bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geographies of Housing Finance: The Mortgage Market in Milan, Italy
Authors: AALBERS MANUEL B.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT The geography of financial exclusion has mainly focused on exclusion from retail banking. Alternatively, and following the work of David Harvey, this paper presents a geography of access to and exclusion from home mortgage finance. The case of Milan shows that capital switching to the built environment is partly a sign of economic crisis and partly a sign of the intrinsic opportunities that the built environment provides. A major factor in both is the deregulation of the mortgage market that has enabled the loosening of historically stringent lending criteria, leading to a tremendous growth of the mortgage market, while leaving the co‐evolution of family and home ownership intact. In addition, capital switches within sectors of the economy and between places. In Milan, once “unattractive” but currently gentrified nineteenth‐century districts underwent cycles of devalorisation and revalorisation. Even though access to mortgages has increased throughout Milan, geographical disparities in mortgage lending persist: at present, yellowlining (differential access, based on less favourable terms) is common in parts of the Milanese periphery. The creation of boundaries makes the realisation of class‐monopoly rent possible; while the subsequent redrawing of these boundaries creates new submarkets in which surplus value can be extracted. Based on the Milan case, one cannot explain the timing and geography of formation and reformation of submarkets in other cities, but it helps us to see how Harvey's abstract ideas of class‐monopoly rent, submarket creation, and capital switching take place in the real world.
Space of Flows, Uneven Regional Development, and the Geography of Financial Services in Ireland
Authors: SOKOL MARTIN
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT  This paper is concerned with the geography of finance in the globalising knowledge‐based economy, characterised by the proliferation of information and communication technology. More specifically, the paper aims to examine the “locational structure” of financial services in such an economy and its implications for uneven regional development in Europe. In doing so, the paper engages with the concept of “space of flows” and several other theoretical approaches concerned with the geography of advanced producer services and finance. It argues that while such approaches provide a useful starting point, they need be developed further in order to inform an understanding of both the nature and the dynamics of the “locational structure” of financial services and its implications for regional economic development. This point is illustrated in the case of Ireland, focusing on “domestic” banking institutions and “international” financial services operating there. The paper concludes that while “space of flows” provides a useful metaphor for approaching the geography of financial services and other knowledge intensive business services, the conceptual and analytical emphasis should shift towards the “flows of value” that ultimately impinge upon the fortunes of cities and regions.
Analysing the Changing Landscape of European Financial Centres: The Role of Financial Products and the Case of Amsterdam
Authors: FAULCONBRIDGE JAMES , ENGELEN EWALD , HOYLER MICHAEL , BEAVERSTOCK JONATHAN
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT  The turn of the twenty‐first century saw the re‐emergence of debates about the reconfiguration of European financial geographies and the role of stock exchange mergers in this process. There has been, however, no systematic attempt to date to analyse such changes. This paper proposes a specific conceptual framework to explore these issues. It uses a product‐based analysis to examine, in the context of recent stock exchange mergers, the factors affecting the competitiveness of a financial centre. It argues that it is important to understand three intertwined influences—product complementarities, the nature of local epistemic communities, and regulation—and their contingent effects on change. This is exemplified by a tentative application of the framework to the case of Amsterdam in order to better understand its recent decline in competitiveness as a European financial centre.
Graduate Recruitment and Selection in Australia
Authors: Carless Sally A.
Published: June 2007

Through a national survey of graduate recruitment coordinators, this study identified current recruitment and selection practices in Australia. Respondents (n=50) were mostly from private industry with about a third from the government sector, the full range of industry sectors was represented. Respondents were asked about the management of recruitment activities, methods used to communicate recruiting information, and the perceived accuracy of recruitment information. Information was also sought about the extent that job analyses were used, type of selection practices used, how applicant information was verified, the training and selection of interviewers and the effectiveness of recruitment activities. Descriptive statistics were used to provide a summary of the findings. A regression analysis was used to examine predictors of (a) recruiting effectiveness, (b) acceptance rates, and (c) unfilled vacancies. The results were compared with other studies of recruitment and selection. Future research and practical applications were discussed.
Effects of Trainee Characteristics on Training Effectiveness
Authors: Tziner Aharon , Fisher Michal , Senior Tami , Weisberg Jacob
Published: June 2007

Six employee characteristics (conscientiousness, self‐efficacy, motivation to learn, learning goal orientation, performance goal orientation, instrumentality) and one work environment characteristic (transfer of training climate) were captured for 130 trainees in a large industrial company in an attempt to predict training effectiveness (training grade, supervisor evaluation of the application of training). The results strongly support the predicted links, although not all the predictor variables contributed a statistically significant share of the explained variance of the training outcomes. Motivation to learn and learning goal orientation were found to contribute most to predicting training outcomes. The implications of the results are discussed and the limitations of the study are noted, along with suggested avenues for future research.
Fairness Reactions to Selection Methods: An Italian study
Authors: Bertolino Marilena , Steiner Dirk D.
Published: June 2007

