bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conflict‐handling style measurement: a best‐worst scaling application
Authors: Daly Timothy M. , Anne Lee Julie , Soutar Geoffrey N. , Rasmi Sarah
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This study aims to develop and validate a best‐worst scaling (BWS) measure of preferred conflict‐handling styles, named the Conflict‐handling BWS (CHBWS).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted three studies. Study 1 consisted of a sample of psychology students (n=136) from a Canadian university and was designed to assess the convergent validity of the CHBWS by comparing it with the ROCI‐II and DUTCH instruments. Study 2 consisted of a sample of psychology students (n=154) from a US university and was designed to assess the predictive validity of the CHBWS by relating conflict‐handling styles to consumer complaint behavior. Study 3 consisted of a random sample of adults registered with an online survey company in Australia (n=204) and Germany (n=214). This study was designed to assess the antecedent relationship of Schwartz's personal values to conflict‐handling styles.

Findings

The study shows that best‐worst scaling is a valid and advantageous way of measuring conflict‐handling styles. The CHBWS demonstrated both convergent and predictive validity, and was able to reproduce the structure of the dual‐concerns model. The study also showed that preferred conflict‐handling style influences the choice of complaint behavior in a retail service failure situation. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that Schwartz's personal values can influence the preferred conflict‐handling style in two individualistic cultures.

Originality/value

This is the first study to measure conflict‐handling style preferences using a BWS approach. Furthermore, it is the first study to relate consumer complaint behavior to preferred conflict‐handling style.
Unbundling task conflict and relationship conflict
Authors: Huang Jia‐Chi
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This study seeks to explore team goal orientation as a team characteristic that affects team members' self‐regulation, and conflict management approach as a self‐regulation tactic. Its purpose is to investigate the moderating effect of team goal orientation and conflict management approach on the linkage between task conflict and relationship conflict.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were received from 529 team members in 120 R&D teams in Taiwan. The hypothesis is tested using hierarchical regressions.

Findings

The results indicate that team goal orientation and a conflict management approach moderated the relationship between task conflict and relationship conflict. The positive relationship between task conflict and relationship conflict was weaker under conditions of higher team learning orientation and lower team performance orientation. The positive association between task conflict and relationship conflict was also weaker among teams that engaged in cooperative conflict management and did not engage in the avoiding conflict management approach.

Research limitations/implications

The study is cross‐sectional in design, limiting the ability to make causal assertions about links between task conflict and relationship conflict.

Practical implications

To prevent detrimental relationship conflict triggered by task conflict, supervisors may need to use goal orientation disposition as a criterion in selecting team members. Supervisors also could frame the tasks and discussions of team members towards learning rather than performance goals, enabling team members to openly share divergent opinions and take advantage of task conflict.

Originality/value

The study facilitates understanding of how to unbundle the linkage between task conflict and relationship conflict in teams, along with making contributions to conflict theory.
An exploration of loyalty determinants in Greek wine varieties
Authors: Krystallis Athanasios , Chrysochou Polymeros
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of the market structure of Greek red and white wine varieties and to measure the loyalty behaviour of frequent wine buyers in Greece.

Design/methodology/approach

The study measures brand performance and loyalty of four different Greek wine varieties. Based on stated preference data, basic brand performance measures are estimated through Juster purchase probabilities of brand choice. To measure loyalty behaviour, the polarisation index φ (phi) is used as a measure to model both loyalty to the brand name and specific wine attributes and their levels.

Findings

The findings of the present study point to the conclusion that each one of the four Greek wine varieties under examination exhibits its own market structure and loyalty profile, whereas price, quality certification and winemaker's size seem to function as loyalty stimulators more effectively for white wines. Moreover, it is also clear that the (Greek) origin or type of the wine variety per se does not constitute a particularly important loyalty component in the marketing mix of the Greek red and white wines examined here.

Research limitations/implications

Wine has always been one of the most challenging product categories to investigate. Many product‐related attributes contribute to building loyalty; this attribute‐based loyalty is often hard to delineate and take into account. Moreover, the present methodology is based on stated preference data, whereas revealed preference data could be the ideal for applying the specific methodology.

