bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE CORRELATION OF YOUTH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH STATE POLICIES
Authors: CAWLEY JOHN , MEYERHOEFER CHAD , NEWHOUSE DAVID
Published: January 2010

Childhood overweight has risen dramatically in the United States during the past three decades. The search for policy solutions is limited by a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of state policies for increasing physical activity among youths. This paper estimates the correlation of student physical activity with a variety of state policies. We study nationwide data on high school students from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System for 1999, 2001, and 2003 merged with data on state policies from several sources. We control for a variety of characteristics of states and students to mitigate bias due to the endogenous selection of policies, but we conservatively interpret our results as correlations, not causal impacts. Two policies are positively correlated with participation in physical education (PE) class for both boys and girls: a binding PE unit requirement and a state PE curriculum. We also find that state spending on parks and recreation is positively correlated with two measures of girls’ overall physical activity. (JEL I18, I28)
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS, HURRICANE KATRINA, AND THE ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT OF NEW ORLEANS
Authors: BAADE ROBERT A. , MATHESON VICTOR A.
Published: January 2010

Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans in late August 2005, resulting in damage to much of the city’s sports infrastructure and the departure of both of New Orleans’ major‐league professional sports teams, the National Football League Saints and the National Basketball Association Hornets. What should the city provide in the way of financial accommodation to encourage them to return? This paper suggests that post‐Katrina New Orleans will have a difficult time retaining their franchises over the long run and in attempting to do so may hinder the redevelopment of the city. Furthermore, the very incentives designed to attract teams in the first place leave cities vulnerable to their departure in times of crisis. Finally, playing host to professional sports and mega‐events does have symbolic significance, but it is arguable that this is an amenity the city cannot currently afford.(JELH25, H71, H40, L83, Q54)
THE INCOME TAX RESPONSIVENESS OF THE RICH: EVIDENCE FROM FREE AGENT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL‐STARS
Authors: ROSS JUSTIN M. , DUNN ROBERT R.
Published: January 2010

This paper examines the responsiveness of the rich to state income taxes. We use Major League Baseball free agents who were named All‐Stars at some point in their career and who signed with a U.S. team for the 1991 through 2002 seasons. This data set overcomes some of the previous difficulties encountered in similar studies but also has limitations representing the general rich population. We find evidence that the wages of this subset of players do adjust to offset the burden of state income taxes, specifically a 1% decrease in net‐of‐tax rate leads to a 3.3% increase in salary. (JEL H20, H24, H71, R23)
PARTICIPATION IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON PARKS AND RECREATION
Authors: HUMPHREYS BRAD R. , RUSESKI JANE E.
Published: January 2010

Physical inactivity is considered a major public health problem. We analyze participation in physical activity using data from a nationally representative sample of individuals in 1998 and 2000 augmented with additional state‐level data on government spending on parks and recreation. We find considerable variation in participation and time spent in physical activity across different groups of physical activity. Spending on parks and recreation increases participation in group sports but reduces participation, and time spent, in walking for exercise, suggesting that parks and recreation spending may not be an effective policy tool for increasing physical activity. (JEL I200, I120, I180, L830)
GOVERNANCE AND VERTICAL INTEGRATION IN TEAM SPORTS
Authors: SZYMANSKI STEFAN , ROSS STEPHEN F.
Published: January 2010

Antitrust law distinguishes vertical and horizontal restraints. A horizontal restraint is one which exists between competing firms supplying rival products in a market, and a vertical restraint is one which exists between firms that jointly contribute to supplying a particular product in a market. Horizontal agreements receive much closer antitrust scrutiny because they often enable firms to limit competition at the expense of consumers, while vertical restraints may be legal or illegal depending on whether they tend to enhance or reduce competition or the exploitation of market power. This paper argues that there are important vertical restraints that operate in sports leagues which have been mostly neglected in the literature but have a significant impact. We focus on intraleague restraints, where member clubs of a league agree to control the organization of league competition, and interleague restraints, where horizontal agreement such as the Reserve Clause relies on agreements not to compete for players competing in senior or junior leagues. (JEL L83, L42, L44)
A COMPARISON OF MEXICAN MIGRANT REMITTANCES ACROSS U.S. REGIONS
Authors: FAIRCHILD STEPHEN T. , SIMPSON NICOLE B.
Published: January 2010

Since 1990, the United States has experienced a geographic dispersion of Mexican migrants from traditional gateways to new regions. Using data from the Mexican Migration Project, we find significant differences in both the likelihood of remitting and the amount remitted by Mexican migrants across U.S. regions. Specifically, Mexican migrants living in U.S. regions that have experienced considerable increases in migrant populations since 1990 (the Northeast, Southeast, Mountain, and Midwest regions) remit at higher rates and in larger quantities than migrants living in more traditional migrant destinations (the Pacific and South Central regions), even after controlling for observed differences in migrant populations. (JEL F22, F32, J11, R23)
FEDERAL MEDICAID ASSISTANCE TO STATES: IMPACT ON PRENATAL CARE
Authors: MUKERJEE SWATI , QUINN MICHAEL A.
Published: January 2010

