bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Securitising China real estate: a tale of two China‐centric REITs
Authors: Quek Michael C.H. , Eng Ong Seow 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThere is currently no real estate investment trust (REIT) listed in China. As of date, only two REITs – GZI REIT of Hong Kong and CapitaRetail China Trust (CRCT) of Singapore – have securitised Chinese property assets. The purpose of this paper is to examine the driving forces and the obstacles surrounding China REITs, and evaluate REIT securitisation as an exit strategy for Chinese properties.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyses the performance of the two cross‐border REITs and investigates whether REITs holding Chinese assets outperform other listed REITs.Research limitations/implicationsCRCT outperforms GZI REIT as well as some of the other Singapore REITs, while GZI REIT ranked second lowest in terms of price performance when compared to other Hong Kong REITs. The limited history of CRCT suggests that when a well‐structured REIT holding Chinese assets can perform very well. We also infer that performance is closely linked to portfolio composition and diversification, growth story and originator reputation.Originality/valueThe study shows that there is indeed a strong local demand for China REITs, and that REITs can provide an alternative source of real estate financing for Chinese developers and promote a better regulated Chinese real estate market.
Some reflections on IPv6 adoption in Australia
Authors: Dell Peter , Kwong Christopher , Liu Ying 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to put forward a case for increased research into the likely economic impact in Australia of early or late diffusion of IPv6, and to argue that Government intervention may be necessary.Design/methodology/approachThe paper characterises the approach to IPv6 in Australia to date as generally laissez‐faire, and compares this with diffusion and promotion efforts in countries in which IPv6 has become more widely adopted.FindingsThe paper finds that IPv6 diffusion is inevitable in the long term, but early diffusion is unlikely in the absence of government action. The likely economic impact on Australia of early versus late IPv6 diffusion is unknown, yet it is potentially of national interest.Originality/valueThis study identifies the need for research into the economic impact of IPv6 diffusion in Australia and is relevant to individuals and organisations involved in telecommunications and policy and research funding.
Operating cost analyses of long‐term care facilities
Authors: Madritsch Thomas , Steixner David , Ostermann Herwig , Staudinger Roland 
Published: May 2008

PurposeAfter salary and wages, facility and real estate expenditure are the largest cost items in the semi‐public sector. Especially, for long‐term care facilities, there is high‐saving potential from more efficient and effective use of property. The main purpose of this paper is an exploratory research study in order to analyse the operating costs of long‐term care facilities.Design/methodology/approachThe survey is based on empirical data questionnaires, data generation and semi‐structured interviews at 18 long‐term care facilities in Tyrol, Austria carried out during Summer 2007. In order to determine the volume and to prioritize the cost drivers computer‐aided real‐estate benchmarking software was used, which was developed by the Institute of Real Estate Benchmarking at the University of Applied Sciences KufsteinTirol, Austria. Statistic analyses were conducted to investigate saving potential, determine the best case of the sample and submit recommendations to the decision makers.FindingsThe main findings are the investigation and visualization of saving potential of long‐term care facilities and identification of the volume and structure of the cost drivers and illuminated current best practices in effective building upkeep and operating costs of long‐term care facilities in Tyrol. Furthermore, the study reveals the immense saving potential in the costs of various services.Research limitations/implicationsThis survey is based on the operating costs of long‐term care facilities. Other running costs such as costs for healthcare personnel as well as quality indicators are not considered in this survey. Further research activities will be necessary regarding the identification of these cost drivers by the application of regression models.Practical implicationsProfessional property management of long‐term care facilities will be shown to decrease the cost share in the healthcare sector. The results should help to establish cost benchmarking increasingly and develop it as a strategic planning tool in order to support management in the healthcare sector in the decision‐making process.Originality/valueThe paper presents a new measuring method, which allows an holistic view of three influencing factors, namely the amount of beds, occupancy and the space consumption, to investigate weak points in cost efficiency on one chart.
