bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The measurement of environmental performance: an application of Ashby's law
Authors: Lewis Gerard J. , Stewart Neil
Published: January 2003

Ashby's law of requisite variety is a fundamental law of organizations. An implication of the law for business organizations is that they must develop sufficient information management and decision‐making capacity to cope with the complexity in the environment in which they operate.

The law has the major limitation that, for all practical purposes, variety cannot be measured; the number of states of anything other than the simplest ‘controller’ is a vast, incomputable value. However, it is possible to carry out relative studies—comparing organizations and, in this case, comparing effectiveness in different contexts. To do this, a questionnaire was used to gauge managers' perceptions of business context complexity and organizational capacity.

The paper describes a study of the UK textile industry and, in particular, the response of that industry to environmental (i.e., green) pressures and opportunities. The study was undertaken both at the level of individual companies and of the industry itself. Comparisons of performance are made between the organizations' responsiveness to their natural and commercial environments. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Induction of neuron‐like tubes and liposome networks by cooperative effect of gangliosides and phospholipids
Authors: Akiyoshi Kazunari , Itaya Ayako , Nomura Shin-ichiro M , Ono Naoaki , Yoshikawa Kenichi
Published: January 2003

Although there is a rather large abundance of gangliosides in neurons, their functional role is still unclear. We focused on a physicochemical role of gangliosides in the formation of tubular structures, such as axons or dendrites in neurons. When a ganglioside, GM3, was added to cell‐size liposomes that consisted of dioleoylphosphatidyl‐choline, tubular structures were induced and liposome networks connected by the tubes were observed by differential interference microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The potential for various gangliosides to induce tubes was dependent on the structures of their hydrophilic head group. With a large excess of gangliosides, the tubes are destabilized and small fragments, or micelles, are generated. The phenomenon was suggested by physical model calculation. Gangliosides may play a role as building material in neural unique tubular structures.
Photoreceptor synaptic protein HRG4 (UNC119) interacts with ARL2 via a putative conserved domain
Authors: Kobayashi Akira , Kubota Shinya , Mori Naoki , McLaren Margaret J. , Inana George
Published: January 2003

Human retinal gene 4 (HRG4) (UNC119) is a photoreceptor synaptic protein of unknown function, shown when mutated to cause retinal degeneration in a patient and in a confirmatory transgenic model. ADP‐ribosylation factor‐like protein 2 (ARL2) was identified as an interactor of HRG4 by the yeast two‐hybrid strategy. The presence of ARL2 in the retina and co‐localization with HRG4 was confirmed by Western blot and double immunofluorescence analysis, respectively. The interaction of ARL2 with HRG4 was further confirmed by co‐immunoprecipitation and direct binding analysis. Phosphodiesterase δ (PDEδ) is an ARL2‐binding protein homologous to HRG4. Amino acid residues of PDEδ involved in binding ARL2 and forming a hydrophobic pocket were shown to be highly conserved in HRG4, suggesting similarity in binding mechanism and function.
Isolation of a new dual‐functional caffeine synthase gene encoding an enzyme for the conversion of 7‐methylxanthine to caffeine from coffee (Coffea arabica L.)1
Authors: Mizuno Kouichi , Okuda Akira , Kato Misako , Yoneyama Naho , Tanaka Hiromi , Ashihara Hiroshi , Fujimura Tatsuhito
Published: January 2003

In coffee and tea plants, caffeine is synthesized from xanthosine via a pathway that includes three methylation steps. We report the isolation of a bifunctional coffee caffeine synthase (CCS1) clone from coffee endosperm by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique using previously reported sequence information for theobromine synthases (CTSs). The predicted amino acid sequences of CCS1 are more than 80% identical to CTSs and are about 40% similar to those of tea caffeine synthase (TCS1). Interestingly, CCS1 has dual methylation activity like tea TCS1.
A novel zinc finger transcriptional repressor, ZNF224, interacts with the negative regulatory element (AldA‐NRE) and inhibits gene expression
Authors: Medugno L. , Costanzo P. , Lupo A. , Monti M. , Florio F. , Pucci P. , Izzo P.
Published: January 2003

The interaction between the negative cis‐element (AldA‐NRE) and p97 repressor nuclear protein is a key step in modulating transcription of the human and mouse aldolase A (AldA) gene during the cell cycle and differentiation. In an attempt to clarify the role of transcriptional repression in regulating gene expression, we purified, from HeLa cells, the nuclear protein that specifically binds to the AldA negative regulatory element (NRE). Matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight analysis and examination of protein profiles from the SwissProt database revealed that the previously defined p97 repressor is ZNF224, a zinc finger protein. We demonstrate that ZNF224, a Kruppel‐like zinc finger transcription factor, is the repressor protein that specifically binds to the negative cis‐element AldA‐NRE and affects the AldA‐NRE‐mediated transcription.
Ca2+ oscillations in hepatocytes do not require the modulation of InsP3 3‐kinase activity by Ca2+
Authors: Dupont G. , Koukoui O. , Clair C. , Erneux C. , Swillens S. , Combettes L.
Published: January 2003

