bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pushing forward SME CSR through a network: an account from the Catalan model
Authors: Murillo David , Lozano Josep M.
Published: December 2008

This paper presents the results of a Catalan project in which an academic institution acted as a practitioner to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). The project involved the establishment of a working network with intermediate organisations and the creation of specific tools for the purpose. The paper is set up as a case study, emphasising inclusion, representativity and legitimacy as key elements for the successful construction of a network to promote CSR in SMEs. It underlines the assumptions behind the functioning of this network and the learning findings from this public–private initiative. Presented from a public policy perspective, the paper emphasises the need for coordination in terms of the growing number of initiatives fostering CSR in SMEs. It presents a brief account of the material results, focusing on the process of creating a consensus within the network. It opens up a path for future research, exploring how network management and leadership can be seen as key issues when talking about corporate social responsibility (CSR) promotion in SMEs.
Applying asset‐based community development as a strategy for CSR: a Canadian perspective on a win–win for stakeholders and SMEs
Authors: Fisher Kyla , Geenen Jessica , Jurcevic Marie , McClintock Katya , Davis Glynn
Published: December 2008

In the December 2006 edition of Harvard Business Review, Michael Porter and Mark Kramer argue that by approaching corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on corporate priorities, strengths and abilities, firms can develop socially and fiscally responsible solutions to current CSR issues, which will provide operational and competitive advantages. We agree that an effective approach to CSR includes a mapping of strategy, risk and opportunity. However, we also caution that the identification of these to the exclusion of societal input may not be to the corporation's advantage. Instead, an investment in both strategic analysis and social capital can pay off from a social and an organizational standpoint. Compared with their larger counterparts, small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) frequently have stronger relationships with their internal and external stakeholders that foster the development of social capital. As such, we believe that the sector offers a unique opportunity to identify additional models and frameworks in order to approach a strategic CSR model as espoused by Porter and Kramer. This paper explores a case study of one Canadian SME that uses a community development framework called Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) for its CSR programming. Because ABCD relies heavily on the development and maintenance of social capital and can be utilized to attain set objectives, we propose that it provides a supplementary framework through which the arguments of Porter and Kramer can be expanded. In applying the ABCD framework for CSR, we can begin to establish a programme that supports strategy, integrates employees and stakeholders towards a common vision, and creates unique and sustainable alternatives towards the resolution of social and corporate goals.
Variance Estimation in the Analysis of Microarray Data
Authors: Wang Yuedong , Ma Yanyuan , Carroll Raymond J.
Published: December 2008

Microarrays are one of the most widely used high throughput technologies. One of the main problems in the area is that conventional estimates of the variances that are required in the t-statistic and other statistics are unreliable owing to the small number of replications. Various methods have been proposed in the literature to overcome this lack of degrees of freedom problem. In this context, it is commonly observed that the variance increases proportionally with the intensity level, which has led many researchers to assume that the variance is a function of the mean. Here we concentrate on estimation of the variance as a function of an unknown mean in two models: the constant coefficient of variation model and the quadratic variance–mean model. Because the means are unknown and estimated with few degrees of freedom, naive methods that use the sample mean in place of the true mean are generally biased because of the errors-in-variables phenomenon. We propose three methods for overcoming this bias. The first two are variations on the theme of the so-called heteroscedastic simulation–extrapolation estimator, modified to estimate the variance function consistently. The third class of estimators is entirely different, being based on semiparametric information calculations. Simulations show the power of our methods and their lack of bias compared with the naive method that ignores the measurement error. The methodology is illustrated by using microarray data from leukaemia patients.
Shrinkage Tuning Parameter Selection with a Diverging number of Parameters
Authors: Wang Hansheng , Li Bo , Leng Chenlei
Published: December 2008

Contemporary statistical research frequently deals with problems involving a diverging number of parameters. For those problems, various shrinkage methods (e.g. the lasso and smoothly clipped absolute deviation) are found to be particularly useful for variable selection. Nevertheless, the desirable performances of those shrinkage methods heavily hinge on an appropriate selection of the tuning parameters. With a fixed predictor dimension, Wang and co-worker have demonstrated that the tuning parameters selected by a Bayesian information criterion type criterion can identify the true model consistently. In this work, similar results are further extended to the situation with a diverging number of parameters for both unpenalized and penalized estimators. Consequently, our theoretical results further enlarge not only the scope of applicabilityation criterion type criteria but also that of those shrinkage estimation methods.
EMPLOYMENT OF OLDER WORKERS IN POLAND: ISSUES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS1
Authors: Zientara Piotr
Published: December 2008

The aim of this paper is to discuss barriers to the employment of older workers in Poland, where, due to various structural weaknesses and institutional arrangements, this problem has taken on a particularly acute seriousness. After analysing the causes of inactivity amongst older workers, the paper concludes by making policy recommendations.
Regulatory Contradictions: The Political Determinants of Labor Market Inequality in Korea and Japan
Authors: YUN JI‐WHAN
Published: December 2008

