bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information needs and prostate cancer: the development of a systematic means of identification
Authors: Dale Jeremy , Jatsch Wolfram , Hughes Nathan , Pearce Alison , Meystre Chantal
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To design, from first principles, a valid and reliable scale for assessing the importance of specific items of information needed by patients with prostate cancer that would be straightforward to use in clinical settings, as despite its prevalence, there is little research focusing specifically on the information needs associated with prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Several stages of consultation and modification were used to inform the development of a scale which was then piloted on 96 patients with prostate cancer. Respondents were asked to rate the importance they placed on a range of prostate cancer‐related topics of information, and the extent to which they felt these information needs had been met. The construct and content validity of the instrument were established and an exploratory factor analysis used to guide restructuring of the tool. Internal consistency/reliability was calculated using Cronbach's α.

RESULTS

Using the scale showed that men with prostate cancer placed considerable importance on a broad range of information needs, most of which had been inadequately met. Age had a significant influence on the overall importance attributed to information, with younger patients having more need for information. The construct and content validity of the instrument were established. The factor analysis revealed four discrete factors which together explained > 68% of the variance, termed ‘basics of prostate cancer care’, ‘disease management’, ‘physical well‐being’ and ‘self‐help’. Internal consistency/reliability was satisfactory (α = 0.91).

CONCLUSIONS

The basis of a tool capable of ascertaining the information needs of patients with prostate cancer was developed; it may offer clinicians a valid means of ascertaining information preferences and hence potentially enhance the quality of service provided. Further research is now required to refine the tool and test the effect of its longitudinal use in clinical practice on patient satisfaction and outcome.
Surgery for adrenal tumours with thrombus in the supra‐diaphragmatic infra‐atrial inferior vena cava, with no cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Lucon Antonio M. , Machado Marcel C.C. , Pereira Maria A.A. , Mendonça Berenice B. , Praxedes Jose N. , Arap Sami
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVES

To assess the result of surgery for adrenal neoplasia with thrombus in the supra‐diaphragmatic infra‐atrial inferior vena cava.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Five patients with adrenal cortex carcinoma and three with phaeochromocytoma were reviewed. All the thrombi were removed through a right thoracophrenolaparotomy in the fifth intercostal space, with clamping of the intrathoracic portion of the inferior vena cava, with no cardiopulmonary bypass. In the first two cases the thrombi were removed in a second surgical procedure after resecting the tumours. In the other six the complete procedure was done in one surgical stage.

RESULTS

There were no surgery‐related deaths. The major complications after surgery were pulmonary atelectasis, acute renal failure, a large retroperitoneal collection, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, each in one patient. Of the five patients with adrenal cortex carcinoma one is still alive after 15 years with no evidence of disease, one is alive with pulmonary metastases 15 months after surgery and the other three died from widespread disease after 5, 12 and 15 months. Of the three patients with phaeochromocytoma, two show no evidence of the disease 2.5 and 11 years later and one died from myocardial infarction, with no evidence of the disease, 9 years later.

CONCLUSION

Thrombi from adrenal neoplasia in the supra‐diaphragmatic infra‐atrial inferior vena cava may be removed with no need for cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac arrest, thus avoiding the associated morbidity and high cost.
‘Burned‐out’ primary testicular cancer
Authors: Fabre Elodie , Jira Hassan , Izard Vincent , Ferlicot Sophie , Hammoudi Yacine , Theodore Christine , Di Palma Mario , Benoit Gerard , Droupy Stephane
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To report the natural history of ‘burned‐out’ testicular tumour (a testicular tumour that has regressed spontaneously with no treatment and that generally presents at the stage of metastases).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We report five cases of burned‐out testicular tumours to illustrate the clinical, radiological and histopathological features, and discuss the hypothesis of natural history of these neoplasms.

RESULTS

The findings in the five patients tended to indicate that metastatic progression appears to induce spontaneous regression of the previous tumour site. Patients explored for extragonadal germ cell tumour present with various clinical features depending on the site of the metastases.

CONCLUSION

Despite the controversial hypotheses of the origin of these tumours, extragonadal germ cell tumours should be considered to be metastases of a ‘burned‐out’ primary testicular tumour that must be investigated. When a primary testicular tumour is detected, the testis must be removed, and standard chemotherapy yields good long‐term results. The hypothesis of an immunological reaction against the tumour inducing the spontaneous necrosis of the primary tumour and possibly the metastases should be considered. Immunological screening should be proposed in patients to investigate this interesting model of spontaneous tumour regression.
A meta‐analysis of trials of transurethral needle ablation for treating symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: Boyle Peter , Robertson Christopher , Vaughan E. Darracott , Fitzpatrick John M.
Published: June 2004

This section opens with two meta‐analyses, the first into the use of transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) for treating symptomatic BPH and the second into comparative trials between transurethral electrovaporization and TURP.

