bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Valuable are the Patents Behind Section 337 Cases?
Authors: Co Catherine Y.
Published: May 2004

A US patent protects the owner of the intellectual property from imitators producing in the US and foreign imitators selling in the US market. There are two venues for filing infringement cases against international infringement of US patents, with the International Trade Commission (ITC) using Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 or with federal district courts. Three indicators of patent value suggest that patents litigated under Section 337 are on average more valuable; however, their values tend to be more variable. The latter suggests that some firms may be using Section 337 not for protection against international infringement of US patents but for protection against imports.
The Political Economy of Strategic Trade Policy and the Brazil–Canada Export Subsidies Saga
Authors: Goldstein Andrea E. , McGuire Steven M.
Published: May 2004

In this paper we study the on‐going trade dispute between Canada and Brazil on export subsidies in the aircraft industry and the reasons for its escalation. This is a peculiar case of strategic trade policy insofar as the good, i.e. regional jets, is heavily dependent on sub‐systems that are imported in the two countries. The hypothesis that the dispute solely derives from the search for rents and externalities is therefore incomplete. Without downplaying the role of interest politics, we argue that in both countries ideas about the goals of trade policy have an important place in explaining why this dispute drags on. For Canada, the belief in a rules‐based trading regime has led it to strongly oppose violations, while insecurity about its competitiveness has led to a variety of government schemes to support firms in advanced sectors like aerospace. For Brazil, its place as a leader of the developing world acted as a rallying point for government and firms alike. The research also argues that the WTO process has actually made a resolution of the dispute more difficult by making it too costly for firms and countries to comply with the costs of losing.
Impact of Openness on Growth in Different Country Groups
Authors: Wang Chengang , Liu Xiaming , Wei Yingqi
Published: May 2004

This paper evaluates the impact of openness on growth in different country groups using a panel of 79 countries over the period 1970–98. It distinguishes itself from many existing studies in three aspects: Firstly, both trade and FDI are included as measures of openness. Secondly, countries are classified into high‐, middle‐ and low‐income groups to compare the roles of trade and FDI in these groups. Thirdly, the possible problems of endogeneity and multicollinearity of trade and FDI are carefully dealt with in a panel data setting. The main findings are as follows. Total trade has a general positive impact on growth in all country groups, although the impact from imports is not significant in high‐income countries. FDI has a positive impact on growth in high‐ and middle‐income countries, but not in low‐income countries. With the existing absorptive capabilities, low‐income countries can benefit from both exports and imports, but not from FDI. These findings suggest that trade and FDI affect growth through different channels and under different conditions. The paper also discusses important policy implications.
Economic and Environmental Benefits of Eliminating Log Export Bans – The Case of Costa Rica
Authors: Kishor Nalin , Mani Muthukumara , Constantino Luis
Published: May 2004

An increasing number of tropical timber‐producing nations have enacted bans on export of logs arguing that this will reduce deforestation, expand downstream wood processing and improve the scale efficiency of domestic processing, create jobs and retain more value‐added nationally. The theoretical literature is clear that trade restrictions are generally welfare reducing (except in special cases such as when there is a potential for an optimal export tax). At best, a log export ban is a second‐best policy tool for reducing deforestation and addressing the associated environmental externalities. In overall terms, the suggestion that log export bans can achieve the objectives expected of them is dubious. However, very little quantitative evidence exists to demonstrate this claim and the paper attempts to address this gap by looking at the economic and environmental impacts of eliminating a log export ban in Costa Rica. The authors argue that eliminating the export ban is Pareto improving and could generate economic gains as high as $14 million per annum with the possibility of relatively modest environmental benefits.
To What Extent Can Foreign Direct Investment Help Achieve International Development Goals?
Authors: Nunnenkamp Peter
Published: May 2004

For FDI to help alleviate absolute poverty and stimulate economic growth in developing countries, two conditions have to be met. First, developing countries need to be attractive to foreign investors. Second, the host‐country environment in which foreign investors operate must be conducive to favourable FDI effects with regard to overall investment, economic spillovers and income growth. This paper argues that it is more difficult to benefit from FDI than to attract FDI. The widely perceived concentration of FDI in few developing countries tends to obscure that, in relative terms, various small and poor countries are fairly attractive to FDI. Yet, the mobilisation of domestic resources remains by far, more important than attracting FDI for financing investment and stimulating economic growth. Furthermore, high inward FDI is no guarantee for poverty alleviation and positive growth effects. In particular, the empirical evidence suggests that host‐country conditions typically prevailing in poor countries, including weak institutions and an insufficient endowment of complementary factors of production, constrain the growth‐enhancing and poverty‐alleviating effects of FDI. The crux is that creating an environment in which FDI may deliver social returns will take considerable time exactly where development needs are most pressing.
Why Did Argentina's Currency Board Collapse?
Authors: Gurtner François J.
Published: May 2004