In the context of dramatically increasing U.S. health‐care costs, this paper contributes to an ongoing debate discussing proposals to replace the government’s current policy of matching state Medicaid spending with a block grant system. State‐level panel data analysis provides evidence that, ceteris paribus, increasing the federal matching formula has a negative impact on prenatal care. This aggregate result masks significant differences between high‐ and low‐spending states and appears to be driven by the high‐spending states thus implying that a 2‐track approach to Medicaid funding may be more appropriate than the current system. (JEL I1, H7)
THE EFFECT OF GATE REVENUE SHARING ON SOCIAL WELFARE
Authors: DIETL HELMUT M. , LANG MARKUS
Published: January 2010

This paper provides a theoretical model of a team sports league based on contest theory and studies the welfare effect of gate revenue sharing. It derives two counterintuitive results. First, it challenges the “invariance proposition” by showing that revenue sharing reduces competitive balance and thus produces a more unbalanced league. Second, the paper concludes that a lower degree of competitive balance compared with the noncooperative league equilibrium yields a higher level of social welfare and club profits. Combining both results, it concludes that gate revenue sharing increases social welfare and club profits in our model. (JEL L83)
IMMIGRANT SELECTION SYSTEMS AND IMMIGRANT HEALTH
Authors: CHISWICK BARRY R. , LEE YEW LIANG , MILLER PAUL W.
Published: January 2010

This paper is an analysis of the determinants of self‐reported health status of immigrants, with a particular focus on the type of visa used to gain admission. The empirical analysis uses the three waves of the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (panel I). Immigrant health is greater for immigrants who are younger, more educated, male, more proficient in English, and living outside an immigrant ethnic enclave. Immigrant health is poorest for refugees and best for independent (economic) migrants, and declines with duration in the destination. Alternative hypotheses for the decline in immigrant health with duration are explored (JEL I12, J15, J61, F22).
BANK EFFICIENCY AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MONETARY POLICY
Authors: JONAS MICHAEL R. , KING SHARMILA K.
Published: January 2010

Advances in information technology and bank consolidation have altered the way banks operate by necessitating that banks control costs and provide services efficiently to remain competitive. Given the unique role bank operations play in the transmission of monetary policy, a key unresolved question is whether bank efficiency alters monetary policy outcomes. Using a stochastic frontier approach to measure cost‐efficiency and panel data of U.S. bank balance sheets, we show that banks with greater cost‐efficiency are more sensitive to monetary shocks. (JEL E52, E44, E51)
UNIVERSITY COST STRUCTURE IN TAIWAN
Authors: FU TSU‐TAN , HUANG CLIFF J. , TIEN FLORA F.
Published: January 2010

In this paper we demonstrate that the measures of scale and scope economies may be elusive if failing to consider quality variation among universities and endogeneity of congestion in students’ learning and living facility utilization. Empirical results show that the private and highly congested universities have consistently underestimated the cost of congestion, which results in an upward bias in estimating the economies of scale and scope. Taking into account the quality of outputs in enrollments and the congestion factor, we find that the private and the more congested universities have much less scale and scope economies than the public and the less congested institutions. (JEL I21, H52, 9120)
WHAT DETERMINES THE “LEGAL” QUALITY Of BANK REGULATION AND SUPERVISION?
Authors: DINCER NERGIZ , NEYAPTI BILIN
Published: January 2010

This article has two contributions. First, using the methodology of Neyapti and Dincer, it provides measures of legal quality of bank regulation and supervision (RS) for a new set of developed and less‐developed countries. Second, it investigates the determinants of RS in view of the hypothesis that the existing institutional environment matters for the quality of formal institutions such as banking laws. The empirical evidence in this article demonstrates that past financial crises and prevailing levels of both financial market development and foreign direct investment inflows affect RS beyond and above the effects of other potential factors, such as macroeconomic performance and good governance. Evidence from transition economies also supports these findings. (JEL E44, G2, K29, O1)
A LESSON LEARNED? PRE‐ AND POSTCRISIS ENTRY DECISIONS IN TURKISH BANKING
Authors: DAMAR H. EVREN
Published: January 2010

This study looks at the determinants of entry by Turkish banks into local markets during the periods before and after the crisis of 2000–2001. Motivated by a theoretical model of entry, results of fixed‐effects logit regressions suggest that there has been a change in the geographical diversification strategies of Turkish banks. It appears that the dominance of strategic concerns, such as competing with banks of similar size, has diminished, while economic concerns, such as incumbent characteristics and cost considerations, have become more important. Overall, the postcrisis restructuring policies seem to have led to improved decision making in the sector. (JEL G21, L22, R30)
SOVEREIGNTY VERSUS SOUNDNESS: CROSS‐BORDER/INTERSTATE BANKING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND IN THE UNITED STATES: SIMILARITIES, DIFFERENCES AND POLICY ISSUES
Authors: GARCIA GILLIAN G. H.
Published: January 2010

