bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing a third division city: negative parochialism as a restraint on urban success
Authors: Hallsworth Alan , Evans Simon
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a rare example of the roots of (comparative) urban failure. This acts as counterpoint to the more common preoccupation with investigating how and why some cities become successful.

Design/methodology/approach

The main methodology used is a series of in‐depth qualitative interviews with a representative sample of the urban elite of the city being studied. The initial main source of key contacts was the City Centre Management Committee.

Findings

Analysis of the in‐depth qualitative interviews showed that most respondents, whether from the public or private sectors, genuinely believed in, and spontaneously expressed the view, that negative parochialism was a pervasive drag on the future plans and aspirations of city leaders. The findings are triangulated with other evidence that this parochialism has endured for generations.

Research limitations/implications

Though the sample of respondents is small, it does represent a high percentage of the local urban elite. Other forms of data triangulation may be possible and could be helpful in corroborating the findings. Future research should seek to identify other instances of the problem.

Practical implications

Not all cities are highly publicised success stories nor deliver the environment that their residents deserve: but good intentions can be thwarted by negative parochialism. Urbanists need to be aware of the existence of negative parochialism and its implications for urban policy and practice.

Originality/value

By examining a rare‐documented example of the roots of (comparative) urban failure, the findings are of value to all who seek to understand the functioning of policymaking in the urban arena.
Integrating activity‐based costing with simulation and data mining
Authors: Kostakis H. , Sarigiannidis C. , Boutsinas B. , Varvakis K. , Tampakas V.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to present a methodology for activity‐based costing, which combines simulation modeling and association rule mining, one of the core data‐mining techniques. The objective of the proposed methodology is to deal with the problem of defining cost drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

Activity‐based costing uses the output produced by the simulation of cost drivers as inputs. As opposed to the integration of the ABC technique with simulation modeling, the possibility of estimating an empirical distribution of the simulated cost drivers does not exist in the proposed methodology. This is achieved with the use of data‐mining techniques and is based on the proposition that, if an association is found between a cost driver, whose estimation or calculation is time‐consuming, and another cost driver, which can easily be estimated or calculated, then the latter can lead to the estimation or calculation of the former.

Findings

The extracted association rules correspond to existing dependencies between the cost drivers.

Originality/value

The paper presents a combined methodology to deal with the problem of defining cost drivers in activity‐based costing. An example of the proposed methodology in healthcare is also presented.
Toward a social capital theory of technology‐based new ventures as complex adaptive systems
Authors: Han Mary , McKelvey Bill
Published: August 2008

Purpose

Technology‐based new ventures (TNVs) – which rely on entrepreneurial activities based on science and technology applications in newly created organizations to be successful – are important to current economic growth and innovation. Past research has looked at the importance of networks and social capital to TNV performance. Yet these studies rarely provide theoretical predictions of the attributes of network ties. This paper aims to bring TNV theory up to date with respect to twenty‐first century adaptation and complexity conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on new developments in complexity science (specifically scalability and scale‐free theories) and long‐standing first principles of efficacious adaptation to develop TNV‐relevant theory offering an alternative perspective on the impact of network ties on the performance of TNV.

Findings

It is argued that TNVs can achieve superior performance by developing and building moderate numbers of short‐term (and thereby weak) network ties. The theorizing calls for a new research agenda pertaining to TNVs, which are delineated. The paper also develops four propositions as part of setting forth an agenda for future research.

Originality/value

The paper updates the entrepreneurship and social network literatures by reshaping them with respect to the nonlinear order‐creation dynamics of complexity theory and scale‐free dynamics of econophysics. It focuses on the aspects of network theory that are especially likely to set in motion the complex adaptive systems dynamics essential to TNV performance. Therefore, the conceptual framework contributes to TNVs as a guide to achieving higher performance, effectiveness, and longevity in a rapidly changing world.
Management earnings forecasts and adverse selection cost: good vs bad news forecast
Authors: Young Baek H. , Kim Dong‐Kyoon , Kim Joung W.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of management earnings forecasts on the level of information asymmetry around subsequent earnings announcement.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing the adverse selection cost method suggested by George et al., the paper compares for each sample firm the adverse selection cost around earnings announcement in forecasting years with that in non‐forecasting years.

Findings

Consistent with Diamond and Verrecchia is the finding that the earnings announcement in non‐forecasting years decreases information asymmetry during a three‐day announcement period and increases in a post‐announcement period up to seven days. No significant change in information asymmetry between pre‐ and post‐announcement periods when firms released a “good” news forecast is found. The firms that previously released a “bad” news forecast experience a significantly lower information asymmetry than those that did not forecast during announcement or post‐announcement days, and experience a decrease in information asymmetry in a five to seven‐day post‐announcement period.

Originality/value

This paper provides the first empirical reports on the different information asymmetry changes around earnings announcements followed by a “good” news management forecast from those followed by a “bad” news forecast.
Predicting business failure under the existence of fraudulent financial reporting
Authors: Liou Fen‐May , Yang Chien‐Hui
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to stress the importance of detecting financial frauds in predicting business failures disclosed by the unexpected financial crisis brought by Enron, Worldcom and other corporate distresses involving accounting irregularities.

