bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip: is there a role for adjuvant radiotherapy in improving local control following incomplete or inadequate excision?
Authors: Babington Scott , Veness Michael J. , Cakir Burcu , Gebski Val J. , Morgan Gary J.
Published: August 2003

Background:  The treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip with surgery is usually curative but incomplete/inadequate excision may be associated with recurrence and poor outcome. There is no consensus in the literature on the definition of an adequate excision margin.

Methods:  Patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the lip at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, between 1980 and 2000 were eligible for inclusion. Polytomous logistic regression analysis was undertaken to assess for predictors of recurrence. Recurrence‐free and overall survival were calculated using Kaplan−Meier survival curves.

Results:  A total of 130 patients was identified. Median age at diagnosis was 64 years (23−97 years). Most lesions (90%) were located on the lower lip in 96 (74%) male patients. Median follow‐up duration was 54 months (0−189 months). Most patients ­presented with T1 lesions (75%). Initial treatment was surgery (39%), radiotherapy (48%) or both (13%). Twenty‐seven per cent of  excised lesions had a close (≤2 mm) or positive margin. A total of 40 patients (31%) had recurrence (18% lymph nodes, 11% lip and 2% both). In the surgery group recurrence was significantly more likely with close or positive margins (P = 0.05). The 2 year ­recurrence‐free survival was 82% and 54% for radiotherapy and surgery, respectively (P < 0.001). The 2 year overall survival was similar (90% radiotherapy vs 100% surgery; P = 0.58).

Conclusion:  Incomplete or inadequate excision of some lip cancers results in local recurrence. If re‐excision is not feasible ­surgeons should consider the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in improving local control.
Likelihood and Non‐parametric Bayesian MCMC Inference for Spatial Point Processes Based on Perfect Simulation and Path Sampling
Authors: Berthelsen Kasper K. , Møller Jesper
Published: August 2003

We consider the combination of path sampling and perfect simulation in the context of both likelihood inference and non‐parametric Bayesian inference for pairwise interaction point processes. Several empirical results based on simulations and analysis of a data set are presented, and the merits of using perfect simulation are discussed.
Fair Valuation of a Guaranteed Life Insurance Participating Contract Embedding a Surrender Option
Authors: Bacinello Anna Rita
Published: August 2003

Abstract

In this article we deal with the problem of pricing a guaranteed life insurance participating policy, sold in the Italian market, which embeds a surrender option. This feature is an American‐style put option that enables the policyholder to sell back the contract to the insurer at the cash surrender value. Employing a recursive binomial formula patterned after the Cox, Ross, and Rubinstein (1979) discrete option pricing model we compute, first of all, the total price of the contract, which also includes a compensation for the participation feature (“participation option,” henceforth). Then this price is split into the value of three components: the basic contract, the participation option, and the surrender option. The numerical implementation of the model allows us to catch some comparative statics properties and to tackle the problem of suitably fixing the contractual parameters in order to obtain the premium computed by insurance companies according to standard actuarial practice.
Controlling Nonconventional Expenditure: Tax Expenditures and Loans
Authors: Schick Allen
Published: August 2003

Tax expenditures, credits and guarantees, and other nonconventional expenditures are prominent features of the public finances of the United States and other industrialized democracies. While reliable data on these practices have generally been available only for a decade or less, there is reason to believe that these types of transactions now constitute a larger share of total public expenditure than they did in the past. This article discusses the concepts arid implications of two types of nonconventional expenditures—tax expendituures and loans—as well as recent efforts to bring them within the scope of the budget process. The article deals mostly with American practices, but it also draws on the experiences of other democratic countries.
Equal Employment Policy in France: Symbolic Support and a Mixed Record
Authors: LAUFER JACQUELINE
Published: August 2003

This article analyzes the policy framework for and the implementation of equal employment policy in France. After presenting the equal employment policy framework and the role of state feminist women's policy offices in its development, the author discusses the limited support for positive action strategies among French firms and unions. The implementation of equal employment policy has had a mixed record, often limited to symbolic gestures rather than concrete change. Contributing to this symbolic dynamic are the effects of reconciliation policy and the impact of the development of part‐time work on women employment. The analysis argues that reconciliation policy has not for its part always privileged an egalitarian set of measures that facilitates the sharing of family and domestic work between men and women. The article asserts that the development of part‐time work has contradicted equal employment policy efforts and has effectively contributed to maintaining women's positions in low‐paying and marginal jobs. The article concludes that despite an apparently comprehensive policy framework for equal employment policy in France, the situation of women workers appears to be followin two tracks: a top‐tier track of qualified, relatively well‐paid women who are able to have a career and to reconcile family and work, and a lower‐tier track of less‐skilled, lower‐paid women workers who continue to be marginalized on the labor market.
Traces for Star Products on the Dual of a Lie Algebra
Authors: Bieliavsky Pierre , Gutt Simone , Bordemann Martin , Waldmann Stefan
Published: August 2003

