bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Six Sigma: myths and realities
Authors: Ranjan Senapati Nihar
Published: July 2004

The Six Sigma approach has set a new paradigm of excellence in any manufacturing ambience. But do the ground realities speak in favor of spending millions of $ budget, when any exotic process centric concept even like Shainin's can also map out process improvement in the similar objective manner? The Define, Measure Analyze Improvement and Control (DMAICR) approach is discussed vis‐á‐vis Deming's cycle, total quality management assessment methodologies including Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Assessment (MBNQA) or European Foundation for Quality (EFQM) framework and of late, much popularized Dorian Shainin's Statistical Engineering (SE). The 3.4 PPM, so‐called quantitative aspect of Six Sigma, is challenged statistically over process variability. The conclusion leads to acknowledge Six Sigma as any other process improvement and enrichment systematic methodology like any other aforementioned improvement initiatives.
Aspects of training and remuneration in the accommodation industry
Authors: Taylor Ruth , Davies Doug
Published: July 2004

It has long been recognised that effective staff training and remuneration allows an organisation to provide a unique and differentiating standard of service in industry, resulting in increased profitability to service providers. The purpose of this research study is to investigate the training strategies, and hence the training profile, of organisations within the accommodation sector. The extent and role of training and remuneration is examined in local independent accommodation providers, and then compared to the larger, chain operations. The quantitative findings are complimented with qualitative research undertaken through interviews with human resource (HR) managers from a number of international hotels in both Perth and Singapore. This mixed method of analysis approach is used to determine the extent of relationship between local accommodation providers and international chains. HR practices in the industry were viewed in Singapore as being very traditional in both the multi‐chain hotels, failing to keep up with new practices and technology, and focusing on administrative rather than strategic goals. No comments on practices in Australia were forthcoming, but it is probable that practices are also very traditional.
Human resource management systems and their role in the development of strategic resources: empirical evidence
Authors: Ordóñez de Pablos Patricia
Published: July 2004

The aim of this paper is double. First, it provides a conceptual framework linking human resource management, organisational learning and knowledge management. Second, the paper builds a causal model and tests it with a sample of firms from the Spanish manufacturing industry, using a structural equation modelling technique. In particular, after the performance of a cluster analysis, a group of 72 learning firms is identified and used to test our model. Finally, major conclusions and implications for management are drawn and further avenues for research are suggested.
Food allergies and the UK catering industry
Authors: Pratten John , Towers Neil
Published: July 2004

This study looks at the ability of retail food outlets to provide suitable meals for those with special dietary needs. Thus, some food allergies are described briefly and the personnel involved in food preparation and service are examined. Groups of owners of catering outlets were interviewed to discover from them their knowledge of food allergies and how readily they could feed such sufferers. The results of the surveys are reported. All establishments serving food in a small town and its surrounding area were considered, and many were then included in the sample. In addition, some restaurants and hotels in a seaside holiday resort were questioned. The results showed that the knowledge of allergies was varied, as was the ability to provide suitable meals. The food outlets in the holiday resort had staff so well‐trained that special needs would be reported to management. The proprietors recognised a need for greater education, but many did not perceive it to be a training issue, and suggested other potential providers.
Transferring the Investors in People concept from the UK to The Netherlands
Authors: Kidger Peter , Jackson‐van Veen Margot , Redfern David
Published: July 2004

A key issue in international management is the extent to which management practices are converging in response to the pressures of globalisation, and the ready availability to managers in all parts of the world of the same concepts of what constitutes best practice in the different management disciplines. In some instances convergence may be encouraged by Government action. This is the case with the introduction into The Netherlands of the Investors in People (IiP) scheme that originated in the UK. IiP is a benchmark award, given to organisations that can demonstrate that they meet a set of criteria that relate to employee management and the commitment of resources to training. This article is a review of the introduction of IiP in The Netherlands, with the aim of seeing what insights are provided in relation to the cross‐cultural transfer of employment relations practice. Two case studies are used to explore the issues from the perspective of organisations working towards the standard in the two countries. It is concluded that the IiP standard can be transferred to another country, but that modifications have to be made to aspects of its organisation to take account of national differences. The implications of the transfer are discussed in relation to the convergence debate.
A comparative analysis of youth vocational training in Northern Ireland and Denmark
Authors: McBride Norry , Morrow Trevor , Ackah Carol
Published: July 2004

This paper raises the question whether or not a social and economic dimension exists (community and social involvement, career service intervention/assistance, employer requirements, qualification building) within the Jobskills Training Programme in Northern Ireland. For many young school leavers it has undoubtedly assisted them in the transition from school to the world of work. In addition, many of the cohort study gained an accredited qualification for the first time. All of this, of course, has the aim of making them more employable within the labour market. However, with the local economy becoming stronger and skills shortages rising quickly we have to ask what real contribution does a training intervention like Jobskills really make. In order to determine the effectiveness and contribution to the local labour market, a comparison is made to the Danish vocational and education training model, which highlights significant fundamental differences. The paper concludes by demonstrating the key policy differences and thus presents a new vocational model for youth training in Northern Ireland.
Service quality dimensions: an examination of Grönroos’s service quality model
Authors: Kang Gi‐Du , James Jeffrey
Published: July 2004

