bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron Backscattered Diffraction of MonoCrystalline Bismuth Titanate
Authors: Palizdar Meghdad , Palizdar Yahya , Comyn Tim P. , Bell Andrew J.
Published: September 2010

Bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) is an important precursor in the fabrication of textured piezoelectric materials using reactive template grain growth. We report on a study of the crystallographic orientation of bismuth titanate platelets, grown via molten salt synthesis. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) of single platelets reveals that they have a unique crystallographic orientation, with the small thickness direction commensurate with the c‐axis. X‐ray diffraction of platelets drop cast onto a glass substrate confirm this orientation; this time, the platelets are strongly textured with the c‐axis normal to the glass substrate surface. Contrary to EBSD experiments on ceramic materials, no specialist sample preparation such as polishing or coating was required; a suspension of the powders in isoproponal alcohol was simply drop cast onto an scanning electron microscopic stub.
Periodontal disease and quality of life in British adults
Authors: Bernabé Eduardo , Marcenes Wagner
Published: September 2010

Bernabé E, Marcenes W. Periodontal disease and quality of life in British adults. J Clin Periodontol 2010; 37: 968–972. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐051X.2010.01627.x.

Aim: To explore the association between periodontal disease and quality of life in British adults, independently of demographic factors, socioeconomic position and other common oral conditions.

Materials and Methods: This is a cross‐sectional study of 3122 dentate adults who participated in the 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey in the United Kingdom. The short‐form oral health impact profile (OHIP‐14) was used to assess oral health‐related quality of life. Periodontal disease was defined as having at least two proximal sites with loss of attachment 4 mm and one proximal site with pocket depth 4 mm, not necessarily on the same tooth. The association between periodontal disease and the OHIP‐14 score was assessed in unadjusted, partially adjusted and fully adjusted models.

Results: Periodontal disease was associated with the OHIP‐14 score (rate ratio: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.16–1.38), even after adjustment for demographic factors (sex, age and English region or country), socioeconomic position (educational attainment and household income) and clinical conditions (number of teeth, partial denture use, dental caries, traumatic dental injuries and tooth wear).

Conclusion: Periodontal disease was associated with quality of life, independent of socio‐demographic characteristics and other conditions present in the mouth.
Selective Recapture of Secretory Granule Components After Full Collapse Exocytosis in Neuroendocrine Chromaffin Cells
Authors: Ceridono Mara , Ory Stéphane , Momboisse Fanny , Chasserot‐Golaz Sylvette , Houy Sébastien , Calco Valérie , Haeberlé Anne‐Marie , Demais Valérie , Bailly Yannick , Bader Marie‐France , Gasman Stéphane
Published: September 2010

In secretory cells, calcium‐regulated exocytosis is rapidly followed by compensatory endocytosis. Neuroendocrine cells secrete hormones and neuropeptides through various modes of exo‐endocytosis, including kiss‐and‐run, cavicapture and full‐collapse fusion. During kiss‐and‐run and cavicapture modes, the granule membrane is maintained in an omega shape, whereas it completely merges with the plasma membrane during full‐collapse mode. As the composition of the granule membrane is very different from that of the plasma membrane, a precise sorting process of granular proteins must occur. However, the fate of secretory granule membrane after full fusion exocytosis remains uncertain.

Here, we investigated the mechanisms governing endocytosis of collapsed granule membranes by following internalization of antibodies labeling the granule membrane protein, dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase (DBH) in cultured chromaffin cells. Using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, we observed that after full collapse, DBH remains clustered on the plasma membrane with other specific granule markers and is subsequently internalized through vesicular structures composed mainly of granule components. Moreover, the incorporation of this recaptured granule membrane into an early endosomal compartment is dependent on clathrin and actin. Altogether, these results suggest that after full collapse exocytosis, a selective sorting of granule membrane components is facilitated by the physical preservation of the granule membrane entity on the plasma membrane.
The prevalence of wasting in Czech infants: a comparison of the WHO child growth standards and the Czech growth references
Authors: Vignerová Jana , Paulová Markéta , Shriver Lenka H. , Riedlová Jitka , Schneidrová Dagmar , Kudlová Eva , Lhotská Lída
Published: September 2010

The objective of this descriptive study was to evaluate the performance of the international World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standards in the Czech Republic and determine the prevalence of wasting among children using the 1991 Czech growth reference and the WHO growth standards. The study utilized the 2006 WHO Child Growth Standards and the 1991 Czech growth references. The WHO standards were based on a longitudinal study of 882 children aged 0–24 months and on cross‐sectional studies of 6669 children aged 18–71 months. The 1991 Czech growth references were based on a cross‐sectional survey including 90 910 children aged 0–18 years (34 164 were children aged < 5 years). The prevalence of wasting was significantly higher among Czech children when using the WHO growth standards compared with the Czech references. The prevalence of wasting among 0–5‐month‐old children was 15.5% among boys and 12.9% among girls compared with the expected 2.3% of the WHO standards. In the length category of 50 cm, 9.0% of boys and 9.9% of girls fell under the WHO wasting cut‐off compared with the 3% from the Czech growth reference. The application of the WHO growth standards may results in a significant increase of Czech children classified in the category of wasting, especially among infants aged 0–5 months. The performance and potential impacts of the WHO growth standards should be evaluated further before their adoption in the Czech Republic and other countries with local growth references.
Aging and Family Life: A Decade Review
Authors: Silverstein Merril , Giarrusso Roseann
Published: September 2010