In this paper, we describe all traces for the BCH star-product on the dual of a Lie algebra. First we show by an elementary argument that the BCH as well as the Kontsevich star-product are strongly closed if and only if the Lie algebra is unimodular. In a next step we show that the traces of the BCH star-product are given by the ad-invariant functionals. Particular examples are the integration over coadjoint orbits. We show that for a compact Lie group and a regular orbit one can even achieve that this integration becomes a positive trace functional. In this case we explicitly describe the corresponding GNS representation. Finally we discuss how invariant deformations on a group can be used to induce deformations of spaces where the group acts on.
Role of LO Phonons in Optical Spectra of Quantum Dot Aggregates in Sub-Wetting Layer Region of Energy
Authors: Král K. , Zdeněk P. , Khás Z. , Čerňanský M.
Published: August 2003

Samples of the self-assembled polar semiconductor quantum dots, grown by the Stranski–Krastanow growth method, contain the wetting layer, representing the lowest barrier for the electronic excitations to get to the extended motion states. The scattering of electrons between the extended states and the electronic states localized in the individual quantum dots, with emission or absorption of optical phonons via Fröhlich's coupling, may influence the optical spectra of such samples in the sub-wetting layer region of the energy of electronic excitations. The contribution of this interaction to the appearance of the sub-wetting layer continuum in the optical spectra and to the level broadening of the localized states, is studied.
Site‐specific methylene blue delivery to pilosebaceous structures using highly porous nylon microspheres: An experimental evaluation
Authors: Mordon Serge , Sumian Chryslain , Devoisselle Jean Marie
Published: August 2003

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the penetration of methylene blue (MB)‐loaded microspheres into pilosebaceous structures of rats.

Materials and Methods

MB was incorporated into 5 µm highly porous nylon microspheres. The microspheres were dispersed into fluid silicone. Male hairless rats were used to evaluate the penetration of MB into hair follicles. After formulation application, MB diffusion was induced and skin biopsies were realized immediately, 2 and 26 hours after MB loaded microspheres application. MB fluorescence was observed with a microscope expanded for fluorescence microscopy.

Results

Position of microspheres and MB diffusion was dependent on delay between microspheres application and harvest. Inside the skin, MB was seen exclusively in the hair follicle and the sebaceous glands. MB diffusion varied from 160 ± 50 µm (2 hours after application) to 410 ± 70 µm (26 hours after application). MB was also found in the sebaceous glands.

Discussion

This study confirms that 5 µm microspheres are optimally deposited deep within the pilosebaceous structure. In agreement with the literature, when microspheres are topically applied on the skin, they penetrate via a “lipid‐rich channel” coating the hair follicles. MB is exclusively distributed in the hair follicles and their accessories.

Conclusion

This report presents evidence of MB pilosebaceous delivery through the use of microsphere formulation. This is obtained thanks to topical enhancement via the follicular route. This drug delivery system aims to transport MB into the pilosebaceous unit specifically and deeply. Various other applications could derive from this work. For example, such a method might be used to increase the therapeutic index of drugs directed at hair sebaceous gland disorders. Laser treatment of acne or laser hair removal could also benefit of this technique. Lasers Surg. Med. 33:119–125, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An experimental and theoretical study of the preferred hydrogen bonding site of methyl isothiocyanate
Authors: Illien Bertrand , Evain Karine , Berthelot Michel , Laurence Christian
Published: August 2003

The hydrogen‐bond acceptor properties of MeNCS were investigated in vacuo with theoretical (MP2 and DFT) calculations, in CCl4 and (CF3)2CHOH solutions by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and in the solid state through the Cambridge Structural Database. These methods show that MeNCS is a sulfur base in hydrogen bonding. The electrostatic potential at the molecular surface is more negative by 36 kJ mol−1 around S than around N. The hydrogen bonding of HF is more favorable to sulfur than to nitrogen by ca 5, 4 and 7 kJ mol−1, respectively, on the dissociation energy, enthalpy and Gibbs energy scales (B3LYP calculations). The selectivity of hydrogen bonding sites appears to be governed by a push–pull mechanism (electrons going from N to S) rather than by hardness. Towards a phenol, the order of sulfur basicity is . Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The dependence receptors DCC and UNC5H as a link between neuronal guidance and survival
Authors: Mehlen Patrick , Mazelin Laetitia
Published: August 2003

