bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning, job satisfaction and commitment: an empirical study of organizations in China
Authors: Wang Xiaohui
Published: August 2007

Purpose

This study seeks to fill the gap in the existing literature regarding relationships among organizational learning, culture, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment in the Chinese context, particularly, in native Chinese enterprise settings.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on well‐defined western concepts and instruments, and statistical analysis of the data collected from 919 employees in nine companies located in Guangdong, China, this study adopted an empirical design.

Findings

There are positive interrelations among the three variables and, specifically, organizational learning culture serves as a predictor and job satisfaction serves a mediator.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to directly utilizing some commonly‐applied western theoretical frameworks and instruments, findings may not fully detect the cultural nuances in the Chinese employees; the narrowly geographically‐concentrated sampling may prevent generalization of findings to the broad Chinese context.

Practical implications

Companies should understand that nurturing organizational learning culture could result in a healthier workforce and better organizational outcomes.

Originality/value

Theoretically, this study serves as pioneer research for indigenizing the western constructs in the Chinese context, and it can fill a gap in the existing literature of the subjects being studied. Practically, this study has potential contributions to human resource management practice.
Studying hospitality: beyond the envelope
Authors: Lashley Conrad
Published: August 2007

Purpose

An emerging hospitality studies focus amongst British academics prioritizes the study of host and guest transactions as a key feature of hospitality research and publications. This short paper introduces the papers in the special issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Provides a brief review of the papers within the issue.

Findings

The study of host and guest transactions extends beyond commercial hospitality management activities. A large number of human interactions can be better understood through host and guest transactions. Commercial hospitality management through service quality management, employee relations, customer and employee transactions as well as the development of customer loyalty can also be informed by the study of hospitality through the study of host guest transactions.

Originality/value

Outlines how the papers in this special issue provide a flavor of some of the research themes that social science perspectives suggest.
Uncontested space
Authors: O'Mahony Barry
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reveal insights into the relationship between migrant communities and the hospitality industry by examining the case study of Irish migrants into nineteenth century Victoria in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides examples of the pattern of engagement with the hospitality industry as well as individual and family stories that highlight how hotel‐keeping and the service of alcohol in Melbourne and regional Victoria in the mid‐to‐late 1800s, was a key element in social improvement and mobility of Irish migrants at that time.

Findings

Although the relationship between the English and the Irish in the nineteenth century could be classified as difficult, the tensions that characterised Anglo‐Irish relations in a European context were remarkably absent in colonial Australia. This paper describes how conditions in the colonies when the majority of Irish migrants arrived allowed them to use the hospitality industry to improve their social standing and to consolidate their position in Australian society.

Research limitations/implications

Migration presents an interesting interface between host communities and guest migrants, which go to the heart of hospitality. In addition, this case study suggests there are some interesting avenues to be followed by exploring cases of other migrant communities both in their relationships with hosts, but also in the opportunities offered by the hospitality industry for opportunities denied to migrants in wider community.

Practical implications

The opportunities offered to migrants in the hospitality industry can provide a useful means of engagement for migrants into host communities through employment, and more importantly through the cultural interface allowed through hospitality enterprises whereby the migrant as guest acts as host to host community members in hospitality entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

The paper has value to both practitioners and academics because it provides an example of migrant experiences and the opportunities presented by the hospitality industry for employment, entrepreneurship and ultimately community integration.
Consumer participation in commercial hospitality
Authors: Lugosi Peter
Published: August 2007

Purpose

This paper examines customers' participation in the production of commercial hospitality. Drawing on a study of queer consumers (i.e. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals), the paper considers the ways in which frequently circulated understandings, or myths, shaped consumers' actions. The case study is used to highlight previously under examined dimensions of participation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on an ethnographic study of bar culture. The principal method of data collection was participant observation, which involved working at one venue for 27 months, as well as social visits throughout a five‐year period. Participant observation was complemented by semi‐structured interviews with 26 informants, 19 of whom were interviewed repeatedly during the research.

Findings

The paper suggests that three myths were evident in consumers' behavior: commonality, mutual safety, and the opportunities for liberated, playful consumption. Focusing on two particular aspects of participation: performative display and frontline labor, the paper discusses the ways in which these myths influenced patrons' actions.

Research limitations/implications

The study suggests that an examination of the cultural dimensions of patronage provides crucial insights into consumer participation. The results will be relevant to social scientists and management academics seeking to understand the relationship between shared interest and identity, consumption, and the production of hospitable spaces.

Originality/value

This study provides a new understanding of both the nature of and motivations for consumer participation. This challenges existing approaches, which have tended to focus narrowly on the managerial aspects of participation in the service sector.
Communities and social enterprises in the age of globalization
Authors: Berkes Fikret , Davidson‐Hunt Iain J.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The goal of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to understand the processes by which rural communities are using commons‐based social enterprises to engage global actors and forge local places.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a four‐step conceptualization of commons‐based social enterprises within a complex world: deal with communities as complex systems embedded in larger complex systems, understand cross‐scale linkages between communities and other levels of organization, identify drivers of change, and build adaptive capacity to increase the resilience of communities in the face of globalization. The paper draws upon an international set of cases undertaken by the Centre for Community‐based Resource Management to illustrate each step.

