bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Movement of solute through a porous medium under intermittent leaching
Authors: AL‐SIBAI M. , ADEY M. A. , ROSE D. A. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryExcess salts may be removed from soil by leaching, but ponding water on the soil's surface and allowing infiltration requires large quantities of water. During such leaching water flows preferentially through macropores between aggregates, while the flow within aggregates is much less. Consequently, solute within aggregates is removed much more slowly, thus decreasing overall leaching efficiency. For this reason intermittent ponding can be more efficient because it allows time for solute to diffuse to the surfaces of aggregates during the rest period and subsequently be removed in macropore flow. We explored solute transport in aggregated soils under intermittent leaching in three ways: theoretically, by laboratory experiments on columns of porous ceramic spheres as analogues of aggregates, and by simulation. Solute movement during displacement is described by the mobile‐immobile convection‐dispersion equation. During the rest period flow ceases, and solute redistributes within the aggregates by diffusion, the key variable being the effective diffusion coefficient, De of the solute in the aggregates, and longitudinally by diffusion within macropores (though this was ignored in the simulation). We estimated De for our porous spheres from observations of solute outflow into finite volumes of stirred distilled water. The theory was validated against experiments on saturated columns for different aggregate‐size distributions, flow velocities, and displacement and rest periods, with most parameters estimated independently. Experiments and simulations showed that water savings of 25% were possible under our laboratory conditions, increasing as aggregate size, flow velocity and duration of rest period increased. The potential of intermittent leaching in the field is considered.
How do patients choose their doctors for primary care in a free market?
Authors: Wun Yuk Tsan , Lam Tai Pong , Lam Kwok Fai , Goldberg David , Li Donald K. T. , Yip Ka Chee 
Published: August 2010

AbstractAims  A recent trend in health care system is to provide more choices to the patients. This study surveyed the general public's choices for primary care in Hong Kong which has the setting of free choices for private or public service and also direct access to specialists.Methods  We used a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. We held five focus group interviews with participants of different socio‐economic categories. Information from the focus groups helped to design a questionnaire for random telephone interviews with members of the public aged 18 or above.Results  There were 37 participants in the focus groups and 1647 respondents in the telephone survey. The most important factor for choosing a doctor was proximity to home or workplace, followed by quick relief from the illness. Once continuity of care had been established, distance was of less importance but comprehensive care was valued. Nearly 70% of the public had regular doctors. About 93% of the public would consult specialists directly when they thought they needed a specialist's opinion. Nearly 30% chose specialists for any medical care and 38% preferred specialists to also look after their primary care problems.Conclusion  Convenient accessibility was the most important factor for the initial choice of primary care doctors by the general public. The perceived clinical proficiency of the doctor determined future continuity of care. Patients liked to have direct access to specialists. Though some chose to see the specialists even for primary care problems, most people had regular doctors who were likely to have the attributes of family doctors.
Nerve perforation with pencil point or short bevelled needles: histological outcome
Authors: STEINFELDT T. , NIMPHIUS W. , WURPS M. , EBERHART L. , VASSILIOU T. , KILL C. , WULF H. , GRAF J. 
Published: August 2010

