bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge management and new product development: a study of two companies
Authors: Shani Abraham B. (Rami) , Sena James A. , Olin Tommy
Published: January 2004

The essence of new product development is the creation, utilization and exploitation of new knowledge. Business sustainability is embedded in the firm’s ability to manage its new product development (NPD) processes. This paper explores the complex relationship between organizational context, NPD and knowledge management. A design‐based framework is proposed and utilized in the investigation of two NPD units in telecommunication and software development organizations. Directions for future research are identified and briefly discussed.
Knowledge integration processes and the appropriation of innovations
Authors: Hislop Donald
Published: January 2004

This paper examines the appropriation of innovations in a number of qualitative case studies through the theoretical lens of the activity based perspective on knowledge. Because knowledge is deeply embedded within its context of use, and the practices through which it is utilized, the knowledge base of most organizations is highly distributed. This means that innovation processes which are multi‐site, or cross functional in scale, are likely to involve the integration, and reconfiguration of diverse bodies of internal, organizational knowledge. This suggests that one of the dominant themes in the contemporary innovation literature, which emphasizes the extent to which they involve the integration of internal and external knowledge, requires to be re‐evaluated to take greater account of equally important processes of internal knowledge integration. Further, the embeddedness of knowledge in practice, means that the blending together of such diverse bodies’ knowledge is likely to involve processes of intensive social interaction.
Memes and cognitive hardwiring: why are some memes more successful than others?
Authors: Pech Richard J.
Published: January 2004

Memes communicate ideas and some memes are more successful at doing this than others. The reason for such success has been hotly debated. It is argued that there is an ontogenetic explanation for meme success in that a feature of the successful meme’s content or message may more readily conform to the mind’s evolved structure. The hardwiring of the mind facilitates learning but some information is often more palatable than others. In a competitive environment where the mind can process only a limited amount of information, information that does not conform to our evolved cognitive structures and the implicit rules under which our minds work best, will be less likely to be accepted. This suggests that we are more susceptible to instinct or hardwired cognitive behaviours than we may like to admit. This has numerous implications for people working in advertising, marketing, and management.
Vulnerability of Bemisia tabaci immatures to phytoseiid predators: Consequences for oviposition and influence of alternative food
Authors: Nomikou Maria , Janssen Arne , Schraag Ruud , Sabelis Maurice W.
Published: January 2004

An earlier study showed that two phytoseiid species, Euseius scutalis (Athias‐Henriot) and Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias‐Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), are capable of suppressing populations of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleurodidae) on isolated cucumber plants supplied with Typha latifolia L. pollen. However, the predators did not exterminate their prey, and this may be caused by the existence of invulnerable B. tabaci stages. Little is known of the differential vulnerability of the immature B. tabaci stages. Here, we quantified their vulnerability by assessing the rate of predation on each of the immature stages when offered alone at a density high enough to allow for a maximal predation rate. All immature stages of B. tabaci were vulnerable to predation by each of the two predator species. However, the per capita predation rates, the oviposition rates of phytoseiids, as well as the percentage of predators feeding and the percentage ovipositing decreased with increasing stages of B. tabaci. Compared to that of eggs and 1st instars, the vulnerability of 2nd and later B. tabaci instars is an order of magnitude lower. To investigate how the presence of alternative food changes the rates of predation, we added pollen to a diet of 1st instars, one of the most vulnerable instars. This resulted in a decrease in the predation rate of E. scutalis, but not of T. swirskii, while the oviposition rate of both phytoseiid species remained equally high. The decreased predation of the 1st instars probably resulted from E. scutalis switching to pollen feeding.
Dissemination of the biocontrol agent Vairimorpha necatrix by the spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris
Authors: Down Rachel E. , Bell Howard A. , Matthews H. June , Kirkbride‐Smith Anne E. , Edwards John P.
Published: January 2004

The ability of the spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), to disseminate infective forms of two lepidopteran pathogens, Vairimorpha necatrix (Kramer) (Microspora: Microsporidia) and Lacanobia oleracea granulovirus (LoGV) was investigated. Individual female P. maculiventris that had fed on Lacanobia oleracea L. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae, infected with V. necatrix, excreted approximately 6 × 108V. necatrix spores during the subsequent 7 days. Excreted spores were fed to L. oleracea larvae, causing 100% mortality, indicating that the spores remained viable after passing through the gut of the predator. Podisus maculiventris that had fed on V. necatrix or LoGV‐infected larvae were allowed to defecate on the foliage of tomato plants, prior to the infestation of the plants with L. oleracea or Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae. This proved to be an effective way of infecting the pest larvae with the pathogens, particularly when five predatory bugs were used per plant. After 20 days, the number of S. littoralis and L. oleracea surviving on the plants was reduced by 75% and 61%, respectively. Female P. maculiventris maintained on V. necatrix‐infected prey showed reduced egg production and longevity, whilst those fed on LoGV‐infected prey showed only reduced egg production. The potential for P. maculiventris to disseminate insect pathogens is discussed in the context of improved biological control of lepidopteran pests.
Behavioural responses of the vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, to semiochemicals from conspecifics, Otiorhynchus salicicola, and host plants
Authors: Van Tol R. W. H. M. , Visser J. H. , Sabelis M. W.
Published: January 2004

The vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus is a parthenogenetic reproducing species which forages for suitable host plants at night, but is found congregated in dark places during the day. Frass of this weevil species is suspected to contain attractive compounds that are host‐plant related. Using a still‐air olfactometer, we tested adult vine weevils at night for their behavioural response to odours from conspecifics, feeding on a mixture of spindle tree (Euonymus fortunei) and yew (Taxus baccata), and to a sexually reproducing related species (Otiorhynchus salicicola), feeding on a mixture of ivy (Hedera helix) and cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). Their attraction to conspecifics and O. salicicola appeared to be related to frass production. Freshly collected frass from O. sulcatus and from O. salicicola males and females was attractive. Prunus laurocerasus and H. helix have not been observed to be hosts of the vine weevil in the field. However, our tests showed that the vine weevil was attracted to mechanically damaged leaves of both plant species, whereas undamaged leaves were not attractive. Only undamaged young unfolding leaves of H. helix were also attractive. The attraction to odours from mechanically damaged host and non‐host plants suggested the involvement of compounds that are commonly found in many plant species. The involvement of plant compounds and/or aggregation pheromones in attraction to frass of the vine weevil and frass of the related weevil species O. salicicola is discussed.
Infectivity of entomopathogenic nematodes to soil‐dwelling developmental stages of the tree leaf beetles Altica quercetorum and Agelastica alni
Authors: Tomalak Marek
Published: January 2004

The infectivity and biocontrol potential of entomopathogenic nematodes against two common urban tree leaf beetles (Altica quercetorum and Agelastica alni) pupating in the soil were examined under laboratory and semi‐field conditions. In the laboratory experiments, pre‐pupae and pupae of both insect species were shown to be highly susceptible to nematode infection when challenged in soil pre‐treated with the parasites’ infective juveniles. In general, Heterorhabditis megidis was more effective than Steinernema feltiae. However, significant differences were observed between individual isolates within the latter species. Nematodes developed and reproduced in cadavers of both insect species.

A semi‐field experiment studying the biocontrol potential of selected nematode strains, conducted under the canopy of urban trees, confirmed the preliminary laboratory findings and revealed that H. megidis could eliminate most of the insects pupating in the soil, when applied at a relatively low dose of 105 IJs m−2. The potential of entomopathogenic nematodes as environmentally safe, effective, and economically viable agents for the biological control of tree leaf beetles in urban green areas is discussed.
Olfactory response of two aphid parasitoids, Lysiphlebus testaceipes and Aphidius colemani, to aphid‐infested plants from a distance
Authors: Lo Pinto Mirella , Wajnberg Eric , Colazza Stefano , Curty Christine , Fauvergue Xavier
Published: January 2004

The role of volatile stimuli in the host‐searching behaviour of the two parasitoid species Lysiphlebus testaceipes Cresson and Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was studied in relation to the host Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) on cucumber plants, Cucumis sativa L. (Cucurbitaceae). Experiments were carried out in the laboratory in a wind tunnel, exposing individual parasitoids to signals from three sources simultaneously: (1) a complex of cucumber plants, Cucumis sativa, and A. gossypii; (2) uninfested cucumber plants; and (3) dummy cardboard plants. The flight response of the female parasitoids was considered oriented when they landed on plants and non‐oriented when the females landed elsewhere (tunnel floor, sides, or top). Results showed that the proportion of oriented flights was significantly higher than non‐oriented flights. A comparison between the two wasp species suggested that A. colemani females may be better able to locate plants than L. testaceipes, as the proportion of females that made an oriented flight was higher in this species. For females of both wasp species which made an oriented flight, landing was more often observed on real plants (i.e., with no difference between infested and uninfested plants), than on dummy plants. A description of the flight behaviour of the two parasitoid species is presented. One difference between the species was that flight duration was higher in L. testaceipes than in A. colemani. This work shows that the two parasitoid species respond to stimuli from the host‐plants of A. gossypii in a similar way to parasitoids of aphid pests in other crops.
Distribution of chemo‐ and mechanoreceptors on the tarsi and ovipositor of female European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana
Authors: Maher Nevile , Thiery Denis
Published: January 2004

