bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ELECTROCHEMICALLY INDUCED HEPATIC NECROSIS: THE NEXT STEP FORWARD IN PATIENTS WITH UNRESECTABLE LIVER TUMOURS?
Authors: Baxter P. S. , Wemyss‐Holden S. A. , Dennison A. R. , Maddern G. J. 
Published: January 2008

Background: The treatment of patients with unresectable liver tumours remains an unsolved clinical problem. Several methods of loco‐regional treatment have been developed. These methods rely mainly on direct thermal or chemical insults and consequently have their own inherent limitations in clinical usage. The ‘ideal’ treatment would combine the direct cytotoxic effects of chemical treatments with the relative predictability of thermal insults, without the associated complications. This study aims to investigate whether the direct chemical effect of electrolytic hepatic necrosis is associated with any heating effect, and if so, whether the temperature change is dose–dependent. Methods: An electrolytic ‘dose’ sufficient to induce a localized zone of hepatic necrosis was delivered to the livers of rats and pigs via implanted platinum electrodes. Results: The results showed that there was no significant temperature increase at low current levels (2‐4 mA) in the rat liver. In the pig, there was a significant (P < 0.01) increase in temperature of 4.2°C during electrolysis, when delivered at between 20 and 50 mA. However, such a small increase in temperature would have been insufficient to cause appreciable thermal necrosis. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that electrolysis‐induced hepatic necrosis is produced without an increase in temperature; clearly cell death results from the direct effects of cytotoxic electrode products and an alteration of intracellular pH. Consequently, it is likely that as a method for ablating liver tumours, electrolysis should be associated with fewer complications than other forms of locoregional treatment.
PELVIURETERIC OBSTRUCTION IN CHILDREN: CONVENTIONAL PYELOPLASTY IS SUPERIOR TO ENDO‐UROLOGY
Authors: Ahmed S. , Crankson S. , Sripathi V. 
Published: January 2008

Background: Hydronephrosis secondary to periureteric junction (PUJ) obstruction is common in infancy and childhood. Pyeloplasty has until recently been the accepted method of management, but alternative endo‐urological techniques have evolved in the last decade. Methods: Published results of conventional pyeloplasty for primary PUJ obstruction in children were compared with published results of endo‐urological procedures. Results: Sixty‐six pyeloplasties were performed in 61 children in a 6‐year period. During a similar period, 63 primary endo‐urological procedures were reported in the literature. The success rate after pyeloplasty was 95.5% compared with 65% after endo‐urology. Conclusions: Conventional pyeloplasty is superior to endo‐urology and should remain the gold standard for the treatment of primary PUJ obstruction in children.
FAMILIAL SLIPPED CAPITAL FEMORAL EPIPHYSIS: A REPORT AND CONSIDERATIONS IN MANAGEMENT
Authors: Diwan Ashish , Diamond Terence , Clarke Raymond , Patel Minoo K. , Murrell George A. C. , Sekel Ronald 
Published: January 2008

Background: Familial inheritance of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is known. It has not been described in non‐identical twins. A family where the mother and three of five siblings developed SCFE were investigated and managed. Methods: Anthropometric measurement consisted of height‐weight ratios. Serum sex hormone levels and bone Gla Protein was measured. Bone mineral densities were evaluated. Results: The affected siblings had higher bodyweight percentiles. Other investigations were within normal limits. Conclusion: The unfavourable height‐to‐weight ratio was one of the mainstays in developing a management protocol for all siblings. The management protocol developed for the family is discussed.
Trade and Industry Policy
Authors: Forsyth P. J. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis article consists of a review of changes in trade and industry policy, along with discussions of the determinants of change and the major problem areas. Policy between 1965 and 1985 is summarised, and the growth of unemployment in the 1970s is suggested as a key determinant of change. Higher protection in certain industries, and moves to more quantitative methods ot protection can be related to unemployment, in Australia as in other countries. Theory and empirical evidence suggest that protection is likely to prove ineffective in reducing unemployment. The reliance on protection in particular cases is ascribed to a wish by governments to preserve specific jobs, not to increase overall employment. Policy can have a role in facilitating or restricting structural change which can arise from several sources, such as changing trade patterns and preferences. The devices of policy are considered briefly to determine whether they are likely to facilitate change or not. It is concluded that they often provide incentives to avoid change. The scale problem is considered, and it is suggested that the cost of protection could be high in industries subject to significant scale economies. Scale and adjustments are considered in the light of two industries, motor vehicles and whitegoods, and the role of industry plans is examined. The actuality of trade and industry policy often differs from announced intentions, and this ambiguity can give rise to uncertainty which itself has a cost.
Continuity and Change in Australian Economic Policy: The Social Welfare Services
Authors: Manning Ian 
Published: January 2008

