bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leaving state sector employment in Russia
Authors: Turunen Jarkko
Published: February 2004

I analyse the reallocation of labour and human capital from the state sector to the non‐state sector and non‐employment in Russia. I use a nationally representative household dataset, the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, to study sectoral mobility in early transition using summary measures of mobility and multivariate discrete choice models. The results show that sectoral mobility varies between different skill groups, and in particular that those with university education, with supervisory responsibility and in white‐collar occupations are less likely to leave state jobs for both non‐state employment and non‐employment. The results suggest that in the early stages of transition in Russia mismatch of skills across state/non‐state employment was significant and that non‐state employment consisted mostly of low skill, ‘bad’ jobs.
Catching up: The role of demand, supply and regulated price effects on the real exchange rates of four accession countries
Authors: MacDonald Ronald , Wójcik Cezary
Published: February 2004

The main aim of this paper is to examine the exchange rate behaviour of a group of four transitional, EU accession countries, with a view to making policy recommendations regarding their full accession to the European Monetary Union. We employ a dynamic OLS panel estimator to investigate the relative importance of demand and supply influences on the exchange rates of these countries. Our analysis shows that both supply‐ and demand‐side effects are important for the accession countries, although their overall effect on inflation differentials and competitiveness seems to be small. An additional focus of the paper is the examination of the role that administrated, or regulated, prices and the productivity of the distribution sector play in the real exchange rate dynamics. Using a unique database we show that administrative prices have been a powerful force behind price and real exchange developments for our group of accession countries. The distribution sector is shown to have an independent effect on the internal price ratio over and above that generated by the Balassa–Samuelson effect.
Ustilago maydis, model system for analysis of the molecular basis of fungal pathogenicity
Authors: Basse Christoph W. , Steinberg Gero
Published: February 2004

Ustilago maydis, a facultative biotrophic basidiomycete fungus, causes smut disease in maize. A hallmark of this disease is the induction of large plant tumours that are filled with masses of black‐pigmented teliospores. During the last 15 years U. maydis has become an important model system to unravel molecular mechanisms of fungal phytopathogenicity. This review highlights recent insights into molecular mechanisms of complex signalling pathways that are involved in the transition from budding to filamentous growth and operate during the pathogenic growth phase. In addition, we describe recent progress in understanding the structural basis of morphogenesis and polar growth in different stages of U. maydis development. Finally, we present an overview of recently identified genes related to pathogenic development and summarize novel molecular and genomic approaches that are powerful tools to explore the genetic base of pathogenicity.

 Taxonomy: Ustilago maydis (DC) Corda (synonymous with Ustilago zeae Ung.)‐Kingdom Eukaryota, Phylum Fungi, Order Basidiomycota, Family Ustilaginomycetes, Genus Ustilago.

 Host range: Infects aerial parts of corn plants (Zea mays) and its progenitor teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis). Maize smut is distributed throughout the world.

 Disease symptoms: U. maydis causes chlorotic lesions in infected areas, the formation of anthocyanin pigments, necrosis, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of infected organs. Infection by U. maydis can inhibit development and lead to stunting of infected plants. A few days after infection plant tumours develop in which massive fungal proliferation and the formation of the black‐pigmented, diploid teliospores occurs. Under natural conditions tumours predominantly develop on sexual organs (tassels and ears), stems and nodal shoots. Tumours may vary in size from minute pustules to several centimetres in diameter and contain up to 200 billion spores.

 Useful web site: http://www‐genome.wi.mit.edu/annotation/fungi/ustilago_maydis/
pthG from Pantoea agglomerans pv. gypsophilae encodes an avirulence effector that determines incompatibility in multiple beet species
Authors: Ezra David , Barash Isaac , Weinthal Dan M. , Gaba Victor , Manulis Shulamit
Published: February 2004

Pantoea agglomerans pv. gypsophilae (Pag) causes root and crown gall disease on gypsophila, whereas P. agglomerans pv. betae (Pab) induces the disease on beet as well as gypsophila. Both pathovars harbour a pathogenicity plasmid (pPATHPag or pPATHPab) that determines disease development. We have previously isolated and partially characterized a pleiotropic gene from the pPATHPag, designated as pthG, that encodes a virulence factor in gypsophila and an elicitor of a hypersensitive‐like response in beet roots. The present study was undertaken to characterize pthG further as an avr gene. The infiltration of beet leaves with strains expressing PthG (i.e. Pag or Pab containing pthG in trans) caused an hypersensitive reaction (HR) response within 48 h, whereas strains lacking intact pthG (i.e. Pab or Pag mutated in pthG) resulted in gall formation after 5 days. A hypersensitive reaction was elicited by PthG on multiple beet species, whereas a marker exchange mutant of Pag in pthG extended its host range on these beet species. A marker exchange mutant of Pag in hrpJ, encoding a component of the Type III secretion system, prevented HR elicitation. Mutations in each of the hrp regulatory genes (hrpY, hrpS and hrpL) substantially reduced the transcriptional activity of pthG in gypsophila cuttings. PthG could only be detected inside Pag cells during over‐expression of hrpS or hrpL. Particle bombardment of GFP‐PthG fusion caused cell death in beet, but not in non‐host (melon) leaves. Present and previous results have established pthG as a broad‐host‐range avr gene that functions in multiple host plant species and the first functional avr gene in Pantoea spp.
Protection against systemic candidiasis in mice immunized with secreted aspartic proteinase 2
Authors: Vilanova Manuel , Teixeira Luzia , Caramalho Íris , Torrado Egídio , Marques Andreia , Madureira Pedro , Ribeiro Adília , Ferreira Paula , Gama Miguel , Demengeot Jocelyne
Published: February 2004