The first of these meta‐analyses showed that despite a variety of trial methods, not all were satisfactory. TUNA was effective in improving symptoms and flow rates. The place of this therapy in the treatment of symptomatic BPH is suggested.

In the second meta‐analysis, methodological shortcomings of the various trials are again discussed. The possible advantages of both of these treatments are described, but the authors suggest that there is a need for future well‐designed trials with extended follow‐up. This seems to be the ultimate conclusion of a significant number of the meta‐analysis into technological treatments for symptomatic BPH.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the short‐ and long‐term effectiveness of transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) of the prostate for clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), using a meta‐analysis of all clinical studies involving TUNA.

METHODS

Data were extracted from two randomized trials, two non‐randomized observational protocols and 10 single‐arm studies conducted on TUNA, according to a determined protocol. The meta‐analysis was based on the change in the mean score at the end of study from that at baseline. The estimation of the effects from the meta‐analysis used a multilevel model including random effects for the studies.

RESULTS

In all studies the patients recruited had severe lower urinary tract symptoms and a mean International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of > 20 before treatment. The effect of TUNA was to halve the mean IPSS at 1 year after treatment and, although there was a slight tendency for the IPSS to increase in all arms from year 1 to year 5, this decrease by half was maintained at 5 years. The maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) also increased by ≈ 70% from baseline to 1 year and in virtually all studies the mean Qmax approached or exceeded 15 mL/s. Although there was a tendency for Qmax to decline slightly over time, the mean Qmax 5 years after treatment was > 50% over baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta‐analysis shows that TUNA is an effective and minimally invasive treatment for men with clinical BPH, even when the symptoms are severe. There is a significant improvement in symptoms and flow rate after 1 year which persists for at least 5 years. TUNA therapy would appear to be an alternative to surgery and an attractive option for men who do not wish to undergo long‐term medical therapy, are poor candidates for surgery or are concerned about the side‐effects of TURP.
Transurethral electrovaporization vs transurethral resection for symptomatic prostatic obstruction: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Poulakis Vassilis , Dahm Philipp , Witzsch Ulrich , Sutton Alex J. , Becht Eduard
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness and safety of transurethral electrovaporization (TUEVP) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for symptomatic bladder outlet obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODS

Publications comparing TUEVP and TURP were identified systematically using Medline, the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register and other database search engines. From a total of 25 randomized controlled trials, 20 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria and were subjected to a formal meta‐analysis. Primary endpoints were symptom scores and peak urinary flow rates. Secondary endpoints included transfusion requirements, operative time, duration of catheterization, incidence of adverse events, hospital stay, re‐operation rates and sexual dysfunction.

RESULTS

After 1 year of follow‐up there was no significant difference between TUEVP and TURP in urinary symptom scores and peak urinary flow rates. There was heterogeneity at baseline for both primary outcome measures. TUEVP was associated with significantly lower transfusion requirements, a shorter catheterization time, and a shorter length of stay. TURP was associated with a lower risk of urinary retention afterward and re‐operation than was TUEVP.

CONCLUSION

This formal meta‐analysis suggests that both TUEVP and TURP in patients with symptomatic bladder outlet obstruction provide comparable improvements in maximum urinary flow rates and symptom scores. While comparative analysis is limited by the methodological shortcomings of the underlying studies and the short follow‐up, both TURP and TUEVP may offer distinct advantages in terms of secondary outcomes. A future, well‐designed, multicentre randomized clinical trial with extended follow‐up may be needed to better define the role of vaporization techniques in treating patients with symptomatic BPH.
Differences in prostate disease symptoms and visits to the general practitioner among three ethnic groups in New Zealand
Authors: Gray Marion A. , Crampton Peter , Weinstein Philip , Nacey John N.
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To define lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and their relationship to general practitioner (GP) visits and ethnicity among men in the New Zealand (NZ) population‐based Wellington Region Community Prostate Study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

In 2001–2002 NZ European, Maori and Pacific Island participants were selected from the Wellington region of NZ. Demographic questions, the International Prostate Symptom Score and yearly GP attendance questions were completed by 862 subjects with no history of prostate cancer.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in LUTS among the ethnic groups (P = 0.80) but symptom scores were positively correlated with age only for NZ Europeans (P < 0.001, r = 0.179). Overall, NZ populations have a lower prevalence of LUTS than is evident for ethnic groups in other countries. Pacific Islanders attended the GP more often than both NZ Europeans and Maori.

