bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Growth Elasticity of Poverty
Authors: Heltberg Rasmus
Published: August 2004

How much does economic growth contribute to poverty reduction? The discussion is analytical, and empirical approaches assess the poverty elasticity of growth; the emphasis is that the relationship between growth and poverty change is non‐constant. For a given poverty measure, it depends on initial inequality and on the location of the poverty line relative to mean income. In most cases, growth is more important for poverty reduction than changes in inequality, but this does not tender inequality unimportant. Reduction in inequality may be triple effective: (1) it will reduce poverty for a given level of income, (2) it will accelerate the poverty reducing impact of economic growth, and (3) according to cross‐country growth regressions, it may contribute to a larger rate of growth.
Educational Expansion and Income Distribution: A Microsimulation for Ceará
Authors: Ferreira Francisco H. G. , Leite Phillippe George
Published: August 2004

Does more education really mean less poverty and less inequality? This study presents the results of a microsimulation exercise for the Brazilian State of Ceará, which suggests that broad‐based policies aimed at increasing educational attainment would have substantial impacts on poverty reduction, but muted effects on inequality. While these results are highly dependent on assumptions about the behaviour of returns to education for the distribution of earnings, they are much more robust for the distribution of household income per capita. Over half of the poverty‐reducing effect of more education operates through greater incentives for labour force participation among the poor, and through reductions in fertility. Both of these effects operate largely through decisions made by poor women.
Immigrants and the Welfare State in Europe
Authors: Baldwin-Edwards Martin
Published: August 2004

Social protections for immigrants in EU countries are fragmented and tenuous: not only is the variation between countries great but so is the protection afforded in different phases of the immigrant life cycle for immigrants of different legal statuses and nationalities. European welfare regimes reflect not only citizenship conceptions and other ideologies but also principles of inclusion and exclusion. The relationship of immigrants to welfare systems is either accidental (structural toleration), juridical (international treaties and human rights case law), or ideological (active immigrant policies). These piecemeal adaptations of welfare systems to immigrants are complex and costly to implement, but it is doubtful that European countries will be able to escape their histories of racial exclusion and construct inclusive, market‐based welfare systems.
Back to the Future: Immigration Research, Immigration Policy, and Globalization in the Twenty-first Century
Authors: Massey Douglas S. , Taylor J. Edward
Published: August 2004

Today's international migrant flows are connected to broader processes of economic integration that for the past half century have been shrinking the globe. Places that are linked to one another by flows of goods, capital, commodities, and information also tend to be linked by flows of people, in a process that many people today refer to as “globalization.” This realization suggests a third way between the extremes of an open border and draconian restrictions on international movement. Rather than attempting to discourage immigration through unilateral actions, policy makers should recognize immigration as a natural part of global economic integration and work multilaterally to manage it. International migration should thus be brought under the aegis of broader multilateral agreements regulating trade and investment.
Social and Sexual Networks: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Authors: Morris Martina
Published: August 2004

This chapter describes the design and structure of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative sample of over 90,000 adolescents attending school in the United States. Add Health employs a clustered, school-based sample that allows for the collection of extensive social and romantic network data from students attending the same schools. All students within a school were surveyed, so the within-school friendship networks are complete. The chapter reviews the study design, the fieldwork experience, the measurement of network characteristics, and concludes by presenting a sampling of findings from studies using the network data in Add Health.
Theology and Meaning
Authors: Rundle Bede
Published: August 2004

The status of theological claims is examined, initially in conjunction with the logical positivist's challenge to theism. This challenge is found to be only partially successful, but severe problems remain: we can make some headway with an appeal to analogy in defining God's attributes, but in general we lack a satisfactory account of the meaning of key theological propositions, and in some cases can condemn them as implicitly contradictory.
Measuring the Population of a Northeast Thai Village
Authors: Prohmmo Aree , Bryant John
Published: August 2004

The definitions of village membership used by ordinary people imply village populations that are variable and fuzzy. The definitions used by administrators, including leaders of village organizations, imply populations that are fixed and crisp. Social scientists have traditionally failed to distinguish between these two types of population and forms of categorization, leading to mismeasurement and false findings.
Extensions and Consequences
Authors: Peacocke Christopher
Published: August 2004

Traces out some of the ramifications the explanation of the character and source of perceptual entitlement has and indicates some applications beyond the case of perceptual entitlement. These extensions concern the relations between rationality and truth; the possibility of Gettier examples in the domain of perceptual knowledge; Moore's Proof; the relationship between entitlement and factive states; the individuation of concepts; moral thought; and the philosophy of action.
Comparing Apples and Oranges: The Effect of Multilateral Currency Unions on Trade
Authors: Nitsch Volker
Published: August 2004

