bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Viable Populations for an Endangered Forest Primate, the Tana River Crested Mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus galeritus)
Authors: KINNAIRD MARGARET F. , O'BRIEN TIMOTHY G.
Published: April 2005

Abstract: Using genetic and demographic models we examined population viability for an endangered forest primate, the Tana River crested mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus galeritus). Estimates of effective population size (Ne) varied widely as a function of the initial size of the breeder population and the values used for male lifetime reproduction success. The least conservative estimates of Ne suggest that the Tana mangabey is at risk of losing genetic variation. Demographic models also suggest that Tana mangabeys have a high probability of extinction over the next 50–100 years given their present population status. Results of both genetic and demographic models are similar: large populations are required. Given the mangabey's restricted range and severe habitat constraints, it would be an unrealistic management goal to strive for population numbers as great as those required by the models. The projections, however, allow us to compare ideal population sizes to real populations and to use the results as a guide to determine future actions necessary for conservation.
Six Biological Reasons Why the Endangered Species Act Doesn't Work—And What to Do About It
Authors: ROHLF DANIEL J.
Published: April 2005

Abstract: Law plays an important role in shaping land management decisions. The success of efforts to conserve biodiversity thus depends to a large degree on how well scientific knowledge is translated into public policy. Unfortunately, the Endangered Species Act, the United States's strongest legal tool for conserving bidodiversity, contains serious biological flaws. The statute itself, as well us agency regulations and policies that implement the law include provisions that fail to account accurately for important biological concepts such us ecosystem conservation, patch dynamics, and the probabilistic nature of stochastic threats to a species' persistence. Moreover, the procedures of federal agencies charged with implementing the Endangered Species Act in some cases make it difficult for interested outside reviewers to evaluate the agencies' scientific findings and methodology. However, the Endangered Species Act also gives interested individuals and groups several opportunities to provide input into the process of managing threatened and endangered species. Conservation biologists should practice focused advocacy by taking advantage of such opportunities to steer law in a more biologically sound direction.
Watersheds and Vegetation of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: MARSTON RICHARD A. , ANDERSON JAY E.
Published: April 2005

Abstract: This paper describes major watershed systems and broad patterns of vegetation within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, explains the geographic links between these systems, and proposes factors that could be used to measure the integrity (condition and naturalness) of watersheds and vegetation The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem can be geographically defined as the Yellowstone Plateau and elevations in the 14 surrounding mountain ranges above the 2130‐meter (7000‐foot) control: certain lower elevations need to be included to account for some ecological processes. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the headwaters for three major continental‐scale river systems: the Missouri‐Mississippi, Snake‐Columbia, and Green‐Colorado. Features, processes, and materials of watersheds provide structure and key functions to ecosystems of Greater Yellowstone. Changes in elevation—and the accordant changes in precipitation, temperature, land forms, and the stream network–exert the strongest control on the distribution of plant species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The condition and naturalness of watersheds and vegetation remain to be quantified but both decline with distance away from the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem due to timber harvest, oil and gas exploration and development, mineral exploration and development, reservoir operations, flood control, agricultural development, and livestock grazing.
The Greater Yellowstone Social System
Authors: JOBES PATRICK C.
Published: April 2005

Abstract: The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is a biological concept that designates an identifiable area in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Social systems have a close, profound relationship with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Local towns and counties in the area are economically dependent on its resources; state and federal organizations legislate its fate. Local residents are simultaneously part of the ecosystem and yet distinct from it, a paradox with diverse implications. The human population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has been attracted to the area by beliefs and activities that distinguish them from residents elsewhere. Five zones, concentrically surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, distinguish differences among populations. Residents of these zones vary in their attitudes and behaviors with regard to exploiting natural resources through their respective technologies and social organization. They also vary in how they use the area and are economically and politically linked to it The vulnerability of the natural system to demands of these competing populations is described.
Policy and Programs for Ecosystem Management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: An Analysis
Authors: CLARK TIM W. , AMATO ELIZABETH DAWN , WHITTEMORE DONALD G. , HARVEY ANN H.
Published: April 2005

Abstract: Yellowstone National Park and surrounding lands, known as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, are at the center of a growing debate about the establishment of a region‐wide ecosystem management policy, the contents of such a policy, and the administrative arrangements needed to implement it effectively. This paper (1) introduces the major natural resource agencies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, (2) reviews the problems obstructing improved management and uses case studies to illustrate the effectiveness of existing policies and programs in the ecosystem, and (3) describes and offers options for policy development and improved coordination among agency programs. Current resource management entities, dominated by federal agencies, are highly fragmented and operate under innumerable and often conflicting policies. Numerous problems exist, including the lack of shared problem definition by agencies and others, lack of unifying policy and goals, lack of interagency coordination, lack of data, and inability to use existing data efficiently. Varying recognition of problems by the agencies and their referent groups has led to a number of proposed solutions, which can be grouped as (1) development of consistent and comprehensive conservation policy and specific management goals, (2) generation and use of policy relevant knowledge, (3) reorganization and better management of agency bureaucracies, and (4) upgrading technical concepts and tools and improving information management. Effective ecosystem‐ wide coordinated management will ultimately depend upon well‐articulated and well implemented regional policies, standards, and programs.
The Status and Conservation of the Wolf in Gujarat and Rajasthan, India
Authors: JHALA YADVENDRADEV V. , GILES ROBERT H.
Published: April 2005