This paper sheds light on the risks associated with currency board arrangements, referring to the severe liquidity crisis that emerged in Argentina in November 2000. The inability of the Argentinean economy to grow because of an overvalued peso and the massive borrowing needs of the government in the context of rapidly rising borrowing costs seriously undermined the credibility of the fixed‐exchange rate regime. Given the widespread dollarisation of the financial sector on the liability side, Argentina had arguably little choice but to stick to the currency board. A series of measures aimed at reviving growth were implemented but with no signs of upturn in demand, increasingly distrustful international investors and growing social unrest, the country was forced into default in December 2001, putting an abrupt end to its decade long experiment with hard money. This study shows that with rigid labour markets, a lack of fiscal discipline and the absence of a natural anchor currency, Argentina was never a strong candidate for a hard peg.
Trade Causes of the Asian Crisis: The Malaysian Experience
Authors: Doraisami Anita
Published: May 2004

Prior to the onset of the Asian financial crisis there was a deterioration in the external trade position of most countries that were affected by the Asian currency crisis. However, little is known about why this occurred. This paper aims to identify the causes of a slowdown in export growth in Malaysia. While misaligned exchange rates have been widely cited as a cause of the slowdown in East Asia; in the Malaysian context at least a vulnerability to the downturn in the electronic cycle could also be a major factor leading to poor export performance. Using the US/yen dollar rate as a proxy for exchange rate misalignment and US total new orders for electronics as a proxy for global electronics demand, cointegration analysis was used to establish the likely causes of a slowdown in Malaysia's export performance. The empirical evidence suggests that the coincidence of exchange rate misalignment with a downturn in the global electronics demand cycle was responsible for the sharp deterioration in export performance.
Human leukocyte elastase and cathepsin G are specific inhibitors of C5a‐dependent neutrophil enzyme release and chemotaxis
Authors: Tralau Tim , Meyer‐Hoffert Ulf , Schröder Jens‐M. , Wiedow Oliver
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Circulating human neutrophils from patients with severe inflammatory disorders such as erysipelas and sepsis are specifically desensitized to complement factor C5a stimulation but not to stimulation with other stimuli like N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (FMLP), interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), or platelet‐activating factor (PAF, 1‐O‐alkyl‐2‐acetyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine). In this study, we raised the question whether factors released from polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) can specifically down‐regulate C5a‐dependent neutrophil functions.

When neutrophils were preincubated with either neutrophil lysates or neutrophil degranulation supernatants, a complete inhibition of C5a‐stimulated β‐glucuronidase release and chemotaxis could be observed, whereas FMLP‐, IL‐8‐, LTB4‐ or PAF‐dependent functions were not affected. Serine protease inhibitors like phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, antileukoprotease, or elafin abolished this effect. High‐performance liquid chromatography of neutrophil degranulation supernatants revealed pronounced inhibition of C5a‐dependent neutrophil functions in fractions exerting elastase or cathepsin G activity, but not in fractions exerting proteinase 3 activity. Using purified human leukocyte elastase (HLE), C5a responses like intracellular calcium influx, β‐glucuronidase release, and chemotaxis were also specifically inhibited.

Our experiments show that the release of HLE or cathepsin G from neutrophils specifically down‐regulates the responsiveness of neutrophils to C5a. Elastase and cathepsin G may therefore play an important role in the down‐regulation of acute inflammation.
Desmocollin 1 expression and desmosomal remodeling during terminal differentiation of human anagen hair follicle: an electron microscopic study
Authors: Donetti Elena , Boschini Elena , Cerini Anna , Selleri Silvia , Rumio Cristiano , Barajon Isabella
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  The terminal differentiation (TD) program of keratinocytes of the human hair follicle (HF) occurs with specific temporal and spatial features in the various layers of the inner root sheath (IRS) and in the innermost layer of the outer root sheath (companion layer). This process is characterized by complex nuclear and cytoplasmic morphological changes, accompanied by profound modifications in intercellular junctions. As no correlation exists between the structure and the molecular composition of desmosomes during TD of the IRS/companion unit, the aim of our study was to investigate by transmission electron microscopy the remodeling of desmosomes in keratinizing cells of these compartments. By immunogold post embedding technique, we studied in anagen HFs the modulation of the synthesis of desmocollin 1 (Dsc1), a transmembrane glycoprotein specifically synthesized in the IRS and in the companion layer. Dsc1 immunoreactivity was actually confined to these compartments and tended to increase just before the level of TD, particularly in the Henle's layer and in the IRS cuticle. In Huxley's layer, the immunolabeling was patchy and in the companion layer Dsc1 synthesis was detected above the level of keratinization of Huxley's layer. In the whole IRS, concomitantly with TD, there was an abrupt and almost complete disappearance of Dsc1 synthesis. An asymmetric distribution of Dsc1 was noticed (i) between cells at different stages of differentiation and (ii) between cells belonging to layers with different spatial/temporal features of TD. Our results show that the ultrastructural modifications of desmosomes during TD of HF are paralleled by the modulation of the synthesis of desmocollin 1.
A mutation (N177S) in the structurally conserved helix initiation peptide motif of keratin 5 causes a mild EBS phenotype
Authors: Liovic M. , Bowden P. E. , Marks R. , Komel R.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a group of predominantly autosomal dominant hereditary disorders of the skin, which manifest as superficial skin blisters after minimal mechanical trauma. Three subtypes have been defined, based on clinical severity. Mutations affecting the genes encoding the epidermal keratins 5 (K5) and 14 (K14) have been linked to the disease, and generally those affecting the helix initiation and termination peptide motifs have been linked to severe EBS phenotypes. We report here a novel mutation in the helix initiation peptide of K5, N177S, that causes only a mild EBS‐Weber Cockayne phenotype (EBS‐WC). The mutation was identified by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐amplified genomic DNA encoding the exons of the KRT5 and KRT14 genes, and confirmed by mismatch allele‐specific PCR, followed by restriction enzyme digestion with Tsp509 I. The patient is heterozygous for a mutation affecting codon 177, changing a conserved asparagine residue (N) to serine (S). Asparagine 177 is a highly conserved residue among all type II keratins. This is also the first report of a mutation at position 9 of 1A helix (1A:N9S) in a type II keratin. Unlike mutations affecting residues 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 of the 1A helix of K5 and K14, which were all previously linked to more severe (EBS) phenotypes, K5 1A:N9S produces only a mild EBS‐WC phenotype.
Some reflections on the historical value of the so-called Acta Lanfranci
Authors: Hayward Paul A.
Published: May 2004

