bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Beyond dichotomy: the curvilinear relationship between social responsibility and financial performance
Authors: Barnett Michael L. , Salomon Robert M. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractA central and contentious debate in many literatures concerns the relationship between financial and social performance. We advance this debate by measuring the financial–social performance link mutual funds that practice socially responsible investing (SRI). SRI fund managers have an array of social screening strategies from which to choose. Prior studies have not addressed this heterogeneity within SRI funds. Combining modern portfolio and stakeholder theories, we hypothesize that the financial loss borne by an SRI fund due to poor diversification is offset as social screening intensifies because better‐managed and more stable firms are selected into its portfolio. We find support for this hypothesis through an empirical test on a panel of 61 SRI funds from 1972 to 2000. The results show that as the number of social screens used by an SRI fund increases, financial returns decline at first, but then rebound as the number of screens reaches a maximum. That is, we find a curvilinear relationship, suggesting that two long‐competing viewpoints may be complementary. Furthermore, we find that financial performance varies with the types of social screens used. Community relations screening increased financial performance, but environmental and labor relations screening decreased financial performance. Based on our results, we suggest that literatures addressing the link between financial and social performance move toward in‐depth examination of the merits of different social screening strategies, and away from the continuing debate on the financial merits of either being socially responsible or not. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social influence effects and managerial compensation evidence from Germany
Authors: Fiss Peer C. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractI extend existing theories of social influence effects on executive compensation while at the same time showing the context dependence of these effects. Using original data on German firms and a longitudinal design, results of this study suggest that the operating of social influence mechanisms depends on demographic and social similarity between CEOs and board chairs. The findings reconcile previous mixed findings on the role of CEO human capital factors such as education and tenure and furthermore show that board vigilance is conditional on board compensation and the presence of major shareholders with an incentive to monitor board behavior. Finally, the study contributes to compensation and corporate governance research by providing evidence on how social influence effects operate outside the United States. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maximum Likelihood Methods in Treating Outliers and Symmetrically Heavy-Tailed Distributions for Nonlinear Structural Equation Models with Missing Data
Authors: Lee Sik-Yum , Xia Ye-Mao 
Published: September 2006

AbstractBy means of more than a dozen user friendly packages, structural equation models (SEMs) are widely used in behavioral, education, social, and psychological research. As the underlying theory and methods in these packages are vulnerable to outliers and distributions with longer-than-normal tails, a fundamental problem in the field is the development of robust methods to reduce the influence of outliers and the distributional deviation in the analysis. In this paper we develop a maximum likelihood (ML) approach that is robust to outliers and symmetrically heavy-tailed distributions for analyzing nonlinear SEMs with ignorable missing data. The analytic strategy is to incorporate a general class of distributions into the latent variables and the error measurements in the measurement and structural equations. A Monte Carlo EM (MCEM) algorithm is constructed to obtain the ML estimates, and a path sampling procedure is implemented to compute the observed-data log-likelihood and then the Bayesian information criterion for model comparison. The proposed methodologies are illustrated with simulation studies and an example.
Zonal flow in toroidal ion temperature gradient mode turbulence
Authors: SANDBERG INGMAR , PAVLENKO V. P. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe properties of zonal flows in the toroidal ion temperature gradient mode turbulence are investigated taking into account the polarization drift effects. The stability criterion and the characteristic oscillation frequency of the zonal flow are determined in terms of the spectra of turbulent fluctuations. The nonlinear evolution of zonal flows may lead to the formation of stationary long-lived coherent structures supporting stationary shear layers. These results indicate the existence of regions with reduced levels of anomalous transport attributed to zonal flows generalizing previous findings regarding zonal flows in electron drift turbulence.
Understanding functional dependencies via constraint handling rules
Authors: SULZMANN MARTIN , DUCK GREGORY J. , PEYTON-JONES SIMON , STUCKEY PETER J. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractFunctional dependencies are a popular and useful extension to Haskell style type classes. We give a reformulation of functional dependencies in terms of Constraint Handling Rules (CHRs). In previous work, CHRs have been employed for describing user-programmable type extensions in the context of Haskell style type classes. Here, we make use of CHRs to provide for the first time a concise result that under some sufficient conditions, functional dependencies allow for sound, complete and decidable type inference. The sufficient conditions imposed on functional dependencies can be very limiting. We show how to safely relax these conditions and suggest several sound extensions of functional dependencies. Our results allow for a better understanding of functional dependencies and open up the opportunity for new applications.
Maternal undernutrition reduces aortic wall thickness and elastin content in offspring rats without altering endothelial function
Authors: Skilton Michael R. , Gosby Alison K. , Wu Ben J. , Ho Lisa M. L. , Stocker Roland , Caterson Ian D. , Celermajer David S. 
Published: September 2006