Design/methodology/approach

The most frequently used methodologies in predicting business failures, discriminant analysis and neural network (NN) (based on the Kolmogorov‐Gabor polynomial Volterra series algorithm) are used. This paper suggests a two‐stage NN procedure: the first stage detected the false financial statements, which were excluded from samples that used to predict the business failures at the second stage. The one‐stage discriminant analysis and the NN model are used to contrast the two‐stage approach in terms of accuracy rate.

Findings

The one‐stage NN model has a higher accuracy rate in identifying failed firms than the discriminant analysis, while the two‐stage NN approach has an even higher accuracy rate than the one‐stage NN model.

Practical implications

Detecting the fraudulent reporting in advance can effectively improve the accuracy rate of business failure predictions.

Originality/value

The paper draws attention to the importance of excluding fraudulent financial reporting to increase the accuracy rate in predicting business failures.
Understanding employees' reactions to supervisors' influence behaviors
Authors: Michela John L.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

This study seeks to demonstrate that employees' reactions to their supervisors' influence behaviors are governed by meanings inferred from the behaviors. Another aim is to develop a method in which “weights” for predicting employees' reactions are assigned using mean ratings of perceptions of the features and social/organizational implications of the influence behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Employees of an energy utility completed survey questionnaires concerning the extent of their supervisors' use of specified influence tactics. Employees' organizational commitment, supervisor commitment, turnover intention, and stress also were surveyed. A separate, community sample rated the influence tactics for dimensions of meaning or implications of the tactics. Data from the two samples were combined in a novel arithmetic scoring procedure as one of several analyses looking for evidence of the specified dimensions' effects.

Findings

The study finds that employees' work attitudes and other outcomes were predicted to a statistically significant degree by dimensional, perceptual characterizations of the influence tactics used by their supervisors. In culminating multiple regression analyses, respectfulness was associated with supervisor commitment, turnover intention, and emotional distress; directness was associated with organizational commitment. Additional analyses indicated that other dimensions of meaning also were associated with outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The meanings of supervisors' influence behaviors are somewhat culture‐specific, so the generalizability of findings to other cultures is uncertain. However, the central role of social inferences in reactions to supervisors' influence behaviors may be replicable to other cultures if culture‐specific content or ratings are substituted there. This research also has the usual limitations of cross‐sectional, correlational research.

Practical implications

In their interactions with employees, managers and supervisors should be aware that their influence behaviors, collectively, generate reactions that are significant for employees' motivation and well‐being. Supervisory behaviors and work contexts should be managed so that employees will infer that their supervisors are showing respect and are being honest and direct.

Originality/value

Processes previously assumed to intervene between supervisory influence behavior and employee reactions were operationalized and demonstrated. Novel methods were developed for this research, and these methods may also be applicable to other research domains that involve sets of behaviors that parallel existing schemes for influence behavior.
Individual and collective knowledge
Authors: Hine Damian Charles , Helmersson Helge , Mattsson Jan
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the need in biotechnology to integrate a variety of knowledge bases to build the intellectual asset base of the commercial entity operating in the biotechnology industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based upon a single case study of a young biotechnology company, itself relying on the knowledge and expertise of four directors. To analyze the responses of the four directors to a single lead question, designed to prompt the respondents to articulate the intellectual capital they offer to the firm, this study employs a novel text analytical tool known asPerspective Text Analysis(Pertex).

Research limitations/implications

The results show the disparate nature of the individual knowledge sets in contributing to the interdisciplinary base of the firm. The combined analysis illustrates the importance of collective intellectual capital through “sustainable collaboration.”

Originality/value

This study employs a novel analytical tool to undertake an analysis of both individual intellectual capital and collective interdisciplinary contribution using data from a single question. Pertex is a valuable tool in analyzing the intentionality of a respondent by cutting through to the true essence of their response.
Identification of serine 205 as a site of phosphorylation on Pax3 in proliferating but not differentiating primary myoblasts
Authors: Miller Patrick J. , Dietz Kevin N. , Hollenbach Andrew D.
Published: August 2008

Pax3, a member of the paired class homeodomain family of transcription factors, is essential for early skeletal muscle development. Previously, others and we have shown that the stability of Pax3 is regulated on a post‐translational level. Evidence in the literature and from our laboratory suggests that phosphorylation, a common form of regulation, may play a role. However, at present, the sites of Pax3 phosphorylation are not known. We demonstrate here the first evidence that Pax3 exists as a phosphoprotein in proliferating mouse primary myoblasts. Using an in vitro kinase assay, deletion, and point mutant analysis, we conclusively identify Ser205 as a site of phosphorylation. The phosphorylation of Ser205 on endogenously expressed Pax3 was confirmed in vivo using antibodies specific for phosphorylation at Ser205. Finally, we demonstrate for the first time that the phosphorylation status of endogenous Pax3 changes rapidly upon the induction of myogenic differentiation. The presence of phosphorylation in a region of Pax3 important for mediating protein–protein interactions, and the fact that phosphorylation is lost upon induction of differentiation, allow for speculation on the biological relevance of phosphorylation.
The Australian Labour Market 2001
Authors: Biddle Doug , Burgess John , Mitchell William , O’Brien Martin
Published: August 2008