Improving safety for patients with allergies: an intervention for improving allergy documentation
Authors: Ismail Ziver F. , Ismail Tevfik F. , Wilson Alan J. 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to audit the use of three strategies for protecting hospital inpatients with allergies: red allergy wristbands for patients with allergies; white identification wristbands for all patients; and completion of an “allergy box” on drug charts. The paper also aims to assess the impact of making pharmacists responsible for ensuring allergy box completion.Design/methodology/approachThe setting was The Whittington Hospital, London, a district general hospital. Two cross‐sectional studies were conducted 11 months apart, before and after pharmacists were made responsible for ensuring allergy box completion. The studies involved 186 (pre‐intervention) and 250 (post‐intervention) unselected adult patients.FindingsThe proportion of blank allergy boxes decreased significantly from 24.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent (p<0.001) when pharmacists were made responsible for ensuring allergy box completion. The most common reason for blank allergy boxes in both studies was that doctors sought and documented allergies in the notes but then forgot to complete the allergy box. Although the proportion of patients lacking allergy wristbands was less in the second study compared with the first (30.4 v. 44.8 per cent, respectively), the difference was not significant (p=0.206). Similarly, the second study showed a non‐significant decrease in the proportion of patients lacking identification wristbands from 12.9 per cent to 10.8 per cent (p=0.499).Practical implicationsA formal checking system is required for allergy and identification wristbands to improve use of these basic, inexpensive measures for preventing drug errors.Originality/valueThe paper shows that making pharmacists responsible for ensuring allergy status documentation on drug charts significantly increased use of this safety measure.
Costs of environmental degradation
Authors: Ahmed Hussein Muawya 
Published: May 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide estimates of damage cost for several areas of the environment. In particular: to estimate the cost of degradation as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) at the national level; to enhance local capacity in environmental economics, in particular in the valuation of environmental degradation; and to provide an input to inter‐sectoral environmental priority setting.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the above objectives a framework was developed to estimate the cost of environmental degradation in seven countries in the region, for six categories. Estimates reflect order of magnitude and therefore represent an indication of actual damage costs. A range of estimates was provided to reflect the uncertainty of the results. Damage costs are presented in annual values (in local currencies, in US$ dollars) and as a per cent of GDP. Expressing costs as a share of GDP provides a sense of magnitude and will allow cross‐country comparison.FindingsThe damage cost of environmental degradation in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in 2000 is estimated at US$ 9 billion per year, or 2.1‐7.4 per cent of GDP, with a mean estimate of 5.7 per cent of GDP. In addition, the damage cost to the global environment is estimated at 0.5‐1.6 of GDP, with a mean estimate of 0.9 per cent of GDP.Research limitations/implicationsOwing to data constraints, no cost estimates are provided for some impact such as: degradation associated with industrial, hazardous and hospital waste, biodiversity loss, and impact of inadequately treated wastewater, thus calculations often represent lower bound estimates.Originality/valueThis paper is a contribution in a process towards the use of environmental damage cost assessments for priority setting and as an instrument for integrating environmental consideration into economic and social development.
Mutation analysis of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase: Does the structurally conserved glutamine amidotransferase triad act as a functional dyad?
Authors: Hart Emily J. , Powers‐Lee Susan G. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractEvolutionarily conserved triad glutamine amidotransferase (GAT) domains catalyze the cleavage of glutamine to yield ammonia and sequester the ammonia in a tunnel until delivery to a variety of acceptor substrates in synthetase domains of variable structure. Whereas a conserved hydrolytic triad (Cys/His/Glu) is observed in the solved GAT structures, the specificity pocket for glutamine is not apparent, presumably because its formation is dependent on the conformational change that couples acceptor availability to a greatly increased rate of glutamine cleavage. In Escherichia coli carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (eCPS), one of the best characterized triad GAT members, the Cys269 and His353 triad residues are essential for glutamine hydrolysis, whereas Glu355 is not critical for eCPS activity. To further define the glutamine‐binding pocket and possibly identify an alternative member of the catalytic triad that is situated for this role in the coupled conformation, we have analyzed mutations at Gln310, Asn311, Asp334, and Gln351, four conserved, but not yet analyzed residues that might potentially function as the third triad member. Alanine substitution of Gln351, Asn311, and Gln310 yielded respective Km increases of 145, 27, and 15, suggesting that Gln351 plays a key role in glutamine binding in the coupled conformation, and that Asn311 and Gln310 make less significant contributions. None of the mutant k cat values varied significantly from those for wild‐type eCPS. Combined with previously reported data on other conserved eCPS residues, these results strongly suggest that Cys269 and His353 function as a catalytic dyad in the GAT site of eCPS.