In this review, we summarize and critically evaluate the major empirical, conceptual, and theoretical directions that studies of aging families have taken during the first decade of the 21st century. The field has benefited from an expanded perspective based on four overarching themes: (a) complexity in emotional relations, (b) diversity in family structures and households, (c) interdependence of family roles and functions, and (d) patterns and outcomes of caregiving. Although research on aging families has advanced theory and applied innovative statistical techniques, the literature has fallen short in fully representing diverse populations and in applying the broadest set of methodological tools available. We discuss these and other frontier areas of scholarship in light of the aging of baby boomers and their families.
Children With Nonresident Parents: Living Arrangements, Visitation, and Child Support
Authors: Stewart Susan D.
Published: September 2010

One third of all children in the United States have a nonresident parent. On the basis of 13,085 children with a nonresident parent drawn from the 1997 National Survey of America's Families, this study examines nonresident mothers' and fathers' involvement (visitation and child support) with children who reside in different household types: single‐parent families, married and cohabiting stepfamilies, and families headed by grandparents, other relatives, or nonrelatives. The relationship between children's living arrangements and nonresident parent involvement is complex and depends on both the gender of the nonresident parent and the type of involvement. Because nonresident parent involvement is low regardless of household type, policies and programs designed to increase involvement should include children in a variety of family forms.
Sex Differences in Parenting Behaviors in Single‐Mother and Single‐Father Households
Authors: Dufur Mikaela J. , Howell Nyssa C. , Downey Douglas B. , Ainsworth James W. , Lapray Alice J.
Published: September 2010

Research on family structure has led some to claim that sex‐based parenting differences exist. But if such differences exist in single‐parent families, the absence of a second parent rather than specific sex‐typed parenting might explain them. We examine differences in mothering and fathering behavior in single‐parent households, where number of parents is held constant, and we describe individualist and structuralist perspectives for potential sex‐based parenting behaviors. We compare 3,202 single mothers and 307 single fathers in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (Kindergarten Cohort). Results suggest that, although there are small differences in the parenting behaviors of single mothers and single fathers, differences are sensitive to demographic disparities and do not translate to academic deficits for children in either family type.
The Reproductive Context of Cohabitation in the United States: Recent Change and Variation in Contraceptive Use
Authors: Sweeney Megan M.
Published: September 2010

Drawing on data from 2 waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 11,065), the current research addressed 2 overarching questions about the reproductive context of cohabitation in the United States. First, did patterns of contraceptive use among cohabitors change during the last 2 decades of the 20th century? Second, did patterns of contraceptive use among cohabiting women tend to vary by education or race/ethnicity? Results point to a growing resemblance between never‐married cohabiting women and those in first marriages in the likelihood of using a “very effective” contraceptive method and suggest that cohabitation is most “marriage like” with respect to reproductive behavior among the least educated.
Patterns of Change in Marital Satisfaction Over the Newlywed Years
Authors: Lavner Justin A. , Bradbury Thomas N.
Published: September 2010

Although marital satisfaction starts high and declines for the average newlywed, some spouses may follow qualitatively distinct trajectories. Using 8 self‐reports of satisfaction collected over 4 years from 464 newlywed spouses, we identified 5 trajectory groups, including patterns defined by high intercepts and no declines in satisfaction, moderate intercepts and minimal declines, and low intercepts and substantial declines. The groups varied systematically in their 4‐ and 10‐year divorce rates, and wives tended to follow more satisfying trajectories than their husbands. Personality traits, stress, aggression, and communication behaviors assessed shortly after marriage discriminated among groups in expected directions. We conclude by outlining theoretical and practical implications of identifying distinct and predictable patterns of change in relationship satisfaction.
Selection, Alignment, and Their Interplay: Origins of Lifestyle Homogamy in Couple Relationships
Authors: Becker Oliver Arránz , Lois Daniel
Published: September 2010

