bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Segments with Inherently Falling Sonority
Authors: Neef Martin
Published: November 2004

Abstract.  This paper deals with an inconsistency in the application of the concept of sonority in such non‐linear approaches to phonology that make use of both the segmental tier and the skeletal tier. I will argue that these approaches are forced to take the skeletal tier as the relevant level for the application of sonority. However, since long vowels occupy two positions on this tier, they form a sonority plateau, a configuration that is generally forbidden by basic sonority constraints. To solve this inconsistency, I will propose the concept of segments with inherently falling sonority. In addition, I will consider other candidates for elements with inherently uneven sonority. The intricacies of sonority will be discussed considering German as an example, following the assumption that phonological concepts, despite having a universal core, are characterised by language‐specific adjustments.
Contrast in phonology, structural analogy, and the interfaces
Authors: Anderson John M.
Published: November 2004

Abstract.  This paper is concerned with (some of) the evidence for analogies in structure between phonology and syntax, and with (some of) the evidence for the basis for limitations on analogy. The first half of the paper (§§1–3) looks at syllable structure with a view to determining what aspects of syllable structure are contrastive, so basic. It is concluded that, particularly given the need to satisfy sonority, linearity within the syllable is minimally‐ or non‐contrastive, but that the head‐based structural relations of complementation and adjunction may be contrastive. §4 argues indeed that phonological (and specifically syllabic) structure displays the same distinctions among complement, adjunct and specifier that is evident in the syntax, and indicates that this analogy is not an isolated case by pointing to a further one involving harmony, a familiar notion from the phonology that can be applied to syntactic phenomena such as ‘sequence of tenses’. The paper concludes (§5) with a brief survey of factors limiting structural analogy. These all have to do with the demands of the interfaces of the linguistic with the extra‐linguistic: on the one hand, the need for the syntax to represent complex cognitively‐based scenes; on the other, the restrictions imposed by the phoneticity of phonology, particularly the requirements of sonority discussed initially.
Liberal Egalitarianism and Workfare
Authors: Bou‐Habib Paul , Olsaretti Serena
Published: November 2004

abstract  In this paper we ask whether liberal egalitarians can endorse workfare policies that require that welfare recipients should work in return for their welfare benefits. In particular, we focus on the fairness‐based case for workfare, which holds that people should be responsible for their own welfare since they would otherwise impose unfair costs on others. Two versions of the fairness‐based case are considered. The first defends workfare on the grounds that it would form part of an unemployment insurance scheme that individuals would endorse under certain hypothetical conditions that are salient for the purposes of determining just public policy. The second appeals to the notion of reciprocity in order to justify the requirement that people work for their benefits. We cast doubt on both of these arguments for workfare. Neither argument shows that the unconditional provision of welfare benefits is unjust; hence, the fairness case for workfare is inconclusive.
Extracellular pressure stimulates colon cancer cell proliferation via a mechanism requiring PKC and tyrosine kinase signals
Authors: Walsh M. F. , Woo R. K.‐Y. , Gomez R. , Basson M. D.
Published: November 2004

Abstract.  Pressure in colonic tumours may increase during constipation, obstruction or peri‐operatively. Pressure enhances colonocyte adhesion by a c‐Src‐ and actin‐cytoskeleton‐dependent PKC‐independent pathway. We hypothesized that pressure activates mitogenic signals.

Methods.  Malignant colonocytes on a collagen I matrix were subjected to 15 mmHg pressure. ERK, p38, c‐Src and Akt phosphorylation and PKCα redistribution were assessed by western blot after 30 min and PKC activation by ELISA. Cells were counted after 24 h and after inhibition of each signal, tyrosine phosphorylation or actin depolymerization.

Results.  Pressure time‐dependently increased SW620 and HCT‐116 cell counts on collagen or fibronectin (P < 0.01). Pressure increased the SW620 S‐phase fraction from 28 ± 1 to 47 ± 1% (P = 0.0002). Pressure activated p38, ERK, and c‐Src (P < 0.05 each) but not Akt/PKB. Pressure decreased cytosolic PKC activity, and translocated PKCα to a membrane fraction. Blockade of p38, ERK, c‐Src or PI‐3‐K or actin depolymerization did not inhibit pressure‐stimulated proliferation. However, global tyrosine kinase blockade (genistein) and PKC blockade (calphostin C) negated pressure‐induced proliferation.

Conclusions.  Extracellular pressure stimulates cell proliferation and activates several signals. However, the mitogenic effect of pressure requires only tyrosine kinase and PKCα activation. Pressure may modulate colon cancer growth and implantation by two distinct pathways, one stimulating proliferation and the other promoting adhesion.
Stressors, burnout and social support: nurses in acute mental health settings
Authors: Jenkins Richard , Elliott Peter
Published: November 2004

Aims.  This paper reports a study which aims (1) to investigate and compare levels of stressors and burnout of qualified and unqualified nursing staff in acute mental health settings; (2) to examine the relationships between stressors and burnout and (3) to assess the impact of social support on burnout and stressor–burnout relationships.

