bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Cross-Cultural Examination of Student Volunteering: Is It All About Résumé Building?
Authors: Handy Femida , Cnaan Ram A. , Hustinx Lesley , Kang Chulhee , Brudney Jeffrey L. , Haski-Leventhal Debbie , Holmes Kirsten , Meijs Lucas C. P. M. , Pessi Anne Birgitta , Ranade Bhagyashree , Yamauchi Naoto , Zrinscak Sinisa
Published: September 2009

This research adopts the utilitarian view of volunteering as a starting point: we posit that for an undergraduate student population volunteering is motivated by career enhancing and job prospects. We hypothesize that in those countries where volunteering signals positive characteristics of students and helps advance their careers, their volunteer participation will be higher. Furthermore, regardless of the signaling value of volunteering, those students who volunteer for utilitarian reasons will be more likely to volunteer but will exhibit less time-intensive volunteering. Using survey data from 12 countries ( n = 9,482), we examine our hypotheses related to motivations to volunteer, volunteer participation, and country differences. Findings suggest that students motivated to volunteer for building their résumés do not volunteer more than students with other motives. However, in countries with a positive signaling value of volunteering, volunteering rates are significantly higher. As expected, students motivated by résumé building motivations have a lower intensity of volunteering.
Medicalization of unemployment: individualizing social issues as personal problems in the Swedish welfare state
Authors: Holmqvist Mikael
Published: September 2009

This article reports qualitative data on how the Swedish Public Employment Service classifies unemployed individuals as ‘occupationally disabled’ in order to transfer them to various labour market programmes.The article draws on a framework of medicalization, arguing that the individualization of the social issue of unemployment into a personal trouble of disability is a neglected yet important phenomenon that has interesting implications for theory and policy. By classifying some people as disabled in order to explain their unemployment, medicalization can be seen as an important yet so far neglected mechanism in understanding how this individualizing enterprise comes about. It is concluded that by medicalizing unemployment, the target for society’s intervention to fight the spectre of unemployment is primarily individuals’ personal troubles rather than any social issues.
‘Switch on’: sensory work in the infantry
Authors: Hockey John
Published: September 2009

There has been little sociological research on work at the sensory level and the result is a largely missing foundational link in the chain of analysis connecting the phenomenological practices of doing work with theories about work. As a first step towards remedying this lacuna the article portrays the sensory work of movement, seeing, hearing, smelling and touching manifested by the occupation of infantryman.
Getting to the heart of the emotional labour process: a reply to Brook
Authors: Bolton Sharon C.
Published: September 2009

In an article published in this volume of WES Paul Brook suggests the need to strongly defend Hochschild’s emotional labour concept, as it is claimed that I threaten it with extinction with the development of a new typology of emotion management in the workplace.This article seeks to reply to Brook’s core concerns and deal with issues of substance about the phenomena Brook and I are both interested in. Mainly this paper considers how we conceptualize emotional labour and work, and how might that fit into labour process analysis? In response to the misgivings of Brook, the discussion will reveal why and how there is a need to develop analytically the idea of emotional labour, that the typology introduced in Emotion Management in the Workplace (Bolton, 2005a) offers a nuanced explanatory framework; and that labour process analysis is its theoretical home.
‘Technical, but not very….’: constructing gendered identities in IT-related employment
Authors: Guerrier Yvonne , Evans Christina , Glover Judith , Wilson Cornelia
Published: September 2009

Changes in the nature of skilled roles in the IT sector were predicted to create new opportunities for women, yet the proportion of women in this sector is falling.This article presents findings from interviews with senior managers in organizations that are attempting to change this situation.There was little evidence from these respondents of a radical reappraisal of the cultural assumptions about jobs and considerable evidence that gendered identities at work were being constructed in traditional ways drawing on women’s perceived ‘soft skills’.‘Hybrid’ roles combining technical and traditionally female skills were seen as the way forward. These were presented as a new way for women to work in a male dominated environment without compromising their gendered identity. The article confirms and develops, in an IT context, the challenges inherent in changing gendered occupational roles and we conclude that traditional expectations and contexts persist.
Public sector trade unionism in the UK
Authors: Edwards Gemma
Published: September 2009

This article explores the potential contribution of Habermas’s social theory to debates on union decline and renewal in the UK public sector. It employs data relating to 2004—5 research on the National Union of Teachers (NUT) to suggest that two of Habermas’s concepts are particularly valuable when considering strategies to increase membership activity. The concept of ‘communicative action’ is useful for highlighting the importance of spaces for collective discussion among members, while the concept of ‘colonization’ allows an appreciation of the ways in which these ‘communicative spaces’ are being increasingly eroded in the course of public sector restructuring. In this context, NUT strategies for renewing membership activity involve opening up alternative communicative spaces for members in schools, the union, and online.
A retrospective 7-years study of aluminum phosphide poisoning in Tehran: opportunities for prevention
Authors: Shadnia S , Sasanian G , Allami P , Hosseini A , Ranjbar A , Amini-Shirazi N , Abdollahi M
Published: September 2009

