bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insulin sensitivity in Type 1 diabetic children and adolescents
Authors: Szadkowska A. , Pietrzak I. , Mianowska B. , Bodalska‐Lipińska J. , Keenan H. A. , Toporowska‐Kowalska E. , Młynarski W. , Bodalski J.
Published: February 2008

Aim  To estimate insulin sensitivity in Type 1 diabetic children and adolescents, and assess the relationship between insulin sensitivity and clinical markers of adiposity and parameters of the metabolic syndrome.

Methods  A total of 202 patients aged 8–18 years with Type 1 diabetes and disease duration 1.5–15 years participated. Insulin sensitivity was estimated by glucose uptake during an euglycaemic–hyperinsulinaemic clamp and was calculated as the average amount of glucose (Mlbm = mg/kglbm/min) required to maintain euglycaemia. Blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid concentrations were measured.

Results  The Mlbm value ranged from 4.14 to 25.25 mg/kglbm/min (mean 9.81 ± 3.34 mg/kglbm/min). There was a significant relationship between M value and patients’ age (r = –0.38, P < 0.0001). Insulin sensitivity decreased significantly with the onset of puberty; hence, it was significantly lower in pubertal and post‐pubertal adolescents. Girls were significantly more insulin resistant than boys (9.01 ± 0.32 vs. 10.43 ± 0.29 mg/kglbm/min, P = 0.005). Insulin sensitivity correlated with body mass index (r = –0.29, P < 0.001), waist circumference (r = –0.35, P < 0.001), triceps skin fold (r = –0.17, P = 0.018), subscapular skin fold (r = –0.23, P = 0.001) and body fat (r = –0.19, P = 0.006). There was a relationship between Mlbm value, cholesterol (r = –0.18, P = 0.012), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.15, P = 0.035), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = –0.22, P = 0.002), triglycerides (r = –0.32, P < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (r = –0.15, P = 0.029). Insulin resistance was related to HbA1c (r = –0.18, P = 0.012). Additionally, there was a correlation between Mlbm value and insulin dose.

Conclusions  Children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus have a very wide range of insulin sensitivity, which is determined by sex, age, amount of adipose tissue and glycaemic control.
Plastid targeting strategies for cyanophycin synthetase to achieve high‐level polymer accumulation in Nicotiana tabacum
Authors: Hühns Maja , Neumann Katrin , Hausmann Tina , Ziegler Karl , Klemke Friederike , Kahmann Uwe , Staiger Dorothee , Lockau Wolfgang , Pistorius Elfriede K. , Broer Inge
Published: February 2008

The production of biodegradable polymers in transgenic plants is an important challenge in plant biotechnology; nevertheless, it is often accompanied by reduced plant fitness. In order to decrease the phenotypic abnormalities caused by cytosolic production of the biodegradable polymer cyanophycin, and to increase polymer accumulation, four translocation pathway signal sequences for import into chloroplasts were individually fused to the coding region of the cyanophycin synthetase gene (cphATe) of Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP‐1, resulting in the constructs pRieske‐cphATe, pCP24‐cphATe, pFNR‐cphATe and pPsbY‐cphATe. These constructs were expressed in Nicotiana tabacum var. Petit Havana SRI under the control of the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Three of the four constructs led to polymer production. However, only the construct pPsbY‐cphATe led to cyanophycin accumulation exclusively in chloroplasts. In plants transformed with the pCP24‐cphATe and pFNR‐cphATe constructs, water‐soluble and water‐insoluble forms of cyanophycin were only located in the cytoplasm, which resulted in phenotypic changes similar to those observed in plants transformed with constructs lacking a targeting sequence. The plants transformed with pPsbY‐cphATe produced predominantly the water‐insoluble form of cyanophycin. The polymer accumulated to up to 1.7% of dry matter in primary (T0) transformants. Specific T2 plants produced 6.8% of dry weight as cyanophycin, which is more than five‐fold higher than the previously published value. Although all lines tested were fertile, the progeny of the highest cyanophycin‐producing line showed reduced seed production compared with control plants.
Immunomodulation of bioactive gibberellin confers gibberellin‐deficient phenotypes in plants
Authors: Suzuki Yoshihito , Mizuno Toru , Urakami Eriko , Yamaguchi Isomaro , Asami Tadao
Published: February 2008

