bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The invisible hands of capital and labour
Authors: Kleinberg-Levin David Michael
Published: January 2005

This essay argues that Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological description of gestural motility in his Phenomenology of Perception contributes to, and in a material way carries forward, not only (1) the account of alienation that Marx proposes in his writings on the condition of manual labour, but also (2) the reflections, at once critical and utopian, that Marx set out in his 1844 Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, evoking in terms of praxis the realization and fulfillment of our sensuous nature as embodied beings. It is also argued, here, that Merleau-Ponty’s critique of the philosophical accounts of gesture formulated by intellectualism and naturalism shows that, in spite of their differences, they are both ideologically constituted systems of thought that uncritically reflect, and consequently reproduce, the alienations and reifications to which Marx calls attention in his critique of capitalism. Thus, as long as the invisible hand of capital rules, the hands of the worker that exploitation has damaged - and indeed the fully realized hands of which Marx in his early years dreamed - will remain invisible.
Wittgenstein and Spengler vis-à-vis Frazer
Authors: Turanli Aydan
Published: January 2005

Perspicuous representation, Wittgenstein offers, is not another methodology, but it consists in seeing the connections. The Wittgensteinian perspicuous representation is therapeutic. The method he suggests for philosophy is the same method he suggests for social sciences. In both of these cases, he tries to get us to see the confusions we become entangled in when philosophizing and theorizing. In both of these disciplines he warns us not to advance explanatory, metaphysical theories. In this paper, I connect this concern with Wittgenstein’s critique of Frazer. In criticizing Frazer, Wittgenstein adopts the important part of Spengler’s view. Nonetheless, there are differences between Wittgenstein’s views and those of Spengler; this paper aims to show similarities as well as these differences. The first part of the paper briefly summarizes Frazer’s views. The second part focuses on Wittgenstein’s critique of Frazer concerning science and technology. The third part gives an account of his critique regarding method of social sciences and philosophy. The last part concentrates on Wittgenstein’s critique of Frazer pertaining to the tolerance towards alternative forms of life.
A Methodological Framework for Optimally Reorganizing Liver Transplant Regions
Authors: Stahl James E. , Kong Nan , Shechter Steven M. , Schaefer Andrew J. , Roberts Mark S.
Published: January 2005

Background. The United States is divided currently into 11 transplant regions, which vary in area and number of organ procurement organizations (OPOs). Region size affects organ travel time and organ viability at transplant. Purpose. To develop a methodologic framework for determining optimal configurations of regions maximizing transplant allocation efficiency and geographic parity. Methods. An integer program was designed to maximize a weighted combination of 2 objectives: 1) intraregional transplants, 2) geographic parity—maximizing the lowest intraregional transplant rate across all OPOs. Two classes of functions relating liver travel time to liver viability were also examined as part of the sensitivity analyses. Results. Preliminary results indicate that reorganizing regions, while constraining their number to 11, resulted in up to 17 additional transplants/year depending on the travel-viability function; when not constrained, it resulted in up to 18/year of increase. Conclusion. Our analysis indicates that liver transplantation may benefit through region reorganization. The analytic method developed here should be applicable to other organs and sets of organs.
Impact of Generic Drug Entry on Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Shih Ya-Chen Tina , Han Shu , Cantor Scott B.
Published: January 2005

The market share of generic drugs has grown substantially since the passage of the Waxman-Hatch Act, increasing from 19% in 1984 to 50% in 2001. At entry, the generic drugs typically are priced lower than brand-name drugs; thus, incorporating the impact of the generic drug entry introduces an additional source of uncertainty in economic models as both the timing of entry and the level of generic drug pricing are subject to variation. In this article, the authors explored the impact of generic drug entry on cost-effectiveness analyses of new or brand-name drugs. Using a mathematical model, they argue that failure to incorporate the impact of generic drug entry will underestimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and, thus, overstate the economic benefit of the new product. The authors provide 2 examples to illustrate such impact on short-term and long-term cost-effectiveness analyses. To better assess the uncertainty associated with the impact of generic drug entry, in addition to a deterministic analysis, they also employed a Bayesian probabilistic approach to analyze these examples and presented the results using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. They conclude that incorporating generic drug entry into pharmacoeconomic models will yield more accurate projections of the ICER and lead to better decision making.
Using Benefit Harm Tradeoffs to Estimate Sufficiently Important Difference: The Case of the Common Cold
Authors: Barrett Bruce , Brown Roger , Mundt Marlon , Dye Leota , Alt Jennifer , Safdar Nasia , Maberry Rob
Published: January 2005