We describe the number, distribution, and function of sensilla located on different organs of Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) females using scanning electron microscopy, selective staining, and contact electrophysiology. The tarsi of the prothoracic legs bear contact chemo‐mechanoreceptor sensilla chaetica (5–13 per tarsomere), arranged in rings mainly concentrated on ventral surfaces, and different mechanosensory structures (sensilla chaetica, sensilla squamiformia, sensilla campaniformia, and spines). A single contact chemo‐mechanoreceptor sensillum chaeticum is present between the claws on the pretarsus. The ventral surface of the ovipositor lobes is covered with numerous mechanosensory sensilla chaetica of different types, out of which 10 have a contact chemosensory function. Putative contact chemo‐mechanoreceptor sensilla were also observed on the proboscis and antenna. Longitudinal rows of alternated sensilla styloconica and basiconica are present on the distal part of the proboscis, and rings of sensilla chaetica are present at the antennal tip. The sensilla on these body parts may play different roles in the selection of an oviposition site.
Monitoring of gas exchange cycles and ventilatory movements in the pine weevil Hylobius abietis: respiratory failures evoked by a botanical insecticide
Authors: Sibul I. , Kuusik A. , Voolma K.
Published: January 2004

The large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most important insect pest of young coniferous plants. The implementation of new control methods requires not only a profound knowledge of the ecology and behaviour of the pest, but particularly of its physiology. Standard metabolic rate (SMR) and discontinuous gas exchange cycles (DGCs) were recorded in parallel with abdominal ventilation movements in adults of H. abietis using a differential electrolytic respirometer‐actograph. Quiescent weevils displayed DGCs of the constriction, flutter, and ventilation phases of the CFV type, while bursts of carbon dioxide were always accompanied by abdominal pumping movements, i.e., muscular ventilation in the closed subelytral cavity (SEC). In some beetles the C phase was absent and thus (C)FV cycles were recorded. In addition, at the beginning and often at the end of a burst, the SEC was rhythmically opened and closed by movements of the last abdominal segments. Continuous pumping movements and an absence of DGCs were signs of stress imposed by handling or by a new environment, even if the beetle was not moving. All individuals showed clear DGCs after recovering from handling and apparatus stress lasting 2–3 h. The results show that in the monitoring of DGCs, it is essential to determine whether they are of the constriction, flutter, and open phases (CFO), or the CFV subtype of the constriction, flutter, and burst (CFB) cycles. Use of our simple closed‐system respirometer enables non‐invasive simultaneous recording of SMR, oxygen uptake, DGCs, and active ventilation in H. abietis and other beetles.

The topical application of adult H. abietis with sublethal doses of a botanical insecticide, NeemAzal T/S, caused essential respiratory failures: cyclic gas exchange was lost and irregular pumping movements appeared. In the treated beetles normal DGCs did not resume.
Carrying capacity models should not use fixed prey density thresholds: a plea for using more tools of behavioural ecology
Authors: Van Gils Jan A. , Edelaar Pim , Escudero Graciela , Piersma Theunis
Published: January 2004

Earlier studies have developed models of carrying capacity to predict the number of animals a certain area can support. These models assume that resources are not renewed after consumption (‘standing stock’ models), and that the initial number of prey and the rate of prey consumption determine the time a population of foragers can live in an area. Within such areas, foragers give up feeding at a sub‐site or patch when intake rates no longer cover energy expenditure. To improve the success rate of the models’ predictions, we here change the existing rate‐maximising models into fitness‐maximising models, and include dynamics in the availability of patches. These new (conceptual) models show that the approaches used so far may over‐ as well as underestimate carrying capacity. We review empirical studies that have aimed to estimate carrying capacity, and discuss how concepts have been confused. We make explicit suggestions on how to proceed in predicting carrying capacities in future studies.
The community of an individual: implications for the community concept
Authors: Parker V. Thomas
Published: January 2004

The concept of the ecological community is examined from the perspective of its criteria and domain. The multiple definitions and uses of this concept indicate a variety of scales and approaches. In this paper, a core definition of the minimal criteria and domain is proposed. Using those criteria, a model of the ecological community is developed based on a focal individual and its interactions with other individuals. In order to increase the scale of the domain of this approach, additional criteria are required. This model is used to explore characteristics of the minimum domain and larger scales of the community concept. The structure that emerges emphasizes context dependency and the potential for indeterminacy for most types of interactions. A prominent historical argument, the nature of boundaries between communities, has no relevance in this model.
Between‐population variation in size‐dependent reproduction and reproductive allocation in Pinguiculavulgaris (Lentibulariaceae) and its environmental correlates
Authors: Méndez Marcos , Karlsson P. Staffan
Published: January 2004

Several important fitness components in herbaceous perennial plants are commonly related to plant size: flowering probability, reproductive allocation and fecundity. However, evidence for such size‐dependence of fitness components is mostly anecdotal and unconnected to other life history traits. Here we report size‐dependence for flowering probability and reproductive allocation in 11 populations of Pinguicula vulgaris and relate it to environmental factors. Flowering probability was size‐dependent in all populations of P. vulgaris, and indicated the existence of a threshold size for reproduction. Populations at low altitudes and in wet soils showed a significantly higher threshold size for reproduction. Reproductive mass was also size‐dependent in all populations. We found considerable between‐population differences in the slope and the intercept of the regression between plant size and reproductive mass. This variation was weakly related to the environmental factors measured. In general, relationships between different size‐dependent fitness components were low. Instead of showing a covariation of traits, in line with interpretations in terms of life history “tactics”, P. vulgaris seemed to independently vary each size‐dependent fitness component in each locality. In particular, no significant relationship was found between threshold size for reproduction and the slope of size‐dependent reproductive allocation, as predicted by previous authors. Neither we found a significant influence of somatic cost of reproduction on size‐dependent fitness components.
Antipredator behaviour mediated by chemical cues: the role of conspecific alarm signalling and predator labelling in the avoidance response of a marine gastropod
Authors: Jacobsen Helge P. , Stabell Ole B.
Published: January 2004

