bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting new product creation in the Mondragón Valley
Authors: MacGregor Steven P. , Arana Joseba , Parra Igor , Pilar Lorenzo Ma.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

Within the Mondragón Valley – an industrial heartland in the Basque Country, in the North of Spain – there has been a growing need for a practical model of the new product development (NPD) process which fulfils a variety of needs, notably the integration of strategy and technology considerations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a review of the state of the art in the NPD field, focusing on the use and limitations of both established and newer models for guiding product development. This is combined with the experiences of managing real NPD projects for companies in the Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa over the past several years.

Findings

The paper presents the Ikerlan new product creation (NPC) model, designed primarily in response to area needs, which attempts to combine the most useful aspects of existing NPD models.

Research limitations/implications

In the first instance, the model is created for use by companies in the Mondragón Valley – therefore it may not be possible to generalise findings, yet the paper may be instructive in showcasing the real industrial innovation needs of a European region. The model evolved from several notable works in the NPD community which may address these limitations in part.

Practical implications

The model may be used as a basic guide for aspects including NPD outsourcing, idea generation and, ultimately, reducing time to market. This is specifically tailored to companies in the Mondragón Valley. However, depending on the operating context certain aspects may be transferable to other European areas.

Originality/value

The paper details the industrial context, introducing the Mondragón cooperative – the largest industrial cooperative in the world with over 100 companies in seven industrial sectors – the academic context, discussing state of the art in NPD processes and models, and concludes with short industrial cases which show the potential use of the developed model. As such, insight is presented into a European area with a tradition of innovation, together with some of the challenges it faces in the years ahead. A new NPD model, combining the most useful aspects of existing models may also be of use to certain members of the academic and industrial communities.
Achieving internal process benchmarking: guidance from BASF
Authors: Binder Mario , Clegg Ben , Egel‐Hess Wolfgang
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of the work discussed in this paper is to understand, analyse and benchmark the “Packing and Filling” processes within BASF. A benchmarking project is described in detail which aimed to cover sites in different countries that supplied many different variants of finished goods in order to establish best practice and then to generate some options for their implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The project used an adaptation of accepted benchmarking methodology combined with other techniques (such as rich picture generation, and cluster analysis) to maximise the insight generated.

Findings

The findings of the research showed that one of the main factors effecting the process was how third parties were used (e.g. extent and nature of out‐sourcing, and its degree of centralisation).

Research limitations/implications

The exercise was challenged by the selection of suitably similar benchmarking candidates because the environment was complex and highly varied; the paper explains practical solutions for dealing with this challenge.

Practical limitations

Strategic and tactical options are outlined at the end of the paper and will have applicability to other organisations and industries that are looking to find the answers to frequently asked questions about how to successfully implement an internal process benchmarking project in a large complex organisation that has high variety in end products and delivery methods.

Originality/value

The methodology described in this paper is of a proprietary and unique nature. The paper is structured around some key questions commonly asked of benchmarking, and the answers are provided via a real in‐depth case study from BASF that spans 4 sites in 3 countries using 15 different filling lines.
Linking strategy into operational management
Authors: Haapasalo Harri , Ingalsuo Kari , Lenkkeri Timo
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find a means of connecting strategic management and operative performance measurement.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper focuses on the balanced scorecard (BSC), its levels of use and utilization, the influence of specific features, the most used metrics and features of successful implementation of the BSC in the energy sector. The paper is based on empirical interviews with 16 locally operating energy companies and business units of larger corporations. BSC is a wide spread strategic management system which originated in the early 1990s. The aim of the BSC is to facilitate in depth discussion about a company's vision, strategy and critical success factors and translate them into specific measures and objectives in action.

Findings

The study shows that maintaining a vision and a strategy has not been very prevalent in Finnish electricity companies. However, the deregulation of the energy markets in Finland, from the mid‐1990s, has increased the competition and made maintaining a strategy all the more important. Adjustment to this deregulation and the large number of different businesses are special features of the electricity sector. It can be concluded that benchmarking on other industries, where BSC has been in use, leads to better results faster in the energy sector. However, it has to be noted that strategy and management have to be seen as a unique set of activities. In the construction phase of the BSC, the process of searching for the metrics is more important than finding them.

Originality/value

The paper offers insights into linking strategy into operational management.
Adoption of low mobility services: “Little‐Smart” in China as a case
Authors: Tan Zixiang (Alex) , Chen Hsiang , Liu Xiaozhong
Published: October 2006

Purpose

This paper documents and examines the course of the Little‐Smart deployment in China by looking closely at the technology comparison, demand pull and supply push, as well as government regulations.

Design/methodology/approach

It deploys an empirical approach and relies on second‐hand statistical data and some interviews.

