bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Employer Sanctions on Metropolitan Wage Rates
Authors: FRY RICHARD , LOWELL B. LINDSAY , HAGHIGHAT ELHUM
Published: May 2008

This article explores the labor market effects of the employer sanctions provisions of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). These provisions levy a “paperwork fine” on all employers who fail to screen each new worker for work‐authorized status, as well as a “hiring fine” on employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers. Using administrative data, we extend prior research and examine the impact of each type of fine on metropolitan wages in thirteen nonagricultural industries. Although government enforcement has been modest, we find that these fines have a statistically significant, although correspondingly modest, effect on earnings: expected paperwork fines lower average wages, while expected hiring fines raise wages.
The Choice of Payment Schemes: Australian Establishment Data
Authors: DRAGO ROBERT , HEYWOOD JOHN S.
Published: May 2008

We use Australian establishment data to estimate the determinants of incentive schemes. Hypotheses are drawn from the new economics of personnel and the strategic choice literatures. Larger firms are more likely to use individual schemes such as piece rates. Firms where female workers predominate or those facing stiff product market competition are more likely to use both piece rates and profit sharing. We also isolate the effects of monitoring, job security, and industrial relations climate.
Employee Participation, Ownership, and Productivity: A Theoretical Framework
Authors: BEN‐NER AVNER , JONES DEREK C.
Published: May 2008

A new conceptual framework to define and differentiate among diverse forms of employee ownership is developed. Two central rights associated with ownership, return and control rights, are identified. Their impact on individual motivation, individual performance, organizational structural variables and organizational performance is evaluated. We show how, over certain ranges of combinations of control and return rights, the relationship between alternative ownership arrangements and organizational performance may be nonlinear. The implications for the introduction of employee ownership and the evaluation of empirical work are considered.
Shop Stewards' Satisfaction with Grievance Procedures
Authors: BEMMELS BRIAN
Published: May 2008

A model of shop stewards' satisfaction with grievance procedures, focusing on procedure characteristics and procedure outcomes is estimated for 831 shop stewards. The results indicate that stewards are more satisfied with procedures that permit oral presentation of grievances at the first step and include screening by grievance committees or other union officials. Stewards' satisfaction is negatively related to grievance filing rates and the size of the stewards' work groups, but is positively related to the proportion of grievances resolved at year end and the unions' success rate. The implications for designing more effective grievance procedures are discussed.
Employment Contacts and Minority‐White Wage Differences
Authors: KORENMAN SANDERS , TURNER SUSAN C.
Published: May 2008

We study effects of job contacts on wages in inner‐city Boston in 1989 and in the 1982 NLSY. Race/Hispanicity differences in wages are not explained by an absence of contacts among minority youths. Rather, in the Boston data, lower wages of black youths are explained by lower “returns” to their contacts. In the NLSY there is little evidence of lower return to black youths' contacts, but there is evidence of lower returns to Hispanic youths' contacts.
Rents and Quasi Rents in the Wage Structure: Evidence from Hostile Takeovers
Authors: NEUMARK DAVID , SHARPE STEVEN A.
Published: May 2008

We test whether industry‐related variation in wage premium and slopes of wage profiles reflects payments of rents or quasi rents, taking our cue from the wealth‐transfer hypothesis, which argues that hostile takeovers target such rents. If these wage structure characteristics reflect extramarginal payments, then hostile takeover attempts that sought to transfer wealth from workers to shareholders should have targeted firms with the highest wage premia or the steepest wage profiles. We find that the likelihood of being a hostile takeover target between 1979 and 1989 was generally unrelated to these industry‐related characteristics of the wage structure.
When a Gain Comes at a Price: Pay Attitudes after Changing Tier Status
Authors: LEE RAYMOND T. , MARTIN JAMES E.
Published: May 2008

This study compares attitudes toward pay and work of employees who changed from the high tier to the low tier after transferring jobs from low‐to high‐paying departments with those who similarly transferred but did not change tiers. The former had lower Pay Satisfaction than the latter, but they did not differ in Job Satisfaction and Union and Employer Commitment. The findings suggest that the change‐tier employees' loss of high‐tier status was a likely reason for their pay dissatisfaction.
Canadian Strike Replacement Legislation and Collective Bargaining: Lessons for the United States
Authors: BUDD JOHN W.
Published: May 2008

Opponents of U.S. and Canadian strike replacement legislation contend that restricting the use of strike replacements significantly alters bargaining power and increases strike activity. This article uses data on Canadian manufacturing collective‐bargaining agreements to investigate these hypotheses. Although a general ban on strike replacements is found to be associated with longer strikes, little evidence is found to suggest that banning permanent strike replacements significantly influences strike incidence, strike duration, or negotiated wages.
Gender Differences in Promotions and Wages
Authors: HERSCH JONI , VISCUSI W. KIP
Published: May 2008

