bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Split weaning increases the growth of light piglets during lactation
Authors: Pluske JR , Williams IH
Published: November 2004

The mechanisms of increased growth of small piglets following split weaning were studied using a total of 10 sows and 100 piglets. Sows and their litters were allocated to a treatment group (piglets split-weaned) or control group (no piglets split-weaned). At day 22 of lactation, piglets in each litter were classified as either 'heavy' or 'light', with equal numbers in each group. 'Heavy' piglets were removed from sows at day 22 (s.e.m. 0.17) in split-weaned litters while 'light' piglets remained with their mothers for an extra week. At 29.5 (s.e.m. 0.21) days of age, sows from both split-weaned and control litters were weaned. Milk consumption was estimated between days 16 and 19 and on day 24 of lactation by weighing piglets before and after sucking. During milk letdown, the teats that piglets sucked from were noted. A video recorder was used to determine the frequency of natural sucklings, the proportion of unsuccessful sucklings, and the time taken for piglets to consume milk during ejection, over a 16-h period before and after split weaning. 'Light' piglets in split-weaned litters grew 61% faster (P < 0.001) than their counterparts in control litters and were 15% heavier (P < 0.01) at weaning. This was explained by a 49% increase in milk intake (64 v. 43 g/sucking, P 5 0.001). Increased milk intake was due to multiple teat swapping with an associated longer duration of sucking during letdown. 'Heavy' piglets weaned at 22 days were lighter at 29 days than their counterparts in control litters (P < 0.01). Gains in growth made by 'light' piglets in split-weaned sows over their counterparts in control litters had disappeared by the time pigs were 9 weeks old, and piglets classed as 'heavy' at day 22 of lactation remained heavier ( P < 0.001) at 62 days of age irrespective of treatment.
Effects of nitrogen application rate on soil and plant characteristics in pastures of perennial grass mixtures in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China
Authors: Dong S. K. , Jiang Y. , Wei M. J. , Long R. J. , Hu Z. Z. , Muyi Kang
Published: November 2004

To illustrate the effect of nitrogen (N) application on soil physical and chemical characteristics, herbage yield and quality, and nitrogen and water use efficiency in the alpine region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a 3-year experiment was conducted on 3 mixtures of 4 perennial grasses commonly cultivated on the Plateau, Bromus inermis (BI) + Elymus nutans (EN), BI + E. sibricus (ES) + Agropyron cristatum (AC), and BI + ES + EN + AC by applying 4 levels of N fertiliser, 0, 115, 230, and 345 kg/ha from 1998 to 2000 in a randomised design. At harvesting time, soil pH and soil dry bulk density at 0–30 cm depth did not vary with N application rate. Soil organic carbon at 0–30 cm was not significantly variable under different N rates. Total soil N at 0–30 cm increased with N application rate and application year. After 3 years’ consecutive N treatment, total soil N reached 13 g/kg at an N application rate of 345 kg/ha. Soluble soil N at 0–30 cm increased with application rate but decreased with application year. At 345 kg N/ha application rate, soluble soil N was >100 mg/kg in 1998, but decreased to around 80 mg/kg in 2000. Herbage DM yields increased linearly with the N application rate. Compared with no fertiliser, 1.5 times more DM yield in 1998 and nearly double the DM yield in 1999 and 2000 were harvested for all grass mixtures at 345 kg N/ha. N concentrations in the herbages were significantly improved by N application. Each N fertiliser rate increased N contents in grass herbages by ≈3 g organic matter/kg. Apparent nitrogen recovery (ANR) decreased with N application rate in the establishment year of 1998, but increased with N application rate in 1999 and 2000. N use efficiency (NUE) decreased with N application throughout the experiment. Precipitation use efficiency (PUE) was significantly improved by N application for each grass mixture. Positive residual N-fertiliser effects were observed on herbage DM yield, ANR, NUE, and PUE in this study. BI + ES + AC showed higher DM yields, ANR, NUE, and PUE than the other 2 grass mixtures, and thus was proposed for N-input grassland systems in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
Ethnic differences in body mass index and associated factors of adolescents from minorities in Oslo, Norway: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kumar BN , Holmboe-Ottesen G , Lien N , Wandel M
Published: November 2004

Objectives:

To examine ethnic differences in body mass index (BMI), food habits and physical activity, and determine the factors contributing to differences in BMI.

Design and method:

In 2000–2001, 7343 (response rate 88%) 15- and 16-year-old students, enrolled in lower secondary schools in Oslo, participated in the cross-sectional Oslo Health Study. Of these participants, 1719 were defined as ethnic minorities.

Results:

Significant gender and ethnic differences in mean BMI were observed. Of the ethnic minority adolescents, 5.8% were underweight (<5th percentile of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference distribution) and 9.1% were overweight (>85th percentile of the US CDC/NCHS reference distribution). BMI was not significantly associated with either socio-economic factors or physical activity. Food habits and physical activity differed with ethnicity but not with socio-economic factors. An ordinal regression showed that girls from East Asia (odds ratio (OR) 0.4) and boys from sub-Saharan Africa (OR 0.4) had lower BMI than the Western group. Among girls, higher BMI was associated with less frequent consumption of chocolates and sweets, full-fat milk and breakfast (OR 2.4, 1.7 and 1.7, respectively). Higher BMI, for both boys and girls, was associated with current and past dieting (OR 3.7 and 4.2, respectively).