This study examined the fairness reactions to 10 personnel selection methods in a sample of Italian students. University students (N=137) were asked to rate the favorability of these selection procedures and then to evaluate them on eight procedural justice dimensions. Work‐sample tests were the most favorably rated of the selection methods, followed by résumés, written ability tests, interviews and personal references. Graphology was perceived negatively. Opportunity to perform and the perceived face validity of selection procedures were the strongest procedural justice dimensions for predicting the process favorability ratings. The results of this study are compared with those from similar studies conducted in other countries. Similar results have been found in the various countries where such research has been conducted to date.
Inhibition of the Nociceptive R2 Blink Reflex after Supraorbital or Index Finger Stimulation is Normal in Migraine Without Aura Between Attacks
Authors: Coppola G , Clemente L Di , Fumal A , Magis D , Pasqua V De , Pierelli F , Schoenen J
Published: June 2007

In order to explore possible interictal brainstem dysfunctions in migraine, we have studied the R2 component of the nociceptive specific blink reflex (nBR) after conditioning by supraorbital or index finger stimuli in 14 untreated migraine without aura patients (MO) between attacks and in 15 healthy volunteers. We determined the R2 recovery curve at increasing inter-stimulus intervals between 50 and 600 ms. The nBR was conditioned by a paired supraorbital stimulus and, in another session, by an ipsilateral electrical shock delivered to the index finger. The R2 nBR recovery curves were normal in MO patients for both the supraorbital and peripheral conditioning. These results do not favour persistent interictal sensitization in the spinal trigeminal sensory system. They also suggest that the control exerted by descending brainstem pathways on medullary R2 interneurones is normal in migraine between attacks.
Fluid systems and basin evolution of the western Lower Saxony Basin, Germany
Authors: MUÑOZ Y. ADRIASOLA , LITTKE R. , BRIX M. R.
Published: June 2007

The western Lower Saxony Basin is characterized by magnetic and gravity anomalies and an unusually strong coalification of surface‐near sedimentary rocks, indicating that high temperatures were reached in the past. The temperature history of the basin has been disputed for many years leading basically to two different hypotheses: one proposes igneous intrusion during Mid Cretaceous time, causing the high maturity in this area, whereas the other theory explained the coalification as a result of deep burial during late Jurassic and early Cretaceous times. Petrographical data are summarized which show the maturity distribution within the basin, reflecting maximum palaeotemperature conditions. This maturity distribution is visualized along three cross sections of up to 50 km length, as well as the palaeotemperature distribution for six time steps. Furthermore, geochemical data on petroleum source rocks are presented which indicate early mature/immature type I/II kerogen in Wealden and Posidonia Shales and mature/overmature type III kerogen in the coal‐bearing Upper Carboniferous. Fluid inclusion compositions in quartz crystals are highly variable ranging from liquid to gaseous, and gas compositions are also variable. These data were interpreted in the context of burial history. This study provides new data and numerical models with the intention to clarify the cause of the high coalification in the basin. 2D structural and basin modelling along three cross sections, combined with new fluid inclusion measurements and results of previous coalification studies, 1D modelling, and fission track dating demonstrate high heat flow during the Late Jurassic extension stage followed by a deep burial of the basin during the Early Cretaceous, associated with only moderate heat flows. The presence of an igneous intrusion of Cretaceous age is not supported. Furthermore, timing of hydrocarbon generation from the three major source rocks is discussed.
Expression of beta‐keratin mRNAs and proline uptake in epidermal cells of growing scales and pad lamellae of gecko lizards
Authors: Alibardi Lorenzo , Toni Mattia , Valle Luisa Dalla
Published: June 2007

Beta‐keratins form a large part of the proteins contained in the hard beta layer of reptilian scales. The expression of genes encoding glycine–proline‐rich beta‐keratins in normal and regenerating epidermis of two species of gecko lizards has been studied by in situ hybridization. The probes localize mRNAs in differentiating oberhautchen and beta cells of growing scales and in modified scales, termed pad lamellae, on the digits of gecko lizards. In situ localization at the ultrastructural level shows clusters of gold particles in the cytoplasm among beta‐keratin filaments of oberhautchen and beta cells. They are also present in the differentiating elongation or setae of oberhautchen cells present in pad lamellae. Setae allow geckos to adhere and climb vertical surfaces. Oberhautchen and beta cells also incorporate tritiated proline. The fine localization of the beta‐keratin mRNAs and the uptake of proline confirms the biomolecular data that identified glycine–proline‐rich beta‐keratin in differentiating beta cells of gecko epidermis. The present study also shows the presence of differentiating and metabolically active cells in both inner and outer oberhautchen/beta cells at the base of the outer setae localized at the tip of pad lamellae. The addition of new beta and alpha cells to the corneous layer near the tip of the outer setae explains the anterior movement of the setae along the apical free‐margin of pad lamellae. The rapid replacement of setae ensures the continuous usage of the gecko's adhesive devices, the pad lamellae, during most of their active life.
Reinserting the professional into the study of globalizing professional service firms: the case of law
Authors: FAULCONBRIDGE JAMES R. , MUZIO DANIEL
Published: June 2007