Background.  Several studies have noted that the work of mental health nurses can be highly stressful, but relatively few have focused specifically on staff working in acute inpatient settings. Although many of the pressures faced by this group are similar to those in other nursing specialities, a number of demands relate specifically to mental health settings, including the often intense nature of nurse–patient interaction and dealing with difficult and challenging patient behaviours on a regular basis.

Methods.  A convenience sample of 93 nursing staff from 11 acute adult mental health wards completed the Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory and House and Wells Social Support Scale.

Results.  Lack of adequate staffing was the main stressor reported by qualified staff, while dealing with physically threatening, difficult or demanding patients was the most stressful aspect for unqualified staff. Qualified nurses reported significantly higher workload stress than unqualified staff. Approximately half of all nursing staff showed signs of high burnout in terms of emotional exhaustion. A variety of stressors were positively correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Higher levels of support from co‐workers were related to lower levels of emotional exhaustion. Higher stressor scores were associated with higher levels of depersonalization for staff reporting high levels of social support, but not for those reporting low levels of support (a reverse buffering effect).

Conclusions.  Qualified and unqualified nursing staff differed in terms of the prominence given to individual stressors in their work environment. The findings were consistent with the notion of burnout developing in response to job‐related stressors. While staff support groups may be useful in alleviating feelings of burnout, the reverse buffering effect suggests that they should be structured in a way that minimizes negative communication and encourages staff to discuss their concerns in a constructive way.
Effects of absorbent incontinence pads on pressure management mattresses
Authors: Fader Mandy , Bain Duncan , Cottenden Alan
Published: November 2004

Aim.  The aim of this paper is to report a study to determine the effects of absorbent pads on the pressure‐relieving properties of ‘standard’ and pressure management mattresses.

Background.  Pressure ulcers and incontinence often co‐exist. There is a strong association between poor mobility and continence problems and patients using pressure management products are therefore also likely to be using absorbent pads.

Methods.  An instrumented articulated anthropometric phantom with simulated soft body ‘tissues’ in the gluteal and sacral areas was used as the ‘subject’. The phantom was raised and lowered on to three mattresses (standard foam, visco‐elastic foam and surface‐cut foam) in three states: naked, wearing a dry pad (Tena Super, SCA Hygiene AB) and wearing a wet pad. The pressure mapping device Xsensor was used to record the distribution of pressure over the sacral and ischial areas of the phantom. Peak pressure was used as the primary outcome variable and 10 repeats were made on each mattress under each condition.

Results.  There were substantial and significant differences for all three mattresses in recorded peak pressures between the naked buttocks and the buttocks wearing a dry pad. There were no significant differences between measurements made using the dry vs. wet pad. Peak pressures frequently occurred over areas of pad folds. Additional testing showed that pads that were ‘smoothed’ by hand had significantly lower peak pressures than ‘unsmoothed’ pads.

Conclusions.  Absorbent pads have a substantial adverse effect on the pressure redistribution properties of mattresses. Pad folds appear to contribute to this effect, which can be ameliorated slightly by smoothing. Absorbent pad manufacturers should consider engineering pads that minimize disruption to pressure management. Further examination of continence and pressure management products is necessary to establish optimum combinations for nursing care.
Multicomponent individualized smoking cessation intervention for patients with lung disease
Authors: Jonsdottir Helga , Jonsdottir Rosa , Geirsdottir Thora , Sveinsdottir K. Sigridur , Sigurdardottir Thorunn
Published: November 2004

Aims.  This paper reports a study examining the process and outcomes of a long‐term, multicomponent smoking cessation intervention for patients with lung disease initiated while hospitalized and provided over 1‐year postdischarge.

Background.  Successful smoking cessation interventions are of primary importance for people with lung disease. Initiation of such an intervention in hospital settings is particularly important as patients may be especially motivated to quit as a result of strong perceptions of vulnerability while hospitalized for a smoking‐related disease. Tailoring the intervention to each person's needs is a promising approach to practice.

Methods.  All patients who smoked and were admitted to a pulmonary unit over 2 years were invited to participate in this quasi‐experimental study (n = 85), and 69 continued beyond the first month. The intervention was shaped by the TransTheoretical Model and used nicotine replacement therapy, along with individual and group counselling and support grounded in the nurse–patient relationship. The intervention was provided during hospitalization and by telephone after discharge at 1 week, and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months.

Results.  At 12‐months postdischarge, 39% of the patients reported continuous abstinence from smoking from the time they joined the programme and 52% were not smoking at that time. No relationship was found between abstinence and the number of quit attempts, readiness to quit, nicotine dependency and length of hospital stay. Readiness to quit had increased and nicotine dependency decreased significantly by the end of the programme. No gender differences were found for the main variables.

