bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pricing real growth options when the underlying assets have jump diffusion processes: the case of R&D investments
Authors: Wu Ming‐Cheng , Yen Simon H.
Published: June 2007

Numerous previous studies have demonstrated that research and development (R&D) investments can be evaluated by a real growth options approach. However, few studies have constructed evaluating models which consider the important R&D characteristics, including uncertainty regarding the project value, investment cost, and jump diffusion processes. The contribution of this study is not only to derive a model for evaluating R&D investments to conform to these key characteristics of R&D activities but also to build a real option pricing method that is more general than comparative important models, such as the theoretical papers of Black and Scholes (1973), Merton (1976), and Fischer (1978), and the application paper of Brach and Paxson (2001). This study also presents sensitivity analyses which illustrate the dynamic relationship between the real growth option value and the project value, investment cost, and main jump parameters. Hopefully, the results of this study can provide a useful reference for managers, and help them make better evaluations of R&D investments.
FLYING WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO GO: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF HUBS IN THE GLOBAL AIRLINE NETWORK
Authors: DERUDDER BEN , DEVRIENDT LOMME , WITLOX FRANK
Published: June 2007

This paper aims to contribute to the literature on the rise of so‐called ‘network cities’ through an empirical analysis of hubs in the global airline network. Standard airline databases do not feature the actual routes flown by passengers, and therefore, a new and previously untapped database is introduced. The employed data are transnational and feature origin/destination statistics with additional information on intermediate stops (if any), which allows a thorough assessment of hub structures in the global airline network. The first part of the empirical analysis presents a threefold hub assessment, i.e. (i) an overview of the major hubs in absolute terms, (ii) a similar overview of hubs in relative terms, and (iii) a measure that focuses on the number of cities that make intense use of a hub. The second part of the empirical analysis focuses on some aspects of the spatiality of hub‐and‐spoke organisation. This is achieved through an examination of the proportion of ‘regional’ hub passengers and some notable case studies.
Youth, slang, and pragmatic expressions: Examples from Brazilian Portuguese1
Authors: Roth‐Gordon Jennifer
Published: June 2007

This article draws on an ethnographic study of the stigmatized speech style of poor black male youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These youth are said to speakgíria(‘slang’), and their speech is often described as incomprehensible to the Brazilian middle class. Speakers and listeners point to a wide range of pragmatic expressions as some of the most salient linguistic features associated with this speech style. This article presents examples from Brazilian Portuguese slang, in which youth draw on sound words, obscenities, address forms, and addressee‐oriented tags to create new pragmatic markers and forms of indefinite reference. It is argued that these pragmatic expressions offer multiple opportunities for speakers to convey stance, novelty, and style, social goals long associated with slang. This data suggests that we broaden the purview of slang beyond the lexicon to investigate the ways in which speakers actively innovate within the area of pragmatics.
Anti‐Individualism, Content Preservation, and Discursive Justification
Authors: Goldberg Sanford C.
Published: June 2007

Most explorations of the epistemic implications of Semantic Anti‐Individualism (SAI) focus on issues of self‐knowledge (first‐person authority) and/or external‐world skepticism. Less explored has been SAI's implications for the epistemology of reasoning. In this paper I argue that SAI has some nontrivial implications on this score. I bring these out by reflecting on a problem first raised by Boghossian (1992). Whereas Boghossian's main interest was in establishing the incompatibility of SAI and “the a priority of logical abilities” (Boghossian 1992: 22), I argue that Boghossian's argument is better interpreted as pointing to SAI's implications for the nature of discursive justification.
A Role for Mathematics in the Physical Sciences
Authors: Pincock Christopher
Published: June 2007

Conflicting accounts of the role of mathematics in our physical theories can be traced to two principles. Mathematics appears to be both (1) theoretically indispensable, as we have no acceptable non‐mathematical versions of our theories, and (2) metaphysically dispensable, as mathematical entities, if they existed, would lack a relevant causal role in the physical world. I offer a new account of a role for mathematics in the physical sciences that emphasizes the epistemic benefits of having mathematics around when we do science. This account successfully reconciles theoretical indispensability and metaphysical dispensability and has important consequences for both advocates and critics of indispensability arguments for platonism about mathematics.
Defining Expertise in Software Development While Doing Gender
Authors: Ruiz Ben Esther
Published: June 2007

The optimism regarding opportunities for women to enter the professionalization process in software development during the past years has not been fully realized and the gender gap in Germany's information technology (IT) sector still persists. Women are almost completely unrepresented in the technical fields of the German software industry, particularly in small enterprises. In this article, I firstly offer an overview of the German IT sector's development and current status. Secondly, I discuss the construction of expertise and gendered meanings in the practice of software development and related implications for the enrolment of women in this field. Gender stereotypical assumptions about expertise in the practice of software development and structural factors related to the lack of life–work balance programmes, as well as the lack of internal training in most IT companies, contribute to organizational segregation
Pharmacokinetic evaluation of the effects of ribavirin on zidovudine triphosphate formation: ACTG 5092s Study Team
Authors: Aweeka FT , Kang M , Yu J‐Y , Lizak P , Alston B , Chung RT ,   the AIDS Clinical Trials Group 5092s Study Team
Published: June 2007

Objectives

Ribavirin (RBV) is used for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in subjects with HIV‐1 infection who may require antiretroviral treatment (ART) with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors including zidovudine (ZDV). We sought to investigate the potential antagonism between RBV and ZDV by evaluating the impact of RBV on the formation of intracellular ZDV triphosphate (TP) in HIV‐infected patients receiving ZDV who were treated for HCV infection.

