bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating Growth in New Markets: A Simultaneous Model of Firm Entry and Price*
Authors: Bayus Barry L. , Kang Wooseong , Agarwal Rajshree
Published: February 2007

Sales in a new market generally follow a hockey‐stick pattern: After commercialization, sales are very low for some time before there is a dramatic takeoff in growth. Reported sales takeoffs across products vary widely from a few years to several decades. Prior research identifies new firm entry or price declines as key factors that relate to the timing of a sales takeoff in new markets. However, this literature considers these variables to be exogenous and only finds unilateral effects. In the present article, new firm entry and price declines are modeled as being endogenous. Thus, the simultaneous relationship between price declines and firm entry in the introductory period of new markets when industry sales are negligible is studied. Using a sample of new markets formed in the United States during the last 135 years, strong support for a simultaneous model of price and firm entry is found: Price decreases relate to the competitive pressures associated with firm entry, and, in turn, firm entry is lower in new markets with rapidly falling prices. Furthermore, a key driver of firm entry during the early years of a new market involves the level of patent activity, and a key driver of price decreases is the presence of large firms. In contrast to the recommendations from other research, these results indicate that rapid price declines may further delay sales takeoff in industries by dampening new firm entry. Instead, rapid sales takeoffs in new markets come from encouraging greater innovative activity and the entry of large firms.
Systematic Design Methods and the Creative Performance of New Product Teams: Do They Contradict or Complement Each Other?
Authors: Leenders Roger Th. A. J. , Van Engelen Jo M. L. , Kratzer Jan
Published: February 2007

Can organizations exert control and provide structure for NPD activities while at the same time encouraging and managing creative performance? Any new product development (NPD) project requires some level of creative effort. In new product development, creative performance is of preeminent importance. Most NPD projects are executed with the NPD team as the organizational nucleus. As a result, managing creativity in NPD thus implies managing the creativity of NPD teams. Besides having to manage creative performance, companies are generally also concerned with improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the NPD process. Modern NPD projects therefore have the need for an approach that can be planned, optimized, and verified. As a consequence, systematic design methods have become widely used in NPD. In this article conceptual model is developed of the effect of modern design methodology on the creative performance of NPD teams. First, it is argued that the effect of systematic design methodology on NPD team creativity is mediated by the communication patterns of the NPD team. It is then proposed that four principles underlie modern design methodology: hierarchical decomposition, systematic variation, satisficing, and discursiveness. These principles affect NPD communication by, respectively, influencing the establishment of subgroups, the frequency of communication, the level of agreement or disagreement in the team, and the level of centralization of communication. Next, arguments are presented of how each of these four communicational characteristics shapes the creative performance of NPD teams. This second part of the conceptual model is tested empirically. This is done by studying the communication patterns in 44 NPD teams, employing social network analysis tools. These patterns of communication are then related to team‐level creative performance through a set of regression analyses. The main conclusion of the article is that the design principles work together and need to be considered as an integrated whole: the creative performance of NPD teams can only effectively be managed by using and aligning all four of them.
PERSPECTIVE: Empirical Generalization and the Role of Culture in New Product Development*
Authors: Ettlie John E.
Published: February 2007

Empirical generalization continues to be a challenge in most applied fields that favor publication of original results. The purpose of this study was to report on a new product development exercise in one, controlled cultural setting, which replicates and extends Ettlie (2002). Results from four recent graduate business classes in Portugal show that the background of students—technical versus other or mixed—is a nearly perfect predictor of the average or central estimates the class makes tendency (median) of new product success in the exercise. Country matters little. These results have now persisted over nearly seven years, and implications are discussed concerning theory, practice, and future research.
Commercial Office Space: Testing the Implications of Real Options Models with Competitive Interactions
Authors: Schwartz Eduardo S. , Torous Walter N.
Published: February 2007

We test the implications of real option pricing models with competitive interactions for commercial real estate development. The competitive nature of a local commercial real estate market relies on a Herfindahl ratio derived from individual developers' shares of total office construction in their market. All else being equal, greater competition among local developers is associated with more building starts. Other variables suggested by the real options pricing model, including the volatility of local lease rates, are also found to be statistically important. In addition, we provide evidence consistent with greater competition attenuating the extent to which increases in volatility delay commercial real estate development.
Commercial Real Estate Valuation, Development and Occupancy Under Leasing Uncertainty
Authors: Buttimer Richard , Ott Steven H.
Published: February 2007

A model of commercial property valuation is developed where individual property owners are price takers and tenants randomly arrive and depart. Spot lease and tenant reservation prices are stochastic and correlated and can divert from but eventually revert back to market equilibrium. Within this framework we examine built property values and vacancy rates for varying parameter sets representing differing markets and economic conditions. We also examine how potential and existing vacancies, spot lease prices and tenant reservation prices feed back into development decisions. We demonstrate how preleasing acts as a hedge to the developer against the risk of leasing uncertainty.
Comovement After Joining an Index: Spillovers of Nonfundamental Effects
Authors: Ambrose Brent W. , Lee Dong Wook , Peek Joe
Published: February 2007

