bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detecting Year-of-Birth Mortality Patterns with Limited Data
Authors: Richards S. J. 
Published: September 2007

SummaryLate life mortality patterns are of crucial interest to actuaries assessing risk of longevity, most obviously for annuities and defined benefit pension schemes. The stability of public finances is also affected, as the governments have very substantial risk of longevity in the form of state benefits and public sector pension schemes. One important explanatory variable for late life mortality patterns is year of birth. Previous work has demonstrated various techniques for detecting such patterns, but always with long time series of mortality rates. The paper describes two alternative ways to detect such patterns, even with missing population data or the absence of a time series. The paper finds support for the idea that different birth cohorts have different rates of aging.
On the use and Evaluation of Prospective Scan Methods for Health-Related Surveillance
Authors: Woodall William H. , Brooke Marshall J , Joner Jr Michael D. , Fraker Shannon E , Abdel-Salam Abdel-Salam G 
Published: September 2007

SummaryWe review some prospective scan-based methods that are used in health-related applications to detect increased rates of mortality or morbidity and to detect bioterrorism or active clusters of disease. We relate these methods to the use of the moving average chart in industrial applications. Issues that are related to the performance evaluation of spatiotemporal scan-based methods are discussed. In particular we clarify the definition of a recurrence interval and demonstrate that this measure does not reflect some important aspects of the statistical performance of scan-based, and other, surveillance methods. Some research needs in this area are given.
A New Approach to Investigating Spatial Variations of Disease
Authors: Choo Louise , Walker Stephen G. 
Published: September 2007

SummaryFor rare diseases the observed disease count may exhibit extra Poisson variability, particularly in areas with low or sparse populations. Hence the variance of the estimates of disease risk, the standardized mortality ratios, may be highly unstable. This overdispersion must be taken into account otherwise subsequent maps based on standardized mortality ratios will be misleading and, rather than displaying the true spatial pattern of disease risk, the most extreme values will be highlighted. Neighbouring areas tend to exhibit spatial correlation as they may share more similarities than non-neighbouring areas. The need to address overdispersion and spatial correlation has led to the proposal of Bayesian approaches for smoothing estimates of disease risk. We propose a new model for investigating the spatial variation of disease risks in conjunction with an alternative specification for estimates of disease risk in geographical areas—the multivariate Poisson–gamma model. The main advantages of this new model lie in its simplicity and ability to account naturally for overdispersion and spatial auto-correlation. Exact expressions for important quantities such as expectations, variances and covariances can be easily derived.
Unauthorized Migration from Africa to Spain
Authors: Carling Jørgen 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTThe dynamics of unauthorized border‐crossing in the Mediterranean region has received extensive media coverage but little academic attention. This article examines the patters and dynamics of transit migration towards the Spanish‐African borders, and of unauthorized migration across these borders. The geography of migration is examined in detail, and this leads to several conclusions with implications for migration management. First, the origins of sub‐Saharan African transit migrants in Morocco are remarkably diverse. Second, cities and towns far beyond Europe play a pivotal role in the migration dynamics at the Spanish‐African borders. Third, the Strait of Gibraltar itself has lost much of its importance as a crossing point. Fourth large‐scale smuggling to the Canary Islands directly from West Africa is still marginal in numerical terms, but represents a worrying scenario.
Health Status of Temporary Migrants in Urban Areas in Vietnam1
Authors: Nguyen Liem T. , White Michael J. 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTThe rapid economic growth after economic reform, known in Viet Nam as “Doi Moi”, and the growing scope of urban migration raise specific questions for social policy, including migration and health policies. This paper compares issues of health status and its determinants as they affect temporary urban migrants versus permanent urban migrants and non‐migrants. The analyses utilize multivariate logistic regression and data from the 1997 Vietnam Migration and Health Survey. The results show that temporary migrants staying in guest houses are most vulnerable to health problems. Though most of them are initially healthier, their reported health deteriorates faster than other groups of urban residents. The findings also present important implications for the current migration and health policies in Vietnam: 1) A special attention should be given to temporary migrants in guest houses; 2) Different priorities in health policy should be applied to different groups of migrants and non‐migrants; 3) The current population management policy by registration system needs to be reviewed; 4) Providing clean water is one of the most important ways to improve health of temporary migrants; 5) Targeting educational investments and reducing unemployment would likely to improve overall health; 6) A higher priority on health policies targeting women would likely pay dividends, and; 7) Improving management and collaboration between government offices and interested partners is important to improving health status and reducing inequity.
