bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Dividend Announcement on Indian Bourses
Authors: Saravanakumar S.
Published: September 2011

Investors have experienced superior gains from stock markets all around the world during the past one decade. Investors have two ways to make profits with stocks: capital appreciation and annual income in the form of dividend. Capital appreciation is possible in bullish trend. But in bearish market, capital appreciation is not possible; the other way to gain profit is dividend. Investors, it is assumed, consider dividend as a more important source of income, when there is no capital appreciation in stocks. Using an event study methodology, we find that despite the fact that investors do not gain significant value in the period preceding as well as on the dividend announcement day, yet, they can gain value in the post-announcement period. Investors do shift their security positions at the time of dividend announcement, which indicates that in post-announcement period, there is a possibility of information content in dividend announcement in National Stock Exchange (NSE). The dividend announcement conveys infor-mation to market traders; one would expect the impact of this event on the market’s valuation of the company’s share. It depends on the magnitude of the unexpected component of the dividends. The present study attempts to contribute information concerning the behaviour of Indian stock prices in relation to dividend announcement.
Efficiency Measurement of Indian Life Insurance Industry in Post-Reforms Era
Authors: Dutta Anirban , Sengupta Partha Pratim
Published: September 2011

India initiated reforms in the insurance sector with the passage of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Bill by the Parliament in December 1999 and by opening up its insurance market to private competitors by the year 2000. However, the public sector company, Life Insurance Corporation of India, has overwhelmingly dominated the domestic life insurance market. As the market is still underdeveloped and the demand for life insurance is rising exponentially, there exists huge potential, opportunities as well as challenges (insurers have to focus on underwriting discipline and reduction in costs so as to remain profitable) for the managers of the insurance companies. Efficiency is the key concern of policymakers to encourage further development of the insurance industry as well as for the managers of the insurance companies to exist profitably in the business in the long run. This article focuses on this important issue. It uses a panel dataset of 14 life insurance companies over the period 2004–09, to evaluate their efficiency scores by applying Data Envelopment Analysis and calculating the scale efficiency. The results render light on policy design and implementations for future development of the life insurance industry in India.
Talent Management at Tata Consultancy Services
Authors: Kang Lakhwinder Singh , Sidhu Harpreet
Published: September 2011

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), established in the year 1968, is the largest provider of information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services in India. TCS retained its leadership position in the Indian IT industry with total income of Rs 219,477.6 million and net profit of Rs 46,962.1 million for the year ended 31 March 2009. TCS is an equal-opportunity employer and TCSers come from many nationalities and speak many languages. In February 2009, TCS changed its hiring strategy and started focusing on just-in-time hiring or real-time talent management. To build a quality talent pool, TCS started a programme called Academic Interface Programme (AIP). Also, various kinds of training programmes were conducted at TCS: Learning and Development, Initial Learning Programmme, Continuous Learning Programme, Leadership Development Programme, Foreign Language Initiative, Workplace Learning and Ignite. Compensation management system at TCS is based on the economic value added (EVA) model. TCS conducts appraisal of its regular employees twice in a year, and also at the end of the project in case of employees hired specifically for various projects. In order to identify its outstanding talent, TCS has been recognizing the contribution of its people in many ways.
Individual responsibilities and moral inclusion in an age of rights
Authors: Passini Stefano
Published: September 2011

In reference to Western cultures, some scholars (see Finkel & Moghaddam, 2005) have pointed out that we live in an ‘‘age of rights.’’ That is, people attach priority to their individual rights within a narrow-minded, individualistic worldview and de-emphasize duties. Such self-centred individualism focuses on the rights of individuals, forgetting to consider that rights can be effective only in relation to corresponding duties. In this article, a psychosocial theory on psychological boundaries for fairness, norms, and moral rules—namely moral inclusion/exclusion theory—will be used as a useful theoretical framework to resolve the apparent antinomy of rights versus duties. In particular, the use of this theory is relevant in understanding that the issues of claiming and protecting human rights and the balance between each individual’s rights should be based on the concept of responsibility. In this sense, universality of human rights ought to deal with the universal recognition of other individuals and cultures and can be achieved only by means of intercultural dialogue.
Joe Sixpack: Normality, deviance, and the disease model of alcoholism
Authors: Young Lance Brendan
Published: September 2011

The advantages of the disease model of alcoholism are well known, but the disadvantages have received little attention. The model's dominance has forestalled consideration of alternative and potentially valuable theories. It reinforces the value of normality even as it marks alcoholics as deviant. It suggests problem drinkers can diagnose themselves. These disadvantages are traceable to narrowly constructed scientific discourses: science-as-positivism, alcoholism-as-disease, and the individual-as-scientist. As a result, problem drinkers pondering a diagnosis of alcoholism emphasize the positivist concepts of central tendency, objectivity, and prediction/control. Positivism reinforces the value of normality even as a disease diagnosis threatens to mark the personal identity as deviant. In this circumstance, continuing to drink while manipulating drinking variables is rational. Alcoholism theory would benefit if researchers extended conceptualizations beyond the disease model. Alcoholism treatment would benefit if treatment professionals challenged social norms, emphasized subjectivity, and determined the parameters of the drinker’s self-control.
Confronting Threats to Meaning
Authors: Tullett Alexa M. , Teper Rimma , Inzlicht Michael
Published: September 2011