Secreted aspartic proteinases (Sap) have been described as virulence factors implicated in the mechanisms of host colonization by the yeast Candida albicans in different types of candidiasis. Intraperitoneal inoculation of C. albicans into BALB/c mice rapidly leads to systemic candidiasis, with significant colonization of the kidneys measurable in the following week. In this study we assessed the potential of vaccination with C. albicans secreted aspartic proteinase 2 (Sap2) in preventing systemic candidiasis in BALB/c mice. Intradermal injection of highly purified native Sap2 protein incorporated in alum adjuvant provided efficient immune protection, as indicated by a 20‐fold decrease in the colonization of kidneys. The protective effect of Sap2 immunization with alum adjuvant was also observed in mice infected with a lethal inoculum of C. albicans. Immunization with the native Sap2 alone, as well as with a denatured recombinant form of the protein, also conferred protection, albeit to a lesser level. In all cases, protection correlated with an increase in serum antibodies to Sap2. Moreover, passive transfer of anti‐Sap2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) significantly decreased the yeast burden in kidneys of C. albicans‐infected mice. This result shows that immune protection against systemic candidiasis in mice immunized with Sap2 is antibody‐mediated. Taken together, these analyses demonstrate that Sap2 can be successfully used as a vaccination target in systemic candidiasis and reveals the potential immunomodulatory role of Sap2 on C. albicans infection.
The Echinococcus granulosus antigen EgA31: localization during development and immunogenic properties
Authors: Saboulard Didier , Lahmar Samia , Petavy Anne‐Françoise , Bosquet Georges
Published: February 2004

EgA31 is a fibrillar protein from Echinococcus granulosus that behaves as a potent antigen during infestation of dogs. The localization of this antigen during development of the parasite was investigated by immunohistochemistry in optical and electron microscopy. The protein is mostly abundant in the microtriches and subtegumental cells of the adult, whereas it is absent from protoscolex microtriches. Eggs, the periphery of calcareous corpuscles, and the germinal layer were other sites of accumulation. Immunogenicity of different domains of the protein was assessed during experimental infection of dogs. It was shown that the polypeptide encoded by the Pst I–Hind III fragment of the complete cDNA is the most antigenic during the infection. The uses of such polypeptide for infection diagnosis and as a candidate vaccine protein are discussed.
A six‐arm olfactometer permitting simultaneous observation of insect attraction and odour trapping
Authors: Turlings Ted C. J. , Davison A. C. , TamÒ Cristina
Published: February 2004

Abstract.  Behavioural assays to study insect attraction to specific odours are tedious, time consuming and often require large numbers of replications. Olfactometer and flight tunnel tests can usually only be conducted with one or two odour sources at a time. Moreover, chemical information on the odour sources has to be obtained in separate analytical studies. An olfactometer was developed in which six odours can be tested simultaneously for their relative attractiveness while during the assays, part of each test odour can be trapped for further analyses. The effectiveness of this six‐arm olfactometer was tested by observing the responses of the solitary endoparasitoid Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) to host‐induced odours from young maize plants. For statistical analyses, we used log‐linear models were adapted to account for overdispersion and possible positional biases. Female wasps responded extremely well in tests where they were offered a single odour source, as well as in tests with multiple choices. The responses of wasps released in groups were the same as those released individually and it was found that females did not attract or repel each other, but males preferred arms in which females had been released. Dose–response tests with varying numbers of plants or host larvae on plants revealed that the wasps responded in a dose‐related manner, thus showing that the system is well suited to measure relative preference. The clear choices of the insects amongst six possibilities provided substantial statistical power. Gas chromatographic analyses of sampled air revealed clean and effective odour trapping, which largely facilitates the comparison of results from behavioural assays with the actual blends of volatiles that were emitted by the various odour sources. Advantages and disadvantages compared to other methods are discussed.
Does the ‘investment principle’ model explain moulting strategies in lepidopteran larvae?
Authors: Esperk Toomas , Tammaru Toomas
Published: February 2004

