bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Internal consistency reliability of resting EEG power spectra in schizophrenic and normal subjects
Authors: LUND THOMAS R. , SPONHEIM SCOTT R. , IACONO WILLIAM G. , CLEMENTZ BRETT A.
Published: March 2007

The reliability of resting electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra was assessed for 49 normal and 44 schizophrenic subjects. We specifically examined internal consistency reliability to determine how much EEG data are necessary to ensure small measurement error. Twenty‐one 8‐s epochs of resting EEG were collected from each subject from site Cz. Epochs containing artifacts or blinks were eliminated. Power was computed in the bands delta (0.125–3 Hz), theta (3.125–8 Hz), alpha (8.125–13 Hz), betal (13.125–20 Hz), beta2 (20.125–25 Hz), and beta3 (25.125–30 Hz). Internal consistency was computed using coefficient alpha (Cronbach, 1951). Results for both groups indicated that eight artifact‐free epochs of data were sufficient to give a coefficient alpha value of around .9. The schizophrenic and normal groups did not differ with respect to coefficient alpha. The proportion of artifacts in the data from the schizophrenics indicated that to obtain eight artifact‐free epochs from members of each group, 40% more data would be required from the schizophrenics.
Nightcap: Laboratory and home‐based evaluation of a portable sleep monitor
Authors: AJILORE OLUSOLA , STICKGOLD ROBERT , RITTENHOUSE CYNTHIA D. , HOBSON J. ALLAN
Published: March 2007

In this paper, we describe the first field tests of a home‐based sleep monitoring system, the Nightcap, which uses eyelid and body movement sensors to discriminate wake. NREM, and REM sleep automatically. Ten normal young adults were studied in the sleep laboratory and at home to allow comparison of Nightcap‐derived measures with those obtained by traditional polysomnography. The agreement between the two techniques was 87% based on 1‐min epochs‐93% for NREM. 80% for REM, and 72% for wake. When the values for sleep latency, REM latency, wake time, NREM time, and REM time calculated from polysomnograph records were compared with the values calculated from Nightcap data, no significant differences were seen. In cases of extremely poor sleep, objective sleep efficiency estimates correlated well with subjective reports, suggesting that the Nightcap is sensitive to clinically relevant changes in the quality of sleep. This new device should prove useful to researchers wishing to study the psychophysiology and pathophysiology of sleep in more naturalistic and cost‐effective paradigms than possible in the traditional sleep laboratory.
Development of minisatellite markers in phytopathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe grisea
Authors: LI C. Y. , LI J. B. , LIU L. , YANG J. , SU Y. , WANG Y. Y. , XIE Y. , YE M. , ZHU Y. Y.
Published: March 2007

Sixteen polymorphic minisatellite markers suitable for biodiversity and population genetic studies were developed for the phytopathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. Polymorphism was evaluated using 23 isolates collected from diverse geographical locations and rice varieties in Yunnan Province, China. Each locus had various alleles ranging from three to 16. This is the first description of minisatellite nucleotide sequence from the fungus.
RACIAL CLASSIFICATION REGARDING SEMEN DONOR SELECTION IN BRAZIL
Authors: COSTA ROSELY GOMES
Published: March 2007

Brazil has not yet approved legislation on assisted reproduction. For this reason, clinics, hospitals and semen banks active in the area follow Resolution 1358/92 of the Conselho Federal de Medicina, dated 30 September 1992. In respect to semen donation, the object of this article, the Resolution sets out that gamete donation shall be anonymous, that is, that the donor and recipients (and the children who might subsequently be born) shall not be informed of each other's identity. Thus, since recipients are unaware of the donor's identity, semen banks and the medical teams involved in assisted reproduction become the intermediaries in the process. The objective of this article is to show that, in practice, this represents disrespect for the ethical principles of autonomy, privacy and equality. The article also stresses that the problem is compounded by the racial question. In a country like Brazil, where racial classification is so flexible and goes side by side with racist attitudes, the intermediary role played by semen banks and medical teams is conditioned by their own criteria of racial classification, which are not always the same as those of donors and semen recipients. The data presented in this paper were taken from two semen banks located in the city of São Paulo (Brazil). At the time of my research, they were the only semen banks in the state of São Paulo and supplied semen to the capital (São Paulo city), the state of São Paulo, and to cities in other Brazilian states where semen banks were not available.
Nitrous oxide emissions, cereal growth, N recovery and soil nitrogen status after ploughing organically managed grass/clover swards
Authors: Ball B. C. , Watson C. A. , Crichton I.
Published: March 2007