We all have models of the world, and when these models fit with what goes on around us we have a sense of meaning. Unfortunately, we are often faced with situations that violate, or threaten, our models, and when this happens we attempt to resolve these inconsistencies to restore a sense of meaning. It is well documented that we often try to reduce threats in indirect ways—ways that, at first glance, seem to reduce the negative feelings without actually solving the problem. This article explores the possibility that threats can be interpreted in different ways depending on the person and context, and suggests that because of this, different threat reduction approaches can be adaptive in different situations. Specifically, it presents the hypothesis that concrete construal of threats should result in compensation efforts that are relatively direct, whereas abstract construals should expand the possibilities for compensation to include indirect strategies. It describes the existing evidence, where evidence is lacking, and potentially fruitful avenues of future exploration.
Expanding the Toolkit or Changing the Paradigm
Authors: Atkins Marc S. , Frazier Stacy L.
Published: September 2011

Kazdin and Blase aptly describe the enormous mental health burden facing our nation and suggest several ways to reform the workforce, setting, and content of services to address this long-standing unmet need. We propose that current health care reform legislation and associated advances in service delivery provide a unique and timely opportunity for a paradigm shift in mental health research, practice, and training to support services that are comprehensive, readily accessible, and relevant to a broad range of mental health needs and capacities. Using the recent public health initiative to contain the H1N1 virus for comparison, and informed by a long-standing and extensive literature documenting the need for a public health model for mental health, we describe the rationale for a three-tiered public mental health model, illustrated with examples from ongoing research, to minimize universal risk for mental health difficulties via capacity building in natural settings; reduce onset and severity of symptoms by prioritizing high-risk groups via screening and services for targeted populations; and reduce psychiatric impairment among individuals with more intensive needs via individual, family, and group interventions. New priorities for clinical science to support a public health approach are proposed.
The facts behind niacin
Authors: Hochholzer Willibald , Berg David D. , Giugliano Robert P.
Published: September 2011

Although low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering represents the mainstay of current lipid treatment, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has generated increasing interest as a secondary therapeutic target because of strong evidence that serum HDL-C concentration is inversely associated with coronary heart disease risk. Niacin is a lipid-altering drug that has been used to lower cholesterol since the 1950s. In addition to its LDL-C-lowering effects, niacin is the most effective agent currently available for raising HDL-C. Despite its long history as a lipid-altering drug, only limited data are available regarding its clinical benefit alone and in combination with other agents, and the majority of studies investigating its impact on clinical outcomes are from the pre-statin area. Several studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of treatment with niacin in combination with statin therapy on surrogate cardiovascular markers (e.g. carotid intima-media thickness). However, the clinical significance of these surrogate markers has been questioned. Two large randomized trials will address whether niacin–statin combination therapy is an appropriate therapeutic alternative to statin monotherapy.
Zoledronic acid in breast cancer: latest findings and interpretations
Authors: Gnant Michael
Published: September 2011

The intravenous nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate zoledronic acid has been shown to block multiple steps in tumor metastasis (e.g. angiogenesis, invasion, adhesion, proliferation) in preclinical and translational studies. Moreover, clinical data from the ABCSG-12 and ZO-FAST trials demonstrate significantly improved disease-free survival with zoledronic acid in the adjuvant breast cancer setting. In contrast to these two trials, recent interim results from the AZURE trial do not show a benefit from adding zoledronic acid to adjuvant therapy in the overall patient population. However, subset analyses of AZURE data show that zoledronic acid significantly improved overall survival in women who were more than 5 years postmenopausal or older than 60 years at baseline. Similarly, subset analyses of the ABCSG-12 trial data demonstrate greater benefits from zoledronic acid treatment in patients who theoretically would have achieved more complete ovarian suppression. These observations, together with the AZURE postmenopausal data, suggest that the endocrine environment may affect the potential anticancer activity of zoledronic acid. Indeed, current data support the possibility that zoledronic acid might be most effective for improving disease-free survival in the adjuvant breast cancer setting in women who are postmenopausal or have endocrine therapy-induced menopause.
A new interpretation of Jensen's inequality and geometric properties of ϕ-means
Authors: Nakasuji Yasuo , Kumahara Keisaku , Takahasi Sin-Ei
Published: September 2011

We introduce a mean of a real-valued measurable function f on a probability space induced by a strictly monotone function φ. Such a mean is called a φ-mean of f and written by M

φ
(f). We first give a new interpretation of Jensen's inequality by φ-mean. Next, as an application, we consider some geometric properties of M

φ
(f), for example, refinement, strictly monotone increasing (continuous) φ-mean path, convexity, etc.

Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): Primary 26E60; Secondary 26B25, 26B05.
Risk factors for respiratory work disability in a cohort of pulp mill workers exposed to irritant gases
Authors: Murgia Nicola , Torén Kjell , Kim Jeong-Lim , Andersson Eva
Published: September 2011

Background

The association between chronic respiratory diseases and work disability has been demonstrated a number of times over the past 20 years, but still little is known about work disability in occupational cohorts of workers exposed to respiratory irritants. This study investigated job or task changes due to respiratory problems as an indicator of work disability in pulp mill workers occupationally exposed to irritants.

Methods

Data about respiratory symptoms and disease diagnoses, socio-demographic variables, occupational exposures, gassing episodes, and reported work changes due to respiratory problems were collected using a questionnaire answered by 3226 pulp mill workers. Information about work history and departments was obtained from personnel files. Incidence and hazard ratios for respiratory work disability were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

The incidence of respiratory work disability among these pulp mill workers was 1.6/1000 person-years. The hazard ratios for respiratory work disability were increased for workers reporting gassings (HR 5.3, 95% CI 2.7-10.5) and for those reporting physician-diagnosed asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic rhinitis, when analyzed in the same model.

Conclusions

This cohort study of pulp mill workers found that irritant peak exposure during gassing episodes was a strong predictor of changing work due to respiratory problems, even after adjustment for asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic rhinitis.
C lamp-Cru shin g versus s tapler h epatectomy for transection of the parenchyma in elective hepatic resection (CRUNSH) - A randomized controlled trial (NCT01049607)
Authors: Rahbari Nuh N , Elbers Heike , Koch Moritz , Bruckner Thomas , Vogler Patrick , Striebel Fabian , Schemmer Peter , Mehrabi Arianeb , Büchler Markus W , Weitz Jürgen
Published: September 2011

Background

Hepatic resection is still associated with significant morbidity. Although the period of parenchymal transection presents a crucial step during the operation, uncertainty persists regarding the optimal technique of transection. It was the aim of the present randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hepatic resection using the technique of stapler hepatectomy compared to the simple clamp-crushing technique.

Methods/Design

The CRUNSH Trial is a prospective randomized controlled single-center trial with a two-group parallel design. Patients scheduled for elective hepatic resection without extrahepatic resection at the Department of General-, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg are enrolled into the trial and randomized intraoperatively to hepatic resection by the clamp-crushing technique and stapler hepatectomy, respectively. The primary endpoint is total intraoperative blood loss. A set of general and surgical variables are documented as secondary endpoints. Patients and outcome-assessors are blinded for the treatment intervention.

Discussion

The CRUNSH Trial is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate efficacy and safety of stapler hepatectomy compared to the clamp-crushing technique for parenchymal transection during elective hepatic resection.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01049607
Methyl-binding domain protein-based DNA isolation from human blood serum combines DNA analyses and serum-autoantibody testing
Authors: Wielscher Matthias , Pulverer Walter , Peham Johannes , Hofner Manuela , Rappaport Christine F , Singer Christian , Jungbauer Christof , Nöhammer Christa , Weinhäusel Andreas
Published: September 2011

Background

Circulating cell free DNA in serum as well as serum-autoantibodies and the serum proteome have great potential to contribute to early cancer diagnostics via non invasive blood tests. However, most DNA preparation protocols destroy the protein fraction and therefore do not allow subsequent protein analyses. In this study a novel approach based on methyl binding domain protein (MBD) is described to overcome the technical difficulties of combining DNA and protein analysis out of one single serum sample.

Methods

Serum or plasma samples from 98 control individuals and 54 breast cancer patients were evaluated upon silica membrane- or MBD affinity-based DNA isolation via qPCR targeting potential DNA methylation markers as well as by protein-microarrays for tumor-autoantibody testing.

Results

In control individuals, an average DNA level of 22.8 ± 25.7 ng/ml was detected applying the silica membrane based protocol and 8.5 ± 7.5 ng/ml using the MBD-approach, both values strongly dependent on the serum sample preparation methods used. In contrast to malignant and benign tumor serum samples, cell free DNA concentrations were significantly elevated in sera of metastasizing breast cancer patients. Technical evaluation revealed that serum upon MBD-based DNA isolation is suitable for protein-array analyses when data are consistent to untreated serum samples.

Conclusion

MBD affinity purification allows DNA isolations under native conditions retaining the protein function, thus for example enabling combined analyses of DNA methylation and autoantigene-profiles from the same serum sample and thereby improving minimal invasive diagnostics.
Progressive severe lung injury by zinc oxide nanoparticles; the role of Zn2+ dissolution inside lysosomes
Authors: Cho Wan-Seob , Duffin Rodger , Howie Sarah EM , Scotton Chris J , Wallace William AH , MacNee William , Bradley Mark , Megson Ian L , Donaldson Ken
Published: September 2011

Background

Large production volumes of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) might be anticipated to pose risks, of accidental inhalation in occupational and even in consumer settings. Herein, we further investigated the pathological changes induced by ZnONP and their possible mechanism of action.

