bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Professional Basketball's Unsportsmanlike Fouls in the Eyes of the Beholders
Authors: Bar‐Eli Michael , Shimkin Tali , Wolf Yuval
Published: June 2009

A series of three experiments, based on the method of Functional Measurement, has explored the importance assigned by professional basketball players to relevant dispositions of defense and offense players, as determinants of unsportsmanlike fouls. The 106 participants were leading male players in the premier basketball league in Israel. Experiment 1 was based on a 16 (24)‐cell model. In an individual meeting, each participant estimated the likelihood that a defense player would commit an unsportsmanlike foul on an offense player. In each of the 16 to‐be‐judged incidents, specific information on a specific combination of aggressiveness and susceptibility to victimisation of two imaginary protagonists in an offense–defense on‐the‐court incident was given to the participant. Experiment 2 was a replication of Experiment 1. There, however, names of 16 well‐known players were mentioned, the aggressiveness and susceptibility to victimisation of each fitting the model requirements. In Experiment 3, a partial replication of Experiment 2, likelihood estimations were made from two perspectives—potential perpetrator and potential victim. Overall, meaningful importance was assigned especially to the dispositions of the perpetrator, not the victim. The findings are conceived as reflections of players' cognitive schemata of on‐the‐court violence.

Basée sur la méthode de la mesure fonctionnelle, une série de 3 expérimentations a exploré l’importance que des joueurs de basket professionnels attribuent aux dispositions de joueurs attaquant ou défenseur à commettre des fautes anti sportives. Les 106 sujets sont des joueurs de sexe masculin de la ligue 1 de basket israélienne. L'expérience 1 est basée sur un modèle à 16 (24) cases. Lors de passation individuelle, chaque participant estime la probabilité qu'un joueur arrière commette une faute anti sportive sur un joueur avant. Pour chacun des 16 incidents à juger, une information spécifique a été donnée aux participants. Il s'agissait d'une combinaison particulière de l'agressivité et de la propension à la victimisation des deux protagonistes imaginaires dans une situation d'incident soit offensif soit défensif sur le terrain. L'expérimentation 2 est une réplique de la première. Cependant, les noms de 16 joueurs connus sont mentionnés, l'agressivité et la propension à la victimisation étaient appropriées aux exigences du modèle. Dans l'expérience 3, réplique partielle de la deuxième, la probabilité des estimations a été faite selon deux perspectives: auteur potentiel et victime potentielle. Globalement, une importance significative a été assignée aux dispositions de l'auteur et non de la victime. Les résultats sont conçus comme reflétant le schéma cognitif des joueurs lors de violence sur le terrain.
Provision of radical pelvic urological surgery in England, and compliance with improving outcomes guidance
Authors: Mayer Erik K. , Bottle Alex , Darzi Ara W. , Athanasiou Thanos , Vale Justin A.
Published: June 2009

OBJECTIVE

To investigate compliance with Improving Outcomes Guidance (IOG) for radical pelvic surgery in England, and explore the pattern of service provision for radical cystectomy (RC) and radical prostatectomy (RP) before and after the introduction of IOG.

METHODS

For the period 2000/01–2006/07, all admissions for RC and RP were extracted from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). At the institutional level, the numbers of RC and RP cases were combined to assess adherence to IOG. The IOG catchment populations for each institution were calculated by linking HES data to census ward population data. The pattern of service provision for RC and RP was independently assessed by assigning institutions into low‐, medium‐ and high‐volume groups of roughly equal volumes a priori, based on the ascending order of annual RC or RP rate, respectively. For RC it was also possible to explore the between‐institution referral activity for RC by identifying the ‘final endoscopic bladder procedure’ that occurred immediately before the RC for each patient. This gave an indication of where the diagnosis and decision for RC had been made.

RESULTS

The percentage of institutions achieving the recommended IOG minimal case volume of 50 per year increased significantly between 2000/01 and 2006/07 (36% in odds per year, P < 0.001; odds ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.24–1.50), although absolute numbers remained relatively low (34% in 2006/07). Only one institution had a catchment population greater than the recommended 1 million. The total number of institutions performing RC decreased significantly over the years (P = 0.03), whereas for RP the decrease was not significant (P = 0.6). The decrease reflected a decline in the number of low‐volume institutions, both for RC and RP, although this decline was not more than expected by chance. There had been a significant increase in the percentage of patients referred to another provider for their RC, from 5.5% in 2000/01 to 19.6% in 2006/07 (28% rise in odds per year, P < 0.001: odds ratio 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.23–1.33).

