bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavioural responses of carnivorous marsupials (Planigale maculata) to toxic invasive cane toads (Bufo marinus)
Authors: LLEWELYN JOHN , WEBB JONATHAN K. , SCHWARZKOPF LIN , ALFORD ROSS , SHINE RICHARD
Published: November 2009

The arrival of a toxic invasive species may impose selection on local predators to avoid consuming it. Feeding responses may be modified via evolutionary changes to behaviour, or via phenotypic plasticity (e.g. learning, taste aversion). The recent arrival of cane toads (Bufo marinus) in the Northern Territory of Australia induced rapid aversion learning in a predatory marsupial (the common planigale, Planigale maculata). Here, we examine the responses of planigales to cane toads in north‐eastern Queensland, where they have been sympatric for over 60 years, to investigate whether planigale responses to cane toads have been modified by long‐term exposure. Responses to toads were broadly similar to those documented for toad‐naïve predators. Most Queensland planigales seized (21 of 22) and partially consumed (11 of 22) the first toad they were offered, but were likely to ignore toads in subsequent trials. However, unlike their toad‐naïve conspecifics from the Northern Territory, the Queensland planigales all survived ingestion of toad tissue without overt ill effects and continued to attack toads in a substantial proportion of subsequent trials. Our data suggest that (i) learning by these small predators is sufficiently rapid and effective that selection on behaviour has been weak; and (ii) physiological tolerance to toad toxins may be higher in planigales after 60 years (approximately 60 generations) of exposure to this toxic prey.
The response of herpetofauna to urbanization: Inferring patterns of persistence from wildlife databases
Authors: HAMER ANDREW J. , MCDONNELL MARK J.
Published: November 2009

Urbanization involves the conversion of natural habitats into human‐modified ecosystems and is known to reduce the diversity and abundance of indigenous plant and animal communities. Urbanization may lead to the extinction of indigenous species or facilitate the establishment of non‐indigenous communities in cities and towns. We analysed sighting records held in wildlife databases to infer the probability of persistence of reptiles and amphibians (‘herpetofauna’) within Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Throughout greater Melbourne, 81% (13) of the 16 frog species recorded had ≥95% probability of being extant in 2006, compared with 56% (22) of the 39 species of reptiles recorded. The number of frog species that had ≥95% probability of being extant in inner local government areas (LGAs) within 10 km of the centre of Melbourne was higher (86%) than in the outer LGAs (69%). Conversely, only 46% of reptile species had ≥95% probability of being extant in inner and outer LGAs. The proportion of reptile species with <50% probability of being extant in inner LGAs was higher than for frog species (25% and 7%, respectively), suggesting that reptiles have been negatively affected by urbanization to a much greater extent than frogs. Based on the probability of species being extant, frogs and reptiles exhibited variations in their response to urbanization between species that persisted (urban‐adapters) and species that did not (urban‐sensitive or urban‐avoiders). These differences in response were likely related to individual species' life‐history and their requirements for habitat, space and dispersal. To conserve herpetofauna in urban areas we need to maintain structural complexity in remnant habitat patches, and implement strategic policies and management actions that protect habitat remnants and habitat corridors.
How should the risk associated with the introduction of biological control agents be estimated?
Authors: McCoy Earl D. , Frank J. H.
Published: November 2009

Florida has an exceptional burden of invasive species. The history of the classical biological control of invasive arthropod pest species in the region largely is one of inadequate pre‐release testing for nontarget effects.

A recent analysis indicated that a substantial risk of nontarget effects may exist in Florida, although the risk appears to be confined to a relatively small group of species within approximately ten families and documented cases of nontarget effects are rare, despite previous risky practices.

Great progress has been made recently in creating an organized framework for dealing with the uncertainty accompanying biological control importations in Florida and elsewhere. We suggest some ways in which balancing the risks and associated costs of releasing a biological control agent against the risks and associated costs of not releasing the agent may be improved.

Ultimately, experts will need to set some level of acceptable risk, and the ‘precautionary principle’ has been advanced to guide this process. As it stands, however, the precautionary principle applied to biological control falls short as a guide because it does not provide a prescription for action.

Florida case histories clearly illustrate both the complexity and urgency related to developing a prescription for action.
Advances in endoscopic visualization of colorectal polyps
Authors: Yeung T. M. , Mortensen N. J.
Published: November 2009

Aim  Conventional white‐light endoscopy is currently the gold standard for the detection and treatment of colorectal polyps. However, up to a fifth of polyps may be missed on initial examination, especially flat and small mucosal lesions. This study reviews the literature reporting on the use of new advances in endoscopic visualization.

