bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN DENMARK
Authors: Jørgensen Torben , Hvenegaard Anne , Kristensen Finn Børlum
Published: July 2002

The Danish healthcare services are mainly provided by public sector institutions. The system is highly

decentralized. The state has little direct influence on the provision of healthcare services. State influence

is exercised through legislation and budget allocations. The main task of the state is to initiate, co-ordinate,

and advise. Counties, which run the hospitals, also decide on the placement of services. The hospital sector

is controlled within the framework of legislation and global budgets. General practitioners occupy a

central position in the Danish healthcare sector, acting as gatekeepers to the rest of the system. The

system works well, and its structure has resulted in steady costs of health care for a long period. There is

no regulatory mechanism in the Danish health services requiring use of health technology assessment

(HTA) as a basis for policy decisions, planning, or administrative procedures. However, since the late

1970s a number of comprehensive assessments of health technology have formed the basis for national health

policy decisions. In 1997, after years of public criticism of the quality of hospital care and health

technologies, and on the basis of a previously developed national HTA strategy, a national institute for HTA

(DIHTA) was established. There seems to be a growing awareness of evidence-based healthcare among

health professionals and a general acceptance of health economic analyses as a basis for health policy

decision making. This progress is coupled with growing regional HTA activity in the health services. HTA seems to have

a bright future in Denmark.
SIMULATION-BASED ECONOMETRIC METHODS
Authors: Andersen Torben G.
Published: July 2002

The accessibility of high-performance computing power
has always influenced theoretical and applied econometrics.
Gouriéroux and Monfort begin their recent offering,
Simulation-Based Econometric Methods, with a stylized
three-stage classification of the history of statistical
econometrics. In the first stage, lasting through the 1960's,
models and estimation methods were designed to produce
closed-form expressions for the estimators. This spurred
thorough investigation of the standard linear model, linear
simultaneous equations with the associated instrumental
variable techniques, and maximum likelihood estimation
within the exponential family. During the 1970's and
1980's the development of powerful numerical optimization
routines led to the exploration of procedures without closed-form
solutions for the estimators. During this period the general
theory of nonlinear statistical inference was developed,
and nonlinear micro models such as limited dependent variable
models and nonlinear time series models, e.g., ARCH, were
explored. The associated estimation principles included
maximum likelihood (beyond the exponential family), pseudo-maximum
likelihood, nonlinear least squares, and generalized method
of moments. Finally, the third stage considers problems
without a tractable analytic criterion function. Such problems
almost invariably arise from the need to evaluate high-dimensional
integrals. The idea is to circumvent the associated numerical
problems by a simulation-based approach. The main requirement
is therefore that the model may be simulated given the
parameters and the exogenous variables. The approach delivers
simulated counterparts to standard estimation procedures
and has inspired the development of entirely new procedures
based on the principle of indirect inference.
CENTRAL LIMIT AND FUNCTIONAL CENTRAL LIMIT THEOREMS FOR
HILBERT-VALUED DEPENDENT HETEROGENEOUS ARRAYS WITH APPLICATIONS
Authors: Chen Xiaohong , White Halbert
Published: July 2002

We obtain new central limit theorems (CLT's)
and functional central limit theorems (FCLT's) for
Hilbert-valued arrays near epoch dependent on mixing processes,
and also new FCLT's for general Hilbert-valued adapted
dependent heterogeneous arrays. These theorems are useful
in delivering asymptotic distributions for parametric and
nonparametric estimators and their functionals in time
series econometrics. We give three significant applications
for near epoch dependent observations: (1) A new CLT for
any plug-in estimator of a cumulative distribution function
(c.d.f.) (e.g., an empirical c.d.f., or a c.d.f. estimator
based on a kernel density estimator), which can in turn
deliver distribution results for many Von Mises functionals;
(2) a new limiting distribution result for degenerate U-statistics,
which delivers distribution results for Bierens's
integrated conditional moment tests; (3) a new functional
central limit result for Hilbert-valued stochastic approximation
procedures, which delivers distribution results for nonparametric
recursive generalized method of moment estimators, including
nonparametric adaptive learning models.
MULTIVARIATE TIME SERIES WITH VARIOUS HIDDEN UNIT ROOTS,
PART I
Authors: Gregoir Stéphane
Published: July 2002

Following the approach proposed by Gregoir and
Laroque (1993, Econometric Theory 9, 329–342),
we consider a class of multivariate processes that, when
differenced enough, yields covariance stationary processes
whose determinant of the matrix series associated with
their Wold representation has various unit roots with various
orders of multiplicity we restrict to be integers. A representation
theorem is provided that involves different polynomial
error correction terms at each frequency associated with
each unit root. An identification criterion for each set
of error correction terms is proposed.
A preliminary study of freshwater protozoa in tank bromeliads
Authors: CARRIAS JEAN-FRANÇOIS , CUSSAC MARIE-EVE , CORBARA BRUNO
Published: July 2002