Immunomodulation is a means to modulate an organism's function by antibody production to capture either endogenous or exogenous antigens. This method was applied to plants to repress the function of gibberellins (GAs), a class of phytohormones responsible for plant elongation, by anti‐bioactive GA antibodies. Two different antibodies were produced in Arabidopsis as single‐chain variable fragment (scFv) fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) with four different subcellular localizations: endoplasmic reticulum (ER), cytosol, apoplastic space or the outer surface of the plasma membrane. When targeting scFv‐GFP to ER, plants showed the highest accumulation of scFv‐GFP, with binding activity, strong GFP fluorescence in ER‐derived compartments and mild but clear GA‐deficient phenotypes, including a smaller leaf size, delayed bolting, shorter inflorescence length and decreased germination. Plants expressing scFv‐GFP in ER responded to exogenous GA4 and contained 15–40 times greater endogenous GA4 than wild‐type plants. They also showed increased gene expression for GA3ox1, GA20ox1 and GA20ox2, but decreased expression for GA2ox1, which are feedback and feedforward regulated by GA signalling, respectively. These results suggest that the level of free functional GA4 decreased when trapped in the ER with scFv to the extent that mild GA‐deficient phenotypes were created. A dramatic increase in the total sum of GA4 (free plus scFv‐GFP bound) was detected as a result of the up‐regulation of GA biosynthesis (feedback regulated), and a decrease in GA4 catabolism as a result of protection by scFv‐GFP binding. This study demonstrates that the use of immunomodulation to inhibit the action of bioactive GAs is an effective method of creating GA‐deficient plants.
Spaces and Scales of African Student Activism: Senegalese and Zimbabwean University Students at the Intersection of Campus, Nation and Globe
Authors: Zeilig Leo , Ansell Nicola
Published: February 2008

Abstract:  African university students have long engaged in political activism, responding to changing political, social and economic circumstances through protest that has at times exerted considerable influence on the national stage. Student activism employs highly spatialised strategies yet has received minimal attention from geographers. Drawing on case studies from Senegal and Zimbabwe, we identify four phases of activism in which students have mobilised distinctive relational spatialities in responding to changes in the spatial expression of dominant political power. In so doing, we highlight the inadequacies of approaches to resistance that give excessive emphasis to a power/resistance dualism or to questions of scale.
Dangerous Holes in Global Environmental Governance: The Roles of Neoliberal Discourse, Science, and California Agriculture in the Montreal Protocol
Authors: Gareau Brian J.
Published: February 2008

Abstract: This paper explores how a relatively successful global environmental treaty, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, is currently undermined by US protectionism. At the “global scale” of environmental governance, powerful nation‐states like the US prolong their domination of certain economic sectors with the assistance of neoliberal discourse. Using empirical data gathered while attending Montreal Protocol meetings from 2003 to 2006, I show how US policy undermines the Montreal Protocol's mandate to phase out methyl bromide (MeBr). At the global scale of environmental governance the US uses a discourse of technical and economic infeasibility because, in the current neoliberal milieu, it cannot make a simply protectionist argument. The discourse, in other words, is protectionism by another name. While much of the literature in critical geography on neoliberalism has focused on de‐regulation versus re‐regulation, this paper illustrates how science, protectionism, and neoliberalism can become articulated uneasily and in sometimes unexpected ways.
Promoting access to intellectual property: patent pools, copyright collectives, and clearinghouses
Authors: Aoki Reiko , Schiff Aaron
Published: February 2008

This paper reviews and compares patent pools, intellectual property (IP) clearinghouses, and copyright collectives as systems for promoting efficient access to licensable IP in a ‘market for technology’. These systems promote downstream use of innovations by economizing on search and transaction costs in licensing, as well as potentially mitigating the conditions that lead to the ‘tragedy of the anti‐commons’ and other coordination problems in multilateral licensing. We compare and classify different systems in terms of their features, review some existing systems, and discuss their economic characteristics.
Experience‐based learning in innovation and production
Authors: Pruett Mark , Thomas Howard
Published: February 2008

How can we model and document the impact of experience in product innovation? We use data on the innovation and production histories of 294 product platforms to explore experience‐based learning. We extend learning curve concepts from their traditional domain – the production process – into the product innovation process to build and test a richer, quantitative model of learning. The results suggest that learning occurs differently in the innovation process than in production. They also suggest that how and where a firm learns depend in part on the complexity of product components and sub‐systems. Finally, we discuss the competitive implications for product innovation.
Strategic dalliances as an enabler for discontinuous innovation in slow clockspeed industries: evidence from the oil and gas industry
Authors: Noke Hannah , Perrons Robert K. , Hughes Mathew
Published: February 2008

The concept of ‘strategic dalliances’– defined as non‐committal relationships that companies can ‘dip in and out of,’ or dally with, while simultaneously maintaining longer‐term strategic partnerships with other firms and suppliers – has emerged as a promising strategy by which organizations can create discontinuous innovations. But does this approach work equally well for every sector? Moreover, how can these links be effectively used to foster the process of discontinuous innovation? Toward assessing the role that industry clockspeed plays in the success or failure of strategic dalliances, we provide case study evidence from Twister BV, an upstream oil and gas technology provider, and show that strategic dalliances can be an enabler for the discontinuous innovation process in slow clockspeed industries. Implications for research and practice are discussed, and conclusions from our findings are drawn.
Factors influencing the profitability of pharmaceutical research
Authors: Charalambous Charis , Gittins John
Published: February 2008

The output from a pharmaceutical research project is a stream of candidate drugs which may be submitted to clinical trials. The value of this output depends on the characteristics of the stochastic process generating this stream, and on the extent to which the candidate drugs are chemically similar to each other. This paper explores the impact of these factors on profitability, and on the policy which should be followed for selecting candidate drugs.
The growth and management of R&D outsourcing: evidence from UK pharmaceuticals
Authors: Howells Jeremy , Gagliardi Dimitri , Malik Khaleel
Published: February 2008

