bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transversely projective structures on a transversely holomorphic foliation, II
Authors: Biswas Indranil
Published: September 2002

Given a transversely projective foliation

F

\mathcal F

on a

C
∞

C^\infty

manifold

M
M

and a nonnegative integer

k
k

, a transversal differential operator

D

F

(
2
k
+
1
)

{\mathcal D}_{\mathcal F}(2k+1)

of order

2
k
+
1

2k+1

from

N

⊗
k

N^{\otimes k}

to

N

⊗
(
−
k
−
1
)

N^{\otimes (-k-1)}

is constructed, where

N
N

denotes the normal bundle for the foliation. There is a natural homomorphism from the space of all infinitesimal deformations of the transversely projective foliation

F

\mathcal F

to the first cohomology of the locally constant sheaf over

M
M

defined by the kernel of the operator

D

F

(
3
)

{\mathcal D}_{\mathcal F}(3)

. On the other hand, from this first cohomology there is a homomorphism to the first cohomology of the sheaf of holomorphic sections of

N
N

. The composition of these two homomorphisms coincide with the infinitesimal version of the forgetful map that sends a transversely projective foliation to the underlying transversely holomorphic foliation.
Internal organisational factors influencing corporate social and ethical reporting
Authors: Adams Carol A.
Published: September 2002

Prior empirical research into factors which are influential in determining the extent and nature of corporate social reporting has primarily been concerned with the impact of corporate characteristics (such as size and industry grouping) or general contextual factors (such as the social, political and economic context). Relatively little prior work has examined the internal contextual factors and their impact on reporting despite increasing emphasis in the field of practice on reporting processes and governance structures. In this study interviews were conducted with seven large multinational companies in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors of the UK and Germany in order to identify any internal contextual factors influencing the nature and extent of reporting. The work highlights the lack of explanatory power of the existing social reporting theories. A more inclusive model of corporate social reporting is presented.
Dealing with the management of intellectual capital
Authors: Tayles Mike , Bramley Andrew , Adshead Neil , Farr Janet
Published: September 2002

Given the considerable increase in knowledge‐based and technology driven companies, the accounting profession has been wrestling with the valuation of intangibles and particularly intellectual capital. This paper is based on our interaction, as a multi‐disciplined team, with service businesses and their concern to make visible and hence manageable the value of the intellectual capital of their employees and infrastructure. It is observed that valuation should not be left to the market but that internally the role of strategic management accounting can inform valuation, support decisions and promote competitive advantage. This could be undertaken by reference to strategically driven and formally established performance measures which are incorporated into a proposed valuation model.
Understanding non‐financial performance measurement practices in Japanese banks
Authors: Hussain Mostaque , Hoque Zahirul
Published: September 2002

This paper reports the performance measurement practices of four Japanese banks. The research is a field study informed by the new institutional sociology theory. It sought to understand and explain what factors affected the design and use of non‐financial performance measurement systems in the banks studied. The results indicate that several institutional forces influenced the banks to implement a particular performance measurement system. Of these, economic constraints appeared to be the most forceful factor, followed by the central bank’s regulatory control, accounting standards/financial legislation, management’s strategic focus, bank size, competition, and organizational tendency to copy best practices from others.
Exploring accounting presence and absence: case studies from Bangladesh
Authors: Jacobs Kerry , Kemp Jeff
Published: September 2002

This paper explores accounting presences and absences in the daily life of three Bangladeshi small traders. By exploring the margins of accounting it is possible to better understand why we do and do not do accounting. Two different ideas are explored. Based on the work of Boden it is suggested that the presence or absence of accounting can be explained by the influence of key social and state institutions. Some support was found for this idea, as there was no “external” demand for accounting. The second factor that was explored was the idea that the presence or absence of accounting could be explained by literacy. Again, there was some support for this as two of the cases studied started to keep debtors records once they learnt to read and write. However, we suggest that levels of social capital, defined as norms of reciprocity and trust, could also play an important role in understanding accounting absence in this case, an idea which might be applicable to a wider context.
A literary theory perspective on accounting
Authors: Macintosh Norman B. , Baker C. Richard
Published: September 2002

This paper adopts a literary theory perspective to depict accounting reports and information as texts rather than as economic commodities and so available for analysis from the vantage point of semiotic linguistic theory. In doing so it takes the literary turn followed by many of the social sciences and humanities in recent decades. It compares and contrasts four dominant genres of literary theory – expressive realism, the new criticism, structuralism, and deconstructionism – to developments in accounting. The paper illustrates these and other ideas in the context of the controversies surrounding the oil and gas accounting crisis and practices circa 1961 to 1990. The paper concludes by outlining a new way of preparing accounting reports based on Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of the heteroglossic novel. This approach calls for making accounting for an enterprise an ongoing conversation rather than a monologic process of closing down on a single meaning.
Why do managers learn best at work?
Authors: Prestoungrange Gordon
Published: September 2002

