bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A randomised controlled trial of routine suction drainage after elective thyroid and parathyroid surgery with ultrasound evaluation of fluid collection
Authors: Ahluwalia S. , Hannan S.A. , Mehrzad H. , Crofton M. , Tolley N.S.
Published: February 2007

Objective:  To determine the need for suction drainage after elective thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

Design:  Randomised controlled trial.

Setting:  University teaching hospital.

Participants:  Patients requiring elective thyroid or parathyroid surgery were recruited and informed consent was obtained (n = 100). Before wound closure, patients were randomised into either group A (to remain without suction drainage) or group B (to receive suction drainage). Excluded patients were those requiring associated neck dissection and those with bleeding diatheses, all of whom would necessarily require drainage in our unit.

Main outcome measures:  Primary – ultrasound evaluation of any collection in the thyroid bed, performed 1‐day postoperatively. Secondary – postoperative complications; length of in‐patient stay.

Results:  One hundred patients completed the study, and groups A and B comprised 50 patients each. Patients in each group exhibited a mean age of 49 years, and a male to female ratio of 1 : 9. Both groups were also well‐matched regarding type of operation, size of tumour and histopathological diagnosis. Modal and median postoperative neck collection volume on ultrasound examination was 0 and 0 cm3 respectively (range 0–16 cm3) in group A and was 0 and 0 cm3 (range 0–70 cm3) in group B. This difference was not statistically significant, but three patients with a haematoma were all in the suction drainage group. Difference in complication rates between groups was also not statistically significant. Modal and median length of in‐patient stay was 2 and 2 days respectively (range 2–3 days) in group A and 3 and 3 days (range 2–4 days) in group B, and this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.0006).

Conclusion:  Routine suction drainage after uncomplicated elective thyroid and parathyroid surgery appears unnecessary, and prolongs in‐patient stay.
Changes in the distribution of nitrogen and plant enzymatic activity during ensilage of lucerne treated with different additives
Authors: Guo X. , Zhou H. , Yu Z. , Zhang Y.
Published: February 2007

Effects of formic acid, formaldehyde and two levels of tannic acid on changes in the distribution of nitrogen (N) and plant enzymatic activity during ensilage of lucerne (Medicago sativa) were studied. Lucerne [300 g dry matter (DM) kg−1 forage] silages were prepared untreated (control) and with formic acid (4 g kg−1 DM), formaldehyde (1 g kg−1 DM) and two levels of tannic acid (20 and 50 g kg−1 DM) as additives. Inhibition of proteolysis by formic acid was more effective than the other additives during the first 7 d of ensiling. Tannic acid was as effective at inhibiting production of non‐protein‐N, ammonia‐N and free amino acid‐N as formic acid and formaldehyde. However, increased concentrations of non‐protein‐N and free amino acid‐N in silage from day 1 to 35 of ensiling were less with the higher level of tannic acid than that in the control and other additive‐treated silages. Carboxypeptidase lost its activity slowly with increasing time of ensiling. At day 2, it still had 0·79 of the original activity in the control silage. After 21 d of ensiling, high levels of carboxypeptidase activity, proportionately 0·41, 0·49, 0·10, 0·35 and 0·30 of the original activity, remained in the control silage, and silages made with formic acid, formaldehyde, and low and high levels of tannic acid respectively. There were higher levels of activity of acid proteinase in formic acid‐treated silage than in the control silage until day 2 of ensilage indicating that the reduction of proteolysis by formic acid was probably due to acidifying the forage below the pH optima of plant protease. Aminopeptidase activity in all silages declined rapidly after ensiling.
Adaptability and productivity of some warm‐season pasture species in a Mediterranean environment
Authors: Gherbin P. , De Franchi A. S. , Monteleone M. , Rivelli A. R.
Published: February 2007

Warm‐season grasses and legumes have the potential to provide forage throughout the Mediterranean summer when there are high temperatures and low rainfall and when cool‐season grasses become less productive. Twenty‐nine non‐native, warm‐season pasture species (twenty‐three grasses and six legumes) were assessed for their adaptability to the coastal plain of southern Italy in terms of their productivity and nutritional quality. The investigated species were compared with two reference species widely used in a Mediterranean environment: a grass (Festuca arundinacea) and a legume (Medicago sativa). The species differed in their phenological and biological characteristics, i.e. start of vegetative resumption, first flowering and cold resistance, from each other and from the control species. From the second year after establishment, warm‐season perennial grasses had high dry‐matter (DM) yields and, in many cases, a more than adequate nutritional quality. As for legumes, the control, M. sativa gave the best results in all the investigated characters. Among the grasses, seven species (Chloris gayana, Eragrostis curvula, Panicum coloratum, Paspalum dilatatum, Pennisetum clandestinum, Sorghum almum, Sorghum spp. hybrid) had DM yields greater than the control species and had their maximum growth during the hottest period of the year, when F. arundinacea, the control grass species, was dormant. Eragrostis curvula had the highest annual DM yield (21·1 t ha−1) and P. clandestinum provided the best combination of agronomic and yield characteristics which were similar to those of M. sativa. The seven above‐mentioned species have the potential to supply hay or grazing and contribute to broadening and stabilizing the forage production calendar in Mediterranean‐type environments.
Content and processes in problem‐based learning: a comparison of computer‐mediated and face‐to‐face communication
Authors: Strømsø H.I. , Grøttum P. , Lycke K.H.
Published: February 2007

