bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ageing, Pension Reform and Capital Flows: A Multi‐Country Simulation Model
Authors: BÖRSCH‐SUPAN AXEL , LUDWIG ALEXANDER , WINTER JOACHIM
Published: June 2006

Population ageing and pension reform will have profound effects on international capital markets. In order to quantify these effects, we develop a computational general equilibrium model. We feed this multi‐country overlapping‐generations model with detailed long‐term demographic projections for seven world regions. Our simulations indicate that capital flows from rapidly ageing regions to the rest of the world will initially be substantial, but that trends are reversed when households decumulate savings. We also conclude that closed‐economy models of pension reform miss quantitatively important effects of international capital mobility.
The Dynamics of Worker Reallocation within and across Industries
Authors: GOLAN AMOS , LANE JULIA , McENTARFER ERIKA
Published: June 2006

This paper uses an integrated employer–employee data‐set to answer two key questions: (i) What is the equilibrium amount of worker reallocation? (ii) How much does firm‐level job reallocation affect worker reallocation? About 26% of workers who had previously exhibited a substantial degree of attachment to their employer change jobs in a given year. About two‐thirds of this reallocation is roughly evenly split within and across broadly defined industries. Firm‐level job and worker reallocation substantially increases the probability of transition for even the most stable group of workers, even after controlling for individual characteristics and firm and industry tenure.
Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in the UK: An Analysis of Graduate Occupation Choice from the 1960s to the 1990s
Authors: CHEVALIER ARNAUD , DOLTON PETER , McINTOSH STEVEN
Published: June 2006

This paper examines the market for teachers in the UK from 1960 to 2002 using six graduate cohort data‐sets. We find that, while there is no strong evidence that teachers are underpaid, the relative wages in teaching compared with alternative professions have a significant impact on the likelihood of graduates choosing to teach. This wage effect is strongest at times of low relative teachers' wages, or following a period of decline in those wages. It is also strongest for those individuals who have more recently graduated, and for men.
Urban Form and Household Activity‐Travel Behavior
Authors: BULIUNG RON N. , KANAROGLOU PAVLOS S.
Published: June 2006

ABSTRACT Cities and metropolitan regions face several challenges including urban sprawl, auto dependence and congestion, and related environmental and human health effects. Examining the spatial characteristics of daily household activity‐travel behavior holds important implications for understanding and addressing urban transportation issues. Research of this sort can inform development of urban land use policy that encourages the use of local opportunities, potentially leading to reduced motorized travel. This article examines the potential household activity‐travel response to a planned metropolitan polycentric hierarchy of activity centers. Behavioral observations have been drawn from an activity‐travel survey conducted in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area during the mid‐1990s. Evidence presented from exploratory analysis indicates an urban/suburban differential, with less daily travel and smaller activity spaces for urban households. Investigation of the travel reduction potential of the proposed land‐use strategy suggests that location effects could be offset by adjustments to household sociodemographic and mobility characteristics.
Income Divergence between Mexican States in the 1990s: The Role of Skill Premium
Authors: AGUAYO‐TELLEZ ERNESTO
Published: June 2006

ABSTRACT  During the period 1940–1985 the variance of average incomes across Mexican states fell by 60 percent. Beginning in 1985, however, and coinciding with the adoption of trade liberalization policies and other market‐oriented reforms, state incomes began to diverge. Using microdata from the 1990 and 2000 Mexican Population Censuses, this study decomposes the recent divergence into components due to economy‐wide changes in skill prices and components due to state‐specific changes in the composition of workers. The study finds that the rise in the education premium hindered the progress of poor states and raised the variance of average state wages and labor earnings. However, educational attainment mostly compensated for this income‐widening effect. State‐level regressions reveal that the initial level of education, size of the agricultural sector, and distance from the U.S. border were important factors, while public infrastructure was not. While the border states clearly benefited from increased trade and opening of the economy, I find no evidence that skill demand or the immigration of highly educated workers particularly favored these states.
Regional Innovation Systems: Implications for Nonmetropolitan Areas and Workers in the South
Authors: BARKLEY DAVID L. , HENRY ARK S. , NAIR SANTOSH
Published: June 2006

ABSTRACT  A public policy response to global competition is the creation of a geographic concentration of innovative activity (regional innovation systems [RIS]) that will enhance metropolitan economic development through knowledge spillovers, product development, and new firm spin‐offs. This article identifies three types of RIS in the thirteen southern states based on a cluster analysis of twenty indicators of innovative and entrepreneurial activity. Next, regression analysis is used to determine if the 1990–2000 growth rates of nonmetro county population, employment, and earnings were related to proximity to an RIS after controlling for other county characteristics associated with local economic development. The research findings indicate that nonmetro counties near an RIS experienced more rapid population and employment growth; however, changes in nonmetro growth rates varied by type of regional innovation system. In addition, proximity to an RIS had a stronger impact on nonmetro population change than on nonmetro job growth.
Book Reviews
Authors: Guo Jing , Grossman Bart , Triantafillou Peter
Published: June 2006

Books reviewed:

Alan Walker and Chack‐kie Wong (eds), East Asian welfare regimes in transition: From Confucianism to globalization

Robin Lovelock, Karen Lyons and Jackie Powell (eds), Reflecting on Social Work – Discipline and Profession