Epidemiological studies suggest a link between fetal/early infant nutrition and adult coronary artery disease. In the present study, we examined the effects of altering nutrition during gestation, lactation and juvenile life on aortic structure and function in rats. Wistar rat dams were fed either a control or low-protein diet throughout pregnancy, or a low-protein diet for the final 7 days of gestation only. At 21 days post-partum, male pups were weaned on to a control, low-protein or high-fat diet. At 12 weeks, the offspring rats were killed. In 46 rats, aortic sections were mounted and stained to assess media thickness and elastin content. In a further 38 rats, aortic rings were suspended in an organ bath and vascular reactivity was tested with dose–response curves to the endothelium-dependent dilator acetylcholine and the endothelium-independent dilator sodium nitroprusside. Rats exposed to maternal protein restriction while in utero had a significantly decreased aortic wall thickness compared with control rats (P=0.005). Total elastin content of the aorta was also decreased by both maternal low-protein (P=0.02) and early postnatal low-protein (P=0.01) diets. Neither maternal nor postnatal low-protein or high-fat diets, however, resulted in any significant changes in arterial dilator function. In conclusion, fetal undernutrition in rats, induced via a maternal low-protein diet, causes a decrease in aortic wall thickness and elastin content without altering aortic dilator function. These changes in vascular structure may amplify aging-related changes to the vasculature and contribute to the pathophysiology of the putative link between impaired fetal growth and adult cardiovascular disease.
n− 3 Fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy in women with allergic disease: effects on blood pressure, and maternal and fetal lipids
Authors: Barden Anne E. , Dunstan Janet A. , Beilin Lawrence J. , Prescott Susan L. , Mori Trevor A. 
Published: September 2006

n−3 Fatty acids derived from fish oil reduce plasma triacylglycerols (triglycerides) and increase HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol); however, the effect of n−3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy, a hyperlipidaemic state, remains unknown. We took the opportunity to investigate maternal lipid levels and blood pressure during and after pregnancy, and fetal lipid levels at birth, in a study that aimed primarily to examine the effect of fish oil supplementation during pregnancy on immune function in infants born to women with allergic disease. Eighty-three pregnant women who had allergic disease, but were otherwise healthy, completed the study. They were randomly allocated to receive fish oil or olive oil capsules, taken as 4 g/day, from 20 weeks of pregnancy until delivery. Compared with olive oil, fish oil supplementation did not alter triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) or HDL-C during or after pregnancy. There was also no effect of fish oil on cord blood triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, LDL-C or HDL-C. Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy did not alter maternal blood pressure during or after pregnancy. The effects of fish oil on lipids and blood pressure in non-pregnant individuals appear to be lost when it is administered during pregnancy.
Inducible nitric oxide synthase activity does not contribute to the maintenance of peripheral vascular tone in patients with heart failure
Authors: Dover Anna R. , Chia Stanley , Ferguson James W. , Cruden Nicholas L. , Megson Ian L. , Fox Keith A. A. , Newby David E. 
Published: September 2006