This chapter explores whether the two multilateral currency unions that have existed much longer than EMU have had a measurable effect on intraregional trade. They are (1) the CFA franc zone in West and Central Africa and (2) the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. Membership in a currency union indeed tends to promote trade, particularly among economically large countries. However, the pattern of intra-union trade deviates much less from otherwise similar non-union trade than previous estimates of a large trade-multiplying effect of common currencies suggest.
Common Currencies and Market Integration Across Cities: How Strong is the Link?
Authors: Isgut Alberto E.
Published: August 2004

With two balanced panels of up to 124 goods and services prices and up to 116 international cities, this chapter studies the determinants of price dispersion across pairs of cities in 2001. It finds that price dispersion increases with distance, nominal bilateral exchange-rate volatility, and differences in economic development. Price dispersion is significantly lower across cities located in the euro area. These findings are obtained after controlling for whether cities are located in the same country and regional trading and common language areas or have other historical links.
Inequality, Growth, and Poverty: An Overview of Changes over the Last Two Decades
Authors: Cornia Giovanni Andrea
Published: August 2004

Starts by setting the research presented in the book in historical context, and discusses its rationale and purpose. Describes the research methodology adopted and the objectives of the study, which are two: to document and analyse the recent changes in within‐country income inequality against the background of changes occurring in this area in the two preceding decades; and to identify the causes of the changes in income inequality recorded during the period under observation. Next, the main findings of the study are summarized, presented as six main conclusions: a fall in inequality during the golden age (the first 30 years after the Second World War) is followed by a rise over the last two decades (the 1980s and 1990s); sources of inequality change; impact of the observed inequality changes on poverty and growth; the contribution of structural factors to the recent surge in inequality; recent factors influencing the distribution of income–skilled‐biased technical change; and recent factors influencing the distribution of income—policies towards stabilization, liberalization, and globalization. The last section of the chapter discusses questions either unanswered or only partially answered in the book.
Does Educational Achievement Help Explain Income Inequality?
Authors: Checchi Daniele
Published: August 2004

Discusses the fact that although income distribution and the distribution of educational attainments are obviously related, the sign of the relationship between educational achievements and income inequality cannot be predicted a priori . For this reason, the chapter investigates the empirical determinants of aggregate income inequality and, more specifically, the relative contribution of education to measured income inequality. Checchi considers this to be crucial for two reasons: first, from a theoretical point of view, it is important to understand the plausibility of studying intergenerational equilibria under stationary distributions of income and human capital in the population; second, from a policy point of view, it is important to understand whether urging countries (or people) to increase their educational achievements is going to exacerbate, moderate, or have little influence on the subsequent earnings distribution. The chapter is organized as follows: the second section reviews the literature on income inequality determinants, the third provides an empirical econometric analysis, and the last offers conclusions; an appendix indicates data sources and discusses data reliability.
The Impact of Financial Liberalization and the Rise of Financial Rents on Income Inequality: The Case of Turkey
Authors: Yeldan A. Erinc
Published: August 2004

This is the third of five country case studies on income inequality, and investigates the impact of financial liberalization and the rise of financial rents on income inequality in Turkey. The chapter has five sections: Introduction; Indicators of Income Distribution: The Evidence—a broad overview, and evidence on the patterns of income distribution in Turkey over the last three decades; Macroeconomic Adjustment under Financial Liberalization and the Rise of Financial Rents—a discussion of the evolution of functional categories of income that includes an account of the macroeconomic adjustment; The Rising Fiscal Gap and the Role of the State in Regulating the Distributional Structure—a detailed analysis of the rise in public sector deficits and the distributive consequences of the widening fiscal gap; and Concluding Comments and Overall Assessment. Sect. 3 looks at the inherent tensions caused by the macroeconomic disequilibria embodied in the process of integration with world markets under conditions of a poorly supervised banking system and underdeveloped and fragile domestic asset markets; here, it is found to be analytically convenient to decompose the path of Turkish liberalization after 1980 into two major subperiods partitioned by the strategic step of capital account deregulation—which took place in 1989 and was completed by the full integration of the domestic market into global financial markets. This section also studies the patterns of the wage cycle and productivity growth using quantitative filtering techniques, and reports on the disassociation of labour remunerations from the productivity gains in the real sphere of the economy.
The “Jusen Problem”
Authors: Milhaupt Curtis J. , West Mark D.
Published: August 2004

Examines financial regulation and the resolution of financial institution failure in Japan by analysing how informal rules contributed to the collapse of Japan's home mortgage lending (jusen) industry and its resolution. The authors focus on this event in part because the “jusen problem” was the first of a series of crises in the Japanese financial sector, and it represents the paradigmatic case of financial regulatory failure that sadly still manifests itself in Japan today. As Robert Higgs has noted, ‘There is no way to substitute pure theory for a knowledge of history’. By getting to the bottom of the recent jusen history, one can understand much of what ails Japan today. Just as importantly, the authors present this case because it is an elaborate illustration of the dynamics between law and private ordering at work in a crucial industry.
Percutaneous Tracheostomy: Don't Beat Them, Join Them
Authors: Blankenship D Russ , Gourin Christine G. , Davis W Bruce , Blanchard Amy R. , Seybt Melanie W. , Terris David J.
Published: August 2004

Objectives: The introduction of percutaneous tracheostomy (PercTrach) has resulted in tension over the scope of practice between otolaryngologists and pulmonary/critical care (PCC) specialists. We sought to determine the value of a collaborative approach to the performance of PercTrach at the bedside in the intensive care unit setting.

