bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A review of the job satisfaction and current practice of consultant diabetologists in England—barriers and successes
Authors: MacLeod K. , Carter M. , Asprey A. , Britten N. , Dean J. , Hillson R. , Mackie A. , Morrish N. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAims  The project aimed to describe the perceptions of consultant diabetologists about their work, explore models of care, identify problem areas, consider potential solutions, and outline strategic issues for retention and recruitment.Methods  The study was based on semistructured qualitative interviews with 92 consultant diabetologists, recruited via a purposive sample. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and anonymized, and analysed by the project team, assisted by QSR Nvivo software.Results  The consultant diabetologist role encompasses a diversity of skills/expertise, with differing emphases between individuals. Integration with general medicine is seen by some as crucial to maintaining proficiency in diabetes, and by others as hindering fulfilment of other roles. Successful team working across organizational boundaries is recognized as essential to effective services, but often impeded by the continuous reorganization and competitive culture of the National Health Service. Significant differences between consultant diabetologist perspectives of primary care colleagues and of primary care trusts emerged. Some consultants have adopted innovative working approaches, adapting national guidance to local environments, but there is general resistance to adopting centrally imposed solutions. Training programmes are not sufficiently explicit about the core skills/attributes required of consultant diabetologists.Conclusions  The skills of specialist teams are not fully exploited. Competing calls on time could be addressed by encouraging multifaceted consultant teams, allowing individuals to concentrate in specific areas. Clear definition of core skills required by consultant diabetologists underpins training programme development. Collaboration in cross‐boundary services reflecting local needs is impeded by competition between sectors. Protected time is necessary for cultivating multidisciplinary teams, cross‐boundary partnerships and effective, relevant education programmes. Specialist training must reflect the changing role of consultant diabetologists, and include role‐specific programmes.
Interspecific differences in population trends of Spanish birds are related to habitat and climatic preferences
Authors: Seoane Javier , Carrascal Luis M. 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTAim  Animal monitoring programmes have allowed analyses of population trends, most of which now comment on the possible effect of global climate change. However, the relationship between the interspecific variation in population trends and species traits, such as habitat preferences, niche breadth or distribution patterns, has received little attention, in spite of its usefulness in the construction of ecological generalizations. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine whether there are characteristics shared among species with upwards or downwards trends, and (2) to assess whether population changes agree with what could be expected under global warming (a decrease in species typical of cooler environments).Location  The Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula (c. 500,000 km2) in the south‐western part of the Mediterranean Basin.Methods  We modelled recent breeding population changes (1996–2004), in areas without apparent land use changes, for 57 common passerine birds with species‐specific ecological and distributional patterns as explanatory variables.Results  One‐half of these species have shown a generalized pattern towards the increase of their populations, while only one‐tenth showed a significant decrease. One half (54%) of the interspecific variability in yearly population trends is explained considering species‐specific traits. Species showing more marked increases preferred wooded habitats, were habitat generalists and occupied warmer and wetter areas, while moderate decreases were found for open country habitats in drier areas.Main conclusions  The coherent pattern in population trends we found disagrees with the proposed detrimental effect of global warming on bird populations of western Europe, which is expected to be more intense in bird species inhabiting cooler areas and habitats. Such a pattern suggests that factors other than the increase in temperature may be brought to discussions on global change as relevant components to explain recent changes in biodiversity.
Designs for Two-Colour Microarray Experiments
Authors: Bailey R. A. 
Published: August 2007

SummaryDesigns for two-colour microarray experiments can be viewed as block designs with two treatments per block. Explicit formulae for the A- and D-criteria are given for the case that the number of blocks is equal to the number of treatments. These show that the A- and D-optimality criteria conflict badly if there are 10 or more treatments. A similar analysis shows that designs with one or two extra blocks perform very much better, but again there is a conflict between the two optimality criteria for moderately large numbers of treatments. It is shown that this problem can be avoided by slightly increasing the number of blocks. The two colours that are used in each block effectively turn the block design into a row–column design. There is no need to use a design in which every treatment has each colour equally often: rather, an efficient row–column design should be used. For odd replication, it is recommended that the row–column design should be based on a bipartite graph, and it is proved that the optimal such design corresponds to an optimal block design for half the number of treatments. Efficient row–column designs are given for replications 3–6. It is shown how to adapt them for experiments in which some treatments have replication only 2.
Bayesian Analysis of Human Movement Curves
Authors: Alshabani A. K. S. , Dryden I. L. , Litton C. D. , Richardson J. 
Published: August 2007

