bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Negotiating with Villains Revisited: Research Note
Authors: Spector Bertram
Published: July 2004

An earlier article examined the conditions under which it is reasonable to negotiate with rogue states. This article extends the argument to non-state terrorist "villains". Despite the risks inherent in negotiating with terrorists, the risks of following a no-negotiation policy are likely to be more deadly. States need to assess terrorist interests and intentions to find if there are reasonable entry points for negotiation and take advantage of these to transform the conflict.
The Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis: The Perpetrators, their Tactics, and the Russian Response
Authors: Pilch Richard , Dolnik Adam
Published: July 2004

The Moscow theater hostage crisis was a spectacular media event, which sparked a wide domestic and international debate concerning the appropriateness of the Russian response. This article attempts to reconstruct and assess the events that took place in terms of negotiability of the incident, and seeks to provide an analytical perspective on the possible alternatives that were available to the Russian authorities throughout the crisis. Part I provides a brief overview of the events that unfolded. This section of the article also places Chechen motivations behind the incident into perspective with regard to past Chechen operations and to their overall strategy. Part II focuses on the details of the attack itself, particularly the Russian response. Special attention is devoted to analyzing the successes and failures of both the negotiations and the tactical assault. The conclusion discusses the implications of the Moscow theater incident for the future, including its potential impact on the likelihood of success of crisis negotiation strategies and the future tactics of the Chechen rebels.
Contrasting Dynamics of Crisis Negotiations: Barricade versus Kidnapping Incidents
Authors: Dolnik Adam
Published: July 2004

Over the past several decades, crisis negotiation has become the primary method of dealing with hostage incidents in many countries of the world. This article uses the analytical framework of interest-based negotiation to provide a comparative analysis of the negotiation dynamics involved in barricade versus kidnapping incidents. The primary difference between the two scenarios is that the location of the victim(s) as well as that of the perpetrator(s) is unknown in kidnappings. As a result, many of the components of crisis negotiation that have been so successful in resolving barricade situations are inapplicable to kidnappings. This article should help the reader understand the critical differences between the two scenarios, and the implications of those differences for the likelihood of success of different crisis negotiation strategies. Central focus is devoted to premeditated incidents perpetrated by organized groups with a political, criminal, or religious motivation.
Negotiating with Terrorists
Authors: Zartman I. William
Published: July 2004

Negotiating with terrorists is possible, within limits, as the articles in this issue show and explore. Limits come initially in the distinction between absolute and contingent terrorists, and then between revolutionary and conditional absolutes and between barricaders, kidnappers and hijackers in the contingent category. Revolutionary absolute are nonnegotiable adversaries, but even conditional absolutes are potentially negotiable and contingent terrorists actually seek negotiation. The official negotiator is faced with the task of giving a little in order to get the terrorist to give a lot, a particularly difficult imbalance to obtain given the highly committed and desperate nature of terrorists as they follow rational but highly unconventional tactics. Such are the challenges of negotiating with terrorists that this issue of the journal explores and elucidates.
Negotiating the Non-Negotiable: Dealing with Absolutist Terrorists
Authors: Kaminski Stacey , Beres Steven , Hayes Richard
Published: July 2004

Terrorism has taken on a new form in which loss of life is par for the course and where terrorist demands are often impossible to meet. To combat these new absolutist terrorists, the US government has developed innovative approaches to defend national security, including negotiating with state sponsors of terrorism with the threat of force for noncompliance, isolating the violent actors by offering financial rewards for assistance in combating terror, and offering and employing international intelligence assistance. Each of these approaches, whether it results in a reward or punishment, involves some form of negotiation with the terrorists or those who support them to gain the information necessary to disrupt terrorist networks and convict those responsible.
Group Decision Support Systems and Patterns of Interpersonal Communication to Improve Ethical Negotiation in Dyads
Authors: Fairchild Alea , Rutkowski Anne-Françoise , Rijsman John
Published: July 2004

This article demonstrates experimentally that in the context of dyadic conflict, patterns of interpersonal communication (PIC), supported by a particular Group Decision Support System (GDSS) technology, affect the quality of decision making. A GDSS technology that supports confrontation of strongly-internalized personal meanings appears less efficient in supporting the resolution of ethical dilemmas than in stimulating interdependent co-construction of shared-meanings between opposing parties. Intersubjectivity and reciprocity are adapted when the conflict is linked to variables of personality and cultural identity. GDSSs are an efficient tool to support intergroup communication and relations. This article discusses the direct implications of our research for the study of intercultural negotiation and conflict resolution.
Innovation in Teaching Negotiation Towards a Relevant Use of Multimedia Tools
Authors: Lempereur Alain Pekar
Published: July 2004