Findings

Social enterprises are one means by which rural communities are negotiating with global actors through recent processes of globalization. The social enterprise provides a mechanism for rural people to secure tenure for common‐pool resources and allows them to make direct decisions regarding their management.

Research limitations/implications

To further develop the understanding of commons‐based social enterprises will require further integration of theory regarding commons and social enterprises.

Practical implications

States and development agencies lack enabling policies for commons‐based social enterprises that support the multiple goal strategies of rural communities for natural resources.

Originality/value

Commons and social enterprise literature have tended to exist in separate domains and this paper makes a first step toward their integration.
Walking a tightrope between artistry and entrepreneurship
Authors: Berglund Karin , Dahlin Maria , Johansson Anders W.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to challenge a traditional image of the content of entrepreneurship, which is associated with creativity, identity and discovery recognition.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative approach is used in telling the story about the artist/entrepreneur Mikael Genberg. The story is based on interviews, newspaper material and observations. Taking this story as the point of departure, an alternative image of entrepreneurship is suggested.

Findings

First, from a traditional Schumpeterian perspective Genberg could be portrayed as a good example of a hero entrepreneur, an archetype of the creative artist/entrepreneur. Instead Genberg in this paper is described in terms of a creative imitator. Second, the Schumpeterian “hero entrepreneur” is associated with a fixed and strong identity. This picture is challenged and replaced by a demonstration of how double or multiple identities are used in legitimizing work which is argued to be more illustrative to the content of entrepreneurship than finding the true identity of the hero entrepreneur. Third, discovery recognition from a traditional perspective is attributed to the individual, while in this case opportunity creation signifies the process of making discoveries collectively shared.

Research limitations/implications

This study is exploratory and based on a single case, while the results cannot be taken as generalizations. Instead an alternative understanding of the content of entrepreneurship is illustrated.

Originality/value

The value of this study is the demonstration of an alternative image of the content of entrepreneurship.
Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling tick [Riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus] resistance on bovine chromosomes 5, 7 and 14
Authors: Gasparin G. , Miyata M. , Coutinho L. L. , Martinez M. L. , Teodoro R. L. , Furlong J. , Machado M. A. , Silva M. V. G. B. , Sonstegard T. S. , Regitano L. C. A.
Published: August 2007

Differences in domestication and selection processes have contributed to considerable phenotypic and genotypic differences between Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle breeds. Of particular interest in tropical and subtropical production environments are those genetic differences between subspecies that underlie the phenotypic extremes in tolerance and susceptibility to parasite infection. In general, B. taurus cattle are more susceptible to ectoparasites than B. indicus cattle in tropical environments, and much of this difference is under genetic control. To identify genomic regions involved in tick resistance, we developed a B. taurus × B. indicus F2 experimental population to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to the Riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus tick. About 300 individuals were measured for parasite load in two seasons (rainy and dry) and genotyped for 23 microsatellite markers covering chromosomes 5, 7 and 14. We mapped a suggestive chromosome‐wide QTL for tick load in the rainy season (P < 0.05) on chromosome 5. For the dry season, suggestive (P < 0.10) chromosome‐wide QTL were mapped on chromosomes 7 and 14. The additive effect of the QTL on chromosome 14 corresponds to 3.18% of the total observed phenotypic variance. Our QTL‐mapping study has identified different genomic regions controlling tick resistance; these QTL were dependent upon the season in which the ticks were counted, suggesting that the QTL in question may depend on environmental factors.
Non‐resident motherhood: managing a threatened identity
Authors: Kielty Sandra
Published: August 2007

Drawing upon a narrative study investigating the personal experience of 20 non‐resident mothers in the UK, the paper discusses how the atypical nature of their situation poses a potential threat to women's identity at both the personal and the social level. It is argued that more constructive adjustment is linked to women's ability to maintain a positive view of themselves as a ‘good’ mother in spite of their non‐resident status and that providing opportunities for women to ‘tell their story’ may be helpful in this respect. In addition to the cathartic effect of openly sharing an atypical mothering experience and defending against negative social judgements, exploring narratives can open up space, creating opportunities for new meanings and possibilities to emerge.
Insulin sensitivity, proinflammatory markers and adiponectin in young males with different subtypes of depressive disorder
Authors: Hung Yi‐Jen , Hsieh Chang‐Hsun , Chen Yu‐Jun , Pei Dee , Kuo Shi‐Wen , Shen Der‐Chung , Sheu Wayne Huey‐Herng , Chen Yi‐Chyan
Published: August 2007

Objective  This study was designed to evaluate insulin sensitivity, proinflammatory markers and adiponectin concentration in young males with different subtypes of depressive disorder.

