bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical significance of circulating hepatocyte growth factor, a new risk marker of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Satani K. , Konya H. , Hamaguchi T. , Umehara A. , Katsuno T. , Ishikawa T. , Kohri K. , Hasegawa Y. , Suehiro A. , Kakishita E. , Namba M.
Published: May 2006

Aims  Recent studies have provided increasing evidence that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has a pathophysiological role in the development of diabetic complications. We set out to determine the relationship between serum HGF and risk factors for macroangiopathy including carotid atherosclerosis. Carotid atherosclerosis is an established and important risk factor for both cerebral and coronary artery diseases.

Methods  We studied 89 patients (48 males, 41 females, mean age 62.5 ± 10.3 years) with Type 2 diabetes (DM).

Results  Serum levels of HGF correlated positively with both intimal‐media thickness (IMT) (r = 0.24, P = 0.0248) and plaque score (r = 0.27, P = 0.0126). In multiple regression analysis, serum HGF was associated independently with IMT (standardized β = 0.28, P = 0.0499). We also found that both IMT and plaque score were higher in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) than in patients without IHD, and that plaque score in patients with lacunar infarcts was higher than in patients without lacunar infarcts.

Conclusions  Serum HGF concentration may be a new marker of atherosclerotic complications in patients with Type 2 DM.
Plasma glucose levels and diabetes are independent predictors for mortality and morbidity in patients with SARS
Authors: Yang J. K. , Feng Y. , Yuan M. Y. , Yuan S. Y. , Fu H. J. , Wu B. Y. , Sun G. Z. , Yang G. R. , Zhang X. L. , Wang L. , Xu X. , Xu X. P. , Chan J. C. N.
Published: May 2006

Aims  To investigate the relationships between a known history of diabetes and ambient fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels with death and morbidity rates in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Methods  In this retrospective analysis, the clinical and biochemical characteristics of 135 patients who had died from SARS, 385 survivors of SARS and 19 patients with non‐SARS pneumonia were compared.

Results  All patients were treated according to a predefined protocol. Before steroid treatment, the mean FPG level was significantly higher in the SARS group (deceased vs. survivors vs. non‐SARS pneumonia group: 9.7 ± 5.2 vs. 6.5 ± 3.0 vs. 5.1 ± 1.0 mmol/l, P < 0.01). In the SARS group, the percentage of patients with a known history of diabetes was significantly higher in the deceased patients than in the survivors (21.5% vs. 3.9%, P < 0.01). Among patients with no known history of diabetes and before commencement of steroid therapy, those who had hypoxaemia (SaO2 < 93%) had higher FPG levels than those who did not have hypoxia in both the survivor (8.7 ± 4.9 vs. 6.3 ± 2.1 mmol/l, P < 0.001) and deceased (9.8 ± 4.8 vs. 7.2 ± 1.5 mmol/l, P < 0.001) groups. A known history of diabetes [odds ratio (OR) 3.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4, 6.3; P = 0.005] and FPG ≥ 7.0 mmol/l before steroid treatment (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.4, 7.7, P = 0.006) were independent predictors of death. During the course of the illness, FPG levels were negatively associated with SaO2 (β =−0.682 ± 0.305, P = 0.025, general estimation equation model) in SARS patients. Survival analysis showed that FPG was independently associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) of mortality (HR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.0, 1.1, P = 0.001) and hypoxia (HR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.0, 1.1, P = 0.002) after controlling for age and gender.

Conclusions  A known history of diabetes and ambient hyperglycaemia were independent predictors for death and morbidity in SARS patients. Metabolic control may improve the prognosis of SARS patients.
Establishing ongoing quality assurance in a retinal screening programme
Authors: Arun C. S. , Young D. , Batey D. , Shotton M. , Mitchie D. , Stannard K. P. , Taylor R.
Published: May 2006

Aim  To establish a clinically efficient, cost‐effective quality assurance programme as part of a routine retinopathy screening service.

Methods  The operation of a quality assurance system as part of an ongoing retinal screening service is described. A random selection of 12% of images of all people reported to have retinopathy and of 2% reported to have no retinopathy are re‐graded by a consultant ophthalmologist. Entry of the two sets of data into a purpose‐designed excel spreadsheet allows automated calculation of sensitivity and specificity.

Results  The results of quality assurance from August 2001 to July 2003 are reported. Out of 8351 screening episodes, 498 were re‐examined. Of the 62 cases identified by the ophthalmologist as having referable retinopathy, four false negatives for detection were identified. Three of these had been assigned to early re‐screening by the retinal screener but were still regarded as false negative by the parameters of the quality assurance system. The sensitivity and specificity for detection of sight‐threatening retinopathy were 93.5% (95% CI = 84.3–98.2%) and 97.8% (95% CI = 95.8–98.9%), respectively.