Gastropods represent a challenge in the understanding of alarm signalling. We studied predator avoidance (climbing behaviour) of the marine snail Tegula funebralis in laboratory experiments. Snails were exposed to crude extract of conspecifics, and to water conditioned by actively feeding or non‐feeding predatory crabs. Crabs had previously been maintained on different diets, and were accordingly labelled by chemical cues of various origins. Tegula‐extract alone released climbing behaviour in May, but not in June. However, during both these months, snails responded to chemical cues from crabs that were actively feeding on Tegula. Crabs labelled by Tegula‐diet, and actively feeding on Tegula, also caused more climbing responses compared to crabs labelled by other diets. Chemical cues derived from crabs actively feeding on another snail species, or from non‐feeding crabs, did not induce snail climbing no matter the previous feeding history of the predators. When snails received Tegula‐extract combined with water conditioned with a non‐feeding, Tegula‐labelled crab, no climbing occurred. However, when the non‐feeding, Tegula‐labelled crab was present in the solution of Tegula‐extract, moderate climbing responses were obtained. The results imply that climbing responses of T. funebralis are in general caused by the action of a two‐component system. This system seems to be a mixture of chemical cues leaking from the tissue of conspecifics when being eaten, and latent conspecific chemicals that are modified in crabs and presumably released with the urine of chemically labelled predators. The modified chemical labels appear to be fully released by crabs when feeding, and moderately released when detecting food. The responses obtained in May with crude extract alone may result from a seasonal change in alarm signalling properties, or a change in behavioural responsiveness of snails exposed to a variable predator regime.
The odour makes the difference: male moths attracted by sex pheromones ignore the threat by predatory bats
Authors: Svensson Glenn P. , Löfstedt Christer , Skals Niels
Published: January 2004

How animals adjust their foraging or mate finding behaviour according to the risk of predation has received much attention recently. However, few studies have focused on the behaviour of prey when stimuli representing different adaptive behaviours originate from different sensory modalities. Here we present data on how male moths trade off odour‐mediated mate attraction and auditory‐mediated predator avoidance depending on the relative quality of the mate signal. Males of Agrotis segetum (Noctuidae) and Plodia interpunctella (Pyralidae), orienting towards a sex pheromone source in a flight tunnel, were exposed to ultrasound mimicking the echolocation calls of a bat, i.e. high predation risk. Males of both species accepted the predation risk when attracted to pheromone sources of high quality (female gland extract or complete synthetic blend at high dose), manifested in similar percentages reaching the pheromone source in moths with and without ultrasound exposure. In contrast, a lower proportion of ultrasound‐exposed males than unexposed ones located the pheromone source when moths were flying towards pheromone sources of low quality (incomplete synthetic blend or complete synthetic blend at low dose), due to more time invested in defence manoeuvres. Furthermore, the risk taking behaviours of these moth species seem to be similar in spite of the fact that their ultrasonic hearing systems have evolved independently.
Direct and indirect effects of pollinators and seed predators to selection on plant and floral traits
Authors: Cariveau Daniel , Irwin Rebecca E. , Brody Alison K. , Garcia‐Mayeya Lucero Sevillano , Von Der Ohe Andrea
Published: January 2004

Although flowering traits are often assumed to be under strong selection by pollinators, significant variation in such traits remains the norm for most plant species. Thus, it is likely that the interactions among plants, mutualists, and other selective agents, such as antagonists, ultimately shape the evolution of floral and flowering traits. We examined the importance of pollination vs pre‐dispersal seed predation to selection on plant and floral characters via female plant‐reproductive success in Castilleja linariaefolia (Scrophulariaceae). C. linariaefolia is pollinated by hummingbirds and experiences high levels of pre‐dispersal seed predation by plume moth and fly larvae in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, where this work was conducted. We first examined whether female reproduction in C. linariaefolia was limited by pollination. Supplemental pollination only marginally increased components of female reproduction, likely because seed predation masked, in part, the beneficial effects of pollen addition. In unmanipulated populations, we measured calyx length, flower production, and plant height and used path analysis combined with structural equation modeling to quantify their importance to relative seed set through pathways involving pollination vs seed predation. We found that the strength of selection on calyx length, flower production, and plant height was greater for seed predation pathways than for pollination pathways, and one character, calyx length, experienced opposing selection via pollination vs seed predation. These results suggest that the remarkable intraspecific variation in plant and floral characters exhibited by some flowering plants is likely the result of selection driven, at least in part, by pollinators in concert with antagonists, such as pre‐dispersal seed predators. This work highlights the subtle but complex interactions that shape floral and vegetative design in natural ecosystems.
Within‐population spatial synchrony in mast seeding of North American oaks
Authors: Liebhold Andrew , Sork Victoria , Peltonen Mikko , Koenig Walter , Bjørnstad Ottar N. , Westfall Robert , Elkinton Joseph , Knops Johannes M. H.
Published: January 2004