The objective of this study was to survey aluminum phosphide (AIP) poisoning in a referral poisoning hospital in Tehran servicing an estimation of 10,000,000 populations. Records of all patients admitted and hospitalized during a period of 7 years from January 2000 to January 2007 were collected and analyzed according to gender, age, cause of intoxication, amount of AIP consumed, route of exposure, time between exposure and onset of treatment, signs and symptoms of intoxication at admission, therapeutic intervention, laboratory tests, and outcome. During the studied years, 471 patients were admitted to the hospital with AIP poisoning; 50% of them were men. The overall case fatality ratio was 31%. The mean age was 27.1 years, and most of the patients were between 20 and 40 years old. Self-poisoning was observed in 93% of cases. The average ingested dose was 5.1 g, and most of the patients (73%) consumed 1–3 tablets of AIP. A wide range of symptoms and signs was seen on admission, but the most common one was cardiovascular manifestations (78.12%). The majority (65%) of patients were from Tehran. Poisoning in spring and winter (34% and 24%, respectively) was more common than other seasons. Gastric decontamination with potassium permanganate, and administration of calcium gluconate, magnesium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate, and charcoal were considered for most of the patients. Mean arterial blood pH was 7.23 and bicarbonate concentration was 12.7 mEq/L. One-hundred percent of patients with blood pH <7 died and 100% of patients with blood pH ≥ 7.35 survived. Electrocardiogram (EKG) abnormalities were noted in 65.6% of cases. There was a significant difference between survival and non-survival according to pH, HCO3 concentration, and EKG abnormality. Even without an increase in resources, there appears to be significant opportunities for reducing mortality by better medical management and further restrictions on the AIP tablets usage. Arterial blood pH seems to be a prognostic factor for the outcome of AIP-poisoned patients.
Cases of pediatric ingestion of celecoxib reported to Texas poison control centers in 2000–2007
Authors: Forrester MB
Published: September 2009

Little data exist regarding pediatric celecoxib ingestions. This study described the pattern of pediatric celecoxib ingestions reported to poison control centers. Cases were isolated celecoxib ingestions by patients aged 0–5 years during 2000–2007 reported to Texas poison control centers. The distribution of cases was described with respect to demographic and clinical factors. Of the 177 total patients, dose ingested in milligrams was reported for 92 patients. Mean reported dose was 305.5 mg (range 10–2300 mg). Of those 92 cases, distribution by management site was 89.1% on site, 6.5% already at/en route to healthcare facility and 4.3% referred to healthcare facility. Final medical outcome was no effect for 95.7% cases and minor effect for 4.3% cases. Specific clinical effects reported (in only one case each) were rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, agitation/irritability, and drowsiness. All of the pediatric celecoxib ingestions reported to Texas poison control centers resulted in no or minor effect.
Preventive efficacy of hydroalcoholic extract of Cymbopogon citratus against radiation-induced DNA damage on V79 cells and free radical scavenging ability against radicals generated in vitro
Authors: Rao BSS , Shanbhoge R , Rao BN , Adiga SK , Upadhya D , Aithal BK , Kumar MRS
Published: September 2009

This study presents the findings of free radical scavenging and antigenotoxic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Cymbopogon citratus (CCE). The CCE at a concentration of 60 μg/mL resulted in a significant scavenging ability of 2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH; (85%), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS; 77%), hydroxyl (70%), superoxide (76%), nitric oxide (78%) free radicals generated using in vitro and also a moderate anti-lipid peroxidative effect (57%). Further, the radiation-induced antigenotoxic potential of CCE was assessed in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells (V79) using micronucleus assay. The CCE resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the yield of radiation-induced micronuclei, with a maximum effect at 125 μg/mL CCE for 1 h before 2 Gy of radiation. Similarly, there was a significant ( P < 0.05–0.0001) decrease in percentage of micronuclei when V79 cells were treated with optimal dose of CCE (125 μg/mL) before exposure to different doses of gamma radiation, that is, 0.5–4 Gy, compared with radiation alone groups. The results of the micronucleus study indicated antigenotoxic effect demonstrating the radioprotective potential of CCE and, which may partly due to its and antioxidant capacity as it presented its ability to scavenge various free radicals in vitro and anti-lipid peroxidative potential.
The Myth of Scheduling Bias With Back-to-Back Games in the NBA
Authors: Kelly Yvan J.
Published: September 2009

The National Basketball Association (NBA) league office determines the playing schedule for its member teams and in doing so assigns an unequal number of games played on consecutive nights (back-to-back games). Although NBA coaches privately complain of a bias in the scheduling of these types of games, a study of five seasons of data show that no bias exists. Although differences in the number of back-to-back games do result in a slight variation in competitive balance, one positive externality is that these type games reduce travel costs by millions of dollars per year.
Prospective Comparison of the Pneumatic Cuff and Manual Compression Methods in Diagnosing Lower Extremity Venous Reflux
Authors: Kakkos Stavros K. , Lin Judith C. , Sparks Jennifer , Telly Melissa , McPharlin Michalene , Reddy Daniel J.
Published: September 2009

Aim: To compare pneumatic cuff with manual compression in diagnosing reflux in patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

Patients and Methods: Eighteen patients (Clinical Etiologic Anatomic Pathophysiologic [CEAP 2-5], median Venous Clinical Severity Score [VCSS 6.5]) were studied. The VenaPulse device (ACI Medical, San Marcos, California) was used for cuff inflation. The hemodynamic performance of the 2 methods was tested in the first 9 patients, while their diagnostic value was tested in the last 9 patients.

