bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teleneurology by email
Authors: Patterson Victor , Humphreys Jenny , Chua Richard
Published: December 2003

summary

We introduced an email teleneurology service for patients referred to a neurologist by general practitioners. Over 14 months, 76 referrals (of 75 patients) were received. To determine the sustainability of the service, we studied a second cohort of 76 consecutive patients referred after our first study. We also followed up the first cohort of patients to get information on longer-term safety. The second cohort was obtained in one month less than the first, and had similar characteristics in terms of age, sex and the time taken by the neurologist to reply to the general practitioner. It contained fewer patients requiring clinic appointments (34% versus 43%). Fewer patients from the second cohort were referred for second opinions (4 versus 10) and there were no resulting changes in diagnosis. Follow-up of the first cohort from a mean of 6 months to a mean of 23 months led to seven more re-referrals and no additional changes in diagnosis. We conclude that teleneurology by email is sustainable for this group of patients, and confirm that it is safe, effective and efficient.
Low-bandwidth telerehabilitation for patients who have undergone total knee replacement: Preliminary results
Authors: Russell Trevor G , Buttrum Peter , Wootton Richard , Jull Gwendolen A
Published: December 2003

summary

We have developed a low-bandwidth, Internet-based telerehabilitation system to provide outpatient rehabilitation to patients who have undergone total knee arthroplasty. The preliminary efficacy of this treatment programme in terms of both physical and functional objective outcome measures was assessed on 21 patients. Subjects receiving a six-week rehabilitation programme were randomized to the telerehabilitation system or the usual face-to-face method. The physical and functional improvements in the telerehabilitation group were similar to those in the control group. There was a non-significant trend for greater improvements in the telerehabilitation group for most outcome measurements. The telerehabilitation programme was well received by patients. The results of this study provide evidence for the efficacy of low-bandwidth telerehabilitation consultations.
Video-phone communication with cognitively impaired elderly patients
Authors: Sävenstedt Stefan , Zingmark Karin , Sandman P O
Published: December 2003

summary

We investigated the potential role of remote interactions via video-phone in the care of the elderly. Family members and nursing staff were interviewed about their experiences of communicating with elderly people via video-phone. Seven family members and seven nursing staff participated in the studies. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that it was possible for elderly people with cognitive impairment to engage in remote communication when certain conditions were met. There were also indications that the video-phone interaction sometimes increased the attention and focus of the elderly subjects.
The family costs of attending hospital outpatient appointments via videoconference and in person
Authors: Smith Anthony C , Youngberry Karen , Christie Fiona , Isles Alan , Mccrossin Robert , Williams Michael , Van Der Westhuyzen Jasper , Wootton Richard
Published: December 2003

summary

We compared the costs incurred by families attending outpatient appointments at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Brisbane with those incurred by families who had a consultation via videoconference in their regional area. In each category 200 families were interviewed. The median time spent travelling for videoconferences was 30 min compared with 80 min for face-to-face appointments. Families interviewed in the outpatient department had travelled a median distance of 70 km, while those who had a videoconference at the local hospital had travelled only 20 km. It cost these families much more to attend an appointment at the RCH than to attend a videoconference. Ninety-six per cent of families (193) reported at least one of the following types of expense: 150 families had expenses related to parking (median A$10), 156 had fuel expenses (median A$10) and 122 reported costs related to meals purchased at the RCH (median A$10). Only 21 families who had their appointment via local videoconference reported any additional costs. Specialist appointments via videoconference were a more convenient and cheaper option for families living in regional areas of Queensland than the conventional method of attending outpatient appointments at the specialist hospital in Brisbane.
Benefit for the patient of a teleradiology process certified to meet an international standard
Authors: Soegner P , Rettenbacher T , Smekal A , Buttinger K , Oefner B , Nedden D Zur
Published: December 2003

summary

To guarantee the quality of teleradiology services in Austria we have developed an easy-to-use and continuously re-evaluated teleradiology workflow model. This is based on the quality management model (ISO 9001:2000) of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) and guarantees the quality of the process. From January 2002 to January 2003 we examined 544 emergency teleradiology computerized tomography studies transmitted to the Department of Radiology 2 in Innsbruck. The patients were from the rural hospital of Reutte. In 450 cases (83%) the sending of the written legal final report took less than 1 h. The numbers of mistakes (mostly minor workflow errors) were reduced from 23 errors per month in January 2002 to 9 errors per month in January 2003. The continuous cross-checking of the workflow and the training of the employees involved guaranteed a better standard of teleradiology in our department. Since December 2002, the whole Tyrolean teleradiology process has been ISO 9001:2000 certified.
A review of the first year's experience with an automatic message-routing system for low-cost telemedicine
Authors: Swinfen P , Swinfen R , Youngberry K , Wootton R
Published: December 2003

