bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing timolol with brimonidine in the treatment of glaucoma
Authors: Loon Seng Chee , Liew Gerald , Fung Adrian , Reid Sharon E , Craig Jonathan C 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis paper aims to compare the efficacy and tolerability of timolol versus brimonidine in the treatment of glaucoma. Comprehensive searches were performed using Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register for randomized controlled trials comparing timolol and brimonidine. Two reviewers independently assessed trials for eligibility and quality and extracted data. A random effects model was used to combine studies. Outcome was defined as the absolute mean intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction from baseline to end‐point for efficacy, and relative risk (RR) for adverse events. Subgroup analysis and meta‐regression were used to explore heterogeneity according to trial design and quality. Ten publications reporting on eight trials with 2387 participants were included in the meta‐analysis. Two further trials were commented on qualitatively. IOP reduction was not significantly different between timolol and brimonidine. Weighted mean difference (WMD) of IOP reduction was 0.24 mmHg (favouring brimonidine) with a 95% confidence interval of −0.57 to 1.04 mmHg. There was significant heterogeneity between studies (χ213 = 73.75, P < 0.00001, I2 = 91%). Subgroup analysis showed no significant WMD for studies where data were analysed from end‐points ≥6 months or <6 months. Meta‐regression analysis showed increased WMD IOP reduction in favour of brimonidine with increased trial quality (t3 = −4.58, P = 0.01), but no significant association with trial duration (t3 = 0.73, P = 0.51) or size (t3 = −0.59, P = 0.57). The RR of ocular allergy was much lower with timolol than brimonidine (RR = 0.08, 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.47). Publication bias was not evident on a funnel plot, although the number of studies was small. The conclusion is that both drugs are equally effective in lowering IOP. Brimonidine is associated with a higher rate of allergy.
Densiron intraocular tamponade: a case series
Authors: Lim Beng Liam , Vote Brendan 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurpose:  To report on the use of Densiron (heavy silicone oil), a new endotamponade agent with proposed benefits in complex retinal detachments involving inferior proliferative vitreoretinopathy.Method:  Retrospective case note review.Results:  Ten cases (10 eyes) in which Densiron was used in eyes which had failed initial retinal detachment surgery. The overall success rate of long‐term total reattachment was 70%. Mean preoperative visual acuity was logMAR 2.03 (SD 0.406), which improved to a mean postoperative visual acuity of logMAR 1.00 (SD 0.571) (P = 0.001).Conclusion:  Densiron was well tolerated with few side‐effects and appears to be a useful agent in patients with inferior proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
Verteporfin photodynamic therapy for anterior segment neovascularization secondary to ischaemic central retinal vein occlusion
Authors: Parodi Maurizio Battaglia , Iacono Pierluigi , Ravalico Giuseppe 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurpose:  To evaluate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin for anterior segment neovascularizations (ASNVs) in patients affected by ischaemic form of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).Methods:  Prospective non‐comparative case series including 10 consecutive patients (10 eyes) affected by ischaemic CRVO. Main outcome measure was the obliteration of ASNV.Results:  One month after PDT, biomicroscopic examination showed partial obliteration of iris new vessels and complete closure of angle neovascularization. Iris fluorescein angiography performed 1 week after treatment showed partial closure of the iris new vessels with no evidence of leakage in the late phases. During the subsequent examinations, a partial reopening of the iris and angle new vessels in association with dye leakage on fluorescein angiography was evident. In any case, the fluorescein leakage turned out to be still reduced with respect to the baseline aspects.Conclusions:  Our results show that PDT with verteporfin can partially obliterate ASNVs in eyes affected by ischaemic CRVO preventing from the evolution towards advanced stages of neovascular glaucoma, but is not effective in cases with complete angle synechial closure.
Awareness of diabetic eye disease among general practitioners and diabetic patients in Yangon, Myanmar
Authors: Muecke James S , Newland Henry S , Ryan Philip , Ramsay Emmae , Aung Mya , Myint San , Esmail‐Zadeh Ramin , Zborowska Bogna , Selva Dinesh 
Published: April 2008

AbstractBackground:  Diabetes is an increasing problem in Myanmar with more than three million people affected. There are no data on awareness of diabetic retinopathy among the general practitioners (GPs) or diabetic population of Myanmar. This study aims to evaluate the awareness of diabetes‐related eye disease among GPs and diabetic patients in Yangon, Myanmar.Design:  A cross‐sectional survey.Methods:  From the Myanmar Medical Association Registry of 978 practicing GPs in Yangon, 200 were randomly selected and a structured questionnaire was sent to each. Each GP was asked to give a separate questionnaire to the first five diabetic patients who attended their practice.Results:  One hundred GPs and 480 patients returned the questionnaires. Although 99% of GPs were aware that diabetes could result in loss of vision, 49% never examined the fundi of their diabetic patients. Of the diabetic patients, 86% were aware that diabetes could damage their eyesight. Although 92% realized they should visit an ophthalmologist regularly, only 57% had seen an ophthalmologist. Patients who never attended school were less likely to visit an ophthalmologist than those with tertiary education (odds ratio 0.24; 95% confidence interval 0.09, 0.66). Patients with diabetes for less than 2 years were less likely to visit an ophthalmologist than those with diabetes for more than 10 years (odds ratio 0.21; 95% confidence interval 0.9, 0.44). There was no association between age, gender or work status and the likelihood of having seen an ophthalmologist.Conclusion:  Although both GPs and diabetic patients are aware of the need for regular fundal screening, just over half the patients had been screened. There exists a need for programmes in Myanmar to induce a behavioural change in diabetic patients with regards to screening examinations.