Results: Both methods induced equal compression with median peak velocity of the antegrade flow (PVA) being 86 cm/s (P = .65). Coefficient of variation (CV) for PVA in the superficial veins was significantly higher with the manual method (16.8%) compared to the VenaPulse method (9.5%, P <.001), while sensitivity and specificity were 85% and 100%, and 78% (κ .68, P <.001) and 100%, respectively.

Conclusions: Pneumatic cuff and manual compression were shown to be equally effective in diagnosing venous reflux. Cost-effectiveness and ease-of-use studies comparing these methods are justified.
The Levels and Roles of Social and Institutional Support Reported by Survivors of Intimate Partner Abuse
Authors: Belknap Joanne , Melton Heather C. , Denney Justin T. , Fleury-Steiner Ruth E. , Sullivan Cris M.
Published: September 2009

This article explores the roles of social (informal) and institutional (formal) support in the lives of 158 women whose intimate partner abuse (IPA) cases reached the courts in three jurisdictions in the United States.Women were asked who knew about the IPA and their levels of supportiveness. Data analysis includes comparisons across the women in terms of social support and institutional support, and how these were related to the women’s demographic characteristics, whether they were still in a relationship with their abusers, the severity of the violence, and the women’s mental health.
Sequence features associated with microRNA strand selection in humans and flies
Authors: Hu Hai Yang , Yan Zheng , Xu Ying , Hu Hao , Menzel Corinna , Zhou Yan Hong , Chen Wei , Khaitovich Philipp
Published: September 2009

Background

During microRNA (miRNA) maturation in humans and flies, Drosha and Dicer cut the precursor transcript, thereby producing a short RNA duplex. One strand of this duplex becomes a functional component of the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex (RISC), while the other is eliminated. While thermodynamic asymmetry of the duplex ends appears to play a decisive role in the strand selection process, the details of the selection mechanism are not yet understood.

Results

Here, we assess miRNA strand selection bias in humans and fruit flies by analyzing the sequence composition and relative expression levels of the two strands of the precursor duplex in these species. We find that the sequence elements associated with preferential miRNA strand selection and/or rejection differ between the two species. Further, we identify another feature that distinguishes human and fly miRNA processing machinery: the relative accuracy of the Drosha and Dicer enzymes.

Conclusion

Our result provides clues to the mechanistic aspects of miRNA strand selection in humans and other mammals. Further, it indicates that human and fly miRNA processing pathways are more distinct than currently recognized. Finally, the observed strand selection determinants are instrumental in the rational design of efficient miRNA-based expression regulators.
Outer membrane porin M35 of Moraxella catarrhalis mediates susceptibility to aminopenicillins
Authors: Jetter Marion , Heiniger Nadja , Spaniol Violeta , Troller Rolf , Schaller André , Aebi Christoph
Published: September 2009

Background

The outer membrane protein M35 is a conserved porin of type 1 strains of the respiratory pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis. It was previously shown that M35 is involved in the uptake of essential nutrients required for bacterial growth and for nasal colonization in mice. The aim of this study was (i) to characterize the potential roles of M35 in the host-pathogen interactions considering the known multifunctionality of porins and (ii) to characterize the degree of conservation in the phylogenetic older subpopulation (type 2) of M. catarrhalis.

Results

Isogenic m35 mutants of the type 1 strains O35E, 300 and 415 were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility against 15 different agents. Differences in the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) between wild-type and mutant strains were found for eight antibiotics. For ampicillin and amoxicillin, we observed a statistically significant 2.5 to 2.9-fold MIC increase (p < 0.03) in the m35 mutants. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that human saliva contains anti-M35 IgA. Wild-type strains and their respective m35 mutants were indistinguishable with respect to the phenotypes of autoagglutination, serum resistance, iron acquisition from human lactoferrin, adherence to and invasion of respiratory tract epithelial cells, and proinflammatory stimulation of human monocytes. DNA sequencing of m35 from the phylogenetic subpopulation type 2 strain 287 revealed 94.2% and 92.8% identity on the DNA and amino acid levels, respectively, in comparison with type 1 strains.

Conclusion

The increase in MIC for ampicillin and amoxicillin, respectively, in the M35-deficient mutants indicates that this porin affects the outer membrane permeability for aminopenicillins in a clinically relevant manner. The presence of IgA antibodies in healthy human donors indicates that M35 is expressed in vivo and recognized as a mucosal antigen by the human host. However, immunoblot analysis of human saliva suggests the possibility of antigenic variation of immunoreactive epitopes, which warrants further analysis before M35 can be considered a potential vaccine candidate.
Promoter analysis of the rabbit POU5F1 gene and its expression in preimplantation stage embryos
Authors: Kobolak Julianna , Kiss Katalin , Polgar Zsuzsanna , Mamo Solomon , Rogel-Gaillard Claire , Tancos Zsuzsanna , Bock Istvan , Baji Arpad G , Tar Krisztina , Pirity Melinda K , Dinnyes Andras
Published: September 2009

Background

The POU5F1 gene encodes the octamer-binding transcription factor-4 (Oct4). It is crucial in the regulation of pluripotency during embryonic development and widely used as molecular marker of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The objective of this study was to identify and to analyse the promoter region of rabbit POU5F1 gene; furthermore to examine its expression pattern in preimplantation stage rabbit embryos.