CONCLUSION

There was evidence of centralization of radical pelvic urological surgery, although it is only relatively recently that this seems to have taken place with any certainty. The absolute numbers of providers achieving the IOG minimum caseload standard was relatively low. What impact this has had, if any, on the quality of patient care is yet to be fully determined.
The aggressiveness of urinary tract urothelial carcinoma increases with the severity of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Hung Peir‐Haur , Shen Cheng‐Huang , Chiu Yen‐Ling , Jong Ing‐Ching , Chiang Pei‐Chun , Lin Chang‐Te , Hung Kuan‐Yu , Tsai Tun‐Jun
Published: June 2009

OBJECTIVE

To assess, in a retrospective cohort, urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UT‐UC) in patients with various stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their clinicopathological features, as patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) have a higher incidence of UT‐UC, but the relationship between early stages of CKD and characteristics of UT‐UC are less well known.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 267 patients with pathologically confirmed UT‐UC from January 1994 to December 2006; all had a physical examination (blood pressure), and measurements of laboratory data (serum creatinine, serum haemoglobin) and pathological data. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Patients were divided into three groups by individual GFR (mL/min), i.e. >60 (no/mild CKD), 30–60 (CKD stage 3) and <30 (CKD stage 4/5).

RESULTS

The CKD stages included 81 (30.3%) patients with none/mild CKD, 121 (45.3%) with CKD stage 3 and 65 (24.3%) with CKD stage 4/5. There was a significant and parallel increase in the frequency of UT‐UC as CKD severity increased from none/mild CKD to stage 3 (11% vs 55%), and from CKD stage 3 to 4/5 (55% vs 71%; P < 0.05). Pathologically, the frequency of high‐grade and high T stage UT‐UC in patients with CKD stage 3 (90% and 35%, respectively) and CKD stage 4/5 (91% and 29%, respectively) were significantly greater than in the group with none/mild CKD (P < 0.001). Advanced age and more distant metastasis were independent risk factors for patient survival.

CONCLUSION

The aggressiveness of UT‐UC increased with the severity of CKD, and this might have important clinical consequences.
In idiopathic calcium oxalate stone‐formers, unattached stones show evidence of having originated as attached stones on Randall’s plaque
Authors: Miller Nicole L. , Williams Jr James C. , Evan Andrew P. , Bledsoe Sharon B. , Coe Fredric L. , Worcester Elaine M. , Munch Larry C. , Handa Shelly E. , Lingeman James E.
Published: June 2009

Study Type – Diagnostic (exploratory cohort) Level of Evidence 2b

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the structure and composition of unattached stones in idiopathic calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone‐formers (ICSF) and compare them to attached stones from the same cohort, to investigate whether there is more than one pathogenic mechanism for stone formation in ICSF.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

ICSF undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy or ureteroscopy for the treatment of nephrolithiasis gave consent to participate in this study. All accessible renal papillae were endoscopically imaged using a digital endoscope. All stones were removed and determined by the operating surgeon to be attached or unattached to the underlying papilla. Micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT), which provides three‐dimensional analysis of entire stones, was used to compare the structure and composition of attached and unattached stones.

RESULTS

Of 115 stones collected from nine patients (12 renal units), only 25 stones were found not to be attached to renal papillae. Of these 25 stones, four were lost and 12 showed definite morphological evidence of having been attached to tissue, probably having been displaced from papillae during access. For the remaining nine stones, micro‐CT analysis showed at least one internal region of calcium phosphate within each of these unattached CaOx stones, i.e. the internal structure of the unattached stones is consistent with their having originated attached to Randall’s plaque, and then having become detached but retained in the kidney, with new layers of CaOx eventually covering the original attachment site.

CONCLUSIONS

Micro‐CT analysis supports the hypothesis that in ICSF, both attached and unattached stones occur as a result of a common pathogenic mechanism, i.e. in this type of stone former, CaOx stones, even those not showing morphology that betrays attachment, all originate attached to interstitial plaque on the renal papilla.
Does early prostate‐specific antigen doubling time (ePSADT) after radical prostatectomy, calculated using PSA values from the first detectable until the first recurrence value, correlate with standard PSADT? A report from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital Database Group
Authors: Teeter Anna E. , Presti Jr Joseph C. , Aronson William J. , Terris Martha K. , Kane Christopher J. , Amling Christopher L. , Freedland Stephen J.
Published: June 2009

OBJECTIVE

To determine if prostate‐specific antigen doubling time (PSADT), calculated from the first detectable PSA level after radical prostatectomy (RP) to the first PSA level of ≥0.2 ng/mL (early PSADT or ePSADT), correlated with ‘standard’ PSADT (henceforth PSADT) calculated using values ≥0.2 ng/mL, as a short PSADT following biochemical recurrence (BCR) after RP portends a poor prognosis and poor response to salvage treatment but this is based upon PSADT calculated using PSA values of ≥0.2 ng/mL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used Spearman’s correlation to determine the correlation between ePSADT and PSADT among 157 men in the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital database who underwent RP between 1988 and 2005 and had a calculable ePSADT and PSADT. We systematically examined ePSADT thresholds and their positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV, respectively), to predict aggressive recurrences (PSADT of <9 months).

RESULTS

ePSADT was significantly, though poorly, correlated with PSADT (r = 0.30, P < 0.001). ePSADT more accurately predicted PSADT among men with a long ePSADT. Of men with an ePSADT of ≥20 or ≥15 months, the NPV for an aggressive recurrence was 98% and 93%, respectively. However, among men with an ePSADT of <3 months, the PPV for aggressive recurrence was only 39%.