Methods

Two doses of ZnONP (50 and 150 cm2/rat) were intratracheally instilled into the lungs of rats with assessments made at 24 h, 1 wk, and 4 wks after instillation to evaluate dose- and time-course responses. Assessments included bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid analysis, histological analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and IgE and IgA measurement in the serum and BAL fluid. To evaluate the mechanism, alternative ZnONP, ZnONP-free bronchoalveolar lavage exudate, and dissolved Zn2+ (92.5 μg/rat) were also instilled to rats. Acridine orange staining was utilized in macrophages in culture to evaluate the lysosomal membrane destabilization by NP.

Results

ZnONP induced eosinophilia, proliferation of airway epithelial cells, goblet cell hyperplasia, and pulmonary fibrosis. Bronchocentric interstitial pulmonary fibrosis at the chronic phase was associated with increased myofibroblast accumulation and transforming growth factor-β positivity. Serum IgE levels were up-regulated by ZnONP along with the eosinophilia whilst serum IgA levels were down-regulated by ZnONP. ZnONP are rapidly dissolved under acidic conditions (pH 4.5) whilst they remained intact around neutrality (pH 7.4). The instillation of dissolved Zn2+ into rat lungs showed similar pathologies (eg., eosinophilia, bronchocentric interstitial fibrosis) as were elicited by ZnONP. Lysosomal stability was decreased and cell death resulted following treatment of macrophages with ZnONP in vitro.

Conclusions

We hypothesise that rapid, pH-dependent dissolution of ZnONP inside of phagosomes is the main cause of ZnONP-induced diverse progressive severe lung injuries.
Early onset sebaceous carcinoma
Authors: Sung Dongjin , Kaltreider Sara A , Gonzalez-Fernandez Federico
Published: September 2011

Background

Ocular sebaceous carcinoma can masquerade as benign lesions resulting in delay of diagnosis. Early recognition is even more difficult in young patients where the disease rarely occurs. Here, we provide a clinicopathological correlation of ocular sebaceous carcinoma in a young individual lacking history of hereditary cancer or immunosuppression.

Findings

A detailed histopathological study including p53 DNA sequencing was performed on an aggressive sebaceous carcinoma presenting in a healthy 32 year-old Caucasian woman. She had no history of retinoblastoma, evidence for a hereditary cancer syndrome, or radiation therapy. However, she potentially was at risk for excessive UV light exposure. A detailed review of the literature is also provided.

A moderately well differentiated sebaceous carcinoma was established histopathologically arising from the meibomian gland of the upper eyelid. In most areas, the cytoplasm contained small but distinct Oil-red-O positive vacuoles. Direct sequencing of p53 identified a G:C→A:T mutation at a dipyrimidine site. The mutation results in substitution of arginine for the highly conserved glycine at residue 199 located at the p53 dimer-dimer interface. Energy minimization structural modeling predicts that G199R will neutralize negative charges contributed by nearby inter- and intramonomeric glutamate residues.

Discussion

This study points to the importance of recognizing that sebaceous carcinoma can occur in young patients with no evidence for hereditary cancer risk or radiation therapy. The G199R substitution is anticipated to alter the stability of the p53 tetrameric complex. The role of UV light in the etiology of sebaceous carcinoma deserves further study. Our findings, taken together with those of others, suggest that different environmental factors could lead to the development of sebaceous carcinoma in different patients.

Virtual Slides

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1227870450349458.
Abiotrophia defectiva knee prosthesis infection: A case report
Authors: Cassir Nadim , Grillo Jean-Charles , Argenson Jean-Noël , Drancourt Michel , Levy Pierre-Yves
Published: September 2011

Background

Abiotrophia species have rarely been implicated in osteoarticular infections. We report one case of an A. defectiva knee prosthesis infection.

Case presentation

A 71-year-old man of Italian origin presented with pain and swelling of the knee four years after the implantation of a total knee replacement prosthesis. While standard culturing of the synovial fluid resulted in no isolation of microorganisms, the direct inoculation of the synovial fluid into a rich culture medium resulted in the identification of A. defectiva by polymerase chain reaction sequencing. Repeated attempts of culturing microorganisms from blood were negative, and echocardiograms and colonoscopies were unremarkable. High-dose amoxicillin for nine months and a two-stage replacement of the knee prosthesis led to full patient recovery by the time of the 12-month follow-up examination.

