , RUSSO FRANCO
Published: September 2010

Following introduction of the term ‘nummulite bank’, there has been debate regarding interpretation of these types of deposits as autochthonous (automicrite) or allochthonous (detrital micrite). These banks are made up of large foraminifera and ill‐defined fine‐grained components. The fine‐grained components consist mainly of micrites. The recognition of automicrite has deep implications for the synsedimentary cementation and stabilization of the bank. In order to distinguish between automicrite and detrital micrite, the nanomorphology, geochemistry and organic matter remains in the microfacies of a nummulite bank in the Middle Eocene of Monte Saraceno (Gargano, Southern Italy) were analysed. Optical and scanning electron microscope investigations showed that the micrites have been recrystallized to aggrading microsparite. Epifluorescence observations on selected micrite/microsparite areas with peloidal texture revealed the presence of organic matter. Scanning electron microscope analyses on epifluorescent micrites showed that the microbial peloids have smaller crystal sizes than those in organic matter‐depleted areas. The geochemical characterization of extracted organic matter, performed through the functional group analyses by Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy, shows strong prevalence of the aromatic fraction over the aliphatic and carboxylic ones. These characteristics of organic compounds indicate both their thermal maturation and their likely derivation from degradation of bacterial communities. The local presence of peloidal anti‐gravity textures, bright epifluorescence and organic molecules in clotted peloidal areas suggest that the metabolic activity of microbial communities could have induced precipitation of these micrites and, consequently, the syndepositional cementation of the nummulite bank. This type of cementation can rapidly stabilize sediments and promote the depositional bank geometry.
What happens after diagnosis? Understanding the experiences of patients with newly‐diagnosed bipolar disorder
Authors: Proudfoot Judith G , Parker Gordon B , Benoit Megan , Manicavasagar Vijaya , Smith Meg , Gayed Aimee
Published: September 2010

Bipolar disorder is chronic condition involving episodes of both depression and elevated mood, associated with significant disability and high relapse rates. Recent estimates suggest a lifetime prevalence of 5%. Little is known about the subjective experiences of patients after receiving a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and the impact of these experiences on patients' willingness and ability to work with their health professionals to find the most effective combination of treatments and to set up self‐management plans.

Objective  This paper describes a qualitative study exploring the experiences and difficulties faced by patients after they have received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, as expressed online to expert patients trained to provide informed support.

Design  Qualitative study.

Setting  Online communication within a public health service setting.

Participants  Twenty‐six participants with recently‐diagnosed bipolar disorder communicated online with ‘Informed Supporters’, people who had been managing their bipolar disorder effectively for 2 years or more, as part of an online psycho‐education programme.

Results  Participants cited unwanted side‐effects of medication, coping with unpleasant symptoms, positive and negative reactions to the diagnosis, identifying early warning signs and triggers of the illness, the loss of a sense of self, uncertainty about their future and stigma as issues of major importance after diagnosis.

Conclusions  Personal concerns and difficulties following diagnosis can undermine effective treatment, thwart self‐management efforts and interfere with effective functioning. Such data are important for clinicians to take into account when they work in partnership with their patients to fine‐tune treatments and help them set up self‐management plans.
Five‐year incidence and progression of thyroid dysfunction in an older population
Authors: Gopinath B. , Wang J. J. , Kifley A. , Wall J. R. , Eastman C. J. , Leeder S. R. , Mitchell P.
Published: September 2010

Background: Very few studies have assessed both the incidence and progression of thyroid dysfunction in a single older population‐based cohort. In this study, we aimed to assess the 5‐year incidence, progression and risk factors for development of thyroid dysfunction in an older Australian population.

Methods: The Blue Mountains Eye Study is a longitudinal population‐based cohort study. During 1997–1999, 1768 participants (≥55 years) had thyroid function assessed. After excluding participants reporting any form of treatment for their thyroid condition at baseline, 951 participants (91.4%) without thyroid dysfunction and 54 (5.4%) with thyroid dysfunction were re‐examined 5 years later. Thyroid dysfunction was defined using serum thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)) screen, followed by serum free T4 assessment.

