bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New economic geography meets Comecon
Authors: Brülhart Marius , Koenig Pamina 
Published: May 2006

AbstractWe analyse the internal spatial wage and employment structures of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, using regional data for 1996–2000. A new economic geography model predicts wage gradients and specialization patterns that are smoothly related to the regions’ relative market access. As an alternative, we formulate a ‘Comecon hypothesis’, according to which wages and sectoral location are not systematically related to market access except for discrete concentrations in capital regions. Estimations support both the NEG (new economic geography) prediction and the Comecon hypothesis. However, when we compare internal wage and employment gradients of the five new member states with those of Western European countries, we find that the former are marked by significantly stronger discrete concentrations of wages and service employment in their capital regions, confirming the ongoing relevance of the Comecon hypothesis.
Why does China protect its labour‐intensive industries more?*
Authors: Claro Sebastián 
Published: May 2006

AbstractChina's tariff structure favours labour‐intensive sectors, and this is at odds with traditional theory of comparative advantage. The paper argues that tariffs in China are a mechanism for protecting technology‐backward domestic – especially state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) from competition technology‐advanced foreign enterprises producing in China. With relatively integrated labour markets and cross‐firm technology differences, SOEs’ subsistence is supported by subsidized credit and limited access of foreign firms’ local production to tariff‐protected domestic markets. Labour market integration and capital subsidies increase the relative cost of labour in SOEs compared to their foreign competitors, hurting more domestic firms in industries that use labour more intensively. Restrictions to FIEs’ (foreign‐invested enterprises) access to tariff‐protected product markets, which protect more labour‐intensive industries, compensate for the greater cost disadvantage of SOEs in labour‐intensive sectors.
Pulmonary Kaposi sarcoma in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Palmieri C , Dhillon T , Thirlwell C , Newsom‐Davis T , Young A‐M , Nelson M , Gazzard BG , Bower M 
Published: May 2006

ObjectiveSince the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) there has been a dramatic reduction in the incidence of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and an improvement in survival. We wished to examine whether the outcome in pulmonary KS (pKS) has also altered.MethodsIn a single‐institution cohort of 1140 HIV‐positive patients with KS, 305 patients were diagnosed in the HAART era (1996–2004). We examined the clinicopathological features and outcomes of these patients, of whom 25 had pKS and 280 did not.ResultsPatients with pKS had lower CD4 cell counts at the time of KS diagnosis (Mann–Whitney U‐test P=0.005). The incidence of pKS was higher in African patients than in non‐African patients in this sample (Fisher's test, P=0.001). There were no significant differences in age, gender, plasma HIV‐1 viral load or prior HAART treatment at the time of KS diagnosis. Five‐year overall survival in the pKS group was 49% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26–73%] as compared with 82% (95% CI 76–87%) for the non‐pKS group (log rank, P<0.0001).ConclusionPKS remains an ominous diagnosis in the era of HAART, with a median survival of just 1.6 years.
Regimen‐dependent variations in adherence to therapy and virological suppression in patients initiating protease inhibitor‐based highly active antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Moore DM , Hogg RS , Yip B , Wood E , Harris M , Montaner JSG 
Published: May 2006