Growing labor market inequality in Korea and Japan is often blamed on increased trade competition with China, the information technology revolution, and aging populations. This study shows that labor market inequality is not simply driven by such structural changes but by the nature of the ways in which new labor market regulations were created and the resulting regulatory contradictions. Although its state‐centric strategies designed new labor market regulation favoring marginal workers, the Korean government failed to resolve labor market inequality. This is because the government's new regulatory goal was not backed by sufficient policy resources or adequately coordinated with other policy areas. Conversely, Japanese authorities prioritized the employment stability of regular workers on the basis of consensus among labor and business groups and the government. However, this narrow goal continues to inhibit progress in closing the gap of labor market inequality.
Educational Federalism in Germany: Foundations of Social Inequality in Education
Authors: FREITAG MARKUS , SCHLICHT RAPHAELA
Published: December 2008

This article applies Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to examine how sub‐national education systems affect the extent of social inequality in education within the German federal states. Variations in educational outcomes between the federal states can be primarily attributed to the strict educational decentralization in Germany. We examine four conditions of regional education systems presumed to be relevant for the extent of social inequality in education: the availability of early childhood education, the development of all‐day schools, the onset of tracking to different school types, and the degree of tripartition in secondary education. Altogether, we find systematic relationships between the variation of sub‐national education systems and the extent of social inequality in education. The results indicate that well‐developed early childhood education is necessary for a low degree of educational inequality. However, educational inequality is not directly related to partisan and socioeconomic determinants.
Classification and diagnosis of dementia: a mechanism‐based approach
Authors: Emre M.
Published: December 2008

Dementia is an acquired disorder of the brain, designating an impairment of established mental functions due to various aetiologies, representing a decline from pre‐morbid level which is severe enough to impair normal daily functioning. Classification of dementias is commonly based on individual aetiological categories, more recently molecular‐pathological classifications have been proposed for degenerative dementias. This article is an attempt to provide a comprehensive, yet simplified classification of dementias following a mechanism‐based approach. A systematic approach to diagnostic work‐up is also proposed based on this classification.
How far are associations between child, family and community factors and child psychopathology informant‐specific and informant‐general?
Authors: Collishaw Stephan , Goodman Robert , Ford Tamsin , Rabe‐Hesketh Sophia , Pickles Andrew
Published: December 2008

Background:  Assessments of child psychopathology commonly rely on multiple informants, e.g., parents, teachers and children. Informants often disagree about the presence or absence of symptoms, reflecting reporter bias, situation‐specific behaviour, or random variation in measurement. However, few studies have systematically tested how far correlates of child psychopathology differ between informants.

Methods:  Parents, teachers and children in the 1999 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (n = 4,525, ages 11–15 years) completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multiple source regression models tested the extent to which child, family, school and neighbourhood characteristics were differentially associated with the three informants’ reports. The 2004 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (n = 3,438, ages 11–15 years) was used for replication.

Results:  Almost all significant correlates of child mental health were differentially related to parent, teacher and child ratings of adjustment. Parental distress, parent‐rated family functioning, and child physical health problems were most strongly associated with parent ratings. Child ability and attainment, socio‐economic factors, and school and neighbourhood disadvantage were more strongly associated with teacher and parent rated mental health than with children’s own ratings. Gender differences in externalising problems were most pronounced for teacher ratings, and least so for child ratings; the opposite held true for emotional problems. Effect sizes for combined latent scores fell near the upper end of the range of effect sizes estimated for the three individual informants. Results showed good replication across the two samples.

Conclusions:  The study highlights that there is substantial variation across informants in the links between associated factors and child psychopathology.
Reassessment of the trophic position of Bullidae (Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea) and the importance of diet in the evolution of cephalaspidean gastropods
Authors: Malaquias M. A. E. , Berecibar E. , Reid D. G.
Published: December 2008

A review of the available data on the diet of species of Bullidae is presented. Their trophic level is reassessed through gut content analysis of worldwide species from various habitats. Gut contents were identified by light and scanning electron microscopy. The previous claims of omnivory and carnivory were not supported. Worldwide species of Bullidae feed preferentially on algae and secondarily on diatoms, and are therefore herbivorous. The influence of dietary specialization on the evolution of cephalaspidean gastropods was assessed by superimposing the diet onto a molecular family‐level phylogeny. Herbivory was found to be the plesiomorphic condition, with carnivory having arisen independently two or three times. This evidence suggests that dietary specialization has played a major role in the adaptive radiation of the group.
Phase Extraction in Dynamic Speckle Interferometry with Empirical Mode Decomposition and Hilbert Transform
Authors: Equis S. , Jacquot P.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  In many respects, speckle interferometry (SI) techniques are being considered as mature tools in the experimental mechanics circles. These techniques have enlarged considerably the field of optical metrology, featuring nanometric sensitivities in whole‐field measurements of profile, shape and deformation of mechanical rough surfaces. Nonetheless, when we consider classical fringe processing techniques, e.g. phase‐shifting methods, the deformation range is intrinsically limited to the correlation volume of the speckle field. In addition, the phase evaluation from such patterns is still computationally intensive, especially in the characterisation of dynamic regimes, for which there is a growing interest in a wide range of research and engineering activities. A promising approach lies in the pixel history analysis. We propose in this paper to implement the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm in a fast way, to put the pixel signal in an appropriate shape for accurate phase computation with the Hilbert transform.
Age‐related paraxial schematic emmetropic eyes
Authors: Atchison David A.
Published: December 2008