Abstract: Populations of wolves were estimated for the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, India, based on interviews and surveys. The wolf range is continuous. The total number of wolves in Gujarat is between 190 and 270 and in Rajasthan is between 253 and 350. Recommendations for a wolf conservation strategy include: (1) encouraging public support and education, (2) enforcing legal protection, (3) paying compensation for wolf‐killed livestock, (4) conducting surveys of wolf populations and research on the dynamics of select populations, (5) protecting breeding habitats, and (6) eradicating feral dogs from wolf conservation areas. It is not too late to save the wolf if such a conservation strategy is implemented immediately.
Scale, Variable Density, and Conservation Planning for Mammalian Carnivores
Authors: SCHONEWALD‐COX CHRISTINE , AZARI RAHMAN , BLUME STEPHANIE
Published: April 2005

Abstract: Many mammalian carnivores are in local or global decline. To slow this process, continued planning to protect these species is warranted, Still, the data bases that we have at our disposal do not adequately document population requirements for space at scales appropriate for conservation planning. To illustrate this problem, we have collected published data for 214 population censuses of carnivores. We tested for a relationship between the number of individuals censused and the size of study site for our entire data set. We conducted the same test for each family, for which we obtained sufficient and qualifying census data With areas ranging from less than 10 km2 to over 40,000 km2, we obtained a significant regression (p < .001; r2= 76%) for the sample as a whole. We examined the distribution of densities with increasing area and found that the relationship was not constant but decreased We noticed that numbers per census‐area size increased with a slope (m < 1). We also noticed that the sizes of study areas were unevenly distributed Only 7% of the studies in our sample censused regions larger than 10,000 km2. It remains unclear to what extent and how the density decreases with increasing scale We expect that extrapolations from small scales to larger ones are likely to underestimate space requirements for carnivores.
Continuous ST‐segment Monitoring of Patients with Right Bundle Branch Block and Suspicion of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Gunnarsson Gunnar , Eriksson Peter , Dellborg Mikael
Published: April 2005

Background: Patients with right bundle branch block comprise 5–9% of all patients with acute myocardial infarction. In spite of this, limited data exist on early diagnosis or the usefulness of continuous electrocardiographic monitoring in these patients.

Methods: A prospective multicenter study with 14 Swedish coronary care units. Patients with right bundle branch block and suspicion of acute myocardial infarction with less than 6 hours symptom duration were included. All patients were monitored with continuous vectorcardiography for 12–24 hours.

Results: Seventy‐nine patients were included, 43% had acute myocardial infarction. Patients with acute myocardial infarction had significantly higher initial ST‐vector magnitude values (P = 0.0014) compared to patients without acute myocardial infarction. Patients with acute myocardial infarction also showed gradual regression of ST‐vector magnitude over time that was not seen for patients without acute myocardial infarction (P = 0.005). ST‐vector magnitude measured at the J‐point differentiated best between patients with and without acute myocardial infarction. A cutoff value of 125 μV for initial ST‐vector magnitude resulted in 55% sensitivity and 87% specificity for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Over time, patients with acute myocardial infarction showed greater changes in QRS‐vector difference compared to patients without acute myocardial infarction (P = 0.052).

Conclusion: Vectorcardiographic monitoring shows good diagnostic abilities for patients with right bundle branch block and clinical suspicion of acute myocardial infarction and could be useful for continuous monitoring of these patients.
Individual QT–R‐R Relationship: Average Stability over Time Does Not Rule Out an Individual Residual Variability: Implication for the Assessment of Drug Effect on the QT Interval
Authors: Extramiana Fabrice , Maison‐Blanche Pierre , Badilini Fabio , Beaufils Philippe , Leenhardt Antoine
Published: April 2005

Background: Universal QT correction formulae have been shown to under or overcorrect the QT interval duration. Individual QT–R‐R modeling has been proposed as a preferable solution for heart rate correction of QT intervals. However, the QT–R‐R relationship stability over time needs to be evaluated.

Methods: The present report is part of randomized, double‐dummy, and placebo‐controlled 4‐way crossover phase 1 study (48 healthy volunteers). Each randomized period included a run‐in placebo day followed the day after by drug administration, with moxifloxacin as a positive control for QT interval measurement. Digital Holter ECG data were analyzed using the “bin” approach. For each period, individual QT–R‐R relationship were calculated using two different models (linear and parabolic log–log models).