CONCLUSION

Ethnic differences in age‐related urinary symptoms and visits to the GP are important for informing culturally appropriate clinical practice and prostate health promotion with minority groups.
Posterior tibial nerve stimulation in patients with intractable interstitial cystitis
Authors: Zhao Jimao , Nordling Jørgen
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of intermittent percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PPTNS) in patients with refractory interstitial cystitis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One man and 13 women (mean age 58.3 years) with suprapubic or perineal pain were enrolled in a prospective open study, in which they had 10 weekly sessions of PPTNS. Their mean duration of symptoms was 8.3 years. All patients were previously diagnosed as having interstitial cystitis according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases criteria. The response to the treatment were assessed using voiding diary, visual analogue scale diary for a pain index, and the Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index (ICPI), O’Leary/Sant Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index (ICSI) and the 36‐item short‐form health survey (SF‐36) quality‐of‐life questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of the 14 patients, 13 completed the 10 weeks of treatment with no complications; 12 continued treatment for a short period after the study. There were no statistically significant changes in pain scores, voiding frequency and volumes, or in the ICPI, ICSI and SF‐36 scores. However, there was an improvement in some patients, with one having complete resolution of the pain.

CONCLUSION

Intermittent PPTNS in patients with refractory interstitial cystitis has no significant clinical effect over 10 weeks of treatment.
Complications of tension‐free vaginal tape surgery: a multi‐institutional review
Authors: Abouassaly Robert , Steinberg Jordan R. , Lemieux Marguerite , Marois Carlos , Gilchrist Lawrence I. , Bourque Jean‐Louis , Tu Le Mai , Corcos Jacques
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the complications of tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) surgery, a minimally invasive alternative for treating patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), at six institutions, and to review the management of these complications and their effect on patient outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 241 patients who had a TVT procedure by six urologists at six hospitals (two university and four community) were reviewed retrospectively by the same urologist. Complications during and after surgery, and their management, were analysed.

RESULTS

Complications during surgery included bladder perforation in 48 patients (5.8%) and blood loss > 500 mL in 16 (2.5%). Immediate complications after surgery were urinary retention (>24 h after) in 47 patients (19.7%), pelvic haematoma in four (1.9%) and suprapubic wound infection in one (0.4%). Of the 47 patients in retention, 32 were in retention for <48 h and treated with an indwelling catheter. The 15 remaining patients were treated with an indwelling catheter (one) or clean intermittent catheterization for a mean of 22 days. To correct the retention the TVT was released in seven patients and the tape sectioned in three. Late complications were de novo urgency, persistent suprapubic discomfort and intravaginal tape erosion in 36 (15%), 18 (7.5%) and one (0.4%) patient, respectively. Most of these complications resolved with observation and medical management, but intravaginal tape erosion required partial resection of the tape with closure and repair of the vaginal mucosa.

CONCLUSIONS

The present TVT complication rates were slightly higher than reported previously. This multi‐institutional review in both academic and community hospitals may better reflect the morbidity of TVT insertion in clinical practice. TVT is a highly effective, minimally invasive method for treating SUI. A stricter definition of each complication and a better understanding of the mechanism of these complications may further improve the surgical outcome and decrease patient morbidity.
The use of neural networks for predicting the result of endoscopic treatment for vesico‐ureteric reflux
Authors: Serrano‐Durbá Agustín , Serrano Antonio J. , Magdalena José R. , Martín José D. , Soria Emilio , Domínguez Carlos , Estornell Francisco , García‐Ibarra Fernando
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To create an artificial neural network (ANN) to aid in predicting the results of endoscopic treatment for vesico‐ureteric reflux (VUR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

During 1999–2001 we used endoscopic treatment in 261 ureteric units with VUR of all grades and causes. An ANN based on multilayer perceptron architecture was created using an 11 × 6 × 1 structure, taking the following as variables: the cause and grade of VUR, the patient's age and sex, the type of implanted substance and its volume, the number of treatments, the affected ureter, the endoscopic findings, and the type of cystography used. In all, 174 cases were used as training samples for the ANN and 87 to validate it. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), and the success rate (%) of the system.

RESULTS

In the training group the ANN gave a sensitivity of 86.4%, a specificity of 89.5%, a PPV of 76% and NPV of 94%, with a success rate of 88.6%. In the same training group logistic regression (LR) gave respective values of 68.2%, 58.8%, 39%, 82.7% and 61.4%. In the validation group the respective values for the ANN were 71.4%, 81.6%, 58.8%, 88.6% and 78.9%, and in the same validation group the LR gave 64.4%, 50%, 32.1%, 79.2% and 53.9%. The Wilcoxon test confirmed the independence of both methods (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The ANN is an effective tool for assisting the urologist in indicating and applying endoscopic treatments for VUR.
Interstitial cells of Cajal in the human normal urinary bladder and in the bladder of patients with megacystis‐microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome
Authors: Piaseczna Piotrowska Anna , Rolle Udo , Solari Valeria , Puri Prem
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the distribution of c‐kit‐positive interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in normal bladder and bladders from patients with megacystis‐microcolon‐intestinal peristalsis syndrome (MMIHS, a rare congenital and generally fatal cause of functional intestinal obstruction in the newborn), the most characteristic feature of which is abdominal distension caused by a distended unobstructed urinary bladder.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Full‐thickness bladder specimens were obtained from four infants with MMIHS and four controls, and processed as paraffin‐wax and frozen sections. Sections were assessed using single immunohistochemistry with monoclonal and polyclonal anti‐c‐kit antibodies. Anti‐α‐smooth muscle actin (SMA) antibody was used to investigate the contractile apparatus in smooth muscle cells of the urinary bladder. Specimens were examined using light and confocal scanning microscopy.

