bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural History of Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis: A 4‐ to 10‐Year Follow‐Up
Authors: Marple Bradley , Newcomer Mark , Schwade Nathan , Mabry Richard
Published: February 2003

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have noted the high rate of recidivism after the initial treatment of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFS). Short–term studies have revealed varying recurrence rates based on therapy; however, little is currently known about the long–term natural history of the disease.

OBJECTIVE

Our goal was to address the question of long–term outcomes in AFS patients and make observations about the natural history of the disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seventeen patients with follow–up ranging from 46 to 138 months were examined and interviewed, and their charts were reviewed. A quality–of–life survey was completed, and blood was drawn to measure immunoglobulin levels.

RESULTS

All patients initially underwent treatment with a combination of surgery, systemic and/or topical corticosteroids, and immunotherapy to pertinent fungal and nonfungal antigens. Normalization of sinonasal mucosa (Kupferberg stage 0) was seen in 5 (29%) of 17 patients, whereas 76% demonstrated either normal or slight mucosal edema (Kupferberg stage 0 or 1). Serologic testing revealed fungus‐specific IgE significantly elevated in all 17 patients.

CONCLUSION

The initial choice of therapy did not appear to affect the long–term outcome, and patients tended to be doing well overall. These results suggest that after successful initial treatment and control of AFS, many patients can achieve a quiescent disease state.
Hemorrhagic Thymopharyngeal Duct Cyst Causing Airway Obstruction in an Infant
Authors: Lowry Thomas R. , O'Hare Timothy J.
Published: February 2003

Normal thymus gland development and descent most commonly lead to its anterior mediastinal location directly behind the manubrium of the sternum. However, congenital cervical thymic anomalies, which include thymic and thymopharyngeal duct cysts, may occur as a consequence of an arrest in descent, failure of involution, or as a sequestration of thymic tissue during descent.4 These anomalies, although usually asymptomatic, may present with airway compromise in up to 7% of patients.1 Current literature demonstrates increasing numbers of these potentially life‐threatening lesions presenting in children under 2 years of age, with early misdiagnosis being a shared finding. We describe the case of a 2‐month‐old infant who developed life‐threatening airway obstruction secondary to a rapidly enlarging hemorrhagic thymopharyngeal duct cyst.
Localized Laryngeal Amyloidosis
Authors: Friedman Aaron D. , Bhayani Rajendra , Memeo Lorenzo , Kuriloff Daniel B.
Published: February 2003

A 54‐year‐old female schoolteacher presented with 1‐month of hoarseness and a foreign body sensation in the back of her throat that was not associated with symptoms or signs of infection. Direct laryngoscopy showed bilateral, yellow, hyperemic masses on the false vocal folds and laryngeal ventricles Fig 1. Both true vocal folds were mobile. An excisional biopsy of the mass revealed an amorphous, eosinophilic hyaline material Fig 2 that exhibited apple‐green birefringence when stained with Congo red and viewed under polarized light Fig 3, consistent with amyloidosis. There was no evidence of neoplasm. The work‐up for systemic amyloidosis and multiple myeloma was negative.

The patient did well over the next several years, but recurrence of the laryngeal amyloid tumor necessitated 2 additional conservative endoscopic CO2 laser excisions. Since her last surgery, the patient has remained asymptomatic.
The Transmastoid Retrolabyrinthine Approach in Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery
Authors: Ferreira Bento Ricardo , Vuono de Brito Rubens , Sanchez Tanit Ganz , Miniti Aroldo
Published: February 2003

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a prospective analysis of 22 patients with small vestibular schwannoma and useful hearing who were operated on via a transmastoid retrolabyrinthine approach between January 1994 and March 1999.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The average age was 35 years, and there were 14 females and 8 males. All patients had unilateral tumors, with 10 of them occurring in the right ear and 12 occurring in the left ear. The following parameters were included in our protocol: total removal of the tumor, intraoperative difficulties or complications, immediate postoperative complications, facial score 10 days and 3 months after the surgery, and audiologic evaluation 90 days after the surgery.

RESULTS

A good exposure of the internal auditory canal was possible in 19 cases. In 3 patients we had to change the approach to a translabyrinthine one to achieve total removal of the tumor in all patients. Hearing was preserved at the same preoperative levels in 31% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The retrolabyrinthine approach offered security to the facial nerve, no morbidity, and good percentage of hearing preservation. It is also easily changeable to a translabyrinthine approach when more exposure is necessary.
Cysteinyl Leukotrienes in Chronic Hyperplastic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Arango Pablo , Borish Larry , Frierson Henry F. , Kountakis Stilianos E.
Published: February 2003

OBJECTIVES

Our study was designed to demonstrate that, similar to asthma, eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis is a disease characterized by activation and the expression of cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs).

