bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient interval estimation for age-adjusted cancer rates
Authors: Tiwari Ram C , Clegg Limin X , Zou Zhaohui
Published: December 2006

The age-adjusted cancer rates are defined as the weighted average of the age-specific cancer rates, where the weights are positive, known, and normalized so that their sum is 1. Fay and Feuer developed a confidence interval for a single age-adjusted rate based on the gamma approximation. Fay used the gamma approximations to construct an F interval for the ratio of two age-adjusted rates. Modifications of the gamma and F intervals are proposed and a simulation study is carried out to show that these modified gamma and modified F intervals are more efficient than the gamma and F intervals, respectively, in the sense that the proposed intervals have empirical coverage probabilities less than or equal to their counterparts, and that they also retain the nominal level. The normal and beta confidence intervals for a single age-adjusted rate are also provided, but they are shown to be slightly liberal. Finally, for comparing two correlated age-adjusted rates, the confidence intervals for the difference and for the ratio of the two age-adjusted rates are derived incorporating the correlation between the two rates. The proposed gamma and F intervals and the normal intervals for the correlated age-adjusted rates are recommended to be implemented in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute.
Correlation coefficients in medical research: from product moment correlation to the odds ratio
Authors: Kraemer Helena Chmura
Published: December 2006

Objective: Presentation of effect sizes that can be interpreted in terms of clinical or practical significance is currently urged whenever statistical significance (a ‘ p-value’) is reported in research journals. However, which effect size and how to interpret it are not yet clearly delineated. The present focus is on effect sizes indicating strength of correlation, that is, effect sizes that describe the strength of monotonic association between two random variables X and Y in a population.

Methods: A logical structure of measures of association is traced, showing the interrelationships among the many measures of association. Advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed.

Conclusions: Suggestions are made for the future use of measures of association in research to facilitate considerations of clinical significance, emphasizing distribution-free effect sizes such as the Spearman correlation coefficient and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance for ordinal versus ordinal associations, weighted and intraclass kappa for binary versus binary associations and risk difference (RD) for binary versus ordinal association.
Model-based estimation of the attributable risk in case-control and cohort studies
Authors: Cox Christopher
Published: December 2006

In a comprehensive review, Benichou recently discussed adjusted estimators of the attributable risk (AR). Among these are model-based estimates, where adjustment for confounding factors is based on a regression model. Different model-based approaches have been developed for case-control and cohort studies. The purpose of this article is to provide a detailed review and illustration of model-based methods for both types of sampling. For case-control studies, we show that two previously proposed approaches for the common case of a logistic regression model are in fact identical. This allows a unified approach to the estimation of the adjusted AR, which also accommodates stratified sampling. For cohort studies, a loglinear model is proposed for the case where cross-sectional sampling allows estimation of the prevalence of exposure; the approach can also be used for stratified sampling when the prevalence is known or can be estimated. For both designs, the standard error of the adjusted AR is estimated using the delta method. Estimation of the generalized AR is also discussed for both types of sampling. Examples show that for even fairly complex models, the computations are practical using standard statistical software. The bootstrap provides an easily implemented alternative to the delta method for the computation of standard errors.
The Umma of Democracy
Authors: Moses Jonathon W.
Published: December 2006

This article challenges the democratic-peace literature to extend its scope by considering some of the underlying characteristics that might otherwise explain the absence of war between states. In particular, the article proposes that residents of democratic states share a common sense of community, and that people who share a sense of community do not wage war with one another. This proposal is illustrated by comparing two very unlikely cases: the peace dividends generated by the Islamic community of believers, or umma, in the seventh century and the modern umma of democratic states. In both cases, shared perceptions, rituals and political attributes are shown to bind warring tribes or states together in a community of informal and peaceful allies. The consequences of this argument for policymakers and social scientists are discussed in the concluding section.
Sport and Politics
Authors: Bergsgard Nils Asle , Rommetvedt Hilmar
Published: December 2006

In recent decades welfare states have expanded into the areas of leisure and cultural life, and sport has become more involved with politics and policymaking. Consequently, sport managers and representatives of sport organizations have to take into account more seriously what happens in politics. The sport sector is frequently characterized as a mirror image of the modernization process in society at large, but is it really so? Is sport a forerunner, latecomer, or a deviant case as compared with general political developments? The article compares recent changes in Norwegian sport and sport policy with general developments in Norwegian politics. The study is based on a five-dimensional scheme of analysis including: concentration versus dispersion of private and public power, executive-legislative relations, corporatism versus lobbyism, and generalisation of interests and coalition building. The scheme of analysis may be fruitful for cross-national comparative analyses.
Two-way Shape Memory Behavior of Sputter-deposited Ni-rich Ni2MnGa Films
Authors: Ohtsuka Makoto , Matsumoto Minoru , Itagaki Kimio
Published: December 2006

