bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Culture and Communication in Ethically Appropriate Care
Authors: Meddings Fiona , Haith-Cooper Melanie
Published: December 2007

This article considers the difficulties with using Gillon's model for health care ethics in the context of clinical practice. Everyday difficulties can arise when caring for people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, especially when they speak little or no English. A case is presented that establishes, owing to language and cultural barriers, that midwives may have difficulty in providing ethically appropriate care to women of Pakistani Muslim origin in the UK. The use of interpreters is discussed; however, there are limitations and counter arguments to their use. Training is identified as needed to prepare service providers and midwives for meeting the needs of a culturally diverse maternity population.
Older Korean People's Desire To Participate in Health Care Decision Making
Authors: Soo Jung Chang  , Kyung Ja Lee  , In Sook Kim  , Won Hee Lee
Published: December 2007

The purpose of this study was to identify how older Korean people seek information and their desire to participate in decision making about their health care. A total of 165 elderly people living in Seoul, South Korea, participated in the study. Data were collected during individual interviews using the Autonomy Preference Index. The mean information-seeking score was high. The mean score for their desire to participate with a physician in decision making was lower, but this was higher when family members were involved. The study indicates that many older people want to receive information about their health care. Families (or guardians), as well as older people themselves, should be included in the decision-making process. Nurses can encourage older people to express their wishes, while treating each individual with respect.
The Experience of Abused Women With Their Children's Law Guardians
Authors: Berger Roni , Rosenberg Ellen
Published: December 2007

In-depth unstructured interviews are conducted with previously abused divorced mothers about their experience with law guardians of their children. Interviews are transcribed and their content analyzed using ATLAS.ti software. Nine themes clustered in the following three groups emerge: perceived performance of law guardians; perceived shortcomings of the system, which provides a context for interaction with law guardians; and emotional effects on women. These themes are discussed and illustrated, and implications for practice are suggested.
What We Know About Intimate Partner Violence in the Middle East and North Africa
Authors: Boy Angie , Kulczycki Andrzej
Published: December 2007

Little is known about intimate partner violence in the Middle East and North Africa. This review synthesizes and critically evaluates the literature. Of 59 studies found, only 21 reported data on the prevalence of such violence or on beliefs regarding its justification, covering just 9 countries. Spousal abuse is pervasive and widely accepted. Victims are of all ages and are more likely to be rural and less educated. National data from Egypt and Jordan indicate almost 9 in 10 ever-married women accept at least one reason for wife beating. Change is possible but will require increased research, coalition building, and intervention efforts.
Screening for Domestic Violence in Public Welfare Offices
Authors: Lindhorst Taryn , Meyers Marcia , Casey Erin
Published: December 2007

Despite a high prevalence of domestic violence among welfare clients, most studies of the implementation of the Family Violence Option (FVO) under welfare reform find that women rarely receive domestic violence services in welfare offices. This study reviews findings from current research on the factors that improve the likelihood that women will reveal their domestic violence experiences to service personnel, and uses the guidelines drawn from this review to evaluate domestic violence screening practices in welfare offices using 782 transcribed interviews between welfare workers and clients from 11 sites in four states. The analysis found that only 9.3% of case encounters involved screening for domestic violence. Screening rates differed by state, interview type, and length of worker employment. Qualitative analysis of the interviews showed that the majority of screening by workers was routinized or consisted of informing clients of the domestic violence policy without asking about abuse. Only 1.2% of the interviews incorporated at least two of the procedures that increase the likelihood of disclosure among domestic violence survivors, suggesting deeply inadequate approaches to screening for abuse within the context of welfare offices, and a need for improved training, protocol, and monitoring of FVO implementation.
Educating Leaders
Authors: Hallinger Philip , Snidvongs Kamontip
Published: December 2007

The current focus on school leader preparation reflects the importance societies around the world are placing upon the goal of improving their educational systems. The investment of substantial new resources into leadership preparation and development activities is based upon the belief that school leaders make a difference in both the effectiveness and efficiency of schooling. Developing school leaders who do make a difference, however, requires a management curriculum that is relevant to schools, up-to-date in learning methods, and which draws upon knowledge from disciplines inside and outside of education. This article examines the implications that curricular trends in the development of business leaders may have for leadership preparation and development in education. The authors acknowledge, at the outset, that differences in the practice of education and business management require some differences in the content of preparation programs. At the same time, we argue for an integration of selected business-related understandings of organizational management that are highly relevant for the improvement of schools.
Stories of Compliance and Subversion in a Prescriptive Policy Environment
Authors: MacBeath John
Published: December 2007