ObjectiveTo examine differences among four protease inhibitor (PI)‐based drug regimens in adherence to therapy and rate of achievement of virological suppression in a cohort of antiretroviral‐naive patients initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).MethodsParticipants were antiretroviral‐naive and were first dispensed combination therapy containing two nucleosides and a ritonavir (RTV)‐boosted PI, or unboosted nelfinavir, between 1 January 2000 and 30 September 2003. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between the prescribed PI and other baseline factors associated with being >90% adherent to therapy and then to determine the associations of prescribed drug regimen, adherence to therapy and baseline variables with the odds of achieving two consecutive viral loads of <500 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL.ResultsA total of 385 subjects were available for analysis. Lopinavir (LPV)/RTV was prescribed for 168 patients (42% of total); 86 (22%) received indinavir (IDV)/RTV; 91 (24%) received nelfinavir (NFV) and 40 (10%) received saquinavir (SQV)/RTV. SQV/RTV‐based HAART was associated with reduced adherence to therapy [odds ratio (OR)=0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19–0.83]. In multivariate models, IDV/RTV (OR=0.45; 95% CI 0.22–0.92), SQV/RTV (OR=0.18; 95% CI 0.07–0.43) and NFV were associated with reduced odds of achieving virological suppression within 1 year in comparison to LPV/RTV‐based therapy. For patients receiving NFV, adjusting for adherence (OR=0.73; 95% CI 0.36–1.47) rendered this association nonsignificant.ConclusionPatients prescribed IDV/RTV, NFV or SQV/RTV were less likely to achieve virological suppression on their first regimen compared with patients prescribed LPV/RTV. Reduced adherence to these therapies only partly explained these observed differences.
A prospective evaluation of the effect of atazanavir on the QTc interval and QTc dispersion in HIV‐positive patients
Authors: Busti AJ , Tsikouris JP , Peeters MJ , Das SR , Canham RM , Abdullah SM , Margolis DM 
Published: May 2006

BackgroundAtazanavir (ATV), an HIV protease inhibitor (PI) that may be preferred for the treatment of HIV‐infected patients with cardiovascular comorbidities because of its favourable effects on plasma lipids, has been associated with cardiac rhythm disturbances.ObjectiveTo quantify the effect of ATV on corrected QT (QTc) and QTc dispersion (QTd), markers of the potential for cardiac dysrhythmia, in patients switching from other PIs to ATV.MethodsIn this prospective, single‐centre, open‐label study, 12‐lead electrocardiograms were performed for subjects at baseline, 2 h after the first dose of ATV, and 1 month after initiation of ATV.ResultsTwenty‐one patients (19 received ritonavir‐boosted ATV) completed the study. There was a trend towards an increase in the QTc at 2 h after the first dose [mean±standard deviation 3.19±8.0 ms; 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.47 to 6.85 ms; P=0.084]. There was no difference between QTc values at baseline and at 1 month (−1.5±8.75 ms; 95% CI −5.50 to 2.46; P=0.43). There was a nonsignificant decrease in the QTd between baseline and 2 h (−5.1±15.19 ms; 95% CI −13.22 to 2.96; P=0.197) and between baseline and 1 month (−0.61±15.04 ms; 95% CI −8.1 to 6.87; P=0.865). A significant increase in the PR interval (7.4±10.7 ms; 95% CI 2.5 to 12.25 ms; P=0.005) was observed at 1 month.ConclusionsThe use of ATV did not result in increases in the QTc interval or QTd. However, PR interval monitoring may be warranted in patients with underlying heart block or those treated with atrioventricular nodal blocking agents.
Risk factors for fibrosis progression in HIV/HCV coinfected patients from a retrospective analysis of liver biopsies in 1985–2002
Authors: Schiavini M , Angeli E , Mainini A , Zerbi P , Duca PG , Gubertini G , Vago L , Fociani P , Giorgi R , Cargnel A 
Published: May 2006

