bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CURRENT STATUS AND EVALUATION OF LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY FOR GASTRIC CANCER
Authors: Kojima Kazuyuki , Yamada Hiroyuki , Inokuchi Mikito , Hayashi Mikiko , Kawano Tatuyuki , Sugihara Kenichi
Published: September 2010

Laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer was developed in Japan and has been established as a treatment for early gastric cancer thanks not only to improvements in technology and medical equipment but also to great efforts made by surgeons. With increasing numbers of surgeons performing the procedure and extending its indication to some advanced gastric cancers, it has achieved an important position in the treatment of gastric cancer together with endoscopic mucosal resection and open surgery. In clinical practice, it has been accepted as a safe, minimally invasive and radical treatment for early gastric cancer through several clinical studies and case–control studies. A large‐scale randomized controlled trial to evaluate laparoscopic gastrectomy as an acceptable procedure for early gastric cancer is being prepared. In order to extend the indication to some advanced gastric cancers, first, we need to collect more cases of laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced cancer and start a phase II study in the experienced hospitals.
MIXED INTESTINAL‐ AND DIFFUSE‐TYPE HISTOLOGY IS A RISK FACTOR FOR LYMPH NODE METASTASIS OF SUBMUCOSAL INVASIVE GASTRIC CANCER
Authors: Tsuji Naoko , Ishiguro Shingo , Umehara Yasuko , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: September 2010

Background:  Endoscopic submucosal dissection is expected to increase the number of node‐negative submucosal invasive gastric cancers, particularly differentiated‐type adenocarcinomas that can be treated conservatively.

Methods:  Two hundred and seven consecutive surgically treated cases of differentiated‐type early gastric cancer with submucosal invasion were analyzed clinicopathologically. Comparison was made between patients with node‐positive (n = 33) and node‐negative cancer (n = 174). Whole sections of surgical specimens were reviewed and reclassified as pure intestinal type or mixed type. The intramucosal and submucosal components were also described histologically, and the depth of invasion from the muscularis mucosae as well as the width of submucosal invasion was measured.

Results:  Twenty‐four of 33 (73%) node‐positive cases were of the mixed type, whereas 71 of 174 (41%) node‐negative cases were of the mixed type (P < 0.01). As for the intramucosal histology, the ratio of mixed‐type was also higher in the node‐positive group (58% vs 34%; P < 0.05). Other factors associated with lymph node metastasis were larger tumor size (P = 0.003), deeper submucosal invasion (P < 0.001) and wider submucosal extension (P = 0.004), and lymphatic permeation (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that lymphatic permeation (P = 0.001, OR 4.76), and mixed‐type histology (OR 2.56) were independent risk factors.

Conclusions:  Histological heterogeneity is a risk factor for metastasis of submucosal invasive gastric cancer to lymph nodes. Heterogeneity of mucosal components is also a significant risk factor and thus a good predictor of lymph node metastasis, potentially useful in distinguishing patients ineligible for conservative therapy.
TOTAL THYROIDECTOMY: ITS ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THYROID DISEASE
Authors: Khadra M. , Delbridge L. , Reeve T. S. , Poole A. G. , Crummer P.
Published: September 2010

Book reviews in this article:

Of 7812 patients treated for thyroid disease in the Endocrine Surgical Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital, 825 underwent total thyroidectomy as an initial procedure. One third of these patients (269) were operated on for malignancy and the remaining 556 were treated for benign conditions such as multinodular goitre (405), Graves' Disease (79) and thyroiditis (45). The rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was 0.5% while permanent hypoparathyroidism occurred in 0.6% of cases, the low complication rate being due to the technique of capsular dissection employed in the Unit. The number of total thyroidectomies performed as a percentage of all thyroid operations has risen from 4% in 1970 to more than 40% in 1990. The majority of this increase has been due to surgery for multinodular goitre where the proportion of patients treated by total thyroidectomy now exceeds 80%. A similar but smaller increase has been seen in an analysis of the New South Wales figures for all other public and private hospitals. It is concluded that the complication rate from total thyroidectomy can no longer be used to argue against its use as the definitive operation for malignant disease of the thyroid. Furthermore, in view of the risks of re‐operative surgery, total thyroidectomy should be considered the operation of choice for most benign disease affecting the whole thyroid gland such as multinodular goitre, thyroiditis, and in a significant number of goitres affected by thyrotoxicosis.
REGRESSION OF LIVER METASTASES FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH YTTRIUM‐90 MICROSPHERES
Authors: Gray B. N. , Anderson J. E. , Burton M. A. , van Hazel G. , Codde J. , Morgan C. , Klemp P.
Published: September 2010

Book reviews in this article:

Selective internal radiation (SIR) therapy is a technique developed by our group for concentration of Yttrium‐90 microspheres into liver metastases. The technique involves laparotomy, insertion of the catheter into the hepatic artery, redistribution of liver blood flow with vaso‐active agents and incremental embolization of Yttrium‐90 containing microspheres (SIR spheres) into the liver.