Bromeliads are common as epiphytes in warm neotropical forests (Benzing 1990). Species native to relatively wet forests impound water in a central cup and/or in
seperate leaf axils. These tanks receive enough leaf litter and rainwater to support aquatic life (Maguire 1971). In these complex
microcosms many groups of freshwater organisms ranging from algae, fungi, bacteria and protozoa through insects to frogs are
represented and constitute considerable animal populations (Frank 1983, Laessle 1961, Maguire 1971, Picado 1913, Richardson 1999). Nutrients
originating from the decomposition of litter and animal waste are absorbed by specialized trichomes on the bases of the leaves which form the tanks (Benzing 1980, 1990).
The composition of Amazonian forests: patterns at local and regional scales
Authors: Terborgh John , Andresen Ellen
Published: July 2002

An analysis was conducted of floristic patterns contained in 48 1-ha tree plots distributed at 29 sites in seven neotropical countries, with a primary emphasis on the Amazonian region. Analyses were made with family level data, using detrended correspondence analysis and multidimensional scaling to generate two-dimensional ordinations. Dissimilarity values for all pairs of plots were then used to compare forest composition at both local (flooded vs unflooded forests) and regional scales (e.g., western vs central vs eastern Amazonia). The predominate family of trees in a large majority of Amazonian and Guianan forests (by number of stems) is either Palmae or Leguminosae (sensu latu), followed by Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae. The forests of western Amazonia are particularly rich in palms, Moraceae, and Myristicaceae, whereas those of eastern Amazonia and the Guianas are rich in Lecythidaceae and Chrysobalanaceae. Dissimilarity between sites increases with distance for both flooded and unflooded forests. The tree communities of flooded and unflooded forests within a region tended to resemble one another more closely than forests of either type resembled the homologous forests of the adjoining regions. Within Amazonia the edaphic properties of each region and its geological history are tightly interrelated. It is therefore difficult to distinguish between evolutionary and ecological interpretations of the results.
Distribution patterns of vertebrates in relation to an extensive rainfall gradient and variation in soil texture in the tropical savannas of the Northern Territory, Australia
Authors: Woinarski J.C.Z. , Fisher A. , Milne D.
Published: July 2002

The abundance, richness and species composition of frog, reptile, bird and mammal faunas varied along an extensive gradient from 470 to 1406 mm annual rainfall, and between three contrasting soil types (clay, loam and sand) in northern Australia. Patterns varied between and within vertebrate classes. In general, the most fertile soils in the highest rainfall sites supported the greatest species richness and abundance, but this association with fertility broke down at lower rainfall sites. Frogs were richest and most abundant at high rainfall sites, especially on clay soils, presumably because these had greatest water availability. Clay soils supported few reptile species, but these were often at relatively high abundance. High rainfall sites supported the richest reptile faunas. On sand and loam soils, bird species richness varied little along the rainfall gradient, but richness declined very substantially on clay soils. This was probably largely due to the far more marked vegetation structural change on clay soils than on other substrates. Few mammals were reported, and no clear trends were associated with either rainfall gradient or soil texture. Turnover in species composition along the rainfall gradient was gradual and limited on sand and loam soils, but far more marked on clay soils. There were few cases of replacements of ecologically comparable species along the gradient. These patterns reflect the disparate history, fragmentation and landscape positioning of clay soil environments, relative to the far more homogeneous eucalypt-dominated vegetation on sand and loam soils. Although comparable studies are lacking on other continents, patterns revealed here may be idiosyncratic due to the virtual monopolisation by eucalypts of the environment across the very extensive rainfall gradient.
Historical and present-day child labour: is there a gap or a bridge between them?
Authors: RAHIKAINEN MARJATTA
Published: July 2002

This article suggests that analyses of child labour today should take as their point of comparison poorer nineteenth-century continental European countries, rather than the more commonly cited analogy of industrializing Britain. Two aspects of comparison between the nineteenth-century Finnish experience and today's developing economies are especially relevant. The first is the role of foreign investors in introducing industrial child labour in the early stages of industrialization. The second is labour migration, and particularly that of children. Industrial child labour in nineteenth-century Finland, and labour migration from Finland to St Petersburg, serve as empirical case studies. Finally, the author suggests that new apologies for industrial child labour in the past can be linked with the late-twentieth-century expansion of child labour.
Enforced convergence: political change and cause-of-death registration in the Hansestadt Bremen, 1860–1914
Authors: LEIDINGER BARBARA , LEE W. ROBERT , MARSCHALCK PETER
Published: July 2002

Even after the unification of Germany in 1871, political power continued to be fragmented. The Bismarckian constitution was superimposed on a collection of previously independent states: it acknowledged their continued existence as historical regions, granted them their own constitutions, state parliaments, and extensive legislative and executive powers. At a regional level, different perceptions of the appropriate role of the state continued to exist, with Prussian centralism contrasting with the laissez-faire amateurism of Bremen and Hamburg. The creation of centralized Reich (German Empire) agencies, such as the Imperial Health Office, failed to guarantee an effective implementation of German Empire decrees, and the administrative structure of individual states remained diverse. Indeed despite increasing pressure to create a uniform nation state and standardized administrative procedures, there were still 25 separate states in 1914. In relation to the structure of medical services and the formulation of medical policy, a significant degree of regional variation persisted into the twentieth century.
BOUNDS ON TAIL PROBABILITIES OF DISCRETE DISTRIBUTIONS
Authors: Klar Bernhard
Published: July 2002

We examine several approaches to derive lower and upper
bounds on tail probabilities of discrete distributions.
Numerical comparisons exemplify the quality of the bounds.
COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.Michael R. Brent (Ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1997. Pp. 199. $20.00
paper.
Authors: Moyne John A.
Published: July 2002

