bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
(Re)Shaping ‘Chinese’ Business Networks in a Globalising Era
Authors: Olds Kris , Yeung Henry Wai-Chung
Published: October 2006

Globalising tendencies have transformed the forms and organisation of business networks. This is particularly true in the rapidly developing Asia-Pacific region where ethnic-based modes of business organisation prevail. Chinese business networks, for example, are posited to play a leading role in propelling the forces of regionalisation in the Asia-Pacific. In this paper, we explore the relationships between globalising tendencies and the changing form of Chinese business networks. We discuss how Chinese business networks, traditionally conceptualised as closed and internally shaped owing to a variety of historically and geographically specific factors, are being (re)shaped by an array of actor-networks with an international business dimension. Groups of actor-networks associated with international finance, the international business media, and multilateral institutions are engaging with Chinese business networks. Through their capacity to enrol relevant Chinese firms into their actor-networks, the international business community is forging changes in some business practices, while also reinforcing other business practices. At the most basic of levels, though, the reshaping of Chinese business practices has been driven by the desire of large Chinese firms to access the financial resources that flow through the global financial system. That such a situation should arise is not surprising given the nature of profits that have been generated from the development process in Asia-Pacific over the past two decades (before the onset of the Asian economic crisis). In the context of the reworking of global capitalism, and the reshaping of subglobal capitalisms, such a relational approach to analysis of economic organisation may help shed some light on the networks that bind together actors and institutions over time and space in uneven (albeit evolving) relations of interdependence.
Reregulating a Regional Rustbelt: Institutional Fixes, Entrepreneurial Discourse, and the ‘Politics of Representation’
Authors: MacLeod Gordon , Jones Martin
Published: October 2006

During the mid-to-late 1980s, a number of theoretical approaches were deployed to account for some major changes in the sociospatial form of capitalist development. One influential approach—which drew loosely on French regulation theory—chronicled a shift from Fordism to a post-Fordist flexible accumulation, which is characterised, in part, by the rise of ‘new industrial spaces’ . Such accounts were criticised for playing down the constitutive effects of social and political factors in energising such regional prosperity. As debates in the 1990s have sought to address this weakness, much research has demonstrated a greater readiness to address the social and institutional regulation of these new industrial spaces, and more recently, of old (rustbelt) industrial regions. In some respects, though, what we are witnessing is the replacement of a one-dimensional reading of regional transformation—that based on production—by an ‘institutional turn’, which is variously guided by some new directions in the regulation approach, networking theory, and institutional sociology. By fusing the recent work of Jessop and Jenson, the authors seek to deploy a discourse-theoretic regulation approach towards understanding some complex shifts in the regulatory fabric of Lowland Scotland—an archetypal rustbelt region. However, in order to escape a drift towards a one-dimensional ‘institutionalism’, they revisit much (old) contextual ground in an attempt to simultaneously locate the region's political economic mechanisms of transformation and the accompanying ‘politics of representation’ amidst the contemporary transition. The authors conclude that within the United Kingdom, following the institutional possibilities opened up by the late 1990s reconstitution of national and regional governance, there is a real danger of lapsing into a ‘soft institutionalism’ if future analysis on regulation and governance fails to locate socioinstitutional forms within the broader dynamic of political and economic forces.
Where Do You Want to Go Tomorrow? Connecting Children and the Internet
Authors: Bingham Nick , Valentine Gill , Holloway Sarah L
Published: October 2006

In the late 1990s, use of either of the words ‘childhood’ or ‘internet’ is enough to signify at a stroke many of society's contemporary hopes and fears about what it means to be modern. By providing a critical review of the burgeoning (popular, policy, and academic) literature that is emerging as debates about ‘childhood’ and ‘the Internet’ take centre stage in the ongoing struggle to define the future of our ‘virtual geographies’, what we seek to do in this paper is to unpack some of the assumptions that underpin both terms. Specifically, we argue that there is now a dominant story in circulation concerning what has been called the rise of a ‘digital generation’, albeit one, as we show, that can be read in two diametrically opposed ways. In the central part of the paper, by characterising the Internet as the latest in a long line of ‘frontier’ technologies, we identify three senses (in terms of time, in terms of space, and in terms of competence) in which this dominant story acts to construct discursively the cyberspace opened up by computer-mediated communication as distinct from the ‘here and now’ . For all its seductiveness, however, we propose that this discourse is not adequate to describe the complexities of what particular children might actually do with particular Internet-based tools in particular settings. By drawing on a variety of work (from both within and outside of the discipline) which has begun to open up the undifferentiated categories ‘children’ and ‘technology’ on which simplistic notions of a cohort of ‘cyberkids’ are based, we conclude the paper with some preliminary ideas about how we might be able to offer more nuanced accounts of being connected.
Delusional Geographies: The Experiential Worlds of People during Madness/Illness
Authors: Parr Hester
Published: October 2006

