bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TENURE CHOICE IN THE GERMAN HOUSING MARKET: A COMPETING RISKS MODEL
Authors: DEURLOO RINUS C. , DIELEMAN FRANS M. , CLARK WILLIAM A.V.
Published: March 2008

An analysis of tenure choice by German households using the German socio‐economic panel (GSOEP) shows that even though there is a general tendency for an increase in homeownership in Germany there are quite different choice patterns than in other European countries and in North America. The process of choosing ownership is more gradual across the income range, occurs at later ages and couples are much less likely to become owners than in the Netherlands and the United States for example. The two most important findings are that specific changes in household composition do not trigger tenure changes in the same way as in North America and that housing market characteristics, especially for families, are much less important in affecting the ownership transition than in the Netherlands and the United States.
SELLING WATERFRONT HERITAGE: A CRITIQUE OF MILLERS POINT, SYDNEY
Authors: WAITT GORDON , McGUIRK PAULINE M.
Published: March 2008

This article explores the assimilation of a Sydney waterfront precinct, Millers Point, into the cultural tourism industry. Heritage tourism offers a potential economic base to revitalise an area whose nineteenth‐century wharves and port infrastructure have become redundant. The selection of Millers Point over other places occurred through the presence of artefacts dating from the nation's early European history. Marking tourist sites in Millers Point as part of a Bicentenary Project of the Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS) inhered to this locality imaginings of Australian national identity. Within the rhetoric of ‘cradle of the nation’, aspects of this officially sanctioned locality that threaten the national imaginings were either suppressed, trivialised or silenced. Furthermore, these claims of national identity are appropriated, communicated and amplified within representations of the tourism industry's brochures and guidebooks. Representations of national identity within Millers Point privilege official over vernacular histories. Furthermore artefacts are prioritised over social memory, in particular first and oldest structures over all others. Finally where social memory is addressed, emphasis is given to the elite over the proletariat, men over women, Anglo‐Celtic over indigenous peoples, glorious decisions over the ignoble, and an egalitarian ideology over extant social relationships. Such a selective representation of Millers Point allows conflictual and challenging elements of Australian national identity to be cast aside, leaving dominant social norms unchallenged.
URBAN ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION AND SURVIVAL STRATEGIES IN GHANA: 1960–1984
Authors: YEBOAH IAN E.A. , WATERS NIGEL M.
Published: March 2008

The urban center has become an important arena of economic participation for increasing numbers of Sub‐Saharan Africans. Because of problems associated with censuses, economic assessment of participation rates, proportions employed, unemployed and underemployed and their temporal and spatial variations are unreliable for most countries. In addition, die relationship between changes in national economies, economic participation and survival strategies to combat changes are not fully appreciated. This article demonstrates that changes in Ghana's post‐independence economy have influenced urban participation. It identifies survival strategies that have been adopted by urban residents to combat changes in national economy, and also investigates temporal and spatial variations in urban participation. Explanation for spatial variations in urban participation are traced to the context of urban growth and development in different parts of die country. Planning implications for the economic health of towns in the country and their residents are discussed. The article concludes with general lessons for Sub‐Saharan Africa.
RETHINKING THE PACIFIC RIM
Authors: PARK SAM OCK
Published: March 2008

The spatial organization of economic activities in the Pacific Rim has been significantly changed with the increase of international trade and FDIs and the emergence of cross‐border regional economic zones or growth triangles in the Pacific Rim, especially in the Asian Pacific Rim. Localization and globalization of industries with various inter‐firm relations have developed in the North American Pacific Rim. In this article, cooperative networking strategies, instead of rapid growth strategies, are suggested for the sustainable industrial development of the Pacific Rim. Inter‐firm cooperative networking and localization, regional networking and regional industrial space, inter‐regional networking and international economic integration, and networking the Pacific Rim are discussed as cooperative strategies of the spatial organization in the Pacific Rim for sustainable development.
TRANS‐PACIFIC OCEANIC ECONOMY REVISITED
Authors: RIMMER PETER J.
Published: March 2008

This article canvasses the transport and communications needs of large ‘network firms’ in the Trans‐Pacific oceanic economy. Initially, it considers their requirement for a multimodal goods transport system by analysing air freight and container shipping networks. It studies their need for high‐volume business travel by examining international passenger transport. Then their demand for an advanced information structure and complementary transport system is elaborated by defining regional distribution platforms. The policy implications and challenges posed by these developments are discussed.
METROPOLIS AND MEGA URBAN REGION IN PACIFIC ASIA
Authors: FORBES DEAN
Published: March 2008

Urbanisation in late 20th Century Pacific Asia is producing diverse kinds of urban development. Representations of the process of metropolitan growth have taken four important forms: the extended metropolitan region; regional economic zones; world cities; and the idea of the megaurban corridor. These representations reflect postcolonial concerns with non‐Eurocentric interpretations of indigenous forms of urban development, though they are limited by a dependence on Western concepts of globalisation and restricted recognition of indigenous portrayals of urban life. A case study of Ho Chi Minh City explores constructions of the city contained in planning and scholarly interpretations, juxtaposed with a cinematic representation.
STATE FORMATION AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF PALESTINIAN SELF‐DETERMINATION
Authors: FALAH GHAZI , NEWMAN DAVID
Published: March 2008

