bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On Being a Good Listener: Setting Priorities for Applied Health Services Research
Authors: LOMAS JONATHAN , FULOP NAOMI , GAGNON DIANE , ALLEN PAULINE 
Published: September 2003

In the last decade, explicit priority setting has become an integral part of health care systems. Indeed, there is even an International Society on Priorities in Health Care, created in 1997 (Ham 1997). Whether it is Oregon's priority ordering of symptom treatment pairs to maximize the impact of a limited Medicaid budget (Fox and Leichter 1991), England's National Institute for Clinical Excellence's assessing priorities for new therapeutic innovations in the National Health Service (Rawlins 1999), or New Zealand's setting priorities for patients' access to cardiovascular treatment (Hadorn and Holmes 1997), techniques for judging the relative worth of different health service investments abound.As these techniques are refined, the most common addition is the incorporation of public values as part of the assessment. Priority setting is increasingly seen as combining an objective assessment of costs and effects with a more subjective assessment of patient or public preferences (Lenaghan, New, and Mitchell 1996; Lomas 1997; National Institute for Clinical Excellence 2002; Stronks et al. 1997).
Redesigning Work Processes in Health Care: Lessons from the National Health Service
Authors: HAM CHRIS , KIPPING RUTH , McLEOD HUGH 
Published: September 2003

Initiatives designed to improve the quality of health services and to make these services more responsive to patients have a long history. In the British National Health Service (NHS), these initiatives have recently included total quality management, business process reengineering, and quality collaboratives. Drawing on experience outside the health sector, where quality improvement methods of this kind typically originate, NHS policymakers have focused particularly on changing work processes in their quest to improve performance. In so doing they have had to confront not only the inevitable challenges of managing organizational change (Kotter 1996) but also some specific features of health care organizations that make change particularly problematic.This article analyzes and uses the NHS's experience to identify the lessons for future quality improvement initiatives. At the heart of this article is an account of one recent initiative, the national booked admissions program, which illustrates both the opportunities and the challenges in introducing and sustaining change.
Thünen-Vorlesung: Unternehmensführung und ökonomische Rationalität
Authors: Hax Herbert 
Published: September 2003

Abstract In a normative theory of decision making in the firm, limited cognitive capabilities of decision makers can be taken into account in different ways. If individual decision making alone is being considered, the concept of rationality must be defined in such a way that it is acceptable from the viewpoint of potential users of the theory. In an organizational context, normative theory deals primarily with the design of contracts; as far as the anticipation of the actual behaviour of contract partners is concerned an empirically valid descriptive decision theory is needed. A major problem which arises if one applies contract theory to problems of corporate governance is the definition of an adequate standard to evaluate the firm’s outcome periodically. Accounting profit and market value are two possible measures, but both have grave shortcomings.
The German Telecommunications Reform – Where did it come from, Where is it, and Where is it Going?
Authors: Vogelsang Ingo 
Published: September 2003

AbstractGerman telecommunications reform came late because of high institutional constraints, powerful beneficiaries and reasonable functioning of the old system. It finally occurred because (1) the beneficiaries had less to lose, (2) Germany was falling behind, (3) reform was proven to work abroad and (4) the EC exerted pressure. The reform, particularly separation of posts from telecommunications, privatization of Deutsche Telekom and the creation of the RegTP, brought radical changes and the formation of new beneficiaries. The current sector crisis should spur research in the stability of competition in network industries and a reevaluation of the current reforms. Further reforms are required by new EC rules that will provide a more unified framework for the entire telecommunications sector. In the long run, privatization and liberalization will be completed, while some kinds of telecommunications-specific regulation will continue. Dominant firm regulation of end-user services is likely to be abolished down the road, while bottleneck regulation may persist. The remaining amount of dominant firm regulation and the pace of deregulation will depend heavily on market boundaries between (a) wireless and fixed networks, (b) high and low capacity subscriber access and (c) high-density and lowdensity networks. Assessing the interaction between market boundaries and market power requires economic research of intermodal competition and market power.
Privatisierung/Deregulierung/ Marktverfassung: Die Sicht der Regulierungsbehörde
Authors: Kurth Matthias 
Published: September 2003

Abstract The Regulatory Authority can now look back on five years of liberalized telecommunications markets in Germany. This is an opportunity to recall the legislative rationale of liberalization and the regulatory instruments chosen, and to assess how the markets have developed. Aware that telecommunications were not one of the state’s core tasks and that there were obvious advantages to services being provided by private companies in a competitive environment, the lawmakers framed the conditions for competition in the provisions of the Telecommunications Act (TKG). In retrospect, these arrangements have largely proved their worth, even if the global economic crisis of the last two years has made itself felt in the telecommunications markets as well. Hence the forthcoming amendment should reflect the TKG’s pro-competition philosophy and seek only to improve upon the regulatory instruments where they have been found wanting.
Privatisierung in Osteuropa: Strategien und Ergebnisse
Authors: Schnitzer Monika 
Published: September 2003