SummaryWe consider the Bayesian analysis of human movement data, where the subjects perform various reaching tasks. A set of markers is placed on each subject and a system of cameras records the three-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinates of the markers during the reaching movement. It is of interest to describe the mean and variability of the curves that are traced by the markers during one reaching movement, and to identify any differences due to covariates. We propose a methodology based on a hierarchical Bayesian model for the curves. An important part of the method is to obtain identifiable features of the movement so that different curves can be compared after temporal warping. We consider four landmarks and a set of equally spaced pseudolandmarks are located in between. We demonstrate that the algorithm works well in locating the landmarks, and shape analysis techniques are used to describe the posterior distribution of the mean curve. A feature of this type of data is that some parts of the movement data may be missing—the Bayesian methodology is easily adapted to cope with this situation.
Statistical Inference for Olfactometer Data
Authors: Ricard I. , Davison A. C. 
Published: August 2007

SummaryOlfactometer experiments are used to determine the effect of odours on the behaviour of organisms such as insects or nematodes, and typically result in data comprising many groups of small overdispersed counts. We develop a non-homogeneous Markov chain model for data from olfactometer experiments with parasitoid wasps and discuss a relation with the Dirichlet–multinomial distribution. We consider the asymptotic relative efficiencies of three different observation schemes and give an analysis of data intended to shed light on the effect of previous experience of odours in the wasps.
Reflection and Disagreement
Authors: Elga Adam 
Published: August 2007

AbstractHow should you take into account the opinions of an advisor? When you completely defer to the advisor's judgment (the manner in which she responds to her evidence), then you should treat the advisor as a guru. Roughly, that means you should believe what you expect she would believe, if supplied with your extra evidence. When the advisor is your own future self, the resulting principle amounts to a version of the Reflection Principle—a version amended to handle cases of information loss.When you count an advisor as an epistemic peer, you should give her conclusions the same weight as your own. Denying that view—call it the “equal weight view”—leads to absurdity: the absurdity that you could reasonably come to believe yourself to be an epistemic superior to an advisor simply by noting cases of disagreement with her, and taking it that she made most of the mistakes. Accepting the view seems to lead to another absurdity: that one should suspend judgment about everything that one's smart and well‐informed friends disagree on, which means suspending judgment about almost everything interesting. But despite appearances, the equal weight view does not have this absurd consequence. Furthermore, the view can be generalized to handle cases involving not just epistemic peers, but also epistemic superiors and inferiors.
Contact dermatitis: epidemiology and frequent sensitizers to cosmetics
Authors: Diepgen TL , Weisshaar E 
Published: August 2007

AbstractContact dermatitis is defined as a pattern of inflammatory response that may occur as a result of contact with external factors. The two most common causes are irritants and allergens. Very few reliable data on prevalence and incidence of contact dermatitis exist, and data from the few studies that have been carried out cannot be compared because of differences in methodology. Occupational contact dermatitis constitutes up to 30% of all occupational diseases for which compensation is payable and affects sufferers’ home and social lives as well as their working lives. Patients can be advised about the use of personal protective equipment and creams and emollients to avoid or ameliorate their condition, but there is little epidemiological evidence for their efficacy. Patch testing, using the European Standard Series of Allergens, is necessary to determine which agent is responsible for the condition. Fragrances and preservatives used in cosmetics are among the most common allergens in contact allergic dermatitis, although the frequency of contact allergy in the general population is small. It is to be hoped that the European Dermato‐Epidemiology Network Fragrance Study will go some way to addressing the need for a large population‐based epidemiological study in order that public health organizations can give reliable advice about avoiding and treating contact dermatitis.
Is there room for improvement in the emollients for adjuvant therapy?
Authors: Trapp M 
Published: August 2007

AbstractEmollients play an important part in the management of patients with dry skin disorders, such as atopy, allergy, eczema, psoriasis or dryness following chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Their use in the treatment of diseased and sensitive skin requires not only an efficient hydrating and lipid‐replenishing effect on the skin, but minimal risk for skin irritation or sensitization. This will be influenced by their formulation and number and type of ingredients and, due to the nature of their application, requires clinical testing to ensure their appropriateness for dermatological rather than cosmetic use. A new generation of emollients has been developed for the care of dry, or very dry, and sensitive skin. Among these, Dardia® Lipo Line (Intendis GmbH, Berlin, Germany) has been formulated specifically for use in post‐therapy preventive skin care. The current clinical evidence for this line of emollients is reviewed here.
Evolution of nakedness in Homo sapiens
Authors: Rantala M. J. 
Published: August 2007

