bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The measurement of environmental performance: an application of Ashby's law
Authors: Lewis Gerard J. , Stewart Neil 
Published: January 2003

AbstractAshby's law of requisite variety is a fundamental law of organizations. An implication of the law for business organizations is that they must develop sufficient information management and decision‐making capacity to cope with the complexity in the environment in which they operate.The law has the major limitation that, for all practical purposes, variety cannot be measured; the number of states of anything other than the simplest ‘controller’ is a vast, incomputable value. However, it is possible to carry out relative studies—comparing organizations and, in this case, comparing effectiveness in different contexts. To do this, a questionnaire was used to gauge managers' perceptions of business context complexity and organizational capacity.The paper describes a study of the UK textile industry and, in particular, the response of that industry to environmental (i.e., green) pressures and opportunities. The study was undertaken both at the level of individual companies and of the industry itself. Comparisons of performance are made between the organizations' responsiveness to their natural and commercial environments. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The outcome of macrosomic fetuses in a low risk primigravid population
Authors: Mulik V. , Usha Kiran T.S. , Bethal J. , Bhal P.S. 
Published: January 2003

AbstractObjectives: To ascertain whether fetal macrosomia is associated with increased maternal and neonatal morbidity in uncomplicated, singleton, vertex deliveries at term in primigravid women. Methods: This was a retrospective population based survey of 8617 deliveries over an 11‐year period. These were stratified into three birthweight categories: 2500–3999 g (n=7854), 4000–4499 g (n=666) and ≥4500 g (n=97). Outcome variables included maternal characteristics, delivery details, maternal and perinatal morbidity data. Results: Increased BMI and incidence of Caucasian ethnicity and non‐smoking were significantly greater in macrosomic compared with non‐macrosomic infants (P<0.001). Increasing birthweight (especially ≥4.5 kg) was associated with significantly (P<0.001) lower rates of spontaneous onset of labor, spontaneous vertex deliveries and significantly higher rates (P<0.001) of maternal and neonatal morbidity. Conclusions: This study supports the notion of expectant management in suspected fetal macrosomia in low risk primigravid women until 40 weeks gestation. Thereafter, the safest mode of delivery is controversial, with some evidence pointing to elective cesarean section as a viable alternative in these women. A prospective RCT is needed to evaluate the best management option in terms of fetal and maternal outcome in cases of suspected macrosomia after 40 weeks’ gestation.
Challenges of ethical research in resource‐poor settings
Authors: Dickens B.M. , Cook R.J. 
Published: January 2003

AbstractThe disparity in resources between economically developed and developing countries presents ethical concerns when commercial sponsors of studies and investigators propose to conduct them with subjects in developing countries. Vulnerable people may be recruited into studies of little health benefit to themselves or their communities and, under undue inducements, may accept disproportionate risks. Reproductive health studies may present women with undue risks. Guidelines have been developed to protect exploitable populations in resource‐poor settings, although guarding their right to make informed and voluntary choices poses special challenges. Guidelines pay special attention to pregnant women as research subjects, and may approve and even require their enrollment in studies of products not known to be harmful. Placebo‐controlled studies are addressed in contexts where no recognized treatments are routinely accessible. The structure and functions of research ethics review committees present difficult challenges, but they may be mitigated by enlightened international collaboration.
Painful and non‐painful neuropathy in HIV‐infected patients: an analysis of somatosensory nerve function
Authors: Martin Claes , Solders Göran , Sönnerborg Anders , Hansson Per 
Published: January 2003