Stephan Leibfried and Michael Zürn, Transformations of the State?
Effect of Serotonin on Regional Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF) in Man
Authors: Olesen Jes
Published: June 2006

With the intraarterial 133Xenon injection method, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured from 35 regions of a cerebral hemisphere. The effect of a constant infusion of serotonin (10–33 μg/min) for 2–5 min into the internal carotid artery was studied eight times in five patients. During rest, mean rCBF was 43.5 ml/100g/min as compared to 42.6 ml/100g/min during serotonin infusion. The latter value was altered to 42.8 ml/100g/min if correction for altered PaCO2 was carried out. In neither instance was the difference significant. It is concluded that circulating serotonin is unlikely to cause the cerebrovascular alterations associated with classical migraine attacks.
Effect of Ergotamine on Platelet Prostaglandin Synthesis—in vitro and in vivo Experiments
Authors: Zijlstra Frederik J. , Spierings Egilius L. H. , Vincent J. Eric
Published: June 2006

We studied the effect of ergotamine on the formation of metabolites of [1 − 14C] arachidonic acid by human blood platelets incubated with ergotamine (10−5 or 5.10−5M) in vitro or after 0.5 mg i.m. administration in vivo. The in vitro experiments confirmed our earlier observation that ergotamine inhibits prostaglandin synthesis. This effect, however, seemed to be restricted to the toxic dose range of the drug as in vivo it occurred only in those subjects who became nauseated or vomited after administration of the drug.
Ergotamine Abuse. Do Patients Benefit from Withdrawal?
Authors: Tfelt-Hansen P. , Krabbe A. Æbelholt
Published: June 2006

A follow-up study of 40 patients (migraine 39, cluster headache 1) previously treated for ergotamine abuse was conducted. Their statements regarding ergotamine intake were checked using butalbital (contained in the suppositories abused by 90% of the patients) as a tracer, and later by contact with the family doctor. Eleven patients abused ergotamine again during a median observation time of 21 months. Nineteen patients had more than a 50% reduction in headache days after withdrawal and half of the patients were relieved of other symptoms of ergotamine toxicity. Even with a failure rate of approximately 25% it is concluded that efforts to withdraw after abuse of ergotamine are worthwhile.
Familial Hemiplegic Migraine—A Reappraisal and a Long-Term Follow-Up Study
Authors: Jensen T. Staehelin , de Fine Olivarius B. , Kraft M. , Hansen H. J.
Published: June 2006

Six patients (two females and four males in one family) with hemiplegic migraine are described. The age of onset was between six and eighteen years. Hemiplegic attacks were usually accompanied by transient neurological disturbances referable to the territory of the vertebrobasilar arterial tree. Brain-stem involvement and vertebrobasilar dysfunction in the reported family was supported by angiography in one case, revealing a marked and prolonged spasm of the basilar artery. Despite its dramatic character and occasionally prolonged deficits the course was essentially benign. Hemiplegic attacks disappeared during adolescence in five of the six patients. No permanent neurological residual phenomena were encountered during a mean follow-up of 14 years. The possibility is raised of a genetically determined susceptibility to periodic vasoconstriction in a particular vascular area as the basis of the syndrome.
Chronic Paroxysmal Hemicrania—Case Report of The Second Known Definite Occurrence in a Male
Authors: Rapoport Alan M. , Sheftell Fred D. , Baskin Steven M.
Published: June 2006

This paper describes the second definite case of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) in a male. The patient fits all diagnostic criteria for definite CPH: Daily attacks, maximum daily frequency greater than fifteen attacks and striking improvement from Indomethacin.
Migraine in Childhood and Its Prognosis
Authors: Bille Bo
Published: June 2006

In 1955 a population study in Uppsala comprising about 9,000 school children showed that migraine increased from 1.4% at the age of seven to 5.3% at fifteen. With increasing age there was an increasing predominance of girls. A matched comparison between 73 children with more pronounced migraine and 73 control children showed a greater tendency in the migraine group to abdominal pain, motion sickness, sleep disturbance and orthostatic symptoms. In a longitudinal study lasting 23 years the 73 migraine children were followed-up until all were over 30 years of age. During puberty and as young adults 62% were free from migraine for at least two years. Of these, 22% again suffered migraine regularly. Thus, 60% had migraine attacks at 30. Girls seem to have a greater relapse rate than boys. Most of the girls with classical migraine were headache free during pregnancy. Every third family with one parent belonging to the migraine group and with children over four years of age had one child with migraine symptoms. Migraine seems to be more frequently inherited via the mother, and to girls.
Biochemical Indices of Sympathetic Activity in Migraine
Authors: Anthony Michael
Published: June 2006

Plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, cAMP, free fatty acids and serum DBH, were estimated in a group of ten migrainous patients before, during and after a migraine attack. All parameters, apart from adrenaline, showed a statistically significant elevation during the headache period. As the blood concentration of the above substances taken in combination is the most reliable index of sympathetic activity available at present, these findings indicate that there is considerable sympathetic dysfunction during the migraine attack.
Contradictory socio‐economic consequences of structural adjustment in Kingston, Jamaica
Authors: CLARKE COLIN , HOWARD DAVID
Published: June 2006