Study Design and Methods: A retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent bedside PercTrach at the Medical College of Georgia between May of 2003 and November of 2003. All cases were performed in conjunction with the PCC team, which typically provided bronchoscopic guidance during the performance of the procedure, whereas the PercTrach was performed by the otolaryngology team, although these roles were occasionally reversed. In all cases, the PercTrach was performed using the Ciaglia Blue Rhino introducer set.

Results: Twenty‐three patients (12 males, 11 females) with a mean age of 47.6 ± 14.3 (range 23–65) years underwent PercTrach. The procedural times ranged from 7 to 21 minutes, with a mean of 13.9 ± 4.4 minutes; this represented 9.6 minutes on average to insert the tracheostomy tube and an additional 4.3 minutes to completely secure the tracheostomy tube. The time interval from consultation to PercTrach was less than 24 hours in 16 of 23 cases (overall mean time to PercTrach = 41.7 ± 37.1 hours), with delays beyond 24 hours related in most instances to patient stability.

Conclusion: A multidisciplinary approach to PercTrach results in a number of clinical and educational benefits. Chief among these benefits is a rapid, cost‐effective response to requests for elective tracheostomy. Practicing otolaryngologists with a prior bias against this approach (as we had) should reconsider adopting this revised procedure.
Laryngeal Abscess after Injection Laryngoplasty with Micronized AlloDerm
Authors: Zapanta Philip E. , Bielamowicz Steven A.
Published: August 2004

Objective: Patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis usually present with dysphonia and occasionally with swallowing problems. Operative management includes thyroplasty type I, injection laryngoplasty, arytenoid adduction, and reinnervation. Recent publications have documented the safety of micronized AlloDerm (Cymetra, LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg, NJ) for injection laryngoplasty, but we report the first documented case of a laryngeal abscess after injection laryngoplasty with Cymetra.

Study Design: Single case report of a laryngeal abscess after injection laryngoplasty with Cymetra.

Methods: The patient's clinical course is presented and discussed, and the pertinent literature is reviewed.

Results: Prompt hospital admission with intravenous antibiotics and steroids resolved this airway emergency. Follow‐up visits showed a significantly improved postoperative voice with an intact airway.

Conclusion: A review of the literature reveals that this case of a laryngeal abscess after injection laryngoplasty with Cymetra is the first of its kind. Studies have shown that the use of AlloDerm in the head and neck region is safe, but otolaryngologists need to be cognizant of potential complications when working with this material.
Microsatellite Alterations in African Americans with Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Yoo George H. , Nguyen Nghia X. , Du Wei , Schwartz Ann G. , Land Susan , Lin Ho‐Sheng , Kewson Danny , Murphy Leslie L. , Cilluffo Dave , Ensley John F. , Tainsky Michael A.
Published: August 2004

Objective: To determine the genetic differences between African Americans (AA) and Non‐African Americans (NAA) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: DNA was obtained from tumor tissues and peripheral blood from 18 AA and 19 NAA patients with HNSCC. Microsatellite analysis using a fluorescent technique was performed on chromosomal arms 1p, 3p, 4q, 9p, 13q, and 17p. Statistical analyses were performed on the molecular and clinical outcome data.

Results: Based on the Surveillance, Epidemiologic, and End Result (SEER) data from southeast Michigan, the incidence rate of HNSCC in AA has been higher than for NAA, and the overall 5‐year relative survival rate is lower for AA than NAA (36.2% vs. 47.6%). In this study, we found that the rate of loss of heterozygosity of chromosomal arms 1p, 3p, 4q, 9p, 13q, and 17p ranged from 68.8% to 83.3% for HNSCC in AA and from 66.7% to 90.0% in NAA. The difference in the rates of microsatellite alterations in chromosomal arms 3p, 4q, and 9p between AA and NAA were between 12.5% and 20% and were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The incidence and clinical outcomes for AA with HNSCC are different from that of NAA in southeast Michigan. In our group of patients with HNSCC, differences in rates of microsatellite alterations and survival were found between AA and NAA; however, these differences were not statistically significant. We conclude that genetic difference, as determined by the rates of microsatellite alterations, is not predictive of outcome difference between AA and NAA HNSCC patients.
Tracheal Agenesis in Newborns
Authors: Lander Timothy A. , Schauer Galen , Bendel‐Stenzel Ellen , Sidman James D.
Published: August 2004

Objectives/Hypothesis: A series of three newborns with tracheal agenesis is described. The preferred methods of diagnosis, description of the clinical course, and a review of the pertinent embryology, associated anomalies, and clinical management are presented.

