bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
2003 Spring Scientific Meeting of the British Endodontic Society
Authors: Tomson P. L. M. , Lea S. C. , Lumley P. J. , Walmsley A. D.
Published: January 2004

Aim  To evaluate the variability in power output between Piezon‐Master 400 generators (EMS) with different Analytic handpieces (Analytic). The displacement amplitude of an unloaded KiS 2D (Obtura Spartan) root end preparation tip was measured using a Scanning Laser Vibrometer (SLV; Polytec) over a range of generator power settings.

Methodology  Four Piezon‐Master 400 ultrasound generators were each used in conjunction with four analytic handpieces. A graduated scale was positioned over the power dial of each of the ultrasound generators to enable incremental power settings to be selected (six settings were used between the minimum and the 9 o'clock position). The handpiece with a KiS 2D tip was fixed in position so that the anterior surface of the tip was vertical and perpendicular to the scanner head of an SLV. Previous investigation showed that the maximum displacement amplitude of the oscillating tip occurred at the unconstrained end. The laser from the SLV was therefore scanned over this point to assess the maximum displacement amplitude. Scans were repeated 10 times for each power setting. The whole process was then repeated for all generator/handpiece combinations. Throughout the investigation, irrigation was used at a constant flow rate of 20 mL min−1.

Results  Linear trend lines fitted to all tip data showed that none of the generator/handpiece combinations produced a linear increase in tip displacement amplitude with increasing power setting. A univariate analysis of variance (general linear model) showed that generator, handpiece and power were all significant variables (P < 0.0001). Multiple post hoc comparisons (Tukey's test) at a significance level of P < 0.05 (dependent variable being displacement amplitude) showed that all generators were significantly different from each other (P < 0.0001), except generators 1 and 3 that showed no significant differences (P > 0.66). No significant differences were found between handpieces 1 and 4 (P > 0.98) and handpieces 2 and 3 (P > 0.82). All other handpieces were significantly different from each other (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions  This study demonstrated that, for all Piezon‐Master 400 generators and handpieces tested, there was no linear increase in tip displacement amplitude with increasing generator power setting. It was also shown that there is considerable variability in power output between commercially available Piezon‐Master 400 ultrasound generators and different analytic handpieces. Users should be aware of this variability, which may influence clinical practice. Further investigation using tips under load is required.
Nonsurgically retreated root filled teeth – radiographic findings after 20–27 years
Authors: Fristad I. , Molven O. , Halse A.
Published: January 2004

Aim  To identify periapical changes in nonsurgically retreated root filled teeth 20–27 years after root canal treatment.

Methodology  From an original material of 429 roots, retreated by undergraduate students in a teaching clinic, 112 roots in 70 individuals could be evaluated radiographically 20–27 years after treatment. The same roots had been studied 10–17 years earlier. The periapical condition was registered and compared by three observers in two series of intraoral radiographs taken 10–17 and 20–27 years after treatment. A retrospective analysis was performed to gain information about probable endodontic and nonendodontic reasons for extractions of lost roots, by evaluating their periapical status immediately after retreatment and at the 10–17‐year follow‐up.

Results  Favourable outcomes were observed in 11 roots that had radiolucencies at the 10–17‐year follow‐up. Eight of these roots had periapical pathosis preoperatively, five of them filled with surplus root filling material. The percentage of cases recorded as normal condition at the final follow‐up was 95.5%, including five cases initially recorded with increased width of the apical periodontal space. Delayed healing as a result of surplus root filling material explained most of the cases with favourable outcome assessed many years after treatment. Twenty‐eight roots were lost because of extraction during the observation period, 17 during the last 10 years. Based on status at previous follow‐ups, endodontic failure seems to represent a minor reason for extraction in the material.

Conclusion  Late periapical changes, with more successful cases, were recorded when a 10–17‐year follow‐up after root canal treatment was extended for another 10 years. Persistent asymptomatic periapical radiolucencies, especially those with overfill, should generally not be classified as failures, as many of them will heal after an extended observation period.
Prevalence of and factors affecting postpreparation pain in patients undergoing two‐visit root canal treatment
Authors: Glennon J. P. , Ng Y.‐L. , Setchell D. J. , Gulabivala K.
Published: January 2004

Aim  This longitudinal, prospective study (i) investigated the prevalence of postpreparation pain during root canal treatment and (ii) evaluated the influence of factors affecting the pain experience.

Methodology  Twenty practitioners, comprising general dental practitioners, MSc graduates and endodontists, participated in this study. The patient sample (n = 272) was derived from consecutive patients attending the practitioners' surgeries for a two‐visit root canal treatment on a single tooth. Demographic, medical history, preoperative and intraoperative data as well as pain experience on days 1 and 2 after root canal preparation were recorded. Intensity of pain experienced was recorded on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0–5. The data were analysed using logistic regression models.