Abstract  There has been an increasing interest in the use of computer‐mediated communication (CMC) in problem‐based learning. One line of research has been to introduce synchronous, or simultaneous, communication attempting to create text‐based digital real‐time interaction. Compared with face‐to‐face (F2F) communication, CMC may be a poorer medium regarding coordination of the activity. Still, we are in need for more knowledge on the possible advantages and problems regarding such digital communication processes. In the present study, we compared activities in digital and F2F problem‐based learning (PBL) regarding the content of the communication, turn‐taking processes and the emergence of learning issues. The results indicate that when students discussed in the digital learning environment, they focused more on technical and organizational questions, produced relatively more initiatives but less responses, and produced less elaborated and specified learning issues than when they participated in F2F meetings.
Sugar‐inducible expression of the nucleolin‐1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana and its role in ribosome synthesis, growth and development
Authors: Kojima Hisae , Suzuki Takamasa , Kato Takenori , Enomoto Ken‐ichi , Sato Shusei , Kato Tomohiko , Tabata Satoshi , Sáez‐Vasquez Julio , Echeverría Manuel , Nakagawa Tsuyoshi , Ishiguro Sumie , Nakamura Kenzo
Published: February 2007

Animal and yeast nucleolin function as global regulators of ribosome synthesis, and their expression is tightly linked to cell proliferation. Although Arabidopsis contains two genes for nucleolin, AtNuc‐L1 is the predominant if not only form of the protein found in most tissues, and GFP–AtNuc‐L1 fusion proteins were targeted to the nucleolus. Expression of AtNuc‐L1 was strongly induced by sucrose or glucose but not by non‐metabolizable mannitol or 2‐deoxyglucose. Sucrose also caused enhanced expression of genes for subunits of C/D and H/ACA small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins, as well as a large number of genes for ribosomal proteins (RPs), suggesting that carbohydrate availability regulates de novo ribosome synthesis. In sugar‐starved cells, induction of AtNuc‐L1 occurred with 10 mm glucose, which seemed to be a prerequisite for resumption of growth. Disruption of AtNuc‐L1 caused an increased steady‐state level of pre‐rRNA relative to mature 25S rRNA, and resulted in various phenotypes that overlap those reported for several RP gene mutants, including a reduced growth rate, prolonged lifetime, bushy growth, pointed leaf, and defective vascular patterns and pod development. These results suggest that the rate of ribosome synthesis in the meristem has a strong impact not only on the growth but also the structure of plants. The AtNuc‐L1 disruptant exhibited significantly reduced sugar‐induced expression of RP genes, suggesting that AtNuc‐L1 is involved in the sugar‐inducible expression of RP genes.
Exhaled nitric oxide in healthy young children during tidal breathing through a facemask
Authors: Daniel Peter F. , Klug Bent , Valerius Niels H.
Published: February 2007

The aim of this study was to establish reference values and to examine day‐to‐day and within‐day variations of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) during tidal breathing in healthy children using a newly described method. Exhaled NO was measured on‐line and off‐line during tidal breathing through a facemask. In a subgroup of children measurements were repeated during the course of a single day and on the same time on three consecutive days. A total of 133 healthy children were included in the study and measurements were obtained from 121 children aged 2–7 yr (61 boys and 60 girls). The geometric mean eNO concentration and 95% CI was 3.9 (3.5–4.2) parts per billion (p.p.b.) for on‐line measurements and 3.0 (2.7–3.3) p.p.b. for off‐line measurements. Exhaled NO was independent of gender, age, height and weight. The 95% reference intervals (RI) for on‐line and off‐line measurements were 1.2–8.2 and 1.3–7.1 p.p.b. respectively. Twenty‐three children completed measurements of within‐day and day‐to‐day variations, none of which showed significant variation. In conclusion, the established reference values and data on variability within and between days may facilitate the clinical application for measurement of eNO during tidal breathing in young children.
Frequency of urinary tract infection in pediatric liver transplantation candidates
Authors: Baskin E. , Ozçay F. , Sakalli H. , Agras P. I. , Karakayali H. , Canan O. , Haberal M.
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  An increased frequency of infections has been reported in patients with chronic liver disease. The tendency of patients in this population to acquire UTI is not completely understood. We aimed at investigating the incidence of UTI in children with cirrhosis, before liver transplantation. Twenty‐six children (9 girls, 17 boys; mean age, 7.66 ± 5.73 yr) with chronic liver disease who had undergone liver transplantation between 2002 and 2004 were included. On admission for liver transplantation, patients were examined for presence of UTI. Serum biochemistry, complete blood cell count, urinalysis and culture, glomerular filtration rate, and abdominal ultrasonography were performed prior to liver transplantation. Ten of 26 patients (38.5%) were found to have symptomatic UTI. Urine cultures revealed E. coli in five (50%), Klebsiella pneumoniae in three (30%), Enterococcus faecalis in one (10%), and Enterobacter aeruginosa in one (10%) patient(s), respectively, as etiologic factors. The etiologies of chronic liver disease in our patients with UTI were BA in five, PFIC in three, Wilson's disease in one, and alpha‐1 antitrypsin deficiency in one patient. We found a significantly greater number of UTIs in patients with biliary atresia than in those without biliary atresia (p < 0.05). The mean age of the patients with UTI was 2.75 ± 3.49 yr, which was significantly lower than in those without UTI (9.75 ± 4.86 yr, p < 0.05). Levels for white blood cells, thrombocytes, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher in patients with UTI than in those without UTI. There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to serum albumin, bilirubin, AST, GGT, BUN, or creatinine levels, glomerular filtration rate, duration of disease, and PELD scores. In patients with bacteriuria, renal USG revealed normal findings in all, but except one patient who had pelvicalyceal dilatation. Scintigraphic findings demonstrated acute pyelonephritis in six (60%) patients with UTI. VCUG demonstrated vesicoureteral reflux in two patients. In conclusion, symptomatic UTI is common in children with cirrhosis. It occurs more frequently in patients with biliary atresia than it does in patients with other types of chronic liver disease. In febrile children with chronic liver disease, UTI should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Effect of lactoferrin in patients with chronic hepatitis C: Combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin
Authors: Kaito Masahiko , Iwasa Motoh , Fujita Naoki , Kobayashi Yoshinao , Kojima Yuji , Ikoma Jiro , Imoto Ichiro , Adachi Yukihiko , Hamano Hirokazu , Yamauchi Koji
Published: February 2007

