bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rating Agencies: Role and Influence of Their Sovereign Credit Risk Assessment in the Eurozone*
Authors: EIJFFINGER SYLVESTER C.W. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractIn this article, the role of credit rating agencies (CRAs) during the 2010–11 EU sovereign debt crisis is assessed. It is concluded that rating agencies lag behind markets, that their business model is flawed, and that the lack of competition renders the big three CRAs with too strong a market position. The reliance on CRAs should be reduced by attaching less importance to them in prudential regulation and accounting standards. At the same time, more competition and transparency is needed to increase the quality of ratings. Finally, several policy options to change the ratings industry are discussed, including the creation of a network of small CRAs, delegation of sovereign debt ratings to the European Central Bank or the creation of a European rating agency.
Negotiating the Post‐Lisbon Comitology System: Institutional Battles over Delegated Decision‐Making
Authors: BRANDSMA GIJS JAN , BLOM‐HANSEN JENS 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe Lisbon Treaty represented a rare opportunity to redesign parliamentary control of the European Commission's delegated powers. The new Treaty distinguishes between delegated and implementing acts and specifies that comitology rules must be decided by a co‐decision regulation. This necessitated a reform of the comitology system, which was decided in December 2010 after protracted inter‐institutional negotiations. This article asks why the new control system took its final form. The negotiations as a game of control positions are analyzed and the course of the negotiations is traced through documents and interviews. Support is found for the article's hypotheses, but it is also the case that events in some respects went further than expected.
Visegrad Group Co‐operation and Russia*
Authors: DANGERFIELD MARTIN 
Published: October 2012

AbstractMuch thought has been given of late to how national preferences impact upon European Union‐level policy‐making towards Russia and it is widely accepted that discrepancies in Member State attitudes can undermine consistent and effective multilateral policies. So far there has been no attempt to ascertain whether subregional groupings that exist inside the EU (which represent a potential in‐between layer of policy‐making between the bilateral and multilateral) are inclined or able to attempt to co‐ordinate their positions on Russia. This article focuses on the Visegrad Group (VG), which would appear to be an obvious candidate, but actually has virtually no co‐operation agenda vis‐à‐vis Russia (the other main groupings are the Benelux Economic Union, the Nordic Council and the Weimar Triangle). The article argues that it is difficult to accommodate Russia in the current VG foreign policy framework due to the focus on ‘low’ politics and integration assistance. It also contends that limited capacity and intra‐VG divergence on key aspects of relations with Russia mean that the VG is unlikely to expand its agenda so as to attempt more co‐operation on Russia in the future.
Effects of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of infant formula on cognition and behaviour at 9 years of age
Authors: DE JONG CORINA , KIKKERT HEDWIG K , FIDLER VACLAV , HADDERS‐ALGRA MIJNA 
Published: October 2012

Aim  Long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) supplementation of infant formula may have a beneficial effect on cognitive development. This study aimed to investigate the effect of LCPUFA formula supplementation primarily on cognition and secondarily on behaviour at age 9 years. Special attention was paid to the potentially modifying effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy.Method  A double‐blind, randomized control study was performed in two groups of healthy infants born at term: one group, constituting the control group, received standard formula (n=169) and another group received standard formula supplemented with LCPUFAs (n=146). A breastfed group (n=159) served as an additional reference. At 9 years of age, 72% of the children (control group: n=123; 71 males, 52 females; LCPUFA group: n=91; 42 males, 49 females; breastfed group: n=127, 64 males, 63 females) underwent extensive cognitive and behavioural testing.Results  An interaction between infant nutrition and smoking during pregnancy was found. Among children exposed to smoking during pregnancy, LCPUFA supplementation was associated with higher mean verbal IQ scores (p=0.007) and learning and memory (p=0.006). Among children not exposed to smoking during pregnancy, LCPUFA supplementation was associated with lower mean verbal memory scores (p=0.003). Executive function scores were significantly lower in the LCPUFA‐supplemented group than in the control group (p=0.001). Breastfeeding was associated with better performance on IQ (p=0.005).Interpretation  No consistent beneficial effect of LCPUFA formula supplementation on cognitive development in term‐born infants was found. The study confirmed that breastfeeding is associated with better cognition.
