bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of a collaborative procurement approach using integrated design in construction on project team performance
Authors: Forgues Daniel , Koskela Lauri
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to study the influence of procurement on the performance of integrated design teams.

Design/methodology/approach

The research paradigm is based on Russian socio‐constructivist approach to activity theory. Activity theory, as opposed to natural or social science, is a design science approach that focuses on the context aspect of project. A triangulation of qualitative research methods is used to investigate the dynamic of integrated teams in two different procurement contexts.

Findings

The paper is conclusive regarding the influence of procurement on team efficiency. It demonstrates that traditional procurement processes reinforce socio‐cognitive barriers that hinder team efficiency. It also illustrates how new procurement modes can transform the dynamic of relationships between the client and the members of the supply chain, and have a positive impact on team performance.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates first that problems with integrated design team efficiency are related to context and not process – they are not technical but socio‐cognitive; second that fragmented transactional contracting increases socio‐cognitive barriers that hinder integrated design team performance; third that new forms of relational contracting may help to mitigate socio‐cognitive barriers and improve integrated design team performance, fourth that changing the context through procurement does not address the problem of obsolete design practices.

Originality/value

The paper brings together theories of production in lean construction and social learning as a rival approach to traditional project management theory for demonstrating the importance of context on team performance.
A project management prospective in achieving a sustainable supply chain for timber procurement in Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Authors: Zuo Kelvin , Potangaroa Regan , Wilkinson Suzanne , Rotimi James O.B.
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the alternative procurement procedures that will address the complexity of issues surrounding timber procurement for housing reconstruction after the Tsunami in Banda Aceh. It reviews construction supply chain management (SCM) and procurement philosophies with a project management (PM) perspective to facilitate the logistics of post‐disaster reconstruction.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on two fieldtrip experiences in Banda Aceh in 2006 (one month) and 2008 (two months) with the housing reconstruction program of an international non‐governmental organisation, this paper examines the modern literature on SCM and analyses this process associated with construction material procurement in practice, reviews the problems inherited in the Indonesian context and analyses the proposed procedures of local and international procurement of timber to streamline the supply for reconstruction in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Findings

The incorporation of sustainable considerations into the design of procurement routes in the overall PM process for post‐disaster construction should be well recognized. The paper shows that basic SCM philosophies of ensuring stakeholder integration and collaboration could reduce the problems in timber procurement in Banda Aceh. Sustainable construction and triple bottom lines criteria are proposed to ensure a value creation process for a wider stakeholder engagement and overall reconstruction project delivery.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful PM insights into SCM and sustainable construction literature. The case study reviews the timber procurement problems and goes further to present two alternative procurement models that could be implemented as more sustainable responses to post‐disaster reconstruction in Banda Aceh.
Implications of social responsibility investment for pension funds in Turkey
Authors: Michael Bryane
Published: June 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to present to capital market regulators (particularly in Turkey) with options for regulating the quickly expanding area of socially responsible investment (SRI).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes a public economics perspective, focusing on the social risks concomitant with equity investment, and presents options based on an economic analysis of the various regulatory options available to capital market regulators.

Findings

The paper finds that in the long run, the extent of national SRI‐related regulation will probably depend on the extent to which the social, environmental, and other risks targeted by SRI represent social risks (which can be mitigated by regulation as opposed to other policy instruments).

Practical implications

While Turkish private pension fund regulators should be mindful of wariness of other OECD member countries to regulate SRI, the particularity of the social risks faced by Turkish financial markets may militate for a unique national approach toward SRI regulation.

Originality/value

This study represents one of the first attempts to address the issue of domestic SRI regulation and to present evidence‐based conclusions in a policy oriented setting.
The determinants of Islamic banks' efficiency changes
Authors: Sufian Fadzlan , Akbar Noor Mohamad Noor Mohamad
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis on the performance of the Islamic banking sector in 16 MENA (Middle East and north Africa) and Asian countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A two‐stage procedure is followed to examine the efficiency of Islamic banking sectors in 16 MENA and Asian countries. First, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to estimate the technical, pure technical, and scale efficiency for each bank in the sample. Following previous research, an annual frontier specific to each year is constructed, as it is more flexible and thus more appropriate than estimating a single multiyear frontier for the banks in the sample. It has been pointed out that the principal advantage of having panel data is the ability to observe each bank more than once over a period of time. Nevertheless, the issue is also critical in a continuously changing business environment because the technology of a bank that is most efficient in one period may not be the most efficient in another. To an extent, this relieves also the problems related to the lack of random error in DEA by allowing an efficient bank in one period to be inefficient in another, assuming that the errors owing to luck or data problems are not consistent over time. In the second stage regression, Tobit regression is used to determine the impact of internal and external factors on Islamic banks' efficiency.

Findings

The results suggest that the MENA Islamic banks have exhibited higher mean technical efficiency relative to their Asian Islamic bank counterparts. The empirical findings suggest that during the period of study, pure technical inefficiency outweighs scale inefficiency in both the MENA and Asian countries banking sectors. Banks from the MENA region were found to be the global leaders by dominating the efficiency frontier during the period of study. Positive relationship was found between bank efficiency and loans intensity, size, capitalization, and profitability. The empirical results show that technically more efficient banks are those that have smaller market share and low non‐performing loans ratio. A multivariate analysis based on the Tobit model reinforces these findings.

Originality/value

The paper aims to fill a demanding gap in the literature by providing the latest empirical evidence on the determinants of the performance of Islamic banks in 16 MENA and Asian countries.
Islamic perspectives on leadership: a model
Authors: Ali Abbas J.
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to address the notion of leadership in Muslim countries. It seeks to develop a model for understanding leadership in Islamic culture and discusses the factors which give rise to two types of leadership: the prophetic and caliphate.

Design/methodology/approach

The article briefly surveys the socio‐economic and political forces which facilitate the emergence of certain leadership styles. The paper, then, suggests a model of leadership relevant to Islamic culture.

Findings

Two types of leadership were identified. Furthermore, the paper addresses the conflict between idealism and realism and the rise of authoritarian leaders.

Practical implications

This paper offers policymakers and researchers various avenues on how to address the issue of leadership in an Islamic culture and presents a theoretical model for understanding issues pertaining to leaders and leadership in Muslim societies. Specific propositions pertaining to the effect of culture and society on leadership are offered.

Originality/value

The paper offers a genuine reflection on the nature of leadership. The issue of leadership and its linkage to culture has often been overlooked in the literature. In part, this is because most of the literature on leadership has been focused primarily on personality‐based relationships and relationships between leaders and followers. In this paper, it is argued that culture shapes personality and gives meaning to contextual and relational aspects of leadership.
Does China deserve the market economy status?
Authors: Rinaldi‐Larribe Marie‐José , Lightfoot William S. , Zhao Zhongxiu
Published: June 2009

Purpose

Throughout the past 30 years, major economic reforms have been implemented in China; in 2001, China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) was a major step, since it enabled the country to formally join the globalised world. But China entered the WTO without market economy status (MES), meaning that other countries can easily use the WTO international settlement body in antidumping procedures against Chinese firms. Since joining the WTO, Chinese authorities have repeatedly attempted to gain this status, arguing that considerable progress has been made in dealing with dumping, and that the transition process from a planned to a market economy (ME) has been considerable. This paper aims to explore the issues surrounding this situation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors searched the literature in order to understand the reasons why China has been denied the MES until now, according to previous analyses, in order to confront those findings with their own ideas on the subject. Moreover, they list the criteria used by the USA and the European Union (EU) in order to justify the non‐recognition of China as an ME, and they question whether the Chinese economy meets those criteria.

Findings

The paper assesses the extent of the reforms implemented, and determines the further stages that are needed in the transition process.

Originality/value

This paper is a viewpoint that enables readers to have a more precise idea of the present situation of the Chinese economy in terms of being or not an ME, an issue that is often raised but with no clear‐cut conclusion.
What is “the alcohol problem”?
Authors: Pratten John D.
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the problems which exist in the excessive use of alcohol and to consider the origins of these problems to determine if they are new or long established.

Design/methodology/approach

There is a heavy use of secondary sources drawn from the whole of the period studied. This is augmented by discussions with licensees, retired licensees and older customers, to collect their reflections on the industry.

Findings

The main problems caused by the excessive use of alcohol are not new, but go back centuries. As the users of alcohol itself have changed, so the attention paid to these problems has been intensified.

Research limitations/implications

The paper reports the key problems of excessive alcohol consumption and examines some of the causes. Further work could examine such causes more carefully, and could include regional studies for comparison purposes.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates that there are a variety of problems and suggests that they should be addressed individually rather than seeking one answer to a series of age‐old questions.

Originality/value

The topic should be of interest to all those who claim to be concerned by excessive alcohol consumption.
Social aspects of alcohol consumption in Poland
Authors: Kubacki Krzysztof , Siemieniako Dariusz , Skinner Heather
Published: June 2009

Purpose

Underpinning this research is an acknowledgement of the increasing attention paid to the social issues raised by young peoples' alcohol consumption. Although earlier research has identified a number of factors contributing to alcohol‐related problems in Poland, only a handful of studies attempted to better understand drinking patterns and their influence on alcohol consumption amongst Polish people. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the roles alcohol plays in the life of young people in Poland.

Design/methodology/approach

All the data are collected on a university campus in Poland in late autumn 2007 from a group of ten university students. The research is conducted in three phases, using two research methods: focus groups and diaries. Purposive sample is used to establish two focus groups (Phases 1 and 3) each of which meet on two occasions, three weeks apart. In the first two week period between each focus group, respondents are asked to keep private diary (Phase 2) recording every occurrence that is, in their opinion, related to alcohol consumption.

Findings

The findings are themed around three major factors: quantity of consumed alcohol, frequency of consumption and location of consumption. However, the strongest issue is the pressure experienced by students around the social consumption of alcohol.

Research limitations/implications

At a time when young peoples' alcohol consumption is attracting increasing attention from legislators and regulators, a better understanding of young consumers' behaviour may help government and other non‐profit organisations create well‐informed regulations, policies or educational programmes.

Originality/value

Although there is significant amount of research into detrimental effects of excessive alcohol consumption on physical and psychological health of people in Poland, little research goes into wider social issues or beyond the most visible biological consequences of drinking as anti‐social behaviour.
A good night out: alcohol‐related behaviours in young adults
Authors: Ritchie Caroline , Ritchie Felix , Ward Richard
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate drinking patterns; attitudes towards alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related behaviours amongst differing groups of young adults. A further aim is to investigate whether the drinking behaviours of undergraduate populations can be considered to be representative of young adult behaviours in general.

Design/methodology/approach

Four groups of young adult alcohol consumers are identified. The participants in the first two groups are aged between 18 and 23, one group being undergraduates and the second non‐graduates in work. Participants in the second two groups are aged between 24 and 29, one group comprising graduates in work, the second non‐graduates in work. 120 questionnaires were completed; 30 in each sample group, with an even gender distribution. Follow up one‐to‐one interviews are carried out with representatives from each group.

Findings

Although a small study it is evident that whilst there are some similarities in behaviours between the differing sample groups significant differences in alcohol‐related behaviours dominate.

Practical implications

The results suggest that utilising the results of research carried out amongst student populations to inform government policies with regard to the behaviour of young adults in general is unlikely to be successful in changing drinking behaviours.

Originality/value

This paper produces new insights into current drinking cultures and attitudes towards drinking in differing groups of young adults. Specifically, it compares behavioural norms between graduate and non‐graduate populations challenging much current research which is based upon student samples as being representative of the young adult population as a whole.
The licensee and problems drinking: a practitioner's view
Authors: Pratten Amanda J.
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the ethical issues faced by licensees and how they are addressed to ensure suitable behaviour by customers.

Design/methodology/approach

The daily round of “problem drinkers” is identified, and the attitudes to their service examined.

Findings

In order to run a profitable business, only those who cause offence to others are likely to be refused service.

Practical implications

This paper should provide academics and others not directly involved in the industry with an idea of some of the issues faced by licensees.

Originality value

Little work has been done on the opinions and attitudes of licensees to the issues of problem drinkers. This paper may help to rectify that.
Summary: what have we learned about alcohol control?
Authors: Pratten John D.
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this summary is to review the contribution made by this theme issue to the question: what are the possible solutions to the problem of excessive alcohol consumption?

Design/methodology/approach

Provides a summary to this special issue on excessive alcohol consumption.

Findings

That societal attitudes to alcohol consumption have changed and that the drinks industry is geared to provide a wide range of supply options.

Practical implications

There are many stakeholders involved in the provision of alcoholic beverages and suppliers, vendors, licensees, regulators and other agencies will need to work closely together in order to limit what is viewed by many as an escalating problem.

Originality/value

Reviews some of the key contributions arising from this theme issue.
Clan particle swarm optimization
Authors: Ferreira de Carvalho Danilo , José Albanez Bastos‐Filho Carmelo
Published: June 2009

Purpose

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been used to solve many different types of optimization problems. In spite of this, the original version of PSO is not capable to find reasonable solutions for some types of problems. Therefore, novel approaches to deal with more sophisticated problems are required. Many variations of the basic PSO form have been explored, targeting the velocity update equation. Other approaches attempt to change the communication topology inside the swarm. The purpose of this paper is to propose a topology based on the concept of clans.

Design/methodology/approach

First of all, this paper presents a detailed description of its proposal. After that, it shows a graphical convergence analysis for the Rosenbrock benchmark function. In the sequence, a convergence analysis for clan PSO with different parameters is performed. A comparison with star, ring, focal, von Neumann and four clusters topologies is also performed.

Findings

The paper's simulation results have shown that the proposal obtained better results than the other topologies for the benchmark functions selected for this paper.

Originality/value

The proposed topology for PSO based on clans provides a novel form for information distribution inside the swarm. In this approach, the topology is determined dynamically during the search process, according to the success rate inside each clan.
Predator prey optimization for snake‐based contour detection
Authors: Nebti Salima , Meshoul Souham
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a work that aims to solve contour detection problem using a planar deformable model and a swarm‐based optimization technique. Contour detection is an important task in image processing as it allows depicting boundaries of objects in an image. The proposed approach uses snakes as active contour model and adapts predator prey optimization (PPO) metaheuristic so that to define a new dynamic for evolving snakes in a way to reduce time complexity while providing good quality results.

Design/methodology/approach

In the proposed approach, contour detection has been cast as an optimization problem requiring function minimization. PPO has been used to develop a search strategy to handle the optimization process. PPO is a population‐based method inspired by the phenomenon of predators attack and preys evasion. It has been proposed as an improvement of particle swarm optimization (PSO) where additional particles are introduced to repel the other particles into the swarm. The introduced dynamic is intended to achieve better exploration of the search space. In the design, a representation scheme has been first defined. Each particle either a predator or a prey is represented as a curve (snake) defined by a set of control points. The idea is then to evolve a set of curves using the dynamic governed by PPO model equations. As a result, the curve that optimizes a defined energy function is identified as the contour of the target object.

Findings

Application of the proposed method to a variety of images using a multi agent platform has shown that good quality results have been obtained compared to a PSO‐based method.

Originality/value

Nature inspired computing is an emergent paradigm that witnesses a growing interest because it suggests a new philosophy to optimization. This work contributes in showing its suitability to solve problems even it is still at infancy. In another hand, despite the amount of work done in image processing, it is still required to define new methods for image segmentation. This work outlines a new way to deal with this problem through the use of PPO.
Robust human posture analysis using incremental learning and recall based on degree of confidence of feature points
Authors: Shimada Atsushi , Kanouchi Madoka , Arita Daisaku , Taniguchi Rin‐Ichiro
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to improve the accuracy of estimating feature points of human body on a vision‐based motion capture system (MCS) by using the variable‐density self‐organizing map (VDSOM).

Design/methodology/approach

The VDSOM is a kind of self‐organizing map (SOM) and has an ability to learn training samples incrementally. The authors let VDSOM learn 3D feature points of human body when the MCS succeeded in estimating them correctly. On the other hand, one or more 3D feature point could not be estimated correctly, the VDSOM is used for the other purpose. The SOM including VDSOM has an ability to recall a part of weight vector which have learned in the learning process. This ability is used to recall correct patterns and complement such incorrect feature points by replacing such incorrect feature points with them.

Findings

Experimental results show that the approach is effective for estimation of human posture robustly compared with the other methods.

Originality/value

The proposed approach is interesting for the collaboration between an MCS and an incremental learning.
A hybrid learning approach to tissue recognition in wound images
Authors: Veredas Francisco J. , Mesa Héctor , Morente Laura
Published: June 2009

Purpose

Pressure ulcer is a clinical pathology of localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure, shear, and friction. Diagnosis, treatment and care of pressure ulcers involve high costs for sanitary systems. Accurate wound evaluation is a critical task to optimize the efficacy of treatments and health‐care. Clinicians evaluate the pressure ulcers by visual inspection of the damaged tissues, which is an imprecise manner of assessing the wound state. Current computer vision approaches do not offer a global solution to this particular problem. The purpose of this paper is to use a hybrid learning approach based on neural and Bayesian networks to design a computational system to automatic tissue identification in wound images.

Design/methodology/approach

A mean shift procedure and a region‐growing strategy are implemented for effective region segmentation. Color and texture features are extracted from these segmented regions. A set ofkmulti‐layer perceptrons is trained with inputs consisting of color and texture patterns, and outputs consisting of categorical tissue classes determined by clinical experts. This training procedure is driven by ak‐fold cross‐validation method. Finally, a Bayesian committee machine is formed by training a Bayesian network to combine the classifications of thekneural networks (NNs).

Findings

The authors outcomes show high efficiency rates from a two‐stage cascade approach to tissue identification. Giving a non‐homogeneous distribution of pattern classes, this hybrid approach has shown an additional advantage of increasing the classification efficiency when classifying patterns with relative low frequencies.

Practical implications

The methodology and results presented in this paper could have important implications to the field of clinical pressure ulcer evaluation and diagnosis.

Originality/value

The novelty associated with this work is the use of a hybrid approach consisting of NNs and Bayesian classifiers which are combined to increase the performance of a pattern recognition task applied to the real clinical problem of tissue detection under non‐controlled illumination conditions.
Fuzzy control with passivity synthesis for continuous affine Takagi‐Sugeno fuzzy systems
Authors: Chang Wen‐Jer , Ku Cheung‐Chieh , Chang Wei
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a stability analysis and control synthesis for achieving passivity properties of a class of continuous‐time nonlinear systems. These nonlinear systems are represented via continuous affine Takagi‐Sugeno (T‐S) fuzzy models, which played an important role in nonlinear control systems. The affine T‐S fuzzy models are more approximate than homogeneous T‐S fuzzy models for modeling nonlinear systems. Using the energy concept of passivity theory with Lyapunov function, the conditions are derived to ensure the passivity and stability of nonlinear systems. Based on the parallel distribution compensation (PDC) technique, this paper proposes a fuzzy controller design approach to achieve the passivity and stability for the continuous affine T‐S fuzzy systems.

Design/methodology/approach

For solving stability and stabilization problems of affine T‐S fuzzy models, the conversion techniques and passive theory are employed to derive the stability conditions. By applying the linear matrix inequality technique, a modified iterative linear matrix inequality algorithm is proposed to determine and update the auxiliary variables for finding feasible solutions of these stability conditions.

Findings

By studying the numerical example, the proposed design technique of this paper is an effectiveness and useful approach to design the PDC‐based fuzzy controller. From the simulation results, the considered nonlinear system with external disturbances driven by proposed design fuzzy controller is stable and strictly input passive.

Originality/value

This paper is interesting for designing fuzzy controller to guarantee the stability and strict input passivity of affine T‐S fuzzy models.
From physical to accounting control: a study of accounting change resistance
Authors: Wahyudi Imam
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine an effort by management of a private higher education institution in Indonesia to replace its informal, relationship‐based performance system which relied on physical discourse – overseeing operational details that focus on physical accomplishment of tasks – and personal control by the school head, with a tight budgetary control system which relied on technical efficiency and rational discourse.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is an ethnographic case study of a business school – a private higher education institution in Indonesia – known by its abbreviation as Perbanas Business School (PBS), from 1999 to 2001. The researcher is part of the case being studied, and thus is a “native” who completely participates in the change process.

Findings

The paper demonstrates how a control system change that violates existing cultural norms fails to impact day‐to‐day managerial practices or decision‐making processes. Specifically, in a business school setting, replacing an informal relationship‐based control system with a technical efficiency‐based accounting control system only produces chaotic managerial practices and degrades school services. The new system alienates staff and is not accepted or institutionalized. Instead, in daily managerial processes, management continue to rely on informal and personal relationships.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to the accounting literature by studying the process of instituting accounting change and organizational participants' resistance to that change.

Originality/value

Organizational culture, reflected in values, norms of behavior and everyday practices, cannot easily be controlled or changed by chief executive officers.
A case study of the performance management system in a Malaysian government linked company
Authors: Norhayati M.A. , Siti‐Nabiha A.K.
Published: June 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the institutionalization process of the performance management system (PMS) in a Malaysian government‐linked company (GLC). The study specifically looks at the changes brought by the GLC transformation programme introduced by the government.

Design/methodology/approach

An explanatory case study method is used whereby data are collected through semi structured interviews, document reviews, informal conversations and observations.

Findings

Despite attempts to link the organisational activities to the system through the business operating plan, the data reveal that the PMS‐related activities have somehow been viewed as a routine mechanism for appraising the employees' performances and become decoupled from the organisational activities. Thus, the new PMS did not really change the way organisational members view and do things in the organisation.

Research limitations/implications

This study shows that the intention to institutionalise a new practice may not be materialised if there are not enough forces to support the change. The adoption of the new PMS practices may be due to isomorphic pressures to mimic other organisations in the same environmental field leading to ceremonial adoption of the practice.

Originality/value

This research provides evidence to the government that the process involved in transforming the organisational culture of a government‐linked organisation by using accounting tools might be time consuming, costly and subject to resistance. Hence, any change management programme introduced in a government‐linked organisation should have strong top management support, good financial standing as well as a reliable technical backup to the programme.
Feasibility and validity of low‐budget telephonic follow‐up interviews in routine outcome monitoring of substance abuse treatment
Authors: Oudejans Suzan C.C. , Schippers Gerardus M. , Merkx Maarten J.M. , Schramade Mark H. , Koeter Maarten W.J. , Van Den Brink Wim
Published: June 2009

Aims  Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is receiving growing attention. However, follow‐up interviews are time‐consuming and costly. This study examines the feasibility and validity of low‐budget telephonic follow‐up interviews for ROM in a substance abuse treatment centre (SATC).

Design  Observational study using data collected for routine outcome monitoring.

Setting  The study was performed in a SATC in an urban area in the Netherlands.

Participants  Feasibility and validity were assessed on data of 2325 patients.

Measurements  Data on pre‐treatment socio‐demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using electronic patient records (EPRs) and the European version of the Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). Data on intensity of treatment were also collected through the EPRs. Telephonic follow‐up interviews were conducted between 9 and 10 months after intake.

Findings  A 53% follow‐up rate was achieved; 35% of the patients could not be contacted, 3% explicitly refused and in 8% other reasons accounted for non‐participation. About 50% of the interviews took place in the intended time‐frame. Costs were €40 ($57) per completed interview. There were indications of selection bias, because patients with cocaine as their primary problem and patients with polysubstance abuse were under‐represented in the follow‐up sample; the presence of these disorders is associated with negative treatment outcome.

Conclusions  Implementing telephonic low‐budget follow‐up interviews for ROM is feasible, but selection bias threatens internal validity of data, limiting generalization to the total treatment population. Increased efforts to track patients for follow‐up may improve generalization.
Comparing retention in treatment and mortality in people after initial entry to methadone and buprenorphine treatment
Authors: Bell James , Trinh Lieu , Butler Bethany , Randall Deborah , Rubin George
Published: June 2009

Aim  To compare retention in treatment and mortality among people entering methadone and buprenorphine treatment for opioid dependence.

Data sources  The Pharmaceutical Drugs of Abuse System (PHDAS) database records start‐ and end‐dates of all episodes of methadone and buprenorphine treatment in New South Wales, and the National Death Index (NDI) records all reported deaths.

Methods  Data linkage study. First entrants to treatment between June 2002 and June 2006 were identified from the PHDAS database. Retention in treatment was compared between methadone and buprenorphine. Names were linked to the NDI database, and ‘good matches’ were identified. Deaths were classified as occurring during induction, maintenance and either post‐methadone or post‐buprenorphine, depending on the latest episode of treatment prior to death. The numbers of inductions into treatment, of total person‐years spent in each treatment, and person‐years post‐methadone or buprenorphine, were calculated. Risk of death in different periods, and different treatments, was analysed using Poisson regression.

Results  A total of 5992 people entered their first episode of treatment—3349 (56%) on buprenorphine, 2643 on methadone. Median retention was significantly longer in methadone (271 days) than buprenorphine (40 days). During induction, the risk of death was lower for buprenorphine (relative risk = 0.114, 95% confidence interval = 0.002–0.938, P = 0.02, Fisher's exact test). Risk of death was lowest during treatment, significantly higher in the first 12 months after leaving both methadone and buprenorphine. Beyond 12 months after leaving treatment, risk of death was non‐significantly higher than during treatment.

Conclusions  Buprenorphine was safer during induction. Despite shorter retention in treatment, buprenorphine maintenance was not associated with higher risk of death.
Genetic and physiological determinants ofStreptomyces scabiespathogenicity
Authors: LERAT SYLVAIN , SIMAO‐BEAUNOIR ANNE‐MARIE , BEAULIEU CAROLE
Published: June 2009

Common scab is a severe disease worldwide affecting tap root crops and potato tubers. It is caused by soil‐borne filamentous bacteria belonging to the genusStreptomyces. Streptomycetes usually are saprophytic microorganisms, but a few species have acquired the ability to infect underground plant tissues. The predominant causal agent of potato scab worldwide isStreptomyces scabies. The production of phytotoxins called thaxtomins is essential for the virulence of common scab‐causing agents. The genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of thaxtomins and other virulence genes are clustered on a large pathogenicity island. The pathogenicity island can be mobilized and transferred to nonpathogenic relatives, leading to the emergence of new pathogenic streptomycetes. In most pathogenicStreptomycesspecies, thaxtomin A is the predominant form found. The regulation of thaxtomin A synthesis is complex. Although the plant‐derived compound cellobiose is now recognized as the inducer of thaxtomin A synthesis at a genetic level, other molecules (including aromatic amino acids and some secondary metabolites) show inhibitory effects on the production of the toxin. This paper is an overview of common scab with a focus onS. scabiesand its virulence mechanisms.

Taxonomy:Streptomyces scabies(Thaxt.) Lambert and Loria; Kingdom Bacteria; Phylum Actinobacteria; Class Actinomycetes; Order Actinomycetales; Family Streptomycetaceae; genusStreptomyces; speciesscabiesorscabiei.

Host range:Streptomyces scabies(syn.S. scabiei) has a broad host range comprising tuber vegetables and most tap root crops.Streptomyces scabiescauses common scab on potato (Solanum tuberosum), beet (Beta vulgaris), carrot (Daucus carota), parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), radish (Raphanus sativus), rutabaga (Brassica napobrassica) and turnip (Brassica rapa).

Disease symptoms:Common scab symptoms appear as randomly distributed shallow, raised or deep‐pitted corky lesions. Their size and colour are quite variable, but lesions typically are brown with a diameter of a few millimetres. No above‐ground symptoms disclose the presence of the disease as aerial tissues of scab‐infected plants remain healthy.Streptomyces scabiesalso inhibits the growth of seedlings in monocot and dicot plants.

Useful websites:http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Projects/S_scabies,http://www.potatodiseases.org/scab.html,http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/potatoscab.html
The pharyngeal mucosa is not involved in eosinophilic oesophagitis
Authors: BOVE M. , TEGTMEYER B. , PERSSON S. , BERGQUIST H.
Published: June 2009

Background  Eosinophilic oesophagitis is thought to be an isolated oesophageal disease associated with biopsy‐verified eosinophilia of the squamous cell epithelium of the oesophagus. Food‐ or aeroallergens have been suggested to be the cause of eosinophilic oesophagitis; however, as these allergens pass through the pharynx sharing the same squamous cell epithelium, eosinophilic infiltration could be expected also here. Whether this is true or not has hitherto not been clarified.

Aim  To find out whether eosinophilia is present also within the pharyngeal epithelium in patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Methods  In all, 10 patients (median age 34, range 15–70) with biopsy‐verified eosinophilic oesophagitis [peak count >20 eosinophils per high power field (hpf)] were biopsied also in the pharynx. The biopsies underwent histopathological examination and at each level, the peak number of eosinophils per hpf was counted.

Results  None of the patients examined was found to have eosinophilia within the squamous cell epithelium of the pharynx (median peak count 0, range 0–1).

Conclusions  The pronounced eosinophilic infiltration in eosinophilic oesophagitis appears to be an isolated oesophageal phenomenon not shared by the adjoining organ sites and in particular, not by the pharynx. This may have implications for future research.
Basin evolution, diagenesis and uranium mineralization in the Paleoproterozic Thelon Basin, Nunavut, Canada
Authors: Hiatt Eric E. , Palmer Sarah E. , Kurt Kyser T. , O'Connor Terrence K.
Published: June 2009

The Paleoproterozoic (Statherian) Thelon Basin is located in the Churchill Province of the Canadian Shield, formed following the Trans‐Hudson Orogeny. Basin formation followed an interval of felsic volcanism and weathering of underlying bedrock. The diagenetic evolution of the Thelon lasted about one billion years and was punctuated by fluid movement influenced by tectonic events. Early quartz cements formed in well‐sorted, quartz‐rich facies during diagenetic stage 1; fluids in which these overgrowths formed had δ18O values near 0‰ (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water). Uranium‐rich apatite cement (P1) also formed during diagenetic stage 1 indicating that oxygenated, uranium‐bearing pore water was present in the basin early in its diagenetic history. Syntaxial quartz cement (Q1) formed in water with δ18O from −4 to −0.8‰ in diagenetic stage 2. Diagenetic stage 3 occurred when the Thelon Formation was at ca. 5 km depth, and was marked by extensive illitization, alteration of detrital grains, and uranium mineralization. Basin‐wide, illite crystallized at ∼200 °C by fluids with δ18O values of 5–9‰ and δD values of −60 to −31‰, consistent with evolved basinal brines. Tectonism caused by the accretion of Nena at ca. 1600 Ma may have provided the mechanism for brine movement during deep burial. Diagenetic stage 4 is associated with fracturing and emplacement of mafic dikes at ca. 1300 Ma, quartz cement (Q3) in fractures and vugs, further illitization, and recrystallization of uraninite (U2). Q3 cements have fluid inclusions that suggest variable salinities, δ18O values of 1.5–9‰, and δD values of −97 to −83‰ for stage 4 brines. K‐feldspar and Mg‐chlorite formed during diagenetic stage 5 at ca. 1000 Ma in upper stratigraphic sequences, and in the west. These phases precipitated from low‐temperature, isotopically distinct fluids. Their distribution indicates that the basin hydrostratigraphy remained partitioned for >600 Ma.
Measuring stream macroinvertebrate responses to gradients of vegetation cover: when is enough enough?
Authors: DEATH RUSSELL G. , COLLIER KEVIN J.
Published: June 2009

1. Management of stream biodiversity is often tightly linked with the restoration and protection of riparian and catchment vegetation. Despite that, there are no established guidelines on how much forest should be retained or replanted in riparian zones and surrounding catchments to maintain or re‐establish instream ecological integrity. In this study, we assess relationships between vegetation cover at multiple spatial scales (reach, segment and catchment) and macroinvertebrate metrics that reflect community structure, ecological condition and biodiversity at 138 Waikato, New Zealand, stream sites sampled in 2006.

2. Percentage of catchment vegetation in native forest had stronger relationships with measured diversity and condition metrics than segment or reach scale measures of riparian vegetation. Functional feeding group metrics were weakly associated with upstream catchment vegetation cover.

3. Of the macroinvertebrate metrics tested, the RIVPAC O/E and an organic pollution tolerance metric based on species presence–absence (Macroinvertebrate Community Index; MCI) had the strongest relationships with percentage native riparian vegetation, followed by the quantitative MCI and measures of the richness and relative abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera faunas. The O/E and MCI indicated that catchments with 80–90% in native forest or scrub (low‐growing trees) were associated with faunas indicative of “clean” water quality.

4. Of the biodiversity indices considered Fisher’s α Index of species richness had the strongest relationship with percent native riparian vegetation in the upstream catchment. There are no established thresholds for measuring biodiversity loss in New Zealand streams, but this analysis indicates that on average streams draining catchments with 40–60% upstream native vegetation cover retain 80% of the mean biodiversity present in pristine forest streams.

5. This research indicates that riparian management aimed at enhancing macroinvertebrate biodiversity and the ecological condition of streams is likely to be more successful when focused on protecting and/or restoring headwater catchments rather than short stretches of stream.
Metabolic level and size scaling of rates of respiration and growth in unicellular organisms
Authors: Glazier Douglas S.
Published: June 2009

1. Metabolic rate is conventionally assumed to scale with body mass to the 3/4‐power, independently of the metabolic level of the organisms being considered. However, recent analyses in a variety of animals and plants indicate that the power (log–log slope) of this relationship varies significantly with metabolic level, ranging from c. 2/3 to 1.

2. Here I show that the scaling slopes of rates of respiration and growth are related to the metabolic level of a variety of unicellular organisms, as similarly occurs for respiration rates in multicellular organisms.

3. The recently proposed ‘metabolic‐level boundaries hypothesis’ provides insight into these effects of metabolic level. As predicted, the scaling slopes for resting (endogenous) respiration rate in prokaryotes, algae and protozoans are negatively related to metabolic level; and in protozoans, the scaling slope increases with starvation. Also as predicted, the scaling slopes of growth rate in algae and protozoans are negatively related to growth level. Unexpectedly, opposite effects of starvation on the metabolic scaling slopes of unicellular prokaryotes (compared to that of eukaryotes) may be a spurious result of respiration measurements that did not adequately consider the effects of rapid cell multiplication in prokaryotes with extremely short generation times.

4. Analyses of both unicellular and multicellular organisms show that there is no universal metabolic scaling relationship, and that variation in metabolic scaling relationships is systematically and possibly universally related to metabolic level.
Molecular characterization of Iranian patients with type 3 von Willebrand disease
Authors: SHAHBAZI S. , MAHDIAN R. , ALA F. A. , LAVERGNE J.‐M. , DENIS C. V. , CHRISTOPHE O. D.
Published: June 2009

Summary.   von Willebrand’s disease (VWD) type 3 is a rare but severe autosomal‐recessive inherited bleeding disorder with a prevalence higher in certain locations where consanguineous marriages are relatively frequent. The genetic defects causing recessive type 3 VWD in 10 unrelated families from Iran have been investigated and the genetic heterogeneity among these patients was evaluated. All exons and their flanking regions of von Willebrand factor gene were amplified by PCR and sequenced using specific primers. Eight patients were fully characterized at the molecular level. Six different gene alterations were identified. All the mutations caused null alleles, three being nonsense mutations (Q104X, Q793X and E1981X), two possible splice site mutations (2443‐1G>C and 1110‐1G>A) and one small deletion (3237delA). Three of them have not been described previously. Most patients were born from consanguineous marriages and all were homozygous for their mutations. The results confirm that molecular defects in type 3 VWD are heterogeneous with mutations arising randomly within the entire gene.
Distribution of the introduced cyprinid herpesvirus 3 in a wild population of common carp, Cyprinus carpio L.
Authors: Uchii K , Matsui K , Iida T , Kawabata Z
Published: June 2009

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV‐3), which causes a lethal disease in common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., and koi, C. carpio koi, first occurred in Lake Biwa, Japan in 2004. To elucidate distribution of CyHV‐3 in a wild common carp population, we conducted a PCR survey of CyHV‐3 among such fish in Lake Biwa in 2006. Only 6% (1/18) of the common carp smaller than 300 mm were positive with PCR, whereas 31% (18/58) of fish larger than 300 mm were positive. To evaluate their past exposure to CyHV‐3 infection based on the presence of antibodies, we also measured the levels of serum anti‐CyHV‐3 antibodies in the carp, using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. None (0/26) of the fish smaller than 300 mm was positive for the antibodies, whereas 54% (33/61) of fish larger than 300 mm were positive. Of the antibody‐positive individuals, 44% (14/32) were also positive by PCR strongly suggesting that wild common carp that survived infection become CyHV‐3 carriers. Five individuals were positive by PCR but negative for antibodies indicating that their infection with CyHV‐3 had occurred recently. These results suggest that transmission of CyHV‐3 from carriers to naïve common carp is still occurring in Lake Biwa.