Since the early 1980s, the introduction of International Monetary Fund‐directed structural adjustment packages to stabilize the Jamaican economy has reduced the scope of the government, cut back its capacity to intervene in the housing market, opened the economy to foreign goods (but limited capital), and re‐produced the colonial version of a non‐dynamic, labour‐surplus urban economy in Kingston. This paper traces the impact of structural adjustment on unemployment and class formation in Kingston, and the relationship of these issues to housing problems. Rented, poor‐quality housing, underpinned by low socio‐economic status and historically high rates of unemployment, has created an overt spatial concentration of poverty, located in West and East Kingston. Nevertheless, overall unemployment is currently lower than at independence in 1962, and virtually all housing indicators have recorded improvements over the same time period. These improvements have been due to a deceleration in the growth of Kingston's population since the mid‐1960s; government commitment, despite structural adjustment, to improve the quality of collective consumption; and the determination of Kingston's citizens to build better homes for themselves, often aided by loans from local building societies and remittances from family members resident overseas. However, at least a quarter of Kingston's population remains both unemployed and concentrated into areas of poor quality housing. These circumstances in Kingston are compared with those in adjacent Latin American cites under structural adjustment.
Delirium within Three Days of Stroke in a Cohort of Elderly Patients
Authors: Sheng Ai Zhen , Shen Qing , Cordato Dennis , Zhang Yun Yun , Yin Chan Daniel Kam
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence of stroke, risk factors for stroke, and outcomes in elderly stroke patients with delirium.

DESIGN: Cohort study with 12‐month follow‐up.

SETTING: Bankstown‐Lidcombe Hospital, a 450‐bed teaching hospital of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty‐six stroke patients aged 65 and older recruited over 1 year.

MEASUREMENTS: Incidence of delirium (defined in accordance with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria) within 3 days poststroke, length of hospital stay, discharge destination, short‐ and long‐term mortality, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, and Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.

RESULTS: Thirty‐nine (25%) elderly stroke patients had delirium within 3 days after stroke. Logistic regression analysis found that older age (P=.04), hemorrhagic stroke (P=.02), metabolic disorders (P=.003), dementia prestroke (P=.02), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than 15 on admission (P<.001), and inability to lift both arms on admission (P=.03) were independent predisposing factors for delirium. Patients who had a cardioembolic stroke (odds ratio (OR)=5.58) or total anterior circulation infarction (OR=3.42) were also more likely to develop delirium. Patients with delirium were associated with higher 6‐ and 12‐month mortality (P<.05), lower 12‐month FIM and MMSE scores, and a higher 12‐month institutionalization rate.

CONCLUSION: Delirium occurred frequently in acute stroke patients aged 65 and older. Factors independently associated with delirium included old age, intracerebral hemorrhage, metabolic factors, prestroke dementia, initial GCS less than 15, and inability to lift both arms on admission. Patients with delirium had higher long‐term mortality and a worse functional outcome.
Limitation of a Single Clinical Data Source for Measuring Physicians' Performance on Quality Indicators
Authors: Weiner Michael , Quwatli Zakwan , Perkins Anthony J. , Lewis John N. , Callahan Christopher M.
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent to which relying on only one source of data leads to incomplete assessment of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) or mammography.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional survey.

SETTING: An urban Midwestern academic medical center in 1998/99.

PARTICIPANTS: Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older with at least one health encounter.

MEASUREMENTS: Completion of PPV and mammography was assessed using local and Medicare records. The study compared sources of records and assessed association between services and demographics and comorbidity.

RESULTS: Adding Medicare data to local data increased the computed 1‐year PPV from 8.8% (264/3,002) to 15.0% and increased the 1998/99 mammography rate from 40% (343/847) to 67%. Local data sources missed 40% of PPV and 39% of mammography; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sources missed 50% of PPV and 2% of mammography. The vaccinated were younger than the nonvaccinated (74 vs 76, P<.001). African Americans and those with more comorbidity were less likely to receive PPV over 8 years. Of 555 patients with a Medicare record of mammography, whites and those without Medicaid were significantly less likely to have a local record of mammography (P<.001).

CONCLUSION: Neither administrative nor local clinical records provide a complete or accurate assessment of these quality indicators. Accurate assessment of quality indicators requires pooling data from multiple sources across a broad region.
An 8‐Year Prospective Study of the Relationship Between Cognitive Performance and Falling in Very Old Adults
Authors: Anstey Kaarin J. , Von Sanden Chwee , Luszcz Mary A.
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether cognitive performance, as distinct from cognitive impairment, predicts falling during an 8‐year follow‐up in a community‐based sample of very old adults and to evaluate how cognitive change is associated with falling.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study including three waves of data collected in 1992, 1994, and 2000.

SETTING: Population based, with the baseline sample drawn from the electoral roll.

PARTICIPANTS: Inclusion criteria were completion of at least three cognitive tests at baseline and completion of the falls questionnaire at Wave 6 (N=539).

MEASUREMENTS: Assessments of health and medical conditions, visual acuity, cognitive function, functional reach, semitandem stand, and grip strength were conducted in 1992 (baseline), 1994, and 2000. Self‐report information on falls in the previous 12 months was obtained on each of these occasions. Marginal models using generalized estimating equations were used to assess the association between baseline cognitive performance and falling over 8 years, adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and sensorimotor variables. Random effects models were used to assess the relationship between change in cognitive performance and change in fall rate and fall risk over 8 years.

