bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SALARY CAP REGULATION IN PROFESSIONAL TEAM SPORTS
Authors: DIETL HELMUT M. , FRANCK EGON , LANG MARKUS , RATHKE ALEXANDER
Published: March 2011

This paper analyzes the effects of a percentage‐of‐revenue salary cap in a team sports league with win‐maximizing clubs and flexible talent supply. It shows that a percentage‐of‐revenue cap produces a more balanced league and decreases aggregate salary payments. Taking into account the idiosyncrasies of European football, our paper further highlights the potential conflicts between the league and society. From the perspective of a league governing body, a percentage‐of‐revenue cap always enhances financial stability of win‐maximizing clubs. A social planner, however, will not permit the introduction of such a cap if fans and players unduly suffer. This paper shows under which conditions the social planner accepts (rejects) a salary cap proposed by the league regulator. (JEL D02, D60, L83)
THE STATE STREET MILE: AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMPETITION AVERSION IN THE FIELD
Authors: GARRATT RODNEY J. , WEINBERGER CATHERINE , JOHNSON NICK
Published: March 2011

Gender differences in “competitiveness,” previously documented in laboratory experiments, are hypothesized to play a role in a wide array of economic outcomes. This paper provides evidence of competition aversion in a natural setting somewhere between the simplicity of a laboratory experiment and the full complexity and ambiguity of a labor market. The “State Street Mile” race offers both male and female participants a choice between two different levels of competition. Large, systematic age and gender differences are observed in the relationship between true ability and the decision to enter the more competitive race. Overall, qualified women and older runners are far less likely than qualified young men to enter a competitive race with prizes. However, the fastest young women unanimously enter the competitive race. Therefore, while we confirm age and gender differences in competitiveness in our field setting, the economic consequences to capable young women are rather small. (JEL J1, J7, M5)
Coordinate expression of multiple proteins in plant cells by exploiting endogenous kex2p‐like protease activity
Authors: Zhang Bei , Rapolu Madhusudhan , Huang Leyang , Su Wei Wen
Published: March 2011

Simultaneous expression of multiple proteins in plants finds ample applications. Here, we examined the biotechnological application of native kex2p‐like protease activity in plants for coordinate expression of multiple secretory proteins from a single transgene encoding a cleavable polyprotein precursor. We expressed a secretory red fluorescent protein (DsRed) or human cytokine (GMCSF), fused to a downstream green fluorescent protein (GFP) by a linker containing putative recognition sites of the kex2p‐like protease in tobacco cells and referred to them as RKG and GKG cells, respectively. Our analyses showed that GFP is cleaved off the fusion proteins and secreted into the media by both RKG and GKG cells. The cleaved GFP product displayed the expected fluorescence characteristics. Using GFP immunoprecipitation and fluorescence analysis, the cleaved DsRed product in the RKG cells was found to be functional as well. However, DsRed was not detected in the RKG culture medium, possibly due to its tetramer formation. Cleaved and biologically active GMCSF could also be detected in GKG cell extracts, but secreted GMCSF was found to be only at a low level, likely because of instability of GMCSF protein in the medium. Processing of polyprotein precursors was observed to be similarly effective in tobacco leaf, stem and root tissues. Importantly, we also demonstrated that, via agroinfiltration, polyprotein precursors can be efficiently processed in plant species other than tobacco. Collectively, our results demonstrate the utility of native kex2p‐like protease activity for the expression of multiple secretory proteins in plant cells using cleavable polyprotein precursors containing kex2p linker(s).
Kindergarten children’s sensitivity to geometry in maps
Authors: Spelke Elizabeth S. , Gilmore Camilla K. , McCarthy Shannon
Published: March 2011

Geometrical concepts are critical to a host of human cognitive achievements, from maps to measurement to mathematics, and both the development of these concepts, and their variation by gender, have long been studied. Most studies of geometrical reasoning, however, present children with materials containing both geometric and non‐geometric information, and with tasks that are open to multiple solution strategies. Here we present kindergarten children with a task requiring a focus on geometry: navigation in a small‐scale space by a purely geometric map. Children spontaneously extracted and used relationships of both distance and angle in the maps, without prior demonstration, instruction, or feedback, but they failed to use the sense information that distinguishes an array from its mirror image. Children of both genders showed a common profile of performance, with boys showing no advantage on this task. These findings provide evidence that some map‐reading abilities arise prior to formal instruction, are common to both genders, and are used spontaneously to guide children’s spatial behavior.
CUTTING BUSINESS MYTHS DOWN TO SIZE
Authors: Vermeulen Freek
Published: March 2011

The value of downsizing is one of the most pervasive, and destructive, myths in the business world. Freek Vermeulen says that learning the truth about the practice can teach managers important lessons. It might even save their companies.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: DOES THE BEST CANDIDATE EVER WIN?
Authors: Crainer Stuart
Published: March 2011

