bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cyclooxygenase ‐2 Expression in Mammary Tumors in Dogs and its Correlation to Histologic and Biologic Behavior
Authors: De Nardi A. B. , Daleck C. R. , Souza C. H. M. , Amorin R. L. , Rodaski S. , Calderon C. , Torres R.
Published: September 2010

Introduction:  Cyclooxygenase‐2 (Cox‐2) is the inducible form and the rate‐limiting enzyme, for conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. Cox‐2 overexpression, common in carcinomas, is associated with increased growth rate, resistance to apoptosis, angiogenesis, and overall, both local and distant aggressive behavior. Cox‐2 overexpression has been detected in human and canine mammary tumors (MTs). Histopathology of canine MT is not always predictive of biologic behavior, and anecdotally, only 50% of the malignant MTs are expected to metastasize. We hypothesize that Cox‐2 expression correlates with aggressive behavior.

Methods:  This retrospective study evaluated 48 bitches, presented for excision of MT between 2000 and 2003 at FMVZ de Botucatu‐UNESP, Brasil. Follow‐up varied from 18 months to 24 months and included physical examination and thoracic radiographs. Histopathologic examination was performed in all tumors, as well as in metastatic lesions when detected in the follow‐up period. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of Cox‐2 in paraffin blocks (Rabbit polyclonal anti‐PGHS‐2. Oxford Biomedical). 10 adenomas, 10 carcinomas, 10 benign mixed tumors, 10 malignant mixed tumors and 8 cases of primary carcinomas and their metastatic lesions.

Results:  Expression of Cox‐2 varied among groups. Adenomas (32.1%), mixed benign tumors (38%), carcinomas (60.3%), malignant mixed tumors (65.8%), and metastatic carcinomas (81.25%) and their metastatic lesions (84.35%). Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the benign and malignant counterparts and between carcinomas and metastatic carcinomas.

Conclusions:  Cox‐2 expression correlates with both histologic and biologic behavior in mammary carcinomas, and may serve as a predictor of metastatic potential.
An hGM‐CSF DNA‐Cationic Lipid Complexed Autologous Tumor Cell Vaccine did not Improve Remission Duration in Dogs with Lymphoma
Authors: Turek M. M. , Thamm D. H. , Mitzey A. M. , Kurzman I. D. , Huelsmeyer M. K. , Dubielzig R. R. , Vail D. M.
Published: September 2010

Introduction:  Lymphoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs and while clinical remission can be induced using chemotherapy, very few dogs are cured. Since cytokine‐adjuvanted autologous whole‐tumor‐cell vaccines (ATCV) can induce potent antitumor immune responses against otherwise non‐immunogenic cancers we initiated a study of such an approach in dogs with lymphoma.

Methods:  Following achievement of a complete remission using a 19‐week CHOP‐based chemotherapy protocol, 51 dogs with B‐cell lymphoma were randomized to receive 8 treatments (4 weekly, then 4 additional at q2wk intervals) of vaccine or lipid‐equivalent placebo. Dogs were followed monthly for assessment of remission duration and survival. Surrogate indices of immune response (delayed‐type hypersensitivity, interferon‐γ quantitative RT‐PCR, lymphocyte proliferation, and flow cytometry for lymphoma‐specific antibodies) were also investigated before and after vaccination.

Results:  No significant difference in median remission duration was observed between dogs receiving vaccine (277 days) or placebo (258 days); the Kaplan‐Meier curves were virtually super‐imposable. No significant differences in surrogate indices of immune response were noted pre‐ and post‐vaccination.

Conclusions:  In this context, an hGM‐CSF DNA‐cationic lipid complexed ATCV vaccine did not enhance remission duration in dogs with lymphoma, likely due to lack of vaccine‐induced tumor‐specific immunity.
Planning for visitors at Florentine palaces
Authors: Preyer Brenda
Published: September 2010

‘In the house of a rich man numerous guests should be received and they should be treated in a sumptuous manner; if one did otherwise the great house would be a dishonor to the owner.’*
Moving in circles: the dialectics of selfhood in Religio Medici
Authors: Lambert Ladina Bezzola
Published: September 2010

This essay analyses Browne's definition of selfhood in Religio Medici. It argues that Browne's autobiography betrays the speaker's anxiety to define a space for the self and his spiritual and intellectual existence. The self is presented both as a voracious maw consuming everything around him and as a being beleaguered by a world threatening to consume him. Browne's concept of selfhood therefore rests on a fragile dialectic between the self's integration in and his separation from a religious and social context. This dialectic is illustrated by means of the symbolic use of the figure of the circle and (by extension) that of the sphere in Browne's text. Throughout Religio Medici, Browne refers to a system of circles in which smaller circles are contained within larger ones to illustrate social and political orders. As such, this system expresses hierarchy and dependence. However, Browne also draws a circle around the self, thus isolating it from the world. The figure of the circle thus illustrates both the subject's position in a larger order and its separation from it. Within the circle of the self yet more circles are drawn so as to compartmentalize the subject into autonomous domains. This essay traces the moments of disturbance pervading this system, the moments when the neat categorization of circles is unsettled, when circles start to leak and give access to outer influences, and the dynamics this creates. These moments keep returning in Browne's rhetoric, suggesting both the danger of contagion and corrup‐tion of the self and a threat to the hierarchical order in which the self participates. At the same time, they suggest the idea of an exchange taking place between the inner and the outer, the self and the other, the material and the spiritual world.
‘Three pounds and fifteen shillings; the inconsiderable salary of Judas’: seventeenth‐century exegesis, cultural historiography and Thomas Browne's Pseudodoxia Epidemica
Authors: Killeen Kevin
Published: September 2010