Originality/value

Few studies, if any, have used the present methodological approach to explore the issue of loyalty in the case of wine.
Measuring the seasonality in tourism with the comparison of different methods
Authors: Karamustafa Kurtulus , Ulama Sevki
Published: July 2010

Purpose

Most of the European Mediterranean countries are suffering from seasonality and the problems caused by it. By applying different methods, this study proposes to measure seasonality in a Mediterranean country, Turkey. Studying seasonality and its measurement with the comparison of different methods could first provide useful guidelines for the countries, which may have similar problems, and could also broaden the current view in the related literature since the focus is also on the comparison of the widely used methods in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The study depends on the current literature and makes evaluations based on the secondary data acquired from the statistical publications of The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Findings

The findings reveal that none of the methods is superior to any other. They complement the weaknesses of one another. Therefore, it is suggested that destinations, when measuring their seasonality, should evaluate seasonality by applying different methods in order to give a proper decision to solve the problem caused by seasonality.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the seasonality literature by employing different measurement methods in a holistic way. It reveals differences and similarities among the different methods, using the case of a Mediterranean country, Turkey.
The emergence of Chinese investment in Europe
Authors: Rios‐Morales Ruth , Brennan Louis
Published: July 2010

Purpose– Emerging countries are surging as important contributors of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) in both developing and developed markets around the world. This paper seeks to focus on Chinese investment in Europe with a particular consideration given to the manufacturing sector. The purpose of this paper is to analyse this new phenomenon in the context of the Eclectic Paradigm.Design/methodology/approach– This is a conceptual paper focusing on secondary research. The analysis incorporates aspects related to drivers and motivators, elements of difference, and includes considerations of the institutional role in influencing the competitiveness of firms and the strategies of countries.Findings– From this analysis emerges a contribution to theory development. A holistic model which incorporates government's role in influencing FDI is developed to advance understanding of Chinese OFDI in Europe.Practical implications– The model incorporating governmental influences on FDI presented in the paper can assist policy makers, managers and researchers in understanding the phenomenon. The analysis in the paper of the strengths and weaknesses of the new entrants and the threats and opportunities for incumbents provides insights for managers of the new entrants and incumbents alike.Originality/value– Data and scholarly research on the topic of FDI from emerging countries and on the emergence of China as a potential investor in Europe are limited. Since emerging markets are playing a growing role as sources of FDI, the study has sought to contribute particularly to the understanding of Chinese outward FDI in Europe.
Enterprise clusters triggered by radical innovation: a modelistic approach
Authors: Pironti Marco , Remondino Marco , Pisano Paola
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This papers aims to deal with enterprise networks and clusters dynamics, as well as inter‐firm joint efforts and collaborations, in order to study their evolution and possible effects when radical innovation occurs inside them.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to study these dynamics, with the optimal balancing among different strategies and the importance of exogenous parameters in cluster creation, a model is presented. It follows the agent‐based paradigm, particularly suited for describing complex social systems in which many parts interact among them. This allows one to create simulations of the studied system, and to test different hypotheses. Besides, it is the only paradigm in which the emergent features of complex systems can arise spontaneously, thanks to the bottom‐up design. A model is introduced and described in detail.

Findings

Qualitative results are described, reflecting current state‐of‐the art theories. The results show how clusters emerge and evolve among enterprises, and how radical innovation can trigger this phenomenon. Different managerial behaviour (externally or internally focused) is discussed as well.

Originality/value

The most important feature of a model based on agent is the possibility of repeating the experiment several times, by changing one or few variables at a time, by leaving the others unchanged. It constitutes for social sciences the equivalent of lab experiments for such disciplines as physics or chemistry. The presented model allows the study of different clustering scenarios, by changing the initial conditions.
The value of rental deposits
Authors: Hutchison Norman E. , Adair Alastair S. , Park Kyungsun
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper has two aims: to consider the negotiating strength of landlords and tenants in lease negotiations; and to calculate the level of deposit which is necessary to mitigate income risk.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the existing literature on the negotiation strength between landlords and tenants in different stages of the property cycle; investigates the well established deposit system in South Korea for lessons that might be applied in the UK; estimates the appropriate level of deposit using simulation methodology, given different states of the market; and places the contractual arrangement in a legal framework.

Findings

Evidence from the Seoul office market suggests that deposits can be very effective in protecting income return. In the UK during the down phase of the cycle, when supply of space exceeds demand and business conditions are uncertain, tenants are unwilling to pay deposits and landlords are more inclined to offer incentives in a bid to get the property let, even though the down phase is exactly the time when a deposit system is needed most. Landlords should be looking through the cycle and insisting that deposits are paid at the height of the market when their bargaining strength is stronger. The deposit should be sufficient to cover the probability of income loss in the down phase of the cycle. Based on market evidence in 2009, the amount of the deposit should be equal to at least 15 months rent.

Practical implications

The stability of the income return is one of the key features of real estate both as an investment and as security. The use of rental deposits is a practical and straightforward way of hedging the risk. The paper estimates the amount of deposit required and provides guidance on the key heads of terms, which should be included in a deposit agreement.