AbstractCommonwealth social welfare programs can be divided into the social security system, for which the Commonwealth has constitutional responsibility, and programs of grants for services, which depend on Commonwealth exploitation of the Australian fiscal imbalance. Over the past decade federal enthusiasm for services has waxed and waned, resulting in considerable volatility of expenditure. Social security spending, on the other hand, has grown steadily. Until the end of full employment this growth was mainly due to real increases in social security rates and to the easing of entitlement conditions; since that time it has been largely due to demographic factors and to the increase in unemployment and associated increase in takeup rates. Both Liberal and Labor governments have adopted a more constrained attitude to social welfare expenditures since the end of full employment, but even so in most respects the Labor party has remained the more generous of the two.
GDP Growth Rates Calculated from Quarterly National Accounts: Discrepancies and Revisions
Authors: Lim G. C. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe differences between income‐based and expenditure‐based rates of real GDP growth are examined. The extent to which initial growth rates are subsequently affected by data revisions is documented. Results of regressions of first reported growth rates on the growth rates reported in QNA June 1985 are presented for three samples ‐ the sample of income‐based estimates of GDP growth rates, the sample of expenditure‐based estimates and the sample of mean rates (average of the two estimates).
Equity, Efficiency and Financial Viability: Public‐Utility Pricing with Special Reference to Water Supply
Authors: Ng Yew‐Kwang 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe pricing and investment policies of a public enterprise should be designed to achieve efficiency since equity is better pursued by general policy regarding income distribution. Short‐run marginal‐cost pricing does not generally lead to long‐term deficit, but may involve price and surplus/deficit cycles for the case with lumpy investments and growing demand, where the price increases with demand but is reduced with capacity expansion. Taking account of the extra costs of government revenue collection and the likely average price/cost ratio in the economy, the third‐best pricing policy is likely to result in long‐term surplus, making the objectives of equity, efficiency and financial viability much more consistent with each other than is generally believed. This is particularly true for water with historically increasing costs of additional sources of supply.
The Distribution and Composition of Personal Sector Wealth in Australia
Authors: Dilnot A. W. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis article begins by noting the scarcity of information on the distribution of wealth in Australia, and the many reasons for wanting to have such information. The potential role of the tax system in affecting the composition of wealth is noted, and the taxation of savings is briefly described. A number of different methods of estimating the distribution of wealth are discussed. Estimates for the distribution and composition of wealth in Australia in 1986 are derived from the 1986 Income Distribution Survey, which suggest that the wealthiest ten per cent of income units hold 55 per cent of total wealth. The composition of wealth is broadly consistent with the expected impact of the tax system.
Debt ‐ Is It Still A Problem?
Authors: Moore Des 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe argument that once the public sector ceases to be a net borrower levels of external debt should cease to be a policy concern, overlooks two key points. First, private savings behaviour may be distorted due to government intervention, leading to excessive drawing on overseas savings. Second, given this, a potential externality exists to justify government intervention to prevent overseas borrowing reaching the point where a financial crisis and loss of confidence occur, leading to a recession or an extended period of stagnation, or both. The Australian situation fits this scenario.
Structural Deficits and Fiscal Policy Stance in Australia, 1966–67 to 1988–89
Authors: Nevile J. W. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis study adjusts the total deficit (or net public sector borrowing requirement) of the whole of the public sector in Australia for the effects of changes in both the level of economic activity and the implicit tax that inflation imposes on the holders of government bonds. Both adjustments are important, even when looking at year‐to‐year changes in the structural deficit. When the stance of fiscal policy is measured by the structural deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product, four years stand out as years of major changes. In each of the years 1973‐74, 1979‐80 and 1987‐88 the stance of fiscal policy was substantially tightened with the abrupt tightening in 1979‐80 being the largest change, though not much larger than that in 1973‐74. By far the biggest change relaxing the stance of fiscal policy was in 1983‐84, and the change in this year was the biggest of any change in either direction in the period.
Monetary Policy in Australia: The Conflict between Short‐Term and Medium‐Term Objectives
Authors: Stemp Peter J. , Murphy C. W. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis article argues that the recent implementation of monetary policy in Australia has been dominated by the response to a large range of unanticipated shocks. In the process of trying to minimise the adverse effects of such shocks, considerable uncertainty has been created about likely outcomes in the medium term. This makes medium‐term objectives harder to achieve. Taking the reduction of inflation as an example of an appropriate medium‐term objective, simulations are presented using the Murphy model of the Australian economy. The simulations demonstrate that a tightening of monetary policy will reduce inflation more slowly if private agents believe that the tightening is unlikely to be sustained for long. Under uncertainty, monetary policy will have to be tighter and real GDP significantly lower to achieve a given reduction in inflation. A confingency rule of medium complexity is suggested as one way in which appropriate medium‐term objectives might be achieved while allowing some flexibility to react to unexpected outcomes in the short run.
Prospects for Some Australian Corporations Derived from a General Equilibrium Model
Authors: Higgs Peter J. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe ORANI computable general equilibrium model of the Australian economy has traditionally been used to estimate the effects of changes in the economy on industries. In this article the ORANI model is extended to include corporations. Medium‐run forecasts of the Australian economy over the period 1988‐95 89 to 1994‐95 are used to estimate the effects on revenue and costs for selected corporations. These forecasts are generated by weighting the industry projections by the holdings of corporations across industries.
Immigration and Its Impact on the Incidence of Training in Australia
Authors: Baker Meredith , Wooden Mark 
Published: January 2008

