bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing the odds of successful growth: the critical prelude to moving “beyond the core”
Authors: Zook Chris
Published: July 2004

Adjacency judgments – which, if any, related businesses should your firm expand into – are among the most difficult and critical decisions senior executives face as they search for sources of sustained and profitable growth. These determinations can make or break a company. The key is in understanding how to systematically boost your odds of success by moving into territories at the fringes of your core business. “How” begins with an in‐depth knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of your core. For companies in leadership positions, the chances for adjacency success are nearly three times higher than for followers. But for distant followers, adjacencies are almost never the answer. Rather, their perilous route to success comes from three strategies: shrinking to grow around a smaller, stronger core; consolidating with another competitor to build scale; or coming out with a breakthrough product. The cases show examples of strategies for a range of core business situations.
Case study: how a Weyerhaeuser unit executed a winning strategy using Desert Storm’s fast‐cycle, strategic action approach
Authors: Russell Leland , Jaffe Reynolds Joyce , Chadalavada Sudhir
Published: July 2004

This case of a Weyerhaeuser business unit’s use of the military’s methodologies provides an example for businesses that are faced with a daunting challenge to develop and execute strategies in a complex, rapidly changing business environment, when timely implementation is an important key to success. The goal of the industrial segment of Weyerhaeuser Building Materials (WBM) division was to accelerate innovation and growth in a stagnant market after two previous, unsuccessful attempts. The complexity of the task was large: 70 geographically dispersed locations and decision makers, new matrix organization, and a multi‐market environment in 12 regions. The industrial segment of WBM developed a revenue‐growth initiative and accelerated its execution by applying the fast‐cycle methodology of Desert Storm strategists in the 1991 military air campaign. The new strategy completely repositioned the business.
Family businesses: their virtues, vices, and strategic path
Authors: Allio Michael K.
Published: July 2004

Family businesses are a powerhouse of the US economy. Some of the largest businesses in and outside the US are family controlled. Family businesses significantly out perform non‐family businesses. So how to learn from their strengths? Paradoxically, many of their outstanding strengths are also their profound weaknesses. This article examines the virtues and vices of family businesses, explains how to leverage their strengths and diminish the vices, and offers recommendations for a strategic approach for management.
Applications of Taguchi approach to statistical design of experiments in Czech Republican industries
Authors: Antony Jiju , Somasundarum V. , Fergusson Craig , Blecharz Pavel
Published: July 2004

Dr Genichi Taguchi is a Japanese engineer and quality consultant who has promoted the use of statistical design of experiments for improving process/product quality at minimal costs. Taguchi has developed a practical and strategic approach for designing quality into products and processes at the product planning, design and development stages, which is often referred to as off‐line quality control. Although many companies in Europe and the USA have used the Taguchi approach to statistical design of experiments with success, very few applications of this method are realised in countries such as the Czech Republic. This paper reports the applications of experimental design advocated by Taguchi in two manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic. The results of the study are stimulating and will lead to wider applications of this methodology for tackling process and quality‐related problems in the Czech Republican industries in the near future.
Factors influencing the effectiveness of an attracticide formulation against the Oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta
Authors: Evenden Maya L. , McLaughlin John R.
Published: July 2004

An attracticide formulation, LastCall™OFM, was tested against the Oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in replicated small plot field trials in apple, Malus domestica (Borkhausen), orchards in South‐eastern Pennsylvania, USA. Attracticide treatments were applied using a calibrated hand pump, and treated plots were compared to similar untreated plots. Male moth activity was monitored using virgin female‐baited traps, and the potential for reduction in mating activity was assessed using sentinel virgin females. A comparison of application rates showed that 1500 droplets per ha of the attracticide formulation was as effective as 3000 droplets per ha, and both application rates reduced captures in synthetic pheromone‐baited traps for prolonged periods. Droplets placed either at high or low positions within the canopy significantly reduced trap capture and mating with sentinel females. In addition, the only sentinel females that mated in the treated plots were located in the untreated portion of the tree canopy. Mate finding behaviour was equally disrupted by formulations with and without insecticide. Therefore, under the test conditions, the mechanism by which the attracticide formulation worked was by disruption of male orientation, and not by the removal of males due to insecticide poisoning. Two field cage experiments tested the impact of population density on the competitiveness of the attracticide formulation compared to virgin females. A significant proportion of males were captured in female‐baited traps at the highest female‐to‐droplet ratio tested. Equal proportions of males were captured in attracticide‐baited traps at male moth densities of 10, 20, 40, and 80 males per cage. These results clarify some of the factors influencing the effectiveness and possible mechanisms of an attracticide management tactic against the Oriental fruit moth.
The effects of food and space on the occurrence of cannibalism and predation among larvae ofAnopheles gambiaes.l.
Authors: Koenraadt C.J.M. , Majambere S. , Hemerik L. , Takken W.
Published: July 2004

