bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estrogen and urinary incontinence
Authors: Hirai Kozo , Tsuda Hiroshi 
Published: October 2008

AbstractsHormone therapy (HT) has been one of the most commonly used methods to treat postmenopausal disorders including lower urinary tract symptoms such as urinary incontinence (UI). Although it has been suggested that HT improves urinary tract symptoms, little evidence has so far been presented to support this. Recently however, large randomized clinical trials have shown the adverse effects of estrogen on UI and indicate that HT should not be used for prevention or relief of UI in postmenopausal women. Here we review the effects of HT on UI in the light of these clinical trials.
Differential dependency on motion coherence in subregions of the human MT+ complex
Authors: Becker Hubertus G. T. , Erb Michael , Haarmeier Thomas 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe detection of coherent motion embedded in noise has been widely used as a measure of global visual motion processing. Animal studies have demonstrated that this performance is closely linked to the responses of direction‐sensitive neurons in the macaque middle temporal (MT) and medial superior temporal (MST) areas. Despite the strong similarities between the visual cortex of human and that of non‐human primates, the human middle temporal complex (area MT+), located in the posterior part of the inferior temporal sulcus and presumably comprising both area MT and area MST, has not consistently been found to share the functional hallmark of MT and MST neurons, i.e. their preference for coherent rather than incoherent visual motion. In order to search for such preferences in human area MT+, blood oxygen level‐dependent responses to random dot kinematograms presented in the right visual hemifield were studied here as a function of stimulus size and dot density. The stimulus extensions were varied in such a way as to cover an area either equaling, exceeding or falling below the mean receptive field size of macaque area MT. Unlike the posterior part of human area MT+, the anterior part and its right‐hemisphere homolog showed significantly stronger responses to coherent than to incoherent motion. These differences were only present for large stimuli that presumably exceeded the receptive field size of neurons in area MT. Our results suggest that functional magnetic resonance imaging may reveal stronger responses to coherent visual motion in human area MST, provided that the stimulus allows for sufficient summation within the receptive fields. In contrast, functional magnetic resonance imaging may fail to reveal the same dependency for human area MT.
Depression‐like behaviour in neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)‐deficient mice and its reversal by an NCAM‐derived peptide, FGL
Authors: Aonurm‐Helm Anu , Jurgenson Monika , Zharkovsky Tamara , Sonn Katrin , Berezin Vladimir , Bock Elisabeth , Zharkovsky Alexander 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) plays a pivotal role in brain plasticity. Brain plasticity itself has a crucial role in the development of depression. The aim of this study was to analyze whether NCAM‐deficient (NCAM−/−) mice exhibit depression‐like behaviour and whether a peptide termed FGL, derived from the NCAM binding site for the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor, is able to reverse the depression‐like signs in NCAM−/− mice. Our study showed that NCAM−/− mice demonstrated increased freezing time in the tail‐suspension test and reduced preference for sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test, reduced adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and reduced levels of the phosphorylated cAMP response element‐binding protein (pCREB) in the hippocampus. FGL administered acutely or repeatedly reduced depression‐like behaviour in NCAM−/− mice without having an effect on their wild‐type littermates. Repeated administration of FGL enhanced survival of the newly born neurons in NCAM−/− mice and increased the levels of pCREB in both NCAM+/+ and NCAM−/− mice. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that NCAM deficiency in mice results in a depression‐like phenotype which can be reversed by the acute or repeated administration of FGL. The results also suggest a role of the deficit in NCAM signalling through the FGF receptor in depression.
Model of very fast (> 75 Hz) network oscillations generated by electrical coupling between the proximal axons of cerebellar Purkinje cells
Authors: Traub Roger D. , Middleton Steven J. , Knöpfel Thomas , Whittington Miles A. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractVery fast oscillations (VFO; > 75 Hz) occur transiently in vivo, in the cerebellum of mice genetically modified to model Angelman syndrome, and in a mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome. We recently reported VFO in slices of mouse cerebellar cortex (Crus I and II of ansiform and paramedian lobules), either in association with gamma oscillations (∼40 Hz, evoked by nicotine) or in isolation [evoked by nicotine in combination with γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor blockade]. The experimental data suggest a role for electrical coupling between Purkinje cells (blockade of VFO by drugs reducing gap junction conductance and spikelets in some Purkinje cells); and the data suggest the specific involvement of Purkinje cell axons (because of field oscillation maxima in the granular layer). We show here that a detailed network model (1000 multicompartment Purkinje cells) replicates the experimental data when gap junctions are located on the proximal axons of Purkinje cells, provided sufficient spontaneous firing is present. Unlike other VFO models, most somatic spikelets do not correspond to axonal spikes in the parent axon, but reflect spikes in electrically coupled axons. The model predicts gating of VFO frequency by gNa inactivation, and experiments prolonging this inactivation time constant, with β‐pompilidotoxin, are consistent with this prediction. The model also predicts that cerebellar VFO can be explained as an electrically coupled system of axons that are not intrinsic oscillators: the electrically uncoupled cells do not individually oscillate (in the model) and axonal firing rates are much lower in the uncoupled state than in the coupled state.
National Culture and the Composition and Leadership Structure of Boards of Directors
Authors: Li Jiatao , Harrison J. Richard 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTManuscript Type:EmpiricalResearch Question/Issue:How and to what extent does national culture influence the composition and leadership structure of the boards of directors of multinational firms?Research Findings/Insights:Societal norms about corporate structure are treated as components of national culture. Hofstede's measures of national culture were shown to predict the board composition and leadership structure of firms based in that culture. The hypotheses were tested with data on 399 multinational manufacturing firms based in 15 industrial countries. The results suggest that national culture can have strong effects on corporate governance and should be considered in any transnational study.Theoretical/Academic Implications:The predictive accuracy of the culture variables provides strong support for the argument that norms embedded in a society's culture affect organizational structure, at least at the board level. The results of the study contribute to our understanding of institutional theory in explaining observed variations in corporate board composition and leadership structure across countries. By linking board composition to the cultural environment, institutional theory provides an explicit framework for analyzing variations in board structure across national boundaries.Practitioner/Policy Implications:When considering board composition and leadership structure, it is important to consider national culture norms. The findings of the study also have important implications for multinational firms setting up boards for their subsidiaries in different countries.
THE ‘NEW INTERPRETATION’: QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND UNANSWERED
Authors: Rieu Dong‐Min 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTDuménil, Foley and Lévy (DFL)'s note gives a formal presentation of the ‘New Interpretation’ that explicitly considers the issue of heterogeneous labour. It clarified some issues raised in my previous paper. Unfortunately, however, DFL offer only a mathematical formalism while leaving the most important question unanswered.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND WEIGHTED MONOTONICITY OF POWER
Authors: Alonso‐Meijide José María , Holler Manfred J. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTThe paper discusses the substitution of mergeability by the weighted monotonicity property in the definition of the Public Good Index. The cardinality of sets, implicit to the measurement of power, can thus be related to comparing sets and relations of counting and set inclusion. This allows for the application of results from the measurement of power to the specification of freedom of choice and thereby to connect the ‘world of agents’ with the ‘world of opportunities’. The relationship between weighted monotonicity and constrained monotonicity is specified.
HAS THE OKISHIO THEOREM BEEN REFUTED?
Authors: Rieu Dong‐Min 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper evaluates the alleged refutation of the Okishio theorem by the Temporal Single‐System Interpretation (TSSI) of Marxian value theory. The TSSI's refutation of the Okishio theorem requires not only changes in the definition of the rate of profit but also an arbitrary assumption about the time paths of labour productivity and prices. An ad hoc assumption about price changes used to disprove the Okishio theorem is meaningless because the aim of Marx's economics was to explain capitalist exploitation and accumulation without resorting to exogenously given changes on the market.
The Effect of Venture Capital Financing on the Sensitivity to Cash Flow of Firm's Investments
Authors: Bertoni Fabio , Colombo Massimo G. , Croce Annalisa 
Published: October 2008

