bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic‐Assisted Reduction of Anterior Table Frontal Sinus Fractures
Authors: Steiger Jacob D. , Chiu Alexander G. , Francis David O. , Palmer James N.
Published: November 2006

In this study, we examined salvage operations after reexploration in head and neck reconstruction and analyzed ways to solve problems. Free flap reconstruction of the head and neck lesion was carried out for 513 cases in our hospital over the past 12 years. Twenty‐one cases of reexploration were caused by postoperative thrombosis (4.1%). We could only salvage seven cases (33.3%) of 21 cases from flap thrombosis. All seven cases were included in the category of venous thrombosis, and they were undertaken within 3 days postoperatively. Our results have shown that once thrombosis occurs, there is little possibility of flap salvage, particularly 3 days after operation and in infectious cases. When no flow phenomena are observed and no flap salvage is deemed possible, aggressive treatment such as a second free flap or next pedicle flap should be chosen as soon as possible to avoid any delay in postoperative treatment.
Health‐Related Quality‐of‐Life Study in Patients With Carcinoma of the Thyroid After Thyroxine Withdrawal for Whole Body Scanning
Authors: Chow Sin‐Ming , Au Kwok‐Hung , Choy Tim‐Shing , Lee Siu‐Hong , Yeung Nga‐Yan , Leung Angus , Leung Alex , Leung Hoi‐Leung , Shek Chi‐Chung , Law Stephen C. K.
Published: November 2006

Objectives/Hypothesis: The authors studied the change of health‐related quality of life (HR‐QOL) in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) with thyroxine (T4) withdrawal in preparation for whole body radioactive iodine scanning.

Study Design: Seventy‐eight patients with DTC and history of radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation were prospectively recruited. They completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment‐General (FACT‐G) questionnaire on weeks 0, 2, and 4 after T4 withdrawal with corresponding checking of serum thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH).

Results: Overall, 74.5% (58 of 78) of patients completed all FACT‐G. Comparing FACT‐G scores at weeks 0 and 4, “physical” (P < .001), “social” (P = .04), and “emotional” (P = .047) aspects were lowered as well as “total” HR‐QOL (P = .001). However, the “functional” domain of HR‐QOL was not affected (P = .14). Comparing FACT‐G scores at week 0 and 2, we found that “physical” (P = .049) and “total” (P = .05) HR‐QOL were affected early (in the first 2 weeks) in T4 withdrawal. Comparison of week 2 and 4 showed that in the later half of the withdrawal period, “physical” (P = .001), “emotional” (P = .02), and “total” FACT‐G scores (P = .002) were affected. Mean TSH level (in mIU/L) increased gradually: 2.8 (week 0), 42.8 (week 2), 97 (week 3), and 153 (week 4). The percentage of patients attaining TSH level of >30 mIU/L were 55% (week 2), 96.2% (week 3), and 100% (week 4).

Conclusions: HR‐QOL declines with time of T4 withdrawal. The impact is more severe in the later period of T4 withdrawal. In 3 weeks, 96.2% of our patients attained TSH level of 30 mIU/L. To minimize the impact on HR‐QOL, duration of T4 withdrawal can be decreased to 3 weeks.
Platelet autoantibodies are common in hepatitis C infection, irrespective of the presence of thrombocytopenia
Authors: Panzer Simon , Seel Esther , Brunner Markus , Körmöczi Günther F. , Schmid Monika , Ferenci Peter , Peck‐Radosavljevic Markus
Published: November 2006

Abstract:  Objective: To investigate the generation of platelet antibodies in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected individuals and their relation to the development to thrombocytopenia with the aim of using their detection as a diagnostic aid of immune thrombocytopenia in these patients. Materials and methods: We tested by the monoclonal antibody‐specific immobilization of platelet antigen assay (MAIPA) for the presence of platelet antibodies against specific glycoprotein (GP) targets (GPIIb/IIIa, GPIb/IX, GPIa/IIa, GPIIIb, GPV, and FcRγIIa) in 48 HCV‐infected individuals of various stages of disease and compared the results with those from 35 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Results: Thirty‐two HCV‐infected individuals (66%) had detectable platelet antibodies. The most common target was GPIIb/IIIa, but all other GP were also targets. Results were not different from patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. There was no correlation between antibodies and platelet counts, or the stage of disease, or the viral genotype, or a discernible influence of treatment with α‐interferon. Conclusion: While platelet autoantibodies are common in individuals with HCV infection, their detection does not assist in the diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia.
Effects of inhaled ciclesonide on circulating T‐helper type 1/T‐helper type 2 cells in atopic asthmatics after allergen challenge
Authors: Kawayama T. , O'Byrne P. M. , Watson R. M. , Killian K. J. , Duong M. , Yoshida M. , Gauvreau G. M.
Published: November 2006

Background
The predominance of T‐helper type 2 (Th2) lymphocytes is thought to underlie the pathogenesis of asthma. Allergen inhalation challenge in atopic asthmatic subjects is associated with decreased interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) positive CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in peripheral blood and induced sputum.

