bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Procurement effects on trust and control in client‐contractor relationships
Authors: Erik Eriksson Per , Laan Albertus 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how construction clients currently deal with procurement and to analyse how the choices made during the buying process stages affect the combination of governance mechanisms and control types in client‐contractor relationships.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected through a survey of 87 Swedish construction clients.FindingsCurrent procurement procedures establish governance forms facilitating a focus on price, through output control, and authority, through process control. Since construction transactions are mostly characterized by high complexity and customisation and long duration, the theoretical framework prescribes a focus on trust and a somewhat lower focus on price and authority. Hence, from a transaction cost perspective, construction clients focus too much on price and authority and too little on trust. Since current procedures may cause problems in all stages of the buying process, the result suggests that partnering arrangements, entailing completely different choices during the buying process, may be a suitable way to facilitate trust and cooperation through informal social control.Research limitations/implicationsSince the empirical results are based on data collected from only Swedish clients, international generalizations should be made cautiously.Practical implicationsClients wishing to implement trust‐based collaborative relationships need to reconsider their procurement procedures entirely; joint objectives, teambuilding and other “fuzzy” techniques are not enough to transform adversarial relationships into cooperative ones.Originality/valueEarlier research has focused on one or a few aspects of procurement and governance, while this paper adopts an overall process perspective, taking into account clients' procurement procedures in their entirety.
Service intermediaries: a theoretical modeling framework with an application to travel agents
Authors: Morgan Michael S. , Trivedi Minakshi 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the motivations of an agent in a service industry to honestly represent the quality of a service provider.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a theoretical modeling and derives implications from it, which are then tested using empirical data.FindingsThe main finding of the paper is that the agent's propensity to overstate the service provider's true quality level increases as the relative price of the service increases.Research limitations/implicationsThe testable implications are tested in the hotel industry. One could extend this to alternative services. It should be noted, however, that since the modeling framework is general, so too will be the implications that arise from it.Originality/valueThe theoretical development in the paper from which the implications arise, gives the results a strong foundation and lends some validity to the work. This is complemented by a unique data set that supplies information from the agent as well as the consumer regarding the same transaction. This offers a unique opportunity to study the two different points of view, and test some propositions regarding the degree to which the players understand each other.
An exploratory study of internationalization strategies of Malaysian and Taiwanese firms
Authors: Sim A.B. , Rajendran Pandian J. 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThere is limited empirical research on the internationalization processes, strategies and operations of Asian multinational enterprises (MNEs) from countries at different levels of development. This paper examines and analyzes the internationalization strategies and characteristics of Asian MNEs within the investment development path (IDP) perspective.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data are drawn from matched case studies of emerging MNEs from Taiwan (a newly industrializing country) and Malaysia (a fast developing country) in the textile and electronics industries.FindingsThe internationalization strategies of our Taiwanese and Malaysian case firms were founded on cost‐based competencies and other location‐based advantages, brought together by an extensive web of ethnic networks. Differences between our Taiwanese and Malaysian case firms were found and discussed. In general, the Taiwanese firms were more internationalized (at stage 3 of IDP) than the Malaysian firms (stage 2). They had more developed and elaborate production networks and greater own design manufacturing/own brand manufacturing participation than the Malaysian firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe research did