Results: The mean intrasubject variability for the α coefficient of the linear modeling (SDintra = 0.011 ± 0.005) reached 28.6 ± 10.2%. When the parabolic model was considered, the SDintra was 0.026 ± 0.009 for the α coefficient. The QT–R‐R relationship variability was in part related to long‐term RR changes (R2= 30%, P < 0.05). However, no significant time effect (ANOVA) was evidenced for QT–R‐R coefficients. Moxifloxacin significantly increased the α coefficient of the QT–R‐R relationship from 0.07 ± 0.018 to 0.085 ± 0.019, P < 0.05 (linear model).

Conclusions: The individual QT–R‐R relationship shows a residual variability in part related to long‐term autonomic changes. In addition, the QT–R‐R relationship might be modulated by the drug tested. As a consequence, pretherapy QT–R‐R relationship obtained in a given patient cannot be used as a fingerprint throughout a drug trial.
The Value of Magnetocardiography in the Course of Coronary Intervention
Authors: Hailer Birgit , Van Leeuwen Peter , Chaikovsky Illja , Auth‐Eisernitz Sabine , Schäfer Harald , Grönemeyer Dietrich
Published: April 2005

Background: The noninvasive detection of restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains a clinical challenge. Previous studies have shown that magnetocardiograms reveal obvious changes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and normal electrocardiogram (ECG) at rest.

Hypothesis: The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of magnetocardiography (MCG) for the detection of electrophysiological changes in the course of successful PCI.

Methods: Twelve‐lead ECG and unshielded four‐channel MCG (SQUID AG, Essen, Germany) were registered at nine prethoracic sites in 50 patients with CAD (62 10 years; EF = 76 11%; registration: before, 24 hours, and 1 month (n = 25) after PCI) and 57 normals (51 9 years). Current density vector (CDV) maps were reconstructed within the ST–T interval and classified from category 0 (normal) to category 4 (grossly abnormal). In both groups and at all registration times, the percentage of each category of maps was calculated and compared.

Results: Most CDV maps of normals were classified as category 0, 1, or 2 compared to CAD patients before PCI with most maps of category 3 and 4 (P < 0.0005). Twenty‐four hours after PCI, more maps were classified as category 2 (P < 0.05) and less as category 4 (P < 0.005). One month after PCI the MCG results further improved: more maps were classified as category 1 (P < 0.05) and 2 (P < 0.005) and less maps as category 4 (P < 0.0001). The ECG remained unchanged in the course of PCI.

Conclusion: Unshielded four‐channel MCG reveals obvious changes in the course of successful PCI on the basis of CDV map reconstruction during repolarization. The method seems to be suitable for the follow‐up of patients after PCI.
Beating the Poisson limit by coupling an occulting mask to wavefront sensing
Authors: Roux Brice Le , Ragazzoni Roberto
Published: April 2005

We show that by coupling an occulting mask to a wavefront sensor one can achieve sensitivities that exceed by a factor of 2 in variance the Poissonian limit in wavefront sensing. Examples of applications are the extension to fainter objects of conventional adaptive optics, and the increase in the sky coverage of natural guide star multiconjugated adaptive optics.
INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE DIFFERENCES: MARKETS OR LAW?
Authors: Easterbrook Frank H.
Published: April 2005

Current differences in international corporate ownership and governance systems reflect primarily differences in the efficiency of capital markets, not differences in corporate law. Law is an output of this process, not an input. In countries where financial markets are more efficient, there is both less law and greater investor protection.

Unlike nations in Asia and most of Europe, the U.S. and the U.K. have large and efficient capital markets, with no restrictions on cross‐border capital flows. It is thus notsurprising that when American and English banks, mutual funds, and insurers are allowed by law to increase the concentration of their holdings, they don't do so. With efficient markets, there is no money to be made by holding undiversified blocks in public corporations. If public markets were inefficient, entrepreneurs would arrange for large blocks of stock (or take companies private), just as they grant powers of control to venture capitalists.

The effect of law on corporate governance and ownership is far less pronounced in America than in Europe and Japan. Restrictions on U.S. banks aside, corporate law in the United States is “enabling”–that is, it lets people do largely what they want in organizing, managing, and financing the firm. Corporate law in Europe and Japan is much more “directory.” And there is a straightforward explanation for this difference: When capital markets are efficient, the valuation process works better, which in turn provides investors with stronger assurances of fairness. When markets are less efficient, some substitute must be found–law, perhaps, or the valuation procedures of banks. Thus, banks play larger corporate governance roles in nations with less extensive capital markets–and corporate law, as the European Union's company directives show, is more restrictive. European corporate law is today about as meddlesome and directory as U.S. law in the late 19th century, before U.S. capital markets became efficient.
CORPORATE OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL IN THE U.K., GERMANY, AND FRANCE
Authors: Franks Julian , Mayer Colin
Published: April 2005

Like its U.S. counterpart, the U.K. corporate ownership and governance system can be characterized as an outsider system with a large number of public corporations, widely dispersed ownership (though with growing concentrations of institutional shareholdings), and well‐developed takeover markets. By contrast, the much smaller number and proportion of publicly traded German and French corporations are governed by insider systems‐‐those in which the founding families, banks, or other companies have controlling interests and in which outside shareholders are not able to exert much control.