The analysis of predicted capsular bag diameter using modified model of capsule measuring ring in Asians
Authors: Kim Jin‐Hyoung , Lee Doh , Cha Young‐Dong , Oh Sae‐Hoon , Mah Ki‐Choong , Lee Moo‐Suk 
Published: April 2008

AbstractBackground:  This study measured the capsular bag diameter (CBD) of Asian eyes using a modified capsular measuring ring (CMR) after cataract surgery, and identified preoperative predictive factors for postoperative CBD and the change of capsular bag diameter after surgery.Methods:  This prospective study followed 25 eyes undergoing cataract surgery inserted with a CMR before intraocular lens (IOL) implantation at the Department of Ophthalmology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Republic of Korea. Axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness, corneal power and corneal size were measured preoperatively. CBD was calculated using the CMR in a dilated state at postoperative 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, and 1 year.Results:  AL (R = 0.713) and ACD (R = 0.402) were found to positively correlate with CBD at postoperative 1 week. AL (P < 0.001) and ACD (P = 0.046) were found to be predictors of CBD. The mean CBD gradually decreased to 11.30 ± 1.76 mm at 1 day, 10.86 ± 1.06 mm at 1 week, 10.23 ± 1.43 mm at 1 month, 9.88 ± 1.31 mm at 2 months, and 9.85 ± 1.43 mm at 1 year.Conclusion:  CBD size could be determined using a CMR implanted during surgery. AL and ACD were predictors of postoperative CBD. Predicting CBD in this way may assist in selecting appropriately sized IOL, which will lead to improved visual quality after cataract surgery.
Diagnosis of solid pancreatic masses by endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration
Authors: Wilson J. L. , Kalade A. , Prasad S. , Cade R. , Thomson B. , Banting S. , Mackay S. , Desmond P. V. , Chen R. Y. M. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractBackground:  Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is increasingly being used in the staging algorithm for pancreatic carcinoma. This allows for a tissue diagnosis, which was previously difficult to obtain. The aim of this study is to assess the utility of EUS–FNA in establishing the diagnosis of solid pancreatic mass lesions in an Australian population.Methods:  A retrospective review of the EUS databases of St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and Western Hospital, Melbourne from November 2002 to May 2006 was undertaken. The focus was on patients with a solid pancreatic mass who underwent EUS–FNA. Surgical pathology or long‐term follow up was used to identify false‐positive or false‐negative results.Results:  EUS was undertaken to investigate a solid pancreatic or distal common bile duct mass lesion in 155 patients. Seventy‐two of these underwent EUS‐guided FNA. Mean age was 68 years. A positive tissue diagnosis of malignancy could be made in 55 (76%). Nine (13%) had benign histology, with 8 (11%) having inadequate tissue obtained from FNA. A later tissue diagnosis of carcinoma was made in eight of those with either benign or inadequate histology, although in all cases there were EUS features diagnostic of malignancy, with FNA limited by technical difficulties. The overall utility of EUS–FNA showed a sensitivity of 87%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 52% and overall accuracy 89%.Conclusion:  EUS–FNA gives a high return for histological diagnosis of solid pancreatic mass lesions and should be part of the standard management algorithm for pancreatic carcinoma.
Disturbance‐driven changes in the variability of ecological patterns and processes
Authors: Fraterrigo Jennifer M. , Rusak James A. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractUnderstanding how disturbance shapes the dynamics of ecological systems is of fundamental importance in ecology. One emerging approach to revealing and appreciating disturbance effects involves examining disturbance‐driven changes in the variability of ecological responses. Variability is rarely employed as a response variable to assess the influence of disturbance, but recent studies indicate that it can be an extremely sensitive metric, capturing differences obscured by averaging and conveying important ecological information about underlying causal processes. In this paper, we present a conceptual model to understand and predict the effects of disturbance on variability. The model estimates qualitative changes in variability by considering disturbance extent, frequency and intensity, as well as ecosystem recovery, and thereby captures not only the immediate effects of disturbance but also those that arise over time due to the biotic response to an event. We evaluate how well the model performs by comparing predictions with empirical results from studies examining a wide variety of disturbances and ecosystems, and discuss factors that may modify or even confound predictions. We include a concise guide to characterizing and detecting changes in variability, highlighting the most common and easily applied methods and conclude by describing several future directions for research. By considering variability as a response to disturbance, we gain another metric of fundamental system behaviour, an improved ability to identify organizing features of ecosystems and a better understanding of the predictability of disturbance‐driven change – all critical aspects of assessing ecosystem response to disturbance.