METHODS

Nasal polyp tissue was evaluated from 28 consecutive individuals undergoing elective polypectomy in whom neutrophils were not present on pathologic examination. Tissue was analyzed for pathosis with particular attention to the presence of eosinophils. Patients with moderate to high levels of mucosal eosinophils were classified as having eosinophilic rhinosinusitis (ECRS). Those with few or absent mucosal eosinophils were classified as having noneosinophilic rhinosinusitis (NECRS). Cysteinyl LTs were quantified by a sensitive competitive enzyme immunoassay, and the levels of cysteinyl LTs were compared in the groups.

RESULTS

There were 20 patients with ECRS and 8 patients with NECRS. Cysteinyl LTs were identified in polyp tissue from 24 of 28 subjects and were >5 pg/gm tissue in 15 of 28. The average level of LTC4 in patients with few mucosal eosinophils was 38.3 pg/g. The average amount in those with moderate to large amounts of mucosal eosinophils was 36.7 pg/g. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSION

ECRS and NECRS can be considered diseases of excessive expression of cysteinyl LTs. LT expression occurs in patients who demonstrate few or no mucosal eosinophils, which indicates that cell lines other than eosinophils may be responsible for LT production in chronic rhinosinusitis.
Biomechanical Influences of Magnetic Resonance Imaging on the SOUNDTEC Direct System Implant
Authors: Dyer Robert Kent , Dormer Kenneth J. , Hough J. V. D. , Nakmali Udon , Wickersham Rick
Published: February 2003

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to measure the forces experienced by the SOUNDTEC Direct System magnetic implant during 0.3‐T MRI.

STUDY DESIGN

Torsional and linear forces imposed on 8 implants were measured by using calibrated neurologic Von Frey hairs and were compared with finite‐element analysis predictions and the forces required to separate the incudostapedial joints of unpreserved temporal bones. An implanted embalmed autopsy specimen was also examined before and after 1.5‐T MRI.

RESULTS

Peak linear force at the orifice of the MRI core measured 0.51 g ±0.2 SD). Maximum torque occurred at the MRI core center and measured 11.4g‐cm (±1.2 SD). The mean torque required to separate the incudostapedial joints of 12 unpreserved temporal bones was 33.8g‐cm (±20.4 SD). The autopsy specimen sustained a 1.5‐T MRI scan without disruption of the ossicular chain or explantation.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical and mechanical testing of the SOUNDTEC implant indicates that the structural integrity of the ossicles will be maintained during 0.3‐T MRI of the human head.
The stringy E-function of the moduli space of rank 2 bundles over a Riemann surface of genus 3
Authors: Kiem Young-Hoon
Published: February 2003

We compute the stringy E-function (or the motivic integral) of the moduli space of rank 2 bundles over a Riemann surface of genus 3. In doing so, we answer a question of Batyrev about the stringy E-functions of the GIT quotients of linear representations.
Non-solvability for a class of left-invariant second-order differential operators on the Heisenberg group
Authors: Müller Detlef , Peloso Marco
Published: February 2003

We study the question of local solvability for second-order, left-invariant differential operators on the Heisenberg group

H

n

\mathbb {H}_n

, of the form
\[
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="script upper P Subscript normal upper Lamda Baseline equals sigma-summation Underscript i comma j equals 1 Overscript n Endscripts lamda Subscript i j Baseline upper X Subscript i Baseline upper Y Subscript j Baseline equals Superscript t Baseline upper X normal upper Lamda upper Y comma">

P

Λ

=

∑

i
,
j
=
1

n

λ

i
j

X
i

Y
j

=

t

X
Λ
Y
,

\mathcal {P}_\Lambda = \sum _{i,j=1}^{n} \lambda _{ij}X_i Y_j={\,}^t X\Lambda Y,

\]
where

Λ
=
(

λ

i
j

)

\Lambda =(\lambda _{ij})

is a complex

n
×
n

n\times n

matrix. Such operators never satisfy a cone condition in the sense of Sjöstrand and Hörmander. We may assume that

P

Λ

\mathcal {P}_\Lambda

cannot be viewed as a differential operator on a lower-dimensional Heisenberg group. Under the mild condition that

Re
⁡
Λ
,

\operatorname {Re}\Lambda ,

Im
⁡
Λ

\operatorname {Im}\Lambda

and their commutator are linearly independent, we show that

P

Λ

\mathcal {P}_\Lambda

is not locally solvable, even in the presence of lower-order terms, provided that

n
≥
7

n\ge 7

. In the case

n
=
3

n=3

we show that there are some operators of the form described above that are locally solvable. This result extends to the Heisenberg group

H

3

\mathbb {H}_3

a phenomenon first observed by Karadzhov and Müller in the case of

H

2

.

\mathbb {H}_2.

It is interesting to notice that the analysis of the exceptional operators for the case

n
=
3

n=3

turns out to be more elementary than in the case

n
=
2.

n=2.