RESULTS

There were many c‐kit positive ICCs in the normal urinary bladder, appearing as small, long, bipolar cells with only two long and several short processes. In contrast, ICCs were absent in the MMIHS bladder. α‐SMA immunoreactivity was lower in MMIHS urinary bladder than in control sections.

CONCLUSION

This study shows for the first time the presence of c‐kit‐positive ICCs in the normal human urinary bladder. The lack of ICCs in the MMIHS bladder may contribute to the voiding dysfunction in this disease.
A rat model for studying effects of sacral neuromodulation on the contractile activity of a chronically inflamed bladder
Authors: Riazimand Seyed‐Hossein , Mense Siegfried
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

To develop an animal model in which the effects of electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves (sacral neuromodulation) on a chronic hyperactive urinary bladder can be studied.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In female rats the urinary bladder was instilled with mustard oil (0.4%); after 10 days the animals were anaesthetized with intraperitoneal urethane, the bladder catheterized and connected to a pressure transducer. Stimulating electrodes were placed into the sacral foramina bilaterally. The intensity and duration of sacral electrical stimulation was varied systematically to determine the effects of the sacral neuromodulation on bladder contractions.

RESULTS

The main effect of the neuromodulation was an increase in the interval between contractions, i.e. during and for some time after the stimulation the contractions were completely abolished. The duration of the pause increased with the intensity and duration of stimulation. After the contractions had reappeared the frequency of contractions was reduced for a long period. In animals with chronic cystitis the effects of neuromodulation tended to be stronger (the pauses were longer) than in control animals with an intact bladder, but only in one test (increase of pause length with stimulus duration) was the difference statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that this animal model is suitable for studying the effects and mechanisms of sacral neuromodulation on a chronic hyperactive urinary bladder.
Placing Knowledge Management in Context
Authors: Thompson Mark P. A. , Walsham Geoff
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACT We welcome the increased emphasis on practice‐based theories of knowing as an alternative to the more representational, knowledge‐as‐object approaches which have characterised many organizational attempts at ‘knowledge management’ to date. Building on the findings of a short empirical study into the ‘knowledge management’ initiatives of a global software organization, which highlighted the value of rich context in the generation of meaning, we seek to shed some light on a perceived confusion about the nature of organizational context. We show such context to be an inseparable part of knowing, which it creates and by which it is defined, and re‐use Blackler's (1995) taxonomy of ‘knowledge types’ to illustrate the relational interaction between shared and deeply personal components of context. Finally, we use these insights to suggest a way in which organizations may be able to derive more value from their investments in internal initiatives by increasing their ability to support knowing – and hence the generation of meaning – amongst their employees.
Building External Corporate Venturing Capability*
Authors: Keil Thomas
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACT How firms build new capabilities to adapt to changing environments is at the core of strategic management. However, research has addressed this question only recently. In this paper, I propose a model that describes how firms develop a capability to create and develop ventures through corporate venture capital, alliances, and acquisitions. The model is based on two longitudinal case studies of large corporations operating in the information and communication technology sector in Europe. At the core of this model are learning processes that enable the firm to build up an external corporate venturing capability, by utilizing learning strategies both within and outside venturing relationships. To build this new capability, firms engage in acquisitive learning. Critical to deepening the capability acquired is adaptation of all knowledge to the firm specific context through experiential learning mechanisms. I also discuss the important role that initial conditions and knowledge management practices play in determining the direction and effectiveness of specific learning processes that lead to an external corporate venturing capability.
‘A Land of Milk and Honey’? Reengineering the ‘Past’ and ‘Present’ in a Call Centre*
Authors: McCabe Darren
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACTThis article explores how managers, in the Call Centre of a Bank, (re)defined, and drew boundaries around ‘past’ cultural conditions, in relation to the introduction of a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) regime. Managers represented the ‘past’ negatively, in terms of conflict and coercion, whilst the ‘present’ was largely described as a Shangri‐La of teams and consensus. This eschewing of the ‘past’ and sublimation of the ‘present’ stood in opposition to the representations of the staff. Both the ‘staff’ and ‘managers’ seemed to reject or embrace discourses that challenged or coincided with their understanding of how things are or should be. In view of this, their understanding of the past/present is inseparable from a consideration of power and identity. The article examines the interplay between discourses and individuals, arguing that it is bound up with fear and anxiety, hope and aspiration, memory and nostalgia, among other, everyday life experiences.
Governance of the Entrepreneurial Threshold Firm: A Knowledge‐based Perspective
Authors: Zahra Shaker A. , Filatotchev Igor
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACTBy building on a knowledge‐based view of the firm, this paper addresses a relatively unexplored area of roles and dynamics of corporate governance in younger, threshold firms that are undergoing a transition from the emergence to the professional management stage. Our analysis is focused on the process of capability development, exploring the effect of the asymmetry in knowledge that often exists between directors and senior managers on the governance of threshold firms. We examine the key sources of this asymmetry, explore ways directors and senior executives learn, and then discuss the implications of this learning on the evolution of governance systems in the threshold firm.
Crossing the Threshold from Founder Management to Professional Management: A Governance Perspective
Authors: Gedajlovic Eric , Lubatkin Michael H. , Schulze William S.
Published: June 2004