Abstract
In discussions of the globalization of professional service firms there is an increasing recognition that understanding the ‘social construction’ of organizational architectures is essential. In this article we argue, using the management of transnational law firms as an example, that to understand effectively these social constructions we must reincorporate an understanding of the principles of professionalism into discussions. We highlight the importance of occupational autonomy to professionals and how this is likely to influence the strategies that global professional service firms use. We also point to what we term the ‘varieties of professionalism’ and the spatially variable professional projects that underlie the values and identities of lawyers. This reveals the way rational and efficient forms of organizing have to be adapted as a result of professional values and the diverse ideals and beliefs of lawyers in different international jurisdictions.
Migration, development and inequality: Eastern Punjabi transnationalism
Authors: TAYLOR STEVE , SINGH MANJIT , BOOTH DEBORAH
Published: June 2007

Abstract
Drawing on original, ethnographic research in India and the UK, in this article we discuss the impact of transnational activity on the Doaba region of East Punjab, India. We argue that some recent studies have underplayed some of the less progressive consequences of Indian transnationalism. In particular, we contend that they have underestimated the extent of division between transnational migrants and Indian non‐migrants and downplayed the relationship between transnationalism and caste inequality. This empirical study of transnationalism, when placed in the context of the dynamic caste relations of East Punjab, supports those who contend that access to international migration is becoming an increasingly significant component of contemporary global social stratification, with the ‘broad’ transnational processes of capitalist globalization driving the ‘narrow’ transnationalism studied here. In this article, we question any straightforwardly progressive relationship between transnationalism and ‘development’ within East Punjab, and suggest that the arguments presented have a resonance beyond northwest India.
Virtue and health – finding meaning and joy in working life
Authors: Wärnå Carola , Lindholm Lisbet , Eriksson Katie
Published: June 2007

The perspective of this investigation is the humanistic caring tradition of caring science where caritas motive, i.e. charity and love, constitutes the basic motive and suffering the basic category of caring, i.e. Eriksson's theory of caritative caring. The concept of virtue is used in accordance with Aristotle's theory of virtue and fragments of theory are added to the study from Arendt. The aim of the study was to investigate the meaning of virtues for worker's health and to develop a theoretical model of the inner health domains. The investigation comprises an empirical study using focus‐group interviews for the collection of data. The participants were 16 employees, in four focus groups, in the wood‐processing industry. The study was conducted from September 1999 to January 2000. Hermeneutical interpretation has been used in the search for a deeper understanding of the connection between virtue and health in working life. Abduction is the conclusion method, which is used in this study. The result is presented at four levels of interpretation and the final findings constitutes four theses which comprise the virtues of pride, generosity, love and honesty as important in working life and a theoretical model comprising three dimensions: the innermost dimension, the middle dimension and the outer dimension. These dimensions reflect health as becoming. By means of virtues it is possible to find the way to the inner domains of health. Pride as a virtue and how it is heeded at work, is decisive in determining whether health becomes discernable in working life and the value, i.e. found in pride is decisive when it comes to the employee's conception of the meaning of work. The study shows that the connection between health and virtue is important to recognize. This approach points out underlying values that effects worker's health.
Central concepts in the midwife–woman relationship
Authors: Lundgren Ingela , Berg Marie
Published: June 2007

The relationship between the midwife and the woman is essential for a positive experience for woman during childbearing period, i.e. pregnancy, childbirth and the first postpartum phase. Thereby, the aim of this study was to delineate central concepts in the midwife–woman relationship, in normal as well as high‐risk situations. A secondary analysis was performed on original texts from eight Swedish qualitative studies, all with a phenomenological or phenomenological–hermeneutic approach. Six pairs of concepts were elucidated; each one describing one aspect from the woman's perspective and one responsive aspect from the midwife. The pairs of concepts are: surrender–availability, trust–mediation of trust, participation–mutuality, loneliness–confirmation, differenceness–support uniqueness and creation of meaning–support meaningfulness. Disciplinary concepts about the midwife–woman relationship have evolved that are essential for care in both normal and high‐risk contexts, and we suggest that they should be implemented as a guide for midwifery care.
A life enriching togetherness – meanings of informal support when being a parent of a child with disability
Authors: Lindblad Britt‐Marie , Holritz‐Rasmussen Birgit , Sandman Per‐Olof
Published: June 2007