Findings

Findings suggest that the competitive advantages, including the price difference between low mobility services and cellular phone services, are the most significant drivers for the fast deployment and growth of low mobility services including PHS and Little‐Smart service, with the aid of other non‐economic factors. The changing landscape in China's wireless market, including possible significant drop of cellular phone service prices as well as overall business and regulatory dynamics, will create an uncertain future for the Little‐Smart service to move through its product life cycle in the next few years.

Originality/value

Findings of this study could be significant both for China and for other countries to optimize their strategies for low mobility services.
Evaluation of small on‐site wastewater treatment systems
Authors: Hellström Daniel , Jonsson Lena
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of the project was to evaluate and demonstrate new solutions for decreasing the discharges from on‐site wastewater treatment plants.

Design/methodology/approach

The study evaluated several on‐site wastewater treatment plants. Seven of the investigated facilities were package plants, two were urine separating plants with large sand filters, two had storage tanks to collect wastewater separated from toilets and compact sand filters, and, finally, four had chemical precipitation in combination with large sand filters.

Findings

All of the systems have shown that they are able to remove more than 90 per cent of the phosphorus and more than 90 per cent of the organic matter. The sorting systems also give very low local emissions of nitrogen. To guarantee that the package plants perform well and manage to fulfil high reduction demands, there is a need for well functioning organisations for supervision and operation. The source separating systems require well‐informed and motivated users to achieve low discharges.

Originality/value

This study has been followed with great interest by national and local environmental authorities. Such ambitious evaluation of different on‐site wastewater treatment systems has never been done before in Sweden. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is expected to soon publish new demands for these systems. The results from the project have been an important input for the proposal of new national regulations.
Impact of energy pricing on buildings' energy design
Authors: Papadopoulos Agis M. , Stylianou Antis , Oxizidis Simos
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of energy pricing on the implementation of low energy design principles in buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

The problem of rising air‐conditioning loads is not simply a matter of availability of power‐plants, but also one of the limited time periods over which demand peaks occur. The relationship between the feasibility of technical solutions and pricing policies of electricity is examined by means of a Greek case study, which is representative for Southern Europe.

Findings

The paper finds that in conventional air‐conditioning systems the impact of the peak cooling demand on the building's capital expenditure is low, compared to the operational expenses over the buildings' life cycle. In that sense the latter's reduction lies in the interest of the building's user, rather than the investor. If, however, changes in the pricing policies were to be adopted, annual operational expenses would more than double, making energy saving measures far more attractive. Such a scenario would reflect the Californian experience of 2000. However, it is misleading to think only of covering the demand, which is a product of the building's characteristics. Passive cooling techniques are very efficient in reducing the building's cooling load. The challenge lies in the integration of such techniques and solar cooling technologies, resulting thus in feasible solutions.

Practical implications

The evaluation of energy conservation techniques should be considered under the criterion of embodying the actual marginal operational cost of a utility to its rates, when providing peak loads.

Originality/value

The paper rejects the false dilemma of passive vs active energy conservation approaches, and demonstrates that on the long run the “business as usual” way of keeping electricity rates fairly flat is not only impracticable, but also destructive for energy conservation as such.
Corporate governance codes in the European Union
Authors: Hermes Niels , Postma Theo J.B.M. , Zivkov Orestis
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to analyze to what extent the contents of corporate governance codes of countries in the European Union are driven by external (internationally accepted corporate governance best practices) or domestic (institutions, culture, etc.) forces.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper compares the contents of codes with the priorities set by the European Commission with respect to modernising company law and enhancing corporate governance in the European Union.

Findings

The analysis shows that the majority of the codes of the European Union countries are not in full accordance with the priorities of the European Commission. This may reflect that codes are driven by both external and domestic forces. Whether there is a difference between Western European and Central and Eastern European countries in this respect is also investigated, but no difference, at least at the aggregate level of the codes of both groups of countries has been found.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis excludes five (prospective) European Union members. The analysis does not provide a comprehensive overview of domestic determinants of why codes of individual countries diverge from the European Union communication. Future research should systematically explore whether and to what extent domestic forces are indeed determining the contents of codes and, if so, which country‐specific forces have an impact on establishing code contents.

Originality/value

This paper is the first comprehensive attempt to analyse the contents of corporate governance codes. Such an analysis is important to understand the underlying forces that shape the diffusion of codes and their contents.
Changing institutional environment and business élites in Turkey
Authors: Yamak Sibel
Published: October 2006

Purpose

Historical and institutional influences on the backgrounds of business élites have received little attention despite the fact that they are closely related to corporate governance issues. The present study aims to examine the issue of continuity and change in the characteristics of the business élite over a period of some 60 years between 1923 and 1980 in Turkey, a late‐industrializing country, where significant changes have taken place in the politico‐economic environment of business and the context of industrial development has evolved from étatisme towards family‐dominated big business.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper attempts to substantiate the arguments on the institutional roots of business élite characteristics by drawing upon all previous studies conducted on Turkish business élites for the period 1923‐1980. For comparative purposes the study also makes reference to other élite groups in the country, namely, managers of state economic enterprise and upper echelons in the state bureaucracy.