Methods

Serial plasma and intracellular ZDV TP pharmacokinetics (PK) were determined in 14 subjects at entry (within 2 weeks prior to RBV administration) and at 8 weeks following initiation of RBV. Intracellular ZDV TP in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was quantified by a validated cartridge/liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method. PK exposure was estimated from the steady‐state area under the concentration vs time curve (AUC0–12 h) in plasma and PBMC.

Results

Ribavirin did not have a statistically significant impact on ZDV TP AUC0–12 h, plasma ZDV AUC0–12 h or the ratio of ZDV TP AUC0–12 h to plasma ZDV AUC0–12 h, although there was a trend towards an increase post‐RBV ratio compared with pre‐RBV. There was extensive variability in the ZDV TP AUC0–12 h.

Conclusions

Ribavirin did not inhibit formation of ZDV TP in PBMC in 14 patients receiving ZDV as part of ART and RBV‐based HCV therapy for 8 weeks. These results are consistent with those of a previously published limited study in seven subjects. These PK findings should be weighed carefully against emerging clinical reports of significant anaemia associated with combination ZDV and high‐dose RBV therapy.
Use of complementary and alternative medicines among a multistate, multisite cohort of people living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Josephs JS , Fleishman JA , Gaist P , Gebo KA ,   for the HIV Research Network
Published: June 2007

Objective

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with use of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) in a multistate, multisite cohort of HIV‐infected patients.

Methods

During 2003, 951 adult patients from 14 sites participated in face‐to‐face interviews. Patients were asked if they received treatment from any alternative therapist or practitioner in the previous 6 months. Logistic regression was performed to examine associations between demographic and clinical variables and CAM use.

Results

The majority of the participants were male (68%) and African American (52%) with a median age of 45 years (range 20–85 years). Sixteen per cent used any CAM in the 6 months prior to the interview. Factors associated with use of CAM were the HIV risk factor injecting drug use [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.51] compared with men who have sex with men (MSM), former drug use (AOR=2.12) compared with never having used drugs, having a college education (AOR=2.43), and visiting a mental health provider (AOR=2.76).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated similar rates of CAM use in the current highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era compared with the pre‐HAART era. Factors associated with CAM – such as education, use of mental health services, and MSM risk factor – suggest that CAM use may be associated with heightened awareness regarding the availability of such therapies. Given the potential detrimental interactions of certain types of CAM and HAART, all HIV‐infected patients should be screened for use of CAM.
Shadow Europe: Alternative European Financial Geographies
Authors: BROWN ED , CLOKE JON
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT This paper sets out to trace some major points of convergence between an emerging literature on the political geographies of corruption1and current attempts to develop a renewed research agenda in the geographies of global finance—in this case in a specifically European context. In particular, we offer some preliminary observations on the need to elaborate an alternative geography of Europe's financial architecture that could incorporate the role of flows of illegal and informal finance as major driving forces behind the way in which that architecture currently constitutes itself. This is an inherently complex task due to the intrinsically hidden nature of these flows and the difficulties involved in their accurate measurement; nevertheless, they are too important to be ignored, as is too frequently the case at present. In the paper we offer some necessarily preliminary, and deliberately provocative, reflections on how to take forward such a re‐conceptualisation. Ultimately, our analysis revolves around the identification of an uneasy tension between the demand for deregulated financial markets and the increasing integration of those markets, and the international momentum towards finding ways of dealing with the (apparently) ever‐increasing problems of corruption, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism through new forms of financial regulation and control.
RELIGIOUS DISILLUSIONMENT AND THE CROSS: AN AUGUSTINIAN REFLECTION
Authors: McCARTHY MICHAEL C.
Published: June 2007

This essay applies recent scholarly insights on disillusionment as a cultural and psychological phenomenon to the problem of religious disillusionment as experienced by US Catholics in the wake of scandals of clergy sexual abuse. First, it sets forth disillusionment as a category for exploring the theological issue of sinfulness in the church. Second, it considers examples of how Vatican documents and acts of reconciliation in the last decade have been careful to draw distinctions between the faults of individual Christians and the holiness of the Church itself. Third, it presents Augustine as one for whom significant disillusionment, even with the Church, became an avenue for embracing the cross in the broadest ecclesiological context.
Ratings of Test Fairness by Human Resource Professionals
Authors: Landon Timothy E. , Arvey Richard D.
Published: June 2007

