bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN SMEs
Authors: HÄCKNER EINAR , NILSSON ANDERS
Published: November 2004

The research questions concern the possible link between Accounting Information Systems (AIS) and profitability in small and medium-sized firms (SMEs). "Instrumental" functions of AIS are compared with profitability for 24SMEs in the Swedish prefab housing industry. Data were collected by extensive, structured interviews with firm CEOs and CFOs. Results are interpreted in the context of the "sense-making process". AIS parts include: budgets, cash management, calculations, accounting and reports. The instrumental functions are evaluated in terms of completeness, complexity, logic, consistency and timeliness.

The findings indicate that instrumental features of calculations and reporting do matter and are related to profitability in the business. Well designed features of these parts of an AIS seemed to be necessary but not sufficient prerequisites for profitability. It is suggested that the relationships can be better understood in the light of sense-making aspects.

On the basis of the findings a framework of decision models is proposed. The framework is based on two dimensions of a problematic situation: degree of structure and complexity.
ASSESSING THE MORTALITY RISK OF A BUSINESS
Authors: AMRHEIN DENISE GUITHUES , KATZ JEROME A
Published: November 2004

A number of studies have examined the factors affecting the mortality risk of a business. One factor that has not been given sufficient attention is the area of cash flow and working capital management. In order to make informed business decisions, the business owner is dependent on cost estimates and other financial projections that provide a view of the business in its entirety. Regardless of whether a company is a start-up or an ongoing business, financial projections are crucial to successful management, providing an important test of feasibility for new firms and giving existing businesses a chance to spot problems and make corrections before it's too late. Ultimately, the true test of survivability of a business is its bottom line. However, in the interim, the degree of a company's liquidity provides a critical measure of its mortality risk. Even if a company is earning net income, it still takes cash to pay the bills. Properly managing the area of working capital and cash flows is essential to the survival and growth of a business. This is particularly true of smaller firms who experience different circumstances than large firms including fewer available resources.
ON THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOCIETY
Authors: KENDRICK JAMES
Published: November 2004

Our understanding of entrepreneurship has traditionally been formulated under the lens of individual streams of literature, i.e., economics, psychology, sociology, and our understanding of the role of the entrepreneur in society has depended on the scale of magnification one chooses to view society. As we rapidly approach the third millennium, venturing further into the information economy and distancing ourselves from the production economy, major changes are occurring in society. Managing change, of course, is nothing new to the entrepreneur who has survived many changes over many centuries. This paper briefly reviews how entrepreneurship has been treated by some authors in three traditional streams of literature - economics, psychology, and sociology. Characteristics of the changing society are noted and it is suggested that each stream, alone, is not sufficient to understand the role of the entrepreneur beyond 2000. The conclusion offers suggestions for effective policy-making including: more interdisciplinary collaboration - bringing together knowledge specialists and knowledge integrators, more sharing of information, establishing research agendas, and private/public sector partnerships in research.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR JAPANESE INDUSTRY IN THE INTERNET ERA
Authors: AKIZAWA HIKARI , KIJIMA KYOICHI
Published: November 2004

The aim of this study is, based on intensive comparative case studies, to analyze structure and process of entrepreneurial networks in the internet communication era. We then imply general insights on entrepreneurial networks, some of which suggest solutions to urgent problems concerning industry restructuring in Japan.

Although during the long-term recession in Japan the value of entrepreneurship has been widely recognized, the number of business startups, however, has not readily increased, in spite of various efforts by many public institutions at developing support programs. On the other hand, it has been observed recently that some internet-based entrepreneurial networks have emerged spontaneously, which let business startups help each other and acquire Internet potential.

This paper begins with proposing a conceptual typology for positioning various entrepreneurial networks on it. We then analyze two cases intensively by examining their emergence process and characteristics, guided by the conceptual framework. One is an internet-based entrepreneurial network to help business startups in Japan while the other is a non-internet-based entrepreneurial network that has been in the United States for fifteen years. We conducted participated observation in the former case for two years while we carried out interviews and material-based research for the latter. Finally, we derive general insights on entrepreneurial networks from the case studies.

The major findings of this study are as follows: (1) Network polarity, loose and tight, is determined by two primary variable, i.e., expectations and membership. (2) Inter-personal networks can provide the infrastructure of inter-firm networks. Especially loose inter-personal networks tend to generate cooperative and tight inter-firm network, because a wide variety of members naturally enjoy opportunities to encounter potential business partners there. (3) We find different aims in inter-personal networks and inter-firm networks. The former is primarily for mutual aiding while the latter is for dealing with businesses. (4) The internet communications can simultaneously make networks both looser and tighter. (5) Loose inter-personal networks facilitated by the internet communication should have power to reorganize old industry structure in Japan by creating new business and new business relationship if the government support it with minimum intervention and maximum understanding.
THE REVEALING OF AN INHERENT ORIENTAL PERCEPTION ON TQM IMPLEMENTATION IN HONG KONG
Authors: LO VICTOR H. Y.
Published: November 2004