This article examines four cases of innovation in teaching negotiation, developed mostly in France, that involve the intensive use of multimedia techniques. These tools address some of the shortcomings of current teaching methods discussed in earlier literature. The use of multimedia innovations seems to improve teaching the subject of negotiation by enabling instructors to better bridge the gaps between theory and practice, and simulation and reality. These innovations also facilitate multiple perspectives, which are needed in cross-cultural negotiations.
Business Negotiation Support: Theory and Practice
Authors: De Moor Aldo , Weigand Hans
Published: July 2004

Business negotiation support systems (NSS) are slowly entering the market, although they lack a clear theoretical basis as of yet. Negotiation is a complicated process with many aspects that have only partially been described with the formal rigidity needed to build support systems. Most theories about negotiation are descriptive and not prescriptive, which, among other things, prevents their use as a basis for negotiation support systems. Complicating matters is that a negotiation process consists of several distinct stages, each with its own characteristics. Furthermore, there are many types of negotiations, depending on the domain. This suggests that we should not strive for one general negotiation support system, but for a set of domain-specific tools. To ground the development and application of these tools in different scenarios, we propose an integrated theoretical framework. After presenting an overview of existing negotiation support approaches, we construct a business negotiation support metamodel for NSS analysis. The metamodel is illustrated by analyzing the MeMo project, which concerns contract negotiations in small and medium enterprises in the European construction industry. The MeMo system is one of the first business NSS with an explicit international orientation.
The Effect of CMC and FTF on Negotiation Outcomes between R&D and Manufacturing Partners in the Supply Chain: An Anglo/Nordic/Latin Comparison
Authors: Lincke Andreas , Ulijn Jan
Published: July 2004

The growing significance of global electronic commerce has led to the increased use of computer support during negotiation of deals, which until now has been carried out almost exclusively via face-to-face (FTF) communication or other high-feedback media (e. g., telephone), but not via computer-mediated communication (CMC). To analyze this process and its outcomes, the following research questions were examined in this study: How do CMC and FTF contribute to a win-win strategy in negotiation? How do CMC and FTF affect the participants' ability to empathize with each other? Are the negotiation strategies of Anglo, Nordic, and Latin negotiators affected differently depending on the medium? Is the ability of Anglo, Nordic, and Latin negotiators to empathize with each other affected differently depending on the medium? On the basis of our results, we surmise that CMC does not allow negotiators to employ a cooperative win-win strategy (as recommended by negotiation-strategy training). We see significant differences when we examine the use of personal pronouns and speech acts by the Anglo, Nordic, and Latin culture clusters. When we look at the use of cooperative speech acts, a similar situation occurs: in contrast to Anglos, who behave in a cooperative way, Latins are significantly less cooperative and Nordics use many more general speech acts in the CMC setting.
Educational Rights of Persons Belonging to National Minorities
Authors: Wilson Duncan
Published: July 2004

'Minority Rights in, to and through Education.' A critical evaluation of the first results of the monitoring of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 1998–2003.
Persons Belonging to National Minorities and the Media
Authors: Jakubowicz Karol
Published: July 2004

A critical evaluation of the first results of the monitoring of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 1998–2003.
Creating the Conditions Necessary for the Effective Participation of Persons Belonging to National Minorities
Authors: Weller Marc
Published: July 2004

A critical evaluation of the first results of the monitoring of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 1998–2003.
Measuring Nothing: The Case of the Greek National Health System
Authors: Ballas Apostolos A. , Tsoukas Haridimos
Published: July 2004

Several critical studies in accounting have approached the introduction of accounting systems in the public sector in terms of enforcing and sustaining competition-based resource allocation mechanisms. In this study, we reverse the question and ask: why has accounting not been used in certain public bureaucracies as much as it might? We investigate the extent to which accounting systems have been used in the management of the Greek National Health System (ESY) and find that accounting has played a marginal role in its development. Attempting to explain this puzzling feature we first note and then contrast the main underlying features of accounting systems with those of the Greek political system in general, and ESY in particular. Briefly, our explanation is that the historically high politicization that has characterized the Greek political system has tended to over-shadow the economic-cum-managerial dimension of running public bureaucracies, favouring overtly political evaluation criteria of organizational and individual performance. In such an institutional environment, accounting has low symbolic significance and its use does not contribute to enhancing organizational legitimacy - hence its marginal role.
The Culture of Objectivity: Quantification, Uncertainty, and the Evaluation of Risk at NASA
Authors: Feldman Steven P.
Published: July 2004

For over three decades social studies of science have investigated ‘objectivity’ as a central, socially constructed assumption in scientific and engineering work. This literature has seldom been utilized in the study of organizations despite the fact that knowledge production and knowledge use in scientific and engineering organizations are presumed to be objective or independent of individual and social influences. In this article, the social studies of science literature as it conceptualizes and understands objectivity is reviewed. An analysis of the data on decision-making at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the years preceding the explosion of Challenger is carried out using concepts from this literature. Data on decision-making at NASA during the years preceding the explosion of Columbia are also analyzed. It is shown that the culture of objectivity at NASA interacted with time pressures to produce a misunderstanding of flight risk. This misunderstanding resulted from two general aspects of NASA’s culture: (i) an over-confidence in quantitative data went hand-in-hand with a marginalization of nonquantifiable data, leading to an insensitivity to uncertainty and a loss of organizational memory; and (ii) problem definition and solution creation were constructed as if they were independent of organizational goals, resulting in an inaccurate estimation of risk.
Getting the Measure of Emotion - and the Cautionary Tale of Emotional Intelligence
Authors: Fineman Stephen
Published: July 2004

