bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
AUDIT OF FROZEN SECTIONS ON BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD LESIONS IN TUEN MUN HOSPITAL 1992–1999
Authors: Loo K.T. 
Published: August 2010

The accuracy of intraoperative frozen section reporting is an important factor influencing the speed and efficacy of neurosurgical operations. This study evaluates the performance of the Department of Clinical Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, in the reporting of this type of specimens for all operations on lesions of the brain and spinal cord in Tuen Mun Hospital during the eight‐year period from January 1992 till December 1999.A total of 328 intraoperative pathological samples of disorders of brain and spinal cord could be retrieved from records in the study period, of which 25 (7.6%) were non‐neoplastic. In 50 cases (15.2%) differing diagnoses were given on frozen and permanent sections. In 6 cases (1.8%) the specimens were considered inadequate for diagnosis (too little, crushed or charred material). In 5 cases (1.5%) frozen section diagnosis was deferred to permanent section. In 15 cases (4.6%) a single diagnosis could not be reached at the time of frozen section and a number of differential diagnoses were offered, the most frequent of which was glioma versus gliosis.This study has identified the entities in which a misdiagnosis is most likely to be made, due either to inherent ease of confusion with morphologic mimickers or to unfamiliarity of the pathologist with the histomorphology. Being aware of major problem areas where diagnostic errors are most prone to occur, the pathologist can appropriately focus his attention and training emphasis, in the continuous effort to improve his diagnostic skill. Achievement of this improvement, combined with proper specimen handling, preparation of optimal frozen sections by technical staff, and close communication with the neurosurgeon, a correct or efficacious diagnosis can be made for more intraoperative situations.
ROBOTIC NEUROSURGERY—QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE
Authors: Tse T.S. , Cheung F.C. 
Published: August 2010

Introduction: Since August 2000, a robotic microscope‐based frameless image‐guided system, SGC (Surgiscope, Elekta) became available in the Department of Neurosurgery, QEH. We reviewed the early cases performed with SGC, and presented our experience with these cases.Materials and methods: All cases performed with SGC from August to October 2000 were reviewed. Case notes, operation records, outpatient records, imaging, and interviews with surgeons constituted as source of information.Results, discussion and conclusions:A total of 21 cases were performed with SGC guidance from August to October 2000. There were 12 males and 9 females, ages ranged from 17 to 80 years old with a mean of 43. 12 supra‐tentorial, 3 infra‐tentorial craniotomies/craniectomies, 5 transsphenoidal surgeries and 1 endoscopic biopsy were performed for 17 brain tumors, 2 AVMs, 1 temporal lobe epilepsy and 1 cysticercosis. There was no operative mortality nor complication related to the use of SGC.The most striking difference of SGC from other non‐robotic image‐guidance systems was its ability to actively position the microscope to assume any pre‐planned trajectory, effectively guiding the surgeon towards his target, whether it is visible (to eyes) or not. We felt SGC would be most useful for relatively small, invisible, deeply seated lesions with surrounding vital structures that need to be avoided. Examples included low‐grade glioma, deep AVM and cavernoma, epileptic foci, skull base tumor and re‐operative pituitary adenoma.Keys to fully utilize SGC’s potential included firstly, familiarization of the handling of the SGC microscope; secondly, realization that the SGC LED panel placement and patient positioning is critical for the successful execution of the pre‐planned trajectory and approach; and finally, careful pre‐operative planning on the workstation.
HETEROGENEOUS RESPONSES OF ENDOTHELIA AND FOOT PROCESS OF ASTROCYTES AT DAMAGED BLOOD‐BRAIN BARRIER (BBB) IN CORTICAL CONTUSION IN RATS
Authors: Ke Changshu , Poon Wai S. , Ng Ho Keung , Chan Y. 
Published: August 2010