Environmental Impact of Foreign vs. Domestic Capital Investment in China
Authors: Yang Boqiong , Brosig Stephan , Chen Jianguo 
Published: October 2012

AbstractWe compare environmental impacts associated with incoming foreign direct investment vs. domestic capital in China. We use aggregate data on Chinese provinces’ economic and pollution indicators to explore the effects of the financial origin of fixed capital. Our simultaneous models consider three prime channels through which these effects work: economic scale, sectoral composition and pollution intensity. Results show that emissions associated with foreign‐financed capital are lower than with domestically financed capital for some but not all of the considered types of pollution.
Growth Response of Coyote Willow (Salix exigua) Cuttings in Relation to Alluvial Soil Texture and Water Availability
Authors: Caplan Todd R. , Cothern Kristin , Landers Cliff , Hummel Ondrea C. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractA common approach to re‐establishing cottonwood–willow habitat along regulated rivers is through installing dormant, rootless cuttings, yet there is little published information exploring floodplain characteristics that optimize growth of southwestern riparian willows planted in this manner. The goal of this project was to evaluate relationships between growth attributes of Salix exigua and soil texture and soil water availability. Monitoring plots were established in five willow swales planted with dormant S. exigua cuttings along the banks of the Middle Rio Grande in central New Mexico. Data analysis revealed significantly higher aerial cover, height, and stem density for S. exigua plants installed in plots with intermediate levels (15–25%) of fine textured soils distributed through the soil profile. Similar relationships were found in relation to soil water availability. Regression analysis of percent fines and available water at different depth increments provided limited explanation of variability in willow growth attributes at different plots. Findings indicate that S. exigua plants established from cuttings can achieve heights and aerial cover values similar to naturally established willow bars if the floodplain soil profile contains intermediate levels of fine textured soils and the maximum depth to groundwater is within 1.5 m of the ground surface. Where sites are dominated by coarse sand, S. exigua growth may be improved if maximum depth to groundwater is within 1 m of the ground surface.
Moving Healthcare Quality Forward With Nursing‐Sensitive Value‐Based Purchasing
Authors: Kavanagh Kevin T. , Cimiotti Jeannie P. , Abusalem Said , Coty Mary‐Beth 
Published: October 2012

AbstractPurpose: To underscore the need for health system reform and emphasize nursing measures as a key component in our healthcare reimbursement system.Design and Methods: Nursing‐sensitive value‐based purchasing (NSVBP) has been proposed as an initiative that would help to promote optimal staffing and practice environment through financial rewards and transparency of structure, process, and patient outcome measures. This article reviews the medical, governmental, institutional, and lay literature regarding the necessity for, method of implementation of, and potential impact of NSVBP.Findings: Research has shown that adverse events and mortality are highly dependent on nurse staffing levels and skill mix. The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), along with other well‐developed indicators, can be used as nursing‐sensitive measurements for value‐based purchasing initiatives. Nursing‐sensitive measures are an important component of value‐based purchasing.Conclusions: Value‐based purchasing is in its infancy. Devising an effective system that recognizes and incorporates nursing measures will facilitate the success of this initiative. NSVBP needs to be designed and incentivized to decrease adverse events, hospital stays, and readmission rates, thereby decreasing societal healthcare costs.Clinical Relevance: NSVBP has the potential for improving the quality of nursing care by financially motivating hospitals to have an optimal nurse practice environment capable of producing optimal patient outcomes by aligning cost effectiveness for hospitals to that of the patient and society.
Cost‐effectiveness of Diagnostic Strategies for Evaluation of Suspected Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in the Emergency Department
Authors: Ward Michael J. , Bonomo Jordan B. , Adeoye Opeolu , Raja Ali S. , Pines Jesse M. 
Published: October 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:1134–1144 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractObjectives:  Diagnosing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in emergency department (ED) patients is challenging. Potential diagnostic strategies include computed tomography (CT) only, CT followed by lumbar puncture (CT/LP), CT followed by magnetic resonance imaging and angiography (CT/MRA), and CT followed by CT angiography (CT/CTA). The objective was to determine the relative cost‐effectiveness of diagnostic strategies for SAH.Methods:  The authors created a decision model to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of SAH diagnostic strategies in ED patients with suspected SAH. Clinical probabilities were obtained from published data; sensitivity analyses were conducted across plausible ranges.Results:  In the base‐case scenario, CT‐only had a cost of $10,339 and effectiveness of 20.25 quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs), and CT/LP had a cost of $15,120 and effectiveness of 20.366 QALYs. Among the alternative strategies, CT/CTA had a cost of $12,840 and effectiveness of 20.24 QALYs, and CT/MRA had a cost of $16,207 and effectiveness of 20.27 QALYs. In sensitivity analyses, probability of severe disability from SAH, sensitivity of noncontrast CT, and specificity of LP and MRA were key drivers of the model, and CT‐only and CT/LP were preferable.Conclusions:  In the base‐case scenario, CT‐only was preferable to the CT/CTA and CT/MRA strategies. When considering sensitivity analyses and the current medicolegal environment, there are no overwhelming differences between the cost‐effectiveness of CT/LP and the alternative strategies to suggest that clinicians should abandon the standard CT/LP approach.
The Analysis of Gun‐Cleaning Oil as Long‐Distance Gunshot Residue and Its Implications for Chemical Tags on Bullets
Authors: Bendrihem Stacey A. , Pyle Robyn , Allison John 
Published: October 2012

AbstractUsing a BB gun, it was shown that a gun‐cleaning oil (GCO) can be wiped from the barrel by a projectile and carried much longer distances than those usually associated with solid gunshot residue (GSR). Analysis of GCO subsequently deposited on a target was performed using pentane extraction and gas chromatography. (Hoppe's GCO was used here as a model.) When a 0.45 caliber handgun was used, analysis reveals that most of the GCO wiped from the barrel does not survive, owing to the elevated temperatures encountered. However, two components of the GCO, a long‐chain fatty acid and its ethyl ester, do survive and can be detected in the bullet wipe. This suggests that GCO may be considered as GSR, uniquely detectable at long distances, and that other chemical compounds could either be added to a GCO or directly to bullets, to serve as identifying chemical tags.
Analysis of 4‐Bromo‐2,5‐DimethoxyphenethylamineAbuser's Urine: Identification and Quantitation of Urinary Metabolites
Authors: Kanamori Tatsuyuki , Nagasawa Kyoko , Kuwayama Kenji , Tsujikawa Kenji , Iwata Yuko T. , Inoue Hiroyuki 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe metabolites of 4‐bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C‐B), a psychoactive drug with hallucinogenic activity, were investigated in a urine sample from a user of 2C‐B. The urine sample was deconjugated enzymatically and the metabolites were recovered by liquid–liquid extraction. The extract was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after derivatization, and the results were used to identify and quantitate the metabolites. 4‐Bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenylacetic acid was the most abundant metabolite of 2C‐B in human urine and accounted for 73% of the total amount of detected metabolites, followed by 4‐bromo‐2‐hydroxy‐5‐methoxyphenylacetic acid (13%) and 4‐bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenylethyl alcohol (4.5%). According to the literature, the main metabolites of 2C‐B in rat urine are N‐(4‐bromo‐2‐methoxy‐5‐hydroxyphenylethyl)acetamide and N‐(4‐bromo‐2‐hydroxy‐5‐methoxyphenylethyl)acetamide. However, these metabolites accounted for only a small proportion of the total amount of detected metabolites in human urine, which indicates that there are significant species‐specific differences in the metabolism of 2C‐B. 4‐Bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenylacetic acid, which was the most abundant metabolite in human urine, is thought to be generated by deamination of 2C‐B by monoamine oxidase (MAO) followed by oxidation by aldehyde dehydrogenase. Our results suggest that MAO plays a crucial role in the metabolism of 2C‐B in humans.
Reconstruction of an Inn Fire Scene Using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) Program
Authors: Chi Jen‐Hao 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAn inn fire occurring in the middle of the night usually causes a great deal more injuries and deaths. This article examines the case study of an inn fire accident that resulted in the most serious casualties in Taiwan's history. Data based on the official fire investigation report and NFPA921 regulations are used, and the fire scenes are reconstructed using the latest Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) program from NIST. The personnel evacuation time and time variants for various fire hazard factors of reconstructive analysis clarify the reason for such a high number of casualties. It reveals that the FDS program has come to play an essential role in fire investigation. The close comparison between simulation result and the actual fire scene also provides fire prevention engineers, a possible utilization of FDS to examine the effects of improved schemes for fire safety of buildings.
Retaining workers in an ageing population: Insights from a representative aged and community care organisation
Authors: Austen Siobhan , McMurray Clinton , Lewin Gill , Ong Rachel 
Published: October 2012

Aim:  To provide new measures of employee retention in the aged care sector and to identify how employment retention varies across key groups of workers in the sector.Method:  The techniques of survival analysis were applied to staff record data from a representative provider of aged and community care services.Results:  We showed that 63% of carer employment spells end within 2 years. Fifty‐seven per cent of nurse employment spells ended within this time period. Employment retention was poorest among young recruits, men and workers on casual contracts.Conclusion:  The high rates of staff turnover add substantial costs and risks to aged care organisations and should be the focus of workforce strategies. Casual employment is one potential contributory factor. However, the role of wages and other working conditions should also be examined. Given the importance of mature‐age women in the sector, strategies should focus on their circumstances and needs.
School Sun‐Protection Policies: Measure Development and Assessments in 2 Regions of the United States
Authors: Reynolds Kim D. , Buller David B. , French Simone A. , Buller Mary K. , Ashley Jeff L. 
Published: October 2012

BACKGROUND: In 2002, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that schools adopt policies that reduce exposure of children to ultraviolet radiation to prevent skin cancer. We report here the development of a school sun‐safety policy measure and baseline descriptive statistics from the assessment of written policies collected in 2005‐2007 from public school districts that enrolled in a randomized trial evaluating a policy promotion program.METHODS: Written policies were collected from 103 of 112 school districts in Colorado and Southern California prior to randomization. We developed methods for selecting policy headings/sections topics likely to contain sun‐safety policies for students and for assessing the presence, strength, and intent of policies. Trained coders assessed the content of each policy document.RESULTS: Overall, 31% of districts had a policy addressing sun safety, most commonly, protective clothing, hats, sunscreen, and education at baseline. More California districts (51.9%) had these policies than Colorado districts (7.8%, p < .001). Policy scores were highest in districts with fewer Caucasian students (b = −0.02, p = .022) in Colorado (b = −0.02, p = .007) but not California (b = 0.01, p = .299).CONCLUSION: The protocol for assessing sun‐safety policy in board‐approved written policy documents had several advantages over surveys of school officials. Sun‐protection policies were uncommon and limited in scope in 2005‐2007. California has been more active at legislating school policy than Colorado. School district policies remain a largely untapped method for promoting the sun protection of children.
