bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human resource management and performance in healthcare organisations
Authors: Harris Claire , Cortvriend Penny , Hyde Paula
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the evidence from a range of reviews concerned with the links between human resource management (HRM) and performance. The aim of the paper is to review this diverse literature, and to derive human resource (HR) implications for healthcare researchers, policy makers and managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent reviews of the human resource management and performance literature are examined, in addition to the inclusion of a previously unpublished review. Their methods, HRM focus, findings and recommendations are contrasted in order to produce this review.

Findings

The paper finds that relationships have been found between a range of HRM practices, policies systems and performance. Despite being an important concern for HR professionals, there is little research exploring the link between HRM and performance in the health sector.

Research limitations/implications

The paper sees that recent studies have found HRM practices to be associated with patient outcomes such as mortality, yet they yield little information regarding the processes through which HRM affects individual performance and its consequent impact on patient care. The use of approaches that seek to gain an understanding of workers' interpretations of their experience, i.e. the psychological process through which HRM can affect individual performance, may shed some light on how these processes work in practice.

Practical implications

The paper shows that increasing autonomy for healthcare organisations in the UK, i.e. Foundation Trusts, may offer increased opportunity for locally tailored HR systems and practices.

Originality/value

The paper presents findings drawn from a review of previous research on a subject of increasing relevance to HR researchers and practitioners in healthcare organisations. The paper indicates alternative approaches to research and practice in light of extant research.
Patient involvement in a professional body: reflections and commentary
Authors: Baker Alison
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the issues which emerge when an autonomous, professional, member‐led organisation attempts to demonstrate its accountability to patients through lay involvement in its standard‐setting processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports a project, which is still in progress and could be described as action research. Data were collected through participant observation in a series of discussions and working groups. A limited literature search was carried out at the start of the initiative but found little which relates to lay involvement in professional bodies.

Findings

The paper finds that patient involvement in a professional body is unlikely by itself to be a useful mechanism for delivering greater professional accountability.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is a single case study and can only suggest hypotheses for further research.

Practical implications

The paper shows that professional bodies of various types are increasingly being asked to demonstrate public involvement in their decision making. It is important to identify the most effective mechanisms for this and the limitations inherent in the structures of organisations, which are accountable primarily to their members.

Originality/value

The paper shows that individual doctors are held to account through a number of mechanisms, but little attention has been given to how medical professional bodies can be made more accountable for the collective power they hold. Patient involvement is interpreted within a consumerist model, which focuses on the doctor‐patient relationship and ignores the considerable strategic influence which medical royal colleges exercise within the health service.
Involving the public in NHS service planning
Authors: Anton Silvia , McKee Lorna , Harrison Stephen , Farrar Shelley
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study that examined the development of an assessment framework for public involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper has adopted a multi‐method approach that includes: a focused review of literature relating to tools that might be used to provide valid and reliable assessments of public involvement; key informant interviews with people with experience from various perspectives of efforts to involve the public in the planning and development of health services; and a detailed study of a specific public involvement initiative involving a range of “stakeholder” interviews.

Findings

The paper finds that there are uncertainty and a lack of consensus about how assessment of public involvement should be undertaken. The findings emphasise the need to recognise the diverse nature of public involvement, which may require assessment to be employed flexibly at each individual NHS Board level.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is a small‐scale study, in which it was only possible to probe a limited number of stakeholders' views due to practical and time restrictions.

Originality/value

The paper adds value to the discussions taking place at Scottish Government level as to the best approach in assessing public involvement in health service decision making.
An analysis of trends related to hospital solid wastes management in Kuwait
Authors: Alhumoud Jasem M. , Alhumoud Hani M.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the amount of different kinds of solid wastes produced, segregated, collected, stored, transported and disposed off in the governmental hospitals of Kuwait.

Design/methodology/approach

The research in this paper shows that all governmental hospitals were assessed in a period of six months (September, 2005 through December, 2005 and June, 2006 through July, 2006). The weight fraction of each component in the sorting sample was calculated by the weights of the components. The amount of non‐infectious and infectious waste generated in kg/day in each ward and various hospital blocks were determined and recorded.

Findings

The findings in this paper indicated that the waste generation rate is between 3.87 kg/bed/day and 7.44 kg/bed/day. Subsequently, this waste consists of 10,534.5 kg (71.44 percent) of domestic waste, 4,099.4 kg (27.8 percent) of hazardous/infectious waste, and 112.1 kg (0.76 percent) of sharps. Hospital waste makes up approximately 30 percent of all the hazardous waste generated in Kuwait. Segregation of the different types of wastes is practiced in nearly all of the hospitals. All infectious/medical wastes are finally disposed of through incineration.