In this review of the Australian labour market for 2001 we examine the persistence of the unemployment problems in Australia. We then review four issues: a) the youth labour market, b) the position of older males in the Australian labour market, c) work-force access to long service leave, and d) the dominant OECD supply-side policy framework that is currently driving labour market policy in Australia. Overall, the jobs market continues to be sluggish, full-time jobs are scarce and official unemployment rates disguise the extent of labour under-utilisation in Australia.
Major Tribunal Decisions in 2001
Authors: Catanzariti Joseph , Shariff Yaseen
Published: August 2008

In their review of the major tribunal decisions, the authors review the significant cases of the previous year. These decisions touch upon newly contested terrains of industrial conflict such as employee entitlements and the ongoing use of the provisions of the Workplace Relations Act to thwart outsourcing strategies. To that end, the authors first analyse the Federal Court decisions arising from the controversial Manusafe employee entitlements trust fund and the Greater Dandenong City Council’s decision to outsource home care services. Secondly, the authors proceed to provide a considered review of the High Court’s assessment of the elusive distinction between employee and independent contractors. Thirdly, the authors reflect upon an interesting decision of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission which specifically exposed the interconnectedness of the Air New Zealand and Ansett Group of companies. The authors comment that the decisions reviewed are symptomatic of the evolving nature of industrial relations and industrial conflict.
Trade Unionism in 2001
Authors: Cooper Rae
Published: August 2008

Early in 2001 it looked set to be a bumper year for Australian trade unions, with a change in government seemingly inevitable and the release of figures that showed membership growth for the first time in many years. Instead, the year was characterised by a series of defensive campaigns aimed at salvaging workers’ entitlements in the face of corporate collapse, the third successive election of the anti-union Coalition Government and the establishment of a Royal Commission purpose-built to demonise trade unions. In the face of adversity Australian unions nevertheless secured improvements in the maternity rights of women workers, and commenced in earnest the campaign to win reasonable working hours. This article reviews Australian trade union matters in 2001.
Employer Matters in 2001
Authors: Thornthwaite Louise , Sheldon Peter
Published: August 2008

The expected surge of employer militancy did not eventuate on the legislative or industrial fronts. Employers appeared largely satisfied with the federal regulatory framework and continued to experiment with the choices it offers. In an election year and facing an unwilling Senate, they pulled back from their legislative crusade. Industrially and in the courts, large, adversarial employers have been losing as often as winning. Paradoxically, the main employer associations have more successfully navigated the challenges of a decentralised system. They played leading roles in a number of test cases and in defending employer interests in the face of legislative activism from Labor state governments.
Do past experience and competitive ability influence foraging strategies of parasitoids under interspecific competition?
Authors: LE LANN CECILE , OUTREMAN YANNICK , VAN ALPHEN JACQUES J. M. , KRESPI LILIANE , PIERRE JEAN‐SEBASTIEN , VAN BAAREN JOAN
Published: August 2008

Abstract1. In solitary parasitoids, several species can exploit the same host patch and competition could potentially be a strong selective agent as only one individual can emerge from a host. In cereal crops,Aphidius rhopalosiphiandA. ervishare the grain aphidSitobion avenaeas host.

2. The present work studied foraging strategies of both species on patches already exploited by the other species. The study analysed larval competition in multi‐parasitised hosts and compared the foraging behaviour of females with and without previous experience.

3. It was found thatA. erviwins larval competition three times more often thanA. rhopalosiphi. Both species spent less time on patches exploited by a heterospecific than on unexploited ones. When they foraged on heterospecifically exploited patches, experienced females induced less mortality in aphids than inexperienced ones.

4. AlthoughA. rhopalosiphiis a specialist on cereal aphids and is the most abundant species due to its early appearance in the season,S. avenaeis still a profitable host forA. ervi, because: (i)A. rhopalosiphileaves patches partially exploited, (ii)A. erviwins larval competition in three out of four multi‐parasitised hosts, and (iii)A. erviis only slightly deterred by the cornicular secretions of the host and can thus easily parasitise hosts.
Molecular response of Anabaena flos‐aquae to differing concentrations of phosphorus: A combined Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray microanalytical study
Authors: Dean Andrew Peter , Estrada Beatriz , Nicholson James Martin , Sigee David Charles
Published: August 2008