Receptor‐mediated production of inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (InsP3) initiates Ca2+ release and is responsible for cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations. InsP3 oscillations have also been observed in some cells. One of the enzymes controlling InsP3 catabolism, the InsP3 3‐kinase, is stimulated by Ca2+; this regulation is presumably part of the reason for InsP3 oscillations that have been observed in some cells. Here, we investigate the possible role of Ca2+‐activated InsP3 catabolism on the characteristics of the InsP3‐induced Ca2+ oscillations. Numerical simulations show that if it is assumed that the Ca2+‐independent InsP3 catabolism is predominant, Ca2+ oscillations remain qualitatively unchanged although the relative amplitude of the oscillations in InsP3 concentrations becomes minimal. We tested this prediction in hepatocytes by masking the Ca2+‐dependent InsP3 catabolism by 3‐kinase through the injection of massive amounts of InsP3 5‐phosphatase, which is not stimulated by Ca2+. We find that in such injected hepatocytes, Ca2+ oscillations generated by modest agonist levels are suppressed, presumably because of the decreased dose in InsP3, but that at higher doses of agonist, oscillations reappear, with characteristics similar to those of untreated cells at low agonist doses. Altogether, these results suggest that oscillations in InsP3 concentration due to Ca2+‐stimulated InsP3 catabolism do not play a major role for the oscillations in Ca2+ concentration.
Halving the selenophosphate synthetase gene dose confers hypersensitivity to oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Morey Marta , Serras Florenci , Corominas Montserrat
Published: January 2003

Several lines of evidence indicate that selenoproteins mainly act as cellular antioxidants. Here, we test this idea comparing the sensitivity to oxidative stress (paraquat and hydrogen peroxide) between wild type and heterozygous flies for the selenophosphate synthetase selDptuf
mutation. Whereas under normal laboratory conditions no difference in life span is observed, a significant decrease is seen in heterozygous flies treated with oxidant agents. In contrast, overexpression of the selD gene in motoneurons did not extend longevity. Our results strongly suggest that selD haploinsufficiency makes heterozygous flies more sensitive to oxidative stress and add further evidence to the role of selenoproteins as cellular antioxidants.
Self‐aggregation of legume seed storage proteins inside the protein storage vacuoles is electrostatic in nature, rather than lectin‐mediated
Authors: Ferreira Ricardo B. , Freitas Regina L. , Teixeira Artur R.
Published: January 2003

Conglutins are multisubunit, glycosylated, major storage proteins present in Lupinus seeds that self‐aggregate in a calcium/magnesium‐dependent manner. Two of these globulins exhibit lectin activity. The 210 kDa globulin derived from β‐conglutin that accumulates in Lupinus cotyledons during germination was used as a model protein to establish whether the self‐aggregation process is electrostatic in nature or lectin‐mediated. This protein binds in a very strong manner to chitin and recognizes a variety of glycoproteins including immunoglobulins G. Several compounds were tested for their inhibitory effect on the cation‐dependent self‐aggregation process. Sialic acid and phytin were the most effective whereas chitin and mucin were totally ineffective. The inability of the oligosaccharidic side chains of the 210 kDa protein, β‐conglutin and immunoglobulin G to interfere with the aggregation strongly supports the view that Ca/Mg are electrostatically involved in the in vitro self‐aggregation of Lupinus globulins. The results suggest that calcium and magnesium ions are also electrostatically involved in vivo in the macromolecular aggregation of legume seed storage proteins, ensuring their efficient packing inside the protein storage vacuoles. This mechanism is responsible for the typical insolubility of legume globulins in water.
Normal function of HERG K+ channels expressed in HEK293 cells requires basal protein kinase B activity
Authors: Zhang Yiqiang , Wang Huizhen , Wang Jingxiong , Han Hong , Nattel Stanley , Wang Zhiguo
Published: January 2003

The potential role of protein kinase B (PKB), a serine/threonine protein kinase, in regulating HERG (human ether‐a‐go‐go related gene) K+ channel function was investigated. Wortmannin (a phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor) caused ∼30% reduction of HERG current (I
HERG) stably expressed in HEK293 cells. Transient transfection with the constitutively active PI3K in HERG‐expressing HEK293 cells slightly increased (∼7%) I
HERG while a dominant negative PI3K significantly reduced I
HERG (∼25%) relative to results in vehicle‐transfected cells. I
HERG was ∼35% greater in cells transfected with the constitutively activated PKB (caPKB), whereas it was ∼47% smaller in cells transfected with dominant negative PKB (dnPKB). Basal activation of PKB was detected by immunocytochemistry. PKB activity was significantly enhanced in caPKB‐transfected cells and nearly abolished in dnPKB‐transfected cells. We conclude that normal HERG function in HEK293 cells requires basal activity of PKB. Our data represent the first evidence that PKB phosphorylation regulates K+ channels.
The enzymatic activity of phosphoglucose isomerase is not required for its cytokine function
Authors: Tsutsumi Soichi , Gupta Suresh K. , Hogan Victor , Tanaka Nobutada , Nakamura Kazuo T. , Nabi Ivan R. , Raz Avraham
Published: January 2003