Results  The prevalence of postpreparation pain within 48 h after treatment was 64.7% (n = 176), but less than 10% of patients experienced severe pain (VAS 4 or 5) on either day 1 or day 2. The presence of preoperative pain (OR = 2.841, P < 0.001), tooth type (OR = 2.008, P = 0.009), systemic steroid therapy for other medical reasons (OR = 0.181, P = 0.023) and preoperative swelling (OR = 2.433, P = 0.040) were the only factors to significantly influence postpreparation pain experience.

Conclusions  The prevalence of postpreparation pain was high, and the important prognostic determinants were presence of preoperative pain, tooth type, systemic steroid therapy and preoperative swelling.
Effect of nonvital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide on sealing ability of resin composite restorations
Authors: Türkün M. , Türkün L. Ş.
Published: January 2004

Aim  To (i) determine the effect of nonvital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide on the sealing ability of resin composite restorations bonded with a self‐etching adhesive system; and (ii) compare the effects of antioxidant treatment and delayed restoration after bleaching on marginal seal.

Methodology  Forty‐eight noncarious maxillary incisors were divided into four groups (n = 12) after conventional root canal treatment was completed. In group 1, access cavities were restored with a self‐etching adhesive system and resin composite. In the remaining three groups, 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching gel was placed into the access cavities for periods of 8 h per day for 1 week. They were then restored in the same manner as group 1. Group 2 consisted of specimens restored immediately after bleaching. Group 3 specimens were treated with the antioxidant, 10% sodium ascorbate, whereas group 4 specimens were immersed in artificial saliva for 1 week before restoration. Ten specimens in each group were then subjected to dye leakage; the remaining 2 specimens were examined in a SEM (Jeol/JSM 5200, Tokyo, Japan). The dye penetration was assessed with the standard scoring system. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney tests.

Results  Groups 1, 3 and 4 exhibited similar leakage patterns and significantly less leakage than group 2 (P < 0.0083). SEM examination of groups 1, 3 and 4 specimens demonstrated close adaptation of resin composite to cavity walls, whereas group 2 specimens did not.

Conclusion  Nonvital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide adversely affected the immediate sealing ability of resin composite restoration; both 10% sodium ascorbate treatment and a 1‐week delay in restoration following bleaching improved the reduced sealing ability of resin composite.
PATIENT VIEWS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATIC FEVER AND RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE IN THE KIMBERLEY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Authors: Mincham Christine M. , Toussaint Sandy , Mak Donna B. , Plant Aileen J.
Published: January 2004

Objective:  To describe, from a patient perspective, factors leading to suboptimal management of individuals with rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among members of the Kimberley population.

Method:  Qualitative in‐depth semistructured and repeated interviews of seven Kimberley patients, or parents of children, with rheumatic fever and/or rheumatic heart disease, during 1998.

Results:  Participants showed variable levels of understanding about RF/RHD, often relating to the need for secondary prophylaxis. Compliance with medication was closely linked with positive patient–staff interactions. From the perspective of health care, living in a remote location was frequently described as a negative influence. Participants desire more accessible and culturally appropriate opportunities for learning about their disease.

Conclusions:  Participants focused on issues closely related to effective and ineffective management of RF/RHD. The lessons learned are indicators for health staff attempting to improve the quality of management that people receive.
CONGESTIVE CARDIAC FAILURE: URBAN AND RURAL PERSPECTIVES IN VICTORIA
Authors: Ansari Mohammad Z. , Henderson Toni , Ackland Michael , Cicuttini Flavia , Sundararajan Vijaya
Published: January 2004

Objective:  Effective and timely care for congestive cardiac failure (CCF) should reduce the risks of hospitalisation. The purpose of this study is to describe variations in rates of hospital admissions for CCF in Victoria as an indicator of the adequacy of primary care services. Detailed analyses identify trends in hospitalisations, urban/rural differentials and variations by the Primary Care Partnerships (PCP).

Setting:  Acute care hospitals in Victoria.

Design:  Routine analyses of age and sex standardised admission rates of CCF in Victoria using the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset from 1993–1994 to 2000–2001.

Subjects:  All patients admitted to acute care hospitals in Victoria with the principal diagnosis of CCF between 1993–1994 and 2000–2001.

Results:  There were 8359 admissions for CCF in Victoria with an average of 7.37 bed days in 2000–2001. There was a significantly higher admission rate for CCF in rural areas compared to metropolitan in 2000/2001 –(2.53/1000 (2.44–2.62) and 1.80/1000 (1.75–1.85)) – respectively. Small area analyses identified 17 PCP (14 of which were rural) with significantly higher admission rate ratios of CCF compared to Victoria.

Conclusion:  Small area analyses of CCF have identified significant gaps in the management of CCF in the community. This may be a reflection of deficit in primary care availability, accessibility, or appropriateness. Detailed studies may be needed to determine the relative importance of these factors in Victoria for targeting specific interventions at the PCP level.

What does this study add?:  Congestive cardiac failure is a major public health problem. In Australia, there is a lack of studies identifying long‐term hospitalisation trends of CCF, as well as small area analyses, especially in regard to rural and urban variations. This study has identified significant variations over an eight year period in admission rates of CCF in rural and urban Victoria. Small area analyses (e.g. at the level of primary care partnerships) have identified rural communities with significantly higher admission rates of CCF compared to the Victorian average. For the first time in Australia, this study has provided a new approach for generating evidence on quality of primary care services in rural and urban areas, and offers opportunities for targeting public health and health services interventions that can decrease access barriers, improve the adequacy of primary care, and reduce demand on the hospital system in Victoria.
TAKING PRIMARY CARE CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION TO RURAL AREAS: LESSONS FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Authors: Revel Tony , Yussuf Hussein
Published: January 2004

Objective:  To assess the impact of a practice based multidisciplinary educational program.

Design:  A descriptive account of experiences in introducing a new program of continuing professional development.

Setting:  Rural primary health care centres in the United Arab Emirates.

Subjects:  All staff working in the rural health centres.

Results:  The educational intervention proved popular and appeared to effect a behavioural change. Teamwork in the health centres showed a marked improvement.

Conclusion:  A practice‐based, multidisciplinary educational program using case‐based learning proved to be effective when introduced to rural health centres of a developing country with multiracial health care professionals.

What is already known?:  Academic detailing and case‐based learning have proven to be some of the more effective methods of continuing professional development when used in a Western culture. The same principles of education proved effective when delivering practice based education to multi‐racial, multi‐disciplinary staff in a developing country. The benefits of the program were seen to extend beyond the educational components.
RURAL DOCTORS AND RURAL BACKGROUNDS: HOW STRONG IS THE EVIDENCE? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Authors: Laven Gillian , Wilkinson David
Published: January 2004

Objective:  We sought to summarise the evidence for an association between rural background and rural practice by systematically reviewing the national and international published reports.

Design:  A systematic review.

Setting:  A search of the national and international published reports from 1973 to October 2001.

Subject:  The search criteria included observational studies of a case‐control or cohort design making a clear and quantitative comparison between current rural and urban doctors, this resulted in the identification of 141 studies for potential inclusion.

Results:  We systematically reviewed 12 studies. Rural background was associated with rural practice in 10 of the 12 studies, in which it was reported, with most odds ratios (OR) approximately 2–2.5. Rural schooling was associated with rural practice in all 5 studies that reported on it, with most OR approximately 2.0. Having a rural partner was associated with rural practice in 3 of the 4 studies reporting on it, with OR approximately 3.0. Rural undergraduate training was associated with rural practice in 4 of 5 studies, with most OR approximately 2.0. Rural postgraduate training was associated with rural practice in 1 of 2 studies, with rural doctors reporting rural training about 2.5 times more often.

Conclusions:  There is consistent evidence that the likelihood of working in rural practice is approximately twice greater among doctors with a rural background. There is a smaller body of evidence in support of the other rural factors studied, and the strength of association is similar to that for rural background.

What is already known on this subject?:  It is widely perceived that doctors with a rural background are more likely to return to work in rural areas and major policy initiatives in Australia rely on this assumption. It is recognised that other factors such as location of primary and secondary education, rural medical training and spouse or partner background may also be influential. In order to determine the strength of the evidence for an association between rural background and rural practice we did a systematic review of the published reports.

What does this study add?:   This systematic review provides good evidence that doctors with a rural background are about twice as likely to work as rural doctors, compared with those with an urban background. Rural background seems to be an important factor that can be employed in policy and practice, however, the problem of increasing the number of rural doctors is multifactorial and so is the solution.
ROLE OF MULTI‐PURPOSE SERVICE PROGRAMS PROVIDING RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE IN RURAL AUSTRALIA: A DISCUSSION PAPER
Authors: Neumayer Bob , Chapman Janet , Whiteford Gail
Published: January 2004

Objective:  To determine if multi‐purpose service (MPS) Programs deliver improved residential aged care as opposed to traditional rural hospitals.

Design:  A variation on comparative–experimentalist: type 4. In this design 2 groups providing different service models of rural health services are compared.

Setting:  Six MPS Programs and three traditional hospitals in rural New South Wales.

Subjects:  Key stakeholders – area representatives, health service managers, MPS managers, doctors, staff, MPS or hospital committee members and consumer groups including residents.

Main outcome measure:  To analyse the ability of MPS Programs to deliver quality residential aged care as opposed to using traditional hospitals for such services.

Results:  Multi‐purpose service programs provided better residential environments and greater flexibility of service provision. There were few apparent differences between the two service models in regard to organisational culture and training.

Conclusions:  The findings of this evaluation suggest that in the provision of residential aged care in rural communities, MPS Programs demonstrated better standards of care than traditional hospital based services.

What is already known on the subject:  The development of multi‐purpose service programs to replace the older traditional rural hospitals is a relatively new practice in Australia. With the introduction of MPS programs there has been little evaluative research to demonstrate their effectiveness in health service delivery and the provision of residential aged care. Multi‐purpose service programs aim to integrate and coordinate acute, aged and community rural health services under one structure and so it is imperative that evaluative studies such as this one takes place.

What does this study add?:  The findings of this study demonstrate that the MPS model provides a better solution than hospitals to the problem of providing residential aged care in rural communities. With Australia looking to further develop MPS Programs in rural areas, it is hoped quality aged care services will be enhanced allowing older adults to remain in the communities of their choice.
FARM‐RELATED INJURY PRESENTING TO AN AUSTRALIAN BASE HOSPITAL
Authors: Franklin Richard C. , Davies John N.
Published: January 2004

Objective:  Data concerning farm‐related injuries were collected from the Emergency Department at Tamworth Base Hospital over a 12‐month period from 1 September 1997.

Aim of study:  The aim of the study was to collect information at a local level to establish baselines with a view to developing prevention strategies. All people who presented with a farm injury or illness to the emergency department participated in the study.

Results:  During this period there were 384 injuries, of which nearly three‐quarters were males (72.2%). Four injuries were fatal. The average rate of injury per 100 farms per annum in the service area of the Hospital was 30 per 100 farms (range 9–80 per 100 farms, per annum). Half (54.1%) of the people injured were employed at the time of the injury. Horses (21.1%) and motorcycles (15.8%) were the two most common injury agents.

Conclusion:  The information gained can be used to direct injury prevention at a local level and may be also used at the national level as a guide when grouped with other similar studies of different commodity groups.
CAPP2: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) OF ASPIRIN & RESISTANT STARCH IN HEREDITARY NON POLYPOSIS COLORECTAL CANCER
Authors: Macrae F , Ives P , Leggett B , Scott R , Burn J
Published: January 2004

There is consistent level III evidence for aspirin in the chemoprevention of colorectal cancer, but no RCT proof. Animal, in vitro and ecological studies suggest protection with Resistant Starch (RS). HNPCC gene carriers have 50–80% lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer, and on Finnish experience a 5% per annum incidence of adenomas at colonoscopic surveillance. CAPP2 is a RCT of aspirin and/or RS in 1200 phenotypically or genotypically affected members of families with HNPCC, over a 4‐year period, giving 90% probability of detecting a 50% reduction in adenomas at P < 0.05 significance.

Recruitment from 27 centres operating worldwide is 391 subjects (at 24/04/01) with Australia contributing 41. Three hundredand twenty‐one subjects are on treatment and 68 have withdrawn from the trial. Recruitment has been principally through familial cancer clinics in association with DNA Diagnostic Laboratories in VIC, QLD and more recently NSW. Recruitment in VIC is enhanced by a population‐based study of mismatch repair gene carriers identified through a study of colorectal cancer presenting under 45 years. Ethical pathways enabling the participation in CAPP2 through registries of HNPCC families in sites remote from the CAPP2 centre in Melbourne have been established in Australia.

Reported side‐effects have been weight gain, flatulence and mild to acute constipation. One patient has withdrawn due to bleeding peptic disease in Europe. Overall, compliance to the RS prescription has been good worldwide. Only four Australian participants have found the starch difficult and have withdrawn. No strokes have been reported.

Preliminary analysis of the colonoscopy findings in gene carriers who have previously been on annual surveillance has identified an unexpectedly high rate of adenomas at their entry colonoscopy. This information on findings on surveillance in HNPCC may allow a downward estimate of the sample size required for the study.

Experience to date confirms the feasibility of this multicentre international RCT. Australian centres managing families with HNPCC are invited to contact the trial centre in Melbourne.
AMELIORATION OF MURINE TNBS COLITIS USING PREBIOTICS
Authors: Amansec SG , Connor SJ , Cardillo R , Cuan N , Grimm MC , Conway P
Published: January 2004

An understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease has been enhanced by the development of animal models mimicking these diseases. In one such model, chronic transmural intestinal inflammation is induced in mice by rectal administration of 2,4,6 trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). A T helper (Th)1 T‐cell response predominates, immunologically similar to Crohn's disease. This well‐characterised model offers potential for analysing novel therapies, including those that modulate the intestinal flora. Prebiotics are nondigestible foods such as resistant starches that benefit the host by selectively stimulating growth of ‘beneficial’ bacteria in the colon. They act as powerful substrates for bacterial fermentation and inhibit the growth of a number of pathogens. This study aimed to develop and characterise the TNBS model of colitis, and to use it to analyse the prophylactic effects of prebiotics.

Specific pathogen‐free 8‐week‐old‐male BALB/c mice were administered 2.5 mg TNBS in 45% ethanol per rectum. Mice were fed a resistant starch diet (30% Culture‐Pro 958 N), or control diet, for 2 weeks prior to induction of colitis through to sacrifice. Mice were monitored daily for hydration status, stress, diarrhoea and weight loss and sacrificed on days 5, 7, 9, and 14. The colons were assessed macroscopically and histologically (grade 0–6). Stool counts of the putative ‘beneficial’ bacterial groups, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, were performed on days 3, 7 and 14.

In the control group, all mice developed diarrhoea and significant weight loss. Transmural colonic inflammation was seen, with thickening, hyperaemia and ulceration macroscopically and histological scores of grade 5–6. Weight loss was significantly reduced in mice fed 30% Culture‐Pro 958 N (P < 0.05). Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria were significantly more prevalent in the stools of resistant starch‐fed mice (P < 0.005). Histological scores at day 7 were reduced from grade 5 in control diet mice, to grade 1–2 in resistant starch‐fed mice.

This study provides the novel observation that the clinical and histological severity of TNBS colitis is ameliorated by prophylactic use of prebiotics, in the form of a resistant starch diet. These findings confirm the importance of the bacterial flora to development of colonic inflammation in this mouse model of IBD and they offer insights into pathogenesis of human Crohn's disease. The results highlight promise for the potential use of similar non‐toxic therapies in human Crohn's disease.
ANTIBODIES TO SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE and ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC AUTOANTIBODIES IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: ASSESSMENT and RELEVANCE IN AN AUSTRALIAN POPULATION USING TWO DIFFERENT ASCA ASSAY KITS
Authors: Moore MM , Fabricatorian D , Selby WS , Morrow AW
Published: January 2004

A number of North American and European studies have elucidated a relationship between antibodies to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA) and Crohn's disease (CD).

Aims  (1) To ascertain whether this relationship is relevant to Australian patients; (2) To compare the results with two different commercial ASCA kits; (3) To examine the usefulness of this test in combination with perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (pANCA) for distinguishing Crohn's disease from ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods  Serum samples were obtained from 28 patients with CD, 27 patients with UC and 22 non‐IBD patients presenting for investigation of other gastroenterological illnesses. ASCA IgG and IgA were determined by enzyme immunoassay using the two test kits. pANCA was detected by indirect immunofluorescence.

Results  Using the Medizym test kit, the presence of either IgG or IgA ASCA was 50% sensitive and 93% specific for CD. The QUANTA Lite kit yielded a higher sensitivity of 79% but specificity of 74%. The sensitivity of pANCA for UC was 48% but was 100% specific. Used in combination, ASCA+ve/pANCA–ve was only 50% sensitive but 100% specific for CD using the Medizym kit compared with 79% sensitivity and 93% specificity using QUANTA Lite. The combination of ASCA–ve/pANCA+ve was 41% sensitive and 100% specific for ulcerative colitis using the Medizym kit compared with 30% sensitive and 100% specific using QUANTA Lite.

Conclusions  At least 50% of Australian patients with CD have ASCA detectable in serum, confirming the results of overseas studies. Sensitivity was greater with the QUANTA Lite kit whereas the Medizym kit was slightly more specific. ASCA may aid in the diagnosis of CD. When used in combination with pANCA it may also help distinguish CD from UC in difficult cases.
A longitudinal study of gender‐related cognition and behaviour
Authors: Campbell Anne , Shirley Louisa , Candy Julia
Published: January 2004

Gender schema theory proposes that children's acquisition of gender labels and gender stereotypes informs gender‐congruent behaviour. Most previous studies have been cross‐sectional and do not address the temporal relationship between knowledge and behaviour. We report the results of a longitudinal study of gender knowledge and sex‐typed behaviour across three domains in children tested at 24 and 36 months (N = 56). Although both knowledge and sex‐typed behaviour increased significantly between 2 and 3 years, there was no systematic pattern of cross‐lagged correlations between the two, although some concurrent relationships were present at 24 months. Future longitudinal work might profitably focus on younger children using reliable pre‐verbal measures of gender knowledge and employing a shorter lag between measurement times.
Urban Political Ecology, Justice and the Politics of Scale
Authors: Swyngedouw Erik , Heynen Nikolas C
Published: January 2004

This and the subsequent papers in this special issue set out the contours of Marxian urban political ecology and call for greater research attention to a neglected field of critical research that, given its political importance, requires urgent attention. Notwithstanding the important contributions of other critical perspectives on urban ecology, Marxist urban political ecology provides an integrated and relational approach that helps untangle the interconnected economic, political, social and ecological processes that together go to form highly uneven and deeply unjust urban landscapes. Because the power‐laden socioecological relations that shape the formation of urban environments constantly shift between groups of actors and scales, historical‐geographical insights into these ever‐changing urban configurations are necessary for the sake of considering the future of radical political‐ecological urban strategies. The social production of urban environments is gaining recognition within radical and historical‐materialist geography. The political programme, then, of urban political ecology is to enhance the democratic content of socioenvironmental construction by identifying the strategies through which a more equitable distribution of social power and a more inclusive mode of environmental production can be achieved.
Constructing Scarcity and Sensationalising Water Politics: 170 Days That Shook Athens
Authors: Kaika Maria
Published: January 2004

This paper examines the drought that hit Athens between 1989 and 1991 and analyses the role of this natural phenomenon as the “ferment” for ongoing political‐economic transformations in the direction of liberalisation and privatisation of water management and allocation in Greece. The paper analyses how the drought was marshalled as an effective discursive vehicle to facilitate and expedite the state‐led neoliberal political‐economic agenda. It shows how the social consensus around a number of “emergency measures” that the state adopted to deal with a “natural” crisis was grounded in a particular discourse on water and in the political‐economic “positioning” of “nature” as a source of crisis. In turn, this change in the “discursive” production of nature fused with the rhetoric and practice of market‐led development and privatisation and, ultimately, facilitated important transformations in the social and political‐economic (material) production of nature.
The Lawn‐Chemical Economy and Its Discontents
Authors: Robbins Paul , Sharp Julie
Published: January 2004

The daily geographies of consumption represent some of the most ecologically important and economically complex frontiers for critical research. Among these, the turfgrass lawn is perhaps the most overlooked, owing to its very ordinariness. Despite the serious risks posed to human health and ecosystem viability by high‐input lawn systems, little critical scholarship has engaged the lawn, especially as a structured economic phenomenon. This paper explores the forces and political economic conditions under which the lawn is produced, promulgated, and resisted in North America. In the process, we draw attention to the deeply structured economic impetus behind the direct sale of potentially toxic chemicals to urban dwellers. Based on survey research and a review of the industry, we argue (1) that chemical demand is driven by urban growth and classed aesthetics, (2) that direct and aggressive sales of chemicals to consumers are spurred by crises in the chemical‐formulator industry, (3) that the search for consumer‐lawn markets is driven by declining margins in the worldwide chemical trade, and (4) that counterinstitutional struggles against high‐input lawns represent a salvo against otherwise abstract and daunting cultural‐economic hegemony.
The Scalar Production of Injustice within the Urban Forest
Authors: Heynen Nikolas C
Published: January 2004

Research has recently argued, quite successfully, for a more dialectic appreciation of urban nature/society relations. Despite this progress, there is still the need to recognize that the social production of urban environments explicitly leads to uneven urban environments and environmental injustice. Environmental inequalities clearly exist within cities; when taking into account how environmental externalities play out at different scales, the degree to which something is unjust becomes less clear. This paper discusses how the scales at which socially produced urban forest externalities play out pose difficulties for considering environmental injustice. This issue, while interesting from the point of view of considering scalar nature/social dialects, also makes policy considerations for urban reforestation problematic as a result of the ways in which urban forests contribute to local/global ecological scenarios.
The Rise of Experimentalism in German Collective Bargaining
Authors: Behrens Martin , Jacoby Wade
Published: January 2004

This paper addresses the debate on union strategies by analysing industrial relations change in three of Germany's most internationalized sectors: chemicals, metalworking and construction. It characterizes two logics of change in German industrial relations: a battlefield logic and an experimentalist logic. It demonstrates historical trends towards centralization of wage bargaining in each sector before looking at recent pressures for decentralization and flexibility. In chemi‐cals, the social partners control decentralization. In metalworking increasing flexibility is characterized by a mismatch between the national‐level union and the district‐level employers. Finally, the construction union seeks to replace the centralized bargaining system with a state minimum wage.
The Macro Impacts of Public Resold Dwellings on Private Housing Prices in Singapore
Authors: Tu Yong
Published: January 2004

In Singapore, the public resale housing market is an actively traded public owner occupier housing market succeeding to the heavily regulated new public owner occupier housing sector, in which the new public housing units are sold at a heavily subsidized price. The resale market was originally aimed at facilitating consumer housing choices and harnessing the greater efficiency of market mechanism in the delivery of public housing. However, it also became a vehicle for many Singaporeans to upgrade to private housing. This raises the concerns of its impacts on the private housing market as well as the equitable distribution of public resources. This paper first analytically reviews the retrospect of Singapore housing system, then empirically studies the impacts of public resold dwellings on the private housing prices, probing the links between the public resale market and the private housing market as well as the implications on the equitable distribution of public resources.
Impacts of Second Home Development on Housing Prices in the Southern Appalachian Highlands
Authors: Cho Seong‐Hoon , Newman David H. , Wear David N.
Published: January 2004

This study estimates the value of socioeconomic, spatial and environmental attributes on housing prices of both urban and rural communities in the primary and second home areas of the Southern Appalachian Highlands, using the hedonic property price model. Distance and environmental attributes are valued more heavily in the rural communities of the second home area than in the urban communities of the primary home area. The effect of second homes on housing prices is mainly evident in the rural communities. Second home development impacts a home's value by US$2,378, or 4.2% of $56,245, the average value of a rural home.
The Macroeconomic Impact of the IMF Recommended VAT Policy for the Fiji Economy: Evidence From a Cge Model
Authors: Narayan Paresh Kumar
Published: January 2004