The different patterns of ownership in the U.K. and in France and Germany give rise to different incentives and corporate control mechanisms. Concentrated ownership would seem to encourage longer‐term relationships between the company and its investors. But, while perhaps better suited to some corporate activities with longer‐term payoffs, concentrated ownership could also lead to costly delays in undertaking necessary corrective action, particularly if the owners receive “private” benefits from owning and running a business. And, although widely dispersed ownership may increase the likelihood that corrective action will be sought prematurely (as outsiders rush to sell their shares in response to a temporary downturn), the presence of well‐diversified public owners may also be more appropriate for riskier ventures requiring large amounts of new capital investment.

Thus, concentrated ownership, while having the potential to reduce information costs and to strengthen incentives to maximize value, can also impose costs in two ways: (1) by forcing managers and other insiders to bear excessive company‐specific risks that could be transferred to well‐diversified outsiders; and (2) by allowing insiders to capture private benefits at the expense of outsiders.
UNIVERSAL BANKS ARE NOT THE ANSWER TO AMERICA'S CORPORATE GOVERNANCE “PROBLEM”: A LOOK AT GERMANY, JAPAN, AND THE U.S.
Authors: Macey Jonathan R. , Miller Geoffrey P.
Published: April 2005

This article objects to a recent tendency of legal and economic scholars to “romanticize” the corporate governance role of German universal banks and Japanese main banks. There are potential conflicts between banks' interests as lenders and as shareholders that are likely to make banks less‐than‐ideal monitors for outside shareholders. Citing evidence that Japanese corporate borrowers pay above‐market interest rates for their bank financing, Macey and Miller interpret the high interest rates as “rents” earned by Japanese banks on their loan portfolios in exchange for (1) insulating incumbent management of borrower firms from hostile takeover and (2) accepting suboptimal returns on their equity holdings.

The main problems with the German and Japanese systems stem from their failure to produce well‐developed capital markets. Concentrated and stable shareholdings reduce the order flow in the market, thereby depriving the market of liquidity. And the lack of capital market liquidity– combined with the intense loyalty of the banks towards incumbent management–removes the ability of outside shareholders to make a credible threat of takeover if managerial performance is substandard.

The problem with American corporate governance–if indeed there is one–is not that hostile takeovers are bad, but that there are not enough of them due to regulatory restrictions and misguided legal policies. While U.S. law should be amended to give banks and other debtholders more power over borrowers in the case of financial distress, encouraging U.S. banks to become large stockholders is not likely to improve corporate efficiency. Strengthening the “voice” of American equity holders by eliminating restrictions on the market for corporate control would be the most effective step in improving firm performance.
LARGE BANK STOCKHOLDERS IN GERMANY: SAVIORS OR SUBSTITUTES?
Authors: Carney William J.
Published: April 2005

This article challenges Mark Roe's suggestion that the prevalence of the widely held public corporation in the U.S. may not have been inevitable because U.S. laws prevented financial institutions from playing the monitoring role assumed by large German banks. The differences between Germany and the U.S. in the importance of trading markets and the role of banks as monitors can be explained in large part by actions of German banks that blocked the development of German capital markets and provided big banks with informational advantages over other traders.

Markets are likely to be more effective monitors than large banks because of the banks' conflicts of interest as creditors as well as underwriters and market‐makers for German firms. Moreover, there is more diversity in the ownership structure of U.S. corporations than the current governance debate would suggest. In the U.S. there are many publicly owned companies that are either closely held or have reverted to private ownership through LBOs. This in turn suggests that U.S. capital markets have devised means for bringing about concentrated stock ownership in those cases where large stockholder monitoring is likely to be more efficient.

Thus, to the question what is likely to happen to U.S. corporate ownership structure if remaining legal constraints on stock ownership by U.S. banks are relaxed, the answer this article offers is “not much.” Indeed, if one considers increasing U.S. institutional ownership together with recent SEC attempts to liberalize shareholder communications, there appears to be a striking trend toward a new concentration of voting power–one that may ultimately rival that of the German banks.
REINVENTING A CORPORATION: THE “SATELLITE” STRUCTURE OF THERMO ELECTRON
Authors: Allen Jeffrey
Published: April 2005

Thermo Electron has created a unique–and highly productive—corporate structure by selling to the public minority equity interests in 19 of its business units over the period 1983 to 1996. Since 1983, the company has achieved extraordinary gains for stockholders, both those of the parent company and those of most of its publicly traded subsidiaries.