Considers the factors that are driving the switch from mainstream higher education to internalized corporate university/corporate business school structures. Reviews the reasons why managers learn best at work and the dynamic curriculum needed to support management development and a return on investment in learning. Profiles the role of the Internet in “democratizing” knowledge access and the signs of maturity and progress that characterize the emerging corporate structures for learning at work.
Learning from change
Authors: Teare Richard , Monk Stephanie
Published: September 2002

Explores the changing nature of managerial and organizational work in relation to the opportunities that this affords for learning from change. Examines some of the “drivers” and the sources of “resistance” to change, together with a series of practical steps that might be used to foster a more supportive learning culture in the midst of change. Argues that the logical next step is to create an internal template for learning that mirrors the business challenges and realities and that this first step can be used as a basis for affirming the company’s own agenda for learning via an internal business school structure.
Fast‐forward to accredited corporate learning?
Authors: Teare Richard , Neil Jane
Published: September 2002

Relates the state of organizational readiness to the type of infrastructure needed to support effective corporate learning. Considers next the vision for learning and the positioning needed to “sell” learning at work as an integrated activity. Here, it is argued, the key to alignment is customized learning that is seen by all stakeholders to be relevant, timely and meaningful. True customization requires a learner‐centred, questions‐driven approach that lends itself to finding and applying solutions. Concludes that the process of action learning is ideally suited to the principles of credit accumulation and that “credit” can be used to recognize the achievements of the individual learner and to track the return on organizational investment in learning.
Cascading organizational learning
Authors: Teare Richard , Pantin David F.
Published: September 2002

Argues that learning and strategy should be indistinguishable and that the organization should seek to drive its own internal structures for learning with the same vigour and urgency as its business strategy. Considers the practicalities of crafting and implementing a learning design related to organizational priorities that also enables participants to address their own learning needs and obtain an externally accredited award for learning at work. Explains how a “cascade” approach, creating interdependencies and shared ownership of work projects, can be used to embed accredited learning.
Capturing organizational learning
Authors: Teare Richard , Rayner Chris
Published: September 2002

Relates the process of organizational change to the opportunities to align strategy and learning that this affords. Argues that an embedded system for accredited action learning is needed to ensure that both personal and organizational learning can flourish in tandem and concludes that a learner‐centred knowledge network is the best way to capture and utilize “experience from doing” as well as “new knowledge” generated by learners as they find, develop and implement solutions to problems.
Re‐defining the focus of workplace learning
Authors: Winch Alison , Ingram Hadyn
Published: September 2002

Advances the view that workplace learning approaches should no longer be driven by content, but should be more learner centred. Argues this case through a model of leadership maturity in which individual learners discern personal meaning from events around them. Applies this to the case of Interbrew UK, where challenging strategic objectives are being met by an innovative action learning approach that is supported by detailed primary research. Concludes that action learning has real power to make personal sense of learning in the workplace, but that learning effectiveness will depend on the individual’s level of maturity. Offers implications for workplace learning at Interbrew and for organizations in general.
Delivering management development through action learning
Authors: Hudspith Debby , Ingram Hadyn
Published: September 2002

Outlines how management development was delivered for Beefeater managers in Whitbread Restaurants’ accredited corporate business school. Explains the business context, the aims of the learning designs and some of the issues that arose from the viewpoints of both learner and delivery team. Considers some issues about planning, facilitating and delivering learning from the literature. Captures the key lessons from this ongoing case study of organizational learning into an operational continuum model of key issues to be considered before, during and after an in‐company learning activity. Offers conclusions for planning and managing corporate business school learning programs.
Learning for a purpose: building a corporate university
Authors: Lenderman Harry , Sandelands Eric
Published: September 2002

Considers the use of a corporate university, driven by the human resources department and adopted by operations. Uses action learning principles to achieve corporate goals. Puts forward the view that companies that utilize action learning principles will be market leaders in the future. Contends that the transition from “busy workers” to “busy learners” has begun.
Points of ɛ Differentiability of Lipschitz Functions from Rn to Rn−1
Authors: de Pauw Thierry , Huovinen Petri
Published: September 2002

This paper proves that for every Lipschitz function f : Rn→Rm, m < n, there exists at least one point of ɛ‐differentiability of f which is in the union of all m‐dimensional affine subspaces of the form q0 +span{q1,q2,…,qm}, where qj (j = 0,1,…,m) are points in Rn with rational coordinates. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 26B05, 26B35.
A Splitting Principle for Modular Group Representations
Authors: Symonds Peter
Published: September 2002

The author of this paper has shown previously how a complex representation of a finite group can be split into a virtual sum of representations induced from one‐dimensional representations of subgroups in a natural way (sometimes known as explicit Brauer induction). Here the modular case is treated, yielding an analogous result at the level of Brauer characters in general, and in the Green ring for trivial source modules. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 20C20 (primary); 55M35, 14F20 (secondary).
Stability of the Picard Bundle
Authors: Biswas I. , Brambila‐Paz L. , Gómez T. L. , Newstead P. E.
Published: September 2002

