bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regime shifts in ecological systems can occur with no warning
Authors: Hastings Alan , Wysham Derin B.
Published: February 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 464–472

Predicting regime shifts – drastic changes in dynamic behaviour – is a key challenge in ecology and other fields. Here we show that the class of ecological systems that will exhibit leading indicators of regime shifts is limited, and that there is a set of ecological models and, therefore, also likely to be a class of natural systems for which there will be no forewarning of a regime change. We first describe how nonlinearities in combination with environmental variability lead to model descriptions that will not have smooth potentials, concluding that many ecological systems are described by systems without smooth potentials and thus will not show typical leading indicators of regime shifts. We then illustrate the impact of these general arguments by numerically examining the dynamics of several model ecological systems under slowly changing conditions. Our results offer a cautionary note about the generality of forecasting sudden changes in ecosystems.
Enabling regional management in a changing climate through Bayesian meta‐analysis of a large‐scale disturbance
Authors: MacNeil M Aaron , Graham Nicholas A. J.
Published: February 2010

Aim  Quantifying and predicting change in large ecosystems is an important research objective for applied ecologists as human disturbance effects become increasingly evident at regional and global scales. However, studies used to make inferences about large‐scale change are frequently of uneven quality and few in number, having been undertaken to study local, rather than global, change. Our aim is to improve the quality of inferences that can be made in meta‐analyses of large‐scale disturbance by integrating studies of varying quality in a unified modelling framework that is informative for both local and regional management.

Innovation  Here we improve conventionally structured meta‐analysis methods by including imputation of unknown study variances and the use of Bayesian factor potentials. The approach is a coherent framework for integrating data of varying quality across multiple studies while facilitating belief statements about the uncertainty in parameter estimates and the probable outcome of future events. The approach is applied to a regional meta‐analysis of the effects of loss of coral cover on species richness and the abundance of coral‐dependent fishes in the western Indian Ocean (WIO) before and after a mass bleaching event in 1998.

Main conclusions  Our Bayesian approach to meta‐analysis provided greater precision of parameter estimates than conventional weighted linear regression meta‐analytical techniques, allowing us to integrate all available data from 66 available study locations in the WIO across multiple scales. The approach thereby: (1) estimated uncertainty in site‐level estimates of change, (2) provided a regional estimate for future change at any given site in the WIO, and (3) provided a probabilistic belief framework for future management of reef resources at both local and regional scales.
Enhancing Industry Association Theory: A Comparative Business History Contribution
Authors: Reveley James , Ville Simon
Published: February 2010

abstract

Our comparative business historical examination of industry associations aims to enrich the under‐theorized study of this distinctive type of meta‐organization. We compare two New Zealand industry associations operating in the same supply chain but with differing degrees of associative capacity and types of external architecture. Our analysis of these associations builds on two strands of theory that rarely communicate with each other: New Institutional Economics (NIE) and Organizational–Institutional Theory (OIT). We demonstrate how NIE describes the structural potentialities for associational strength, while OIT addresses the relational context within associations. In turn, NIE's examination of external influences reinforces OIT suggestions that associations which are rich in social capital can become developmental in orientation. Our historical analysis supplies fresh theoretical insights into industry associations, thereby addressing conceptual issues of interest to management scholars who study bridging‐type organizations. On this basis, we argue that business history and organization studies complement each other.
Technological Discontinuities and Competitive Advantage: A Historical Perspective on Formula 1 Motor Racing 1950–2006
Authors: Jenkins Mark
Published: February 2010

abstract

This paper considers the interplay between technological discontinuities and competitive performance. Much of the work on technological discontinuities has focused on macro levels of analysis such as industries and technologies rather than specific firms. This study uses a historical perspective on Formula 1 motor racing to explore the dynamics between firm level performance and technological discontinuities over a 57 year period. The study supports the findings of previous research that incumbent firms are often unable to adapt to the impact of exogenous shocks. However the study also reveals situations where a relatively small number of firms are able to sustain their competitive superiority through a number of successive discontinuities. I suggest that, in addition to dynamic capabilities, these firms possess sustaining capabilities – munificent resource configurations which extend the time available for firms to adapt to technological changes – thereby allowing them to remain competitive across discontinuities.
A systematic review of fast food access studies
Authors: Fleischhacker S. E. , Evenson K. R. , Rodriguez D. A. , Ammerman A. S.
Published: February 2010

