bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Leading Indicator Variables, Performance Measurement, and Long‐Term Versus Short‐Term Contracts
Authors: Dutta Sunil , Reichelstein Stefan 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTIn this article we develop a multiperiod agency model to study the role of leading indicator variables in managerial performance measures. In addition to the familiar moral hazard problem, the principal faces the task of motivating a manager to undertake “soft” investments. These investments are not directly contractible, but the principal can instead rely on leading indicator variables that provide a noisy forecast of the investment returns to be received in future periods. Our analysis relates the role of leading indicator variables to the duration of the manager's incentive contract. With short‐term contracts, leading indicator variables are essential in mitigating a holdup problem resulting from the fact that investments are sunk at the end of the first period. With long‐term contracts, leading indicator variables will be valuable if the manager's compensation schemes are not stationary over time. The leading indicator variables then become an instrument for matching the future investment return with the current investment expenditure. We identify conditions under which the optimal long‐term contract induces larger investments and less reliance on the leading indicator variables as compared with short‐term contracts. Under certain conditions, though, the principal does better with a sequence of one‐period contracts than with a long‐term contract.
Attachment insecurity, depression, and the transition to parenthood
Authors: Feeney Judith , Alexander Richard , Noller Patricia , Hohaus Lydia 
Published: November 2003

AbstractIn a longitudinal study of adult attachment and depression during the transition to parenthood, 76 couples completed questionnaires on three occasions: during the second trimester of pregnancy, and six weeks and six months postbirth. On the first and second occasions, the couples were also interviewed about their experiences of pregnancy and parenthood, respectively. Measures were also completed at similar time intervals by a comparison group of 74 childless couples. Attachment security was assessed in terms of the dimensions of discomfort with closeness and relationship anxiety. Relationship anxiety was less stable for transition wives than for other participants. Relationship anxiety also predicted increases in new mothers’ depressive symptoms, after controlling for a broad range of other risk factors. However, the association between relationship anxiety and maternal depression was moderated by husbands’ caregiving style. Maternal depression was linked to increases in husbands’ and wives’ attachment insecurity and marital dissatisfaction. Results are discussed in terms of the impact of depression and negative working models of attachment on couple interaction.
Helicobacter pylori and nonmalignant diseases
Authors: Isakov Vassili , Malfertheiner Peter 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTEradication of Helicobacter pylori has lead to a significant decrease in the prevalence of peptic ulcer disease world‐wide. Despite the fact that H. pylori eradication is the only way to cure peptic ulcer disease, a substantial number of patients still need antisecretory agents to be symptoms‐free after eradication. During the past year several randomized controlled trials on H. pylori eradication in patients taking NSAIDs have been published but contradictory results have been obtained. In certain parts of the world, NSAIDs are becoming the main cause of peptic ulcer disease complications such as bleeding or perforation. Some patients with nonulcer dyspepsia do benefit from eradication of H. pylori as was shown in several studies. Long‐term trials with cost/efficacy analysis are still needed to demonstrate the benefit of H. pylori eradication over acid inhibition in this group of patients. H. pylori prevalence is lower in patients with gastro‐esophageal reflux disease, but according to recent systematic reviews it varies geographically. There are more data now to show that eradication of H. pylori in duodenal ulcer patients does not increase the incidence of GERD. The ‘test and treat’ strategy for patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia was strongly supported by both meta‐analysis and the results of recent randomized controlled trials. Even in developed countries where the prevalence of H. pylori decreases, this strategy allows resolution of symptoms in a larger number of patients with dyspepsia compared to empirical treatment with proton pump inhibitors and reduces the endoscopic workload.
Combined Efficacy of Atrial Septal Lead Placement and Atrial Pacing Algorithms for Prevention of Paroxysmal Atrial Tachyarrhythmia
Authors: PADELETTI LUIGI , PÜRERFELLNER HELMUT , ADLER STUART W. , WALLER THEODORE J. , HARVEY MARK , HORVITZ LEWIS , HOLBROOK REECE , KEMPEN KITTY , MUGGLIN ANDREW , HETTRICK DOUGLAS A. ,   Worldwide ASPECT Investigators
Published: November 2003

