bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enrolment of patients to clinical trials in haematological cancer in New South Wales: current status, perceived barriers and opportunities for improvement
Authors: Murray P. , Kerridge I. , Tiley C. , Catanzariti A. , Welberry H. , Lean C. , Sinclair S. , Bishop J. , Bradstock K.
Published: February 2009

Background: Enrolment of cancer patients in clinical trials is associated with significant positive outcomes. There are, however, limited Australian data on enrolment of patients with haematological malignancies to clinical trials.

Aim: The aim of this study is to document the number of patients with haematological malignancies enrolled on clinical trials in NSW, to establish the barriers to trial recruitment and to examine possible means by which clinical trials participation may be improved.

Methods: Quantitative data on clinical trial accrual were obtained from all sites participating in clinical trials in haematological malignancies in NSW from 2004 to 2007 and were compared with the cancer incidence data for that period. Qualitative data on barriers and strategies for improvement were gathered using semi‐structured interviews with clinical trials professionals from throughout NSW.

Results: Between 2004 and 2007 there were significant increases in the number of active centres, clinical trials and trial participation, and by 2007, 10.5% of all eligible patients with haematological malignancies in NSW were enrolled in relevant clinical trials. Resource constraints were the greatest perceived barrier to participation, but the success of clinical trials is also challenged by difficulties associated with communication, ethics review, trial coordination, trial design and support for emerging centres.

Conclusion: While participation in clinical trials in haematological cancer in NSW improved between 2004 and 2007, participation in clinical trials remains suboptimal. The development of specific strategies to address barriers to participation may facilitate increased enrolment and ultimately improve clinical outcomes in patients with haematological malignancies.
Measuring performance to drive improvement: development of a clinical indicator set for general medicine
Authors: Brand C. , Lam S. K. L. , Roberts C. , Gorelik A. , Amatya B. , Smallwood D. , Russell D.
Published: February 2009

Background: There are delays in implementing evidence about effective therapy into clinical practice. Clinical indicators may support implementation of guideline recommendations.

Aim: To develop and evaluate the short‐term impact of a clinical indicator set for general medicine.

Methods: A set of clinical process indicators was developed using a structured process. The indicator set was implemented between January 2006 and December 2006, using strategies based on evidence about effectiveness and local contextual factors. Evaluation included a structured survey of general medical staff to assess awareness and attitudes towards the programme and qualitative assessment of barriers to implementation. Impact on documentation of adherence to clinical indicators was assessed by auditing a random sample of medical records before (2003–2005) and after (2006) implementation.

Results: Clinical indicators were developed for the following areas: venous thromboembolism, cognition, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, low trauma fracture, patient written care plans. The programme was well supported and incurred little burden to staff. Implementation occurred largely as planned; however, documentation of adherence to clinical indicators was variable. There was a generally positive trend over time, but for most indicators this was independent of the implementation process and may have been influenced by other system improvement activities. Failure to demonstrate a significant impact during the pilot phase is likely to have been influenced by administrative factors, especially lack of an integrative data documentation and collection process.

Conclusion: Successful implementation in phase two is likely to depend upon an effective data collection system integrated into usual care.
Rolling contact fatigue mechanism of a plasma‐sprayed and laser‐remelted Ni alloy coating
Authors: ZHANG X. C. , XU B. S. , TU S. T. , XUAN F. Z. , ZHANG Y. K. , WANG H. D. , WU Y. X.
Published: February 2009

The rolling contact fatigue behaviour of the plasma‐sprayed and laser‐remelted Ni‐Cr‐B‐Si alloy coatings under two different tribological conditions of contact pressure was investigated. Two sets of fatigue‐life data of coatings were characterized by Weibull distributions. The failure mode of the coatings was identified on the basis of worn morphologies as observed at the surfaces of the failed coatings. The tribological mechanism leading to the formation of the fatigue spall was discussed on the basis of the subsurface morphologies observed in the failed coating. Experimental results showed that, the mean life and characteristic life of the coating decreased with increasing the contact pressure. The failure of the coatings can be termed as spalling‐type failure. A refined ‘ring‐crack model' was proposed to explain the formation of the fatigue spall. In the refined model, it was postulated that the joining of the ring‐type cracks and subsurface branched cracks was directly responsible for the spall formation.
Influence of water limitation on endogenous oxidative stress and cell death within unsaturated Pseudomonas putida biofilms
Authors: Chang Woo‐Suk , Li Xiaohong , Halverson Larry J.
Published: February 2009