The company's “satellite” structure is intended to preserve the benefits enjoyed by small entrepreneurial organizations without sacrificing many of the advantages enjoyed by larger firms. Although decentralization is a key element of the organizational design, another important feature of the Thermo Electron approach is that administrative activities unrelated to the focus of the unit's operations continue to be managed at the parent level. The combination of an entrepreneurial atmosphere with the financial and administrative support of a larger organization is used extensively by the company to attract and retain management and technical talent. In fact, the company made the remarkable claim in a 1995 Forbes article that “no developer or entrepreneur has ever left Thermo Electron.”

Another major contributor to the company's entrepreneurial culture is an incentive structure that is tied directly to the equity performance of both the public units and the parent. Managers of the publicly traded units are granted significant amounts of stock options, but only 40% of those options are based on the performance of their subsidiary. Of the remaining 60%, 40% are granted in the stock of the parent and the other 20% are in stock of the other subsidiaries.
THE MEASUREMENT OF POST‐ACQUISITION PERFORMANCE: TOWARD A VALUE‐BASED BENCHMARKING METHODOLOGY
Authors: Sirower Mark L. , O'Byrne Stephen F.
Published: April 2005

Mergers and acquisitions are clearly the favorite corporate growth strategy of this generation's executive teams. But there is little evidence that such strategies have paid off for the acquiring companies' shareholders–and many transactions have proved disastrous for the careers of the executives as well as the pocketbooks of the shareholders of the acquiring firms.

This article presents a methodology for evaluating post‐acquisition operating performance from the perspective of the acquiring company's shareholders. The cornerstone of the method is a performance benchmark that incorporates the operating performance expectations built into the pre‐acquisition market values of the two companies plus the additional promise of performance created by the payment of an acquisition premium.

After illustrating the use of this methodology in the case of an actual acquisition, the article goes on to present the results of a study (using 41 major strategic acquisitions from the period 1979–1990) of the extent to which stock market reactions to acquirers are useful predictors of actual performance over a five‐year period following the acquisition. The results of the study provide strong support for building current market expectations into the benchmarking methodology.

The 1990s are often said to have initiated an era of so‐called “strategic” mergers. The clear message from this analysis is that, even if a deal is deemed “strategic,” it will not add value unless the realized synergies justify the acquisition premium. The burden of proof is on the acquirer to demonstrate to the market that they will. This article provides a tool that senior executives can use both for pre‐acquisition analysis and pricing and for post‐acquisition performance evaluation and incentive compensation.
REDEFINING HIGH PERFORMANCE
Authors: Breene Tim , Anslinger Patrica
Published: April 2005

Global business has entered a new era of fluid market and industry boundaries, shifting regional risk and opportunity, changing formulas for economic value, and varied economic shocks. To help companies prosper in this environment, Accenture has recently launched a high‐performance business initiative designed to identify the most successful companies in 18 of today's largest industries along with the key value drivers in those industries. The performance criteria for such companies include a combination of market‐based indicators (specifically, shareholder returns measured over three‐, five‐, and seven‐year time periods) and oper‐ating measures (notably, revenue growth and the spread between total return to shareholders and the weighted average cost of capital).

Further analysis of the chosen companies suggests that they are distinguished by a number of common capabilities:

an alert perception of customer values, allowing for quick detection of major shifts in demand or environmental conditions;

an organization‐wide ability to take decisive action based on a combination of high‐quality hard information and “soft intelligence”;

a complete understanding of the firm's core competencies and how they can be maintained and lever‐aged to drive current and future value;

a willingness to explore value‐adding partnerships and alliances, including the outsourcing of non‐core activities; and

the ability to meet near‐term goals while investing heavily in the future.
NATIONAL DEFENSE, OIL IMPORTS, AND BIO‐ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Ames Robert M. , Corridore Anthony , MacAvoy Paul W.
Published: April 2005

Terrorist disruptions of crude oil supplies anywhere in the world now pose a serious threat to the U.S. economy. Price shocks from terrorist acts could have a pervasive negative effect on producer costs and consumer behavior, with the potential to derail the current eco‐nomic recovery. The authors pro‐pose insulating U.S. energy prices from world price volatility by gradu‐ally eliminating imports of crude oil from non‐Western Hemisphere sources.

The U.S. now operates with half of its crude supply from offshore sources. As much as half of these imports could be replaced by ex‐panded production from projects that have been shelved for political reasons or because prices are cur‐rently too low. The remainder could come from an extensive and cur‐rently untapped supply of crude oil substitutes, particularly bio‐energy sources such as ethanol from corn and switchgrass. These sources would be much less vulnerable to terrorist disruption.

