bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Activity, Stability and Selectivity Comparison of Propioin Synthesis by Thiamine Diphosphate‐Dependent Enzymes in a Solid/Gas Bioreactor
Authors: Mikolajek Renaud , Spiess Antje C. , Pohl Martina , Lamare Sylvain , Büchs Jochen
Published: May 2007

Enzymatic carboligation in a solid/gas bioreactor represents a new challenge in biotechnology. In this paper, the continuous gas‐phase production of propioin from two propanal molecules by using thiamine diphosphate‐dependent enzymes was studied. Two enzymes were used, namely benzaldehyde lyase (BAL) from Pseudomonas fluorescens and benzoylformate decarboxylase (BFD) from Pseudomonas putida. The enzymes are homologous and catalyze carboligase and carbolyase reactions in which no external cofactor regeneration is needed. The influence of water and substrate activity on the initial reaction rate and biocatalyst stability was investigated. An increase in water activity raised the initial reaction rates to the maximal values of 250 and 80 U g−1 for BAL and BFD, respectively. The half‐life showed the same trend with maximal values of 50 and 78 min for BAL and BFD, respectively. The increase in the half‐life by increasing water activity was unexpected. It was also observed that BFD is more stable than BAL in the presence of the substrate propanal. Both enzymes showed substrate inhibition in the kinetic studies, and BAL was also deactivated during the reaction. Unexpectedly, the stereoselectivity of both enzymes (ee of 19 % for BAL and racemic mixture for BFD) was significantly impaired in the gas phase compared to the liquid phase.
Gold‐Catalyzed Cyanosilylation Reaction: Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Pathways
Authors: Cho Woo Kyung , Lee Jungkyu K. , Kang Sung Min , Chi Young Shik , Lee Hee‐Seung , Choi Insung S.
Published: May 2007

Gold had been considered to be an extremely inert metal, but recently it was found that nanometer‐sized gold particles on metal‐oxide supports acted as catalysts for simple organic reactions, such as oxidation and hydrogenation, even at or below room temperature. Herein, we report that gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of zero oxidation state (Au0) are catalytically active for a CC bond‐forming reaction, the cyanosilylation of aldehydes. The AuNP‐catalyzed cyanosilylation proceeded smoothly at room temperature with 0.2 wt % loading of AuNPs. The reactions of aromatic aldehydes were almost quantitative, except for benzaldehyde derivatives containing the electron‐withdrawing NO2 group, and α,β‐unsaturated aromatic aldehydes were the most reactive substrates. The reactions also went smoothly for aliphatic aldehydes. Mechanistic studies indicated that the reactions proceeded both homogeneously and heterogeneously: homogeneous catalysis by leached gold species and heterogeneous catalysis by the adsorption of the reactants (aldehydes and trimethylsilyl cyanide) onto AuNPs. The ratio of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis was estimated to be ≈4:1.
Chemical Anisotropies of Carbon Nanotubes and Fullerenes Caused by the Curvature Directivity
Authors: Li Junqian , Jia Guixiao , Zhang Yongfan
Published: May 2007

The directional‐curvature theory is developed as a rational basis for the strain energy and the chemical reactivity in single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and fullerenes. The directional curvature KD and its mean KM, derived from this theory, cover the overall curvatures of their bonds and atoms and break through the limitations of the pyramidalized‐angle θp approach, which is only available to atomic curvature. The directional‐curvature theory demonstrates that KD and KM depend directly on the strain or reactive binding energies of the bonds and atoms and that there is approximate curvature conservation in SWCNTs and fullerenes. Application of this theory to addition reactions of various SWCNTs and fullerenes shows that the slope of the straight line between the strain or binding energies and KD is close to a constant, which helps clarify the puzzle as to why some functionalizations of C70 occur at the relatively flat midsection.
Fabrication, Characterization, and Surface‐Enhanced Raman Activity Study of Silver Coated Gold Nanoparticulate Films
Authors: Fang Jing‐Huai , Zhong Chong‐Gui , Mu Ren‐Wang , Shi Jian‐Zhen , Ge Cun‐Wang
Published: May 2007

This paper reports a study on the preparation of Ag‐clad Au colloidal monolayer films by a combination of colloid self‐assembly and liquid phase microwave high‐pressure technique. Firstly, monodisperse Au nanoparticles prepared by microwave heating method were assembled onto a quartz slide. Then, these Au colloidal particles on the quartz surface acted as seeds for growing the Ag‐clad Au composite particulate films. The obtained particulate films were characterized by UV‐Vis spectra and atomic force microscopy. It was found that the thickness of the shell and thus the size of particles in the composite colloidal films could be controlled by deposition of Ag on the preformed Au colloidal particle film in the microwave reaction system, and such films significantly increased the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering enhancement (SERS) ability compared with Au colloidal particle films. Their strong enhancement ability may mainly stem from relatively large particle consisting of Ag cladding as well as effective coupling among particles in the Ag‐clad Au particle films.
Unusual Cycloadducts from the Dipolar Cycloaddition of Allenyl Perfluoroalkyl Sulfones to Nitrones
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Jin , Liu Jin‐Tao
Published: May 2007