ABSTRACT We argue that the challenges faced by threshold firms are deeply rooted in governance characteristics (i.e. the incentives, authority and legitimacy) which imbue them with characteristic capabilities, disabilities and path dependencies. Whereas Zahra and Filatotchev (2004) reason the principal problem facing threshold firms relates to organizational learning and knowledge management, we posit resource acquisition and utilization to be equally important. Moreover, we argue governance theory is more able than a knowledge‐based perspective to explain the root causes of the learning and resource issues faced by threshold firms as well as the complex set of processes involved in their effective management.
An intelligent information infrastructure to support the streamlining of integrated logistics workflow
Authors: Ho G.T.S. , Lau H.C.W. , Ip W.H. , Ning A.
Published: June 2004

Abstract: In today's competitive environment, rapid advances in economic globalization and information technology have forced many organizations to anticipate and respond to increasing volatility and competitive pressures. Numerous researches have focused on developing techniques on the analysis, design and management of whole logistics chains in particular in the domain of data mining, data analysis and data classification. While the data mining techniques and computational intelligence techniques are good independently for solving specific tasks, they can be synergized through the formation of an integrated and unified model, which can take advantage of the goods and offset the flaws of the two techniques. In this paper, an intelligent information infrastructure, which is characterized by its ability to encompass a rich collection of knowledge representation formalisms for dealing with a logistics information flow problem, is presented. Such intelligent information infrastructure includes a two‐step strategy that embraces the combination of online analytical processing and neural networks to support knowledge discovery. In addition, extensible markup language is used to support the overall infrastructure, in order to facilitate the seamless data interchange within an enterprise.
Applying domain knowledge and social information to product analysis and recommendations: an agent‐based decision support system
Authors: Lee Wei‐Po
Published: June 2004

Abstract: The advance of Internet and Web technologies has boosted the development of electronic commerce. More and more people have changed their traditional trading behaviors and started to conduct Internet shopping. However, the exponentially increasing product information provided by Internet enterprises causes the problem of information overload, and this inevitably reduces the customer's satisfaction and loyalty. To overcome this problem, in this paper we propose a multi‐agent system that is capable of eliciting expert knowledge and of recommending optimal products for individual consumers. The recommendations are based on both product knowledge from domain experts and the customer's preferences from system–consumer interactions. In addition, the system also uses behavior patterns collected from previous consumers to predict what the current consumer may expect. Experiments have been conducted and the results show that our system can give sensible recommendations, and it is able to adapt to the most up‐to‐date preferences for the customers.
A framework of knowledge versioning management
Authors: Maliappis M. T. , Sideridis A. B.
Published: June 2004

Abstract: Knowledge is an inherently dynamic entity continuously changing and evolving. In many cases, the coexistence of different versions of the same core knowledge is a necessity. So is the availability of the proper environment and tools to deal with knowledge versioning. In this paper, a framework of knowledge versioning management is proposed and implemented dealing with hybrid knowledge representation models using frames and rules. This framework facilitates knowledge version handling and maintenance, improving, in parallel, knowledge sharing and reuse. Knowledge components are stored in a set of tables and handled as data under the auspices of a database management system. The proper structure of tables and their relationships allows the creation of independent knowledge modules. Several knowledge modules can be assembled to construct higher level modules, which finally form versions of knowledge. Corresponding knowledge base versions consist of several knowledge modules easy to handle and process in various application areas. The proposed framework has been implemented and thoroughly examined in an application area of great importance, such as pest management.
Patriotism, Universalism and the Scottish Conventions, 1792–1794
Authors: PENTLAND GORDON
Published: June 2004

Scottish radicalism in the 1790s was informed by indigenous ideologies and traditions and by the more universalist ideology associated with the American and French revolutions and with the writings of Thomas Paine. Scottish, English and Irish radicals also operated in a British context, and throughout the decade they contested the language of British patriotism with the state and loyalists who sought to represent all radicals as essentially foreign. This article investigates the radical conventions held in Edinburgh between 1792 and 1794, which culminated in the British Convention. The majority of delegates who attended were from Scottish societies, but English radicals played prominent roles in its proceedings. The British Convention sat in the context of war with revolutionary France, when patriotism was at a premium, and was broken up by the government, who tried its leaders for sedition. At the convention, delegates appealed to a British ‘constitutional idiom’ to justify and legitimize their actions. This language was not only flexible enough to incorporate aspects of other ideological justifications for political reform, both secular and religious, but also allowed radicals to articulate an alternative British patriotism to that espoused by loyalists.
Globalism, Hegemonism and British Power: J. A. Hobson and Alfred Zimmern Reconsidered
Authors: PEATLING G. K.
Published: June 2004

Interpretations of British imperial history which highlight the role played in the decline of the British empire by misguided gestures of appeasement, and particularly by supercilious internal anti‐imperial critics, have recent been influentially restated within and outside of historical scholarship. Such analysis however is characterized by inadequate assessment of the nature of debate within Britain about the empire during key phases of history. This article considers the ideas of the leading intellectuals Alfred Eckhard Zimmern and John Atkinson Hobson as exemplars of opposed positions taken in that debate in the context of imperial Britain's global strength in the years before and at the start of the First World War. Within this debate, however, Zimmern and Hobson agreed on many fundamentals, not least on the significant potential for good possessed by British imperial power. This case study demonstrates that it is usually desirable for students of history to avoid analogical modes of argument in foreign policy by demonstrating the complexity of decision‐making therein. It also suggests, however, that internal dissent and weakness is likely to be less of a source of difficulty in the world's predominant power – even in one that frequently underpins international order – than is commonly assumed.
Changing patterns of human resource management in contemporary China: WTO accession and enterprise responses
Authors: Zhu Ying , Warner Malcolm
Published: June 2004

This study examines the increasingly complex challenges facing human resource management (HRM) in China following the country's accession to the WTO and, consequently, the implications for further reform of government policy and enterprise‐level HRM practices. The article concludes that current HR practices among enterprises vary depending on ownership, industrial sector, location and history. The direction of future changes may depend on the level of involvement from external forces as well as internal strategies adopted by Chinese enterprises to survive.
Union recognition in Britain's offshore oil and gas industry: implications of the Employment Relations Act 1999
Authors: Woolfson Charles , Beck Matthias
Published: June 2004

The Employment Relations Act 1999 (ERA) has provided trade unions in the UK with new opportunities for achieving recognition. After a long history of anti‐unionism in the offshore oil and gas industry, employers have voluntarily ceded recognition to Trades Union Congress (TUC)‐affiliated trade unions. The legitimacy of this recognition process has been contested by the non‐TUC Offshore Industry Liaison Committee (OILC), an offshore workers’ union, seeking to act as a recognised bargaining agent. The ERA may be promoting ‘business friendly’ agreements at the expense of claims to recognition of other bargaining agents and of democratic employee choice.
On the Future of Keynesian Economics
Authors: AHIAKPOR JAMES C. W.
Published: June 2004

Abstract.  Keynesianism continues to lose its dominance in macroeconomics. New Keynesians attempt to rescue it from irrelevance with models recognizing (1) the noninstantaneous adjustment of product prices, (2) imperfect knowledge, and (3) nonclearing labor markets. But these are conditions recognized in classical macroeconomics. The new, post‐, and neoclassical Keynesians also seem to be unaware that the five principal pillars upon which Keynes founded his economics, including his conception of saving, the multiplier process, and theory of interest, are badly flawed. Confronting evidence of these flaws will turn the future of Keynesianism into one of a struggle to sustain a dimming light.
Reisman's Net Consumption, Net Investment Theory of Aggregate Profit
Authors: KIRKPATRICK JERRY
Published: June 2004

Abstract.  This paper presents the essentials of George Reisman's net consumption, net investment theory of aggregate profit as discussed in Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics. The paper then relates Reisman's ideas to those of Austrian School economists Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard. Delimiting time preference to determining the rate of net consumption, the primary determinant of aggregate profit, Reisman argues that under an invariable money, a one‐time increase in the rate of saving is sufficient to stimulate an increase in the supply of capital goods indefinitely. Reisman thereby rejects the claim that capital accumulation causes a falling rate of profit.
An Examination of the Link Between Employment Volatility and the Spatial Distribution of Property Crime Rates
Authors: BAUSMAN KENT , GOE W. RICHARD
Published: June 2004