CONCLUSIONS

Although ePSADT and PSADT were significantly related, the overall correlation was poor. This was highlighted by the finding that only 39% of men with the shortest ePSADT (<3 months) had a PSADT of <9 months. However, a long ePSADT correlated well with a long PSADT and is thus useful in identifying men at low risk for prostate cancer‐specific mortality very early in their BCR.
Site of positive surgical margins influences biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Godoy Guilherme , Tareen Basir U. , Lepor Herbert
Published: June 2009

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the number and location of positive surgical margins (PSMs) in radical prostatectomy (RP) surgical specimens affect biochemical recurrence (BCR) rates.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The locations of PSMs were recorded for 1308 consecutive men who underwent RP between October 2000 and December 2006. BCR was defined as three consecutive prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level rises with the peak level ≥0.15 ng/mL. Multivariate regression analyses were used to identify preoperative predictors of PSMs and BCR. The estimated 5‐year risk of BCR was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

RESULTS

In all, 128 (9.8%) men had one or more PSMs. The mean body mass index, mean preoperative serum PSA level, the distributions of clinical stage and biopsy Gleason scores, and the presence or absence of biopsy perineural invasion were significantly different between men with or with no PSMs. In multivariate analysis, baseline serum PSA level, Gleason score and perineural invasion were independent preoperative predictors of PSMs. The 5‐year actuarial BCR rates were dependent on the site of the PSM (P = 0.035) and not the number of PSMs (P = 0.18). The rank order of estimated 5‐year BCR rates according to the site of PSMs were base > anterior > posterolateral > apex ≈ posterior.

CONCLUSIONS

About half of the men with PSMs in the RP surgical specimen in our prospective series did not develop BCR. The risk of BCR was dependent on the site and not the number of PSMs. Adjuvant therapy should be considered in cases with anterior and basilar PSMs due to the very high risk of BCR.
Narrow band imaging for detecting residual/recurrent cancerous tissue during second transurethral resection of newly diagnosed non‐muscle‐invasive high‐grade bladder cancer
Authors: Naselli Angelo , Introini Carlo , Bertolotto Franco , Spina Bruno , Puppo Paolo
Published: June 2009

Study Type – Diagnostic (case series) Level of Evidence 4

OBJECTIVE

To determine if narrow‐band imaging (NBI) can be used to detect high‐grade cancerous lesions missed with the white light at the time of a second transurethral resection (TUR) of high‐grade non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed high‐grade NMIBC were enrolled in a prospective observational study. Patients with incomplete resection or absence of muscle tissue in the specimen were excluded. About 1 month after the first TUR, NBI cold‐cup biopsies were taken from areas suspicious for urothelial cancer at the end of an extensive white‐light second TUR protocol including: (i) resection of the scar of the primary tumour; (ii) resection of any overt or suspected urothelial lesions; and (iii) six random cold‐cup biopsies of healthy mucosa.

RESULTS

In 2008, 47 consecutive patients were recruited after giving written consent (median age 62 years, range 49–83, 39 men and eight women). Nine patients (19%) had macroscopic or microscopic high‐grade NMI urothelial cancer, whereas one was reassessed as having muscle‐invasive disease at the white‐light second TUR plus the six random biopsies. NBI biopsies were taken in 40 of the 47 patients and detected six more patients with high‐grade cancerous tissue (13%). In all 16 of the 47 patients (34%) were found to have residual/recurrent cancer using our extensive protocol of second TUR followed by NBI biopsies.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding NBI biopsies at the end of an extensive second TUR protocol in patients with newly diagnosed high‐grade NMIBC can lead to the identification of patients with otherwise missed high‐grade residual/recurrent urothelial carcinoma.
Neuroanatomy of the male pelvis in respect to radical prostatectomy including three‐dimensional visualization
Authors: Schwalenberg Thilo , Neuhaus Jochen , Liatsikos Evangelos , Winkler Mathias , Löffler Sabine , Stolzenburg Jens‐Uwe
Published: June 2009

The neuroanatomical structures of the radical prostatectomy (RP) are extensively discussed for their existence, localization and function. Especially structures, e.g. the so‐called neurovascular bundle (NVB) that are points of debate in numerous anatomical studies. We review the literature and present our observations in cadaveric specimens, to reconstruct neuroanatomical structures in three dimensions (3D) with the use of appropriate computer applications and produce images of operative fields. We used an internet PubMed survey (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) to review recent publications and included back copies of historical neuroanatomical studies from our own library. Our own experimental cadaveric (specimens preserved in Thiel’s solution) studies of the autonomic nerve supply of the lower urinary tract were also reviewed. Visualization of the pelvic anatomy and neuroanatomy was done using computer‐based software packages. No unified terminology for the structures of the NVBs can be presented to date. The innervation of the smooth muscular structures of the urethra and the complex morphology of urethral sphincter remain unclear. Our cadaveric studies showed that nerves are located on the lateral aspect of the prostate in addition to the NVBs described at the dorsolateral side of the prostate. The neuroanatomical investigations of the male pelvis and visualization of the structures in 3D enable the presentation of operative sites as seen intraoperatively. Moreover, dynamic depiction of the pelvic floor is also possible.
The number of negative pelvic lymph nodes removed does not affect the risk of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Murphy Alana M. , Berkman Douglas S. , Desai Manisha , Benson Mitchell C. , McKiernan James M. , Badani Ketan K.
Published: June 2009