Immigrant Participation in Decision‐Making Processes at the Local Level: A Comparison of Immigrants and Veterans in Israel
Authors: Boehm Amnon 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTThe issue of new immigrants' participation in policymaking and planning processes at the local level has not been adequately addressed. On the basis of qualitative research, the article examines a variety of different characteristics of immigrant participation in policymaking and planning in Israel. In particular, the research investigates aspects of participation, such as level of influence and typical tactics, of immigrant leaders from the Commonwealth of Independent States (specifically, Russia, the Ukraine, and Belarus) and Ethiopia. In addition, a comparison with veteran leaders in the same city examines whether the characteristics of the immigrants' participation express (a) adjustment to the character of the existing participation in their new city, (b) reliance on the character of participation common in their countries of origin, or (c) participation focusing on the immigrants' position within the power structure of the city. The findings show that the third pattern is prevalent. The article suggests reasons for the emergence of immigrants' participation characteristics, the advantages and limitations of this kind of participation, and means for dealing with the limitations.
Temporary Skilled Migration to Australia: Employers' Perspectives1
Authors: Khoo Siew‐Ean , Voigt‐Graf Carmen , McDonald Peter , Hugo Graeme 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTWith the 1996 introduction of a new visa making it easier for employers to sponsor skilled foreign workers, temporary skilled migration has become a significant component of international migration flows to Australia. This paper examines employers' reasons for sponsoring skilled workers from abroad, their modes of recruitment, the occupational skills they require, and their industry profile. We also discuss issues relating to the perception of a shortage of skilled workers, the extent that sponsoring foreign workers substitutes for investing in local training, and the role of networks in recruiting overseas workers.Many employers' now have a global view of labour recruitment. While this is understandable for multinational companies with global operations, many small businesses and public sector institutions are adopting the same strategy to obtain skilled labour which they say is in short supply in Australia. With the internationalization of the Australian economy, there is also an increasing demand for people with specialized skills and knowledge that is not available in Australia's relatively small labour market. An understanding of the demand factors motivating temporary skilled migration is crucial to effectively managing Australia's migration and labour trends.
Migration and Human Rights on the Mexico‐Guatemala Border
Authors: Ogren Cassandra 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper identifies the protections in place for irregular migrants on the Mexico‐Guatemala border and analyzes Mexican government immigration enforcement policies and levels of compliance with international standards and national law. The history of the Mexico‐Guatemala border region and different types of migration flows into and through the area are also explored, as well as the linkages between migration, trade, security, and US immigration policy. It is argued that the Mexican government has partially complied with international conventions and national laws to protect the human rights of transmigrants in the Guatemalan border region, but that compliance is not complete and that an international response is required to ensure that human rights standards are upheld.
Global regulations of sunscreens
Authors: Steinberg David C. 
