bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generic Strategies and Business Performance: an Empirical Study of the Screw Machine Products Industry
Authors: Wright Peter , Kroll Mark , Tu Howard , Helms Marilyn
Published: March 2005

Select businesses in industry may attempt to compete through distinct strategies. But some may be successful in adopting distinct strategic profiles while others may not prove successful. In this study it was expected that six different groups of businesses might be present in the empirical exploration – those competing successfully with the low cost strategy and those competing unsuccessfully with this strategy; those competing successfully with the differentiation strategy and those competing unsuccessfully with this strategy; and those competing successfully with low cost and differentiation strategies and those competing unsuccessfully with these strategies. The results of the investigation portray the presence of three strategic profiles. They are unsuccessful low cost businesses with the lowest performance, unsuccessful differentiated businesses with the second lowest performance, and successful businesses with combination strategies with the highest performance.
Organizational Behaviour and National Cultures
Authors: Smith Peter B.
Published: March 2005

A survey is presented of the degree to which organizational behaviour is found to vary between national cultures. The conceptual framework provided by Hofstede (1980) is used to interpret many of the differences reported. Aspects of organizational behaviour which are examined include classifications of managerial values by national culture, organizational structure, leadership behaviour, negotiation processes and human resource management policies. Some of the implications of the differences found for multicultural management, for career development and for training programmes are then explored. It is concluded that there is an increasing need to prepare managers for multicultural experience and to ensure that evaluations of selection, training and career planning are more firmly grounded than is apparent from the present literature.
A Review of the Contemporary Transfer Pricing Literature with Recommendations for Future Research
Authors: McAulay L. , Tomkins C. R.
Published: March 2005

A transfer price is a value placed on the goods or services which are traded between divisions of an organization. This paper attempts to make the subject of transfer pricing accessible to researchers and others interested in managerial problems so that a very real managerial problem can be studied in a broader managerial context. The not insubstantial literature that has grown up in the transfer pricing area is reviewed and, in particular, a critical evaluation of recent writings in the field is provided. It is shown that little which is unequivocal is known about transfer pricing and that the choices made by managers with regard to transfer pricing are little understood, both with regard to the factors which drive choice and the differences between choice in practice and theoretical interpretations. It is suggested that progress in the area will require a richer understanding of the realities confronting practising managers. Research by means of field studies, particularly case studies, is recommended to provide this. A series of hypotheses and issues, representing the dilemmas facing managers, is provided as a theoretical grounding for such research.
Patterns of Strategic Change in the Development of Human Resource Management
Authors: Hendry Chris , Pettigrew Andrew
Published: March 2005

In addition to being characterized by the consistency of employment decisions one with another and their alignment with business strategy, human resource management (HRM) has also been deeply involved in the reshaping of organization structures in the 1980s, under conditions of increased external and internal complexity, and in managing other aspects of strategic change. These have contributed to the distinctive character of HRM and the shift away from a style of personnel management focused on administration and industrial relations. This evolution is explored through the concept of life‐cycle change in a sample of ten firms that underwent major transformation during the 1980s.
Outcome‐related Performance Indicators and Organizational Control in the Public Sector1
Authors: Smith Peter
Published: March 2005

There is increased interest in the widespread dissemination of outcome performance data to secure enhanced strategic control of public sector organizations. This paper adumbrates the rationale for such schemes, and outlines the potential distortions induced by excessive reliance on outcome‐related performance indicators, inferred from experience in the management control and Soviet literature. The paper gives an outline of the performance review process in the United Kingdom National Health Service, and presents the results of a case study of the impact of the publication of outcome performance data in the maternity services. The research detected many of the expected distortions arising from reliance on performance indicator schemes, and concludes that they may have significant dysfunctional consequences. The paper does not however advocate the abandonment of performance audit in the public sector. Instead, it warns that great attention should be given to the managerial incentives implicit in any strategic control scheme, and that the style with which the scheme is applied will have important bearings on its effectiveness.
Decision Making, Risk and Gender: Are Managers Different?
Authors: Johnson J.E.V. , Powell P.L.
Published: March 2005

This paper explores differences in the nature of decisions taken by males and females. Women are playing an increasingly important role in business management and managers are ultimately tested and evaluated in terms of their success in making decisions. Consequently any difference in the character and quality of decisions taken by male and female managers will have important implications for organizations. This paper reviews the literature, and reports two pieces of empirical work which investigate the connections between gender and decision making. The decision‐making characteristics of males and females in a ‘non‐managerial’ population in which the majority of individuals have not undergone formal management education are contrasted with a ‘managerial’ population of potential and actual managers who have undertaken such education. It is argued that women are often excluded from managerial positions of authority and leadership due to stereotypes, which have been constructed by observing ‘non‐managerial’ populations at large. The paper concludes, however, that these stereotypes may not apply to managers as in the ‘managerial’ sub‐population males and females display similar risk propensity and make decisions of equal quality.
What is Management? An Outline of a Metatheory
Authors: Tsoukas Haridimos
Published: March 2005