This study considers the case of two overlapping categories in the context of recent category models. Specifically, we examine whether investor sentiment and market frictions specific to one category can affect the returns on assets belonging to the other category. With recent additions of several real estate investment trusts (REITs) into general stock market indices as a natural experiment, we find support for spillovers of such nonfundamental effects, as evidenced by the increased return correlation between REITs that remain outside the index and the index stocks. Further analysis reveals that market frictions play a greater role than investor sentiment.
Airports and Economic Development
Authors: Green Richard K.
Published: February 2007

This article tests whether the activity at a metropolitan area's airport helps predict population and employment growth. In regression equations explaining employment and population growth, the article uses various measures of airport activity, including boardings, originations, hub status and cargo volume. Because airports may be a function of, as well as a cause of, growth, the article instruments for airports by using geographical and lagged variables. It finds that, under a variety of specifications, passenger activity is a powerful predictor of growth; cargo activity is not.
Hospitals: The Market for Health Care Facilities
Authors: Benjamin John D. , Chinloy Peter , Megbolugbe Isaac F.
Published: February 2007

Health care facilities include hospitals and nursing homes. Demand for beds and occupancy depends on income, prices and insurer restrictions. The supply of beds is limited by regulatory certificates of need. The implied equilibrium vacancy leads to a trade‐off with rate increases. Rate increases establish an asset price for a hospital bed. If prices of health care rise faster than income and nonhealth prices, patients demand less bed availability and occupancy. Rising vacancy and rising prices occur, consistent with the empirical observations for U.S. health care facilities. For 1980–2001, the equilibrium vacancy rate for U.S. hospitals is between 27% and 36% depending on capacity adjustments, bed availability and price expectations. Equilibrium vacancy is near the actual rate after 2000, but that rate is 11 percentage points higher than in the early 1980s when the number of beds was nearly one‐third higher. Usually rent regulation leads to excess demand. But in a general equilibrium model with income, relative prices, expectations, supply and capital markets, price regulation can coexist with excess supply.
The Impact of Virtual Embeddedness on New Venture Survival: Overcoming the Liabilities of Newness
Authors: Morse Eric A. , Fowler Sally W. , Lawrence Thomas B.
Published: February 2007

In this article, we examine the impact of virtual embeddedness—the establishment of interorganizational connections through the use of electronic technologies—on the likelihood of new venture survival. We explore the effects of recent technological and social changes on traditional conceptions of the liabilities of newness. We argue that virtual embeddedness positively affects new venture survival by decreasing the liabilities of newness associated with a new venture's need to create and manage new roles and systems, lack of extant trust relationships, lack of social capital, and lack of economic capital. This argument has important implications for both the study and management of contemporary new ventures.
The Status of Women in Corporate Governance in High–Growth, High–Potential Firms
Authors: Nelson Teresa , Levesque Laurie L.
Published: February 2007

Surveys of the largest U.S. corporations routinely demonstrate that the role of women in corporate governance is acutely limited. In this research we examine how high–growth entrepreneurial sectors of the economy compare to that standard. We posit that high demand labor markets, enhanced higher education of women, and dynamic industry and firm conditions could result in a greater participation of women executives in firms moving toward major corporate status through initial public offering. However, our study results show few significant differences between women's participation in high–growth, high–potential firms versus the Fortune 500. Several of the findings directly contradict our hypotheses, with lower rates of women as board directors and a greater likelihood of the executive team being composed exclusively of men in high–growth, high–potential firms. Women are not present in the top leadership spots of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Chair in either sector, and within high–growth firms are significantly less likely to be found on the boards of venture capital backed companies. The implications of these findings for companies, for policy, and for women and men planning careers in business are discussed.
The Influence of the Venture Capitalist's Governance Activities on the Entrepreneurial Firm's Control Systems and Performance
Authors: Wijbenga Frits H. , Postma Theo J.B.M. , Stratling Rebecca
Published: February 2007

Venture capitalists (VCs) contribute to entrepreneurial firms by engaging in governance activities, such as providing services and monitoring the entrepreneurial firm's operations and performance. This study examines the role and influence of the VC's governance activities on 93 Dutch entrepreneurial firms. Results suggest that while the VC's governance activities may help to stimulate the use of the entrepreneurial firm's control systems, they also moderate the relationship between the entrepreneurial firm's use of control systems and its financial performance. It appears in particular that cost control systems contribute positively to the entrepreneurial firm's financial performance when the VC provides service activities. However, the use of cost control systems tends to be negatively related to the entrepreneurial firm's financial performance when the VC is highly focused on monitoring.
Interatrial Conduction Measured During Biventricular Pacemaker Implantation Accurately Predicts Optimal Paced Atrioventricular Intervals
Authors: LEVIN VADIM , NEMETH MARGIT , COLOMBOWALA ILYAS , MASSUMI ALI , RASEKH ABDI , CHENG JIE , COLES JAMES A. , UJHELYI MICHAEL R. , RAZAVI MEHDI
Published: February 2007

Background: Optimizing atrioventricular (AV) delay during biventricular (BiV) pacemaker implantation can require substantial resources. Hence, a simpler method is desirable. We hypothesized that interatrial conduction time (IACT), measured at the time of BiV device implant, could be a surrogate value for the optimal AV delay.