Here we examined how water limitation (matric stress) and high osmolarity (solute stress) influence the extent of endogenous oxidative stress and cell death patterns within Pseudomonas putida biofilms. The temporal dynamics and spatial organization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and dead cells in biofilms developed under water‐replete and solute stress conditions were similar to each other. Arrays of dead cells, typically one cell width in diameter, were distributed throughout the biofilm and occasionally they spanned the entire depth of the biofilm. These arrays of dead cells were not observed under water‐limiting conditions, although the extent of ROS accumulation and cell death was substantially greater. Despite the greater death rate under water‐limiting conditions, culturable population sizes were transiently maintained at levels comparable to those under water‐replete and solute stress conditions. There was greater spatial stratification of dead cells under water‐limiting than water‐replete conditions with viable cells primarily located at the air interface, which could facilitate cell dispersal following a wetting event. Under water‐limiting conditions, ROS accumulation is greater in an ΔalgD mutant compared with the wild type, suggesting that the exopolysaccharide alginate attenuates the extent of dehydration‐mediated oxidative stress. We conclude that endogenous ROS accumulation is correlated with cell death within P. putida biofilms, although mechanisms contributing to their accumulation may differ under water‐replete and water‐limiting conditions.
Restructuring nurses' worklives and knowledge: case studies from England and Spain
Authors: Norrie C. , Muller J. , Goodson I. , Hernandez F.
Published: February 2009

Aim:  To compare the relationship between restructuring of health care and the worklives and professional knowledge of nurses in England and Spain.

Background:  Healthcare governance and systems are being modernized across Europe. At the same time European populations are changing in terms of ageing societies, more demanding patients, increased technologicalization and new roles for women. This is changing the positionality of nurses situated between the state and the citizen.

Methods:  This data was produced as part of an EU‐funded research project. Data collection methods included literature reviews, national policy summaries and surveys. In addition, life‐history interviews and observations were carried out with nurses belonging to different generations in case‐study hospitals in England and Spain. Data were analysed using an interpretative, narrative approach. Results juxtapose analysis of global and national policy narratives with individual nurses' worklife narratives.

Findings:  Analysis of the policy narratives position nurses in England and Spain as having moved from traditional to re‐framed professionals. Worklife narrative analysis meanwhile demonstrates that in England restructuring narratives have worked their way deep into nurses' lives. In contrast, in Spain there is a large gap between the rhetoric of change and the reality on the ground so narratives can be described as de‐coupled.
Cognitive dissonance towards the smoking habit among nursing and physiotherapy students at the University of Balearic Islands in Spain
Authors: Pericas J. , González S. , Bennasar M. , De Pedro J. , Aguiló A. , Bauzá L.
Published: February 2009

Aim:  To estimate the prevalence of tobacco smoking among physiotherapy and nursing students at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain and to describe their perceptions, attitude and behaviour towards smoking and towards the Spanish Smoking Prevention Act.

Background:  Active smoking is the first avoidable cause of death in the world while passive smoking is the third. The tobacco epidemic kills 5.4 million people a year from lung cancer, heart disease and other related illnesses. In Europe, around one‐third of the Community population are smokers, with about 650 000 smoking‐related deaths per year in the Community. In Spain, 56 000 people a year are estimated to die from tobacco‐related illnesses.

Method:  An observational, cross‐sectional, descriptive study, with a sample of 345 out of 645 students (53.5% participation rate) who completed an anonymous, self‐administered, standardized survey devised by the World Health Organization.

Findings:  The study revealed a 26.1% prevalence of tobacco smoking (26.9% among women and 22.6% among men), which is similar to percentages of students at other Spanish universities. Smokers and non‐smokers reported many differences in attitude and behaviour, some of which have potential repercussions in their career, such as in estimating the harmful effects of tobacco smoke or the status of health professionals as role models in the society they serve.

Conclusion:  The results of this study will contribute to develop an anti‐smoking programme at the university and to establish smoking‐prevention campaigns.
Involving new actors to achieve ART scaling‐up: difficulties in an HIV/AIDS counselling and testing centre in Cameroon
Authors: Yakam J. C. Y. Tantchou , Gruénais M.‐E.
Published: February 2009

Background:  The high HIV/AIDS‐related mortality among young adults is devastating countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. The implementing capacity of the health systems is the main limiting factor of antiretroviral treatment (ART) scaling‐up;1 this capacity depends mainly on the health workforce. Tackling the issue of human resources for health is thus of paramount importance to achieve universal access to ART and for the survival of health systems in time of AIDS. To support such a process, the World Health Organization stresses the importance of task shifting2 from medical doctors to nurses and from nurses to community health workers. Such task shifting is not easy to achieve but undoubtedly needed.

Study Objective:  This paper raises issues about the involvement of new actors3 without precise redefinitions of roles and task‐shifting procedures. We take the example of a ‘Centre de Prévention et de Dépistage Volontaire du VIH/sida’4 in one major town of the Far‐North province of Cameroon (Central Africa).

Methodology:  The study was qualitative. Observations were carried out in the service and in‐depth interviews conducted with health workers and actors of Cameroon's National AIDS Control Committee. These interviews were recorded and transcribed. The material was analysed using keywords.