RESULTS: Mini‐Mental State Examination and verbal reasoning at baseline predicted rate of falling over an 8‐year period. Within individuals, declines in verbal ability, processing speed, and immediate memory were associated with increases in rates of falling and fall risk.

CONCLUSION: Cognitive performance is associated with falling over 8 years in very old adults and should be assessed in clinical practice when evaluating short‐ and long‐term fall risk.
Bath Transfers in Older Adult Congregate Housing Residents: Assessing the Person–Environment Interaction
Authors: Murphy Susan L. , Nyquist Linda V. , Strasburg Debra M. , Alexander Neil B.
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To examine environmental feature utilization (EFU) and the types and prevalence of performance difficulties during a videotaped bath transfer and to determine the personal characteristics associated with total EFU and performance difficulties.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional analysis.

SETTING: Two congregate housing facilities in southeastern Michigan.

PARTICIPANTS: Eighty‐nine older adults who reported independence in bathing.

MEASUREMENTS: Trained video coders recorded EFU (defined as upper extremity contact with features in the environment) and rated performance difficulties (defined as lack of fluid movement or difficulty negotiating the environment). EFU was measured by determining whether features used were safe (i.e., designed for use as a transfer support) or unsafe and by total EFU (i.e., number of environmental features used during the transfer). Personal characteristics included self‐reported medical conditions, bath transfer difficulty, functional mobility, lower extremity strength, range of motion functional impairment, and falls efficacy.

RESULTS: For participants with a tub‐shower, safe EFU was higher than unsafe EFU (85% vs 19%; P<.001). Participants with shower stalls had the same rate of safe and unsafe EFU (71%). In multiple regression analysis, self‐reported bath transfer difficulty was associated with total EFU (P=.01). One‐third of the sample had performance difficulties. In multivariate analysis, range of motion functional impairment (odds ratio (OR)=13.49, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.11–163.53) and lowest quartile in falls efficacy scores (OR=5.81, 95% CI=1.24–27.41) were associated with performance difficulties.

CONCLUSION: Unsafe EFU and performance difficulties were common in independently bathing older adults. Self‐reported bath transfer difficulty appears to be a good indicator of high total EFU and may be used as a screening question for clinicians. Important strategies to reduce unsafe EFU and to increase falls efficacy include removing shower sliding glass doors and training older adults in safe transfer techniques.
Self‐Reported Sleep and Nap Habits and Risk of Falls and Fractures in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures
Authors: Stone Katie L. , Ewing Susan K. , Lui Li‐Yung , Ensrud Kristine E. , Ancoli‐Israel Sonia , Bauer Douglas C. , Cauley Jane A. , Hillier Teresa A. , Cummings Steven R.
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To test the association between self‐reported sleep and nap habits and risk of falls and fractures in a large cohort of older women.

DESIGN: Study of Osteoporotic Fractures prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Clinical centers in Baltimore, Maryland; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Portland, Oregon; and the Monongahela Valley, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

PARTICIPANTS: Eight thousand one hundred one community‐dwelling Caucasian women aged 69 and older (mean 77.0).

MEASUREMENTS: Sleep and nap habits were assessed using a questionnaire at the fourth clinic visit (1993/94). Fall frequency during the subsequent year was ascertained using tri‐annual questionnaire. Incident hip and nonspinal fractures during 6 years of follow‐up were confirmed using radiographic reports.

RESULTS: Five hundred fifty‐three women suffered hip fractures, and 1,938 suffered nonspinal fractures. In multivariate models, women who reported napping daily had significantly higher odds of suffering two or more falls during the subsequent year (odds ratio=1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.03–1.69) and were more likely to suffer a hip fracture (hazard ratio (HR)=1.33, 95% CI=0.99–1.78) than women who did not nap daily. Those sleeping at least 10 hours per 24 hours had a higher risk of nonspinal fracture than (HR=1.26, 95% CI=1.00–1.58) and a similar but nonsignificant increased risk of hip fracture to (HR=1.43, 95% CI=0.95–2.15) those who reported sleeping between 8 and 9 hours.

CONCLUSION: Self‐reported long sleep and daily napping are associated with greater risk of falls and fractures in older women. Interventions to improve sleep may reduce their risk of falls and fractures. Future research is needed to determine whether specific sleep disorders contribute to these relationships.
Impairments in Health Functioning and Sleep Quality in Older Adults with a History of Depression
Authors: Motivala Sarosh J. , Levin Myron J. , Oxman Michael N. , Irwin Michael R.
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether older adults with a history of depression show impairments in health functioning and sleep quality at a gradient between older adults with no history of depression and those with current major depression and to examine whether poor sleep quality contributes to declines in health functioning in addition to the contribution of depressive symptoms.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional.

SETTING: Three urban communities: Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles and San Diego, California.

PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred community‐dwelling adults aged 60 and older who were never mentally ill, 143 with a history of major or minor depressive disorder in remission, and 67 with a current depressive disorder.