In their commitment to raising standards successive Conservative and Labour governments have moved progressively to tighter prescription of school policy and more far reaching proscription of practices deemed unacceptable. This article examines how 12 headteachers construct the policy environment and how they respond to it in the schools they lead. The evidence base is 12 in-depth interviews with headteachers, in six primary schools and six secondary at the outset of the TLRP/ESRC research project Learning How to Learn. This subset of headteacher interviews from the total number were selected for this article because these 12 interviews were accompanied by the fullest data set of complementary interviews, questionnaire and observation data which will be the subject of other papers to follow. The interviews provide a baseline picture of how these school leaders were talking about leading learning in their schools and the authority, or `warrant' they referred to in validating their views. Patterns of compliance and subversion are examined with reference to theories of organizational, and `double loop' learning.
Investigation on organic pipeline coating effectiveness via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Akbarinezhad E. , Neshati J. , Rezaei F.
Published: December 2007

High solid thick polyurethane coatings are one of the best choices for pipeline coatings. In this research electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been used to assess the degradation of a high solid polyurethane pipeline coating. Physical and electrochemical properties of coating were interpreted via analysis of equivalent circuits. The mechanism and kinetic of electrochemical systems were assessed by measuring the variations in resistance, capacitance and percentage of water uptake through coating. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements showed that this coating has very good protection efficiency and after 3 months immersion in 5%NaCl solution, resistant and capacitance of coating reach ∼107 Ω cm2 and 10−12 F cm−2 respectively.

Furthermore cathodic disbonding test was carried out in accordance to ASTM G8 for 30 days. After this time duration only 1·53 mm disbonding was observed around the created hole. The coated panels were evaluated in salt fog (ASTM B117) and 100% humidity cabinet (ASTM D2247). After 1000 h exposure in salt fog and 100% relative humidity cabinet no blister, chalking, rust or coating delamination was observed. The results revealed that the coating has very high protection efficiency and could be a very good alternative for conventional coatings in pipeline protection against corrosion.
High energy microarc alloying on ZM2 Mg base alloy by ZM2 alloy
Authors: Chen C.-J. , Wang D.-S. , Wang M.-C. , Liu Y.-M. , Jin R.
Published: December 2007

Magnesium and its alloys are susceptible to corrosion, which has limited their use in automotive and aerospace industries. In the present study, ZM2 electrode was coated on ZM2 magnesium alloy using high energy microarc alloying (HEMAA) technique, and the influence of the coatings on the corrosion behaviour of the ZM2 alloy was examined. A potentiostat for electrochemical corrosion tests, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) for phase analysis, energy dispersive analysis (EDX) for compositional analysis of coating, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for cross-section and a microhardness tester for microhardness were used. It was found that the material transfer depended on the voltage and the effective output power. It was determined that ZM2 HEMAA coatings on ZM2 magnesium alloy increased the corrosion resistance of the alloy. However, it was observed that, in the coating layers, small structural defects, e.g. pores, pinholes and cracks that could arise from the coating process or substrate and get the ability of protection from corrosion worsened were present. Microhardness of the alloyed layer was improved to 130 HV as compared with 100 HV of the as received ZM2. The phases in the coating layers were the same as those in the ZM2 alloy.
Sand slurry erosive wear of thermal sprayed coating of stellite
Authors: Arji R. , Dwivedi D. K. , Gupta S. R.
Published: December 2007

The present paper describes the sand slurry erosive wear behaviour of the flame sprayed stellite (Co–Cr–W–Ni–C) coating. The wear behaviour was evaluated with the help of a slurry pot tester by using two sand slurry concentrations (20 and 40% sand particles) at different rotational speeds (600–1000 rev min−1). It was observed that the weight loss of the coating material and rotational speed relationship is governed by the concentration of sand particles in slurry. Slurry erosive wear of the coating showed that in case of 20% silica sand slurry, weight loss increases with increase in rotational speed from 600 to 1000 rev min−1 while in case of 40% silica sand slurry weight loss first increases with increase in rotational speed from 600 to 800 rev min−1 followed by marginal decrease in weight loss with further increase in rotational speed from 800 to 1000 rev min−1. Improvement in wear resistance of mild steel due to development of the thermal sprayed coating was calculated as wear ratio which is a ratio of weight loss of mild steel and that of coating. Wear ratio was found in range of 4·2–7·5 under different test conditions. The microstructure study showed polyhedral shaped Cr dominated carbide particles in eutectic matrix. The average microhardness of the coating was 680 HV. Wear behaviour of coating has been discussed in light of microstructure and microhardness of coating. Scanning electron microscopy study of wear surface showed that loss of material from the coating takes place by indentation, crater formation and lip formation and its fracture.
Microstructural and tribological characterisation of as sprayed and heat treated HVOF deposited Ni alloys
Authors: Bolelli G. , Lusvarghi L. , Pighetti Mantini F. , Barletta M. , Casadei F.
Published: December 2007

