bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of lithium chloride for estimating supplement intake in grazing sheep: estimates of heritability and repeatability
Authors: Kahn LP
Published: November 2005

The suitability of lithium chloride as a marker for supplement intake was examined in grazing sheep. Eight merino weaners (10 months), grazing improved pasture, were individually fed cottonseed meal pellets coated with lithium chloride, and plasma lithium concentrations were then measured over the next 29 h. The results of this study showed that after ingestion of lithium, plasma lithium concentrations rose to reach a maximum 4 h later. This maximum remained substantially constant between 4 and 14 h after lithium ingestion and then declined slowly. The use of plasma lithium concentration (scaled for liveweight) 4-9 h after lithium ingestion facilitated accurate prediction of supplement intake. In a following experiment, 732 Merino weaners (10 months) were split into two groups by randomized stratification. These groups were fed a cottonseed meal supplement at either 55 or 110 g head-1 day-1 In order to estimate individual supplement intake over a 62 day period the supplement was coated with lithium chloride on three occasions at monthly intervals. The results of the three estimates of intake showed that within mobs (n = 366/mob) large variation in supplement intake existed. Both the heritability (0.17) and repeatability (0.48) of supplement intake as estimated from paternal half-sib analysis were significantly different from zero.
Effect of solar radiation on the heat load of dairy heifers.
Authors: Yamamoto S , Young BA , Purwanto BP , Nakamasu F , Matsumoto T
Published: November 2005

Thermoregulatory responses of Holstein heifers were studied under direct solar radiation and shade conditions during summer and autumn periods in southern Japan. The data were used to predict the contribution to effective temperature (ET) of solar radiation. The amount of solar radiation, including both direct and indirect sources, was estimated from black globe temperature (GT). There was no effect of solar radiation on the rate of heat production nor heart rate of the heifers. Rectal temperature increased significantly under no shade conditions during the summer period. Respiration rate (RR) and mean skin surface temperature paralleled changes in dry bulb temperature (DBT) and GT. The ET in the test situations, using RR and mean body temperature (Tb) as physiological indices, was predicted as: ET(DBT, GT) = 0.24DBT + 0 76GT. This equation indicates that solar radiation as measured by black globe temperature contributes substantially more to the heat load on animals than does dry bulb temperature.
Organic matter, nutrient content and biological activity in burned and unburned soils of a Mediterranean maquis area of southern Italy
Authors: De Marco Anna , Gentile Anna Elisa , Arena Carmen , De Santo Amalia Virzo
Published: November 2005

Experimental fires were performed during the summer-drought period in a Mediterranean maquis in the Castel Volturno Nature Reserve in south-western Italy. The two different fuel loads applied (4 kg m−2 and 2 kg m−2) resulted in complete and partial combustion of the vegetation, respectively. Soil organic matter content (SOM), total and available element concentrations (K, Mg, Na, Mn, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd), microbial carbon, respiration, metabolic quotient (qCO2), and the coefficient of endogenous mineralization (CEM) were measured at intervals in the dry and wet seasons over a period of about 3 years, in burned and adjacent unburned soils. Soil samples (0–5 cm depth) were collected under the cover of Phillyrea angustifolia L., a dominant species in the study area. Both fires induced long-lasting increases in SOM. As indicated by the increase in CEM, part of the accumulated SOM was mineralized in the first 3 months after fire whereas part of the accumulated SOM was instead stable. Both fires increased the total and available fractions of nutrients and trace elements. During the first 3 months after fire, microbial biomass and qCO2 were higher in the burned soils, which were richer in nutrients, but were characterized by harsher environmental conditions compared to unburned soils.
Measurement of post-fire hillslope erosion to evaluate and model rehabilitation treatment effectiveness and recovery
Authors: Robichaud Peter R.
Published: November 2005

The increasing size and severity of wildfires in the western United States has caused a corresponding increase in post-fire emergency erosion control activities. Hillslope treatments, such as broadcast seeding, mulching and installed barriers, are applied to reduce runoff and erosion, as well as downslope sedimentation. However, there are few data to determine if these post-fire treatments are practical and effective. Direct measurement of hillslope erosion, particularly in the remote settings where wildfires occur, is time consuming and costly. Rainfall simulation, sediment fences and paired catchment studies have been adapted for measuring post-fire erosion in the mountainous forest regions of the western USA. The use of paired catchments to measure hillslope erosion and evaluate treatment effectiveness is illustrated by an ongoing experiment of six contour-felled log erosion barrier research sites. Deciding which type of treatments to use, as well as the locations and timing of application, requires treatment cost and effectiveness to be weighed against potential damage from unmitigated erosion. To assist in this process, a web-based Erosion Risk Management Tool has been developed that incorporates variability in rainfall, burn severity and soil properties, as well as treatment options to provide probabilistic erosion estimates for 4 years after a fire.
Functional diversity of the microbial community in Mediterranean maquis soils as affected by fires
Authors: D'Ascoli Rosaria , Rutigliano Flora A. , De Pascale Raffaele A. , Gentile Anna , De Santo Amalia Virzo
Published: November 2005