The authors provide a methodology for capturing policies for rating test fairness. Guided by the test fairness models that appeared in the psychological literature of the 1970s, test fairness evaluations are modeled as a function of a test's validity coefficient, the mean test score difference between the majority group and the minority group, and the test score adjustment for the minority group. Fifty‐seven participants with graduate education in human resource management rated fairness for 20 stimuli. Preference modeling was used to estimate each participant's fairness policy. Results showed that the variation in fairness ratings attributable to differences in ratings policies among participants (40.4%) was almost equal to the variation explained by attribute main effects, demonstrating that test fairness is a controversial issue even among a homogeneous set of participants. The authors discuss the implications of this type of research may have for public policy and the use of group‐based test score adjustments.
To Be, or Not to Be, Linear: An expanded representation of personality and its relationship to leadership performance
Authors: Benson Michael J. , Campbell John P.
Published: June 2007

In this study, we tested for a set of complex, nonlinear relationships between derailing/dark side personality composites and leadership performance using two independent samples of managers/leaders (N=1306 and N=290 for Study 1 and 2, respectively). Based on the structure and characteristics of the derailing/dark side trait composites, we expected the relationship between these composites and leadership performance would best be described with an inverted U function. In Study 1, we found evidence of a nonlinear relationship between the derailing composite, as measured by the Global Personality Inventory©, and behaviorally based, structured ratings of leadership performance in an assessment center. Similarly, Study 2 found evidence for a nonlinear relationship between dark side composites, as measured by the Hogan Development Survey©, and supervisory/other ratings of leadership performance. We discuss the implications of these complex, nonlinear findings with respect to the continued use of personality for the selection and promotion of future leaders. Limitations of the current study and directions for future research are noted.
Discounting and the Treatment of Taxes in Impairment Reviews
Authors: Kvaal Erlend
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  IAS 36 requires an asset's recoverable amount to be measured by discounting its pre‐tax rather than post‐tax cash flows. Although defined so as to produce the same value, the pre‐tax approach is claimed to be simpler and more reliable. The paper demonstrates that an appropriate pre‐tax discount rate varies between assets with different tax depreciation schedules and that it changes over time. Hence, pre‐tax discounting is likely to become complex. The paper advocates an amendment of the standard such that value in use is measured by company‐specific after‐tax cash flows, and such that deferred taxes are included in the impairment review.
Bone morphogenetic protein rescues the lack of secondary cartilage in Runx2‐deficient mice
Authors: Fukuoka Hiroki , Shibata Shunichi , Suda Naoto , Yamashita Yasuo , Komori Toshihisa
Published: June 2007

Secondary cartilages including mandibular condylar cartilage have unique characteristics. They originate from alkaline phosphatase (ALP)‐positive progenitor cells of the periosteum, and exhibit characteristic modes of differentiation. They also have a unique extracellular matrix, and coexpress type I, II and X collagens. We have previously shown that there is a total absence of secondary cartilages in Runx2‐deficient (Runx2–/–) mice. To clarify whether Runx2 is essential for chondrocytic differentiation of secondary cartilages, we performed an organ culture system using mandibular explants derived from Runx2–/– mice at embryonic day 18.0. Since mRNA for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) was strongly expressed in osteoblasts of condylar anlagen in wild‐type mice, and was down‐regulated in those of Runx2–/– mice, we chose to investigate BMP2 effects on secondary cartilage formation. Condensed mesenchymal cells of mandibular condylar anlagen in precultured explants were ALP‐positive and expressed type I collagen and Sox9. After culture with recombinant human (rh) BMP2, chondrocytic cells showing ALP activity and expressing Sox5, Sox9, and type I and II collagens, appeared from mesenchymal condensation. This expression profile was comparable with the reported pattern of chondrocytes in mouse secondary cartilages. However, chondrocyte hypertrophy was not observed in the explants. These findings indicate that BMP2 partially rescued chondrocyte differentiation but not chondrocyte hypertrophy in secondary cartilage formation in Runx2–/– mice. Runx2 is required for chondrocyte hypertrophy in secondary cartilage formation, and it is likely that BMP2, which is abundantly secreted by osteoblasts in condylar anlagen, contributes to the early process of secondary cartilage formation.
Alpha‐synuclein pathology in the olfactory pathways of dementia patients
Authors: Hubbard Paul S. , Esiri Margaret M. , Reading Margaret , McShane Rupert , Nagy Zsuzsanna
Published: June 2007