The properties of the Ni-rich Ni2MnGa films and their shape memory behavior are investigated with respect to various sputtering conditions. The films are deposited on a poly-vinyl alcohol substrate with a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering apparatus using Ni50Mn25Ga25 and Ni52Mn24Ga24 targets. The sputtering power is in the range of 50–400 W. After separating from the substrate, the films are vacuum-annealed at 1073 K for 3.6 ks. The chemical composition of the films depends on the sputtering power. The martensitic transformation temperature increases with the valence electron density of the films, while the Curie temperature slightly decreases. The film obtained with 50 W using the Ni50Mn25Ga25 target after heat treatment at 1073 K shows a two-way shape memory effect through the martensitic transformation and its reversion.
Stimulus-responsive Gels: Promising Materials for the Construction of Micro Actuators and Sensors
Authors: Suzuki Hiroaki
Published: December 2006

Polymer gels are very promising for the realization of devices which function autonomously in response to physical or chemical stimuli. Because they can also be used as basic building blocks in constructing very inexpensive devices, the authors have used polymer gels to construct microactuators for use in measuring glucose concentrations. In a micropump, an external solution is withdrawn by changing the temperature. The sampling time is also adjusted by using a pH change caused by an enzymatic reaction. The same mechanism can be applied to the construction of a spontaneously functioning biosensor, through which glucose concentrations can be measured from changes in length of the liquid column.
Self-healing Effect of Boron Nitride Precipitation on Creep Cavitation in Austenitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Shinya N. , Kyono J. , Laha K.
Published: December 2006

In this study, the precipitation of boron nitride (BN) on creep cavity surfaces during creep and its beneficial effect on the creep rupture properties are reported for a type 304 austenitic stainless steel. In the conventional 304 stainless steel, the trace of soluble S segregates strongly on the creep cavity surfaces and promotes its growth during creep. In the modified 304 stainless steel added with B, Ce, and Ti, the trace of soluble S is removed effectively by the formation of Ce and Ti sulfides, and the segregation of S on the creep cavity surface is replaced by the precipitation of the BN compound. As BN is very stable at high temperatures, its precipitation on the cavity surface is expected to suppress the creep cavity growth rate. It is suggested that the precipitation of BN on the creep cavity surface provides austenitic stainless steel with the function of self-healing for creep cavitation with an associated increase in the creep rupture strength and ductility.
A Knowledge Discovery Method to Predict the Economical Sustainability of a Company
Authors: De Vos D. , Van Landeghem H. , Van Hoof K.
Published: December 2006

In this study, we are building a prototype of a machine-learning system using an inductive supervised approach to predict the logistical performance of a company. Focus lies on the learning phase, the handling of different types of data, the creation of new concepts in order to provide better measurable information. In this system, numeric financial data are combined with categorical data creating symbolic data, distinguishing the phase of model generation from examples, and the phase of model classification and interpretation. The system has been implemented in vector spaces. Our data are benchmarking surveys on concurrent engineering (CE), measuring the usage of in total 302 best practices in Belgian manufacturing companies. The general purpose for implementing a best practice is the statement that the company will improve its product processing, and that in this way the company will establish its economical existence on the market. Our model processes a limited number of predefined steps, generating value factors for the 302 best practices. The best practices are grouped into 30 subjects, the value factors combined in linear combinations. These value factors and their linear combinations are then subject to pattern interpretation relating CE performance to the past financial state of the company and, also to the economical well-doing of the company in the longer term i.e., we also refer to the sustainability of the company in the market.
Lead Time Estimation Method for Complex Product Development Process
Authors: Jun Hong-Bae , Park Jin-Young , Suh Hyo-Won
Published: December 2006

As the lifecycle of a product gets shorter, the timely introduction of new products becomes an invaluable asset to most manufacturing firms. It is needless to say that the competitive edge is given to a firm with the better knowledge on how to estimate the product development (PD) process because reducing the product development time is a critical issue for manufacturing firms. However, it is difficult to estimate the performance of the PD process because of its complexity. So far, in spite of its strategic importance, only a few studies have been done. To overcome this limitation, in this study, the authors provide a heuristic algorithm that can estimate the lead time of a complex PD process by series–parallel network transformation and network reduction methods with estimates of the makespans of branch–merge types. To show the usefulness of this method, computational experiments have been carried out.
Determination of Moisture Sorption Isotherms of Jasmine Rice Crackers Using BET and GAB Models
Authors: Siripatrawan U. , Jantawat P.
Published: December 2006

Moisture sorption isotherms of Thai Jasmine rice crackers were determined at 30, 45 and 60°C over a water activity range of 0.10 to 0.95 using a static gravimetric technique. Moisture sorption isotherms of rice crackers exhibited the sigmoid (Type II) shape. The moisture content of rice crackers decreased as temperature increased at a given water activity of the storage environment. The Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) models were applied to fit the experimental data. The isosteric heat of sorption at different moisture levels was also determined using the Clausius–Clapeyron thermodynamic equation. A nonlinear regression analysis method was determined to evaluate the parameters of sorption equations. The criteria used to evaluate the goodness of fit of each model were the mean relative percentage deviation modulus (E) and the percentage root mean square error (RMSE). The more extended range of application of the GAB equation over the BET equation was evident. The GAB model gave the best fit to the experimental sorption data for a wide range of water activity (0.10–0.95) while the BET model gave the best fit for a water activity range of less than 0.60. The GAB model is considered suitable to predict the moisture sorption isotherm of rice crackers since it gave low E and RMSE values. The heat of sorption values of rice crackers were found to be large at low moisture content and decreased with an increase in food moisture content.
Influence of Prebiotic Additions on the Quality of Gluten-free Bread and on the Content of Inulin and Fructooligosaccharides
Authors: Korus J. , Grzelak K. , Achremowicz K. , Sabat R.
Published: December 2006

The aim of the work was to evaluate the influence of prebiotic additives on gluten-free breads, and to assess the effectiveness of gluten-free bread supplementation with the selected prebiotics: inulin, oligosaccharide syrup and bitter-free chicory flour. The breads with the 3, 5 or 8% additions of the mentioned prebiotics were baked and stored for 48h. During this period the following analyses were performed: a texture profile, the content of mono-and oligosaccharides, and of inulin. The best effects on sensory features of gluten-free bread were observed when applied medium doses of prebiotics, being a 5% inulin supplemented bread the highest sensory scored. The addition of 5 and 8% of inulin, FOS syrup and chicory flour at all applied doses reduced the crumb hardening rate during the 3 days storage period. Content of fructooligosaccharides with DP 3–5 in standard bread was 0.1%, and in the supplemented breads did not exceed 0.3%. Addition of Frutafit preparation and bitter-free chicory flour enriched bread with inulin up to 1–3.5g/100g, the highest preservation level was observed in the case of chicory flour addition.
Effects on Mineral Content of Different Methods of Preparing Frozen Root Vegetables
Authors: Lisiewska Z. , Kmiecik W. , Gebczyńnski P.
Published: December 2006

Contents of ash and P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Cr, and Ni were determined in raw carrot, root celery, parsnip, and red beet before and after blanching and cooking, and also after 12 months of refrigerated storage. The treatments applied before freezing included washing, peeling, grinding, and blanching or cooking, which caused significant decreases in the content of most analysed elements in carrot, root celery, and parsnip. Red beet was not peeled when it was thermally processed, this avoided mineral losses and no significant changes were found between raw and boiled samples. Carrot, root celery, and parsnip previously cooked and then frozen, had a significant higher content of sodium and manganese, while chromium content did not change. There were no differences found in manganese, zinc, nickel or phosphorus content in carrot and parsnip. Depending on vegetables, differences in other minerals were not significant or their content was higher in cooked than in blanched samples before freezing.
The Relationship between Individual and Organizational Learning: New Evidence from Managerial Learning Practices
Authors: Antonacopoulou Elena P.
Published: December 2006

The relationship between individual and organizational learning remains one of the contested issues in organizational learning debates. This article provides new evidence about the relationship between individual and organizational learning and presents empirical findings exploring the learning practices of individual managers. The discussion reveals the psychosocial dimensions of learning as a process that transcends across multiple levels and units of analysis. The analysis of the relationship between individual and organizational learning highlights the multiple and interlocking contexts that define the content and process of learning in organizations, the politics of learning at work and the institutional identity of individuals’ learning as a reflection of organizational learning (or lack of it). The article concludes with a review of the implications of the findings for future research on learning in organizations and the way we study the relationship between individual and organizational learning.
Executive Coaching: Towards a Dynamic Alliance of Psychotherapy and Transformative Learning Processes
Authors: Gray David E.
Published: December 2006

Coaching is emerging as a major professional development and performance enhancement process. There are, however, few professional development programmes aimed at coaches themselves, and no internationally recognized qualification or professional standard. Much of the literature on coaching has been written by those with a human psychology perspective, and particularly psychotherapeutic approaches to support. Yet some psychotherapeutic processes assume longer term relationships between the coach and the coachee. Many businesses and managers themselves, however, seek focused solutions to immediate problems. This article offers adult learning theory, and specifically transformative learning, as an alternative or parallel theoretical model for underpinning the coaching processes. All coaches, however, need to be aware that the coaching process may open up deep-seated anxieties, some of which are more appropriately addressed by a psychotherapeutic approach. Hence, a dynamic network model of coaching is proposed, in which psychotherapists and non-therapists collaborate to facilitate their mutual professional coaching development, learning and support.
Assessing the Impact of Learning Capability on Business Performance: Empirical Evidence from Spain
Authors: Prieto Isabel Ma , Revilla Elena
Published: December 2006

It is widely recognized that the development of learning capability is key to achieve a durable competitive advantage. However, the analysis of the relevance of learning capability to improve business performance and, thus, the organizational competence has been insufficiently developed in literature. Based on data from 111 Spanish companies, this article explores the link between learning capability and the improvement of business performance by comparing how the main dimensions of learning capability—stocks of knowledge and flows of learning—impact on performance, in terms of both non-financial and financial performance. The results show that those organizations with the highest levels in their knowledge stocks and learning flows obtain a superior performance.
Multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus in early multiple sclerosis: a six-year follow-up of a Sardinian cohort
Authors: Sotgiu S , Arru G , Mameli G , Serra C , Pugliatti M , Rosati G , Dolei A
Published: December 2006

The human endogenous retroviruses (HERV)-W family contains an extracellular particle detected in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and designated as MS-associated retrovirus (MSRV). Through nested RT-PCR assays specific for pol MSRV gene, we preliminary reported that its presence in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of early MS patients could be indicative of a poor prognosis upon a three-year follow-up. In the present clinical study, we enlarged our blind observation up to six years. At study entry, 10 MS patients were MSRV- and eight were MSRV+ in the CSF, both groups having a similar mean age and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. After six year follow-up, the mean EDSS significantly differed between the MSRV- and MSRV+ cohorts (4.3 versus 2.2; P = 0.004), as did the annual relapse rate (0.5 in the MSRV- versus 0.3 in the MSRV+; P = 0.01). Finally, two MSRV- patients entered the progressive phase, whilst none of the MSRV+ group entered this phase, and 9/10 MSRV- versus 2/8 MSRV+ patients were treated with immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive drugs (P = 0.009). In conclusion, we found that the presence of MSRV virions in the CSF at the onset of MS is associated, not only with disability accumulation, but also with a higher rate of clinical re-exacerbations. With the known potential pathogenic effects of MSRV given in the literature, further investigations on MSRV are warranted.
Brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis: what we know and would like to know
Authors: Simon J H
Published: December 2006

Brain and spinal cord atrophy measures are becoming standard in multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials, yet we know little about the underlying mechanisms resulting in atrophy, or the factors accounting for variable rates of atrophy in individuals and across the MS phenotype. We do not understand, as yet, why apparently effective treatment does or does not affect atrophy. Some limitations of this measure may be accounted for by complex structural and temporal factors that become active at the initiation of injury, but are not immediately expressed. Additional limitations include differential effects related to the focal versus diffuse pathology in MS, and variable expression of the pathology underlying atrophy, depending on location in central nervous system (CNS) tissue.
Mediators of apoptosis Fas and FasL predict disability progression in multiple sclerosis over a period of 10 years
Authors: Lopatinskaya L , Zwemmer J , Uitdehaag B , Lucas K , Polman C , Nagelkerken L
Published: December 2006

TNF-α, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β1, CCR3, CXCR3, CCR5, Fas and FasL mRNA levels in PBMC of 25 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were quantified at baseline by real-time PCR according to a post-hoc study design. The baseline values of the different markers were analysed with respect to their correlation with the increase in disability over a period of 10 years. High levels of Fas mRNA were associated with a favourable disease course in relapsing-remitting (RR) MS (R2 = 0.74, P = 0.0001, n = 13), as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS); high levels of FasL mRNA were associated with relatively mild disease progression (R2 = 0.86, P = 0.0001, n = 12) in secondary progressive (SP) MS. These findings suggest that Fas-mediated apoptosis plays a major role in the mechanism underlying long-term disease progression in MS.
Differing immunogenic potentials of interferon beta preparations in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Gneiss C , Tripp P , Reichartseder F , Egg R , Ehling R , Lutterotti A , Khalil M , Kuenz B , Mayringer I , Reindl M , Berger T , Deisenhammer F
Published: December 2006

Interferon beta (IFNβ) is a first-line therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS). However, some patients experience a decline in efficacy with continued therapy due to the development of anti-IFNβ neutralizing antibodies (NAb). We investigated the frequency of NAb cross-sectionally in 846 MS patients who were receiving IFNβ-1b, IFNβ-1a im, or IFNβ-1a sc. The frequency of NAb in patients receiving IFNβ-1a im was lower (5%) than in patients treated with any other form of IFNβ (22-35%) (P < 0.0001). Binding antibodies (BAb) were measured in 808 patients. The frequency differed significantly between treatment groups, ranging from 45% (IFNβ-1a im) to 88% (IFNβ-1b). The proportion of NAb-positive patients within the BAb-positive group differed significantly among treatment groups, ranging between 12% (IFNβ-1a im) and 51% (IFNβ-1a sc). The median NAb titer from all IFNβ-1a-treated patients was higher than from IFNβ-1b-treated patients (446 versus 171 NU/mL, P = 0.04). Among NAb-positive patients, the frequency of NAb titers > 100 NU/mL was 71% for IFNβ-1a compared with 58% for IFNβ-1b (P = 0.04). Except for conflicting data regarding IFNβ-1a sc, the results are generally consistent with the literature and together with the differing proportion of NAb-positive patients within the BAb-positive group, provide further insight into the immunogeni-city of the IFNβ preparations.
Disease-specific quality of life in multiple sclerosis: the effect of disease modifying treatment
Authors: Lily O , McFadden E , Hensor E , Johnson M , Ford H
Published: December 2006

Disease specific quality of life was measured in the Leeds Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment Programme (n-/210) using the self-report Leeds MS Quality of Life (LMSQoL) scale. The results showed a significant and sustained increase in quality of life associated with ‘disease modifying’ treatment. This contrasts with the Expanded Disability Status Scores (EDSS), which showed no measurable improvement. An increase in the LMSQoL score did not correlate with baseline age, disease duration, disability or number of prior relapses. There was no significant difference in treatment effect between relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS patients, or between patients receiving different products. However, patients with a poor quality of life at baseline showed the most benefit from treatment. Those who had their treatment stopped due to progression, side-effects or lack of effect had significantly lower LMSQoL scores on treatment. In this study, the LMSQoL scale was responsive to change and was easy to administer in a clinical setting.
An investigation of polymorphisms in the 4q13.3-21.1 CXC chemokine gene cluster for association with multiple sclerosis in Australians
Authors: Bugeja M J , Booth D R , Bennetts B H , Heard R NS , Stewart G J
Published: December 2006

Susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) is believed to result from the complex interaction of a number of genes, each with modest effect. Vital to the migration of cells to sites of inflammation, including the central nervous system, are chemokines, many of which are implicated in MS pathogenesis. Most of the CXC chemokine genes are encoded in a cluster on chromosome 4q13.3-21.1, which has been identified in several genome-wide screens as being potentially associated with MS. We conducted a two-stage analysis to investigate the chemokine gene cluster for association with MS. Initially, we sequenced the chemokine genes in several DNA pools to identify common polymorphisms, and then genotyped selected SNPs in 373 Australian MS trio families. We found no evidence that the CXC chemokine gene cluster is genetically associated with MS. However, the existence of common variants conferring small risk factors or rare variants with significant risk cannot be excluded.
A linkage study in two families with multiple sclerosis and healthy members with oligoclonal CSF immunopathy
Authors: Haghighi S , Andersen O , Nilsson S , Rydberg L , Wahlström J
Published: December 2006

We studied two extended families in which not only multiple sclerosis (MS) segregates, but also approximately 18% of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) investigated blood relatives have ‘MS immunopathic trait’, an oligoclonal CSF immunopathy similar to that seen in MS, but with no neurological symptoms. Both families fit a genetic model for autosomal dominant inheritance for MS immunopathic trait, although with reduced penetrance in family A. In order to identify genetic factors of importance for the development of MS immunopathic trait, we performed a genome scan using the CHLC/Weber Screening Set (ver 6A), with 285 successful markers, to test the hypothesis that a single gene is causing the MS immunopathic trait in these families. Using a parametric method, we identified regions with suggestive linkage at chromosome 6q12 with a LOD-score of 2.4, putative linkage with LOD-score 1.5 at chromosome 6p21 (HLA region), putative linkage at chromosome 12q24 with a LOD-score of 1.7 and suggestive linkage at chromosome 19q13.2 with a LOD-score of 1.8. The LOD-score at chromosome 19q13.2 increased to 2.2 when only family A was analysed. In family A, all MS patients and two of five individuals with MS immunopathic trait had HLA DRB1*(15) and in family B, all blood relatives had the rare HLA type DRB1*0103, which is associated with other autoimmune diseases. We suggest that DRB1*0103 is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the susceptibility for MS immunopathic trait in this family.
Autologous stem cell transplantation for progressive multiple sclerosis: Update of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation autoimmune diseases working party database
Authors: Saccardi R , Kozak T , Bocelli-Tyndall C , Fassas A , Kazis A , Havrdova E , Carreras E , Saiz A , Löwenberg B , te Boekhorst P AW , Gualandi F , Openshaw H , Longo G , Pagliai F , Massacesi L , Deconink E , Ouyang J , Nagore F JZ , Besalduch J , Lisukov I A , Bonini A , Merelli E , Slavin S , Gratwohl A , Passweg J , Tyndall A , Steck A J , Andolina M , Capobianco M , Martin J LD , Lugaresi A , Meucci G , Sáez R A , Clark R E , Fernandez M N , Fouillard L , Herstenstein B , Koza V , Cocco E , Baurmann H , Mancardi G L ,   Autoimmune Diseases Working Party of EBMT
Published: December 2006

Over the last decade, hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (HSCT) has been increasingly used in the treatment of severe progressive autoimmune diseases. We report a retrospective survey of 183 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, recorded in the database of the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group (EBMT). Transplant data were available from 178 patients who received an autologous graft. Overall, transplant related mortality (TRM) was 5.3% and was restricted to the period 1995-2000, with no further TRM reported since then. Busulphan-based regimens were significantly associated with TRM. Clinical status at the time of transplant and transplant techniques showed some correlations with toxicity. No toxic deaths were reported among the 53 patients treated with the BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytosine-arabinoside, melphalan)/antithymocyte globulin (ATG) regimen without graft manipulation, irrespective of their clinical condition at the time of the transplant. Improvement or stabilization of neurological conditions occurred in 63% of patients at a median follow-up of 41.7 months, and was not associated with the intensity of the conditioning regimen. In this large series, HSCT was shown as a promising procedure to slow down progression in a subset of patients affected by severe, progressive MS; the safety and feasibility of the procedure can be significantly improved by appropriate patient selection and choice of transplant regimen.
European Cosmopolitan Solidarity
Authors: Stevenson Nick
Published: December 2006

The idea of a cosmopolitan Europe continues to be central to contemporary debates within post-national citizenship. However, much of the writing in this area remains disconnected from the need to reinvent European social democracy that questions the centrality of work and racist nationalism. This article argues that a revived European Left would need to move beyond specifically liberal concerns with procedure to articulate a view of European futures that both deconstructed neo-liberalism and embraced more convivial collective futures. This would entail the combination of a post-material politics that sought to critique the centrality of employment while granting citizens a basic income or forms of civic labour and a more concerted attempt to break with a racialized politics based upon the fear of the ‘Other’. In conclusion, it is argued that the urgent political task of the future is to reinvent a sense of Europeaness that has both a substantive content, but that does not become mobilized by an exclusive cultural politics.
Pragmatism and the Capability Approach
Authors: Zimmermann Bénédicte
Published: December 2006

This article asks about the conditions of a sociological operationalization of the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. Raising the question of freedom and social opportunities, the capability approach has so far mainly been discussed by economists and philosophers. In order to adopt this approach for a sociological and pragmatist perspective, it engages with methodological and theoretical issues. Whereas capabilities have until now mainly been studied within quantitative frameworks, the author opts for a qualitative method of inquiry that draws on a pragmatist and configurational approach. Such a shift towards qualitative inquiry is a key condition for a better sociological understanding of notions like freedom and opportunities that stand at the core of the capability approach.
Property transaction report: news, advertisement or a new genre?
Authors: Kong Kenneth C. C.
Published: December 2006

Property transaction reports are a hybrid genre that combines the characteristics of news reports and advertisements. However, they are different from the traditional hybridity of advertorials, which carry a full-blown label of ‘advertisement’ or ‘promotional material’ and may repeat the name of a product or service many times. Property transaction reports, as an emerging genre in Hong Kong property magazines, combine the voices of property agencies and journalists in a very subtle and sophisticated manner, which is partly made possible by the ambiguous local citing framework. Although the genre is a more successful mix of voices than advertorials, this is not the result of a conscious attempt to mix two genres. Indeed, it is the result of how two ‘communities of practice’ accommodate their practices to accomplish their tasks. This highlights the importance of ‘practice’ in understanding the complex issue of intertextuality.
Using topic control to avoid the gainsaying of troublesome evaluations
Authors: McKinlay Andy , McVittie Chris
Published: December 2006

Previous writers have examined how topic and disagreement in assessments are managed within everyday conversation. This work, however, has focused on two-party interaction and little research has examined these issues in the context of multi-party discussion. In this article we examine these issues in the context of discussion by the admissions group of an arts and crafts guild. Analysis of the group’s discussions shows that on occasion group members find themselves in outright disagreement in assessment which leads to what is here described as ‘gainsaying’. However, a number of other instances reveal that the group is able to avoid problematic conversational structures of this sort by deploying a variety of topic control devices: insertion of collusive laughter, conversation restart and topic flow manoeuvres. The article concludes by drawing out some analytic distinctions between two-party and multi-party interactions.
Balancing Rights and Risk
Authors: Milligan Ian , Stevens Irene
Published: December 2006

Summary: This study explored the effect of health and safety policies relating to children in residential establishments and their impact on the opportunities of young people to enjoy activities like visits to the beach or hillwalking. Data were gathered by analysing one health and safety policy, interviews and questionnaires with managers and basic grade staff in five authorities across Scotland, and focus group discussions with 24 young people in care.

Findings: The policy which was analysed for this study had been adapted from a wider health and safety policy used in schools. Its application to residential units restricted activities for children in care. Unit managers were concerned about the restrictive impact of the policies and procedures. Young people described a limited range of activities and questioned their relevance and scope. Basic grade staff were the only group to report that health and safety guidance was positive. However, reasons for this appeared to be related to staff prioritizing safety over the potential benefits of activities which may carry a small degree of risk.

Applications: It is argued that health and safety guidance must be specific to the circumstances of small,‘homely’ residential care settings. Attitudes to risk must be informed by the developmental needs of children, and guidance should be reviewed to reflect this.
Protecting Children in a Globalized World
Authors: Garrett Paul Michael
Published: December 2006

Summary: In Britain, the Laming Report has provided a lengthy exploration of the circumstances surrounding the death of Victoria Climbié and highlighted the failure of social work, health and police services to safeguard the child. However, the Report fails to engage in a satisfactory way with issues related to ‘race’ and ‘place’.

Findings: It is maintained that the Report’s approach to ‘race’ is cursory and problematic. Furthermore, it is argued that ‘place’ and, more specifically, transnational migration is a core, but insufficiently examined, dimension to the tragedy. Important also, in terms of the Report’s limited engagement with these issues, is the evolution of a neo-liberal order in which migrants to Britain are viewed with suspicion and are the focus of legislation and policy discourses which are increasingly punitive.

Applications: The article seeks to promote debate on the issues raised and emphasizes the significance, for social work and associated child welfare professionals, of issues related to ‘race’ and ‘place’.
Singular encounters
Authors: Dunn David
Published: December 2006

There are close links between the tourist gaze and the gaze of the television camera, and British television holiday programmes have conventionally privileged the scopic in their representations of the tourist destination. At the same time their engagement with tourism as a popular cultural activity was informed by a public service broadcasting ideology which privileged information and education over entertainment. In a world of deregulated broadcasting, and with a proliferation of available channels, the genre is developing new narrative forms in order to reflect the diversity of popular culture. It is also informed by television’s current privileging of lifestyle, of personalization and first person narratives of both celebrities and of ‘ordinary’ people. This article uses three case studies which have been chosen to represent both the mainstream conventions of the holiday programme per se, plus the influences of lifestyle programming’s emphasis on recreation, re-creation and makeover and the conventions of docusoap narratives, to argue that the genre is increasingly foregrounding the stories, however constructed, of performers-astourists/tourists-as-performers over representations of the tourist destination.
Media representation of the UK as a destination for Japanese tourists
Authors: Iwashita Chieko
Published: December 2006

Representations and images of tourist destinations constructed by popular cultural forms of media such as films, television and literature play a significant role in influencing people’s holiday decision-making process. This article illustrates the significance of media representations of destinations based upon findings from the author’s survey of Japanese tourists to the UK and briefly examines popular images of the UK created in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the television series of Sherlock Holmes, and Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit stories, all of which were identified as influential in the survey. It suggests that the ways in which the UK is represented in those media works have implications for the ways in which Japanese tourists define the UK as a destination and the character of the British. Thus, popular cultural forms of the media can promote, confirm and reinforce particular images, views, and identities of destinations in a very powerful manner.
Heidegger, Kant and ‘Dirty’ Politics
Authors: Burnham Douglas
Published: December 2006

This article begins with the hypothesis that much modern political thought can be understood according to a distinction between transcendent and immanent accounts of judgement. These two positions are analysed as to their correspondingly entailed accounts of the origin, legitimacy and nature of political community. Using Heidegger and a Heideggerian reading of Kant on the nature of judgement, it is then shown that both accounts of judgement are in fact metaphysically derivative (the ‘dirty’ of the title) and in precisely the same way. This observation then inaugurates the project of providing a fundamental ontological account of judgement. However, it is discovered that such an account carries no political implications: politics emerges in and as its ‘fall’ into this or that metaphysically derivative interpretation.
Juvenile Delinquency and Gender Revisited
Authors: Hadjar Andreas , Baier Dirk , Boehnke Klaus , Hagan John
Published: December 2006

Cross-cultural evidence on the gender gap in delinquency is presented. Based on power-control theory (PCT), gender differences in aggressive behaviour are analysed. We assume that differences in labour force participation between father and mother lead to differences in parental control behaviour towards boys and girls, which in turn lead to different risk-taking preferences and eventually produce gender differences in aggressive behaviour. A revised PCT acknowledges that dominance ideologies also play a role in the genesis of gender differences in delinquency. This proposition is also tested. Analyses are based on data from 319 families (father, mother and two adolescent opposite-sex siblings) from West Berlin, East Berlin and Toronto. The findings support assumptions of PCT but differ substantially between the three cities. Evidence of the link between structural patriarchy and parental style – postulated in the original PCT – is found in East Berlin, whereas the West Berlin and Toronto results fit a modified version of PCT featuring gender-role attitudes (ideological patriarchy).
On Social Equality and Perceptions of Insecurity
Authors: Kristjánsson Álfgeir Logi
Published: December 2006

This study compares perceptions of insecurity and fear of crime in Scotland and Iceland and shows how these perceptions are related to social factors in the two countries. Independent samples t-tests and stepwise multiple linear regression models are used to analyse comparable data from surveys in the two countries. Scots report feeling significantly less safe than do Icelanders. The regression models show that social integration and smaller differences between households and neighbourhoods in terms of income and class are associated with greater perceptions of insecurity. The analysis therefore suggests that perceptions of insecurity are higher in Scotland than in Iceland because Iceland's population is more homogeneous, with stronger social integration, less pronounced class and income differentials, and less polarization between neighbourhoods. The wider implications for understanding perceptions of insecurity at different levels of analysis (macro and meso) are discussed.
Gaining Approval From a Juvenile Correctional Agency to Conduct External Research
Authors: Jeffords Charles R.
Published: December 2006

There is little to no literature concerning effective ways to obtain approval from criminal or juvenile justice agencies to conduct external research. This article presents the results of a survey of state juvenile correctional research departments by the research director of a state juvenile correctional agency with the responsibility of reviewing external research proposals. The survey focused on factors that may impact the probability of research approval or rejection. Survey results reveal that “getting in” to conduct external research in juvenile correctional agencies may be conditioned by several factors including but not limited to the subject of research, the researcher himself or herself, and perhaps most important, the potential impact the research will have on the agency.
Predicting the Strongest Peelable Seal for ‘Easy-Open’ Packaging Applications
Authors: Aithani Dinesh , Lockhart Hugh , Auras Rafael , Tanprasert Krittika
Published: December 2006

The effect of heat sealing temperature, time, and pressure on the heat sealing strength of five commercially available packaging films has been evaluated in order to obtain the strongest peelable seal for ‘easy-open’ packaging applications. The mechanical and physical properties of the seal are evaluated. An innovative method and technique to measure the heat sealing properties of different packaging materials is outlined. Inflection points on the temperature-time sealing profile were obtained and determined to be equivalent to the fusion temperature. The fusion temperatures correlated well with the highest peel strength of seals made at the experimentally determined temperatures. The highest peel seal strength has been achieved at a temperature near the fusion point, but below the melting point. The seals made above the fusion point result in weld seals. The pressure has limited effect on the sealing properties of the sealed films in the range tested for this work. The method has been found to be applicable to design of peelable heat seals for many packaging materials and seems to have promise as a method of process measurement and validation for heat seal processes. The project foresees the potential use of this method into other widely used packaging materials, and the method can be useful in the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system for heat sealing processes.
Characterization of a β-glucanase produced by Rhizopus microsporus var. microsporus, and its potential for application in the brewing industry
Authors: Celestino Klecius R Silveira , Cunha Ricardo B , Felix Carlos R
Published: December 2006

Background

In the barley malting process, partial hydrolysis of β-glucans begins with seed germination. However, the endogenous 1,3-1,4-β-glucanases are heat inactivated, and the remaining high molecular weight β-glucans may cause severe problems such as increased brewer mash viscosity and turbidity. Increased viscosity impairs pumping and filtration, resulting in lower efficiency, reduced yields of extracts, and lower filtration rates, as well as the appearance of gelatinous precipitates in the finished beer. Therefore, the use of exogenous β-glucanases to reduce the β-glucans already present in the malt barley is highly desirable.

Results

The zygomycete microfungus Rhizopus microsporus var. microsporus secreted substantial amounts of β-glucanase in liquid culture medium containing 0.5% chitin. An active protein was isolated by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatographies of the β-glucanase activity-containing culture supernatant. This isolated protein hydrolyzed 1,3-1,4-β-glucan (barley β-glucan), but showed only residual activity against 1,3-β-glucan (laminarin), or no activity at all against 1,4-β-glucan (cellulose), indicating that the R. microsporus var. microsporus enzyme is a member of the EC 3.2.1.73 category. The purified protein had a molecular mass of 33.7 kDa, as determined by mass spectrometry. The optimal pH and temperature for hydrolysis of 1,3-1,4-β-glucan were in the ranges of 4–5, and 50–60°C, respectively. The Km and Vmax values for hydrolysis of β-glucan at pH 5.0 and 50°C were 22.39 mg.mL-1 and 16.46 mg.min-1, respectively. The purified enzyme was highly sensitive to Cu+2, but showed less or no sensitivity to other divalent ions, and was able to reduce both the viscosity and the filtration time of a sample of brewer mash. In comparison to the values determined for the mash treated with two commercial glucanases, the relative viscosity value for the mash treated with the 1,3-1,4-β-glucanase produced by R. microsporus var. microsporus. was determined to be consistently lower.

Conclusion

The zygomycete microfungus R. microsporus var. microsporus produced a 1,3-1,4-β-D-glucan 4-glucanhydrolase (EC 3.2.1.73) which is able to hydrolyze β-D-glucan that contains both the 1,3- and 1,4-bonds (barley β-glucans). Its molecular mass was 33.7 kDa. Maximum activity was detected at pH values in the range of 4–5, and temperatures in the range of 50–60°C. The enzyme was able to reduce both the viscosity of the brewer mash and the filtration time, indicating its potential value for the brewing industry.