bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Five Ways of Institutionalizing Political Opposition: Lessons from the Advanced Democracies
Authors: Helms Ludger 
Published: January 2004

AbstractLegitimate political opposition constitutes a key component of any form of liberal democracy, which has, however, received surprisingly scant attention in the more recent political science literature. In an attempt to revitalize the debate about the various forms of political opposition, this paper starts with distinguishing five different ways or models of institutionalizing political opposition in liberal democratic systems. It goes on to look at how these different models have worked in the constitutional practice of selected western democracies. In the second part of this article, the focus is on the possible lessons that constitution-makers in democratizing countries could draw from this experience. Whereas there is no best model of opposition in general, some models would seem to be better suited to meet the particular needs of new democracies than others.
Creating Democracy's Good Losers: The Rise, Fall and Return of Parliamentary Disorder in Post-war Japan
Authors: Wolfe Eugene L. 
Published: January 2004

Abstract‘Good losers’, legislators willing to play by parliamentary rules, even at the cost of defeat, are a microfoundation of democracy. Yet how they are created has not been adequately explained. Theories focusing on institutions, evolving norms, electoral incentives and ideology do not account for the case of post-war Japan, where deliberate disorder was common in the 1950s and 1960s, absent in the 1970s and 1980s, and returned in the 1990s. This paper highlights the importance of the legislative majority's behaviour in encouraging procedural compliance through the provision of informal mechanisms of consultation and compromise. The lack of such mechanisms also explains periods of parliamentary disorder in other countries.
Being Irish
Authors: de-Shalit Avner 
Published: January 2004

AbstractThe case of Israeli identity is a good example of the paradox of national identity and national self-determination. On the one hand Israelis put forwards ‘centripetal’ claims about why they are part of the family of nations. These claims are based on universal arguments and would go hand-in-hand with universal (often liberal) values. On the other hand they maintain ‘centrifugal’ claims, about ‘breaking away’, and about why their nation feels different from other nations. Centrifugal claims emphasize a people's uniqueness and tend to refer to particularistic morality. In the case of Israeli identity, emphasizing the particularistic goes together with chauvinistic attitudes towards other nations.It is argued that the more vulnerable Israelis feel, the more they define themselves in a centrifugal way, that is, by distinguishing themselves from the rest of humankind. This tendency, I argue, proves a self-fulfilling prophecy: the more a nation defines itself in centrifugal terms, the more paranoid it becomes; this, in turn, serves to fan the flames of suspicion even more, and sustains the nation's self-image as different, unique and detached. The nation enters a vicious circle, which prevents it from becoming a normal member of the family of nations.
Sensitization to cross‐reactive carbohydrate determinants and the ubiquitous protein profilin: mimickers of allergy
Authors: Ebo D. G. , Hagendorens M. M. , Bridts C. H. , De clerck L. S. , Stevens W. J. 
Published: January 2004