The majority of children affected by disability are cared for at home by their parents. It is well documented in research literature that the parents are in need of professional support. In the striving to improve the professional caring, it is also important to deepen our understanding about the meaning of informal support from the perspective of parents’ life world. The aim of this study was to illuminate the meanings of lived experience of informal support, when being a parent of a child affected by disability. Thirteen parents, eight mothers and five fathers within eight families, participated in narrative interviews, which were analysed by using a phenomenological‐hermeneutic method. The meanings resulted in three themes: ‘being gratified by experiences of the child as having a natural place in relation with others’, ‘being provided a room for sorrow and joy’ and ‘being enabled to live an eased and spontaneous daily life’. These themes emanated from the experiences of other persons’ being and doing in relation to the parents, the child affected by disability and the siblings. According to our interpretation, informal support means a life enriching togetherness, the core of which is natural human caring. The findings also showed that parents highly valued professional support concerning informal supporters.
Self‐assessed occupational health and working environment of female nurses, cabin crew and teachers
Authors: Sveinsdóttir Herdis , Gunnarsdóttir Hólmfríður , Friðriksdóttir Hildur
Published: June 2007

Aim:  The aim of this study was to describe and compare the self‐assessed occupational health among female nurses, cabin crew and teachers, in relation to their working environment.

Background:  Similarities between the three occupations, i.e. predominantly female and service‐oriented, render them interesting in comparison with respect to health and working environment.

Methods:  The participants were female Icelandic cabin crew, nurses and elementary school teachers. A questionnaire including items on socio‐demographics, working environment (addressing work pace, job security, monotonous work, assistance, physically strenuous work and physical environmental factors) and a symptom list was used for data collection. Factor analyses on the symptom list resulted in five symptom scales: Musculoskeletal, Stress and exhaustion, Common cold, Gastrointestinal and Sound perception scale. A total of 1571 questionnaires were distributed. The response rate was 65.7–69%, depending on occupation. Data were collected in 2002.

Results:  Cabin crew reported worse gastrointestinal, sound perception and common cold symptoms than nurses and teachers. Cabin crew and teachers reported worse symptoms of stress and exhaustion than nurses (p < 0.05). When compared with teachers and nurses cabin crew reported less job security and more physically strenuous and monotonous work. Nurses were likelier to seek assistance from co‐workers or patients as well as to take care of an older relative than teachers and cabin crew. Regression analysis found that within each occupation distress from environmental factors resulted in higher score on all the symptom scales.

Conclusions:  Nurses experience less stress and exhaustion than teachers and cabin crew. In comparison with one or both of the other occupations nurses are more likely to assist each other with their work, experience job security, reporting physically complex work and take care of older relatives. This should be highlighted as positive aspects of nurses’ work praised as displaying responsibility and interconnectedness of nurses’.
Characterization of microsatellite loci for a barrenwort species (Epimedium diphyllum, Berberidaceae)
Authors: HORIE SACHIKO , SUZUKI KAZUO , MAKI MASAYUKI
Published: June 2007

Microsatellites were identified and characterized from Epimedium diphyllum, a species of barrenworts, both attractive garden plants and valuable medicinal plants. Some Japanese species of Epimedium are threatened with extinction, and are listed in the Red Data Book of plants in Japan. Natural hybrid zones also have been reported among some taxa of Japanese Epimedium. We developed eight polymorphic microsatellite primers for population genetic analyses of E. diphyllum. The numbers of alleles per locus ranged from 10 to 20, with observed levels of heterozygosity between 0.85 and 1.00. These primer sets yielded amplification in the other three Japanese Epimedium. These markers will be valuable for conservation genetics, evolutionary biology, pharmacognostic study, and horticultural study of Epimedium.
Development of compound microsatellite markers in the harmful red tide species Chattonella ovata (Raphidophyceae)
Authors: NISHITANI G. , NAGAI S. , LIAN C. L. , YAMAGUCHI H. , SAKAMOTO S. , YOSHIMATSU S. , OYAMA K. , ITAKURA S. , YAMAGUCHI M.
Published: June 2007

