bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current utilization and performance status of endoscopic ultrasound in a community hospital
Authors: LOK Ka‐Ho , LEE Chi‐Kin , YIU Hak‐Lim , LAI Lawrence , SZETO Ming‐Leung , LEUNG Siu‐Kee
Published: January 2008

OBJECTIVE:  Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is an essential tool for cancer staging and investigating gastrointestinal diseases. Although it is not a widespread skill, as its expanded indications became much more advanced so did its popularity and hospital acceptance. We aimed to study the utilization and indications of upper EUS in a Hong Kong community hospital. The secondary aim was to assess our accuracy in staging of esophageal and gastric cancer and in evaluating submucosal tumors.

METHODS:  All patients who had undergone upper EUS in Tuen Mun Hospital from January 2002 to December 2006 were recruited. Their background data, indications, radiological investigations, upper endoscopy and operation records and histopathologic results were retrieved for analysis. The accuracy of EUS in esophageal cancer staging, gastric cancer staging and evaluating submucosal tumors was assessed by comparing surgical and histopathologic findings.

RESULTS:  A total of 645 upper EUS examinations were performed and there has been a steady increase in EUS utilization in our hospital. The most common indications were evaluating submucosal tumors and staging esophageal and gastric cancer. The accuracy of T and N staging of esophageal cancer was 71.2 and 79.7%, respectively and for gastric cancer was 64.0 and 74.7%, respectively. Endoscopic ultrasound was 70% accurate in identifying lesions arising from the submucosal layer and 100% accurate in identifying lesions from the muscularis propria.

CONCLUSION:  Endoscopic ultrasound is an accurate method and its demand is increasing. The performance in a community hospital can be further improved and its utilization should expand to other indications.
Follow‐up study on a high risk population of gastric cancer in north China by serum pepsinogen assay*
Authors: SUN Li Ping , GONG Yue Hua , WANG Lan , GONG Wei , YUAN Yuan
Published: January 2008

OBJECTIVE:  To explore the features and clinical significance of serum pepsinogen (PG) assay in a follow‐up study on a high‐risk gastric cancer (GC) population.

METHODS:  A total of 444 participants from a high‐risk area of GC in north China were enrolled in this follow‐up study from April 1997 to December 1999. Serum PG was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the percentage changes in PG were calculated with ‘PG follow‐up/PG first test’ thrice from the beginning to the end of these 30 months. Stomach diseases were diagnosed by a gastroscopy with biopsy examination. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) status was assessed by histopathological examination and serum H. pylori‐immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody assay with ELISA.

RESULTS:  In all groups except for the 51–60‐year olds no significant differences of percentage changes in PGII and the PGI/II ratio were observed during 30‐month follow‐up period. In the superficial gastritis (SG) group the percentage change in PGI of group A (after 6 months’ follow up) was significantly lower than that of group B (after 12 months’ follow up) (0.69 vs 0.97, P = 0.002) in SG→SG; while in SG→normal (NOR), it was significantly higher than that in SG→atrophic gastritis (AG) (0.94 vs 0.79, P = 0.022). In the AG group the percentage change in the PGI/II ratio of group A was significantly higher than that of group C (after 30 months’ follow up) (1.13 vs 0.75, P = 0.042) in AG→AG; and the percentage changes in PGI and PGII in AG→NOR were significantly lower than those in AG→SG (0.43 vs 0.87, P = 0.000; 0.60 vs 1.11, P = 0.010, respectively). In the H. pylori− (Hp−) group, the percentage change in PG of Hp−→Hp+ was significantly higher than that of Hp−→Hp− (0.94 vs 0.81, P = 0.026). Percentage changes in PGI and PGII of Hp+→Hp− were significantly lower than those of Hp+→Hp+ (0.74 vs 0.93, P = 0.000; 0.86 vs 1.15, P = 0.000, respectively), while the percentage change in the PGI/II ratio was higher than that the group of Hp+→Hp− (0.90 vs 0.70, P = 0.022).

CONCLUSION:  The serum PG levels were influenced by the physiopathologic status of gastric mucosa and H. pylori infection, but they altered during the period of follow up. Serum PG assay might be a feasible and appropriate procedure to use in following up on a high‐risk GC population.
Neurosphere generation from dental pulp of adult rat incisor
Authors: Sasaki Ryo , Aoki Shunsuke , Yamato Masayuki , Uchiyama Hiroto , Wada Keiji , Okano Teruo , Ogiuchi Hideki
Published: February 2008