Objective
This study examined the effects of an inhaled corticosteroid on these previously described allergen‐induced changes in circulating Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes.

Methods
Subjects were randomized to 7 days of placebo, 40 or 80 μg ciclesonide in a crossover study. Airway responses and peripheral blood were measured before and after treatment, and 24 h after allergen challenge.

Results
Ciclesonide 40 and 80 μg significantly attenuated the late response and sputum eosinophils at 8 h post‐allergen (P<0.05). Circulating IFN‐γ positive CD4+ lymphocytes decreased after allergen challenge with placebo (P<0.05), and this was inhibited by 40 μg ciclesonide treatment (P<0.05). There was no effect of allergen inhalation or ciclesonide on IL‐4‐positive CD4+ lymphocytes or IFN‐γ and IL‐4‐positive CD8high lymphocytes. The allergen‐induced change of IFN‐γ/IL‐4 ratio on CD4+ cells correlated with the allergen‐induced change of peripheral blood eosinophils.

Conclusions
The results of this study suggest that attenuation of allergen‐induced airway responses by ciclesonide may be mediated through regulation of IFN‐γ‐positive CD4+ cells.
Local mucosal immunoglobulin E production: does allergy exist in non‐allergic rhinitis?
Authors: Powe D. G. , Jones N. S.
Published: November 2006

In this review, we critically evaluate the evidence for local IgE production in allergic rhinitis mucosa and the concept of local allergy in non‐atopic idiopathic rhinitis. Significantly, fewer studies have focused on the disease pathways associated with non‐allergic rhinitis compared with their allergic counterparts. Recently, there's been a revival of the hypothesis concerning the existence of local tissue‐specific allergic disease confined to the nasal mucosa of some systemically non‐atopic rhinitis subjects. Providing the evidence for local mucosal IgE production in allergic rhinitis is a pre‐requisite to reviewing its existence in non‐allergic rhinitis. In addition, practical and theoretical approaches useful in the detection of allergy in non‐allergic rhinitis will be discussed. Furthermore, successful therapeutic regimens used in the treatment of non‐allergic rhinitis will be examined as these could provide an insight into the underlying pathophysiology of this common but poorly understood disease.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Phylogeography of the giant wood spider (Nephila pilipes, Araneae) from Asian–Australian regions
Authors: Su Yong‐Chao , Chang Yung‐Hau , Lee Sin‐Che , Tso I‐Min
Published: November 2006

Aim  There are currently few population genetic studies on widely distributed SE Asian terrestrial organisms. We have studied the genetic diversification pattern of the giant wood spider, Nephila pilipes (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) to see whether fluctuations in rain forest extents generated by Quaternary climatic changes left signatures on populations of this agile terrestrial arthropod.

Location  The collecting localities were distributed in the following seven regions: (1) N Australia; (2) India (Calcutta, Karziranga and Sukna); (3) SE Asia (N Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Bali); (4) SE China (Fujian, Guandong, Hong Kong and Hainan); (5) SW China (Guangxi and Yunnan); (6) E Asian islands (Ryukyu islands and Taiwan); and (7) the Philippine Islands.

Methods  A total of 374 specimens were collected from the East Asian continent and islands, SE Asia, India, and northern Australia. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene partial sequences were used as the molecular marker to infer the phylogeographic diversification patterns.

Results  From the specimens collected, 67 haplotypes were identified, which could be grouped into five major clades. The dominant clade contained populations in regions ranging from Okinawa to Bali (spanning a distance of more than 4000 km), but their genetic variations were not structured and were not significantly associated with geographical distances. Three clades contained specimens collected from peripheral regions of the distribution range of N. pilipes, such as India, N Australia, and NE Asia. Members of the clade distributed in NE Asia were sympatric but those of the clades distributed in Australia and India were allopatric with those of the dominant clade.

Main conclusions  The results of this study indicate that, during Quaternary glacial periods, the rain forests in SE Asia might have been more or less continuous and thus generated an unstructured genetic diversification pattern of N. pilipes inhabiting this region. However, during such periods, populations in peripheral regions such as India, N Australia and NE Asia might have been isolated in refugia, thus accounting for the observed genetic divergence from populations in the SE Asian region.
Transcriptional Regulation of Arylalkylamine‐N‐Acetyltransferase‐2 Gene in the Pineal Gland of the Gilthead Seabream
Authors: Zilberman‐Peled B. , Appelbaum L. , Vallone D. , Foulkes N. S. , Anava S. , Anzulovich A. , Coon S. L. , Klein D. C. , Falcón J. , Ron B. , Gothilf Y.
Published: November 2006