Study Design: A retrospective study of a clinical series of referred patients from 2002 to 2003 who were seen at a single institution.

Methods: Chart review for clinical course and pathological specimens was performed in all cases. Three patients were identified with tracheal agenesis.

Results: All three newborns died within 48 hours of birth. All of the children underwent emergency laryngoscopy and neck exploration. Gross and microscopic pathological examination was accomplished on all patients.

Conclusion: Although tracheal agenesis is rare, it may be more common than previously thought. The diagnosis is not straightforward, and the prognosis is grim. The embryology of the trachea and other foregut derivatives is closely related, and associated birth defects are common.
Microbiologically induced corrosion of copper intrauterine devices by Enterobacter sp. in a synthetic intrauterine medium
Authors: Mónica Carrillo B. , Benjamín Valdez S. , Vevela Lucien , Tezozomoc Pérez L. , Lidia Vargas O. , Schorr W. Michael
Published: August 2004

Microbiologically induced corrosion of copper intrauterine devices “TCu380A” and “Nova T” by Enterobacter sp. in a synthetic intrauterine medium was investigated. The corrosion behaviour was evaluated applying cyclic voltammetry and Tafel Polarization. The surface morphology was determined using scanning electron microscopy, the corrosion products were analyzed using energy dispersive X‐rays and the biofilm composition was examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflectance device.
Eliminating perception gaps
Authors: Eales‐White Rupert
Published: August 2004

Perception gaps between the leader and follower demotivate the follower, impair the business relationship between them and reduce the business performance of both. There are two gaps in perception. The first is between the conscious intent of the leader and the manifestation of that intent. Key causes are stress, subconscious intent or poor communication by the leader. The second gap is between manifestation of intent by the leader and the impact on the follower. The causes here are the environment in which the communication occurs and the poor listening skills or mindset of the follower. Detailed solutions to eliminate all these causes and close the gaps are set out.
Fundamental studies on friction and wear of engineering plastics
Authors: Endo Hiroki , Marui Etsuo
Published: August 2004

Engineering plastics having good mechanical properties are at present frequently used as materials for various machine elements. In this research, experimental investigations have been carried out regarding tribological factors such as friction and wear for five kinds of fundamental engineering plastics: non‐reinforced polycarbonate, polyphenylene oxide, polyamide, polyacetal, and polybutylene terephthalate. It is clarified that the tribological properties, especially the wear properties of the engineering plastics are influenced by the friction conditions and heat transfer characteristics on contact surfaces. However, no clear effects of mechanical strength such as tensile strength or hardness are seen. Thus, the fundamental wear properties of engineering plastics are strongly influenced not only by their own thermal characteristics but also by those of contact surfaces.
Paris show features synchronous robots, laser welding robots and service robots
Authors: Kochan Anna
Published: August 2004

Reports from Industrie 2004 in Paris, the exhibition that took place alongside the International Symposium of Robotics (ISR), highlights the development of synchronous robot control, identifies innovation in the area of laser welding by robot, outlines the need for high payload robots.
Owner‐occupied housing and household asset allocation
Authors: Montezuma Joaquim
Published: August 2004

This second of two related papers in this Journal, reviews empirical evidence available from the literature on the problem of household's optimal portfolio when owner‐occupied housing is included in the list of available assets, namely the risk‐return performance of residential investment, and its usefulness in efficient mixed‐asset portfolios. The risk‐return characteristics of the housing asset is highly dependent on the type of perspective under analysis (household or institutional investor's perspective) and therefore, the two housing investment approaches could lead to different conclusions about the role of housing investment in an portfolio context. The consumption demand for housing together with the markets imperfections place serious constraint on the household's portfolio problem.
Shaping the future
Authors: Mansfield John R. , Lorenz David P.
Published: August 2004

The continued globalisation of investment has led to revisions in various regulatory systems and to the development of internationally applicable standards and codes of practice. As a significant asset of many businesses, real estate values are a key element of the financial detail included in annual reports. Accordingly, valuation standards have evolved to align with the requirements of accounting and banking sectors. The international demand for standardised regulatory systems and processes has many benefits and it is of critical importance for valuers not only to be fully aware of the changes in the various influencing regulatory systems but to recognise their changed responsibilities, particularly if third parties are likely to rely upon their valuations.
The strategic management of surplus property in the NHS
Authors: Avis Martin , Dent Peter
Published: August 2004

There are two principal elements to consider in relation to the strategic management of any organisation's surplus property. The first is the process by which the property is identified and declared surplus and the second is the procedure for managing such property effectively until disposal finally takes place. This paper is based on the research undertaken to consider: the key characteristics of good “strategic” management of surplus property; how other bodies (private and public) have improved their strategic management of surplus properties in the recent past; how the proposals in “Sold on Health” appear to meet good practice; and any lessons that can be learnt by the National Health Service from this work.
Two‐Stage Designs for Gene–Disease Association Studies with Sample Size Constraints
Authors: Satagopan Jaya M. , Venkatraman E. S. , Begg Colin B.
Published: August 2004

