bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
US Labour Relations in Transition: Emerging Strategies and Company Performance
Authors: Meyer David G. , Cooke William N.
Published: January 2009

This report examines strategic labour relations and operational changes pursued by large, highly unionized, US manufacturing companies over the 1975–86 period. Four fairly distinguishable strategies are identified as implemented across a sample of 105 companies. These strategies are characterized by various combinations of activities associated with union avoidance, deunionization and co‐operation. In addition to describing these strategies, we examine changes in company performance associated with these strategies for a subsample of 56 companies. It is found that, on the one hand, improvements in company performance are associated with extensive cooperative efforts across unionized facilities, but, on the other hand, they are also associated with the opening of non‐union facilities and the simultaneous closing of unionized facilities. In contrast, the closing of unionized facilities (but not non‐union facilities) and the decertification of unions are negatively associated with company performance.
Membership Participation in Workplace Unionism: The Possibility of Union Renewal
Authors: Fosh Patricia
Published: January 2009

This article reports membership involvement (participation and commitment) in five case studies. Membership participation in and commitment to workplace unionism is greater than is customarily portrayed and, additionally, there are fluctuations in both. However, the solidarity dimension of commitment is more important in discussing participation than that of ideology since active members can have either an instrumental or an ideological orientation to unionism. Surges of involvement in a workplace are experienced in response to the impact of events in the local union environment, as mediated particularly by local leadership style. The possibility for union renewal comes through building up the base level of participation by careful local leadership so that members can more easily be encouraged to take part in collective activities in times of necessity.
Employment Growth and Stability under Profit‐Sharing: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Florkowski Gary W.
Published: January 2009

This study tests the hypotheses that employment will increase and become more stable when firms replace traditional reward systems with a bifurcated approach incorporating profit‐sharing. Time‐series data for 443 publicly traded profit‐sharing firms and a closely matched group of industry non‐sharers were analysed before and after plan implementation. While there was evidence that profit‐sharing generated short‐term growth, little support emerged for its theorized effect on employment variability. Unlike previous reports, organizational size was more likely to influence the impact of share arrangements than was industry type.
Workplace Industrial Relations under Different Regulatory Systems: A Survey‐Based Comparison of Australia and Britain
Authors: Whitfield Keith , Marginson Paul , Brown William
Published: January 2009

The focus of the paper is upon the extent to which different national regulatory systems give rise to different institutions and outcomes at the workplace. It uses data from the Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey and the third British Workplace Industrial Relations Survey to examine a number of hypotheses which suggest that the different regulatory systems of these countries have produced distinct patterns of industrial relations at the workplace. It is concluded that, while there is substantial evidence that the countries' different regulatory systems have had distinct effect on industrial relations institutions and outcomes, these are not as straight forward as earlier work has suggested.
The Korea Labour ‘Problem’
Authors: Wilkinson Barry
Published: January 2009

This article documents the rise of organized labour and the emergence of overt industrial conflict in the Republic of Korea since democratization in 1987, and the crisis of world competitiveness of Korean industry to which the gains of organized labour contributed. Based on an analysis of the characteristics of the actors in the Korean industrial relations system, the nature of the conflict and its consequences are assessed. It is argued that, in forcing the pace of economic restructuring towards high‐tech/high‐wage sectors, organized labour, often characterized by state and business elites as a ‘problem’, may turn out to be a progressive force.
Is There Room for an Independent Trade Unionism in Russia? Trade Unionism in the Russian Aviation Industry
Authors: Borisov Vadim , Fairbrother Peter , Clarke Simon
Published: January 2009

On the basis of a detailed study of two ‘independent’ unions, representing pilots and air traffic controllers, this paper argues that there are very limited prospects for independent trade unionism in Russia at present. The air traffic controllers' union has adopted a resolutely independent and militant strategy of pursuing the sectional interests of its members, which has brought it into conflict with management, other unions and the government. The pilots' union, by contrast, has sought to consolidate the position of its members as a labour aristocracy, collaborating closely with management to secure its privileged position. The success of the pilots contrasts starkly with the heavy defeat suffered by the air traffic controllers following their strikes in August and December 1992, indicating the barriers that face the attempt to create trade unions independent of management in Russia.
The Union of the Future: Super‐Unions or Joint Ventures?
Authors: Wlllman Paul , Cave Alan
Published: January 2009

The article looks at effectiveness in union organization. Following Child et al. (1973), it describes the necessary conditions for both administrative and representative effectiveness. Administratively effective unions focus on an organizable job territory, control costs and avoid competition. Representative effectiveness is defined by the degree of employer dependence, the balance of services and the degree of centralization. We argue that the prevailing tendency for concentration through merger often damages representative effectiveness while yielding few administrative benefits. The article concludes by offering a framework for analysis of a range of co‐operative relationships between unions which yield administrative benefits.
Declining Union Density in the 1980s: What Do Panel Data Tell Us?
Authors: Andrews Martyn , Naylor Robin
Published: January 2009

In this paper we analyse data from the 1980—4 WIRS panel for the light they can shed on the causes of the decline in aggregate trade union density in the UK. We argue that, contrary to conventional wisdom, intra‐establishment union density did, on average, decline between 1980 and 1984. This suggests that a traditional compositional change story is untenable. We proceed to investigate the correlation of intra‐establishment change with variables suggested by the various hypotheses advanced to explain declining density over the period. We find some evidence for an influence of intra‐establishment compositional changes, but the most statistically significant variables are wages and unemployment. These take the wrong sign, however, to support the business cycle interpretation of falling aggregate union density.
Trade Union Derecognition in Britain, 1988–1994
Authors: Gall Gregor , McKay Sonia
Published: January 2009

Since the initial studies of derecognition, many articles have focused on the issue, by and large pointing to a slow increase in derecognition. However, a small number have indicated it is actually much larger. This paper shows that derecognition is even greater than these suggest and that its nature has changed. The paper looks at the contexts of this rise but argues that derecognition should not yet be seen as a major problem facing the unions.
Raising Trade Union Membership Concentration, 1892–1987: The Relative Effects of Mergers and Membership Change
Authors: Waddington Jeremy
Published: January 2009

A number of recent studies measure trade union membership concentration using the Herfindahl index. This study uses the same measure to examine the relative effects of the different factors that influenced the level of British union membership concentration between 1892 and 1987. Five factors are identified as influencing this development: mergers, formations, dissolutions, breakaways, and membership change. Marked occupational differences in the relative effect of these factors are shown. In aggregate terms, mergers and membership change tend to be complementary in effect until 1946 and counteractive thereafter.
The Nature and Causes of Effective Human Resource Management
Authors: Guest David E. , Peccei Riccardo
Published: January 2009

Abstract: Four models of the causes of effective human resource management were tested using a large sample of national health service (NHS) provider trusts and districts. The four models, labelled organizational integration, policy integration, functional integration and process integration, were operationalized and tested in a regression analysis against a range of qualitative and quantitative measures of HRM effectiveness. The results reveal little or no association between the qualitative and quantitative measures of effectiveness and show that the models are better at explaining qualitative effectiveness. The most strongly supported models are organizational integration, reflected particularly in the formalization by senior management of HRM policy, and process integration, reflected in the quality and efficiency of personnel service and support. There is little support for policy integration — the idea of a coherent policy focus — and none at all for functional integration, that is, the view that a personnel department generously staffed by professional specialists will enhance effectiveness. The theoretical and policy implications of these results are discussed.
The Impact of European Integration and German Unification on Industrial Relations in Germany
Authors: Sadowski Dieter , Schneider Martin , Wagner Karin
Published: January 2009

Can the present turmoil in German industrial relations be attributed to the effects of the Single Market, or to unification, or to other factors? European regulation or legislation may intervene in the German industrial relations system, may remove responsibilities from national actors, or may, by deregulation, induce stronger interdependence between national regimes. Various instances are considered to evaluate the actual and potential EU impact on German industrial relations. The evidence suggests that fears of ‘social dumping’ in the richer member‐states are largely unfounded, and that the effects of unification and the recession on German industrial relations are currently more significant than the impact of European integration.
The Economic Effects of Unionism on Japanese Manufacturing Enterprises
Authors: Benson John
Published: January 2009

Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between unions and the economic performance of firms in the Japanese manufacturing sector. Although the effects of trade unions on the enterprise has been the subject of substantial research over the past decade, this research has focused almost exclusively on Western systems of industrial relations and union organization. In this study, Japanese enterprise unions were found to be associated with significantly lower levels of profit, lower productivity and higher levels of capital intensity. These results challenge the commonly held views of a subservient and dependent union movement in Japan.
The Reconstruction of Industrial Relations in the Privatized Water Industry
Authors: Ogden Stuart
Published: January 2009

Abstract: The article examines changes in industrial relations in the recently privatized water authorities, and argues that the development of new industrial relations procedures and practices has involved a substantial reconstruction of the old public‐sector industrial relations framework. However, change has by no means been uniform throughout the ten new water plcs, and comparisons are made to highlight the diversity of management response to the new environment created by privatization. In explaining the scope and pace of change, the paper argues that the early move to single‐employer bargaining and the opportunities for comparisons of performance within the new regulatory framework are important explanatory factors.
UK Unionism and Innovative Activity: Some Cautionary Remarks on the Basis of a Simple Cross‐country Test
Authors: Addison John T. , Wagner Joachim
Published: January 2009