Let X be a non‐singular algebraic curve of genus g ⩾ 2, n ⩾ 2 an integer, ξ a line bundle over X of degree d > 2n(g − 1) with (n,d) = 1 and Mξ the moduli space of stable bundles of rank n and determinant ξ over X. It is proved that the Picard bundle Wξ is stable with respect to the unique polarisation of Mξ. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 14H60, 14J60.
Banach Spaces with the Riemann–Lebesgue or the Analytic Riemann–Lebesgue Property
Authors: Bu Shangquan , Chill Ralph
Published: September 2002

In this note, two geometric properties of Banach spaces are proposed and discussed, related to the validity of the lemma of Riemann–Lebesgue in spaces of weakly integrable functions. The class of Banach spaces with the analytic Riemann–Lebesgue property is shown to be precisely the class of Banach spaces for which a weak form of a theorem of Ingham holds. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 42A75, 45N05, 47D05.
Piecewise Linear Non‐Representability of Out π1M
Authors: Farrell F. T. , Ontaneda P.
Published: September 2002

For every ⩾ 6, examples are given of closed negatively curved riemannian n‐manifolds for which the natural map PLM → Out π1M is not an epimorphism. PLM denotes the group of piecewise linear homeomorphisms of M. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 53C20, 57Q25, 57R55.
Non‐Self‐Adjoint Differential Operators
Authors: Davies E. B.
Published: September 2002

A description is given of methods that have been used to analyze the spectrum of non‐self‐adjoint differential operators, emphasizing the differences from the self‐adjoint theory. It transpires that even in cases in which the eigenfunctions can be determined explicitly, they often do not form a basis; this is closely related to a high degree of instability of the eigenvalues under small perturbations of the operator. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 34L05, 35P05, 47A10, 47A12.
Lower Bounds for Morse Index of Constant Mean Curvature Tori
Authors: Rossman Wayne
Published: September 2002

In the paper, three lower bounds are given for the Morse index of a constant mean curvature torus in Euclidean3‐space, in terms of its spectral genus g. The first two lower bounds grow linearly in g and are stronger for smaller values of g, while the third grows quadratically in g but is weaker for smaller values of g. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 53A10, 53A35.
A ‘Non‐Stopping’ Time with the Optional‐Stopping Property
Authors: Williams David
Published: September 2002

An example is given of a random time ρ associated with Brownian motion such that ρ is not a stopping time but EMρ=EM0 for every uniformly integrable martingale M. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 60G40, 60G44.
ALGEBRAIC GRAPH THEORY (Graduate Texts in Mathematics 207)
Authors: Rowlinson P.
Published: September 2002

By Chris Godsil and Gordon Royle: 439 pp., £30.50, isbn 0‐387‐95220‐9 (Springer, New York, 2001).
GEOMETRY OF CHARACTERISTIC CLASSES (Translations of Mathematical Monographs 199)
Authors: Thomas C. B.
Published: September 2002

By Shigeyuki Morita: 185 pp., US$30.00, isbn 0‐8218‐2139‐3 (American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2001).
RATIONAL HOMOTOPY THEORY (Graduate Texts in Mathematics 205)
Authors: Hess Kathryn P.
Published: September 2002

By Yves FÉlix, Stephen Halperin and Jean‐Claude Thomas: 535 pp., £41.00, isbn 0‐387‐95068‐0 (Springer, New York, 2001).
ELEMENTS OF NONCOMMUTATIVE GEOMETRY (Birkhäuser Advanced Texts)
Authors: Brodzki Jacek
Published: September 2002

By José M. Gracia‐Bondía, Joseph C. Várilly and Héctor Figueroa: 685 pp., CHF 118.00, isbn 0‐8176‐4124‐6 (Birkhäuser, Boston, MA, 2001).
SYMMETRIC FUNCTIONS, SCHUBERT POLYNOMIALS AND DEGENERACY LOCI (SMF/AMS Texts and Monographs 6)
Authors: Billey Sara
Published: September 2002

By Laurent Manivel (translated from the 1998 French original by John R. Swallow) 167 pp., US$44.00, isbn 0‐8216‐2154‐7 (American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI/Société Mathématique de France, Paris, 2001).
HARMONIC MAPS BETWEEN RIEMANNIAN POLYHEDRA (Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics 142)
Authors: Lemaire Luc
Published: September 2002

By James Eells and Bent Fuglede: 296 pp., £40.00, isbn 0‐521‐77311‐3 (Cambridge University Press, 2001).
FIELD THEORY OF TACHYON MATTER
Authors: SEN ASHOKE
Published: September 2002

We propose a field theory for describing the tachyon on a brane–antibrane system near the minimum of the potential. This field theory realizes two known properties of the tachyon effective action: (a) absence of plane-wave solutions around the minimum, and (b) exponential fall off of the pressure at late time as the tachyon field evolves from any spatially homogeneous initial configuration towards the minimum of the potential. Classical solutions in this field theory include nonrelativistic matter with arbitrary spatial distribution of energy.
STABILITY OF STRANGE STARS (SS) DERIVED FROM A REALISTIC EQUATION OF STATE
Authors: SINHA MONIKA , DEY JISHNU , DEY MIRA , RAY SUBHARTHI , BHOWMICK SIDDHARTHA
Published: September 2002