Results: The overall 5‐year incidence of thyroid dysfunction was 4.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.4–6.1). Obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2) and serum TSH > 2 mIU/L at baseline predicted incident overt hypothyroidism (odds ratio (OR) 4.05, CI 1.74–9.41) and (OR 5.46, CI 1.16–25.67) respectively. The 5‐year incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism was significantly higher in women than in men, 2.5% versus 0.7% (P= 0.03). Progression to overt hypothyroidism was observed in 17.9% of subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism over 5 years.

Conclusions: The 5‐year incidence of thyroid dysfunction in this older population was relatively low, and was associated with obesity and serum TSH level > 2 mIU/L at baseline. Over one in six persons with subclinical hypothyroidism progressed to overt thyroid dysfunction over the 5‐year period. Our findings highlight the need for appropriate management of subclinical hypothyroidism among older people.
Sliding scale insulin: will the false idol finally fall?
Authors: Cheung N. W. , Chipps D. R.
Published: September 2010

Despite a lack of evidence that sliding scale insulin has any clinical benefit, and some evidence that it may even be detrimental, sliding scale insulin is still commonly prescribed in hospitals today. Adopting a proactive rather than a reactive approach to managing diabetes by the use of ‘supplemental insulin’, given in conjunction with either considered adjustments to the patient's regular anti‐diabetic therapy or the provision of basal insulin, is a more effective and safer means of improving glycaemic control in hospital. There are now randomized trial data to support this approach. These data, together with the recognition that there is no evidence base for the use of sliding scale insulin, coupled with changes to insulin prescribing charts in Australia, should lead to the demise of sliding scale insulin use in hospital.
Difference in subjective well‐being between ethnic Korean and Japanese elderly residents in an urban community in Japan
Authors: Moon Jong‐Seong , Mikami Hiroshi
Published: September 2010

Background:  The ethnic Korean community in Japan has witnessed the increasing aging of their population structure. The purpose of our study was to clarify the differences in standards of living between elderly ethnic Korean and elderly Japanese populations living in Japan, and to examine whether there is any difference in subjective well‐being between the two populations.

Methods:  We conducted a cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based survey that consisted of items addressing ethnicity, age, gender, literacy, living conditions, mental health, “sense of purpose in life”, activities of daily living (ADL), medical history, quality of life (QOL), and receipt of pension benefits and public assistance; the participants were 425 elderly people (ethnic Korean residents in Japan, n = 204; Japanese, n = 221) aged 65 and older living in a community in Osaka City. Findings from the two groups were compared using the Student's t‐test and the χ2 test. We also employed multiple linear regression analysis.

Results:  We found that the ethnic Korean group had less formal education (P < 0.001), lower ADL (P < 0.05) and QOL (P < 0.001), higher illiteracy (P < 0.05) and depression rates (P < 0.001), and a higher prevalence of hypertension, myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus than the Japanese group. Ethnicity was a significant variable for subjective well‐being in simple linear regression analysis. After adjusting for literacy, absence of sense of purpose in life and mental health in multiple regression analysis, ethnicity remained a significant variable.

Conclusions:  The present findings indicate that ethnic Korean elderly have poor health and social situations compared with the Japanese group, and that there was a difference in subjective well‐being between the two ethnic groups.
Physician characteristics associated with prescription of inappropriate medications using Beers criteria
Authors: Imai Hirohisa , Fick Donna M. , Waller Jennifer L. , Maclean J. Ross
Published: September 2010

Background:  The prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) for elderly patients represents a major problem. In the published work, various practice characteristics associated with physicians prescribing habits have been reported. However, existing data has shed little light on the characteristics of physicians who tend to prescribe PIM. We examined whether personal, professional or practice characteristics differ between physicians who prescribe PIM and those who do not.

Methods:  The subjects comprised primary care and general practice physicians. Physicians were identified from the pharmacy database of a managed care organization as having prescribed medications for Medicare patients over 65 years enrolled in a managed care plan. We adopted Beers criteria to describe the prevalence of PIM use. The physicians were divided into three groups according to number of PIM prescribed. To examine the extent of associations between all the physician‐related characteristics studied, polychotomous logistic regression was conducted.

Results:  Physicians who prescribed one to five PIMs were 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.98) times more likely to have publications than physicians who prescribed no PIM. Physicians who prescribed more than six PIM were 3.18 (95% CI, 2.05–4.95) times more likely to be certified by an internal medicine board, 0.48 (95% CI, 0.30–0.78) times more likely to have publications, and 1.84 (95% CI, 1.01–3.35) times more likely to be in solo practice than physicians who prescribed no PIM.