Context. The term “sufficiently important difference” (SID) refers to the overall amount of benefit that people consider sufficient to justify the costs and risks of treatment. Little is known about patient preferences regarding benefits and harms of common cold treatments. Objectives. To develop methods to assess SID and to estimate SID for common cold. Design: The authors conducted in-person and telephone interviews with people with colds, using benefit harm tradeoff methods. The hypothetical benefit of reduction in length of illness was traded off against best estimates of costs and risks. First, the authors briefly described costs, risks, and possible symptomatic benefits of 4 treatment scenarios, based on evidence regarding vitamin C, echinacea, zinc, and pleconaril, an antiviral. Hypothetical benefit (reduction of illness duration) was then varied until the cold sufferer indicated that the treatment was minimally desirable. Participants. Interviews were conducted in person with 149 community-recruited adult participants, once at the beginning of their colds, and then again within a few days after symptoms had resolved. Additionally, 162 adult callers with self-identified colds completed interviews via telephone. Results. A total of 460 benefit harm tradeoff interviews (1840 treatment scenarios) estimated overall mean SID as 52.6 h (95% CI, 50.6 to 54.6). For the scenario based on vitamin C, mean SID was estimated as 26.1 h (95% CI, 23.2 to 29.3), with 142 of 460 (31%) saying they would take it regardless of duration benefit, and 22 of 460 (5%) saying they would not take it, regardless of duration benefit. For the echinacea-based scenario, mean SID was estimated at 36.8 h (33.4 to 40.2), with 105 (23%) favoring and 41 (9%) rejecting treatment, regardless of duration benefit. For the zinc lozenge-based scenario, mean SID was estimated as 64.8 h (61.0 to 67.9), with 42 (9%) favoring and 109 (24%) rejecting treatment. For the prescription antiviral-based scenario, mean SID was estimated as 82.6 h (78.7 to 86.7), with 29 (6%) favoring and 223 (48%) rejecting. Severity of illness at the time of interview did not appear to significantly influence responses. Possible side effects, treatment type (tablet v. lozenge v. liquid), monetary costs, and opportunity costs (e.g., getting to the doctor or pharmacy, dosing frequency) did appear to be important in influencing these preference patterns. Conclusions. Our study suggests that, on average, people want the duration of their colds to be reduced by between 26 and 65 h to justify potential harms of popular cold treatments. A prescription antiviral would require a greater benefit (83 h) to justify larger perceived risks.
A Place Like Home
Authors: Stivers Camilla
Published: January 2005

Public administration has regularly reached across the divide between public and private to import ideas and practices from private business, yet ideas of home rarely make their way into administrative theory. Inspired by the “city as a home” thinking of progressive-era social reformers, this article explores conceptual barriers and generative possibilities. It suggests, first, that home vivifies aspects of administration that foster caring concern for human development. Second, drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt, it argues that despite Arendt’s dim view of the household, an ontology of home furthers her vision of action—public spirited speech—in administrative practice.
Everyday Life in a Ministry
Authors: Rhodes R. A. W.
Published: January 2005

This article seeks to answer two questions: What do we know about the work of ministers and permanent secretaries? How do we know what we know about ministers and permanent secretaries? To do so, it describes a research project on life at the top of British government departments and discusses the issues raised by trying to do research and write a political anthropology of the daily life of ministers and civil servants. The article has four sections. First, it surveys briefly the existing literature on ministers and top civil servants. Second, it describes the scope and methods of the project. Third, it reports some early findings. Finally, it reflects on the distinctive contribution of ethnographic research to understanding British government and the problems of elite interviewing, nonparticipant observation, and research on the powerful.
Intergovernmental Relations and Native American Gaming
Authors: Mays G. Larry , Taggart William A.
Published: January 2005

Models of intergovernmental relations (IGR) are consistently built around the triumvirate of national, state, and local governments. Lacking in various conceptualizations is due consideration for the hundreds of tribal governments found scattered throughout the United States. Although the status of Indians in the U.S. federal system has always been something of an enigma, the emergence of Indian gaming, and its associated high economic and political stakes, suggests it is time to incorporate tribal governments into the IGR framework. This article takes a step in this theoretical direction by examining how Indian gaming reflects the many distinctive features that define the meaning of IGR. Specifically, this article looks at the Indian gaming experience of one state—New Mexico—as a case study to illustrate the legal, human, and policy elements of what might be viewed as representing the emergence of a new intergovernmental partner.
A Deterministic Optimization Approach to Protein Sequence Design Using Continuous Models
Authors: Koh Sung K. , Ananthasuresh G. K. , Vishveshwara Saraswathi
Published: January 2005