Abstract.  Recent criminological research has produced inconsistent findings in its attempts to establish a statistical relationship between economic marginalization and the spatial distribution of crime rates. This paper contends that this inconsistency is partly attributable to the way in which economic marginalization has been conceptually defined and measured. By focusing strictly on unemployment and poverty as the processes that produce economic marginalization, researchers have ignored other important economic dynamics that can marginalize workers and provide an environment conducive to crime. Further, commonly used indicators of economic marginalization, such as the unemployment rate and poverty rate, fail to measure the full range of dynamics that produce marginalization. It is our contention that employment volatility represents an important source of economic marginalization that can help foster higher levels of criminal activity. This hypothesis is tested using regression procedures to analyze the effects of employment volatility measures and frequently identified structural correlates of crime on change in the rate of property crime offenses across 683 U.S. metropolitan counties during the 1980–1983 period. The findings suggest that high levels of employment volatility are conducive to the maintenance of higher levels of property crime in general, as well as less severe forms of property crime such as larceny, when such crimes are examined on an individual basis.
Cultural Relativism and the Savage
Authors: SHONE STEVE J.
Published: June 2004

Abstract. Judged by his political and economic writings, the 19th‐century thinker William Graham Sumner (1840–1910) is a conservative, a Social Darwinist, and something of a libertarian, who looked down on members of less developed cultures. However, as a sociologist, he is remembered for formulating the distinction between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism, and is considered an early contributor to multiculturalism theory. Is it simply the case that Sumner was inconsistent, or have his works perhaps been misunderstood?
After‐Life Consumption and Charitable Giving
Authors: HRUNG WARREN B.
Published: June 2004

Abstract.  Most studies of charitable giving only examine total charitable contributions. This paper finds that contributions to religious organizations should be studied separately from contributions to nonreligious organizations. The results are consistent with theoretical predictions that religious giving is fundamentally different from nonreligious giving. Religious giving is assumed to directly influence after‐life consumption, while nonreligious giving is not related to after‐life consumption. While contributions to both increase with income, contributions to religious organizations also increase with age. There is no relationship between age and contributions to nonreligious organizations. Also, as income rises, religious contributions fall as a share of total giving.
From Public Support for the Arts to Cultural Policy
Authors: Wyszomirski Margaret
Published: June 2004

Although public funding for the arts had been an element of budget and appropriations business at both the federal and state levels for over a quarter century, the idea that policy justifies and directs these resource allocations has been slow to emerge. This article provides a historiographical discussion of how the issue was framed and of the resistance to the term “cultural policy” through reference to contextual, political, and epistemic factors. It then uses four presidential reports ranging from 1953 to 1997 to track the evolution of political language concerning the policy definition of the arts and culture, the roles and responsibilities of the federal government regarding these, and the emergence of a range of policy issues beyond public funding.
Old Pictures in New Frames: Issue Definition and Federal Arts Policy
Authors: Strom Elizabeth , Cook Angela
Published: June 2004

Over the past three decades, those advocating for arts funding have shifted their arguments. When the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) was created in 1965, its supporters praised arts and culture for their uplifting qualities, and for their ability to counterbalance trends toward materialism and militarism. By the 1990s, arts advocates were far more likely to use instrumentalist arguments, showing that investment in arts and culture produce other desirable benefits, most notably economic development advances. This article reviews the changing discourse of arts advocacy in several ways: (1) by reviewing and coding Congressional debates on arts funding from 1965–2000, (2) reviewing arts coverage in the New York Times and selected arts periodicals during this same time period. Comparing this case to others in the literature on policy redefinition, the paper argues that cultural advocates have consciously reframed their arguments to broaden their appeal in the face new and more threatening opposition.
Gender Difference in the Non‐Specific and Specific Immune Response in Humans
Authors: Bouman Annechien , Schipper Martin , Heineman Maas Jan , Faas Marijke M.
Published: June 2004

Problem:  The purpose of this present ex vivo study is to get insight in the sex differences of the basic non‐specific and specific immune response.

Method of study:  Intracellular types 1 and 2 cytokine production by stimulated male and female lymphocytes and monocytes in a whole blood preparation was measured by flow cytometry.

Results:  Increased percentage interleukin (IL)‐12, IL‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α producing monocytes and decreased percentage IL‐2 producing lymphocytes, i.e. type 1 cytokine, were found in men as compared with women.

Conclusion:  These results suggest a gender difference in the balance between the specific and non‐specific immune response, i.e. a more profound and higher state of excitation of the non‐specific immune response and relative suppression of the cellular immune response of the specific immune system in men as compared with women.
Subpopulations of Mouse Testicular Macrophages and their Immunoregulatory Function
Authors: Bryniarski Krzysztof , Szczepanik Marian , Maresz Katarzyna , Ptak Maria , Ptak Włodzimierz
Published: June 2004

Problem:  Testicular macrophages (TMf) participate together with Sertoli cells in formation of blood–testis barrier. The present experiments were aimed to test their immunoregulatory functions in vivo and in vitro.

Method of study:  TMf were purified by glass adherence, rosetting with opsonized erythrocytes and fractionation on discontinuous Percoll gradient (over 95% purity). Their antigen‐presenting capacity in humoral and cell‐mediated responses was tested in vitro (Mishell–Dutton cultures, proliferation assay) and in vivo (induction of contact sensitivity reaction).