The rapid development of the Asian economies is one of the focal points of world economy. Owing to intensive influences of Chinese in Asia, studies related to Chinese culture have gained great interest to foreign investors worldwide. The building up of a good quality Chinese partnership with the rest of the world is found beneficial starting with understanding Chinese Confucianist thinking. A set of 19 Confucian Principles are extracted systematically in this study to reveal how Chinese managers implement Total Quality Management (TQM). The Fishbein behaviour model was used to measure the quality behaviour intentions of Chinese managers. An instrument was developed and tested on Chinese philosophies in TQM implementation. The findings of the study were reinforced by discussion sessions with Chinese managers in Hong Kong. The findings of the study are encouraging, and had provided a new window for further studies on oriental cultural based management.
BARTER EXCHANGES AND SMALL BUSINESS: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THE US MODEL TO EUROPE
Authors: FORBES CAROL A. , HEALEY NIGEL M.
Published: November 2004

This paper explores the phenomenon of barter exchanges, which have become widespread in the United States and provide small retailers and service companies with a means of trading goods or services directly with each other. Using a case study approach in the United States, the papers examines the mechanics of barter exchanges and the advantages and disadvantages to its users in the small business sector. It then considers the spread of barter exchanges to Europe and, using a questionnaire survey, identifies a range of obstacles to the successful transfer of this US model.
SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DIMENSIONS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IN UK BOOKSELLING
Authors: RATCLIFFE JULIE , WARNABY GARY
Published: November 2004

This case considers entrepreneurial activity in the UK bookselling sector from the 1980s to the present. The early 1980s saw individual entrepreneurs within the UK bookselling sector having the entrepreneurial vision to develop new retail formats which have significantly altered the competitive landscape. The late 1980s/early 1990s saw the consolidation of these innovative retail formats and highlights the ways in which the 'rules of the game' have been significantly altered. The mid/late 1990s introduces the spatial element more overtly , outlining the development of book 'e-tailing' by a new breed of entrepreneurs. This has served to blur the traditional market boundaries, thereby facilitating the process of internationalisation. This process has taken two main forms: physical market entry, with particularly, US retailers grounding themselves in the UK through organic growth and/or acquisition; and the more intangible Internet presence, which has the potential to render traditional conceptualisation of this sector obsolete.
AN OPTION-THEORETIC PREPAYMENT MODEL FOR MORTGAGES AND MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES
Authors: KALOTAY ANDREW , YANG DEANE , FABOZZI FRANK J.
Published: November 2004

We introduce a new approach for modeling the prepayments of a mortgage pool and show how it can be used to value mortgage pools and agency mortgage-backed securities. We describe the full spectrum of refinancing behavior using a notion of refinancing efficiency. Our approach has two distinguishing features: (1) our primary focus is on understanding the market value of a mortgage, in contrast with standard models that strive (often unsuccessfully) to predict future cash flows, and (2) we use two separate yield curves, one for modeling mortgage cash flows and the other for MBS cash flows.
ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS OF BUSINESS STUDENTS — A BENCHMARKING STUDY
Authors: FRANKE NIKOLAUS , LÜTHJE CHRISTIAN
Published: November 2004

It is widely accepted that the educational system of universities has to provide an academic environment that may serve as a catalyst for high-technology start-ups. The academic tradition of entrepreneurship in German-speaking countries is very short. Until recently, fostering innovations and new product development through entrepreneurship has not been regarded as a primary task of universities. However, perspectives have changed in this respect, and there have been numerous attempts to enhance the role of university graduates as founders of innovative businesses. In this paper, we compare the entrepreneurial intentions of students at two German-speaking universities (the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and the University of Munich) with the corresponding results for a leading institution in this field: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). We find very distinct patterns of entrepreneurial spirit in these universities. The results also suggest that the lower level of founding intentions among students in Munich and Vienna may be attributed to their less distinctive entrepreneurship education. This leaves a great deal of room for improvement.
DEVELOPMENT OF MANUFACTURER-RETAILER RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY
Authors: CHEN MU-CHEN , CHANG HSU-HWA , CHANG SHUEN-CHIEH , CHEN SHIH-MING
Published: November 2004

Nowadays enterprises are facing many challenges such as global competition and thin profits. Consequently, enterprises have changed their focus from cost reduction and quality improvement to quick customer response and innovative services. In recent decades, enterprises have developed advanced industry initiatives to improve efficiency by supply chain management. Effective supply chain management is not achievable by any single enterprise, but instead requires a virtual entity of integrated supply chain partners. They have the insightful commitment of real-time information sharing and collaborative management. Under such a circumstance, an initiative of collaborative management, Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR), has recently been developed and implemented in the industry. In this paper, a case study of CPFR implementation in Rexon, Taiwan is conducted to provide a reference to other enterprises. Rexon's primary purpose of implementing CPFR is to strengthen its retail partnership, improve the accuracy of demand forecasts, and reduce inventory cost and other related operational costs.
Early vasodilator response to anodal current application in human is not impaired by cyclooxygenase-2 blockade
Authors: Tartas Maylis , Bouyé Philippe , Koïtka Audrey , Durand Sylvain , Gallois Yves , Saumet Jean Louis , Abraham Pierre
Published: November 2004