Results using an original data set indicate women receive more promotions than men. The frequency of promotions is linked to whether the woman had previously quit a job because of her husband's job move. Promotions significantly increase wages for men but not for women. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that joint job search constrains women to starting jobs at lower levels, providing more scope for promotions.
Training and the Growth of Wage Inequality
Authors: CONSTANTINE JILL , NEUMARK DAVID
Published: May 2008

Shifts in the incidence of training over the 1980s favored more‐educated, more‐experienced workers. These shifts, coupled with increases in returns to skill, suggest that training may have contributed to the growth of between‐group wage inequality in this period. However, because 1) the shifts in training were too small, and 2) the returns to training did not rise, only small fractions of the increases in returns to schooling and experience over this period can be explained by changes in the distribution of or returns to training.
How Different Are Human Resource Practices in Japanese “Transplants” in the United Kingdom?
Authors: WOOD STEPHEN
Published: May 2008

Are the practices in Japanese plants really prototypical of a universal commitment‐maximizing approach, or do they largely mirror local conventions? The research reported here aims to address this question by comparing the personnel practices of Japanese manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom and a similar sample of non‐Japanese plants. It shows that the extent of high‐commitment management is significantly higher among the Japanese plants and moreover that the practices associated with it are used in distinctive ways. As such there is no evidence of a wholesale “Japanization” of British industry. The study shows that the difference between Japanese and non‐Japanese plants partly reflects their being Japanese, although the Japanese seniority plus merit pay (nenko) system has not been fully adopted. Nor is the current extent of fully fledged just‐in‐time in Japanese plants sufficient to account for the difference; yet the author concludes by suggesting that their managements' commitment to developing this still may be crucial.
The Role of Arbitrator Uncertainty in Negotiation Impasses
Authors: BABCOCK LINDA C. , TAYLOR LOWELL J.
Published: May 2008

This article utilizes a unique data set to explore whether uncertainty about arbitration influences the likelihood that negotiators will use it. We use experimental data on decisions made by arbitrators in hypothetical scenarios to calculate a measure of uncertainty for each arbitrator. These data are matched to field data on contract negotiations involving this same set of arbitrators. We find that the greater the uncertainty about the arbitrator, the lower the probability of impasse.
CREDIT CONSTRAINTS IN THE MARKET FOR CONSUMER DURABLES: EVIDENCE FROM MICRO DATA ON CAR LOANS*
Authors: Attanasio Orazio P. , Koujianou Goldberg Pinelopi , Kyriazidou Ekaterini
Published: May 2008

We investigate the significance of borrowing constraints in the market for consumer loans. Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey on auto loan contracts we estimate the elasticities of loan demand with respect to interest rate and maturity. We find that, with the exception of high income households, consumers are very responsive to maturity and less responsive to interest rate changes. Both elasticities vary with household income, with the maturity elasticity decreasing and the interest rate elasticity increasing with income. We argue that these results are consistent with the presence of binding credit constraints in the auto loan market.
A BARGAINING THEORY OF INEFFICIENT REDISTRIBUTION POLICIES*
Authors: Drazen Allan , Limão Nuno
Published: May 2008

When two policies are available to achieve the same goal why is the relatively inefficient one often observed? We address this question in the context of policies used to redistribute income towards special interest groups (SIGs) where in the first stage the constraints on policy instruments are chosen and in the second the government bargains with SIGs over the level of the available policies. Restrictions on the use of efficient policies and the use of inefficient ones reduce the surplus over which SIGs and governments can bargain but it also improves the government's bargaining position thus increasing its share of the surplus. The positive effect for the government dominates under plausible conditions. Inefficient policies are the equilibrium outcome under alternative policy selection mechanisms, e.g., election of policymakers and bargaining between SIGs and the government. The model also explains the coexistence of transfer policies. Moreover, we show why a weak government is more likely to choose the inefficient transfer and discuss how this result may be tested.
Why Migrant Smuggling Pays
Authors: Koser Khalid
Published: May 2008

Drawing on empirical research in Afghanistan and Pakistan, this article ‘follows the money’ for 50 migrants smuggled to the UK, to cast light on the financing of smuggling. The means used to raise the money to pay smugglers ranged from drawing on savings to selling property, land and jewellery. Payments were made to a third‐party, who did not release the payment to the smuggler until migrants had arrived in their destination ‐ effectively a ‘money‐back guarantee’ on smuggling. Smugglers disbursed about half of their fee to forgers, procurers of passports, airport officials and other intermediaries required to facilitate smuggling. Most migrants quickly found work in their destination and started remitting soon after their arrival. On average remittances were at a sufficient level to repay the initial outlay on smugglers’ fees after two years, and thereafter remittances on average more than doubled household incomes at home. In this case study, smuggling therefore paid for the range of intermediaries involved in facilitating it, for migrants themselves, and for migrants’ households at home.
Dynamics and Countervailing Pressures of Visa, Asylum and Immigration Policy Treaty Revision: Explaining Change and Stagnation from the Amsterdam IGC to the IGC of 2003–04*
Authors: NIEMANN ARNE
Published: May 2008