Fire is a disturbance in the Mediterranean region associated with frequent drought periods, and can affect the soil microbial community, which plays a fundamental role in nutrient cycling. In the present study the effect of low- and high-severity experimental fires on the soil microbial community was evaluated in an Italian Mediterranean maquis. Burned and unburned soils were compared for functional diversity, specific activities, microbial biomass, fungal mycelia and fungal fraction of microbial carbon, during the first year after fire. In the first week after fire, changes in the functional diversity were observed in burned soils, differing also between low- and high-severity fires. Respiration responses to specific organic compounds were generally lower in burned soils during the whole study period, with a percentage of changed responses from 2 to 70%. The general reduction in burned soils of the fungal fraction of microbial carbon (19–61%) and active mycelia (16–55%), together with the increase in microbial biomass carbon (29–42%) during the first 3 months after fire, suggest a larger and longer effect of fire on fungi than on bacteria. The results indicate a rapid recovery of functional diversity in soil after burning despite the persistent reduction of microbial community activity and the change in its structure.
Temporal fluctuations in soil water repellency following wildfire in chaparral steeplands, southern California
Authors: Hubbert K. R. , Oriol V.
Published: November 2005

Soil water repellency is particularly common in unburned chaparral, and its degree and duration can be influenced by seasonal weather conditions. Water repellency tends to increase in dry soils, while it decreases or vanishes following precipitation or extended periods of soil moisture. The 15 426 ha Williams Fire provided an opportunity to investigate post-fire fluctuations in water repellency over a 1-year period. Soil water repellency was measured at the surface, and at 2-cm and 4-cm depths along six east–west-positioned transects located within the chaparral-dominated San Dimas Experimental Forest. During the winter and spring, seasonal variation in the degree of surface water repellency appeared to be inversely proportional to antecedent rainfall and soil moisture conditions. Precipitation through December reduced the proportion of surface ‘moderate or higher repellency’ from 49 to 4% as soil wetness increased to 12%. Throughout the summer, soil wetness remained below 2%; however, surface soils remained ‘wettable’, with the proportion of surface ‘moderate or higher repellency’ never returning to the early post-fire amount of 47%. Interestingly, at the 4-cm depth, the proportion of ‘moderate or higher repellency’ remained at levels >25% throughout the summer dry season.
Fire and torrential rainfall: effects on seedling establishment in Mediterranean gorse shrublands
Authors: de Luís Martín , Raventós José , González-Hidalgo Josí C.
Published: November 2005

Soil degradation and desertification are key problems facing Mediterranean ecosystems and these have worsened recently with the increasing frequency of fires. Moreover, rainfall in western Mediterranean areas is characterized by high intensity, and extreme rainfall events after fire strongly affect the equilibrium between soil erosion and vegetation recovery. These facts led us to carry out experimental fires in a fire-prone vegetation community (dominated by Mediterranean gorse, Ulex parviflorus Pourr.) to study the effect of a torrential rainfall event (through rainfall simulation) on the short-term vegetation regeneration process (seedling emergence and survival). The results indicate that, in Mediterranean gorse shrublands after fire, an extreme precipitation event does not affect seedling emergence (either through seed loss or from seed germination). In contrast, it has a significant effect on the reduction of seedling survival both from direct impact (seedlings buried by sediment or seedlings totally or partially unearthed) and indirectly as a result of soil and litter losses. As a consequence, the combination of fire and torrential rainfall has an important and persistent effect on vegetation recovery, and may cause further degradation, which eventually becomes irreversible.
Spatial distribution and properties of ash and thermally altered soils after high-severity forest fire, southern California
Authors: Goforth Brett R. , Graham Robert C. , Hubbert Kenneth R. , Zanner C. William , Minnich Richard A.
Published: November 2005

After a century of fire suppression, dense forests in California have fueled high-severity fires. We surveyed mixed conifer forest with 995–1178 trees ha−1 (stems > 10 cm diameter at breast height), and nearby pine–oak woodland having 175–230 trees ha−1, 51 days after a severe burn, to contrast the spatial extent and properties of thermally altered soil at sites with different tree densities. Water-repellent soils were more extensive in forest than woodland. Deposits of white ash, composed largely of calicite, covered at most ~25% of the land surface, in places where large fuel items (e.g. logs, branches, exfoliated oak bark) had thoroughly combusted. At least 1690 kg ha−1 of CaCO3 in ash was deposited over the forest, and at least 700 kg ha−1 was added to the woodland. Combustion of logs and large branches also reddened the underlying yellow-brown soil as deep as 60 mm (average 8 mm), and over ~1–12% of the land surface. The reddened soils have magnetic susceptibilities that are three to seven times greater than surrounding unreddened soils within the burn, indicating thermal production of maghemite. Such fire-altered conditions persist over spatial and temporal scales that influence soil genesis in Mediterranean-type climate regions.
Microbial recolonization and chemical changes in a soil heated at different temperatures
Authors: Guerrero César , Mataix-Solera Jorge , Gómez Ignacio , García-Orenes Fuensanta , Jordán Manuel M.
Published: November 2005