The implementation of the first stages of the peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has generated a dynamics with the potential for the creation of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a ‘state in formation’. At the present writing (September 1995), it would appear to be well on its ‐way to achieving limited sovereignty and the threshold to eventual full independence. Concepts of self‐determination are important in understanding the dynamics of Palestinian state evolution. Processes of internal, external and self‐empowerment explain the way in which a Palestinian ‘field’ has evolved over time. The diffusion of limited autonomy from the core to the periphery and the gradual delimitation of a boundary are shown to influence the crystallization of state territory. Certain spaces are “avoided” in an attempt to exclude them from the negotiating agenda. The formation of a separate Palestinian state will likely result in a new set of territorial and geo‐ethnic problems, not least the issue of the status, and possible secessionist aspirations, of the Arab‐Palestinian residents of Israel.
MANUFACTURING USE OF BUSINESS SERVICES IN THE TWO PARTS OF IRELAND
Authors: HITCHENS DAVID , O'FARRELL PATRICK , CONWAY CHERYL
Published: March 2008

This article measures the internal and external use of eleven business services by samples of independent manufacturing firms located in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI). The location of open market service suppliers is analysed and the adequacy of the regional service supply infrastructure is examined. Comparisons of service use are made with samples of firms located in Scotland and South East England. The pattern of use of specialist services and the number of firms contracting out or supplying services internally are found to be similar to then‐counterparts in Great Britain. Differences in the use of services between the two parts of Ireland are highlighted. Analyses show that the Irish location does not constrain the use of services.
PRODUCTION SITE R&D IN A MATURE INDUSTRIAL REGION
Authors: FOLEY PAUL , WATTS H.D.
Published: March 2008

A mature industrial region is often characterised by a lack of free‐standing R&D units. This article shows that the absence of free‐standing R&D units is paralleled by limited R&D activities within production sites. Most plants outsource some R&D activities, and the most frequently cited suppliers of R&D are consultants together with local colleges and universities. Externally‐owned plants are more likely to employ full‐time research staff and to seek further R&D from external sources. Limited R&D activities do not appear to reflect a lack of qualified staff in the local labour market. It is suggested that attempts to stimulate R&D might focus on the needs of the externally‐owned plants or on the development of new economic activities with high R&D requirements.
GEOLINGUISTICS OF EUROPEAN MINORITY GROUPS IN CAPE TOWN
Authors: MERWE IZAK J. VAN DER
Published: March 2008

The metropolitan area of Cape Town is the focus for an urban‐geolinguistic study of the European immigrant language groups. The aim of this article is to address the following issues: the spatial distribution of German and Portuguese minority languages in the city; their language change patterns; a social profile of each subgroup in the city; the institutional and policy framework associated with these languages. Although Cape Town is linguistically dominated by the Afrikaans, English and Xhosa languages, the European minority language groups play a significant role in the socio‐cultural structuring of the city. Distinctive social profiles emerged for each group and their respective spatial patterns proved to be relatively segregated within certain centrally located neighbourhoods.
LIVELIHOOD AND URBAN‐RURAL RELA TIONS IN CENTRAL PARAGUAY
Authors: ZOOMERS ANNELIES E. B. , KLEINPENNING JAN
Published: March 2008

This article illustrates the impact of rural‐urban relations on the livelihood strategy and income level of peasants by focusing on the question of whether small farmers within easy reach of a city are better off and/or have better prospects for improving their situation, than those living outside the urban sphere of influence. In order to answer this question, the Central Region of Paraguay has been chosen as a case study. The authors show that Asuncion plays a crucial role in the livelihood strategy and income level of small farmers in the Central Region, not as the catalyst for agricultural intensification and the spread of innovations, but as the ‘safety valve’ for the rural poor, providing them with opportunities for finding additional income sources outside the farming sector.
DEALING WITH COMPETITION: THE PORT OF ROTTERDAM
Authors: KREUKELS TON , WEVER EGBERT
Published: March 2008