Determining the sequence of amino acid residues in a heteropolymer chain of a protein with a given conformation is a discrete combinatorial problem that is not generally amenable for gradient-based continuous optimization algorithms. In this paper we present a new approach to this problem using continuous models. In this modeling, continuous “state functions” are proposed to designate the type of each residue in the chain. Such a continuous model helps define a continuous sequence space in which a chosen criterion is optimized to find the most appropriate sequence. Searching a continuous sequence space using a deterministic optimization algorithm makes it possible to find the optimal sequences with much less computation than many other approaches. The computational efficiency of this method is further improved by combining it with a graph spectral method, which explicitly takes into account the topology of the desired conformation and also helps make the combined method more robust. The continuous modeling used here appears to have additional advantages in mimicking the folding pathways and in creating the energy landscapes that help find sequences with high stability and kinetic accessibility. To illustrate the new approach, a widely used simplifying assumption is made by considering only two types of residues: hydrophobic (H) and polar (P). Self-avoiding compact lattice models are used to validate the method with known results in the literature and data that can be practically obtained by exhaustive enumeration on a desktop computer. We also present examples of sequence design for the HP models of some real proteins, which are solved in less than five minutes on a single-processor desktop computer. Some open issues and future extensions are noted.
Computational Techniques for Analysis of Genetic Network Dynamics
Authors: Belta Calin , Esposito Joel M. , Kim Jongwoo , Kumar Vijay
Published: January 2005

In this paper we propose modeling and analysis techniques for genetic networks that provide biologists with insight into the dynamics of such systems. Central to our modeling approach is the framework of hybrid systems and our analysis tools are derived from formal analysis of such systems. Given a set of states characterizing a property of biological interest P , we present the Multi-Affine Rectangular Partition (MARP) algorithm for the construction of a set of infeasible states I that will never reach P and the Rapidly Exploring Random Forest of Trees (RRFT) algorithm for the construction of a set of feasible states F that will reach P. These techniques are scalable to high dimensions and can incorporate uncertainty (partial knowledge of kinetic parameters and state uncertainty).We apply these methods to understand the genetic interactions involved in the phenomenon of luminescence production in the marine bacterium V. fischeri.
High-performance Composites for Applications in Medical Engineering: Susceptibility Artifacts in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Endruweit A. , Fritzsche S. , Thull R. , Haase A. , Baur W.
Published: January 2005

The interaction of carbon fiber/epoxy composite parts with the magnetic fields in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for medical diagnostics has been quantitatively estimated for the example of the Riechert stereotactic head ring. Rings from carbon/epoxy composite have been compared with rings from other materials with respect to their influence on the applied magnetic field. For a fiber volume fraction ’ 0.5 and an angle between the fiber orientation and the field direction 90, the magnetic field disturbances caused by composite rings are similar to those caused by non-ferromagnetic metals as Cu or Al. Due to their significantly lower susceptibility values, carbon HT fibers are to be preferred to carbon HM fibers with respect to their interaction with magnetic fields. Induction of significant macroscopic eddy currents for changes of the magnetic flux through the rings is not to be expected.
Coupled Consistent Third-order Theory for Hybrid Piezoelectric Composite and Sandwich Beams
Authors: Kapuria S. , Dumir P. C. , Ahmed A.
Published: January 2005

A new coupled consistent third-order theory (CTOT) is presented which, unlike the existing third-order theory (TOT), satisfies exactly the shear traction-free conditions at the top and bottom of a hybrid beam for any electrical boundary condition. The potential field is discretized layerwise as piecewise linear. The axial and transverse electric fields are considered. The deflection is approximated as uniform across the thickness and the longitudinal displacement is approximated as a third-order variation. The field equations and the boundary conditions are derived from the Hamilton’s principle. Analytical solutions are obtained for simply-supported beams for static and harmonic electromechanical load, and for natural frequencies. The theory is assessed by comparing the results with 2D exact piezoelasticity solution.
Study of Chemical and Tensile Properties of Polyurethane and Polyurethane/Polyacrylonitrile Coated Bamboo Fibers
Authors: Kumar H. , Siddaramaiah
Published: January 2005

The polyethylene glycol (PEG) based polyurethane (PU) and polyurethane-polyacrylonitrile (PU/PAN) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs) have been coated on the surface of alkali-treated and untreated bamboo fibers (Bambusa balcooa). The chemical resistance and tensile load at break of bamboo fibers before and after coating with SIPNs have been studied. It is observed that the tensile load at break and chemical resistance of bamboo fibers have increased on coating.
Identifying Robust, Parsimonious Neighborhood Indicators
Authors: Galster George , Hayes Chris , Johnson Jennifer
Published: January 2005

Identifying a few indicators that summarily tracked key dimensions of neighborhoods would be invaluable for neighborhood monitoring and measuring impacts of interventions. The goal of this article is to search empirically for such robust, parsimonious indicators. In five cities, the authors analyze the interrelationships among a broad set of census tract indicators related to mortgage market activity; home prices; jobs and firms; demographic, socioeconomic, and housing stock characteristics; crime; and public assistance and health. Through factor analysis, they identify four to six neighborhood dimensions among these indicators that are common across cities. Using regression, the authors identify a parsimonious number of indicators that are inexpensive, annually updated, and available for all U.S. communities yet robustly capture significant variation in these neighborhood dimensions. Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data on mortgage approval rates, loan amounts, and loan applications and Dunn and Bradstreet data on businesses comprise such a set for four of the dimensions.
Rethinking Agglomeration Economies and the Role of the Central City
Authors: Nelson Marla K.
Published: January 2005