Objective: This study determined the relationship between paced IACT and the optimal paced AV delay (PAV), as determined by echocardiography.

Methods: Consecutive subjects (N = 25; age = 66 ± 10 years; M/F: 17/8) undergoing BiV pacemaker implantation and in sinus rhythm were included. Cannulation of the coronary sinus (CS) was at the operator's discretion. A quadripolar electrophysiology catheter was inserted via the guiding sheath into the inferiolateral CS to measure left atrial depolarization. The IACT was calculated as the interval between right atrial stimulation artifact and earliest deflection on the coronary sinus catheter electrogram. Subsequently, during atrial pacing the PAV was determined using transmitral pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography (iterative method). The relationship between paced IACT and PAV was then determined.

Results: The mean ± SD paced IACT and PAV were 126 ± 25 msec and 157 ± 23 msec, respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between the paced IACT and PAV (r = 0.73, P < 0.001). The equation describing the relationship was PAV = 0.68 * (IACT + 104) msec.

Conclusions: The paced IACT has a strong correlation with the echo derived optimal PAV. This method may be used to program PAV intervals without need for echocardiography in patients undergoing BiV pacemaker implantation.
A Prospective Comparison of AV Delay Programming Methods for Hemodynamic Optimization during Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
Authors: GOLD MICHAEL R. , NIAZI IMRAN , GIUDICI MICHAEL , LEMAN ROBERT B. , STURDIVANT J. LACY , KIM MICHAEL H. , YU YINGHONG , DING JIANG , WAGGONER ALAN D.
Published: February 2007

Introduction: There are several methods for programming the optimal AV delay (AVD) during cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). These include Doppler echocardiographic measurements of mitral inflow or aortic outflow velocities, an arbitrarily fixed AVD, and calculations based on intracardiac electrogram (EGM) intervals. The present study was designed to compare the acute effects of AVD programming methods during CRT.

Methods and Results: We studied 28 patients at CRT implant with invasive measurements of LV dP/dt to determine the effect of AVD during atrial sensed (AS) and atrial paced (AP) modes. The optimal AVD, defined as that resulting in the maximal LV dP/dt, was then compared with that predicted by several noninvasive methods. CRT increased LV dP/dt 11%± 11% during AS (heart rate: 73 ± 14 bpm) and 17%± 12% during AP (heart rate: 86 ± 12 bpm) (P < 0.001 vs AS). There was an excellent correlation between the EGM method and the maximum achievable LV dP/dt (AS: R2= 0.99, P < 0.0001, AP: R2= 0.96, P < 0.0001) and this method performed better than other techniques.

Conclusions: An electrogram‐based optimization method accurately predicts the optimal AVD among patients over a wide range of QRS intervals during CRT in both AS and AP modes. This simple technique may obviate the need for echocardiography for AVD programming.
A third millennium kiln from the Oman Peninsula
Authors: FRIFELT KAREN
Published: February 2007

In 1970–71 a pottery kiln was excavated by a Danish expedition led by K. Frifelt at Hili in what is now part of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The kiln and its contents, which date from the second half of the third millennium BC, are important additions to our knowledge of prehistoric ceramic production in the Oman Peninsula.
Nouvelles antiquityés qatabanites
Authors: BRON FRANÇOIS
Published: February 2007

Several previously unpublished, inscribed objects of Qatabanian type are presented and their inscriptions discussed.
Découverte d'un site prehistorique d'abattage de dugongs a Umm al‐Qaiwain (Emirats Arabes Unis)
Authors: PRIEUR ABEL , GUERIN CLAUDE
Published: February 2007

A sea‐cow butchery site from the fourth and fifth millenia was discovered on Akab island in Umm al‐Qaiwain (United Arab Emirates). The remains of these Sirenians are extremely numerous and mixed with fish bones, marine shells and archaeological material, namely notched net‐sinking pebbles, pebbles used as hammerstones for shell crushing, a large bone awl, some flint artifacts (including a carved flake and a core), numerous discoid shell beads, and an important sample of rod‐shaped shell and soapstone objects of unknown function.
Occupation humaine et environnement au 5e et au 4e millénaire sur la côte Sharjah‐Umm al‐Qaiwain (U.A.E.)
Authors: BOUCHARLAT R. , DALONGEVILLE R. , HESSE A. , MILLET M.
Published: February 2007

Three contributions in this issue are concerned with sites along the west coast of the United Arab Emirates which pre‐date the Bronze Age. In this paper we shall attempt to view these sites in the broader geographical context of the southern Gulf coast; and thereafter to consider (1) the lithic material attested in the Arabian peninsula and dated to between the late 6th and early 4th millennium B.C.; (2) the painted pottery comparable to Mesopotamian Ubaid wares; and (3) a dozen CI4 dates (1) run on shell which all range around 6000‐4500 BR The material utilized here comes from a series of expeditions conducted by the French Missions to Sharjah and Umm al‐Qaiwain between 1985 and 1990 (2). The objectives of our geomorphological and archaeological inquiries were to observe, within a restricted area, the remains and evolution of human occupation in a changing environment.
Grave types and “triliths” in Dhofar
Authors: AL‐SHAHRÎ ALI AHMAD ALI MAHĀSH
Published: February 2007