The response of Anabaena flos‐aquae to varying levels of P availability was determined using the combined techniques of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray microanalysis (EDXRMA). Batch cultures of Anabaena were grown at initial P concentrations of 50 μg (low‐P culture), 500 μg (intermediate‐P) and 5000 μg (high‐P) (PO4‐P L−1) and were monitored for total biovolume, chlorophyll a, media nutrients (PO4‐P and NO3‐N), cellular P quota (EDXRMA) and carbon allocation (FTIR spectroscopy). The high‐P culture showed a sixfold increase in total biovolume over the sampling period. Phosphorus in the media remained at more than ∼4000 μg L−1 and intracellular P concentration (P quota) as determined by EDXRMA showed no decline, remaining at more than 0.20% dry weight (DW). The intermediate‐P culture showed a similar increase in total biovolume, but P concentrations in the media fell to ∼20 μg L−1, and this was reflected in a decline in the cellular P quota from 0.24% to 0.06% DW. Although the high‐ and intermediate‐P treatments differed markedly in both internal and external P, analysis of the FTIR spectra from the two treatments, using both hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), indicated no difference in carbon allocation. Cells from the low‐P treatment showed strong evidence for P deficiency. P concentrations in the media were undetectable (<5 μg L−1), total biovolume was much reduced, and P quotas were low, falling from 0.08% to 0.01% DW. HCA and PCA clearly separated FTIR spectra from low‐P cells from those of intermediate‐ and high‐P cultures, with low‐P cells having increased absorbance in the region of the spectra associated with carbohydrate. Both FTIR spectroscopy and EDXRMA have the resolution to study the elemental and macromolecular composition of single species within mixed phytoplankton populations and the combined use of these techniques has considerable potential for the study of cyanobacterial responses to environmental stress.
Hyperammonaemic encephalopathy associated with rituximab‐containing chemotherapy
Authors: Nott L. , Price T. J. , Pittman K. , Patterson K. , Young R. , Fletcher J.
Published: August 2008

Hyperammonaemic encephalopathy has been infrequently reported after both standard and high‐dose chemotherapy for solid and haematological malignancies. It is important to consider this diagnosis for patients with unexplained behaviour changes or encephalopathy and this case report emphasizes this condition and the importance of early diagnosis and is the first reported in association with rituximab‐containing chemotherapy.
Endoscopic evaluation of significant gastrointestinal lesions in patients with iron deficiency with and without anaemia: a Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Disease Study
Authors: Park J. S. , Park D. I. , Park S. K. , Choi J. S. , Kim Y. H. , Chang D. K. , Son H. J. , Kim J. E. , Kim J. O. , Lee S. H. , Kim H. S. , Sin J. E. , Lee S. G. , Lee S.‐Y. , Park S. J. , Park C. H. , Baek I. H. , Jang B. I. , Jeen Y. T. , Huh K. C.
Published: August 2008

Background: Although endoscopy is recommended for patients with iron deficiency anaemia, there is, currently, no consensus on the role of endoscopy for iron‐deficient patients without anaemia. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of serious gastrointestinal (GI) lesions, identified by endoscopy in patients with iron deficiency and anaemia compared with patients with iron deficiency without anaemia.

Methods: One thousand five hundred and eighteen patients with a ferritin value of ≤50 ng/mL and a total iron‐binding capacity ≥300 mg/dL were retrospectively investigated using oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy between January 2005 and September 2006. The lesions identified were classified as clinically important according to standard predetermined criteria.

Results: Among the 1518 cases, 749 patients had anaemia and 769 had normal haemoglobin levels. Clinically important lesions were identified in 24.6% of the patients with anaemia and in 22.8% of the patients without anaemia (P > 0.05). The frequency of lower GI tract lesions (13.6 vs 11.4%, P > 0.05) and upper GI tract lesions (11.9 vs 12.5%, P > 0.05) was similar in the comparisons between the two groups. However, the frequency of malignant GI lesions was higher in the patients with anaemia (5.1 vs 0.7%, P < 0.01). In addition, the patients without anaemia were significantly more likely to have early‐stage neoplasia (adenoma, early gastric cancer and Dukes’ A and B colon cancer) than were the patients with anaemia (98.4 vs 52.5%, P < 0.01).

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that patients with iron deficiency should undergo endoscopic evaluation of the GI tract, irrespective of whether they have anaemia. The endoscopic evaluation of the GI tract in patients with iron deficiency without anaemia could provide an opportunity for the detection of early‐stage neoplasia at a curable stage.
Prior diabetes mellitus is associated with increased morbidity in cystic fibrosis patients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation: an ‘orphan’ area? A retrospective case–control study
Authors: Bradbury R. A. , Shirkhedkar D. , Glanville A. R. , Campbell L. V.
Published: August 2008

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether pre‐existing diabetes mellitus increases the risk of rejection, infection and/or death in cystic fibrosis patients undergoing bilateral sequential single‐lung transplantation.

Methods: A retrospective audit of 25 consecutive patients with cystic fibrosis who underwent bilateral sequential single‐lung transplantation between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2005 at a tertiary referral hospital was carried out.

Results: Although 32% patients had diabetes diagnosed before lung transplantation, 92% had random blood glucose levels ≥11.1 mmol/L requiring insulin during admission. Patients with pre‐existing diabetes had increased infection‐related (3.9 vs 1.2, P= 0.01) and putative rejection‐related (1.4 vs 0.5, P= 0.04) hospital admissions post‐transplantation compared with those without diabetes pre‐transplant. During the period of observation, four of eight patients with a prior diagnosis of diabetes died compared with none of 17 patients without prior diabetes (P= 0.0055).