Abstract: This paper offers a preliminary investigation of union impact on investment in intangible capital. We first report evidence on the raw correlation between union membership density and R&D intensity. This suggests that higher union density is associated with increased innovative activity among an important subset of British industry. Attention then shifts to a consideration of whether the ‘stylized facts’ are indicative of a causal relation or are instead an artefact produced by the concentration of unions in those sectors evincing greater scope for R&D. We offer a simple cross‐country test in which German R&D outlays serve as the benchmark or comparator. No support is adduced for the notion that unions cause higher R&D.
Annual Review Article 1993: British Public Sector Industrial Relations
Authors: Bailey Rachel
Published: January 2009

Abstract: Developments in public‐sector industrial relations during 1993 have raised questions about unions, pay determination and conflict resolution. This review explores some of the tensions in these areas created by new restrictions on pay increases, changes in reward structures and further market‐testing across services. Where the different forms of pay determination buy industrial peace, the price may be too high in terms of the productivity and efficiency requirements gains now being demanded. But co‐operation is needed too, and the dilution of the Whitley system of collective bargaining may be more likely to produce the very co‐operation embodied in its philosophy, but not always present in its practice. The new ‘superunion’ UNISON will play a role here, as single‐table bargaining and even single‐union deals develop. These institutional developments will also be affected by pay flexibility measures which endeavour to improve individual performance at the front line of services, while in practice increasingly giving the rewards to management.
Plant Closures and Unionization in British Establishments
Authors: Machin Stephen
Published: January 2009

This paper examines whether there is a link between establishment closure and union presence using data from the 1984–90 panel sample of establishments of the Workplace Industrial Relations Survey. It considers whether the notion that unions damage long term performance and ultimately force uncompetitive establishments to shut down is a reasonable one.

I can find no evidence whatsoever for this hypothesis. There is no evidence that establishment closure and union presence are positively correlated. The relationship is usually negative and sometimes significantly so.

These results are important for at least two reasons: (i) it does not seem that unions have detrimental effects that force establishments to close down in the long run; (ii) the idea that union establishments have been dying at a faster rate forms no part of the explanation of the sharp union decline observed in the 1980s.
The Coverage of Collective Pay‐setting Institutions in Britain, 1895–1990
Authors: Milner Simon
Published: January 2009

Fewer than 50% of British employees now have their pay and conditions affected by collective pay‐setting institutions — collective bargaining or wages councils. This paper charts the historical context for the current picture of a decollectivized Britain, constructing a time series on coverage from 1895 to 1990. Extant estimates and sources of coverage data are presented and discussed alongside estimates drawn from a source used only sparingly before now — the number of workers affected by changes in wage rates of national agreements or wage orders. The recent decline in collective bargaining coverage is the most prolonged ever recorded and has been noticeably steeper than the fall in union density, such that the proportion of British workers covered is lower now than in the 1940s. With the abolition of wages councils in 1993, collective pay‐setting machinery now affects the pay and conditions of fewer workers than it did in the 1930s.
Comparative Industrial Relations Research: Towards Reversing the Gender Bias
Authors: Rubery Jill , Fagan Colette
Published: January 2009

This paper seeks to begin the reversal of the gender bias in comparative industrial relations research which is still focused on comparing and contrasting the regimes that cover mainly male manual workers. There is little systematic evidence on industrial relations practices in private or even public services, for non‐manual workers or for atypical workers. These employment areas are central for women's employment and are of increasing importance in the labour market, but few attempts have been made to compare industrial relations regimes by reference to the protection they afford to women. Taking into account industrial relations practice in these areas can change significantly the classification and estimated coverage of collective bargaining systems. By ‘mainstrearning’ gender issues it also becomes clear that current macroeconomic policy proposals have major gender implications that are ignored in current debates
Pay Determination in the Republic of Ireland: Towards Social Corporatism?
Authors: Teague Paul
Published: January 2009

In Ireland there is a widespread belief that the country is moving towards a ‘European model’ of industrial relations. One claim is that the industrial relations system can be now described as social corporatist. Advocates of this view invariably point to the substance and the durability of the latest round of centralized wage agreements in support of this claim. This paper assesses the validity of the argument. Because discussions about social corporatism are so diffuse, the first part of the paper develops a framework that sheds light on what the concept means in economic and institutional terms. In the second part of the paper this framework is used to assess the functioning of the recent national pay deals. The conclusion is that these agreements should not be regarded as social corporatist.
Unions, Safety Committees and Workplace Injuries
Authors: Reilly Barry , Paci Pierella , Holl Peter
Published: January 2009