The period after ploughing of grass–clover leys within a ley‐arable rotation is when nitrogen accumulated during the ley phase is most vulnerable to loss. We investigated how ploughing date and timing of cessation of grazing before ploughing affected nitrous oxide (N2O) losses of the first cereal crop. Ploughing dates were July and October for a winter wheat pilot study and January and March for spring barley in the main experiment. Timings of cessation of grazing (main experiment only) were October, January and March. Spring barley yield, nitrogen uptake and soil mineral nitrogen were also assessed. A separate large‐scale laboratory incubation was made to assess the effect of temperature and rainfall on nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching under controlled conditions. Nitrous oxide emissions in the 1‐ to 2‐month period after autumn or spring ploughing, or sowing were typically between 20 and 150 g N ha−1 day−1 and increased with temperature and rainfall. Tillage for crop establishment stimulated N2O emissions with up to 2.1 kg N ha−1 released in the month after spring tillage. Cumulative nitrous oxide emissions were greatest (∼8 kg ha−1 over 17 months) after cessation of grazing in March before March ploughing, and lowest (∼5.5 kg ha−1) after cessation of grazing in January before January ploughing. These losses were 1.2–3.9% of the N inputs. In the laboratory study, winter ploughing stimulated nitrate leaching more than nitrous oxide emissions. The optimum time of ploughing appears to be early spring when the cold restricts nitrogen mineralization initially, but sufficient nitrogen becomes available for early crop growth and satisfactory N offtake as temperature increases. Early cessation of grazing is advantageous in leaving an adequate supply of residues of good quality (narrow C:N ratio) for ploughing‐in. Restricting tillage operations to cool, dry conditions, being aware of possible compaction and increasing the use of undersown grass–clover should improve the sustainability of organic farming.
Soil losses due to potato harvesting at the regional scale in Belgium
Authors: Ruysschaert G. , Poesen J. , Auerswald K. , Verstraeten G. , Govers G.
Published: March 2007

During harvesting of crops, such as sugar beet, potatoes and chicory roots, considerable quantities of soil, consisting of adhering soil, soil clods and stones, are exported from cropland. This soil erosion process is called soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH). This study aimed to assess the variability in soil losses caused by potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) harvesting in Belgium and to investigate the role of weather conditions prior to the harvest and regional differences in soil texture on SLCH variability. To meet these objectives, more than 1000 soil tare data measured at a potato‐processing factory during the harvesting seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2001 were analysed. Soil loss was on an average 2.2 t ha−1 per harvest but could be as large as 45 t ha−1 per harvest. The average soil losses per municipality were positively and exponentially related to the average content of soil particles <16 μm. This relationship was in close agreement with a previous field study on SLCH for potatoes in Belgium and could explain why measured soil loss values from a German study were larger than SLCH values for potatoes measured in Belgium. Weather conditions prior to harvest played only a minor role for SLCH variability. As a consequence, SLCH for potatoes harvested mechanically is more variable in space than in time.
Nitrate leaching from short‐rotation coppice
Authors: Goodlass G. , Green M. , Hilton B. , McDonough S.
Published: March 2007

In the UK, short‐rotation coppice (SRC) is expected to become a significant source of ‘bio‐energy’ over the next few years. Thus, it is important to establish how nitrate leaching losses compare with conventional arable cropping, especially if SRC is grown in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. Nitrate leaching was measured using porous ceramic cups in each of the three phases in the lifespan of SRC, establishment, harvest and removal and was compared with conventional arable cropping. Nitrogen concentrations were increased in drainage water as soon as the crop cover was destroyed to plant the SRC (peak 70 mg L−1 nitrate‐N) and increased further (peak 134 mg L−1 nitrate‐N) on cultivation. Once the coppice crop was established, concentrations returned to a smaller level (average 18 mg L−1 nitrate‐N). Concentrations were not affected by the harvesting operation, and annual applications of nitrogen (40, 60 and 100 kg ha−1 N in the first, second and third years, respectively) had little effect. By contrast, concentrations in the arable rotation showed a regular pattern of increase in the autumn, and the average peak value over the 4 years was 54 mg L−1 nitrate‐N. When the SRC was ‘grubbed up’ and roots removed, the soil disturbance resulted in a flush of mineralization which, combined with a lack of crop cover, led to increased nitrate‐N in leachate (peak 67 mg L−1 nitrate‐N). In a normal life‐span of SRC (15–30 years), the relatively large nitrate losses on establishment and at final grubbing up would be offset by small losses during the productive harvest phase, especially when compared with results under the arable rotation.
Extracorporeal circuit pressure profiles during continuous venovenous haemofiltration
Authors: Ejaz A Ahsan , Komorski Ron M , Ellis Glyn H , Munjal Sandeep
Published: March 2007

Continuous renal replacement therapy machines are capable of providing continuous pressure measurements at different points of the extracorporeal circuit. This study investigates the pattern of circuit pressure changes during high‐volume continuous venovenous haemofiltration (CVVH) with regional anticoagulation with anticoagulant citrate dextrose in formula A. Extracorporeal circuit pressures during 91 treatments of CVVH were analysed. Distinct patterns of extracorporeal circuit pressures were observed: (a) the extracorporeal circuit pressures during a routine uncomplicated CVVH treatment remained close to initial values. The interquartile range (IQR) of pressures during the treatments were as follows: PA (arterial pressure) −3·5 to −10 mmHg, PV (venous pressure) 51 to 41·5 mmHg, PBE (prefilter pressure) 120·5 to 104 mmHg, PD2 (fluid outlet pressure) −23 to −70 mmHg, TMP (transmembrane pressure) 142·75 to 102·75 mmHg and PFD (pressure filter difference) 70 to 62 mmHg. (b) PD2 and TMP showed early separation from baseline values in CVVH treatment compromised by haemofilter clot. Haemofilter clotting problems were associated with median PD2 of −164 mmHg (IQR: −66·2 to −228·7), a fourfold increase from baseline. (c) PA and PV values changed abruptly in catheter‐malfunction‐related circuit disruption. Poorly functioning catheters tended to have a higher baseline PA (median: −33 versus −25·5) than in those without catheter problems; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p= 0·13). (d) A rise in PBE and PFD followed by changes in PD2 and TMP were noted in a treatment disrupted because of air detection chamber clotting. Distinct patterns of extracorporeal circuit pressures were present in patent and disrupted CVVH circuits. We suggest that the pattern of pressure profiles, not absolute values, may be more relevant in clinical practice.
Commentary: Numata Y, Schultzer M, et al. (2006). Nurse staffing levels and hospital mortality in critical care settings: literature review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Plowright Catherine
Published: March 2007