ObjectivesTo identify predictive factors for moderate/severe liver fibrosis and to analyse fibrosis progression in paired liver biopsies from HIV‐positive patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.MethodsHIV/HCV coinfected patients followed at the 2nd Department of Infectious Diseases of L. Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy, with at least one liver biopsy specimen were retrospectively evaluated.ResultsA total of 110 patients were enrolled in the study. In a univariate analysis, predictive factors of Ishak–Knodell stage ≥3 were a history of alcohol abuse [odds ratio (OR) 3.6, P=0.004], alanine aminotransferase level >100 IU/L at biopsy (OR 2.4, P=0.05), necro‐inflammatory grade ≥9 (OR 37.14, P<0.0001) and CD4 count <350 cells/μL at nadir (OR 5.3, P=0.05). In a multivariate analysis, age >35 years (OR 3.19, P=0.04) and alcohol abuse (OR 4.36, P=0.002) remained independently associated with Ishak–Knodell stage. Paired liver biopsies were available in 36 patients; 18 showed an increase of at least one stage in the subsequent liver biopsy. Either in a univariate or in a multivariate analysis, a decrease of CD4 cell count of more than 10% between two biopsies (OR 6.85, P=0.002) was significantly associated with liver fibrosis progression.ConclusionOur findings highlight the relevance of encouraging a withdrawal of alcohol consumption in people with chronic HCV infection and of carrying out close follow‐up of patients, especially if they are more than 35 years old. It is therefore mandatory to evaluate HIV/HCV coinfected patients for anti‐HCV treatment and to increase CD4 cell count through antiretroviral therapy in order to reduce the risk of fibrosis progression and to slow the evolution of liver disease.
Safety of nevirapine‐containing antiretroviral triple therapy regimens to prevent vertical transmission in an African cohort of HIV‐1‐infected pregnant women
Authors: Marazzi MC , Germano P , Liotta G , Guidotti G , Loureiro S , Da Cruz Gomes A , Valls Blazquez MC , Narciso P , Perno CF , Mancinelli S , Palombi L 
Published: May 2006

ObjectiveTo assess the incidence and consequences of adverse reactions among African HIV‐positive pregnant women treated with fixed‐dose combinations of a nevirapine‐containing antiretroviral (ARV) triple therapy.MethodsA retrospective analysis of the clinical files of 703 HIV‐1‐positive pregnant women treated with a nevirapine‐containing regimen between May 2002 and July 2004 was conducted. Selection criteria for inclusion in the analysis were: (a) taking ARV for more than 14 days; (b) baseline values of transaminases below the threshold of 2.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN). The women were on a nevirapine‐containing regimen for a median of 127 days [interquartile range (IQR) 86–190 days], starting on average at the 27th week of gestation (standard deviation±9.5) and continuing up to a maximum of 6 months after delivery. All women were offered formula milk to feed the babies. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was continued beyond 6 months only if the patient qualified on the first visit. The main outcome measures were incidence of hepatotoxicity, skin rashes and Stevens–Johnson syndrome. Multivariate analysis to assess the impact of several factors on the adverse reaction rate was performed.ResultsAs of 1 August 2004, 554 pregnancies reached term, 96 women were still pregnant, and 53 women dropped out of the programme before giving birth. After 2 months of therapy the percentage of patients with a viral load less than 1000 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL increased to 78.6%; average CD4 cell counts increased from 490 cells/μL before therapy to 630 after therapy. The incidence of grade 3–4 adverse reactions (hepatotoxicity, skin rashes and Stevens–Johnson syndrome) was 6.5, 2.4 and 1.1%, respectively. Five women died during pregnancy (0.88%). Only one of the deaths could be associated with ARV treatment.ConclusionNevirapine‐containing regimens in pregnant woman, at all CD4 cell count levels, appear to be safe in African settings.
‘Simply forgot’ is the most frequently stated reason for missed doses of HAART irrespective of degree of adherence
Authors: Barfod TS , Sørensen HT , Nielsen H , Rodkjær L , Obel N 
Published: May 2006

ObjectivesPrevious studies have reported that forgetfulness is the most frequently mentioned reason for missed doses among patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). However, no previous study has compared the reasons given by highly nonadherent patients with the reasons given by patients with better adherence. The objective of this study was to examine further patients' self‐reported reasons for missing doses of HAART and to compare the reasons given by patients with lower adherence with those given by patients with higher adherence.MethodsAll patients visiting the clinics participating in the Danish HIV cohort study during a 1‐year period (July 2002 to June 2003) were eligible if they had started HAART at least 6 months previously. Consenting patients completed an anonymous self‐administered questionnaire based upon the adult AIDS Clinical Trial Group adherence questionnaires. Lower adherence was defined as reporting a missed dose within the preceding 4 days.ResultsWe received usable questionnaires from 840 (75%) of the 1126 eligible patients. Patients with lower adherence reported the same reasons for missed doses as patients with higher adherence (Spearman's ρ=0.952, P<0.0001). In both groups of patients the three most frequently reported reasons for missed doses were ‘simply forgot’, ‘were away from home’, and ‘had a change in daily routines’.ConclusionsPatients with poorer adherence to HAART state the same reasons for missing doses as patients with better adherence, and ‘simply forgot’ is the most frequently stated reason.
Cultural factors and beliefs influencing transfer of training
Authors: Subedi Bhawani Shankar 
Published: May 2006