This article offers the first extended discussion of the Acta Lanfranci, a Latin continuation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle that is readily and often taken as a reliable narrative because of its close proximity to the events it describes and its transmission within the Parker Manuscript (Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS. 173). By drawing attention, however, to inconsistencies between the Acta's narrative and that required by other evidence, to the selective nature of its reportage and to the palaeographical and internal data that require a somewhat later dating than is usually assumed, this article identifies problems with this position. It argues that the Acta Lanfranci is best understood as propaganda produced in defence of Canterbury's patriarchate, and suggests revisions to the established narrative of the exemption dispute between the archbishopric and St. Augustine's abbey that would permit some of the problems created by the Acta to be resolved.
The rhetoric of popular Orangism, 1650–72*
Authors: Stern Jill
Published: May 2004

During the period 1650–72, the Dutch Republic was without a stadtholder prince of Orange. This article examines the rhetoric of the supporters of the House of Orange throughout these years in relation to the common people of the Republic. Within this context, it investigates the arguments that Orangists used to justify the restoration of the stadtholderate, and examines how, at critical times, direct action by the commonalty was incited and justified. The article draws on the printed pamphlets of the period as well as on drama, poetry and visual imagery.
Loyal to a fault: Viscount Montague explains himself*
Authors: Questier Michael
Published: May 2004

The speech delivered at West Horsley on 27 January 1592 by the first Viscount Montague is a crucial, but previously unnoticed, discourse on the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and her Catholic subjects. At a critical juncture in the early fifteen-nineties, when the regime was renewing its polemical and legal assault on separatist Catholic clergy and their patrons, this former Marian privy councillor and diplomat went on the record to say how he distinguished between his duty to God and to the queen, what he thought of her, and what she thought of him. By locating this speech in the context of the viscount's career, family and wider entourage, this article tries to decode Montague's speech and, thereby, to address the problem of what Catholic ‘loyalism’ meant during this period. Catholics regularly protested their fidelity to the queen but frequently found themselves accused by their critics of concealing their impulses towards disobedience, if not actual treason. In fact, what each side was trying to do in this debate was to gloss what political loyalty meant in certain circumstances. And this rhetorically contested glossing procedure (of which Viscount Montague's 1592 speech is a prime example) is a significant component of political discourse during this period.
Race, place and bodily difference in early nineteenth-century India*
Authors: Arnold David
Published: May 2004

Changing ideas of race, place and bodily difference played a crucial part in the way in which the British in India thought about themselves, and more especially about Indians, in the half-century leading up to the Mutiny and Rebellion of 1857. But in seeking to make this case, this article aims to do more than merely illustrate the importance of ‘the body’ to the ideology and practice of nineteenth-century colonialism in one of its principal domains. Without, I hope, invoking too crass and simplistic a binary divide, it seeks to restate an argument about colonialism as a site of profound (and physically-grounded) difference. Binary divisions and dichotomous ideas may have passed out of favour of late among historians, with a growing barrage of attacks on Edward Said and Orientalism.1 But even if Orientalism provides an unreliable guide to the complex heterogeneity of imperial history, there is an equal danger that, in reacting so strongly against ideas of ‘otherness’, historians may too readily overlook or unduly diminish the ways in which ideas of difference were mobilized, in ideology and in practice, in the service of an imperial power.
Laughton's legacy: naval history at King's College London*
Authors: Lambert Andrew
Published: May 2004