Conclusions

Because Abiotrophia spp. are fastidious microorganisms, it is likely that cases of Abiotrophia orthopedic infection are misdiagnosed as culture-negative infections. Direct inoculation of synovial fluids into rich broth medium and further polymerase chain reaction-based detection of culture-negative synovial fluids are key tests for accurate documentation and detection of these infections.
Update: Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism in Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity
Authors: Dandona Paresh , Dhindsa Sandeep
Published: September 2011

Studies over the last few years have clearly established that at least 25% of men with type 2 diabetes have subnormal free testosterone concentrations in association with inappropriately low LH and FSH concentrations. Another 4% have subnormal testosterone concentrations with elevated LH and FSH concentrations. The Endocrine Society, therefore, now recommends the measurement of testosterone in patients with type 2 diabetes on a routine basis. The subnormal testosterone concentrations are not related to glycosylated hemoglobin or duration of diabetes, but are associated with obesity, very high C-reactive protein concentrations, and mild anemia. In addition, subnormal testosterone concentrations in these men are associated with a two to three times elevated risk of cardiovascular events and death in two early studies. Short-term studies of testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated an increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in waist circumference. However, the data on the effect of testosterone replacement on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol and C-reactive protein concentrations are inconsistent. As far as sexual function is concerned, testosterone treatment increases libido but does not improve erectile dysfunction and thus, phosphodiesterase inhibitors may be required. Trials of a longer duration are clearly required to definitively establish the benefits and risks of testosterone replacement in patients with type 2 diabetes and low testosterone.
Analyzing the Airwaves Auction
Authors: McAfee R. Preston , McMillan John
Published: September 2011

The design of the Federal Communications Commission spectrum license auction is a case study in the application of economic theory. Auction theory helped address policy questions such as whether an open auction or a sealed-bid auction should be used; whether the licenses should be auctioned sequentially or simultaneously; whether the government should allow bids for combinations of licenses or accept only single-license bids; how the auction should should be structured to promote the interests of minority-owned and other designated firms; whether the government should impose royalties or reserve prices; and how much the bidders should be informed about their competition.
Do Economists Make Bad Citizens?
Authors: Frank Robert H , Gilovich Thomas D , Regan Dennis T
Published: September 2011

Although field experiments and classroom surveys are ambiguous about whether economists are less likely than others to cooperate in social dilemmas, three important points remain clear: economics training encourages the view that people are motivated primarily by self-interest; there is clear evidence that this view leads people to expect others to defect in social dilemmas; and there is also evidence that, when people expect partners to defect, they are overwhelmingly likely to defect themselves. These points’ logical implications appear to place a heavy burden of proof on those who insist economics training does not inhibit cooperation.
The Computational Experiment: An Econometric Tool
Authors: Kydland Finn E , Prescott Edward C
Published: September 2011

An economic experiment places people in an environment desired by the experimenter, who then records the time paths of their economic behavior. Performing experiments using actual people at the level of national economies is obviously impractical but constructing a model economy and computing the economic behavior of the model's people is. Such experiments are termed ‘computational’ because economic behavior of the model's people is computed. This essay specifies the steps in designing a computational experiment to address some well-posed quantitative question. The computational experiment is an econometric tool used in the task of deriving the quantitative implications of theory.
Retrospectives: The Origins of the Representative Agent
Authors: Hartley James E
Published: September 2011

This paper examines Alfred Marshall's invention of the representative firm. Marshall first used the representative firm in order to describe an industry supply curve for an industry with heterogeneous firms. Despite Marshall's limited use of the notion, the representative agent was extensively criticized as an ephemeral, useless construct that was unable to account for economic growth and that ignored important heterogeneities. The criticisms succeeded in banishing the representative agent from economics. These initial criticisms are also shown to apply to modern uses of the representative agent as well.
Policy Watch: The Food Stamp Program and Welfare Reform
Authors: Kuhn Betsey A , Dunn Pamela Allen , Smallwood David , Hanson Kenneth , Blaylock Jim , Vogel Stephen
Published: September 2011

Major changes have been proposed for the Food Stamp Program, including replacing the program with block grants to the states, cashing out the benefits, and reducing program funding from baseline levels. This paper will explore the impacts of food stamp reform on food spending, income support, welfare reform, agriculture, and the rest of the economy. A comprehensive set of scenarios is used to examine the potential economic consequences. The analysis shows that the effect of cashing out the Food Stamp Program can be as much as four times larger than the effects of program reduction alone.
Stabilization and Growth in Transition Economies: The Early Experience
Authors: Fischer Stanley , Sahay Ratna , Végh Carlos A
Published: September 2011

The authors analyze the growth and stabilization experience in twenty-six transition economies in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia for the period 1989-94. Inflation rates have declined significantly in most countries following an inflation stabilization program. Typically, stabilization has been followed by growth within two years; and growth does not occur without stabilization. Reducing inflation thus appears to be a precondition for growth. An econometric analysis of the short-run determinants of inflation and growth illustrates the key roles of fixed exchange rates, improved fiscal balances, and structural reforms in spurring growth and lowering inflation.
The Roles of the State and the Market in Establishing Property Rights
Authors: Rapaczynski Andrzej
Published: September 2011