Mast seeding, the synchronous production of large crops of seeds, has been frequently documented in oak species. In this study we used several North American oak data‐sets to quantify within‐stand (<10 km) synchrony in mast dynamics. Results indicated that intraspecific synchrony in seed production always exceeded interspecific synchrony and was essentially constant over distances ranging from 100 m to 10 km. Asynchrony between species was at least partially attributable to differences in the endogenous dynamics in seed production caused by the varying numbers of years (1 or 2) required to mature seeds. Similarly, the magnitude of intraspecific seed production synchrony was related to intraspecific variation in endogenous dynamics; this intraspecific variation could be caused by spatial variation in habitat conditions. These results indicate that both interspecific and intraspecific variation in the endogenous processes generating variability in seed production may influence the magnitude of spatial synchrony in total (all species) mast production. Such findings may be of significance to understanding interactions between synchrony in mast seeding and animal consumer populations.
Non‐pigmenting fixed drug eruption caused by allylisopropylacetylurea
Authors: Numata Yukikazu , Terui Tadashi , Sasai Shu , Sugawara Masayuki , Kikuchi Katsuko , Tagami Hachiro , Aiba Setsuya
Published: January 2004

An unusual case of a non‐pigmenting fixed drug eruption caused by allylisopropylacetylurea is reported. Several hours after taking an analgesic (New Kaiteki A®), a 30‐year‐old Japanese woman, who had experienced similar eruptions several times after taking other analgesics, developed numerous variously sized, itchy, round‐to‐oval erythematous eruptions on the trunk and extremities. After she discontinued taking this drug, all such eruptions resolved within 2 weeks, without leaving postinflammatory pigmentation. Patch testing with New Kaiteki A® itself and one of its active ingredients, allylisopropylacetylurea, on lesional skin, but not on uninvolved skin, showed positive erythematous reactions after 2 days.
Chloroatranol, an extremely potent allergen hidden in perfumes: a dose‐response elicitation study
Authors: Johansen Jeanne Duus , Andersen Klaus Ejner , Svedman Cecilia , Bruze Magnus , Bernard Guillaume , Giménez‐Arnau Elena , Rastogi Suresh Chandra , Lepoittevin Jean‐Pierre , Menné Torkil
Published: January 2004

Oak moss absolute is a long‐known, popular natural extract widely used in perfumes. It is reported as the cause of allergic reactions in a significant number of those with perfume allergy. Oak moss absolute has been the target of recent research to identify its allergenic components. Recently, chloroatranol, a hitherto unknown fragrance allergen, was identified in oak moss absolute. The objective was to assess the clinical importance of chloroatranol as a fragrance allergen by characterizing its elicitation profile. 13 patients previously showing a positive patch test to oak moss absolute and chloroatranol were included, together with a control group of 10 patients without sensitization to either of the 2 materials. A serial dilution patch test was performed on the upper back with concentrations ranging from 200 to 0.0063 p.p.m. of chloroatranol in ethanol. Simultaneously, the participant performed an open test simulating the use of perfumes on the volar aspect of the forearms in a randomized and double‐blinded design. A solution with 5 p.p.m. chloroatranol was used for 14 days, and, in case of no reaction, the applications were continued for another 14 days with a solution containing 25 p.p.m. All test subjects (13/13) developed an allergic reaction at the site of application of the solution containing chloroatranol. Among them, 12/13 (92%) gave a positive reaction to the 5 p.p.m. solution and 1 to 25 p.p.m. None of the controls reacted (P < 0.001). The use test was terminated at median day 4. The dose eliciting a reaction in 50% of the test subjects at patch testing was 0.2 p.p.m. In conclusion, the hidden exposure to a potent allergen widely used in perfumes has caused a highly sensitized cohort of individuals. Judged from the elicitation profile, chloroatranol is the most potent allergen present in consumer products today.
Topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment (Protopic®) reverses nickel contact dermatitis elicited by allergen challenge to a similar degree to mometasone furoate 0.1% with greater suppression of late erythema
Authors: Alomar A. , Puig L. , Gallardo C. M. , Valenzuela N.
Published: January 2004