The dipolar cycloaddition reaction of allenyl perfluoroalkyl sulfones (1) to nitrones (2) was described. Unlike nonfluorine‐containing allenyl sulfones, 1 reacted readily with 2 in ether at room temperature and unusual zwitterionic cycloadducts (3) were obtained in good yields due to the strong electron‐withdrawing effect of perfluoroalkyl groups. The structure of 3 was characterized by spectral analyses and X‐ray crystallography.
A Convenient and Environmentally Benign Method of Reducing Aryl Ketones or Aldehydes by Zinc Powder in an Aqueous Alkaline Solution
Authors: Zhang Chao‐Zhi , Yang Hui , Wu De‐Lin , Lu Guo‐Yuan
Published: May 2007

A convenient and environmentally benign method for reducing the carbonyl group in hydroxy‐ and amino‐ 9,10‐anthracenediones, ortho (or para) acyl phenols and acyl anilines to a methylene group by zinc powder in an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was reported. Based on theoretical calculations using the density functional theory (DFT), the mechanism of these reduction reactions was postulated. This mechanism can be applied to help predicting the reduced products of aryl ketones (or aldehydes) in an alkaline solution.
Synthesis and Characterization of New Material‐‐La/Zr/MMT Employed in Acetone Oxidation
Authors: Fan Li‐Ping , Chen Min , Zhang Yi‐Gai , Zhou Ren‐Xian , Zheng Xiao‐Ming
Published: May 2007

A new material of zirconium pillared montmorillonite added with lanthanum (denoted as La/Zr/MMT) was prepared for acetone oxidation. Surface properties of the catalysts were investigated by means of XRD, TEM, TG‐DTA and BET methods. The XRD result indicated that the interlayer space of the montmorillonite was enlarged from 1.57 to 4.85 nm after the treatment with zirconium pillaring and the addition of lanthanum. N2 adsorption‐desorption result showed that by the process of zirconium pillaring, the specific surface area of the sample was increased to 128.0 m2/g, which was two times almost as large as pure montmorillonite. Simultaneously, the thermal stability was also enhanced. The activity of the new material on the total oxidation of acetone was investigated, and the results indicated that the catalytic activity of the montmorillonite was greatly improved. Over the sample of La/Zr/MMT, the T98 of acetone was obtained at 350 °C, while it needs 400 °C over the pure montmorillonite. After 0.1% Pd was supported on the sample of La/Zr/MMT, the T98 decreased from 350 to 280 °C, indicating the montmorillonite is a promising material for the control of some types of the volatile organic compounds such as acetone.
Two New C‐21 Steroidal Glycosides from the Stems of Stephanotis mucronata
Authors: Li Xiao‐Yu , Chen Feng‐Yang , Ye Yi‐Ping , Pan Yuan‐Jiang
Published: May 2007

Two new C‐21 steroidal glycosides, mucronatosides M(1) and N(2), were isolated from the stems of Stephanotis mucronata, together with one known compound stephanoside M(3). On the basis of chemical evidence and extensive spectroscopic methods, including one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional NMR, the structures of the two new compounds were identified as 12‐O‐tigloyl‐20‐O‐N‐methylanthraniloyl sarcostin 3‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐6‐deoxy‐3‐O‐methyl‐β‐D‐allopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐(‐D‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1→4)‐β‐D‐cymaropyranoside (1), and 12‐O‐ cinnamoyl‐20‐O‐nicotinoyl(20S)‐pregn‐6‐ene‐3(,5(,8β,12β,14(,17β,20‐heptanol 3‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐6‐deoxy‐3‐O‐methyl‐β‐D‐allopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐β‐D‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1→4)‐(‐D‐cymaropyranoside (2).
Secretory activity in medullary thyroid carcinoma: A cytomorphological and immunocytochemical study
Authors: Das Dilip K. , Mallik Mrinmay K. , George Sara S. , Sheikh Zaffar A. , Pathan Shahed K. , Haji Bahiyah E. , Al‐Quaddomi Suad A. , Mirza Kahvic , Ajrawi M. Tareq , Amir Thasneem , Dey Pranab , Francis, Issam M.
Published: May 2007