This paper exploits the Workplace Industrial Relations Survey from 1990 (WIRS3) to examine the determinants of workplace injuries for a sample of manufacturing establishments in the UK. A key focus of this paper is an assessment of the role played by union‐appointed safety representatives and joint health and safety consultative committees in reducing the frequency of workplace accidents. We find that joint consultative committees, with all employee representatives appointed by unions, significantly reduce workplace injuries relative to those establishments where the management alone determine health and safety arrangements. However, an important role is also found for those joint consultative commitees where no employee representatives are appointed by unions.
Job Training, New Technology and Labour Turnover
Authors: Greenhalgh Christine , Mavrotas George
Published: January 2009

Vocational training incidence for those at work is frequently financed partly or wholly by employers, who then lose part of their investment return if workers migrate to other firms. We investigate the incidence of training and the incidence of job‐to‐job mobility for a large sample of British workers in 1984 and 1989. We also analyse the role of sectoral technology characteristics in influencing patterns of both training and inter‐firm mobility.

Our results demonstrate that job‐to‐job mobility is highest for the young and higher for those with formal educational qualifications than for the unskilled. These are also characteristics which engender a higher training propensity; so, unavoidably, private gains to training for employers are below social gains for these young people. Public‐sector workers have high training rates but low mobility; this perhaps explains the lack of perception of the poaching problem by successive governments. Sectoral R&D activity is associated with more training and less mobility for men; in contrast, women are more likely to train and are less mobile if the rate of adoption of innovation is rapid.
Desperately Seeking Differences: Is Management Style Gendered?
Authors: Wajcman Judy
Published: January 2009

The increase in the number of women occupying managerial positions has led to a debate about whether women are bringing a distinct style of management to organizations in the 1990s. It has also prompted a reassessment of the traditional negative stereotype of women managers. This paper examines whether there are sex differences in how women and men manage. It also reports on managers' motivation to work and their attitudes towards women managers. The data are drawn from a large study of men and women senior managers in five multinational companies. My argument is that there is no such thing as a ‘female’ management style and that the similarities between women and men far outweigh the differences between women and men as groups. Powerful organizational imperatives allow for few substantial modifications in management approach.
A Formula for Success? Training, Reward and Commitment in a Chemicals Plant
Authors: Heyes Jason
Published: January 2009

Managerial strategies designed to elicit greater employee commitment in production have received much attention in recent industrial relations reseach. Training is seen to form a core component of such strategies, yielding such beneficial outcomes as improved efficiency and employee motivation. Yet the connections between training strategy and performance outcomes have been treated in an overly simplistic fashion. This in turn reflects a lack of empirical inquiry at the level of the shop‐floor currently to be found in the subject area. By integrating an investigation of the workplace into the analysis of management strategy and performance outcomes, it is possible to develop a deeper understanding of the linkages between training provision, commitment and systems of reward.
Union Presence, Union Service and Membership Participation
Authors: Flood Patrick C. , Turner Thomas , Willman Paul
Published: January 2009

Much of the literature on the determinants of union activism has focused on biographical and attitudinal precursors or correlates of several measures of union participation. Although interactionist theory emphasizes the importance of social context, little attention has been paid to union presence. The argument of this paper is that union presence, defined by certain structural arrangements, and the quality of union service, influences measures of workplace and non‐workplace union participation through the mediating influence of union orientation. The paper begins by reviewing the literature on union presence and participation, before presenting a model of the joint impact of union service and union presence on both on‐ and off‐the job union participation. Data are drawn from a study of membership involvement within the Irish‐based Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU). The main findings are that there are significant relationships between presence and service level variables and measures of union participation. In particular, service variables appear to affect workplace union participation largely through the mediating influence of union orientation. Presence variables, by contrast, have both direct and indirect influence on participation in union activities within and outside the workplace.
Trade Union Concentration and the Determination of Wages: The Case of Teachers in England and Wales
Authors: Dolton Peter , Robson Martin
Published: January 2009

Multi‐unionism is a common feature of the industrial relations scene, yet to date there has been relatively little economic analysis of its effects, in particular on the outcome of wage negotiations. In this paper, we examine the impact of multi‐unionism—specifically, the degree of union membership concentration—on the determination of the relative pay of a particular occupational group, namely that of schoolteachers in England and Wales. We measure teacher trade union concentration using the Herfindahl index of concentration, and find that, after controlling for other possible influences, changes in the value of this index have a positive impact on schoolteachers' relative pay. In addition, we find union membership concentration to be a better indicator of ‘union pushfulness’ effects in wage determination than the traditional measure, union density. These findings are potentially of wider significance for the analysis of wage determination in multi‐union environments.
Job Satisfaction in Britain
Authors: Clark Andrew E.
Published: January 2009