Key Result:  The involvement of new actors in a context of human resources for health shortage and health system crisis creates confusion and role conflicts, which lead to frustration. It favours the appearance of chinks within which these new actors slip and ‘find their way’ in the system; it finally raises problems related to their legitimacy and position within the existing hierarchy.

Key Policy Message:  It is necessary, when involving new staff members (particularly when they do not belong to internationally recognized health professionals such as nurses, doctors and pharmacists), to redefine roles and build precise task‐shifting procedures so that everyone may still have a place in the whole system and feel useful.
Cultural differences in child delivery: comparisons between Jewish and Arab women in Israel
Authors: Rassin M. , Klug E. , Nathanzon H. , Kan A. , Silner D.
Published: February 2009

Objective:  To compare Jewish and Arab women characteristics regarding pregnancy follow‐up, compliance to a health regime and behavioural expressions during labour, delivery and the post‐partum period.

Design:  The participants answered a 45‐item questionnaire designed for the current research.

Setting:  The first three post‐partum days in the delivery ward at one of the biggest hospitals in Israel.

Participants:  A total of 126 Jewish and Arab‐Muslim parturients.

Results:  Significant differences were found (P < 0.01) concerning pregnancy follow‐up attendance and participation in a prenatal course, which were lower among Arab women. Several differences were found regarding delivery room attendance, type and number of companions, and behavioural expressions of pain, which were demonstrated more among Arab women. Epidural anaesthesia was highly prevalent among Jewish women, in comparison with the Arab women. While all Arab women decided to breastfeed their babies, only 71% of Jewish women expressed a wish to breastfeed. No significant differences were found between weight gains during pregnancy, reasons for delivery room attendance, number of pregnancy weeks prior to delivery and newborn weight.

Conclusions:  Cultural differences exist between Jewish and Arab women attending delivery rooms in Israel. Understanding these cultural differences may assist caregivers in providing culturally sensitive treatment that is suited to the parturients' needs.
Nurses are the key to improving mental health services in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Barrett T. , Boeck R. , Fusco C. , Ghebrehiwet T. , Yan J. , Saxena S.
Published: February 2009

Mental health nursing is a critical issue for most countries. Nurses in low‐ and middle‐income countries are often the primary providers of care for people with mental disorders. Some are highly qualified professionals who train other providers to identify and treat mental disorders. However, in other instances, particularly in low‐income countries, nurses have had very little or no mental health training and receive no support from mental health professionals. The lack of sufficient mental health professionals in these countries creates an environment where nurses without training are often the only providers available to care for people with mental disorders.

In September 2007 the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses produced a report summarizing the responses to some of the questions on a survey of nursing mental health practices in 177 countries and territories. The summary of the open‐ended questions (e.g. what are the key issues for nurses providing mental health care in your country?) is reported for the first time in this article. Subsequent to the release of the Nurses in Mental Health Atlas, an online forum was held. There were 615 subscribers to this forum from over 80 countries.

This article summarizes the rich insights and recommendations from both the survey's open‐ended comments and the online forum. The issues discussed include: the varied and complex roles for nurses in mental health care; nursing education; prescribing practices; nurse recruitment and retention; human rights; research; and technical expertise.
Orthopaedic and trauma patients' perceptions of individualized care
Authors: Land L. , Suhonen R.
Published: February 2009

Background:  Individualized care is a universal concept in nursing. An international collaboration of nurses, led by, and funded in, Finland was developed, including Sweden, Greece, USA and the UK, in order to test an Individualized Care Scale (ICS) for cross‐cultural comparison. This paper reports the results from the UK survey.

Aim:  The study aimed to employ an ICS to describe orthopaedic and trauma patients' perceptions of individualized care.

Methods:  A total of 159 orthopaedic and trauma patients, aged 18 years or over, admitted for over 48 hours as emergencies or for elective surgery, participated from one hospital in Central England using a two‐part ICS. The data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results:  Sixty‐three per cent of the patients (n = 82) strongly agreed that it was very important to be treated as an individual or unique person, and 55% (n = 72) experienced this type of care. The lowest rated assessments concerned the support (3.23 ± 1.15) and perceptions (3.69 ± 0.98) of personal life situation, and the highest concerned the perceptions of decisional control over care (4.25 ± 0.72). The longer the patients stayed, the more they perceived individuality in their own care. Those less educated perceived higher levels of support regarding individuality in their care.

Conclusions:  These results could assist changes to individualized care processes in orthopaedic and trauma wards. Future research should focus on the evaluation of taking into account of patient's personal life situation as a foundation for individualized clinical care.
Madagascar nursing needs assessment: education and development of the profession
Authors: Plager K.A. , Razaonandrianina J.O.
Published: February 2009

Purpose:  To address how Madagascar is improving nursing education and the profession to strengthen their nursing workforce.

Background:  The sub‐Saharan Africa nursing workforce shortage is more than 600 000. Madagascar measures among affected countries. Nursing in Madagascar with reference to the Malagasy Lutheran Church Health Department (SALFA) is examined in this paper. The Malagasy Lutheran Nursing School (SEFAM) was established in 1956 to prepare nurses and midwives. The school recently relocated to better meet SALFA goals to increase nurses in the system and improve nursing education. A US nursing faculty and the SEFAM director proposed to conduct programme assessment to ensure that nursing and midwifery education meet health, social and community needs in Madagascar.

Data source/methods:  An in‐depth needs assessment of the school programme, facilities and resources occurred. Site visits and informal interviews were held. Field study visits to nursing schools and health‐care facilities in Kenya and Tanzania assisted the authors in learning how nursing developed in those countries. Data analysis included comparison of the authors' comprehensive notes for congruity and accuracy.

Outcomes:  Strategies are needed to support and maintain quality education, improve quality and quantity of nursing care services in hospitals and dispensaries, and improve conditions for nurses and other health‐care workers. Compared with Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania have more well‐developed systems of nursing education and professional development.

Limitations:  There were limited written sources for some information but methods, such as verbal accounts, compensated for this limitation.

Implications/conclusions:  Implications include advantages, disadvantages, facilitators and barriers to nursing educational and professional development in Madagascar. Development of nursing education, regulation and the profession will continue with support from key stakeholders. Kenya and Tanzania can serve as role models for Madagascar nurses. Countries with similar nursing education and professional development issues can be informed by lessons learned in this project.
Electrophysiological responses to auditory novelty in temperamentally different 9‐month‐old infants
Authors: Marshall Peter J. , Reeb Bethany C. , Fox Nathan A.
Published: February 2009

Behavioral reactivity to novel stimuli in the first half‐year of life has been identified as a key aspect of early temperament and a significant precursor of approach and withdrawal tendencies to novelty in later infancy and early childhood. The current study examines the neural signatures of reactivity to novel auditory stimuli in 9‐month‐old infants in relation to prior temperamental reactivity. On the basis of the assessment of behavioral reactivity scores at 4 months of age, infants were classified into groups of high negatively reactive and high positively reactive infants. Along with an unselected control group, these groups of temperamentally different infants were given a three‐stimulus auditory oddball task at 9 months of age which employed frequent standard and infrequent deviant tones as well as a set of complex novel sounds. In comparison to high positively reactive and control infants, high negatively reactive infants displayed increased amplitude of a positive slow wave in the ERP response to deviant tones compared to standard tones. In contrast, high positively reactive infants showed a larger novelty P3 to the complex novel sounds. Results are discussed in terms of optimal levels of novelty for temperamentally different infants.
Novelty Is Not Always the Best Policy
Authors: Dodd Michael D. , Van der Stigchel Stefan , Hollingworth Andrew
Published: February 2009

We report a study that examined whether inhibition of return (IOR) is specific to visual search or a general characteristic of visual behavior. Participants were shown a series of scenes and were asked to (a) search each scene for a target, (b) memorize each scene, (c) rate how pleasant each scene was, or (d) view each scene freely. An examination of saccadic reaction times to probes provided evidence of IOR during search: Participants were slower to look at probes at previously fixated locations than to look at probes at novel locations. For the other three conditions, however, the opposite pattern of results was observed: Participants were faster to look at probes at previously fixated locations than to look at probes at novel locations, a facilitation-of-return effect that has not been reported previously. These results demonstrate that IOR is a search-specific strategy and not a general characteristic of visual attention.
Extending private‐collective innovation: a case study
Authors: Stuermer Matthias , Spaeth Sebastian , Von Krogh Georg
Published: February 2009

The private‐collective innovation model proposes incentives for individuals and firms to privately invest resources to create public goods innovations. Such innovations are characterized by non‐rivalry and non‐exclusivity in consumption. Examples include open source software, user‐generated media products, drug formulas, and sport equipment designs. There is still limited empirical research on private‐collective innovation. We present a case study to (1) provide empirical evidence of a case of private‐collective innovation, showing specific benefits, and (2) to extend the private‐collective innovation model by analyzing the hidden costs for the company involved. We examine the development of the Nokia Internet Tablet, which builds on both proprietary and open source software development, and that involves both Nokia developers and volunteers who are not employed by the company. Seven benefits for Nokia are identified, as are five hidden costs: difficulty to differentiate, guarding business secrets, reducing community entry barriers, giving up control, and organizational inertia. We examine the actions taken by the management to mitigate these costs throughout the development period.
How managers protect intellectual property rights in China using de facto strategies
Authors: Keupp Marcus Matthias , Beckenbauer Angela , Gassmann Oliver
Published: February 2009