This article examines critically the recent growth of emotion measurement in organizational behaviour. The epistemological and phenomenological consequences of psychometrically ‘boxing’ emotion are, it is argued, problematic and restrictive. This may be seen in the power and professional prestige it affords to the measurers and in the consequences to those classified by measurement. This is particularly so when an emotion is presented as key to personal or organizational success. Emotional intelligence is a strong illustration of these issues, where ‘experts’ ascribe positive value to people with high emotional intelligence quotients (EQ), and low EQs are regarded as suitable cases for training. How can emotion be ‘known’, other than through measurement and numbers? The article suggests some different approaches towards researching an important, but enigmatic, concept.
Measuring the Unmeasured: An Institutional Entrepreneur Strategy in an Emerging Industry
Authors: Déjean Frédérique , Gond Jean-Pascal , Leca Bernard
Published: July 2004

The organizational literature on emerging industries has emphasized the need for institutional entrepreneurs - actors who give the new activity legitimacy and determine its patterns of behaviour. However, little empirical research has been carried out on the strategies that institutional entrepreneurs employ in order to achieve legitimacy for their activity. In this article, we suggest that an institutional entrepreneur can use the development of measurement tools as a strategy to develop its own legitimacy and power. By looking at a French entrepreneurial company’s development of tools to measure corporate social performance, we analyse how measurement tools influence the legitimacy of an industry and the systemic power within it. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for research into measurement tools in the areas of management or business and society.
Counting, Control and Calculation: Reflections on Measuring and Management
Authors: Power Michael
Published: July 2004

This article explores fundamental issues in performance measurement systems broadly conceived. Three key moments or themes are identified. First, the foundations of measurement in counting practices, and their inherent reductionism, are considered. Second, the relations between measurement and technologies of monitoring and control, such as auditing, are discussed. Third, first- and second-order measurement (meta-measurement) are distinguished, respectively as particular institutions of counting and data production, and as related dense networks of calculating experts operating on these numbers within specific cultures of objectivity. Finally, arguments about the consequences of performance measurement systems are evaluated, contrasting democratic enthusiasm for performance measurement control technologies with the view that they are some kind of ‘fatal remedy’. In place of a simple dichotomy of trust or distrust in numbers, the development of performance measurement instruments is argued to be a cycle of innovation, crisis and reform, which continually expands into new regions of social and economic life, and which expresses varying degrees of commitment to precision.
Feminist Standpoint Theory, Hegel and the Dialectical Self
Authors: Changfoot Nadine
Published: July 2004

The claim that theoretical foundations are historically contingent does not draw the same intensity of fire as it did one or especially two decades ago. The aftermath of debates on the political boundaries created by foundations allows for a deeper exploration of the foundations of feminist theory. This article re-examines the (anti)-Hegelian foundations of the feminist standpoint put forward by Nancy Hartsock and argues that the Hegelian subject of the early Phenomenology of Spirit resists gender codification in its experience of ongoing rediscovery and fallibility in knowing. The subject against which the feminist self was constituted does not fit the masculinity thought to be natural. Hegel’s master-slave dialectic and phenomenological subject reveal contradictions that cannot be resolved by an opposing feminist standpoint, and may provide resources that resist the rigid gender categories upon which the standpoint depends.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Concept of People
Authors: Canivez Patrice
Published: July 2004

Rousseau’s political theory apparently leads us to choose between patriotism and cosmopolitism. The two major works published in 1762, On the Social Contract and Emile, would represent the two sides of the alternative. However, the opposition between patriotism and cosmopolitism is the ultimate development of an internal tension between two aspects of Rousseau’s political concept of people: the intersubjectivity that permits the formation of the general will; and the individual’s devotion to the state. On the one hand, the political community appears as a distributive totality. On the other hand, it is viewed as a collective totality. When generalized, intersubjectivity leads to the formation of both the social concept of people and the moral concept of humanity, while patriotism requires the individual’s loyalty to the nation. In order to maintain the coherence of the very political concept of people and to solve the main political problem - which is to reconcile security and liberty - it is necessary to overcome the dichotomy between cosmopolitism and patriotism. Emile and Rousseau’s original plan for On the Social Contract are consistent on that point.
Redeeming Redemption
Authors: Cooke Maeve
Published: July 2004