Jean‐Pierre Benoît and Lewis A. Kornhauser, ‘Only a dictatorship is efficient’, Science Direct (January 2010).
ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC CAPITAL STOCK USING THE NEG WAGE EQUATION: A SPATIAL PANEL DATA APPROACH
Authors: Gómez‐Antonio Miguel , Fingleton Bernard
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between the level of public infrastructure and the level of productivity using panel data for the Spanish provinces over the period 1985–2004, a period that is particularly relevant due to the substantial changes occurring in the Spanish economy at that time. The underlying model used for the data analysis is based on the wage equation, which is one of a handful of simultaneous equations which when satisfied correspond to the short‐run equilibrium of New Economic Geography (NEG) theory. This is estimated using various spatial panel models with either fixed or random effects to allow for individual heterogeneity. Using these models, we find consistent evidence that productivity depends directly on the public capital stock endowment of each province, but also there is evidence of negative spillover effects from changes in capital stock in neighboring provinces.
Ethnic Discrimination in Germany’s Labour Market: A Field Experiment
Authors: Kaas Leo , Manger Christian
Published: March 2011

This paper studies ethnic discrimination in Germany’s labour market with a correspondence test. We send two similar applications to each of 528 advertisements for student internships, one with a Turkish-sounding and one with a German-sounding name. A German name raises the average probability of a callback by about 14%. Differential treatment is particularly strong and significant in smaller firms at which the applicant with the German name receives 24% more callbacks. Discrimination disappears when we restrict our sample to applications including reference letters which contain favourable information about the candidate’s personality. We interpret this finding as evidence for statistical discrimination.
Familial and sporadic melanoma: different clinical and histopathological features in the Italian population – a multicentre epidemiological study – by GIPMe (Italian Multidisciplinary Group on Melanoma)
Authors: Chiarugi A. , Nardini P. , Crocetti E. , Carli P. , De Giorgi V. , Borgognoni L. , Brandani P. , Pimpinelli N. , Manganoni A.M. , Quaglino P. ,   GIPMe Participants Centres
Published: March 2011

Background  Having a familial member affected by cutaneous melanoma is a risk factor for this neoplasm. Only a few epidemiological case–control studies have been carried out to investigate whether familial and sporadic melanomas show different clinical and histopathological features.

Objective  The aim of this study was to evaluate eventual different features and risk factors in subjects affected by familial and sporadic cutaneous melanoma.

Methods  A case–control multicentre study interesting 1407 familial (n = 92) and sporadic (n = 1315) melanomas in the Italian population. The analysis was made using t‐test for continuous variables and chi‐squared test for categorized ones. The variables which have shown statistically significant differences in the two groups in the univariate analysis were included in a multivariate model.

Results  The results showed some main significantly clinical differences between the two groups investigated: earlier age at diagnosis, a greater proportion of sunburns and a higher number of naevi were observed for the familial cases compared with sporadic ones. Nevertheless, we did not find a diagnostic anticipation in familial melanomas, in fact the invasion level and the thickness of melanomas was similar in the two groups.

Conclusion  Some relevant clinical differences are observed between the two groups examined. The familial melanoma members, although carriers of constitutional risk factors, are not careful enough to primary and secondary prevention.
Differential expression of connective tissue growth factor and extracellular matrix proteins in lichen sclerosus
Authors: Gambichler T. , Skrygan M. , Czempiel V. , Tigges C. , Kobus S. , Meier J.J. , Köhler C.U. , Scola N. , Stücker M. , Altmeyer P. , Kreuter A.
Published: March 2011

Background  The histopathology of lichen sclerosus (LS) suggests abnormalities in extracellular matrix (ECM) composition.

Objectives  We aimed to investigate the expression pattern of ECM proteins and related growths factors and Smad signal transducers in LS as compared with healthy skin.

Methods  To assess the expression of decorin, biglycan, versican, perlecan, fibronectin, dermatopontin, extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM‐1), matrix metalloproteinase 1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), transforming growth factor β1, and Smad‐3 protein, real‐time RT‐PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed on skin specimens obtained from the genital region of healthy subjects (n = 10) as well as LS patients (n = 26).

Results  Median mRNA as well as mean protein expression of biglycan, versican, fibronectin, and ECM‐1 was significantly higher in LS when compared with healthy controls. Both mRNA and protein CTGF expression observed in LS was significantly higher than in controls. CTGF mRNA expression significantly correlated with mRNA expression of biglycan, versican and fibronectin.

Conclusions  Expression of ECM proteins (e.g. proteoglycans, ECM‐1) and CTGF is altered in LS. TGF‐ß/Smad‐3 independent up‐regulation of CTGF may induce accumulation of ECM proteins and maintain fibrosis in chronic LS.
Spirituality, illness and personal responsibility: the experience of Jordanian Muslim men with coronary artery disease
Authors: Nabolsi Manar M. , Carson Alexander M.
Published: March 2011

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 716–724
 
Spirituality, illness and personal responsibility: the experience of Jordanian Muslim men with coronary artery disease

