bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inner Ear Decompression Sickness and Inner Ear Barotrauma in Recreational Divers: A Long‐Term Follow‐Up
Authors: Shupak Avi , Gil Amnon , Nachum Zohar , Miller Shira , Gordon Carlos R. , Tal Dror
Published: December 2003

Objectives/Hypothesis The objectives were to report the authors' experience with the long‐term follow‐up of patients with diving‐related inner ear decompression sickness and inner ear barotrauma and to discuss residual cochlear and vestibular damage in relation to the question of fitness to dive.

Study Design Retrospective consecutive case series.

Methods Eleven recreational divers with inner ear decompression sickness and nine with inner ear barotrauma (IEB) were followed. A complete otoneurological physical examination and laboratory evaluation were carried out. The latter included audiometry, electronystagmography, a rotatory chair test using the sinusoidal harmonic acceleration protocol, and computerized dynamic posturography.

Results Residual cochleovestibular deficits were found in 10 (91%) of the patients with inner ear decompression sickness and 3 (33%) of those with IEB (P < .02, Fisher's Exact test; odds ratio, 20). A significantly shorter follow‐up period was required for the inner ear barotrauma group (P < .05, simple t test) because three patients (33%) recovered completely within 1 month of the diving accident. Eight patients had residual vestibular deficits on follow‐up, but only one (12.5%) was symptomatic. However, five (56%) of the nine patients who had a cochlear insult, as documented by follow‐up audiometry, complained of significant hearing loss and tinnitus.

Conclusion Inner ear decompression sickness carries a high risk for residual inner ear damage despite hyperbaric oxygen recompression therapy. A favorable prognosis might be anticipated for inner ear barotrauma. The finding that most patients with residual vestibular deficits were asymptomatic at the time of follow‐up emphasizes the need for a complete vestibular evaluation, including specific bedside testing and laboratory examinations, before a return to diving activity may be considered.
Intralesional Cidofovir and Surgical Excision for Laryngeal Papillomatosis
Authors: Naiman Ana Nusa , Ceruse Philip , Coulombeau Bruno , Froehlich Patrick
Published: December 2003

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of cidofovir intralesional therapy in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and the role of surgical excision as an associated treatment.

Study Design Prospective study and case series.

Method Twenty‐six patients received intralesional cidofovir. Three endoscopies were performed at monthly intervals, with intralesion injections of cidofovir at 5 mg/mL. Further endoscopic evaluation was made at 3 or 6 months depending on whether there was persistent papillomatosis. Cidofovir was again injected in the case of persistent papillomas, and treatment was repeated as long as papillomas were observed. Surgical excision of the papilloma was only performed in cases of airway obstruction or in cases proving resistant to cidofovir.

Results Complete remission was obtained in 8 (31%) patients after an average of 2.6 endoscopic treatment. Seventeen (65%) patients presented slight or mild disease at endpoint (final severity score 1–4). Significant results were obtained in both adults and children. A greater response was obtained in the supraglottis and glottis subsites than in subglottis, tracheal, and other sites. Patients conforming to the 1 month interinjection schedule showed better responses in supraglottis subsite than those receiving their injections with intervals longer than 1 month. Combined therapy (cidofovir plus excision) was necessary in persistent papillomas. No patients presented with any systemic or local side effects.

Conclusions Cidofovir therapy was an effective treatment in adults and in children, allowing papillomatosis to be controlled without observed side effects. Surgical excision associated with cidofovir injections remained necessary in persistent papillomatosis after cidofovir treatment.
Voice Rest after Microlaryngoscopy: Current Opinion and Practice
Authors: Behrman Alison , Sulica Lucian
Published: December 2003

Objective Although voice rest is often recommended after excision of benign mucosal vocal fold lesions, no standard of care exists regarding the use, duration, or extent of vocal restrictions. This prospective study is intended to explore current opinions and practices of otolaryngologists regarding the use of complete and relative voice rest.

Study Design and Methods A 16‐item survey was mailed to all active U.S. members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery (n = 7,321) regarding use of complete and relative voice rest after surgical excision of vocal fold nodules, polyps, and cysts. Treatment preference questions used a Likert 5‐point scale with end anchors of 1 equaling “never” and 5 equaling “always”.

Results The response rate was 16.5% (1,208 respondents). Differences by lesion type were not statistically significant, suggesting that surgeons consider the mucosal disruption resulting from the surgery to be similar across lesions. Approximately 51.4% (620) favored complete voice rest. Approximately 62.3% (753) favored relative voice rest. Approximately 18% (213) of the respondents who “always” recommend complete rest also “always” recommend relative rest. The most common duration for both types of rest is 7 days.