Drawing on a realist ontology and epistemology, a metatheory of management is outlined in this paper as a way of (a) redescribing the nature of management, and (b) delineating the scope of application of various perspectives on management. Four perspectives are briefly reviewed, and the claim is put forward that each one of them deals with issues arising at a different ontological layer of management. Management is shown to consist of four layers with each one exhibiting its own characteristics and dynamics. Deeper theoretical descriptions penetrate deeper into the nature of management and capture new layers. The metatheoretical outline proposed here moves beyond the ‘either/or’ polarization that management literature has exhibited so far, namely conceiving management either as a collective institutional necessity or as a set of individual practices. Indeed, it is argued that management is both of these things plus a few more, and that an appreciation of its nature is possible within a realist ontology and epistemology.
Managing, Crafting and Researching: Words, Skill and Imagination in Shaping Management Research
Authors: Watson Tony J.
Published: March 2005

A playful approach to words like management and managing is a valuable way of loosening the imagination of the management research craft worker. The researcher should work within a concept of craft which involves producing useful and aesthetically pleasing work which is identifiable as coming from the hand of the individual craft worker. The research should be crafted in a reflexive style which reveals the researcher's own hand in ‘shaping’ the reality which it presents. A‘what, why and how?’ model of research design can be used to prompt researchers, in shaping their project, continually to ask questions of what the key issues are that are being tackled, why the work can be justified as a contribution knowledge and how it will be carried out in terms, first, of the concepts to be used and, second, of the investigative methods to be deployed. The model is illustrated with the case of a participant observation piece of management research which was carried out in a company using observation and informal dialogues as well as formal interviews. The project examines how management can be seen as a craft in which managers simultaneously shape their work organizations and their own lives and identities.
Competitive Advantage, Quality Strategy and the Role of Marketing
Authors: Morgan Neil A. , Piercy Nigel F.
Published: March 2005

The improvement of product and service quality has been widely discussed in the literature as an appropriate competitive strategy for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. However, neither the linkage between competitive strategy and quality, nor the role of marketing in the implementation of quality‐based competitive strategy, has received detailed attention in the marketing and strategy literatures. This paper explores the interface between marketing and quality management in seller organizations, by developing a contingency model of quality strategy. This model is grounded in the literatures of marketing, strategy and quality management, and the perceptions of managers uncovered in exploratory interviews.
Marketing Strategies and Market Prospects for Environmentally‐Friendly Consumer Products1
Authors: Wong Veronica , Turner William , Stoneman Paul
Published: March 2005

Recent evidence suggests that the extent of consumer adoption of ‘green’ products is much less than would be indicated by the enthusiastic opinion poll evidence concerning public attitudes towards environmentally‐friendly consumption. This paper reports on an empirical analysis of firms' marketing strategies and their influence on consumer demand for green products. In twenty 2–3 hour interviews with senior managers, four representative groups of markets were analysed household detergents, paper (recycled), petrol (unleaded) and automobile technology (focusing on catalytic converters). According to managers, firms' marketing strategies influenced consumer demand by making green technologies available in the fwst instance. However, barriers to supplying green products that show panty with, or better performance than, conventional technologies constrain pricing and communication efforts Managers stressed that, in the absence of clarity of green products' environmental benefits, product performance and other attributes, not green benefits, remain the main determinants of product preference and choice. Promotions focused much more on consumers than distribution channels, yet channel acceptance and support of green innovations are paramount in facilitating sales. Firms see the costs of generating and promoting desirable green technologies as barriers to diffusion in the immediate future. Legislation and/or economic incentives may help, but manufacturers are not optimistic that future green consumption rates will accelerate. The results also highlight several propositions concerning the discrepancy between consumer environmental concerns and purchasing actions which warrant further testing: there is mis‐specification of green products in relation to consumers'needs; there are barriers to perceptions of green products' environmental impact and consumers' free ride due to individual self‐interest.
Out of the Toolbox: Toddlers Differentiate Wobbly and Wooden Handrails
Authors: Berger Sarah E. , Adolph Karen E. , Lobo Sharon A.
Published: March 2005