The present study examines different processes leading to lifestyle homogamy in married and cohabiting couples using data from the German Socioeconomic Panel (n = 3,490 couples). The analyses first suggest that alignment over time promotes homogamy of leisure‐related lifestyles, especially with respect to action‐oriented activities. However, intermediate stages in the life course (i.e., phases of active parenting and labor force participation) tend to inhibit alignment, whereas cues indicating a high‐quality match (e.g., educational homogamy and being in a long‐term or a marital relationship) promote alignment. Second, we find evidence for selection effects in that not only homogamy but also convergence of lifestyles over time may increase couples' resilience to relationship breakup.
Nonstandard Work and Marital Instability: Evidence From the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
Authors: Kalil Ariel , Ziol‐Guest Kathleen M. , Levin Epstein Jodie
Published: September 2010

This article replicated and extended Harriet Presser's (2000) investigation of the linkages between nonstandard work and marital instability. We reexplored this question using data from a sample of 2,893 newlywed couples from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) and using different analytic techniques. In contrast to Presser, we found that the key dimension of husbands' and wives' employment was nonemployment. Similar to Presser, we found that wives' working of fixed night shifts increased the risk of divorce, driven by the experience in marriages over 5 years in duration. However, we did not replicate Presser's finding that the effect is significant only among households with children; rather, wives' fixed night shifts were associated with divorce only among those without children.
Time With Children, Children's Well‐Being, and Work‐Family Balance Among Employed Parents
Authors: Milkie Melissa A. , Kendig Sarah M. , Nomaguchi Kei M. , Denny Kathleen E.
Published: September 2010

Cultural imperatives for “good” parenting include spending time with children and ensuring that they do well in life. Knowledge of how these factors influence employed parents' work‐family balance is limited. Analyses using time diary and survey data from the 2000 National Survey of Parents (N = 933) indicate that how time with children relates to parents' feelings of balance varies by gender and social class. Interactive “quality” time is linked with mothers' feelings of balance more than fathers'. More time in routine care relates to imbalance for fathers without college degrees. Feeling that one spends the “right” amount of time with children and that children are doing well are strong and independent indicators of parents' work‐family balance.
Unanticipated Educational Consequences of a Positive Parent‐Child Relationship
Authors: López Turley Ruth N. , Desmond Matthew , Bruch Sarah K.
Published: September 2010

If today there exists a single transcendent idea about the family‐school connection, it is that a positive parent‐child relationship improves children's chances of succeeding in school. However, using data from the Texas Higher Education Opportunity Project (N = 5,836), we demonstrate that, although positive parent‐child relations are associated with better academic achievement in high school, they also are associated with an increased desire to live at home during college, which in turn decreases students' chances of enrolling in a 4‐year college. Furthermore, we replicated some of these associations using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 10,120), demonstrating that positive family dynamics can influence educational outcomes in potentially divergent and unanticipated directions.
Micro‐ and Macrolevel Determinants of Women's Employment in Six Arab Countries
Authors: Spierings Niels , Smits Jeroen , Verloo Mieke
Published: September 2010

We analyzed determinants of women's employment with data for 40,792 women living in 103 districts of 6 Arab countries. We tested a new theoretical framework that addresses the roles of needs, opportunities, and values at multiple levels. At the microlevel (individual, family), socioeconomic factors, care duties, and traditionalism were important; at the macrolevel (district), economic development and societal norms were important. Women's education seemed most influential. Interaction analyses showed that returns on women's education depended on their partner's education and on the economic development, labor market structure, urbanization, and strength of traditional norms in the district in which women live. Our results stress the importance of a comprehensive approach toward women's employment in these countries.
Kin and Youths in the Social Networks of Youth‐Headed Households in Namibia
Authors: Ruiz‐Casares Mónica
Published: September 2010

In settings highly affected by HIV/AIDS, households headed by children may result from strained family relations, poverty, and stigma associated with the disease. Understanding local systems and dynamics of support is essential to planning comprehensive models of care. This study measured size and composition of the support and conflict networks of 27 children and youth heads of household in northern Namibia and documented their perceptions of adequacy. Results showed a strong presence of and satisfaction with kin and peers as supporters, which challenges the assumptions that these households have few functional ties to family and that adults are the sole providers of support. Assistance to children without parental supervision should build on existing local strategies and children's resources.
Buffering Effects of a Family‐Based Intervention for African American Emerging Adults
Authors: Brody Gene H. , Chen Yi‐fu , Kogan Steven M. , Smith Karen , Brown Anita C.
Published: September 2010

This study focused on the buffering effects of Adults in the Making (AIM), a family‐centered preventive intervention, on the link between life stress and increases in risk behaviors among 347 rural, southern African Americans as they left high school. Of the families, 174 were assigned to the prevention condition and 173 to a control condition. Emerging adults reported risk behaviors at pretest, posttest (7 months after pretest), and long‐term follow‐up (10 months after posttest). A significant Life stress × Prevention condition interaction emerged: Increases in risk behaviors were significantly greater among emerging adults in the control condition who experienced high stress levels than among those in the prevention condition who experienced equally high stress levels.
Searching for Evidence Regarding Using Preoperative Disinfection Showers to Prevent Surgical Site Infections: A Systematic Review
Authors: Jakobsson Jenny , Perlkvist Agnetha , Wann‐Hansson Christine
Published: September 2010

Background: Postoperative surgical site infections (SSI) are the third most common health care associated infection. Even though several studies have pointed out the benefits of disinfection showers prior to surgery in order to reduce SSI, it remains unclear how to optimize this disinfection procedure.

Aim: To find evidence for how many times preoperative disinfection showers should be performed in order to reduce bacterial colonies and minimize the risk of SSI.

Method: A comprehensive literature search of multiple databases published during 1986–2008, supplemented by a manual search of the references in all relevant articles. Protocols were used in quality assessment and the data synthesis is descriptive in a narrative form.

Results: The 10 studies included had different designs, interventions, and samples, which makes it difficult to compare them. Moreover, the quality of the reviewed studies varied and only four had a high level of evidence. Therefore, the results failed to give an unambiguous answer about the optimal number of preoperative showers, so only assumptions can be made. It is quite obvious, however, that preoperative disinfection showers with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) are effective from a microbiological point of view since eight of the reviewed studies showed a sharply reduced skin flora after using CHG.

Conclusions: Currently, clear evidence for how many times preoperative disinfection showers should be performed to minimize the risk of SSI is missing. This highlights the need for further research that focuses on the number of preoperative disinfection showers in relation to SSI, in order to obtain optimal effect. Until then, it would be wise to follow previously made recommendation of three to five preoperative showers. Moreover, in order to have the intended effect of preoperative disinfection, it is important that health care professionals have the knowledge to guide patients with information and clear instructions about disinfection shower procedures.
Therapy‐resistant leg ulcer in a patient with Rothmund‐Thomson syndrome
Authors: Altunay Ilknur , Fisek Neslihan , Gokdemir Gonca , Sakız Damlanur , Cetincelik Umran
Published: September 2010

Rothmund‐Thomson syndrome (RTS) is a rare genodermatosis with characteristic skin changes such as atrophy, abnormal pigmentation and telengiectasias, skeletal abnormalities, short stature, juvenile cataract and predisposition to skin and bone malignancies. Data from the literature suggest that cutaneous findings of the syndrome include genetically programmed ageing changes and DNA repair abnormalities related to photosensitivity. Our patient is a 23‐year‐old male who presented with an unhealing ulcer for one and a half year on his left leg. Although he had received many various treatments, there had been no significant improvement during this period. We believe that this failure of healing might be to DNA repair abnormalities of fibroblasts. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported with coexistence of an unhealing ulcer without any findings of malignancy and RTS.
Health promotion behaviors of residents with hypertension in Iwate, Japan and North Carolina, USA
Authors: KEMPPAINEN Jeanne , BOMAR Perri J. , KIKUCHI Kazuko , KANEMATSU Yuriko , AMBO Hiroaki , NOGUCHI Kyoko
Published: September 2010

Aim:  The aim of this study was to compare the health promotion practises of rural residents in northern Japan (n = 212) to those in south‐eastern North Carolina, USA (n = 105), using the Health Promotion Lifestyle II (HPLP) scale.

Methods:  A comparative and descriptive design examined the relationships between health‐related behaviors and demographic and physiological variables, and compared cross‐cultural patterns.

Results:  The Japanese participants scored significantly higher on the total HPLP II score, as well as on the subscales of health responsibility, nutrition, interpersonal support, and stress management. No significant differences were found in the HPLP II subscales for spiritual growth or physical activity between the groups. The subscale scores for both the participants from Japan and the participants from North Carolina were lowest for physical activity. For the participants from North Carolina, the HPLP II subscale scores were highest for spirituality and interpersonal relationships. The predictive factors of variation in the scores of the HPLP II for the participants from North Carolina included being married and not working. No significant demographic predictor was found for the HPLP II scores of the Japanese participants.

Conclusions:  The study's findings add to an increased understanding of the cultural variations in the health‐promoting behaviors of persons with hypertension. Providing health promotion strategies for hypertension remains an urgent issue for nurses and other health‐care providers in both Japan and North Carolina, USA.
Evaluation of Blood Purification and Bortezomib Plus Dexamethasone Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Renal Failure Due to Myeloma Cast Nephropathy
Authors: Hasegawa Midori , Kondo Fumiko , Yamamoto Koichiro , Murakami Kazutaka , Tomita Makoto , Nabeshima Kunihiro , Nakai Shigeru , Kato Masao , Ohashi Atsushi , Arai Jiro , Hiki Yoshiyuki , Ishii Junichi , Emi Nobuhiko , Sugiyama Satoshi , Yuzawa Yukio
Published: September 2010