We isolated 12 polymorphic microsatellites from the noxious red‐tide‐causing alga Chattonella ovata. These loci provide a class of highly variable genetic markers, as the number of alleles ranged from four to 12, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.238 to 0.850 and from 0.310 to 0.889, respectively. These loci are useful for revealing the genetic structure of and gene flow among C. ovata populations.
Large‐Deformation Constitutive Theories for Structural Composites: Rate‐Dependent Concepts and Effect of Microstructure
Authors: Reifsnider Kenneth , Xing Liqun
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  Polymer‐based composite materials are widely used in applications subjected to a variety of loading types, including shock and impact loading in the range of hundreds of strain per second. The behaviour of composite laminates loaded at those rates is typically nonlinear and may involve rather large strains to failure. In the present study, the large‐deformation characteristics and constitutive representations of structural composites were investigated as functions of strain rate and temperature. A plain‐weave vinyl ester composite material was selected for the study. Tensile tests of off‐axis coupon specimens were conducted over several orders of strain rates and limited change of temperatures. A three‐parameter constitutive model was proposed to model the large‐deformation stress–strain relationship. The constitutive model was then used to predict the material response at different strain rates. The model predictions were verified by a different set of tests. The basic concepts and methodologies involved in reducing such data to constitutive equations that can be used in commercial computational codes to enable structural analysis in the presence of large‐strain progressive damage under dynamic loading is discussed.
On Phase‐Shifting Integrated Photoelasticity
Authors: Hecker Friedrich W.
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  The development of phase‐shifting photoelasticity of plane specimens began 21 years ago. Meanwhile, the method was also applied to bodies with three‐dimensional stresses, where the secondary principal stresses and their directions generally vary along the path of a probing light beam. In the theory of integrated photoelasticity, a three‐dimensional body is represented by an equivalent model with three characteristic parameters, which are the characteristic retardation or phase, and the primary and secondary characteristic directions. Results are commonly tested in plainly stressed specimens at oblique incidence or in a cylindrical body composed of three discs under diametral compression, where the load axes vary from disc to disc. In this study, I verify the applicability of some polariscope arrangements in integrated photoelasticity by means of a bent‐beam specimen which exhibits rotating principal directions along the light path. This device enables continuous variation of the stress field. Furthermore, an approximate analytical solution of the characteristic parameters is available. The following three major arrangements of optical elements were investigated: (i) linear polariscope in white light; (ii) linear polariscope in monochromatic light; and (iii) circular polariscope in monochromatic light in the dark‐ and bright‐field arrangement as well as in the half‐tone or grey‐field arrangement. Results are discussed and compared with the literature of two‐ and three‐dimensional digital photoelasticity.
Housing Wealth, Stock Market Wealth and Consumption: A Panel Analysis for Australia*
Authors: DVORNAK NIKOLA , KOHLER MARION
Published: June 2007

Using a panel of Australian States, we estimate how changes in household wealth affect consumption expenditure. Both housing and stock market wealth have a significant effect on consumption: a permanent $A1 increase in stock market wealth increases long‐run annual consumption by 6–9 cents; the same increase in housing wealth increases annual consumption by around 3 cents. With households’ housing assets more than three times that of stock market assets, a 1 per cent increase in housing wealth has an effect on consumption at least as large as that of a 1 per cent increase in stock market wealth.
Do the Central Banks of Australia and New Zealand Behave Asymmetrically? Evidence from Monetary Policy Reaction Functions*
Authors: KARAGEDIKLI ÖZER , LEES KIRDAN
Published: June 2007

We test for evidence of asymmetric behaviour in the monetary policy reaction functions of the central banks of Australia and New Zealand. For the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, we found little evidence of asymmetric behaviour, whereas the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) appears to react more aggressively to negative output relative to positive output gaps of the same size. We impose additional structure on our model to help distinguish whether the asymmetric response originates from non‐linearity in the inflation equation or from non‐linearity in an approximate representation of the RBA's preferences over macroeconomic outcomes. We find that the preferences of the RBA may drive the asymmetry: the RBA appears to dislike negative output gaps more than positive output gaps of the same magnitude. We show this generates only a small increase in the conditional mean of inflation that is statistically indistinguishable from the target rate of inflation.
The Age of Hiring and Deferred Compensation: Evidence from Australia
Authors: ADAMS SCOTT J. , HEYWOOD JOHN S.
Published: June 2007

The factors affecting age of hiring are estimated using Australian establishment data. Lower ages of new hires are associated with training and with workplaces using steeper tenure–wage profiles. Lower ages of hires are associated with steeper profiles throughout the age of hire distribution, whereas lower ages of hires are associated with the provision of training only among younger hires. Moreover, the evidence confirms that larger employers are more likely to hire younger workers but that lower ages of hire continue to be associated with steeper tenure–wage profiles even among larger employers. The robust role of the tenure–wage profile suggests that it is too early to conclude, as some have, that specific training is the paramount reason for the reduced hiring prospects of the old.
Regret Theory and the Tyranny of Choice*
Authors: IRONS BEN , HEPBURN CAMERON
Published: June 2007

As economists, we tend to accept the principle that more choice cannot make us worse off. However, recent evidence from laboratory and field experiments suggests that more choice can inhibit decision‐making and reduce search in many situations, potentially reducing welfare. This paper provides a formal theoretical foundation for these observations by embedding the regret theory of Loomes and Sugden (1982) in three search models. Beyond a threshold number of options, we find that ‘less is more’: agents who experience regret have lower utility as the number of options is increased.
Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia, 2006: Maureen Brunt
Authors: FELS ALLAN
Published: June 2007

This paper briefly outlines the many achievements of Professor Maureen Brunt, who was elected Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia in 2006. It describes both her academic career, and her major contributions to competition law in Australia and New Zealand.
The HILDA Survey and its Contribution to Economic and Social Research (So Far)*
Authors: WOODEN MARK , WATSON NICOLE
Published: June 2007