summary

The Swinfen Charitable Trust has used email for some years as a low-cost telemedicine medium to provide consultant support for doctors in developing countries. A scalable, automatic message-routing system was constructed which automates many of the tasks involved in message handling. During the first 12 months of its use, 1510 messages were processed automatically. There were 128 referrals from 18 hospitals in nine countries. Of these 128 queries, 89 (70%) were replied to within 72 h; the median delay was 1.1 day. The 39 unanswered queries were sent to backup specialists for reply and 36 of them (92%) were replied to within 72 h. In the remaining three cases, a second-line (backup) specialist was required. The referrals were handled by 54 volunteer specialists from a panel of over 70. Two system operators, located 10 time zones apart, managed the system. The median time from receipt of a new referral to its allocation to a specialist was 0.2 days (interquartile range, IQR, 0.1–0.8). The median interval between receipt of a new referral and first reply was 2.6 days (IQR 0.8–5.9). Automatic message handling solves many of the problems of manual email telemedicine systems and represents a potentially scalable way of doing low-cost telemedicine in the developing world.
Assessment of motor speech disorders online: A pilot study
Authors: Theodoros Deborah , Russell Trevor G , Hill Anne , Cahill Louise , Clark Kathy
Published: December 2003

summary

We have conducted a preliminary validation of an Internet-based telehealth application for assessing motor speech disorders in adults with acquired neurological impairment. The videoconferencing module used NetMeeting software to provide realtime videoconferencing through a 128 kbit/s Internet link, as well as the transfer of store-and-forward video and audio data from the participant to the clinician. Ten participants with dysarthria following acquired brain injury were included in the study. An assessment of the overall severity of the speech disturbance was made for each participant face to face (FTF) and in the online environment; in addition, a 23-item version of the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment (FDA) (which measures motor speech function) and the Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech (ASSIDS) (which gives the percentage word and sentence intelligibility, words per minute and a rating of communication efficiency) were administered in both environments. There was a 90% level of agreement between the two assessment environments for the rating of overall severity of dysarthria. A 70–100% level of agreement was achieved for 17 (74%) of the 23 FDA variables. On the ASSIDS there was a significant difference between the FTF and online assessments only for percentage word intelligibility. These findings suggest that Internet-based assessment has potential as a reliable method for assessing motor speech disorders.
Interactive nursing skills training using advanced networked technology
Authors: Vincent Dale S , Berg Benjamin W , Hudson Donald A
Published: December 2003

summary

We have developed a Web-based e-learning tool for teaching nursing skills, using educational material from a hospital-based nursing skills ‘fair’. Management software was used to track skill certification and continuing education contact hours. The content could be delivered over the Internet and through firewalls using Windows Media Player version 9. The content was structured in a manner that made it adaptable to an e-learning system that used the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), a set of specifications for delivering educational materials through technology-based methods.
Organizational aspects of e-referrals
Authors: Wootton R , Harno K , Reponen J
Published: December 2003

summary

Three different, well established systems for e-referral were examined. They ranged from a system in a single country handling a large number of cases (60,000 per year) to a global system covering many countries which handled fewer cases (150 per year). Nonetheless, there appeared to be a number of common features. Whether the purpose is e-transfer or e-consultation, the underlying model of the e-referral process is: the referrer initiates an e-request; the organization managing the process receives it; the organization allocates it for reply; the responder replies to the initiator. Various things can go wrong and the organization managing the e-referral process needs to be able to track requests through the system; this requires various performance metrics. E-referral can be conducted using email, or as messages passed either directly between computer systems or via a Web-link to a server. The experience of the three systems studied shows that significant changes in work practice are needed to launch an e-referral service successfully. The use of e-referral between primary and secondary care improves access to services and can be shown to be cost-effective.
Evaluation of two mobile telemedicine systems in the emergency room
Authors: Yoo Sun K , Park In-Cheol , Kim Seung-Ho , Jo Jin-Ho , Chun Hye Jung , Jung Suck-Myung , Kim Dong-Keun
Published: December 2003

summary

Two different prototype mobile telemedicine systems were constructed for use in the emergency room. They could transmit physiological signals as well as video pictures and sound. One device, the mobile emergency bed (MEB), was powered by battery and had a wireless connection to the local-area network (LAN). For the other, the mobile emergency server (MES), a patient monitor, video-camera and microphone were connected by a radio-frequency link to a server. A functional evaluation and a clinical evaluation (by 12 emergency doctors in six emergency centres) were performed on both prototypes. The bandwidth and the video quality of the MEB were better than those of the MES, because of the digital transmission of the wireless LAN. The MES was better for directing patient treatment and teleconsultation; the MEB was better for static patients in the emergency centre. In general, the MES was more suitable for practical emergency telemedicine work.
Intergroup attitudes and attitudes towards devolution: Field and laboratory experiments
Authors: Maio Gregory R. , Willis Hazel , Hewstone Miles , Esses Victoria M.
Published: December 2003