Public Choice and the Extent of the Market
Authors: Buchanan James M. , Yoon Yong J. 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYIn analyzing political processes, public choice scholars invoke a two‐level choice, choices within rules and constitutional choices among sets of rules. This paper considers rules that set the limits for market choice through the political‐collective action. Three familiar categories of institutional constraints are examined: prohibition, regulation, and taxation‐public spending, that are significant in limiting the trading process. The motivation for institutional‐constitutional construction may originate from sources other than economic objectives. We note that institutional parameters include political and legal constraints, as supplemented by traditions and conventions which may affect choice behavior. We relate the analysis to Adam Smith's vision of the achievement of natural liberty and economic progress through his theorem that economic productivity depends on market size.
The Making of a Global European Economist
Authors: Colander David 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYThis paper provides results of a survey of European graduate programs that are designing their programs to be similar to top US programs and compares those results to an earlier study done by the author of US schools. The study (1) provides a profile of European graduate economics students; (2) considers the degree to which European training at these schools differs from U.S. training, (3) offers some insights into the differences that exist among some top European programs in economics, and (4) provides a glimpse of the views that the students have of economics and of the training they are receiving. It finds that these global European programs are similar in many ways to US programs and that the students are satisfied with the programs. However, because of the different job markets in the US and Europe, it is not clear that the training is appropriate for the majority of European students. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the concerns that should be kept in mind by other programs as they consider adapting their programs to become a ‘global’ program. These concerns include the argument that the traditional European system did a number of things right; the European academic economics institutional structure is quite different from the U.S. institutional structure; and the U.S. system has its own set of problems.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who Is the Happiest of Them All?
Authors: Torgler Benno , Antić Nemanja , Dulleck Uwe 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYThis paper turns Snow‐White's magic mirror onto recent economics Nobel Prize winners, top economists and happiness researchers, and through the eyes of the ‘man in the street’ seeks to determine who the happiest academic is. The study not only provides a clear answer to this question but also unveils who is the ladies' man and who is the sweetheart of the aged. It also explores the extent to which information matters and whether individuals' self‐reported happiness affects their perceptions about the happiness of these superstars in economics.
The Social Costs of Civil Conflict: Evidence from Surveys of Happiness
Authors: Welsch Heinz 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYThis paper uses data on stated subjective well‐being to capture the intangible costs of civil conflict. By running cross‐national regressions with happiness as the dependent variable, and the number of conflict victims and income as explanatory variables, it investigates if and in which way civil conflict affects happiness, and derives the implied monetary equivalent of the unhappiness caused. The paper finds that the number of conflict victims and their change over time significantly affect subjective well‐being directly through health and psychic effects as well as indirectly through reduced income. The non‐pecuniary effects are found to be larger than the income‐related effect. A change over time in the number of victims has a stronger impact on well‐being than the current number. There are sizeable monetary equivalents to these effects.
Financial Development and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Six MENA Countries
Authors: Abu‐Bader Suleiman , Abu‐Qarn Aamer S. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis paper examines the causal relationship between financial development and economic growth for six Middle Eastern and North African countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia), within a quadvariate vector autoregressive framework. We employ four different measures of financial development and apply the augmented vector autoregression vector (VAR) methodology of Toda and Yamamoto to test for Granger causality. Our empirical results strongly support the hypothesis that finance leads to growth in five out of the six countries. Only in Israel could weak support be found for causality running from economic growth to financial development but no causality in the other direction. These findings suggest the need to accelerate the financial reforms that have been launched since the mid 1980s and to improve the efficiency of these countries’ financial systems to stimulate saving/investment and, consequently, long‐term economic growth.
Economic Growth and Convergence of EU Member States: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Delgado‐Rodríguez Ma Jesús , Álvarez‐Ayuso Inmaculada 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe aim of this article is to construct a European production frontier using deterministic methods, and to break down growth and convergence during the period 1980–2001. The results show that EU growth is primarily driven by physical and human capital accumulation, the contribution of which is essential for the cohesion of European countries. We find capital accumulation and efficiency change to be important convergence factors within the EU, while technical change has worked against it. The approach used has also enabled us to analyze the differences in growth performance of Member States and highlight the role of human and public capital, supporting the European cohesion and development policies carried out in this period.
