bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Essential algorithms to minimize dynamic effects in using explicit codes for stamping process simulations
Authors: Hu Weilong 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA key problem, when using dynamic codes to run the static or quasi‐static jobs, in particular, for a stamping process simulation attaching spring‐back calculation, is the dynamic effect. In order to minimize the dynamic effects, some kinds of loading algorithms should be performed. The enhancement of these is proposed in this paper, as well as making up for a deficiency that current damping models have when used to reduce the dynamic effects. Essential conditions that can be followed to generate an ideal loading curve are brought forward here including the starting and ending condition. A concerned model is recommended that satisfies all ideal requirements, which can be used directly for the stamping process simulation. Associated criteria and how to optimize the loading curves are also presented. Finally, a simple case has been done to describe its practical application in simulations. Meanwhile, several kinds of loading curves, which have been used commonly in the stamping process simulation, are selected to compare with the proposed loading curve. The different features of them are also discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decentralisation in Africa: goals, dimensions, myths and challenges
Authors: Smoke Paul 
Published: February 2003

AbstractDecentralisation is a complex and often somewhat elusive phenomenon. Many countries around the world have been attempting—for several reasons and with varying degrees of intention and success—to create or strengthen sub‐national governments in recent years. Africa is no exception to either the decentralisation trend or the reality of its complexity and diversity. Drawing selectively on the large academic and practitioner literature on decentralisation and the articles in this volume, this article briefly outlines a number of typical prominent goals of decentralisation. It then reviews some key dimensions of decentralisation—fiscal, institutional and political. These are too frequently treated separately by policy analysts and policy makers although they are inherently linked. Next, a few popular myths and misconceptions about decentralisation are explored. Finally, a number of common outstanding challenges for improving decentralisation and local government reform efforts in Africa are considered. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fiscal decentralisation in Africa: a framework for considering reform
Authors: Prud'homme Rémy 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThis article argues that there is no simple (or even complex) uniform model for fiscal decentralisation in Africa. Each country has to devise its own strategy. The article proposes an analytical framework to help countries consider how to structure fiscal decentralisation. It presents briefly the main decentralisation instruments available—allocation of functions and revenues across the levels of government, development of intergovernmental transfers, institution of central monitoring and control mechanisms and the institution of electoral rules. It then examines the various objectives that will be served or impacted by these instruments, including economic efficiency, macro‐economic stability, interregional or interpersonal equity and political efficiency. Selected impacts are reviewed and illustrated to demonstrate how an understanding of these issues in each country is a prerequisite for designing appropriate decentralisation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sectoral decentralisation and intergovernmental arrangements in Africa
Authors: Andrews Matthew , Schroeder Larry 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA critical issue in decentralisation is the assignment of services to sub‐national governments. This article examines normative arguments, legislated models and actual experiences of Sub‐Saharan service assignment in two key service sectors, primary health care and rural roads, each of which is a common target for decentralisation efforts and has substantially different characteristics. In analysing intergovernmental provision and production arrangements and the way in which different service components are organised in these sectors, it is apparent that legislated models of decentralisation are largely informed by normative theory. In both sectors, however, a disjoint is evident between what governments decentralise in a formal sense (i.e. in the law) and what they decentralise in an actual sense. This disjoint can be partially explained by normative arguments about the limits to decentralisation, for example, spillovers and economies of scale, but also result from the influence of factors such as intergovernmental and bureaucratic politics, local level capacity constraints and particular production issues associated with each service. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local institutional and political structures and processes: recent experience in Africa
Authors: Olowu Dele 
Published: February 2003