The microstructural, micromechanical (Vickers microindentation, scratch testing) and tribological (pin on disk tests against steel and alumina spherical pins) properties of three High velocity oxy–fuel (HVOF) sprayed Ni based alloy coatings, namely Diamalloy 4006 (Ni–20Cr–10W–9Mo–4Cu–1B–1C–1Fe), Tribaloy-700 (Ni–32Mo–16Cr–4Si–2Co) and Inconel-625 (Ni–22Cr–9Mo–4Nb), were characterised, both in the as sprayed condition and after thermal treatments at 600°C and 800°C. As deposited Tribaloy-700 possesses a low degree of crystallinity and lower hardness; crystalline intermetallics are formed after heat treatments, definitely improving mechanical strength and tribological resistance against 100Cr6 steel counterpart, but not against alumina counterpart. The Inconel-625 and Diamalloy 4006 as sprayed coatings consist of supersaturated crystalline solid solutions. The former is not much affected by heat treatments and has low hardness and poor tribological properties. The latter, instead, displays precipitation of secondary phases after heat treatment. Particularly, the 600°C treatment improves coating strength and wear resistance against steel, whereas the 800°C one is less effective, probably because it causes excessive crystal grain size increase.
Characterisation of microdischarge evolution and coating morphology transition in plasma electrolytic oxidation of magnesium alloy
Authors: Wang L. S. , Pan C. X.
Published: December 2007

The present paper studied the appearance evolution of microdischarges, the phase composition and the morphology transition of the coating formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation on AZ91D magnesium alloy. The appearance of microdischarges population experienced apparent changes in size, spatial density and colour, which related with the changes of the type and quantity of the disintegrated gas bubbles generated in the interface between the electrolyte and substrate. Correspondingly, the diameter of micropores together with netlike fine microcracks increased when the higher voltage was employed. The coating composed of MgO, MgAl2O4 and there existed a fluoride enriched zone of about 1–2 m m at the film/substrate interface, which may be closely related with the decomposition of the hexafluorinealuminate ion and the initiation, damping of the microdischarges.
Killer artificial antigen-presenting cells: a novel strategy to delete specific T cells
Authors: Schütz Christian , Fleck Martin , Mackensen Andreas , Zoso Alessia , Halbritter Dagmar , Schneck Jonathan P. , Oelke Mathias
Published: December 2007

Several cell-based immunotherapy strategies have been developed to specifically modulate T cell–mediated immune responses. These methods frequently rely on the utilization of tolerogenic cell–based antigen-presenting cells (APCs). However, APCs are highly sensitive to cytotoxic T-cell responses, thus limiting their therapeutic capacity. Here, we describe a novel bead-based approach to modulate T-cell responses in an antigen-specific fashion. We have generated killer artificial APCs (κaAPCs) by coupling an apoptosis-inducing α-Fas (CD95) IgM mAb together with HLA-A2 Ig molecules onto beads. These κaAPCs deplete targeted antigen-specific T cells in a Fas/Fas ligand (FasL)–dependent fashion. T-cell depletion in cocultures is rapidly initiated (30 minutes), dependent on the amount of κaAPCs and independent of activation-induced cell death (AICD). κaAPCs represent a novel technology that can control T cell–mediated immune responses, and therefore has potential for use in treatment of autoimmune diseases and allograft rejection.
Mast cell-derived tumour necrosis factor is essential for allergic airway disease
Authors: Reuter S. , Heinz A. , Sieren M. , Wiewrodt R. , Gelfand E. W. , Stassen M. , Buhl R. , Taube C.
Published: December 2007

Mast cells are thought to contribute to allergic airway disease. However, the role of mast cell-produced mediators, such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF), for the development of allergic airway disease is unclear.

In order to define the role of mast cells in acute allergic airway disease two strains of mast cell-deficient mice (KitW/Wvand KitW-sh/W-sh) were studied.

Compared with their wild-type littermates, KitW/Wvand KitW-sh/W-shmice developed significantly lower airway responsiveness to methacholine and less airway inflammation and goblet cell metaplasia, following sensitisation in the absence of adjuvant and airway challenge. Transfer of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) from wild-type mice to KitW-sh/W-shmice reconstituted both airway responsiveness and inflammation to levels similar to those in sensitised and challenged wild-type mice. In contrast, sensitised KitW-sh/W-shmice reconstituted with BMMCs from TNF-deficient mice were still severely impaired in their ability to develop airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation or goblet cell metaplasia following allergen challenge.

