bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Role of Salary and Incentives in the New Product Function
Authors: Feldman Laurence P. 
Published: September 2009

It seems reasonable to expect that a company's reward systems would recognize the importance of the new product function. It also seems reasonable that those systems should take into account the importance of cross‐functional teams. Unfortunately, current reality does not meet those reasonable expectations.Laurence P. Feldman presents the results of a 1994 PDMA membership survey on the compensation of new product professionals. This study updates and extends the information collected in his 1990 PDMA survey, and thus meets four objectives: tracking changes in compensation levels since the 1990 survey; assessing the effects of various factors on compensation; examining the structure of non‐salary financial incentives; and obtaining information on the extent and types of nonfinancial incentives used with cross‐functional teams.The survey results indicate that compensation of new product professionals increased by 9.6% between 1989 and 1993. This compares unfavorably with a Labor Department benchmark of 14.7%. Survey findings indicate that the compensation of technical or scientific people does not differ significantly from that of marketing personnel. A firm's industry classification has a greater influence on compensation level than does a person's role in the new products process. Even more important are such factors as number of people supervised, length of time with the firm, and education level.Respondents indicate that performance‐based financial incentives play a minor role in overall compensation. Such incentives gain importance as you move up the ranks of the organization, accounting for slightly more than 20% of total compensation at the vice presidential level.Despite the benefits of using cross‐functional teams, compensation programs typically do not reward team efforts. Less than 20% of the respondents who served on such teams reported that any portion of their compensation was directly attributable to their team effort. In most cases, the new product professional's performance is evaluated by a functional manager rather than the team leader or project leader. In place of financial rewards for contributions to a team effort, companies often use nonfinancial rewards such as plaques, hoping to minimize the effect of possible errors in judging performance.
Women and Property in Late Eighteenth‐Century Fiction: Gendered Property and Generic Belonging in Charlotte Smith and Mary Wollstonecraft
Authors: Kramer Kaley 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe relationship between women and property has been a central investigative concern for literary scholars in recent years. While there can be little doubt that women made up an important part of the increased print market and audience of the 18th century, their participation in other aspects of public life remained highly regulated and constrained by legal requirement and cultural conventions. Yet print offered women an opportunity to explore new kinds of property and foster new communities of sympathetic readers equally versed in literary convention and real‐life experiences of oppression. Writing at the end of a century of dramatic change in marriage legislation, property law, and social expectations, Mary Wollstonecraft and Charlotte Smith examine the relationship between gender and genre through the lens of property and ownership. Their novels challenge the limits of generic representation and gesture towards the paradoxical construction of women as marginal and central to the inheritance of real property. Most interestingly, for the purposes of this paper, both demonstrate a keen awareness of the importance of genre and the central role of narrative, not only in fiction but also in relation to discourses that shape women’s roles in and relationship with families, social groups, and national communities.
Nimotuzumab combined with radiotherapy reduces primary tumor and nodal volume in advanced undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: GONDHOWIARDJO Soehartati , MUTHALIB Abdul , KHOTIMAH Siti , RACHMAN Andhika 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim:  A high expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is found in most human epithelial tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC). The overexpression of EGFR has been shown to play an influential role in tumorigenesis and the progression of malignant tumors. Therefore, blocking EGFR might be a potential targeted treatment for NPC. Nimotuzumab is an anti‐EGFR monoclonal antibody that exhibits remarkable anti‐proliferative, anti‐angiogenic, and pro‐apoptotic effects.Methods:  Here we report five patients with loco‐regionally advanced NPC, treated with nimotuzumab 100 mg i.v./week for 8 weeks in combination with radiotherapy in a total dose of 70–74 Gy.Results:  A computed tomography evaluation of all five patients showed that the primary tumor volume was reduced, ranging from 64.1 to 98% and the nodal volume was reduced by 90.7–100%. No severe adverse events related to nimotuzumab were observed.Conclusion:  The use of nimotuzumab in combination with radiotherapy was potentially beneficial and safe for patients with advanced NPC.