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of topical tacrolimus 0.1% under occlusion for 48 h to suppress nickel‐elicited allergic contact dermatitis in a randomized, petrolatum‐ and mometasone furoate 0.1% ointment‐controlled double‐blind, intra‐individual study which included 28 women volunteers. 3 closed patch tests (Finn Chambers® on Scanpor, Epitest Ltd Oy, Tuusula, Finland) containing 0.1 ml of 5% nickel sulfate in petrolatum were applied on day 0. After removal on day 2, the study compounds were applied under occlusion for 48 h. The eczema reaction and the degree of erythema were evaluated clinically and by reflectance spectrophotometry at days 4 and 7, respectively. Mean visual scores corresponding to petrolatum‐treated sites were significantly higher than those corresponding to both mometasone furoate and tacrolimus at days 4 (P < 0.001) and 7 (P < 0.001). In both tacrolimus‐ and mometasone furoate‐treated sites, there was a significant decrease in visual scores with time (P < 0.001) from day 2 to day 7, and the corresponding mean decreases in scores were 0.73 and 1.04, respectively. The difference between both was 0.30 in favour of tacrolimus (95% confidence intervals, −0.04 and 0.65), although this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.084). Mean erythema index values were similar at day 2. Significant differences among treatment sites were seen at days 4 (P < 0.001) and 7 (P < 0.001). The decrease was significantly more pronounced on day 7 in patches where tacrolimus had been supplied (P < 0.5). This method might provide useful means to compare different concentrations and/or presentations of tacrolimus or other calcineurin inhibitors and topical anti‐inflammatory agents.
Detection of occupational allergic contact dermatitis by patch testing
Authors: Li Lin‐feng , Sujan Sujauddin Ahmed , Wang Jing
Published: January 2004

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis (OACD) is an important medical and occupational health problem. If undiagnosed, the disease may persist and even spread widely, resulting in severe and permanent disability to the worker, who may be deprived of his legal right to compensation. OACD is not uncommon in China, although many dermatologists fail to establish the connection between disease and working conditions, because they think that the diagnosis of OACD is the work of occupational medicine and that special diagnostic methods are required. The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour and Social Security of China have issued a new law recently to emphasize the prevention and treatment of occupational disease. It requires physicians to make an accurate diagnosis and report of occupation‐related diseases. In this study, we have successfully investigated 14 cases of OACD in our hospital by patch testing the patients with a standard series of allergens and investigating by questionnaire the suspected offending occupational allergens. During a 2‐year period (2001–2003), 14 patients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis were investigated and confirmed as having OACD. OACD may develop in many different occupations. In this study, nickel, 4‐phenylenediamine, fragrance mix, black rubber mix, colophonium, epoxy resin and thiuram mix were identified by patch testing as the main offending allergens in such patients. These results indicate that patch testing plays a vital role in the diagnosis and identification of occupational allergens, and our study shows that OACD can often be diagnosed by patch testing patients with a standard series. The clinician should be alert to recognize the offending allergens of OACD by referring to patch testing all patients with clinically suspected contact dermatitis, and then educating the sensitized worker in how to avoid further exposure to the causative allergens.
Patch‐test reaction patterns in patients with a predisposition to atopic dermatitis
Authors: Brasch Jochen , Schnuch Axel , Uter Wolfgang
Published: January 2004

Patients with a predisposition to atopic dermatitis often need to be patch tested in order to detect possible contact sensitization. However, it is unknown whether immunologic or other peculiarities of atopic skin are related to altered patch‐test reaction patterns. Our study was aimed at answering this question, because patch‐test reaction patterns are of considerable practical importance in the reading and interpretation of patch tests. Therefore, we compared patterns of patch‐test reactions in patients with a predisposition to atopic dermatitis and in control patients matched for sex, age, reason for testing and test centre. Patch‐test results from 9 centres (2322 patients with a disposition to atopic dermatitis and 2126 matched controls) were evaluated retrospectively. All patients were tested with nickel sulfate, fragrance mix, potassium dichromate, lanolin alcohol, formaldehyde and mercury ammonium chloride. Patch tests applied for 1 day with readings on days 1, 2 and 3 were evaluated in order to cover the early phase of the reactions. Not unexpectedly, we found that, compared to the matched controls, patients with a predisposition to atopic dermatitis tended to have more doubtful and irritant reactions on day 1. As a new observation, it turned out that they had less reactions of crescendo pattern and more strong reactions on day 3. All these differences were slight/insignificant. A higher skin irritability in patients with a predisposition to atopic dermatitis is a likely explanation. In conclusion, standard methods for patch testing can be applied in patients with a predisposition to atopic dermatitis, but minor differences in reaction patterns should be considered.
Chromium allergy: significance of both Cr(III) and Cr(VI)
Authors: Hansen M. B. , Johansen J. D. , Menné T.
Published: January 2004