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4

OBJECTIVES

To assess patients who had radical prostatectomy (RP) and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) for pT2–4 N0M0 prostate cancer, to determine if LN yield affects the risk of biochemical failure (BCF), as the extent of PLND at the time of RP has become increasingly uncertain with the decreasing trend in tumour stage.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the Columbia University Urologic Oncology Database for patients with pT2–4 N0M0 prostate cancer treated with RP from 1990 to 2005. Exclusion criteria included <12 months of follow‐up, incomplete clinical and pathological data, and neoadjuvant androgen‐deprivation therapy (ADT) or immediate adjuvant ADT or external beam radiotherapy. Unadjusted and adjusted models were used to determine the ability of clinical and pathological variables to predict BCF.

RESULTS

The final dataset included 964 patients, with a mean age of 60.5 years and median preoperative prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level of 6.2 ng/mL. The median (range) LN yield was 7 (1–42) and the median follow‐up 59 (12–190) months. In the unadjusted and adjusted models, preoperative PSA, pathological Gleason score, pathological stage, surgical margin status and year of surgery were significant predictors of BCF. The LN group was not a significant predictor of BCF in both the unadjusted and adjusted model (P = 0.759 and 0.408, respectively). When patients were stratified into high‐ and low‐risk groups, LN yield remained an insignificant predictor of BCF.

CONCLUSION

A higher LN yield at the time of RP does not increase the chance of cure for patients with pT2–4N0M0 prostate cancer. This lack of a survival advantage holds true for patients with high‐risk disease.
Oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in penile ischaemia
Authors: Azadzoi Kazem M. , Golabek Tomasz , Radisavljevic Ziv M. , Yalla Subbarao V. , Siroky Mike B.
Published: June 2009

OBJECTIVE

To seek markers of oxidative stress and examine neural structural integrity in chronic penile ischaemia using a rabbit model of arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED), as the role of ischaemia in penile neuropathy and the oxidative mechanism of neurodegeneration in ED remains unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A rabbit model of atherosclerosis‐induced ED was developed by partial balloon de‐endothelialization of the iliac arteries. After 10 weeks, intracavernosal blood flow and erectile function in the arteriogenic ED group were compared with age‐matched controls. Erectile tissues were processed for analysis of oxidative stress markers and nerve fibre density using enzyme immunoassay and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Oxidative stress‐sensitive genes were determined with quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Tissue ultrastructure was examined by transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS

Significant erectile tissue ischaemia, erectile dysfunction, increased levels of oxidative products, and marked nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity was evident in the ED group. Oxidative stress‐sensitive genes encoding hypoxia inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α), superoxide dismutase (SOD), aldose reductase (AR) and nerve growth factor (NGF) were up‐regulated in the ischaemic erectile tissue. These changes were associated with collapsed axonal and Schwann cell profiles, neurodegeneration, mitochondrial structural damage, increased caveolae, loss of endothelium, and sporadic vacuolization.

CONCLUSIONS

Neuropathy appears to follow the vascular insult in arteriogenic ED. Neural injury in penile ischaemia involves a neurovascular phenomenon mediated by oxidative free radicals. Mitochondrial structural damage and increased HIF‐1α gene expression may be early signals of oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in ED. Up‐regulation of SOD, AR and NGF may be a coordinated defensive reaction to oxidative radicals that seems to fail to prevent neural injury in the ischaemic penis. Our study introduces the concept of oxidative neurodegeneration in the pathophysiology of arteriogenic ED. Therapeutic strategies to protect penile nerves from free radical incursion may enhance the efficacy of surgical and pharmacological interventions in arteriogenic ED.
An estimation of the long‐term clinical and economic benefits of insulin lispro in Type 1 diabetes in the UK
Authors: Pratoomsoot C. , Smith H. T. , Kalsekar A. , Boye K. S. , Arellano J. , Valentine W. J.
Published: June 2009

Aims  To determine the long‐term health economic benefits associated with lispro vs. regular human insulin (RHI) in UK Type 1 diabetic (T1DM) patients using the previously published and validated CORE Diabetes Model.

Methods  A literature review designed to capture clinical benefits associated with lispro and T1DM cohort characteristics specific to UK was undertaken. Clinical benefits were derived from a Cochrane meta‐analysis. The estimated difference (weighted mean) in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was −0.1% (95% confidence interval −0.2 to 0.0%) for lispro vs. RHI. Severe hypoglycaemia rates for lispro and RHI were 21.8 and 46.1 events per 100 patient years, respectively. Costs and disutilities were accounted for severe hypoglycaemia rates. All costs were accounted in 2007 £UK from a National Health Service (NHS) perspective. Future costs and clinical benefits were discounted at 3.5% annually.