Based on recent biometric data, four‐surface paraxial schematic emmetropic eyes for different ages have been developed. There are three sets of schematic eyes: male, female and overall. With increase in age, the changes in the schematic eyes are decreased anterior chamber depth, increased lens thickness, decreased vitreous length, increased axial length, decreased anterior lens radius of curvature and increased lens equivalent refractive index. Gender differences are greater anterior corneal radii of curvature (0.07 mm), longer vitreous chambers (0.70 mm), longer axial length (0.70 mm) and lower lens equivalent refractive indices of male eyes (0.007) relative to female eyes. Gaussian parameters of the various schematic eyes are given.
A critical evaluation of the evidence supporting the practice of behavioural vision therapy
Authors: Barrett Brendan T.
Published: December 2008

In 2000, the UK’s College of Optometrists commissioned a report to critically evaluate the theory and practice of behavioural optometry. The report which followed Jennings (2000; Behavioural optometry – a critical review. Optom. Pract. 1: 67) concluded that there was a lack of controlled clinical trials to support behavioural management strategies. The purpose of this report was to evaluate the evidence in support of behavioural approaches as it stands in 2008. The available evidence was reviewed under 10 headings, selected because they represent patient groups/conditions that behavioural optometrists are treating, or because they represent approaches to treatment that have been advocated in the behavioural literature. The headings selected were: (1) vision therapy for accommodation/vergence disorders; (2) the underachieving child; (3) prisms for near binocular disorders and for producing postural change; (4) near point stress and low‐plus prescriptions; (5) use of low‐plus lenses at near to slow the progression of myopia; (6) therapy to reduce myopia; (7) behavioural approaches to the treatment of strabismus and amblyopia; (8) training central and peripheral awareness and syntonics; (9) sports vision therapy; (10) neurological disorders and neuro‐rehabilitation after trauma/stroke. There is a continued paucity of controlled trials in the literature to support behavioural optometry approaches. Although there are areas where the available evidence is consistent with claims made by behavioural optometrists (most notably in relation to the treatment of convergence insufficiency, the use of yoked prisms in neurological patients, and in vision rehabilitation after brain disease/injury), a large majority of behavioural management approaches are not evidence‐based, and thus cannot be advocated.
Reconstructing ocular surfaces by Purkinje images: an exact ray approach
Authors: Turuwhenua Jason
Published: December 2008

A method originally developed for corneal topography (using discrete sources and Zernike polynomials) was extended to estimate the geometry of ocular surfaces internal to the eye. The approach was tested in simulation as a candidate method for phakometry. Purkinje images from the anterior surface of an intra‐ocular lens (IOL) (aligned and decentered) were simulated using the Navarro eye. The ‘full’ Navarro eye and a simplified eye were assumed for recovery purposes. Root mean square (RMS) errors and (anterior) IOL radii of curvatures (best‐fit spheres) were estimated. The robustness of the method to axial shifts in lens position (both eye models) along with assumed refractive index (simplified eye only) was tested. When axial shifts were ignored, RMS errors for the full eye were sub‐micron (<0.8 μm), and radii of curvature errors were ∼1 μm. Axial shifting increased these errors linearly. The n = 1.32 error curve (simplified eye) matched the full eye error curves closely (for both RMS error and IOL lens radius), although the RMS error curve exhibited some asymmetry for a decentered IOL. The nominal refractive index (n = 1.3305) was sub‐optimal in all cases. The resulting method is a potentially useful way to estimate the geometry of the internal ocular surfaces.
Willingness of pregnant women and clinicians to participate in a hypothetical randomised controlled trial comparing vaginal delivery and elective caesarean section
Authors: TURNER Catherine E. , YOUNG Jane M. , SOLOMON Michael J. , LUDLOW Joanne , BENNESS Christopher , PHIPPS Hala
Published: December 2008

Background:  Elective caesarean section is controversial in the absence of compelling evidence of the relative benefits and harms compared with vaginal delivery. A randomised trial of the two procedures to compare outcomes for women and babies would provide the best quality scientific evidence to confirm this debate but it is not known whether such a trial would be feasible.

Aims:  To ascertain the proportion of primiparas and clinicians who would participate in a hypothetical randomised controlled trial comparing vaginal delivery with elective caesarean section.

Methods:  Pregnant women (mean 22 weeks gestation) recruited from public and private antenatal clinics at a major tertiary referral centre were interviewed to ascertain their willingness to participate in a hypothetical randomised controlled trial. A self‐administered questionnaire was mailed to midwives, obstetricians, urogynaecologists and colorectal surgeons, and results between groups were compared.