Outsourcing of research and development (R&D) activities has become a major management issue for R&D and technical managers within firms. It has also been of growing concern to academics who are trying to chart the implications of the increasingly distributed nature of research and innovative activities in advanced economies. This study is based on a survey of research‐based pharmaceutical companies operating in the United Kingdom conducted in 2004–2006. The aim of this paper is to outline the main reasons for pharmaceutical firms to outsource R&D and the management practices followed by such companies in relation to outsourcing. The research results provide interesting findings in relation to, for example, the reasons behind outsourcing, the decision‐making processes behind such practices and barriers to outsourcing arrangements. These issues are evaluated together with the characteristics of the firms and the specific project outsourced.
Measurement Error in Access to Markets*
Authors: Escobal Javier , Laszlo Sonia
Published: February 2008

Microeconometric studies increasingly utilize travel times to markets as a determinant of economic behaviour. These studies typically use self‐reported measures from surveys, often characterized by measurement error. This paper is the first validation study of access to markets data. Unique data from Peru allow comparison of self‐reported variables with scientifically calculated variables. We investigate the determinants of the deviation between imputed and self‐reported data and show that it is non‐classical and dependent on observable socio‐economic variables. Our results suggest that studies using self‐reported measures of access may be estimating biased effects.
Feeding the British: convergence and market efficiency in the nineteenth‐century grain trade
Authors: EJRNÆS METTE , PERSSON KARL GUNNAR , RICH SØREN
Published: February 2008

This paper traces the evolution of the international market for wheat, from an emerging market structure after the repeal of the corn laws to a mature market characterized by efficient arbitrage after the introduction of the transatlantic telegraph and the growth of trade. Efficiency is documented using traditional price gap accounting as well as error correction modelling. Markets which traded directly with each other as well as markets which did not trade with each other were integrated. The traditional bilateral focus in market integration studies has been extended to a multivariate approach, which generates new insights into the pattern of diffusion of price shocks in the international economy. Shocks in the major importing nation, Britain, dominated in the emerging market phase, while shocks in the major exporting economy, the United States, dominated international price movements at the end of the nineteenth century.
What happened to Irish industry after the British industrial revolution? Some evidence from the first UK Census of Production in 19071
Authors: BIELENBERG A.
Published: February 2008

This article examines Ireland's relative position within the UK industrial sector in the early twentieth century, by critically evaluating the Irish component of the First UK Census of Production. Firstly, Ireland's employment, net output shares, and net output per person are compared to the UK results. Secondly, by supplementing and adjusting the census evidence, a new estimate of the size of the industrial workforce is constructed, which is then used to produce a new estimate of Irish industrial output. From this it is possible to estimate the contribution of industry to Irish GDP, which can then be compared to its contribution in other European economies.
Rehabilitating the guilds: a reply
Authors: OGILVIE SHEILAGH
Published: February 2008

This article examines Epstein's attempt to rehabilitate pre‐modern craft guilds by criticizing my German case study. It demonstrates that his criticisms are baseless and his assertions about European guilds unsupported. Long survival does not establish the efficiency or aggregate economic benefits of any institution. Contrary to rehabilitation views, craft guilds adversely affected quality, skills, and innovation. Guild rent‐seeking imposed deadweight losses on the economy and generated no demonstrable positive externalities. Industry flourished where guilds decayed. Despite impairing efficiency, guilds persisted because they redistributed resources to powerful groups. The ‘rehabilitation’ view of guilds is theoretically contradictory and empirically untenable.
Induction of systemic TNFα in Natalizumab‐treated multiple sclerosis
Authors: Khademi M. , Stol D. , Olsson T. , Wallström E.
Published: February 2008

The mRNA expression of eight different cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 19 individuals with multiple sclerosis was determined at baseline and after 6 months of open‐label treatment with natalizumab. Cellular expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) mRNA and number of cells secreting TNFα and interferon γ protein significantly increased over the 6 months. Kurtzke EDSS scores improved because of the resolution of relapses, but not fatigue severity scores. The observed increases in systemic proinflammatory cytokines by natalizumab treatment are discussed in relation to fatigue and systemic immunity.
Clinical and laboratory‐reconfirmed myasthenia gravis: a population‐based study
Authors: Ööpik M. , Puksa L. , Lüüs S.‐M. , Kaasik A.‐E. , Jakobsen J.
Published: February 2008

The aim of this study was to compare the clinically based prevalence of myasthenia gravis (MG) with the prevalence of laboratory‐confirmed cases. All patients with a diagnosis of MG living in Estonia as on 1 January 1997 were asked to participate in re‐examination. The criteria for laboratory‐supported MG were weakness and rapid fatigue and a positive outcome of at least one of three laboratory tests: (i) blinded acetylcholinesterase inhibitor test; (ii) determination of antibodies to acetylcholine receptor and (iii) neurophysiological examination using repetitive nerve stimulation and single‐fibre EMG. Eighty‐nine patients were re‐examined and 70 patients (79%) fulfilled the criteria of laboratory‐supported MG. The corrected prevalence ratio was 78 per million. In the non‐confirmed MG group, there was more women (92%) than men (43%) whose diagnosis was established within 1 year from onset of symptoms (P = 0.016). In all women with non‐confirmed MG the diagnosis was established within 1 year from referral to the physician, whereas 68% of women with confirmed MG was diagnosed within 1 year (P < 0.0001). Thus, we conclude that, in Estonia the prevalence of MG based on medical records seems overestimated by 21% and women are at higher risk of obtaining an uncertain diagnosis of MG.
Depression and anxiety amongst multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Beiske A. G. , Svensson E. , Sandanger I. , Czujko B. , Pedersen E. D. , Aarseth J. H. , Myhr K. M.
Published: February 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety amongst multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and the associations with demographic and clinical characteristics. The current treatment for depression and anxiety was also evaluated amongst the MS patients.