The objective of this article is to account for the varying, and sometimes puzzling, outcomes of the past three Treaty revisions of EU/EC visa, asylum and immigration policy. The article focuses on decision rules and the institutional set‐up of these policies, subjecting the results of the Intergovernmental Conference negotiations leading to the Treaties of Amsterdam and Nice and the Constitutional Treaty to causal analysis. The article maintains that four factors can explain the various Treaty outcomes: (i) functional pressures; (ii) the role of supranational institutions; (iii) socialization, deliberation and learning processes; and (iv) countervailing forces.
The Council Presidency in the European Union: Responsibility with Power*
Authors: THOMSON ROBERT
Published: May 2008

The extent of the Council presidency's political influence is the subject of disagreement among both practitioners and researchers. While some describe the presidency as responsibility without power, others suggest that it provides incumbent states with an opportunity to achieve decision outcomes close to their preferences. This article formulates and tests hypotheses on the conditions under which presidents influence the timing and content of decision outcomes in the legislative arena. Decision outcomes are shown to be significantly more favourable to presidents in the chair at the time of adoption than to other Member States, even after controlling for other factors that influence bargaining success.
Narrating the Process: Questioning the Progressive Story of European Integration*
Authors: GILBERT MARK
Published: May 2008

Underlying scholarship on the EU is the conviction that the institutions of the EU are the outcome of a historical process whereby national institutions are being superseded and replaced by supranational ones. The article criticizes this tendency, for two reasons. First, it argues that the progressive conception has led to the story of the EU being told in over‐simplified and unhistorical ways. Second, it suggests that the progressive conception has blinded authors to the possibility that alternative narratives of European integration are possible and that these may come to predominate if the European project loses its aura of success.
The Open Method of Co‐ordination: A Way to the Europeanization of Social and Employment Policies?*
Authors: HEIDENREICH MARTIN , BISCHOFF GABRIELE
Published: May 2008

The open method of co‐ordination (OMC) can contribute to the co‐ordinated modernization of the national systems of employment and social protection in Europe, if it is institutionalized in a relatively stable way at the European level and if the European processes can influence effectively the national reform strategies. The first challenge was met successfully by the bureaucratization, codification and formalization of some co‐ordination processes at the European level. These processes can be interpreted as the institutionalization of a social field. The second challenge refers to the need for an effective coupling between the European and the national arenas. Currently, the most important way of coupling these two social fields is based on mutual learning. Given the limitations of such a predominantly cognitive coupling, the Commission can either enforce the ‘national ownership’ of the co‐ordination processes, improve the mutual learning processes or strengthen the strategic (‘financial incentives’) and normative (‘legal obligations’) forms of coupling between the European and national social fields.
Bargaining Power in the European Council*
Authors: TALLBERG JONAS
Published: May 2008

What grants influence in the European Council? Drawing on general theories of negotiation, this article isolates and illustrates three complementary sources of bargaining power in the European Council: state sources of power, institutional sources of power and individual sources of power. It reports the results of a unique series of elite interviews with European heads of state and government, foreign ministers and top‐level civil servants. Elite testimonies suggest that the state dimension of power is the most fundamental, whereas the institutional and individual dimensions of power play a secondary role and mainly mediate the impact of structural power asymmetries.
Microorganisms, mineral surfaces, and aquatic environments: Learning from the past for future progress
Authors: DITTRICH M. , LUTTGE A.
Published: May 2008

The interactions between the geosphere and the biosphere are central questions in environmental and geological research. The relationship between bacteria and their environment is an important example of these interactions. By studying microbial communities in modern environments, it is possible to understand the underlying mechanisms that shape these environments and apply this knowledge to the rock record. Recently, new experimental and theoretical methods, ranging from nano‐ and biotechnology to mathematical and conceptual modelling, have come into play. Thus, new opportunities for interdisciplinary research in the field of geobiology have emerged. In this paper, we review aspects of state‐of‐the‐art imaging and modelling techniques and propose a research concept linking the experimental and the theoretical approaches.
Report of the Editor‐in‐Chief
Authors: Harvey David
Published: May 2008

2007 has seen a further increase in submissions to the Journal, with an increasingly international pattern, though no corresponding increase in accepted papers. Response times continue to meet our target of 4 months, with some regrettable lapses. The citation impact factor has slipped a little from last year but continues to be strong relative to our historical performance. Wiley‐Blackwell continue to provide a strong publishing platform, and will soon mount our full archive on‐line in Blackwell Synergy, which is to be merged with Wiley Interscience in January 2009.
Immunomodulatory effects of blood transfusions: the synergic role of soluble HLA Class I free heavy‐chain molecules detectable in blood components
Authors: Ghio Massimo , Contini Paola , Ubezio Gianluca , Mazzei Clemente , Puppo Franco , Indiveri Franco
Published: May 2008

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, the weight of the published literature demonstrates that blood transfusions can induce clinically significant immunosuppression in recipients. Several studies showed significant improved clinical outcomes in the patients receiving leukoreduced transfusions, compared with control patients who received nonleukoreduced transfusions. Moreover, the immunosuppressive potential of blood products grows with the time of their storage and becomes highest in nonleukoreduced blood products stored for a long time.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The interest was previously focused on the determination of immunomodulatory soluble molecules such as soluble HLA Class I (sHLA‐I) and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) in different blood components and on the evaluation of their immunomodulatory activities. On this basis, whether soluble β2‐microglobulin free HLA Class I heavy chains (sHLA‐β2fHC) could be detected and immunochemically characterized in different blood components was evaluated. Immunomodulatory activity of detectable sHLA‐β2fHC molecules was evaluated by apoptosis inducing capacity in interleukin‐2–activated antigen‐specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL).