Results

The upstream region of rabbit POU5F1 was subcloned sequenced and four highly conserved promoter regions (CR1-4) were identified. The highest degree of similarity on sequence level was found among the conserved domains between rabbit and human. Among the enhancers the proximal enhancer region (PE-1A) exhibited the highest degree of homology (96.4%). Furthermore, the CR4 regulator domain containing the distal enhancer (DE-2A) was responsible for stem cell-specific expression. Also, BAC library screen revealed the existence of a processed pseudogene of rabbit POU5F1. The results of quantitative real-time PCR experiments showed that POU5F1 mRNA was abundantly present in oocytes and zygotes, but it was gradually reduced until the activation of the embryonic genome, thereafter a continuous increase in POU5F1 mRNA level was observed until blastocyst stage. By using the XYClone laser system the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophoblast portions of embryos were microdissected and examined separately and POU5F1 mRNA was detected in both cell types.

Conclusion

In this study we provide a comparative sequence analysis of the regulatory region of rabbit POU5F1 gene. Our data suggest that the POU5F1 gene is strictly regulated during early mammalian development. We proposed that the well conserved CR4 region containing the DE-2A enhancer is responsible for the highly conserved ESC specific gene expression. Notably, we are the first to report that the rabbit POU5F1 is not restricted to ICM cells only, but it is expressed in trophoblast cells as well. This information may be well applicable to investigate further the possible phylogenetic role and the regulation of POU5F1 gene.
Evaluation of a novel real-time PCR test based on the ssrAgene for the identification of group B streptococci in vaginal swabs
Authors: Wernecke Martina , Mullen Ciara , Sharma Vimla , Morrison John , Barry Thomas , Maher Majella , Smith Terry
Published: September 2009

Background

Despite the implementation of prevention guidelines, early-onset group B streptococci (GBS) disease remains a cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Strategies to identify women who are at risk of transmitting GBS to their infant and the administration of intrapartum antibiotics have greatly reduced the incidence of neonatal GBS disease. However, there is a requirement for a rapid diagnostic test for GBS that can be carried out in a labour ward setting especially for women whose GBS colonisation status is unknown at the time of delivery. We report the design and evaluation of a real-time PCR test (RiboSEQ GBS test) for the identification of GBS in vaginal swabs from pregnant women.

Methods

The qualitative real-time PCR RiboSEQ GBS test was designed based on the bacterial ssrA gene and incorporates a competitive internal standard control. The analytical sensitivity of the test was established using crude lysate extracted from serial dilutions of overnight GBS culture using the IDI Lysis kit. Specificity studies were performed using DNA prepared from a panel of GBS strains, related streptococci and other species found in the genital tract environment. The RiboSEQ GBS test was evaluated on 159 vaginal swabs from pregnant women and compared with the GeneOhm™ StrepB Assay and culture for the identification of GBS.

Results

The RiboSEQ GBS test is specific and has an analytical sensitivity of 1-10 cell equivalents. The RiboSEQ GBS test was 96.4% sensitive and 95.8% specific compared to "gold standard" culture for the identification of GBS in vaginal swabs from pregnant women. In this study, the RiboSEQ GBS test performed slightly better than the commercial BD GeneOhm™ StrepB Assay which gave a sensitivity of 94.6% and a specificity of 89.6% compared to culture.

Conclusion

The RiboSEQ GBS test is a valuable method for the rapid, sensitive and specific detection of GBS in pregnant women. This study also validates the ssrA gene as a suitable and versatile target for nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests for bacterial pathogens.
Nonsurgical management of a tricuspid valvular pedunculated papillary fibroelastoma
Authors: Seol Sang-Hoon , Kim Dong-Soo , Han Yang-Chun , Kim Ki-Hun , Kim Young-Bok , Kim Dong-Kie , Ung-Kim  , Yang Tae-Hyun , Kim Dae-Kyeong , Kim Doo-Il
Published: September 2009

A 25-year-old woman with a history of kidney transplantation for lupus nephritis was referred for the evaluation and management of a mass incidentally found on echocardiography. An oval and pedunculated mass attached to the tricuspid valve was managed with nonsurgical treatment. No symptoms and complications attributable to the mass developed. Three years later, the size of the mass decreased. Here we report the case of a probable cardiac papillary fibroelastoma (PFE), a mobile mass, with a stalk on the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve that was managed for three years without surgical treatment.
Update: Greenland and Robins (1986). Identifiability, exchangeability and epidemiological confounding
Authors: Maldonado George
Published: September 2009