Diagnostic value of pyrosequencing for the BRAFV600E mutation in ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration biopsy samples of thyroid incidentalomas
Authors: Jo Young Suk , Huang Songmei , Kim Yun‐Jeung , Lee Ihn‐Suk , Kim Song‐Soo , Kim Je‐Ryong , Oh Taejeong , Moon Youngho , An Sungwhan , Ro Heung‐kyu , Kim Jin‐Man , Shong Minho 
Published: May 2008

SummaryContext  Dideoxy sequencing is the most commonly used method for detecting the BRAFV600E mutation in thyroid cancer and melanoma. However, this gold standard method often makes less definite results in detecting the BRAFV600E mutation when there are relatively low amounts of the mutant template in biopsy specimens, which are invariably contaminated with normal tissues. Pyrosequencing, which measures the incorporation of each of the four nucleotides at each template position and indicates the amounts of mutant template present, may be more useful in such situations.Objective  To investigate the diagnostic efficiency of pyrosequencing for the mutant BRAF allele in ultrasound (US)‐guided fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) of thyroid incidentalomas.Design, setting and subjects  A total of 101 thyroid incidentaloma cases were included prospectively. Cytological diagnoses of the FNAB samples were made according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines, 2006. The presence of the BRAFV600E mutation was investigated by pyrosequencing and dideoxy sequencing.Results  On the basis of cytological analysis, the thyroid incidentalomas were classified into benign (n = 43), malignant (n = 30), indeterminate or suspicious neoplasm (n = 24), and nondiagnostic (n = 4) categories. Pyrosequencing detected the BRAFV600E mutation in 30 cases: 22 malignant cases, 7 indeterminate cases, and 1 nondiagnostic case. Dideoxy sequencing also detected the BRAFV600E mutation in 28 of the same cases but failed to clearly distinguish the mutant allele from the wild‐type allele in one indeterminate case and one nondiagnostic case. Histopathological analysis ascertained that all BRAFV600E‐positive cases were papillary thyroid carcinomas.Conclusions  Pyrosequencing may be suitable for detecting the BRAFV600E mutation in thyroid incidentaloma and may be superior to dideoxy sequencing when low amounts of the mutant template are present in the biopsy.
Food resources of shredders and other benthic macroinvertebrates in relation to shading conditions in tropical Hong Kong streams
Authors: LI AGGIE O.Y. , DUDGEON DAVID 
Published: May 2008

Summary1. Gut content analyses (GCA) of benthic macroinvertebrates, supplemented by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses (SIA), were used to determine the relative contribution of leaf litter and autochthonous food sources to consumer biomass in five shaded and five unshaded streams in tropical Hong Kong.2. Only four obligate shredders and two facultative shredders were identified out of 58 morphospecies dissected. Non‐shredder taxa consumed little (<23% food eaten) coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) in spite of its abundance in streams, and GCA revealed that fine particulate organic matter was the major food (25–99%) of most primary consumers.3. Stable isotope analysis results were in general agreement with the findings of GCA, and confirmed that three of the four obligate shredders had a high dependence (55–78% of assimilated carbon) on CPOM.4. Autochthonous energy sources were important in all streams: non‐shredding primary consumers examined, which accounted for 72% of total macroinvertebrate abundance in shaded streams, derived (on average) 61% of their biomass from autochthonous foods; the equivalent values for unshaded streams were 72% (abundance) and 71% (biomass).