RESULTS: Double‐determinant immunoenzymatic assay indicates that sHLA‐β2fHC levels in red blood cells stored for up to 30 days and in random‐donor platelets are significantly (p < 0.001) higher than in other blood components, and the immunochemical characterization suggests that the major source of sHLA‐β2fHC molecules might be the residual white cells that undergo membrane damage during storage. Finally, allogeneic CD8+ CTL apoptosis induction confirmed biofunctionality of sHLA‐β2fHC molecules.

CONCLUSION: These data are comparable with those previously reported dealing with contaminant soluble molecules in allogeneic and autologous blood components, suggesting that sHLA‐β2fHC molecules could contribute to the immunosuppressive effects of blood transfusions.
The Effect of Community Gardens on Neighboring Property Values
Authors: Voicu Ioan , Been Vicki
Published: May 2008

Cities across the United States that have considerable vacant land are debating whether to foster community gardens on that land, while cities with land shortages are debating when to replace gardens with other uses. Meanwhile, many cities are looking for new ways to finance green spaces. Little empirical evidence about the neighborhood impacts of community gardens is available, however, to inform the debate or to help cities design financing schemes. This article estimates the impact of community gardens on neighborhood property values, using rich data for New York City and a difference‐in‐difference specification of a hedonic regression model. We find that gardens have significant positive effects, especially in the poorest neighborhoods. Higher‐quality gardens have the greatest positive impact.
Time‐Series Characteristics and Long‐Run Equilibrium for Major Australian Office Markets
Authors: De Francesco Anthony J.
Published: May 2008

While much attention has focused on the modeling of office property markets, little emphasis has been put on distinguishing between permanent and temporary effects. This article attempts to address this issue in the context of the rental adjustment mechanism and the demand–employment relationship for major Australian central business district office markets. It is shown that, by allowing the natural vacancy rate and the work–space ratio to be endogenously determined, it offers richer model specifications that permit a partitioning between long‐run and short‐run influences. This is achieved by employing econometric techniques that examine the stochastic behavior of time series data. It is found that, while equilibrium relationships exist (between the vacancy rate and rent, and demand and employment), other macroeconomic variables are found to be relevant cyclical determinants.
Complications of Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Incidence and Predictors
Authors: SPRAGG DAVID D. , DALAL DARSHAN , CHEEMA AAMIR , SCHERR DANIEL , CHILUKURI KARUNA , CHENG ALAN , HENRIKSON CHARLES A. , MARINE JOSEPH E. , BERGER RONALD D. , DONG JUN , CALKINS HUGH
Published: May 2008

Introduction: Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation by catheter ablation is an increasingly used strategy to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). Complication rates from AF ablation reported in different case series vary widely. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 641 consecutive ablation procedures to assess complication rates, temporal trends, and clinical predictors of adverse outcomes.

Methods: All patients (n = 517) undergoing catheter ablation for AF at Johns Hopkins Hospital between February, 2001 and June, 2007 were prospectively enrolled in a database. Data from 641 consecutive procedures were analyzed and complications considered if they occurred within 30 days of ablation. Major complications were defined as those that required intervention, resulted in long‐term disability, or prolonged hospitalization.

Results: Thirty‐two major complications occurred in 641 procedures (5%). Among the patients with major complications, seven had cerebrovascular accident (CVA), eight had tamponade, one had PV occlusion with hemoptysis, and 11 had vascular injury requiring surgical repair and/or transfusion. No periprocedural deaths occurred, and no instances of esophageal injury were seen. Complication rates were higher during the first 100 cases (9.0%) than during the subsequent 541 (4.3%). Major adverse clinical events were associated with age > 70 years (P = 0.007; odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval 1.4–9.6) and female gender (P = 0.014; odds ratio 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.3–7.2). No other clinical or procedural predictors of complication were identified.