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a relatively rare thyroid malignancy of C‐cell origin that secretes calcitonin. Although its varied cytomorphologic features are well described in literature, very little is mentioned about the morphologic manifestation of its secretory activity. This study, based on nine fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples from eight MTC patients, is an attempt to present the varied cytomorphologic features suggesting secretory activity in MTC as observed in Papanicolaou and MGG stained FNA smears and correlate them with the immunocytochemical (ICC) staining for calcitonin performed on FNA smears and the serum calcitonin values. The average number of cells in these nine samples was as follows: oval/triangular/plasmacytoid (56.7%), small round (23.6%), spindle‐shaped (12.7%), and miscellaneous (7.1%). The cytomorphological features suggesting secretory activity, viz., fine cytoplasmic vacuoles, azurophillic granules, marginal vacuoles, and intracytoplasmic lumina (ICL) with secretions were present in eight, eight, five, and six samples, respectively. Material likely to be amyloid, based on morphological features, was present extracellularly in three samples and both intracellularly and extracellularly in six samples. Immunocytochemically, all the nine samples stained for calcitonin and all the three stained for chromogranin showed positive cytoplasmic reaction in the neoplstic cells. The background amyloid (in six samples), the coarse cytoplasmic granules (in two samples), and the contents of ICL (in one sample) were found to be positively stained for calcitonin. The intracytoplasmic secretory material appeared to be diffusing out of some cells both in the routine MGG stained smears and in the smears stained for calcitonin. Histopathology reports of seven samples in six patients confirmed the cytodiagnosis of MTC in all. Baseline serum calcitonin values in three cases and postoperative serum calcitonin levels during follow‐up in three others were high. Thus, our study highlighted the morphological manifestations of secretory activity in MTC and the nature of secretory material as calcitonin, supported by immunocytochemical staining and serum calcitonin level. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2007;35:329–337. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fine‐needle aspiration cytology of medullary breast carcinoma: Report of two cases and review of the literature with emphasis on differential diagnosis
Authors: Racz Melinda M. , Pommier Rodney F. , Troxell Megan L.
Published: May 2007

Medullary carcinoma is a rare variant of breast carcinoma with a relatively good clinical prognosis as strictly defined. Characteristic features on fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) allow medullary carcinoma to be considered in the cytologic differential diagnosis. We present two FNAC cases with such features, including high cellularity with clusters and single intact malignant cells, bizarre stripped nuclei with prominent nucleoli in a lymphoplasmacytic background, and illustrate one case in liquid‐based preparation. Surgical excision revealed that one patient had medullary carcinoma, while the second patient had high‐grade infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Breast FNAC samples with syncytial fragments, bizarre nuclei with prominent nucleoli, and a chronic inflammatory infiltrate should raise the possibility of medullary carcinoma. However, the differential diagnosis also includes high‐grade ductal carcinoma, lymphoma, or metastasis to breast or intramammary lymph nodes; thus, histopathologic analysis is required for definitive diagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2007;35:313–318. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Critical and sensitive periods for reversing the effects of mechanosensory deprivation on behavior, nervous system, and development in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Rai Susan , Rankin Catharine H.
Published: May 2007

In these studies the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was used as a model to investigate ways to reverse the effects of mechanosensory deprivation on behavior and development. Rose et al. (J Neurosci 2005; 25:7159–7168) showed that worms reared in isolation responded significantly less to a mechanical tap stimulus, were significantly smaller, and expressed significantly lower levels of a postsynaptic glutamate receptor subunit on the command interneurons of the tap response circuit and a presynaptic vesicle marker in the tap sensory neurons compared with worms raised in groups. Here, brief mechanical stimulation at any time throughout development reversed the effects of isolation on the response to tap and on postsynaptic glutamate receptor expression on the command interneurons, suggesting there is no critical period for these measures. In contrast to the high level of plasticity in glutamate receptor subunit expression on the interneurons, low levels of stimulation only rescued vesicle expression in the tap sensory neurons early in development and progressively higher levels of stimulation were required as the worm developed, suggesting a sensitive period immediately after hatching, followed by a period of decreasing plasticity. Stimulation during the first three stages of larval development, but not later, rescued the effects of isolation on worm length, suggesting there is a critical period for this measure that ends in the third larval stage. These results indicate that different effects of early isolation required different amounts and/or timing of stimulation to be reversed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2007.
Generation of transgenic tendon reporters, ScxGFP and ScxAP, using regulatory elements of the scleraxis gene
Authors: Pryce Brian A. , Brent Ava E. , Murchison Nicholas D. , Tabin Clifford J. , Schweitzer Ronen
Published: May 2007

Defects in tendon patterning and differentiation are seldom assessed in mouse mutants due to the difficulty in visualizing connective tissue structures. To facilitate tendon analysis, we have generated mouse lines harboring two different transgene reporters, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and green fluorescent protein (GFP), each expressed using regulatory elements derived from the endogenous Scleraxis (Scx) locus. Scx encodes a transcription factor expressed in all developing tendons and ligaments as well as in their progenitors. Both the ScxGFP and ScxAP transgenes are expressed in patterns recapitulating almost entirely the endogenous developmental expression of Scx including very robust expression in the tendons and ligaments. These reporter lines will facilitate isolation of tendon cells and phenotypic analysis of these tissues in a variety of genetic backgrounds. Developmental Dynamics, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional impairment associated with bulimic behaviors in a community sample of men and women
Authors: Mond Jonathan M. , Hay Phillipa J.
Published: May 2007

Objective:

To examine functional impairment associated with bulimic behaviors in a community sample of men and women.

Method:

Binge eating, purging, fasting, extreme weight and shape concerns, and “days‐out‐of‐role” were assessed in a community sample of men (n = 1,290) and women (n = 1,757) aged 15–94 years.

Results:

Participants who reported regular eating disorder behaviors had higher levels of functional impairment than those who did not. This was the case for both men and women and for each of the behaviors assessed, although differences between purgers and nonpurgers were not statistically significant. Also in both men and women, participants who reported eating disorder behaviors and weight or shape concerns had higher levels of impairment than those who reported these behaviors in the absence of weight or shape concerns. In multivariate analysis, binge eating, fasting and weight or shape concerns all contributed to the likelihood of impairment in men, whereas only the presence of weight or shape concerns was significantly associated with impairment in women.