Modeled interactive effects of precipitation, temperature, and [CO2] on ecosystem carbon and water dynamics in different climatic zones
Authors: LUO YIQI , GERTEN DIETER , LE MAIRE GUERRIC , PARTON WILLIAM J. , WENG ENSHENG , ZHOU XUHUI , KEOUGH CINDY , BEIER CLAUS , CIAIS PHILIPPE , CRAMER WOLFGANG , DUKES JEFFREY S. , EMMETT BRIDGET , HANSON PAUL J. , KNAPP ALAN , LINDER SUNE , NEPSTAD DAN , RUSTAD LINDSEY 
Published: May 2008

AbstractInteractive effects of multiple global change factors on ecosystem processes are complex. It is relatively expensive to explore those interactions in manipulative experiments. We conducted a modeling analysis to identify potentially important interactions and to stimulate hypothesis formulation for experimental research. Four models were used to quantify interactive effects of climate warming (T), altered precipitation amounts [doubled (DP) and halved (HP)] and seasonality (SP, moving precipitation in July and August to January and February to create summer drought), and elevated [CO2] (C) on net primary production (NPP), heterotrophic respiration (Rh), net ecosystem production (NEP), transpiration, and runoff. We examined those responses in seven ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, and heathlands in different climate zones. The modeling analysis showed that none of the three‐way interactions among T, C, and altered precipitation was substantial for either carbon or water processes, nor consistent among the seven ecosystems. However, two‐way interactive effects on NPP, Rh, and NEP were generally positive (i.e. amplification of one factor's effect by the other factor) between T and C or between T and DP. A negative interaction (i.e. depression of one factor's effect by the other factor) occurred for simulated NPP between T and HP. The interactive effects on runoff were positive between T and HP. Four pairs of two‐way interactive effects on plant transpiration were positive and two pairs negative. In addition, wet sites generally had smaller relative changes in NPP, Rh, runoff, and transpiration but larger absolute changes in NEP than dry sites in response to the treatments. The modeling results suggest new hypotheses to be tested in multifactor global change experiments. Likewise, more experimental evidence is needed for the further improvement of ecosystem models in order to adequately simulate complex interactive processes.
Changes in dissolved organic material determine exposure of stream benthic communities to UV‐B radiation and heavy metals: implications for climate change
Authors: CLEMENTS WILLIAM H. , BROOKS MARJORIE L. , KASHIAN DONNA R. , ZUELLIG ROBERT E. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractChanges in regional climate in the Rocky Mountains over the next 100 years are expected to have significant effects on biogeochemical cycles and hydrological processes. In particular, decreased discharge and lower stream depth during summer when ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is the highest combined with greater photo‐oxidation of dissolved organic materials (DOM) will significantly increase exposure of benthic communities to UVR. Communities in many Rocky Mountain streams are simultaneously exposed to elevated metals from abandoned mines, the toxicity and bioavailability of which are also determined by DOM. We integrated field surveys of 19 streams (21 sites) along a gradient of metal contamination with microcosm and field experiments conducted in Colorado, USA, and New Zealand to investigate the influence of DOM on bioavailability of heavy metals and exposure of benthic communities to UVR. Spatial and seasonal variation in DOM were closely related to stream discharge and significantly influenced heavy metal uptake in benthic organisms. Qualitative and quantitative changes in DOM resulting from exposure to sunlight increased UV‐B (290–320 nm) penetration and toxicity of heavy metals. Results of microcosm experiments showed that benthic communities from a metal‐polluted stream were tolerant of metals, but were more sensitive to UV‐B than communities from a reference stream. We speculate that the greater sensitivity of these communities to UV‐B resulted from costs associated with metal tolerance. Exclusion of UVR from 12 separate Colorado streams and from outdoor stream microcosms in New Zealand increased the abundance of benthic organisms (mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies) by 18% and 54%, respectively. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering changes in regional climate and UV‐B exposure when assessing the effects of local anthropogenic stressors.