Lewy‐type pathology is a characteristic of a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Thus far, the definitive diagnosis of these dementias can only be confirmed at post‐mortem. However, it is known that the loss of smell (anosmia) is an early symptom in patients who develop dementia, and the use of the smell test has been proposed as an early diagnostic procedure. The aim of this study was to understand further the extent of Lewy pathology in the olfactory system of patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Post‐mortem tissue from 250 subjects was obtained from the OPTIMA brain bank. Five areas of the olfactory pathway were examined by immunolabelling for alpha‐synuclein – a major component of Lewy pathology: the olfactory tract/bulb (n = 79), the anterior olfactory nucleus in the lateral olfactory gyrus (n = 193), the region of olfactory projection to the orbito‐frontal cortex (n = 225), the hippocampus (n = 236) and the amygdala (n = 201). Results show that Lewy pathology affects different parts of the olfactory pathways differentially, suggesting a specific pattern of development of pathology. Clinical Parkinson's disease is most likely to be identified if the orbito‐frontal cortex is affected, while the diagnosis is less likely if the pathology is restricted to the olfactory bulb or tract. These results suggest that pathology in the olfactory bulb and tract occurs prior to clinical signs of Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, the results presented here provide further evidence supporting the possible value of a smell test to aid the clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Computational mouse atlases and their application to automatic assessment of craniofacial dysmorphology caused by the Crouzon mutation Fgfr2C342Y
Authors: Ólafsdóttir Hildur , Darvann Tron A. , Hermann Nuno V. , Oubel Estanislao , Ersbøll Bjarne K. , Frangi Alejandro F. , Larsen Per , Perlyn Chad A. , Morriss‐Kay Gillian M. , Kreiborg Sven
Published: June 2007

Crouzon syndrome is characterized by premature fusion of sutures and synchondroses. Recently, the first mouse model of the syndrome was generated, having the mutation Cys342Tyr in Fgfr2c, equivalent to the most common human Crouzon/Pfeiffer syndrome mutation. In this study, a set of micro‐computed tomography (CT) scannings of the skulls of wild‐type mice and Crouzon mice were analysed with respect to the dysmorphology caused by Crouzon syndrome. A computational craniofacial atlas was built automatically from the set of wild‐type mouse micro‐CT volumes using (1) affine and (2) non‐rigid image registration. Subsequently, the atlas was deformed to match each subject from the two groups of mice. The accuracy of these registrations was measured by a comparison of manually placed landmarks from two different observers and automatically assessed landmarks. Both of the automatic approaches were within the interobserver accuracy for normal specimens, and the non‐rigid approach was within the interobserver accuracy for the Crouzon specimens. Four linear measurements, skull length, height and width and interorbital distance, were carried out automatically using the two different approaches. Both automatic approaches assessed the skull length, width and height accurately for both groups of mice. The non‐rigid approach measured the interorbital distance accurately for both groups while the affine approach failed to assess this parameter for both groups. Using the full capability of the non‐rigid approach, local displacements obtained when registering the non‐rigid wild‐type atlas to a non‐rigid Crouzon mouse atlas were determined on the surface of the wild‐type atlas. This revealed a 0.6‐mm bending in the nasal region and a 0.8‐mm shortening of the zygoma, which are similar to characteristics previously reported in humans. The most striking finding of this analysis was an angulation of approximately 0.6 mm of the cranial base, which has not been reported in humans. Comparing the two different methodologies, it is concluded that the non‐rigid approach is the best way to assess linear skull parameters automatically. Furthermore, the non‐rigid approach is essential when it comes to analysing local, non‐linear shape differences.
Debates about Ethnicity, Class and Nation in Allende’s Chile (1970–1973)
Authors: CROW JOANNA
Published: June 2007

In 1964, Salvador Allende signed the ‘Cautín Pact’ with leftist Mapuche organisations in Temuco in which they pledged to support Allende’s presidential campaign and he vowed to introduce important socio‐economic reforms to benefit Mapuche communities and to respect their culture and religion. As has been argued in previous studies, there were limitations to the implementation of these reforms in practice. This article suggests, however, that even so, an important space was opened up for – and by – Mapuche people within the government’s left‐wing nationalist project. This shift was also reflected in the works of intellectuals closely linked to the Unidad Popular.
Contested Discourse, Contested Power: Nationalism and the Left in Paraguay
Authors: LAMBERT PETER , MEDINA RICARDO
Published: June 2007

Nationalism has been a key, but generally overlooked, component of twentieth‐century Paraguayan politics and an important explanatory factor in the country’s political outcomes. Indeed, it has been central to the struggle for political power, most significantly to the continuing hegemony of the Colorado Party. This article traces the development of the Paraguayan Left, highlighting its structural and functional weaknesses, and analyses its relationship with nationalism, in particular with the dominant Colorado nationalist discourse. It argues that an important failure of the Left – and indeed other political parties and movements – has been its inability to produce a successful challenge to this hegemonic discourse.
Cuban Historiography in the 1960s: Revisionists, Revolutionaries and the Nationalist Past
Authors: QUINN KATE
Published: June 2007

This article examines nationalist historiography in revolutionary Cuba, focusing in particular on the relationship between pre‐revolutionary ‘revisionist’ histories and the revolutionary historiography produced after 1959. Despite agreement among the revolutionaries on the need for new histories to respond to the needs of the revolutionary age, the dominant nationalist historiography of the Revolution repeated many of the myths of the ‘bourgeois’ histories of the past. In the 1960s, however, several historians working at the margins of academia emerged to challenge the nationalist myths perpetuated by both their republican counterparts and by their Marxist adversaries in the University School of History. Yet despite many significant historical re‐interpretations undertaken during the Revolution, many of the sacred cows of Cuban nationalism remained firmly on their plinth.
Beyond control? The mechanics and dynamics of ‘informal’ remittances between Europe and Africa
Authors: PIEKE FRANK N. , VAN HEAR NICHOLAS , LINDLEY ANNA
Published: June 2007