Pineal serotonin‐N‐acetyltransferase (arylalkylamine‐N‐acetyltransferase; AANAT) is considered the key enzyme in the generation of circulating melatonin rhythms; the rate of melatonin production is determined by AANAT activity. In all the examined species, AANAT activity is regulated at the post‐translational level and, to a variable degree, also at the transcriptional level. Here, the transcriptional regulation of pineal aanat (aanat2) of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) was investigated. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction quantification of aanat2 mRNA levels in the pineal gland collected throughout the 24‐h cycle revealed a rhythmic expression pattern. In cultured pineal glands, the amplitude was reduced, but the daily rhythmic expression pattern was maintained under constant illumination, indicating a circadian clock‐controlled regulation of seabream aanat2. DNA constructs were prepared in which green fluorescent protein was driven by the aanat2 promoters of seabream and Northern pike. In vivo transient expression analyses in zebrafish embryos indicated that these promoters contain the necessary elements to drive enhanced expression in the pineal gland. In the light‐entrainable clock‐containing PAC‐2 zebrafish cell line, a stably transfected seabream aanat2 promoter‐luciferase DNA construct exhibited a clock‐controlled circadian rhythm of luciferase activity, characteristic for an E‐box‐driven expression. In NIH‐3T3 cells, the seabream aanat2 promoter was activated by a synergistic action of BMAL/CLOCK and orthodenticle homeobox 5 (OTX5). Promoter sequence analyses revealed the presence of the photoreceptor conserved element and an extended E‐box (i.e. the binding sites for BMAL/CLOCK and OTX5 that have been previously associated with pineal‐specific and rhythmic gene expression). These results suggest that seabream aanat2 is a clock‐controlled gene that is regulated by conserved mechanisms.
The disposition of lidocaine during a 12‐hour intravenous infusion to postoperative horses
Authors: MILLIGAN M. , KUKANICH B. , BEARD W. , WAXMAN S.
Published: November 2006

Lidocaine is administered as an intravenous infusion to horses for a variety of reasons, but no study has assessed plasma lidocaine concentrations during a 12‐h infusion to horses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetics of lidocaine during a 12‐h infusion to postoperative horses. A second purpose of the study was to evaluate thein vitroplasma protein binding of lidocaine in equine plasma. Lidocaine hydrochloride was administered as a loading dose, 1.3 mg/kg over 15 min, then by a constant rate IV infusion, 50 μg/kg/min to six postoperative horses. Lidocaine plasma concentrations were measured by a validated high‐pressure liquid chromatography method. One horse experienced tremors and collapsed 5.5 h into the study. The range of plasma concentrations during the infusion was 1.21–3.13 μg/mL. Lidocaine plasma concentrations were significantly increased at 0.5, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h compared with 1, 2 and 3 h. Thein vitroprotein binding of lidocaine in equine plasma at 2 μg/mL was 53.06 ± 10.28% and decreased to 27.33 ± 9.72% and 29.52 ± 6.44% when in combination with ceftiofur or the combination of ceftiofur and flunixin, respectively. In conclusion, a lower lidocaine infusion rate may need to be administered to horses on long‐term lidocaine infusions. Thein vitroprotein binding of lidocaine is moderate in equine plasma, but highly protein bound drugs may displace lidocaine increasing unbound concentrations and the risk of lidocaine toxicity.
Low stomatal and internal conductance to CO2 versus Rubisco deactivation as determinants of the photosynthetic decline of ageing evergreen leaves
Authors: ETHIER G. J. , LIVINGSTON N. J. , HARRISON D. L. , BLACK T. A. , MORAN J. A.
Published: November 2006

A novel A‐Ci curve (net CO2 assimilation rate of a leaf –An– as a function of its intercellular CO2 concentration –Ci) analysis method (Plant, Cell & Environment 27, 137–153, 2004) was used to estimate the CO2 transfer conductance (gi) and the maximal carboxylation (Vcmax) and electron transport (Jmax) potentials of ageing, non‐senescing Pseudotsuga menziesii leaves in relation to their nitrogen (N) content and protein and pigment composition. Both gi and the stomatal conductance (gsc) of leaves were closely coupled to Vcmax, Jmax and An with all variables decreasing with increasing leaf age. Consequently, both Ci and Cc (chloroplastic CO2 concentration) remained largely conserved through successive growing seasons. The N content of leaves, as well as the amount of ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and other sodium dodecyl sulfate‐soluble proteins, increased during the first three growing seasons, then stabilized or decreased only slightly afterwards. Thus, the age‐related photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) decline of leaves was not a consequence of decreased allocation of N towards Rubisco and other proteins involved in bioenergetics and light harvesting. Rather, loss of photosynthetic capacity was the result of the decreased activation state of Rubisco and proportional down‐regulation of electron transport towards the photosynthetic carbon reduction (PCR) and photorespiratory (PCO) cycles in response to a reduction of CO2 supply to the chloroplasts’ stroma. This study emphasizes the regulatory potential and homeostaticity of Cc– rather than photosynthetic metabolites or Ci– in relation to the commonly observed correlation between photosynthesis and gsc.
Light and diurnal regulation of plant respiratory gene expression
Authors: Rasmusson Allan G , Escobar Matthew A
Published: November 2006

Light is both the energy source and the dominant signalling input for photosynthetic organisms. Accordingly, up to 30–50% of the genes expressed in plant leaves are directly or indirectly regulated by light, and virtually all aspects of plant metabolism support photosynthesis, depend upon the products of photosynthesis or are affected by photosynthesis‐related changes in metabolite levels. Though not directly tied to photosynthesis per se, mitochondria support several light‐associated processes, including photorespiration, nitrogen metabolism, reductant transport and the maintenance of redox balance. Recently, it has become increasingly apparent that diverse light signalling pathways intersect with the mitochondrion, and that cellular respiration and photosynthesis display tight functional and regulatory coordination. In addition, global transcript analyses performed on plants exposed to different light qualities and intensities have started to provide promising starting points for the next series of investigations of light/diurnal regulation of respiratory metabolism.
Markedly low requirement of added CO2 for photosynthesis by mesophyll protoplasts of pea (Pisum sativum): possible roles of photorespiratory CO2 and carbonic anhydrase
Authors: Riazunnisa Khateef , Padmavathi Lolla , Bauwe Hermann , Raghavendra Agepati S.
Published: November 2006

Mesophyll protoplasts of pea required only 74.1 μM CO2 for maximal photosynthesis, unlike chloroplasts, which required up to 588 μM CO2. Such a markedly low requirement for CO2 could be because of an internal carbon source and/or a CO2 concentrating mechanism in mesophyll protoplasts. Ethoxyzolamide (EZA), an inhibitor of internal carbonic anhydrase (CA) suppressed photosynthesis by mesophyll protoplasts at low CO2 (7.41 μM) but had no significant effect at high CO2 (741 μM). However, acetazolamide, another inhibitor of CA, did not exert as much dramatic effect as EZA. Three photorespiratory inhibitors, aminoacetonitrile or glycine hydroxamate (GHA) or aminooxyacetate inhibited markedly photosynthesis at low CO2 but not at high CO2. Inhibitors of glycolysis or tricarboxylic acid cycle (NaF, sodium malonate) or phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (3,3‐dichloro‐2‐dihydroxy phosphinoyl‐methyl‐2‐propenoate) had no significant effect on photosynthesis. The CO2 requirement of protoplast photosynthesis and the sensitivity of photosynthesis to EZA were much higher at low oxygen (65 nmol ml−1) than that at normal oxygen (212 nmol ml−1). In contrast, the inhibitory effect of photorespiratory inhibitors on protoplast photosynthesis was similar in both normal and low oxygen medium. The marked elevation of glycine/serine ratio at low O2 or in presence of GHA confirmed the suppression of photorespiratory decarboxylation by GHA. While demonstrating interesting difference between the response of protoplasts and chloroplasts to CO2, we suggest that photorespiration could be a significant source of CO2 for photosynthesis in mesophyll protoplasts at limiting CO2 and at atmospheric levels of oxygen. Obviously, carbonic anhydrase is essential to concentrate or retain CO2 in mesophyll cells.
Male–male competition and speciation: aggression bias towards differently coloured rivals varies between stages of speciation in a Lake Victoria cichlid species complex
Authors: DIJKSTRA P. D. , SEEHAUSEN O. , PIEROTTI M.E.R. , GROOTHUIS T. G. G.
Published: November 2006

Sympatric speciation driven by sexual selection by female mate choice on a male trait is a much debated topic. The process is problematic because of the lack of negative frequency‐dependent selection that can facilitate the invasion of a novel colour phenotype and stabilize trait polymorphism. It has recently been proposed that male–male competition for mating territories can generate frequency‐dependent selection on male colouration. Rare male cichlid fish would enjoy a fitness advantage if territorial defenders bias aggression towards male cichlid fish of their own colour. We used blue (ancestral type) and red phenotypes of the Lake Victoria cichlid species complex Pundamilia. We tested the aggression bias of wild‐caught territorial blue male cichlid fish from five separate populations for blue vs. red rival male cichlid fish using simulated intruder choice tests. The different populations vary in the frequency of red male cichlid fish, and in the degree of reproductive isolation between red and blue, reflecting different stages of speciation. Blue male cichlid fish from a population that lack red phenotypes biased aggression towards blue stimulus male cichlid fish. The same was found in two populations where blue and red are reproductively isolated sister species. This aggression bias may facilitate the invasion of a novel colour phenotype and species coexistence. Blue male cichlid fish from two populations where red and blue are hybridizing incipient species biased aggression towards red stimulus male cichlid fish. Thus, after a successful invasion of red, aggression bias alone is not likely to generate frequency dependence required to stabilize the coexistence of phenotypes. The findings show that aggression bias varies between stages of speciation, but is not enough to stabilize the process of speciation.
Residual polymerase activity‐induced bias in terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis
Authors: Hartmann Martin , Enkerli Jürg , Widmer Franco
Published: November 2006

Residual activity of polymerase chain reaction DNA polymerases in restriction analyses strongly affected genetic profiling based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Artificial fragment sizes produced as a result of 5′‐overhang restriction site fill‐in and addition of a terminal A may bias genetic profiling and genotyping of microbial communities. Efficient removal of polymerases retained original fragment sizes and significantly reduced this profiling bias in soil bacterial communities.
Intervention studies for prevention of pressure ulcers in Turkey: a literature review
Authors: Akyol A. D.
Published: November 2006

Aim:  To examine critically the literature published in the Turkish language (1955–2004) related to risk assessment tool(s), their application to nursing care and prevention of pressure ulcers (PrUs). Specific objectives were to identify the advantages of risk assessment and prevention of PrUs in hospital; to establish the most valid and reliable methods available to evaluate the effectiveness of PrU prevention programmes; to determine methodological problems encountered by researchers and explore how these were overcome; and to present the findings so they could be used to develop a valid and reliable audit tool based upon the empirical evidence.