A field experiment provided the first test of the hypothesis that intergroup attitudes within a nation predict the group members' attitudes toward the break‐up of the nation. Prior to a referendum on the devolution of power from Britain to Wales, Welsh (minority) and English (majority) participants indicated their attitudes towards each other and towards devolution. As expected, there were significant correlations between intergroup attitudes and attitudes towards devolution, and these relations were different for Welsh vs. English participants. English respondents who held more positive attitudes towards Welsh people were significantly more favourable toward devolution, whereas Welsh respondents who held more positive attitudes towards English people were significantly less favourable towards devolution. A subsequent laboratory experiment provided a conceptual replication of this result, using manipulations of majority vs. minority status and of intergroup attitudes towards potentially devolving groups in psychology. These findings demonstrate that intergroup attitudes are highly relevant to understanding attitudes regarding devolution.
Space invaders: The moral‐spatial order in neighbour dispute discourse
Authors: Stokoe Elizabeth H. , Wallwork Jodi
Published: December 2003

This paper investigates the interactional construction of neighbour relationships in the context of disputational talk. Neighbour dispute data were recorded in two contexts: community mediation and televised documentaries. The data were transcribed and subsequently analysed using an approach that combined ethnomethodological methods with discursive psychology, focusing on participants' orientations to and constructions of spatial categories and place formulations. Three broad themes emerged from our analysis. First, we found that the construction and regulation of normative neighbour relationships were formulated in a discourse of spatial practice. Second, we found that, through complaints about spatial transgressions and ‘good’ and ‘bad’ neighbours, the moral order was reproduced and maintained. Finally, we found that, although participants were oriented to a distinction between ‘private’ and ‘public’ spaces, talk about boundaries revealed the highly contingent nature of spatial division. We suggest that in order to better understand neighbour relationships, social psychologists must explore the way people construct and account for the spaces they interact within.
When group representations serve social change: The speeches of Patrice Lumumba during the Congolese decolonization
Authors: Klein Olivier , Licata Laurent
Published: December 2003

This article examines how group representations can be used strategically to induce social change. The speeches delivered by Patrice Lumumba during the decolonization of the Belgian Congo were analysed using the content analysis software ALCESTE. Lumumba used radically different descriptions of Belgians and Congolese depending on the period during which the speech was delivered and on the audience he was addressing (Congolese or Belgian). When addressing Belgians, he described their countrymen as benevolent allies who could assist the development of Congo, and the Congolese as pacific and friendly When addressing Congolese audiences, Belgians were described as oppressors, and Congolese as victims. In addition he emphasized the unity of the country more at the end of the decolonization process than at its onset. Considering that his nationalist and pan‐African aims remained stable, we suggest that this variability stems from the different actions expected from his audiences, as a function of their group membership and the political context. We argue that this performative dimension cannot be captured if group representations, including stereotypes, are only viewed in cognitive terms. In addition, we show that they should be studied not only as justifications for the existing social order but also as instruments of social change.
Strategic Orientations in Export Pricing: A Clustering Approach to Create Firm Taxonomies
Authors: Cavusgil S. Tamer , Chan Kwong , Zhang Chun
Published: December 2003

Changes in the global economy have made pricing strategy increasingly important for exporting manufacturers. However, relatively little empirical work exists on export pricing strategies to guide marketing managers. The authors use a firm's strategic orientations in export pricing to create firm typologies. They find that four clusters of firms differ across organizational, venture-related, export market, and performance variables. The findings suggest that managerial orientations in export pricing can be successfully used to group firms in how they approach pricing decisions.
Are International Trade Intermediaries Catalysts in Economic Development? A New Research Agenda
Authors: Ellis Paul
Published: December 2003

International trade intermediaries (ITIs) represent a valuable conduit for market information and marketing technology for the international neophyte firm. However, aware that their intermediary role can become redundant over time, ITIs may adopt survival strategies that are suboptimal from the manufacturer's point of view. This article identifies the catalytic and sometimes ambiguous role of ITIs in the economic development of host nations. The author identifies some propositions and proposes a research agenda.
Cultural Superstitions and the Price Endings Used in Chinese Advertising
Authors: Simmons Lee C. , Schindler Robert M.
Published: December 2003

In traditional Chinese superstition, the numerical digit 8 is associated with prosperity and good luck and the digit 4 is associated with death. An examination of the price endings used in a sample of Chinese price advertisements indicates a distinct tendency to favor the digit 8 and to avoid the digit 4. These results constitute evidence of the role of superstition in the Chinese marketplace and provide guidance for setting prices in this increasingly important market.
An Exploratory Investigation into Impulse Buying Behavior in a Transitional Economy: A Study of Urban Consumers in Vietnam
Authors: Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet , Jung Kwon , Lantz Garold , Loeb Sandra G.
Published: December 2003