A total of 140 MS patients from Eastern Norway underwent neuropsychiatric and clinical examinations, with registration of symptoms of depression and anxiety (Hopkins Symptom Checklist‐25), as well as information about any help seeking for depression were obtained.

A total of 31.4% patients reported symptoms of depression, whilst 19.3% reported anxiety; both symptoms were significantly higher than that amongst the general population (P < 0.001). Fatigue and younger age at onset were significantly associated with symptoms of depression, whilst fatigue and pain, lower Expanded Disability Status Scale score and younger age at onset were associated with symptoms of anxiety. The proportion of reported treatment of depression was 15.9% and for anxiety 11.1%. Of untreated patients with symptoms, 18.2% expressed the need for treatment.

A greater focus on depression and anxiety amongst MS patients is needed to establish the appropriate treatment for patients suffering from MS.
LRRK2 Gly2385Arg variant is a risk factor of Parkinson’s disease among Han‐Chinese from mainland China
Authors: An X.‐K. , Peng R. , Li T. , Burgunder J.‐M. , Wu Y. , Chen W.‐J. , Zhang J.‐H. , Wang Y.‐C. , Xu Y.‐M. , Gou Y.‐R. , Yuan G.‐G. , Zhang Z.‐J.
Published: February 2008

Mutations in the gene encoding Leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been recently linked with autosomal‐dominant parkinsonism, and polymorphisms have been commonly associated with sporadic Parkinson’s disease (PD). A p.2385G>R variant has been reported as a risk factor for PD in Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. Herein, we have assessed the frequency of this polymorphism among the ethnic Han‐Chinese population in a case–control study. A total of 600 patients with PD and 334 unrelated healthy controls were genotyped using PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium of each group was calculated, and differences in genotype frequencies between groups were assessed by the Chi‐square test. In the PD cohort, 70 patients (11.7%) were heterozygous and 1 (0.2%) was homozygous for the p.2385G>R variant. This was significantly more frequent than in the controls [3.3%, Odds ratio = 3.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.1–7.5, P < 0.01]. Clinically, the age of PD onset of the p.2385G>R carriers was lower than the non‐carriers (P = 0.01). Our study indicates that this LRRK2 p.2385G>R substitution contributes to the development of PD in ethnic Han‐Chinese population, which may play important implications for future study on molecular genetics and pathogenesis of PD.
Headaches in a rheumatology clinic: when one pain leads to another
Authors: Williams L. , O’Connell K. , Tubridy N.
Published: February 2008

Chronic daily headaches (CDH) affect between 3 and 4% of the Western population and is one of the most common problems seen in the neurology clinic. It is often difficult to delineate where CDH began and medication overuse headache (MOH) supervenes. The current study analyses the development of MOH in people taking regular analgesia for reasons other than headache, namely patients attending rheumatology clinics. The aim of this study was to assess, for the first time in an Irish population of patients, whether CDH was more common in such patients as previously reported. We also wanted to see how often rheumatology patients were taking non‐prescribed analgesics. The results show that, in a cohort of 114 rheumatology patients, 32% reported that they suffer from headaches regularly. Of these, 38% fulfilled criteria for CDH (or 12% of the whole cohort). Of the 14 patients with CDH, 11 also fulfilled the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria for MOH. Seventy per cent of the patients fell under the category of medication overuse (>15 days a month for >3months) but only 9% fulfil criteria for MOH. Contrary to the previous work in this area, we found a very low (<2%) incidence of previous migraine in our patients with CDH. We conclude that headaches (both CDH and MOH) are common in this patient population. We suggest that here should be greater awareness amongst all doctors caring for these patients of the potential for creating a second chronic problem when using excessive analgesia to treat the first.
Gene–gene interaction between 14‐3‐3 zeta and butyrylcholinesterase modulates Alzheimer′s disease risk
Authors: Mateo I. , Llorca J. , Infante J. , Rodríguez‐Rodríguez E. , Berciano J. , Combarros O.
Published: February 2008