The frequent consumption of energy‐dense fast food is associated with increased body mass index. This systematic review aims to examine the methodology and current evidence on fast food access and its associations with outcomes. Six databases were searched using terms relating to fast food. Only peer‐reviewed studies published in English during a 10‐year period, with data collection and analysis regarding fast food access were included. Forty articles met the aforementioned criteria. Nearly half of the studies (n = 16) used their own set of features to define fast food. Studies predominantly examined the relationship between fast food access and socioeconomic factors (n = 21) and 76% indicated fast food restaurants were more prevalent in low‐income areas compared with middle‐ to higher‐income areas. Ten of 12 studies found fast food restaurants were more prevalent in areas with higher concentrations of ethnic minority groups in comparison with Caucasians. Six adult studies found higher body mass index was associated with living in areas with increased exposure to fast food; four studies, however, did not find associations. Further work is needed to understand if and how fast food access impacts dietary intake and health outcomes; and if fast food access has disparate socioeconomic, race/ethnicity and age associations.
Fast Gauss Bilateral Filtering
Authors: Yoshizawa Shin , Belyaev Alexander , Yokota Hideo
Published: February 2010

In spite of high computational complexity, the bilateral filter and its modifications and extensions have recently become very popular image and shape processing tools. In this paper, we propose a fast and accurate approximation of the bilateral filter. Our approach combines a dimension elevation trick with a Fast Gauss Transform. First we represent the bilateral filter as a convolution in a high dimensional space. Then the convolution is efficiently approximated by using space partitioning and Gaussian function expansions. Advantages of our approach include linear computational complexity, user‐specified precision, and an ability to process high dimensional and non‐uniformly sampled data. We demonstrate capabilities of the approach by considering its applications to the image and volume denoising and high‐dynamic‐range tone mapping problems.
Time‐Dependent 2‐D Vector Field Topology: An Approach Inspired by Lagrangian Coherent Structures
Authors: Sadlo F. , Weiskopf D.
Published: February 2010

This paper presents an approach to a time‐dependent variant of the concept of vector field topology for 2‐D vector fields. Vector field topology is defined for steady vector fields and aims at discriminating the domain of a vector field into regions of qualitatively different behaviour. The presented approach represents a generalization for saddle‐type critical points and their separatrices to unsteady vector fields based on generalized streak lines, with the classical vector field topology as its special case for steady vector fields. The concept is closely related to that of Lagrangian coherent structures obtained as ridges in the finite‐time Lyapunov exponent field. The proposed approach is evaluated on both 2‐D time‐dependent synthetic and vector fields from computational fluid dynamics.
Automatic Transfer Function Specification for Visual Emphasis of Coronary Artery Plaque
Authors: Glaßer S. , Oeltze S. , Hennemuth A. , Kubisch C. , Mahnken A. , Wilhelmsen S. , Preim B.
Published: February 2010

Cardiovascular imaging with current multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) technology enables a non‐invasive evaluation of the coronary arteries. Contrast‐enhanced MSCT angiography with high spatial resolution allows for a segmentation of the coronary artery tree. We present an automatically adapted transfer function (TF) specification to highlight pathologic changes of the vessel wall based on the segmentation result of the coronary artery tree. The TFs are combined with common visualization techniques, such as multiplanar reformation and direct volume rendering for the evaluation of coronary arteries in MSCT image data. The presented TF‐based mapping of CT values in Hounsfield Units (HU) to color and opacity leads to a different color coding for different plaque types. To account for varying HU values of the vessel lumen caused by the contrast medium, the TFs are adapted to each dataset by local histogram analysis. We describe an informal evaluation with three board‐certified radiologists which indicates that the represented visualizations guide the user's attention to pathologic changes of the vessel wall as well as provide an overview about spatial variations.
Sleaze, Old Corruption and Parliamentary Reform: An Historical Perspective on the Current Crisis
Authors: SEAWARD PAUL
Published: February 2010

There is nothing new about the existence of a political class, nor about the electorate's distaste for paid politicians. In the middle ages, voters made clear their preference for representatives who were prepared to serve without payment; in the eighteenth century, the increase in the number of MPs paid by the state, whether in salaried posts or as sinecurists, was seen as a corrupt and pernicious extension to the influence of the crown; in the nineteenth and early twentieth century the payment of MPs by the taxpayer was widely regarded as an improper and offensive idea. The current furore over MPs' pay and expenses is another example of the intense suspicion with which MPs who have received money from the state have been regarded from the seventeenth to the twentieth century.
Exploring the Promise of Experimentation in Political Science: Micro-Foundational Insights and Policy Relevance
Authors: Stoker Gerry
Published: February 2010