It is generally acknowledged that cutaneous vasodilatation in response to monopolar galvanic current application would result from an axon reflex in primary afferent fibers and the neurogenic inflammation resulting from neuropeptide release. Previous studies suggested participation of prostaglandin (PG) in anodal current-induced cutaneous vasodilatation. Thus the inducible cyclooxygenase (COX) isoform (COX-2), assumed to play a key role in inflammation, should be involved in the synthesis of the PG that is released. Skin blood flow (SkBF) variations induced by 5 min of 0.1-mA monopolar anodal current application were evaluated with laser-Doppler flowmetry on the forearm of healthy volunteers treated with indomethacin (COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor), celecoxib (COX-2 inhibitor), or placebo. SkBF was indexed as cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC), expressed as percentage of heat-induced maximal CVC (%MVC). Urinalyses were performed to test celecoxib treatment efficiency. No difference was found in CVC values at rest: 14.3 ± 4.0, 11.9 ± 3.2, and 10.9 ± 2.0% MVC after indomethacin, celecoxib, and placebo treatment, respectively. At 10 min after the onset of anodal current application, CVC values were 22.2 ± 4.9% MVC (not significantly different from rest) with indomethacin, 85.7 ± 15.3% MVC ( P < 0.001 vs. rest) with celecoxib, and 70.4 ± 13.1% MVC ( P < 0.001 vs. rest) with placebo. Celecoxib significantly depressed the urinary prostacyclin metabolite 6-keto-PGF1α ( P < 0.05 vs. placebo). Indomethacin, but not celecoxib, significantly inhibited the anodal current-induced vasodilatation. Thus, although they are assumed to result from an axon reflex in primary afferent fibers and neurogenic inflammation, these results suggest that the early anodal current-induced vasodilatation is mainly dependent on COX-1-induced PG synthesis.
VR-1 receptor blockade attenuates the pressor response to capsaicin but has no effect on the pressor response to contraction in cats
Authors: Kindig Angela E. , Heller Todd B. , Kaufman Marc P.
Published: November 2004

Vanilloid type 1 (VR-1) receptors are stimulated by capsaicin and hydrogen ions, the latter being a by-product of muscular contraction. We tested the hypothesis that activation of VR-1 receptors during static contraction contributes to the exercise pressor reflex. We established a dose of iodoresinaferatoxin (IRTX), a VR-1 receptor antagonist, that blocked the pressor response to capsaicin injected into the arterial supply of muscle. Specifically, in eight decerebrated cats, we compared pressor responses to capsaicin (10 μg) injected into the right popliteal artery, which was subsequently injected with IRTX (100 μg), with those to capsaicin injected into the left popliteal artery, which was not injected with IRTX. The pressor response to capsaicin injected into the right popliteal artery averaged 49 ± 9 mmHg before IRTX and 9 ± 2 mmHg after IRTX ( P < 0.05). In contrast, the pressor response to capsaicin injected into the left popliteal artery averaged 46 ± 10 mmHg “before” and 43 ± 6 mmHg “after” ( P > 0.05). We next determined whether VR-1 receptors mediated the pressor response to contraction of the triceps surae. During contraction without circulatory occlusion, the pressor response before IRTX (100 μg) averaged 26 ± 3 mmHg, whereas it averaged 22 ± 3 mmHg ( P > 0.05) after IRTX ( n = 8). In addition, during contraction with occlusion, the pressor responses averaged 35 ± 3 mmHg before IRTX injection and 49 ± 7 mmHg after IRTX injection ( n = 7). We conclude that VR-1 receptors play little role in evoking the exercise pressor reflex.
Compensatory mechanisms influence hemostasis in setting of eNOS deficiency
Authors: Iafrati Mark D. , Vitseva Olga , Tanriverdi Kahraman , Blair Price , Rex Sybille , Chakrabarti Subrata , Varghese Sonia , Freedman Jane E.
Published: November 2004

The balance between thrombosis and hemorrhage is carefully regulated. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important mediator of these processes, as it prevents platelet adhesion to the endothelium and inhibits platelet recruitment. Although endothelial NO synthase (eNOS)-deficient mice have decreased vascular reactivity and mild hypertension, enhanced thrombosis in vivo has not been demonstrated. To determine the role of endogenous NO in hemostasis, a model of carotid arterial injury and thrombosis was performed using eNOS-deficient and wild-type mice. Paradoxically, the eNOS-deficient animals had a prolongation of time to occlusion compared with the wild-type mice ( P < 0.001). Consistent with this finding, plasma markers suggesting enhanced fibrinolysis [tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity and antigen and D-dimer levels] were significantly elevated in eNOS-deficient animals. Vascular tissue expression of t-PA and platelet activity levels were not altered. In endothelial cells, t-PA is stored in Weibel-Palade bodies, and exocytosis of these storage granules is inhibited by NO. Thus in the absence of NO, release of Weibel-Palade body contents (and t-PA) could be enhanced; this observation is also supported by increased von Willebrand factor levels observed in eNOS-deficient animals. In summary, although eNOS deficiency attenuates vascular reactivity and increases platelet recruitment, it is also associated with enhanced fibrinolysis due to lack of NO-dependent inhibition of Weibel-Palade body release. These processes highlight the complexity of NO-dependent regulation of vascular homeostasis. Such compensatory mechanisms may partially explain the lack of spontaneous thrombosis, minimally elevated baseline blood pressure, and normal life span that are seen in animals deficient in a pivotal regulator of vascular patency.
Microvascular oxygen delivery and consumption following treatment with verapamil
Authors: Hangai-Hoger Nanae , Tsai Amy G. , Friesenecker Barbara , Cabrales Pedro , Intaglietta Marcos
Published: November 2004

The microvascular distribution of oxygen was studied in the arterioles and venules of the awake hamster window chamber preparation to determine the contribution of vascular smooth muscle relaxation to oxygen consumption of the microvascular wall during verapamil-induced vasodilatation. Verapamil HCl delivered in a 0.1 mg/kg bolus injection followed by a continuous infusion of 0.01 mg·kg−1·min−1caused significant arteriolar dilatation, increased microvascular flow and functional capillary density, and decreased arteriolar vessel wall transmural Po2difference. Verapamil caused tissue Po2to increase from 25.5 ± 4.1 mmHg under control condition to 32.0 ± 3.7 mmHg during verapamil treatment. Total oxygen released by the microcirculation to the tissue remained the same as at baseline. Maintenance of the same level of oxygen release to the tissue, increased tissue Po2, and decreased wall oxygen concentration gradient are compatible if vasodilatation significantly lowers vessel wall oxygen consumption, which in this model appears to constitute an important oxygen-consuming compartment. These findings show that treatment with verapamil, which increases oxygen supply through vasodilatation, may further improve tissue oxygenation by lowering oxygen consumption of the microcirculation.
LPS activation of Toll-like receptor 4 signals CD11b/CD18 expression in neutrophils
Authors: Zhou Ximing , Gao Xiao-Pei , Fan Jie , Liu Qinghui , Anwar Khandaker N. , Frey Randall S. , Malik Asrar B.
Published: November 2004

We identify herein a novel signaling function of the Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor mediating the innate immune response, in inducing the expression of CD11b/CD18 integrin in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Studies were made in PMNs isolated from TLR4-deficient (TLR4−/−) and C57BL/6 [wild-type (WT)] mice. We observed increased CD11b expression in WT PMNs within 3 h after LPS challenge, whereas CD11b was not expressed in TLR4−/−PMNs above basal levels. TLR4-activated CD11b expression was cycloheximide sensitive and involved the activation of transcription factors, NF-κB and c-Jun/PU.1. TLR4−/−PMNs challenged with LPS were functionally defective as the result of the impaired CD11b expression in that they failed to adhere and did not migrate across endothelial cells in response to N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. TLR4 also promoted increased binding of LPS to PMNs on the basis of expression of CD11b. Thus TLR4 signaling activates synthesis and upregulation of CD11b and is essential for PMN adhesion and transmigration. Our data suggest an important role of TLR4-activated CD11b expression in the mechanism of the PMN host-defense response to LPS.
Effects of chronic baroreceptor unloading on blood pressure in the dog
Authors: Thrasher Terry N.
Published: November 2004

We have developed a new model of chronic baroreceptor unloading (CBU) in the dog. Initial characterization of the model indicated that CBU increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) by an average of 22 mmHg for 7 days. The goal of the present study was to replicate the previous study using telemetry to record MAP continuously and to determine the effects of CBU ( n = 7) on chronic regulation of MAP. We also prepared a group of dogs with sinoaortic denervation (SAD, n = 6) to compare the time course of changes in MAP in the two models. Control levels (7 day average ± SE) of MAP in the CBU and SAD groups were 94 ± 2 and 94 ± 1 mmHg, respectively. MAP averaged 124 ± 8 and 103 ± 4 mmHg during the first and second weeks after SAD (both P < 0.05) and then declined to levels not different from control during weeks 3–5. In the CBU group, MAP averaged 120 ± 4 mmHg during the first week, declined to 111 ± 4 mmHg during the second week, and stabilized at 104 mmHg during weeks 3–5 (all P < 0.05 compared with control). Plasma norepinephrine levels were increased significantly for the first week after SAD and for 2 wk after CBU but were not different from control for the remainder of the study. These results indicate that the initial increase in MAP after CBU is not sustained but declines to a level that is modestly higher than control. However, because MAP did not fall to control levels, the results are compatible with the hypothesis that baroreceptor input can influence the long-term level of MAP.
Green tea extract improves endurance capacity and increases muscle lipid oxidation in mice
Authors: Murase Takatoshi , Haramizu Satoshi , Shimotoyodome Akira , Nagasawa Azumi , Tokimitsu Ichiro
Published: November 2004

Green tea contains a high level of polyphenolic compounds known as catechins. We investigated the effects of green tea extract (GTE), which is rich in catechins, on endurance capacity, energy metabolism, and fat oxidation in BALB/c mice over a 10-wk period. Swimming times to exhaustion for mice fed 0.2–0.5% (wt/wt) GTE were prolonged by 8–24%. The effects were dose dependent and accompanied by lower respiratory quotients and higher rates of fat oxidation as determined by indirect calorimetry. In addition, feeding with GTE increased the level of β-oxidation activity in skeletal muscle. Plasma lactate concentrations in mice fed GTE were significantly decreased after exercise, concomitant with increases in free fatty acid concentrations in plasma, suggesting an increased lipid use as an energy source in GTE-fed mice. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major component of tea catechins, also enhanced endurance capacity, suggesting that the endurance-improving effects of GTE were mediated, at least in part, by EGCG. The β-oxidation activity and the level of fatty acid translocase/CD36 mRNA in the muscle was higher in GTE-fed mice compared with control mice. These results indicate that GTE are beneficial for improving endurance capacity and support the hypothesis that the stimulation of fatty acid use is a promising strategy for improving endurance capacity.
Effects of body weight-supported treadmill training on heart rate variability and blood pressure variability in individuals with spinal cord injury
Authors: Ditor David S. , Kamath Mark V. , MacDonald Maureen J. , Bugaresti Joanne , McCartney Neil , Hicks Audrey L.
Published: November 2004

Individuals with spinal cord injury are prone to cardiovascular dysfunction and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) may enhance ambulation in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury; however, its effects on cardiovascular regulation have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 6-mo of BWSTT on the autonomic regulation of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) in individuals with incomplete tetraplegia. Eight individuals [age 27.6 yr (SD 5.2)] with spinal cord injury [C4–C5; American Spinal Injury Association B-C; 9.6 yr (SD 7.5) postinjury] participated. Ten-minute HR and finger arterial pressure (Finapres) recordings were collected during 1) supine rest and 2) an orthostatic stress (60° head-up tilt) before and after 6 mo of BWSTT. Frequency domain measures of HR variability [low-frequency (LF) power, high-frequency (HF) power, and LF-to-HF ratio] and BP variability (systolic and diastolic LF power) were used as clinically valuable indexes of neurocardiac and neurovascular control, respectively. There was a significant reduction in HR [61.9 (SD 6.9) vs. 55.7 beats/min (SD 7.7); P = 0.05] and LF-to-HF ratio [1.23 (SD 0.47) vs. 0.99 (SD 0.40); P < 0.05] after BWSTT. There was a significant reduction in LF systolic BP [183.1 (SD 46.8) vs. 158.4 mmHg2 (SD 45.2); P < 0.01] but no change in BP. There were no significant effects of training on HR variability or BP variability during 60° head-up tilt. In conclusion, individuals with incomplete tetraplegia retain the ability to make positive changes in cardiovascular autonomic regulation with BWSTT without worsening orthostatic intolerance.
Incidence of associated events during the performance of invasive procedures in healthy human volunteers
Authors: Highstead R. Grant , Tipton Kevin D. , Creson Daniel L. , Wolfe Robert R. , Ferrando Arny A.
Published: November 2004

Metabolic investigations often utilize arteriovenous sampling and muscle biopsy. These investigations represent some risk to the subject. We examined 369 studies performed in the General Clinical Research Center between January 1994 and May 2003 for events related to femoral catheterization and muscle biopsies. Incidents were further examined by age (younger: 18–59 yr, n = 133; and older: 60–76 yr, n = 28). There were no clinically defined major complications associated with either procedure. The incidence of femoral catheter repositioning or reinsertion was higher in the older group (25.5 vs. 9.7%). There was no difference in the incidence of premature removal of catheters, ecchymosis or hematoma, or the persistence of pain after discharge. The occurrence of all incidents did not increase with multiple catheterizations. Muscle biopsy was associated with infrequent ecchymosis or hematoma in both groups (1.1 and 3.6% in younger and older groups, respectively). Both procedures entail a small likelihood of a vagallike response (3.3% overall), resulting in nausea, dizziness, and rarely a loss of consciousness. These results indicate that, in skilled hands and a defined clinical setting, the incidents associated with femoral catheterization and muscle biopsy in healthy volunteers are reasonable and largely controllable.
Saccade Dysmetria in Head-Unrestrained Gaze Shifts After Muscimol Inactivation of the Caudal Fastigial Nucleus in the Monkey
Authors: Quinet Julie , Goffart Laurent
Published: November 2004

Lesions in the caudal fastigial nucleus (cFN) severely impair the accuracy of visually guided saccades in the head-restrained monkey. Is the saccade dysmetria a central perturbation in issuing commands for orienting gaze (eye in space) or is it a more peripheral impairment in generating oculomotor commands? This question was investigated in two head-unrestrained monkeys by analyzing the effect of inactivating one cFN on horizontal gaze shifts generated from a straight ahead fixation light-emitting diode (LED) toward a 40° eccentric target LED. After muscimol injections, when viewing the fixation LED, the starting position of the head was changed (ipsilesional and upward deviations). Ipsilesional gaze shifts were associated with a 24% increase in the eye saccade amplitude and a 58% reduction in the amplitude of the head contribution. Contralesional gaze shifts were associated with a decrease in the amplitude of both eye and head components (40 and 37% reduction, respectively). No correlation between the changes in the eye amplitude and in head contribution was observed. The amplitude of the complete head movement was decreased for ipsilesional movements (57% reduction) and unaffected for contralesional movements. For both ipsilesional and contralesional gaze shifts, the changes in eye saccade amplitude were strongly correlated with the changes in gaze amplitude and largely accounted for the gaze dysmetria. These results indicate a major role of cFN in the generation of appropriate saccadic oculomotor commands during head-unrestrained gaze shifts.
Heat Stress–Mediated Plasticity in a Locust Looming-Sensitive Visual Interneuron
Authors: Money Tomas G. A. , Anstey Michael L. , Robertson R. Meldrum
Published: November 2004

Neural circuits are strongly affected by temperature and failure ensues at extremes. However, detrimental effects of high temperature on neural pathways can be mitigated by prior exposure to high, but sublethal temperatures (heat shock). Using the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, we investigated the effects of heat shock on the thermosensitivity of a visual interneuron [the descending contralateral movement detector (DCMD)]. Activity in the DCMD was elicited using a looming stimulus and the response was recorded from the axon using intracellular and extracellular methods. The thoracic region was perfused with temperature-controlled saline and measurements were taken at 5° intervals starting at 25°C. Activity in DCMD was decreased in control animals with increased temperature, whereas heat-shocked animals had a potentiated response such that the peak firing frequency was increased. Significant differences were also found in the thermosensitivity of the action potential properties between control and heat-shocked animals. Heat shock also had a potentiating effect on the amplitude of the afterdepolarization. The concurrent increase in peak firing frequency and maintenance of action potential properties after heat shock could enhance the reliability with which DCMD initiates visually guided behaviors at high temperature.
Changes in the Inhibitory Control Exerted by the Antagonist Ia Afferents on Human Wrist Extensor Motor Units During an Attention-Demanding Motor Task
Authors: Nafati Gilel , Schmied Annie , Rossi-Durand Christiane
Published: November 2004

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which an attention-demanding visuomotor task affects the strength of the inhibitory control exerted by the wrist flexor group Ia afferents on the wrist extensor motoneurons. Effects of median nerve stimulation on the tonic activity of wrist extensor single motor units were analyzed in terms of the interspike interval (ISI) lengthening. Results show that the inhibitory effects exerted by the antagonistic group Ia afferents were significantly enhanced when the wrist extensor motoneurons were involved in an attention-demanding task. Enhanced inhibition from antagonist afferents may reflect task-related changes in the excitability of the di- and/or polysynaptic pathways mediating reciprocal inhibition due to either the action of descending inputs and/or an increase in the efficiency of the Ia inputs to the premotoneuronal inhibitory interneurons. Modulation of the inhibition exerted by proprioceptive antagonist afferents may be one of the processes which contribute to the fine adjustment of the wrist muscle force output required in fine handling tasks.
Modulation of nonlinear waves in a fluid‐filled elastic tube with stenosis
Authors: Demiray Hilmi
Published: November 2004

Treating the arteries as a thin‐walled and prestressed elastic tube with a stenosis and the blood as a Newtonian fluid with negligible viscosity, we have studied the amplitude modulation of nonlinear waves in such a composite system by use of the reductive perturbation method. The governing evolution equation is obtained as the variable‐coefficient nonlinear Schrödinger equation. It is observed that the speed of the harmonic wave
increases with distance from the center of stenosis.
Influence of the Hepatitis B e Antigen/ Anti-HBe Status on the Response to Lamivudine
Authors: Suzuki Fumitaka
Published: November 2004

Objective: The optimal therapeutic regimen of lamivudine for chronic hepatitis B is not agreed upon, especially with reference to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) or the corresponding antibody (anti-HBe) in sera of patients. Methods: We analyzed 249 Japanese patients with chronic HBV infection who were treated with lamivudine for more than 12 months. HBeAg was detected in sera from 117 of them (47%). HBV DNA sequences in serum samples from the pretreatment period and during therapy were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and analyzed for mutations. Results: Lamivudine normalized serum levels of alanine aminotransferase at 6 and 12 months, and suppressed serum HBV DNA to levels undetectable by the bDNA method in most patients. Lamivudine suppressed HBV DNA levels to a greater extent in patients with anti-HBe than HBeAg. In patients treated with lamivudine for 5 years, HBV mutants with mutations in the precore region and core promoter reverted to the wild-type in some of them within 1 year. Conclusion: Lamivudine induces a better response in patients without than in those with HBeAg. It initially selects the wild-type HBV from among precore or core promoter mutants.
Viral Breakthrough during Lamivudine Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Leung Nancy
Published: November 2004

The mainstay of therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B is inhibition of the replicative cycle of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in hepatocytes. Antiviral agents have different potencies. The measurement of HBV DNA in serum can monitor the potency of these therapeutic agents. Viral breakthrough may occur during therapy, which is defined as an abrupt increase in serum HBV DNA levels after a period of persistent suppression. The accuracy of HBV DNA detection depends on the sensitivity of assays. The third-generation quantitative assays have a lower limit of detection in ranges similar to those of quantitative PCR reaching 2 log10 copies/ml. The sensitive assays also give insight into the pathophysiology of chronic hepatitis B. Monotherapy usually suppresses the viral replication inadequately. It only brings about a reduction of serum HBV DNA levels from 8 to 4 log10 copies/ml. In other words, HBV is not completely eliminated. Viral breakthrough occurs with noncompliance to therapy and, also, when drug-resistant mutants emerge. Mutations in the YMDD motif of HBV polymerase lead to resistance to antivirals, such as lamivudine and famciclovir. In clinical practice, the diagnosis and management of viral breakthroughs are problematic and controversial. Due to advances in therapy, more potent agents are available such as adefovir dipivoxil that seldom induce viral breakthroughs for up to 134 weeks of therapy. Potent antiviral agents also lead to the decline of cccDNA in hepatocytes. Combination therapies may further improve efficacy and avoid viral breakthroughs.
Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Japan
Authors: Orito Etsuro , Mizokami Masashi
Published: November 2004