In this paper I contribute to recent writings concerning geographies of health, geographies of the therapeutic, and geographies of the self. By paying attention to the ‘delusional’ experiences of people named as having mental health problems, the spatial implications of a disruptive mesh between consciousness and unconsciousness are investigated. This empirical investigation explores individual accounts of delusional experience and the changed relationships with the body, home, and city. The ‘unboundedness’ of delusional experience is discussed, and the unpredictable therapeutic properties of nonmedical material spaces are addressed. It is argued that academic geography has neglected the voices of people who experience delusion and the many spaces which they inhabit.
‘Good to Think’: Social Constructions of Celtic Heritage in Wales
Authors: Gruffudd Pyrs , Herbert David T , Piccini Angela
Published: October 2006

The adoption of Celtic themes in the presentation of heritage sites in Wales builds upon identifiable features of British history and the belief that ‘Celtic-ness’ has some basic appeal to modern visitors. Whereas such presentations have significant economic impacts, particularly through tourism, they rest more firmly on the bases of myth and nostalgia rather than upon any dynamic vision of a Welsh heritage. Visitors, who are often not Welsh, are drawn to such places as a means of knowing the past and encounter an experience that engenders interest and may help them relate to their own identity, Visiting heritage places is a meaningful act of consumption which asserts the importance of roots and the attractions of a representable past.
Governing Cities: Notes on the Spatialisation of Virtue
Authors: Osborne Thomas , Rose Nikolas
Published: October 2006

This paper represents a series of speculations concerning the imagination of the city as a space of government, authority, and ‘the conduct of conduct’ . The authors argue that it is possible to understand the myriad ways in which various authorities have sought to govern the city through an interrogation of the series of means through which the city has been ‘diagrammed’ as a space of power, regulation, ethics, and citizenship. These speculations take a historical but not a historically ‘periodised’ form; the authors consider in turn the diagramming of the city in the ancient Greek world, the nineteenth-century liberal diagramming of the city, eugenic models of the city, and latter-day neoliberal modes of visualising, programming, and governing urban spaces. The aim is neither to found yet another theory of spatialisation nor to advance a Foucauldian urban sociology but to gauge the parameters which have bequeathed us the contemporary city as a governed and ethically saturated space.
Nature Versus City: Landscapes of Italian Fascism
Authors: Binde Per
Published: October 2006

In this paper I explore the symbolism of nature and city as two opposing domains in the worldview of Italian Fascism. Nature was construed as a disordered and hostile realm destined to be conquered by man. Farmwork and projects of land reclamation were represented by means of metaphors of violent attack and war; agriculture came to symbolise the Fascist struggle for a radical transformation of Italian society. The city, understood as the epitome for civilisation, constituted an already domesticated and therefore ambiguous realm. As an ideal city, Rome represented the glorious era of the Ancient Roman Empire, which the Fascists wished to resurrect in a futuristic form. Rome of that time was, however, understood as corrupted by centuries of cultural decadence. Extensive modifications of the urban landscape were therefore made so as to represent in city space the Fascist claim to be a continuation of the antique past into a glorious new millenarian era. A comparison between Italian Fascism and German Nazism reveals that these movements had antithetic views on nature and cities.
Morphological and systematic study of the tribe Australiosomatini (Diplopoda:Polydesmida:Paradoxosomatidea:Paradoxosomatidae) and a revision of the genus Australiosoma Brölemann
Authors: Rowe Melissah , Sierwald Petra
Published: October 2006

The collection of several paradoxosomatid species in the context of ecological studies prompted an investigation into the morphology and species-level characteristics of Australian millipedes in the tribe Australiosomatini Brölemann, 1916 (Polydesmida : Paradoxosomatidae). Three new species are described: Akamptogonus caragoon, sp. nov., Australiosoma fulbrighti, sp. nov. and Australiosoma combei, sp. nov. Notes or re-descriptions are provided for nine additional species belonging to the tribe. Scanning electron microscopy was utilised to examine details of the antennal sensory fields, the fifth sternite lamella and associated pores. The presence of the fifth sternite lamella in adult males is considered a synapomorphy for the family Paradoxosomatidae, whereas the prominent tubercle on the first femur in males (adenostyle) represents a synapomorphy of the subfamily Australiosomatinae. With the description of two new species in the genus Australiosoma Brölemann, 1913 a revision of the genus was undertaken with the purpose of constructing a species-level phylogeny. The most commonly described and utilised species-specific characteristics were scored in a data matrix and analysed using PAUP. The analysis resulted in a single, fully resolved tree of the following structure: Hoplatria clavigera ((A. clavigerum, A. inusitatum) (((A. rainbowi, A. nodulosum) A. michelseni) (A. laminatum (A. combei, A. fulbrighti))).
Chemical screening methods to identify ligands that promote protein stability, protein crystallization, and structure determination
Authors: Vedadi Masoud , Niesen Frank H. , Allali-Hassani Abdellah , Fedorov Oleg Y. , Finerty Patrick J. , Wasney Gregory A. , Yeung Ron , Arrowsmith Cheryl , Ball Linda J. , Berglund Helena , Hui Raymond , Marsden Brian D. , Nordlund Pär , Sundstrom Michael , Weigelt Johan , Edwards Aled M.
Published: October 2006