Conclusions.  Comprehensive, individualized smoking cessation interventions for hospitalized patients having lung disease, with a 1‐year follow‐up, was successful. Abstinence was high in comparison with other studies. This may in part be explained by significantly enhanced motivation to quit during the smoking cessation programme.
Signaling requirements and role of salicylic acid in HRT‐ and rrt‐mediated resistance to turnip crinkle virus in Arabidopsis
Authors: Chandra‐Shekara A.C. , Navarre DuRoy , Kachroo Aardra , Kang Hong‐Gu , Klessig Daniel , Kachroo Pradeep
Published: November 2004

Inoculation of turnip crinkle virus (TCV) on the resistant Arabidopsis ecotype Di‐17 elicits a hypersensitive response (HR), which is accompanied by increased expression of pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes. Previous genetic analyses revealed that the HR to TCV is conferred by HRT, which encodes a coiled‐coil (CC), nucleotide‐binding site (NBS) and leucine‐rich repeat (LRR) class resistance (R) protein. In contrast to the HR, resistance to TCV requires both HRT and a recessive allele at a second locus designated rrt. Here, we demonstrate that unlike most CC‐NBS‐LRR R genes, HRT/rrt‐mediated resistance is dependent on EDS1 and independent of NDR1. Resistance is also independent of RAR1 and SGT1. HRT/rrt‐mediated resistance is compromised in plants with reduced salicylic acid (SA) content as a consequence of mutations eds5, pad4, or sid2. By contrast, HR is not affected by mutations in eds1, eds5, pad4, sid2, ndr1, rar1, or sgt1b. Resistance to TCV is restored in both SA‐deficient Di‐17 plants expressing the nahG transgene and mutants containing the eds1, eds5, or sid2 mutations by exogenous application of SA or the SA analog benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole‐7‐carbothioic acid (BTH). In contrast, SA/BTH treatment failed to enhance resistance in HRT pad4, Col‐0, or hrt homozygous progeny of a cross between Di‐17 and Col‐0. Thus, HRT and PAD4 are required for SA‐induced resistance. Exogenously supplied SA or high endogenous levels of SA, due to the ssi2 mutation, overcame the suppressive effects of RRT and enhanced resistance to TCV, provided the HRT allele was present. High levels of SA upregulate HRT expression via a PAD4‐dependent pathway. As Col‐0 transgenic lines expressing high levels of HRT were resistant to TCV, but lines expressing moderate to low levels of HRT were not, we conclude that SA enhances resistance in the RRT background by upregulating HRT expression. These data suggest that the HRT‐TCV interaction is unable to generate sufficient amounts of SA required for a stable resistance phenotype, and the presence of rrt possibly corrects this deficiency.
Engineering of ubiquinone biosynthesis using the yeast coq2 gene confers oxidative stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco
Authors: Ohara Kazuaki , Kokado Yoshimasa , Yamamoto Hirobumi , Sato Fumihiko , Yazaki Kazufumi
Published: November 2004

Ubiquinone (UQ), an electron carrier in the respiratory chain ranging from bacteria to humans, shows antioxidative activity in vitro, but its physiological role in vivo is not yet clarified in plants. UQ biosynthesis was modified by overexpressing the yeast gene coq2, which encodes p‐hydroxybenzoate:polyprenyltransferase, to increase the accumulation of UQ‐6 in yeast and UQ‐10 in tobacco. The yeast and tobacco transgenic lines showed about a three‐ and six‐fold increase in UQ, respectively. COQ2 polypeptide, the localization of which was forcibly altered to the endoplasmic reticulum, had the same or a greater effect as mitochondria‐localized COQ2 on the increase in UQ in both the yeast and tobacco transformants, indicating that the UQ intermediate is transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondria. Plants with a high UQ level are more resistant to oxidative stresses caused by methyl viologen or high salinity. This is attributable to the greater radical scavenging ability of the transgenic lines when compared with the wild type.
The Pseudomonas syringae type III effector AvrRpt2 promotes virulence independently of RIN4, a predicted virulence target in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Lim Melisa T.S. , Kunkel Barbara N.
Published: November 2004

AvrRpt2, an effector protein from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), behaves as an avirulence factor that activates resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana lines expressing the resistance gene RPS2. AvrRpt2 can also enhance pathogen fitness by promoting the ability of the bacteria to grow and to cause disease on susceptible lines of A. thaliana that lack functional RPS2. The activation of RPS2 is coupled to the AvrRpt2‐induced disappearance of the A. thaliana RIN4 protein. However, the significance of this RIN4 elimination to AvrRpt2 virulence function is unresolved. To clarify our understanding of the contribution of RIN4 disappearance to AvrRpt2 virulence function, we generated new avrRpt2 alleles by random mutagenesis. We show that the ability of six novel AvrRpt2 mutants to induce RIN4 disappearance correlated well with their avirulence activities but not with their virulence activities. Moreover, the virulence activity of wild‐type AvrRpt2 was detectable in an A. thaliana line lacking RIN4. Collectively, these results indicate that the virulence activity of AvrRpt2 in A. thaliana is likely to rely on the modification of host susceptibility factors other than, or in addition to, RIN4.
DNA array analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana lacking a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter: impact of AtNHX1 on gene expression
Authors: Sottosanto Jordan B. , Gelli Angie , Blumwald Eduardo
Published: November 2004

