bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pay Policy, Accumulation and Productivity
Authors: Harcourt G.C. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe stock of capital goods will always be a mixture of new best-practice techniques and older vintages, associated with lower productivity and higher running costs yet still profitable to keep running if short-term variable costs are covered. A crucial determinant of the proportion of new to old machines in any industry’s stock of capital goods is therefore the level and rate of change of wages. The rate of accumulation not only has these supply-side effects; it is also obviously a major determinant of activity and employment. There is the possibility of a virtuous cumulative process. To achieve this, we need to make sure, that wages in all industries rise by amounts which are determined principally by the growth of overall productivity and the general price level.
Labour Market Restructuring in Industrialised Societies: An Overview
Authors: Quinlan Michael 
Published: March 2013

Abstractover the past 20 years the labour markets of most industrialised countries have undergone a series of profound changes. These changes have been associated with significant changes in work processes, employment conditions, union density and industrial relations. This paper provides an overview of the labour market restructuring occurring in most industrialised societies. In addition to the growth in temporary, part-time work and self-employment, changes in the extent of agency labour, homework, telework, outsourcing, franchising and the timing of work are also considered. A series of complex interconnections are identified. It is argued that in many cases, the socio-economic consequences of these changes have been compounded by alterations to policies and laws dealing with industrial relations, labour markets, competitive tendering, privatisation and social security.
Workers’ Compensation, Employment Security and the Return to Work Process
Authors: Purse Kevin 
Published: March 2013

AbstractVocational rehabilitation of injured workers to facilitate their early return to work is now an established feature of workers’ compensation arrangements in Australia. Critical to the return to work process is the provision by employers of suitable employment for workers following work related injury wherever this is reasonably practicable. This article emphasises the importance of employment security measures within the workers’ compensation arena for both injured workers and the control of scheme costs. It highlights the precarious nature of employment security measures in Australian workers’ compensation schemes due largely to the lack of enforcement, and the concomitant need for legislative and administrative reform. In doing so a number of specific reform proposals are put forward for discussion. In addition the nexus between employment security measures and the operation of the labour market is briefly considered.
Maternity Rights in the UK: Light at the End of the Tunnel?
Authors: Earnshaw Jill 
Published: March 2013

AbstractMaternity rights in the UK have from the outset aroused controversy on account of their intricacy and failure to apply to all working women. This article charts the historical development of such rights and highlights in particular the influence of European Union law in widening their ambit. It also sets out the current statutory provisions and describes how case law has at the same time compounded the problems of complexity and attempted to construe the legislation in a purposive manner. The article concludes by noting recent legislative changes and assessing their potential to resolve the existing problems as well as their effect on bringing the UK into line with its European Union partners.
New Zealand Initiatives to Pay Parents: Possibilities for the Antipodes?
Authors: Curtin Jennifer 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIn 1998, a private member’s Bill, the Paid Parental Leave Bill, was introduced into the New Zealand Parliament. Although it was subsequently defeated, the Bill stimulated debate over paid parental leave in both New Zealand and Australia - two countries conspicuous in international terms for their lack of such provisions. It showed that a progressive approach could be devised to fit the New Zealand context, and raised hopes that increasing political pressure would stimulate a move towards extension of parental rights in the Antipodes. Ultimately, the Bill proved too much of a challenge within the present New Zealand system, and the potential for change was confounded by lack of political support. However, future political compromises around the issue of paid parental leave remain a possibility in the volatile New Zealand political system.
‘Family Friendly’ Policies: Distribution and Implementation in Australian Workplaces
Authors: Whitehouse Gillian , Zetlin Di 
Published: March 2013

Abstract‘Family-friendly’ policies have recently gained a high profile in Australia, featuring increasingly in political rhetoric, company policies, industrial provisions and human resource management discourse. While initiatives to enhance the combination of work and family responsibilities may make relatively minor contributions to equal employment opportunity efforts, they do bring into consideration some of the broader social impediments to gender equity in paid employment. Some assessment of their accessibility and impact is therefore warranted. In this paper we examine the distribution of work and family provisions in the Australian labour market, and provide an assessment of their implementation in selected organisations. Our findings indicate that access to work and family provisions is uneven across the Australian labour market, particularly in the private sector; and suggest that even where provision is exemplary, the impact is at best moderate.
The Effect of Ossicle Resection in the Lateral Ligament Repair for Treatment of Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability
Authors: Chun Tae-Hwan , Park Yong-Serk , Sung Ki-Sun 
Published: March 2013