Abstract This work studies the effect of venture capital (VC) financing on firms' investments in a longitudinal sample of 379 Italian unlisted new‐technology‐based firms (NTBFs) observed over the 10‐year period from 1994 to 2003. We distinguish the effects of VC financing according to the type of investor: independent VC (IVC) funds and corporate VC (CVC) investors. Previous studies argue that NTBFs are the firms most likely to be financially constrained. The technology‐intensive nature of their activity and their lack of a track record increase adverse selection and moral hazard problems. Moreover, most of their assets are firm‐specific or intangible and hence cannot be pledged as collateral. In accordance with this view, we show that the investment rate of NTBFs is strongly positively correlated with their current cash flows. We also find that after receiving VC financing, NTBFs increase their investment rate independently of the type of VC investor. However, the investments of CVC‐backed firms remain sensitive to shocks in cash flows, whereas IVC‐backed firms exhibit a low and statistically not significant investment–cash flow sensitivity that we interpret as a signal of the removal of financial constraints.
Pre‐ and postnatal influences on preschool mental health: a large‐scale cohort study
Authors: Robinson Monique , Oddy Wendy H. , Li Jianghong , Kendall Garth E. , De Klerk Nicholas H. , Silburn Sven R. , Zubrick Stephen R. , Newnham John P. , Stanley Fiona J. , Mattes Eugen 
Published: October 2008