Value Added Tax (VAT) is a general consumption tax levied on goods and services. In September 2002, in the face of mediocre economic performance, deteriorating government finances and stagnant investment levels ‐ all due to the political coups of 2000 ‐an increase in VAT was recommended to Fijian policy makers by the IMF as a remedy to Fiji's problems. The Fiji government, without an in depth economy wide repercussions of a VAT policy, welcomed it by announcing a 25% increase in VAT in its 2003 budget. Beginning 1 January 2003 all goods and services were levied a VAT rate of 12.5%. In this paper, we use a computable general equilibrium model to examine the economy wide effects of this VAT policy. We find that while the VAT improves government revenue and brings about a small 0.6% increase in real GDP, it fails to address investment levels. VAT actually leads to a decline in investments and a reduction in real consumption and national welfare. We highlight that large amounts of tax revenue are owed to government. This is three times more than what government will collect from the 25% increase in VAT. In this light, an alternative to VAT is to upgrade government's tax collecting mechanism. From this we deduce that the IMF policy is misdirected.
An Empirical Model of Efficiency Analysis on Flood Prevention Investment in Japan
Authors: Zhai Guofang , Fukuzono Teruki , Ikeda Saburo
Published: January 2004

This paper aims to evaluate the comprehensive efficiency of flood disaster prevention investment from 1955 to 1999 by developing and applying an integrated evaluation model. Our analysis results have clarified some important issues currently being discussed in Japan. Firstly, the average values of normalized flood losses decreased greatly between the 1955‐1961 period and the 1984‐1999 period. Secondly, the ratio of human loss to total loss caused by floods in Japan may be less than 10%, based on the concept of the value of statistical life (VOSL) and values estimated from the risk‐money tradeoff. The proportion of intangible effect to total loss increased from less than 10% before the 1970s to approximately 20% after that period. Finally, flood prevention investment in Japan effectively reduced losses caused by flooding before the 1960s; however, since the 1980s, investment has changed from an efficient mode to an inefficient mode, not only from the economic standpoint, but also from that of total flood loss saving.
Small Cities Matter, Too: The Impacts of an Airport and Local Infrastructure on Housing Prices in a Small Urban City
Authors: Lipscomb Cliff
Published: January 2004

Cities with small populations tend not to receive as much attention in housing hedonic studies as do large metropolitan areas despite their similar economic development goals (quality of life improvements for their citizens, etc.). However, small cities, with their relatively smaller number of amenities and features, tend to have fewer numbers of variables that operate to determine house prices. Therefore, hedonic prices can be estimated adequately for a single neighborhood in a small city with publicly available data, particularly for local officials who do not have the time or financial resources to complete detailed studies of their cities. In this study, a general model is estimated that uncovers the impacts of airport‐related noise, local recreational amenities, public transportation services, and schools on housing prices in a small city in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The implications and usefulness of this approach to local economic developers and city planners will be discussed.
Political Myth and Germany 1945–1949
Authors: Flanagan Clare
Published: January 2004

Political scientists point to a shift in myth reception after 1945. This is most vividly reflected in the German context. In the years of the Allied occupation, the necessary exposure of Third Reich political mythology coincided with the introduction into German debate of the mythmaking of the Cold War. The result was a uniquely diverse collection of narratives of political elucidation, historical explanation and propaganda. All the various categories for classification as myth are demonstrated: myths of the self, of the other, myths of the nation, the state, leadership, myths of past, present or future determination. And subsequent general theories of political myth as broadly defined forms of community identification, as unifying historical messages, or as expressions of past or planned aggression, are similarly illustrated. Also significantly validated in this context is the affinity of myth theory and theology. This article confirms the usefulness of myth analysis in assessing responses to value structures, delimiting political control, and refining our awareness of the constituents of political ‘reality’; yet it also exposes the inadequacy, in the political domain, of any one definition of myth theory, and highlights our ongoing complicity in political mythmaking, specifically in the case of Germany.
Chalcedonian Christology and beyond: Luther's understanding of the Communicatio Idiomatum
Authors: Ngien Dennis
Published: January 2004

Luther, Zwingli and Calvin are in full accord with the Chalcedonian definition of Christ as one person in two natures, which are united unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly and inseparably. The main point of disagreement among them concerns the usage of the so‐called communicatio idiomatum. Luther refers to this mainly in his disputes with other theologians such as Nestorius and Zwingli, whereas when he engages in constructive theology or in biblical interpretation, it seems that he does not use it. He could use it because he found it to be in harmony with his own Christological thinking which, he believed, was rooted in the Bible. The doctrine is, for him, an ontological deduction from the cross and the incarnation. The primary purpose of this article is to see how Luther understood the Christological predication, and only in a limited scope bring him in conversation with Zwingli's and Calvin's understanding. Although the traditional interpretation, that the properties of Christ's two natures are communicated to the concretum of his person, predominates in Luther's thought, he went beyond it, affirming a real communication between the two natures. The logic of his usage of the doctrine of the communication of properties enables Luther to move beyond Chalcedonian understanding of Christology, and also sets him apart from the Reformed tradition. Special attention will be given to Luther's usage of the doctrine in relation to the passibility motif, demonstrating that the human idiomatum of suffering and dying belong to God's very being.
What about the workers? The expansion of higher education and the transformation of academic work
Authors: Bryson Colin
Published: January 2004

This article assesses the impact of the profound changes that have taken place in the higher education sector on academic staff in the UK. The perceptions of staff about their work and employment are examined through evidence provided by a recent large‐scale survey. The discussion draws on a labour process perspective. The article finds that the views of staff are far from homogeneous and not universally pessimistic. However, in general the morale and satisfaction of many teaching staff have been eroded by work intensification and that of research staff by the considerable insecurity created by casualised employment. Nonetheless resistance and resilience continues despite the commodifying pressures, and ‘traditional’ values remain strong.
Through Trial and Error to Collusion*
Authors: Huck Steffen , Normann Hans‐Theo , Oechssler Jörg
Published: January 2004

In this article we study a very simple trial and error learning process in the context of a Cournot oligopoly. Without any knowledge of the payoff functions players increase, respectively decrease, their quantity as long as this leads to higher profits. We show that despite the absence of any coordination or punishing device this process converges to the joint‐profit‐maximizing outcome.
Self‐Fulfilling Early‐Contracting Rush*
Authors: Li Hao , Suen Wing
Published: January 2004

In markets for entry‐level professionals, the insurance motive drives some participants to sign early contracts. The rush to early contracting can be self‐fulfilling, as both its effect on expectations about demand–supply balance in the subsequent spot market and the effect on it from changes in the demand–supply balance can be nonmonotone. Matching markets with more risk‐averse participants, a greater uncertainty regarding relative supply of positions, or a more polarized distribution of applicant qualities are more vulnerable to self‐fulfilling early‐contracting rushes. Employers can have a collective interest in preventing early offers to a few promising applicants from starting the rushes.
Pension reform in the Baltic States: Convergence with “Europe” or with “the world”?
Authors: Casey Bernard H.
Published: January 2004

AbstractThe Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – join the European Union in 2004. This paper examines pension reform in the three countries over the past decade in the light of the “European social model” and the “World Bank model”. Part one seeks to define these two models. It shows how the former emphasizes income adequacy and solidarity while the latter stresses fiscal sustainability, savings and economic growth. Part two looks at reforms made and proposed. Initial reforms involved raising the retirement age and relating benefits more closely to earnings and service. This resulted in the establishment of pension systems similar to those in many European countries. Subsequent reforms involved attempts to shift from a publicly financed, purely “pay‐as‐you‐go” system to one based upon “funding” and private, individual accounts. Such systems have been promoted by the World Bank. The appropriateness of this approach – its high transition costs, potentially high administration costs, and longer‐term implications for the relative income status of retired people – is questioned. Part three draws conclusions. In the short and medium term, policymaker should safeguard income adequacy rather than seek the doubtful advantages of funding – in other words, look more to “Europe” than to “the world”.
Relaxin induces vascular endothelial growth factor expression and angiogenesis selectively at wound sites
Authors: UNEMORI ELAINE N , LEWIS MARTYN , CONSTANT JAMES , ARNOLD GRETCHEN , GROVE BEVERLY H , NORMAND JOSEE , DESHPANDE USHA , SALLES ADAM , PICKFORD LESLEY B , ERIKSON MARK E , HUNT THOMAS K , HUANG XINFAN
Published: January 2004

Relaxin is a reproductive hormone that has historically been characterized as being responsible for pubic ligament loosening and cervical ripening. Recently, relaxin has been associated with neovascularization of the endometrial lining of the uterus, potentially via specific induction of vascular endothelial growth factor. Previously conducted clinical studies using partially purified porcine relaxin have described relaxin's ability to stimulate the healing of ischemic wounds, suggesting that relaxin may also have angiogenic effects at sites of ischemic wound healing. In the present study, relaxin's angiogenic effects in the context of wound repair were tested in rodent models of angiogenesis and wound healing. Relaxin showed an ability to stimulate new blood vessel formation, particularly at ischemic wound sites, and to induce both vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor specifically in cells, presumably including macrophages, collected from wound sites. Resident macrophages collected from nonwound sites, such as the lung, did not show altered expression of these cytokines following relaxin administration. Because angiogenic wound cells are frequently macrophages, THP‐1 cells, a cell line of monocyte lineage that binds relaxin specifically, were tested for and shown to induce vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor in response to relaxin. In conclusion, relaxin may be useful in the treatment of ischemic wounds by stimulating angiogenesis via the induction of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor in wound macrophages.