This essay explores how early modern ideas of law and custom, focusing intensely on the Bible, became increasingly aware of the shifting meaning of biblical law codes over Old and New Testament time and the meanings encoded in biblical actions. It traces the emergence of the idea over the course of the early modern era that right interpretation of the Bible demanded a significant historical sensibility. This exegetical imperative took on particular significance in the middle decades of the seventeenth century, in response to a proliferation of non‐learned interpretation. Distinguishing this from later forms of historical criticism, the essay traces how the scriptures became in turn, a site for a cultural historicism that endowed the early modern Bible with a generative ability to produce copious commentary on the most insignificant curiosa, from the legal basis of biblical conduct to the cultural meanings of plants and natural history in the Bible. Looking primarily at Thomas Browne's Pseudodoxia Epidemica (1646) and its extensive engagement with biblical curiosa, the essay contextualizes Browne's scriptural exegesis within the work of contemporary legal‐scriptural theorists including John Selden, Thomas Fuller and Henry Hammond.
Exploring Divergence Between Respondent and Researcher Definitions of the Good in Contingent Valuation Studies
Authors: Chilton S. M. , Hutchinson W. G.
Published: September 2010

In Contingent Valuation studies, researchers often base their definition of the environmental good on scientific/expert consensus. However, respondents may not hold this same commodity definition prior to the transaction. This raises questions as to the potential for staging a satisfactory transaction, based on Fischoff and Furby's (1988) criteria. Some unresolved issues regarding the provision of information to respondents to facilitate such a transaction are highlighted. In this paper, we apply content analysis to focus group discussions and develop a set of rules which take account of the non‐independence of group data to explore whether researcher and respondents' prior definitions are in any way similar. We use the results to guide information provision in a subsequent questionnaire.
A Note on Farmers' Retirement and Succession Considerations: Evidence from a Household Survey
Authors: Kimhi Ayal , Lopez Ramon
Published: September 2010

Retirement and succession considerations of family farm operators in Maryland are considered in this paper. Retirement decisions are found to be mainly determined by personal considerations, and only secondary importance is given to succession considerations. However, the relative importance of succession considerations is positively related to the importance of the farm enterprise relative to other income‐generating activities of the family. The conclusion is that retirement and succession decisions in family farms are not separable.
Consumer Willingness to Pay for Low‐Pesticide Fresh Produce in Taiwan
Authors: Fu Tsu‐Tan , Liu Jin‐Tan , Hammitt James K.
Published: September 2010

Willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in health risk associated with consuming pesticide residues on vegetables are estimated using the contingent valuation method with in‐person interviews of married females in Taiwan. Estimated median WTP for 25 per cent, 50 per cent and 90 per cent reductions in the risk of developing cancer from consuming pesticide residues on a popular Taiwanese vegetable, bok choy, are estimated as 46 per cent, 56 per cent and 75 per cent of the current price of bok choy, respectively. WTP is significantly related to the scope or magnitude of the risk reduction, although it varies less than proportionately to the risk increment. WTP is also significantly related to measures of consumer preferences for health.
Supply‐Driven Input‐Output Multipliers
Authors: Papadas Christos T. , Dahl Dale C.
Published: September 2010

The paper raises and discusses issues related to the derivation, behaviour and characteristics of input‐output multipliers where the exogenous changes are not assumed in elements of final demand but in total outputs of sectors and commodities. These multipliers are more appropriate for use in impact analysis of policies which influence farm outputs, than the traditional final demand multipliers. The paper estimates also such “supply‐driven” multipliers for 16 farm commodities of US agriculture. The empirical analysis shows that despite the variability in the multipliers' values, two rather solid groups of commodities which feel the strongest impacts of different crop and livestock output changes respectively, can be found. Several commodities are common to both groups, verifying also the significance of some indirect linkages between farm and non‐farm commodities. However, the final demand sectors absorb the largest part of the initial exogenous change itself.
Effects of Geographical Stratification in a Farm Accountancy Data Network on the Accuracy of the Estimates
Authors: Jüdez Lucinio , Chaya Carolina
Published: September 2010