Conclusions:

Adolescent food habits and physical activity varied by gender and ethnicity but not with socio-economic factors. BMI was associated with ethnicity, gender and food habits, but no significant relationship was observed with socio-economic factors or physical activity. Ethnicity, in addition to gender, should be taken into consideration when studying BMI and associated factors among adolescents.
BRAC initiative towards promoting gender and social equity in health: a longitudinal study of child growth in Matlab, Bangladesh
Authors: Khatun Masuma , Stenlund Hans , Hörnell Agneta
Published: November 2004

Objective:

To explore the effect of BRAC (formerly Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) initiatives towards promoting gender and social equity in health among children of poor mothers who are BRAC members.

Design:

A cohort of 576 children from the prospective study of a BRAC– International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh joint research project was analysed. Data were collected three times during 1995–1996 with approximately 4-month intervals. Stunting, defined as height-for-age below minus two standard deviations from the reference median, was the outcome health measure. The study children were stratified into three groups according to their mother's social and BRAC membership status: poor and BRAC member (BM), poor non-member (TG) and non-poor non-member (NTG).

Setting:

Matlab, rural area of Bangladesh.

Subjects:

Children aged 6–72 months.

Results:

The overall prevalence of stunting was 76%; the highest prevalence was found among TG (84.6%) children and no significant difference was observed between BM and NTG children (67.3% and 69.4%, respectively). In all groups, a significantly larger proportion of girls was stunted compared with boys in the first round. Group-level analysis showed that stunting decreased among all children except BM boys at the end of third round, with the largest decline among BM girls. In contrast, stunting prevalence increased among BM boys. A similar trend was found in the individual-level analysis, where a larger proportion of BM girls recovered from stunting compared with other groups and no recovery was observed among BM boys. At the end of the third round, the nutritional status of BM girls was almost equal to that of the BM boys, while gender inequity remained large among TG and NTG children.

Conclusion:

The BRAC initiative appeared to contribute to a significant equity gain in health for girls, as well as to decreased differences in ill health between the poor and the non-poor.
Selective apoptosis of pluripotent mouse and human stem cells by novel ceramide analogues prevents teratoma formation and enriches for neural precursors in ES cell–derived neural transplants
Authors: Bieberich Erhard , Silva Jeane , Wang Guanghu , Krishnamurthy Kannan , Condie Brian G.
Published: November 2004

The formation of stem cell–derived tumors (teratomas) is observed when engrafting undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells, embryoid body–derived cells (EBCs), or mammalian embryos and is a significant obstacle to stem cell therapy. We show that in tumors formed after engraftment of EBCs into mouse brain, expression of the pluripotency marker Oct-4 colocalized with that of prostate apoptosis response-4 (PAR-4), a protein mediating ceramide-induced apoptosis during neural differentiation of ES cells. We tested the ability of the novel ceramide analogue N-oleoyl serinol (S18) to eliminate mouse and human Oct-4(+)/PAR-4(+) cells and to increase the proportion of nestin(+) neuroprogenitors in EBC-derived cell cultures and grafts. S18-treated EBCs persisted in the hippocampal area and showed neuronal lineage differentiation as indicated by the expression of β-tubulin III. However, untreated cells formed numerous teratomas that contained derivatives of endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Our results show for the first time that ceramide-induced apoptosis eliminates residual, pluripotent EBCs, prevents teratoma formation, and enriches the EBCs for cells that undergo neural differentiation after transplantation.
Extending rational maps
Authors: Martin Gaven
Published: November 2004

We investigate when a rational endomorphism of the Riemann sphereC¯\overline {\mathbb {C}}extends to a mapping of the upper half-spaceH3{\mathbb H}^3which is rational with respect to some measurable conformal structure. Such an extension has the property that it and all its iterates have uniformly bounded distortion. Such maps are calleduniformly quasiregular. We show that, in the space of rational mappings of degreedd, such an extension is possible in the structurally stable component where there is a single (attracting) component of the Fatou set and the Julia set is a Cantor set. We show that generally outside of this set no such extension is possible. In particular, polynomials can never admit such an extension.
Clinical Practice Characteristics and Preconception Counseling Strategies of Health Care Providers Who Recommend Alcohol Abstinence During Pregnancy
Authors: Tough Suzanne C. , Clarke Margaret , Hicks Matt , Clarren Sterling
Published: November 2004

Objective: National initiatives on fetal alcohol syndrome in Canada and the United States aimed at prevention, identification, and treatment of individuals who are affected by alcohol exposure in utero recommend that women abstain from consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Health care providers are key educators regarding appropriate alcohol use. The objective of this study was to describe characteristics of physicians who recommend alcohol abstinence during pregnancy with regard to knowledge of fetal alcohol syndrome and preconception counseling strategies.