AtNHX1, a vacuolar cation/proton antiporter of Arabidopsis, plays an important role in salt tolerance, ion homeostasis and development. We used the T‐DNA insertional mutant of AtNHX1 (nhx1 plants) and Affymetrix ATH1 DNA arrays to assess differences in transcriptional profiles and further characterize the roles of a vacuolar cation/proton antiporter. Mature, soil‐grown plants were used in this study to approximate typical physiological growing conditions. A comparison of plants grown in the absence of salt stress yielded many transcripts that were affected by the absence of the AtNHX1 vacuolar antiporter. Furthermore, changes in gene expression due to a non‐lethal salt stress (100 mm NaCl) in the nhx1 plants were significantly different from the changes seen in wild‐type plants. The nhx1 transcriptome was differentially affected when the plants were grown in the absence or presence of salt. In conclusion, in addition to the known role(s) of AtNHX1 on ion homeostasis, the vacuolar cation/proton antiporter plays a significant role in intracellular vesicular trafficking, protein targeting, and other cellular processes.
Hypocotyl growth orientation in blue light is determined by phytochrome A inhibition of gravitropism and phototropin promotion of phototropism
Authors: Lariguet Patricia , Fankhauser Christian
Published: November 2004

How developing seedlings integrate gravitropic and phototropic stimuli to determine their direction of growth is poorly understood. In this study we tested whether blue light influences hypocotyl gravitropism in Arabidopsis. Phototropin1 (phot1) triggers phototropism under low fluence rates of blue light but, at least in the dark, has no effect on gravitropism. By analyzing the growth orientation of phototropism‐deficient seedlings in response to gravitropic and phototropic stimulations we show that blue light not only triggers phototropism but also represses hypocotyl gravitropism. At low fluence rates of blue light phot1 mutants were agravitropic. In contrast, phyAphot1 double mutants grew exclusively according to gravity demonstrating that phytochrome A (phyA) is necessary to inhibit gravitropism. Analyses of phot1cry1cry2 triple mutants indicate that cryptochromes play a minor role in this response. Thus the optimal growth orientation of hypocotyls is determined by the action of phyA‐suppressing gravitropism and the phototropin‐triggering phototropism. It has long been known that phytochromes promote phototropism but the mechanism involved is still unknown. Our data show that by inhibiting gravitropism phyA acts as a positive regulator of phototropism.
A 22‐mer primer enhances discriminatory power of AP‐PCR fingerprinting technique in characterization of leptospires
Authors: Roy Subarna , Biswas Debabrata , Vijayachari P. , Sugunan A. P. , Sehgal Subhash C.
Published: November 2004

Objectives  To evaluate the discriminatory power and usefulness of arbitrarily primed‐polymerase chain reaction (AP‐PCR) characterization of leptospires with M16 primer.

Methods  AP‐PCR fingerprints of 20 reference strains of Leptospira representing 20 different serovars belonging to seven genospecies (Leptospira interrogans, 11; L. noguchii, 2; L. borgpetersenii, 1; L. santarosai, 2; L. biflexa, 2; L. kirschneri, 1; L. weilii, 1) were generated by employing M16 primer. Fingerprints generated with this primer were compared with those generated with two other commonly used primers PB1, and L10. An attempt was also made to type 20 leptospiral isolates with the M16 primer.

Results and conclusion  Fingerprints with M16 primer could not only differentiate between strains of different genospecies, but also between strains of the same genospecies belonging to different serovars. While two commonly used primers (PB1 and L10) failed to discriminate between some of the different serovars belonging to the same genospecies, this primer was able to generate discriminatory fingerprints for all strains tested. All 20 Leptospira isolates, recovered from patients in Andaman Islands, could also be typed by fingerprints generated with the M16 primer. The discriminatory power of M16 primer adds more specificity to the rapidity of this system of characterization and can be used as an excellent tool in epidemiological studies on Leptospira.
Fifty‐year mortality trends in three rural African villages
Authors: Rayco‐Solon Pura , Moore Sophie E. , Fulford Anthony J. , Prentice Andrew M.
Published: November 2004

Objective  To determine differential improvements in mortality rates according to age, and to discuss differences in neonatal and post‐neonatal mortality rates, using longitudinal data from the past 50 years in three rural Gambian villages.

Methods  All villagers whose date of birth was recorded were followed up until death or October 1997. A Lexis expansion was performed to categorize age: early neonatal, late neonatal, infant, 1–4 years, 5–14 years and 15 or more years. Calendar time was divided into three periods – prior to 1975, 1975–1984 and after 1985, representing different levels of clinical care. Cox regression and likelihood‐ratio test were used to model the hazards ratios.

Results  There were 3981 subjects included in the analysis with a total of 59 002 person‐years follow‐up. There was a dramatic decrease in neonatal (44 to 15), infant (162 to 36) and under‐five mortality rates (397–66 per 1000) from pre‐1975 to the present. The disproportionate decrease in the mortality rates means that neonatal deaths accounted for a greater percentage of post‐natal deaths in later years. There was a marked seasonality in mortality rates with significantly more deaths in the ‘hungry’ season prior to 1975 (odds = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.62–2.17) and from 1975 to 1984 (odds = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.34–2.53). This seasonality of death has diminished in recent years (odds = 1.23; 95% CI = 0.85–1.76).