Spiritual care is an aspect of nursing in many parts of the world; however, there is very little evidence of this in an Arab Muslim country. This qualitative study explores the meaning of spirituality as experienced by Jordanian Muslim men living with coronary artery disease. A hermeneutical phenomenological orientation was used to explore the experience of spirituality as lived by Arab Muslim men with coronary artery disease. A purposive sample of 19 men was selected from the Coronary care Unit (CCU) in a teaching hospital in Jordan. Data were collected using semi‐structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s steps of phenomenological analysis. Four themes emerged from the data. The participants explained that faith facilitated their acceptance of illness and enhanced their coping strategies, that seeking medical treatment did not conflict with their belief in fate, that spirituality enhanced their inner strength, hope and acceptance of self‐responsibility and it helped to them to find meaning and purpose in their life. In this study, Parse’s theory of human becoming served as the foundation for understanding the paradoxical rhythmical pattern of the human experience of spirituality in illness. The findings suggest that patients’ faith plays a central role in the choices they make either healthy or unhealthy, or accepting or rejecting their personal responsibility in promoting their future health and well‐being. In addition, it provide nurses with the basis for providing spiritual care and developing a culturally sensitive healthcare plans in this population.
Translational neuropharmacology and the appropriate and effective use of animal models
Authors: Green AR , Gabrielsson J , Fone KCF
Published: March 2011

This issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology is dedicated to reviews of the major animal models used in neuropharmacology to examine drugs for both neurological and psychiatric conditions. Almost all major conditions are reviewed. In general, regulatory authorities require evidence for the efficacy of novel compounds in appropriate animal models. However, the failure of many compounds in clinical trials following clear demonstration of efficacy in animal models has called into question both the value of the models and the discovery process in general. These matters are expertly reviewed in this issue and proposals for better models outlined. In this editorial, we further suggest that more attention be made to incorporate pharmacokinetic knowledge into the studies (quantitative pharmacology). We also suggest that more attention be made to ensure that full methodological details are published and recommend that journals should be more amenable to publishing negative data. Finally, we propose that new approaches must be used in drug discovery so that preclinical studies become more reflective of the clinical situation, and studies using animal models mimic the anticipated design of studies to be performed in humans, as closely as possible.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Translational Neuropharmacology. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.164.issue‐4
NPY receptors as potential targets for anti‐obesity drug development
Authors: Yulyaningsih Ernie , Zhang Lei , Herzog Herbert , Sainsbury Amanda
Published: March 2011

The neuropeptide Y system has proven to be one of the most important regulators of feeding behaviour and energy homeostasis, thus presenting great potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of disorders such as obesity and at the other extreme, anorexia. Due to the initial lack of pharmacological tools that are active in vivo, functions of the different Y receptors have been mainly studied in knockout and transgenic mouse models. However, over recent years various Y receptor selective peptidic and non‐peptidic agonists and antagonists have been developed and tested. Their therapeutic potential in relation to treating obesity and other disorders of energy homeostasis is discussed in this review.
Endocannabinoid tone versus constitutive activity of cannabinoid receptors
Authors: Howlett Allyn C. , Reggio Patricia H. , Childers Steven R. , Hampson Robert E. , Ulloa Nadine M. , Deutsch Dale G.
Published: March 2011

This review evaluates the cellular mechanisms of constitutive activity of the cannabinoid (CB) receptors, its reversal by inverse agonists, and discusses the pitfalls and problems in the interpretation of the research data. The notion is presented that endogenously produced anandamide (AEA) and 2‐arachidonoylglycerol (2‐AG) serve as autocrine or paracrine stimulators of the CB receptors, giving the appearance of constitutive activity. It is proposed that one cannot interpret inverse agonist studies without inference to the receptors' environment vis‐à‐vis the endocannabinoid agonists which themselves are highly lipophilic compounds with a preference for membranes. The endocannabinoid tone is governed by a combination of synthetic pathways and inactivation involving transport and degradation. The synthesis and degradation of 2‐AG is well characterized, and 2‐AG has been strongly implicated in retrograde signalling in neurons. Data implicating endocannabinoids in paracrine regulation have been described. Endocannabinoid ligands can traverse the cell's interior and potentially be stored on fatty acid‐binding proteins (FABPs). Molecular modelling predicts that the endocannabinoids derived from membrane phospholipids can laterally diffuse to enter the CB receptor from the lipid bilayer. Considering that endocannabinoid signalling to CB receptors is a much more likely scenario than is receptor activation in the absence of agonist ligands, researchers are advised to refrain from assuming constitutive activity except for experimental models known to be devoid of endocannabinoid ligands.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.163.issue‐7
Prospects for cannabinoid therapies in basal ganglia disorders
Authors: Fernández‐Ruiz Javier , Moreno‐Martet Miguel , Rodríguez‐Cueto Carmen , Palomo‐Garo Cristina , Gómez‐Cañas María , Valdeolivas Sara , Guaza Carmen , Romero Julián , Guzmán Manuel , Mechoulam Raphael , Ramos José A
Published: March 2011