This article investigates the unique locational attributes central cities are purported to have and the importance of agglomeration economies in intra-metropolitan site selection via a locational analysis of the public accounting industry in the Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul regions. Relying on data from a telephone survey of public accounting offices and interviews with public accounting executives and industry experts, findings suggest that the agglomeration argument has been overstated in explaining the industry’s location and that the traditional conception of agglomeration economies as confined to the urban core is spatially restrictive.
Accountability Myopia: Losing Sight of Organizational Learning
Authors: Ebrahim Alnoor
Published: January 2005

This article challenges a normative assumption about accountability in organizations: that more accountability is necessarily better. More specifically, it examines two forms of “myopia” that characterize conceptions of accountability among service-oriented nonprofit organizations: (a) accountability as a set of unconnected binary relationships rather than as a system of relations and (b) accountability as short-term and rule-following behavior rather than as a means to longer-term social change. The article explores the effects of these myopias on a central mechanism of accountability in organizations—evaluation—and proposes a broader view of accountability that includes organizational learning. Future directions for research and practice are elaborated.
A Grounded Theory for Building Ethnically Bridging Social Capital in Voluntary Organizations
Authors: Weisinger Judith Y. , Salipante Paul F.
Published: January 2005

The study of diversity in nonprofit organizations is at a nascent stage. Using a grounded theory process centering on the racial composition of Girl Scout troop members and volunteers, this study proposes a two-pronged theory of diversity in voluntary organizations. Building upon Adler and Kwon’s three aspects of social capital—opportunity, motivation, and ability—the study concludes that even when sufficient opportunity and mission-based motivation exists, social capital of the bridging type will likely be insufficient to sustain interactions among diverse members. To remedy this problem, the theory suggests that a voluntary organization can first rely upon the bonding type of social capital to increase representational diversity, then structure mission-relevant interactions among diverse members to create bridging social capital, and sustain pluralistic diversity. New directions for research and practice are also discussed, with the theory indicating that many nonprofits possess characteristics favoring the creation of bridging social capital.
Do Charitable Donors Know Enough—and Care Enough—About Government Subsidies to Affect Private Giving to Nonprofit Organizations?
Authors: Horne Christopher S. , Johnson Janet L. , Van Slyke David M.
Published: January 2005

A large body of research has examined the effect of government subsidies to nonprofit organizations on philanthropy, with the preponderance of evidence suggesting that government funding partially displaces or “crowdsout”private giving. Such studies assume that charitable donors are aware of the amount of government funding received by their beneficiary charitable organizations and that they act on this information when determining how much money to donate. This study assesses the validity of these heretofore untested assumptions. After comparing the “best guesses” of survey respondents (N = 675) to the actual amount of government funding received by the charitable organizations to which they have donated money, the assumption of donors’ knowledge about government funding is found to be met only very weakly. Furthermore, few respondents anticipate changing giving behavior due to government subsidies. These findings suggest the need to explore explanations of crowding out beyond those assumed under current theory.
The emergence of the mainland Chinese outbound travel market and its implications for tourism marketing
Authors: Zhang Hanqin Qiu , Heung Vincent C. S.
Published: January 2005

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current trends of the mainland Chinese outbound travellers to Hong Kong. According to the World Tourism Organisation’s forecasted figures, China will be the fourth largest generator of outbound tourists in the world. In 2000, China generated about 29 per cent of the total tourists to Hong Kong, and was the biggest market for Hong Kong. Given the importance of this market, this study attempts to find out how the trend of outbound travel and market performance has been developed; what the main social, economic and political factors are affecting the emergence of the China outbound market; and what the policy implications are for the tourism industry in Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region.
Domestic tourism demand in China’s urban centres: Empirical analyses and marketing implications
Authors: Cai Liping A. , Hu Bo , Feng Ruomei
Published: January 2005

China’s domestic tourism market makes up more than 90 per cent of the country’s tourist traffic, and contributes more than 70 per cent of total tourism receipts. This study proposed a demand model that examined the relationship between the annual expenditure of urban domestic travellers and per capita GDP. It was found that the demand theory developed in market economies was applicaable in a transit economy like China. Income elasticity of domestic tourism in China’s urban areas was determined to be 0.30. The model also recognised the positive effect of the country’s special economic zones on the domestic demand. Underlying reasons for the study’s findings are discussed. The model can be used to forecast domestic demand from Chinese urban centres. Implications of the study include the suggestion that the demand measurement of expenditure is more appropriate than person trips in the Chinese context and from the perspective of destination marketing.
Do psychographics influence vacation destination choices? A comparison of British travellers to North America, Asia and Oceania
Authors: Lehto Xinran You , O’Leary Joseph T. , Morrison Alastair M.
Published: January 2005