The 3D structures of human therapeutic targets are enabling for drug discovery. However, their purification and crystallization remain rate determining. In individual cases, ligands have been used to increase the success rate of protein purification and crystallization, but the broad applicability of this approach is unknown. We implemented two screening platforms, based on either fluorimetry or static light scattering, to measure the increase in protein thermal stability upon binding of a ligand without the need to monitor enzyme activity. In total, 221 different proteins from humans and human parasites were screened against one or both of two sorts of small-molecule libraries. The first library comprised different salts, pH conditions, and commonly found small molecules and was applicable to all proteins. The second comprised compounds specific for protein families of particular interest (e.g., protein kinases). In 20 cases, including nine unique human protein kinases, a small molecule was identified that stabilized the proteins and promoted structure determination. The methods are cost-effective, can be implemented in any laboratory, promise to increase the success rates of purifying and crystallizing human proteins significantly, and identify new ligands for these proteins.
The Fringe-belt Phenomenon and Socioeconomic Change
Authors: Whitehand J.W.R. , Morton N.J.
Published: October 2006

Fringe belts were long ago recognised as zones of spacious, often well-vegetated plots in relatively extensive use, which formed at the urban fringe during a hiatus in the growth of the built-up area and frequently became embedded within that area when it resumed its outward spread. Although rarely recognised as entities in planning documents, fringe belts have significance for both understanding and planning cities, not least because they have distinct physical characters and provide a frame of reference that articulates the physical make-up of an urban area in relation to its history. However, in recent decades in many countries, significant changes have taken place in the social and economic environments within which decision-making about fringe-belt plots has occurred. Among these changes in the UK have been the growing commercialisation of public services, such as higher education, health and leisure, many of which are strongly represented in fringe belts, and increasing encouragement from central government for the building of more dwellings within existing urban areas. At the same time, there has been increasing concern for the protection of sites of ecological significance. Detailed analysis of the Edwardian fringe belt in Birmingham, England, making use especially of development control records, reveals a strong tendency for decision-making to become more overtly economic, the increasing significance of financial payments associated with the granting of planning permission, a marked increase in the involvement of agencies remote from the fringe belt, greater economic exploitation of their land assets by charitable bodies and the increasing effectiveness of environmental lobbies. The imprint of the late 19th and early 20th centuries on the character of the fringe belt remains strong, but many fringe-belt plots are being subjected to increased pressure for change, including redevelopment for housing.
Self-rated health and indicators of SES among the ageing in three types of communities
Authors: Nummela Olli P. , Sulander Tommi T. , Heinonen Heikki S. , Uutela Antti K.
Published: October 2006

Aims: This paper examines associations between self-rated health, three indicators of SES (self-reported education, disposable household income, adequacy of income) and three types of communities (urban, densely or sparsely populated rural areas) among ageing men and women in the Province of Päijät-Häme, Southern Finland. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the magnitude of community type when examining the relation between subjective health and SES. Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire data gathered in the spring of 2002 for a prospective follow-up of community interventions were used. These data, together with a number of clinical and laboratory measurements, yielded the baseline for a 10-year community intervention study. A representative stratified (age, gender, area) sample of men and women living in the province and belonging to the birth cohorts 1926—1930, 1936—1940, and 1946—1950 was obtained from the National Population Registry. The target sample was 4,272, with 2,815 persons responding (66% response rate). Results: Positive associations between indicators of SES and self-rated health were observed in all three community types. After adjusting for other factors, adequacy of income showed the strongest (positive) association with self-rated health in urban areas in all age groups. A similar pattern of associations, with varying statistical significance, though, was found in the two rural areas. Conclusions: This study supports the view that while actual income is positively correlated to health, adequacy of income is an even stronger predictor of it. Thus, there was a significant link between better financial standing and good health among ageing people, especially in urban areas.
On subsymmetric bases in Fréchet spaces
Authors: Śliwa Wiesław
Published: October 2006

It is proved that any non-normable Fréchet space with a semi-symmetric absolute basis is isomorphic to the space

ω
\omega

of all scalar sequences. A similar result is shown for quasi-homogeneous absolute bases. It is also proved that any nuclear Fréchet space with a semi-subsymmetric basis is isomorphic to

ω
\omega

.
Wnt5a Signaling Induces Proliferation and Survival of Endothelial Cells In Vitro and Expression of MMP-1 and Tie-2
Authors: Masckauchán T. Néstor H. , Agalliu Dritan , Vorontchikhina Marina , Ahn Audrey , Parmalee Nancy L. , Li Chi-Ming , Khoo Alan , Tycko Benjamin , Brown Anthony M.C. , Kitajewski Jan
Published: October 2006

