bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Epistemological Argument Against a Causal Relationship Between Media Violence and Sociopathic Behavior Among Psychologically Well Viewers
Authors: Grimes Tom , Bergen Lori
Published: March 2008

Much of the media violence research that has occurred, principally in the United States, has been based on a fundamental epistemological error: A correlation between variables— that is, between the consumption of media violence and acted-out aggression—has been inferred by many researchers to be a causal relationship. This article suggests that scholars who infer causation from correlation miss an important point. They propose to rescue a deeply flawed literary corpus by applying statistical principles that do not account for the theoretical and methodological disarray of much of the media violence literature, a disarray that invalidates their probabilistic calculations. This article suggests that rather than argue a causal hypothesis, it is more productive to untangle the conceptual and methodological confusion that hobbles this study area. A by-product could be the dissolution of the causal argument: The putative causal relationship between society's consumption of media violence and social aggression may disappear.
Psychic Plasticity, Resilience, and Reactions to Media Violence
Authors: Twemlow Stuart W. , Bennett Tanya
Published: March 2008

This article develops answers to the question, “Are there psychiatric processes or some general psychological predisposition that makes nondiagnosed people susceptible to media violence consumption in a way that would lead to lifelong aggressive behavior?” The authors discuss the assumptions they make about what this question is trying to answer, review factors known to precipitate destructive aggressiveness, and clarify environmental exposures' being a small part of a long list of precipitants. They discuss neuroplasticity, how the brain interacts with and is structurally and functionally altered by the environment, and introduce resilience, which enables some to respond functionally to trauma and others less so. They mention their work examining exposure to violence within schools and the impact it has on school climates and vulnerable children, illustrating the importance of social factors relating to aggression. The authors conclude by reformulating the question, allowing human psychopathological reactions to be seen in their glorious, nonparsimonious complexity.
The Production of Media Violence and Aggression Research
Authors: Anderson James A.
Published: March 2008

This study investigates the continuing production of media effects research that focuses on the media violence and aggression (MV/A) connection. It does so by analyzing the production trends and characteristics evidenced in an archive of 966 MV/A journal articles. The analysis found the archive marked by initiatives in governmental funding and private philanthropy, shifting disciplinary interests, cycles of editorial attention, and the economies of disciplinary authentication and professional legitimation. Analysis of the mainline arguments indicated a shift from an audience-activated effect to one in which the individual is an unwitting accomplice. Finally, the study showed that the continuing interest in media serves to deflect attention from much more serious (but much more costly to remedy) sources of aggression and to elevate the role of media to that same level of importance.
Processes of Place Identification and Residential Satisfaction
Authors: Fleury-Bahi Ghozlane , Félonneau Marie-Line , Marchand Dorothée
Published: March 2008

What are the connections between an individual's satisfaction with his or her neighborhood and the processes of identifying with the location? A path model was tested in which the length of residence promotes the identification processes, which are in turn likely to influence the degree of satisfaction with the residential environment. The components of residential satisfaction were also isolated to show that all the components of satisfaction are not equally affected by identification. A survey was taken with a sampling of 257 participants all residing in an urban environment in three major French cities. A scale of residential satisfaction and a scale of place identification were used. The tested model shows a good fit with the data. Furthermore, the results show that an individual's sense of identification with his or her neighborhood interacts primarily with the social aspects of satisfaction.
Reading Lives: How the Personal Might be Social
Authors: Evans Mary
Published: March 2008

This article addresses the issue of how sociologists can re-integrate the study, and the status, of the individual into social theory. The author suggests that biography and autobiography provide important resources, through which it is possible to see how specific people internalise particular social expectations and aspirations. The essay includes a brief discussion of aspects of the lives of Simone de Beauvoir and Virginia Woolf.
On Auto/Biography in Sociology
Authors: Stanley Liz
Published: March 2008

The specification of temporal origins for biography and autobiography — typically within the Enlightenment or modernism — that appear in sociological discussion are interrogated through discussing two parallel sites of origin. The first is Merton's discussion of `sociological autobiography', the second the feminist concern with reflexivity within sociological research processes. Both are related to the notion of `auto/biography'. `Auto/biography' disrupts conventional taxonomies of life writing, disputing its divisions of self/other, public/private, and immediacy/memory. Relatedly, `the auto/biographical I' signals the active inquiring presence of sociologists in constructing, rather than discovering, knowledge.
Taking it Personally: A Note on Emotion and Autobiography
Authors: Wilkins Ruth
Published: March 2008

`Don't take it personally' is advice commonly issued to researchers to protect us from painful experiences. Such advice denies the value of our own emotional resources. This note uses my own emotional responses to my research to suggest ways in which `taking it personally' can foster a sophisticated sensibility in the research setting and enhance sociological understanding.
Healing Sylvia: Accounting for the Textual `Discovery' of Unconscious Knowledge
Authors: Davies Michele L.
Published: March 2008

This article consists of an examination of some aspects of a `memoir of incest and of healing', which documents the `discovery', through the uncovering of `unconscious' events, of the authors knowledge that she was sexually abused as a child. Reviewers and researchers have used this text, and other first person accounts, as representative of the `reality' of sexual abuse and the `truthfulness' and `honesty' of the author. Alternatively, I do not consider the representative capacity of the memoir, but rather focus on the constitutive properties of the text, to explicate how `truth' and `reality' are produced. Emphasis is laid upon the procedures used to make subjectivity objective through an analysis of the text's appropriation of tacit linguistic and cultural resources. This is not simply an analytic matter as, in practical terms, it reins highly consequential for the negotiation of guilt, blame and responsibility. This approach towards the sociological use of autobiography is analytically highly productive.
Adam Smith's Critique of International Trading Companies
Authors: Muthu Sankar
Published: March 2008

The interpretive strategy of this article is to identify the joint stock company as an independent unit of analysis in Adam Smith's theory of international political economy. Such companies, in Smith's view, had corrupted and captured many European and non-European governments and undermined their societies' ability to engage in peaceful transnational affairs and equitable self-rule. In contrast with Smith's well-known concerns about the rise of commerce in modern Europe in his four-stage account of social development— which were outweighed, in his view, by the many material benefits and personal liberties brought about by the eclipse of feudalism—his narrative of globalization offers a trenchantly critical appraisal of commercial practices that ultimately undermine many of the gains that the initial rise of modern commerce once made possible. Even in his rare moments of optimism about the future of global relations, Smith remained deeply ambivalent about globalization.
Experiments on step climbing and simulations on inverse pendulum control using robotic wheelchair with inverse pendulum control
Authors: Takahashi Yoshihiko , Ogawa Shinobu , Machida Shigenori
Published: March 2008

A robotic wheelchair with inverse pendulum control has been proposed in this paper. By using the robotic wheelchair, a wheelchair-bound person can climb over a step up to about 7 cm without a helper's assistance. The robotic wheelchair moves on flat ground using four wheels. It raises its front wheels in front of a step, and maintains the inverse pendulum control. A user riding can go forwards and backwards using his/her body inclination maintaining the inverse pendulum control. The inverse pendulum control is stopped when the front wheels proceed over a step. After the front wheels land on the step, the robotic wheelchair can climb over the step, assisted by DC motor force. In order to raise the front wheels using small DC motors, the robotic wheelchair can move its rear wheel drive shafts. This paper presents the experiments on step climbing, the modelling of the control system, and the simulations on the inverse pendulum control. The step climbing function of the proposed robotic wheelchair has been successfully tested.
On-line neural network training for maximum power point tracking of PV power plant
Authors: Zhang L. , Bai Y.F.
Published: March 2008

The paper presents a new method to achieve maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for practical grid-connected PV panels. The method employs the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) to predict the PV plant's maximum power points corresponding to different weather conditions. The RBFNN model can be trained on-line, autonomously, using a simplified genetic algorithm (SGA). The method has been verified by modelling the MPP points for practical PV panels located in Southampton and Leeds, respectively. The Leeds model has been used to control a prototype PV-grid-connected power generation system. The on-line RBFNN training scheme is discussed in detail and experimental results are presented which compared favourably with the conventional perturbation and observation (P&O) technique.
Quantum mechanics and dynamic programming
Authors: Rosenbrock H.H. , Ding Z.
Published: March 2008

This brief paper continues a development in earlier publications by Rosenbrock, in which results in quantum mechanics were obtained by adding a random disturbance to Hamilton's principle. The disturbance is complex, and the resulting variational problem is solved by dynamic programming, which computes the causal relations needed to accomplish a purpose. It is shown here that this procedure leads to many results that agree with those obtained in the standard theory of quantum mechanics, but also to some that are not readily obtained in that theory. For example, certain changes at a time tm to the end condition xf, which will be reached at tf>tm, can instantaneously change some aspects of the particle's behaviour at t m while it is still in transit. This accounts for Einstein's `spooky action at a distance'. An approach is also given to interference and entanglement, which is simpler than the standard account and may therefore be useful in quantum control and quantum computation.
Resource-Based Advantages in an International Context†
Authors: Brouthers Keith D. , Brouthers Lance Eliot , Werner Steve
Published: March 2008