This paper reports a review of the literature on the association between critical care nurse staffing levels and patient mortality. Statistically significant inverse associations between levels of nurse staffing and hospital mortality have not been consistently found in the literature. Critical care settings are ideal to address this relationship due to high patient acuity and mortality, high intensity of the nursing care required and availability of individual risk adjustment methods. Major electronic databases were searched, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The search terms included critical/intensive care, quality of health care, mortality/hospital mortality, personnel staffing and scheduling, and nursing staff (hospital). Only papers published in English were included. The original search was conducted in 2002 and updated in 2005. Nine studies were selected from 251 references screened. All nine were observational. Six were conducted in the USA, one in Austria, one in Brazil, and one in Scotland. The unadjusted risk ratio of nurse staffing (high versus low) on hospital mortality were combined meta‐analytically (five studies). The pooled estimate was 0.65 (95% confidence interval 0.47–0.91). However, after adjusting for various covariates within each study, the individually reported associations between high nurse staffing and low hospital mortality became non‐significant in all but one study. The impact of nurse staffing levels on patients’ hospital mortality in critical care settings was not evident in the reviewed studies. Methodological challenges that might have impeded correct assessment of the association include measurement problems in exposure status and confounding factors, often uncontrolled. The lack of association also indicates that hospital mortality may not be sensitive enough to detect the consequences of low nurse staffing levels in critical care settings.

Abstract reprinted from the Journal of Advanced Nursing volume 55, Numata Y et al., ‘Nurse staffing levels and hospital mortality in critical care settings: literature review and meta‐analysis.’, pages 435–448. © 2006, with permission from Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Functional Homogenization Effect of Urbanization on Bird Communities
Authors: DEVICTOR VINCENT , JULLIARD ROMAIN , COUVET DENIS , LEE ALEXANDRE , JIGUET FRÉDÉRIC
Published: March 2007

Abstract: We studied the community richness and dynamics of birds in landscapes recently affected by urbanization to test the prediction that biotic communities living in degraded landscapes are increasingly composed of generalist species. We analyzed bird communities in 657 plots monitored by the French Breeding Bird Survey from 2001 to 2005, accounting for the probability of species detection and spatial autocorrelation. We used an independent land‐cover program to assess urbanization intensity in each FBBS plot, from 1992 to 2002. We found that urbanization induced community homogenization and that populations of specialist species became increasingly unstable with increasing urbanization of the landscape. Our results emphasize that urbanization has a substantial impact on the spatial component of communities and highlight the destabilizing effect of urbanization on communities over time. These results illustrate that urbanization may be a strong driving force in functional community composition and that measuring community homogenization is a powerful tool in the assessment of the effects of landscape changes and thus aides sustainable urban planning.
Impact of Forestry Practices on Fitness Correlates and Population Productivity in an Open‐Nesting Bird Species
Authors: GRIESSER MICHAEL , NYSTRAND MAGDALENA , EGGERS SÖNKE , EKMAN JAN
Published: March 2007

Abstract: In the boreal forests of Fennoscandia, over 99% of forest area has been altered by forestry practices, which has created forest with age structures and stand characteristics that differ from primary forest stands. Although many researchers have investigated how forestry affects species abundance, few have assessed how forestry practices affect fitness correlates of species living in altered habitats, and this has negatively affected management efforts. We experimentally addressed the effect of standard forestry practices on fitness correlates of an open‐nesting, long‐lived bird species typical to boreal forests of Eurasia, the Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus). We used a before‐after comparison of reproductive data on the level of territories and found that standard forestry practices had a strong negative effect on the breeding success of jays. Both partial thinning of territories and partial clearcutting of territories reduced future breeding success by a factor of 0.35. Forestry practices reduced territory occupancy. Thus, over the 15 years of the study, productivity of the affected population declined over 50% as a result of territory abandonment and reduced breeding success. Results of previous studies on Siberian Jays suggest that the strong effect of forest thinning on fitness is explained by the fact that most common predators of nests and adults are visually oriented and thus thinning makes prey and nests more visible to predators. The consequences of thinning we observed are likely to apply to a wide range of species that rely on understory to provide visual protection from predators. Thus, our results are important for the development of effective conservation management protocols and for the refinement of thinning practices.
Active Adaptive Management for Conservation
Authors: McCARTHY MICHAEL A. , POSSINGHAM HUGH P.
Published: March 2007