Service quality researchers to date have paid scant attention to the issue of the dimensions of service quality. Much of the earlier work accepted the content measured by the SERVQUAL instrument. Following the argument that SERVQUAL only reflects the service delivery process, the study empirically examines the European perspective (i.e. Grönroos' model) suggesting that service quality consists of three dimensions, technical, functional and image, and that image functions as a filter in service quality perception. The results from a cell phone service sample revealed that Grönroos' model is a more appropriate representation of service quality than the American perspective with its limited concentration on the dimension of functional quality.
Interactive service quality in service encounters: empirical illustration and models
Authors: Svensson Göran
Published: July 2004

Although the performance of services is done at an operative level, service is an important issue for the strategic, tactical, and operative business activities of companies. This paper examines the construct of interactive service quality in service encounters. This is a complex approach that goes beyond the current exploration of the service‐quality construct. Interactive service quality requires the simultaneous consideration of the service provider's perspective and the service receiver's perspective. The study was conducted in the Swedish automotive industry and focused on the issues of interactive service quality between a vehicle manufacturer and a selection of its most important suppliers. The major contributions of the research provide an on‐the‐spot account of interactive service quality. The paper provides theoretical and managerial implications of the construct of interactive service quality in service encounters.
Integrating current and competitive service‐quality level analyses for service‐quality improvement programs
Authors: Kim Yong‐pil , Lee Seok‐hoon , Yun Deok‐gyun
Published: July 2004

In competitive economic environments, a service‐quality improvement program (SQIP) should focus on customer satisfaction and should differentiate a company's service from its competitors' service. In this paper, current and competitive service quality (SQ) levels are considered for improving competitive SQ using current SQ levels measured by the SERVQUAL model with a ratio‐score scale. Second, competitive SQ is analyzed by customer assessment relative to each service attribute. Subsequently, the entropy method is used to quantify competitiveness. The value of each attribute's entropy indicates the relative importance of the attribute for SQIP. Third, the final priorities are determined by the combination of current SQ level and entropy value. Empirical testing on a fast‐food case study identifies the importance of considering the current SQ level and competitive performance indices simultaneously within a SQIP model.
Moving the quality effort forward – the emerging role of the middle manager
Authors: Harrington Denis , Williams Brian
Published: July 2004

Improving quality has become the goal of many organisations and introducing such programmes has resulted in several accounts documenting the risks and failures attached to implementing these quality initiatives. Middle management resistance has been cited as a common form of resistance, though it is widely recognised, even among the managerial groups, that commitment from this level within the organisation is essential if implementation is to have any chance of success. However, some writers believe that the middle management position is misunderstood and that the quality drive by the organisation pushes this group into a stance of resistance. Regardless of whether the resistance is intentional or unintentional, there are serious managerial implications resulting from this problem, many of which carry strategic implications for the firm.
Service and safety quality in US airlines: pre‐ and post‐September 11th
Authors: Rhoades Dawna L. , Waguespack Blaise P.
Published: July 2004

Although the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 can be blamed for a number of problems currently plaguing the US airline industry, their effect on the service and safety quality of post‐9/11 airlines is mixed. This study places current industry quality in historical context by examining trends in both areas beginning in 1987. The findings indicate that the service quality improved among major US carriers for the period 1987‐1993 but began to deteriorate after this date, although it did not return to 1987 levels. Service quality again improves in 2001 and reaches its best level ever in 2002 as post‐9/11 changes appear to have improved on‐time performance, reduced overbooking, and lowered customer complaints. Two factors identified as important in service and safety quality, maintenance spending and load factor, were also explored. Results indicate that both service and safety quality improve as the level of maintenance spending increases.
Customer satisfaction using QFD: an e‐banking case
Authors: González Marvin E. , Quesada Gioconda , Picado Federico , Eckelman Carl A.
Published: July 2004

Research on service quality and customer satisfaction has become significant in the service industries. This study develops a case study that considers both external and internal service management issues and subsequent service innovations based on the framework of quality function deployment (QFD). The application of the customer window quadrant (CWQ) and the action plan matrix in the analysis of customer and service elements constitute a different approach for QFD. Some benefits and disadvantages of the QFD process are discussed as compared to extant service quality and customer paradigms. Finally, suggestions and directions are offered for future applications, with particular interest in the e‐bank service management issues.
People as the bridge to competitiveness
Authors: Fawcett Stanley E. , Rhoads Gary K. , Burnah Phillip
Published: July 2004