Conclusion  A robust and cost‐effective system has been developed to allow monitoring of performance of routine retinal screening which may be extended to meet current national recommendations.
Association of the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene with the risk of Type 2 diabetes in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study
Authors: Mager U. , Lindi V. , Lindström J. , Eriksson J. G. , Valle T. T. , Hämäläinen H. , Ilanne‐Parikka P. , Keinänen‐Kiukaanniemi S. , Tuomilehto J. , Laakso M. , Pulkkinen L. , Uusitupa M.
Published: May 2006

Aims  Ghrelin is a gut–brain regulatory peptide stimulating appetite and controlling energy balance. In previous studies, the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene has been associated with obesity and impaired insulin secretion. We investigated whether the Leu72Met polymorphism is associated with the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) participating in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS).

Methods  DPS was a longitudinal intervention study carried out in five participating centres in Finland. A total of 522 subjects with IGT were randomized into either an intervention or a control group and DNA was available from 507 subjects. The Leu72Met polymorphism was screened by the restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Results  There were no differences in clinical and anthropometric characteristics among the genotypes at baseline. IGT subjects with the Met72 allele were at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than subjects with the Leu72Leu genotype (P = 0.046). Our data also demonstrated that IGT subjects with the common Leu72Leu genotype developed Type 2 diabetes less frequently under intervention circumstances than subjects with the Met72 allele (OR = 0.28, 95% CI 0.10–0.79; P = 0.016).

Conclusions  Subjects with the Leu72Leu genotype had a lower risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes. This was observed particularly in the study subjects who underwent an intensive diet and exercise intervention. Defective first‐phase insulin secretion related to the Met72 allele might be one factor contributing to the conversion to Type 2 diabetes.
Differential gene expression of NADPH oxidase (p22phox) and hemoxygenase‐1 in patients with Type 2 diabetes and microangiopathy
Authors: Adaikalakoteswari A. , Balasubramanyam M. , Rema M. , Mohan V.
Published: May 2006

Aims  While the downstream effects of increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the pathogenesis of diabetes were well studied, only a few studies have explored the cellular sources of ROS. We examined whether protection against oxidative stress is altered in patients with diabetes and microangiopathy by examining changes in NADPH oxidase (p22phox) and hemoxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) levels.

Methods  NADPH oxidase (p22phox) and HO‐1 gene expression were probed by RT‐PCR using leucocytes from patients with Type 2 diabetes without (n = 19) and with microangiopathy (n = 20) and non‐diabetic subjects (n = 17). Levels of lipid peroxidation as measured by thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) and protein carbonyl content (PCO) were determined by fluorimetric and spectrophotometric methods, respectively.

Results  p22phox gene expression (mean ± se) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in diabetic patients with (0.99 ± 0.04) and without microangiopathy (0.86 ± 0.05) compared with control subjects (0.66 ± 0.05). Consistent with the mRNA data, the p22phox protein expression and NADPH oxidase activity was also increased in cells from diabetic patients compared with control subjects. However, HO‐1 gene expression was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in patients with (0.73 ± 0.03) and without microangiopathy (0.85 ± 0.02) compared with control subjects (1.06 ± 0.03). The mean (± se) levels of TBARS were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in diabetic patients with (14.36 ± 1.3 nm/ml) and without microangiopathy (12.20 ± 1.3 nm/ml) compared with control subjects (8.58 ± 0.7 nm/ml). The protein carbonyl content was also significantly (P < 0.05) higher in diabetic patients with (1.02 ± 0.04 nmol/mg protein) and without microangiopathy (0.84 ± 0.06 nmol/mg protein) compared with control subjects (0.48 ± 0.02 nmol/mg protein). In diabetic subjects, increased p22phox gene expression was negatively correlated with HO‐1 and positively correlated with TBARS, PCO, HbA1c and diabetes duration. In contrast, HO‐1 gene expression was correlated negatively with p22phox, TBARS, PCO, HbA1c and diabetes duration.

Conclusion  Our results indicate that increased oxidative damage is seen in Asian Indians with Type 2 diabetes and microangiopathy and is associated with increased NADPH oxidase (p22phox) and decreased HO‐1 gene expression.
Association of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 polymorphisms with retinopathy in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Liu L. , Yu Q. , Wang H. , Zhang S. X. , Huang C. , Chen X.
Published: May 2006

Aims  To investigate the relationship of the K469E and G241R polymorphisms of the intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1) gene with diabetic retinopathy in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Patients and methods  One hundred and seventy‐two Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes and 80 normal control subjects were recruited. Patients with diabetes were placed into two groups: the diabetic retinopathy (DR) group and the non‐diabetic retinopathy (NDR) group. The DR group was subdivided into those with proliferative retinopathy (PDR) and non‐proliferative retinopathy (NPDR). Genomic DNA was prepared using the hydroxybenzene–chloroform extraction method. Genotypes and alleles were detected by polymerase chain reaction–heteroduplex–single‐strand conformation polymorphism (PCR–HA–SSCP) analysis combined with gene sequencing.