Critical social theory has an uneasy relationship with utopia. On the one hand, the idea of an alternative, better social order is necessary in order to make sense of its criticisms of a given social context. On the other hand, utopian thinking has to avoid ‘bad utopianism’, defined as lack of connection with the actual historical process, and ‘finalism’, defined as closure of the historical process. Contemporary approaches to critical social theory endeavour to avoid these dangers by way of a post metaphysical strategy. However, they run up against the problem that utopian thinking has an unavoidable metaphysical moment. Rather than seeking to eliminate this moment, therefore, they should acknowledge its inevitability. The challenge is to maintain a productive tension between closure and contestability and between attainability and elusiveness. The paper outlines a strategy for meeting this challenge, a strategy that is based on a distinction between the metaphysical content of utopian projections and their fallible claims to validity.
Writing and Judging
Authors: Gandesha Samir
Published: July 2004

This essay engages in a comparative analysis of Theodor W. Adorno and Hannah Arendt. It does so by situating both thinkers in terms of their respective Auseinandersetzungen with the fundamental ontology of Martin Heidegger. While Heidegger seeks to engage in a Destruktion of the opposition between time and being, Adorno and Arendt seek to understand this relation critically in terms of the concept of ‘natural history’. For both, a reading of Kant’s Third Critique becomes the indispensable means by which it is possible to locate a path pointing beyond the chiasmic structure of natural history.
Three Conditions of Human Relations
Authors: Papilloud Christian
Published: July 2004

In his study The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies, Marcel Mauss describes an archaic mode of human relations, the gift, whose analysis allows us to specify the reasons for our daily exchanges. Georg Simmel considers the same demands from the starting-point of Wechselwirkung (effects of reciprocity), which contains the properties of all human relations. Their research is based on the following question: Is society possible? The authors examine this question based on notions of sacrifice, reciprocity, and duration, which allow them to isolate three conditions necessary for the existence of human relations: the personalization of, the commitment to, and the duration of this bond. Although it does not qualify as a response to the question asked above, the human relation appears as the inevitable question of sociological reasoning, able to stimulate and open new research perspectives.
Lifeworld, Discourse, and Realism
Authors: Seemann Axel
Published: July 2004

In this paper, I give a systematic account of the core features of Jürgen Habermas’s revised approach to truth that comprises both realist and epistemic components. While agents in the lifeworld are pragmatic realists and work on the basic assumption that (most of) their beliefs about the world are true, beliefs that have become problematic can be scrutinized only in the form of validity-claims in rational discourses. Thus Habermas introduces a discursive truth predicate that involves a procedural idealization of the conditions of discourse in terms of ‘justified acceptability under conditions that are currently ideal’. He argues that this truth predicate has to be understood in connection with agents’ pragmatic realism to give a comprehensive account of truth.

This paper is concerned with the tension between truth-in-the-lifeworld and discursive truth. I argue that Habermas’s account is troubled by two problems: firstly an unclear conception of the role of the truth predicate; and secondly, the suggestion that agents in discourse temporarily abandon their lifeworldly realism. While the first problem can be remedied by exploring the distinction between a truth predicate and a truth criterion, the second difficulty requires a modification of Habermas’s account. I show that the consistency of his approach depends on the acceptance of the principle of bivalence throughout (in both lifeworld and discourse), and hence on the subscription to a certain kind of realism that extends beyond the lifeworld.
Activation of PCL Surface by Ion Beam Treatment to Enhance Protein Adsorption
Authors: Manso M. , Valsesia A. , Ceccone G. , Rossi F.
Published: July 2004

Polymer substrates with tailored surface properties are increasingly desired in tissue engineering studies. In this work a procedure was developed to improve the use of a polycaprolactone (PCL) films for these applications. Ion beam treatments of PCL films activated the surface by different modification mechanisms. The PCL activation conditions were studied using several techniques to evaluate the modifications of the films surface. The results obtained from FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy indicated that a gradual modification of the composition and microstructure of the films was induced by the process. The modified surfaces induced shifts in Zeta potential vs pH curves and increased the polar component of the surface free energy. The protein adsorption characteristics of the PCL films were monitored by microgravimetric techniques confirming that the ion beam treatment was able to trigger bovine serum albumin adsorption onto the treated PCL surface.
Flexible Coils with a Drug-Releasing Hydrophilic Coating: A New Platform for Controlled Delivery of Drugs to the Eye?
Authors: Pijls Rachel T. , Koole Leo H. , Hanssen Hans H.L. , Nuijts Rudy M.M.A.
Published: July 2004