Conclusion:  In this study, we found three predictors of PIM prescribing incidence. Since the current study could only describe associations and not causality, further research is necessary.
Eunicid polychaetes (Annelida) from Scandinavian and adjacent waters. Family Eunicidae
Authors: WINSNES INGER M.
Published: September 2010

Four species ofEunice [E. pennata(0. F. Müller, 1776),E. dubitataFauchald, 1974,E. norvegica(Linné, 1767), andE. harassii(Audouin & Milne‐Edwards, 1833)] and one species ofMarphysa [M. sp., close toM. sanguinea(Montagu, 1815)] are described and a branchial formula is proposed. The genusMarphysais reported from Scandinavian waters for the first time. The specimen ofMarphysastudied has tridentate composite falcigers as well as composite spinigers in the anterior setigers, whereasM. sanguineahas been reported to have composite spinigers only. The geographical distribution of all five species is given and intraspecific variation is discussed. Reports ofE. oerstedii(Stimpson, 1853) from Europe are discussed and specimens of this species are compared withE. dubitata. The behaviour ofE. pennataandE. dubitatahas been observed in aquaria.
Chronic administration of Sildenafil improves markers of endothelial function in men with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Aversa A. , Vitale C. , Volterrani M. , Fabbri A. , Spera G. , Fini M. , Rosano G. M. C.
Published: September 2010

Objective  Diabetic patients have a reduced endothelial response to phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of chronic therapy with sildenafil on endothelial function in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2).

Methods  In a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled parallel design, 20 patients without erectile dysfunction randomly received a loading dose of sildenafil (100 mg) for 3 days, followed by either sildenafil 25 mg three times a day (t.d.s.) for 4 weeks or sildenafil 25 mg t.d.s. for 4 days followed by placebo t.d.s. for 3 weeks.

Results  After 1 week, flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) improved significantly (> 50% compared with baseline) in patients allocated to both sildenafil arms (62 and 64%, respectively). In patients allocated to chronic sildenafil, a progressive increase in percentage of patients with FMD improvement was noted (78, 86 and 94% at 2, 3 and 4 weeks, respectively) while a progressive decrease in the placebo group occurred (45, 18 and 6% at 2, 3 and 4 weeks, respectively). At the end of the study, a significant improvement in FMD compared with baseline was noted after chronic sildenafil (FMD from 6.8 ± 0.5 to 12.5 ± 0.7%, P = 0.01 vs. baseline). A decrease in endothelin‐1 levels and an increase in nitrite/nitrate levels were found after chronic sildenafil; significant changes from baseline in C‐reactive protein, interleukin 6, intercellular adhesion molecule and vascular adhesion molecule levels were also found.

Conclusions  In DM2 patients, daily sildenafil administration improves endothelial function and reduces markers of vascular inflammation, suggesting that the diabetes‐induced impairment of endothelial function may be improved by prolonged phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibition.

Diabet. Med. 25, 37–44 (2008)
Comparison of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and multiple daily injections (MDI) in paediatric Type 1 diabetes: a multicentre matched‐pair cohort analysis over 3 years
Authors: Jakisch B. I. , Wagner V. M. , Heidtmann B. , Lepler R. , Holterhus P‐M. , Kapellen T. M. , Vogel C. , Rosenbauer J. , Holl R. W. ,   on behalf of the German/Austrian DPV Initiative and the Working Group for Paediatric Pump Therapy
Published: September 2010

Aims  To conduct a multicentre, matched‐pair cohort analysis comparing glycaemic control and adverse events of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) with multiple daily injections (MDI) in paediatric patients.

Methods  Using standardized computer‐based prospective documentation, HbA1c, insulin dose, body mass index–standard deviation score (BMI–SDS), rate of hypoglycaemia, rate of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and intensity of care were analysed in 434 matched pairs during a follow‐up period of 3 years after initiation of MDI or CSII.