The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey is Australia's first nationally representative household panel survey. This article reviews the achievements of the HILDA Survey since its inception in 2001. It briefly describes the design of the survey and the data collection process, provides summary statistics about response and respondent characteristics, and reviews key research findings that have been published using the first four waves of data.
A surgical model of fulminant hepatic failure in rabbits
Authors: Hung Kuo‐Chen , Yong Chee‐Chien , Chen Yaw‐Sen , Eng Hock‐Liew , Kuo Fang‐Ying , Lin Chi‐Chang , Young Tai‐Horng , Kobayashi Eiji , Chen Chao‐Long , Wang Chih‐Chi
Published: June 2007

Aim: Animal models of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) have been developed for characterization of disease progression and to evaluate the effectiveness of liver‐assist devices, some by treatment with hepatotoxic drugs, viral hepatitis or surgical procedures. We have developed a model in the rabbit by combining resection of the three anterior lobes with ligation of the pedicle of the right lateral lobes, resulting in liver necrosis; the remnant quadrate lobes are left intact.

Materials and methods: Adult male New Zealand white rabbits (n=16) were used. Six animals were killed to measure the weight of the separate liver lobes. The others (n=10) underwent left neck central line placement to monitor continuous blood pressure and collect blood for laboratory analysis, and a burr hole on the right parietal bone to monitor the intracranial pressure (ICP). Blood laboratory analysis, clinical hepatic encephalopathy and ICP levels were measured in FHF animals (n=6). Animals (n=4) undergoing a sham operation served as controls.

Results: All FHF animals died between 12 and 26 h after liver surgery from FHF characterized by a progressive increase in liver enzymes, ammonia, total bilirubin, coagulopathy, hepatic encephalopathy and intracranial hypertension. Histological features of the ischaemic lobes showed coagulative necrosis of hepatocytes with absence of nuclei and collapse of cell plates. Brain histology revealed hypoxic cell damage.

Conclusion: We have developed a simple, reproducible model of FHF in rabbits that has a number of features comparable with clinical FHF patients and is well suited for testing experimental bioartificial liver systems and investigating the pathogenesis of FHF.
A randomised control trial examining the effect of an antioxidant (Menevit) on pregnancy outcome during IVF‐ICSI treatment
Authors: TREMELLEN Kelton , MIARI George , FROILAND David , THOMPSON Jeremy
Published: June 2007

Background:  Evidence has accumulated supporting the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the pathogenesis of sperm dysfunction among men with infertility. Damage to sperm DNA by ROS can lead to failure of conception, miscarriage or potentially even childhood cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of male antioxidant treatment on embryo quality and pregnancy outcome during in vitro fertilisation‐intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF‐ICSI) treatment.

Methods:  Sixty couples with severe male factor infertility were enrolled in a prospective randomised double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial. Male participants were randomly assigned to take either one capsule per day of the Menevit antioxidant or an identical in appearance placebo for three months prior to their partner's IVF cycle. The primary outcome was cleavage stage embryo quality and the secondary outcomes were oocyte fertilisation rate, pregnancy rates and treatment side‐effects. Approval by the local Human Research Ethics Committee was obtained prior to the commencement of this study.

Results:  The antioxidant group recorded a statistically significant improvement in viable pregnancy rate (38.5% of transferred embryos resulting in a viable fetus at 13 weeks gestation) compared to the control group (16% viable pregnancy). No significant changes in oocyte fertilisation rate or embryo quality were detected between the antioxidant and the placebo groups. Side‐effects on the Menevit antioxidant were rare (8%) and mild in nature.

Conclusions:  The Menevit antioxidant appears to be a useful ancillary treatment that significantly improves pregnancy rates in couples undergoing IVF‐ICSI treatment for severe male factor infertility.
The cost of urogynaecological treatments: Which are more cost‐effective?
Authors: FOOTE A. J. , MOORE K. H.
Published: June 2007

Aims:  To determine the cost‐effectiveness of four urogynaecological treatments.

Materials:  Two prospective trials were performed in which 205 women with urinary incontinence underwent urogynaecological treatments. The cost incurred and the improvement in quality of life (QOL) as a result of treatment was calculated as cost/quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) and then ranked in order of cost‐effectiveness.

Results:  The Nurse Continence Advisor (NCA) group (N = 73) and the Urogynaecologist (UG) group (N = 72) both had significant improvements in leaks per week and incontinence score. QOL improvement was also similar (1.5% vs 1.2%). The economic data found a similar improvement in pad usage costs ($A2.90 vs $A3.52). The clinician costs were significantly lower for the NCA group ($A60.00 vs $A105.00) (P < 0.0001). The cost per QALY was significantly lower for the NCA group ($A28,009 vs $A35,312) (P = 0.03). Both groups had significant improvements in pad testing and leaks per week. The cure/improvement rates were also similar at three months (100% vs 89%). There was no significant difference in the improvement in QOL between the laparoscopic colposuspension (LC) and open colposuspension (OC) groups (2.09% vs 1.54%). The economic data found a similar improvement in pad usage costs ($A11.74 vs $A16.17). The theatre costs were significantly higher for the LC group ($A403.45 vs $A266.94) (P < 0.0001), however the overall costs were significantly lower ($A4,668 vs $A6,124) (P < 0.0001). The cost/QALY was lower for the LC group ($A63,980 vs $A134,069), however this did not reach significance.

Conclusions:  Overall, on comparison of the cost/QALY's, conservative treatment of urinary incontinence by a NCA was the most cost‐effective.
The Effect of Fragment Shape and Species' Sensitivity to Habitat Edges on Animal Population Size
Authors: EWERS ROBERT M. , DIDHAM RAPHAEL K.
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  Habitat fragmentation causes extinction of local animal populations by decreasing the amount of viable “core” habitat area and increasing edge effects. It is widely accepted that larger fragments make better nature reserves because core‐dwelling species have a larger amount of suitable habitat. Nevertheless, fragments in real landscapes have complex, irregular shapes. We modeled the population sizes of species that have a representative range of preferences for or aversions to habitat edges at five spatial scales (within 10, 32, 100, 320, and 1000 m of an edge) in a nation‐wide analysis of forest remnants in New Zealand. We hypothesized that the irregular shapes of fragments in real landscapes should generate statistically significant correlations between population density and fragment area, purely as a “geometric” effect of varying species responses to the distribution of edge habitat. Irregularly shaped fragments consistently reduced the population size of core‐dwelling species by 10–100%, depending on the scale over which species responded to habitat edges. Moreover, core populations within individual fragments were spatially discontinuous, containing multiple, disjunct populations that inhabited small spatial areas and had reduced population size. The geometric effect was highly nonlinear and depended on the range of fragment sizes sampled and the scale at which species responded to habitat edges. Fragment shape played a strong role in determining population size in fragmented landscapes; thus, habitat restoration efforts may be more effective if they focus on connecting disjunct cores rather than isolated fragments.
Evaluating the Social and Economic Impact of Community‐Based Prenatal Care
Authors: Cramer Mary E. , Chen Li‐Wu , Roberts Sara , Clute Dorothea
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT
Objective: This article describes the evaluation and findings of a community‐based prenatal care program, Omaha Healthy Start (OHS), designed to reduce local racial disparities in birth outcomes.

Design: This evaluative study used a comparative descriptive design, and Targeting Outcomes of Programs® was the conceptual framework for evaluation.

Sample: The evaluation followed 3 groups for 2 years: OHS birth mothers (N=79; N=157); non‐OHS participant birth mothers (N=746; N=774); and Douglas County birth mothers (N=7,962; N=7,987).

Measurement: OHS provided case management, home visits, screening, referral, transportation, and health education to participants. Program outcome measures included low birth weight, infant mortality, adequacy of care, trimester of care, and costs of care.

Results: OHS birth outcomes improved during year 2, and there was a 31% cost saving in the average hospital expenditure compared with the nonparticipant groups. Preliminary evaluative analysis indicates that prenatal case management and community outreach can improve birth outcomes for minority women, while producing cost savings.

Conclusions: Further prospective study is needed to document trends over a longer period of time regarding the relationship between community‐based case management programs for minority populations, birth outcomes, and costs of care.
Administrator Self‐Ratings of Organization Capacity and Performance of Healthy Community Development Projects in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Ching‐Min , Hong Mei‐Chu , Hsu Yu‐Hsien
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT
Objective: To examine the relationship between the capacities of various community organizations and their performance scores for healthy community development.

Design: This cross‐sectional study was conducted by examining all community organizations involved in the Taiwan national healthy community development project.

Sample: Of 213 administrators contacted, 195 (a return rate of 91.6%) completed a self‐administered questionnaire between October and November 2003. The research instrument was self‐developed and based on the Donabedian model. It examined the capacity of the community organizations and their performance in developing a healthy community.

Results: The average overall healthy community development performance score was 5.0 on a 7‐point semantic differential scale, with the structure variable rated as the lowest among the 3 subscales. Community organization capacities in the areas of funding, resources committed, citizen participation, and certain aspects of organizational leadership were found to be significantly related to healthy community development performance. Each of the regression models showed a different set of capacities for the community organization domains and explained between 25% and 33% of the variance in performance.

Conclusions: The study validates the theoretical relationships among the concepts identified in the Donabedian model. Nursing interventions tailored to enhance resident citizen participation in order to promote community coalitions are strongly supported.
Increasing the Delivery of Health Care Services to Migrant Farm Worker Families Through a Community Partnership Model
Authors: Connor Ann , Rainer Laura P. , Simcox Jordan B. , Thomisee Karen
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT
The Farm Worker Family Health Program (FWFHP) is a 13‐year community partnership model designed to increase delivery of health care services for migrant farm worker families. During a yearly 2‐week immersion experience, 90 students and faculty members provide health care services, including physical examinations, health screenings, health education, physical therapy, and dental care for 1,000 migrant farm workers and migrant children. Students and faculty members gain a deeper appreciation of the health and social issues that migrant farm worker families face by providing health care services in the places where migrant families live, work, and are educated. Although the model is not unique, it is significant because of its sustained history, interdisciplinary collaboration among community and academic partners, mutual trust and connections among the partners, and the way the program is tailored to meet the needs of the population served. The principles of social responsibility and leadership frame the FWFHP experience. This community partnership model can be replicated by others working with at‐risk populations in low‐resource settings.
Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding the Role of Interventional Pain Management at the End‐of‐Life Among Caregivers: A 4‐Year Perspective
Authors: Cahana Alex , Arigoni Flavia , Robert Laurent
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  Intrathecal and epidural opioid analgesia represents a major advance in the management of cancer pain, adding a new dimension to opioid therapy by allowing prolonged analgesia through the use of significantly lower doses than those required for systemic administration. However, myths, misconceptions, and apprehension continue to serve as major barriers to effective cancer pain management, and concerns regarding safety, efficacy, and relative ease of utilization still prevail. This, in turn, results in unnecessary suffering, depression, diminished cognitive function, sleep disturbance, functional disability, and compromised quality of life. We conducted a survey to systematically explore medical and paramedical attitudes prior to and 4 years after the introduction an interventional pain program and attempted to qualitatively analyze what appeared as main facilities or difficulties following end‐of‐life clinical experiences.

In general we found that all caregivers were satisfied from using interventional pain relief techniques at the end‐of‐life; more so among caregivers directly involved in patient care. Although nearly half of the responders initially found “technical manipulations” moderately difficult to difficult, after a simple hands‐on instruction all found these techniques to be “helpful, simple and feasible.”“When all went well,” caregivers found implantable devices as a useful tool to relieve pain, to increase the ability of patients to complete personal endeavors, notably mobilization, but also noted an increased patient anxiety at the end‐of‐life. “When all went wrong,” caregivers evoked the paradoxical attitude of patients to having a “high‐tech” treatment at the end‐of‐life, causing them eventually to have “false hope,” as well as the phenomenon of “interdisciplinary hyperactivity,” creating what was referred to as therapeutic futility. In summary, this study suggests the importance on insisting to introduce novel techniques into practice despite initial apprehension, however, quality improvement by detecting and overcoming attitudinal barriers remain primordial and requires narrative research.
Opioid Rotation from High‐Dose Morphine to Transdermal Buprenorphine (Transtec®) in Chronic Pain Patients
Authors: Freye Enno , Anderson‐Hillemacher Astrid , Ritzdorf Ingrid , Levy Joseph Victor
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  Opioid rotation is increasingly becoming an option to improve pain management especially in long‐term treatment. Because of insufficient analgesia and intolerable side effects, a total of 42 patients (23 male, 19 female; mean age 64.1 years) suffering from severe musculoskeletal (64%), cancer (21%) or neuropathic (19%) pain were converted from high‐dose morphine (120 to >240 mg/day) to transdermal buprenorphine. The dose of buprenorphine necessary for conversion (at least 52.5 µg/h) was titrated individually by the treating physician. No conversion recommendations were given and the treating physician used his or her own judgment for dose adjustment. Pain relief, overall satisfaction and quality of sleep (very good, good, satisfactory, poor, or very poor), and the incidence and severity of adverse drug reactions over a period of at least 10 weeks and up to 1 year was assessed. Following rotation, patients experiencing good/very good pain relief increased from 5% to 76% (P < 0.001). Only 5% reported insufficient relief. Relief was achieved with buprenorphine alone in 77.4%, while 17% needed an additional opioid for breakthrough pain. Sleep quality (good/very good) increased from 14% to 74% (P < 0.005). Adverse effects were reported in 11.9%, mostly because of local irritation, did not result in termination of therapy. Neither tolerance nor refractory effect following rotation from morphine to buprenorphine was noted. Conversion tables with a fixed conversion ratio are of limited value in patients treated with high‐dose morphine.
Novel Intradiscal Biacuplasty (IDB) for the Treatment of Lumbar Discogenic Pain
Authors: Kapural Leonardo , Mekhail Nagy
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  Reported here is the treatment of severe axial discogenic pain in a young man utilizing the new minimally invasive transdiscal radiofrequency technique called intradiscal biacuplasty (Baylis Medical Inc., Montreal, Canada). The new procedure is detailed and step‐by‐step fluoroscopic imaging presented. There were no intra‐ and postoperative complications, and significant improvements in patient functional capacity, and pain scores were noted. Visual analog scale pain score decreased from 5 to 1 cm at 6‐month follow‐up, Oswestry disability scores improved from 14 (28% or moderate disability) to 6 points (12% or minimal disability) and SF‐36‐PF (physical function) score changed from 67 to 82. Potential advantages of cooled, bipolar radiofrequency to heat the posterior annulus are discussed.