Abstract.  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the applicability of a general optimality model of insect development in the case of lepidopteran larvae. According to the model, larvae moult mainly to increase the size of mouthparts, which is assumed to limit consumption rates. The assumptions of this model being met, one should expect a dependence of growth rates on head capsule size, constancy of absolute growth rates within an instar and higher growth rates in older instars. The validity of these predictions is tested on two species of lymantriid moths. Head capsule size has only a weak effect on growth rates in one of the species, and no effect in the other. Absolute growth rates tend to increase during the development within an instar. Higher growth rates of older instar larvae are explainable by an allometric relationship that extrapolates from growth within the preceding instar. Thus, there is no evidence of an extra increase in growth performance attributable to moulting into the subsequent instar. These results support the idea that growth rates of lepidopteran larvae are limited by nutrient absorption rates rather than by the rates of consumption. There is a considerable cost of moulting in terms of lost growing time: the larvae would double their weights during an instar if they were able to develop without the premoult decrease in growth rates. The investment principle model does not appear to be directly usable to explain moulting strategies in the lepidopteran larvae studied. However, it may well be applicable after some adjustment (i.e. assuming that larvae should moult before consumption rates become limiting).
Gustatory responsiveness to pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the Senecio specialist, Tyria jacobaeae (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae)
Authors: Bernays E. A. , Hartmann T. , Chapman R. F.
Published: February 2004

Abstract.  Electrophysiological recordings from taste sensilla of the caterpillar Tyria jacobaeae with the pyrrolizidine alkaloids, characteristic compounds from their host plants, demonstrated sensitivity of a pyrrolizidine alkaloid‐sensitive cell in the lateral galeal sensilla at concentrations as low as 1 × 10−11 M. Another pyrrolizidine alkaloid‐sensitive cell in the medial galeal sensilla responded at higher concentrations. Both pyrrolizidine alkaloid‐cells were maximally sensitive to seneciphylline N‐oxide and senecionine N‐oxide. Seven other pyrrolizidine alkaloids were less stimulating. Monocrotaline N‐oxide was the least stimulating. Observation experiments demonstrated that differences in sensitivity to different pyrrolizidine alkaloids at the electrophysiological level were correlated with differences in feeding behaviour; the first feeding bout was of longer duration on diet containing seneciphylline N‐oxide than on diet containing monocrotaline N‐oxide, and a plain diet was generally not accepted.
Photoperiodic induction of diapause: opening the black box
Authors: Saunders D. S. , Lewis R. D. , Warman G. R.
Published: February 2004

Abstract.  Over several decades, formal experiments measuring diapause responses to variable light inputs have indicated that photoperiodic time measurement in insects is accomplished either by a nonoscillatory ‘hourglass‐like’ mechanism or by oscillatory components of the circadian system. Although both are possible given the present state of our knowledge, a substantial body of evidence strongly suggests that night‐length measurement is a function of the circadian system, and that ‘hourglass‐like’ clocks are manifestations of damping circadian components. The two types of time measurement, ‘hourglass’ and circadian, are therefore parts of a spectrum of mechanisms differing in their damping coefficients. If this view is correct, it may follow that genes and proteins involved in circadian timing are also involved in photoperiodism, although additional genes, or known ‘clock’ genes used in novel ways, may also play a part. This review outlines the experimental evidence for the oscillator clock theory of photoperiodism and suggests ways in which further progress may be made.
Statistical Analyses and Modelling of the Mixing Process of Euro Coins in Germany and Europe
Authors: Stoyan Dietrich , Stoyan Helga , Döge Gunter
Published: February 2004

This paper reports on the mixing of Euro coins from different countries of origin in Europe, which started on 1 January 2002. There is an interesting conclusion: that the mobility of small and large denominations is different. The long‐term behaviour of the mixing process is studied using a simple deterministic model and data from Germany, France and the Netherlands. The analysis leads to predictions about the future progress of the mixing process.
Norwegian versions of the Living with Asthma Questionnaire (LWAQ) and Asthma Bother Profile (ABP), validation and comparison of two asthma groups
Authors: Haave Einar , Hyland Michael E.
Published: February 2004

Haave, E. & Hyland, M. E. (2004). Norwegian versions of the Living with Asthma Questionnaire (LWAQ) and Asthma Bother Profile (ABP), validation and comparison of two asthma groups. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45, 163–167.

The Living with Asthma Questionnaire (LWAQ) and the Asthma Bother Profile (ABP) were translated into Norwegian using conventional back translation procedures, and completed by 30 asthma outpatients and 30 asthma patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation. Reliability (Cronbach's alpha and retest‐reliability) was shown to be good for both scales. Validity was established by showing significantly poorer health in the rehabilitation sample, and correlations with state and trait anxiety. The Norwegian translations are reliable and valid versions of the original questionnaires.
Psychosocial correlates of parenting stress, lack of support and lack of confidence/security
Authors: Sepa Anneli , Frodi Ann , Ludvigsson Johnny
Published: February 2004

Sepa, A., Frodi, A. & Ludvigsson, J. (2004). Psychosocial correlates of parenting stress, lack of support and lack of confidence/security.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45, 169–179.