Using national survey data on the long-haul pleasure travel market in the UK, this study compared British travellers bound for Asian, North American and Oceanic destinations on three different psychographic dimensions. Significant differences were found among the three travel groups in trael philosophies, travel benefits sought and destination attribute preferences. In contrast, demographic and socio-economic variables were found to be ineffective in differentiating the British travellers. The research findings provided further empirical evidence of the valuable role that psychographic factors, such as attitudes and preferences, can play in understanding travel decision making. The results also indicated that destination areas should identify the benefits and attributes that are most highly valued by travellers from key countryof-origin target markets. Furthe, the study suggested that there was good reason for closer marketing alliances among individual countries within a region. Within each of the three broad travel regions reviewed in this study there existed more homogeneity, while between regions there appeared to be more heterogeneity in the psychographic variables.
Image selection in destination positioning: A new approach
Authors: Day Jonathon , Skidmore Sarita , Koller Theadora
Published: January 2005

Consumers’ images of a destination are built by a variety of influences, only some of which can be directly or indirectly attributed to destination marketing companies. In preparing to ‘launch’ Southern Queensland (Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast) in the US market, Tourism Queensland undertook consumer studies to identify the images most likely to stimulate travel to the destination. Utilising this information, Tourism Queensland has been able to influence a wide group of stakeholders—including distribution channel members and media outlets—to use these images. This process has contributed to the development of the strongest possible image of the destination in this competitive market-place.
Strategic theming in theme park marketing
Authors: Wong Kevin K. F. , Cheung Phoebe W. Y.
Published: January 2005

Theme parks aim to create the atmosphere of another world and it is essentially the theme which becomes the main part of a theme park experience. Thematic tourism had become increasingly popular where travel is motivated by an interest in a particular subject or area rather than by the more traditional motivations such as idyllic scenery and climate. The drawing power of theming is evident in the fact that it has, in recent years, become a catalyst for the growth of new destinations based mainly on thematic leisure.

This study attempts to identify and describe a distinct and representative set of theme types and attributes in a theme park and examines the relationship between visitors’ motivation for visiting theme parks and theme preferences. Weak to moderately strong relationships were found between motivation for theme park visits by visitors and their demographics and lifestyle patterns. Given the fact the theme park industry is still relatively young in Asia, the findings of this study reinforce the need for Asian theme parks to focus strategically on satisfying lower-level needs, such as stimulation, by developing and marketing an adventure theme comparable with Western theme parks.
British Airways’ inbound leisure market to Machester, England: Is direct marketing the answer?
Authors: Ali-Knight Jane , Wild Sue
Published: January 2005

Research was undertaken to explore British Airways’ (BA) inbbound leisure market from Europe to Manchester and evaluate their use of direct marketing activity to increase leisure traffic on European routes. BA currently has direct sales offices based all over Europe, promoting leisure travel to the UK. It was decided to focus on the marketing activity on four core routes originating from France, Germany and Spain.

To achieve the objectives of the research both qualitative and quantitative methods of primary data collection were used. Focus groups were conducted at the BA overseas sales offices with sales managers and members of their sales teams. An in-flight survey was undertaken with BA leisure passengers from Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf to gain insights into their travel patterns, trends and motivations.

This paper reports on findings from both the qualitative and quantitative stages of the research process. Research findings showed that none of the overseas offices had a leisure marketing strategy in place or had undergone market segmentation studies to identify visitors’ patterns. Despite a move towards and recognition of the importance of direct selling, the main distribution channel used was still shown to bbe tour operators. Significant differences in approach towards distribution methods were also identified between the three countries.
Destination marketing into the next century
Authors: Bennett Oliver
Published: January 2005

Tourism destination marketing is particularly challenging. The nature of tourism, with small businesses selling products in distant markets, has led to a conclusion in many countries that governments and government agencies should have a lead marketing role. The author argues that their activities need to be undertaken in close cooperation with the private sector using a combbination of old and new techniques. Success is likely to come via public-private partnerships combined with environmental and social responsibility.
Identigying, keeping and valuing profitable customers
Authors: Mounser Ian
Published: January 2005

For obvious reasons companies are increasisngly trying to focus on customers that deliver most to their bottom line—how to find them, keep them and develop them. There has undoubtedly been a lot of recent progress in this area, arguably much of it due to advances in database technology. Added to which, organisations must keep asking the right questions and analysing the answers presented. This paper seekks to raise some of the pertinent issues and questions as they currently apply to the UK travel industry.
The Role of Public Opinion on the California Governor’s Recall in 2003
Authors: Baldassare Mark
Published: January 2005

The article examines the role of public opinion during the California governor’s recall in 2003 compared to partisanship and ideology. In the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Statewide Surveys, most Californians reported that their state was headed in the wrong direction, whereas relatively few said that they trusted state government, and most said that they disapproved of the way the governor was handling his job. Californians reported that they liked the recall process in concept, and about one half said that they were pleased with its current use and satisfied with the replacement candidates. The author finds that public support for the recall was consistent over time and related to negative political attitudes and positive recall attitudes when controlling for other factors. The implications for the future use and success of recalls and on what political science has to say about the role of populism and partisanship in the direct democracy movement are discussed.
Strategic Voting in the California Recall Election
Authors: Shaw Daron , McKenzie Mark J. , Underwood Jeffrey
Published: January 2005

Given people’s interest in all things California, the novelty of the recall mechanism, and the presence of a bona fide action hero in the race, it is not surprising that the 2003 California recall election attracted an inordinate amount of national attention. The circus-like atmosphere should not, however, obscure the interesting implications of the recall election for our understanding of the broader phenomenon of strategic voting. We argue that partisans faced two different strategic voting scenarios in California, with Democrats confronting a slightly more subtle set of criteria and circumstances than Republicans. Drawing on individual-level survey data designed to gauge candidate affect and second-choice preferences, we find that strategic voting was common (although by no means unanimous) among those whose preferences placed them in a position to cast such a strategic vote.
Influence of metal cation order on magnetic order in manganogrunerite, (Fe,Mg,Mn)7Si8O22(OH)2, a quasi-one-dimensional chain antiferromagnet
Authors: Reece J. J. , Redfern S. A. T.
Published: January 2005

The magnetic susceptibility of ordered and partially disordered manganogrunerites (composition and ) has been measured between room temperature and 5 K. The influence of disordering of metal cations over the M(1,2,3) sites of the octahedral ribbon in these amphiboles is to dilute Fe2+ within the ribbon. We observe a reduction in both θp and TN as a function of both increased Mg/(Mg+Fe) and metal cation disorder, linked to a reduction in the strength of magnetic coupling between and within the one-dimensional chains of the structure.
Serpentine and brucite of ultramafic clasts from the South Chamorro Seamount (Ocean Drilling Program Leg 195, Site 1200): inferences for the serpentinization of the Mariana forearc mantle
Authors: D'Antonio M. , Kristensen M. B.
Published: January 2005

Serpentine minerals and brucite in ultramafic rocks from the South Chamorro Seamount were characterized chemically to investigate the serpentinization of the Mariana forearc mantle. Relict primary minerals of the serpentinites are olivine, enstatite and minor Cr-spinel and diopside. The secondary minerals are mostly serpentine and brucite with minor magnetite. The serpentine minerals, mostly lizardite and chrysotile, display large compositional variations. Al2O3 and Cr2O3 contents depend generally upon the nature of the primary mineral from which the serpentine was derived. Both serpentine minerals and brucite exhibit wide Mg, Fe and Mn substitution: the Mg# ranges are 95.1–77.2 and 88.9–60.8, respectively. These mineralogical and chemical features allowed us to estimate an upper temperature limit for serpentinization of ∼200–300°C, in agreement with recent thermal models which suggest that the serpentinized mantle wedge of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction zone is cold. The high degree of serpentinization (40–100%, average >75%), and the serpentine + brucite paragenesis of these ultramafics imply that the Mariana forearc mantle has a significantly reduced density and strength down to ∼30 km, which provides a driving mechanism for serpentinite diapirism. Pervasive serpentinization of the forearc by fluids released from the décollement zone also explains the low seismicity of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction zone.
The treatment of migraines and tension-type headaches with intravenous and oral niacin (nicotinic acid): systematic review of the literature
Authors: Prousky Jonathan , Seely Dugald
Published: January 2005

Background

Migraine and tension-type headaches impose a tremendous economic drain upon the healthcare system. Intravenous and oral niacin has been employed in the treatment of acute and chronic migraine and tension-type headaches, but its use has not become part of contemporary medicine, nor have there been randomized controlled trials further assessing this novel treatment. We aimed to systematically review the evidence of using intravenous and/or oral niacin as a treatment for migraine headaches, tension-type headaches, and for headaches of other etiologic types.

Methods

We searched English and non-English language articles in the following databases: MEDLINE (1966–February 2004), AMED (1995–February 2004) and Alt HealthWatch (1990–February 2004).

Results

Nine articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Hypothetical reasons for niacin's effectiveness include its vasodilatory properties, and its ability to improve mitochondrial energy metabolism. Important side effects of niacin include flushing, nausea and fainting.