Abstract:  Active adaptive management balances the requirements of management with the need to learn about the system being managed, which leads to better decisions. It is difficult to judge the benefit of management actions that accelerate information gain, relative to the benefit of making the best management decision given what is known at the time. We present a first step in developing methods to optimize management decisions that incorporate both uncertainty and learning via adaptive management. We assumed a manager can allocate effort to discrete units (e.g., areas for revegetation or animals for reintroduction), the outcome can be measured as success or failure (e.g., the revegetation in an area is successful or the animal survives and breeds), and the manager has two possible management options from which to choose. We further assumed that there is an annual budget that may be allocated to one or both of the two options and that the manager must decide on the allocation. We used Bayesian updating of the probability of success of the two options and stochastic dynamic programming to determine the optimal strategy over a specified number of years. The costs, level of certainty about the success of the two options, and the timeframe of management all influenced the optimal allocation of the annual budget. In addition, the choice of management objective had a large influence on the optimal decision. In a case study of Merri Creek, Melbourne, Australia, we applied the approach to determining revegetation strategies. Our approach can be used to determine how best to manage ecological systems in the face of uncertainty.
Initial Experience with High Frequency Ultrasound for the Newborn C57BL Mouse
Authors: Bose Alok K. , Mathewson James W. , Anderson Brent E. , Andrews Allyson M. , Martin Gerdes A. , Benjamin Perryman M. , Grossfeld Paul D.
Published: March 2007

The mouse has become a powerful genetic tool for studying genes involved in cardiac development and congenital heart disease. Many of the most severe congenital heart defects are ductal‐dependent, resulting in neonatal lethality. Recent advances in ultrasound technology provide an opportunity for the use of high‐frequency transducers to characterize the cardiac anatomy and physiology of the newborn mouse. In this study, we define limited normative values for cardiac structure and function in the C57BL newborn mouse. Specifically, we define normal values for 19 indices derived from standard echocardiographic views. This study demonstrates that transthoracic echocardiography using a 40‐MHz high‐frequency transducer is a safe and reliable noninvasive modality for the delineation of cardiac anatomy and physiology in the newborn mouse.
bcl‐2‐specific siRNAs restore Gemcitabine sensitivity in human pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Okamoto Kinya , Ocker Matthias , Neureiter Daniel , Dietze Otto , Zopf Steffen , Hahn Eckhart G. , Herold Christoph
Published: March 2007

Gemcitabine has been shown to ameliorate disease related symptoms and to prolong overall survival in pancreatic cancer.Yet, resistance to Gemcitabine is commonly observed in this tumour entity and has been linked to increased expression of anti‐apoptotic bcl‐2. We therefore investigated if and to what extend silencing of bcl‐2 by specific siRNAs (siBCL2) might enhance Gemcitabine effects in human pancreatic carcinoma cells. siBCL2 was transfected into the pancreatic cancer cell line YAP C alone and 72 hrs before co‐incubation with different concentrations of Gemcitabine. Total protein and RNA were extracted for Western‐blot analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Pancreatic cancer xenografts in male nude mice were treated intraperitoneally with siBCL2 alone, Gemcitabine and control siRNA or Gemcitabine and siBCL2 for 21 days. Combination of both methods lead to a synergistic induction of apoptosis at otherwise ineffective concentrations of Gemcitabine. Tumour growth suppression was also potentiated by the combined treatment with siBCL2 and Gemcitabine in vivo and lead to increased TUNEL positivity. In contrast, non‐transformed human foreskin fibroblasts showed only minor responses to this treatment. Our results demonstrate that siRNA‐mediated silencing of anti‐apoptotic bcl‐2 enhances chemotherapy sensitivity in human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and might lead to improved therapy responses in advanced stages of this disease.
Cryoscopy: a novel enhancing method of in vivo skin imaging
Authors: Nikkels Arjen F. , Piérard Gérald E.
Published: March 2007

Background: It is a common observation that superficial freezing of normal skin and skin tumors may create a transient superficial whitening effect. In this respect, cryoscopy refers to the direct observation by dermoscopy, with or without digital recording, of the visual alterations of the frozen tissues.

Aims: To define the optimal method of cryoscopy and to describe the cryoscopy patterns of normal skin and selected skin lesions.

Materials and methods: The influence of (a) different cryogenic sources [solid carbon dioxide (−78.5°C), liquid nitrogen (N2, −196°C), and a mixture of dimethyl ether and propane (−57°C)], (b) various application methods (spraying, cotton chill tips, copper plate), and (c) freezing time was assessed with regard to clinical feasability, visualization quality, and persistance time of the whitening effect. Cryoscopy patterns of normal skin, callosities and of histologically proven seborrheic keratoses, verrucous hamartomas, molluscum contagiosum, keratoacanthomas, viral warts, condylomas, actinic keratoses, dermatofibromas, skin tags, basal cell carcinomas, angiomas, and melanocytic naevi were assessed.

Results: The cryoscopy images of skin highlighted the skin lines. They appeared similar regardless of the freezing source and the application method. The aspects differed according to the nature of the lesions. The cotton chill tip method provided a longer whitening period compared with the other cold sources, both in normal and lesional skin. Hence, it represented the most convenient way for performing digital recording cryoscopy. On normal skin, cryoapplication was limited to about 1.5 s due to pain, resulting in whitening times ranging from 6 to 9 s, which was too short for easy digital recording. On all studied skin tumors, a 10‐s N2 freezing time was not experienced as painful, and blanching time persisted for 20–34 s, allowing easy digital recording. The whitening time was longer with increasing freezing time on both normal and lesional skin. Every single examined normal skin site and all the skin lesions showed a strong whitening effect, except heavily cornified structures, including some keratoses, callosities, and viral warts. Increased contrast of the skin surface texture was observed in almost every studied lesion.