Wnts are lipid-modified secreted glycoproteins that regulate diverse biological processes. We report that Wnt5a, which functions in noncanonical Wnt signaling, has activity on endothelial cells. Wnt5a is endogenously expressed in human primary endothelial cells and is expressed in murine vasculature at several sites in mouse embryos and tissues. Expression of exogenous Wnt5a in human endothelial cells promoted angiogenesis. Wnt5a induced noncanonical Wnt signaling in endothelial cells, as measured by Dishevelled and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling, a known property of Wnt5a. Wnt5a induced endothelial cell proliferation and enhanced cell survival under serum-deprived conditions. The Wnt5a-mediated proliferation was blocked by Frizzled-4 extracellular domain. Wnt5a expression enhanced capillary-like network formation, whereas reduction of Wnt5a expression decreased network formation. Reduced Wnt5a expression inhibited endothelial cell migration. Screening for Wnt5a-regulated genes in cultured endothelial cells identified several encoding angiogenic regulators, including matrix metalloproteinase-1, an interstitial collagenase, and Tie-2, a receptor for angiopoietins. Thus, Wnt5a acts through noncanonical Wnt signaling to promote angiogenesis.
Functional Analysis of AP-2 α and μ2 Subunits
Authors: Motley Alison M. , Berg Nicola , Taylor Marcus J. , Sahlender Daniela A. , Hirst Jennifer , Owen David J. , Robinson Margaret S.
Published: October 2006

The AP-2 adaptor complex plays a key role in cargo recognition and clathrin-coated vesicle formation at the plasma membrane. To investigate the functions of individual binding sites and domains of the AP-2 complex in vivo, we have stably transfected HeLa cells with wild-type and mutant small interfering RNA–resistant α and μ2 subunits and then used siRNA knockdowns to deplete the endogenous proteins. Mutating the PtdIns(4,5)P2 binding site of α, the phosphorylation site of μ2, or the YXXΦ binding site of μ2 impairs AP-2 function, as assayed by transferrin uptake. In contrast, removing the C-terminal appendage domain of α, or mutating the PtdIns(4,5)P2 binding site of μ2, has no apparent effect. However, adding a C-terminal GFP tag to α renders it completely nonfunctional. These findings demonstrate that there is some functional redundancy in the binding sites of the various AP-2 subunits, because no single mutation totally abolishes function. They also help to explain why GFP-tagged AP-2 never appears to leave the plasma membrane in some live cell imaging studies. Finally, they establish a new model system that can be used both for additional structure-function analyses, and as a way of testing tagged constructs for function in vivo.
Bypassing the Catalytic Activity of SIR2 for SIR Protein Spreading inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yang Bo , Kirchmaier Ann L.
Published: October 2006

Sir protein spreading along chromosomes and silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires the NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase activity of Sir2p. We tested whether this requirement could be bypassed at the HM loci and telomeres in cells containing a stably expressed, but catalytically inactive mutant of Sir2p, sir2-345p, plus histone mutants that mimic the hypoacetylated state normally created by Sir2p. Sir protein spreading was rescued in sir2-345 mutants expressing histones in which key lysine residues in their N-termini had been mutated to arginine. Mating in these mutants was also partially restored upon overexpression of Sir3p. Together, these results indicate that histone hypoacetylation is sufficient for Sir protein spreading in the absence of production of 2′-O-acetyl-ADP ribose by sir2p and Sir2p's enzymatic function for silencing can be bypassed in a subset of cells in a given population. These results also provide genetic evidence for the existence of additional critical substrates of Sir2p for silencing in vivo.
Naive T‐cell receptor transgenic T cells help memory B cells produce antibody
Authors: Duffy Darragh , Yang Chun‐Ping , Heath Andrew , Garside Paul , Bell Eric B.
Published: October 2006

Injection of the same antigen following primary immunization induces a classic secondary response characterized by a large quantity of high‐affinity antibody of an immunoglobulin G class produced more rapidly than in the initial response – the products of memory B cells are qualitatively distinct from that of the original naive B lymphocytes. Very little is known of the help provided by the CD4 T cells that stimulate memory B cells. Using antigen‐specific T‐cell receptor transgenic CD4 T cells (DO11.10) as a source of help, we found that naive transgenic T cells stimulated memory B cells almost as well (in terms of quantity and speed) as transgenic T cells that had been recently primed. There was a direct correlation between serum antibody levels and the number of naive transgenic T cells transferred. Using T cells from transgenic interleukin‐2‐deficient mice we showed that interleukin‐2 was not required for a secondary response, although it was necessary for a primary response. The results suggested that the signals delivered by CD4 T cells and required by memory B cells for their activation were common to both antigen‐primed and naive CD4 T cells.
The fundamental contribution of Robert A. Good to the discovery of the crucial role of thymus in mammalian immunity
Authors: Ribatti Domenico
Published: October 2006

Robert Alan Good was a pioneer in the field of immunodeficiency diseases. He and his colleagues defined the cellular basis and functional consequences of many of the inherited immunodeficiency diseases. His was one of the groups that discovered the pivotal role of the thymus in the immune system development and defined the separate development of the thymus‐dependent and bursa‐dependent lymphoid cell lineages and their responsibilities in cell‐mediated and humoral immunity.
Selective herbivory by brushtail possums: Determining the age of ingested leaves using n‐alkanes
Authors: MONKS ADRIAN , EFFORD MURRAY G.
Published: October 2006