Aggressive removal of circulating free light chains (FLC) by blood purification accompanied by chemotherapy is a promising approach for the treatment of acute renal failure due to myeloma cast nephropathy. Plasma exchange has been performed to remove serum FLC; in order to examine an alternative strategy we performed hemodiafiltration using protein‐leaking dialyzers for the treatment of dialysis‐dependent acute renal failure due to myeloma cast nephropathy. In the first case with κ‐light chain cast nephropathy, the pre‐treatment serum creatinine was 9.65 mg/dL, and the serum κ‐FLC was 27 100 mg/L. Plasma exchange or hemodiafiltration was performed from Monday to Friday during the first several weeks. Chemotherapy was started with high‐dose dexamethasone and then switched to bortezomib plus dexamethasone. The mean removal rates of κ‐FLC were 45.8% (one plasma volume) and 66.9% (one‐and‐a‐half plasma volumes) by plasma exchange. The removal rates of κ‐FLC by hemodiafiltration (66.9%, FB210UHβ; 71.6%, PES210Dα; 75.2%, FXS220) were comparable to those by plasma exchange. In the second case with λ‐light chain cast nephropathy, the pre‐treatment serum creatinine was 4.14 mg/dL, and the serum λ‐FLC was 4140 mg/L. The mean removal rates of λ‐FLC were 60.2% (FXS140) and 64.2% (FB210UHβ) by hemodiafiltration. Both cases became dialysis‐independent. The combination of an intense blood purification regimen and bortezomib plus dexamethasone therapy appears to be an efficient approach to renal recovery. Hemodiafiltration using protein‐leaking dialyzers could become an alternative to plasma exchange as a method of removing FLC.
Multicenter Study of Plasma Diafiltration in Patients With Acute Liver Failure
Authors: Nakae Hajime , Eguchi Yutaka , Saotome Takao , Yoshioka Toyokazu , Yoshimura Noriko , Kishi Yuki , Naka Toshio , Furuya Tomoki
Published: September 2010

Plasma diafiltration (PDF) is a blood purification therapy in which simple plasma exchange (PE) is performed using a selective membrane plasma separator while the dialysate flows outside the hollow fibers. A prospective, multicenter study was undertaken to evaluate the changes in bilirubin, IL‐18, and cystatin C, as well as the 28‐day and 90‐day survival rates, with the use of PDF according to the level of severity as measured by the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. Twenty‐one patients with liver failure were studied: 10 patients had fulminant hepatitis and PDF therapies were performed 28 times; 11 had acute liver failure with the therapy performed 96 times. Levels of total bilirubin, IL‐18, and cystatin C decreased significantly after treatment. The 28‐day survival rate was 70.0% and that at 90 days was 16.7%. According to the severity of the MELD score, each of the results compared well with the use of Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System or Prometheus therapy. In conclusion, PDF appears to be one of the most useful blood purification therapies for use in cases of acute liver failure in terms of medical economics and the removal of water‐soluble and albumin‐bound toxins.
The impact of stellar model spectra in disc detection
Authors: Sinclair J. A. , Helling Ch. , Greaves J. S.
Published: September 2010

We present a study of the impact of different model groups in the detection of circumstellar debris discs. Almost all previous studies in this field have used kurucz (atlas9) model spectra to predict the stellar contribution to the flux at the wavelength of observation, thus determining the existence of a disc excess. Only recently have other model groups or families like marcs and nextgen (phoenix) become available to the same extent as atlas9. This study aims to determine whether the predicted stellar flux of a disc target can change with the choice of model family – can a disc excess be present in the use of one model family whilst being absent from another. A simple comparison of kurucz model spectra with marcs and nextgen model spectra of identical stellar parameters was conducted and differences were present at near-infrared wavelengths. Model spectra often do not extend in wavelength to that of observation and therefore extrapolation of the spectrum is required. In extrapolation of model spectra to the Spitzer MIPS passbands, prediction of the stellar contribution differed by 5 per cent at 70 μm for F, G and early K spectral types with differences increasing to 15 per cent for early M dwarfs. Analysis of the Spitzermips 24-μm observations of 37 F, G and K solar-like stars in the Pleiades cluster was conducted. In using kurucz model spectra, seven disc excesses were detected while only three and four excesses were detected in using marcs and nextgen (phoenix) model spectra, respectively.
The Squam Lake Report: Fixing the Financial System*
Authors: French Kenneth , Baily Martin , Campbell John , Cochrane John , Diamond Douglas , Duffie Darrell , Kashyap Anil , Mishkin Frederic , Rajan Raghuram , Scharfstein David , Shiller Robert , Shin Hyun Song , Slaughter Matthew , Stein Jeremy , Stulz René
Published: September 2010

In these excerpts from The Squam Lake Report, fifteen distinguished economists analyze where the global financial system failed, and how such failures might be prevented (or at least their damage better contained) in the future. Although there were many contributing factors to the crisis—including “agency” problems throughout the financial system and a bankruptcy code poorly suited for reorganizing financial firms—at the core of the problem is a potential conflict between the risk‐taking proclivity of financial institutions and the interests of the economy at large that must be managed at least in part through more effective regulation. The Squam Lake Report provides a nonpartisan plan to transform the regulation of financial markets in ways designed to limit systemic risk while preserving—to the extent possible and prudent—the economies of scale and scope that justify the existence of today's large financial institutions.

