bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards a Nomadic Geography: Rethinking Space and Identity for the Potentials of Progressive Politics in the Contemporary City
Authors: CUPERS KENNY
Published: December 2005

This article investigates the concept of the public sphere as a specific way of reading the city. In the light of current ambiguities of the urban condition, it poses the question of whether the concept does still, in fact, generate a solid geography for understanding the urban landscape. It explores the history and concept of the liberal public sphere, uncovers its rigid regime of identity formation in space, and problematizes its performative dimension by illustrating how this tends to envisage space as a merely passive and abstract stage on which dramatization takes place. In search of alternative ways of reading the city, it subsequently explores the complexity in relations between space and identity. It reconceptualizes space as a palimpsest of historical layers and rethinks identity by recognizing the workings of the strange(r) in constructions of space and identity. Finally, the article suggests the development of a nomadic geography that would allow for a progressive politics to open up gaps and folds in the homogeneous space and discover new spaces that are neither friends nor enemies, neither inside nor outside.

Cet article étudie le concept de sphère publique comme méthode de lecture spécifique de la ville. Étant donné les ambiguïtés actuelles de la situation urbaine, on peut se demander si ce concept génère encore, dans les faits, une géographie solide permettant de comprendre le paysage urbain. Explorer l’historique et le concept de sphère publique libérale révèle son système rigide de formation des identités dans l’espace, et interroge sa dimension performative en montrant comment l’espace est pensé en tant que simple scène passive et abstraite où a lieu une théâtralisation. Recherchant d’autres modes de lecture de la ville, l’article examine ensuite la complexité des relations entre espace et identité. Il reconceptualise l’espace en tant que palimpseste de couches historiques et repense l’identité en admettant les mécanismes de l’étrange(r) dans les constructions spatiales et identitaires. Pour finir, l’article propose l’élaboration d’une géographie nomade permettant à une politique progressiste de créer fossés et plissements dans un espace homogène et de découvrir de nouveaux espaces qui ne seraient ni amis ni ennemis, ni intérieurs ni extérieurs.
Struggling with the Creative Class
Authors: PECK JAMIE
Published: December 2005

This article develops a critique of the recently popularized concepts of the ‘creative class’ and ‘creative cities’. The geographic reach and policy salience of these discourses is explained not in terms of their intrinsic merits, which can be challenged on a number of grounds, but as a function of the profoundly neoliberalized urban landscapes across which they have been traveling. For all their performative display of liberal cultural innovation, creativity strategies barely disrupt extant urban‐policy orthodoxies, based on interlocal competition, place marketing, property‐ and market‐led development, gentrification and normalized socio‐spatial inequality. More than this, these increasingly prevalent strategies extend and recodify entrenched tendencies in neoliberal urban politics, seductively repackaging them in the soft‐focus terms of cultural policy. This has the effect of elevating creativity to the status of a new urban imperative — defining new sites, validating new strategies, placing new subjects and establishing new stakes in the realm of competitive interurban relations.

L’article présente une critique des concepts de ‘classe créative’ et ‘villes créatives’ publiés récemment. La portée géographique et la pertinence politique de ces discours s’expliquent non par leurs mérites intrinsèques, ceux‐ci pouvant être remis en question à plus d’un titre, mais en tant que fonction des paysages urbains fortement néolibéraux qu’ils ont traversés. Quant à leur manifestation concrète de l’innovation culturelle libérale, les stratégies de créativité dérangent à peine les orthodoxies qui subsistent en politique urbaine, fondées sur une compétition interlocale, un marketing de lieu, une expansion axée sur la propriété et le marché, un embourgeoisement et une inégalité socio‐spatiale normalisée. Mais surtout, ces stratégies toujours plus présentes prolongent et recodifient des tendances bien installées en politique urbaine néolibérale, les rhabillant de manière attrayante dans un flou artistique terminologique de politique culturelle. Ainsi, la créativité est élevée au statut de nouvel impératif urbain pour définir de nouveaux sites, valider de nouvelles stratégies, positionner de nouveaux sujets et instaurer de nouveaux enjeux dans la concurrence interurbaine.
Surviving the Fall of a King: The Regional Institutional Implications of Crisis at Fiat Auto
Authors: WHITFORD JOSH , ENRIETTI ALDO
Published: December 2005

This article discusses developments in the famously automotive‐centered productive system in Turin and the surrounding Piedmont region in the wake of major crisis at Fiat Auto. This large, articulated and internationally competitive productive system emerged from interactions between Fiat, its suppliers and other regional actors, but has always had Fiat at its center in a directive role, as the sole actor with both the interest and the ability to provide key collective goods. The automaker is today dramatically weakened, leaving the Piedmont region with an essential and unanswered question: what will happen to the networks of relationships and diversity of productive services if Fiat Auto does — as seems likely — cease to play its historic ‘monarchical’ role? To answer this question, we draw on literatures in comparative political economy, economic sociology and institutionalist economic geography concerned with path dependency and the decentralized coordination of production to trace the territorially embedded development of the Piedmontese automotive components industry as it has been constructed through Fiat's contradictory interaction with the productive hinterland. In so doing, we identify possible futures for the region and discuss the feasibility of constructing new associational coordinating institutions.