Results:  One hundred pregnant women, 84 midwives, 166 obstetricians, 12 urogynaecologists and 87 colorectal surgeons participated. Only 14% (95% confidence interval (CI), 8–22) of pregnant women and 31% (95% CI, 26–36) of clinicians indicated that they would participate in a randomised controlled trial.

Conclusions:  A randomised controlled trial comparing vaginal delivery and elective caesarean section may not be feasible due to low levels of willingness to participate, particularly among pregnant women.
New evidence of the Littorina transgressions in the Kattegat: Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating of a beach ridge system on Anholt, Denmark
Authors: BJØRNSEN METTE , CLEMMENSEN LARS B. , MURRAY ANDREW , PEDERSEN KARSTEN
Published: December 2008

Recent geomorphological and sedimentological investigation of the raised beach ridge plain on Anholt in the Kattegat Sea, Denmark, has demonstrated how these deposits, when combined with Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating, can provide information about past changes in relative sea level. The southwest–northeast trending plain is divided into three topographic levels, one of which has been surveyed using Ground‐Penetrating Radar (GPR). Samples retrieved from the survey line indicate that the initial part of the beach ridge plain formed about 7700 years ago in response to a mid‐Holocene Littorina transgression. The raised marine deposits document a subsequent rise in relative sea level of about 9 m, and OSL dates indicate that this transgression took place about 6650 years ago. The flooding of the Kattegat Sea 7700 years ago might possibly be related to a rapid global sea‐level rise peaking around 7500 years ago.
Periglacial sediment variations controlled by late Quaternary climate and lake level change at Elgygytgyn Crater, Arctic Siberia
Authors: SCHWAMBORN GEORG , FEDOROV GRIGORY , SCHIRRMEISTER LUTZ , MEYER HANNO , HUBBERTEN HANS‐W.
Published: December 2008

Late Quaternary sediments in a permafrost environment recovered from the Elgygytgyn Impact Crater were studied to determine regional palaeoenvironmental variability and infer past water‐level changes of the crater lake. Stratigraphic analysis of a 5 m long permafrost core is based on various lithological (grain size, total organic carbon, magnetic susceptibility) and hydrochemical (oxygen isotope composition, major cation content) properties and pore ice content. The results show that alluvial sediments accumulated on top of cryogenically weathered volcanic rock. Changes in the hydrochemical properties reflect different stages of cryogenic weathering. The lithological characteristics mark the transition from an erosive site to a site with accumulation. This environmental change is linked to a relative lake level highstand at >13 000 yr BP, when a shoreline bar was formed leading to slope sedimentation. Lake level dropped by 4 m during the Holocene.
The harp seal (Phoca groenlandica Erxleben) in Denmark, southern Scandinavia, during the Holocene
Authors: BENNIKE OLE , RASMUSSEN PETER , AARIS‐SØRENSEN KIM
Published: December 2008

The harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) is a low‐arctic species that is currently a rare visitor to Danish waters. However, bone remains from archaeological and geological deposits in Denmark and the Baltic Sea testify to a regular presence of harp seals in this region during the mid‐Holocene. The paradox of the presence of a low‐arctic seal species in southern Scandinavia during the mid‐Holocene thermal maximum has been widely discussed. In order to improve the Holocene chronology for the presence of harp seal in Denmark, 24 bone remains of the species were radiocarbon dated. The oldest date is around 4100 cal. yr BC, indicating that the harp seal arrived several millennia after fully marine conditions were established in Danish waters. The majority of the dated specimens fall within two age groups, one centred around 3900 cal. yr BC (11 dates), the other around 2700 cal. yr BC (7 dates). It is argued that these two groups may reflect periods with suitable living conditions for the harp seal in Danish waters and that this is connected with an enhanced inflow of high‐salinity North Sea water and higher biological productivity. Six dates show a scattered distribution between c. 1400 cal. yr BC and c. AD 1000, suggesting sporadic visits of the harp seal to Danish waters during the late Holocene.
Provenance and sea‐ice transportation of Mid‐Pliocene and Quaternary sediments, Yermak Plateau, Arctic Ocean (ODP Site 911)
Authors: JUNTTILA JUHO , LAHTINEN TAIJA , STRAND KARI
Published: December 2008

