bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Demographic pattern, predisposing factors and management of ulcerative keratitis: evaluation of one thousand unilateral cases at a tertiary care centre
Authors: Panda Anita , Satpathy Gita , Nayak Niranjan , Kumar Sandeep , Kumar Abhiyan 
Published: February 2007

AbstractPurpose:   To determine the predisposing factors, special clinical manifestations and the management of presumed microbial ulcerative keratitis.Methods:   A retrospective study was performed in 1000 eyes of 1000 patients with presumed microbial keratitis. Information was recorded on patients’ age and gender, risk factors, seasonal presentation, number of days since initiation of ulcer, prior therapy, clinical presentation, microbiological work‐up and case management.Results:   Fifty per cent of the patients with corneal ulcers were aged between 36 and 65 years and 13.3% were in the paediatric age group (1 month to <16 years). The male : female ratio was almost 1.6:1. Only 11.4% of patients reported to the authors during the first week of initiation of ulcer. Trauma was the cause in 47.6% of eyes, and ocular surface diseases accounted for 16.6%. Forty‐two per cent of eyes received topical antibiotics alone (either one or more) prior to hospital visit and 42.2% of eyes were on topical antibiotics and antifungals. Another 8.2% were on topical corticosteroids along with antibiotics and 4.6% were receiving some unidentified drop. Only 3% of the eyes did not receive any therapy prior to visit. Contact lens use as a risk factor could be identified only in 8.2% of eyes. Ulcers were central in location in 48%. Ulcer size 6–9 mm was observed in 51.7% of eyes. Medical therapy alone was effective in 61.0% of eyes and another 9.7% eyes responded to paramedian tarsorrhaphy along with topical antimicroboial drugs.Conclusion:   Corneal ulcers are a frequent problem in this part of the world. The ulcers seen at this tertiary referral hospital present late in the natural history of the disease and are clinically severe. Despite the severity a majority of the eyes could be saved anatomically, but almost 65% of eyes were left with a visual acuity of <6/120. Considering the high magnitude of visual loss, public education about the potential for loss of sight and the importance of timely and appropriate treatment is recommended.
Ocular features of Sjogren–Larsson syndrome
Authors: Aslam Sher A , Sheth Hiten G 
Published: February 2007

AbstractSjogren–Larson syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive neurocutaneous disorder characterized by a triad of intellectual disability, spastic diplegia or tetraplegia and congenital ichthyosis with associated ocular features, which include pigmentary changes in the retina. The usual presentation of crystalline maculopathy is from the age of 1–2 years onwards. Herein, a case of Sjogren–Larson syndrome in a 25‐year‐old woman is presented to highlight the ocular findings.
Reflexivity in Teams: A Measure and Correlates
Authors: Schippers Michaéla C. , Den Hartog Deanne N. , Koopman Paul L. 
Published: February 2007

Reflexivity—the extent to which teams reflect upon and modify their functioning—has been identified as a possible key factor in the effectiveness of work teams. The aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire to measure (aspects of) reflexivity, with a focus on team reflection. The questionnaire was tested in two different samples, namely a first sample of 59 teams from 14 different organisations (Study 1) and a confirmation sample of 59 school management teams (Study 2). In both samples, two factors of reflection were identified. These were labeled evaluation/learning and discussing processes. Scale statistics showed good psychometric properties for the scales in both studies. We conclude that the scales form a parsimonious and valid instrument to assess reflexivity in teams.La réflexivité (dans quelle mesure les équipes remettent‐elles en cause leur fonctionnement et le modifient‐elles?) est apparue comme étant l’un des éventuels facteurs clés de l’efficience des groupes de travail. Cette recherche s’est donné pour tâche de développer un questionnaire pour évaluer certaines dimensions de la réflexivité en mettant l’accent sur la réflexion de groupe. Le questionnaire a été mis à l’épreuve auprès de deux échantillons, à savoir un premier échantillon composé de 59 équipes relevant de quatorze organisations différentes (Etude n°1) et un second échantillon de confirmation réunissant 59 équipes d’écoles de management (Etude n°2). Deux facteurs relatifs à la réflexion sont apparus dans chacune des deux études. Ils ont été dénommés évaluation/apprentissage et processus de discussion/principes. Dans les deux échantillons, les échelles ont obtenu des résultats statistiques satisfaisants sur le plan psychométrique. On arrive à la conclusion que ces échelles constituent un outil valide et économique pour évaluer la réflexivité dans les équipes.
The Long‐Term Impact of the Feedback Environment on Job Satisfaction: A Field Study in a Belgian Context
Authors: Anseel Frederik , Lievens Filip 
Published: February 2007