A realistic EOS (equation of state) leads to strange stars (ReSS) which are compact in the mass–radius (M–R) plot, close to the Schwarzschild limiting line.1 Many of the observed stars fit in with this kind of compactness, irrespective of whether they are X-ray pulsars, bursters or soft γ repeaters or even radio pulsars. We point out that a change in the radius of a star can be small or large, when its mass is increasing and this depends on the position of a particular star on the M–R curve. We carry out a stability analysis against radial oscillations and compare with the EOS of other SS models. We find that the ReSS is stable and an M–R region can be identified to that effect.
ENTROPY OF SEMICLASSICAL 2D DILATON BLACK HOLES AWAY FROM THE HAWKING TEMPERATURE
Authors: ZASLAVSKII O. B.
Published: September 2002

Recently we showed that in semiclassical 2D dilaton gravity the regularity of a black hole horizon may be compatible with divergencies of Polyakov–Liouville stresses on it, the temperature deviating from its Hawking value. This makes the question about thermal properties of such solutions nontrivial. We demonstrate that, adding to gravitation–dilaton part of the action certain counterterms, which diverge on the horizon but are finite outside it, one may achieve finiteness of the effective gravitation–dilaton couplings on the horizon. This gives for the entropy S the Bekenstein–Hawking value in the nonextreme case and S = 0 in the extreme one similarly to what happens to "standard" black holes.
NOTE ON TRIANGLE ANOMALIES AND ASSIGNMENT OF SINGLET IN 331-LIKE MODEL
Authors: KIYAN T. , MAEKAWA T. , YOKOI S.
Published: September 2002

It is pointed out that in the 331-like model which uses both fundamental and complex conjugate representations for an assignment of the representations to the left-handed quarks and the scalar representation to their corresponding right-handed counterparts, the nature of the scalar should be taken into account in order to make the fermion triangle anomalies in the theory anomaly-free, i.e. renormalizable in a sense with no anomalies, even after the spontaneous symmetry breaking.
DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING WEAK PHASES FROM b → d PENGUIN DECAYS
Authors: DATTA ALAKABHA , LONDON DAVID , KIM C. S.
Published: September 2002

We re-examine a recent proposal for obtaining β using the measurements of the b → d penguin decays [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], along with a theoretical assumption. We show that there are in fact three assumptions one can make, so that the method can in principle be used to extract α, β or γ. We also show that the best assumption is the one which yields γ. However, the theoretical error on this assumption is still 25–30%, which leads to an error on γ of at least 20–25%. Given our current understanding of hadronic physics, it does not seem possible to reduce this error.
Hunter's Moon and Flower: Two Performances by Joan Dickinson
Authors: Dickinson Joan , Mallozzi Dawn , Moore Iris
Published: September 2002

From a farm/wildlife preserve in McHenry County, Illinois, a series of performances rooted in the specifics of a Midwestern wetland.
Defigurative Choreography: From Marcel Duchamp to William Forsythe
Authors: Brandstetter Gabriele
Published: September 2002

How does modern dance meet the “crisis of representation” by abandoning the idea of unity and reconfiguring the body?
With/out An-aesthetic: The Terrible Beauty of Franko B.
Authors: Campbell Patrick , Spackman Helen
Published: September 2002

In the mode of Athey, Orlan, and Stelarc, a British performance artist pierces his flesh and opens his sphincters in his abject-celebratory attempt “to achieve a purity of emotion.”
Augusto Boal, City Councillor: Legislative Theatre and the Chamber in the Streets
Authors: Schechner Richard , Chatterjee Sudipto
Published: September 2002

A spirited discussion of “Legislative Theatre”—Boal's use of Theatre of the Oppressed in his work as an elected member of Rio de Janeiro city council where he served from 1992 to 1996.
Splitting the Difference: Performance and Its Double in American Culture
Authors: Kubiak Anthony
Published: September 2002

Performance theory after Antonin Artaud and Judith Butler: dissociative identity disorder, Karen Finley, and charismatic religion.
Camp Out: DIWA Arts and the Bayanihan Spirit
Authors: Matthews Lydia
Published: September 2002

From saints to transvestite beauty queens—gay Filipino American culture in the San Francisco Bay Area as expressed in a two-year series of performance installations.
The Midnight Robber: Master of Metaphor, Baron of Bombast
Authors: Honoré Brian
Published: September 2002

I am the tireless clarion of the world; I cry mankind's joys and sorrows every hour. […] Whenever I speak, a million people listen to my voice. The Latin, the Celt, the Hun, the Moslem, the Hindu; all comprehend me. —Charles Peace 1

1 Excerpt from a Robber speech composed and recounted by Charles Peace, Midnight Robber and masquerader, in a radio interview. For the full text see Peace (1968).
Market Failure and the Environmental Policies of Firms: Economic Rationales for “Beyond Compliance” Behavior
Authors: Reinhardt Forest
Published: September 2002

This paper is an inquiry into the circumstances under which the voluntary provision of environmental public goods might be sensible from a firm's point of view. If environmental externalities were the only departure from the economic assumptions of perfect competition, and if no firms had preferential access to superior (low‐cost) stocks of natural resources, firms that volunteered to internalize costs could not survive. But because externalities coexist with other departures from the competitive paradigm, such as asymmetric information and oligopoly competition, firms may find it in their shareholders' interests to provide environmental public goods to a greater degree than required by law. A number of firms, especially in Europe and North America, assert that they are pursuing “beyond‐compliance” environmental policies. From the perspective of a firm's shareholders, it makes sense to pursue such policies if they increase the firm's expected value or if they appropriately manage business risk.