AbstractPolicy making usually assumes that the best way to harness migrant remittances for development is by shifting them into the regulated money transfer sector. However, much research evidence concludes that alternative methods are often cheaper and more reliable, accessible and convenient. In this article, we explore this tension between policy objectives and evidence. Based on a review of remittance mechanisms in seven sub‐Saharan African countries, we question the validity of the distinction between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ remittances. We conclude that the formalization of remittance systems should not be approached as a regulatory task carried out from the top down, but as a bottom‐up evolutionary and organic process that should be encouraged. We suggest that the current regulatory thrust in this area is likely to be counterproductive, since it risks undermining the many vibrant institutions emerging through the movement of migrants and their money, together with their potential to enhance much needed economic and social development.
Transnational advocacy in the eighteenth century: transatlantic activism and the anti‐slavery movement
Authors: DAVID HUW T.
Published: June 2007

Abstract
In this article, I assess how a transnational campaign against the slave trade developed in the eighteenth century, focusing on the seminal role of Quakers. Building on Keck and Sikkink's study of the international campaign against slavery in America in the mid‐nineteenth century, I show how one can identify transnational advocacy on this issue more than half a century earlier. I examine the features of Quakerism ‐ specifically the close links between American and English Quakers ‐and the historical circumstances that gave rise to the campaign. In particular, I assess the role of transatlantic correspondence and travel among individual Quakers and the close organizational links between the society's branches on either side of the Atlantic. I analyse the development of anti‐slave trade activism according to Khagram, Riker and Sikkink's model of network development and find that this model is broadly applicable. I note, however, the change within the campaign from truly transnational (transatlantic) to predominantly domestic (British) as it changed from a coalition to a broader social movement, and as the campaign began to interact with the state, thus suggesting that the development of transnational networks is neither linear nor inevitable.
Central nervous system regulation of mammalian hibernation: implications for metabolic suppression and ischemia tolerance
Authors: Drew Kelly L. , Buck C. Loren , Barnes Brian M. , Christian Sherri L. , Rasley Brian T. , Harris Michael B.
Published: June 2007

Torpor during hibernation defines the nadir of mammalian metabolism where whole animal rates of metabolism are decreased to as low as 2% of basal metabolic rate. This capacity to decrease profoundly the metabolic demand of organs and tissues has the potential to translate into novel therapies for the treatment of ischemia associated with stroke, cardiac arrest or trauma where delivery of oxygen and nutrients fails to meet demand. If metabolic demand could be arrested in a regulated way, cell and tissue injury could be attenuated. Metabolic suppression achieved during hibernation is regulated, in part, by the central nervous system through indirect and possibly direct means. In this study, we review recent evidence for mechanisms of central nervous system control of torpor in hibernating rodents including evidence of a permissive, hibernation protein complex, a role for A1 adenosine receptors, mu opiate receptors, glutamate and thyrotropin‐releasing hormone. Central sites for regulation of torpor include the hippocampus, hypothalamus and nuclei of the autonomic nervous system. In addition, we discuss evidence that hibernation phenotypes can be translated to non‐hibernating species by H2S and 3‐iodothyronamine with the caveat that the hypothermia, bradycardia, and metabolic suppression induced by these compounds may or may not be identical to mechanisms employed in true hibernation.
Quality of life of elderly persons with cancer: a 6‐month follow‐up
Authors: Esbensen Bente Appel , Østerlind Kell , Hallberg Ingalill Rahm
Published: June 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate possible changes in quality of life (QoL) in elderly persons diagnosed with cancer (65 years and above), in relation to age, contact with the health‐care system, activities of daily living, hope, social network and support. The investigation points were at time of diagnosis (baseline), and again 3 and 6 months after the diagnosis. The study also aimed to investigate which of the aforementioned factors predicted deteriorated QoL in elderly persons with cancer from baseline to the 6‐month investigation. At baseline, the sample consisted of 101 individuals aged (age 65+) recently diagnosed with cancer (74 women, 27 men), but was reduced to 75 (57 women, 18 men) by the 6‐month investigation point. EORTC QLQ C30, Katz ADL, Nowotny's Hope Scale and Interview Schedule for Social Interaction were used in structured personal interviews and questionnaires. Emotional function improved significantly over time, and complaints of nausea and vomiting decreased. Contact with a district nurse at baseline predicted deteriorated QoL from baseline to 6 months later. Support from grandchildren increased significantly. About 30% of the total sample deteriorated in QoL, by the significant ≥10 units, from baseline to 6‐month follow‐up, while about 70% remained stable in QoL from baseline. The majority of the elderly persons with cancer showed an ability to adjust to the new condition. However, in clinical practice, specific attention should be paid to the most vulnerable groups of elderly persons with cancer: those with advanced disease and decreased hope, and those with increased need of both informal and formal assistance.
Health‐related quality of life – testing the reliability of the MSQOL‐54 instrument among MS patients
Authors: Heiskanen Satu , Meriläinen Pirkko , Pietilä Anna‐Maija
Published: June 2007