Conclusions: Complication rates from AF ablation remain significant, despite improved techniques and increased awareness of procedural risks. Both advanced age and female gender predict major adverse events, suggesting careful consideration of the risk/benefit profile in these patients prior to ablation.
Conductive Polymer Coating on Nonconductive Ceramic Substrates for Use in the Electrophoretic Deposition Process
Authors: Uchikoshi Tetsuo , Furumi Seiichi , Shirahata Naoto , Suzuki Tohru S. , Sakka Yoshio
Published: May 2008

Uniform coating and line patterning of a conductive polypyrrole (Ppy) film on nonconductive ceramic materials were performed for use as substrates in the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process. The Ppy was synthesized by chemical oxidation in the pyrrole solution. Direct shaping or line patterning of alumina or zirconia particles by EPD was carried out using the Ppy films as cathodes.
The Mechanochemical Synthesis of NaNbO3Using Different Ball‐Impact Energies
Authors: Rojac Tadej , Kosec Marija , Malič Barbara , Holc Janez
Published: May 2008

We studied the mechanochemical synthesis of NaNbO3from a starting‐powder mixture of sodium carbonate and Nb2O5using ball‐impact energies of 15 and 370 mJ/hit. Based on the results of a quantitative phase analysis we propose a mechanism for the mechanochemical synthesis of NaNbO3. During milling a condition is established, where the amounts of perovskite, X‐ray diffraction ‐amorphous phase and residual carbonate in the mixture do not change with increasing milling time. Similarly, the NaNbO3crystallite size and the quantity of microstrains reach final values that are independent of the applied ball‐impact energy.
Gene expression profile of Th1 and Th2 cytokines and their receptors in human and nonhuman primates
Authors: Jeong A. Ram , Nakamura Shin , Mitsunaga Fusako
Published: May 2008

Background  To date comparative knowledge concerning gene expression profiles of T‐helper 1(Th1)/Th2 cytokines and their receptors between human and non‐human primates is scarce.

Methods  We assessed the gene expression level of both Th1 [interleukin‐4(IL‐4)] and Th2 [IL‐12, interferon‐ γ(IFN‐γ)] cytokines and the receptors (IL‐4Rα, IFN‐γR1, IFN‐γR2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from humans, chimpanzee, baboon, and macaque by a quantitative real‐time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction(RT‐PCR).

Results  The expression level of the IFN‐γ gene was markedly lower in humans than that in non‐human primates. The IL‐4 gene expression was significantly higher, whereas that of IL‐12 was distinctly lower, in human/chimpanzee than in baboon/macaque. The IFN‐γR2 gene expression was especially higher in the macaque than in the other three primates.

Conclusions  These results indicate distinct gene expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines and their receptors in primates. These also suggest characteristic differences in Th1/Th2 immune responses affecting host defense and/or disease susceptibility among these primates.
Genetic analysis of residual feed intakes and other performance test traits of Japanese Black cattle from revised protocol
Authors: OKANISHI Takeshi , SHOJO Masayuki , KATSUTA Tomohiro , OYAMA Kenji , MUKAI Fumio
Published: May 2008

The performance test protocol for Japanese Black cattle was revised in April 2002. This resulted in restriction of access to concentrate (based on body weight) and modification of the concentrate's ingredients. Genetic parameters of growth and feed utilization traits of the performance test were estimated using 1304 records using the revised protocol. Residual feed intakes (RFIs) as alternative indicators for feed utilization efficiency were included. (Co)variance components were estimated by EM‐REML. Heritabilities for growth traits were between 0.26 and 0.47. Heritabilities for feed intakes and conversions ranged from 0.25 to 0.37 and from 0.03 to 0.29, respectively. Genetic variances and heritabilities were lower for the revised protocol. Highly positive genetic correlations of daily gain (DG) with feed intakes indicated selection on DG is expected to increase feed intake. Selection on feed conversion may lead to higher DG. The heritability estimates for RFIs ranged from 0.10 to 0.33 and were generally higher than corresponding estimates for feed conversion ratios. RFI of TDN showed positive genetic correlations with all feed intakes. The reduction of feed intakes could be expected through selection on the RFI without changing body size. RFIs were considered to be alternative indicators to improve feed utilization efficiency under the new performance test.
Adaptive changes in microbial synthesis and nitrogen balance with progressing dietary feeding periods in sheep fed diets differing in their ruminal degradation synchronicity between nitrogen and organic matter
Authors: ICHINOHE Toshiyoshi , FUJIHARA Tsutomu
Published: May 2008

Two diets differing in their degrees of ruminal degradation synchronicity between nitrogen (N) and organic matter (OM) were fed to six adult rams at a maintenance level for three months in a two‐way layout design combining a randomized block design. Adaptive changes in microbial N (MBN) supply and N balance were investigated for both diets. Thein siturumen degradation parameters of OM and N were determined for four feeds and subsequently were used to formulate the two diets to have different ruminal degradation synchronicity and to be identical with metabolizable energy (ME), metabolizable protein (MP) and ruminally degradable N concentrations. The animals were divided into two groups and fed asynchronous (ASYNC) or synchronous (SYNC) diet, respectively. On days 30, 60 and 90 of each feeding period, a five‐day metabolism trial was carried out. Animals consumed their diets thoroughly and did not show marked body weight change during the observation. The apparent digestibility of OM and N did not differ significantly between the diets throughout the periods. The MBN supply was significantly greater for ASYNC than that for SYNC (P < 0.01) and was greater on days 60 and 90 than that on day 30 (P < 0.05). Neither diets nor periods had a significant effect on the efficiency of MBN synthesis. There was a significant period effect on N retention (P < 0.05) together with tendency of diet × period interactions (P = 0.1). There was no significant dietary effect. An improvement in N retention with advancing feeding period was observed for both diets. The plasma urea concentration decreased with feeding period (P < 0.01) and there was a concomitant decrease in urinary N excretion. Plasma glucose concentration tended to increase (P = 0.07). The results suggest that lengthening feeding duration from 30 days might have caused ameliorative changes in the utilization of ME and MP, and may have improved microbe synthesis irrespective of the degradation synchronicity.
A novel phosphorylated glycoprotein in the shell matrix of the oyster Crassostrea nippona
Authors: Samata Tetsuro , Ikeda Daisuke , Kajikawa Aya , Sato Hideyoshi , Nogawa Chihiro , Yamada Daishi , Yamazaki Ryo , Akiyama Takahiro
Published: May 2008