The present results demonstrate the significance of mast cells in the development of airway disease and highlight the importance of mast cell-derived tumour necrosis factor in these responses.
The presence of β2-adrenoceptors sensitizes α2A-adrenoceptors to desensitization after chronic epinephrine treatment
Authors: Bawa-Khalfe Tasneem , Altememi Ghazi F , Mandyam Chitra D , Schwarz Lindsay A , Eikenburg Douglas C , Standifer Kelly M
Published: December 2007

Background

In addition to the regulation of blood pressure, α2- and β-adrenoceptor (AR) subtypes play an important role in the modulation of noradrenergic neurotransmission in the human CNS and PNS. Several studies suggest that the α2-AR responsiveness in cells and tissues after chronic epinephrine (EPI) or norepinephrine (NE) exposure may vary, depending on the β-AR activity present there. Recently, we reported that in BE(2)-C human neuroblastoma cells (endogenously expressing α2A- and β2-AR), chronic EPI treatment (300 nM) produced a dramatic β-adrenoceptor-dependent desensitization of the α2A-AR response. The aim of this study is to determine if stable addition of a β2-AR to a second neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y), that normally expresses only α2A-ARs that are not sensitive to 300 nM EPI exposure, would suddenly render α2A-ARs in that cell line sensitive to treatment with the same EPI concentration.

Methods

These studies employed RT-PCR, receptor binding and inhibition of cAMP accumulation to confirm α2-AR subtype expression. Stable clones of SH-SY5Y cells transfected to stably express functional β2-ARs (SHβ2AR4) were selected to compare sensitivity of α2-AR to EPI in the presence or absence of β2-ARs.

Results

A series of molecular, biochemical and pharmacological studies indicated that the difference between the cell lines could not be attributed to α2-AR heterogeneity. We now report that after transfection of functional β2-AR into SH-SY5Y cells (SHβ2AR4), chronic treatment with modest levels of EPI desensitizes the α2A-AR. This effect results from a β2-AR dependent down-regulation of native α2A-ARs by EPI accompanied by enhanced translocation of GRK2 and GRK3 to the membrane (required for GRK-mediated phosphorylation of agonist-occupied receptors).

Conclusion

This study further supports the hypothesis that the presence of the β-AR renders the α2A-AR more susceptible to desensitization with physiological levels of EPI.
Preparedness of emergency departments in northwest England for managing chemical incidents: a structured interview survey
Authors: Williams Jane , Walter Darren , Challen Kirsty
Published: December 2007

Background

A number of significant chemical incidents occur in the UK each year and may require Emergency Departments (EDs) to receive and manage contaminated casualties. Previously UK EDs have been found to be under-prepared for this, but since October 2005 acute hospital Trusts have had a statutory responsibility to maintain decontamination capacity. We aimed to evaluate the level of preparedness of Emergency Departments in North West England for managing chemical incidents.

Methods

A face-to-face semi-structured interview was carried out with the Nurse Manager or a nominated deputy in all 18 Emergency Departments in the Region.

Results

16/18 departments had a written chemical incident plan but only 7 had the plan available at interview. All had a designated decontamination area but only 11 felt that they were adequately equipped. 12/18 had a current training programme for chemical incident management and 3 had no staff trained in decontamination. 13/18 could contain contaminated water from casualty decontamination and 6 could provide shelter for casualties before decontamination.

Conclusion

We have identified major inconsistencies in the preparedness of North West Emergency Departments for managing chemical incidents. Nationally recognized standards on incident planning, facilities, equipment and procedures need to be agreed and implemented with adequate resources. Issues of environmental safety and patient dignity and comfort should also be addressed.
Incidence and clinicopathologic features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors. A population-based study
Authors: Mucciarini Claudia , Rossi Giulio , Bertolini Federica , Valli Riccardo , Cirilli Claudia , Rashid Ivan , Marcheselli Luigi , Luppi Gabriele , Federico Massimo
Published: December 2007

Background

Although the diagnostic criteria and pathogenesis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) have recently been elucidated, knowledge of the epidemiology of this malignancy is still limited. This study examined the incidence of GIST in the province of Modena, including pathologic features and clinical outcome.

Methods

Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors identified by the Modena Cancer Registry between 1991 and 2004 were analyzed with an immunohistochemical panel that included staining for CD-117 and PDGFRα. Size, mitotic rate, and other pathologic parameters were recorded. Each tumor was categorized into National Institutes of Health risk categories (very low, low, intermediate, and high risk).

Results

One hundred twenty-four cases were classified as GIST. The age-adjusted incidence rate was 6.6 per million. Seventy-five percent of patients were symptomatic; 34% had a previous or concomitant history of cancer. High-risk features were present in 47% of cases. Seventy-eight percent were submitted to radical surgery. After complete resection, the 5-year disease-free survival rates were 94%, 92%, 100%, and 40% for patients at very low, low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively. In multivariate analysis, high risk was the main predictor of recurrence.

Conclusion

This population-based study shows that the incidence of GIST in Northern Italy is comparable to that reported in other European countries. Survival was favorable in lower risk categories and in most of the resected cases. In our study, resected patients at very low, low, and intermediate risk had a similar outcome. Our data support the need to consider high-risk patients after complete surgical resection for treatment with the best available approach.
Age-related compaction of lens fibers affects the structure and optical properties of rabbit lenses
Authors: Al-khudari Samer , Donohue Sean T , Al-Ghoul Walid M , Al-Ghoul Kristin J
Published: December 2007

Background

The goal of this investigation was to correlate particular age-related structural changes (compaction) to the amount of scatter in rabbit lenses and to determine if significant fiber compaction occurred in the nuclear and inner cortical regions.