A loss in the regulatory mechanism that controls tau phosphorylation in normal brain is suggested to cause tau hyperphosphorylation in Alzheimer′s disease (AD) brain and the development of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). 14‐3‐3 zeta protein and butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) are associated with NFT in AD brain and stimulate tau phosphorylation. In a case–control study in 231 AD patients and 221 healthy controls, we examined whether the combined effects between 14‐3‐3 zeta (rs964917 and rs983583) and BCHE (K variant) polymorphisms might be responsible for susceptibility to AD. Subjects carrying both the BCHE K allele and the 14‐3‐3 zeta rs964917 G/G genotype (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.20–0.95, P = 0.03), or 14‐3‐3 zeta rs983583 G/G genotype (OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.21–1.00, P = 0.05) had a lower risk of developing AD than subjects without these risk genotypes. Considering synergistic effects between polymorphisms in tau phosphorylation relate‐genes may help in determining the risk profile for AD.
Hyperhomocysteinaemia is a significant risk factor for white matter lesions in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Shimomura T. , Anan F. , Umeno Y. , Eshima N. , Saikawa T. , Yoshimatsu H. , Fujiki M. , Kobayashi H.
Published: February 2008

The presence of white matter lesions (WML) is an important prognostic factor for the development of stroke. Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), which increases with diabetes, has been flagged as a novel predictor for cerebrovascular events. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of WML correlates with tHcy and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients not receiving insulin treatment. Based on brain magnetic resonance imaging findings, 81 type 2 diabetic patients were divided into two groups, with‐WML group (57 ± 8 years, mean ± standard deviation, n = 31) and without‐WML group (57 ± 6 years, n = 50). The blood glucose level was assessed by fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting immunoreactive insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) Index and hemoglobin A1c. The body mass index was higher in the with‐WML group than in the without‐WML group (P < 0.05). Plasma levels of triglyceride were higher whilst high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol was lower in the with‐WML group than in the without‐WML group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.0001 respectively). FPG (P < 0.005), insulin concentrations (P < 0.0001), HOMA Index (P < 0.0001) and tHcy (<0.0001) levels were higher in the with‐WML group than in the without‐WML group. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that WML was independently predicted by the high tHcy and insulin resistance. Our findings indicate that the presence of WML was associated with the high tHcy and insulin resistance in these Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Differential diagnosis of cerebral infarction using an algorithm combining atrial fibrillation and D‐dimer level
Authors: Dougu N. , Takashima S. , Sasahara E. , Taguchi Y. , Toyoda S. , Hirai T. , Nozawa T. , Tanaka K. , Inoue H.
Published: February 2008

We created an algorithm for diagnosing subtypes of cerebral infarction (CI) during the acute stage by combining atrial fibrillation (AF) and D‐dimer levels. One‐hundred and eight patients hospitalized for acute CI were retrospectively analyzed. CI was classified into cardioembolic, atherothrombotic, lacunar infarction or others. Patients were classified in AF group if they had AF on admission or a prior history of AF. This group was diagnosed to suffer cardioembolic infarction. In non‐AF group, cardioembolic infarction was diagnosed when D‐dimer level exceeded the cutoff point determined using a receiver operating curve. Then, usefulness of the algorithm was validated prospectively in 259 consecutive patients with acute CI. For the retrospective group, cardioembolic infarction was found in 82% of the AF group. In non‐AF group, cardioembolic infarction was found in only 2%, when D‐dimer level was <1.6 μg/ml. However, 41% of non‐AF group with atherothrombotic infarction had elevated D‐dimer level (≥1.6 μg/ml). Results for the validation group were similar to those for the retrospective group (sensitivity, 89%; specificity, 66%; positive predictive value, 50%; and negative predictive value, 94%). D‐dimer level in combination with AF can be useful for distinguishing CI subtypes during the acute stage.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulator for the Treatment of Supraorbital Neuralgia: A Retrospective Case Series
Authors: Amin S , Buvanendran A , Park K-S , Kroin JS , Moric M
Published: February 2008

Peripheral nerve blocks of the supraorbital, supratrochlear or occipital nerve have been utilized for the relief of headaches, although relief may be short-lasting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of supraorbital nerve stimulation for treatment of intractable supraorbital neuralgia. Patients presenting to the pain clinic with refractory frontal headaches who responded to a diagnostic supraorbital nerve block were selected for this case series. Patients underwent a trial of supraorbital nerve stimulation, and efficacy was assessed after 5-7 days ( n = 16). From the trial, 10 patients consented to undergo permanent implantation of the stimulator. Opioid consumption and headache scores were monitored preoperatively and at timed intervals for 30 weeks. Headache scores decreased, and opioid consumption was reduced in half, and these beneficial accomplishments were maintained up to 30 weeks after implantation. In selected patients, supraorbital nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic frontal headaches appears to be efficacious.
Is Migraine Associated with Right-to-Left Shunt a Separate Disease? Results of the SAM Study
Authors: Anzola GP , Meneghetti G , Zanferrari C , Adami A , Dinia L , Del Sette M ,   for the SAM Study Group
Published: February 2008