Background: The management of an ossicle or avulsion fragment of the fibular tip in chronic lateral ankle instability is an open question. Some authors maintain the necessity of osteosynthesis for reconstruction of the lateral ligamentous structure if the fragment is large. We hypothesized that the modified Broström procedure with resection of the ossicle would result in good outcomes compared to that of the same procedure for chronic lateral instability patients without ossicle. Methods: Between December 2004 and December 2010, 102 patients underwent the modified Broström procedure for chronic lateral instability. Of these, 82 patients (86 ankles) were available for this study. Forty ankles had ossicles at the fibular tip (group O), 46 had no ossicle (group N). The average follow-up period was 33 months in group O and 37 months in group N. Irrespective of size, if there were ossicles we resected all fragments and performed the modified Broström procedure. To analyze the surgical outcome, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot pain and function scales and Karlsson scores were compared between the 2 groups preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: Preoperative scores in the 2 groups showed no significant difference, except for AOFAS pain score. There was no significant difference in postoperative AOFAS pain and function score between the groups. Postoperative Karlsson score was significantly higher in group O than in group N ( P = .001). Group O was divided into 2 subgroups by the largest diameter of the ossicle (< 10 mm and ≥ 10 mm); there was no significant difference in surgical outcomes. Conclusions: In the treatment of chronic lateral instability of ankle, if there are ossicles on the fibular tip, osteosynthesis of the ossicles may not be necessary, even if the size is considerable. Modified Broström procedure after resection of the ossicle was successful. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective case series.
Explaining temporal trends in annualised relapse rates in placebo groups of randomised controlled trials in relapsing multiple sclerosis: systematic review and meta-regression
Authors: Steinvorth Simon M , Röver Christian , Schneider Simon , Nicholas Richard , Straube Sebastian , Friede Tim 
Published: March 2013

Background: Recent studies have shown a decrease in annualised relapse rates (ARRs) in placebo groups of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search of RCTs in RMS. Data on eligibility criteria and baseline characteristics were extracted and tested for significant trends over time. A meta-regression was conducted to estimate their contribution to the decrease of trial ARRs over time. Results: We identified 56 studies. Patient age at baseline ( p < 0.001), mean duration of multiple sclerosis (MS) at baseline ( p = 0.048), size of treatment groups ( p = 0.003), Oxford Quality Scale scores ( p = 0.021), and the number of eligibility criteria ( p<0.001) increased significantly, whereas pre-trial ARR ( p = 0.001), the time span over which pre-trial ARR was calculated ( p < 0.001), and the duration of placebo-controlled follow-up ( p = 0.006) decreased significantly over time. In meta-regression of trial placebo ARR, the temporal trend was found to be insignificant, with major factors explaining the variation: pre-trial ARR, the number of years used to calculate pre-trial ARR and study duration. Conclusion: The observed decline in trial ARRs may result from decreasing pre-trial ARRs and a shorter time period over which pre-trial ARRs were calculated. Increasing patient age and duration of illness may also contribute.
The Transient Chondrocyte Phenotype in Human Osteophytic Cartilage
Authors: Klinger Patricia , Beyer Christian , Ekici Arif B. , Carl Hans-Dieter , Schett Georg , Swoboda Bernd , Hennig Friedrich F. , Gelse Kolja 
Published: March 2013

Objective: To identify factors that are responsible for the phenotypic differences between transient chondrocytes within human osteophytes prone to endochondral ossification and permanent chondrocytes within articular cartilage persisting for decades. Methods: Differential gene expression of chondrocytes from human osteophytes or from articular cartilage was detected by cDNA microarray analysis. The expression of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), one of the most impressively differentially expressed genes, was validated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction as well as immunohistochemistry. The mode of action of PEDF was explored by cell viability assays and by detecting target genes. Results: PEDF mRNA expression was upregulated by 118.5-fold ( P = 0.01) in human osteophytic cartilage compared with articular cartilage, which was reflected by strong immunostaining for PEDF in the cartilaginous layer of osteophytes but largely negative staining in articular cartilage. Elevated levels of PEDF in osteophytes were associated with enhanced apoptosis. PEDF increased the expression of the proapoptotic factor FasL and induced cell death in cell culture. Osteochondral progenitor cells were more responsive to PEDF than differentiated articular chondrocytes. Conclusions: The induction of the proapoptotic factor PEDF within the osteophyte cartilage suggests a molecular concept for the transient chondrocyte phenotype that arises from progenitor cells and is prone to terminal differentiation and cell death.
Adult experience of local anaesthetic circumcision defies consultant beliefs in Scotland
Authors: Crosbie Robin , Dunn Ian 
Published: March 2013