Originality/value

The estimation of rental deposits has very little coverage in the literature. At a time when income return is under pressure landlords need to be fully aware of the benefits of the deposit system and the key factors that need to be considered when estimating the amount of deposit necessary to offset tenant default risk.
The rise and fall of the high street shop as an investment class
Authors: Jones Colin
Published: July 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the reasons for the rise and fall of the UK high street shop as an investment class for financial institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins by tracing the scale of investment by financial institutions in shops and the reasons for their historic popularity. The next sections review the changes in retailing and the consequences in terms of the current retail offering. The consequences and implications for retail investment are then considered in terms of institutional portfolios and (relative) investment yields. The research is based on a review of a range of secondary sources and an analysis of the Investment Property Databank database.

Findings

The traditional UK high street as an investment class has been challenged by the decentralisation of retailing and new retail forms over the last 30 years. While the city centre is still the principal location for comparison retailing, the consequence has been a restructuring of institutional investment portfolios and of relative yields. The number of high street shops in investment portfolios has halved since the mid‐1990s. There are threats from online shopping and the recent recession has further queried the original arguments for investing in high street shops. However, the driving force for the decline of investment in high street shops by financial institutions appears to be the short‐termism.

Originality/value

The paper reviews the changing fundamentals of retail property investment to explain the decline of the high street shop as a property investment class.
Estimation of redevelopment probability using panel data
Authors: Shimizu Chihiro , Karato Koji , Asami Yasushi
Published: July 2010

Purpose

When Japan's asset bubble burst, the office vacancy rate soared sharply. This study seeks to target the office market in Tokyo's 23 special wards during Japan's bubble burst period. It aims to define economic conditions for the redevelopment/conversion of offices into housing and estimate the redevelopment/conversion probability under the conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The precondition for land‐use conversion is that subsequent profit excluding destruction and reconstruction costs is estimated to increase from the present level for existing buildings. Regarding hedonic functions for offices and housing and computed profit gaps for approximately 40,000 buildings used for offices in 1991, it was projected how the profit gaps would influence the land‐use conversion probability. Specifically, panel data for two time points in the 1990s were used to examine the significance of redevelopment/conversion conditions.

Findings

It was found that, if random effects are used to control for individual characteristics of buildings, the redevelopment probability rises significantly when profit from land after redevelopment is expected to exceed that from present land uses. This increase is larger in the central part of a city.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations stem from the nature of Japanese data limited to the conversion of offices into housing. In the future, a model may be developed to generalize land‐use conversion conditions.

Originality/value

This is the first study to specify the process of land‐use adjustments that emerged during the bubble burst. This is also the first empirical study using panel data to analyze conditions for redevelopment.
The Research Commons: a new creature in the library?
Authors: Daniels William , Darch Colin , de Jager Karin
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use made of the Research Commons during its first year of operation in an attempt to establish whether it actually provides a genuinely new and different service from the point of view of the end‐users, and whether a facility such as this could indeed be presumed to support research and enhance research output at the university.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Lippincott's assessment grid, an attempt was made to assess activities in the Research Commons according to the dimensions of extensiveness, efficiency, effectiveness, service quality and usefulness. Methodology was mixed, with quantitative and qualitative components that logged the extent and nature of the use of the various facilities in the Research Commons and sought to establish from stakeholder perceptions whether the services on offer are regarded as substantially different from those in the undergraduate Knowledge Commons and whether they are indeed seen to be supporting research activities.

Findings

It was found that a combination of numerical and qualitative measurements has yielded sufficient evidence for the drawing of preliminary conclusions. The evidence gathered demonstrates that the Research Commons, designed primarily as a site for the creation of new knowledge in the form of original writing by researchers at postgraduate and academic level, is indeed an advance on the well‐established “library commons” concept, and that its creation represents an instance of “parallel invention” – the “new creature” that the title refers to.

Originality/value

This paper provides a multifaceted perspective on the activities taking place in a new library facility and should provide librarians and researchers with evidence‐based insight into how meaningful research support may be provided to young researchers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds as part of an academic library service in a middle income country.
Benchmarking on a national scale: the 2007 LibQUAL+® Canada experience
Authors: Kalb Sam
Published: July 2010

Purpose

In 2006/2007, the Canadian academic library community came together in the largest national LibQUAL+® consortium to conduct ARL library service quality survey. This paper aims to address how and why the national consortial project came about, the challenges for recruiting and managing participants, and what was learnt, together with possible future directions.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a case study approach.

Findings

The research touches on the challenges planning and implementing LibQUAL+® with such a large, diverse consortium, with its bilingual mandate and multiple library types, and what made the project successful and its limitations.

Practical implications

The most apparent accomplishment of this project was successful collection of a large, diverse data set for comparative analysis of services and facilities – a meaningful data set both for individual libraries seeking appropriate Canadian comparators and for analyses by region, institutional categories, etc.