In this study, the clay and heavy mineral analysis of ODP Site 911 sediments is used to investigate the sources and transport mechanisms (sea ice and oceanic currents) of sediments in the Arctic Ocean during the Mid to Late Pliocene (3.10–2.78 Myr) and upper Quaternary (800 kyr to the present). The time period between 3.10 and 3.00 Myr is characterized by a decreasing smectite and increasing illite content, which is interpreted as reflecting cooling conditions. At the beginning of the Mid‐Pliocene Global Warmth period at ∼3.00 Myr, the smectite content shows an abrupt increase. This change can also be seen as a drop in the amount of kaolinite and TOC. After 3.00 Myr the kaolinite and TOC values start to increase, probably indicating high rates of reworked glacially eroded matter. During the Pleistocene, smectite shows a lower and illite a higher fluctuation level compared with the Pliocene. This might be due to reigning glacial conditions during the Pleistocene, when the freshwater input was much lower than during the Pliocene. During the Pliocene, the fluctuating heavy minerals might reflect changes in freshwater input from the great Siberian rivers, which would have led to changes in the supply of terrigenous material delivered to the shelf by the rivers. The heavy mineral fluctuation also reflects changes in the amount of sea‐ice formation, which correlates with climate variations and the freshwater input from the continent. Based on the composition of the clay and heavy mineral groups in this study, the most likely transportation path is the Siberian branch of the Transpolar Drift.
Desert dune dynamics and development: insights from luminescence dating
Authors: LANCASTER NICHOLAS
Published: December 2008

The application of luminescence dating to aeolian sands in desert regions has revolutionized our understanding of the dynamics of these systems on centennial to millennial time scales. The availability of increasingly precise numerical ages for periods of aeolian deposition has provided information on rates of dune migration and accumulation of sand and supported new models of dune development. When combined with information on dune stratigraphy and morphology, clustering of luminescence ages shows that most dunefields and many large dunes are composite features that have developed as a result of multiple periods of aeolian construction separated by periods of non‐deposition or erosion. Numerical ages have enabled identification of the timing and duration of these periods of aeolian activity and facilitated understanding of the conditions in which they occurred via correlation with other sources of palaeoenvironmental proxy data. The result is a much‐enhanced conceptual and empirical understanding of how desert dunes and sand seas have responded to Quaternary changes in climate and sea level, manifested by changes in sediment supply, availability and mobility.
Brief Intervention for Problem Drinkers in a Chinese Population: A Randomized Controlled Trial in a Hospital Setting
Authors: Tsai Yun‐Fang , Tsai Mei‐Chu , Lin Yea‐Pyng , Chen Ching‐Yen
Published: December 2008

Background:  Alcohol is a legal and accessible substance in Taiwan. As excessive alcohol has been linked to health and social problems, it is necessary to develop a brief, rapid, and low‐cost tool to help health care providers deal with persons in Taiwan whose alcohol consumption has become hazardous or harmful to their health.

Methods:  A randomized controlled clinical trial with 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐ups was designed. Eighteen medical/surgical units at a medical center in northern Taiwan were randomly assigned to 2 groups: experimental (n = 9) and control (n = 9). Inpatients on the units were enrolled if they met the following criteria: were older than 18 years, had no severe psychiatric illness, and were not pregnant. The experimental group (n = 138) received the intervention, a 15‐minute counseling visit in which nurses screened participants using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), provided a health promotion booklet for adults, and individually discussed the booklet contents with patients based on their drinking level (AUDIT score). The control group (n = 137) received no treatment. Patterns of alcohol consumption were determined by AUDIT scores at baseline, 6, and 12 months later.

Results:  Alcohol use disorders identification test scores decreased significantly in both groups at 6 months after the intervention, but did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. However, 12 months after the brief alcohol intervention, experimental subjects’ AUDIT scores were significantly better than those of the control group.

Conclusions:  Our brief alcohol intervention provided a 12‐month benefit for problem drinkers in Taiwan.
Alcohol and Colorectal Cancer: The Role of Alcohol Dehydrogenase 1C Polymorphism
Authors: Homann Nils , König Inke R. , Marks Michael , Benesova Monika , Stickel Felix , Millonig Gunda , Mueller Sebastian , Seitz Helmut K.
Published: December 2008

Background:  Chronic alcohol consumption is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Animal experiments as well as genetic linkage studies in Japanese individuals with inactive acetaldehyde dehydrogenase leading to elevated acetaldehyde concentrations following ethanol ingestion support the hypothesis that acetaldehyde may be responsible for this carcinogenic effect of alcohol. In Caucasians, a polymorphism of alcohol dehydrogenase 1C (ADH1C) exists resulting in different acetaldehyde concentrations following ethanol oxidation.

Methods:  To evaluate whether the association between alcohol consumption and colorectal tumor development is modified by ADH1C polymorphism, we recruited 173 individuals with colorectal tumors diagnosed by colonoscopy and 788 control individuals without colorectal tumors. Genotyping was performed using genomic DNA extracted from whole blood followed by polymerase chain reaction.

Results:  Genotype ADH1C*1/1 was more frequent in patients with alcohol‐associated colorectal neoplasia compared to patients without cancers in the multivariate model controlling for age, gender, and alcohol intake (odds ratio = 1.674, 95% confidence interval = 1.110–2.524, 2‐sided p from Wald test = 0.0139). In addition, the joint test of the genetic effect and interaction between ADH1C genotype and alcohol intake (2‐sided p = 0.0007) indicated that the difference in ADH1C*1 polymorphisms between controls and colorectal neoplasia is strongly influenced by the alcohol consumption and that only individuals drinking more than 30 g ethanol per day with the genotype ADH1C*1/1 had an increased risk for colorectal tumors.