We are pleased to publish an update to "Identifiabiliity, exchangeability and epidemiological confounding" (IEEC) by Sander Greenland and James Robins, originally published in 1986 in the International Journal of Epidemiology. This is the first in a series of updates to classic epidemiologic-methods papers that EP&I has commissioned.
The crosstalk between EGF, IGF, and Insulin cell signaling pathways - computational and experimental analysis
Authors: Zielinski Rafal , Przytycki Pawel F , Zheng Jie , Zhang David , Przytycka Teresa M , Capala Jacek
Published: September 2009

Background

Cellular response to external stimuli requires propagation of corresponding signals through molecular signaling pathways. However, signaling pathways are not isolated information highways, but rather interact in a number of ways forming sophisticated signaling networks. Since defects in signaling pathways are associated with many serious diseases, understanding of the crosstalk between them is fundamental for designing molecularly targeted therapy. Unfortunately, we still lack technology that would allow high throughput detailed measurement of activity of individual signaling molecules and their interactions. This necessitates developing methods to prioritize selection of the molecules such that measuring their activity would be most informative for understanding the crosstalk. Furthermore, absence of the reaction coefficients necessary for detailed modeling of signal propagation raises the question whether simple parameter-free models could provide useful information about such pathways.

Results

We study the combined signaling network of three major pro-survival signaling pathways: E pidermal G rowth F actor R eceptor (EGFR), I nsulin-like G rowth F actor-1 R eceptor (IGF-1R), and I nsulin R eceptor (IR). Our study involves static analysis and dynamic modeling of this network, as well as an experimental verification of the model by measuring the response of selected signaling molecules to differential stimulation of EGF, IGF and insulin receptors. We introduced two novel measures of the importance of a node in the context of such crosstalk. Based on these measures several molecules, namely Erk1/2, Akt1, Jnk, p70S6K, were selected for monitoring in the network simulation and for experimental studies. Our simulation method relies on the Boolean network model combined with stochastic propagation of the signal. Most (although not all) trends suggested by the simulations have been confirmed by experiments.

Conclusion

The simple model implemented in this paper provides a valuable first step in modeling signaling networks. However, to obtain a fully predictive model, a more detailed knowledge regarding parameters of individual interactions might be necessary.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the natural history of in situmammary neoplasia in transgenic mice: a pilot study
Authors: Jansen Sanaz A , Conzen Suzanne D , Fan Xiaobing , Markiewicz Erica J , Newstead Gillian M , Karczmar Gregory S
Published: September 2009

Introduction

Because of the small size of in situ mammary cancers in mouse models, high-resolution imaging techniques are required to effectively observe how lesions develop, grow and progress over time. The purpose of this study was to use magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to track in vivo the transition from in situ neoplasia to invasive cancer in a transgenic mouse model of human cancer.

Methods

MR images of 12 female C3(1) SV40 Tag mice that develop mammary intraepithelial neoplasia (MIN) were obtained. MIN is believed to be similar to human ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and is considered a precursor of invasive tumors. Images were serially obtained from 10-21 weeks of age at 2-3 week intervals. MIN lesions were identified based on their morphology on MR images. Lesions were followed over time and several lesion features were measured including volume, growth rate and morphology. For those MIN lesions that progressed to invasive cancer the progression time was measured.

Results

Overall, 21 MIN lesions were initially detected at an average initial volume of 0.3 ± 0.2 mm3 with an average growth rate of -0.15 ± 0.66 week-1. Even though all mice were inbred to express the SV40 Tag transgene in the mammary epithelium and expected to develop invasive carcinoma, the individual MIN lesions took vastly different progression paths: (i) 9 lesions progressed to invasive tumors with an average progression time of 4.6 ± 1.9 weeks; (ii) 2 lesions regressed, i.e., were not detected on future images; and (iii) 5 were stable for over 8 weeks, and were demonstrated by a statistical model to represent indolent disease.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, the results reported here are the first measurements of the timescale and characteristics of progression from in situ neoplasia to invasive carcinoma and provide image-based evidence that DCIS may be a non-obligate precursor lesion with highly variable outcomes. In addition, this study represents a first step towards developing methods of image acquisition for identifying radiological characteristics that might predict which in situ neoplasias will become invasive cancers and which are unlikely to progress.
J. E. Cairnes' Methodology in Theory and Practice
Authors: Hirsch Abraham
Published: September 2009

Abraham Hirsch is Professor of Economics at Brooklyn College.
Clark Warburton and the Development of Monetarism Since the Great Depression
Authors: Cargill Thomas F.
Published: September 2009

1. The first quotation is from Friedman and Schwartz, 1963b, p. xxii; the second is from Gordon, p. 354.
Some Recent Interpretations of Mathematical Psychics
Authors: Creedy John
Published: September 2009

1. Papers (1925), 2:314. For further discussion of Edgeworth's contribution to the theory of exchange and competition, see Creedy 1978.
The International Transmission of Ideas: A Small-Country Case Study
Authors: Boserup Mogens
Published: September 2009

Edited by Thorkild Davidsen and translated by Hans Brems.
The Labor Theory of Value in the Ricardian Theory of International Trade
Authors: Negishi Takashi
Published: September 2009