Cet article traite des évolutions du système productif de Turin et de la région environnante du Piémont centré, comme chacun sait, sur l’automobile, alors que Fiat Auto a subi une crise majeure. Ce système productif, vaste, articulé et compétitif au plan international, est né d’interactions entre Fiat, ses fournisseurs et d’autres acteurs régionaux, Fiat assurant toujours un rôle directif, acteur unique ayant à la fois intérêt et aptitude à fournir des biens collectifs essentiels. Le fabricant automobile, aujourd’hui très affaibli, laisse la région piémontaise sans réponse face à une question vitale: qu’adviendra‐t‐il des réseaux relationnels et de la diversité des services à la production si Fiat Auto cesse — cela paraît probable — de jouer son rôle historique ‘monarchique’? Pour répondre, l’article part de textes d’économie politique comparative, de sociologie économique et de géographie économique institutionnaliste traitant de la dépendance de chemin et de la coordination décentralisée d’une production, et retrace l’évolution, inscrite dans le territoire, de l’industrie des composants automobiles piémontaise, puisque celle‐ci est bâtie sur l’interaction contradictoire de Fiat avec l’arrière‐pays productif. Ce faisant, on peut déterminer des avenirs potentiels pour la région et aborder la faisabilité de l’élaboration de nouvelles institutions coordinatrices associatives.
Housing as a Tool of Economic Development since 1929
Authors: ARKU GODWIN , HARRIS RICHARD
Published: December 2005

Housing policy in the developing world has usually been shaped by social and political considerations, yet housing can also be used to promote economic development. From the 1930s to the 1950s, it was increasingly deployed for this purpose by the agencies of colonial powers, including Britain and France; by the United States in Puerto Rico; and by the US Agency for International Development and the Inter‐American Development Bank in Latin America. By the mid‐1960s, the UN and affiliated agencies, notably the International Labour Office, had a keen and broad appreciation of its significance for economic policy. This understanding was temporarily swamped by rising social concerns and then sidelined when the World Bank began to support sites‐and‐services schemes in the 1970s. It reasserted itself in the 1980s in the form of ‘market enabling’ strategies which, however, too often became an excuse for inaction. This history underlines the importance of paying attention to the potential role of housing as a tool of economic development.

Dans le monde en développement, la configuration de la politique du logement tient généralement à des aspects sociaux et politiques, alors que le logement peut aussi servir à promouvoir l’expansion économique. Des années 1930 à 1950, c’est dans ce but qu’elle a été mise en œuvre par les organes des puissances coloniales, dont la Grande‐Bretagne et la France, par les États‐Unis à Puerto Rico, ainsi que par l’agence de développement international des États‐Unis (USAID) et la Banque interaméricaine de développement en Amérique latine. Au milieu des années 1960, l’ONU et ses agences, notamment le Bureau International du Travail, ont émis un avis général tranché quant à son importance en politique économique. Cette idée a été temporairement submergée par l’apparition de problèmes sociaux, puis mise sur la touche lorsque la Banque mondiale a soutenu les projets Sites et services dans les années 1970. Elle s’est réimplantée dans les années 1980 sous la forme de stratégies de stimulation de marché qui, toutefois, ont trop souvent servi d’excuse au manque d’action. Cet historique souligne l’intérêt à accorder au rôle potentiel du logement en tant qu’outil de développement économique.
Collective Action and Property Rights: A Planner's Critical Look at the Dogma of Private Property
Authors: MUKHIJA VINIT
Published: December 2005

The focus of this essay is success in collective action. It is based on a critical review and synthesis of the literature on collective action and property rights. I make three key arguments in the essay. First, contrary to the narrow conventional wisdom, self‐interested behavior can lead to successful collective action in both commonly managed resources and open‐access situations. The literature documents and explains a number of examples of success. Second, and nonetheless, collective action can be problematic and may require institutional responses, but privatization is not a panacea. Paradoxically, privatism can be a key source of the problems in collective action. And third, since the conventionally postulated, simple one‐to‐one relationship between a private property rights regime and an efficient outcome is not true, and given planners’ institutional interests, they should take a leading role in publicly advocating the potential viability of common property and collective action. Another important   objective   of   the   essay   is   to   introduce   to   the   readers   a   vast   body   of   non‐traditional   literature   that   has   relevance   for   urban   studies   and   planning   practice. I include the literature on private property rights, ‘the tragedy of the commons’, ‘the inverse commons’, ‘the comedy of the commons’, and ‘the tragedy of the anticommons’.

Cet essai s’intéresse au succès de l’action collective. Il s’appuie sur une critique et une synthèse des références sur l’action collective et les droits de propriété. Trois arguments sont exposés. D’abord, a contrario d’un avis étroit et conventionnel, l’intérêt personnel peut conduire à une action collective réussie tant pour des ressources gérées en commun que pour des situations en accès libre; des documents retracent et expliquent bon nombre de cas de succès. Ensuite, et néanmoins, une action collective peut poser problème et exiger des réponses institutionnelles, quoique la privatisation ne soit pas la panacée; paradoxalement, le ‘privatisme’ peut se révéler une source essentielle de difficultés en cas d’action collective. Enfin, comme le principe classique de relation simple, un pour un, entre un régime de droits de propriété privée et un résultat efficace n’est pas vérifié, et compte tenu des intérêts institutionnels des urbanistes, ceux‐ci devraient prendre un rôle moteur en défendant publiquement la viabilité de la propriété commune et de l’action collective. L’essai a comme autre objectif important de présenter aux lecteurs un vaste corpus de textes non traditionnels pertinent pour les études urbaines et la pratique de l’urbanisme. La conclusion inclut des références sur les droits de la propriété privée, ‘la tragédie des biens communs’, ‘les communs inversés’, ‘la comédie des communs’ et ‘la tragédie des anti‐communs’.
Functional Connectivity between Trigeminal and Occipital Nerves Revealed by Occipital Nerve Blockade and Nociceptive Blink Reflexes
Authors: Busch V , Jakob W , Juergens T , Schulte-Mattler W , Kaube H , May A
Published: December 2005

