bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity and migration patterns of the aquatic macrophyte Potamogeton malaianus in a potamo‐lacustrine system
Authors: CHEN YUANYUAN , LI XIULING , YIN LIYAN , CHENG YU , LI WEI
Published: January 2009

1. Previously, the Yangtze River connected thousands of shallow lakes which together formed a potamo‐lacustrine system capable of sustaining a rich variety of submerged macrophytes.

2. Potamogeton malaianus is one of the dominant submerged macrophytes in many lakes of this area. Genetic variation and population structure of P. malaianus populations from ten lakes in the potamo‐lacustrine system were assessed using inter‐simple sequence repeat markers.

3. Twelve primer combinations produced a total of 166 unambiguous bands of which 117 (70.5%) were polymorphic. Potamogeton malaianus exhibited a moderate level of population genetic diversity (PP = 70.5%, HE = 0.163 and I = 0.255), as compared with that of plants in the same habitat and range. The main factors responsible for this moderate value were the plant’s mixed breeding system (both sexual and asexual) and the hydrological connectivity among habitats.

4. F statistics, calculated using different approaches, consistently revealed a moderate genetic differentiation among populations, contributing about 20% of total genetic diversity. An estimate of gene flow (using FST) suggested that gene flow played a more important role than genetic drift in the current population genetic structure of P. malaianus (Nm = 1.131).

5. The genetic diversity of P. malaianus did not increase downstream. A high level of linkage–disequilibrium at the whole population level suggested that metapopulation processes may affect genetic structure. The migration pattern of P. malaianus was best explained by a two‐dimensional stepping stone model, indicating that bird‐mediated dispersal could greatly influence gene movements among lakes.
Impact of afforestation‐associated management changes on the carbon balance of grassland
Authors: DON AXEL , REBMANN CORINNA , KOLLE OLAF , SCHERER‐LORENZEN MICHAEL , SCHULZE ERNST‐DETLEF
Published: January 2009

Afforestations can be considerable carbon (C) sources due to C losses from the soil after site preparation for tree planting and decreased primary production. In this study, the transition from grassland to afforestation was investigated using two eddy flux towers, which were operated in parallel for 3 years, one on a young afforestation and one on an adjacent grassland. Differences between the fluxes at the two sites were attributable to the management of the sites, without confounding influences of meteorological variability. Site preparation with deep ploughing of the planting rows destroyed 30% of the grassland vegetation at the afforestation site and reduced gross primary productivity by 41% in the first year. At the afforestation site 38 g m−2 less C was sequestered compared with the nonafforested grassland during the first year. In the following years, the C sink at the afforestation site was higher than at the grassland indicating that soil C loss due to site preparation and land use change on the afforestation occurred only during the first year. Metrological conditions, especially summer drought, caused a high interannual variability of the C balance: both sites were small C sources in 2005 (67 g C m−2 a−1 at the grassland and 19 g C g−1 a−1 at the afforestation site) and small C sinks in 2004 and 2006 (−72.5 and −16 g C m−2 a−1 at the grassland and −34 and −61 g C g−1 a−1 at the afforestation). Sheep grazing and mowing affected the short‐term dynamics of the C balance and sheep grazing accelerated the C turnover on the grassland site. The investigated afforestation site did not provide any short‐term way of sequestering additional C even though soil C losses during the first 3 years were relatively small.
Climate‐driven changes in abundance and distribution of larvae of oceanic fishes in the southern California region
Authors: HSIEH CHIH‐HAO , KIM HEY JIN , WATSON WILLIAM , DI LORENZO EMANUELE , SUGIHARA GEORGE
Published: January 2009

We examined climatic effects on the geographic distribution and abundance of 34 dominant oceanic fishes in the southern California region using larval fish data collected from the 50‐year long California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) surveys. The oceanic species responses to environmental changes in their geographic distributions were not very pronounced, perhaps because they lived in the deep layer where temperature change was relatively small or because the environmental variation of the CalCOFI region is not strong enough (with an average temperature gradient of the upper 100 m around 91 km  °C−1). Among the 34 taxa, 16 showed a significant distributional shift (median latitude or boundaries) in relation to environmental variables, and eight species significantly shifted their geographic distribution from the 1951–1976 cold period to the 1977–1998 warm period. Interestingly, the vertically migrating taxa more often showed a significant response to environmental variables than the nonmigrating mesopelagic taxa, reflecting the more significant increase in heat content of the upper ocean (<200 m), compared with the deeper zone (300–500 m) where the mesopelagic fishes typically remain. Climate change has significant effects on the abundances of oceanic fishes. Twenty‐four taxa exhibited a significant change in abundance in relation to environmental variables, and 25 taxa, including both warm and cold‐water taxa, showed a significant increase in abundance from the cold to warm period. Analysis of physical data indicated that the surface‐layer (20–200 m) warmed significantly and the isotherms approached shoreward from the cold to the warm period. We further show that the spatial distribution of coastal–neritic fish retreated shoreward and oceanic fish extended shoreward from the cold to warm period. Our results suggest intensified stratification of the southern California region during the warm period may create a suitable habitat for the oceanic species. Moreover, such an unfavorable condition (e.g. changes in food habitat) for coastal–neritic species might result in competitive release for the oceanic fishes to flourish.
Regulation of Oestrogen Receptor Gene Expression: New Insights and Novel Mechanisms
Authors: Wilson M. E. , Westberry J. M.
Published: January 2009