Published: September 2007

On June 1, 2006, the trade associations representing the personal care industry of the European Union, the U.S., Japan and South Africa agreed on an International Sunscreen Protection Method. What will this mean? Sunscreens are regulated throughout the world either as cosmetics, over‐the‐counter (OTC) drugs which do not require a governmental pre‐approval or OTC drugs that require a pre‐approval before they are placed on the market. Regardless of how they are regulated, all of these product regulations are very similar concerning sunscreens! Each country has a pre‐approved list of permitted UV filters, an accepted method of running efficacy by SPF determination, and regulated labels. Some countries have approved methods for UVA claims and water‐resistance testing. The latest changes are in Australia, where some sunscreens will be regulated as cosmetics based on SPF and claims, and Canada, where some sunscreens will be regulated as Natural Health Products depending on their actives! And now here comes a new variable, the harmonized SPF method.What confusion! This paper will cover the different SPF test methods (Harmonized, Australia, and US‐FDA) along with the formulations of reference standards, currently approved UVA methods, water‐resistant testing, some labeling requirements and finally a brief review of cGMPs and other requirements for the U.S. It will have an update of the recent changes in regulations and cover the approved UV filters permitted in the U.S., EU, Japan, Canada and Australia as well as their maximum use level and correct ingredient designation. There is also a master cross reference list by INCI designation.
Emulsifying power of mannan and glucomannan produced by yeasts
Authors: Kuncheva M. , Pavlova K. , Panchev I. , Dobreva S. 
Published: September 2007

SynopsisSubject of study was the colloid chemical properties of the biopolymers mannan, synthesized from strain Rhodotorula acheniorum MC, and glucomannan, synthesized from strain Sporobolomyces salmonicolor AL1. Their emulsifying capacity was studied in model systems of aqueous solutions in concentrations from 0.5% to 2.5% with regard to the aqueous phase. Emulsions of the direct type (oil/water) with 50% oil content were obtained. A disperse system with 2.5% glucomannan had 100% intact emulsion in the centrifugation test, while for the system with mannan, this indicator was 72%. Lab cream emulsions were obtained with glucomannan and with the emulsifiers Rofetan N/NS and Arlacel 165 used in the cosmetics industry. It has been established that under standard testing conditions, cream‐like emulsions with 2.0% glucomannan have stability indicators comparable to these of 5.0% rofetan N/NS and 5.0% Arlacel 165. The samples with different concentrations of glucomannan showed a pseudo‐plastic behaviour, as the highest viscosity was shown by the emulsion with 2.0% stored at 45°C. The newly synthesized exopolysaccharides had a distinct emulsifying power and can be applied in the cosmetic and food industries.
A double‐blind and controlled study on the influence of the vehicle on the skin susceptibility to stinging from lactic acid
Authors: Sahlin A. , Edlund F. , Lodén M. 
Published: September 2007

SynopsisFor patients with skin diseases, the process of treating the skin with topical medications adds to the burden of having the disease. Inconvenient skin reactions can make the treatment troublesome and lower the compliance. Moreover, epidemiological surveys indicate that 50% or more of female consumers believe they have sensitive skin. In the present study, the influence of the vehicle on the adverse skin reaction to lactic acid was judged by the test subjects after application of the test formulations to the facial skin.The results showed a water‐in‐oil (w/o) emulsion to induce less stinging than an ordinary oil‐in‐water (o/w) emulsion. Increasing the mineral oil content in the o/w emulsion from 10% to 50% tended (P = 0.077) to decrease the stinging potential of the formulation. An o/w emulsion free from lactic acid but with pH adjusted to 3 using hydrochloric acid induced significantly less stinging than the corresponding lactic acid formulation at pH 3.In conclusion, the present study gives new insights into the influence of vehicle on the stinging capacity of lactic acid, which may be related to its possible penetration via appendages. Hence, encapsulation of the stinging substances in the inner water phase of an emulsion may be a possible option to reduce adverse skin reactions and to increase compliance to water‐soluble substances.