Conclusion: The N2 cotton chill tip technique appeared to be the most convenient technique for cryoscopy and provided longer whitening periods compared with the other freezing sources. Pain prevented its use on normal skin, but a series of exophytic skin lesions was conveniently accessible to cryoscopy. The differences in whitening periods of various epidermal components resulted in increased visual contrast, creating typical cryoscopy images for the different exophytic skin tumors. Cryoscopy represents a novel in vivo skin imaging technique that is rapid, non‐invasive, cost‐effective, and easily performed. It shows both investigative and diagnostic potentials. It is remarkable that cryoscopy pictures closely resemble those yielded by skin capacitance imaging.
Compartmentalization of neuronal and peripheral serotonin synthesis in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Neckameyer W. S. , Coleman C. M. , Eadie S. , Goodwin S. F.
Published: March 2007

In Drosophila, one enzyme (Drosophila tryptophan‐phenylalanine hydroxylase, DTPHu) hydroxylates both tryptophan to yield 5‐hydroxytryptophan, the first step in serotonin synthesis, and phenylalanine, to generate tyrosine. Analysis of the sequenced Drosophila genome identified an additional enzyme with extensive homology to mammalian tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), which we have termed DTRHn. We have shown that DTRHn can hydroxylate tryptophan in vitro but displays differential activity relative to DTPHu when using tryptophan as a substrate. Recent studies in mice identified the presence of two TPH genes, Tph1 and Tph2, from distinct genetic loci. Tph1 represents the non‐neuronal TPH gene, and Tph2 is expressed exclusively in the brain. In this article, we show that DTRHn is neuronal in expression and function and thus represents the Drosophila homologue of Tph2. Using a DTRHn‐null mutation, we show that diminished neuronal serotonin affects locomotor, olfactory and feeding behaviors, as well as heart rate. We also show that DTPHu functions in vivo as a phenylalanine hydroxylase in addition to its role as the peripheral TPH in Drosophila, and is critical for non‐neuronal developmental events.
Perception of sweet taste is important for voluntary alcohol consumption in mice
Authors: Blednov Y. A. , Walker D. , Martinez M. , Levine M. , Damak S. , Margolskee R. F.
Published: March 2007

To directly evaluate the association between taste perception and alcohol intake, we used three different mutant mice, each lacking a gene expressed in taste buds and critical to taste transduction: α‐gustducin (Gnat3),Tas1r3orTrpm5. Null mutant mice lacking any of these three genes showed lower preference score for alcohol and consumed less alcohol in a two‐bottle choice test, as compared with wild‐type littermates. These null mice also showed lower preference score for saccharin solutions than did wild‐type littermates. In contrast, avoidance of quinine solutions was less inGnat3orTrpm5knockout mice than in wild‐type mice, whereasTas1r3null mice were not different from wild type in their response to quinine solutions. There were no differences in null vs. wild‐type mice in their consumption of sodium chloride solutions. To determine the cause for reduction of ethanol intake, we studied other ethanol‐induced behaviors known to be related to alcohol consumption. There were no differences between null and wild‐type mice in ethanol‐induced loss of righting reflex, severity of acute ethanol withdrawal or conditioned place preference for ethanol. Weaker conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to alcohol in null mice may have been caused by weaker rewarding value of the conditioned stimulus (saccharin). When saccharin was replaced by sodium chloride, no differences in CTA to alcohol between knockout and wild‐type mice were seen. Thus, deletion of any one of three different genes involved in detection of sweet taste leads to a substantial reduction of alcohol intake without any changes in pharmacological actions of ethanol.
Do Defendants Pay What Juries Award? Post‐Verdict Haircuts in Texas Medical Malpractice Cases, 1988–2003
Authors: Hyman David A. , Black Bernard , Zeiler Kathryn , Silver Charles , Sage William M.
Published: March 2007

Legal scholars, legislators, policy advocates, and the news media frequently use jury verdicts to draw conclusions about the performance of the tort system. However, actual payouts can differ greatly from verdicts. We report evidence on post‐verdict payouts from the most comprehensive longitudinal study of matched jury verdicts and payouts. Using data on all insured medical malpractice claims in Texas from 1988–2003 in which the plaintiff received at least $25,000 (in 1988 dollars) following a jury trial, we find that most jury awards received “haircuts.” Seventy‐five percent of plaintiffs received a payout less than the adjusted verdict (jury verdict plus prejudgment and postjudgment interest), 20 percent received the adjusted verdict (within ± 2 percent), and 5 percent received more than the adjusted verdict. Overall, plaintiffs received a mean (median) per‐case haircut of 29 percent (19 percent), and an aggregate haircut of 56 percent, relative to the adjusted verdict. The larger the verdict, the more likely and larger the haircut. For cases with a positive adjusted verdict under $100,000, 47 percent of plaintiffs received a haircut, with a mean (median) per‐case haircut of 8 percent (2 percent). For cases with an adjusted verdict larger than $2.5 million, 98 percent of plaintiffs received a haircut with a mean (median) per‐case haircut of 56 percent (61 percent). Insurance policy limits are the most important factor in explaining haircuts. Caps on damages in death cases and caps on punitive damages are also important, but defendants often paid substantially less than the adjusted allowed verdict. Remittitur accounts for a small percentage of the haircuts. Punitive damage awards have only a small effect on payouts. Out‐of‐pocket payments by physicians are rare, never large, and usually unrelated to punitive damage awards. Most cases settle, presumably in the shadow of the outcome if the case were to be tried. That outcome is not the jury award, but the actual post‐verdict payout. Because defendants rarely pay what juries award, jury verdicts alone do not provide a sufficient basis for claims about the performance of the tort system.
The Impact of Damage Caps on Malpractice Claims: Randomization Inference with Difference‐in‐Differences
Authors: Donohue John J. , Ho Daniel E.
Published: March 2007