17β‐oestradiol is a pleiotropic hormone with organisational, activational and protective actions in both male and female mammals. It is responsible for numerous aspects of brain development, including sexual differentiation of the brain. The organisational effects of early oestrogen exposure are essential for long‐lasting cognitive and behavioural functions. Oestradiol mediates its effects through several intracellular or membrane‐associated receptor proteins. In the rodent cerebral cortex, oestrogen receptor (ER) expression, as demonstrated by hormone binding studies, is high early in postnatal life and declines precipitously as the animal approaches puberty. This decline is caused by a decreased expression of ERα mRNA. An understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of ERα gene expression is critical for understanding the developmental as well as postpubertal expression of the ER. Despite recent data indicating the current hormone replacement therapies can be detrimental in older women, numerous animal studies have shown that the endogenous oestrogen, 17β‐oestradiol, is neuroprotective. Specifically, low levels of oestradiol protect the cortex from cell death caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The attenuation of cell death by oestradiol in this model is mediated through an ERα‐dependent mechanism. To this end, ERα expression is rapidly increased after MCAO, suggesting a return to the developmental programme of gene expression within neurones. One mechanism of suppressing gene expression is by the epigenetic modification of the promoter regions, which results in gene silencing. Of the epigenetic modifications utilised by cells, DNA methylation has been intensively studied as a mechanism by which genes are both permanently and reversibly silenced. Little is known about the mechanisms of ER gene regulation in the brain; however, in breast cancer cells, both ERα and ERβ are down‐regulated by promoter methylation, and subsequent binding of the methyl‐CpG‐binding protein, MeCP2. Data from our laboratory demonstrate that the promoters of the ERα gene are also methylated during development and after neuronal injury, suggesting a role of DNA methylation in regulating ER expression in the brain.
Mouse Models for Evaluating Sex Chromosome Effects that Cause Sex Differences in Non‐Gonadal Tissues
Authors: Arnold Arthur P.
Published: January 2009

XX and XY cells have a different number of X and Y genes. These differences in their genomes cause sex differences in the functions of cells, both in the gonads and in non‐gonadal tissues. This review discusses mouse models that have shed light on these direct genetic effects of sex chromosomes that cause sex differences in physiology. Because many sex differences in tissues are caused by different effects of male and female gonadal hormones, it is important to attempt to discriminate between direct genetic and hormonal effects. Numerous mouse models exist in which the number of X or Y genes is manipulated, aiming to observe the effects on phenotype. In two models, namely the four core genotypes model and SF1 knockout gonadless mice, it is possible to detect sex chromosome effects that are not explained by group differences in gonadal hormones. Moreover, mouse models are available to determine whether the sex chromosome effects are caused by X or Y genes.
Herbivory‐induced signalling in plants: perception and action
Authors: WU JIANQIANG , BALDWIN IAN T.
Published: January 2009

Plants and herbivores have been interacting for millions of years. Over time, plants have evolved mechanisms to defend against herbivore attacks. Herbivore‐challenged plants reconfigure their metabolism to produce compounds that are toxic, repellant or anti‐digestive for the herbivores. Some compounds are volatile signals that attract the predators of herbivores. All these responses are tightly regulated by a signalling network triggered by the plant's perception machinery. Several compounds that specifically elicit herbivory‐induced responses in plants have been isolated from herbivore oral secretions and oviposition fluids. Elicitor perception is rapidly followed by cell membrane depolarization, calcium influx and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation; plants also elevate the concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and modulate phytohormone levels accordingly. In addition to these reactions in the herbivore‐attacked regions of a leaf, defence responses are also mounted in unattacked parts of the attacked leaf and as well in unattacked leaves. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding how plants recognize herbivory, the involvement of several important signalling pathways that mediate the responses to herbivore attack and the signals that transduce local into systemic responses.
Differential Expression of Immune Genes in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Challenged Intraperitoneally or by Cohabitation with IPNV
Authors: Ingerslev H.‐C. , Rønneseth A. , Pettersen E. F. , Wergeland H. I.
Published: January 2009