Foreign firms trying to protect their intellectual property rights (IPRs) in emerging economies are suffering real pressures because these economies usually offer little or no enforcement of IPR. Foreign firms therefore have to resort to approaches unlike those they use in developed countries. This paper explores what managers of foreign firms in China have already tried in their efforts to achieve effective IPR protection – specifically, they have crafted de facto strategies that can protect IPR without using China's legal system or engaging in lawsuits against imitators. These strategies work, and this paper explains how and why, thus offering a potential template for IPR protection in other economies with weak appropriability systems.
The Karmic cycle of world Englishes: some futuristic constructs
Authors: KACHRU YAMUNA , SMITH LARRY E.
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT:  It is not easy to look at the current momentum of the worldwide diffusion of English and imagine what the future trends will be by mid‐century or even in the next two or three decades. A prudent undertaking is to review briefly the present situation and project what the coming decades hold in view of several developments that are shaping our world. The story of the spread of English and the factors responsible for its diffusion are complex. The spread and functions of world Englishes are still growing; simultaneously, the domains of use of other contenders or languages of wider communication, such as French and Spanish in Africa, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world, are shrinking. As far as various other languages of wider communication are concerned (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, Hindi‐Urdu, Spanish), although they are spreading at a fast pace beyond their borders, they are as yet providing no serious challenge to world Englishes. This paper presents a bird's‐eye view of the factors responsible for the spread of English, and discusses briefly its impact on local languages. The major focus is on the consequences of the worldwide diffusion of English in terms of nativization and acculturation of the language and emergence of world Englishes. The concern that the global spread of English is hastening language ‘decay’ and ‘death’, and the proposals to combat this process by developing world, global, or lingua franca English, are addressed briefly. The contemporary status of world Englishes and the world's major languages are considered in some detail in terms of plausible futuristic constructs.1
Exponents of politeness in Brunei English
Authors: HO DEBBIE G. E.
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT: This paper is based on the premise that not much is known about how English modal verbs are used to express politeness in Non‐Native English speaking (NNEs) contexts. It explores the use of the past and non‐past forms of the request modalswillandcanin Brunei, a NNEs country located in Southeast Asia. Specifically, it examines the use of these modals in the Request for Corrective Action (RCA) move in personal complaints written to the local English‐language newspaper by local Bruneian speakers of English. In addition, reasons for a particular usage are extrapolated from those elicited from a questionnaire carried out among local university students. This paper provides an exploratory study of modal verb use from a pragmatics perspective, with the purpose of investigating the extent to which the request modal verbswill/wouldandcan/couldexpress the attitudes of the complainant when it comes to requesting corrective action in complaints of a personal nature. The findings yielded a number of surprising observations that highlight the different ways in which these English request modal verbs are perceived and used in a NNEs context.
Acoustic and durational properties of Indian English vowels
Authors: MAXWELL OLGA , FLETCHER JANET
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT:  This paper presents findings of an acoustic phonetic analysis of vowels produced by speakers of English as a second language from northern India. The monophthongal vowel productions of a group of male speakers of Hindi and male speakers of Punjabi were recorded, and acoustic phonetic analyses of vowel formant frequencies and vowel duration were performed. The results confirm findings of a number of earlier auditory and acoustic studies. A modified inventory of vowel contrasts for the set of monophthongs following Wells’ model of standard lexical sets (1982) is proposed to account for vowels produced by speakers of IE whose L1 is either Hindi or Punjabi. Certain features of the vowels produced by speakers in this study are similar to those produced by speakers of IE with other L1 backgrounds. This is particularly evident with reference to the realization of the tense/lax contrast, which can be based on quality and durational differences in some instances, or on durational differences alone. This study also presents some new results, previously not noted in the IE literature, particularly with respect to pronunciation of the central and back vowels.
Intracranial large artery disease in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia among ethnic Asians
Authors: De Silva D. A. , Ancalan M. , Doshi K. , Chang H.‐M. , Wong M.‐C. , Chen C.
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose:  An underlying vascular etiology underpins vascular dementia (VaD) and possibly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Intracranial large artery disease (ICLAD) is a common site of disease among ethnic Asians, and carries a poor prognosis. We studied the prevalence of ICLAD among ethnic Asian patients with AD and VaD.

Methods:  We recruited patients with AD and VaD from a retrospective review of consecutive ethnic Asian patients presenting to our dementia clinic. ICLAD was evaluated by visual inspection of brain magnetic resonance angiography by two observers in consensus, and defined as >50% luminal narrowing.

Results:  There were 56 patients with probable AD and 47 with probable VaD. ICLAD was prevalent among 53% of VaD patients and 18% of AD patients.