This study examined whether 16‐month‐old walking infants take the material composition of a handrail into account when assessing its effectiveness as a tool to augment balance. Infants were encouraged to cross from one platform to another via bridges of various widths (10, 20, 40 cm) with either a “wobbly” (foam or latex) or a wooden handrail available for assistance. Infants attempted to walk over wider bridges more often than narrow ones, and attempts were more frequent when the sturdy wooden handrail was available. Infants tailored their exploratory behaviors, bridge‐crossing strategies, and handrail‐use strategies to the material properties of the rail.
The Peer Group as a Context: Moderating Effects on Relations Between Maternal Parenting and Social and School Adjustment in Chinese Children
Authors: Chen Xinyin , Chang Lei , He Yunfeng , Liu Hongyun
Published: March 2005

This 2‐year longitudinal study examined, in a sample of Chinese children (initial M age=11 years), the moderating effects of the peer group on relations between maternal supportive parenting and social and school adjustment. Data were collected from multiple sources including peer assessments, teacher ratings, school records, and maternal reports. It was found that whereas group prosocial‐cooperative functioning strengthened the role of supportive parenting in helping children develop social and school competence, group antisocial‐destructive functioning undermined the contributions of supportive parenting to children's social and academic achievement. The results indicated the significance of the peer group as a social context for socialization and development in Chinese children.
Social Norms and Self‐Presentation: Children's Implicit and Explicit Intergroup Attitudes
Authors: Rutland Adam , Cameron Lindsey , Milne Alan , McGeorge Peter
Published: March 2005

Two studies examined whether social norms and children's concern for self‐presentation affect their intergroup attitudes. Study 1 examined racial intergroup attitudes and normative beliefs among children aged 6 to 16 years (n=155). Accountability (i.e., public self‐focus) was experimentally manipulated, and intergroup attitudes were assessed using explicit and implicit measures. Study 2 (n=134) replicated Study 1, focusing on national intergroup attitudes. Both studies showed that children below 10 years old were externally motivated to inhibit their in‐group bias under high public self‐focus. Older children were internally motivated to suppress their bias as they showed implicit but not explicit bias. Study 1, in contrast to Study 2, showed that children with low norm internalization suppressed their out‐group prejudice under high public self‐focus.
Modernization Programs in Perspective: Institutional Analysis of Organizational Change
Authors: OLSEN JOHAN P.
Published: March 2005

Contemporary reform programs give students of comparative public administration a new chance to update their theoretical ideas about organization and organizing. Do forms of government and political institution matter? If so, what are the effects of different organizational forms? Why do we have the institutional forms we have? How can we explain their origins, persistence and development?

This article explores the possible value of organization theory for the study of comprehensive administration reform. An attempt is made to specify how modernization efforts may be affected by properties of existing institutions. It is argued that contemporary modernization programs are based on an instrumental view of organizational decision‐making and change. An institutional perspective is then outlined.
Identifying Welfare State Regimes: The Links Between Politics, Instruments and Outcomes
Authors: CASTLES FRANCIS G. , MITCHELL DEBORAH
Published: March 2005

With new sources of cross‐national data appearing on income distribution and the characteristics of redistributional policy instruments, it is now possible to take the comparative analysis of welfare states well beyond the conventional focus on government expenditures. This study of 18 OECD nations examines the linkages between various aspects of the income redistribution process, elaborates a typology of welfare state regimes and locates the political origins of each of these regimes.
Data Protection in Britain: Governance and Learning
Authors: RAAB CHARLES D.
Published: March 2005

This article focuses upon the implementation of data protection as a learning process involving both regulators and those whose information practices are regulated. From this conceptual perspective, and using the British data protection system as an example, it describes the interactions in this process of governance within the context of factors that influence implementation and affect the achievement of policy objectives. It refers to related analytical strategies for understanding governance and learning in this rapidly changing and technologically conditioned field of regulation.
The Incorporated Company as an Instrument of Government: A Quest for a Comparative Understanding
Authors: THYNNE IAN
Published: March 2005

Privatization initiatives and the doctrines of “New Public Management” have led to incorporated companies assuming considerable significance within government in many countries. The implications of this development for the structure and operation of the modern state are potentially far‐reaching, but are yet to be appropriately comprehended. In response, the article seeks to establish a framework for understanding the basic characteristics and use of companies from a comparative perspective. Attention is focused on their “publicness” and accountability as affected by their ownership, management, financing, and control, which can all involve a varying mix of the “public” and “private” sectors both domestically and internationally. An underlying belief is that a lot more research and analysis are required in this important area of organizational activity.
The Concept of Subsidiarity and the Debate on European Cooperation: Pitfalls and Possibilities1
Authors: BLICHNER LARS C. , SANGOLT LINDA
Published: March 2005