Results  HbA1c was significantly lower in the CSII group during the first year of new regimen (CSII 7.5 ± 0.05 vs. MDI 7.7 ± 0.06; P < 0.05), but rose to the same level as in the MDI group during year 3. Insulin requirement remained significantly lower in the CSII group. The BMI–SDS increased in both study groups, with no significant difference. The rate of severe hypoglycaemia decreased significantly after the change of regimen (CSII 17.87 ± 2.85 vs. MDI 25.14 ± 3.79; P < 0.05) and during year 3 of the regimen, particularly when compared with baseline (−21% vs. −16%). The rate of DKA was lower at baseline in the CSII group and remained significantly lower over all 3 years. Intensity of care was the same in both subsets.

Conclusions  Employing a large cohort, this matched‐pair analysis has demonstrated over a 3‐year study period that CSII is a safe form of intensive insulin therapy with similar glycaemic effects, but with significantly reduced rates of hypoglycaemia and DKA and a lower insulin requirement when compared with MDI.
The locus of control in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes managed by individual and group care
Authors: Trento M. , Tomelini M. , Basile M. , Borgo E. , Passera P. , Miselli V. , Tomalino M. , Cavallo F. , Porta M.
Published: September 2010

Aims  The locus of control theory distinguishes people (internals) who attribute events in life to their own control, and those (externals) who attribute events to external circumstances. It is used to assess self‐management behaviour in chronic illnesses. Group care is a model of systemic group education that improves lifestyle behaviour and quality of life in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. This study investigated the locus of control in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and the possible differences between patients managed by group care and control subjects followed by traditional one‐to‐one care.

Methods  Cross‐sectional administration of two questionnaires (one specific for diabetes and one generic for chronic diseases) to 83 patients followed for at least 5 years by group care (27 Type 1 and 56 Type 2) and 79 control subjects (28 Type 1 and 51 Type 2) of similar sex, age and diabetes duration. Both tools explore internal control of disease, the role of chance in changing it and reliance upon others (family, friends and health professionals).

Results  Patients with Type 1 diabetes had lower internal control, greater fatalistic attitudes and less trust in others. Patients with either type of diabetes receiving group care had higher internal control and lower fatalism; the higher trust in others in those with Type 1 diabetes was not statistically significant. The differences associated with group care were independent of sex, age and diabetes duration.

Conclusions  Patients with Type 1 diabetes may have lower internal control, fatalism and reliance upon others than those with Type 2 diabetes. Receiving group care is associated with higher internal control, reduced fatalism and, in Type 1 diabetes, increased trust in others.
Restoration of sturgeons: lessons from the Caspian Sea Sturgeon Ranching Programme
Authors: Secor D.H. , Arefjev V. , Nikolaev A. , Sharov A.
Published: September 2010

Depletion of sturgeon stocks world‐wide has increased interest in aquaculture‐based restoration programmes. The Caspian Sea Sturgeon Ranching Programme (SRP) of the former Soviet Union represents a unique opportunity to evaluate expense, benefits and potential ecological and genetic effects of such restoration programmes. The SRP was initiated in the 1950s to compensate for lost spawning habitat in the Volga River and elsewhere. After its completion in 1962, the Volgograd Dam reduced spawning grounds in the Volga River system, the principal spawning tributary of the Caspian Sea, by ∼80%. For two of the three commercial sturgeon species (Russian sturgeon, Acipenser güldenstädti, and stellate sturgeon, A. stellatus), yields improved after the imposition of the 1962 moratorium on sturgeon harvests in the Caspian Sea. Volga River fisheries were managed for spawning escapement. Although imprecisely known, the contribution of the millions of stocked Russian and stellate juveniles during 1962–91 was most likely important to sustaining fisheries, although less so (contributing to <30% of the adult stock) than natural recruitment. Apparently, reduced spawning grounds, supplemented with artificial spawning reefs were sufficient to support reproduction and large fishery yields of Russian and stellate sturgeons. For beluga sturgeon, Huso huso, harvests in the Volga River were nearly all dependent upon hatchery stocking. Beluga sturgeon spawning grounds were mostly eliminated with the construction of the Volgograd Dam. Without the hatchery programme, beluga sturgeon in the Volga River and Caspian Sea would in all likelihood have been extirpated. Currently, sturgeons are severely depleted in the Volga River and Caspian Sea due to poaching and lack of co‐operation between countries exploiting the species. Aquaculture‐based restoration in Russia is now viewed a chief means of rebuilding stocks of Caspian Sea sturgeons.
What relative seafood prices can tell us about the status of stocks
Authors: Pinnegar John K , Hutton Trevor P , Placenti Vincenzo
Published: September 2010