Uncertainties in the relationship between atmospheric nitrogen deposition and forest carbon sequestration
Authors: SUTTON MARK A. , SIMPSON DAVID , LEVY PETER E. , SMITH ROGNVALD I. , REIS STEFAN , Van OIJEN MARCEL , De VRIES WIM 
Published: May 2008

AbstractIn a recent study, Magnani et al. report how atmospheric nitrogen deposition drives stand‐lifetime net ecosystem productivity (NEPav) for midlatitude forests, with an extremely high C to N response (725 kg C kg−1 wet‐deposited N for their European sites). We present here a re‐analysis of these data, which suggests a much smaller C : N response for total N inputs. Accounting for dry, as well as wet N deposition reduces the C : N response to 177 : 1. However, if covariance with intersite climatological differences is accounted for, the actual C : N response in this dataset may be <70 : 1. We then use a model analysis of 22 European forest stands to simulate the findings of Magnani et al. Multisite regression of simulated NEPav vs. total N deposition reproduces a high C : N response (149 : 1). However, once the effects of intersite climatological differences are accounted for, the value is again found to be much smaller, pointing to a real C : N response of about 50–75 : 1.
Inhalation of Stachybotrys chartarum causes pulmonary arterial hypertension in mice
Authors: Ochiai Eri , Kamei Katsuhiko , Watanabe Akira , Nagayoshi Masaru , Tada Yuji , Nagaoka Tetsutaro , Sato Koichi , Sato Ayaka , Shibuya Kazutoshi 
Published: May 2008

SummaryInhalation of Stachybotrys chartarum, a ubiquitous fungus in our living environment, has been suspected as a cause of acute idiopathic pulmonary haemorrhage in infants, but its relation to human diseases is not yet known. The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of repeated intratracheal injection of the fungus into mice, paying special attention to the pulmonary vascular system. Spores of S. chartarum were injected into the trachea of mice from 6 to 18 times over 4–12 weeks, and the lungs were examined by histopathology, morphometrics and haemodynamics. When 1 × 104 spores/mouse were injected, histopathological examination showed the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Symmetrical thickening of the intima and media of the pulmonary arterial walls was seen after six injections over 4 weeks. Right ventricular hypertrophy was also evident after 12 injections. PAH was confirmed by the elevation of right ventricular systolic pressure (20.1 ± 5.7 mmHg in the injected group vs. 12.0 ± 2.4 mmHg in the control group, P < 0.01). This study showed that the inhalation of S. chartarum caused PAH in mice, suggesting a potential of S. chartarum as a cause of human health problem such as PAH.
A survey of tobacco‐related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of primary care providers in Mississippi
Authors: Applegate Bradford W. , Sheffer Christine E. , Crews Karen M. , Payne Thomas J. , Smith Patrick O. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractRationale  Relative to other regions in the USA, Mississippi has a high prevalence of tobacco use and tobacco‐related disease. This study assessed the tobacco‐related knowledge, attitudes and intervention behaviours of family doctors, dentists and nurse practitioners in the state of Mississippi.Methods  The Provider Attitude Survey, an 85‐item measure of tobacco‐related knowledge, attitudes and intervention behaviours was mailed to all members of Mississippi's Family Medicine, Dentistry and Nurse Practitioner professional organizations (N = 2043).Results  Over one‐third (n = 802, 39.2%) of eligible providers responded. Just 24.3% had received training in tobacco cessation and 33.7% were aware of the Public Health Service clinical practice guideline. Over 90% indicated that it was their role to prevent tobacco use; felt rewarded when they helped patients quit; and were bothered and upset by the health effects of tobacco. Doctors assisted more patients than nurses or dentists. Doctors and nurses reported more self‐efficacy, motivation and preparedness for treating tobacco use than dentists. Providers with training performed more interventions and reported more self‐efficacy, preparedness and fewer barriers than those without training. Training was associated with greater increases in self‐efficacy, preparedness and intervention behaviours for dentists than for the other groups.Conclusions  Despite a high prevalence of tobacco use and tobacco‐related disease in Mississippi, primary care providers in Mississippi provide tobacco cessation interventions at an unacceptably low frequency relative to other regions. Training is likely to increase the frequency of intervention behaviours.