Headache syndromes often suggest occipital and neck involvement, although it is still unknown to what extent branches of segment C1-C3 contribute actively to primary headache. Pain within the occipital area may be referred to the trigeminal territory. However, a modulation of trigeminal transmission by affecting cervical input in humans has not been elucidated so far. A convergence of cervical and trigeminal input at the level of the caudal part of the trigeminal nucleus in the brainstem has been suggested due to anatomical and neurophysiological studies in animals. We examined the R2 components of the nociceptive blink reflex responses in 15 healthy subjects before and after unilateral nerve blockade of the greater occipital nerve with 5 ml prilocain (1%). R2 response areas (AUC) decreased and the R2 latencies increased significantly after the nerve blockade only on the side of injection. AUC and latencies on the non-injection side remained stable. Thresholds for sensory or pain perception did not differ significantly between the repeated measurements on both sides. Our findings extend previous results related to anatomical and functional convergence of trigeminal and cervical afferent pathways in animals and suggest that the modulation of this pathway is of potential benefit in primary headache disorders.
Loss of metabotropic glutamate receptor‐mediated regulation of glutamate transport in chemically activated astrocytes in a rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Vermeiren Céline , de Hemptinne Isabelle , Vanhoutte Nicolas , Tilleux Sébastien , Maloteaux Jean‐Marie , Hermans Emmanuel
Published: December 2005

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a selective loss of motor neurones accompanied by intense gliosis in lesioned areas of the brain and spinal cord. Glutamate‐mediated excitotoxicity resulting from impaired astroglial uptake constitutes one of the current pathophysiological hypotheses explaining the progression of the disease. In this study, we examined the regulation of glutamate transporters by type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR5) in activated astrocytes derived from transgenic rats carrying an ALS‐related mutated human superoxide dismutase 1 (hSOD1G93A) transgene. Cells from transgenic animals and wild‐type littermates showed similar expression of glutamate–aspartate transporter and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT‐1) after in vitro activation, whereas cells carrying the hSOD1 mutation showed a three‐fold higher expression of functional mGluR5, as observed in the spinal cord of end‐stage animals. In cells from wild‐type animals, (S)‐3,5‐dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) caused an immediate protein kinase C (PKC)‐dependent up‐regulation of aspartate uptake that reflected the activation of GLT‐1. Although this effect was mimicked in both cultures by direct activation of PKC using phorbol myristate acetate, DHPG failed to up‐regulate aspartate uptake in cells derived from the transgenic rats. The failure of activated mGluR5 to increase glutamate uptake in astrocytes derived from this animal model of ALS supports the theory of glutamate excitotoxicity in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Contribution of conserved polar glutamine, asparagine and threonine residues and glycosylation to agonist action at human P2X1 receptors for ATP
Authors: Roberts Jonathan A. , Evans Richard J.
Published: December 2005

The role of conserved polar glutamine, asparagine and threonine residues in the large extracellular loop, and glycosylation, to agonist action at human P2X1 receptors was tested by generating alanine substitution mutants. For the majority of mutants (Q56A, Q95A, T104A, T109A, Q112A, Q114A, T146A, N153A, T158A, N184A, N191A, N242A, N300A) alanine substitution had no effect on ATP potency. The mutants Q95A, Q112A, Q114A and T158A showed changes in efficacy for the partial agonists BzATP and Ap5A, suggesting that these polar residues may contribute to the gating of the channel. The mutants T186A, N204A and N290A had six‐, three‐ and 60‐fold decreases in ATP potency, respectively. For T186A and N290A, the partial agonists BzATP and Ap5A were no longer agonists but still bind to the receptor as shown by the ability to modulate the response to co‐applied ATP. N153, N184 and N242 are glycosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum and N300 acquires complex glycosylation in the golgi. These results aid in refining a model for ATP binding at the P2X1 receptor where the residues F185T186, and the conserved triplet N290F291R292, are likely to play a role in ATP action at the receptor.
Observer reproducibility and validity of systems for clinical classification of angina pectoris: comparison with radionuclide imaging and coronary angiography
Authors: Christensen Henrik Wulff , Haghfelt Torben , Vach Werner , Johansen Allan , Høilund‐Carlsen Poul Flemming
Published: December 2005

Objective:  To assess reproducibility and validity of clinical classification of angina pectoris (AP) patients.

Design:  Fifty‐six patients scheduled for coronary angiography because of stable AP were classified by two independent observers with regard to (i) type and (ii) severity of chest pain (Canadian Cardiovascular Society, CCS) and (iii) cardiac functional status (New York Heart Association, NYHA). Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) was performed in 55 including measurement of ejection fraction in 46, angiography was undertaken in 51.

Results:  Observers agreed 100% on the presence (n = 45) or absence (n = 11) of angina. They agreed in 52 (93%), 48 (86%), and 42 (75%) patients with regard to type of pain, CCS grade, and NYHA class, respectively. In the remaining patients, they disagreed by one class only. The positive and negative predictive values of typical/atypical angina for perfusion abnormalities and coronary disease were 55%/82% and 53%/82%, respectively.

Conclusions:  Observer agreement was excellent for presence, type, and severity of chest pain but moderate with regard NYHA class. Clinical judgment could not predict with reasonable accuracy abnormal perfusion or coronary artery disease.
Modulations of human autonomic function induced by positive pressure‐assisted breathing
Authors: Garet Martin , Barthélémy Jean‐Claude , Degache Francis , Pichot Vincent , Duverney David , Roche Frédéric
Published: December 2005

In order to examine the acute autonomic response in humans during and immediately after positive pressure‐assisted (PPA) breathing, spontaneous cardiac baroreflex (BR) sensitivity was studied through the adaptation of consecutive RR intervals in response to spontaneous systolic blood pressure fluctuations in 11 healthy subjects. The gain (α‐index) in baroreceptor reflex was estimated using cross‐spectral analysis (RR interval variability and systolic blood pressure variability) for the low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands. All measurements were made under fixed breathing rate (12 breaths per minute), and realized consecutively at baseline level (20 min), after‐short inspiratory pressure support plus positive end‐expiratory airway pressure (IPS + PEEP) ventilation (15 min), again under normal conditions (20 min; recovery period) and, finally, during a standard upward orthostatic challenge test (15 min; orthostatic challenge). The spontaneous BR gain in the HF band increases slightly during ventilation (+26·1 ± 11·7%, P<0·05) and decreases significantly during recovery without any significant alteration in mean heart rate, systolic or diastolic blood pressure. The spontaneous BR gain in the LF band decreases during IPS + PEEP ventilation (8·4 ± 4·4 versus 12·7 ± 6·2 ms mm−1 Hg; P<0·05) and returns to basal level during recovery. Orthostatic challenge altered significantly the BR gain in both HF and LF bands with significant heart rate acceleration. In humans, while the parasympathetic control of heart rate and blood pressure is found moderately enhanced, the sympathetic BR drive appears significantly and transitory altered under short term IPS + PEEP ventilation with a degree of alteration comparable to those observed during orthostatic challenge.
Cardiovascular responses induced during high‐intensity eccentric and concentric isokinetic muscle contraction in healthy young adults
Authors: Okamoto Takanobu , Masuhara Mitsuhiko , Ikuta Komei
Published: December 2005

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in cardiovascular response between high‐intensity eccentric (ECC) and concentric (CON) contractions, and to obtain the basic data applicable to resistance training in middle‐aged and elderly individuals. The subjects who participated in this study were nine healthy men (age 24·1 ± 1·3 years). ECC and CON were randomly selected, as each test consisted of a high‐intensity (80% of peak torque) bout of 60 s of ECC and CON isokinetic contractions of the flexor carpi radialis. Systolic pressure (SBP), diastolic pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) during ECC and CON were measured using a Finometer. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was calculated by SBP and DBP. Rate‐pressure product (RPP) was calculated by SBP and HR. SBP, DBP, MAP and RPP during ECC were significantly smaller compared with CON. It is clear that cardiovascular response by high‐intensity contraction is smaller in ECC than in CON. High‐intensity ECC has been suggested to exert only small stress to the cardiovascular system. Thus, being a contraction mode it may be applicable to resistance training.
“A Shia Crescent: What Fallout for the United States?
Authors: Cole Juan , Katzman Kenneth , Sadjadpour Karim , Takeyh Ray
Published: December 2005

The following is an edited transcript of the forty‐first in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on October 14, 2005, in the U.S. Capitol, with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating.
Does Quality Matter? Challengers in State Supreme Court Elections
Authors: Hall Melinda Gann , Bonneau Chris W.
Published: December 2005

We assess whether quality challengers in state supreme court elections have a significant impact on the electoral successes of incumbents and whether the electorate seemingly makes candidate‐based evaluations in these races. To address these questions, we examine 208 elections to the states' highest courts from 1990 through 2000 in the 21 states using partisan or nonpartisan elections to staff their benches. From a Heckman two‐stage estimation procedure that takes into account factors influencing challengers' decisions to run as well as factors affecting the electorate's choices among candidates, we find that quality does matter. Experienced challengers significantly lessen the electoral security of incumbents, and the electorate appears to evaluate challengers' qualifications. These findings stand in stark relief to traditional notions that the electorate is incapable of responding to candidate stimuli beyond incumbency and that judicial elections inherently are an ineffective means for securing popular control over the bench.
Presidential Coattails and Legislative Fragmentation
Authors: Golder Matt
Published: December 2005