Little recent empirical work in economics or industrial relations has examined job satisfaction, despite its demonstrated correlation with labour market behaviour such as quits, absenteeism and productivity. This paper uses information from a study of 5000 British employees to investigate the relationship between three measures of job satisfaction and a wide range of individual and job characteristics. Notably, men, workers in their thirties, the well‐educated, those working longer hours and workers in larger establishments have lower levels of job satisfaction. The estimated job satisfaction equations are used to calculate a measure of the shadow wage and to provide some evidence that is consistent with the existence of non‐compensating differentials in the industry and occupational wage structure.
Who Controls Selection under ‘Voluntary’ Redundancy? The Case of the Redundant Mineworkers Payments Scheme
Authors: Wass Victoria
Published: January 2009

Voluntary redundancy schemes which offer extra‐statutory redundancy payments are often used as a mechanism for implementing redundancy in Britain. This paper reports the impact of one such scheme, the Redundant Mineworkers Payments Scheme of 1984, on the scale of and selection for redundancy in the coal industry. Formal agreements, and ultimately statutory obligations, which restrict managerial control over scale and selection in redundancy were bypassed by compensation offers made informally to individuals. It is demonstrated that, even under a scheme based entirely upon self‐selection, the employer, through control over the structure of compensation, retains control over selection. The scale and selection effects facilitated by voluntary redundancy schemes have important implications for equity in the workplace and efficiency in the external labour market.
The Puzzle of Gender‐equal Political Participation in Sweden: The Importance of Norms and Mobilization
Authors: Adman Per
Published: January 2009

Political participation is higher among men than women in most parts of the world. However, earlier research has shown that this does not hold true in Scandinavia, including Sweden, where gender differences are remarkably small. This article studies the causes of the Swedish situation. A conventional hypothesis is formulated based on research from other parts of the world. It assumes that gender‐equal participation in Sweden can be explained by the lack of gender differences in certain political resource and motivational factors that are often analyzed. However, this hypothesis is not supported by the data, which instead indicates a female disadvantage with regard to both resources and motivation. Two alternative hypotheses are developed and shown as empirically viable. The first assumes that women more often adhere to norms that emphasize the importance of being politically active, which promotes their participation in politics. The second focuses on collective mobilization based on interests specific to women. In line with this hypothesis, only women are shown to be members of women's organizations and hold more radical opinions on issues related to gender equality and reproduction. These factors have a positive impact on women's participation, and together they explain a noticeable amount of the male advantage with regard to conventional explanatory factors. Therefore they are important contributory causes of gender‐equal participation in Sweden, although other factors, not discussed here, also contribute. Quantitative methods are used in the analyses, and the study material is the 1997 Swedish Citizenship Survey.
Using Markets to Inform Policy: The Case of the Iraq War
Authors: WOLFERS JUSTIN , ZITZEWITZ ERIC
Published: January 2009

Financial market‐based analysis of the expected effects of policy changes has traditionally been exclusively retrospective. In this paper, we demonstrate by example how prediction markets make it possible to use markets to prospectively estimate policy effects. We exploit data from a market trading in contracts tied to the ouster of Saddam Hussein as leader of Iraq to learn about financial market participants' expectations of the consequences of the 2003 Iraq war. We conducted an ex‐ante analysis, which we disseminated before the war, finding that a 10% increase in the probability of war was accompanied by a $1 increase in spot oil prices that futures markets suggested was expected to dissipate quickly. Equity price movements implied that the same shock led to a 1.5% decline in the S&P 500. Further, the existence of widely‐traded equity index options allows us to back out the entire distribution of market expectations of the war's near‐term effects, finding that these large effects reflected a negatively skewed distribution, with a substantial probability of an extremely adverse outcome. The flow of war‐related news through our sample explains a large proportion of daily oil and equity price movements. Subsequent analysis suggests that these relationships continued to hold out of sample. Our analysis also allows us to characterize which industries and countries were most sensitive to war news and when the immediate consequences of the war were better than ex‐ante expectations, these sectors recovered, confirming these cross‐sectional implications. We highlight the features of this case study that make it particularly amenable to this style of policy analysis and discuss some of the issues in applying this method to other policy contexts.
Low‐intensity resistance training with slow movement and tonic force generation increases basal limb blood flow
Authors: Tanimoto Michiya , Kawano Hiroshi , Gando Yuko , Sanada Kiyoshi , Yamamoto Kenta , Ishii Naokata , Tabata Izumi , Miyachi Motohiko
Published: January 2009

Metabolic syndrome is associated with reductions in basal limb blood flow. Resistance training increasing muscle mass and strength increases basal limb blood flow. Low‐intensity resistance exercise with slow movement and tonic force generation (LST) has been proposed as one of the effective methods of resistance training increasing muscle mass and strength. The hypothesis that LST training increases basal femoral blood flow as well as traditional high‐intensity resistance training at normal speed (HN) was examined. Thirty‐six healthy young men without a history of regular resistance training were randomly assigned to the LST [∼55–60% one repetition maximum (1RM) load, 3 s lifting and 3 s lowering with no relaxation phase, n = 12], HN (∼85–90% 1RM, 1 s lifting and 1 s lowering with 1 s relaxation, n = 12) or sedentary control (CON, n = 12) groups. Participants in the training groups underwent two whole‐body training sessions per week for 13 weeks. Basal femoral blood flow increased significantly by +18% in LST and +35% in HN (both P<0·05), while there was no such change in CON. There were no significant differences between these increases induced by LST and HN, although the increase in LST corresponded to about half that in HN. In conclusion, not only resistance training in HN but in LST as well, were effective for increasing basal limb blood flow, and that this effect was evident even in healthy young men.
Opioid and benzodiazepine withdrawal syndromes in the paediatric intensive care unit: a review of recent literature
Authors: Birchley Giles
Published: January 2009

Aims and objectives:  This paper aims to critically review and analyse available literature to inform and advance patient care.

Background:  Withdrawal syndromes related to the routine administration of sedation and analgesia in paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) have been recognized since the 1990s. Common symptoms include tremors, agitation, inconsolable crying and sleeplessness.

Search strategies:  A critical review was undertaken to assess developments in this area. Four databases were searched using Ovid Online. These were Ovid Medline, CINAHL, BNI and Embase. Key terms included were ‘Paediatric’, ‘Sedation’, ‘Withdrawal’ and ‘Intensive care’.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria:  Articles from 1980 onwards were reviewed for their relevance to paediatric iatrogenic withdrawal. Additionally, seminal work from the 1970s was included. Because of the scarcity of literature, relevant editorials and opinion pieces were included.

Results:  A total of 2 232 586 papers resulted from keyword searches. Use of Boolean operators to combine terms reduced the number of results to 62. Exclusion criteria reduced the number of suitable papers to 20. Tracking reference lists yielded a further 18 papers. In total, 38 papers were retrieved examining 1375 patients. Four papers surveyed drug usage on PICU, 14 listed withdrawal symptoms, 4 described the frequency of withdrawal in the PICU population, 9 described risk factors, 4 presented or validated clinical tools and 14 describe treatment strategies.

Conclusions:  Withdrawal syndromes may affect 20% of exposed children and are related to infusion duration and total dose. Fifty‐one symptoms are described in the literature. Future studies need accurate, validated clinical tools to be effective. Risk factors, signs and symptoms have been identified, and validation studies must now take place.

Relevance to clinical practice:  Withdrawal syndromes continue to be widespread and difficult to diagnose. Awareness of their causes and treatments should influence clinical decisions at the bedside.
Sediment transport to the Laptev Sea (Siberian Arctic) during the Holocene — evidence from the heavy mineral composition of fluvial and marine sediments
Authors: PEREGOVICH BERNHARD , HOOPS ERICH , RACHOLD VOLKER
Published: January 2009

Heavy mineral studies of East Siberian river sediments, Laptev Sea surface sediments, and a sediment core of the western Laptev Sea were carried out in order to reconstruct the pathways of modern and ancient sediment transport from the Siberian hinterland to the Laptev Sea. The modern heavy mineral distribution of Laptev Sea surface sediments reflects mainly the riverine input. While the eastern and central part of the Laptev Sea is dominated by amphibole, which is supplied by the Lena River, the western part is dominated by pyroxene imported from the Siberian Trap basalts by the Khatanga River. The distribution of garnet and opaque minerals is additionally influenced by hydrodynamic processes. As a consequence of their high density, these minerals are predominantly deposited close to the river mouths. Heavy mineral and sedimentological studies of a sediment core of the western Laptev Sea were applied to reconstruct the postglacial history of the shelf area during the last 11 ka. In the lowermost interval of the core (>c. 10 ka), high accumulation rates and a heavy mineral composition similar to that of the modern Khatanga river indicate fluvial conditions. Additionally, the high mica content in this interval may indicate meltwater inflow from the Byrranga mountains. Strong variations in accumulation rates, grain‐size distribution, and heavy mineral composition are observed in the time interval between c. 10 and 6 ka, which represents the main transgression of the Laptev Sea shelf. During the uppermost interval (<6 ka), rather stable conditions similar to the modem situation prevailed.
Lateglacial–Holocene shoreface progradation offshore eastern Scotland: a response to climatic and coastal hydrographic change
Authors: STOKER MARTYN S. , GOLLEDGE NICK R. , PHILLIPS EMRYS R. , WILKINSON IAN P. , AKHURST MAXINE C.
Published: January 2009

Seismic facies, provenance and marine faunal associations of a nearshore prograding sediment wedge offshore eastern Scotland are studied to investigate environmental changes in the adjacent North Sea during Lateglacial–Holocene time. The sediments form part of the St. Andrews Bay Member (Forth Formation), which is divided into four lithozones (L1–L4) that represent distinct pulses of sedimentation during the sequential growth of the sediment wedge. Radiocarbon dates, combined with the local curve of relative sea level change, indicate that progradation was initiated as a fluvio‐deltaic deposit (L1) during the Younger Dryas Stadial. Further construction of the sediment package took place during the mid‐ to late Holocene by sublittoral tidal processes that deposited three discrete, highstand shoreface wedges (L2–L4), which display both progradation and longshore migration (to the NE), and may have experienced episodic brackish marine conditions. A depositional cyclicity of about 1000 years is proposed for lithozones L2–L4, separated by hiatuses of 1000–2000 years. We tentatively suggest that the Holocene development of the prograding wedge offshore eastern Scotland was a response to phases of strong westerly winds driving an enhanced influx of Atlantic Water into the North Sea. A concomitant increase in rainfall may account for the freshening of the coastal zone at this time. However, correlation with the recently postulated global periods of Holocene rapid climate change remains unclear.
Analyzing the Homeland Security of the U.S.‐Mexico Border
Authors: Wein Lawrence M. , Liu Yifan , Motskin Arik
Published: January 2009

We develop a mathematical optimization model at the intersection of homeland security and immigration, that chooses various immigration enforcement decision variables to minimize the probability that a terrorist can successfully enter the United States across the U.S.‐Mexico border. Included are a discrete choice model for the probability that a potential alien crosser will attempt to cross the U.S.‐Mexico border in terms of the likelihood of success and the U.S. wage for illegal workers, a spatial model that calculates the apprehension probability as a function of the number of crossers, the number of border patrol agents, and the amount of surveillance technology on the border, a queueing model that determines the probability that an apprehended alien will be detained and removed as a function of the number of detention beds, and an equilibrium model for the illegal wage that balances the supply and demand for work and incorporates the impact of worksite enforcement. Our main result is that detention beds are the current system bottleneck (even after the large reduction in detention residence times recently achieved by expedited removal), and increases in border patrol staffing or surveillance technology would not provide any improvements without a large increase in detention capacity. Our model also predicts that surveillance technology is more cost effective than border patrol agents, which in turn are more cost effective than worksite inspectors, but these results are not robust due to the difficulty of predicting human behavior from existing data. Overall, the probability that a terrorist can successfully enter the United States is very high, and it would be extremely costly and difficult to significantly reduce it. We also investigate the alternative objective function of minimizing the flow of illegal aliens across the U.S.‐Mexico border, and obtain qualitatively similar results.
Association of depressive symptoms and metabolic syndrome in men
Authors: Viinamäki H. , Heiskanen T. , Lehto S. M. , Niskanen L. , Koivumaa‐Honkanen H. , Tolmunen T. , Honkalampi K. , Saharinen T. , Haatainen K. , Hintikka J.
Published: January 2009

Objective:  To explore the relationship between several indicators of depression and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Method:  A population‐based sample with high (HMS group) or low (LMS group) levels of mental symptoms, including those of depression, in three follow‐ups participated in a clinical examination in 2005 (n = 223). MetS was determined according to the NCEP criteria.

Results:  The prevalence of MetS was 49% in men and 21% in women. Men with MetS had higher rates of major depressive disorder than other men. They also displayed higher Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS) scores and more often signs of suicidality. In logistic regression analyses, higher HDRS scores (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.04–1.64) and belonging to the HMS group (OR 10.1, 95% CI 1.98–51.3) were independent associates for MetS but only in men.

Conclusion:  The results highlight that there is an association between long‐term depressive symptoms and the emergence of MetS, especially in men.
Clinical effect of low‐energy double‐pass 1450 nm laser treatment for acne in Asians
Authors: Noborio Reiko , Nishida Emi , Morita Akimichi
Published: January 2009

Background: While the 1450 nm diode laser is highly effective for the treatment of acne, its use is associated with considerable pain. Low‐energy, double‐pass irradiation was attempted as an alternative to prevent the occurrence of pain as an adverse effect.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of low‐energy, double‐pass, 1450 nm diode laser treatment in the treatment of acne in Asian patients.

Methods: Thirty Japanese patients with inflammatory acne were treated with the low‐energy, double‐pass, 1450 nm diode laser at 2–4‐week intervals. An open study was performed in patients that underwent at least five and up to 10 treatment sessions. The clinical effect was assessed using an acne grading scale.

Results: Of the 30 patients, 27 completed the study. The mean acne grades decreased from 3.9 to 1.4 (P<0.01) in the 27 patients. The pain was tolerated by 25 patients, and two patients required local anesthesia. No remarkable side effects occurred in any of the patients; all but a few patients had transient faint erythema.

Conclusion: Low‐energy, double‐pass therapy is an alternative method that is beneficial for patients who complain of considerable pain. Furthermore, the method may have a lower risk of transient hyperpigmentation induced by cryogen spray, even in Asian patients who tend to develop inflammatory pigmentation.
Population reference intervals for minimal erythemal doses in monochromator phototesting
Authors: Moseley Harry , Naasan Hannah , Dawe Robert S. , Woods Julie , Ferguson James
Published: January 2009

Background/purpose: Monochromator phototesting, to measure the minimal erythemal dose (MED), is useful in investigating patients with abnormal photosensitivity at different wavelengths. It relies on access to reliable, up‐to‐date data on the MED in normal individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine MED in normal subjects at different wavebands and compare these with historical controls.

Methods: The study group consisted of 415 normal individuals (349 males) of skin types I–III living in Scotland. Age range was 18–83 years (median 31 years). Phototesting was performed using a monochromator at prescribed wavelengths from 295 to 430 nm. All calibrations were traceable to the National Physical Laboratory. Quality systems were maintained to ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 international standards and ultraviolet (UV) measurements accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

Results: The 95% reference interval (99% confidence interval for this) ranged from 6.8 to 27 mJ/cm2 at 295 nm to >82 000 mJ/cm2 at 430 nm.

Conclusions: Results of the current investigation are broadly in agreement with values published 25 years ago by this centre. This validates the phototesting process based on the use of monochromators with attention to careful control of conditions during UV exposure and MED reading, supported by dosimetric calibration.
Narrowband UVB treatment of pigmented purpuric lichenoid dermatitis (Gougerot–Blum)
Authors: Kocaturk Emek , Kavala Mukaddes , Zindanci Ilkin , Zemheri Ebru , Sarigul Sukran , Sudogan Sibel
Published: January 2009

Pigmented purpuric dermatoses are a group of dermatoses characterized clinically by pinpoint petechia and purpura on a brown, red or yellow base. Five diseases are included in the group of pigmented purpuric eruptions which significantly overlap clinically and histologically. Phototherapy in various forms of purpuric dermatoses has been reported in literature previously. Here we present a case of pigmented purpuric lichenoid dermatitis which rapidly cleared with narrowband UVB therapy.
Modulation of Vibrio mimicus hemolysin through limited proteolysis by an endogenous metalloprotease
Authors: Mizuno Tamaki , Sultan Syed Z. , Kaneko Yoshimi , Yoshimura Tomonaga , Maehara Yoko , Nakao Hiroshi , Tsuchiya Tomofusa , Shinoda Sumio , Miyoshi Shin‐ichi
Published: January 2009

Vibrio mimicus is a causative agent of human gastroenteritis and food poisoning, and this species produces an enterotoxic hemolysin (V. mimicus hemolysin) as a virulence determinant. Vibrio mimicus hemolysin is secreted as an 80 kDa precursor, which is later converted to the 66 kDa mature toxin through removal of an N‐terminal propeptide via cleavage of the Arg151–Ser152 bond. In this article, we investigate the role of the endogenous metalloprotease (V. mimicus protease) in the maturation of V. mimicus hemolysin. In vitro experiments using purified proteins showed that, although it activated the precursor at the early stage via cleavage of the Asn157–Val158 bond, V. mimicus protease finally converted the activated and physiologically maturated toxin to a 51 kDa protein through removal of the C‐terminal polypeptide. This 51 kDa derivative was unable to lyse erythrocytes because of its inability to bind to the erythrocyte membrane. Vibrio mimicus protease‐negative strains were found to produce high levels of V. mimicus hemolysin at the logarithmic phase of bacterial growth and maintained high hemolytic activity even at the stationary phase. These findings indicate that, although it is not directly related to toxin maturation in vivo, V. mimicus protease can modulate the activity of V. mimicus hemolysin and/or its precursor through limited proteolysis.