This article explores whether and how subsidiarity can serve as an instructive aid to discussion and clarification of the current and future structure and functioning of the European Community. W e argue that the debate over the principle of subsidiarity may be undermined or cut off prematurely in at least three ways. First, if the debate is conducted with a view to arriving at a fairly fixed, detailed and instrumental understanding of the allocation of responsibilities and tasks between different levels of government. Second, if the principle of subsidiarity is mainly used as an instrument of political expediency and opportunism to further organizational or self interests. Third, if the principle is linked to and interpreted as an endorsement and justification of existing (entrenched) political and social doctrines. In a concluding last section we consider how the principle of subsidiarity may contribute to constructive discussion.
Beyond Environmental Regulatory Fragmentation: Signs of Integration in the Case of the Great Lakes Basin
Authors: RABE BARRY G. , ZIMMERMAN JANET B.
Published: March 2005

Environmental regulatory fragmentation along the medium boundaries of air, land, and water in Canada and the United States serves to skiff pollutants from medium to medium rather than contain or eliminate them. This pattern is particularly evident in the Great Lakes Basin where many of the most pressing environmental problems stem from pollutant transfer across medium or jurisdictional lines. The impediments to more integrated environmental regulation remain considerable in the Basin, and include the enduring single‐medium orientation of federal programs and limitations of state, provincial, or regional innovation. Nonetheless, there is growing indication that regulatory integration need not be dismissed as a theoretical nicety but political impossibility. A series of recent developments indicate a shift toward greater integration in the Basin, prompted in large part by environmental policy professionals who increasingly recognize the limitations of current approaches and are willing to devise alternatives. These developments are occurring at the regional as well as state and provincial levels, and they give far greater definition than ever before to the idea of integrated environmental regulation.
Decentralization in France
Authors: DE MONTRICHER NICOLE
Published: March 2005

In France decentralization of the government was part of the socialist platform for the 1981 presidential election. The issue was immediately put on the agenda by the minister in charge of “interior and decentralization.” The law was published on March 2nd 1982. Ten years later, decentralization is considered a decisive reform toward the modernization of the state. Local governments are engaged in the process of learning the politics of autonomy. But the law maintained the prefet. Therefore the institutional pattern establishes two authorities in charge of the same territory at the level of “département” and “région.” It could be said that the goal of the 1982 reform was to authorize the expression of a local demand while the equality and qualify of public services would be preserved, thanks to deconcentration of the national apparatus. This scheme implies dramatic changes both in the local political system and in the national bureaucracy. The latest is reluctant to assess the evolution.

In 1994 public administration in France is in transition. Its centralized structure and rationale has offen led to strategies directed toward the conservation of the old habits and privileges. The role of the prefect is still unsettled. Perhaps more important, serious institutional limits have been imposed on the process of change.
Fragmented Welfare States: Federal Institutions and the Development of Social Policy
Authors: PIERSON PAUL
Published: March 2005

Despite political scientists' growing appreciation of the ways in which institutions influence political processes, the “new institutionalism” has so far had a limited impact on the comparative study of welfare state development. This article discusses some broad issues concerning institutions and public policy by exploring the implications of one set of institutions — those associated with federalism — for the politics of social policy. Federal institutions encourage three distinctive dynamics: they influence the policy preferences, strategies, and influence of social actors; they create important new institutional actors (the constituent units of the federation); and they generate predictable policymaking dilemmas associated with shared decision‐making. Comparisons between social policy development in Canada and the United States are used to demonstrate that while federalism clearly matters, how it matters will depend on the characteristics of a particular federal system and the ways in which federal institutions interact with other important variables.
Formal Theory and the Institutions of Governance
Authors: HAMMOND THOMAS H.
Published: March 2005

Understanding governance in the world's democracies requires study of the political institutions — the chief executives, the bureaucracies, and the legislatures — most involved in national policymaking. There are many approaches to the study of these institutions. This article examines the potential of an approach which is relatively unfamiliar to most students of governance: the development of formal mathematical theories of political institutions. The costs and benefits of this approach are discussed, various types of formal theories are surveyed, and a variety of possible applications to some central problems of governance are described.
Crossing the Organizational Void: The Limits of Agency Theory in the Analysis of Regulatory Control
Authors: EISNER MARC ALLEN , WORSHAM JEFF , RINGQUIST EVAN
Published: March 2005

This article critically examines the key assumptions of the positive theory of political control. The authors argue that the key assumptions of the theory are flawed and that these flaws seriously limit the importance of much research in the field of regulatory studies. The authors develop a set of new assumptions which would reorient the regulatory studies and force researchers to give greater attention to the role of the bureaucracy in political‐bureaucratic relations.
Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset: Factors that impact upon the data quality
Authors: Marson Rebecca , Taylor David McD , Ashby Karen , Cassell Erin
Published: March 2005

Objective:  The Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD) records details of approximately 80% of Victoria's ED presentations. Its usefulness for quality assurance and research relies on the data being both complete and accurate. We aimed to determine the factors that impact adversely on the collection of high‐quality VEMD data.