Fluctuations in the tympanic membrane temperatures of non‐restrained captive giant anteaters and southern tamanduas
Authors: Fernandes T. N. , Young R. J. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractMembers of the family Myrmecophagidae (i.e. anteaters) show a variety of anatomical and behavioural adaptations to deal with their low‐energy diet; for example, they all have low body temperatures in comparison with other eutherian mammals. In this study, we investigated the tympanic membrane temperatures (Tmt) of two giant anteaters and three southern tamanduas, housed in captivity and exposed to natural climatic variations in temperature, using an infrared thermometer. Additionally, we measured external dorsal temperature (Td), air temperature (Ta), substrate temperature (Ts) and whether the subject was active or not. To understand the effect of time of day on these variables, we recorded them, on the hour, over four 24‐h cycles for each animal during which the subjects were non‐restrained within their enclosures. The results show that both giant anteaters and southern tamanduas allow their Tmt to reduce between 4.0 and 6.5 °C when they are sleeping. Furthermore, linear regressions between Tmt and Ta or Ts showed that the giant anteaters were much more affected by Ta and Ts than the southern tamanduas. Both species also showed higher Tmt when active (comparing subjects active and inactive at the same Ta). Both species appear to use shallow torpor during a normal 24‐h cycle probably as a means to economize energy. The torpor in giant anteaters occurred during the night when asleep, whereas in the southern tamanduas it occurred at any time of day when asleep. The giant anteaters appeared to be more directly affected by environmental temperature than the southern tamanduas.
Material properties of manatee rib bone
Authors: Clifton K. B. , Yan J. , Mecholsky J. J. , Reep R. L. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractWatercraft‐related mortality of the Florida manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris accounts for 24% of all deaths from 1974 to 2006. Of these, the proportion of deaths due to impact accounts for 66% of all watercraft fatalities. To establish safe boat speeds for manatee protection, an estimate of the material properties of their bone is needed to quantify the biomechanical effects of boat strikes on manatees. Manatee ribs are unique in that they are pachyostotic. Machined specimens from ribs were tested in three point flexure. Strength, modulus, work of fracture and fracture toughness were determined for three size classes, by sex. The mean flexural strength ranged from 62 to 160 MPa, elastic modulus from 4 to 18 GPa and work of fracture from 3 to 6 MJ m−3. Fractographic analysis was used to calculate toughness, which averaged 1.4–2.9 MPa m1/2. The results show that manatee bone material is less strong and tough than other mammalian bone. Although the bone increases in static strength as the animals grow, it is not able to absorb more energy. In fact, the ability to absorb impact energy appears to decline with increasing size in animals over 265 cm body length. This decline is due in part to the bone's high density and mineral content. There was little change in mineral content with size, suggesting that material properties are likely correlated with bone quantity. There were no differences in mechanical variables between the sexes. The pachyostotic nature of the bone, which makes the manatee well adapted to its environment, also leaves it highly susceptible to fatal injuries from boats.
Plasticity of the duration of metamorphosis in the African clawed toad
Authors: Walsh P. T. , Downie J. R. , Monaghan P. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractIn organisms with complex life cycles, such as amphibians, selection is thought to have minimized the duration of metamorphosis, because this is the stage at which predation risk is presumed to be highest. Consequently, metamorphic duration is often assumed to show little if any environmentally induced plasticity, because the elevation in the extrinsic mortality risk associated with prolonging metamorphosis is presumed to have selected for a duration as short as is compatible with normal development. We examined the extent to which metamorphic duration in the anuran amphibianXenopus laeviswas sensitive to environmental temperature. Metamorphic duration was influenced by body size, but independent of this effect, it was strongly influenced by environmental temperature: the duration at 18 °C was more than double that at 24 and 30 °C. We also compared the vulnerability of larval, metamorphosing and post metamorphicXenopusto predators by measuring their burst swimming speeds. Burst swim speed increased through development and while we found no evidence that it was reduced during metamorphosis, it did increase sharply on completion of metamorphosis. We therefore found no evidence of a substantial increase in vulnerability to predators during metamorphosis compared with larval stages, and hence the slowing of metamorphosis in response to temperature may not be as costly as has been assumed.