Objectives:  Lactoferrin has been reported to inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in cultured human hepatocytes and HCV viremia in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined triple therapy of lactoferrin, interferon and ribavirin in patients with CHC.

Methods:  A total of 111 Japanese patients with CHC were randomly assigned to a lactoferrin group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 61). The lactoferrin group was treated with lactoferrin for 8 weeks and then with lactoferrin, interferon and ribavirin for 24 weeks; the control group was treated with interferon and ribavirin for 24 weeks. Serum anti‐lactoferrin antibody, clinical and laboratory measurement were determined.

Results:  The mean HCV RNA titer significantly decreased at the end of lactoferrin monotherapy. Sustained virological response to therapy was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the lactoferrin responder group (55%) than in the control group (18%).

Conclusions:  The results show that the decrease in HCV RNA titer by lactoferrin monotherapy contributes to the effectiveness of the combined therapy of interferon and ribavirin in patients with CHC. Lactoferrin is a potential useful adjunct treatment for patients with CHC.
Demographic pattern, predisposing factors and management of ulcerative keratitis: evaluation of one thousand unilateral cases at a tertiary care centre
Authors: Panda Anita , Satpathy Gita , Nayak Niranjan , Kumar Sandeep , Kumar Abhiyan
Published: February 2007

Abstract

Purpose:   To determine the predisposing factors, special clinical manifestations and the management of presumed microbial ulcerative keratitis.

Methods:   A retrospective study was performed in 1000 eyes of 1000 patients with presumed microbial keratitis. Information was recorded on patients’ age and gender, risk factors, seasonal presentation, number of days since initiation of ulcer, prior therapy, clinical presentation, microbiological work‐up and case management.

Results:   Fifty per cent of the patients with corneal ulcers were aged between 36 and 65 years and 13.3% were in the paediatric age group (1 month to <16 years). The male : female ratio was almost 1.6:1. Only 11.4% of patients reported to the authors during the first week of initiation of ulcer. Trauma was the cause in 47.6% of eyes, and ocular surface diseases accounted for 16.6%. Forty‐two per cent of eyes received topical antibiotics alone (either one or more) prior to hospital visit and 42.2% of eyes were on topical antibiotics and antifungals. Another 8.2% were on topical corticosteroids along with antibiotics and 4.6% were receiving some unidentified drop. Only 3% of the eyes did not receive any therapy prior to visit. Contact lens use as a risk factor could be identified only in 8.2% of eyes. Ulcers were central in location in 48%. Ulcer size 6–9 mm was observed in 51.7% of eyes. Medical therapy alone was effective in 61.0% of eyes and another 9.7% eyes responded to paramedian tarsorrhaphy along with topical antimicroboial drugs.