Practical implications

The paper shows that the hospitals under study do not organize training courses on hospital waste management and the hazards associated with them. There is a need to establish a detailed database regarding the quantity and quality of the waste generated by the various hospitals.

Originality/value

This paper systematically assesses the obstacles in the existing hospital solid waste management system in all governmental hospitals in Kuwait. Subsequently, recommendations and improvements are suggested.
Conservation of crop diversity for sustainable landscape development in the mountains of the Indian Himalayan region
Authors: Nautiyal Sunil , Kaechele Harald
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the conservation and management of crop diversity in traditional agro‐ecosystems as a crucial component for sustainable landscape development in the mountains of the Indian Himalayan region. The results indicate that mountain farming has the potential to produce good output from a low input system where farmers still use local resources and locally developed technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion of major issues in this paper is based on our empirical study involving a survey of the area and field‐based experiments to evaluate the productivity in traditional mountain farming systems. Additionally, landscape change was monitored with the use of satellite data.

Findings

The paper finds that the rate of genetic erosion within the study area during the last three decades is documented and the factors responsible for such erosion identified. The efficiency of traditional agro‐ecosystems of Himalayan Mountains in terms of energy and monetary value is presented. Traditional crop cultivation in the region appears efficient from the viewpoint of ecology of the area and economy of the local people.

Practical implications

This paper recommends practical options to encourage cultivation of traditional crops for their conservation and management in the Himalayan agro‐ecosystems that will lead to sustainable landscape development in these mountains. Traditional agro‐ecosystems are characterized by their dependence on local resources, close links to the surrounding forests, and locally developed technologies in the Himalayas of India. Research and policy support for their conservation in traditional agro‐ecosystems in this region is required as many traditional crops and their landraces are in jeopardy due to their rapid genetic erosion in the region. The land use land cover map developed within this study enables observation of the process of the landscape change trends in the region. Local communities need proper awareness and encouragement through appropriate research, institutional and policy support to continue growing traditional crops for both their economic incentives and management of the ecosystem services.

Originality/value

The paper shows that traditional crop diversity can enhance the economic conditions for people without having negative implications on the surrounding landscape.
Community‐based natural resource management in Kenya
Authors: Ayoo Collins
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate community‐based natural resource management as an alternative approach to government stewardship of natural resources. The paper discusses Kenya's experience with community‐based approaches, identifies some of the problems that have been experienced in implementing the approach, and suggests ways of strengthening these approaches to ensure that natural resources are managed more sustainably and efficiently and in ways that generate tangible economic benefits to local communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The research reported in this paper was undertaken through an extensive review of existing literature, discussions with representatives of local communities and resource managers and personal observations.

Findings

The paper finds that the community‐based approach to the stewardship of natural resources is a viable alternative to state management and can, if properly implemented, result in more equitable distribution of power and economic benefits, reduced conflicts, increased consideration of traditional and modern environmental knowledge, protection of biological diversity, and sustainable utilization of natural resources. In many cases where the approach has been implemented it has not yielded substantial benefits mainly because of institutional, environmental and organizational factors. The successful implementation of CBNRM projects requires a legal and policy framework that empowers local communities and grants them responsibility and authority for natural resource management. It also requires that an acceptable formula be defined for the sharing of the benefits and responsibilities.

Practical implications

This paper challenges the stewardship of natural resources by the state and presents arguments in support of a community based approach that prioritizes the livelihood needs of local communities and provides them with strong incentives to conserve and utilize natural resources sustainably.

Originality/value

This paper is original in applying the principles of community based natural resource management to specific local wildlife and forestry cases in Kenya.
Eco‐mapping as a basis for environmental management systems integration at small and medium enterprises
Authors: Koroljova Arina , Voronova Viktoria
Published: August 2007