Conclusions There is a clear preference for the use of voice rest, but the specific type (complete or relative) is controversial, and a notable percentage of respondents (15%) do not favor any type of voice rest. It is likely that the lack of uniformity of opinions and practices reflects the absence of empirical data. Prospective clinical trials are needed to guide clinical standards of care.
The initial somitic phase of Myf5 expression requires neither Shh signaling nor Gli regulation
Authors: Teboul Lydia , Summerbell Dennis , Rigby Peter W.J.
Published: December 2003

Myf5, the skeletal muscle determination gene, is first expressed in the dorso-medial aspect of the somite under the control of an element we have called the early epaxial enhancer. It has subsequently been reported that this enhancer is a direct target of Shh signaling mediated by Gli transcription factors (Gustafsson et al. 2002). We here demonstrate that activation of Myf5 expression depends on neither Shh function nor an intact Gli binding site, although the Gli site is necessary for continuation of expression. We suggest that the discrepancy is due to the existence of specific interactions between the enhancer and the Myf5 promoter.
Senseless acts as a binary switch during sensory organ precursor selection
Authors: Jafar-Nejad Hamed , Acar Melih , Nolo Riitta , Lacin Haluk , Pan Hongling , Parkhurst Susan M. , Bellen Hugo J.
Published: December 2003

During sensory organ precursor (SOP) specification, a single cell is selected from a proneural cluster of cells. Here, we present evidence that Senseless (Sens), a zinc-finger transcription factor, plays an important role in this process. We show that Sens is directly activated by proneural proteins in the presumptive SOPs and a few cells surrounding the SOP in most tissues. In the cells that express low levels of Sens, it acts in a DNA-binding-dependent manner to repress transcription of proneural genes. In the presumptive SOPs that express high levels of Sens, it acts as a transcriptional activator and synergizes with proneural proteins. We therefore propose that Sens acts as a binary switch that is fundamental to SOP selection.
Proplatelet formation of megakaryocytes is triggered by autocrine-synthesized estradiol
Authors: Nagata Yuka , Yoshikawa Jun , Hashimoto Atsushi , Yamamoto Masayuki , Payne Anita H. , Todokoro Kazuo
Published: December 2003

A matured megakaryocyte releases thousands of platelets through a drastic morphological change, proplatelet formation (PPF). The megakaryocyte/erythrocyte-specific transcription factor, p45 NF-E2, is essential for initiating PPF, but the factor regulating PPF has not been identified. Here we report that estradiol synthesized in megakaryocytes triggers PPF. We demonstrate that a key enzyme for steroid hormone biosynthesis, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), is a target of p45 NF-E2, and rescues PPF of p45 NF-E2-deficient megakaryocytes. We also show that estradiol is synthesized within megakaryocytes, and that extracellular estradiol stimulates PPF, inhibition of 3β-HSD activity blocks PPF, and estrogen receptor antagonists inhibit platelet production in vivo. We conclude that autocrine estradiol action regulates platelet production by triggering PPF.
The Drosophila cell cycle kinase PAN GU forms an active complex with PLUTONIUM and GNU to regulate embryonic divisions
Authors: Lee Laura A. , Van Hoewyk Douglas , Orr-Weaver Terry L.
Published: December 2003

Early embryonic cell cycles in Drosophila consist of rapidly alternating S and M phases. Three genes, pan gu (png), plutonium (plu), and giant nuclei (gnu) coordinate these early S-M cycles by ensuring adequate Cyclin B protein levels. Mutations in any of these genes result in unregulated DNA replication and a lack of mitosis (“giant nuclei” phenotype). png encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase, and plu and gnu encode small, novel proteins. We show that PNG, PLU, and GNU constitute a novel protein kinase complex that specifically regulates S-M cell cycles. All three proteins are required for PNG kinase activity and are phosphorylated by PNG in vitro. Yeast two-hybrid screening revealed a direct interaction between PNG and PLU, and their co-expression is required for physical association and activation of PNG kinase. Artificial dimerization of PLU via fusion to either GST or FK506 binding protein (in the presence of dimerizing agent) abrogates the requirement for GNU to activate PNG kinase. We propose a model in which GNU normally regulates embryonic cell cycles by promoting transient dimerization of a core PNG/PLU complex, thereby stimulating PNG kinase activity.
The implications of food wastage on a renal ward
Authors: Marson Hayley , McErlain Louise , Ainsworth Paul
Published: December 2003

This research evaluates the extent of food wastage on a renal ward, in a large NHS Trust hospital. The study consisted of baseline data collection, to establish the current situation regarding food wastage on a mixed gender renal ward, and two phases. Phase I assessed the adequacy of the plate regeneration system. Phase II involved the trial of a bulk regeneration system. Food wastage measurements collected in Phase I and Phase II were compared. Baseline data indicated a considerable amount of food wastage. In Phase I food wastage figures remained excessive ( \overline x = 65 percent) and poor dietary intakes prevailed ( \overline x = 1,125kcals). In Phase II, food wastage figures were greatly reduced to 17 percent ( \overline x). It is estimated the introduction of the bulk regeneration system, on a renal ward, would save £18,19.00 per annum for lunchtime waste alone.
Retailing fair trade food products in the UK
Authors: Jones Peter , Comfort Daphne , Hillier David
Published: December 2003