Twenty‐nine patients with non‐resectable liver metastases from primary adenocarcinoma of the large bowel were treated by this technique and followed for a minimum of three months to assess evidence of tumour regression. Response to treatment was measured by serial estimations of carcino‐embryonic antigen (CEA) and tumour volumes measured from serial computerized tomography (CT) scanning of the liver.

There was a fall in the serum CEA level in all 26 patients in whom the serial estimations of CEA were performed following SIR therapy. The overall mean fall in CEA was 70% of pre‐treatment levels with 88% of patients (23 of 26) experiencing more than a 50% fall in pre‐treatment CEA levels.

In 18 of 22 evaluable patients CT measured tumour volumes decreased following SIR therapy. In 48% of patients (10 of 22 patients) the decrease in tumour volume was more than 50%.

SIR therapy results in a high rate of tumour regression in patients with liver metastases secondary to large bowel cancer.
NEUROGENIC CLAUDICATION SECONDARY TO VASCULAR DISEASE
Authors: Murphy M. A. , Denton M. J. , Scott D. F.
Published: September 2010

Book reviews in this article:

Neurogenic claudication is characterized by sensory symptoms which appear during exercise or while maintaining a fixed posture. They are paraesthetic in quality, may be associated with ‘march’ phenomena, and patients may have bowel and bladder disturbance. The problem is most commonly secondary to lumbar canal stenosis (LCS) but rarely due to aortic disease, as shown in this case report. This report concerns a 66 year old woman who presented with symptoms of paraesthesia radiating from the buttocks to the thigh and, intermittent loss of bladder and bowel function, all associated with walking. There were no associated symptoms of vascular claudication. Clinically, there was evidence of aorto‐iliac obstruction with absence of femoral pulses and a vascular index of 0.4 at both ankles. Neurological examination was normal at rest but the left ankle jerk was absent immediately after exercise. Myelogram and computerized tomographic (CT) scan were normal. An aortogram revealed a very tight irregular stenosis of the aorta at the level of the renal and mesenteric arteries. Very few lumbar vessels were seen. An aortic endarterectomy via a thoraco‐abdominal approach was performed and an aortobifemoral graft inserted. The patient's symptoms resolved following this procedure. We postulate that her symptoms were caused by a ‘steal’ from the blood supply to the cauda equinda due to the severe athromatous disease of her upper abdominal aorta.
The role of larval aggression and mobility in the transition between solitary and gregarious development in parasitoid wasps
Authors: Boivin G. , Van Baaren J.
Published: September 2010

Models explaining the appearance of gregariousness in insect parasitoids assume the presence of a tolerance gene that enables nonsiblicidal behaviour in gregarious larvae. Under this assumption, nontolerant individuals should attack and kill tolerant individuals when sharing a host, making this behaviour susceptible to invasion by nontolerant individuals. We propose an alternative hypothesis where gregarious larvae retain their aggressiveness but are less mobile. We tested this hypothesis with two sympatric and congeneric species of Mymaridae, Anaphes victus and Anaphes listronoti, respectively, solitary and gregarious egg parasitoids of a Curculionidae, Listronotus oregonensis. Results obtained in competition experiments and from direct observation of movement in mymariform larvae of both species support the reduced mobility hypothesis. By being immobile while retaining their fighting capacity, A. listronoti mymariform larvae appear to optimize host utilization through gregarious development, but can still defend themselves against sympatric aggressive species.
Fluctuating and directional asymmetry in natural bird populations exposed to different levels of habitat disturbance, as revealed by mixture analysis
Authors: Lens L. , Van Dongen S.
Published: September 2010

While bilateral trait asymmetry is widely recognized to estimate developmental instability, much controversy exists over which types of asymmetry (fluctuating, directional, and/or antisymmetry) to use. Recently it has been hypothesized that the three types are strongly interrelated, and that increased developmental instability may be reflected in a transition from fluctuating to directional asymmetry and/or antisymmetry. Alternatively, habitat disturbance might change the genetic expression of directional asymmetry. We present herein the first empirical evidence for stress‐mediated shifts in types of asymmetry in natural populations, by using mixture analysis to model tarsus asymmetry in bird populations exposed to different levels of habitat disturbance. Observed asymmetry patterns almost exclusively consisted of true fluctuating asymmetry in the least disturbed populations, but became progressively mixed with directional asymmetry under increasing disturbance. Failing to unravel these mixtures of different forms of asymmetry may have critical implications for the analysis and interpretation of asymmetry data.
Accelerated seedling emergence in interspecific competitive neighbourhoods
Authors: Dyer A.R. , Fenech A. , Rice K.J.
Published: September 2010