Competitive interactions among the aquatic stages of the malaria mosquitoAnopheles gambiaes.l. (Diptera: Culicidae) may affect the resulting adult densities and, hence, the risk of malaria. We investigated the impact of the presence of a fourth‐instar larva (An. gambiaeGiles s.s. orAn. arabiensisPatton), the quantity of food, and the available space on the survival and development of freshly hatched larvae ofAn. gambiaes.s. andAn. arabiensis. To analyse the results, two proportional hazard models were constructed. The first estimated the effects of all covariates on mortality rate and the second estimated the effects of the covariates on development rate into the third larval instar (L3). A time‐dependent covariate for density, which changed during the experiment as a result of death or development to L3, was included in both models. In the presence of a fourth‐instar larva (L4), survival of the experimental larvae was significantly reduced, but no difference was detected between the presence of L4An. gambiaeand L4An. arabiensis. The observation that the majority of dead larvae were not recovered in trays with an L4 present suggested that cannibalism and predation occurred readily. Limitation in space significantly increased mortality of larvae, whereas a limitation of food reduced larval development rate, but did not cause mortality per se. From this, we concluded that both cannibalism and predation were enhanced as a result of more frequent interactions within smaller environments, but did not occur for reasons of food shortage. This study shows that inter‐ and intraspecific interactions among larvae of theAn. gambiaecomplex strongly affect survival and development, and that the quantity of food and the available space are important determinants of the outcome of these interactions. Implications of the results are discussed with respect to the population dynamics of both malaria vectors in the field.
Infochemical‐mediated preference behavior of the parasitoid Microctonus hyperodae when searching for its adult weevil hosts
Authors: Cournoyer Michel , Boivin Guy
Published: July 2004

Infochemicals are the most important cues used by parasitoids for host location. The attractiveness of infochemicals in a tritrophic context is expected to be determined by the degree of specialization of the parasitoid and its host(s). Microctonus hyperodae Loan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an oligophagous parasitoid that attacks adult Curculionidae of the Brachycerinae subfamily, especially Listronotus bonariensis Kuschel, on Gramineae. In 1996, a new host–parasitoid association between the carrot weevil Listronotus oregonensis LeConte and M. hyperodae was created in the laboratory. In this study, the infochemicals used by M. hyperodae when searching for its adult weevil hosts were determined using a Y‐shaped olfactometer. Three curculionid species (L. oregonensis, Listronotus sparsus Say, and Neydus flavicaudis Boheman) and one bruchid species [Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius)], and their feces, were tested. It was expected that hosts phylogenetically and ecologically close to L. bonariensis would be more attractive than species less related but in fact, M. hyperodae responded only to L. oregonensis and its feces. When feces and host insects were tested separately, M. hyperodae responded to the odors emitted by L. oregonensis adults but not to their feces, suggesting that most of the kairomones came from the host itself. Host plants were also tested, but M. hyperodae responded neither to Lolium multiflorum Lamark (Gramineae) nor to Daucus carota L. (Umbelliferae) leaves.
Induced biotic responses to herbivory and associated cues in the Amazonian ant‐plant Maieta poeppigii
Authors: Christianini Alexander V. , Machado Glauco
Published: July 2004

Ants inhabiting ant‐plants can respond to cues of herbivory, such as the presence of herbivores, leaf damage, and plant sap, but experimental attempts to quantify the dynamic nature of biotic defenses have been restricted to a few associations between plants and ants. We studied the relationship between certain features of the ant‐shrub Maieta poeppigii Cogn. (Melastomataceae) and the presence or absence of ant patrolling on the leaf surface in plants occupied by the ant Pheidole minutula Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). We also carried out field experiments to examine ant behavior following plant damage, and the potential cues that induce ant recruitment. These experiments included clipping of the leaf apex, as well as the presentation of a potential herbivore (live termite worker) and a foliar extract from Maieta on treatment leaves. The presence of ants patrolling the leaves of M. poeppigii is influenced by the number of domatia on the plant. Ant patrolling on the leaves of M. poeppigii was constant throughout a 24 h cycle, but the mean number of patrolling ants decreased from young to mature leaves, and from leaves with domatia to those without domatia. There was an overall increase in the number of ants on experimental leaves following all treatments, compared to control leaves. Visual and chemical cues associated with herbivory are involved in the induction of ant recruitment in the Maieta–Pheidole system. The continuous patrolling behavior of ants, associated with their ability to respond rapidly to foliar damage, may result in the detection and repellence/capture of most insect herbivores before they can inflict significant damage to the leaves.
Adaptive change and conservatism in host specificity in two local populations of the thistle‐feeding ladybird beetle Epilachna niponica
Authors: Koji Shinsaku , Nakamura Koji , Yamashita Mio
Published: July 2004