Most studies investigating chromium allergy have been performed with Cr(VI). However, real exposure to chromium from leather products includes both Cr(III) and Cr(VI). We have determined and compared the minimum elicitation threshold (MET) concentration for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in Cr(VI)‐sensitive patients. In addition, reactions to combinations of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were compared to reactions elicited by Cr(III) and Cr(VI) alone. Dilution series of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were applied in Finn Chambers® on the back of 18 patients. The patches were left for 2 days and readings were done on days 2, 3 and 7. The MET10% for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) was calculated from the dose–response curves to be 0.18 µg/cm2/48 h (6 p.p.m.) and 0.03 µg/cm2/48 h (1 p.p.m.), respectively. No significant differences in the response to combined Cr(III) and Cr(VI) solutions versus single solutions were found. Cr(III) was concluded to play an important role in chromium allergy, because Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were both capable of eliciting eczema at low concentrations. Rather than regarding chromium dermatitis as a result of Cr(VI) allergy alone, it may be more correct to consider it as a result of a combined Cr(III) and Cr(VI) allergy.
History, Human Rights, and Globalization
Authors: Twiss Sumner B.
Published: January 2004

An illustrative comparison of human rights in 1948 and the contemporary period, attempting to gauge the impact of globalization on changes in the content of human rights (e.g., collective rights, women's rights, right to a healthy environment), major abusers and guarantors of human rights (e.g., state actors, transnational corporations, social movements), and alternative justifications of human rights (e.g., pragmatic agreement, moral intuitionism, overlapping consensus, cross‐cultural dialogue).
The Implications of “Martyrdom Operations” for Contemporary Islam
Authors: Cook David
Published: January 2004

This article explores the implications of the prevalence of suicide attacks or ‘martyrdom operations’ in contemporary Islam. Historical and legal precedents from Islam and Christianity are adduced for the analysis and placed within the context of radical Islam.
Conversational Narrative and the Moral Self:
Authors: Prasad Leela
Published: January 2004

This article presents material from my ethnographic study in Śringēri, south India, the site of a powerful 1200‐year‐old Advaitic monastery that has been historically an interpreter of ancient Hindu moral treatises. A vibrant diverse local culture that provides plural sources of moral authority makes Śringēri a rich site for studying moral discourse. Through a study of two conversational narratives, this essay illustrates how the moral self is not an ossified product of written texts and codes, but is dynamic, gendered, and emergent, endowed with historical and political agency and an aesthetic capacity that mediates many normative sources to articulate “appropriate” conduct. In so doing, the essay shows the value of including oral narrative in ethical inquiry, especially in narrative ethics, which, for most part, has focused on written sources.
Cooking Living Beings:
Authors: Mrozik Susanne
Published: January 2004

Bodies play important and diverse roles in Buddhist ethics. Drawing upon an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist compendium of bodhisattva practice, this paper explores the role bodhisattva bodies play in the ethical development of other living beings. Bodhisattvas adopt certain disciplinary practices in order to produce bodies whose very sight, sound, touch, and even taste transform living beings in physical and moral ways. The compendium uses a common South Asian and Buddhist metaphor to describe a bodhisattva's physical and moral impact on others. Bodhisattvas are said to “cook living beings.” The paper considers how this metaphor suggests ways of nuancing modern Western conceptions of ethical self‐cultivation, particularly as articulated by Michel Foucault in his studies of the technologies of the self.
The Strange New World in the Church:
Authors: Kallenberg Brad J.
Published: January 2004

Hauerwas's refusal to translate the argument displayed inWith the Grain of the Universe(his recent Gifford Lectures) into language that “anyone” can understand is itself part of the argument. Consequently, readers will not understand what Hauerwas is up to until they have attained fluency in the peculiar language that has epitomized three decades of Hauerwas's scholarship. Such fluency is not easily gained. Nevertheless, in this review essay, I situate Hauerwas's baffling language against the backdrop of his corpus to show at least this much:With the Grain of the Universetransforms natural theology into “witness.” In the end, my essay may demonstrate what many have feared, that Hauerwas is, in fact, a Christian apologist—though of a very ancient sort.
System LS: A Three‐Tiered Nonmonotonic Reasoning System
Authors: Ford Marilyn
Published: January 2004

In this paper, a formal system of nonmonotonic reasoning is developed, which takes as its inspiration the manner in which some people make logically justifiable conclusions about nonmonotonic reasoning problems.   The people, when asked about individuals, compare the logical strength of the arguments relating any sets to which the individual belongs, to other sets. A three‐tiered system of rules including rules of System P as well as Transitivity and Monotonicity is developed. The system, known as System LS for logical strength, deals with three levels of non‐strict relationships:

α1β αare normally β(more than half of the α are β);

α2β some α are β;

α3β a relationship,α3β, has been derived but it is possible that no α are β.