This paper discusses economically rational explanations for such policies. It analyzes the ways in which a firm's chances of financial success in pursuing any one of them are influenced by the firm's market position and organizational capabilities and by the basic structure of the industry in which it competes.
Closing the Technospheric Flows of Toxic Metals: Modeling Lead Losses from a Lead‐Acid Battery System for Sweden
Authors: Karlsson Sten
Published: September 2002

This article investigates technological opportunities to close technospheric flows in a large‐scale use of a toxic and scarce metal, lead. It analyzes the lead flows and losses to the environment in a modeled lead‐acid battery system for Sweden. The modeled system is built on today's technology for production and recycling of lead and batteries while the recovery of used batteries is varied. The analysis shows that the losses from the production and recycling processes are so low that consumption losses and the recovery rate dominate the total system losses. In a steady state with very high recovery of used batteries, the system losses are small compared to natural lead flows and to the historical lead losses during the industrialization. The modeling assumes that all the secondary lead goes back into the production of new batteries even though in Swedish battery manufacturing today, primary lead dominates the lead supply for lead oxide production. The possibilities for increased secondary lead use in the production of lead oxide are also discussed
Heavy‐Metal Balances, Part II: Management of Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Zinc in European Agro‐Ecosystems
Authors: Moolenaar Simon W.
Published: September 2002

The aim of sustainable heavy‐metal management in agroecosystems is to ensure that the soil continues to fulfill its functions: in agricultural production, in environmental processes such as the cycling of elements, and as a habitat of numerous organisms. To understand and manage heavy‐metal flows effectively, a consistent approach to modeling the flows is needed within the particular agro‐system under study. General aspects of heavy‐metal balance studies in agro‐ecosystems were described in part I of this study. In this article (part II), several European studies of heavy‐metal balances at varying spatial scales and in a variety of agro‐ecosystems are reviewed. Sectoral studies at the national and international levels provide information for economic analyses and generic regulations; however, policies implemented at these levels often ignore farm characteristics and individual management options. Field‐scale and farm‐gate balances give farmers specific feedback on effective options for better heavy‐metal management. Heavy‐metal balances could be incorporated in an environmental management system of certified farms. In this way, farm certification may well serve as a basis from which to develop policy to address environmental issues in agriculture.
A Method for Green Rating of Automobiles
Authors: DeCicco John M. , Thomas Martin
Published: September 2002

Coherent information about the environmental impacts of a product is essential for pursuing market‐oriented approaches to environmental protection. Such green rating information can influence consumers' choices and, by affecting product and corporate images in the marketplace, might also influence technology development and product planning. Automobiles and their supporting industries are the subjects of many environmental policies. Informational approaches to automotive environmental performance, however, have been relatively piecemeal. In the course of developing consumer information and market creation programs for vehicles of higher energy efficiency (an important determinant of environmental performance), the authors felt that it was necessary to address this fragmentation rather than treat efficiency in isolation from other factors. A green rating system was developed based on principles of life‐cycle assessment and is usable within the confines of available data that permit discrimination among makes and models. The resulting methodology is applied in a consumer‐oriented publication that rates vehicles in the U.S. market. The ratings cover all vehicles and do not constitute an eco‐label, although the methodology provides groundwork for developing a label. The background, data issues, analysis, and future research needs for this rating system are described along with a summary of its application.
A Dynamic Life‐Cycle Energy Model of Mobile Phone Take‐back and Recycling
Authors: McLaren Jake , Wright Lucy , Parkinson Stuart , Jackson Tim
Published: September 2002

This paper reports the results of a life‐cycle energy model of a pilot mobile phone “take‐back” scheme carried out by the Cellular Phones Take‐back Working Group of the European Trade Organisation for the Telecommunication and Professional Electronics Industry (ECTEL) in the United Kingdom (UK) and Sweden during 1997. Using data collected from the scheme, the model calculates a snapshot “energy balance” associated with mobile phone take‐back for a variety of phone types and take‐back scenarios in the year 1997. It also develops a time‐series model for the UK, describing the environmental implications of different take‐back scenarios in the future. Because of its emphasis on interactive, dynamic modeling techniques, the methodology developed for the life‐cycle model has the potential for wide application in regulatory and industrial decision making.
From PC to Mobile Internet—Overcoming the Digital Divide in Japan
Authors: Nakayama Shigeru
Published: September 2002

This paper examines the social and cultural sources of the digital divide in Japan. In comparison with other communication devices such as the

pokeberu

and

ketai

, personal computers are not that popular in Japan. The sociocultural and economic factors for this situation are examined. Whether the Japanese people will switch from the mobile Internet accessible from a keypad to a standardized keyboard connected to a personal computer is an open question. These issues are deliberated in the context of the existing digital divide or rather 'trivide' in Japanese society.
Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor and Its First Crisis of Confidence
Authors: Huff Toby
Published: September 2002