Using the experiences of Eastern Europe as an example, this article argues that, contrary to the economists’ assumption that property rights are a precondition of a market economy, market institutions are often a prerequisite for a viable private property regime. Progress in the development of complex property rights in Eastern Europe, thus, cannot be expected to come primarily from a perfection of the legal system. Instead, it is more likely to arise as a market response to the demand for property rights. Indeed, legal entitlements can only be expected to become effective against a background of self-enforcing market mechanisms.
Economic Foundations of the Current Regulatory Reform Efforts
Authors: Viscusi W. Kip
Published: September 2011

Regulatory reform proposals before Congress would potentially increase the role of economics in regulatory policymaking. These reforms seek to override existing legislative mandates, which usually prohibit economic trade-offs and have often led to inefficient expenditures. Proposed legislation would preempt these requirements and improve benefit-cost tests, making economic assessment a focal point of regulatory policy debates. Other reforms, such as the promotion of unbiased risk assessment and offsetting risk consequences of regulations, would also promote more efficient policies. Some less desirable proposals would largely serve to increase the transactions costs of issuing new regulations.
Proposals to Restructure Social Security
Authors: Diamond Peter A
Published: September 2011

This paper discusses five proposed changes in Social Security: indexing the normal retirement age to life expectancy (as Sweden is doing); investing part of the trust funds in private securities; partial privatization (as has been proposed by Senators Kerrey and Simpson, Sweden is doing and Mexico has done); replacing Social Security by individually mandated savings (as was done in Chile in 1981); and mandating employer provided retirement savings (as recently legislated in Australia and is effectively the case in some European countries.) The economics of Social Security and the politics of restoring (and preserving) actuarial balance are discussed.
Measuring Investment in Education
Authors: Hanushek Eric A
Published: September 2011

Historic debates about the measurement of capital are even more complicated in the case of education and human capital. As extensive research demonstrates, education resources are not consistently related to student performance in existing elementary and secondary schools. This inefficiency in public schools implies that spending and resource measures do not accurately capture variations in school quality. This finding then has clear implications for both education policy and economic research. Because school inputs are poor policy instruments, an alternative policy focus that appears much more productive is performance incentives related to student achievement.
Papaya epicarp extract protects against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in human SH-SY5Y neuronal cells
Authors: Guizani Nejib , Waly Mostafa I , Ali Amanat , Al-Saidi Ghalib , Singh Vendita , Bhatt Neeru , Rahman Mohammad Shafiur
Published: September 2011

Recent studies indicated that regular consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces cellular oxidative stress and protects against health-related problems. This study aimed to assess the in vitro antioxidant properties of the papaya epicarp extract against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in human SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. Our study revealed that papaya epicarp extract acted as a potent free radical scavenger and provided neuroprotection against H2O2-induced oxidative stress. Papaya epicarp extract ameliorated glutathione depletion, restored total antioxidant capacity and augmented the inhibition of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidases and superoxide dismutase). In conclusion, papaya epicarp extract can be used as a functional dietary ingredient that might help in reducing the neurological health problems associated with various oxidative stress insults.
Screening for psychiatric illness among students of the University of The West Indies, Trinidad
Authors: Kameel Mungrue , Kamal Mohammed
Published: September 2011

Method: This cross-sectional observational study was performed in 2007 by convenience sampling of 1031 full-time undergraduate students registered in years 1, 2 and 3 in the academic year 2007/2008, administering a basic demographics questionnaire along with the standardised General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) to each participant.

Results: The population of full-time students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) was found to be mentally healthy (median GHQ score was 5.00; GHQ=6 considered “mentally unhealthy”). However, median GHQ scores were lowest (4.00) in the Faculties of Medical Sciences and Social Sciences, but highest (6.00) in the Faculty of Humanities and Education. Furthermore, analysis showed that females were less mentally healthy than males attending the UWI. With regard to ethnicity, the African group was the most mentally healthy group whereas the group of mixed ethnicity was the least. Religion was also shown to significantly affect the GHQ (4.00 for Christians and Hindus, 6.00 for Muslims and 8.00 for those categorized as ‘other’). Most interesting was the relationship of GHQ scores with the manner in which participants related to their lecturers, classmates, guardians, siblings and friends; it was found that the better one related to these people, the lower one’s GHQ score was and hence one was considered more mentally healthy.