The purpose of the current study was to identify important correlates of parenting stress, frequently conceptualized as a mediator of suboptimal family function, and of social support and confidence/security, often regarded as buffers. Potential correlates of these concepts were assessed in questionnaires at delivery and at one year, in a sample of 16,000 families in Sweden. Predictors (1) ofparenting stresswere parental dissatisfaction and poor child sleeping patterns; (2) oflack of supportincluded lack of confidence/security, parents born abroad, single motherhood, and maternal health problems; and (3) oflack of confidence/securitywere lack of support and serious life events. Mothers lacking social support or confidence/security exhibited significantly higher stress. Although parenting stress is a complex phenomenon certain risk factors can be emphasized, such as sleep problems which appear more important than child health problems. These risk factors can be used both in efforts to prevent stress and in studies of stress effects.
Strategies of professional assistance after traumatic deaths: Empowerment or disempowerment?
Authors: Dyregrov Kari
Published: February 2004

Dyregrov, K. (2004). Strategies of professional assistance after traumatic deaths: Empowerment or disempowerment? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45, 181–189.

Referring to research and theory in the field, this discussion paper addresses the more overarching question of current strategies for professional assistance to populations bereaved by traumatic death. The issues and controversies that have long surrounded the “medicalization” of mental health arise anew with respect to the medicalization and professionalization of psychosocial help for people who have been traumatically bereaved. Who should provide what help and how? To what extent should the bereaved be expected to help themselves, receive help and support from friends and family, or even the wider community; and to what extent should the bereaved be able to access appropriate professional help when they are in crisis? Recent studies have indicated that bereaved parents want to receive help from mainstream crisis psychology, and this is not always available. Families experiencing traumatic bereavement are not able to access appropriate services along the same lines as those suffering similar levels of somatic complaints. It is argued that the main factors contributing to this situation are the lack of knowledge and inadequate organization of services; the fact that somatic issues take priority over psychosocial difficulties and dysfunction, and curative services over prophylactic intervention; and particularly the de‐medicalization ideology. By not listening to the needs of user groups, the de‐medicalization movement disempowers rather than empowers users – the very opposite of the desired effect.
After images and pain tolerance: A descriptive study on their interrelationship
Authors: Hentschel Uwe , Bijleveld Catrien C. J. H.
Published: February 2004

Hentschel, U. & Bijleveld, C. C. J. H. (2004). After images and pain tolerance: A descriptive study on their interrelationship. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45, 191–196.

After images are based on physiological processes, they can also be treated as subjective phenomena with a psychological meaning. This statement also applies to pain. The basic working hypothesis of this study concerned the relationship between the two phenomena. Forty‐one respondents (23 females, 18 males, age range 20–45 years) were given the Cold Pressor Test and the Serial After Image Technique. The data analysis was done by means of cross‐tables and an exploratory optimal scaling program (OVERALS). Three pain tolerance groups (low, medium, high) could be differentiated fairly well on the basis of the after image characteristics of the respondents. Pain intolerant respondents more frequently had small and “immature” after images, whereas highly pain tolerant respondents had more large and “mature” after images. The implications of these results for a bio‐psycho‐social theoretical frame of reference for pain are discussed.
Illness behaviour: a selective review and synthesis
Authors: Young J.T.
Published: February 2004

Abstract Sociologists have researched the subject of illness behaviour for more than five decades. Recently the discussion has taken on new importance because of changes in the delivery of health care and the emergence of patients’ rights and increased patient knowledge of medicine. Through a selective review of the literature on illness behaviour, the paper aims to show that singular and segmented approaches to illness behaviour have not clearly elucidated the complexity of the phenomenon. A more comprehensive and structured analysis of illness behaviour can be accomplished with mixed qualitative and hierarchical/structural quantitative techniques. Following a discussion of prior research in social psychology, demography, economics, social networks and geographic systems, this paper offers a template for future analysis of illness behaviour.
Self, agency and the surgical collective: detachment
Authors: Moreira Tiago E.
Published: February 2004

Abstract In this article, I describe the socio‐technical organisation of surgical rehabilitation. After having gone through surgical intervention, patients are implicated within various types of medical work aimed at adjusting their bodies to post‐operative social and material environments. My argument is that the process of re‐establishment of a ‘self’ is mediated through a re‐disposition of agency in the socio‐technical ensemble upon which the patient depends immediately after surgery.