AbstractFifteen to 50% of AIDS‐patients suffer from distal predominantly sensory neuropathy (DSP), which is commonly associated with painful symptoms. In the present study, we have focused on the function of fine calibre nerve channels, in 36 consecutive HIV‐1‐infected patients with painful (PPN) (n=20; 54%) and non‐painful (PN) (n=16) sensory neuropathy, assessed by clinical, quantitative thermal testing (QTT) (31/36), and peripheral nerve conduction examination (32/36). Control QTT data were obtained from 49 healthy subjects with a corresponding age‐ and sex distribution. Demographics, antiviral treatment, immunological status, and nerve conduction examination did not differ between patients with and without painful symptoms. Hypoaesthesia to warmth, cold, and heat pain was observed in both neuropathy groups when compared to healthy controls. However, the perception threshold to warmth was more often impaired (p<0.01) and the level of impairment was more pronounced (p<0.001) in patients with painful neuropathy. Furthermore, increased pain sensitivity to cold was found only in patients with painful symptoms (p<0.05). An abnormal outcome of any QTT parameter was found in all patients with pain, but only among 62% of patients without pain, p<0.01, and the cumulative frequency of abnormalities in any of the four thermal percepts (warmth, cold, heat pain, and cold pain) was higher in patients with painful symptoms, p<0.0001. This study demonstrates a more pronounced impairment of C‐fibre‐mediated innocuous warm perception in patients with painful neuropathy, which in the setting of impaired or absent heat pain perception suggests a more generalised loss of function in somatosensory C‐fibre channels.
Experimental muscle pain provokes long‐lasting alterations of thermal sensitivity in the referred pain area
Authors: Tuveson B , Lindblom U , Fruhstorfer H 
Published: January 2003

AbstractThis study explores thermal sensitivity and thermal nociception for signs of central sensitization in the area of referred muscle pain. Two groups of 24 healthy subjects (ss) each, and with mean ages of, respectively, 27 and 55 years, were first trained in quantitative sensory testing and pain rating. Then, in a second session, referred pain was evoked by injection of 6% hypertonic saline into the infraspinatus muscle. Cold and warm thresholds, synthetic heat threshold (SHT—evokedby an alternating pattern of adjacent cold and warmth), and thermal pain thresholds were measured within the referred pain area at a rate of 1/20 min for 60–120 min. All ss of both groups experienced referred pain mostly in the upper arm and of medium intensity. Pain lasted for approximately 12 min with a shorter duration in the older group (p<0.02). The cold threshold increased significantly (p<0.001), and the warm threshold slightly, after the injection and remained high for the whole observation period (i.e. lower and higher temperatures were necessary to elicit cold and warmth, respectively). Threshold recovery was more delayed in the older age group. Of those 28 ss in whom cold pain threshold could be followed during the whole observation period, 18 ss showed an immediate threshold decrease of average 6 °C which outlasted the observation period. Four ss responded with a threshold increase. Heat pain thresholds were not affected in the referred pain area. Average synthetic heat threshold did not change; there were, however, distinct and lasting individual threshold shifts in either direction. Ss with lowered cold pain thresholds or evident threshold shifts for synthetic heat had also higher pain ratings. The results demonstrate that experimental muscle pain can induce long‐lasting changes in thermal sensitivity and nociception. The unexpected cold threshold increase may tentatively be explained as an expression of long‐term depression. The decrease of cold pain threshold or SHT in subgroups of ss may indicate central sensitization. However, the observed changes in this experiment do not provide an unambiguous indicator for central sensitization which seems to be rather individual and might depend on pain intensity and proneness to express central mechanisms of sensitization. Therefore in clinical pain states the individual pattern of sensory abnormalities has to be analysed and interpreted in addition to the pain parameters to assess central involvement.
Experimental pain by ischaemic contractions compared with pain by intramuscular infusions of adenosine and hypertonic saline
Authors: Graven‐Nielsen Thomas , Jansson Ylva , Segerdahl Märta , Kristensen Jens D. , Mense Siegfried , Arendt‐Nielsen Lars , Sollevi Alf 
Published: January 2003

AbstractDeep tissue pain can be related to reduced muscle blood flow, which comprises the metabolic demand under muscle work. The tissues and receptors involved in nociception after ischaemic muscle contractions are not known. The concentration of adenosine is increased after ischaemic contractions and might act as an algesic substance. In 15 subjects, adenosine, hypertonic saline (algesic), and isotonic mannitol (placebo) were infused into the tibialis anterior muscle and compared with the pain caused by ischaemic contractions. The muscle pain intensity (visual analogue scale; VAS), distribution, and quality were assessed. Pressure pain thresholds were recorded to assess the deep tissue sensitivity. Adenosine did not induce more pain than the placebo. The maximal VAS score after hypertonic saline and ischaemic contractions was higher compared with adenosine/placebo infusions. The duration and area of pain were significantly increased after hypertonic saline infusions compared with ischaemic contractions. Higher scores on the McGill pain questionnaire were given to the “stabbing”, “burning”, “heavy”, and “exhausting” word categories after ischaemic contractions, and “cramping” was rated higher during hypertonic saline‐induced muscle pain compared with ischaemic contractions. During hypertonic saline infusions, the pressure pain threshold was decreased compared with before and immediately after the pain had vanished. The present study shows that pharmacological levels of adenosine in skeletal muscle did not induce pain. Excitation of muscle nociceptors by hypertonic saline evoked hyperalgesia, larger areas of pain, and a different quality of pain compared with ischaemic contractions, suggesting that the pain after ischaemic contractions is mediated by other populations of nociceptors in muscle and/or other tissues than excited by hypertonic saline.
THE HEALTH ECONOMICS OF CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D3 FOR THE PREVENTION OF OSTEOPOROTIC HIP FRACTURES IN SWEDEN
Authors: Willis Michael S. 
Published: January 2003