Netrins are secreted proteins that play a crucial role in neuronal migration and in axon guidance during the development of the nervous system. Netrin‐1 has been shown to interact with the transmembrane receptors DCC and UNC5H and these receptors appeared of key importance in mediating the chemotropic activity of netrin‐1. Before the discovery of DCC as a netrin‐1 receptor, the gene encoding DCC was proposed as a putative tumor suppressor gene because one DCC allele was deleted in roughly 70% of colorectal cancers and its expression was often reduced or absent in colorectal cancer tissues. A putative explanation for such dual roles has recently emerged with the observation that DCC belongs to the growing family of dependence receptors. Such receptors share the property of inducing apoptosis in the absence of ligand, hence creating a cellular state of dependence on the ligand. The other netrin‐1 receptors UNC5H were also subsequently proposed to be dependence receptors, suggesting that netrin‐1 may not only be a chemotropic factor for neurons but also a survival factor. We describe here netrin‐1 and its receptors, together with the molecular signaling pathways initiated upon netrin‐1 binding or upon netrin‐1 withdrawal leading respectively to axonal/neuronal guidance or cell death induction. We then conclude to the possible roles of DCC and UNC5H pro‐apoptotic activities in both nervous system development and tumorigenesis.
Alternative sites of injection for sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer
Authors: Celliers Liesl , Mann G. Bruce
Published: August 2003

Background:  Sentinel node biopsy is rapidly gaining popularity as a less invasive approach to nodal staging in breast cancer. The optimal route of injection of radiocolloids and dye is controversial. The purpose of the present paper was to review and assess the literature.

Methods:  A MEDLINE search for reports of studies involving different injection sites of colloid and/or dye was performed.

Results:  Although controversial, current evidence suggests that subareolar (SA) or intradermal/subdermal (ID/SD) injection will map the same axillary sentinel nodes (SN) as peritumoral (PT) injection in the vast majority of cases, is at least as successful, and is better logistically. Peritumoral, but not alternative routes, identify extra‐axillary sentinel nodes, which are important in a minority of patients.

Conclusions:  It is recommended that at least some of the radiocolloid be injected peritumorally to avoid missing those SN not located in the ipsilateral axilla. Injection of the dye and a portion of radiocolloid in an ID/SA location is reasonable to take advantage of the general ease and accuracy of ID/SA injections in identifying axillary SN.
Simple technique for identifying the linea alba in lower abdominal incisions
Authors: Bariol Simon V. , Lambrakis Paul , Cozzi Paul J.
Published: August 2003

Background:  Identification of the true midline in infra‐umbilical longitudinal incisions is often difficult. Traditional methods of identification can be unreliable.

Methods:  An alternative technique for identifying the linea alba, based on the attachments of the median umbilical ligament, is presented.

Results:  The technique is both reliable and reproducible in identifying the midline.

Conclusion:  This technique is recommended as a means of avoiding muscle incision and facilitating wound closure.
A Note on a Specification Test for Time Series Models Based on Spectral Density Estimation
Authors: Dette Holger , Spreckelsen Ingrid
Published: August 2003

In a recent paper, Paparoditis [Scand. J. Statist. 27 (2000) 143] proposed a new goodness‐of‐fit test for time series models based on spectral density estimation. The test statistic is based on the distance between a kernel estimator of the ratio of the true and the hypothesized spectral density and the expected value of the estimator under the null and provides a quantification of how well the parametric density fits the sample spectral density. In this paper, we give a detailed asymptotic analysis of the corresponding procedure under fixed alternatives.
The Value of a Life: New Evidence of the Relationship Between Changes in Occupational Fatalities and Wages of Hourly Workers, 1992 to 1999
Authors: Jennings William P. , Kinderman Albert
Published: August 2003

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies use the willingness‐to‐pay concept in labor market studies to estimate the value of a life for evaluating regulatory policies and projects. This study uses new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 1992–1999 on industry injury and illness rates and fatality rates to examine the relationship between changes in occupational mortality rates and in hourly wages. The analysis finds that there is no statistically significant evidence that changes in occupational mortality are associated with changes in wages and, thus, there is no empirical basis for using the willingness‐to‐pay concept as a reliable method for valuing a life or evaluating regulatory policies.
Parity Reform in France: Promises and Pitfalls
Authors: BAUDINO CLAUDIE
Published: August 2003

In the 1990s, a new social movement emerged in France to address the underrepresentation of women in elected bodies and to promote womens's and men's equal representation, in French called parité. On the eve of the twenty‐first century, the movement achieved its main goal—a constitutional reform. The purpose of this article is to present both the promises of the parity movement and the limits of the reform. During the 1990s, parity reform appeared as a tool to achieve sex‐based political equality, but it was also seen as an indicator of feminist movement renewal and of improving French democracy. The legal texts adopted in 1999 and 2000 did not keep the promises of the movement. While the legal obligations and financial incentives in the reforms established new mechanisms for achieving parity between the sexes in elected office, they have not yet translated into actual parity in electoral outcomes.
Perturbation Theory of W*-Dynamics, Liouvilleans and KMS-States
Authors: Dereziński J. , Jakšić V. , Pillet C.-A.
Published: August 2003