Conclusions:  These data identify ADH1C homozygosity as a genetic risk marker for colorectal tumors in individuals consuming more than 30 g alcohol per day and emphasize the role of acetaldehyde as a carcinogenic agent in alcohol‐related colorectal carcinogenesis.
The Overlap in Predicting Alcohol Outcome for Two Measures of the Level of Response to Alcohol
Authors: Schuckit Marc A. , Smith Tom L. , Trim Ryan , Fukukura Tsutomu , Allen Rhonda
Published: December 2008

Background:  Two different measures have been used to establish a person’s level of response (LR) to alcohol as a risk factor for alcohol use disorders. LR values established by the alcohol challenge protocol and the Self‐Report of the Effects of Ethanol (SRE) questionnaire usually correlate at 0.3 to 0.4, up to 0.6. However, it is not clear how this correlation relates to the ability of each measure to predict alcohol outcomes. This paper evaluates that overlap.

Methods:  Sixty‐six Caucasian males (mean age = 22 years) from 2 protocols participated in alcohol challenges with 0.75 ml/kg of ethanol, filled out the SRE, and were followed with a structured interview ∼5 years later. The relationship between the subjective feelings of intoxication at the time of peak breath alcohol levels from the alcohol challenge and the SRE score for a time early in the drinking career were evaluated regarding predicting the drinks per occasion in the 6 months prior to follow‐up.

Results:  Cross‐sectional correlations between alcohol challenge and SRE LR’s ranged from −0.25 (p < 0.05) to −0.32 (p = 0.02) for the full sample, and the 2 LR measures correlated with drinking at follow‐up (−0.26 and 0.41, respectively). The SRE measure was more robust than the challenge in a regression analysis predicting the outcome in the context of other baseline predictors (e.g., drinking at baseline). As much as 60% of the ability of the more well established (gold standard) alcohol challenge LR to predict outcome was shared with the SRE. The alcohol challenge accounted for as much as 44% of the ability of the SRE to predict outcome.

Conclusions:  The SRE‐generated LR overlapped considerably with the alcohol challenge LR in the ability to predict future heavier drinking.
A One‐stage Repair of Third‐degree Perineal Lacerations and Rectovestibular Fistulae in 17 Mares
Authors: BELKNAP JAMES K. , NICKELS FRANK A.
Published: December 2008

Third‐degree perineal lacerations or rectovestibular fistulae in 17 mares were repaired surgically by a one‐stage method. Primary healing occurred in 14 mares; there were one complete dehiscence and two partial dehiscences with fistula formation. Twelve of 13 mares that were bred became pregnant; nine carried foals to term and two are still pregnant. Two mares have each produced one unthrifty foal. One mare repeatedly aborts in the first trimester. Four mares have produced several healthy foals with no further problems. One mare suffered further perineal trauma while foaling.
Colicross‐a teaching programme simulating the action of bacterial operons
Authors: Clark Alan G.
Published: December 2008

Abstract

A computer program is described which simulates the response of four different types of bacterial operon to the addition of the ligand regulating their expression. The response is recorded as an increase in specific activity of the bacterial culture of an enzyme coded for by the operon under consideration. The results are displayed both numerically and graphically. The behaviour of each of 12 different strains of bacteria carrying each operon may be modelled. These 12 strains comprise the wild type and mutants which may be affected in one or all of the regulator gene, the structural gene or its operator or promoter. The response of single strains of bacteria to the addition of ligand may be modelled or the behaviour of hybrid strains formed by the transfer of genetic material from one strain to another can be simulated. The programme challenges students to identify the regulatory mechanism acting in a given operon by analysing the simulated behaviour of the different strains. The programme is available in DOS or Windows 3.1 or 95/97 formats. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
A simple laboratory exercise illustrating active transport in yeast cells
Authors: Stambuk Boris U.
Published: December 2008

A simple laboratory class illustrating the chemiosmotic principles of active transport in yeast cells is described. The energy coupling mechanism of active x‐glucoside uptake by Saccharomyces ceretisiae cells is easily demonstrated with a colorimetric transport assay using very simple equipment. The experiment can stimulate a range of tutorial discussion topics relevant to yeast sugar metabolism and biotechnology. © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Favorable Outcome Using an Abbreviated Procedure for Catheter Ablation of AVNRT: Results from a Prospective Randomized Trial
Authors: STEVEN DANIEL , ROSTOCK THOMAS , HOFFMANN BORIS A. , SERVATIUS HELGE , DREWITZ IMKE , MÜLLERLEILE KAI , KLEMM HANNO , MELCHERT CARSTEN , WEGSCHEIDER KARL , MEINERTZ THOMAS , WILLEMS STEPHAN
Published: December 2008

Introduction:
Radiofrequency catheter ablation aiming slow pathway modulation is a widely established procedure with high success and low recurrence rates in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT). However, the necessity of a waiting period following successful slow pathway modulation to increase the long‐term success rates has not been systematically evaluated thus far.