How universal are resource-based advantages? In this study, the authors suggest that differences in nations' institutional environments may influence the applicability of resource-based advantages; for this reason, the effectiveness of such advantages may vary cross-nationally. They hypothesize and find that adding the moderating influence of national institutional environment to a resource-based perspective better explains strategic decisions (entry mode choice) in an international context than does a mere resource-based approach. The analysis also shows that decisions predicted by a model incorporating both perspectives yield better subsidiary performance. Thus, results suggest that, at least in an international setting, resource-based advantages appear to be context specific. Based on these results, the authors conclude that considering country-specific contextual influences on the value of resource-based advantages allows firms to make strategic decisions that improve international subsidiary performance.
Facilitating Grassroots Development: the role of ALP in Division VIII countries
Authors: Gorman G.E. , Dorner Daniel G. , Sandell Birgitta
Published: March 2008

Describes the origins and development of the Advancement of Development through Libraries (ALP), launched as a core programme of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in 1984 and funded mainly from sources in the Nordic countries. Outlines the ALP philosophy, based on a belief in grassroots development, and its grassroots framework, expressed in terms of its Strategic Plan. Since 1991, 181 projects, including inservice trainings, training in ICT and information literacy, and travel grants, have been carried out at a total cost of more than USD 3 million. Projects are initiated from within the developing regions and carried out by professionals in the regions. These activities support the three pillars of IFLA: The Profession; Society; and the Membership. Identifies the characteristics of a good project and briefly describes examples of good training workshop projects on the Preservation of African Photographic Collections, Managing Digital Libraries and Information Literacy. Concludes that ALP is very important to library development and the visibility of IFLA in developing countries, but that the financial support base needs to be broadened.
Library Personalization Systems: an Indian experience
Authors: Jeevan V.K.J.
Published: March 2008

Personalization of library resources is projected as a viable alternative to tide over the information explosion and to conserve the time of users for more productive intellectual tasks. Personalization needs sufficient electronic content at one's site as well as suitable mechanisms to identify the user through his or her profile, selectively search the content that matches the user profile, and arrange and present it to the user in an appealing fashion. The different components of a content personalization system include: `Content Serving System' to host electronic content beyond a critical mass, `User Interest Management System' to manage dynamic user profiles, `Search Engine' to automatically match content with profiles and `Personalized Content Delivery' mechanisms for delivering matched results to the user. Technological advancements made by web enabled computing coupled with continued user interest to gather information resources available on the web led many popular portals to bring in the concept of content personalization suiting varied user interests. A few such initiatives are explained. Library personalization projects like MyLibrary in different university libraries in advanced countries are discussed. To explore the efficacy of library personalization systems in a developing country, the SAI personalization prototype developed in the Central Library of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur is described in detail.
An Apologia for the Human Mind
Authors: de Maré Patrick , Schoïllberger Roberto
Published: March 2008

Mind is very rarely referred to directly and seems to be a taboo subject and when addressed it is never explained, state the authors of this article. There is a need to acknowledge its existence which is shown in different shapes by shamanism, religions, mysticism, philosophies and mathematics and pre-empts them. Like a red thread, the mind runs through the history of humankind and undergoes a universal law of dualities which it is the function of the mind to disentangle and synthesise. As the way to our mind is the mind itself, the authors regard psychotherapy as providing a unique philosophy of its own, which presupposes a new approach to the whole philosophy. Never has the Mind been taken as so central to healing and by the same token participation in the Median Group is evidently therapeutic.
From Freud to Foulkes to the Future: The Development of Group Analysis and its Continual Evolution
Authors: Hakeem Az
Published: March 2008

In this paper the author examines a quote by Foulkes and Anthony from 1965 and explores its validity throughout the development of group analysis from its origins in psychoanalysis outlining its evolution over time to the present day and makes suggestions for its future direction.
Identifying the Factors That Influence Positioning Strategy in U.K. Charitable Organizations That Provide Public Services
Authors: Chew Celine , Osborne Stephen P.
Published: March 2008

This article is based on empirical research that for the first time identifies and explains the key factors that influence the organizational-level positioning strategy of charities involved in the delivery of public services within the wider voluntary nonprofit sector in the United Kingdom. The multidimensional factors are integrated in a theoretical model, which the authors argue is better able to accommodate the charitable context. The model suggests that a combination of external environmental, organizational, and mediating factors influence the positioning strategy of charities. Several of these factors are unique to the charitable context. They highlight the inadequacy of the existing marketing and strategy literature on positioning to fully explain strategic positioning in charities. Together, the research findings and the model provide distinct additions to the voluntary sector management literature while also providing an alternative perspective to researching charity positioning in contemporary marketing and strategy literature.
Changes in the management of information in audio-visual archives following digitization: Current and future outlook
Authors: Caldera-Serrano Jorge
Published: March 2008