This study examines (1) the relationship between the feedback environment and job satisfaction and (2) the mediating role of leader–member exchange in a Belgian context. Results from a sample of 155 employees of a governmental service for employment and vocational training supported our hypotheses. A favorable supervisor feedback environment was related to higher levels of job satisfaction 5 months later, and this relationship was fully mediated by the quality of leader–member exchange. These findings highlight the usefulness of diagnosing and assessing the feedback environment for a better understanding of feedback processes and for enhancing feedback interventions in organisations.Ce travail examine dans un contexte culturel belge 1) la relation entre la satisfaction professionnelle et le feedback provenant de l’environnement 2) le rôle médiateur des échanges leader‐collaborateurs. Nos hypothèses ont été confirmées par les conclusions issues d’un échantillon composé de 155 employés d’un service d’Etat de retour à l’emploi et de formation professionnelle. Un environnement rétroactif positif provenant du chef immédiat était en rapport avec un niveau plus élevé de satisfaction professionnelle cinq mois plus tard, et cette relation était maximisée par la qualité des échanges entre le leader et les membres du groupe. Ces résultats montrent qu’il faut prendre en compte et évaluer la rétroaction environnementale pour une meilleure appréhension des processus de feedback et pour améliorer les interventions dans les organisations portant sur le feedback.
Blood loss and postoperative complications associated with transurethral resection of the prostate after pretreatment with dutasteride
Authors: Hahn Robert G. , Fagerström Tim , Tammela Teuvo L.J. , Van Vierssen Trip Oncko , Beisland Hans Olav , Duggan Annette , Morrill Betsy 
Published: February 2007

The relationship between 5α‐reductase inhibitors and blood loss from the prostate has been well described and investigated previously. In a well‐conducted study, authors from Sweden show that dutasteride, despite significantly lowering the tissue dihydrotestosterone levels, did not lower blood loss or transfusion rates after TURP.OBJECTIVETo determine whether pretreatment with dutasteride, a dual 5α‐reductase inhibitor (5ARI), reduces surgical blood loss or postoperative complications in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who undergo transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).PATIENTS AND METHODSThis double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, multicentre study comprised 214 patients with BPH. Placebo was compared with dutasteride 0.5 mg/day 2 weeks before and after TURP, or 4 weeks before and 2 weeks after TURP. Surgical blood loss was measured using a haemoglobin photometer (HemoCue AB, Ängelholm, Sweden) and postoperative adverse events were recorded. Microvessel density (MVD) was calculated by immunostaining and light microscopy of the prostatic chips.RESULTSAlthough dutasteride reduced serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 86–89% in 2–4 weeks, and intraprostatic DHT was ≈ 10 times lower than in the placebo group, the (adjusted) mean haemoglobin (Hb) loss during surgery was 2.15–2.55 g Hb/g resectate with no significant difference in blood loss between the groups either during or after TURP. Clot retention occurred in 6–11% and urinary incontinence in 14–15% of patients during the 14 weeks after TURP, with no difference between the groups. The MVD at TURP was also similar for all groups.CONCLUSIONThere were no significant reductions in blood loss during or after TURP or complications afterward with dutasteride compared with placebo, despite significant suppression of intraprostatic DHT. Blood loss and transfusion rates in the placebo group were lower than those previously reported in studies where there was a beneficial effect of a 5ARI, relative to placebo, on bleeding during TURP.
Evaluation and significance of circulating epithelial cells in patients with hormone‐refractory prostate cancer
Authors: Garcia Jorge A. , Rosenberg Jonathan E. , Weinberg Vivian , Scott Janet , Frohlich Mark , Park John W. , Small Eric J. 
Published: February 2007

