bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Late effects of radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma: The patient's perspective of bladder, bowel and sexual morbidity
Authors: Franklin CIV , Parker CA , Morton KM
Published: March 2008

The patients’perceptions of the late effects of radiation therapy for carcinoma of the prostate on bladder, bowel and sexual function were determined by using a self‐administered questionnaire which was posted in June 1996 to patients who had been treated for carcinoma of the prostate between February 1993 and April 1994 at the Htrston centre of the Queensland Radium Institute. The questions were based on the SOMA‐LENT subjective scales. Moderate bladder morbidity was reported by 15% of patients, with 2% reporting major morbidity. Moderate bowel morbidity was reported by 19% of patients with 2% reporting major morbidity, the major symptoms being bowel urgency and mucus discharge. Sexual function was a problem, with 72% of patients reporting dissatisfaction with their current level of sexual activity.
Arteriovenous malformation of the choroid plexus
Authors: Gurcan Fazila , Aribal M Erkin , Baltacioglu Feyyaz , Asian Belma
Published: March 2008

A case of a 55‐year‐old female with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the choroid plexus within the right ventricle is reported. Arteriovenous malformation of the choroid plexus is a rare occurence. The MR findings of this malformation are discussed.
Adult duodenal web
Authors: Mani Sanjeev , Maniar Amit , Rananavare Ravi
Published: March 2008

An 18‐year‐old male presented with persistent vomiting and epigastric fullness of 8 months’duration. Barium examination revealed an abrupt cutoff at the third part of the duodenum. Duodenotomy revealed a web at the third part of the duodenum. Following web excision, the patient experienced marked symptomatic relief and remains well 6 months after surgery.
Bone tracer uptake in a ureteric calculus
Authors: Styles Colin B , Niekrash Ramon E
Published: March 2008

Technetium‐99m methylene diphosphonate was observed to concentrate in a mildly obstructive left ureteric calculus. The bone scan findings alerted the clinicians to this possibility, which was subsequently confirmed and the patient successfully treated. The stone was heterogeneous in texture and predominantly formed from magnesium ammonium phosphate. At extraction the major fragment contained 0.4% of the injected bone tracer dose and autoradiography demonstrated peripheral tracer distribution within the calculus.
Transient bone marrow oedema: A variant pattern of sacral insufficiency fractures
Authors: Peh WCG , Cheng KC , Ho WY , Chan IKL
Published: March 2008

A 71‐year‐old woman presenting with severe low back pain was found to have a large oval area of increased sacral uptake on Tc‐99m MDP scan, with corresponding T1‐hypointense and T2‐hyperintense areas on magnetic resonance (MR) images, highly suggestive of malignancy. Open biopsies showed only callus formation. The patient responded clinically to conservative measures, with twice‐repeated follow‐up Tc‐99m MDP and MR scans documenting resolution of transient bone marrow oedema. We suggest that this form of marrow oedema represents a variant pattern of sacral insufficiency fractures.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the supraspinatus tendon: The significance of signal intensity alterations at the‘criticalzone’
Authors: Jones Andrew O
Published: March 2008

A pictorial essay of normal and abnormal appearances of the supraspinatus tendon is presented. An increased signal intensity within the supraspinatus tendon on short TE sequences is not necessarily abnormal. Increased signal seen within the tendon on modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) units is often due to a phenomenon known as the‘magic angle’effect. Only when supraspinatus tendon signal intensity is greater than that of muscle on long TE (T2) sequences should it be considered to be abnormal. The physical basis for the magic angle effect is outlined and a pictorial essay demonstrating the practical implications of this effect is presented. A comparison is made to signal intensity changes seen with partial and complete tears of the supraspinatus tendon. Correlation is made with important morphologic features of partial or complete tears.
Incidental computed tomography diagnosis of a giant oesophageal leiomyosarcoma
Authors: Gelderen WFC Van , Cheng KS
Published: March 2008

Leiomyosarcoma of the oesophagus is a very unusual tumour; only 53 cases have been reported in the English‐language literature. A case is reported here of a patient with a giant leiomyosarcoma, without any symptoms of dysphagia. The diagnosis was made incidentally during CT examination of the chest for detection of possible pulmonary metastases from a coexisting carcinoma of the bladder. This was confirmed by a barium swallow, oesophagoscopy and tissue diagnosis. The literature pertaining to this most uncommon tumour is reviewed.
Effect of Boc‐D‐Fmk on hepatocyte apoptosis after bile duct ligation in rat and survival rate after endotoxin challenge
Authors: Sheen‐Chen Shyr‐Ming , Hung Kuo‐Sheng , Eng Hock‐Liew
Published: March 2008

Background and Aim:  Retention and accumulation of toxic hydrophobic bile salts within hepatocytes may cause hepatocyte toxicity by inducing apoptosis. Apoptosis is a pathway of cell death orchestrated by a family of proteases called caspases. Boc‐D‐FMK is a cell‐permeable irreversible inhibitor of caspase and recent data suggest that it might block the processing of many caspases. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the possible effect of Boc‐D‐FMK on hepatocyte apoptosis and on survival rate after bile duct ligation in the rat.