Methods

New Zealand White rabbits at 16–20 months old (adult; n = 10) and at 3.5–4 years old (aged; n = 10) were utilized for this study. Immediately after euthanising, scatter was assessed in fresh lenses by low power helium-neon laser scan analysis. Scatter data was analyzed both for whole lenses and regionally, to facilitate correlation with morphometric data. After functional analysis, lenses were fixed and processed for scanning electron microcopy (SEM; right eyes) and light microscopy (LM; left eyes). Morphometric analysis of SEM images was utilized to evaluate compaction of nuclear fibers. Similarly, measurements from LM images were used to assess compaction of inner cortical fibers.

Results

Scatter was significantly greater in aged lenses as compared to adult lenses in all regions analyzed, however the difference in the mean was slightly more pronounced in the inner cortical region. The anterior and posterior elliptical angles at 1 mm (inner fetal nucleus) were significantly decreased in aged vs. adult lenses (anterior, p = 0.040; posterior, p = 0.036). However, the average elliptical angles at 2.5 mm (outer fetal nucleus) were not significantly different in adult and aged lenses since all lenses examined had comparable angles to inner fetal fibers of aged lenses, i.e. they were all compacted. In cortical fibers, measures of average cross-sectional fiber area were significantly different at diameters of both 6 and 7 mm as a function of age (p = 0.011 and p = 0.005, respectively). Accordingly, the estimated fiber volume was significantly decreased in aged as compared to adult lenses at both 6 mm diameter (p = 0.016) and 7 mm diameter (p = 0.010).

Conclusion

Morphometric data indicates that inner cortical fibers undergo a greater degree of age-related compaction than nuclear fibers. Increased scatter appears to be only tentatively correlated with regions of fiber compaction, suggesting that it is simply one of an array of factors that contribute to the overall decreased transparency in aged rabbit lenses.
The chromatin-remodeling enzyme BRG1 plays an essential role in primitive erythropoiesis and vascular development
Authors: Griffin Courtney T. , Brennan Jennifer , Magnuson Terry
Published: December 2007

ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes contribute to the proper temporal and spatial patterns of gene expression in mammalian embryos and therefore play important roles in a number of developmental processes. SWI/SNF-like chromatin-remodeling complexes use one of two different ATPases as their catalytic subunit: brahma (BRM, also known as SMARCA2) and brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1, also known as SMARCA4). We have conditionally deleted a floxed Brg1 allele with a Tie2-Cre transgene,which is expressed in developing hematopoietic and endothelial cells. Brg1fl/fl:Tie2-Cre+ embryos die at midgestation from anemia, as mutant primitive erythrocytes fail to transcribe embryonicα- and β-globins, and subsequently undergo apoptosis. Additionally,vascular remodeling of the extraembryonic yolk sac is abnormal in Brg1fl/fl:Tie2-Cre+ embryos. Importantly, Brm deficiency does not exacerbate the erythropoietic or vascular abnormalities found in Brg1fl/fl:Tie2-Cre+embryos, implying that Brg1-containing SWI/SNF-like complexes, rather than Brm-containing complexes, play a crucial role in primitive erythropoiesis and in early vascular development.
Research Note—Investigating the Influence of the Functional Mechanisms of Online Product Presentations
Authors: Jiang Zhenhui , Benbasat Izak
Published: December 2007

Internet-based interactive multimedia technologies enable online firms to employ a variety of formats to present and promote their products: They can use pictures, videos, and sounds to depict products, as well as give consumers the opportunity to try out products virtually. Despite the several previous endeavors that studied the effects of different product presentation formats, the functional mechanisms underlying these presentation methods have not been investigated in a comprehensive way. This paper investigates a model showing how these functional mechanisms (namely, vividness and interactivity) influence consumers' intentions to return to a website and their intentions to purchase products. A study conducted to test this model has largely confirmed our expectations: (1) both vividness and interactivity of product presentations are the primary design features that influence the efficacy of the presentations; (2) consumers' perceptions of the diagnosticity of websites, their perceptions of the compatibility between online shopping and physical shopping, and their shopping enjoyment derived from a particular online shopping experience jointly influence consumers' attitudes toward shopping at a website; and (3) both consumers' attitudes toward products and their attitudes toward shopping at a website contribute to their intentions to purchase the products displayed on the website.
Adoption of Information Technology Under Network Effects
Authors: Lee Deishin , Mendelson Haim
Published: December 2007