The author is grateful to anonymous referees for comments.
Classical Roots of the Emerging Theory of Rent Seeking: the Contribution of Jean-Baptiste Say
Authors: Euzent Patricia J. , Martin Thomas L.
Published: September 2009

Thanks to Professor T. Bruce Yandle for many insightful and useful ideas concerning this research. Thanks also to Professor J. Wilson Mixon and anonymous referees for useful comments on earlier versions of the article. We are of course responsible for any errors or omissions.
Operationally Meaningful Theorems in Light of Cournot
Authors: Larson Bruce , Childers Claire
Published: September 2009

If our view of that work is not distorted, it is the alpha, but not the omega, of mathematical economics. It is the vestibule, but not the complete edifice.—Edgeworth on Cournot's Recherches
The Teaching of Monetary Economics in the Early 1900's: Insight into the Development of Monetary Theory
Authors: Samuels Warren J. , Gray Andrew
Published: September 2009

Warren Samuels is Professor of Economics at Michigan State University. Andrew Gray of Washington, D.C. is a former government official and frequent contributor to financial publications. He is a grand nephew of A. Piatt Andrew. The authors appreciate the comments by John P. Henderson, Lawrence Officer, and two referees on an earlier draft.
Smith's Growth Paradigm
Authors: Anspach Ralph
Published: September 2009

Ralph Anspach is Professor of Economics at San Francisco State University.
Customs Unions: Trade Creation and Trade Diversion in Historical Perspective
Authors: O'Brien Denis
Published: September 2009

Denis O'Brien is Professor of Economics at The University of Durham.
Politics and the Body Social in Colonial Hong Kong
Authors: Chiu Fred Y. L.
Published: September 2009

Preamble

In 1966, a year before riots broke out in Hong Kong protesting British colonial rule, an official government inquiry sought to explain the political behavior of the Hong Kong Chinese. According to the authors of the Report of the Working Party on Local Administration, the traditional Chinese view of the ideal relationship between government and people

is analogous to that which should exist between parents and children or between a shepherd and his flock. The actions of both parties should be in strict accordance with a moral code, under which the rulers of a society, who should be men of learning, virtue and ability, must ensure that the community enjoys peace, order and security, leaving individuals free to pursue their affairs without undue governmental interference. In return, the people must impose their full trust and confidence in their rulers, and have cause to oppose them only if the regime fails to provide the conditions of peace, order and security to which the community is entitled. Save for such opposition, this traditional concept does not contemplate the direct participation of the population in the organization or processes of government.
Portfolio Claustrophobia: Asset Pricing in Markets with Illiquid Assets
Authors: Longstaff Francis A
Published: September 2009

Many classes of assets are illiquid or nonmarketable in that they cannot always be traded immediately. Thus, a portfolio position in these becomes at least temporarily irreversible. We study the asset-pricing implications of this type of illiquidity in an exchange economy with heterogeneous agents. In this market, one asset is always liquid. The other asset can be traded initially, but then not again until after a “blackout” period. Illiquidity has a dramatic effect. Agents abandon diversification and choose polarized portfolios instead. The value of liquidity can represent a large portion of the equilibrium price of an asset. (JEL G11, G12)
Decentralized Organizational Learning: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Blume Andreas , Duffy John , Franco April M
Published: September 2009

We experimentally study decentralized organizational learning. Our objective is to understand how learning members of an organization cope with the confounding effects of the simultaneous learning of others. We test the predictions of a stylized, rational agent model of organizational learning that provides sharp predictions as to how learning members of an organization might cope with the simultaneous learning of others as a function of fundamental variables, e.g., firm size and the discount factor. While the problem of learning while others are learning is quite difficult, we find support for the comparative static predictions of the model's unique symmetric equilibrium. (JEL C72, D23, D83)
Why Do Sellers (Usually) Prefer Auctions?
Authors: Bulow Jeremy , Klemperer Paul
Published: September 2009

We compare the most common methods for selling a company or other asset when participation is costly: a simple simultaneous auction, and a sequential process in which potential buyers decide in turn whether to enter the bidding. The sequential process is always more efficient. But preemptive bids transfer surplus from the seller to buyers. Because the auction is more conducive to entry—precisely because of its inefficiency—it usually generates higher expected revenue. We also discuss the effects of lock-ups, matching rights, break-up fees (as in takeover battles), entry subsidies, etc. (JEL D44, G34, L13)
Learning about the Future and Dynamic Efficiency
Authors: Gershkov Alex , Moldovanu Benny
Published: September 2009

We study an allocation problem where a set of objects needs to be allocated to agents arriving over time. The basic model is of the private, independent values type. The dynamically efficient allocation is implementable if the distribution of agents' values is known. Whereas lack of knowledge about the distribution is inconsequential in the static case, endogenous informational externalities arise if the designer gradually learns about the distribution by observing present values. These externalities may prevent the implementation of the dynamically efficient allocation. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the efficient allocation to be implementable. (JEL D11, D82)
Acidification and urine calcium: is it a preanalytical necessity?
Authors: Sodi R , Bailey L B , Glaysher J , Allars L , Roberts N B , Marks E M , Fraser W D
Published: September 2009

Background

It has been suggested that for the accurate measurement of calcium in urine, samples must be collected into bottles containing acid. Acidification poses risks to both patients and laboratory staff. Here we reappraise whether acidification is a preanalytical necessity.