The purpose of the study was to assess the reliability of the specific multiple sclerosis quality of life (MSQOL‐54) instrument, which contains 54 items measuring quality of life, among Finnish multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Nursing professionals evaluated the clarity and comprehensibility of the translated instrument, after which it was pilot‐tested. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey in the spring 2004. Persons diagnosed with MS in 1999–2001 filled in the questionnaire (n = 100). The response percentage was 81%. The structural validity of the MSQOL‐54 instrument was evaluated with factor analysis and the generic 15D quality of life instrument. The internal consistency of the instrument was measured with Cronbach's alpha, correlations and item analysis. According to the results, the structural validity of MSQOL‐54 was good, and factor analysis yielded a clear‐cut factorial model. More than half of the correlations between the comparable items of the 15D and MSQOL‐54 instruments were moderate or better. The internal consistency of MSQOL‐54 can hence be considered quite good: Cronbach's alpha coefficients calculated for the factors and their items ranged within 0.33–0.89. The alpha coefficient calculated for the whole instrument was 0.84. The internal consistency of MSQOL‐54 was further confirmed by the results of an item analysis, which showed the correlation coefficients between the items of the different dimensions to be good (0.31–0.81). On the basis of the test results, the MSQOL‐54 instrument is fairly reliable and suitable for assessing the health‐related quality of life of MS patients. The reliability of MSQOL‐54 should be evaluated further by a longitudinal study design in the future.
Development of primers to characterize the mitochondrial control region of the snow leopard (Uncia uncia)
Authors: ZHANG F , JIANG Z. , ZENG Y. , MCCARTHY T
Published: June 2007

The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is a rare carnivore living above the snow line in central Asia. Using universal primers for the mitochondrial genome control region hypervariable region 1 (HVR1), we isolated a 411‐bp fragment of HVR1 and then designed specific primers near each end of this sequence in the conserved regions. These primers were shown to yield good polymerase chain reaction products and to be species specific. Of the 12 snow leopards studied, there were 11 segregating sites and six haplotypes. An identification case of snow leopard carcass (confiscated by the police) proved the primers to be a useful tool for forensic diagnosis in field and population genetics studies.
Detection and validation of EST‐derived SNPs for poplar leaf rust Melampsora medusae f. sp. deltoidae
Authors: FEAU NICOLAS , BERGERON MARIE‐JOSÉE , JOLY DAVID L. , ROUSSEL FABIEN , HAMELIN RICHARD C.
Published: June 2007

We report the discovery, characterization and validation of 118 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for poplar leaf rust Melampsora medusae f. sp. deltoidae identified using a gene‐targeted approach in an expressed sequence tag (EST) library. We developed a genotyping assay using the iPLEX™ primer extension method for two multiplex assays of 28 and 22 SNPs.
Newly developed PCR primers for polymorphic microsatellite loci from the marine isopod Limnoria sp.
Authors: HAYE PILAR A. , MARCHANT SERGIO
Published: June 2007

Nine microsatellite loci are isolated and characterized for the marine isopod Limnoria sp., a model invertebrate species for the study of connectivity of marine brooders with high potential of dispersal through rafting. Analysis of 35 individuals of one population revealed a mean number of alleles of 12.66 and mean expected heterozygosity of 0.83, indicating a high level of variability at most loci. These polymorphic microsatellite loci should be useful to the study of the geographical distribution of the genetic diversity of this species of Limnoria.
Population trends of widespread woodland birds in Europe
Authors: GREGORY RICHARD D. , VORISEK PETR , VAN STRIEN ARCO , GMELIG MEYLING ADRIAAN W. , JIGUET FRÉDÉRIC , FORNASARI LORENZO , REIF JIRI , CHYLARECKI PRZEMEK , BURFIELD IAN J.
Published: June 2007

We explore population trends of widespread and common woodland birds using data from an extensive European network of ornithologists for the period 1980–2003. We show considerable differences exist in the European trends of species according to the broad habitat they occupy and the degree to which they specialize in habitat use. On average, common forest birds are in shallow decline at a European scale; common forest birds declined by 13%, and common forest specialists by 18%, from 1980 to 2003. In comparison, populations of common specialists of farmland have declined moderately, falling on average by 28% from 1980 to 2003. These patterns contrast with that shown by generalist species whose populations have been roughly stable over the same period, their overall index increasing by 3%. There was some evidence of regional variation in the population trends of these common forest species. The most obvious pattern was the greater stability of population trends in Eastern Europe compared with other regions considered. Among common forest birds, long‐distance migrants and residents have on average declined most strongly, whereas short‐distance migrants have been largely stable, or have increased. There was some evidence to suggest that ground‐ or low‐nesting species have declined more strongly on average, as have forest birds with invertebrate diets. Formal analysis of the species trends confirmed the influence of habitat use, habitat specialization and nest‐site; the effects of region and migration strategy were less clear‐cut. There was also evidence to show that year‐to‐year variation in individual species trends at a European scale was influenced by cold winter weather in a small number of species. We recommend that the species trend information provided by the new pan‐European scheme should be used alongside existing mechanisms to review the conservation status of European birds. The analysis also allows us to reappraise the role of common forest bird populations as a potential barometer of wider forest health. The new indicator appears to be a useful indicator of the state of widespread European forest birds and might prove to be a useful surrogate for trends in forest biodiversity and forest health, but more work is likely to be needed to understand the interaction between bird populations and their drivers in forest.
Does Unemployment Hysteresis Equal Employment Hysteresis?*
Authors: GUSTAVSSON MAGNUS , ÖSTERHOLM PÄR
Published: June 2007