Abstract The privatization process in Eastern Europe has not been a success everywhere. The opinion of experts about the optimal privatization strategy has changed over the last decade. This article first presents the theoretical foundation for privatizing state-owned enterprises. It then discusses the pros and cons of different privatization strategies. As the examples of the Czech Republic and Russia show, privatization does not lead to enterprise restructuring if it is not accompanied by institutional reforms. Empirical studies confirm that the effects of privatization are very different in different regions, mostly positive in MOE countries, but not always so in CIS countries.
Rethinking Postcommunist Transition
Authors: White Stephen 
Published: September 2003

AbstractVery different views have been taken of the changes in Eastern Europe at the end of the 1980s, and whether they can properly be considered a ‘revolution’. The evidence of Freedom House's annual surveys suggests that at least four distinct groups of countries may be identified, and that over time there has been no common trajectory. A majority of the former Soviet republics, indeed, have scores that were lower than those of the USSR in its final year. In the view of ordinary citizens individual liberties have improved considerably since the end of communist rule, but levels of political efficacy remain very low in comparative terms. Rather than conceive of these regimes as ‘in transition to democracy’, one may more fruitfully see them as a distinct system that has much in commun with semiauthoritarian regimes in other parts of the world.
Won’t Get Fooled Again: The Paranoid Style in the National Security State
Authors: Ellington Thomas C. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractIn meeting the threat posed by terrorism, the democratic state also faces a paradox: those practices best suited to defending the state are often least suited to democracy. Such is the case with official secrecy, which has received renewed attention. Military and intelligence operations frequently depend on secrecy for their success. At the same time, democracy depends on openness, a fact too often neglected by democratic theory. Official secrecy subverts citizen autonomy and in so doing creates fertile ground for paranoid-style thinking. For the United States, a history of secrets and lies has left a legacy of distrust and paranoia.
Governing Elites, External Events and Pro-democratic Opposition in Hong Kong (1986–2002)
Authors: Sing Ming 
Published: September 2003

AbstractWhile China has been the most important constraint on Hong Kong's democratization, another neglected constraint has been the limited mobilization power of the pro-democracy opposition in both civil and political society for most of the period from 1984 to 2002. The mobilization power of the pro-democracy opposition, mediated by their degree of internal unity and ability to capitalize on external political opportunities, affected its overall bargaining power vis-à-vis the Chinese and British government over democratization in different phases. The self-censorship among Hong Kong's media, plus economic recession since the Handover, further sapped the mobilization and bargaining power of pro-democratic forces.
Being Palestinian
Authors: Nabulsi Karma 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThis article presents an interpretation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's notion of the general will through the example of the modern Palestinian predicament. ‘Being Palestinian’ focuses in particular on the continuing crisis of the Palestinian refugees of 1948, the Palestinian people being largely a refugee population. It discusses the mechanisms that express the general will for a stateless people, and demonstrates how particular political sentiments, negotiating positions, common understandings and political will are expressed, deliber-ated and understood within the Palestinian body politic, both across borders and within besieged national institutions.
Legislative Institutionalization: A Bent Analytical Arrow?
Authors: Judge David 
Published: September 2003