Migraine with aura (MA) is associated with the persistence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in about 50% of cases, and migraineurs tend to have larger shunts than controls, suggesting that right-to-left shunt (RILES) determined by PFO could play a role in triggering migraine attacks. Moreover, some preliminary reports have suggested that PFO closure may give relief to both migraine and aura attacks. The aim of this study was to clarify if shunt-associated migraine (SAM) has clinical features that allow a distinction from shunt-unrelated migraine (SUM), in a prospective, multicentre, observational study (SAM study). We enrolled consecutive MA patients, who underwent a structured, standardized questionnaire for family and personal history and for detailed migraine features. All were systematically screened for RILES with transcranial Doppler, and for coagulation disorders. Overall, 460 patients were included; the SUM and SAM classes comprised 58% and 42% of patients, respectively. SAM patients were significantly younger (34.1 ± 10 vs. 37.1 ± 11 years), had a more frequent family history of migraine (76% vs. 66%) and a higher frequency of sensory symptoms of aura (51% vs. 41%); by contrast, there was a lesser association of SAM with other cardiac abnormalities and with coagulation disorders. The SAM study suggests that the effect of RILES on migraine features is not relevant. The higher family history of migraine in SAM suggests a possible genetic linkage between migraine and RILES.
The efficacy of ‘0.05% Clobetasol + 2.5% zinc sulphate’ cream vs. ‘0.05% Clobetasol alone’ cream in the treatment of the chronic hand eczema: a double‐blind study
Authors: Faghihi G , Iraji F , Shahingohar A , Saidat AH
Published: February 2008

Background  Many therapeutic modalities have been suggested for treatment of the chronic hand eczema. Despite good immediate efficacy of some of these treatments, there is high recurrence of the dermatitis following cessation of the treatment.

Aim  Regarding the beneficial effects of the zinc sulfate on the skin, we designed a double blind study to evaluate the efficacy of the ‘0.05% Clobetasol + 2.5% zinc sulphate’ cream versus ‘0.05% Clobetasol alone’ cream in the treatment of the chronic hand eczema.

Subjects and Methods  This study was a double‐blind, right to left, prospective, clinical trial. In total, 47 patients with chronic hand eczema admitted to dermatology center of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were selected and their right hand or left hand were selected at random to be treated with either the ‘0.05% Clobetasol + 2.5% zinc sulphate’ cream or ‘0.05% Clobetasol alone’ cream twice daily for 2 weeks. All of the patients were treated for 2 weeks and were followed up at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 after starting the treatment. For determining the severity of chronic hand eczema, we assessed and scored 4 different characteristics of the lesions including redness; scaling; lichenification and pruritus. The data were analyzed using SPSS program (release 13) and statistical tests including Mann‐Whitney test.

Results  Overall, 47 patients (94 samples) were evaluated. All of these patients had similar and symmetrical lesions on their right and left hands. Out of them, 35 patients were females and 12 patients were male. In all of the evaluated characterisitics, the ‘0.05% Clobetasol + 2.5% zinc sulphate’ cream was more effective than ‘0.05% Clobetasol alone’ cream (P < 0.05). The recurrence rate of eczema was significantly lower in the group treated with this combination treatment (P < 0.05).

Conclusion  With regard to the encouraging results of the combination treatment with Clobetasol + zinc sulphate, we suggest that in a more extensive clinical trial, the efficacy of this treatment against chronic hand dermatitis be evaluated. In addition, evaluation of this combination therapy against other inflammatory dermatosis seems to be logical.
Financial Integration in the EU: the First Phase of EU Endorsement of International Accounting Standards*
Authors: DEWING IAN , RUSSELL PETER O.
Published: February 2008

In 2002 the EU adopted the Regulation which required European listed companies to prepare their consolidated accounts in accordance with international accounting standards from 2005 onwards. A novel set of structures for the endorsement of international accounting standards for use in the EU was put in place. This article examines the first phase of endorsement of international accounting standards in the context of the novel endorsement structures. The article concludes that problems over the endorsement of IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement reveals a number of significant policy implications for the EU including the difficulty of forming a European view, the role of private actors in EU regulation, and the issue that international standards largely reflect Anglo‐Saxon accounting practices rather than continental European practices.
Three Worlds of Compliance or Four? The EU‐15 Compared to New Member States*
Authors: FALKNER GERDA , TREIB OLIVER
Published: February 2008

Starting from the findings of an earlier compliance study covering the 15 ‘old’ Member States of the European Union, which identified three ‘worlds of compliance’, this article seeks to establish whether or not the new Member States from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) represent a separate world of compliance. We present empirical findings from a research project on the implementation of three EU Directives from the field of working time and equal treatment in four CEE countries. The evidence suggests that the new Member States display implementation styles that are similar to a few countries in the EU‐15. The expectation that the new Member States might behave according to their own specific logic, such as significantly decreasing their compliance efforts after accession in order to take ‘revenge’ for the strong pressure of conditionality, is not supported by our case studies. Instead, all four new Member States appear to fall within a group that could be dubbed the ‘world of dead letters’. It is crucial to highlight, however, that this specific ‘world of compliance’, characterized by politicized transposition processes and systematic application and enforcement problems, also includes two countries from the EU‐15.
Governance Areas in EU Direct Tax Policy*
Authors: RADAELLI CLAUDIO M. , KRAEMER ULRIKE S.
Published: February 2008