Summary Gene–disease association studies based on case–control designs may often be used to identify candidate polymorphisms (markers) conferring disease risk. If a large number of markers are studied, genotyping all markers on all samples is inefficient in resource utilization. Here, we propose an alternative two‐stage method to identify disease‐susceptibility markers. In the first stage all markers are evaluated on a fraction of the available subjects. The most promising markers are then evaluated on the remaining individuals in Stage 2. This approach can be cost effective since markers unlikely to be associated with the disease can be eliminated in the first stage. Using simulations we show that, when the markers are independent and when they are correlated, the two‐stage approach provides a substantial reduction in the total number of marker evaluations for a minimal loss of power. The power of the two‐stage approach is evaluated when a single marker is associated with the disease, and in the presence of multiple disease‐susceptibility markers. As a general guideline, the simulations over a wide range of parametric configurations indicate that evaluating all the markers on 50% of the individuals in Stage 1 and evaluating the most promising 10% of the markers on the remaining individuals in Stage 2 provides near‐optimal power while resulting in a 45% decrease in the total number of marker evaluations.
Infections with Varying Contact Rates: Application to Varicella
Authors: Whitaker H. J. , Farrington C. P.
Published: August 2004

SummaryWe develop methods for the analysis of infectious disease data when age‐specific contact rates vary over time. Our methods are valid when contact rates vary slowly on the time scale of the infection process, and are applicable to a variety of data types including serial seroprevalence surveys and case reports. The methods exploit approximate endemic equilibria, and require numerical solution of an associated integral equation in age and time. We also estimate summary statistics such as time‐dependent analogs of the basic reproduction number and critical immunization threshold. We illustrate the methods with data on varicella (chickenpox) in the United Kingdom.
Two‐Phase Sampling for Simultaneous Prevalence Estimation and Case Detection
Authors: McNamee R.
Published: August 2004

Summary Two‐phase designs for estimation of prevalence, where the first‐phase classification is fallible and the second is accurate but relatively expensive, are not necessarily justified on efficiency grounds. However, they might be advantageous for dual‐purpose studies, for example where prevalence estimation is followed by a clinical trial or case–control study, if they can identify cases of disease for the second study in a cost‐effective way. Alternatively, they may be justified on ethical grounds if they can identify more, previously undetected but treatable cases of disease, than a simple random sample design. An approach to sampling is proposed, which formally combines the goals of efficient prevalence estimation and case detection by setting different notional study costs for investigating cases and noncases. Two variants of the method are compared with an “ethical” two‐phase scheme proposed by Shrout and Newman (1989, Biometrics45, 549–555), and with the most efficient scheme for prevalence estimation alone, in terms of the standard error of the prevalence estimate, the expected number of cases, and the fraction of cases among second‐phase subjects, given a fixed budget. One variant yields the highest fraction and expected number of cases but also the largest standard errors. The other yields a higher fraction than Shrout and Newman's scheme and a similar number of cases but appears to do so more efficiently.
A Parametric Model for Studying Organism Fitness Using Step‐Stress Experiments
Authors: Greven Sonja , John Bailer A. , Kupper Lawrence L. , Muller Keith E. , Craft Jeremy L.
Published: August 2004

Summary We propose a method based on parametric survival analysis to analyze step‐stress data. Step‐stress studies are failure time studies in which the experimental stressor is increased at specified time intervals. While this protocol has been frequently employed in industrial reliability studies, it is less common in the life sciences. Possible biological applications include experiments on swimming performance of fish using a step function defining increasing water velocity over time, and treadmill tests on humans. A likelihood‐ratio test is developed for comparing the failure times in two groups based on a piecewise constant hazard assumption. The test can be extended to other piecewise distributions and to include covariates. An example data set is used to illustrate the method and highlight experimental design issues. A small simulation study compares this analysis procedure to currently used methods with regard to type I error rate and power.
The impact of feeding β2‐adrenergic agonists on rainbow trout muscle β2‐adrenoceptors and protein synthesis
Authors: Lortie M. B. , Arnason T. , Dugan S. G. , Nickerson J. G. , Moon T. W.
Published: August 2004