Critics of immigration often argue that by providing a cheap alternative to training, immigration acts as a disincentive for employers to invest in training. Immigration, therefore, may be partly responsible for Australia's poor record in the area of industry training. This article evaluates this argument using data recently collected by the ABS.Probit models explaining the determinants of three types of training—in‐house, external and on‐the‐job—are estimated for the Australian‐born workforce. These models are then augmented with a variable representing the impact of skilled immigration. Initial estimates indicated that immigration was significantly and inversely associated with the probability of Australian‐born workers receiving in‐house training.This inverse association, however, may result not because employers hire skilled immigrants in preference to providing training, but because skilled immigrants are over‐represented in low training industries. A two‐step procedure, involving first identifying the size of industry fixed effects on training and then isolating the impact of immigration on these fixed effects, confirms that it is industry‐specific effects which are of most importance. It is concluded, therefore, that immigration is currently not displacing any training activities in Australia.
What Australian Economics Professors Think
Authors: Anderson Malcolm , Blandy Richard 
Published: January 2008

In this article we present the results of a recent survey of economics professors in Australia. We found that there is a comfortable measure of consensus in many areas of economic science, including several contentious issues which currently worry policymakers and the general public alike. We show that there is good evidence to suggest that Australian academic economists share a world economic culture with their western European and (to an even greater extent) their American colleagues.We also asked the professors to share their thoughts on university economics education. There was good consensus that the professors wanted a rigorous classical economics education for their students, but they were not willing to sacrifice breadth: the ideal student, it appears, is one technically competent in economics with a head for the social and political dimensions of the profession. Overwhelmingly, the professors voted the economics department of the Australian National University as the best place for such an education, with those of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales, and Monash, close behind.Finally, the professors gave their opinions on the understanding of economics by government agencies, business and community groups.
Limitations of the Budget as an Instrument of Macroeconomic Policy in 1992–93
Authors: Adams Philip D. , Dixon Peter B. 
Published: January 2008

The major macroeconomic challenge facing the Government is to reduce the unemployment rate without increasing inflation and the current account deficit. The Budget for 1992–93 gave the Government an opportunity to set out its policy for meeting this challenge.In this article we assess the Budget from a macro‐economic point of view. We ask whether the Government could have done more to address the problem of unemployment.Our analysis is in two parts. In the first, we answer the question: has the Government made believable forecasts for 1992–93, given its assumptions and the set of Budget policies. In the second part we consider whether, given the Budget assumptions, the chosen policy is the best one.To answer the first question, we used the COPS short‐run forecasting model (see the Appendix to the article) to obtain projections for 1992–93 under Budget policies and assumptions. These projections are almost identical to those of the Government, prompting a ‘yes’ to the first question. To answer the second question, we used our model to set out the effects of a more stimulatory budget strategy under five different sets of assumptions. These differ with respect to the exchange rate, private investment and wage rates. We find that a more stimulatory policy might help in increasing GDP and employment growth. However, nervousness in the foreign exchange market concerning the PSBR, resistance in the labour market to real wage reductions and sensitivity of private investors to increases in interest rates all combine to make the more stimulatory policy a risky one.
Advancing into the 21st Century: Visions and Challenges Facing the Downunder Economy
Authors: Kasper Wolfgang 
Published: January 2008

