bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Recursive Thick Frontier Approach to Estimating Production Efficiency*
Authors: Wagenvoort Rien J. L. M. , Schure Paul H. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractWe introduce a new panel data estimation technique for production and cost functions, the recursive thick frontier approach (RTFA). RTFA has two advantages over existing econometric frontier methods. First, technical inefficiency is allowed to be dependent on the explanatory variables of the frontier model. Secondly, RTFA does not hinge on distributional assumptions on the inefficiency component of the error term. We show by means of simulation experiments that RTFA outperforms the popular stochastic frontier approach and the ‘within’ ordinary least squares estimator for realistic parameterizations of a productivity model. Although RTFAs formal statistical properties are unknown, we argue, based on these simulation experiments, that RTFA is a useful complement to existing methods.
An Analysis of the Value Added by Secondary Schools in England: Is the Value Added Indicator of Any Value?*
Authors: Taylor Jim , Nguyen Anh Ngoc 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThis paper argues that the value added score published for all publicly funded secondary schools in England is an unreliable indicator of school performance. A substantial proportion of the between‐school variation in the value added score is accounted for by factors outside the school's control. These factors include several pupil‐related variables such as the proportion of pupils on free school meals, the authorized absence rate of pupils and the proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. The value added score is also related to several school characteristics such as the school's admission policy and its subject specialism. The main policy recommendation of this paper is that the value added score should not be used as a performance indicator, but should be used to gain a better understanding of why the value added score varies between schools.
Further Analysis of the Returns to Academic and Vocational Qualifications*
Authors: Mcintosh Steven 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThis paper uses data from the Labour Force Survey over the period 1996–2002 to investigate the returns to a detailed list of academic and vocational qualifications. In particular, the analysis focuses on how these returns have varied over the time period considered, how the returns vary over an individual's lifetime using a pseudo cohort analysis, and how the returns vary according to the highest level of qualification obtained at school.
A Note on Some Properties of STUR Processes*
Authors: Yoon Gawon 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThis note presents some properties of the stochastic unit‐root processes developed in Granger and Swanson [Journal of Econometrics (1997) Vol. 80, pp. 35–62] and Leybourne, McCabe and Tremayne [Journal of Business & Economic Statistics (1996) Vol. 14, pp. 435–446] that have not been or only implicitly discussed in the literature.
HIV/AIDS interventions in low prevalence countries: a case study of Albania
Authors: Roura Maria 
Published: March 2006

The present article analyses the current situation of HIV trends in a low‐prevalence transition country (Albania) and proposes six complementary areas of intervention aiming at keeping prevalence low in the country.Through the analysis of a specific case study, it will be argued that in low‐prevalence/high stigma areas characterized by rapid social changes, interventions should not be limited to especially vulnerable groups such as those who are victims of trafficking or who practise anal sex.In a context of dramatic social and cultural change, it cannot be assumed that traditional behavioural codes will prevail, particularly among the youngest generations. The lack of accurate information and the low level of condom use, as well as the difficulties in reaching the most vulnerable individuals, point to the need to launch culturally sensitive media interventions which should be accompanied by more targeted Information‐Education‐Communication (IEC) activities aiming at reaching specific groups. Targeting specific sites – such as the main city centres, the roads and towns near the borders, the student neighbourhoods, hotels, motels, clubs, armed forces settings, airports and ports – might be more effective than trying to reach specific groups who might be inaccessible as a consequence of the stigma and illegality associated with certain kinds of behaviour.