Introduction: The combined role of atrial septal lead location and atrial pacing algorithms in the prevention of atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT/AF), including both atrial fibrillation and flutter, is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that atrial prevention pacing algorithms could decrease AT/AF frequency in patients with atrial septal leads, bradycardia, and paroxysmal AT/AF. Methods and Results: A total of 298 patients (age 70 ± 10 years; 61% male) from 35 centers were implanted with a DDDRP pacing system including three AT/AF prevention pacing algorithms. Lead site was randomized at implant to right atrial septal or nonseptal. Patients were randomized 1 month postimplant to AT/AF prevention ON or OFF for 3 months and then crossed over for 3 months. Patients logged symptomatic AT/AF episodes via a manual activator. Prevention efficacy was evaluated based on intention‐to‐treat in 277 patients (138 septal) with complete follow‐up. No changes in device‐recorded AT/AF frequency or burden were observed with algorithms OFF versus ON or between patients randomized to septal versus nonseptal lead location. Analysis of other secondary outcomes revealed that AT/AF prevention pacing resulted in decreased atrial premature contractions in both the septal (1.9 [0.2–8.7] vs 3.3 [0.3–10.6]× 103/day; P < 0.01) and nonseptal groups (0.9 [0.2–3.3] vs 1.3 [0.3–5.5]× 103/day; P < 0.001). Patients with septal leads had fewer symptomatic AT/AF episodes ON versus OFF (1.4 ± 3.0 vs 2.5 ± 5.2/month, P = 0.01). Conclusion: The combination of three atrial prevention pacing algorithms did not decrease device classified atrial tachyarrhythmia frequency or burden during a 3‐month cross‐over period in bradycardic patients and septal or nonseptal atrial pacing leads. Prevention pacing was associated with decreased frequency of premature atrial contractions and with decreased symptomatic atrial tachyarrhythmia frequency in patients with atrial septal leads. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 1189‐1195, November 2003)
Exposure and injury risk in Swedish elite football: a comparison between seasons 1982 and 2001
Authors: Hägglund Martin , Waldén Markus , Ekstrand Jan 
Published: November 2003

The long‐term development of injury risk in Swedish male elite football was studied. Two prospective cohort studies from seasons 1982 and 2001 were compared with respect to exposure to football, injury incidence and injury severity.The mean number of training sessions during the season had increased by 68% between 1982 and 2001 (142 vs. 238, P<0.001), whereas teams played more matches in 1982 (49 vs. 41, P=0.02). The total exposure to football had increased by 27%. Three out of four players incurred an injury in both seasons. In 2001, players suffered more training injuries due to an increased training exposure. Accounting for risk exposure, there was no difference in injury incidence or severity between the two seasons. The incidence was 8.3 injuries/ 1000 h of total exposure (4.6 in training and 20.6 in matches) in 1982, compared to 7.8 1000 h−1 (5.2 in training and 25.9 in matches) in 2001. Major injuries accounted for 9% of all injuries, corresponding to an incidence of 0.8 /1000 h of football, in both seasons.A trend from semi‐professionalism to full professionalism in Swedish elite football was seen during the last two decades. The injury risk did not change over the same period.
Comparison of two intervention programmes in young female players in European handball – with and without ankle disc
Authors: Wedderkopp N. , Kaltoft M. , Holm R. , Froberg K. 
Published: November 2003