Given a W*-algebra [Formula: see text] with a W*-dynamics τ, we prove the existence of the perturbed W*-dynamics for a large class of unbounded perturbations. We compute its Liouvillean. If τ has a β-KMS state, and the perturbation satisfies some mild assumptions related to the Golden–Thompson inequality, we prove the existence of a β-KMS state for the perturbed W*-dynamics. These results extend the well known constructions due to Araki valid for bounded perturbations.
The Electron Localization in the Quasicrystal-Like System
Authors: Kanazawa I.
Published: August 2003

By using the thermal Green's function technique, we consider the transport properties in a randomly distributed system of the aggregation that corresponds to the correlated unit-cell configurations, in which the nearest distance between each configuration is ~ 2π/2k F . We introduce the temperature dependence of the conductivity of the quasicrystal-like system.
Endovenous laser treatment to promote venous occlusion
Authors: Parente Eric J. , Rosenblatt Melvin
Published: August 2003

Background and Objectives

Current treatment methods of superficial venous insufficiency (SVI) can be painful or result in incomplete occlusion. The objective of this study was to evaluate a technique for laser endovenous ablation with a newly developed diffuser fiber.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Six lateral saphenous veins in three goats were used. A specifically designed diffuser laser fiber tip was employed in all trials to deliver a wavelength of 1,064 nm. Each segment was treated with a different energy fluence by changing the power setting of the laser or the withdrawal rate of the fiber. Energy fluence was calculated by dividing the Joules employed for each segment over the internal surface area of the vessel. Segments were evaluated with ultrasound and histologically.

Results

Seventy‐five percent of the segments were occluded when an energy fluence of greater than 85 J/cm2 was employed. No perforations were observed, but perivascular changes were more common at higher energy fluence.

Conclusions

Endovenous laser occlusion of veins with minimal perivascular effects can be achieved with laser wavelengths of 1,064 nm if an energy fluence of 84.9–224 J/cm2 is employed and circumferential effect is achieved. Lasers Surg. Med. 33:115–118, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis of chromosome abnormalities: implications from the outcome for couples with chromosomal rearrangements
Authors: Simopoulou M. , Harper J. C. , Fragouli E. , Mantzouratou A. , Speyer B. E. , Serhal P. , Ranieri D. M. , Doshi A. , Henderson J. , Rodeck C. H. , Delhanty J. D. A.
Published: August 2003

Objectives

Chromosomal rearrangements can lead to infertility or repeated spontaneous or induced abortions. The use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) allows the selected transfer of chromosomally balanced embryos. The aim of this study was to carry out detailed analysis of the outcome of 11 PGD cycles for 8 patients carrying various chromosomal rearrangements.

Methods

Patients underwent routine in vitro fertilisation with biopsy of embryos on day 3. Specific fluorescent in situ hybridisation protocols were developed for each couple. Embryo transfer was possible in all 11 cycles.

Results

The outcome was four pregnancies, leading to three live births and one biochemical pregnancy. Post‐zygotic mosaicism was detected in 75% of untransferred embryos, the majority of which were chaotic. Detailed follow‐up and analysis provided evidence for the co‐existence of chromosomally balanced and abnormal cells in six embryos. The mechanisms involved included chromosome breakage and loss of material.

Conclusions

Biopsy and analysis of two blastomeres, where possible, reduced the risk of misdiagnosis in cases of balanced/aneuploid mosaics. The three live births achieved for the eight couples treated in this series, despite the poor history in almost all cases, is further proof that a policy of biopsying two cells from embryos consisting of six or more cells and a single cell from four‐ or five‐cell embryos is compatible with a positive outcome. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prioritizing patients for elective surgery: a systematic review
Authors: MacCormick Andrew D. , Collecutt Wayne G. , Parry Bryan R.
Published: August 2003

Background:  Priority scoring tools are mooted as means for dealing with burgeoning elective surgical waiting lists. There is ongoing development work in New Zealand, Canada and the UK. This emerging international perspective is invaluable in determining the application of these tools and addressing any pitfalls.

Methods:  A systematic electronic literature review was performed. Information was also retrieved using a search of reference lists of all papers included in the review and contact with those who were involved in the development of such criteria.

Results:  The ethical basis of prioritization differed among priority scoring tools and in a number was not stated. The majority of tools covered criteria for specific procedures. Delphi consensus methods and regression were the predominant methods for ­deter­mining ­specific criteria. Authors’ opinions were the main source of generic criteria. Linear and non‐linear models or matrices sum­mated criteria.