The β2‐adrenergic agonists (β2‐AAs) clenbuterol (CLEN) and ractopamine (RACT) were fed to rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss for 30–37 days and red and white muscle β2‐adrenoceptor (β2‐AR) binding characteristics and mRNA expression were assessed in parallel with fractional protein synthetic rates. Feeding CLEN or RACT had no significant effect on any body or physiological variables measured. There were no significant differences in the number of binding sites (Bmax) while a significant increase in the Kd was observed for the β‐ARs of red and white muscle membranes isolated from β2‐AA‐fed rainbow trout. No change in β2‐AR mRNA levels was observed with β2‐AA feeding, implying that these β2‐AAs do not act at the transcriptional level at least for the β2‐AR. The β2‐AA treatments, however, did significantly increase red and white muscle fractional protein synthesis rates in whole protein, myofibrillar protein and sarcoplasmic soluble protein fractions. Although not conclusive, this study supports a direct link between rainbow trout muscle β2‐ARs and muscle protein synthesis.
U.S. Reinsurance Prices, Financial Quality, and Global Capacity
Authors: Weiss Mary A. , Chung Joon‐Hai
Published: August 2004

Abstract

The puzzle of underwriting cycles and insurance crises in property‐liability insurance has led to numerous economic hypotheses and analyses, yet no single theory seems capable of explaining all of its aspects. Reinsurance is hypothesized to be a potential factor in observed cycles in the primary market; despite this, few underwriting cycle studies focus on reinsurance. The purpose of this research is to investigate determinants of reinsurance prices in the U.S. Nonproportional reinsurance is highlighted, since it is designed to cover the tail of the loss distribution and is considered to be relatively riskier than proportional reinsurance as a result. Separate samples of professional U.S. reinsurers for property and for casualty are studied, based upon the reinsurers' writings of property versus casualty nonproportional reinsurance. The sample period is 1991–1995. The results support both the capacity constraint hypothesis and the risky debt hypothesis, and this is the first research to support both. A major innovation in this study is the use of capacity variables that are broken down by major region of the world.
Body Image, Maternal‐Fetal Attachment, and Choice of Infant Feeding Method: A Study in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Hui‐Chi , Wang Shing‐Yaw , Chen Chung‐Hey
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Background: Many factors contribute to a pregnant woman's choice of infant feeding method, yet few studies have investigated which factors might be specific to pregnant women in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among factors of body image, maternal‐fetal attachment, and the choices made by pregnant Taiwanese women about infant feeding method. Methods: One hundred and ninety‐five pregnant women were recruited during their third trimester at five hospitals in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Participants completed three questionnaires, including a demographic data form, an attitude to body image scale, and a modified maternal‐fetal attachment scale. Results: The results of stepwise logistic regression indicated that the best subset for predicting the criterion variable of breastfeeding intention included higher level of education, primiparity, and a higher level of maternal‐fetal attachment. Conclusions: Maternal‐fetal attachment, education, and parity are predictive of intended infant feeding method by pregnant women who choose breastfeeding, thereby adding to existing knowledge of the factors involved in feeding method choices of Taiwanese women. Further research should incorporate maternal‐fetal attachment into a supportive model of breastfeeding.
Systematic Review of the Literature on Postpartum Care: Selected Contraception Methods, Postpartum Papanicolaou Test, and Rubella Immunization
Authors: Levitt Cheryl , Shaw Elizabeth , Wong Sharon , Kaczorowski Janusz , Springate Russ , Sellors John , Enkin Murray
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Background: The postpartum period is a time when many routine interventions are provided to mothers. This review examined the published evidence for the effectiveness of selected contraceptive methods, Papanicolaou (Pap) tests, and rubella immunization. Methods: MEDLINE, Cinahl, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials of interventions initiated from immediately after birth to 1 year in postnatal women. The initial literature search was done in 1999, and was enhanced in 2003. Studies were categorized and reviewed by topic areas. Data were extracted in a systematic method, and the quality of each study was reviewed. Results: In the 1999 search, 140 studies were randomized controlled trials that met the selection criteria: 5 related to postpartum contraception, 1 to timing of the postpartum Pap test, and 2 to postpartum rubella immunization. In the 2003 searches, 1 additional study related to postpartum contraception was identified. From the published literature on selected contraceptive methods, the intrauterine devices examined were effective in preventing pregnancy and had comparable side effect profiles. No clear recommendation can be made because insertion timing was not randomized in the included trials. Although delaying the postpartum Pap smear until 8 weeks reduces the proportion of inflammatory smears, it is uncertain whether a Pap smear is of benefit to postpartum women. The RA 27/3 postpartum rubella vaccine appears to be more effective than the Cendehill vaccine, but a small proportion of women may develop acute and chronic joint manifestations. Conclusions: Some evidence is available to support selected postpartum contraceptive methods and the postpartum rubella vaccine, but data are lacking on the effectiveness and optimal timing of the postpartum Pap smear.
Progesterone and Preterm: Seventy Years of“Déjà Vu” or “Still To Be Seen”?
Authors: Keirse Marc J.N.C.
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Progestogens for the prevention of preterm birth have a long history. In 2003, two widely publicized double‐blind trials, one of daily vaginal progesterone suppositories and the other of weekly intramuscular injections of 17alpha‐hydroxyprogesterone, claimed that the treatments effectively reduce the incidence of preterm birth in women at risk of spontaneous preterm labor. Critical analysis of the reports provides no convincing evidence that either one of these treatments is worth pursuing outside the context of controlled research to determine, first, whether and, second, how the treatments might work.
Selective cultivation of normal human sebocytes in vitro; a simple modified technique for a better cell yield
Authors: Abdel‐Naser M. Badawy
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Selective cultivation of normal human sebocytes is essential for better understanding of drug pharmacokinetics and diseases of the pilosebaceous apparatus. In the present study, sebocytes are selectively cultivated in vitro using modified MCDB 153 medium to which cholera toxin (1 × 10−9 M), crude bovine pituitary extract (70 µg/ml), epidermal growth factor (10 ng/ml), basic fibroblast growth factor (2 ng/ml), hydrocortisone (1.4 × 10−6 M), insulin (10 µg/ml), fetal bovine serum (10%), and antibiotics were added. To maintain contact of the floating sebaceous lobules with culture plate, two methods have been adopted. (i) Using little amount of culture medium that barely covers the gland lobules with frequent dropping of the medium to replace the loss by evaporation (almost every 2 h). (ii) Placing a sterile glass slide cover over the gland lobules in the presence of enough culture medium. Both methods are performed for the first 72 h of inoculation, when cells are seen outgrowing from sebaceous lobules. Both populations show the characteristic morphology of sebocytes in culture, namely polygonal shape with abundant cytoplasm resembling basal keratinocytes. As the culture grows older, a vacuolated refractile cytoplasm becomes evident. A comparison of both methods revealed a significant percentage increase of sebocytes obtained from covered lobules being 144% (P = 0.02) on day 4, 162% (P = 0.009) on day 8, and 173% (P < 0.001) on day 12 of incubation. No further proliferation is measured thereafter. Cells obtained from both methods also showed no difference in lipogenesis (Oil‐Red stain) or in the expression of the specific epidermal membrane antigen as shown by monoclonal antibody labeling (alkaline phosphatase anti‐alkaline phosphatase‐technique). To conclude, covering the sebaceous glands during the first 72 h of primary culture provides an excellent contact with the culture plate and hence a significant better yield of sebocytes more suitable for large experimental work.
Expression of psoriasis‐associated fatty acid‐binding protein in senescent human dermal microvascular endothelial cells
Authors: Ha Moon Kyung , Chung Kee Yang , Lee Ju Hee , Bang Dongsik , Park Yoon Kee , Lee Kwang Hoon
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Aging is associated with the progressive pathophysiologic modification of endothelial cells. In vitro endothelial cell senescence is accompanied by proliferative activity failure and by perturbations in gene and protein expressions. Moreover, this cellular senescence in culture has been proposed to reflect processes that occur in aging organisms. In order to observe the changing patterns of protein expression in senescent human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs), proteins obtained from both early‐ and late‐passaged HDMECs were separated by two‐dimensional electrophoresis, visualized by silver staining, and quantified by image processing. Proteins of interest were extracted by in‐gel digestion with trypsin and quantified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS), by searching the National Center for Biotechnology Information protein‐sequence database. More than 2000 spots were detected by 2D electrophoresis within a linear pH range of 3–10. Twenty‐two major differentially expressed spots were observed in serially passaged HDMECs and identified with high confidence by MALDI‐TOF‐MS. One of these spots was found to be a 14–15 kDa psoriasis‐associated fatty acid‐binding protein (PA‐FABP) with high affinity for long‐chain fatty acids. The expression of PA‐FABP was confirmed to be elevated in senescent HDMECs (passage 20) by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS), confocal laser microscopy, and by immunohistochemistry in aged human skin tissue. Our results suggest that the overexpression of FABP in cultured senescent HDMECs is closely related to skin aging.
Sexual ornamentation relates to immune function in male red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus
Authors: Mougeot Fran c¸ois , Redpath Steve M.
Published: August 2004