To reduce the risks that large banks will fail, the authors call for higher capital requirements based on more effective assessments of the risks of bank assets and liabilities, as well as a new systemic regulator that should be part of the central bank. To reduce the costs of failure when it occurs, the authors propose that banks be required to create “living wills” laying out their plan to sell assets or shut down operations in the event of financial trouble. As part of that plan, regulators are urged to “aggressively encourage” banks to issue “contingent” debt capital securities that convert into equity.
Thoughts on The Squam Lake Report: Reengineering the Financial System to Better Withstand Extreme Volatility
Authors: Posner Kenneth A.
Published: September 2010

The most important contributions of The Squam Lake Report are its analysis and recommendations not for eliminating the possibility of future crises, but for enabling the financial system to better withstand the bouts of volatility that are a natural outcome of market forces. In this regard, the Report's most promising proposal is its prescription that systemically important financial firms issue “contingent capital” that converts from debt to equity when a financial firm's solvency is at risk.

But if contingent capital is a good idea, the author argues that the Squam Lake proposal should be complemented by three features not addressed by the report. First, systemically important financials must be required, not just encouraged, to issue contingent capital. Second, contingent capital should not count toward normal regulatory capital requirements but function as a supplemental cushion against the possibility of crisis. Third, financial institutions should be prohibited from holding contingent capital securities issued by other financials so that losses are channeled outside of the financial system. In addition, the actual conversion of contingent capital should not depend on regulators' declaration of a financial crisis, but should occur once critical capital thresholds are breached.
Derivatives Clearing Mandates: Cure or Curse?
Authors: Pirrong Craig
Published: September 2010

The Dodd‐Frank Act mandates the widespread adoption of centralized clearing of OTC derivatives and also includes measures designed to move more derivatives trading onto exchanges. But, as the author points out, such a clearing mandate appears to be based on the premise that the recent experience in OTC derivatives represents a major market failure and that participants in what is now the world's largest financial market have been systematically choosing the wrong institutions for risk management and trading.

In this article, the author begins by explaining why all derivatives are not cleared or exchange‐traded, and why the attempt to mandate such practices (as opposed to encouraging voluntary adoption through differential capital requirements) could have serious unwanted consequences. Among such consequences is a possible increase in the very systemic risk that such mandates are supposed to prevent.
Bond Rating Agencies: Conflicts and Competence
Authors: Fridson Martin
Published: September 2010

Faulty ratings of mortgage‐related collateralized bond obligations played a prominent role in the financial crisis of 2008. Some critics charge that the rating agencies did not merely make honest mistakes, but were hopelessly conflicted by their practice of collecting revenue from the bond issuers. According to the author, however, that same fee arrangement did not prevent the agencies from achieving considerable aggregate ‐level accuracy in other segments of the debt market. Given that the bad credit assessments were largely limited to structured finance deals, and that there appears to be no workable alternative to the issuer‐pay model, the best prescription for the agencies going forward is likely to be additional safeguards for situations in which the associated conflicts of interest appear especially difficult to manage.

Also contradicting the testimony of many market participants, the author's analysis of new issue pricing and price changes suggests that the market generally views ratings on corporate and municipal debt as useful (if not always the most timely) indicators of risk. Moreover, the critics' favorite anecdotal example of rating agency failure, the Enron case history, turns out to be specious on closer examination. The standard account of Enron's collapse omits the fact that both Moody's and Standard & Poor's “watchlisted” the energy trading company and warned investors that its investment‐grade rating was contingent on a proposed acquisition by an investment‐grade competitor that failed (at the last minute) to close.
Banking System Bailout‐Scandinavian Style
Authors: Eckbo B. Espen
Published: September 2010

During the Scandinavian banking crisis in the early 1990s, Norway and Sweden chose somewhat different routes to crisis resolution, though both involved government intervention and both proved effective. The Norwegian government injected a hybrid debt‐equity form of capital into the largest commercial bank, though only after first extinguishing old equity claims. The Swedish government issued a system‐wide debt guarantee and allowed shareholders to maintain their equity stakes, provided they also contributed new equity capital to the banks. In the (single) case where equityholders refused to participate, the government took over the bank and divided it into a “good” and “bad” part, with the latter holding the non‐performing loans.