We investigated geographic differences in the host specificity of Epilachna niponica Lewis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The Yuwaku population feeds mainly on Cirsium matsumurae Nakai (Asteraceae) and secondarily on Cirsrium kagamontanum Nakai. The Asiu population, located 150 km away from the Yuwaku, feeds exclusively on C. ashiuense Yokoyama et T. Shimizu. Under laboratory conditions, we examined the differences between the two populations in adult feeding acceptance, adult feeding preference, and larval performance, using several closely related thistle species and varieties, including their native hosts. In the Asiu population, adult beetles clearly avoided the host of the Yuwaku population, C. kagamontanum, and no larvae were able to complete their development, whereas in the Yuwaku population, adults accepted and even preferred it to some other thistle species, and about 10% of first instar larvae became adults. This indicates that the Yuwaku population evolved its feeding preference and physiological adaptation to C. kagamontanum through a utilization of this low‐ranked host under natural conditions. Apart from C. kagamontanum, the two populations showed a similar host susceptibility pattern, indicating that this ladybird beetle has a conserved hierarchy in feeding preference and growth performance. We also observed adult leaf choice behavior when given different thistle species, and found that difference in biting rate after palpation determined the leaf areas consumed, implying that factors on the leaf surface played an important role in the choice.
AN ON‐THE‐JOB SEARCH MODEL OF CRIME, INEQUALITY, AND UNEMPLOYMENT*
Authors: Burdett Kenneth , Lagos Ricardo , Wright Randall
Published: July 2004

We extend simple search models of crime, unemployment, and inequality to incorporate on‐the‐job search. This is valuable because, although simple models are useful, on‐the‐job search models are more interesting theoretically and more relevant empirically. We characterize the wage distribution, unemployment rate, and crime rate theoretically, and use quantitative methods to illustrate key results. For example, we find that increasing the unemployment insurance replacement rate from 53 to 65 percent increases unemployment and crime rates from 10 and 2.7 percent to 14 and 5.2 percent. We show multiple equilibria arise for some fairly reasonable parameters; in one case, unemployment can be 6 or 23 percent, and crime 0 or 10 percent, depending on the equilibrium.
RACIAL BELIEFS, LOCATION, AND THE CAUSES OF CRIME*
Authors: Verdier Thierry , Zenou Yves
Published: July 2004

This article provides a unified explanation for why blacks commit more crime, are located in poorer neighborhoods, and receive lower wages than whites. If everybody believes that blacks are more criminal than whites—even if there is no basis for this—then blacks are offered lower wages and, as a result, locate further away from jobs. Distant residence increases even more the black–white wage gap because of more tiredness and higher commuting costs. Blacks have thus a lower opportunity cost of committing crime and become indeed more criminal than whites. Therefore, beliefs are self‐fulfilling.
EMPLOYMENT, DETERRENCE, AND CRIME IN A DYNAMIC MODEL*
Authors: Imai Susumu , Krishna Kala
Published: July 2004

Using maximum likelihood techniques and monthly panel data we solve and estimate an explicitly dynamic model of criminal behavior where current criminal activity impacts future labor market outcomes. We show that the threat of future adverse effects in the labor market when arrested acts as a strong deterrent to crime. Moreover, such forward‐looking behavior is estimated to be important. Hence, policies that weaken this deterrence will be much less effective in fighting crime. This suggests that prevention is more powerful than redemption since anticipated redemption allows criminals to look forward to negating the consequences of their crimes.
CRIME AND POVERTY: A SEARCH‐THEORETIC APPROACH*
Authors: Huang Chien‐Chieh , Laing Derek , Wang Ping
Published: July 2004

Numerous studies document that criminal activity is positively related to unemployment and negatively related to educational attainment levels within given communities. We study this phenomenon in the context of a search‐equilibrium model, in which agents choose between formal employment and pursuing crime‐related activities (theft). Prior to their “occupational choices,” agents undertake costly schooling, raising their productivity. Crime acts, in essence, as a tax on human capital by affecting the probability that a worker's earnings (possessions) are subsequently appropriated. There are multiple equilibria. High crime, low levels of educational attainment, long spells of unemployment, and poverty are correlated across them.
SOCIAL NETWORKS AND CRIME DECISIONS: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE IN FACILITATING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR*
Authors: Calvó‐Armengol Antoni , Zenou Yves
Published: July 2004

Delinquents compete with each other in criminal activities but benefit from being friends with other criminals by learning and acquiring proper know‐how on the crime business. We study the subgame‐perfect Nash equilibrium of this game in which individuals decide first to work or to become a criminal and then the crime effort provided if criminals. We show that multiple equilibria with different numbers of active criminals and levels of involvement in crime activities may coexist and are only driven by the geometry of the pattern of links connecting criminals.
Impact of indigenous egg eaters on the early survival of exotic smallmouth bass
Authors: IGUCHI Kei’ichiro , YODO Taiga
Published: July 2004