Conclusion:   Corneal ulcers are a frequent problem in this part of the world. The ulcers seen at this tertiary referral hospital present late in the natural history of the disease and are clinically severe. Despite the severity a majority of the eyes could be saved anatomically, but almost 65% of eyes were left with a visual acuity of <6/120. Considering the high magnitude of visual loss, public education about the potential for loss of sight and the importance of timely and appropriate treatment is recommended.
Ocular features of Sjogren–Larsson syndrome
Authors: Aslam Sher A , Sheth Hiten G
Published: February 2007

Abstract

Sjogren–Larson syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive neurocutaneous disorder characterized by a triad of intellectual disability, spastic diplegia or tetraplegia and congenital ichthyosis with associated ocular features, which include pigmentary changes in the retina. The usual presentation of crystalline maculopathy is from the age of 1–2 years onwards. Herein, a case of Sjogren–Larson syndrome in a 25‐year‐old woman is presented to highlight the ocular findings.
Reflexivity in Teams: A Measure and Correlates
Authors: Schippers Michaéla C. , Den Hartog Deanne N. , Koopman Paul L.
Published: February 2007

Reflexivity—the extent to which teams reflect upon and modify their functioning—has been identified as a possible key factor in the effectiveness of work teams. The aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire to measure (aspects of) reflexivity, with a focus on team reflection. The questionnaire was tested in two different samples, namely a first sample of 59 teams from 14 different organisations (Study 1) and a confirmation sample of 59 school management teams (Study 2). In both samples, two factors of reflection were identified. These were labeled evaluation/learning and discussing processes. Scale statistics showed good psychometric properties for the scales in both studies. We conclude that the scales form a parsimonious and valid instrument to assess reflexivity in teams.

La réflexivité (dans quelle mesure les équipes remettent‐elles en cause leur fonctionnement et le modifient‐elles?) est apparue comme étant l’un des éventuels facteurs clés de l’efficience des groupes de travail. Cette recherche s’est donné pour tâche de développer un questionnaire pour évaluer certaines dimensions de la réflexivité en mettant l’accent sur la réflexion de groupe. Le questionnaire a été mis à l’épreuve auprès de deux échantillons, à savoir un premier échantillon composé de 59 équipes relevant de quatorze organisations différentes (Etude n°1) et un second échantillon de confirmation réunissant 59 équipes d’écoles de management (Etude n°2). Deux facteurs relatifs à la réflexion sont apparus dans chacune des deux études. Ils ont été dénommés évaluation/apprentissage et processus de discussion/principes. Dans les deux échantillons, les échelles ont obtenu des résultats statistiques satisfaisants sur le plan psychométrique. On arrive à la conclusion que ces échelles constituent un outil valide et économique pour évaluer la réflexivité dans les équipes.
The Long‐Term Impact of the Feedback Environment on Job Satisfaction: A Field Study in a Belgian Context
Authors: Anseel Frederik , Lievens Filip
Published: February 2007

This study examines (1) the relationship between the feedback environment and job satisfaction and (2) the mediating role of leader–member exchange in a Belgian context. Results from a sample of 155 employees of a governmental service for employment and vocational training supported our hypotheses. A favorable supervisor feedback environment was related to higher levels of job satisfaction 5 months later, and this relationship was fully mediated by the quality of leader–member exchange. These findings highlight the usefulness of diagnosing and assessing the feedback environment for a better understanding of feedback processes and for enhancing feedback interventions in organisations.

Ce travail examine dans un contexte culturel belge 1) la relation entre la satisfaction professionnelle et le feedback provenant de l’environnement 2) le rôle médiateur des échanges leader‐collaborateurs. Nos hypothèses ont été confirmées par les conclusions issues d’un échantillon composé de 155 employés d’un service d’Etat de retour à l’emploi et de formation professionnelle. Un environnement rétroactif positif provenant du chef immédiat était en rapport avec un niveau plus élevé de satisfaction professionnelle cinq mois plus tard, et cette relation était maximisée par la qualité des échanges entre le leader et les membres du groupe. Ces résultats montrent qu’il faut prendre en compte et évaluer la rétroaction environnementale pour une meilleure appréhension des processus de feedback et pour améliorer les interventions dans les organisations portant sur le feedback.
Blood loss and postoperative complications associated with transurethral resection of the prostate after pretreatment with dutasteride
Authors: Hahn Robert G. , Fagerström Tim , Tammela Teuvo L.J. , Van Vierssen Trip Oncko , Beisland Hans Olav , Duggan Annette , Morrill Betsy
Published: February 2007

The relationship between 5α‐reductase inhibitors and blood loss from the prostate has been well described and investigated previously. In a well‐conducted study, authors from Sweden show that dutasteride, despite significantly lowering the tissue dihydrotestosterone levels, did not lower blood loss or transfusion rates after TURP.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether pretreatment with dutasteride, a dual 5α‐reductase inhibitor (5ARI), reduces surgical blood loss or postoperative complications in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who undergo transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, multicentre study comprised 214 patients with BPH. Placebo was compared with dutasteride 0.5 mg/day 2 weeks before and after TURP, or 4 weeks before and 2 weeks after TURP. Surgical blood loss was measured using a haemoglobin photometer (HemoCue AB, Ängelholm, Sweden) and postoperative adverse events were recorded. Microvessel density (MVD) was calculated by immunostaining and light microscopy of the prostatic chips.