Changes in the distribution of seafood prices can provide useful insights into the availability of different species to fishermen and to fish markets. We propose a log‐relative‐price‐index (LRPI) and demonstrate how such a concept might be useful for exploring long‐term changes in wild fish communities as a result of intensive exploitation. We estimate the LRPI for 26 fish species in the Celtic Sea (UK) and for 33 species on Italian fish markets. In both systems the LRPI changed significantly during recent decades, and in the Celtic Sea this probably resulted from a decline in the availability of high trophic level target species such as cod and hake as well as an increase in the availability of low trophic level pelagic species. By contrast, the LRPI of Italian fishes remained relatively constant from 1972 to 1980, but declined thereafter as a result of widespread expansion in fin‐fish aquaculture, and a consequential increase in the supply, and hence decrease in the price of high trophic level fish such as seabass and seabream.
Retention Practices for Engineering and Technical Professionals in an Australian Public Agency
Authors: Rose Dennis Michael , Gordon Ray
Published: September 2010

Retaining employees with core business skills is a key human resources (HR) activity. This article examines retention of engineering and technical (E&T) professionals in an Australian public service agency by collecting data from 670 E&T professionals to compare attraction, retention and turnover intention by age and occupation. It was hypothesised that the influencers would vary by age, in line with the research on generational differences and employment patterns (Chaminade 2005;Kyles 2005). This hypothesis was largely supported. It has also been suggested that intention to leave is influenced by job opportunity (Hwang and Kuo 2006) and we thus sought to examine the influencers for turnover intention for the differing occupations in the E&T group surveyed. There were no significant differences by occupation, except for location, although this may be because occupational groups were aggregated due to the small numbers in some occupations. The current findings address the call for evidence‐based data on the influencers for attraction, retention and turnover intention (Allen, Bryant and Vardaman 2010), and suggests that retention strategies need to take into account generational differences.
Sex Categorization Among Preschool Children: Increasing Utilization of Sexually Dimorphic Cues
Authors: Johnson Kerri L. , Lurye Leah E. , Tassinary Louis G.
Published: September 2010

Two studies examined how children between ages 4 and 6 use body shape (i.e., the waist‐to‐hip‐ratio [WHR]) for sex categorization. In Study 1 (N = 73), 5‐ and 6‐year‐olds, but not 4‐year‐olds, selected bodies with increasingly discrepant WHRs to be “most like a man” and “most like a woman.” Similarly, sex category judgments made by 5‐ and 6‐year‐olds, but not 4‐year‐olds, varied with WHR. In Study 2 (N = 41), eye movements indicated the functional use of waist and hips in sex categorization. Visual scanning behavior predicted the degree of association between WHR and judgment. Collectively, these results suggest that the ability to exploit sexual dimorphism to compel categorization develops between the ages of 4 and 6. Implications for theories of gender development and psychological essentialism are discussed.
Cognitive Flexibility in Drawings of Bilingual Children
Authors: Adi‐Japha Esther , Berberich‐Artzi Jennie , Libnawi Afaf
Published: September 2010

A. Karmiloff‐Smith’s (1990) task of drawing a nonexistent object is considered to be a measure of cognitive flexibility. The notion of earlier emergence of cognitive flexibility in bilingual children motivated the current researchers to request 4‐ and 5‐year‐old English–Hebrew and Arabic–Hebrew bilingual children and their monolingual peers to draw a flower and a house that do not exist (N = 80). Bilinguals exhibited a significantly higher rate of interrepresentational flexibility in their drawings (e.g., “a giraffe flower,”“a chair‐house,” found in 28 of 54 drawings), whereas the level of complex intrarepresentational change was similar across groups. Interrepresentational drawings were previously reported only for children older than 7 years. The specific mechanisms by which bilinguals’ language experience may lead to interrepresentational flexibility are discussed.
Children’s Understanding of Ordinary and Extraordinary Minds
Authors: Lane Jonathan D. , Wellman Henry M. , Evans E. Margaret
Published: September 2010