 Drawing on one year of ethnographic fieldwork in a neurosurgical clinic, and theoretical resources from science and technology studies, this paper is an attempt to describe how, within surgical post‐operative practices, the relational dynamics of social and material components endorsed within those practices may re‐institute patients’ sense of themselves, and re‐organise their relationship with the world and other people. In surgery, the outcome of this dynamic process is the reorganisation of forms of agency for the patient. I will refer to this reorganisation as ‘detachment’. It is my contention that this research may contribute to the literature on the experience of chronic illness by specifying the socio‐technical conditions for the local achievement of self and agency.
Embodied health movements: new approaches to social movements in health
Authors: Brown Phil , Zavestoski Stephen , McCormick Sabrina , Mayer Brian , Morello‐Frosch Rachel , Gasior Altman Rebecca
Published: February 2004

Abstract  Social movements organised around health‐related issues have been studied for almost as long as they have existed, yet social movement theory has not yet been applied to these movements. Health social movements (HSMs) are centrally organised around health, and address: (a) access to or provision of health care services; (b) health inequality and inequity based on race, ethnicity, gender, class and/or sexuality; and/or (c) disease, illness experience, disability and contested illness. HSMs can be subdivided into three categories: health access movements seek equitable access to health care and improved provision of health care services; constituency‐based health movements address health inequality and health inequity based on race, ethnicity, gender, class and/or sexuality differences; and embodied health movements (EHMs) address disease, disability or illness experience by challenging science on etiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. These groups address disproportionate outcomes and oversight by the scientific community and/or weak science. This article focuses on embodied health movements, primarily in the US. These are unique in three ways: 1) they introduce the biological body to social movements, especially with regard to the embodied experience of people with the disease; 2) they typically include challenges to existing medical/scientific knowledge and practice; and 3) they often involve activists collaborating with scientists and health professionals in pursuing treatment, prevention, research and expanded funding. This article employs various elements of social movement theory to offer an approach to understanding embodied health movements, and provides a capsule example of one such movement, the environmental breast cancer movement.
Achieving multiple topic shifts in primary care medical consultations: a conversation analysis study in UK general practice
Authors: Campion Peter , Langdon Mark
Published: February 2004

Abstract  The ‘by the way’ phenomenon, while commonly described in medical texts on the consultation, has not been systematically explored from an interactional perspective. Starting from a ‘noticing’ of an example of this phenomenon we studied a collection of over 200 recorded consultations in British general practice. New topics were introduced by both parties, but more commonly by patients, who used two sorts of device to change topic: an announcement, usually at the start of a consultation, but sometimes later, that they had multiple topics, which we have called a ‘pre‐announcement’, and an apparently unexpected sudden change of topic, which we have called an ‘in‐situ announcement’. These phenomena occurred in about one third of our unselected collection of recorded consultations, drawn from nine doctors, and 27 surgery (office) sessions. We argue that this management of multiple topics is an important and normal part of the consultation, in contrast to its problematic status implied in some medical literature.
Rock‐art and the transition to farming. The Neolithic landscape of the central Mediterranean coast of Spain
Authors: Fairén Sara
Published: February 2004

Summary.  This paper deals with the analysis of stylistic variation between the different rock‐art traditions that coexisted in the central Mediterranean coastal area of Spain in the Neolithic period – the Macro Schematic tradition, the Schematic tradition and the Levantine tradition. The stylistic variation is analyzed in different scales from the panel with its compositions and superimpositions, to the shelter – shared or exclusive – and the landscape, focussing on patterns of distribution and relationships with settlement sites. This stylistic analysis enables us to study the chronological aspects of the process of Neolithization; while the symbolic character of these marks on the landscape offers an insight into the perception and use of space by the communities who made them.
Genes, language, and culture: an example from the tarim basin
Authors: Thornton Christopher P. , Schurr Theodore G.
Published: February 2004

Summary.  The Tarim Basin ‘mummies’ of western China continue to fascinate scholars and the general public alike due to their ‘Caucasoid’ features, well‐preserved material culture, and putative ‘European’ origins. However, there have been some uncritical efforts to link these archaeological cultures to those of other ancient Eurasian groups (e.g. the Celts) by applying syllogistic reasoning to multi‐disciplinary evidence. In an attempt to provide a more cautious synthesis of the prehistory of the Tarim Basin, this paper will briefly summarize the archaeological, physical, and linguistic evidence that has been used to model human settlement of this region. These data will then be related to recent molecular anthropology research on modern populations of Central Asia, focusing especially on the Uighur in relation to their neighbours. While the genetic history of the modern peoples of a particular region is not necessarily related to their prehistoric antecedents, it is argued that the Tarim Basin experienced a surprising cultural and biological continuity despite immigration from both east and west into Xinjiang Province. This conclusion has a number of possible political ramifications in the present day that must be addressed in future literature on the subject.
Mutual Recognition in European Judicial Cooperation: A Step Too Far Too Soon? Case Study—the European Arrest Warrant
Authors: Leaf Susie Alegre and Marisa
Published: February 2004