Conclusion: Almost all cystic fibrosis patients develop hyperglycaemia after lung transplantation, but patients with prior diabetes have more complication‐related admissions to hospital and a higher mortality rate.
Intravenous aminoglycoside usage and monitoring of patients with cystic fibrosis in Australia. What's new?
Authors: Soulsby N. , Bell S. , Greville H. , Doecke C.
Published: August 2008

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the current situation regarding aminoglycoside use and monitoring in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) throughout Australia.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent out to all CF units. Information gathered included patient characteristics, aminoglycoside use, dosing, therapeutic drug‐monitoring methods, toxicity monitoring and incidence of occurrence.

Results: Responses were obtained from 27 of the 28 units identified. Tobramycin was the aminoglycoside of choice. All but three centres were using once‐daily dosing for aminoglycoside administration. Initial dosing in tobramycin‐naïve patients was based on bodyweight (range 7–12 mg/kg). Patients being readmitted were mainly prescribed the dose that they had received on their previous admission. All units gave i.v. doses by infusion with five units using bolus dosing as well. The method of therapeutic drug monitoring varied greatly. A computer programme was used by 15 units. Toxicity monitoring usually coincided with therapeutic drug monitoring. Nephrotoxicity was reported as having occurred in 13 units and ototoxicity in 15 units. The highest incidence of toxicity was ototoxicity in 20% of patients in one CF unit.

Conclusion: Aminoglycoside dosing regimens have changed since the last survey was carried out in 1999. There has been an increase in the use of once‐daily dosing from 54 to 88% of units. The reporting of both ototoxicity and renal toxicity has also increased (from 27 to 75% and from 19 to 65%, respectively). Standardization of management protocols for antibiotic use and patient monitoring may help reduce the risk of cumulative toxicity to aminoglycosides in CF patients.
No improvement in lung cancer care: the management of lung cancer in 1996 and 2002 in New South Wales
Authors: Simonella L. , O’Connell D. L. , Vinod S. K. , Delaney G. P. , Boyer M. , Esmaili N. , Hensley M. , Goldsbury D. , Supramaniam R. , Hui A. , Armstrong B.
Published: August 2008

Background: Patterns‐of‐care studies emphasize significant variation in the management of lung cancer. The aim of the study was to compare the patterns of care for patients diagnosed with lung cancer in 1996 and 2002 within three health areas in New South Wales.

Methods: Treatment data were collected from medical records and treating doctors for the calendar year 1996 and between 1 November 2001 and 31 December 2002. Patients were residents of either south‐western Sydney, Hunter or Northern Sydney health areas at the time of diagnosis. χ2‐tests were used to investigate changes in treatment patterns between the two time periods. An adjusted odds ratio for treatment in 2002 relative to 1996 was calculated using logistic regression.

Results: Data were available for 738 and 567 cases in 1996 and 2002, respectively. Cancer‐specific therapy was given within 6 months of diagnosis to 62 and 64% of patients, respectively. Adjusting for health area, age, sex, pathology and performance status, the odds ratio (OR) of treatment in 2002 relative to 1996 was 1.03 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78–1.35). When stage was included, the odds of treatment in 2002 relative to 1996 for non‐small‐cell lung cancer (n = 950) was 1.21 (95%CI 0.87–1.68). After adjustment for potential confounders, patients diagnosed with small‐cell lung cancer (n = 176) were substantially less likely to receive treatment in 2002 compared with patients diagnosed in 1996 (OR = 0.11; 95%CI 0.04–0.34).

Conclusion: The odds of receiving treatment in 2002 and 1996 were similar. However, patients diagnosed with small‐cell lung cancer in 2002 were significantly less likely to receive treatment. Overall, this study suggests there has been no change in lung cancer care in New South Wales. Further work is required to determine what proportion of persons with lung cancer should receive cancer‐specific treatment so that clinical practices can be judged appropriately.
Contributors to cognitive impairment in congestive heart failure: a pilot case–control study
Authors: Beer C. , Ebenezer E. , Fenner S. , Lautenschlager N. T. , Arnolda L. , Flicker L. , Almeida O. P.
Published: August 2008

Background:  Cognitive impairment and heart failure are both serious health problems related to population ageing. Impaired cognitive function is an important but underrecognized complication of congestive heart failure (CHF). The aim of the study was to examine the sociodemographic, clinical, neuroimaging and biochemical parameters affecting cognition in CHF.

Methods:  Thirty‐one patients with CHF (left‐ventricular ejection fraction < 40%) and 24 controls without CHF, all free of clinically significant cognitive impairment, participating in a case–control study were assessed using a cognitive battery (CAMCOG), a depression scale, 6‐min‐walk test, left‐ventricular ejection fraction, semi‐quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, and cortisol, aldosterone and renin concentrations.