Conclusion:  There is debate over the ethical basis for prioritization. It is a concern that it is not addressed in many studies. The development of generic criteria showed a dearth of consensus approaches that represents a significant gap in our knowledge. On the aspects of summation and weighting, the impact of assumptions on the prioritization of patients may not have been fully explored.
Endoluminal thoracic aortic repair: does the parachute need to be randomized?
Authors: Buckenham Tim , O'Neill‐Kerr David
Published: August 2003

Development of endoluminal repair has substantially reduced mortality and morbidity associated with repair of the thoracic aorta. It has significant advantages over conventional surgical repair, particularly in the management of acute dissection and thoracic aortic injury. Despite these perceived advantages it is important to realize that no level 1 data are available to prove safety and/or efficacy. Because the advantages are perceived to be so great these data are unable to be accrued and it is important that clinicians involved with this procedure keep rigorous data and undertake ongoing evaluation to ensure that clinical perceptions are eventually underpinned by robust data.
Long‐term review of a breast conservation series and patterns of care over 18 years
Authors: Pendlebury Susan C. , Ivanov Olga , Renwick Stuart , Stevens Graham N.
Published: August 2003

Background:  Multiple randomized trials of breast conservation compared with mastectomy in early breast cancer have validated equivalence of survival. Overwhelmingly the standard management of breast conservation includes surgical removal of the tumour, axillary dissection, postoperative breast irradiation, and adjuvant systemic therapy as appropriate. The outcomes are reviewed of 832 women with early breast cancer treated by local resection and irradiation at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital over an 18 year period, with particular emphasis on the changing patterns of practice.

Methods:  Between September 1978 and May 1996, 832 women with early stage breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery and radiation therapy. The changes in patient, tumour and treatment factors were analysed over this time period. The outcomes of local recurrence and survival were recorded. Trends in patterns of these variables were evaluated by dividing the 18 years accrual period into three consecutive periods (1978−1983, n = 28; 1984−1990, n = 392; 1991−1996, n = 412).

Results:  At a median follow up of 76 months, the 5 and 10 year actuarial local recurrence rates were 4% and 6%, respectively. Half of the local recurrences were at the primary site. Young age, extensive intraduct carcinoma, oestrogen receptor (ER) status and extranodal spread were predictive of local recurrence on multivariate analysis. The 5 and 10 year overall survival rates were 88% and 73%, respectively. Actuarial 5 year local recurrence (4%, 6%, 2%) and survival (96%, 88%, 92%) rates varied little across the three time intervals. There was an increase in median age from 46 to 56 years over the accrual period, with no change in median primary tumour size (1.5 cm). There were significant histopathological improvements in reporting margin status and ER status. Surgically, the median number of axillary lymph nodes retrieved (14) did not alter significantly. With respect to adjuvant therapies, irradiation of lymph nodes regions decreased over time. The proportion of patients receiving adjuvant hormones or chemotherapy increased sig­nificantly (18%, 35%, 54%).

Conclusions:  The low local recurrence rate and high survival are consistent with published literature for early breast cancer. Changes in practice during the accrual period included improvements in histopathological reporting, a reduction in irradiation of lymph node regions, and an increase in the use of systemic therapy. These changes parallel international recommendations regarding the optimal management of early breast cancer.
A Likelihood Based Estimating Equation for the Clayton–Oakes Model with Marginal Proportional Hazards
Authors: Pipper Christian Bressen , Martinussen Torben
Published: August 2003

Multivariate failure time data arise when data consist of clusters in which the failure times may be dependent. A popular approach to such data is the marginal proportional hazards model with estimation under the working independence assumption. In this paper, we consider the Clayton–Oakes model with marginal proportional hazards and use the full model structure to improve on efficiency compared with the independence analysis. We derive a likelihood based estimating equation for the regression parameters as well as for the correlation parameter of the model. We give the large sample properties of the estimators arising from this estimating equation. Finally, we investigate the small sample properties of the estimators through Monte Carlo simulations.
A Non‐parametric Frailty Model for Temporally Clustered Multivariate Failure Times
Authors: Härkänen Tommi , Hausen Hannu , Virtanen Jorma I. , Arjas Elja
Published: August 2003

Abstract A model is introduced here for multivariate failure time data arising from heterogenous populations. In particular, we consider a situation in which the failure times of individual subjects are often temporally clustered, so that many failures occur during a relatively short age interval. The clustering is modelled by assuming that the subjects can be divided into ‘internally homogenous’ latent classes, each such class being then described by a time‐dependent frailty profile function. As an example, we reanalysed the dental caries data presented earlier in Härkänen et al. [Scand. J. Statist. 27 (2000) 577], as it turned out that our earlier model could not adequately describe the observed clustering.
The Use of Replicates in Logistic Measurement Error Modelling
Authors: Thoresen Magne , Laake Petter
Published: August 2003

The use of replicates is essential in logistic measurement error models with random, additive error, as it gives a consistent estimate of the variance of the measurement error. In this paper, we investigate two different aspects of the use of replicates. We look into the efficiency gain in using more than two replicates in situations where the replicates are correlated. We find that, unlike the situation with independent replicates, the efficiency gain is an almost linear function of the number of replicates. Further, we study the allocation of replicates among study subjects, and find that the optimal way of doing this is to allocate few replicates to as many subjects as possible, rather than allocating many replicates to fewer subjects.
Linear Regression Models under Conditional Independence Restrictions
Authors: Causeur David , Dhorne Thierry
Published: August 2003