What Determines Bilateral Aid Allocations? Evidence From Time Series Data
Authors: Feeny Simon , McGillivray Mark 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis paper models the allocation of bilateral foreign development aid to developing countries. A simple theoretical framework is developed, in which aid is treated as a private good of a donor country bureaucratic group responsible for bilateral aid allocation. This model is applied to time series data for ten principal recipients of bilateral official development assistance. Features of this application are that it caters for the joint determination of aid allocations and for donor allocation behavior to differ among individual recipient countries. Results indicate that both recipient need and donor interest variables determine the amount of foreign aid to developing countries, and that donor allocation behavior often differs markedly among recipients.
Inspired by Statistics?
Authors: Carr Tracey 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThis article considers being inspired by statistics as both a learner and a teacher. It looks particularly at a task involving research of Minard's Map, a statistical representation, to create and present a statistical task for a learner. It describes how the use of imagery, and the enthusiasm that developed as the map and its context were explored by the teacher, were passed on to the learner.
Kiss High Blood Pressure Goodbye: The Relationship between Dark Chocolate and Hypertension
Authors: Nordmoe Eric D. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThis article reports on a delicious finding from a recent study claiming a causal link between dark chocolate consumption and blood pressure reductions. In the article, I provide ideas for using this study to whet student appetites for a discussion of statistical ideas, including experimental design, measurement error and inference methods.
Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth Disease: A Clinico‐genetic Confrontation
Authors: Barisic N. , Claeys K. G. , Sirotković‐Skerlev M. , Löfgren A. , Nelis E. , De Jonghe P. , Timmerman V. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryCharcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) is the most common neuromuscular disorder. It represents a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited neuropathies. Here, we review the results of molecular genetic investigations and the clinical and neurophysiological features of the different CMT subtypes. The products of genes associated with CMT phenotypes are important for the neuronal structure maintenance, axonal transport, nerve signal transduction and functions related to the cellular integrity. Identifying the molecular basis of CMT and studying the relevant genes and their functions is important to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of these neurodegenerative disorders, and the processes involved in the normal development and function of the peripheral nervous system. The results of molecular genetic investigations have impact on the appropriate diagnosis, genetic counselling and possible new therapeutic options for CMT patients.
Optimal Two‐Stage Design for Case‐Control Association Analysis Incorporating Genotyping Errors
Authors: Zuo Y. , Zou G. , Wang J. , Zhao H. , Liang H. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryTwo‐stage design is a cost effective approach for identifying disease genes in genetic studies and it has received much attention recently. In general, there are two types of two‐stage designs that differ on the methods and samples used to measure allele frequencies in the first stage: (1) Individual genotyping is used in the first stage; (2) DNA pooling is used in the first stage. In this paper, we focus on the latter. Zuo et al. (2006) investigated statistical power of such a design, among other things, but the cost of the study was not taken into account. The purpose of this paper is to study the optimal design under the given overall cost. We investigate how to allocate the resources to the two stages. Note that in addition to the measurement errors associated with DNA pooling, genotyping errors are also unavoidable with individual genotyping. Therefore, we discuss the optimal design combining genotyping errors associated with individual genotyping. The joint statistical distributions of test statistics in the first and second stages are derived. For a fixed cost, our results show that the optimal design requires no additional samples in the second stage but only that the samples in the first stage be re‐used. When the second stage uses an entirely independent sample, however, the optimal design under a given cost depends on the population allele frequency and allele frequency difference between the case and control groups. For the current genotyping costs, we can roughly allocate 1/3 to 1/2 of the total sample size to the first stage for screening.
Three‐dimensional venous anatomy of the dermis observed using stereography
Authors: Imanishi Nobuaki , Kishi Kazuo , Chang Hak , Nakajima Hideo , Aiso Sadakazu 
Published: April 2008

AbstractVeins of the dermis have been investigated mainly by histological methods in the fields of anatomy and histology, and a large number of schemata of the veins have been depicted in a variety of textbooks. However, the schemata are usually two‐dimensional and it is therefore difficult to envisage the actual vasculature of the dermal veins. In this study, we performed a stereographic study of the skin of three fresh cadavers that had been injected with radio‐opaque dye, which was dispersed throughout the entire body. A venous network consisting of venous polygons of various sizes existed just under the dermis or in the deep zone of the dermis, which is generally called the subdermal venous plexus. There were many small vessels towards the inside of each venous polygon, and most of them ascended, branching off stereoscopically. Those branches anastomosed with each other, and they formed the dermal and subpapillary venous plexuses. However, there was little vascular connection between dermal venous plexuses of different venous polygons. The characteristic structure of the dermal venous plexus has been considered to bring about venous congestion of the skin in various clinical situations.