Seed dormancy models suggest that evaluation of environmental conditions should influence the decision to germinate and that waiting for more favourable conditions may increase potential fitness. However, because rapid emergence is often positively correlated with performance and survival, an alternative strategy to accelerate the rate of emergence may increase the potential for site pre‐emption. This response is more likely to be found in seasonal environments with greater potential for rapid resource depletion in which early emergence may confer a competitive advantage. The experiments reported here found more rapid emergence in a perennial grass species when it was planted in potentially highly competitive interspecific neighbourhoods. This response suggests an inherent ability in seeds of this species to sense and respond to the competitive nature of the immediate neighbourhood.
CASE REPORT: Corneal papilloma associated with papillomavirus in a one‐humped camel (Camelus dromedarius)
Authors: Kılıç Nuh , Toplu Nihat , Aydoğan Ahmet , Yaygıngül Rahime , Özsoy Şule Yurdagül
Published: September 2010

A 15‐year‐old male dromedary camel with a history of chronic severe keratoconjunctivitis and corneal mass in the left eye of 6 months’ duration was referred to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Adnan Menderes University. A superficial keratectomy was performed and biopsy material submitted for histopathology. The diagnosis was corneal papilloma. There has been no recurrence of the neoplasm to date (6 months, 1 year). Corneal papilloma has not been reported previously in camels and seems to be associated with papillomavirus.
Electroretinography in the western gray kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
Authors: Labelle Amber L. , Hamor Ralph E. , Narfström Kristina , Breaux Carrie B.
Published: September 2010

Objective To perform electroretinography on normal anesthetized western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus).

Animals studied Six captive western gray kangaroos.

Procedures The kangaroos were anesthetized using a combination of ketamine and medetomidine via a remote drug delivery system, then were maintained on isoflurane after endotracheal intubation and reversal of the medetomidine with atipamazole. After a minimum of 20 min of dark adaptation, electroretinograms were obtained using a handheld electroretinography (ERG) machine using a single flash protocol at three light intensities: 10 mcd.s/m2, 3000 mcd.s/m2, 10 000 mcd.s/m2.

Results At 10 mcd.s/m2the mean b‐wave amplitude and implicit time was 102.0 μV (SD ± 41.3 and 95% CI 68.9–135.1) and 78.4 ms (SD ± 8.3 and 95% CI 71.8–85.0). At 3000 mcd.s/m2the mean a‐wave amplitude and implicit time was 69.9 μV (SD ± 20.5 and 95% CI 53.5–86.3) and 17.6 ms (SD ± 1.5 and 95% CI 16.4–18.8) and the mean b‐wave amplitude and implicit time was 175.4 μV (SD ± 35.9 and 95% CI 146.7–204.1) and 74.1 ms (SD ± 3.5 and 95% CI 71.2–76.9). At 10 000 mcd.s/m2the mean a‐wave amplitude and implicit time was 89.1 μV (SD ± 27.1 and 95% CI 67.5–110.8) and 16.8 ms (SD ± 1.0 and 95% CI 16.0–17.0) and the mean b‐wave amplitude and implicit time was 203.7 μV (SD ± 41.4 and 95% CI 170.6–236.8) and 75.4 ms (SD ± 3.3 and 95% CI 72.8–78.1).

Conclusion Electroretinography outside of the typical clinical setting is feasible using a portable ERG system and allows for quick analysis of retinal function in exotic species.
Anatomy of the California sea lion globe
Authors: Miller Sarah N. , Colitz Carmen M. H. , Dubielzig Richard R.
Published: September 2010

Objective  This study analyzed the morphology of the California sea lion globe to determine what features may contribute to their characteristic visual abilities.

Procedure  Globes from the Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin (COPLOW) collection were examined from gross photographs and microscopic sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, trichrome, smooth muscle actin, and alcian blue periodic acid–Schiff (PAS). Transmission electron microscopy of the cornea and iris was also performed.

Clinical results  There was a round, flattened area ventromedial to the axial cornea. The pupil was tear‐drop shaped. Pectinate ligaments were visible without magnification. The retina was holangiotic, containing numerous spoke‐like venules and arterioles. The tapetum was green encompassing the entire fundus. The optic nerve was unmyelinated.

Histological results  The sclera was thinnest equatorially and thickest at the limbus and posterior pole. Bowman’s layer was difficult to see by light microscopy but clear with transmission electron microscopy. The cornea had a thick epithelium, thin endothelium and Descemet’s membrane, and the stroma thinned axially. The dilator muscle was absent near the pupil, but enlarged and mingled with the sphincter muscle near the iris base. A large, wide ciliary cleft with prominent trabeculae and a single continuous pectinate ligament was present. The corneoscleral trabecular meshwork was discontinuous. A round lens attached to the ciliary body via direct attachment to ciliary processes and delicate zonular ligaments. There was a circumferential muscle at the base of the ciliary processes. A thick tapetum covered the entire fundus except peripherally. The retina was characterized by sparse, large ganglion cells.
Accuracy and reproducibility of the TonoVet®rebound tonometer in birds of prey
Authors: Reuter Anne , Müller Kerstin , Arndt Gisela , Eule Johanna Corinna
Published: September 2010

Objective To examine the accuracy and reproducibility of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements obtained by the TonoVet®rebound tonometer.