Methods: A survey was mailed to Canadian physicians and midwives between 2001 and 2002. Participants consisted of a national random sample of 1090 Canadian obstetricians and gynecologists, midwives, and family physicians who were current members of provincial and national professional organizations. The main outcome measure was questionnaire responses to knowledge, prevention, and diagnosis of issues related to alcohol use during pregnancy.

Results: Response rates ranged from 31.1% among family physicians to 63.5% among midwives. Overall, 91.2% of providers recommended abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. These providers were significantly more likely to believe that there is sufficient information about alcohol use and that clients were interested in discussing alcohol (p < 0.05). They were also significantly more likely to discuss depression, personal alcohol use, partner's use of alcohol, and family history of alcohol misuse with women of childbearing age (p < 0.05). Once a patient became pregnant, fewer practice differences were noted, although those who recommended alcohol abstinence were significantly more likely to take clinical action when pregnant patients were consuming moderate amounts of alcohol (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: It is encouraging that almost 90% of Canadian health care providers recommend abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. However, differences in clinical practice exist between providers who recommend alcohol abstinence during pregnancy as compared with those who recommend a “glass in moderation.”
A slender–wing theory in potential flow
Authors: Chadwick Edmund
Published: November 2004

Consider uniform, steady potential flow past a slender wing. By considering a horseshoe vortex in the limit as
γ
/
Us
→ ∞, where
γ
is the circulation,
U
is the uniform stream velocity and
s
is the span, a model representing a vortex sheet is obtained from which the lift on the slender wing can be determined. (This is in contrast to the textbook approach of Batchelor and Katz & Plotkin, who discretize the vortex sheet with horseshoe vortices in the limit as
γ
/
Us
→ ∞, but then relate the vortex strength to lift by using the two–dimensional limit
γ
/
Us
→ 0. We shall argue that using these different limits in the same analysis is inconsistent and leads to an incorrect result.)

The resulting potential term is shown to be the same as the potential term of the lift Oseenlet in Oseen flow. In the limit of high–Reynolds–number flow, only half the contribution to the lift integral comes from the potential–velocity part of the lift Oseenlet. The other half comes from the vortex–wake–velocity part of the lift Oseenlet. We therefore assume potential flow everywhere except at the vortex sheet, along which we allow a singular vortex–wake–velocity term of the lift Oseenlet.

From this, a slender–wing theory is presented together with integral expressions for the lift and change in lift over the wing surface. Applications to slender bodies and large–aspect–ratio wings, in particular, the Lanchester–Prandtl lifting line, are then considered.
Alkalibacterium psychrotolerans sp. nov., a psychrotolerant obligate alkaliphile that reduces an indigo dye
Authors: Yumoto Isao , Hirota Kikue , Nodasaka Yoshinobu , Yokota Yuji , Hoshino Tamotsu , Nakajima Kenji
Published: November 2004

A psychrotolerant, obligately alkaliphilic bacterium, IDR2-2T, which is able to reduce indigo dye was isolated from a fermented polygonum indigo (Polygonum tinctorium Lour.) produced in Date, Hokkaido, using a traditional Japanese method. The isolate grew at pH 9–12 but not at pH 7–8. It was a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, straight rod-shaped bacterium with peritrichous flagella. The isolate grew in 0–17 % (w/v) NaCl but not at NaCl concentrations higher than 18 % (w/v). Its major cellular fatty acids were C14 : 0, C16 : 0, C16 : 19c and C18 : 19c, and its DNA G+C content was 40·6 mol%. dl-lactic acid was the major end-product from d-glucose. No quinones could be detected. The peptidoglycan type was A4β, Orn–d-Glu. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data indicated that strain IDR2-2T is a member of the genus Alkalibacterium. DNA–DNA hybridization revealed low relatedness (less than 25 %) between the isolate and two phylogenetically related strains, Alkalibacterium olivapovliticus and Marinilactibacillus psychrotolerans. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic data and DNA–DNA relatedness data, the isolate merits classification as a novel species, for which the name Alkalibacterium psychrotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is IDR2-2T (=JCM 12281T=NCIMB 13981T).
Jonesia quinghaiensis sp. nov., a new member of the suborder Micrococcineae
Authors: Schumann Peter , Cui Xiaolong , Stackebrandt Erko , Kroppenstedt Reiner M. , Xu Lihua , Jiang Chenglin
Published: November 2004

A coryneform strain isolated from soda lake mud in China corresponded in chemotaxonomic characteristics such as peptidoglycan type A4α
l-lys–l-ser–d-Glu and major menaquinone MK-9, as well as in its DNA base composition (57 mol% G+C), to its phylogenetic neighbour Jonesia denitrificans. Differences in phenotypic characteristics and the phylogenetic distance (96·6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) from J. denitrificans justify the proposal of a second species of the genus Jonesia, Jonesia quinghaiensis sp. nov., with the type strain QH3A7T (=DSM 15701T=CGMCC 1.3459T).
siRNAs targeting an intronic transposon in the regulation of natural flowering behavior in Arabidopsis
Authors: Liu Jun , He Yuehui , Amasino Richard , Chen Xuemei
Published: November 2004