This paper investigates if conclusions regarding labour market hysteresis differ depending on whether employment or unemployment rates are studied. Applying a range of unit‐root tests to monthly data from Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the UK and the USA, we find results for employment rates that contrast those based on unemployment rates. In particular, rather than the mixed evidence for hysteresis found using unemployment rates, employment rates result in unequivocal evidence of hysteresis in Australia, Canada and the USA. These findings cast doubt on previous conclusions in the literature.
Intelligent Information: A National System for Monitoring Clinical Performance
Authors: Bottle Alex , Aylin Paul
Published: June 2007

Objective. To use statistical process control charts to monitor in‐hospital outcomes at the hospital level for a wide range of procedures and diagnoses.

Data Sources. Routine English hospital admissions data.

Study Design. Retrospective analysis using risk‐adjusted log‐likelihood cumulative sum (CUSUM) charts, comparing each hospital with the national average and its peers for in‐hospital mortality, length of stay, and emergency readmission within 28 days.

Data Collection. Data were derived from the Department of Health administrative hospital admissions database, with monthly uploads from the clearing service.

Principal Findings. The tool is currently being used by nearly 100 hospitals and also a number of primary care trusts responsible for purchasing hospital care. It monitors around 80 percent of admissions and in‐hospital deaths. Case‐mix adjustment gives values for the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve between 0.60 and 0.86 for mortality, but the values were poorer for readmission.

Conclusions. CUSUMs are a promising management tool for managers and clinicians for driving improvement in hospital performance for a range of outcomes, and interactive presentation via a web‐based front end has been well received by users. Our methods act as a focus for intelligently directed clinical audit with the real potential to improve outcomes, but wider availability and prospective monitoring are required to fully assess the method's utility.
Addressing Ceiling Effects in Health Status Measures: A Comparison of Techniques Applied to Measures for People with HIV Disease
Authors: Huang I‐Chan , Frangakis Constantine , Atkinson Mark J. , Willke Richard J. , Leite Walter L. , Vogel W. Bruce , Wu Albert W.
Published: June 2007

Objectives. To compare different approaches to address ceiling effects when predicting EQ‐5D index scores from the 10 subscales of the MOS‐HIV Health Survey.

Study Design. Data were collected from an HIV treatment trial. Statistical methods included ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, the censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) approach, a standard two‐part model (TPM), a TPM with a log‐transformed EQ‐5D index, and a latent class model (LCM). Predictive accuracy was evaluated using percentage of absolute error (R1) and squared error (R2) predicted by statistical methods.

Findings. A TPM with a log‐transformed EQ‐5D index performed best on R1; a LCM performed best on R2. In contrast, the CLAD was worst. Performance of the OLS and a standard TPM were intermediate. Values for R1 ranged from 0.33 (CLAD) to 0.42 (TPM‐L); R2 ranged from 0.37 (CLAD) to 0.53 (LCM).

Conclusions. The LCM and TPM with a log‐transformed dependent variable are superior to other approaches in handling data with ceiling effects.
Oxycodone as a component of multimodal analgesia for lactating mothers after Caesarean section: Relationships between maternal plasma, breast milk and neonatal plasma levels
Authors: SEATON Suzette , REEVES Mark , McLEAN Stuart
Published: June 2007

Background:  Oxycodone has become popular for post‐Caesarean section (CS) analgesia yet it is not currently recommended for use in breast‐feeding mothers because of limited information on its excretion into breast milk.

Aim:  To investigate the relationship between maternal ingestion of oxycodone after CS and the resultant maternal plasma, breast milk and neonatal plasma drug levels up to 72‐h post‐partum.

Methods:  Fifty breast‐feeding mothers taking oxycodone had blood and breast milk samples analysed for oxycodone levels at 24 h intervals after CS. Forty‐one neonates had blood samples taken at 48 h.

Results:  Oxycodone was detected in the milk of mothers who had taken any dose in a 24‐h period, with significant correlation between maternal plasma and milk levels (R2 = 0.81). The median milk:plasma (M:P) ratio for the same period was 3.2:1. Over the subsequent 48 h, the relationship between plasma and milk levels was less strong (R2 = 0.59) and there was a larger range of M:P levels with evidence of persistence of oxycodone in the breast milk of some mothers. Oxycodone levels up to 168 ng/mL were detected in breast milk (20% > 100 ng/mL). Oxycodone was detected in the plasma of one infant.