Conclusion:

Whereas bulimic behaviors are associated with elevated levels of functional impairment in both men and women, weight or shape concerns may be more central to the experience of this impairment in women. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2007
Assessment of binge eating in overweight youth using a questionnaire version of the child eating disorder examination with instructions
Authors: Goldschmidt Andrea B. , Doyle Angela Celio , Wilfley Denise E.
Published: May 2007

Objective:

Existing self‐report methods for assessing eating disorder (ED) symptoms in youth do not adequately measure binge eating and lack sufficient psychometric support. The Youth Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire (YEDE‐Q), a self‐report version of the Child Eating Disorder Examination (ChEDE), was designed to assess the spectrum of ED psychopathology in youth.

Method:

The YEDE‐Q was compared to the ChEDE and the Questionnaire for Eating and Weight Patterns‐Adolescent version (QEWP‐A) in a sample of 35 overweight adolescents aged 12–17.

Results:

The YEDE‐Q showed significant agreement (ps < .001) with the ChEDE on all four subscale scores, the global score, and measurement of objective bulimic episodes. The YEDE‐Q and the QEWP‐A showed significant agreement (ps < .001) on the measurement of shape and weight concerns.

Conclusion:

The YEDE‐Q appears promising in the assessment of eating‐related pathology in overweight adolescents, but remains in need of validation in children and ED populations. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2007
Relative reinforcing value of exercise in inpatients with anorexia nervosa: Model development and pilot data
Authors: Schebendach Janet E. , Klein Diane A. , Foltin Richard W , Devlin Michael J. , Walsh B. Timothy
Published: May 2007

Objective:

This study sought to quantify, among patients hospitalized for the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN), the reinforcing value of exercise, defined as the amount of work a patient would expend for the opportunity to exercise.

Method:

Sixteen inpatients with AN performed a computerized progressive ratio (PR) task for the opportunity to exercise for either 15 or 30 min, or a monetary voucher. Exercise “breakpoint” was calculated and compared with clinical measures.

Results:

Patients performed an average of 1134.4 (±751.2) button presses for exercise. Exercise breakpoint was significantly correlated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; r = .728, p = .001), and there was a trend toward a correlation with the Commitment to Exercise Scale (CES; Davis, 1993; r = .490, p = .054).

Conclusion:

Results support the feasibility and potential utility of this novel application of the PR task to quantify the reinforcing value of exercise in AN. The association between exercise and depression is consistent with some prior studies in AN. The trend toward an association with CES scores suggests that breakpoint captures an aspect of the motivation for exercise in this population. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2007
Differential capacity of T cell priming in naive donors of promiscuous CD4+ T cell epitopes of HCV NS3 and Core proteins
Authors: Castelli Florence A. , Leleu Mélanie , Pouvelle‐Moratille Sandra , Farci Sandrine , Zarour Hassane M. , Andrieu Muriel , Auriault Claude , Ménez André , Georges Bertrand , Maillere Bernard
Published: May 2007

To understand the inter‐individual and virus‐independent variability of CD4+ T cell responses to HCV components, we evaluated the effect on these responses of HLA II molecules in uninfected healthy donors. Using HLA II‐specific binding assays, we identified, in the Core and NS3 proteins, 21 long fragments and 24 15‐mer peptides that bound to four to eight of the most preponderant HLA II molecules. We then evaluated the priming capacity of eight long promiscuous peptides in 12 HLA‐unrelated healthy donors. The NS3 1250–1264 peptide primed T cells in all the naive donors, while five others were stimulating in at least half of the individuals. We also report sequences that bind to multiple HLA II molecules but are weakly immunogenic. We therefore conclude that (i) broad HLA II specificity is only a prerequisite for a peptide to be stimulating in multiple individuals, and (ii) promiscuous peptides widely differ in their capacity to prime CD4+ T cells from uninfected healthy donors. We suggest that these priming differences result from inter‐individual variations in the peptide‐specific T cell repertoire. Interestingly, five of the most immunogenic peptides we identified correspond to frequently targeted T cell epitopes in infected patients.
Preferred Phosphorus Ylide Formation Upon Alkylation of Lithiobis(diphenylphosphanyl)acetonitrile
Authors: Braun Leonie , Kehr Gerald , Blömker Tobias , Fröhlich Roland , Erker Gerhard
Published: May 2007