Dental pulp is a potential source of cells that can be used in cell replacement therapy for various nervous system disorders. Here we report that adult rat dental pulp cells have the ability to form neurospheres when cultured in serum‐free culture medium on super‐hydrophilic plates. The cells within small spheres continued to grow, and the dental pulp‐derived cells generated large spheres. Sphere formation was dependent on exogenously supplied basic‐fibroblast growth factor, but not on epidermal growth factor, and the formation and growth of dental pulp‐derived spheres were negatively regulated by transforming growth factor‐β. Plating cells that were dissociated from spheres on an adhesive substrate resulted in differentiation into Tuj1‐ and MAP2‐positive neuronal cells. Analysis of the three‐dimensional structure of dental pulp‐derived spheres shows that they contained nestin‐positive progenitors, Tuj1‐positive neuronal cells and S100‐positive glial cells. We found that spheres contained CD81 (TAPA1) and nestin double‐positive cells, and identified a small population of CD81 and nestin double‐positive cells in the odontoblast layer of the dental pulp. Flow cytometric analysis showed that CD81‐positive cells were enriched in the spheres compared with the dental pulp tissue. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) staining showed that nestin‐ and BrdU‐positive cells were located only in the apical portion of the dental pulp, and the apical portion produced a large number of large‐sized spheres. These data suggest that the CD81 and nestin double‐positive cells localized in the odontoblast layer of the apical portion of the dental pulp may have the ability to grow and form neurospheres.
Concurrent action observation modulates practice‐induced motor memory formation
Authors: Stefan K. , Classen J. , Celnik P. , Cohen L. G.
Published: February 2008

Motor practice is associated with the formation of elementary motor memories. Here we tested in human subjects the hypothesis that observation of a motor training associated with physical practice will modulate the encoding process of a motor memory relative to physical practice alone. Voluntary thumb motions were practiced (i) alone in a direction opposite to the baseline direction of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)‐evoked movements (physical practice, PP) and in combination with observation of synchronous movements that were either (ii) directionally congruent (same direction, PP + AOc) or (iii) non‐congruent (opposite direction, PP + AOnc) to the practiced ones. We evaluated the following measures of motor memory formation: percentage of TMS‐evoked thumb movements falling in the direction of practiced motions, acceleration of TMS‐evoked movements along the principal movement axis and corticomuscular excitability of training muscles as indexed by motor‐evoked potential amplitudes. Both PP and PP + AOc, but not PP + AOnc, significantly increased the percentage of TMS‐evoked movements falling in the practiced direction, changed the compound acceleration vector into the trained direction and enhanced the motor‐evoked potential amplitudes in the training agonist muscle. The percentage of TMS‐evoked movements falling in the practiced direction increased significantly more after PP + AOc than after PP. Across all measures of motor memory formation, PP + AOc was most efficacious, followed by PP and PP + AOnc. Action observation modulates practice effects on formation of a motor memory. Strengthening of the process of motor memory encoding depends on the directional congruency of the observed model.
Self‐structuring in spatial evolutionary ecology
Authors: Lion Sébastien , Baalen Minus van
Published: January 2008

Spatial self‐structuring has been a focus of recent interest among evolutionary ecologists. We review recent developments in the study of the interplay between spatial self‐structuring and evolution. We first discuss the relative merits of the various theoretical approaches to spatial modelling in ecology. Second, we synthesize the main theoretical studies of the evolution of cooperation in spatially structured populations. We show that population viscosity is generally beneficial to cooperation, because cooperators can reap additional benefits from being clustered. A similar mechanism can explain the evolution of honest communication and of reduced virulence in host–parasite interactions. We also discuss some recent innovative empirical results that test these theories. Third, we show the relevance of these results to the general field of evolutionary ecology. An important conclusion is that kin selection is the main process that drives evolution of cooperation in viscous populations. Many results of kin selection theory can be recovered as emergent properties of spatial ecological dynamics. We discuss the implications of these results for the study of multilevel selection and evolutionary transitions. We conclude by sketching some perspectives for future research, with a particular emphasis on the topics of evolutionary branching, criticality, spatial fluctuations and experimental tests of theoretical predictions.
Linking traits of foraging animals to spatial patterns of plants: social and solitary ants generate opposing patterns of surviving seeds
Authors: Avgar Tal , Giladi Itamar , Nathan Ran
Published: January 2008

Foraging traits of seed predators are expected to impact the spatial structure of plant populations, community dynamics and diversity. Yet, many of the key mechanisms governing distance‐ or density‐dependent seed predation are poorly understood. We designed an extensive set of field experiments to test how seed predation by two harvester ant species interact with seed dispersal in shaping the spatial patterns of surviving seeds. We show that the Janzen–Connell establishment pattern can be generated by central‐place foragers even if their focal point is located away from the seed source. Furthermore, we found that differences in the social behaviour of seed predators influence their sensitivity to seed density gradients and yield opposing spatial patterns of surviving seeds. Our results support the predictions of a recent theoretical framework that unifies apparently opposing plant establishment patterns, and suggest that differences in foraging traits among seed predators can drive divergent pathways of plant community dynamics.
Prediction uncertainty of environmental change effects on temperate European biodiversity
Authors: Dormann Carsten F. , Schweiger Oliver , Arens P. , Augenstein I. , Aviron St. , Bailey Debra , Baudry J. , Billeter R. , Bugter R. , Bukácek R. , Burel F. , Cerny M. , Cock Raphaël De , Blust Geert De , DeFilippi R. , Diekötter Tim , Dirksen J. , Durka W. , Edwards P.J. , Frenzel M. , Hamersky R. , Hendrickx Frederik , Herzog F. , Klotz St. , Koolstra B. , Lausch A. , Coeur D. Le , Liira J. , Maelfait J.P. , Opdam P. , Roubalova M. , Schermann‐Legionnet Agnes , Schermann N. , Schmidt T. , Smulders M. J. M. , Speelmans M. , Simova P. , Verboom J. , Wingerden Walter van , Zobel M.
Published: January 2008