Methods and Results:
This prospective study comprised 138 consecutive patients (mean age 50.3 ± 15.1 years) with AVNRT. These patients were randomly assigned to two groups: in group I (n = 70), a waiting period of 30 min was part of the procedure, whereas in group II (n = 68), the procedure ended without a waiting period. Electrophysiological standard parameters, i.e., ERP of RA, fast and slow pathway, RV as well as antegrade and retrograde AV node conduction capacity, were assessed prior to and after the ablation.

During a follow‐up period of 22.8 ± 5.9 months, four patients in group I and three patients in group II developed recurrence of AVNRT (4.9%; P = 0.4). The mean procedure time was 115.1 ± 23.6 min in the group with and 88.9 ± 23.3 min in the group without waiting period (P = 0.009). No high degree AV‐node conduction block was observed during the study.

Conclusion:
In the present study we could show that no long‐term benefit results from a 30 min waiting period for patients who underwent an acutely successful catheter ablation for AVNRT. We therefore conclude that a 30‐min waiting period can be omitted in standard procedures, thus resulting in significant shorter procedure durations.
Short‐Long Sequences Prior to Ventricular Tachycardia Onset: Analysis of VAST Trial Electrograms
Authors: NĚMEC JAN , EL‐SAED AIMAN , LEREW DARIN R. , NEUMAN STACEY , ASIRVATHAM SAMUEL , SABA SAMIR F. , SHEN WIN‐KUANG , FRIEDMAN PAUL A.
Published: December 2008

Background:
The recently published Ventricular Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (VAST) found no effect of rate‐smoothing (RS) algorithm on frequency of ventricular tachycardia (VT) episodes in patients with implantable defibrillator. A similar recent trial reported an opposite result. In order to determine possible reasons for the discrepancy between the trials and achieve better understanding of events preceding VT onset, we analyzed stored device electrograms preceding 162 VT episodes from 50 VAST trial patients with dual‐chamber devices.

Results:
In this analysis, short‐long sequences were more common prior to polymorphic VTs than before monomorphic VTs. The proportion of VT episodes preceded by short‐long sequences was lower during randomization to RS ON (5.3% vs 31.3%, P < 0.001). For patients with multiple episodes of monomorphic VT, there was higher interpatient than intrapatient variability in preceding RR intervals. When adjusting for this similarity of RR interval sequences preceding VT onset in individual patients, the difference in proportion short‐long sequences between RS ON and RS OFF programming was no longer significant.

Conclusion:
Episodes of VT were preceded by stereotypic, patient‐specific sequences of RR intervals in several VAST trial patients. RS reduced the percentage of VTs preceded by short‐long sequences, but did not change overall VT incidence.
Assessment of Food Safety Knowledge of High School and Transition Teachers of Special Needs Students
Authors: Pivarnik Lori F. , Patnoad Martha S. , Richard Nicole Leydon , Gable Robert K. , Hirsch Diane Wright , Madaus Joseph , Scarpati Stan , Carbone Elena
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT:  Adolescents with disabilities require access to general education and life skills instruction. Knowledge of food safety for this audience is important for health and valuable for work placement. The objective was to implement a survey to assess high school and transition special education teachers in RI, CT, and MA for food safety knowledge and attitudes toward the use of food safety education for special needs students. Respondents answered questions on food safety topics and attitudes toward incorporating food safety principles into curriculum. Agree, disagree, and don't know and Likert scale response formats were used. Descriptive one‐way ANOVA and t‐test statistics were run. Forty‐seven food safety knowledge questions for 220 respondents were assessed. Of the respondents, 69% had primary certification in special education and 15% in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). As part of the learning experience, 86% served food in the classroom, and 94% served food classified as potentially hazardous. Using 80% as knowledge mastery, only 24 of 46 items (52%) met the standard, with cooking and chilling categories scoring low (70%). FCS and special education teachers had significant differences (P < 0.05) in knowledge scores, 87% and 74%, respectively. Special education teachers scored low, 66% to 67%, in key food safety categories. Attitudinal questions reflected a support for food safety information to be taught to this student audience. The survey identified the need for outreach education for special education teachers due to lack of food safety knowledge, food safety risks due to potentially hazardous foods prepared by students, and lack of food safety resources for these students.
Bladder cancer: an update
Authors: Turner Bruce
Published: December 2008

Bladder cancer remains a significant public health problem in the UK with considerable health and economic consequences. This article focuses on the anatomical, pathological, diagnostic and treatment perspectives of bladder cancer to help equip nurses with a thorough knowledge of the disease to help diagnose, treat and monitor patients with bladder cancer and to impart this knowledge onto patients to help them make informed decisions regarding their care.
Feasibility and acceptability of the pelvic floor muscle and bladder training programme
Authors: Rosqvist Eerika , Aukee Pauliina , Kallinen Mauri , Rantanen Taina
Published: December 2008

Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is the most commonly used physical therapy treatment for urinary incontinence, and it is more effective when combined with bladder training (BT) than alone. However, to our knowledge, there are no earlier intervention studies of the user feasibility and acceptability of the pelvic floor muscle and BT programme. The aim of this study was to pilot test the feasibility and acceptability and follow the compliance of the 8‐week pelvic floor muscle and BT programme. Pre–post intervention study among 11 community‐dwelling women born in 1936 with self‐reported urinary incontinence and without current PFMT was practised. Primary outcomes were the feasibility, acceptability and compliance of the intervention. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using a scale from 1 to 10, higher scores indicating better feasibility/acceptability. The compliance was measured using the PFMT diary and 3‐day fluid intake and urinary diary. Pelvic floor muscle and BT were perceived as feasible and acceptable. Following the training programme in daily life was perceived as quite easy. The compliance of the training programme was very high. After 8‐week intervention, the number of involuntary urine leakages and perceived negative impact of urinary incontinence on life decreased. With respect to testing of the 8‐week pelvic floor muscle and BT programme, our pilot suggests that the intervention is suitable in its present form to be used in future randomized controlled trial.
Immunological events in acute measles influencing outcome.
Authors: Coovadia H M , Wesley A , Brain P
Published: December 2008

77% of 30 children with measles who had severe lymphopenia (less than 2000/mm3; less than 2.0 x 10(9)/1) within 2 days of appearance of rash (group A) subsequently died or progressed to chronic chest disease. This was significantly worse than the outcome in 30 children with measles who had lymphocyte counts more than 2000/mm3 (more than 2.0 x 10(9)/1) (group B) of whom 67% recovered. In group A children the persistence of severe lymphopenia (caused by a reduction in T- and B-cells) for at least 15 days after onset of rash, remained a good predictive index of morbidity and mortality. Reversal of immunoparesis in group A was slower and incomplete 42 days from appearance of the rash in those who subsequently died or developed chronic chest disease compared with those who recovered. All patients who died failed to produce adequate measles antibodies. The therapeutic implications and immunopathological significance of these findings for chronic complications after acute measles are discussed.
Cystic fibrosis, atopy, and airways lability.
Authors: Silverman M , Hobbs F D , Gordon I R , Carswell F
Published: December 2008

In a survey of cystic fibrosis (CF) in the Avon area, 48 children with CF from 40 families together with 71 of their parents were studied by spirometry, exercise tests, and pinch tests. A control group of 42 young adults was similarly tested; control data for children were taken from previously published work. The prevalence of atopy (any positive prick test) in children with CF was 48%. Sensitivity to grass pollens and house dust mite was no more common in these children (29%) than in a normal population (34%). Hypersensitivity to Aspergillus fumigatus was found in 35% of children with CF and was associated with severe lung disease. The parents had a normal pattern and prevalence of atopy. Exercise-induced airways obstruction was present in only 22% of children with CF; its association with severe lung disease rendered interpretation difficult. The parents had a normal response to exercise. Both hypersensitivity to A. fumigatus and exercise-induced airways lability had the features of acquired characteristics. There was nothing in the present study to support the hypothesis that the possession of a CF gene predisposed to atopy.
Chest wall sarcoma of childhood with a good prognosis.
Authors: Barson A J , Ahmed A , Gibson A A , MacDonald A M
Published: December 2008

Four cases of a locally invasive sarcoma of the chest wall are described in children aged between 8 and 14 years. Although its morphology resembles a Ewing's sarcoma of bone there are light and electron microscopical features that are distinctive. The sarcoma is thought to represent an entity which has not previously been defined. Its clinical importance lies in the fact that the prognosis with appropriate treatment appears to be good. One child died after 2 1/2 years, but the others are alive 6, 8, and 16 years after presentation.
Relationship between clinical features of tricyclic antidepressant poisoning and plasma concentrations in children.
Authors: Crome P , Braithwaite R A
Published: December 2008

Clinical features and drug plasma concentrations were studied in 13 children admitted to hospital with tricyclic antidepressant poisoning. Patients with plasma concentrations below 500 microgram/l had anticholinergic signs and increased reflexes but did not have convulsions or cardiac arrhythmias. Four patients with plasma concentrations above 1000 microgram/l suffered convulsions, cardiac arrhythmias, or prolonged coma. The diagnosis of poisoning in 2 of these cases was made only by toxicological analysis. Quantitative estimation of tricyclic antidepressants is useful in atypical or severe poisoning both to reach the diagnosis and to give an idea of the likely duration of symptoms.
Heart failure apparently due to overfeeding in a neonate.
Authors: Eyal F , Maayan C , Godfrey S
Published: December 2008

Severe heart failure in a one-month-old infant is described, apparently due to the administration of cows' milk in the region of 300 ml/kg per day. There was also pronounced hypocalcaemia. The infant responded rapidly to treatment with no evidence of intrinsic heart disease.