Results:  The CHF patients had lower CAMCOG scores than controls (93.5 ± 6.1 vs 99.9 ± 2.4, P < 0.001) and had significantly lower scores on visuospatial, executive function, visual memory and verbal learning tasks. Concentrations of renin and aldosterone were higher in patients with CHF (5.4 ± 6.0 vs 0.8 ± 0.7 mU/L, P < 0.001 and 598.2 ± 306.2 vs 346.0 ± 201.5, P= 0.003). Right medial temporal lobe atrophy was more prominent in CHF (P= 0.030). Left medial temporal lobe atrophy and deep white matter hyperintensities showed moderate association with cognitive scores in CHF, whereas functional capacity and biochemical parameters were fairly correlated to cognition.

Conclusion:  Congestive heart failure is associated with a pattern of generalized cognitive decline. Structural brain changes, functional capacity and biochemical parameters are associated with the cognitive performance of patients with CHF, but their contribution appears modest. The design of a definitive case–control study is described.
Meta‐analysis: the effect and adverse events of Lactobacilli versus placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease
Authors: Shen J. , Ran H. Z. , Yin M. H. , Zhou T. X. , Xiao D. S.
Published: August 2008

Background:  Lactobacilli are used in an attempt to maintain remission for Crohn disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of Lactobacilli compared with placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease.

Methods:  We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, OVID and BIOSIS. All randomized trials comparing Lactobacilli with placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease were included.

Results:  Six randomized controlled trials with a total of 359 participants met the inclusion criteria. From the meta‐analyses, the relative risk (RR) of clinical relapse rate was 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90–1.48) comparing Lactobacilli with placebo and RR of endoscopic relapse rate was 1.31 (95%CI 0.57–3.00). Subgroup analyses showed RR for clinical relapse rates of Lactobacilli versus placebo was 0.99 (95%CI 0.76–1.29) in adults, 1.85 (95%CI 1.00–3.41) in children, 1.68 (95%CI 1.07–2.64) in Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG and 0.91 (95%CI 0.68–1.23) in Lactobacillus johnsonii respectively. The pooled RR of adverse events was 0.83 (95%CI 0.61–1.12).

Conclusion:  Our meta‐analysis suggests that compared with placebo, administration of L. rhamnosus strain GG as maintenance therapy may increase the relapse rates of Crohn disease. L. johnsonii is inefficacious in reducing the incidence of relapse.
Leflunomide use in New Zealand. A national prospective post‐marketing study
Authors: White D. H. N. , Lynskey N. V. , Jones P. B. B.
Published: August 2008

Background:  This post‐marketing study aimed to record rates of retention, adverse effects and efficacy of leflunomide in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The secondary objectives were to make a semi‐quantitative assessment of response to treatment and to examine the effect of a loading dose on adverse events and treatment duration.

Methods:  Rheumatologists in New Zealand contributed to a prospective leflunomide treatment registry. Baseline data were collected on leflunomide initiation and information about treatment experience was sought every 6 months. Each patient was followed for 2 years. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to evaluate differences in stopping rates between lack of efficacy and adverse effects. Hazard analysis was used to evaluate the effect of using a loading dose on retention rate.

Results:  Three hundred and eight patients were enrolled in the study; complete follow‐up data were available for 244 patients. Retention of patients on leflunomide was 64% at 12 months and 49.4% at 2 years. Reasons for stopping were adverse events (54 patients), loss of effect (25 patients) and miscellaneous reasons (14 patients). Use of a loading dose had no effect on retention; there was no difference in treatment duration between those who stopped from adverse effects or loss of efficacy.

Conclusion:  Leflunomide was effective in treating RA in a group that had longer duration of disease and greater prior use of disease‐modifying agents than the groups studied in clinical trials. Rates of withdrawal were lower than those reported in other post‐marketing studies, but were higher than those from phase III clinical trials.
Platelet function in patients with major depression
Authors: Ziegelstein R. C. , Parakh K. , Sakhuja A. , Bhat U.
Published: August 2008

Depression, ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease are important causes of morbidity and are among the leading contributors to global health burden. These conditions often occur in the same patient, resulting in considerably greater effect on health than combinations of chronic diseases without depression. The frequent occurrence of these conditions in the same patient raises the possibility of a common genetic predisposition, similar risk factors or a pathophysiological link. Serotoninergic and adrenergic signalling play important roles in causing major depression and also in platelet activation and aggregation, which underlies vascular disease. This review discusses the potential pathophysiological link between major depression and conditions in which platelet activation plays an important role and also provides evidence linking the use of the most commonly used antidepressant drugs (i.e. the selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors) to increased risk of bleeding.
Stable implantation of orthogonal sensor circuits in Gram‐negative bacteria for environmental release
Authors: De Las Heras Aitor , Carreño Carlos A. , De Lorenzo Víctor
Published: August 2008