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the economics of administering calcium and vitamin D3 to post-menopausal women in Sweden. We focus primarily on the cost-effectiveness of treating older women for whom clear evidence of efficacy is available. We supplement this information, however, with estimates of the cost-effectiveness of treating certain high-risk groups of younger women, while acknowledging the greater uncertainty involved.Methods: We developed a Markov model for analyzing the occurrence and timing of hip fractures, based almost entirely on peer-reviewed data from Sweden. In a 3-year randomized clinical trial, the combination of calcium and vitamin D3 was shown to reduce the risk of hip fractures by 27%. Costs for treating hip fractures were based on 1,080 women who were hospitalized in Stockholm.Results: Treatment of 70-year-old women was cost saving at efficacy as low as two-thirds that seen in the clinical trials, and upwards. Even at modest rates of efficacy, treatment of the high-risk 50- and 60-year-old cohorts was generally cost-effective and in some cases even cost saving. Particularly cost-effective was treatment of women with identified osteoporosis or a maternal family history of hip fracture.Conclusion: Simulation results suggest a role for lifetime treatment of older women with calcium and vitamin D3 in Sweden. While there is more uncertainty underlying the treatment of younger women, our simulation results suggest that treatment may also be cost saving or at least cost-effective for many cohorts of high-risk 50- and particularly 60-year-old women, in particular those with osteoporosis or a maternal family history of hip fracture.
THE TYPICAL COCHRANE REVIEW
Authors: Mallett Susan , Clarke Mike 
Published: January 2003

Objectives: To describe the number of trials and participants in a typical systematic review from The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.Methods: The number of trials in 1,000 Cochrane systematic reviews in issue 1, 2001 of The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was counted for three categories of trial: included trials, ongoing trials, and trials awaiting assessment for inclusion. (The term trial is used in this paper, although a small number of Cochrane reviews include studies that are not trials.) The total number of participants in included trials was extracted from a sample of reviews.Results: A total of 9,778 trials were included in the Cochrane reviews. There were a further 356 ongoing trials and 1,138 trials awaiting assessment for inclusion. A typical review contained six included trials. Forty percent of the reviews listed ongoing trials and/or trials awaiting assessment for inclusion. Based on a sample of 258 reviews, the median number of participants per review was 945 (interquartile range, 313 to 2,511) per review and 118 (interquartile range, 60 to 241) per trial.Conclusion: This report is a descriptive study of the number of trials and participants in a typical Cochrane review from The Cochrane Library, issue 1, 2001.
Culture and Traumatic Events
Authors: Antai-Otong Deborah 
Published: January 2003

The contexts in which traumatic experiences occur contribute to interpretations of their meaning and responses. Social and ethnocultural responses to traumatic or stressful life events are diverse. Psychiatric nurses are critical in the healing process of individuals, families, and communities. This process involves helping the client understand the stress responses, process the traumatic event, and develop adaptive coping mechanisms. Integrating sociocultural influences into treatment strategies promotes restoration of homeostasis and optimal functioning.
Potential impacts on the incidence of fatal heroin‐related overdose in Western Australia: a time‐series analysis
Authors: HARGREAVES KIM , LENTON SIMON , PHILLIPS MIKE , SWENSEN GREG 
Published: January 2003