Results  The patients with retinopathy had an increased frequency of the K469K genotype compared with both the patients without retinopathy and the control subjects (61.4 vs. 40.0 and 35.0%, respectively; χ2 = 8.280 and 13.952, respectively; P < 0.05). The frequency of the K allele in the DR group was higher than in the NDR group and control subjects (75.4 vs. 58.8 and 61.3%, respectively; χ2 = 9.693 and 11.219, respectively; P < 0.05). Genotype and allele frequencies were similar in the NDR group and control subjects, and in the PDR and NPDR groups.

Conclusion  The ICAM‐1 gene K469E polymorphism is associated with diabetic retinopathy in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes. Patients with the K469K genotype were more likely to have diabetic retinopathy than patients with the K469E or E469E genotype.

Diabet. Med. 23, 643 –648 (2006)
Metabolic consequences of pancreatic systemic or portal venous drainage in simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Petruzzo P. , Badet L. , Lefrançois N. , Berthillot C. , Dorel S. Bin , Martin X. , Laville M.
Published: May 2006

Aims  The aim was to investigate pancreatic B‐cell function and insulin sensitivity in simultaneous pancreas‐kidney (SPK) recipients with systemic or portal venous drained pancreas allograft using simple and easy tests.

Methods  The study included 44 patients with Type 1 diabetes and end‐stage renal disease who had undergone SPK transplantation: 20 recipients received a pancreas allograft with systemic venous drainage (S‐SPK) and 24 with portal venous drainage (P‐SPK). We studied only recipients with functioning grafts, with normal serum glucose, HbA1c and serum creatinine values, on a stable drug regimen. The subjects were studied at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months after transplantation. Insulin sensitivity and B‐cell function indices were derived from blood samples and oral glucose tolerance tests.

Results  All patients from both groups had normal fasting glucose, body mass index and HbA1c values by selection. The homeostatic model (HOMA) β‐cell index was significantly lower in P‐SPK recipients at several points of the follow‐up. HOMA‐IR was significantly higher in S‐SPK recipients at 6 and 24 months after transplantation and was positively correlated with fasting insulin values, but never exceeded 3.2. There was no significant difference in QUICKI index values between the two groups. Although all patients from both groups always had normal glucose tolerance, the area under the insulin curve was higher in the S‐SPK group. Cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in the P‐SPK group.

Conclusions  The results suggest sustained long‐term endocrine function in both groups and show that portal venous drainage does not offer major metabolic advantages.
Novel sequence variants in the human xylosyltransferase I gene and their role in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Bahr C. , Schön S. , Kuhn J. , Groop P. H. , Parkkonen M. , Wessman M. , Kleesiek K. , Götting C.
Published: May 2006

Aims  Decreased content of heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) is a characteristic of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) in diabetes and contributes to the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Xylosyltransferase I (XT‐I) is the chain‐initiating enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of HSPGs. This study investigated a possible association between XYLT‐I sequence variants and susceptibility to DN.

Methods  Screening of all XYLT‐I exons was performed in 74 caucasians with Type 1 diabetes (48 with and 26 without DN) and in 13 non‐diabetic control subjects using denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography.

Results  Fifteen XYLT‐I sequence variants were identified. Of these, six were previously unknown. There were significant differences in the allele frequencies of the three polymorphisms (c.343G→T (p.A115S), IVS3+10C→T, IVS3+30G→C) in Type 1 diabetic patients and healthy controls.

Conclusions  The occurrence of DN is independent of the XYLT‐I variants detected in our study. However, three XYLT‐I polymorphisms may be linked to Type 1 diabetes. Since we have previously proposed that one of these polymorphisms was not associated with Type 1 diabetes (Schön S et al. Kidney Int 2005; 68: 1483–1490), larger‐scale analysis is clearly necessary to pinpoint the significance of this mutation.
Temporal dynamics and nestedness of an oceanic island bird fauna
Authors: Azeria Ermias T. , Carlson Allan , Pärt Tomas , Wiklund Christer G.
Published: May 2006

Aim  To examine temporal variation in nestedness and whether nestedness patterns predict colonization, extinction and turnover across islands and species.

Location  Dahlak Archipelago, Red Sea.

Method  The distributions of land birds on 17 islands were recorded in two periods 30 years apart. Species and islands were reordered in the Nestedness Temperature Calculator, software for assessing degrees of nestedness in communities. The occupancy probability of each cell, i.e. species–island combinations, was calculated in the nested matrix and an extinction curve (boundary line) was specified. We tested whether historical and current nested ranks of species and islands were correlated, whether there was a relationship between occupancy probability (based on the historical data) and number of extinctions or colonizations (regression analyses) and whether the boundary line could predict extinctions and colonizations (chi‐square analyses).