Methods:  Male Sprague–Dawley rats, weighing 280–300 g were randomized to three groups of eight rats each. Group 1 (OBBOC‐D) underwent common bile duct ligation and simultaneous treatment with Boc‐D‐FMK‐fmk (dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide [DMSO]). Group 2 (OBZFA) underwent common bile duct ligation and simultaneous treatment with ZFA‐fmk (dissolved in DMSO). Group 3 (SHAM) underwent sham operation and simultaneous treatment with the same amount of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO, n = 4) or the same amount of normal saline (n = 4). After 3 days, liver tissue was harvested for histopathological analysis and measurements of apoptosis. Survival rates were measured in a separate experiment in which animals underwent the same protocol. The animals received endotoxin (15 mg/kg) in the afternoon of the third postoperative day. Animals were observed for 48 h and the survival rates were recorded.

Results:  When compared with sham operation, common bile duct ligation with ZFA‐fmk (placebo) significantly increased hepatocyte apoptosis (P < 0.001). When compared with the OBZFA group, Boc‐D‐FMK significantly diminished the increased hepatocyte apoptosis in the OBBOC‐D group (P < 0.001). There is no difference in hepatocyte apoptosis (P = 0.05) between OBBOC‐D and SHAM groups. After endotoxin challenge, the 48 h survival rates were 100%, 87.5% and 62.5% for the SHAM, OBBOC‐D and OBZFA groups, respectively.

Conclusions:  Boc‐D‐FMK‐fmk effectively attenuated the hepatocyte apoptosis in bile duct‐ligated rats and may improve the survival rates after endotoxin challenge.
Vitamin B12 treatment for delayed sleep phase syndrome: A multi‐center double‐blind study
Authors: OKAWA M. , TAKAHASHI K. , EGASHIRA K. , FURUTA H. , HIGASHITANI Y. , HIGUCHI T. , ICHIKAWA H. , ICHIMARU Y. , INOUE Y. , ISHIZUKA Y. , ITO N. , KAMEI K. , KANEKO M. , KIM Y. , KOHSAKA M. , KOMORI T. , KOTORII T. , MATSUMOTO M. , MISHIMA K. , MIZUKI Y. , MORIMOTO K. , NAGAYAMA H. , OHTA T. , OKAMOTO N. , SAKAMOTO K. , SHIRAKAWA S. , SUGITA Y. , TAMIYA S. , YAMADA N. , YAMADERA H. , YAMAZAKI J. , TAKAHASHI S.
Published: March 2008

Abstract  The active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) has been reported to be effective on sleep‐wake rhythm disorders. Previous studies, however, were performed under open trial, and the effect of vitamin B12 has not been properly evaluated. The aim of this double‐blind study was to investigate the efficacy of methylcobalamin on delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Methylcobalamin (3 mg/day) or placebo was administered for 4 weeks. The subjects were 50 patients with DSPS aged 13–55 years (26.8 ± 1.3), 27 of whom received the active drug while 23 received the placebo. No significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in subjective evaluations of mood or drowsiness during the daytime or in night sleep by sleep‐log evaluation. These results indicate that 3 mg methylcobalamin administered over 4 weeks is not an effective treatment for DSPS.
A study of verbal and spatial information processing using event‐related potentials and positron emission tomography
Authors: NINOMIYA HIDEAKI , ICHIMIYA ATSUSHI , CHEN CHUNG‐HO , ONITSUKA TOSHIAKI , MD YASUO KUWABARA , MD MAKOTO OTSUKA , MD YUICHI ICHIYA
Published: March 2008

Abstract  The activated cerebral regions and the timing of information processing in the hemispheres was investigated using event‐related potentials (ERP) and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) as the neurophysiological indicators. Seven men and one woman (age 19–27 years) were asked to categorize two‐syllable Japanese nouns (verbal condition) and to judge the difference between pairs of rectangles (spatial condition), both tests presented on a monochrome display. In the electroencephalogram (EEG) session, EEG were recorded from 16 electrode sites, with linked earlobe electrodes as reference. In the positron emission tomography (PET) session, rCBF were measured by the 15O‐labeled H2O bolus injection method. Regions of interest were the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital and central lobes, and the entire cerebral hemispheres. When the subtracted voltages of the ERP in homologous scalp sites were compared for the verbal and spatial conditions, the significant differences were at F7‐F8 and T5‐T6 (the 10–20 system). The latencies of the differences at T5–T6 were around 200, 250 and 320 ms. A significant difference in rCBF between the verbal and spatial conditions was found only in the temporal region. It was concluded that early processing of information, that is, registration and simple recognition, may be performed mainly in the left temporal lobe for verbal information and in the right for spatial information.
Pandemic planning: Non‐pharmaceutical interventions
Authors: LOW Donald E.
Published: March 2008