For people to be the bridge to competitiveness, they must be hired and trained not simply for the work their hands can do, but also for their ability to think and learn and make a difference. Building a learning workforce requires that managers cultivate a great working environment and a culture of empowerment. To understand how to manage people so that they become the catalyst to competitive success, a multi‐method research study was undertaken that combined both secondary and primary research techniques. The findings revealed that the characteristics of a great working environment include the following: compensation that communicates that people truly are valued, exceptional facilities, a facilitative company culture, good relations between management and employees, a flexible work place, a family‐friendly culture, and investments in employee competencies. Similarly, a culture of empowerment is built on a foundation of affirmation, belonging, and competence. Unfortunately, few companies understand that antecedents of effective people management and even fewer are willing to make the sustained investments required to harness the learning and passion of the workforce. Tremendous opportunities exist to leverage the human resource for competitive advantage.
Manufacturing best practices of the electric and electronic firms in Malaysia
Authors: Yusuff Rosnah Mohd.
Published: July 2004

A study was conducted to evaluate the manufacturing practices in the electronic and electrical firms of Malaysia based on the criteria identified from literature on a broad‐based manufacturing practice known as world‐class. Based on the replies to a structured questionnaire developed for this study, the current manufacturing practices indicate the status of these firms in their journey towards world‐class manufacturing practices. The result of this study showed that the implementation of “world class” or “best practices” among the respondents is satisfactory especially in the areas of management commitment, internal and external customer service policies and plans, and supplier relationship and development programs. There are some areas of improvement, such as cost of quality, supplier quality, increase operational flexibility and the use of group technology and flexible layout that should be taken into consideration.
Quest 123: a benchmarking system for technology assessment at NASA
Authors: Tavana Madjid
Published: July 2004

Technology assessment is a difficult task at the Mission Control Center (MCC). The difficulty is inherent in the unavailability of structured information and exacerbated by the lack of a systematic assessment process. New technology deployment to the MCC requires testing and certification in three labs: Quest 1, 2, and 3. The Mission Control Center Systems (MCCS) architecture team, a multidisciplinary group of MCC experts and scientists is chartered to redefine the next generation of MCCS by developing a systematic process to assess and certify new technologies. Quest 123 is a benchmarking tool that was successfully implemented at the Johnson Space Center to assess and certify new technology initiatives for each lab before final deployment to the MCC. Quest 123 integrates the analytic hierarchy process with an additive multi‐criteria decision‐making model into a dynamic benchmarking framework.
Managers as Practical Authors: Reconstructing our Understanding of Management Practice
Authors: Cunliffe Ann L.
Published: July 2004

In Conversational Realities (1993), John Shotter draws on social constructionist suppositions to conceptualize management as a rhetorically‐responsive activity in which managers act as ‘practical authors’ of their social realities (pp. 148–59). From this perspective, organizations are reworked from permanent, independent social structures to relational landscapes continually shifting from the imaginary to the imagined in interactive moments. Managing is seen as an embodied and situated dialogical activity in which managers act as authors of organizational realities through their conversations. In this article, I take as my central premise, the constitutive and metaphorical nature of language, and explore the practical, enacted aspects of Shotter's concept of authorship. Specifically, I suggest authorship may relate to how managers attempt to construct a sense of who they are, create a shared sense of features of their organizational landscape, and how they may move others to talk or act in different ways through their dialogical practices. I draw on research conversations with managers to explore how everyday poetic talk may be crucial to the process of constructing self, realities, and meaning. This ‘reconstruction’ of management practice offers both a different way of thinking about managing and potential dialogical resources which may allow managers to author or construct organizational experiences in more deliberate ways.
Antecedents and Effects of Parent Control in International Joint Ventures
Authors: Yan Aimin , Gray Barbara
Published: July 2004

Using a sample of 90 US–China manufacturing joint ventures, this study empirically tested a grounded‐theory model of the antecedents and the effects of the structure of parent management control in international joint ventures. The results suggest that competitive and cooperative dynamics occur simultaneously between joint venture partners. On one hand, the relative bargaining power between the partners, derived from the negotiation context and from contributing critical resources to the venture, respectively, is a determining factor in management control; and the level of operational control exercised by a partner over the venture has a positive effect on the extent to which this partner's strategic objectives are achieved. On the other hand, the quality of the interpartner working relationship was found to have a strong, positive relationship with the achievement of strategic objectives for both partners.
The Achilles Heel of Firm Strategy: Resource Weaknesses and Distinctive Inadequacies
Authors: Page West III G. , DeCastro Julio
Published: July 2004

Two separately developed views within the strategic management literature elucidate the source of a firm's competitive advantage based on the internal attributes of the firm: the resource‐based view (Wernerfelt, 1984) and the distinctive competence view (Selznick, 1957). As developed in the literature, however, both views neglect important dimensions which inhibit the achievement of competitive advantage. These dimensions are resource weaknesses and distinctive inadequacies. Accounting for weaknesses and inadequacies exposes important choice‐sets confronting management in making resource investments, and of time‐related dimensions in developing sustainable advantage. Considering the effects of weaknesses and inadequacies provides insight on the limits to firm growth and to sustainability of competitive advantage. Theory on developing competitive advantage may lack explanatory and predictive power if it excludes these perspectives, which if included may also improve prescription for practitioners.
Determinants of Entry in an Emerging Economy: A Multilevel Approach
Authors: Luo Yadong
Published: July 2004

The dynamics of the world economy and global competition patterns are encouraging multinational enterprises (MNEs) to expand into emerging economies. This study validates the proposition that entry mode selection in an emerging economy is influenced by situational contingencies at four levels: nation, industry, firm, and project. Analysis of data collected from China suggests that the joint venture is preferred when perceived governmental intervention or environmental uncertainty is high or host country experience is low. The wholly‐owned entry mode is preferred when intellectual property rights are not well protected, the number of firms in the industry is growing fast, the need for global integration is high, or the project is located in an open economic region. The importance of these multilevel determinants requires simultaneous and inseparable considerations of the risk, return, control, and resource effects of the entry mode decision. This necessitates a theoretical integration of multiple perspectives such as transaction cost, the eclectic paradigm, bargaining power, and organizational capability.
The Impact of the Board on Strategy: An Empirical Examination
Authors: Stiles Philip
Published: July 2004

Boards of directors are coming under increasing scrutiny, both in the wake of a number of serious corporate frauds and failures and through a more general debate about the nature of corporate governance and its role in achieving national competitiveness. Though research on boards is growing, there remains a lack of empirical studies on the perceptions of directors themselves as to their role and influence in the running of organizations, and in particular the strategic process.

This article responds to widespread calls for direct study of boards of directors by using a multi‐method approach involving an in‐depth examination of 51 directors of UK public companies, a survey of 121 company secretaries and four case studies of UK plcs, where multiple board members were interviewed. Through the use of a grounded methodology, this article examines the impact of boards on strategy and shows that by establishing the business definition, gatekeeping, selecting directors, and confidence building, the board influences the boundaries of strategic action. Evidence for the managerial domination of boards was slight, but the results showed support for a number of theoretical frameworks, suggesting that multiple perspectives are required to fully understand the nature of board activity.
From Dependency to Defiance? Work‐Unit Relationships in China’s State Enterprise Reforms
Authors: Morris Jonathan , Sheehan Jackie , Hassard John
Published: July 2004

This paper outlines the economic reform process being undertaken in China and the subsequent partial closure and radical down‐sizing of the state‐owned enterprise sector. Redundancies arising out the restructuring process have eroded the state‐worker contract of the iron rice‐bowl. This has resulted in growing and sometimes violent labour unrest. The planned workforce projections until the end of the year 2000 suggest that the numbers of redundancies has increased, adding to China’s ‘surplus labour’ problem. A critical issue is thus whether the Chinese government, together with state‐enterprise management, can contain potential future labour and civil unrest using its present methods.
Elevated amniotic fluid leptin levels in early second trimester are associated with earlier delivery and lower birthweight in twin pregnancy
Authors: Chan Te‐Fu , Chung Yueh‐Fang , Chen Hung‐Sheng , Su Jinu‐Huang , Yuan Shyng‐Shiou F.
Published: July 2004

Objective.  To explore the possibility of using early second trimester amniotic fluid leptin levels as a predictor of pregnancy outcome in twin pregnancy.

Study design.  Amniotic fluid leptin levels from 18 twin‐pregnant women in early second trimester were analyzed for their correlation with gestational age at delivery and fetal birthweight. Leptin levels in 16 amniotic fluid samples collected from small for gestational age (SGA) twin pregnancies were compared with those in 20 amniotic fluid samples collected from non‐SGA twin pregnancies.

Results.  A significant correlation was observed between amniotic fluid leptin levels and gestational age at delivery (r = 0.71, p < 0.001) as well as fetal birthweight (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). There was also a significant correlation between gestational age at delivery and fetal birthweight (r = 0.92, p < 0.001). The average gestational age at delivery was 30.4 ± 1.4 weeks in the SGA group, with a mean birthweight of 1552 ± 200 g at delivery. For the non‐SGA group, the values were 37.3 ± 0.5 weeks and 2759 ± 115 g ( p < 0.001), respectively. Amniotic fluid leptin levels were found to be significantly higher ( p < 0.001) for women in the SGA group (11.4 ± 1.5 ng/mL) than for those in the non‐SGA group (5.4 ± 0.5 ng/mL).

Conclusion.  Higher amniotic fluid leptin levels in early second trimester were associated with both lower gestational age at delivery and lower birthweight. Our results suggest that amniotic fluid leptin levels in early second trimester may be a good marker for the prediction of perinatal complications in twin pregnancy.
Oral misoprostol vs. vaginal gemeprost prior to surgical termination of pregnancy in nulliparae
Authors: Celentano Claudio , Prefumo Federico , Di Andrea Osvaldo , Francesca Presti  , Di Nisio Quirino , Rotmensch Sigi
Published: July 2004

Background.  To compare the efficacy and side‐effects of intravaginal gemeprost with those of oral misoprostol for cervical ripening prior to first‐trimester pregnancy termination in nulliparous women.

Methods.  Retrospective analysis of surgical terminations of pregnancy performed before 90 days of gestation. Intravaginal gemeprost 1 mg or oral misoprostol 800 µg was administered 2 h before the procedure.

Results.  In total, 746 women were enrolled into the study, 84 received intravaginal gemeprost and 662 oral misoprostol. Median baseline cervical dilatation was significantly greater in women who received misoprostol before the operation than in those who received gemeprost (7 mm vs. 3 mm; p < 0.0001). The incidence of fever, vomiting and diarrhea was not different between the two groups. The incidence of abdominal pain with request for pain medication, emergency admission to operating room due to vaginal bleeding, hospital stay longer than 24 h and surgical repair of cervical injury due to Hegar dilatation was significantly higher among the gemeprost group than the misoprostol group.

Conclusions.  In cervical priming prior to first‐trimester pregnancy termination in nulliparous women, oral misoprostol is more effective and is associated with fewer side‐effects and complications than intravaginal gemeprost.
Operation for pelvic organ prolapse: a follow‐up study
Authors: Tegerstedt Gunilla , Hammarström Margareta
Published: July 2004

Objective.  Long‐term results of surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in terms of objective and subjective cure rates, postoperative complications and side‐effects were studied retrospectively.

Methods.  Two hundred and sixty‐nine women underwent surgery between 1986 and 1988 and were invited to a follow‐up visit in 1998–99. One hundred and twenty‐eight (47%) women attended the follow‐up. In the time between surgery and follow‐up, 67 (25%) women had died. The medical records were reviewed for women not attending follow‐up (n = 131), revealing a higher age and a more severe prolapse in the lost to follow‐up group.

Results.  The subjective cure rate, with cure of all symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, was 46% (n = 59). The objective cure rate, with satisfactory anatomic outcome, was 56% (n = 72). If perfect results had been attained in the women who did not undergo follow‐up examination, the subjective and objective cure rates would be 73% and 79%, respectively. Previous prolapse surgery, a traumatic delivery, urinary incontinence and a prolapse stage III or more seemed to be risk factors for an adverse outcome.

Conclusions.  In evaluating the cure rate of pelvic floor surgery not only the anatomic outcome should be studied but also the outcome in terms of side‐effects and/or symptoms as resolved, persistent or new onset. An unsatisfactory anatomic outcome was not necessarily associated with symptoms. The modest cure rate after surgery may be due to the aggravation with time of pelvic floor disorder, this confounding the results of surgery.
Fat chance: genetic syndromes with obesity
Authors: Delrue M‐A , Michaud JL
Published: July 2004

Although obesity shows high heritability, we are aware of only a small number of genes that affect adipose mass in humans. Genetic syndromes with obesity represent unique opportunities to gain insight into the control of energy balance. The majority of obesity syndromes can be distinguished by the presence of mental retardation. We performed a systematic search of such syndromes and reviewed the literature with a focus on distinguishing clinical features, the characteristics of their obesity, and the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms. We predict that the study of these conditions will shed light on common forms of obesity.
Education, Accountability, and the Ethical Demand: Can the Democratic Potential of Accountability Be Regained?
Authors: Biesta Gert J.J.
Published: July 2004

This paper analyzes the impact of the idea of accountability on education. It considers the kind of relationships that are promoted or produced by the culture of accountability, both in order to understand what kind of relationships are made possible and to understand what kind of relationships are made difficult, or even impossible, as a result of the accountability regime. The paper explores how the managerial uses of the idea of accountability have become pervasive in contemporary education and how this has changed relationships among students, parents, teachers, and the state. Ultimately, accountability erodes relationships of responsibility. Zygmunt Bauman's “postmodern ethics” is used to gain a detailed understanding of why it has become so much more difficult to develop relationships of responsibility under the accountability regime. Bauman's proposal that we should take responsibility for our responsibility also suggests a starting point from which the democratic potential of accountability might be regained.
In the Event of Learning: Alienation and Participative Thinking in Education
Authors: Sidorkin Alexander M.
Published: July 2004

This essay begins with Karl Marx's notion of alienation, and then explores a form of alienation specific to education. It examines Mikhail Bakhtin's treatment of alienation in connection with his participative thinking theory and suggests strategies for overcoming educational alienation that are based on Bakhtin's notion of the “eventness of Being.” The essay addresses the limitations of liberal and conservative critiques of education, both of which tend to ignore forms of alienation characteristic of modern schooling regardless of the issues of educational equity and efficiency. The author proposes that we can overcome the problem of event deficiency in our schools by paying serious attention to the nonacademic side of school life.
EXPLAINING ATTITUDES TOWARDS AMBIGUITY: AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF THE COMPARATIVE IGNORANCE HYPOTHESIS
Authors: Dolan Paul , Jones Martin
Published: July 2004

Many theories have been put forward to explain attitudes towards ambiguity. This paper reports on an experiment designed to test for the existence of Comparative Ignorance when it is tested over events with a range of different likelihoods. A total of 93 subjects valued a series of gambles, one of which was played out for real. The results do not lend support to the theory, although the relationship between risk and ambiguity does appear to correspond with other theories and previous empirical work.
THE CHANGING LIFE CYCLE PATTERN IN FEMALE EMPLOYMENT: A COMPARISON OF GERMANY AND THE UK
Authors: Fitzenberger Bernd , Wunderlich Gaby
Published: July 2004

Employment rates of women have been rising but women are often part‐time employed and employment interruptions over the life‐cycle are linked to family formation. This paper analyzes empirically full‐time and part‐time employment of different skill groups of women in the UK and West Germany. Patterns of part‐time and full‐time employment are different across skill groups and countries. Full‐time employment declines and part‐time employment increases with age. Time trends do not change in a monotonous way across skill groups and they differ by country. The strong increase in part‐time rates in both countries over time can mainly be attributed to composition effects.
UNEMPLOYMENT, HYSTERESIS AND TRANSITION
Authors: León‐Ledesma Miguel A. , McAdam Peter
Published: July 2004

In this paper, we quantify the degree of persistence in the unemployment rates of transition countries using a variety of methods benchmarked against the EU. Initially, we work with the concept of linear ‘Hysteresis’ as described by the presence of unit roots in unemployment as in most empirical research on this area. Given that this is potentially a narrow definition, we also take into account the existence of structural breaks and nonlinear dynamics in unemployment. Finally, we examine whether CEECs' unemployment presents features of multiple equilibria, that is, if it remains locked into a new level whenever some structural change or sufficiently large shock occurs. Our findings show that, in general, we can reject the unit‐root hypothesis after controlling for structural changes and business‐cycle effects, but we can observe the presence of a high and low unemployment equilibria. The speed of adjustment is faster for CEECs than the EU, although CEECs tend to move more frequently between equilibria.
JOB REALLOCATION, EMPLOYMENT CHANGE AND AVERAGE JOB TENURE: THEORY AND WORKPLACE EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRALIA
Authors: Mumford Karen , Smith Peter N.
Published: July 2004

We explore determinants of job reallocation, employment change and average job tenure in this paper. A model which associates technological advances with the process of economic growth is modified and analysed. The features of this model allow for the possibility of asymmetric behaviour when looking at the net change in employment. Workplace data from Australia (AWIRS95) are used to test the predictions generated from the model for both employment change and average job tenure. Results are presented that provide clear evidence as to the nature of workplaces in which net employment growth is concentrated. We find that employment growth is asymmetrically related to expected changes in demand for the output of the workplace. We also find that employment is lower for workplaces that are larger, older, have greater union density, offer higher relative earnings, or are operating in a more competitive environment. The impacts on average tenure are as expected from the model and from these changes in employment. Overall there is a substantial degree of agreement between the predictions of the model and our empirical results.
Therapy with adjunctive doxycycline local delivery in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and periodontitis
Authors: Martorelli de Lima Antonio Fernando , Cury Cmila Cristina , Palioto Daniela Bazan , Duro Adhemar Mendes , Silva Robert Carvalho da , Wolff Larry F.
Published: July 2004

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of subgingival administration of doxycycline as an adjunct to periodontal therapy in type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients.

Material and methods: Twenty‐two paired periodontal defects 5.0 mm were treated in 11 patients (35–55 years old). After initial therapy the sites were randomly assigned into test (scaling and root planing+subgingival administration of 10% doxycycline hyclate gel) or control (scaling and root planing+subgingival placebo gel) groups. The clinical parameters of clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD) and gingival margin level (GML) for recession determination were assessed at baseline, after 6 weeks, and 6, 9 and 12 months, using a computerized probe. Data were statistically evaluated using Duncan and F tests.

Results: Between study group comparisons indicated PD reduction and CAL gain were greater in the test group than in the control group at 6 weeks and 6, 9 and 12 months but only statistically significant at 12 months (p<0.05). Within study group comparisons indicated statistically significant differences were found for CAL and PD values favouring the adjunctive doxycycline group from baseline to 6 weeks and 6, 9 and 12 months (p<0.05).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that subgingivally delivered doxycycline hyclate produces additional favorable clinical results to periodontal therapy in type 1 DM patients.
Increased treatment failure after 3‐days’ courses of nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim for urinary tract infections in women: a population‐based retrospective cohort study using the PHARMO database
Authors: Goettsch Wim G. , Janknegt Rob , Herings Ron M. C.
Published: July 2004

Aim

To assess determinants of treatment failure after antimicrobial therapy of urinary tract infections in women.

Methods

In primary care 16 703 Dutch women who received a first course (3, 5 or 7 days) of  trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin or norfloxacin between 1 January 1992 through 31 December 1997 and who were between 15 and 65 years old at the day of first use were selected. Failure of the initial treatment was defined as a further prescription for one of these three antibiotics or for cotrimoxazole, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin, within 31 days after the end of the initial therapy.

Results

Treatment failure rate was 14.4% in patients treated with trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin and 9.6% in patients treated with norfloxacin. A multivariate analysis showed that 5 days’[RRNIT 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57, 0.82, RRTRI 0.82, 95% CI 0.73, 0.91] and 7 days’ (RRNIT 0.64, 95% CI 0.53, 0.77, RRTRI 0.85, 95% CI 0.71, 1.02) trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin treatment appeared to be more effective than a 3‐day treatment (reference category). Other factors increasing treatment failure rates were the age of the patient, the year of therapy and previous hospitalization.

Conclusions

It may be concluded that 3‐day courses of nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim are less effective than 5‐ and 7‐day courses in the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
Phenotyping and genotyping study of thiopurine S‐methyltransferase in healthy Chinese children: A comparison of Han and Yao ethnic groups
Authors: Zhang Jian‐ping , Guan Yong‐yuan , Wu Jue‐heng , Xu An‐Long , Zhou Shufeng , Huang Min
Published: July 2004

Aims

Ethnicity is an important variable influencing drug response. Thiopurine S‐methyltransferase (TPMT) plays an important role in the metabolism of thiopurine drugs. Previous population studies have identified ethnic variations in both phenotype and genotype of TPMT, but limited information is available within Chinese population that comprises at least 56 ethnic groups. The current study was conducted to compare both phenotype and genotype of TPMT in healthy Han and Yao Chinese children.

Methods

TPMT activity was measured in healthy Chinese children by a HPLC assay (n = 213, 87 Han Chinese and 126 Yao Chinese). Allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were used to determine the frequency of TPMT mutant alleles (TPMT*2, TPMT*3 A, TPMT*3B and TPMT*3C) in these children.

Results

There was no significant difference in the mean TPMT activity between Han and Yao Chinese children. A unimodal distribution of TPMT activity in Chinese children was found and the mean TPMT activity was 13.32 ± 3.49 U ml−1 RBC. TPMT activity was not found to differ with gender, but tended to increase with age in Yao Chinese children. TPMT*2, TPMT*3B and TPMT*3A were not detected, and only one TPMT*3C heterozygote (Han child) was identified in 213 Chinese children. Erythrocyte TPMT activity of this TPMT*3C heterozygote was 12.36 U ml−1 RBC. The frequency of the known mutant TPMT alleles was 0.2%[1/426] in Chinese children.

Conclusion

The frequency distribution of RBC TPMT activity was unimodal. The frequency of the known mutant TPMT alleles in Chinese Children is low and TPMT*3C appears to be the most prevalent among the tested mutant TPMT alleles in this population.
Bioavailabilities of rectal and oral methadone in healthy subjects
Authors: Dale Ola , Sheffels Pamela , Kharasch Evan D.
Published: July 2004

Aims

Rectal administration of methadone may be an alternative to intravenous and oral dosing in cancer pain, but the bioavailability of the rectal route is not known. The aim of this study was to compare the absolute rectal bioavailability of methadone with its oral bioavailability in healthy humans.

Methods

Seven healthy subjects (six males, one female, aged 20–39 years) received 10 mg d5‐methadone‐HCl rectally (5 ml in 20% glycofurol) together with either d0‐methadone intravenously (5 mg) or orally (10 mg) on two separate occasions. Blood samples for the LC‐MS analyses of methadone and it's metabolite EDDP were drawn for up to 96 h. Noninvasive infrared pupillometry was peformed at the same time as blood sampling.

Results

The mean absolute rectal bioavalability of methadone was 0.76 (0.7, 0.81), compared to 0.86 (0.75, 0.97) for oral administration (mean (95% CI)). Rectal absorption of methadone was more rapid than after oral dosing with Tmax values of 1.4 (0.9, 1.8) vs. 2.8 (1.6, 4.0) h. The extent of formation of the metabolite EDDP did not differ between routes of administration. Single doses of methadone had a duration of action of at least 10 h and were well tolerated.

Conclusions

Rectal administration of methadone results in rapid absorption, a high bioavailability and long duration of action. No evidence of presystemic elimination was seen. Rectal methadone has characteristics that make it a potential alternative to intravenous and oral administration, particularly in cancer pain and palliative care.
Training in paediatric clinical pharmacology in the UK
Authors: Choonara Imti , Dewit Odile , Harrop Emily , Howarth Sheila , Helms Peter , Kanabar Dipak , Lenney Warren , Rylance George , Vallance Patrick
Published: July 2004

Aims

To produce a training programme in paediatric clinical pharmacology.

Methods

A working group, consisting of clinical pharmacologists (paediatric and adult), general paediatricians and the pharmaceutical industry was established to produce the training programme.

Results

Following a two year training programme in general paediatrics, a three year training programme in clinical pharmacology has been established. This includes one year of research in clinical pharmacology (paediatric or adult). The other two years involve training in different aspects of paediatric clinical pharmacology and general paediatrics.

Conclusion

The existence of a formal training programme should result in a significant increase in the number of paediatric clinical pharmacologists.
Endothelial venodilator response in carriers of genetic polymorphisms involved in NO synthesis and degradation
Authors: Fricker Ruth , Hesse Christiane , Weiss Johanna , Tayrouz Yorki , Hoffmann Michael M. , Unnebrink Kristina , Mansmann Ulrich , Haefeli Walter E.
Published: July 2004

Aims

Polymorphisms of the NOSIII gene and of the CYBA gene have been associated with a number of pathological conditions such as arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, and myocardial infarction. Because endothelium‐dependent vasodilation is impaired in these disorders, we hypothesized that polymorphisms of NOSIII or CYBA might modulate endothelial function of venous capacitance vessels already before cardiovascular disease becomes overt.

Methods

Endothelium‐dependent and ‐independent venodilation was assessed by measuring local vascular responses to bradykinin and sodium nitroprusside in the dorsal hand vein after preconstriction with phenylephrine in 72 healthy male Caucasians after careful exclusion of cardiovascular risk factors. Genotyping was performed for polymorphisms of the NOSIII gene (T‐786C, G894T, (CA)n) and the CYBA gene (C242T).

Results

Genotype distribution for each polymorphism followed the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. In all studied single nucleotide polymorphisms no significant difference between the respective genotypes and the venodilator response to either sodium nitroprusside or bradykinin was observed, and the number of CA repeat copies was not related to the venodilator response to bradykinin. Mean venodilation induced by bradykinin 50 ng min−1 (±SEM) for homozygote carriers of the single nucleotide polymorphisms was 48.9 ± 8.5% venodilation (G894T; wild type: 49.8 ± 6.9), 50.3 ± 11.0% venodilation (T‐786C; wild type: 42.6 ± 5.2), and 30.4 ± 9.1% venodilation (C242T; wild type: 49.2 ± 6.0), respectively.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the studied polymorphisms of NOSIII and CYBA do not significantly modulate endothelium‐dependent venodilation in individuals without vascular risk factors.
What is the best size descriptor to use for pharmacokinetic studies in the obese?
Authors: Green Bruce , Duffull Stephen B.
Published: July 2004

The prevalence of obesity in the western world is dramatically rising, with many of these individuals requiring therapeutic intervention for a variety of disease states. Despite the growing prevalence of obesity there is a paucity of information describing how doses should be adjusted, or indeed whether they need to be adjusted, in the clinical setting. This review is aimed at identifying which descriptors of body size provide the most information about the relationship between dose and concentration in the obese. The size descriptors, weight, lean body weight, ideal body weight, body surface area, body mass index, fat‐free mass, percent ideal body weight, adjusted body weight and predicted normal body weight were considered as potential size descriptors. We conducted an extensive review of the literature to identify studies that have assessed the quantitative relationship between the parameters clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (V) and these descriptors of body size. Surprisingly few studies have addressed the relationship between obesity and CL or V in a quantitative manner. Despite the lack of studies there were consistent findings: (i) most studies found total body weight to be the best descriptor of V. A further analysis of the studies that have addressed V found that total body weight or another descriptor that incorporated fat mass was the preferred descriptor for drugs that have high lipophilicity; (ii) in contrast, CL was best described by lean body mass and no apparent relationship between lipophilicity or clearance mechanism and preference for body size descriptor was found. In conclusion, no single descriptor described the influence of body size on both CL and V equally well. For drugs that are dosed chronically, and therefore CL is of primary concern, dosing for obese patients should not be based on their total weight. If a weight‐based dose individualization is required then we would suggest that chronic drug dosing in the obese subject should be based on lean body weight, at least until a more robust size descriptor becomes available.
P‐selectin in haemostasis
Authors: André Patrick
Published: July 2004

During the past decade, interrelationships between inflammation and thrombosis have been the subject of extensive works, and it is now commonly recognized that inflammation (notably leucocyte recruitment) directly affects thrombosis, and that thrombosis also constitutes a pro‐inflammatory event. This tight link is partly attributable to P‐selectin, which is functional not only when expressed on the surface of activated platelets and endothelial cells, but also when shed, generating its soluble form, termed sP‐selectin. In this review, we will provide an overview of the relative roles of the different compartments of P‐selectin (platelet, endothelial cell, plasma) in haemostasis and vascular pathologies, and the potential therapeutic benefits achievable in targeting this molecule.