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the major causative agents of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Southeast Asia where HBV genotype B (HBV/B) and genotype C (HBV/C) are prevalent. Clinical and virological differences were evaluated between HCC patients in Japan and Taiwan, all of whom were infected with HBV/B and HBV/C. In Japan, the prevalence rates of HBV/B and HBV/C were 12 and 85%, respectively, in patients with chronic HBV infection, which is similar to those of 13 and 86% in patients with HCC. In the HCC patients with HBV/B, the mean age was 70 years and higher than that of 55 years in those with HBV/C. In Taiwan, however, HBV/B was detected in 61% and HBV/C in 31% of patients with HCC. Furthermore, the mean age of HCC patients with HBV/B in Taiwan was 50 years and younger compared to the 59 years of those with HBV/C. These differences may be explained by a distinct distribution of subtypes of HBV/B between the two countries. In Taiwan as well as in most Asian countries only the subtype Ba of HBV/B is found, while the majority of Japanese patients with HBV/B have the subtype Bj. Although the risk factors associated with HCC should be investigated with respect to host and environmental factors, the differences in genotypes and subtypes of HBV would need to be taken into consideration in etiological and clinical studies on HCC.
Optimizing Referential Coherence in Text Generation
Authors: Kibble Rodger , Power Richard
Published: November 2004

This article describes an implemented system which uses centering theory for planning of coherent texts and choice of referring expressions. We argue that text and sentence planning need to be driven in part by the goal of maintaining referential continuity and thereby facilitating pronoun resolution: Obtaining a favorable ordering of clauses, and of arguments within clauses, is likely to increase opportunities for nonambiguous pronoun use. Centering theory provides the basis for such an integrated approach. Generating coherent texts according to centering theory is treated as a constraint satisfaction problem. The well-known Rule 2 of centering theory is reformulated in terms of a set of constraints—cohesion, salience, cheapness, and continuity—and we show sample outputs obtained under a particular weighting of these constraints. This framework facilitates detailed research into evaluation metrics and will therefore provide a productive research tool in addition to the immediate practical benefit of improving the fluency and readability of generated texts. The technique is generally applicable to natural language generation systems, which perform hierarchical text structuring based on a theory of coherence relations with certain additional assumptions.
On Learning Vector-Valued Functions
Authors: Micchelli Charles A. , Pontil Massimiliano
Published: November 2004

In this letter, we provide a study of learning in a Hilbert space of vector-valued functions. We motivate the need for extending learning theory of scalar-valued functions by practical considerations and establish some basic results for learning vector-valued functions that should prove useful in applications. Specifically, we allow an output space Y to be a Hilbert space, and we consider a reproducing kernel Hilbert space of functions whose values lie in Y. In this setting, we derive the form of the minimal norm interpolant to a finite set of data and apply it to study some regularization functionals that are important in learning theory. We consider specific examples of such functionals corresponding to multiple-output regularization networks and support vector machines, for both regression and classification. Finally, we provide classes of operator-valued kernels of the dot product and translation-invariant type.
RSPOP: Rough Set–Based Pseudo Outer-Product Fuzzy Rule Identification Algorithm
Authors: Ang Kai Keng , Quek Chai
Published: November 2004

System modeling with neuro-fuzzy systems involves two contradictory requirements: interpretability verses accuracy. The pseudo outer-product (POP) rule identification algorithm used in the family of pseudo outer-product-based fuzzy neural networks (POPFNN) suffered from an exponential increase in the number of identified fuzzy rules and computational complexity arising from high-dimensional data. This decreases the interpretability of the POPFNN in linguistic fuzzy modeling. This article proposes a novel rough set–based pseudo outer-product (RSPOP) algorithm that integrates the sound concept of knowledge reduction from rough set theory with the POP algorithm. The proposed algorithm not only performs feature selection through the reduction of attributes but also extends the reduction to rules without redundant attributes. As many possible reducts exist in a given rule set, an objective measure is developed for POPFNN to correctly identify the reducts that improve the inferred consequence. Experimental results are presented using published data sets and real-world application involving highway traffic flow prediction to evaluate the effectiveness of using the proposed algorithm to identify fuzzy rules in the POPFNN using compositional rule of inference and singleton fuzzifier (POPFNN-CRI(S)) architecture. Results showed that the proposed rough set–based pseudo outer-product algorithm reduces computational complexity, improves the interpretability of neuro-fuzzy systems by identifying significantly fewer fuzzy rules, and improves the accuracy of the POPFNN.
How to Pretend That Correlated Variables Are Independent by Using Difference Observations
Authors: Williams Christopher K. I.
Published: November 2004