How and when do children develop an understanding of extraordinary mental capacities? The current study tested 56 preschoolers on false‐belief and knowledge‐ignorance tasks about the mental states of contrasting agents—some agents were ordinary humans, some had exceptional perceptual capacities, and others possessed extraordinary mental capacities. Results indicated that, in contrast to younger and older peers, children within a specific age range reliably attributed fallible, human‐like capacities to ordinary humans and to several special agents (including God) for both tasks. These data lend critical support to an anthropomorphism hypothesis—which holds that children’s understanding of extraordinary minds is derived from their everyday intuitive psychology—and reconcile disparities between the findings of other studies on children’s understanding of extraordinary minds.
Impact of Restricted Voting Share Structure on Firm Value and Performance
Authors: Jog Vijay , Zhu PengCheng , Dutta Shantanu
Published: September 2010

Manuscript Type:Empirical

Research Question/Issue:In this study, we examine whether firm value, operating performance, and stock performance of the Canadian firms which have issued restricted voting shares (RVS) is different from comparable non‐RVS firms. We test two competing hypotheses – the controlling shareholder expropriation hypothesis and the investor protection and substitution hypothesis for the Canadian RVS firms.

Research Findings/Insights:Based on a ten‐year panel data sample and extensive robustness tests, we do not find that the RVS firms have lower firm value, operating performance, or stock performance than the non‐RVS firms in Canada. There is also no evidence of shareholder value expropriation in key financial decisions, such as mergers and acquisitions and dividend payments. The study does not support the controlling shareholder expropriation hypothesis in the Canadian RVS firms.

Theoretical/Academic Implications:The RVS structure has been criticized for lack of shareholder rights protection and risk of value entrenchment in the corporate governance literature. However, the existing empirical evidence is mainly based on the firms in the United States. Using a Canadian sample, we show that these results are a function of corporate governance and regulatory environment and the US results cannot be generalized. We find no evidence of shareholder value appropriation nor do we find differential value or performance implications. We believe that a blanket rejection of RVS structure may not be warranted.

Practitioner/Policy Implications:Our study concludes that the RVS structure in Canadian firms is influenced by the nature of these firms and the regulatory environment in Canada that protects minority shareholders from wealth appropriation. Our evidence suggests that policy makers and practitioners should evaluate RVS firms on their individual merit and in individual countries – no generalization is warranted.
Tropaeolaceae: 686. TROPAEOLUM SPECIOSUM
Authors: Rix Martyn
Published: September 2010

Tropaeolum speciosum Poepp. & Endl. is described and illustrated. Its habitat in the wild, and its pollination are discussed, and instructions for its successful cultivation are given.
Tropaeolaceae: 687. TROPAEOLUM PENTAPHYLLUM
Authors: Rix Martyn
Published: September 2010

Tropaeolum pentaphyllum Lam. subsp. pentaphyllum, from eastern South America is described and illustrated. The two other subspecies, subsp. megapetaloides Sparre and subsp. megapetalum (Buch.) Sparre are noted. Their habitat, pollination, distribution, and cultivation are discussed.
The Agenda of British Government: The Speech from the Throne, 1911-2008
Authors: Jennings Will , Bevan Shaun , John Peter
Published: September 2010

This article considers how UK governments use the Speech from the Throne (also known as the Gracious Speech and the King's or the Queen's Speech) to define and articulate their executive and legislative agenda. The analysis uses the policy content coding system of the Policy Agendas Project to measure total executive and legislative attention to particular issues. This generates the longest known data series of the political agenda in the UK, from the date of the first Parliament Act in 1911 right up to the end of 2008, nearly a century of government agenda setting. Using these data, the article identifies long-run institutional and policy stability in this agenda-setting instrument, and variation in its length and executive–legislative content due to the focusing events of world wars and party control of government. It assesses the degree to which the policy content of the speech is persistent (autoregressive) over time and identifies long-term trends in the total number of topics mentioned in each speech (scope), and the dispersion of government attention across topics (entropy). It also identifies important variation over time that indicates change in the agenda-setting function of the speech and evolution of the agenda in response to policy challenges faced by modern British governments in the period since 1911. Overall, the analysis demonstrates the robustness of the speech as a measure of the policy agenda and executive priorities in the UK.
European day‐of‐the‐week effects, beta asymmetries and international herding*
Authors: Chang Eric C. , Pinegar J. Michael , Ravichandran R.
Published: September 2010