MEASUREMENTS: Diagnosis, Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition; health functioning (Medical Outcomes Study 36‐item Short‐Form Health Survey); depressive symptom severity (Beck Depression Inventory); and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index).

RESULTS: Older adults with a history of depression showed impairments in sleep quality and had lower levels of health functioning than controls; these impairments were at a gradient with declines in those with current depression. Poor sleep quality was independently associated with declines in health perception in older adults with and without depression.

CONCLUSION: These findings have important health implications for older people who have a lifetime history of depression, given evidence that poor health functioning is a risk factor for depression recurrence as well as mortality. Moreover, in view of the association between sleep quality and health status, testing of interventions that target sleep quality might identify strategies to improve health functioning in older adults.
Cognitive Status, Body Mass Index, and Hip Fracture in Older Hispanic Adults
Authors: Alfaro‐Acha Ana , Ostir Glenn V. , Markides Kyriakos S. , Ottenbacher Kenneth J.
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To examine the interactive effect of cognition and body weight on hip fracture.

DESIGN: A 7‐year (1993–2000) prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Five southwestern states (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and California).

PARTICIPANTS: Noninstitutionalized Mexican Americans (N=2,653) aged 65 and older and free of hip fracture at baseline interview.

MEASUREMENTS: Incidence of hip fracture at 2‐, 5‐, and 7‐year follow‐up interviews. Body weight and cognition were measured using body mass index (BMI) and Mini‐Mental State Examination score, respectively. Covariates included sociodemographics, self‐reported medical conditions, visual acuity, and Short Physical Performance Battery.

RESULTS: A significant interaction between BMI and hip fracture was found in persons with cognitive impairment (hazard ratio =0.91, 95% confidence interval=0.85–0.98; P=.02), after adjusting for covariates. In the lowest BMI category, the hip fracture rate in cognitively impaired subjects was more than four times the hip fracture rate for subjects who were not cognitively impaired with the same BMI (34.6% vs 8.7%). Hip fracture rates in the highest BMI category were similar in persons with and without cognitive impairment (9.3% vs 6.1%).

CONCLUSION: Low cognitive function increased the conditional association between BMI and hip fracture in older Mexican Americans. The relationship between BMI and cognition is potentially important in identifying persons at risk for hip fracture and supports the need to include cognitive and anthropometric measures in the assessment of hip fracture risk into osteoporosis screening programs.
Site‐Specific Influence of Transversal Conduction Across Crista Terminalis on Recognition of Isthmus Block
Authors: OTOMO KIYOSHI , OKAMURA HIDEO , NODA TAKASHI , SATOMI KAZUHIRO , SHIMIZU WATARU , SUYAMA KAZUHIRO , KURITA TAKASHI , AIHARA NAOHIKO , KAMAKURA SHIRO
Published: June 2006

Background: Transversal conduction across crista terminalis (CT) is commonly observed during low‐rate coronary sinus (CS) pacing after isthmus ablation and sometimes mimics incomplete clockwise isthmus block (IB). Site‐specific influence of trans‐cristal conduction gap on recognition of clockwise IB has been poorly understood.

Methods: Forty‐five patients with common‐type atrial flutter underwent mapping of CT and free wall lateral to CT during CS pacing of 100 ppm using CARTO after verification of IB, while duodecapolar catheter was positioned along tricuspid annulus to map periannular activation.

Results: A total of 43 gaps were demonstrated at upper (n = 15, 35%), middle (n = 17, 40%), and lower one‐thirds of CT (n = 11, 25%) in 36 of 45 patients (80%). Gaps were single in 31 (69%) and multiple in 5 patients (11%). Activation patterns of free wall lateral to CT in CARTO maps were descending pattern without gaps (n = 9, 20%), collision pattern with a single gap (n = 31, 69%), and simultaneous pattern with multiple gaps (n = 5, 11%). Activation sequence of duodecapolar catheter was complete block pattern in 41 (91%) and incomplete block pattern in 4 patients (9%), masquerading as persistent clockwise isthmus conduction. The incomplete block pattern in duodecapolar catheter was exclusively associated with a gap at the lower CT (0/15, 0/17, and 4/11 gaps at upper, middle, and lower CT, respectively; P < 0.01) and was attributable to faster conduction across CT gaps than in complete block pattern.

Conclusions: Trans‐cristal conduction was commonly observed during low‐rate CS pacing. Rapid transversal conduction exclusively across lower CT masqueraded as incomplete clockwise IB.
Discordant Regulation of CRP and NT‐proBNP Plasma Levels After Electrical Cardioversion of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: BUOB AXEL , JUNG JENS , SIAPLAOURAS STEPHANOS , NEUBERGER HANS‐RUPRECHT , MEWIS CHRISTIAN
Published: June 2006

Background: B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) have been suggested to be prognostically relevant markers in patients with cardiovascular disease. Additionally, BNP and CRP plasma levels seem to be independently elevated in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there are only sparse data about the significance and temporal course of these plasma markers after restoration of sinus rhythm (SR).

Methods: We performed a prospective study in consecutive patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. NT‐proBNP and CRP plasma levels were measured before and one month after electrical cardioversion (CV). Patients with infections, an acute coronary syndrome, or surgery 4 weeks prior to CV, were excluded.