Samples of a Mediterranean forest soil were exposed in a muffle furnace to seven temperatures (100–700°C) for 15 min to simulate different fire intensities. Heated soils were incubated for 100 days after re-inoculation with fresh unheated soil. Immediately after heating, the extractable organic C increased with the heating temperature, reaching a maximum at 400°C. This increase in extractable organic C and nutrients in soils heated below 400°C allowed a rapid recolonization of bacteria, increasing the basal respiration. During the 100-day incubation, the cumulative values of basal respiration and carbon mineralization rates generally followed a double exponential equation in unheated and heated samples. Heating at 200°C caused a reduction of 99.6% for fungi (measured as culturable fungal propagules), which showed lower recolonization capacity than that of bacteria. Heating also caused a decrease in the organic C content of the soils, especially for the highest temperatures. As a consequence, the microbial biomass carbon recovery was short lived in heated soils. The varied effects of heating and incubation on the inorganic and organic nitrogen changes, available nutrients and metabolic quotients are also discussed. This study demonstrates that changes in soils exposed to comparatively high temperatures (>500°C) have a particularly strong impact on microbial population.
Effects of prescribed fire on soil quality in Mediterranean grassland (Prades Mountains, north-east Spain)
Authors: Úbeda Xavier , Lorca Marc , Outeiro Luís R. , Bernia Sara , Castellnou Marc
Published: November 2005

This study examines the effects of a prescribed fire, conducted in grassland in order to maintain a fire break, on soil quality (pH and nutrients) in the Prades Mountains in the Mediterranean climate of north-east Spain. Soil at a 4 × 18 m study plot, located in an abandoned agricultural terrace on calcareous bedrock at 760 m above sea level, was sampled at 0–5 cm depth at 42 sampling points before, immediately after and one year after the burn and analysed for pH and carbon, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous content. Fire intensity was low and surface soil temperatures did not exceed 200°C. All parameters examined showed a significant increase immediately after the fire. One year later, pH and total carbon had returned to pre-fire levels, and nitrogen and phosphorous were above, whereas potassium levels had decreased to below pre-fire levels. Overall, the prescribed fire did not appear to adversely affect soil. However, using prescribed burning on an annual basis as a tool to maintain an effective fire break may not allow enough time for the soils to fully recover.
Measurement and prediction of post-fire erosion at the hillslope scale, Colorado Front Range
Authors: Benavides-Solorio Juan de Dios , MacDonald Lee H.
Published: November 2005

Post-fire soil erosion is of considerable concern because of the potential decline in site productivity and adverse effects on downstream resources. For the Colorado Front Range there is a paucity of post-fire erosion data and a corresponding lack of predictive models. This study measured hillslope-scale sediment production rates and site characteristics for three wild and three prescribed fires over two summers and one winter using 48 sediment fences. Over 90% of the sediment was generated by summer convective storms. Sediment production rates from recent, high-severity wildfires were 0.2–1.0 kg m–2 year–1. Mean sediment production rates from areas recently burned at moderate and low severity were only 0.02 and 0.005 kg m–2 year–1, respectively. For a given severity, sediment production rates from prescribed fires were generally lower than from wildfires, but there was considerable variability between plots and within fire severity classes. Fire severity, percent bare soil, rainfall erosivity, soil water repellency and soil texture explained 77% of the variability in sediment production rates, while a two-parameter model using percentage bare soil and rainfall erosivity explained 62% of the variability. Model validation confirmed the usefulness of these empirical models. The improved understanding of post-fire erosion rates can help guide forest management and post-fire rehabilitation efforts.
Temporal patterns of solute loss following wildfires in Central Portugal
Authors: Ferreira A. J. D. , Coelho C. O. A. , Boulet A. K. , Lopes F. P.
Published: November 2005

The present paper studies the hydrological implications of forest fire and the associated export of nutrients as solutes at the micro-plot, plot and catchment scales immediately after fire. The use of three different spatial scales provides improved insights into the mechanisms that drive hydrological and solute movement processes as they change with time following forest fire. Rainfall simulations were performed for 1 h, right after forest fires. Plots were monitored during and after rainfall events, and catchments were instrumented continuously with water level recorders. Samples were collected weekly to determine some of the main nutrients present over a period of 14 months. At all scales, the main hydrological processes were assessed and samples collected for chemical analysis. Measurements were made at burned Pinus pinaster locations in the central region of Portugal. These are ordinarily placed in poor, shallow Humic Cambisol soils located in steep slopes. The results show that there was a rapid and widespread export of nutrients during the first 4 months following the wildfire. The amount of nutrients lost decreased gradually over those 4 months in response to the exhaustion of the ash source. After this period, nutrient peak losses occurred only in response to extreme rainfall events.
Influence of vegetation recovery on soil hydrology and erodibility following fire: an 11-year investigation
Authors: Cerdá Artemi , Doerr Stefan H.
Published: November 2005