Animals studied Freshly enucleated healthy eyes of 44 free‐ranging birds of prey out of the speciesHaliaeetus albicilla, Accipiter gentilis, Accipiter nisus, Buteo buteo, Falco tinnunculus, Strix aluco, Asio otusandTyto albaeuthanized because of unrelated health problems.

Procedures IOP readings from the TonoVet®were compared with a manometric device, with IOP being set from 5 to 100 mmHg in steps of 5 mmHg by adjusting the height of a NaCl solution reservoir connected to the eye. Reproducibility of the TonoVet®readings was determined by repeated measurements.

Results TonoVet®and manometer values showed a strong linear correlation. In the Accipitridae, the TonoVet®tended to increasingly overestimate IOP with increasing pressure, while in the other families, it increasingly underestimated it. In the Sparrowhawk, the values almost represent the ideal line. Reproducibility of TonoVet®values decreases with increasing pressure in the clinically important range from 5 to 60 mmHg.

Conclusion IOP values measured with the TonoVet®demonstrated species specific deviation from the manometric measurements. These differences should be considered when interpreting IOP values. Using the regression formulae presented, corrected IOP values could be calculated in a clinical setting.
Association of steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR) and multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene expression with survival among patients with invasive bladder carcinoma
Authors: Rioja Jorge , Bandrés Eva , Rosell Costa David , Rincón Anibal , López Ines , Zudaire Bergera Juan Javier , García Foncillas Jesús , Gil María Jesús , Panizo Angel , Plaza Luis , Rioja Luis Angel , Berián Polo José María
Published: September 2010

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

SXR and MDR1 are known as responsible for chemo and radiotherapy resistance in some cancers, like kidney cancer (MDR1). Invasive bladder cancer is an aggressive disease, with different behaviour upon its tumoral stage, and also within the same tumoral stage, therefore molecular markers are sought.

This study shows a new molecular marker, which has shown as a predictor for bad prognosis cancers, therefore, allowing us for a better patient selection for aggressive therapies.

OBJECTIVE

• To investigate the prognostic value of steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR) and multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene expression in relation to survival among patients with invasive bladder cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• The prospective study included 67 patients diagnosed with invasive bladder cancer and treated with radical cystectomy at one of two institutions.

• SXR and MDR1 gene expression was assessed by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) in tumoral and normal tissue from frozen surgical specimens.

RESULTS

• Patients were followed for a mean of 29 months; 31 patients (46%) had progression.

• In univariate analysis, significant predictors of overall survival (OS) were pathological stage, lymph node (LN) status, histological grade, vascular‐lymphatic invasion, and SXR expression.

• In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of OS were LN status (odds ratio [OR], 2.96; P= 0.034), vascular‐lymphatic invasion (OR, 2.50; P= 0.029), and SXR expression (OR, 1.05, P= 0.03).

• Among the 51 patients with negative LNs (pN0), univariate predictors of OS were SXR expression, MDR1 expression, and pathological stage. In multivariate analysis, SXR expression (OR, 1.06; P= 0.01) and MDR1 expression (OR, 3.27; P= 0.03) were independently associated with survival.

• Within the pN0 group, patients with SXR expression had shorter progression‐free survival than did those without expression (P= 0.004). This association persisted in the N0 subgroup with stage pT3–pT4 disease (P= 0.028). However, in the pN1 group SXR expression did not have any influence.

CONCLUSIONS

• For patients with invasive bladder cancer, SXR expression has value as a predictor of survival independent of the standard pathological predictors.

• Its maximum importance appears to be in patients with stage pT3–pT4 pN0 disease.
Medical information about diabetes—how to keep up to date
Authors: Gadsby R. , Hall H. E. , Court R. A.
Published: September 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 1335–1340 (2010)

There is a vast amount of new medical information published on diabetes each year; the number of systematic reviews on diabetes is also increasing rapidly. It is therefore difficult for clinicians keep up to date with the new evidence. It is suggested that reading the full National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on diabetes will bring you up to date with information as at the date of the evidence cut‐off, which is usually approximately 1 year before publication. Also regularly visiting ‘NHS Evidence—diabetes’, an online resource that offers a foraging service, surveying the literature and alerting clinicians to all the new important and useful information, enables the busy clinician to manage information overload and help keep up to date.
PIECE‐RATE CONTRACTS FOR OTHER‐REGARDING WORKERS
Authors: NEILSON WILLIAM S. , STOWE JILL
Published: September 2010

When workers are paid with piece rates, inequality arises naturally. We consider workers who care about income comparisons and are either status seeking or inequality averse. We identify circumstances under which inequality attitudes lead workers to exert more effort than they would otherwise, and also circumstances under which workers’ inequality attitudes lead firms to set lower piece rates than they would otherwise. The key behavioral assumption for both of these results to hold when workers are identical is behindness aversion, the property that changes in inequality matter more to the worker when he is behind than when he is ahead. (JEL D01, J33, M52)
INVESTING IN HEALTH: THE LONG‐TERM IMPACT OF HEAD START ON SMOKING
Authors: ANDERSON KATHRYN H. , FOSTER JAMES E. , FRISVOLD DAVID E.
Published: September 2010