Banks are finally crossing borders within the European Union (EU) and the United States. Some EU member countries and some U.S. states have welcomed entry by banks from elsewhere, while others have resisted it. The article compares the processes of banking deregulation in the two unions and provides some measures of the ensuing progress—not yet complete—toward cross‐border banking. The analysis focuses on resistance to entry, the reasons for it, and the methods used to put it into effect. Apportioning responsibilities for chartering, prudential supervision and other facets of the financial safety net between the EU and its member countries give rise to active conflicts over sovereignty and compromises over efficiency. Similar conflicts raise questions over the continued viability of the dual banking system in the United States. (JEL F15, F36, G21)
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG STRATEGIC COMMODITIES AND WITH FINANCIAL VARIABLES: A NEW LOOK
Authors: HAMMOUDEH SHAWKAT , SARI RAMAZAN , EWING BRADLEY T.
Published: January 2010

We examine the comovements among the prices of four strategic commodities that have long, adequate daily series: oil, gold, silver, and copper as a group. We also explore their causal relationships with two commodity‐relevant macrofinancial variables: interest and exchange rates as an expanded group to shed some light on the prediction behaviors of those individual commodity prices relative to the selected financial variables. In the expanded group, the selected interest rate can provide a transmission link between commodity prices and the dollar exchange rate. The results and their policy implications are discussed at length. (JEL C51, E27, Q43)
IS NORTH‐SOUTH TRADE‐RELATED TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION REGIONAL?
Authors: WANG YANLING
Published: January 2010

There is an influential literature on trade‐related technology diffusion. This article contributes to that literature by investigating whether north‐south trade‐related technology diffusion has a regional dimension. To do so, we build a weighted foreign research and development index at the industry level to account for international and interindustry technology spillovers. Using parallel analysis for nine developing countries, we find: (1) north‐south trade‐related technology diffusion is strong and significant and (2) north‐south technology diffusion tends to have a regional dimension: developing countries in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East tend to benefit, respectively, more from trade with Japan, North America, and Europe than from trade with other northern regions. (JEL F1, F15)
EXAMINING THE OBSTACLES TO BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN COMPUTING: EVIDENCE FROM A SURVEY OF PROFESSIONAL WORKERS
Authors: ASH RONALD A. , CODER LEANNE , DUPONT BRANDON , ROSENBLOOM JOSHUA L.
Published: January 2010

This article describes the results of a survey of professional workers that was designed to explore the underlying reasons for the widely documented underrepresentation of women in information technology (IT) jobs. Our analysis suggests that it is different occupational personalities between men and women rather than the demanding nature of IT work that is largely responsible for the relatively few women in IT occupations. We discuss the implications these results have for policies that are designed to create greater gender equity in the rapidly growing IT industries. (JEL J08, J24, J70)
THE EFFECTS OF U.S.‐CHINA TRADE ON EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES IN THE U.S.‐MEXICO BORDER REGION
Authors: MA ALYSON C. , WOOSTER ROSSITZA B.
Published: January 2010

This article investigates the impact of foreign competition from China on employment and wages in four U.S.‐Mexico Border counties: Santa Cruz, Arizona; San Diego, California; El Paso, Texas; and Webb, Texas. Using disaggregated industry‐level data between 1992 and 2006, we find that increased trade with China is associated with significantly lower county‐industry employment and wages. In contrast, and as expected, increased imports from Mexico are positively related to increased employment and wages in U.S.‐Mexico border counties. The results indicate that the U.S.‐Mexico supply‐chain relationship related to the maquiladora industry is significantly affected by Chinese competition. Implications for policy include an increased focus on federal programs that are intended to diversify the border economy. (JEL F13, F43, F23)
HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES: WHY IS SUPPLY SO PRICE INSENSITIVE?
Authors: DAS MONICA , DAS SANDWIP K.
Published: January 2010

Health spending as a percentage of gross domestic product in the U.S. economy is growing, from 5% in 1960 to about 16% in the current period, and it is predicted to grow to as much as 30% in 2050. Then why is the supply of health care in the United States so insensitive to steeply rising prices? This paper conducts an econometric study to show that high health‐care costs have an adverse impact on labor productivity, causing a negative production externality in all industries. So, can the rising cost of health‐care affect the U.S. comparative advantage? The paper seeks answers to these questions in a general equilibrium model and finds that the labor productivity shock is responsible for the sluggish or declining supply of health care. Consumers are able to afford less health care due to a possible decline in real wages. U.S. comparative advantage becomes a nonissue, provided that the equilibrium is stable in spite of a negatively sloped health‐care supply curve. Negative externality, leading to market failure, may be addressed in two alternative ways. (JEL F11, I11, I12, I18)
RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN HEALTH‐CARE UTILIZATION: ANALYSIS BY INTENSITY OF DEMAND
Authors: ZHENG XIAOYONG , ZIMMER DAVID M.
Published: January 2010

Health‐care utilization is estimated for different subpopulations with respect to various measures of health status, which allows the classification of health‐care consumers into groups with different intensities of demand. This specification allows us to determine whether racial differences vary between subgroups of consumers. In addition to blacks, we also consider utilization by Hispanics. The model is estimated separately for five measures of utilization: office‐based physician visits, office‐based nonphysician visits, outpatient department visits, emergency room visits, and hospital discharges using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Results across numerous specifications indicate that racial differences remain a serious public policy concern, both among healthy and unhealthy minorities. (JEL I11, I12)
THE RISE AND IMPACT OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS ON THEIR OWN AND CROSS‐OCCUPATION INCOMES
Authors: PERRY JOHN J.
Published: January 2010