Allelic variation in FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a central repressor of flowering, contributes to natural differences in flowering behavior among Arabidopsis accessions. The weak nature of the FLC allele in the Ler accession is due to low levels of FLC RNA resulting, through an unknown mechanism, from a transposable element inserted in an intron of FLC. Here we show that the transposable element renders FLC-Ler subject to repressive chromatin modifications mediated by short interfering RNAs generated from homologous transposable elements in the genome. Our studies have general implications for the role of transposable elements in eukaryotic gene expression and evolution.
A chaperone network controls the heat shock response in E. coli
Authors: Guisbert Eric , Herman Christophe , Lu Chi Zen , Gross Carol A.
Published: November 2004

The heat shock response controls levels of chaperones and proteases to ensure a proper cellular environment for protein folding. In Escherichia coli, this response is mediated by the bacterial-specific transcription factor, σ32. The DnaK chaperone machine regulates both the amount and activity of σ32, thereby coupling σ32 function to the cellular protein folding state. In this manuscript, we analyze the ability of other major chaperones in E. coli to regulate σ32, and we demonstrate that the GroEL/S chaperonin is an additional regulator of σ32. We show that increasing the level of GroEL/S leads to a decrease in σ32 activity in vivo and this effect can be eliminated by co-overexpression of a GroEL/S-specific substrate. We also show that depletion of GroEL/S in vivo leads to up-regulation of σ32 by increasing the level of σ32. In addition, we show that changing the levels of GroEL/S during stress conditions leads to measurable changes in the heat shock response. Using purified proteins, we show that that GroEL binds to σ32 and decreases σ32-dependent transcription in vitro, suggesting that this regulation is direct. We discuss why using a chaperone network to regulate σ32 results in a more sensitive and accurate detection of the protein folding environment.
c-Myc controls the balance between hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation
Authors: Wilson Anne , Murphy Mark J. , Oskarsson Thordur , Kaloulis Konstantinos , Bettess Michael D. , Oser Gabriela M. , Pasche Anne-Catherine , Knabenhans Christian , MacDonald H. Robson , Trumpp Andreas
Published: November 2004

The activity of adult stem cells is essential to replenish mature cells constantly lost due to normal tissue turnover. By a poorly understood mechanism, stem cells are maintained through self-renewal while concomitantly producing differentiated progeny. Here, we provide genetic evidence for an unexpected function of the c-Myc protein in the homeostasis of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Conditional elimination of c-Myc activity in the bone marrow (BM) results in severe cytopenia and accumulation of HSCs in situ. Mutant HSCs self-renew and accumulate due to their failure to initiate normal stem cell differentiation. Impaired differentiation of c-Myc-deficient HSCs is linked to their localization in the differentiation preventative BM niche environment, and correlates with up-regulation of N-cadherin and a number of adhesion receptors, suggesting that release of HSCs from the stem cell niche requires c-Myc activity. Accordingly, enforced c-Myc expression in HSCs represses N-cadherin and integrins leading to loss of self-renewal activity at the expense of differentiation. Endogenous c-Myc is differentially expressed and induced upon differentiation of long-term HSCs. Collectively, our data indicate that c-Myc controls the balance between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, presumably by regulating the interaction between HSCs and their niche.
The development of CO2 simulate control testing equipment
Authors: Zhao Yang , Wei Yang Hai , Jun Pang Bao
Published: November 2004

For developing the control technique of air in the manned spacecraft cabin, the CO2 simulate control‐testing equipment is developed to study the CO2 removal equipment in the carbon air. The developing process is introduced in this paper. On the basis of overall design, the authors emphasize the study of the cabin interface design and draw a conclusion that disposing the entrance of the gas at the same side of the cabin content the gas intimate mixing. In the design of the flow meter, using the plastic rotor can solve the problem of flow meter pressure loss which is too much by using the glass rotor.
Balsamic vinegar of Modena
Authors: Mattia Giovanni
Published: November 2004

This case study provides a brief historical background to the regulatory summary of the production and quality of vinegar, manufactured in Modena, Italy: the production method and the asset value of a vinegar cellar; quality controls; the comparative evaluation of balsamic vinegars; product and market specificity; the competitive environment; and the organisational structure and critical management areas in the productive chain. The study also looks at the growth pattern of traditional balsamic vinegar and the evaluation of the coherence of the current strategic assumptions for future business development.
Customer‐to‐customer developments in (r)etailing
Authors: Jones Peter , Hillier David , Turner David , Comfort Daphne
Published: November 2004

This article provides market intelligence, by way of a narrative case study, relating to online retailing in an unusual setting. While the transaction between business and customers is generally seen as very much the dominant element in such retailing, customer‐to‐customer interactions are generating important e‐commerce niches. The case study presents an example, in the shape of “betting exchanges” in the UK, which allow customers to bet against each other rather than against the traditional betting shop. It briefly discusses some of the special challenges facing online retailers in general, outlines the size, structure and characteristics of the betting market, describes the emergence and operation of the betting exchanges, assesses their possible impacts on betting shops, and speculates about future developments.
U‐commerce: emerging trends and research issues
Authors: Galanxhi‐Janaqi Holtjona , Fui‐Hoon Nah Fiona
Published: November 2004