Introduction: The prevention of injuriesin all sports calls for a structured plan. The plan consists, as earlier described, of four steps. We have previously presented studies incorporating all four steps. The studies have shown that it is possible to prevent most injuries in young female players in European handball by applying a training programme combining the use of an ankle disc with functional strength training. In the previous studies we were not able to discriminate whether the preventive effect was due to the functional strength training or the training with the ankle disc. The aim of this study was to compare a programme with ankle disc and functional strength training with a programme with functional strength training only.Methods: Twenty handball teams were asked to participate, and 16 of 20 handball teams agreed to participate. The teams were cluster randomised to either the programme with or without an ankle disc.Results: The group using the programme without the ankle disc had a significantly higher number of traumatic injuries (16 vs. 6). The incidences of traumatic injuries in the ankle disc group were 2.4 (95% CI 0.7; 6.2) injuries per 1000 h of match and 0.2 (95% CI 0.02; 0.7) injuries per 1000 h of practice. In the group without ankle disc the incidences were 6.9 (95% CI 3.3; 12.7) injuries per 1000 h of match and 0.6 (95% CI 0.2; 1.3) injuries per 1000 h of practice. A significantly higher multivariate odds ratio (4.8) was found in the group not using the ankle disc. In addition the group using the ankle disc had significantly fewer moderate and major injuries.Conclusion: By adding ankle disc training to a training programme with functional strength training, it is possible to reduce the number of injuries significantly, especially the number of moderate and major injuries.
Transcription of the Toxin Genes Present within the Staphylococcal Phage φSa3ms Is Intimately Linked with the Phage's Life Cycle
Authors: Sumby Paul , Waldor Matthew K. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

φSa3ms, a lysogenic bacteriophage encoding the staphylococcal enterotoxins SEA, SEG, and SEK and the fibrinolytic enzyme staphylokinase (Sak), was identified in the unannotated genome sequence of the hypervirulent community-acquired
Staphylococcus aureus
strain 476. We found that mitomycin C induction of φSa3ms led to increased transcription of all four virulence factors. The increase in
sea
and
sak
transcription was a result of read-through transcription from upstream latent phage promoters and an increase in phage copy number. The majority of the
seg2
and
sek2
transcripts were shown to initiate from the upstream phage
cI
promoter and hence were regulated by factors influencing
cI
transcription. The lysogeny module of φSa3ms was shown to have some λ-like features with divergent
cI
and
cro
genes. Band shift assays were used to identify binding sites for both CI and Cro within the region between these genes, suggesting a mechanism of control for the φSa3ms lytic-lysogenic switch. Our findings suggest that the production of phage-encoded virulence factors in
S. aureus
may be regulated by processes that govern lysogeny.
pH-Dependent Modulation of Cyclic AMP Levels and GadW-Dependent Repression of RpoS Affect Synthesis of the GadX Regulator andEscherichia coliAcid Resistance
Authors: Ma Zhuo , Richard Hope , Foster John W. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTExtreme acid resistance is a remarkable property of virulent and avirulentEscherichia coli. The ability to resist environments in which the pH is 2.5 and below is predicted to contribute significantly to the survival ofE. coliduring passage through the gastric acid barrier. One acid resistance system imports glutamate from acidic environments and uses it as a proton sink during an intracellular decarboxylation reaction. Transcription of the genes encoding the glutamate decarboxylases and the substrate-product antiporter required for this system is induced under a variety of conditions, including the stationary phase and a low pH. Acid induction during log-phase growth in minimal medium appears to occur through multiple pathways. We recently demonstrated that GadE, the essential activator of the genes, was itself acid induced. In this report we present evidence that there is a regulatory loop involving cross-repression of two AraC-like regulators, GadX and GadW, that can either assist or interfere with GadE activation of thegaddecarboxylase and antiporter genes, depending on the culture conditions. Balancing cross-repression appears to be dependent on cAMP and the cAMP regulator protein (CRP). The control loop involves the GadX protein repressing the expression ofgadWand the GadW protein repressing or inhibiting RpoS, which is the alternative sigma factor that drives transcription ofgadX. CRP and cAMP appear to influence GadX-GadW cross-repression from outside the loop by inhibiting production of RpoS. We found that GadW represses the decarboxylase genes in minimal medium and that growth under acidic conditions lowers the intracellular cAMP levels. These results indicate that CRP and cAMP can mediate pH control overgadXexpression and, indirectly, expression of the decarboxylase genes. Mutational or physiological lowering of cAMP levels increases the level of RpoS and thereby increases the production of GadX. Higher GadX levels, in turn, repressgadWand contribute to induction of thegaddecarboxylase genes. The presence of multiple pH control pathways governing expression of this acid resistance system is thought to reflect different environmental routes to a low pH.
Slipped-Strand Mispairing Can Function as a Phase Variation Mechanism in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Torres-Cruz Joshua , van der Woude Marjan W. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