Delivery of drugs to the front-side of the eye is routinely done through eye drops. It is known that approximately 80% of each eye-drop is lost, as a result of rapid clearance of the tear fluid via the naso-lacrymal canal. Consequently, repeated administration through several droplets is usually necessary to achieve a desired effect, such as widening of the pupil prior to corneal surgery. A new ocular drug delivery device was studied. The new device is believed to provide a basis for a more convenient and efficient method for ocular drug delivery. The device is a metallic coil with a hydrophilic, drug-containing polymeric coating. The coil is placed in the conjuctival fornix (under the lower eye-lid) and the drug is slowly released by diffusion into the tear fluid. The capacity of the device could be increased by using the lumen of the coils as a depot for the drug to be released. Preliminary experiments with the new device were performed largely in vitro and in vivo. The latter experiments involved the release of a fluorescent dye and atropine (a potent mydriatic agent) in the eye of several healthy volunteers. The first results obtained with the new device indicate its potential utility. More research and development work is required to define the optimal design of the coil in order to minimize the risk of irritation. Furthermore, the parameters that define the kinetics of the intraocular drug release must be defined and optimized with respect to the exact application.
Rheological Characterization of Vocal Folds after Injection Augmentation in a Preliminary Animal Study
Authors: Borzacchiello A. , Mayol L. , Ambrosio L. , Gärskog O. , Dahlqvist Å.
Published: July 2004

The investigation of vocal folds viscoelastic properties in an animal model (rabbit) after injection of various augmentation substances, 6 months after injection, is reported. The injected materials were: hyaluronan-based materials (Hylan B gel and Deflux®), cross-linked collagen (Zyplast®) and polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®). Rheological properties of the augmentation substances were also evaluated. The results from these animal experiments indicate that the viscoelastic properties of the vocal folds injected with Deflux®, Zyplast® and Hylan B gel are similar to the healthy vocal folds (non-injected samples) used as control, thus demonstrating that these materials are good candidates for further studies aimed at restoring/preserving the vibratory capacity of the vocal folds with injection treatment in glottal insufficiency.
Natural and Synthetic Hydroxyapatite Filled PCL: Mechanical Properties and Biocompatibility Analysis
Authors: Calandrelli Luigi , Immirzi Barbara , Malinconico Mario , Luessenheide Susanne , Passaro Irene , di Pasquale Rachele , Oliva Adriana
Published: July 2004

Hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) is one of the most biocompatible ceramics because it is similar to the mineral constituents of human bone and teeth. Composites of hydroxyapatite (HA) and biodegradable polymers such as polycaprolactone (PCL) are interesting materials for medical applications, especially for bone replacement. With the aim to improve the properties of biodegradable polyester-based devices, we have prepared and characterized novel composites made of polycaprolactone and natural or synthetic hydroxyapatite. The composites were screened for cytocompatibility by a direct contact method, in view of the future application of these hydroxyapatite filled PCL polymers as scaffolds for bone engineering. Primary cultures of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were selected as the most appropriate models to study the in vitro performance of these materials.
Intestinal Uptake of Polymer Microspheres in the Rabbit Studied with Confocal Microscopy
Authors: Thanos C. G. , Yip K. -P. , Mathiowitz E.
Published: July 2004

This study characterizes the ability of several polymer formulations to penetrate the absorptive epithelium and lymphoid-associated tissue of the gastrointestinal tract. Using phase inversion nano encapsulation and solvent diffusion, formulations with variable size ranges consisting of either poly(fumaric-co-sebacic)anhydride, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polystyrene, or polycaprolactone were fabricated and administered to an isolated loop in the small intestine of rabbits. Particles were loaded with a fluorescent dye for detection. Following a period of incubation, animals were sacrificed and the tissue was explanted and processed for histology. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to track the microspheres and two separate emission detectors were used to isolate the dye from background. Particles that possess bioadhesiveness in the micron size range could be localized to the absorptive epithelium while larger particles and formulations with low bioadhesiveness failed to penetrate enterocytes and were taken up preferentially in the Peyer’s patches. This work demonstrates that the surface chemistry of oral formulations can ultimately determine the fate and can aid in designing delivery vehicles for a variety of therapeutics currently plagued with poor oral bioavailability.
Sulfonated Poly(Arylene Ether Sulfone) Copolymers - Acid and Salt Form: Potential Biofunctional Polymers
Authors: Andrew Megan , Mukundan T. , McGrath J. E.
Published: July 2004

The synthesis, characterization and preliminary evaluation of the potential for biofunctionality of strong, ductile sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers of controlled hydrophilicity are described herein. A series of film forming random (statistical) copolymers were made from 4,4'-biphenol and a stoichiometric mixture of 3,3'-disulfonated and non-sulfonated 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone; the degree of disulfonation varied from 10-60%. The copolymers were characterized by intrinsic viscosity, DSC, TGA and molecular weight (GPC). Preliminary evaluation of the potential of these copolymers in the acid or basic salt form for biocompatibility and biomedical applications was conducted via water uptake and contact angle measurements. The copolymers were cast into films from 10wt. percentage solutions in DMAc. Films were converted from the salt form to the acid form through treatment with concentrated H2SO4, and from acid form to sodium salt form by treatment with base. The surface of the films were characterized by XPS that confirmed full conversion to the intended form. The water uptake measurements showed that the acid form absorbed a maximum of ~ 800wt. percentage, and the salt forms absorbed a maximum of ~70 to 100wt. percentage. The contact angle between a water droplet and the surface of the copolymer films in the potassium salt form was measured using the Sessile Drop method, and it decreased as a function of the degree of sulfonation, in the range of 80-40o. The possibility of applications in pH-sensitive drug delivery systems is suggested.
Qualitative Research and Translation Dilemmas
Authors: Temple Bogusia , Young Alys
Published: July 2004