Maximum likelihood estimation is investigated in the context of linear regression models under partial independence restrictions. These restrictions aim to assume a kind of completeness of a set of predictors Z in the sense that they are sufficient to explain the dependencies between an outcome Y and predictors X: ℒ(Y|Z, X) = ℒ(Y|Z), where ℒ(·|·) stands for the conditional distribution. From a practical point of view, the former model is particularly interesting in a double sampling scheme where Y and Z are measured together on a first sample and Z and X on a second separate sample. In that case, estimation procedures are close to those developed in the study of double‐regression by Engel & Walstra (1991) and Causeur & Dhorne (1998). Properties of the estimators are derived in a small sample framework and in an asymptotic one, and the procedure is illustrated by an example from the food industry context.
On the Distribution of Cash Flows Using Esscher Transforms
Authors: Vyncke D. , Goovaerts M. J. , De Schepper A. , Kaas R. , Dhaene J.
Published: August 2003

Abstract

In their seminal paper, Gerber and Shiu (1994) introduced the concept of the Esscher transform for option pricing. As examples they considered the shifted Poisson process, the random walk, a shifted gamma process, and a shifted inverse Gaussian process to describe the logarithm of the stock price. In the present article it is shown how upper and lower bounds in convex order can be obtained when we use these types of models to describe the stochastic accumulation factors for a given cash flow.
Zero Base Budgeting: The Manager's Budget
Authors: Schick Allen , Hatry Harry
Published: August 2003

This article offers an assessment of zero‐base budgeting (ZBB) derived from a field study conducted by the Urban Institute and supported by the National Science Foundation. Four cities and four states participated in the study, and several hundred public officials were interviewed.
Teaching Budgeting: A Basic Course in Public Sector Financial Management
Authors: Berne Robert
Published: August 2003

In recent years, many graduate schools of public administration have introduced concentrations or tracks in public financial management. We hope that Professor Berne's description of the introductory course at New York University will provoke responses, particularly from practitioners. Those of us who are academics do have a responsibility to public sector managers!
The Politics of Defense Allocations in Western Europe
Authors: Dror Yehezkel
Published: August 2003

This article discusses some features of the politics of defense allocations in Western Europe as a case of budgeting under conditions of diminishing capacity to govern, coupled with harsher constraints on public expenditures. While defense allocations have a number of unique characteristics, nevertheless they share many common features with other budgeting problems. Therefore, this case may also serve to bring out some of the growing problematics of budgeting traditions and budgeting practices as a whole.
Optimal Government Budgeting Contingency Reserve Funds
Authors: Vasche Jon David , Williams Brad
Published: August 2003

During recent years, more state and local governments have made provisions in their budgets for establishing and maintaining contingency reserve funds. A recent study by the National Conference of State Legislatures(NCSL) found that over half of all states now have such funds. The basic purpose of these contingency reserve funds, also referred to as “rainy day” funds, is to insulate governmental budgets from unexpected fiscal disruptions brought about by such factors as unanticipated revenue shortfalls and expenditure overruns. What have received less attention, however, are the criteria which governments need to use in deciding whether to establish such contingency reserves in the first place, and if so, how large these reserves should optimally be. This article explores these two issues, using the State of California as an illustrative case study
Much Ado about Nothing? Political Representation Policies and the Influence of Women Parliamentarians in Germany
Authors: MEYER BIRGIT
Published: August 2003

Up to the early 1980s, the percentage of women in the West German parliament remained under 10%—no more than in the very first election in which women were allowed to participate in 1918. The election of the Green Party to the Bundestag in 1983, with the aid of the party's 50% quota‐policy, increased this figure dramatically. Since this watershed election, the number of female parliamentarians has risen continuously: at the federal level reaching 32% in 2002 and at the state levels varying between 21% and 42%. In Germany, political representation policies are the exclusive domain of the political parties. This article, therefore, first analyses the aims and the performances of the main German political parties: the Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats, the Liberals, the Greens, and the Party of Democratic Socialism in the field of equal representation of women in politics, and it endeavors to shed light on their perceptions of women and gender equality. To determine whether women actually make a difference in elected office, the article next analyses the role of women parliamentarians in some of the major policies that affected the legal status of women and families in postwar Germany from 1949 to the 1990s. It concludes that women members of parliament (MPs), supported by other women's groups, have greatly influenced these policy‐making processes and, thus, the political culture in Germany.
Cancer and Aging: Yin, Yang, and p53
Authors: Campisi Judith
Published: August 2003

The author discusses a recent paper published in
Nature
that shows that a hyperactive allele of the tumor suppressor p53 leads to the development of some premature aging phenotypes in mice. This new discovery is discussed in light of previous findings related to mechanisms of aging.
Is Postmenopausal Life-Span a Gift of Modern Health or a Product of Natural Selection?
Authors: Holmes Donna J.
Published: August 2003