AbstractIn response to the rising concerns about the rate of heroin‐related fatalities, overdose prevention campaigns, run by both users' organizations and government agencies, have been implemented in a number of states across Australia. In Western Australia (WA) in mid‐1997, various overdose prevention initiatives were implemented. These included the implementation of a protocol limiting police presence at overdose events; the commencement of naloxone administration by ambulance staff; and the establishment of the Opiate Overdose Prevention Strategy (OOPS) which provided follow‐up for individuals treated for overdose in emergency departments. This paper reports the results of a multiple linear regression analysis of 60 months of time‐series data, both prior to and following the implementation of these interventions, to determine their impact on the number of fatal heroin overdoses in WA. The model employed in the analysis controlled for changes over time in proxy indicators of use and community concerns about heroin, as well as market indicators. The results suggest that, although the interventions implemented have managed to reduce the expected number of fatalities, they have become less successful in doing so as time passes. This has implications for both existing and potential interventions to reduce fatal heroin‐related overdose.
Characteristics, retention and readmissions of opioid‐dependent clients treated with oral naltrexone
Authors: BARTU ANNE , FREEMAN NERELIE C. , GAWTHORNE GEOFF S. , ALLSOP STEVE J. , QUIGLEY ALLAN J. 
Published: January 2003

AbstractThe aims of this study were to examine the retention rates of opioid‐dependent clients treated with oral naltrexone and identify factors that influence retention in treatment of 981 opioid‐dependent clients at a public out‐patient clinic in Perth, Western Australia. The average retention period for all clients was 9.0 weeks. The factors associated with longer retention were being employed and referral source. Clients who were employed stayed significantly longer in treatment than unemployed clients. Clients referred from a private clinic were retained in treatment significantly longer than those referred from other sources (X̄ = 10.3 vs. 5.9 weeks). While the majority (80.8%) had one admission to naltrexone treatment, 19.2% presented for readmission, some on three or more occasions in the study period. The median period between the end of the first episode of treatment and commencement of the second was 15.6 weeks. The median period between the end of the second episode of treatment and commencement of the third was 11.4 weeks. Those employed had a higher probability of being retained longer in treatment than those who were unemployed in subsequent treatment episodes. Clinicians should expect that initial retention in naltrexone is likely to be relatively short, and that a substantial proportion of clients will represent for further treatment.
Magistrates' Early Referral into Treatment (MERIT): preliminary findings of a 12‐month court diversion trial for drug offenders
Authors: REILLY DAVID , SCANTLETON JOHN , DIDCOTT PETER 
Published: January 2003

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to present a description and preliminary findings of a 12‐month trial of a Local Court diversion programme, called MERIT for Magistrates' Early Referral into Treatment. The aim of MERIT is to divert eligible drug offenders to treatment and rehabilitation services. A total of 172 offenders were assessed and 131 entered the programme. The sources of referral were court (58%), police (17%) and self (10%). Main problem drugs were heroin (57%), cannabis (21%) and amphetamines (11%). The majority (85%) had previous convictions and 50% had been in jail. At the end of the trial period one‐third (33%) completed the programme and one‐third (33%) remained in treatment. Main treatment interventions were case management and out‐patient counselling, detoxification, residential rehabilitation and methadone maintenance. Police records showed that of the original 43 (33%) graduates only six had come to police notice, mainly for relatively minor offences. Early acceptance and preliminary results has led to an expansion of the MERIT programme across New South Wales. With the rapid expansion of drug courts and diversion programmes across Australia, descriptive studies are useful to provide beneficial data to assist policy makers and service providers to develop programmes.
Under the radar—how the tobacco industry targets youth in Australia
Authors: HARPER TODD A. , MARTIN JANE E. 
Published: January 2003

AbstractTobacco consumption has been declining in Australia since the 1970s when controls on advertising were first introduced. Since this time, legislation has been progressively introduced, severely restricting tobacco advertising and promotion in the mainstream media. This has resulted in limited opportunities for the tobacco industry to reach new smokers, particularly young people. This paper outlines marketing strategies used by tobacco companies and their advertising agencies to reach this group; it examines how the industry exploits loopholes in current legislation and identifies new promotional opportunities. Increasingly, the industry has targeted young people through film, dance parties, nightclubs, fashion shows, e‐mail and the internet. The industry is also capitalizing on promoting pack design elements and enhancing them through event promotion. Unless restrictions on tobacco marketing and promotion are comprehensive they undermine the effectiveness of those already in place and will continue to be exploited by the tobacco industry. The recent announcement by the Federal government to reassess the current legislative restrictions in light of these new marketing trends is welcome. The removal of all incentives to promote tobacco products, including imagery associated with the pack and its design, is essential in removing one of the key factors influencing the uptake and prevalence of smoking in youth.
Positive solutions for a fourth order equation invariant under isometries
Authors: Robert Frédéric 
Published: January 2003