Findings

Continuity and change in business élites seem to be closely related to alterations in the politico‐economic environment. For the “managerial” class, while business experience might have been most important in the early years of the republic, high‐level education has clearly been a pre‐condition in the latter period. High education level and political capital of “bureaucrat‐managers” may have eased one‐way flow of professionals from state to private sector, especially following the “ruralizing elections” in this state‐dependent context.

Originality/value

This paper thus especially aims to unravel the genesis and development of business professionals, a subgroup of business élites who have been neglected so far in Turkish management literature.
From imitation to creation: the critical yet uncertain transition for Chinese firms
Authors: Xie Wei , White Steven
Published: October 2006

Purpose

This paper aims to consolidate prior research from policy and management domains to identify stages in China's technological learning within the imitation paradigm during 1949‐2001, focusing on changes in the government's strategic priorities and policies and the nature, mode and sources of technological learning, then to contrast the firm and institutional features that have emerged under the imitation paradigm with those defining the emerging creation paradigm. The analysis leads to clear implications for both policy and management for the Chinese firms to make this transition and compete in higher value‐added global industries.

Design/methodology/approach

An overview and conceptual paper based on observations and literature review.

Findings

This paper derives a parsimonious set of four dimensions to demarcate five stages in the evolution of China's technological learning: the government's strategic priority, nature of technology, the mode and the source of learning. It identifies six factors acting as significant impediments to Chinese firms' transition from imitation to creation.

Originality/value

In the first place, this paper provides managerial implications which are of great interest to Chinese practicing managers to manage their firms' transition from imitation to creation; second, the policy imperatives highlighted by this paper will help Chinese policymakers to design appropriate incentive mechanisms to enable Chinese firms to build up their competitiveness within the creation paradigm and thereby become global competitors. Meanwhile, this paper provides a systematic analysis on the evolution of China's technology development. This five stage‐based framework will help practicing managers in China understand whether, which and when Chinese firms can make the transition necessary to compete based on the creation of proprietary resources and capabilities.
Potential for international business consultancies in wastewater treatment in China
Authors: Wei Li , Wilkinson Suzanne
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the business potential for international consultancies in wastewater treatment in China using a New Zealand consultancy as an example. China's water shortage, and the requirement for innovative solutions, provides the potential for New Zealand, and other international, engineering consultancies to do business in wastewater treatment in China.

Design/methodology/approach

A detailed case study was undertaken on a New Zealand company with experience of business in China. The company's key strategic factors were identified – its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats that the company faces in China.

Findings

Based on the analysis of the case study company, a series of recommendations have been suggested for both the company's further sustainable development, and for other New Zealand and international consultancies that plan to gain access into the Chinese market. The results and discussion suggest that there are some main requirements for companies to successfully compete in the Chinese market such as developing close relationships with clients, local construction companies and design institutes; providing an effective onsite project team; having effective design capability; introducing project management skills and the use of a “one stop shop” approach to business.

Practical implications

The paper makes recommendations on how other companies might be able to compete in the Chinese market in the wastewater industry. Specifically, comments are made on developing long‐term relationships, making use of Chinese experience and developing a bi‐lingual capability.

Originality/value

There are potential opportunities for New Zealand and international companies to compete in China in the wastewater treatment field. The lessons learned from this research show what possible threats they will face but also highlight the opportunities.
Combined clear and granular cell leiomyoma of soft tissue: evidence of transformation to a histiocytic phenotype
Authors: Dobashi Y , Iwabuchi K , Nakahata J , Yanagimoto K , Kameya T
Published: October 2006

Aims

We present an unusual case of leiomyoma with a clear and granular cell pattern in which there was immunohistochemical evidence of transformation to a histiocytic phenotype.

Methods and results

A 64‐year‐old man presented with mild scrotal swelling and pain. A local excision was performed after the clinical diagnosis of epidermal inclusion cyst. In the pathological specimen, another tumour nodule was identified which was composed predominantly of clear cells, with an occasional mixture of granular cells. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated positive staining for vimentin, lysozyme, CD68 and HAM56, but complete negativity for desmin, α‐smooth muscle actin, HHF35, S100 protein, neurone‐specific enolase and CD34. Ultrastructural study revealed dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, glycogen granules, abundant vacuolar structures and also thin microfilaments with subplasmalemmal dense bodies.