Results  In the base‐case analysis, lispro was projected to be dominant compared with RHI. Lispro was associated with improvements in quality‐adjusted life expectancy (QALE) of approximately 0.10 quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) vs. RHI (7.60 vs. 7.50 QALYs). Lifetime direct medical costs per patient were lower with lispro treatment, £70 576 vs. £72 529. Severe hypoglycaemia rates were the key driver in terms of differences in QALE and lifetime costs. Sensitivity analyses with assumptions around time horizon, discounting rates and benefits in terms of glycaemic control or hypoglycaemic event rates revealed that lispro remained dominant.

Conclusions  Our findings suggest that lispro is likely to improve QALE, reduce frequency of diabetes‐related complications and lifetime medical costs compared with RHI.
Magnitude of foot problems in diabetes in the developing world: a study of 1044 patients
Authors: Jayaprakash P. , Bhansali S. , Bhansali A. , Dutta P. , Anantharaman R.
Published: June 2009

Aim  To gain insight into the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy, foot care practices, foot at risk and foot ulcers in patients with diabetes mellitus at a tertiary care centre.

Methods  A prospective case study involving 1044 patients with diabetes mellitus attending the diabetes clinic of a tertiary care centre in north India from January 2007 to May 2008. All subjects underwent a detailed clinical assessment including vibration perception threshold (VPT) and ankle brachial pressure index (ABI), along with metabolic parameters, and were categorized into ulcer, foot at risk and patients with no risk factors. Foot care practices were assessed with a questionnaire. Peripheral neuropathy was defined as VPT score ≥ 25 V. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) was defined as ABI < 0.9. One hundred and forty‐nine patients with foot at risk were followed up for 9.0 ± 2.3 months (range 5–13 months).

Results  The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy was 34.9% and of PVD 12.6%. Two thirds of the patients were at risk for foot ulceration; 9% had an ulcer and 20.2% of them required amputation. Correct foot care practices were followed by 214 (20.5%) subjects of the whole study population and by only 135 (19.3%) of the patients with foot at risk. Improvement in glycaemic control in the patients on follow‐up was associated with improvement or stabilization of VPT score. Five (3.4%) patients developed new ulcers on follow‐up.

Conclusion  The high prevalence of neuropathy and PVD, coexisting with poor adherence to foot care practices predisposes to foot problems in people with diabetes in our study population.
Relative CEO Underpayment and CEO Behaviour Towards R&D Spending
Authors: Fong Eric A.
Published: June 2009

abstract  Arguments based on labour market theory suggest that there may be CEO behavioural issues related to pay deviations from the labour market rate for CEO pay; however, few studies examine this phenomenon. This study attempts to address such behavioural issues by examining the influence of relative CEO underpayment on reductions in R&D spending, the differences in this relationship between firms in high R&D intensive versus low R&D intensive industries, and the moderating affect of ownership structure on the CEO underpayment and R&D spending relationship. Results suggest that relative CEO underpayment is associated with reductions in R&D spending in low R&D intensive industries and increases in R&D spending in high R&D intensive industries. Also, greater relative CEO underpayment leads to greater reductions in R&D spending in manager‐controlled organizations as compared to owner‐controlled organizations. This study provides evidence that pay deviations may, in fact, affect certain CEO behaviours, specifically relating to innovation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOUR ON ANCIENT MARBLE SCULPTURE
Authors: BRADLEY MARK
Published: June 2009

This article explores the significance of paint and pigment traces for understanding the aesthetics and artistic composition of ancient marble architectural and statuary sculpture. It complements the pioneering technical and reconstructive work that has recently been carried out into classical polychrome sculpture by approaching the subject from the perspective of the cultural history of colour and perception in the ancient world. The study concentrates in particular on the art of imperial Rome, which at the present time is under‐represented in the field. By integrating visual material with literary evidence, it first reviews some of the most important pieces of sculpture on which paint traces have survived and then assesses the significance of sculptural polychromy under four headings: visibility, finish, realism and trompe‐l'oeil. Finally, it considers some of the ways in which polychromy can enrich our understanding and interpretation of the Prima Porta statue of Augustus.
THE CONDITION OF MUSIC: WAGNERISM AND PRINTMAKING IN FRANCE AND BRITAIN
Authors: SLOAN RACHEL
Published: June 2009

Scholarship on the impact of Richard Wagner's music and aesthetic theories has traditionally concentrated on fin‐de‐siècle France. Aubrey Beardsley's Wagnerian prints have recently been the subject of several significant studies, but they have been examined in a British context with little reference to earlier or concurrent developments in France. This article serves as a case study of Anglo‐French artistic exchange at the fin‐de‐siècle, examining some points of interaction between Beardsley and two key French Wagnerian artists, Henri Fantin‐Latour and Odilon Redon, in order to throw more light on the complex mixture of political, social and aesthetic discourses that informed all three artists' interest in the intersection of music and the visual arts, as well as their Wagnerian pictorial languages.
MATERIAL MANOEUVRES: SARAH CHURCHILL, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH AND THE POWER OF ARTEFACTS
Authors: POINTON MARCIA
Published: June 2009