This book is a timely and important contribution to the study of language acquisition. It
should be of value to those engaged in active research in this field, as well as to the general
reader with an interest in language acquisition and linguistics. The papers are rather technical and
may be difficult for the general reader, but the introductory essay by the editor, Brent, goes a long
way to provide the background and describe the contents of the other essays in a more
comprehensible language for the nontechnical reader. It should be pointed out, however, that this
book is about language acquisition in general (including the theory of learning), particularly the
computational approach in the research. It is not specifically concerned with second language
acquisition.
Topological covers of complete graphs
Authors: GARDINER A. , PRAEGER CHERYL E.
Published: July 2002

Let Γ be a connected G-symmetric graph of valency
r, whose
vertex set V admits a non-trivial G-partition [Bscr ],
with blocks
B∈[Bscr ] of size v and with k[les ]v
independent
edges joining each pair of adjacent blocks. In a previous paper we introduced
a
framework for analysing such graphs Γ in terms of (a) the natural
quotient graph
Γ[Bscr ] of valency b=vr/k,
and (b)
the 1-design [Dscr ](B) induced on each block. Here we examine the case
where
k=v and Γ[Bscr ]=Kb+1

is a complete graph. The 1-design [Dscr ](B) is then degenerate, so gives
no information:
we therefore make the additional
assumption that the stabilizer G(B) of the block B

acts 2-transitively on B. We
prove that there is then a unique exceptional graph for which
[mid ]B[mid ]=v>b+1.
The geometry of conformal measures for parabolic rational maps
Authors: STRATMANN B. O. , URBAŃSKI M.
Published: July 2002

We study the h-conformal measure for parabolic rational maps, where h denotes
the Hausdorff dimension of the associated Julia sets. We derive a formula which
describes in a uniform way the scaling of this measure at arbitrary elements of the
Julia set. Furthermore, we establish the Khintchine Limit Law for parabolic rational
maps (the analogue of the ‘logarithmic law for geodesics’ in the theory of Kleinian
groups) and show that this law provides some efficient control for the fluctuation of
the h-conformal measure. We then show that these results lead to some refinements
of the description of this measure in terms of Hausdorff and packing measures with
respect to some gauge functions. Also, we derive a simple proof of the fact that the
Julia set of a parabolic rational map is uniformly perfect. Finally, we obtain that the
conformal measure is a regular doubling measure, we show that its Renyi dimension
and its information dimension are equal to h and we compute its logarithmic index.
Future Positioning Technologies and their Application to the Automotive Sector
Authors: Sage Andrew
Published: July 2002

The widespread commercial availability of location-based services depends upon every new mobile phone including positioning capability. The timescales for the introduction of these devices is far from clear, and yet the demand for high accuracy services is already increasing, particularly in the automotive and telematics sector. This paper presents a summary of the current and emerging positioning technologies, their capability, predicted timescales and their suitability for the in-car environment. Will GPS levels of accuracy be available in the mobile phone? Who are the various commercial players that may affect the ultimate choice of technology? Have new satellite services such as Galileo left it too late? The paper attempts to answer these and other questions whilst offering an insight into the convergence of satellite and cellular positioning.
Comparison of methods to analyse imprecise faecal coliform count data from environmental samples
Authors: CARABIN H. , GYORKOS T. W. , JOSEPH L. , PAYMENT P. , SOTO J. C.
Published: July 2002

Imprecise values arise when bacterial colonies are too numerous to be counted or when no colonies grow at a specific dilution. Our objective was to show the usefulness of multiple imputation in analysing data containing imprecise values. We also indicate that interval censored regression, which is faster computationally in situations where it applies, can be used, providing similar estimates to imputation. We used bacteriological data from a large epidemiological study in daycare centres to illustrate this method and compared it to a standard method which uses single exact values for the imprecise data. The data consisted of numbers of FC on children's and educators' hands, from sandboxes and from playareas. In general, we found that multiple imputation and interval censored regression provided more conservative intervals than the standard method. The discrepancy in the results highlights both the importance of using a method that best captures the uncertainty in the data and how different conclusions might be drawn. This can be crucial for both researchers and those who are involved in formulating and regulating standards for bacteriological contamination.
Foodborne outbreaks of hepatitis A in a low endemic country:

an emerging problem?
Authors: PEBODY R. G. , LEINO T. , RUUTU P. , KINNUNEN L. , DAVIDKIN I. , NOHYNEK H. , LEINIKKI P.
Published: July 2002

This paper describes 2 outbreaks of hepatitis A

infection in Finland, a very low endemic area

of hepatitis A infection, where a large proportion of the

population is now susceptible to

infection by hepatitis A virus (HAV). The first outbreak

involved people attending several

schools and day-care centres; the second employees of

several bank branches in a different city.