Conclusion  Our analysis indicates a dramatic reduction in mortality rates and an attenuation in the seasonality of death. It is likely that the efficient implementation of basic currently available health measures was one of the key elements in achieving such a major reduction in mortality.
Treatment of maternal syphilis in rural South Africa: effect of multiple doses of benzathine penicillin on pregnancy loss
Authors: Myer Landon , Abdool Karim Salim S. , Lombard Carl , Wilkinson David
Published: November 2004

Objectives  Despite few data, the treatment of syphilis in pregnant women using a single dose of benzathine penicillin is the standard of care in many resource‐poor settings. We examined the effect of various doses of benzathine penicillin on pregnancy loss among women with a positive Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test result in a rural South African district.

Methods  All pregnant women making their first antenatal care visit during pregnancy were screened for syphilis using the RPR test. Those testing positive were counselled to receive three weekly doses of benzathine penicillin, and received a partner notification card. Pregnancy outcomes were determined from facility records or home visits where necessary.

Results  Of 8917 women screened, 1043 (12%) had reactive syphilis serology; of those with titre data available, 30% had titres of 1:8 or greater. While 41% (n = 430) of women received all three doses as counselled, 30% (n = 312) received only one dose, and 20% (n = 207) did not return to the clinic to receive treatment. Among the 947 women with pregnancy outcome data available, there were 17 miscarriages and 48 perinatal deaths observed. There was a strong trend towards reduced risk of pregnancy loss among women receiving multiple doses of penicillin (adjusted OR for perinatal mortality for each additional dose received, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48–0.84).

Conclusions  While this association requires further investigation, these results suggest that there may be substantial benefit to providing multiple doses of benzathine penicillin to treat maternal syphilis in this setting.
Larval nutritional environment determines adult size in Japanese horned beetles Allomyrina dichotoma
Authors: KARINO Kenji , SEKI Natsuki , CHIBA Mutsumi
Published: November 2004

The effects of larval nutrition and parental size on offspring horn (male) and body size (male and female) were examined in the Japanese horned beetle Allomyrina dichotoma L. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Offspring‐parent regressions for both horn size and body size of males show no heritable effect, and the magnitudes of these traits were primarily determined by the larval nutritional condition. Male Allomyrina dichotoma also displayed dimorphic horn size‐body size allometry, that is, larger males had longer horns relative to their body size and vice versa. Because it has been suggested that males of different body sizes adopt different reproductive tactics, the dimorphic horn size–body size allometry and male reproductive tactics are also a result of the larval environment. Similarly, female body size was determined by larval nutrition, and, thus, larval condition might influence future female fecundity. Females under low nutrition treatment spent longer duration of the third larval instar than females under high nutrition. Females under poor nutrition treatment probably attempted to be as large as possible by the extent of larval duration. Since horn and/or body sizes of males and females affect their fitness, this suggests the evolution of female choice for better oviposition site.
Total versus subtotal thyroidectomy for the management of benign multinodular goiter in an endemic region
Authors: Colak Tahsin , Akca Tamer , Kanik Arzu , Yapici Davud , Aydin Suha
Published: November 2004

Background:  Because controversy still continuous to surround use of total thyroidectomy for the management of benign multinodular goiter, the present study aims to prospectively compare the safety and efficacy of total thyroidectomy with subtotal thyroidectomy.

Methods:  A total of 200 consecutive patients with benign multinodular goiter were assigned to have either total thyroidectomy (n = 105) or subtotal thyroidectomy (n = 95) based on preoperative evaluation, intraoperative macroscopic findings and nodular dissemination. The patients with no healthy tissue or nodules localized in the dorsal part of the gland, which are usually left during normal subtotal resection, were assigned to the total thyroidectomy group. Demographic details, biochemical findings, indications for operation, operating time, specimen weight, complications and hospital stay were noted.

Results:  There was no significant difference in the sex, hormonal status or duration of goiter between the two groups (P = 0.74, P = 0.59 and P = 0.59, respectively). The mean operating time was longer (148.52 min ± 51.10 vs 135.10 min ± 32.47, P = 0.03), and the mean weight of the specimens was greater (228.40 g ± 229.91 vs 157.01 g ± 151.23, P = 0.01) for total rather than subtotal thyroidectomy. Either temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy or hypoparathyroidism occurred in 10 (9.3%) or 12 (11.4%) of the patients undergoing total compared with six (6.3%) or nine (9.5%) of the patients undergoing subtotal thyroidectomy (P = 0.40 and P = 0.65, respectively). Either permanent RLN palsy or hypoparathyroidism was observed in one patient undergoing total thyroidectomy (P = 0.34 for each comparison). The mean hospital stay was longer in the total thyroidectomy group (2.24 days ± 1.18 vs 1.89 days ± 0.72 for subtotal thyroidectomy, P = 0.01).

Conclusions:  The present study shows that total thyroidectomy can be performed without increasing risk of complication, and it is an acceptable alternative for benign multinodular goiter, especially in endemic regions, where patients present with a huge multinodular goiter.
Paediatric trauma teams in Australia
Authors: Wong Kenneth , Petchell Jeffrey
Published: November 2004

Background:  Trauma teams have been associated with improved survival probability of paediatric trauma patients. The present study seeks to estimate the use of trauma teams in Australian paediatric tertiary referral centres and describe their medical composition, leadership and criteria for activation.