Cannabinoids are promising medicines to slow down disease progression in neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD), two of the most important disorders affecting the basal ganglia. Two pharmacological profiles have been proposed for cannabinoids being effective in these disorders. On the one hand, cannabinoids like Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabidiol protect nigral or striatal neurons in experimental models of both disorders, in which oxidative injury is a prominent cytotoxic mechanism. This effect could be exerted, at least in part, through mechanisms independent of CB1 and CB2 receptors and involving the control of endogenous antioxidant defences. On the other hand, the activation of CB2 receptors leads to a slower progression of neurodegeneration in both disorders. This effect would be exerted by limiting the toxicity of microglial cells for neurons and, in particular, by reducing the generation of proinflammatory factors. It is important to mention that CB2 receptors have been identified in the healthy brain, mainly in glial elements and, to a lesser extent, in certain subpopulations of neurons, and that they are dramatically up‐regulated in response to damaging stimuli, which supports the idea that the cannabinoid system behaves as an endogenous neuroprotective system. This CB2 receptor up‐regulation has been found in many neurodegenerative disorders including HD and PD, which supports the beneficial effects found for CB2 receptor agonists in both disorders. In conclusion, the evidence reported so far supports that those cannabinoids having antioxidant properties and/or capability to activate CB2 receptors may represent promising therapeutic agents in HD and PD, thus deserving a prompt clinical evaluation.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.163.issue‐7
Resistin: functional roles and therapeutic considerations for cardiovascular disease
Authors: Jamaluddin Md S , Weakley Sarah M , Yao Qizhi , Chen Changyi
Published: March 2011

Resistin, originally described as an adipocyte‐specific hormone, has been suggested to be an important link between obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. Although its expression was initially defined in adipocytes, significant levels of resistin expression in humans are mainly found in mononuclear leukocytes, macrophages, spleen and bone marrow cells. Increasing evidence indicates that resistin plays important regulatory roles apart from its role in insulin resistance and diabetes in a variety of biological processes: atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune disease, malignancy, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic kidney disease. As CVD accounts for a significant amount of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes and without diabetes, it is important to understand the role that adipokines such as resistin play in the cardiovascular system. Evidence suggests that resistin is involved in pathological processes leading to CVD including inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, thrombosis, angiogenesis and smooth muscle cell dysfunction. The modes of action and signalling pathways whereby resistin interacts with its target cells are beginning to be understood. In this review, the current knowledge about the functions and pathophysiological implications of resistin in CVD development is summarized; clinical translations, therapeutic considerations and future directions in the field of resistin research are discussed.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Fat and Vascular Responsiveness. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.165.issue‐3
‘Th'accession of these mighty States’: Daniel's Philotas and the union of crowns
Authors: CADMAN DANIEL
Published: March 2011

The focus of this article is upon Samuel Daniel's neo‐Senecan tragedy, Philotas, a play that has been widely interpreted as a drame à clef about the fall of the Earl of Essex. This article aims to propose an additional, and hitherto overlooked, political subtext in the form of topical allusions to the new king, James I, with Alexander the Great's victory over the Persian king, Darius the Great, and the subsequent conquest of his realms, providing a fitting analogue for James's accession to the English throne. I will argue that contemporary concerns and specific events surrounding the accession – such as James's defence of divine rights, his campaign to unite the kingdoms of Britain, and the excessive number of knighthoods he awarded in the early part of his reign – are interrogated in the play's sub‐plot which dramatizes Alexander's assumption of godlike status and the increasing influence of Persian subjects in Macedonian society. This reading thus shows how the play engages with more immediate political concerns alongside certain controversies left over from Elizabeth's reign.
New K103 β3 allele identified in a context of severe neonatal thrombocytopenia
Authors: Jallu Vincent , Bianchi Frederic , Bertrand Gerald , Kaplan Cecile
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND: A new β3 allele was identified in a severe case of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (<7 × 109/L).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Diagnosis was done by use of monoclonal antibody–specific immobilization of platelet (PLT) antigen for serologic analyses and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–sequence‐specific primers (SSP) and PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for genotyping. Direct sequencing of PCR product was done and mutant αIIbβ3 expressed in HEK‐293 cells.

RESULTS: Serologic analysis revealed in the maternal serum an anti‐human PLT alloantigen (HPA)‐1a alloantibody associated to an anti‐α2β1. Anti‐HPA‐1a alloimmunization diagnosis was confirmed by genotyping showing maternofetal incompatibility. However, investigation of rare HPA polymorphisms revealed discrepant HPA‐16b assignation between PCR‐RFLP and PCR‐SSP. Sequencing revealed a new c.385C>A mutation in the β3 coding sequence resulting in a false assignation of the HPA‐16b allele by PCR‐RFLP. This mutation leads to a Q103K substitution in mature β3. The K103‐β3 form of the complex was expressed in HEK‐293 cells but did not react with the maternal serum.