Exotic species become invasive aliens when they have an adverse effect on the community of the recipient ecosystem, and their spread among closed water systems is of recent concern for the conservation of native biodiversity in Japan. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède) is recognized as one of the worst 100 alien species, being undesirable because of its trophic level as a top predator. Smallmouth bass that have been illegally introduced into Lake Aoki, central Japan, in the 1990s for the purpose of sports fishing have seriously affected the lower trophic levels in the lake including fisheries resources, while a strong effort to remove them has proved to be limited in usefulness. We intended to identify indigenous agents that have a potential to control smallmouth bass in the lake. Snorkeling observations in the daytime revealed that Japanese dace (Tribolodon hakonensis Günther) intruded into smallmouth bass’ spawning nest as a school and were able to consume the eggs while the male bass was guarding the nest. Consequently, the proportion of lost eggs owing to the predation reached 92.4% per clutch on average, proving that native cyprinids are able to function as an efficient egg predator that reduces the survival of smallmouth bass. We consider that employing the indigenous egg predator can be a practical means to eradicate exotic smallmouth bass, combined with the removal of stones on the nest as a subsidiary step to expose smallmouth bass eggs to predation by Japanese dace.
Environmental determinants of the altitudinal variations in relative group densities of Japanese macaques on Yakushima
Authors: HANYA Goro , YOSHIHIRO Shinichi , ZAMMA Koichiro , MATSUBARA Hajime , OHTAKE Masaru , KUBO Ritsuko , NOMA Naohiko , AGETSUMA Naoki , TAKAHATA Yukio
Published: July 2004

Altitudinal variations in relative group densities of the Japanese macaques on Yakushima were studied. This is an ideal place for studying resource limitations because it avoids various complicating factors that are difficult to quantify but might affect animal densities, such as predation, interspecific competition, and past catastrophes. The relative group density was high in the coastal forest (0–400 m), while it did not differ among the higher zones (400–800, 800–1200 and 1200–1886 m). To examine this variation, three habitat variables were analyzed: total basal area of food trees per unit area, seasonal variations in fruit abundance, and total annual fleshy fruit production. All of these variables indicate that fruit and seeds are most available in the coastal forest. Thus, altitudinal variations in the density of Japanese macaques on Yakushima are determined by the total annual food abundance.
Carbon dynamics and budget in a Miscanthus sinensis grassland in Japan
Authors: YAZAKI Yukihiro , MARIKO Shigeru , KOIZUMI Hiroshi
Published: July 2004

We investigated the carbon dynamics and budget in a grassland of Miscanthus sinensis, which is widely distributed in Japan, over a 2‐year period (2000–2001). Plant biomass began to increase from May and peaked in September, then decreased towards the end of the growing season (October). Soil respiration rates also exhibited seasonal fluctuations that reflected seasonal changes in soil temperature and root respiration. The contribution of root respiration to total soil respiration was 22–41% in spring and summer, but increased to 52–53% in September. To determine the net ecosystem production (carbon budget), we estimated annual net primary production, soil respiration, and root respiration. Net primary production was 1207 and 1140 g C m−2 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Annual soil respiration was 1387 g C m−2 in 2000 and 1408 g C m−2 in 2001; root respiration was 649 and 695 g C m−2 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Moreover, some of the carbon fixed as net production (457–459 g C m−2) is removed by mowing in autumn in this grassland. Therefore, the annual carbon budget was estimated to be −56 g C m−2 in 2000 and − 100 g C m−2 in 2001. These results suggest that the Miscanthus sinensis grassland in Japan can act as a source of CO2.
Environmental factors affecting dispersal, germination and distribution of Stipa capensis in the Negev Desert, Israel
Authors: BOEKEN Bertrand , ARIZA Clara , GUTTERMAN Yitzchak , ZAADY Eli
Published: July 2004

The effects of postmaturation ambient temperatures, light, as well as chemical and structural properties of the substrate on germination and patch distribution of Stipa capensis in a shrubland landscape were studied. This species is a dominant annual grass in exposed intershrub areas covered with biological loess soil crusts in the northern Negev Desert.

Freshly matured caryopses do not germinate. After 7–8 months of dry storage at high temperatures, there was a significant reduction in primary dormancy and an increase in the rate and percentage of germination of caryopses stored at high temperatures. The speed and percentages of germination were lower on various sterile substrates, such as organic matter and loose loess soil, in comparison with similar live substrates or the control on filter paper.

In 3 of 4 years of field observations in semi‐arid shrubland, the density of Stipa capensis plants on soil crust in the exposed intershrub areas was significantly higher than below shrubs. The positive effects of higher temperatures on the dry soil during summer, before the season with rains, and of light during germination, can favor germination in exposed patches.

Although germination responses to storage temperature and light regime differentiate between patch types before and during germination, other processes may be critical for the pattern of distribution of Stipa capensis. These include dispersal of caryopses, arrival, soil penetration and density of local seed banks, as well as substrate properties affecting germination and plant density, in different landscape patches.
Fine root mass in relation to soil N supply in a cool temperate forest
Authors: FUJIMAKI Reiji , TATENO Ryunosuke , HIROBE Muneto , TOKUCHI Naoko , TAKEDA Hiroshi
Published: July 2004

Soil inorganic nitrogen supply and fine root mass in the top layers of mineral soil (0–5 and 5–10 cm) were investigated at upper and lower sites of a cool temperate forest where Fagus crenata and Quercus crispula dominate. At both sites, soil inorganic nitrogen supply was greatest in the 0–5 cm layer. The predominant forms of soil inorganic nitrogen supply were NH4 +‐N at the upper site and NO3−‐N at the lower site. Fine roots were concentrated in the 0–5 cm layer at the upper site, but not at the lower site. The form of supplied soil inorganic nitrogen supply can be important in determining the vertical distribution of fine roots.
Microsite specialization and spatial distribution of Geonoma brevispatha, a clonal palm in south‐eastern Brazil
Authors: SOUZA Alexandre F. , MARTINS Fernando R.
Published: July 2004

We tested the hypotheses that: (i) reproductive Geonoma brevispatha, an understorey clonal palm endemic to South American swamps, is most abundant in more brightly lit microsites but the abundance of juveniles is not responsive to light availability, (ii) the species is restricted to the transitional zones between flooded and well‐drained microsites, (iii) if hypotheses (i) and/or (ii) are accepted, the microhabitat specialization they represent should be reflected in the spatial distribution of the individuals at distinct scales. The study was carried out in a swamp forest in south‐eastern Brazil. Soil moisture was autocorrelated at distances up to approximately 1 m, reflecting a fine‐scale microtopographic pattern of flooded pits and channels delimited by drier mounds. The first hypothesis was rejected, but the second hypothesis was accepted. No genets occurred on flooded microsites. A juvenile emergence experiment showed that seeds were unable to develop into juveniles under flooded conditions, but canopy openness did not influence the number of juveniles emerging. The third hypothesis was accepted. Individual genets were randomly distributed at scales corresponding to soil moisture patches, but were aggregated at larger scales. Juvenile genets were positively associated with reproducer genets. Our results indicate that palms may specialize on narrow parts of moisture gradients in swamp forests, and that this specialization can exclude them from even subtly distinct microhabitats.
Improvement in behavioral symptoms and advance of activity acrophase after short‐term bright light treatment in severe dementia
Authors: SKJERVE ARVID , HOLSTEN FRED , AARSLAND DAG , BJORVATN BJØRN , NYGAARD HARALD A. , JOHANSEN INGER MARIE
Published: July 2004

Abstract  Ten elderly subjects with severe dementia were given bright light (5000–8000 lux) for 45 min each morning for 4 weeks. Two rating scales of behavioral symptoms in dementia were used as outcome measures: Cohen‐Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and Behavior Pathology In Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE‐AD), a scale for sleep–wake disturbances, and actigraphy to monitor activity rhythm. Behavioral symptoms improved with treatment. No changes in sleep–wake measures were found. There was an advance of the activity rhythm acrophase during treatment. These results suggest that short‐time bright light improves behavioral symptoms and aspects of activity rhythm disturbances even in severely demented subjects.
Obsessive‐compulsive symptoms in parents of Tourette syndrome probands and autism spectrum disorder probands
Authors: KANO YUKIKO , OHTA MASATAKA , NAGAI YOKO , PAULS DAVID L. , LECKMAN JAMES F.
Published: July 2004

Abstract  Obsessive‐compulsive symptoms (OCS) frequently occur in patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It has been suggested that genetic factors play a role in the transmission of both TS and ASD and that obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) may have some genetic relationship with these disorders. The objective of this study was to explore whether the OCS associated with TS and ASD were found in the parents of TS and ASD probands by comparing them with normal controls. The subjects were parents of 13 TS and 16 ASD probands. All parents underwent an examination for tic symptoms and OCD, and completed the Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) and State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). No significant differences were observed in the MOCI and STAI scores among all three groups. However, the MOCI total score was higher in fathers of ASD probands than in male normal controls with a marginal significance. There was a significant tendency for the mean cleaning score of MOCI in fathers of ASD probands to be higher than that in male normal controls, and the mean checking score in fathers of ASD probands was fourfold higher than that in male normal controls, although there was no significant difference. No significant relationship was observed between OCS in TS or ASD probands and OCS of their parents. Further studies on OCD and OCS including a dimensional approach within ASD families are needed.
Olanzapine plus fluvoxamine and olanzapine alone for the treatment of an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia
Authors: CHAICHAN WARAWAT
Published: July 2004

Abstract  The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of olanzapine plus fluvoxamine and those of olanzapine alone, in schizophrenic patients with acute exacerbation. A randomized, placebo‐controlled, 6‐week trial was carried out at a University Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. The efficacy and adverse effects were assessed biweekly by using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser side‐effect scale, respectively. Twenty schizophrenic patients with acute exacerbation were randomly assigned to receive olanzapine plus fluvoxamine or olanzapine alone. The study found that the means of BPRS total and BPRS general psychopathology score changes were significantly larger in olanzapine plus fluvoxamine group (P = 0.037 and P = 0.045, respectively). The incidence of treatment adverse effects is comparable. In conclusion, the study findings suggest that fluvoxamine augmentation to olanzapine is well tolerated and more effective than olanzapine alone for short‐term (6‐week) treatment of an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia. Due to a number of limitations, further studies are warranted to confirm.
Mood profile evaluation by families, young physicians and experienced psychiatrists in an actual clinical practice setting
Authors: OTA TOSHIO , SASAKI YUKI , YAMAUCHI TOSHIO
Published: July 2004

Abstract  The purpose of this study was to explore differences in mood profile evaluation between raters with different backgrounds. Special emphasis was placed on expertise factor, influence of mood categories, and patient heterogeneity in a clinical setting. We administered Profile of Mood Scale (POMS) to patients’ families, residents, and experienced psychiatrists as well as the patients, asking them to make an evaluation based on their image of the patients’ subjective mood experience. Subscale scores and within‐case across‐item agreement indices among the raters were submitted for analysis. Analysis of variance of the subscale score showed significant effects of the rater by subscale‐category and the rater by case components. The former was most influenced by the Vigor/Activity subscale in which the families and patients had higher scores than the physicians. As for rater‐to‐patient correlations of the score, psychiatrists were superior to residents in Anger/Hostility and Fatigue/Inertia, while families were superior to physicians in Vigor/Activity. These results suggest significance of expertise in mood evaluation as well as importance of time shared with the patients. The within‐case across‐item agreement data were subjected to cluster and canonical discriminant analysis. The analysis revealed four clusters which were best explained by two dimensions, one interpreted as general feasibility of evaluation and the other as characteristic emotional expression which caused separation of evaluation between families and physicians. Rater's expertise is a significant factor. Attention should also be paid to mood categories and patient heterogeneity.
Patterns of self‐cutting: A preliminary study on differences in clinical implications between wrist‐ and arm‐cutting using a Japanese juvenile detention center sample
Authors: MATSUMOTO TOSHIHIKO , YAMAGUCHI AKIKO , CHIBA YASUHIKO , ASAMI TAKESHI , ISEKI EIZO , HIRAYASU YOSHIO
Published: July 2004

Abstract  The present study was aimed to clarify the differences in clinical implications between wrist‐ and arm‐cutting. Subjects were 201 delinquent adolescents (178 males and 23 females) who had been admitted to a detention center from February to March 2003. A self‐reporting questionnaire and the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (ADES) were given. Traumatic events and other self‐injurious behavior were compared among four groups. In total, 33 (16.4%) subjects reported wrist‐ and/or arm‐cutting. Of the females, 60.9% (n = 14) had experienced self cutting behaviors compared to 10.7% of males (n = 19). Subjects were divided into four groups; ‘non‐cutting’ (NC: n = 168, 83.6%), ‘wrist‐cutting’ (WC: n = 5, 2.5%), ‘arm‐cutting’ (AC: n = 19, 9.5%), and ‘wrist‐ and arm‐cutting’ (WAC: n = 9, 4.5%). WC, AC, and WAC groups reported early separation, bulling in school, and histories of sexual/physical abuse more frequently than NC group. WC and WAC groups reported suicidal ideation and suicide attempts more frequently than NC and AC groups. The ADES scores in AC and WAC groups were significantly higher than in those in NC group (P < 0.001), while the scores in WC were not different from NC groups. WC and WAC groups self‐cut due to suicide idea more frequently than the AC group, while AC group self‐cut due to anger expression more frequently than WC or WAC groups. Self‐cutters experienced early separation, bullying in school, and sexual/physical abuse more frequently than‐non‐self‐cutters. Arm‐cutting behavior may predict dissociation, while wrist‐cutting may involve with suicidality.
Psychomotor retardation correlates with frontal hypoperfusion and the Modified Stroop Test in patients with major depression under 60‐years‐old
Authors: NARITA HIROYUKI , ODAWARA TOSHINARI , ISEKI EIZO , KOSAKA KENJI , HIRAYASU YOSHIO
Published: July 2004

Abstract  Frontal hypoperfusion and frontal dysfunction have been reported in patients with major depression. It was also found that frontal hypoperfusion correlated with frontal dysfunction evaluated by neuropsychological tests in depressive patients aged 60 or over. These findings suggested that depression may cause frontal dysfunction and frontal hypoperfusion, and that these pathophysiological changes are manifested as psychomotor retardation. We performed single photon emission computed tomography and Modified Stroop Test on 35 patients with depression aged 25–83 to investigate association of depressive symptoms and psychological tests with cerebral blood perfusion. Additionally, we divided the patients into a younger (less than 60 years old) and an older (60 or over) group to examine the effect of age. Significant correlations were found between frontal perfusion, interference measure on Modified Stroop Test, and psychomotor retardation in all patients. These correlations were also found in the younger group. There was no significant difference on frontal perfusion, interference measure of the Modified Stroop Test, and psychomotor retardation between the two groups. The present findings suggest that frontal hypoperfusion, frontal dysfunction, and psychomotor retardation were associated with one another in not only the old but also the young patients with depression.
Factors related to feelings of burden among caregivers looking after impaired elderly in Japan under the Long‐Term Care insurance system
Authors: ARAI YUMIKO , KUMAMOTO KEIGO , WASHIO MASAKAZU , UEDA TERUKO , MIURA HIROKO , KUDO KEI
Published: July 2004

Abstract Since the 1970s, the burden of caregiving has been the subject of rather intense study, a trend that will continue with the rapid graying of populations worldwide. Since the Long‐Term Care insurance system began in 2000, few cross‐sectional studies have attempted to identify factors related to the feelings of burden among caregivers looking after the impaired elderly in Japan. In the present report, among 46 pairs of caregivers and impaired elderly, the elderly receiving regular nurses’ visits in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan were assessed for problems with activities of daily living, the severity of dementia, the presence of behavioral disturbance, and cognitive impairment. The caregivers were asked to complete questionnaires in relation to their feelings of burden and caregiving situation. The results indicated that caregivers of impaired elderly with behavioral disturbances were more likely to feel a ‘heavier burden.’ Those temporarily relieved of caregiving three or more hours a day were less likely to experience ‘heavier’ caregiver burden than those who were not. Moreover, caregivers who found it ‘inconvenient’ to use care services tended to be more likely to feel a ‘heavier’ caregiver burden than those who did not. Recourse to respite services, which are ideally positioned to help, proved inconvenient because of their advance reservation system. More ready access to respite services in emergencies could do much to reduce caregiver burden.
Effect of acute and chronic treatment with methamphetamine on mRNA expression of synaptotagmin IV and 25 KDa‐synaptic‐associated protein in the rat brain
Authors: ISAO TAKETO , AKIYAMA KAZUFUMI
Published: July 2004

Abstract  The effects of acute and chronic administration of methamphetamine (METH) on mRNA levels of synaptotagmin IV (SytIV) and an isoform of synaptic‐associated protein of 25 KDa (SNAP25a) have been investigated in rat brain using in situ hybridization. Pretreatment with 0.5 mg/kg dopamine D1 receptor antagonist (SCH23390), but not 0.5 mg/kg N‐methyl‐ d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (MK‐801), significantly attenuated the increased SytIV mRNA levels induced by acute METH administration in the striatum and the nucleus accumbens. Pretreatment with 0.5 mg/kg SCH23390, but not 0.5 mg/kg MK‐801, significantly attenuated the increased SNAP25a mRNA levels induced by acute METH administration in the striatum and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In the chronic treatment experiment, the SytIV mRNA levels of the group that received chronic treatment with METH followed by a METH challenge showed an increase similar to that seen after acute METH administration. In addition, those in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, and dentate gyrus were significantly higher than those of the group that received chronic treatment with saline followed by a METH challenge. The SNAP25a mRNA levels of the group that received chronic treatment with METH followed by a saline challenge were significantly higher than those of the group that received chronic treatment with saline followed by a saline challenge in the striatum and nucleus accumbens. The results of the present study suggest that SytIV may play an important role in the synaptic plasticity underlying METH‐induced neuroadaptive changes including behavioral sensitization.
Factor analysis of Zung Scale scores in a Japanese general population
Authors: CHIDA FUMINORI , OKAYAMA AKIRA , NISHI NOBUO , SAKAI AKIO
Published: July 2004

Abstract  The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the distribution of Zung Self‐rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores in a general population and its factor structure. Questionnaires on SDS items were sent to 7136 randomly selected residents aged 20–79 years who lived in districts in Japan with high rates of suicide. Valid responses were received from 5547 residents (response rate: 77.7%). Factor analysis of the SDS scores was conducted. The SDS scores of the male subjects were significantly lower than those of the female subjects in all age groups. A reverse‐J‐shaped relationship was found between age groups and mean SDS scores for the male and female subjects. The highest mean score was in the age group of 20–39 years, and the lowest mean score was in the age group of 60–69 years for the male and female subjects. In factor analysis, two factors consisting of 12 items were extracted, and 10 of those 12 items covered six Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn; DSM‐IV) criteria describing psychological disturbances of depression. The distribution of SDS scores differed depending on the age group. Major components of SDS in the subjects covered the DSM‐IV criteria for psychological disturbances of depression.
Paroxetine in the treatment of obsessive‐compulsive disorder: randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study in Japanese patients
Authors: KAMIJIMA KUNITOSHI , MURASAKI MITSUKUNI , ASAI MASAHIRO , HIGUCHI TERUHIKO , NAKAJIMA TERUO , TAGA CHIAKI , MATSUNAGA HISATO
Published: July 2004

Abstract  The efficacy of paroxetine in the treatment of obsessive‐compulsive disorder in Western populations is well established. The present study compares the efficacy and safety of paroxetine with placebo in the treatment of obsessive‐compulsive disorder in Japanese patients. Patients aged 16 years or older who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn; DSM‐IV) criteria for obsessive‐compulsive disorder and had a Yale–Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale (Y‐BOCS) score of ≥16 were randomized to receive 12 weeks’ therapy in a double‐blind manner. Paroxetine 20–50 mg/day or placebo was administered following a 1 week, placebo run‐in phase. One hundred and ninety‐one patients were randomized to either paroxetine or placebo, 188 patients were assessed as the full analysis set (FAS) and 144 patients completed the 12 week study. After adjustment for the Y‐BOCS total score at baseline, reductions in obsessive‐compulsive total score at week 6 and at the end of therapy were significantly greater in the paroxetine group than the placebo group. Most of the adverse events that occurred during the study were of mild to moderate intensity. Paroxetine is effective and well tolerated in Japanese adult patients with obsessive‐compulsive disorder.
Association of the XBP1−116C/G polymorphism with schizophrenia in the Japanese population
Authors: KAKIUCHI CHIHIRO , ISHIWATA MIZUHO , UMEKAGE TADASHI , TOCHIGI MAMORU , KOHDA KAZUHISA , SASAKI TSUKASA , KATO TADAFUMI
Published: July 2004