The focus of this article is an examination of translation dilemmas in qualitative research. Specifically it explores three questions: whether methodologically it matters if the act of translation is identified or not; the epistemological implications of who does translation; and the consequences for the final product of how far the researcher chooses to involve a translator in research. Some of the ways in which researchers have tackled language difference are discussed. The medium of spoken and written language is itself critically challenged by considering the implications of similar ‘problems of method’ but in situations where the translation and interpretation issues are those associated with a visual spatial medium, in this case Sign Language. The authors argue that centring translation and how it is dealt with raises issues of representation that should be of concern to all researchers.
Where Qualitative Research Meets Demography: Interdisciplinary Explorations of Conceptions of Fatherhood in an Extremely Low Fertility Context
Authors: Von Der Lippe Holger , Fuhrer Urs
Published: July 2004

Recent calls to include psychological theories of decisionmaking and intention-formation in research on family formation coincide with calls for improving research on male fertility and fatherhood. In this article we address these notions and present findings from in-depth interviews with 30-year-old childless men from Eastern Germany on their desire to become parents. The context for this research is the societal situation of contemporary Eastern Germany, where birth rates have faced a historical low - the lowest in more than 10 years. Our innovative analytical paradigm draws on the contemporary social cognitive theory of intention-formation. The focus lies on the examination of male attitudes, values, motives, interests, goals, action beliefs and self-concepts, and their connection with men’s intentions for parenthood. We compare our results with explanations given by the Theory of Symbolic Self-Completion and the Theory of Reasoned Action. We argue for the need to bring together psychological and sociological theorizing in this field.
Athlete and Researcher: Undertaking and Pursuing an Ethnographic Study in a Sports Club
Authors: Macphail Ann
Published: July 2004

Reflexivity suggests that researchers should acknowledge and disclose their own selves in the research and be aware of the ways in which their perceptions and background influence the research. This article highlights and discusses issues related to being an active athlete in a sports club while at the same time conducting ethnographic research related to the same sports club. Areas that are examined are personal issues, the kinds of participation that I undertook as a researcher, my role relationships and the maintenance of the balance between distance and involvement. Elaborating on the four areas, implications for the quality of data gathered are explored and lessons to be drawn from pursuing the dual role of an athlete and researcher are discussed.
Targeting autocrine and paracrine VEGF receptor pathways inhibits human lymphoma xenografts in vivo
Authors: Wang Eunice S. , Teruya-Feldstein Julie , Wu Yan , Zhu Zhenping , Hicklin Daniel J. , Moore Malcolm A. S.
Published: July 2004

The role of angiogenesis in lymphoproliferative diseases is not well established. We demonstrate here that human lymphoma cells secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and express VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR-1) and VEGFR-2. Proliferation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cells under serum-free conditions was enhanced by the addition of VEGF and was blocked by VEGFR-1– and VEGFR-2–specific antibodies. To differentiate between VEGF-mediated autocrine and paracrine effects on lymphoma growth, NOD/SCID mice engrafted with human diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were treated with species-specific antibodies against human VEGFR-1 (6.12), human VEGFR-2 (IMC-1C11), murine VEGFR-1 (MF-1), or murine VEGFR-2 (DC101). Treatment with 6.12 or DC101 (targeting tumor VEGFR-1 and host VEGFR-2) reduced established DLBCL xenograft growth, whereas treatment with IMC-1C11 or MF-1 (targeting tumor VEGFR-1 and host VEGFR-1) had no effect. Decreased tumor volumes after 6.12 and DC101 treatment correlated with increased tumor apoptosis and reduced vascularization, respectively, supporting the presence of autocrine VEGFR-1– and paracrine VEGFR-2–mediated pathways in lymphomagenesis. Inhibition of paracrine VEGF interactions (DC101) in these models was equivalent to their inhibition with rituximab. Combining DC101 with therapeutic agents (rituximab, 6.12, methotrexate) consistently improved tumor responses over those of single-agent therapy. These data support the further clinical development of VEGFR-targeted approaches for the therapy of aggressive DLBCL.
Differential expression of granzymes A and B in human cytotoxic lymphocyte subsets and T regulatory cells
Authors: Grossman William J. , Verbsky James W. , Tollefsen Benjamin L. , Kemper Claudia , Atkinson John P. , Ley Timothy J.
Published: July 2004