Abstract:  The European arrest warrant (EAW) is the first and most striking example of the extensive judicial cooperation in criminal matters that is beginning to take place in the European Union. Replacing traditional extradition between EU member states, including the ten accession countries after May 2004, it will operate on the basis of mutual recognition of judicial decisions, thus taking extradition decisions out of the hands of politicians. It rests on the presumption that criminal justice systems are equivalent throughout the EU and that the rights of the defence, in particular, are safeguarded adequately and in a comparable way EU‐wide. However, before the EAW has even been implemented, a number of practical problems are beginning to emerge, in particular in relation to the protection of individual rights and legal certainty in the European judicial space. The way in which these problems are tackled will be a litmus test of the respect for fundamental rights across the EU in the field of justice and home affairs. This article highlights the problems inherent in the rapid development of the principle of mutual recognition and suggests ways in which these problems can be addressed allowing for full protection of fundamental rights within a fully functioning European area of freedom, security, and justice. The EAW will be used to illustrate the prominent features of the emerging landscape of judicial cooperation in criminal matters, providing as it does the most radical example of developments in this field so far and their implications for fundamental rights.
An organisational approach to European integration: Outline of a complementary perspective
Authors: Egeberg Morten
Published: February 2004

Abstract.  An organisational approach to European integration focuses on individual actors’ organisational context in order to account for their behaviour, interests and identities. Intergovernmentalists usually preclude any profound impact of European Union (EU) institutions and organisations. Institutionalists (other than rational‐choice institutionalists), on the other hand, claim that EU institutions are able to shape and reshape individual actors’ preferences and sense of belonging. Seen from an organisational perspective, however, institutionalists often fail to specify (and theorise) the organisational components that institutions may contain. This ‘unpacking’ of institutions is necessary in order to clarify the conditions under which transformation of actors and policy processes might occur. This article tries to illustrate what an organisational approach has to offer in fields like committee governance and Commission decision making. In addition, organisational theory provides a yardstick for assessing the degree of overall system integration.
The treatment of oesophageal varices using a Sengstaken–Blakemore tube: considerations for nursing practice
Authors: Christensen Teresa
Published: February 2004

• The Sengstaken–Blakemore tube is slowly becoming the least preferred method for the treatment of oesophageal varices, possibly due to the potential complications that are inherent in its placement

• Nursing practice pertaining to the care of this patient group appears ad hoc and reliant on local knowledge and experience, as opposed to recognized evidence of best practice
Dissociation between the time courses of femoral artery blood flow and pulmonary V̇O2 during repeated bouts of heavy knee extension exercise in humans
Authors: Fukuba Yoshiyuki , Ohe Yukie , Miura Akira , Kitano Asami , Endo Masako , Sato Hironori , Miyachi Motohiko , Koga Shunsaku , Fukuda Osamu
Published: February 2004

It has frequently been demonstrated that prior heavy cycling exercise facilitates pulmonary V̇O2 kinetics at the onset of subsequent heavy exercise. This might be due to improved muscle perfusion via acidosis‐induced vasodilating effects. However, it is difficult to measure the blood flow (BF) to the working muscles (via the femoral artery) during cycling exercise. We therefore selected supine knee extension (KE) exercise as an alternative, and investigated whether the faster V̇O2 kinetics in the 2nd bout was matched by proportionally faster BF kinetics to the exercising muscle. Nine healthy subjects (aged 21–44 years) volunteered to participate in this study. The protocol consisted of two consecutive 6‐min KE exercise bouts in a supine position (work rate: 70–75% of peak power) separated by a 6‐min baseline rest (EX1 to EX2). During the protocol, a pulsed Doppler ultrasound technique was utilized to continuously measure the BF in the right femoral artery. The protocol was repeated at least 6 times to characterize the precise kinetics. In agreement with previous studies using cycling exercise, the V̇O2 kinetics in the 2nd bout were facilitated compared with that in the 1st bout [mean ±s.d. of the ‘effective’ time constant (τ): EX1, 68.6 ± 15.9, versus EX2, 58.0 ± 14.4 s. Phase II‐τ: EX1, 48.7 ± 9.0, versus EX2, 41.2 ± 13.3 s. Empirical index of the slow component (ΔV̇O2(6–3)): EX1, 78 ± 44, versus EX2, 57 ± 36 ml min−1 (P < 0.05)]. However, no substantial difference was observed for the facilitation of the femoral artery BF response to the 1st and 2nd exercise bouts [i.e. the ‘effective’τ of the femoral artery BF: EX1, 40.8 ± 16.9, versus EX2, 39.0 ± 17.1 s (P > 0.05)]. It was concluded that the faster pulmonary V̇O2 kinetics during heavy KE exercise following prior heavy exercise was not associated with a similar modulation in the BF to the working muscles.
Mechanisms of channel gating of the ligand‐gated ion channel superfamily inferred from protein structure
Authors: Absalom Nathan L. , Lewis Trevor M. , Schofield Peter R.
Published: February 2004

The nicotinic‐like ligand‐gated ion channel superfamily consists of a group of structurally related receptors that activate an ion channel after the binding of extracellular ligand. The recent publications of the crystal structure of an acetylcholine binding protein and a refined electron micrograph structure of the membrane‐bound segment of an acetylcholine receptor have led to insights into the molecular determinants of receptor function. Although the structures confirmed much biochemical and electrophysiological data obtained about the receptors, they also provide opportunities to study further the mechanisms that allow channel activation stimulated by ligand‐binding. Here we review the mechanisms of channel gating that have been elucidated by information gained from the structures of the acetylcholine binding protein and membrane‐bound segment of the acetylcholine receptor.
The CSF and arterial to internal jugular venous hormonal differences during exercise in humans
Authors: Dalsgaard Mads K. , Ott Peter , Dela Flemming , Juul Anders , Pedersen Bente K. , Warberg Jørgen , Fahrenkrug Jan , Secher Niels H.
Published: February 2004

Strenuous exercise increases the cerebral uptake of carbohydrate out of proportion to that of oxygen, but it is unknown whether such enhanced carbohydrate uptake is influenced by the marked endocrine response to exercise. During exhaustive exercise this study evaluated the a–v differences across the brain (a–v diff) of hormones that could influence its carbohydrate uptake (n= 9). In addition, neuroendocrine activity and a potential uptake of hormones via the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were assessed by lumbar puncture postexercise and at rest (n= 6). Exercise increased the arterial concentration of noradrenaline and adrenaline, but there was no cerebral uptake. However, following exercise CSF noradrenaline was 1.4 (0.73–5.5) nmol l−1, and higher than at rest, 0.3 (0.19–1.84) nmol l−1 (P < 0.05), whereas adrenaline could not be detected. Exercise increased both the arterial concentration of NH4+ and its a–v diff, which increased from 1 (–12 to 5) to 17 (5–41) μmol l−1 (P < 0.05), while the CSF NH4+ was reduced to 7 (0–10) versus 11 (7–16) μmol l−1 (P < 0.05). There was no release from, or accumulation in the brain of interleukin (IL)‐6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF‐α), heatshock protein (HSP72), insulin, or insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐I. The findings indicate that for maximal exercise, the concentration of noradrenaline is increased within the brain, whereas blood borne hormones and cytokines are seemingly unimportant. The results support the notion that the exercise‐induced changes in brain metabolism are controlled by factors intrinsic to the brain.
Differential expression of the mechanosensitive potassium channel TREK‐1 in epicardial and endocardial myocytes in rat ventricle
Authors: Tan Joy H. C. , Liu Weihong , Saint David A.
Published: February 2004

Mechanoelectric feedback (MEF) is the process by which mechanical forces on the myocardium induce electrical responses. It is thought that MEF is important in controlling the beat to beat force of contraction in the ventricle, in response to fluctuations in load, and it may also play a role in controlling the dispersion of repolarization. The transduction mechanism for MEF is via stretch sensitive ion channels in the surface membrane of myocytes. Two types of stretch sensitive channels have been described; a non‐selective cation channel, and a potassium selective channel. TREK‐1 is a member of the recently cloned tandem pore potassium channels that has been shown to be mechanosensitive and to be expressed in rat heart. Here we report that the gene expression level of TREK‐1, quantified using real‐time RT‐PCR against glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as a comparator gene, was found to be 0.34 ± 0.14 in endocardial cells compared to 0.02 ± 0.02 in epicardial cells (P < 0.05). To confirm that this is reflected in a different current density, whole cell TREK‐1 currents, activated by chloroform, were recorded with patch clamp techniques in epicardial and endocardial cells. TREK‐1 current density in epicardial and endocardial cells was 0.21 ± 0.06 pA/pF and 0.8 ± 0.27 pA/pF, respectively (P≤ 0.05). We discuss the implications of this differential expression of TREK‐1 for controlling action potential repolarization when the myocardium is stretched. We hypothesize that the gene expression of TREK‐1 is controlled by the different amounts of stretch experienced by muscle cells across the ventricular wall.
The expanding family of ‐RFamide peptides and their effects on feeding behaviour
Authors: Dockray Graham J.
Published: February 2004

Neuropeptides terminating in ‐Arg‐Phe‐NH2 (‐RFamide) were first discovered in molluscan nervous systems, but were soon recognized to occur widely throughout the invertebrates. Progress in characterizing members of the family in vertebrates has been slower. In mammals, however, it is now clear that there are at least five genes encoding members of the family, and at least five G‐protein‐coupled receptors at which they act. The tissue distribution of the peptides and their receptors is wide and there are likely to be many different functions. One of the emerging themes from recent research is that these peptides are involved in control of feeding behaviour both in invertebrates and in vertebrates. This would seem to be a remarkable example of conservation of chemical structure and biological function throughout nervous system evolution.
The geography of the highest mortality areas in Spain: a striking cluster in the southwestern region of the country
Authors: Benach J , Yasui Y , Martínez J M , Borrell C , Pasarín M I , Daponte A
Published: February 2004

Aims:To determine the areas of Spain with the most increased mortality risk.