The introduction of labelling initiatives has provided an opportunity to introduce fair trade food products to the vast majority of the UK consumers via conventional retail channels. This case study outlines the characteristics and development of the fair trade concept, reviews the extent to which the major food retailers have incorporated fair trade products into their offer and discusses some of the current issues surrounding fair trade food in retailing.
An integrated strategy for launching a new product in the biotech industry
Authors: Azzone Giovanni , Dalla Pozza Ilaria
Published: December 2003

The scope of this paper is to propose an integrated strategy to support the decision process of a semiconductor company interested in entering a new market and launching a new product in the biotech industry. The complexity of the environment and the high numbers of factors involved, leads to the conclusion that the traditional tools and models of the strategic management are not enough to analyse fully the market and to elaborate a winning strategy. For this reason an integrated approach is developed, which is able to combine elements coming from different perspectives through the introduction of new ones. The proposed approach is then applied to a real situation.
Organizing successful new service development: a literature review
Authors: de Jong Jeroen P.J. , Vermeulen Patrick A.M.
Published: December 2003

Organizing new service development is an important topic for decision makers in service firms, since continuous innovation is expected to pay off. Although the literature on organizing new service development has grown rapidly over the last decade, the numerous publications are highly fragmented, each concentrating on a small piece of the complex innovation puzzle. This paper classifies current literature on organizing new service development (NSD) into two evolutionary stages: managing key activities in the NSD process, and creating a climate for continuous innovation. For both stages its consequences for the initiation and implementation of new services are discussed. The paper ends with limitations and suggestions for future research.
Industry dynamics and strategic positioning in the wireless telecommunications industry: the case of Vodafone Group plc
Authors: Dodourova Mariana
Published: December 2003

Examines firm strategic positioning and industry dynamics in the wireless telecommunications industry, and the relationship between the two. The study tracks how a firm adjusts resources and capabilities over time to cope with the shifts affecting its industry. Offers insights on what factors drive collaboration of telecommunications firms across industrial borders. The study is based on data on the collaborative relationships of Vodafone Group Plc over a three‐year period. An examination of the motivation, resource contribution and partner industry of Vodafone’s collaborative relationships is provided, to illustrate the complexity of firm strategic responses to the processes shaping the industry. Investigates the key motives and resource needs that have driven Vodafone in its collaborative agreements, and how the company has repositioned itself for the changing environmental demands. Identifies and analyzes the relative importance of a set of collaborative motives in relation to partner industry and resources contributed to the relationships. Finally, the future direction of development of the wireless telecommunications industry is forecast.
Teaching, learning and research: linking high school teachers to information literacy
Authors: Davis‐Kahl Stephanie , Payne Lisa
Published: December 2003

The Compton Teacher Information Literacy Institute (CTILI) is a teacher professional development program funded by the Compton (CA) Unified School District and delivered by the University of California at Irvine Libraries’ Department of Education and Outreach. Teacher professional development, university and library outreach activities and influences are discussed to give background on CTILI curriculum development. Institute goals and objectives are outlined, as is our curriculum remodeling effort after a mid‐year assessment. Plans for future institutes are included.
Collaboration works: integrating information competencies into the psychology curricula
Authors: Paglia Alison , Donahue Annie
Published: December 2003

When many upper‐level psychology majors struggle to demonstrate competence using discipline‐specific library research strategies after participating in introductory bibliographic instruction sessions, a new approach to instruction is necessary. To address this issue, psychology and library faculty collaborated on a pilot study to develop, implement, and assess a “super‐size bibliographic instruction” (SSBI). The objectives include identifying and defining a research topic, locating appropriate resources, critically evaluating and synthesizing material, and the reduction of library anxiety. A variety of assessment methods including pretest/posttest surveys and evidence of use of the material illustrated the success of the SSBI. Utilizing the expertise of teaching and library faculty, this SSBI approach addressed the many challenges in assisting students to develop essential research strategies.
TIP: tutorial for information power and campus‐wide information literacy
Authors: Phillips Lori , Kearley Jamie
Published: December 2003

The University of Wyoming Libraries has implemented an interactive Web tutorial focused on the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards. Since its inception, approximately 3,000 students have used TIP: tutorial for information power. At this point it is appropriate to pause and reflect on our experience. Have we met our original objectives? Was TIP worth the time, effort, and expense required to develop a Web tutorial? Has it had an impact on information literacy on our campus?
Coastal access and public policy: a selective annotated bibliography
Authors: Mongeau Deborah
Published: December 2003