The authors also argue that the expected costs of pursuing a strat‐egy of eliminating imports would not be nearly as large as the con‐ventional wisdom suggests. Even though crude prices would be some‐what higher than current levels, they would also be much more stable, and this price stability would help promote a stronger and more secure economy in the long run.
PERHAPS EVA DOES BEAT EARNINGS—REVISITING PREVIOUS EVIDENCE
Authors: Feltham Glenn D. , Issac Grant E. , Mbagwu Chima , Vaidyanathan Ganesh
Published: April 2005

In two articles, the first published in 1997 in the Journal of Accounting and Economics and the second in 1999 in this journal, Gary Biddle, Robert Bowen, and James Wallace presented evidence that reported earnings are more closely related than EVA to marketadjusted stock returns– in other words, that earnings are more “value relevant” than EVA. These papers, which are among the most widely cited in finance and accounting, fundamentally affected perceptions about the importance of EVA as a measure of corporate performance.

The current article addresses a simple question: Do the Biddle, Bowen, and Wallace results continue to hold for a different set of companies, a different time period, and a different market? The authors first examined updated EVA information for different companies in the same time period examined in the Biddle, Bowen, and Wallace study. They then looked at a more recent time period (1995–1999) and a different market (the Canadian stock market), and found in all cases that “EVA has greater power than earnings in explaining marketadjusted stock returns.” Their findings validate the widespread corporate acceptance of EVA as a management tool.
THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF BODY SIZE
Authors: Gremillion Helen
Published: April 2005

Scholarly interest in body size has increased in concert with recent efforts to shape and assess bodies in particular ways within industrialized social contexts. Attending to both overt and covert references to Eurocentric body projects, this chapter reviews literature in anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies that addresses the cultural politics of body size in various parts of the world. It begins with a discussion of biocultural paradigms, which accept certain biomedical categories even when challenging or reconfiguring their hegemonic power. Next is a survey of works analyzing body size within “non-Western” groups as well as European and North American subgroups. These studies often employ culturally powerful “Western” constructs as foils, an approach that risks cultural othering. The analysis then turns to the extensive literature that unpacks dominant Euro-American body practices and discourses. Here, diverse perspectives on several key concerns in sociocultural anthropology are considered; concepts of culture and power, theories of the body and embodiment, and understandings of human agency vary in instructive ways. The chapter concludes with a review of scholarship on postcolonial processes and representations that incorporates a critical perspective on Eurocentric preoccupations with body size.
EVOLUTION OF THE ATP-BINDING CASSETTE (ABC) TRANSPORTER SUPERFAMILY IN VERTEBRATES
Authors: Dean Michael , Annilo Tarmo
Published: April 2005

▪ Abstract  The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of genes encode membrane proteins that transport a diverse set of substrates across membranes. Mutations in ABC transporters cause or contribute to many different Mendelian and complex disorders including adrenoleukodystrophy, cystic fibrosis, retinal degeneration, hypercholesterolemia, and cholestasis. The genes play important roles in protecting organisms from xenobiotics and transport compounds across the intestine, blood-brain barrier, and the placenta. There are 48 ABC genes in the human genome divided into seven subfamilies based on amino acid sequence similarities and phylogeny. These seven subfamilies are represented in all eukaryotic genomes and are therefore of ancient origin. Sequencing the genomes of numerous vertebrate organisms has allowed the complement of ABC transporters to be characterized and the evolution of the genes to be assessed. Most ABC transporters are conserved in all vertebrates, but there are also several examples of recent duplication and gene loss. For genes with a conserved ortholog, animal models have been identified or developed that can be used to probe the function and regulation of selected genes. Genes that are restricted to a specific group of animals may represent specialized functions that could provide insight into unique biological properties of that organism. Further characterization of all ABC transporters from the human genome and from model organisms will lead to additional insights into normal physiology and human disease.
Liver-derived IGF-I regulates exploratory activity in old mice
Authors: Svensson Johan , Söderpalm Bo , Sjögren Klara , Engel Jörgen , Ohlsson Claes
Published: April 2005

Growth hormone (GH) replacement in hypopituitary patients improves well-being and initiative. Experimental studies indicate that these psychic effects may be reflected in enhanced locomotor activity in mice. It is unknown whether these phenomena are mediated directly by GH or by circulating IGF-I. IGF-I production in the liver was inactivated at 6–10 wk of age (LI-IGF-I−/− mice), resulting in an 80–85% reduction of circulating IGF-I, and, secondary to this, increased GH secretion. Using activity boxes on three different occasions during 1 wk, 6-mo-old LI-IGF-I−/− mice had similar activity levels, and 14-mo-old mice had a moderate but significant decrease in activity level, compared with control mice. At 20 mo of age, the LI-IGF-I−/− mice displayed a more prominent decrease in activity level with decreased horizontal activity throughout the test period, and at day 1, there were several signs of an altered habituation process with different time patterns of locomotor activity and horizontal activity compared with the control mice. At days 3 and 5, rearing activity was lower in the 20-mo-old LI-IGF-I−/− mice. Anxiety level was unaffected in all age groups, as measured using the Montgomery’s elevated plus-maze. In conclusion, old LI-IGF-I−/− mice displayed a decrease in both horizontal and rearing (exploratory) activity level and an altered habituation process. These results indicate that liver-derived IGF-I mediates at least part of the effects of GH on exploratory activity in mice.
Supplementary Motor Area Encodes Reward Expectancy in Eye-Movement Tasks
Authors: Campos M. , Breznen B. , Bernheim K. , Andersen R. A.
Published: April 2005