The present study investigates long-term changes in soil hydrological properties and erodibility during the regrowth of different types and densities of vegetation following a severe wildfire in the Serra Grossa Range, eastern Spain. Twelve plots of similar slope and soil characteristics, naturally recolonized by four different plant species (trees, herbs, shrubs and dwarf shrubs) were examined using rainfall simulations during an 11-year period. The mean erosion rate was 80 g m−2 h−1, 6 months after the fire under wet-winter conditions, declining to 30 g m−2 h−1 in the following summer and reaching <10 g m−2 h−1 after 2 years. Considerable variation under the different vegetation types was observed. Herbs and shrubs reduced erosion and overland flow coefficients to negligible values 2 years after fire, whereas under trees and dwarf shrubs, appreciable overland flow and soil loss still occurred after 5 years. On tree-covered plots (Pinus halepensis), overland flow actually increased over time in association with the development of topsoil hydrophobicity, reaching a coefficient of 27% 10 years after burning. Rates of post-fire overland flow and erosion reduction were strongly influenced not only by vegetation coverage but also by the type of cover and its effects on soil hydrophobicity.
Fire effects on soil system functioning: new insights and future challenges
Authors: Doerr Stefan H. , Cerdá Artemi
Published: November 2005

Fire affects entire ecosystems – their flora, fauna, the atmosphere and soil. Research on the effects of fire to date has focussed primarily on the former three, whereas effects on the soil system have seen less attention. Burning and resulting post-fire environmental conditions can alter the functioning of soils physically (e.g. aggregate stability, pore size, distribution, water repellency and runoff response), chemically (e.g. nutrient availability, mineralogy, pH and C : N ratios) and biologically (e.g. biomass productivity, microbial composition and carbon sequestration). These fire-induced alterations have typically been examined in isolation by researchers in separate disciplines despite the sometimes strong relationship between some of these physical, chemical and biological effects. This special issue brings together studies from diverse disciplines, focussing on a wide spectrum of fire effects on the soil system. Here we aim to summarise, evaluate and set into context some of the new insights arising from these studies. A case is made for enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration and the use of multi-scale research approaches in order to meet existing and future research challenges in this diverse field.
Bioinformatic analysis of exon repetition, exon scrambling and trans-splicing in humans
Authors: Shao Xiang , Shepelev Valery , Fedorov Alexei
Published: November 2005

Motivation: Using bioinformatic approaches we aimed to characterize poorly understood abnormalities in splicing known as exon scrambling, exon repetition and trans-splicing.

Results: We developed a software package that allows large-scale comparison of all human expressed sequence tags (EST) sequences to the entire set of human gene sequences. Among 5 992 495 EST sequences, 401 cases of exon repetition and 416 cases of exon scrambling were found. The vast majority of identified ESTs contain fragments rather than full-length repeated or scrambled exons. Their structures suggest that the scrambled or repeated exon fragments may have arisen in the process of cDNA cloning and not from splicing abnormalities. Nevertheless, we found 11 cases of full-length exon repetition showing that this phenomenon is real yet very rare. In searching for examples of trans-splicing, we looked only at reproducible events where at least two independent ESTs represent the same putative trans-splicing event. We found 15 ESTs representing five types of putative trans-splicing. However, all 15 cases were derived from human malignant tissues and could have resulted from genomic rearrangements. Our results provide support for a very rare but physiological occurrence of exon repetition, but suggest that apparent exon scrambling and trans-splicing result, respectively, from in vitro artifact and gene-level abnormalities.

Availability: Exon–Intron Database (EID) is available at . Programs are available at . The Laboratory website is available at

Contact:  afedorov@meduohio.edu

Supplementary information: Supplementary file is available at
Understanding fish habitat ecology to achieve conservation*
Authors: Rice J. C.
Published: November 2005