Head Start is a comprehensive, early childhood development program designed to augment the human capital and health capital levels of disadvantaged children. Evaluations of Head Start have tended to focus on cognitive outcomes; however, there is increasing recognition that other important outcomes can be influenced by participation. This article evaluates the long‐term impact of Head Start participation on smoking behavior in young adulthood by comparing the behavior of adults who attended Head Start with those of siblings who did not. We find that participation in Head Start reduces the probability that an individual smokes cigarettes as a young adult. (JEL I12, I28, I38)
DOES WAL‐MART SELL INFERIOR GOODS?
Authors: BASKER EMEK
Published: September 2010

I estimate the aggregate income elasticity of Wal‐Mart's and Target's revenues using quarterly data for 1997–2006. I find that Wal‐Mart's revenues increase during bad times, whereas Target's revenues decrease, consistent with Wal‐Mart selling “inferior goods” in the technical sense of the term. An upper bound on the aggregate income elasticity of demand for Wal‐Mart's wares is −0.5. (JEL L81, D12)
DEAD ON ARRIVAL: ZERO TOLERANCE LAWS DON'T WORK
Authors: GRANT DARREN
Published: September 2010

By 1998, all states had passed laws lowering the legal blood alcohol content for drivers under 21 to effectively zero. Theory shows these laws have ambiguous effects on overall fatalities and economic efficiency, and the data show they have little effect on driver behavior. A panel analysis of the 1988–2000 Fatality Analysis Reporting System indicates that zero tolerance laws have no material influence on the level of fatalities, while quantile regression reveals virtually no change in the distribution of blood alcohol content among drivers involved in fatal accidents. (JEL: I18, K32, D11)
MONETARY POLICY REGIME SHIFTS: NEW EVIDENCE FROM TIME‐VARYING INTEREST RATE RULES
Authors: TRECROCI CARMINE , VASSALLI MATILDE
Published: September 2010

We estimate forward‐looking interest rate rules for five large Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development economies, allowing for time variation in the responses to macroeconomic conditions and in the variance of the policy rate. Conventional constant parameter reaction functions likely blur the impact of (1) model uncertainty, (2) conflicting objectives, (3) shifting preferences, and (4) nonlinearities of policymakers' choices. We find that monetary policies followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy are best summarized by feedback rules that allow for time variation in their parameters. Estimates point to sizeable differences in the actual conduct of monetary policies even in countries now belonging to the European Monetary Union. Moreover, our time‐varying parameter specification outperforms the conventional Taylor rule and generalized method of moment–based estimates of reaction functions in tracking the actual Fed funds rate.(JELE52, E58, E60)
The experience of home nurses with an electronic nursing health record
Authors: De Vliegher K. , Paquay L. , Vernieuwe S. , Van Gansbeke H.
Published: September 2010

DE VLIEGHER K., PAQUAY L., VERNIEUWE S. & VAN GANSBEKE H. (2010) The experience of home nurses with an electronic nursing health record. International Nursing Review

Background:  Electronic records are currently being introduced in both the hospital and the home care setting. However, there are few studies focusing on the evaluation of an electronic nursing record (ENR) from applicability to technicality and soft‐ and hardware, and from the perspective of home nurses.

Aim:  The study aims to evaluate home nurses' experiences with an ENR.

Methods:  A qualitative, explorative study was used by means of 13 in‐depth interviews with home nurses, head nurses and Administrators, and four focus groups with a total of 24 home nurses. All participants were employees of the Wit‐Gele Kruis, an organization for home nursing in Flanders, Belgium.

Findings:  This study revealed three levels that feature the implementation and integration of an ENR in home nursing: the preparation, the technicality of the ENR and the ‘user’ as an individual. Despite technical difficulties, the home nurses are willing to give the ENR a chance, because they believe in its value. But, at the same time, they are trying to find a balance between this belief and their capacity to learn to work with an IT device. This involves the need to integrate the ENR in their daily work, to meet their responsibility towards the patient and their belief that his care comes first, the impact of technical difficulties on their workload and the integration of the ENR in their personal lives.

Conclusion:  This study provided insights in the necessity for a multilevel approach when implementing an ENR in home nursing.
PhD Away Days: a component of PhD supervision
Authors: McCarthy G. , Hegarty J. , Savage E. , Fitzpatrick J.J.
Published: September 2010

MCCARTHY G., HEGARTY J., SAVAGE E. & FITZPATRICK J.J. (2010) PhD Away Days: a component of PhD supervision. International Nursing Review

Aim:  This paper describes a peer‐to‐peer and supervisor support and mentoring process that was implemented in one PhD programme in nursing in the Republic of Ireland.

Background:  PhD Away Days are held once per year and attended by all enrolled PhD students and their academic supervisors. Positive evaluations were obtained both from students and supervisors as collective learning occurred and group cohesiveness developed. All participants expressed interest in continuing the PhD Away Days as they learned from others' experiences. In addition, the range of topics provided learning on topics of concern across content areas, e.g. conceptual and theoretical developments, research design, challenges in data collection, and analysis and publication plans. Most importantly, there was a feeling of togetherness among students, thus decreasing the feeling of being alone with the challenges of PhD work.