Method  Literature searches were performed on PubMed using the terms ‘chromoendoscopy’, ‘narrow‐band imaging’ (NBI), ‘autofluorescence imaging’ (AFI), ‘Fujinon Intelligent Colour Enhancement’ (FICE), ‘i‐Scan colonoscopy’, ‘zoom colonoscopy’ and ‘confocal laser endomicroscopy’ (CLE). We focused on systematic reviews, national guidelines and randomized controlled trials written in English. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using QUADAS. Prospective studies assessing new technology were also reviewed. Further publications were identified from reference lists.

Results  Chromoendoscopy increases the detection of neoplastic polyps compared with conventional colonoscopy. NBI avoids the use of additional dyes and enhances the vascular network of capillaries surrounding the crypts, increasing the adenoma detection rate and the ability to distinguish between neoplastic and non‐neoplastic lesions. FICE, AFI and i‐Scan are new developments that improve tissue contrast. Zoom endoscopy may be combined with different modalities to help further characterize colonic lesions. CLE provides live in vivo high‐resolution optical sections of tissue and may be particularly useful in the surveillance of patients with long‐standing ulcerative colitis, reducing the number of random biopsies.

Conclusion  Although there is mounting evidence that these new technologies are superior to conventional endoscopy, current guidelines are limited. Further large‐scale randomized controlled trials comparing these modalities in different patient subpopulations are warranted.
A unique approach to quantifying the changing workload and case mix in laparoscopic colorectal surgery
Authors: Shah P. R. , Gupta V. , Haray P. N.
Published: November 2009

Aim  Laparoscopic colorectal surgery includes a range of operations with differing technical difficulty, and traditional parameters, such as conversion and complication rates, may not be sensitive enough to assess the complexity of these procedures. This study aims to define a reproducible and reliable tool for quantifying the total workload and the complexity of the case mix.

Method  This is a review of a single surgeon’s 10‐year experience. The intermediate equivalent value scoring system was used to code complexity of cases. To assess changes in the workload and case mix, the period has been divided into five phases.

Results  Three hundred and forty‐nine laparoscopic operations were performed, of which there were 264 (75.6%) resections. The overall conversion rate was 17.8%, with progressive improvement over the phases. Complex major operation (CMO), as defined in the British United Provident Association (BUPA) schedule of procedures, accounted for 35% of the workload. In spite of similar numbers of cases in each phase, there was a steady increase in the workload score, correlating with the increasing complexity of the case mix. There was no significant difference in the conversion and complications rates between CMO and non‐CMO. The paradoxical increase in the mean operating time with increasing experience corresponded to the progressive increase in the workload score, reflecting the increasing complexity of the case mix.

Conclusion  This article establishes a reliable and reproducible tool for quantifying the total laparoscopic colorectal workload of an individual surgeon or of an entire department, while at the same time providing a measure of the complexity of the case mix.
Comparison of standard vs high‐definition, wide‐angle colonoscopy for polyp detection: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tribonias G. , Theodoropoulou A. , Konstantinidis K. , Vardas E. , Karmiris K. , Chroniaris N. , Chlouverakis G. , Paspatis G. A.
Published: November 2009

Aim  We sought to compare the performance of colonoscopy using a high‐definition, wide‐angle endoscope vs a standard colonoscope for the detection of polyps.

Method  A total of 390 patients were prospectively randomized into high‐definition colonoscopy group (HD, n = 193) and standard colonoscopy group (SC, n = 197).

Results  Analysis demonstrated that there were significant differences between the two groups, as far as the overall rate of polyps (SC, 1.31 ± 1.90; HD, 1.76 ± 2.31; P = 0.03) and the rate of small hyperplastic polyps (size < 5 mm; SC, 0.10 ± 0.36; HD, 0.25 ± 0.61; P = 0.003) were concerned. No significant differences between the two groups were observed, regarding large polyps (size ≥ 10 mm; SC, 0.39 ± 0.89; HD, 0.48 ± 0.80; P = 0.10), medium polyps (10 mm > size ≥ 5 mm; SC, 0.60 ± 1.46; HD, 0.58 ± 1.25; P = 0.31) and small polyps (size < 5 mm; SC, 0.32 ± 0.86; HD, 0.71 ± 1.65; P = 0.09). Similarly, no significant differences were demonstrated in the detection rate of adenomas and hyperplastic polyps, large adenomas, medium adenomas, small adenomas and large and medium hyperplastic polyps.

Conclusion  High‐definition colonoscopy led to a significant increase in the polyp detection.
Endoscopist experience as a risk factor for colonoscopic complications
Authors: Lorenzo‐Zúñiga V. , Moreno de Vega V. , Doménech E. , Mañosa M. , Planas R. , Boix J.
Published: November 2009

Aim  We aimed to determine the incidence of colonic perforation (CP) following colonoscopy and postpolypectomy bleeding (PPB) in a teaching hospital, assessing the influence of endoscopist experience as a risk factor.

Method  All colonoscopies performed between 1995 and 2008 were reviewed. Demographic data, endoscopic procedure information, incidence of CP and PPB, and endoscopist experience were recorded.