AbstractInstitutionalization as a ‘process theory’ moves beyond the specification of a dichotomous variable – either an institution exists or it does not – to a continuous variable – whereby an institution can be more or less institutionalized. But if institutionalization is to be conceived in this way, then the specification of independent variables and the measurement of the degree of institutionalization become crucial to the understanding of the process. The essence of the argument presented in this article is that in the study of legislatures both the specification and measurement of institutionalization have been deficient. The comparative potential of the concept of legislative institutionalization has been limited by a failure to use common criteria and measures of institutionalization. As a general theory, institutionalization is of value in explaining how institutions become organized and how they become differentiated from other political organizations, but equally other organization theories might more usefully be deployed to explain institutional change in legislatures thereafter.
Value versus Glamour
Authors: Conrad Jennifer , Cooper Michael , Kaul Gautam 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThe fragility of the CAPM has led to a resurgence of research that frequently uses trading strategies based on sorting procedures to uncover relations between firm characteristics (such as “value” or “glamour”) and equity returns. We examine the propensity of these strategies to generate statistically and economically significant profits due to our familiarity with the data. Under plausible assumptions, data snooping can account for up to 50 percent of the in‐sample relations between firm characteristics and returns uncovered using single (one‐way) sorts. The biases can be much larger if we simultaneously condition returns on two (or more) characteristics.
The Determinants of Underpricing for Seasoned Equity Offers
Authors: Corwin Shane A. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractSeasoned offers were underpriced by an average of 2.2 percent during the 1980s and 1990s, with the discount increasing substantially over time. The increase appears to be related to Rule 10b‐21 and to economic changes affecting both IPOs and SEOs. Consistent with temporary price pressure, underpricing is positively related to offer size especially for securities with relatively inelastic demand. Underpricing is also positively related to price uncertainty and, after Rule 10b‐21, to the magnitude of preoffer returns. Additionally, I find that underpricing is significantly related to underwriter pricing conventions such as price rounding and pricing relative to the bid quote.
Efficient Allelic Exchange and Transposon Mutagenesis in
Mycobacterium avium
by Specialized Transduction
Authors: Otero Joel , Jacobs William R. , Glickman Michael S. 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
and
Mycobacterium avium
are pathogenic slow-growing mycobacteria that cause distinct human diseases. In contrast to recent advances in
M. tuberculosis
genetics and pathogenesis investigation,
M. avium
has remained genetically intractable and, consequently, its pathogenic strategies remain poorly understood. Here we report the successful development of efficient allelic exchange and transposon mutagenesis in an opaque clinical strain of
M. avium
by specialized transduction. Efforts to disrupt the
leuD
gene of
M. avium
by specialized transduction were successful but were complicated by inefficient isolation of recombinants secondary to high spontaneous antibiotic resistance. However, by using this leucine auxotroph as a genetic host and the
Streptomyces coelicolor leuD
gene as a selectable marker, we achieved efficient allelic exchange at the
M. avium pcaA
locus. A
leuD
-marked transposon delivered by specialized transduction mutagenized
M. avium
with efficiencies similar to
M. tuberculosis
. These results establish a system for random and directed mutagenesis of
M. avium
. In combination with the forthcoming
M. avium
genome sequence, these tools will allow the distinct physiologic and pathogenic properties of
M. avium
to be dissected in molecular detail.
Biotransformation of Natural and Synthetic Isoflavonoids by Two Recombinant Microbial Enzymes
Authors: Seeger Michael , González Myriam , Cámara Beatriz , Muñoz Liliana , Ponce Emilio , Mejías Lorenzo , Mascayano Carolina , Vásquez Yesseny , Sepúlveda-Boza Silvia 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

Isolation and synthesis of isoflavonoids has become a frequent endeavor, due to their interesting biological activities. The introduction of hydroxyl groups into isoflavonoids by the use of enzymes represents an attractive alternative to conventional chemical synthesis. In this study, the capabilities of biphenyl-2,3-dioxygenase (BphA) and biphenyl-2,3-dihydrodiol 2,3-dehydrogenase (BphB) of
Burkholderia
sp. strain LB400 to biotransform 14 isoflavonoids synthesized in the laboratory were investigated by using recombinant
Escherichia coli
strains containing plasmid vectors expressing the
bphA1A2A3A4
or
bphA1A2A3A4B
genes of strain LB400. The use of BphA and BphB allowed us to biotransform 7-hydroxy-8-methylisoflavone and 7-hydroxyisoflavone into 7,2′,3′-trihydroxy-8-methylisoflavone and 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone, respectively. The compound 2′-fluoro-7-hydroxy-8-methylisoflavone was dihydroxylated by BphA at
ortho
-fluorinated and
meta
positions of ring B, with concomitant dehalogenation leading to 7,2′,3′,-trihydroxy-8-methylisoflavone. Daidzein (7,4′-dihydroxyisoflavone) was biotransformed by BphA, generating 7,2′,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone after dehydration. Biotransformation products were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques.
Aerobic Anoxygenic Photosynthesis in
Roseobacter
Clade Bacteria from Diverse Marine Habitats
Authors: Allgaier Martin , Uphoff Heike , Felske Andreas , Wagner-Döbler Irene 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

The marine
Roseobacter
clade comprises several genera of marine bacteria related to the uncultured SAR83 cluster, the second most abundant marine picoplankton lineage. Cultivated representatives of this clade are physiologically heterogeneous, and only some have the capability for aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis, a process of potentially great ecological importance in the world's oceans. In an attempt to correlate phylogeny with ecology, we investigated the diversity of
Roseobacter
clade strains from various marine habitats (water samples, biofilms, laminariae, diatoms, and dinoflagellate cultures) by using the 16S rRNA gene as a phylogenetic marker gene. The potential for aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis was determined on the genetic level by PCR amplification and sequencing of the
pufLM
genes of the bacterial photosynthesis reaction center and on the physiological level by detection of bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl)
a.
A collection of ca. 1,000 marine isolates was screened for members of the marine
Roseobacter
clade by 16S rRNA gene-directed multiplex PCR and sequencing. The 42
Roseobacter
clade isolates found tended to form habitat-specific subclusters. The
pufLM
genes were detected in two groups of strains from dinoflagellate cultures but in none of the other
Roseobacter
clade isolates. Strains within the first group (the DFL-12 cluster) also synthesized Bchl
a.
Strains within the second group (the DFL-35 cluster) formed a new species of
Roseovarius
and did not produce Bchl
a
under the conditions investigated here, thus demonstrating the importance of genetic methods for screening of cultivation-dependent metabolic traits. The
pufL
genes of the dinoflagellate isolates were phylogenetically closely related to
pufL
genes from
Betaproteobacteria
, confirming similar previous observations which have been interpreted as indications of gene transfer events.
Characterization of Microbial Communities and Composition in Constructed Dairy Wetland Wastewater Effluent
Authors: Ibekwe A. Mark , Grieve Catherine M. , Lyon Stephen R. 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