There has been a dramatic increase in the authority granted to nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA). This “expanded” authority has changed who can provide health‐care services and has weakened the control physicians have traditionally held over the provision of medical services. These changes in regulation have varied by occupation, state, and year and provide variation that can be exploited to empirically measure the individual and collective impacts of changes in NP authority and PA authority on practitioner incomes. It is found that changes in NP and PA regulatory authority do impact the labor markets of all three practitioner categories. NPs having greater practice authority brings physician incomes down, has differential impacts on PA incomes, and improves their own earnings, other factors held constant. PAs having increased authority has a downward effect on NP earnings, a positive impact on physician income, and little impact on their own incomes. (JEL I18, J18, J44, H75)
Adam Smith and the Grotian Theory of Property
Authors: Salter John
Published: January 2010

In the theory of property, which he presented in his lectures in Glasgow in 1762–63, Adam Smith moved decisively against the ideas of his Scottish contemporaries and near contemporaries, particularly with respect to the elements of their theories they had inherited from Locke. This article explores the reasons behind this change in direction and discusses the use Smith made of Grotius' theory of property in reformulating his own ideas. I argue that Grotius' influence is evident in three features of Smith's theory: the account of property in the first age of society; the role of agreements in the subsequent development of property; and the nature and scope of natural rights.
Feminism, Property in the Person and Concepts of Self
Authors: Richardson Janice
Published: January 2010

In this article, I examine the role of the fiction of property in the person in recent feminist debate, comparing Carole Pateman's position with those who are more sympathetic to the image of contract for feminist/anti-racist political theory, such as Charles Mills, Jean Hampton and Susan Moller Okin. I then turn to the question of selfhood. As a fiction, property in the person does not say anything regarding what it is to be a ‘self’. However, I explore Balibar's rich analysis of Locke's position on identity. I then extend Balibar's analysis to argue that the fiction of property in the person is associated with an image of a self that is ‘bounded’ against the outside in a way that is disrupted by this view of identity.
‘Naboth is Stoned’: A Bible Story
Authors: Pierson Chris
Published: January 2010

This article considers treatments of the Bible story of Naboth and Ahab in the work of two thinkers separated by more than a millennium: St Ambrose and John Ponet. Both men treat this as a story about (among other things) property and political authority. Their emphases are different but there are similarities that make them plausibly part of a common tradition of reading the Bible for political effect.
Locke on Ownership, Imperfect Duties and ‘the Art of Governing’
Authors: Lamb Robert
Published: January 2010

In this article, I discuss how Locke's account of virtuous moral obligation fits with his theory of individual rights, with specific attention to his account of ownership. I suggest that the best way to make sense of the relationship between the competing concepts of rights and virtue in Locke's thought is through the idea of imperfect duties: moral duties that do not necessarily have a legal equivalent. These duties indicate how a teleological account of morality can exist within the framework of a commitment to individual rights while also raising questions about how a Lockean government should act in regard to them. I identify the imperfect duties involved in the ownership of property and tentatively explore Locke's scattered recommendations for ‘the art of governing’ individuals.
Are Property Rights Ever Basic Human Rights?
Authors: Cruft Rowan
Published: January 2010

Stealing from someone is not as bad as torturing, killing or raping them. But is the difference between theft and these fundamental violations simply a difference in degree (of severity)? I begin this article by outlining several ways in which the moral grounds for property rights differ in kind from those for basic human rights, differences that underpin and explain the difference in severity. I go on to ask whether, despite these differences, there might be some property rights that we should still classify as basic human rights.
A Web Site That Provides Resources for Assessing Students' Statistical Literacy, Reasoning and Thinking
Authors: Garfield Joan , DelMas Robert
Published: January 2010

The Assessment Resource Tools for Improving Statistical Thinking (ARTIST) Web site was developed to provide high‐quality assessment resources for faculty who teach statistics at the tertiary level but resources are also useful to statistics teachers at the secondary level. This article describes some of the numerous ARTIST resources and suggests ways teachers may use these assessment resources.
Recording Computer‐Based Demonstrations and Board Work
Authors: Spencer Neil H.
Published: January 2010

This article describes how a demonstration of statistical (or other) software can be recorded without expensive video equipment and saved as a presentation to be displayed with software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Work carried out on a tablet PC, for example, can also be recorded in this fashion.
How LO can you GO?
Authors: Richardson Mary , Stephenson Paul , Gabrosek John
Published: January 2010

This article describes an interactive activity that revolves around the dice‐based golf game GOLO. The activity illustrates descriptive statistics and graphical analyses for univariate data.
Late recurrence (10 years or more) of malignant melanoma in south‐east Germany (Saxony) A single‐centre analysis of 1881 patients with a follow‐up of 10 years or more
Authors: Hansel G , Schönlebe J , Haroske G , Wollina U
Published: January 2010

Background  Late recurrent melanoma (MM) is rare.

Objective  In the present study, we analysed the frequency of late recurrent MM in south‐eastern Germany.

Patients and methods  In our centre, 2314 MM patients were documented (1972–2001). A total of 1881 patients in stage I or II (AJCC) with a follow‐up of ≥10 years were selected and screened for late recurrence (≥10 years after diagnosis).

Results  Twenty patients were identified (1.1%), 13 women and 7 men, median age 44 years (age range 30–74 years). Nineteen suffered from cutaneous MM and one had a uveal MM (excluded from further analysis). The primary cutaneous MM occurred on the trunk (6), on the upper limb/shoulder (4), or on the lower limb (9). MM type was superficial spreading (13), nodular (2), acrolentiginous (1), lentigo maligna‐type (1) or unclassified (2). Tumour thickness varied from 0.33 mm to 9.5 mm (median 2.0 mm). Ulceration was seen in four, and spontaneous regression in two MM patients. Invasiveness into blood or lymphatic vessels occurred in seven MM patients. The largest period from primary diagnosis to recurrence was 25.1 years with a median of 13.9 years. Metastatic spread was loco‐regional (12 patients) or distant (7). Four patients were survivors and three of these had in‐transit metastases only. Overall survival was 14.7 ± 6.6 years. Statistical analysis could not identify factors significantly associated with late recurrence.

Conclusions  Late recurrence is a clinical sign of melanoma dormancy. We conclude that late recurrences argue for a lifelong follow‐up of melanoma patients.
The association between Mycoplasma genitalium and pelvic inflammatory disease after termination of pregnancy
Authors: Bjartling C , Osser S , Persson K
Published: January 2010

Please cite this paper as: Bjartling C, Osser S, Persson K. The association between Mycoplasma genitalium and pelvic inflammatory disease after termination of pregnancy. BJOG 2010;117:361–364.

The prevalence and complications of Mycoplasma genitalium and Chlamydia trachomatis infections among women undergoing termination of pregnancy were studied in this nested case–control study at Malmo University Hospital, Sweden, during 2003 to 2007. The study comprised 2079 women presenting for termination of pregnancy. Forty‐nine women with M. genitalium infection and 51 women with C. trachomatis infection, together with 168 negative control women, were evaluated. The prevalences of M. genitalium and C. trachomatis were 2.5% and 2.8%, respectively. The M. genitalium was strongly associated with post‐termination pelvic inflammatory disease (odds ratio 6.29, 95% CI 1.56–25.2). The increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease associated with M. genitalium infection after termination of pregnancy suggests a causal relationship.
Cardiac arrest in pregnancy: increasing use of perimortem caesarean section due to emergency skills training?
Authors: Dijkman A , Huisman CMA , Smit M , Schutte JM , Zwart JJ , van Roosmalen JJ , Oepkes D
Published: January 2010

Please cite this paper as: Dijkman A, Huisman C, Smit M, Schutte J, Zwart J, van Roosmalen J, Oepkes D. Cardiac arrest in pregnancy: increasing use of perimortem caesarean section due to emergency skills training? BJOG 2010;117:282–287.

Objective  Management of cardiac arrest in pregnancy is recommended to include perimortem caesarean section (PMCS) in the Managing Obstetric Emergencies and Trauma (MOET) course. In this study, we aimed to assess maternal and neonatal outcome of all cases of PMCS in the Netherlands performed in the last 15 years, and to test the hypothesis that PMCS was used more often since the introduction of the MOET‐course in 2004.

Design  Retrospective cohort study.

Setting  Nationwide assessment of all cases of PMCS inside or outside hospitals.

Population  All known cases of PMCS in the Netherlands from 1993 to 2008.

Methods  Data collection through contacting all Dutch obstetricians and all MOET and Advanced Trauma Life Support instructors. All cases of cardiac arrest during pregnancy were collected by cross‐checking with data from the Dutch Maternal Mortality Committee and a nationwide severe maternal morbidity study.

Main outcome measures  Incidence and case fatality rate of PMCS. Incidence of PMCS before and after introduction of the MOET course. Maternal and neonatal outcome and the process of the PMCS were analysed.

Results  During the study period, 55 women had a cardiac arrest, 12 of whom underwent a PMCS. Before the introduction of the MOET course, four PMCSs were performed (0.36/year), compared with eight cases after its introduction (1.6/year, P = 0.01). No PMCS was performed within the recommended 5 minutes after starting resuscitation. Eight of the twelve women (67%) regained cardiac output after PMCS, with two maternal and five neonatal survivors. Maternal case fatality rate was 83%. Neonatal case fatality rate was 58%.

Conclusions  Since the introduction of the MOET course, the use of PMCS has increased. Outcome, however, was still poor. An important factor to improve outcome is more timely application of this potentially life‐saving procedure.
Hydrogen sulfide as a gasotransmitter
Authors: Gadalla Moataz M. , Snyder Solomon H.
Published: January 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010) 10.1111/j.1471‐4159.2010.06580.x

Nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) are well established as messenger molecules throughout the body, gasotransmitters, based on striking alterations in mice lacking the appropriate biosynthetic enzymes. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is even more chemically reactive, but until recently there was little definitive evidence for its physiologic formation. Cystathionine β‐synthase (EC 4.2.1.22), and cystathionine γ‐lyase (CSE; EC 4.4.1.1), also known as cystathionine, can generate H2S from cyst(e)ine. Very recent studies with mice lacking these enzymes have established that CSE is responsible for H2S formation in the periphery, while in the brain cystathionine β‐synthase is the biosynthetic enzyme. Endothelial‐derived relaxing factor activity is reduced 80% in the mesenteric artery of mice with deletion of CSE, establishing H2S as a major physiologic endothelial‐derived relaxing factor. H2S appears to signal predominantly byS‐sulfhydrating cysteines in its target proteins, analogous toS‐nitrosylation by NO. WhereasS‐nitrosylation typically inhibits enzymes,S‐sulfhydration activates them.S‐nitrosylation basally affects 1–2% of its target proteins, while 10–25% of H2S target proteins areS‐sulfhydrated. In summary, H2S appears to be a physiologic gasotransmitter of comparable importance to NO and carbon monoxide.
The neuron‐specific isoform of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β is required for axon growth
Authors: Castaño Zafira , Gordon‐Weeks Phillip R. , Kypta Robert M.
Published: January 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 10.1111/j.1471‐4159.2010.06581.x

Glycogen synthase kinase‐3 (GSK‐3) has become an important target for the treatment of mood disorders and neurodegenerative disease. It comprises three enzymes, GSK‐3α, β and the neuron‐specific isoform, β2. GSK‐3 regulates axon growth by phosphorylating microtubule‐associated proteins including Tau. A genetic polymorphism that leads to an increase in the ratio of GSK‐3β1 to GSK‐3β2 interacts with Tau haplotypes to modify disease risk in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. We have examined the roles of each isoform of GSK‐3 in neurons. Silencing of GSK‐3β2 inhibited retinoic acid‐induced neurite outgrowth in SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and axon growth in rat cortical neurons. Inhibition of neurite outgrowth was prevented by co‐expression of GSK‐3β2 but not by co‐expression of GSK‐3α or GSK‐3β1. Ectopic expression GSK‐3β2 enhanced the effects of retinoic acid on neurite length and induced neurite formation in the absence of retinoic acid. GSK‐3β2 phosphorylated Tau at a subset of those sites phosphorylated by GSK‐3β1. In addition, Axin, which regulates responses to Wnt signals, associated more readily with GSK‐3β1 than with GSK‐3β2. Our results suggest that GSK‐3 inhibitors that target the Axin‐binding site in GSK‐3 will preserve the beneficial effects of GSK‐3β2 on axon growth.
CREB activation mediates VEGF‐A’s protection of neurons and cerebral vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Lee Hsueh‐Te , Chang Ying‐Chao , Tu Yi‐Fang , Huang Chao‐Ching
Published: January 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 10.1111/j.1471‐4159.2010.06584.x

Hypoxic ischemia (HI) in neonates causes significant neurodevelopmental sequelae. Pharmacological agents designed to target specific transcription factors expressed in neurons and vasculature may provide powerful therapy against HI. Vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A) and cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) both underlie learning and memory, and survival of the nervous system. We examined whether CREB activation is a shared pathway underlying VEGF‐A’s protection in neurons and cerebral vascular endothelial cells. VEGF‐A was used in a HI model of rat pups and in oxygen‐glucose‐deprivation (OGD) models of immortalized H19‐7 neurons and b.End3 cerebral vascular endothelial cells. We found that VEGF‐A activated VEGF receptor‐2 (VEGFR‐2), phosphorylated CREB in neurons and endothelial cells, and protected against HI, and inhibiting VEGFR‐2 before VEGF‐A reduced the protective effect of VEGF‐A in rat pups. VEGF‐A also up‐regulated VEGFR‐2 and phosphorylated CREB, and protected H19‐7 neurons and b.End3 endothelial cells against OGD. Inhibiting VEGFR‐2 and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), respectively, reduced VEGF‐A‐induced CREB phosphorylation and protection of H19‐7 and b.End3 cells against OGD. Transfecting H19‐7 and b.End3 cells with a serine‐133 phosphorylation mutant CREB also inhibited VEGF‐A’s protection of both types of cells. We conclude that CREB phosphorylation through VEGFR‐2/ERK signaling is the shared pathway that underlies VEGF‐A’s protection of neurons and vascular endothelial cells.
Crown fragment reattachment: report of an extensive case with intra‐canal anchorage
Authors: Oliveira Gustavo M. S. , Oliveira Greice B. , Ritter André V.
Published: January 2010

Abstract –  This paper describes the resolution of an extensive complicated crown‐root fracture of an endodontically treated maxillary central incisor. Initially, the fractured crown was splinted to the adjacent teeth with orthodontic wire and composite resin. Subsequently, the crown fragment was reattached by means of a fiber post using a hybrid composite resin. Early stage success was achieved with the observance of normality in function, esthetics, and health of the tooth and surrounding periodontal structures. An athletic mouthguard was fabricated to prevent further trauma. Advantages, disadvantages, and prognosis of the treatment presented are discussed.
Exploring factors associated with traumatic dental injuries in preschool children: a Poisson regression analysis
Authors: Feldens Carlos Alberto , Kramer Paulo Floriani , Ferreira Simone Helena , Spiguel Mônica Hermann , Marquezan Marcela
Published: January 2010

Abstract –  Objective:  This cross‐sectional study aimed to investigate the factors associated with dental trauma in preschool children using Poisson regression analysis with robust variance.