When

3
≤
n
≤
6

3\le n\le 6

the analysis of these operators seems to become quite complex, from a technical point of view, and it remains open at this time.
Ricci flatness of asymptotically locally Euclidean metrics
Authors: Ni Lei , Shi Yuguang , Tam Luen-Fai
Published: February 2003

In this article we study the metric property and the function theory of asymptotically locally Euclidean (ALE) Kähler manifolds. In particular, we prove the Ricci flatness under the assumption that the Ricci curvature of such manifolds is either nonnegative or nonpositive. The result provides a generalization of previous gap type theorems established by Greene and Wu, Mok, Siu and Yau, etc. It can also be thought of as a general positive mass type result. The method also proves the Liouville properties of plurisubharmonic functions on such manifolds. We also give a characterization of Ricci flatness of an ALE Kähler manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature in terms of the structure of its cone at infinity.
Mappings of finite distortion: The sharp modulus of continuity
Authors: Koskela Pekka , Onninen Jani
Published: February 2003

We establish an essentially sharp modulus of continuity for mappings of subexponentially integrable distortion.
Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity and extended degree
Authors: Rossi Maria Evelina , Trung Ngô , Valla Giuseppe
Published: February 2003

Our main result shows that the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of the tangent cone of a local ring

A
A

is effectively bounded by the dimension and any extended degree of

A
A

. From this it follows that there are only a finite number of Hilbert-Samuel functions of local rings with given dimension and extended degree.
Functorial Hodge identities and quantization
Authors: Slupinski M.
Published: February 2003

By a uniform abstract procedure, we obtain integrated forms of the classical Hodge identities for Riemannian, Kähler and hyper-Kähler manifolds, as well as of the analogous identities for metrics of arbitrary signature. These identities depend only on the type of geometry and, for each of the three types of geometry, define a multiplicative functor from the corresponding category of real, graded, flat vector bundles to the category of infinite-dimensional

Z

2

\mathbf {Z}_{2}

-projective representations of an algebraic structure. We define new multiplicative numerical invariants of closed Kähler and hyper-Kähler manifolds which are invariant under deformations of the metric.
Steenrod operations in Chow theory
Authors: Brosnan Patrick
Published: February 2003

An action of the Steenrod algebra is constructed on the mod

p
p

Chow theory of varieties over a field of characteristic different from

p
p

, answering a question posed in Fulton’s Intersection Theory. The action agrees with the action of the Steenrod algebra used by Voevodsky in his proof of the Milnor conjecture. However, the construction uses only basic functorial properties of equivariant intersection theory.
Metric character of Hamilton–Jacobi equations
Authors: Siconolfi Antonio
Published: February 2003

We deal with the metrics related to Hamilton–Jacobi equations of eikonal type. If no convexity conditions are assumed on the Hamiltonian, these metrics are expressed by an

inf
\inf

–

sup
\sup

formula involving certain level sets of the Hamiltonian. In the case where these level sets are star–shaped with respect to 0, we study the induced length metric and show that it coincides with the Finsler metric related to a suitable convexification of the equation.
Humbert surfaces and the Kummer plane
Authors: Birkenhake Christina , Wilhelm Hannes
Published: February 2003

A Humbert surface is a hypersurface of the moduli space

A

2

\mathcal A_2

of principally polarized abelian surfaces defined by an equation of the form

a

z
1

+
b

z
2

+
c

z
3

+
d
(

z
2
2

−

z
1

z
3

)
+
e
=
0

az_1+bz_2+cz_3+d(z_2^2-z_1z_3)+e=0

with integers

a
,
…
,
e

a,\ldots ,e

. We give geometric characterizations of such Humbert surfaces in terms of the presence of certain curves on the associated Kummer plane. Intriguingly this shows that a certain plane configuration of lines and curves already carries all information about principally polarized abelian surfaces admitting a symmetric endomorphism with given discriminant.
Cyclotomic units and Stickelberger ideals of global function fields
Authors: Ahn Jaehyun , Bae Sunghan , Jung Hwanyup
Published: February 2003

In this paper, we define the group of cyclotomic units and Stickelberger ideals in any subfield of the cyclotomic function field. We also calculate the index of the group of cyclotomic units in the total unit group in some special cases and the index of Stickelberger ideals in the integral group ring.
Early-replicating heterochromatin
Authors: Kim Soo-Mi , Dubey Dharani D. , Huberman Joel A.
Published: February 2003

Euchromatin, which has an open structure and is frequently transcribed, tends to replicate in early S phase. Heterochromatin, which is more condensed and rarely transcribed, usually replicates in late S phase. Here, we report significant deviation from this correlation in the fission yeast,Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We found that heterochromatic centromeres and silent mating-type cassettes replicate in early S phase. Only heterochromatic telomeres replicate in late S phase. Research in other laboratories has shown that occasionally other organisms also replicate some of their heterochromatin in early S phase. Thus, late replication is not an obligatory feature of heterochromatin.
CIAP1 and the serine protease HTRA2 are involved in a novel p53-dependent apoptosis pathway in mammals
Authors: Jin Shengkan , Kalkum Markus , Overholtzer Michael , Stoffel Archontoula , Chait Brian T. , Levine Arnold J.
Published: February 2003