Slipped-strand mispairing (SSM) has not been identified as a mechanism of phase variation in
Escherichia coli
. Using a reporter gene, we show that sequences that cause phase variation by SSM in
Haemophilus influenzae
also lead to phase variation when introduced onto the chromosome of
E. coli,
and the frequencies of switching are in the biologically relevant range. Thus, the absence of SSM-mediated phase variation in
E. coli
does not appear to be due to a mechanistic constraint.
Markers of Coagulation and Angiogenesis in Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Goldenberg Neil , Kahn Susan R. , Solymoss Susan 
Published: November 2003

Purpose: We sought to determine whether venous thromboembolism in cancer patients is associated with aberrant plasma levels of hemostatic and angiogenic factors. Patients and Methods: Peripheral blood was collected before anticoagulant therapy from cancer patients with acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT; DVT + cancer group, n = 32), those without DVT (cancer control group, n = 36), and patients with acute DVT but no cancer (DVT control group, n = 58). Plasma assays of activation and inhibition of coagulation and fibrinolysis, as well as angiogenesis activation, were then performed. Results: Median levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex, prothrombin fragments 1 + 2, and von Willebrand factor antigen were significantly greater in the DVT + cancer group than in the cancer control and DVT control groups (17.8 ng/mL v 4.6 ng/mL and 9.8 ng/mL, P = .0001 and P = .003, respectively; 3.65 nmol/L v 1.60 nmol/L and 2.71 nmol/L, P < .0001 and P = .011, respectively; and 4.04 U/mL v 2.26 U/mL and 2.06 U/mL, P < .0001, respectively). Median levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator were also significantly higher, while protein C activity was lower in the DVT + cancer group than in the DVT control group (14.6 ng/mL v 9.50 ng/mL, respectively, P = .0005; 0.89 U/mL v 1.11 U/mL, respectively, P = .0008). Conclusion: These data not only support prior observations of coagulation activation in patients with malignancy, but also provide new evidence for enhanced coagulation activation in the setting of acute venous thromboembolism in cancer. Future prospective studies are warranted to determine whether these and other potential markers of hypercoagulability may help to identify cancer patients at highest risk for venous thromboembolism.
Risk Model Predictive of Severe Anemia Requiring RBC Transfusion After Chemotherapy in Pediatric Solid Tumor Patients
Authors: Marec-Berard Perrine , Blay Jean Yves , Schell Matthias , Buclon Murielle , Demaret Corrine , Ray-Coquard Isabelle 
Published: November 2003

Purpose: Severe anemias requiring RBC transfusions is a frequent complication of chemotherapy. A model elaborated by Ray-Coquard et al in adults pointed to three independent risk factors for RBC transfusion: performance status (PS) more than 1, hemoglobin less than 12 g/dL, and prechemotherapy absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) ≤ 700/μL. This model is tested on a pediatric population. Patients and Methods: One hundred nineteen children with solid tumors consecutively admitted for conventional chemotherapy throughout 1 year were included. The study end point was the RBC-transfusion risk in the month following chemotherapy. Only one course was considered for each patient. Age, sex, number of courses, platinum-containing regimens, PS, and hemoglobin and lymphocyte count at day 1 were tested in univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Thirty-one (26%) of 119 children required RBC transfusion within 31 days of chemotherapy. Three factors correlated to transfusion risk in the univariate analysis: PS more than 1 (P < .001), hemoglobin less than 12 g/dL (P = .007), and pretreatment ALC ≤ 700/μL (P < .001). In the multivariate analysis, hemoglobin less than 12 g/dL, PS more than 1, and ALC ≤ 700/μL were identified as independent factors predicting RBC transfusion. The calculated probability of receiving RBC transfusion within 31 days of chemotherapy was high with three risk factors (96%), intermediate with two risk factors (53% to 77%), low with one risk factor (10% to 26%), and very low when no risk factor was present (2%). The difference of transfusion needs was significant (P < .001). Conclusion: The risk model elaborated for adults may also segregate children at high risk of postchemotherapy RBC transfusion, thus facilitating assessment of risk of transfusion and/or prophylactic erythropoietin support.
Electrochemical Deposition of Gold Metal Particles into 3‐Dimensional Polypyrrole Film Deposited on a Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite
Authors: Hwang Bing Joe , Santhanam Raman , Lin Yi Liang 
Published: November 2003