Conclusions:  Plans for the future include the need to have the PhD Away Days continued structured around key topics of concern to both students and supervisors, and to implement content‐specific modules in the PhD programme.
The Response of the South Manchester Accident Rescue Team (SMART) to the Armenian Earthquake and Lockerbie Air Disaster: A Report to the Prime Minister's Office
Authors: REDMOND ANTHONY D.
Published: September 2010

The delay in receiving authorisation for the despatch of SMART significantly reduced our overall effectiveness. The majority of injured survivors were extracted during this time and our special expertise could have saved a significant number of lives.

The episode has provided SMART with unique experience for a British medical team and this knowledge should not be wasted.

In contrast to other major western countries the British response was fragmented. We have no central stockpile of equipment and no official response team. The British who responded were independent of each other even when from the same service.

The quality of the individual British teams was as good as any and often better. However, the ability of other nations to coordinate their response centrally and draw from a pool of workers already used to working together, improved both their efficiency and effectiveness.

There are great difficulties in communication during any disaster and these increase with the scale of the disaster. Incoming rescue workers were given false or misleading information and rumour was widespread.

Even when few people were found alive rescue workers expressed a strong need for a medical presence in case they discovered an injured person or they them selves became ill or injured. We were told repeatedly by experienced rescuers that we were the first team of British senior doctors they had met at the front line of a disaster and they were extremely pleased to see us.

Transport was a major problem both in terms of vehicles and local knowledge.

It was not thought to be within the remit of a medical team to make provision for food and shelter and this was confirmed in Moscow prior to departure for Yerevan. In retrospect this was a mistake and reduced the time we could stay at the front line. If we had not equipped ourselves with special clothing we could not have gone to the front line.

A medical team must be part of larger team of rescue workers. Within this unit there will be provision for food, shelter, transport and communication as well as medical and surgical equipment.
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN A LABOUR‐MANAGED DUOPOLY
Authors: Miyamoto Yoshinari
Published: September 2010

Developing a Cournot two‐stage game model with strategic capital interaction, we compare two different kinds of equilibrium in a labour‐managed (LM) duopoly. An LM firm's reaction function is negatively sloped when capital and output are simultaneously determined, while the slope of its reaction function in the second stage changes in sign depending on the magnitude of its labour‐expansion elasticity. Hence, whether the LM firms employ more capital and produce greater output at the equilibria in the two‐stage game model than at the equilibria resulting from the simultaneous selection of capital and output depends on the magnitude of their labour‐expansion elasticity.
A Post-National EU? The Problem of Legitimising the EU without the Nation and National Representation
Authors: Glencross Andrew
Published: September 2010

This article explores whether the supranational EU polity can be legitimised without the nation state. It claims that modern political representation depends on establishing a tripartite distinction between state, government and civil society. This is contrasted with competing notions of the modern state, notably Rousseau's idea of popular sovereignty and the Jacobin notion of ‘immediate democracy’. The tripartite system, it is argued, enhances three crucial components of democratic legitimacy: governing, sanctioning and mandating accountability. Within this framework, the idea of the nation and the associated national narrative is shown to benefit democratic legitimacy by providing a trans-generational concept of the common good to which government can be held accountable. Since the EU does not fit this model, two approaches have been touted to legitimise this supranational polity in a post-national manner: democratic governance and constitutional patriotism. Yet both are highly problematic forms of engendering legitimacy. Governance offers no guarantees as to how and why citizens will be better represented and does away with the idea of a common good. Constitutional patriotism presupposes the prior acquiescence of nation states to EU integration without problematising how such acquiescence is mandated. Thus the maintenance of a genuinely post-national polity – one that does not recreate the division between state, government and people – depends on the ability to incorporate EU integration into evolving national narratives.
Patterns of Environmental Collective Action: Some Cross-National Findings
Authors: Duit Andreas
Published: September 2010

Many environmental problems such as global warming, biodiversity loss and waste accumulation can be described as large-scale collective action dilemmas. Previous research on collective action in Common Pool Resource settings has demonstrated that institutional structures and social capital are important for successful management of natural resources. The objective of this article is to investigate the effect of such factors on large-scale environmental collective action. The analysis employs survey data and indicators of institutional quality for 22 countries. Two measurements of environmental collective action are used: (1) intermediate group collective action; and (2) latent group environmental action. Findings point to a dominating role for two factors – institutional quality and membership in voluntary organisations – as key determinants of participation in both latent and intermediate group environmental collective action. These results are interpreted as indications of a possible decoupling between trust and participation in large-scale collective action.
Catching the Habit: A Study of Inequality of Opportunity in Smoking-Related Mortality
Authors: Balia Silvia , Jones Andrew M.
Published: September 2010