This study analyses the effects on the accuracy of the estimates produced by an additional stratification of a sample, in this case the sample of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) of Navarra. This is carried out by studying the accuracy of the total standard gross margin estimator. For the analysis, the variances of the estimator were compared for two samples: one stratified according to type of farming and economic size, and the other with the addition of a geographical stratification. The conclusion of the analysis is that for samples whose size is similar to that of the FADN of Navarra (400 farms), accuracy is not improved by a geographical stratification. This result, a particular case in which stratification does not improve the accuracy of the estimates, may be clarified by the theoretical considerations expounded in this paper.
A Computable General Equilibrium Analysis of Agricultural Liberalisation: The Uruguay Round and Common Agricultural Policy Reform
Authors: Blake A. T. , Rayner A. J. , Reed G. V.
Published: September 2010

This paper uses a computable general equilibrium model to assess the effects of the Uruguay Round (UR) and CAP reform. Detailed attention is given to the impact of the agricultural components of the UR and of the CAP reform on the agricultural and food‐processing sectors of the EU. The CGE model used, while based on the standard Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model, uses a more detailed representation of the UR and CAP policy changes than is usual in GTAP analyses of the UR effects. In so doing it assumes a degree of specificity of factors used in agriculture and makes appropriate agricultural policy variables endogenous. Finally, it assesses the consequences of assuming imperfect competition in all non‐agricultural sectors.
Estimating Input Use and Production Costs From Farm Survey Panel Data
Authors: Hallam David , Bailey Alastair , Jones Philip , Errington Andrew
Published: September 2010

Econometric estimation of enterprise input use and production costs offers a less expensive alternative to special surveys. Estimates of input allocation are of use within programming models, for policy analysis and income forecasting. However, simple ordinary least squares estimation has been plagued by a number of problems and the results have been disappointing. This paper provides some empirical evidence on the extent to which these problems can be overcome, or at least mitigated, through exploitation of panel data sets and appropriate panel data estimation techniques. The results confirm that this approach provides some improvement in estimation results, but some practical and methodological problems remain.
Co‐operative Life Cycle and Goals
Authors: Hind Abigail M.
Published: September 2010

Ten case study businesses were assessed in relation to sixteen criteria in order to test the application of an hypothesised life cycle. Analysis of stakeholder aspirations for each of these ten businesses was also undertaken. On the basis of the empirical evidence, it was demonstrated that stakeholder groups favour diverse goals, that the level of goal coherence between major stakeholder groups declines as a co‐op progresses through the co‐operative life cycle and that in the later stages of the life cycle, the aspirations of the managers, rather than those of the farmers, are realised. Furthermore, the managers' preferred goals are reflected in the organisational and financial structures and trading practices of individual late stage businesses, which are more akin to investor oriented firms than traditional co‐operatives.
A Family of Differential Input Demand Systems with Application to Greek Agriculture
Authors: Fousekis Panos , Pantzios Christos
Published: September 2010

This paper develops a family of input demand systems via alternative parametrisations of Theil's differential model. Each member of this family is as flexible as any other locally flexible functional form. More importantly, selection among the competing family members is possible via simple parameter restrictions. The family of differential input demand systems is applied to the agricultural sector in Greece for the period 1961–96. Formal tests suggest that the model with the CBS‐type effects dominates the alternative models. Divisia and price elasticities are calculated from the selected model and a decomposition of changes in the demand for inputs into technical change, total input volume, substitution, and residual effects is performed. The empirical results are quite reasonable. Overall, the analysis in this paper indicates that, in certain cases, the differential approach may provide an attractive alternative to the dual approach in modelling production behaviour.
Valuing the Multiple Impacts of Pesticide Use in the UK: A Contingent Ranking Approach
Authors: Foster Vivien , Mourato Susana
Published: September 2010

The contingent ranking method was used to estimate the value of the human health and biodiversity impacts associated with pesticide applications, using a “green” consumer product as a payment vehicle. Specification testing showed that the standard conditional logit model provides a representation of these data preferable to the rank‐ordered logit variant. The resulting estimates ‐ which perform well in terms of standard validity tests ‐ show that, on average, consumers are only willing to tolerate between six and eight cases of human illness to save an entire species of farmland birds.
Strategic Groups of EU Food Manufacturers
Authors: Traill W. Bruce
Published: September 2010

Strategic groups of food manufacturers are derived using factor and cluster analysis applied to a survey of European food manufacturers. The aim is to obtain groupings of businesses that are meaningful for industry and policy analysis. Eight strategic groups are derived and profiled. The sources of competitive advantage of the businesses in the eight groups are assessed in relation to expected developments in the European food industry and the implications for industry and policy analysis are introduced. For example, businesses that have developed competencies in international sales linked either to product or process innovation appear better placed than those relying on local or national brand strategies. Countries with a large share of the former types of firms (e.g., Denmark) are better placed than countries with a large share of the latter types (e.g., Finland).
Long‐Run Drift, Co‐Movement and Persistence in Real Wheat and Maize Prices
Authors: Newbold Paul , Rayner Tony , Kellard Neil
Published: September 2010