Constructed wetlands have been recognized as a removal treatment option for high concentrations of contaminants in agricultural waste before land application. The goal of this study was to characterize microbial composition in two constructed wetlands designed to remove contaminants from dairy washwater. Water samples were collected weekly for 11 months from two wetlands to determine the efficiency of the treatment system in removal of chemical contaminants and total and fecal coliforms. The reduction by the treatment was greatest for biological oxygen demand, suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, and coliforms. There was only moderate removal of total nitrogen and phosphorus. Changes in the total bacterial community and ammonia-oxidizing bacterial composition were examined by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing of PCR-amplified fragments of the gene carrying the α subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (
amoA
) recovered from soil samples and DGGE bands. DGGE analysis of wetlands and manure samples revealed that the total bacterial community composition was dominated by bacteria from phylogenetic clusters related to
Bacillus
,
Clostridium
,
Mycoplasma
,
Eubacterium
, and
Proteobacteria
originally retrieved from the gastrointestinal tracts of mammals. The population of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria showed a higher percentage of
Nitrosospira
-like sequences from the wetland samples, while a higher percentage of
Nitrosomonas
-like sequences from manure, feces, raw washwater, and facultative pond was found. These results show that the wetland system is a natural process dependent upon the development of healthy microbial communities for optimal wastewater treatment.
Evidence of Chemolithoautotrophy in the Bacterial Community Associated withAlvinella pompejana, a Hydrothermal Vent Polychaete
Authors: Campbell Barbara J. , Stein Jeffrey L. , Cary S. Craig 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTThe deep-sea polychaeteAlvinella pompejanacolonizes tubes on the sides of black smoker chimneys along the East Pacific Rise. A diverse, yet phylogenetically constrained episymbiotic community is obligately associated with its dorsal surface. The morphologically and phylogenetically distinct dominant episymbionts have not yet been cultured, and there are no clearly defined roles for these bacteria in this symbiosis. A large insert fosmid library was screened for the presence of the two dominant phylotypes. Two fosmids, 35.2 and 38 kb, containing phylotype-specific 16S ribosmal DNA sequences were fully sequenced. Each fosmid had a gene encoding ATP citrate lyase, a key enzyme in the reverse tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle, a CO2fixation pathway. A selection of episymbiont communities from various geographic locations and vent sites were screened for the presence, diversity, and expression (via reverse transcription-PCR) of the ATP citrate lyase gene. Our results indicate that the ATP citrate lyase gene is not only a consistent presence in these episymbiont communities but is also expressed. Phylogenetically distinct forms of ATP citrate lyase were also found associated with and expressed by bacteria extracted from the tubes ofA. pompejana. Utilizing PCR with degenerate primers based on a second key enzyme in the rTCA cycle, 2-oxoglutarate:acceptor oxidoreductase, we also demonstrated the persistent presence and expression of this gene in the episymbiont community. Our results suggest that members of both the episymbiont and the surrounding free-living communities display a chemolithoautotrophic form of growth and therefore contribute fixed carbon to other organisms in the vent community.
Environmental Determinants of
Vibrio cholerae
Biofilm Development
Authors: Kierek Katharine , Watnick Paula I. 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

Vibrio cholerae
is a versatile bacterium that flourishes in diverse environments, including the human intestine, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and the ocean. Surface attachment is believed to be essential for colonization of all of these natural environments. Previous studies have demonstrated that the
vps
genes, which encode proteins required for exopolysaccharide synthesis and transport, are required for
V. cholerae
biofilm development in Luria-Bertani broth. In this work, we showed that
V. cholerae
forms
vps
-dependent biofilms and
vps-
independent biofilms. The
vps
-dependent and -independent biofilms differ in their environmental activators and in architecture. Our results suggest that environmental activators of
vps
-dependent biofilm development are present in freshwater, while environmental activators of
vps
-independent biofilm development are present in seawater. The distinct environmental requirements for the two modes of biofilm development suggest that
vps-
dependent biofilm development and
vps-
independent biofilm development may play distinct roles in the natural environment.