We use differences‐in‐differences (DID) to assess the impact of damage caps on medical malpractice claims for states adopting caps between 1991–2004. We find that conventional DID estimators exhibit acute model sensitivity. As a solution, we offer (nonparametric) covariance‐adjusted randomization inference, which incorporates information about cap adoption more directly and reduces model sensitivity. We find no evidence that caps affect the number of malpractice claims against physicians.
Identifying Malpractice‐Prone Physicians
Authors: Rolph John E. , Adams John L. , McGuigan Kimberly A.
Published: March 2007

We analyze the claims database of a large malpractice insurer covering more than 8,000 physicians and 9,300 claims. Applying empirical Bayes methods in a regression setting, we construct a predictor of each physician's underlying propensity to incur malpractice claims. Our explanatory factors are physician demographics (age, sex, specialty, training) and physician practice pattern characteristics (practice setting, procedures performed, practice intensity, special risk factors, and characteristics of hospital(s) on staff of). We divide physicians into medical and surgical/ancillary specialty categories and fit separate models to each. In the surgical/ancillary specialty group, physician characteristics can effectively distinguish between more and less claims‐prone physicians. Physician characteristics have somewhat less predictive power in the medical specialty group. As measured by predictive information, physician characteristics are superior to 10 years of claims history. Insofar as medical malpractice claims can be thought of as extreme indicators of poor‐quality care, this finding suggests that easily gathered physician characteristics can be helpful in designing targeted quality of care improvement policies.
On optimal income taxation with heterogeneous work preferences
Authors: Tarkiainen Ritva , Tuomala Matti
Published: March 2007

This paper considers the problem of optimal income taxation when individuals are assumed to differ with respect to their earnings potential and work preferences. A numerical method for solving this two‐dimensional problem has been developed. We assume an additive utility function, and utilitarian social objectives. Rather than solve the first order conditions associated with the problem, we directly compute the best tax function, which can be written in terms of a second order B‐spline function. Our findings show that marginal tax rates are higher than might be anticipated, and that very little bunching occurs at the optimum. Our simulation results show that the correlation between taste for work and productivity has a crucial role in determining the extent of redistribution in our model.
Improved Acylation Method Enables Efficient Delivery of Functional Palmitoylated Cystatin into Epithelial Cells
Authors: Kočevar Nina , Obermajer Nataša , Štrukelj Borut , Kos Janko , Kreft Samo
Published: March 2007

The effective delivery of therapeutic proteins to the site of action is of great importance in achieving an effective therapy. Due to hydrophilicity, proteins are generally poorly transported across biological membranes. Chemical acylation represents one of the basic methods for improving their membrane permeability. A novel method for acylation is presented, based on the formation of palmitoylchloride dispersion in aqueous acetonitrile solution, using chicken cystatin as a model protein. We examined the effects of palmitoylchloride/cystatin molar ratio, reaction pH and introduction of successive palmitoylation cycles on the protein modification degree. The reaction products were analysed by capillary electrophoresis and SDS‐PAGE, and the in vitro inhibitory activity was determined by N‐benzoyl‐d,l‐arginine‐β‐naphthylamide assay. Using cell culture‐based assays, we examined the transport properties of unmodified and palmitoylated cystatin, its efficiency to inhibit intracellular enzymes, and its cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that palmitoylated cystatin rapidly internalized into the cell and caused a complete loss of cathepsin B activity. In contrast, the unmodified control cystatin was unable to inhibit the intracellular enzymes. These results strongly suggest protein palmitoylation to be a very effective strategy for improving cell internalization.
Synthesis and Purification of Mono‐PEGylated Insulin
Authors: Dou Huaizhi , Zhang Min , Zhang Yu , Yin Chunhua
Published: March 2007

Monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) 5000 (mPEG5K) and 2000 (mPEG2K) were activated to produce mPEG‐aldehyde with content over 80%. Effects of reaction time, pH and initial molar ratio of mPEG‐aldehyde to insulin on synthesis of PEGylated insulin were studied, taking mPEG5K‐aldehyde as a model. On the optimized condition, approximately 90% of product was mono‐PEGylated insulin. Mono‐PEGylated insulin was purified by ion‐exchange chromatography. The purity of each component was analysed by RP‐HPLC and the results showed an efficient purification. Matrix assistant laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectra demonstrated that the modification site of mono‐PEGylated insulin was PheB1. The biological activity of all PEGylated insulin was also evaluated.
De novo Design of ΔF ‐containing Heme‐binding Peptides
Authors: Rai Jagdish , Raghothama S. , Sahal D.
Published: March 2007