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 oncoprotein expression in breast cancer patients from central Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: COSKUN Hasan Senol , ALTINBAS Mustafa , ER Ozlem , OZTURK Figen , KARAMAN Hatice , SOYUER Serdar , OZKAN Metin , SOYUER Isin 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim:  Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression is associated with poor prognosis and the frequency of HER2 positivity in breast cancer patients varies among different regions of the world. We studied HER2 expression in Turkish breast cancer patients.Methods:  HER 2 expression was evaluated immunohistochemically in 107 breast cancer patients. HER2 expression was reported as negative or positive (3+) according to cellular membrane staining characteristics. The frequency of HER2 overexpression, distribution according to clinical characteristics, effect on survival and effect of chemotherapy on survival in relation to HER2 overexpression was evaluated.Results:  The median age of patients was 49 years (range 27–76). HER2 was 3+ in 34 patients (31.8%). There was no significant difference in age, menopausal status, histopathology, lymph node involvement, stage and estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positivity in relation to HER2 expression. Forty‐three patients (40.2%) relapsed and 21 patients (19.6%) died during the follow‐up period. There was no significant difference in the relapse rate, distribution of relapse sites and death rate in relation to HER2 expression. The 3‐ and 5‐year disease free survival rates were 67.1 and 40.5%, and the overall survival rates were 87.5 and 66.1%, respectively. Survival rate and calculated survival time were relatively shorter in HER2 3+ patients than in non‐HER2 3+ patients, but these differences were not statistically significant. HER2 status did not affect survival period according to chemotherapy group.Conclusion:  Immunohistochemistry findings of HER2 expression in Turkish breast cancer patients were similar to those found in the published reports. A shorter survival period was observed in HER2 3+ patients, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Superior efficacy of a Cremophor‐free albumin‐bound paclitaxel compared with solvent‐based paclitaxel in Chinese patients with metastatic breast cancer
Authors: GUAN Zhong‐Zhen , LI Qing Li , FENG Fengyi , JIANG Zefei , SHEN Zhenzhou , YU Shiying , FEN Jifeng , HUANG Jianjin , YAO Zhiwen , BHAR Paul 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim:  In a previous study, a 130‐nm nanoparticle albumin‐bound paclitaxel (nab‐paclitaxel) demonstrated improved efficacy and safety profile compared with solvent‐based paclitaxel (sb‐paclitaxel) in Caucasian patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The aim of the present randomized study was to compare the response rates and safety profile of nab‐paclitaxel with sb‐paclitaxel in Chinese patients with MBC.Methods:  In the present open‐label, multicenter study, 210 patients with MBC were randomly assigned to receive nab‐paclitaxel 260 mg/m2 intravenously (i.v.) over 30 min every 3 weeks (q3w) with no premedication or sb‐paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 i.v. over 3 h q3w with standard premedication.Results:  The overall response rate was 54 and 29% in patients treated with nab‐paclitaxel and sb‐paclitaxel, respectively (P < 0.001). nab‐paclitaxel induced a higher response rate in patients who were <65 years old, patients who were receiving first‐line therapy, patients who had no prior anthracycline therapy, patients who had ≤ or >3 metastatic lesions, and patients who had visceral disease. The progression‐free survival (PFS) period was 7.6 months for nab‐paclitaxel and 6.2 months for sb‐paclitaxel (P = 0.118). Despite the 49% higher paclitaxel dose in patients receiving nab‐paclitaxel compared with patients receiving sb‐paclitaxel, the safety profile was similar in both treatment groups. The most common grades 3 and 4 adverse event (AE) in both arms was neutropenia. The most common grade 3 nonhematologic AE was peripheral neuropathy, and no grade 4 peripheral neuropathy was observed.Conclusion:  Compared with sb‐paclitaxel, nab‐paclitaxel demonstrated superior efficacy, an acceptable safety profile, and a trend toward increased PFS in patients with MBC.
Giant Tortoises as Ecological Engineers: A Long‐term Quasi‐experiment in the Galápagos Islands
Authors: Gibbs James P. , Sterling Eleanor J. , Zabala F. Javier 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTGiant tortoises were once a megafaunal element widespread in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. The role of giant tortoises as herbivores and seed dispersers, however, is poorly known. We evaluated tortoise impacts on Opuntia cactus (Cactaceae) in the Galápagos Islands, one of the last areas where giant tortoises remain extant, where the cactus is a keystone resource for many animals. We contrasted cactus populations immediately inside and outside natural habitats where tortoises had been held captive for several decades. Through browsing primarily and trampling secondarily tortoises strongly reduced densities of small (0.5–1.5 m high) cacti, especially near adult cacti, and thereby reduced densities of cacti in larger size classes. Tortoises also caused a shift from vegetative to sexual modes of reproduction in cacti. We conclude that giant tortoises promote a sparse and scattered distribution in Opuntia cactus and its associated biota in the Galápagos Islands.
Edge Effects and Seedling Bank Depletion: The Role Played by the Early Successional Palm Attalea oleifera (Arecaceae) in the Atlantic Forest
Authors: Aguiar Antônio Venceslau , Tabarelli Marcelo 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTIn this study, we examined the impacts of Attalea oleifera on the structure of seedling bank and discuss potential mechanisms of palm influence. Seed rain, seedling bank, and palm leaf fall were assessed beneath the canopy and in the vicinity of 16 adult palms across the edges of a large fragment (3500 ha) of the Atlantic forest. Moreover, we examined A. oleifera impacts on seed germination and seedling mortality by experimentally submitting seeds and seedlings to prolonged palm‐leaf covering. As expected, seedling bank beneath the adults exhibited reduced abundance and species richness at local and habitat scale. Small to large seeds (3.1–30 mm) were underrepresented in the seed rain below adults palms, while experimental leaf covering drastically reduced both seed germination and seedling survivorship. A. oleifera leaf fall occurred over the whole year (3.6±2.7 leaves/individual/yr), which resulted in deep leaf litter mounds (10.7±9.2 cm). Finally, adult palm density (21.6±11.9 individuals/ha) correlated negatively with seedling density across Attalea clusters. Our results suggest that A. oleifera exerts negative effects on the seedling bank by reducing seedling abundance and richness as a consequence of two complementary mechanisms: impoverished and size‐biased seed rain plus reduced seed germination and increased seedling mortality due to prolonged covering by fallen leaves.
Male Body Size and Mating Success and Their Relation to Larval Host Plant History in the Moth Rothschildia lebeau in Costa Rican Dry Forest
Authors: Agosta Salvatore J. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTThe moth Rothschildia lebeau uses three tree species as its primary larval hosts in the tropical dry forest of northwestern Costa Rica. These hosts were shown previously to have different relative effects on caterpillar performance, resulting in an apparent host‐related life history trade‐off between large adult body size on the one hand but low offspring survival on the other. To further assess the potential ecological and evolutionary importance of this trade‐off, an observational field study of the relationship between male body size and mating success was conducted. Across mating trials, larger males had a higher probability of being observed mating. Independent of the effect of size, the amount of wing damage an individual had sustained (a measure of relative age) was negatively correlated with the probability a male was observed mating. Within mating trials, the mated male tended to be larger than the average unmated male, but there was no difference in wing damage. Overall, results of this study were consistent with a positive effect of male body size on mating success, consistent with the idea that larval host plant history and its effects on adult body size matters in terms of adult male fitness. However, all sized males were observed mating over the course of the study, and the size advantage did not appear to be particularly strong.
SENSORY PROPERTIES AFFECTING ACCEPTABILITY OF “BRESAOLA” FROM PODOLIAN YOUNG BULLS
Authors: BRAGHIERI ADA , GIROLAMI ANTONIO , CARLUCCI ANGELA , PIAZZOLLA NICOLETTA , RIVIEZZI AMELIA MARIA , NAPOLITANO FABIO 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT Three muscles (Semimembranosus, Quadriceps femoris, Adductor) from Podolian young bulls (aged 18 months) were processed into bresaolas, which were compared with commercial products, in terms of sensory profile and preference expressed by consumers. Slope analysis was conducted to study the preference drivers. The preference of homogeneous groups of consumers and the relationships with sensory properties of bresaola were investigated using partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis. The products differed for several sensory properties, such as sweetness, flavor intensity (P < 0.001), saltiness (P < 0.01), peppered, seasoned and tenderness (P < 0.05). The slope analysis showed that taste/flavor (k = 0.86) and appearance (k = 0.76) play an important role in orienting consumer preference, while texture (k = 0.54) is less important. No general trend was found for product liking. Conversely, PLS regression clustered the consumers in homogeneous groups: one preferred the commercial products characterized by sensory properties such as peppered, saltiness, seasoned and marbling, another one was more oriented toward properties such as sweetness, odor and chewiness, which characterized Podolian bresaolas.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONPartial least squares regression analysis clustered the consumers in homogeneous groups according to their liking: those preferring peppered, salty, seasoned and marbling bresaolas versus those oriented toward sweet and odorous products. In addition, the relationship between overall liking and attribute liking (appearance, taste/flavor and texture) was analyzed by linear regression analysis. This may be helpful in order to establish meaningful criteria for grading bresaolas and identify the particular attributes that move its acceptance (i.e., taste/flavor and appearance rather than texture).
A Comparison of Weight‐Related Behaviors Among High School Students Who Are Homeless and Non‐Homeless
Authors: Fournier Mary E. , Austin S. Bryn , Samples Cathryn L. , Goodenow Carol S. , Wylie Sarah A. , Corliss Heather L. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that youth who are homeless engage in high‐risk behaviors. However, there has been little information published on nutritional and physical activity behaviors in this population, and studies comparing homeless youth in school with their non‐homeless peers are scarce. This study compares weight‐related risk behaviors of public high school students in Massachusetts based on homeless status.METHODS: We obtained data from 3264 9th through 12th grade students who participated in the 2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Multivariable logistic regression, controlling for gender, grade, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation, was performed to assess the relationship between homeless status as defined by the McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act and weight‐related indicators. Analyses were weighted and adjusted for the multistage complex sampling design.RESULTS: Of this sample, 4.2% reported being homeless (n = 152). Higher prevalence of homelessness was found among males, racial/ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, and students who were not in a traditional grade level. The distribution of body mass index was similar among students who were homeless and non‐homeless (underweight 4.0 and 3.0%, and overweight 27.1 and 27.1%, respectively). Homeless students were more likely than non‐homeless students to report disordered weight‐control behaviors including fasting (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4–4.5) and diet pill use (aOR 3.3, 95% CI 1.6–6.9).CONCLUSIONS: More than 4% of public high school students in Massachusetts meet the federal definition of homelessness. These students are at high risk for disordered weight‐control behaviors. Policy decisions at the school, state, and federal levels should make a concerted effort to target these students with social services and nutritional interventions.
Participation in the National School Lunch Program: Importance of School‐Level and Neighborhood Contextual Factors
Authors: Mirtcheva Donka M. , Powell Lisa M. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: This study examined the effect of stigma (proxied by school‐level peer participation), neighborhood food environment, and demographic characteristics on participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program (NSLP).METHODS: The 1997 and 2003 waves of the Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics were linked to external data on school‐level free lunch eligibility rate, fast food restaurant availability in the school zip code, and food store availability and neighborhood socioeconomic status in the home zip code. Probit models examined the effects of contextual and demographic factors on NSLP participation and free/reduced‐price NSLP participation, conditional on eligibility. Differences were analyzed by grade.RESULTS: A 10% higher free lunch eligibility rate in a child's school was associated with a 1.8 percentage point increase in the probability of NSLP participation and 2.6 and 6.7 percentage points increase in free/reduced‐price NSLP participation among all and high school eligible student, respectively. Fewer grocery stores and more convenience stores increased NSLP participation. Fast food restaurant availability in the school neighborhood decreased free/reduced‐price NSLP participation for high school students only. The addition of the contextual factors reduced the estimated association with several of the demographic covariates, especially race.CONCLUSIONS: The significant positive association between NLSP participation and school‐level free lunch eligibility, especially for the free/reduced‐price NSLP participation, suggested that stigma, or possibly peers, affected participation. Neighborhood and school contextual variables had significant effects on school lunch take‐up and the results differed between high school and elementary/middle school students.
Situating and teaching 21st century zoology: revealing pattern in the form and function of animals
Authors: RUSSELL Anthony P. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe current challenges (increasing levels of integration in the biological sciences) facing the teaching of zoology and the structure of the zoology curriculum are explored herein. General context is provided and a more focused scrutiny of the situation in North America is presented. The changing emphases in more broadly‐based biological sciences programs in North America are outlined, and their influence on the role of zoology as part of fundamental biological training is considered. The longer term impact of such changes in emphasis on the teaching of zoology is discussed, and the central role that zoology can play in dealing with both science content and science education is advanced. Based upon a focal workshop on the future of the zoology curriculum in Canada, a perspective on the challenges facing curriculum evolution is provided. Extensive curriculum redesign is called for to ensure that zoology provides a broad‐scale integrative approach to the understanding of biodiversity in evolutionary, ecological and functional contexts. Barriers to, and drivers of change are identified and the need for collaborative approaches to curricular evolution is emphasized.
Myofibroblasts in the normal conjunctival surface
Authors: Aguilar Ximena , Hallberg David , Sundelin Karin , Hanson Charles , Stenberg Kristina , Brune Mats , Stenevi Ulf 
Published: September 2009

Abstract.Purpose:  To investigate the occurrence of myofibroblasts (MFBs) in the normal conjunctival surface and to evaluate any anatomical and time‐related variations.Methods: MFBs were screened among healthy individuals (35 eyes) by collecting impression cytology (IC) samples from the bulbar conjunctiva. A cohort of volunteers (12 eyes) was followed for 1 year by taking two to five imprints every month. MFBs were identified by immunohistochemical localization of the MFB marker α‐smooth‐muscle actin (α‐SMA).Results:  Using a filter imprint technique, MFBs were found consistently in 94% of samples from the conjunctival surface of participating individuals. The overall MFB levels, expressed as percentage of all cells on the filter, were highest in March–May [mean 4.1%, standard deviation (SD) ± 1.5] and lowest in December–February (mean 1.2%, SD ± 0.5). The difference was statistically significant [p < 0.0005, Friedman test, one‐way repeated measures analysis of variance (anova)]. Moreover, there was a clear divergence of MFB density between the nasal, temporal, superior and inferior bulbar conjunctiva (mean 1.7%, 1.9%, 22% and 9.7%, respectively).Conclusion:  MFBs, known as a cellular constituent of granulation tissue in wound healing, occur in the normal conjunctival surface, which is a novel finding. Our results also show that MFB level follows a seasonal variation pattern in a temperate climate, increasing in April–September and decreasing in October–March. This variation might reflect a degree of a transient or ongoing state of tissue repair after conjunctival trauma or stress caused by exposure to environmental factors.