Ubiquitous commerce or u‐commerce is the combination of traditional e‐commerce and wireless, television, voice and silent commerce. U‐commerce implies ubiquity, universality, uniqueness and unison. It is not a replacement for other types of commerce, but an extension of them. While bringing many benefits, there are challenges and impediments to overcome. Research is needed to assess the value of u‐commerce and to address its related issues and challenges. Questions that need to be addressed are: What is the value of u‐commerce? What are the ways to maximize the benefits and value of u‐commerce? Is it the right technology and what directions need to be considered? What are the privacy issues and risks involved? What about trust and security? What are the strategies for businesses in utilizing and implementing u‐commerce? The research issues presented in this article will help create a better understanding of u‐commerce and prepare us for challenges facing it.
The e‐learning library: only a warehouse of learning resources?
Authors: Wang Mei‐Yu , Hwang Ming‐Jiu
Published: November 2004

The potentialities of information technology, together with economic concerns, have been forcing various organizations to go electronic in order to reposition themselves toward a sustainable future. This has also happened to libraries, whose primary value lies not only in their collections but also in their contribution to education through smart organization and management of collected information, which they make easily usable and accessible to users. The paper addresses these issues and discusses such aspects as what is meant by “learning”, how can it be pursued and managed in the library environment, what is the functionality of the e‐learning library, and how the e‐learning resources are included and organized in the e‐learning library.
An applied ethnographic method for evaluating retrieval features
Authors: Othman Roslina
Published: November 2004

This paper reports on a study conducted to develop a framework for evaluating the retrieval features using an applied ethnographic method. Direct observation, interviews, analysis of notes, and informal social interaction were done with ten users on their application of the retrieval features and their difficulties in searching. Retrieval features evaluated were those offered by 12 database providers. Findings revealed that the proposed framework successfully gathered the data needed. Application of the features was related to users' retrieval tasks, preference and style of searching, and understanding of the features. Difficulties were related to identification of the appropriate search terms. Expected retrieval features were related to search terms, i.e. relevance feedback, list of similar terms, and assigning values to search terms. Applied ethnographic method used in this study revealed that users have a substantial amount of knowledge about the retrieval features, and that their comments were related to their subject background.
In search of the Internet‐banking customer
Authors: Durkin Mark
Published: November 2004

The focus on new technologies in service situations is growing and is of particular importance in financial‐services contexts. It is argued that there is mutuality of benefit for both bank and customer through the adoption of self‐service technologies (SSTs), of which e‐banking is but one example. Having established problems in the use of conventional segmentation methods, this paper reports on a study into Internet banking that focuses on the extent to which 480 retail‐bank customers can be clustered according to an adapted decision‐making framework. How such clusters can help influence the adoption of the Internet‐banking interface is explored. Findings show an encouraging match between the four sample clusters identified from the case bank and the a priori classification of decision styles. This raises opportunities for the case bank's marketing strategy in terms of offering greater insight into the motivations for the adoption of e‐banking solutions within the customer base. High levels of Internet use at work are seen to positively influence e‐banking registration.
Preparation and characterisation of zinc yellow pigment for low temperature ceramic glaze – Part I: the effects of the reactants ratio, stirring time and pH
Authors: Mirhabibi A.R. , Bastami H. , Nassaj E.T. , Aghababzadeh R. , Lin L.
Published: November 2004

Zinc potassium chromate (4Zn·O4CrO3·K2O·3H2O) was prepared using zinc salt solution, sodium hydroxide and potassium dichromate solutions. The pigment synthesised was investigated by various methods. Upon heating, this pigment underwent decomposition to form ZnCr2O4, K2CrO4 and ZnO. The pigment obtained was successfully used in the preparation of glaze and then on a tile. The L*, a* and b* values of the fired glaze were 71.607, 2.695 and 67.327, respectively.
Improving the capabilities of project team management using the Gestalt cycle of experience
Authors: Zwikael Ofer , Bar‐Yoseph Benjamin A.
Published: November 2004

Tools that project managers use while managing project teams are insufficient. This probably contributing to the large number of projects that fail to achieve their objectives within the desired time and budget to the full satisfication of the customer. An inovative approach for the identification of the main reasons for these failures and the ways to prevent them are described in this paper. The paper introduces several solutions for project team building and management, based on an interdisciplinary approach and theory known in the Gestalt cycle of experience. In spite of their differences, the humanistic process of need fulfillment and the project management approach have a lot in common. The present paper demonstrates that both team decision making and project management methods use similar processes. Hence, applying the well known mental barriers and solutions from the Gestalt cycle of experience may reduce the currently high percentage of project failures. The paper finally introduces several areas in which project managers can focus on when dealing with managing a project team.
The influence of human capital attributes in microenterprise training
Authors: Cook Ronald G. , Belliveau Paul
Published: November 2004