Results  Historical and current nested ranks of islands and species were correlated but changes in occupancy patterns were common, particularly among bird species with intermediate incidence. Extinction and turnover of species were higher for small than large islands, and colonization was negatively related to isolation. As expected, colonizations were more frequent above than below the boundary line. Probability of extinction was highest at intermediate occupancy probability, giving a quadratic relationship between extinction and occupancy probability. Species turnover was related to the historical nested ranks of islands. Colonization was related negatively while extinction and occupancy turnover were related quadratically to historical nested ranks of species.

Main conclusions  Some patterns of the temporal dynamics agreed with expectations from nested patterns. However, the accuracy of the predictions may be confounded by regional dynamics and distributions of idiosyncratic, resource‐limited species. It is therefore necessary to combine nestedness analysis with adequate knowledge of the causal factors and ecology of targeted species to gain insight into the temporal dynamics of assemblages and for nestedness analyses to be helpful in conservation planning.
Measuring range sizes of South‐East Asian hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae): effects of scale, resolution and phylogeny
Authors: Beck Jan , Kitching Ian J. , Linsenmair K. Eduard
Published: May 2006

Aim The effects of resolution and spatial extent on range measures were explored in estimates of the geographic distribution of tropical hawkmoths. Furthermore, data were tested for phylogenetic autocorrelation.

Location South‐East Asia.

Methods Various range measures, such as geographic information system (GIS)‐supported range estimates, minimum convex polygons, latitudinal and longitudinal extents, and their products, were derived from original distribution records and compared to each other. A taxonomic classification of the species was used to analyse phylogenetic effects on range sizes.

Results Range size measures exhibit a strongly right‐skewed frequency distribution with many geographically restricted species and few widespread taxa. Rankings from GIS‐supported, comprehensive range size estimates do not deviate greatly from more crude measurements of lower resolution. Comprehensive ranges and ranges within South‐East Asia are correlated strongly, but already at this rather large scale the ranking of species changes considerably. Other measures of occupancy with an increasingly more localized consideration of ‘range’ show decreasing strengths of correlation. We found a weak, but significant, autocorrelation in range area data: related groups of species have ranges of similar size.

Main conclusions Spatial resolution did not affect range ranking greatly in our data. However, macroecological studies based only on parts of species’ ranges must be viewed critically, particularly if their extent is small compared to comprehensive ranges. Phylogenetic non‐independence of range size data must be considered in comparative analyses.
Using remote sensing image texture to study habitat use patterns: a case study using the polymorphic white‐throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Authors: Tuttle Elaina M. , Jensen Ryan R. , Formica Vincent A. , Gonser Rusty A.
Published: May 2006

Aim  Ecological factors that vary along spatial scales can greatly influence the outcome of evolution. However, often it is difficult for researchers to identify significant ecological variables that might be associated with the geographical distribution of phenotypes and genotypes in nature. In this paper, we use remote sensing image texture analyses to investigate breeding territories of the white‐throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), a polymorphic passerine species that has been shown to segregate spatially according to morph. Our aim was to examine how an integrative measure of landscape feature, such as image texture, could be used to distinguish subtle differences in habitat use and, presumably, habitat selection.

Location  A population of white‐throated sparrows located 1.5 miles east of the Cranberry Lake Biological Station in the Adirondack Mountains of St Lawrence County, New York, was used in this study; the study site itself was approximately 1 km2.

Methods  We analysed 27 territories (16 white males; 11 tan males) to determine if image texture can be used to distinguish differences in vegetation and structure in territories of the two colour morphs. First (variance)‐ and second (homogeneity)‐order image texture measurements with three different window sizes were derived using the green, red, and near infrared bands of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data. Texture was then placed into t‐tests to determine statistical differences between the territories of the two male morphs.

Results  Significant differences between the territories of the two morphs were found in both variance and homogeneity texture measures in the red and green ASTER bands in all three window sizes. There were no differences with any near infrared texture measures.

Main conclusions  Examination of first‐ and second‐order statistical measures indicated that the territories of tan males have significantly more spectral variance than the territories of white males, while white males’ territories are significantly more homogeneous. These findings are consistent with the previous finding of the morphs settling in ‘high’ and ‘low’ neighbour density habitats that differ with respect to the amount of useable area on their borders. Previous study has also suggested that white and tan male territories differ according to overall landscape structure, not vegetation composition. Therefore, we suggest that red and green spectra may be more useful when examining differences in territory structure and possibly territory quality of similar edge‐type species. Our results suggest that image texture is a useful tool for ecological and evolutionary modelling of the distributions of phenotypes/genotypes across landscapes.
Metaphor and the Dynamics of Knowledge in Organization Theory: A Case Study of the Organizational Identity Metaphor*
Authors: Cornelissen Joep P.
Published: May 2006