AbstractDemocratic decentralisation is a stated goal of many African countries, but there are considerable institutional and political challenges involved in making it a reality. Even where official government decentralisation programmes are underway, many central agencies may be reluctant or unwilling to share significant powers with local governments. Overcoming local elite capture and generating genuine local participation can also be extremely difficult. This article reviews basic institutional and political mechanisms intended to facilitate effective decentralisation and intergovernmental fiscal relations, including legal, constitutional, fiscal and managerial reforms. It also explores the challenges of developing institutional mechanisms for hierarchical control and internal accountability which are potentially subject to considerable abuse. Particular attention is given to the development of external accountability through local elections, appropriately defined local government structures and operations, appropriately sized local government jurisdictions and various direct voice mechanisms that have been used to various degrees in Africa. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Democratic decentralisation of natural resources: institutional choice and discretionary power transfers in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Ribot Jesse C. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractDecentralisation reforms are taking place across Africa. In decentralisation concerning natural resources, local institutions being chosen to receive powers and the degree and form of power transfers, however, do not establish conditions for more efficient or equitable use and management. A combination of locally accountable representation and discretionary powers are also needed. This combined condition is rarely established. Alternative local institutions are chosen even when democratic local bodies exist. This choice and the failure to transfer discretionary powers can undermine local democratic bodies and concentrate powers in the executive branch. The choices being made around natural resources appear to reflect a broad resistance of central governments to local democratisation and decentralisation of powers. Five measures may ameliorate the situation: (1) focus first on establishing democratic local government; (2) apply multiple accountability measures, in addition to elections, to support democratic local institutions; (3) engage local populations by transferring discretionary powers before transferring management burdens; (4) transfer powers before capacity building; and (5) shift from an oversight and management‐planing model to a minimum‐standards model in order to help create greater local autonomy nested within national objectives. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local economic development: new generations of actors, policies and instruments for Africa
Authors: (Bert) Helmsing A. H. J. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractAs decentralisation advances, the question of local economic development acquires more significance. How can local governments and other local actors such as local producers and their associations, community based organisations, as well as NGOs and donors contribute to local economic development and poverty reduction? This article begins by examining how the context for local economic development has drastically changed. It stresses lack of demand and the absence of meso‐level institutions, i.e. institutions at the level of sector and area. Their absence deters investment responses by enterprises and households. In terms of local development initiatives, a distinction is made between community economic development and enterprise or business development. The first seeks to facilitate household economic diversification as an essential strategy of rural and urban livelihood; the second, enterprise development, seeks specialisation of the local economic base. These two lines are complemented by a third category, namely locality development, designed to create local public goods and positive externalities. The final section elaborates on the principal actors and their roles, stressing the importance of joint action and collective learning. Local governments have an important facilitating role, creating a favourable business environment and infrastructure conditions, and to contribute to convergence in decision‐making. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decentralisation and poverty reduction in Africa: the politics of local–central relations
Authors: Crook Richard C. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractDecentralisation advocates argue that decentralised governments are more responsive to the needs of the poor than central governments and thus are more likely to conceive and implement pro‐poor policies. Recent evidence from a selected group of sub‐Saharan African countries is reviewed in a comparative framework that highlights factors associated with success in poverty reduction. It is argued that the degree of responsiveness to the poor and the extent to which there is an impact on poverty are determined primarily by the politics of local–central relations and the general regime context—particularly the ideological commitment of central political authorities to poverty reduction. In most of the cases, ‘elite capture’ of local power structures has been facilitated by the desire of ruling elites to create and sustain power bases in the countryside. Popular perceptions of the logic of patronage politics, combined with weak accountability mechanisms, have reinforced this outcome. The conclusion from these African cases is that decentralisation has not empowered challenges to local elites who are resistant or indifferent to pro‐poor policies. Thus, decentralisation is unlikely to lead to more pro‐poor outcomes without a serious effort to strengthen and broaden accountability mechanisms at both local and national levels. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of external assistance in supporting decentralisation reform
Authors: Romeo Leonardo G. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA paradigm linking public sector decentralisation reforms to poverty reduction via improved local governance and development has provided the rationale for donor support of decentralisation and parallel efforts to build local government capacity. This article briefly considers the paradigm and reviews modalities of external aid to decentralisation, highlighting key limitations and contradictions. In spite of much rhetoric, decentralisation remains marginalised in a donor‐government policy dialogue dominated by macro‐economic and sectoral issues. Compartmentalisation within major aid organisations of the expertise and responsibilities to support administrative reforms, sectoral assistance programmes and community development projects, produces fragmented and competing interventions that do not address and even retard the systemic changes needed to advance decentralisation. New and more effective partnership arrangements between decentralising governments and their external partners are necessary to link ‘downstream’ assistance to local governments to ‘upstream’ development of the national decentralisation reform framework and to help manage a gradual and strategic approach to implementation of the reforms. Donor support to ‘decentralisation policy experiments’ may provide a new model for policy dialogue and the basis for building more effective partnerships. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decentralisation and local governance: experiences from Francophone West africa
Authors: Ouedraogo Hubert M. G. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractSince the 1980s, decentralisation has become a key development theme in Francophone West Africa for various reasons. Perhaps most significant is the great dissatisfaction with centralised approaches of the past. Despite the heavy interest in decentralisation, however, progress of implementation has been rather slow and problematic. Except in Senegal, decentralisation is a relatively new phenomenon in Francophone West Africa and even there the decentralisation process is far from complete. Other more recently decentralising countries have taken very different paths. Burkina Faso, for example, is gradually phasing in decentralisation in the rural areas, while Mali created local governments across the entire country simultaneously. Such differences in approach can be a justifiable response to variations in the political and social climate across countries. One factor that has been uniformly given inadequate attention in decentralisation efforts is the role of traditional local institutions and how they respond to the introduction of new local institutions. This and other aspects of decentralisation in Francophone West Africa require further careful study if policymakers are to better understand how to design and implement more effective and sustainable decentralised systems. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The challenges of implementing decentralisation: recent experiences in Uganda
Authors: Onyach‐Olaa Martin 
Published: February 2003

AbstractDecentralisation, which began in Uganda in 1993, has increased opportunities for citizens to democratically determine how they should be governed and to make choices regarding the type and quality of public services they want. Citizens are now empowered to elect on a periodic basis persons whom they think can serve their interests on local councils. These changes have caused a major realignment in central–local relations. Some of the most important reforms have been led by the District Development Programme and the Local Government Development Programme, which are a focus of this article. Since the process began, numerous achievements have been realised in terms of improving governance and service delivery through democratic participation and community involvement. Despite these achievements, Uganda still faces a number of major challenges in deepening and institutionalising decentralisation. These challenges include, among others, technical capacity deficiencies in local governments and tensions among key stakeholders competing to maximise their role in decentralisation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decentralisation in Zimbabwe: a local perspective
Authors: Conyers Diana 
Published: February 2003

AbstractAlthough decentralisation has been on the Government of Zimbabwe's agenda since the early 1980s and there have been several structural reforms, little effective power has been decentralised. This article describes Zimbabwe's various decentralisation efforts and effects including fiscal decentralisation, sectoral decentralisation, local political and institutional structures and local economic development and poverty reduction, and analyses their impact in Binga District, which is one of the poorest parts of the country. A number of conclusions are drawn from this experience. Firstly, decentralisation is part of a wider process of national political and economic change and cannot be planned independently; moreover, decentralisation for the ‘wrong’ reasons can be worse than no decentralisation at all and, if the political environment is not ‘right’, the problems of decentralisation can be exacerbated by external funding agencies. Secondly, decentralisation must be accompanied by capacity building, and the capacity of local institutions depends to a significant extent on the individuals involved. Thirdly, decentralisation must be seen as a ‘learning process’; consequently, despite the relatively little effective decentralisation to date, those involved have learnt valuable lessons. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal diagnosis of dilated coronary sinus with persistent left superior vena cava in a fetus with trisomy 18
Authors: Kalache Karim D. , Romero Roberto , Conoscenti Giancarlo , Qureshi Faisal , Jacques Suzanne M. , Chaiworapongsa Tinnakorn , Treadwell Marjorie , Johnson Anthony 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA case of dilated coronary sinus with persistent left superior vena cava diagnosed at 33 weeks in a fetus with trisomy 18 is reported. The features of this cardiac anomaly on prenatal ultrasonography and its association with trisomy 18 are discussed. Published in 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of maternal carbohydrate intake on fetal movements at 14 to 16 weeks of gestation
Authors: Goldstein Israel , Makhoul Imad R. , Nisman Daniel , Tamir Ada , Escalante Gerardo , Itskovitz‐Eldor Joseph 
Published: February 2003

AbstractObjectiveUltrasonographic assessment of fetal movements at 14 to 16 weeks of gestation before and after maternal oral intake of carbohydrate.DesignThirty consecutive healthy pregnant women between 14 and 16 weeks of gestation were scanned transvaginally. Real‐time ultrasound recordings of 20 min duration were performed in the fasting state and after an oral intake of 110 g of glucose. The number of fetal movements, body and limb movements and breathing movements were evaluated. Fetal movements were quantified using a digital chronometer, and the percentage of time spent moving and the rate of movements per minute were then calculated. Data was statistically analyzed using the simple and Wilcoxon paired t‐test.ResultsAbsolute number of fetal movements, body movements, rotation movements, time spent moving and rate of movements per minute showed a statistically significant increase after maternal intake of carbohydrate (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsMaternal oral intake of 110 g of carbohydrate significantly increases fetal movements at 14 to 16 weeks of gestation, thus allowing better ultrasonographic viewing of the fetus. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intrauterine brain teratoma: a case report of imaging (US, MRI) with neuropathologic correlations
Authors: Mazouni Chafika , Porcu‐Buisson Géraldine , Girard Nadine , Sakr R. , Figarella‐Ballanger Dominique , Guidicelli Béatrice , Bonnier Pascal , Gamerre Marc 
Published: February 2003

AbstractFetal brain tumors are rare and teratoma is considered as the most common. Fetal MR Imaging is currently used to evaluate cases of ventricular dilatation. We report a case of cerebral immature teratoma detected by ultrasonography because of ventricular dilatation at 24 gestational weeks. MRI was the more accurate imaging method in depicting the tumor and its consequences on brain development as well as in taking a decision with regard to the management of pregnancy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maternal serum marker medians in Aboriginal Canadian women
Authors: Huang Tianhua , Summers Anne M. , Wyatt Philip R. , Meier Chris , Côté Gilbert B. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractObjectivesThe study evaluates the differences between Aboriginal and Caucasian women in the levels of maternal serum markers used in second‐trimester Down syndrome screening (alpha‐fetoprotein, unconjugated estriol, and total human chorionic gonadotrophin).MethodsA case‐control study compared the levels of serum markers in 401 Aboriginal women and 1565 matched controls selected from 7717 Caucasian women. The cases and controls were screened in a single centre and matched for maternal age, parity, and sample date. Women with multiple pregnancies and pregnancies associated with Down syndrome, open neural tube defects, trisomy 18, and insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus as well as women without weight recorded were excluded from the study.ResultsNo differences in the levels of maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein and total human chorionic gonadotrophin were observed between the two groups. Maternal serum unconjugated estriol was 12% higher in Aboriginal women.DiscussionSince Aboriginal women make up only a small proportion of women screened, correcting the level of uE3 for this group will have little effect on the overall screening performance. However, if these results are confirmed by further study, individual centres may consider making this correction, so optimal screening performance can be achieved in Aboriginal women. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tetrasomy 12p—unusual presentation in CVS
Authors: Dong L. , Falk R. E. , Williams J. , Kohan M. , Schreck R. R. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractCVS direct preparations usually achieve limited resolution and are better at detecting numerical rather than structural abnormalities. A CVS direct preparation analyzed using G‐banding revealed a 47,XY,+G karyotype in 5 of 11 cells and was reported as mosaic for trisomy 21. Subsequent analysis of the CVS culture found only normal male cells. Amniocentesis revealed both normal male cells and cells with an extra F‐group chromosome. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) identified this chromosome to be an isochromosome from the short arm of chromosome 12 [i(12)(p10)]. The amniocyte karyotype was reported as 47,XY,+i(12)(p10)[12]/46,XY[8].ish i(12)(p10)(wcp12+), which is associated with Pallister–Killian syndrome. Reexamination of the CVS direct preparation by FISH with a chromosome 12 centromere probe confirmed the karyotype of this tissue to be 47,XY,+mar[5]/46,XY[6].nuc ish 12cen(D12Z3 × 3)/12cen(D12Z3 × 2). Thus, multiple studies, including amniocentesis and fluorescence in situ hybridization, may be required to fully and accurately evaluate abnormalities detected by CVS. This case also indicates that mosaicism for supernumerary isochromosomes may have a complex origin. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Circulating trophoblast in maternal blood
Authors: Oudejans Cees B. M. , Tjoa May Lee , Westerman Bart A. , Mulders Monique A. M. , Van Wijk Inge J. , Van Vugt John M. G. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThis review describes the status of circulating trophoblast, but is considered in the perspective that only a specific subset of trophoblast cells circulates in the maternal blood. The consequences for isolation, identification and clinical potential are described. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.