Let

(
M
,
g
)

(M,g)

be a smooth compact Riemannian manifold of dimension

n
≥
5

n\geq 5

. We consider the problem

(

⋆

)

Δ
g
2

u
+
α

Δ
g

u
+
a
u
=
f

u

n
+
4

n
−
4

,

\begin{equation*} \tag {$\star $}\Delta _g^2 u+\alpha \Delta _g u+au=f u^{\frac {n+4}{n-4}}, \end{equation*}

where

Δ
g

=
−
d
i

v
g

(
∇
)

\Delta _g=-div_g(\nabla )

,

α
\alpha

,

a
∈

R

a\in \mathbb {R}

,

u
u

,

f
∈

C

∞

(
M
)

f\in C^{\infty }(M)

. We require

u
u

to be positive and invariant under isometries. We prove existence results for

(
⋆
)

(\star )

on arbitrary compact manifolds. This includes the case of the geometric Paneitz-Branson operator on the sphere.
The first cohomology group of the generalized Morava stabilizer algebra
Authors: Nakai Hirofumi , Ravenel Douglas 
Published: January 2003

There exists app-local spectrumT(m)T(m)withBP∗(T(m))BP_{*}(T(m))=BP∗[t1,…,tm]\!BP_{*}[t_{1},\dots ,t_{m}]. Its Adams-NovikovE2E_2-term is isomorphic toExtΓ(m+1)(BP∗,BP∗),\begin{equation*} \text {Ext}_{\Gamma (m+1)}(BP_*,BP_*), \end{equation*}whereΓ(m+1)=BP∗(BP)/(t1,…,tm)=BP∗[tm+1,tm+2,…].\begin{equation*} \Gamma (m+1) = BP_{*} (BP)/ \left (t_{1},\dots ,t_{m}\right ) = BP_{*}[t_{m+1},t_{m+2},\dots ]. \end{equation*}In this paper we determine the groupsExtΓ(m+1)1(BP∗,vn−1BP∗/In)\begin{equation*} \text {Ext}^{1}_{\Gamma (m+1)} (BP_{*},v_{n}^{-1}BP_{*}/I_{n}) \end{equation*}for allm,n>0m,n>0. Its rank ranges fromn+1n+1ton2n^{2}depending on the value ofmm.
Endpoint estimates for the circular maximal function
Authors: Lee Sanghyuk 
Published: January 2003

We consider the problem of endpoint estimates for the circular maximal function defined by
\[

M
f
(
x
)
=

sup

1
>
t
>
2

|

∫

S
1

f
(
x
−
t
y
)
d
σ
(
y
)
|

Mf(x)=\sup _{1>t>2}\left |\int _{S^1} f(x-ty)d\sigma (y)\right |

\]
where

d
σ

d\sigma

is the normalized surface area measure on

S
1

S^1

. Let

Δ
\Delta

be the closed triangle with vertices

(
0
,
0
)
,
(
1

/

2
,
1

/

2
)
,
(
2

/

5
,
1

/

5
)

(0,0), (1/2, 1/2), (2/5,1/5)

. We prove that for

(
1

/

p
,
1

/

q
)
∈
Δ
∖
{
(
1

/

2
,
1

/

2
)
,
(
2

/

5
,
1

/

5
)
}

(1/p,1/q)\in \Delta \setminus \{(1/2,1/2), (2/5,1/5)\}

, there is a constant

C
C

such that

‖
M
f

‖

L
q

(

R

2

)

≤
C
‖
f

‖

L
p

(

R

2

)

.

\|Mf\|_{L^q(\mathbb R^2)}\le C\|f\|_{L^p(\mathbb R^2)}.

Furthermore,

‖
M
f

‖

L

5
,
∞

(

R

2

)

≤
C
‖
f

‖

L

5

/

2
,
1

(

R

2

)

\|Mf\|_{L^{5,\infty }(\mathbb R^2)}\le C \|f\|_{L^{5/2,1}(\mathbb R^2)}

.