Atlantic salmon smolts challenged intraperitoneally (ip) and by cohabitation with a highly virulent strain of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus showed strong activation of important immune genes in spleen, liver, head‐kidney and gill measured by real‐time quantitative PCR. The genes investigated were IL‐1β, IL‐10, IFN‐α, IFN‐γ, Mx, MHC‐I, MHC‐II, TCR‐α, CD8‐α and mIgM. A low final cumulative mortality of about 10% was seen in the ip‐challenged group, while more than 40% of the cohabitants died in the sampling period. Sampling was performed at day 15, 24 and 37 post ip‐challenge. Overall, the expression of the investigated genes varied highly. The expression of IL‐1β, IL‐10, MHC‐II, TCR‐α, CD8‐α and mIgM showed more or less the same patterns between the two groups of fish by being significantly upregulated at day 24 post ip‐challenge. However, the degree of regulation varied a lot among the genes. A pattern showing differences between ip‐challenged and cohabitants were seen for IFN‐γ and especially IFN‐α, where the upregulation seemed to last longer for the cohabitants. The Mx gene was the most induced gene, but also the one with highest individual variance. Mx but also MHC‐I were both still highly upregulated at the last sampling point within both groups of fish. The results seem to indicate that the differences in expression pattern(s) could reflect the different routes of entrance of the virus into the fish. This could maybe explain the different kinetics in the onset and the degree of mortality or the potential different molecular mechanisms used for combating the virus.
Activity of α2,6‐Sialyltransferase and its Gene Expression in Peripheral B Lymphocytes in Patients with IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Ding J.‐X. , Xu L.‐X. , Zhu L. , Lv J.‐C. , Zhao M.‐H. , Zhang H. , Wang H.‐Y.
Published: January 2009

It is known that aberrant sialylation of IgA1 is involved in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). We hypothesize that aberrant sialylation of serum IgA1 may result from changes in the activity of α2,6‐sialyltransferase (α2,6‐ST) or expression of its coding gene ST6GALNAC2 in peripheral B lymphocytes. Sixty patients with IgAN and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. Peripheral B lymphocytes were isolated by CD‐19‐positive magnetic beads. The expression level of ST6GALNAC2 was quantitatively analysed by real‐time reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Serum IgA1 and sialylation levels were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and specific lectin‐binding ELISA. Activity of α2,6‐ST was measured by specific lectin‐binding ELISA. Expression of ST6GALNAC2 in B peripheral lymphocytes was significantly lower in patients with IgAN than that in normal controls (3.7 ± 2.2 versus 6.3 ± 2.3, P = 0.016); α2,6‐ST activity in B lymphocytes was correlated positively with the level of α2,6‐sialic acid in serum IgA1 in patients (n = 42) and controls (n = 12) (r = 0.37, P = 0.007). However, α2,6‐ST activity did not differ between patients with IgAN and controls (1.19 ± 1.43 versus 1.06 ± 1.17, P > 0.05). These data suggested that reduced sialylation of serum IgA1 may result from decreased expression of ST6GALNAC2. The factors affecting activity of α2,6‐ST in the sialylation of IgA1 need to be further investigated.
Additive role of tiotropium in severe asthmatics and Arg16Gly in ADRB2 as a potential marker to predict response
Authors: Park H.‐W. , Yang M.‐S. , Park C.‐S. , Kim T.‐B. , Moon H.‐B. , Min K.‐U. , Kim Y.‐Y. , Cho S.‐H.
Published: January 2009

Background:  Recent findings have raised new interests about the use of anticholinergics, especially tiotropium, for the treatment of asthma. This study was performed to determine whether an additional improvement in lung function is obtained when tiotropium is administrated in addition to conventional therapies in severe asthmatics, and to identify factors capable of predicting the response to tiotropium, using a pharmacogenetic approach.

Methods:  A total of 138 severe asthmatics on conventional medications and with decreased lung function were randomly recruited. Tiotropium 18 μg was added once a day and lung functions were measured every 4 weeks. Responders were defined as those with an improvement of ≥15% (or 200 ml) in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) that was maintained for at least 8 successive weeks. Eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CHRM1–3 (coding muscarinic receptors one to three) which were identified by re‐sequencing, and Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu in ADRB2 (coding β2 adrenoreceptor) were scored in 80 of the 138 asthmatics.

Results:  Forty‐six of the 138 asthmatics (33.3%) responded to tiotropium treatment. Logistic regression analyses (controlled for age, gender, and smoking status) showed that Arg16Gly in ADRB2 [P = 0.003, OR (95% CI) = 0.21 (0.07–0.59) in a minor allele–dominant model] was significantly associated with response to tiotropium.