Professor Sir John Laughton (1830–1915) gave King's College London the leading role in the development of academic naval history in Britain. He linked the professional educational interests of the Royal Navy with the academic standards set by the English historical profession, which he had helped to create. After many years of neglect the subject was revived at King's in the nineteen-seventies. In this inaugural lecture, the first Laughton Professor of Naval History reflects on the development of naval history in the twentieth century, the current state of the subject and the problems and opportunities of working with armed forces, processes in which King's College has taken a leading role.
Differential stability of Arabidopsis D‐type cyclins: CYCD3;1 is a highly unstable protein degraded by a proteasome‐dependent mechanism
Authors: Planchais Séverine , Samland Anne K. , Murray James A. H.
Published: May 2004

In Arabidopsis, the D‐type cyclin CYCD3 is rate‐limiting for transition of the G1/S boundary, and is transcriptionally upregulated at this point in cells re‐entering the cell cycle in response to plant hormones and sucrose. However, little is known about the regulation of plant cell‐cycle regulators at the protein level. We show here that CYCD3;1 is a phosphoprotein highly regulated at the level of protein abundance, whereas another D‐type cyclin CYCD2;1 is not. The level of CYCD3;1 protein falls rapidly on sucrose depletion, correlated with the arrest of cells in G1 phase, suggesting a rapid turnover of CYCD3;1. Treatment of exponentially growing cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) confirms that CYCD3;1 is normally a highly unstable protein, with a half‐life of approximately 7 min on CHX treatment. In both sucrose‐starved and exponentially growing cells, CYCD3;1 protein abundance increases in response to treatment with MG132 (carbobenzoxyl‐leucinyl‐leucinyl‐leucinal), a reversible proteasome inhibitor, but not in response to the cysteine protease inhibitor E‐64 or the calpain inhibitor ALLN (N‐acetyl‐leucyl‐leucyl‐norleucinal). The increase on MG132 treatment is because of de novo protein synthesis coupled with the blocking of CYCD3;1 degradation. Longer MG132 treatment leads to C‐terminal cleavage of CYCD3;1, accumulation of a hyperphosphorylated form and its subsequent disappearance. We conclude that CYCD3;1 is a highly unstable protein whose proteolysis is mediated by a proteasome‐dependent pathway, and whose levels are highly dependent on the rate of CYCD3;1 protein synthesis.
Material culture as memory: combs and cremation in early medieval Britain
Authors: Williams Howard
Published: May 2004

This paper argues that mortuary practices can be understood as ‘techno‐logies of remembrance’. The frequent discovery of combs in early medieval cremation burials can be explained by their mnemonic significance in the post‐cremation rite. Combs (and other objects used to maintain the body's surface in life) served to articulate the reconstruction of the deceased's personhood in death through strategies of remembering and forgetting. This interpretation suggests new perspectives on the relationships between death, material culture and social memory in early medieval Europe.
Differential stage‐specific regulation of cyclin‐dependent kinases during cambial dormancy in hybrid aspen
Authors: Espinosa‐Ruiz Ana , Saxena Sangeeta , Schmidt Julien , Mellerowicz Ewa , Miskolczi Pál , Bakó László , Bhalerao Rishikesh P.
Published: May 2004

The cambium of woody plants cycles between active and dormant states. Dormancy can be subdivided into eco‐ and endodormant stages. Ecodormant trees resume growth upon exposure to growth‐promotive signals, while the establishment of endodormant state results in loss of the ability to respond to these signals. In this paper, we analysed the regulation of cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) to understand the differential response of cell division machinery to growth‐promotive signals during the distinct stages of dormancy in hybrid aspen. We show that 4 weeks of short‐day (SD) treatment causes termination of the cambial cell division and establishment of the ecodormant state. This coincides with a steady decline in the histone H1 kinase activity of the PSTAIRE‐type poplar CDKA (PttCDKA) and the PPTTLRE‐type PttCDKB kinase complexes. However, neither the transcript nor the polypeptide levels of PttCDKA and PttCDKB are reduced during ecodormancy. In contrast, 6 weeks of SD treatment establishes endodormancy, which is marked by the reduction and disappearance of the PttCDKA and PttCDKB protein levels and the PttCDKB transcript levels. The transition to endodormancy is preceded by an elevated E2F (adenosine E2 promoter binding factor) phosphorylation activity of the PttCDKA kinase that reduces the DNA‐binding activity of E2F in vitro. The transition to endodormancy is followed by a reduction of retinoblastoma (Rb) phosphorylation activity of PttCDKA protein complexes. Both phosphorylation events could contribute to block the G1 to S phase transition upon the establishment of endodormancy. Our results indicate that eco‐ and endodormant stages of cambial dormancy involve a stage‐specific regulation of the cell cycle effectors at multiple levels.
Population Abundances, Tidal Movement, Burrowing Ability and Oxygen Uptake of Emerita analoga (Stimpson) (Crustacea, Anomura) on a Sandy Beach of South‐Central Chile
Authors: Lastra Mariano , Jaramillo Eduardo , López Jesús , Contreras Heraldo , Duarte Cristián , Rodríguez J. Germán
Published: May 2004