The resolution of banking system problems in Scandinavia provides a useful precedent for the recent “bailout” of the U.S. banking system, which, after some initial trial and errors, also involved government ownership of shares in financial institutions. As the author notes in closing, the Scandinavian experience is also relevant for addressing the question of how the U.S. government, having effectively become “owner of last resort” in key financial institutions, should handle its controlling equity stakes.
Replenishing the Banking Sector: Managing Bank Capital in the Post‐Crisis World*
Authors: Khorana Ajay , Perlman Matt
Published: September 2010

In the wake of the current financial crisis, there is a renewed focus on capital adequacy in the banking sector. A combination of impending regulatory changes, evolving views on both the level and composition of capital, the need to manage capital to stress‐case scenarios, and the valuation implications of pro‐cyclical versus counter‐cyclical strategies will require banks to rethink their capital strategy in the postcrisis world. In this report, the authors (1) attempt to quantify the potential impact of further stresses on bank balance sheets and assess the magnitude of capital requirements for U.S. banks; (2) shed light on bank valuation dynamics; and (3) provide an analytical and empirical framework for measuring optimal equity capital buffers.
Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis (Or Why Capital Structure Is Too Important to Be Left to Regulation)
Authors: Kantor Brian , Holdsworth Christopher
Published: September 2010

Given the likelihood of periodic financial crises, much of the focus of policymakers should be on the proper response to rather than the prevention of crises. In this article, the authors begin by repeating Walter Bagehot's famous prescription for resolving financial trouble in the 19thcentury London money market: flood the system with liquidity and do all that can be done to keep the capital markets open and functioning. Although this message was disastrously ignored by the Federal Reserve Bank of 1929–33, Bagehot's advice was well understood by the Fed and U.S. Treasury in managing the crisis of 2008.

For regulators and bank executives alike, the capital of consequence that stands between financial institutions and their ruin is not the capital on their books, but the market value of their equity capital. The ability to raise capital from the marketplace—if need be, from its own shareholders—may well prove the essential factor in a company's ability to weather a crisis. Using a variation of Robert Merton's option pricing model, the authors show how and why the share price volatility associated with a financial crisis threatens solvency and how companies can measure their rising default risks and act in good times to raise fresh capital to cope with depleted balance sheets. Regulations designed to prevent future crises should not be allowed to threaten the profitability of financial activity to the point where raising fresh capital from private markets no longer makes economic sense.
Preparation of Amino Alcohols Condensed with Carbohydrates: Evaluation of Cytotoxicity and Inhibitory Effect on NO Production
Authors: Corrêa Taís A. , Reis Elaine F. C. , Alves Lívia L. , Alves Caio C. S. , Castro Sandra B. R. , Dias Alyria T. , Taveira Aline F. , Le Hyaric Mireille , Couri Mara R. C. , Ferreira Ana P. , De Almeida Mauro V.
Published: September 2010

This work reports the preparation of several amino alcohols condensed with d‐arabinose, d‐glucose, and d‐galactose derivatives. These compounds were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity and ability to decrease nitric oxide production in J774A.1 cells. Arabinofuranoside derivatives 5a, 5b and 5c showed a significant inhibition of nitric oxide production (>80% at 5 μg/mL), while the galactopyranoside derivative 8d showed a notable nitric oxide inhibitory activity (126% at 0.5 μg/mL).
Global Health Governance and the Challenge of Chronic, Non-Communicable Disease
Authors: Magnusson Roger S.
Published: September 2010

Judging by their contribution to the global burden of death and disability, chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the most serious health challenge facing the world today. The statistics tell a frightening story. Over 35 million people died from chronic diseases in 2005 — principally cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease. Driven by population growth and population ageing, deaths from non-communicable diseases are expected to increase by 17% over the period 2005-2015, accounting for 69% of global deaths by 2030.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa, is estimated to rise from 17.1 million deaths (2004) to 23.4 million deaths (2030). Cancer deaths will increase from 7.4 million to 11.8 million over the same period. Due to population growth, mergers and acquisitions, and the marketing of global cigarette brands in developing countries, deaths from tobacco will rise from 5.4 million per year (2005), through 6.4 million (2015), to 8.3 million by 2030. These figures include a doubling in tobacco deaths in low- and middle-income countries from 3.4 million to 6.8 million lives annually. By 2015, smoking will cause 50% more deaths than HIV/AIDS.
A Framework Convention on Global Health: Social Justice Lite, or a Light on Social Justice?
Authors: Burris Scott , Anderson Evan D.
Published: September 2010

A decade ago, Jonathan Mann made a powerful case that human rights could provide a vocabulary and mode of analysis for understanding and advancing health. He made the case well, and put the idea into inspired practice, but the idea was neither new nor his alone. The idea that social justice — and henceforth in this article we will use that term loosely (and with obvious imprecision) to embrace goods like human rights, social equality, and distributive justice — was intrinsically important to health resonated with the social epidemiology already gathering force (not to mention an enduring theme running through the history of public health work). That social structure and relations of power explain a great deal about the level and distribution of population health was implicit in the work of pioneers like Geoffrey Rose, evident in Marmot’s seminal Whitehall studies, explicit in the writings of Mervyn Susser, and the main thrust of scholars like Nancy Krieger and Meredeth Turshen. Although researchers tend to avoid using a term with such normative weight, it is safe to say that Mann — and Susser, and Marmot and Krieger among others — were right: social justice is central to the proper understanding of health.
Death, Brain Death, and the Limits of Science: Why the Whole-Brain Concept of Death is a Flawed Public Policy
Authors: Nair-Collins Mike
Published: September 2010

The 1981 Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) states:

An individual that has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead.