Conclusions:  As many as 30% of severe asthmatics on conventional medications with reduced lung function were found to respond to adjuvant tiotropium. The presence of Arg16Gly in ADRB2 may predict response to tiotropium.
Current knowledge of host response in human tinea
Authors: Brasch J.
Published: January 2009

Skin infection caused by dermatophytes is called tinea. In this short review, the known mechanisms and factors involved in human tinea and important for the host response are briefly delineated. To establish tinea, fungal propagules must attach to the skin, germinate and overcome the epidermal barrier. Keratinases and other enzymes are released in this process and host keratinocytes are activated. This is followed by an inflammatory response mediated by a plentitude of cytokines and receptors, comprising innate as well as acquired immunity, including neutrophilic granulocytes, macrophages, antibodies and T cells. Cellular defence mechanisms appear to be decisive for clearing of infection. Nails and hair follicles are the particular sites often invaded by dermatophytes that show distinctive patterns of infection. Nails are largely excluded from defence mechanisms and steroid hormones of the pilosebaceous units may have a particular effect on follicular infection. Fungal invasion of the dermis can cause granulomatous reactions. Immune reactions to dermatophytes may lead to sterile eruptions distant from the infected skin areas.
Azoles and antidepressants: a mini‐review of the tolerability of co‐administration
Authors: Roussos P. , Lewis R. E. , Kontoyiannis D. P.
Published: January 2009

Depression is a common condition in chronically ill immunosuppressed patients on long‐term antifungal therapy with azoles. As both azoles and more recent antifungals are metabolised by the P450 enzymatic system in the liver, here we review the potential of clinically meaningful interactions between antidepressants and azoles. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are safer compared to tricycle antidepressants when co‐administered with azoles. More pharmacovigilance is needed.
Should Brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection be vaccinated against hepatitis A virus?
Authors: Villar Livia M , De Melo Maria MM , Calado Izabelle A , De Almeida Adilson J , Lampe Elisabeth , Gaspar Ana MC
Published: January 2009

Background and Aim:  Hepatitis A virus (HAV) superinfection is associated with a high risk of liver failure and death in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of serological and molecular HAV markers in a population of HCV‐infected patients in order to determine a cost‐effective strategy to vaccinate against HAV.

Methods:  The presence of total and immunoglobulin (Ig)M anti‐HAV antibodies was investigated in 399 patients (median age, 50 years; range, 4–81) referred to the Public Health Central Laboratory of Pernambuco State who tested positive for anti‐HCV antibodies and HCV RNA. HAV RNA was investigated by reverse transcription‐nested polymerase chain reaction in these patients.

Results:  Three hundred and eighty‐four (96%) patients were positive for anti‐HAV total and negative for IgM anti‐HAV antibodies (immune patients). Three patients had IgM (and total) anti‐HAV antibodies, showing an acute infection, and two of them had HAV RNA detected in serum samples. HAV RNA was also found in another patient in the absence of detectable anti‐HAV antibodies. By nucleotide sequencing, it was demonstrated that the HAV isolates infecting these patients belonged to subgenotype 1B.

Conclusion:  This study provides valuable new data on anti‐HAV prevalence among HCV carriers in Brazil. In the present study, we found a high proportion of patients with anti‐HAV positivity, indicating that anti‐HAV testing of HCV‐infected patients is a cost‐effective strategy and should be carried out before vaccination against HAV in these patients, particularly in regions such as our geographical area with high total anti‐HAV prevalence.
Colonoscopy: Art or science?
Authors: Roberts‐Thomson Ian C , Teo Edward
Published: January 2009

The focus on colorectal neoplasia has led to an exponential increase in the use of colonoscopy in many countries. Although colonoscopy facilitates the diagnosis and treatment of colonic disease, there are public health issues that include access, training, diagnostic accuracy, complications and additions to health‐care costs. Because of this, colonoscopists have a responsibility to ensure that the procedure is appropriate, safe and of high‐quality. This article addresses the issue of variation in technical skills that is known to exist within the endoscopic community, even among individuals with similar experience. While some of this variation reflects innate manual dexterity, another aspect is variation in the adoption of technical manoeuvers that facilitate various aspects of the procedure including rates for cecal intubation. Although technical manoeuvers are difficult to evaluate in controlled trials, there is persuasive data that high cecal intubation rates can be achieved by minimizing inflation and looping in the sigmoid colon and by the appropriate use of positional changes and abdominal pressure. In difficult settings, there is also benefit from the use of non‐standard endoscopes and various accessories including overtubes.
Anesthesia in children with mastocytosis – a case based review
Authors: AHMAD NARGIS , EVANS PHILIPPA , LLOYD‐THOMAS ADRIAN R.
Published: January 2009

Introduction:  Mastocytosis is a rare heterogeneous disease of bone marrow origin which arises as a consequence of abnormal growth and/or accumulation of clonal mast cells in one or more organs. Sixty‐five percent of patients with mastocytosis are children in whom it usually regresses around puberty. Adult patients with mastocytosis have been identified as at high risk of widespread mast cell degranulation in the perioperative period, this finding has not been reported in pediatric patients. This information has been repeated in mastocytosis websites where it has the potential to cause disproportionate alarm in parents.

Methods:  We considered our experience of six children with mastocytosis together with a review of the literature to examine other reports of anesthesia in children with mastocytosis. Our literature search found 57 general anesthetics in 39 children with mastocytosis. In addition, we searched for information about current consensus in diagnosis, classification and treatment of mastocytosis and in vitro and in vivo studies looking at mast cell behavior in response to drugs commonly used during anesthesia.