Methods:  All journals and convention booklets published in Turkey related to nursing between the years 1955–2004 were examined. Because many journals in Turkey are not yet available by electronic means, the published Turkish articles were all examined by hand. A total of 3031 articles in 17 nursing journals and 36 congress books (convention booklets) were examined. Five articles were found to meet the study criteria and were taken into the study and evaluated.

Conclusion:  There is a need to determine valid and reliable assessment methods, and the results need to be recorded on standard forms. In addition, it is important to increase the motivation of nursing personnel who give direct patient care to use the tools available in order to prevent the development of PrUs. From the review findings it is apparent that in Turkey, there is a dearth of research evidence upon which to base practice in the sphere of PrU prevention, and further research is urgently required.
Integrating physiology and life history to improve fisheries management and conservation
Authors: Young Jeffery L. , Bornik Zosia B. , Marcotte Michelle L. , Charlie Kim N. , Wagner Glenn N. , Hinch Scott G. , Cooke Steven J.
Published: November 2006

Knowledge of life‐history traits is increasingly recognized as an important criterion for effective management and conservation. Understanding the link between physiology and life history is an important component of this knowledge and in our view is particularly relevant to understanding marine and freshwater fishes. Such linkages (i.e. the life‐history/physiology nexus) have been recently advocated for avian systems and here we explore this concept for fish. This paper highlights the gap in fisheries literature with regard to understanding the relationship between physiology and life history, and proposes ways in which this integration could improve fisheries management and conservation. We use three case studies on different fishes (i.e. the Pacific salmon, the grouper complex and tuna) to explore these issues. The physiological structure and function of fish plays a central role in determining stock response to exploitation and changes in the environment. Physiological measures can provide simple indicators necessary for cost‐effective monitoring in the evaluation of fisheries sustainability. The declining state of world fisheries and the need to develop and implement restoration strategies, such as hatchery production or protected areas, provides strong incentive to better understand the influence of physiology on population and reproductive dynamics and early life history. Physiology influences key population‐level processes, particularly those dealing with reproduction, which must be incorporated into the design and successful implementation of specific and broadscale initiatives (e.g. aquatic protected areas and bycatch reduction). Suggestions are made for how to encourage wider application of the physiology/life‐history link, in fisheries management and conservation, as well as more broadly in education and research.
Does MPA mean ‘Major Problem for Assessments'? Considering the consequences of place‐based management systems
Authors: Field John C. , Punt André E. , Methot Richard D. , Thomson Cynthia J.
Published: November 2006

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been increasingly proposed, evaluated and implemented as management tools for achieving both fisheries and conservation objectives in aquatic ecosystems. However, there is a challenge associated with the application of MPAs in marine resource management with respect to the consequences to traditional systems of monitoring and managing fisheries resources. The place‐based paradigm of MPAs can complicate the population‐based paradigm of most fisheries stock assessments. In this review, we identify the potential complications that could result from both existing and future MPAs to the science and management systems currently in place for meeting conventional fisheries management objectives. The intent is not to evaluate the effects of implementing MPAs on fisheries yields, or even to consider the extent to which MPAs may achieve conservation oriented objectives, but rather to evaluate the consequences of MPA implementation on the ability to monitor and assess fishery resources consistent with existing methods and legislative mandates. Although examples are drawn primarily from groundfish fisheries on the West Coast of the USA, the lessons are broadly applicable to management systems worldwide, particularly those in which there exists the institutional infrastructure for managing resources based on quantitative assessments of resource status and productivity.
Gender bias in estimating political expertise
Authors: Ishiguro Itaru
Published: November 2006

The present study reveals that there is a gender bias in estimates of spouses’ political expertise. Data were collected from married couples in one city in north‐eastern Japan and the results showed that when all respondents were included, the estimation of spouses’ political expertise was moderately accurate. However, while husbands’ estimates of the political expertise of their wives were lowered and less accurate, wives’ estimates of the political expertise of their husbands were more accurate. The implication of these findings for the political equality of males and females is discussed.
Defining relationships: Comparing Canadians, Chinese and Indians
Authors: Li Han Z. , Bhatt Gira , Zhang Zhi , Pahal Jasrit , Cui Yanping
Published: November 2006

To examine whether cultural differences exist in defining family, friend, relative, colleague and neighbour, non‐student samples were drawn from Canada, China and India. The data generated several unexpected findings. (i) The means of the relationship definitions between the Chinese and Canadians were not significantly different. The means between the Chinese and Indians were significantly different. The means between the Canadians and Indians were significantly different. (ii) Females defined their relationships more interdependently than males in the Indian and Canadian samples but not in the Chinese sample. (iii) Definitions were target specific and the order of closeness differed from group to group. (iv) In the Indian and Chinese samples, participants’ age was negatively correlated with closeness in defining friends, indicating that a person’s perceived closeness with friends changes over the life span. Results of past research using student samples need to be interpreted with caution.
Trade liberalisation and greenhouse gas emissions: the case of dairying in the European Union and New Zealand*
Authors: Saunders Caroline , Wreford Anita , Cagatay Selim
Published: November 2006

The link between trade and the environment has aroused considerable interest both in terms of the impact of trade liberalisation on the environment, and also the impact of environmental policy on production and trade. Of key environmental concern at present is global warming and its association with greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture is a sector of the economy that both contributes to, and will be affected by, climate change. This paper models the impact of agricultural trade liberalisation on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture around the world, focusing particularly on the effects on New Zealand, a small economy highly dependent on agricultural trade. A partial equilibrium agricultural multicountry, multicommodity trade model is used for the analysis, extended to include physical production systems and their greenhouse gas emissions. Two simulations are performed: removal of agricultural policies in the EU and in all OECD countries. The results indicate that although producer returns in New Zealand increase, greenhouse gas emissions also increase significantly. EU producers face lower returns but also lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Trends versus cycles in global wine export shares
Authors: Labys Walter C. , Cohen Bruce C.
Published: November 2006

The global wine market has witnessed major changes in recent years. Some of these changes are structural in nature or trend‐following, whereas others are cyclical. Recently, new market entrants have increased their exports not only to traditional European markets but to other importing regions as well, whereas Old World producers have experienced declining market shares. However, the evidence examined here suggests that market share data also contain strong cyclical components. Mixed results also occur when the wine export data are disaggregated into products. This paper employs econometric methods to analyse the recent major shifts in world wine market shares and explains whether these are more of a secular trend‐setting nature or of a temporary cyclical nature.
Countervailing Power and Price Transparency*
Authors: Hviid Morten , Møllgaard H. Peter
Published: November 2006

We investigate whether improved transparency about prices may increase the countervailing power exercised by buyers of an intermediate good. In a model with an informed manufacturer that sells to both informed and uninformed firms, we show that full transparency cannot be part of equilibrium due to the strategic effect of the resulting informational spillover. Transparency policies introduce a distortion for informed segments and are unsuccessful in completely removing the distortion from the uninformed segment. Welfare effects are hence ambiguous and depend on the weight assigned to uninformed markets. Our results thus cast further doubt on the value of transparency.
Lone Parents and Informal Childcare: A Tax Credit Childcare Subsidy?
Authors: Skinner Christine , Finch Naomi
Published: November 2006

The Labour government aims to increase the lone parent employment rate to 70 per cent by 2010. To achieve this aim, it has introduced a state subsidy for childcare in the form of the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit. So far this has been limited to formal childcare despite evidence that lone parents are more likely to use informal childcare. This article investigates the potential of a state subsidy to be extended to support informal childcare. Utilizing evidence from a study of 78 qualitative in‐depth interviews with lone parents, it explores preferences for informal care and the way that informal care is negotiated. On the one hand, we found that some lone parents held deeply embedded preferences for informal childcare based on trust, commitment, shared understandings and children's happiness. Thus it can be concluded that it is important for the government to support informal as well as formal care. On the other, we found that the way lone parents actually negotiated informal childcare involved complex notions of obligation, duty and reciprocity, suggesting that a subsidy could potentially intrude upon complex private family relationships. However, the evidence suggests that care was negotiated differently depending on whether it was provided by a grandparent or other family and friends, with lone parents tending to favour paying for childcare provided by other family and friends than grandparents. This has implications for a state subsidy, which needs further investigation.
Understanding Social Movements: Theorising the Disability Movement in Conditions of Late Modernity
Authors: Beckett Angharad E.
Published: November 2006

This article draws upon qualitative research carried out by the author and funded by the ESRC. One of the central aims of this research was to investigate the nature of the UK disability movement's ‘struggle’ and to evaluate critically the idea that it is a ‘new’ social movement. Consideration of the disability movement in relation to both ‘new’ social movements and to wider social movement theorising has suggested that it may not be possible to understand this movement, entirely, by using any of the existing models. This article concludes by outlining the possible starting point for a new approach to understanding the disability movement based upon forging a closer link between citizenship and social movement theory and upon a focus on the nature of engagement. Empirical evidence from the research is included in this article in the form of quotations from respondents, all of whom are/were members of organisations that are run by disabled people. All respondents’ names have been removed to maintain their anonymity.
Marginal Movements and Minority Struggles? The Case of the Japanese Minority Social and Labour Movements
Authors: Stewart Paul
Published: November 2006

In Japan, some of the socially, economically and politically marginalised have developed robust social and labour movements that engage with mainstream society. These movements have developed strategies challenging the conditions of the excluded, while also highlighting pathways to establish, or enhance, individual and collective participation in the labour market and the wider society. Two distinct though related, social and organisational forms of these movements are elaborated – firm-centred and community centred respectively. The former especially has a combative past in the labour struggles of the 1950s in what are known as sa'ha shωsū-ha kumiai (left wing Minority union, or, Minority-faction union). However, this does not mean Minorities are inherently leftist in orientation. In the 1940s and 1950s, during a period of radical union hegemony, a collaborative form of second unions developed assisting the purge of radical leaderships. Our focus here is on a contemporary radical democratic current. While articulating concerns of those in full time employment outside the political mainstream they may also represent ethnically and otherwise socially marginalised workers. The community unions, a form of what are known as ‘new-type union’, shingata kumiai (this term will be used here to describe the community unions) articulate the concerns of those socially and economically marginalized in the community and the wider labour market. Controversially, the term ‘Minority union’ is used to depict the different forms of oppositional social movement union in a broader sense than is typically understood in the literature. This is because they share a common concern with the articulation of Minority social and political interests in the context of the employment relationship and the local community. In considering the character of these social movement unions the article seeks to add to what Price (1997) describes as ‘bottom up history’ which we term ‘sociology from below’.
(Im)materiality, Virtual Reality and Interaction: Grounding the ‘Virtual’ in Studies of Technology in Action
Authors: Hindmarsh Jon , Heath Christian , Fraser Mike
Published: November 2006

This paper explores the organisation of social interaction amongst participants ‘in’ Virtual Reality. Despite the wide-ranging sociological interest in ‘virtual’ technologies, there is rather little detailed sociological investigation of user experiences of the virtual technology par excellence, namely multi-user Virtual Reality. Interestingly the discourses that underpin discussions of more mundane virtual technologies (eg email, the Web, mobile phones, etc.) tend to draw on design visions for Virtual Reality, such as the opportunities for social life freed from the constraints of the physical body. This paper contributes to a growing number of empirical studies that provide a critique of this view, but maybe more importantly, provides a detailed analysis of action and interaction in virtual worlds. It considers the organisation of interaction within VR with particular emphasis on the ways in which visual features of the digital domain are seen and shared by participants. The paper describes the ways in which the abilities to share views on the virtual world requires participants to overcome problems associated with the very material character of the VR interfaces. The study is based on the analysis of recordings of a Virtual Reality system that enables participants to talk to one another and see one another's actions within a virtual environment.
The Ambivalences of Angel's ‘Arrangement’: A Psychosocial Lens on the Contemporary Condition of Personal Life
Authors: Roseneil Sasha
Published: November 2006

The aim of this article is to explore the potential of a psychoanalytically informed psychosocial approach to extend understandings of the contemporary condition of personal life. It argues for the theorization of the intertwining of the social and the psychic, in order to take seriously the realm of the intra-psychic and the dynamic unconscious, without engaging in either psychological or sociological reductionism. The article offers a detailed case study of an interview with one individual (‘Angel’), highlighting three themes in his narrative which resonate with wider findings about changing patterns of intimacy and sociability: the experience of relationship break-up and psychological distress, the centrality of friendship, and de-centring and re-imagining the sexual relationship. Particular attention is paid to the story Angel tells of his unconventional partnership, and to the analysis of his self-presentation, in the light of the thematic analysis. The psychosocial approach attends both to sociological themes and unconscious psychodynamics, and presents an analysis of the particular character of the disappointments, loss, psychic conflicts and ambivalences which are part of the experience of contemporary personal life. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on conducting psychoanalytic psychosocial readings of interview data.
Folic acid knowledge and use in a multi‐ethnic pregnancy cohort: the role of language proficiency
Authors: Van Eijsden M , Van Der Wal MF , Bonsel GJ
Published: November 2006

Objective  To investigate the role of language proficiency as determinant of folic acid knowledge and use in a multi‐ethnic pregnancy cohort.

Design  Prospective cohort study.

Setting and population  Pregnant women from Amsterdam attending obstetric care for their first antenatal visit. Number approached: 12 373 women, response rate: 67% (8266 women aged 14–49 years). Ethnicity was based on the country of birth: the Netherlands, Surinam, Antilles, Turkey, Morocco, Ghana, other non‐Western and other Western countries.

Main outcome measures  Knowledge about and use of folic acid supplements in pregnancy as elicited in a multilingual questionnaire, as well as determinants of these in ethnic groups separately.

Results  Both periconceptional folic acid use and knowledge were significantly lower among Ghanaian, Moroccan, Turkish, and other non‐Western women than among women born in the Netherlands or other Western countries. Language proficiency in Dutch was a major determinant of knowledge in all the ethnic groups with a mother tongue other than Dutch [adjusted odds ratios (OR): Western 3.2, non‐Western (all countries combined) 7.5], while educational attainment was of secondary importance. Knowledge in turn was the strongest determinant of use (adjusted OR: Western 17.4, non‐Western 27.0).

Conclusions  Periconceptional folic acid supplement use among women born in non‐Dutch‐speaking non‐Western countries is low, reflecting a lack of knowledge that is determined by the inability to speak and understand the language of the country of residence. Measures to tackle this problem include the provision of linguistically appropriate information via ethnic health advisors, and language courses integrating health education for immigrants.
The place of separate provision in a policy climate of inclusion
Authors: Macleod M. A. Gale
Published: November 2006

This paper presents an analysis of a survey of separate provision for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) in Scotland conducted in October 2002. First, the purpose of this study was to provide a map of separate provision for pupils with SEBD in Scotland. The findings raise concerns about a climate of uncertainty in separate provision linked to the context of the dominant inclusion agenda. Second, the type of curriculum on offer and perceived advantages and disadvantages of different approaches were investigated. Once again the findings point to the impact of the inclusion agenda on schools in this sector and what they feel able to offer. This paper argues that the findings can be interpreted, at least in part, as a consequence of a defensive stance adopted by separate schools in response to the current ideological climate.
MOMENTUM: DOES THE DATABASE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Authors: Chakrabarty Bidisha , Trzcinka Charles
Published: November 2006

We examine discrepancies between the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) and Trade and Quote (TAQ) databases by examining the returns of momentum strategies using each database. Momentum portfolios constructed from CRSP prices earn significant profits whereas similar portfolios using TAQ prices show losses. Adjusting TAQ prices with the TAQ dividends file or with the cumulative distribution factor provided by CRSP does not eliminate all differences. There are significant discrepancies in the way CRSP and TAQ record newly listed and delisted stocks. We document the residual (after all filters) price differences between the two databases and provide filters to adjust TAQ data for long sample periods and large sample sizes. Our filtering procedures allow for the possibility of examining intraday patterns in momentum profits.
VALUATION OF EVENT‐CONTINGENT OPTIONS
Authors: Câmara António
Published: November 2006

I study a new class of investment options, event‐contingent options. These are options to invest and divest in projects that are dependent on other projects of the same firm or that are conditioned by projects of other firms in its value chain. I construct payoff functions and derive closed‐form solutions for the value of options to invest contingent on investment (OICI), options to invest contingent on divestment (OICD), options to divest contingent on divestment (ODCD), and options to divest contingent on investment (ODCI). I also derive analytical comparative statics for these option valuation equations and examine their implications on the firm's wealth. I offer examples of event‐contingent options in a global context.
ARE TREASURY INFLATION PROTECTED SECURITIES REALLY TAX DISADVANTAGED?
Authors: Hein Scott E. , Mercer Jeffrey M.
Published: November 2006

In 1997, the U.S. Treasury introduced Inflation Protected Securities, commonly known as TIPS. Several in the finance field have since described these securities as “tax disadvantaged” relative to conventional securities, leading to serious questions regarding their appropriateness outside of tax‐deferred accounts. In this article, we develop a framework that demonstrates that at least in a real sense the tax treatment of TIPS is trivially different from that of conventional Treasury securities. Moreover, empirically we find evidence that TIPS generally have after‐tax yields comparable to, if not exceeding, conventional fixed‐rate Treasury securities. We also show that TIPS have generally outperformed matched‐maturity conventional Treasury securities in terms of after‐tax rates of return.
The spectre of deflation: a review of empirical evidence
Authors: Smith Gregor W.
Published: November 2006

Abstract What explains the widespread fear of deflation? This article reviews the history of thought, economic history, and empirical evidence on deflation, with a view to answering this question. It also outlines informally the main effects of deflation in applied monetary models. The main finding is that – for both historical and contemporary deflations – there are many open, empirical questions that could be answered using the tools economists use to study inflation and monetary policy more generally.
Innis Lecture: Equity and equality
Authors: Duclos Jean‐Yves
Published: November 2006

Abstract Is horizontal equity (HE) the ‘most widely accepted principle of equity’? Or does it stand in ‘opposition to the advancement of human welfare’? This paper argues that the case for the HE principle is not as straightforward as is usually thought and that it requires advanced notions of justice and well‐being. The most likely ethical basis for HE appears to combine a Rawlsian maximin principle and a view of well‐being that allows for relative local comparison effects. The paper also explores some of the dimensions of equality and well‐being along which the HE principle can be applied and presents a number of examples showing how HE considerations can provide an important input into policy analysis.
Indirect addilog translation of indirect utility functions
Authors: Conniffe Denis
Published: November 2006

Abstract The difficulty of specifying a set of consumer demand equations that can simultaneously display compatibility with rational economic behaviour (regularity) and have the capacity to represent a comprehensive spectrum of consumer behaviour (flexibility) is well known. A variety of approaches have been investigated in the literature, but scope for substantial improvement remains. The approach of this paper is to start from indirect utility functions producing globally regular, if inflexible, systems and to improve flexibility by adding parameters through a device termed ‘indirect addilog translation.’