Methods:  The study was a voluntary, anonymous, cross‐sectional survey of a range of ED staff (medical, nursing, clerical) who collect and enter data into the VEMD. Nine of the 28 hospitals that contribute to the VEMD were surveyed. The questionnaire was purpose‐designed and self‐administered.

Results:  A total of 218 staff participated (response rate 95%). Six different software types were used, with 40% of respondents using the Pickware (MCAT) system. There was no consistency of ED personnel for the completion of specific data fields. One hundred and twenty‐six (56%) respondents had heard of the VEMD, 67 (29%) had had its structure and purpose explained and 65 (30%) had been trained to enter data. Ninety‐seven (45%) respondents knew what the VEMD data was used for, 38 (17%) knew they could request VEMD data for their own use and 17 (7.8%) had done so. Time constraints, software problems and lack of formal orientation and training in data entry were reported as the most important factors impacting adversely upon quality data entry.

Conclusion:  Staff knowledge of the VEMD system and its uses are poor. Numerous factors impact on the quality of data entered and interventions aimed at improving staff education, training and feedback and software are indicated.
Trauma bypass in south‐eastern Sydney: An 8‐year review
Authors: Macken Lewis , Manovel Alvaro
Published: March 2005

Objective:  The New South Wales (NSW) Health Department and the Ambulance Service of NSW introduced a trauma bypass system in Sydney on 29 March 1992. This study aims to review the outcomes of trauma bypass patients brought to St George Hospital, a major trauma service in south‐eastern Sydney, and to assess the performance of the current prehospital trauma triage protocol.

Methods:  The St George Hospital Department of Trauma Services prospectively collected data on all trauma bypass patients for the 8‐year period from 29 March 1992 to 29 March 2000.

Results:  A total of 1990 patients were brought to hospital on trauma bypass. The average age was 32 years, 70% were men and 66% were from road traffic accidents. The positive predictive value of the prehospital triage tool for serious injury (Injury Severity Score [ISS] > 15) was 18.6% (95% CI 16.9–20.4). This is well below the benchmark previously established by the NSW Health Department Trauma System Advisory Committee. For all trauma bypass patients, 33.8% (95% CI 31.7–35.9) were discharged home from the ED. The overall death rate was 2.5% (95% CI 1.9–3.3).

Conclusions:  According to the proposed benchmark, current prehospital trauma triage guidelines are underperforming. This suggests that a review of the benchmarks of current local trauma systems and of the trauma triage tool is required.
Modeling of Seafloor Soft Marine Sediments and Spectral Characteristics of Earthquakes Recorded on the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Huerta-Lopez Carlos I. , Stokoe Kenneth H. , Pulliam Jay , Valle-Molina Celestino , Roe¨sset Jose´ M.
Published: March 2005

In situ evaluation of the response of seafloor sediments to passive dynamic loads, as well as spectral analyses of earthquakes are presented in this investigation. The overall goal of this work was to develop a cost-effective method of characterizing offshore geotechnical sites in deep water. The generic approach was to place an ocean bottom seismograph on the seafloor and record ambient noise and distant earthquakes over periods of a month or more. Horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral ratios are used to characterize the local sediment response in terms of the distribution of ground motions with their respective resonant frequencies. Both ambient noise and distant earthquakes are used as generators of passive dynamic loads. One-dimensional (1D) wave propagation modeling using the stiffness matrix method is used to estimate sediment properties (mainly shear stiffness, density, and material damping) and theoretical amplification factors of the shallow sediment layers. The objectives in this study were fourfold: First, to characterize the spectral characteristics of earthquake signals recorded in the seafloor at an experimental site in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM); second, to characterize the local site effect produced by shallow marine sediments at the GOM experimental site; third, to characterize the site in terms of its physical properties (layering and sediment properties); and fourth, to estimate the transfer functions of the top 50 m (164 ft) of soil and of each layer in the discrete soil model. The resulting sediment properties fall well within the expected range, indicating the potential of the proposed exploration approach for characterizing deep-water sites.
Coupled Nonlinear Barge Motions, Part I: Deterministic Models Development, Identification and Calibration
Authors: Yim Solomon C. S. , Nakhata Tongchate , Bartel Warren A. , Huang Erick T.
Published: March 2005