Discussion:  The literature search revealed that general anesthesia has precipitated life threatening complications in adult patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM) but no such complications have been described in children with mastocytosis. Our own experience with children with mastocytosis is of uneventful anesthesia. Advances in the understanding of the genetic basis of mastocytosis suggest that pediatric cutaneous mastocytosis (CM) and SM are different entities. SM in children is extremely rare and is associated with elevated baseline serum tryptase. There are few reports of anesthesia in this group.

Conclusion:  The risks for most pediatric patients are overstated by mastocytosis websites. Most pediatric patients with CM do not appear to be at risk of widespread mast cell degranulation during anesthesia but because of the small number of cases reported, the risk cannot be ascertained with confidence. Children with SM and a high baseline serum tryptase (marker of mast cell burden) may merit extra precautions but experience in this subgroup is even more limited. Drugs which cause minimal histamine release can be selected from the range of drugs available in most pediatric centers without compromise to technique.
Biomarkers of body iron stores and risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Authors: Rajpathak S. N. , Wylie‐Rosett J. , Gunter M. J. , Negassa A. , Kabat G. C. , Rohan T. E. , Crandall J. ,   Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Research Group
Published: January 2009

Aim:  Iron may contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) by inducing oxidative stress and interfering with insulin secretion. Elevated ferritin levels are associated with increased DM risk among healthy individuals. However, it is yet unknown if ferritin predicts DM incidence among high‐risk individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Furthermore, the association between soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR), a novel marker of iron status, and DM risk has not yet been prospectively investigated in these individuals. We conducted this study to evaluate the association between baseline levels of ferritin and sTfR and the risk of developing DM among overweight and obese individuals at high risk of DM.

Methods:  This nested case–control study (280 cases and 280 matched controls) was conducted within the placebo arm of the Diabetes Prevention Program, is a clinical trial conducted among overweight/obese individuals with IGT. Ferritin and sTfR levels were measured by immunoturbidimetric assays. Incident DM was ascertained by annual 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test and semi‐annual fasting glucose.

Results:  Compared with controls, cases had higher sTfR levels (3.50 ± 0.07 vs. 3.30 ± 0.06 mg/l; p = 0.03), but ferritin levels were not statistically different. The multivariable odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for DM incidence comparing highest with the lowest quartiles of sTfR was 2.26 (1.37–4.01) (p‐trend: 0.008).

Conclusions:  Modestly elevated sTfR levels are associated with increased DM risk among overweight and obese individuals with IGT. Future studies should evaluate factors determining sTfR levels and examine if interventions that lower body iron stores reduce DM incidence.
NATURALISM WITHOUT TEARS
Authors: Lenman James
Published: January 2009

Parfit argues that naturalistic theories that seek to understand normative concepts either as simply descriptive of certain natural facts about our desires or as expressive of our desires commit us to a bleak normative nihilism whereby nothing matters. I here defend such naturalism, in particular its expressivist variety, against this charge. It is true that such views commit us to there being no reasons as Parfit understands them. But for Parfit to suppose that equivalent to there being no reasons leaves him begging the question where the relative credibility of these rival understandings is just what is at issue.1
THE DYNAMICS OF LABOUR'S INCOME SHARES AND THE WAGE CURVE–PHILLIPS CURVE CONTROVERSY
Authors: Madsen Jakob B.
Published: January 2009

Based on a re‐parameterised Blanchflower–Oswald model this paper uses long macro‐data from the OECD countries to discriminate between the Philips curve and the wage curve and examines whether there are any differences in wage dynamics between Europe and the United States. The evidence gives support for the Phillips curve and shows that wage dynamics are no different between the United States and Europe.
ELECTORAL MOTIVES, PARTISAN MOTIVES AND DYNAMIC OPTIMALITY WITH MANY TAXES: AN INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION
Authors: Christopoulos Dimitris K. , Loizides John , Tsionas Efthymios G.
Published: January 2009

In this paper, we argue that tax‐smoothing results based on total tax revenues may be of limited importance if in fact governments are concerned with the inter‐temporal distortionary effects of many kinds of taxes, when electoral and partisan motives also have to be taken into account. We develop an inter‐temporal model that predicts that tax revenue mix should follow random walks. The model is tested with international data using both time series and panel‐based unit root tests. We find that during the examined period, 1973–2003, governments are not optimizing tax components in the sense of Barro.
WORKERS' ENTERPRISES AND THE TASTE FOR PRODUCTION: THE ARTS, SPORT AND OTHER CASES
Authors: Cuccia Tiziana , Cellini Roberto
Published: January 2009

This paper shows that the standard result according to which labour‐managed (LM) firms produce a lower amount of output, as compared with profit‐maximizing firms, is reversed if production per se gives utility and the workers' membership of LM firms is set before market decisions. Under the same hypotheses, the LM firms set a higher product quality than the profit‐oriented ones,ceteris paribus. The considered hypotheses are appropriate in several sectors, but they are particularly relevant in the case of the performing arts.
The Politics of Figurational Sociology
Authors: Dunne Stephen
Published: January 2009