Abstract.  Field sampling and other experiments were carried out during February 2001 to determine whether different morphodynamic characteristics occurring within an intermediate sandy beach of southern Chile (ca. 39°S) convey differences in population abundance, tidal movement, burrowing ability and oxygen uptake of the anomuran crab Emerita analoga (Stimpson, 1857). Crabs were collected along transects extended between the lowest swash levels and the retention zone above the effluent line of the south and north end of the beach. Burrowing times of nearly 70 crabs collected at each study site were measured in saturated sands collected from the lowest swash level of each site. Oxygen uptake of crabs was measured in incubation glass bottles. The intertidal zone of the north end of the beach was wider (56 m) and flatter (1/14) than that of the south end (45 m and 1/9, respectively). In general, the swash zone of the north end was significantly wider than the south end throughout the sampling period. The frequency of swashes and number of swash crossings above the effluent line, plus up‐wash speed, were usually higher at the steeper south end of the beach. The mean population abundance of E. analoga per linear metre of beach was significantly higher at the north end, whereas density per square metre was significantly higher at the south end. No differences were found in biomass figures. Although the highest abundance of crabs at the north end was usually observed at the lowest swash levels, similar population abundances occurred along all the tidal levels sampled at the south end. Burrowing times of crabs collected from both ends of the beach increased significantly with increasing carapace length and body mass. The mean burrowing time of crabs collected at the south end of the beach was shorter than that of those collected at the north end. Oxygen uptake of E. analoga was positively and exponentially correlated with the size of individuals collected from both ends of the beach. Results of ANCOVA showed no significant difference between the regression lines obtained for the oxygen uptake of crabs collected at both ends of the beach. It is concluded that physical features of each end of the beach seem not to differ enough to produce differences in oxygen uptake of E. analoga, or in the biomass, population structure and body size of crabs, within a single beach of south‐central Chile.
Prey Composition and Prey Selectivity of an Intertidal Generalist Predator,Muricodrupa fusca(Küster) (Muricidae)
Authors: Yamamoto Tomoko
Published: May 2004

Abstract. Natural prey composition and prey selectivity of the muricid snailMuricodrupa fusca(Küster), which forages on a wide range of prey, was investigated. Natural prey composition was evaluated through correcting the apparent diet (the result of observations of the feeding behavior) by the handling time, which was determined by laboratory analysis. The apparent diet and the natural diet should generally differ because prey items that require a longer handling time will be observed with higher frequencies. Multiple regression equations were derived to relate the handling time to prey size, predator size and water temperature. A large discrepancy in the apparent versus natural diet ofM. fuscawas found in prey species composition and prey size. They foraged on at least 11 species of sessile and mobile prey including six limpet species, and mainly preyed onSiphonariaspp. andLottiaspp. in the field. By comparing the percentage of the natural diet to that of prey abundance in the field,M. fuscapreferredSiphonariaspp. andLottiaspp. and did not select the other prey species. The selectivity of this predator was explained by optimal foraging theory and antipredator defenses of some limpet species. The relationships among attacking methods, handling time and prey selectivity are also examined.
A Comparison Among Assemblages in Areas Invaded byCaulerpa taxifoliaandC. racemosaon a Subtidal Mediterranean Rocky Bottom
Authors: Balata David , Piazzi Luigi , Cinelli Francesco
Published: May 2004

Abstract. This study compares the structure of Mediterranean macroalgal assemblages invaded byCaulerpa taxifoliaandC. racemosa. Assemblages in areas colonized by the two algae and in reference areas were sampled and analyzed for 2 years. Significant differences were recorded both between reference and invaded areas and between areas invaded by differentCaulerpaspecies. Macroalgal assemblages colonized byC. racemosawere more separated from references than those colonized byC. taxifolia. Differences between assemblages colonized byC. racemosaand the others decreased during the alga's period of vegetative rest and increased at the last sampling date. While erect and turf species showed similar patterns in invaded areas, covers of encrusting algae were lower inC. racemosaareas than inC. taxifoliaareas.
Bilateral epididymal sarcoidosis presenting without radiographic evidence of intrathoracic lesion: Review of sarcoidosis involving the male reproductive tract
Authors: KODAMA KOICHI , HASEGAWA TORU , EGAWA MASAYUKI , TOMOSUGI NAOHISA , MUKAI AYUMU , NAMIKI MIKIO
Published: May 2004

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder that rarely involves the genitourinary tract. To date, only 59 cases of histologically proven sarcoidosis involving the male reproductive tract have been reported in the literature. We present here a case of bilateral epididymal sarcoidosis without radiographic evidence of intrathoracic lesion. A 46‐year‐old man presented with a one‐week history of painless bilateral scrotal swellings. Physical examination detected multiple elastic firm nodules on both sides of the scrotum which showed no tenderness. The nodules seemed to involve the entire bilateral epididymides. Some irregularly shaped hypoechoic masses in the bilateral epididymides were identified on gray scale ultrasonography. On magnetic resonance images, the bilateral epididymides were seen to be enlarged, heterogeneous and nodular without any signs of testicular involvement. The lesion showed a slightly high signal intensity on the T2‐weighted image. Pathological evaluation following bilateral epididymectomy found non‐caseating epithelioid cell granulomas with giant cells in epididymal tissue, thus confirming a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Gallium‐67 scanning showed additional small hot spots in the anterior chest wall and extremities. Open biopsy of a superficial papular lesion in the dermis of the right upper arm was performed and pathological findings indicated sarcoid granulomas. This report also includes a review of the literature pertaining to sarcoidosis of the male reproductive tract.
Penile vascular abnormalities observed long‐term after surgical repair of penile fractures
Authors: NANE ISMET , TEFEKLI AHMET , ARMAGAN ABDULLAH , SANLI ONER , KADIOGLU ATES
Published: May 2004