This paper focuses on the development of optimal deterministic, nonlinearly coupled barge motion models, identification of their system parameters, and calibration of their prediction capability using experimental results. The ultimate objective is to develop accurate yet sufficiently low degree-of-freedom stochastic models suitable for efficient probabilistic stability and reliability analyses of US Naval barges for preliminary design and operation guideline development (see Part II). First a three-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) fully coupled roll-heave-sway model, which features realistic and practical high-degree polynomial approximations of rigid body motion relations, hydrostatic and hydrodynamic force-moment specifically suitable for barges, is examined. The hydrostatic force-moment relationship includes effects of the barge’s sharp edge and combined roll-heave states, and the hydrodynamic terms are in a “Morison” type quadratic form. System parameters of the 3DOF model are identified using physical model test results from several regular wave cases. The predictive capability of the model is then calibrated using results from a random wave test case. Recognizing the negligible sway influence on coupled roll and heave motions and overall barge stability, and in an attempt to reduce anticipated stochastic computational efforts in stability analysis, a two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) roll-heave model is derived by uncoupling sway from the roll-heave governing equations of motion. Time domain simulations are conducted using the 3DOF roll-heave-sway and the 2DOF roll-heave models for regular and random wave cases to validate the model assumptions and to assess their (numerical) prediction capabilities.
Gray Matters
Authors: Beckman Mary
Published: March 2005

Like antique soda dispensers that stand empty because factories that make glass bottles have crumbled, old hairs lose color because cells that manufacture the locks' pigment source vanish, new research shows. The results indicate that stem cells for pigment-makers die off, which causes hair to go gray.
Early Warning
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: March 2005

Garbage outside a restaurant can attract rats, but a sloppy kitchen inside might be riskier for diners. Similarly, new work shows that mice suffer memory loss when an Alzheimer's disease protein accumulates in their neurons, before they develop plaques outside brain cells. The finding bolsters the idea that intracellular protein buildup, rather than extracellular clumping, instigates the disease.
How Low Can You Go?
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: March 2005

Efforts to lower cholesterol can backfire, but new work suggests a route for attaining that goal. Cholesterol-abating drugs spur production of an enzyme that helps manufacture the fatty compound, undermining their effectiveness. The results suggest that a cholesterol-like molecule helps eliminate the enzyme. Tapping into this mechanism might aid efforts to improve the drugs.
The Genetic Basis of Aging: An Evolutionary Biologist's Perspective
Authors: Reznick David N.
Published: March 2005

This Perspective discusses recent progress in the study of the genetic basis of aging from the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist. Work in this area has revealed that homologous genes and pathways play a role in determining life span in many different species. Because life span is a complex polygenic trait, however, these findings provide information about only a small portion of the genetic basis of this trait. Additionally, because the model organisms used to study aging have been exposed to similar laboratory conditions that can lead to unintentional artificial selection, some of the similarities among these organisms might have resulted from such selection. It is not yet clear whether the results found in model organisms will extend to organisms in a natural environment. A few species are known for which there are natural populations that differ in life span and patterns of senescence, and they should be useful for assessing whether the genetic mechanisms identified in the laboratory also operate in the wild.
β Blocker
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: March 2005

The pancreas manages the body's rapid response to sugar. Now, researchers have identified a protein that apparently helps the organ fire up when sugar loads rise. Some diabetics have faults in the molecule, and the snags hinder the protein's ability to activate the insulin gene. But experts caution that further work is required to definitively link the molecule to diabetes.
Stiff Competition
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: March 2005

A downhill racer needs a good wax to keep her skis gliding, and her knees also need lubrication. A new study of mice shows how one protein keeps joints such as the knee flexible. Without it, certain cells grow beyond their usual boundaries, causing cartilage to deteriorate and joints to stiffen. Mutations in the gene for this protein underlie a rare human disease, and more subtle changes might contribute to arthritis.
The Two Faces of Leptin
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: March 2005

The hormone leptin not only trims fat but also thins the skeleton. However, a new study reveals that the hormone can sometimes bolster bones. The findings might help researchers create drugs to stall bone weakening after menopause.
A New Biogerontology Lab in Newcastle
Authors: Gray Douglas A.
Published: March 2005

The Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Biogerontology Research has opened at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The official opening followed the 4th European Congress of Biogerontology and was witnessed by many of its participants as well as a few special guests.
Strongyloides stercolarisinfection mimicking a malignant tumour in a non-immunocompromised patient. Diagnosis by bronchoalveolar cytology
Authors: Mayayo E , Gomez-Aracil V , Azua-Blanco J , Azua-Romeo J , Capilla J , Mayayo R
Published: March 2005