The author documents the existence of six grave types in the Dhofar province of southern Oman, and discusses the structures identified by Bertram Thomas as “triliths”.
Six copper Tawilah from northeastern Arabia
Authors: POTTS D. T.
Published: February 2007

Tawilah are bent bars of bronze, silver or billon bearing an often illegible Arabic legend. They are peculiar to the region of al‐Hasa, while forming part of a much more widespread corpus of bent coins known as larins. This category of coinage will be examined, and six “new”tawilah published in the present article.
Palaeogeography of an 'Ubaid archaeological site, Saudi Arabia
Authors: McCLURE H. A. , AL‐SHAIKH N. Y.
Published: February 2007

Palaeogeographic analysis and radiocarbon dating indicate that sometime in the second half of the fifth millennium BC a sea‐level rise occurred along the coast of the western side of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf. Cultural remains of the‘Ubaid archaeological period are intimately associated with the event and the palaeogeographic environment that accompanied it. The sea‐level rise appears to have had a catastrophic effect on habitation sites.
An Early Palaeolithic site near Saiwan (Sultanate of Oman)
Authors: BIAGI PAOLO
Published: February 2007

The Author describes a lithic assemblage attributable to the Early Palaeolithic, discovered in the winter of 1984–85 near Saiwan in central‐eastern Oman. The chert assemblage, characterized by large‐sized artefacts with plain, sloping, striking platform, various types of hand‐axes, side scrapers and cores, is probably to be attributed to a late phase of the Acheulian Culture.
Research on the Palaeolithic and Neolithic of Hadramaut and Mahra
Authors: AMIRKHANOV HIZRI
Published: February 2007

This paper presents some of the results of exploration and excavation by the Soviet‐Yemeni expedition carried out between 1983 and 1990 in Hadramaut and Mahra. Oldowan, Acheulean, Middle Palaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic, and‘Neolithic’stone tool industries are attested, providing what is probably the most detailed sequence covering these periods in the entire Arabian peninsula.
Contributions to the agrarian history of Eastern Arabia II. The cultivars
Authors: POTTS D. T.
Published: February 2007

Following on from an earlier study of agricultural implements and cultivation techniques in eastern Arabia, this paper presents the palaeobotanical and ethnohistoric evidence available on early cultivars in the region from the late 4th millennium B.C. through the pre‐modern era. The introduction of new crops is discussed and, where possible, the evidence is marshalled which pertains to the origins of those new introductions and the dates of their arrival in the Gulf region.
A seal in the collections of the National Museum, Bahrain
Authors: CRAWFORD HARRIET , SINDI KHALID AL
Published: February 2007

This article describes a Murghab seal amulet recently identified in the collections of the National Museum of Bahrain and discusses some of the other evidence for contact between Central Asia and the Gulf in the early second millennium.
Bitumen‐coated basketry in Bahraini burials
Authors: HØJLUND FLEMMING
Published: February 2007

Two types of bitumen‐coated baskets often found in burials in Bahrain are described and their weaving technique is discussed.
Bi'r Hamad: a pre‐Islamic settlement in the western Wādī Hadramawt
Authors: SEDOV A. V.
Published: February 2007

Material from Bi'r Hamad, one of the most important pre‐Islamic settlements in the deserted area between Shabwa (capital of the ancient Hadramawt Kingdom) and the internal regions of the ancient state (Wâdī Hadramawt), is published here for the first time. Pottery and other surface finds allow us to establish the approximate chronological limits of occupation at this ancient Hadramawt town.
The seventh and eighth Belgian archaeological expeditions to ed‐Dur (Umm al‐Qaiwain, UAE)
Authors: HAERINCK E.
Published: February 2007

The results of the 1993 and 1994 seasons by a Belgian team from Gent University at ed‐Dur in the Emirate of Umm al‐Qaiwain are presented. The excavations concentrated on area BS, where a total of 2650 m2 were excavated. This large exposure provided a vast amount of material of the late 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. Only some rare objects (from different areas) are presented.
An Inscribed Amulet from Shabwa
Authors: MARAQTEN MOHAMMED
Published: February 2007

This article discusses an inscribed golden pendant with a Hadhramitic inscription which was used as an amulet. The article also discusses the female deity lhtn “the goddess” which is attested for the first time in South Arabian inscriptions.
The Chronology of the Southeast Arabian Iron Age
Authors: MAGEE PETER
Published: February 2007