Results:  TMf represent a heterogeneous cell population. Heavier Percoll fractions produce little transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β and are efficient antigen‐presenting cells in humoral and cell‐mediated immune responses. Lighter fractions produce high amounts of TGF‐β and are rather tolerogenic than immunogenic. Their immunosuppressive activity can be prevented by treatment of TMf donors with cyclophosphamide or in vitro by anti‐TGF‐β monoclonal antibody. In non‐separated TMf population the immunosuppressive activity prevails.

Conclusions:  Subpopulation of TMf able to trigger specific immune responses is present in the testis but remains under control of other TMf subpopulation which minimizes the risk of development of autoimmune reactions.
Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss of Unknown Cause
Authors: Prigoshin Norma , Tambutti M. , Larriba J. , Gogorza S. , Testa R.
Published: June 2004

Problem:  According to previous investigations, certain cytokines may play a role in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Significantly different levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines are produced by normal pregnant women compared with women with RPL of unknown cause.

Objective:  We have studied the polymorphism of cytokine genes which are related to the amount of the cytokine produced. High (H), intermediate (I) and low (L) cytokine responses can be predicted from the cytokine genotype.

Material and Methods:  The genetic polymorphism of Th1 cytokine [i.e. interferon (IFN)‐γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α] and Th2 cytokines [i.e. interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐10] and the transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β were studied by polymerase chain reaction‐sequence specific primers (PCR‐SSP) in the DNA of PBC from 41 women with RPL and 54 control women who had at least two children and without known pregnancy losses.

Results:  The results showed: (i) no evidence of associations between patients and controls concerning the Th1: TNF‐α; the Th2: IL‐6 and IL‐10 and the TGF‐β genotype, (ii) significative association between RPL versus controls concerning IFN‐γ +874 A → T: T/A genotype was increased in the patient group in comparison with the control group (65% versus 35.8%) (P = 0.01) and there was a statistical disminution in the frequency of the A/A (L) genotype between the patient groups in comparison with the control group (20% versus 41.5%) (P = 0.04).

Conclusion:  This finding would support the concept of involvement of IFN‐γ +874 A → T in the pathogenesis of RPL of unknown cause in the Caucasian Argentine population.
The Approach to Conception for Women with Seminal Plasma Protein Hypersensitivity
Authors: Resnick David J. , Hatzis Dimitrios C. , Kanganis Polly , Liccardi Frederick L. , Lee‐Wong Mary , Bernstein Jonathan A.
Published: June 2004

Problem:  Allergic reactions to human seminal plasma protein has become increasingly recognized in the medical community. Treatment for most allergic conditions usually begins with avoidance of the offending allergen. For women with seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity (SPH) who desire to conceive, this approach is unacceptable. We describe a case report of a woman with an SPH who desired to have unprotected intercourse in order to conceive.

Methods:  The patient underwent skin prick testing to her fiancé's fresh undiluted semen. Serum‐specific IgG and IgE was performed by ELISA to the fiancé's whole seminal plasma and seminal plasma proteins (SPP). The patient underwent an intravaginal graded challenge to whole seminal fluid. Intrauterine insemination with washed spermatozoa was attempted but in vitro fertilization was subsequently required.

Results:  The patient had a positive prick test to whole seminal plasma but negative specific IgG and IgE ELISA to SPPs. An intravaginal graded challenge to whole seminal plasma was well tolerated. However, she experienced a subsequent severe local reaction after unprotected intercourse. She deferred treatment with systemic desensitization to relevant SPPs. She failed intrauterine insemination but successfully conceived with in vitro fertilization.

Conclusion:  This case report emphasizes that SPH is not associated with sterility. It also indicates that whole seminal plasma graded challenge is not uniformly successful for the treatment of SPH.
Perlecan and Syndecan‐4 in Uterine Tissues during the Early Pregnancy in Mice
Authors: San Martin S. , Soto‐Suazo M. , Zorn T. M. T.
Published: June 2004

Problem:  During early pregnancy in mice, there is recruitment of specific immune cells, remodeling of the endometrium, cell differentiation and synthesis of new molecules.

Method of study:  Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the distribution of perlecan and syndecan‐4 in the uteri before and after embryo implantation.

Results:  During pre‐implantation, perlecan was identified in basement membranes and extracellular spaces of the endometrial stroma. In contrast, expression of syndecan‐4 was quite weak. In the peri‐implantation period, perlecan remained in the basement membranes, and it was no longer observed in the stroma and it was identified in the embryonic cells. On day 4 of pregnancy, syndecan‐4 increased in the fibroblasts of the subepithelial stroma. After implantation, syndecan‐4 was pronounced in pre‐decidual and mature decidual cells.

Conclusions:  The coordinate balance between the pre‐ and post‐implantation periods suggests a role of these two molecules in the adaptive modification of the uterine microenvironment to receive and implant the embryo.