Autoinfective strongyloidiasis is often fatal in immunosuppressed patients or in immunocomprised hosts. An interesting case ofStrongyloides stercolarishyperinfection was seen in an immunocompetent patient. This report describes a case of fatal strogyloidiasis in a 79 year old man, who had suffered gastrointestinal discomfort for years, and who presented because of respiratory illness. A chest radiograph showed an irregular mass close to the mediastinum and interstitial infiltrates, but blood eosinophilia was not observed. Cytological examination of the samples obtained from bronchial aspiration and brushing identified several filariform larvae. Thus, cytology was essential for the correct diagnosis in this patient and is a very reliable method to diagnose lung parasitosis.
Rhodococcus equibrain abscess in a patient without HIV
Authors: Kamboj M , Kalra A , Kak V
Published: March 2005

Rhodococcus equi, a Gram positive organism, is a cause of infections in immunocompromised individuals. In humans, it mainly causes disease in those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and generally presents as chronic pulmonary infection. It may also cause intracranial infections, which manifest as brain abscesses. This report describes a case of rhodococcus brain and pulmonary infection in a patient who did not have HIV or another disorder of cell mediated immunity. He was treated with intravenous imipenem, vancomycin, and rifampin for eight weeks and recovered from the infection.
The low oxygen-carrying capacity of Krebs buffer causes a doubling in ventricular wall thickness in the isolated heart
Authors: Southworth R , Blackburn S C , Davey K A.B , Sharland G K , Garlick P B
Published: March 2005

The buffer-perfused Langendorff heart is significantly vasodilated compared with the in vivo heart. In this study, we employed ultrasound to determine if this vasodilation translated into changes in left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT), and if this effect persisted when these hearts were switched to the "working" mode. To investigate the effects of perfusion pressure, vascular tone, and oxygen availability on cardiac dimensions, we perfused hearts (from male Wistar rats) in the Langendorff mode at 80, 60, and 40 cm H2O pressure, and infused further groups of hearts with either the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) or the blood substitute FC-43. Buffer perfusion induced a doubling in diastolic LVWT compared with the same hearts in vivo (5.4 ± 0.2 mm vs. 2.6 ± 0.2 mm, p < 0.05) that was not reversed by switching hearts to "working" mode. Perfusion pressures of 60 and 40 cm H2O resulted in an increase in diastolic LVWT. ET-1 infusion caused a dose-dependent decrease in diastolic LVWT (6.6 ± 0.4 to 4.8 ± 0.4 mm at a concentration of 10–9 mol/L, p < 0.05), with a concurrent decrease in coronary flow. FC-43 decreased diastolic LVWT from 6.7 ± 0.5 to 3.8 ± 0.7 mm (p < 0.05), with coronary flow falling from 16.1 ± 0.4 to 8.1 ± 0.4 mL/min (p < 0.05). We conclude that the increased diastolic LVWT observed in buffer-perfused hearts is due to vasodilation induced by the low oxygen-carrying capacity of buffer compared with blood in vivo, and that the inotropic effect of ET-1 in the Langendorff heart may be the result of a reversal of this wall thickening. The implications of these findings are discussed.Key words: ultrasound, endothelin, ventricular wall thickness, vasodilation.
Examining the interaction of apo E and neurotoxicity on a murine model of ALS-PDC
Authors: Wilson J M.B , Petrik M S , Moghadasian M H , Shaw C A
Published: March 2005

Epidemiological studies have shown a positive relationship between cycad flour consumption and the development of the neurodegenerative disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – parkinsonism – dementia complex (ALS-PDC). Apolipoprotein E (apo E) allele variations have been associated with genetic susceptibility in neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS-PDC. We have studied cycad toxicity in a mouse model of ALS-PDC with a particular interest in its impact on the central nervous system (CNS) in both apo E knock-out (KO) mice and their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Behavioral motor tests, motor neuron counts, and immunohistochemical staining in brain and spinal cord, as well as routine histological examinations on internal organs, were performed to evaluate cycad toxicity. Plasma cholesterol levels were also measured before and during the study. Cycad treatment was associated with higher levels of plasma cholesterol only in apo E KO mice; increased levels of plasma cholesterol did not result in increased athero genesis. Cycad-fed wild-type mice developed progressive behavioral deficits including ALS-PDC-like pathological outcomes, while cycad-fed apo E KO mice were not significantly affected. Cycad-fed wild-type mice had shorter gait length measurements along with higher active caspase-3 levels in the striatum, substantia nigra, primary motor cortex, and spinal cord as compared with corresponding controls. These changes were associated with decreased labeling for glutamate transporter 1B and tyrosine hydroxylase activity levels. No evidence of cycad toxicity was observed in internal organs of either wild-type or apo E KO mice. Our data demonstrate that apo E KO mice are less susceptible to cycad toxicity, suggesting a role for apo E as a possible genetic susceptibility factor for some forms of toxin-induced neurodegeneration.Key words: apolipoprotein E, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), ALS-parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS-PDC), parkinsonism, dementia, neurodegeneration, glutamate transporter, sterol, sterol glucoside.
SCALING ANALYSIS AND EVOLUTION EQUATION OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION INDEX FLUCTUATIONS
Authors: COLLETTE C. , AUSLOOS M.
Published: March 2005