Trends in real prices for food commodities are both important and controversial. Paying particular attention to issues of methodology, this paper assesses the evidence for a downward drift in the real prices of wheat and maize. It is found that the apparent strength of that evidence depends substantially on whether the time series generating models are taken to be trend‐stationary or difference‐stationary, and on whether allowance is made, through incorporation of dummy variables in the models, for events in one or two extreme years. Once dummy variables are incorporated, we find little evidence against difference‐stationarity. The analysis then proceeds, through tests for cointegration, to the construction of error‐correction models linking the two prices and to the estimation of persistence of shocks in this bivariate framework. The paper presents modest evidence for downward drift in real grain prices of about 1 to 1.5 per cent per annum, shows that wheat and maize prices cointegrate and estimates that direct and cross‐persistence measures take values of less than unity.
Contingent Valuation Versus Choice Experiments: Estimating the Benefits of Environmentally Sensitive Areas in Scotland: Comment
Authors: Scarpa Riccardo
Published: September 2010

Following Boxall et al. (1996), Hanley et al. (1998) compare welfare measures derived from contingent valuation (CV) to those derived from choice experiment (CE). Using the same Gumbel distribution assumption of the unobserved component of indirect utility, they estimate welfare measures that they expect to be the same. However, they fail to acknowledge that the indirect utility specifications underlying the two sets of estimates differ. Hence, they do not compare like with like and the difference in welfare estimates cannot be definitely attributed to the difference in the two stated preference methods employed. This comment argues that their econometric analysis is flawed and does not support many of their concluding remarks. Further, disagreement is expressed with their alleged findings on the potential performance of CV in benefit transfer studies.
Agricultural and Economy‐Wide Effects of European Enlargement: Modelling the Common Agricultural Policy
Authors: Bach C. F. , Frandsen S. E. , Jensen H. G.
Published: September 2010

The economic impact of extending the Common Agricultural Policy to the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) has become a major issue in the European enlargement debate. This paper provides an assessment of the economy‐wide effects of European enlargement using a global general equilibrium model where special attention is given to modelling the instruments of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Agenda 2000 proposal and the EU budget. The results indicate a substantial potential for increasing agricultural production in the CEEC. The EU budget will increase significantly and the transfers from EU taxpayers to farmers in the CEEC result in significant welfare gains in the new member countries. In spite of these important transfers the macroeconomic costs for the EU are found to be limited.
Measuring Market Power for Food Retail Activities: French Evidence
Authors: Gohin Alexandre , Guyomard Hervé
Published: September 2010

In this paper we develop and estimate an empirical model of pricing behaviour for food retail firms in both a quantity‐setting oligopoly engaged in the joint production of demand‐related final goods and a quantity‐setting oligopsony for supply‐unrelated wholesale goods. The procedure consists of estimating an inverse demand system for the final goods, single supply functions for the wholesale goods and the retail industry first‐order profit‐maximisation conditions, from which an estimate of the degree of imperfect competition and of oligopoly‐oligopsony power for the different commodities can be retrieved. The model is applied to the French food retail industry and three commodities are distinguished: dairy products, meat products and other food products. We strongly reject the hypothesis that French food retail firms behave competitively, and more than 20 and 17 per cent of the wholesale‐to‐retail price margins for dairy products and meat products, respectively, can be attributed to oligopoly‐oligopsony distortions.
Production and Marketing Strategies of Spanish Citrus Farmers
Authors: Poole Nigel D.
Published: September 2010

Farmers are constantly exhorted to be good marketers. This research explores the connection between production characteristics and producer business orientation in the Spanish citrus industry. The sector lends itself to this study because it is by far the world's largest exporter of fresh oranges and mandarins, and yet has been criticised for fundamental weaknesses not only in the structure of production systems but also in the patterns of marketing activity. Survey data from Valencia are used to test the assumption that specialised producers also possess enirepreneurial attitudes and attributes. Cluster analysis is used to identify strategic groups of producers according to production characteristics and producer business orientation. The complexity of the industry is found to defy simple polar hypotheses about “good” and “weak” structures and strategies.
Challenges and Options for the UK Agri‐Environment: Presidential Address
Authors: Whitby Martin
Published: September 2010

After fifteen years of agri‐environment policy it is now appropriate to take stock of these policies. This is important because these policies are scheduled to expand in the coming decade, their benefits are likely to continue growing and the demand for benefits is also likely to expand. This paper therefore reviews the current agri‐environmental situation, isolating some of the current challenges to the schemes implemented in the UK, and compares main options for their amelioration. Finally it focuses particularly on the “end of contract problem” arising from the weak sustainability of the policy benefits from short‐term voluntary contracts.
The Technical Efficiency Impact of Farm Credit Programmes: A Case Study of Northern Germany
Authors: Brümmer Bernhard , Loy Jens‐Peter
Published: September 2010