Results  In the 14‐year period, 25 214 endoscopic colonic procedures were performed, and 3991 patients underwent polypectomy. The overall CP risk was 0.51/1000 procedures; and PPB 14.7/1000. The relative risk (RR) ratio of complications was 2.8/1000 procedures. The RR rate was highest for endoscopists performing less than 591 procedures per year (4.0/1000 [95% CI, 3.7–4.3] vs 2.9/1000 [95% CI, 2.6–3.2]), P < 0.001).

Conclusion  The complication rate after colonoscopy was comparable to that previously reported. Colonoscopy carried out by a low‐volume endoscopist was independently associated with bleeding and perforation.
META‐GOVERNANCE: VALUES, NORMS AND PRINCIPLES, AND THE MAKING OF HARD CHOICES
Authors: KOOIMAN JAN , JENTOFT SVEIN
Published: November 2009

Meta‐governance – or governance of governance – is a concept that raises questions regarding how values, norms and principles underpin governance systems and governing approaches. Values, norms and principles pertain both to substantive governance issues, for instance, related to sustainable resource use, and to governance system issues in themselves, for instance, regarding their institutional design. This article deals primarily with the latter. Thus the interactive perspective serves as basis for developing a coherent set of meta‐governance principles. We argue that an explicit, deliberated and decided upon set of meta‐governance principles as an integral part of governance can help in making hard substantive governance choices easier. Interactive learning plays a key role in governance processes when public and private governing actors have to make such hard choices. In the article, examples from natural resource governance will serve as illustrations for the more conceptual argumentation and reasoning.
STRENGTHENING THE LINK BETWEEN PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND DECISION MAKING
Authors: TAYLOR JEANNETTE
Published: November 2009

Many public agencies now face dual pressures to meet external accountability demands on one hand, and improve their internal performance on the other. This begs the question whether the demands that are made on public agencies to externally report on their performance have a limited or wide ranging impact on the utilization of performance indicators (PIs) for internal improvements. This article addresses this question via a small group of public agencies and public accountability authorities in Australia. It also examines the main factors that affect the use of PIs for decision making. The evidence suggests that the agencies use PIs more for meeting external reporting requirements than for achieving internal improvements. Various constraints on the use of PIs were identified, mainly technical problems, and to a lesser extent, political and organizational issues.
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN AN AFRICAN STATE: AN EXTENSION OF KINGDON'S MULTIPLE‐STREAMS APPROACH
Authors: RIDDE VALÉRY
Published: November 2009

Kingdon's multiple‐streams framework, which emerged in the mid‐1980s, today forms one of the indispensable analytical frameworks for understanding public policy agenda‐setting. However, it is only in the context of wealthy countries that this approach has been validated for setting the agenda of national and international policies. This article reports the results of empirical research in an African state studying the transferability of a threefold theoretical innovation. The question under consideration is whether the multiple‐streams framework is useful for examining public policy implementation at the local level and in the context of a low income country. The research findings confirm the premise that the multiple‐streams framework can be extended and can lead to the formulation of several theoretical propositions.
RENEWING POLICY TO SUPPORT EVIDENCE‐BASED HEALTH CARE
Authors: FERLIE EWAN , DOPSON SUE , FITZGERALD LOUISE , LOCOCK LOUISE
Published: November 2009

Health systems internationally have developed policies to support evidence‐based health care (EBHC) for over a decade. As this article shows, the time is ripe to review current policy frameworks in an evidence‐based manner. We summarize key themes deriving from qualitative research on the UK EBHC implementation and draw out implications for policy renewal. Our diagnosis is different from current UK NHS (National Health Service) policy since we stress local capacity building rather than top‐down frameworks, standardized tools and guidelines. As other jurisdictions demonstrate alternative EBHC policy frameworks, more international comparison and mutual learning is needed.
WILLIAM IEUAN JENKINS: ‘THE TREASURE OF COMMON MEMORIES'*
Authors: GRAY ANDREW
Published: November 2009

22nd August 1941 to 1st August 2009 Associate and Deputy Editor, Public Administration 1991–2009
Are any granite landscapes distinctive of the humid tropics? Reconsidering multiconvex topographies
Authors: Migoń Piotr
Published: November 2009

Geomorphologists have long debated over whether certain geomorphic types of landscapes may evolve only in certain climatic conditions, with granite terrains often chosen to illustrate such climate–relief relationships. The view deeming inselberg landscapes in particular to be distinctively tropical is difficult to sustain in the light of research demonstrating both the wide global distribution of inselbergs and evident rock control on their origins and development. However, another geomorphic type of granite landscapes has emerged as possibly specific to low latitude terrains, characterized by efficient deep weathering. In the context of the ongoing debate, this paper considers the case of multiconvex topography, consisting of low hills weathered throughout, which is widely distributed in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia but not yet reported from middle or high latitudes. Multiconvex landscapes require that weathering operates efficiently in all topographic settings and that dissection proceeds to maintain relative relief. Hence they tend to be associated with areas subject to moderate uplift. There is little chance for this type of relief to survive major environmental changes towards aridity or cooling because stripping of the weathering mantle will not be compensated by saprolite renewal.
Spatial (re)organization and places of the Brao in southern Laos and northeastern Cambodia
Authors: Baird Ian G.
Published: November 2009