Methods  Nonobese young males with depressive disorder (ages between 18 years and 30 years; body mass index, BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2) were recruited and divided into reactive depression (RD, N = 14), major depression (MD, N = 21) and bipolar depression (BD, N = 15) based on clinical course and symptom changes in Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM‐D). Fourteen age‐ and BMI‐matched healthy males were enrolled as controls. All of the participants received a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Insulin sensitivity and β‐cell function were calculated by minimal model method from the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test. Plasma C‐reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) were determined.

Results  Compared to the controls, insulin sensitivity (SI) were significantly lower in MD and BD (0·78 ± 0·09 min−1/pmol and 0·75 ± 0·09 min−1/pmol vs. 1·09 ± 0·08 × 10−5 min−1/pmol, P < 0·05, respectively). Acute insulin response (AIR) to intravenous glucose was elevated in BD as compared to control and RD groups (6079·9 ± 841·8 pmol vs. 3339·8 ± 356·4 pmol and 3494·8 ± 337·7 pmol, P < 0·05, respectively). Plasma adiponectin level was diminished in BD group as compared to the control and RD groups (7·41 ± 0·45 µg/ml vs. 9·07 ± 0·54 µg/ml and 9·38 ± 0·46 µg/ml; P < 0·05 and P < 0·01, respectively). By regression analysis, a significantly negative correlation between HAM‐D score and SI was found in MD (r = –0·60, P = 0·005) and BD groups (r = –0·57, P = 0·04).

Conclusions  The results suggest that there is an inverse relationship between both major and bipolar depression and insulin resistance in nonobese young males.
Host preferences in a phonotactic parasitoid of field crickets: the relative importance of host song characters
Authors: WAGNER WILLIAM E. , BASOLO ALEXANDRA L.
Published: August 2007

Abstract1. Predators, including insect parasitoids, often eavesdrop on prey signals, and as a result, predation can have important effects on the evolution of prey signalling behaviour.

2. The phonotactic parasitoid fly,Ormia ochracea, uses the calling songs of male field crickets to locate their field crickets hosts. In the western USA, this fly parasitises the variable field cricket,Gryllus lineaticeps. Previous work with one fly population suggested that female flies, like female field crickets, preferentially orient to male songs with higher chirp rates and longer chirp durations, although a limited range of male song types was used in this previous study. The current study, with a different fly population, used field‐based, two‐speaker choice tests to examine: (1) the effect of male chirp rate and chirp duration on fly attraction, using a natural range of song types; and (2) the relative importance of these song types in host selection by the flies.

3. Three lines of evidence suggested that chirp rate is more important than chirp duration in host selection. (a) The flies consistently preferred higher chirp rates but only sometimes preferred longer chirp durations. (b) The flies consistently preferred higher chirp rate/shorter chirp duration songs to lower chirp rate/longer chirp duration songs. (c) Preferences for longer chirp durations could be eliminated by increasing the amplitude of the less attractive song type, while preferences for higher chirp rates could only sometimes be eliminated by increasing the amplitude of the less attractive song type.

4. Fly predation may favour lower chirp rates and shorter chirp durations inG. lineaticeps, and may have resulted in stronger selection on chirp rate than on chirp duration.
Thrips see red – flower colour and the host relationships of a polyphagous anthophilic thrips
Authors: YAKU A. , WALTER G. H. , NAJAR‐RODRIGUEZ A. J.
Published: August 2007

Abstract1. The common blossom thrips,Frankliniella schultzei, is a polyphagous anthophilic species that colonises a wide range of host‐plant species across different plant taxa. The environmental cues used by these polyphagous insects to recognise and locate host plants are not known. We therefore determined if colour is an important environmental signal used byF. schultzeito recognise flowers of eight of its more significant host‐plant species.

2. The effect of flower colour on the colonisation of different host plant species byF. schultzeiwas investigated by collecting and analysing the following: (a) numbers of thrips from different heights and aspects of the primary host plantMalvaviscus arboreus, (b) thrips distribution within flowers ofHibiscus rosasinensis, (c) colour reflectance from flowers of eight different host‐plant species, and (d) reflectance from different coloured sticky traps and the number of thrips trapped on them at different times of the day and on different dates.

3. The results indicate that: (a) the thrips (both sexes) concentrate towards the top of the primary host plantM. arboreusand are not distributed differentially according to sunny or shady aspect of the plant, (b) the number of female thrips onH. rosasinensiswas higher in anthers compared to petals (corolla) and the basal parts of the flower, and males were as numerous on the petals as were females, and (c) there is a common floral reflectance pattern (but with different intensities) across the eight host plant species, mainly in the red part of the spectrum (600–700 nm).