We analyse the technical efficiency of dairy farms in Schleswig‐Holstein that took part in the European Farm Credit Programme over the period 1987 to 1994. One goal of this programme is to increase the productivity of farms. We test whether participants show higher technical efficiency. We utilise a stochastic frontier model that allows for heteroscedasticity and estimation of determinants of technical inefficiency. Statistical tests indicate dominance of this model over alternative specifications. On average, we observe a high level of technical efficiency between 1987–94, but participation in the programme has rather led to a slight decrease. Thus, the programme seems to have failed to increase the competitiveness of farms.
The Illusory Nature of Balance Sheets in Agricultural Economic Statistics: A Note
Authors: Hill Berkeley
Published: September 2010

Balance sheets are potentially important when monitoring the economic situation of agriculture. As conventionally drawn up, they relate to fictional statistical units and require arbitrary decisions about what constitutes agricultural assets and liabilities. This artificiality undermines their validity. The implications of basing balance sheets on real institutional units are discussed.
Risk and Producer Compensation in the Agenda 2000 Cereal Reforms: A Note
Authors: Fraser Rob
Published: September 2010

This note takes the view that existing studies of the impact of the Agenda 2000 cereal reform package have mis‐specified the impact of this package on a producer's price distribution. It is argued that an accurate assessment of this package requires use of the methodology outlined in Fraser (1991), and that use of this methodology highlights the central role of expected world prices in determining whether producer perceptions of this impact are favourable or unfavourable. A numerical analysis in the context of wheat producers generates an estimate for expected world prices of 111–112 Euros/tonne above which producers will perceive the package favourably. This estimate is found to be robust with respect to the key parameters of the analysis.
Assessing the Consequences of Converting to Organic Agriculture
Authors: O'Riordan Tim , Cobb Dick
Published: September 2010

In the wake of the public controversy over genetically modified crops, organic production is sometimes hailed as the true “sustainable agriculture”. Its advocates claim that it enriches biodiversity, increases soil “health” and provides more nutritious foods. This paper summarises the results of a three year, multi‐disciplinary study of one major unit undergoing transition from non‐organic to full organic status. Researchers examined whole farm nutrient budgets, insect diversity and the wider environmental economics of organic production compared with non‐organic management. The result was a mid‐term example of multi‐disciplinary science, though some way short of interdisciplinary science. The evidence suggests that organic production can result in measurable environmental gains, which can be valued in economic terms. The full environmental account, however, remains elusive. Yet its significance could prove vital for the future of diversified rural economies in the UK Interdisciplinary minded agricultural and environmental economists are encouraged to extend this pilot initiative in the light of the important policy contribution that such additional research could provide for the improved valuation of sustainable agriculture. The authors conclude that there is a plausible case for an Organic Stewardship Scheme attached to the Rural Development Regulation.
Spanish Household Demand for Seafood
Authors: Manrique Justo , Jensen Helen H.
Published: September 2010

Seafood is an important food commodity in Spain, the second largest consuming nation of seafood in the world. Today, several changes in demographics, socioeconomic factors, and lifestyle changes have affected demand for seafood products. Double‐hurdle models allow an examination of Spanish household expenditures on these products and explicitly account for the value of women's time. The empirical evidence shows that the set of statistically significant factors in the participation and expenditure equations is not the same for fresh and processed seafood goods. Income and household demographic variables are important determinants of both participation and expenditures on seafood products. In addition, the value of women's time affects expenditures on processed products, which include frozen, cured, and canned seafood goods.
Market Imperfections and Land Productivity in the Ethiopian Highlands
Authors: Holden Stein , Shiferaw Bekele , Pender John
Published: September 2010

This study analyses how market imperfections affect land productivity in a degraded low‐potential cereal‐livestock economy in the Ethiopian highlands. A wide array of variables is used to control for land quality in the analysis. Results of three different selection models were compared with least squares models using the HC3 heteroskedasticity‐consistent covariance matrix estimator. Market imperfections in labour and land markets were found to affect land productivity. Land productivity was positively correlated with household male and female labour force per unit of land. Female‐headed households achieved much lower land productivity than male‐headed households. Old age of household heads was also correlated with lower land productivity. Imperfections in the rental market for oxen appeared to cause overstocking of oxen by some households. Conservation technologies had no significant positive short‐run effect on land productivity. The main results were consistent across the different econometric models.
The Geography of Foreign Direct Investment in Poland's Food Industry
Authors: Walkenhorst Peter
Published: September 2010

In this paper a gravity model is developed to analyse cumulative FDI inflows into Poland's food industry during the 1990s. The FDI data is related to characteristics of 28 countries of investor‐origin. The results confirmed earlier studies with respect to important links between FDI, trade, and labour costs, as well as the general appropriateness of the basic gravity model formulation. Geographical distance was found to be a significant determinant of FDI in staple food industries, but not in high value‐added, branded confectionery, beverage, and tobacco production, suggesting that different industry‐branches might be globalised to a differing extent.
General Equilibrium and the Ban on British Beef Exports
Authors: Hubbard L. J. , Philippidis G.
Published: September 2010