The paper presents a latent factor model for initiation of smoking, cessation and mortality using the British Health and Lifestyle Survey. This allows us to investigate inequality of opportunity in risk of mortality, focusing on the intergenerational transmission of smoking. We find that the hazard of mortality is higher for current and former smokers relative to never smokers. Furthermore we find that parental smoking plays an important role in the dynamics of smoking and indirectly affects mortality. Predictions derived from the model show that inequality in mortality decreases if individuals adopt the best level of effort (not smoking) or if circumstances are favourable (if parents are non-smokers).
The Determinants of Regional Migration in Great Britain: A Duration Approach
Authors: Andrews Martyn , Clark Ken , Whittaker William
Published: September 2010

Using the British Household Panel Survey 1990–2007, we estimate a discrete duration model of interregional migration in Great Britain. By exploiting retrospective information on residency we control for late entry as well as unobserved heterogeneity. We find considerable duration dependence in region of residence in the raw data, much of which disappears when controlling for observable and unobservable differences between individuals. We illustrate that the usual way of modelling the effect of regional variables on the propensity to migrate gives insignificant and unrobust results and we introduce a new competing risks technique.
Constructing Representative Air Quality Indicators with Measures of Uncertainty
Authors: Lee Duncan , Ferguson Claire , Scott E. Marian
Published: September 2010

Air quality indicators summarize overall concentrations of pollution for an urban area and are calculated from routine monitoring data comprising numerous pollutants measured at many locations. The indicator is constructed by aggregating these data over space and pollutants, typically using the sample mean, median or maximum. We propose an alternative approach based on geostatistical modelling, which allows intervals of uncertainty to be calculated for the spatial aggregation stage, and hence for the final indicator. We then extend our geostatistical model by allowing for the fact that the locations that are chosen for the pollution monitors may depend on the hypothesized concentrations at these locations, a phenomenon which is known as preferential sampling. We assess the effectiveness of our methods by simulation and use them to construct an air quality indicator for Greater London, England, for the month of August 2006.
Default Priors for Bayesian and Frequentist Inference
Authors: Fraser D. A. S. , Reid N. , Marras E. , Yi G. Y.
Published: September 2010

We investigate the choice of default priors for use with likelihood for Bayesian and frequentist inference. Such a prior is a density or relative density that weights an observed likelihood function, leading to the elimination of parameters that are not of interest and then a density-type assessment for a parameter of interest. For independent responses from a continuous model, we develop a prior for the full parameter that is closely linked to the original Bayes approach and provides an extension of the right invariant measure to general contexts. We then develop a modified prior that is targeted on a component parameter of interest and by targeting avoids the marginalization paradoxes of Dawid and co-workers. This modifies Jeffreys’s prior and provides extensions to the development of Welch and Peers. These two approaches are combined to explore priors for a vector parameter of interest in the presence of a vector nuisance parameter. Examples are given to illustrate the computation of the priors.
PESSIMISTIC UNIVERSALISM: RETHINKING THE WIDER HOPE WITH BONHOEFFER AND BARTH
Authors: GREGGS TOM
Published: September 2010

This article considers Christian universalism. Responding to the charge that this universalism arises from an overly optimistic view of humanity that fails to take seriously evil and sin, or that it has an overly optimistic view of the omnipotence of God's love which impugns God's righteousness and undermines God's justice and holiness, the article advocates a pessimistic approach to Christian universalism, grounding the argument for universal salvation in the sin and unbelief of the Christian. The article draws on Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer to support this case, and concludes by pointing to non‐absolute actualistic anthropology as a means for making sense of the Christian life alongside the co‐sinfulness of the Christian and the non‐Christian.
How necessary are universities?
Authors: Peacock Sir Alan , Smith Adam
Published: September 2010

‘When a man has learnt his lesson very well, it surely can be of little importance where or from whom he learnt it.’

The paper discusses whether universities can continue to be the‘template for the extension and transmission of knowledge.’Technical and social changes are already undermining the universities’previous near‐monopoly of delivery of higher education. Alternative delivery methods ought to be considered on their own merits and barriers to entry should be removed. The ideal form of higher education is not necessarily residence combined with traditional teaching and associated research.
Who owns the universities? The battle for university independence and against the dependency culture
Authors: Hills Sir Graham
Published: September 2010

Universities have lapsed into an‘abject state of financial dependence on central government’from which they should be reclaimed. Moreover, they are no longer intellectually independent. A 'single, simple financial reform’would make a great difference: universities need to determine the costs of their activities, charging accordingly, and government should once again offer students scholarships which would cover the greater part of the‘basic costs’of their courses.
A fine balancing act: Freedom and accountability
Authors:   Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe
Published: September 2010

The recent Funding Options Review identified a minimum additional funding requirement of £900 million per annum for higher education by 2004/05 and also considered more specific needs, such as correcting for past under‐investment in infrastructure. At the same time, it contributed to the debate about the ‘key choice’ of funding by government or by the ‘beneficiaries of higher education.’ Government will need to match its aspirations for higher education with adequate funding and the universities will have to be ‘even more sensitive and responsive to the needs of students.’
A PEOPLE'S POLICE FOR THE TWENTY‐FIRST CENTURY: A REPLY TO BLUNDELL
Authors: Thornton Sara
Published: September 2010