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to show that environmental management integration to a small Estonian enterprise which main activities are freightage services and vehicles' maintenance and repair works, implementing a visual, simple and practical tool – Eco‐mapping. Design/methodology/approach – The paper shows that Eco‐mapping is a practical, visual and easy‐to‐use toolbox, which gets employees, involved in good environmental practice. It is the first step towards integrating environmental considerations into the day‐to‐day activities of small SMEs. Eco‐mapping is a step‐by‐step process to gather useful information and to immediately trigger environmental action. In total, 80 percent of environmental information is location‐based. There are ten basic steps, which identify environmental aspects, significance of the problems, environmental targets and an action programme of the considered field. Findings – The findings in this paper show the implementation steps of Eco‐mapping tool into the small Estonian company. During the case study all hazardous impacts on human health and environment have been evaluated and the workers awareness was raised. Practical implications – The paper shows that after the overall analysis the company has received clear picture of the problem areas. The most worrying was connected to material storage handling that might had heavy influence to environment as well as to health and safety in particular leakages, risk of explosion, health hazard, emissions. The preventive measures that can be easily taken may decrease these risks in many times. They are the following: fire system integration; electrical system approval; correct utilization of hazardous wastes; and legal issue studying. Originality/value – The paper presents the practical example of implementation of the Eco‐mapping tool in one small Estonian company. This paper gives an overview of the implementation process, describes the main concerns and suggests possible solutions. The project helps managers and other workers to understand that careful relation to the environment might be favorable from an economic point of view, as compliance with regulation and preparing sustainable principles for future generations.
Sustainable frugality through EIA: role of socio‐ecological linkages in poverty alleviation
Authors: Rajaram T. , Das Ashutosh
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to bring out the shortcomings of the EIA model imported from developed countries when it is assessed for its focus on poverty alleviation in a developing nation (India) and to suggest improvements in the existing framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores the current performance of EIA process in India, critically analyses the philosophy of continued sidelining of environmental protection in favour of unrestricted economic growth in the light of evidence regarding growing inequality.

Findings

The paper finds that for the proponent driven EIA model to contribute towards poverty alleviation, a new “socio‐ecological linkage document” is needed. This will bring out the fragile linkages that marginalized communities have with their local ecosystems and can be prepared with the help of local ecological knowledge. A framework to integrate the socio‐ecological linkage document into the EIA‐SEA‐SA domain is presented.

Practical implications

The paper shows that the supportive framework of generating the “socio‐ecological linkage document” has the potential to enhance the EIA‐SEA‐SA process in terms of ensuring that plans, policies, programs and projects are sensitive to the need of ecosystem dependent poor.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a framework to support the alternative thinking that poverty alleviation can be enhanced through preservation of ecosystem linkages, in contrast to the modern paradigm of economic growth at the cost of ecosystem.
Economic growth and environmental quality
Authors: Cialani Catia
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the emissions of CO2 in Italy during 1861 to 2002. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is applied to explore the relationship between CO2 emission and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. An Index Decomposition Analysis (IDA) is also applied to investigate changes in emissions between 1990 to 2002. Several factors contribute to change in the emission of CO2. These factors generally include a scale effect, a technological effect and a composition effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The main discussion in the paper is about the exiting of EKC in Italy and how a decomposition analysis can be used to look behind the time series of the environmental accounts.

Findings

The findings in the paper indicate the typical inverted “U” form of EKC is not confirmed with our data set for Italy. According our econometric results, there is a positive relationship between economic growth and CO2; following the trend, the maximum emission of CO2 per capita in Italy would be reached when the GDP per capita will be about 26900 US$ (turning point). Basically, two major forces have determined the increase of CO2 pollution in Italy over time: eco‐efficiency (pollution per monetary unit of output) and volume effect (volume growth of Value Added).

Practical implications

The decomposition method performed in this paper allows us to analyse which sectors are responsible for CO2 emissions and quantify the magnitude of the theoretical factors expected to influence the emission. The method used for the decomposition analysis can also be applied by countries with lack of time series Input‐Output data.

Originality/value

The investigation in the paper of the existing of EKC allows to know at which level of income the CO2 emissions will start decreasing in Italy. The analysis is based on a long time series (141 years). Decomposition analysis can be considered a tool, which helps to detect whether the increase of CO2 is mainly due to economic growth or technological change.
The effectiveness of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) follow‐up with regard to biodiversity conservation in Azerbaijan
Authors: Bataineh Ramzi H.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of the EIA adopted by the construction industry during the construction of the BTC Oil Pipeline Project in Azerbaijan from 2003‐2005. The focus of the study is to examine the performance of the Biodiversity conservation measures on the Territory of Gobustan Area. The area is considered as bad land and environmentally sensitive. The environmental impacts and the corresponding mitigation measures are to be highlighted.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a pre‐entry survey as a bench mark against which mitigation measures, for restoring biodiversity to project pre‐construction conditions. The Pre‐entry survey identifies the biodiversity inventory of the study area. The implementation of mitigation measures with respect to biodiversity is used to examine the extent of compliance with environmental requirements. The extent of compliance is based on field observations, specialist interviews and reviewing reports published by independent bodies.