Because information technologies are often characterized by network effects, compatibility is an important issue. Although total network value is maximized when everyone operates in one compatible network, we find that the technology benefits for the users depend on vendor incentives, which are driven by the existence of “de facto” or “de jure” standards. In head-to-head competition, customers are better off “letting a thousand flowers bloom,” fostering fierce competition that results in a de facto standard if users prefer compatibility over individual fit, or a split market if fit is more important. In contrast, firms that sponsor these products are better off establishing an up-front, de jure standard to lessen the competitive effects of a network market. However, if a firm is able to enter the market first by choosing a proprietary/incompatible technology, it can use a “divide-and-conquer” strategy to increase its profit compared with head-to-head competition, even when there are no switching costs. When there is a first mover, the early adopters, who are “locked in” because of switching costs, never regret their decision to adopt, whereas the late adopters, who are not subject to switching costs, are exploited by the incumbent firm. In head-to-head competition, customers are unified in their preference for incompatibility when there is a first mover; late adopters prefer de jure compatibility because they bear the brunt of the first-mover advantage. This again underscores the interdependence of user net benefits and vendor strategies.
A Model of Search Intermediaries and Paid Referrals
Authors: Weber Thomas A. , Zheng Zhiqiang (Eric)
Published: December 2007

In this paper we pursue three main objectives: (1) to develop a model of an intermediated search market in which matching between consumers and firms takes place primarily via paid referrals; (2) to address the question of designing a suitable mechanism for selling referrals to firms; and (3) to characterize and analyze the firms' bidding strategies given consumers' equilibrium search behavior. To achieve these objectives we develop a two-stage model of search intermediaries in a vertically differentiated product market. In the first stage an intermediary chooses a search engine design that specifies to which extent a firm's search rank is determined by its bid and to which extent it is determined by the product offering's performance. In the second stage, based on the search engine design, competing firms place their open bids to be paid for each referral by the search engine. We find that the revenue-maximizing search engine design bases rankings on a weighted average of product performance and bid amount. Nonzero pure-strategy equilibria of the underlying discontinuous bidding game generally exist but are not robust with respect to noisy clicks in the system. We determine a unique nondegenerate mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium that is robust to noisy clicks. In this equilibrium firms of low product performance fully dissipate their rents, which are appropriated by the search intermediary and the firm with the better product. The firms' expected bid amounts are generally nonmonotonic in product performance and depend on the search engine design parameter. The intermediary's profit-maximizing design choice, by attributing a positive weight to the firms' bids, tends to obfuscate search results and reduce overall consumer surplus compared to the socially optimal design of fully transparent results ranked purely on product performance.
Product Positioning and Competition: The Role of Location in the Fast Food Industry
Authors: Thomadsen Raphael
Published: December 2007

This paper examines optimal product positioning strategies of asymmetric firms in the context of retail outlet locations in the fast food industry. The relationships between profits and product differentiation reveal that both McDonald's and Burger King are better off avoiding close competition if the market area is large enough. However, in small market areas, McDonald's would prefer to be located together with Burger King rather than have the two outlets be only a slight distance apart. In contrast, Burger King's profits always increase with greater differentiation. Offsetting these incentives is the desirability of locating centrally to appeal to the most customers. The equilibrium depends on the market's size. In small markets, McDonald's locates near the center of the market, and Burger King locates to the side of the market. In larger markets, McDonald's and Burger King choose locations on opposite sides of the market, although McDonald's locates closer to the optimal central location than Burger King.

I also show that the role of price competition on product positioning is fundamentally different under asymmetric competition than under symmetric competition. Price competition unambiguously induces symmetric firms toward differentiation. In contrast, with asymmetric firms, price competition shifts Burger King's incentives toward locating closer to McDonald's, even while price competition increases McDonald's desire for differentiation. As a result, equilibrium locations with asymmetric firms are approximately the same, regardless of whether prices adjust with location.
Exact and Heuristic Algorithms for the Weapon-Target Assignment Problem
Authors: Ahuja Ravindra K. , Kumar Arvind , Jha Krishna C. , Orlin James B.
Published: December 2007

The weapon-target assignment (WTA) problem is a fundamental problem arising in defense-related applications of operations research. This problem consists of optimally assigning n weapons to m targets so that the total expected survival value of the targets after all the engagements is minimal. The WTA problem can be formulated as a nonlinear integer programming problem and is known to be NP-complete. No exact methods exist for the WTA problem that can solve even small-size problems (for example, with 20 weapons and 20 targets). Although several heuristic methods have been proposed to solve the WTA problem, due to the absence of exact methods, no estimates are available on the quality of solutions produced by such heuristics. In this paper, we suggest integer programming and network flow-based lower-bounding methods that we obtain using a branch-and-bound algorithm for the WTA problem. We also propose a network flow-based construction heuristic and a very large-scale neighborhood (VLSN) search algorithm. We present computational results of our algorithms, which indicate that we can solve moderately large instances (up to 80 weapons and 80 targets) of the WTA problem optimally and obtain almost optimal solutions of fairly large instances (up to 200 weapons and 200 targets) within a few seconds.
Positive Discrimination and the Distribution of Deprivations
Authors: Hatch Stephen , Sherrott Roger
Published: December 2007

All social welfare systems face a fundamental dilemma in allocating resources. Should the service be universal and go to everyone as with primary education, or should it be selective and go only to those in greatest need as with supplementary benefits? In practice, welfare systems combine both universal and selective elements. Attempts have recently been made to implement another form of resource allocation which might embody the main advantage of selectivity—concentrating resources where they are most needed—without the disadvantage of means-testing and limited take-up. This is the policy of positive discrimination in favour of deprived areas.