Methods

Twenty-four-hour urine samples were collected from 133 patients into bottles without acid or preservatives. In a subset of 29 patients, 10 mL aliquots were prepared to test the effect on urine calcium of 0.1, 1.0 and 5.0 mol/L hydrochloric acid (HCl). Calcium was then measured immediately after acidification, after 12 h and seven days storage at 4°C. In a separate study, urine calcium concentrations in paired control (non-acidified) and acidified (with 5 mol/L HCl) samples were compared in 133 patients. When available, we recorded the time from start of urine collection to time of analysis. Calcium was measured using the cresolphthalein complexone colorimetric endpoint assay on the Roche Modular system.

Results

There was no significant difference in the calcium concentration in the 29 cases studied between the varying acid concentrations tested compared with non-acidified urine ( P = 0.987). Overall, in 133 patients there was no difference between control and acidified samples ( P = 0.888). We found no correlation between basal urine pH and urine calcium at all time points studied.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the acidification of urine samples is not a preanalytical necessity for the measurement of urine calcium.
Assessment of glomerular filtration rate by serum cystatin C in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Wang Qing-Ping , Gu Jian-Wen , Zhan Xiang-Hong , Li Hui , Luo Xiang-Hang
Published: September 2009

Background

Assessment of renal function in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is important. Cystatin C has been proposed as an improved indicator of renal function. The aim of this study was to assess cystatin C as an early marker of changes in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) after CABG.

Methods

Blood samples were collected from 61 CABG patients at different time points. Using 51Cr-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (51Cr-EDTA) clearance as a ‘gold standard’, we compared the correlations and non-parametric receiver operator characteristic curves of serum cystatin C, serum creatinine and 24 h creatinine clearance (Ccr).

Results

The inverse of cystatin C correlated better with 51Cr-EDTA than those of serum creatinine and Ccr ( r = 0.8578, 0.6771 and 0.6929, respectively). Cystatin C exhibited significantly superior diagnostic accuracy for detecting GFR <80 mL/min/1.73 m2 compared with serum creatinine ( P = 0.013) and Ccr ( P = 0.025); for detecting GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, cystatin C had similar diagnostic accuracy to Ccr ( P = 0.812) but was superior to creatinine ( P = 0.033). At the best cut-off value, cystatin C had sensitivity 89% and specificity 93% for detecting GFR <80 mL/min/1.73 m2, sensitivity 86% and specificity 96% for detecting GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2.

Conclusions

Cystatin C is a better marker for detecting small temporary changes of GFR in CABG patients. This may allow better identification of patients with renal impairment.
Is multidisciplinary teamwork the key? A qualitative study of the development of respiratory services in the UK
Authors: Pinnock Hilary , Huby Guro , Tierney Alison , Hamilton Sonya , Powell Alison , Kielmann Tara , Sheikh Aziz
Published: September 2009

Summary

Objectives

Using frameworks, such as the long-term conditions pyramid of healthcare, primary care organizations (PCOs) in England and Wales are exploring ways of developing services for people with long-term respiratory disease. We aimed to explore the current and planned respiratory services and the roles of people responsible for change.

Setting

A purposive sample of 30 PCOs in England and Wales.

Design

Semi-structured telephone interviews with the person responsible for driving the reconfiguration of respiratory services. Recorded interviews were transcribed and coded, and themes identified. The association of the composition of the team driving change with the breadth of services provided was explored using a matrix.

Results

All but two of the PCOs described clinical services developed to address the needs of people with respiratory conditions, usually with a focus on preventing admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although the majority identified the need to develop a strategic approach to service development and to meet educational needs of primary care professionals, relatively few described clearly developed plans for addressing these issues. Involvement of clinicians from both primary and secondary care was associated with a broad multifaceted approach to service development. Teamwork was often challenging, but could prove rewarding for participants and could result in a fruitful alignment of objectives. The imminent merger of PCOs and overriding financial constraints resulted in a ‘fluid’ context which challenged successful implementation of plans.

Conclusions

While the majority of PCOs are developing clinical services for people with complex needs (principally in order to reduce admissions), relatively few are addressing the broader strategic issues and providing for local educational needs. The presence of multidisciplinary teams, which integrated primary and secondary care clinicians with PCO management, was associated with more comprehensive service provision addressing the needs of all respiratory patients. Future research needs to provide insight into the structures, processes and inter-professional relationships that facilitate development of clinical, educational and policy initiatives which aim to enhance local delivery of respiratory care.
Embryonic Stem Cell Transplantation Correlates With Endogenous Neurogenin 3 Expression and Pancreas Regeneration in Streptozotocin-injured Mice
Authors: Kodama Maho , Tsukamoto Katsura , Yoshida Kimiko , Aoki Kazunori , Kanegasaki Shiro , Quinn Gary
Published: September 2009