We present an ex post CGE evaluation of the ban on exports of British beef, imposed in 1996 and lifted in 1999. A specific aim is to assess the degree to which cattle, slaughtering and meat processing sectors in the UK recover their pre‐ban positions. More generally, the modelling exercise can be viewed as identifying the extent to which an economy recovers from a policy shock, or similar, when that shock is removed or reversed. Results suggest that, following removal of the ban, exports, output, factor use and trade balances in the directly affected sectors, in the short run, are below their 1996 pre‐ban levels. Whilst some recovery is evident in the long run, not all sectors regain their pre‐ban positions. The results offer further insights into the general equilibrium effects of what was a highly unusual policy shock to the UK economy, that of a three year ban on exports of beef.
Does ‘Protection for Sale’ Apply to the US Food Industries?
Authors: Lopez Rigoberto A.
Published: September 2010

This paper tests the Protection for Sale model in terms of the structure of protection and how realistic the estimated domestic welfare weight is relative to campaign contributions. Using data from US food manufacturing, empirical results support the key predictions for the structure of protection when either all food manufacturing industries or most of the general population is assumed to be politically organised. The domestic welfare weight is estimated as low as 0.837, the lowest econometric estimate to date, underlining that protection is for sale and that, with a qualified ‘yes’, the model fits the data for these industries.
Early Cambrian eclogites in SW Mongolia: evidence that the Palaeo‐Asian Ocean suture extends further east than expected
Authors: ŠTÍPSKÁ P. , SCHULMANN K. , LEHMANN J. , CORSINI M. , LEXA O. , TOMURHUU D.
Published: September 2010

Newly discovered eclogites, Early Cambrian carbonates and chloritoid‐bearing metapelites form the Tsakhir Uul accretionary wedge, which was thrust during the Early Cambrian over the Mesoproterozoic Dzabkhan‐Baydrag continent. The rock association of the wedge forms a tectonic window emerging through the hangingwall Khantaishir ophiolite unit, which preserves a typical Tethyan‐type ophiolitic sequence. The eclogites correspond geochemically to T‐MORB modified by fluid circulation. They are composed of garnet, omphacite, amphibole, rutile ±muscovite ±quartz ±epidote and exhibit well‐equilibrated matrix textures. Jadeite content of the omphacite reaches up to 45 mol.%, the Si content of muscovite is between 3.40 and 3.45 p.f.u., amphibole is winchite to barroisite, but reaches tschermakitic composition at some rims, and garnet composition is grs0.24–0.36, alm0.43–0.56, py0.05–0.18, sps0.00–0.18, . The peak assemblage, together with the composition of garnet rims, omphacite, amphibole and muscovite, correspond in a pseudosection to 20−22.5 kbar and 590−610 °C. The tschermakitic rim of amphibole is interpreted as partial reequilibration on decompression below 16 kbar and ∼600−630 °C. Two muscovite separates from the eclogite yielded an Ar–Ar plateau age of 543.1 ± 3.9 Ma (1σ) and a mean age of 547.9 ± 2.6 Ma (1σ), whereas muscovite from an interbedded garnet‐chloritoid micaschist yielded an Ar–Ar plateau age of 536.9 ± 2.7 Ma (1σ); these ages are interpreted as cooling ages. The P–T data, geochemistry of eclogites and cooling ages suggest an affinity between the Tsakhir Uul wedge and the Gorny Altai and the north Mongolian blueschist belt, which are believed typical for subduction of warm oceanic lithosphere and closure of small oceanic basins. Thus, the discovery of the Tsakhir Uul eclogites represents an important finding suggesting extension of the Early Cambrian subduction system of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt far to the east in a region where it was not expected.
Effect of Storage Solution on Surface Roughness of Provisional Crown and Fixed Partial Denture Materials
Authors: Haselton Debra R. , Diaz‐Arnold Ana M. , Dawson Deborah V.
Published: September 2010

Purpose:
  This study evaluated the surface roughness of polished provisional materials at baseline and after storage in artificial saliva and artificial saliva–coffee solutions.

Materials and Methods:
Ten specimens (25 mm × 25 mm × 2 mm) of 12 commercially available provisional crown materials (5 methacrylate and 7 bis‐acryl resins) were fabricated and polished. Baseline surface roughness measurements (Ra) were made using a surface roughness tester. Specimens were divided into 2 groups and stored in artificial saliva or artificial saliva–coffee solution at 37°C for 2 weeks. Baseline surface roughness data were analyzed using the analysis of variance; multiple comparisons adjustment was made using the Tukey method. Multiple linear regression methods were used to analyze change in roughness relative to baseline and to assess the impact of storage medium, material, and baseline roughness on this change, including potential interactions among these 3 factors; descriptors of poststorage surface roughness were obtained.

Results:
Alike demonstrated the greatest surface roughness, both at baseline and after storage (p < 0.05 after adjustment for all Pairwise comparison by Tukey method). Temphase, Temporary Bridge Resin, Instatemp, Unifast, Jet, and Zeta had the lowest baseline surface roughness measurements. The lowest poststorage roughness scores were associated with Protemp Garant, Jet, and Integrity. Five materials (Protemp Garant, Instatemp, Unifast, Jet, and Zeta), formed the group having the lowest rough poststorage outcomes. The data provided strong evidence of a material effect (p < 0.0001) at baseline. Evaluation of change in Ra following storage indicated that surface roughness increased for the majority of materials after storage in a moist environment, and that provisional crown materials that exhibit less initial surface roughness tend to undergo greater surface roughness change in a moist environment. Strong indications were found that the effect of the type of storage solution used differed among the materials.

Conclusions:
  There were significant differences in surface roughness of provisional crown materials when polished under the same conditions. Methacrylate resins in general exhibited smoother surfaces after initial polishing. Surface roughness increased for nearly all materials after storage in either moist environment.
In Vitro Wear of Nano‐Composite Denture Teeth
Authors: Suzuki Shiro
Published: September 2010

Purpose:
Few laboratory tests have been able to substantiate and quantify the wear resistances of polymeric denture teeth. This study evaluated the relative wear resistance of several types of denture teeth using an in vitro wear testing device.

Material and Methods:
Four different types of denture teeth [nano‐filled (Veracia) and micro‐filled composites (SR‐Orthosit, Endura, Duradent, Surpass), cross‐linked acrylic (SR‐Postaris, Genios‐P, Creapearl, Vitapan Physiodens, Premium 8, Integral), and a conventional acrylic (Biotone)] were used. The flattened buccal surface of each denture tooth was subjected to the evaluation of Knoop hardness (n = 5) and localized wear for 100,000 cycles (n = 10). Wear values were determined in micrometers using a profilometer. The data for the hardness, wear depth, and worn surface areas were individually analyzed by one‐way ANOVA.

Results:
Knoop hardness values (KHN) ranged from 28.2 to 29.8 for micro‐filled composite, 18.9 to 21.6 for cross‐linked acrylic, 22.7 for nano‐composite, and 18.6 for conventional acrylic teeth. All micro‐filled composite teeth were significantly harder than other teeth (p < 0.0001). The wear depth values were 90.5 μm for the nano‐composite, 69.8 to 93.0 μm for the micro‐filled composite, 80.8 to 104.0 μm for the cross‐linked acrylic, and 162.5 μm for conventional acrylic teeth. The worn surface areas were 5.1 mm2 for the nano‐composite, 2.6 to 3.6 mm2 for the micro‐filled composite, 4.4 to 5.7 mm2 for the cross‐linked acrylic, and 10.1 mm2 for conventional acrylic teeth. The wear values of the acrylic control were significantly different from all other denture teeth (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
The nano‐composite tooth was harder and more wear resistant than the acrylic teeth but not significantly different from most of the cross‐linked and micro‐filled composite teeth tested.
Spinal Cord Stimulation: A Comparison of Efficacy versus Other Novel Treatments for Refractory Angina Pectoris
Authors: Latif Osman A. , Raj P. Prithvi
Published: September 2010

Abstract: Recently much attention has been directed toward novel treatment alternatives for refractory angina pectoris. Refractory angina is persistent stable class III or IV angina despite maximally tolerated medical treatment in patients with end‐stage coronary artery disease. Transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR), gene therapy, intermittent urokinase therapy, enhanced external balloon counterpulsation, and spinal cord stimulation have all been employed to treat refractory angina pectoris. TMLR and gene therapy are invasive open‐chest procedures that have yielded controversial results. Intermittent urokinase and enhanced external balloon counterpulsation studies have limited follow‐up times and require multiple clinic visits for treatment. Spinal cord stimulation has a proven short‐ and long‐term efficacy and cost‐effectiveness in the treatment of refractory angina. When compared to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), it has been shown to decrease the frequency of anginal attacks and consumption of short‐acting nitrates to the same extent in refractory angina. Spinal cord stimulation's safety profile has also been well established and it can be used concurrently with cardiac pacemakers or MRI systems, provided the proper precautions are taken. Since spinal cord stimulation is a minimally invasive procedure with a favorable efficacy and safety profile, it should be considered as a valid treatment alternative after medical management has failed in refractory angina prior to implementing invasive modalities such as TMLR or gene therapy.
Painless Electrodiagnostic Current Perception Threshold and Pain Tolerance Threshold Values in CRPS Subjects and Healthy Controls: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Raj P. Prithvi , Chado Herbert N. , Angst Martin , Heavner James , Dotson Rose , Brandstater Murray E. , Johnson Ben , Parris Winston , Finch Phillip , Shahani Bhagwan , Dhand Upinder , Mekhail Nagy , Daoud Emad , Hendler Nelson , Somerville Judson , Wallace Mark , Panchal Sunil , Glusman Silvio , Jay Gary W. , Palliyath Sarala , Longton William , Irving Gordon
Published: September 2010

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to evaluate both painless and painful sensory transmission in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) using the automated electrodiagnostic sensory Nerve Conduction Threshold (sNCT) test. This test generates reliable, painless Current Perception Threshold (CPT) and atraumatic Pain Tolerance Threshold (PTT) measures. Standardized CPT and PTT measures using constant alternating current sinusoid waveform stimulus at 3 different frequencies 5 Hz, 250 Hz, and 2 kHz (Neurometer® CPT/C Neurotron, Inc. Baltimore, MD) were obtained from CRPS subjects at a distal phalange of the affected extremity and at an ipsilateral asymptomatic control site. Matched sites were tested on healthy subjects. Detection sensitivities for an abnormal PTT and CPT test were calculated based on specificity of 90% as determined from data obtained from healthy controls. A Spearman rank correlation was used to test for a significant association between presence of allodynia and an abnormal PTT or CPT at any frequency tested. Thirty‐six CRPS subjects and 57 healthy controls were tested. The highest detection sensitivity of the PTT test from symptomatic test sites was 63% for the finger and 71% for the toe. PTT abnormalities were also detected, to a lesser degree, at the asymptomatic control site (41% finger control site, 16% toe control site). The highest CPT detection sensitivity at the symptomatic site was 37% for the finger site and 53% for the toe site. CPT abnormalities were also detected at the asymptomatic control site (29% finger control site, 37% toe control site). Eighty‐six percent of the CRPS subjects had either a PTT or CPT abnormality at any frequency at the symptomatic site. There was a significant correlation between presence of allodynia and presence of an abnormal CPT and PTT, respectively (P < .01). The correlation coefficient was lower for CPT than for PTT, ie, 0.34 versus 0.6 for the finger and 0.48 versus 0.67 for the toe, respectively. In studied CRPS patients an abnormal PTT was detected with higher sensitivity than an abnormal CPT. Assessing PTT may become a useful electrodiagnostic quantitative sensory test for diagnosing and following the course of neuropathic pain conditions.
Anesthesia (10)
Authors: Reuben Scott S. , Reuben John P.
Published: September 2010

Brachial plexus anesthesia with verapamil and/or morphine. (Baystate Medical Center and the Tufts University School of Medicine, Springfield, MA) Anesth Analg 2000;91:379–383.

This study examined the analgesic effects of administering morphine, verapamil, or its combination into the brachial plexus sheath with lidocaine in 75 patients undergoing upper extremity orthopedic surgery. All patients received brachial plexus anesthesia with 40 mL of 1.5% lidocaine and epinephrine 5 μg/mL. Patients were randomized to 1 of 5 groups: Group 1 received IV saline; Group 2 received IV verapamil 2.5 mg and morphine 5 mg; Group 3 received IV verapamil 2.5 mg and morphine 5 mg was added to the lidocaine solution; Group 4 received IV morphine 5 mg and verapamil 2.5 mg was added to the lidocaine solution; and Group 5 received verapamil 2.5 mg and morphine 5 mg was added to the lidocaine solution. Postoperatively, patients rated their pain (0–10) at 1, 6, 12, and 24 h. Patients were instructed to take 1 acetaminophen 325 mg/oxycodone 5 mg tablet every 3 h whenever the pain score exceeded 3. Analgesic duration was significantly increased in those patients receiving brachial plexus blocks with morphine (Groups 3 and 5) (P < 0.005). The total 24 h acetaminophen/oxycodone was also less in Groups 3 and 5 (P < 0.03). Duration of anesthesia (time of abolition of pinprick response) was significantly increased in those patients receiving brachial plexus blocks with verapamil (Groups 4 and 5) (P = 0.002). Conclude that the addition of verapamil to the brachial plexus block with lidocaine can prolong the duration of sensory anesthesia, but it had no effect on analgesic duration of 24‐h analgesic use.

Comment by Alan David Kaye, MD, PhD.

It is well established that calcium channel blockers potentiate analgesic effects of both local anesthetics and opioids. A desire for improvement of the quality and duration of brachial plexus blockade has led many investigators to study various agents in addition to standard local anesthetics. This interesting double‐blinded study involving 82 patients scheduled for elective upper extremity orthopedic surgery involved 5 groups. Interestingly, the combination of verapamil and morphine via the brachial plexus did not provide any additional analgesic effect, which is different than previous studies. The subjectivity of telephone data and the relatively small sample size in each arm of this study make statistically significant findings harder to ascertain and relevant changes in clinical practice less convincing. Further, the authors do not appropriately note the complexity of calcium channel pharmacology and its overall role in opioid as well as local anesthetic modulation. Future studies with more precise endpoints for efficacy and duration are warranted if clinical practice is to be altered and accepted by the practitioner.