bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pilot assessment of depth related distribution of macrofauna in surf zone along Dutch coast and its implications for coastal management
Authors: Janssen Gerard , Kleef Hans , Mulder Saskia , Tydeman Peter
Published: June 2008

Surf zones are highly dynamic, physically stressful parts of sandy beach ecosystems. The high wave energy of surf zones has in the past severely hampered ecological surveys of these systems. Here we used a novel technique to collect fauna from this environment along the Dutch coast. A large vehicle in the form a tripod that drives along the sandy seafloor and supports a sampling platform 11 m above the water line can collect both infaunal (grabs) samples and pull beam trawls for epibenthos. The distribution and diversity of macrofauna were studied at different depths in the surf zone along the Dutch coast. Species diversity and abundance increased with increasing depth of the water column. This increase was especially noticeable on the seaward side of the outer breaker bar. Within the surf zone, in the trough between the two breaker bars, there were spots of high diversity and abundance of macrobenthic infauna. Moreover, the area is also important for epibenthic and fish species, like the commercially important flatfish sole. Spatial patterns of species richness and abundance across an onshore‐offshore gradient from the beach to seawards of the breakers suggest the presence of faunal zonation in this environment. The high abundance recorded in troughs was primarily caused by patches of juvenile Sand mason Lanice conchilega. The management implications of these results are that we suggest to protect the surf zone, including the trough between the two breaker bars, as a potential area of high diversity and abundance and to reconsider the objectives of the EU‐Habitat Directive and the Water Framework Directive for the coastal area.
Subdivision of the Sanbagawa pumpellyite–actinolite facies region in central Shikoku, southwest Japan
Authors: Sakaguchi Masumi , Ishizuka Hideo
Published: June 2008

Abstract  The mineral assemblages of the pumpellyite–actinolite facies such as pumpellyite + actinolite + epidote + chlorite or actinolite + epidote + hematite + chlorite occur in the Sanbagawa low‐grade metamorphic region, central Shikoku, southwest Japan. Chemical compositions of these minerals from the eight newly studied areas were analyzed in order to evaluate the areal extent and thermal structure of the region. In the buffered assemblage of pumpellyite + actinolite + epidote + chlorite, the Fe3+/(Fe3+ + Al) values of epidote decrease slightly with decreasing Fe2+/(Fe2+ + Mg) values for chlorite. The changes in these values show a general correlation with temperature. The presence of this relationship implies that the Fe3+/(Fe3+ + Al) values of epidote can be used to divide the Sanbagawa low‐grade metamorphic region into low‐, medium‐ and high‐grade subzones. The areal distribution of these subzones indicates that: (i) the temperature seems to decrease in the same sense as envisaged by the zonal mapping of the higher‐grade pelitic schists; and (ii) there is no significant gap of metamorphic conditions through the boundary between the two structural units (Besshi and Oboke units). It follows that the Sanbagawa low‐grade metamorphic region decreases in temperature going up the structural section, and tectonic discontinuities have not affected the thermal structure.
Variations in sediment thickness and type along the northern Philippine Sea Plate at the Nankai Trough
Authors: Ike Toshihiro , Moore Gregory F. , Kuramoto Shin'ichi , Park Jin‐Oh , Kaneda Yoshiyuki , Taira Asahiko
Published: June 2008

Abstract  We documented regional and local variations in basement relief, sediment thickness, and sediment type in the Shikoku Basin, northern Philippine Sea Plate, which is subducting at the Nankai Trough. Seismic reflection data, tied with ocean drilling program drill cores, reveal that variations in the incoming sediment sequences are correlated with basement topography. We mapped the three‐dimensional seismic facies distribution and measured representative seismic sequences and units. Trench‐parallel seismic profiles show three regional provinces in the Shikoku Basin that are distinguished by the magnitude of basement relief and sediment thickness: Western (<200–400 m basement relief, >600 m sediment thickness), Central (>1500 m relief, ∼2000 m sediments), and Eastern (<600 m relief, ∼1200 m sediments) provinces. The total thickness of sediment in basement lows is as much as six times greater than that over basement highs. Turbidite sedimentation in the Shikoku Basin reflects basement control on deposition, leading to the local presence or absence of turbidite units deposited during the middle Oligocene to the middle Miocene. During the first phase of sedimentation, most basement lows were filled with turbidites, resulting in smooth seafloor morphology that does not reflect basement relief. A second phase of turbidite deposition in the Eastern Province was accompanied by significant amounts of hemipelagic sediments interbedded with turbidite layers compared to the other provinces because of its close proximity to the Izu–Bonin Island Arc. Both regional and local variations in basement topography and sediment thickness/type have caused lateral heterogeneities on the underthrusting plate that will, in turn, influence lateral fluid flow along the Nankai accretionary prism.
Tectonics and sedimentation around Kashinosaki Knoll: A subducting basement high in the eastern Nankai Trough
Authors: Ike Toshihiro , Moore Gregory F. , Kuramoto Shin'ichi , Park Jin‐Oh , Kaneda Yoshiyuki , Taira Asahiko
Published: June 2008