The initial investigation revealed that both were related

to food distributed widely from

separate central kitchens. Two separate case-control studies

implicated imported salad food

items as the most likely vehicle of infection. HAV was

detected in the stool of cases from both

outbreaks using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain

reaction; however, comparison of viral

genome sequences proved that the viruses were of different

origin and hence the outbreaks,

although occurring simultaneously, were not linked. Foodborne

outbreaks of HAV may

represent an increasing problem in populations not immune to HAV.
Occurrence of shigatoxinogenic Escherichia coli O157

in Norwegian cattle herds
Authors: VOLD L. , KLUNGSETH JOHANSEN B. , KRUSE H. , SKJERVE E. , WASTESON Y.
Published: July 2002

To investigate if there is a reservoir of Escherichia

coli O157 in Norwegian cattle, faecal

samples from 197 cattle herds were screened for E.

coli O157 by the use of immunomagnetic

separation (IMS) and PCR during the 1995 grazing season. Six

E. coli O157[ratio ]H-isolates were

detected in two herds, one isolate in one and five in the other.

The isolates carried the stx1,

stx2, and eae genes, and a 90 MDa

virulence plasmid. They were toxinogenic in a Vero cell

assay. From 57 other herds, 137 faecal samples were positive

for stx1 and/or stx2

genes detected by PCR run directly on IMS-isolated material.

Among these samples, stx2 were the

most widely distributed toxin encoding genes. No difference was

found among milking cows

and heifers in the rate of stx1 and/or

stx2 in positive samples.
The effects of population density and malnutrition on the
dynamics of whooping cough
Authors: DUNCAN C. J. , DUNCAN S. R. , SCOTT S.
Published: July 2002

Liverpool, a seaport in NW England, suffered severely
from lethal infectious diseases in the
second half of the 19th century: the population was densely crowded and
malnourished and
life expectancy was low. Time-series analysis shows that the epidemics
of whooping cough (i)
had an interepidemic interval of 2·9 years, 1863–85,
which lengthened to 3·4 years, 1885–1900
(ii) were strongly coherent with wheat prices (P<0·001)

and (iii) also correlated with cycles of
seasonal weather conditions. It is suggested from mathematical modelling
that the epidemics in
this compromised population were maintained (i.e. the system was driven)
by an oscillation of
malnutrition and by seasonal weather conditions. A model that incorporates
both the dynamics
of whooping cough and the demographic characteristics of the population
is presented. It has
been shown to replicate the dynamics of the epidemics and has been used
to predict the
changes with time of (i) the force of the infection and (ii)
the proportion of those infected with whooping cough who died.
Phage type conversion in Salmonella enterica serotype
Enteritidis caused by the introduction of a resistance plasmid
of incompatibility group X (IncX)
Authors: BROWN D. J. , BAGGESEN D. L. , PLATT D. J. , OLSEN J. E.
Published: July 2002

The plasmid pOG670, a 54 kb, conjugative plasmid that specifies
resistance to ampicillin and
kanamycin and belonging to the incompatibility group X (IncX), was transferred
into 10
isolates of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis belonging
to 10 different phage types
(PT1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 9b, 10, 11 and 13). Acquisition of the plasmid by
these strains did not
result in the loss of any resident plasmids but resulted in phage type
conversion in 8 of the 10
strains (PT1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 9b, 10 and 11). The observed changes in phage
type were found to
result from the loss of sensitivity to 3 of the 10 typing phages used (phages
3, 5 and 7). Where
the conversion resulted in a change to a defined phage type, both the new
and original PTs
belonged to the same, previously described, evolutionary lines. Enteritidis
PTs 1, 4 and 8,
commonly associated with poultry world-wide, were converted to PTs 21,
6 and 13a
respectively. The results indicate a different route for phage type conversion
Enteritidis from
others reported in the literature and, although IncX plasmids are not normally
present in PT8
or PT13a, may suggest a possible mechanism/link connecting these phage
types.
Simulation studies of phase III clinical trials to test the
efficacy of a candidate HIV-1 vaccine
Authors: DESAI K. N. , BOILY M.-C. , MASSE B. R. , ALARY M. , ANDERSON R. M.
Published: July 2002

One question of particular importance in phase III HIV vaccine trials is the choice of efficacy
measure (EM) to validly and precisely estimate the true vaccinal efficacy. Traditional EMs,
based on hazard rate ratio (HRR) or cumulative incidence ratio (CIR) are time-sensitive to
mode of vaccine action and population heterogeneities. Through Monte-Carlo simulation, the
performance of HRR and CIR based EMs are examined across different trial designs and
vaccine and population characteristics. A new EM based on log-spline hazard regression
(HARE) is proposed. Given that vaccinal properties (mode of action, time-lag, waning) are
unknown a priori, appropriate selection of EM is problematic, and HRR and CIR can be
unreliable to estimate the true maximum efficacy of candidate products. Non-random sexual
mixing can exacerbate biases in HRR and CIR. HARE can offer valid estimation across
different modes of vaccine action and in presence of frailty effects, contrary to its traditional
counterparts. Our simulation studies highlight the weaknesses of widely used EMs while
offering guidelines for trial design and suggesting new avenues for statistical analysis.
Serological evidence of Bartonella spp. infection in the UK
Authors: HARRISON T. G. , DOSHI N.
Published: July 2002