Findings

The paper finds that the reasons behind compliance or non‐compliance with environmental requirements as outlined in the Environmental Impact Statement are explored. In other words, the factors that shape the EIA follow‐up process are highlighted.

Practical implications

The paper shows that the establishment of an integrated environmental monitoring system is central to the success of the EIA follow‐up. Environmental best practices can be adopted successfully despite the fact that the national environmental system is not yet well established.

Originality/value

The studied case in the paper, which is based on observation and thorough analysis of the practical work, can serve as an example for emerging environmental governance system.
Ethics in the virtual world
Authors: Strain John
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this viewpoint paper is to provide an overview of three papers included in a Special Issue of the Journal of Information Communication Ethics and Society, entitled Ethics in the Virtual World.

Design/methodology/approach

The papers were chosen because they reflect three key themes in computing, ethics and society. These are: the explosion in the number of opportunities for accessing sensitive data in the health sector; the risks inherent in designing information systems through technical procedures that fail to address the human character of the environments they are intended to serve; and the need to teach computing ethics to students of computing. All three articles draw on philosophical approaches to ethics and well as technical aspects of system use, system design and pedagogy, respectively.

Findings

The papers demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of computing ethics and the contested political issues at stake in using and designing information systems.

Originality/value

This editorial viewpoint paper presents the hypothesis that the ethical issues once embodied in socio‐technical systems theory have a particular salience for the contemporary ethical debates concerning computing ethics.
A phenomenological perspective on clinical communication and interaction
Authors: Botin Lars
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how people communicate in organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach in doing this is based on two pillars. One being a philosophical phenomenological approach dealing mainly ethical questions concerning communication and interaction in designing and implementing electronic health records (EHR). The other is videoobservation of work procedures in hospitals because appropriate for unveiling tacit knowledge in an organisation.

Findings

The paper discusses the inappropriate design and implementation of actual EHR's in the Danish hospital system. Where the technology is based on hierarchical and economic structured managerialist thinking and doing, that eliminates the everyday knowledge of nursing staff and the patient.

Originality/value

The value of this paper that it lays forward the inappropriate paradigmatic thinking of hospital systems concerning communication and interaction in designing and implementing EHRs.
Assessing students' ethical development in computing with the defining issues test
Authors: Jagger Suzy , Strain John
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to examine the early stages of a research project aimed at evaluating the pedagogic effectiveness of a teaching module in computing ethics.

Design/methodology/approach

Scores of students' cognitive capabilities to make moral judgements were measured before and after they had taken the module by means of the “Defining Issues Test” (DIT). This is a standard test of students' capability to make moral judgement based on the work of Lawrence Kohlberg. Interviews were then used to help understand the results of the test.

Findings

Results revealed low mean scores of post‐conventional (P Score) thinking skills and wide variation in overall scores of capability for moral judgement. Interviews with the students about the course and the test revealed the importance of understanding students' beliefs about the importance of ethics in interpreting the results.

Research limitations/implications

Difficulties in matching “before and after” results for each subject limited the sample size in what was an early step in the overall research project.

Practical implications

The results point towards the importance of addressing students' own understanding of the importance of ethics when teaching computing ethics.

Originality/value

The paper reveals some of the limitations of tests of capabilities for moral judgement which rely on strongly individualistic notions of ethics. It enables a new appreciation to be made of the strengths and weaknesses of assessing student moral development in higher education in terms of cognitive factors.
Responsible drinks marketing: shared rights and responsibilities
Authors: Burkitt Hugh
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share – and provide context for – eight recommendations about responsible drinks marketing, which were developed by an Expert Committee led by the author in 2006. The International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) and its sponsors have long recognized the importance of maintaining integrity and high standards in the marketing of beverage alcohol products.

Design/methodology/approach

An Expert Committee was convened from 30 May to 2 June, 2006, with participants who were selected from each region of the world, representing the perspectives of marketers, regulators, beverage alcohol producers, researchers and consumers. The result of their work together was a report entitled, Responsible Drinks Marketing: Shared Rights and Responsibilities, which included the eight recommendations presented in this article.