Conclusions: UWI full-time undergraduate students are mentally healthy, but gender, ethnicity, religion, quality of relationships and faculty of study still contribute to significant differences within the population. This allows high-risk individuals to be identified and indicates where steps can be taken to improve mental health.
Aliquot Cycles of Repdigits
Authors: Luca Florian , te Riele Herman
Published: September 2011

Here we show that the only aliquot cycle consisting only of rep-digits in base 10 is the cycle consisting of the perfect number 6. Generally, we show that if
Digital Sums and Functional Equations
Authors: Girgensohn Roland
Published: September 2011

Let
Uniqueness in inverse scattering of elastic waves by three-dimensional polyhedral diffraction gratings
Authors: Elschner Johannes , Hu Guanghui
Published: September 2011

We consider the inverse elastic scattering problem of determining a three-dimensional diffraction grating profile from scattered waves measured above the structure. In general, a grating profile cannot be uniquely determined by a single incoming plane wave. We completely characterize and classify the bi-periodic polyhedral structures under the boundary conditions of the third and fourth kinds that cannot be uniquely recovered by only one incident plane wave. Thus we have global uniqueness for a polyhedral grating profile by one incident elastic plane wave if and only if the profile belongs to neither of the unidentifiable classes, which can be explicitly described depending on the incident field and the type of boundary conditions. Our approach is based on the reflection principle for the Navier equation and the reflectional and rotational invariance of the total field.
Evaluation of Particle Shape and Surface Texture of Recycled Organic Aggregates
Authors: Pierce Charles E. , Brown Larry R.
Published: September 2011

The size, shape, and texture of aggregate particles are important because these physical characteristics influence the engineering properties. Recycled organic aggregates have advantageous physical and mechanical properties for geoengineering applications, but the particle shapes and textures have not been well quantified and evaluated. Three pairs of recycled organic aggregates were studied in this investigation: nylon and polyethylene terephthalate (thermoplastics), ground and crumb rubber (elastomers), and pine and oak wood (natural organic materials). The particle flatness, elongation, and sphericity were calculated for representative samples of each aggregate. The particle index of the shape and texture was measured per ASTM D 3398, and this test method was determined to provide a meaningful assessment of irregular geometrical characteristics. With the exception of nylon chips, recycled organic aggregates contain a high percentage of flat and elongated particles with Lmax:Lmin ratios that are much greater than those observed in crushed stone, gravel, and sand. Void volumes are much higher, resulting in particle indices between 30 and 50, as compared to indices of less than 20 for natural, inorganic aggregate.
Characterization of a Landslide using Seismic Refraction, Electrical Resistivity and Hydrometer Methods, Adatepe—Çanakkale, NW Turkey
Authors: Bekler Tolga , Ekinci Yunus Levent , Demirci Alper , Erginal Ahmet Evren , Ertekin Can
Published: September 2011

Seismic refraction and electrical resistivity surveys were carried out to characterize a landslide that occurred near the Çanakkale-Lapseki-Bursa highway, in northwest Turkey. Hydrometer analyses were also performed to highlight the composition of the slip surface material. The combined interpretation of the methods yielded the mass of the landslide body and the possible subsurface nature of a basal slip plane. Sediment-size fraction maps show that the slip surface material contained an excessive amount of clay. The clay-rich slipping layer was observed to a maximum depth of [Formula: see text] marked by a low [Formula: see text] resistivity zone, contrasting with the underlying sand-rich beds with relatively higher resistivities [Formula: see text]. A velocity variation ranging between [Formula: see text] also characterized this water-saturated slipping zone. Results indicated a buried failure surface under the studied shallow slide mass, which appeared to be a prolongation of the long upward-concave slip surface of the old landslide area to the east. Thus, future reactivations can be expected along basal slip surfaces of both recent and old landslide areas, which may pose a risk for the road structure and vehicular traffic along the active Çanakkale-Lapseki-Bursa highway.
A simple and convenient one-pot synthesis of substituted isoindolin-1-ones via lithiation, substitution and cyclization of N'-benzyl-N,N-dimethylureas
Authors: Smith Keith , El-Hiti Gamal A , Hegazy Amany S , Kariuki Benson
Published: September 2011

Lithiation of N'-benzyl-N,N-dimethylurea and its substituted derivatives with t-BuLi (3.3 equiv) in anhydrous THF at 0 °C followed by reaction with various electrophiles afforded a range of 3-substituted isoindolin-1-ones in high yields.
Meta-metallation of N,N-dimethylaniline: Contrasting direct sodium-mediated zincation with indirect sodiation-dialkylzinc co-complexation
Authors: Armstrong David R , Balloch Liam , Hevia Eva , Kennedy Alan R , Mulvey Robert E , O'Hara Charles T , Robertson Stuart D
Published: September 2011