Sexual ornaments may enable females to discriminate amongst potential mates and choose those having either fewer parasites, or those which are more immunocompetent, or better able to cope with parasites. Tetraonid birds exhibit supra‐orbital combs that function in both intra‐sexual competition and mate choice. Through a correlative and experimental approach we investigated whether comb size of male red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus was related to infection intensity by their main parasite, the gastro intestinal nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis, and to immune function. We first looked at the relationships between immune function, parasite infection and condition. We found that spleen mass, an indirect measure of immune response, correlated positively with T. tenuis load, and negatively with condition. Cell‐mediated immunity, a measure of immune defence, correlated positively with condition, and although not significantly related to T. tenuis load, increased when nematode parasites were experimentally reduced. Secondly, we investigated whether comb size was related to condition, T. tenuis load or immune function. Comb size was not significantly related to T. tenuis infection and did not change significantly after nematode parasite removal. However, males with bigger combs were in better condition, had a lighter spleen, a lighter spleen than expected from their T. tenuis load and had greater cell‐mediated immunity. The findings suggest that comb size relates to immune function rather than T. tenuis parasite infection intensity. Males with bigger combs are likely to be of higher phenotypic quality because they are more immunocompetent and might be better able to cope with the detrimental effects of parasites.
Are haematological parameters related to body condition, ornamentation and breeding success in wild burrowing parrots Cyanoliseus patagonus?
Authors: Masello Juan F. , Quillfeldt Petra
Published: August 2004