Habitat use and preference by polecats (Mustela putorius L.) in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape
Authors: Rondinini C. , Ercoli V. , Boitani L. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractAn investigation is reported on the use of and preference for riparian vegetation, road verges, ponds and farms by polecats Mustela putorius L. living in a fragmented cultivated area. Eighteen polecats of both sexes were marked with radio‐collars and monitored for 2–18 months each. Individuals were monitored with single nightly radio‐locations, and during 12‐ and 24‐h continuous sessions. Sex and seasonal variations in the density of key habitat features within home ranges were analysed. In order to measure the seasonal strength of attraction to key habitat features, the average distance to these features of observed trajectories, and of corresponding Monte‐Carlo simulations, was compared. Polecats positively selected riparian vegetation within their home range throughout the year. Female home ranges contained more farms and ponds than those of adult males in the breeding season. Males expanded their home ranges in the breeding season, and the strength of attraction to riparian vegetation and ponds increased accordingly. The remnants of riparian vegetation apparently acted as a key habitat feature providing food and cover. Furthermore, these linear and interconnected landscape elements can facilitate the long‐range movements involved in the search for mates.
Dietary breadth and overlap among five sympatric prairie carnivores
Authors: Azevedo F. C. C. , Lester V. , Gorsuch W. , Larivière S. , Wirsing A. J. , Murray D. L. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractEcological communities are shaped, in part, by the manner in which similar species consume and partition food resources. To better understand the structure of a mammalian carnivore community from a prairie habitat in central North America, we determined the dietary breadth and overlap of sympatric American badgers Taxidea taxus, coyotes Canis latrans, red foxes Vulpes vulpes, raccoons Procyon lotor and striped skunks Mephitis mephitis, via stomach content analysis of 411 carcasses salvaged as part of a predator control program in southern Saskatchewan, Canada (2000–2001). Carnivores consumed a total of 25 separate food items; for all species except raccoons, the majority of stomachs contained mammals, whereas other foods such as amphibians, bird remains and insects were also recovered. Raccoon stomachs tended to contain wheat seed, eggshells and birds. Dietary breadth varied among the five carnivore species, being narrowest for raccoons and widest for skunks. Overall, dietary overlap tended to be highest for species pairings associated with the highest level of presumed niche similarity, which included raccoon–skunk and coyote–fox dyads. Yet, levels of dietary overlap exhibited notable interannual variability for most species pairings. The assessment of a larger assemblage of carnivores within a North American prairie community shows that marked interspecific and temporal variation in dietary breadth and overlap may characterize a guild of sympatric species occupying similar habitat.
Safety and tolerability of duloxetine in women with stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Oelke M , Roovers J‐PWR , Michel MC 
Published: March 2006

Background  The serotonin/noradrenaline uptake inhibitor duloxetine has been shown to be effective in the medical treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women.Aim  To review the safety and tolerability of duloxetine with SUI.Methods  A systematic Medline search for the key word ‘duloxetine’ was performed, and abstracts from recent international gynaecological and urological meetings were also considered.Results  Various unpleasant adverse effects exist, among which nausea is the most frequent, but is mild to moderate and transient in most cases. Dose escalation upon initiation of treatment improves the tolerability of duloxetine. The use of duloxetine appears safe as it lacks the cardiovascular adverse effects of older amine reuptake inhibitors.Conclusions  Duloxetine has an acceptable safety profile. Dose escalation combined with patient counselling on the intensity and transient nature of adverse effects may help to further improve the benefit/tolerability ratio of duloxetine in the treatment of SUI.