Findings

Recommendations focus on three distinct contexts: understanding perspectives on responsible drinks marketing; unifying principles for marketing worldwide; and best practice strategies for marketers.

Practical implications

Alcohol beverages have been an integral part of societies for thousands of years. While consumption patterns vary dramatically in different countries and societies, the marketing of beverage alcohol carries significant responsibilities.

Originality/value

Based on the agreed‐upon premise that adults who choose to drink should be free to enjoy alcohol beverages safely and responsibly, the author and Expert Committee drew upon resources that included United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection.
A charming little Cabernet
Authors: Boudreaux Claire A. , Palmer Stephen E.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of brand personality on purchase intent and the influence of three design elements of wine labels on brand personality.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants made brand personality judgments and rated their purchase intent for subsets of 90 experimental wine labels, which varied along the dimensions of color, illustration, and design layout.

Findings

Brand personality explained nearly half of the variance in purchase intent, with the facets successful, charming, spirited, and up‐to‐date being most strongly correlated with purchase intent. Of the three dimensions of visual design studied, the illustration used on the label had the greatest impact on both purchase intent and perceptions of brand personality.

Research limitations/implications

This study used a proxy to measure purchase intent and studied only a subset of brand personality facets, limiting the generality of findings.

Practical implications

This research offers brand managers a potential means of evaluating prospective designs in terms of their likely impact on purchase intent and consumer perceptions of brand personality, and suggests general guidelines for the design of product line extensions from a successful label design.

Originality/value

This research helps brand managers and packaging designers to leverage brand personality research and evaluate the effectiveness of new designs.
The emerging Brazilian wine industry
Authors: Evaldo Fensterseifer Jaime
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the Brazilian wine industry's capacity for sustained development in an increasingly internationalized competitive environment. The focus is on the Serra Gaúcha wine cluster, where over 80 per cent of the country's wine is produced.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study is descriptive in nature and makes use of secondary sources, in‐depth interviews and survey‐based data in order to describe the cluster and analyse the different factors associated with sustained competitiveness. The conceptual base that guided the analysis draws on the notion of cluster and its role in the creation of sustainable competitive advantages, with special emphasis on cooperative actions that enhance learning and innovation within the cluster.

Findings

In spite of several weaknesses of the industry and of the challenges posed by an unfavourable international environment, this paper provides both qualitative and quantitative evidences that a series of underlying conditions for the sustainable development of the industry are present in the Serra Gaúcha wine cluster.

Originality/value

The paper is purposefully descriptive and wide in scope as it analyses an as yet little known outside of Brazil and little researched wine cluster; this provides both academic value, as it establishes a basis for the development of more focused research as well as comparative studies with wine clusters from other countries, and practical value for the actors of the cluster, as it highlights important implications for both collective and firm‐level actions.
Customer engagement and the operational efficiency of wine retail stores
Authors: Barth J.E. (Joe)
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that new‐style retail wine stores with features such as tasting rooms, lecture theatres and demonstration kitchens used to educate and engage customers have better retail efficiency than old‐style stores.

Design/methodology/approach

Sales dollars, labour hours and litres of inventory depletion from a paired sample of old‐style and new‐style facilities located in five different communities are submitted to a data envelopment analysis to determine the retail efficiency of the stores.

Findings

All the new‐build stores had higher retail efficiency than the older stores, and input reductions in older stores were unlikely to bring their performance up to the level of the new store concepts.

Originality/value

One of the shortcomings of this research is that the old and new stores in the paired samples are different in size and location within each municipality. While it is clear that the new store features (tasting rooms, seminars, cooking demonstrations, etc.) increase retail efficiency, it remains to know the contribution of each of feature to the improvement in retail performance.
Italian wineries and strategic options: the role of Premium Bag in Box
Authors: Santini Cristina , Cavicchi Alessio , Rocchi Benedetto
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give some enlightenments on value innovation in the wine industry and, more specifically in the US wine market, in order to suggest new strategic options to Italian wineries.

Design/methodology/approach

After having provided a theoretical framework about value innovation and the US Premium Bag in Box (PBIB) wine market, a case study about a leading firm is presented.

Findings

The adoption of a new packaging concept may help traditional Italian wineries to develop their sales. Understanding the dynamics and benefits of value innovation, would help wineries in getting over the obstacles for introducing innovation, and developing a truly perception of consumers' preferences and new managerial skills.