PGI is a housekeeping gene encoding phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) a glycolytic enzyme that also functions as a cytokine (autocrine motility factor (AMF)/neuroleukin/maturation factor) upon secretion from the cell and binding to its 78 kDa seven‐transmembrane domain receptor (gp78/AMF‐R). PGI contains a CXXC motif, characteristic of redox proteins and possibly evolutionarily related to the CC and CXC motif of the chemokine gene family. Using site‐directed mutagenesis, single‐ and double‐deletion (CXC, CC) mutants were created by deleting amino acids 331 and 332 of human PGI, respectively. The mutant proteins lost their enzymatic activity; however, neither of the deletions augmented the proteins’ binding affinity to the receptor and all maintained cytokine function. The results demonstrate that the enzymatic activity of PGI is not essential for either receptor binding or cytokine function of human PGI.
The outcome of macrosomic fetuses in a low risk primigravid population
Authors: Mulik V. , Usha Kiran T.S. , Bethal J. , Bhal P.S.
Published: January 2003

Objectives: To ascertain whether fetal macrosomia is associated with increased maternal and neonatal morbidity in uncomplicated, singleton, vertex deliveries at term in primigravid women. Methods: This was a retrospective population based survey of 8617 deliveries over an 11‐year period. These were stratified into three birthweight categories: 2500–3999 g (n=7854), 4000–4499 g (n=666) and ≥4500 g (n=97). Outcome variables included maternal characteristics, delivery details, maternal and perinatal morbidity data. Results: Increased BMI and incidence of Caucasian ethnicity and non‐smoking were significantly greater in macrosomic compared with non‐macrosomic infants (P<0.001). Increasing birthweight (especially ≥4.5 kg) was associated with significantly (P<0.001) lower rates of spontaneous onset of labor, spontaneous vertex deliveries and significantly higher rates (P<0.001) of maternal and neonatal morbidity. Conclusions: This study supports the notion of expectant management in suspected fetal macrosomia in low risk primigravid women until 40 weeks gestation. Thereafter, the safest mode of delivery is controversial, with some evidence pointing to elective cesarean section as a viable alternative in these women. A prospective RCT is needed to evaluate the best management option in terms of fetal and maternal outcome in cases of suspected macrosomia after 40 weeks’ gestation.
Challenges of ethical research in resource‐poor settings
Authors: Dickens B.M. , Cook R.J.
Published: January 2003

The disparity in resources between economically developed and developing countries presents ethical concerns when commercial sponsors of studies and investigators propose to conduct them with subjects in developing countries. Vulnerable people may be recruited into studies of little health benefit to themselves or their communities and, under undue inducements, may accept disproportionate risks. Reproductive health studies may present women with undue risks. Guidelines have been developed to protect exploitable populations in resource‐poor settings, although guarding their right to make informed and voluntary choices poses special challenges. Guidelines pay special attention to pregnant women as research subjects, and may approve and even require their enrollment in studies of products not known to be harmful. Placebo‐controlled studies are addressed in contexts where no recognized treatments are routinely accessible. The structure and functions of research ethics review committees present difficult challenges, but they may be mitigated by enlightened international collaboration.
Painful and non‐painful neuropathy in HIV‐infected patients: an analysis of somatosensory nerve function
Authors: Martin Claes , Solders Göran , Sönnerborg Anders , Hansson Per
Published: January 2003

Fifteen to 50% of AIDS‐patients suffer from distal predominantly sensory neuropathy (DSP), which is commonly associated with painful symptoms. In the present study, we have focused on the function of fine calibre nerve channels, in 36 consecutive HIV‐1‐infected patients with painful (PPN) (n=20; 54%) and non‐painful (PN) (n=16) sensory neuropathy, assessed by clinical, quantitative thermal testing (QTT) (31/36), and peripheral nerve conduction examination (32/36). Control QTT data were obtained from 49 healthy subjects with a corresponding age‐ and sex distribution. Demographics, antiviral treatment, immunological status, and nerve conduction examination did not differ between patients with and without painful symptoms. Hypoaesthesia to warmth, cold, and heat pain was observed in both neuropathy groups when compared to healthy controls. However, the perception threshold to warmth was more often impaired (p<0.01) and the level of impairment was more pronounced (p<0.001) in patients with painful neuropathy. Furthermore, increased pain sensitivity to cold was found only in patients with painful symptoms (p<0.05). An abnormal outcome of any QTT parameter was found in all patients with pain, but only among 62% of patients without pain, p<0.01, and the cumulative frequency of abnormalities in any of the four thermal percepts (warmth, cold, heat pain, and cold pain) was higher in patients with painful symptoms, p<0.0001. This study demonstrates a more pronounced impairment of C‐fibre‐mediated innocuous warm perception in patients with painful neuropathy, which in the setting of impaired or absent heat pain perception suggests a more generalised loss of function in somatosensory C‐fibre channels.
Experimental muscle pain provokes long‐lasting alterations of thermal sensitivity in the referred pain area
Authors: Tuveson B , Lindblom U , Fruhstorfer H
Published: January 2003

