bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
WELL‐BEHAVED PRODUCTION ECONOMIES
Authors: Mandler Michael 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTWe show that production economies are tâtonnement stable if consumers satisfy the weak axiom of revealed preference. To ensure that producer supply decisions are well defined, we restrict prices in the tâtonnement so that positive profits cannot occur but do allow supply decisions to be multi‐valued. The model therefore permits linear activities and hence the technologies that admit capital theory paradoxes. The result thus shows that if the consumer side of the economy is well behaved then capital theory paradoxes are irrelevant for stability. Other features of the Walrasian general‐equilibrium model that have aroused suspicion (e.g. that a price below its equilibrium value may have negative excess demand and thus temporarily move even lower in a tâtonnement) may be a sign of trouble but also have nothing to do with capital theory paradoxes. We show that these phenomena arise even when there is no choice of technique and there is an aggregate production function.
Illuminations and distortions: Gregory King's Scheme calculated for the year 1688 and the social structure of later Stuart England1
Authors: ARKELL TOM 
Published: November 2005

SUMMARYThis critique of King's well‐known Scheme of the social order in 1688 examines his purposes, the Scheme's evolutionary process, and the taxation data (hearth, poll, window, and marriage duty) that King used to construct it, before contrasting his conclusions with recent research. His social hierarchy emerges as a rather crude and backward‐looking stereotype based on too many intelligent guesses, with his treatment of the poorer families being least satisfactory. Overall, King's population totals appear sound, his national income estimate low, and various mean household sizes and family and children's totals unreliable.
A survey of users and non‐users of a UK teaching hospital library and information service
Authors: Turtle Kathleen M. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractBackground:  The Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was formed in 2002 with the merger of two existing trusts. The library services unified to create a new expanded service with 11 staff.Objectives:  The librarians wanted to test out users’ opinions of the service, as a basis for a developmental strategy. They also wanted to find out to what extent they were offering a multi‐disciplinary service, available to all staff. Therefore it was decided to include both users and non‐users in the survey.Methods:  A twenty‐question questionnaire was sent out to a 10% sample of registered users in all staff categories. The same questionnaire was sent out to a 10% sample of non‐users, with the help of the Human Resources Department.Results:  The library staff and facilities were generally well regarded. The stock needed expansion in various areas, especially allied health and biomedical science. Non‐users were in fact often occasional or remote users. Other non‐users needed informing that they were entitled to use the service.Conclusions:  Further research is required, especially concerning the information needs of allied health and scientific staff. There is a need for stock expansion. A marketing strategy is required to capture the interest of potential users.
Learning resource needs of UK NHS support staff
Authors: Devaney Anne , Outhwaite Helen 
Published: November 2005

AbstractBackground:  A report on the findings of research into the learning resource needs of support staff conducted at York Hospital.Methods:  A qualitative method of focus groups was used to explore the views and experiences of support staff. This provided a rich source of data and allowed an often overlooked group to give their own experiences of learning and libraries. This was supplemented by one‐to‐one interviews using more in‐depth questions. A literacy and numeracy test gave a general picture of essential skill levels within the sample group.Results:  An improvement in communication to support staff needs to take place to ensure that all support staff know about the library, how and where to access training and obtain a network computer password. The project confirmed the need to expand library resources for support staff. It was found that there were no obvious essential skills resources within the Trust and a lack of awareness of essential skill issues.Conclusion:  The learning needs of support staff need to be addressed sensitively. Many have had unfavourable experiences. Lack of access to computers and information technology (IT) training contributed to the group favouring written communication. More work needs to be done on essential skills for all staff.
Health information in Italian public health websites: moving from inaccessibility to accessibility
Authors: Mancini Cristina , Zedda Monica , Barbaro Annarita 
Published: November 2005

AbstractAims:  In January 2004, the Italian government passed new legislation designed to give people with disabilities access to online services. Starting from the new legislation requirements, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether Italian Local Health Authorities websites are accessible to users with different abilities.Methods:  One hundred and seventy websites were analysed evaluating their compliance to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Priority 1 guidelines via a combination of appropriate accessibility testing methods. This review was carried out twice: the first time it took place between the end of 2003 and May–June 2004. The same survey was repeated again in December 2004, after the issuing of the draft of the Implementation Regulations for The Stanca Law in July 2004. In this second survey, all the websites analysed before were checked again to establish if some measures to make those sites accessible were taken.Results:  Seventy‐six per cent of the analysed websites fail to satisfy the most basic W3C requirements, but Italian Local Health Authorities websites are likely to present significant improvements to access for some disabled user groups: the number of accessible websites increased consistently between the first and the second review.Conclusions:  It seems that awareness of web accessibility issues is increasing among developers of health information websites because of law enforcement. Recommendations for future research and development are offered.
Access to learning resources for students on placement in the UK: what are the issues and how can we resolve them?
Authors: Marriott Richard 
Published: November 2005