4. Results of colour sticky trapping show that red attracts more female thrips compared to any other colour and that most were caught between 09.00 and 11.00 hours. By contrast, more male thrips were trapped between 07.00 and 09.00 hours. Males were more evenly distributed across the different colours but the highest numbers were associated with the yellow traps.

5. The higher densities of thrips at the top of their host plant may be related to the early morning (07.00–11.00 hours) activity of the thrips, when the top portions of the plant are more exposed to sunlight. The sex‐related distributions ofF. schultzeithrips across time, coloured sticky traps, and various parts of the flowers seem to be related to mating swarm formation by the males, on the one hand, and the relative frequency and intensity of the use ofM. arboreusby the females, on the other, as a feeding and oviposition site.Frankliniella schultzeifemales respond more strongly to red than to any other colours, so it is predicted that the spectral properties of colour recognition by this species will correlate with the predominant red reflectance of its primary host,M. arboreus, and that there may well be a sex‐related difference in colour recognition within this species.
Non‐salmonids in a salmonid fishway: what do 50 years of data tell us about past and future fish passage?
Authors: MALLEN‐COOPER M. , BRAND D. A.
Published: August 2007

Abstract  Salmonid fishways have been used in many countries for non‐salmonid fishes, including Australia, but generally with poor results. Trapping the entrance and exit of a 1:9 gradient salmonid fishway on the Murray River confirmed very poor passage of native fish, with <1% of the most abundant species ascending. Fifty years of fish passage monitoring showed the numbers of three native species declining by 95–100% and non‐native fish becoming dominant. Fishways are now being designed for native fish and being quantitatively assessed, but daily flow management also needs to be addressed. The ecological model for passage of potamodromous fishes has changed from passing adults of a few species to one that incorporates the whole fish community, specifically: immature fish of large‐bodied species that dominate numbers migrating upstream; a diverse range of movement strategies; and small‐bodied species, crustaceans and low numbers of less‐mobile species.
A laboratory study of seismic velocity and attenuation anisotropy in near‐surface sedimentary rocks
Authors: Best Angus I. , Sothcott Jeremy , McCann Clive
Published: August 2007

The laboratory ultrasonic pulse‐echo method was used to collect accurate P‐ and S‐wave velocity (±0.3%) and attenuation (±10%) data at differential pressures of 5–50 MPa on water‐saturated core samples of sandstone, limestone and siltstone that were cut parallel and perpendicular to the vertical borehole axis. The results, when expressed in terms of the P‐ and S‐wave velocity and attenuation anisotropy parameters for weakly transversely isotropic media (ɛ, γ, ɛQ, γQ) show complex variations with pressure and lithology. In general, attenuation anisotropy is stronger and more sensitive to pressure changes than velocity anisotropy, regardless of lithology. Anisotropy is greatest (over 20% for velocity, over 70% for attenuation) in rocks with visible clay/organic matter laminations in hand specimens. Pressure sensitivities are attributed to the opening of microcracks with decreasing pressure. Changes in magnitude of velocity and attenuation anisotropy with effective pressure show similar trends, although they can show different signs (positive or negative values of ɛ, ɛQ, γ, γQ). We conclude that attenuation anisotropy in particular could prove useful to seismic monitoring of reservoir pressure changes if frequency‐dependent effects can be quantified and modelled.
Seismic attenuation in porous rocks with random patchy saturation
Authors: Toms J. , Müller T. M. , Gurevich B.
Published: August 2007

Saturation of porous rocks with a mixture of two fluids has a substantial effect on seismic‐wave propagation. In particular, partial saturation causes significant attenuation and dispersion of the propagating waves due to the mechanism of wave‐induced fluid‐flow. Such flow arises when a passing wave induces different fluid pressures in regions of rock saturated by different fluids. Most models of attenuation and dispersion due to mesoscopic heterogeneities imply that fluid heterogeneities are distributed in a regular way. However, recent experimental studies show that mesoscopic heterogeneities have less idealized distributions and that the distribution itself affects attenuation and dispersion. Based on an approximation for the coherent wavefield in random porous media, we develop a model which assumes a continuous distribution of fluid heterogeneities. As this continuous random media approach assumes that there will be a distribution of different patch sizes, it is expected to be better suited to modelling experimental data. We also show how to relate the random functions to experimentally measurable parameters.
Modelling and analysis of attenuation anisotropy in multi‐azimuth VSP data from the Clair field
Authors: Maultzsch Sonja , Chapman Mark , Liu Enru , Li Xiang‐Yang
Published: August 2007

Anisotropic variations in attenuation are of interest since they can give information on the fracture system and may be more amenable to measurement than absolute attenuation values. We examine methods for detecting changes in relative attenuation with azimuth from VSP data, and validate the techniques on synthetic data. Analysis of a multi‐azimuth walkaway VSP data set from a fractured hydrocarbon reservoir indicates that such azimuthal variations in P‐wave attenuation are observable. The effects are localized in the reservoir, and analysis allows the prediction of a fracture strike direction, which agrees with geological information. The observed effects can be modelled under reasonable assumptions, which suggests the validity of the link between the anisotropic attenuation and the fracturing.
Stratigraphic filtering and source penetration depth
Authors: Van Der Baan Mirko , Wookey James , Smit Dirk
Published: August 2007