RESULTS

Although dutasteride reduced serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 86–89% in 2–4 weeks, and intraprostatic DHT was ≈ 10 times lower than in the placebo group, the (adjusted) mean haemoglobin (Hb) loss during surgery was 2.15–2.55 g Hb/g resectate with no significant difference in blood loss between the groups either during or after TURP. Clot retention occurred in 6–11% and urinary incontinence in 14–15% of patients during the 14 weeks after TURP, with no difference between the groups. The MVD at TURP was also similar for all groups.

CONCLUSION

There were no significant reductions in blood loss during or after TURP or complications afterward with dutasteride compared with placebo, despite significant suppression of intraprostatic DHT. Blood loss and transfusion rates in the placebo group were lower than those previously reported in studies where there was a beneficial effect of a 5ARI, relative to placebo, on bleeding during TURP.
Evaluation and significance of circulating epithelial cells in patients with hormone‐refractory prostate cancer
Authors: Garcia Jorge A. , Rosenberg Jonathan E. , Weinberg Vivian , Scott Janet , Frohlich Mark , Park John W. , Small Eric J.
Published: February 2007

The urological oncology section is relatively long this month, and this reflects the many high‐quality manuscripts we receive. When you consider our relatively high rejection rate, you will understand just how many papers on this topic are submitted. The high quality of oncology papers is clear in this month’s section. You will also notice that all but one of them are on prostate cancer, and the reason for this is similar to that mentioned above, as this topic is, as might be expected, the most commonly submitted in this section. However, I am only too happy to reassure readers, and those primarily interested in other types of urological cancer, that the imbalance in this month’s section is not a permanent fixture.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the feasibility of using flow cytometry fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis for detecting circulating epithelial cells (CECs) in patients with hormone‐refractory prostate cancer (HRPC), and to determine whether CECs can be used to predict survival in these patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Several prognostic models that include routinely used clinical and laboratory variables for predicting survival in men with HRPC have been reported; the presence of CECs measured by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction for prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) in patients with HRPC is an independent prognostic factor for survival. CECs detected by FACS analysis correlate with advanced stage and poor survival outcome. A retrospective study was conducted to assess the presence of CECs by FACS analysis in metastatic HRPC patients initiating systemic chemotherapy with a taxane‐based regimen. The association between clinical variables previously described and the presence of CECs along with the effect of the magnitude of CECs on survival was calculated, in 41 patients with HRPC, all of whom had peripheral blood collected for FACS analysis.

RESULTS

Except for four patients, all those with metastatic HRPC had detectable CECs. Among these patients, the number of CECs/mL was correlated with age, serum PSA level and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Higher serum levels of PSA and ALP predicted a poor survival outcome. Similarly, patients with ≤1.8 CECs/mL had a significantly longer survival than those with more CECs/mL (P = 0.02). With a median follow‐up of 15.4 months, the median overall survival for all patients was 18.4 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of more CECs in patients with metastatic HRPC was associated with a poorer survival outcome; levels of ≥1.8 CECs/mL were associated with a shorter survival in patients with metastatic HRPC.
Human impacts on environment–diversity relationships: evidence for biotic homogenization from butterfly species richness patterns
Authors: White Peter J.T. , Kerr Jeremy T.
Published: February 2007

Aim  Broad‐scale spatial variation in species richness relates to climate and physical heterogeneity but human activities may be changing these patterns. We test whether climate and heterogeneity predict butterfly species richness regionally and across Canada and whether these relationships change in areas of human activity.

Location  Canada.

Methods  We modelled the ranges of 102 butterfly species using genetic algorithms for rule‐set production (GARP). We then measured butterfly species richness and potentially important aspects of human activity and the natural environment. These were included in a series of statistical models to determine which factors are likely to affect butterfly species richness in Canada. We considered patterns across Canada, within predominantly natural areas, human‐dominated areas and particular ecozones. We examined independent observations of butterfly species currently listed under Canada's endangered species legislation to test whether these were consistent with findings from statistical models.

Results  Growing season temperature is the main determinant of butterfly species richness across Canada, with substantial contributions from habitat heterogeneity (measured using elevation). Only in the driest areas does precipitation emerge as a leading predictor of richness. The slope of relationships between all of these variables and butterfly species richness becomes shallower in human‐dominated areas, but butterfly richness is still highest there. Insecticide applications, habitat loss and road networks reduce butterfly richness in human‐dominated areas, but these effects are relatively small. All of Canada's at‐risk butterfly species are located in these human‐dominated areas.

Main conclusions  Temperature affects butterfly species richness to a greater extent than habitat heterogeneity at fine spatial scales and is generally far more important than precipitation, supporting both the species richness–energy and habitat heterogeneity hypotheses. Human activities, especially in southern Canada, appear to cause surprisingly consistent trends in biotic homogenization across this region, perhaps through range expansion of common species and loss of range‐restricted species.
Joint Hypothesis Tests for a Unit Root When There is a Break in the Innovation Variance
Authors: Sen Amit
Published: February 2007

Abstract.  We develop extensions of the Dickey–Fuller F‐statistics for the joint null hypothesis of a unit root that allows for a break in the innovation variance. Our statistics are based on the modified generalized least squares (GLS) strategy outlined in Kim, Leybourne and Newbold [Journal of Econometrics (2002) Vol. 109, pp. 365–387] that requires estimation of the break‐date and corresponding pre‐break and post‐break variances. We derive the asymptotic distribution of the new F‐statistics, tabulate their finite sample and asymptotic critical values, and present finite sample simulation evidence regarding their size and power.
FIRM OWNERSHIP, PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION AND WELFARE*
Authors: LU YUANZHU , PODDAR SOUGATA
Published: February 2007

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of firm ownership in a differentiated industry. We find there is no effect on product differentiation and welfare due to ownership ratio change between private and state so long as the private (state) ownership in a partially state‐owned firm remains at least half (less than half). However, when the private (state) ownership in the partially state‐owned firm falls below half (rises more than half), the degree of product differentiation increases (decreases) whereas welfare decreases (increases) in the share of private (state) ownership; and thus the extent of private or state ownership matters.
EFFECTS OF POLITICAL MONOPOLY ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Liu Wai‐Man , Yang Xiaokai
Published: February 2007

Abstract.  This paper has two objectives. First, it presents a survey of the literature surrounding the relation between political monopoly and economic development. Second, it offers an analysis of how commoners’ high degree of tolerance towards unfair inequality of income distribution between theirs and the monopolizing ruling elites leads to poor economic development. We assert that free migration between states causes monopoly rent to shrink because it poses a threat to the ruling elites due to fiscal competition between states. The shrinking in monopoly rent implies a higher level of division of labour, which results in a greater extent of the market and higher aggregate productivity.
The Market as the New Emperor
Authors: HAILA ANNE
Published: February 2007

In recent years readers of urban studies journals have been regaled with articles on urban development in China. Contrary to expectations, what we read is not a multiplicity of accounts, but instead a repetition of one story: (a) the land market has emerged in China; (b) however, the market is imperfect; (c) therefore the best policy is to define property rights. It is surprising how uncritically scholars have accepted the idea that the land market has emerged, without defining the concept of the market. Perhaps even more surprising is the approval of the recommendation to define property rights, without asking what the ideology behind such a recommendation is and what social and political consequences it might have. This article will examine and criticize studies of this type. First, I will reconstruct what seems to be a new fashion in real estate and urban development studies, and then criticize its weaknesses, which are connected to the ambiguity of the concept of the market, insufficient empirical evidence, and ontological and ideological problems.
The Community Deficit
Authors: ETZIONI AMITAI
Published: February 2007

The European Union is suffering not just from a democratic deficit, but a community deficit. The level and scope of its integration activities far exceed the degree of community that it sustains. The article explains why community, particularly normative‐affective community, is needed and how it can be built in the EU.
Bringing Macroeconomics Back into the Political Economy of Reform: the Lisbon Agenda and the ‘Fiscal Philosophy’ of EMU*
Authors: MABBETT DEBORAH , SCHELKLE WALTRAUD
Published: February 2007

The Lisbon Strategy supports reform of Member States' tax‐benefit systems while the ‘fiscal philosophy’ of the EMU postulates that governments should allow only automatic stabilizers, built into tax‐benefit systems, to smooth aggregate income. We ask whether these two pillars of EU economic governance are compatible. By exploring how structural reforms affect fiscal stabilization, we complement a political economy literature that asks whether fiscal consolidation fosters or hinders structural reforms. Using EUROMOD, a tax‐benefit model for the EU‐15, we identify the connections between specific tax and benefit reforms and the size of the stabilizers. We conclude that Lisbon‐type reforms may worsen the stabilizing capacity of tax‐benefit systems.
The Art of Political Manipulation in the European Convention
Authors: TSEBELIS GEORGE , PROKSCH SVEN‐OLIVER
Published: February 2007

We argue that the success of the European Convention in producing a Constitutional Treaty was possible because of the agenda control exercised by the Praesidium and in particular its President. Given that even Intergovernmental Conferences despite months of preparations sometimes fail to produce any results, the failure of negotiations in the Convention was a distinct possibility. Another serious possibility would have been an ‘anarchic’ document, in which different parts would have reflected the prevalence of different majorities. The President of the Convention was able to avoid both of these possibilities. Our argument is that Giscard d'Estaing was able to produce the results through the astute use of three significant tools that he developed. First, he limited the number of amendments from Convention delegates by imposing time limits on the whole process. Second, he created an iterated agenda‐setting process in order to modify amendments. Third, he prohibited voting, and produced results ‘by consensus’, defining the meaning of the term himself. Understanding that the European Convention was an exceptional event made possible by the combination of a creative, consistent and overpowering agenda‐setting process as well as the impasse created by the status quo (Nice Treaty) explains how we came to the EU Constitutional Treaty and how difficult it will be to move away from this document.
Prisoners’ Labour Market History and Aspirations: A Focus on Western Australia*
Authors: GILES MARGARET , LE ANH T.
Published: February 2007