Conventional scholarship on international taxation tends to address competition. It focuses on governments and does not integrate purposeful political strategy with the ideational dimension of policy change. In this article we examine co‐operation, use a multi‐actor perspective to explain the selection of modes of governance and bridge the gap between the strategic and ideational components of policy change. We show how a political strategy pursued by the Commission has led to the emergence of two functionally differentiated governance arenas, dealing with different definitions of tax problems and operating with modes of governance that suit the internal logic of individual arenas. We then examine the limitations of political strategy, by showing how a third governance arena dominated by the European Court of Justice has become increasingly important, with little control exercised by the Commission and the Member States.
Political Communication in a European Public Space: Language, the Internet and Understanding as Soft Power*
Authors: ROSE RICHARD
Published: February 2008

This article demonstrates that the European Union's linguistic diversity policy is a barrier to greater popular participation in a European public space. It sets out three political communication models: elite discourse, aggregative democracy and deliberation in a European public space; each has different linguistic requirements. It presents survey evidence showing that Europeans are ‘voting with their mouths’ for a singlelingua franca, resulting in English as a foreign language (EFL) becoming the most widely understood language in the EU and its use on the internet for transnational as well as domestic communication. More than one‐third of Europeans now have the basic prerequisites for participation in a European public space: they are internet users and know thelingua francaof Europe, EFL. The EU's linguistic diversity policy is even more a barrier for participation in a global public space in which EFL is now thelingua francaof Asia and other continents. It concludes that knowledge of EFL does not confer soft power on Anglophones but on Europeans using it in interactions with monoglot American and English speakers.
Thinking about the Recent Past and the Future of the EU*
Authors: TSEBELIS GEORGE
Published: February 2008

After the referendums in France and the Netherlands, the European Union was in disarray. However, political elites in all countries were insisting in the adoption of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, which in turn was a slight modification of the text adopted in the European Convention. The solution was found in the IGC of Brussels in 2007, where the substance of the Treaty was adopted, and symbolic details (flag, anthem) were dropped out. The article explains the impact of the institutions adopted in the Convention, and argues that these institutions would help political decision‐making in the EU. It then explains how such significant results became possible (because of the important role of the Presidium in terms of agenda‐setting). Finally it argues that the text of the Constitution became a focal point for all negotiating governments. This is why elites came back to it despite the public disapproval of the referendums.
An overview of the Turkish dairy sector
Authors: GÖNENÇ SERTAÇ , TANRIVERMIŞ HARUN
Published: February 2008

The livestock sector and dairy subsector have great importance for Turkey, in terms of both nutrition and economy. The share of the livestock sector in the total agricultural production value has varied between 25% and 30% in the last three decades. Raw milk production is characterized by small‐scale farms, with an average of three heads of dairy cattle per farm. Turkey's dairy industry was established and developed by the State with the opening of the Turkish Dairy Industry Institution (TSEK) in 1963 as a state‐owned enterprise (SOE). TSEK facilitated modernization of the sector, created a dairy market and played a role in stabilizing the consumer and producer prices. In 1995, a liberalization movement in the agricultural sector started in Turkey and the TSEK enterprises were privatized. After privatization, producer prices decreased between 11.51% and 18.45% and consumer prices of dairy products increased in general. Today, the dairy processing sector has a dual structure that on one hand comprises many small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises, while on the other features seven large holding companies that hold the largest market share (CR4 71). This study aims to show that the restructuring of the agricultural SOEs in the first place resulted in undesirable impacts, and thus that the planning and implementation of the privatization of the state enterprises in the dairy sector should be taken as a strategy in the medium term, using the experiences of other developing countries.
Viability of probiotic micro‐organisms (Lactobacillus casei Shirota and Bifidobacterium animalis subspp. lactis) in a milk‐based dessert with cranberry sauce
Authors: MAGARIÑOS HAROLDO , CARTES PAULA , FRASER BERNARDO , SELAIVE SADE , COSTA MARCIA , FIGUEROLA FERNANDO , PIZARRO OLIVIA
Published: February 2008

The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of two probiotic micro‐organisms, Lactobacillus casei Shirota and Bifidobacterium animalis subspp. lactis, in a milk‐based dessert (2.7% fat) with cranberry sauce added. B. lactis had a final concentration of 1.99 × 106 cfu/g after 21 days of study, with a logarithmic decrease of 8.87%. On other hand, L. casei Shirota had a final concentration of 2.05 × 107 cfu/g at the end of the same period, a logarithmic decrease of 8.41%. Statistical analysis showed that significant differences existed between both micro‐organisms and over various storage times, the more viable micro‐organism being L. casei Shirota, which decreased less than one logarithmic cycle after 21 days.
Obesity. The food research agenda
Authors: DONNELLY WILLIAM J , FENELON MARK A , GIBLIN LINDA , STANTON CATHERINE
Published: February 2008

It is estimated that almost 287 million children will be obese by 2010, and the overall obese population could rise to 700 million by 2015. The metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism, and has been linked to increased risk of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Diet, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors have a central role to play in the obesity epidemic. In this respect, the role of particular dietary components on satiety and regulation of food and energy intake, are discussed as are technological approaches to manufacture of foods with low obesigenicity.
Genetics—A tool to improve productivity and profitability
Authors: BERRY DONAGH P
Published: February 2008