Deprotonation of the readily available chelate phosphane bis(diphenylphosphanyl)acetonitrile (6) leads to stabilized carbanion system 7. Lithiobis(diphenylphosphanyl)acetonitrile (7) features a unique thf‐stabilized monomeric structure in the crystal form with a short cyanonitrogen–Li contact. Alkylation of 7 with n‐alkyl bromides (R–Br, R = ethyl, n‐propyl, n‐butyl, n‐hexyl) takes place selectively at one phosphorus atom to yield stabilized ylides 8a–d (two examples characterized by X‐ray diffraction). Treatment of 7 with the more reactive alkylation agents methyl iodide or benzyl bromide results in alkylation at both phosphorus atoms to give delocalized bis(phosphonium)ylides 9a,b (both characterized by X‐ray diffraction). Similarly, the reaction of 7 with 1,3‐dibromopropane or 1,4‐dibromobutane yields six‐ and seven‐membered heterocyclic bis(phosphonium)ylides 10a,b, respectively. The spectroscopic characterization and X‐ray crystal structure analysis again indicate the presence of delocalized Ph2RP–C(CN)–PRPh2 substructures. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
Heck Reactions of α‐ or β‐Substituted Enol Ethers with Aryl Bromides Catalysed by a Tetraphosphane/Palladium Complex – Direct Access to Acetophenone or 1‐Arylpropanone Derivatives
Authors: Battace Ahmed , Feuerstein Marie , Lemhadri Mhamed , Zair Touriya , Doucet Henri , Santelli Maurice
Published: May 2007

cis,cis,cis‐1,2,3,4‐Tetrakis(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)cyclopentane/[PdCl(C3H5)]2 efficiently catalyses the Heck reaction of α‐ and β‐substituted enol ethers with aryl bromides. The arylation of 1‐phenyl‐1‐(trimethylsilyloxy)ethylene led directly to the 2‐aryl‐1‐phenylethanones. Similar reaction rates were observed with electron‐rich, electron‐deficient or sterically congested aryl bromides. Heck reaction with benzyl isopropenyl ether gave a mixture of isomers. However, this mixture gave selectively the 1‐arylpropanones after hydrolysis. Employing β‐methoxystyrene, 3‐ethoxyacrylonitrile or methyl 3‐methoxyacrylate, the regioselective α‐arylation of these enol ethers was observed in all cases, but mixtures of (Z) and (E) isomers were generally obtained, which in many cases yielded a single ketone product after acid treatment. The stereoselectivity of this reaction depends on steric and electronic factors, and better stereoselectivities in favour of (Z) isomers were observed with electron‐rich or sterically congested aryl bromides. Higher yields were obtained for this reaction with electron‐rich or sterically congested aryl bromides than with electron‐poor aryl bromides. These observations suggest that the rate‐limiting step of the catalytic cycle is not the oxidative addition of the aryl bromide to the palladium complex with these substituted enol ethers.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
Assessment of probability of collapse and design for collapse safety
Authors: Zareian Farzin , Krawinkler Helmut
Published: May 2007

This paper illustrates a probabilistic‐based methodology for quantifying the collapse potential of structural systems, which can provide us with more accurate estimates of losses induced by earthquakes. Applications of this methodology for assessment of collapse potential of existing buildings and design for collapse safety are demonstrated by equations and example. The collapse potential is represented by the probability of collapse at discrete hazard levels and on an annualized basis (mean annual frequency). The basic ingredient of the proposed methodology is a ‘collapse fragility curve’ which expresses the probability of collapse as a function of the selected ground motion intensity measure. The process for estimating the collapse fragility using scalar and vector‐valued ground motion intensity measure is demonstrated. The proposed assessment and design processes do incorporate the effect of aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. It was shown by example that the uncertainties, both aleatory and epistemic, have a significant effect on the outcome of the conceptual design for collapse safety. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimum alcohol taxation: Balancing consumption and external costs
Authors: Richardson Jeffrey , Crowley Steven
Published: May 2007

This paper considers alternative approaches to the evaluation of the total cost of alcohol consumption in Australia. It calculates the impact of alternative tax rates on beer, wine and spirits separately and the ‘consumption cost’ of these taxes in terms of the distortion caused to consumption patterns. Two separate analyses are carried out. First optimal taxation is calculated which minimises the total loss from the ‘consumption cost’ of taxation plus the external cost of alcohol consumption. Secondly, the benefits of life are separated from other benefits and the impact of tax expressed in terms of the cost per life year gained. Conceptualised in this way, the results of this ‘tax’ program may be expressed in the same way as other health programs, namely as a net cost per life year gained. Alcohol taxation may then be compared with other life saving interventions.

The chief conclusion reached is that in Australia there is a very compelling case for a new tax base and for a very significant increase in the rate of alcohol taxation.
The determinants of hospital utilisation: Implications for resource allocation in England
Authors: Benzeval Michaela , Judge Ken
Published: May 2007

Since 1976 various attempts have been made to ensure that NHS resources available for hospital and related services in England are allocated in proportion to the health care needs of different areas. The current method is based on analyses of the links between observed patterns of in‐patient utilization and the characteristics of the populations of small areas. There are a number of practical difficulties with this approach, however, and so the search continues for new analytical techniques.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how household survey data about 12,729 English adults could be used to inform resource allocation decisions. Health care need indicators can be developed based on Census information and odds ratios derived from logistic regression analyses of the relationships between hospital utilization, health status, socio‐demographic characteristics and area indicators of supply.

The results suggest that health status is the most important determinant of hospital utilization, although demographic and socio‐economic factors also have some influence. In addition to the personal characteristics of individual respondents, area correlates of health care supply are also positively associated with reported utilization.