Observed patterns of species richness at landscape scale (gamma diversity) cannot always be attributed to a specific set of explanatory variables, but rather different alternative explanatory statistical models of similar quality may exist. Therefore predictions of the effects of environmental change (such as in climate or land cover) on biodiversity may differ considerably, depending on the chosen set of explanatory variables. Here we use multimodel prediction to evaluate effects of climate, land‐use intensity and landscape structure on species richness in each of seven groups of organisms (plants, birds, spiders, wild bees, ground beetles, true bugs and hoverflies) in temperate Europe. We contrast this approach with traditional best‐model predictions, which we show, using cross‐validation, to have inferior prediction accuracy. Multimodel inference changed the importance of some environmental variables in comparison with the best model, and accordingly gave deviating predictions for environmental change effects. Overall, prediction uncertainty for the multimodel approach was only slightly higher than that of the best model, and absolute changes in predicted species richness were also comparable. Richness predictions varied generally more for the impact of climate change than for land‐use change at the coarse scale of our study. Overall, our study indicates that the uncertainty introduced to environmental change predictions through uncertainty in model selection both qualitatively and quantitatively affects species richness projections.
Temperature‐mediated patterns of local adaptation in a natural plant–pathogen metapopulation
Authors: Laine Anna‐Liisa
Published: January 2008

There have been numerous investigations of parasite local adaptation, a phenomenon important from the perspectives of both basic and applied evolutionary ecology. Recent work has demonstrated that temperature has striking effects on parasite performance by mediating trade‐offs in parasite life history and through genotype × environment interactions. To test whether parasite local adaptation is mediated by temperature, I measured the performance of sympatric populations against allopatric populations of a fungal pathogen,Podosphaera plantaginis, on its hostPlantago lanceolata, across a temperature gradient. I used data on parasite life history and epidemiology to derive fitness estimates to measure local adaptation. The results demonstrate unambiguously that trajectories of host–parasite co‐evolution are tightly coupled with parasite adaptation to the abiotic habitat, as the strength, and even direction, of local adaptation varied with temperature. Patterns of local adaptation further depended on how parasite fitness was estimated, highlighting the importance of choosing relevant fitness measures in studies of local adaptation.
Biodiversity inhibits species’ evolutionary responses to changing environments
Authors: De Mazancourt C. , Johnson E. , Barraclough T. G.
Published: January 2008

Despite growing interplay between ecological and evolutionary studies, the question of how biodiversity influences evolutionary dynamics within species remains understudied. Here, using a classical model of phenotypic evolution in species occupying a patchy environment, but introducing global change affecting patch conditions, we show that biodiversity can inhibit species’ evolution during global change. The presence of several species increases the chance that one or more species are pre‐adapted to new conditions, which restricts the ecological opportunity for evolutionary responses in all the species. Consequently, environmental change tends to select for changes in species abundances rather than for changing phenotypes within each species. The buffering effects of species diversity that we describe might be one important but neglected explanation for widely observed niche conservatism in natural systems. Furthermore, the results show that attempts to understand biotic responses to environmental change need to consider both ecological and evolutionary processes in a realistically diverse setting.
Regulatory role of UvrY in adaptation of Photorhabdus luminescens growth inside the insect
Authors: Krin Evelyne , Derzelle Sylviane , Bedard Karine , Adib‐Conquy Minou , Turlin Evelyne , Lenormand Pascal , Hullo Marie‐Francoise , Bonne Isabelle , Chakroun Nesrine , Lacroix Celine , Danchin Antoine
Published: January 2008

We report global expression profiling of a uvrY‐deficient mutant of Photorhabdus luminescens. We found that the regulator moiety of the two‐component regulatory system BarA/UvrY regulated more than 500 target genes coding for functions involved in the synthesis of major compartments and metabolic pathways of the cell. This regulation appeared to be in part indirect as UvrY affected the expression of several regulators. Indeed, the flagellum biosynthesis transcription activator FlhC and the flagella regulon were induced in the absence of UvrY, leading to a hyperflagellated phenotype and an increase in motility and biofilm formation. Two major regulatory systems were also altered: the type 2 quorum‐sensing inducer AI‐2 was activated by UvrY, and the CsrA regulator function appeared to be repressed by the increase of the small‐untranslated RNA csrB, the CsrA activity inhibitor TldD and the chaperonin GroESL. Both through and independently of these systems, UvrY regulated oxidative stress resistance; bioluminescence; iron, sugar and peptide transport; proteases; polyketide synthesis enzymes and nucleobases recycling, related to insect degradation and assimilation by bacteria. As a consequence, the uvrY‐deficient strain exhibited a decreased killing of insect cells and a reduced growth on insect cells culture, suggesting a UvrY role in the adaptation of P. luminescens inside the insect.
Beyond Stages of Change: Multi‐Determinant Continuum Models of Action Readiness and Menu‐Based Interventions
Authors: Abraham Charles
Published: January 2008