Research implications/limitations

This research implies new studies in consumers' perceptions and willingness to pay for Italian wines in the USA. On the firms' side, it is important to understand wineries costs and organization structure in order to evaluate the possibility of new packaging introduction. Understanding the dynamics of value innovation in the wine industry would lead to gain a competitive advantage. Further researches should focus on the linkage between firms' structure and resources and the paths they choose to adopt.

Practical implications

This paper can offer a valid suggestion for those firms whose export is suffering “New World” wineries aggressive strategies. Through PBIB wineries can adopt a “me‐too strategy” or develop a further niche in this market. According to the strategy chosen, wineries have to face many concerns, mainly pertaining to finances, organization, and production.

Originality/value

Value innovation and its exploitation under a strategic viewpoint have not been deeply considered in wine business literature.
The MarR‐type repressor MhqR (YkvE) regulates multiple dioxygenases/glyoxalases and an azoreductase which confer resistance to 2‐methylhydroquinone and catechol in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Töwe Stefanie , Leelakriangsak Montira , Kobayashi Kazuo , Van Duy Nguyen , Hecker Michael , Zuber Peter , Antelmann Haike
Published: August 2007

Catechol and 2‐methylhydroquinone (2‐MHQ) cause the induction of the thiol‐specific stress response and four dioxygenases/glyoxalases in Bacillus subtilis. Using transcription factor arrays, the MarR‐type regulator YkvE was identified as a repressor of the dioxygenase/glyoxalase‐encoding mhqE gene. Transcriptional and proteome analyses of the ΔykvE mutant revealed the upregulation of ykcA (mhqA), ydfNOP (mhqNOP), yodED (mhqED) and yvaB (azoR2) encoding multiple dioxygenases/glyoxalases, oxidoreductases and an azoreductase. Primer extension experiments identified σA‐type promoter sequences upstream of mhqA, mhqNOP, mhqED and azoR2 from which transcription is elevated after thiol stress. DNase I footprinting analysis showed that YkvE protects a primary imperfect inverted repeat with the consensus sequence of tATCTcgaAtTCgAGATaaaa in the azoR2, mhqE and mhqN promoter regions. Analysis of mhqE‐promoter–bgaB fusions confirmed the significance of YkvE binding to this operator in vivo. Adjacent secondary repeats were protected by YkvE in the azoR2 and mhqN promoter regions consistent with multiple DNA–protein binding complexes. DNA‐binding activity of YkvE was not directly affected by thiol‐reactive compounds in vitro. Mutational analyses showed that MhqA, MhqO and AzoR2 confer resistance to 2‐MHQ. Moreover, the ΔykvE mutant displayed a 2‐MHQ and catechol resistant phenotype. YkvE was renamed as MhqR controlling a 2‐MHQ and catechol‐resistance regulon of B. subtilis.
Lateral rectus resection versus medial rectus re‐recession for residual esotropia: early results of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Rajavi Zhale , Ghadim Hashem M , Ramezani Alireza , Azemati Mansoor , Daneshvar Faride
Published: August 2007

Abstract

Purpose:  To compare lateral rectus muscle resection with medial rectus muscle re‐recession for patients with residual esotropia.

Methods:  This randomized controlled clinical trial included 25 patients (mean age, 18.8 ± 8.7 years) with residual esotropia who were candidates for reoperation. They were randomly assigned into two groups: re‐recession group (n = 12), in which the medial rectus muscle was recessed again, and the resection group (n = 13), in which lateral rectus muscle resection was performed. Postoperative deviation ≤10 prism dioptres was considered to be treatment success.

Results:  The success rate of the re‐recession group and the resection group was 67% and 54%, respectively; this difference was not statistically significant. Each 1 mm of medial rectus re‐recession and lateral rectus resection corrected 7.5 ± 1.2 and 2.5 ± 0.5 prism dioptres of residual esotropia, respectively. In 50% of the re‐recession group, mild medial rectus muscle underaction occurred; however, only 16.5% developed an increase in the near point of convergence. Major intraoperative and postoperative complications, including overcorrection and slippage or a lost muscle, did not occur in any of the patients.