Relationship between milk energy intake and growth rate in suckling mammalian young at peak lactation: an updated meta‐analysis
Authors: Riek A. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractThe milk energy intakes and growth rates of suckling young at peak lactation of 62 mammalian species and subspecies, all measured using either the weigh–suckle–weigh, the isotope dilution or the isotope transfer method, were evaluated. The mean daily gross energy intakes (GEI) were as low as 12 kJ in a small rodent (mouse) to as high as 249 MJ in a phocid seal (hooded seal Cystophora cristata), while the daily growth rates at peak lactation ranged from 0.4 to 5.9 kg. Several allometric equations were calculated to explore the relationships between gross energy intake via milk and body weight (BW), growth rate and BW, as well as between gross energy intake via milk and growth rate. The results suggest that both GEI via milk and growth rates are proportional to BW to the power of 0.82. Accordingly, the metabolic weight of suckling mammalian young should be expressed as BW0.82. The predictive values of the calculated equations indicate that suckling young at peak lactation consume c. 883 kJ day−1 kg−1 BW0.82 and have growth rates of 32 g day−1 kg−1 BW0.82. However, large deviations for some species and few outliers were found. These equations could be used to predict values for species that have not been studied, provided that the BW falls within the range of weights used to derive the equations.
MANDATORY HIV TESTING IN PREGNANCY: IS THERE EVER A TIME?
Authors: ARMSTRONG RUSSELL 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTDespite recent advances in ways to prevent transmission of HIV from a mother to her child during pregnancy, infants continue to be born and become infected with HIV, particularly in southern Africa where HIV prevalence is the highest in the world. In this region, emphasis has shifted from voluntary HIV counselling and testing to routine testing of women during pregnancy. There have also been proposals for mandatory testing. Could mandatory testing ever be an option, even in high‐prevalence settings? Many previous examinations of mandatory testing have dealt with it in the context of low HIV prevalence and a well‐resourced health care system. In this discussion, different assumptions are made. Within this context, where mandatory testing may be a strategy of last resort, the objections to it are reviewed. Special attention is paid in the discussion to the entrenched vulnerability of women in much of southern Africa and how this contributes to both HIV prevalence and ongoing challenges for preventing HIV transmission during pregnancy. While mandatory testing is ethically plausible, particularly when coupled with guaranteed access to treatment and care, the discussion argues that the moment to employ this strategy has not yet come. Many barriers remain for pregnant women in terms of access to testing, treatment and care, most acutely in the southern African setting, despite the presence of national and international human rights instruments aimed at empowering women and removing such barriers. While this situation persists, mandatory HIV testing during pregnancy cannot be justified.
Primary Headache and Sleep Disturbances in Adolescents
Authors: Gilman Deborah K. , Palermo Tonya M. , Kabbouche Marielle A. , Hershey Andrew D. , Powers, PhD, ABPP Scott W. 
Published: September 2007

Objective.—The aim of the present study was to assess sleep patterns and the prevalence of sleep problems in adolescents with primary headaches using a validated sleep screening instrument, as well as to test the association between headache and pain features and adolescent sleep behaviors.Background.—Sleep disturbance is a common complaint that has long been associated with primary headaches, but there exists limited evidence of the headache‐sleep relationship among teens.Methods.—Sixty‐nine adolescents aged 13 to 17 years (M= 14.7; SD= 1.4) were evaluated for headaches at 2 pediatric neurology departments (90% migraine; 10% tension‐type headache diagnoses). Participants completed the School Sleep Habits Questionnaire and a standardized questionnaire regarding headache characteristics.Results.—Sleep complaints were prevalent among adolescents with headaches including insufficient total sleep (65.7%), daytime sleepiness (23.3%), difficulty falling asleep (40.6%), and night wakings (38%). Statistically significant relationships between headache characteristics (eg, frequency, pain intensity) and teen sleep behaviors also emerged.Conclusions.—Our findings provide further support for an association between headache and sleep disturbances among adolescents with primary headaches. This information may provide further understanding of the nature and course of the patient's headache experience, as well as facilitate treatment planning to include recommendations for promoting good sleep hygiene.