CONCLUSION: We have characterized a new rare allele (frequency < 1%) of β3 that yields false HPA‐16b genotyping in PCR‐RFLP. This new case of false typing assignation emphasizes the necessity to use two genotyping techniques in diagnosis. This particularly applies for rare HPA polymorphisms when PLT phenotyping cannot be used.
The air we breathe: three vital respiratory gases and the red blood cell: oxygen, nitric oxide, and carbon dioxide
Authors: Dzik Walter H.
Published: March 2011

Three vital respiratory gases—oxygen (O2), nitric oxide (NO), and carbon dioxide (CO2)—intersect at the level of the human red blood cell (RBC). In addition to hemoglobin (Hb)'s central role in O2transport, interaction of Hb with the Band 3 metabolon balances RBC energy flow. 2,3‐Diphosphoglycerate enhances O2transport across the placenta and plays an important role in regulating RBC plasticity.

NO is a key mediator of hypoxic vasodilation, but the precise role of RBC Hb remains controversial. In addition to established theories that depend on RBC uptake, delivery, and discharge of NO or its metabolites, an alternative hypothesis based on RBC permeability is suggested. NO depletion by free Hb may account for several clinical features seen during intravascular hemolysis or during deliberate infusion of Hb solutions used as RBC substitutes.

CO2released by tissues triggers oxygen release through a series of well‐coordinated reactions centered on the Band 3 metabolon. While RBC carbonic anhydrase and the Band 3 anion exchanger are central to this process, there is surprisingly little research on the kinetics of CO2clearance by transfusion.

The three RBC gases are directly related to the three principal gases of Earth's atmosphere. Human fossil fuel consumption dumps 90 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere annually. Increasing CO2levels are linked to global warming, melting Arctic ice, rising sea levels, and climate instability. Just as individual cells depend on balance of the three vital gases, so too will their balance determine survival of life on Earth.
Epitope mapping of antibodies directed against the human neutrophil alloantigen 3a
Authors: Berthold Tom , Wesche Jan , Kuhnert Kathleen , Fürll Birgitt , Hippe Holger , Hoppen Jens , Reil Angelika , Muschter Stefan , Bux Jürgen , Greinacher Andreas
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND: Severe transfusion‐related acute lung injury is often caused by antibodies directed against the human neutrophil alloantigen (HNA)‐3a. HNA‐3a results from an amino acid exchange (Arg154Gln) in the first extracellular loop of the choline transporter‐like protein 2 (CTL2). The characteristics of the binding domain(s) of HNA‐3a antibodies are unknown.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: For epitope mapping, a library of 23 different HNA‐3a (R154) and three HNA‐3b (Q154) peptides covering different parts of the first extracellular loop of CTL2 (aa55‐231) was synthesized in Escherichia coli and tested by Western blot with two HNA‐3a alloantibody–containing plasma samples and by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with different HNA‐3a‐ (n = 21) and HNA‐3b‐ (n = 1) positive plasma samples.

RESULTS: Despite promising Western blot results using highly reactive plasma samples, we found widely varying reactivities of different HNA‐3a plasmas in the EIA, with only 11 of 21 HNA‐3a antibodies binding to any of the tested HNA‐3a peptides and with no peptide recognized by more than nine of the 21 antibodies. The HNA‐3b plasma did not react with R154 peptides in the EIA nor with R154 or Q154 peptides in Western blot experiments. Plasma reactivity profiles with the peptides did not correlate with those observed using granulocyte agglutination and granulocyte immunofluorescence tests.

CONCLUSION: Binding of HNA‐3a alloantibodies depends on the conformation of the intact CTL2 protein and their binding sites may differ substantially. Peptide‐based assays for detection of HNA‐3a antibodies bear the risk to be insensitive and require systematic validation with a large panel of antibodies.
Alloexposed blood donors and transfusion‐related acute lung injury: a case‐referent study
Authors: Middelburg Rutger A. , van Stein Daniëlle , Atsma Femke , Wiersum‐Osselton Johanna C. , Porcelijn Leendert , Beckers Erik A.M. , Briët Ernest , van der Bom Johanna G.
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND: Donor white blood cell (WBC) antibodies are thought to increase the risk of transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI). WBC antibodies can be present in blood products from donors who have been alloexposed. Alloexposed donors are increasingly excluded from donating plasma, but can still donate plasma‐poor products. We aimed to quantify the contribution of alloexposed donors to the occurrence of TRALI for different blood product types.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a case‐referent study including all reported TRALI patients and all Dutch blood donors. Data on alloexposure status of donors of all TRALI cases reported between January 2004 and October 2008, in the Netherlands, were compared to information on the total donor population.

RESULTS: Alloexposure status of all 223 involved donors was compared to the expected status. The overall percentage of TRALI cases that could have been prevented by the deferral of all alloexposed donors (i.e., population‐attributable risk [PAR]) was 51% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14%‐88%). In 19 recipients of exclusively plasma‐poor products (mostly red blood cells [RBCs]), alloexposure of the donors was not associated with TRALI, while in 28 recipients of both plasma‐poor and plasma‐rich products (>200 mL plasma), the PAR was 94% (95% CI, 34%‐100%).