Drawing on the results of the Australian Archaeological Expedition's excavation of Tell Abraq, a three‐fold division of the southeast Arabian Iron Age is suggested. A re‐analysis of 14C data in line with the latest agreed calibration curve together with an analysis of the foreign parallels of southeast Arabian Iron Age pottery permits the construction of a complete Iron Age sequence. The results argue for a lower chronology for the Iron II and III periods than has, up until now, been suggested.
Unpublished terracotta figurines in the Museum of the Archaeology Department, Sana'a University, Yemen
Authors: YASEEN G. T. , EL‐GAMILI M. M. , SHALAN A. M.
Published: February 2007

Fifty unpublished handmade terracotta figurines have been collected by the Museum of the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Sana'a University, Republic of Yemen. These figurines were obtained either as donations or through purchase, and most of them come from Al‐Kherba Al‐Bayda and Al‐Kherba As‐Sawda, and Bani Nuf in the Wadi Al‐Jawf (northwest Yemen).
Pleistocene sites in southern Yemen
Authors: WHALEN N. M. , SCHATTE K. E.
Published: February 2007

In the autumn months of 1992 a small team conducted an archaeological survey in southwest Yemen in search of Pleistocene sites dating back to the early colonisation of the Arabian peninsula. The survey focused on those escarpments and terraces with exposed Pleistocene sediments. The team discovered thirty‐seven sites, most of them multicomponent, with sixteen having a pebble‐tool industry called Mode 1 and twenty‐seven with a bifacial industry called Mode 2. Both industries were represented side by side on some sites. These thirty‐seven sites, together with others found in northern Arabia and eastern Yemen, contribute to the growing recognition of a Pleistocene occupation of the Arabian peninsula.
London‐Bahrain Archaeological Expedition: 1994 and 1995 excavations at Saar, Bahrain
Authors: KILLICK ROBERT , BLAKENEY SARA , FARID SHAHINA , HICKS ALISON , HICKS MARTIN , KIELY JENNIFER , WASSE ALEX
Published: February 2007

The long‐term aim of the project is to excavate the entire central area of the Dilmun settlement. During the 1994 and 1995 seasons a further twelve buildings were excavated, most of them located along the main arteries of the settlement. A resistivity survey, followed by selective excavation, determined the size and extent of the site. A well excavated on the eastern flank provided valuable information about the level of Bahrain's aquifers in the Early Dilmun period.
Human population groups and the distribution of lithic arrowheads in the Arabian Gulf
Authors: SPOOR RICHARD H.
Published: February 2007

The distribution of lithic implements in the Arabian Gulf suggests two regions, each using a specific set of tools. It is argued here that this distinct pattern is the result of relations on various levels between several human population groups and not solely of ecological adaptions. Consequently, these contacts between indigenous groups might be held responsible, among others, for distributing goods, like‘Ubaid pottery, initially brought along by Mesopotamian visitors from the Central Gulf down to the Lower Gulf.
Early Qatabānian coinage: the as‐Surayrah coin hoard
Authors: ABDULLAH YÜSUF M. , GHĀLEB CABDU O. , SEDOV ALEXANDER V.
Published: February 2007

In 1994 a hoard of more than 300 silver coins was found near the village of as‐Surayrah, in the area of Tacizz. Typologically, it consists of three groups: 1)‘old style’Athenian imitations with the head of Athena on the obverse and an owl on the reverse (further divided into the ‘tetradrachm’,‘didrachm’and‘hemid‐rachm (triobol)’denominations according to the pseudo‐Attic standard), 2) imitations of owls with the head of the local king on the obverse and 3) coins with the head of the local king on the obverse and a‘hellenistic’head on the reverse. For a variety of reasons this hoard is attributed to the early period of Qatabānian coinage. These include the region where the coin hoard was found, the presence of the Qatabānian royal monogram on the coins as well as a tentative reading of the legend on the third group of coins as Ydccb on the obverse and mlk Qtbn or mlk Qtbn s2ym on the reverse, written in the South Arabian script.
Three Old‐South‐Arabian Fragments in the Wellcome Collection, University of Wales, Swansea1
Authors: KITCHEN K. A.
Published: February 2007

Three Old‐South‐Arabian fragments are published here, probably all of Qatabanian origin: a stela fragment (of less usual type) of a man, Sharah; a statue base of common type of one Khawlil of clan Hidrum; and a small base for a head (now lost) of Habum of (clan) Garaymum.
Kush: a Sasanian and Islamic‐period archaeological tell in Ras al‐Khaimah (U.A.E.)
Authors: KENNET DEREK
Published: February 2007

With contributions by Mark Beech (University of York, U.K.), Adrian Parker (School of Geography, University of Oxford, U.K.) and Alan Pipe (Museum of London Archaeological Service, U.K.
The chronology and regional context of late prehistoric incised arrowheads in southeastern Arabia
Authors: MAGEE PETER
Published: February 2007

The typology, distribution and chronology of incised arrowheads is examined. A lower chronology than has hitherto been suggested for their occurrence is then argued. Evidence from other areas is used to illustrate the point that the examples from southeastern Arabia are unique and are chronologically unrelated to other ancient west Asian examples.
New evidence for specialised ceramic production and exchange in the southeast Arabian Iron Age
Authors: MAGEE PETER , GRAVE PETER , AL‐TIKRITI WALID YASIN , BARBETTI MIKE , YU ZHAO , BAILEY GRAHAME
Published: February 2007