Methods:  Australian paediatric tertiary referral centres were identified. A structured questionnaire assessing the presence, composition and means of activation of a trauma team was mailed to the ‘Director, Emergency Department’ of all identified hospitals. Three months later, all hospitals were contacted by telephone to complete and verify data collection.

Results:  Questionnaires were distributed to eight hospitals. Seventy‐five per cent had an established trauma team. Hospitals without a trauma team claimed to have insufficient doctors to form a team and insufficient trauma caseload to justify a team. All trauma teams were potentially activated by prehospital paramedic data (field triage) and required a combination of anatomical, physiological and mechanistic criteria for activation. The two methods of mobilizing a trauma team were by dispatching a common call onto individual pagers (66%) or a specific trauma pager (33%) carried by trauma team members. Fifty per cent of hospitals had a two‐tier, stratified trauma team response. All teams consisted of emergency, surgical and intensive care unit registrars. Trauma team leaders were emergency medicine specialists/registrars (33%), surgical registrars (33%) and non‐defined (33%). Consultant surgeons were not members of any trauma team. Eighty‐three per cent of trauma teams consisted of more junior members after hours. Fifty per cent of hospitals did not have a surgical registrar on site outside of business hours. Eighty‐eight per cent of hospitals engaged in some form of trauma audit.

Conclusions:  Trauma teams are utilized by most Australian paediatric tertiary referral centres, with fairly uniform medical composition and criteria for activation. Paediatric surgeons presently have limited leadership roles and membership of Australian paediatric trauma teams.
Final report from the ASERNIP‐S audit of laparoscopic live‐donor nephrectomy
Authors: Tooher Rebecca , Boult Maggie , Maddern Guy J. , Rao M. Mohan
Published: November 2004

The Australian Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures − Surgical (ASERNIP‐S) audit of laparoscopic live‐donor nephrectomy commenced in 1999 and concluded in 2003. Six centres in Australia and New Zealand contributed data for 219 donor patients regarding perioperative and postoperative outcome of surgery and short‐term follow‐up. These data were compared with a recent systematic review of LLDN. The Australasian experience to date compared favourably with worldwide practice, both in terms of efficacy and safety for donors (at least in the short term). The collection of audit data, as this technique was introduced into the Australasian healthcare system, has allowed the local experience with this technique to be pooled and shared, resulting in the development of Australasian practice in line with world's best practice in this area.
Adhesional small bowel obstruction after colorectal surgery
Authors: Ryan Matthew D. , Wattchow David , Walker Margaret , Hakendorf Paul
Published: November 2004

Background:  Acute clinical indicators of complications in colorectal surgery can be readily attained but it is much harder to gather indicators of long‐term outcomes such as small bowel obstruction (SBO). However, with improved in‐hospital data collection and coding such information is becoming available. The aim of the present study was to examine our own hospital database for SBO rates post‐colorectal surgery.

Methods:  The database was searched and then the relevant medical records were reviewed of all patients admitted to Flinders Medical Centre (Bedford Park, Australia) between July 1999 and November 2002 with a diagnosis of SBO following a colorectal procedure during this same time period.

Results:  There were 21 patients that accounted for 28 readmissions from a total colorectal procedure group of 583 patients. The arbitrary subgroups were: 13/325 (4%) for colonic resections; 7/186 (3.7%) for rectal resections; 0/12 (0%) for laparotomies/other procedures; and 1/39 (2.6%) for stoma formation/reversals. The overall SBO rate requiring readmission was therefore 3.6%/pt in the 3 years. There was a large variation in the first readmission interval, 38% occurred within 3 months, 43% between 3 and 12 months, and 19% after 1 year. At the first readmission 38% of patients had operative treatment. The mean length of stay was 6.12 days for non‐operative vs 21.62 days for operative treatment.

Conclusion:  The reported rate of SBO of 3.6% (at 3 years time interval) is in accordance with other studies. With 38% of patients being treated operatively at first admission there is good acceptance for conservative management in non‐strangulated SBO. The prolonged hospital stay for patients needing surgery warrants further investigation.
Pre duodenal portal vein as a cause of duodenal obstruction in an adult
Authors: John Ajo K. , Gur Ufuk , Aluwihare Arjuna , Cade David
Published: November 2004

Pre duodenal portal vein (PDPV) has not been reported as a cause of duodenal obstruction in adults. We describe a 60 year old man who presented with symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction caused by PDPV, and was diagnosed at laparotomy and treated by gastrojejunostomy.
Building Walls, Bounding Nations: Migration and Exclusion in Canada and Germany, 1870–1939
Authors: Triadafilopoulos Triadafilos
Published: November 2004

Abstract Transformations in global capitalism increased rates of international migration at the turn of the twentieth century, a period also marked by the widespread popularity of scientific racism, integral nationalism, and vaunted notions of state sovereignty. This paper considers how the intersection of these factors influenced migration and citizenship policymaking in Canada and Germany. In both cases, migration was harnessed to further economic objectives while groups deemed a threat to national integration because of their putative racial or ethno‐national characteristics were excluded. The resultant policies would come to define Canada and Germany’s approaches to the migration‐membership dilemma for the much of the twentieth century.
Citizen Alevi in Turkey: Beyond Confirmation and Denial
Authors: Koçan Gürcan , Öncü Ahmet
Published: November 2004