Abstract  When seamounts and other topographic highs on an oceanic plate are subducted, they cause significant deformation of the overriding plate and may act as asperities deeper in the seismogenic zone. Kashinosaki Knoll (KK) is an isolated basement high of volcanic origin on the subducting Philippine Sea Plate that will soon be subducted at the eastern Nankai Trough. Seismic reflection imaging reveals a thick accumulation of sediments (∼1200 m) over and around the knoll. The lower portion of the sedimentary section has a package of high‐amplitude, continuous reflections, interpreted as turbidites, that lap onto steep basement slopes but are parallel to the gentler basement slopes. Total sediment thickness on the western and northern slopes is approximately 40–50% more than on the summit and southeastern slopes of KK. These characteristics imply that the basal sedimentary section northwest of KK was deposited by infrequent high‐energy turbidity currents, whereas the area southeast of KK was dominated by hemipelagic sedimentation over asymmetric basement relief. From the sediment structure and magnetic anomalies, we estimate that the knoll likely formed near the spreading center of the Shikoku Basin in the early Miocene. Its origin differs from that of nearby Zenisu Ridge, which is a piece of the Shikoku Basin crust uplifted along a thrust fault related to the collision of the Izu–Bonin arc and Honshu. KK has been carried into the margin of the Nankai Trough, and its high topography is deflecting Quaternary trench turbidites to the south. When KK collides with the accretionary prism in about 1 My, the associated variations in sediment type and thickness around the knoll will likely result in complex local variations in prism deformation.
Adiponectin is present in the urine in its native conformation, and specifically reduces the secretion of MCP‐1 by proximal tubular cells
Authors: SHEN YVONNE Y , HUGHES JAQUELYNE T , CHARLESWORTH JOHN A , KELLY JOHN J , PEAKE PHILIP W
Published: June 2008

Aim:  To determine whether adiponectin detected in urine is present in its native form and if adiponectin receptors (AdipoR) present and functional in proximal tubular (HK‐2) cells.

Background:  Adiponectin is a protein with anti‐inflammatory, anti‐atherogenic and insulin‐sensitizing properties. It has previously been detected antigenically in the urine in several forms of renal disease.

Methods:  We compared the isoform distribution of urinary adiponectin in patients with proteinuric and non‐proteinuric renal disease with that of matched controls using chromatography and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. We examined whether AdipoR were present in HK‐2 cells by real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Their functionality was investigated by determining the effect of recombinant adiponectin on adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase phosphorylation using western blotting, and on the secretion of monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 and C3 using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays.

Results:  Adiponectin in the urine is physiologically intact and largely present as the low molecular weight isoform. Subjects with urinary protein >150 mg/L excreted significantly more adiponectin and its high and low molecular weight isoforms than those with <150 mg/L. mRNA for AdipoR were present in HK‐2 cells, with levels of mRNA for AdipoR1 being 20 times greater than those for AdipoR2. Ligation of AdipoR on proximal tubular cells increased phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase, and downregulated the secretion of the inflammatory cytokine monocyte chemotactic protein‐1, but not of C3.

Conclusion:  Physiologically relevant isoforms of adiponectin are present in the urine of normal subjects and those with proteinuria. In addition, functional receptors for adiponectin are present in HK‐2 cells. Abnormal levels of adiponectin in the urine may therefore activate these receptors, potentially resulting in anti‐inflammatory activity.
Predictors for quality of life in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: BILGIC AYSE , AKMAN BERIL , SEZER SIREN , OZISIK LALE , ARAT ZUBEYDE , OZDEMIR F NURHAN , HABERAL MEHMET
Published: June 2008

Aim:  Peritoneal dialysis patients have diminished quality of life scores compared with healthy subjects. Measures of quality of life have been reported to have a significant predictive value for patient survival and hospitalization in peritoneal dialysis patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical, biochemical and psychological predictors for the quality of life in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.

Methods:  This cross‐sectional study included 60 CAPD patients (male/female 33/27; age 45.5 ± 15.7 years, CAPD duration 43.4 ± 32.7 months). Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index was used for assessing sleep quality. We evaluated each patient's depressive symptoms with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Quality of life parameters were assessed by the self‐administered SF‐36 generic health survey questionnaire. In all patients, demographic variables, personality traits and habits, Charlson Comorbidity Index, clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded and analysed.

Results:  A Pearson bivariate correlation analysis revealed that total quality of life score was negatively correlated with Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (–0.533, P < 0.0001), BDI (−0.642, P < 0.0001) scores, C‐reactive protein (−0.588, P = 0.001), and positively correlated with blood urea nitrogen (0.336, P = 0.02) and albumin (0.351, P = 0.01). BDI scores (β = −0.505, P = 0.001) and the serum albumin levels (β = 0.324, P = 0.009) were the significant independent predictors of quality of life.