Results from a programme of PIXE‐PIGME analysis of Iron Age ceramics from southeastern Arabia are presented. Compositional analysis indicates the existence of two discrete Iron Age II ceramic assemblages. A combination of geological and archaeological evidence suggests that one of these was produced in the inland oasis of al‐Ain. Geological evidence in combination with previously published data on the elemental composition of southeast Iranian ceramics suggests Iran as a possible source for the other group.
More pre‐Islamic coins from Southeastern Arabia
Authors: HAERINCK E.
Published: February 2007

In recent years several coin collections amassed by several expatriates in the United Arab Emirates have appeared on the market. Here 193 coins collected at ed‐Dur and Mleiha are presented. With three exceptions, all belong to known types. The purpose of this article is to document as many coins as possible and to thereby contribute to the avoidance of a distorted image of coin circulation in this little‐known area. The classification elaborated by D.T. Potts has been followed.
Camel and horse skeletons from protohistoric graves at Mleiha in the Emirate of Sharjah (U.A.E.)
Authors: UERPMANN H.‐P.
Published: February 2007

Animal burials from a graveyard at Mleiha in the interior of the Sharjah Emirate (U.A.E.) are described and documented with regard to the archaeozoology of the represented species. These are two horses, nine dromedaries, and three camel hybrids. The hybrids represent crossbreeds between two‐humped Bactrian camels and one‐humped Arabian dromedaries where the latter species has been the female parent. According to their central position in the graveyard, the hybrids seem to have been status animals. One of the horses was in a similar position while the other was in a peripheral grave together with a dromedary.
Decorated discs from Sharm
Authors: HARTNELL TOBY , BARKER DIANE
Published: February 2007

Eight discs, largely concavo‐convex in shape and decorated with a symmetrical rosette pattern, were recovered from Tomb I during excavations. A similar undecorated concavo‐convex disc was also found. The following paper presents the results of the typological examination of the objects, with the materials and manufacturing techniques published elsewhere in this volume. These discs are widely recognised in southeastern Arabia, with parallels suggesting a predominantly Iron Age date.
The Petroglyphs of Shenah
Authors: INSALL DAVID
Published: February 2007

Shenah is an area of high biological and geological diversity, supporting an active and developing population. Its resources include extensive archaeological sites, of which the petroglyphs, beehive tombs and other archaeological sites deserve more detailed study to determine their importance. Some light is thrown on the former occurrence of wild ungulates in the region. The area has potential for tourism but the petroglyphs are highly vulnerable to damage.
Influencing negative symptoms of schizophrenia with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: a case study
Authors: Prikryl Radovan , Skotakova Simona , Kasparek Tomas , Ceskova Eva , Kucerova Hana , Ustohal Libor
Published: February 2007

Background:

The present trial was designed to investigate the influence of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on negative schizophrenic symptoms using high-frequency stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a simple blind randomized design.

Methods:

The study was carried out on a 42-year-old patient with schizophrenia (paranoid subtype) with prominent negative symptoms who was first treated with sham rTMS during the first 3 weeks and then with real high frequency during the following 3 weeks. He was rated before and after the sham and after the real rTMS therapy for positive, negative and depressive symptoms.

Results:

rTMS was superior to sham treatment in reduction of negative and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion:

High-frequency rTMS applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex led to a reduction of severity of negative symptoms in a patient with chronic schizophrenia and may be beneficial as an augmentation option to antipsychotics in the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Cerebrospinal fluid kynurenic acid in male patients with schizophrenia – correlation with monoamine metabolites
Authors: Nilsson-Todd Linda K. , Nordin Conny , Jönsson Erik G. , Skogh Elisabeth , Erhardt Sophie
Published: February 2007

Background:

The tryptophan metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) is an endogenous glutamate/nicotinic receptor antagonist. Previous studies have shown that the concentration of the compound is increased in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, it has been found that the CSF concentration of KYNA is positively correlated to CSF concentrations of the monoamine metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxy indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in healthy control subjects.

Objectives:

To study the correlations between KYNA and the monoamine metabolites HVA, 5-HIAA and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylglycol (HMPG) in CSF of male patients (n= 53, ranging from 20 to 48 years of age) with verified schizophrenia.

Methods:

CSF was obtained by lumbar puncture, and KYNA analysis was performed with an isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography system connected to a fluorescence detector. HVA, 5-HIAA and HMPG concentrations were measured by mass fragmentography with deuterium-labelled internal standards.

Results:

Positive intercorrelations were found between CSF KYNA, HVA and 5-HIAA, while CSF content of HMPG did not correlate to KYNA or any of the monoamine metabolites in CSF.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that increased KYNA formation is associated with an increased dopamine and serotonin turnover in male patients with schizophrenia.
Hyperventilation-stage electroencephalography in lateral temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Asano Shuichiro , Hara Tetsuo
Published: February 2007

Background:

To observe spike activity in electroencephalograms (EEGs), patients with symptomatic partial epilepsy are rarely monitored during the hyperventilation stages.