Result: Twenty‐five patients (men 84%, age 66 ± 8 years, duration of AF 90 ± 75 days, left ventricular ejection fraction 0.57 ± 0.11) were analyzed. At follow‐up (33 ± 6 days after CV) 14 patients (56%) were in SR and 11 patients (44%) in AF. In patients with SR there was a significant reduction of NT‐proBNP levels (baseline 1647 ± 1272 pg/mL, follow‐up 772 ± 866 pg/mL, P < 0.05), even in a subgroup of patients (n = 10) with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (1262 ± 538 vs 413 ± 344 pg/mL, P < 0.001). CRP levels in patients with SR were similar at baseline and at follow‐up (3.5 ± 3.6 vs 3.2 ± 2.5 mg/L, P = 0.8).

Conclusion: We conclude that even in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction restoration of sinus rhythm leads to a significant reduction of NT‐proBNP plasma levels. In contrast, CRP plasma levels seem not to be influenced during the first 4 weeks after electrical cardioversion.
Atrioventricular Delay Optimization by Doppler‐Derived Left Ventricular dP/dt Improves 6‐Month Outcome of Resynchronized Patients
Authors: MORALES MARIA‐AURORA , STARTARI UMBERTO , PANCHETTI LUCA , ROSSI ANDREA , PIACENTI MARCELLO
Published: June 2006

Background: Atrioventricular (AV) interval optimization, ensuring the best filling and the abolishment of presystolic mitral regurgitation, is crucial for the efficacy of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The methods proposed to optimize AV delay have many limitations. The maximum left ventricular pressure derivative (LV dP/dt)—an index of cardiac performance—could provide a clue for AV optimization. DP/dt can be calculated by the Doppler curve of mitral regurgitation jet and it is related to micromanometer‐derived dP/dt.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess whether optimal AV delay, defined as the highest noninvasive dP/dt, may provide clinical and functional benefits in CRT patients.

Methods: Of 41 consecutive patients, 23 echo Doppler recordings were obtained at AV delays of 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180 ms (Group I). Three patients were discarded because of suboptimal Doppler signal. In 15 patients an empiric AV delay of 120 ms was chosen (Group II). Both groups were programmed to atriosynchronous pacing mode and synchronous VV stimulation.

Results: In Group I optimal AV delay was 60 ms in one patient, 80 ms in 6, 100 in 6, 120 in 8, 140 in 2. At 6 months follow‐up, Group I showed a significantly lower NYHA class (2.1 ± 0.1 vs 3 ± 0.2 P < 0.01) and higher LV ejection fraction (LVEF): 32.1 + 1 versus 27.5 ± 1.6% (P < 0.05) as compared to Group II.

Conclusions: Doppler‐derived dP/dt for AV delay optimization determines better functional class and LVEF at 6 months follow‐up relative to an empiric AV delay program.
Increasing Left Ventricular Pacing Output Decreases Interventricular Conduction Time in Patients with Biventricular Pacing Systems
Authors: SAUER WILLIAM H. , SUSSMAN JONATHAN S. , VERDINO RALPH J. , COOPER JOSHUA M.
Published: June 2006

Objective: To evaluate the effect of increasing LV pacing output on interventricular timing in patients with biventricular pacing systems.

Background: Clinical improvement with biventricular pacing is likely related to reduction in ventricular dysynchrony in patients with cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that increasing left ventricular pacing output would reduce interventricular conduction time and could affect ventricular synchrony.

Methods: Forty‐two sequential patients with biventricular pacing systems that permitted independent LV pacing were selected at the time of routine device interrogation. The interval between LV pacing stimulus and onset of the RV electrogram was measured during LV pacing at capture threshold and at maximum pacing output for each patient.

Results: The average time from LV pacing stimulus to right ventricular electrogram onset was 142.5 ± 32.5 ms (range 90–230 ms) at threshold and 132.3 ± 30.4 ms (range 90–220 ms) at maximum pacing output, with a mean decrease in conduction time of 10.2 ± 10.9 ms (range 0–45 ms). There was significantly greater interventricular conduction shortening with increased pacing output in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy compared to others (14.9 ± 11.9 ms vs 4.0 ± 4.6 ms; P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Conduction time from LV to RV shortens as LV pacing output is increased. This effect is seen to a greater degree in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, possibly related to the presence of myocardial scar near the pacing electrode. Further investigation is needed to assess the clinical outcomes related to this new method for optimizing resynchronization therapy.
The Different Ablation Effects on Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia in Children with and without Dual Nodal Pathways
Authors: LEE PI‐CHANG , HWANG BETAU , TAI CHING‐TAI , CHIANG CHERN‐EN , CHEN SHIH‐ANN
Published: June 2006

Background: Previous studies in adults have shown a significant shortening of the fast pathway effective refractory period (ERP) after successful slow pathway ablation. However, information on atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) in children is limited. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the different effects of radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation in pediatric AVNRT patients between those with and without dual atrioventricular (AV) nodal pathways.

Methods: From January 1992 to August 2004, a total 67 pediatric patients with AVNRT underwent an electrophysiologic study and RF catheter ablation at our institution. We compared the electrophysiologic characteristics between those obtained before and after ablation in the children with AVNRT with and without dual AV nodal pathways.