The rules of the system give the logical consequences of the relationships between the sets in the premises at the three levels. Several problems, including some well‐known benchmark problems, are discussed, illustrating the inferences that System LS derives.
A Multiple Resampling Method for Learning from Imbalanced Data Sets
Authors: Estabrooks Andrew , Jo Taeho , Japkowicz Nathalie
Published: January 2004

Resampling methods are commonly used for dealing with the class‐imbalance problem. Their advantage over other methods is that they are external and thus, easily transportable. Although such approaches can be very simple to implement, tuning them most effectively is not an easy task. In particular, it is unclear whether oversampling is more effective than undersampling and which oversampling or undersampling rate should be used. This paper presents an experimental study of these questions and concludes that combining different expressions of the resampling approach is an effective solution to the tuning problem. The proposed combination scheme is evaluated on imbalanced subsets of the Reuters‐21578 text collection and is shown to be quite effective for these problems.
Iterated Belief Change
Authors: Ghose Aditya K. , Hadjinian Pablo O. , Sattar Abdul , You Jia‐H. , Goebel Randy
Published: January 2004

Most existing formalizations treat belief change as a single‐step process, and ignore several problems that become important when a theory, or belief state, is revised over several steps. This paper identifies these problems, and argues for the need to retain all of the multiple possible outcomes of a belief change step, and for a framework in which the effects of a belief change step persist as long as is consistently possible. To demonstrate that such a formalization is indeed possible, we develop a framework, which uses the language of PJ‐default logic (Delgrande and Jackson 1991) to represent a belief state, and which enables the effects of a belief change step to persist by propagating belief constraints. Belief change in this framework maps one belief state to another, where each belief state is a collection of theories given by the set of extensions of the PJ‐default theory representing that belief state. Belief constraints do not need to be separately recorded; they are encoded as clearly identifiable components of a PJ‐default theory. The framework meets the requirements for iterated belief change that we identify and satisfies most of the AGM postulates (Alchourrón, Gärdenfors, and Makinson 1985) as well.
Reasoning with Sets of Defaults in Default Logic
Authors: Delgrande James P. , Schaub Torsten
Published: January 2004

We present a general approach for representing and reasoning with sets of defaults in default logic, focusing on reasoning about preferences among sets of defaults. First, we consider how to control the application of a set of defaults so that either all apply (if possible) or none do (if not). From this, an approach to dealing with preferences among sets of default rules is developed. We begin with an ordered default theory, consisting of a standard default theory, but with possible preferences on sets of rules. This theory is transformed into a second, standard default theory wherein the preferences are respected. The approach differs from other work, in that we obtain standard default theories and do not rely on prioritized versions of default logic. In practical terms this means we can immediately use existing default logic theorem provers for an implementation. Also, we directly generate just those extensions containing the most preferred applied rules; in contrast, most previous approaches generate all extensions, then select the most preferred. In a major application of the approach, we show how semimonotonic default theories can be encoded so that reasoning can be carried out at the object level. With this, we can reason about default extensions from within the framework of a standard default logic. Hence one can encode notions such as skeptical and credulous conclusions, and can reason about such conclusions within a single extension.
The inflammatory paradental cyst: a critical review of 342 cases from a literature survey, including 17 new cases from the author's files
Authors: Philipsen H. P. , Reichart P. A. , Ogawa I. , Suei Y. , Takata T.
Published: February 2004

Background:  A total of 325 cases of inflammatory paradental cysts (IPCs) and 17 own cases were reviewed. Although known since 1930, the IPC is still unrecognized by many clinicians. The IPCs show a relative frequency of 0.9–4.7%. The majority of cysts occur distally or disto‐buccally to vital, permanent mandibular molars with a history of pericoronitis (IPC/3rd mandibular molar alone accounts for 64.9%). Radiologically, the cyst appears as a well‐defined, semilunar unilocular radiolucency.

Materials and methods:  Cases of inflammatory paradental cysts and related lesions were retrieved from a worldwide literature survey. In addition, 17 new cases from the files of the authors have been added.

Results:  The mean ages for patients with IPC/1st, 2nd and 3rd mandibular molars are 8.7, 17.4 and 27.6 years, respectively. The male:female ratio was 1 : 0.9 for IPC/1st and 2nd mandibular molars, and 1 : 0.4 for 3rd mandibular molar.

Conclusion:  Reduced enamel epithelium, cell rests of Malassez and remnants of the dental lamina stimulated by inflammation are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of IPC. Histological features are indistinguishable from those of the inflammatory, periapical (radicular) cyst.
E‐learning and the third age
Authors: Trentin Guglielmo
Published: February 2004

As a result of the general improvement in living conditions in industrialised Western countries, people aged over 60 years usually reach the ‘third age’ in good mental and physical condition. Contemporary society has thus had to endeavour to offer the ‘new old’ not only social services but also pastimes, leisure, social, cultural and educational activities. Among the range of opportunities being made available is that of acquiring skills in the use of information and communication technology (ICT), an area of ever‐increasing prominence. This can be seen not only as an opportunity for individual cultural growth but also the basic condition for conceiving a range of practical network‐based services and applications of great social significance for the elderly population. This article refers to one of these initiatives, developed in Liguria (one of the Italian regions with the oldest population), whose purpose was to train about 600 over‐60s in the use of ICT. What we will analyse here in particular are the results of e‐learning activities offered to a sample of participants and with reference to a segment of the entire training process envisaged by the regional initiative. The specific objectives of the activity were to verify the real possibility of proposing short, online learning modules on the use of Internet for older users; to survey users' attitudes/reactions to e‐learning; and to analyse the follow‐up of distance training activities.