This article compares the educational background and years of work experience of students entering a Microenterprise Training Institute (MTI) program. Hypotheses were developed and tested to determine whether human capital attributes (education and work experience) influenced students' ability to graduate from an MTI program, to submit homework on time, and/or contributed to a better score on an evaluation of their business plan. Results indicated that education level was a significant, positive influence on the ability to graduate and on business plan scores, but had no influence on on‐time homework completion. Work experience had no effect on ability to graduate, homework submission, or business plan score.
Evaluating the longitudinal impact of networked services in UK public libraries: the Longitude II project
Authors: Craven Jenny , Brophy Peter
Published: November 2004

The aim of the Longitude II project is to design and produce a web‐based toolkit which can be adopted by all UK public library authorities to evaluate the longitudinal impact of their IT‐based services to end users. The seminar presentation at the PM5 conference will explain the genesis of the project, describe the research activity to date, give an analysis of interim results and explain how the project will progress. The enormous increase in IT‐based services provided by UK public libraries, supported by major national policies and by significant funding streams, is undoubtedly having an impact on end‐users. However, systematic assessment of that impact is by no means straightforward, and a number of studies have been undertaken to try to elucidate significant impact indicators. The Longitude II project, undertaken by CERLIM, will not only provide a toolkit of techniques to enable impact to be assessed, but carry out longitudinal assessment so that changes over time can be measured.
Analysis of Heuristics for Number Partitioning
Authors: Gent Ian P. , Walsh Toby
Published: November 2004

We illustrate the use of phase transition behavior in the study of heuristics. Using an “annealed” theory, we define a parameter that measures the “constrainedness” of an ensemble of number partitioning problems. We identify a phase transition at a critical value of constrainedness. We then show that constrainedness can be used to analyze and compare algorithms and heuristics for number partitioning in a precise and quantitative manner. For example, we demonstrate that on uniform random problems both the Karmarkar–Karp and greedy heuristics minimize the constrainedness, but that the decisions made by the Karmarkar–Karp heuristic are superior at reducing constrainedness. This supports the better performance observed experimentally for the Karmarkar–Karp heuristic. Our results refute a conjecture of Fu that phase transition behavior does not occur in number partitioning. Additionally, they demonstrate that phase transition behavior is useful for more than just simple benchmarking. It can, for instance, be used to analyze heuristics, and to compare the quality of heuristic solutions.
The Lips of the Dead and the ‘Kiss of Life’: The Contemporary Deathbed and the Aesthetic of CPR
Authors: Tercier John
Published: November 2004

Over the last four decades, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has become the medical, legal and media standard for behaviour in the face of sudden death. The key therapeutic techniques of CPR: mouth–to–mouth ventilation, external–cardiac–compressions and defibrillation – with their origins in the eighteenth century, strange peregrinations in the nineteenth, and consolidation in the twentieth – are central to what may be seen as a newly dominant form of deathbed ritual.
Measuring Market Power and Cost‐efficiency Effects of Industrial Concentration
Authors: Azzam Azzeddine M.
Published: November 2004

In this paper I show how Appelbaum's framework for testing price‐taking behavior in a single industry can be formally extended to consider concentration explicitly. In so doing, I separate the market power effect of concentration from its cost‐efficiency effect. Data from the US beef‐packing industry are used to illustrate an empirical application of the model. The findings support oligopsonistic market power and slaughter‐cost efficiency in the industry. However, the cost‐efficiency effect outweighs the market‐power effect.
Economic Reforms and Productive Capacity Realisation in Bangladesh: an Empirical Analysis
Authors: Kalirajan K. P. , Salim R. A.
Published: November 2004

Using firm level data from the Bangladesh food manufacturing sector, this paper examines the impact of economic reform on productive capacity realisation in the eighties. The results suggest that although improvement occurred in the realisation of productive capacities after the implementation of economic reforms, there is, however, room for significant further improvement in increasing output by realising the unrealised capacity.
The Effects of Managed Care on Medical Referrals and the Quality of Specialty Care
Authors: Fournier Gary M. , McInnes Melayne Morgan
Published: November 2004

This paper analyzes the role of referrals in the provision of surgical services. Primary physicians in managed care control patient access to specialists, while referrals in traditional insurance plans are less constrained. The traditional, fee–for–service insurance market is shown to achieve appropriate incentives for high quality care. In contrast, physicians with bad reputations may not lose HMO’s referrals, owing to differences in incentives to cut costs. Empirically, we find that managed care may protect a physician whose reputation has been damaged by providing a source of referrals when shunning occurs in the FFS sector following a malpractice claim.
A Reasonable Passion: The Revival of Liberal Theology
Authors: Byrne James M.
Published: November 2004

Books reviewed in this article:

Mark D. Chapman (ed.), The Future of Liberal Theology

Michael J. Langford, A Liberal Theology For The Twenty–First Century: A Passion For Reason
Extracting Economic Cycles using Modified Autoregressions
Authors: Morton Alex S. , Wilson Granville Tunnicliffe
Published: November 2004