In the face of scepticism experimenters are looking to move out of niche areas to offer their methods to mainstream political science. But even if the strength of experimental logic in demonstrating causal claims is accepted by political science colleagues there are doubts about the practicality and ethics of experimental work. Experimenters need to address these issues head on by showing how the research practice of experimenting is developing and proving to be viable. The particular claims of experimental work to offer insights into the micro-foundations of political behaviour will have to be advanced. Applications of experimental work could produce a political science of relevance to policy makers and citizens. In order to make advances experimenters will need their strategies to deal with the demands of a complex policy world.
Toddlers' Social‐emotional Competence in the Contexts of Maternal Emotion Socialization and Contingent Responsiveness in a Low‐income Sample
Authors: Brophy‐Herb Holly E. , Schiffman Rachel F. , Bocknek Erika London , Dupuis Sara B. , Fitzgerald Hiram E. , Horodynski Mildred , Onaga Esther , Van Egeren Laurie A. , Hillaker Barbara
Published: February 2010

Early social‐emotional development occurs in the context of parenting, particularly via processes such as maternal emotion socialization and parent–child interactions. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that maternal contingent responsiveness partially mediated the relationship between maternal emotion socialization of toddlers (N = 119, ages 12–36 months) and toddlers' social‐emotional competence. Effect size was strongest for the direct path between maternal emotion socialization and toddler social–emotional competence. Toddler age and maternal demographic risk status (covariates) predicted toddler competence. Study results extend the previous literature on early competencies by focusing on toddlers rather than preschool‐aged children and by employing a contextual model in which both low‐income mothers' emotion socialization and their contingent responsiveness predicted toddlers' competencies.
Science, medicine and virility surveillance: ‘sexy seniors’ in the pharmaceutical imagination
Authors: Marshall Barbara L.
Published: February 2010

While historically sex has been seen primarily as the prerogative of the young, more recently, the emphasis has been on the maintenance of active sexuality as a marker of successful ageing. A new cultural consensus appears to have emerged which not only emphasises the importance of continued sexual activity across the lifespan, but links sexual function with overall health and encourages increased self‐surveillance of, and medical attention to, late‐life sexuality. Drawing on historical accounts, clinical research, popular science reporting and health promotion literatures, I explore several key shifts in models of sexual ageing, culminating in the contemporary model of gender, sexuality and ageing that has made ageing populations a key market for biotechnologies aimed at enhancing sexual function. Two central concepts frame my analysis: ‘virility surveillance’, where age‐related changes in sexual function are taken as indicative of decline, and the ‘pharmaceutical imagination’, where sexual lifecourses are reconstructed as drug effects revise standards of sexual function. After consideration of how narratives emerging from qualitative research with older adults challenge the narrow depiction of sexual functionality promoted by pharmaculture, conclusions call for continued critical inquiry into the biomedical construction of sex and age.
‘A second youth’: pursuing happiness and respectability through cosmetic surgery in Finland
Authors: Kinnunen Taina
Published: February 2010

The paper discusses cosmetic surgery in the Finnish cultural context. It is based on interviews with 22 women and men who underwent surgical procedures, 12 plastic surgeons, and two plastic surgery consultants. The article shows that surgery consumers over 55 years old discuss cosmetic surgery as an investment in a better quality of life. Consumers use cosmetic surgery to resist ageist stereotypes of old people and as compensation for tough life experiences which are believed to cause premature ageing. Although aimed at combatting negative attitudes towards old people, such efforts reproduce an ageist ideology by concealing the very qualities (e.g. wrinkles) associated with ageing. Finally, consumers use cosmetic surgery to correct perceived Finnish physical pathologies, such as heavy foreheads, sagging eyelids, and ‘potato’ noses, which make them seem less white, sadder, and older than they are. The traditional melancholic Finnish body is thus transformed via surgery to represent openness and positiveness – two qualities strongly associated with both youth and the Americanised ideal as it is touted in Finland. The article demonstrates that consumers use cosmetic surgery to transform both physical and emotional states and that cosmetic surgery must be understood as part of national and global cultural processes.
Observing the work of an urban safety‐net psychiatric emergency room: managing the unmanageable
Authors: Lincoln Alisa K. , White Andrew , Aldsworth Casandra , Johnson Peggy , Strunin Lee
Published: February 2010

Staff in the psychiatric emergency room (PER) have demanding jobs requiring a complex balance between the needs and safety of the individual and the community, systemic resources, and job responsibilities while providing timely, effective care. Little research exists concerning day‐to‐day work activities of PER staff, their interaction, and their perceptions of their work. This study explored the work of PER staff and the organisational context of the PER work setting. Observations of staff were conducted in the public spaces of a public urban PER using two observational techniques. The first was designed to measure the types of work activities staff engaged in and the time spent in these work activities (work task data). The second technique was the gathering of observational data by a peripheral‐member‐researcher (participant observation data). Analyses were conducted of both the work task and participant observation data. Results indicate that most PER staff time is spent in administrative and phone tasks, while less than a third is spent on direct clinical work. Four important issues for PER work were identified: a workload that is unmanageable, managing the unmanageable, bogus referrals and dumping and insurance problems. The PER remains the front‐line of the medical and social service systems. Work done in these settings is of critical importance; however little attention is paid to the content and nature of the work. Our study demonstrates that staff of the PER face challenges on many levels as they struggle with the task of working with people presenting in psychiatric and social crisis.
‘But obviously not for me’: robots, laboratories and the defiant identity of elder test users
Authors: Neven Louis
Published: February 2010