Conclusions:  There is a relatively high burden of ICLAD among AD and VaD patients of Asian ethnicity. We suggest that ethnic Asian dementia patients are a potential group to investigate if ICLAD is associated with clinical symptoms or prognosis and if treatment strategies targeted at ICLAD retard the progression of cognitive impairment.
Overskilling, Job Insecurity, and Career Mobility
Authors: McGUINNESS SEAMUS , WOODEN MARK
Published: February 2009

This paper uses longitudinal data from Australia to examine the extent to which overskilling—the extent to which work‐related skills and abilities are utilized in current employment—is a transitory phenomenon. The results suggest that while overskilled workers are much more likely to want to quit their current job, they are also relatively unconfident of finding an improved job match. Furthermore, some of the greater mobility observed among overskilled workers is due to involuntary job separations, and even where job separations are voluntary, the majority of moves do not result in improved skills matches.
The Impact of Immigrant Status on Home Ownership in Australia
Authors: Chua Jamie , Miller Paul W.
Published: February 2009

This paper examines the impact of immigrant status on home ownership in Australia. It shows that the rate of home ownership for most groups of immigrants is comparable to that of the Australian born. As expected, recently arrived immigrants have relatively low probabilities of owning their own home. These results hold for both analyses pooled across movers and non‐movers, and for analyses restricted to those, both immigrants and the native born, who moved residence in the previous five years. A decomposition of the estimated coefficients of the model of tenure choice is developed. This is shown to enhance understanding of variations in rates of home ownership across birthplace groups.
Labour Migration in the Global Division of Labour: Migrant workers in Mauritius1
Authors: Lincoln David
Published: February 2009

Workers who temporarily leave their country to perform semi‐ and unskilled work under contract in another country are a distinct category of labour migrants in the global division of labour (GDL). The small island of Mauritius is a relatively new destination for contractual international labour migrants. The Mauritian state is intimately involved in the labour migration system, playing a mediating role in positioning the island within the GDL and trying to optimise the routing of global production chains through Mauritius. The migrants originate mainly in China and India and are overwhelmingly concentrated in the island’s clothing and textile factories where they now comprise one‐fifth of the export processing zone workforce. The migrant space occupied by expatriate workers in Mauritius is tightly circumscribed, with little social interaction between them and Mauritian society. A chronicle of their collective protest between 2002 and 2005 highlights grievances that arise from the conditions they face as migrants. Pointing largely to the failure of industrial relations institutions, and having stirred xenophobic sentiments, these protests represent a catalyst for reform. While the numerical incidence and scale of labour migration to small islands may be small, their significance for GDL analysis and for the politics of migration demands attention.
Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Proof-of-Concept Study of the Cortical Spreading Depression Inhibiting Agent Tonabersat in Migraine Prophylaxis
Authors: Goadsby PJ , Ferrari MD , Csanyi A , Olesen J , Mills JG ,   on behalf of the Tonabersat TON-01-05 Study Group
Published: February 2009

Tonabersat is a novel putative migraine prophylactic agent with an unique stereospecific binding site in the brain. Tonabersat has been shown, in animal models, to inhibit experimentally induced cortical spreading depression, the likely underlying mechanism for migraine aura, and cerebrovascular responses to trigeminal nerve stimulation. The aim was to study the potential for tonabersat as a migraine preventive. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre, parallel group study recruited patients with migraine with and without aura experiencing between two and six migraine attacks per month. After a 1-month baseline they received tonabersat 20 mg daily for 2 weeks and 40 mg daily for a further 10 weeks. The primary end-point was the change in mean number of migraine headache days between the third month and the baseline period in the intention-to-treat population comparing the placebo ( n = 65) and tonabersat ( n = 58) groups. At the primary end-point there was a 1.0-day (95% confidence interval −0.33, 2.39; P = 0.14) difference in reduction in migraine days between tonabersat and placebo. There were 10 secondary efficacy end-points, of which two were statistically significant. In month 3 of treatment, the responder rate, defined as a 50% reduction in migraine attacks, was 62% for tonabersat and 45% for placebo ( P < 0.05), and the rescue medication use was reduced in the tonabersat group compared with placebo by 1.8 days ( P = 0.02). Placebo responses were particularly high for all end-points. At least one treatment-emergent adverse event was reported in the tonabersat group in 61% of patients compared with 51% in the placebo group; none was worrisome. Placebo responses were unexpectedly high in this trial, complicating straightforward interpretation of the study results. The good tolerability and promising efficacy results support further exploration of higher doses of tonabersat in larger controlled trials.
The Acute Treatment of Episodic and Chronic Migraine in the USA
Authors: Bigal ME , Borucho S , Serrano D , Lipton RB
Published: February 2009