Initiatives designed to bring about social and spatial change, whether implemented by governments, international agencies, nongovernment organizations or private companies, invariably have an impact on how people perceive ‘places’– defined as spaces with particular meanings. In southern Laos and northeastern Cambodia the ethnic Brao peoples are facing rapid social and spatial changes as a result of a wide range of initiatives, many of which are associated with ‘development’. Case studies on internal resettlement from the uplands to the lowlands, the redesigning of living spaces, and the implications of protected national park establishment and management are discussed in relation to a four‐point typology of what is required to constitute place. The role of social and spatial (re)organization on place amongst the Brao is considered, including how peoples' conceptions of place are being altered and how the Brao are variously responding to efforts to (re)organize them and reconstitute their places.
Global Labor: Algocratic Modes of Organization
Authors: Aneesh A.
Published: November 2009

This study investigates a practice that allows workers based in India to work online on projects for corporations in the United States, representing a new mode of labor integration. In the absence of direct bureaucratic control across continents, the question arises how this rapidly growing labor practice is organized. The riddle of organizational governance is solved through an analysis of software programming schemes, which are presented as the key to organizing globally dispersed labor through data servers. This labor integration through programming code is distinguished from two other systems of organization—bureaucracy and the market—while bringing out the salient features of each system in terms of its ruling principle: bureaucracy (legal-rational), the market (price), and algocracy (programming or algorithm). The logic of algocratic systems is explored methodically to analyze global work.
Humans, Animals, and Play: Theorizing Interaction When Intersubjectivity is Problematic
Authors: Jerolmack Colin
Published: November 2009

Simmel (1949) argues that humans have an “impulse” toward sociability, defined as noninstrumental, playful association that is enjoyed as an end in itself. While sociability as conceived of by Simmel necessitates a shared definition of the situation, recent studies problematize symbolic interactionist assumptions by documenting the ways humans engage in analogous sociable play with animals. Drawing from ethnomethodological and pragmatist perspectives, this article offers a way to theorize human-animal encounters and their relationship to interactions among humans. Beginning with a conceptualization of play as an interpretive frame (Goffman 1986) that actors can employ to organize situated interactions, this article argues that humans can engage in playful associations with animals even if animals do not share in the play frame. It illustrates how play with animals can preserve some of the forms and satisfactions of interaction with humans, and it clarifies how interaction can be coordinated and understood when we cannot assume that interactants share intersubjectivity. The article concludes by offering a tentative set of conditions that structure the possibilities of sociable play, based on the degree of potential intersubjectivity and other situational factors.
Distinguishing the Power of Agency from Agentic Power: A Note on Weber and the “Black Box” of Personal Agency
Authors: Campbell Colin
Published: November 2009

The concept of agency, although central to many sociological debates, has remained frustratingly elusive to pin down. This article is an attempt to open up what has been called the “black box” of personal agency by distinguishing clearly between two contrasting conceptions of the phenomenon. These two conceptions are very apparent in the manner in which the concept is defined in sociological reference works, resembling as it does a similar contrast in the treatment of the concept of power. The two are referred to as type 1 and type 2 or the power of agency as compared with agentic power, the essential contrast being that the first refers to an actor's ability to initiate and maintain a program of action while the second refers to an actor's ability to act independently of the constraining power of social structure. The nature of these two forms of personal agency is then illustrated by referring to material taken from Weber's essay The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, this essay itself being understood as an argument that focuses on the crucial role played by an increase in the power of agency in ushering in the modern world. Finally, it is argued that these two conceptions of agency possess no given logical relationship with each other, it being perfectly possible for individuals to be possessed of considerable power of agency while lacking agentic power, and vice versa. It is therefore concluded that it is important, in all discussions of human agency, to distinguish clearly between these two forms.
Does Habitus Matter? A Comparative Review of Bourdieu's Habitus and Simon's Bounded Rationality with Some Implications for Economic Sociology
Authors: Collet Francois
Published: November 2009

In this article, I revisit Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus and contrast it with Herbert Simon's notion of bounded rationality. Through a discussion of the literature of economic sociology on status and Fligstein's political-cultural approach, I argue that this concept can be a source of fresh insights into empirical problems. I find that the greater the change in the social environment, the more salient the benefits of using habitus as a tool to analyze agents' behavior.
Jan Tinbergen's statistical contribution to economic policy
Authors: Jolink Albert
Published: November 2009