This article focuses on participants and researchers who actively tested a prototype – a robot intended to enhance the health of elders. Specifically, this article analyses interactions between robots, elder test users, and robot designers to examine how images of elder users, definitions of health, and ideas about ageing shape the development of technology. The designers imagined the prospective user as a person who would both need and want a health robot. In contrast, test users drew upon stereotypes of old people and imagined the prospective user as a lonely person in need of care and company. To resist this stereotype, they presented themselves as cognitively and physically healthy, independent, and helpful. This image of the helpful test user allowed participants to simultaneously enjoy the robot and position themselves as not old or in need of care. The participants’ views, however, did not influence the designers’ overall view of elder users, and were not incorporated into their design practices. Recognising and taking into account test users’ views on elder technology users – specifically their understanding and rejection of negative stereotypes of old people – could help prevent resistance to (and thus the non‐use of) health technologies by elders.
Aesthetic anti‐ageing surgery and technology: women’s friend or foe?
Authors: Brooks Abigail T.
Published: February 2010

This study investigates women’s attitudes about, and experiences of, aesthetic anti‐ageing surgeries and technologies against the contextual backdrop of the growing commercialisation of medicine in the United States. Drawing from 44 intensive interviews with a spectrum of women between the ages of 47 and 76 who use, refuse, and are currently undecided about whether or not they will have or use aesthetic anti‐ageing surgeries and technologies in the future, this study asks the following question: in what ways does the increasing availability, accessibility, advertising, and use of aesthetic anti‐ageing surgeries and technologies interact with and inform women’s perceptions and attitudes about growing older? Data analysis occurs in dialogue with the paradigms of successful ageing and agelessness and draws from, and contributes new readings of, contemporary cultural constructions of femininity.
Morgellons: contested illness, diagnostic compromise and medicalisation
Authors: Fair Brian
Published: February 2010

The case of Morgellons illustrates how the emergence of a new medically contested illness intersected with and impacted on the diagnostic processes of an existing uncontested psychiatric condition, Delusional Parasitosis (DP). More specifically, the sociopolitical processes at play in the contested illness, Morgellons, dubiously reflect patient empowerment, as well the resilience and power of medical jurisdiction. This research offers insights into the contested illness and medicalisation literatures, and aims to bridge these two approaches towards the relationship between patient empowerment and medical authority, which I do through the notion of doctor‐patient compromise. The data for this research come from a comprehensive qualitative analysis of Morgellons discourse through four key sources: the pro‐Morgellons website Morgellons.org; the anti‐Morgellons website Morgellonswatch.com; the popular media’s portrayal of Morgellons; and the DP and Morgellons articles published in peer‐reviewed medical journals, as made available on PubMed.
The Effectiveness of Corrective Feedback in SLA: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Li Shaofeng
Published: February 2010

This study reports on a meta‐analysis on the effectiveness of corrective feedback in second language acquisition. By establishing a different set of inclusion/exclusion criteria than previous meta‐analyses and performing a series of methodological moves, it is intended to be an update and complement to previous meta‐analyses. Altogether 33 primary studies were retrieved, including 22 published studies and 11 Ph.D. dissertations. These studies were coded for 17 substantive and methodological features, 14 of which were identified as independent and moderator variables. It was found that (a) there was a medium overall effect for corrective feedback and the effect was maintained over time, (b) the effect of implicit feedback was better maintained than that of explicit feedback, (c) published studies did not show larger effects than dissertations, (d) lab‐based studies showed a larger effect than classroom‐based studies, (e) shorter treatments generated a larger effect size than longer treatments, and (f) studies conducted in foreign language contexts produced larger effect sizes than those in second language contexts. Possible explanations for the results were sought through data cross‐tabulation and with reference to the theoretical constructs of SLA.
International Transfer of Policies and Practices of Gender Equality in Employment to and among Muslim Majority Countries
Authors: Özbilgin Mustafa F. , Syed Jawad , Ali Faiza , Torunoglu Dilek
Published: February 2010