Habitat science can provide the unifying concepts to bring together ecological studies of physiological tolerances, predator avoidance, foraging and feeding, reproduction and life histories. Its unifying role is built on two assumptions, imported from terrestrial habitat science and not always stated explicitly: that competition is present interspecifically and intraspecifically under at least some conditions, and that habitat features have some persistence and predictability in space and time. Consistent with its central conceptual position in ecology, habitat science has contributed importantly to scientific advice on pollution, coastal zone management and many other areas of environmental quality, although it has been largely divorced from developments in fish populations dynamics done in support of fisheries management. Commitments by most management agencies to apply an integrated, ecosystem approach to management of human activities in marine systems, poses new challenges to marine science advisors to management. Integrated management and ecosystem approaches both inherently require spatial thinking and spatial tools, making habitat science a particularly relevant advisory framework, particularly because of the unifying role of habitat in ecology. The basic mechanisms behind ocean biological dynamics, productivity, concentration and retention, however, present much weaker opportunities for competition and less persistence and predictability, weakening the foundations of theory and concepts behind current habitat science. The paper highlights the new types of thinking about ‘habitat’ that will be required, if habitat science is to meet the advisory needs of the new approaches to management.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Hands‐and‐Knees Positioning for Occipitoposterior Position in Labor
Authors: Stremler Robyn , Hodnett Ellen , Petryshen Patricia , Stevens Bonnie , Weston Julie , Willan Andrew R
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Hands‐and‐knees positioning during labor has been recommended on the theory that gravity and buoyancy may promote fetal head rotation to the anterior position and reduce persistent back pain. A Cochrane review found insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of this intervention during labor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal hands‐and‐knees positioning on fetal head rotation from occipitoposterior to occipitoanterior position, persistent back pain, and other perinatal outcomes. Methods:Thirteen labor units in university‐affiliated hospitals participated in this multicenter randomized, controlled trial. Study participants were 147 women laboring with a fetus at ≥37 weeks’ gestation and confirmed by ultrasound to be in occipitoposterior position. Seventy women were randomized to the intervention group (hands‐and‐knees positioning for at least 30 minutes over a 1‐hour period during labor) and 77 to the control group (no hands‐and‐knees positioning). The primary outcome was occipitoanterior position determined by ultrasound following the 1‐hour study period and the secondary outcome was persistent back pain. Other outcomes included operative delivery, fetal head position at delivery, perineal trauma, Apgar scores, length of labor, and women's views with respect to positioning. Results:Women randomized to the intervention group had significant reductions in persistent back pain. Eleven women (16%) allocated to use hands‐and‐knees positioning had fetal heads in occipitoanterior position following the 1‐hour study period compared with 5 (7%) in the control group (relative risk 2.4; 95% CI 0.88–6.62; number needed to treat 11). Trends toward benefit for the intervention group were seen for several other outcomes, including operative delivery, fetal head position at delivery, 1‐minute Apgar scores, and time to delivery. Conclusions:Maternal hands‐and‐knees positioning during labor with a fetus in occipitoposterior position reduces persistent back pain and is acceptable to laboring women. Given this evidence, hands‐and‐knees positioning should be offered to women laboring with a fetus in occipitoposterior position in the first stage of labor to reduce persistent back pain. Although this study demonstrates trends toward improved birth outcomes, further trials are needed to determine if hands‐and‐knees positioning promotes fetal head rotation to occipitoanterior and reduces operative delivery. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
Making Choices for Childbirth:  A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Decision‐aid for Informed Birth after Cesareana
Authors: Shorten Allison , Shorten Brett , Keogh John , West Sandra , Morris Jonathan
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Decision‐making about mode of birth after a cesarean delivery presents challenges to women and their caregivers and requires a balance of risks and benefits according to individual circumstances. The study objective was to determine whether a decision‐aid for women who have experienced previous cesarean birth facilitates informed decision‐making about birth options during a subsequent pregnancy. Method:A prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial of 227 pregnant women was conducted within 3 prenatal clinics and 3 private obstetric practices in New South Wales, Australia. Women with 1 previous cesarean section and medically eligible for trial of vaginal birth were recruited at 12 to 18 weeks’ gestation; 115 were randomized to the intervention group and 112 to the control group. A decision‐aid booklet describing risks and benefits of elective repeat cesarean section and trial of labor was given to intervention group women at 28 weeks’ gestation. Main outcome measures included level of knowledge, decisional conflict score, women's preference for mode of birth, and recorded mode of birth. Results:Women who received the decision‐aid demonstrated a significantly greater increase in mean knowledge scores than the control group (increasing by 2.17 vs 0.42 points on a 15‐point scale)(p < 0.001, 95% CI for difference = 1.15–2.35). The intervention group demonstrated a reduction in decisional conflict score (p < 0.05). The decision‐aid did not significantly affect the rate of uptake of trial of labor or elective repeat cesarean section. Preferences expressed at 36 weeks were not consistent with actual birth outcomes for many women. Conclusion:A decision‐aid for women facing choices about birth after cesarean section is effective in improving knowledge and reducing decisional conflict. However, little evide nce suggested that this process led to an informed choice. Strategies are required to better equip organizations and practitioners to empower women so that they can translate informed preferences into practice. Further work needs to examine ways to enhance women's power in decision‐making within the doctor‐patient relationship. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
What Is It About Antenatal Continuity of Caregiver That Matters to Women?
Authors: Davey Mary‐Ann , Brown Stephanie , Bruinsma Fiona
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Continuity of care and of caregiver are thought to be important influences on women's experience of maternity care. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of two aspects of continuity of caregiver in the antenatal period on women's overall rating of antenatal care: the extent to which women saw the same caregiver throughout pregnancy, and the extent to which women thought that their caregiver knew and remembered them and their progress from one visit to the next. Methods:An anonymous, population‐based postal survey was conducted of 1,616 women who gave birth in a 14‐day period in September 1999 in Victoria, Australia. Multivariate methods were used to analyze the data. Results:Most women saw the same caregiver at each antenatal visit (77%), and thought that caregivers got to know them (65%). This finding varied widely among different models of maternity care. Before adjustment, women were much more likely to describe their antenatal care as very good if they always or mostly thought the caregiver got to know them (OR 5.86, 95% CI 4.3, 7.9), and if they always or mostly saw the same caregiver at each visit (OR 2.91, 95% CI 2.0, 4.3). Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, parity, risk status of the pregnancy, and several specific aspects of antenatal care revealed that seeing the same caregiver was no longer associated with rating of care (adjusted OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.3,1.2), but women who thought that caregivers got to know and remember them remained much more likely to rate their care highly (adjusted OR 3.18, 95% CI 2.0, 5.1). Conclusions:These findings suggest that changing the delivery of antenatal care to increase women's chances of seeing the same caregiver at each visit is not by itself likely to improve the overall experience of care, but time spent personalizing each encounter in antenatal care would be well received. The analysis also confirmed the importance that women place on quality interactions with their doctors and midwives. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
Hospital Practice Versus Evidence‐Based Obstetrics: Categorizing Practices for Normal Birth in an Egyptian Teaching Hospitala
Authors: Khalil Karima , Elnoury Amr , Cherine Mohamed , Sholkamy Hania , Hassanein Nevine , Mohsen Lamia , Breebaart Miral , Aziz Shoubary Abdel