European equity markets with the most robust day‐of‐the‐week effects in mean returns also exhibit day‐of‐the‐week effects in risk. Betas measured relative to a world index are higher on Monday than on other days of the week, especially when returns on the world market are negative. After adjustments for beta asymmetries and for weekend vs weekday holding period horizons, day‐of‐the‐week effects in residual risk and risk‐adjusted mean returns weaken substantially compared to such effects measured with constant betas. These findings are consistent with the recent work of King and Wadhwani (1990), Froot et al. (1992) and Lakonishok and Maberly (1990).
The Return to Direct Investment in Private Firms: New Evidence on the Private Equity Premium Puzzle*
Authors: Nielsen Kasper Meisner
Published: September 2010

This paper uses a novel dataset to analyze the return to direct investments in private firms by pension funds. We have two key findings. First, direct investments in private firms have underperformed public equity by 392 basis points per annum under conservative risk adjustments. Second, initial mispricing, due to over‐optimism or misperceived risk, and subsequent low capital gains seem to explain the gap in returns to private firms. Overall, these findings complement the finding of Moskowitz and Vissing‐Jørgensen (2002) of low returns on entrepreneurial investments and provide new insight into the existence of what they call the private equity premium puzzle: Even professional investors with well‐diversified portfolios like pension funds seem to get a poor risk‐return tradeoff from investing directly in private firms.
The Wealth Effects of Reducing Private Placement Resale Restrictions
Authors: Maynes Elizabeth , Pandes J. Ari
Published: September 2010

Recently, the US Securities and Exchange Commission reduced resale restrictions on Rule 144 private placements from 12 months to 6 months with the intention of lowering the cost of equity capital for issuing firms. In Canada, similar regulatory changes were adopted several years ago, providing a unique opportunity to test the wealth effects of reducing private placement resale restrictions. We find that shortening resale restrictions reduces the liquidity portion of offer price discounts, and thus lowers the cost of equity capital for issuing firms, but has no significant effect on announcement‐period abnormal returns after controlling for issuer type. However, there is a fundamental shift in the types of firms making private placements of common stock after the legislation‐induced easing of resale restrictions. Specifically, we find that smaller firms and firms with greater information asymmetry are less likely to issue privately placed common stock after the legislative change, suggesting that the easing of resale restrictions reduces the costly signal that helps to overcome the Myers and Majluf (1984) underinvestment problem.
Gender Quotas in Politics: The Greek System in the Light of EU Law
Authors: Kapotas Panos
Published: September 2010

Positive action is currently gaining momentum in the European anti‐discrimination discourse and policy‐making as a necessary and effective tool to achieve the goal of full and effective equality in employment. Gender quotas in politics, however, are thought to remain outside the normative scope of Community law, the dominant view being that candidature for elected public office does not constitute employment in the sense of the relevant provisions. This article seeks to examine the Greek quota system for women in politics in its dialectical relationship to the general equality discourse and with reference to the current normative framework in Europe. The aims are threefold: to assess the legality of positive action in favour of women in politics from the point of view of EU law, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Greek system in achieving its gender equality goals, and to identify the problems that quotas in politics may pose with regard to the principle of democratic representation. It will, thus, be argued that positive measures in politics, though generally compatible with the fundamental principles of justice and representative democracy, may nevertheless be inadequate—at least in their current form—to provide effective solutions to the unequal distribution of social and political power.
Beyond Multilingualism: On Different Approaches to the Handling of Diverging Language Versions of a Community Law
Authors: Schilling Theodor
Published: September 2010

This article deals with a problem created by the EU's multilingualism, the fallibility of translators and the ruses of politicians: for different reasons, it is quite common that equally authentic language versions of a Community law have different meanings if taken on their own. While the ECJ's uniform interpretation approach to this problem, which must be seen as required under the non‐discrimination principle, has permitted equitable results in those cases decided by the ECJ, it would not be adequate for the simplest type of case, ie that a citizen has every reason to trust her own language version of a law. In such a case, her legitimate expectations in the equal authenticity of that version requires protection. De lege lata the article therefore proposes, in the interest of generally equitable solutions, a balancing, in the individual case, of the protection of legitimate expectations and the non‐discrimination principle. De lege ferenda it proposes a more radical solution, ie that there be only one authentic version of every Community law.