The final part of the paper illustrates how weighted population estimates might be calculated on the basis of empirically‐derived indicators of health care need.
A cost utility analysis of treatment options for gallstone disease: Methodological issues and results
Authors: Cook Johanna , Richardson Jeff , Street Andrew
Published: May 2007

The techniques of cost utility analysis (CUA) were used to evaluate the treatment of gallstone disease by open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy and by extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL). The application of the techniques in this context raised three methodological questions which are not satisfactorily resolved in the literature.

The first is whether an ex ante or ex post perspective is best adopted for the measurement of quality of life (QoL). The second is the method for converting a short term deterioration in QoL followed by full health into QALYs and the reliability of the methods available. The third is the issue of indirect costs which, in the context of a temporary disease state, cannot be easily avoided.

The economic evaluation found laparoscopic cholecystectomy to be generally superior than the competitor technologies (entailing lower costs and better outcomes). However, the results were sensitive to assumptions about the perspective for measuring benefits and the inclusion of indirect costs.
Life quality assessment of breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant therapy using incomplete data
Authors: Busch Petra , Schwendener Peter , Leu Robert E. , Von Dach Brigitte , Castiglione Monica
Published: May 2007

Previous research on the effects of adjuvant treatment for women with operable breast cancer focused exclusively on disease‐free and overall survival. In this study we evaluate life quality of premenopausal node‐positive breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for at least three months. For the first time, a modified latent variable model is used to assess treatment outcome in a prospective clinical trial. This poses a number of econometric problems which did not occur in the preceding studies. One of them is how to deal with patients whose records are incomplete. The data are provided by the International Breast Cancer Study Group (study VI).

The results indicate that the lowest dose treatment improves life quality faster than the remaining three alternatives. At the end of the 24 months observation period no significant differences between the four treatment options remain. Although the lowest dose treatment is also the least costly no definite conclusion regarding cost‐effectiveness can be drawn at this stage since survival data is not yet available.
Willingness to pay for diagnostic services. A new approach to modelling patient benefits in health care
Authors: Ried Walter
Published: May 2007

The paper investigates the benefit the patient derives from medical diagnosis. By considering explicitly the prospects with respect to both health and monetary consequences resulting from a decision taken by the physician, a fairly general approach to discuss diagnostic services is developed. The willingness to pay of the patient is taken to be measured by his compensating option price, evaluated with respect to the reference state without further diagnostic information. Of particular interest are conditions governing positivity of the patient benefit. Imposing additional restrictions upon individual preferences considerably simplifies the analysis by relying on a loss function. The final section discusses the role of the patient benefit as regards cost‐benefit analysis of diagnostic services. If health insurance is available providing at least partial coverage, a positive willingness to pay of the patient net of diagnostic cost can be shown to give no clue as to whether utilization of a diagnostic service is beneficial to society in the sense of cost‐benefit analysis.
Measuring inequalities in health in the presence of multiple‐category morbidity indicators
Authors: Wagstaff Adam , Van Doorslaer Eddy
Published: May 2007

This paper considers the problems which arise in seeking to measure socioeconomic inequalities in health when the health indicator is a categorical variable, such as self‐assessed health. It shows that the standard approach—which involves dichotomizing the categorical variable—is unreliable. The degree of measured inequality is found to depend on the cut‐off point chosen and the choice of cut‐off point to affect the conclusions one can reach about trends in or differences in health inequality. The paper goes on to propose an alternative approach which involves constructing a latent health variable and then measuring inequalities in this latent variable by means of a variant of the health concentration curve.
Costs, effects and C/E‐ratios alongside a clinical trial
Authors: Van Hout Ben A. , Al Maiwenn J. , Gordon Gilad S. , Rutten Frans F. H.
Published: May 2007

A general approach is discussed to assess the uncertainty surrounding the cost effectiveness ratio (C/E‐ratio) estimated on the basis of data from a randomised clinical trial. The approach includes the calculation of a 95% probability ellipse and introduces the concept of a so called C/E‐acceptability curve. This last curve defines for each predefined C/E‐ratio the probability that the C/E‐ratio found in the study is acceptable. The approach is illustrated by estimates of costs per life saved and costs per patient discharged alive on the basis of data from a phase II trial addressing the value of anakinra in treating sepsis syndrome.
The cost of rationing medical care by insurance coverage and by waiting
Authors: Feldman Roger
Published: May 2007

This paper raises the question of the least‐cost institutional mechanism to secure the value of certainty by reducing risk over the purchase of medical care. Two methods of reducing risk are evaluated: financing medical care with ‘complete insurance’, that is, ready access to medical care that is free at the point of purchase; and rationing by waiting time in a national health service that supplies a limited volume of medical care. The first system corresponds to the type of insurance held by most people in the United States, while the latter represents a stylized model of a national health service. The cost of over‐utilization of services by insured consumers in the U.S. is substantial ‐ larger on a per‐family basis, and far larger for the nation, than the cost of under‐utilization by those who lack insurance. The cost of rationing by waiting is estimated to be between $541 and $828 per family (in 1984 dollars). Thus, both systems involve costly mis‐allocation of resources.
The impact of indirect costs on outcomes of health care programs
Authors: Koopmanschap Marc A. , Rutten Frans F. H.
Published: May 2007