Coastal access has been, and continues to be, a controversial issue with both beachgoers and adjoining property owners having equally compelling legal rights to use and enjoy the shore. Federal, state and local governments have tried to provide for the high demand for recreational coastal access while accommodating the shorefront property owners through legislation, regulation, land use planning programs, and technical assistance. Budget cuts and reduction of resources experienced by most governments require that they create or adapt low cost and effective public access programs. This selective annotated bibliography highlights a variety of resources that describe or advocate successful public coastal access policies and programs which may be utilized by government entities or other public policy making bodies in implementing their own access programs.
Library instruction and information literacy
Authors: Johnson Anna Marie
Published: December 2003

This article presents an annotated bibliography of literature recently on library instruction and information literacy in academic, school, public, special, and all types of libraries. Interest in the topic remains strong, with a growing number of pieces also including the importance of assessment. Other themes discussed in the articles include research, collaboration, the use of tutorials, tours, distance learning, active learning, problem‐based learning, and the role of accreditation bodies.
Privacy and one‐to‐one marketing: resolving the conflict
Authors: Pitta Dennis A. , Franzak Frank , Laric Michael
Published: December 2003

There exists a vibrant literature dealing with one‐to‐one marketing and mass customization. The practice holds the promise of very satisfied customers, and profitable marketers who can create their own unassailable market positions. One of the building blocks of mass customization is knowledge of the customer and his/her complex set of preferences. There is a significant obstacle to gaining this information, namely the growing trend toward consumer privacy. Traditionally, businesses have collected massive amounts of information, hoping to identify responsive market segments. In the process, they have collected data on numerous individuals who would not realistically become customers. One solution to the problem is a strategic management approach involving an exchange of value between customers and marketers. Using a strategic approach, marketers can target the most attractive consumers, avoiding those whose lifetime value to the firm is low. By employing the relationship management processes of one‐to‐one marketing, marketers can avoid privacy issues altogether. This paper discusses the conceptual background of information based value exchange, proposes a new orientation toward customer relationship management and discusses several implications for marketers.
Ensuring HIPAA compliance using data warehouses for healthcare marketing
Authors: Rafalski Edward , Mullner Ross
Published: December 2003

Pairing organizational policies and procedures with data mining techniques, healthcare marketing professionals can effectively ensure compliance with the new patient privacy standards established by HIPAA. To ensure compliance, integrated data warehouses can record individual patient requests to “opt‐in” to receiving marketing materials from healthcare organizations, while those patients who “opt‐out” can be excluded from purchased or shared databases. If appropriate steps are taken, marketing professionals can continue to segment and target specific healthcare market niches using data mining techniques.
Complying with privacy regulations in health plan operations
Authors: Krall Stefani M. , Cooley Steven M.
Published: December 2003

There is significant documentation of fraud and abuses of consumer privacy through telemarketing activities. This led to a proliferation of legislative efforts to protect consumer privacy rights in the USA. Two such federal laws, the Health Plan Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the Telemarketing and Consumer Protection Act of 1994 significantly improve consumer privacy protections. However, they have a negative impact on the legitimate research and customer outreach efforts of ethical firms. It is especially challenging for health care firms as personal health information is among the most highly guarded areas of privacy concern. This article describes key provisions of these laws as they relate to health care organizations. Two program examples show how one firm successfully balances effectively administering health plan operations that support customer‐focused initiatives while complying with consumer privacy regulations.
Bibliographic description of electronic resources and user needs
Authors: Witt Maria
Published: December 2003

This paper discusses various examples of selection, bibliographic description of electronic resources, and how the mediation provided by librarians can help users with their choices during searching. Users are confronted with more information than ever before, and their expectations are becoming increasingly diverse. This article presents several observations gathered from public libraries and considers the conditions of access and description to electronic resources in various French libraries. Finally added value in authority records is discussed, with particular reference to URLs.
A review of the development and application of the Web impact factor
Authors: Li Xuemei
Published: December 2003

Since 1996, hyperlinks have been studied extensively by applying existing bibliometric methods. The Web impact factor (WIF), for example, is the online counterpart of the journal impact factor. This paper reviews how this link‐based metric has been developed, enhanced and applied. Not only has the metric itself undergone improvement but also the relevant data collection techniques have been enhanced. WIFs have also been validated by significant correlations with traditional research measures. Bibliometric techniques have been further applied to the Web and patterns that might have otherwise been ignored have been found from hyperlinks. This paper concludes with some suggestions for future research.
Strategic online customer decision making: leveraging the transformational power of the Internet
Authors: Smith Alan D. , Rupp William T.
Published: December 2003