Conclusions

Based on these findings, we have interpreted it to be a rare case of leiomyoma with extensive clear cell and granular cell degeneration (combined clear and granular cell leiomyoma). This complete transformation of the immunohistochemical profile into the histiocytic phenotype has not been previously described in the literature.
Tumour responding accessory cells in testicular seminoma: an immunohistochemical study
Authors: Cope N J , McCullagh P , Sarsfield P T L
Published: October 2006

Aim

To investigate the role of accessory cells (and other chronic inflammatory cells) in the host immune response to testicular seminoma by defining their immunophenotypic characteristics and topographical arrangement.

Methods and results

A panel of antibodies applicable to paraffin‐embedded tissues was employed to characterize the host chronic inflammatory response in eight cases of classical testicular seminoma. The antibodies were directed against CD45RO, CD20, CD68, acid cysteine proteinase inhibitor (ACPI), MAC387, muramidase (MUR), S100 protein, Factor XIIIa, CD21 and HLA Class II. In all cases the majority of the inflammatory cells were T‐lymphocytes situated mainly in areas of apparent tumour destruction. Large numbers of macrophages/dendritic cells which had not been evident by conventional light microscopy were also demonstrated. In particular, an immunophenotypically distinct population of accessory cells showing a specific pattern of distribution was revealed. It clearly rimmed islands of tumour and showed strong positive staining for CD68, MAC387 and HLA Class II.

Conclusion

The study has identified an immunophenotypically distinct population of accessory cells showing a characteristic topographical arrangement. It is proposed that it represents a subpopulation of macrophages which are responding directly to the tumour and are likely to play a part in influencing tumour dynamics.
Genetics of recent habitat contraction and reduction in population size: does isolation by distance matter?
Authors: LEBLOIS RAPHAEL , ESTOUP ARNAUD , STREIFF REJANE
Published: October 2006

Fragmentation and loss of natural habitats are recognized as major threats to contemporary flora and fauna. Detecting past or current reductions in population size is therefore a major aim in conservation genetics. Statistical methods developed to this purpose have tended to ignore the effects of spatial population structure. However in many species, individual dispersal is restricted in space and fine‐scale spatial structure such as isolation by distance (IBD) is commonly observed in continuous populations. Using a simulation‐based approach, we investigated how comparative and single‐point methods, traditionally used in a Wright–Fisher (WF) population context for detecting population size reduction, behave for IBD populations. We found that a complex ‘quartet’ of factors was acting that includes restricted dispersal, population size (i.e. habitat size), demographic history, and sampling scale. After habitat reduction, IBD populations were characterized by a stronger inertia in the loss of genetic diversity than WF populations. This inertia increases with the strength of IBD, and decreases when the sampling scale increases. Depending on the method used to detect a population size reduction, a local sampling can be more informative than a sample scaled to habitat size or vice versa. However, IBD structure led in numerous cases to incorrect inferences on population demographic history. The reanalysis of a real microsatellite data set of skink populations from fragmented and intact rainforest habitats confirmed most of our simulation results.
Hybridization between mtDNA‐defined phylogeographic lineages of black ratsnakes (Pantherophissp.)
Authors: GIBBS H. LISLE , COREY SARAH J. , BLOUIN‐DEMERS GABRIEL , PRIOR KENT A. , WEATHERHEAD PATRICK J.
Published: October 2006

Phylogeographic analyses using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have revealed many examples of apparently deep historical subdivisions (‘phylogroups’) within many vertebrates. It remains unclear whether these phylogroups represent independently evolving, adaptively differentiated lineages or groups that show little functional differentiation and, hence, will merge on contact. Here, we use mtDNA sequence data to evaluate the phylogeographic relationships between two of the northernmost populations of black ratsnakes (Pantherophis obsoletuscomplex) in Ontario, Canada and previously analysed populations in the United States. We then use population‐level analyses to evaluate the level of adaptive divergence between previously established mtDNA phylogroups. Phylogenetic analyses show that southern Ontario snakes have mtDNA haplotypes that fall within the Central mtDNA phylogroup, as designated byBurbrinket al. (2000). In contrast, snakes in eastern Ontario carry either Central or Eastern‐specific haplotypes. Within the hybrid region, we found highly variable frequencies of mtDNA haplotypes among isolated sub‐populations, no association between variation in cytonuclear (mtDNA) and nuclear (microsatellite DNA) markers, no difference in survival or reproductive success among snakes with different mtDNA haplotypes, and no effect of mate similarity in mtDNA on female clutch size. These results argue that the Eastern and Central phylogroups have merged in this region, likely due to a lack of adaptive differentiation between individuals in each lineage. Hence, in these snakes, phylogeographic structure in mtDNA is more a reflection of historical isolation rather than adaptive divergence. The observed reticulation between lineages and lack of evidence for hybrid disgenesis also bears on the classification of these lineages as distinct species.
Evolution of whole‐body enantiomorphy in the tree snail genus Amphidromus
Authors: SUTCHARIT C. , ASAMI T. , PANHA S.
Published: October 2006