The author discusses how researchers from various scientific disciplines view the origins of and mechanisms (evolutionary as well as physiological) underlying menopause in humans. She describes presentations from a symposium centered around interdisciplinary perspectives on female reproductive aging. Comparative zoology, primatology, and anthropology have much to contribute to our understanding of human menopause; hence the symposium contained speakers representing these subdisciplines, as well as the more typical disciplines of endocrinology and neurobiology.
Comparison of the use of endoscopic and radiologic gastrostomy in a single head and neck cancer unit
Authors: Neeff Michel , Crowder Victoria L. , McIvor Nicholas P. , Chaplin John M. , Morton Randall P.
Published: August 2003

Background:  Head and neck cancer patients frequently require gastrostomy feeding. Different insertion techniques have been described. The aim of the present study was to compare clinical results of percutaneous endoscopic and radiological gastrostomies in patients treated in a regional head and neck cancer unit.

Methods:  The records of patients who received either percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) or percutaneous radiological gastrostomy (PRG) between August 1997 and February 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. Documented complications (leak, infection, nausea and vomiting, ileus, bleeding, peritonitis) were recorded, compared and evaluated.

Results:  There were 74 patients (56 PEG, 18 PRG), most with stage III and IV head and neck malignancy. There was a sig­nificantly lower incidence of complications in PEG than PRG (11% vs 44%, P = 0.004). There was a delay of feeding due to tube placement in 4% of PEG and 22% of PRG (P < 0.025). Major complications occurred in 3.6% and 5.6% of PEG and PRG, respectively. Generally the complication rate for either form of gastrostomy was comparable with other studies. No procedure‐related deaths occurred.

Conclusion:  Selection bias, technique and tube type appeared to influence the complication rate in the present review. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy will remain the authors’ preferred method while PRG will be reserved for those cases for whom endoscopic placement is deemed to be impractical.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: an evaluation of the prognostic value of the lung‐to‐head ratio and other prenatal parameters
Authors: Laudy J. A. M. , Van Gucht M. , Van Dooren M. F. , Wladimiroff J. W. , Tibboel D.
Published: August 2003

Objectives

A retrospective analysis of the prognostic significance of the lung‐to‐head ratio (LHR) and other prenatal parameters on the outcome of fetuses with left‐sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

Methods

A total of 26 fetuses with isolated left CDH without chromosomal abnormalities were included. Twenty‐one LHR measurements could retrospectively be calculated from the last available ultrasonographic recordings before birth. The relationship between LHR and fetal outcome and the gestational age dependency of this relation was tested. Cutoff levels as previously published were applied to determine their predictive value in this population. The association between other prenatal predictive variables and fetal outcome was also determined. Survival was defined as discharge from the hospital.

Results

The overall survival rate was 50%. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean LHR of the survivors compared to the mean LHR of the nonsurvivors (1.78 vs 1.02), whereas the mean gestational age of these two groups did not differ. LHR was not gestational age dependent in the prediction of fetal outcome. The cutoff levels LHR <1, 1–1.4, >1.4 showed a good applicability in the prediction of fetal outcome within the present study population with a 100% survival if LHR >1.4 and a 100% mortality if LHR <1. An intrathoracic position of the stomach, mediastinal shift, polyhydramnios as individual variables and early diagnosis (<25 weeks' gestation) revealed to be poor sonographic predictors for fetal outcome.

Conclusion

LHR proved to be a good predictor for fetal outcome, independent of gestational age at the time of the measurement. To substantiate our observation, a prospective multicenter study is warranted. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinetics and mechanism of (salen)MnIII‐catalysed oxidation of organic sulfides with sodium hypochlorite
Authors: Chellamani Arunachalam , Harikengaram Sivalingam
Published: August 2003

The oxidation of organic sulfides with several substituted oxo(salen)manganese(V) complexes was investigated in 90% acetonitrile–10% water and the reaction is second‐order overall, first‐order each in sulfide and complex. Electron‐releasing substituents in sulfides and electron‐withdrawing substituents in oxo(salen)manganese(V) complexes accelerate the rate of oxidation. The second‐order rate constants for the oxidation of p‐substituted phenyl methyl sulfides follow a linear Hammett relationship with ρ = −1.85. However, correlation between log k2 and 2σ is excellent with ρ = 0.48 for the oxidation of thioanisole by substituted oxomanganese(V) complexes. The rate of oxidation of alkyl phenyl sulfides and dialkyl sulfides with oxo complexes was also examined and the reactions show a moderate steric effect. Substituent, acid and solvent effect studies reveal the operation of an SN2 mechanism. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Equity Risk, Conversion Risk, and the Demand for Insurance
Authors: Garratt Rod , Marshall John M.
Published: August 2003