Case:

A 38-year-old woman suffered from a ruptured arteriovenous malformation in the left temporal lobe. One and a half years later, the patient experienced her first generalized convulsion. EEG showed small spikes in the posterior of the left temporal lobe, which was observed during the hyperventilation and posthyperventilation stages. Because the location of the spikes correlated with the site of the lesion as observed from radiographic findings, she was diagnosed with lateral temporal lobe epilepsy. Drug treatment resulted in no further convulsive episodes and the patient has since returned to work.

Conclusion:

EEG recordings during hyperventilation should be regarded as an effective technique in analyzing epilepsy because of its ease and cost-effectiveness compared with other methods such as single-photon emission computed tomography.
Neural stem cell therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders
Authors: Valenzuela Michael , Sidhu Kuldip , Dean Sophia , Sachdev Perminder
Published: February 2007

Objective:

To conduct a comprehensive literature review of the area of neural stem cells and neuropsychiatry.

Methods:

‘Neural stem cells’ (NSCs) and ‘neurogenesis’ were used as keywords in Medline (1966 – November 2006) to identify relevant papers in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), depression, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This list was supplemented with papers from reference lists of seminal reviews.

Results:

The concept of a ‘stem cell’ continues to evolve and is currently defined by operational criteria related to symmetrical renewal, multipotency and functional viability.In vivoadult mammalian neurogenesis occurs in discrete niches in the subventricular and subgranular zones – however, functional precursor cells can be generatedin vitrofrom a wide variety of biological sources. Both artificial and physiological microenvironment is therefore critical to the characteristics and behaviour of neural precursors, and it is not straightforward how results from the laboratory can be extrapolated to the living organism. Transplant strategies in PD have shown that it is possible for primitive neural tissue to engraft into neuropathic brain areas, become biologically functional and lead to amelioration of clinical signs and symptoms. However, with long-term follow-up, significant problems related to intractable side-effects and potential neoplastic growth have been reported. These are therefore the potentials and pitfalls for NSC technology in neuropsychiatry. In AD, the physiology of amyloid precursor protein may directly interact with NSCs, and a role in memory function has been speculated. The role of endogenous neurogenesis has also been implicated in the etiology of depression. The significance of NSCs and neurogenesis for schizophrenia is still emerging.

Conclusions:

There are a number of technical and conceptual challenges ahead before the promise of NSCs can be harnessed for the understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Further research into fundamental NSC biology and how this interacts with the neuropsychiatric disease processes is required.
Cupiennin 1a, an antimicrobial peptide from the venom of the neotropical wandering spider Cupiennius salei, also inhibits the formation of nitric oxide by neuronal nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Pukala Tara L. , Doyle Jason R. , Llewellyn Lyndon E. , Kuhn‐Nentwig Lucia , Apponyi Margit A. , Separovic Frances , Bowie John H.
Published: February 2007

Cupiennin 1a (GFGALFKFLAKKVAKTVAKQAAKQGAKYVVNKQME‐NH2) is a potent venom component of the spider Cupiennius salei. Cupiennin 1a shows multifaceted activity. In addition to known antimicrobial and cytolytic properties, cupiennin 1a inhibits the formation of nitric oxide by neuronal nitric oxide synthase at an IC50 concentration of 1.3 ± 0.3 µm. This is the first report of neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibition by a component of a spider venom. The mechanism by which cupiennin 1a inhibits neuronal nitric oxide synthase involves complexation with the regulatory protein calcium calmodulin. This is demonstrated by chemical shift changes that occur in the heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectrum of 15N‐labelled calcium calmodulin upon addition of cupiennin 1a. The NMR data indicate strong binding within a complex of 1 : 1 stoichiometry.
Bedwetting—Not Always What It Seems: A Sign of Sleep‐Disordered Breathing in Children
Authors: Umlauf Mary Grace , Chasens Eileen R.
Published: February 2007

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. Nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) can linger long into childhood. Sleep research has documented that nocturia and bedwetting are symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults and that bedwetting is predictive of OSA in children.

CONCLUSIONS. Nocturnal polyuria is a cardiovascular response to negative pressure breathing (inspiration against a closed glottis), which is characteristic of OSA.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Evidence of nocturnal polyuria and sleep‐disordered breathing are important signs of OSA, a serious but treatable condition.
Confounding Factors in Infant Pain Assessment During Recovery From Anesthesia
Authors: Neu Madalynn , Fuller Barbara F.
Published: February 2007

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To investigate in what ways infant pain assessments differed between outpatient surgical recovery areas (OPSRA) and other clinical settings that included inpatient postsurgical recovery areas.

METHODS. Using a qualitative descriptive design, 8 nurse participants working in OPSRA and 7 nurse participants working in other clinical settings were interviewed.

RESULTS. The assessments of participants in the OPSRA differed from those of other participants and were confounded by effects of a short‐acting anesthetic, lower expectations of pain, and several extraneous factors.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Recognizing infant pain in OPSRA is complex. Nurses working in OPSRA may need to assume leadership to address issues relating to accurate identification of infant pain and alleviating extraneous factors that may influence adequate treatment of pain.
Home Asthma Management for Rural Families
Authors: Horner Sharon D. , Fouladi Rachel T.
Published: February 2007

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To assess home asthma management among rural families with a school‐age child who has asthma.