Abstract  Leaves often decline in nutritional quality as they age, and selective feeding on young leaves may be nutritionally important for herbivores. Preference by mammalian herbivores for young leaves has rarely been measured in the field owing to technical difficulties. We measured preferences with respect to leaf age of an arboreal folivore, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr), feeding on southern rata (Metrosideros umbellata Cav.; Myrtaceae) in a new application of the alkane technique. We characterized the cuticle waxes (n‐alkanes) of rata leaves that were less than 1 year old (‘1‐year’), between 1 and 2 years (‘2‐year’) and greater than 2 years old (‘>2‐year’). Simulations showed that the method accurately discriminated between 1‐year and other age groups but slightly overestimated the importance of rare components of the diet. This bias was larger when discriminating between 2‐year and >2‐year leaves apparently because they had more‐similar alkane profiles. Metrosideros umbellata leaf formed 20.8% of the diet of a population of possums from Rakiura, New Zealand, sampled in autumn 2002 (n = 33). Of the M. umbellata component, alkane analyses showed that 1‐year leaves formed 88.7 ± 3.9% of the diet despite making up only 39.5 ± 2.2% of the leaf biomass on rata trees (n = 14). The foliar concentrations of the macronutrients N, P and K all declined significantly with leaf age (P < 0.0001). Lignin content did not measurably increase with leaf age, suggesting that digestibility per se did not determine the preference of brushtail possums for young rata leaves. This study provides the first quantitative evidence that possums discriminate by leaf age and that the resulting diet is enriched in macronutrients.
Demography of the clonal palm Geonoma brevispatha in a Neotropical swamp forest
Authors: SOUZA ALEXANDRE F. , MARTINS FERNANDO R.
Published: October 2006

Abstract  We expected that in clonal plants with the phalanx growth form, prereproductive ramets function as a meristem bank that helps buffer ramet demography against environmental fluctuations. Specifically, we evaluated four expectations for the forest understorey clonal palm Geonoma brevispatha in a swamp forest in south‐eastern Brazil. Our expectations were are follows: (i) the vital rates of prereproductive ramets are more responsive to genet‐related characteristics (genet size, distance and size of the nearest genet neighbour, and reproductive ramet survivorship) than to environmental variables (canopy openness, basal area of small trees, flooding, and distance and size of the nearest large tree neighbour), whose effects are expected to affect ramet dynamics indirectly through physiological integration; (ii) the progress of prereproductive ramets to later stages is dependent on the death of reproductive ramets; (iii) the population dynamics of G. brevispatha is resistant to significant interannual changes in the vital rates of ramets, (i.e. the occurrence of good and bad years); and (iv) there are large negative covariances among demographic transitions within a given year, as well as between years, reflecting the flexibility of G. brevispatha to adjust to environmental variability. Expectations 1, 2 and 4 were confirmed, while expectation 3 was only partially confirmed. Matrix models predicted that the growth rate of the overall ramet population was significantly greater than unity in the first study year, but it was significantly smaller than 1.0 in the second study year. Ramet population growth rates at the level of individual genets were greater than unity in the majority of genets in the first year, but in the second year genets with growth rates smaller than unity prevailed. Ramet population dynamics seems to be resistant to the succession of good and bad years; in effect, the presence of a meristem bank of ramets helps stabilize λ.
Prognostic significance of common preoperative laboratory variables in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Lee Sang Eun , Byun Seok‐Soo , Han June Hyun , Han Byung Kyu , Hong Sung Kyu
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prognostic significance of common preoperative laboratory variables evaluated before surgery for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the records of 355 patients who had surgery for clear cell RCC, assessing: clinical factors, including preoperative laboratory measurements, i.e. haemoglobin level, leukocyte count, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum calcium, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and red blood cells in urine; and pathological factors, with the survival rates after surgery.

RESULTS

The presence of metastasis, tumour stage and tumour size, with the ESR and ALP before surgery, were identified as significant prognostic factors for progression‐free survival in a multivariate analysis. The same factors were significant independent factors for disease‐specific survival, except for ESR and ALP, which were nearly statistically significant. When limited to non‐metastatic tumours only, the multivariate analysis showed that ESR and ALP, with tumour stage, grade, size and necrosis, were independent prognostic factors for disease‐specific survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Along with traditionally accepted prognostic factors, these results suggest that common laboratory variables assessed before surgery, e.g. ESR and ALP, might also be useful in assessing the prognosis for patients with non‐metastatic clear cell RCC. Including various laboratory variables in prognostic algorithms for RCC should be considered after further validation in RCCs of various histological subtypes and stages.
The use of prostate‐specific antigen testing in men presenting with haematuria
Authors: Bromage Stephen J. , Napier‐Hemy Richard D. , Payne Stephen R. , Pearce Ian , McIntyre Iain G.
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVES

To analyse prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels and clinical outcome in men presenting with haematuria, to develop an evidence‐base for the use of PSA testing in this setting, as haematuria is a known complication of locally invasive prostate cancer, and so PSA levels are often measured in patients presenting with haematuria.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the records of 637 men presenting with haematuria to our urology department between April 2002 and June 2005.