The structural characterization of de novo designed metalloproteins together with determination of chemical reactivity can provide a detailed understanding of the relationship between protein structure and functional properties. Toward this goal, using the basic scaffold of 1pbz (Rosenblatt et al. (2003) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A;100:13140) we have designed cyclic ΔF‐containing heme‐binding peptides. The α‐ and β‐bands in UV–Vis spectroscopy are indicative of bis‐His‐ligated heme complex. Most of our ΔF‐containing peptides have more affinity to cobalt(III)Coproporphyrinate‐I than heme because cobalt(III)Coproporphyrinate‐I contains two additional propionate groups which can have salt bridge interactions with the lysine residues in the peptide. Helicity induction in peptide by ΔF and aromatic interaction of ΔF with heme have increased the heme affinity of CP‐6‐12pbz (cyclic peptide with substitutions of Ala at positions 6 and 12 by ΔF; 905/mm) compared with 1pbz (279/mm). The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra are indicative of overall helical structure for CP‐6‐12pbz and CP‐6‐12pbz in complex with cobalt (III)Coproporphyrinate‐I. The descending order of heme affinity in peptides (CP‐6‐12pbz > CP‐12pbz > CP‐5‐12pbz) indicates that ΔF at i + 3 or i − 3 from the central H9 favors heme binding but disrupts the same when placed at i − 4.
THE USE OF WELL LOGS TO DETERMINE THE RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS OF MIOCENE ROCKS AT THE BAHAR NORTHEAST FIELD, GULF OF SUEZ, EGYPT
Authors: Abd El‐Gawad E. A.
Published: March 2007

This paper is concerned with the petrophysical evaluation by means of electric logs of Miocene reservoir rocks at the Bahar Northeast field, Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The reservoir rocks are assigned to the Hammam Faraun and Sidri Members of the Middle Miocene Belayim Formation and the Lower Miocene Kareem Carbonate.

Computer‐assisted log analyses were used to evaluate petrophysical parameters such as the shale proportion (Vsh), effective porosity (φE), water saturation (SW), hydrocarbon saturation (Sh), flushed zone saturation (Sxo) and true resistivity (Rt).

Lithological compositions, effective porosity, and water and hydrocarbon saturations are illustrated on cross‐plots of depth versus lithology and saturation. Isoparametric maps are used to illustrate the spatial variation of petrophysical parameters and to show their relationships with the geologic setting of the study area.

Based on the results obtained, the Hammam Faraun and Sidri Members of the Belayin Formation and the Kareem Carbonate appear to possess promising reservoir characteristics which should be taken into consideration during future development of the field area.
Taxonomy of the genus Rhizophagus Herbst (Coleoptera: Monotomidae: Rhizophaginae) in Korea
Authors: PARK Sun‐Jae , LEE Seung‐Il , AHN Kee‐Jeong
Published: March 2007

A taxonomic study of the genus Rhizophagus Herbst in Korea is presented. Three species –Rhizophagus (Anomophagus) puncticollis Sahlberg, Rhizophagus (Rhizophagus) japonicus Reitter and Rhizophagus (Rhizophagus) nobilis Lewis – are recognized. The genus and species are recorded for the first time in Korea. A key, habitus photos, descriptions, and illustrations of diagnostic characters of known Korean Rhizophagus species are given.
Prevalence of ectoparasites in goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) brought for slaughter in the Gwagwalada area, Abuja, Nigeria
Authors: IDRIS H. S. , UMAR H.
Published: March 2007

Ectoparasites from the bodies of 600 slaughtered goats between the ages of 1 and 50 months, collected within a period of 10 months (February to November 2005), were isolated using fractionation techniques. Collected data were analysed by χ2‐test. A total of 60 of the 600 goats examined (10.00%) were infected with ectoparasites. The prevalent ectoparasites observed were species of Rhipicephalus (28 goats; 4.67%), Boophilus (8 goats; 1.33%), Amblyomma (6 goats; 1.00%), Hyalomma (6 goats; 1.00%), Linognathus (18 goats; 3.00%) and Damalina (1 goat; 0.17%). The infection rates according to age and sex of goats were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Goats were observed to have single or multiple infections of ectoparasites. More goats (46) had a single infection than a multiple infection (14). Regarding distribution of the ectoparasites on the various sites of the animal body, it was observed that lice preferred the head, back, ears and belly, while ticks were found in the hooves and interdigital spaces as well as at the sites listed for lice.
Mosquito species distribution and larval breeding habitats with taxonomic identification of Anopheline mosquitoes in Korea
Authors: KIM Heung Chul , KLEIN Terry A. , LEE Won Ja , COLLIER Brett W. , CHONG Sung Tae , SAMES William J. , LEE In Yong , LEE Young Jae , LEE Dong Kyu
Published: March 2007