Sleep and Academic Performance in Hong Kong Adolescents
Authors: Mak Kwok‐Kei , Lee So‐Lun , Ho Sai‐Yin , Lo Wing‐Sze , Lam Tai‐Hing 
Published: October 2012

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems may have different influences on students' academic performance. We investigated the prevalence of sleep patterns, naps, and sleep disorders, and their associations with academic performance in Hong Kong adolescents.METHODS: In 2007‐2008, 22,678 students aged 12‐18 (41.6% boys) completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, sleep patterns and problems, and lifestyle factors including exercise, smoking, alcohol drinking, and academic performance.RESULTS: The prevalence of having >8 hours of sleep was higher on holiday nights (86.4%) than on school‐day nights (27.4%). Sleeping after midnight was more common before holidays (49.3%) than before school days (19.9%). Symptoms of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were reported by 21.5% and 34.4% of students. Having >2 hours of weekend sleep delay was associated with poor academic performance with an odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) of 1.46 (1.29‐1.65). However, having 1‐2 hours and >2 hours of weekend wake‐up delay were both associated with less likelihood of poor academic performance with ORs of 0.64 (0.56‐0.73) and 0.69 (0.59‐0.80). Other factors associated with poor academic performance included >2 hours of sleep debt, OR of 1.17 (1.03‐1.33); having any insomnia symptoms in the past 30 days, OR of 1.27 (1.17‐1.37); and having any OSA symptoms at least weekly, OR of 1.23 (1.14‐1.32). Napping in the past 5 school days was only marginally associated with poor school performance with an OR of 1.08 (1.00‐1.16).CONCLUSION: Poorer academic performance was associated with sleep debt, and symptoms of insomnia and OSA. Sleep compensation but not naps may be a protective factor of poor academic performance.
Which ‘nutritional models‐of‐care’ improve energy and protein intake, clinical outcomes and malnutrition in hospitalised patients?
Authors: WADE Kathleen , FLETT Melanie 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAim:  This systematic review examined studies for improvement in energy and protein intake, nutritional status, and clinical outcomes when specific nutritional models‐of‐care (protected mealtimes, feeding assistance, communal dining and the red tray initiative) were implemented in hospitalised acute and rehabilitation patients.Methods:  An electronic database search was conducted on MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL. Reference lists were also hand searched, and a key author search was completed. Two reviewers independently applied selection criteria and assessed trial quality.Results:  A total of 172 articles were identified from the search strategy, and after application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven articles were included for final review. Most studies found a mean improvement in energy and protein intake from the implementation of the feeding assistance and communal dining models, although the overall quality of the evidence is low. No studies found a significant difference in weight, and the two trials measuring key clinical outcomes found no differences in length of stay and most markers of nutritional status; results for mortality were mixed. Protected mealtimes had a negative effect on energy and protein intake, although only one study was included for review; and no studies were found looking at the red tray initiative.Conclusions:  While some of the evidence appears positive, this review highlights that there is a scarcity of high‐quality evidence to support the use of specific nutritional models‐of‐care to improve energy and protein intake in hospitalised patients. Large‐scale multicentre trials focusing more on primary outcomes of clinical relevance are still required.
Development of a Research Participants’ Perception Survey to Improve Clinical Research
Authors: Yessis Jennifer L. , Kost Rhonda G. , Lee Laura M. , Coller Barry S. , Henderson David K. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractIntroduction: Clinical research participants’ perceptions regarding their experiences during research protocols provide outcome‐based insights into the effectiveness of efforts to protect rights and safety, and opportunities to enhance participants’ clinical research experiences. Use of validated surveys measuring patient‐centered outcomes is standard in hospitals, yet no instruments exist to assess outcomes of clinical research processes.Methods: We derived survey questions from data obtained from focus groups comprised of research participants and professionals. We assessed the survey for face/content validity, and privacy/confidentiality protections and fielded it to research participants at 15 centers. We conducted analyses of response rates, sample characteristics, and psychometrics, including survey and item completion and analysis, internal consistency, item internal consistency, criterion‐related validity, and item usefulness. Responses were tested for fit into existing patient‐centered dimensions of care and new clinical research dimensions using Cronbach's alpha coefficient.Results: Surveys were mailed to 18,890 individuals; 4,961 were returned (29%). Survey completion was 89% overall; completion rates exceeded 90% for 88 of 93 evaluable items. Questions fit into three dimensions of patient‐centered care and two novel clinical research dimensions (Cronbach's alpha for dimensions: 0.69–0.85).Conclusions: The validated survey offers a new method for assessing and improving outcomes of clinical research processes. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 452–460