Abstract Homo sapiens L. is the only existing primate species lacking in functionally effective thermally insulating fur. As all other primates have considerable hair covering, it has always been accepted that our ancestors must once have had a respectable amount of body hair. Unfortunately, fossils cannot help us when it comes to differences in skin and hair. Recent DNA analysis, however, has given us some idea of when and where the great denudation took place. A number of hypotheses have been proposed to account for this feature, but none of these has gained general acceptance. In this paper, I present these hypotheses in the light of current empirical evidence and discussion.
A comparison of butterfly populations on organically and conventionally managed farmland
Authors: Feber R. E. , Johnson P. J. , Firbank L. G. , Hopkins A. , Macdonald D. W. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractHabitat loss and reduction in quality, together with increasing homogeneity of the farmed landscape and more intensive field management, are believed to be major drivers of biodiversity loss on farmland. Organic farms demonstrate features that are now rare elsewhere in UK farming systems, such as crop rotations incorporating grass leys, exclusion of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and reliance on animal and green manures. They may also contain greater densities of uncropped habitats such as hedgerows. In this study, we examined whether organic farming affected populations of one group of insects of conservation interest, butterflies, on farmland. The abundance of butterflies on pairs of organically and conventionally managed farms was recorded over 3 years and a number of habitat and crop variables, likely to be related to butterfly abundance, were also measured. Organic farms attracted significantly more butterflies overall than conventional farms. Significantly more butterflies in both farming systems were recorded over the uncropped field margin than the crop edge. The difference in butterfly abundance between crop edge and field margin was relatively greater in conventional than organic systems. Species richness of butterflies tended to be greater on organic farms. Five species of butterfly were significantly more abundant on organic farms in at least 1 year, while no species was significantly more abundant on conventional farms. Organic and conventional cropping patterns differed, the former having proportionally more grass leys, and hedgerows were larger on organic farms. Although no significant effects of farming system on the numbers of grass or forb species present in the field margin or crop edge were detected, some individual plant species showed differences in frequency between organic and conventional field boundaries. Increasing the extent of organic farming, or practices associated with it, could help to restore biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
Bottom or midwater: alternative foraging behaviours in adult female loggerhead sea turtles
Authors: Hatase H. , Omuta K. , Tsukamoto K. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractIntrapopulational polymorphism in habitat use is widely reported in many animal species. The phenomenon has recently also been recognized in adult female loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta, with small females tending to inhabit oceanic areas (where water depths are >200 m) while presumably feeding pelagically and large females tending to inhabit neritic areas (where depths are <200 m) while presumably feeding benthically. In this study, dive recording satellite telemetry units were used to verify their foraging and diving behaviours in these habitats. Two females that nested on Yakushima Island, Japan, were tracked for 124 and 197 days. The small female wandered in the oceanic Pacific, and spent most of the time at 0–25 m depths regardless of day or night, implying that she foraged pelagically at the surface and shallow depths. Her mean dive durations were significantly longer at night than during the day. The large female moved into the neritic East China Sea, and spent most of the time over the continental shelf at 100–150 m depths during the day and at 0–25 m depths at night, suggesting that she alternated between diurnal benthic foraging and nocturnal resting within the depths where she could attain neutral buoyancy. Her mean dive durations were not significantly different between day and night. The increase in dive duration for both turtles coincided with a seasonal decrease in water temperature. The small female sometimes showed midwater dormancy at 0–25 m depths with a duration of >5 h that was in contrast with bottom dormancy by sea turtles inhabiting other regions. The diving behaviours observed during this study were consistent with their estimated main feeding habits, which demonstrated resource polymorphism in a marine reptile.
bFGF promotes photoreceptor cell survival in vitro by PKA‐mediated inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and CREB‐dependent Bcl‐2 up‐regulation
Authors: O’Driscoll Carolyn , Wallace Deborah , Cotter Thomas G. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractAlthough there is substantial evidence supporting the neuroprotective efficacy of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the rodent retina there is no consensus to date as to the protective mechanism involved. We hypothesise that bFGF can assert its neuroprotective effects directly on mouse photoreceptors transduced via the activation of specific intracellular signalling pathways. In mouse photoreceptor‐derived 661W cells, bFGF promoted a rapid inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) by phosphorylation at Ser9.The effects of bFGF on GSK3β were dependent on protein kinase A (PKA) activation, as inhibition of this pathway blocked inactivation. Furthermore, bFGF protection against oxidative stress was dependent on PKA inactivation of GSK3β as PKA inhibition attenuated bFGF‐induced protection. Furthermore, transfection of cells with mutant dominant negative GSK3βS9A that cannot be phosphorylated on Ser9 also abrogated neuroprotection. Activation of the transcription factor cAMP‐response element binding protein (CREB) and subsequent up‐regulation of Bcl‐2 in response to bFGF was also dependent on PKA as inhibition with H‐89 attenuated increased pCREB levels and Bcl‐2 expression. These results indicate that the protective efficacy of bFGF in mouse photoreceptors involves PKA‐dependent inactivation of GSK3β and subsequent up‐regulation of Bcl‐2 via CREB activation.
GABAAreceptors in aging and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Rissman Robert A. , De Blas Angel L. , Armstrong David M. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractIn this article we present a comprehensive review of relevant research and reports on the GABAAreceptor in the aged and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. In comparison to glutamatergic and cholinergic systems, the GABAergic system is relatively spared in AD, but the precise mechanisms underlying differential vulnerability are not well understood. Using several methods, investigations demonstrate that despite resistance of the GABAergic system to neurodegeneration, particular subunits of the GABAAreceptor are altered with age and AD, which can induce compensatory increases in GABAAreceptor subunits within surrounding cells. We conclude that although aging‐ and disease‐related changes in GABAAreceptor subunits may be modest, the mechanisms that compensate for these changes may alter the pharmacokinetic and physiological properties of the receptor. It is therefore crucial to understand the subunit composition of individual GABAAreceptors in the diseased brain when developing therapeutics that act at these receptors.
A role for polyamines in retinal ganglion cell excitotoxic death
Authors: Pernet Vincent , Bourgeois Philippe , Polo Adriana Di 
Published: August 2007