Rotterdam is by far the biggest port in the Hamburg‐Le Havre range: not only for bulk goods, but for containers as well. The dominance of containers is a clear illustration of the fact that Rotterdam's position within the Hamburg‐Le Havre range cannot exclusively be explained by three often‐cited traditional factors: its favourable geographical location within Western Europe, its location at the mouth of the River Rhine and its excellent connection with the North Sea. Equally important was the long lasting coalition between the Port Authority and the City Council, having the same interests for a long period. However, after 1970 the coalition changed in character. Gradually the City Council put less emphasis on economic issues and more upon environmental aspects. From this environmental point of view the activities in the port were seen as rather negative. And later on with the worsening economic situation, it soon became clear that the region could no longer rely exclusively on the labour‐generating function of the port. Unlike in the past, many port‐related activities are now located outside the port area. The activities that still depend on a location in the port itself show considerable productivity gains, but at the cost of jobs. Nevertheless, the port and the city of Rotterdam together recently developed a new Port Plan 2010 which aims to reconcile economic and environmental aspects. Moreover, the plan intends to stimulate the economy of the city and the region of Rotterdam. Yet it is realized that the spatial networks in which the port is functioning nowadays do not, unlike in the past, coincide with those of the municipality of Rotterdam.
SEAPORTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Authors: BAIRD ALFRED
Published: March 2008

UK seaports' order of importance alters when measured by the value of cargo handled as opposed to cargo volume. Ports recording a high value of trade throughput tend to be those with significant unitised traffic. Ports with a high value of trade throughput also tend to be more significant employers. Goods transport between UK ports and the hinterland is dominated by road. Rail's share of port traffic has continued to fall. Competition exists between UK ports, between UK and European ports, and between UK ports and other modes, notably rail via the Channel Tunnel. Competition between ports exists irrespective of whether ports are privately or publicly owned. Major structural changes in various shipping sectors could adversely impact UK ports, although opportunities still exist. The balance of the UK ports industry has been fundamentally altered in favour of the private sector, yet the UK approach (to privatisation) remains very different to that in evidence elsewhere. The past two‐three decades has been a period of intense change for the UK ports industry, with further change inevitable.
THE LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SMALL FARMS: A SPATIAL ANALYSIS
Authors: MAYFIELD LUCY HARRISON
Published: March 2008

There has always been a considerable political tradition within Europe towards protection and preservation of the small farm. Many arguments have been put forward to uphold this protective attitude, particularly in the line of social and environmental benefits. However these claims have never really been substantiated in any way. This article explores the economic links of a small sample of farms in Central England by the spatial tracking of postcodes from their invoices and receipts and establishes that the small farms do appear to be more closely meshed with their local rural economy than larger farms, and thus are likely to have greater effect towards supporting the rural economy, particularly indirect employment. It may be that other small farms and indeed other small firms exhibit a similar relationship with the rural economy, and if so, would merit particular support in strategies promoting rural development.
INFORMATION AND REFUGEE MIGRATION: THE CASE OF MOZAMBICANS IN MALAWI
Authors: KOSER KHALID
Published: March 2008

Despite increasing prominence in international population movements, refugee migration is a poorly understood social and spatial process. Common assumptions about refugee migration have rarely been empirically tested. This article focuses attention on the migration decision‐making process of refugees. Its conceptual basis is that the decision making of refugees can be critically compared with that of other migrants. An analytical framework is suggested which focuses on the receipt and evaluation of information about prospective destinations in the decision‐making process. It is tested in the context of Mozambican refugees in Malawi in 1992 and 1993. Analysis shows that this framework achieves a qualified success in explaining the patterns and processes of migration of the study population, and suggests broader applications for the framework.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY AND MARKET STRUCTURE: KOREAN AUTO ASSEMBLY
Authors: AUTY RICHARD M.
Published: March 2008

Mass production technology began to confer comparative advantage in auto assembly on newly industrializing economies (NIES) in the 1980s, but the economies of scale and scope of the firm remain significant. Most NIE entrants face home markets which are still too small to support a single world scale firm. Their entry into auto assembly was premature and it has created pressure to prolong state support for the ‘infant’ sector. This, in turn, has led to policy capture, the Achilles heel of industrial policy, which can result in substantial welfare losses. Korea suggests that the maturation of auto assembly may proceed faster if governments confine themselves to promoting domestic assemblers through strategic alliances with global firms, using anti‐trust mechanisms to prevent abuses of market power.
Factors affecting the distribution of dorcas gazelle
Authors: Chammem M. , Selmi S. , Nouira S. , Khorchani T.
Published: March 2008

The dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas was very common and widespread in Tunisia. Nowadays, only some small isolated populations still survive in the desert areas of the southern part of the country. Factors affecting the distribution of this species in Tunisia have never been investigated despite the importance of such investigations for elaborating long‐term conservation plans for the remaining wild populations. Using data on gazelle occurrence and on a set of habitat and human variables collected in south‐eastern Tunisia, we aimed to identify the factors affecting gazelle distribution in this area. In particular, we investigated the relevance of habitat versus human factors for gazelle occurrence probability. As predicted, we found that human variables were the most relevant factors shaping the distribution patterns of gazelles in the studied area. Gazelles tended to avoid areas where agricultural development has occurred but did not seem to be disturbed by livestock. Overall, our results suggest that the occurrence probability of dorcas gazelle in southern Tunisia was mainly dependent on human presence and land use, rather than habitat characteristics. The recent intensification of agriculture in the more remote areas of southern Tunisia may thus constitute a serious threat to the conservation of this endangered species.
Urban badger setts: characteristics, patterns of use and management implications
Authors: Davison J. , Huck M. , Delahay R. J. , Roper T. J.
Published: March 2008