Originality/value

A valuable result of the project was to engage more Canadian academic libraries in the process of service assessment. CARL's bi‐lingual consortium approach will provide a valuable example for other national organisations attempting to carry out similar projects.
Measuring the impact of networked electronic resources
Authors: Plum Terry , Franklin Brinley , Kyrillidou Martha , Roebuck Gary , Davis MaShana
Published: July 2010

Purpose

As libraries are developing a larger Web presence, issues regarding the utility, accessibility, and impact of the usage of their networked resources and services are gaining critical importance. The need to assess systematically the networked electronic services and resources is great as increasing amounts of financial resources are dedicated to the Web presence of libraries. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This project proposes to measure the impact of networked electronic services, building on MINES for Libraries®, in a scalable way across libraries and consortia to enhance digital library service quality and impact on learning by enabling the future allocation of resources to areas of user‐identified need. Short, standardized web surveys are placed at the point‐of‐use of networked electronic resources and services through a network assessment infrastructure that uses contemporary mechanisms of authentication and access, such as EZproxy, openURL, Shibboleth, federated searching and others as modules to interface with ARL's StatsQUAL®. A valid and reliable sampling method is proposed.

Findings

Point‐of‐use web surveys hold considerable promise as key tools in the assessment toolkit libraries may deploy to improve the research, teaching, and learning outcomes of their users.

Practical implications

This project enhances and deepens the information gained from vendor‐supplied data.

Originality/value

The developments described will make it easier for libraries to assess the usage of networked electronic resources and services.
Modelling the success factors for national R&D organizations: a case of India
Authors: Jyoti  , Banwet D.K. , Deshmukh S.G.
Published: July 2010

Purpose

National policy makers in India have realized that the research and development (R&D) performance of India has not been up to the benchmark. This paper aims to identify and develop the structural cause and effect relationship among various factors that affect the performance of national R&D organizations in India.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire‐based survey, interpretive structural modelling and structural equation modelling, has been applied in this paper. In this paper, ten factors have been identified such as clear R&D vision and strategic directions; top management commitment (TMC); customer focus and market orientation; organization culture, etc.

Findings

Clear R&D vision and strategic directions are the major drivers for the performance of national R&D organizations. Statistically, TMC; organization culture and human resource focus; R&D project management skills; and customer focus and market orientation have emerged as the critical factors for improving performance of national R&D organizations in India.

Research limitations/implications

This model can be validated for various other national R&D organizations in India as well as in other countries.

Practical implications

This model provides a comprehensive structural cause and effect relationship among various success factors to the policy makers and provides the direction to for designing and implementing appropriate policies in order to enhance the performance of national R&D organizations.

Originality/value

The paper not only provided a cause and effect relationship among various factors, but also a magnitude of relationship.
Structural change and the emergence of the Brazilian MNEs
Authors: Arbix Glauco
Published: July 2010

Purpose

The internationalization of local Brazilian firms is a very recent phenomenon, especially when considered in terms of the accelerated growth in the number of Brazilian‐owned multinational companies and the intensity of foreign investment that began in the year 2000. While the specialized literature has focused increasing attention on this new trend, the profound transformation of Brazilian production during the 1990s remains a challenging theme for researchers. This paper aims to analyze the changes undertaken by Brazilian firms in pursuit of competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The data utilized were furnished by the Institute for Applied Economic Research, a governmental think tank, that has combined and expanded upon the main Brazilian databases that provide reliable information about industrial firms: the Annual Survey of Industry carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE); the Annual Social Information Report, conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Employment; the Foreign Trade Secretariat, under the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, and the Industrial Survey of Technological Innovation also sponsored by the IBGE. This procedure allows to access extremely wide‐ranging analyses covering businesses responsible for more than 90 percent of value added by Brazilian industry.

Findings

The principal finding of this paper indicates that enormous changes in business strategy occurred in the 1990s, modifying Brazilian companies' historical orientation towards the internal market. Significant increases in exports and outward foreign direct investment, consequently led a significant group of Brazilian companies to compete in more sophisticated markets. These new strategies of internationalization are supported by these companies' systematic pursuit of innovative processes. Aggregate data from internationalizing companies show that the most advanced group, characterized in this paper as “A‐class companies,” exhibit a standard of competitiveness, salaries, investment in R&D and new product launches found only in Brazil within the local subsidiaries of foreign multinationals.