Amyloid precursor protein cross‐linking stimulates beta amyloid production and pro‐inflammatory cytokine release in monocytic lineage cells
Authors: Sondag C. M. , Combs C. K. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractBeta amyloid peptide‐containing neuritic plaques are a defining feature of Alzheimer's disease pathology. Beta amyloid are 38–43 residue peptides derived by proteolytic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein. Although much attention has focused on the proteolytic events leading to beta amyloid generation, the function of amyloid precursor protein remains poorly described. Previously, we reported that amyloid precursor protein functions as a pro‐inflammatory receptor on monocytic lineage cells and defined a role for amyloid precursor protein in adhesion by demonstrating that β1 integrin‐mediated pro‐inflammatory activation of monocytes is amyloid precursor protein dependent. We demonstrated that antibody‐induced cross‐linking of amyloid precursor protein in human THP‐1 monocytes and primary mouse microglia stimulates a tyrosine kinase‐based pro‐inflammatory signaling response leading to acquisition of a reactive phenotype. Here, we have identified pro‐inflammatory mediators released upon amyloid precursor protein‐dependent activation of monocytes and microglia. We show that amyloid precursor protein cross‐linking stimulated tyrosine kinase‐dependent increases in pro‐inflammatory cytokine release and a tyrosine kinase‐independent increase in beta amyloid 1–42 generation. These data provide much needed insight into the function of amyloid precursor protein and provide potential therapeutic targets to limit inflammatory changes associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Nitrogen cycling in organic farming systems with rotational grass–clover and arable crops
Authors: Berntsen J. , Grant R. , Olesen J. E. , Kristensen I. S. , Vinther F. P. , Mølgaard J. P. , Petersen B. M. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractOrganic farming is considered an effective means of reducing nitrogen losses compared with more intensive conventional farming systems. However, under certain conditions, organic farming may also be susceptible to large nitrogen (N) losses. This is especially the case for organic dairy farms on sandy soils that use grazed grass–clover in rotation with cereals. A study was conducted on two commercial organic farms on sand and loamy sand soils in Denmark. On each farm, a 3‐year‐old grass–clover field was selected. Half of the field was ploughed the first year and the other half was ploughed the following year. Spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was sown after ploughing in spring. Measurements showed moderate N leaching during the pasture period (9–64 kg N ha−1 year−1) but large amounts of leaching in the first (63–216 kg N ha−1) and second (61–235 kg N ha−1) year after ploughing. There was a small yield response to manure application on the sandy soil in both the first and second year after ploughing. To investigate the underlying processes affecting the residual effects of pasture and N leaching, the dynamic whole farm model farm assessment tool (FASSET) was used to simulate the treatments on both farms. The simulations agreed with the observed barley N‐uptake. However, for the sandy soil, the simulation of nitrate leaching and mineral nitrogen in the soil deviated considerably from the measurements. Three scenarios with changes in model parameters were constructed to investigate this discrepancy. These scenarios suggested that the organic matter turnover model should include an intermediate pool with a half‐life of about 2–3 years. There might also be a need to include effects of soil disturbance (tillage) on the soil organic matter turnover.
Two‐machine flowshop scheduling with conditional deteriorating second operations
Authors: Lin B. M. T. , Cheng T. C. E. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThis paper considers a flowshop‐scheduling problem with a waiting time constraint imposed to restrict the processing of the two operations of each job. If the second operation of a job cannot start within a specified waiting time after the completion of its first operation, then an extra processing time will be incurred for its second operation as a penalty. We first show that even a greatly restricted version of the problem is strongly 𝒩𝒫‐hard. We then develop an O(n2) algorithm to determine the makespan of a processing sequence of the jobs.
Discounting decision for enterprises with high fixed cost and low variable cost
Authors: Hsu Ping Hui , Wee Hui Ming 
Published: March 2006

AbstractHigher sales are the key to increased profit, especially for low variable cost industries. The use of quantity discount to promote business is an important way to increase sales. This study evaluates the use of discount, prepaid, multiple‐purchase credit to increase sales. The purpose is to develop a strategy to maximize the unit revenue by simultaneously determining the discount rate and utility. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis are given to illustrate the theory.
A variable neighborhood descent algorithm for a real waste collection problem with mobile depots
Authors: Del Pia Alberto , Filippi Carlo 
Published: March 2006

AbstractWe consider a waste collection problem encountered in Due Carrare, a town located in Northern Italy. The original feature of the problem consists in the need for arranging appointments between vehicles along their routes so that small vehicles can dump their contents in the large ones and continue their work. This feature identifies the problem as a generalization of the well‐known Capacitated Arc Routing Problem (CARP). We propose a local search heuristic obtained from a variable neighborhood procedure suggested by Hertz and Mittaz (2001) for the CARP. In the Due Carrare instance, the proposed algorithm decreases the total route duration, apart from the required time for any feasible set of routes, of about 30% with respect to the routes so far adopted.