This article investigates the premise that it is possible to transpose organizational approaches to equal employment opportunity (EEO) from western countries to Muslim majority countries (MMCs). Drawing on policy interviews and documentary evidence from public sector organizations and international development agencies engaged in the promotion of gender equality in Turkey and Pakistan, we question the effectiveness of diffusion of gender equality policies and practices to and among these two MMCs. Our investigation reveals the primacy of context over essence in developing effective ways to construct EEO policies and practices which can be adopted in MMCs.
Trends over calendar time in antiretroviral treatment success and failure in HIV clinic populations*
Authors: Bansi L , Sabin C , Delpech V , Hill T , Fisher M , Walsh J , Chadborn T , Easterbrook P , Gilson R , Johnson M , Porter K , Anderson J , Gompels M , Leen C , Ainsworth J , Orkin C , Nelson M , Rice B , Phillips A ,   for the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (CHIC) Study and the Health Protection Agency
Published: February 2010

Objective

Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed the care of people with HIV, but it is important to monitor time trends in indicators of treatment success and antic future changes.

Methods

We assessed time trends from 2000 to 2007 in several indicators of treatment success in the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (CHIC) Study, and using national HIV data from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) we developed a model to project future trends.

Results

The proportion of patients on ART with a viral load <50 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL increased from 62% in 2000 to 84% in 2007, and the proportion of all patients with a CD4 count <200 cells/μL decreased from 21% to 10%. During this period, the number of patients who experienced extensive triple class failure (ETCF) rose from 147 (0.9%) to 1771 (3.9%). The number who experienced such ETCF and had a current viral load >50 copies/mL rose fromz 118 (0.7%) to 857 (1.9%). Projections to 2012 suggest sustained high levels of success, with a continued increase in the number of patients who have failed multiple drugs but a relatively stable number of such patients experiencing viral loads >50 copies/mL. Numbers of deaths are projected to remain low.

Conclusions

There have been continued improvements in key indicators of success in patients with HIV from 2000 to 2007. Although the number of patients who have ETCF is projected to rise in the future, the number of such patients with viral loads >50 copies/mL is not projected to increase up to 2012. New drugs may be needed in future to sustain these positive trends.
A Model for Managed Migration? Re‐Examining Best Practices in Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
Authors: Hennebry Jenna L. , Preibisch Kerry
Published: February 2010

This paper situates Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) within the policy and scholarly debates on “best practices” for the management of temporary migration, and examines what makes this programme successful from the perspective of states and employers. Drawing on extensive qualitative and quantitative study of temporary migration in Canada, this article critically examines this seminal temporary migration programme as a “best practice model” from internationally recognized rights‐based approaches to labour migration, and provides some additional best practices for the management of temporary labour migration programmes. This paper examines how the reality of the Canadian SAWP measures up, when the model is evaluated according to internationally recognized best practices and migrant rights regimes. Despite all of the attention to building “best practices” for the management of temporary or managed migration, it appears that Canada has taken steps further away from these and other international frameworks. The analysis reveals that while the Canadian programme involves a number of successful practices, such as the cooperation between origin and destination countries, transparency in the admissions criteria for selection, and access to health care for temporary migrants; the programme does not adhere to the majority of best practices emerging in international forums, such as the recognition of migrants’ qualifications, providing opportunities for skills transfer, avoiding imposing forced savings schemes, and providing paths to permanent residency. This paper argues that as Canada takes significant steps toward the expansion of temporary migration, Canada’s model programme still falls considerably short of being an inspirational model, and instead provides us with little more than an idealized myth.
Moving from pattern to process in fungal symbioses: linking functional traits, community ecology and phylogenetics
Authors: Parrent Jeri L. , Peay Kabir , Arnold A. Elizabeth , Comas Louise H. , Avis Peter , Tuininga Amy
Published: February 2010

Commentary p 871
The effect of wild lactic acid bacteria on the production of goat’s milk soft cheese
Authors: ASTERI IOANNA‐ARETI , KITTAKI NANCY , TSAKALIDOU EFFIE
Published: February 2010

A blend of four wild strains of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei and Enterococcus faecalis, was used as starter to produce a goat’s milk soft cheese. The cheese was analysed microbiologically, physicochemically and organoleptically through a 30‐day period of ripening. Counts of the starter cultures increased in the first 24 h and then remained stable during ripening. Yeasts and coliforms were found at low numbers initially and gradually decreased to undetectable levels. Micrococcal counts were high throughout ripening. The end product was a soft cheese characterised by a mild, aromatic taste as well as a smooth structure.
Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography following intermittent umbilical cord occlusion in the preterm ovine fetus
Authors: Cleal JK , Thomas M , Hanson MA , Paterson‐Brown S , Gardiner HM , Green LR
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Cleal J, Thomas M, Hanson M, Paterson‐Brown S, Gardiner H, Green L. Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography following intermittent umbilical cord occlusion in the preterm ovine fetus. BJOG 2010;117:438–444.