Originality/value

Various studies have attempted to capture the difficulties and barriers that the Brazilian economy faced at the beginning of economic liberalization. Despite their differences, most of the analyses are confined at the macro level and make the ease and rapid expansion of internationalizing companies a surprising observation. In contrast, this paper emphasizes microeconomic factors and argues that the changes that occurred throughout the 1990s within the structure and strategies of Brazilian businesses were for the most part overshadowed by macro visions (especially those focused on fighting inflation). To capture these changes, especially those that had an impact on improved competitiveness, a new methodological approach has been designed.
International trajectories of Brazilian companies
Authors: Bruno Cyrino Alvaro , Penido Barcellos Erika , Tanure Betania
Published: July 2010

Purpose

It has been argued in the international business literature that companies begin their internationalization trajectories by entering countries that are geographically and psychically closest to the country in which their home market is located before entering more distant ones. This paper aims to verify whether this assertion is correct for Brazilian companies. If it is correct, the companies would be expected to begin their international expansion in countries within the Latin America region. Not only is this region closest in geographical distance, but also it is most similar to Brazil in many other important dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is an exploratory and quantitative research undertaken with a sample of 109 national capital companies selected from the 1,000 largest Brazilian companies in 2001 net revenues.

Findings

Empirical findings indicate that countries in Latin America have been most frequently chosen by Brazilian companies for their first expansions into international markets. Nevertheless, some companies choose divergent trajectories, initially entering markets that are geographically and psychically more distant. Those companies enjoyed structural features of certain sectors (commodities or global sectors), in which the importance of psychic distance is smaller in the face of economic transactions.

Research limitations/implications

An important limitation of this paper is the impossibility to test the hypotheses in specific countries or markets. The authors are forced to analyze the psychic distance effect among regions, with the risk of not accounting for important intra‐regional differences.

Originality/value

The data presented in this paper have clarified some patterns and trajectories of Brazilian companies in international markets.
Expression and functional profiling of neprilysin, insulin‐degrading enzyme, and endothelin‐converting enzyme in prospectively studied elderly and Alzheimer’s brain
Authors: Wang Suqing , Wang Rui , Chen Lang , Bennett David A. , Dickson Dennis W. , Wang Deng‐Shun
Published: July 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 47–57.

The brain steady state level of β‐amyloid (Aβ) is determined by the balance between its production and removal, the latter through egress across blood and CSF barriers as well as Aβ degradation. The major Aβ‐degrading enzymes are neprilysin (NEP), insulin‐degrading enzyme (IDE), and endothelin‐converting enzyme (ECE‐1). Although evidence suggests that NEP is down‐regulated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the role of IDE and ECE in the Aβ accumulation in aging and dementia remains less certain. In this study, we examined mRNA and protein expression, as well as biological activity of NEP, IDE, and ECE‐1 in human frontal cortex by real‐time RT‐PCR for mRNA, immunoblotting for protein, and highly sensitive and specific fluorescence assays for activity. The relationships between Aβ‐degrading enzymes and pathologic measures and clinical features were also assessed. The results showed that NEP mRNA, protein level, and activity were decreased in AD compared with normal controls with no cognitive impairment (NCI). In contrast, IDE activity was unchanged, but there was higher expression of IDE mRNA, indicating a possible compensatory reaction because of deficits in activity. ECE‐1 expression in AD brain showed no significant difference compared with age‐matched controls. Correlation analyses suggested that NEP expression was correlated with Aβ accumulation and clinical diagnosis, being lower in AD than in no cognitive impairment. In contrast, neither IDE nor ECE‐1 correlated with Aβ or clinical diagnosis. These findings provide additional support for NEP as the major protease involved in Aβ degradation and suggest its possible therapeutic targeting in AD.
Incidence of thrombotic complications in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia receiving L‐asparaginase during induction therapy: A retrospective study
Authors: Gugliotta Luigi , Mazzucconi Maria‐Gabriella , Leone Giuseppe , Mattioli‐Belmonte Monica , Defazio Daniela , Annino Luciana , Tura Sante , Mandelli Franco ,   GIMEMA Group
Published: July 2010

Abstract: The incidence of thrombotic complications chronologically related to L‐asparaginase administration is retrospectively analyzed in 238 adult ALL patients treated according to the GIMEMA protocol ALL 0288. The patients (126 males and 112 females, aged 12–68 years, median 29) received E. coli L‐asparaginase (L‐ase) in the induction phase at a dosage of 6000 U/m2/day × 7 d starting on d 15, as well as vincristine, prednisone, daunorubicin and cyclophosphamide, the last‐named by random 1:1. Ten patients (4.2%) developed thrombotic complications 5–15 d (median lid) after the start of L‐ase treatment. The thrombotic events, which were lethal in 5 patients, involved the cerebral sinus (5 cases), the cerebral arteria (2 cases), the portal vein (1 case), the pulmonary district (1 case), and a deep vein in the lower extremity (1 case). The occurrence of these complications was not related to the general thrombotic risk factors, nor to the main clinical and laboratory data registered at diagnosis and immediately before the start of L‐asparaginase treatment. The present study documents for the first time in a sufficiently large series of adult ALL patients that the incidence and the severity of thrombotic events related to L‐ase administration are relevant and need further consideration.
Reticulocytes: Biological variations and reference limits
Authors: Tarallo Pierrette , Humbert Jean‐Claude , Mahassen Philippe , Fournier Blandine , Henny Joseph
Published: July 2010