SummaryBackground
During the last decade, evidence has been provided for profilins and cross‐reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCDs) to be capable of inducing cross‐reactive IgE antibodies with little clinical relevance.Objective
To investigate the prevalence of sensitization to CCD and profilin in isolated allergies (birch, timothy grass, house dust mite, pets (cat and/or dog), natural rubber latex (NRL) and hymenoptera venom). To study the contribution of anti‐CCD and anti‐profilin IgE antibodies as a cause of clinically irrelevant IgE for NRL and apple.Methods
For the first part of the study, 100 patients with inhalant allergy, 17 patients with NRL allergy and 40 patients with venom anaphylaxis were enrolled. Diagnosis was based on a questionnaire and a positive IgE determination and skin test for relevant allergen. Patients were identified as sensitized to CCD if they had a negative prick test and positive IgE for the glycoprotein bromelain. Sensitization to profilin was assessed by IgE for rBet v 2 (recombinant birch profilin). For the second part of the study, sera containing IgE against apple (n=82) or NRL (n=38) were classified as true‐negative or false‐positive according to the presence or absence of an oral allergy syndrome (OAS) or NRL‐induced anaphylaxis. In these patients, sensitization to CCD and profilin was evaluated as described above.Results
No sensitization to bromelain‐type CCD and profilin was found in isolated birch pollen or NRL allergy. In contrast, sensitization to bromelain‐type CCD was found in 4/17 patients with isolated grass pollinosis, 5/24 patients with combined pollinosis (birch, timothy, mugwort) and 7/33 patients with venom anaphylaxis. Sensitization to profilin was almost restricted to patients with combined pollen allergy (5/24). In pollen‐allergic individuals with a false‐positive IgE against NRL the prevalence of sensitization to bromelain‐type CCD and profilin IgE was higher than in NRL‐allergic patients (P<0.00001 and P=0.0006, respectively). In pollen‐allergic individuals with a false‐positive IgE to apple, the frequency of sensitization to bromelain‐type CCD was higher than in OAS patients (P=0.004). Clinically irrelevant NRL and apple were also found in four and five out of the seven patients sensitized to venom CCD, respectively. In pollinosis, clinically irrelevant NRL and apple IgE antibodies were inhibited by bromelain and recombinant birch profilin, whereas in isolated venom anaphylaxis these antibodies were inhibited by bromelain.Conclusions
Patients monoallergic to NRL or birch pollen showed no sensitization to bromelain‐type CCD or profilin. Sensitization to profilin and/or bromelain‐type CCD, caused by pollen (timothy grass, mugwort) or hymenoptera venom allergens, can elicit false‐positive IgE antibodies against NRL and apple.
Effect of intranasal fluticasone propionate and triamcinolone acetonide on basal and dynamic measures of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal‐axis activity in healthy volunteers
Authors: Bachert C. , Lukat K.‐F. , Lange B. 
Published: January 2004

SummaryBackground
Most published studies show that intranasal corticosteroids have no effect on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, but there have been isolated reports to the contrary, contradicting accumulated knowledge on pharmacokinetics.Objective
To re‐evaluate the effect of fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray (FPANS) and triamcinolone acetonide (TAA) aqueous nasal spray on the HPA axis using an improved study design.Methods
Twenty‐three healthy volunteers were randomized in a double‐blind, three‐way crossover study. The study comprised a 4‐day placebo run‐in phase followed by three 4‐day treatment periods (placebo, FPANS (200 μg once daily) or TAA aqueous nasal spray (220 μg once daily)), separated by 7–14 days washout intervals. Before the first, and on the last day of each treatment period, 12‐h overnight urine was collected to assess cortisol excretion and cortisol creatinine ratio. Approximately 26 h after the last administration of study medication, volunteers underwent stimulation with 0.5 μg adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Serum cortisol concentrations were measured before and 20 and 30 min after injection. Blood and urine samples were analysed for cortisol by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.Results
Compared with placebo, EP or TAA had no significant effect on mean overnight (12 h) urinary cortisol excretion, and did not significantly suppress the overnight geometric mean urinary cortisol/creatinine excretion ratio. Values for serum cortisol before and after ACTH simulation showed no significant suppression, although there was a slight blunting of the HPA‐axis response following TAA treatment.Conclusion
This study confirms that there are no detectable effects on the HPA axis following short‐term intranasal FP or TAA at their recommended dosages.
Cleaning of rotary nickel–titanium endodontic instruments
Authors: Linsuwanont P. , Parashos P. , Messer H. H. 
Published: January 2004