The merits of modelling action readiness as a series of stages is discussed, focusing on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) which postulates a motivational stage (for non‐intenders) and a volitional stage (for intenders). The HAPA helpfully clarifies that the relationship between self‐efficacy and action may be different for inexperienced intenders and experienced actors. This model also usefully distinguishes between different types of planning undertaken by intenders and it is suggested that further specification of planning tasks could explain why some intenders act while others do not. Despite the advantages of the HAPA, it is argued that the distinction between intenders and non‐intenders is fuzzy and unstable and that demarcation of the stage boundary is arbitrary. A multi‐determinant, multi‐goal continuum approach is recommended. Such modelling recognises graded discontinuities throughout the development of action readiness from attitude formation to behaviour change maintenance. It is argued that menu‐based interventions designed to deliver different messages and materials to people with different action‐readiness deficits may be more cost effective than stage‐tailored interventions.

On discute de l’intérêt qu’il y a de modéliser la préparation à l’action en une série de stades à partir de l’Approche des Processus d’Action en faveur de la Santé (HAPA) qui pose l’existence d’une phase motivationnelle (pour ceux qui n’ont pas l’intention d’agir) et d’une phase volitionnelle (pour ceux qui l’ont). L’HAPA met utilement en évidence que la relation entre l’auto‐efficience et l’action peut différer selon que l’on a affaire à un acteur expérimenté ou à une personne sans expérience qui pense agir. Ce modèle fait aussi une distinction utile entre les différentes sortes de planification qui s’offrent à ceux qui ont l’intention d’agir et laisse entendre qu’un approfondissement de la planification des tâches pourrait expliquer pourquoi certains passent à l’action et d’autres pas. En dépit de l’intérêt de l’HAPA, on peut penser que la distinction entre l’intention et l’absence d’intention est floue et instable et que le découpage en stades est arbitraire. On recommande une approche retenant un continuum à déterminants et à buts multiples. Cette modélisation reconnaît l’existence de discontinuités échelonnées tout au long du développement de la préparation à l’action depuis la formation de l’attitude jusqu’au changement effectif du comportement. On défend l’idée que les interventions à la carte conçues pour procurer différents messages et fournitures aux gens qui présentent différentes carences de préparation à l’action peuvent être plus rentables que les interventions basées sur les stades.
Initiation and Maintenance of Health Behaviors
Authors: Conner Mark
Published: January 2008

The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) has made important contributions to understanding health behavior change through emphasising the distinction between motivational and volitional influences on behavior and focusing attention on maintenance as well as initiation of health behaviors. The present commentary draws out a number of issues in relation to the contribution of the HAPA to our understanding of health behaviors. Five issues are highlighted: What are the key motivational influences on behavior? What are the key volitional influences on behavior? How does recent research on intention–behavior moderators provide further insights into volitional influences on health behaviors? What are the problems of blurring a distinction between continuum and stage models as is done in the HAPA? What is the value of a distinction between initiation and maintenance of a health behavior?

L’Approche des Processus d’Action en faveur de la Santé (HAPA) a apporté une contribution importante à la compréhension des modifications du comportement liéà la santé en soulignant la différence entre les influences motivationnelles et volitionnelles sur la conduite et en s’intéressant aussi bien à la continuité qu’à l’amorce des comportements de santé. Ce commentaire aborde quelques questions en rapport avec la contribution de l’HAPA à notre compréhension des comportements relatifs à la santé. Cinq questions sont posées: quelles sont les influences motivationnelles majeures sur la conduite? Quelles sont les influences volitionnelles majeures sur la conduite? En quoi des recherches récentes sur les modérateurs intention–comportement permettent‐elles de mieux appréhender les influences volitionnelles sur les comportements favorisant la santé; le problème de l’atténuation de la différenciation apparue dans l’HAPA entre les modèles en stades et en continuum; la valeur de la distinction entre adoption et maintien d’un comportement favorable à la santé.
Some Burning Issues in Research on Health Behavior Change
Authors: Schwarzer Ralf
Published: January 2008

This response to five excellent commentaries is intended to clarify some issues in research on health behavior change that appear to be ambiguous or controversial, such as the debate about stage models versus continuum models or the search for moderators and mediators. The assumption of stages can be useful, but the quest for truly existing stages is considered fruitless because stage is a scientific construct, not nature. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) is designed as an implicit or explicit stage model, based on the distinction between a motivational and a volitional phase. As a template for targeted interventions, it suggests grouping individuals into preintenders, intenders, and actors. Due to indistinct boundaries between stages and to unstable social‐cognitive constructs, the validity of stage assessment becomes the foremost problem. However, if stage‐tailored interventions turn out to be superior to nontailored interventions, then the choice of the corresponding stage model is justified. When analysing the mechanisms of health behavior change or when predicting behaviors, the HAPA is also in line with nonstage (continuum) models. In the latter case, it examines moderators and mediators within a path‐analytic research design. It is suggested that more research be conducted on moderated mediation.

Cette réponse aux cinq excellents commentaires tente de clarifier certains des résultats des recherches sur la modification des comportements relatifs à la santé, résultats qui semblent ambigus ou sujets à controverse, ce qui est le cas de la discussion sur les modèles en stades ou en continuum ou encore de la recherche de modérateurs et de médiateurs. L’hypothèse des stades peut se révéler fructueuse, mais il est inutile de considérer que les stades existent réellement puisque le stade, concept scientifique, ne relève pas de la nature. L’Approche des Processus d’Action en faveur de la Santé (HAPA) est par construction un modèle en stades implicites ou explicites basé sur la distinction entre une étape motivationnelle et une étape volitionnelle. Comme cadre pour des interventions ciblées, il propose de regrouper les individus en trois catégories: ceux qui n’ont pas encore l’intention d’agir, ceux qui ont cette intention et enfin ceux qui agissent. En raison des frontières fluctuantes entre les stades et de l’instabilité des concepts socio‐cognitifs, la validité de l’évaluation des stades devient le problème principal. Cependant, si les interventions programmées à partir des stades se révèlent plus efficaces que les autres, le choix de ce modèle est défendable. Quand on analyse les mécanismes des modifications du comportement en faveur de la santé ou quand on prédit ces comportements, l’HAPA accepte aussi le modèle en continuum. En ce cas, elle aborde les modérateurs et les médiateurs avec un plan de recherche en pistes causales. Il faut développer les recherches sur modérateurs et médiateurs.
The changing pattern of kidney cancer incidence and mortality in Europe
Authors: Levi Fabio , Ferlay Jacques , Galeone Carlotta , Lucchini Franca , Negri Eva , Boyle Peter , La Vecchia Carlo
Published: January 2008

OBJECTIVE

To update trends in kidney cancer mortality in 32 European countries and the European Union (EU) as a whole, as mortality from kidney cancer has increased throughout Europe until the late 1980s or early 1990s, and has tended to stabilise or decline thereafter.

METHODS

Data from the World Health Organization mortality database over the period 1980–2004 were used to compute age‐specific and age‐standardized (world standard) rates per 100 000 persons at all ages, and truncated to 35–64 years.

RESULTS

In men in the EU, mortality rates from kidney cancer peaked at 4.8 per 100 000 in 1990–1994, and declined to 4.1 (−13%) in 2000–2004. In women in the EU, the corresponding values were 2.1 in 1990–1994 and 1.8 (−17%) in 2000–2004. The main decreases were in Scandinavian countries, and other western European countries. In most eastern European countries kidney mortality rates tended to stabilise, even if values remained high, especially in the Czech Republic and Baltic countries. For kidney cancer incidence, there were decreases in rates for both sexes in Sweden throughout the 25‐year calendar period considered. In the last 10 years considered, incidence rates decreased or tended to stabilise also in other northern European countries in both sexes, except in the UK.

CONCLUSION

The present work confirms and further quantifies the recent favourable trends in kidney cancer mortality and (to a lesser degree) in incidence across most European countries. Thus, improvements in diagnosis and treatments cannot largely explain the declines in mortality. Apart from a favourable role of reduced tobacco smoking in men, the interpretation of these trends remains undefined.
Tumour growth inhibition by an imidazoquinoline is associated with c‐Myc down‐regulation in urothelial cell carcinoma
Authors: Liu Huixian , Schwartz Michael J. , Hwang David H. , Scherr Douglas S.
Published: January 2008

OBJECTIVE

To detect and characterize the potential role of c‐Myc in the inhibition of proliferation and induction of cell death of urothelial cell carcinoma by imidazoquinolines, Toll‐like receptor‐7 (TLR7) agonists, that are thought to exert their immunogenic effects through the MyD88/NF‐κB pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human (T24) and murine (MBT‐2) bladder cancer cell lines were cultured in normal culture medium or medium supplemented with imidazoquinoline. The effects of imidazoquinoline on gene expression, transcription and tumorigenesis were then evaluated. Effects of imidazoquinoline onin vivobladder tumour growth and gene expression were investigated using a mouse model of orthotopic bladder cancer.

RESULTS

There was a dose‐dependent decrease in c‐Myc expression in bladder cancer cells treated with imidazoquinoline; the transcriptional activity of c‐Myc was also significantly reduced. Furthermore, thein vitroproliferation and tumorigenesis of MBT‐2 cells were suppressed in a dose‐dependent manner. Forin vivoexperiments, a third of mice with bladder cancer treated with intravesical imidazoquinoline showed evidence of residual bladder tumour, vs all the placebo‐treated mice.In vivoexpression of c‐Myc, cyclin D2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in the bladder tumour tissue were also down‐regulated.

CONCLUSIONS

Imidazoquinolines can inhibit c‐Myc expression and directly affect cell growth and tumorigenesis of bladder cancer cells, independent of an immune response. These direct effects might be synergistic with previously described immunogenic actions of imidazoquinolines. Our findings could broaden the potential application of imidazoquinoline therapy beyond dermatological malignancies, and further clinical studies are warranted.
HOW TO MEASURE LABOUR MARKET EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION: A REVIEW
Authors: Okkerse Liesbet
Published: January 2008

Abstract This paper surveys available empirical evidence on labour market effects of immigration. Many different approaches have been used already to try to find out whether immigration hurts the labour market opportunities of natives. No doubt new approaches will follow in the future as globalization will keep the migration issue on the agenda. This literature review discusses the different approaches concentrating on both the methodology and the results. At the end, it tries to summarize available evidence.
The shape of thought
Authors: Markson Lori , Diesendruck Gil , Bloom Paul
Published: January 2008

When children learn the name of a novel object, they tend to extend that name to other objects similar in shape – a phenomenon referred to as the shape bias. Does the shape bias stem from learned associations between names and categories of objects, or does it derive from more general properties of children's understanding of language and the world? We argue here for the second alternative, presenting evidence that the shape bias emerges early in development, is not limited to names, and is intimately related to how children make sense of categories.
BEYOND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR REASONABLENESS
Authors: FRIEDMAN ALEX
Published: January 2008

This paper is a critique of Norman Daniels' and James Sabin's ‘Accountability for Reasonableness’ framework for making priority‐setting decisions in health care in the face of widespread disagreement about values. Accountability for Reasonableness has been rapidly gaining worldwide acceptance, arguably to the point of becoming the dominant paradigm in the field of health policy. The framework attempts to set ground rules for a procedure that ensures that whatever decisions result will be fair, reasonable, and legitimate to the extent that even those who would be adversely affected will have reason to abide by them. I argue that the framework's four conditions are inadequate to this task. While we certainly require a fair and legitimate procedure for making priority setting decisions in health care despite a lack of consensus on relevant ethical and political issues, we must significantly revise the four conditions, and we cannot avoid facing our substantive disagreements head on if we hope to arrive at decisions that would (and should) be acceptable to everyone. I offer two suggestions. First, there is need for greater public involvement in all stages of deliberation. Second, we should give up on the idea that we can simplify the task of democratic deliberation by disallowing particular kinds or reasons and types of reasoning. Reasons of all kinds should be on the table, but then should be judged on their merits, such as consistency, plausibility and explanatory power, without any regard for their alleged sources of authority.
ETHICALLY PROBLEMATIC TREATMENT DECISIONS: A PHYSICIAN SURVEY
Authors: SAARNI SAMULI I. , PARMANNE PIITU , HALILA RITVA
Published: January 2008

Background: Experiencing ethical problems requires both ethically problematic situations and ethical sensitivity. Ethically problematic treatment decisions are distressing and might reflect health care quality problems. Whether all physicians actually experience ethical problems, what these problems are and how they vary according to physician age, gender and work sector are largely unknown.

Methods: A mail survey of all non‐retired physicians licensed in Finland (n = 17,172, response rate 75.6%).

Results: The proportion of physicians reporting having made ethically problematic treatment decisions decreased in linear fashion from 60% at ages below 30 years to 21% at ages over 63 years. The only problem that did not decrease in frequency with age was having withdrawn necessary treatments. Women and primary care physicians reported problematic decisions most often, although gender differences were small. Primary care physicians most often reported having performed too many investigations or having pressured patients, whereas hospital physicians emphasized having withdrawn necessary treatments. Performing unnecessary treatments or investigations was explained by pressure from patients or relatives, and performing too few treatments or investigations was explained by inadequate resources.

Conclusions: In general, young physicians felt pressured to do too much, whereas older physicians felt they could not do enough due to inadequate resources. Older physicians might be less exposed to ethically problematic situations, be more able to handle them or have lower ethical sensitivity. Young physicians could benefit from support in resisting pressure to perform unnecessary treatments, whereas older physicians might benefit from training in recognizing ethical issues.
ALTERNATE NUCLEAR TRANSFER IS NO ALTERNATIVE FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH
Authors: FENNEL JOHN A.
Published: January 2008

Recent developments allow for the creation of human stem cells without the creation of human embryos, a process called alternate nuclear transfer (‘ANT’). Pursuing this method of stem cell research makes sense for pro‐lifers if arguments for the sanctity of the human embryo do not apply to ANT. However, the technology that makes ANT possible undermines the erstwhile technical barrier between human embryos and somatic cell DNA. These advances bring home the force of hypothetical arguments about the potential of the DNA in somatic cells, showing that there is not a morally relevant difference between the potential of an embryo and the potential of the DNA in a somatic cell. Therefore, the supposed distinction between entities that are potential human life and entities that are human life does not give any support to arguments for the sanctity of the human embryo because those arguments extend value to too many entities.
The Dynamics of Research Alliances: Examining the Effect of Alliance Experience and Partner Characteristics on the Speed of Alliance Entry in the Biotech Industry
Authors: Al‐Laham Andreas , Amburgey Terry L. , Bates Kimberly
Published: January 2008

Few studies have moved beyond the dyadic level of an ongoing alliance and examined factors contributing to the success of entering a series of alliances. In this paper we expect biotechnology firms over time to learn from their alliance experience and to develop general alliance capabilities. Specifically, we expect the speed with which they enter into new research alliances, e.g. their alliance formation rate, to be affected by capabilities built up in prior alliances as well as by characteristics of their partners. We use longitudinal event history data for the complete population of US biotechnology firms for 1973–1999 to test four hypotheses about factors affecting the rate of new alliance formation. Our analysis suggests that the speed of entering research alliances is affected by prior experience of the focal firm, but not by partner characteristics. Our findings provide evidence that biotech firms learn how to learn more effectively from multiple research alliances; however, this effect is generalized and not tied to specific characteristics of the alliance partner.
Making and Mending your Nets: Managing Relevance, Participation and Uncertainty in Academic–Practitioner Knowledge Networks
Authors: Alferoff Catrina , Knights David
Published: January 2008

Making and mending your nets is concerned to examine, from an actor–network theory perspective, how the relevance debate concerning research and teaching is a significant non‐human actor in the development and management of industry–academic networks associated with UK business schools. By significant, we do not imply the most important because it is only one of many human and non‐human actors that may arouse interest, be problematized, enrolled and/or mobilized for such networks to become ‘obligatory passage points’ and ultimately irreversible collective assemblies. The paper then utilizes actor–network theory as a framework for examining our primary empirical research on academic–practitioner knowledge networks – nets that require a continuous making and mending in managing relevance, participation and uncertainty. We argue that the actor–network framework is more compatible than alternative knowledge diffusion or transfer models with the data we have collected on academic–practitioner knowledge networks in the UK. In accounting for the dynamic instability and precariousness of knowledge networks, it avoids raising false expectations about business knowledge and its relevance or effectiveness. If knowledge in the physical sciences and engineering unfolds slowly and unevenly in the face of many disputes, disruptions and setbacks, as actor–network theory has claimed, then how much more likely is this to be the case in the social sciences? Consequently there should be no expectations of one‐to‐one, direct causal chains between knowledge production and application, as some business school critics seemingly demand.
Is Constitutional Politics Like Politics ‘at Home’? The Case of the EU Constitution
Authors: Pennings Paul , Arnold Christine
Published: January 2008

A large number of delegates from different institutional levels within the EU have achieved a remarkable consensus on a draft constitution. Has this consensus been made possible because the nationally predominant left–right divide was only weakly present during the deliberations of the delegates? Left–right differences have been analysed by means of a content analysis on submitted documents during the European Convention. The data analysis confirms our assumption that the left–right distinction was relevant, although not very dominant. The draft constitution did not take a mean position on left and right issues, but in fact puts more emphasis on substantial goals related to both left and right, giving an equal weight to both anti-poles. However, if we exclude the Charter of Human Rights, the draft constitution appears to be strongly tilted to the right. The analysis also shows that party family differences did affect the process of coalition building during the Convention, since more than half of all documents have been submitted together with at least one member of the same party family and/or with one family member close by. Our analysis also indicates that the process of consensus building was enhanced by the absence of many extremist and new parties during the Convention. This may have enhanced agreement on the Constitution, but later it became problematic for the domestic democratic process and for the acceptance of the Constitution in some countries, such as France and the Netherlands, especially since some of the excluded parties have actively and successfully mobilised voters to vote against the Constitution.
Overcoming the Conservative Disposition: Oakeshott vs. Tönnies
Authors: Podoksik Efraim
Published: January 2008

Widely considered a conservative British philosopher, this article presents Michael Oakeshott as, in fact, a critic of conservatism — in particular of the German conservative tradition, represented, among other thinkers, by Ferdinand Tönnies. This tradition was characterised by the rejection of modern individualistic society considered as an embodiment of alienating purpose-oriented rationalism. At a certain phase of his intellectual development Oakeshott himself came under the influence of this conservative critique, with ideas strikingly similar to those of Tönnies. Yet, unlike Tönnies, Oakeshott later rejected the premises of this tradition. Instead, he formulated the notion of rationalistic non-purposive association, which allowed him to become reconciled to modern liberal society.
Political Studies and the Contextual Turn: A Methodological/Normative Critique
Authors: Lawson Stephanie
Published: January 2008