Abstract: The reticulocyte count is a good index of erythropoietic activity. Automated methods, mainly flow cytometry, have made the counting easier, more accurate and reproducible. The data presented describe the counting of reticulocytes in 1219 apparently healthy subjects of both sexes who came for a periodic health examination. Their ages varied from 4 to over 60 years. The reticulocytes were counted with a flow cytometer (Sysmex R‐3000) with Auramine‐O as fluorochrome. There was no statistical difference between boys and girls aged 4–19 years. However, the reticulocyte count was significantly higher in men than in women over 20 years of age. The reticulocyte count was affected neither by the menstrual cycle in girls at puberty, nor by oral contraceptives and the menopause in women. No effect of moderate smoking was observed in either sex. Reference limits of the reticulocyte counts (percentage and absolute value) according to age and sex and of the three types of reticulocytes are provided.
Synergistic interaction of the histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in mantle cell lymphoma
Authors: Heider Ulrike , Metzler Ivana von , Kaiser Martin , Rosche Marleen , Sterz Jan , Rötzer Susanne , Rademacher Jessica , Jakob Christian , Fleissner Claudia , Kuckelkorn Ulrike , Kloetzel Peter‐Michael , Sezer Orhan
Published: July 2010

Objectives:  Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an incurable B cell lymphoma, and novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. We evaluated the effects of combined treatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) on MCL. Bortezomib acts by targeting the proteasome, and – among other mechanisms – results in a reduced nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) activity. HDACi promote histone acetylation, and also interfere with NF‐κB signaling.

Methods:  Human MCL cell lines (JeKo‐1, Granta‐519 and Hbl‐2) were exposed to bortezomib and/or SAHA. Cell viability and apoptosis were quantified by the MTT and annexin‐V assay, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed using the fluorophore H2DCFDA. In addition, activated caspases, proteasome‐ and NF‐κB activity were quantified.

Results:  Combined incubation with bortezomib and SAHA resulted in synergistic cytotoxic effects, as indicated by combination index values <1 using the median effect method of Chou and Talalay. The combination of both inhibitors led to a strong increase in apoptosis as compared to single agents and was accompanied by enhanced ROS generation, while each agent alone only modestly induced ROS. The free radical scavenger N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine blocked the ROS generation and reduced the apoptosis significantly. In addition, coexposure of bortezomib and SAHA led to increased caspase‐3, ‐8 and ‐9 activity, marked reduction of proteasome activity and decrease of NF‐κB activity.

Conclusions:  This is the first report giving evidence that SAHA and bortezomib synergistically induce apoptosis in MCL cells. These data build the framework for clinical trials using combined proteasome and histone deacetylase inhibition in the treatment of MCL.
A 1‐Year Controlled Clinical Trial of Immediate Implants Placed in Fresh Extraction Sockets: Stability Measurements and Crestal Bone Level Changes
Authors: Huber Sandra , Rentsch‐Kollàr Andrea , Grogg Fabiana , Katsoulis Joannis , Mericske Regina
Published: July 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study was to measure stability and crestal bone level changes of implants placed in fresh extraction sockets in elderly patients.

Methods: Thirty‐five patients who were in need of tooth extractions were recruited for this study. They received a total of 65 implants in both jaws to support fixed or removable prostheses. The teeth were carefully extracted, the implants set directly in the root socket, and resonance frequency analysis (RFA) measurements were simultaneously performed (Time 1 = T1). After a healing time of 6 to 10 weeks the measurements were repeated (Time 2 = T2). Orthograd periapical radiographs were taken when the new prostheses were fabricated and after 1 year of loaded period. The distance between the first visible bone implant contact (BIC) and the implant‐shoulder was measured and crestal bone loss was calculated (ΔBIC). Mean RFA and BIC were compared for various subgroups (p < .05). By means of a fixed effects model, the impact of the parameters gender, jaw, and prosthetic indication on RFA measurements was analyzed (p < .016).

Results: The mean implant stability quotient (ISQ) values were 64.4 ± 6.7 at T1 and 64.0 ± at 8.6 T2, with a trend to higher values for male patients. The mixed model showed that only the jaw had a statistically significant impact on ISQ values, with higher values for the mandible. Mean crestal bone loss was small with 0.49 ± 0.81 mm, ranging form 0.1 to 2.4 mm. Twenty percent of the implant sites lost more than 1‐mm crestal bone. No differences were found in subgroups.