Considerable evidence suggests that legislative fragmentation can negatively affect the survival of democratic presidential regimes. While there is a vast literature examining the determinants of legislative fragmentation, one factor that has traditionally been overlooked is the impact of presidential elections. Do presidential elections increase or decrease legislative fragmentation? Does it matter if presidents are elected by plurality rule or by runoff? Using a new dataset that covers all democratic legislative and presidential elections between 1946 and 2000, I find that presidential coattails can reduce, increase, or have no effect on legislative fragmentation depending on the number of presidential candidates. I also find strong evidence that social heterogeneity increases the number of presidential candidates when runoff systems are employed. Taken together, these results suggest that the widespread adoption of runoffs by newly democratic presidential regimes will likely increase legislative fragmentation, thereby putting their democratic survival at increased risk.
Parties for Rent? Ambition, Ideology, and Party Switching in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies
Authors: Desposato Scott W.
Published: December 2005

Party switching by legislators has been common in many countries, including the Philippines, Italy, Nepal, Ecuador, Russia, and Japan. While frequently dismissed as simply an indicator of a weak parties, switching provides a unique window on party systems. To the extent that we understand affiliation decisions, we gain insight on the way politicians use parties to advance their careers. In this article I offer a model of party‐membership patterns, where decisions to switch party or to stay put are a function of the strategic interaction of legislators and endogenous party leaders. I test the model on the case of Brazil, where switching is common. Results suggest that Brazilian legislators use parties to maximize pork, ideological consistency, and short‐term electoral success, but which of these matters most depends on constituents, i.e., legislators use parties for different purposes in different electoral environments. The approach developed here could easily be applied to study legislative behavior in other political systems.
Institutions of the Offensive: Domestic Sources of Dispute Initiation in Authoritarian Regimes, 1950–1992
Authors: Lai Brian , Slater Dan
Published: December 2005

What are the most important sources of institutional variation among authoritarian regimes, and how do such institutions influence these dictatorships' propensity to initiate military disputes? This article argues that most existing studies in both comparative politics and international relations employ a flawed conceptualization of authoritarian institutions. Excessive focus on the personalization or institutionalization of authoritarian regimes' decision‐making procedures has distracted attention from the more critical issue of what institutions these regimes deploy to enhance social control and secure political incumbency. Since military regimes are systematically less effective than single‐party regimes at developing these types of authoritarian institutions, they more frequently resort to desperate measures to fend off domestic challenges to their power. In particular, we find compelling empirical support for our hypothesis that military regimes are more likely than single‐party regimes to initiate military disputes, irrespective of whether those regimes are highly personalized or not.
Cognitive Heterogeneity and Economic Voting: A Comparative Analysis of Four Democratic Electorates
Authors: Gomez Brad T. , Wilson J. Matthew
Published: December 2005

This article examines the cognitive foundations of economic voting in four diverse democratic electorates: Canada, Hungary, Mexico, and Taiwan. We present a theory of heterogeneous attribution, where an individual's level of political sophistication conditions his or her ability to attribute responsibility for economic conditions to governmental actors. In contrast to previous literature, we argue that higher, not lower, levels of political sophistication prompt citizens to “vote their pocketbook.” Using data from surveys done in conjunction with recent elections in all of these countries, we find that more politically sophisticated respondents are more likely to make use of pocketbook evaluations in their decisions to support or oppose the incumbent government. These findings both present a significant challenge to the conventional wisdom on political sophistication and economic voting and shed light on the necessary cognitive preconditions for democratic accountability.
Bagehot or Bailout? An Analysis of Government Responses to Banking Crises
Authors: Rosas Guillermo
Published: December 2005

Political intervention into markets can take a nearly endless number of forms. During the latter part of the twentieth century, there was a widely shared sense that governments should decrease their role in the economy. Still, there were important variations in this trend. In response to onerous banking crises, countries chose policies that varied dramatically between rescuing insolvent banks (Bailout) and enforcing bank closures (Bagehot). Bailouts are often portrayed as regressive wealth transfers from taxpayers to bankers as the result of “crony capitalism.” However, government policy choice may be patterned as much by domestic institutions—political regime and central bank autonomy—and international constraints—economic openness and support from international financial institutions—as by political promises to stand by crony allies in hard times. I test these arguments by fitting a Bayesian hierarchical item response model of policy making that takes full advantage of data on government responses to banking crises.
Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Microstructure of Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition of SiC
Authors: Mi Jian , Johnson Ryan , Lackey W. Jack
Published: December 2005

Thermodynamic and kinetic analyses as well as extensive experimentation were used to better understand the laser chemical vapor deposition of silicon carbide (SiC). The thermodynamic calculations suggested the use of lower processing temperatures, which experimentally proved advantageous for growth of uniform SiC fibers. The apparent activation energy was 163 KJ/mol, and the order of reaction with respect to the concentration of methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) was 0.36. Characterization via scanning electron microscopy revealed the deposits to be polycrystalline. Elongated grains oriented in the growth direction had aspect ratios in the range of 4–32 with diameters of 2–50 μm, depending on the deposition temperature. Temperature had a larger effect on the deposition rate and microstructure than did the H2/MTS ratio.
Tubular La0.7Ca0.3Fe0.85Co0.15O3–δ Perovskite Membranes, Part I: Preparation and Properties
Authors: Trunec Martin , Cihlar Jaroslav , Diethelm Stefan , Van Herle Jan
Published: December 2005

Dense tubular self‐supporting La0.7Ca0.3Fe0.85Co0.15O3−δ perovskite membranes were prepared by thermoplastic extrusion. The rheological behavior of the ceramic mixture was studied. Non‐deformed tubes of 10 and 5 mm diameter and 0.3–0.8 mm wall thickness could be extruded. After sintering at 1100°C, the membranes reached a relative density of over 98% with an average grain size of 0.25 μm. Flexural strength, elastic modulus, and fracture toughness of sintered perovskite ceramics were determined on test bars prepared by injection molding from a thermoplastic mixture identical to that used for extrusion. The room‐temperature flexural strength reached 215 MPa in four‐point bending, and the fracture toughness was 1.6 MPa·m0.5.
An attract‐and‐kill system to control Carpophilus spp. in Australian stone fruit orchards
Authors: Hossain Mofakhar S. , Williams David G. , Mansfield Catherine , Bartelt Robert J. , Callinan Leigh , Il’ichev Alex L.
Published: December 2005

During two growing seasons, the use of an attract‐and‐kill system for control of Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and the effective range or drawing power of the attract‐and‐kill stations were examined in stone fruit orchards in the Goulburn Valley, northern Victoria, Australia. Three attract‐and‐kill stations, baited with synthetic aggregation pheromone plus co‐attractant, were placed about 50 m apart in the upwind corner of each treated block 5–6 weeks before the fruit began to ripen. Large numbers of Carpophilus spp. were caught in the attract‐and‐kill stations immediately after placement. By the time fruit had ripened, the number of Carpophilus spp. caught had decreased greatly. Fruit damage caused by Carpophilus spp. in treated blocks, especially in 2000–2001 season, was almost zero (0.1% and 0.6%) in trees and on the ground, respectively, whereas the damage levels in control blocks were 5.2% and 19.9% in trees and on the ground, respectively. This study indicates that excellent protection of ripening stone fruit may be achieved by using attract‐and kill‐stations.
Slit‐scan tomography evaluation of the anterior chamber and corneal configurations at different ages
Authors: Jonsson Maria , Markström Klas , Behndig Anders
Published: December 2005

Purpose:  To evaluate the aqueous humour and corneal volumes, their correlations to age, sex and refractive status, and their changes with age.

Methods:  A total of 153 eyes of 153 healthy volunteers and 58 eyes of 58 patients planned for cataract surgery were examined with Orbscan II slit‐scan tomography and the autorefractometer‐keratometer. In 16 eyes of 16 volunteers, the same examinations were performed twice with a 4‐year interval. Anterior chamber volumes were calculated with a 3‐dimensional mapping method, corneal volumes were calculated, and multiple refraction and corneal/anterior chamber configuration variables were registered.

Results:  The aqueous humour volume is inversely correlated to the age of the individual (r = − 0.22, p = 0.001), with an average decrease of 1.4 ± 2.6 µl per year on longitudinal follow‐up (p = 0.042). Specifically, the posterior part of the anterior chamber undergoes a pronounced reduction in volume with time, whereas the volume of the anterior part increases slightly with time. Increasing steepness and peripheral thinning of the cornea (p = 0.034), and a reduction in corneal volume (p = 0.037) were also seen with increasing age. Males had less steeply curved corneas and higher aqueous humour volumes than females.

Conclusion:  The anterior segment of the eye undergoes continuous alterations with age, which differ significantly between the genders. These normal differences and alterations may be of importance in the planning of refractive procedures, and in the evaluation of disease processes.
The Pericentriolar Recycling Endosome Plays a Key Role in Vpu‐mediated Enhancement of HIV‐1 Particle Release
Authors: Varthakavi Vasundhara , Smith Rita M. , Martin Kenneth L. , Derdowski Aaron , Lapierre Lynne A. , Goldenring James R. , Spearman Paul
Published: December 2005

The HIV‐1 accessory gene product Vpu is required for efficient viral particle release from infected human cells. The mechanism by which Vpu enhances particle assembly or release is not yet defined. Here, we identify an intracellular site that is critical for Vpu‐mediated enhancement of particle release. Vpu was found to co‐localize with markers for the pericentriolar recycling endosome. Expression of dominant negative mutants of Rab11a and myosin Vb that disrupt protein sorting through the recycling endosome abrogated the ability of Vpu to augment particle release. Remarkably, the effects of blocking recycling endosome function on HIV particle release were demonstrable only in human cell lines known to be responsive to Vpu, while no effect on particle release was seen in African green monkey cells. Inhibition of recycling endosome function in human cells also blocked the ability of HIV‐2 envelope to enhance particle release. These studies indicate that Vpu and HIV‐2 envelope glycoprotein enhance particle release via a common mechanism that requires the activity of the pericentriolar recycling endosome.
In vitro antifungal effect of amine fluoride‐stannous fluoride combination on oral Candida species
Authors: Meurman JH , Kari K , Waltimo T , Kotiranta A , Inkeri J , Samaranayake LP
Published: December 2005

Objective:  The combination of amine fluoride and stannous fluoride (AmF/SnF2) was, by chance, found to be antifungal in a clinical trial. This study investigated its effect on pathogenic Candida species with the hypothesis that the antifungal action on different species is variable.

Materials and methods:  Growth inhibition effect of Meridol® mouth rinse which contains 250 ppm AmF/SnF2 was evaluated on 43 reference and clinical strains of Candida albicans, C. dubliniensis, C. glabrata, C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. Meridol® base solution without AmF/SnF2 was used as a negative control.

Results:  Undiluted Meridol® mouth rinse killed most study strains within a few minutes. In ascending order, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei and C. dubliniensis showed higher resistance against AmF/SnF2 than C. guilliermondii.

Conclusion:  AmF/SnF2 could be used as a potent adjunct to antifungal therapy for oral yeasts. Although different Candida species demonstrated variable sensitivity the most prevalent oral yeast C. albicans appeared sensitive to the AmF/SnF2 combination.
Adenomatoid dentinoma or adenomatoid odontogenic hamartoma: what is the better term to denominate this uncommon odontogenic lesion?
Authors: Vargas PA , Carlos‐Bregni R , Mosqueda‐Taylor A , Cuairan‐Ruidíaz V , Lopes MA , de Almeida OP
Published: December 2005

We report two cases of an uncommon odontogenic lesion, previously described as adenomatoid dentinoma. They were well‐circumscribed unilocular radiolucent lesions exhibiting discrete radiopacities, located in the left mandibular third molar region. Microscopically they were composed of odontogenic hard and soft tissues, similar to a dental germ. Dental papilla and dentin were easily identified. Odontogenic epithelium formed adenomatoid‐like structures, and by scanning electron microscopy a layer of enamel was seen in contact with the dentin. Based on these clinical, radiographic, histological and electron microscopical features we proposed the diagnosis of adenomatoid odontogenic hamartoma. Treatment consisted of surgical removal, and no recurrence was observed. In our opinion all similar cases previously reported pertain to the same spectrum of this lesion and thus should be named as suggested above. Moreover, ultrastructural observations using 5 μm sections can be useful to better characterize the presence of hard tissues.
Proinflammatory cytokine levels in saliva before and after treatment of (erosive) oral lichen planus with dexamethasone
Authors: Rhodus NL , Cheng B , Bowles W , Myers S , Miller L , Ondrey F
Published: December 2005

Objective:  To explore the potential of detecting the level of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin‐1‐alpha (IL‐1‐α), IL‐6, and IL‐8 in whole unstimulated saliva (WUS) in monitoring the therapeutic effects of topical dexamethasone on these salivary cytokines in subjects with erosive oral lichen planus (OLP).

Study design:  Thirteen definitively diagnosed OLP subjects were enrolled in the study as were 13 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. The OLP subjects were treated with 0.1% dexamethasone oral rinse for 6 weeks. Prior to treatment and at the end of clinical trial, the visual analog scale (VAS) for symptoms was recorded, WUS was collected and these proinflammatory cytokines were analyzed by ELISA.

Results:  Following the dexamethasone treatment, the levels of TNF‐α, IL‐1‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐8 were decreased significantly, and IL‐1‐α and IL‐8 were detected at a level without a statistically significant difference from controls. VAS value was decreased significantly and was found to significantly correlate with the decrease in IL‐1‐α and IL‐8 levels.

Conclusions:  These preliminary results indicate that salivary analysis of NF‐κB‐dependent cytokines may be applied to monitoring the therapeutic response of OLP.
Prevalence of erosive tooth wear and associated risk factors in 2–7‐year‐old German kindergarten children
Authors: Wiegand A , Müller J , Werner C , Attin T
Published: December 2005

Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) investigate prevalence and severity of erosive tooth wear among kindergarten children and (2) determine the relationship between dental erosion and dietary intake, oral hygiene behaviour, systemic diseases and salivary concentration of calcium and phosphate.

Materials and methods: A sample of 463 children (2–7 years old) from 21 kindergartens were examined under standardized conditions by a calibrated examiner. Dental erosion of primary and permanent teeth was recorded using a scoring system based on O'Sullivan Index [Eur J Paediatr Dent2 (2000) 69]. Data on the rate and frequency of dietary intake, systemic diseases and oral hygiene behaviour were obtained from a questionnaire completed by the parents. Unstimulated saliva samples of 355 children were analysed for calcium and phosphate concentration by colorimetric assessment. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were applied to the data.

Results: Prevalence of erosion amounted to 32% and increased with increasing age of the children. Dentine erosion affecting at least one tooth could be observed in 13.2% of the children. The most affected teeth were the primary maxillary first and second incisors (15.5–25%) followed by the canines (10.5–12%) and molars (1–5%). Erosions on primary mandibular teeth were as follows: incisors: 1.5–3%, canines: 5.5–6% and molars: 3.5–5%. Erosions of the primary first and second molars were mostly seen on the occlusal surfaces (75.9%) involving enamel or enamel–dentine but not the pulp. In primary first and second incisors and canines, erosive lesions were often located incisally (51.2%) or affected multiple surfaces (28.9%). None of the permanent incisors (n = 93) or first molars (n=139) showed signs of erosion. Dietary factors, oral hygiene behaviour, systemic diseases and salivary calcium and phosphate concentration were not associated with the presence of erosion.

Conclusions: Erosive tooth wear of primary teeth was frequently seen in primary dentition. As several children showed progressive erosion into dentine or exhibited severe erosion affecting many teeth, preventive and therapeutic measures are recommended.
H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA amounts and ratio in oral squamous cell carcinoma and leukoplakia
Authors: Piscopo M , Campisi G , Colella G , Bilancione M , Caccamo S , Di Liberto C , Tartaro GP , Giovannelli L , Pulcrano G , Fucci L
Published: December 2005

Histone variants (e.g. H3) play an important role in chromatin structure and gene expression regulation of normal cells. Aims of this study were to: (1) estimate H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA expressions and their ratio in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral leukoplakia (OL); (2) investigate whether H3 and H3.3 variants could play a role in the pathogenesis of OSCC and OL, also conditionally to HPV infection, age, gender, and main habits (tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking) in human beings studied. Twenty‐three cases of OSCC and 20 cases of OL were examined in lesion site (LS) and juxtaposed clinically undamaged site (JUS) by RT‐PCR for H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA; 13 healthy oral mucosa samples (HS) were investigated in a single site as controls. HPV DNA presence was investigated in the respective exfoliated oral mucosa cells by nested PCR (nPCR: MY09‐MY11/GP5‐GP6). The data showed that both H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA crude concentrations are higher in OSCC (LS=2901 ± 459 ng of H3; JUS=2699 ± 658 ng of H3; LS=3190 ± 411 ng of H3.3; JUS=2596 ± 755 ng of H3.3) than those in OL (LS=2095 ± 349 ng of H3; JUS=2192 ± 897 ng of H3; LS=2076 ± 911 ng of H3.3; JUS=1880 ± 654 ng of H3.3) and in HS (2579 ± 959 ng of H3; 2300 ± 758 ng of H3.3), although not reaching any statistical significance. Interestingly, ratio of H3/H3.3 mRNA amounts decrease both in OSCC (0.99) and OL (1.009) vs HS (1.121). No association was found for H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA expressions in OSCC and OL with respect to HPV infection and the social‐demographical variables considered (P > 0.2). The overall higher expression of H3.3 in damaged tissues up to the ratio inversion in OSCC especially in HPV+ alcohol drinkers (60.0%) represents the most interesting finding, in consideration of the proven ability of alcohol to act as permeability enhancer of human oral mucosa, to alter the mucosal structure and by this dynamics could favour the penetration through the epithelial layers of HPV.
Comparison Between Sildenafil-Treated Subjects with Erectile Dysfunction and Control Subjects on the Self-Esteem And Relationship Questionnaire
Authors: Cappelleri Joseph C. , Bell Stephen S. , Althof Stanley E. , Siegel Richard L. , Stecher Vera J.
Published: December 2005

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) can negatively impact psychosocial measures of a patient's sexual life.

Aim

To evaluate self-esteem, confidence, and relationships in men with ED, before and after treatment with sildenafil citrate (Viagra®), with reference to controls without ED.

Methods

Sildenafil-naïve patients with ED were enrolled in a 10-week, open-label, flexible-dose (25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg) trial of sildenafil. In a separate study, men without ED who did not take sildenafil also completed the Self-Esteem And Relationship (SEAR) questionnaire. In addition to traditional statistical testing, equivalency testing was applied to compare the ED group, before and after treatment, with the control group and to examine whether the ED group improved to normative ranges on the SEAR questionnaire after treatment (within half a standard deviation of the normative or control group mean).

Main Outcome Measures

Baseline and end-of-treatment responses on psychosocial aspects of ED were measured with the validated SEAR.

Results

Mean SEAR scores between subjects with ED (N = 93, mean age 55.0 years) at baseline and control subjects without ED (N = 94, mean age 52.5 years) were statistically different from zero and not statistically equivalent. Conversely, mean SEAR scores between ED subjects after treatment and control subjects were statistically equivalent and not statistically different from zero.

Conclusions

The results indicate that sildenafil is associated with normalization of relationships, confidence, and self-esteem in men with ED.
Role in Virulence of aBrucella abortusProtein Exhibiting Lectin-Like Activity
Authors: Vemulapalli Tracy H. , Vemulapalli Ramesh , Schurig Gerhardt G. , Boyle Stephen M. , Sriranganathan Nammalwar
Published: December 2005

Brucella abortusis a facultative, intracellular zoonotic pathogen which can cause undulant fever in humans and abortions in cattle. A 14-kDa protein ofB. abortuswas previously identified to be immunogenic in animals infected withBrucellaspp. In this study, we discovered that the 14-kDa protein possessed immunoglobulin binding and hemagglutination properties that appeared to be based on the protein's lectin-like properties. Hemagglutination inhibition experiments suggested that the 14-kDa protein has affinity towards mannose. Disruption of the gene encoding the 14-kDa protein in virulentB. abortusstrain 2308 induced a rough-like phenotype with an altered smooth lipopolysaccharide (LPS) immunoblot profile and a significant reduction in the bacterium's ability to replicate in mouse spleens. However, the mutant strain was stably maintained in mouse spleens at 2.0 to 2.6 log10CFU/spleen from day 1 to week 6 after intraperitoneal inoculation with 4.65 log10CFU. In contrast to the case for the smooth virulent strain 2308, in the rough attenuated strain RB51 disruption of the 14-kDa protein's gene had no effect on the mouse clearance pattern. These findings indicate that the 14-kDa protein ofB. abortuspossesses lectin-like properties and is essential for the virulence of the species, probably because of its direct or indirect role in the synthesis of smooth LPS.