To assess changes of aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) and dissect out responses of endothelia and foot process of astrocytes in severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rat model. 32 rats were randomly divided into different groups. Immunohistochemistry was conducted using: 1) anti‐endogenous IgG, 2) anti‐Endothelial Barrier Antigen (EBA), 3) anti‐Aquaporin 4 (AQP4). The negatively stained areas of EBA and AQP4 on two adjacent serial sections from the same contusion were also quantified by image analysis (CAS 200, Beckton‐Dickinson).Results showed: 1) Damages of BBB indirectly detected by endogeneous IgG were mostly concentrated in contusions (started from 1 hour till 11 day) but not significantly changed in contalateral cortex and brain stem being diffusely injured. 2) Loss of AQP4 expression was also prominent in contusion at 1 day (5/6) and re‐expression started from 3 day (2/5) and afterwards. However, loss of EBA in contusion peaked at 4 hours and 1 day (5/6), re‐expression started from 1 day (4/6) and later. 3) AQP4 (–) area within contusion was significantly larger than EBA (–) area, compared between two adjacent serial sections from the same contusion [1.68 ± 0.46 mm2 (AQP4‐negative) versus 0.47 ± 0.12 mm2 (EBA‐negative) (mean ± S.E.M., P = 0.01, paired t‐test)].It can be concluded that AQP4 (–) in the focal contusion is associated with damaged BBB. The combined immunostaining of EBA and IgG can define the dynamic process of BBB damage. Heterogeneous responses of perivascular foot process of astrocyte and endothelia are evoked when exposed to the same direct mechanical injury loading in contusion. The peri‐vascular foot process of astrocyte is more vulnerable.
IS TRANSCRANIAL DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY (TCD) GOOD ENOUGH IN DETERMINING CO2 REACTIVITY AND PRESSURE AUTOREGULATION IN HEAD‐INJURED PATIENTS
Authors: Ng S.C.P. , Poon W.S. , Chan M.T.V. , Lam J.M.K. , Lam W.W.M. 
Published: August 2010

Objectives: Blood flow velocity (BFV) measurement by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) has been shown to give accurate indication of changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF). Cerebral haemodynamic status [cerebral vasoreactivity (CVR) to carbon dioxide (CO2) and pressure autoregulatory response (PAR)] as determined by TCD was compared with that of stable xenon‐enhanced cerebral blood flow (XeCBF), generally regarded as gold standard in CBF measurement.Blood flow velocities (BFV) in both middle cerebral arteries were measured continuously by TCD. XeCBF measurement was performed after (1) moderate hyperventilation, (2) normocapnia and (3) normocapnia with induced increase in blood pressure (BP). Preserved CVR was defined as more than 1% change in XeCBF and BFV per mm Hg end‐tidal CO2 and intact PAR was defined as within 1% change in XeCBF and BFV per mmHg BP change.Results: Fourteen sedated and ventilated head‐injured patients (median G.C.S. score : 6.5, mean age: 44.2 ± 16.9 years) underwent 32 pairs of CVR and PAR tests. BFV and XeCBF were 74.4 ± 26.8 cm/s and 53.6 ± 22.6 mL/100 g/min (r = 0.49, P < 0.0005) respectively. In CVR test, correlation coefficient (r) of changes in BFV versus changes in XeCBF was 0.34 (P = 0.006). Sensitivity and specificity of detecting preserved and impaired CVR were 70.5% and 50.0%. In PAR test, changes in BFV correlated significantly with changes in XeCBF (r = 0.73, P < 0.0005). Sensitivity and specificity of detecting intact and loss of PAR were 73.0% and 59.3%.Conclusions: This study suggests BFV measurement using TCD is reliable to assess cerebral haemodynamic status. In ventilated head‐injured patients, correlation in pressure autoregulation was stronger in comparison with cerebral vasoreactivity.
Asset mapping and Whanau action research: ‘New’ subjects negotiating the politics of knowledge in Te Rarawa
Authors: Underhill‐Sem Yvonne , Lewis Nick 
Published: August 2010