Understanding the patterns of acute treatment of migraine in the population is a necessary step in evaluating treatment in relation to guidelines, and in improving care. Herein we assess the specific medication used for the acute treatment of migraine and chronic migraine (CM) in the population. We identified 24 000 headache sufferers, drawn from over 165 000 individuals representative of the US population. This sample has been followed with annual surveys using validated questionnaires. As part of the survey, subjects were asked to report the specific medications currently used for their most severe headaches, dose, and number of days per month using medication. Complete responses were obtained from 14 540 individuals, including 9128 with episodic migraine and 503 with CM. For episodic migraine, specific treatment was used by 19.2% of subjects (triptans 18.7%; compounds with ergotamine 0.5%). A total of 11.1% routinely used opiates, whereas 6% used compounds with barbiturates. For CM, 22% used migraine-specific treatment, whereas 34.3% used opiates and barbiturates. Non-prescribed medications were frequently used in both groups. Opiates were more commonly used by those with CM [odds ratio (OR) 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.69, 2.65], as were butalbital-containing compounds (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.88, 3.22). The minority of migraineurs in the USA use specific medication, and one-fifth use opiates or barbiturates. For CM, > 34% use opiates or barbiturates. Accordingly, a sizable proportion use medications that are not firstline according to the US Headache Consortium Guidelines.
Cultured astrocytes derived from corpus callosum or cortical grey matter show distinct glutamate handling properties
Authors: Goursaud Stéphanie , Kozlova Elena N. , Maloteaux Jean‐Marie , Hermans Emmanuel
Published: February 2009

While the astrocytic control of extracellular glutamate concentration at synaptic contacts is well characterized, little is known regarding the clearance of glutamate along axon tracts, even though local excitotoxic damage has been reported. Therefore, we have compared glutamate handling in astrocyte cultures derived from white matter (corpus callosum) and grey matter tissues (cortical structures). These populations of astrocytes showed clearly distinct phenotypes, adopting stellate or protoplasmic morphologies respectively. In addition, white matter astrocytes showed high densities of the intermediate filament proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin and nestin. The glutamate–aspartate transporter and glutamate transporter‐1, as well as glutamine synthetase, were found to be expressed at higher levels in white matter compared with grey matter astrocytes. Consistent with this aspartate uptake capacity was three to fourfold higher in white matter cells, and the use of specific inhibitors revealed a substantial activity of glutamate transporter‐1, contrasting with grey matter cells where this transporter appeared poorly functional. In addition, expression of type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptors was considerably higher in white matter astrocytes where the agonist (S)‐3,5‐dihydroxyphenylglycine triggered a large release of intracellular calcium. Differences in these astrocyte cultures were also observed when exposed to experimental conditions that trigger glial activation. This study highlights typical features of cultured astrocytes derived from white matter tissues, which appear constitutively adapted to handle excitotoxic insults. Moreover, the expression and activity of the astroglial components involved in the control of glutamatergic transmission are reinforced when these cells are maintained under conditions mimicking a gliotic environment.
Neutral antagonist activity of naltrexone and 6β‐naltrexol in naïve and opioid‐dependent C6 cells expressing a µ‐opioid receptor
Authors: Divin MF , Bradbury FA , Carroll FI , Traynor JR
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose: Adenylyl cyclase sensitization occurs on chronic agonist activation of µ‐opioid receptors and is manifested by an increase in cAMP levels (overshoot) on challenge with antagonist. It has been proposed that a long lasting constitutively active receptor is formed on chronic µ‐opioid exposure and that antagonists with inverse agonist activity rapidly return the receptor to a basal state causing a cAMP overshoot and a more severe withdrawal responsein vivo. This hypothesis depends on an accurate characterization of neutral and inverse agonist properties of opioid antagonists.

Experimental approach: C6 glioma and HEK293 cells expressing µ‐opioid receptors were used. Opioid antagonists were examined for their ability to induce a cAMP overshoot following chronic treatment with the agonist DAMGO ([D‐Ala2,N‐Me‐Phe4,Glyol5]‐enkephalin). The compounds were also characterized as agonists, inverse agonists or neutral antagonists by using assays for competitive binding, [35S]GTPγS (guanosine‐5′‐O‐(3‐[35S]thio)triphosphate) binding and changes in cell surface receptor expression.

Key results: Naltrexone, 6β‐naltrexol and naloxone were indistinguishable to the µ‐opioid receptor in the opioid‐naïve or dependent state and acted as neutral antagonists. The δ‐opioid receptor inverse agonist RTI‐5989‐25 [(+)‐N‐[trans‐4′‐(2‐methylphenyl)‐2′‐butenyl]‐(3R,4R)‐dimethyl‐4‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)piperidine], a 3,4‐dimethyl‐4‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)‐piperidine, was an inverse agonist at the µ‐opioid receptor, and the peptide antagonist CTAP (H‐D‐Phe‐Cys‐Tyr‐D‐Trp‐Arg‐Thr‐Pen‐Thr‐NH2) showed variable, assay‐dependent properties. All the antagonists precipitated the same degree of cAMP overshoot in opioid‐dependent cells.

Conclusions and implications: Antagonists at the µ‐opioid receptor may be neutral or show inverse agonist activity. Formation of a constitutively active µ‐opioid receptor is not a requirement for the development or expression of adenylyl cyclase sensitization.
Induction of trefoil factor (TFF)1, TFF2 and TFF3 by hypoxia is mediated by hypoxia inducible factor‐1: implications for gastric mucosal healing
Authors: Hernández C , Santamatilde E , McCreath KJ , Cervera AM , Díez I , Ortiz‐Masiá D , Martínez N , Calatayud S , Esplugues JV , Barrachina MD
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose:  Mucosal microcirculation is compromised during gastric damage induced by non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin. Consequently, oxygen supply to epithelial cells is decreased. The trefoil factor (TFF) peptides are involved in mechanisms of defence and repair in the gastrointestinal tract but their regulation at sites of gastric injury is unknown.