A broad host range, orthogonal genetic platform has been developed to format sensor circuits in the chromosome of Gram‐negative microorganisms destined for environmental release as bioindicators of toxic or perilous compounds (e.g. explosives) in soil. The genetic scheme includes the generation of a genomic landing pad for the sensor module with a Tn5‐mini‐transposon bearing an optimal attTn7 sequence and a choice of reporter systems with optical and enzymatic outputs. The array of functional elements thereby inserted in the chromosome match that of a cognate plasmid vector which delivers the transcription factors and the promoters to a frame that places the regulatory parts in front of the reporters. Site‐specific recombination sites allow the deletion of antibiotic resistances and enables reporter output prior to deliberate release. The system thus allows the production and maintenance of cells in a pre‐release state and its intentional conversion in deliverable strains that fulfil all safety, stability and performance criteria. The combination of such a genetic platform with a variant of the transcriptional regulator XylR of Pseudomonas putida that responds to 2,4‐dinitrotoluene has been the basis for the production of strains that emit light upon exposure to residues of explosives in a soil microcosm.
The effects of medetomidine hydrochloride on the electroretinogram of normal dogs
Authors: Norman Joanna C. , Narfström Kristina , Barrett Paul M.
Published: August 2008

Purpose To determine the effects of a standardized intravenous dose of an α‐2 agonist (Domitor®, Orion Pharma, distributed by Pfizer Animal Health, Exton, PA) on the electroretinogram (ERG) response in normal dogs.

Methods Twenty‐five normal dogs were used to collect ERG responses including a‐ and b‐wave implicit times (IT) and amplitudes (AMP) before and after administration of medetomidine. Dogs were dark adapted for 20 min and ERGs were obtained using the HMsERG (RetVetCorp Inc., Columbia, MO). TheQuickRetCheckprotocol (Narfström) was employed to provide the following flash intensities: 10 mcd s/m2, 3 cd s/m2, and 10 cd s/m2. ERGs were repeated after 375 µg/m2of medetomidine intravenously. Statistical analysis of the difference between the responses before and after medetomidine at all flash intensities was performed using a mixed effects model foranova.

Results ThePvalue for the effect of medetomidine on each of the ERG responses was < 0.01. The estimates of the effect of medetomidine were (+)1.35 ms, (–)23 µV, (+)3.16 ms, and (–)47 µV for the a‐wave IT, a‐wave AMP, b‐wave IT, and the b‐wave AMP, respectively.

Conclusions Medetomidine significantly prolongs the implicit time and lowers the amplitude response of both the a‐ and b‐waves in normal dogs at all flash intensities examined. Clinically, however, medetomidine only minimally affects the retinal responses and is a viable choice for use in dog ERGs.
Identification of survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis, in canine urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma*
Authors: Rankin W. Velando , Henry C. J. , Turnquist S. E. , Turk J. R. , Beissenherz M. E. , Tyler J. W. , Rucker E. B. , Knapp D. W. , Rodriguez C. O. , Green J. A.
Published: August 2008

Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis, is overexpressed in human invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder. Survivin expression in canine TCC has not been defined. This study was designed to compare survivin expression between canine TCC and normal urinary bladder tissue. Reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed on fresh‐frozen and formalin‐fixed tissues, respectively. All TCC tissues (n = 6) and 11/22 normal tissues assessed by PCR were positive for survivin. This difference was not significant (P = 0.06). With regard to IHC, 28/41 TCC samples were positive for nuclear survivin, whereas 0/46 normal tissues had nuclear immunoreactivity (P < 0.001). Cytoplasmic immunoreactivity did not significantly differ between TCC (7/41) and normal tissues (17/46) (P = 0.07). We conclude that nuclear survivin is present in canine TCC, but not in normal bladder urothelium. Future studies will evaluate the role of nuclear survivin in TCC development and as a potential therapeutic target.
Gastrointestinal Bacterial Transmission among Humans, Mountain Gorillas, and Livestock in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Authors: RWEGO INNOCENT B. , ISABIRYE‐BASUTA GILBERT , GILLESPIE THOMAS R. , GOLDBERG TONY L.
Published: August 2008

Abstract:  Habitat overlap can increase the risks of anthroponotic and zoonotic pathogen transmission between humans, livestock, and wild apes. We collected Escherichia coli bacteria from humans, livestock, and mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, from May to August 2005 to examine whether habitat overlap influences rates and patterns of pathogen transmission between humans and apes and whether livestock might facilitate transmission. We genotyped 496 E. coli isolates with repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting and measured susceptibility to 11 antibiotics with the disc‐diffusion method. We conducted population genetic analyses to examine genetic differences among populations of bacteria from different hosts and locations. Gorilla populations that overlapped in their use of habitat at high rates with people and livestock harbored E. coli that were genetically similar to E. coli from those people and livestock, whereas E. coli from gorillas that did not overlap in their use of habitats with people and livestock were more distantly related to human or livestock bacteria. Thirty‐five percent of isolates from humans, 27% of isolates from livestock, and 17% of isolates from gorillas were clinically resistant to at least one antibiotic used by local people, and the proportion of individual gorillas harboring resistant isolates declined across populations in proportion to decreasing degrees of habitat overlap with humans. These patterns of genetic similarity and antibiotic resistance among E. coli from populations of apes, humans, and livestock indicate that habitat overlap between species affects the dynamics of gastrointestinal bacterial transmission, perhaps through domestic animal intermediates and the physical environment. Limiting such transmission would benefit human and domestic animal health and ape conservation.
A Global Baseline for Spawning Aggregations of Reef Fishes
Authors: DE MITCHESON YVONNE SADOVY , CORNISH ANDREW , DOMEIER MICHAEL , COLIN PATRICK L. , RUSSELL MARTIN , LINDEMAN KENYON C.
Published: August 2008