Results: Dual AV nodal pathways were found in 37 (55%) of 67 children, including 36 (54%) with antegrade and 10 (15%) with retrograde dual AV nodal pathways. The antegrade and retrograde fast pathway ERPs in children with dual AV nodal pathways were both longer than the antegrade and retrograde ERPs in children without dual AV nodal pathways (300 ± 68 vs 264 ± 58 ms, P = 0.004; 415 ± 70 vs 250 ± 45 ms, P < 0.001) before ablation. In children with antegrade dual AV nodal pathways, the antegrade fast pathway ERP decreased from 300 ± 68 ms to 258 ± 62 ms (P = 0.008). The retrograde fast pathway ERP also decreased after successful ablation in the children with retrograde dual AV nodal pathways (415 ± 70 vs. 358 ± 72 ms, P = 0.026).

Conclusion: The dual AV nodal physiology could not be commonly demonstrated in pediatric patients with inducible AVNRT. After a successful slow pathway ablation, the fast pathway ERP shortened significantly in the children with dual AV nodal pathways.
Focal Atrial Tachycardia I: Clinical Features, Diagnosis, Mechanisms, and Anatomic Location
Authors: ROBERTS‐THOMSON KURT C. , KISTLER PETER M. , KALMAN JONATHAN M.
Published: June 2006

Atrial tachycardia (AT) may be focal or macroreentrant. In this review we will concentrate on focal AT. The diagnosis of focal AT may be made from a standard electrocardiogram (ECG); however, in some cases differentiation from other forms of supraventricular tachycardia may be difficult. Focal AT may be due to several different mechanisms, including abnormal automaticity, triggered activity, and microreentry. Focal AT does not occur randomly throughout the atria but has a characteristic anatomic distribution. In this review, we particularly focus on the clinical features, diagnosis, mechanisms, and anatomic location of focal AT.
A Coroner's Request for Closure: The Value of the Stored Electrogram
Authors: STEVENSON IRENE H. , MOND HARRY G.
Published: June 2006

Pacemaker diagnostics can be useful to troubleshoot both during life and after death. A 58‐year old man with a single chamber ventricular pacemaker and a previous His bundle ablation died suddenly. Interrogation of his pacemaker revealed the cause of death not as pacemaker malfunction, but a fatal ventricular arrhythmia.
Use of Advanced Mapping and Remote Magnetic Navigation to Ablate Left Ventricular Fascicular Tachycardia
Authors: THORNTON ANDREW S. , RES JAN , MEKEL JORIS M. , JORDAENS LUC J.
Published: June 2006

Ablation of idiopathic left ventricular, or fascicular tachycardia can be aided by electroanatomical mapping. The addition of a floppy, magnetically enabled ablation catheter may improve maneuvering as well as decrease mechanically induced arrhythmias and mechanical block. We describe a case of fascicular tachycardia in which both these modalities were used in a sequential fashion. Integration of these modalities should prove even more helpful.
Microstructural Morphology and Electrical Properties of Copper‐ and Niobium‐Doped Tin Dioxide Polycrystalline Varistors
Authors: Wang Chun‐Ming , Wang Jin‐Feng , Su Wen‐Bin
Published: June 2006

The influence of a Nb2O5 additive on the densification, microstructural morphology, and nonlinear electrical properties of the CuO‐doped SnO2‐based varistors was investigated. It was found that copper oxide significantly improves the densification of the SnO2 ceramics. The effects of Nb2O5 on tin dioxide varistors were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, and capacitance–voltage measurements, as well as impedance spectroscopy. Copper oxide segregates at the grain boundaries and precipitates at triple points, and niobium makes the tin dioxide grain semi‐conductive. The copper oxide intergranular insulating layer separates two semi‐conductive tin dioxide grains and forms the barriers. The reason for the nonlinearity of SnO2‐based ceramics was explained.
Microwave Heated Chemical Vapor Infiltration: Densification Mechanism of SiCf/SiC Composites
Authors: Jaglin David , Binner Jon , Vaidhyanathan Bala , Prentice Calvin , Shatwell Bob , Grant David
Published: June 2006

Silicon carbide fiber‐reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites (SiCf/SiC) have been produced using microwave heated chemical vapor infiltration. Preferential densification of the composite from the inside out was clearly observed. Although an average relative density of only 55% was achieved in 24 h, representative of an ∼26% increase over the initial fiber vol%, the center of the preform densified to 73% of the theoretical. The densification mechanisms were investigated using X‐ray absorptiometry and scanning electron microscopy. The initial inverse temperature profile obtained, which was found to result in the efficient filling of the intratow porosity, although not the intertow porosity, flattened out after approximately 6 h as the densification front moved outward toward the edges. Although not investigated directly, the evidence suggested that this was caused by changes in both the thermal conductivity and microwave absorption characteristics as the samples densified.
Protective Magnesia Coating on Y2O2S:Eu Phosphor Powders
Authors: Chung Chau‐Chyun , Jean Jau‐Ho
Published: June 2006