Recently aDrosophilap53 protein has been identified that mediates apoptosis via a novel pathway involving the activation of theReapergene and subsequent inhibition of the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs). The present study found that CIAP1, a major mammalian homolog ofDrosophilaIAPs, is irreversibly inhibited (cleaved) during p53-dependent apoptosis and this cleavage is mediated by a serine protease. Serine protease inhibitors that block CIAP1 cleavage inhibit p53-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, activation of the p53 protein increases the transcription of theHTRA2gene, which encodes a serine protease that interacts with CIAP1 and potentiates apoptosis. These results demonstrate that the mammalian p53 protein may activate apoptosis through a novel pathway functionally similar to that inDrosophila, which involves HTRA2 and subsequent inhibition of CIAP1 by cleavage.
Combinatorial effects ofFlk1andTal1on vascular and hematopoietic development in the mouse
Authors: Ema Masatsugu , Faloon Patrick , Zhang Wen Jie , Hirashima Masanori , Reid Tammy , Stanford William L. , Orkin Stuart , Choi Kyunghee , Rossant Janet
Published: February 2003

Mouse embryos mutant for the VEGF receptor, VEGFR2, Flk-1, or Kdr, fail to form both endothelial and hematopoietic cells, suggesting a possible role in a common progenitor to both lineages. The transcription factor Tal1 (Scl), is not expressed inFlk1−/−embryos, consistent with a downstream role in the Flk1 pathway. We tested whether expression ofTal1under theFlk1promoter was sufficient to rescue the loss of endothelial and hematopoietic cells inFlk1mutants. Only partial rescue of hematopoiesis and endothelial development was observed in vivo. However,Flk1−/Tal1embryonic stem (ES) cells were capable of blast colony formation in vitro at levels equivalent toFlk1+/−heterozygotes. Ectopic expression ofTal1under theFlk1promoter inFlk1+/−mouse embryos or ES cells caused no obvious pathology but increased the number of blast colony forming cells (BL-CFCs) and enhanced their hematopoietic potential. These single-cell-derived BL-CFCs also produced smooth muscle cells in vitro. IncreasedTal1expression inhibited smooth muscle differentiation in this assay, whereas loss ofTal1promoted smooth muscle formation. We propose a model in which the combinatorial effects ofFlk1andTal1act to regulate cell fate choice in early development into hematopoietic, endothelial, and smooth muscle lineages.
The ch-TOG/XMAP215 protein is essential for spindle pole organization in human somatic cells
Authors: Gergely Fanni , Draviam Viji M. , Raff Jordan W.
Published: February 2003

The ch-TOG/XMAP215 family of proteins bind directly to microtubules and appear to play an essential role in stabilizing spindle microtubules. These proteins stabilize microtubules mainly by influencing microtubule plus-end dynamics, yet, in vivo, they are all strongly concentrated at spindle poles, where the minus ends of the microtubules are concentrated. InDrosophilaembryos, the centrosomal protein D-TACC is required to efficiently recruit ch-TOG/Msps to centrosomes. In humans, ch-TOG and the three known TACC proteins have been implicated in cancer, but their functions are unknown. Here we extensively depleted TACC3 and ch-TOG from HeLa cells using RNA interference. In TACC3-depleted cells, spindles are well organized, but microtubules are partially destabilized and ch-TOG is no longer concentrated on spindle microtubules. In ch-TOG-depleted cells, relatively robust spindles form, but the spindles are highly disorganized. Thus, in human somatic cells, ch-TOG appears to play a major role in organizing spindle poles, and a more minor role in stabilizing spindle microtubules that is, at least in part, mediated via an interaction with TACC3.
SCARECROW is involved in positioning the stem cell niche in theArabidopsisroot meristem
Authors: Sabatini Sabrina , Heidstra Renze , Wildwater Marjolein , Scheres Ben
Published: February 2003

Stem cells self-renew and produce daughter cells that differentiate. How stem cells are specified and maintained is a central question in developmental biology. Plant stem cells occupy a small region or niche in larger zones of mitotic activity called meristems. Here we provide molecular evidence that in theArabidopsisroot meristem, the stem cell population depends on a central group of cells, the quiescent center (QC), which positions the stem cell niche. We show that the putative transcription factor SCARECROW (SCR), first identified by its role in radial patterning, is required cell-autonomously for distal specification of the QC, which in turn regulates stem cell fate of immediately surrounding cells.
Ultrasonic inspection of aerospace parts: the challenge of working on the 3D world
Authors: Tanarro Antonio , Ortega Juan , Cabrera Esteban , Borrás Manuel , Aldea Javier
Published: February 2003

Focuses on the inspection of critical parts for industrial sectors where high reliability, controlled costs and high accurate inspection results are required. Presents how the Multi‐technique Inspection Data Acquisition System (MIDAS), developed by Tecnatom, in a first stage to commit identified needs of the power plant industry (manufacturing and in‐service inspections), has been adapted for use for inspecting complex shaped parts in the aerospace market.
Intelligent location of simultaneously active acoustic emission sources: Part I
Authors: Kosel Tadej , Grabec Igor , Kosel Franc
Published: February 2003

The intelligent acoustic emission (AE) locator is described in Part I while Part II discusses a blind source separation, time delay estimation and location of two simultaneously active continuous AE sources. Location of AE on complicated aircraft frame structures is a difficult problem of non‐destructive testing. In this article an intelligent AE source locator is described. The intelligent locator is comprised of a sensor antenna and a general regression neural network, that solves the location problem based on learning from examples. The locator performance was tested on different test specimens. The tests have shown that accuracy of location depends on sound velocity and attenuation in the specimen, the dimensions of tested area, and properties of stored data. The location accuracy achieved by the intelligent locator is comparable to that obtained by the conventional triangulation method. This is a promising method for non‐destructive testing by AE method of aircraft frame structures.
Engineering design education – the integration of disciplines
Authors: Newman Simon , Whatley David , Anderson Ian
Published: February 2003

The concept of the design process is not well understood by the general public. Indeed industry is now looking for graduates with the core skills of mathematics and science but enhanced by a firm grounding in the engineering design process. At Southampton a number of initiatives have been implemented in teaching practices and further activities are being constructed to increase the undergraduate's awareness of the order and execution of the modern design process. The demands of manufacture on design and the abilities of the undergraduate to use high grade CAD/CAM computer packages to perform these tasks is the focus of the developments. The exact package that is being used is not important, more so the thinking processes required in using them to their best advantage. The paper will describe the concepts behind these initiatives and how the engineering education process must itself become an example of the integration of disciplines.
A method of aircraft unit fault diagnosis
Authors: Wu Haiqiao , Liu Yi , Ding Yunliang
Published: February 2003

The method for aircraft unit fault diagnosis, which is based on the self‐organising feature map (SOM) artificial neural net and expertise, has been presented in this paper. A fault probability of components, of which an aircraft unit is comprised, is generated by the SOM. The qualitative possibilities that the components of a specific unit may cause a failure were estimated by an expert in natural language. It was converted into numeric value by means of Zadeh's fuzzy logic. Both the fault probability and the expertise value of the specific components have been considered in this method based on SOM too. The technical feasibility of this method has been shown by the example. The method is useful when a model based on the First Principles or a causal model of a diagnostic object is not available. It is also applicable to the fault diagnosis of other complicated electromechanical equipments.
Can networks of journal‐journal citations be used as indicators of change in the social sciences?
Authors: Leydesdorff Loet
Published: February 2003

Aggregated journal‐journal citations can be used for mapping the intellectual organization of the sciences in terms of specialties because the latter can be considered as interreading communities. Can the journal‐journal citations also be used as early indicators of change by comparing the files for two subsequent years? Probabilistic entropy measures enable us to analyze changes in large datasets at different levels of aggregation and in considerable detail. Compares Journal Citation Reports of the Social Science Citation Index for 1999 with similar data for 1998 and analyzes the differences using these measures. Compares the various indicators with similar developments in the Science Citation Index. Specialty formation seems a more important mechanism in the development of the social sciences than in the natural and life sciences, but the developments in the social sciences are volatile. The use of aggregate statistics based on the Science Citation Index is ill‐advised in the case of the social sciences because of structural differences in the underlying dynamics.
Allyn Young revisited
Authors: Chandra Ramesh
Published: February 2003

Allyn Young was, and continues to be, a much misunderstood economist. He was a profound thinker and so much ahead of his times that it is doubtful that even today we have grasped the full import of what he said. This paper examines Young's thinking from the perspective of five different schools and brings out a clearer picture of Young. Young's analysis of endogenous growth retains its relevance for the contemporary problems facing developing countries today. Also, seen from the Youngian perspective scarcity becomes an opportunity. This has the potential to transform the discipline of economics itself – from the economics of scarcity to the economics of opportunity.
Integration of management systems: focus on safety in the nuclear industry
Authors: Beckmerhagen I.A. , Berg H.P. , Karapetrovic S.V. , Willborn W.O.
Published: February 2003

The need to create integrated management systems (IMS) in order to handle the proliferation of management system standards is undeniable. There is also evidence in literature and practice that organizations are slowly starting to tackle the IMS issue, mainly by putting an integrated quality and environmental management system in place. Due to the existence of internationally accepted standards covering these two fields, namely ISO 9000 and 14000 series, such a scope of integration comes as no surprise. However, can and should other systems, for example, the ones for occupational health and safety, dependability, social accountability or complaints handling, be included? What would such an integration mean for the existing organizational structures and how could be it be accomplished? When we attempt to address IMS issues, do we really talk about the integration of standards, systems, both or neither? These and other important questions regarding IMS are addressed here. By means of an example from the nuclear industry, this paper focuses in particular on the integration of a safety management system within an IMS framework. Since safety is of such a paramount importance in nuclear plants, it makes sense to integrate safety requirements within a quality management system, as a possible first step in the integration efforts. Subsequently, other function‐specific requirements may be included to form a “real” IMS.
Modelling project management performance
Authors: Bryde David James
Published: February 2003

This paper presents an argument that it is appropriate to develop a model of project management (PM) performance from models for assessing quality management. The paper presents a model, labelled the project management performance assessment (PMPA) model, based upon the EFQM business excellence model. The model proposes six criteria for assessing PM performance: project management leadership; project management staff; project management policy and strategy; project management partnerships and resources; project life cycle management processes; and project management key performance indicators. Using data from an empirical study of PM practice in UK organisations, the paper uses PMPA as a framework to explore variations in the character of PM performance. It is concluded that there are variations in attitudes and behaviour in each of these areas and that these variations may be used to help measure levels of PM performance.
Flexibility versus robust networks: the case of the Brazilian automotive sector
Authors: Paulo Fusco Jose , Spring Martin
Published: February 2003

The “robust networks” concept of Ferdows is examined and related to other key theories from the manufacturing strategy literature, resource‐based and other conceptualisations of the organisation of innovation in international networks, and the international business debates on “operational flexibility”. The cases of seven international automotive assemblers with operations in Brazil are then considered in the light of Ferdows’ framework and the external factors bearing on the country and the sector within it. It is evident that, among the global assemblers, the “world” car strategy is dominant, leading to a concentration on the “source” and “lead” roles for individual plants, often combined with radical logistical arrangements. This seems in turn to support the argument for “robustness” rather than “operational flexibility”. Suggestions are made for further work to study the luxury car assemblers and other sectors where economies of scale are less important and where there is a greater degree of global dispersion of production facilities.
The application of case based reasoning to decision support in new product development
Authors: Belecheanu R. , Pawar K.S. , Barson R.J. , Bredehorst B. , Weber F.
Published: February 2003

This paper describes the application of case based reasoning (CBR) to decision support for design managers and engineers during the early phases of new product development projects, in a concurrent engineering environment. The paper discusses the rationale of using CBR, emphasising its suitability for ill‐defined, unstructured problems, in comparison with traditional knowledge‐based systems. The overall research approach is presented, the importance of case collection, case base maintenance and user training is highlighted and the pre‐requisites for effective use of the system are discussed. Finally, the benefits and costs of the CBR system, as perceived by the user companies, are discussed. The experimental nature of the approach is emphasised and it is shown that the industrial environment for which the system is designed and in which it is used has great bearing on its capability.
Knowledge management configurations in Italian small‐to‐medium enterprises
Authors: Corso Mariano , Martini Antonella , Paolucci Emilio , Pellegrini Luisa
Published: February 2003

To survive in the global economy small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have to improve their products and processes exploiting their intellectual capital in a dynamic network of knowledge‐intensive relations inside and outside their borders. By erasing traditional constraints to SMEs innovation ability and leveraging their flexibility and responsiveness, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provide SMEs with opportunities for Knowledge Management (KM) today in most cases largely unexploited. Focusing on the area of Product Innovation (PI) and drawing evidence from the analysis of a multiple‐case study on 47 Italian SMEs, patterns in the adoption and use of new ICT tools are explained in relation both to Contingencies and to KM internal processes. Complexity at both product and system levels, emerges as a key factor driving technological choices. Three different KM configurations emerge in relation to ICT approaches. Implications of this study are relevant for both SMEs managers and ICT developers/vendors.
Restaurants and the tourist market
Authors: Sparks Beverley , Bowen John , Klag Stefanie
Published: February 2003

Previous research has shown that restaurants are an important factor in the choice of a holiday destination for some tourists. Research has also found that the restaurants at a destination can enhance the guests’ overall satisfaction with the destination. This research was sponsored by the Co‐operative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Australia and investigates the relationship between the tourist destination, restaurants and tourists. The study is based on the results of interviews with 459 tourists. The findings of the study provide support for the proposition that tourists perceive restaurants as an important attribute of a tourist destination. The study also provides insight into how tourists select restaurants. This information is useful to managers of restaurants in tourist destinations. Both destination marketers and restaurant managers will benefit from this study.
Groupthink and sports: an application of Whyte’s model
Authors: Koerber Charles P. , Neck Christopher P.
Published: February 2003

This paper utilizes Whyte’s groupthink recast framework to analyze the Major League Umpires Association resignation decision. Our analysis supports the importance of high collective efficacy to groupthink and thus defective decision making. Implications for both research and practice are presented based on our analysis.
Barriers to creativity in the hotel industry – perspectives of managers and supervisors
Authors: Simon Wong Chak‐keung , Loretta Pang Wai‐Ling
Published: February 2003

Aims to identify the job‐related barriers to creativity as perceived by managers and supervisors in the Hong Kong hotel industry. Two pilot tests using individual in‐depth interview and dichotomous selection test were conducted to identify possible barriers. Based on the result of the first pilot study, 25 job‐related barriers to creativity were consolidated and finally 17 statements were developed through the respondents’ selection in the second pilot study. Factor analysis of Principal Components Analysis with a Varimax Rotation was conducted and four major dimensions of barriers were identified with a factor loading of 0.5 or higher. Significant differences were observed when analyzing the demographic variable of education with the factor of “fear of change and criticism” and “time and work pressure”. Suggests recommendations on how to reduce the barriers inhibiting creativity in the hotel industry aiming at improving the creative potential of hotel employees.
The liberation of hospitality management education
Authors: Morrison Alison , Barry O’Mahony G.
Published: February 2003

Hospitality management higher education’s historic origins have resulted in a strong vocational ethos permeating the curriculum. Knowledge about hospitality has been drawn from the industry and the world of work rather than from the many disciplines or other fields of enquiry, which can help to explain it. By the late 1990s there was a strengthening international movement, driven by higher education hospitality academics towards the liberation of hospitality management higher education from its vocational base and to explore the inclusion in the curriculum of a broader and more reflective orientation. This paper investigates the historical evolution of hospitality management education, concepts associated with liberal education, and provides an illustrative case study that evaluates how a more liberal base was introduced into the curriculum at two universities located in Australia and Scotland respectively.
Tourism and hospitality education in Brazil and the UK: a comparison
Authors: Knowles Tim , Meira Teixeira Rivanda , Egan David
Published: February 2003

Makes a comparative analysis between undergraduate level courses in tourism/hospitality in Brazil and those in the UK, building on work by Teixeira et al. Analyses courses structure, reason for creation and focus. In Brazil, according to Rejowski, undergraduate university level courses in tourism/hospitality are relatively recent, beginning in the 1970s. The first hospitality course was created by the Universidade de Caxias do Sul, 1978. According to data gathered by the Ministry of Education, there has been an impressive growth in the number of tourism/hospitality undergraduate courses in Brazil. Data provided by the Ministry state that the total number of courses registered is 284; 225 in tourism and 59 in hospitality/hospitality management. First, presents a brief theoretical review about tourism/hospitality education; after that, a description of the methodological approach adopted in this study with a description of type, method, tools, and data collection procedures used in the research. Analyses the results of the project along with comparisons in the UK. Finally, presents a conclusion to this study.
The emerging self‐directed learning methods for design engineers
Authors: James‐Gordon Yvette , Bal Jay
Published: February 2003

For learning opportunities to exist in an organisation, adequate learning methods need to be available in the organisation. This paper looks at the various learning methods for engineers in the design environment adopted by two automotive organisations. With greater work demands placed on the engineer and less time to learn, a more self‐directed learning approach is emerging. Emphasis is on the engineering design environment because of the continuous need for design engineers to keep updated with current engineering information, knowledge and techniques. By having the right learning climate and methods available in the organisation, the individual can engage in self‐directed learning; the effects of which are beneficial to organisational learning and the design engineer’s self‐development.
The intellectual capital web
Authors: Zhou Albert Z. , Fink Dieter
Published: February 2003

The twenty‐first century knowledge driven economy has seen increasing importance being placed on maximising the organisation's intellectual capital (IC). At the same time knowledge management (KM) systems are being developed. The paper establishes similarities between the two and proceeds to develop a systematic approach to linking them through the intellectual capital web (ICW). There are six components with the ICW: strategic objectives, management systems, measurement systems, knowledge workers, catalysts and reward and incentive systems. The integration of IC and KM requires alignment of KM processes with IC assets to meet the organisation's strategic needs. A theoretical conjecture is developed in which the components of elements of ICW are interweaved to achieve strategic objectives. The systematic approach outlined in the paper should offer organisations valuable guidelines to maximising their IC assets and managing their knowledge management processes.
Intellectual capital reporting in Spain: a comparative view
Authors: Ordóñez de Pablos Patricia
Published: February 2003

In the knowledge economy, caracterized by complex and dynamic competitive environments, knowledge‐based resources represent the true source of sustained competitive advantage for the firm. However, most of these intangible resources are not reported on the traditional annual report. As “what is measured is managed”, firms increasingly need to measure and report these resources. Thus, the intellectual capital report offers a holistic view of the organization's roots of value. There are three main parts to this paper. First, the growing importance of organizational knowledge‐based resources is addressed. Second, a concise review of the most significant on intellectual capital is summarized. Third, an image is shown of what Spanish firms are doing in terms of knowledge management and intellectual capital measuring and reporting. This situation is compared with intellectual capital reports of firms from Asia, the Middle East and other European countries.
Human interaction: the critical source of intangible value
Authors: O'Donnell David , O'Regan Philip , Coates Brian , Kennedy Tom , Keary Brian , Berkery Gerry
Published: February 2003

In this theoretical, empirical and occasionally speculative paper we argue that human interaction is the critical source of intangible value in the intellectual age. This argument is supported with some perceptual evidence on the dimensions of intellectual capital (IC) from the Irish ICT sector. Key findings are that almost two thirds of organizational value is perceived to be intellectual and that half of this IC value is perceived to stem directly from the people dimension. Drawing on the system/lifeworld distinction in Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action we claim that the dominant tenets of market and hierarchy are changing in both nature and scope in an increasingly knowing‐intensive economy. We argue strongly that these tenets must be complemented with ideas of community and lifeworld that place human interaction at the center of a more enlightened economic and social equation.
The concept of knowledge and how to measure it
Authors: Hunt Darwin P.
Published: February 2003

Knowledge is often defined as a belief that is true and justified. This definition has led to its measurement by methods that rely solely on the correctness of answers. A correct or incorrect answer is interpreted to mean simply that a person knows or does not know something. Such methods of measurement have serious deficiencies that can be alleviated by expanding the definition of knowledge to include the test‐taker's certainty. The person's certainty about the answers on a test captures important, but now neglected, dimensions of knowledge. Historical roots of certainty as an essential component of knowledge, and some practical benefits of including it, are discussed. An epistemetric method is described which allows people to indicate “How sure are you?” about the correctness of each of their answers. A computer analysis of the person's answers and self‐assessment certainty responses provides multidimensional scores about a person's knowledge that remedy some deficiencies of knowledge assessment and achievement tests now employed.
Consent and end of life decisions
Authors: Harris John
Published: February 2003

This paper discusses the role of consent in decision making generally and its role in end of life decisions in particular. It outlines a conception of autonomy which explains and justifies the role of consent in decision making and criticises some misapplications of the idea of consent, particular the role of fictitious or “proxy” consents.

Where the inevitable outcome of a decision must be that a human individual will die and where that individual is a person who can consent, then that decision is ethical if and only if the individual consents. In very rare and extreme cases such a decision will be ethical in the absence of consent where it would be massively cruel not to end life in order to prevent suffering which is in no other way preventable.

Where, however, the human individual is not a person, as is the case with abortion, the death of infants like Mary (one of the conjoined twins in a case discussed in the paper), or in the very rare and extreme cases of those who have ceased to be persons like Tony Bland, such decisions are governed by the ethics of ending the lives of non-persons.
Common sense and common consent in communicable disease surveillance
Authors: Turnberg L
Published: February 2003

The need to protect the public against the spread of communicable (infectious) disease provides a good example of the need for a commonsense approach to the use of confidential data. Laboratories need to notify different professionals in order to trace the sources of outbreaks of infection and eradicate the cause. It is often not possible to obtain consent from individual patients, given the rapid time scale required. In doing so, however, laboratory staff and others would contravene the Data Protection Act in passing on information without consent. Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act was designed to overcome barriers to research relying on data accumulated in the past and this type of public health work. But this is proving a sluggish procedure. It is an awkward solution to the problem of data use without specific consent. This problem will be overcome only when the public can have sufficient trust in safeguards that are in place to protect their safety and confidentiality so that these important activities can be pursued without specific informed consent.
Some limits of informed consent
Authors: O'Neill O
Published: February 2003

Many accounts of informed consent in medical ethics claim that it is valuable because it supports individual autonomy. Unfortunately there are many distinct conceptions of individual autonomy, and their ethical importance varies. A better reason for taking informed consent seriously is that it provides assurance that patients and others are neither deceived nor coerced. Present debates about the relative importance ofgenericandspecificconsent (particularly in the use of human tissues for research and in secondary studies) do not address this issue squarely. Consent is a propositional attitude, so intransitive: complete, wholly specific consent is an illusion. Since the point of consent procedures is to limit deception and coercion, they should be designed to give patients and others control over the amount of information they receive and opportunity to rescind consent already given.
Incapacity to give informed consent owing to mental disorder
Authors: Van Staden C W , Krüger C
Published: February 2003

What renders some mentally disordered patients incapable of informed consent to medical interventions? It is argued that a patient is incapable of giving informed consent owing to mental disorder, if a mental disorder prevents a patient from understanding what s/he consents to; if a mental disorder prevents a patient from choosing decisively; if a mental disorder prevents a patient from communicating his/her consent; or if a mental disorder prevents a patient from accepting the need for a medical intervention. This paper holds that a patient's capacity to give informed consent should be assessed clinically by using these conditions necessary for informed consent, and should be assessed specifically for each intervention and specifically at the time when the consent has to be given. The paper considers patients' incapacity to give informed consent to treatment, to give informed consent to be examined clinically, and to give informed consent to participate in research.