Background:  Methodological challenges such as confounding have made the study of the early determinants of mental health morbidity problematic. This study aims to address these challenges in investigating antenatal, perinatal and postnatal risk factors for the development of mental health problems in pre‐school children in a cohort of Western Australian children.Methods:  The Raine Study is a prospective cohort study of 2,868 live born children involving 2,979 pregnant women recruited at 18 weeks gestation. Children were followed up at age two and five years. The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to measure child mental health with clinical cut‐points, including internalising (withdrawn/depressed) and externalising (aggressive/destructive) behaviours (n = 1707).Results:  Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that the significant risk factors for behaviour problems at age two were the maternal experience of multiple stress events in pregnancy (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.37), smoking during pregnancy (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.59) and maternal ethnicity (OR = 3.34, 95% CI = 1.61, 6.96). At age five the experience of multiple stress events (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.27), cigarette smoking (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.03, 1.37), male gender (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.02, 2.00), breastfeeding for a shorter time (OR = .97, 95% CI = .94, .99) and multiple baby blues symptoms (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.14) were significant predictors of mental health problems.Conclusions:  Early childhood mental health is significantly affected by prenatal events in addition to the child’s later environment. Interventions targeting adverse prenatal, perinatal and postnatal influences can be expected to improve mental health outcomes for children in the early years.
The effects of pre‐ and postnatal depression in fathers: a natural experiment comparing the effects of exposure to depression on offspring
Authors: Ramchandani Paul G. , O’Connor Thomas G. , Evans Jonathan , Heron Jon , Murray Lynne , Stein Alan 
Published: October 2008

Background: Depression in fathers in the postnatal period is associated with an increased risk of behavioural problems in their offspring, particularly for boys. The aim of this study was to examine for differential effects of depression in fathers on children’s subsequent psychological functioning via a natural experiment comparing prenatal and postnatal exposure.Methods: In a longitudinal population cohort study (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)) we examined the associations between depression in fathers measured in the prenatal and postnatal period (measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), and later behavioural/emotional and psychiatric problems in their children, assessed at ages 3½ and 7 years.Results: Children whose fathers were depressed in both the prenatal and postnatal periods had the highest risks of subsequent psychopathology, measured by total problems at age 3½ years (Odds Ratio 3.55; 95% confidence interval 2.07, 6.08) and psychiatric diagnosis at age 7 years (OR 2.54; 1.19, 5.41). Few differences emerged when prenatal and postnatal depression exposure were directly compared, but when compared to fathers who were not depressed, boys whose fathers had postnatal depression only had higher rates of conduct problems aged 3½ years (OR 2.14; 1.22, 3.72) whereas sons of the prenatal group did not (OR 1.41; .75, 2.65). These associations changed little when controlling for maternal depression and other potential confounding factors.Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the increased risk of later conduct problems, seen particularly in the sons of depressed fathers, maybe partly mediated through environmental means. In addition, children whose fathers are more chronically depressed appear to be at a higher risk of emotional and behavioural problems. Efforts to identify the precise mechanisms by which transmission of risk may occur should be encouraged to enable the development of focused interventions to mitigate risks for young children.
Antepartum bleeding of unknown origin in the second half of pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes
Authors: McCormack RA , Doherty DA , Magann EF , Hutchinson M , Newnham JP 
Published: October 2008

Objective  The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate factor(s) associated with unexplained antepartum bleeding of unknown origin (ABUO) after 24 weeks of pregnancy and correlate unexplained haemorrhage with maternal and perinatal outcomes.Design  This is a retrospective observational study.Setting  King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH), Subiaco, Western Australia.Population  Singleton pregnancies delivering at KEMH between January 1998 and December 2004.Methods  ABUO was defined as bleeding after 20 weeks of gestation but before the onset of labour with no cause detected on vaginal examination or abdominal ultrasound. Outcomes of these pregnancies were collated and compared with those of pregnancies without ABUO.Main outcome measures  Antepartum complications assessed included pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm birth. Intrapartum evaluations included labour inductions, mode of delivery and gestational age at delivery. Neonatal outcomes evaluated included birthweight, Apgar scores, newborn intensive care unit (NICU) admission, neonatal complications and risk of perinatal/neonatal death.Results  Between January 1998 and December 2004, there were 26 583 deliveries without ABUO and 1431 with ABUO. Multivariable analyses of the ABUO effects revealed that ABUO was a simultaneously significant risk factor for term labour inductions (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.72–2.32, P < 0.001), preterm delivery (OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 3.84–4.84, P < 0.001), NICU admission (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.01–1.51, P = 0.042), hyperbilirubinaemia (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.01–1.63, P = 0.041) and reduced birthweight (26 g, 95% CI: 3–50, P = 0.026).Conclusion  Women with ABUO are at greater risk of preterm delivery, term labour induction and their neonates are at greater risk for NICU admissions, hyperbilirubinaemia and a reduced birthweight.
Influence of previous pregnancy outcomes and continued smoking on subsequent pregnancy outcomes: an exploratory study in Australia
Authors: Mohsin M , Jalaludin B 
Published: October 2008