Most organizations invest in people for training. Training effectiveness is arguably constrained because of inadequate transfer of learning from the training environment to the workplace environment. Training‐job relevance and the extent of transfer have been found limited. Although performance is affected by a number of factors, training is often used as a solution to all problems. Trying to fix non‐training problems with training solutions is futile, yet often attempted in the context of Nepal. Thus, the growing recognition of the problem of inadequate transfer of training has been recognized as a compelling issue.This article presents a brief discussion of the data and corresponding findings pertaining to one of the research questions included in a recent doctoral study. The purpose of the study was to examine the extent of transfer of learning from the training environment to the workplace environment, and identify cultural factors and beliefs held by stakeholders influencing such transfer in the context of civil and corporate sector organizations in Nepal.What are the cultural factors and beliefs that influence the extent of transfer of training? This was one of the questions that prompted the study.
Age differences in career activities among higher‐level employees in the Netherlands: a comparison between profit sector and non‐profit sector staff
Authors: Van Der Heijden Beatrice Isabella Johanna Maria 
Published: May 2006

The present study describes age differences in the occurrence of career activities among profit sector and non‐profit sector employees in the Netherlands. Three different types of variables have been studied, i.e. individual, job‐related and organizational variables. Hypotheses have been tested with original survey data from 423 profit sector employees and 136 non‐profit sector employees. The employees are all working in higher‐level jobs in large organizations.Overall, we may conclude from this study that the differences between profit sector and non‐profit sector workers are not consistent at all. For some factors the situation is more advantageous for profit sector employees, whereas for other factors the outcomes point in the opposite direction.Regarding age effects, we have found that, in general, for profit sector employees the differences between starters (20–34 years) and middle‐aged workers (35–49 years) are not univocal, whereas the differences between middle‐aged workers and seniors (over‐fifties) imply that the amount of individual initiatives and organizational activities is less for the latter group of employees.When the three age groups are compared for the non‐profit sector employees, most factors do not vary significantly. For the factors where the F‐test is found to be significant, by and large, the situation regarding the possibilities for a further career development is worst for the seniors.
Gender disparities in mental health service use of Puerto Rican children and adolescents
Authors: Cabiya José J. , Canino Glorisa , Chavez Ligra , Ramirez Rafael , Alegría Margenta , Shrout Patrick , Hohman Ann , Bravo Milagros , Bauermeister José J. , Maritínez‐Taboas Alfonso 
Published: May 2006