AbstractNeuronal death due to excessive activation of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. The polyamines: putrescine, spermine, and spermidine, bind to specific sites on the NMDA receptor and promote its activation, but their role in NMDA‐induced neuronal death is ill defined. In this study, we characterized the role of polyamines in excitotoxic death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), a population of central neurons susceptible to NMDA‐induced damage. Our data show that endogenous arginase I, the rate limiting enzyme for polyamine biosynthesis, is expressed in the intact, adult retina. Intraocular injection of NMDA visibly increased arginase I expression in Müller cells, the predominant glial cell‐type in the mammalian retina. Inhibition of polyamine synthesis using di‐fluoro‐methyl‐ornithine (DFMO) was markedly neuroprotective, while injection of exogenous polyamines in conjunction with NMDA exacerbated RGC death. Blockade of the polyamine binding sites on NMDA receptors using the non‐competitive antagonist ifenprodil was neuroprotective, suggesting that polyamines contribute to excitotoxic death, at least partly, by binding to NMDA receptors. Importantly, we also demonstrate that NMDA leads to activation of both the Erk1/2 and PI3 K/Akt pathways, but only the PI3 K/Akt kinase was required for di‐fluoro‐methyl‐ornithine‐induced RGC survival. In summary, our study reveals that polyamines modulate neuronal death in the retina via different mechanisms that potentiate NMDA‐triggered excitotoxicity.
Spatial Economic Analysis in Data‐Rich Environments
Authors: Bell Kathleen P. , Dalton Timothy J. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractControlling for spatial effects in micro‐level studies of consumer and producer behaviour necessitates a range of analytical modifications. These range from modest changes in data collection and the definition of variables to dramatic changes in the modelling of consumer and producer decision‐making. This paper discusses conceptual, empirical and data issues involved in modelling the spatial aspects of economic behaviour in data‐rich environments. Attention is given to established and emerging agricultural economic applications of spatial data and spatial econometric methods at the micro‐scale. Recent applications of individual and household data are featured, including models of land‐use change at the urban–rural interface, agricultural land values, and technological change and technology adoption.
Beyond One‐Size‐Fits‐All: Differentiating Market Access Measures for Commodity Systems in the Kenyan Highlands
Authors: Baltenweck Isabelle , Staal Steve 
Published: August 2007

AbstractMarket access measures employed by economists and spatial analysts may not adequately capture local market or product‐specific variation. Analysis is conducted on the effects of market access on two commodities in the Kenyan highlands: milk and bean seeds. Both simple and composite measures of market access are applied to spatial price formation models to create spatial price decay functions in the context of household‐specific transaction costs. Composite measures of market access include negative exponential (using travel time or distance as cost) and gravity measures. The results demonstrate that the effects of market access differ significantly depending on the particular goods of interest. Simple measures of market access have the advantage of being more easily interpretable, and should therefore be preferred when communicating research outputs to the non‐scientific community, especially decision‐makers. The implications are that research addressing commodity‐specific development questions needs to look beyond generic measures of market access and develop tailored measures that reflect the characteristics of the commodity system of interest. The analysis also demonstrates that spatial price formation can be used to generate potentially more accurate measures of unit‐distance marketing costs.