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells use the perforin/granzyme pathway as a major mechanism to kill pathogen-containing cells and tumor cells.1,2 Dysregulation of this pathway results in several human diseases, such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Here we characterize the single-cell expression pattern of granzymes A and B in human lymphocytes using a flow cytometry-based assay. We demonstrate that most circulating CD56+8- NK cells, and approximately half of circulating CD8+ T lymphocytes, coexpressed both granzymes A and B. In contrast, few circulating CD4+ T lymphocytes expressed granzymes A or B. Activation of CD8+ T lymphocytes with concanavalin A (ConA)/interleukin-2 (IL-2), and activation of CD4+ T lymphocytes with antibodies to CD3/CD28 or CD3/CD46 (to generate T regulatory [Tr1] cells), induced substantial expression of granzyme B, but not granzyme A. Naive CD4+CD45RA+ cells stimulated with antibodies to CD3/CD46 strongly expressed granzyme B, while CD3/CD28 stimulation was ineffective. Finally, we show that granzyme B-expressing CD4+ Tr1 cells are capable of killing target cells in a perforin-dependent, but major histocompatibility complex (MHC)/T-cell receptor (TCR)-independent, manner. Our results demonstrate discordant expression of granzymes A and B in human lymphocyte subsets and T regulatory cells, which suggests that different granzymes may play unique roles in immune system responses and regulation.
Prevalence of anemia in persons 65 years and older in the United States: evidence for a high rate of unexplained anemia
Authors: Guralnik Jack M. , Eisenstaedt Richard S. , Ferrucci Luigi , Klein Harvey G. , Woodman Richard C.
Published: July 2004

Clinicians frequently identify anemia in their older patients, but national data on the prevalence and causes of anemia in this population in the United States have been unavailable. Data presented here are from the noninstitutionalized US population assessed in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). Anemia was defined by World Health Organization criteria; causes of anemia included iron, folate, and B12 deficiencies, renal insufficiency, anemia of chronic inflammation (ACI), formerly termed anemia of chronic disease, and unexplained anemia (UA). ACI by definition required normal iron stores with low circulating iron (less than 60 μg/dL). After age 50 years, anemia prevalence rates rose rapidly, to a rate greater than 20% at age 85 and older. Overall, 11.0% of men and 10.2% of women 65 years and older were anemic. Of older persons with anemia, evidence of nutrient deficiency was present in one third, ACI or chronic renal disease or both was present in one third, and UA was present in one third. Most occurrences of anemia were mild; 2.8% of women and 1.6% of men had hemoglobin levels lower than 110 g/L (11 g/dL). Therefore, anemia is common, albeit not severe, in the older population, and a substantial proportion of anemia is of indeterminate cause. The impact of anemia on quality of life, recovery from illness, and functional abilities must be further investigated in older persons.
Hospitalized cancer patients with severe sepsis: analysis of incidence, mortality, and associated costs of care
Authors: Williams Mark D , Braun Lee Ann , Cooper Liesl M , Johnston Joseph , Weiss Richard V , Qualy Rebecca L , Linde-Zwirble Walter
Published: July 2004

Introduction

Infection is an important complication in cancer patients, which frequently leads to or prolongs hospitalization, and can also lead to acute organ dysfunction (severe sepsis) and eventually death. While cancer patients are known to be at higher risk for infection and subsequent complications, there is no national estimate of the magnitude of this problem. Our objective was to identify cancer patients with severe sepsis and to project these numbers to national levels.

Methods

Data for all 1999 hospitalizations from six states (Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington) were merged with US Census data, Centers for Disease Control vital statistics and National Cancer Institute, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results initiative cancer prevalence data. Malignant neoplasms were identified by International Classification of Disease (ninth revision, clinical modification) (ICD-9-CM) codes (140–208), and infection and acute organ failure were identified from ICD-9-CM codes following Angus and colleagues. Cases were identified as a function of age and were projected to national levels.

Results

There were 606,176 cancer hospitalizations identified, with severe sepsis present in 29,795 (4.9%). Projecting national estimates for the US population, cancer patients account for 126,209 severe sepsis cases annually, or 16.4 cases per 1000 people with cancer per year. The inhospital mortality for cancer patients with severe sepsis was 37.8%. Compared with the overall population, cancer patients are much more likely to be hospitalized (relative risk, 2.77; 95% confidence interval, 2.77–2.78) and to be hospitalized with severe sepsis (relative risk, 3.96; 95% confidence interval, 3.94–3.99). Overall, severe sepsis is associated with 8.5% (46,729) of all cancer deaths at a cost of $3.4 billion per year.

