bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Semiparametric Models: A Generalized Self-Consistency Approach
Authors: Tsodikov A. 
Published: July 2003

SummaryIn semiparametric models, the dimension d of the maximum likelihood problem is potentially unlimited. Conventional estimation methods generally behave like O(d3). A new O(d) estimation procedure is proposed for a large class of semiparametric models. Potentially unlimited dimension is handled in a numerically efficient way through a Nelson–Aalen-like estimator. Discussion of the new method is put in the context of recently developed minorization–maximization algorithms based on surrogate objective functions. The procedure for semiparametric models is used to demonstrate three methods to construct a surrogate objective function: using the difference of two concave functions, the EM way and the new quasi-EM (QEM) approach. The QEM approach is based on a generalization of the EM-like construction of the surrogate objective function so it does not depend on the missing data representation of the model. Like the EM algorithm, the QEM method has a dual interpretation, a result of merging the idea of surrogate maximization with the idea of imputation and self-consistency. The new approach is compared with other possible approaches by using simulations and analysis of real data. The proportional odds model is used as an example throughout the paper.
Book reviews
Authors: Stewart Jim 
Published: July 2003

Professor Paul Joyce   Nottingham Business School   Nottingham Trent University The Leadership Lifecycle Andrew Ward, 2003. Published by Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK. ISBN 0‐3339‐9362‐4. £25.00 hardback, 178 pages.Jim Bray   Senior Lecturer in HRD   Department of Management and HR   University of Central England Mediation for Managers: Resolving Conflict and Rebuilding Relationships at Work John Crawley and Katherine Graham, 2002. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London, UK and Maine, USA. ISBN: 1‐857‐8831‐5. £14.99 ($19.95 paperback), 227 pages.
Mexican Seasonal Migration to Canada and Development: A Community‐based Comparison
Authors: Basok Tanya 
Published: July 2003

SummaryThe article explores development and migration. Based on a comparison of investment‐related behaviour of participants of the Canadian Mexican Seasonal Workers Programme from eleven Mexican villages, the article explores the impact of the nature of the migrants' community of origin on development. Contrary to the findings reported by the “new economics of labour migration” theorists, it was found that migrants from the least endowed communities, not from the best endowed communities, are likely to invest in agricultural land. This pattern is related to variable prices of land and the composition of the participants of the Canadian guest worker programme, most of whom are poor. The article draws attention to the importance of considering composition of migrant workers in an analysis of the impact of migration on community development. Development is analysed in the article from both the “growth” and the “quality of living” perspectives and it is found that regardless of the perspective used, the nature of the community does not affect the impact of migration on development.
Migration and the Reproduction of Poverty: The Refugee Camps in Jordan
Authors: Khawaja Marwan 
Published: July 2003

SummaryThis study examines the link between poverty and migration into and out of camps, using 1999 household survey data on the refugee camp populations in Jordan and a binomial logistic regression. The findings show a clear clustering of poverty in the camps, where about one‐third of households are poor. Results from several nested regression models show that in‐migration is not the cause of persistent poverty in the camps. On the other hand, human capital variables, especially education, economic activity, and “social inheritance”, as well as demographic factors such as household headship and dependency rate have significant effects on poverty incidence. Some theoretical and policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Highly Skilled and Business Migrants: Information Processes and Settlement Outcomes
Authors: Benson‐Rea Maureen , Rawlinson Stephen 
Published: July 2003

SummaryThis paper reports on a research programme that has investigated the migration experiences of highly skilled professional and business migrants to New Zealand. Over a four‐year period, five separate studies have been conducted on the stages in the process of migration. The paper sets out a model of the stages of the migration process and the data and analysis which it has guided. Of particular interest are the information sources available to potential migrants and employers, the cultural sensitivity of settlement processes and the migrants' subsequent ease of access to the labour market. The paper analyses information flows available to migrants at crucial phases in the migration process based on a stages model of the migration process. The model indicates some of the critical steps, interactions, and decisions in the migration process from the individual's point of view. Crucial information gaps are identified and implications are drawn for actors involved at the different stages.
Finding an Adequate Job: Employment and Income of Recent Immigrants to Israel
Authors: Stier Haya , Levanon Varda 
Published: July 2003