Objective: In the United Kingdom, adult circumcision is often performed using general anaesthesia. Our aim was to assess our patients’ experiences of local anaesthetic (LA) circumcision and also the attitudes and practices of urologists in Scotland towards this procedure. Patients and methods: All adult patients undergoing LA circumcision over a 21-month period were asked to complete an anonymous post-operative questionnaire assessing domains such as pre-operative anxiety, anaesthetic discomfort and intra-operative pain. Postal questionnaires were sent to consultant urologists in central Scotland to determine current practice and attitudes for circumcision. Results: Seventy-four patients were included, all of whom were happy with their choice of anaesthesia and would recommend the procedure to a friend. Discomfort during anaesthetic infiltration was low, although approximately a quarter of patients reported feeling relatively mild pain intra-operatively. Just over half of the urologists replied to the questionnaire (53%), with the majority not offering LA circumcision routinely, believing it causes severe discomfort and that patients want a general anaesthesia. Conclusion: LA circumcision is acceptable to patients, avoids the need for pre-assessment, and offers potential cost savings. Our results challenge the beliefs of a number of urologists that LA circumcision is unacceptable to patients.
Severity of obstructive sleep apnoea predicts coronary artery plaque burden: a coronary computed tomographic angiography study
Authors: Kent Brian D. , Garvey John F. , Ryan Silke , Nolan Geraldine , Dodd Jonathan D. , McNicholas Walter T. 
Published: March 2013

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Carotid ultrasonography and retrospective, uncontrolled, coronary imaging studies have suggested an association of OSA with subclinical atherosclerosis, but there is a lack of prospective, controlled studies directly evaluating the relationship of OSA with occult coronary artery disease.We performed coronary computed tomographic angiography and inpatient-attended sleep studies on a cohort of otherwise healthy males attending our sleep laboratory, and compared coronary artery plaque volume between subjects with low and high apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) scores.29 subjects participated. The median AHI was 15.5 events·h−1, with subjects who scored above this classified as high AHI. No significant differences were observed in demographic, anthropometric and clinical variables between the high- and low-AHI groups. Coronary plaque volume was significantly greater in the high-AHI group (mean plaque volume 2.6±0.7 mm2versus0.8±0.2 mm2; p=0.017) and, furthermore, correlated significantly with AHI (Spearman’s r=0.433; p=0.019). Following adjustment for dyslipidaemia and fasting plasma glucose levels, AHI remained a significant predictor of plaque volume (standardised β=0.424; p=0.027).In this prospective case–control study, we found that severity of OSA may predict occult coronary atherosclerosis in otherwise healthy overweight or obese male subjects.
Fine-scale mapping of meiotic recombination in Asians
Authors: Bleazard Thomas , Ju Young Seok , Sung Joohon , Seo Jeong-Sun 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Meiotic recombination causes a shuffling of homologous chromosomes as they are passed from parents to children. Finding the genomic locations where these crossovers occur is important for genetic association studies, understanding population genetic variation, and predicting disease-causing structural rearrangements. There have been several reports that recombination hotspot usage differs between human populations. But while fine-scale genetic maps exist for European and African populations, none have been constructed for Asians.

Results
Here we present the first Asian genetic map with resolution high enough to reveal hotspot usage. We constructed this map by applying a hidden Markov model to genotype data for over 500,000 single nucleotide polymorphism markers from Korean and Mongolian pedigrees which include 980 meioses. We identified 32,922 crossovers with a precision rate of 99%, 97% sensitivity, and a median resolution of 105,949 bp. For direct comparison of genetic maps between ethnic groups, we also constructed a map for CEPH families using identical methods. We found high levels of concordance with known hotspots, with approximately 72% of recombination occurring in these regions. We investigated the hypothesized contribution of recombination problems to age-related aneuploidy. Our large sample size allowed us to detect a weak but significant negative effect of maternal age on recombination rate.

Conclusions
We have constructed the first fine-scale Asian genetic map. This fills an important gap in the understanding of recombination pattern variation and will be a valuable resource for future research in population genetics. Our map will improve the accuracy of linkage studies and inform the design of genome-wide association studies in the Asian population.
Skin injury model classification based on shape vector analysis
Authors: Röhrich Emil , Thali Michael , Schweitzer Wolf 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Skin injuries can be crucial in judicial decision making. Forensic experts base their classification on subjective opinions. This study investigates whether known classes of simulated skin injuries are correctly classified statistically based on 3D surface models and derived numerical shape descriptors.