Diverse animals exhibit left–right asymmetry in development. However, no example of dimorphism for the left–right polarity of development (whole‐body enantiomorphy) is known to persist within natural populations. In snails, whole‐body enantiomorphs have repeatedly evolved as separate species. Within populations, however, snails are not expected to exhibit enantiomorphy, because of selection against the less common morph resulting from mating disadvantage. Here we present a unique example of evolutionarily stable whole‐body enantiomorphy in snails. Our molecular phylogeny of South‐east Asian tree snails in the genus Amphidromus indicates that enantiomorphy has likely persisted as the ancestral state over a million generations. Enantiomorphs have continuously coexisted in every population surveyed spanning a period of 10 years. Our results indicate that whole‐body enantiomorphy is maintained within populations opposing the rule of directional asymmetry in animals. This study implicates the need for explicit approaches to disclosure of a maintenance mechanism and conservation of the genus.
Repeatability and heritability of reproductive traits in free‐ranging snakes
Authors: BROWN G. P. , SHINE R.
Published: October 2006

The underlying genetic basis of life‐history traits in free‐ranging animals is critical to the effects of selection on such traits, but logistical constraints mean that such data are rarely available. Our long‐term ecological studies on free‐ranging oviparous snakes (keelbacks,Tropidonophis mairii(Gray, 1841), Colubridae) on an Australian floodplain provide the first such data for any tropical reptile. All size‐corrected reproductive traits (egg mass, clutch size, clutch mass and post‐partum maternal mass) were moderately repeatable between pairs of clutches produced by 69 female snakes after intervals of 49–1152 days, perhaps because maternal body condition was similar between clutches. Parent–offspring regression of reproductive traits of 59 pairs of mothers and daughters revealed high heritability for egg mass (h2 = 0.73, SE = 0.24), whereas heritability for the other three traits was low (< 0.37). The estimated heritability of egg mass may be inflated by maternal effects such as differential allocation of yolk steroids to different‐sized eggs. High heritability of egg size may be maintained (rather than eroded by stabilizing selection) because selection acts on a trait (hatchling size) that is determined by the interaction between egg size and incubation substrate rather than by egg size alone. Variation in clutch size was mainly because of environmental factors (h2 = 0.04), indicating that one component of the trade‐off between egg size and clutch size is under much tighter genetic control than the other. Thus, the phenotypic trade‐off between egg size and egg number in keelback snakes occurs because each female snake must allocate a finite amount of energy into eggs of a genetically determined size.
Noninvasive serum markers in the diagnosis of structural liver damage in chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Parise Edison R. , Oliveira Ana C. , Figueiredo‐Mendes Cláudio , Lanzoni Valéria , Martins João , Nader Helena , Ferraz Maria L.
Published: October 2006

Abstract: Aim: Several noninvasive markers are being used to assess the structural liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We evaluated the capacity of serum hyaluronic acid (HA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ALT ratio, the AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) and γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels to predict the intensity of hepatic fibrosis in patients with CHC.

Patients and methods: In a total of 206 hepatitis C virus RNA‐positive biopsied patients, AST, ALT, GGT levels, platelet count and serum HA concentration were determined. The APRI was calculated as the ratio of AST to platelets.

Results: HA levels were best correlated with disease stage (r=−0.694; P<0.001). In the diagnosis of significant fibrosis (F2–F4), HA levels [AUC=0.879, 95% CI (0.832–0.927)] and APRI [AUC=0.824 (0.772–0.903)] were the markers with the best diagnostic accuracy. These parameters also best identified the presence of cirrhosis (F4), with an AUC of 0.908 (0.868–0.949) for HA and of 0.837 (0.772–0.903) for APRI.

Conclusion: Serum HA was the parameter that alone presented the best diagnostic accuracy in the assessment of hepatic fibrosis in CHC. The APRI showed a better diagnostic sensitivity than GGT levels or the AST/ALT ratio. Its simple determination and low cost make this index a valid alternative for the noninvasive staging of CHC.
The Epidemiology of Stroke in the East Asian Region: A Literature-Based Review
Authors: Burke Thomas A. , Venketasubramanian Ramani N.
Published: October 2006