Background: In the case of needle nerve contact during peripheral blocks, pencil point needles are considered less traumatic compared with bevelled needles. However, there are not enough data to prove this notion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to challenge the hypothesis that nerve perforation with short bevelled needles is associated with major nerve damage compared with pencil point needles.Methods: In five anaesthetised pigs, the brachial plexus was exposed bilaterally. Up to eight nerves underwent needle nerve perforation using a pencil point needles cannula or an short bevelled needle. After 48 h, the nerves were resected. The specimens were processed for visual examination and the detection of inflammatory cells (haematoxylin–eosin, i.e. CD68‐immunohistochemistry to detect macrophages), myelin damage (Kluver–Barrera staining) and intraneural haematoma. The grade of nerve injury was characterised by an objective score ranging from 0 (no injury) to 4 (severe injury).Results: Fifty nerves were examined. According to the injury score applied, there was no significant difference between the pencil point needles [median (inter‐quartile range) 2.0 (2.0–2.0)] and the short bevelled‐needle group [median 2.0 (2.0–2.0) P=0.23]. No myelin damage was observed. Signs of post‐traumatic inflammation were equally distributed among both groups.Conclusions: In the present study, the magnitude of nerve injury after needle nerve perforation was not related to one of the applied needle types. Post‐traumatic inflammation rather than structural damage of nerve tissue is the only notable sign of nerve injury after needle nerve perforation with either needle type. However, neither the pencil point‐ nor the short bevelled needle can be designated a less traumatic device.
Differentiating the natural and man‐made terraces of Lake Van, Eastern Anatolia, utilizing earth science methods
Authors: Akça Erhan , Çimrin K. Mesut , Ryan John , Nagano Takanori , Topaksu Mustafa , Kapur Selim 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe Fertile Crescent of the Middle East region, embracing Syria, eastern Turkey and Iraq, marks the region where settled agriculture began, and where the landscape has been shaped for millennia by human activities. The lacustrine and fluvial terraces of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene Eras are common geomorphic features in many areas around Lake Van in eastern Turkey, being sustainably used since the Urartian Period (800–400 years bc). Fluctuations in the water levels of Lake Van have resulted in the development of widely distributed natural terraces around the Lake. The undulating slopes of these terraces have limited their cultivation, however, leading people to reconstruct terraces as a means for utilizing particular production sites, as anthroscapes (this concept is generally confined to situations where marked differences or deviations from the normal, natural landscapes are attributable to effects/shaping by humans). The region exhibits semiarid climatic conditions and a short crop‐growing season, currently being under the threat of land degradation. Recent mismanagement of these lands as a result of increasing population pressures has led to the degradation of both the natural and the man‐made terraces. Thus, there is an urgent need to conserve and understand the indigenous management and soil quality attributes of these man‐made terraces. To this end, this study examined soil profiles and analysed soil samples for their chemical, physical and mineralogical characteristics, in order to determine the human effects of leaching and/or accumulation. These analyses revealed significant differences between the physical, chemical, microbiological and mineralogical properties of the man‐made/reworked terraces and natural terraces under essentially similar parent materials and environment, thereby providing clues as to the sustainable management of these land surfaces in eastern Turkey. The approaches used in this study provide useful evidence for attempting to explain the historical evolution of land use in similar environments elsewhere, as well as the significance of terraces in combating coastal erosion in lake environments.
Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate reduces hepatic ischaemia/reperfusion‐induced acute kidney injury through attenuation of endothelial injury in mice
Authors: LEE SO‐YOUNG , KIM DONG‐HEE , SUNG SU‐AH , KIM MYUNG‐GYU , CHO WON‐YONG , KIM HYOUNG‐KYU , JO SANG‐KYUNG 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTAim:  Hepatic ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) frequently complicates acute kidney injury (AKI) during the perioperative period. This study was to determine whether hepatic IRI causes AKI and the effect of the sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) on AKI.Methods:  S1P and vehicle were given to mice before ischaemia and mice were subjected to hepatic IRI. Plasma creatinine (PCr), alanine transaminase (ALT), urinary neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) and renal histological changes were determined. As a marker of endothelial injury, vascular permeability was measured. The effect of VPC 23019, a S1P1 receptor antagonist, was also assessed.Results:  Hepatic IRI resulted in liver injury (increased ALT) and systemic inflammation. Kidneys showed elevated inflammatory cytokines, leucocyte infiltration, increased vascular permeability, tubular cell apoptosis and increased urinary NGAL, although PCr did not increase. Pretreatment with S1P resulted in an attenuation of systemic inflammation and kidney injury without any effect on plasma ALT or peripheral lymphocytes. The protective effect of S1P was partially reversed by VPC 23019, suggesting the important contribution of the S1P/S1P1 pathway to protect against hepatic IRI‐induced AKI.Conclusion:  The study data demonstrate the important contribution of systemic inflammation and endothelial injury to AKI following hepatic IRI. Modulation of the S1P/S1P1 receptor pathway might have some therapeutic potential in hepatic IRI‐induced kidney injury.
Co‐expression of C‐terminal truncated alpha‐synuclein enhances full‐length alpha‐synuclein‐induced pathology
Authors: Ulusoy Ayse , Febbraro Fabia , Jensen Poul H. , Kirik Deniz , Romero‐Ramos Marina 
Published: August 2010

AbstractLewy bodies, which are a pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, contain insoluble polymers of alpha‐synuclein (αsyn). Among the different modifications that can promote the formation of toxic αsyn species, C‐terminal truncation is among the most abundant alterations in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In vitro, C‐terminal truncated αsyn aggregates faster and sub‐stoichiometric amounts of C‐terminal truncated αsyn promote aggregation of the full‐length αsyn (αsynFL) and induce neuronal toxicity. To address in vivo the putative stimulation of αsyn‐induced pathology by the presence of truncated αsyn, we used recombinant adeno‐associated virus to express either αsynFL or a C‐terminal truncated αsyn (1‐110) in rats. We adjusted the recombinant adeno‐associated virus vector concentrations so that either protein alone led to only mild to moderate axonal pathology in the terminals of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons without frank cell loss. When these two forms of αsyn were co‐expressed at these pre‐determined levels, it resulted in a more aggressive pathology in fiber terminals as well as dopaminergic cell loss in the substantia nigra. Using an antibody that did not detect the C‐terminal truncated αsyn (1‐110) but only αsynFL, we demonstrated that the co‐expressed truncated protein promoted the progressive accumulation of αsynFL and formation of larger pathological accumulations. Moreover, in the co‐expression group, three of the eight animals showed apomorphine‐induced turning, suggesting prominent post‐synaptic alterations due to impairments in the dopamine release, whereas the mild pathology induced by either form alone did not cause motor abnormalities. Taken together these data suggest that C‐terminal truncated αsyn can interact with and exacerbate the formation of pathological accumulations containing αsynFL in vivo.
Capital Structure under Costly Enforcement*
Authors: Hvide Hans K. , Leite Tore 
Published: August 2010

AbstractWe consider financial structure and repayment behavior in a setting where cash flows are private information to the entrepreneur and the cost of enforcing repayment differs across security holders. If enforcement costs are lower for shareholders than for creditors, a mixed capital structure with debt and equity can obtain in equilibrium. Under a mixed capital structure, creditors intervene in low cash‐flow states while shareholders intervene in high cash‐flow states. Moreover, strategic defaults, costly bankruptcy, shareholder intervention, and violation of absolute priority occur with positive probability on the equilibrium path. Several of the predictions from our framework are consistent with evidence not readily explainable by existing theories.
Public and Private Education in an Integrated Europe: Studying to Migrate and Teaching to Stay?
Authors: Poutvaara Panu 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis paper investigates public and private choices between internationally applicable and country‐specific education when graduates are mobile. Human capital depends on innate skills and study effort with either type of education. It is shown that national governments provide too few students with internationally applicable education, and too many with country‐specific education. This effect is mitigated, but not entirely eliminated, by the introduction of a graduate tax, according to which graduates are required to pay part of their taxes to the country where they received their education, regardless of residence. However, private educational choices are socially optimal with suitably differentiated tuition fees.
Receiver Operating Characteristic Surfaces in the Presence of Verification Bias
Authors: Chi Yueh-Yun , Zhou Xiao-Hua 
Published: August 2010

Summary
In diagnostic medicine, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) surface is one of the established tools for assessing the accuracy of a diagnostic test in discriminating three disease states, and the volume under the ROC surface has served as a summary index for diagnostic accuracy. In practice, the selection for definitive disease examination may be based on initial test measurements and induces verification bias in the assessment. We propose a non-parametric likelihood-based approach to construct the empirical ROC surface in the presence of differential verification, and to estimate the volume under the ROC surface. Estimators of the standard deviation are derived by both the Fisher information and the jackknife method, and their relative accuracy is evaluated in an extensive simulation study. The methodology is further extended to incorporate discrete baseline covariates in the selection process, and to compare the accuracy of a pair of diagnostic tests. We apply the proposed method to compare the diagnostic accuracy between mini-mental state examination and clinical evaluation of dementia, in discriminating between three disease states of Alzheimer's disease.
A Statistical Model for the Temporal Pattern of Individual Automated Teller Machine Withdrawals
Authors: Brentnall Adam R. , Crowder Martin J. , Hand David J. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryModels of consumer behaviour that are based purely on empirical relationships in data can perform well in the short term but often degrade rapidly with changing circumstances. Superior longer-term performance can sometimes be attained by developing models for the deeper processes underlying the consumer behaviour. We develop a random-effects point process model for automated teller machine withdrawals. Estimation, prediction and computational issues are discussed. The model may be used to predict behaviour for an individual and to assess when state changes in individual behaviour have occurred and as a description of behaviour for a portfolio of accounts.
Testing the purchasing power parity in oil‐exporting countries
Authors: Mehrara Mohsen 
Published: August 2010

AbstractUsing panel unit root and panel cointegration tests, we investigate the purchasing power parity (PPP) for oil‐exporting countries. In addition, we also employ a seemingly unrelated regression estimator to account for possible cross‐sectional effect. The test results overwhelmingly reject the weak and strong versions of PPP hypothesis. It seems that the Dutch disease and repeated episodes of booms and busts in oil prices transmitted to the real exchange rate have made oil‐dependent countries so apt to non‐stationary real exchange rate.
Environmental Taxation and Induced Structural Change in an Open Economy: The Role of Market Structure
Authors: Böhringer Christoph , Löschel Andreas , Welsch Heinz 
Published: August 2010

Abstract
Studies of structural change induced by environmental taxation usually proceed in a perfect-competition framework and typically find structural change to be quite moderate under realistic emission reduction scenarios. By observing that some of the industries affected are likely to operate under imperfect rather than perfect competition, additional mechanisms emerge which may amplify structural change beyond the extent identified as yet. Especially, changes in economies of scale may arise which weaken or strengthen the competitive position of industries over and above the initial cost effect. Using a computable general equilibrium model for Germany to examine the effects of a unilaterally introduced carbon tax, we find that induced structural change is more pronounced under imperfect competition than under perfect competition. At the macroeconomic level, we find that aggregate losses in economies of scale are larger than aggregate gains, implying that the total costs of environmental regulation are higher under imperfect competition than under perfect competition.
Modeling Expectation Formation Involving Several Sources of Information
Authors: Becker Otwin , Leitner Johannes , Leopold-Wildburger Ulrike 
Published: August 2010