The impact of including indirect costs of disease (as a result of absence from work, disability and mortality) on outcomes of economic evaluations of specific health care programs is analyzed. For eight health care programs, changes in indirect costs are estimated using the friction cost method, that seeks to estimate the economic losses due to disease or the economic gains of health care programs. The impact of indirect costs on outcomes varies considerably across programs. Indirect costs tend to play an important role if health care programs produce health effects in the short run, if (short term) absence from work is affected considerably and if a significant proportion of the target population is employed at the moment they benefit from the program. The possible induction of treatment related absence from work and disability may also be relevant.
Cost‐effectiveness analysis of day care for patients with dementia disorders
Authors: Wimo Anders , Mattsson Bengt , Krakau Ingvar , Eriksson Tua , Nelvig Anders
Published: May 2007

In a cost‐effectiveness analysis, the costs of 55 demented patients in day care (DC) and 45 patients on a waiting list were related to the effects on indices measuring quality of life. Based on one year's study, the costs per patient per day, was USD 55 for the DC‐group and USD 63 for the controls (p > 0.05). Both groups deteriorated in the indices during the study year. The trend was that DC was both cheaper and better in the indices, and some of the underlying variables for the used indices also showed significantly better results in favour of DC. However, since the changes between the groups were not significant regarding the basic question at issue, it cannot be stated that DC is more cost‐effective than a care organisation without DC. Different interpretations of the results are presented.
Infant mortality time series are random walks with drift: Are they cointegrated with socioeconomic variables?
Authors: Bishai David M.
Published: May 2007

Previous time series analyses of infant mortality have failed to provide evidence to support their implicit assumption that infant mortality data used behaved as a stationary time series. The present study applies the augmented Dickey Fuller Test to infant mortality time series for Sweden (1800‐1989), United Kingdom (1839‐1989) and United States (1915‐1989). The null hypothesis that each of these series is non‐stationary is accepted at standard levels of significance. A conceptual framework of infant mortality which uses a combination of physical and social overhead capital as factors in a production function is developed to explain the finding of non‐stationarity as derivative from the non‐stationarity of a stock of health‐enhancing capital. Estimation of econometric models of the socioeconomic determinants of infant mortality using differenced data with ARIMA estimation is inconclusive. Estimation of a bivariate cointegration model supports the hypothesis that infant survival and GNP/Capita are cointegrated for 19th century Sweden but not for 19th century UK. Bivariate analysis of 20th century Sweden, UK, and US data demonstrated no cointegration. This may be due to the onset of disequilibrium in the economic determination of infant mortality in the present era as technological advances and demographic shifts began to play a larger role. Supplementing the bivariate analysis with measures of unemployment, and crude birth rate in the 20th century permitted the detection of cointegration in US and UK. The multivariate results may suggest that improvements in 20th century UK GNP/capita have had greater impact on infant survival relative to US GNP/capita.
Determinants of expenditure variation in health care and care of the elderly among finnish municipalities
Authors: Häkkinen Unto , Kaleviluoma
Published: May 2007

In Finland, municipal health care expenditure varies from FIM 3 800 per capita to FIM 7 800 per capita. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of different economic, structural and demographic factors on the per capita costs of health services and care of the elderly. Using regression analysis we attempted to explain observed differences in expenditure by determining separately the effects of allocative and productive inefficiency and the effects of factors influencing the demand for services. We found income level of local population, generosity of central government matching grant, allocative efficiency (the mix of care between institutional and non‐institutional care), productive efficiency of service providers, and factors associated with the need of services (age structure, morbidity) to be the most important determinants of health care expenditure. Our results reveal that municipalities have the means at their disposal (by shifting resources to outpatient care and increasing productivity) to significantly reduce expenditure on health services and care of the elderly.
Patient charges and the utilisation of nhs prescription medicines: Some estimates using a cointegration procedure
Authors: Hughes David , McGuire Alistair
Published: May 2007

Since the inception of the NHS, user charges have been present for prescription medication. However since 1968 there has been a steady increase in this charge, particularly notable during the 1980s. The main justification for user charges is their revenue raising potential, and a recent government report has backed the use of user charges for prescription drugs. Whilst there is extensive evidence of the impact of user charges on utilisation of health care in the US, few studies exist in the UK. An accurate estimation of the price elasticity of utilisation is necessary if the full consequences of user charges are to be examined. This paper uses a cointegration estimation technique to estimate the price elasticity for prescription drug utilisation in the UK.
Subjective health measures and state dependent reporting errors
Authors: Kerkhofs Marcel , Lindeboom Maarten
Published: May 2007