John Blundell's ideas for structural change could undermine the strengths of British policing. Nevertheless, there is a need for decentralisation and more local control.
ECONOMICS AND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN VOLUNTARY AND COERCIVE ACTION1
Authors: Klein Daniel B.
Published: September 2010

In economics, considerations of liberty are generally regarded as a secondary question of ‘policy implications’ and a matter of mere opinion. This essay rejects the relegation of liberty to such a status. It argues that the distinction between voluntary and coercive action, rooted in concepts of private ownership and consent, and forming the basis of liberty, should play a fundamental role in the way economic issues and arguments are formulated.
Does Europe Need a Constitution? Demos, Telos and the German Maastricht Decision
Authors: Weiler J.H.H.
Published: September 2010

Abstract: Through a close reading of the Maastricht Decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court Weiler examines critically the so‐called No‐Demos Thesis according to which the absence of a European Demos precludes democratisation of the Union at the European level and requires the mediation of Member State institutions. He traces the roots of this thesis to Carl Schmitt and argues that it represents a failure of the Court to understand the Union in terms different from the Schmittian strand in German constitutional theory. He claims, inter alia, that the No Demos thesis is premised on an organic understanding of peoplehood deriving from the European Nation‐State tradition which conflates nationality and citizenship and can, as a result, conceive of Demos only in statal terms. Weiler first presents an alternative view of the Union and of supranationalism and then offers a non organic view of Demos and argues for a ‘European’ notion of membership in which each individual would belong to multiple demoi defined in different ways.
Complex and Contradictory: The Doing of Gender on Regional Development Boards
Authors: Sheridan Alison , McKenzie Fiona Haslam , Still Leonie
Published: September 2010

Recognizing gender as a social construction, in this article we explore the complex, and in many ways contradictory, ‘doing’ of gender on regional development boards in Australia. While the number of women on these boards has risen over the past decade, the overwhelming sense of these organizations is one of homogeneity. The individuals on these ministerially appointed boards are awarded institutional privilege. Their roles provide them with status and benefits and their membership positions them as leaders within the (masculine) hegemony. This space is not, however, uniformly masculinized. With the limited resources at their disposal and little public recognition of their roles, the boards have limited agency. These poorly resourced boards are populated by women and men board members, while vested with important titles, are relatively powerless and are expected to undertake duties and display behaviour that is more consistent with a feminized role. The doing of gender can also be seen in the primacy of the economic over the social in regional development, where the economic is strongly associated with creating employment, especially in industries where men have traditionally dominated, rather than in the more feminized domains of services. This doing of gender points to the persistence of conservative gender patterns reinforcing a masculinized model of business. The contradiction here is that while they subscribe to this masculinized model, they are unable to deliver on outcomes because they do not have direct control over resources.
Comparing biological therapies in psoriasis: implications for clinical practice
Authors: Griffiths CEM
Published: September 2010

Treatment of severe or recalcitrant plaque psoriasis with traditional systemic therapies may be limited by efficacy or safety/tolerability considerations. The latest information on the pathophysiology of psoriasis and its targeted treatment with biological therapy points to an emerging new treatment paradigm: continuous and earlier systemic therapy. However, few comparative trials of systemic treatments for psoriasis have been conducted. The Active Comparator (CNTO 1275/Enbrel) Psoriasis Trial (ACCEPT) is the first head‐to‐head superiority study comparing two biological agents (ustekinumab and etanercept) in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. The results show that ustekinumab, given as two injections over a 12‐week period, achieves significantly superior clinical improvement compared with etanercept 50 mg twice weekly. The level of response was consistent with previously published data for both drugs, and may have important implications for the management of psoriasis.
Abnormal development of the human cerebral cortex
Authors: Squier Waney , Jansen Anna
Published: September 2010

This review presents an overview of human cortical malformation based on the insights gained from examination of human fetal brains. Examination at early stages of fetal brain development allows the identification of the specific pathways which are disrupted in human cortical malformation. Detailed examination of human fetal brains in parallel with studies of genetics and animal models is leading to new concepts of cortical malformations. Here we review a range of human cortical malformations based on a simple classification according to the developmental process thought to be disrupted: neuroblast proliferation, undermigration, overmigration, cortical maturation and destructive lesions. A single case example of a dated intrauterine injury illustrates the spectrum of malformations which may result at a single period in development. The recommended methods of examination of human fetal brain are described together with some of their pitfalls. Detailed neuropathological observations indicate the need for caution in the classification of malformations; radiological findings and pathology of the mature brain do not reflect the specific disruptive pathways of cortical malformations. While many insults may lead to the same pattern of malformation, a single insult can lead to multiple patterns of malformation. Our detailed studies of the human fetal brain suggest that the interface between the meninges and the radial glial end feet may be an intriguing new focus of interest in understanding cortical development.