Abstract:  Species that periodically and predictably congregate on land or in the sea can be extremely vulnerable to overexploitation. Many coral reef fishes form spawning aggregations that are increasingly the target of fishing. Although serious declines are well known for a few species, the extent of this behavior among fishes and the impacts of aggregation fishing are not appreciated widely. To profile aggregating species globally, establish a baseline for future work, and strengthen the case for protection, we (as members of the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations) developed a global database on the occurrence, history, and management of spawning aggregations. We complemented the database with information from interviews with over 300 fishers in Asia and the western Pacific. Sixty‐seven species, mainly commercial, in 9 families aggregate to spawn in the 29 countries or territories considered in the database. Ninety percent of aggregation records were from reef pass channels, promontories, and outer reef‐slope drop‐offs. Multispecies aggregation sites were common, and spawning seasons of most species typically lasted <3 months. The best‐documented species in the database, the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), has undergone substantial declines in aggregations throughout its range and is now considered threatened. Our findings have important conservation and management implications for aggregating species given that exploitation pressures on them are increasing, there is little effective management, and 79% of those aggregations sufficiently well documented were reported to be in decline. Nonetheless, a few success stories demonstrate the benefits of aggregation management. A major shift in perspective on spawning aggregations of reef fish, from being seen as opportunities for exploitation to acknowledging them as important life‐history phenomena in need of management, is urgently needed.
Relative Importance of the Area and Shape of Patches to the Diversity of Multiple Taxa
Authors: YAMAURA YUICHI , KAWAHARA TAKAYUKI , IIDA SHIGEO , OZAKI KENICHI
Published: August 2008

Abstract: Although enhancing reserve shape has been suggested as an alternative to enlarging nature reserves, the importance of reserve shape relative to reserve area remains unclear. Here we examined the relative importance of area and shape of forest patches to species richness, species composition, and species abundance (abundance of each species) for 3 taxa (33 birds, 41 butterflies, and 91 forest‐floor plants) in a fragmented landscape in central Hokkaido, northern Japan. We grouped the species according to their potential edge responses (interior‐, neutral‐, and edge‐species groups for birds and forest‐floor plants, woodland‐ and open‐land‐species groups for butterflies) and analyzed them separately. We used a shape index that was independent of area as an index of shape circularization. Hierarchical partitioning and variation partitioning revealed that patch area was generally more important than patch shape for species richness and species composition of birds and butterflies. For forest‐floor plants, effects of patch area and shape were small, whereas effects of local forest structure were large. Patch area and circularization generally increased abundances of interior species of birds and forest‐floor plants and woodland species of butterflies. Nevertheless, only patch circularization increased abundances of 1 woodland species of butterfly and 2 and 6 interior species of birds and forest‐floor plants, respectively. We did not find any significant interaction effects between patch area and shape. Our results suggest that although reserves generally should be large and circular, there is a trade‐off between patch area and shape, which should be taken into consideration when managing reserves.
Clinicopathological and immnuohistochemical findings in a series of folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma
Authors: Suarez‐Peñaranda Jose M. , Vieites Begoña , Ramírez‐Santos Aquilina , Fernández‐Redondo Virginia , Toribio Jaime , Del Rio Emilo , Forteza‐Vila Jerónimo
Published: August 2008

Background:  Folliculo‐sebaceous cystic hamartoma (FSCH) is an uncommon skin condition presenting as a slow‐growing papulo‐nodular lesion, in or around the nose. Most cases are not clinically suspected and only histopathological examination allows the diagnosis. Pathological features include a dermal‐located infundibulo‐cystic structure with sebaceous glands radiating around, a stromal component encircling the epithelial structures, with clefts between the lesional epithelial and stromal parts, as well as between this and the adjacent dermis.

Results:  We report eight patients with the diagnosis of FSCH (5 females and 3 males), with ages ranging from 35 to 77 years. Most cases (5 out of 8) were located in or around the nose and sizes were comprised between 0.6 and 1.2 cm. Lesions had grown for long periods of time, up to ten years in one case. Immunohistochemistry showed staining for p63 in the epithelial component of all lesions, while CD10 was only present in some sebocytes. CD34 and Factor XIIIa positive cells were present in the lesional stroma. Staining for androgen and alpha‐estrogen receptors was also usually noticed.

Conclusions:  FCSH is a hamartomatous skin lesion, clinically indistinct but with well‐defined histopathological features. Immunohistochemistry shows a profile very close to normal sebaceous glands.