Conclusions: Good primary and secondary stability of the implants was reached in both jaws. Crestal bone loss was small but may not be fully predictable for a single site. This treatment modality can be applied successfully in elderly patients and can be suggested for various prosthetic indications in both jaws.
Ex Vivo and In Vivo Biomechanical Test of Implant Attachment to Various Materials: Introduction of a New User‐Friendly Removal Torque Equipment
Authors: Johansson Carina B. , Jimbo Ryo , Stefenson Per
Published: July 2010

Objective: The removal torque (RTQ) analysis is commonly used for biomechanical evaluation of osseointegration. The overall aim of this study was to verify results obtained with a newly developed equipment for biomechanical testing of osseointegration.

Methods: Verification of the new equipment for biomechanical tests involved three experiments: Part I, comparison of RTQ between implants placed in four different types of dental synthetic plasters. Part II, comparison of RTQ between custom made, experimentally used implants to self‐tapping, commercially available implants molded in the same type of dental plaster. Part III, comparison of RTQ between commercially pure titanium implants to Ti6Al4V implants placed in rabbit bone, 6 weeks after insertion. Briefly, for all experiments, the peak RTQ values and the removal process were recorded every 0.01 seconds up to 10 seconds. After the measurements, peak RTQ values were converted to shear strength.

Results: The developed equipment sensitively responded to the changes of properties related to the molding plasters, implant topographies, and materials. The monitored graphs corresponded well to the expected properties of the different implants and tested materials.

Conclusion: The new RTQ equipment proved to be accurate and could add new knowledge in understanding the biomechanical aspects of osseointegration.
Effect of Oxygen Potential on Crack Growth in Alloys for Advanced Energy Systems
Authors: Benz Julian K. , Kim Ji Hyun , Ballinger Ronald G.
Published: July 2010

The effect of oxygen partial pressure on crack growth rates in Alloy 617 has been studied using both static and fatigue loadings at 650°C over the oxygen partial pressure range 10−19−10−3 atm. Tests were conducted at either the constant stress intensity factor K for static conditions or the constant ΔK in fatigue. Oxygen concentration was measured on both the inlet and outlet of the test retort as well as in situ with a probe located directly at the specimen surface. For fatigue loading the crack path was observed to be transgranular but crystallographic with a decreasing growth rate as the oxygen concentration decreased. However, for static loading the crack path shifted to intergranular at the same Kmax (fatigue) and exhibited what appears to be an increasing crack growth rate with decreasing oxygen concentration.
Steady Propagation of the Vaporization Front in Metastable Liquid
Authors: Aktershev S. P. , Ovchinnikov V. V.
Published: July 2010

The boiling up of a metastable liquid when the vaporization fronts appear is considered theoretically and experimentally. Boiling up occurs usually on the surface of a heater. At the first stage, the growth of a spherical vapor bubble is observed. If the temperature of liquid exceeds the threshold value, the vaporization fronts develop near to the line of contact of a vapor bubble and heater. Fronts of vaporization extend along a heater with constant speed. It is a direct transition from one phase convection to film boiling. Such scenario of crisis of a convective heat transfer is also possible in the nuclear reactor equipment. The model of steady propagation of the vaporization front is developed. The temperature and velocity of propagation of the interface are determined from the balance equations for the mass, momentum, and energy in the neighborhood of the vaporization front and the condition of stability of motion of the interface. It is shown that a solution of these equations exists only if the liquid is heated above a threshold value. The velocity of propagation of the vaporization front also has a threshold value. The calculated velocity of the interface motion and the threshold value of temperature are in reasonable agreement with available experimental data for various liquids within wide ranges of saturation pressures and temperatures of the overheated liquid. The developed model adequately describes the experimental data for various substances in a wide range of temperature of an overheated fluid. In this model, the steady propagation of the vaporization front is possible only if the temperature of a metastable liquid exceeds some threshold value. The velocity of the vaporization front also has a threshold value.
Upgrading of Waste Heat for Combined Power and Hydrogen Production With Nuclear Reactors
Authors: Zamfirescu C. , Naterer G. F. , Dincer I.
Published: July 2010