Unified discount pricing models of a two‐echelon channel with a monopolistic manufacturer and heterogeneous retailers
Authors: Yang Shan‐Lin , Zhou Yong‐Wu 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThis paper considers a two‐echelon channel in which a monopolistic manufacturer supplies a single product to multiple heterogeneous retailers who are in separate markets. The present paper studies the problem of how the manufacturer in a manufacturer‐Stackelberg game designs a unified quantity‐discount pricing scheme to improve the whole channel's profit as well as each partner's profit. Considered in the paper are two types of unified quantity‐discount pricing schemes: the regular quantity‐discount pricing scheme and the incremental volume discount pricing scheme. Each of the two types of schemes includes a single price‐break discount policy and a non‐linear quantity discount policy. Optimal solutions are derived and numerical examples presented to illustrate the efficiency of each discount policy.
Underuse of Medications for Chronic Diseases in the Oldest of Community‐Dwelling Older Frail Japanese
Authors: Kuzuya Masafumi , Masuda Yuichiro , Hirakawa Yoshihisa , Iwata Mitsunaga , Enoki Hiromi , Hasegawa Jun , Cheng Xian Wu , Iguchi Akihisa 
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVES: To test the following hypotheses: (1) the rate of polypharmacy, defined as six or more prescribing medications, is lower in the oldest old (≥85) than in younger older people (65–84); (2) beneficial medication use is lower in the oldest old; (3) the underuse of these medications in the oldest old is associated with physical or cognitive impairment or comorbid conditions.DESIGN: A cross‐sectional study of the baseline data from the Nagoya Longitudinal Study for Frail Elderly.SETTING: Community‐based.PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eight hundred seventy‐five community‐dwelling older people (632 men, 1,243 women).MEASUREMENTS: The data, which were collected at the patients' homes or from care‐managing center records, included the clients' demographic characteristics, depression status as assessed using the short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale, a rating for basic activities of daily living (ADLs), prescribed medications, and physician‐diagnosed chronic diseases.RESULTS: The oldest old had less polypharmacy even after controlling for ADLs and comorbid conditions. The underuse of beneficial medications for the oldest old was observed after adjusting for ADLs, cognitive impairment, comorbid conditions, antithrombotic agents for subjects with a history of cardiovascular diseases, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for those with dementia, and antidepressants for those with depression. However, being aged 85 and older was not associated with the underuse of hypoglycemic and antihypertensive agents by those with diabetes mellitus and hypertension, respectively.CONCLUSION: Among community‐dwelling frail older people, the rate of polypharmacy is lower in the oldest members than in the younger ones. The underuse of prescribed medications for chronic diseases/conditions of frail older people is common but not for all conditions.
Older Adult Report of Change in Depressive Symptoms as a Treatment Decision Tool
Authors: Datto Catherine J. , Thompson Richard , Knott Kathryn , Katz Ira R. 
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate patient reports of changes in depressive symptoms as information that can be used in treatment decision‐making.DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study.SETTING: The Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial and the Primary Care Research in Substance Abuse and Mental Health for the Elderly trial, multisite studies investigating the effect of depression interventions on outcomes in primary care.PARTICIPANTS: Fifty‐six patients aged 60 and older.MEASUREMENTS: Patient demographics were collected from patient reports. Symptoms of depression were measured using the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM‐D). Changes in depressive symptoms were also measured using the Clinical Global Impressions of Change (CGI‐C) as rated by patients in ongoing treatment.RESULTS: Patient ratings of CGI‐C were significantly correlated with percentage improvement on the HAM‐D as rated by the depression care manager (correlation coefficient (r)=0.44, P<.001) and percentage improvement on the CES‐D (r=0.38, P=.005). The patient report of at least “much improved” predicted at least 50% treatment response based on HAM‐D scale scores, with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 74.2%.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that patients are able to accurately report their degree of improvement in depressive symptoms. Patient report of at least “much improved” can be used as an estimate of at least 50% depression treatment response. In an era of increasingly fragmented clinical care, these findings demonstrate that older adult primary care patients can accurately self‐report overall change in depressive symptoms. When results of repeated depression instruments are not available, patient report of depression treatment response can be used to inform depression treatment decision‐making.