The use of subjective health measures in empirical models of labour supply and retirement decisions has frequently been criticized. Responses to questions concerning health may be biased due to financial incentives and the willingness to conform to social rules. The eligibility conditions for some social security allowances, notably Disability Insurance benefits, are contingent upon bad health. Even if the decision to apply for a disability allowance is to some extent motivated by financial considerations or a relatively strong preference for leisure, respondents will be inclined to play down these motives and emphasize the importance of their health condition. As a consequence, reporting errors may depend on the labour market status of the respondent and self‐reported health variables will be endogenous in labour supply and retirement models. The objective of this paper is to assess the importance of state dependent reporting errors in survey responses and to propose and estimate a model that can be used to account for this kind of systematic mis‐reporting. The estimation results indicate that among respondents receiving Disability Allowance, reporting errors are large and systematic. Using such subjective health measures in retirement models may therefore seriously bias the parameter estimates and the conclusions drawn from these.
A grouped data regression approach to estimating economic and social influences on individual drinking behaviour
Authors: Sutton Matthew , Godfrey Christine
Published: May 2007

General Household Survey (GHS) data sets, covering the period 1978‐1990, are pooled to investigate the relationship between the riskiness of individuals' self‐reported drinking behaviour and a wide range of personal characteristics and economic factors. A grouped data regression approach is used to reduce problems with the inaccuracy of self‐reports of alcohol consumption and clustering of observations in the consumption data. Results for males aged 18 to 24 years are presented, and possible methods for interpreting the results of grouped data regression are illustrated. Controlling for other factors, current smokers are estimated to be at a 75% higher risk of drinking over recommended levels than non‐smokers. Particular attention is paid to the interactions between the price of alcohol, income and heavy drinking. At average levels of income, a 5% increase in the real price of alcohol is predicted to reduce the probability of 'at‐risk' drinking by 1.5%. At lower initial levels of income, drinking patterns are found to be more responsive to both price and income changes. Grouped data regression is proposed as a way of focusing policy analysis on individual risks of alcohol‐related health and social problems.
A field investigation of manual forces associated with trigger and push to start electric screwdrivers
Authors: Lowe Brian D. , Kong Yong‐Ku , Krieg Edward , Wurzelbacher Steven , Lee Soo‐Jin
Published: May 2007

This study investigated manual forces associated with trigger start (TS) and push to start (PTS) activation in‐line electric screwdriver designs. The vertically directed axial screwdriver force transmitted with the driver to the fastener and the grip/finger forces on the driver handle were measured from 13 employees in an electronics assembly manufacturing facility. The PTS driver was associated with significantly ( p < .01) higher axial force than the TS driver at two of the four workstations, where the difference was as high as a 184% increase (36.5 vs. 103.8 N). Total finger force on the screwdriver handle was also higher for the PTS screwdriver ( p < .01). The PTS screwdriver may reduce instances of fastener head damage (“cam out”) by requiring a minimum level of axial force to ensure better contact between the screwdriver bit and the fastener. However, this appears to come at the expense of greater manual forces exerted by the operator. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 367–382, 2007.
Does standardization have a negative impact on working conditions?
Authors: Poksinska Bozena
Published: May 2007

The aim of this article was to contribute to the discussion about whether standardization has a positive or negative impact on working conditions. The case studies of organizations certified to the quality management standard ISO 9000 served as the empirical base. The article shows that there is no clear and obvious answer about the impact of standardization on working conditions. The consequences for working conditions depend on many variables and may differ considerably from organization to organization. Three primary variables influencing the outcomes for working conditions were identified and discussed: (1) content of the standard, (2) the standardization process, and (3) the degree of standardization. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 383–394, 2007.
Lovastatin protects mesenchymal stem cells against hypoxia‐ and serum deprivation‐induced apoptosis by activation of PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2
Authors: Xu Ruixia , Chen Jinghai , Cong Xiangfeng , Hu Shengshou , Chen Xi
Published: May 2007

Cell therapy with bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to have great promises in cardiac repair after myocardial infarction. However, poor viability of transplanted MSCs in the infracted heart has limited the therapeutic efficacy. Our previous studies have shown in vitro that rat MSCs undergo caspase‐dependent apoptosis in response to hypoxia and serum deprivation (Hypoxia/SD). Recent findings have implicated statins, an established class of cholesterol‐lowering drugs, enhance the survival of cells under various conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of lovastatin on rat MSCs apoptosis induced by Hypoxia/SD, focusing in particular on regulation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and the survival signaling pathways. We demonstrated that lovastatin (0.01–1 µM) remarkably prevented MSCs from Hypoxia/SD‐induced apoptosis through inhibition of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, leading to attenuation of caspase‐3 activation. The loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome‐c release from mitochondria to cytosol were significantly inhibited by lovastatin. Furthermore, the antiapoptotic effect of lovastatin on mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was effectively abrogated by both PI3K inhibitor, LY294002 and ERK1/2 inhibitor, U0126. The phosphorylations of Akt/GSK3β and ERK1/2 stimulated by lovastatin were detected. The activation of ERK1/2 was inhibited by a PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, but U0126, a ERK1/2 inhibitor did not inhibit phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3β. These data demonstrate that lovastatin protects MSCs from Hypoxia/SD‐induced apoptosis via PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways, suggesting that it may prove a useful therapeutic adjunct for transplanting MSCs into damaged heart after myocardial infarction. J. Cell. Biochem. 103: 256–269, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.