Subjects and methods:  The study population comprised 888 children aged 3‐ to 5‐year‐old attending public nurseries in Canoas, southern Brazil. Questionnaires assessing information related to the independent variables (age, gender, race, mother’s educational level and family income) were completed by the parents. Clinical examinations were carried out by five trained examiners in order to assess traumatic dental injuries (TDI) according to Andreasen’s classification. One of the five examiners was calibrated to assess orthodontic characteristics (open bite and overjet). Multivariable Poisson regression analysis with robust variance was used to determine the factors associated with dental trauma as well as the strengths of association. Traditional logistic regression was also performed in order to compare the estimates obtained by both methods of statistical analysis.

Results:  36.4% (323/888) of the children suffered dental trauma and there was no difference in prevalence rates from 3 to 5 years of age. Poisson regression analysis showed that the probability of the outcome was almost 30% higher for children whose mothers had more than 8 years of education (Prevalence Ratio = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.03–1.60) and 63% higher for children with an overjet greater than 2 mm (Prevalence Ratio = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.31–2.03). Odds ratios clearly overestimated the size of the effect when compared with prevalence ratios.

Conclusions:  These findings indicate the need for preventive orientation regarding TDI, in order to educate parents and caregivers about supervising infants, particularly those with increased overjet and whose mothers have a higher level of education. Poisson regression with robust variance represents a better alternative than logistic regression to estimate the risk of dental trauma in preschool children.
An evaluation of the Periotest® method as a tool for monitoring tooth mobility in dental traumatology
Authors: Berthold Christine , Holst Stefan , Schmitt Johannes , Goellner Matthias , Petschelt Anselm
Published: January 2010

Abstract –  Background/aim:  The Periotest® method is a technique for the objective assessment of tooth mobility. The aims of this study were to determine normal Periotest® values in the vertical and horizontal dimensions of periodontally healthy teeth in individuals aged 20–35 years and investigate the reliability of Periotest® in terms of intra‐series and inter‐series reproducibility before and after applying a dental trauma splint in vivo.

Materials and methods:  Periotest® values were measured in periodontally healthy dental students (n = 33; mean age 24.7 years) at reproducible measuring points in the vertical and horizontal dimensions, before and after splint insertion. Three readings were taken per series to observe the intra‐series reproducibility; three series were measured to test inter‐series reproducibility (Friedman‐test; P ≤ 0.001). Two different wire‐composite splints, 0.45 mm Dentaflex and 0.8 × 1.8 Strengtheners, were inserted and the Periotest® values were measured.

Results:  The median Periotest® values before splinting were: canines ‐2.5, lateral incisors ‐0.9, and central incisors 0.0 for the vertical dimension, and canines 1.1, lateral incisors 3.2, and central incisors 3.6 for the horizontal dimension. The intra‐series and inter‐series Periotest® values were highly reproducible.

Conclusion:  The Periotest® method provides highly reproducible results. Focused on dental trauma, the method can be applied diagnostically during the splint and follow‐up period and for evaluating splint rigidity.
SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE FRACTIONATION OF PITHECELLOBIUM JIRINGAN JACK SEED COMPOSITIONS USING FAST GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY TIME OF FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETRY
Authors: NORULAINI N.A. NIK , ZAIDUL I.S.M. , AZIZI C.Y. MOHD , ZHARI I. , NORAMIN M.N. , SAHENA F. , OMAR A.K. MOHD
Published: January 2010

The volatile oil components of ground Pithecellobium jiringan seeds were fractionated using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2) at 80C and 6,000 psi. The extract was collected every 20 min and the yield was successively extracted into five fractions; thus, the total extraction time was 100 min. The yields (volatile oils) were analyzed with fast gas chromatography/time of flight mass spectrometry (Fast GC‐MS‐TOF) and 55 components were identified. The major components were found to be fatty acids, ally sulfur, vitamin E, terpenoids, and flavonoid and alkaloid compounds. The major components were present at different percentages in each fraction, where some compounds were more dominant in fraction 1 and extracted in the first 20 min where others were more dominant in later fractions. However, the SC‐CO2 and GC‐MS‐TOF may be regarded as new analytical tools for the separation and identification of chemical components from P. jiringan jack seeds. Substances extracted from P. jiringan jack seeds could be evaluated for anti‐diabetic and anti‐hypertensive effects.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Pithecellobium jiringan seed was commonly consumed by Malaysians as raw vegetables dishes as appetizer. Traditionally, the use of raw vegetables is recommended for the prevention of diseases and for health care purposes. The selection of P. jiringan seeds as a material used in the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is due to significance reasons. There is no in‐depth study on their valuable compounds, even though the use of P. jiringan seeds employed in traditional medicines is widespread among the local rural communities, especially for treatment of hypertension and diabetes. Hence, research studies on the chemical constituents and biological activities of this plant are needed. Because it is used in human consumption, a safe extraction technique as supercritical fluid technology is most apt for this research.
Resistance exercise increases leg muscle protein synthesis and mTOR signalling independent of sex
Authors: Dreyer H. C. , Fujita S. , Glynn E. L. , Drummond M. J. , Volpi E. , Rasmussen B. B.
Published: January 2010

Aim:  Sex differences are evident in human skeletal muscle as the cross‐sectional area of individual muscle fibres is greater in men than in women. We have recently shown that resistance exercise stimulates mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling and muscle protein synthesis in humans during early post‐exercise recovery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if sex influences the muscle protein synthesis response during recovery from resistance exercise.