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) monthly index is studied from 1825 till 2002 in order to identify the scaling ranges of its fluctuations upon different delay times and to find out whether or not it can be regarded as a Markov process. A Hurst rescaled range analysis and a detrended fluctuation analysis both indicate the existence of weakly persistent long range time correlations for the whole scaling range and time span. Such correlations are similar to the Brownian fluctuations. The Fokker–Planck equation is derived and Kramers–Moyal coefficients are estimated from the data. They are interpreted in terms of a drift and a diffusion coefficient as in fluid mechanics. All partial distribution functions of the NAO monthly index fluctuations have a form close to a Gaussian, for all time lags, in agreement with the findings of the scaling analyses. This indicates the lack of predictive power of the present NAO monthly index. Yet there are some deviations for large (thus rare) events. Whence suggestions for other measurements are made if some improved predictability of the weather/climate in the North Atlantic is of interest. The subsequent Langevin equation of the NAO signal fluctuations is explicitly written in terms of the diffusion and drift parameters, and a characteristic time scale for these is given in Appendix A.
FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION OF CASIMIR FORCES IN ARBITRARY GEOMETRIES
Authors: TAJMAR M.
Published: March 2005

A 3D finite element numerical simulation was developed to investigate Casimir forces in arbitrary geometries. The code was verified comparing it with results obtained from analytical equations. Appling the simulation to previously not assessed configurations, new Casimir properties were found such as repulsive Casimir forces in groove like structures.
EVALUATION OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT INFRIENDS OF THE WEST COUNTRY ASSOCIATIONv.CANADAAND LAND USE PLANNING ALTERNATIVES
Authors: LINDSAY KATE M. , SVRCEK CLARK P. , SMITH DANIEL W.
Published: March 2005

In 1994, Sunpine Forest Products Ltd. sought permits from Alberta government to construct a permanent log hauling road and approvals from the federal government for construction of required bridges associated with the road. A concerned citizens group challenged the Federal Government's subsequent bridge approvals in court, claiming that cumulative effects assessment was not adequately conducted under Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The original Sunpine court decision agreed with the citizen group that the federal government erred in law by not including related projects and adequately considering associated cumulative effects, sending the approval back to the federal government for reconsideration. Government regulators, industrial foresters, and environmental groups across Canada awaited the appeal to the Sunpine federal court decision. The Sunpine Appeal reversed the original position with much relief from industry and government. The Sunpine case raises important issues about how federal and provincial authorities address environmental impacts, uncertainty in scoping assessments, factors to be considered, and cumulative effect assessments. This paper evaluates the cumulative effects assessment processes followed in the Sunpine case study under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act within an analysis framework of comprehensiveness, fairness, efficiency, and effectiveness. Land use planning models, like the British Columbia land resource management plans and Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, offer alternative approaches to legislated cumulative effects processes. Sustainability may be better realised with a combination of strategic environmental assessment tools, utilising environmental assessment at the project-level within the context of a regional resource planning process.
Functional Electrical Stimulation for Neuromuscular Applications
Authors: Peckham P. Hunter , Knutson Jayme S.
Published: March 2005

▪ Abstract  Paralyzed or paretic muscles can be made to contract by applying electrical currents to the intact peripheral motor nerves innervating them. When electrically elicited muscle contractions are coordinated in a manner that provides function, the technique is termed functional electrical stimulation (FES). In more than 40 years of FES research, principles for safe stimulation of neuromuscular tissue have been established, and methods for modulating the strength of electrically induced muscle contractions have been discovered. FES systems have been developed for restoring function in the upper extremity, lower extremity, bladder and bowel, and respiratory system. Some of these neuroprostheses have become commercialized products, and others are available in clinical research settings. Technological developments are expected to produce new systems that have no external components, are expandable to multiple applications, are upgradable to new advances, and are controlled by a combination of signals, including biopotential signals from nerve, muscle, and the brain.