Methods: Skin injury surface characteristics are simulated with plasticine. Six injury classes – abrasions, incised wounds, gunshot entry wounds, smooth and textured strangulation marks as well as patterned injuries - with 18 instances each are used for a k-fold cross validation with six partitions. Deformed plasticine models are captured with a 3D surface scanner. Mean curvature is estimated for each polygon surface vertex. Subsequently, distance distributions and derived aspect ratios, convex hulls, concentric spheres, hyperbolic points and Fourier transforms are used to generate 1284-dimensional shape vectors. Subsequent descriptor reduction maximizing SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) result in an average of 41 descriptors (varying across k-folds). With non-normal multivariate distribution of heteroskedastic data, requirements for LDA (linear discriminant analysis) are not met. Thus, shrinkage parameters of RDA (regularized discriminant analysis) are optimized yielding a best performance with λ = 0.99 and γ = 0.001.

Results: Receiver Operating Characteristic of a descriptive RDA yields an ideal Area Under the Curve of 1.0for all six categories. Predictive RDA results in an average CRR (correct recognition rate) of 97,22% under a 6 partition k-fold. Adding uniform noise within the range of one standard deviation degrades the average CRR to 71,3%.

Conclusions: Digitized 3D surface shape data can be used to automatically classify idealized shape models of simulated skin injuries. Deriving some well established descriptors such as histograms, saddle shape of hyperbolic points or convex hulls with subsequent reduction of dimensionality while maximizing SNR seem to work well for the data at hand, as predictive RDA results in CRR of 97,22%. Objective basis for discrimination of non-overlapping hypotheses or categories are a major issue in medicolegal skin injury analysis and that is where this method appears to be strong. Technical surface quality is important in that adding noise clearly degrades CRR.

Trial registration: This study does not cover the results of a controlled health care intervention as only plasticine was used. Thus, there was no trial registration.
The effectiveness of fermented turmeric powder in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase levels: a randomised controlled study
Authors: Kim Sang-Wook , Ha Ki-Chan , Choi Eun-Kyung , Jung Su-Young , Kim Min-Gul , Kwon Dae-Young , Yang Hye-Jung , Kim Min-Jung , Kang Hee-Joo , Back Hyang-Im , Kim Sun-Young , Park Soo-Hyun , Baek Hum-Young , Kim Yong-Jae , Lee Joon-Yeol , Chae Soo-Wan 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Previous animal studies have shown that Curcuma longa (turmeric) improves liver function. Turmeric may thus be a promising ingredient in functional foods aimed at improving liver function. The purpose of the study is to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of fermented turmeric powder (FTP) on liver function in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels.

Methods
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted between November 2010 and April 2012 at the clinical trial center for functional foods of the Chonbuk National University Hospital. The trial included 60 subjects, 20 years old and above, who were diagnosed mild to moderate elevated ALT levels between 40 IU/L and 200 IU/L. Sixty subjects were randomised to receive FTP 3.0 g per day or placebo 3.0 g per day for 12 weeks. The treatment group received two capsules of FTP three times a day after meals, for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in the ALT levels in the two groups. The secondary efficacy endpoints included its effect on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TB), and lipid profiles. Safety was assessed throughout the study using ongoing laboratory tests. Adverse events (AEs) were also recorded.

Results
Sixty subjects were randomised in the study (30 into the FTP group, 30 into the placebo group), and among them, twelve subjects were excluded from the analysis for protocol violation, adverse events or consent withdrawal. The two groups did not differ in baseline characteristics. After 12 weeks of treatment, 48 subjects were evaluated. Of the 48 subjects, 26 randomly received FTP capsules and 22 received placebo. The FTP group showed a significant reduction in ALT levels after 12 weeks of treatment compared with the placebo group (p = 0.019). There was also observed that the serum AST levels were significantly reduce in the FTP group than placebo group (p = 0.02). The GGT levels showed a tendency to decrease, while the serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), TB, and lipids levels were not modified. There were no reported severe AEs during this study, or abnormalities observed on blood glucose, total protein, albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine levels.

Conclusion
The data of this trial indicate that FTP is effective and safe, generally well-tolerated without severe AEs, in the treatment of subjects with elevated ALT levels over a 12 weeks period.

Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov: http://NCT01634256