The urological oncology section is relatively long this month, and this reflects the many high‐quality manuscripts we receive. When you consider our relatively high rejection rate, you will understand just how many papers on this topic are submitted. The high quality of oncology papers is clear in this month’s section. You will also notice that all but one of them are on prostate cancer, and the reason for this is similar to that mentioned above, as this topic is, as might be expected, the most commonly submitted in this section. However, I am only too happy to reassure readers, and those primarily interested in other types of urological cancer, that the imbalance in this month’s section is not a permanent fixture.OBJECTIVETo determine the feasibility of using flow cytometry fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis for detecting circulating epithelial cells (CECs) in patients with hormone‐refractory prostate cancer (HRPC), and to determine whether CECs can be used to predict survival in these patients.PATIENTS AND METHODSSeveral prognostic models that include routinely used clinical and laboratory variables for predicting survival in men with HRPC have been reported; the presence of CECs measured by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction for prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) in patients with HRPC is an independent prognostic factor for survival. CECs detected by FACS analysis correlate with advanced stage and poor survival outcome. A retrospective study was conducted to assess the presence of CECs by FACS analysis in metastatic HRPC patients initiating systemic chemotherapy with a taxane‐based regimen. The association between clinical variables previously described and the presence of CECs along with the effect of the magnitude of CECs on survival was calculated, in 41 patients with HRPC, all of whom had peripheral blood collected for FACS analysis.RESULTSExcept for four patients, all those with metastatic HRPC had detectable CECs. Among these patients, the number of CECs/mL was correlated with age, serum PSA level and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Higher serum levels of PSA and ALP predicted a poor survival outcome. Similarly, patients with ≤1.8 CECs/mL had a significantly longer survival than those with more CECs/mL (P = 0.02). With a median follow‐up of 15.4 months, the median overall survival for all patients was 18.4 months.CONCLUSIONSThe presence of more CECs in patients with metastatic HRPC was associated with a poorer survival outcome; levels of ≥1.8 CECs/mL were associated with a shorter survival in patients with metastatic HRPC.
Human impacts on environment–diversity relationships: evidence for biotic homogenization from butterfly species richness patterns
Authors: White Peter J.T. , Kerr Jeremy T. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTAim  Broad‐scale spatial variation in species richness relates to climate and physical heterogeneity but human activities may be changing these patterns. We test whether climate and heterogeneity predict butterfly species richness regionally and across Canada and whether these relationships change in areas of human activity.Location  Canada.Methods  We modelled the ranges of 102 butterfly species using genetic algorithms for rule‐set production (GARP). We then measured butterfly species richness and potentially important aspects of human activity and the natural environment. These were included in a series of statistical models to determine which factors are likely to affect butterfly species richness in Canada. We considered patterns across Canada, within predominantly natural areas, human‐dominated areas and particular ecozones. We examined independent observations of butterfly species currently listed under Canada's endangered species legislation to test whether these were consistent with findings from statistical models.Results  Growing season temperature is the main determinant of butterfly species richness across Canada, with substantial contributions from habitat heterogeneity (measured using elevation). Only in the driest areas does precipitation emerge as a leading predictor of richness. The slope of relationships between all of these variables and butterfly species richness becomes shallower in human‐dominated areas, but butterfly richness is still highest there. Insecticide applications, habitat loss and road networks reduce butterfly richness in human‐dominated areas, but these effects are relatively small. All of Canada's at‐risk butterfly species are located in these human‐dominated areas.Main conclusions  Temperature affects butterfly species richness to a greater extent than habitat heterogeneity at fine spatial scales and is generally far more important than precipitation, supporting both the species richness–energy and habitat heterogeneity hypotheses. Human activities, especially in southern Canada, appear to cause surprisingly consistent trends in biotic homogenization across this region, perhaps through range expansion of common species and loss of range‐restricted species.
The Market as the New Emperor
Authors: HAILA ANNE 
Published: February 2007

AbstractIn recent years readers of urban studies journals have been regaled with articles on urban development in China. Contrary to expectations, what we read is not a multiplicity of accounts, but instead a repetition of one story: (a) the land market has emerged in China; (b) however, the market is imperfect; (c) therefore the best policy is to define property rights. It is surprising how uncritically scholars have accepted the idea that the land market has emerged, without defining the concept of the market. Perhaps even more surprising is the approval of the recommendation to define property rights, without asking what the ideology behind such a recommendation is and what social and political consequences it might have. This article will examine and criticize studies of this type. First, I will reconstruct what seems to be a new fashion in real estate and urban development studies, and then criticize its weaknesses, which are connected to the ambiguity of the concept of the market, insufficient empirical evidence, and ontological and ideological problems.
Bringing Macroeconomics Back into the Political Economy of Reform: the Lisbon Agenda and the ‘Fiscal Philosophy’ of EMU*
Authors: MABBETT DEBORAH , SCHELKLE WALTRAUD 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe Lisbon Strategy supports reform of Member States' tax‐benefit systems while the ‘fiscal philosophy’ of the EMU postulates that governments should allow only automatic stabilizers, built into tax‐benefit systems, to smooth aggregate income. We ask whether these two pillars of EU economic governance are compatible. By exploring how structural reforms affect fiscal stabilization, we complement a political economy literature that asks whether fiscal consolidation fosters or hinders structural reforms. Using EUROMOD, a tax‐benefit model for the EU‐15, we identify the connections between specific tax and benefit reforms and the size of the stabilizers. We conclude that Lisbon‐type reforms may worsen the stabilizing capacity of tax‐benefit systems.
The Art of Political Manipulation in the European Convention
Authors: TSEBELIS GEORGE , PROKSCH SVEN‐OLIVER 
Published: February 2007

AbstractWe argue that the success of the European Convention in producing a Constitutional Treaty was possible because of the agenda control exercised by the Praesidium and in particular its President. Given that even Intergovernmental Conferences despite months of preparations sometimes fail to produce any results, the failure of negotiations in the Convention was a distinct possibility. Another serious possibility would have been an ‘anarchic’ document, in which different parts would have reflected the prevalence of different majorities. The President of the Convention was able to avoid both of these possibilities. Our argument is that Giscard d'Estaing was able to produce the results through the astute use of three significant tools that he developed. First, he limited the number of amendments from Convention delegates by imposing time limits on the whole process. Second, he created an iterated agenda‐setting process in order to modify amendments. Third, he prohibited voting, and produced results ‘by consensus’, defining the meaning of the term himself. Understanding that the European Convention was an exceptional event made possible by the combination of a creative, consistent and overpowering agenda‐setting process as well as the impasse created by the status quo (Nice Treaty) explains how we came to the EU Constitutional Treaty and how difficult it will be to move away from this document.
Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion and the Risk of Thromboembolic Events Following Mitral Valve Surgery
Authors: ALMAHAMEED SOUFIAN T. , KHAN MOHAMMED , ZUZEK RYAN W. , JURATLI NOUR , BELDEN WILLIAM A. , ASHER CRAIG R. , NOVARO GIAN M. , MARTIN DAVID O. , NATALE ANDREA 
Published: February 2007

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery with respect to thromboembolic events. Background: LAA is the predominant source of emboli in patients with atrial fibrillation. Prophylactic LAA exclusion at the time of heart surgery has been recommended to reduce the risk of future thromboembolism. Methods: An observational cohort of 136 patients undergoing LAA exclusion during mitral valve surgery was identified between May 1993 and November 1998 at our institution. Results: During a mean follow‐up of 3.6 ± 1.3 years, there were 14 (12.3%) thromboembolic events. Compared with patients who received warfarin upon hospital discharge, there were more thromboembolic events in patients not prescribed warfarin upon hospital discharge (n = 7/67, 10% vs n = 6/40, 15%, respectively). The warfarin status was not known for one patient. The majority of thromboembolic events (n = 10/14, 71%) occurred in those who underwent mitral valve repair. Conclusion: In this observational study, patients who undergo LAA exclusion during mitral valve surgery to reduce the risk of thromboembolism have a significant incidence of thromboembolic events, especially when warfarin therapy is not prescribed upon hospital discharge.
Pemphigus Vulgaris in Iran: Epidemiology and Clinical Profile
Authors: Ali Asilian , AliReza Yoosefi , Gita Faghihi 
Published: February 2007