Protective magnesia coating on Y2O2S:Eu phosphor powders is formed by a layer‐by‐layer (LbL) method in aqueous solutions. The phosphor powders are first coated with a negative‐charged, anionic polyelectrolyte of ammonium salt of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA‐NH4), on which a second‐layer, positive‐charged magnesium hydroxide coating is then deposited by precipitation and heterocoagulation. A uniform and multiple Mg(OH)2/PAA‐NH4 bilayer coating on the phosphor powder is prepared by repeating the above coating processes. Protective magnesia coating on the phosphor powders, which is evidenced by insignificant degradation in optical properties after an extended period of electron bombardment, is formed by calcining.
Synthesis and Characterization of Lanthanum Stannate Nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Shumei , Zhou Guangjun , Lu Mengkkai , Zhou Yuanyuan , Wang Shufen , Yang Zhongsen
Published: June 2006

Phase‐pure lanthanum stannate (La2Sn2O7) nanoparticles with a pyrochlore structure were produced by a simple coprecipitation method for the first time. The optical properties of La2Sn2O7 synthesized by different conditions were investigated. They had different photoluminescence intensities around 400 nm at the same excitation wavelength. The size of La2Sn2O7 nanoparticles synthesized by the reverse‐drop method was smaller than those synthesized by the nature‐drop method. The nanoparticles became large rapidly with the dilution of the original reagent solution.
Gender Differences in Young Latino Adults’ Status Attainment: Understanding Bilingualism in the Familial Context
Authors: Lee Blair Sampson , Cobas José A.
Published: June 2006

Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that bilingualism among Latinos in the United States may not necessarily result in negative status attainment consequences. Such studies have typically overlooked gender differences in the consequences of bilingualism. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (N= 866 females; 737 males), we analyzed gender differences in how bilingualism among Latino families (as experienced in childhood and adolescence) may affect the status attainment of young adults. Results indicated that females were more substantially affected by language use and ability in the family context than males. The findings suggest that gender roles within Latino families are interwoven with the effects of bilingualism. Practice and policy implications include how schools and educators must address the gendered nature of bilingualism.
Family Mediators of the Relation Between Acculturation and Adolescent Mental Health*
Authors: Gonzales Nancy A. , Deardorff Julianna , Formoso Diana , Barr Alicia , Barrera Manuel
Published: June 2006

Abstract: This study of 175 Mexican‐origin families examined a mediational model linking the linguistic acculturation of mothers and adolescents with a wide array of family mediators and adolescent mental health outcomes. Family linguistic acculturation, a latent construct based on maternal and adolescent acculturation, was positively related to increased family and interparental conflict but was not related to maternal parenting practices. Family conflict mediated the link between acculturation and two adolescent outcomes, conduct problems and depressive symptoms. Family acculturation showed a complex pattern of positive, indirect (mediated) and negative, direct effects on adolescent depressive symptoms. Findings are discussed in relation to traditional cultural values of Mexican heritage families and prevailing theories about why more acculturated Mexican‐origin youth are at increased risk for problem behaviors.
Extended Family Ties Among Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Whites: Superintegration or Disintegration?*
Authors: Sarkisian Natalia , Gerena Mariana , Gerstel Naomi
Published: June 2006

Abstract:Addressing recent theoretical debates, this study examined the differences in extended family integration among Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Whites, as well as the importance of culture and structure in explaining these differences. Our findings showed Whites and Latinos/as have distinctive patterns of extended family integration: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans exhibited higher rates of coresidence and proximate living than Whites; Whites had greater involvement in financial support than Mexicans or Puerto Ricans, but Mexicans were more involved in instrumental help. Structural factors such as income, education, and nuclear family composition explained much of these ethnic differences. The study’s findings suggest that policy should emphasize the unmet needs in Latino/a communities and the role of extended families.
English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220 and the Making of a Re‐source1
Authors: Da Rold Orietta
Published: June 2006

Eleventh‐, twelfth‐ and thirteenth‐century England is a complex multilingual jigsaw, and a much underestimated period of literary production. This article surveys and explores the close relationship between English, Latin and French book production, offering valuable insights into English manuscript culture in this period and re‐contextualising texts and their manuscripts, calling for each to be studied in its own right and understood as part of a pattern of wider manuscript production. The article also introduces the reader to key and crucial issues in literary production in this period, and to new research in the field.
The View from the Interior: The New Body Scholarship in Renaissance/Early Modern Studies
Authors: McDowell Sean
Published: June 2006

This essay provides an overview of the central concerns of the emerging field of historical phenomenology in Renaissance/Early Modern studies. It compares this new scholarship with the older historicism of the 1930s–1960s and concludes by posing questions about the direction of the new scholarship and the challenges it faces.
Early Modern Women’s Writing in 2005
Authors: Longfellow Erica
Published: June 2006

This article charts the development of early modern women’s writing as a specialist subject within English Literature research. The article outlines the tensions that shaped the criticism of early modern women in the 1980s and early 1990s, in particular debates about women’s agency, the role of patriarchy, the possibility of ‘feminist’ resistance, and the role of aesthetics and aesthetic value in the study of early modern women’s writing. The article then argues that these tensions, far from limiting scholarship, have in fact encouraged researchers towards innovative models and directions of study that have been at the forefront of developments in early modern studies. The concluding section outlines new tensions within the subject, including continuing debates about literary value and the differing aims of literary criticism and historical inquiry, and ends with the provocative proposal that the goal of early modern women’s writing scholarship may be its own demise.