Neural activity signifying the expectation of reward has been found recently in many parts of the brain, including midbrain and cortical structures. These signals can facilitate goal-directed behavior or the learning of new skills based on reinforcements. Here we show that neurons in the supplementary motor area (SMA), an area concerned with movements of the body and limbs, also carry a reward expectancy signal in the postsaccadic period of oculomotor tasks. While the monkeys performed blocks of memory-guided and object-based saccades, the neurons discharged a burst after a ∼200-ms delay following the target-acquiring saccade in the memory task but often fired concurrently with the target-acquiring saccade in the object task. The hypothesis that this postsaccadic bursting activity reflects the expectation of a reward was tested with a series of manipulations to the memory-guided saccade task. It was found that although the timing of the bursting activity corresponds to a visual feedback stimulus, the visual feedback is not required for the neurons to discharge a burst. Second, blocks of no-reward trials reveal an extinction of the bursting activity as the monkeys come to understand that they would not be rewarded for properly generated saccades. Finally, the delivery of unexpected rewards confirmed that in many of the neurons, the activity is not related to a motor plan to acquire the reward (e.g., licking). Thus we conclude that reward expectancy is represented by the activity of SMA neurons, even in the context of an oculomotor task. These results suggest that the reward expectancy signal is broadcast over a large extent of motor cortex, and may facilitate the learning of new, coordinated behavior between different body parts.
Quantal Encoding of Information in a Retinal Ganglion Cell
Authors: Freed Michael A.
Published: April 2005

A retinal ganglion cell receives information about a white-noise stimulus as a flickering pattern of glutamate quanta. The ganglion cell reencodes this information as brief bursts of one to six spikes separated by quiescent periods. When the stimulus is repeated, the number of spikes in a burst is highly reproducible (variance < mean) and spike timing is precise to within 10 ms, leading to an estimate that each spike encodes about 2 bits. To understand how the ganglion cell reencodes information, we studied the quantal patterns by repeating a white-noise stimulus and recording excitatory currents from a voltage-clamped, brisk-sustained ganglion cell. Quanta occurred in synchronous bursts of 3 to 65; the resulting postsynaptic currents summed to form excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). The number of quanta in an EPSC was only moderately reproducible (variance = mean), quantal timing was precise to within 14 ms, and each quantum encoded 0.1–0.4 bit. In conclusion, compared to a spike, a quantum has similar temporal precision, but is less reproducible and encodes less information. Summing multiple quanta into discrete EPSCs improves the reproducibility of the overall quantal pattern and contributes to the reproducibility of the spike train.
Log‐balanced combinatorial sequences
Authors: Došlić Tomislav
Published: April 2005

We consider log‐convex sequences that satisfy an additional constraint imposed on their rate of growth. We call such sequences log‐balanced. It is shown that all such sequences satisfy a pair of double inequalities. Sufficient conditions for log‐balancedness are given for the case when the sequence satisfies a two‐ (or more‐) term linear recurrence. It is shown that many combinatorially interesting sequences belong to this class, and, as a consequence, that the above‐mentioned double inequalities are valid for all of them.
Bilinear multipliers and transference
Authors: Blasco Oscar
Published: April 2005

We give de Leeuw‐type transference theorems for bilinear multipliers. In particular, it is shown that bilinear multipliers arising from regulated functions
m(ξ, η) in ℝ × ℝ can be transferred to bilinear multipliers acting on 𝕋 × 𝕋 and ℤ × ℤ. The results follow from the description of bilinear multipliers on the discrete real line acting on Lp‐spaces.
Starlikeness associated with parabolic regions
Authors: Ali Rosihan M.
Published: April 2005

A parabolic starlike function f of order ρ in the unit disk is characterized by the fact that the quantity zf′(z)/f(z) lies in a given parabolic region in the right half‐plane. Denote the class of such functions by PS∗(ρ). This class is contained in the larger class of starlike functions of order ρ. Subordination results for PS∗(ρ) are established, which yield sharp growth, covering, and distortion theorems. Sharp bounds for the first four coefficients are also obtained. There exist different extremal functions for these coefficient problems. Additionally, we obtain a sharp estimate for
the Fekete‐Szegö coefficient functional and investigate convolution properties for PS∗(ρ).
Asymptotic stability of a repairable system with imperfect switching mechanism
Authors: Xu Houbao , Guo Weihua , Yu Jingyuan , Zhu Guangtian
Published: April 2005