Online shopping phenomena are governed by a number of consumer acceptance and behaviour characteristics and grounded in theoretical aspects of consumer decision making. There are a number of factors that affect what we buy, when we buy, and why we buy. In reference to buying online, the factors that influence consumers are marketing efforts, socio‐cultural influences, psychological factors, personal questions, post‐decision behaviour, and experience. These factors will be further discussed by way of a consumer decision‐making model for online shoppers.
Meta‐search‐engine feature analysis
Authors: Zhang Jin , Cheung Chi
Published: December 2003

This paper describes an investigation of 20 different meta‐search engines. Their features were characterised and classified into six distinct categories based on their functionality and use. The most used features and unique features were specified and explained in detail. The findings of this study will benefit both meta‐search‐engine developers and ordinary search users.
Open Capture‐Recapture Models with Heterogeneity: I. Cormack‐Jolly‐Seber Model
Authors: Pledger Shirley , Pollock Kenneth H. , Norris James L.
Published: December 2003

Summary.  In open population capture‐recapture studies, it is usually assumed that similar animals (e.g., of the same sex and age group) have similar survival rates and capture probabilities. These assumptions are generally perceived to be an oversimplification, and they can lead to incorrect model selection and biased parameter estimates. Allowing for individual variability in survival and capture probabilities among apparently similar animals is now becoming possible, due to advances in closed population models and improved computing power. This article presents a flexible framework of likelihood‐based models which allow for individual heterogeneity in survival and capture rates. Heterogeneity is modeled using finite mixtures, which have enough flexibility of distribution shape to accommodate a wide variety of different patterns of individual variation. The models condition on the first capture of each animal, and include as a special case the Cormack‐Jolly‐Seber model. Model selection is done either using Akaike's information criterion or by likelihood ratio tests, making available checks of different influences on survival rates. Bias in parameter estimates is reduced by including individual heterogeneity. Model selection and bias reduction are important in population studies and for making informed management decisions.
Joint Regression and Association Modeling of Longitudinal Ordinal Data
Authors: Ekholm Anders , Jokinen Jukka , McDonald John W. , Smith Peter W. F.
Published: December 2003

Summary.  We propose models for longitudinal, or otherwise clustered, ordinal data. The association between subunit responses is characterized by dependence ratios (Ekholm, Smith, and McDonald, 1995, Biometrika82, 847–854), which are extended from the binary to the multicategory case. The joint probabilities of the subunit responses are expressed as explicit functions of the marginal means and the dependence ratios of all orders, obtaining a computational advantage for likelihood‐based inference. Equal emphasis is put on finding regression models for the univariate cumulative probabilities, and on deriving the dependence ratios from meaningful association‐generating mechanisms. A data set on the effects of treatment with Fluvoxamine, which has been analyzed in parts before (Molenberghs, Kenward, and Lesaffre, 1997, Biometrika84, 33–44), is analyzed in its entirety. Selection models are used for studying the sensitivity of the results to drop‐out.
Flexible Maximum Likelihood Methods for Bivariate Proportional Hazards Models
Authors: He Wenqing , Lawless Jerald F.
Published: December 2003

Summary. This article presents methodology for multivariate proportional hazards (PH) regression models. The methods employ flexible piecewise constant or spline specifications for baseline hazard functions in either marginal or conditional PH models, along with assumptions about the association among lifetimes. Because the models are parametric, ordinary maximum likelihood can be applied; it is able to deal easily with such data features as interval censoring or sequentially observed lifetimes, unlike existing semiparametric methods. A bivariate Clayton model (1978,Biometrika65,141–151) is used to illustrate the approach taken. Because a parametric assumption about association is made, efficiency and robustness comparisons are made between estimation based on the bivariate Clayton model and “working independence” methods that specify only marginal distributions for each lifetime variable.
A Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Categorical Data with Nonignorable Nonresponse
Authors: Green Paul E. , Park Taesung
Published: December 2003

Summary. Log‐linear models have been shown to be useful for smoothing contingency tables when categorical outcomes are subject to nonignorable nonresponse. A log‐linear model can be fit to an augmented data table that includes an indicator variable designating whether subjects are respondents or nonrespondents. Maximum likelihood estimates calculated from the augmented data table are known to suffer from instability due to boundary solutions.Park and Brown(1994,Journal of the American Statistical Association89,44–52) andPark(1998,Biometrics54,1579–1590) developed empirical Bayes models that tend to smooth estimates away from the boundary. In those approaches, estimates for nonrespondents were calculated using an EM algorithm by maximizing a posterior distribution. As an extension of their earlier work, we develop a Bayesian hierarchical model that incorporates a log‐linear model in the prior specification. In addition, due to uncertainty in the variable selection process associated with justonelog‐linear model, we simultaneously consider a finite number of models using a stochastic search variable selection (SSVS) procedure due toGeorge and McCulloch(1997,Statistica Sinica7,339–373). The integration of the SSVS procedure into a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampler is straightforward, and leads to estimates of cell frequencies for the nonrespondents that are averages resulting from several log‐linear models. The methods are demonstrated with a data example involving serum creatinine levels of patients who survived renal transplants. A simulation study is conducted to investigate properties of the model.
Bayesian Inferences in the Cox Model for Order‐Restricted Hypotheses
Authors: Dunson David B. , Herring Amy H.
Published: December 2003

Summary. In studying the relationship between an ordered categorical predictor and an event time, it is standard practice to include dichotomous indicators of the different levels of the predictor in a Cox model. One can then use a multiple degree‐of‐freedom score or partial likelihood ratio test for hypothesis testing. Often, interest focuses on comparing the null hypothesis of no difference to an order‐restricted alternative, such as a monotone increase across levels of a predictor. This article proposes a Bayesian approach for addressing hypotheses of this type. We reparameterize the Cox model in terms of a cumulative product of parameters having conjugate prior densities, consisting of mixtures of point masses at one, and truncated gamma densities. Due to the structure of the model, posterior computation can proceed via a simple and efficient Gibbs sampling algorithm. Posterior probabilities for the global null hypothesis and subhypotheses, comparing the hazards for specific groups, can be calculated directly from the output of a single Gibbs chain. The approach allows for level sets across which a predictor has no effect. Generalizations to multiple predictors are described, and the method is applied to a study of emergency medical treatment for stroke.
Modeling the Dependence between Number of Trials and Success Probability in Beta‐Binomial–Poisson Mixture Distributions
Authors: Zhu Jun , Eickhoff Jens C. , Kaiser Mark S.
Published: December 2003

Summary. Beta‐binomial models are widely used for overdispersed binomial data, with the binomial success probability modeled as following a beta distribution. The number of binary trials in each binomial is assumed to be nonrandom and unrelated to the success probability. In many behavioral studies, however, binomial observations demonstrate more complex structures. In this article, a general beta‐binomial–Poisson mixture model is developed, to allow for a relation between the number of trials and the success probability for overdispersed binomial data. An EM algorithm is implemented to compute both the maximum likelihood estimates of the model parameters and the corresponding standard errors. For illustration, the methodology is applied to study the feeding behavior of green‐backed herons in two southeastern Missouri streams.
Penalized Discriminant Methods for the Classification of Tumors from Gene Expression Data
Authors: Ghosh Debashis
Published: December 2003

Summary. Due to the advent of high‐throughput microarray technology, it has become possible to develop molecular classification systems for various types of cancer. In this article, we propose a methodology using regularized regression models for the classification of tumors in microarray experiments. The performances of principal components, partial least squares, and ridge regression models are studied; these regression procedures are adapted to the classification setting using the optimal scoring algorithm. We also develop a procedure for ranking genes based on the fitted regression models. The proposed methodologies are applied to two microarray studies in cancer.
Minimum Hellinger Distance Estimation for Finite Mixtures of Poisson Regression Models and Its Applications
Authors: Lu Zudi , Hui Yer Van , Lee Andy H.
Published: December 2003

Summary.  Minimum Hellinger distance estimation (MHDE) has been shown to discount anomalous data points in a smooth manner with first‐order efficiency for a correctly specified model. An estimation approach is proposed for finite mixtures of Poisson regression models based on MHDE. Evidence from Monte Carlo simulations suggests that MHDE is a viable alternative to the maximum likelihood estimator when the mixture components are not well separated or the model parameters are near zero. Biometrical applications also illustrate the practical usefulness of the MHDE method.
Semiparametric Estimation of Treatment Effect in a Pretest‐Posttest Study
Authors: Leon Selene , Tsiatis Anastasios A. , Davidian Marie
Published: December 2003

Summary.  Inference on treatment effects in a pretest‐posttest study is a routine objective in medicine, public health, and other fields. A number of approaches have been advocated. We take a semiparametric perspective, making no assumptions about the distributions of baseline and posttest responses. By representing the situation in terms of counterfactual random variables, we exploit recent developments in the literature on missing data and causal inference, to derive the class of all consistent treatment effect estimators, identify the most efficient such estimator, and outline strategies for implementation of estimators that may improve on popular methods. We demonstrate the methods and their properties via simulation and by application to a data set from an HIV clinical trial.
Estimation in Capture‐Recapture Models When Covariates Are Subject to Measurement Errors
Authors: Hwang Wen‐Han , Huang Steve Y. H.
Published: December 2003

Summary. We consider estimation problems in capture‐recapture models when the covariates or the auxiliary variables are measured with errors. The naive approach, which ignores measurement errors, is found to be unacceptable in the estimation of both regression parameters and population size: it yields estimators with biases increasing with the magnitude of errors, and flawed confidence intervals. To account for measurement errors, we derive a regression parameter estimator using a regression calibration method. We develop modified estimators of the population size accordingly. A simulation study shows that the resulting estimators are more satisfactory than those from either the naive approach or the simulation extrapolation (SIMEX) method. Data from a bird speciesPrinia flaviventrisin Hong Kong are analyzed with and without the assumption of measurement errors, to demonstrate the effects of errors on estimations.
Nonidentifiability of Population Size from Capture‐Recapture Data with Heterogeneous Detection Probabilities
Authors: Link William A.
Published: December 2003

Summary. Heterogeneity in detection probabilities has long been recognized as problematic in mark‐recapture studies, and numerous models developed to accommodate its effects. Individual heterogeneity is especially problematic, in that reasonable alternative models may predict essentially identical observations from populations of substantially different sizes. Thus even with very large samples, the analyst will not be able to distinguish among reasonable models of heterogeneity, even though these yield quite distinct inferences about population size. The problem is illustrated with models for closed and open populations.
Semiparametric Regression Splines in Matched Case‐Control Studies
Authors: Kim Inyoung , Cohen Noah D. , Carroll Raymond J.
Published: December 2003

Summary. We develop semiparametric methods for matched case‐control studies using regression splines. Three methods are developed: 1) an approximate cross‐validation scheme to estimate the smoothing parameter inherent in regression splines, as well as 2) Monte Carlo expectation maximization (MCEM) and 3) Bayesian methods to fit the regression spline model. We compare the approximate cross‐validation approach, MCEM, and Bayesian approaches using simulation, showing that they appear approximately equally efficient; the approximate cross‐validation method is computationally the most convenient. An example from equine epidemiology that motivated the work is used to demonstrate our approaches.
Locke, Sincerity and the Rationality of Persecution
Authors: Bou-Habib Paul
Published: December 2003

According to the most influential contemporary reading of John Locke's Letter Concerning Toleration (1689), his main argument against religious persecution is unsuccessful. That argument holds that coercion is ineffective as a means of instillrng religious beliefs in its victims. I propose a different reading of the Letter. Locke's main consideration against persecution is not the unsuccessful belief-based argument just outlined, but what I call the sincerity argument. He believes that religious coercion is irrational because it is ineffective as a means of inculcating the right intentions in people. Once this alternative argument is placed at its centre, the Letter is seen to be a more fertile source of political argument than is suggested by alternative readings. In particular, the sincerity argument gives us a powerful reason for rejecting state moral paternalism, the doctrine that the state may use coercion to make people morally virtuous. If moral virtue depends upon people having the right intentions, and if coercion is ineffective as a means of instilling the right intentions in people, then state moral paternalism is ineffective and hence irrational.
When Does Deliberation Begin? Internal Reflection versus Public Discussion in Deliberative Democracy
Authors: Goodin Robert E. , Niemeyer Simon J.
Published: December 2003

Political deliberation involves both internal reflection and public discussion. The former might be far more important than implied by deliberative democrats' heavy emphasis on the discursive component. Analysis of the deliberations of a citizen's jury on an Australian environmental issue shows jurors' attitudes changing more in response to the ‘information’ phase of the jury proceedings, involving a large degree of ‘deliberation within’, than during the formal ‘discussion’ phase. Various ways can be imagined for evoking internal reflection of that sort, even in mass-political settings.
The French Fifth Republic as an Opportunity Structure: A Neo-institutional and Cultural Approach to the Study of Leadership Politics
Authors: Gaffney John
Published: December 2003

The Gaullist settlement of 1958 reconfigured the political institutions of France, introducing into the republican mainstream a new form of leadership politics. Adapting the literature on political opportunity structure (POS) theory, and using the French left as a case study, can help us understand how political parties, ideology and leadership adapt to political institutions and norms. It also illuminates what the consequences are of such adaptation in the contemporary period, particularly as regards the institutionally bound roles of political ‘character’, protocol and discourse. The paper appraises the relevance and appropriateness of POS theory to leadership politics in France.
Hayekian Political Economy and the Limits of Deliberative Democracy
Authors: Pennington Mark
Published: December 2003

Inspired by Habermasian critiques of liberalism, supporters of deliberative democracy seek an extension of social democratic institutions to further a reinvigorated communicative rationality against the ‘atomism’ of market processes. This paper offers a critique of deliberative democratic theory from a Hayekian perspective. For Hayek, the case against the social democratic state rests with the superior capacity of markets to extend communicative rationality beyond the realm of verbal discourse.
Habermas: Discourse and Cultural Diversity
Authors: Baumeister Andrea T.
Published: December 2003

Habermas's vision of discourse ethics can be reconciled with many of the concerns of proponents of diversity whose demands for recognition are rooted in liberal values. However, his account underestimates the challenge that diversity poses to collective identity and the fundamental nature of value conflict. If discursive approaches to justice are to accommodate such claims, they must abandon the Habermasian search for consensus in favour of a vision of liberalism which acknowledges the plurality and incommensurability of fundamental values and which consequently accepts the pervasiveness of value conflict. Whereas Habermas fears that such a perspective will reduce political disputes to purely strategic struggles for power, such worries can be addressed through innovative forms of joint governance.
When Creativity is a Must: Professional ‘Applied Creative’ Services
Authors: Hill Railton , Johnson Lester W.
Published: December 2003

The paper argues for greater recognition of the business‐to‐business service process through which much applied creativity is generated. Such services are described as highly intangible, high‐risk professional services, whose core is applied creativity. Advertising creative services and architectural design services are proposed as exemplars. Empirical survey evidence is presented that business consumers recognize applied creative services as being qualitatively different from other types of professional service. Through an analysis of client personal interviews and published practitioner descriptions, these exemplar services are found to exhibit great similarity in terms of delivery process. This raises a number of issues concerning the management of these services.
Sling operations in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence: How to adjust sling tension
Authors: Mahmoud Ezzat Ibraheem
Published: December 2003

Aim:  To find an objective method of adjusting sling tension in order to avoid postoperative urinary obstruction.

Methods:  Thirty‐five female patients with type II/III and type III stress urinary incontinence were treated using a sling procedure. Pubovaginal fascial slings were implanted in 20 patients and polytetrafluoroethylene patch slings with nylon sutures were implanted in 15 patients. During the procedures the urinary bladder was partially full and the patients, who were under spinal or epidural anesthesia, were asked to cough and strain. The proper tension that effectively prevents urine leakage was selected and the corresponding suture length was marked. An objective new method to adjust sling tension was used. As part of this method, the abdominal bulge index is added to the suture length before tying.

Results:  Short‐term follow‐up of 6–12 months showed that 33 of 35 patients reported no leakage of urine (94%). Two patients had unsatisfactory urge incontinence. We did not encounter postoperative urinary retention in any patient. No significant post‐voiding residual urine was reported. None of our patients in this series have complained of difficulties during micturition or the need to strain during voiding.

Conclusion:  Proper adjustment of sling tension using the abdominal bulge index has eliminated postoperative urinary retention and obstructed urine flow, including any appreciable amount of post‐voiding residual urine. This method has been found to be both objective and reproducible.
Schistosoma mansoni pseudo‐cyst as a cause of chronic pelvic pain
Authors: Nicolau Sérgio M. , Soares José M. , Schor Eduardo , Gonçalves Wagner J. , De Freitas Vilmon , Baracat Edmund C.
Published: December 2003

A case of mansoni schistosomiasis causing peritoneal inflammation and chronic iliac pain is reported. The patient complained of iliac pain for 6 months. Physical examination and sonographic evaluation found a tumor in the left iliac fosse. A pseudocyst was removed from the pelvic region. The histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of S. mansoni. This is a rare case of S. mansoni in the pelvic cavity.
Single dose nasal 17beta‐estradiol administration reduces sympathovagal balance to the heart in postmenopausal women
Authors: Kaya Dayimi , Cevrioglu Serhan , Onrat Ersel , Fenkci Ibrahim V. , Yilmazer Mehmet
Published: December 2003

Aim:  Long‐term estrogen replacement therapy has favorable results on autonomic cardiovascular functions in postmenopausal women. Although acute estrogen administration has beneficial modulations on autonomic tone in animal studies, there are still controversies about the effects of acute estrogen on autonomic modulation to the heart in humans. The aim of this double‐blind study was to investigate the acute effects of intranasal 17beta‐estradiol administration on autonomic control of heart rate.

Methods:  Nineteen postmenopausal women with typical hormone profiles were crossover randomized to 300 µg nasal 17beta‐estradiol (Aerodiol, Servier, Chambray‐les‐Tours, France) or an identical placebo at least 5 days apart. Both time domain and frequency domain heart rate variability (HRV) parameters were obtained during controlled respiration (CR) and handgrip exercise (HGE), before and 45 min after 17beta‐estradiol or placebo administration.

Results:  Baseline HRV parameters were similar for each occasion. Time domain indices obtained after 17beta‐estradiol administration were not significantly different from results obtained with the placebo. In frequency domain parameters, 17beta‐estradiol administration resulted in a reduced low frequency to high frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio) when compared with the placebo during CR (0.72 ± 0.09 vs 1.00 ± 0.15, P < 0.05) but not during HGE (3.03 ± 0.37 vs 2.86 ± 0.30, P > 0.05).

Conclusion:  A single intranasal 17beta‐estradiol administration acutely reduced sympathovagal balance to the heart during the course of parasympathetic maneuver in healthy postmenopausal women.