In this article I claim that the Nobel Prize in Economics has not only set the economics discipline on a path‐dependent trajectory, but is itself an apotheosis of a development of what I would like to refer to as ‘the statistical turn in economics’. The case of Jan Tinbergen illustrates the argument and sketches the stages within the statistical turn in economics. The Nobel Prize in 1969 acknowledged this character of economics, and justified the continuation of this approach for the generation to come.
Is the Acquisition Order of Grammatical Morphemes Impervious to L1 Knowledge? Evidence From the Acquisition of Plural ‐s, Articles, and Possessive ’s
Authors: Luk Zoe Pei‐sui , Shirai Yasuhiro
Published: November 2009

In SLA, it has been often assumed that the effect of the first language (L1) is not very strong in the acquisition of grammatical morphemes (e.g., Ellis, 1994; Mitchell & Myles, 2004). However, such an assumption has not been systematically examined in the literature. This article reviews the morpheme studies conducted with native speakers of Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish to test the effect of the L1 in the acquisition of grammatical morphemes. The review reveals that although Spanish L1 learners’ acquisition order generally conforms to the “so‐called” natural order (Krashen, 1977), native speakers of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese mostly acquire plural –s and articles later than, and possessive ’s earlier than, is predicted by the natural order. This indicates that learners can acquire a grammatical morpheme later or earlier than predicted by the natural order, depending on the presence or absence of the equivalent category in their L1. This suggests that L1 transfer is much stronger than is portrayed in many SLA textbooks and that the role of L1 in morpheme acquisition must be reconsidered.
Conventional Expressions as a Pragmalinguistic Resource: Recognition and Production of Conventional Expressions in L2 Pragmatics
Authors: Bardovi‐Harlig Kathleen
Published: November 2009

This study investigates the source of second language (L2) learners’ low use of conventional expressions—one part of pragmalinguistic competence—by investigating the relationship between recognition and production of conventional expressions in L2 pragmatics. Two tasks—an aural recognition task and an oral production task—were completed by 122 learners of English as a second language with mixed‐language backgrounds and 49 native speakers of English divided among peers and teachers. The aural recognition task presented 60 expressions to which participants responded with one of three levels of self‐assessed familiarity, operationalized as an estimate of how often they hear a given expression (I often/sometimes/never hear this). The computer‐delivered production task included 32 scenarios to which participants responded orally. Results show that recognition of conventional expressions is a necessary condition for production but not sufficient. Lower use of conventional expressions by learners may have multiple sources: lack of familiarity with some expressions; overuse of familiar expressions, which subsequently reduces the opportunity to use more targetlike expressions; level of development; and sociopragmatic knowledge.
Native Speakers and Task Performance: Comparing Effects on Complexity, Fluency, and Lexical Diversity
Authors: Foster Pauline , Tavakoli Parvaneh
Published: November 2009

This article argues that a native‐speaker baseline is a neglected dimension of studies into second language (L2) performance. If we investigate how learners perform language tasks, we should distinguish what performance features are due to their processing an L2 and which are due to their performing a particular task. Having defined what we mean by “native speaker,” we present the background to a research study into task features on nonnative task performance, designed to include native‐speaker data as a baseline for interpreting nonnative‐speaker performance. The nonnative results, published in this journal (Tavakoli & Foster, 2008) are recapitulated and then the native‐speaker results are presented and discussed in the light of them. The study is guided by the assumption that limited attentional resources impact on L2 performance and explores how narrative design features—namely complexity of storyline and tightness of narrative structure—affect complexity, fluency, accuracy, and lexical diversity in language. The results show that both native and nonnative speakers are prompted by storyline complexity to use more subordinated language, but narrative structure had different effects on native and nonnative fluency. The learners, who were based in either London or Tehran, did not differ in their performance when compared to each other, except in lexical diversity, where the learners in London were close to native‐speaker levels. The implications of the results for the applicability of Levelt's model of speaking to an L2 are discussed, as is the potential for further L2 research using native speakers as a baseline.
Concept Selection and Developmental Effects in Bilingual Speech Production
Authors: Schwieter John , Sunderman Gretchen
Published: November 2009

The present study investigates the locus of language selection in less and more proficient language learners, specifically testing differential predictions ofLa Heij's (2005)concept selection model (CSM) andKroll and Stewart's (1994)revised hierarchical model (RHM). Less and more proficient English dominant learners of Spanish participated in a Stroop translation task that included semantically related and unrelated word or picture distracters. The results for the more proficient learners provide support for the CSM as well as the RHM. The results for the less proficient learners provide support for the RHM and demonstrate the continued reliance on lexical level links and the difficulty in accessing the conceptual store during second language production. The selection by proficiency model of bilingual speech production is discussed.
FAIR TRADE AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Authors: Mohan Sushil
Published: November 2009