AbstractTe Runanga o Te Rarawa is the tribal council representing the interests of the marae (tribal commons) and hapu (a subtribal kin group) that make up the iwi (a Maori tribe) of Te Rarawa in the far north of Aotearoa/New Zealand. In April 2005, officials approached us to help them secure a valuable funding stream tagged to marshalling resources for material development in the area. They sought curriculum vitae and assistance in reframing the funding specifications. Intrigued, armed with a conceptual toolkit drawn from Gibson‐Graham's ideas of post‐development and asset‐based community mapping, and confident that we could add value, we agreed to help. This paper examines the complex politics of our involvement and our changing positioning as researcher subjects. We argue that negotiating a politics of knowledge for projects of this nature requires engagement in complex representational politics of place and divisive identity politics that rage around it. There are no easy protocols for outside researchers, but with appropriate humility and sensitivity to these politics, we can rely on, and should stand up for, the value of our work, which lies in commitments to excellence in scholarship. We cannot and should not seek to control these politics, which will chew us up and spit us out – humanely and with good grace or otherwise. However, good academic work will recognise and adapt to them. In our particular case, we argue that our work had significant value; and in this paper, we trace the production of this value.
Female transnational migration, religion and subjectivity: The case of Indonesian domestic workers
Authors: Williams Catharina P. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractDrawing on an analysis of in‐depth interviews with returned migrant women from East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, this paper considers the links between migration, religious beliefs and subjectivity. Low‐skilled migrant women, including domestic workers, have often been represented as marginalised. This paper argues that in the context of migration, women constantly move through trajectories of power using religion as a spiritual resource. Against the commonly patriarchal characteristics of their religion and community, the women employ cognitive strategies to face challenges in migration. In each stage of their transnational migration, the women's experiences reveal the multitude of ways in which they continue to invest in their beliefs through everyday practices, rituals and networking. These experiences highlight the women's strategies in accessing different forms of power. This study demonstrates the significance of focusing on these women's experiences, including their everyday religious practices and their shifting sense of self, as a way of broadening the conceptual basis of our understanding of female migration.
Development prospects in Eastern Indonesia: Learning from Oelua's diverse economy
Authors: Carnegie Michelle 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis paper explores the effects of different representations of informal economies in Third World settings. Both the neoclassical and political economy approaches have represented the informal economy as a transient entity, and the non‐capitalist practices it comprises as being remnant economic forms, or as already capitalist. Mainstream development discourse (that reflects the neoliberal paradigm) continues to ignore the value and potential of non‐capitalist practices and to represent them as inconsequential to development outcomes. Meanwhile contemporary livelihood studies across the social sciences have documented the continuing vibrancy of different and hybrid economic forms in the Asia Pacific. In this paper, I use a diverse‐economies approach to explore the complexities of the village economy of Oelua in Rote, in the so‐called lagging region of Eastern Indonesia. Drawing on anti‐essentialist Marxist theory in economic geography, I describe the multiple, locally specific and coexisting practices that comprise Oelua's diverse economy, which include distributions of surplus labour to promote social and economic well‐being. I argue that recognising informal village economies as an important development resource could begin a process of building diverse development trajectories in Eastern Indonesia, complementing mainstream development proposals to attract foreign direct investment, shore up development assistance and source out‐migration.
Measuring Green Productivity Growth for China's Manufacturing Sectors: 1991–2000*
Authors: Cao Jing 
Published: August 2010

Over the past two decades, China has sustained rapid economic growth of 8–10 percent, part of which is attributed to the positive total factor productivity (TFP) growth. However, this extraordinary economic performance has been accompanied by severe environmental pollution and associated health damage. The conventional TFP method is biased in interpreting the progress of technology change because it does not consider non‐marketable residues, such as environmental pollution, and, hence, efficiency improvements in terms of pollution abatement technology and environmentally friendly management are ignored. This bias might direct our attention to less efficient use of environmental friendly abatement technologies or send wrong signals to policy‐makers. To address this issue, the present paper applies a modified welfare‐based green TFP approach, treating environmental damage as non‐desirable (negative) residual output. Therefore, environmental efficiency is taken into account to accurately interpret technological progress from a social welfare point of view. Based on a national time‐series input–output table, historical capital and labor input data for China and sectoral level air pollution emission data from 1991 to 2000, the empirical results suggest that with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, many pollution intensive sectors, such as electricity, primary metal and chemical industries, improved their environmental efficiency in the late 1990s. However, because of the weak environmental regulations in construction and transportation, and in sectors primarily composed of small private or township and village industrial enterprises, firms within these industries contributed to increasing environmental degradation.
People's Republic of China and its Neighbours: evidence on regional trade and investment effects
Authors: Roland‐Holst David , Weiss John 
Published: August 2010