Until recently most international breeding programmes in dairy cattle have focused solely on milk production and have made large contributions to the rate of improvement in milk production but to the determinant of reproduction. Improved statistical techniques and computing resources as well as better phenotypic measurement tools have increased the ability to identify genetically superior animals. ‘Omic’ technologies have huge potential to offer in the near future to further improve genetic gains in productivity and profitability. However, maximum exploitation of these technologies can only be achieved if the basics of the most pertinent breeding goal and breeding programme are correct.
An experimental approach for removing caseins from bovine colostrum using anionic polysaccharides
Authors: LACHKAR DAVID P , LAMIOT ÉRIC , TURGEON SYLVIE L , GAUTHIER SYLVIE F , PAQUIN PAUL , POULIOT YVES
Published: February 2008

In this study, we assessed the effect of anionic polysaccharides on removing caseins from a commercial bovine colostrum solution. λ‐Carrageenan and pectin were selected based on preliminary results indicating that they can produce serocolostrum. The electrophoresis profiles of the supernatants of the colostrum/polysaccharide mixtures revealed that all caseins, except κ‐casein, began precipitating at a pectin concentration of 0.3%[w/v] and a λ‐carrageenan concentration of 0.08%[w/v]. When the pH of the mixtures was adjusted to the initial pH of the colostrum, pectin reduced the amount of protein in serocolostrum by approximately 30% whereas it reduced the amount by 50% when the pH was not adjusted.
Future outlook for the Irish dairy industry: a study of international competitiveness, influence of international trade reform and requirement for change
Authors: DILLON PAT , HENNESSY THIA , SHALLOO LAURENCE , THORNE FIONA , HORAN BRENDAN
Published: February 2008

European Union (EU) trade liberalisation policies will continue to push EU milk price downwards and necessitate increased efficiency and scale at farm and processing level to maintain profitability. In Ireland pasture‐based dairying, based on the efficient conversion of grazed grass into milk can be competitive within the EU. Continued technical innovation increasing animal performance from grazed grass, increasing herd genetic potential and developing labour efficient lower fixed cost systems will be essential. At processing level, increased efficiency in commodity processing, higher margin product development and the evolution of milk payment systems to reflect the true product value of supplies received will be required.
Enterobacter sakazakii survives spray drying
Authors: ARKU BENEDICT , MULLANE NIALL , FOX EDWARD , FANNING SÉAMUS , JORDAN KIERAN
Published: February 2008

Four strains of Enterobacter sakazakii were inoculated into 35% reconstituted skim milk at 107 and 102 cfu/g dry wt. After spray‐drying in a Buchi mini spray drier (inlet 160°C and outlet 90°C), the resulting powders were analysed for E. sakazakii by enrichment and enumeration. In all cases, E. sakazakii survived the spray drying process and were detected in the powders with a low inoculum and enumerated in all the powders with the high inoculum for at least 12 weeks. The results emphasize that the controls in place to prevent E. sakazakii from getting to the spray drier are essential.
Variant autonomic regulation during active standing in Swedish and Japanese junior high school children
Authors: Kajiura Mitsugu , Tanaka Hidetaka , Borres Magnus , Thulesius Olav , Yamaguchi Hitoshi , Tamai Hiroshi
Published: February 2008

The present investigation is about cardiovascular responses and relevant autonomic function in Swedish and Japanese pubertal children on active standing using non‐invasive continuous beat‐to‐beat finger arterial pressure (FAP) monitoring and power spectral analysis. Examined were 54 Swedish and 57 Japanese children (13–15 years). FAP and heart rate (HR) was continuously recorded in the supine position and during standing. Supine FAP was significantly higher in Swedish compared with Japanese children (121/62 versus 103/53 mmHg, P < 0·001). Swedish children showed a higher increase in arterial pressure and HR upon uprising, resulting in a higher vasoconstrictor index (5·04 ± 0·22 versus 2·31 ± 0·11 mmHg s−1, P < 0·001, respectively). There were also higher increases in arterial pressure and HR in the following steady state period (1–7 min) between the two groups. These differences were also found after adjustment of body weight and height. Frequency domain analysis of HR and arterial pressure variability indicated significantly higher low/high frequency power of HR and low frequency power of arterial pressure. These results suggest that Swedish pubertal children have higher basal blood pressure and enhanced cardiovascular sympathetic responses. These differences in the two cohorts might be caused by genetic factors.
THE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY SET AND ITS PROXY VARIABLES
Authors: Adam Tim , Goyal Vidhan K.
Published: February 2008

We use a real options approach to evaluate the performance of several proxy variables for a firm's investment opportunity set. The results show that, on a relative scale, the market‐to‐book assets ratio has the highest information content with respect to investment opportunities. Although both the market‐to‐book equity and the earnings–price ratios are related to investment opportunities, they do not contain information that is not already contained in the market‐to‐book assets ratio. Consistent with this finding, a common factor constructed from several proxy variables does not improve the performance of the market‐to‐book assets ratio.
COURAGE: In the Eye of the Beholder
Authors: Rogers Jason H.
Published: February 2008

The following comment provides another perspective on the COURAGE Trial. A prior Editorial on this subject was by Franklin (Franklin BA. Lessons learned from the COURAGE Trial: generalizability, limitations, and implications.