As a transitional economy, Vietnam is open to many new marketing experiences. Along with slowly increasing wealth, changes are occurring in the retail environment as stores begin to replace individual vendors. The changing retail environment suggests the usefulness of understanding shopping behaviors relevant to retail settings. The authors examine impulse buying behaviors of urban consumers in Vietnam. The authors conducted an exploratory study that included both qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a general understanding of urban Vietnamese consumers’ impulse buying behaviors. Results show that individualism, age, and income are significantly related to impulse buying behaviors of Vietnamese consumers. In addition, personal-use products are the most common impulse purchase items, despite the collectivist nature of consumers in Vietnam. The authors’ findings suggest that, at least with respect to impulse buying and despite cultural differences, consumers from transitional economies such as Vietnam may share some common tendencies and behaviors with consumers in advanced economies. The authors discuss other observations and conclude with suggestions for further research.
Symbolic Value of Foreign Products in the People's Republic of China
Authors: Zhou Lianxi , Hui Michael K.
Published: December 2003

In the People's Republic of China (PRC), consumers have recently shown a tendency to shift away from foreign products in preference for local offerings. Some commentators have speculated that this new market phenomenon is a result of government intervention, consumer ethnocentrism, and improvement in the quality of local products. In this study, the authors offer an alternative reason, which pertains to the fading symbolic value of foreign products in the PRC market. To provide support for their argument, Zhou and Hui present the results of a study of Chinese consumption behaviors involving a foreign, inconspicuous product item (Canadian pork sausage). By using such a privately consumed item, the authors attempt to demonstrate that symbolic benefits (such as modernity, prestige, and associations with foreign lifestyles) constitute one of the primary motivating forces of PRC consumers’ purchases of products of nonlocal origin, including products that may not be commonly regarded as conspicuous. The results challenge the conventional wisdom that improvement in the quality of local products is the main cause of the decreasing competitiveness of foreign products in the PRC. The authors also discuss implications for global marketers with respect to market adaptation and positioning strategies in the PRC.
Product Quality Orientation and Its Performance Implications in Chinese State-Owned Enterprises
Authors: Lin Xiaohua , Germain Richard
Published: December 2003

The authors model the performance implications of product quality orientation in Chinese state-owned enterprises and test the implications on a sample of 205 state-owned enterprises. The results show that product quality orientation has a positive impact on performance. This association is moderated by environmental uncertainty: The greater the perceived technological turbulence, the stronger is the relationship of product quality orientation to performance; the greater the perceived market dynamism, the weaker is the relationship. The results also show that the level of product quality orientation is lessened by perceived technological turbulence but enhanced by production routineness. Finally, state-owned enterprise performance is influenced inversely by perceived market dynamism but influenced positively by perceived technological turbulence.
A Resource-Based Model of Market Learning in the Subsidiary: The Capabilities of Exploration and Exploitation
Authors: Özsomer Ayşegül , Gençtürk Esra
Published: December 2003

The literature reflects remarkably little effort to develop a framework for understanding market learning at subsidiaries of multinational corporations. This article develops a model that incorporates exploratory and exploitative learning as two capabilities that need to be effectively nurtured and managed in subsidiaries. The authors integrate the organizational-learning and resource-based view of the firm; present field interviews with managers; and propose that resources derived from the parent, the subsidiary, and the parent–subsidiary relationships are related to the creation of new knowledge and the use of existing knowledge in subsidiaries. The authors develop research propositions that capture the differential impacts of each learning capability on subsidiary performance. It is suggested that the turbulence of subsidiary markets moderates the strength of the relationships between market-learning capabilities and performance.
Export Information Use: A Five-Country Investigation of Key Determinants
Authors: Souchon Anne L. , Diamantopoulos Adamantios , Holzmüller Hartmut H. , Axinn Catherine N. , Sinkula James M. , Simmet Heike , Durden Geoffrey R.
Published: December 2003

Although information use is crucial for effective export decision making and ultimately export performance, most of the extant literature focuses on information acquisition rather than information use. Using data from a five-country survey of exporting firms, this study examines the impact of information-, export-, and context-specific variables on different types of export information use. The results show that the effects of these factors depend on the type of information use considered and the mode of information acquisition involved. The authors discuss implications of the findings and identify further research directions.
Timing of Entry and the Foreign Subsidiary Performance of Japanese Firms
Authors: Delios Andrew , Makino Shige
Published: December 2003

Delios and Makino adopt a contingency approach to analyze the relationship between timing of entry and a subsidiary's relative size and its survival. Using a sample of 6955 foreign entries of 703 Japanese firms, the authors develop and test hypotheses about asset-based competitive advantage moderators of timing of entry's influence on a subsidiary's relative size and survival. The results show that early entrants not only have a larger relative size but also have greater exit likelihood than do late entrants. The magnitude of these effects depends on the type of asset advantages a foreign investing firm possesses.
Internationalization and Entry Modes: A Multitheoretical Framework and Research Propositions
Authors: Malhotra Naresh K. , Agarwal James , Ulgado Francis M.
Published: December 2003

Although several aspects of the internationalization process have been addressed in the literature, there is a lack of a unified theoretical framework that explains the internationalization process, entry modes, and timing strategies. This article synthesizes several foundational theories on modes of global entry and offers a conceptual framework of the internationalization process. Throughout the article, the authors identify several propositions based on the proposed theoretical framework.
Executive Insights: United Colors of Benetton—From Sweaters to Success: An Examination of the Triumphs and Controversies of a Multinational Clothing Company
Authors: Barela Mark J.
Published: December 2003

Often regarded as a leader in the multinational marketing industry, United Colors of Benetton continues to face the challenge of effectively marketing clothes across racial, cultural, and religious borders. Changes in market trends and consumer demands have required the Italian company to redevelop its manufacturer and retail processes in order to remain competitive in the growing market. Renowned for using social issue–themed pictures to promote its brand, Benetton's campaigns have resulted in increasing legal and ethical concerns, and world courts have now been asked to define further the line between artistic expression and exploitation. The author discusses the legal action taken against Benetton by its own retailers that claim that the explicit advertisements have resulted in fewer sales. The author reviews different consumer responses to Benetton's unique campaigns with respect to changes in global politics and more frequent acts of terrorism. The author offers suggestions as to how Benetton's unique advertising strategies can better reach the modern market.
Academic Insights: An Application of Multiple-Group Causal Models in Assessing Cross-Cultural Measurement Equivalence
Authors: Myers Matthew B. , Calantone Roger J. , Page Thomas J. , Taylor Charles R.
Published: December 2003

In cross-national marketing research, the question whether measurement accuracy, reliability, and validity are achieved across samples traditionally has hampered research efforts. Measurement equivalence across samples has particularly perplexed researchers in their efforts to evaluate responses regarding latent variables. Recently, multiple-group structural equations modeling has been suggested as a reliable method for determining measurement equivalence. To date, however, the use of this approach has remained limited. In this study, the authors apply multiple-group structural equations modeling to assess measurement equivalence in three distinct constructs across U.S. and Korean samples on data derived from cross-cultural advertising research. The authors propose an extension of this method using the measurement error covariance matrices, which will enable researchers to evaluate measurement reliability across samples better and to attempt to disentangle cultural differences in instrument usage from measurement-related differences. The authors evaluate the results and discuss the findings, as well as outline the implications and limitations of this method for further research.
Determinants of International Retail Involvement: The Case of Large U.S. Retail Chains
Authors: Vida Irena , Reardon James , Fairhurst Ann
Published: December 2003

Although retail operations traditionally have been considered poor candidates for international expansion, firms in mature retail markets are increasingly turning to international markets as a means for strategic growth. In this study, the authors examine how internal determinants affect the international ventures of large U.S. retail chains, comparing internal characteristics of international and domestic firms. The authors use the behavioral internationalization paradigm to develop a model of international retail involvement, which serves as a conceptual framework for the study. Through a logistic regression model, the results support the relevance of six of eight explanatory determinants of international retail involvement. The findings highlight the powerful influence of the strategic management characteristics, competitive advantages related to retail concept and logistics, and a retailer's size. In contrast, neither previous experience in direct foreign sourcing nor competitive advantages related to retail merchandise were significant in this model.
Does Innovativeness Moderate the Relationship between Cross-Functional Integration and Product Performance?
Authors: Song Michael , Xie Jinhong
Published: December 2003

The authors examine the moderating effect of product innovativeness on cross-functional integration in Japanese and U.S. firms and test the contingency model with data from 788 Japanese and 612 U.S. new products. The results show that national culture affects integration patterns. Product innovativeness significantly moderates the integration–performance relationship in Japanese firms but not in U.S. firms. When developing highly innovative products, Japanese firms should increase the level of cross-functional integration in conducting technical activities (compared with marginally innovative products) but decrease the level of integration in conducting market analysis and launching activities. In U.S. firms, however, cross-functional integration has a similar effect for more and less innovative products. This may suggest the high cost of implementing a differentiated integration pattern in a strongly individualistic culture.
Joint Ventures in China: A Comparative Study of Japanese, Korean, and U.S. Partners
Authors: Calantone Roger J. , Zhao Yushan Sam
Published: December 2003

The authors develop a model to examine systematically the relationship among motivation, control, and performance of joint ventures in China. Motivations are categorized into three dimensions: efficiency, competition, and learning. Motivations determine the level of control in joint ventures, and that level affects the joint venture's performance. The authors collected data from Japanese, Korean, and U.S. partners of joint ventures in China. They use structural equation modeling to test the model and examine cross-national differences using a multigroup comparison method. The results suggest a complex relationship among motivation, control, and performance. More control over joint ventures in China is beneficial to foreign partners, but the ability to exert control is influenced by firms’ strategic intentions and familiarity with the local culture and market. Foreign partners that have such familiarity can exert considerable control over joint ventures and still obtain local knowledge. Foreign partners that want to enhance competitiveness can apply their advanced skills and technology in research and development, production, and management to exert more control over these functional areas.
Executive Insights: Integrating Branding Strategy across Markets: Building International Brand Architecture
Authors: Douglas Susan P. , Craig C. Samuel , Nijssen Edwin J.
Published: December 2003