The very rapid economic growth of the People's Republic of China (PRC), its dramatic success in world export markets and its heavy receipts of foreign direct investment (FDI) have generated much thought and debate in policy and business circles in different parts of the world. This paper surveys evidence from research by ADB Institute staff and Visiting Fellows conducted over the last two years that sheds light on these issues. The paper examines differences in trade structure between the PRC and its trading partners, finding that the PRC's current structure is closest to that of Korea and Taipei, China in 1990. It also considers changes in market share and finds that the PRC exports are eroding the market share of its regional neighbours in the USA and Japan, particularly in products in which trading partners are most specialised. There is no evidence of FDI diversion from elsewhere in the region to PRC. The trade diversion effects in the US and Japan are offset however by strong trade creation as the rapid growth in PRC leads to a substantial rise in its imports.The paper surveys the projections of models that demonstrate the gains in greater trade and income for the region from closer trade links with the PRC. The broad conclusion that emerges is that whilst there may be risks to individual sectors in all countries concerned, the pattern of regional trade and investment that is emerging is mutually beneficial, provided enterprises and governments representing the PRC's regional partners respond effectively to the adjustments required.
A NOTE ON ASYMPTOTIC POSTERIOR NORMALITY FOR STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
Authors: ADEKOLA O.A. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryIn a recent paper, Sweeting & Adekola (1987) presented a fairly general set of conditions for asymptotic posterior normality which covers a wide class of problems. In this paper we present an example of an explosive autoregressive model where our condition A4 does not hold.
COMBINING TWO UNBIASED ESTIMATORS OF A COMMON MEAN OF TWO NORMAL POPULATIONS
Authors: NANAYAKKARA NUWAN , CRESSIE NOEL 
Published: August 2010

SummaryConsider estimating the common mean μ of two normal populations. Let () and () be the means and variances of two independent samples obtained from these populations. We give sufficient conditions for the choices of α1 and α2 in the unbiased estimator
EXPONENTIAL DISPERSION MODELS AND THE GAUSS‐NEWTON ALGORITHM
Authors: Smyth Gordon K. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryIt is known that the Fisher scoring iteration for generalized linear models has the same form as the Gauss‐Newton algorithm for normal regression. This note shows that exponential dispersion models are the most general families to preserve this form for the scoring iteration. Therefore exponential dispersion models are the most general extension of generalized linear models for which the analogy with normal regression is preserved. The multinomial distribution is used as an example.
SPECTRAL REPRESENTATION AND ERGODICITY OF ASYMPTOTICALLY STATIONARY PROCESSES
Authors: Anh V.V. , Lunney K.E. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryA second order process with mean zero and covariance is asymptotically stationary if lim ds exists for every; this limit then defines the covariance function of the process. The paper establishes the spectral representation for the covariance function and a mean ergodic theorem for the process. When stationarity is assumed, the results reduce to the well‐known corresponding theorems for stationary processes.
ASYMPTOTIC POSTERIOR NORMALITY FOR STOCHASTIC PROCESSES: A NON‐ERGODIC EXAMPLE
Authors: Adekola O.A. 
Published: August 2010

SummarySweeting & Adekola (1987) presented a fairly general set of conditions, covering a wide class of problems, that establish asymptotic posterior normality for stochastic processes. In this paper, this theory is illustrated via a non‐ergodic example, namely, the class of non‐homogeneous birth processes.
JAMES‐STEIN RULE ESTIMATORS IN LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS WITH MULTIVARIATE‐t DISTRIBUTED ERROR
Authors: Singh Radhey S. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryThis paper considers estimation of β in the regression model y =Xβ+μ, where the error components in μ have the jointly multivariate Student‐t distribution. A family of James‐Stein type estimators (characterised by nonstochastic scalars) is presented. Sufficient conditions involving only X are given, under which these estimators are better (with respect to the risk under a general quadratic loss function) than the usual minimum variance unbiased estimator (MVUE) of β. Approximate expressions for the bias, the risk, the mean square error matrix and the variance‐covariance matrix for the estimators in this family are obtained. A necessary and sufficient condition for the dominance of this family over MVUE is also given.
THE USE OF A CLASS OF FOLDOVER DESIGNS AS SEARCH DESIGNS
Authors: Diamond Neil T. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryIt is shown that members of a class of two‐level nonorthogonal resolution IV designs withnfactors are strongly resolvable search designs whenk, the maximum number of two‐factor interactions thought possible, equals one; weakly resolvable whenk =2 except when the number of factors is 6; and may not be weakly resolvable whenk≥ 3.
SOME SIMPLE APPROXIMATIONS FOR THE DOUBLY NONCENTRAL z DISTRIBUTION
Authors: SENGUPTA SUKALYAN 
Published: August 2010