This article attempts to offer an overview of the current changes that are being experienced in the management of audio-visual documentation and those that can be forecast in the future as a result of the migration from analogue to digital information. For this purpose the documentary chain will be used as a basis to analyse individually the tasks that are more significantly affected by this documentary and technological revolution. Although this article will focus on the management of television audio-visual information and the changes in ordinary documentation activities, the results may also be applied to other institutions working with the moving image. Automatic classification, automatic indexing, voice and video recognition and automatic generation of thesauri are some of the elements considered as potential and/or feasible methods to deal with and understand the information management activity of television channels.
Making e-books available through public libraries
Authors: Mcknight Cliff , Dearnley James , Morris Anne
Published: March 2008

This paper considers the results of an online questionnaire survey that collected user data on e-book collections held at Essex County Libraries over a two-year period between April 2004 and June 2006. The research was funded by the Laser Foundation, and specifically considered e-book collections held on Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices, as well as collections viewable on Personal Computers with Internet access. Questionnaire responses from 58 individuals indicated clearly that marketing of e-book collections needs serious consideration, that certain genres were popular with users (notably Science Fiction), and that the largest number of respondents were aged between 21 and 30. As we discuss, the findings of this questionnaire survey offer few insights into e-book usage that have not been reported in other research. However, what the findings do illustrate clearly is that publicity afforded to e-book and other electronic collections remains crucial. From perusal of the data, 47 of the 58 respondents found out about the e-book collections after browsing the website. Whilst this obviously indicates that the website is indeed useful, the fact that only nine respondents investigated the collections having seen publicity material tells another story.
Response of Anisotropic Nonlinearly Viscoelastic Solids
Authors: Rajagopal K.R. , Wineman A.S.
Published: March 2008

Despite the technological relevance of anisotropic nonlinear viscoelastic solids, little effort has been expended in the development of specific constitutive theories. In this study we develop a constitutive model for describing the nonlinear response of anisotropic viscoelastic solids that might be well suited to describe the response of biological and geological solids. The model is an integral model that takes into account the history of deformation of the body. Using the model a few boundary value problems are studied, namely the time dependent extension and shearing of such bodies.
Phase Transformations in Isotropic Elastic Materials Induced by Shear Stress States
Authors: De Tommasi Domenico , Foti Pilade
Published: March 2008

In this paper we study the stable two-phase deformations for an incompressible isotropic elastic body subjected to a homogeneous distribution of dead load tractions on the boundary with two opposite principal forces, whereas the third one is arbitrary. By considering a stored energy function with a nonconvex (rank-one) dependence on the first invariant of strain and an added linear dependence on the second invariant, we determine values of the boundary tractions which support stable two-phase deformations and discuss some kinematical properties of such solutions.
'Despotism' and 'Tyranny' Unmasking a Tenacious Confusion
Authors: Turchetti Mario
Published: March 2008

Terms such as 'despotism' and 'tyranny' which proved efficacious in clarifying political debate until the beginning of the 19th century, have been eliminated from the vocabulary of political science because of a confusion that has muddled their sense. This vocabulary has thus become impoverished to the advantage of terms like 'autocracy', or yet others, especially 'dictatorship', equally vague and imprecise. This article demonstrates (through the adventures of the term 'despotism' during 23 centuries) that we have forgotten a distinction between these two 'conceptual terms' which was clear in the past, and it attempts to understand at which moment in history the confusion occurred and why. There is no question of restoring the distinction in contemporary political vocabulary. This work would simply like to encourage people to reflect on the political terminology inherited from tradition, on the correct use of concepts and of their definitions, in order to reintegrate political vocabulary and render it more useful in decrypting contemporary reality, which remains often complex and even undecipherable.
Reinvestment and Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Wong W. L. , Masters R. S. W. , Maxwell J. P. , Abernethy A. B.
Published: March 2008

Background. Falls are common in older adults and have many adverse consequences. In an attempt to prevent further incidents, elder fallers may consciously monitor and control their movements. Ironically, conscious movement control may be one factor that contributes to disruption of automaticity of walking, increasing the likelihood of subsequent falls. Objective. The Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS), which aims to measure the propensity for movement-related self-consciousness and for conscious processing of movement, was used to try to discriminate elder fallers from non-fallers. Methods. Fifty-two volunteer older adults, aged 65 or above, participated. In addition to the 10-item MSRS, participants completed the Mini-Mental State Examination questionnaire, Timed “Up & Go” test, and Four Word Short-Term Memory test. Demographics including age, gender, and history of falling were collected. Results. Elder fallers scored significantly higher than non-fallers on both the movement self-consciousness and conscious motor processing components of the MSRS. Logistic regression revealed a significant association between the MSRS (conscious motor processing component) and “faller or non-faller” status. Conclusions. Elder fallers may have a higher propensity to consciously control their movements. The MSRS shows potential as a clinical tool with which to predict falls in the elderly, as well as to gain insight into the perception of safety during walking in any impaired patient.
The use of the Social Cognitive Skills Test with children with autistic spectrum disorders
Authors: Coleman Naomi , Julian Hare Dougal , Farrell Peter , Van Manen Teun
Published: March 2008

With increased diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and the wide range of ability within this diagnosis, appropriate and accurate appraisal of specific ability are necessary to increase understanding of behaviour and inform effective intervention. The Social Cognitive Skills Test (SCST) focuses on the assessment of social reasoning skills. The present study investigated whether the SCST can usefully measure social reasoning ability in children with ASD. Eight children with ASD and eight typically developing children aged 5—13 years, who were matched on verbal comprehension, block design score and gender, took part in this pilot study. A decreasing trend in scores as the complexity of social cognitive skills increased was noted together with a significant difference between the two groups on three out of four social cognitive levels. This pilot study suggests the applicability of the SCST for use with children with ASD to assess social reasoning abilities.
Beyond the increasing complexity of the immunomodulatory HLA-G molecule
Authors: Carosella Edgardo D. , Favier Benoit , Rouas-Freiss Nathalie , Moreau Philippe , LeMaoult Joel
Published: March 2008

Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a nonclassic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule that functions as an immunomodulatory molecule capable of protecting fetal tissues from the maternal immune system. The relevance of HLA-G in other contexts was investigated soon afterward. Numerous studies have sought (and some have shown) the relevance of HLA-G in pathologic conditions, such as transplantation, autoimmunity, and cancer and hematologic malignancies. One of the main goals of the current research on HLA-G is now to use it in the clinic, either for diagnosis or as a therapeutic tool/target. For this, precise knowledge on the nature and functions of HLA-G is critical. We highlight here what we consider are recent key basic findings on the immunomodulatory function of HLA-G. These strengthen the case for considering HLA-G as clinically relevant.
A quantitative method to assess extrasynaptic NMDA receptor function in the protective effect of synaptic activity against neurotoxicity
Authors: Bengtson C Peter , Dick Oliver , Bading Hilmar
Published: March 2008

Background

Extrasynaptic NMDA receptors couple to a CREB shut-off pathway and cause cell death, whereas synaptic NMDA receptors and nuclear calcium signaling promote CREB-mediated transcription and neuronal survival. The distribution of NMDA receptors (synaptic versus extrasynaptic) may be an important parameter that determines the susceptibility of neurons to toxic insults. Changes in receptor surface expression towards more extrasynaptic NMDA receptors may lead to neurodegeneration, whereas a reduction of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors may render neurons more resistant to death. A quantitative assessment of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors in individual neurons is needed in order to investigate the role of NMDA receptor distribution in neuronal survival and death.

Results

Here we refined and verified a protocol previously used to isolate the effects of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors using the NMDA receptor open channel blocker, MK-801. Using this method we investigated the possibility that the known neuroprotective shield built up in hippocampal neurons after a period of action potential bursting and stimulation of synaptic NMDA receptors is due to signal-induced trafficking of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors or a reduction in extrasynaptic NMDA receptor function. We found that extrasynaptic NMDA receptor-mediated calcium responses and whole cell currents recorded under voltage clamp were surprisingly invariable and did not change even after prolonged (16 to 24 hours) periods of bursting and synaptic NMDA receptor activation. Averaging a large number of calcium imaging traces yielded a small (6%) reduction of extrasynaptic NMDA receptor-mediated responses in hippocampal neurons that were pretreated with prolonged bursting.

Conclusion

The slight reduction in extrasynaptic NMDA receptor function following action potential bursting and synaptic NMDA receptor stimulation could contribute to but is unlikely to fully account for activity-dependent neuroprotection. Other factors, in particular calcium signaling to the nucleus and the induction of survival promoting genes are more likely to mediate acquired neuroprotection.
The Rho-activating CNF1 toxin from pathogenic E. coli: A risk factor for human cancer development?
Authors: Travaglione Sara , Fabbri Alessia , Fiorentini Carla
Published: March 2008

Nowadays, there is increasing evidence that some pathogenic bacteria can contribute to specific stages of cancer development. The concept that bacterial infection could be involved in carcinogenesis acquired a widespread interest with the discovery that H. pylori is able to establish chronic infections in the stomach and that this infection is associated with an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Chronic infections triggered by bacteria can facilitate tumor initiation or progression since, during the course of infection, normal cell functions can come under the control of pathogen factors that directly manipulate the host regulatory pathways and the inflammatory reactions.