Damage caused by badger setts is an important source of human–carnivore conflict in urban areas of the UK, yet little is known about the spatial distribution of urban badger setts or their pattern of occupation. We compared the density, spatial distribution and size of setts in four urban and two rural study areas in the UK and assessed the applicability to urban systems of distinguishing between ‘main’ and ‘outlier’ setts. In addition, we used radio‐telemetry to investigate diurnal patterns of sett use in one urban area (Brighton). It was possible to distinguish between main and outlier setts in urban environments, and local sett densities were comparable in urban and rural areas. However, urban badgers used substantially fewer setts than did a nearby rural population, and they spent a smaller proportion of days in outlier setts. Social groups with larger ranges had more setts available to them and, within groups, individuals with larger ranges used more setts. Outliers appeared to serve multiple functions, including allowing efficient and safe travel to important parts of the home range. We conclude that sett densities can be high in urban habitats, suggesting significant potential for sett‐related problems to arise. The fact that urban main setts can be distinguished from outliers enables management actions to be tailored accordingly. In particular, because main setts seem to represent a particularly valuable resource to urban badgers, alternatives to the closure of problem main setts need to be considered.
First application of satellite telemetry to track African straw‐coloured fruit bat migration
Authors: Richter H. V. , Cumming G. S.
Published: March 2008

Despite long‐standing awareness of the potentially important ecological role of fruit bats, we know little about the ecology of the vast majority of species. Here we report the results of a pilot satellite tracking study aimed at establishing the scale of movement of the straw‐coloured fruit bat Eidolon helvum. This was the first ever attempt to track African fruit bats using satellite telemetry. We tagged four bats with solar‐charged 12 g satellite transmitters at Kasanka National Park in December 2005 and obtained a combined total of 104 different location fixes over a 149‐day period. Before migrating, bats foraged as far as 59 km from the roost in a single evening; by contrast, one migrating individual moved 370 km in one night. Bats travelled an average 29 km day−1 over the period of study, with bats that appeared to be migrating moving north‐west from Kasanka at an average 90 km day−1. The greatest cumulative distance travelled by a single bat was 2518 km in 149 days. The results show conclusively that the straw‐coloured fruit bat E. helvum is capable of migrating thousands of kilometres across central Africa on an annual basis, implying that the fruit pulse in northern Zambia is richer than anything on offer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the same time of the year.
Gender and parental influences on the growth of a sexually dimorphic carnivorous marsupial
Authors: Foster W. K. , Taggart D. A.
Published: March 2008

The life histories of carnivorous marsupials, or dasyurids, make them useful subjects for studying maternal investment, such as sex ratio and lactational investment. One group of annual breeding dasyurids are male semelparous, strongly sexually dimorphic, produce large litters that weigh two to three times the weight of the mother at weaning and show biases in siring success and sex ratio. Red‐tailed phascogales Phascogale calura belong to this group and in captivity they have shown biases in siring success with body weight. The growth rates of young of this species were investigated to determine whether sex‐biased maternal investment occurs. No relationship was evident between maternal weight and the sex ratio of young, indicating no sex‐ratio adjustment with maternal condition. In contrast, a positive relationship was evident between maternal weight and the weight of offspring at weaning, with weaning weight being correlated with weight at maturity. Dimorphism in weight emerged during suckling, with an average dimorphic ratio of 1.5 achieved by maturity. In contrast, dimorphism in skeletal measures did not emerge until after weaning, with an average dimorphic ratio of 1.14 achieved by maturity. The sex differences in growth during suckling provide support for a male bias in maternal investment.
Tumor necrosis factor p55 and p75 receptors are involved in chemical‐induced apoptosis of dentate granule neurons
Authors: Harry G. Jean , Lefebvre d’Hellencourt Christian , McPherson Christopher A. , Funk Jason A. , Aoyama Mineyoshi , Wine Robert N.
Published: March 2008

Localized tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) elevation has diverse effects in brain injury often attributed to signaling via TNFp55 or TNFp75 receptors. Both dentate granule cells and CA pyramidal cells express TNF receptors (TNFR) at low levels in a punctate pattern. Using a model to induce selective death of dentate granule cells (trimethyltin; 2 mg/kg, i.p.), neuronal apoptosis [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP‐biotin in situ end labeling, active caspase 3 (AC3)] was accompanied by amoeboid microglia and elevated TNFα mRNA levels. TNFp55R (55 kDa type‐1 TNFR) and TNFp75R (75 kDa type‐2 TNFR) immunoreactivity in AC3+ neurons displayed a pattern suggestive of receptor internalization and a temporal sequence of expression of TNFp55R followed by TNFp75R associated with the progression of apoptosis. A distinct ramified microglia response occurred around CA1 neurons and healthy dentate neurons that displayed an increase in the normal punctate pattern of TNFRs. Neuronal damage was decreased with i.c.v. injection of TNFα antibody and in TNFp55R−/−p75R−/− mice that showed higher constitutive mRNA levels for interleukin (IL‐1α), macrophage inflammatory protein 1‐α (MIP‐1α), TNFα, transforming growth factor β1, Fas, and TNFRSF6‐assoicated via death domain (FADD). TNFp75R−/− mice showed exacerbated injury and elevated mRNA levels for IL‐1α, MIP‐1α, and TNFα. In TNFp55R−/− mice, constitutive mRNA levels for TNFα, IL‐6, caspase 8, FADD, and Fas‐associated phosphatase were higher; IL‐1α, MIP‐1α, and transforming growth factor β1 lower. The mice displayed exacerbated neuronal death, delayed microglia response, increased FADD and TNFp75R mRNA levels, and co‐expression of TNFp75R in AC3+ neurons. The data demonstrate TNFR‐mediated apoptotic death of dentate granule neurons utilizing both TNFRs and suggest a TNFp75R‐mediated apoptosis in the absence of normal TNFp55R activity.
Density‐dependent nest predation – an experiment with simulated Mallard nests in contrasting landscapes
Authors: GUNNARSSON GUNNAR , ELMBERG JOHAN
Published: March 2008

Breeding success is a key element of animal population dynamics. In many taxa including birds, nest success, or the proportion of laid clutches that actually hatch, is mainly determined by predation. Previous research gives an inconsistent picture of the prevalence of density‐dependent nest predation and one reason for this is the general lack of well‐designed replicated experiments. Using simulated Mallard Anas platyrhynchos nests and a crossover design for 20 lakes in the nemoral and boreal biotic zones, we tested the predictions that nest survival is negatively density‐dependent and that nest predation is higher in agricultural than in forested landscapes. Study day and daily abundance of waterfowl, other waterbirds, as well as avian predators were included as covariates in the analysis. Model fitting in program mark revealed a general negative effect of nest density on nest survival. In addition, nest survival rate was higher at forest lakes than at lakes in agricultural landscapes, irrespective of nest density. The only covariate producing model improvement was study day; older nests had higher survival rates than recently initiated ones. This is the first replicated lake‐level experimental study showing that nest predation is density‐dependent in waterfowl. The pattern was consistent between landscape types, implying that density‐dependent nest predation may affect habitat choice and population dynamics over large parts of the Mallard's range.
Transformations in resource peripheries: an analysis of the Chilean experience
Authors: Barton Jonathan R , Gwynne Robert N , Murray Warwick E
Published: March 2008

Building onHayter et al.'s (2003) characterisation of resource peripheries in terms of four institutional dimensions, this article conceptualises four, similar ‘transformations’ (political, economic, socio‐cultural and environmental) intended to evolve this conceptual framework. The case of Chile is analysed in order to ground the analysis, emphasising the structural aspects of its historical experience as a resource periphery. It is clear that the country's condition as a resource periphery has been central to the transformations that have taken place since the early colonial period. In order to illustrate this, the article briefly explores the links between Latin American structuralist and emerging resource periphery accounts. As such, we discuss some of the policy options that might allow the country to move beyond resource periphery status – a goal which is necessary if uneven development in Chile is to be tackled. We conclude that if even and equitable development are goals of geographical analysis then structuralist‐informed political‐economic work of this nature warrants renewed emphasis.
Global music city: knowledge and geographical proximity in London's recorded music industry
Authors: Watson Allan
Published: March 2008

Drawing from debates in economic geography on relational and organisational proximity as a substitute for geographical proximity, the paper explores characteristics of knowledge transfer in London's recorded music industry through an examination of organisational connections on local and global scales. The paper demonstrates that knowledge transfer within the industry occurs simultaneously across multiple geographical scales, with certain organisational connections facilitating the transfer of tacit knowledge across organisational boundaries. However, the paper argues that these connections do not offer the same scope for trust as is afforded by frequent face‐to‐face contact and therefore offer only a partial substitute for geographical proximity.
Photogrammetric and lidar data integration using the centroid of a rectangular roof as a control point
Authors: Mitishita Edson , Habib Ayman , Centeno Jorge , Machado Alvaro , Lay Jennifer , Wong Carmen
Published: March 2008

The integration of photogrammetric images and lidar data is becoming a powerful procedure that can be applied in the optimisation of photogrammetric mapping techniques. The complementary nature of lidar and photogrammetric data optimises the performance of many procedures used to extract 3D spatial information from data. For example, photogrammetric imagery enables the accurate extraction of building borders and lidar provides accurate 3D points that give information on the physical surfaces of buildings. These properties demonstrate the usefulness of combining the two types of data to achieve a more robust and complete reconstruction of 3D objects. Photogrammetric procedures require the exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) of the images to extract mapping information. Despite the availability of GPS/INS systems, which greatly assist in direct georeferencing of the imagery, the majority of commercially available photogrammetric systems require control information in order to carry out photogrammetric mapping. Due to improvements in the accuracy of lidar systems in recent years, lidar data is considered a viable source of photogrammetric control. Point features are the principal source of control for photogrammetric triangulation, although linear features and planar patches have also been used. This paper presents a method of georeferencing photogrammetric images using lidar data. The method uses the centroids of rectangular building roofs as control points in the photogrammetric procedure. The centroid of a rectangular building roof derived using lidar data is equivalent to a single control point with 3D coordinates, and can therefore be used in traditional photogrammetric systems. Two photogrammetric experiments were carried out to verify the feasibility of the methodology. The results obtained from these experiments confirm the feasibility of applying the proposed methodology to the georeferencing of photogrammetric images using lidar data.
Monitoring and Assessing Structural Damage in Historic Buildings
Authors: Armesto Julia , Arias Pedro , Roca Javier , Lorenzo Henrique
Published: March 2008

In the cultural heritage field, the monitoring of the integrity of structures can greatly benefit from 3D digitising techniques. The aim of deformation analysis and structural surveillance is the early detection of damage in order to be able to react appropriately and in good time. The devices that have been traditionally used in the measurement of fissures, cracks and fractures are contact tools whose application depends on accessibility; moreover, they only provide discrete point measurements rather than giving a continuous record of the damage dimension in the whole affected area, as modern 3D modelling techniques can do. Among these techniques, close range photogrammetry is still the most complete, economical, portable, flexible and widely used approach in architectural applications. This paper is focused on the application of close range photogrammetry in the detection and monitoring of structural damage. The following procedure is proposed: the gathering at different epochs of 3D point clouds in the neighbourhood of cracks; the comparison among the successive point clouds by means of shape parameters; and the application of a bootstrap test for the detection of the significant statistical results. This procedure is applied to the analysis of structural damage detected in a masonry structure of cultural heritage interest: Basílica da Ascensión, located in the north‐west of Spain.
The effect of mode of delivery and anaesthesia on neonatal blood pressure
Authors: SEDAGHAT Negin , ELLWOOD David , SHADBOLT Bruce , KECSKES Zsuzsoka , FALK Michael C. , BRUSSEL Thomas , KENT Alison L.
Published: March 2008

Background:  Many factors may effect blood pressure (BP) in the early neonatal period, including mode of delivery and anaesthesia, on which there is little reported.

Aims:  To determine whether the mode of delivery, anaesthesia and maternal age have an effect on neonatal BP in the first three days of life.

Methods:  Healthy, term neonates from August 2003–2005 were enrolled in the study. Infants of mothers with hypertension of any cause, diabetes of any cause, illicit substance use, congenital or chromosomal anomaly, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit were excluded. Information on maternal age, duration of labour, mode of delivery, anaesthesia and postdelivery analgesic use was obtained. Blood pressure readings from day one to three of life were analysed.

Results:  Four hundred and six infants were enrolled into the study. Both spinal anaesthesia and elective caesarean delivery were associated with a lower systolic BP reading on day one, but not on day two or three (P = 0.004 and P = 0.023, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated that spinal anaesthesia was the most significant variable for a lower systolic BP on day one (P = 0.022). There was no correlation between maternal age and BP on day one to three.

Conclusions:  Spinal anaesthesia is associated with a statistically lower systolic BP on the first day of life; the clinical significance is as yet unclear.
Placental cultures in the era of peripartum antibiotic use
Authors: BHOLA Kavita , AL‐KINDI Hunaina , FADIA Mitali , KENT Alison L. , COLLIGNON Peter , DAHLSTROM Jane E.
Published: March 2008

Background:  Histological examination of the placenta can provide valuable information that aids diagnosis and management for both the mother and the fetus. Positive placental cultures may also provide the clinician with valuable information on which to base therapy.

Aims:  To determine the incidence of positive placental cultures, the association with chorioamnionitis and whether the rate is affected by antibiotic administration in the peripartum period.

Methods:  A retrospective study of placentas submitted for histopathology and microbiology culture in higher risk deliveries over a 12‐month period in a laboratory at a tertiary facility. Data collected included gestation age, duration of rupture of membranes, maternal fever, group B Streptococcus status, intrapartum antibiotics, placental culture result and the histopathology result.

Results:  Of the 412 placentas submitted, 26% (106 of 412) had histological evidence of in utero inflammation. Sixty‐three percent (259 of 412) of placentas were submitted for culture. Of these, only 4.6% (12 of 259) had a positive culture result, with 75% (nine of 12) having histological evidence of acute inflammation. Group B streptococcus and Escherichia coli were the most common isolates. Forty‐two per cent (five of 12) of these women had received peripartum antibiotics.

Conclusions:  Positive placental cultures are found in only a small number of placentas with histological evidence of chorioamnionitis and funisitis. The current method of placental swabbing and culture technique is highly specific but not sensitive. The value of performing current routine placental cultures appears limited.
Making pregnancy safer in Australia: The importance of maternal death review
Authors: KILDEA Sue , POLLOCK Wendy Elizabeth , BARCLAY Lesley
Published: March 2008

Australia is one of the safest countries in the world to birth. Because maternal deaths are rare, often the focus during pregnancy is on the well‐being of the fetus. The relative safety of birth has fostered a shift in the focus of maternal health, from survival, to the model of care or the birth experience. Yet women still die in Australia as a result of child bearing and many of these deaths are associated with avoidable factors. The purpose of this paper is to outline the maternal death monitoring and review process in Australia and to present to clinicians the salient features of the most recently published Australian maternal death report. The notion of preventability and the potential for practice to have an effect on reducing maternal mortality are also discussed.
Hip Orthosis Powered by Pneumatic Artificial Muscle: Voluntary Activation in Absence of Myoelectrical Signal
Authors: Do Nascimento Breno Gontijo , Vimieiro Claysson Bruno Santos , Nagem Danilo Alves Pinto , Pinotti Marcos
Published: March 2008

Abstract:  Powered orthosis is a special class of gait assist device that employs a mechanical or electromechanical actuator to enhance movement of hip, knee, or ankle articulations. Pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) has been suggested as a pneumatic actuator because its performance is similar to biological muscle. The electromyography (EMG) signal interpretation is the most popular and simplest method to establish the patient voluntary control of the orthosis. However, this technique is not suitable for patients presenting neurological lesions causing absence or very low quality of EMG signal. For those cases, an alternative control strategy should be provided. The aim of the present study is to develop a gait assistance orthosis for lower limb powered by PAMs controlled by a voluntary activation method based on the angular behavior of hip joint. In the present study, an orthosis that has been molded in a patient was employed and, by taking her anthropometric parameters and movement constraints, the adaptation of the existing orthosis to the powered orthosis was planned. A control system was devised allowing voluntary control of a powered orthosis suitable for patients presenting neurological lesions causing absence or very low quality of EMG signal. A pilot clinical study was reported where a patient, victim of poliovirus, successfully tested a hip orthosis especially modified for the gait test evaluation in the parallel bar system. The hip orthosis design and the control circuitry parameters were able to be set to provide satisfactory and comfortable use of the orthosis during the gait cycle.
Prolonged maintenance of 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate acid and adenosine triphosphate in red blood cells during storage
Authors: De Korte Dirk , Kleine Mya , Korsten Herbert G.H. , Verhoeven Arthur J.
Published: March 2008

BACKGROUND: Current additive solutions (ASs) for red cells (RBCs) do not maintain a constant level of critical metabolites such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate acid (2,3‐DPG) during cold storage. From the literature it is known that the intracellular pH is an important determinant of RBC metabolism. Therefore, a new, alkaline, AS was developed with the aim to allow cold storage of RBCs with stable product characteristics.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Whole blood–derived RBCs (leukoreduced) were resuspended in experimental medium phosphate‐adenine‐guanosine‐glucose‐gluconate‐mannitol (PAGGG‐M; pH 8.2) with and without washing in the same medium. During cold storage several in vitro variables, such as intracellular pH, 2,3‐DPG, ATP, and hemolysis, were analyzed.

RESULTS: During cold storage, RBCs resuspended in PAGGG‐M showed a constant ATP level (approx. 6 μmol/g Hb) and a very limited hemolysis (<0.2%). The 2,3‐DPG content showed an increase until Day 21 (150% of initial level), followed by a slow decrease, with at Day 35 still 100 percent of the initial level. RBCs washed in PAGGG‐M even showed a continuous increase of 2,3‐DPG during 35 days, with a maximum level of 200 percent of the initial value. The effect of PAGGG‐M appears to be related to long‐lasting effects of the initial intracellular pH shortly after production.

CONCLUSION: Resuspension of RBCs in our alkaline medium PAGGG‐M resulted in a RBC unit of high quality during storage for up to at least 35 days, with 2,3‐DPG levels of higher than 10 μmol per g Hb, hemolysis of less than 0.2 percent, and ATP levels of higher than 5 μmol per g Hb.
Cardiac Effects of Electrical Stun Guns: Does Position of Barbs Contact Make a Difference?
Authors: LAKKIREDDY DHANUNJAYA , WALLICK DONALD , VERMA ATUL , RYSCHON KAY , KOWALEWSKI WILLIAM , WAZNI OUSSAMA , BUTANY JAGDISH , MARTIN DAVID , TCHOU PATRICK J.
Published: March 2008

Background:

The use of electrical stun guns has been rising among law enforcement authorities for subduing violent subjects. Multiple reports have raised concerns over their safety. The cardiovascular safety profile of these devices in relationship to the position of delivery on the torso has not been well studied.

Methods:

We tested 13 adult pigs using a custom device built to deliver neuromuscular incapacitating (NMI) discharge of increasing intensity that matched the waveform of a commercially available stun gun (TASER® X‐26, TASER International, Scottsdale, AZ, USA). Discharges with increasing multiples of output capacitances were applied in a step‐up and step‐down fashion, using two‐tethered barbs at five locations: (1) Sternal notch to cardiac apex (position‐1), (2) sternal notch to supraumbilical area (position‐2), (3) sternal notch to infraumbilical area (position‐3), (4) side to side on the chest (position‐4), and (5) upper to lower mid‐posterior torso (position‐5). Endpoints included determination of maximum safe multiple (MaxSM), ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT), and minimum ventricular fibrillation induction multiple (MinVFIM).

Results:

Standard TASER discharges repeated three times did not cause ventricular fibrillation (VF) at any of the five locations. When the barbs were applied in the axis of the heart (position‐1), MaxSM and MinVFIM were significantly lower than when applied away from the heart, on the dorsum (position‐5) (4.31 ± 1.11 vs 40.77 ± 9.54, P< 0.001 and 8.31 ± 2.69 vs 50.77 ± 9.54, P< 0.001, respectively). The values of these endpoints at position‐2, position‐3, and position‐4 were progressively higher and ranged in between those of position‐1 and position‐5. Presence of ventricular capture at a 2:1 ratio to the delivered TASER impulses correlated with induction of VF. No significant metabolic changes were seen after standard NMI TASER discharge. There was no evidence of myocardial damage based on serum cardiac markers, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and histopathologic findings confirming the absence of significant cardiac effects.

Conclusions

: Standard TASER discharges did not cause VF at any of the positions. Induction of VF at higher output multiples appear to be sensitive to electrode distance from the heart, giving highest ventricular fibrillation safety margin when the electrodes are placed on the dorsum. Rapid ventricular capture appears to be a likely mechanism of VF induction by higher output TASER discharges.
Space‐Time Database for Standardization of Adult Magnetocardiogram‐Making Standard MCG Parameters
Authors: KANDORI AKIHIKO , OGATA KUNIOMI , WATANABE YASUSHI , TAKUMA NORIKO , TANAKA KIMIO , MURAKAMI MASAHIRO , MIYASHITA TSUYOSHI , SASAKI NOBUO , OKA YUJI
Published: March 2008

Background:

The magnetocardiogram (MCG) is a promising medical tool for detecting and visualizing abnormal cardiac electrical activation in heart‐disease patients. However, there is no large‐scale MCG database of healthy subjects, and there is little knowledge of gender‐ and age‐related influences on MCG data.

Methods and Results:

We obtained MCG data from 869 subjects (554 men, 315 women) using a conventional 64‐channel MCG system, which covers the whole heart. Electrocardiogram (ECG) data were also obtained; 464 people (268 men, 196 women) were identified as a normal group using ECG data. Time intervals (PQ, QRS, QT, and QTc), current distributions (maximum current vector (MCV), and the total current vector (TCV)) of MCG data of the 464 normal subjects were analyzed to obtain basic MCG parameters.

Although mean values of PQ and QRS intervals of the male subjects were slightly longer than those of the female subjects, no intervals were correlated with gender or age. The correlation between PQ intervals of ECG and those of MCG was better than the correlation between QRS and QT intervals of ECG and those of MCG. Both MCV and TCV angles were much smaller than the electrical‐axis angle in ECG. Although TCVs of the QRS and T waves were stable, the women's mean T‐wave‐TCV angles significantly increased with age. The maximum amplitude of the P wave was about 1.7 pT, and the value of the QRS complex was about 20–25 pT. Moreover, the T‐wave amplitude decreases with age.

Conclusion:

The MCG standard space‐time parameters determined here provide a normal range for MCG parameters.
Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillators in Patients with Left Ventricular Noncompaction
Authors: KOBZA RICHARD , JENNI ROLF , ERNE PAUL , OECHSLIN ERWIN , DURU FIRAT
Published: March 2008

Background:

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare, congenital cardiomyopathy and can be associated with heart failure, embolic events, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Implantation of implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators in these patients is a treatment option, but data on long‐term follow‐up are limited. The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical outcome of patients with LVNC who were treated with an implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD).

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective study on 12 patients (mean age: 45 ± 13 years, range 20–60) with LVNC, who underwent ICD implantation for secondary (n = 8) and primary (n = 4) prevention.

Results:

During a median follow‐up of 36 months, five patients (42%) presented with appropriate ICD therapy: in four of the eight patients (50%) in whom the ICD was implanted as a secondary prevention and in one of the four patients (25%) for whom the ICD was implanted for primary prevention. In eight patients (66%) supraventricular tachyarrhythmias were documented. Improvement of left ventricular function could be observed in one of two patients with a biventricular ICD.

Conclusions:

Potentially life‐threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias may occur in patients with LVNC. ICD therapy may be effective for primary and secondary prevention in these patients. Due to the high prevalence of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias devices with reliable detection enhancements should be considered.