SummaryWe give two simple approximations for evaluating the cumulative probabilities of the doubly noncentral z distribution. These can easily be used for evaluating the cumulative probabilities of the doubly noncentral F distribution as well. We compare our results with those obtained by Tiku (1965) using series expansion. An industrial situation where a quality characteristic of interest follows the doubly noncentral z distribution is also cited. However, in this case the exact probabilities could be calculated using results on the ratio of two normal variables.
SELECTING “DEMONSTRABLY BEST” OR “DEMONSTRABLY WORST” EXPONENTIAL POPULATIONS
Authors: Bofinger Eve 
Published: August 2010

SummaryConsider k independent observations Yi (i= 1,., k) from two‐parameter exponential populations i with location parameters μ and the same scale parameter If the μi are ranked as consider population as the “worst” population and IIp(k) as the “best” population (with some tagging so that p{) and p(k) are well defined in the case of equalities). If the Yi are ranked as we consider the procedure, “Select provided YR(k) Yr(k) is sufficiently large so that is demonstrably better than the other populations.” A similar procedure is studied for selecting the “demonstrably worst” population.
A MULTIVARIATE NORMAL MODEL FOR PEDIGREE AND LONGITUDINAL DATA AND THE SOFTWARE ‘FISHER’
Authors: Hopper John L. , Mathews John D. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryIn 1918 R.A. Fisher published an interpretation of covariation between relatives in terms of Mendelian inheritance, which has allowed inference on genetic and environmental components of variation from plant, animal and human pedigree data. Fisher had introduced maximum likelihood six years earlier. His 1918 paper abo contained the basics of linear regression and decomposition of variance. These concepts have now been united to allow flexible modelling of the mean and covariance structure of non‐independent data on continuous traits, using maximum likelihood under a multivariate normal assumption. FISHER is a software package, designed for pedigree analysis and easily adapted for repeated measures and longitudinal data analysis. A range of applications illustrate FISHER as a useful statistical tool. Issues related to assumptions, tests‐of‐fit, and robustness of inference are discussed.
NONPARAMETRIC QUANTILE ESTIMATION FROM RECORD‐BREAKING DATA
Authors: Gulati1 Sneh , Padgett W.J. 
Published: August 2010

SummarySometimes, in industrial quality control experiments and destructive stress testing, only values smaller than all previous ones are observed. Here we consider nonparametric quantile estimation, both the ‘sample quantile function’ and kernel‐type estimators, from such record‐breaking data. For a single record‐breaking sample, consistent estimation is not possible except in the extreme tails of the distribution. Hence replication is required, and form.such independent record‐breaking samples the quantile estimators are shown to be strongly consistent and asymptotically normal as m‐→∞. Also, for smallm, the mean‐squared errors, biases and smoothing parameters (for the smoothed estimators) are investigated through computer simulations.
AN ALGORITHM FOR CHOOSING THE SAMPLING TIMES FOR AN EXPERIMENT ON A CONTINUOUS PROCESS
Authors: Saunders Ian W. 
Published: August 2010

SummarySaunders & Eccleston (1992) and Saunders, Eccleston & Spessa (1992) developed an approach to the design of factorial experiments on continuous processes that allows for the correlation present in such processes. Their methods concentrated on identifying the order of application of treatments in such experiments, assuming that the spacing between experiments is constant. On a continuous process, there is no necessity to maintain equally spaced sampling times. This paper gives an algorithm for choosing the optimal sampling times for a factorial experiment aimed at estimating a particular parameter or set of parameters. It is shown that in practical situations the optimal sampling times give considerable improvements in the accuracy of the parameter estimates.