In 2005, adult and larval mosquito surveillance was conducted at selected sites in Korea to associate larval habitats with species distribution of mosquitoes of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group (An. sinensis, An. lesteri, An. pullus, An. belenrae and An. kleini) and other mosquito species. Anopheles specimens belonging to the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group were identified to species level by molecular confirmation using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)‐2 within nuclear ribosomal (r)DNA. A total of 6644 mosquitoes from resting and light trap collections (4451; 67.0%) and larval collections (2193; 33.0%) comprising 32 species and nine genera (Culex [11], Anopheles [8], Ochlerotatus [5], Aedes [3], Armigeres [1], Coquillettidia [1], Mansonia [1], Tripteroides [1] and Lutzia [1]) were collected. Larval habitats were characterized into 14 categories. Of a total of 4534 Anopheles spp. collected (3766 resting and light trap collections and 768 larval collections), Anopheles sinensis (3194; 70.4%) was the most frequently captured, followed by An. kleini (813; 17.9%), An. pullus (299; 6.6%) and An. belenrae (129; 2.8%). Four species of Anopheles (An. lesteri, An. sineroides, An. koreicus and An. lindesayi) were infrequently collected (<3.0%) at all sites surveyed by all methods of collection. Anopheles kleini, An. pullus and An. belenrae were collected in greater proportions in malaria high‐risk areas north of Seoul, and were infrequently collected in other parts of Korea, where An. sinensis was the predominant Anopheles spp. captured. A total of 2110 culicine mosquitoes (685 adult collections and 1425 larval collections) comprising 24 species and eight genera were collected.
Taxonomic review of the genus Anomalon Panzer (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Anomaloninae) in Korea, with two new species
Authors: LEE Jong‐Wook , CHOI Won‐Young , YUN Mi‐Kyoung
Published: March 2007

Korean species of the genus Anomalon are reviewed. We found five species in Korea. Of these, two species, Anomalon teresscutella n. sp. and Anomalon planobucca n. sp., are newly discovered and one species, Anomalon japonicum, is newly included in the Korean fauna. A revised key to the species, descriptions, diagnoses, and photographs of diagnostic characters are provided.
Molecular genetic analysis of haematological malignancies II: mature lymphoid neoplasms
Authors: BENCH A. J. , ERBER W. N. , FOLLOWS G. A. , SCOTT M. A.
Published: March 2007

Molecular genetic techniques have become an integral part of the diagnostic assessment for many lymphomas and other chronic lymphoid neoplasms. The demonstration of a clonal immunoglobulin or T cell receptor gene rearrangement offers a useful diagnostic tool in cases where the diagnosis is equivocal. Molecular genetic detection of other genomic rearrangements may not only assist with the diagnosis but can also provide important prognostic information. Many of these rearrangements can act as molecular markers for the detection of low levels of residual disease. In this review, we discuss the applications of molecular genetic analysis to the chronic lymphoid malignancies. The review concentrates on those disorders for which molecular genetic analysis can offer diagnostic and/or prognostic information.
Mean platelet size related to glycoprotein‐specific autoantibodies and platelet‐associated IgG
Authors: JAVELA K. , KEKOMÄKI R.
Published: March 2007

Recent evidence suggests that platelet‐associated glycoprotein‐specific (GP) antibodies represent true positive autoantibodies and can therefore be taken as the gold standard. Earlier tests, which aimed at detecting platelet‐associated IgG (PA‐IgG), might have been hampered, e.g. by the variation of platelet size in thrombocytopenic patients. In this study, 206 samples with increased PA‐IgG from consecutive thrombocytopenic patients were tested further for GP‐specific antibodies with a monoclonal antibody immobilized platelet antigen test (MAIPA) using a combination of a GP IIbIIIa‐specific and a GP IbIX‐specific antibody for immobilization or, in a separate assay, GP V‐specific antibody. Mean platelet size was recorded as forward scatter (FSC) of platelets in flow cytometric analysis of PA‐IgG. GP‐specific antibodies were detected in 49 (24%) of the 206 patient samples. Their presence correlated well with increased PA‐IgG (R = 0.769). The mean platelet size and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of PA‐IgG were both significantly increased in patients compared with healthy controls (n = 112; P < 0.0001). Notably, PA‐IgG was associated with platelet size within the platelet population of both healthy controls and patients (R = 0.999). Further, the probability of GP IIbIIIa and/or IbIX and GP V‐specific PA‐IgG tended to increase with the mean platelet size of the patients (P = 0.045). In conclusion, large platelets bound more IgG than platelets of normal size, which may explain at least in part the reported low specificity of total PA‐IgG measurement. As the PA‐IgG displays low specificity compared with the gold standard, its use as such may be abandoned and replaced by tests for platelet‐associated GP‐specific autoantibodies.
Modeling and Design of a Piezoelectric Forceps Actuator for Meso∕Micro Grasping
Authors: Susanto Ken , Yang Bingen
Published: March 2007

Meso∕micro grasping of tiny soft objects such as biological tissues, which ranges from hundreds to thousands of micro-millimeters in dimension, plays a significant role in the fields of tele-surgery, minimally invasive surgery (MIS), and biomedical instrumentation. Recently, the authors proposed a novel piezoelectric forceps actuator (PFA), which is capable of grasping delicate soft objects. One of the advantages of the PFA over conventional MIS forceps lies in that it can be remotely controlled to achieve precision deflection and grasping force. Furthermore, it does not have any moving parts such as gears and hinges, and hence avoids problems in operation like friction, backlash, lubrication, leakage, and sterilization. In this paper, a mathematical model of the PFA is derived, based on which genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to optimize the grasping force-deflection relationship of the actuator. The model developed is experimentally verified on a prototype of the PFA.