Objective  To investigate whether a noninvasive fetal electrocardiography (fECG) system can identify cardiovascular responses to fetal hypoxaemia and validate the results using standard invasive fECG monitoring techniques.

Design  Prospective cohort study.

Setting  Biological research facilities at The University of Southampton.

Population or Sample  Late gestation ovine fetuses; n = 5.

Methods  Five fetal lambs underwent implantation of vascular catheters, umbilical cord occluder and invasive ECG chest electrodes under general anaesthesia (3% halothane/O2) at 119 days of gestation (term ∼147 days of gestation). After 5 days of recovery blood pressure, blood gases, glucose and pH were monitored. At 124 and 125 days of gestation following a 10‐minute baseline period a 90‐second cord occlusion was applied. Noninvasive fetal ECG was recorded from maternal transabdominal electrodes using advanced signal‐processing techniques, concurrently with invasive fECG recordings.

Main outcome measures  Comparison of T:QRS ratios of the ECG waveform from noninvasive and invasive fECG monitoring systems.

Results  Our fECG monitoring system is able to demonstrate changes in waveforms during periods of hypoxaemia similar to those obtained invasively, which could indicate fetal distress.

Conclusions  These findings may indicate a future use for noninvasive electrocardiography during human fetal monitoring both before and during labour in term and preterm pregnancies.
Outpatient microwave endometrial ablation: 5‐year follow‐up of a randomised controlled trial without endometrial preparation versus standard day surgery with endometrial preparation
Authors: Sambrook AM , Jack SA , Cooper KG
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Sambrook A, Jack S, Cooper K. Outpatient microwave endometrial ablation: 5‐year follow‐up of a randomised controlled trial without endometrial preparation versus standard day surgery with endometrial preparation. BJOG 2010;117:493–496.

The objective was to compare long‐term outcomes following outpatient microwave endometrial ablation in the postmenstrual phase with those following day surgery microwave endometrial ablation after standard drug‐based endometrial preparation. Of the women originally recruited, 154/197 (78%) returned questionnaires. The primary outcome of satisfaction was high in both groups (71% postmenses versus 65% preparation) as were the amenorrhoea rates (84% versus 87%). There was no significant difference in the hysterectomy rates between the two arms. It can be concluded that microwave endometrial ablation outcomes are not affected in the long term by undertaking the procedure in the postmenstrual phase in an outpatient setting.
Systematic review of the effectiveness of antenatal intervention for the treatment of congenital lower urinary tract obstruction
Authors: Morris RK , Malin GL , Khan KS , Kilby MD
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Morris R, Malin G, Khan K, Kilby M. Systematic review of the effectiveness of antenatal intervention for the treatment of congenital lower urinary tract obstruction. BJOG 2010;117:382–390.

Background  Congenital lower urinary tract obstruction is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Antenatal detection has improved with advances in ultrasound technology, and has allowed the option of antenatal intervention.

Objectives  To systematically review the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of antenatal interventions to improve perinatal survival and postnatal renal function in congenital lower urinary tract obstruction.

Search strategy  Extensive electronic searches (database inception 2009) using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keywords, without restrictions. Reference lists of included studies were checked, and all authors were contacted.

Selection criteria  Studies were selected according to a predefined protocol. The included studies were observational or randomised trials, where an intervention was performed in utero to treat congenital lower urinary tract obstruction, compared with another intervention or no treatment.

Data collection and analysis  Data were extracted on study design, quality and results to construct 2 × 2 tables. Meta‐analysis was performed where possible. Peto ORs with 95% CIs were computed.

Main results  Prenatal bladder drainage improved perinatal survival compared with no treatment (OR 3.86, 95% CI 2.00–7.45). This effect was amplified in a subgroup with poor predicted prognosis (OR 12.85, 95% CI 1.25–153.03). However, although treatment increases survival, it appears that the residual risk of poor long‐term postnatal renal function is uncertain (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.13–1.90).

Author’s conclusions  Antenatal bladder drainage appears to improve perinatal survival in cases of congenital lower urinary tract obstruction, but may confer a high residual risk of poor postnatal renal function, based on observational studies. Randomised research with long‐term follow up is necessary to determine the role of antenatal treatment in clinical practice.
Modulation of endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthases during learning of an operant conditioning task
Authors: Rapanelli Maximiliano , Frick Luciana Romina , Zanutto Bonifacio Silvano
Published: February 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 725–734.