Abstract
Experimental studies of expectation formation of subjects are predominantly limited to the prediction of one single time series despite the practical relevance of expectations in situations with multiple sources of information. In this paper, we report on an experiment in which subjects are given time series (indicators) as additional information for the judgemental forecast of a stationary time series. The quality and the number of these indicators are varied in three versions of a forecasting experiment. We explore the effects on forecasting accuracy and we test the average forecasts of the subjects for consistency with the rational expectations hypothesis. A simple heuristic is presented that explains the average forecasting behavior better than the rational expectations if indicators are presented to the subjects. It is demonstrated by a simulation study that this result is representative for the considered stationary stochastic processes.
A ward token system: the illustrated version
Authors: WILLIAMS CHRIS , PRICE MIKE 
Published: August 2010

In the previous issue of Apex (Vol. 1 No. 3,1973) we described how we had set about developing a positive reinforcement system to develop and maintain self‐help and social skills in our children using tokens as conditioned reinforcers.This short illustrated note is to show some of the developments in pictorial form.
Young volunteers and holiday playschemes in the hospital setting
Authors: JONES ADELE 
Published: August 2010

The idea of introducing young volunteers into the hospital setting may be lacking in universal appeal for a variety of reasons. Our experience, however, suggests that the potential of young people involved in voluntary work with long‐stay patients, both children and adults, should not be undervalued.Following a successful pilot scheme in 1977, Youth Action York (a voluntary organisation concerned with, among other things, the social education of young people) was again approached by the senior administrative staff of Claypenny Hospital, Easing‐wold, North Yorkshire, to undertake a similar play‐scheme during the Easter holidays of 1978. The resultant 5‐day residential playscheme was based on two equally important objectives — a well organised, effective programme which would serve the best interests of the children taking part and the provision of a fruitful learning situation for the volunteers involved.
DEVELOPING STAFF SKILLS IN WORKING WITH THE MENTALLY/VISUALLY HANDICAPPED
Authors: BEST A. B. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryThis article gives an outline curriculum of a course for staff working with mentally/visually handicapped (MVH) people based on experience gained from BIMH courses already held. Some of the needs of the MVH are discussed and staff training activities are described. Severe visual handicap is found in probably 5–10 per cent of mentally handicapped people in the UK. It is suggested that there is an urgent need for the provision of in‐service training for staff who work with this group and an expansion of the course programme offered by the British Institute of Mental Handicap.
A community home for the mentally handicapped
Authors: EASTWOOD LARRANIE 
Published: August 2010

For the past two years I have been running a community home for four mentally handicapped women on behalf of the local social services department. The basic idea of the scheme is to take them out of the institutional atmosphere and teach them to live as “normally” as possible in a home environment.Our group home consists of two ordinary council houses. My family and I live in one house and the ladies live next door. In the following narrative I will try to explain how I tackled the task and how I coped with the inevitable difficulties and occasional disasters.
Punishment — viewed as a dignified alternative
Authors: MACKAY THOMAS A. W. N. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYPunishment is clearly defined and re‐examined as a treatment technique in a positive and not negative light. A treatment setting involving handicapped children is described and a system of punishment is outlined as an essential part of the regime. The objections to punishment are considered and, in conclusion, a philosophical basis is provided on which it is contended that punishment is a dignified alternative.
A TRIAL OF BRAN
Authors: LUPSON SUSAN , WALTON DENIS 
Published: August 2010

SummarySeven young mentally and physically handicapped patients suffering with severe chronic constipation received 3Og unrefined bran daily, mixed in their food. Prior to thetrial, none of these patients had bowel movements unless Dulcolax suppositories or laxatives were given. Within two weeks of the addition of bran to the diets, three patients were having bowel movements at least once every other day. Within three weeks all the patients were passing stools without the help of suppositories (a laxative inserted rectally) or aperients (laxatives). The trial was continued for six weeks.
Using DISTAR Language in a unit for children with language disorders
Authors: GREGORY PAUL , RICHARDS CHRISTINE , HADLEY MARY 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYDISTAR Language was used to teach half the children in a unit for language disordered children.Although some children in both groups received speech therapy from the speech therapist and general language work from the teacher, the greatest difference between the groups was in the use of DISTAR Language by the experimental group. The results show that the language of both groups improved to a similar degree, but only the experimental group (which included the most severely affected language and speech disordered children) improved significantly in intelligence. The results are compared with other studies of DISTAR Language and the conclusion is that further studies would be profitable.