Conclusion:  Poor sleep quality, presence of depression, higher C‐reactive protein and lower albumin levels are associated with poorer quality of life. In order to improve life quality in CAPD patients, quality of sleep, depression and nutritional status should be serially evaluated and given appropriate treatment when required.
Long‐term functional outcomes in patients with various types of orthotopic intestinal neobladder
Authors: Miyake Hideaki , Furukawa Junya , Takenaka Atsushi , Yamanaka Nozomu , Fujisawa Masato
Published: June 2008

Objectives:  To evaluate the long‐term functional outcomes of various types of orthotopic neobladder (NB).

Methods:  Eighty‐nine patients who underwent orthotopic NB reconstruction after radical cystectomy and were followed for at least 60 months after surgery were included in this retrospective study. The types of NB in this series were: modified Studer type, Hautmann type, Mainz type, Goldwasser type and modified Reddy type in 36, 9, 15, 10 and 19 patients, respectively.

Results:  Sixty‐seven (75.3%) patients could void spontaneously, 15 (16.8%) voided with clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) assistance and seven (7.9%) with CIC alone. After excluding the seven voiding with CIC alone, daytime and night‐time continence was achieved in 63 and 50 of the remaining 82 patients, respectively. In addition, the proportion of daytime continence in the modified Studer group was significantly greater than that in the Mainz group, whereas there was no significant difference in the proportion of night‐time continence among these groups. Uroflow examination indicated that despite the lack of significant differences in the maximal flow rates and the voided volumes, the post‐void residual in the modified Reddy group was significantly smaller than that in the modified Studer group. Blood gas analysis in the 82 patients showed that there were no significant differences in the pH, bicarbonate, chloride and base excess among these groups.

Conclusions:  Orthotopic NB created with intestinal segments generally has acceptable functional outcomes on long term follow up. These outcomes differ according to the type of NB. To define the optimal procedure for NB reconstruction, it is necessary to understand the long‐term functional prospects, on which the subjective success of NB creation is based.
Association between serum prostate‐specific antigen level, liver function tests and lipid profile in healthy men
Authors: Han June Hyun , Chang In Ho , Ahn Seung Hyun , Kwon Oh Jung , Bang Seong Hak , Choi Nak Young , Park Sang Wook , Myung Soon Chul , Kim Hyun Woo
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level and age, liver function tests (LFTs) including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB), lipid profile (total cholesterol, TC, triglycerides, TG, high‐density lipoprotein, HDL) and fasting blood sugar (FBS), and to determine the significant factors for predicting the serum PSA level in men with a low risk of having prostate cancer.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

In all, 38 157 healthy male employees of the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) who were aged <60 years and had serum PSA levels of <4 ng/mL and serum creatinine levels of <1.4 mg/dL were enrolled between January 2002 and December 2006. Body weight and height were measured, and levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), ALP, TB, FBS, TC, TG, and HDL, and serum PSA were measured.

RESULTS

The mean (sd) age of the study population was 44.4 (7.90) years and the mean PSA level 0.89 (0.51) ng/mL. In a univariate analysis there were significant interrelations between serum PSA level and age, BMI, AST, ALT, ALP, TB, HDL and FBS (P < 0.05). The multiple logistic regression analyses using four percentiles (10th, 25th, 75th, 90th percentile) of serum PSA level showed trends that being older was associated with serum PSA level, and that BMI, ALT, HDL and FBS were negatively correlated with serum PSA level.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that serum PSA level was significantly influenced by age, BMI, ALT, HDL and FBS. Further studies are needed to confirm our results and to explain the underlying mechanisms.
Identifying constructs and criteria for the diagnosis of premature ejaculation: implication for making errors of classification
Authors: Althof Stanley E. , Rowland David L.
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVES

To review the many definitions of premature ejaculation (PE), determine the essential elements that best define PE, and examine and discuss the consequences of errors of inclusion and exclusion in the diagnosis of PE.

METHODS

We reviewed recent evidenced‐based studies that delineate the variables that best define PE, and the relationships between these factors. We then assessed the consequences of errors of measurement, inclusion and exclusion for setting the thresholds for the three variables.

RESULTS

PE can best be defined by a multidimensional set of criteria composed of three essential elements: (i) intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT); (ii) a lack of perceived self‐efficacy or control about the timing of ejaculation; and (iii) distress and interpersonal difficulty related to the ejaculatory dysfunction. After delineating the variables, thresholds for each variable need to be determined. Carefully constructed thresholds attempt to minimize errors of inclusion and exclusion. However, even the best criteria cannot eliminate all error. The two types of errors in classification are, to some extent, inversely related: the more restrictive the criteria, the more likely that there will be errors of exclusion, whereas the more lenient the criteria the more likely there will be errors of inclusion.

CONCLUSION

Research and treatment protocols might use different threshold values for classification, as their goals might be different. For a PE research protocol, we suggest erring on the side of a more narrow definition as it would: (i) provide a more conservative, and we think, realistic prevalence of the disorder; (ii) help to establish PE as a bona fide sexual dysfunction rather than a ‘life‐style’ issue for men seeking to enhance their sexual life; (iii) ensure greater confidence in the efficacy of existing and new treatment approaches; and (iv) strengthen the likelihood of acceptance by the regulatory authorities. Conversely, standard treatment protocols for PE might use more lenient criteria if the treatment has minimal adverse events and the degree of distress of the sufferer is high.
Does diabetes mellitus as a comorbid condition affect the health‐related quality of life in prostate cancer survivors? Results of a population‐based observational study
Authors: Mols Floortje , Aquarius Annelies E. , Essink‐Bot Marie‐Louise , Aaronson Neil K. , Kil Paul J.M. , Van De Poll‐Franse Lonneke V.
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE

To assess the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of long‐term, disease‐free prostate cancer survivors and compare it with that of prostate cancer survivors with diabetes mellitus (DM), and a Dutch normative population, as comorbidity can have a major impact on HRQoL in cancer survivors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The Eindhoven Cancer Registry was used to select all men diagnosed with prostate cancer from 1994 to 1998. Questionnaires on HRQoL (Short Form 36) and prostate specific problems (University of California, Los Angeles Expanded Prostate Cancer Index) were sent to 964 patients, and 780 (81%) responded. Excluding patients with disease progression, the sample comprised 525 with prostate cancer and 65 with both prostate cancer and DM. Survivors with DM were more likely to have other comorbid conditions at the time of survey besides DM than were those without DM (74% vs 60%, P = 0.05). At 5–10 years after diagnosis, patients with DM reported worse General Health Perceptions than patients without DM or the normative population (means 52, 61 and 63; P < 0.001). Patients with DM also reported worse Vitality scores (59 vs 63; P < 0.001) than the normative population. Regression analysis indicated that DM was negatively associated with General Health Perceptions (β = −0.13; P < 0.01) and Vitality (β = −0.12; P < 0.01). Survivors with DM did not report worse urinary and bowel function or bother, nor more sexual problems than those without DM.

CONCLUSIONS

Except for general health perceptions and vitality, the HRQoL of prostate cancer survivors with or without DM was comparable to a normative population. Survivorship selection can possibly explain, in part, why patients with DM did not report worse generic or disease‐specific HRQoL than those without DM, as had been expected.
Culture wars
Authors: Lindisfarne Nancy
Published: June 2008

Nancy Lindisfarne goes beyond recent concerns about anthropological involvement in government sponsored counter‐insurgency. She considers how problematic cultural rhetorics about Islam and women have become part of current imperialisms and seem to legitimize other forms of anthropological involvement such as working for NGOs during the present military occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Research ethics across disciplines
Authors: Aagaard‐Hansen Jens , Johansen Maria Vang
Published: June 2008

The article compares selected research ethical codes from medical science and anthropology. Though based on the same basic principles of respect, beneficence and justice, their history and emphases are different. All the codes stress the importance of informed consent, though the biomedical codes are more elaborated especially regarding ‘vulnerability’, ‘dependent relationships’ and ‘legally incompetent groups’. With respect to harm, the biomedical codes are more detailed, and in the two anthropological codes the emphasis is here on the potential harmful effect of the knowledge produced rather than the negative impact that may result from the data collection itself. When it comes to provision of benefits to the study population, the biomedical codes are generally more concrete, and where they focus on provision of (medical) services, the anthropological mention disseminating the study findings and the optional possibility for advocacy. The article concludes by recommending that research ethical codes be compared between disciplines and that not least anthropology could benefit from that.
Assessing the Equilibrium Exchange Rate of the Malaysian Ringgit: A Comparison of Alternative Approaches
Authors: Koske Isabell
Published: June 2008

Drawing on the behavioral equilibrium exchange rate and the fundamental equilibrium exchange rate approaches, this paper assesses the equilibrium value of the real effective exchange rate of the Malaysian ringgit over the past 25 years. For 2005, when the Malaysian authorities exited from the peg with the US dollar, both models determine a slight undervaluation of the currency. Openness and real GDP per capita have been the main drivers of real exchange rate movements in the past, although non‐tradable productivity, government consumption, and net foreign assets have also had a sizable impact. The paper also highlights the limitations of applying the two approaches in the context of emerging countries.
A cross‐national study of corporate governance and employment contracts
Authors: García‐Castro Roberto , Ariño Miguel A. , Rodriguez Miguel A. , Ayuso Silvia
Published: June 2008

Corporate governance (CG) can be seen to operate through a ‘double agency’ relationship: one between the shareholders and corporate management, and another between the corporate management and the firm's employees. The CG and labour management of firms are closely related. A particularly productive way to study how CG affects and is affected by the employment relationship has been to compare CG across countries. The contributions of this paper to that literature are threefold. (1) An integration of aspects of the labour management literature in the CG debate. (2) Based on a sample of about 1000 firms from 31 countries, we find evidence of complementarities between the CG and the labour management of firms. Extreme cases, in general, outperform mixed cases. (3) Firm differences within countries are more important than scholars have assumed so far. We present the results of the study and implications for future research and for practice.
Identifying impediments to SRI in Europe: a review of the practitioner and academic literature
Authors: Juravle Carmen , Lewis Alan
Published: June 2008