Enhanced iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) activity may contribute to vascular dysfunction in patients with heart failure. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether iNOS activity contributes to the maintenance of vascular tone in patients with symptomatic heart failure with the use of the highly selective iNOS inhibitor 1400W {N-[3-(aminomethyl)benzyl] acetamidine}. Bilateral forearm blood flow was measured using venous occlusion plethysmography in 12 patients with New York Heart Association class II–IV heart failure and eight matched healthy control subjects during intra-brachial infusion of 1400W (0.1–1 μmol/min), L-NMMA (NG-monomethyl-L-arginine; a non-selective NOS inhibitor; 2–8 μmol/min) and noradrenaline (control vasoconstrictor; 60–480 pmol/min). In both patients and controls, intra-brachial infusion of L-NMMA and noradrenaline caused a dose–dependent reduction in infused forearm blood flow (P&lt;0.05 for both): peak reduction of 32±6% and 37±4% during L-NMMA and 52±6% and 49±5% during noradrenaline respectively (P values were not significant when patients were compared with controls). In contrast, 1400W had no effect on blood flow at 1 μmol/min [−3±4% in patients (95% confidence intervals, −11 to 5%) and 3±8% in controls; P value was not significant]. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that intrabrachial selective iNOS inhibition does not influence forearm blood flow in patients with heart failure. We conclude that iNOS activity does not contribute to peripheral vascular tone in patients with symptomatic heart failure.
Transfer of the antidepressant mirtazapine into breast milk
Authors: Kristensen J. H. , Ilett Kenneth F. , Rampono Jonathan , Kohan Rolland , Hackett L. Peter 
Published: September 2006

What is already known about this subject• There is presently only a single case report on mirtazapine transfer into breast milk and its effects in the breast‐fed infant.What this study adds• Most importantly, we have provided quantitative data on the absolute and relative infant doses of mirtazapine and its active metabolite.• We have also documented a lack of overt adverse effects in the breast‐fed infants and low or absent plasma concentrations of mirtazapine in a subset of these infants.• Hence we now know that breast‐fed infants are unlikely to be adversely affected when their mothers need to take mirtazapine.AimsTo investigate the transfer of mirtazapine and desmethylmirtazapine into milk and to calculate dose to the infant via milk.MethodsPlasma and milk samples were obtained from eight breast‐feeding women who were taking a median dose of 38 mg mirtazapine per day. Milk/plasma ratio (M/P) and infant doses were estimated by standard methods. The infants were examined clinically and in four infants blood was taken for analysis.ResultsMean (95% confidence interval) relative infant doses for mirtazapine and desmethylmirtazapine (n = 8) were 1.5% (0.8, 2.2) and 0.4% (0.2, 0.6) respectively. The mean M/P (area under curve n = 4, single or paired samples n = 3) was 1.1 (0.7,1.5) for mirtazapine and 0.6 (0.5, 0.7) for desmethylmirtazapine. No adverse effects were seen. Mirtazapine was detected (1.5 µg l−1) in only one of four infants tested.ConclusionWe suggest that mirtazapine use by lactating women is safe for the breast‐fed infant. Nevertheless, each decision to breast feed should always be made on the basis of an individual risk/benefit analysis.
Self‐management profiles and metabolic outcomes in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Vég Anikó , Rosenqvist Urban , Sarkadi Anna 
Published: September 2006

Aim.  This paper reports a study whose aims were (1) to examine whether it is possible to determine participants’ self‐management profiles using three open‐ended questions about their self‐perceived role in diabetes management; and (2) to analyse whether such self‐management profiles have any bearing on haemoglobin A1c levels.Background.  The behavioural and educational aspects of self‐management in type 2 diabetes have been the topic of a number of investigations. The individual's role in maintaining health and a satisfying everyday life with chronic conditions is increasingly becoming the focus of secondary prevention.Method.  Participants (n = 259) were recruited from those attending a year‐long health educational programme for people with type 2 diabetes at Swedish pharmacies. A questionnaire was distributed 24 months after baseline. The health outcome, haemoglobin A1c was measured on four occasions. Three open‐ended questions were used to explore self‐management profiles based on perceived role, goal, and need of support in treatment. Data were collected during the period 1997–2002.Findings.  The following profiles of participants emerged: Disease Manager, Compliant, and Disheartened, with no initial differences in metabolic control. However, during the programme Disease Managers achieved good glycaemic control and succeeded in maintaining the reduction in their blood glucose for a longer period than those in other categories: their haemoglobin A1c level was reduced by −0·35 at 6 months (P = 0·000), −0·30 at 12 months (P = 0·001), and −0·28 at 24 months (P = 0·001) after baseline. Compliant participants had a good everyday routine and a −0·18 reduction at 6 months (P = 0·028) but no statistically significant haemoglobin A1c level reduction later. A smaller group of people, the Disheartened, reported difficulties in living with diabetes and did not succeed in decreasing their haemoglobin A1c by statistically significant amounts.Conclusion.  Healthcare professionals could use our three open‐ended questions to assist in understanding people's views of their role in disease management so that health promotion and education can be tailored to individual needs.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Towards an understanding of the Holocene distribution of Fagus sylvatica L.
Authors: Giesecke Thomas , Hickler Thomas , Kunkel Timo , Sykes Martin T. , Bradshaw Richard H.W. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractAim  Understanding the driving forces and mechanisms of changes in past plant distribution and abundance will help assess the biological consequences of future climate change scenarios. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether modelled patterns of climate parameters 6000 years ago can account for the European distribution of Fagus sylvatica at that time. Consideration is also given to the role of non‐climatic parameters as driving forces of the Holocene spread and population expansion of F. sylvatica.Location  Europe.Methods  European distributions were simulated using a physiologically‐based bioclimatic model (STASH) driven by three different atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) outputs for 6000 years ago.Results  The three simulations generally showed F. sylvatica to have potentially been as widespread 6000 years ago as it is today, which gives a profound mismatch with pollen‐based reconstructions of the F. sylvatica distribution at that time. The results indicate that drier conditions during the growing season 6000 years ago could have caused a restriction of the range in the south. Poorer growth conditions with consequently reduced competitive ability were modelled for large parts of France.Main conclusions  Consideration of the entire European range of F. sylvatica showed that no single driving force could account for the observed distributional limits 6000 years ago, or the pattern of spread during the Holocene. Climatic factors, particularly drought during the growing season, are the likely major determinants of the potential range. Climatic factors are regionally moderated by competition, disturbance effects and the intrinsically slow rate of population increase of F. sylvatica. Dynamic vegetation modelling is needed to account for potentially important competitive interactions and their relationship with changing climate. We identify uncertainties in the climate and pollen data, as well as the bioclimatic model, which suggest that the current study does not identify whether or not climate determined the distribution of F. sylvatica 6000 years ago. Pollen data are better suited for comparison with relative abundance gradients rather than absolute distributional limits. These uncertainties from a study of the past, where we have information about plant distribution and abundance, argue for extreme caution in making forecasts for the future using equilibrium models.
Comparative transcript and alkaloid profiling in Papaver species identifies a short chain dehydrogenase/reductase involved in morphine biosynthesis
Authors: Ziegler Jörg , Voigtländer Susan , Schmidt Jürgen , Kramell Robert , Miersch Otto , Ammer Christian , Gesell Andreas , Kutchan Toni M. 
Published: September 2006

SummaryPlants of the order Ranunculales, especially members of the species Papaver, accumulate a large variety of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids with about 2500 structures, but only the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) and Papaver setigerum are able to produce the analgesic and narcotic morphine and the antitussive codeine. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis for this exceptional biosynthetic capability by comparison of alkaloid profiles with gene expression profiles between 16 different Papaver species. Out of 2000 expressed sequence tags obtained from P. somniferum, 69 show increased expression in morphinan alkaloid‐containing species. One of these cDNAs, exhibiting an expression pattern very similar to previously isolated cDNAs coding for enzymes in benzylisoquinoline biosynthesis, showed the highest amino acid identity to reductases in menthol biosynthesis. After overexpression, the protein encoded by this cDNA reduced the keto group of salutaridine yielding salutaridinol, an intermediate in morphine biosynthesis. The stereoisomer 7‐epi‐salutaridinol was not formed. Based on its similarities to a previously purified protein from P. somniferum with respect to the high substrate specificity, molecular mass and kinetic data, the recombinant protein was identified as salutaridine reductase (SalR; EC 1.1.1.248). Unlike codeinone reductase, an enzyme acting later in the pathway that catalyses the reduction of a keto group and which belongs to the family of the aldo‐keto reductases, the cDNA identified in this study as SalR belongs to the family of short chain dehydrogenases/reductases and is related to reductases in monoterpene metabolism.
Mutations in the NDP gene: contribution to Norrie disease, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Dickinson Joanne L , Sale Michèle M , Passmore Abraham , FitzGerald Liesel M , Wheatley Catherine M , Burdon Kathryn P , Craig Jamie E , Tengtrisorn Supaporn , Carden Susan M , Maclean Hector , Mackey David A 
Published: September 2006

AbstractBackground:  To examine the contribution of mutations within the Norrie disease (NDP) gene to the clinically similar retinal diseases Norrie disease, X‐linked familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR), Coat’s disease and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).Methods:  A dataset comprising 13 Norrie‐FEVR, one Coat’s disease, 31 ROP patients and 90 ex‐premature babies of <32 weeks’ gestation underwent an ophthalmologic examination and were screened for mutations within the NDP gene by direct DNA sequencing, denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography or gel electrophoresis. Controls were only screened using denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography and gel electrophoresis. Confirmation of mutations identified was obtained by DNA sequencing.Results:  Evidence for two novel mutations in the NDP gene was presented: Leu103Val in one FEVR patient and His43Arg in monozygotic twin Norrie disease patients. Furthermore, a previously described 14‐bp deletion located in the 5′ unstranslated region of the NDP gene was detected in three cases of regressed ROP. A second heterozygotic 14‐bp deletion was detected in an unaffected ex‐premature girl. Only two of the 13 Norrie‐FEVR index cases had the full features of Norrie disease with deafness and mental retardation.Conclusion:  Two novel mutations within the coding region of the NDP gene were found, one associated with a severe disease phenotypes of Norrie disease and the other with FEVR. A deletion within the non‐coding region was associated with only mild‐regressed ROP, despite the presence of low birthweight, prematurity and exposure to oxygen. In full‐term children with retinal detachment only 15% appear to have the full features of Norrie disease and this is important for counselling parents on the possible long‐term outcome.
Amniotic membrane to the rescue of partially necrosed dermis fat graft
Authors: Moin Muhammad , Qayyum Irfan , Hussain Mumtaz 
Published: September 2006

AbstractA 25‐year‐old woman underwent dermis fat graft on the right side for persistent ocular pain with her polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) spherical orbital implant. One week later she developed dermal necrosis of the dermis fat graft with potentially devastating fat atrophy if left uncovered. Amniotic membrane graft epithelial side up was sutured to the conjunctiva surrounding the fat. 2 weeks later the graft epithelialized with preservation of fat. Role of amniotic membrane graft as a routine lining over dermis fat grafts to promote conjunctival healing and prevent fat exposure needs to be studied in prospective studies.
Persistent serous retinal detachment after radial optic neurotomy
Authors: Strauss Rupert W , Priglinger Siegfried G , Alge Claudia S , Grueterich Martin , Haritoglou Christos 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe report the case of a patient presenting with serous retinal detachment following radial optic neurotomy for central retinal vein occlusion. Initially, the retinal detachment was successfully treated by a second vitrectomy and laser coagulation. After reabsorption of the gas tamponade, a recurrence of the retinal detachment was seen with no detectable retinal break. Although other mechanisms should be taken into account, this case indicates that it is possible to create a fistula between the subarachnoid and subretinal space. We conclude from this observation that special attention should be paid to the depth of the radial incision into the optic nerve head.