AbstractCritics of the current national citizenship models argue that, although it rests on claims to be inclusionary and universal, it can never eliminate exclusionary and particularistic practices when challenged by those identities excluded from the historical trajectory of “nation building.” Turkish citizenship has been a form of anomalous amalgamation since its conception. On the one hand, the state insisted on the pre‐emptive exclusion of religion and various communal cultural identities from politics, while, on other hand, it promoted a particular religious identity primarily as a means of promoting cultural and social solidarity among its citizens. Contemporary Alevi movements, representing the interests of a large minority in Turkey, provide a new source of energy for the revision of concepts of citizenship. Alevis have suffered from prejudice, and their culture has been arrested and excluded from the nation building process. They were not able to integrate into the form of national identity based on the “secular” principles that the republican state has provided as a means of promoting solidarity among citizens. What Alevis seek is a revised citizenship model in terms of a system of rights assuring the condition of neutrality among culturally diverse individuals.
Public Debt, Migration, and Shortsighted Politicians
Authors: Schultz Christian , Sjöström Tomas
Published: November 2004

We analyze a model where local public debt levels are set by politicians who are chosen in local elections. Migration causes an externality across districts, and leads to overaccumulation of local public debt. Since debt is a strategic substitute, the median voters in each district prefer shortsighted political leaders who “borrow and spend,” thereby exacerbating the problem of overaccumulation of local public debt.
Mark as a Roman Document from the Year 69: Testing Martin Hengel's Thesis
Authors: Head Ivan
Published: November 2004

This paper explores Martin Hengel's thesis that the Gospel of Mark was written in Rome in the year 69. Hengel was convinced that more should be made of the Year of Four Emperors, a period of civic chaos and warfare that ensued on the death of Nero. The paper analyses the role of the emperor as a potent force in the religious, civic, political, and military unity that is Rome and her gods; the all‐pervasive Jerusalem Temple; and Josephus's return to Rome in 71 and the publication of The Jewish War. The paper shows that these themes overlap with this Gospel and are at least consistently supportive of the claim that Rome is the place of composition. The paper refers positively to a recent publication by Brian Incigneri that stresses the critical role of the Triumph of Vespasian and Titus in 71 as the catalytic event for Mark.
Effect of preoperative oral sustained‐release morphine sulfate on postoperative morphine requirements in elective spine surgery
Authors: Bellissant Eric , Estèbe Jean‐Pierre , Sébille Véronique , Ecoffey Claude
Published: November 2004

Sustained‐release morphine sulfate (SRMS) is a painkiller used in oncology. The purpose of our study was to assess its efficacy on postoperative morphine requirements in elective spine surgery. This was a placebo‐controlled, randomized, double‐blind study. Adults scheduled for spine surgery under general anesthesia were orally administered SRMS (30 mg) or a placebo 2 h before surgery. Primary endpoint was postoperative cumulated morphine consumption through patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) during the 12 h following extubation. Statistical analysis was performed using a sequential method, the triangular test. The study was stopped after the sixth analysis (51 patients had been included; placebo: 26, SRMS: 25). Age, weight, sex ratio, type of surgery, intra‐operative sufentanil consumption, anesthesia duration and time to extubation were similar in the two groups. Morphine consumption through PCA during the 12 h following extubation was significantly lower in the SRMS group (mean ± SD: 10.5 ± 7.6 mg) compared with placebo group (15.6 ± 6.0 mg, P = 0.016, sequential analysis). Corresponding unbiased median estimates were 10.6 and 15.8 mg in SRMS and placebo groups, respectively. Morphine consumption through PCA during the 24 h following extubation was also significantly lower in the SRMS group (15.9 ± 12.7 mg) compared with the placebo group (23.8 ± 10.9 mg, P = 0.032). Vigilance, nausea and respiratory rate 3 and 6 h after extubation were similar in the two groups. A preoperative oral administration of SRMS (30 mg) induces a 33% reduction of postoperative morphine requirements in patients scheduled for spine surgery without inducing side effects.
Mild eccentric stretch injury in skeletal muscle causes transient effects on tensile load and cell proliferation
Authors: Äärimaa Ville , Rantanen Jussi , Best Thomas , Schultz Edward , Corr David , Kalimo Hannu
Published: November 2004

The biomechanical and regenerative responses in rabbit tibialis anterior muscle following a single eccentric stretch injury were investigated 1, 3 and 7 days after traumatization. The stretch injury produced a transient biomechanical effect. On day 1, the load at failure was decreased in the injured muscles compared with the uninjured controls (P<0.05), but on days 3 and 7 significant biomechanical differences were no longer recorded between the injured and control muscles. In immunohistochemical analyses, no overt myonecrosis or connective tissue disruption was observed in any of the stretch‐injured muscles. Yet satellite cells were activated to incorporate a thymidine analogue, bromodeoxyuridine indicating mitotic activity. They did not, however, produce muscle‐specific proteins, i.e., they did not differentiate further. Furthermore, the intact appearing but mildly injured myofibers of the stretched muscles expressed both neonatal myosin and vimentin near the myotendinous junctions. Collectively, these results suggest that a single mild eccentric stretch of skeletal muscle which does not cause gross structural alterations results in a short‐term decrease in tensile load and induces transient proliferation of satellite cells and fibroblasts together with expression of primitive proteins in myofibers.
Ostrich (Struthio camelus) chick and grower nutrition
Authors: COOPER Ross G.
Published: November 2004