Nitric oxide (NO) promotes plasticity and it is essential for learning, the NO synthases involved in these events are the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) isoforms. The aim of this study was to study transcription, protein expression and enzymatic activity of eNOS and nNOS in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus during learning an operant conditioning task. Animals were considered incompletely trained (IT) when performed between 50% and 65% of responses, whereas animals were considered trained when reached 100% of responses with a latency time lower than 5 s. Following training session animals were killed and we quantified mRNA levels by Real Time RT‐PCR, protein expression by western blot and enzymatic activity. eNOS and nNOS mRNA levels were only incremented in IT group. On the contrary, protein expression of both isoforms were augmented during all learning process. Moreover, we also found that eNOS and nNOS synthase activity were incremented in IT group and in trained group. Here, we showed that during learning there is a differential regulation of eNOS and nNOS in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus and that NO could be acting as a promoter of plasticity.
Understanding Women's Risk for HIV Infection Using Social Dominance Theory and the Four Bases of Gendered Power
Authors: Rosenthal Lisa , Levy Sheri R.
Published: February 2010

Theoretical models to date have fallen short of accounting for the alarming worldwide rates of HIV infection in women through heterosexual contact. In this article, social dominance theory and the four bases of gendered power—force, resource control, social obligations, and consensual ideologies—are used to organize and explain international research findings on women's risk of contracting HIV from male sexual partners. Research suggests that the four bases of gendered power contribute to women having less power than men in heterosexual relationships, resulting in challenges to preventing HIV transmission from male partners. Social dominance theory also recognizes the intersections among various group-based hierarchies, such as race and class, thereby helping explain why women of color and low-income women are disproportionately affected by HIV. The intergroup focus of social dominance theory points to gender inequality as increasing men's risk of HIV infection as well, and the construct of social dominance orientation helps to explain individual differences in HIV risk behavior. We discuss the ways the current theoretical framework can prove useful in helping to guide future research addressing the connections between power and HIV risk, including exploring mediators and links to other theoretical models. We also discuss the implications the framework has for intervention efforts aimed at reducing HIV rates worldwide, such as supporting efforts at increasing women's representation in hierarchy-enhancing positions, incorporating empowerment issues into current interventions, promoting use of female condoms, and targeting heterosexual men for interventions.
Politics and the Glass Cliff: Evidence that Women are Preferentially Selected to Contest Hard-to-Win Seats
Authors: Ryan Michelle K. , Haslam S. Alexander , Kulich Clara
Published: February 2010

Recent archival and experimental research has revealed that women are more likely than men to be appointed to leadership positions when an organization is in crisis. As a result, women often confront a “glass cliff” in which their position as leader is precarious. Our first archival study examined the 2005 UK general election and found that, in the Conservative party, women contested harder to win seats than did men. Our second study experimentally investigated the selection of a candidate by 80 undergraduates in a British political science class to contest a by-election in a seat that was either safe (held by own party with a large margin) or risky (held by an opposition party with a large margin). Results indicated that a male candidate was more likely than a woman to be selected to contest a safe seat, but there was a strong preference for a female rather than a male appointment when the seat was described as hard to win. Implications for women's participation in politics are discussed.
Attitudes Toward Cosmetic Surgery in Middle-Aged Women: Body Image, Aging Anxiety, and the Media
Authors: Slevec Julie , Tiggemann Marika
Published: February 2010

Our study investigated factors that influence attitudes toward cosmetic surgery in middle-aged women. A sample of 108 women, aged between 35 and 55 years, completed questionnaire measures of body dissatisfaction, appearance investment, aging anxiety, media exposure (television and magazine), and attitudes toward cosmetic surgery (delineated in terms of general attitudes, social motivations, and actual consideration). Body dissatisfaction, appearance investment, aging anxiety, and both media variables predicted some facet of attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. Specifically, appearance investment, aging anxiety, and television exposure were unique predictors of endorsement of social motivations for cosmetic surgery, whereas body dissatisfaction, appearance investment, and television exposure were unique predictors of actual consideration of cosmetic surgery. Regression analysis revealed that the effects of media on cosmetic surgery attitudes were primarily direct. We concluded that there are multiple influences on attitudes toward cosmetic surgery for women of middle age.
The evolution of water transport in plants: an integrated approach
Authors: PITTERMANN J.
Published: February 2010

This review examines the evolution of the plant vascular system from its beginnings in the green algae to modern arborescent plants, highlighting the recent advances in developmental, organismal, geochemical and climatological research that have contributed to our understanding of the evolution of xylem. Hydraulic trade‐offs in vascular structure–function are discussed in the context of canopy support and drought and freeze–thaw stress resistance. This qualitative and quantitative neontological approach to palaeobotany may be useful for interpreting the water‐transport efficiencies and hydraulic limits in fossil plants. Large variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are recorded in leaf stomatal densities, and may have had profound impacts on the water conservation strategies of ancient plants. A hypothesis that links vascular function with stomatal density is presented and examined in the context of the evolution of wood and/or vessels. A discussion of the broader impacts of plant transport on hydrology and climate concludes this review.
Arsenic release and attenuation in low organic carbon aquifer sediments from West Bengal
Authors: HÉRY M. , VAN DONGEN B. E. , GILL F. , MONDAL D. , VAUGHAN D. J. , PANCOST R. D. , POLYA D. A. , LLOYD J. R.
Published: February 2010