Abstract

Existing insurance theory fails when applied to real property because it does not account for variations in the economic environment. The article studies optimal property insurance in the presence of two sources of variation: equity risk and conversion risk. Equity risk is randomness of the value of a property. It tends to raise demand for conventional insurance. In contrast, conversion risk is randomness in the value the property would have if, after severe damage, it were converted to the highest‐valued use. It is distinct from equity risk because the highest‐valued use is typically not the current one. Under independent conversion risk, the optimum upper limit is a compromise among underlying conversion thresholds. Absent independence, the optimum can be quite different. Conversion risk can raise or lower the demand for property insurance. Insurance contracts that fail to address conversion tend to undermine the orderly disposition of obligations and reduce the gains from reallocation of risks through insurance.
Emerging Roles of School District Administrators: Implications for Planning, Budgeting, and Management
Authors: Hentschke Guilbert C.
Published: August 2003

School district administrators are defining new roles for themselves, adding to their more traditional role. The traditional role is characteristic of purely “public sector” managers, whereas the emerging roles are more characteristic of purely “private sector” managers (both the for‐profit and not‐for‐profit private sectors). A primary cause of the development of the new role is that school administrators are beginning to pursue revenue‐generating opportunities via private sector models due to the limits of the public sector model. The traditional role, the new role, and the implications of their mutual presence in school districts are examined in this paper.
Screening for Speech and Language Delay and Disorders in Children
Authors:   US Preventive Services Task Force, Barry Michael J. , Nicholson Wanda K. , Silverstein Michael , Chelmow David , Coker Tumaini Rucker , Davis Esa M. , Donahue Katrina E. , Jaén Carlos Roberto , Li Li , Mangione Carol M. , Ogedegbe Gbenga , Rao Goutham , Ruiz John M. , Stevermer James , Tsevat Joel , Underwood Sandra Millon , Wong John B.
Published: January 2024

Importance

Speech and language delays and disorders can pose significant problems for children and their families. Evidence suggests that school-aged children with speech or language delays may be at increased risk of learning and literacy disabilities, including difficulties with reading and writing.

Objective

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review to evaluate benefits and harms of screening for speech and language delay and disorders in children 5 years or younger.

Population

Asymptomatic children 5 years or younger whose parents or clinicians do not have specific concerns about their speech, language, hearing, or development.

Evidence Assessment

The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for speech and language delay and disorders in children who do not present with signs or symptoms or parent/caregiver concerns.

Recommendation

The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for speech and language delay and disorders in children 5 years or younger without signs or symptoms. (I statement)
Platelet Transfusion and Death or Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Children Born Extremely Preterm
Authors: Davenport Patricia E. , Wood Thomas R. , Heagerty Patrick J. , Sola-Visner Martha C. , Juul Sandra E. , Patel Ravi M.
Published: January 2024

Importance

Infants born extremely preterm receive transfusions at higher platelet count thresholds than older children and adults due to concerns for intracranial hemorrhage. A recent randomized trial comparing 2 platelet transfusion thresholds showed the higher threshold was associated with increased risk of long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Objective

To evaluate the association of platelet transfusion exposure with death and severe neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 2 years’ corrected age in a cohort of infants born extremely preterm.

Design, Setting, and Participants

An observational cohort study and secondary analysis of the Preterm Erythropoietin Neuroprotection Trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of erythropoietin neuroprotection in neonates born extremely preterm, was conducted in 30 neonatal intensive care units in the US from December 1, 2013, to September 31, 2016. This analysis included 819 infants born extremely preterm at 24 to 27 completed weeks of gestation who had a documented outcome (death or neurodevelopmental assessment). Analysis was performed in April 2023.

Exposures

Any platelet transfusion during neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary composite outcome was death or severe NDI evaluated at 2 years’ corrected age using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development–Third Edition (BSID-III) and the Gross Motor Function Classification System and was defined as the presence of severe cerebral palsy or a BSID-III composite motor or cognitive score 2 SDs below the mean. Confounding by indication for platelet transfusion was addressed with covariate adjustment and propensity score methods.

Results

Of the 819 infants included in the analysis (429 [52.4%] male; mean [SD] gestational age, 25.5 [1.1] weeks), 245 (30.0%) received at least 1 platelet transfusion during their initial hospitalization. The primary outcome occurred in 46.5% (114 of 245) of infants exposed to a platelet transfusion and 13.9% (80 of 574) of nonexposed infants with a corresponding odds ratio of 2.43 (95% CI, 1.24-4.76), adjusted for propensity score, gestational age at birth, and trial treatment group. The individual components of death and severe NDI were directionally consistent with the overall composite outcome.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this study suggest that platelet transfusion in infants born extremely preterm may be associated with an increased risk of death or severe NDI at 2 years’ corrected age, although the possibility of residual confounding by indication cannot be excluded.