We found a novel 52 kDa matrix glycoprotein MPP1 in the shell of Crassostrea nippona that was unusually acidic and heavily phosphorylated. Deduced from the nucleotide sequence of 1.9 kb cDNA, which is likely to encode MPP1 with high probability, the primary structure of this protein shows a modular structure characterized by repeat sequences rich in Asp, Ser and Gly. The most remarkable of these is the DE‐rich sequence, in which continuous repeats of Asp are interrupted by a single Cys residue. Disulfide‐dependent MPP1 polymers occurring in the form of multimeric insoluble gels are estimated to contain repetitive locations of the anionic molecules of phosphates and acidic amino acids, particularly Asp. Thus, MPP1 and its polymers possess characteristic features of a charged molecule for oyster biomineralization, namely accumulation and trapping of Ca2+. In addition, MPP1 is the first organic matrix component considered to be expressed in both the foliated and prismatic layers of the molluscan shell microstructure. In vitro crystallization assays demonstrate the induction of tabular crystals with a completely different morphology from those formed spontaneously, indicating that MPP1 and its polymers are potentially the agent that controls crystal growth and shell microstructure.
Rainfall Influences Ant Sampling in Dry Forests
Authors: Delsinne Thibaut , Leponce Maurice , Theunis Laurence , Braet Yves , Roisin Yves
Published: May 2008

The standardized ‘Ants of the Leaf Litter’ protocol aims to facilitate the use of ground‐foraging and litter‐dwelling ants in biodiversity assessment and monitoring programs. It was initially developed to characterize assemblages from tropical rain forests and is based on two main techniques: Winkler extractions and pitfall traps. Here, we tested to what extent this protocol was adapted to tropical dry forests and affected by the rainfall regime. Our 10 study sites were located along an aridity gradient (average annual rainfall: 350–1300mm) in the Gran Chaco. The number of species collected per sampling effort increased with aridity for pitfalls but followed an opposite trend for Winkler samples. This trend could be explained by the low daytime foraging activity in the leaf litter during drought periods. In arid and semiarid regions the good performance of pitfalls was probably related to their 24‐h operation and to the attractiveness of the water they contained. Our results stress that the Winkler method used in the Ants of the Leaf Litter protocol may not be cost‐effective during periods of drought and may lead to severe underestimations of litter ant diversity in tropical dry forests.
Inequality in Japan*
Authors: OHTAKE Fumio
Published: May 2008

This paper analyzes income inequality, based on government income statistics and an attitude survey. First, the paper describes the present income inequality in Japan by using Gini coefficients, the income share of the top and bottom income classes, and mobilities among income classes. Second, by using the Japan–USA international survey, this paper analyzes the cause of the increasing awareness that Japan's income gap is widening. In these two countries, their distinct value judgments about the causes for the gap influence how they perceive it. The Japanese have negative perceptions about the income gap because they perceive it to be influenced by talent, academic background, or luck, and this perception seems relatively uncommon in the USA. A large percentage of Japanese also think one's income is decided by talent, academic background, or luck, although it should not be. Such disagreements between the desired and perceived determinants of income are thought to raise their negative perception of the gap.
Acute Toxicity of Several Chemicals to the Oligochaete Dero digitata
Authors: Mischke Charles C. , Terhune Jeffery S. , Wise David J.
Published: May 2008

Proliferative gill disease (PGD) is a serious problem in the farm‐raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus industry. Interrupting the life cycle of the sporozoan causative agent by eliminating Dero digitata worms from culture ponds would be one method of controlling PGD. Eight chemicals—sodium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, formalin, potassium permanganate, liquid copper sulfate, chloramine‐T, rotenone and Bayluscide—were tested for acute toxicity against D. digitata. Static, single compound acute toxicity tests were conducted using three replications (10 worm/replicate) of six chemical concentrations and a control. Spearman‐Karber analysis was used to calculate 24‐ and 48‐h LC50 concentrations based on active ingredient for each compound. Calculated 24‐h LC50 values were: sodium chloride 6,800 mg/L, hydrogen peroxide 13.2 μL/L, formalin 23.3 μL/L, potassium perrnanganate 5.7 mg/L, copper sulfate 7.6 mg/L, chloramine‐T 29.5 mg/L, rotenone 0.26 μL/L, and Bayluscide 0.24 mg/L. Formalin and hydrogen peroxide may be options for eliminating D. digitata populations in ponds with fish because their LC50 concentrations were consistent with safe concentrations for fish. Rotenone, Bayluscide, chloramine‐T, formalin, and potassium permanganate may be useful as a pond sterilization strategy by treating fingerling ponds prior to stocking fish each year. However, the presence of substrate and organic matter in ponds could impact the efficacy of the chemicals and D. digitata's response to treatment. Treatments should be further evaluated to determine field efficacy, procedures for use, and effects on cost of production.
Use of transcolonic portal scintigraphy to evaluate efficacy of cellophane banding of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in 16 dogs
Authors: Landon BP , Abraham LA , Charles JA
Published: May 2008