This study explores thermal sensitivity and thermal nociception for signs of central sensitization in the area of referred muscle pain. Two groups of 24 healthy subjects (ss) each, and with mean ages of, respectively, 27 and 55 years, were first trained in quantitative sensory testing and pain rating. Then, in a second session, referred pain was evoked by injection of 6% hypertonic saline into the infraspinatus muscle. Cold and warm thresholds, synthetic heat threshold (SHT—evokedby an alternating pattern of adjacent cold and warmth), and thermal pain thresholds were measured within the referred pain area at a rate of 1/20 min for 60–120 min. All ss of both groups experienced referred pain mostly in the upper arm and of medium intensity. Pain lasted for approximately 12 min with a shorter duration in the older group (p<0.02). The cold threshold increased significantly (p<0.001), and the warm threshold slightly, after the injection and remained high for the whole observation period (i.e. lower and higher temperatures were necessary to elicit cold and warmth, respectively). Threshold recovery was more delayed in the older age group. Of those 28 ss in whom cold pain threshold could be followed during the whole observation period, 18 ss showed an immediate threshold decrease of average 6 °C which outlasted the observation period. Four ss responded with a threshold increase. Heat pain thresholds were not affected in the referred pain area. Average synthetic heat threshold did not change; there were, however, distinct and lasting individual threshold shifts in either direction. Ss with lowered cold pain thresholds or evident threshold shifts for synthetic heat had also higher pain ratings. The results demonstrate that experimental muscle pain can induce long‐lasting changes in thermal sensitivity and nociception. The unexpected cold threshold increase may tentatively be explained as an expression of long‐term depression. The decrease of cold pain threshold or SHT in subgroups of ss may indicate central sensitization. However, the observed changes in this experiment do not provide an unambiguous indicator for central sensitization which seems to be rather individual and might depend on pain intensity and proneness to express central mechanisms of sensitization. Therefore in clinical pain states the individual pattern of sensory abnormalities has to be analysed and interpreted in addition to the pain parameters to assess central involvement.
Experimental pain by ischaemic contractions compared with pain by intramuscular infusions of adenosine and hypertonic saline
Authors: Graven‐Nielsen Thomas , Jansson Ylva , Segerdahl Märta , Kristensen Jens D. , Mense Siegfried , Arendt‐Nielsen Lars , Sollevi Alf
Published: January 2003

Deep tissue pain can be related to reduced muscle blood flow, which comprises the metabolic demand under muscle work. The tissues and receptors involved in nociception after ischaemic muscle contractions are not known. The concentration of adenosine is increased after ischaemic contractions and might act as an algesic substance. In 15 subjects, adenosine, hypertonic saline (algesic), and isotonic mannitol (placebo) were infused into the tibialis anterior muscle and compared with the pain caused by ischaemic contractions. The muscle pain intensity (visual analogue scale; VAS), distribution, and quality were assessed. Pressure pain thresholds were recorded to assess the deep tissue sensitivity. Adenosine did not induce more pain than the placebo. The maximal VAS score after hypertonic saline and ischaemic contractions was higher compared with adenosine/placebo infusions. The duration and area of pain were significantly increased after hypertonic saline infusions compared with ischaemic contractions. Higher scores on the McGill pain questionnaire were given to the “stabbing”, “burning”, “heavy”, and “exhausting” word categories after ischaemic contractions, and “cramping” was rated higher during hypertonic saline‐induced muscle pain compared with ischaemic contractions. During hypertonic saline infusions, the pressure pain threshold was decreased compared with before and immediately after the pain had vanished. The present study shows that pharmacological levels of adenosine in skeletal muscle did not induce pain. Excitation of muscle nociceptors by hypertonic saline evoked hyperalgesia, larger areas of pain, and a different quality of pain compared with ischaemic contractions, suggesting that the pain after ischaemic contractions is mediated by other populations of nociceptors in muscle and/or other tissues than excited by hypertonic saline.
BRINGING THE PATIENT BACK IN
Authors: Greer Ann Lennarson , Goodwin James S. , Freeman Jean L. , Wu Z. Helen
Published: January 2003

We challenge assumptions that have guided much research and policy aimed at understanding and reducing medical practice variation. Paramount is the focus on doctors as the cause of variation to the neglect of other possible influences. Some research literature suggests that patients, families, and the community context of practice may also influence treatment decisions. Failure to question present assumptions, despite weak evidence in support of them, may account for inability to explain persistent practice variation, develop appropriate implementable guidelines, or anticipate the effect on treatment decisions of greater patient involvement. In this paper, we discuss the weak response to the NIH Consensus Conference on early stage breast cancer because it may have reflected these problems. We urge a more complex and more empirical approach in explaining treatment choice and guidelines sensitive to the potential for value differences.
THE HEALTH ECONOMICS OF CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D3 FOR THE PREVENTION OF OSTEOPOROTIC HIP FRACTURES IN SWEDEN
Authors: Willis Michael S.
Published: January 2003

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the economics of administering calcium and vitamin D3 to post-menopausal women in Sweden. We focus primarily on the cost-effectiveness of treating older women for whom clear evidence of efficacy is available. We supplement this information, however, with estimates of the cost-effectiveness of treating certain high-risk groups of younger women, while acknowledging the greater uncertainty involved.

Methods: We developed a Markov model for analyzing the occurrence and timing of hip fractures, based almost entirely on peer-reviewed data from Sweden. In a 3-year randomized clinical trial, the combination of calcium and vitamin D3 was shown to reduce the risk of hip fractures by 27%. Costs for treating hip fractures were based on 1,080 women who were hospitalized in Stockholm.

Results: Treatment of 70-year-old women was cost saving at efficacy as low as two-thirds that seen in the clinical trials, and upwards. Even at modest rates of efficacy, treatment of the high-risk 50- and 60-year-old cohorts was generally cost-effective and in some cases even cost saving. Particularly cost-effective was treatment of women with identified osteoporosis or a maternal family history of hip fracture.

Conclusion: Simulation results suggest a role for lifetime treatment of older women with calcium and vitamin D3 in Sweden. While there is more uncertainty underlying the treatment of younger women, our simulation results suggest that treatment may also be cost saving or at least cost-effective for many cohorts of high-risk 50- and particularly 60-year-old women, in particular those with osteoporosis or a maternal family history of hip fracture.
THE TYPICAL COCHRANE REVIEW
Authors: Mallett Susan , Clarke Mike
Published: January 2003

Objectives: To describe the number of trials and participants in a typical systematic review from The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Methods: The number of trials in 1,000 Cochrane systematic reviews in issue 1, 2001 of The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was counted for three categories of trial: included trials, ongoing trials, and trials awaiting assessment for inclusion. (The term trial is used in this paper, although a small number of Cochrane reviews include studies that are not trials.) The total number of participants in included trials was extracted from a sample of reviews.

Results: A total of 9,778 trials were included in the Cochrane reviews. There were a further 356 ongoing trials and 1,138 trials awaiting assessment for inclusion. A typical review contained six included trials. Forty percent of the reviews listed ongoing trials and/or trials awaiting assessment for inclusion. Based on a sample of 258 reviews, the median number of participants per review was 945 (interquartile range, 313 to 2,511) per review and 118 (interquartile range, 60 to 241) per trial.

Conclusion: This report is a descriptive study of the number of trials and participants in a typical Cochrane review from The Cochrane Library, issue 1, 2001.
6. GENRE: LANGUAGE, CONTEXT, AND LITERACY
Authors: Hyland Ken
Published: January 2003

In the last decade genre approaches have had a considerable impact on the ways we understand discourse and in transforming literacy education in different contexts around the world. This chapter reviews the main directions of recent literature in both these areas, showing how the concept of genre is beginning to offer applied linguists a socially informed theory of language and an authoritative pedagogy grounded in research on texts and contexts. In terms of language description, I describe recent studies which seek to elaborate our understanding of generic integrity and variation, the ways that genres are seen as similar and different in terms of their internal structures and as systems of social processes. This research focuses on the contexts, lexico-grammatical features, and rhetorical patterns of genres. In terms of pedagogy, the chapter considers how genre approaches address central issues of language education and critical literacy and the ways that genre is applied in classrooms.
7. DISCOURSE ANALYSIS AND STYLISTICS
Authors: Simpson Paul , Hall Geoff
Published: January 2003

This review focuses on contemporary work in discourse stylistics, defined here as that designated branch of stylistics which draws specifically on the techniques and methods of discourse analysis. The review acknowledges a key assumption in modern discourse stylistic research, namely that the distinction between ‘literary’ and ‘nonliterary’ discourse, if tenable at all, is drawn not on a purely linguistic basis but in terms of multiple intersections among texts, readers, institutions, and sociocultural contexts. In spanning studies of both literary and nonliterary discourse, therefore, the coverage of the present review is intended to reflect this axiom. It also attempts to foreground the diversity of method and approach in contemporary discourse stylistics. Given that the techniques of discourse analysis are themselves many and various, the survey seeks to cover stylistic work that offers productive applications of the many available models in pragmatics, conversation analysis, cognitive linguistics, speech act theory, and discourse psychology. Finally, in covering a selection of important monographs, articles, and book chapters, the review seeks both to highlight some of the critical, cultural, and ideological frameworks currently employed by discourse stylisticians and to demarcate, in more general terms, the current state-of-play in this research tradition.
9. PEER-PEER DIALOGUE AS A MEANS OF SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING
Authors: Swain Merrill , Brooks Lindsay , Tocalli-Beller Agustina
Published: January 2003

From the theoretical perspective of a sociocultural theory of mind, cognition and knowledge are dialogically constructed. Embedded in this theoretical framework, this chapter reviews research studies in which peer-peer dialogue is linked to second language learning as students engage in writing, speaking, listening and reading activities. The review takes the stance that the type of dialogue of particular significance in the language learning process is collaborative dialogue, or that which occurs when learners encounter linguistic problems and attempt to solve them together. In such conditions language is used both as a communicative and cognitive tool. From the studies reviewed, we conclude that peer-peer collaborative dialogue mediates second language learning. We also conclude that although the studies reported few adverse effects of peer collaboration, teaching learners how and why to collaborate may be important to enhance peer-mediated learning. The chapter calls for more research which provides clear evidence of the connections between peer-peer dialogue and second language learning and more studies which investigate longer term learning. Such studies linking peer-peer dialogue to language learning can be instructive for teachers, researchers, and learners, and make us all more aware of the process of learning a second language.
12. DISCOURSE AND ASSESSMENT
Authors: McNamara Tim , Hill Kathryn , May Lynette
Published: January 2003

Many contemporary currents in applied linguistics have favored discourse studies within assessment; there have been calls for cross-fertilization with other areas within applied linguistics, critiques of the positivist tradition within language testing research, and the growing impact of Conversation Analysis (CA) and sociocultural theory. This chapter focuses on the resulting increase in discourse-based studies of oral proficiency assessment techniques. These studies initially focused on the traditional oral proficiency interview but have since been extended to new test formats, including paired and group interaction. We discuss the research carried out on a number of factors in the assessment setting, including the roles of interlocutor, candidate, and rater, and the impact of tasks, task performance conditions, and rating criteria. Recent research has also concentrated more specifically on the assessment of pragmatic competence and on the applications of technology within the assessment of spoken language, including the comparability of semidirect and direct methods for such assessment and the use of computer corpora.
African American Consumers: What Should We Know to Meet their Mental Health Needs?
Authors: Hines-Martin Vicki P.
Published: January 2003

National health care organizations have placed greater emphasis on meeting the mental care needs of minority clients in the United States. Disparities in mental health care use among various populations have been clearly demonstrated. This article discusses what is known about mental health care use among African Americans and the need for new knowledge to address current and future needs. Strategies for examining and addressing mental health disparities in this population are addressed, and implications for nurse clinicians and researchers are presented.
Culture and Traumatic Events
Authors: Antai-Otong Deborah
Published: January 2003

The contexts in which traumatic experiences occur contribute to interpretations of their meaning and responses. Social and ethnocultural responses to traumatic or stressful life events are diverse. Psychiatric nurses are critical in the healing process of individuals, families, and communities. This process involves helping the client understand the stress responses, process the traumatic event, and develop adaptive coping mechanisms.

Integrating sociocultural influences into treatment strategies promotes restoration of homeostasis and optimal functioning.
Potential impacts on the incidence of fatal heroin‐related overdose in Western Australia: a time‐series analysis
Authors: HARGREAVES KIM , LENTON SIMON , PHILLIPS MIKE , SWENSEN GREG
Published: January 2003

In response to the rising concerns about the rate of heroin‐related fatalities, overdose prevention campaigns, run by both users' organizations and government agencies, have been implemented in a number of states across Australia. In Western Australia (WA) in mid‐1997, various overdose prevention initiatives were implemented. These included the implementation of a protocol limiting police presence at overdose events; the commencement of naloxone administration by ambulance staff; and the establishment of the Opiate Overdose Prevention Strategy (OOPS) which provided follow‐up for individuals treated for overdose in emergency departments. This paper reports the results of a multiple linear regression analysis of 60 months of time‐series data, both prior to and following the implementation of these interventions, to determine their impact on the number of fatal heroin overdoses in WA. The model employed in the analysis controlled for changes over time in proxy indicators of use and community concerns about heroin, as well as market indicators. The results suggest that, although the interventions implemented have managed to reduce the expected number of fatalities, they have become less successful in doing so as time passes. This has implications for both existing and potential interventions to reduce fatal heroin‐related overdose.
Characteristics, retention and readmissions of opioid‐dependent clients treated with oral naltrexone
Authors: BARTU ANNE , FREEMAN NERELIE C. , GAWTHORNE GEOFF S. , ALLSOP STEVE J. , QUIGLEY ALLAN J.
Published: January 2003

The aims of this study were to examine the retention rates of opioid‐dependent clients treated with oral naltrexone and identify factors that influence retention in treatment of 981 opioid‐dependent clients at a public out‐patient clinic in Perth, Western Australia. The average retention period for all clients was 9.0 weeks. The factors associated with longer retention were being employed and referral source. Clients who were employed stayed significantly longer in treatment than unemployed clients. Clients referred from a private clinic were retained in treatment significantly longer than those referred from other sources (X̄ = 10.3 vs. 5.9 weeks). While the majority (80.8%) had one admission to naltrexone treatment, 19.2% presented for readmission, some on three or more occasions in the study period. The median period between the end of the first episode of treatment and commencement of the second was 15.6 weeks. The median period between the end of the second episode of treatment and commencement of the third was 11.4 weeks. Those employed had a higher probability of being retained longer in treatment than those who were unemployed in subsequent treatment episodes. Clinicians should expect that initial retention in naltrexone is likely to be relatively short, and that a substantial proportion of clients will represent for further treatment.
Magistrates' Early Referral into Treatment (MERIT): preliminary findings of a 12‐month court diversion trial for drug offenders
Authors: REILLY DAVID , SCANTLETON JOHN , DIDCOTT PETER
Published: January 2003

The purpose of this paper is to present a description and preliminary findings of a 12‐month trial of a Local Court diversion programme, called MERIT for Magistrates' Early Referral into Treatment. The aim of MERIT is to divert eligible drug offenders to treatment and rehabilitation services. A total of 172 offenders were assessed and 131 entered the programme. The sources of referral were court (58%), police (17%) and self (10%). Main problem drugs were heroin (57%), cannabis (21%) and amphetamines (11%). The majority (85%) had previous convictions and 50% had been in jail. At the end of the trial period one‐third (33%) completed the programme and one‐third (33%) remained in treatment. Main treatment interventions were case management and out‐patient counselling, detoxification, residential rehabilitation and methadone maintenance. Police records showed that of the original 43 (33%) graduates only six had come to police notice, mainly for relatively minor offences. Early acceptance and preliminary results has led to an expansion of the MERIT programme across New South Wales. With the rapid expansion of drug courts and diversion programmes across Australia, descriptive studies are useful to provide beneficial data to assist policy makers and service providers to develop programmes.
From harm reduction to human rights: bringing liberalism back into drug reform debates
Authors: HATHAWAY ANDREW D.
Published: January 2003

This Harm Reduction Digest marks a return to theoretical discussions about harm reduction. Andrew Hathaway notes that harm reduction seldom articulates or acknowledges the moral foundation on which it might build to affect meaningful changes in policy. He argues that despite the rhetorical strengths of empiricism, an openly liberal, human rights orientation imbues rational argument with the principles needed to sustain pragmatic drug reform solutions. Liberalism, with its norms of social tolerance and respect for civil liberties, is presented here as key to the future development of harm reduction discourse as a way of advancing human rights themes in contemporary drug policy debates.
Under the radar—how the tobacco industry targets youth in Australia
Authors: HARPER TODD A. , MARTIN JANE E.
Published: January 2003

Tobacco consumption has been declining in Australia since the 1970s when controls on advertising were first introduced. Since this time, legislation has been progressively introduced, severely restricting tobacco advertising and promotion in the mainstream media. This has resulted in limited opportunities for the tobacco industry to reach new smokers, particularly young people. This paper outlines marketing strategies used by tobacco companies and their advertising agencies to reach this group; it examines how the industry exploits loopholes in current legislation and identifies new promotional opportunities. Increasingly, the industry has targeted young people through film, dance parties, nightclubs, fashion shows, e‐mail and the internet. The industry is also capitalizing on promoting pack design elements and enhancing them through event promotion. Unless restrictions on tobacco marketing and promotion are comprehensive they undermine the effectiveness of those already in place and will continue to be exploited by the tobacco industry. The recent announcement by the Federal government to reassess the current legislative restrictions in light of these new marketing trends is welcome. The removal of all incentives to promote tobacco products, including imagery associated with the pack and its design, is essential in removing one of the key factors influencing the uptake and prevalence of smoking in youth.
Phototoxicity to the Retina: Mechanisms of Damage
Authors: Glickman Randolph D.
Published: January 2003

Light damage to the retina occurs through three general mechanisms involving thermal, mechanical, or photochemical effects. The particular mechanism activated depends on the wavelength and exposure duration of the injuring light. The transitions between the various light damage mechanism may overlap to some extent. Energy confinement is a key concept in understanding or predicting the type of damage mechanism produced by a given light exposure. As light energy (either from a laser or an incoherent source) is deposited in the retina, its penetration through, and its absorption in, various tissue compartments is determined by its wavelength. Strongly absorbing tissue components will tend to “concentrate” the light energy. The effect of absorbed light energy largely depends on the rate of energy deposition, which is correlated with the exposure duration. If the rate of energy deposition is too low to produce an appreciable temperature increase in the tissue, then any resulting tissue damage necessarily occurs because of chemical (oxidative) reactions induced by absorption of energetic photons (photochemical damage). If the rate of energy deposition is faster than the rate of thermal diffusion (thermal confinement), then the temperature of the exposed tissue rises. If a critical temperature is reached (typically about 10° C above basal), then thermal damage occurs. If the light energy is deposited faster than mechanical relaxation can occur (stress confinement), then a thermoelastic pressure wave is produced, and tissue is disrupted by shear forces or by cavitation—nonlinear effects. Very recent evidence suggests that ultrashort laser pulses can produce tissue damage through nonlinear and photochemical mechanisms; the latter because of two-photon excitation of cellular chromophores. In addition to tissue damage caused directly by light absorption, light toxicity can be produced by the presence of photosensitizing agents. Drugs excited to reactive states by ultraviolet (UV) or visible light produce damage by type I (free radical) and type II (oxygen dependent) mechanisms. Some commonly used drugs, such as certain antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and psychotherapeutic agents, as well as some popular herbal medicines, can produce ocular phototoxicity. Specific cellular effects and damage end points characteristic of light damage mechanisms are described.
Characterizing nearly simple chain domains
Authors: Brungs H. , Gräter J.
Published: January 2003

G. Puninski, using model theoretical methods, showed that if a chain domain

R
R

is nearly simple, then

R
a
+
b
R
=
J
(
R
)

Ra+bR = J(R)

for any nonzero elements

a
,
b

a,b

in

J
(
R
)

J(R)

, the Jacobson radical of

R
R

. Here, an algebraic proof is given for this result, exceptional chain domains are characterized, and it is shown that

V
0

(
R
)

V_0(R)

, the lattice generated by all proper nonzero left and right ideals, is a direct product of two linearly ordered sets if

R
R

is nearly simple. In a certain sense this property characterizes nearly simple chain domains among all integral domains.
On a characterization of measures of dispersion
Authors: Fainleib A.
Published: January 2003

Measures of dispersion are characterized by the set of all bounded random variables whose dispersion is minimized when taken around the origin.
A note on regular Dirichlet subspaces
Authors: Fukushima Masatoshi , Ying Jiangang
Published: January 2003

In this short article we shall consider the Dirichlet space associated with the distorted Brownian motion on a one-dimensional closed interval and prove that it admits no proper regular Dirichlet subspaces.
A three-curves theorem for viscosity subsolutions of parabolic equations
Authors: Kovats Jay
Published: January 2003

We prove a three-curves theorem for viscosity subsolutions of fully nonlinear uniformly parabolic equations

F
(

D

2

u
,
t
,
x
)
−

u

t

=
0

F(D^{2}u,t,x)-u_{t}=0

.
Positive solutions for a fourth order equation invariant under isometries
Authors: Robert Frédéric
Published: January 2003

Let

(
M
,
g
)

(M,g)

be a smooth compact Riemannian manifold of dimension

n
≥
5

n\geq 5

. We consider the problem
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="StartLayout 1st Row with Label left-parenthesis star right-parenthesis EndLabel normal upper Delta Subscript g Superscript 2 Baseline u plus alpha normal upper Delta Subscript g Baseline u plus a u equals f u Superscript StartFraction n plus 4 Over n minus 4 EndFraction Baseline comma EndLayout">

(

⋆

)

Δ
g
2

u
+
α

Δ
g

u
+
a
u
=
f

u

n
+
4

n
−
4

,

\begin{equation*} \tag {$\star $}\Delta _g^2 u+\alpha \Delta _g u+au=f u^{\frac {n+4}{n-4}}, \end{equation*}

where

Δ
g

=
−
d
i

v
g

(
∇
)

\Delta _g=-div_g(\nabla )

,

α
\alpha

,

a
∈

R

a\in \mathbb {R}

,

u
u

,

f
∈

C

∞

(
M
)

f\in C^{\infty }(M)

. We require

u
u

to be positive and invariant under isometries. We prove existence results for

(
⋆
)

(\star )

on arbitrary compact manifolds. This includes the case of the geometric Paneitz-Branson operator on the sphere.
The wavelet dimension function is the trace function of a shift-invariant system
Authors: Ron Amos , Shen Zuowei
Published: January 2003

In this note, we observe that the dimension function associated with a wavelet system is the trace of the Gramian fibers of the shift-invariant system generated by the negative dilations of the mother wavelets. When this shift-invariant system is a tight frame, each of the Gramian fibers is an orthogonal projector, and its trace, then, coincides with its rank. This connection leads to simple proofs of several results concerning the dimension function, and the arguments extend to the bi-frame case.
Linear perturbations of a nonoscillatory second order differential equation II
Authors: Trench William
Published: January 2003

Let

y
1

y_1

and

y
2

y_2

be principal and nonprincipal solutions of the nonoscillatory differential equation

(
r
(
t
)

y
′

)
′

+
f
(
t
)
y
=
0

(r(t)y’)’+f(t)y=0

. In an earlier paper we showed that if

∫
∞

(
f
−
g
)

y
1

y
2

d
t

\int ^\infty (f-g)y_1y_2\,dt

converges (perhaps conditionally), and a related improper integral converges absolutely and sufficently rapidly, then the differential equation

(
r
(
t
)

x
′

)
′

+
g
(
t
)
x
=
0

(r(t)x’)’+g(t)x=0

has solutions

x
1

x_1

and

x
2

x_2

that behave asymptotically like

y
1

y_1

and

y
2

y_2

. Here we consider the case where

∫
∞

(
f
−
g
)

y
2
2

d
t

\int ^\infty (f-g)y_2^2\,dt

converges (perhaps conditionally) without any additional assumption requiring absolute convergence.
Propagation of normality along regular analytic Jordan arcs in analytic functions with values in a complex unital Banach algebra with continuous involution
Authors: Turcotte Daniel
Published: January 2003

Globevnik and Vidav have studied the propagation of normality from an open subset

V
V

of a region

D

\mathcal {D}

of the complex plane for analytic functions with values in the space

L

(

H

)

\mathcal {L}(\mathcal {H})

of bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space

H

\mathcal {H}

. We obtain a propagation of normality in the more general setting of a converging sequence located on a regular analytic Jordan arc in the complex plane for analytic functions with values in a complex unital Banach algebra with continuous involution. We show that in this more general setting, the propagation of normality does not imply functional commutativity anymore as it does in the case studied by Globevnik and Vidav. An immediate consequence of the Propagation of Normality Theorem is that the further generalization given by Wolf of Jamison’s generalization of Rellich’s theorem is equivalent to Jamison’s result. We obtain a propagation property within Banach subspaces for analytic Banach space-valued functions. The propagation of normality differs from the propagation within Banach subspaces since the set of all normal elements does not form a Banach subspace.