Methods:Age adjusted relative risk of death by gender was estimated in each of 2218 small areas of the country using a non-parametric empirical Bayes method. To determine areas with “significantly increased risk” a Poisson based score test was used.

Results:Mapping of the highest risk areas showed a striking geographical clustering in the southwestern region of the country. This region, comprising 8% of the Spanish population, accounts for about one third (2884 deaths) of the total excess mortality.
Effects on respiratory health of a reduction in air pollution from vehicle exhaust emissions
Authors: Burr M L , Karani G , Davies B , Holmes B A , Williams K L
Published: February 2004

Aims:To determine whether residents of congested streets have a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms than residents of nearby uncongested streets, and whether their respiratory health improves following a reduction in exposure to traffic related air pollutants.

Methods:An area was identified where certain streets were subject to air pollution from heavy road traffic, which was likely to improve following the construction of a by-pass. A respiratory survey was conducted among the residents, together with the residents of nearby uncongested streets, at baseline and again a year after the by-pass opened. Measurements were made of air pollutant concentrations in both areas on both occasions.

Results:Initial concentrations of PM10and PM2.5were substantially higher in the congested than in the uncongested streets. When the by-pass opened, the volume of heavy goods traffic fell by nearly 50%. PM10decreased by 23% (8.0 μg/m3) in the congested streets and by 29% (3.4 μg/m3) in the uncongested streets, with similar proportionate falls in PM2.5. There were no clear or consistent differences between the residents of the two areas initially in terms of symptoms or peak flow variability. Repeat questionnaires were obtained from 165 and 283 subjects in the congested and uncongested areas respectively, and showed a tendency for most symptoms to improve in both areas. For chest symptoms, the improvement tended to be greater in the uncongested area, although the difference between the areas was not statistically significant. Rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis tended to improve to a greater extent in the congested streets; the difference between the areas was significant for the degree to which rhinitis interfered with daily activities. Peak flow variability tended to improve in the uncongested area.

Conclusions:The by-pass reduced pollutant levels to a degree that probably alleviates rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis but has little effect on lower respiratory symptoms.
Self reported musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck/shoulders and/or arms and general health (SF-36): eight year follow up of a case-control study
Authors: Nordlund A , Ekberg K
Published: February 2004

Aims:To explore and compare the prevalence after eight years of self reported musculoskeletal symptoms and general health (SF-36) for groups with initially different degrees of severity of symptoms in the neck/shoulders and/or arms.

Methods:A case-control study was performed in 1989 comprising 129 clinically examined cases and 655 survey controls. The study population was followed up in 1997 with a postal survey. The controls, none of which were clinically examined at baseline (1989), were divided into groups according to degree of severity of self reported symptoms in the neck/shoulders and/or arms at baseline: no symptoms, light symptoms, and severe symptoms. Cases were clinically diagnosed with a musculoskeletal disorder of the neck/shoulders and/or arms at baseline.

Results:At the 1997 follow up, there was a trend of increasing prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, as well as decreasing health status as rated in the SF-36 over the three severity groups among controls. Only small differences were seen between the cases and the controls reporting severe musculoskeletal symptoms or the neck/shoulders and/or arms.

Conclusion:The degree of questionnaire based self reported musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck/shoulders and/or arms clearly indicate different degrees of future health problems (both in terms of self reported musculoskeletal problems and health in general as captured by the SF-36). Therefore, there is a need for improved intervention and health promotion strategies. Such effort should be implemented before musculoskeletal symptoms have developed to clinical cases, particularly in the realm of the workplace.
The psychosocial work environment and alcohol dependence: a prospective study
Authors: Head J , Stansfeld S A , Siegrist J
Published: February 2004

Aims:To examine whether a stressful psychosocial work environment predicts alcohol dependence.

Methods:Alcohol dependence of participants in the Whitehall II occupational cohort of London based civil servants (1985–88) was measured in 1991–93 using the CAGE questionnaire. The psychosocial work environment was measured by self report questions on the job demand-support-control model and on the model of effort-reward imbalance. Potential mediators including physical illness and poor mental health (GHQ) were measured at follow up in 1989.

Results:Effort-reward imbalance at work was associated with alcohol dependence in men after adjustment for employment grade and other baseline factors related to alcohol dependence. Although effort-reward imbalance predicted future longstanding illness, poor mental health and negative aspects of close relationships, the association between effort-reward imbalance and alcohol dependence in men was only partially mediated through these health and social support measures. In women, low decision latitude was related to alcohol dependence to some extent, but alcohol dependence among women was more prevalent in higher occupational grades. Men with high job demands or with low work social supports had a slightly reduced risk of alcohol dependence. No association was found between objectively assessed demands, job control, and alcohol dependence in either men or women.

Conclusion:A stressful psychosocial work environment in terms of effort-reward imbalance was found to be a risk factor for alcohol dependence in men. In view of the public health importance of alcohol dependence in working populations these findings call for more emphasis on psychosocial factors in occupational health research and prevention.