Background:  Differences in service utilization indicating that boys use more mental health services than girls were analyzed to see if they could be explained by known correlates of service use. These correlates were arranged into individual (severe emotional disturbance, level of impairment and externalizing disorders), family (parental education, psychopathology and parental concern) and school factors (difficulties with school work). The objectives were to understand and identify the factors accounting for gender differences in mental health service utilization in order to develop alternatives to promote equity in service delivery.Methods:  A representative sample of 1,896 children 4 to 17 years of age and their primary caretakers were interviewed for this study. Reports of service use were obtained using the Service Assessment for Children and Adolescents. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between gender and service use, adjusting for known correlates.Results:  Our results showed that, except for impairment, other individual, family and school factors did not explain gender differences in service utilization. Males with impairment were 2.87 times more likely to receive services than impaired females (p ≤ .01), and this result continued to hold true for impaired undiagnosed boys compared to impaired diagnoses‐free girls (p ≤ .001).Conclusions:  Our findings showed a service disparity between impaired boys and girls who did not meet criteria for a DSM IV diagnosis, but no observed differences in service use between boys and girls who met criteria for severe emotional disturbance (SED). Continued investigations are necessary to analyze, assess and understand the different circumstances that bring boys and girls into treatment, followed by the development of appropriate intervention programs at the school and community levels.
Distribution, status and conservation of Indian gray wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) in Karnataka, India
Authors: Singh M. , Kumara H. N. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe Indian gray wolf Canis lupus pallipes is the major large carnivore in the plains of Karnataka, India. We carried out a study on its distribution and status from November 2001 to July 2004. We estimated 555 wolves occupying about 123 330 km2 of the state. In the past 40 years, wolves have disappeared from the southern plateau from an area of about 31 801 km2. Their distribution is now largely restricted to the north‐eastern dry plains. The wolf has also disappeared in recent years from some ‘protected areas’ such as Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, and their present population is largely found in ‘non‐protected’ areas. Blackbucks are the only natural prey of wolves in Karnataka, but their density in most parts of the state is extremely low. The major prey species is domestic livestock, especially sheep. The available ‘remote area’ (forests or rocky terrains) in the wolf‐occupied regions determined the status of the wolf. Killing of adult wolves and pups was common throughout the range of the wolf. However, such killings were made largely by local sheepherders with small sheep holdings and not by nomadic shepherds who maintained large sheep herds. The forests in the north‐eastern parts of the state exist in small patches every few kilometers. Because each wolf pack ranges over large distances and is by and large a commensal species, we propose that the management of these small forest patches, considering them as components of a larger landscape, is the only effective conservation practice for the wolf. Although existing locally in low densities, because of a large ranging area of a single pack, the seemingly isolated wolf packs can become parts of a large metapopulation, providing a sustainable population.
Scaling of the marsupial middle ear and its functional significance
Authors: Nummela S. , Sánchez‐Villagra M. R. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe marsupial middle ear performs an anatomical impedance matching for acoustic energy travelling in air to reach the cochlea. The size of the middle ear sets constraints for the frequencies transmitted. For generalized placental mammals, it has been shown that the limit for high‐frequency hearing can be predicted on the basis of middle ear ossicle mass, provided that the ears fulfil requirements of isometry. We studied the interspecific size variation of the middle ear in 23 marsupial species, with the following measurable parameters: skull mass, condylobasal length, ossicular masses for malleus, incus and stapes, tympanic membrane area, oval window area, and lever arm lengths for malleus and incus. Our results show that the middle ear size grows with negative allometry in relation to body size and that the internal proportions of the marsupial middle ear are largely isometric. This resembles the situation in placental mammals and allows us to use their isometric middle ear model to predict the high‐frequency hearing limit for marsupials. We found that the isometry model predicts the high‐frequency hearing limit for different marsupials well, indicating that marsupials can be used as auditory models for general therian mammalian hearing. At very high frequencies, other factors, such as the inner ear, seem to constrain mammalian hearing.
Costs of reproduction in a tropical invariant‐clutch producing lizard (Carlia rubrigularis)
Authors: Goodman B. A. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractReproduction involves costs and benefits, whereby increased expenditure into current reproduction can reduce future reproductive success. Costs of reproduction, often assessed using the reduction in locomotor speed, have become well established in temperate‐zone lizard species. However, substantial differences in biotic conditions and life‐history traits between temperate‐ and tropical‐zone lizards suggest that such costs may be different or of less importance for tropical species. This study examined the effects of reproduction on locomotor speed in the tropical invariant‐clutch producing lizard Carlia rubrigularis. Counter to predictions and despite a low relative clutch mass (RCM), gravid and post‐oviposition females experienced a reduction in locomotor speed with a physiological basis that was unrelated to the level of reproductive investment. In addition, gravid and postoviposition females exhibited locomotor speeds that were inversely related to the timing of oviposition and approached the speed of non‐reproductive females after 3 weeks of oviposition. These results suggest that in addition to RCM, selection may act to reduce the period of recovery in species with extended reproductive seasons and which make numerous bouts of reproduction, such as C. rubrigularis.