Abstract  Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share some clinical features and linkage studies have shown that several loci are common. Recently, the authors found that the −116C→G substitution in the promotor region of XBP1, a pivotal gene in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, causes the impairment of ER stress response, and that the −116C/C genotype is a protective factor; in other words the presence of the G allele increases the risk for bipolar disorder. The gene is located on 22q12.1, which is also linked with schizophrenia. The polymorphisms were investigated in 234 schizophrenic patients as compared with controls. Significant difference of genotype distribution was observed, which suggested that the −116C/C genotype is a protective factor for both of the major mental disorders.
Involvement of nucleus accumbens dopaminergic transmission in acoustic startle: Observations concerning prepulse inhibition in rats with entorhinal cortex lesions
Authors: GOTO KYOKO , UEKI AKINORI , ISO HIROYUKI , MORITA YOSHIO
Published: July 2004

Abstract  The relationship between the entorhinal cortex and prepulse inhibition (PPI) as well as the nucleus accumbens dopaminergic participation in acoustic startle were examined in rats. After the entorhinal cortex was damaged bilaterally using ibotenic acid, a microdialysis probe was placed in the nucleus accumbens for detection of dopamine before, during and after acoustic startle stimuli. In rats with bilateral entorhinal cortex lesions PPI was reduced, and extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens was elevated with or without acoustic stimuli. The entorhinal cortex and the sensorimotor gating system thus may be related via dopaminergic connections in the nucleus accumbens, even though dopamine release did not coincide completely with acoustic startle stimuli.
Trimethoprim−sulphamethoxazole therapy in Nocardia keratitis
Authors: Kalavathy C Muniswamy , Parmar Pragya , Ramalingam MD Kuthalingam , Kaliamurthy Jayaraman , Jesudasan CA Nelson , Thomas Philip A
Published: July 2004

Purpose: To describe the clinical features, microbiological features and treatment outcome of nine patients with Nocardia keratitis treated with topical trimethoprim− sulphamethoxazole drops.

Methods: Retrospective review of nine patients with culture‐proven Nocardia keratitis.

Results: Nine patients with Nocardia keratitis were treated with topical trimethoprim−sulphamethoxazole drops. The average duration of treatment was 25 ± 9 days. Five of the nine patients presented with superficial ulcers with margins studded with yellowish white discrete pinhead sized infiltration; the other four patients had deep stromal infiltration. Complete healing of the ulcer was achieved in six out of the nine patients with topical trimethoprim− sulphamethoxazole alone or in combination with ciprofloxacin 0.3% eye drops.

Conclusion: Topical application of trimethoprim−sulphamethoxazole appears to be effective therapy for superficial keratitis due to Nocardia.
Evaluation of polytetrafluoroethylene suture for frontalis suspension as compared to polybutylate‐coated braided polyester
Authors: Bajaj Mandeep S , Sastry Srinivas S , Ghose Supriyo , Betharia Subhash M , Pushker Neelam
Published: July 2004

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore‐Tex) suture as compared to polybutylate‐coated braided polyester (Ethibond) suture as sling materials for frontalis suspension in bilateral congenital ptosis.

Methods: Frontalis sling surgery by modified Crawford's double triangle technique was performed on 30 patients (60 eyes) with bilateral ptosis. The patients were randomized into two groups depending on the type of suture material used: polytetrafluoroethylene or braided polyester.

Results: Polytetrafluoroethylene suture achieved a statistically significant better and more stable ptosis correction, with slightly more lagophthalmos, than braided polyester suture over a mean (± SD) follow‐up period of 16 ± 3.24 months. There were more postoperative complications with braided polyester suture, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: This is the first clinical study in which polytetrafluoroethylene in the form of suture has been studied. Polytetrafluoroethylene suture was found to be a safe and effective sling material for frontalis suspension and it can be recommended for clinical use.
Two cases of X‐linked juvenile retinoschisis with different optical coherence tomography findings and RS1 gene mutations
Authors: Chan Wai Man , Choy Kwong Wai , Wang Jianghua , Lam Dennis SC , Yip Wilson WK , Fu Weiling , Pang Chi Pui
Published: July 2004

The optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings, clinical features, and mutations in the RS1 gene of two unrelated patients with X‐linked retinoschisis (XLRS) are reported herein. Two Chinese patients with early onset XLRS were given a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination and OCT investigation. The RS1 gene was screened for sequence alterations in all exons and splice regions. The two patients presented with different phenotypic features and OCT findings. One patient with more severe clinical presentation had a RS1 exon 1 deletion and a P193S mutation was found in the other patient with mild macular involvement. OCT demonstrates the markedly different features of XLRS patients with different RS1 mutations. This study strengthens the role of OCT in the diagnosis and monitoring of XLRS.