We reviewed serological and epidemiological data relating to 1000 consecutive patients from
whom specimens were submitted for estimation of bartonella antibodies, using MRL
Diagnostics Bartonella IFA IgM and IgG kits. Using 289 control sera, we estimated the
specificity of the kits as [ges ]99·0%. Evidence of bartonella infection was found in 16·3% of
patients examined. Rates varied by patient group: 20% of patients for whom a diagnosis of
cat scratch disease (CSD) was considered probable had evidence of infection, as did 10·4% of
patients with ‘possible CSD’, 8·1% of patients with possible bacillary angiomatosis, 18·2% of
patients with ‘culture negative’ endocarditis and 17·6% of patients with possible bartonellosis
with ophthalmic involvement. An IgM response was seen in 6·6% of patients and IgG in
15·1%. Cases were more frequent among males than females (18·5% vs. 13·9%). Analysis by
age showed that although rates of infection were highest in the decades 0–9 years (19·4%) and
10–19 years (20·7%), they fell only slightly in the next three decades. MRL bartonella kits
appears to provide a useful and specific approach to the diagnosis of these infections.
Motor dysfunction and risk for schizophrenia
Authors: WALKER ELAINE , LEWIS NANCY , LOEWY RACHEL , PALYO SCOTT
Published: July 2002

Motor dysfunction is associated with schizophrenia, and recent longitudinal studies indicate
that it precedes the onset of clinical symptoms. Of particular interest is the heightened occurrence
of involuntary movements, which are apparent as early as infancy and suggest the presence of
subcortical brain abnormalities. In this article, we present the results of a study of spontaneous
movements in adolescents with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). SPD is a syndrome that
has been shown to be genetically linked with schizophrenia and is often observed prior to the
early adult onset of schizophrenia. Systematic coding of videotapes of diagnostic interviews
revealed that the SPD group showed significantly more involuntary movements of the head,
trunk, and upper limbs than did normals and adolescents with other personality disorders. There
were no diagnostic group differences in the rate of voluntary movements. Salivary cortisol,
measured before the interview, was positively correlated with involuntary movements. Taken
together, the findings provide further support for the hypothesized etiologic relation between
SPD and schizophrenia. Based on a neural diathesis-stress model, potential underlying
mechanisms are discussed.
Some remarks on modelling the PDF of the
concentration of a dispersing scalar in turbulence
Authors: CHATWIN P. C.
Published: July 2002

The paper deals with the probability density function (PDF) of the concentration of a scalar
within a turbulent flow. Following some comments about the overall structure of the PDF,
and its approach to a limit at large times, attention focusses on the so-called small scale
mixing term in the evolution equation for the PDF. This represents the effect of molecular
diffusion in reducing concentration uctuations, eventually to zero. Arguments are presented
which suggest that this quantity could, in certain circumstances, depend inversely upon the
PDF, and a particular example of this leads to a new closure hypothesis. Consequences of
this, especially similarity solutions, are explored for the case when the concentration field is
statistically homogeneous.
More haste, less speed: lazy versus eager evaluation
Authors: BIRD RICHARD , JONES GERAINT , DE MOOR OEGE
Published: July 2002

Nicholas Pippenger has recently given a problem that,

under two simple restrictions, can be

solved in linear time by an impure Lisp program, but requires

Ω(n log n) steps to be solved

by any eager pure Lisp program. By showing how to solve the

problem in linear time with a

lazy functional program, we demonstrate that – for

some problems at least – lazy evaluators

are strictly more powerful than eager ones.
Container types categorically
Authors: HOOGENDIJK PAUL , DE MOOR OEGE
Published: July 2002

A program derivation is said to be polytypic if some of its parameters are data types. Often
these data types are container types, whose elements store data. Polytypic program derivations
necessitate a general, non-inductive definition of ‘container (data) type’. Here we propose such
a definition: a container type is a relator that has membership. It is shown how this definition
implies various other properties that are shared by all container types. In particular, all
container types have a unique strength, and all natural transformations between container
types are strong.
On permuting cut with contraction
Authors: BORISAVLJEVIĆ MIRJANA , DOšEN KOSTA , PETRIĆ ZORAN
Published: July 2002

This paper presents a cut-elimination procedure for intuitionistic propositional logic in
which cut is eliminated directly, without introducing the multiple-cut rule mix, and in which
pushing cut above contraction is one of the reduction steps. The presentation of this
procedure is preceded by an analysis of Gentzen's mix-elimination procedure, made in the
perspective of permuting cut with contraction. We also show that in the absence of
implication, pushing cut above contraction does not pose problems for directly eliminating
cut.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF TETRAPLASANDRA, MUNROIDENDRON AND REYNOLDSIA SANDWICENSIS (ARALIACEAE) AND THE EVOLUTION OF SUPERIOR OVARIES IN TETRAPLASANDRA
Authors: COSTELLO A. , MOTLEY T. J.
Published: July 2002

Systematic relationships within the Hawaiian group Tetraplasandra A. Gray, Munroidendron Sherff and Reynoldsia sandwicensis A. Gray are investigated here based on parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1 and 2) regions and the non-transcribed spacer of 5S (5S-NTS) nuclear ribosomal DNA. Results indicate that Tetraplasandra, Munroidendron and Reynoldsia sandwicensis form a single monophyletic group, and that Reynoldsia A. Gray is paraphyletic. Both data sets support combining Reynoldsia sandwicensis with Munroidendron and treating it as distinct from Reynoldsia species outside Hawaii. Both data sets support two major clades: a Munroidendron/Reynoldsia sandwicensis clade and a Tetraplasandra clade, but they are discordant in relation to the monophyly of Tetraplasandra. 5S-NTS results support treating Tetraplasandra, Munroidendron and Reynoldsia sandwicensis as a single genus, whereas ITS results suggest that Tetraplasandra represents a distinct genus from Reynoldsia sandwicensis and Munroidendron. Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa (Hillebr.) Sherff is the only member of the Araliaceae with a completely superior ovary, and in T. kavaiensis (H. Mann) Sherff the ovary is partially superior. Together, they form a well-supported clade within the Hawaiian complex, confirming the hypothesis that in Tetraplasandra superior ovaries evolved in Hawaii from an epigynous ancestor.
The Red Tape Option: Bureaucratic Collaboration and Resistance in Vichy France
Authors: Koreman Megan
Published: July 2002