abstract  Despite the increased salience of metaphor in organization theory, there is still very little conceptual machinery for capturing and explaining how metaphor creates and/or reorders knowledge within organization theory. Moreover, prior work on metaphor has insufficiently accounted for the context of interpreting a metaphor. Many metaphors in organization theory, including the ‘organizational identity’ metaphor, have often been treated in singular and monolithic terms; seen to offer a similar or largely synonymous interpretation to theorists and researchers working along the entire spectrum of disciplines (e.g. organizational behaviour, organizational psychology) in organization theory. We argue in this paper that contextual variation however exists in the interpretation of metaphors in organization theory. This argument is developed by proposing and elaborating on a so‐called image‐schematic model of metaphor, which suggests that the image‐schemata (abstract imaginative structures) that are triggered by the metaphorical comparison of concepts may vary among individuals. Accordingly, once different schemata are triggered the completion and interpretation of a metaphor may equally vary among different individuals or, indeed, research communities. These points associated with the image‐schematic model of metaphor are illustrated with a case study of the ‘organizational identity’ metaphor. The case study shows that this particular metaphor has spiralled out into different research communities and has been comprehended in very different ways as different communities work from very different conceptions, or image‐schemata, of ‘organization’ and ‘identity’, and use different theoretical frameworks and constructs as a result. The implications of the image‐schematic view of metaphor for knowledge development and theoretical progress in organization theory are discussed.
Sensemaking and the Distortion of Critical Upward Communication in Organizations
Authors: Tourish Dennis , Robson Paul
Published: May 2006

abstract  Most research into feedback has focused on communication from managers to non‐managerial staff. To a lesser extent, it has more recently addressed upward and 360 degree appraisal systems. In contrast, the role of informal upward communication continues to be largely neglected, especially when it concerns the transmission of opinions critical of managerial orthodoxy. There has been little examination of the sensemaking heuristics employed by both managers and non‐managerial staff that stimulates the former to disregard much of the already muted critical upward communication they receive, and the latter to suppress its transmission in the first place. We therefore suggest that managers often over commit to particular courses of action, irrespective of whether they bode ill or well for the organization concerned. In so doing, they frequently demonize those who belong to stigmatized outgroups or who hold contrary value systems. We argue that the consequent elimination of critical upward communication (CUC) leads to iatrogenic phenomena – i.e. organizational problems that are derived from the treatment regime that has been prescribed, rather than from a pre‐existing condition. Implications for practice and further research are considered.
A Narrative Approach to Collective Identities*
Authors: Brown Andrew D.
Published: May 2006

abstract From a narrative perspective, organizations' identities are discursive (linguistic) constructs constituted by the multiple identity‐relevant narratives that their participants author about them, and which feature, for example, in documents, conversations and electronic media. By defining collective identities as the totality  of such narratives I draw attention to their complex, and often fragmented and heterogeneous nature. My approach contrasts with much of the theorizing in this field which has tended to homogenize collective identities by emphasizing what is common  or shared, failed to capture the interplay between different communities within organizations, and produced bland, undifferentiated empirical research. In particular, the theoretical framework that I outline focuses attention on the importance ofreflexivity, voice, plurivocity, temporality, andfictionalityto an understanding of collective identities as locales for competing hegemonic claims. In combination, these notions form a unique conceptual model for theorizing and researching collective identities. This said, a narrative approach also has its limitations, and is proposed as an additional, not exclusive, interpretive lens.
CEO Experiences: Effects on the Choice of FDI Entry Mode*
Authors: Herrmann Pol , Datta Deepak K.
Published: May 2006

abstract  Drawing on the strategic management and international business literatures, this study examines the relationships between the experiences of newly selected CEOs and their choice of foreign direct investment (FDI) entry modes. Based on a sample  of 380 foreign market entry events involving acquisitions, greenfield investments, and joint ventures, our findings indicate that CEOs with less firm experience preferred acquisitions and greenfield investments to joint ventures and, older CEOs were more likely to opt for joint ventures over greenfield investments. In addition, CEOs with throughput functional experience favoured acquisitions over joint ventures and greenfield investments. Finally, CEO international experience was associated with a greater propensity to choose greenfield investments and acquisitions over joint ventures and also greenfield investments over acquisitions. The implications of the findings from the perspective of theory and managerial practice are discussed, along with possible directions for future research.
An Examination of Collaboration and Knowledge Transfer: China–Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park
Authors: Inkpen Andrew C. , Pien Wang
Published: May 2006

abstract This paper examines alliance knowledge transfer using a case study of the China–Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), an alliance involving the Chinese and Singaporean governments, their agencies, and various private sector organizations. The objective is to extend existing knowledge in the alliance learning area and provide deeper understanding of some process‐oriented aspects of alliance learning performance. We found that tacit knowledge was particularly difficult to transfer and that issues involving collaborative interactions between the partners both facilitated and impeded knowledge transfer. We also found that competitive learning occurred, which impacted the partner relationship and knowledge transfer.
Top Management Teams, Strategy and Financial Performance: A Meta‐Analytic Examination
Authors: Certo S. Trevis , Lester Richard H. , Dalton Catherine M. , Dalton Dan R.
Published: May 2006