Conclusion

Although niacin's mechanisms of action have not been substantiated from controlled clinical trials, this agent may have beneficial effects upon migraine and tension-type headaches. Adequately designed randomized trials are required to determine its clinical implications.
Polysomy of chromosome 17 in breast cancer tumors showing an overexpression of ERBB2: a study of 175 cases using fluorescence in situhybridization and immunohistochemistry
Authors: Salido Marta , Tusquets Ignasi , Corominas Josep M , Suarez Marta , Espinet Blanca , Corzo Cristina , Bellet Meritxell , Fabregat Xavier , Serrano Sergi , Solé Francesc
Published: January 2005

Introduction

One of the most common genetic aberrations associated with breast cancer is the amplification and overexpression of the ERBB2 proto-oncogene located at chromosome 17, bands q12-21. The amplification/overexpression occurs in 25 to 30% of all breast cancers. In breast cancer, aneusomy of chromosome 17, either monosomy or polysomy, is frequently observed by conventional cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The aim of this study was to discover whether or not numerical aberrations on chromosome 17 have a correlation to the amplification or overexpression of the ERBB2 gene and to analyze their clinical implications in subgroups showing 2+ or 3+ positive scores by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Methods

We used FISH on a series of 175 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast carcinomas to detect ERBB2 amplification, using a dual-probe system for the simultaneous enumeration of the ERBB2 gene and the centromeric region of chromosome 17, as well as using IHC to detect overexpression. We analyzed clinical and pathological variables in a subgroup of patients with 2+ and 3+ IHC scores (147 patients), to describe any differences in clinicopathological characteristics between polysomic and non-polysomic cases with the use of the χ2 test.

Results

We found 13% of cases presenting polysomy, and three cases presented monosomy 17 (2%). According to the status of the ERBB2 gene, instances of polysomy 17 were more frequently observed in non-amplified cases than in FISH-amplified cases, suggesting that the mechanism for ERBB2 amplification is independent of polysomy 17. Polysomy 17 was detected in patients with 2+ and 3+ IHC scores. We found that nodal involvement was more frequent in polysomic than in non-polysomic cases (P = 0.046).

Conclusions

The determination of the copy number of chromosome 17 should be incorporated into the assesment of ERBB2 status. It might also be helpful to differentiate a subgroup of breast cancer patients with polysomy of chromosome 17 and overexpression of ERBB2 protein that probably have genetic and clinical differences.
Minimal instructions improve the performance of laypersons in the use of semiautomatic and automatic external defibrillators
Authors: Beckers Stefan , Fries Michael , Bickenbach Johannes , Derwall Matthias , Kuhlen Ralf , Rossaint Rolf
Published: January 2005

Introduction

There is evidence that use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by laypersons improves rates of survival from cardiac arrest, but there is no consensus on the optimal content and duration of training for this purpose. In this study we examined the use of semiautomatic or automatic AEDs by laypersons who had received no training (intuitive use) and the effects of minimal general theoretical instructions on their performance.

Methods

In a mock cardiac arrest scenario, 236 first year medical students who had not previously attended any preclinical courses were evaluated in their first study week, before and after receiving prespecified instructions (15 min) once. The primary end-point was the time to first shock for each time point; secondary end-points were correct electrode pad positioning, safety of the procedure and the subjective feelings of the students.

Results

The mean time to shock for both AED types was 81.2 ± 19.2 s (range 45–178 s). Correct pad placement was observed in 85.6% and adequate safety in 94.1%. The time to shock after instruction decreased significantly to 56.8 ± 9.9 s (range 35–95 s; P ≤ 0.01), with correct electrode placement in 92.8% and adequate safety in 97%. The students were significantly quicker at both evaluations using the semiautomatic device than with the automatic AED (first evaluation: 77.5 ± 20.5 s versus 85.2 ± 17 s, P ≤ 0.01; second evaluation: 55 ± 10.3 s versus 59.6 ± 9.6 s, P ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion

Untrained laypersons can use semiautomatic and automatic AEDs sufficiently quickly and without instruction. After one use and minimal instructions, improvements in practical performance were significant. All tested laypersons were able to deliver the first shock in under 1 min.
Fast and systematic genome-wide discovery of conserved regulatory elements using a non-alignment based approach
Authors: Elemento Olivier , Tavazoie Saeed
Published: January 2005

We describe a powerful new approach for discovering globally conserved regulatory elements between two genomes. The method is fast, simple and comprehensive, without requiring alignments. Its application to pairs of yeasts, worms, flies and mammals yields a large number of known and novel putative regulatory elements. Many of these are validated by independent biological observations, have spatial and/or orientation biases, are co-conserved with other elements and show surprising conservation across large phylogenetic distances.
The Revolutionary Health Science of Psychoendoneuroimmunology: A New Paradigm for Understanding Health and Treating Illness
Authors: RAY OAKLEY
Published: January 2005

Abstract: This paper reviews the social and behavioral factors acting on the brain that influence health, illness, and death. Using data from several areas of research, a new paradigm is proposed for understanding health and illness. This paradigm, psychoendoneuroimmunology (PENI), provides both the concepts and the mechanisms for studying and explaining mind‐body relationships. The brain is the body's first line of defense against illness, and the mind is the functioning of the brain. PENI incorporates ideas, belief systems, hopes, and desires as well as biochemistry, physiology, and anatomy. As we change our thoughts, we are changing our brain and thus our biology and our body. Belief systems set a baseline for the brain upon which other variables will act and have their effects.
Glucocorticoid Programming
Authors: SECKL JONATHAN R. , MEANEY MICHAEL J.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Epidemiological evidence suggests that an adverse fetal environment permanently programs physiology, leading to increased risks of cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroendocrine disorders in adulthood. Prenatal glucocorticoid excess or stress might link fetal maturation and adult pathophysiology. In a variety of animal models, prenatal glucocorticoid exposure or inhibition of 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β‐HSD2), the fetoplacental “barrier” to maternal glucocorticoids, reduces birth weight and causes permanent hypertension, hyperglycemia, and increased hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis (HPA) activity and behavior resembling anxiety. In humans, 11β‐HSD2 gene mutations cause low birth weight and reduced placental 11β‐HSD2 activity associated with intrauterine growth retardation. Low birth weight babies have higher plasma cortisol levels throughout adult life, indicating HPA programming. The molecular mechanisms may reflect permanent changes in the expression of specific transcription factors; key is the glucocorticoid receptor itself. Differential programming of the glucocorticoid receptor in different tissues reflects effects upon one or more of the multiple tissue‐specific alternate first exons/promoters of the glucocorticoid receptor gene. Overall, the data suggest that either pharmacological or physiological exposure to excess glucocorticoids prenatally programs pathologies in adult life.
Stressor Specificity and Effect of Prior Experience on Catecholamine Biosynthetic Enzyme Phenylethanolamine N‐Methyltransferase
Authors: KVETNANSKY RICHARD
Published: January 2005

Abstract: The specific activation of two components of the sympathoadrenal system (adrenomedullary and sympathoneural) by various stressors was recently described. The aim of this work was to investigate changes in catecholamine (CA) biosynthetic enzyme phenylethanolamine N‐methyltransferase (PNMT) gene expression, protein level, and activity in the adrenal medulla of rats after a single or repeated exposure to various homotypic or novel heterotypic stressors. Immobilization for 2 h (IMO), cold 4°C (COLD), administration of insulin 5I U (INS), or 2‐deoxyglucose 500 mg/kg (2DG) were used as stressors. Plasma epinephrine (EPI) and norepinephrine (NE) levels clearly showed that these stressors specifically activate the aforementioned systems. A single exposure to IMO, COLD, INS, or 2DG induced increases in PNMT mRNA levels in the adrenal medulla. Besides PNMT mRNA, repeated exposure to IMO also elevated activity and protein levels of the enzyme; however, chronic cold exposure did not show PNMT changes compared to control animals at room temperature. PNMT gene expression was also investigated in rats adapted to repeated immobilization stress or to chronic cold exposure after a single exposure to various heterotypic novel stressors. Cold‐adapted rats responded to heterotypic novel stressors (IMO, INS) by exaggerated responses of PNMT mRNA levels compared to responses in naive rats exposed to the same stressors at room temperature. Immobilization‐adapted rats did not show exaggerated responses of PNMT mRNA after exposure to novel stressors. Therefore, observed differences in plasma CA and adrenomedullary mRNA levels suggest a specific regulation of CA release, synthesis, and gene expression of CA biosynthetic enzymes, which depends on the quality of the stressor. Exposure of adapted rats to novel stressors induces exaggerated responses, but this process also depends on the specificity of the stressor used. Different stressors regulate PNMT gene expression by specific mechanisms especially in chronically stressed rats. These mechanisms remain to be elucidated. It is the ability of the long‐term stressed organism to respond differently to novel heterotypic stressors that we consider an important adaptive phenomenon of catecholaminergic systems in rats.
Differential Effects of Stress on Gene Transcription Factors in Catecholaminergic Systems
Authors: SABBAN ESTHER L. , HEBERT MELEIK A. , LIU XIAOPING , NANKOVA BISTRA , SEROVA LIDIA
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Long‐term changes in catecholamine levels and expression of their biosynthetic enzymes are associated with several stress‐related disorders such as elevated plasma norepinephrine in posttraumatic stress disorder and increased postmortem tyrosine hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus with major depression. Stress elevates tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in the CNS and periphery. Increased transcriptional initiation was involved in this induction in the rat adrenal medulla and locus coeruleus in response to single as well as repeated immobilization stress (IMO). We examined the stress‐triggered induction or phosphorylation of several transcription factors, which were previously shown to be able to modulate tyrosine hydroxylase transcription. A single episode of IMO triggered elevations of c‐fos in both the adrenal medulla and locus coeruleus. With repeated daily IMO, Fra‐2 was a major AP‐1 factor induced in the adrenal medulla, but not in the locus coeruleus. Egr1 levels were markedly elevated in the adrenal medulla with both single and repeated IMO stress, but not in the locus coeruleus. In the locus coeruleus, increased phosphorylation of CREB was observed after both single and repeated IMO. Results implicate differential transcription pathways in mediating elevation of gene expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, and other target genes, in these locations.