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of cellophane banding of single congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in dogs using transcolonic portal scintigraphy. To investigate the portal circulation of those dogs with elevated postoperative shunt fractions to determine the cause of the persistent shunting. Further, to evaluate whether presenting signs, clinical pathology findings and liver histopathology are predictive of outcome.

Design Prospective study of 16 dogs presenting with single congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts.

Procedure Dogs with single extrahepatic portosystemic shunts attenuated by cellophane banding underwent portal scintigraphy and bile acids tolerance testing pre‐ and post‐operatively. Dogs identified with elevated shunt fractions at 10 weeks post‐operatively underwent mesenteric portovenography. Qualitative hepatic histopathology from all dogs was reviewed by a veterinary pathologist and assigned a semi‐quantitative score to identify any abnormalities that may predict surgical outcome.

Results At 10 weeks post cellophane banding, 10 of 16 cases (63%) had normal shunt fractions, whilst six dogs (37%) had increased shunt fractions and seven dogs (44%) had increased serum bile acids. Of these dogs, mesenteric portovenography revealed incomplete closure of the shunt in three dogs (18.6%) and multiple acquired shunts in three dogs (18.6%). Liver histopathology findings were similar for all dogs, regardless of outcome.

Conclusions Cellophane banding is an efficacious method for complete gradual occlusion of single extrahepatic shunts when the shunt vessel is attenuated to ≤ 3 mm. Transcolonic portal scintigraphy is a reliable method for assessment of shunt attenuation and, unlike serum bile acids, is not influenced by other causes of liver dysfunction.
Expression of Vinculin in Autoimmune Cutaneous Diseases
Authors: Wohl Yonit , Goldberg Ilan , Gat Andrea , Ron‐Tal Osnat , Brenner Sarah
Published: May 2008

Background. Reports have appeared that sera of patients with systemic autoimmune disorders have demonstrated autoantibodies to vinculin.

Objective. To determine the presence and distribution of vinculin in the skin of patients with cutaneous autoimmune disorders.

Methods. Semiquantitative immunohistochemistry investigations for presence of vinculin were conducted on skin biopsy specimens from patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), bullous pemphigoid (BP), and various collagen vascular diseases, and from healthy controls.

Results. Results of staining for vinculin were positive in 2 of 7 PV patients, 6 of 9 BP patients, and all 6 cutaneous autoimmune patients. Staining results were negative in all controls. Strong immunostaining to vinculin was found in 3 of 6 vinculin‐positive BP patients and 5 of 6 vinculin‐positive cutaneous autoimmune patients.

Conclusions. The expression and distribution of vinculin are accentuated in patients with various skin autoimmune diseases and appear to be stronger in diseases involving the basement membrane, where it is thought to be relatively more important than in other skin disorders.
Numerical and Experimental Study of the Loaded Transmission Error of a Worm Gear With a Plastic Wheel
Authors: de Vaujany Jean-Pierre , Guingand Michèle , Remond Didier
Published: May 2008

Nowadays, the wheels of worm gears with a low module can be made of plastic; thus, classical modeling can no longer be used satisfactorily. The present paper describes an original method for studying the quasistatic loaded behavior of a worm gear, with a steel worm and a nylon wheel. A generalized Kelvin model is proposed, and the computation of load sharing is described by using an equation of displacement compatibility. The history of previous deformation and the effect of the nylon’s structural damping are also taken into account. Experimental measurements of the loaded transmission error are performed with the help of optical encoders rigidly connected to the worm and gear shafts, giving access to their instantaneous angular positions. The numerical simulations fit quite well with the experimental results.
Correlation of Cellular Immune Responses with Protection against Culture-Confirmed Influenza Virus in Young Children
Authors: Forrest Bruce D. , Pride Michael W. , Dunning Andrew J. , Capeding Maria Rosario Z. , Chotpitayasunondh Tawee , Tam John S. , Rappaport Ruth , Eldridge John H. , Gruber William C.
Published: May 2008