Seismic exploration underneath highly heterogeneous layers such as basalt flows is possible by lowering the principal source frequency. Unfortunately this also reduces resolution. Wave‐localization theory is a multiple scattering theory that can be used to study stratigraphic filtering in chaotic lithologies. It predicts the apparent attenuation due to scattering of a plane wave traversing a layer with high velocity fluctuations. It can therefore predict the optimum principle source frequency in the trade‐off between loss of resolution and increased penetration depth. We show how this can be done with the help of a few statistical parameters derived from a well‐log analysis; namely, the average background velocity, the expected standard deviation in the velocity fluctuations, the typical scale length of the heterogeneities and the thickness of the basalt layer. In the likely situation that no local well logs exist, a multitude of scenarios can easily be examined at low cost.
Extension of White's layered model to the full frequency range
Authors: Vogelaar Bouko , Smeulders David
Published: August 2007

The low‐frequency theory of the White model to predict the dispersion and intrinsic attenuation in a single porous skeleton saturated with periodic layers of two immiscible fluids is extended to the full frequency range using the Biot theory. The extension is similar to the Dutta–Odé model for spherical inhomogeneities. Below the layer resonance frequency, the acoustic bulk properties for several gas–water fractions are in good agreement with the original White model. Deviations start to occur at higher frequencies due to the growing importance of resonance phenomena that were neglected in the original White model. The full model predicts significantly higher damping at sonic frequencies than the original White model. We also show that attenuation is significantly dependent on porosity variations. With realistic rock and fluid properties, a maximum attenuation of about 0.3 is found at seismic frequencies.
Inhibition of tyrosine kinases PDGFR and C‐Kit by imatinib mesylate interferes with postnatal testicular development in the rat
Authors: Nurmio Mirja , Toppari Jorma , Zaman Farasat , Andersson Anna‐Maria , Paranko Jorma , Söder Olle , Jahnukainen Kirsi
Published: August 2007

The tyrosine kinase receptor c‐kit and its interaction with the ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), play an essential role in the developing testis. C‐kit is important for the development of the Leydig cells and for the migration, proliferation and survival of spermatogonia. Platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) and its tyrosine kinase receptor (PDGFR) are important for the development of Leydig cells and myoid cells. The chemotherapeutic agent, imatinib mesylate (STI571, Glivec; Novartis) inhibits both of these tyrosine kinase receptors. Three‐day treatment of immature male rats (SD) with imatinib (150 mg/kg) on postnatal days 5–7 delayed the formation of germ‐line stem cell pool, reduced proliferation of type A spermatogonia and induced germ cell apoptosis. PDGFR‐mediated proliferation of mesenchymal myoid precursors was also decreased and the length of the seminiferous cord was reduced. However, at the age of 11 weeks the exposed animals had normal epididymal sperm counts, whereas plasma levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone were significantly increased. Imatinib serves as a good tool to study postnatal formation of the male germ‐line stem cell pool and factors determining the final testicular size. As development of the human testis is controlled by the same mechanisms, further studies with primate and human models are needed to explore whether imatinib affects the testis in children as well.
Testicular cancer trends as ‘whistle blowers’ of testicular developmental problems in populations
Authors: Skakkebæk N. E. , Rajpert‐De Meyts E. , Jørgensen N. , Main K. M. , Leffers H. , Andersson A.‐M. , Juul A. , Jensen T. K. , Toppari J.
Published: August 2007

Recently a worldwide rise in the incidence of testicular germ cell cancer (TGCC) has been repeatedly reported. The changing disease pattern may signal that other testicular problems may also be increasing. We have reviewed recent research progress, in particular evidence gathered in the Nordic countries, which shows strong associations between testicular cancer, undescended testis, hypospadias, poor testicular development and function, and male infertility. These studies have led us to suggest the existence of a testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS), of which TGCC, undescended testis, hypospadias/disorders of sex differentiation and male fertility problems may be symptoms with varying penetration. In spite of their fetal origin, most of the TDS symptoms, including TGCC and poor semen quality, can only be diagnosed in adulthood. Data from a Danish–Finnish research collaboration strongly suggest that trends in TGCC rates of a population may be ‘whistle blowers’ of other reproductive health problems. As cancer registries are often of excellent quality – in contrast to registries for congenital abnormalities – health authorities should consider an increase in TGCC as a warning that other reproductive health problems may also be rising.
Why human extragonadal germ cell tumours occur in the midline of the body: old concepts, new perspectives
Authors: Oosterhuis J. Wolter , Stoop Hans , Honecker Friedemann , Looijenga Leendert H. J.
Published: August 2007

Hypotheses on the origin and distribution of extragonadal germ cell tumours (GCTs) and teratomas are briefly reviewed and revisited in the light of (i) new developments in the classification of GCTs, (ii) data on genomic imprinting of these neoplasms and (iii) the recent finding that germ cells can be derived from mouse and human embryonal stem (ES) cells. Only the Type I (infantile teratomas/yolk sac tumours) and Type II GCTs (seminomatous tumours and non‐seminomas) occur in the gonads and extragonadal localizations. The data on genomic imprinting lend support to the hypothesis that they are derived from germ cells. These precursor cells could have differentiated from ES cells in extragonadal localizations. Their distribution along the midline of the body is still best explained by the migration of primitive germ cells during development. The narrower distribution of the Type II than the Type I GCTs is probably due to the more strict conditions for survival and proliferation of primordial germ cells (PGCs)/gonocytes from which the Type II tumours originate, when compared with the precursor cells of Type I tumours, probably primitive germ cells closer to the ES cell. The known niches in which the Type II tumours develop have in common that they contain feeder cells expressing stem cell factor (SCF) – the ligand for the SCF receptor c‐KIT, involved in proliferation and survival of PGCs/gonocytes – and contain GBY including the gene TSPY.
Trends in testicular germ cell tumours by ethnic group in the United States
Authors: Shah Mona N. , Devesa Susan S. , Zhu Kangmin , McGlynn Katherine A.
Published: August 2007

The incidence of testicular germ cell tumours (TGCT) has increased in white and black men in the United States. Little is known, however, about trends among men of other racial/ethnic groups. The current study sought to examine TGCT patterns among men of Asian/Pacific Islander/American Indian/ Alaska Native (API/AIAN) and Hispanic ancestries and to determine whether tumours in these groups are diagnosed at comparable stages and sizes to tumours in white and black men. TGCT incidence data and tumour characteristics were drawn from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries for two time periods: 1973–2003 and 1992–2003. In 1973–2003, TGCT rates were significantly lower among black (rate ratio = 0.18, p < 0.001) and API/AIAN (rate ratio = 0.37, p < 0.001) men than among white men. Among white and API/AIAN men, rates increased over 60%, mainly prior to 1989–1993. Among black men, rates increased almost 40%, mainly after 1989–1993. Among white and API/AIAN men, increasing proportions of localized disease were diagnosed over time, while the opposite trend was seen among black men. In 1992–2003, TGCT incidence among Hispanic white men (3.46/100 000) was significantly lower than it was among non‐Hispanic white men, but rates of both seminoma and non‐seminoma increased. While the incidence of TGCT increased among all men, different patterns in the increase were evident. These data suggest that rates are increasing among Hispanic white men and black men, but are stabilizing among white men and API/AIAN men. The peak of the TGCT epidemic may have been reached in these latter groups.
Do all patients with bilateral testis cancer have a hereditary predisposition?
Authors: Harland S. J. , Rapley E. A. , Nicholson P. W.
Published: August 2007

An international study has demonstrated that patients with bilateral testicular cancer are significantly more likely to have brothers with testis cancer than those with unilateral disease. This, together with other evidence, implies that patients with bilateral disease are likely to carry a predisposing genotype. But is it the great majority of them which is thus predisposed? We show that if as few as half of these patients have the predisposing genotype, its penetrance would have to be 80%, causing 38% of resulting cases to be bilateral. Evidence from the International Testis Cancer Linkage Consortium shows that the proportion of familial cases with bilateral disease is much lower. It is likely that at least the majority of cases of bilateral testis cancer arise as a result of a predisposing genotype.
Cardiac and aortic structural alterations due to surgically‐induced menopause associated with renovascular hypertension in rats
Authors: Mendonça Leonardo de Souza , Fernandes‐Santos Caroline , Mandarim‐de‐Lacerda Carlos Alberto
Published: August 2007

Menopause and hypertension independently alter cardiovascular remodelling, but little is known about their effect on left ventricular and aortic wall remodelling. Eight‐weeks‐old Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six animals each: Sham group, OVX group (ovariectomized rats), 2K1C (two‐kidneys, one‐clip rats) and OVX + 2K1C group and kept until 19 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) increased 12% in OVX group, 35% in 2K1C and OVX + 2K1C groups compared with sham group. Vaginal cytology showed Sham and 2K1C rats cycling normally, whereas OVX and OVX + 2K1C rats were persistently in dioestrus or proestrus. At euthanasia, left ventricle (LV) and thoracic aorta were removed and analysed (immunohistochemistry and stereology). LV mass/tibia length ratio and cross‐sectional area of cardiomyocytes increased in all groups except Sham. The intramyocardial vascularization reduced 30% in comparison with Sham group, with no difference among OVX, 2K1C and OVX + 2K1C groups. The cardiac interstitium increased more than 45% in both 2K1C and OVX + 2K1C groups compared with Sham, but there was no significant difference between Sham and OVX groups. Nuclei number of LV cardiomyocyte diminished in OVX group, followed by 2K1C group and OVX + 2K1C group, with no difference between the 2K1C and the OVX + 2K1C groups. There was positive immunostaining for angiotensin II AT1 receptor in smooth muscle cell layer of aortic tunica media in all groups. These results show that both ovariectomy and renovascular hypertension enhance BP as a single stimulus and therefore produce adverse cardiac remodelling. However, renovascular hypertension exerts a far greater influence than surgically‐induced menopause in this parameter.
The mechanobiological aetiopathogenesis of tendinopathy: is it the over‐stimulation or the under‐stimulation of tendon cells?
Authors: Arnoczky Steven P. , Lavagnino Michael , Egerbacher Monika
Published: August 2007

While there is a significant amount of information available on the clinical presentation(s) and pathological changes associated with tendinopathy, the precise aetiopathogenesis of this condition remains a topic of debate. Classically, the aetiology of tendinopathy has been linked to the performance of repetitive activities (so‐called overuse injuries). This has led many investigators to suggest that it is the mechanobiologic over‐stimulation of tendon cells that is the initial stimulus for the degradative processes which have been shown to accompany tendinopathy. Although several studies have been able to demonstrate that the in vitro over‐stimulation of tendon cells in monolayer can result in a pattern(s) of gene expression seen in clinical cases of tendinopathy, the strain magnitudes and durations used in these in vitro studies, as well as the model systems, may not be clinically relevant. Using a rat tail tendon model, we have studied the in vitro mechanobiologic response of tendon cells in situ to various tensile loading regimes. These studies have led to the hypothesis that the aetiopathogenic stimulus for the degenerative cascade which precedes the overt pathologic development of tendinopathy is the catabolic response of tendon cells to mechanobiologic under‐stimulation as a result of microscopic damage to the collagen fibres of the tendon. In this review, we examine the rationale for this hypothesis and provide evidence in support of this theory.
Cell phenotypic variation in normal and damaged tendons
Authors: Clegg Peter D. , Strassburg Sandra , Smith Roger K.
Published: August 2007

Injuries to tendons are common in both human athletes as well as in animals, such as the horse, which are used for competitive purposes. Furthermore, such injuries are also increasing in prevalence in the ageing, sedentary population. Tendon diseases often respond poorly to treatment and require lengthy periods of rehabilitation. The tendon has a unique extracellular matrix, which has developed to withstand the mechanical demands of such tensile‐load bearing structures. Following injury, any repair process is inadequate and results in tissue that is distinct from original tendon tissue. There is growing evidence for the key role of the tendon cell (tenocyte) in both the normal physiological homeostasis and regulation of the tendon matrix and the pathological derangements that occur in disease. In particular, the tenocyte is considered to have a major role in effecting the subclinical matrix degeneration that is thought to occur prior to clinical disease, as well as in the severe degradative events that occur in the tendon at the onset of clinical disease. Furthermore, the tenocyte is likely to have a central role in the production of the biologically inadequate fibrocartilaginous repair tissue that develops subsequent to tendinopathy. Understanding the biology of the tenocyte is central to the development of appropriate interventions and drug therapies that will either prevent the onset of disease, or lead to more rapid and appropriate repair of injured tendon. Central to this is a full understanding of the proteolytic response in the tendon in disease by such enzymes as metalloproteinases, as well as the control of the inappropriate fibrocartilaginous differentiation. Finally, it is important that we understand the role of both intrinsic and extrinsic cellular elements in the repair process in the tendon subsequent to injury.
The adaptability of tendon to loading differs in men and women
Authors: Magnusson S. Peter , Hansen Mette , Langberg Henning , Miller Ben , Haraldsson Bjarki , Kjoeller Westh Eva , Koskinen Satu , Aagaard Per , Kjær Michael
Published: August 2007

The reason why women sustain more soft tissue injury than men during physical activity is unknown. Connective tissue properties and extracellular matrix adaptability in human tendon were investigated in models that addressed biochemical, physiological and biomechanical aspects of tendon connective tissue in response to mechanical loading. Habitual training resulted in a larger patellar tendon in men but not in women. Following an acute bout of exercise, men had an elevated tendon collagen synthesis rate and this effect was less pronounced or absent in women. Moreover, levels of circulating oestrogen affected the acute exercise‐related increase in collagen synthesis. Finally, the mechanical strength of isolated tendon collagen fascicles in men surpassed that of women. Thus, compared to men, women have (i) an attenuated tendon hypertrophy response to habitual training; (ii) a lower tendon collagen synthesis rate following acute exercise; (iii) a rate of tendon collagen synthesis which is further attenuated with elevated estradiol levels; and (iv) a lower mechanical strength of their tendons. These data indicate that tendons in women have a lower rate of new connective tissue formation, respond less to mechanical loading, and have a lower mechanical strength, which may leave the tissue more susceptible to injury.
Passing the audition – the appraisal of client credibility and assessment by nurses at triage
Authors: Edwards Bernie , Sines David
Published: August 2007

Aim.  This paper presents the findings of one aspect of a larger study aiming to build a substantive grounded theory of the process of initial assessment at triage.

Background.  Prioritisation at triage within emergency departments centres primarily on assessing the threat to physiological function of people presenting with health‐care problems. This approach presumes that clinical reasoning strategies reside exclusively within the health‐care practitioner, with the patient playing no active part in the process.

Design.  A grounded theory/symbolic interactionist methodology.

Methods.  Thirty‐eight recordings were made of live triage encounters involving 14 emergency nurses from two demographically distinct emergency departments. At the end of the relevant shift, those encounters in which the nurses were involved were replayed to them. The recording was stopped after each question or comment by the nurse who was then asked to say what they were thinking at the time. The nurses’ thoughts were recorded, transcribed and analysed using the constant comparative method, in which hypotheses are generated and continually modified in the light of incoming data until a conceptual story line, or theory, is produced.

Results.  The findings suggest that the outward clinical signs of problems presenting to the emergency department were not viewed by nurses as neutral manifestations of the pathology itself but as a conscious or unconscious portrayal of patients’ physical discomfort and their perception of the nature of the problem. The way in which patients and carers depict their problems is used by triage nurses to determine the credibility of the clinical information they provide.

Conclusion.  Triage can be regarded as a process in which nurses act as an adjudicating panel, judging the clinical data before them through the appraisal of the way patients act out their problems and narrate their stories.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Nursing practice and research need to account for the patient's contribution to the decision‐making process at triage.
An implementation programme to improve nursing home staff's knowledge of and adherence to an individualized music protocol
Authors: Sung Huei‐Chuan , Chang Anne M , Abbey Jennifer
Published: August 2007

Aim.  This paper reports the results of a study evaluating an implementation programme in improving nursing home staff's knowledge of and adherence to an individualized music protocol for older people with dementia.

Background.  The major barriers to evidence‐based practice identified by nurses are the lack of knowledge and skills on implementing evidence‐based practice. Some evidence supports the effectiveness of implementation strategies in facilitating practice change among healthcare professionals but need further testing. Little is known about what is the best way to facilitate nursing home staff's adoption of evidence‐based care.

Methods.  A one‐group pre‐post test design was used with a convenience sample of 17 nursing staff from a long‐term care facility. The implementation programme consisted of interactive education, reminders, a local opinion leader and audit. Data on nursing staff's knowledge of music protocol were collected by the music knowledge questionnaire and their adherence to the protocol was assessed by an audit checklist at baseline and week four after the implementation programme.

Results.  There was a significant improvement in nursing staff's knowledge (p < 0·001) of the music protocol. The improvement was greater among nurse aides; however, the improvement between the nurse group and the nurse aide group was not significantly different (p > 0·05). The mean level of their adherence to the protocol improved from nil at baseline to 72·35% on the post‐test.

Conclusions.  An innovative implementation programme consisting of interactive education, reminders, use of a local opinion leader and audit led to an improvement in nursing home staff's knowledge of and adherence to an individualized music protocol in dementia care.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Multifaceted implementation strategies with careful consideration of local circumstances may be essential in promoting uptake of evidence‐based practice among nursing staff in long‐term care settings.
Probiotic, as well as conventional yogurt, can enhance the stimulated production of proinflammatory cytokines
Authors: Meyer A. L. , Elmadfa I. , Herbacek I. , Micksche M.
Published: August 2007

Background  Lactic acid bacteria have been shown to stimulate the secretion of cytokines by lymphocytes and monocytes in a strain‐dependent manner. Therefore, in this study, the effect of a daily intake of probiotic yogurt on cytokine production in young healthy women was compared with that of a conventional product.

Methods  For 2 weeks each, subjects consumed 100 g, then 200 g of either a probiotic or a conventional, commercially available yogurt, both containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus with additional Lactobacillus casei DN 114 001 in the probiotic product. Cytokine production in blood culture following stimulation with phytohaemmaglutinin and lipopolysaccharide was measured using Cytometric Bead Array and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results  Stimulated production of tumour necrosis factor‐α increased significantly following consumption of conventional or probiotic yogurt (+63% and +24% compared with baseline, respectively, P < 0.001). There was also a significantly higher production of interleukin (IL)‐1β in the conventional (+40%, P = 0.006) and of interferon gamma in the probiotic group (+108%, P < 0.05). IL‐10 decreased following consumption of the probiotic product, but increased significantly after intake cessation (+129%, P < 0.001). No significant differences in cytokine responses between the conventional and the probiotic yogurt were observed.

Conclusion  Both conventional and probiotic yogurt enhanced the stimulated production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines.