bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of CD44 protein in bilharzial and non‐bilharzial bladder cancers
Authors: Gadalla H.A.H. , Kamel N.A.H. , Badary F.A.M. , Elanany F.G.
Published: December 2003

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the expression of CD44 protein in bilharzial and non‐bilharzial bladder carcinomas, and to relate the results of immunohistochemistry to the established prognostic factors, as studies clearly show that altered adhesive function of tumour cells is important in the metastatic process and CD44 is assumed to be critical in the malignant progression of many human tumours.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 55 patients with bladder carcinoma confirmed by cystoscopy and biopsy. Of the 33 patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), 19 were bilharzial and 14 non‐bilharzial, and of 22 with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 12 were bilharzial and 10 non‐bilharzial. CD44 expression was measured by immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin‐embedded tissue obtained from these patients after appropriate treatment (transurethral resection, partial or radical cystectomy).

RESULTS

There was significantly less CD44 expression in invasive TCC than in normal urothelium and pre‐invasive TCC (P = 0.05). The expression of CD44 was inversely related to the tumour grade and depth of invasion (P = 0.05). However, there was no such relation for SCC; there was no significant difference between CD44 expression in metaplastic squamous epithelium, pre‐invasive and invasive SCC. The presence or absence of bilharzial ova had no apparent effect on the expression of CD44, with no significant difference between CD44 expression in bilharzial and non‐bilharzial bladder carcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS

These data confirm that there is a reduction in CD44 expression with increasing tumour grade and stage of TCC, and may provide an additional aid in predicting the progression of this tumour. There was no such relationship with SCC, and no difference between CD44 expression in bilharzial and non‐bilharzial bladder carcinomas.
Investigation of sequential mitomycin C and photodynamic therapy in a mitomycin‐resistant bladder cancer cell‐line model
Authors: French A.J. , Datta S.N. , Allman R. , Matthews P.N.
Published: December 2003

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the hypothesis that sequential mitomycin C and 5‐aminolaevulinic acid (ALA)‐mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) interact additively in both the J82 bladder cancer cell line and its mitomycin‐C‐resistant derivative, J82/MMC, and to assess the theoretical basis of this interaction by measuring the relative mitochondrial density of the respective cell lines, on the basis that the mitochondria are the intracellular site where ALA is metabolized to the active photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cell survival was assayed in J82 cell line and the J82/MMC derivative after treating them with sequential ALA‐mediated PDT and mitomycin C, and with the sequence of treatments reversed. Cell survival was estimated using the tetrazolium assay. The relative mitochondrial density of the two cell lines was estimated using flow cytometry to measure 123rhodamine fluorescence.

RESULTS

The effect of sequential mitomycin C followed by ALA‐mediated PDT enhanced the effect of PDT in both cell lines. In J82/MMC this effect was marginally supra‐additive. When ALA‐mediated PDT was administered before mitomycin C, the combined effect was ‘sub‐additive’. 123Rhodamine fluorescence was > 10 times greater in J82/MMC than J82, suggesting a significantly higher mitochondrial density in the former than the latter.

CONCLUSION

Mitomycin C appears to enhance ALA‐mediated PDT when administered first. This appears to be particularly so in J82/MMC. This phenomenon may have clinical significance in recurrent superficial bladder cancer.
Pharmacological characteristics of Ro 115–1240, a selective α1A/1L‐adrenoceptor partial agonist: a potential therapy for stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Blue D.R. , Daniels D.V. , Gever J.R. , Jett M.F. , O'Yang C. , Tang H.M. , Williams T.J. , Ford A.P.D.W.
Published: December 2003

OBJECTIVE

To describe the preclinical pharmacology of Ro 115–1240, a peripherally acting selective α1A/1L‐adrenoceptor (AR) partial agonist, compared with the α1A/1L‐AR full agonist amidephrine, as AR agonists have some utility in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) but are limited by undesirable cardiovascular and central nervous system side‐effects.

RESULTS

In radioligand‐binding studies Ro 115–1240 had greater affinity for α1A than for α1B and α1D subtypes. The potency and intrinsic activity of amidephrine and Ro 115–1240 relative to noradrenaline were determined in native and cell‐based assays using human recombinant α1‐ARs; they acted as selective α1A/1L‐AR full and partial agonists, respectively. In anaesthetized micropigs and rabbits, amidephrine and Ro 115–1240 produced non‐selective, dose‐dependent increases in intraurethral and arterial blood pressures but the magnitude of the pressure increases evoked by Ro 115–1240 were about a third of those with amidephrine. In conscious micropigs both agents produced dose‐dependent increases in urethral tension. Again, the magnitude of the urethral response to Ro 115–1240 was about a third of that with amidephrine. More importantly, only amidephrine produced dose‐dependent increases in blood pressure and decreases in heart rate. Ro 115–1240 produced a maximum increase in urethral tension with no effect on blood pressure or heart rate.

CONCLUSION

These results show that by combining selectivity for the α1A/1L‐AR subtype with a reduction in intrinsic agonist efficacy, Ro 115–1240 has reduced haemodynamic effects while retaining to some degree the contractile effects on urethral smooth muscle. These studies indicate that Ro 115–1240 may be useful as a novel treatment for SUI.
The tensile properties of tension‐free vaginal tape and cadaveric fascia lata in an in vivo rat model
Authors: Spiess P.E. , Rabah D. , Herrera C. , Singh G. , Moore R. , Corcos J.
Published: December 2003

OBJECTIVE

To examine the tensile properties (break load and maximum average load), after in vivo implantation in a rat animal model, of tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) and cadaveric fascia lata (CFL), as pubovaginal slings of these materials have become popular for treating stress urinary incontinence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty Sprague‐Dawley rats (300–400 g) had 1 × 2 cm strips of commercially available TVT and CFL implanted on the right and left anterior abdominal wall, respectively. Half of the animals were then killed at 6 weeks and the remainder at 12 weeks, after which the strips of TVT and CFL were removed and their tensile properties measured using a tensiometer. The tensile strength of TVT and CFL strips maintained only in normal saline served as controls.

RESULTS

The TVT strips had a mean break load of 0.740 kg in the control and only 0.390 kg for CFL (P < 0.05). At 6 weeks the TVT material had a mean (sd) maximum average load of 0.634 (0.096) kg and a mean break load of 0.589 (0.249) kg, whereas the respective values for the CFL were 0.323 (0.198) and 0.167 (0.063) kg (P < 0.05). Similarly at 12 weeks, TVT had a greater mean maximum average and break load than CFL, at 0.742 (0.052) and 0.274 (0.126), and 0.737 (0.056) and 0.185 (0.128) kg, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to assess the tensile properties of the currently used sling materials, TVT and CFL, in an in vivo model. TVT has a greater break load and maximum average load than CFL; the tensile strength of these materials does not decrease with time.
Acute prostatitis in middle‐aged men: a prospective study
Authors: Kravchick S. , Cytron S. , Agulansky L. , Ben‐Dor D.
Published: December 2003

OBJECTIVES

To determine the clinical outcome of middle‐aged men with acute prostatitis, the optimum time for re‐assessing their prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels, and to detect any possible echotextural and vascular changes that remain as a consequence of acute inflammation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Persistent fever prompted a re‐evaluation for prostatic abscess formation in 28 middle‐aged men, using transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) colour Doppler imaging, undertaken at the 3‐, 6‐ and 12‐month visits. The results of TRUS were compared with laboratory data and clinical outcome.

RESULTS

Two abscesses were detected; 19 (68%) of the patients remained infection‐free at the 3‐month visit. Serum PSA levels were elevated in 11 (39%) of the patients at this visit; three prostate carcinomas were diagnosed. Increased intraprostatic colour flow was detected in 68% and there were hypoechoic areas in 46% of the patients.

CONCLUSION

The re‐evaluation for abscess formation should not be postponed for > 48 h. Patients with acute prostatitis tend to have persistent infection. PSA levels could be high even up to 3 months after an acute episode. Middle‐aged men with carcinoma could be missed during the acute phase of inflammation. PSA and TRUS monitoring are strongly recommended.
An Evolving Conceptual Framework?
Authors: Dean Graeme W. , Clarke Frank L.
Published: December 2003

The history of the conceptual framework (CF) exercise indicates more a search for a rationale for current practice than a re‐affirmation of the legal, social and economic (especially financial) framework within which accounting is to function, and the necessary shape of a compatible system of accounting. Interestingly, issues similar to those presaging the formation of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Wheat and Trueblood Committees (antecedents of the formation of the Financial Accounting Standards Board in 1973 and its CF project in 1976) are evident again today. Such events led to a reconsideration of the effectiveness of CFs in their current form as ‘constitutions’. Arguably, the framework of concepts underpinning ordinary, everyday commerce is the CF of accounting. The quest for a unique constitution‐based CF of accounting, independent of observables, has been misplaced, insofar it is unnecessary. Arguably, if more attention had been given to the function of accounting the futility of the CF exercise could have been avoided.
The CF and Accounting Standards: The Persistence of Discrepancies
Authors: Loftus Janice A.
Published: December 2003

The conceptual framework (CF) has introduced a set of ideals and broad criteria for financial reporting focusing on servicing users’ information needs. In this article, each concepts statement is considered, in turn, and its consistency with selected accounting standards examined. Particular attention is paid to accounting standards issued for the first time, or in a revised form, subsequent to the release of the concepts statements. It is found that many standards have provisions that are at odds with the CF. These inconsistencies come as no surprise. The CF is incomplete; the issue of measurement remains unresolved, leaving ambiguity in the definitions of concepts such as revenue. The CF project has remained unfinished while standard setters have given priority to other tasks, such as international harmonization, in resolving contemporary financial reporting issues.
The Conceptual Framework as a Coherent System for the Development of Accounting Standards
Authors: Booth Brian
Published: December 2003

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) visualized a conceptual accounting framework as a ‘coherent system of interrelated objectives and fundamentals that can lead to consistent standards that prescribes the nature, function, and limits of financial accounting and financial statements’ (FASB, 1976). To Australian standard setters, the primary purpose of the conceptual framework (CF) was only to be used as a ‘guide’ in developing and reviewing accounting standards (AASB, 1995, para. 5). The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) diminished the role of a conceptual framework even further by openly acknowledging that some standards are inconsistent with the guidelines offered by the framework (IASC, 1989 para. 12). Even though the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) supposedly pursues a policy of harmonization of conceptual frameworks and accounting standards, there are also acknowledged inconsistencies in the conceptual frameworks of the IASC.

The aim of this article is to assess the coherence of the Australian (and IASC) conceptual framework. This analysis identifies confusion in drafting or construction of the conceptual framework, internal inconsistencies, and inconsistency with the legal framework within which business entities operate. Accordingly it is suggested that the adoption of a conceptual framework will not lead to consistent accounting standards, and inevitably the conceptual framework will lack credibility so long as it is inconsistent with legislation.
Reporting Performance: Comprehensive Income and its Components
Authors: Newberry Susan
Published: December 2003

The underlying question raised in this article is: why is the accounting profession's conceptual framework (CF) so authoritative when it is conceptually incoherent? A supplementary question is how can ‘conceptually robust’ accounting standards be derived from an incoherent framework? This article draws on Page and Spira's (1999) contrasting framework metaphors to suggest that the appearance of conceptual robustness is more important than the reality, and illustrates the point with the International Accounting Standards Board's (IASB’s) progress report on its reporting performance project. Some inherent weaknesses in the move towards internationally enforceable financial regulations have been acknowledged, but this article suggests the IASB's project demonstrates two additional weaknesses: internal incoherence, and the potential for political ends to drive supposedly technical regulations.
Objectives of Financial Reporting
Authors: Walker R. G.
Published: December 2003

Conceptual framework documents can be evaluated in terms of four criteria: clarity of expression, consistency of assumptions with knowledge of commercial practices and the behaviour of external users of accounting information, internal consistency, and comprehensiveness as a guide to financial reporting practice. On this basis, the Australian Accounting Research Foundation's (AARF’s) Statements of Accounting Concepts No. 2 (AARF, 1990a),Objectives of General Purpose Financial Reporting, is found wanting. SAC 2 is inappropriately drafted in terms of normative statements, and incorporates considerable ambiguity because of its allusions to inconsistent objectives without guidance as to weightings or how apparently inconsistent statements might be reconciled. Supporting analysis is rudimentary at best and it relies on an inappropriate use of terminology, while statements lack empirical support and are not linked to any analysis of users’ needs for information. Six recommendations for the redrafting of a more narrowly focused SAC 2 (concentrating on annual reports by profit‐seeking entities) are presented.
Measurement: A Way Forward
Authors: Walker R. G. , Jones Stewart
Published: December 2003

Australia has a long tradition of using methods of valuation which depart from the traditional ‘historical cost’ model—and this has steadily been reflected in regulatory requirements and practices for different industries. However, while many forms of market value accounting have been introduced into a variety of accounting standards, the Australian Accounting Standards Board's conceptual framework (CF) has not led these changes, nor provided any substantive guidance on measurement issues. This article suggests criteria that can be used to select among accounting measurement alternatives.
Harmonization and the Conceptual Framework: An International Perspective
Authors: Jones Stewart , Wolnizer Peter W.
Published: December 2003

The release of CLERP 9 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2002) requires the Financial Reporting Council and the Australian Accounting Standards Board to adopt International Accounting Standards (IAS) en bloc as domestic reporting standards by 1 January 2005. This article considers the current and future role and direction of the conceptual framework (CF) under the CLERP proposals and a potential IAS reporting environment after January 2005. It is argued that Australia, which has been a major innovator on CF issues, may suffer a major setback if the International Accounting Standards Board's CF is adopted in January 2005. Furthermore, while the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has been aggressively pursuing a set of global accounting standards, it remains unclear whether the IASB will, or can, develop an internationally relevant and generally accepted CF which can guide the development of a globally compatible set of accounting standards.
Implications for the Conceptual Framework Arising From Accounting for Financial Instruments
Authors: Bradbury Michael E.
Published: December 2003

This article describes some of the issues faced by standard setters in developing guidance on accounting for financial instruments and the implications these issues have for the conceptual framework (CF). The objective is to outline issues, not necessarily to resolve them, and to consider the implications they have for further developing the conceptual framework.

Given the current trend of harmonization and convergence of accounting practice towards international standards, it seems reasonable to assume that any policy implications will be most relevant to the CF inherited by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).1 Unless otherwise stated, references will be made to International Accounting Standards (IAS).
A Statement of Accounting Concepts for Level 1 of the Conceptual Framework?
Authors: Staunton John
Published: December 2003

The type of reporting found in corporate governance includes financial reporting, but over time various arguments have developed regarding a tension found between conventional and financial type reporting, especially as to the role of financial statements. Further tensions follow from the introduction of economic and social issues within both conventional accounting and financial reports.

This article argues that distinct, though related, frameworks at particular levels are required. The mingling of conventional accounting with financial and economic ideas and issues is evident in the conceptual framework (CF) project where there is reference to economic benefits and costs in making economic decisions for the allocation of resources. This results in a misconception of the function of these distinct types of information. An unravelling of particular issues will require a Statement of Accounting Concepts (SAC) for Level 1 of the CF.
‘Contractual Governance’ of Deviant Behaviour
Authors: Crawford Adam
Published: December 2003

This paper seeks to analyse and make sense of the growing role and implications of forms of ‘contractual governance’ that are emerging in diverse fields of social life and public policy in England and Wales, both within and beyond criminal justice. Collectively, these modes of control mimic and deploy ‘contracts' and ‘agreement’ in the regulation of deviant conduct and disorderly behaviour. The rise of contractual governance is explored against the background of a crisis in penal modernism and the challenge of crime prevention. Contractual governance in a number of fields is outlined and discussed, including home‐school agreements in education; acceptable behaviour contracts and introductory tenancies in social housing; restrictive covenants in private residential neighbourhoods; domestic security and private residential patrols and youth offender contracts. It will be argued that, in these contexts, contracts seek to induce conformity and order through modes of governing the future that depart significantly from traditional modes of policing and that recast social obligations in forms of parochial control.
‘An Unsolvable Justice Problem’? Punishing Young People's Sexual Violence
Authors: Brownlie Julie
Published: December 2003

This article addresses the paradox that whilst young offenders in general are increasingly diverted from formal justice, there continues to be resistance to the idea of diversion for those young people who commit sexual offences. It explores the ways in which tensions arising from this paradox are currently being played out within criminal justice systems in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Building on published and new research on criminal justice responses to young sexual offenders, the article highlights the problems of responding within any one justice framework to the – at times – competing concerns about risk, welfare, and control that these young offenders provoke. Drawing on criminological, psychological, and sociological work, the article argues that these concerns are accentuated in relation to young sexual offenders because of interrelated fears about the progressive nature of sexual offending; the ability of ‘newer’ justice practices to meet the need for ‘affective’ and ‘effective’ justice in relation to sexual crimes; and because of wider societal anxieties about sexual crimes, particularly where the victims and the offenders are children or young people.
Tensions in the Regulation of Abortion in Britain
Authors: Lee Ellie
Published: December 2003

This article discusses policy and practice in abortion provision, paying particular attention to the provision of counselling before abortion. It discusses the way the Abortion Act 1967 constructs the woman seeking abortion, the reasons for the development of a policy about abortion counselling in the 1970s, and that policy's relationship to the assumptions about women underlying the statute. The ways in which policy has developed since 1977 are considered, and how policy and practice have come to view women seeking abortion in a way that contrasts with the construction of them that emerges from the law. Thus, the article argues, given that the 1967 Act and other rules that regulate abortion provision seem to rest on contradictory assumptions, the law should be reformed in line with policy and practice.
Hegel, Human Rights, and Particularism
Authors: Mullender Richard
Published: December 2003

Hegel's political philosophy gives prominence to the theme that human beings have a need for recognition of those qualities, characteristics, and attributes that make them distinctive. Hegel thus speaks to the question whether human rights law should recognize and accommodate the nuances of individual make‐up. Likewise, he speaks to the question whether human rights law should be applied in ways that are sensitive to the cultural contexts in which it operates. But Hegel's political philosophy evaluates norms and practices within particular cultures by reference to the higher‐order and universal criterion of abstract right. In light of this point and the inadequacies of political philosophy that privileges local norms and practices, a third approach to the protection of human rights is canvassed. This approach prioritizes neither universal nor local norms. Its aim is to ensure that both human rights and the cultures in which they are applied are taken seriously.
Lethal Regulation: State‐Corporate Crime and the United Kingdom Government's New Mercenaries
Authors: Whyte Dave
Published: December 2003

Markets for private military security are enjoying a period of sustained growth, during which there has been a repackaging of ‘mercenary outfits’ and ‘private armies’ as legitimate, fully incorporated private military companies (PMCs). This paper presents a critique of the dominant view of the new mercenaries and examines the regulation of private military security currently being proposed by the United Kingdom government, arguing that its purpose should be understood as the facilitation rather than the restraint of those markets. States are playing a formative role in the expansion of private military markets. In contrast to the dominant themes of the literature on globalization, the emergence of those markets should be understood as an expansion rather than a diminution of the coercive and violent capacities of states. Western states are facilitating new modes of delivering terror and violence that are also likely to increase, rather than reduce, the incidence of state‐corporate crimes.
Fonction De Base Et Nouveau Rôle Des Pouvoirs Publics: Vers Un Nouveau Paradigme De L’état
Authors: Lévesque Benoît
Published: December 2003

RÉSUMÉ Cet article avance l’hypothèse d’un nouveau paradigme en émergence qui permettrait de repenser les rapports entre l’État, le marché et la société civile et qui pourrait être aussi novateur que le fut celui de l’après seconde guerre mondiale fondé sur le couple État‐marché. Selon cette nouvelle vision, le rôle des pouvoirs publics se redéfinirait de plus en plus en référence à l’avenir plutôt que par rapport au passé : dans le domaine du social, nous serions invités à passer d’un État‐providence négatif à un État‐providence positif; dans le domaine économique, à passer de politiques économiques orientées vers le soutien de la demande à des politiques visant à soutenir une offre intégrée dont les éléments dépassent le domaine économique pour atteindre le social. Dans cette visée, le nouvel arrimage vertueux entre le développement économique et le développement social ne peut plus être à sens unique dans le sens de la redistribution (et donc comme seules dépenses sociales) puisque le social représente à la fois un capital et un lieu d’investissement. Cela suppose que les pouvoirs publics travaillent à la mise en place d’une nouvelle économie mixte qui articule d’une manière inédite les entreprises capitalistes, les entreprises publiques et les entreprises d’économie sociale, une nouvelle économie mixte qui serait en même temps économie plurielle, respectant la spécificité de chacune de ses composantes dans la visée de l’intérêt général.
Bargaining Credibility and the Limits to Within‐firm Pensions
Authors: Askildsen Jan Erik , Ireland Norman J.
Published: December 2003

Abstract**:  A simple bargaining model highlights the role of commitment to a low‐risk investment policy for firms which offer within‐house pension and health insurance schemes. The roles of this commitment level plus bargaining power, and the ability of a failing firm to misappropriate pensions funds, are studied and their influence on the equilibrium pension determined.
Efficiency of Junior High Schools and the Role of Proprietary Structure
Authors: Barbetta Gian Paolo , Turati Gilberto
Published: December 2003

Abstract:  In this paper we deal with the role of proprietary structure in explaining efficiency within the Italian school industry. We analyze a sample of 497 schools located in Piemonte, a region in the North‐Western part of the country, distinguishing between public, private for‐profit and private nonprofit schools. In stage one of the analysis, we provide robust estimates of efficiency scores, using the two most widely known techniques in applied works, namely Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontiers (SF). In stage two, we suggests that proprietary structure matters in explaining efficiency. Nonprofit schools are more efficient than public ones, whereas for‐profit counterparts are outperformed by public producers. Moreover, we find that foreign and disabled students affects negatively efficiency, raising concerns for cream‐skimming practices among private producers. Finally, school size is another important determinant of efficiency.
The Internationalisation of Cooperatives: The Case of the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation
Authors: Errasti Anjel Mari , Heras Iñaki , Bakaikoa Baleren , Elgoibar Pilar
Published: December 2003

Abstract:  This paper outlines the internationalisation process of cooperatives in an economic environment determined by economic globalisation. The analysis is focused on the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (MCC) in the Basque Country which is a point of reference for participatory enterprises all over the world. MCC is currently adapting to changing market conditions and pursuing a strategy of direct investment (joint ventures, greenfield investment and acquisitions) in priority international markets. Thus, the first part of the study is about the current situation: the problems and consequences related to the internationalisation process of the MCC. In the second part, we consider an analytical framework for developing measures and strategies which could facilitate international expansion but in a manner which is more in line with cooperative values. The third part focuses on the presentation and discussion, based on this analytical framework, of a number of proposals made within the MCC on international social‐economic policy.
Childcare and Welfare Mix in France
Authors: Laville Jean‐Louis
Published: December 2003

Abstract:  ‘Proximity services’ have been the subject of frequent debate for more than a decade in French speaking countries. They can be defined as services which meet individual or collective needs and which are ‘local’ in either spatial or relational terms. Based on the situation in France, this paper aims to describe the many options available in the field of ‘proximity services’ and examine the support offered by the public authorities for the existing practices, considering that this support is representative of the evolutive relations between State, market and civil society. The limited success of the free market puts the question of a renewal of public intervention, which would accommodate all options available in this area, without being confined to a marketization of this field of activity. For this matter, the political embeddedness of associations and cooperatives is decisive for the future.
The Organisational Evolution of the Childcare Regime in Germany: Issues and Dynamics of a Public‐private Partnership
Authors: Bode Ingo
Published: December 2003

In many European countries, institutional childcare has developed as a field shaped by both statutory and associative agency, the German system being emblematic for this. In Germany, a considerable proportion of childcare services are provided by nonprofit organizations under public regulation. Departing from a historical overview, the article elaborates on the mixed economy of welfare in that system and sheds light on recent transformations of the existing public‐private partnership. It is argued that with a range of cultural and civil‐society‐related evolutions, the system is going to adopt elements of a market regulation that are prone to change the rules of games within the partnership as such.
Turning Points in Random Permutations
Authors: Hombas Vassilios
Published: December 2003

The mean and variance of the number of turning points in random permutations are evaluated. These results are applied to a test of randomness of fluctuations.
Sensitivity of the χ2 Goodness‐of‐Fit Test to the Choice of Classes
Authors: Mooney Jennifer , Jolliffe Ian
Published: December 2003

The χ2 goodness‐of‐fit test is often one of the first tests of hypotheses encountered by students. When some of the expected frequencies are small, classes need to be combined. A real‐life example is given that illustrates a surprising sensitivity of the results of the test to the way in which such combinations are chosen.
Odds That Don’t Multiply Up
Authors: Fletcher Mike
Published: December 2003

This article discusses the calculation of odds for combined events.
A k‐Factor GARMA Long‐memory Model
Authors: Woodward Wayne A. , Cheng Q. C. , Gray H. L.
Published: December 2003

Long‐memory models have been used by several authors to model data with persistent autocorrelations. The fractional and fractional autoregressive moving‐average (FARMA) models describe long‐memory behavior associated with an infinite peak in the spectrum at f = 0. The Gegenbauer and Gegenbauer ARMA (GARMA) processes of Gray, Zhang and Woodward (On generalized fractional processes. J. Time Ser. Anal. 10 (1989), 233–57) can model long‐term periodic behavior for any frequency 0 ≤f≤ 0.5. In this paper we introduce a k‐factor extension of the Gegenbauer and GARMA models that allows for long‐memory behavior to be associated with each of k frequencies in [0, 0.5]. We prove stationarity conditions for the k‐factor model and discuss issues such as parameter estimation, model iden‐ tification, realization generation and forecasting. A two‐factor GARMA model is then applied to the Mauna Loa atmospheric CO2 data. It is shown that this model provides a reasonable fit to the CO2 data and produces excellent forecasts.
The significance of immunohistochemistry in the skin pathergy reaction of patients with Behçet's syndrome
Authors: Inaloz H Serhat , Evereklioglu C , Unal B , Kirtak N , Eralp A , Inaloz SS
Published: December 2003

Background  Behçet's syndrome is a chronic systemic immuno‐inflammatory disorder affecting multiple organs with generalized vasculitis of arteries and veins. Although the aetiology is still unknown, endothelial dysfunction is one of the most prominent features in Behçet's syndrome. The skin pathergy reaction (SPR) is a non‐specific hyperreactive lesion formation that is one of the major features and diagnostic criteria of the disease. It develops after 24–48 h at the site of the needle‐prick, especially in the exacerbation period, and it is very similar to the erythematous papules or pustules that appear spontaneously in patients with Behçet's syndrome. Therefore, an investigation into the formation of the SPR lesion may contribute to the pathophysiology of skin lesions of this unique disorder.

Objective  To evaluate the immunological features of SPR formation by assessing the immunohistochemical staining of cell adhesion molecules and endothelial growth factor markers such as E‐selectin, P‐selectin and endoglin (CD 105).

Methods  Patients with Behçet's syndrome showing positive (n = 15) or negative (n = 10) SPR and 15 age‐ and sex‐matched hospital‐based healthy control subjects from a similar ethnic background were included in this study. Patients were divided into active and inactive stage by clinical findings and acute‐phase reactant parameters including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and neutrophil count. Punch biopsy specimens were obtained both from the lesion site on the forearms at 48 h and from normal skin approximately 5 cm adjacent to the SPR site. A biopsy was also obtained from the test application site in Behçet's syndrome patients with negative SPR and healthy volunteers. Biopsy specimens were then evaluated by immunohistochemical staining.

Results  Immunohistochemical examination demonstrated a mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate around the vessels and skin appendages that extended somewhat into the deep dermis. A positive segmental staining of E‐selectin and P‐selectin was noted in the endothelial cells of biopsies obtained from the patients with positive SPR. A positive segmental staining of CD 105 in the endothelial cells was also observed in the same group of patients. However, the immunostaining of the same markers was found to be negative in the biopsies obtained from normal skin of SPR‐positive patients, SPR‐negative patients and healthy control subjects. Both acute‐phase reactant levels were significantly higher in the active stage than in inactive patients or healthy controls.

Conclusion  Interaction of cellular adhesion molecules together with endothelial proliferation may play an important role in the formation of SPR lesions in patients with Behçet's syndrome. The involvement of the vascular endothelium in a large number of diseases including Behçet's syndrome supports the importance of vascular‐specific adhesion molecules for their aetiopathogenesis.
Atypical pityriasis rosea and Hodgkin's disease†
Authors: Garcia‐F‐Villalta MJ , Hernández‐Nuñez A , Córdoba S , Fernández‐Herrera J , García‐Díez A
Published: December 2003

Pityriasis rosea (PR)‐like eruptions have been associated with several neoplasms and drugs. These eruptions may be atypical. To date, the association of Hodgkin's disease with PR‐like eruptions has rarely been reported. We report a 37‐year‐old patient with clinical lesions of PR‐like, systemic symptoms and lymphadenopathies, who was subsequently diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease.
Seborrheic dermatitis
Authors: Gupta AK , Bluhm R
Published: December 2003

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammation of the skin, occurring most often on the face, scalp and chest. It is closely related to infantile seborrheic dermatitis, or diaper rash. Seborrheic dermatitis is particularly common in patients with Parkinson's disease or with HIV/AIDS. The recent resurgence of interest inMalasseziayeasts has revived the old hypothesis that seborrheic dermatitis is caused by an altered relationship between these skin commensals and the host. Moreover, the success of antifungal medications in treating seborrheic dermatitis provides new evidence for this view.

Learning objective Upon completing this paper, the reader should be aware of the clinical presentation of seborrheic dermatitis and which populations are at particular risk of developing this disorder. In addition, s/he will be aware of the role ofMalasseziayeasts in seborrheic dermatitis and the way in which knowledge of the importance of these yeasts has altered the treatment of this disorder.
Mast cells and IgE‐containing cells in gastric mucosa of Helicobacter pylori infected and non‐infected patients with chronic urticaria
Authors: Liutu M , Kalimo K , Kalimo H , Uksila J , Leino R
Published: December 2003

Background  Several studies have indicated that antibiotic therapy aimed at eradication of Helicobacter pylori has effects on symptoms of chronic urticaria (CU) patients. However, the possible connections and pathomechanism by which H. pylori might be linked to CU have remained largely unknown. The IgE‐mediated pathway might be a possible link between H. pylori infection and CU. We therefore clarified the role of H. pylori as an inducer of IgE response.

Materials and methods  Gastroscopy was performed and mucosal biopsy specimens were taken to evaluate the histology, as well as the presence of H. pylori bacteria, mast cells and IgE‐containing cells in the antral mucosa, in 21 CU patients. Controls (n = 48) included 19 patients with lichen planus, nine patients with atopic dermatitis and 20 patients with no skin or allergic disease.

Results  The mean densities of IgE‐containing cells were significantly higher in H. pylori‐infected patients and in patients with skin disease compared to non‐H. pylori‐infected patients with no skin or allergic disease. No significant difference was found in the number of IgE‐containing cells between H. pylori‐infected and non‐infected patients with CU. There was no significant difference in the mean densities of mast cells in the different patient groups.

Conclusions  Our findings suggest that H. pylori gastritis leads to increased IgE production. However, we could not show a significant difference in IgE staining between H. pylori‐infected and non‐infected patients with CU.
Blastic natural killer cell leukaemia with skin involvement: a case report
Authors: Kaya E , Ozcan H , Kuku I , Dikilitas M , Sevinc A , Aydogdu I
Published: December 2003

Natural killer cell leukaemia is generally accompanied by extramedullary involvement. CD4+ natural killer cell leukaemia frequently manifests with cutaneous involvement. The disease pursues a very aggressive course with no long‐term survivors reported. We present a patient with CD4+ natural killer cell leukaemia with skin, bone marrow and peripheral blood involvement who is still on remission at the end of 2 years.
Acute pustulosis of the legs in diverticulitis with sigmoid stenosis: an overlap between bowel‐associated dermatosis–arthritis syndrome and pustular pyoderma gangrenosum
Authors: Brouard MC , Chavaz P , Borradori L
Published: December 2003

Background  Bowel‐associated dermatosis–arthritis syndrome denotes the occurrence of diarrhoea with arthritis and skin lesions related to bowel disease with or without bowel bypass. In this condition, the histological finding of cutaneous aseptic neutrophilic cell infiltrate is non‐specific and common to a wide spectrum of neutrophilic dermatoses, including pyoderma gangrenosum.

Observation  We describe a 78‐year‐old woman with fever, abdominal discomfort and arthralgias, who developed grouped pustular lesions on her shins with histologically spongiform pustule formation. Aetiological assessment disclosed diverticular disease with sigmoid stenosis.

Conclusion  Although clinical and histological features in our case fit the diagnosis of bowel‐associated dermatosis–arthritis syndrome, they may also correspond to a pustular variant of pyoderma gangrenosum. Our observation raises the question of the nosological classification of bowel‐associated dermatosis–arthritis syndrome within the spectrum of neutrophilic diseases.
Self‐reported stress reactivity and psoriasis‐related stress of Nordic psoriasis sufferers
Authors: Zachariae R , Zachariae H , Blomqvist K , Davidsson S , Molin L , Mørk C , Sigurgeirsson B
Published: December 2003

Objectives   The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceived influence of stress on psoriasis onset and disease severity in a large sample of psoriatics and to compare stress reactors and non‐reactors with respect to psoriasis‐related stress, disease severity, family history of psoriasis and sociodemographic factors.

Patients/methods   A total of 5795 members of the Nordic psoriasis associations and 702 patients recruited from Nordic dermatologists or university clinics were asked whether their first outbreak of psoriasis occurred during times of worry and stress. They were also asked to rate the degree to which their psoriasis was influenced by stress and to complete the Psoriasis Life Stress Index, the Psoriasis Disability Index and a number of additional questions concerning sociodemographic factors.

Results   Seventy‐one per cent of the members and 66% of the patients reported that their psoriasis was exacerbated by stress, and 35% in both groups reported that the onset of their psoriasis occurred during a time of worry and stress. Stress reactors, scoring above the median on stress reactivity, reported greater disease severity, psoriasis‐related stress and impairment of disease‐related quality of life. They also reported more frequent use of tobacco, tranquillizers and antidepressants. More women than men were stress reactors, and stress reactors were more likely to have a family history of psoriasis.

Conclusion   Our findings confirm and extend the results of previous studies and indicate that a subgroup of psoriatics may be more psychologically reactive to their disease and its influence on everyday life. Whether this group is also physiologically more reactive to psychosocial stress remains to be investigated.
Profound inhibition of chronic itch induced by stimulation of thin cutaneous nerve fibres
Authors: Nilsson H‐J , Psouni E , Carstam R , Schouenborg J
Published: December 2003

Background  Despite the fact that severe itch is common in many dermatological diseases, the therapeutic arsenal against itching is limited. From neurophysiological experiments, using a new technique termed cutaneous field stimulation, it is known that acute itch can be effectively relieved by stimulation of cutaneous nociceptors.

Methods  We tested the effects of cutaneous field stimulation (25 min, 16 electrodes, 4 Hz per electrode, up to 0.8 mA) on chronic itch due to atopic dermatitis. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (100 Hz, up to 26 mA) was used for comparison. In 27 patients, itch was measured just prior to, during and at regular intervals up to 12 h after either type of treatment.

Results  Both treatments augmented the itch sensation during ongoing stimulation, presumably reflecting an altered sensory processing in the somatosensory pathways of chronic itch patients. However, after cessation of cutaneous field stimulation, but not transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, the itch sensation was significantly depressed for up to 7 h. The peak inhibitory effect (about 25% of control) was reached between 1 and 5 h poststimulation. Neither treatment had any significant effect on alloknesis, as measured before and 10 min after stimulation.

Conclusion  It is concluded that cutaneous field stimulation strongly depresses chronic itch, and is a potentially useful symptomatic treatment of itch.
First case of Mycobacterium haemophilum infection in an AIDS patient in Italy**
Authors: Martinelli C , Farese A , Carocci A , Giorgini S , Tortoli E , Leoncini F
Published: December 2003

Mycobacterium haemophilum, a strongly acid‐ and alcohol‐fast bacillus belonging to the group of non‐tuberculous mycobacteria was first described in 1978 as the cause of cutaneous ulcerating lesions in a woman with Hodgkin's disease. Infection due to M. haemophilum is rare but increasing in prevalence in immnunosuppressed subjects, particularly in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The skin is the most common site of infection with erythematous or violaceous papules and/or nodules that are usually painless at first, but some elements develop into abscesses or ulcers that can become very painful. The incidence of M. haemophilum is unknown, but cases of infection have been reported in Australia, Canada, the United States, France, Israel, the United Kingdom and Taiwan; to date no cases have been reported in Italy, thus the case reported here is apparently the first one observed in our country.
Plasma cell cheilitis
Authors: Rocha N , Mota F , Horta M , Lima O , Massa A , Sanches M
Published: December 2003

Plasma cell cheilitis is a rare inflammatory disorder of the lip with a characteristic band‐like infiltrate of plasma cells in the upper dermis. Differential diagnosis should consider allergic/irritant contact cheilitis, candidiasis, syphilis, Queyrat's erythroplasia, granulomatous cheilitis, plasmoacanthoma, plasmacytoma, squamous cell carcinoma and exfoliative or factitious cheilitis. We observed plasma cell cheilitis in a 60‐year‐old Caucasian female who had a partial response to topical steroids and oral griseofulvin.
Campaigning for melanoma prevention: a model for a health education program
Authors: Marks Robin
Published: December 2003

Melanoma incidence and mortality rates are rising in many countries. This has led to the development of a variety of education programs designed for either early detection of melanoma when it can be easily cured, or prevention by taking a long term approach. Australia has been leading in these areas running programs such as Slip! Slop! Slap! for over 20 years.

Data now show that attitudes towards sunlight and suntans have changed substantially. Sunburn rates have decreased as photoprotection has increased. Melanoma mortality rates are decreasing in the younger cohorts as a result of earlier detection of tumours that can be easily cured. Finally, incidence rates for melanoma in the younger cohorts are starting to level out and go down.

Thus health education programs can be successful if they are well‐designed and evaluated. In Australia we are now extending these programs beyond melanoma and into education programs on other common skin diseases such as acne, atopic dermatitis, warts, tinea, and a variety of other common conditions, depending on the level at which the education program is being delivered. This is the first time that coordinated public education programs on skin diseases, apart from skin cancer, have occurred anywhere in the world.
Antioxidant activity of topically applied lycopene
Authors: Andreassi M , Stanghellini E , Ettorre A , Di Stefano A , Andreassi L
Published: December 2003

Background  Ultraviolet (UV) rays cause depletion of the antioxidant substances contained in the epidermis. This is the rationale for the use of topical antioxidant substances.

Methods  We studied the protective activity against UV radiation of a product based on lycopene and a product containing a mixture of vitamins E and C. Photostimulation was applied with a solar simulator and the cutaneous response was evaluated instrumentally.

Results  The lycopene‐based product had a much greater protective ability than the product containing the mixture of vitamins.

Conclusions  Lycopene has suitable characteristics to be used successfully in the prevention of cutaneous damage by free radicals. Its antioxidant ability is probably due to its high reductive power.