Pancreatic β cell regeneration remains poorly understood, yet stimulation of adult β cell neogenesis could lead to therapies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We studied the effect of embryonic stem (ES) cell transplantation on pancreas regeneration following β cell injury. Female Balb/c nude mice were treated with streptozotocin to induce hyperglycemia and received an ES cell transplant 24 hr later beneath the renal capsule. Transplantation of ES cells prevented hyperglycemia in a subset of mice, maintaining euglycemia and mild glucose tolerance up to 5 weeks. Pancreata of euglycemic mice showed histological evidence of β cell regeneration and expression of pancreas and duodenum transcription factor-1 (PDX-1) and neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) in ductal epithelium. Cell tracing analysis indicated that significant β cell neogenesis from progenitor cells occurred between 2 to 3 weeks following injury in ES cell-transplanted mice but not in sham-transplanted animals. Significantly, whereas pancreas-localized ES cells or their derivatives were adjacent to sites of regeneration, neogenic pancreatic epithelia, including Ngn3+ cells, were endogenous. In conclusion, transplanted ES cells can migrate to the injured pancreas. Transplantation is associated with enhanced endogenous regeneration characterized by expression of Ngn3 and increased β cell differentiation from endogenous progenitor cells. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org . Please visit this article online to view these materials.
Significance of Increased Apoptosis and Bax Expression in Human Small Intestinal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Gao Chun , Wang Ai-Ying
Published: September 2009

Human small intestine accounts for 75% of the gastrointestinal (GI) length but for only 1–5% of GI tumors. The reason remains as yet unclearly understood. Our study was designed to examine whether increased apoptosis and expression of related genes/proteins, especially those of the Bcl-2 family, contribute to this difference. For this purpose, 77 samples from patients were examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and immunohistochemistry, including 40 cases from normal small intestine (jejunum), 7 cases from jejunum and ileum adenocarcinomas, and 30 cases from normal colon. The results showed that a significantly higher level of enterocyte apoptosis was observed in normal small intestine compared with small intestinal adenocarcinomas and normal colon (median of apoptotic index, 15.2% vs 0.1% and 1.6%, p<0.01). A similar pattern was observed for Bax (expression-positive, 77.5% vs 28.6% and 53.3%, p<0.05) but not for Bcl-2 (42.5% vs 42.9% and 46.7%, p>0.05) or Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (percent of samples having a ratio ≥1, 45.0% vs 14.3% and 36.7%, p>0.05). In conclusion, increased apoptosis and expression of Bax, not Bcl-2 or the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, may play some role in the relatively lower incidence of human small intestinal carcinomas. However, more studies are required for a better understanding of these changes.
Vapor Permeability Measurements: Impact of Cup Sealing, Edge Correction, Flow Direction, and Mean Relative Humidity
Authors: Hens Hugo S. L. C.
Published: September 2009

Water vapor permeability is a basic hygrothermal characteristic of a porous material. At first sight, the cup test used for measuring the property looks simple. Conditions to be fulfilled, however, are that the vapor flow crosses the sample only, is one-dimensional, and that flow direction has no impact on the result. Flow through the sample only demands a perfectly vapor-tight edge-high seal between sample and cup. That condition was tested using different sealing solutions. The results learned that more precautions than expected were needed. If the flow is not one-dimensional, for example, because such perfect seal is only realizable for a sample larger than the cup mouth, an edge correction must be applied to the value measured. As far as direction is concerned, measurements on a couple of hygroscopic materials gave different vapor permeability results for inward and outward flows. Long-lasting sorption after a fast initial hygroscopic moisture uptake appeared to be the reason for that. Dry, wet, and very wet cup testing shows that vapor permeability of hygroscopic materials increases with relative humidity. Some attribute that effect to surface flow from higher to lower relative humidity in the adsorbed water layers once beyond 50 % relative humidity. If that hypothesis was correct, apparent vapor permeability of hygroscopic layers, in situations where partial water vapor pressure and relative humidity gradients oppose, should be much lower than that measured with a wet cup. During the cold season opposing gradients are present in assemblies with a hygroscopic layer at the outside, covered by a vapor retarding finish. Yet, hot box testing on that kind of assemblies did not reveal vapor permeabilities lower than the wet cup value, although interstitial condensation between the hygroscopic and vapor retarding layer was a fact.
Spelling out history: transforming witchcraft past and present
Authors: Cornish Helen
Published: September 2009

History and heritage are often asserted as indicators of continuity. However, meaningful pasts are mobilized according to the needs of the present, and continually reinvented and transformed. This paper seeks to explore the dynamic and fluid ways that the past is continually under revision to meet such needs. Contemporary British witches are currently experiencing a radical shift in the ways they conceptualize, evidence and rationalize their history. Until recently, practitioners claimed that contemporary practices could be traced back to pre-Christian times: formal groups of witches (covens) had a continuous and unbroken religious tradition going back to antiquity. This position has recently been subjected to extensive critique which suggests a prevailing scepticism to the idea of continuity, and an alignment with recent interpretations from scholarly historians. However, while the ‘inventions’ of earlier writers are criticized, pagans continue to feel connected to the ancient past by privileging less specific ideas about rural traditions and the primacy of experience rather than explicitly historical arguments; the use of the past is a continually creative and ongoing process. Therefore, it is clear that dynamic ideas of what constitutes both the content and context of history are central concerns for practitioners today.