Marc Olivier Baruch, Servir l'Etat français: L'administration en France de 1940 à 1944, preface by Jean-Pierre Azéma (Paris: Fayard, 1997), 737 pp., FF 180, ISBN 2–213–59930–0.

François Bloch-Lainé and Claude Gruson, Hauts Fonctionnaires sous l'Occupation (Paris: Editions Odile Jacob, 1996), 283 pp., FF 130, ISBN 2–738–10419–3.

Claude Singer, L'Université libérée, l'université épurée (1943–1947) (Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1997), 430 pp., FF 185, ISBN 2–251–38037–x.

Bureaucracies are so famously capable of destroying the best-laid plans of reformers
that historians often take their power to resist or collaborate for granted. In the
burgeoning field of Vichy France, for example, we have studies of the ideologies of
the well-known collaborators and of Vichy's ’National Revolution‘ as well as
studies of the havoc those ideologies wreaked on the country and the growing
opposition to both the ideas and the consequences. What we do not have is a very
clear picture of how those ideas became consequences. The question is important
because, unlike eastern European countries where Nazi occupation was naked and
brutal, the French ended up amply serving the German cause almost despite
themselves and at remarkably low cost to the Germans in terms of personnel. The
French were not terrorised into turning over their Jews, their young people, or their
crops at gunpoint in the way that, say, the Poles were. And yet they turned them
over. Were the French, then, Nazis willing to give their all for the cause? Certainly
not: far too many heroic men and women preferred to die as resistants rather than
help the Germans.
Recasting the Debate on Multiple Listing for Transplantation
through Consideration of Both Principles and Practice
Authors: ANKENY RACHEL A.
Published: July 2002

Debates continue to surround the system in the
United States for allocating transplantable cadaveric organs,
due in large part to the scarcity of such organs in relation
to the number of individuals waiting to undergo transplantation.
Candidates awaiting transplantation gain access to cadaveric
organs by being placed by individual transplant programs
on the national list of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation
Network (OPTN), overseen by the United Network for Organ
Sharing (UNOS). In recent years, the UNOS board has visited
(and revisited) the issue of multiple listing, that is,
allowing one candidate to be registered on the waiting
lists of two or more transplant programs, and has continued
to permit multiple listing.
Partitioning Two-Coloured Complete Graphs into
Two Monochromatic Cycles
Authors: ŁUCZAK TOMASZ , RÖDL VOJTĚCH , SZEMERÉDI ENDRE
Published: July 2002

We prove that there exists n0, such that, for
every
n[ges ]n0 and every 2-colouring of the
edges of the complete graph Kn,
one can find two vertex-disjoint monochromatic cycles of
different colours which cover all vertices of Kn.
Progression of mouse oocytes from metaphase I to metaphase II is inhibited by fusion with G2 cells
Authors: Grabarek Joanna , Zernicka-Goetz Magdalena
Published: July 2002

We show that in contrast to metaphase II oocytes, metaphase I oocytes cannot be activated by fusion with the zygote. Fusion of metaphase I oocytes with G2 zygotes was followed by premature chromosome condensation, with 60% of the hybrids becoming arrested at metaphase I, the remainder progressing and arresting at metaphase II. Hybrids of metaphase I oocytes and M-phase zygotes underwent accelerated maturation, but all arrested at metaphase II. In both cases the arrest could be overcome by treatment with the parthenogenetic activators ethanol and cycloheximide. We discuss these findings in relation to the possibility that the metaphase I oocyte contains cytostatic factor activity that is activated by its zygotic partner. Alternatively, the G2 zygote may provide an inhibitor of anaphase, normally never present in the metaphase I oocyte and which is absent from the M-phase zygote.
The effect of various capacitation active compounds and capacitation time on the in vitro fertility and protein tyrosine phosphorylation profiles of bovine sperm
Authors: Pavlok A. , Kubelka M. , Pěknicocá J.
Published: July 2002

In this paper the effects of capacitation and fertilisation stimulating
compounds (heparin, caffeine, glucose, D-penicillamine, bovine serum (BOS),
bovine serum albumin (BSA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)) were analysed in
several in vitro fertilisation protocols. Attention was paid to the rate
of penetrated oocytes, kinetics of penetration and to polyspermic
fertilisation. Cryopreserved bovine sperm and in vitro matured bovine
oocytes were used throughout all the fertilisation experiments. As detected
in the first 8 h fertilisation experiment with non-incubated sperm, the
supplementation of medium with heparin, BOS and glucose supported the
fertilisation rate most effectively (100%), including the kinetics of
pronuclei formation (52.4%). The absence of BOS resulted in a decreased
fertilisation rate (62.7%) as well as a delay in pronuclei formation
(13.6%), similar to that after substitution of heparin with caffeine
(73.0% and 25.4%, respectively). The penetration rate in the control
medium with BOS (without heparin and caffeine) was surprisingly
high, especially in medium without glucose (62.2%). The positive effect of
glucose on sperm penetration was observed mainly in a chemically defined
medium with PVA. High polyspermy rates were observed throughout all
experiments in the media containing heparin or caffeine and BOS as the
macromolecular component. D-Penicillamine was not shown to be a
fertilisation-stimulating molecule. However, as detected in the second
experiment in which oocytes were fertilised with 5 h incubated sperm,
its positive effect on the prolongation of a fertile life span of
cryopreserved spermatozoa was significant. The presence of either
caffeine or heparin in the fertilisation medium (FM) with BOS during
sperm incubation induced tyrosine phosphorylation of an approximately
90 kDa protein, detected after 5 h of sperm incubation. The absence of
BOS reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of this protein in fertilisation
medium with heparin. The percentage of motile spermatozoa and those with
intact acrosomes were monitored throughout all experiments.
Protein translation during early cell divisions of sea urchin embryos regulated at the level of polypeptide chain elongation and highly sensitive to natural polyamines
Authors: Monnier Annabelle , Morales Julia , Cormier Patrick , Boulben Sandrine , Bellé Robert , Mulner-Lorillon Odile
Published: July 2002

Protein synthesis was analysed following fertilisation in sea urchin. Fluctuations in the accumulation of neo-synthesised proteins were observed during the first cell cycles. Accurate translation analyses were performed from lysates prepared from early embryos. The lysates readily translated endogenous pre-initiated mRNAs allowing the determination of elongation rates in the absence of re-initiation in vitro. The translation capacity of embryo lysates increased 18-fold from 0 to 90 min after fertilisation, reflecting the increase in the amount of pre-initiated mRNAs during early development. Kinetics analysis at a short time interval during the course of early development (240 min) showed an overall increase in the elongation rate (> 10-fold) which is regulated by pauses in synchrony with the cell divisions. Elongation activity in the lysates was highly sensitive to the natural polyamines, spermine (ID50 = 0.2 mM) and spermidine (ID50 = 1.8 mM), indicating high potential regulation by the intracellular level of polyamines in embryos. The regulation in the elongation changes associated with the early embryo cell divisions is discussed in the light of the physiological fluctuations in polyamine concentrations.
Seasonal influences on the functional expression of the endogenous L-type Ca2+ channels in Pleurodeles oocytes: role of cAMP?
Authors: Ouadid-Ahidouch Halima , Coppenolle Fabien Van
Published: July 2002

We have investigated the seasonal regulation of the Ba current (IBa) through the L-type Ca2+ channels in Pleurodeles oocytes and its relation with the intracellular cAMP level. IBa-density remained relatively constant from January to February, increased from March to April (with a maximum increase in March) and decreased from May to July. While the permeable cAMP analogue 8Br-cAMP reduced IBa during the breeding season, it was without effect during the resting season. However, IBa recorded during the two seasons was increased by a dihydropyridine agonist Bay K 8644 and blocked by cadmium. The main conclusion is that the seasonal reduction in the L-type Ca2+ current amplitude may be correlated with a high intracellular cAMP level and may account for the inability of oocytes to mature during the resting season.
Expression and subcellular distribution of rel/NFκB transcription factors in the preimplantation mouse embryo: novel κB binding activities in the blastocyst stage embryo
Authors: Parrott Justine N. , Gay Nicholas J.
Published: July 2002

We describe the expression patterns and subcellular localisation of murine rel/NFκB transcription factors and their inhibitors during preimplantation development in the mouse. We find that the known rel and IκB proteins are ubiquitously expressed during early murine embryogenesis. The differential persistence of individual rel and IκB transcripts in the first cleavage stage embryo and analysis of the 3'UTR suggests that rel and IκB protein expression may be regulated at the level of mRNA stability and translation. At the stages of early mouse embryogenesis examined, there was no evidence for strong induction of rel dimer translocation into the nucleus. However, novel κB-binding proteins are found in the mouse blastocyst and may provide an alternative mechanism for regulation of gene expression via the κB motif in the early mouse embryo.
Trisyllabic shortening in English: past and present
Authors: Lahiri Aditi , Fikkert Paula
Published: July 2002

Trisyllabic shortening or TSS is one of the most controversial processes in the history of English. Time after time, claims have been made about quantity variations, attributing them either to trisyllabic shortening, closed syllable shortening, or other mechanisms. Our examination of the nature of TSS in the history of English leads us to conclude that it differs from closed syllable shortening, which is syllable based, and that the preference for a maximal foot has remained the underlying incentive for maintaining vowel quantity variations throughout the centuries. However, the prosodic system has undergone dramatic changes and many features of TSS in the older and modern stages are not the same. Older TSS affected mostly inflected native words, while in Modern English, TSS causes alternations in derivationally related words with Romance suffixes. Interacting with open syllable lengthening, older TSS led to quantity alternations in inflectional paradigms which were later levelled out. Romance loans, both suffixed and nonsuffixed forms, were borrowed in their entirety and constrained by the prosodic structure of the language. Only later, when these words came to be derivationally related, were quantity alternations observable with TSS operating as a constraint dictated by the prosodic structure of the modern language. Thus, throughout the history of English, TSS has served the same purpose: it led to the preferred prosodic structure of the word.
p53-independent functions of the p19ARF tumor suppressor
Authors: Weber Jason D. , Jeffers John R. , Rehg Jerold E. , Randle David H. , Lozano Guillermina , Roussel Martine F. , Sherr Charles J. , Zambetti Gerard P.
Published: July 2002