The “whole-brain concept of death,” appealed to in the UDDA, has been roundly criticized for many years. However, despite a great deal of legitimate criticism in academic circles no real clinical or legislative changes have come about. At least one reason for this inertia is aptly stated by James Bernat, one of the principal and founding proponents of the brain death doctrine: “In the real world of public policy on biological issues, we must frequently make compromises or approximations to achieve acceptable practices and laws.” While acknowledging that the brain death doctrine is not flawless and that he and other proponents have been unable to address all valid criticisms, Bernat nonetheless maintains that the brain death doctrine is optimal public policy.
Teaching Health Law
Authors: Tyler Elizabeth Tobin
Published: September 2010

Our course on social justice and health began as an experiment between Roger Williams University School of Law and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. As a course for both law and medical students, it broke relatively new ground by focusing on the intersection between law and the social determinants of health and the ways in which lawyers and doctors might partner to address social and health disparities. The course blends professionalism, ethics, and problem-solving by using case studies that raise practical challenges at the intersection of poverty, law, and health. This kind of collaborative, interdisciplinary teaching presents many challenges and rewards, which I discuss in this essay.
Bisphosphonate use in conditions other than osteoporosis
Authors: Silverman Stuart L.
Published: September 2010

Bisphosphonates are the gold standard of treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, male osteoporosis, and steroid‐induced osteoporosis. They have potential use in multiple musculoskeletal conditions other than osteoporosis and have also been shown to treat Paget's disease of the bone and osteogenesis imperfecta. Bisphophonates may have potential use in periprosthetic bone loss, osteonecrosis of the hip, fibrous dysplasia, and calcinosis in juvenile dermatomyositis.
Biochemical markers of bone turnover in osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients with osteoporosis and advanced cancer involving the bone
Authors: Cremers Serge , Farooki Azeez
Published: September 2010

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) has been hypothesized to result in part from a relative “oversuppression” of normal physiologic bone remodeling at the jaw brought about by bisphosphonate therapy. Biochemical markers of bone turnover give readily measurable information on integrated systemic bone remodeling activity, as measured by blood and urine assays. The intra‐ and interassay variability of most currently available assays is less than 10%, although many biological factors can influence levels of bone turnover markers. Bone turnover markers may show a dynamic response to changes in clinical status for a given disease state. Elevated bone turnover on and off treatment appears to predict adverse clinical consequences in both osteoporosis and cancer. Bisphosphonates effectively decrease the level of the bone turnover markers with a pattern depending on the marker, the bisphosphonate, the dose regimen, and the disease. However, long‐term (10‐year) treatment with bisphosphonates for osteoporosis does not appear to result in a progressive decline in bone turnover, as measured by markers and bone histology. The effects of long‐term (greater than 2 years) treatment with monthly intravenous bisphosphonates on bone turnover markers in cancer are unknown. Discontinuation of bisphosphonate therapy appears to allow a recovery of bone turnover, which is related to the bisphosphonate, the duration of therapy, and the disease being treated. At this time, data are limited with regard to the utility of bone turnover markers in assessing risk for ONJ and whether bone marker‐directed bisphosphonate holidays would be useful in prevention or treatment of ONJ.
Effect of Laser and LED on Enzymatic Production of Ceramide
Authors: Zhang Hongyu , Zhang Long , Tidemand‐Lichtenberg Peter , Buchhave Preben , Xu Xuebing , Li Yingxin
Published: September 2010

An enzyme (Phospholipase C Type I from Clostridium perfringens) was exposed to 0–810 J cm−2 of energy using laser light at wavelengths 808, 532, 1064 and 1342 nm and two LED light sources at wavelengths 810 and 640 nm. Enzyme responses were evaluated by measuring ceramide concentration using high performance thin‐layer chromatography (HPTLC) at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 17, 24 h after irradiation. The duration of effect was evaluated from the experimental data. The results show that enzyme activity can be increased by using both laser and LED sources whose wavelength is located within a certain range. The effect depends on the energy and wavelength of the light. The increase in enzyme activity continued for about 4 h after irradiation. This study shows that the duration of irradiation should be included as one of the main laser parameters when reporting on the effects of laser irradiation on enzymes. We also find that laser sources and LED sources have the same effect on enzyme activity if the wavelength and absorbed energy are equal.