Haematology and plasma biochemistry values are useful tools for ecological research. They have been used to investigate the physiological state and the adaptation of individuals to their habitat, changes in nutritional state of birds, body condition, the level of parasite infestation, male quality, the physical condition of nestlings, etc. In the present study we tested the role of haematological and plasma biochemistry values in burrowing parrots Cyanoliseus patagonus (Aves, Psittaciformes) for determining individual quality and condition. We measured triglyceride levels, plasma protein levels, plasma hue and erythrocyte sedimentation rate of nestlings and breeding adults in a colony in the north of Patagonia, Argentina. We found that plasma triglyceride levels strongly relate to changes in individual condition. Plasma levels of triglycerides were found to be strongly related to mass change, hatching order and brood size in nestlings. Levels of triglycerides were found to reflect reproductive effort in adults: males fledging larger broods had decreased levels of triglycerides. Adults with lower body condition had increased erythrocyte sedimentation rates. Plasma hue showed a strong relationship with an ornamental trait, the red abdominal patch of male adults, and with parameters of structural body size. Thus, we have shown that haematological and plasma biochemistry values, especially plasma levels of triglycerides, are good indicators of individual quality and condition in nestlings and breeding birds.
Mechanistic and genetic overlap of barley host and non‐host resistance to Blumeria graminis
Authors: TRUJILLO MARCO , TROEGER MARCUS , NIKS RIENTS E. , KOGEL KARL‐HEINZ , HÜCKELHOVEN RALPH
Published: August 2004

Non‐host resistance of barley to Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici (Bgt), an inappropriate forma specialis of the grass powdery mildew fungus, is associated with formation of cell wall appositions (papillae) at sites of attempted fungal penetration and a hypersensitive cell death reaction (HR) of single attacked cells. Penetration resistance and HR are also typical features of race‐non‐specific and race‐specific resistance of barley to the appropriate Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh), raising the question of whether genotypic differences in the cellular response of barley to Bgt are detectable. First, we analysed fungal penetration frequencies and HR in different barley accessions known to show altered non‐host resistance. In genotypes with limited resistance to inappropriate cereal rust fungi, we concomitantly detected low penetration resistance to Bgt and significant differences of HR rates during attack from Bgt. Second, we tested barley mutants known to show altered host responses to Bgh. The rar1‐mutation that suppresses many types of race‐cultivar‐specific resistances did not influence the non‐host response of the Bgt‐isolate used in this study. However, mutants of Ror1 and Ror2, two genes required for full race non‐specific penetration resistance of mlo‐barley to barley powdery mildew fungus, exhibited altered defence response to Bgt, including higher frequencies of fungal penetration. On these mutants, growth of the inappropriate fungus was arrested subsequent to penetration by HR. Together, the data show that barley defence response to the wheat powdery mildew fungus is determined by similar factors as race‐specific and race‐non‐specific resistance to appropriate Bgh.
Functional characterization of muscarinic receptor subtypes in human duodenal secretion
Authors: Larsen R. , Hansen M. B. , Bindslev N. , Mertz‐Nielsen A.
Published: August 2004

Aim:  Acetylcholine (ACh) stimulates ion secretion in the small intestine and colon. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the ACh‐induced electrogenic ion transport in human duodenum and determine the muscarinic receptor subtypes functionally involved.

Methods:  Biopsies from the second part of duodenum were obtained from 28 patients during endoscopy. Biopsies were mounted in modified Ussing chambers with air‐suction for measurements of short‐circuit current by a previously validated technique. Short‐circuit current was measured after application of chloride/bicarbonate transport inhibitors bumetanide, 4‐acetamido‐4′‐isothiocyanostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid (SITS), diphenylamine‐2‐carboxylate (DPC), and acetazolamide. 4‐diphenylacetoxy‐N‐methylpiperidine methiodide (4‐DAMP) and two mamba toxins MT3 and MT7 were used to characterize the mAChR receptor subtypes involved. The effects of transport inhibitors and receptor antagonists were measured by comparing two consecutive responses of ACh on short‐circuit current in the same biopsy specimen.

Results:  Bumetanide and 4‐DAMP significantly inhibited ACh‐induced short‐circuit current, whereas SITS, DPC, acetazolamide, mamba toxin MT3, and mamba toxin MT7 all failed to show any significant effect.

Conclusion:  In conclusion, our results indicate that muscarinic receptor subtype M3 acts as the main mediator of bumetanide‐sensitive ACh‐induced secretion in human duodenum.