Ongoing concerns about the emergence of an influenza pandemic continue as the number of avian and human infections with the H5N1 virus mount. Adequate amounts of vaccine or anti‐virals are unlikely to be available early on in a pandemic, and the latter could become ineffective because of resistance. These factors have focused attention on the use of non‐pharmaceutical public health interventions to inhibit human‐to‐human transmission.
Two hour exposure to sodium butyrate sensitizes bladder cancer to anticancer drugs
Authors: Wang Degui , Wang Zhiping , Tian Binqiang , Li Xiaoming , Li Shigang , Tian Yingxia
Published: March 2008

Objectives:  To investigate the inhibitory effect of sodium butyrate (NaB) on the proliferation of human bladder cancer cell lines and its synergetic effect with anticancer drugs in treating bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Methods:  The inhibitory effects of NaB on human bladder cancer cell lines in vitro and the synergetic effect of NaB with mitomycin c, cisplatin (CDDP) and adriamycin were detected by the 3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2, 5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Hoechst staining and electron microscopy were used to observe morphology for apoptotic cells after NaB treatment. Fas, bcl‐2 and caspase‐3 were determined with flow cytometry. In vivo synergetic effects were detected in N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosourea induced bladder cancer model rats.

Results:  NaB significantly inhibited the growth of bladder cancer cell lines in a concentration and time dependent manner. Better results of tumor inhibition have been achieved when NaB was combined with CDDP, mitomycin c and adriamycin, rather than used alone. Furthermore, 2 h exposure to NaB can sensitize bladder cancer to chemotherapy agents. The Bcl‐2 expression in bladder cancer cells is decreased and caspase‐3 expression increased after NaB treatment. Intravesical application of NaB combined with CDDP can significantly inhibit tumor growth and progression.

Conclusions:  NaB has a direct anticancer effect and can markedly enhance the action of several chemotherapy agents. 2 h expose to NaB can also sensitize bladder cancer to anticancer drugs. NaB may be an excellent candidate agent for intravesical application in treating bladder cancer.
Unique clustering of A‐type potassium channels on different cell types of the main olfactory bulb
Authors: Kollo Mihaly , Holderith Noémi , Antal Miklós , Nusser Zoltan
Published: March 2008

Theoretical and functional studies predicted a highly non‐uniform distribution of voltage‐gated ion channels on the neuronal surface. This was confirmed by recent immunolocalization experiments for Na+, Ca2+, hyperpolarization activated mixed cation and K+ channels. These experiments also indicated that some K+ channels were clustered in synaptic or non‐synaptic membrane specializations. Here we analysed the subcellular distribution of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 subunits in the rat main olfactory bulb at high resolution to address whether clustering characterizes their distribution, and whether they are concentrated in synaptic or non‐synaptic junctions. The cell surface distribution of the Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 subunits is highly non‐uniform. Strong Kv4.2 subunit‐immunopositive clusters were detected in intercellular junctions made by mitral, external tufted and granule cells (GCs). We also found Kv4.3 subunit‐immunopositive clusters in periglomerular (PGC), deep short‐axon and GCs. In the juxtaglomerular region some calretinin‐immunopositive glial cells enwrap neighboring PGC somata in a cap‐like manner. Kv4.3 subunit clusters are present in the cap membrane that directly contacts the PGC, but not the one that faces the neuropil. In membrane specializations established by members of the same cell type, K+ channels are enriched in both membranes, whereas specializations between different cell types contain a high density of channels asymmetrically. None of the K+ channel‐rich junctions showed any of the ultrastructural features of known chemical synapses. Our study provides evidence for highly non‐uniform subcellular distributions of A‐type K+ channels and predicts their involvements in novel forms of intercellular communication in the olfactory pathway.
Estradiol suppresses rapid eye movement sleep and activation of sleep‐active neurons in the ventrolateral preoptic area
Authors: Hadjimarkou Maria M. , Benham Rebecca , Schwarz Jaclyn M. , Holder Mary K. , Mong Jessica A.
Published: March 2008

Studies from multiple species, including humans, suggest that gonadal hormones, and ovarian hormones in particular, influence the physiology of sleep, but the mechanisms by which these hormones influence sleep behaviors are unknown. Previously, we demonstrated a 50% reduction in lipocalin‐prostaglandin D synthase (L‐PGDS) transcript levels, following estradiol treatment, at the level of the ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO), a putative sleep‐active nucleus. Catalytic activity of L‐PGDS produces prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), an endogenous somnogen. Based on our previous studies, we hypothesized that estradiol is acting via PGD2 to suppress neuronal activity in the VLPO of females. To begin to test whether this is true, we quantified the number of Fos‐immunopositive cells in hormonally manipulated male and female rats. We found that in females during the light phase, estradiol suppressed Fos expression in VLPO neurons. Interestingly, protein expression of L‐PGDS followed the same pattern. Surprisingly, changes in the hormonal milieu of males had no effect. Using telemetry to record electroencephalograms from gonadally intact females, we found, in the light phase of proestrus when estradiol levels are high, a marked reduction in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep compared with the other days of the estrous cycle. However, during the dark phase of proestrus when estrogen and progesterone levels are elevated, significantly less time was spent in both non‐REM and REM sleep. Thus, it seems that hormones in females play a major role in the regulation of sleep and arousal via activation of neurons in key sleep and arousal centers.
Reward‐related activity in the human motor cortex
Authors: Kapogiannis Dimitrios , Campion Paul , Grafman Jordan , Wassermann Eric M.
Published: March 2008