This paper examines the employability and labour market aspirations of prisoners. The results suggest that repeat prisoners are less likely to be employed than non‐repeat prisoners. However, a large proportion of the employment differential between repeat and non‐repeat prisoners is due to differences in coefficients. There is no evidence to suggest that the frequency of incarceration affects individual characteristics that may limit prisoners’ labour market aspirations after their release from prison.
Consumption Risk‐Sharing within Australia and with New Zealand*
Authors: KIM DAVID , SHEEN JEFFREY
Published: February 2007

We quantify how output risks are smoothed within Australia, and between Australia and New Zealand. About 90 per cent of shocks were smoothed within Australia through credit and capital markets, with fiscal policy a source of dis‐smoothing after 1992. Risk‐sharing between Australia and New Zealand was greater than within Europe, occurring mostly through credit markets. Fully integrated financial markets between Australia and New Zealand before 1983 would have yielded a welfare gain of 8.9 per cent of certainty‐equivalent consumption for New Zealand, but a loss of 1.7 per cent for Australia. These gains (losses) were largely resolved by the deregulations and trade agreement of the early 1980s.
Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion and the Risk of Thromboembolic Events Following Mitral Valve Surgery
Authors: ALMAHAMEED SOUFIAN T. , KHAN MOHAMMED , ZUZEK RYAN W. , JURATLI NOUR , BELDEN WILLIAM A. , ASHER CRAIG R. , NOVARO GIAN M. , MARTIN DAVID O. , NATALE ANDREA
Published: February 2007

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery with respect to thromboembolic events.

Background: LAA is the predominant source of emboli in patients with atrial fibrillation. Prophylactic LAA exclusion at the time of heart surgery has been recommended to reduce the risk of future thromboembolism.

Methods: An observational cohort of 136 patients undergoing LAA exclusion during mitral valve surgery was identified between May 1993 and November 1998 at our institution.

Results: During a mean follow‐up of 3.6 ± 1.3 years, there were 14 (12.3%) thromboembolic events. Compared with patients who received warfarin upon hospital discharge, there were more thromboembolic events in patients not prescribed warfarin upon hospital discharge (n = 7/67, 10% vs n = 6/40, 15%, respectively). The warfarin status was not known for one patient. The majority of thromboembolic events (n = 10/14, 71%) occurred in those who underwent mitral valve repair.

Conclusion: In this observational study, patients who undergo LAA exclusion during mitral valve surgery to reduce the risk of thromboembolism have a significant incidence of thromboembolic events, especially when warfarin therapy is not prescribed upon hospital discharge.
Pemphigus Vulgaris in Iran: Epidemiology and Clinical Profile
Authors: Ali Asilian , AliReza Yoosefi , Gita Faghihi
Published: February 2007

Background. Although the clinical profile of pemphigus vulgaris is generally well characterized, the epidemiologic differences are important but not widely evaluated. This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence and clinical profile of pemphigus patients in a large central province of Iran.

Methods. Demographic variables, clinical manifestations, and side effects of treatment in 188 patients in a 10‐year period were studied. Results. The annual incidence rate of pemphigus vulgaris was 5/100,000, with a 1.6:1 ratio of incidence in women compared with men. The mean age of onset was 41.1±13.7 years. In 74% of patients, the initial presentation of the disease was mucosal involvement, and in the remaining 26% the disease initially presented on the skin. Conclusions. Iranian patients have a relatively young age of onset of pemphigus and a higher incidence among women than men, which may reflect geographic, cultural, dietetic, or racial differences in the clinical and biologic behavior of the disease.
Maternal—Fetal Deprivation and the Cardiometabolic Syndrome
Authors: Bursztyn Michael , Ariel Ilana
Published: February 2007

Epidemiologic studies suggest a relationship between low birth weight and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Risk factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension—the cardiometabolic syndrome—are similarly affected. These observations are now supported by numerous animal studies. The mechanisms linking low birth weight and the cardiometabolic syndrome later in life appear to be multifactorial and involve alterations in the normal cellular and physiologic systems associated with growth in an unfavorable environment. Such “fetal programming,” an adaptation to a shortage of nutrients, may bring about maladaptation upon postnatal exposure to an abundance of nutrients. This review briefly summarizes the adaptive responses in various models used to induce an intrauterine growth restriction, and discusses insights into the mechanisms mediating the fetal programming of the cardiometabolic syndrome.
High Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Diabetes and the Cardiometabolic Syndrome: Mandate for Statin Therapy
Authors: Gonzalez Guido Lastra , Manrique Camila Margarita , Sowers James R.
Published: February 2007

Diabetes mellitus confers a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and requires aggressive management of all cardiovascular risk factors, including diabetic dyslipidemia. Although levels of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol are often normal or only slightly elevated in persons with diabetes, lipid‐altering therapy with statins has been shown in large, randomized, controlled trials to decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications in this patient population. A target low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level of <70 mgldL is now a therapeutic option in patients at very high risk for coronary heart disease, including patients with diabetes. Diabetes is also a leading cause of end‐stage renal disease. In addition to their lipid‐modifying effects, statins have been shown to slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy and potentially exert other renoprotective effects; these benefits, however, remain to be confirmed in clinical trials.
Magnesium Intake and the Metabolic Syndrome: Epidemiologic Evidence to Date
Authors: He Ka , Song Yiqing , Belin Rashad J. , Chen Youguo
Published: February 2007

The importance of magnesium intake in relation to the metabolic syndrome has been increasingly recognized. Magnesium is an essential mineral, critical for a number of metabolic functions in the human body. The major dietary sources of magnesium intake include whole grains, legumes, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Animal studies indicate a pivotal role of magnesium in glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion and action. Experimental and clinical studies suggest that magnesium intake may be inversely related to the risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and may decrease blood triglyceride and increase high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The purpose of this brief review is to summarize the epidemiologic data relating magnesium to the metabolic syndrome and to discuss the potential mechanisms.
‘Others Wanted to Travel’: Woolf and ‘America Herself’
Authors: Stearns Thaine
Published: February 2007

This paper forms part of a Literature Compass cluster of articles which examines the current state of Virgina Woolf Studies and aims to provide a snapshot of the field. Urmila Seshagiri (University of Tennessee) and Rishona Zimring (Lewis and Clark College) first provide an introduction for this paper along with Martha Klironomos's article, ‘Early Twentieth‐Century British Women Travellers to Greece: Contextualizing the Example of Virginia Woolf.’ The full text of Thaine Stearns's piece then follows.

These papers grew out of the 15th Annual International Virginia Woolf Conference (College of Lewis and Clark, Portland, OR, June 9–12, 2005).

The full cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘Introduction: Virginia Woolf and The Art of Exploration,’ Urmila Seshagiri and Rishona Zimring, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00393.x

‘Virginia Woolf's Sense of Adventure,’ Maria DiBattista, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00394.x

‘The Twentieth Part: Virginia Woolf in the British Museum Reading Room,’ Benjamin Harvey, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00395.x

‘“Street Haunting”: Phantasmagorias of the Modern Imperial Metropolis,’ Sara Gerend, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00396.x

‘Hyde Park Gate News,’ Gill Lowe, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00397.x

‘The Art of “Scene‐Making” in the Charleston Bulletin Supplements,’ Claudia Olk, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00398.x

‘A Camera of Her Own: Woolf and the Legacy of the Indomitable Mrs. Cameron,’ Emily Setina, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00399.x

‘Woolfian Resonances,’ Anne Fernald, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00400.x

‘Early Twentieth‐Century British Women Travellers to Greece: Contextualizing the Example of Virginia Woolf,’ Martha Klironomos, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00401.x

‘“Others Wanted to Travel”: Woolf and “America Herself”,’ Thaine Stearns, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00402.x
T. R. O’Flahertie's Copy of Donne's Letters
Authors: Dickson Donald R.
Published: February 2007

This paper is part of a Literature Compass panel cluster arising from the The Texas A&M John Donne Collection: A Symposium and Exhibition. Comprising an introduction by Gary Stringer and three of the papers presented at the symposium, this cluster seeks to examine the current state of Donne Studies and aims to provide a snapshot of the field. The symposium was held April 6–7, 2006.

The cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘Introduction: Three Papers from The Texas A&M John Donne Collection: A Symposium and Exhibition,’ Gary A. Stringer, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00420.x.

‘Donne and Disbelief: The Early Prose,’ Ernest W. Sullivan, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00421.x.

‘The Cultural Significance of Donne's Sermons,’ Jeanne Shami, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00422.x.

‘T. R. O’Flahertie's Copy of Donne's Letters,’ Donald R. Dickson, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00423.x.

This article offers a description of the Cushing Library copy of 1654 issue of Donne's Letters to Severall Persons of Honour, formerly owned by the Rev. T. R. O’Flahertie, with an analysis of his extensive annotations and glosses. Details of O’Flahertie's life are presented along with an assessment of his role in Donne studies in the mid‐nineteenth century.
The role of the IDDM2 locus in the susceptibility of UK APS1 subjects to type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Adamson K. A. , Cheetham T. D. , Kendall‐Taylor P. , Seckl J. R. , Pearce S. H. S.
Published: February 2007

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type 1 (APS1) is characterized by autoimmune destruction of endocrine tissues and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects 12–25% of patients with APS1, and the prediction of whether this complication will affect an individual is not currently possible. However, alleles of a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) 5′ of the insulin gene are known to influence the development of T1D in the general, non‐APS1 population. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of these IDDM2 alleles in British Caucasian patients with APS1. The study employed genotyping of 33 patients with APS1 for the HphI polymorphism that is in tight linkage disequilibrium with the insulin gene VNTR alleles. Thirty‐three patients with APS1 were studied, the mean age was 23.5 years and 24% have T1D. Six of eight (75%) APS1 patients with T1D were homozygous for the class I INS VNTR (susceptibility) allele, compared with eight of 25 (32%) of APS1 patients without T1D (P = 0.042). Our data suggest an association between the development of T1D and homozygosity for the T1D susceptibility class IINS VNTR allele in patients with APS1.