In this paper, Malaysia's attempt to join the 'information society' and 'knowledge economy' by embarking on the ambitious Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) is mapped out and analysed. The discussion is framed in the context of globalization, modernity and the situation in other Muslim societies. Notwithstanding the present national skepticism regarding the MSC, the project has been reasonably well designed and launched. But it is, in the final analysis, only a part of the larger structure of national innovation systems that function equally as 'engines of economic growth.'
Engendering or Endangering Democracy? The Internet, Civil Society and the Public Sphere
Authors: Baber Zaheer
Published: September 2002

In recent discussions, the role of the Internet in facilitating democratization has been either exaggerated or underestimated. The general consensus seems to be that that the Internet will eventually go the way of other technologies of communication such as the radio and television that failed to live up to their expected role of agents of democratization. Rather than empower marginal groups and constituencies, the Internet could even contribute to more subtle and omnipotent forms of social control through surveillance. This paper examines these positions by focusing on the Singapore case. The possibilities for the expansion of civil society and the emergence of a robust public sphere as a consequence of the wiring up of the country are examined. The key argument of the paper is that although the Internet does indeed contribute to enhanced surveillance capabilities, its potential for circumventing existing forms of regulation and expanding the limited public sphere in Singapore is also very real.
Think Centre: The Internet and Politics in the New Economy
Authors: Gomez James
Published: September 2002

This paper provides a personal account of the attempt to expand the scope and effectiveness of civil society in Singapore through the creative deployment of the Internet and other communication technologies. The narrative seeks to convey the experience of the attempt to open up the possibilities of informed, active and engaged citizenship in Singapore and beyond. Both the possibilities and possible bottlenecks are examined in the context of globalization and the emergence of new communication technologies and globalization.
Censoring Cyberspace
Authors: Mehta Michael
Published: September 2002

This paper explores how Canada and the United States of America have attempted to control of the flow of contentious material coming through the Internet. The paper focuses on the issue of controlling obscene material and provides several case-law examples to illustrate how attempts at censorship have evolved over the decades in both countries. It is concluded that censorship is a tool of the nation-state that is unlikely to significantly reduce the amount of contentious material crossing borders.
French Scandals on the Web, and on the Streets: A Small Experiment in Stretching the Limits of Reported Reality
Authors: Rogers Richard , Marres Noortje
Published: September 2002

The main argument of this paper is that the Web is well suited for the role of a streetwise informant for protest events. Using special software, we plot the network of Web sites of organisations related to the meat and anti-globalization protests in Milau, France, in June of 2000, and compare our findings about the nature of the actors with the reports in the mass media. Not only do the findings deepen mass media accounts but they also point to a new web-sociological means to re-open the question of the real. Putting on display the institutional dimension of the protest, the Web network simultaneously undermines and enriches the mass media accounts of the protests. The Web may provide a reality check on existing accounts of the protest and document encounters between opposing definitions of reality. Our analysis also suggests the Web can be harnessed to complicate the definition of real social action.
Herbal medicine causing likely strychnine poisoning
Authors: Chan T Y K
Published: September 2002

`Maqianzi’ (the dried ripe seed of Strychnos nux-vomica L.) contains 1.0–1.4% each of strychnine and brucine. After processing to reduce its toxicity, `maqianzi’ was used as a herbal remedy for rheumatism, musculoskeletal injuries and limb paralysis. A 42-year old woman with neck pain was prescribed 15 g of `maqianzi’ to be taken in two doses at 7 hours apart, although the recommended dose was 0.3–0.6 g. She was apparently well after drinking the first of two bowls of `maqianzi’ decoction. One hour after she drank the second bowl of herbal decoction, she suddenly developed tonic contractions of all her limb muscles and carpopedal spasm lasting 5 min, difficulty in breathing, chest discomfort and perioral numbness. The second bowl of decoction probably became more concentrated because of evaporation of water during continued boiling and contained a larger amount of `maqianzi’. On arrival in the hospital 1 hour later, she complained of muscle pain and tiredness. She was found to have hyperventilation and weakness of four limbs, with muscle power of grade 5–/5. All her symptoms gradually subsided over the next few hours. This case illustrated that `maqianzi’ can cause strychnine poisoning even after processing, especially when the recommended dose is greatly exceeded. In any patient with `unexplained’ muscle spasms or convulsions, strychnine poisoning should be included in the differential diagnosis and they should be asked about the use of herbal medicines.
Dieldrin induces human neutrophil superoxide production via protein kinases C and tyrosine kinases
Authors: Pelletier M , Girard D
Published: September 2002

We have recently found that dieldrin is a potent human neutrophil agonist in vitro and induces neutrophilic inflammation in vivo. Among the responses observed in vitro, dieldrin was found to induce superoxide (O2¡) production by a yet unknown mechanism. In the present study, dieldrin–and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)induced O2¡ responses were compared. For this purpose, cells were preincubated with a panel of signal transduction inhibitors including genistein, H-7, HA-1077, pertussis toxin, staurosporine, calphostin C, SB203580, PD098059, and wortmannin. Dieldrin-induced O2¡ response was significantly reduced with treatment with genistein, H-7, HA-1077, staurosporine, and calphostin C, whereas PMA-induced response was significantly reduced by treatment with H-7, HA-1077, and staurosporine. This indicates that dieldrin mediates its effect via protein kinases C (PKCs) and tyrosine kinases. Involvement of tyrosine kinases in dieldrin-induced human neutrophils was further demonstrated by an increase in tyrosine phosphorylated protein level expression. Finally, we found that treatment with the mitochondrial stabilizer bongkrekic acid and with the inhibitor of vesicular transport brefeldin A did not reverse dieldrin-induced O2¡ response.
NTA and Fe(III)NTA: differential patterns of renal toxicity in subchronic studies
Authors: Leibold E , Deckardt K , Mellert W , Potthoff-Karl B , Grundler O , Jäckh R
Published: September 2002

Differential patterns in terms of nephropathology and 8-hydroxyguanine formation in the course of oral 28-day studies were observed with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and FeNTA. FeNTA, but not NTA, caused enhanced 8-hydroxyguanine formation in kidney DNA after oral and intraperitoneal administration. Enhanced lipid peroxidation in the kidney homogenate was observed with FeNTA as well as with NTA. For NTA, the low dose (9 mg/kg per day) was without adverse effect. The kidney toxicity of oral FeNTA (50, 200, and 1000 mg/ kg per day) was only mild, 50 mg/ kg per day; however, it still led to an increased 8-hydroxyguanine content. The relevance of Iron(III) (Fe(III)) or Fe(III)NTA formation as a relevant mediator of NTA-related toxicity was excluded on the basis of these data. Also, a thermodynamic consideration presented here, supports the view that zinc (Zn), and not Fe, is likely to mediate the tubular cell cytotoxicity of NTA.
Venlafaxine poisoning complicated by a late rise in creatine kinase: two case reports
Authors: Oliver J J , Kelly C , Jarvie D , Denieul S , Bateman D N
Published: September 2002

Newer anti-depressants are often considered to be safer than more established anti-depressants. However, clinical experience of the effects of these agents in overdose is limited. Here, we present two cases of venlafaxine overdose that were complicated by a delayed rise in plasma creatine kinase. Although the clinical consequences were not serious, physicians should be alerted to the possibility of delayed rhabdomyolysis or serotonin syndrome in patients who have taken venlafaxine in overdose.
Effect of triethyltin on Ca2+ movement in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells
Authors: Jiann B-P , Chou K-J , Chang H-T , Chen W-C , Huang J-K , Jan C-R
Published: September 2002

The effects of the environmental toxicant, triethyltin, on Ca2 + mobilization in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells have been examined. Triethyltin induced an increase in cytosolic free Ca2 + levels ([Ca2 +]i) at concentrations larger than 2 mM in a concentrationdependent manner. Within 5 min, the [Ca2 +]i signal was composed of a gradual rise and a sustained phase. The [Ca2 +]i signal was partly reduced by removing extracellular Ca2 +. In Ca2 +-free medium, pretreatment with thapsigargin (1 mM), an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2 + pump inhibitor, reduced 50 mM triethyltin-induced [Ca2 +]i increase by 80%. Conversely, pretreatment with triethyltin abolished thapsigargin-induced Ca2 + release. Pretreatment with U73122 (2 mM) to inhibit phospholipase C-coupled inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formations failed to alter 50 mM triethyltin-induced Ca2 + release. Incubation with triethyltin at a concentration (1 mM) that did not increase basal [Ca2 +]i for 3 min did not alter ATP (10 mM)and bradykinin (1 mM)-induced [Ca2 +]i increases. Collectively, this study shows that triethyltin altered Ca2 + movement in renal tubular cells by releasing Ca2 + from multiple stores in an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-independent manner, and by inducing Ca2 + influx.
The effect of hexaaza-and hexathia–macrocyclic ligands on transition metal cytotoxicity in human hepatoma-derived cultured cells
Authors: Smet P W , Pauwels T F , Dierickx P J
Published: September 2002

The effect of macrocyclic ligands on cytotoxic concentrations of the transition metal ions of copper, zinc, and cadmium was investigated. For this purpose, a hexaaza-[3,6,9,17,20,23-hexaazatricyclo[23.3.1.111,15] triaconta–1(29),11(30),12,14,25,27–hexaene (L2)] and hexathia-chelating ligand [1,4,7,10,13,16-hexathiacyclooctadecane (L3)] were used in the human hepatoma-derived HepG2 cell line. The cytotoxicity was measured by the neutral red uptake inhibition assay. First, the NI50 of the ligands, i.e., the concentration of the ligand inducing a 50% inhibition in neutral red uptake compared to control cells, was determined. In several metal/ligand combination experiments, the effects for L2 were difficult to interpret, whereas for L3 in combination with copper ions, a severe increase–and for zinc ions, a significant decrease of cell toxicity–relative to the metal control was observed. To further examine the different effects observed with L3 in combination with, respectively, Cu2+ and Zn2+, the glutathione (GSH) content was measured. The relative GSH content decreased as the concentration of L3 increased. It was proposed that the increased toxicity of the combination Cu2+ /L3 could be caused by the depletion of GSH and a subsequent inability to scavenge the produced reactive oxygen species (ROS). This hypothesis was supported by experiments during which vitamin E or C was added to the Cu2+ / L3 system.
When should a substance be designated as sensitizing for the skin (`Sh’) or for the airways (`Sa’)?
Authors: Schnuch A , Lessmann H , Schulz K-H , Becker D , Diepgen Th L , Drexler H , Erdmann S , Fartasch M , Greim H , Kricke-Helling P , Merget R , Merk H , Nowak D , Rothe A , Stropp G , Uter W , Wallenstein G
Published: September 2002