Methods:  Seventeen subjects, nine male and eight female, were studied in the fasted state before, during and for 2 h following a bout of high‐intensity leg resistance exercise. Mixed muscle protein fractional synthetic rate was measured using stable isotope techniques and mTOR signalling was assessed by immunoblotting from repeated vastus lateralis muscle biopsy samples.

Results:  Post‐exercise muscle protein synthesis increased by 52% in the men and by 47% in the women (P < 0.05) and was not different between groups (P > 0.05). Akt phosphorylation increased in both groups at 1 h post‐exercise (P < 0.05) and returned to baseline during 2 h post‐exercise with no differences between groups (P > 0.05). Phosphorylation of mTOR and its downstream effector S6K1 increased significantly and similarly between groups during post‐exercise recovery (P < 0.05). eEF2 phosphorylation decreased at 1‐ and 2 h post‐exercise (P < 0.05) to a similar extent in both groups.

Conclusion:  The contraction‐induced increase in early post‐exercise mTOR signalling and muscle protein synthesis is independent of sex and appears to not play a role in the sexual dimorphism of leg skeletal muscle in young men and women.
Hypocretin/orexin and energy expenditure
Authors: Teske J. A. , Billington C. J. , Kotz C. M.
Published: January 2010

The hypocretins or orexins are endogenous neuropeptides synthesized in discrete lateral, perifornical and dorsal hypothalamic neurones. These multi‐functional neuropeptides modulate energy homeostasis, arousal, stress, reward, reproduction and cardiovascular function. This review summarizes the role of hypocretins in modulating non‐sleep‐related energy expenditure with specific focus on the augmentation of whole body energy expenditure as well as hypocretin‐induced physical activity and sympathetic outflow. We compare the efficacy of hypocretin‐1 and 2 on energy expenditure and evaluate whether the literature implicates hypocretin signalling though the hypocretin‐1 and ‐2 receptor as having shared and or functionally specific physiological effects. Thus far data suggest that hypocretin‐1 has a more robust stimulatory effect relative to hypocretin‐2. Furthermore, hypocretin‐1 receptor predominantly mediates behaviours known to influence energy expenditure. Further studies on the hypocretin‐2 receptor are needed.
Dioxin and immune regulation
Authors: Marshall Nikki B. , Kerkvliet Nancy I.
Published: January 2010

The immune toxicity of the ubiquitous environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD), commonly referred to as dioxin, has been studied for over 35 years but only recently has the profound immune suppression induced by TCDD exposure been linked to induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs). The effects of TCDD are mediated through its binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a ligand‐activated transcription factor. The subsequent AHR‐dependent effects on immune responses are determined by the cell types involved, their activation status, and the type of antigenic stimulus. Collectively, studies indicate that TCDD inhibits CD4+ T cell differentiation into T helper (Th)1, Th2, and Th17 effector cells, while inducing Foxp3‐negative and/or preserving Foxp3+ Tregs. Although it is not yet clear how activation of AHR by TCDD induces Tregs, there is a potential therapeutic role for alternative AHR ligands in the treatment of immune‐mediated disorders.
Memory CD8+ T cell differentiation
Authors: Obar Joshua J. , Lefrançois Leo
Published: January 2010

In response to infection or effective vaccination, naive antigen‐specific CD8+ T cells undergo a dramatic highly orchestrated activation process. Initial encounter with an appropriately activated antigen‐presenting cell leads to blastogenesis and an exponential increase in antigen‐specific CD8+ T cell numbers. Simultaneously, a dynamic differentiation process occurs, resulting in formation of both primary effector and long‐lived memory cells. Current findings have emphasized the heterogeneity of effector and memory cell populations with the description of multiple cellular subsets based on phenotype, function, and anatomic location. Yet, only recently have we begun to dissect the underlying factors mediating the temporal control of the development of distinct effector and memory CD8+ T cell sublineages. In this review we will focus on the requirements for mounting an effective CD8+ T cell response and highlight the elements regulating the differentiation of effector and memory subsets.
Epitope specificity and significance in systemic autoimmune diseases
Authors: Mahler Michael , Fritzler Marvin J.
Published: January 2010

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by self‐reactive immune processes mediated by B and T cells. These disorders exhibit a spectrum of clinical features that range from local or organ specific to systemic diseases. Although a variety of putative mechanisms that trigger the loss of tolerance and thus the genesis of autoimmunity have been identified, for the most part the precise mechanisms remain illusive. Nevertheless, it is widely appreciated that autoantibodies are useful both in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders and as molecular biological tools to study cellular processes in which the target antigens are involved. Several methods and technologies, including protein fragments, synthetic peptides, phage display, or structural analyses have been developed for the characterization of the specificity of the autoimmune reactions. The present review provides an overview of the autoantibody epitopes in systemic autoimmune diseases as they relate to the clinical relevance and applications of certain autoepitopes and the technologies that are used to classify and identify them.