not capture the operational strategies at the level of the subsidiary or JV. The findings were exploratory and formed the basis for research propositions presented. As indicated there existed a wide empirical research gap on Asian as well as Taiwanese and Malaysian MNEs. These need to be filled to provide further evidence and answers to the issues raised in the paper. Other potential areas of research could include longitudinal studies of Asian MNEs to examine whether they will resemble Western MNEs as they evolve, the impact of ethnic networks on the performance of Asian MNEs of both Chinese and non‐Chinese origins, and the role of the state in internationalization strategies.Originality/valueFew studies have been done on emerging market multinationals and their internationalisation strategies.
Delayed attainment of full donor chimaerism following alemtuzumab‐based reduced‐intensity conditioning haematopoeitic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes is associated with improved outcomes
Authors: Lim Zi Yi , Pearce Laurence , Ho Aloysius Y. , Barber Linda , Ingram Wendy , Usai Monica , Tobal Khalid , Devereux Stephen , Pagliuca Antonio , Mufti Ghulam J. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryThis prospective study evaluated the kinetics of lymphoid (CD3) engraftment in 110 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) after allogeneic transplantation and conditioning with fludarabine, busulphan and alemtuzumab, using ciclosporin for post‐transplant immunosuppression. Declining donor CD3 chimaerism beyond day+100 was treated with pre‐emptive donor lymphocyte infusion (pDLI). The median age of patients was 53·0 years (range: 19–72 years), and the median follow‐up was 690 d (range:168–1470 d). Patients achieving full CD3 donor chimaerism (FDC, n = 46) by day+100 had a significantly inferior disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to patients with mixed donor chimaerism (MDC, n = 59). Twenty patients had stable MDC and did not require pDLI. Patients attaining early FDC had a higher transplant‐related mortality compared to those who maintained stable levels of MDC (P = 0·02), with no difference between the FDC and pDLI groups (P = 0·07). There was no difference in relapse between all three groups (P = 0·21). On multivariate analysis, only CD3 chimaerism status at day+100 and disease status at transplantation had a significant effect on DFS and OS. In patients with AML/MDS undergoing alemetuzumab based‐RIC HSCT, prolonged MDC beyond day+100 is associated with an improved OS. Future studies need to be directed towards establishing the underlying factors that dictate T‐cell engraftment, expansion and homing post‐transplantation.
Thrombosis and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Payne Jeanette H. , Vora Ajay J. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryVenous thrombosis is more frequent in patients treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) than other malignancies and has distinctive causes, clinical features and remedies. The reported incidence varies from 1% to 36%, depending on the chemotherapy protocol and whether the reported cases are symptomatic or detected on screening radiography. The risk is thought to arise from increased thrombin generation at diagnosis combined with reduced thrombin inhibitory capacity due to depletion of circulating anti‐thrombin (AT) by asparaginase. A number of patient and treatment variables have been reported to influence the risk of thrombosis including hereditary thrombophilia, early insertion of central venous catheters and exposure to a combination of steroids and asparaginase during induction. Erwinia asparaginase is associated with a lower risk of thrombosis compared with Escherichia coli asparaginase. The majority of symptomatic thromboses are related to central venous catheters and involve the upper venous system. Central nervous system thrombosis involving the cerebral venous sinuses is a unique feature of asparaginase‐related thrombosis and is reported to occur in 1–3% of patients. Conclusive evidence to support the use of anti‐coagulant treatment or AT concentrates for primary prevention is lacking, as is evidence for the efficacy of AT concentrates in the management of established thrombosis. Preventative strategies are hampered by conflicting data on factors that would enable identification of those at highest risk of thrombosis.
Phase II trial of the combination of denileukin diftitox and rituximab for relapsed/refractory B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Dang Nam H. , Fayad Luis , McLaughlin Peter , Romaguara Jorge E. , Hagemeister Fredrick , Goy Andre , Neelapu Sattva , Samaniego Felipe , Walker Pamela L. , Wang Michael , Rodriguez Maria A. , Tong Ann T. , Pro Barbara 
Published: June 2007

SummaryDenileukin diftitox plus rituximab was evaluated in relapsed/refractory B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Of the 38 evaluable patients, 30 (80%) were rituximab‐refractory. The overall response rate (ORR) was 32%, with six complete responses (CR) and six partial responses (PR). The median time to progression for responders was 8 months (range: 2–36+); two patients with rituximab‐refractory follicular lymphoma were in CR at 25 and 36+ months. The ORR was 55% (4 CRs, 2 PRs) in 11/14 patients with rituximab‐refractory follicular lymphoma, and 100% in the three patients with rituximab‐sensitive tumour. Most toxicities were low grade and transient, and myelotoxicity was uncommon.
A new index of habitat alteration and a comparison of approaches to predict stream habitat conditions
Authors: FRAPPIER BRIAN , ECKERT ROBERT T. 
Published: June 2007

Summary1. Stream habitat quality assessment complements biological assessment by providing a mechanism for ruling out habitat degradation as a potential stressor and provides reference targets for the physical aspects of stream restoration projects. This study analysed five approaches for predicting habitat conditions based on discriminant function, linear regressions, ordination and nearest neighbour analyses.2. Quantitative physical and chemical habitat and riparian conditions in minimally‐impacted streams in New Hampshire were estimated using United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program protocols. Catchment‐scale descriptors were used to predict segment‐scale stream channel and riparian habitat, and the accuracy and precision of the different modelling approaches were compared.3. A new assessment index comparing and summarizing the degree of correspondence between predicted and observed habitat based on Euclidean distance between the standardized habitat factors is described. Higher index scores (i.e. greater Euclidean distance) would suggest a greater deviation in habitat between observed conditions and expected reference conditions. As in most biotic indices, the range in index scores in reference sites would constitute a situation equivalent to reference conditions. This new index avoids the erroneous prediction of multiple, mutually exclusive habitat conditions that have confounded previous habitat assessment approaches.4. Separate linear regression models for each habitat descriptor yielded the most accurate and precise prediction of reference conditions, with a coefficient of variation (CV) between predictions and observations for all reference sites of 0.269. However, for a unified implementation in regions where a classification‐based approach has already been taken for biological assessment, a discriminant analysis approach, that predicted membership in biotic communities and compared the mean habitat features in the biotic communities with the observed habitat features, was similar in prediction accuracy and precision (CV = 0.293).5. The best model had an error of 27% of the mean index value for the reference sites, indicating substantial room for improvement. Additional catchment characteristics not readily available for this analysis, such as average rainfall or winter snow‐pack, surficial geological characteristics or past land‐use history, may improve the precision of the predicted habitat features in the reference streams. Land‐use history in New Hampshire and regional environmental impacts have greatly impacted stream habitat conditions even in streams considered minimally‐impacted today; thus as regional environmental impacts change and riparian forests mature, reference habitat conditions should be re‐evaluated.
Population structure and its implications for conservation of the great silver beetle Hydrophilus piceus in Britain
Authors: BEEBEE TREVOR J. C. 
Published: June 2007

Summary1. The great silver water beetle Hydrophilus piceus is one of the largest aquatic insects in Europe. In Britain it is rare and endangered, and confined to a small number of low‐lying marshes. Very little is known about the beetle populations in any of these areas, or the connectivity between them.2. To investigate the population structure of H. piceus in Britain, four polymorphic microsatellite loci were identified and characterized. The genome of this beetle seems to have few microsatellites but contains a high proportion of a larger repeated sequence.3. All six of the main British populations (Somerset, Lewes, Pevensey, Romney, North Kent and Norfolk) showed substantial genetic diversity at the microsatellite loci. However, estimates of effective population size at one site (Pevensey) were remarkably low, at <10 adults for the period 2004–05.4. Most of the genetic diversity was partitioned within rather than among the populations, although there was, nevertheless, significant genetic sub‐structuring. Almost all population pairwise Fst estimates were significantly different from zero, and there was a clear isolation‐by‐distance effect. Assignment tests and cluster analyses demonstrated interpopulation relationships largely consistent with their geographical separations.5. Hydrophilus disperses by flight, and records from moth traps indicated that there was no month in which the beetles never flew, but that flight activity was highest in the spring.6. The genetic data highlight the need to maintain or regenerate habitat connectivity within flying distance for H. piceus, and to sustain large areas of suitable breeding marshes.
Seismic imaging of the laterally varying D″ region beneath the Cocos Plate
Authors: Thorne Michael S. , Lay Thorne , Garnero Edward J. , Jahnke Gunnar , Igel Heiner 
Published: June 2007

Summary
We use an axisymmetric, spherical Earth finite difference algorithm to model SH-wave propagation through cross-sections of laterally varying lower mantle models beneath the Cocos Plate derived from recent data analyses. Synthetic seismograms with dominant periods as short as 4 s are computed for several models: (1) a D″ reflector 264 km above the core-mantle boundary with laterally varying S-wave velocity increases of 0.9–2.6 per cent, based on localized structures from a 1-D double-array stacking method; (2) an undulating D″ reflector with large topography and uniform velocity increase obtained using a 3-D migration method and (3) cross-sections through the 3-D mantle S-wave velocity tomography model TXBW. We apply double-array stacking to assess model predictions of data. Of the models explored, the S-wave tomography model TXBW displays the best overall agreement with data. The undulating reflector produces a double Scd arrival that may be useful in future studies for distinguishing between D″ volumetric heterogeneity and D″ discontinuity topography. Synthetics for the laterally varying models show waveform variability not observed in 1-D model predictions. It is challenging to predict 3-D structure based on localized 1-D models when lateral structural variations are on the order of a few wavelengths of the energy used, particularly for the grazing geometry of our data. Iterative approaches of computing synthetic seismograms and adjusting model characteristics by considering path integral effects are necessary to accurately model fine-scale D″ structure.
Histopathology of breast carcinoma following neoadjuvant systemic therapy: a common association between letrozole therapy and central scarring
Authors: Thomas J S J , Julian H S , Green R V , Cameron D A , Dixon M J 
Published: June 2007

Aims:  Neoadjuvant systemic therapy of large and locally advanced breast cancers may, through shrinkage, enable breast conservation surgery. Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, is used frequently in the treatment of oestrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer. The aim was to examine the response patterns in a letrozole‐treated group compared with a chemotherapy‐treated group.Materials and methods:  Fifty patients with primary breast cancer were treated with 3 months of chemotherapy and 53 with 3 months of neoadjuvant letrozole. Excised tumours were compared with preoperative core biopsy specimens. Volume calculations before and after therapy were used to calculate clinical response in the letrozole group.Results:  Response patterns were significantly different between the two therapies (P < 0.0005). Chemotherapy produced more complete pathological responses (P = 0.008) and a scattered cell pattern was also seen more frequently (P = 0.035). Letrozole produced substantially more central scars – 31 cases as opposed to two cases in the chemotherapy group (P = 0.0001) – and there was a statistically significant correlation with central scarring and clinical tumour volume reduction (P = 0.034).Conclusions:  There are significantly different histological responses between cancers treated with chemotherapy and endocrine therapy, particularly central scarring. This has not been documented previously and may be an important factor in down‐sizing tumours with letrozole, enabling subsequent conservation surgery.
Percutaneous large‐needle aspiration biopsy histology of palpable thyroid nodules: technical and diagnostic performance
Authors: Carpi A , Nicolini A , Marchetti C , Iervasi G , Antonelli A , Carpi F 
Published: June 2007

Aim:  To report original and review existing data on safety and performance of large‐needle aspiration biopsy (LNAB) histology in the preoperative selection of palpable thyroid nodule.Methods and results:  The English literature and original data were reviewed or analysed. The literature on LNAB of thyroid nodules did not report any complications. A study on needle dimensions has explained why LNAB obtains more tissue than fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) and is safe. LNAB histology has higher specificity than FNA cytology and markedly reduces the number of inadequate and indeterminate FNA findings. A comparison of 150 FNA‐derived cell blocks with 200 LNAB‐derived histological blocks after galectin‐3 determination in a large nationwide (Italian) study has shown that one to two sections in 10% of the FNA cell blocks and at least five sections in 90% of the LNAB blocks were available for further determinations of thyroid tumour markers.Conclusion:  LNAB merits further consideration for the preoperative selection of thyroid nodules.
Pathogenicity of a human thyroglobulin peptide (2340–2359) in mice with high or low genetic susceptibility to thyroiditis
Authors: Hatzioannou Aikaterini , Liakata Elisavet , Karras Evangelos , Thrasyvoulides Apollon , Alevizaki Maria , Lymberi Peggy 
Published: June 2007

SummaryWe have previously identified a 20‐mer peptide of human thyroglobulin (hTg), p2340 (aa2340–2359), which induced experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) in AKR/J (H‐2k) and HLA‐DR3 transgenic mice. In this study, we investigated the thyroiditogenic potential of p2340 in ‘high responder’ CBA/J (H‐2k) and SJL/J (H‐2s) or ‘low responder’ C57BL/6 (H‐2b) and BALB/c (H‐2d) mice. Mice were immunized subcutaneously with 100 nmol of p2340 in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and both the proliferative capacity of their lymph node cells in the presence of p2340 or intact Tg and the production of peptide‐specific antibodies were investigated. The p2340 peptide was found to contain B‐cell and non‐dominant T‐cell epitope(s) in all strains tested. Moreover, it elicited EAT in CBA/J (2/6, infiltration index (I.I.) 1) and SJL/J (5/5, I.I. 1‐3) mice after direct challenge and in BALB/c (4/7, I.I. 1) and C57BL/6 (1/5, I.I. 1) after adoptive transfer of p2340‐primed lymph node cells. P2340 is the first Tg peptide found to be pathogenic in low as well as high responder mouse strains and thus will allow us to investigate mechanisms of EAT induction in a genetically resistant host.
Role of endogenous 4‐1BB in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Vinay Dass S. , Choi Jae H. , Kim Jung D. , Choi Beom K. , Kwon Byoung S. 
Published: June 2007

SummarySystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by the production of autoantibodies directed against nuclear antigens including nucleosomes and DNA. To determine the role of T‐cell costimulatory molecule 4‐1BB in the regulation of SLE, MRL‐Faslpr (lpr) mice deficient in 4‐1BB (lpr/4‐1BB–/–) were generated and their disease phenotype was compared to that of control lpr mice. The main finding of this study is that the lpr/4‐1BB–/– mice had more pronounced skin lesions which appeared earlier, increased lymphadenopathy, increased renal damage, and higher mortality than 4‐1BB‐intact control lpr mice. The increased severity of lesions in lpr/4‐1BB–/– mice was closely associated with increases in CD4+ T, CD3+ B220+ double‐negative T cells, serum immunoglobulin, anti‐dsDNA autoantibodies, and tissue immunoglobulin deposits. These data suggest that the 4‐1BB−4‐1BB ligand signalling pathway plays an important role in SLE and that deletion of 4‐1BB confers susceptibility to lpr mice, leading to accelerated induction of disease and early mortality.
Nutritional assessment of patients before gastrointestinal surgery and nurses’ approach to this issue
Authors: Aydin Nursel , Karaöz Süreyya 
Published: June 2007

Aims and objectives.  This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional status of patients before gastrointestinal surgery and to reveal nurses’ opinions about this issue.Background.  Although there is increasing awareness that malnutrition constitutes an important problem, especially when it accompanies diseases, malnutrition in hospitalized patients is not being diagnosed or treated.Design.  This study was descriptive.Methods.  Subjective global assessment and anthropometric/biochemical measurements were used to evaluate the nutritional status of 57 patients hospitalized for gastrointestinal surgery. Related opinions of eight nurses were obtained via semi‐structured interviews.Results.  The malnutrition rate was high in patients before gastrointestinal surgery, and the nurses were not able to evaluate nutritional status properly. Furthermore, the nurses lacked knowledge.Conclusions.  This study indicates the importance of evaluating the nutritional status of patients before surgery and the necessity of developing nutritional support plans.Relevance to clinical practice.  Our study showed that subjective global assessment is an easy and useful scale for evaluating the nutritional status of patients. Nurses are suitable team members for continuous nutritional care and therefore must not delegate this role.