Being Old and Doing Time: Functional Impairment and Adverse Experiences of Geriatric Female Prisoners
Authors: Williams Brie A. , Lindquist Karla , Sudore Rebecca L. , Strupp Heidi M. , Willmott Donna J. , Walter Louise C. 
Published: March 2006

The number of older prisoners is increasing exponentially. For example, the number of geriatric female prisoners in California has increased 350% in the past decade. Despite an increasing population of geriatric female prisoners, the degree of functional impairment in this population is unknown. Therefore, the goals of this study were to describe the prevalence and nature of functional impairment in geriatric female prisoners in California and to identify aspects of the prison environment that may exacerbate functional impairments.Questionnaires were analyzed from 120 geriatric women in California state prisons. Functional impairment was defined as impairment in activities of daily living (ADLs) or in prison ADLs (PADLs), including dropping to the floor for alarms, standing for count, getting to meals, hearing orders, and climbing onto the top bunk. The mean age of participants was 62; 16% were dependent in one ADL, and 69% reported one PADL impairment. Increasing severity of functional impairment was associated with worse health status and more adverse prison experiences. For example, fall rates ranged from 33% in women without impairment to 57% with PADL impairment to 63% with ADL dependence (P=.02). Several prison environmental stressors were identified that likely exacerbate functional impairment. For example, 29% of geriatric women were assigned to a top bunk.Geriatric female prisoners report high rates of functional impairment. ADL and PADL impairment were associated with worse health status and adverse prison experiences. Therefore, the evaluation of functional impairment in geriatric female prisoners needs to consider the unique demands of the prison environment.
Anemia and Recovery from Disability in Activities of Daily Living in Hospitalized Older Persons
Authors: Maraldi Cinzia , Volpato Stefano , Cesari Matteo , Cavalieri Margherita , Onder Graziano , Mangani Irene , Woodman Richard C. , Fellin Renato , Pahor Marco 
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the predictive value of hemoglobin levels upon hospital admission on recovery from activity of daily living (ADL) disability during hospital stay in older patients.DESIGN: Longitudinal observational study.SETTING: Geriatric and internal medicine acute care units.PARTICIPANTS: Data are from 5,675 patients aged 65 and older enrolled in the Italian Group of Pharmacoepidemiology in the Elderly Study with ADL disability upon hospital admission.MEASUREMENTS: ADL disability was defined as inability to perform or need for assistance in performing one or more ADLs. Recovery from ADL disability was defined as independence in ADLs upon hospital discharge. Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization criteria. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were considered as potential confounders.RESULTS: Mean age was 80.5 years; 57.7% of subjects were female. Prevalence of anemia was 46.8%. A total of 536 (9.4%) participants regained independence in all six ADLs at hospital discharge. Patients with anemia had a lower rate of recovery from ADL disability than those with normal hemoglobin levels (7.0% vs 11.6%; P<.001). Adjusted analyses confirmed that anemia was inversely associated with the likelihood of ADL recovery (odds ratio=0.71, 95% confidence interval=0.57–0.88). The probability of ADL recovery in anemic patients was higher at higher hemoglobin concentrations.CONCLUSION: In older hospitalized patients, anemia is inversely associated with the likelihood of regaining ADL independence during a hospital stay.