DESIGN AND METHODS. Exploratory analysis of baseline data of a tri‐ethnic sample of rural families with school‐age children who have asthma.

RESULTS. Parents and children enact a moderate amount of asthma management behaviors. Preventive behaviors were correlated with the Asthma Behavior Inventory and treatment behaviors were correlated with the child's asthma severity. Factors that could affect asthma management include no insurance, no visits to providers in 12 months, or no asthma medications.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Nurses must use every contact with families to assess their asthma management and availability of resources, and to determine the fit between asthma severity and the asthma management plan.
Moving into Parenthood: A Program for New Adolescent Mothers Combining Parent Education With Creative Physical Activity
Authors: Sadler Lois S. , Cowlin Ann
Published: February 2007

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To describe a school‐based program combining traditional parent education with creative physical activity classes to assist newly delivered adolescent mothers to develop positive parenting behaviors while remaining in school.

CONCLUSIONS. The program contains sessions on parenting information, creative coping strategies, fitness, and role modeling of positive parenting behaviors to help young mothers learn healthy parenting skills as they continue in their own adolescent development.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The content and teaching strategies can be adapted for individual or group clinical work with teen mothers and their infants in a variety of community settings as well as in school‐based healthcare programs.
On the use of virtual simulation in radiotherapy of the intact breast
Authors: Tomé Wolfgang A. , Steeves Richard A. , Paliwal Bhudatt P.
Published: February 2007

In this paper a method of breast cancer treatment planning using virtual simulation implemented at the Department of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin is described. All patients in this procedure are placed in a custom vacuum mold in treatment position with both arms up to avoid collision with the CT scanner aperture. For all patients a CT scan of 5‐mm‐slice thickness is acquired. The ipsilateral and contralateral breast, the ipsilateral lung and the heart are delineated and a three‐dimensional plan is generated that tries to minimize the dose to the ipsilateral lung and heart while ensuring adequate coverage of the affected breast. Digitally reconstructed radiographs are used to verify the patient setup on the treatment machine. © 2000 American College of Medical Physics.

PACS number(s): 87.53.–j
Preventative maintenance and unscheduled downtime from an economic perspective
Authors: Dunscombe Peter , Roberts Gisele , Valiquette Lianne
Published: February 2007

A spreadsheet‐based model for economically characterizing the operation of a radiation treatment program has been used to perform a quantitative financial analysis of scheduled and unscheduled downtime. The incremental cost of downtime is broken down into three categories: remuneration of in‐house or third party service technologists, decreased patient capacity, and local operating procedures for dealing with downtime. Different service arrangements and operating procedures are simulated to demonstrate the financial cost of treatment machine unavailability due to either preventative maintenance or unexpected breakdown. Depending on the service arrangement and operating policies for accommodating downtime, the combined cost of scheduled and unscheduled downtime (at 5%) can exceed 10% of the total cost of the radiation treatment program. It has also been demonstrated that the greatest cost component of downtime is decreased patient capacity, which can exceed $400,000 (CAN) when unscheduled downtime reaches 5%. The interpretation of this cost depends on the funding environment. Although the emphasis of this study has been the financial consequences of downtime, there are other factors which must be considered when developing policies and procedures for accommodating downtime such as effects on treatment, patient convenience and quality of life for staff. Even though the numerical results are strictly valid only within the context of the simulations performed, they do provide a broad framework within which medical physicists can make recommendations regarding service support and downtime. © 2000 American College of Medical Physics.

PACS number(s): 87.52.–g, 87.90.+y
Preparing a cost analysis for the section of medical physics–guidelines and methods
Authors: Mills Michael D. , Spanos William J. , Jose Baby O. , Kelly Beverly A. , Brill James P.
Published: February 2007

Radiation oncology is a highly complex medical specialty, involving many varied routine and special procedures. To assure cost‐effectiveness and maintain support for the medical physics program, managers are obligated to analyze and defend all aspects of an institutional billing and cost‐reporting program. Present standards of practice require that each patient's radiation treatments be customized to fit his/her particular condition. Since the use of personnel time and other resources is highly variable among patients, graduated levels of charges have been established to allow for more precise billing. Some radiation oncology special procedures have no specific code descriptors; so existing codes are modified or additional information attached in order to avoid payment denial. Recent publications have explored the manpower needs, salaries, and other resources required to perform radiation oncology “physics” procedures. This information is used to construct a model cost‐based resource use profile for a radiation oncology center. This profile can be used to help the financial officer prepare a cost report for the institution. Both civil and criminal penalties for Medicare fraud and abuse (intentional or unintentional) are included in the False Claims Act and other statutes. Compliance guidelines require managers to train all personnel in correct billing procedures and to review continually billing performance. © 2000 American College of Medical Physics.

PACS number(s): 87.90+y, 87.53.–j