Conclusions:  Medial rectus muscle re‐recession can be a substitute for lateral rectus muscle resection in patients with residual esotropia. The resultant underaction of the medial rectus muscle after re‐recession is relatively mild and causes no major problems.
The Scandinavian Welfare State: The Institutions of Growth, Governance, and Reform. Review Article
Authors: Christensen Jorgen Grønnegåd
Published: August 2007

In a review of five recent works on Scandinavian politics and public policy, it is shown that the basis for talking about a Scandinavian model is unfounded. Politics and policies diverge from country to country and within each country from sector to sector as a result of institutional variation. This variation is embedded in institutional history which accounts for strong national path dependency in public policies. However, the institutional set‐up at a given point in time also provides political actors with incentives for change. Two of the works reviewed take up this lead as they argue for institutional reform, in one case to protect the welfare state against political erosion, in the other case to facilitate renewed economic growth and improved living standards. The review concludes by arguing for the positive prospects for systematic comparative analysis of Scandinavian politics, providing a mixture of institutional and political similarities combined with theoretically relevant variation.
TRANSFER OF PRODUCTS BETWEEN EPIPHYTIC MARINE ALGAE AND HOST PLANTS1,2
Authors: Harlin Marilyn M.
Published: August 2007

The red alga Smithora naiadum is normally found only as an epiphyle on the sea grasses Phyllospadix scouleri and Zostera marina. I used 32P and 14CO2 to examine the chemical communication between host and alga. Both 32P and the product of 14CO2 light fixation moved from the host to the alga. Reverse movement between host and epiphyte was also demonstrated. Part of this transfer occurred through the plant and part occurred by leakage from the host into the medium and subsequent uptake by the alga. Although plants were initially labeled in the light, transfer of 14C was light independent.

Transfer of 14C‐labeled products between host and epiphyte was also shown for Punctaria orbiculata and Z. marina; for Microdadia coulteri on Grateloupia doryphora, and between Gonimophyllum skottsbergii and Botryoglossum ruprechtiana. Epiphyte‐host associations do not require a penetrating rhizoid for an exchange of the isotopes tested. By their proximity alone, epiphytic flora are apparently capable l exchanging products before these are diluted by the sea.
EXISTENCE OF A SURFACE LAYER ON THE SHEATH OF VOLVOX1,2
Authors: Burr Francis A. , McCracken Michael D.
Published: August 2007

The sheath of Volvox possesses a surface layer which hits not previously been described. The application of new staining techniques enhances its visualization.
Tricyclic antidepressants in the treatment of depressions
Authors: Kampman R. , Nummikko‐Pelkonen A. , Kuha S.
Published: August 2007

The clinical efficacy of oral clomipramine and amitriptyline treatment (50–125 mg/day) was compared over a period of 2 months in 72 depressive patients visiting a psychiatric out‐patient clinic. Both drugs were equally effective as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. According to a nurse's independent evaluation of 13 items the two drugs were equipotent in relieving depressive symptoms and no statistically significant differences between the treatment groups were found in the global evaluation by the investigator and the patient. A trend in favour of clomipramine was, however, seen in several parameters.

The declines in the Hamilton Rating Scale scores and the nurse's evaluation scores were highly significant during the first 2 weeks of treatment (P < 0.001) in both groups and the scores continued to decrease during the 2nd month of the study.

The most common unwanted effects were dryness of the mouth and fatigue. The frequency of side effects was 51% in the clomipramine group and 43% in the amitriptyline group. The side effects were generally mild and transient and called for discontinuation of treatment in only one case in each group.
Female Genital Cutting and HIV/AIDS Among Kenyan Women
Authors: Yount Kathryn M. , Abraham Bisrat K.
Published: August 2007

Female genital cutting (FGC) and HIV/AIDS are both highly prevalent in sub‐Saharan Africa, and researchers have speculated that the association may be more than coincidental. Data from 3,167 women aged 15‐49 who participated in the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) are used to test the direct and indirect associations of FGC with HIV. Our adjusted models suggest that FGC is not associated directly with HIV, but is associated indirectly through several pathways. Cut women are 1.72 times more likely than uncut women to have older partners, and women with older partners are 2.65 times more likely than women with younger partners to test positive for HIV. Cut women have 1.94 times higher odds than uncut women of initiating sexual intercourse before they are 20, and women who experience their sexual debut before age 20 have 1.73 times higher odds than those whose sexual debut comes later of testing positive for HIV. Cut women have 27 percent lower odds of having at least one extra‐union partner, and women with an extra‐union partner have 2.63 times higher odds of testing positive for HIV. Therefore, in Kenya, FGC may be an early life‐course event that indirectly alters women's odds of becoming infected with HIV through protective and harmful practices in adulthood.
Intimate Partner Violence and Increased Lifetime Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infection Among Women in Ukraine
Authors: Dude Annie
Published: August 2007