AbstractAim:  To compile a list of the issues regarding access to learning resources which affect students on placement in the UK and suggest some ways in which these can be resolved.Results:  Issues relating to PC access, network access, software, firewalls, disciplinary procedures, electronic information resources, virtual learning environments, service level agreements, physical access to libraries, book loans, reading lists and course committees are identified and discussed in relation to NHS libraries.Conclusions:  Successful resolution of the IT and library issues, which are increasingly inter‐linked, can help to ensure that students have a positive placement experience. Resolution will depend on close, regular liaison and can be assisted by negotiation of a clear Service Level Agreement.
Availability of accessible publications: designing a methodology to provide reliable estimates for the Right to Read Alliance
Authors: Lockyer Suzanne , Creaser Claire , Davies J. Eric 
Published: November 2005

AbstractObjectives:  To establish reliable estimates of the proportion of books available in formats accessible to visually impaired people; to recommend a practical method of updating the estimates.Methods:  The project had two stages. Stage one estimated the overall availability of all categories of books. The British National Bibliography (BNB) for 1999–2003 was chosen as the sampling frame. A sample of 2069 titles over the 5 years was selected using a systematic sample design. These titles were then checked for availability against the catalogues of four major producer/suppliers of materials in accessible formats. The second stage involved checking the availability of books in six genres; about 400 titles for each genre were examined.Results:  Of the titles selected for the overall estimate, 92 (4.4%) were found to be available in one or more accessible formats. Availability of titles in accessible formats varied greatly between categories. Adult fiction had the highest number of available publications (26.3%), least represented were cookery (1.9%) and gardening (1.8%).Conclusions:  This study provided baseline figures and a methodology for the Right to Read Alliance to monitor their progress in campaigning for more books to be accessible to visually impaired people.
Rational function model‐based image matching for digital elevation models
Authors: Sohn Hong‐Gyoo , Park Choung‐Hwan , Chang Hoon 
Published: November 2005

AbstractThis paper presents an image matching technique for IKONOS satellite imagery based on rational function models (RFMs). This algorithm adopts the object‐space approach and reduces the search space to within the confined line‐shaped area called the piecewise matching line (PML). Also, the detailed procedure of generating 3D surface information using the RFM coefficients (RFCs) is introduced to illustrate an end‐user's point of view. The final digital elevation model (DEM) generated using the proposed scheme shows a mean error of 2·2 m and rmse of 3·8 m compared with that from a 1:5000 scale digital map.
The Economic Effects of Federal Participation in Terrorism Risk
Authors: Hubbard R. Glenn , Deal Bruce , Hess Peter 
Published: November 2005

AbstractThe catastrophic terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 caused unprecedented insured losses. While the insurance industry covered these losses, it also took swift steps to limit its exposure to such risks in the future. In response to ensuing market dislocations, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) was passed in 2002. The law temporarily requires primary insurers to offer terrorism coverage and creates a federal “backstop” to limit losses on such coverage. In anticipation of the program's scheduled expiration, and to inform debate on its possible extension, this article analyzes market developments in the wake of 9/11 and the passage of TRIA. We find that to date, TRIA has facilitated private sector participation in the market for terrorism insurance by lending structure to an otherwise ill‐defined risk. While alternative terrorism risk bearing mechanisms are evolving, none appear ready to replace federal involvement presently. We conclude that a continuation of TRIA for a period of time would enhance U.S. economic performance in the near term. Failing to extend TRIA in the near term would result in decreased economic performance absent another major terrorist attack and greater instability, job loss, and bankruptcy in the event of another attack.
Regulating Genetic Information in Insurance Markets
Authors: Hoy Michael , Ruse Michael 
Published: November 2005

AbstractThe debate on whether insurance companies should be allowed to use results of genetic tests for underwriting purposes is both lively and increasingly relevant as both technology and lawmaking efforts are progressing rapidly. In this article we outline the primary economic and non‐economic arguments made in favor of and against allowing insurers to risk‐rate premiums on the basis of genetic test results. While economic analysis has much to offer in enlightening this debate and informing policy makers, we argue that such work must be cast within the overall perspective of the genetic testing debate. Moreover, despite substantial strides by economists in understanding the role of information in the way insurance markets operate, much work still needs to be done in order for economic analysis to be confidently applied to the looming social issues of the continuing genetic revolution.
The Evolution of the Role of Risk Communication in Effective Risk Management
Authors: Nielson Norma L. , Kleffner Anne E. , Lee Ryan B. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractRisk management has evolved significantly over the past decades causing dramatic changes in the communication channels required to effectively handle the ever‐changing risks a firm faces. The first generation of risk management dealt primarily with risks inside a company creating a need for internal risk communication. The second generation, which arose with the growth in third‐party liability claims, involved many more stakeholders external to the company and forced the risk management function to deal with communications to these external parties. The third generation, which began as an expansion of the external risks that firms are exposed to, involves the board and senior management in the risk communication function.
Haplotyping of the canine MHC without the need for DLA typing
Authors: McLure C. A. , Kesners P. W. , Lester S. , Male D. , Amadou C. , Dawkins J. R. , Stewart B. J. , Williamson J. F. , Dawkins R. L. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryThe genomic matching technique has proven useful in MHC haplotyping in humans. We have adopted a similar approach in Australian cattle dogs and report that genotyping can be achieved with a single assay.
Variability in TRBV haplotype frequency and composition in Caucasian, African American, Western African and Chinese populations
Authors: Brzezinski J. L. , Deka R. , Menon A. G. , Glass D. N. , Choi E. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryThe polymorphic T‐cell receptor Vβ (TRBV) genes encode much of the variable region of the T‐cell receptor β chain. Analysis of allele frequencies of three closely linked polymorphic TRBV genes, TRBV7‐3, TRBV9 and TRBV6‐4, was undertaken in several populations. The frequencies of these alleles are not significantly different in populations of Caucasians, African Americans and Western Africans. However, Chinese population is extremely homogenous at all three loci. The current study identifies the existence of haplotypic relationships between alleles of these genes in the Caucasian population. The ORF allele TRBV7‐3*A3 is found exclusively on chromosomes bearing TRBV9*A2 and TRBV6‐4*A2 in this cohort. In contrast, TRBV7‐3*A1 and the null allele TRBV7‐3*A2 are associated only with TRBV9*A1 and TRBV6‐4*A1. This pattern of linkage disequilibrium (LD) is altered in the African American and Western African populations. In these cohorts, there is a marked reduction in LD between alleles of TRBV7‐3 and TRBV9. This study is consistent with previous population genetic studies wherein African‐derived samples have a greater level of genetic diversity compared to Caucasians. These data also demonstrate that patterns of LD are not consistent across the entire TRBV locus.
Central Obesity, the Metabolic Syndrome, and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor‐1 in Young Adults
Authors: Appel Susan J. , Harrell Joanne S. , Davenport Marsha L. 
Published: November 2005

PurposeTo determine the association of central obesity with the components of the metabolic syndrome (i.e., hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low levels of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL‐C]) and plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) in young adults. We hypothesized that central obesity as determined by waist circumference would be predictive of components of the metabolic syndrome and of PAI‐1.Data sourcesParticipants in this descriptive study consisted of 85 healthy young adults aged 19–22 years, 62% women who fasted for 12 h prior to data collection in the General Clinical Research Center at a major university hospital medical center in the southeastern United States.ConclusionsThe majority of the participants had one or more components of the metabolic syndrome (n= 43, 51%). Central obesity was present in 14.1% and was more common in women than men (χ2= 5.11; p= 0.021). Central obesity was significantly and positively correlated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and levels of insulin and PAI‐1 while being negatively correlated with HDL‐C. In multiple regression analyses, diastolic BP, insulin, and HDL‐C were predictors of waist circumference (R2= 0.615). In a separate multiple regression, PAI‐1 was predicted by waist circumference (R2= 0.331).Implications for practiceMany otherwise healthy young adults have one or more components of the metabolic syndrome. Assessment and institution of preventative measures for obesity and the components of the metabolic syndrome should begin in childhood. Furthermore, determination of waist circumference especially in young women may aid the practitioner to identify those at risk for the metabolic syndrome earlier in their disease trajectory. Furthermore, insulin resistance is believed to occur initially in the trajectory of the metabolic syndrome, making it a principal contender for suitable interventions to reduce risk for both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance was used to assess for insulin resistance among the euglycemic participants. Recording the presence of insulin resistance will aid the practitioner in determining if a low‐risk patient is in peril for development of type 2 diabetes and/or CVD. Early cardiovascular risk recognition is vital to clinical practice as it allows more time for the practitioner to counsel patients for the essential planning needed to make lifestyle changes.
The Paradox of Obesity in Patients with Heart Failure
Authors: Hall Jill A. , French Thomas K. , Rasmusson Kismet D. , Vesty Jill C. , Roberts Colleen A. , Rimmasch Holly L. , Kfoury A. G. , Renlund Dale G. 
Published: November 2005