RESULTS

Of 373 men aged 50–79 years, 278 (75%) had their PSA level measured, and 50 were abnormal. Prostate biopsies were taken in 27 men with an abnormal PSA level (54%) and one man with a normal PSA level but an abnormal digital rectal examination. Prostate cancer was detected in 22 patients (8% of those tested, and 71% of those biopsied); 4.7% of all men presenting with macroscopic haematuria and aged 50–79 years were found to have prostate cancer, vs 8.5% of those with microscopic haematuria.

CONCLUSIONS

We report a higher proportion of prostate cancers in men presenting with haematuria and aged 50–79 years than reported in previous screening studies, and a cancer detection rate of 71% of those biopsied, which is at least double the detection rates seen in screening studies. In the absence of a prospective controlled trial, PSA testing will remain part of our protocol for both macroscopic and microscopic haematuria.
Biochemical (prostate‐specific antigen) relapse‐free survival and toxicity after 125I low‐dose‐rate prostate brachytherapy
Authors: Khaksar Sara Jane , Laing Robert W. , Henderson Alastair , Sooriakumaran Prasanna , Lovell David , Langley Stephen E.M.
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVE

To report our clinical experience and 5‐year prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) relapse‐free survival rate for early‐stage prostate cancer after 125I low‐dose‐rate prostate brachytherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 300 patients were treated between March 1999 and April 2003, and followed prospectively. Patients were stratified into low‐, intermediate‐ and high‐risk groups, and those receiving neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (NAAD) or not. Kaplan–Meier estimates of PSA relapse‐free survival and PSA nadirs were obtained for all patients and for the risk groups. Toxicity, as urinary and erectile dysfunction (ED), were reported from a prospective database.

RESULTS

The median (range) follow‐up was 45  (33–82) months. The actuarial PSA relapse‐free survival was 93% at 5 years; 21 (7%) of patients had evidence of biochemical failure as defined by the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology criteria. There was no significant difference in actuarial survival for patients in the different risk groups, or between those receiving NAAD or not (low‐risk 96%, intermediate 89%, high 93%, P = 0.12; NAAD 92%, no NAAD 95%, P = 0.30). Overall the 3‐year median PSA level was 0.3 ng/mL (192 men). There was no significant difference in median 3‐year PSA levels for different risk groups, or for those treated with or with no NAAD. The 3‐ and 4‐year PSA nadir of <0.5 ng/mL was achieved by 71% and 86% of men, respectively. The acute urinary retention rate was 7%; 5.6% of men developed urethral strictures requiring dilatation, while 2.7% required a transurethral resection of the prostate after implantation, for obstructive symptoms. Of patients with no ED before treatment, 62% had no ED at 2 years, and of these 60% used a phosphodiesterase inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

This prospective series confirms the excellent overall biochemical survival after 125I brachytherapy; the treatment was tolerated well, with early and late urinary toxicity and ED similar to other published results.
Melatonin rhythm in children with enuresis
Authors: Ardura‐Fernandez Julio , Andres De Llano Jesus M. , Garmendia‐Leiza Jose R. , Agapito Teresa
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVE

To study the circadian rhythm of melatonin in children with enuresis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty‐five children, divided into two groups (enuretic patients and controls) were assessed; salivary samples were collected to measure melatonin by radioimmunoassay using commercial kits. Friedman two‐way anova and Wilcoxon tests were used to assess the circadian rhythm of melatonin, and anova with between‐patient factors and Mann‐Whitney tests to compare melatonin values and groups.

RESULTS

Both groups had statistically significant differences in melatonin concentration during the 24‐h period (both P < 0.001), with a circadian rhythm; the highest values were always at ≈ 04.00 hours. There were no significant differences overall in melatonin values between cases and controls, but patients had lower peak values than controls at 04.00 hours, and higher melatonin levels at 24.00 hours, but with no significant differences.

CONCLUSION

There was some evidence for minor disturbances in the circadian rhythm of melatonin as a cause of enuresis, but the rhythm was not grossly disrupted.
Three‐dimensional ultrasonography of the urinary bladder: preliminary experience of assessment in patients with haematuria
Authors: Mitterberger Michael , Pinggera Germar M. , Neuwirt Hannes , Maier Elisabeth , Akkad Thomas , Strasser Hannes , Gradl Johann , Pallwein Leo , Bartsch Georg , Frauscher Ferdinand
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVE

To assess the value of three‐dimensional (3D) vs two‐dimensional (2D) ultrasonography (US) in the diagnostic evaluation of the urinary bladder in patients with haematuria.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 42 patients with painless haematuria and/or irritative voiding symptoms were examined with 2D‐ and 3D‐US. US was done with an Acuson Sequoia unit (Siemens Medical Sol. Mountain View, CA, USA) and the Perspective® 3D technique, to assess the presence of bladder lesions, including bladder cancer, bladder wall hypertrophy with trabeculation and diverticula, mucosal bladder folds or re‐growth of the prostate mimicking a bladder tumour. The imaging findings were compared with cystoscopy and/or bladder biopsy.