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Little is known of common normal labor hospital practices in Egypt or of their relationship to evidence‐based obstetrics. This study documented facility‐based practices for normal labor and delivery in Egypt for the first time by categorizing 44 practices observed in a busy obstetric teaching hospital according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Working Group on Normal Birth classification of normal birth practices. Methods:A multidisciplinary approach combined directly observing practices that were applied to individual laboring women and their newborns, observing ward activities, interviews, and focus groups. One hundred seventy‐five normal births were observed in their entirety, over 28 days and nights, by medically trained observers using an observation checklist that documented 537 variables for each woman. Mothers were interviewed postpartum, and findings were shared with practitioners for their feedback. Observed practices were categorized according the 1999 WHO classification of 59 practices for normal birth, depending on their usefulness, effectiveness, or harmfulness. Results:There was infrequent use of beneficial practices that should be encouraged and an unexpectedly high level of harmful practices that should be eliminated. Some beneficial practices were applied inappropriately, and practices of unproved benefit were also documented, some of which are potentially harmful to childbearing mothers and their babies. Conclusions:Hospital practices for normal labor were largely not in accordance with the WHO evidence‐based classification of practices for normal birth. The findings are worrying, given the increasing proportion of hospital‐based births in Egypt and the country's improved but relatively high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Obstacles to following evidence‐based protocols for normal labor require examination. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
An Evaluation of a Telephone‐Based Postnatal Support Intervention for Infant Feeding in a Regional Australian Citya
Authors: Fallon Anthony Bruce , Hegney Desley , O'Brien Maxine , Brodribb Wendy , Crepinsek Maree , Doolan Jackie
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Postnatal breastfeeding support in the form of home visits is difficult to accommodate in regional Australia, where hospitals often deal with harsh economic constraints in a context where they are required to provide services to geographically dispersed consumers. This study evaluated a predominately telephone‐based support service called the Infant Feeding Support Service. Methods:A prospective cohort design was used to compare data for 696 women giving birth in two regional hospitals (one public, one private) and participating in the support service between January and July 2003 with data from a cohort of 625 women who gave birth in those hospitals before the introduction of the support service. Each mother participating in the support service was assigned a lactation consultant. First contact occurred 48 hours after discharge, and approximately weekly thereafter for 4 weeks. Breastfeeding duration was measured at 3 months postpartum. Results:For women from the private hospital, the support service improved exclusive breastfeeding duration to 4.5 weeks postpartum, but these improvements were not evident at 3 months postpartum. No effects were observed for mothers from the public hospital. Quantitative and qualitative data demonstrated high levels of client satisfaction with the support service. Conclusions:This small‐scale, predominately telephone‐based intervention provided significant, although apparently context‐sensitive, improvements to exclusive breastfeeding duration. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
Prevalence and Correlates of Smoking During Pregnancy: A Comparison of Aboriginal and Non‐Aboriginal Women in Manitoba
Authors: Heaman Maureen I. , Chalmers Karen
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Prenatal smoking rates vary substantially among racial and ethnic groups. Although prevalence of smoking among Aboriginal people in Canada is higher than in the general population, little is known about smoking rates during pregnancy among Aboriginal women or the characteristics of Aboriginal women more likely to smoke during pregnancy. The study purpose was to describe and compare the prevalence and correlates of smoking during pregnancy among Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal women giving birth in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Methods:Data were obtained from interviews with 684 postpartum women who delivered a live singleton infant in two tertiary hospitals in Manitoba. Stratified analysis was used to describe effect‐measure modification for correlates of smoking among the Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal groups. A multivariable logistic regression was conducted for the total sample. Results:A significantly higher proportion of Aboriginal women (61.2%) than non‐Aboriginal women (26.2%) smoked during pregnancy. No correlates of smoking during pregnancy were specific to Aboriginal women, but several maternal characteristics were associated with smoking among non‐Aboriginal women. After controlling for other factors, significant correlates of smoking during pregnancy for the total sample included inadequate prenatal care, low support from others, single marital status, illicit drug use, Aboriginal race/ethnicity, and noncompletion of high school among non‐Aboriginal women. Conclusions:The high prevalence of smoking during pregnancy, particularly among Aboriginal women, necessitates coordinated efforts aimed at smoking prevention and cessation. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
Cesarean Section and Postnatal Sexual Health
Authors: Barrett Geraldine , Peacock Janet , Victor Christina R. , Manyonda Isaac
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Cesarean delivery avoids perineal trauma and has therefore often been assumed to protect sexual function after childbirth. We sought to examine this assumption by using data from a study of women's sexual health after childbirth to assess whether women who underwent cesarean section experienced better sexual health in the postnatal period than women with vaginal births. Methods:A cross‐sectional study was conducted of 796 primiparous women, employing data from obstetric records and a postal survey 6 months after delivery. Results:Any protective effect of cesarean section on sexual function was limited to the early postnatal period (0–3 months), primarily to dyspareunia‐related symptoms. At 6 months the differences in dyspareunia‐related symptoms, sexual response‐related symptoms, and postcoital problems were much reduced or reversed, and none reached statistical significance. Conclusions:Outcomes from this study provide no basis for advocating cesarean section as a way to protect women's sexual function after childbirth. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
Hispanic Women's Perceptions of Patient‐Centeredness During Prenatal Care: A Mixed‐Method Studya
Authors: Tandon S. Darius , Parillo Kathleen M. , Keefer Maureen
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Assessing the quality of prenatal care received by Hispanic women is particularly important, given the rapidly growing Hispanic population in the United States. The purpose of this study was threefold: to assess the prevalence of Hispanic mothers who perceived their prenatal care to be patient‐centered, to determine whether Hispanic mothers were less likely to perceive their prenatal care to be patient‐centered than non‐Hispanic mothers, and to better understand Hispanic women's perceptions of the patient‐centeredness of their prenatal care. Methods:Semistructured interviews were conducted with a proportionate, stratified random sample of 359 women initiating prenatal care in their first trimester and 68 women initiating prenatal care in their third trimester who delivered at 10 Palm Beach County, Florida, maternity hospitals between May and December 2003. Interviews assessed three aspects of patient‐centered prenatal care using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results:Hispanic mothers were less likely than non‐Hispanic mothers to perceive that doctors and nurses treated them with respect during their prenatal care appointments (adjusted OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10–0.86), and to perceive that office staff treated them with respect during their prenatal care appointments (adjusted OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.12–0.73). Hispanic mothers were more likely to experience language or communication problems than non‐Hispanic mothers (adjusted OR, 3.30; 95% CI, 1.40–7.76). Qualitative analyses found that lack of patient‐centered care limited Hispanic mothers’ ability to understand information given during prenatal visits, ability to ask questions about their prenatal care, and desire to return for subsequent appointments. Conclusions:Hispanic women could benefit from prenatal care that is more culturally and linguistically competent as well as care that is responsive to the group's cultural norms. One recommendation is the use of group prenatal care, which encourages groups of women with similar gestational ages to articulate and discuss cultural norms and attitudes about pregnancy during structured prenatal care sessions. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
Challenging Water Birth – How Wet Can It Get?
Authors: Keirse Marc J.N.C.
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT:  Three recent papers, a large observational study, a systematic review, and a patient preference randomized controlled trial, addressed the perinatal outcome of water birth. Although their conclusions differ as much as their study design, all three reached conclusions that are substantially flawed because they are not supported by the data and/or display a profound disregard for what a particular research methodology can and cannot do. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)
Discrete Hours Labour Supply Modelling: Specification, Estimation and Simulation
Authors: Creedy John , Kalb Guyonne
Published: November 2005