The human primary motor cortex (M1) participates in motor learning and response selection, functions that rely on feedback on the success of behavior (i.e. reward). To investigate the possibility that behavioral contingencies alter M1 activity in humans, we tested intracortical inhibition with single and paired (subthreshold/suprathreshold) transcranial magnetic stimulation during a slot machine simulation that delivered variable money rewards for three‐way matches and required no movement. A two‐way match before the third barrel had stopped (increased reward expectation) was associated with more paired‐pulse inhibition than no match. Receiving a large reward on the preceding trial augmented this effect. A control task that manipulated attention to the same stimuli produced no changes in excitability. The origin of this reward‐related activity is not clear, although dopaminergic ventral tegmental area neurons project to M1, where they are thought to inhibit output neurons and could be the source of the finding. Transcranial magnetic stimulation of M1 may be useful as a quantitative measure of reward‐related activity.
Traumatic brain injury causes a long‐lasting calcium (Ca2+)‐plateau of elevated intracellular Ca levels and altered Ca2+ homeostatic mechanisms in hippocampal neurons surviving brain injury
Authors: Sun David A. , Deshpande Laxmikant S. , Sombati Sompong , Baranova Anya , Wilson Margaret S. , Hamm Robert J. , DeLorenzo Robert J.
Published: March 2008

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors often suffer chronically from significant morbidity associated with cognitive deficits, behavioral difficulties and a post‐traumatic syndrome and thus it is important to understand the pathophysiology of these long‐term plasticity changes after TBI. Calcium (Ca2+) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of TBI‐induced neuronal death and other forms of brain injury including stroke and status epilepticus. However, the potential role of long‐term changes in neuronal Ca2+ dynamics after TBI has not been evaluated. In the present study, we measured basal free intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in acutely isolated CA3 hippocampal neurons from Sprague–Dawley rats at 1, 7 and 30 days after moderate central fluid percussion injury. Basal [Ca2+]i was significantly elevated when measured 1 and 7 days post‐TBI without evidence of neuronal death. Basal [Ca2+]i returned to normal when measured 30 days post‐TBI. In contrast, abnormalities in Ca2+ homeostasis were found for as long as 30 days after TBI. Studies evaluating the mechanisms underlying the altered Ca2+ homeostasis in TBI neurons indicated that necrotic or apoptotic cell death and abnormalities in Ca2+ influx and efflux mechanisms could not account for these changes and suggested that long‐term changes in Ca2+ buffering or Ca2+ sequestration/release mechanisms underlie these changes in Ca2+ homeostasis after TBI. Further elucidation of the mechanisms of altered Ca2+ homeostasis in traumatized, surviving neurons in TBI may offer novel therapeutic interventions that may contribute to the treatment and relief of some of the morbidity associated with TBI.
Histamine facilitates in vivo thalamocortical long‐term potentiation in the mature visual cortex of anesthetized rats
Authors: Kuo Min‐Ching , Dringenberg Hans C.
Published: March 2008

Recent evidence indicates that the mature central visual system retains a higher degree of plasticity than traditionally assumed. However, little is known regarding the neuromodulatory factors that influence plasticity in the adult primary visual cortex (V1). We investigated the role of histamine, one of the neuromodulators that densely innervate all neocortical fields, in modulating plasticity of V1 by examining thalamocortical long‐term potentiation (LTP). Theta‐burst stimulation of the lateral geniculate nucleus of urethane‐anesthetized rats resulted in potentiation of the field postsynaptic potential recorded in the superficial layers of V1. Histamine (0.01–10 mm), applied locally in V1 by reverse microdialysis, produced a clear, dose‐dependent enhancement of LTP. In addition, histamine also allowed a weak theta‐burst induction protocol, that by itself failed to induce significant synaptic potentiation, to produce stable LTP. The effect of histamine to facilitate LTP was largely resistant to blockade of H1[chlorpheniramine, 5 and 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)] or H2 receptors (cimetidine, 10 mg/kg, zolantidine, 5 mg/kg, i.p.). However, arcaine sulfate salt (10 mg/kg, i.p.), a blocker of the polyamine binding site of the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor, completely antagonized the LTP amplification induced by histamine, suggesting that it acts via a direct modulation of NMDA receptors, rather than histaminergic receptor activation. The present experiments provide the first demonstration of a histaminergic influence on neocortical synaptic plasticity in vivo and show that cortical histaminergic activation acts to lower the induction threshold and increase the degree of plasticity in the mature thalamocortical visual system.
Herbivore and predator diversity interactively affect ecosystem properties in an experimental marine community
Authors: Douglass James G. , Duffy J. Emmett , Bruno John F.
Published: March 2008

Interacting changes in predator and prey diversity likely influence ecosystem properties but have rarely been experimentally tested. We manipulated the species richness of herbivores and predators in an experimental benthic marine community and measured their effects on predator, herbivore and primary producer performance. Predator composition and richness strongly affected several community and population responses, mostly via sampling effects. However, some predators survived better in polycultures than in monocultures, suggesting complementarity due to stronger intra‐ than interspecific interactions. Predator effects also differed between additive and substitutive designs, emphasizing that the relationship between diversity and abundance in an assemblage can strongly influence whether and how diversity effects are realized. Changing herbivore richness and predator richness interacted to influence both total herbivore abundance and predatory crab growth, but these interactive diversity effects were weak. Overall, the presence and richness of predators dominated biotic effects on community and ecosystem properties.
Mitochondrial DNA phylogenetic analysis of the genusLaparocerus(Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae). I. The Madeiran clade
Authors: Machado Antonio , López Mercedes , Almeida Teresa , Hernández Mariano
Published: March 2008

Laparocerusare plant‐chewing flightless weevils distributed on oceanic islands in Macaronesia, with a single species in Morocco. The genus has a complicated taxonomic history with several subgenera described. To assist in a taxonomical revision of the group, a molecular study was undertaken. In this first contribution, the species from the Azores and Madeira archipelagos are studied together with representatives of subgenera from the Canary Islands and the single known continental species (46 OTUs). Phylogenetic analyses are based on sequence data from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II (COII) and the ribosomal 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes (combined data set 1023 bp), with additional data from the nuclear elongation factor 1α (EF‐1α) for some selected species. Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analyses show that all Madeiran species are monophyletic and form a monophyletic group with the Afro‐Canarian samples. Species of the genusLichenophagusappear within the Madeiran and CanarianLaparocerusclades, but separated in accordance with their respective island origin. Thus,Lichenophagusis here restricted to Madeiran species and proposed as subgenus (status novo) ofLaparocerus.Conversely, theLaparocerussubgenusDrouetiusfrom the Azores is revealed to be a separate and distant outgroup, in agreement with its morphological distinctiveness, deserving an independent genus status. Internal relationships within the Madeiran clade are discussed and compared with morphologically defined species groups. The Madeiran monotypic subgenusCyphoscelisis not supported by the genetic data and synonymized (nov. syn.) withLaparocerus.SubgeneraLaparocerusandAtlantisprove to be polyphyletic. Consequently a restriction to monophyletic and morphologically congruent clades is proposed. A cryptic species vicariant ofLaparocerus moriowas detected and recognized asL. chaoensis,status novo. Other cases of discrepancy between the genetic results and the traditional taxonomy are discussed in detail in the light of mitochondrial introgression, incomplete lineage sorting or poor taxonomy hypotheses.
A Regional Analysis of the Impact of Trade and Foreign Direct Investment on Wages in Mexico, 1984–2000
Authors: Airola Jim
Published: March 2008

The conventional Heckscher–Ohlin model of trade predicts an equalizing effect of trade on wages in developing countries abundant in less‐skilled labor. Contrary to these predictions, skill premiums and skill demand increased in Mexico following trade liberalization. “New” trade theories have offered several channels through which trade can increase relative wages and demand for skilled workers. One such channel is foreign direct investment and outsourcing. Using the Mexican Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH) covering 1984–2000, the author examines the relationship between the demand for skill and maquiladora employment across regions and states. In contrast to previous studies based on manufacturing data for the 1980s, little evidence is found that growth in maquiladora employment is positively related to the increase in relative wages or wage‐bill share of more educated workers.
INKOMENS UIT LANDBOUW OF NIJVERHEID OF DIENSTVERLENING
Authors: DE JAGER Mr. JOHS.
Published: March 2008

De voorzomer van 1966 gaf me gelegenheid, eens een grafische factoranalyse toe te passen op het verband dat zou kunnen bestaan tussen het gemiddelde inkomen per gemeente en de procentuele verdeling van de beroeps‐bevolking over de drie sectoren landbouw, nijverheid en dienstverlening. Wat betreft de toegepaste methode van analysering zij verwezen naar enige publikaties1.

Wei zou ervan zijn op te merken dat deze methode intussen is achterhaald door het computerwerk. Onlangs berichtte mij één van de eerste ontwerpers dezer grafische methode dat het grafische meer‐dimensionale werken nog altijd een bruikbare en betrouwbare techniek is. Vandaar dat ik de uitkomsten van deze analyse ‘avant la computer’ in het onderstaande naar voren breng.
SEGREGATION LEVELS IN THE LATE‐APARTHEID CITY 1985–1991
Authors: CHRISTOPHER A.J.
Published: March 2008

In the course of the 1980s a number of changes took place in the organization of South African cities, leading to the concept of ‘modernizing’ apartheid. Relaxation of laws and the publicized responses to racial integration in a few localities encouraged the concept of a breakdown of residential barriers. However, an examination of the 1991 census suggests not only that segregation levels are remarkably high, but also that they rose in the period between 1985 and 1991. The White population in particular remains highly segregated from the remainder. There is nevertheless a number of significant regional differences, indicating that urban restructuring was not uniform. The late‐apartheid city thus appears little changed from its predecessor.
LANGUAGE AND ECONOMY IN FRIESLAND: A FIRST STEP TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT OF A THEORY
Authors: VAN LANGEVELDE AB
Published: March 2008

Research in the field of language and economy is of international political significance. It is relevant to, for instance, the role that is played by national and minority languages in the process of European unification. This article contains a case study of the mutual relationship between language and economy in Friesland, one of the northern provinces of the Netherlands. An ongoing public debate in Friesland concerns the effects of the Frisian language and the language policy, pursued by the provincial authorities, on the functioning of the regional economy. Possible negative consequences are emphasized in this debate, even though the present literature contains hardly any evidence of such consequences. Little information is available about the position of the Frisian language in trade and industry in Friesland. This is why further research is recommended. Because of the importance of the aspect of image formation in the influence of the Frisian language on the economy, elements from behavioural economic geography will be used.
MOROCCAN RAIL TRANSPORT INVESTMENT: ACCUMULATION VERSUS LEGITIMATION
Authors: STUBBS JOHN , PEARSON RODNEY
Published: March 2008

Much geographical writing on the subject of rail transport and development has focused on railway expansion in the colonial era. Comparatively little attention has been given to the role of rail transport in the Third World in the post‐colonial era. Following recent World Bank‐financed efforts to rehabilitate the railways of many developing countries, this article attempts to provide some fresh analytical insights into rail transport investment in countries whose economies are becoming ever more dependent on international economic institutions. Moroccan Railways (ONCF) are considered as a specific case study. With reference to the structural adjustment programmes of the World Bank and IMF, this article seeks theoretical explanations for the substantial investment that occurred in Moroccan railways during the 1980s. The study shows that state investment in railways, while critical to Morocco's economic growth, has resulted in insufficient resources for social equity issues like health, housing and literacy.
SOCIO‐ECONOMIC GRADIENTS ACROSS THE INNER‐GERMAN FRONTIER
Authors: JONES PHILIP , WILD M. TREVOR
Published: March 2008

The objective is to establish the nature and intensity of the economic and social gradients across the former inner‐German frontier at the time of frontier opening in 1989. This focus on the borderlands on either side of the frontier is justified theoretically and empirically. Location theorists have categorised border regions as disadvantaged, and this proposition is tested. Empirically, the spatial juxtaposition of the former frontier districts serves to accentuate the degree of convergence which has to be achieved between the former economic and political systems. Using data primarily at a planning region level, the analysis demonstrates not only the presence of significant divergences across the inner‐German frontier, but also the existence of many shared and fundamental geographical characteristics. The former are creating enormous pressures in the short term, but the latter will have an important bearing on the longer‐term adjustment of these former borderlands to their new role in a unified Germany. The article concludes by cautioning against the adoption of over‐simplified responses to the frontier‐opening theme.
THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND EAST‐CENTRAL EUROPE
Authors: GIBB RICHARD A. , MICHALAK WIESLAW Z.
Published: March 2008

East‐Central Europe (Hungary, Czecho‐Slovakia and Poland) has been undergoing an extraordinary transformation of its political and economic structures. The ultimate objective of the newly resurrected and still fragile democracies is re‐integration with global economy and Western Europe in all spheres of political, economic and social life. However, the success of this process depends not only on the policies implemented in ECE but also on the response and policies of the West and member countries of the European Community. Despite the officially declared support for the reform process, the EC and its organizations have been slow to develop a coherent strategy towards this region. The lack of a long‐term strategy is apparent not only in the political but also in the economic sphere. The emerging political cleavages within the EC are reflected in the ambiguous approach it has adopted towards ECE and Eastern Europe in general. This article aims to survey and evaluate the EC's policies and economic initiatives towards the three countries of ECE since 1989. In particular, attention is focused on the nature and likely impact of the Association Agreements with the EC, the role of newly created Community financial institutions and mechanisms, and direct foreign investment and assistance in the privatization programme. We conclude that the future political and economic stability of ECE and Western Europe depends, to a large degree, on the ability of the EC's political and economic institutions to respond to the long‐term challenge posed by changes in ECE and other regions of the former ‘Eastern Europe’.
THE GEODEMOGRAPHY OF GENDER: SPATIAL BEHAVIOUR OF WORKING WOMEN
Authors: CAMSTRA RONALD
Published: March 2008

In the Netherlands the labour force participation of women has risen rapidly in the last fifteen years, resulting in large generation differences. Clear gender differences can also be found when the effects related to age, year of birth and time of occurrence are distinguished. Increasing mobility and increasing distance between work and home is found to be a general process for all cohorts of men, but not for women, among whom only the younger cohorts have reached a higher mobility pattern. Evidence is also found indicating that distance to work does not decrease with larger time budget problems resulting from more hours worked. Finally, it is shown that gender differences in the links between residences and place of work did not decrease during the eighties.
SPATIAL IMPLICATIONS OF STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMMES IN GHANA
Authors: ANYINAM CHARLES
Published: March 2008