SummaryThe study examines the early market experience of recent immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union (FSU) and their mobility patterns a few years after migration. The Labour Utilization Framework, proposed by Clogg and Sullivan (1983), was analysed to identify the employment difficulties immigrants experienced upon arrival, their short‐term mobility in the labour market, and the income consequences of their disadvantaged position in the market. Using a panel study of immigrants who arrived in Israel during 1990, we found that although most of them found employment, only a minority did not experience employment hardships. Four years after their arrival, most immigrants were still employed in occupations for which they were over‐qualified, and only a small portion of the group managed to find adequate employment. Women had more severe employment hardships and a lower rate of mobility into the better positions. For men and women alike, almost any deviation from a stable adequate employment entailed wage penalties.
Rapid Diagnosis of Bacteremic Pneumococcal Infections in Adults by Using the Binax NOW
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Urinary Antigen Test: a Prospective, Controlled Clinical Evaluation
Authors: Smith Michael D. , Derrington Petra , Evans Rachel , Creek Marjorie , Morris Rhonwen , Dance David A. B. , Cartwright Keith 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT

The diagnosis of severe pneumococcal infections is inadequate, relying heavily on culture of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
from blood or other normally sterile fluids, and is severely limited by prior administration of antibiotics. We evaluated prospectively the Binax NOW
S. pneumoniae
urinary antigen test, a rapid immunochromatographic assay, for the diagnosis of bacteremic pneumococcal infections in hospitalized adult patients. Antigen was detected in 88 of 107 cases overall, resulting in a test sensitivity of 82% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 74 to 89%). Antigen detection was greater in those with pneumonia (67 of 77 [87%]) than in those without pneumonia (21 of 30 [70%]) (
P
= 0.04). Urinary antigen was also detected in 3 of 106 adult patients with community-acquired septicemic infections caused by other organisms, giving a test specificity of 97% (95% CI, 92 to 99%). For 45 pneumococcal bacteremia patients with a positive test on treatment day 1, urinary antigen excretion was monitored for the first week of antibiotic treatment. Antigen was still detectable in 83% (29 of 35 tested; 95% CI, 66 to 93%) on treatment day 3. Detection of urinary antigen is a valuable, sensitive, and rapid test for the early diagnosis of bacteremic pneumococcal infections in adult patients, even after antibiotic treatment has commenced.
Whole-Blood Agglutination Assay for On-Site Detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
Authors: Gupta Amita , Chaudhary Vijay K. 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT
Simple and rapid diagnostic tests are needed to curtail human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, especially in the developing and underdeveloped nations of the world. The visible-agglutination assay for the detection of HIV with the naked eye (NEVA HIV, which represents naked eye visible-agglutination assay for HIV) is a hemagglutination-based test for the detection of antibodies to HIV in whole blood. The NEVA HIV reagent is a cocktail of highly stable recombinant bifunctional antibody fusion proteins with HIV antigens which can be produced in large quantities with a high degree of purity. The test procedure involves mixing of one drop of the NEVA HIV reagent with one drop of blood sample on a glass slide. The presence of anti-HIV antibodies in the blood sample leads to clumping of erythrocytes (agglutination) that can be seen with the naked eye. Evaluation with commercially available panels of sera and clinical samples has shown that the performance of NEVA HIV is comparable to those of U.S. and European Food and Drug Administration-approved rapid as well as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The test detects antibodies to both HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 in a single spot and gives results in less than 5 min. The test was developed by keeping in mind the practical constraints of testing in less developed countries and thus is completely instrument-free, requiring no infrastructure or even electricity. Because the test is extremely rapid, requires no sample preparation, and is simple enough to be performed by a semiskilled technician in any remote area, NEVA HIV is a test for the hard-to-reach populations of the world.
Use of Molecular Methods To Identify the
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Complex (MTBC) and Other Mycobacterial Species and To Detect Rifampin Resistance in MTBC Isolates following Growth Detection with the BACTEC MGIT 960 System
Authors: Somoskovi Akos , Song Qunfeng , Mester Judit , Tanner Charise , Hale Yvonne M. , Parsons Linda M. , Salfinger Max 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT

A prospective study was organized by using a total of 1,585 consecutive clinical specimens to determine whether biomass obtained from positive growth in the MGIT 960 system could be used directly in AccuProbe DNA hybridization tests, the PCR-based Inno-LiPA Rif.TB (LiPA) assay, and a PCR-based DNA sequencing of the
rpoB
gene for the rapid identification of the
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex (MTBC) and other mycobacterial species and for the determination of rifampin (RIF) resistance in MTBC strains. The results were compared to routine culture, identification, and susceptibility testing techniques performed on the same samples. The study results revealed that the DNA AccuProbe assay (on the day of growth positivity) readily identified 95.7%, the LiPA assay readily identified 98.6%, and
rpoB
sequencing readily identified 97.1% of the 70 MTBC isolates from mycobacterial growth indicator tubes (MGIT). In addition, application of the LiPA for the identification and RIF susceptibility testing of the MTBC in growth-positive MGIT resulted in a turnaround time of less than 2 weeks after specimen receipt. Although DNA sequencing of
rpoB
required a slightly longer (16 days) turnaround time, this method was capable of identifying several species of nontuberculous mycobacteria in addition to identifying MTBC and determining RIF susceptibility or resistance. The molecular methods were also found to rapidly identify RIF-susceptible and -resistant MTBC in two of the three mixed mycobacterial cultures weeks earlier than conventional methods. In conclusion, the biomass obtained in MGIT at the time of growth positivity in the 960 system is sufficient for use in all three molecular tests, and this approach can reduce the turnaround time for reporting results.
Polymer-Based Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Human Papillomavirus Type 16 (HPV16) Virus-Like Particles Detects HPV16 Clade-Specific Serologic Responses
Authors: Studentsov Yevgeniy Y. , Ho Gloria Y. F. , Marks Morgan A. , Bierman Robert , Burk Robert D. 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) virus-like particles (VLP) were used as antigen in a polymer enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure antibodies to HPV capsid proteins. Serum samples from 575 college women, previously tested for the presence of cervicovaginal HPV DNA, were analyzed. The prevalences of anti-HPV16 VLP antibodies at baseline were 14.1% for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and 6.4% for IgA. The seroprevalences of IgG in women with cervicovaginal HPV16, HPV16-related types, and other HPV types were 55, 33, and 19%, respectively (
P
< 0.001), compared to the prevalence in women without an HPV infection (10%). HPV VLP IgA seropositivity was associated with high HPV16 VLP IgG optical density values. The seropositivity of IgG antibodies was independently associated with infection with HPV16 or HPV16-related types, increased number of lifetime male partners for vaginal sex, having sex with men ≥5 years older, history of abnormal PAP smear, older age, and living separately from parents. Use of HPV16 VLP polymer ELISA detects clade-specific responses and suggests an HPV16 VLP vaccine may have broader protection that initially anticipated.
Identification of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Subtype 1b Strains That Are Highly, or Only Weakly, Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma on the Basis of the Secondary Structure of an Amino-Terminal Portion of the HCV NS3 Protein
Authors: Ogata Satoshi , Huab Florese Ruth , Nagano-Fujii Motoko , Hidajat Rachmat , Deng Lin , Ku Yonson , Yoon Seitetsu , Saito Takafumi , Kawata Sumio , Hotta Hak 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT

The NS3 protein of hepatitis C virus subtype 1b (HCV-1b) isolates obtained from 89 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 78 patients without HCC were analyzed. On the basis of the secondary structure of the amino-terminal 120 residues of NS3, HCV-1b isolates were classified into group A, group B, and an indeterminate group, each of which was further divided into a number of subgroups, such as A1-1, A1-2, A2-1, A2-2, B1-1, B1-2, B2-1, B2-2, C-1, C-2, and C-3. HCV-1b isolates of subgroup B1-1 were found in 53 (59.6%) of 89 patients with HCC and 19 (24.4%) of 78 patients without HCC, with the difference between the two patient groups being statistically significant (
P
< 0.00001). Although the number of isolates was small, subgroup B2-1 was also highly associated with HCC, with all five isolates in that subgroup being found in patients with HCC (
P
< 0.05). On the other hand, HCV-1b isolates of subgroup A1-1 were associated only weakly with HCC; they were found in 6 (6.7%) of 89 patients with HCC and in 25 (32.1%) of 78 patients without HCC, with the difference between the two patient groups being statistically significant (
P
< 0.0001). The other subgroups, such as A1-2, A2-1, B1-2, C-1, C-2, and C-3, were moderately associated with HCC; their distribution patterns among patients with HCC did not differ significantly from those among patients without HCC. Taken together, our results suggest that HCV-1b isolates of subgroups B1-1 and B2-1 are highly associated with HCC and that this secondary structure analysis may be useful for predicting the relative risk of developing HCC.
Comparison of Diagnostic Techniques forHelicobacter cetorumInfection in Wild Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Harper Claudia G. , Whary Mark T. , Feng Yan , Rhinehart Howard L. , Wells Randall S. , Xu Shilu , Taylor Nancy S. , Fox James G. 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACTHelicobacter cetorumsp. nov. has been cultured from the stomach of Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) and the feces of Pacific white-sided (L. obliquidens) and Atlantic bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins and a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas).H. cetorumhas high homology toHelicobacter pylorias shown by 16S rRNA sequencing, andH. cetoruminfection has been associated with gastritis and clinical signs in cetaceans. Because the prevalence ofH. cetorumin wild populations is unknown, minimally invasive techniques for detectingH. cetorumwere compared for 20 wild bottlenose dolphins sampled as part of a long-term health study. Fecal samples were tested for helicobacter by culture, Southern blotting, and PCR using genus-specific andH. cetorum-specific primers. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measureH. cetorumimmunoglobulin G (IgG).H. cetorumwas cultured from 4 of 20 fecal samples, 7 samples were positive usingHelicobactersp. PCR, and 8 samples were positive forH. cetorumusing species-specific primers. Two additional fecal samples were positive byHelicobactersp. Southern blotting, suggesting infection with another helicobacter. All 20 sera contained high levels of IgG antibodies toH. cetorumthat were significantly lowered by preabsorption of the sera with whole-cell suspensions ofH. cetorum(P< 0.02). Until the specificity of the serum ELISA can be determined by testing sera from dolphins confirmed to be uninfected, PCR and Southern blot screenings of feces are the most sensitive techniques for detection ofH. cetorum, and results indicate there is at least a 50% prevalence ofH. cetoruminfection in these dolphins.
Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA as a Valuable Tool for Epidemiological Studies ofParacoccidioides brasiliensis
Authors: Hahn Rosane Christine , Macedo Andréa Mara , Fontes Cor Jesus Fernandes , Batista Renata Dias , Santos Niriana Lara , Hamdan Júnia Soares 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACTRandomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) has been successfully used to detect genetic variations among isolates ofParacoccidioides brasiliensis.However, the usefulness of this technique for assessing important parasitic properties is still unconfirmed. In the present work we further investigated the applicability of RAPD in revealing important intrinsic and extrinsic features of this fungus associated with geographical origin, time of isolation, source of clinical specimen, clinical forms of human disease and also in vitro and in vivo susceptibility to antimicrobial and antifungal drugs. The RAPD patterns allowed us to distinguish all of the analyzed strains, which included 26 clinical isolates, 2 animal isolates, and 1 environmental isolate ofP. brasiliensisobtained from different geographic regions, confirming the strong discriminating power of this technique. A phenetic tree, build from the RAPD data, showed that although the two nonclinical Brazilian strains were set together the majority of the clinical Brazilian strains were randomly distributed through different sub-branches of a major cluster without any correlation to any of the parameters analyzed. A second major cluster, however, has grouped isolates from Mato Grosso and Roraima (Brazil) that not only were susceptible in vitro to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole but also produced a good in vivo response. These results open new vistas for epidemiological and clinical studies ofP. brasiliensis.
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Two Penicillin-Susceptible Serotype 6B
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Clones Circulating in Italy
Authors: Gherardi Giovanni , Del Grosso Maria , Scotto d'Abusco Anna , D'Ambrosio Fabio , Dicuonzo Giordano , Pantosti Annalisa 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT

Twenty-nine penicillin-susceptible serotype 6B strains isolated from patients with invasive diseases and from healthy carriers were examined by different genotyping methods. Ten groups were identified on the basis of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles, and two of these contained multiple isolates and were analyzed further. PFGE group 1 comprised 12 isolates, the majority of which had a multiresistant phenotype (resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole), corresponding to that of a clone previously described in the Mediterranean area and related to penicillin-resistant clone Spain
6B
-2. The
pbp2b
,
pbp2x
,
dhf
, and
pspA
genes of the isolates had identical restriction profiles; and the partial sequence of
pspA
was identical to that of clone Spain
6B
-2. In all isolates the resistance determinants
erm
(B) and
tet
(M) were inserted in a Tn
1545
-like element; 11 isolates carried
cat
as part of the integrated plasmid pC194. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) performed with two isolates confirmed that their profiles corresponded to that of the Mediterranean clone. PFGE group 2 comprised nine strains, of which the majority showed no antibiotic resistance. Their
pspA
profiles were different, and the partial sequences obtained for two representative isolates indicated the presence of PspA proteins of different clades. The MLST profile of one strain was identical to that of a serotype 6B strain from the United Kingdom, while two other isolates were novel one-allele variants. This clone appears to be related (five of seven identical alleles) to two other internationally disseminated clones, Hungary
19A
-6 and Poland
23F
-16, both of which are penicillin resistant. The presence of antibiotic-susceptible isolates of this clone suggests that traits other than antibiotic resistance can make a clone successful.
Genotyping by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis Reveals Persistence and Recurrence of Infection with
Streptococcus anginosus
Group Organisms
Authors: Jacobs Jan A. , Tjhie Jeroen H. T. , Smeets Monique G. J. , Schot Corrie S. , Schouls Leo M. 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus anginosus
,
Streptococcus constellatus
, and
Streptococcus intermedius
, commonly referred to as the
Streptococcus anginosus
group (SAG), are commensal organisms known for their propensity to cause purulent infections which are difficult to eradicate. In this study, we determined the genetic similarities between SAG isolates consecutively recovered from single patients to assess the duration of infection or colonization. A total of 97 SAG isolates recovered from 30 patients were included; 65 (67.0%) of the isolates were abscess related. The isolates were identified by the 16S rRNA reverse line blot hybridization assay as
S. anginosus
(
n
= 34),
S. constellatus
(
n
= 55), and
S. intermedius
(
n
= 8). Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis of the SAG isolates produced discriminatory and reproducible patterns. Consecutive SAG isolates with identical AFLP types were found in 27 of 30 (90.0%) patients, and consecutive isolates with only a single AFLP type were demonstrated in 21 (70.0%) patients. The median delay between the times of recovery of the first and last isolates of identical AFLP types from each patient was 36 days, and this delay extended for more than 1 year in patients with both colonizing and abscess-related SAG isolates. In six bacteremic patients, paired blood and nonblood SAG isolates showed identical AFLP types.