RESULTS

In 21 of the 42 patients (50%) cystoscopy with bladder biopsy revealed bladder cancer. Overall, 3D‐US gave a correct diagnosis for 36 of 42 patients (86%). All 21 bladder cancers were correctly diagnosed, and 15 (71%) of the 21 benign bladder lesions were correctly identified. By contrast, 2D‐US findings gave suspected bladder cancer in all patients.

CONCLUSIONS

3D‐US is significantly more accurate than standard 2D‐US in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with haematuria. Thus, this diagnostic technique might be useful for routine evaluation of the urinary bladder.
Is older goodwill value relevant?
Authors: Bugeja Martin , Gallery Natalie
Published: October 2006

Although previous research has generally found that goodwill reported in firms’ financial reports is relevant to equity valuation, no known studies have directly examined whether the value‐relevance of purchased goodwill holds as it ages. We examine this issue in the Australian context to determine whether the market attaches different values to the components of Australian firms’ goodwill when it is disaggregated into different ‘ages’. Our results suggest that recently acquired goodwill has information content whereas ‘older’ goodwill does not. Our findings have implications for goodwill accounting practice and recent changes to goodwill accounting standards.
In America's thrall: the effects of the US market and US security characteristics on Australian stock returns
Authors: Durand Robert B. , Limkriangkrai Manapon , Smith Gary
Published: October 2006

Can Australian equity returns be modelled by ‘home‐grown’ factors? We examine the indigenous capital asset pricing model, the indigenous Fama–French three‐factor model, and extensions to the latter, and find them all wanting. We find evidence of domestic market segmentation in Australia. For the smallest firms, all the models we study fail. For the largest Australian firms, we find that the US Fama–French three factors (downloaded from French's website: http://mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu/pages/faculty/ken.french/) provide a successful model of Australian returns. It is as if the largest firms in the Australian market are simply part of the larger US market.
Identifiable intangible asset disclosures, stock prices and future earnings
Authors: Ritter Adam , Wells Peter
Published: October 2006

As a consequence of regulatory reforms currently being initiated as part of international convergence, it is likely that the recognition and disclosure of identifiable intangible assets by Australian firms will cease. This study provides empirical evidence on how this will impact financial reports. First, evidence is provided of a positive association between stock prices and voluntarily recognized and disclosed identifiable intangible assets. Second, evidence is provided of a positive association between identifiable intangible assets and realized future period income. This provides insights into the nature of the information provided by intangible assets, and identifies a basis for the association between stock prices and identifiable intangible assets. This leads to the conclusion that identifiable intangible assets disclosures are value relevant, and that with the application of the restrictive recognition rules in AASB138 these disclosures in financial reports will be greatly diminished.
PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF EDUCATION IN A R&D‐BASED GROWTH MODEL
Authors: Boonprakaikawe Juntip , Tournemaine Frédéric
Published: October 2006

We develop a R&D‐based growth model with endogenous accumulation of human capital. We investigate the idea that education is a good entering in the preferences of individuals. We seek to analyse how the decisions of individuals to invest in human capital can be altered by changes in economic policies and how they can be reflected on the level of growth in the long run. We show that policy changes affect growth through their effect on the decision of individuals to invest in human capital. The effects obtained depend whether individuals enjoy to acquire education or if they consider it as a ‘bad’. In the absence of any policy intervention, the level of growth can be excessive or insufficient compared with the optimum.
THE DETERMINANTS OF EXPORT PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FOR MANUFACTURING PLANTS IN IRELAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Authors: Roper Stephen , Love James H. , Hígon Dolores Añon
Published: October 2006

The dramatic GDP and export growth of Ireland over the last decade forms a marked contrast with that of its nearest neighbour Northern Ireland. In Ireland, export volume growth averaged 15.5% p.a. from 1991 to 1999 compared with 6.3% from Northern Ireland. Using data on individual manufacturing plants this paper considers the determinants of export performance in the two areas. Larger, externally owned plants with higher skill levels are found to have the highest export propensities in both areas. Other influences (plant age, R&D, etc.) prove more strongly conditional on location, plant size, and ownership. Structural factors (e.g. ownership, industry) explain almost all of the difference in export propensity between larger plants in Northern Ireland and Ireland but only around one‐third of that between smaller plants. Significant differences are also evident between plants in terms of their sources of new technology. For indigenously owned plants, in‐house R&D is important. For externally owned plants, R&D conducted elsewhere in the group – typically outside Ireland and Northern Ireland – proves more significant. This external dependency and lower than expected export propensity on the part of small plants in Northern Ireland represent significant policy challenges for the future.
EQUITY‐SENSITIVE INDICATORS OF LIVING STANDARDS WITH AN APPLICATION TO NORTHERN IRELAND
Authors: Borooah Vani K. , Hillyard Paddy , Tomlinson Mike
Published: October 2006