This paper studies the asymptotic stability of a repairable system with
repair time of failed system that follows arbitrary distribution. We show that the system operator generates a positive C0‐semigroup of contraction in a Banach space, therefore there exists a unique, nonnegative, and time‐dependant solution. By analyzing the spectrum of system operator, we deduce that all spectra lie in the left half‐plane and 0 is the unique spectral point on imaginary axis. As a result, the time‐dependant solution converges to the eigenvector of system operator corresponding to eigenvalue
0.
An E-Health Solution for Automatic Sleep Classification according to Rechtschaffen and Kales: Validation Study of the Somnolyzer 24 × 7 Utilizing the Siesta Database
Authors: Anderer Peter , Gruber Georg , Parapatics Silvia , Woertz Michael , Miazhynskaia Tatiana , Klösch Gerhard , Saletu Bernd , Zeitlhofer Josef , Barbanoj Manuel J. , Danker-Hopfe Heidi , Himanen Sari-Leena , Kemp Bob , Penzel Thomas , Grözinger Michael , Kunz Dieter , Rappelsberger Peter , Schlögl Alois , Dorffner Georg
Published: April 2005

To date, the only standard for the classification of sleep-EEG recordings that has found worldwide acceptance are the rules published in 1968 by Rechtschaffen and Kales. Even though several attempts have been made to automate the classification process, so far no method has been published that has proven its validity in a study including a sufficiently large number of controls and patients of all adult age ranges. The present paper describes the development and optimization of an automatic classification system that is based on one central EEG channel, two EOG channels and one chin EMG channel. It adheres to the decision rules for visual scoring as closely as possible and includes a structured quality control procedure by a human expert. The final system (Somnolyzer 24 × 7™) consists of a raw data quality check, a feature extraction algorithm (density and intensity of sleep/wake-related patterns such as sleep spindles, delta waves, SEMs and REMs), a feature matrix plausibility check, a classifier designed as an expert system, a rule-based smoothing procedure for the start and the end of stages REM, and finally a statistical comparison to age- and sex-matched normal healthy controls (Siesta Spot Report™). The expert system considers different prior probabilities of stage changes depending on the preceding sleep stage, the occurrence of a movement arousal and the position of the epoch within the NREM/REM sleep cycles. Moreover, results obtained with and without using the chin EMG signal are combined. The Siesta polysomnographic database (590 recordings in both normal healthy subjects aged 20–95 years and patients suffering from organic or nonorganic sleep disorders) was split into two halves, which were randomly assigned to a training and a validation set, respectively. The final validation revealed an overall epoch-by-epoch agreement of 80% (Cohen’s kappa: 0.72) between the Somnolyzer 24 × 7 and the human expert scoring, as compared with an inter-rater reliability of 77% (Cohen’s kappa: 0.68) between two human experts scoring the same dataset. Two Somnolyzer 24 × 7 analyses (including a structured quality control by two human experts) revealed an inter-rater reliability close to 1 (Cohen’s kappa: 0.991), which confirmed that the variability induced by the quality control procedure, whereby approximately 1% of the epochs (in 9.5% of the recordings) are changed, can definitely be neglected. Thus, the validation study proved the high reliability and validity of the Somnolyzer 24 × 7 and demonstrated its applicability in clinical routine and sleep studies.
Modification of Virtual Reality Combined with a Mental Task Stimulates Cortisol in Volunteers
Authors: Hemmeter U. , Störmer R. , Mager R. , Kuntze M. , Mueller-Spahn F. , Hennig J. , Amditis A. , Bekiaris A. , Bullinger A.
Published: April 2005

Immersive, stereoscopic virtual reality (VR) systems provide a powerful multimedia tool for a laboratory simulation of distinct scenarios including stressful situations close to reality. Thus far, cortisol secretion as a neuroendocrine parameter of stress has not been evaluated within a VR paradigm. Ninety-four healthy subjects were subjected to a VR paradigm and a cognitive stress task. It was tested (a) if the modification of reality induced by dynamic VR as opposed to static VR can be regarded as a stressor and (b) if it can modify an additional cognitive stress response. In addition, the impact of gender on cortisol responses was assessed. A significant cortisol increase was observed only after the combined application of both conditions, but not after the dynamic VR or the cognitive stress alone. Cortisol reactivity was greater for men than for women. We conclude that dynamic VR does not affect cortisol secretion per se, but increases cortisol responses in a dual task paradigm. This provides the basis for the application of VR in neuroscientific research, which includes the assessment of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation.