bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The density current head velocity in expansion reaches
Authors: Fathi‐Moghadam M. , Poudeh H. Torabi , Ghomshi M. , Shafaei M. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe velocity of the density current head in the expansion reach in which a river enters a dam reservoir, lake or sea is a key parameter for evaluating the extent to which suspended material travels, and for determining the type and distribution of sediment in the water body. This study experimentally evaluated the effects of the reach degree of expansion on the density current head velocity. Experiments were conducted in a 6.0‐m‐long, 0.72‐m‐wide flume. The head velocity was measured at three expansion degrees (8; 12; 26) and two slopes (0.009; 0.016) for various discharges. For the same slope and discharge, the results illustrated that the head velocity increases in the reaches expanded up to 20 degrees, compared to that for a uniform cross‐section reach. As anticipated, the velocity head increased directly with the bed slope.
Bacterioplankton heterotrophic activity in relation to the phytoplankton compartment in a recently formed reservoir
Authors: Jugnia Louis‐B. , Dévaux J. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractSeasonal and spatial variations in bacterial abundance, biomass and potential heterotrophic activity in a recently flooded reservoir were measured for two consecutive years, in conjunction with phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll‐a concentration) and activity (primary production). The mean value of primary production remained constant between the two study years, while those of the chlorophyll‐a concentrations, bacterial abundance, bacterial biomass and bacterial heterotrophic activity decreased. The observed trends in the bacterial variables were linked to changes in the relative importance of allochthonous dissolved organic matter, in addition to selective grazing activity on bacterioplankton. Multivariate regression analyses identified bacterial abundance (29%) and temperature (17%) as dominant correlates of the bacterial potential heterotrophic activity. We concluded that, in a new reservoir, organic matter, other than that from phytoplankton, might be of great importance for bacterioplankton metabolism. Furthermore, grazing activity on bacteria by metazoa in a new reservoir represents, on occasion, an important trophic link between the top consumer and otherwise unavailable dissolved organic carbon sources. Finally, even if little energy is transferred to larger consumers, the microbial route is still important in re‐mineralizing organic matter in Sep Reservoir.
Simple model for monitoring Balkhash Lake water levels and Ili River discharges: Application of remote sensing
Authors: Propastin Pavel A. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBalkhash Lake and its environs are a very fragile ecosystem, whose dynamics exhibits large oscillations in magnitude caused by climatic factors and human impacts. The most recent oscillation was accompanied by construction of a water storage reservoir on the Ili River, the main inflow to the lake, leading to an additional decrease in the Balkhash Lake water level, and to dehydration of wetland landscapes in the Ili River delta. The main purpose of this study was to model the link between wetland biomass conditions in the Ili River delta and changes in the Balkhash Lake water level. A monthly, coarse‐resolution Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) dataset was used as an indicator of vegetation activity and biomass dynamics in the Ili River delta wetland for the period between 1982 and 2003. The NDVI displays significant intra‐annual and interannual variability strongly correlated with Ili River discharge and Balkhash Lake water level. This study also developed a simple model between NDVI and the two hydrological variables used in monitoring the hydrological regime of Balkhash Lake and its catchment basin.
Cytotoxic effect of the cytosine deaminase gene delivered by the adenovirus vector in murine gastric cancer
Authors: Long Cui , Yanzhen Lin , Guoxiang Jin , Dehong Yu , Yue Tu , Jun Gao , Xuehua Chen , Baoming Yu 
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE: To improve the efficacy of gene delivery and to determine an effective way to kill gastric cancer cells by using a suicide gene.METHODS: First, the cytosine deaminase (CD) gene was cloned into an adenovirus vector and the recombinant plasmid was packed, amplified and purified. Murine gastric cancer cell line MFC was injected subcutaneously into the flanks of 615 mice, and when tumors were palpable, 0.2 mL of the recombinant adenovirus solution was injected directly into xenografts following the daily administration of 5‐fluorocytosine (5‐Fc) for 35 days.RESULTS: Positive clones were selected by using endonucleases to digest the recombinants, and the concentration of viral particles containing the CD gene was 1.2 × 1012particles/mL. An antitumor effect was observed in MFC–CD(+) tumors when the animals were given 5‐Fc via intraperitoneal injection. Pathologically, the tumors generated from MFC–CD(+) cells had widespread hemorrhagic necrosis within the tumor regions as compared with those of untreated animals, which had few necrotic regions.CONCLUSIONS: The improved antitumor effect of this adenovirus vector suggests a basis for further research involving the direct transduction of the CD gene into tumors, as well as inducing an intensive bystander effect.
Evidence‐based practice in haemorrhoidectomy
Authors: Cheetham M. J. , Phillips R. K. S. 
Published: August 2010