Brands play a critical role in establishing a firm's visibility and position in international markets. Building a coherent international brand architecture is a key component of the firm's overall international marketing strategy, because it provides a structure to leverage strong brands into other markets, assimilate acquired brands, and integrate strategy across markets. The authors examine the way firms have developed international brand architecture and the drivers that shape the architecture. The authors discuss implications for the design and management of the firm's international brand architecture.
The Adaptation of Host Market Positioning Strategies: Empirical Evidence on Australian Exporters
Authors: Dow Douglas
Published: December 2003

The author explores how and why the content of an exporter's host market positioning strategy differs from the content of its home market strategy. The research is significant for two reasons: (1) It uses a more comprehensive and rigorous definition and measurement of firm strategy than previous adaptation research, and (2) it systematically measures the magnitude and direction of the adaptation. Previous research has concentrated only on the need to adapt. This approach opens up an entirely new debate about what patterns of adaptation should be expected. The author uses a large-scale survey of Australian exporters to test the emerging hypotheses, which are strongly supported. Domestically based Australian exporters tend to have a narrower focus and rely more heavily on operations-based differentiation in foreign markets.
Executive Insights: An Intercultural Communication Model for Use in Global Interorganizational Networks
Authors: Griffith David A. , Harvey Michael G.
Published: December 2003

Global competitiveness is predicated on creating strong interorganizational networks. Successful development and administration of interorganizational networks is derived from effective intercultural communication efforts focused on developing relationships. The authors integrate the complexities of cultural influences (i.e., national and organizational) into an intercultural communication model that is aimed to enhance the understanding of the development of relationship quality. The model developed can serve as a standardized intercultural communication process for organizations to employ within their global networks. The authors identify and address four determinants of relationship quality: cultural understanding, communication competence, cultural interaction, and communication interaction. The model provides a better understanding of the complexity of intercultural communication for relationship development in global interorganizational networks.
Strategic Alliance–Based Global Sourcing Strategy for Competitive Advantage: A Conceptual Framework and Research Propositions
Authors: Murray Janet Y.
Published: December 2003

In an era of intense global competition, firms realize that the effective use of global sourcing contributes significantly to their market performance. Increasingly, successful firms use a higher level of strategic alliance–based global sourcing for major components by cooperating with their suppliers, even when highly specific assets are involved. This phenomenon is contradictory to the recommendation of transaction cost analysis, in which global internal sourcing should be used by firms when asset specificity is involved. Through the integration of different perspectives, the author examines variables that may influence buyer firms to rely more on strategic alliance–based global sourcing for major components when highly specific assets are involved. In addition, the author suggests that strategic alliance–based global sourcing when highly specific assets are deployed may enhance a firm's competitive advantage through the combination of resources in unique ways. This article is intended to increase managers' awareness of the strategic benefits that arise from outsourcing through partnerships with their suppliers.
IPSI-XQ: Eine Implementierung von XQuery und seiner formalen Semantik (IPSI-XQ: An Implementation of XQuery and its Formal Semantics)
Authors: Fankhauser Peter , Lehti Patrick
Published: December 2003

XQuery ist eine vom W3C standardisierte Anfragesprache für XML. Dieser Beitrag stellt IPSI-XQ als eine Implementierung von XQuery vor, die besonderes Augenmerk darauf legt, die formale Semantik von XQuery vollständig und modular umzusetzen. Damit wird die Grundlage für eine voll konformante und optimierbare XQuery-Implementierung geschaffen.
XML-Datenbanksysteme und ihre Anwendung (XML Database Systems and their Application)
Authors: Helmer Sven , Kanne Carl-Christian , Moerkotte Guido
Published: December 2003

Mit zunehmender Verbreitung von XML werden die in XML vorliegenden Datenbestände immer größer und die auf XML basierenden Anwendungen immer komplexer. Daher sind effektive und effiziente Methoden für die Verwaltung persistenter XML-Bestände gefordert. Wir betrachten die wichtigsten gemeinsamen Anforderungen an eine Persistenzlösung für XML und besprechen verschiedene Alternativen zur Speicherung. Es wird sich herausstellen, dass lediglich speziell für XML entwickelte Datenbankmanagementsysteme den Anforderungen genügen. Wir geben daher einen Überblick über ein exemplarisches XML-Bank-Managementsystem namens Natix.
Web Services – Idee, Technik und Potenziale (Web Services – Idea, Technology, and Possibilities)
Authors: Jeckle Mario
Published: December 2003

Unter dem Schlagwort Web Services wird gegenwärtig eine Reihe verschiedener Ansätze und Spezifikationen zusammengefasst und diskutiert. Die Spannweite der möglichen Einsatzfelder reicht hierbei von technischer Systemintegration bis hin zu globalen Unternehmenskollaborationen. Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick der Begrifflichkeit sowie der heute verfügbaren Standards und ihrer Anwendungen.
Business Integration – Datenkonvertierung mit Hilfe von Web-Services im deregulierten Strommarkt (Business Integration – Data Conversion in the Deregulated Energy Market by using Web Services)
Authors: Coester Ursula
Published: December 2003

Wechselt ein Kunde im deregulierten Energiemarkt zu einem anderen Versorger – im Fallbeispiel von e.on zu RWE – müssen beide Marktteilnehmer Datenmaterial, etwa für die Schlussabrechnung, austauschen. Aufgrund der unterschiedlichen, proprietären Datenformate können hierbei Probleme auftreten. Mit Hilfe von Web-Services lässt sich die Problemstellung der Datenkonvertierung rationalisieren. Ein zentraler Konverter als Web-Service zur Verfügung gestellt erlaubt in diesem Fall den Austausch komplexer Datenformate wie beispielsweise des – im Energiemarkt noch üblichen – EDIFACT-Subsets MSCONS. In Vorbereitung ist, dass zukünftig das XML-Format als Standard festgelegt wird.
DFG-Schwerpunktprogramm "Algorithmik großer und komplexer Netzwerke"
Authors: Wagner Dorothea
Published: December 2003

Das Schwerpunktprogramm "Algorithmik großer und komplexer Netzwerke" wird seit 2001 von der DFG für die Dauer von sechs Jahren gefördert mit dem Ziel, Forschung in der Algorithmik voranzutreiben und deren Anwendungspotenzial zu erweitern. Es wird ein algorithmisches Gebiet fokussiert, das einerseits aufgrund seiner vielfältigen Anwendungen von großer Relevanz ist, andererseits in besonderer Weise neue algorithmische Aspekte und aktuelle methodische Entwicklungen der Algorithmik widerspiegelt. Im Rahmen von 16 Projekten werden allgemeine algorithmische Aspekte der Behandlung sehr großer Netzwerke erforscht, und neue Algorithmen für netzwerkbasierte Anwendungen entwickelt.
Evolutionäre Optimierung dynamischer Probleme (Evolutionary Optimization in Dynamic Environments)
Authors: Branke Jürgen
Published: December 2003

Viele praxisrelevante Optimierungsprobleme sind dynamisch und verändern sich im Zeitverlauf. In diesen Fällen reicht es nicht aus, möglichst schnell und zuverlässig ein Optimum zu finden. Es geht vielmehr darum, trotz der Dynamik des Problems fortlaufend Lösungen hoher Qualität anbieten zu können. In der hier vorgestellten Dissertation wird gezeigt, wie evolutionäre Algorithmen erfolgreich an diese Aufgabenstellung angepasst werden können.
Potentialin vivogenerator for alpha-particle therapy with212Bi: Presentation of a system to minimize escape of daughter nuclide after decay of212Pb to212Bi
Authors: Henriksen G. , Schoultz B. W. , Hoff P. , Larsen R. H.
Published: December 2003

Radiopharmaceuticals based on212Pb (t1/2=10.6 h) are of interest for use as anin vivogenerator ofα-particle emitting212Bi (t1/2=60.6 min). Sterically stabilized liposomes were evaluated as carriers of212Pb/212Bi radionuclides in the reported study.212Pb/212Bi-containing vesicles were prepared by ionophore mediated loading of212Pb into preformed liposomes. The liposomal uptake of212Pb with or without various concentrations of lead carrier was investigated. The retention of212Pb and212Bi in liposomes incubated in serum was studied. Conditions were found yielding a high and rapid uptake of212Pb in liposomes. 90±2% of212Pb was incorporated after 30 min. The retention of radionuclides was high, 95% of212Pb and212Bi were retained in liposomes after incubating for 20 h at 37°C in serum. The results from the present work indicate that an effective retention of212Bi after theβ--decay of212Pb is achievable. This technology could be the basis ofα-emitting radiopharmaceuticals built upon212Pb.
In vitrostudy of the interaction between neptunium ions and aposerumtransferrin by absorption spectrophotometry and ultrafiltration: the case of Np(V)
Authors: Racine R. , Moisy Ph. , Paquet F. , Métivier H. , Madic Charles
Published: December 2003

The interaction between Np(V) and human aposerumtransferrin (apoTf) was studiedin vitrounder physiological conditions (37°C, pH 7.4, [NaCl]=0.15 M, [HEPES]=5×10-2M) by UV-visible and near-IR absorption spectrophotometry and by ultrafiltration. It was found that Np(V) was bound in small fraction (<12%) to apoTf, and that the role of carbonate and citrate anions in binding is more competitive than synergistic. The complexes NpO2CO3-and NpO2Cit2-tend to form rather than the Np(V)-apoTf complex. Np(V) binding on apoTf appears to be pH-dependent and reversible. Displacement experiments with FeIIINTA showed non-specific binding, suggesting a weak interaction between Np(V) and apoTf different from the reactions involving transferrin-specific sites with other metallic ions, such as Fe(III). The low overall charge, the size and the geometry of the linear di-oxocation NpO2+could account for the weak interaction between Np(V) and human transferrin.
Solubility product of Pu(VI) hydrous oxide
Authors: Fujiwara Kenso , Yamana Hajimu , Fujii T. , Moriyama Hirotake
Published: December 2003

The solubility of Pu(VI) hydrous oxide was measured in the pHcrange from 4 to 5.5 at 25±1°C in a NaClO4solution containing O3gas. The experiment was carried out by oversaturation and undersaturation methods at ionic strengthI=0.1, 0.5 and 1.0. The concentration of Pu(VI) was measured byα-spectrometry and UV/visible spectrophotometry, and the equilibrium constant of the reaction, PuO2(OH)2=PuO22++ 2 OH-, was obtained. From the obtained results, the solubility products (Ksp) of Pu hydrous oxide atI=0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 were determined. The experimental values were extrapolated to the standard state (I=0) by using the specific interaction theory (SIT), and the solubility product of Pu hydrous oxide was determined to be logKsp°=-22.88±0.39. The ion interaction coefficient (PuO22+, ClO4-) was also evaluated to be 0.30±0.09.
Precipitation of crystalline neptunium dioxide from near-neutral aqueous solution
Authors: Roberts K. E. , Wolery T. J. , Atkins-Duffin C. E. , Prussin T. G. , Allen P.G. , Bucher J. J. , Shuh D. K. , Finch R. J. , Prussin S. G.
Published: December 2003

We report experimental evidence that crystalline neptunium dioxide, NpO2(cr), will precipitate from near-neutral aqueous solutions that initially contain NpO2
+(aq), even under mildly oxidizing conditions. Observed decreases in aqueous Np concentrations with time are balanced by corresponding decreases in pH and accompanied by formation of high-purity crystals of NpO2. The crystalline NpO2 was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermodynamic data in the literature suggest that NpO2(cr) is possibly the stable solid phase in aqueous systems containing dissolved NpO2
+(aq); however, the precipitation of NpO2(cr) from solutions containing initially NpO2
+(aq) had not been observed experimentally until now, possibly because of slow reaction kinetics. Our experiments were conducted at 200°C in order to overcome slow reduction reactions and/or precipitation kinetics. Because long time scales may render slow reaction kinetics irrelevant, thermodynamically stable NpO2(cr) may keep dissolved Np concentrations well below the relatively high Np concentrations (10-3 M) associated with meta-stable Np(V) solids observed in previous laboratory experiments. Projects investigating the suitability of sites for an underground repository for high-level nuclear waste disposal may not need be so concerned with high dose rates due to migration of Np over long times, because these may not apply to repository-relevant time scales over which NpO2(cr) is likely to be stable.
Synergistic extraction of Th(IV) by 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde thiosemicarbazone and neutral donors
Authors: Banerjee S. , Basu S.
Published: December 2003

The extraction behaviour of Th(IV) from aqueous nitric acid medium employing 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde thiosemicarbazone has been studied in the presence of various donors, like trioctyl phosphine oxide (TOPO), calix[3]OH[3]OMe[6]arene, trioctyl amine (TOA), dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in ethylacetate solvent. The constants (log k
ex) for the binary complex in organic phase [Th(A)(NO3)3], where A is the ligand, was found to be 3.99, which was by far the largest amongst the corresponding values known for the other thiosemicarbazones. The overall equilibrium constants (log K) for the ternary species [Th(A)TOPO(NO3)3], [Th(A)TOA(NO3)3], [Th(A)Calix[3]OH[3]OMe[6]arene(NO3)3], [Th(A)DMSO(NO3)3] were estimated to be 8.287, 8.862, 8.415, 6.921 respectively. The trend in equilibrium constants were in accordance with the substitution of the donor. The extraction of Th4+ by the ligand–donor combination was maximum at pH=1 and extraction decreases with increase in pH. It has been found that the extent of extraction of Th4+ in the organic phase as the binary as well as ternary complex [Th(A)(NO3)3] and [Th(A)(NO3)3S], where S is the donor, increases with increase in the concentration of the ligand. Similar trend is obtained in the extraction by donors in absence of ligand. In case of ternary extraction, using different donors, amines are found to perform best compared to the other donors. The trend is as follows: TOA > calix[3]OH[3]OMe[6]arene > TOPO > DMSO. In addition, the effect of different diluents on extraction was also studied and the observed trend was methyl salicylate > ethyl acetate > methyl isobutyl ketone > ethyl benzoate.