abstract  A considerable amount of research has investigated the linkage between top management team (TMT) characteristics and firm financial performance. Much of this research relies on demographic data. While these data are reliable and accessible, findings across studies are not consistent. Meta‐analysis of several TMT indicators and firm financial performance provides modest support for direct relationships but indicates moderating influences. Further meta‐analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis enrich these findings by examining potential moderating and intervening factors.
What's New in New Forms of Organizing? On the Construction of Gender in Project‐Based Work
Authors: Lindgren Monica , Packendorff Johann
Published: May 2006

abstract  In several industries, projects are now the normal form of work for individuals. The consequences of project work have not so far been subject to critical inquiry, however. This implies inquiry not only on how people handle project work at work, it also means inquiring into how they live their lives when working by projects. In this paper, we study this from a constructionist gender perspective, in which project work is seen as an ongoing construction of patterns of femininity and masculinity in society. The aim of the paper is to contribute to an understanding of how project work is related to the ongoing construction of femininity and masculinity in the work and lives of human beings.

From a narrative study of individuals in the same project team in an IT‐consultancy company, we discuss masculinization and femininization in project‐based work. It appears that current project work practices imply reproduction of masculinities such as rationality, efficiency, control, devotion to work etc, while femininization is instead found in the rhetoric of the organizational context and the expectations on newly recruited women. The organization was in the process of femininization through rhetoric on ‘family friendliness’, but everyday life for consultants was not spent at the organization but in project teams in the customers' offices. Projects are special in the sense that they are clearly delimited episodes of work in which it is possible to apply entirely different norms than ‘outside’ the project – which makes the tendency to reproduce traditional masculinities even stronger.
Surviving on the Margins of the Economy: Working Relationships in Small, Low‐Wage Firms*
Authors: Edwards Paul , Ram Monder
Published: May 2006

abstract  How do small low‐wage firms continue to survive on the margins of a modern economy? Continuous restructuring provides a set of spaces but what sorts of firm occupy them and how far do these firms exercise active choice? Four research projects, embracing data on 123 firms, have offered empirical analysis. The present paper draws together these projects and derives an analytical framework linking the product and labour market contexts of small firms with their family context. Survival reflects the continued supply of labour through kinship networks and the ability of firms to respond actively to product market opportunities. The value of the framework for small‐firm research generally is illustrated through discussion of further lines of inquiry.
Entrepreneurship and Dynamic Capabilities: A Review, Model and Research Agenda*
Authors: Zahra Shaker A. , Sapienza Harry J. , Davidsson Per
Published: May 2006

abstract  The emergent literature on dynamic capabilities and their role in value creation is riddled with inconsistencies, overlapping definitions, and outright contradictions. Yet, the theoretical and practical importance of developing and applying dynamic capabilities to sustain a firm's competitive advantage in complex and volatile external environments has catapulted this issue to the forefront of the research agendas of many scholars. In this paper, we offer a definition of dynamic capabilities, separating them from substantive capabilities as well as from their antecedents and consequences. We also present a set of propositions that outline (1) how substantive capabilities and dynamic capabilities are related to one another, (2) how this relationship is moderated by organizational knowledge and skills, (3) how organizational age affects the speed of utilization of dynamic capabilities and the learning mode used in organizational change, and (4) how organizational knowledge and market dynamism affect the likely value of dynamic capabilities. Our discussion and model help to delineate key differences in the dynamic capabilities that new ventures and established companies have, revealing a key source of strategic heterogeneity between these firms.
Our Impoverished View of Educational Research
Authors: Berliner David C.
Published: May 2006

This analysis is about the role of poverty in school reform. Data from a number of sources are used to make five points. First, that poverty in the United States is greater and of longer duration than in other rich nations. Second, that poverty, particularly among urban minorities, is associated with academic performance that is well below international means on a number of different international assessments. Scores of poor students are also considerably below the scores achieved by white middle-class American students. Third, that poverty restricts the expression of genetic talent at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. Among the lowest social classes environmental factors, particularly family and neighborhood influences, not genetics, is strongly associated with academic performance. Among middle-class students it is genetic factors, not family and neighborhood factors, that most influences academic performance. Fourth, compared to middle-class children, severe medical problems affect impoverished youth. This limits their school achievement as well as their life chances. Data on the negative effect of impoverished neighborhoods on the youth who reside there is also presented. Fifth, and of greatest interest, is that small reductions in family poverty lead to increases in positive school behavior and better academic performance. It is argued that poverty places severe limits on what can be accomplished through school reform efforts, particularly those associated with the federal No Child Left Behind law. The data presented in this study suggest that the most powerful policy for improving our nations’ school achievement is a reduction in family and youth poverty.
“It's a Double-Edged Sword, this Technology Business”: Secondary English Teachers’ Perspectives on a Schoolwide Laptop Technology Initiative
Authors: Mcgrail Ewa
Published: May 2006