AbstractElectrochemical techniques and lateral friction microscopy (LFM) are exploited to characterize the deposition of gold metal particles onto the 3‐dimensional (3‐D) polypyrrole (PPy) film deposited on 2‐dimensional (2‐D) highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate surface in an aqueous solution involving 0.01 M pyrrole and 0.1 M LiClO4⋅ 3H2O. Cyclic voltammetry is utilized to find the gold deposition potential onto the PPy film from 0.001 M KAu(CN)2/KOH solution. The gold deposition potential is found to be in the range of −1.2 V to −1.4 V. Chronoamperometry is used to find out the nucleation and growth mechanism of gold metal particles onto PPy film. When the PPy film is thin, the mechanism follows the 3‐D instantaneous and moved towards 3‐D progressive as the film thickness increases. Considering the high resistance of thick PPy film and insulating and compact nature of the film at more cathodic potentials, it is suggested that the gold nuclei are formed first on the HOPG substrate surface, move to the PPy film surface and then distributed inside the PPy matrix. Since the friction of gold and the PPy film is different, the LFM is found to be an effective tool to see the distribution of gold particles in the domain boundaries of the PPy film.
The Current‐Potential Characteristics for Simple Surface Electrode Reactions
Authors: López Fonseca J. Miguel , Sastre de Vicente Manuel E. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractA treatment based on equations for the Convention II activity coefficients of the components of two‐dimensional solutions in combination with the transition state theory has been developed. As a result, two types of current‐potential characteristics have been derived for quasi‐reversible simple surface electrode reactions. The molecular features of the surface solutions to which each current‐potential relation applies have been established. The current‐potential characteristics obtained in this work coincide with those derived by Laviron using a less straigth and general treatment.
Characterization of the Analytical Response of ISFET Sensors for Quantitative and Thermodynamic Assessment in Glacial Acetic Acid
Authors: Romero Giaan A. Álvarez , Rojas Hernández Alberto , Ramírez Silva Ma. Teresa , Romo Mario A. Romero , Hernández Pablo Rogelio 
Published: November 2003

AbstractThis work presents the results of the studies on the operating characteristics of ISFET sensors, which had a silicon nitride membrane, using glacial acetic acid as solvent. The stability periods found were between five and seven minutes with response time in the range of 50 to 70 seconds. Pyridine was determined quantitatively and the results were compared with those obtained with a commercial glass electrode; the analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that there were no significant differences for the results from either type of sensor. The Biederman and Sillén calibration method was applied to the potentiometric system: the linear response range found was 4.3<pH<10.4. The ISFET presented different sensitivities for the acid and basic regions, such that with usage the sensitivity increased toward the acetate ion while that for the solvated proton decreased, and so did the reproducibility as well. The initial analytical properties of the sensor are restored upon regeneration of the silicon nitride membrane. The equilibrium constants for the protonated pyridine and diethylamine perchlorates were determined: the values found do not differ statistically in respect to those reported in the literature. Also, it was found that upon regeneration of the selective membrane, the ISFET can be used in aqueous and glacial acetic media.
The Interference of Oxygen on Diaphorase from Clostridium kluveri in the Mediated Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Reduced Dihydronicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Authors: Antiochia Riccarda , Lavagnini Irma , Magno Franco 
Published: November 2003

AbstractThe effect of oxygen on the mediated electrocatalytic oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by diaphorase from Clostridium kluveri (DI) was studied using cyclic voltammetry, UV‐vis spectrophotometry and NMR spectrometry. The enzyme was found to be able to use molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor. NADH could therefore be oxidized by two competitive electron acceptors: a redox mediator, for istance p‐methylamino‐phenolsulfate (MAP) or ferrocene monocarboxylic acid (FMCA) properly added to the solution, and molecular oxygen. Some considerations on the consequence of the use of diaphorase from Clostridium kluveri in amperometric biosensors were also reported.