Population‐based, cross‐sectional data from 3,587 ever‐married Ukrainian women aged 17–44 are used to examine the association between physical violence perpetrated by a sexual partner (defined as kicking, hitting, slapping, pushing, or attacking with a weapon) and sexual health knowledge, sexual behavior, and the likelihood of reporting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Such violence, both past and recent, is found to be associated with increased lifetime risk of acquiring an STI. Women who have been abused by a sexual partner, whether in the past 12 months or less recently, are significantly less likely to use condoms currently, and are significantly more likely to report having had multiple sexual partners in the past year. Findings from the study indicate that physical violence perpetrated by a sexual partner is associated with risky sexual behaviors and increased risk of sexually transmitted infection in Ukraine, and may constitute a barrier to prevention of HIV/STI transmission.
Women's Education and the Timing of Marriage and Childbearing in the Next Generation: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh
Authors: Bates Lisa M. , Maselko Joanna , Schuler Sidney Ruth
Published: August 2007

In traditional settings where early marriage and early childbearing persist, decisions about age at marriage are often made by parents, and mothers‐in‐law tend to have considerable influence in hastening the initiation of childbearing. This study analyzes data from a 2002 survey in six villages in rural Bangladesh to test the hypothesis that daughters of women with more education marry later and that daughters‐in‐law of more educated women initiate childbearing at a slower rate. Using Cox proportional hazard models, we find significant associations between the educational level of mothers and the age at marriage of their daughters and between the educational level of mothers‐in‐law and the timing of first birth among their daughters‐in‐law, although the association between the former attenuates when controlling for other variables. We also find that these associations do not appear to be mediated by the senior women's level of empowerment. We conclude that in rural Bangladesh there is a significant relationship between female education in one generation and the timing of marriage and childbearing in the next.
The Reach and Effect of Radio Communication Campaigns on Condom Use in Malawi
Authors: Meekers Dominique , Van Rossem Ronan , Silva Martha , Koleros Andrew
Published: August 2007

This study uses data from the 2004 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey to assess the reach of selected radio programs about family planning and health in Malawi and their effect on condom use and discussion of family planning. The results show that such radio programs in Malawi reach a broad audience: eight of the 12 programs were heard by at least half of the respondents, although women were less effectively reached than men. For both women and men, the radio programs were found to have a significant impact on family planning discussion with one's partner. The programs’effect on condom use was limited, however. A positive association was found with ever use of condoms, but no association was found with condom use at last intercourse. This limited impact suggests that such radio communication campaigns need to be informed by research identifying the specific constraints to current condom use in Malawi.
The Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Reproductive Morbidities Among Women in Oman
Authors: Mabry Ruth , Al‐Riyami Asya , Morsi Magdi
Published: August 2007

Drawing from a sample of 1,365 ever‐married nonpregnant women in Oman who underwent a gynecological examination and laboratory tests as part of the 2000 National Health Survey, this study examines the prevalence of and risk factors associated with reproductive morbidities among women in Oman. Of the respondents, 4 percent had a sexually transmitted infection (STI), 25 percent had a reproductive tract infection (RTI), 10 percent suffered from genital prolapse, and 11 percent had a urinary tract infection (UTI). Younger women were two times more likely than older women to have an STI. More empowered women were more likely to have any RTI. Women with six or more children were more than three times more likely to have experienced genital prolapse, compared with those who had fewer children. UTIs were significantly associated with urban residence, being empowered, and having six or more children. A comparative analysis with other countries in the Arab world showed some variations in prevalence and risk factors. In light of the wide prevalence of reproductive morbidities, reproductive health services in Oman should be strengthened.
Regulation of tissue perfusion in mammals by hypoxia‐inducible factor 1
Authors: Semenza Gregg L.
Published: August 2007

The regulation of tissue perfusion is a major mechanism by which oxygen homeostasis is maintained. Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 (HIF‐1) is a transcriptional regulator that mediates adaptive responses to reduced partial pressure of O2 in all metazoan species. In mammals, HIF‐1 promotes angiogenesis, arteriogenesis and vasculogenesis through the production of multiple angiogenic growth factors in ischaemic tissue and by cell‐autonomous effects on endothelial cells and bone marrow‐derived angiogenic cells. Administration of viral vectors encoding constitutively active forms of the HIF‐1α subunit results in increased tissue perfusion in animal models of ischaemic cardiovascular disease.