In response to national technology mandates, schools across the United States have committed themselves to laptop technology programs as a way to encourage student-centered learning and critical thinking in collaborative classrooms. Most secondary English teachers in this study did not reject technology per se; rather, they saw some benefits of laptop technology in English instruction. Unfortunately, however, when asked to describe their overall experiences and attitudes toward technology, these teachers revealed a great deal of ambivalence about it in their instruction, especially in the context of a schoolwide laptop technology initiative. Four larger clusters of conflict contributed to this ambivalence: (1) conflicts surrounding institutional control in implementing the laptop program and teacher agency; (2) conflicts surrounding standardized testing's uncertain relationship with technology mandates; (3) conflicts surrounding technology uses in the general curriculum and technology allocation in specific class types; and (4) conflicts surrounding professional identity and the challenges that both student and teacher technology use brought to this identity. The study concludes that these teachers needed to be given greater agency in planning and implementing the laptop technology initiative and in revising their curriculum to embrace this new technology, and the necessary professional development to prepare them for such an educational innovation.
Reassessing the Role of Ethnographic Methods in Education Policy Research: Implementing Bilingual Education Policy at Local Levels
Authors: Stritikus Tom T. , Wiese Ann-Marie
Published: May 2006

In this article, we address the ongoing call for research to be more relevant to educational policy and practice by focusing on the public controversy regarding bilingual education. To show how ethnographic research can be relevant, we present findings of two independent but parallel studies of how teachers implement bilingual education policies based on Proposition 227 in California. Findings from both studies indicate that the use of ethnographic methods yields a rich account of various factors that play a crucial role in determining how educational policy is implemented. In reporting on these ethnographic studies, we seek to provide an alternative voice in the ongoing discussion about the role of research in educational policy and practice.
Teacher Learning in a School-University Partnership: Exploring the Role of Social Trust and Teaching Efficacy Beliefs
Authors: Fisler Jennifer L. , Firestone William A.
Published: May 2006

Teacher learning has been studied in numerous contexts using a variety of theoretical frameworks. Our research examines variation in teacher learning in a school-university partnership. We explore the personal characteristics of social trust and teaching efficacy beliefs in relation to teachers’ levels of learning. We classify teachers in the partnership into three categories based on their demonstrated affective and pedagogical learning and discuss how differences among these teachers in terms of social trust and efficacy beliefs may have influenced their learning. Our research demonstrates that although school-university partnerships may hold promise for school improvement efforts, individual teacher factors can mediate the influence of these partnerships on teacher learning and pedagogical change.
Nonhierarchical Curriculum Differentiation and Inequality in Achievement: A Different Story or More of the Same?
Authors: Ayalon Hanna
Published: May 2006

Although the ideology behind curriculum differentiation presents it as a strategy for reducing educational inequalities, the research shows that, contrary to expectations, differentiation enhances inequalities. This may be a result of the stratified nature of most forms of curriculum differentiation that have been analyzed in existing research. Previous research has not looked into the implications of nonstratified curriculum differentiation on educational inequalities. This article attempts to fill this void by examining the effect of variations in subject offerings on gender and socioeconomic inequality in course taking and achievement in Israeli secondary education, where students can choose from among advanced courses that yield similar educational opportunities. Multilevel analysis was performed on 18,704 academic track students, distributed among 198 schools, who graduated in 1992. The main findings are as follows: Curricular differentiation is associated with increasing gender and socioeconomic inequality in course taking. When students can choose alternative subjects, boys and socially privileged students increase their concentration in advanced sciences courses. That concentration is accompanied by increasing inequality in achievement. The findings are interpreted, taking into account the constraints that ascriptive characteristics of the students pose on making curricular choices.
On Becoming College Prep: Examining the Challenges Charter School Staff Members Face While Executing a School's Mission
Authors: Farmer-Hinton Raquel L.
Published: May 2006

This article draws from a case study investigating the organizational characteristics of a college preparatory charter high school and the impact of that college preparatory climate on the postsecondary plans of the school's graduating classes. Although charters provide local communities with alternatives to existing educational institutions, many recently chartered schools face organizational trials that can limit their effectiveness. This article reports findings from the base-year data collection of a multiyear case study of a recently chartered college preparatory high school. The findings show how logistical constraints and staff turnover affected the implementation of the school's mission, which is to prepare educationally and socially disadvantaged students for college.
Salamanca and the city: culture credits, nature credits, and the modern moral economy of indigenous Bolivia
Authors: Lowrey Kathleen B.
Published: May 2006