For more than 15 years, the investment community and the academic community have written extensively on socially responsible investment (SRI). Despite the abundance of SRI thought, the adoption of SRI practices among institutional investors is a comparative rarity. This paper endeavours to achieve two goals. First, by integrating the practitioner and academic literature on the topic, the paper attempts to identify the many impediments to SRI in Europe from an institutional investor's perspective. Second, the paper proposes a unitary framework to conceptually organize the impediments to SRI by using insights from different relevant research perspectives: behavioural finance, organizational behaviour, institutional theory, economic sociology, management science and finance. The paper concludes by presenting the main shortcomings within both the academic and the practitioner literature on SRI and by providing conceptual and methodological recommendations for further research.
A life cycle model of multi‐stakeholder networks
Authors: Roloff Julia
Published: June 2008

In multi‐stakeholder networks, actors from civil society, business and governmental institutions come together in order to find a common solution to a problem that affects all of them. Problems approached by such networks often affect people across national boundaries, tend to be very complex and are not sufficiently understood. In multi‐stakeholder networks, information concerning a problem is gathered from different sources, learning takes place, conflicts between participants are addressed and cooperation is sought. Corporations are key actors in many networks, because the problems addressed are frequently related to business activities. The aim of this article is to conceptualise multi‐stakeholder networks by proposing a problem‐centred stakeholder definition. From an analysis of several case studies, a life cycle model is deduced that distinguishes seven phases: initiation, acquaintance, first and second agreement, implementation, consolidation and institutionalisation.
The rationality‐of‐ends/market‐structure grid: positioning and contrasting different approaches to business ethics
Authors: Wagner‐Tsukamoto Sigmund
Published: June 2008

This paper presents the ‘rationality‐of‐ends/market‐structure grid’. With this grid, the article contrasts, in economic terms, different approaches to business ethics and addresses the question how far and what type of business ethics is feasible. Four basic scenarios for business ethics are outlined that imply different conceptualizations of business ethics. The grid interrelates a rationality‐of‐ends dimension with a market‐structure dimension. The rationality‐of‐ends dimension ranges from opportunism and self‐interested egoism to self‐interested altruism and ultimately to authentic altruism. The market‐structure dimension ranges from perfect competition/no information problems/perfectly dispersed market power to imperfect competition/high information problems/concentrated power. Rather than presenting economic, legal, ethical and discretionary issues in a hierarchical fashion, the grid interrelates these issues. Conclusions are spelled out regarding the empirical observance of business ethics and the programmatic, ‘theoretical’ positions that are behind empirical observations. Practical implications for managers and public policy makers are outlined.
Knowledge Dynamics in Valorising Local Nature
Authors: Siebert Rosemarie , Laschewski Lutz , Dosch Axel
Published: June 2008

This article examines how sustainable development is actually being applied to rural development, and the assumptions about different forms of knowledge and their integration used in this application. The results of the study are based on a comparative analysis of research reports from 12 European countries on 27 projects and programmes for nature protection and biodiversity maintenance. It is argued that the distribution of different forms of knowledge and their evaluation are related to the form and structure of local civil society. The results suggest that the kinds of knowledge that are most prevalent in nature protection and biodiversity management are mainly scientific knowledge and, to limited degree, managerial knowledge, with the latter gaining in importance. In contrast, local knowledge as a knowledge system rooted in local resource use practices has become a rare feature of the European countryside.
The Battlefield for (Sustainable) Rural Development: The Case of Lake Plastiras, Central Greece
Authors: Koutsouris Alex
Published: June 2008

This article aims at providing an understanding of knowledge aspects involved in the development of the Lake Plastiras area of Greece (a designated ‘less favoured area’). The area, through the implementation of development, projects, such as LEADER, has become a major tourism destination. Following the identification of the main actors in the area, their views, as well as their underlying knowledge regarding local development, are analysed. Contradictory approaches to local development subsequently emerge and the dynamics of various actors and the knowledge forms they use in rural projects are reviewed. It is argued that an approach to local development based on expert and managerial knowledge is not compatible with sustainable local development. This approach is contrasted with bottom‐up, multi‐stakeholder processes, showing that stakeholders are able to co‐construct the issue and its solutions only through participatory action but that this entails changes in perspectives and practices.
A Richer Understanding of Australia's Productivity Performance in the 1990s: Improved Estimates Based Upon Firm‐Level Panel Data*
Authors: BREUNIG ROBERT , WONG MARN‐HEONG
Published: June 2008

Australian industry is characterised by differences across firms, entry of new firms and exit of unsuccessful firms. These facts highlight the inappropriateness of measuring productivity using aggregate production functions based upon representative firms. In this study, we model heterogeneous firms which change over time. We model the interrelationship between productivity shocks, input choices and decisions to cease production. Firm‐level data provides production function estimates for 25 two‐digit Australian industries. A new aggregation method for industry‐level data allows us to separate productivity changes from output composition changes. Our study sheds new light on the Australian productivity performance.
Smoothing the Fiscal Costs of Population Ageing in Australia: Effects on Intergenerational Equity and Social Welfare*
Authors: GUEST ROSS
Published: June 2008

This paper applies an overlapping generations model in order to evaluate the case for smoothing the fiscal costs associated with population ageing. The motivation is the establishment in Australia of the Future Fund which acts to smooth the tax burden over time. The conclusion is that tax smoothing of the order implied by the Future Fund yields a gain in social welfare in the order of 1.0 per cent in equivalent annual increases in GDP. All current generations of workers and retired workers are worse off, with middle‐aged workers the worst affected, but future generations are better off and by larger magnitudes.
UK retail concentration, Chilean wine producers and value chains
Authors: GWYNNE ROBERT N
Published: June 2008

This paper seeks to examine how value chains impinge upon firms within the Chilean wine sector. The value chain analysis will further link the production and export of wine in Chile with the import and retailing of this wine in one key core economy market, namely that of the UK. The analysis is divided into three sections. First, the political economy of value chains in agro‐industry is discussed, particularly in relation to the distinction between network or quasi‐hierarchical relationships. Then the paper examines the theme of retail concentration in the UK and the impacts that this has on global value chains which incorporate Chilean wine firms. The focus then moves to value chains and the nature of upgrading within Chilean wine firms by examining the strategic example of the lead firm and firm upgrading as a response to demands of UK retailers and through the flying winemaker model. Broad conclusions on the comparative nature of value chains and the scramble for value within them are finally made.
The Effect of Renewal Policy Changes on SCHIP Disenrollment
Authors: Herndon Jill Boylston , Vogel W. Bruce , Bucciarelli Richard L. , Shenkman Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2008

Objective. To examine the impact of changing from a passive renewal process to an active renewal process in Florida's State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on disenrollment.

Data Sources. Administrative records, containing enrollment and demographic data, were used to identify 414,396 enrollment spells from January 2004 through February 2006. Health care claims data were used to classify the children's health status.

Study Design. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the impact of changing to an active renewal process on the children's risk of disenrolling, controlling for the children's sociodemographic characteristics. Differential effects of the policy change by the children's health status were examined, and transfers to other public health insurance programs were taken into account.

Principal Findings. Children faced almost a 10‐fold greater risk of disenrolling in their renewal month under active renewal than under passive renewal. We did not detect differential impacts of the policy change across children with different health status levels.

Conclusions. The switch to an active renewal process in Florida's SCHIP significantly increased disenrollment rates, and the effect of this policy change does not appear to vary by health status.
Front‐Line Staff Perspectives on Opportunities for Improving the Safety and Efficiency of Hospital Work Systems
Authors: Tucker Anita L. , Singer Sara J. , Hayes Jennifer E. , Falwell Alyson
Published: June 2008

Objective. To contrast the safety‐related concerns raised by front‐line staff about hospital work systems (operational failures) with national patient safety initiatives.

Data Sources. Primary data included 1,732 staff‐identified operational failures at 20 U.S. hospitals from 2004 to 2006.

Study Design. Senior managers observed front‐line staff and facilitated open discussion meetings with employees about their patient safety concerns.

Data Collection. Hospitals submitted data on the operational failures identified through managers' interactions with front‐line workers. Data were analyzed for type of failure and frequency of occurrence. Recommendations from staff were compared with recommendations from national initiatives.

Principal Findings. The two most frequent categories of operational failures, equipment/supplies and facility issues, posed safety risks and diminished staff efficiency, but have not been priorities in national initiatives.

Conclusions. Our study suggests an underutilized strategy for improving patient safety and staff efficiency: leveraging front‐line staff experiences with work systems to identify and address operational failures. In contrast to the perceived tradeoff between safety and efficiency, fixing operational failures can yield benefits for both. Thus, prioritizing improvement of work systems in general, rather than focusing more narrowly on specific clinical conditions, can increase safety and efficiency of hospitals.
Medical Malpractice Reform and Employer‐Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums
Authors: Morrisey Michael A. , Kilgore Meredith L. , Nelson Leonard (Jack)
Published: June 2008

Objective.Tort reform may affect health insurance premiums both by reducing medical malpractice premiums and by reducing the extent of defensive medicine. The objective of this study is to estimate the effects of noneconomic damage caps on the premiums for employer‐sponsored health insurance.

Data Sources/Study Setting.Employer premium data and plan/establishment characteristics were obtained from the 1999 through 2004 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Insurance Surveys. Damage caps were obtained and dated based on state annotated codes, statutes, and judicial decisions.

Study Design.Fixed effects regression models were run to estimate the effects of the size of inflation‐adjusted damage caps on the weighted average single premiums.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods.State tort reform laws were identified using Westlaw, LEXIS, and statutory compilations. Legislative repeal and amendment of statutes and court decisions resulting in the overturning or repealing state statutes were also identified using LEXIS.

Principal Findings.Using a variety of empirical specifications, there was no statistically significant evidence that noneconomic damage caps exerted any meaningful influence on the cost of employer‐sponsored health insurance.

Conclusions.The findings suggest that tort reforms have not translated into insurance savings.
Decision‐Analytic Modeling to Assist Decision Making in Organizational Innovation: The Case of Shared Care in Hearing Aid Provision
Authors: Grutters Janneke P. C. , Joore Manuela A. , Van Der Horst Frans , Stokroos Robert J. , Anteunis Lucien J. C.
Published: June 2008

Objective.To illustrate the use of decision‐analytic modeling to assist decision making in organizational innovations.

Study Setting/Data Sources.Regarding an organizational innovation (shared care in hearing aid provision) available evidence from different sources was synthesized.

Study Design.A probabilistic Markov model was constructed.

Data Collection/Extraction.We modeled the long‐term cost‐effectiveness of different organizational formats of shared care as opposed to the current organization. We assessed the expected value of perfect information (EVPI) for several groups of parameters in the model.

Principal Findings.The current organization had the highest probability of being cost‐effective. Additional research is worthwhile, especially on access to care and safety (sensitivity to detect pathology).

Conclusions.Decision‐analytic modeling in an early stage of organizational innovation is a valuable tool to facilitate evidence‐based decision making.
MRI findings in aphasic status epilepticus
Authors: Toledo Manuel , Munuera Josep , Sueiras Maria , Rovira Rosa , Álvarez‐Sabín José , Rovira Alex
Published: June 2008

Summary

Ictal‐MRI studies including diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI), perfusion‐weighted imaging (PWI), and MR‐angiography (MRA) in patients with aphasic status epilepticus (ASE) are lacking. In this report, we aim to describe the consequences of the ASE on DWIs and its impact on cerebral circulation. We retrospectively studied eight patients with ASE confirmed by ictal‐EEG, who underwent ictal‐MRI shortly after well‐documented onset (mean time delay 3 h). ASE consisted in fluctuating aphasia, mostly associated with other subtle contralateral neurological signs such as hemiparesia, hemianopia, or slight clonic jerks. In MRI, six patients showed cortical temporoparietal hyperintensity in DWI and four of them had also ipsilateral pulvinar lesions. Five patients showed close spatial hyperperfusion areas matching the DWI lesions and an enhanced blow flow in the middle cerebral artery. Parenchymal lesions and hemodynamic abnormalities were not associated with seizure duration or severity in any case. The resolution of DWI lesions at follow‐up MRI depended on the length of the MRIs interval. In patients with ASE, lesions on DWI in the temporo‐parietal cortex and pulvinar nucleus combined with local hyperperfusion can be observed, even when they appear distant from the epileptic focus or the language areas.
FLIP ing the coin? Death receptor‐mediated signals during skin tumorigenesis
Authors: Leverkus Martin , Diessenbacher Philip , Geserick Peter
Published: June 2008

Abstract:  Keratinocyte skin cancer is a multi‐step process, during which a number of obstacles have to be overcome by the tumor cell to allow the development of a manifest tumor. Beside proliferation and immortality, apoptosis resistance is one additional and critical step during skin carcinogenesis. Over the past two decades, much has been learned about the prototypical membrane‐bound inducers of apoptosis, namely the death receptors and their ligands, and the apoptosis signalling pathways activated by death receptors have been elucidated in great detail. In contrast, much less is known about the tissue‐specific role of the death receptor/ligands systems during the development of skin cancer. Here, we summarize and discuss the role of this intriguing receptor family and the potential mechanistical impact of the intracellular caspase‐8 inhibitor cFLIP for keratinocyte skin cancer. Given more recent data about cFLIP and its isoforms, a more complex regulatory role of cFLIP can be suspected. Indeed, cFLIP may not solely interfere with death receptor‐mediated apoptosis signalling pathways, but may positively or negatively influence other, potential harmful signalling pathways such as the production of inflammatory cytokines, tumor cell migration or the activation of transcription factors such as NF‐κB, considered crucial during skin tumorigenesis. In this respect, cFLIP may act to ‘FLIP the coin’ during the development of keratinocyte skin cancer.
17‐beta estradiol and prednisolone as potential stimulators of hair re‐growth in chemotherapy‐induced human hair follicle damage via ‘dystrophic catagen’ promotion?
Authors: Bodó E. , Van Beek N. , Naumann V. , Ohnemus U. , Brzoska T. , Abels C. , Paus R.
Published: June 2008

Chemotherapy‐induced hair follicle (HF) damage and alopecia are common side‐effects of cancer therapy and constitute a major burden of disease in clinical oncology. Although several potential treatment strategies have shown promising effects in animal models, e.g. on cyclophosphamide‐induced alopecia (CIA) in C57BL/6 mice, these strategies remain to be transferred to human therapy. 17‐beta estradiol (E2) and glucocorticoids are potent modulators of murine CIA in vivo: topical treatment accelerates the regrowth of normally pigmented hair shafts by shifting HFs into the ‘dystrophic catagen’ pathway, which is associated with greater initial alopecia, but much faster HF recovery. In the current study, we asked whether E2 and/or prednisolon display similar activities in the human system, using our recently established human HF dystrophy in vitro‐model (Bodó et al., Am J Pathol 2007: 171(14):1153–67). E2 and/or prednisolon were pre‐ and co‐administered with a key cyclophosphamide metabolite (4‐HC). Indeed, E2 shifted 4‐HC‐treated human HFs into the dystrophic catagen pathway in vitro, and potentiated the 4‐HC‐induced pigmentary disturbances. 4‐HC‐induced hair growth inhibition was further enhanced by E2, associated with an additional reduction of proliferation and increased apoptosis of matrix keratinocytes. These effects tended to be further enhanced by co‐administration of prednisolon to the HF organ culture medium. These observations suggest that, just as in murine CIA in vivo, E2 and glucocorticoids can force chemotherapy‐damaged human HFs into the dystrophic catagen pathway. The preclinical data provide first indications that a combination of E2 with prednisolone may indeed serve as an effective clinical tool for accelerating hair re‐growth in human CIA.
Stress sensitive differentiation in expression of nerve fibers and antigen presenting cell and Substance P sensitive alteration of dendritic cell subpopulations in spleen
Authors: Liezmann C. , Daniltchenko M. , Pavlovic S. , Klapp B. F. , Peters E. M. J.
Published: June 2008

Substance P (SP) – a sensory neuropeptide – was revealed as an important stress mediator with its own stress axis in the skin. In this context, we were able to show, that stress‐dependent SP affects the migration of dendritic cell subpopulations to skin draining lymphnodes with subsequently altered T‐cell activation and disease activity in a mouse model for allergic dermatitis (AD). Here we postulate that stress‐dependent communication between nerve fibers and immune‐competent cells with effect on the course of inflammatory skin diseases can also occur in spleen. To address this question, AD was induced in C57BL/6 mice by double sensitization (i.p) and an intradermal challenge using chicken egg ovalbumin. Animals were additionally exposed to sound stress for 24 h prior to challenge. In this model, stress lead to a relative hyperinnervation of the immune‐competent areas of the spleen. At the same time, an increased number of antigen‐presenting cells (APC) could be observed in these areas and contacts between nerve fibers and APC were found. Substance P in vitro had the capacity to raise the number of antigen presenting cells in spleen and increased the number of CD4+ T‐cell‐stimulating CD4‐CD8‐ dendritic cells and further the number of CD25+ T‐regulatory cells. Further analysis of quality and function of neuro‐immune interactions in the spleen will reveal the role of the observed stress‐induced alterations in the spleen in atopic disease.
Increased melanocyte apoptosis under stress‐mediator Substance P – elucidating pathways involved in stress‐induced premature graying
Authors: Spatz K. R. , Overall R. , Klapp B. F. , Arck P. C. , Peters E. M. J.
Published: June 2008

Recently, the accumulation of oxidative stress was found to induce apoptosis of hair follicle melanocytes in the pigmentary‐unit during senile hair graying. A disturbance of the well‐balanced melanocyte stress‐regulatory mechanisms by additional oxidative stress caused e.g. by cutaneous inflammation or emotional stress may lead to untimely death of melanocytes. In a noise stress experiment C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a sound stressor for 24 h or received a bolus injection of the neuropeptide stress‐mediator Substance P (SP) during early anagen of the depilation‐induced hair cycle. Back skin was harvested 72 h later. Melanocyte markers such as tyrosinase related peptide (TRP) 1 and TRP 2 were combined with c‐kit to assess activation and with TUNEL‐labelling to assess apoptosis of melanocytes. Exposure to stress or SP resulted in an increase of c‐kit positive melanocytes in the stem cell harbouring bulge region while SP treatment also led to melanocyte–apoptosis in the developing pigmentary‐unit of early anagen hair follicles. These findings suggest a differentiated susceptibility of distinct melanocyte populations in the hair follicle to stressors. On the one hand pigment‐producing melanocytes of the pigmentary‐unit show increased vulnerability towards stress‐mediators, with subsequent premature death during early anagen. On the other hand stress‐mediators have a stimulatory effect on the melanocytes in the stem cell containing hair follicle bulge region. Together this suggests an increased cell turn‐over under stress. Preliminary data from murine telogen full skin microarray analysis also head for a similar two‐sided results. Stressed skin shows up‐regulated genes for cell differentiation, proliferation and immune responses while it shows down‐regulated genes for intracellular signalling cascades and pigmentation. Our results suggest a precocious exhaustion of the melanocyte stem cell pool due to an enhanced turnover of pigment cell precursors as a pathway involved in premature canities.