In many areas of data modeling, observations at different locations (e.g., time frames or pixel locations) are augmented by differences of nearby observations (e.g., δ features in speech recognition, Gabor jets in image analysis). These augmented observations are then often modeled as being independent. How can this make sense? We provide two interpretations, showing (1) that the likelihood of data generated from an autoregressive process can be computed in terms of “independent” augmented observations and (2) that the augmented observations can be given a coherent treatment in terms of the products of experts model (Hinton, 1999).
Exploring the Roles of Information in the Manual Control of Vehicular Locomotion: From Kinematics and Dynamics to Cybernetics
Authors: Mulder Max , Paassen M. M. (René) van , Boer Erwin R.
Published: November 2004

Users of virtual worlds shape their behavior to what the environment supports. To ensure adequate transfer of training and to elicit realistic behavior in virtual environments, it is essential to understand the informational content of the perceptual array that users interact with. In the scientific community, two approaches are in use to resolve this matter. One, using regulatory models, assumes the availability of control-relevant information and focuses on dynamics. The other, using perceptual models, emphasizes the kinematics of locomotion and often ignores the dynamics of controlling perceptual cues through manipulation of locomotion. Information and dynamics in interaction, however, are intricately coupled and should be analyzed as a whole. It is shown that perceptual and regulatory models can be integrated by adopting a cybernetic approach, where humans are modeled as dynamic information-processing systems that interact with perceptual cues present in the environment.
Fikih to Law: Secularization Through Curriculum
Authors: Bedir Murteza
Published: November 2004

This is a study of the transformation of the Muslim understanding of the concept of fikih in the last two centuries. I argue that the western notion of 'law' considerably influenced the form of fikih, transforming it into 'Islamic law', a process that has culminated in a 'new stage' in the history of fikih. I will attempt to describe the general features of this transformation as well as its implications in the Turkish context. I begin by explaining the meanings of the terms şeriat, fikih, hukuk and kanun. I then present an historical overview of developments in the field of law in Turkey since the second half of the nineteenth century, with particular attention to codification. Next, I examine the curriculum of the faculty of theology, which, after the 1920s, was the sole official venue for teaching fikih in Turkey. Finally, I attempt to measure the extent of change in the perception of fikh by modern Muslims by examining the form and content of a textbook commonly used in theology faculties in Turkey.
"Do Not Enter Houses Other Than Your Own": the Evolution of the Notion of a Private Domestic Sphere in Early Sunnī Islamic Thought
Authors: Alshech Eli
Published: November 2004

This article is the first comprehensive study of the conceptions of domestic privacy articulated by early sunnī Muslim jurists. Focusing on exegetical and legal sources composed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries CE, I argue, first, that Muslim scholars regarded privacy as a legal category. Second, I demonstrate that notions of privacy developed over time: most scholars living within the first two centuries AH associated privacy with property rights, granting legal protection to assertions of privacy only if violations of privacy entailed an infringement of property rights; by contrast, scholars from the ninth century onwards developed privacy into a separate legal category, protecting it even when no property rights were violated. Finally, I argue that most Muslim scholars adopted an instrumental approach to privacy, which they viewed not as an end unto itself but rather as a means to promote a viable society, to prevent their community from disintegrating, and, ultimately, to ensure the Islamic nature of Society.
Intratracheal administration of liposomal clodronate accelerates alveolar macrophage reconstitution following fetal liver transplantation
Authors: Everhart M Brett , Han Wei , Parman Kelly S , Polosukhin Vasiliy V , Zeng Heng , Sadikot Ruxana T , Li Bo , Yull Fiona E , Christman John W , Blackwell Timothy S
Published: November 2004

To facilitate study of alveolar macrophages in vivo, we developed a method to rapidly and efficiently replace resident alveolar macrophages with macrophages of a different (donor) genotype. Chimeric mice were generated by lethal irradiation followed by fetal liver transplantation (FLT) using green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic reporter mice as donors. Kinetics of peripheral blood monocyte (PBM) and alveolar macrophage reconstitution was determined 4 and 10 weeks post-FLT by quantifying the percentage of GFP+ cells. To enhance the recruitment of donor monocytes into the lung after FLT, mice were treated with intratracheal administration of liposomal clodronate to deplete host alveolar macrophages at 6 weeks post-FLT. PBM reconstitution occurred by 4 weeks after FLT (85.7±1.6% of CD11b+/Gr-1+ monocytes were GFP+), and minimal alveolar macrophage repopulation was observed (9.5% GFP+). By 10 weeks following FLT, 48% of alveolar macrophages were GFP+ by immunostaining of macrophages on lung tissue sections, and 55.1 ± 1.6% of lung lavage macrophages were GFP+ by fluorescein-activated cell sorter analysis. Clodronate treatment resulted in a significant increase in GFP+ alveolar macrophages 10 weeks after FLT. By immunostaining, 90% of macrophages were GFP+ on lung tissue sections and 87.5 ± 1.1% GFP+ in lung lavage (compared with GFP-transgenic controls). The ability of newly recruited alveolar macrophages to clear Pseudomonas aeruginosa and activate nuclear factor-κB in response to Eschericia coli lipopolysaccharide demonstrated normal macrophage function. Optimizing this methodology provides an important tool for the study of specific genes and their contribution to alveolar macrophage function in vivo.