The highly sensitive gamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay permits the investigation of the role of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in the protection of young children against influenza. Preliminary studies of young children confirmed that the IFN-γ ELISPOT assay was a more sensitive measure of influenza memory immune responses than serum antibody and that among seronegative children aged 6 to <36 months, an intranasal dose of 107fluorescent focus units (FFU) of a live attenuated influenza virus vaccine (CAIV-T) elicited substantial CMI responses. A commercial inactivated influenza virus vaccine elicited CMI responses only in children with some previous exposure to related influenza viruses as determined by detectable antibody levels prevaccination. The role of CMI in actual protection against community-acquired, culture-confirmed clinical influenza by CAIV-T was investigated in a large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-ranging efficacy trial with 2,172 children aged 6 to <36 months in the Philippines and Thailand. The estimated protection curve indicated that the majority of infants and young children with ≥100 spot-forming cells/106peripheral blood mononuclear cells were protected against clinical influenza, establishing a possible target level of CMI for future influenza vaccine development. The ELISPOT assay for IFN-γ is a sensitive and reproducible measure of CMI and memory immune responses and contributes to establishing requirements for the future development of vaccines against influenza, especially those used for children.
Effects of Delays in Peripheral Blood Processing, Including Cryopreservation, on Detection of CD31 Expression on Naïve CD4 T Cells
Authors: Higgins Jeanette , Metcalf Julia A. , Stevens Randy A. , Baseler Michael , Proschan Michael , Lane H. Clifford , Sereti Irini
Published: May 2008

Delayed processing of peripheral blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation and cryopreservation can lead to the detection of somewhat higher levels of CD31 expression on naïve CD4 T cells by flow cytometry. These observations should be considered in the planning of multicenter clinical trials and in the interpretation of the results of functional studies.
Evaluation of a Multicolor, Single-Tube Technique To Enumerate Lymphocyte Subpopulations
Authors: Colombo F. , Cattaneo A. , Lopa R. , Portararo P. , Rebulla P. , Porretti L.
Published: May 2008

To evaluate the fully automated FACSCanto software, we compared lymphocyte subpopulation counts obtained using three-color FACSCalibur-CELLQuest and six-color FACSCanto-FACSCanto software techniques. High correlations were observed between data obtained with these techniques. Our study indicated that FACSCanto clinical software is accurate and sensitive in single-platform lymphocyte immunophenotyping.
Cif Is Negatively Regulated by the TetR Family Repressor CifR
Authors: MacEachran Daniel P. , Stanton Bruce A. , O'Toole George A.
Published: May 2008

We previously reported that the novelPseudomonas aeruginosatoxin Cif is capable of decreasing apical membrane expression of thecysticfibrosistransmembrane conductanceregulator (CFTR). We further demonstrated that Cif is capable of degrading the synthetic epoxide hydrolase (EH) substrateS-NEPC [(2S,3S)-trans-3-phenyl-2-oxiranylmethyl 4-nitrophenol carbonate], suggesting that Cif may be reducing apical membrane expression of CFTR via its EH activity. Here we report that Cif is capable of degrading the xenobiotic epoxide epibromohydrin (EBH) to its vicinal diol 3-bromo-1,2-propanediol. We also demonstrate that this epoxide is a potent inducer ofcifgene expression. We show that the predicted TetR family transcriptional repressor encoded by the PA2931 gene, which is immediately adjacent to and divergently transcribed from thecif-containing, three-gene operon, negatively regulatescifgene expression by binding to the promoter region immediately upstream of thecif-containing operon. Furthermore, this protein-DNA interaction is disrupted by the epoxide EBH in vitro, suggesting that the binding of EBH by the PA2931 protein product drives the disassociation from its DNA-binding site. Given its role as a repressor ofcifgene expression, we have renamed PA2931 as CifR. Finally, we demonstrate thatP. aeruginosastrains isolated from cystic fibrosis patient sputum with increasedcifgene expression are impaired for the expression of thecifRgene.
The Monoclonal Antibody against the Major Diagnostic Antigen ofParacoccidioides brasiliensisMediates Immune Protection in Infected BALB/c Mice Challenged Intratracheally with the Fungus
Authors: Buissa-Filho R. , Puccia R. , Marques A. F. , Pinto F. A. , Muñoz J. E. , Nosanchuk J. D. , Travassos L. R. , Taborda C. P.
Published: May 2008

The protective role of specific antibodies againstParacoccidioides brasiliensisis controversial. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of monoclonal antibodies on the major diagnostic antigen (gp43) using in vitro and in vivoP. brasiliensisinfection models. The passive administration of some monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) before and after intratracheal or intravenous infections led to a reduced fungal burden and decreased pulmonary inflammation. The protection mediated by MAb 3E, the most efficient MAb in the reduction of fungal burden, was associated with the enhanced phagocytosis ofP. brasiliensisyeast cells by J774.16, MH-S, or primary macrophages. The ingestion of opsonized yeast cells led to an increase in NO production by macrophages. Passive immunization with MAb 3E induced enhanced levels of gamma interferon in the lungs of infected mice. The reactivity of MAb 3E against a panel of gp43-derived peptides suggested that the sequence NHVRIPIGWAV contains the binding epitope. The present work shows that some but not all MAbs against gp43 can reduce the fungal burden and identifies a new peptide candidate for vaccine development.