High arsenic concentrations in groundwater are causing a humanitarian disaster in Southeast Asia. It is generally accepted that microbial activities play a critical role in the mobilization of arsenic from the sediments, with metal‐reducing bacteria stimulated by organic carbon implicated. However, the detailed mechanisms underpinning these processes remain poorly understood. Of particular importance is the nature of the organic carbon driving the reduction of sorbed As(V) to the more mobile As(III), and the interplay between iron and sulphide minerals that can potentially immobilize both oxidation states of arsenic. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we identified the critical factors leading to arsenic release from West Bengal sediments. The results show that a cascade of redox processes was supported in the absence of high loadings of labile organic matter. Arsenic release was associated with As(V) and Fe(III) reduction, while the removal of arsenic was concomitant with sulphate reduction. The microbial populations potentially catalysing arsenic and sulphate reduction were identified by targeting the genes arrA and dsrB, and the total bacterial and archaeal communities by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Results suggest that very low concentrations of organic matter are able to support microbial arsenic mobilization via metal reduction, and subsequent arsenic mitigation through sulphate reduction. It may therefore be possible to enhance sulphate reduction through subtle manipulations to the carbon loading in such aquifers, to minimize the concentrations of arsenic in groundwaters.
Attitude markers in business management research articles: a cross‐cultural corpus‐driven approach
Authors: Dueñas Pilar Mur
Published: February 2010

The expression of attitudinal meaning is negotiated in research articles (RAs) on the basis of shared disciplinary values. The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of the broader cultural context in the expression of attitudinal values, trying to ascertain to what extent language/culture values may be overridden by disciplinary ones. Thus, the paper explores attitude markers in a corpus of RAs from Business Management in two different sociocultural contexts: international American and local Spanish. Overall, results indicate a similar frequency of use and tendencies in the rhetorical purposes of attitude markers in the two sub‐corpora. It could be concluded that a common set of disciplinary values is shared by scholars from these two cultural contexts in this field when publishing their RAs.

La expresión de contenidos atitudinales se negocia en los artículos de investigación con arreglo a valores disciplinares compartidos por sus miembros. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar el papel del contexto cultural más amplio en el que se enmarca el artículo de investigación publicado en la expresión de valores atitudinales, con el propósito de discernir hasta qué punto los valores disciplinares pueden suprimir aquellos de índole lingüística/cultural. Así, el artículo analiza el uso de marcadores atitudinales en un corpus de artículos de investigación en Dirección y Organización de Empresas en dos contextos socio culturales diferentes: el norteamericano (internacional) y el español (local). En términos generales, los resultados indican una frecuencia de uso y tendencias en los propósitos retóricos de los marcadores atitudinales similares en los dos corpora. De estos resultados se infiere que existe un conjunto de valores disciplinares compartidos por ambos grupos de autores, pertenecientes a distintos ámbitos socioculturales, pero al mismo campo disciplinar, a la hora de publicar sus artículos de investigación.
Securitisation and Banks’ Net Interest Margins*
Authors: KIRKWOOD JOSHUA
Published: February 2010

This article develops a theoretical model of the effect of securitisation on banks’ net interest margins (NIMs). The model incorporates a dual role for securitisation. The direct effect accounts for the influence of securitisation on banks’ funding costs. The indirect effect recognises that the development of securitisation markets made it possible for mortgage originators to compete with banks, which contributed to a decline in banks’ market power and a fall in their NIMs. In estimating the model econometrically, this article finds evidence that both the direct and indirect effects worked to reduce Australian banks’ NIMs prior to the onset of the credit crisis.
Good and Bad Consistency in Regulatory Decisions*
Authors: MENEZES FLAVIO M. , ROESSLER CHRISTIAN
Published: February 2010

We examine sources of consistent regulatory decisions in a model where regulators respond to mixed incentives, including career concerns. In the reference case, regulators act as ‘public servants’ who strive to make the socially optimal decision, given limited information and the opportunity to observe the prior decision of another regulator. The addition of career concerns, such as a desire to avoid controversy or to implement a future employer's preferred policy, tends to reduce the degree of differentiation in sequentially taken decisions, hence increasing consistency. Therefore, it is possible to observe that the self‐interested career concerns of regulators give rise to consistency in regulatory decision making. This type of consistency might lead to substantial deviations from optimal regulatory policies.