This paper presents a new heat upgrading method that utilizes waste heat from nuclear reactors for thermochemical water splitting with a copper-chlorine (Cu–Cl) cycle. Through combined power, hydrogen, and oxygen generation, the exergy efficiency of a power plant can be significantly augmented. The heat rejected to the environment for moderator cooling, a relatively small amount of low pressure superheated steam and a small fraction of generated power, are extracted from the nuclear reactor and used to drive a Cu–Cl hydrogen plant. More specifically, the moderator heat transfer at ∼80°C is used as a source to a newly proposed vapor compression heat pump with a cascaded cycle, operating with retrograde fluids of cyclohexane (bottoming cycle) and biphenyl (topping supercritical cycle). Additionally, the heat pump uses as input the heat recovered from within the Cu–Cl cycle itself. This heat is recovered at two levels: ∼80–130°C and ∼250–485°C. This heat input is upgraded up to 600°C by work-to-heat conversion and then used to supply the endothermic water splitting process. The extracted steam is fed into the Cu–Cl cycle and split into hydrogen and oxygen as overall products. Electricity is partly used for an electrochemical process within the Cu–Cl cycle, and also partly for the heat pump compressors. This paper analyses the performance of the proposed heat pump and reports the exergy efficiency of the overall system. The proposed system is about 4% more efficient than generating electricity alone from the nuclear reactor.
Modeling of Fe–Cr Martensitic Steels Corrosion in Liquid Lead Alloys
Authors: Balbaud-Célérier F. , Martinelli L.
Published: July 2010

Among the Generation IV systems, sodium fast reactors (SFRs) are promising and benefits of considerable technological experience. However, the availability and acceptability of the SFR are affected by the problems linked with the sodium-water reaction. One innovative solution to this problem is the replacement of the sodium in the secondary loops by an alternative liquid fluid. Among the fluids considered, lead-bismuth is at the moment being evaluated. Liquid lead-bismuth has been considerably studied in the frame of the research program on accelerator driven systems for transmutation applications. However, lead alloys are corrosive toward structural materials. The main parameters impacting the corrosion rate of Fe–Cr martensitic steels (considered as structural materials) are the nature of the steel (material side), temperature, liquid alloy velocity, and dissolved oxygen concentration (liquid alloy side). In this study, attention is focused on the behavior of Fe-9Cr steels, and more particularly, T91 martensitic steel. It has been shown that in the case of Fe–Cr martensitic steels, the corrosion process depends on the concentration of oxygen dissolved in Pb–Bi. For an oxygen concentration lower than the one necessary for magnetite formation (approximately <10−8 wt % at T≈500°C for Fe-9Cr steels), corrosion proceeds by dissolution of the steel. For a higher oxygen content dissolved in Pb–Bi, corrosion proceeds by oxidation of the steel. These two corrosion processes have been experimentally and theoretically studied in CEA Saclay and also by other partners, leading to some corrosion modeling in order to predict the life duration of these materials as well as their limits of utilization. This study takes into account the two kinds of corrosion processes: dissolution and oxidation. In these two different processes, the lead alloy physico-chemical parameters are considered: the temperature and the liquid alloy velocity for both processes and the oxygen concentration for oxidation.
A Once-Through Fuel Cycle for Fast Reactors
Authors: Weaver Kevan D. , Gilleland John , Ahlfeld Charles , Whitmer Charles , Zimmerman George
Published: July 2010

A paradigm shift has altered the design targets for advanced nuclear energy systems that use a fast neutron spectrum. Whereas designers previously emphasized the ability of fast reactors to extend global reserves of fissile fuels, the overriding desire now is for reactor technologies that are “cleaner, more efficient, less waste-intensive, and more proliferation-resistant.” (Cheney, 2001, “U.S. National Energy Policy,” National Energy Policy Development Group, Washington, DC) This shift in priorities, along with recent design advances that enable high fuel burnup even when using fuels that have been minimally enriched, creates an opportunity to use fast reactors in an open nuclear fuel cycle. One promising route to this goal exploits a phenomenon known as a traveling wave, which can attain high burnups without reprocessing. A traveling-wave reactor (TWR) breeds and uses its own fuel in place as it operates. Recent design work has demonstrated that TWRs could be fueled almost entirely by depleted or natural uranium, thus reducing the need for initial enrichment. The calculations described here show that a gigawatt-scale electric TWR can achieve a burnup of 20%, which is four to five times that realized in current light water reactors. Burnups as high as 50% appear feasible. The factors that contribute to these high burnups and the implications for materials design are discussed.
Characteristics of the New Embrittlement Correlation Method for the Japanese Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels
Authors: Soneda Naoki , Nomoto Akiyoshi
Published: July 2010

Neutron irradiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel steels is an important aging issue for the long-term operation of light water reactors. A new embrittlement correlation method was developed by Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry and the Japanese electric utilities in 2007. This method is primarily based on the fundamental understandings on the embrittlement mechanisms, i.e., microstructural changes were modeled by the mathematical form of rate equations, and the predicted microstructural changes were further correlated with the mechanical property changes in transition temperature region. The coefficients of the rate equations were optimized using the Japanese surveillance data of RPV embrittlement. This method was adopted as the revision of the Japanese code, JEAC4201-2007, in 2007. In this paper, after a brief explanation on the new correlation method, the predictions of the new method will be investigated through comparisons with the previous correlation, JEAC4201-2004, and the U.S. surveillance data in order to identify the characteristics of the new method.