ObjectiveHaemorrhoidectomy has proven long‐term efficacy in the treatment of haemorrhoids, albeit at the price of increased pain and complications compared with other modalities. This study reviews the literature and describes best practice in the surgical treatment of haemorrhoids.MethodsA Medline search was conducted using the keywords haemorrhoids or haemorrhoidectomy to identify clinical trials comparing different surgical treatments for haemorrhoids.ResultsMany studies were small and follow up was often short‐term only. Surrogate measures such as post‐operative pain scores and changes in anorectal physiology were commonly assessed in preference to efficacy in symptom reduction. Haemorrhoidectomy may be safely performed under general, local or regional anaesthesia according to patient fitness and local practice. Results of randomized controlled trials indicate that there open and closed techniques of haemorrhoidectomy are equivalent. There is no evidence to support the practice of laser haemorrhoidectomy. Diathermy haemorrhoidectomy achieves good haemostasis and permits an anal dressing to be omitted, but is not superior to conventional techniques. The use of preoperative lactulose and post‐operative oral metronidazole is supported by randomized controlled trials.ConclusionHaemorrhoidectomy is currently the most effective treatment for prolapsing haemorrhoids. There is little evidence to support the use of one surgical technique over another. With attention to detail and adjuncts to reduce post‐operative pain, haemorrhoidectomy may be performed as day surgery.
A comparison of the effect of loperamide in oral or suppository form vs placebo in patients with ileo‐anal pouches
Authors: Cohen L. D. , Levitt M. D. 
Published: August 2010

ObjectiveThe effect of the anti‐diarrhoeal drug, loperamide hydrochloride, on bowel function in patients with an ileo‐anal pouch was studied by means of a blinded, three‐tailed, case‐controlled and randomized crossover trial, using a daily dose of 12 mg in either oral (4 mg t.d.s.) or suppository (6 mg b.d.) form.Patients and methodsDaily stool frequency was recorded in a diary and an objective measure of pouch motor function was obtained at the end of each treatment phase. Ten subjects (seven males, three females) aged 23–50 years (median 38 years) were studied 9–48 months (median 27 months) after ileostomy closure. Eight pouches had been constructed for ulcerative colitis and two for familial adenomatous polyposis (9J, 1W).ResultsMean daily stool frequency during the oral loperamide phase was lower than during both the placebo (P=0.05) and suppository (P < 0.02) phases. Stool frequency did not differ significantly between placebo and suppository phases. There was a strong inverse correlation between mean daily stool frequency and pouch capacity (r=–0.82 after both oral and suppository phases). Large isolated pouch contractions were evident in five of eight subjects studied; suppression was observed in two of the five after oral loperamide and in three of the five after loperamide suppositories. Rhythmic pouch contractions were seen in four subjects and suppression was evident after loperamide suppositories (but not after oral loperamide) in three. A daily oral dose of 12 mg loperamide significantly lowered stool frequency in pouch patients and modified some aspects of pouch contraction. Loperamide suppositories produced more prominent suppression of pouch contractions but did not lower stool frequency.ConclusionThis suggests that the beneficial effect of oral loperamide is primarily due to its action on intestine proximal to the pouch itself.
Vetigastropod phylogeny and a new concept of Seguenzioidea: independent evolution of copulatory organs in the deep‐sea habitats
Authors: Kano Yasunori 
Published: August 2010

Bayesian and maximum‐likelihood phylogenies of Vetigastropoda (Mollusca: Gastropoda) were reconstructed by separate and combined analyses of one mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I, COI) and two nuclear (histone H3 and 18S rRNA) gene sequences, with an emphasis on dense taxonomic sampling. More than 70 vetigastropod species belonging to 13 families and 25 subfamilies constituted a robust clade against the two outgroup clades Neomphalina and Cocculinoidea. The phylogenetically controversial family Seguenziidae appeared as a derived Vetigastropoda and constituted a highly supported clade with eucycline and cataegine trochids, and three skeneimorphs (Adeuomphalus,VentsiaandXyloskenea). These taxa herein treated as the superfamily Seguenzioidea are morphologically very diverse and grouped only by the combination of symplesiomorphies in the shell, radular and head‐foot characters. Anatomical peculiarities of Seguenziidae, including the presence of the penis and seminal receptacle, are all apomorphic conditions independently derived from those in higher gastropod clades, as a consequence of the small size and in response to deep‐sea habitats, where sperm storage seems to be especially beneficial with low numerical density of individuals and limited periodic cues for gametogenesis. Indeed, internal or semi‐internal fertilization has been evolved at least six times in Vetigastropoda, essentially in deep‐sea lineages, with weak phylogenetic constraints. Other new vetigastropod clades with high support values include: Turbinidae + Tegulinae (Trochidae) + Skeneidaes.s., Clypeosectidae + Lepetodrilidae, Anatominae (Scissurellidae) + Bathyxylophila(Skeneidae) and Lepetodriloidea + Scissurellidae +Bathyxylophila.
Does corporate governance transparency affect the accuracy of analyst forecasts?
Authors: Bhat Gauri , Hope Ole‐Kristian , Kang Tony 
Published: August 2010

AbstractUsing country‐level proxies for corporate governance transparency, this paper investigates how differences in transparency across 21 countries affect the average forecast accuracy of analysts for the country's firms. The association between financial transparency and analyst forecast accuracy has been well documented in previous published literature; however, the association between governance transparency and analyst forecast accuracy remains unexplored. Using the two distinct country‐level factors isolated by Bushman et al. (2004), governance transparency and financial transparency, we investigate whether corporate governance information impacts on the accuracy of earnings forecasts over and above financial information. We document that governance transparency is positively associated with analyst forecast accuracy after controlling for financial transparency and other variables. Furthermore, our results suggest that governance‐related disclosure plays a bigger role in improving the information environment when financial disclosures are less transparent. Our empirical evidence also suggests that the significance of governance transparency on analyst forecast accuracy is higher when legal enforcement is weak.
Union Formation through Merger: The Case of Ver.di in Germany
Authors: Keller Berndt 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis article is concerned with the recent merger of five German unions to form the new multi‐industry union, ver.di. Its focus is on the effects of the merger and on developments in the post‐merger phase. The article explores the various internal problems of the new union, concentrating on those that flow from the adoption of a matrix form of organisation. It deals also with the external relations of ver.di, with other unions and with the central organisation of German trade unions, the DGB. Central conclusions here are that the creation of ver.di is likely to exacerbate competition amongst German unions and further erode the position of the peak association.
Co‐determination, Efficiency and Productivity
Authors: FitzRoy Felix , Kraft Kornelius 
Published: August 2010

AbstractWe present the first panel estimates of the productivity effects of the unique German institution of parity, board‐level co‐determination. Although our data span two severe recessions when labour hoarding costs of co‐determination are probably highest, and the panel is too short to capture the likely long‐run benefits in terms of human capital formation and job satisfaction, we find positive productivity effects of the 1976 extension to parity co‐determination in large firms.
Why the European Union Should Adopt Formula Apportionment with a Sales Factor*
Authors: Eichner Thomas , Runkel Marco 
Published: August 2010

AbstractUsing a two‐country tax competition model with a multinational enterprise (MNE), this paper addresses the question of whether the European Union should replace separate accounting (SA) in corporate income taxation by formula apportionment (FA) and, if so, which apportionment factors should be used. Our main result is that FA with a sales factor may mitigate or even eliminate fiscal externalities caused by the countries' tax policy. Hence, our analysis provides a microfoundation for the sales apportionment factor. In an empirical calibration to the EU‐15 we show that the transition from SA to FA with a sales‐only formula raises average tax rates by 2% and average tax revenues by 1 billion euros or 0.1% of GDP. These effects result in an increase of welfare.
Rising Earnings Inequality in Sweden: The Role of Composition and Prices
Authors: Domeij David 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe rise in cross‐sectional earnings inequality in Sweden between 1990 and 2002 is decomposed into changes in market prices of observable characteristics, changes in the composition of the labor force across demographic groups and industries, and changes in unobservables. The Swedish experience is then compared with that in the United States. In both countries, the rise in earnings inequality is a consequence of rising upper‐tail dispersion. Contrary to the U.S. experience, where the rise is largely driven by changing market prices of observables and increased residual dispersion, shifts in the Swedish labor‐force composition have contributed positively to the rise in the p90–p50 gap. The rise in the Swedish p99–p90 gap, however, is entirely accounted for by changes in prices and residual dispersion.
Sensitivity as a Privileged Predictor of Attachment: A Second Perspective on De Wolff and van IJzendoorn's Meta‐analysis
Authors: Nievar M. Angela , Becker Betsy Jane 
Published: August 2010

AbstractDe Wolff and van IJzendoorn's meta‐analysis supported the relation of parental behavior to attachment security; however, they concluded that sensitivity was not the best predictor of attachment security. This secondary analysis of their data re‐examined their conclusion and tested moderators of the relation between sensitivity and attachment, such as socioeconomic status and study methodology. A different grouping of studies combining behavior types of sensitivity, mutuality, and synchrony showed significantly higher correlations with attachment than did other types of maternal behavior. An analysis of a similar dataset of individual correlations defined sensitivity as synchronous, responsive, and appropriate behavior, producing similar results. Tests of moderators validated differences between studies using measures of sensitivity as compared to other measures of maternal behavior. Sensitivity was a weaker predictor of attachment in studies of low‐income families.
Ecological Inference for 2 × 2 Tables (with Discussion)
Authors: Wakefield Jon 
Published: August 2010

SummaryA fundamental problem in many disciplines, including political science, sociology and epidemiology, is the examination of the association between two binary variables across a series of 2 × 2 tables, when only the margins are observed, and one of the margins is fixed. Two unobserved fractions are of interest, with only a single response per table, and it is this non-identifiability that is the inherent difficulty lying at the heart of ecological inference. Many methods have been suggested for ecological inference, often without a probabilistic model; we clarify the form of the sampling distribution and critique previous approaches within a formal statistical framework, thus allowing clarification and examination of the assumptions that are required under all approaches. A particularly difficult problem is choosing between models with and without contextual effects. Various Bayesian hierarchical modelling approaches are proposed to allow the formal inclusion of supplementary data, and/or prior information, without which ecological inference is unreliable. Careful choice of the prior within such models is required, however, since there may be considerable sensitivity to this choice, even when the model assumed is correct and there are no contextual effects. This sensitivity is shown to be a function of the number of areas and the distribution of the proportions in the fixed margin across areas. By explicitly providing a likelihood for each table, the combination of individual level survey data and aggregate level data is straightforward and we illustrate that survey data can be highly informative, particularly if these data are from a survey of the minority population within each area. This strategy is related to designs that are used in survey sampling and in epidemiology. An approximation to the suggested likelihood is discussed, and various computational approaches are described. Some extensions are outlined including the consideration of multiway tables, spatial dependence and area-specific (contextual) variables. Voter registration–race data from 64 counties in the US state of Louisiana are used to illustrate the methods.
Combining Information from Related Meta-Analyses of Genetic Association Studies
Authors: Thompson J. R. , Minelli C. , Abrams K. R. , Thakkinstian A. , Attia J. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryWhen synthesizing data from genetic association studies researchers frequently perform several related meta-analyses, perhaps on different polymorphisms of the same gene, or on different outcomes, or they might define subgroups of studies by factors such as ethnicity, gender or study design. Current practice is to perform a totally separate meta-analysis of each set of studies; however, when the meta-analyses investigate related questions, it is possible that the estimates in one meta-analysis could be improved by using information from another. The meta-analytic model for a genetic association study can be parameterized in terms of four meaningful parameters: the size of the genetic effect, the genetic model, the allele frequency in controls and the degree of departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in controls. Even when the size of the genetic effect differs across meta-analyses, it may be possible to assume that some of the other parameters are common. The models are applied to a meta-analysis of the same gene–disease relationship in three different ethnic groups.
Trade, technology, and China's rising skill demand1
Authors: Xu Bin , Li Wei 
Published: August 2010

AbstractChina has experienced rising wage inequality due to rising relative demand for skilled labour. In this paper, we use a sample of 1,500 firms to investigate the impact of trade and technology on China's rising skill demand. We find that export expansion had a negative direct effect (Heckscher–Ohlin type) and a positive indirect effect (export‐induced skill‐biased technical change) on skill demand; the net effect was found positive and accounted for 5 percent of rising skill demand of the sample firms. We find that technical change in Chinese firms was on average skill‐neutral, but majority foreign‐owned firms experienced skill‐biased technical progress that accounted for 22 percent of the rising skill demand of the sample firms.
Age-Dependent Taxation and the Optimal Retirement Benefit Formula
Authors: Kifmann Mathias 
Published: August 2010

Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive view of lifetime taxation including both explicit taxation through the general tax system and implicit taxation via the retirement benefit formula. Differences in productivity between individuals are unobservable, which provides a rationale for the use of distortionary taxes. It is shown that the optimal structure of age-dependent taxation can be characterized by a generalized Ramsey formula. Furthermore, the paper derives the optimal retirement benefit formula in the presence of the general tax system and examines the compatibility with the financial stability of the pension system.
Constraints on union organising in the United Kingdom
Authors: Heery Edmund , Simms Melanie 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTDespite increased investment by unions in organising, across much of the developed world there is at best modest evidence of a recovery of union membership. This has led to a research interest in the barriers to successful union organising and it is with this critical issue that the following article is concerned. It uses survey and interview data from trainee organisers in Britain to identify the internal and external constraints they have encountered while working on organising campaigns. The findings point to a broad range of organising constraints both within and beyond trade unions. Experience of constraints varies and is shown partly to be a function of the characteristics of organisers, the nature of the organising task in which they are engaged and the systems in place to manage their work.
Change in contemporary Italy's social concertation
Authors: Negrelli Serafino , Pulignano Valeria 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThis article examines the crisis of social concertation in Italy since 2000. We argue that this crisis is not due exclusively to the political shift from a centre‐left to a centre‐right government led by Silvio Berlusconi, or the end of the European integration phase. It reflects the continued failure of Italian social concertation to address problems of economic growth and work productivity was apparent by the second half of the 1990s. We argue that this is due mainly to the stagnation of the decentralisation process at the company and territorial levels and, in particular, the limited development of second‐level collective bargaining introduced by the 1993 July Ciampi Protocol. This reflects a weakness in the Italian institutional context as well as the difficulties associated with the altering of industrial relations in global market economies more generally. The prospects for the future of concertative policy making in the Italian context are also discussed.