PurposeHeart failure (HF) patients often have comorbid conditions that confound management and adversely affect prognosis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the obesity paradox is also present in hospitalized HF patients in an integrated healthcare system.Data sourcesA cohort of 2707 patients with a primary diagnosis of HF was identified within an integrated, 20‐hospital healthcare system. Patients were identified by ICD‐9 codes or a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% dating back to 1995. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the first measured height and weight when hospitalized with HF. Survival rates were calculated using Kaplan Meier estimation. Hazard ratios for 3‐year mortality with 95% confidence intervals were assessed using Cox regression, controlling for age, gender, and severity of illness at time of diagnosis.ConclusionsThree‐year survival rates paradoxically improved for patients with increasing BMI. Survival rates for the larger three BMI quartiles were significantly better than for the lowest quartile after adjusting for severity of illness, age, and gender.Implications for practiceWhile obesity increases the risk of developing HF approximately twofold, reports involving stable outpatients suggest that obesity is associated with improved survival after the development of HF. This finding is paradoxical because obesity increases the risk and worsens the prognosis of other cardiovascular diseases.
BRCA1 Genetic Mutation and Its Link to Ovarian Cancer: Implications for Advanced Practice Nurses
Authors: Brunsvold Amy N. , Wung Shu‐Fen , Merkle Carrie J. 
Published: November 2005

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review (a) the linkage between the BRCA1 gene and ovarian cancer and (b) BRCA1 testing and its related issues. This review is aimed for nurse practitioners (NPs), who may be in positions to identify those at risk for BRCA1‐associated ovarian cancer and to assist patients with related issues.Data sourcesData sources include reviews and original research from scholarly journals and Internet sites.ConclusionsOvarian cancer is a deadly disease. Identification of those at risk because of BRCA1 mutation is possible through genetic testing. Testing for BRCA1 gene mutations has many implications whether results are positive or negative. Those with positive results will be faced with decisions regarding the best management strategies. Negative results do not completely eliminate ovarian cancer risk. Current management options for carriers of the BRCA1 mutation include taking no action, increasing surveillance for ovarian cancer, and chemoprevention with oral contraceptives or prophylactic oophorectomy for those who have completed childbearing. It is essential that NPs have knowledge underlying the issues and concerns of patients and their families at risk for BRCA1‐associated ovarian cancer.Implications for practiceNPs are in a unique position to help identify BRCA1 mutation carriers and to assist them and their families with the complex issues involving genetic testing and management options. Understanding these issues will allow NPs to give appropriate care that may include making appropriate referrals to certified genetic counselors and having balanced discussions on treatment options. Such measurements may improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and increase survival from this disease.
Vibrio cholerae
ToxT Independently Activates the Divergently Transcribed
aldA
and
tagA
Genes
Authors: Withey Jeffrey H. , DiRita Victor J. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACT

The
Vibrio cholerae
ToxT regulon includes the genes encoding cholera toxin (CT) and the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP), which are the major virulence factors required for causing cholera disease and colonizing the upper small intestine of the host, respectively. The genes encoding CT,
ctxAB
, and the genes encoding the components of the TCP,
tcpA
to
tcpJ
, are organized within operons, upstream of which are DNA binding sites for the transcriptional activator ToxT. ToxT is a member of the large AraC/XylS family of transcriptional regulators and also activates transcription of five other genes whose roles in
V. cholerae
pathogenesis, if any, are poorly understood.
acfA
and
acfD
are divergently transcribed genes required for efficient colonization of the intestine. Transcriptional activation of
acfA
and
acfD
requires a pair of central ToxT binding sites in an inverted-repeat configuration for ToxT-directed transcription of both genes.
tcpI
has an unknown role in pathogenesis.
aldA
and
tagA
are divergently transcribed genes that also have unknown roles in pathogenesis. In this study, we map the
aldA
and
tagA
promoters and identify the ToxT binding sites upstream of each gene. Our results suggest that two ToxT binding sites in an inverted-repeat configuration are required for ToxT-directed transcription of
tagA
and that a single ToxT binding site is required for ToxT-directed transcription of
aldA
. Furthermore, to direct transcription of
tagA
and
aldA
, ToxT uses independent binding regions upstream of each gene, in contrast to what we previously found for the divergently transcribed
acfA
and
acfD
genes, which share ToxT binding sites between the two genes.