An element of positive discrimination has existed for a long time in the rate support grant paid to local authorities, in aspects of regional employment policies, and in slum clearance programmes. However, the Educational Priority Area Programme (EPA) and the subsequent Urban Programme represent new departures, in that the areas (actually schools in the case of EPA) chosen are much smaller than local authorities, and it is assumed that in these areas are concentrated populations who suffer acute and multiple environmental and cultural handicaps.
Community Perceptions and the Personal Social Services
Authors: Glastonbury Bryan , Burdett Margaret , Austin Rita
Published: December 2007

‘In the commercial world consumer demand is constantly encouraged through advertising and by granting credit. New “needs” are created, old ones refashioned …. In contrast, those who may require the help of the personal social services, for instance the welfare and children’s services, encounter little encouragement to use them, nor is there a ready flow of simple information about their nature and how they can be obtained …. We can and should encourage those who need help to seek it …. One single department concerned with most aspects of “welfare” as the public generally understands the term, is an essential first step in making services more easily accessible.’

This paper is not primarily concerned with asking how far Social Service Departments have tried or succeeded in stimulating demand. Instead it looks at some of the pre-requisites for drawing the general public into a wider and more effective use of the personal social services. To continue the Seebohm Committee’s commercial analogy, it offers some basic market research. The Committee itself, like the Younghusband Committee a decade earlier, was ‘regrettably, unable to sound consumer reaction to the services in any systematic way’.
Non-Partisanship in British Local Politics
Authors: Grant W. P.
Published: December 2007

There are still a large number of local councils where the majority of the seats are not held by nominees of the political parties. It is important that we should try to understand the operation of the decision-making process in these authorites as well as in those in which the party groups dominate the council chamber. Non-partisan local authorites are generally to be found in the smaller district authorities (smaller in terms of population size, that is) and in the county councils serving predominantly rural areas.

Non-partisan political systems are concentrated in the smaller district authorities and the county councils serving rural areas, partly because, as Jeffrey Stanyer has pointed out, ‘in order to vote on other than party lines, an elector must know something of the personal characteristics of the candidates’ and he is more likely to have this information in a small community; and also because the difficulties of individual electioneering are greater in larger electoral areas. Of course, as the community grows larger, the local newspaper may attempt to provide relevant information. In large cities this is usually confined to brief and rather dry biographical information about the candidate and his civic activities.
Faropenem Medoxomil
Authors: Gettig Jacob P , Crank Christopher W , Philbrick Alexander H
Published: December 2007

Objective:

To review the literature concerning the in vitro activity, pharmacokinetic properties, in vivo efficacy, and adverse events associated with a new penem antibiotic, faropenem medoxomil.

Data Sources:

We conducted a search of MEDLINE/PubMed and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts databases for articles or abstracts using the terms faropenem. faropenem daloxate, faropenem medoxomil, SUN5555, SY5555, WY49605, RU67655, ALP201. BLA857, and YM044 and published through July 2007. Information on poster presentations was obtained from the drug's manufacturer. Additional articles were identified from citations in the bibliographies of review articles. Articles written in languages other than English were excluded.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All published reports that evaluated faropenem (or its chemical synonyms) and faropenem medoxomil were used in this review. Abstracts subsequently published as full reports were excluded, and only the resulting reports were included. Abstracts without subsequently published reports were included.

Data Synthesis:

The in vitro activity of faropenem has been evaluated extensively against respiratory pathogens and less extensively against aerobic gram-positive, gram-negative, and anaerobic organisms. Prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trials have demonstrated noninferiority of faropenem to comparators for the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis, community-acquired pneumonia, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and uncomplicated skin and skin structure Infections. Adverse events associated with faropenem appear to be minimal and include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Conclusions:

Faropenem has demonstrated excellent in vitro activity against common respiratory pathogens, many aerobic gram-positive organisms, and anaerobes. Activity against gram-negative organisms is more reserved. In vivo data suggest that faropenem is efficacious in treating community-acquired Infections Including uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections; however, more data may help to characterize faropenem's place in antimicrobial therapy. Replidyne, Inc., the manufacturer of faropenem, is conducting studies to address the Food and Drug Administration's concerns that resulted in a nonapprovable letter in October 2006.
Synthesis and characterization of a functional intact IgG in a prokaryotic cell-free expression system
Authors: Frey Stephan , Haslbeck Martin , Hainzl Otmar , Buchner Johannes
Published: December 2007