The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is an important agricultural animal. The successful raising of ostriches from hatching to grower to breeder bird stage requires high standards of nutrition, and the producer should be knowledgeable about how the ingredient will provide the essential nutrients for growth and development, the utilization capacity of each nutrient and expected performance outcomes. Correct nutrition of chicks is critical, as they are most vulnerable up to the age of 3 months. Correct nutrition in growers (3–12 months) is important for the attainment of healthy breeding birds. Detailed is an analysis of studies on correct balance of essential nutrients, protein/energy inclusions and of fiber.
Temperament assessments of lactating cows in three contexts and their applicability as management traits
Authors: UETAKE Katsuji , KILGOUR Robert J. , ISHIWATA Toshie , TANAKA Toshio
Published: November 2004

The applicability of three behavioral assessments of lactating cows as management traits was verified. Flight responses to an approaching human (flight starting and walking distances, and flight walking speed) at pasture, entrance order into the milking parlour and step‐kick behavior to cup attachment were observed for 713 subject cows in six Australasian dairy farms. On all farms, cows were kept at pasture without any barn housing. Flight responses were measured once, and other assessments were recorded repeatedly for each subject cow. A principal component analysis was performed to verify whether these assessments appear to measure the same trait. A two‐way anova and correlation analyses were then used to test whether obtained principal components were affected by farm, age and milking stage of cows. Australian and some Japanese herd management systems were compared for flight distance using a one‐way anova and a multiple comparison test. Three behavioral assessments clustered in different principal components, indicating that these assessments did not appear to measure the same trait. Factor scores of four principal components were affected by farm (all, P < 0.01), and the scores of principal component 1, interpreted as fear of humans (r = −0.16, P < 0.01), and component 2, interpreted as aversion to cup attachment (r = −0.28, P < 0.01), were moderately correlated with age. These results emphasize the necessity of data standardization to reduce the non‐genetic variation resulting from these two affectors. The flight distance at pasture of herds in Australia (6.06 ± 2.85 m) was significantly (P < 0.05) different from the flight distances measured in paddocks (1.50 ± 0.82 m) and free‐stall barns (1.22 ± 1.09 m) in Japan. However, mean distances were not different between the Australian herds at pasture and the Japanese herds at pasture in tie‐stall barns (3.96 ± 2.16 m) or in a free‐stall barn (4.03 ± 1.79 m). This difference could be a result of the fact that only a single measurement was made, so that repeated measurement might improve the usefulness of flight distance as a management trait. In conclusion, it was verified that step‐kick behavior to cup attachment and flight responses to human approach were, although they have some affectors, applicable as objective management traits in lactating cows.
Borges's Encyclopedia and Classification in Presidential Studies
Authors: ABBOTT PHILIP
Published: November 2004

In her 1990 address before the Presidency Research Group, Betty Glad argued that the alleged low status of presidential studies was based in large part upon a model of science used in theoretical physics. Instead, she contended, if research in botany and some other sciences were employed as a model, other goals, particularly classification, would be prominent and presidential studies would be more productive and presumably less preoccupied with a misplaced scientific status hierarchy. What if, however, a major focus upon classification as a research goal leads not to a rigorous and robust body of knowledge in presidential studies as Glad predicts but rather to a version of the emperor's encyclopedia described by Jorge Luis Borges in which phenomena are cataloged in a completely ersatz fashion? This article examines the utility of classification as a goal of presidential studies by assessing dichotomies offered by Fred Greenstein, Richard Neustadt, and Jeffrey Tulis and typologies presented by Stephen Skowronek and James David Barber. The article concludes that there is a pronounced tendency for these classifications to drift toward the status of those in Borges's encyclopedia that can only be effectively resisted by continual theoretical reassertion of the executive himself as a disruptive force.
The Contemporary Presidency: Presidents, Lawmakers, and Spies: Intelligence Accountability in the United States
Authors: JOHNSON LOCH K.
Published: November 2004

Since the end of the Second World War, intelligence accountability (“oversight”) in the United States has gone through five major phases: an Era of Trust (1947‐74); an Era of Uneasy Partnership (1975‐1986); an Era of Distrust (1987‐1991); an Era of Partisan Advocacy (1992‐2001); and an Era of Ambivalence (2002‐ ). The major obstacles hindering effective oversight have been the motivation of individual lawmakers and the willingness of the executive branch to share information with overseers on Capitol Hill. Overall, intelligence oversight has been a story of spotty efforts by lawmakers to carry out these duties on a regular basis, relying instead on ad hoc responses to scandals and major intelligence failures after they arise.