CONCLUSIONS: Alloexposed donors conferred an increased risk of TRALI in recipients of plasma‐rich products, but not in recipients of plasma‐poor products. Although WBC antibodies are an important risk factor for TRALI, among RBC recipients another risk factor must be more important.
Red blood cell transfusion practice in patients presenting with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a survey of 815 UK clinicians
Authors: Jairath Vipul , Kahan Brennan C. , Logan Richard F.A. , Travis Simon P.L. , Palmer Kelvin R. , Murphy Michael F.
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) accounts for 14% of all red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in the United Kingdom, despite little evidence to guide optimal blood transfusion strategies and few data on the variation in practice. We aimed to survey UK clinicians about their RBC transfusion practice in AUGIB.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A survey describing six clinical vignettes of AUGIB was sent to practicing gastroenterologists, acute care physicians, and upper gastrointestinal surgeons. Respondents were asked to select a hemoglobin (Hb) trigger at which they would ordinarily transfuse RBCs.

RESULTS: The response rate was 48% (815/1709). Transfusion triggers differed significantly between all six cases (p < 0.001). There was significant variation in the selected Hb trigger between different clinical specialties for five of the six scenarios. Surgeons were more likely to select a lower Hb transfusion trigger than physicians across all six scenarios (p < 0.005), as were clinicians who had graduated more recently (p < 0.05 for Scenarios 1‐3). The responses suggested the belief that restrictive use of RBCs is appropriate, which is in part discordant with actual observed practice. Only 70% of respondents reported familiarity with national guidelines for AUGIB.

CONCLUSIONS: There is significant variation in the reported approach to transfusion practice among clinicians caring for patients with AUGIB, with both patient‐ and clinician‐related factors accounting for these differences. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of differing blood transfusion strategies in patients presenting with AUGIB.
The Importance of Ownership Arrangements in U.S. Agriculture1
Authors: Welsh Rick
Published: March 2011

Abstract According to a number of observers of the U.S. economy, large publicly traded corporations can be viewed as a social problem primarily because of their association with the concentration of wealth and power. In agriculture, nine states have laws which restrict or proscribe public corporations from engaging in farming. Also, groups and individuals have attempted to preserve non‐corporate production enterprises in agriculture through the establishment of direct markets such as farmers' markets. Proponents of such efforts believe public corporations have negative economic impacts; opponents of such efforts, especially efforts to establish and retain anti‐corporate farming laws, argue that corporations can provide economic benefits to rural areas.

These debates beg the question of whether ownership and direct marketing arrangements have important influences on economic outcomes such as levels of cash returns from farming and increases in the number of farms realizing cash gains. Using multi‐year, county‐level data from the Census of Agriculture, this study finds that, even when holding a number of important variables constant, ownership arrangements, as well as the (interaction between the percentage of total sales which are direct sales and the percentage of farms selling directly, are important determinants of both net cash returns and the percentage of farms realizing cash gains.
Community, Family, and Race/Ethnic Differences in Health Status in Rural Areas1
Authors: Albrecht Stan L. , Clarke Leslie L. , Miller Michael K.
Published: March 2011

Abstract Many race‐specific differences in health outcomes that have been observed in previous research have been attributed to class and racebased group differences which either facilitate or constrain health opportunities and behaviors. These include such variables as different rates of poverty, health insurance coverage, and access to medical care. However, these relationships have been inadequately examined in rural communities where minority status may be even more detrimental to health than in urban areas, due to various constraints on access to health care. We present an analysis that assesses the effects of community, family structure, sociodemographic, and medical care variables on self‐reported health status among Hispanics, Mrican Americans, and non‐Hispanic whites in six rural communities in Florida. Community structural characteristics had a significant effect on self‐reported health, as did some of the measures of how respondents “experience” community. These relationships held even when other sets of variables were added to the models. Family/household characteristics and sociodemographic and medical care variables were less important in explaining self‐reported health status. These findings suggest that community continues to be important in explaining differences in health status in rural areas.
Photoluminescent Properties and Energy Transfer Mechanism of Color‐Tunable CaSi2O2N2:Ce3+, Eu2+ Phosphors
Authors: Hsu Chia‐Hao , Cheng Bing‐Ming , Lu Chung‐Hsin
Published: March 2011

Oxynitride‐based phosphors CaSi2O2N2 codoped with Ce3+ and Eu2+ were prepared in this study. Broad Ce3+ excitation spectra ranging from 200 to 500 nm were found for CaSi2O2N2:Ce3+, Eu2+ phosphors. The emission bands consisted of Ce3+ and Eu2+ emission peaks. When the Eu2+ concentration increased, the emission intensity of Ce3+ decreased along with the enhancement in the Eu2+ emission intensity. The energy transfer from Ce3+ to Eu2+ occurred effectively in CaSi2O2N2:Ce3+, Eu2+ with a dipole–dipole interaction. The increased Eu2+ concentration led the emitting colors of the prepared phosphor to shift from blue to green region. Increasing the temperature caused the emission intensity to decrease monotonously due to the thermal quenching effects.
Preparation and Mechanism of Nest‐Like YBO3:Tb3+Phosphors Synthesized Via the Microemulsion‐Mediated Hydrothermal Process
Authors: Chung Chen‐Yang , Hsu Chia‐Hao , Lu Chung‐Hsin
Published: March 2011