This paper examines how the expansion of mainstreaming of Fair Trade over the last decade and the increasing corporate attention to social responsibility during the same period is resulting in Fair Trade evolving as a form of corporate social responsibility. We further examine the challenges this poses for the Fair Trade movement.
POVERTY IN BRITAIN, PAST AND PRESENT
Authors: Niemietz Kristian
Published: November 2009

How we view the evolution of poverty in Britain in recent decades depends largely on how we define ‘poverty’ in the first place. The widespread perception of a dramatic and lasting rise in poverty in the 1980s is largely a product of a change in the way poverty is commonly defined. The poverty figures currently used to inform public policy are largely based on annual income, with the headline figure being one of relative poverty. Indicators based on expenditure or on absolute income tell a different story and also have important implications for government anti‐poverty strategies.
FLY‐BY‐NIGHT BUILDERS IN HARBIN AND SHANGHAI
Authors: Li Rita Yi Man
Published: November 2009

This paper examines residential property development in the Chinese cities of Harbin and Shanghai in 2001–07. It reveals that development firms generally only built one residential development during the study period, which contrasts with the situation in most developed countries, where large, established firms engage in numerous projects. This finding appears to contradict theories on economies of scale, brand names and reputation. It is argued that institutional failure may be largely responsible for the business practices observed.
ARGUING FOR LIBERTY IN A SECULAR AGE
Authors: Fulda Joseph S.
Published: November 2009

This article reviews Michael Levin's philosophical argument that minimal government is necessary and that, by the same reasoning, more‐than‐minimal government is unnecessary. Levin's argument does not appeal to any concept of rights, so can easily be used with those for whom rights‐based arguments require belief in a transcendent deity.
A NOTE ON THE ‘GREAT CONTRACTION’
Authors: Kabiri Ali
Published: November 2009

The modern literature on the US banking crisis in 1931 overlooks the key role played by ‘liquidity black holes’ and under‐pricing in the corporate and government bond markets resulting from the banking system's fire sale of assets. This process weakened the bank lending channel in a continuous feedback loop which was eventually checked by ‘money creation’ by the Federal Reserve. This note investigates the work of Evans Clark (1933) who highlighted the process of fire sales and mispricing of assets due to non‐fundamental causes.
Gendered Congregations, Gendered Service: The Impact of Clergy Gender on Congregational Social Service Participation
Authors: Stewart‐Thomas Michelle
Published: November 2009

Using data from the 1998 National Congregations Study, I present empirical evidence that shows that the gender of a congregation's leadership makes a difference in the likelihood that a congregation will participate in a social service programme. The results from binary logistic regression indicate that the odds of congregations with women head clergy participating in a social service programme are four times greater than those with men head clergy. In addition, as the percentage of women on a congregation's governing board increases the probability that a congregation will participate in a service project also increases. The specific types of social service programmes a congregation pursues also differ by gender of leadership, with women‐led congregations significantly more likely to pursue service projects that could be labelled feminine while avoiding programmes that are clearly feminist. To explain this gendered behaviour I incorporateAcker's (1990) theory of gendered organizations.
International Evidence for Return Predictability and the Implications for Long-Run Covariation of the G7 Stock Markets
Authors: Nitschka Thomas
Published: November 2009

Temporary fluctuations of the US consumption-wealth ratio do not only predict excess returns on the US but also international stock markets at the business cycle frequency. This finding is the reflection of a common, temporary component in national stock markets. Exposure to this common component explains up to 50% of the pairwise covariation among long-horizon returns on the G7 stock markets for the time period from 1970 to 2008. This latter finding is less pronounced in the post-1990s period.
Effect of daytime, weekday and year of admission on outcome in acute ischaemic stroke patients treated with thrombolytic therapy
Authors: Jauss M. , Schütz H.J. , Tanislav C. , Misselwitz B. , Rosenow F.
Published: November 2009

Background:  Since doubts were raised, if a challenging medical procedure such as acute stroke treatment including thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) is available with identical standard and outcome 24 h and 7 days a week our aim was to examine if acute stroke patients defined by onset‐admission time (OAT) of ≤ 3 h were treated differently or had distinct outcome when admitted during off duty hours (day versus night and weekend versus weekdays) and if any differences in treatment or outcome were apparent when comparing patients admitted in the year 2003 with patients admitted in the year 2006.

Methods:  We analyzed 2003–2006 data of a prospective registry and grouped patients by time, day, and year of admission. The evaluation was limited to patients that were diagnosed with ischaemic stroke and with OAT of ≤ 3 h. Medical and sociodemographic items, use of thrombolytic treatment, complications during clinical course and place of discharge were obtained. Clinical state on admission and discharge was assessed using the modified Rankin scale. Comparison with chi‐square test, t‐test and logistic regression was performed.

Results:  Patient’s characteristics, rate of thrombolysis, and outcome were independent from time or day of admission. Proportion of patients with good clinical state at discharge increased significantly from 2003 to 2006 together with a higher rate of rTPA treatment without increase of intracranial hemorrhage. Proportion of patients discharged in good clinical condition after rTPA treatment increased from 34% to 44%.