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Our objective was to review comparable studies of stroke incidence, prevalence, and subtypes in the East Asian region. English language epidemiologic studies of stroke published from 1984 through 2004 were identified for the East Asian region (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, North and South Korea and the ASEAN countries). The Sudlow–Warlow criteria were modified to identify comparable studies. Stroke epidemiology is relatively well characterized in China, Taiwan, and Japan; however, little information is available for other countries. Four studies of stroke incidence, from China, Taiwan, and Japan, were identified, which reported a total of 4995 first-ever stroke events. There was an over twofold difference in the age-adjusted incidence of stroke between the Chinese Seven Cities and Okinawa study (483 vs 201 per 100 000). The 1-month case fatality rate ranged from 12·7% to 17·3%. Only one population-based study on stroke prevalence, from Taiwan, was identified: Studies show the relatively high proportion of hemorrhagic stroke (30%). Stroke epidemiology is relatively well characterized in China, Japan, and Taiwan but not in other countries in the region. More recent data are needed to monitor stroke prevention efforts and guide planning of health care resources in the region.
The Neglected Burden of Stroke in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Kengne Andre Pascal , Anderson Craig S.
Published: October 2006

The looming epidemic of stroke and other chronic non-communicable diseases associated with lifestyle and demographic transitions occurring all over the world is increasingly being acknowledged. However, the significance of these trends in the relatively young populations of the countries comprising Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is less certain and considerably overshadowed by attention given to the impact of human immunodeficiency virus and other infectious diseases. We undertook a literature review of the burden of stroke in SSA and provide recommendations for future research. Despite the paucity of high quality studies, the mostly hospital-based data and limited community surveys indicate there to be high and increasing rates of stroke affecting people at much younger ages in SSA than in developed countries. In general, awareness, diagnosis and management of stroke are poor, and the associated case fatality and residual disability are high. As elsewhere, elevated blood pressure is the major determinant of stroke but there are also high rates of strokes related to the complications of rheumatic heart disease and other infections. Given high attributable risks exposures in association with rapid ageing and urbanisation in SSA, the future is not bright. Population-based incidence studies are urgently needed to map the profile and outcome of stroke. Such data would provide the necessary evidence base to improve prevention and treatments for stroke alongside current efforts to bring infectious diseases under control in SSA.
Assessment of the management practices facilitating the establishment and spread of exotic diseases of pigs in the Sydney region
Authors: Schembri N , Hart K , Petersen R , Whittington R
Published: October 2006

Objective To assess management factors that would influence the establishment and spread of exotic diseases in pigs in the Sydney region.

Design Saleyard and pig producer practices that could assist the initiation and subsequent spread of exotic diseases in pigs were surveyed and assessed over a 12 month period.

Procedure Two saleyards in the Sydney region selling pigs were attended weekly for 12 months (2002–2003) to collect details on vendors and purchasers of pigs. Pig producer locations were mapped. All pig farmers on the Department of Primary Industries temporary brand register were surveyed to record management practices and knowledge of exotic diseases. Swine brands were inspected to determine their quality as a tracing mechanism.

Results There were 101 pig sale days during the survey period with 13,869 pigs sold. There were 305 vendors, of whom 95% were identifiable through saleyard records. However, only 40% of the 377 purchasers were identifiable. More than one third of the 1749 transactions were for cash without the identity of the purchaser being recorded at the saleyards. Some 3% of pigs failed to sell and were returned to the property of origin. A total of 64 of 132 pig producers in the Sydney region were surveyed and 52 responded with survey information. The production systems of pig producers were predominately intensive or semi‐intensive (88%) with 69% of these operators being small hobby producers. Pigs were mostly fed household and commercial scraps that were free of meat scraps, however, 2 producers were found to be feeding meat scraps (swill) illegally. Some 56% of producers surveyed did not have a tattoo swine brand and of the 23 producers with registered brands, 3 were not available for inspection or were not functional and 2 used the brand irregularly.

Conclusion This survey has identified factors that would assist the establishment and spread of vesicular and other exotic diseases in pigs. The factors included feeding meat scraps (swill), poor farmer knowledge of exotic diseases, ineffective pig owner identification at saleyards, the practice of cash sales that precluded the collection of purchaser details, and inadequate identification of pigs. Tracing the movements of pigs under these circumstances would be difficult.
FAULT-TOLERANT MATCHED-FIELD PROCESSING IN THE PRESENCE OF ELEMENT FAILURES
Authors: CHO KILSEOK , GEORGE ALAN D. , SUBRAMANIYAN RAJ , KIM KEONWOOK
Published: October 2006

In the highly cluttered undersea environment, sonar array systems require enhanced acoustic signal processing algorithms and sophisticated architectures in order to meet dependability and real-time mission requirements. The probability of hydrophone and processing element failures is very high in such severe operating environments. Adaptive matched-field processing (MFP) algorithms localize sources accurately with moderate levels of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and precise knowledge about environments by employing full-wave acoustic propagation models. However, they highly distort output beam patterns with significant increase of sidelobes in the presence of environmental mismatches and element failures. These problems make the development of advanced fault-tolerant signal processing algorithms imperative to tolerate the element failures in cases where replacement of defective elements is impossible or impractical. In this paper, three fault-tolerant MFP algorithms are presented to compensate for the performance degradation generated by the inherent failure characteristics of vertical line arrays. The beamforming performance and computational complexities for these fault-tolerant algorithms are analyzed in terms of the number of faulty elements, their positions in the array, and SNRs. The simulation results demonstrate that these fault-tolerant techniques provide a feasible solution for real-time and highly reliable beamforming implementation on sonar array systems.
U-CYCLES IN n-PERSON TU-GAMES WITH ONLY 1, n - 1 AND n-PERSON PERMISSIBLE COALITIONS
Authors: CESCO JUAN CARLOS , CALÍ ANA LUCÍA
Published: October 2006

It has been recently proved that the non-existence of certain type of cycles of pre-imputation, fundamental cycles, is equivalent to the balancedness of a TU-games (Cesco (2003)). In some cases, the class of fundamental cycles can be narrowed and still obtain a characterization theorem. In this paper we prove that existence of maximal U-cycles, which are related to a transfer scheme designed for computing a point in the core of a game, is condition necessary and sufficient for a TU-game be non-balanced, provided n - 1 and n-person are the only coalitions with non-zero value. These games are strongly related to games with only 1, n - 1 and n-person permissible coalitions (Maschler (1963)).
A TIME-CONSISTENT AGREEMENT IN AN INTERREGIONAL DIFFERENTIAL GAME ON POLLUTION AND TRADE
Authors: CABO FRANCISCO , ESCUDERO ELENA , MARTÍN-HERRÁN GUIOMAR
Published: October 2006

This paper studies a transboundary pollution problem between two neighbour regions as a dynamic game. These two regions do not only share an environmental problem but they are also engaged in interregional trade. A good produced in one region is traded to the other which uses it as an input. This intermediate good is supplied by the former and demanded by the latter. The supply-demand scheme determines the price and production of the intermediate good. Thus total production is fixed in both regions, and the emissions of pollutants are also determined as a by-product. Cooperation cuts down production and trade, and in consequence the emissions of pollutants. Therefore, the environmental gain from cooperation overcomes the shrink in the interregional trade. An allocation mechanism to share the surplus of cooperation is defined, which guarantees a time-consistent agreement between both regions.
DYNAMIC SELECTION IN NORMAL-FORM GAMES
Authors: MEERTENS MARC , POTTERS JOS , REIJNIERSE HANS
Published: October 2006

This paper investigates a class of dynamic selection processes for n-person normal-form games which includes the Brown-von Neumann-Nash dynamics. For (two-person) zero-sum games and for (n-person) potential games every limit set of these dynamics is a subset of the set of Nash-equilibria. Furthermore, under these dynamics the unique Nash-component of a zero-sum game is minimal asymptotically stable and for a potential game a smoothly connected component which is a local maximizer is minimal asymptotically stable.
SOLVING LARGE GAMES WITH SIMULATED FICTITIOUS PLAY
Authors: SEALE DARRYL A. , BURNETT JOHN E.
Published: October 2006

A computational procedure, Simulated Fictitious Play (SFP), is introduced to approximate equilibrium solutions for n-person, non-cooperative games with large strategy spaces. A variant of the iterative solution process fictitious play (FP), SFP is first demonstrated on several small n-person games with known solutions. In each case, SFP solutions are compared to those obtained through analytical methods. Sensitivity analyses are presented that examine the effects of iterations (repetitions of the stage game) and number of sample outcomes generated within each iteration on measures of convergence. The algorithm is then used to approximate the solution of a 20-player game, in which each player has 601 pure strategies. The resulting strategy space, 60120, or 3.78 × 1055, has proved virtually unmanageable for existing solution methods and computer software packages that employ numerical methods. The paper discusses the origins and theoretical development of FP, as well as interest in FP as a model of learning. It concludes with a discussion of both the potential and limitations of SFP.
THE DISCRETIZATION OF CONTINUUM STRATEGY SPACES
Authors: ALÓS-FERRER CARLOS
Published: October 2006

When the strategy set of a game is a continuum, its discretization may not conserve local properties even for arbitrarily fine strategy grids. This paper provides two technical lemmata which are useful to deal with these problems in particular contexts. Four applications are presented, regarding the discretization of Cournot and Bertrand oligopolies, a consumer optimization problem, and an insurance market.
CARDIAC MURMUR ANALYSIS USING THE SHORT-TIME FOURIER TRANSFORM
Authors: DEBBAL S. M. , BEREKSI-REGUIG F.
Published: October 2006

This paper describes a signal processing technique aimed at complementing cardiac auscultation in the detection of heart valve disease. The method provides a means for keeping objective records by analyzing the characteristics of the cardiac murmurs. The Short-time Fourier Transform (STFT) is used here to provide a graphic representation of the time-frequency information of the cardiac murmurs from eight different pathology cases. The graphic representation obtained shows the variation in frequency and intensity during the murmur. Some interesting observations show characteristic rising and falling tones, suggesting degrees of the pathology severity.
TWISTED CHARACTER OF A SMALL REPRESENTATION OF GL(4)
Authors: FLICKER YUVAL Z. , ZINOVIEV DMITRII
Published: October 2006

We compute by a purely local method the (elliptic) θ-twisted character χπY of the representation πY = I(3, 1)(13 × χY) of G = GL (4, F), where F is a p-adic field, p ≠ 2, and Y is an unramified quadratic extension of F; χY is the nontrivial character of F×/NY/FY×.

The representation πY is normalizedly induced from [Formula: see text], mi ∈ GL (i, F), on the maximal parabolic subgroup of type (3, 1); θ is the "transpose-inverse" involution of G.

We show that the twisted character χπY of πY is an unstable function: its value at a twisted regular elliptic conjugacy class with norm in CY = CY(F)="( GL (2, Y)/F×)F" is minus its value at the other class within the twisted stable conjugacy class. It is 0 at the classes without norm in CY. Moreover πY is the endoscopic lift of the trivial representation of CY.

We deal only with unramified Y/F, as globally this case occurs almost everywhere. The case of ramified Y/F would require another paper.

Our CY = "( R Y/F GL (2)/ GL (1))F" has Y-points CY(Y) = {(g, g′) ∈ GL (2, Y) × GL (2, Y); det (g) = det (g′)}/Y× (Y× embeds diagonally); σ(≠ 1) in Gal (Y/F) acts by σ(g, g′) = (σg′, σg). It is a θ-twisted elliptic endoscopic group of GL(4).

Naturally this computation plays a role in the theory of lifting of CY and GSp(2) to GL(4) using the trace formula, to be discussed elsewhere.

Our work extends — to the context of nontrivial central characters — the work of [7], where representations of PGL (4, F) are studied. In [7] we develop a 4-dimensional analogue of the model of the small representation of PGL (3, F) introduced by the first author and Kazhdan in [5] in a 3-dimensional case, and we extend the local method of computation introduced in [6]. As in [7] we use here the classification of twisted (stable) regular conjugacy classes in GL (4, F) of [4], motivated by Weissauer [13].
Endotoxin and cisplatin synergistically stimulate TNF-α production by renal epithelial cells
Authors: Ramesh Ganesan , Kimball Scot R. , Jefferson Leonard S. , Reeves W. Brian
Published: October 2006

Acute renal failure often occurs in the clinical setting of multiple renal insults. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cisplatin nephrotoxicity, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and endotoxin-induced acute renal failure. The current studies examined the interactions between cisplatin and endotoxin with particular emphasis on TNF-α production. Treatment of cultured murine proximal tubule cells (TKPTS cells) with cisplatin resulted in a modest production of TNF-α, while treatment with endotoxin did not result in any TNF-α production. However, the combination of cisplatin and endotoxin resulted in large amounts of TNF-α synthesis and secretion. The stimulation of TNF-α production was dependent on cisplatin-induced activation of p38 MAPK and was associated with phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF4E and its upstream kinase Mnk1. Inhibition of p38 MAPK and, to a lesser extent, ERK, reduced cisplatin+endotoxin-stimulated TNF-α production and phosphorylation of Mnk1 and eIF4E. Synergy between cisplatin and endotoxin was also observed in certain tumor cell lines, but not in macrophages. In macrophages, in contrast to TKPTS cells, endotoxin alone activated p38 MAPK and stimulated TNF-α production with no added impact by cisplatin. The combination of cisplatin and endotoxin did not result in synergistic production of other cytokines, e.g., MCP-1 and MIP2, by TKPTS cells. In summary, these studies indicate that cisplatin sensitizes renal epithelial cells to endotoxin and dramatically increases the translation of TNF-α mRNA in a p38 MAPK-dependent manner. These interactions between cisplatin and endotoxin may be relevant to the pathogenesis of cisplatin nephrotoxicity in humans.
Intermittent Ureteral Herniation – Rare Cause of Flank Pain
Authors: Remmele Waltraud M. , Prikler Ladislav , Schmid Hans-Peter , Engeler Daniel S.
Published: October 2006

Ureteral herniation is rare and difficult to diagnose, especially when intermittent, and ureterocystoneostomy using the psoas hitch or boari flap techniques have so far been used as therapeutic options. We describe ureterolysis in two cases as a successful alternative approach.