Aim:To assess the penile vascular system in men long‐term after surgical treatment of penile fractures.

Patients and Methods:During a 15‐year period, 36 cases of penile fracture underwent immediate surgical repair at the University of Istanbul, Turkey. At least 1 year after operation, all patients were invited for penile vascular evaluation. 15 patients accepted our call and were enrolled in our study. They were evaluated with detailed medical and sexual history, a serial of serum analyses, and penile color Doppler ultrasonography.

Results:By history, 6 of the 36 (16.6%) patients who had undergone surgical repair had erectile dysfunction (ED). The mean interval between surgical intervention for penile fracture and penile vascular evaluation was 3.6 ± 1.9 (range 1.5–8) years. Evaluation of the penile vascular system of 15 men (mean age 35.7 ± 17.3, range 21–63 years) revealed normal vascular system in seven (46.7%), while cavernosal insufficiency was observed in four (26.7%) and arterial insufficiency in three (20%) men. The remaining case (6.7%) was diagnosed to have mixed arterial and cavernous insufficiency. Erectile dysfunction in two cases was considered to be in psychogenic origin and vascular in the remaining four.

Conclusion:Although immediate repair is reported to be the treatment of choice in penile fractures, ED of either a physiological or vascular origin can be encountered as a long‐term sequel and deserves to be evaluated in detail.
Radical prostatectomy and adjuvant endocrine therapy for prostate cancer with or without preoperative androgen deprivation: Five‐year results
Authors: HOMMA YUKIO , AKAZA HIDEYUKI , OKADA KIYOKI , YOKOYAMA MASAO , MORIYAMA NOBUO , USAMI MICHIYUKI , HIRAO YOSHIHIKO , TSUSHIMA TOMOYASU , SAKAMOTO ATSUHIKO , OHASHI YASUO , ASO YOSHIO ,   The Prostate Cancer Study Group
Published: May 2004

Background: The effects of preoperative androgen deprivation on the outcomes of prostate cancer patients who received radical prostatectomy and subsequent adjuvant endocrine therapy have not yet been fully evaluated.

Methods: Patients with stage A2, B or C prostate cancers were randomized to one of two groups: group I (n = 90), who received androgen deprivation (leuprolide and chlormadinone acetate) for 3 months followed by radical prostatectomy and subsequent adjuvant endocrine therapy (leuprolide alone), and group II (n = 86), who underwent the surgery followed by 3‐month androgen deprivation (leuprolide and chlormadinone acetate) and subsequent adjuvant endocrine therapy (leuprolide alone). The effects of preoperative androgen deprivation on survival, clinical relapse (serum prostate specific antigen, PSA, above the normal level, local recurrence, or distant metastases), and PSA relapse (PSA above the detectable level) were evaluated at 5 years or later after treatment.

Results: There were no significant differences in overall, cause‐specific, clinical relapse‐free, or PSA relapse‐free survival rates between the two groups. In a subanalysis, no prostate cancer deaths or clinical relapses were noted in 29 patients with organ‐confined disease (OCD: negativity of capsular invasion, seminal vesicle invasion, surgical margins or nodal involvement). The odds ratio for OCD depending on group assignment was 2.44 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.04–5.72), for group I, demonstrating a higher probability of having OCD. This ratio was increased to 4.00 (95% CI 1.06–15.16) if the analysis was conducted in a subpopulation with prostate specific antigen levels less than 35.6 ng/mL and with clinical stage B or C cancers.

Conclusion: Preoperative androgen deprivation has no demonstrable benefit in 5‐year outcomes for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy and adjuvant endocrine therapy. However, it did increase the probability of OCD, which was associated with no clinical relapse during the follow‐up. A longer observation is needed to clarify the exact extent of the benefits in terms of survival.
Characteristics of patients with staghorn calculi in our experience
Authors: AKAGASHI KEIGO , TANDA HITOSHI , KATO SHUJI , OHNISHI SHIGEKI , NAKAJIMA HISAO , NANBU AKIHITO , NITTA TOSHIKAZU , KOROKU MIKIO , SATO YOSHIKAZU , HANZAWA TATSUO
Published: May 2004

Purpose: To elucidate the factors contributing to staghorn stone formation in patients.

Materials and Methods: The records of 82 patients (44 men and 38 women) with complete staghorn calculi were reviewed retrospectively for clinical presentation, metabolic disturbances and anatomical abnormalities.