The first Duchess of Marlborough has been recognized as a powerful figure in court politics under Queen Anne. Her patronage of artists, sculptors, and architects – Laguerre, Rysbrack, Talman, Wren, Vanbrugh – has been examined by scholars. In this essay I take a different tack. I focus on a series of artefacts that played an important part in the Duchess's life: the jewels she amassed, the Turkish tent that her husband the Duke of Marlborough had used on the battlefield, and a sculpture of Queen Anne that she erected at Blenheim. Drawing on a wide range of sources from her own correspondence and contemporary biographies to caricature and popular print, I ask how an elite woman of immense wealth, but little formal education, strategically employed material things to exert influence socially and politically, and what were the unpredictable consequences thereof.
THE SACRISTY OF SAN MARCO, VENICE: FORM AND FUNCTION ILLUMINATED
Authors: HAMLETT LYDIA
Published: June 2009

The sacristy at San Marco in Venice had a crucial functional role, both within the daily liturgical life of the basilica and especially during the ritual activity of Holy Week, which is reflected through its artistic programmes. This article focuses solely on the sacristy as a key site within the church, and its renaissance rebuilding and decoration c. 1491–1546. It examines the major elements of the programme in turn, including the mosaics, door, tarsie and tapestries. For the first time, each of these developments is viewed as complementary to a deliberate and coherent programme revolving around liturgical requirements, iconography of the Passion and overarching themes of triumph and redemption. Without surviving documentary evidence for the instigation of such a monolithic project, this article argues that the sacristy be looked at anew in light of contemporary understanding of the sacristy as a space. The practical and symbolic associations of the sacristy at San Marco are thus considered in this wider typological context in order to illuminate our own appreciation of the development of the sacristy's artistic programme.
INTERNAL LABOUR MARKETS: EVIDENCE FROM TWO LARGE AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYERS
Authors: Seltzer Andrew , Sammartino André
Published: June 2009

This paper examines internal labour markets in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century using personnel records from the Union Bank of Australia and the Victorian Railways. Both employers hired young workers and offered them the possibility of very‐long‐term employment. Salaries were determined by impersonal rules, such as being attached to tenure and to position. Workers rarely received nominal pay cuts. This approach to human resources was designed to retain and motivate workers. We show that all of the classic features of internal labour markets used to describe American firms in the 1970s were present dating back to the Victorian period.
Estimation of trade elasticities in the presence of trade barriers, multinationals and imperfect competition
Authors: Ahmadi‐Esfahani Fredoun Z.
Published: June 2009

Recent research highlights the role that multinational trading companies may play in impeding price transmission. In markets characterised by imperfect competition, an estimate of the partial elasticity of demand may be of limited practical value if no account is taken of the reaction of competitors. In this paper, we demonstrate the potential for market structure to affect price transmission and trade elasticities, and challenge the presumption that only government intervention can impact upon price transmission, with examples supporting why theory would suggest otherwise.
Impact of research investment on Cassava production technologies in India*
Authors: Srinivas Tavva
Published: June 2009

The present study was an ex‐post assessment done to validate past funding on cassava research, based on economic surplus approach. Though cassava was introduced as a food crop in Kerala, India from Brazil, it has changed its status to commercial crop at present in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states. This was made possible due to intensive research and development efforts of different R&D organizations. Cassava technologies developed enabled in sustaining the crop in the country with the world’s highest productivity. All the cassava production technologies considered in the study resulted in an economic surplus of Rs.3585.87 million in the target domain covering Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Consumers and producers benefited to the tune of Rs.2090.64 million and Rs.1495.23 million respectively. Net present value of economic gains was estimated to be Rs.3548.76 million. Present value of research investment on cassava production technologies was Rs.37.11 million resulting in benefit cost ratio of 96.63:1 with a high internal rate of return of 104 per cent. Thus the study indicated that the research investments incurred on cassava production technologies development was highly economical and provided evidence to the policy makers that supporting the research investment on underground, under exploited tropical root crops like cassava is an economically viable proposition.
Effect of yield and price risk on conversion from conventional to organic farming*
Authors: Acs Szvetlana , Berentsen Paul , Huirne Ruud , Van Asseldonk Marcel
Published: June 2009

Although the benefits of organic farming are already well known, the conversion to organic farming does not proceed as the Dutch government expected. In order to investigate the conversion decisions of Dutch arable farms, a discrete stochastic dynamic utility‐efficient programming (DUEP) model is developed with special attention for yield and price risk of conventional, conversion and organic crops. The model maximizes the expected utility of the farmer depending on the farmer’s risk attitude. The DUEP model is an extension of a dynamic linear programming model that maximized the labour income of conversion from conventional to organic farming over a 10 year planning horizon. The DUEP model was used to model a typical farm for the central clay region in the Netherlands. The results show that for a risk‐neutral farmer it is optimal to convert to organic farming. However, for a more risk‐averse farmer it is only optimal to fully convert if policy incentives are applied such as taxes on pesticides or subsidies on conversion, or if the market for the organic products becomes more stable.
Impacts of climate change on lower Murray irrigation*
Authors: Connor Jeff , Schwabe Kurt , King Darran , Kaczan David , Kirby Mac
Published: June 2009

This article evaluates irrigated agriculture sector response and resultant economic impacts of climate change for a part of the Murray Darling Basin in Australia. A water balance model is used to predict reduced basin inflows for mild, moderate and severe climate change scenarios involving 1, 2 and 4°C warming, and predict 13, 38 and 63% reduced inflows. Impact on irrigated agricultural production and profitability are estimated with a mathematical programming model using a two‐stage approach that simultaneously estimates short and long‐run adjustments. The model accounts for a range of adaptive responses including: deficit irrigation, temporarily following of some areas, permanently reducing the irrigated area and changing the mix of crops. The results suggest that relatively low cost adaptation strategies are available for a moderate reduction in water availability and thus costs of such a reduction are likely to be relatively small. In more severe climate change scenarios greater costs are estimated. Adaptations predicted include a reduction in total area irrigated and investments in efficient irrigation. A shift away from perennial to annual crops is also predicted as the latter can be managed more profitably when water allocations in some years are very low.
Disability and the Performance Paradox: Can Social Capital Bridge the Divide?
Authors: Williams‐Whitt Kelly , Taras Daphne
Published: June 2009

This research captures the physical and social experience of disability by analysing the practical performance problems that arise when an ill or injured employee returns to work, and documenting how those problems are interpreted. The grounded theory approach suggests an alternative to the traditional biomedical or social perspectives on disability. Field research reveals four themes: attendance, disciplinary history, peer interaction and task function. Managerial and co‐worker perceptions were significantly affected by interactions that occurred before any disability was known to exist. Historic patterns of social exchange strongly suggest that social capital theory explains problematic work performance.
Does the Life Course Savings Scheme Have the Potential to Improve Work–Life Balance?
Authors: Delsen Lei , Smits Jeroen
Published: June 2009

To improve individuals' work–life balance, trade unions, employers' organizations, governments and the European Commission currently promote a life course perspective in activating labour market policies. In 2006, the Life Course Savings Scheme (Levensloopregeling) was introduced in the Netherlands, which aims to increase labour participation and to improve the work–life balance over the life course. What can we learn from the Dutch case? In 2006, actual participation in the scheme was with 6% much lower than expected. Participation rates were higher among males, full timers, older employees, the higher‐income groups and persons with a partner. However, our multivariate analyses of data for over 500,000 civil servants show that the higher participation rates of males, full timers and older employees are related to the higher earnings of these groups, and that after control for earnings, participation is higher among females, part timers and the young. This indicates that the scheme has a potential to contribute to the work–life balance over the life‐cycle.
No Panacea for Success: Member Activism, Organizing and Union Renewal
Authors: Hickey Robert , Kuruvilla Sarosh , Lakhani Tashlin
Published: June 2009

The precipitous decline in union density and influence around the world has spawned a growing body of scholarship on union renewal. While this literature evidences lively debates regarding the efficacy of different renewal strategies, many argue that the path to renewal is paved through increased member activism. In this article, we question that premise. We examine the importance of rank‐and‐file union member activism in 44 cases of organizing campaigns in the United States and in the UK. Our review of these cases reveals little support for the notion that member activism is indispensable to union renewal in general, and successful organizing campaigns in particular. Our findings provide additional insight into the debate over top‐down and bottom‐up strategies for renewal, and raise several questions for future research regarding when, under what conditions, and under what rules worker activism matters for labour union renewal.
The Role of Group Member Affect in the Relationship between Trust and Cooperation
Authors: Tanghe Jacqueline , Wisse Barbara , Van Der Flier Henk
Published: June 2009

It is widely acknowledged that trust greatly affects work group functioning. Whereas trust may facilitate cooperation, distrust may impede it. Insight into when distrusters may be prompted to cooperate may therefore be of importance. Empirical studies point to several moderators of the effect of trust on cooperation. Unfortunately, these studies largely ignored the potential role of group member affect. Our study shows that group members' affective displays (particularly the activation level of the displays) have a substantial impact on the relationship between trust and cooperation. First, a scenario experiment (n=80) revealed that low trusting individuals were more willing to cooperate when confronted with group members who display high (versus low) activation affective states, whereas for more high trusting individuals cooperation was not contingent on other group members' affective displays. Second, a laboratory experiment (n=78), employing a social dilemma paradigm, replicated these findings and indicated that this effect is explained by the extent to which others are expected to cooperate. The discussion focuses on theoretical implications and managerial ramifications. Our study testifies to the significant role that affect may play in keeping up cooperation in organizations and work groups when trust is withering.
The Impact of Causal Ambiguity on Competitive Advantage and Rent Appropriation
Authors: Ambrosini Véronique , Bowman Cliff
Published: June 2009

We seek to develop the conceptual and practical understanding of causal ambiguity. Specifically we extend current thinking by setting out three types of causal ambiguity, based on whether firm resources are perceived to display linkage and/or characteristic ambiguity, and by examining for each type the impact of causal ambiguity on the sustainability of competitive advantage and on rent appropriation. We highlight the difficulties decision‐makers face when they perceive ambiguity and finally we explore some implications of ambiguity with respect to resource‐creation processes.
Beyond the Disciplinary Role of Governance: How Boards Add Value to Spanish Foundations
Authors: De Andrés‐Alonso Pablo , Azofra‐Palenzuela Valentín , Romero‐Merino M. Elena
Published: June 2009

Due to the significant role of non‐profit organizations in the development of modern societies, these organizations must adjust their boardrooms. Since traditional theories of corporate governance appear to be limited in explaining the changing non‐profit world, we propose an extended model of governance that integrates the traditional arguments of agency theory with a cognitive dimension. Based on a sample of Spanish foundations, we present evidence on the effect of the board composition on foundations' organizational efficiency. We show that board size and independence do not have a definitive effect on the entity's efficiency. Instead, the knowledge diversity inside the boardroom and the active character of trustees have a positive influence on resource allocation. The cognitive dimension of the extended model of governance is critical to explaining how boards impact on organizational performance.
Managers' Perceptual Errors Revisited: the Role of Knowledge Calibration
Authors: Pillai Kishore Gopalakrishna
Published: June 2009

Insights from the stream of research on knowledge calibration, which refers to the correspondence between accuracy and confidence in knowledge, enable a better understanding of consequences of inaccurate perceptions of managers. This paper examines the consequences of inaccurate managerial knowledge through the lens of knowledge calibration. Specifically, the paper examines the antecedent role of miscalibration of knowledge in strategy formation. It is postulated that miscalibrated managers who overestimate external factors and display a high level of confidence in their estimates are likely to enact strategies that are relatively more evolutionary and incremental in nature, whereas miscalibrated managers who overestimate internal factors and display a high level of confidence in their estimates are likely to enact strategies that are relatively more discontinuous and disruptive in nature. Perspectives from social cognitive theory provide support for the underlying processes. The paper, in part, explains the paradox of the prevalence of inaccurate managerial perceptions and efficacious performance. It also advances the literature on strategy formation through the application of the construct of knowledge calibration.
Cooperation, Trust and Performance – Empirical Results from Three Countries
Authors: Fink Matthias , Kessler Alexander
Published: June 2009

Reverting to the resource‐based view of strategic management and cooperation theory, we provide argumentation for the value of two critical resources to cooperating firms: cooperation experience and maxim‐based trust. The results of a large‐scale survey in three European countries (Austria, Slovenia and the Czech Republic) reveal an important fact: although cooperation experience contributes to business performance, the contribution of maxim‐based trust to success is significantly higher. As a result, corporate success depends not only on the quantity of cooperation experience, but also – and to an even greater extent – on the quality of cooperation with regard to the form of coordinative power established within the cooperation arrangement. Given that maxim‐based trust has been identified as a feasible coordination mechanism in cooperation relationships, it might therefore be freed from its frequent characterization as utopian and out of touch with reality.
Followers' Personality and the Perception of Transformational Leadership: Further Evidence for the Similarity Hypothesis
Authors: Felfe Jörg , Schyns Birgit
Published: June 2009

Managers and supervisors are thought to affect their followers' attitudes and behaviour. Within leadership research, behaviour of leaders and managers is usually considered as the independent variable whilst followers' reactions are considered the dependent variable. In this study, we reverse this order and investigate the degree to which the evaluation of leadership is a result of followers' perceptions and attributions. In order to corroborate and extend previous experimental research, a field study was conducted to analyse the influence of followers' personality and perceived leader personality on followers' perception of leadership within an organizational setting. The results provide further evidence that followers' personality influences the perception of transformational leadership and commitment to the supervisor. Moreover, the perception of leaders' personality was related to the perception of leadership and commitment to the supervisor. The finding that the perception of supervisors' personality mediates both the relationship between followers' personality and the perception of leadership and commitment provides support for the similarity hypothesis. Results are discussed in the light of feedback and leader development.
The Impact of Complementary Agglomeration and Multi‐unit Systems on New Product Introduction
Authors: Lo Hsuan , Chung Hsien‐Jui
Published: June 2009

This study explores the relationship between organizational agglomeration and new product introduction. It proposes that product‐complementary agglomeration increases the likelihood of new product introduction, but that the effect on new product introduction is non‐linear. In addition, the influence of agglomeration on new product introduction is contingent on organizational form (i.e. multi‐unit form or independent form). Using longitudinal data for the hospital industry in Taiwan from 1997 to 2002, we found that the relationship between product‐complementary agglomeration and new product introduction is an upward trending hooked curve. As the degree of complementary agglomeration increases, the likelihood of introducing new products also increases, but the rate of increase diminishes with the degree of complementary agglomeration. In addition, we also found that the positive effect of product‐complementary agglomeration on new product introduction is stronger for independent firms than for multi‐unit firms.