Conclusions:  Oxycodone is concentrated in human breast milk up to 72‐h post‐partum. Breastfed infants may receive > 10% of a therapeutic infant dose. However, maternal oxycodone intake up to 72‐h post‐CS poses only minimal risk to the breast‐feeding infant as low volumes of breast milk are ingested during this period.
Laparoscopic‐assisted vaginal hysterectomy for patients with extensive pelvic adhesions: A strategy to minimise conversion to laparotomy
Authors: HSU Wen‐Chiung , CHANG Wen‐Chun , HUANG Su‐Cheng , SHEU Bor‐Ching , TORNG Pao‐Ling , CHANG Daw‐Yuan
Published: June 2007

Aim:  To evaluate a strategy for successful laparoscopic‐assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) in patients with extensive pelvic adhesion.

Methods:  Two hundred and thirty‐six patients who underwent LAVH at National Taiwan University Hospital were retrospectively enrolled. Twenty‐three patients (9.7%) had unexpected extensive pelvic adhesions. A special procedure of uterine artery preligation through retroperitoneal downstream ureter tracking was applied to overcome this problem. The clinical characteristics of the study group were analysed. The operative parameters and the outcome were compared between those with and without extensive pelvic adhesions.

Results:  Having extensive adhesions, 17 patients were associated with endometriosis and the other six were secondary to previous Caesarean delivery or pelvic inflammation. The cul‐de‐sac was partially and totally obliterated in 10 and 13 patients, respectively. These 23 patients had longer operation time (184 vs 146 min, P < 0.05), more blood loss (146 vs 89 mL, P < 0.05), but smaller extirpated uteri (278 vs 372 g, P = 0.063), compared with the other 213 patients. The average hospital stay was comparable (3.2 vs 3.4 days) and there were no ureteral injuries or excessive bleeding. Most importantly, not a single case was converted to laparotomy.

Conclusion:  Pelvic adhesions of various underlying diseases are associated with increased complication and conversion rates during LAVH. Although this technique is not new, we believe that the special procedure of uterine artery preligation through retroperitoneal downstream ureter tracking may provide a safe approach for general gynecologists to complete successful LAVH in patients with unexpected extensive pelvic adhesions.
Infracoccygeal sacropexy
Authors: FOOTE Andrew J. , RALPH Jennifer
Published: June 2007

Fifty‐two women with vault prolapse underwent infracoccygeal sacropexy. There was a mesh erosion incidence of 21.1% at a mean time of 20 weeks. This rate is higher than the rates for single‐filament meshes used for suburethral slings. This study suggests that multifilament meshes should no longer be used due to the unacceptably high erosion rate.
Editorial: Gadolinium Use in Patients with Kidney Disease: A Cause for Concern
Authors: Perazella Mark A. , Rodby Roger A.
Published: June 2007

Gadolinium is widely used as a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent and is considered to have a good overall safety profile. Recently, both renal and extra‐renal toxicities have been reported following exposure to gadolinium in patients with underlying kidney disease. Gadolinium‐related contrast‐induced nephropathy appears to be a risk in patients with advanced kidney disease and especially those with diabetic nephropathy. Even more concerning is the strong association of gadolinium with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), a devastating fibrosing disorder of the skin and other systemic organs. Although cause and effect have not been proven for the NSF‐gadolinium link, the impaired renal elimination of gadolinium in patients with kidney disease and the instability of gadolinium‐chelate binding may expose tissues to toxic free Gd3+and promote this fibrosing disorder. Caution should be exercised when utilizing gadolinium as a contrast agent in patients with advanced CKD or ESRD.
Determinants of Antenatal Care Utilization in Three Rural Areas of Vietnam
Authors: Trinh Lieu Thi Thuy , Dibley Michael John , Byles Julie
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT
Objective: To identify factors associated with any use of antenatal care (ANC), gestational age at entry to ANC, number of visits, and overall ANC utilization in the three provinces of Long an, Ben tre, and Quang ngai.

Data: The Vietnam‐Australia Primary Health Care Project conducted cross‐sectional surveys in 1998–1999. Data from 1,335 eligible women were available for analysis.

Methods: Explanatory variables were selected using the Andersen Health Seeking Behavior Model and analyzed using multivariate regression techniques.

Results: External environment, predisposing characteristics, and need, which existed before contact with ANC providers, were most related to using any ANC and gestational age at entry to ANC. However, ANC services provided to women and personal health care during pregnancy, which could have resulted from initial contact with ANC providers, were most related to continuation of ANC visits and overall ANC utilization. Significant variability in the use of ANC existed between provinces and between subsets of women in each province.

Conclusion: To have more women who attend ANC and attend early, promotion should be targeted at high‐risk groups of women. However, to improve the number of ANC visits and overall utilization, the quality of ANC services should be improved.