This article draws on fieldwork carried out in a Guaraní‐speaking community in the Bolivian Chaco – Isoso – between 1997 and 2000. At the time, some Isoseño people were employed in urban‐headquartered projects that revolved around Isoso’s environment, culture, or identity and that were funded multilaterally by grants, loans, or other foreign aid. The article describes a set of fantastic discourses circulating in rural Isoso that seem to compare a magical place called Salamanca to the city where some Isoseño people now work. The article argues that these Salamanca discourses are an Isoseño‐specific way of talking about a general set of unprecedented processes. It takes up the fact that undertakings of the kind in which the Isoseño are involved create new calibrations among radically different systems for moral/qualitative and material/ quantitative evaluation which can most ‘economically’ be expressed in terms of credit and debt. Finally, it considers why it is that for all their strange magic, Isoseño ‘Salamanca and the city’ discourses put an extremely recognizable suite of moral considerations at their centre.
Tribal synthesis: Piros, Mansos, and Tiwas through history
Authors: Campbell Howard
Published: May 2006

This article critically examines recent anthropological theorizing about indigenous tribalism using ethnographic and historical data on the Piro‐Manso‐Tiwa Indian tribe of New Mexico. Debates about constructionism, neo‐tribal capitalism, and proprietary approaches to culture provide valuable insights into recent indigenous cultural claims and political struggles, but also have serious limitations. The approach taken in the article, ‘tribal synthesis’, emphasizes process, agency, interdependence, and changing political and cultural repertoires of native peoples who seek survival amidst political domination and internal conflict. Such an approach can apply the best of recent critical theory in an advocacy anthropology that supports indigenous struggles.
Representational vs conjectural divination: innovating out of nothing in Mongolia
Authors: Swancutt Katherine
Published: May 2006

Divination is often regarded as a practice undertaken to obtain a standardized, best possible result. This characterization is made at the cost of analysing how people obtain desired innovations through divinatory procedures. To show how divination actually forces people to adopt strategies that lead to innovation, this article classifies all forms of divination into ‘representational’ or ‘conjectural’ categories. Drawing on Mongolian ethnography, the article argues that in conjectural divinations repeated questioning links known impossibilities to prospective possibilities, producing the basis for innovations which initially appear to arise out of nothing. The article demonstrates how conjectural divinations initiate processes of innovation wherein repeated questioning leads to combinatory thought which imposes novel combinations on people, who perceive the need for innovation, access an innovation, and finally recursively posit that innovation’s conceptual origins.
On heterochrony: birthday gifts to Stalin, 1949
Authors: Ssorin‐Chaikov Nikolai
Published: May 2006

Gift relations have been traditionally theorized as antinomial to modernity or, within modernity, in the spheres of the personal relations and ideologies of altruism which dwell on the contrast with commodity and often cast themselves as residual, ‘traditional’ domains. This article explores claims to modernity that were made by public gift‐giving to a modern head of state. It examines birthday gifts to the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin that he received from both his Soviet subjects and international leaders and movements and that were put on public display in 1949‐53 in the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. This article interprets gift‐giving to Stalin as a dramatic example of socialist intervention in the modernist temporality, and it theorizes the notions of time that were culturally constructed through the socialist state gift economy. This article reflects part of an ongoing research project on gift‐giving to Soviet leaders. It is based on fieldwork, oral‐historical and archival research with designers, artisans, and ordinary citizens who were involved in the production of the gift items, as well as with curators and other specialists involved in this exhibition and in preservation of these gifts in different Russian state museums.
Management of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes: report of an EFNS Task Force
Authors: Vedeler C. A. , Antoine J. C. , Giometto B. , Graus F. , Grisold W. , Hart I. K. , Honnorat J. , Sillevis Smitt P. A. E. , Verschuuren J. J. G. M. , Voltz R. ,   Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndrome Euronetwork
Published: May 2006

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are remote effects of cancer on the nervous system. An overview of the management of classical PNS, i.e. paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis, subacute sensory neuronopathy, paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, paraneoplastic opsoclonus‐myoclonus, Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome and paraneoplastic peripheral nerve hyperexcitability is given. Myasthenia gravis and paraproteinemic neuropathies are not included in this report. No evidence‐based recommendations were possible, but good practice points were agreed by consensus. Urgent investigation is indicated, especially in central nervous system (CNS) syndromes, to allow tumour therapy to be started early and prevent progressive neuronal death and irreversible disability. Onconeural antibodies are of great importance in the investigation of PNS and can be used to focus tumour search. PDG‐PET is useful if the initial radiological tumour screen is negative. Early detection and treatment of the tumour is the approach that seems to offer the greatest chance for PNS stabilization. Immune therapy usually has no or modest effect on the CNS syndromes, whereas such therapy is beneficial for PNS affecting the neuromuscular junction. Symptomatic therapy should be offered to all patients with PNS.