Figurational sociology is so often said to distance itself from the political issues of the day. Whilst this is certainly true with regards to the present day, it in no way follows that figurational sociology seeks to distance itself from politics as such. On the contrary, as will be shown within this paper, politics is and always has been a central concern for figurational sociologists. This political concern, however, is an exclusively long term concern; figurational sociology purposively postpones present political engagement for the sake of developing a sufficiently detached sociology that would eventually facilitate in the delivery of effective practical and political measures. This paper discusses the stakes involved in, as well as the reasoning behind, the assignment of such a place to politics. It gestures towards two distinct and separate concepts of social control that exist within figurational sociology and then proceeds to offer a critical consideration of the consequences that can be derived from any temporal demarcation of the political done on their basis. The paper ultimately suggests that figurational sociology's position on politics raises a series of as yet unanswered questions, questions which can no longer remain unanswered by the contemporary figurational sociologist.
From Passive to Active Consumers? Later Life Consumption in the UK from 1968–2005
Authors: Higgs P.F. , Hyde M. , Gilleard C.J. , Victor C.R. , Wiggins R.D. , Jones I.R.
Published: January 2009

The significance of the UK's ageing population has been generally acknowledged, however its implications for consumption have been neglected. The consumption patterns of older people are important given that the end of the 20th century witnessed profound changes to the nature of later life, many linked to the emergence of ‘consumer societies’ in the UK and elsewhere. The uneven nature of retirement, as well as the relative affluence of many retired people, has important effects on patterns and experiences of consumption. This paper charts consumption by retired households in two areas; ownership of key consumer goods and key components of household spending. We investigate how these expenditure trends compare with other household types and across pseudo-birth cohorts. We draw data from 9 years of the Family Expenditure Survey taken at 5 year intervals between 1968 and 2004/5. The data demonstrate the growing extent of ownership of key goods in retired households but also show the differences in proportional expenditure between retired households and the employed. We also note differences between pseudo-birth cohorts and conclude that consumption patterns in later life are influenced by the generational habitus of the differing cohorts who entered retirement between the 1960s and the present day.
Mobile Connections: An Exploration of the Place of Mobile Phones in Friendship Relations
Authors: Green Eileen , Singleton Carrie
Published: January 2009

This paper explores the place and meaning of mobile phones within friendship relations amongst young Pakistani-British women and men. In particular it focuses on the ways in which friendship relations are transformed and reconfigured through new mobile phone technologies; and how ‘doing’ friendship on the mobile uncovers significant insight into contemporary youth cultures of masculinity and femininity. Although the majority of young people of the ‘multimedia generation’ have fully engaged with the mobile telephony revolution, there is no work which grounds mobile phone use within theoretical perspectives on friendship, in particular in different peer group cultures. We draw upon new empirical data from research in the North East of England to explore young people's perceptions and uses of mobile phones. The resulting narratives reveal interesting gendered practices of connectivity and sociability amongst the sample group and important dimensions of developing peer group identities, including diverse performance of femininities and masculinities. Building on these ideas, this paper aims to make a theoretical contribution to debates on friendship and mobile phone use. In particular, we argue for the need to ground the empirical study of young people and mobile phones more firmly within social theory: a development that contributes towards a sharpening of theoretical perspectives on mobile technologies.
Activity Transitions in the Homoeopathic Therapeutic Encounter
Authors: Chatwin John
Published: January 2009

Homoeopathy is one of the most widespread forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) currently used in the UK. As an overtly holistic discipline, the homoeopathic consultation process is often regarded as being intrinsically patient-centred. This paper will argue that although an underlying mutualistic or collegial approach is often evident in homoeopathy, there are certain points in a consultation where these types of behaviour are more overt. It is suggested that these points are likely to be located where there is a predictable possibility of misalignment between letting the patient set the agenda, and the practical needs of the consultation process – ie the performance of certain essential consultation ‘tasks’. In order to illustrate this, one particular aspect of the homoeopathic consultation will be examined – the ‘treatment-giving’ phase. Four broad transitional formats will be proposed: categorical; open; deferred; and reversed. The relatively dynamic sequential positioning that the treatment phase occupies in the homoeopathic context will be highlighted, as will the implications that this may have in terms of encouraging patient / practitioner negotiation over treatment decisions.
Segmenting Bacterial and Viral DNA Sequence Alignments with a Trans-Dimensional Phylogenetic Factorial Hidden Markov Model
Authors: Lehrach Wolfgang P. , Husmeier Dirk
Published: January 2009

The traditional approach to phylogenetic inference assumes that a single phylogenetic tree can represent the relationships and divergence between the taxa. However, taxa sequences exhibit varying levels of conservation, e.g. because of regulatory elements and active binding sites. Also, certain bacteria and viruses undergo interspecific recombination, where different strains exchange or transfer DNA subsequences, leading to a tree topology change. We propose a phylogenetic factorial hidden Markov model to detect recombination and rate variation simultaneously. This is applied to two DNA sequence alignments: one bacterial (Neisseria) and another of type 1 human immunodeficiency virus. Inference is carried out in the Bayesian framework, using reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling.
Bayesian Dose Finding in Oncology For Drug Combinations by Copula Regression
Authors: Yin Guosheng , Yuan Ying
Published: January 2009

Treating patients with a combination of agents is becoming commonplace in cancer clinical trials, with biochemical synergism often the primary focus. In a typical drug combination trial, the toxicity profile of each individual drug has already been thoroughly studied in single-agent trials, which naturally offers rich prior information. We propose a Bayesian adaptive design for dose finding that is based on a copula-type model to account for the synergistic effect of two or more drugs in combination. To search for the maximum tolerated dose combination, we continuously update the posterior estimates for the toxicity probabilities of the combined doses. By reordering the dose toxicities in the two-dimensional probability space, we adaptively assign each new cohort of patients to the most appropriate dose. Dose escalation, de-escalation or staying at the same doses is determined by comparing the posterior estimates of the probabilities of toxicity of combined doses and the prespecified toxicity target. We conduct extensive simulation studies to examine the operating characteristics of the design and illustrate the proposed method under various practical scenarios.
Strategic Tax Competition in Switzerland: Evidence from a Panel of the Swiss Cantons
Authors: Feld Lars P. , Reulier Emmanuelle
Published: January 2009

Tax competition is discussed as a source of inefficiency in international taxation and in fiscal federalism. Two preconditions for the existence of such effects of tax competition are that mobile factors locate or reside in jurisdictions with - ceteris paribus - lower tax rates, and that taxes are actually set strategically in order to attract mobile production factors. It is well known from studies about Swiss cantonal and local income tax competition that Swiss taxpayers reside where income taxes are low. In this paper, empirical results on strategic tax setting by cantonal governments are presented for a panel of the Swiss cantons from 1984 to 1999. Completing the evidence on Swiss tax competition, income tax rates in cantons are the lower, the lower the tax rates of their neighbors.
Foreign Direct Investment and Environmental Taxes
Authors: De Santis Roberto A. , Stähler Frank
Published: January 2009

This paper studies the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on environmental policy stringency in a two-country model with trade costs, where FDI could be unilateral and bilateral and both governments address local pollution through environmental taxes. We show that FDI does not give rise to ecological dumping because the host country has an incentive to shift rents away from the source country toward the host country. Environmental policy strategies and welfare effects are studied under the assumption that parameter values support FDI to be profitable.
The neural consequences of flip‐flopping: The feedback‐related negativity and salience of reward prediction
Authors: Moser Jason S. , Simons Robert F.
Published: January 2009

Research suggests that the feedback‐related negativity (FRN) is only sensitive to expectancy when the prediction violation is salient. To further examine this issue, we asked participants to guess which of two virtual doors hid 5 cents. Prior to and after making their guess, participants were asked whether or not they expected to win. We extracted four conditions based on subjects' predictions before and after their choice of door: (1) win/win, (2) lose/lose, (3) win/lose, and (4) lose/win. Results revealed that the FRN was largest on trials in which subjects predicted they were not going to win and then changed their minds and predicted that they were going to win (i.e., the lose/win condition). Together with previous FRN results and findings in the area of regret and decision making, we suggest that the FRN reflects a context‐sensitive signal that integrates information about current and past actions, thoughts, and emotions.
Metabolically exaggerated cardiac reactions to acute psychological stress revisited
Authors: Carroll Douglas , Phillips Anna C. , Balanos George M.
Published: January 2009

The reactivity hypothesis postulates that large magnitude cardiovascular reactions to psychological stress contribute to the development of pathology. A key but little tested assumption is that such reactions are metabolically exaggerated. Cardiac activity, using Doppler echocardiography, and oxygen consumption, using mass spectrometry, were measured at rest and during and after a mental stress task and during graded submaximal cycling exercise. Cardiac activity and oxygen consumption showed the expected orderly association during exercise. However, during stress, large increases in cardiac activity were observed in the context of modest rises in energy expenditure; observed cardiac activity during stress substantially exceeded that predicted on the basis of contemporary levels of oxygen consumption. Thus, psychological stress can provoke increases in cardiac activity difficult to account for in terms of the metabolic demands of the stress task.
A time of transition: exploring special educational provision in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Shevlin Michael , Kenny Mairin , Loxley Andrew
Published: January 2009

Special educational provision in the Republic of Ireland has experienced significant changes in the past decade. A combination of interrelated factors including litigation, legislation, parental advocacy and international developments has radically altered the landscape of special education. As a result of these changes the move towards establishing inclusive learning environments appears irreversible though many critical issues remain to be addressed at this time of transition.

This study examines how key stakeholders in primary education perceive the challenge of responding appropriately to increased diversity. The results indicate that many barriers remain in the development of inclusive learning environments. The conceptual understanding of special educational needs (SEN) was seriously deficient and this affected the coherence of policy and service delivery. The system lacked strategic leadership, according to participants, and this restricted the capacity to support schools. School capacity to deliver quality education for children with SEN was constrained by the serious shortfall in the range and level of skills required and opportunities for professional development available. There was strong support for the principle of inclusion into mainstream though this was principally perceived in terms of the development of socialisation skills. It was concluded that in this transition phase schools required strategic leadership from policy‐makers to address the many challenges that remain in the establishment of inclusive learning environments.
Absence of endogenous interleukin‐10 enhances secondary inflammatory process after spinal cord compression injury in mice
Authors: Genovese Tiziana , Esposito Emanuela , Mazzon Emanuela , Di Paola Rosanna , Caminiti Rocco , Bramanti Placido , Cappelani Alessandro , Cuzzocrea Salvatore
Published: January 2009

Interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) exerts a wide spectrum of regulatory activities in the immune and inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of endogenous IL‐10 on the modulation of the secondary events in mice subjected to spinal cord injury induced by the application of vascular clips (force of 24 g) to the dura via a four‐level T5–T8 laminectomy. IL‐10 wild‐type mice developed severe spinal cord damage characterized by oedema, tissue damage and apoptosis (measured by Annexin‐V, terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase‐mediated UTP end labeling staining, Bax, Bcl‐2, and Fas‐L expression). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated a marked increase of localization of TNF‐α, IL‐1β and S100β, while western blot analysis shown an increased immunoreactivity of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the spinal cord tissues. The absence of IL‐10 in IL‐10 KO mice resulted in a significant augmentation of all the above described parameters. We have also demonstrated that the genetic absence of IL‐10 worsened the recovery of limb function when compared with IL‐10 wild‐type mice group (evaluated by motor recovery score). Taken together, our results clearly demonstrate that the presence of IL‐10 reduces the development of inflammation and tissue injury events associated with spinal cord trauma.
Dopamine transporter relation to levodopa‐derived synaptic dopamine in a rat model of Parkinson’s: an in vivo imaging study
Authors: Sossi Vesna , Dinelle Katherine , Topping Geoffrey J. , Holden James E. , Doudet Doris , Schulzer Michael , Ruth Thomas J. , Stoessl A. Jon , De La Fuente‐Fernandez Raul
Published: January 2009

Studies showed that the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) modulates changes in levodopa‐derived synaptic dopamine levels (Δ(DA)) in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here we evaluate the relationship between DAT and Δ(DA) in the 6‐hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson’s disease to investigate these mechanisms as a function of dopaminergic denervation and in relation to other denervation‐induced regulatory changes. 27 rats with a unilateral 6‐hydroxydopamine lesion (denervation ∼20–97%) were imaged with 11C‐dihydrotetrabenazine (VMAT2 marker), 11C‐methylphenidate (DAT marker) and 11C‐raclopride (D2‐type receptor marker). For denervation <75%Δ(DA) was significantly correlated with a combination of relatively preserved terminal density and lower DAT. For denervation <90%, Δ(DA) was significantly negatively correlated with DAT with a weaker dependence on VMAT2. For the entire data set, no dependence on pre‐synaptic markers was observed; Δ(DA) was significantly positively correlated with 11C‐raclopride binding‐derived estimates of DA loss. These findings parallel observations in humans, and show that (i) regulatory changes attempt to normalize synaptic DA levels (ii) a lesion‐induced functional dependence of Δ(DA) on DAT occurs up to ∼ 90% denervation (iii) for denervation < 75% relative lower DAT levels may relate to effective compensation; for higher denervation, lower DAT levels likely contribute to oscillations in synaptic DA associated with dyskinesias.
A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM)‐mediated ectodomain shedding of ADAM10
Authors: Parkin Edward , Harris Benjamin
Published: January 2009

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) 10 is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein responsible for the ectodomain shedding of a range of proteins including the amyloid precursor protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. In this study we demonstrate that ADAM10 itself is subject to shedding by one or more ADAMs. Expression of epitope‐tagged wild‐type ADAM10 in SH‐SY5Y cells enabled the detection of a soluble ectodomain in conditioned medium. Shedding of the ADAM10 ectodomain was inhibited by a known ADAM inhibitor with a reciprocal accumulation of the full‐length mature protein in both cell lysates and extracellular membrane vesicles. Shedding was also stimulated by phorbol ester treatment of cells. A glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchored form of ADAM10 lacking the cytosolic, transmembrane and α‐helical juxtamembrane regions of the wild‐type protein was shed in a similar manner. Furthermore, a truncated soluble ADAM10 construct, although correctly post‐translationally processed and catalytically active against a synthetic peptide substrate, was incapable of shedding cell‐associated amyloid precursor protein. Finally, we show that ADAM9 is, at least in part, responsible for the ectodomain shedding of ADAM10. In conclusion, this is a new mechanism by which levels of ADAM10 are regulated and may have implications in a range of human diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.