We review a family of modified autoregressive models in both discrete‐ and continuous‐time formulations. We present the case for these models by showing first how a standard discrete‐time autoregressive model with orders selected by criteria such as the Akaike information criterion can fail to identify the correct periods of cyclical variations in a simulated example. We then show how the modified models can overcome this failure, and further illustrate this success with a real example of an unemployment series. A new extension of the continuous‐time modified model to multivariate series is described. This is applied to a pair of series with mixed monthly, quarterly and annual sampling intervals. Common cyclical components of the two series are then extracted.
Goethe’s Piety
Authors: Bell David
Published: November 2004

The term ’piety, may not immediately suggest itself as the most appropriate to describe Gorthe’s religious outlook. However, the notion of piety reflected in Goethe’s use of words like ’Frömmigkeit’ and ’fromm’, whether with reference to others or himself, is frequently perceived in a positive light as a potent ethical force, based on reverence for the numinous. The aim of this article is to identify the nature of that piety, which Goethe both recognises in a wide variety of paradigms and embraces in his own thinking.

Through examination of the ’Elegie’, poems of the Divanand other works, it is shown that one of the key elements is a recognition of the nature of the relationship between the human and the divine, the perception of the heavenly and eternal in earthly and transient phenomena. This pattern of thinking is shown to be reflected not only in Goethe’s poetry, But in contexts that unite the scientific, aesthetic and religious dimensions of his outlook. Similar paradigms of piety are recognised and evaluated positively by Goethe in a variety of contexts: in Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, as well as in pagan religion and pantheistic, atheistec or materialistic thinking. In this way piety is seen as a means whereby man can approach, if not fathom, ’das Unerforschliche’, the mysteries of nature and existence itself.
Well‐being and sense of coherence during pregnancy
Authors: Sjöström Helga , Langius‐Eklöf Ann , Hjertberg Ragnhild
Published: November 2004

Background.  Our knowledge of how a woman as an individual experiences, evaluates and copes with pregnancy is limited. The concept of ‘sense of coherence’ as described by Antonovsky may be an important factor in how people deal with stressful situations in life. The aim of this study is to describe pregnant women's perception of well‐being during pregnancy and after delivery and to explore its relationship to their sense of coherence.

Methods.  Participants (n = 177) were recruited from four Maternal Health Care Centers (MHCCs) in the Stockholm area. Three standard instruments were used in the study: the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale, the Health Index (HI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale. These instruments were filled in at pregnancy weeks 10–12 and 34–36 and also 8 weeks after delivery.

Results.  One hundred and twenty women completed the study. At weeks 34–36 the pregnant women scored significantly worse for well‐being than at weeks 10–12 and after delivery. A strong predictor for well‐being is the women's degree of SOC. With regard to anxiety and depression no differences were found between the measurements. Neither demographic data such as age or financial status nor degree of complications influenced the results.

Conclusions.  Our study shows that the SOC scale measures the capacity to cope with the unforeseeable process that child‐bearing still implies today. The SOC scale questionnaire and the HI can complement the midwife's subjective evaluation of the pregnant woman's need for psychosocial support during pregnancy. If this is correct, the SOC scale and the HI could be of great value in clinical work within maternal health care.
Major congenital heart disease in Northern Norway: shortcomings of pre‐ and postnatal diagnosis
Authors: Acharya Ganesh , Sitras Vassilis , Maltau Jan Martin , Dahl Lauritz Bredrup , Kaaresen Per Ivar , Hanssen Tor Arne , Lunde Per
Published: November 2004

Background.  Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a significant cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Prenatal detection rate of CHD remains low in most European countries and a substantial proportion of infants with serious heart disease are diagnosed only after discharge from hospital after birth. Earlier recognition of treatable abnormalities may improve the perinatal outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence, pre‐ and postnatal diagnosis and outcome of major CHD in two northern‐most counties of Norway.

Materials and methods.  All cases of major CHD were identified by reviewing the records of all fetal and neonatal echocardiographies and all perinatal autopsies performed during the study period. Data were obtained on maternal age, associated risk factors, time of diagnosis, type of CHD and outcome.

Results.  Ninety‐one fetal and 52 neonatal echocardiographies and 77 perinatal autopsies were performed during the 2‐year study period. There was a total of 5658 births during this period. Twenty‐five cases of major CHD were identified. Six of them were diagnosed prenatally, 18 after birth, and one additional case was identified from the perinatal autopsy register. The incidence of major CHD in Northern Norway was 4.4 per 1000 births. The prenatal detection rate was 24% (6/25). In 39% (7/18) of cases diagnosed postnatally the diagnosis was made following a second admission after the baby has been initially discharged from hospital after birth. The mortality among liveborn infants with major CHD was 17.4% (4/23).

Conclusion.  Despite almost universal prenatal ultrasound screening and at least one neonatal examination before discharge, the diagnosis of major CHD is made after a relevant delay in a substantial proportion of cases.
Association between maternal age and the likelihood of a cesarean section: a population‐based multivariate logistic regression analysis
Authors: Lin Herng‐Ching , Sheen Tzong‐Chyi , Tang Chao‐Hsiun , Kao Senyeong
Published: November 2004

Background.  A majority of studies examining the relationship between advancing maternal age and the likelihood of cesarean section (CS) use data from regional samples or from a limited number of medical institutions. This study uses population‐based data from Taiwan to explore the relationship between maternal age and the likelihood of a CS.

Methods.  The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) on registries of medical facilities and board‐certified physicians and monthly claim summaries for inpatients were used. In total, 502 524 singleton deliveries were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed with the presence of CS as the dependent variable and maternal age (<20, 20–29, 30–34 and >34 years) as the independent variable. The study controlled for maternal indications, institution characteristics, maternal requests and attending physician characteristics.

Results.  CS rates for the age groups <20, 20–29, 30–34 and >34 years were 17.7, 27.4, 37.4 and 47.5%, respectively. The regression analyses consistently showed that the likelihood of a CS significantly increased with advancing maternal age within each category of complication after adjusting for medical institution characteristics and characteristics of the attending physician.

Conclusions.  This study found that, after adjusting for maternal indications, and healthcare institution and physician characteristics, there was a significant relationship between advancing maternal age and an increased likelihood of a CS. This finding, together with the high CS rate of 32.1% in Taiwan, one of the highest reported in the world today, highlights an imperative need to devise interventions to reduce the frequency of CSs.
Postoperative infections and antibiotic prophylaxis for hysterectomy in Sweden: a study by the Swedish National Register for Gynecologic Surgery
Authors: Löfgren Mats , Poromaa Inger Sundström , Stjerndahl Jan Henrik , Renström Birgitta
Published: November 2004

Aim.  The purpose of the study was to evaluate the current use of antibiotic prophylaxis, the rate of postoperative infections, and risk factors for postoperative infections in patients undergoing elective hysterectomy for non‐malignant pathology.

Methods.  The study was performed during the time period July 2000 to 1 January 1 2003, using data from the Swedish National Register for Gynecologic Surgery, covering 26 of 49 clinics and approximately 50% of the Swedish population. During this time period, 3267 women undergoing elective hysterectomy for non‐malignant pathology (mainly dysfunctional bleeding and fibromas) and with complete data on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis and postoperative follow up were included. A postoperative infection was considered to have developed if patients or the physician reported an infection related to the surgical site, together with reported use of antibiotic treatment.

Results.  Among the 3267 patients, 341 (10.4%) were considered to have developed a postoperative infection. In cases where antibiotic prophylaxis had not been given, total abdominal hysterectomies and vaginal hysterectomies were associated with the highest frequency for postoperative infections P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively. Notably, also women undergoing subtotal hysterectomy reported significantly lower rates of postoperative infections if prophylactic antibiotics had been given, P < 0.05. Risk factors for postoperative infection were non‐use of antibiotic prophylaxis, hospital, age less than 40 years, and BMI > 30 kg/m2.

Conclusions.  The study results have indicated the need of prospective clinical trials on antibiotic prophylaxis for patients undergoing supravaginal abdominal hysterectomy. Also, a need to further evaluate the current prophylactic antibiotic protocols used for obese patients and younger women undergoing any kind of hysterectomy is warranted.
THE GENUS BALLIELLA ITONO & TANAKA (RHODOPHYTA: CERAMIACEAE) FROM EASTERN AUSTRALIA1
Authors: Huisman John M. , Kraft Gerald T.
Published: November 2004

Three new species of the genus Balliella Itono & Tanaka are described from eastern Australia. Balliella amphiglanda from Lord Howe I. and Port Hacking, N.S.W., is distinctive in producing either abaxial or adaxial gland cells from the basal cells of lateral branches and in having tetrasporangia restricted to short branches. Balliella repens, from Tryon I., Heron I and Wistari Reef Qld., and Lord Howe I., N.S.W., is distinguished from the other species of the genus by its regularly developed prostrate systems and clustered tetrasporangia. Balliella grandis, from Wistari Reef, North West I. and One Tree I., Qld., is the largest recorded species of Balliella. It has correspondingly large gland cells and abaxial as well as adaxial tetrasporangia. Our work supports the placement of Balliella in the tribe Antithamnieae, a move which necessitates emending Wollaston's definition of the tribe to include species with procarps that form at successive levels along main axes rather than at only one or two points behind the apices.
COLONIZATION AND GROWTH OF ASCOPHYLLUM NODOSUM (PHAEOPHYTA) IN MAINE1
Authors: Keser Milan , Larson Bruce R.
Published: November 2004

Colonization and growth of Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol. were investigated in two Maine estuaries from 1972 to 1978. Following denudation of intertidal rock, substrata were initially colonized by Fucus vesiculosus L.; eventually, Ascophyllum supplanted Fucus, and became dominant in terms of percentage cover. Ascophyllum settled first and most densely in the low intertidal zone, but its fastest growth occurred in the mid‐intertidal zone. Some, but not all, Ascophyllum germlings produced a vesicle within one year of colonization. The mean annual growth of A. nodosum was variable among sites, zones and years.