Previously we reported that direct zincation of N,N-dimethylaniline by the mixed-metal zincate reagent 1 ((TMEDA)Na(TMP)(t-Bu)Zn(t-Bu)) surprisingly led to meta-metallation (zincation) of the aniline, as manifested in the crystalline complex 2 ((TMEDA)Na(TMP)(m-C6H4-NMe2)Zn(t-Bu)), and that iodination of these isolated crystals produced the meta-isomer N,N-dimethyl-3-iodoaniline quantitatively. Completing the study here we find that treating the reaction solution with iodine produces a 72% conversion and results in a mixture of regioisomers of N,N-dimethyliodoaniline, with the meta-isomer still the major product (ortho:meta:para ratio, 6:73:21), as determined by NMR. In contrast to this bimetallic method, sodiation of N,N-dimethylaniline with n-BuNa produced the dimeric, ortho-sodiated complex 3 (((TMEDA)Na(o-C6H4-NMe2))2), as characterised by X-ray crystallography and NMR. No regioisomers were observed in the reaction solution. Introducing t-Bu2Zn to this reaction solution afforded a cocrystalline product in the solid-state, composed of the bis-anilide 4 ((TMEDA)Na(o-C6H4-NMe2)2Zn(t-Bu)) and the Me2N–C cleavage product 5 ({(TMEDA)2Na}+{(t-Bu2Zn)2(µ-NMe2)}−), which was characterised by X-ray crystallography. NMR studies of the reaction mixture that produces 4 and 5 revealed one additional species, but the mixture as a whole contained only ortho-species and a trace amount of para-species as established by iodine quenching. In an indirect variation of the bimetallic reaction, TMP(H) was added at room temperature to the reaction mixture that afforded 4 and 5. This gave the crystalline product 6 ((TMEDA)Na(TMP)(o-C6H4-NMe2)Zn(t-Bu)), the ortho-isomer of the meta-complex 2, as determined from X-ray crystallographic and NMR data. Monitoring the regioselectivity of the reaction by iodination revealed a 16.6:1.6:1.0 ortho:meta:para ratio. Interestingly, when the TMP(H) containing solution was heated under reflux for 18 hours more meta-isomer was produced (corresponding ratio 3.7:4.2:1.0). It is likely that this change has its origin in a retro reaction that produces the original base 1 as an intermediate. Theoretical calculations at the DFT level using the B3LYP method and the 6-311G** basis set were used to probe the energetics of both monometallic and bimetallic systems. In accord with the experimental results, it was found that ortho-metallation was favoured by sodiation; whereas meta- (closely followed by para-) metallation was favoured by direct sodium-mediated zincation.
Homer and the cult of the dead in Helladic times
Authors: Tsagarakis Odysseus
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
La poesía sapiencial de Grecia arcaica y los orígenes del hexámetro
Authors: Fernández Delgado J. A.
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Cicero an Cornificius, Ad. Fam. XII 18
Authors: Böhm Richard Gregor
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Quem tu, Melpomene: the poet’s lowered voice (C. IV 3)
Authors: Estévez Víctor A.
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Una interpretación del «estilo καὶ» de Jenofonte de Éfeso
Authors: Ruiz Montero Consuelo
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Persae, 111-112
Authors: Calderón Dorda Esteban
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Imagen de Apolo en Calímaco (Himno II) y en Tibulo (II 5)
Authors: De Cuenca Luis Alberto
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Apuleius, Tacitus, and Christians
Authors: Baldwin Barry
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Iopas again
Authors: Segal Charles
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Hesychius Σ 650-651 Schmidt
Authors: Dorandi Tiziano
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Zu Livius X 24, 3
Authors: Pötscher Walter
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Quérilo y la geranomaquia. Sobre el fr. 13 Colace (= 14 Kinkel = Suppl. Hell. 332)
Authors: Bernabé Alberto
Published: September 2011

No disponible.
Elasmobranch spatial segregation in the western Mediterranean
Authors: Gouraguine Adam , Hidalgo Manuel , Moranta Joan , Bailey David M. , Ordines Francesc , Guijarro Beatriz , Valls María , Barberá Carmen , De Mesa Aina
Published: September 2011

Basic information on the distribution and habitat preferences of ecologically important species is essential for their management and protection. This study focuses on the depth related trends and the geographic patterns that shape the community of the elasmobranch species in the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean Sea) using data collected from 2001 to 2009. Non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) ordination was used to detect zonation patterns in the community. Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were applied to analyse spatial and temporal variation in elasmobranch community descriptors (abundance, biomass, mean fish weight, number of species and diversity), as well as the abundance and mean length of the four individual species (S. canicula, G. melastomus, R. clavata, R. miraletus). Depth was the main factor determining the assemblage composition, and the MDS analysis identified four main groups with 60% of the similarity found to correspond to the continental shelf, shelf break, upper slope and middle slope of the surveyed area. GAM analysis identified spatial patterns that were independent of the bathymetric distribution preference. Although depth was a strong predictor for all the analyses performed, the geographic variation in the elasmobranch abundance was also important. The results also show a reduction in the mean length of the elasmobranch species in the areas with high fishing intensity. Our study evidences a clear spatial segregation of the main species throughout the ontogeny because the geographic and bathymetric effects were highly size dependent, with clear differences between the bathymetric distributions of juveniles and adults but no clear spatial overlapping. This study sheds new light on the spatial distribution of the elasmobranch species off the Balearic Islands, which is essential information for protecting marine organisms along with their habitats and promoting ecosystem based management.