In the List of MAK and BAT Values compounds are designated with `Sa’ (`sensitizing for the airways’) or `Sh’ (`sensitizing for the skin’) if, according to scientific evidence, they are allergens. Mainly based on suggestions by a WHO working group and based on our own experience, extended criteria have been elaborated by the working group `skin and allergy’ of the Commission of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, which are presented in this article. They serve as guidelines for deciding which substances have to be labelled `Sa’ and `Sh’, respectively, for the prevention of sensitization and subsequent allergic diseases in workers. Although in some special cases their strict application may not be deemed necessary or possible, the proposed new criteria should be used to make the procedure of classification of substances: 1) more rational, 2) more consistent, 3) more comprehensible, and 4) more transparent. This paper informs readers working scientifically or administratively in this field and invites a critical discussion of the issue.
A study of the in vitro clinical interaction between lidocaine and premedications using rat liver microsomes
Authors: Nagashima A , Tanaka E , Inomata S , Misawa S
Published: September 2002

In this study, we have investigated the relationship between lidocaine metabolism and premedication, i.e., psychotropic and anti-anxiety agents (diazepam, midazolam), hypnotics (pentobarbital, thiamylal), depolarizing muscular relaxants (vecuronium, pancuronium and suxamethonium), an active anti-hypertensive (clonidine) and an H2 receptor antagonist (cimetidine) using rat hepatic microsomes in vitro. Lidocaine metabolism was noncompetitively inhibited by midazolam (Ki=29.0 mM). Thilamylal was a moderate competitive inhibitor of lidocaine metabolism (Ki=77.8 mM). Pentobarbital, diazepam and cimetidine weakly inhibited lidocaine metabolism formation in a concentration-dependent manner at high substrate concentrations. On the other hand, vecuronium, pancuronium, suxamethonium and clonidine did not inhibit lidocaine metabolism over the therapeutic range. These results show that the interaction between lidocaine and midazolam and thiamylal, catalyzed by a similar cytochrome P450, is of potential importance in toxicological and clinical studies.
The effects of dietary calcium during lactation on lead in bone mobilization: implications for toxicology
Authors: Vega M Maldonado , Solórzano J Cerbón , Calderón Salinas J V
Published: September 2002

Under a normal 1.0% calcium (Ca) concentration in the diet during and after chronic lead (Pb) intoxication, there was a significant increment in the concentration of Pb in the blood, kidney, liver and brain during lactation, parallel to a decrement of Pb in the bone. The increment of Pb in the brain was accompanied by an enhanced lipid oxidation (increase in conjugated dienes). During lactation, on the first 14 days, when dietary Ca was reduced to 0.05%, bone Ca concentration was decreased by 15%, bone resorption measured as acid phosphatase activity in plasma increased three times and Pb bone concentration dropped by 30%. Under a 0.05% Ca in the diet in the nonlactating rats, Ca in the bone decreases also, but there were neither increments in bone resorption nor Pb efflux from the bone. These results suggested that Pb efflux in the bone was related to bone resorption during lactation. Interestingly, when dietary Ca was enhanced to 2.5% in lactating rats, Ca concentration in the bone increased by 21%, but resorption did not decrease and Pb bone concentration decreased by 28%, enhancing toxicity. In the control Pb-exposed nonlactating rats under a 2.5% Ca in the diet, Ca concentration in the bone was increased (18%), and Pb concentration in the bone was unaltered. Since Ca metabolism changes drastically in humans during pregnancy and lactation, and it is likely that bone Pb is mobilized and transferred to the more available compartments of the maternal circulation, the increment in daily intake of Ca during lactation could enhance Pb efflux from the bone.
Biology and toxicology of PPARg ligands
Authors: Tugwood J D , Montague C T
Published: September 2002

The peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPARg) is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention, as modulation of PPARg-regulated pathways is potentially beneficial in a number of disease areas. This review provides an overview of what is known about the biology of PPARg, and an indication of what progress has been made towards drug development in several therapy areas. As well as efficacy, the safety of drugs is of course an important issue, and a substantial volume of preclinical and clinical information has already accumulated for PPARg agonists. Here we discuss some of the major toxicology issues with PPARg agonists, and give a perspective on likely issues concerning the development of PPARgmodulators in the future.