Antibodies are an important component of the immune system of higher eukaryotes. Furthermore, they are effective tools in basic research, medical diagnostics and therapy. Recombinant expression of these heterotetrameric, disulfide-bridged proteins is usually performed in mammalian cells. Here, we describe the cell-free expression of a mouse monoclonal antibody, MAK33, in a coupled transcription/translation system, based on an Escherichia coli lysate. Both the heavy and the light chain can be produced efficiently in this setup. However, they fail to form functional antibodies. With a view to overcome folding and oxidation defects, we supplemented the system with the oxidoreductases PDI (protein disulfide isomerase) and DsbC and the ER-specific chaperones Grp94 and BiP; furthermore, we optimized the redox conditions. We found that functional antibodies can only be obtained in the presence of an oxidoreductase. In contrast, the addition of Grp94 and/or BiP had no influence on the productive folding reaction. The comparison of the antibody expressed in vitro with MAK33 expressed in cell culture showed that the in vitro expressed antibody is correctly assembled, disulfide-bridged and shows identical antigen affinity. The stability of the in vitro expressed non-glycosylated IgG is comparable to that of the authentic antibody.
Establishing Appropriate Physiological Baseline Procedures for Real-Time Physiological Measurement
Authors: Fishel Stephanie R. , Muth Eric R. , Hoover Adam W.
Published: December 2007

The purpose of this study was to identify baseline procedures that are equally sensitive to negative and positive changes in heart rate variability, specifically in the context of moment-to-moment comparisons. Participants were engaged in a dual-task paradigm consisting of either a high- or low-workload primary task paired with a secondary task. Shifts between primary tasks occurred at set intervals. Average arousal was calculated for each primary task in relation to six different baseline procedures. A 2 × 6 repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect for the baseline type, F(1, 58) = 3.90, p = .04, η2 = .08. Planned comparisons revealed that certain procedures were biased to detect positive change and others negative change. The results of this study provide evidence that when developing physiologically based measures for detecting behavioral and/or cognitive state changes, the method used to calibrate these measures requires special consideration.
Intelligent Adaptive Interfaces for the Control of Multiple UAVs
Authors: Hou Ming , Kobierski Robert D. , Brown Matthew
Published: December 2007

A lack of guidance for designing complex, dynamic networked systems presents challenges to the development of such systems to maximize overall human-machine system performance. An intelligent adaptive interface (IAI) concept and associated technologies have been developed to address this problem. In order to support effective decision making, a typical IAI is driven by software agents that can change the display and/or control characteristics to react to the changes of mission and operator states in real time. This work investigated the efficacy of IAIs in a multi-uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) scenario. The IAI was modeled as part of the UAV tactical workstations found in a maritime patrol aircraft. A performance model was developed to compare the difference in mission activities with and without IAI agents. A prototype IAI experimental environment was implemented for a human-in-the-loop empirical investigation. Both simulation and experiment results revealed that the control of multiple UAVs is a cognitively complex task with high workload. IAIs facilitated a significant reduction in workload and an improvement in situation awareness, thus allowing operators to continue working under high time pressure. This research revealed IAI triggering conditions under different cognitive workload situations.
The past and the present of peritoneal dialysis treatment
Authors: Polner Kálmán
Published: December 2007

A szerző rövid áttekintést ad a peritonealis dialíziskezelés történetéről, kiemelve két magyar nefrológus,Stephen I. VasésTaraba Istvánmunkásságának jelentőségét. A peritonealis dialíziskezelés fejlődése oda vezetett, hogy mára a hemodialízissel egyenrangú vesepótló kezelés lett. A maradék vesefunkció megőrzésével az első két évben a morbiditási, mortalitási mutatók és a betegek életminősége vonatkozásában felül is múlja azt. Gazdasági szempontból egyértelműen előnyösebb a hemodialízisnél, ezért az egyre több veseelégtelen beteg ellátásában várhatóan még nagyobb szerepet fog kapni. Az utóbbi években a technológia fejlődése és az automata peritonealis dialíziskezelések elterjedése is a minőség javítását segíti. A peritonealis dialíziskezelés a beteg önkezelése révén új kapcsolatrendszert alakít ki a betegek és az egészségügyi személyzet között, fokozódik a betegoktatás igénye, javul a betegek önbecsülése, együttműködése, ami összességében jobb rehabilitációs esélyeket és jobb életminőséget eredményez. A hazai peritonealis dialíziskezelés még elmarad az európai átlagtól, de a fejlődés dinamikus, és várhatóan a betegek száma is tovább fog növekedni.