Abstract.  The assumption behind discrete hours labour supply modelling is that utility‐maximising individuals choose from a relatively small number of hours levels, rather than being able to vary hours worked continuously. Such models are becoming widely used in view of their substantial advantages, compared with a continuous hours approach, when estimating and their role in tax policy microsimulation. This paper provides an introduction to the basic analytics of discrete hours labour supply modelling. Special attention is given to model specification, maximum likelihood estimation and microsimulation of tax reforms. The analysis is at each stage illustrated by the use of numerical examples. At the end, an empirical example of a hypothetical policy change to the social security system is given to illustrate the role of discrete hours microsimulation in the analysis of tax and transfer policy changes.
Reconciling the Wage Curve and the Phillips Curve
Authors: Montuenga‐Gómez Víctor M. , Ramos‐Parreño José M.
Published: November 2005

Abstract.  The wage curve is the negative relationship that links wage levels to the unemployment rate. It fits accurately with modern non‐competitive labour‐market models, but goes against a Phillips‐curve modelling, because the latter ties wage growth to the unemployment rate. In this article, we present a comprehensive review of these non‐competitive models, highlighting recent contributions that try to eliminate the possible ‘gap’ that exists between the concepts of the wage curve, on the one hand, and the Phillips curve, on the other.
Incentives and the Efficiency of Public Sector‐outsourcing Contracts
Authors: Jensen Paul H. , Stonecash Robin E.
Published: November 2005

Abstract.  Outsourcing the provision of traditionally publicly provided services has become commonplace in most industrialized nations. Despite its prevalence, there still is no consensus in the academic literature on the magnitude (and determinants) of expected cost savings to the government, nor the sources of those savings. This article considers the arguments for (and against) outsourcing and then examines the empirical evidence pertaining to whether any observed savings occur and whether they persist over time. In addition, we examine the existing evidence for the ‘redistribution hypothesis’ and the ‘quality‐shading hypothesis’, which critics have used to argue that outsourcing lowers government expenditure by lowering wages and conditions and/or lower quality services. Finally, we consider the impact of contract design on outsourcing outcomes. While the power of incentives is a strong theme in economics, recent work has suggested that high‐powered incentives may be suboptimal for many public sector services, because they may crowd out intrinsic motivation, particularly in instances where agents are highly motivated. We discuss the implications of this insight for the efficiency of public sector outsourcing.
Fiscal Policy in the New Open Economy Macroeconomics and Prospects for Fiscal Policy Coordination
Authors: Coutinho Leonor
Published: November 2005

Abstract.  This paper reviews the literature on the effects of fiscal policy in new open economy macroeconomics (NOEM) models, complementing it with additional results that attempt to clarify the importance of the exchange rate regime (fixed or flexible) and of the type of policy (balanced budget or debt‐financed). Fixed exchange rates only seem to postpone the costs from the short to the long run, but the type of policy is crucial in determining the welfare impact of fiscal expansions. The paper also reviews the recent literature on fiscal policy coordination and shows that there is already some evidence that the gains from coordination in this area can be potentially large but draw attention to the need for reflecting more on the role of fiscal policy as a stabilization tool and on possible interactions between fiscal and monetary policy.
Syntactic variation and beyond: Gender  and social class variation in the use of  discourse‐new markers1
Authors: Cheshire Jenny
Published: November 2005

The paper explores the relations between syntactic variation and the large‐scale social dimensions of gender and social class. It argues on the basis of an analysis of the marking of discourse‐new entities in interview speech that syntactic variants may frequently be involved in sociolinguistic variation, but indirectly, as just one of a broad set of choices that includes forms drawn from other components of language besides syntax. The analysis shows that although there is no sociolinguistic variation in the use of the strategies speakers use to mark discourse‐new information, there are significant social class and gender differences in the use of Noun Phrases that are not marked. Whilst acknowledging the risks of generalising on the basis of large‐scale social categories, an interpretation of these differences is suggested in relation to findings from previous research that suggest differences in the interactive style of different gender and social class groups. The paper discusses some implications of the analysis for the fields of language variation and change, and pragmatics.
Appropriation of African American slang  by Asian American youth1
Authors: Reyes Angela
Published: November 2005

This article explores the ways in which Asian American teenagers creatively appropriated two African American slang terms: aite and na mean. While some teens racialized slang as belonging to African Americans, other teens authenticated identities as slang speakers. Through close analysis of slang‐in‐use and particularly of the metapragmatic discussions such uses inspired, this article examines how the teens specified relationships between language, race, age, region and class, while achieving multiple social purposes, such as identifying with African Americans, marking urban youth subcultural participation, and interactionally positioning themselves and others as teachers and students of slang. As slang emerged with local linguistic capital, the teens used slang to create social boundaries not only between teens and adults, but also between each other. The discursive salience of region implicitly indexed socio‐economic status and proximity to African Americans as markers that teens drew on to authenticate themselves and others as slang speakers.