Recent developments in political studies have seen much greater attention paid to ideas about history, culture and associated notions of context. This reflects, at least in part, a dissatisfaction with positivism and modernist empiricism and an interest in alternative methodologies and epistemologies. As part of this general development, the language of non-traditional approaches to politics has become replete with the language of contextualism, emphasising specificity, particularity and contingency. There is certainly much to be welcomed in the turn away from an ahistorical, objectivist and materialist positivism towards more nuanced approaches. Contingency attends virtually every development in human affairs, making predictability a very inexact science. And facts simply do not speak for themselves. They are made to speak in different ways by different people located in varying positions of power and influence and with particular agendas or projects. Thus the notion that adequate explanations of political practices and actions can be obtained in the absence of a narrative account of the beliefs that sustain them is indeed difficult to defend. Even so, critiques of objectivist approaches which substitute specific historical and/or cultural contexts for universals may turn out simply to be using another method of objectification. Furthermore, far from providing a critique of domination, I argue that key aspects of the contextualist turn actually reinforce it. So while agreeing with the general point that attention to context, both historical and cultural, is essential to good political analysis, this article is nonetheless critical of key aspects of contextual approaches. In addition, it highlights certain difficulties in devising a general theory of context due to some important contradictions between cultural and historical versions of methodological contextualism which have so far gone unnoticed.
Global–Local Linkage in the Western Balkans: The Politics of Environmental Capacity Building in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Authors: Fagan Adam
Published: January 2008

This article argues that efforts by international donors, in particular the EU, to build the capacity of environmental NGOs in Bosnia-Herzegovina has less to do with fostering democratic stability and civil society, and more to do with establishing a new epistemic community. Among critics, the technocratic, apolitical and rather benign term ‘capacity building’ has become code for the transformation and undermining of ‘local’ knowledge, the disregard for existing ‘capacities’, the construction of new networks of experts and the importation of rationalities based on West European discourses and constructions of ecological risk, sustainable development and policy responses. Not surprisingly, the weaker the post-socialist state – legacies of ethnic conflict, the severity of economic collapse – the greater the extent to which capacity-building assistance seeks to transform policy communities, actors and networks. From the perspective of environmental mobilisations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, it is argued that the limitations of environmental capacity-building assistance are due in large part to the failure of donors to distinguish between different ‘capacities’, and their insistence on prioritising the development of project grant expertise and organisational management know-how over and above other developmental needs. The article illustrates the extent to which environmental movement organisations either require very basic developmental assistance or need more bespoke support that will enable them to engage effectively in political and legal contestation with the state. The article concludes that while aspects of environmental capacity-building assistance are clearly having a positive impact, the rigidity of donor aid and the framework of project grants as the mechanism for delivering assistance are limiting the impact to a narrow elite of organisations, of which some are neither non-governmental nor linked to indigenous local environmental networks within civil society.
Children's Accounts of Sibling Jealousy and Their Implicit Theories about Relationships
Authors: Thompson Julie A. , Halberstadt Amy G.
Published: January 2008

In two studies, fifth‐ and sixth‐grade children's descriptive accounts of sibling jealousy were related to their implicit theories about relationships. Children's jealousy accounts were collected via structured interviews; their implicit theories were assessed by questionnaire. In both studies, children reported experiencing mild to moderate jealousy with diverted attention and favoritism as primary causes. In Study 1 (N = 63; M age = 11 years, 9 months), children who endorsed malleable (incremental) theories about relationships reported longer and more intense jealousy than children who reported fixed (entity) theories about relationships. Findings from Study 2 (N = 42; M age = 10 years, 9 months) replicated Study 1 and additionally demonstrated that malleable theorists' time being jealous was spent generating more mastery‐oriented ways to deal with the situation as compared to fixed theorists.
What Do Current Account Reversals in OECD Countries Tell Us About the US Case?
Authors: De Haan Leo , Schokker Hubert , Tcherneva Anastassia
Published: January 2008

This study examines macroeconomic developments around reversals in current account deficits in 29 OECD countries over four decades and draws some inferences for the present US deficit. Estimates of a probit model indicate that the deepness of the deficit itself, absence of spare production capacity and a beginning real depreciation are factors that increase the likelihood of a current account reversal in the following year. For the US each of these three indicators of a reversal are now on, making a near reversal probable. Over the past 40 years half of the current account deficit reversals in the OECD area were followed by a recession in the countries concerned.
International Terrorism: Causes, Consequences and Cures
Authors: Bird Graham , Blomberg S. Brock , Hess Gregory D.
Published: January 2008

A popular view is that international terrorism is on the increase, that it is religiously motivated and that it has important adverse consequences. This paper investigates this view. It examines the empirical evidence on the causes of international terrorism from the late 1960s to the early 2000s and discovers that, while religion has had a part to play, explanations based on economics and politics appear to be consistent with the facts. Terrorists come from relatively poor and undemocratic countries and commit attacks in relatively rich and democratic ones. The paper then examines the micro, macro and global economic effects of international terrorism from both a theoretical and empirical angle, and discovers that the negative effect on domestic aggregate demand is temporary and the effect on aggregate supply insignificant. Finally, the paper explores policies to deal with international terrorism and demonstrates that this is complex. Analogies with conventional crime may be unhelpful.