Long‐term visions serve to focus on essentials for sustained economic and social welfare. We now have to face up to the challenge of globalisation (growing international capital mobility), at a time when we are undoing our historic, self‐imposed protectionism. This also creates new opportunities, in particular in the dynamic Asia‐Pacific economies.There still is a ‘window of opportunity’ before an aging population will become a dominant problem. In the next 25 years, business will have to cope with high real interest rates and major uncertainties that now surround environmental policies.If we are to take on these challenges in constructive and beneficial ways, we have to develop an institutional order that enables the utilisation of knowledge by enterprising people. This requires a simple, transparent and reliable legal and regulatory framework, which supports competitive market processes, and the defence of openness to international trade and capital flows against particular interest groups.It seems plausible that the Downunder economy can grow over the next 25 years at about 3.5 per cent per capita if the right institutional conditions are created. If we fail to do so, a growing share of the capital, the skills and the enterprise made Down‐under will move to offshore locations which encourage a better use of knowledge and capital by enterprising people. This would deprive many of economic opportunity. The central challenge therefore is to develop a system of government and labour relations which makes the Downunder economy internationally attractive.
Global Integration
Authors: Lloyd P. J. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis article argues that there are underlying changes in the world economy due to growing integration of the national economies which are more profound than the events in particular commodity markets, and that our national economic policies should be significantly shaped by these changes. Integration is defined in terms of the convergence of prices on international markets. It is occurring in the markets for commodities, factors and technologies. The freeing of trade multilaterally and unilaterally and the formation of regional trading arrangements have all played a part in greater global integration.Global and regional integration have changed the nature of the international markets in which we trade and require corporations to change their production and marketing strategies. Governments have an increasingly important role in negotiating international and regional agreements and in providing an environment that allows the domestic producers to compete on international markets. There is, however, no need to change the unilateral trading policies of Australia.
Five Examination Answers for Schools: Microeconomics
Authors: Norman Neville R. 
Published: January 2008

This article follows a similar format to my contribution on five sample answers on macroeconomics, published in the 3rd quarter I992 issue of this journal. The aim is again to present essays written under pressure, as if an Australian teenager with a good command of the subject had written them. The positive response to the first set of essays suggests there may be value in this approach. As before, I have supplemented my draft with footnote after‐thoughts to explain my strategy and some of the temptations I have sought to avoid. Very often it is important to stop a particular line of argument, or the detail or definition of something, to prevent the essay getting out of balance or straying into what an examiner may brand as 'trivia'. at least in the sense of the question asked. This time I have also added some extended comments on the overall approach to each question.I have avoided diagrams and data that I would normally use in an academic writing as such. This is mainly because a student would not have the data in the exam room and because a good answer can explain a diagram in the mind without actually drawing it.Sometimes the question is already structured for you: write notes on each of the following six things, for instance. This can be deceptive, for there will sometimes be a requirement to relate the concepts to each other, or to some defined context. (Eg 'In relation to the Australian economy…')I have selected five essays that cover different parts of microeconomics and tried to answer in different styles. Some questions call for a good understanding of the principles involved, and if you knew nothing of Australia's situation it would hardly matter. Others call for that knowledge of our industries, their operations and policy aspects bearing on them. As before I consulted no references or data, and some of my recollection may be imperject.I recall someone saying that if you read anything from anyone who has been through Economics at Cambridge, all the best bits are to be found in the footnotes. That may well be true here.
Academic Economic Opinion in East Asia
Authors: Anderson Malcolm , Blandy Richard , Carne Sarah 
Published: January 2008

AbstractSurveys of economists' opinions have been reported from around the world over the past two decades, but never (as far as we are aware) from a non‐Western country. This article presents the results of our survey of academic economists drawn from ten East Asian nations.Respondents gave their views on a number of economic propositions ranging across issues of deregulation, government business enterprises, micro‐economic and labour market reform, income distribution, and attitudes to the market.Finally, the article reports the results of multidimensional scaling techniques which were used to compare the attitudes of East Asian academic economists toward the market with those of their international colleagues. Overall, we found that while our colleagues in Asia make some allowances for circumstances unique to fast‐growing developing economies, their predilection toward market solutions to economic problems reflects that of their (predominantly) Western training.Economists in the ‘Tiger’ nations (Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea) more closely reflect the views of colleagues in the market‐friendly West (especially North America, Australia and Germany) than do economists in the newly emerging (‘non‐Tiger’) nations such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Population Ageing and Social Expenditure in Australia
Authors: Creedy John , Taylor Penelope S. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractProjections of the social expenditure to GDP ratio indicate the extent of the ‘burden’ of population ageing on future workers and have been used by governments to aid policy decisions in such areas as immigration and superannuation. This article shows that the social expenditure to GDP ratio is heavily dependent on assumptions made about real spending growth, productivity growth, unemployment and participation rates. It produces a framework that makes the assumptions underlying the projections clear and enables the results of changing the assumptions to be easily compared. The projected ratios are significantly higher than those obtained in previous Australian studies.