Several studies have examined the macro‐economic impact and social costs of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) currently being implemented by many developing countries. Conspicuously lacking from the existing body of literature are reviews that explicitly ask and examine some pertinent geographical questions. The primary objective of this article is to assess the spatial implications of Ghana's economic recovery programmes that have been pursued since 1983 under the directions and dictates of the IMF and the World Bank. It argues that, in spite of the moderate successes recorded at the macro‐economic level, a significant flaw of structural adjustment programmes is the neglect of the spatial dimensions of economic development.
PROXIMITY BETWEEN SERVICE PRODUCERS AND SERVICE USERS
Authors: ILLERIS SVEN
Published: March 2008

When do service firms—especially producers of information services ‐ need to locate close to their customers, and when are they free to locate according to other criteria? This question is highlighted by data on interregional trade in services, by questionnaire studies of sales and purchases of services, and by interview studies on the need for proximity to customers and on the consequences for the location of computer services and technological advice. Three types of services are distinguished: (1) Back offices transmit their services via telecommunications and can locate independently of their customers (low rents and wages then are important) (2) Unsophisticated, customized service firms offer frequently used services and must locate close to their customers, both for cost reasons and because mutual knowledge and trust are decisive (3) Highly specialized service firms may locate independently of their customers, because the high value of their services justify any travelling costs connected with meetings (the recruitment of qualified staff then is important).
KNOWLEDGE‐INTENSIVE BUSINESS SERVICES IN THE RHINE‐NECKAR AREA
Authors: STRAMBACH SIMONE
Published: March 2008

The article emphasizes the importance of network relationships for knowledge‐intensive service firms. Network relationships have a key function in the interaction between supplier and client. Clients take advantage of network relationships to find an adequate supplier, especially in the initial contact phase, as clients' uncertainty about the quality and suitability of the supplier's services is greatest at this time. The results of the empirical study also show that network structures within the corporate segment of the knowledge‐intensive services constitute a form of organization that enables the firms to adapt themselves more quickly and flexibly to the individual demands of the client by using interorganizational flexibility potential. Network structures thus provide a possibility for resolving the tension between specialization and complete, individual solutions to clients' problems.
FOREIGN AID TO AFRICA: A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS
Authors: DIETZ TON , HOUTKAMP JOHN
Published: March 2008

Africa has become an aid addict. After a brief discussion of the relative importance of aid in present‐day Africa, the geography of aid is described. Political independence meant a proliferation of aid donors and aid arrangements for the African continent. In most new states aid was dominated by the former colonial masters first, but became much more diversified later. However, there is a clear difference between the former British (and Portuguese) and the former French (and Belgian) colonies. Among the new bilateral aid ‘donors’, first the USA became important, followed by East Bloc, German, Scandinavian, and Arab inroads during the 1970s and increased participation by Japan and Italy during the 1980s, while the East Bloc involvement virtually disappeared. During the late 1970s, it also seemed that multilateral aid would become more important, and some thought that within Europe the EC would take over from the various bilateral partners. However, during the 1980s the percentage of multilateral aid in total aid flows and central EC aid in total aid from EC‐Europe stagnated at a rather low level. An interesting phenomenon was the increasing importance of non‐governmental organizations as a channel for aid money from northern governments and multilateral agencies. The changes in the relative importance of official development assistance (ODA) versus ‘other official flows’ and ‘private flows’ during the 1980s are described, and the patterns of aid are compared with the patterns of trade. Finally, aid is compared with development performance and the consequences of large aid dependency are seen to support a ‘rent mentality’ that is detrimental to development.
BUSINESS SERVICE FIRMS IN TWO PERIPHERAL ECONOMIES: SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
Authors: O'FARRELL PATRICK N. , HITCHENS DAVID M. , MOFFAT LINDSAYA.R.
Published: March 2008

In this article, we present a comparative analysis of the competitiveness and performance of business service companies in Scotland and Ireland. Several dimensions of performance are investigated for five industries: market research, management consultancy, product design, graphic design and advertising. Value‐added per person is almost identical in the two areas, but Irish offices achieved a much greater degree of export orientation (16% of sales) than the Scottish firms (4%). Possible demand and supply side causes of such differences are reviewed and potential policy responses considered.
SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATIONS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STATE INVESTMENT AND INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT IN CHINA
Authors: WEI YEHUA
Published: March 2008

Considerable efforts have been made by the Chinese government to achieve a spatially balanced pattern of industrial development. However, regional inequality has persisted after four decades of socialism in China. This article attempts to analyze spatially and temporally the relationship between industrial output and state investment, the major vehicle to implement regional development policies. Regression analysis shows that the relationship between investment and output was poor in 1953 and extremely poor in 1965 when large amounts of investment were channeled into interior development. It became stronger in 1978 and was the best in 1990. The expansion method suggests that the relationship weakens with increasing distance from the coast, and investment efficiency was poorer in the interior. This article has found that state investment did not bring in the expected industrial development, which significantly contributed to the persistence of regional inequality. The changing relationship between state investment and industrial output in China is a result of historical, political, economic, and geographical factors.
AN ECONOMETRIC MODEL OF SOCIO‐SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OF TOURIST REGIONS. THE CASE OF THE SWISS CANTON OF VALAIS
Authors: BAILLY ANTOINE S. , PAELINCK JEAN H.P.
Published: March 2008

Like all human activities, tourism reflects the social and cultural values of an epoch. The relative lack of quantitative modelling in tourism research shows the need to develop theoretical models, using the contributions of behavioural geography and psychological analysis. A generalized Lotka‐Volterra system is then applied to a case study, the Swiss canton of Valais, to show potential applications in spatial planning.
SPATIAL EFFECTS OFINTERNATIONALISATION OF THE SPANISH AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY
Authors: LAGENDIJK ARNOUD , VAN DER KNAAP BERT
Published: March 2008

The authors investigate the spatial evolution of automobile production in Spain in the post‐war period, in relation to a typology of changing regional specialization. The article describes how successive rounds of investments have transformed the traditional pattern of specialization into a configuration determined by the production and network strategies of foreign investors. The spatial outcome of this process may be attributed, to some extent, to specific locational strategies pursued by the foreign investors; there is also a high incidence, however, of
de facto
spatial changes, resulting from foreign acquisitions of local firms. As a result, internationalization has made the local production structure more aligned with, but also highly dependent on, the economic core areas of Europe.
MOBILITY AND INEQUALITY IN RURAL NIGERIA: THE CASE OF OFF‐ROAD COMMUNITIES
Authors: PORTER GINA
Published: March 2008

This article draws attention to the specific problems faced by off‐road communities on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria. It contends that many members of off‐road communities have become more isolated, more unequal, at least in part because of road construction in their region, and that the structural adjustment programme in place between 1986 and 1994 has exacerbated their problems. Economic, social welfare and political issues are examined in turn. Suggestions are made regarding ways off‐road communities could be assisted at limited cost. However, the study concludes that there will have to be much greater political commitment to poverty‐focused development before the needs of off‐road communities are adequately addressed.
PLURALIST AND ASSIMILATIONIST MODELS OF ETHNIC SETTLEMENT IN LONDON 1991
Authors: PEACH CERI
Published: March 2008

London 1991 census data are used to examine two theories of ethnic minority adjustment to dominant societies and their accompanying spatial patterns. The assimilationist model suggests a complete diffusion of residence over time and high rates of intermarriage or cohabitation; the pluralist model suggests continuing, moderately high levels of segregation and high degrees of social closure. The article argues that in London, die Caribbean population is following the melting pot route both in spatial and marital terms, while the Bangladeshi population is following the pluralist route. Indian patterns contain elements of each, but the high levels of concentration in the core settlements and high rates of homogamy, suggests more pluralist than melting pot trajectory.
URBAN ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND ETHNIC SEGREGATION IN DÜSSELDORF
Authors: GLEBE GÜNTHER
Published: March 2008

Ethnic segregation remains a conflicting issue and an important factor in understanding the dynamics of ethnically pluralistic cities. The question of segregation is seen in a widened context of the post‐Fordist urban restructuring process. Ethnic minorities are facing growing social polarization trends. Because of severe qualification deficiencies they are threatened by a growing mismatch on the labour market. Segregation in schools is seen as a factor diminishing achievement in the educational system and prospects on the labour market. A multi‐level longitudinal analysis documents for Düsseldorf varying segregation patterns with relatively high spatial stability over time. The housing market is seen as the determining factor of segregation.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF SURVIVAL: HOUSEHOLD STRATEGIES IN URBAN SETTINGS
Authors: MEERT HENK , MISTIAEN PASCALE , KESTELOOT CHRISTIAN
Published: March 2008

The rise of poverty in Western societies can be explained by three socio‐economic processes: the dualisation and polarisation of the labour market, the dismantling of the welfare state, and the increase of new types of households like single parents and singles. These processes are interrelated and they lead towards different mechanisms of social exclusion. This article stresses that not everyone excluded from the labour market, welfare provisions, or social networks has to be regarded as excluded from society. By developing survival strategies in different economic systems (market, reciprocity, associative redistribution) poor households try to escape from social marginalisation. The whole of their survival strategies is analysed in five different settings in and around Brussels. It is argued that these areas offer very different opportunities for social integration and community development, essentially related to the heterogeneity of the environment and the social cohesion of the population concerned.
UK VINING PEA GROWERS‘ AND FREEZERS’ RESPONSES TO POTENTIAL GLOBAL WARMING
Authors: HOLLOWAY LEWIS E. , ILBERY BRIAN W.
Published: March 2008

Global warming from anthropogenic emissions of ‘greenhouse gases’ is expected to become apparent and this will impact upon existing agricultural production and farm management systems. At the same time, farm businesses are becoming increasingly integrated into a food production system whereby on‐farm production is, in the case of some agricultural products, greatly influenced by external agencies such as food processing companies. This article uses a study of both farmers and agencies in Lincolnshire and Humberside who are involved with vining pea production for the frozen pea market to explore the nature of the farmer‐processor relationship and to examine the implications of this for the adaptation of vining pea production to the imposition of global warming. It is concluded that change at the farm level will be largely externally driven, that die attitudes of powerful individuals within external agencies will strongly influence the direction of change, and that the attitudes of farmers towards global warming and change are of less relevance in die case of adjustment in vining pea production. This has implications for die management of change, not just in response to global warning but also in response to other types of change which are long term and uncertain.