Results: There were 79 unilateral and three bilateral cases. The patient performance of the activities of daily life was assessed with the modified Rankin scale (MRS) and it was found that 69 patients were functionally independent (84.1%, MRS 0–1) and 10 patients had a severe disability (12.2%, MRS 4–5). Seven patients had chronic indwelling catheters (8.5%). A positive urine culture was found in 24.4% of patients. Analysis of stone composition revealed magnesium ammonium phosphate and mixed calcium oxalate‐phosphate were the most frequently identified types of stone (32.1% and 22.2%, respectively). Urinary pH was low in patients with uric acid stones (mean 5.4). Hyperuricemia, cystinuria and hypercalciuria were found in 14.6%, 2.4% and 37.8%, respectively. Hypercalciuria was found more frequently in calcium‐stone cases. Eleven patients (13.4%) showed structural abnormalities of the kidney.

Conclusions: Our data show that the patients with severe disability, urinary tract infection and hypercalciuria could be recognized more frequently in staghorn calculi compared with common urolithiasis. However, in Western countries, the frequency of both urinary tract infection and struvite stones is much higher than in our data. Other Japanese authors have also reported the low frequency of struvite stones in staghorn calculi, suggesting that various factors other than urinary tract infection possibly contribute to the formation of staghorn calculi in Japan.
Microscopic venous invasion in renal cell carcinoma as a predictor of recurrence after radical surgery
Authors: ISHIMURA TAKESHI , SAKAI IORI , HARA ISAO , ETO HIROSHI , MIYAKE HIDEAKI
Published: May 2004

Background: The objective of the present study was to investigate the significance of microscopic venous invasion (MVI) as a prognostic factor for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who underwent radical surgery.

Methods: The study included a total of 157 consecutive patients with non‐metastatic RCC who underwent radical surgery between January 1986 and December 2002. The median follow‐up period was 45 months (range 6–162 months). Microscopic venous invasion was defined by the presence of a cancer cell in blood vessels based on the examination of hematoxylin‐eosin stained specimens. Other prognostic variables were assessed by multivariate analysis to determine whether there was a significant impact on cancer‐specific and recurrence‐free survivals.

Results: Microscopic venous invasion was found in 70 patients, and of this number, 17 (24.7%) developed a tumor recurrence and 12 (17.1%) died of cancer progression, while only six (6.9%) of the remaining 87 patients without MVI presented with disease‐recurrence and three (3.5%) died of cancer. Among the factors examined, the presence of MVI was significantly associated with age, mode of detection, tumor size, pathological stage and tumor grade; however, only pathological stage was an independent predictor for disease‐recurrence, and none of these factors were available to predict cancer‐specific survival in multivariate analyses. In 120 patients with pT1 or pT2 disease, MVI was noted in 36 patients. In this subgroup, recurrence‐free survival rates in patients with MVI were significantly lower than those in patients without MVI, and MVI was the only independent prognostic predictor for disease‐recurrence in a multivariate analysis.

Conclusion: Microscopic venous invasion is not an independent prognostic factor in patients with non‐metastatic RCC who underwent radical surgery; however, it could be the only independent predictor of disease‐recurrence after radical surgery for patients with pT1 or pT2 disease.
The Legality of Law
Authors: Gardner John
Published: May 2004

Abstract.  In this paper I outline various different objects of investigation that may be picked out by word “law” (or its cognates). All of these objects must be investigated in an integrated way before one can provide a complete philosophical explanation of the nature of law. I begin with the distinction between laws (artefacts) and law (the genre to which the artefacts belong). This leads me to the distinction between the law (of a particular legal system) and law (the genre of artefacts). Then I discuss the contrast between law (the genre of artefacts) and law (the practice). Finally I comment on legality as the name of an ideal for laws and legal systems to live up to. I commend H. L. A. Hart's explanation of the nature of law for investigating these various objects in an integraed way, while nevertheless respecting the distinctions among them. I also criticise some of R. M. Dworkin's work for failing to respect the same distinctions.
Melody and Law's Mindfulness of Time
Authors: Postema Gerald J.
Published: May 2004

Abstract.  A structured awareness of time lies at the core of the law's distinctive normativity. Melody is offered as a rough model of this mindfulness of time, since some important features of this awareness are also present in a hearer's grasp of melody. The model of melody is used, first, to identify some temporal dimensions of intentional action and then to highlight law's mindfulness of time. Its role in the structure of legal thinking, and especially in precedent‐sensitive legal reasoning, is explored. This article argues further that melody‐modeled mindfulness of time is evident also at a deeper and more pervasive level, giving structure to the distinctive mode of law's normative guidance. The article draws one important theoretical consequence from this exploration, namely, that the normative coherence of momentary legal systems depends conceptually on their coherence over time.
Sistema e struttura nel diritto
Authors: Faralli Carla
Published: May 2004

Book reviewed:

Mario G. Losano, Sistema e struttura nel diritto
Gesammelte Schriften
Authors: Paulson Stanley L.
Published: May 2004

Book reviewed:

Adolf Julius Merkl, Gesammelte Schriften
Health Policy Roundtable Panel Discussion: Translating Health Insurance Studies into Policy Proposals
Authors: Folz Christina E.
Published: May 2004

Researchers often wonder whether and how their studies are translated into policy or practice. AcademyHealth convened a roundtable of experts at the organization's 2003 Annual Research Meeting in Nashville to discuss how research on health insurance enters the policy process. The participants drew on their experience at the state, federal, and local levels to suggest ways that policy researchers can maximize the likelihood that their work will be used by decision‐makers. The following report is based on the transcript from this 90‐minute discussion; it captures the panel's answers to a series of questions posed by session‐chair, Sherry Glied.
Working Conditions of the Nursing Workforce Excerpts from a Policy Roundtable at AcademyHealth's 2003 Annual Research Meeting
Authors: Hope Hollis A.
Published: May 2004

The role of nursing in the delivery of health care has emerged as a complex and cross‐cutting issue ripe for inquiry and multidisciplinary research. Indeed, problems in the nursing workforce have risen high on the agendas on many influential organizations, including the American Academy of Nursing, the Institute of Medicine, the National Quality Forum, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and others. In an effort to clarify current research issues and advance an agenda for future investigations, Dr. Peter Buerhaus at Vanderbilt University organized a round table focused on the working conditions of the nursing workforce at the AcademyHealth 2003 Annual Research Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Chaired by the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health's Jack Needleman, the “Working Conditions of the Nursing Workforce” roundtable proved to be a provocative exchange of views among researchers and users of research. Participants shared background about their role in advancing the research, identified gaps in current research, and suggested specific areas for further research. What follows is an edited transcript of the Roundtable that, in addition to Dr. Needleman, included Ellen Kurtzman, National Quality Forum; Barbara Mark, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Lori Melichar, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and Donald Steinwachs, Johns Hopkins University.
Effects of Medicare Payment Changes on Nursing Home Staffing and Deficiencies
Authors: Konetzka R.Tamara , Yi Deokhee , Norton Edward C. , Kilpatrick Kerry E.
Published: May 2004

Objective. To investigate the effects of Medicare's Prospective Payment System (PPS) for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and associated rate changes on quality of care as represented by staffing ratios and regulatory deficiencies.

Data Sources. Online Survey, Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data from 1996–2000 were linked with Area Resource File (ARF) and Medicare Cost Report data to form a panel dataset.

Study Design. A difference‐in‐differences model was used to assess effects of the PPS and the BBRA (Balanced Budget Refinement Act) on staffing and deficiencies, a design that allows the separation of the effects of the policies from general trends. Ordinary least squares and negative binomial models were used.

Data Collection Methods. The OSCAR and Medicare Cost Report data are self‐reported by nursing facilities; ARF data are publicly available. Data were linked by provider ID and county.

Principal Findings. We find that professional staffing decreased and regulatory deficiencies increased with PPS, and that both effects were mitigated with the BBRA rate increases. The effects appear to increase with the percent of Medicare residents in the facility except, in some cases, at the highest percentage of Medicare. The findings on staffing are statistically significant. The effects on deficiencies, though exhibiting consistent signs and magnitudes with the staffing results, are largely insignificant.

Conclusions. Medicare's PPS system and associated rate cuts for SNFs have had a negative effect on staffing and regulatory compliance. Further research is necessary to determine whether these changes are associated with worse outcomes. Findings from this investigation could help guide policy modifications that support the provision of quality nursing home care.
Alcohol Drinking Patterns and Health Care Utilization in a Managed Care Organization
Authors: Zarkin Gary A. , Bray Jeremy W. , Babor Thomas F. , Higgins‐Biddle John C.
Published: May 2004

Objective. To estimate the relationship between current drinking patterns and health care utilization over the previous two years in a managed care organization (MCO) among individuals who were screened for their alcohol use.

Study Design. Three primary care clinics at a large western MCO administered a short health and lifestyle questionnaire to all adult patients on their first visit to the clinic from March 1998 through December 1998. Patients who exceeded the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) guidelines for moderate drinking were given a more comprehensive alcohol screening using a modified version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Health care encounter data for two years preceding the screening visit were linked to the remaining individuals who responded to one or both instruments. Using both quantity–frequency and AUDIT‐based drinking pattern variables, we estimated negative binomial models of the relationship between drinking patterns and days of health care use, controlling for demographic characteristics and other variables.

Principal Findings. For both the quantity–frequency and AUDIT‐based drinking pattern variables, current alcohol use is generally associated with less health care utilization relative to abstainers. This relationship holds even for heavier drinkers, although the differences are not always statistically significant. With some exceptions, the overall trend is that more extensive drinking patterns are associated with lower health care use.

Conclusions. Based on our sample, we find little evidence that alcohol use is associated with increased health care utilization. On the contrary, we find that alcohol use is generally associated with decreased health care utilization regardless of drinking pattern.