Renowned publications have recently corroborated the molecular mechanisms that link bacterial infections, inflammation and cancer, indicating certain strains of Escherichia coli as a risk factor for patients with colon cancer. E. coli is a normal inhabitant of the human intestine that becomes highly pathogenic following the acquisition of virulence factors, including a protein toxin named cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1). This toxin permanently activates the small GTP-binding proteins belonging to the Rho family, thus promoting a prominent polymerization of the actin cytoskeleton as well as a number of cellular responses, including changes in protein expression and functional modification of the cell physiology. CNF1 is receiving an increasing attention as a putative factor involved in transformation because of its ability to: (i) induce COX2 expression, an immediate-early gene over-expressed in some type of cancers; (ii) induce a long-lasting activation of the transcription factor NF-kB, a largely accepted marker of tumor cells; (iii) protect epithelial cells from apoptosis; (iv) ensue the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in epithelial and endothelial cells; and (v) promote cellular motility. As cancer may arise through dysfunction of the same regulatory systems, it seems likely that CNF1-producing E. coli infections can contribute to tumor development.

This review focuses on the aspects of CNF1 activity linked to cell transformation with the aim of contributing to the identification of a possible carcinogenic agent from the microbial world.
Functional diversification of duplicate genes through subcellular adaptation of encoded proteins
Authors: Marques Ana C , Vinckenbosch Nicolas , Brawand David , Kaessmann Henrik
Published: March 2008

Background

Gene duplication is the primary source of new genes with novel or altered functions. It is known that duplicates may obtain these new functional roles by evolving divergent expression patterns and/or protein functions after the duplication event. Here, using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a model organism, we investigate a previously little considered mode for the functional diversification of duplicate genes: subcellular adaptation of encoded proteins.

Results

We show that for 24-37% of duplicate gene pairs derived from the S. cerevisiae whole-genome duplication event, the two members of the pair encode proteins that localize to distinct subcellular compartments. The propensity of yeast duplicate genes to evolve new localization patterns depends to a large extent on the biological function of their progenitor genes. Proteins involved in processes with a wider subcellular distribution (for example, catabolism) frequently evolved new protein localization patterns after duplication, whereas duplicate proteins limited to a smaller number of organelles (for example, highly expressed biosynthesis/housekeeping proteins with a slow rate of evolution) rarely relocate within the cell. Paralogous proteins evolved divergent localization patterns by partitioning of ancestral localizations ('sublocalization'), but probably more frequently by relocalization to new compartments ('neolocalization'). We show that such subcellular reprogramming may occur through selectively driven substitutions in protein targeting sequences. Notably, our data also reveal that relocated proteins functionally adapted to their new subcellular environments and evolved new functional roles through changes of their physico-chemical properties, expression levels, and interaction partners.

Conclusion

We conclude that protein subcellular adaptation represents a common mechanism for the functional diversification of duplicate genes.
Accuracy of Diagnostic Tests for Cushing’s Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Metaanalyses
Authors: Elamin Mohamed B. , Murad M. Hassan , Mullan Rebecca , Erickson Dana , Harris Katherine , Nadeem Sarah , Ennis Robert , Erwin Patricia J. , Montori Victor M.
Published: March 2008

Context: The diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome (CS) requires the use of tests of unregulated hypercortisolism that have unclear accuracy.

Objective: Our objective was to summarize evidence on the accuracy of common tests for diagnosing CS.

Data Sources: We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and citation search for key articles) from 1975 through September 2007 and sought additional references from experts.

Study Selection: Eligible studies reported on the accuracy of urinary free cortisol (UFC), dexamethasone suppression test (DST), and midnight cortisol assays vs. reference standard in patients suspected of CS.

Data Extraction: Reviewers working in duplicate and independently extracted study characteristics and quality and data to estimate the likelihood ratio (LR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for each result.

Data Synthesis: We found 27 eligible studies, with a high prevalence [794 (9.2%) of 8631 patients had CS] and severity of CS. The tests had similar accuracy: UFC (n = 14 studies; LR+ 10.6, CI 5.5–20.5; LR− 0.16, CI 0.08–0.33), salivary midnight cortisol (n = 4; LR+ 8.8, CI 3.5–21.8; LR− 0.07, CI 0–1.2), and the 1-mg overnight DST (n = 14; LR+ 16.4, CI 9.3–28.8; LR− 0.06, CI 0.03–0.14). Combined testing strategies (e.g. a positive result in both UFC and 1-mg overnight DST) had similar diagnostic accuracy (n = 3; LR+ 15.4, CI 0.7–358; LR− 0.11, CI 0.007–1.57).

Conclusions: Commonly used tests to diagnose CS appear highly accurate in referral practices with samples enriched with patients with CS. Their performance in usual clinical practice remains unclear.
Telomerase does not counteract telomere shortening but protects mitochondrial function under oxidative stress
Authors: Ahmed Shaheda , Passos João F. , Birket Matthew J. , Beckmann Tina , Brings Sebastian , Peters Heiko , Birch-Machin Mark A. , von Zglinicki Thomas , Saretzki Gabriele
Published: March 2008

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that counteracts telomere shortening and can immortalise human cells. There is also evidence for a telomere-independent survival function of telomerase. However, its mechanism is not understood. We show here that TERT, the catalytic subunit of human telomerase, protects human fibroblasts against oxidative stress. While TERT maintains telomere length under standard conditions, telomeres under increased stress shorten as fast as in cells without active telomerase. This is because TERT is reversibly excluded from the nucleus under stress in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Extranuclear telomerase colocalises with mitochondria. In TERT-overexpressing cells, mtDNA is protected, mitochondrial membrane potential is increased and mitochondrial superoxide production and cell peroxide levels are decreased, all indicating improved mitochondrial function and diminished retrograde response. We propose protection of mitochondria under mild stress as a novel function of TERT.
Jun N-terminal kinase 1 regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced by TGF-β1
Authors: Alcorn John F. , Guala Amy S. , van der Velden Jos , McElhinney Brian , Irvin Charles G. , Davis Roger J. , Janssen-Heininger Yvonne M. W.
Published: March 2008

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is a cardinal cytokine in the pathogenesis of airway remodeling, and promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). As a molecular interaction between TGF-β1 and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) has been demonstrated, the goal of this study was to elucidate whether JNK plays a role in TGF-β1-induced EMT. Primary cultures of mouse tracheal epithelial cells (MTEC) from wild-type, JNK1–/– or JNK2–/– mice were comparatively evaluated for their ability to undergo EMT in response to TGF-β1. Wild-type MTEC exposed to TGF-β1 demonstrated a prominent induction of mesenchymal mediators and a loss of epithelial markers, in conjunction with a loss of trans-epithelial resistance (TER). Significantly, TGF-β1-mediated EMT was markedly blunted in epithelial cells lacking JNK1, while JNK2–/– MTEC underwent EMT in response to TGF-β1 in a similar way to wild-type cells. Although Smad2/3 phosphorylation and nuclear localization of Smad4 were similar in JNK1–/– MTEC in response to TGF-β1, Smad DNA-binding activity was diminished. Gene expression profiling demonstrated a global suppression of TGF-β1-modulated genes, including regulators of EMT in JNK1–/– MTEC, in comparison with wild-type cells. In aggregate, these results illuminate the novel role of airway epithelial-dependent JNK1 activation in EMT.
Depletion of plasma membrane PtdIns(4,5)P2 reveals essential roles for phosphoinositides in flagellar biogenesis
Authors: Wei Ho-Chun , Rollins Janet , Fabian Lacramioara , Hayes Madeline , Polevoy Gordon , Bazinet Christopher , Brill Julie A.
Published: March 2008

Axonemes are microtubule-based organelles of crucial importance in the structure and function of eukaryotic cilia and flagella. Despite great progress in understanding how axonemes are assembled, the signals that initiate axoneme outgrowth remain unknown. Here, we identified phosphatidylinositol phosphates (phosphoinositides) as key regulators of early stages of axoneme outgrowth in Drosophila melanogaster spermatogenesis. In a study of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] function in developing Drosophila male germ cells, we depleted PtdIns(4,5)P2 by expression of a potent phosphoinositide phosphatase. Phosphatase expression dramatically inhibited sperm tail formation and perturbed microtubule organization in a manner reversible by co-expression of a PtdIns 4-phosphate 5-kinase. Depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P2 caused increased levels of basal body γ-tubulin and altered the distribution of proteins known to be required for axoneme assembly. Examination of PtdIns(4,5)P2-depleted spermatids by transmission electron microscopy revealed defects in basal body docking to the nuclear envelope, and in axoneme architecture and integrity of the developing flagellar axoneme and axial sheath. Our results provide the first evidence that phosphoinositides act at several steps during flagellar biogenesis, coordinately regulating microtubule and membrane organization. They further suggest that phosphoinositides play evolutionarily conserved roles in flagella and cilia, across phyla and in structurally diverse cell types.
The facultative heterochromatin of the inactive X chromosome has a distinctive condensed ultrastructure
Authors: Rego Alena , Sinclair Paul B. , Tao Wei , Kireev Igor , Belmont Andrew S.
Published: March 2008

The mammalian inactive X chromosome (Xi) is a model for facultative heterochromatin. Increased DNA compaction for the Xi, and for facultative heterochromatin in general, has long been assumed based on recognition of a distinct Barr body using nucleic-acid staining. This conclusion has been challenged by a report revealing equal volumes occupied by the inactive and active X chromosomes. Here, we use light and electron microscopy to demonstrate in mouse and human fibroblasts a unique Xi ultrastructure, distinct from euchromatin and constitutive heterochromatin, containing tightly packed, heterochromatic fibers/domains with diameters in some cases approaching that of prophase chromatids. Significant space between these packed structures is observed even within condensed regions of the Xi. Serial-section analysis also reveals extensive contacts of the Xi with the nuclear envelope and/or nucleolus, with nuclear envelope association being observed in all cells. Implications of our results for models of Xi gene silencing and chromosome territory organization are discussed.
Serum concentration of procoagulant, endothelial and oxidative stress markers in early primary varicose veins
Authors: Yasim A , Kilinç M , Aral M , Oksuz H , Kabalci M , Eroglu E , Imrek S
Published: March 2008

Objective

Endothelial disorders of the veins are considered to play a role in the pathogenesis of primary varicose veins and oxidative stress is implicated in these disorders. With this aim, we investigated vascular endothelial marker levels and the effect of endothelial damage on coagulation parameters and vasodilator substances to determine metabolic markers of oxidative stress in patients with varicose veins and vascular endothelial damage caused by oxidative stress.

Methods

We investigated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein C, protein S, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor (vWf), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-12 (IL-12) and nitric oxide (NO) in the blood taken from the brachial vein of 25 patients with primary varicose veins (study group) and compared the results with 25 healthy volunteers (control group). We also investigated the urinary levels of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) in the study group and compared the results with the control group.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the study group and the control group with respect to the plasma levels of MDA, protein C, fibrinogen, tPA, IL-6, NO and urinary levels of PGI2. But plasma levels of protein S, vWf, VEGF and IL-12 were found to be statistically significantly higher in the study group than in the control group.

Conclusions

Although the systemically measured levels of protein S, vWf, VEGF and IL-12 were found to be higher in patients of primary varicose veins, levels of protein C, fibrinogen, homocysteine and PGI2 were not found to be statistically significant. No systemic increased oxidative stress seems to be related to the early stages of chronic venous insufficiency. Further studies are warranted for understanding the role of molecules such as NO, oxidative stress parameters and cytokines.
Compression stockings for treating venous leg ulcers: measurement of interface pressure under a new ulcer kit
Authors: Partsch B , Partsch H
Published: March 2008

Objectives

The aim of this study was to measure the interface pressure of a newly designed two-layer compression stocking (Mediven ulcer kit® Medi QMBH, Bayreuth, Germany) in different body positions and to compare the values with those obtained with another two-layer product.

Methods

Interface pressure was measured on the distal medial leg in 16 legs of volunteers, with the basic layer alone and with the whole stocking kit in the supine, sitting and standing position for both stocking systems. The literature concerning ulcer-healing rates is reviewed.

Results

Mediven ulcerkit® produced statistically significant higher pressure values than the ulcer stocking with a median resting value of 35.5 mmHg in the supine and 42.5 mmHg in the standing position. The pressure while standing comes close to values exerted by bandages. The basic layer alone applies a pressure of 20.5 mmHg.

Conclusions

Especially designed compression stockings exerting sufficient interface pressure may be indicated in patients with small ulcers of short duration.
Editorial—Introduction to the Special Classics Issue
Authors: Shugan Steven M.
Published: March 2008

This special classics edition of Marketing Science presents seven of our early, most highly rated articles according to the Social Sciences Citation Index® (developed by the Institute of Scientific Information), published before widespread library subscriptions to Marketing Science and before formal and systematic inclusion in the SSCI index. This issue includes Thaler (1985), Guadagni and Little (1983), Jeuland and Shugan (1983), Anderson (1985), Hauser and Shugan (1983), McGuire and Staelin (1983), and Pasternack (1985). Among other benefits, these articles should now enjoy widespread library access, inclusion in numerous databases, availability in electronically searchable format, and formal inclusion in citation services. This introduction to the special issue also summarizes some findings from our all-time most highly cited articles in Google Scholar: Thaler (1985), Anderson and Sullivan (1993), Anderson and Weitz (1989), Guadagni and Little (1983), Griffin and Hauser (1993), Jeuland and Shugan (1983), Novak et al. (2000), Bolton (1998), Anderson (1985), and Pasternack (1985). Finally, it summarizes articles excelling on citations per year: Acquisti and Varian (2005) and Lynch and Ariely (2000).

The best is yet to come.
Editorial—Database Submissions
Authors: Shugan Steven M. , Bradlow Eric T.
Published: March 2008

Marketing Science, in collaboration with the Informs Society on Marketing Science (ISMS), announces a new type of authored submission—the database report. Marketing Science will consider the publication of submitted databases. The same standards will apply to these detached databases as for the data employed in submitted manuscripts.