Conclusion

Severe sepsis is a common, deadly, and costly complication in cancer patients.
Comparison of two percutaneous tracheostomy techniques, guide wire dilating forceps and Ciaglia Blue Rhino: a sequential cohort study
Authors: Fikkers Bernard G , Staatsen Marieke , Lardenoije Sabine GGF , van den Hoogen Frank JA , van der Hoeven Johannes G
Published: July 2004

Introduction

To evaluate and compare the peri-operative and postoperative complications of the two most frequently used percutaneous tracheostomy techniques, namely guide wire dilating forceps (GWDF) and Ciaglia Blue Rhino (CBR).

Methods

A sequential cohort study with comparison of short-term and long-term peri-operative and postoperative complications was performed in the intensive care unit of the University Medical Centre in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. In the period 1997–2000, 171 patients underwent a tracheostomy with the GWDF technique and, in the period 2000–2003, a further 171 patients with the CBR technique. All complications were prospectively registered on a standard form.

Results

There was no significant difference in major complications, either peri-operative or postoperative. We found a significant difference in minor peri-operative complications (P < 0.01) and minor late complications (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Despite a difference in minor complications between GWDF and CBR, both techniques seem equally reliable.
Integration of Systemic and Visceral Sensory Information by Medullary Catecholaminergic Systems during Peripheral Inflammation
Authors: HOLLIS JACOB H. , LIGHTMAN STAFFORD L. , LOWRY CHRISTOPHER A.
Published: July 2004

Abstract: The nucleus of the solitary tract (nTS) is topographically organized with respect to the distribution of afferent sensory innervation and efferent projection patterns. Evidence suggests that the cells within the nTS, including medullary catecholaminergic (CA) neurons, are functionally diverse and that during peripheral inflammation they are recruited in a topographically organized manner that reflects their associations with afferent sensory systems. It is therefore feasible that topographically organized subdivisions of the nTS and the medullary CA neurons contained within them are differentially involved in signaling systemic (e.g., derived from blood‐borne signals) versus visceral sensory information (e.g., derived from afferent sensory signals within the vagus nerve) during peripheral inflammation. The purpose of this review is to summarize (1) the topographic organization of afferent sensory input from vagal and systemic signaling pathways to the nTS in relation to medullary CA neurons and (2) the functional evidence to support the differential involvement of topographically organized subpopulations of CA and non‐CA neurons in relaying signals of visceral versus systemic sensory information.
Contrasts in Infant Classical Eyeblink Conditioning as a Function of Premature Birth
Authors: Herbert Jane S. , Eckerman Carol O. , Goldstein Ricki F. , Stanton Mark E.
Published: July 2004

The impact of premature birth on associative learning was evaluated using simple delay eyeblink conditioning in which a tone conditional stimulus was paired with an air puff unconditional stimulus. Fourteen preterm (28–31 weeks gestation) and 11 full‐term infants completed at least 3 conditioning sessions, 1 week apart, at 5 months of age (corrected age). Preterm and full‐term groups demonstrated associative learning, as confirmed by comparison with an unpaired control group. Preterm infants, however, exhibited more variability in their learning rates. The majority of full‐term infants and half the preterm infants exhibited rapid acquisition and gradual extinction of conditional responding. A greater proportion of preterm than full‐term infants failed to acquire conditional responding within 2 training sessions. Differences in associative learning rates were not the result of differences in arousal or attentional processes. Diversity in acquisition rates exposed an increased risk for disrupted infant learning due to premature birth.
Selegiline, an MAO-B inhibitor, attenuates airway smooth muscle contraction in the rat trachea
Authors: Yoshimura Maki , Shibata Osamu , Saito Masataka , Yamaguchi Masakazu , Nishioka Kenji , Makita Tetsuji , Sumikawa Koji
Published: July 2004

Selegiline is widely used for Parkinson's disease and sometimes for Alzheimer's disease. It is reported to affect intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Since intracellular Ca2+ is partly regulated by phosphatidylinositol (PI) response and is important for smooth muscle contraction, selegiline may affect airway smooth muscle tension. We examined the effects of selegiline on acetylcholine (ACh)- and KCl-induced contractile and PI responses in rat trachea. The trachea was cut into 3-mm-wide ring segments or 1-mm-wide slices. ACh (3 μM, 50% effective dose) or KCl (40mM) was added, and ring relaxation was induced by the addition of selegiline. Tracheal slices were incubated with [3H]myo-inositol and 3 μM ACh in the presence of selegiline, and [3H]inositol monophosphate (IP1) was measured. Selegiline dose-dependently attenuated ACh- and KCl-induced tracheal ring contractions. Fifty-percent inhibitory doses (ID50) of selegiline against ACh- and KCl-induced contraction were 120±30 μM and 80±20 μM, respectively. Basal and ACh-induced IP1 accumulation were 2.20±0.20 Bq and 7.88±0.23 Bq, respectively, and selegiline at a dose of 1000 μM attenuated ACh-induced IP1 accumulation (5.44±0.30 Bq). These results suggest that selegiline inhibits contractile responses through the inhibition of voltage-operated Ca2+ channels and the PI response.