The level of a region's achievement with respect to a particular outcome is usually measured by the mean value of that outcome. This, however, ignores the fact that the distribution of that outcome, between population or geographical subgroups in that region, may be unequal: in order to reflect this inequality, ‘equity‐sensitive’ indicators make a downward adjustment to the mean value of the outcome. This paper extends the notion of ‘equity‐sensitive’ indicators which take cognisance ofinter‐groupinequality, to ‘equity‐sensitive’ indicators which paid heed tointra‐groupinequality. It constructs – using data from a Northern Ireland survey into poverty and social exclusion conducted in 2002/2003 –‘equity‐sensitive indicators’ of living standards in Northern Ireland. These take account of both the average level of the standard of living and also inequality in these levels between groups, and between persons in these groups.
Additive hazards regression of failure time data with covariate measurement errors
Authors: Sun Liuquan , Zhang Zhigang , Sun Jianguo
Published: October 2006

This paper discusses regression analysis of failure time data under the additive hazards model, with covariates subject to measurement errors. In particular, we consider the situation where there may exist only repeated measurements or observations on the covariates with measurement errors, and for which there does not exist any method for inference. A nonparametric‐correction approach is proposed for inference about regression parameters and the baseline cumulative hazards function. Both asymptotic and finite sample properties of the proposed estimators are established and the approach is applied to an AIDS clinical trial that motivated this study.
A model for identifying and ranking dangerous accident locations: a case study in Flanders
Authors: Brijs Tom , Bossche Filip Van den , Wets Geert , Karlis Dimitris
Published: October 2006

These days, road safety has become a major concern in most modern societies. In this respect, the determination of road locations that are more dangerous than others (black spots or also called sites with promise) can help in better scheduling road safety policies. The present paper proposes a multivariate model to identify and rank sites according to their total expected cost to the society. Bayesian estimation of the model via a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach is discussed in this paper. To illustrate the proposed model, accident data from 23,184 accident locations in Flanders (Belgium) are used and a cost function proposed by the European Transport Safety Council is adopted to illustrate the model. It is shown in the paper that the model produces insightful results that can help policy makers in prioritizing road infrastructure investments.
Language, identity, and education of Caribbean English speakers
Authors: NERO SHONDEL
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT:  The large‐scale ongoing migration of Anglophone Caribbean natives to North America, particularly to New York City, in the last two decades, has brought an influx of Caribbean English (CE)‐speaking students into US and Canadian schools and colleges. This article discusses the extent to which such students, who publicly identify themselves as native speakers of English but whose variety of English is often misunderstood by North American teachers, challenge the latter to examine their tacit assumptions about the English language, ownership of English, and linguistic identity. The author provides examples of commonly used features of CE that are likely to create misunderstanding in American classrooms. She argues that teachers of Caribbean English speakers will need to explore new paradigms for language placement, assessment and development, and finally proposes an agenda for responding to the linguistic and broader educational needs of CE‐speaking students.
Nativization strategies: Nigerianisms at the intersection of ideology and gender in Achebe's fiction
Authors: BAMIRO EDMUND
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT:  The present paper employs the semiotic distinction between underdetermined and overdetermined language use to probe the nativization of English in Achebe's fiction. Language use is underdetermined when it subverts the hegemony of English through the strategy of nativization of linguistic forms that are altered to have different cultural overtones when used by African and other non‐native English speakers and writers. Conversely, an overdetermined language use relates to heteroglossic social discourses arising from conflicts of race, class, gender, and ethnicity, especially in the postcolonial literary context. The study points out that although Achebe has done more than any other African writer in indigenizing the English language in the African literary context, his failure to interrogate the patriarchal linguistic structures of his world makes his rhetoric complicit with the English language's devaluation and semantic pejoration of the female Other in the Nigerian context. However, given the power of English to consolidate male dominance and give men representational prominence, more studies are needed on how non‐verbal communication and certain linguistic devices and discursive formations mask the ingrained patriarchal prejudices not only in Achebe's writing but also in postcolonial English literatures in general.
Meaning making poetry: Words alone are certain good
Authors: WEBSTER JONATHAN J.
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT:  The focus of this linguistic investigation is on the poetry of Edwin Thumboo, which has contributed much to the shaping and definition of Singapore's English language poetic canon. A systemic‐functional approach is adopted for analysing several of Thumboo's poems, including “gods can die”, “David”, and “Conjunction”, examining the poet's technique, or, as in the poet's own words, “the chiseling of Language, the rearranging of language, the sound, the rhythm, the tautness, the layering”. Linguistic analysis of Edwin Thumboo's poetry reveals an imagery projected through the poet's technique, in combination with metaphorical allusions to science, theology, mythology, and even numerology. Each of his poems is a highly textured, grammatically intricate work of art with multiple layers of meaning and metaphor.