Conclusions:  Stroke treatment in potential candidates for thrombolytic therapy revealed no impairment on weekend or at night already in 2003. During 4 years, it was possible to increase rate of rTPA treatment from 8.9% to 21.8% without increment of complications or death, confirming that rTPA is safe and can be implemented with full daily and weekly coverage.
Paraoxonase gene polymorphisms and stroke severity
Authors: Lazaros L. , Markoula S. , Kyritsis A. , Georgiou I.
Published: November 2009

Background:  Paraoxonase (PON) is an HDL‐associated enzyme that prevents low‐density lipoprotein oxidation, playing a major role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. PON genes polymorphisms may affect the corresponding enzyme activity. In this study, we examined the association of ischemic stroke with the three PON genes.

Methods:  One hundred and seventy‐eight patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke and 181 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls were recruited. PON1(Q/R) 192, PON1(M/L) 55, and PON2(S/C) 311 polymorphisms were analyzed.

Results:  The presence of the PON2 311C allele was significantly increased in patients with severe forms of ischemic stroke according to Modified Rankin Scale (P = 0.02, odds ratio = 2.215). No significant differences in genotype and allele distribution were observed between patients and controls.

Conclusions:  The PON2 311C allele was suggested as a possible predisposing factor for severe cases of ischemic stroke. Large‐scale multicenter‐controlled prospective studies are warranted to further explore the effects of PON polymorphisms on stroke susceptibility and severity.
EFNS guidelines on the diagnosis and management of European Lyme neuroborreliosis
Authors: Mygland Å. , Ljøstad U. , Fingerle V. , Rupprecht T. , Schmutzhard E. , Steiner I.
Published: November 2009

Background:  Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a nervous system infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb).

Objectives:  To present evidence‐based recommendations for diagnosis and treatment.

Methods:  Data were analysed according to levels of evidence as suggested by EFNS.

Recommendations:  The following three criteria should be fulfilled for definite LNB, and two of them for possible LNB: (i) neurological symptoms; (ii) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis; (iii) Bb‐specific antibodies produced intrathecally. PCR and CSF culture may be corroborative if symptom duration is <6 weeks, when Bb antibodies may be absent. PCR is otherwise not recommended. There is also not enough evidence to recommend the following tests for diagnostic purposes: microscope‐based assays, chemokine CXCL13, antigen detection, immune complexes, lymphocyte transformation test, cyst formation, lymphocyte markers. Adult patients with definite or possible acute LNB (symptom duration <6 months) should be offered a single 14‐day course of antibiotic treatment. Oral doxycycline (200 mg daily) and intravenous (IV) ceftriaxone (2 g daily) are equally effective in patients with symptoms confined to the peripheral nervous system, including meningitis (level A). Patients with CNS manifestations should be treated with IV ceftriaxone (2 g daily) for 14 days and late LNB (symptom duration >6 months) for 3 weeks (good practice points). Children should be treated as adults, except that doxycycline is contraindicated under 8 years of age (nine in some countries). If symptoms persist for more than 6 months after standard treatment, the condition is often termed post‐Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS). Antibiotic therapy has no impact on PLDS (level A).
Prevalence of gambling problems among adolescents in the Nordic countries: an overview of national gambling surveys 1997–2009
Authors: Kristiansen Søren , Jensen Sara Marie
Published: November 2009

Kristiansen S, Jensen SM. Prevalence of gambling problems among adolescents in the Nordic countries: an overview of national gambling surveys 1997–2009

Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 75–86 © 2009 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

The study presents an overview of prevalence studies focusing on problem and pathological gambling among adolescent populations in the Nordic countries. Past‐year prevalence of problem gambling among adolescents in the Nordic countries ranges from 0.4 per cent (Denmark) to 4.2 per cent (Sweden). Past‐year prevalence of pathological gambling ranges from 0.1 per cent (Denmark) to 1.76 per cent (Norway). Results from the Nordic countries also show that boys gamble more than girls, older adolescents gamble more than younger adolescents and that, as shown in adult prevalence surveys, problem gambling is more widespread among adolescents than among adults. It is concluded that investigations of gambling problems among adolescents in the Nordic countries differ regarding age groups, sampling procedures, response rates, nomenclature and screening instruments, all of which complicates valid comparisons. More collaboration between researchers from different countries is urged in order to improve comparability between national studies.
Negative encounters with social insurance officers – experiences of women and men on long‐term sick leave
Authors: Upmark Marianne , Hagberg Jan , Alexanderson Kristina
Published: November 2009

Upmark M, Hagberg J, Alexanderson K. Negative encounters with social insurance officers – experiences of women and men on long‐term sick leave

Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 309–317 © 2009 Karolinska Institutet. International Journal of Social Welfare © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Limited and the International Journal of Social Welfare

This study aimed to gain knowledge about long‐term sickness absentees' experiences of negative encounters with social insurance officers (SIOs). A questionnaire about encounters with SIOs and healthcare professionals was sent to 10,000 long‐term sickness absentees in Sweden (response rate 58 per cent, n= 5,802). Twenty per cent of the respondents had experienced negative encounters with SIOs compared with 27 per cent with healthcare professionals. Response patterns regarding the 23 different types of negative encounters with SIOs were similar for women and men. Slightly more women [odds ratio (OR) 1.2–1.5] agreed to most of the items. When adjusting for age, country of birth, education and self‐rated health gender differences, only two items remained. Foreign‐born had higher ORs even after adjustments. Experiencing negative encounters of different types with SIOs can hardly contribute to empowerment and return to work. Interventions, preferably in terms of randomised controlled studies, are warranted to improve the situation.
A study of serial vertical sectioning of scalp biopsies to increase the histological diagnostic yield in alopecias
Authors: Bathish N , Ben Izhak O , Shemer A , Bergman R
Published: November 2009

Background  This study was performed to determine whether serial vertical sectioning of scalp biopsies increases the histological diagnostic yield in alopecias.

Materials and Methods  The study group included 100 consecutively referred patients with scalp alopecias. The formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded specimens of the scalp alopecias were completely serially sectioned in a vertical orientation and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The histological diagnosis rendered in the initial slide harbouring three to six sections was compared with the diagnosis in the following vertical serial sections (30–116 serial sections per specimen, mean 53).

Results  A total of 55 scalp biopsies were classified histologically as non‐cicatricial alopecia, 35 as cicatricial alopecia and 10 as ‘others’. Diagnostic histological findings were present in the initial sections of 50 (50%) cases of alopecia, and only in the following serial sections in 48 (48%) cases. Two cases (2%) lacked differentiating diagnostic histological features in all of the vertical sections. The diagnostic yield of the serial vertical sections compared with the initial sections was higher in the non‐cicatricial alopecias (52.7%) than in the cicatricial alopecias (48.5%) and the ‘others’ category (10%).

Conclusions  Serial vertical sectioning of scalp alopecias increases the histological diagnostic yield, substantially.
Oxidative stress in acne vulgaris
Authors: Sarici G , Cinar S , Armutcu F , Altınyazar C , Koca R , Tekin NS
Published: November 2009

Background  Acne vulgaris is one of the common dermatological diseases and its pathogenesis is multifactorial. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of oxidative stress in acne vulgaris.

Materials and methods  The study involved 32 patients with acne vulgaris in the patient group and 34 healthy adults in the control group. The parameters of oxidative stress such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), xanthine oxidase (XO), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the venous blood of patients were measured spectrophotometrically. The values were compared with those of the control group.

Results  The serum levels of MDA and XO activity in the patients with acne vulgaris were significantly higher than those of the controls. A significantly lower SOD and CAT activity was found in the patient group than in the control group. Although the patient group had higher serum levels of NO than the control group, the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion  These results suggest that oxidative damage may play a role in the pathogenesis of acne; therefore, significant alterations may occur in the antioxidant defence system.
Critical thresholds associated with habitat loss: a review of the concepts, evidence, and applications
Authors: Swift Trisha L. , Hannon Susan J.
Published: November 2009

A major conservation concern is whether population size and other ecological variables change linearly with habitat loss, or whether they suddenly decline more rapidly below a “critical threshold” level of habitat. The most commonly discussed explanation for critical threshold responses to habitat loss focus on habitat configuration. As habitat loss progresses, the remaining habitat is increasingly fragmented or the fragments are increasingly isolated, which may compound the effects of habitat loss. In this review we also explore other possible explanations for apparently nonlinear relationships between habitat loss and ecological responses, including Allee effects and time lags, and point out that some ecological variables will inherently respond nonlinearly to habitat loss even in the absence of compounding factors. In the literature, both linear and nonlinear ecological responses to habitat loss are evident among simulation and empirical studies, although the presence and value of critical thresholds is influenced by characteristics of the species (e.g. dispersal, reproduction, area/edge sensitivity) and landscape (e.g. fragmentation, matrix quality, rate of change). With enough empirical support, such trends could be useful for making important predictions about species' responses to habitat loss, to guide future research on the underlying causes of critical thresholds, and to make better informed management decisions. Some have seen critical thresholds as a means of identifying conservation targets for habitat retention. We argue that in many cases this may be misguided, and that the meaning (and utility) of a critical threshold must be interpreted carefully and in relation to the response variable and management goal. Despite recent interest in critical threshold responses to habitat loss, most studies have not used any formal statistical methods to identify their presence or value. Methods that have been used include model comparisons using Akaike information criterion (AIC) or t‐tests, and significance testing for changes in slope or for polynomial effects. The judicious use of statistics to help determine the shape of ecological relationships would permit greater objectivity and more comparability among studies.