Experimental approach:  Hypoxia and expression of TFF genes and peptides were measured in the damaged stomach of aspirin‐treated rats. In a human gastric cell line (AGS cells), the effects of hypoxia and of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)‐1 (through transient transfection of HIF‐1α siRNA or over‐expression of HIF‐1α) on TFF gene expression were evaluated.

Key results:  Hypoxyprobe immunostaining, up‐regulation of TFF2 (1.9‐fold) and TFF3 (1.8‐fold) and a non‐significant increase of TFF1 (1.5‐fold) mRNA were observed in the damaged stomach of aspirin‐treated rats, compared with control animals. Hypoxia (3% O2, 16 h) induced mRNA for TFF1 (5.8‐fold), TTF2 (9.1‐fold) and TFF3 (9.3‐fold) in AGS cells, an effect mediated by HIF‐1, as transient transfection of HIF‐1α siRNA reduced the effects of hypoxia. Over‐expression of HIF‐1α by transfection in non‐hypoxic epithelial cells produced a similar pattern of TFF induction to that observed with hypoxia and transactivated a TFF1 reporter construct.

Conclusions and implications:  Hypoxia inducible factor‐1 mediated the induction of TFF gene expression by hypoxia in gastric epithelial cells. Low oxygen levels and up‐regulation of TFF gene expression in the damaged stomach of aspirin‐treated rats suggest that hypoxia induced expression of TFF genes at sites of gastric injury.
The role of PKA and PKCε pathways in prostaglandin E2‐mediated hypernociception
Authors: Sachs D , Villarreal CF , Cunha FQ , Parada CA , Ferreira SH
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose:  Protein kinase (PK) A and the ε isoform of PKC (PKCε) are involved in the development of hypernociception (increased sensitivity to noxious or innocuous stimuli) in several animal models of acute and persistent inflammatory pain. The present study evaluated the contribution of PKA and PKCε to the development of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)‐induced mechanical hypernociception.

Experimental approach:  Prostaglandin E2‐induced mechanical hypernociception was assessed by constant pressure rat paw test. The activation of PKA or PKCε was evaluated by radioactive enzymic assay in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of sensory neurons from the hind paws.

Key results:  Hypernociception induced by PGE2 (100 ng) by intraplantar (i.pl.) injection, was reduced by i.pl. treatment with inhibitors of PKA [A‐kinase‐anchoring protein St‐Ht31 inhibitor peptide (AKAPI)], PKCε (PKCεI) or adenylyl cyclase. PKA activity was essential in the early phase of the induction of hypernociception, whereas PKC activity was involved in the maintenance of the later phase of hypernociception. In the DRG (L4‐L5), activity of PKA increased at 30 min after injection of PGE2 but PKC activity increased only after 180 min. Moreover, i.pl. injection of the catalytic subunit of PKA induced hypernociception which was markedly reduced by pretreatment with an inhibitor of PKCε, while the hypernociception induced by paw injection of PKCε agonist was not affected by an inhibitor of PKA (AKAPI).

Conclusions and implications:  Taken together, these findings are consistent with the suggestion that PKA activates PKCε, which is a novel mechanism of interaction between these kinases during the development of PGE2‐induced mechanical hypernociception.
Evaluation of dexamethasone as a chemoprotectant for CCNU‐induced bone marrow suppression in dogs*
Authors: Intile J. L. , Rassnick K. M. , Bailey D. B. , Al‐Sarraf R. , Chretin J. D. , Balkman C. E. , Flory A. B. , Kiselow M. A. , Wakshlag J. J.
Published: February 2009

In mice and people, administering corticosteroids before chemotherapy can reduce the severity of myelosuppression without reducing antitumour effects. This study investigated whether pretreatment with dexamethasone would reduce the incidence of grade 4 neutropenia in dogs receiving CCNU. Twenty‐five dogs received dexamethasone [0.1 mg kg−1 per os (PO) every 12 h] for 5 days and on the sixth day received CCNU (90 mg m−2 PO). Historical dogs (n = 67) received CCNU alone (90 mg m−2 PO). Forty‐five percent of historical dogs had grade 4 neutropenia, while 64% of dogs pretreated with dexamethasone had grade 4 neutropenia (P = 0.16). Dexamethasone plasma levels were quantified by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in three healthy dogs. Peak plasma concentrations after a single oral 0.1‐mg kg−1 dose were <80 ng mL−1, the minimum level associated with chemoprotective effects of dexamethasone in people. Pretreatment with dexamethasone did not reduce the incidence of grade 4 neutropenia in dogs receiving CCNU.