YBO3:Tb3+phosphors with nest‐like and apple‐like morphology were synthesized via the microemulsion‐mediated hydrothermal process at a reaction temperature as low as 180°C. This process significantly reduced the reaction duration and temperatures as compared with the conventional processes. The YBO3:Tb3+powders prepared via the microemulsion‐mediated hydrothermal process had smaller particle sizes in comparison with the hydrothermal process. In the growth process, the nanoflakes assembled to spheres in revolved order. Each nanoflake protruded out of the spheres, followed by transforming into completed multilayers to form the nest‐like particles. When the prepared phosphors were excited with the wavelength of 240 nm, the emission peaks in the range from 487 to 628 nm are related to the transitions from5D4to7FJ(J=3–6) levels of Tb3+ions. As the reaction temperatures were increased, the lifetimes were increased due to decrease in the defect centers. The reduced defect centers and enhanced crystallinity of the prepared samples cause the luminescent intensity to increase.
Preparation of α‐Calcium Sulfate Hemihydrate from Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate in Methanol–Water Solution under Mild Conditions
Authors: Guan Baohong , Jiang Guangming , Wu Zhongbiao , Mao Jingwei , Kong Bao
Published: March 2011

For the first time, α‐calcium sulfate hemihydrate (α‐HH) was successfully prepared from calcium sulfate dihydrate (DH) in methanol–water solution under atmospheric pressure. The effect of methanol concentrations (40–73 mol%) on the transition from DH to α‐HH were investigated at temperatures (60°–75°C) within a reaction time of 36 h. The results showed that an increase in methanol concentration could lower the transition temperature. The transition was speeded up by increasing methanol concentration from 47 to 57 mol% at 75°C. When the temperature dropped to 70°C, the transition rate firstly increased with the methanol concentration until it reached 69 mol% and then exhibited a reverse trend with increasing methanol concentration from 71 to 73 mol%. The accelerating effect, involved during the nucleation of α‐HH, attributes to the elevated supersaturation due to the fall in the water activity resulting from the increasing methanol concentration. The retarding effect, involved during the crystal growth of α‐HH, was likely derived from the specific adsorption of methanol molecules onto the surfaces of α‐HH crystals. Overall, the aqueous solution of methanol could act as a novel category of medium suitable for the α‐HH preparation from DH.
Mondialisation de la migration des personnels infirmiers: problématique et approches politiques
Authors: YEATES Nicola
Published: March 2011

De nombreux pays sont engagés dans «l'exportation ou l'importation» de personnels de santé en réaction à la «crise de l'offre de cette main‐d'œuvre» dans les économies industrialisées. Mais la répartition des gains et des pertes provenant de la migration de ces travailleurs devient inégalitaire, et la nécessité de nouvelles politiques s'intensifie. L'auteure compare la pertinence des approches politiques des migrations des personnels infirmiers au regard des critères suivants: pérennité, équité sociale, «solidarité communautaire», développement social. Elle conclut qu'une coopération et une coordination internationales soutenues s'imposent pour répondre aux principaux défis en matière de santé publique, reproduction sociale et développement social.
Extension et réforme des services sociaux: conséquences pour les travailleurs de ce secteur en République de Corée
Authors: PENG Ito
Published: March 2011

En République de Corée, la chute de la fécondité, l'augmentation de la longévité, les stratégies d'«investissement social» du gouvernement pour passer d'une économie industrielle à postindustrielle et son aide aux femmes pour concilier responsabilités familiales et professionnelles ont produit des résultats mitigés pour les travailleuses des activités de soin, peu rémunérées et au statut professionnel médiocre. L'auteure présente les politiques menées et fait part d'entretiens avec ces travailleuses, ainsi qu'avec des experts et des chercheurs. Elle montre que davantage de réglementation et de garderies publiques ont certes amélioré leur situation, mais la déréglementation et la marchandisation des services aux personnes âgées l'ont aussi détériorée.
Les travailleurs des services à autrui en Argentine: entre institutions du marché du travail et services
Authors: ESQUIVEL Valeria
Published: March 2011

En Argentine, le secteur des services à autrui emploie un tiers des femmes qui travaillent contre 3 pour cent seulement des hommes. Leur salaire et leurs conditions de travail ne dépendent pas seulement de la réglementation du marché du travail et de son application, mais aussi de l'organisation de ces services: engagement du secteur public; diversité des prestataires; caractère de la prestation, institutionnelle ou autre comme les ménages. L'auteure compare deux professions –éducateur de la petite enfance et domestique – et avance que ces activités relatives à la garde d'enfants, qui peuvent se compléter, s'entrecroisent, ce qui explique les différences de situation des travailleurs sur le marché du travail.
Soins infirmiers et prise en charge à domicile en Tanzanie: une (dis)continuité des soins
Authors: MEENA Ruth
Published: March 2011

Les soins à domicile prodigués par des auxiliaires extérieurs à la famille ont été présentés comme un moyen d'alléger la surcharge imposée par le sida aux familles de Tanzanie. Ils visent aussi à soulager les établissements de santé qui croulent sous les demandes dues à la pandémie et dont les moyens sont extrêmement limités. Ces auxiliaires ont une activité qui se situe entre travail non rémunéré et professionnel aux fins de la continuité des soins – continuité qui souffre de la défaillance du système de prise en charge des patients, de la surcharge de travail des professionnels de santé et d'un grave manque d'effectifs.
Increased host acceptance in experienced females of the parasitoid Brachymeria intermedia: which types of oviposition behaviour contribute to experience?
Authors: Kerguelen V. , Cardé R. T.
Published: March 2011

Brachymeria intermedia (Nees) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) is a solitary endoparasitoid of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). The probability that a wasp will parasitise this host is increased if she had a previous oviposition experience. We investigated which types of pre‐oviposition and oviposition behaviour induced this change by comparing the acceptance behaviour of wasps with zero to five oviposition experiences as well as wasps with various partial host handling experiences (from no contact with a host to one complete oviposition sequence). The percentage of females accepting the host increased gradually with both the number of previous oviposition experiences and the amount of handling of a single host. Furthermore, the naive females were less likely (44%) to walk to the host than females with a variety of experiences (72–100%). A single antennal contact with the host was sufficient to increase the probability of walking to the host. Additional handling and additional oviposition experiences further elevated the propensity to oviposit. Thus, the modification of the acceptance behaviour through experience was essentially a gradual process in which antennal contact with a pupa was a major element. It is suggested that naive wasps learned the host odour when they first antennated a pupa. As a result, they were attracted to the host odour in subsequent encounters.
Temperature influence on cohort parameters and demographic characteristics of the two cowpea coreids Clavigralla tomentosicollis and C. shadabi
Authors: Dreyer Hans , Baumgärtner Johann
Published: March 2011

Age‐specific life tables of two important pests of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., the pod sucking bugs Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål and C. shadabi Dolling (Heteroptera: Coreidae), were obtained from observations carried out at different temperatures. A biophysical model was found satisfactory to describe the temperature‐response of developmental and mortality rates of egg and nymphal stages, with a peak developmental rate around 34 °C in both species. The variability in development times was small and the experimental data did not permit any conclusion with regard to the Erlang probability density function. Survival of eggs and nymphs remained high between 20 ° and 30 °C for both species. At temperatures above 34 °C, C. tomentosicollis survivorship and fecundity was higher than that of C. shadabi, which in turn laid more eggs at temperatures between 20 ° and 30 °C. Maximum fecundity is estimated to be at 29 °C for C. tomentosicollis (99 eggs/female) and 26 °C for C. shadabi (261 eggs/female). At 30 °C, the intrinsic rate of increase reached a maximum in both species, 0.152 per day for C. tomentosicollis and 0.145 per day for C. shadabi, and remained high for C. tomentosicollis until 36 °C. C. tomentosicollis performed significantly better on pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan Millsp., than on cowpea at higher temperatures.
Inbreeding and incompatibility in Trichogramma nr. brassicae: evidence and implications for quality control
Authors: Sorati Matthew , Newman Miriam , Hoffman Ary A.
Published: March 2011

Inbreeding effects and incompatibility relationships were examined in strains of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma nr brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) from southeastern Australia. Crosses between strains provided weak evidence of incompatibility in a few cases. However, sex ratio in crosses within strains tended to be more female‐biased than in crosses between strains. Inbreeding was imposed for four generations (F>0.59) of sib mating. The fitness of inbred strains was compared to that of outbred strains generated by crossing the inbred strains. No effects of inbreeding were found for any of the four female traits examined (fecundity, body length, head width and hind tibia length), indicating that T. nr. brassicae is not subjected to inbreeding depression. Inbreeding effects were also not found for male mating success as expected for the haploid sex. There were differences among strains for all traits apart from fecundity, indicating heritable variation. Strain differences for fitness measures were uncorrelated with wasp size. The potential use of inbreeding in the quality control of Trichogramma for mass‐release is discussed. Inbreeding may be a useful tool in minimising the effects of laboratory adaptation, thereby extending the useful life of a strain.
Probing behaviour of Diuraphis noxia on five cereal species with different hydroxamic acid levels
Authors: Mayoral A. M. , Tjallingii W. F. , Castañera P.
Published: March 2011

The feeding behaviour of Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov) (Homoptera: Aphididae) was electronically monitored on five cereal species (Triticum aestivum L., T. turgidum L., Secale cereale L. and x Triticosecale Wittmack) containing different hydroxamic acids levels and on Hordeum vulgare L., lacking these compounds, by means of a DC‐System. With increasing DIMBOA (2,4‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one) levels D. noxia showed less probing particularly before reaching the phloem phase and a lower percentage of aphids achieved sustained phloem ingestion. However, no significant correlation was found between DIMBOA levels and the total time of phloem feeding. These findings indicate that factors from the mesophyll and vascular tissues appear to be involved in the effects of resistance. The underlying mechanism, however, remains unclear. Thus, DIMBOA seems to be only part of the chemical defenses of the cereal plants that might be implicated in D. noxia resistance.