The p19ARF tumor suppressor antagonizes Mdm2 to induce p53-dependent cell cycle arrest. Individual TKO (triple knock out) mice nullizygous for ARF, p53, and Mdm2 develop multiple tumors at a frequency greater than those observed in animals lacking both p53and Mdm2 or p53 alone, demonstrating that p19ARF can act independently of the Mdm2-p53 axis in tumor surveillance. Reintroduction of ARF into TKO mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs), but not into those lacking both p53 andARF, arrested the cell division cycle in the G1 phase. Inhibition of the retinoblastoma protein had no effect on the ability of ARF to arrest TKO MEFs. Thus, in the absence of Mdm2, p19ARF interacts with other targets to inhibit cell proliferation.
The hepatitis B virus encoded oncoprotein pX amplifies TGF-β family signaling through direct interaction with Smad4: potential mechanism of hepatitis B virus-induced liver fibrosis
Authors: Lee Dug Keun , Park Seok Hee , Yi Youngsuk , Choi Shin-Geon , Lee Cecile , Parks W. Tony , Cho HyeSeong , de Caestecker Mark P. , Shaul Yosef , Roberts Anita B. , Kim Seong-Jin
Published: July 2002

Hepatitis B, one of the most common infectious diseases in the world, is closely associated with acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Many clinical investigations have revealed that hepatic fibrosis is an important component of these liver diseases caused by chronic hepatitis B. TGF-β signaling plays an important role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. As these diseases are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we examined the possibility that the HBV-encoded pX oncoprotein regulates TGF-β signaling. We show that pX enhances transcriptional activity in response to TGF-β, BMP-2, and activin by stabilizing the complex of Smad4 with components of the basic transcriptional machinery. Additionally, confocal microscopic studies suggest that pX facilitates and potentiates the nuclear translocation of Smads, further enhancing TGF-β signaling. Our studies suggest a new paradigm for amplification of Smad-mediated signaling by an oncoprotein and suggest that enhanced Smad-mediated signaling may contribute to HBV-associated liver fibrosis.
Distinct mesodermal signals, including BMPs from the septum transversum mesenchyme, are required in combination for hepatogenesis from the endoderm
Authors: Rossi Jennifer M. , Dunn N. Ray , Hogan Brigid L.M. , Zaret Kenneth S.
Published: July 2002

Mesodermal signaling is critical for patterning the embryonic endoderm into different tissue domains. Classical tissue transplant experiments in the chick and recent studies in the mouse indicated that interactions with the cardiogenic mesoderm are necessary and sufficient to induce the liver in the ventral foregut endoderm. Using molecular markers and functional assays, we now show that septum transversum mesenchyme cells, a distinct mesoderm cell type, are closely apposed to the ventral endoderm and contribute to hepatic induction. Specifically, using a mouse Bmp4 null mutation and an inhibitor of BMPs, we find that BMP signaling from the septum transversum mesenchyme is necessary to induce liver genes in the endoderm and to exclude a pancreatic fate. BMPs apparently function, in part, by affecting the levels of the GATA4 transcription factor, and work in parallel to FGF signaling from the cardiac mesoderm. BMP signaling also appears critical for morphogenetic growth of the hepatic endoderm into a liver bud. Thus, the endodermal domain for the liver is specified by simultaneous signaling from distinct mesodermal sources.
Functional Classification of cNMP-binding Proteins and Nucleotide Cyclases with Implications for Novel Regulatory Pathways in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: McCue Lee Ann , McDonough Kathleen A. , Lawrence Charles E.
Published: July 2002

We have analyzed the cyclic nucleotide (cNMP)-binding protein and nucleotide cyclase superfamilies using Bayesian computational methods of protein family identification and classification. In addition to the known cNMP-binding proteins (cNMP-dependent kinases, cNMP-gated channels, cAMP-guanine nucleotide exchange factors, and bacterial cAMP-dependent transcription factors), new functional groups of cNMP-binding proteins were identified, including putative ABC-transporter subunits, translocases, and esterases. Classification of the nucleotide cyclases revealed subtle differences in sequence conservation of the active site that distinguish the five classes of cyclases: the multicellular eukaryotic adenylyl cyclases, the eukaryotic receptor-type guanylyl cyclases, the eukaryotic soluble guanylyl cyclases, the unicellular eukaryotic and prokaryotic adenylyl cyclases, and the putative prokaryotic guanylyl cyclases. Phylogenetic distribution of the cNMP-binding proteins and cyclases was analyzed, with particular attention to the 22 complete archaeal and eubacterial genome sequences. Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv andSynechocystis PCC6803 were each found to encode several more putative cNMP-binding proteins than other prokaryotes; many of these proteins are of unknown function. M. tuberculosis also encodes several more putative nucleotide cyclases than other prokaryotic species.