Objective  To examine the influence of continued smoking and previous pregnancy outcomes on subsequent pregnancy outcomes.Design  Retrospective descriptive epidemiological study.Setting  New South Wales, Australia, 1994–2004.Population  Mothers who delivered two consecutive singleton births.Methods  Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to explore the influence of continued smoking on subsequent pregnancy outcomes.Main outcome measures  Subsequent preterm birth (PTB), low birthweight (LBW) and perinatal deaths.Results  The findings showed that in addition to maternal and neonatal characteristics, birth outcomes in subsequent pregnancies were affected by poor birth outcomes in previous pregnancy. Previous PTB, short birth interval, antenatal care, gestational diabetes and smoking habits in two successive pregnancies had relatively strong association with a subsequent PTB and LBW. Mothers who continued to smoke in subsequent pregnancies were more likely to have adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with others. A change from smoking in first pregnancy to not smoking in next pregnancy had reduced the chance of a subsequent PTB and LBW. The risk of a subsequent preterm and LBW delivery increased with the amount of smoking during the second pregnancy. For mothers who remain as moderate smokers in subsequent pregnancies, the odds ratios for a PTB and LBW delivery were significantly lower than those who remain as heavy smokers.Conclusions  Effective interventions to help women to stop smoking during pregnancy could reduce the risk of adverse obstetric and pregnancy outcomes. Strategies to reduce the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy may include intense intervention for women who have had smoking‐related adverse outcomes in a previous pregnancy.
Comparison of sublingual versus vaginal misoprostol for the induction of labour: a systematic review
Authors: Souza ASR , Amorim MMR , Feitosa FEL 
Published: October 2008

Background  The induction of full‐term labour in women with a live fetus remains a major challenge in modern obstetrics.Objectives  To determine, using the best level of evidence available, the efficacy and safety of sublingual administration of misoprostol compared with vaginal misoprostol in the third trimester of pregnancy for the induction of labour, according to initial doses, in women with a live, full‐term fetus and an unripe cervix.Search strategy  Pubmed/Medline, Lilacs and Scielo databases were consulted, as well as clinical trials registered in the Cochrane Register from January 1996 to February 2008, using the keywords ‘misoprostol’, ‘labour, obstetric’, ‘delivery, obstetric’, ‘induced labour’ and ‘parturition’ with the search limits of ‘clinical trials’ and ‘randomised clinical trials’.Selection criteria  This review contains randomised clinical trials in which the sublingual and vaginal routes of administration of misoprostol were compared. Participants were pregnant women with an indication for induction of labour and a live fetus more than 37 weeks of gestational age.Data collection and analysis  The primary analysis compared sublingual and vaginal routes of administration of misoprostol. Secondary analyses compared different routes and initial doses of misoprostol. Statistical analysis included odds ratios and their respective 95% CI. To evaluate the heterogeneity of the studies, the I‐squared test was used, studies being considered heterogeneous when I2 was greater than 50%.Main results  Five good quality clinical trials involving a total of 740 women were eligible, and all were included. No statistically significant difference was found between the sublingual and the vaginal misoprostol groups with respect to the rate of vaginal delivery not achieved within 24 hours (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.87–1.84), uterine hyperstimulation syndrome (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.61–2.33) or caesarean section (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.96–1.85). An increased risk of uterine tachysystole was found in the sublingual misoprostol group (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.02–2.83). When the studies were grouped according to the initial dose of misoprostol, no significant difference was found between sublingual or vaginal groups.Author’s conclusions  The sublingual route of administration is as effective as the vaginal route in inducing labour in full‐term pregnancies with live fetuses. However, the safety, adverse effects, optimal dose and perinatal outcome related to this route of administration remain to be established, and it cannot be recommended for routine use in obstetric practice.