AbstractAim  To develop and evaluate an effective cleaning procedure for rotary nickel–titanium (NiTi) endodontic instruments.Methodology  New rotary instruments (ProFile size 25/.04) were contaminated by preparing canals of extracted teeth. Three factors were evaluated to develop an effective cleaning sequence: dry or moist storage before cleaning; mechanical removal (brushing); and chemical dissolution in 1% NaOCl with ultrasonication. Debris on flutes was scored after staining in situ with Van Gieson's solution at ×45 magnification. Debris was classified as stained or unstained particulate debris and organic film, and rated as none, slight, moderate or heavy. The effectiveness of a recommended cleaning sequence was tested on different instrument types and in private endodontic practices.Results  All new instruments showed metallic spurs and fine particulate debris on the surfaces. After contamination, brushing alone removed most particulate debris, but did not remove organic film. NaOCl effectively removed organic film. Under laboratory conditions, the sequential cleaning procedures (moist storage, brushing followed by immersion in 1% NaOCl and ultrasonic cleaning) totally removed organic debris. Dry storage before cleaning or autoclaving with debris present reduced cleaning effectiveness (P < 0.001, one‐way anova). In three private practices, the cleaning protocol substantially reduced biological contamination, but complete cleaning was not always achieved (87% clean).Conclusion  Complete removal of organic debris from instruments is feasible using a combination of mechanical removal and chemical dissolution, but requires meticulous attention to details.
Three‐dimensional observation of pulp cavities in the maxillary first premolar tooth using micro‐CT
Authors: Oi T. , Saka H. , Ide Y. 
Published: January 2004

AbstractAim  To observe three‐dimensional morphological changes with age in the pulp cavities of maxillary first premolar teeth.Methodology  The specimens used in this study were 10 maxillary first premolar teeth (five males and five females) obtained from patients in three age groups, namely in their twenties (20s), forties (40s) and sixties (60s). Each specimen was imaged by a micro‐CT to reconstruct the three‐dimensional structure. Then, using the reconstructed images, the morphological characteristics of the pulp cavity, the volume ratio at the horn region, the floor region and the overall region of the pulp chamber and the diameters of the buccal and lingual orifices of the root canals were compared between the three age groups.Results  The mesio‐distal widths and the heights of the pulp cavity decreased with age. The volume ratio and the diameter of the root canal orifices also decreased. The decrease in volume was not constant but showed a large decrease between the 20s and the 40s, compared to those of 40s to 60s.Conclusions  Morphological features of the pulp cavity of maxillary first premolar teeth in different age groups were observed three dimensionally using micro‐CT. Decreases in pulp cavity size and shape with age were clarified using a three‐dimensional technique.
Relationship between theory of mind and language ability in children and adolescents with intellectual disability
Authors: Abbeduto L. , Short‐Meyerson K. , Benson G. , Dolish J. 
Published: January 2004

AbstractBackground  The present study was designed to evaluate the validity of the false belief task as a measure of theory of mind development in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). In most if it variants, the false belief task is linguistically demanding. This raises the possibility that the finding that individuals with ID do poorly on it might reflect language difficulties rather than theory of mind difficulties. Complicating matters further, however, is the fact that there are theoretical reasons to suppose that there might be a relationship between some dimensions of language ability and theory of mind development in individuals with ID (as well as in other populations).Method  In the present study, children and adolescents with ID and typically developing (non‐verbal) mental age matches completed a standard false belief task and several tasks designed to measure language ability.Results  We reasoned that a pattern in which false belief performance was correlated with all measures of language ability would reflect an artefactual relationship, whereas a more highly circumscribed, theoretically sensible pattern of correlations that was similar across both groups would support the validity of the false belief task.Conclusions  The results indicated that for individuals with ID who have limited narrative language skills, those limitations contribute substantially to their failure on the false belief task. For individuals with ID who have more highly developed narrative language skills (about 40% of the sample tested), however, the false belief task may provide a valid measure of their progress towards acquiring an adequate theory of mind. This latter conclusion was suggested by the fact screening out individuals who failed to meet linguistic and cognitive prerequisites for dealing with the performance demands of the false belief task yielded non‐significant correlations between false belief performance and the language measures for both the group with ID and the typically developing comparison group.
Features and preliminary results of the Dutch centre of the ERSPC (Rotterdam, the Netherlands)
Authors: Roobol M.J. , Kirkels W.J. , Schröder F.H. 
Published: January 2004

OBJECTIVETo describe the preliminary results of the Dutch section of a large multicentre study of screening for prostate cancer, the European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), initiated in the Netherlands and Belgium in 1991.MATERIALS AND METHODSAfter a series of five pilot studies which started in 1991, full‐capacity screening started in 1994 with the use of a serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) determination, a digital rectal examination (DRE) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) as screening tests. Depending on the results and the screening protocol used, men were referred for further examination by sextant biopsies (extended with a seventh biopsy if TRUS showed abnormality). The protocols used, efficiency of the different screening tests, number of cancers detected in the pilot studies, initial screening round and preliminary results of the second screening round are described.RESULTSAfter the pilot studies it became clear that a study of prostate cancer screening was feasible in the Rotterdam area. The screening protocol was workable and the recruitment rate acceptable (39.5%). An inventory of the population registries of Rotterdam and surrounding municipalities, and the known recruitment rate, made it clear that a contribution of 40 000 men (aged 55–74 years) from the Dutch centre to the ERSPC was feasible. The initial screening round started in December 1993 and lasted until December 1999 (protocol 5–10). In all, 42 376 men were randomized and 1014 cancers detected (5.1%). During this screening the protocol was simplified. After evaluating the different screening tests abnormal results of the DRE and TRUS were omitted as an indication for a sextant biopsy. Only a serum PSA level of ≥ 3.0 ng/mL is now used as the indication. The second screening round started in December 1997 and continues. To December 2002, 9920 men were screened for the second time, 4 years after their initial screening visit. To date 446 cancers have been detected (4.5%); this round will last to December 2003. Further evaluation of the screening regimen and characteristics of the cancers detected are constantly assessed within the Dutch ERSPC. Meanwhile a third screening round has also been initiated, which will last to December 2007.CONCLUSIONA prostate cancer screening study of the projected magnitude is feasible in Rotterdam; the recruitment rate is acceptable and the screening tests well tolerated. The study has generated many scientific publications and will be of great value in determining whether prostate cancer screening should be part of general healthcare.
Transatlantic innovation infrastructure networks: public‐private, EU–US R&D partnerships
Authors: Carayannis Elias G. , Laget Patrice 
Published: January 2004

Collaborative, team‐based research is now the most significant mode of activity in the global scientific community. Anecdotal and statistical evidence shows moreover that collaboration in scientific research is increasingly global in nature. That is, the groups of researchers who are involved in scientific progress often span one or more nations in origin, location and/or sponsorship. Another significant trend in recent cases of scientific collaboration is the increase in cross‐sectoral cooperation, where researchers in a group are employed by government, private industry, and/or academic and other non‐profit institutions.In this paper, we review the scale, scope and intensity of cross‐national, cross‐sectoral research collaboration through the analysis of historical data on co‐authorship of scientific publications. The first part of the paper reviews existing literature on the analysis of co‐authorship data, and discusses the limitations of this form of analysis and typical strategies to mitigate those limitations. The second part of the paper describes a preliminary study of cross‐national, cross‐sectoral scientific collaborations covering the years 1988 through 1997, where we examined the scale (volume of co‐authored papers), intensity (co‐authored papers versus other kinds of co‐authorship), and scope (patterns in co‐authorship) for cross‐national, cross‐sectoral collaborations. The conclusion of the paper discusses significant trends and patterns derived from this study, and their implications for further research into these types of collaborations.
Tackling the paradox: can attaining global research excellence be compatible with local technology development?
Authors: Helleputte Johan Van , Reid Alasdair 
Published: January 2004

This paper uses the case of the IMEC (microelectronics research centre) to examine the compatibility between strategic IPR management of large independent research centres, and regional industrial policy missions given to such centres in return for government funding. In particular, the issue of whether a balance can be found between a necessary drive for international recognition and critical mass of funding, and a policy of IPR valorization towards regional firms is examined.The first section sets out the mission of IMEC and the evolution over time of its strategic approach to building global industrial partnerships based on a sophisticated model of IPR management. Drawing on a recent evaluation, the subject of the second section is the extent to which the results of the industrial and exploratory research activities of IMEC are then commercialized in local Flemish industry.The concluding section offers policy conclusions in terms of the instruments and objectives which public policy makers can apply to maximize the local impact of large globally operating research centres.
New strategic goals and organizational solutions in large R&D labs: lessons from Centro Ricerche Fiat and Telecom Italia Lab
Authors: Cesaroni Fabrizio , Minin Alberto Di , Piccaluga Andrea 
Published: January 2004

The issue of corporate R&D management has become particularly relevant during the last decade, since many industrial sectors experienced growing complexity in their research areas and increasing constraints in budgets devoted to R&D activities. This paper discusses the cases of the ICT and automotive sectors, exploring the changes in managerial procedures and strategies that two of the largest corporate research centres in Italy (Telecom Italia Lab and Centro Ricerche Fiat) adopted during a delicate phase of transition.Both cases are characterized by a growing pressure towards the effective integration of short‐term and long‐term perspectives, i.e. towards a balance between valorization of research results and competencies, and exploration of new technological trajectories. The solutions adopted by the two organizations are explored and discussed. Specifically, while TiLab focused on the promotion of controlled spin‐off companies, CRF has been very active in local technology transfer, especially in favour of SMFs.
The evolution of a local R&D strategy: the experience of a service in the UK National Health Service (NHS)
Authors: Rogers David 
Published: January 2004

Increasing concern about the state of health‐related research in the UK in the 80s and early 90s, led to an influential parliamentary review. The consequence of this was to strengthen health research through a programme that was fully integrated into the management structure of the NHS. No country had ever attempted such an ambitious approach (Black, 1997). In 1994 a far‐reaching review, recommended further, revolutionary changes to the management of R&D in the UK National Health Service (Culyer, 1994). Many of these were implemented in 1997 with the result that every UK health service at regional and local level has developed an infrastructure, and management arrangements for R&D activity. In most local areas, hospitals with significant involvement in R&D have been eligible to bid to the UK Department of Health for NHS R&D Support funds.In Nottingham, three Hospital Trusts and a community based service made bids to the Department of Health and received grants to support R&D. This paper focuses on one of the hospital Trusts ‐ the mental health service in Nottingham. Our experience will be of particular interest as the first bid that the mental health service made was spectacularly unsuccessful. The organisation was forced to consider dis‐investment in its existing research infrastructure and a potential negative impact on the provision of patient care. This led to a wide‐ranging consultation and evaluation of research and research‐related activity. A range of approaches and tools were deployed to develop the strategy and to ensure its successful implementation and evolution. The strategy reflected a balanced approach, taking into account historical and organisational research strengths, while recognising the need to build capacity and capability, enhance foresight capability and strengthen the knowledge base. The ability to contribute to, and influence policy and practice has been a key driver of the strategy.The result was a successful bid and the evolution of an R&D strategy that has been flexible in its response to policy changes, changing local circumstances and wider socio‐economic trends and technical innovations. Furthermore, R&D performance, measured through outputs, impacts and income, has continually improved and increased.
The externalisation of R&D activities and the growing market of product development services
Authors: Chiesa Vittorio , Manzini Raffaella , Pizzurno Emanuele 
Published: January 2004

Several authors in recent years have discussed the observed trend towards the externalisation of (part of) a firm's R&D activities. As a consequence, several companies have been created that provide innovators with technical and scientific services such as R&D contracts, laboratory testing services, technology consulting, industrial design, engineering.The paper is based upon an empirical study which consists of (i) an extensive analysis, in which information has been collected (for about two hundred companies) on size, location and type of services offered; (ii) an intensive analysis, in which one case is studied in depth of a company providing product development services. Some conclusions have been drawn regarding the characteristics of the market of product development services and the management and organisation of companies operating in that market.