Background. Although the clinical profile of pemphigus vulgaris is generally well characterized, the epidemiologic differences are important but not widely evaluated. This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence and clinical profile of pemphigus patients in a large central province of Iran.
Methods. Demographic variables, clinical manifestations, and side effects of treatment in 188 patients in a 10‐year period were studied. Results. The annual incidence rate of pemphigus vulgaris was 5/100,000, with a 1.6:1 ratio of incidence in women compared with men. The mean age of onset was 41.1±13.7 years. In 74% of patients, the initial presentation of the disease was mucosal involvement, and in the remaining 26% the disease initially presented on the skin. Conclusions. Iranian patients have a relatively young age of onset of pemphigus and a higher incidence among women than men, which may reflect geographic, cultural, dietetic, or racial differences in the clinical and biologic behavior of the disease.
‘Others Wanted to Travel’: Woolf and ‘America Herself’
Authors: Stearns Thaine 
Published: February 2007

This paper forms part of a Literature Compass cluster of articles which examines the current state of Virgina Woolf Studies and aims to provide a snapshot of the field. Urmila Seshagiri (University of Tennessee) and Rishona Zimring (Lewis and Clark College) first provide an introduction for this paper along with Martha Klironomos's article, ‘Early Twentieth‐Century British Women Travellers to Greece: Contextualizing the Example of Virginia Woolf.’ The full text of Thaine Stearns's piece then follows.These papers grew out of the 15th Annual International Virginia Woolf Conference (College of Lewis and Clark, Portland, OR, June 9–12, 2005).The full cluster is made up of the following articles:‘Introduction: Virginia Woolf and The Art of Exploration,’ Urmila Seshagiri and Rishona Zimring, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00393.x‘Virginia Woolf's Sense of Adventure,’ Maria DiBattista, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00394.x‘The Twentieth Part: Virginia Woolf in the British Museum Reading Room,’ Benjamin Harvey, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00395.x‘“Street Haunting”: Phantasmagorias of the Modern Imperial Metropolis,’ Sara Gerend, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00396.x‘Hyde Park Gate News,’ Gill Lowe, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00397.x‘The Art of “Scene‐Making” in the Charleston Bulletin Supplements,’ Claudia Olk, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00398.x‘A Camera of Her Own: Woolf and the Legacy of the Indomitable Mrs. Cameron,’ Emily Setina, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00399.x‘Woolfian Resonances,’ Anne Fernald, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00400.x‘Early Twentieth‐Century British Women Travellers to Greece: Contextualizing the Example of Virginia Woolf,’ Martha Klironomos, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00401.x‘“Others Wanted to Travel”: Woolf and “America Herself”,’ Thaine Stearns, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00402.x
T. R. O’Flahertie's Copy of Donne's Letters
Authors: Dickson Donald R. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThis paper is part of a Literature Compass panel cluster arising from the The Texas A&M John Donne Collection: A Symposium and Exhibition. Comprising an introduction by Gary Stringer and three of the papers presented at the symposium, this cluster seeks to examine the current state of Donne Studies and aims to provide a snapshot of the field. The symposium was held April 6–7, 2006.The cluster is made up of the following articles:‘Introduction: Three Papers from The Texas A&M John Donne Collection: A Symposium and Exhibition,’ Gary A. Stringer, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00420.x.‘Donne and Disbelief: The Early Prose,’ Ernest W. Sullivan, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00421.x.‘The Cultural Significance of Donne's Sermons,’ Jeanne Shami, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00422.x.‘T. R. O’Flahertie's Copy of Donne's Letters,’ Donald R. Dickson, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00423.x.This article offers a description of the Cushing Library copy of 1654 issue of Donne's Letters to Severall Persons of Honour, formerly owned by the Rev. T. R. O’Flahertie, with an analysis of his extensive annotations and glosses. Details of O’Flahertie's life are presented along with an assessment of his role in Donne studies in the mid‐nineteenth century.