bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postcards in Japan: A Historical Sociology of a Forgotten Culture
Authors: Satô Kenji
Published: March 2003

Extending the study of picture postcards beyond an analysis of their content demonstrates that changes in the material circumstances of the production of postcards, and the conceptual shifts that they catalyzed, fundamentally altered the visual field of late nineteenth–century Japan. Once the postal system began in Japan in 1870, government–issued prepaid postcards, and picture postcards collected and sent from other countries, did introduce the medium to a small degree. However, private production of picture postcards only started in 1900, when postcards to which stamps could be affixed were first allowed. Stores and periodicals first produced them as promotional gifts, opening an arena for print technology experiments. During this period, government–issued commemorative postcards officially encouraged soldier–civilian correspondence, sparking wartime collecting booms. Early postcards of “beauties”, bound by taboos against depicting ordinary women, featured only geisha; later ones depicted ordinary women, subsequently creating a constellation of national stars, setting the stage for later postcard–format bromide paper prints of movie stars’ photographic portraits. “Current–events postcards”, rather than prioritizing accuracy, served as commemorative memorials. However, it was the rise of photojournalism that rendered the genre obsolete. Railway travel, besides reconfiguring and expanding the landscape of tourist destinations, also shaped practices of communication, aided by the innovation of the fountain pen. Increased speed and mobility changed travellers’ ways of seeing in a manner that, like postcards, altered visuality and transformed notions of time and space. Ultimately, picture postcards simultaneously offered intimacy with and distance from the object of the scopophilic gaze of an expanding audience.
The Effect of Time‐Series and Cross‐Sectional Heterogeneity on Panel Unit Root Test Power
Authors: Geppert John M. , Jares Timothy E. , Lavin Angeline M.
Published: March 2003

Panel unit root tests represent a significant advancement in addressing the low power of unit root tests by exploiting cross‐sectional and time‐series information. In this article we employ Monte Carlo techniques to quantify the power improvements due to cross‐sectional information and assess test sensitivity to heterogeneous data. Pooling the data alleviates negative effects of slowly adjusting equilibrium relations as well as persistence in the forcing variable. However, if the panel contains a mixture of unit root and stationary series, the power of the test decreases substantially and the interpretation of the results becomes tenuous.
Forecasting Emerging Market Exchange Rates from Foreign Equity Options
Authors: Chu Ting‐Heng , Swidler Steve
Published: March 2003

The use of derivatives to infer future exchange rates has long been a subject of interest in the international finance literature. With the recent currency crises in Mexico, Southeast Asia, and Brazil, work on exchange rate expectations in emerging markets is of particular interest. For some emerging markets, foreign equity options are the only liquid exchange‐traded derivatives with currency information embedded in their prices. Given that emerging markets sometimes undergo currency realignment with discrete jumps in their exchange rate, estimation of risk‐neutral probability density functions from foreign equity option data provides valuable evidence concerning market expectations. To illustrate the use of foreign equity options in estimating market beliefs, we consider Telmex options around the 1994 peso devaluation and find evidence that markets anticipated the change in the Mexican government's foreign exchange policy.
Are All Security Analysts Equal?
Authors: Chen Carl R. , Chan Kam C. , Steiner Thomas L.
Published: March 2003

We examine the extent to which security analysts are homogeneous in their effect on firm valuation as measured by Tobin's Q. Earlier research documents a significant and positive relation between analyst coverage and firm valuation. We identify three classes of equity analysts and examine their differential effect on firm valuation associated with their coverage and their information production. We find that equity analysts are not homogeneous in their effect on firm valuation. The presence of analysts at national securities firms have the strongest effect on firm valuation followed by analysts at regional securities firms and finally analysts at nonbrokerage, or research, firms. We attribute this result to the differential monitoring and information dissemination function rendered by the analysts. Information produced by analysts, however, does not share the same credibility. Specifically, we find brokerage firms' buy recommendations are discounted by the market and have a weak effect on firm valuation. The results can be supported by arguments that brokerage firm analysts' recommendations are contaminated by their firms' investment banking relations with corporations.
On the Statistical Significance of Event Effects on Unsystematic Volatility
Authors: Hilliard Jimmy E. , Savickas Robert
Published: March 2003

We develop a method for determining the significance of the effect of a certain event (stock split, corporate restructuring, change in regulation, etc.) on unsystematic volatility of asset returns. Simulations show that the suggested tests reject the true null hypothesis of no effect on volatility at appropriate levels, whereas the rejection rates of a false null hypothesis increase with the magnitude of the effect. An application of the method to corporate spin‐offs reveals statistically significant and long‐lasting estimated increases in unsystematic volatility of parent companies' returns.
The Hull and White Model of the Short Rate: An Alternative Analytical Representation
Authors: Grant Dwight , Vora Gautam
Published: March 2003

Hull and White extend Ho and Lee's no‐arbitrage model of the short interest rate to include mean reversion. This addition eliminates the problem of negative interest rates and has found wide application. To implement their model, Hull and White employ a sequential search process to identify the mean interest rate in a trinomial lattice at each date. In this article we extend Hull and White's work by developing an analytical solution for the mean interest rate at each date. This solution applies equally well to trinomial lattices, interest rate trees, and Monte Carlo simulation. We illustrate the analytical result by applying it to an example originally used by Hull and White and then for valuing an option on a bond.
Cross‐Listings and Home Market Trading Volume: The Case of Malaysia and Singapore
Authors: Ting Lau Sie , McInish Thomas H.
Published: March 2003

Cross‐listings of equities internationally are becoming more common. Using data for Europe and North America, previous studies reject the order flow diversion hypothesis, which states that international cross‐listings reduce home‐country trading volume. We test this hypothesis using data for equities cross‐listed in Singapore and Malaysia. We find that trading volume in Malaysia fell 42.9% when Singapore markets were closed for holidays. Furthermore, we show that trading volume in Malaysia did not increase following the implementation of regulations that ended the trading of Malaysian equities in Singapore in 1998. Hence, we reject the order flow diversion hypothesis.
Government Bond Market Seasonality, Diversification, and Cointegration: International Evidence
Authors: Smith Kenneth L.
Published: March 2003

Using government bond market data for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan, I investigate several hypotheses. Market efficiency is investigated by testing for seasonality and cointegration. The seasonality results are mixed. In regression tests, a January effect is detected in several markets (United States, Germany, France, United Kingdom, and Canada) using local currencies. However, in a nonparametric test, the January effect is supported only for France. When U.S. dollar returns are used, regression results also reveal a January effect for several markets (United States, Germany, France, and United Kingdom). These results are not confirmed by a nonparametric test. Correlation analysis shows considerable diversification opportunities for short‐term investors. Cointegration tests indicate that several of the markets share cointegrating vectors, increasing the possibilities of using other endogenous bond markets to better predict movements in a particular market.
Consolidating Corporate Control: Divisional Versus Whole‐Company Leveraged Buyouts
Authors: Bae Sung C. , Jo Hoje
Published: March 2003

We examine the empirical relation between firm characteristics and the likelihood of choosing a restructuring choice between two types of leveraged buyouts: a whole‐company leveraged buyout (WLBO) and a divisional leveraged buyout (DLBO). Our findings suggest that firm characteristics such as volatility of cash flow and growth potential play an important role in determining a firm's restructuring choice between a WLBO and a DLBO. In particular, firms with greater volatility of cash flow and/or greater future growth potential are more likely to adopt a DLBO than a WLBO as their restructuring choice. These results are consistent with the notion that although low‐growth, high‐cash‐flow firms would create the most value for stockholders by paying out cash and tying future cash flows to the firm's debt service through a WLBO, high‐growth, low‐cash‐flow firms would be better off by selling assets if those assets would be better managed under a DLBO.
Civility Proxies and Social Tolerance in American Marketplaces
Authors: Williamson K. M.
Published: March 2003

Acknowledging the wide–ranging possibilities for diversity in commercial and retail environments, researchers and scholars have long asked the familiar questions of “public for whom” and “public for what,” understanding how much social tolerance in public space is commonly and informally negotiated by its users. Private interests have long played a strong role in controlling behavior in publicly used commercial spaces, and one of the most visible forms of such control has been the appearance of posted signs and notices throughout America’s marketplaces that exhort people to be nice and to act appropriately—to clean up after themselves, to give (or not give) donations or tips, to not solicit, or to refrain from loitering. Such civility proxies have the potential to circumvent the public, face–to–face responsibility for and engagement with civility, and may likewise subvert the mutual trust and presumption of equality that civility can promote. Tolerance of diversity in public, therefore, may be impeded when the policing of civility is usurped by entities that are not direct public space participants. This article proposes that when public civility is dictated by signs–as–proxies instead of by the general public, the public realm’s civility negotiation process that promotes social tolerance can be undermined by private interests.
Appearance Cues and the Shootings at Columbine High: Construction of a Social Problem in the Print Media
Authors: Ogle Jennifer Paff , Eckman Molly , Leslie Catherine Amoroso
Published: March 2003

In this study, we used an interpretive approach to examine print media (newspaper) representations of the relationship between appearance and the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado. Our work was guided by the social constructionist definition of a social problem. Grounded theory analyses revealed that both primary and secondary claims‐makers staged claims and/or counterclaims contributing to the construction of Columbine as an appearance‐linked social problem. The content and form of these claims varied according to the stage in the construction of the problem. Further, although both primary and secondary claims were made with respect to the conceptualization of the problem, an explanation for it, and solutions to it, the roles of primary and secondary claims‐makers in constructing the problem varied. Implications of claims made within the media and related to the role of appearance in the shootings are considered, and a call is made for future work in this area.
Stakeholder Attitudes Toward the Risks and Benefits of Agricultural Biotechnology in Developing Countries: A Comparison Between Mexico and the Philippines
Authors: Aerni Philipp
Published: March 2003

Public perceptions and political debates regarding the risks and benefits of agricultural biotechnology are well documented in industrialized countries. Yet, hardly any surveys have been conducted in developing countries. The following study aims to contribute to a better understanding of stakeholder attitudes toward agricultural biotechnology in developing countries. For this purpose, stakeholder representatives in the public debates in Mexico and the Philippines were asked to complete two nearly identical questionnaires on the risks and benefits of agricultural biotechnology. A comparison of stakeholder attitudes in the Philippines and Mexico is interesting because it shows how the different political systems, cultural and ecological backgrounds, and the regional context of food and agriculture influence perceptions. In general, the results of the surveys indicate that the participants in both countries consider genetic engineering to be an important tool to address agricultural, nutritional, and environmental problems, and they do not regard transgenic foods as risky for consumers. However, they are concerned about the potential impact of such transgenic crops on their countries' rich biological diversity and do not believe that national biosafety guidelines will be implemented properly. Although the surveys show that stakeholder attitudes in the Philippines and Mexico are quite similar, they also highlight significant differences in perception often related to cultural and political aspects.
Joint Persistence of Transformation Products in Chemicals Assessment: Case Studies and Uncertainty Analysis
Authors: Fenner Kathrin , Scheringer Martin , Hungerbühler Konrad
Published: March 2003

The joint persistence (JP) quantifies the environmental persistence of a parent compound and a selection of relevant transformation products. Here, the importance as well as the uncertainty of the JP in comparison to the persistence of the parent compound alone (primary persistence, PP) are investigated. To demonstrate the effect of transformation products on the environmental persistence of organic chemicals, three case studies of parent compounds (nonylphenol ethoxylates, perchloroethylene, atrazine) and transformation products are investigated in detail with a multimedia fate model. Comparison of the PP and JP values shows that transformation products can significantly increase the persistence. In addition to the point estimates of PP and JP, the associated uncertainties are investigated. For each of the case studies, the chemical‐specific input parameters of all compounds are varied and the corresponding variance of the PP and JP is determined by Monte Carlo simulations. Interestingly, the higher number of input parameters required for the JP does not necessarily increase the uncertainty of the JP as compared to that of the PP alone. An exact mathematical expression specifying the contribution of each transformation product to the JP is given. When transformation products are grouped in different generations, it becomes discernible that the first generation increases the JP most; the later generations are of decreasing importance. Finally, the effect of incomplete knowledge of the transformation products and their properties on the JP results is discussed. For reliable JP estimates, knowledge of the first generation transformation products and their degradation rate constants is required.
The Impact of the European Union Insurance Directives on Insurance Company Stocks
Authors: Campbell Cynthia J. , Goldberg Lawrence , Rai Anoop
Published: March 2003

This article examines the impact of the passage of the Second and Third Life and Non‐Life European Insurance Directives on insurance firms located in 14 European Union countries, Norway, and Switzerland. The third directives have a wealth effect on the European insurance market, while the second directives do not. The Third Life Directive resulted in a wealth increase for the European insurance market, while the Third Non‐Life Directive had a modest negative wealth effect. The wealth effects differ at both the country and firm level. The directives have differential impacts on firms depending on the firms’ characteristics and those of the market they operated in prior to the directives. Regression results indicate that the second directives have impacted firms in protected markets negatively, especially those with higher debt and higher returns on assets. At the time of the third directives, insurance firms benefited, even those in previously protected markets, indicating that firms may have positioned themselves in preparation for the liberalization of the laws.
Subtle, Pervasive, Harmful: Racist and Sexist Remarks in Public as Hate Speech
Authors: Nielsen Laura Beth
Published: March 2003

Using field observations and 100 in‐depth interviews with participants recruited from public places in Northern California, this article documents the experience of being the target of hate speech in public places. Focusing on racist and sexist hate speech (as participants define the phenomenon), I show that there is a range of experiences with hate speech and that it is often quite subtle, leaving all but intended victims unaware that it occurs. These data also show that such interactions occur with regularity and leave targets harmed in significant ways. There can be little doubt that members of traditionally disadvantaged groups face a strikingly different reality on the street than do members of privileged groups. Although the legal status of hate speech remains ambiguous, its harms are not.
Well–Being: Concepts and Measures
Authors: Kahn Robert L. , Juster F. Thomas
Published: March 2003

Well–being, or quality of life, is a continuing goal for individuals and a major criterion for the evaluation of governments and societies. As a research concept, however, it has been marked by persisting problems of definition and measurement and by uncertainties about its changing pattern over the life course. In this article, these issues are discussed; the concept of well–being is “unpacked” and a model of stocks and flows is described as applicable to the analysis of well–being. Finally, the concept of resilience is proposed as important for research on well–being in relation to age.
Toward a Two‐Factor Theory of One Type of Mathematics Disabilities
Authors: Robinson Carol S. , Menchetti Bruce M. , Torgesen Joseph K.
Published: March 2003

A two‐factor theory is proposed in an attempt to explain the difficulty that children with math disabilities have in mastering the basic number facts. The theory is based on the premise that weak cognitive representations lead to poorer retrieval of information from long‐term memory. Two groups of children with disabilities are discussed: those with math disabilities alone (MD) and those with co‐morbid math and reading disabilities (MD/RD). It is proposed that weak phonological processing abilities underlie the learning difficulties of MD/RD children, and that weak number sense is a causal factor in the math‐fact learning difficulties of MD only and some MD/RD children.
Abstract
Authors: Jaffe Joseph , Beebe Beatrice , Feldstein Stanley , Crown Cynthia L. , Jasnow Michael D.
Published: March 2003

Although theories of early social development emphasize the advantage of mother‐infant rhythmic coupling and bidirectional coordination, empirical demonstrations remain sparse. We therefore test the hypothesis that vocal rhythm coordination at age 4 months predicts attachment and cognition at age 12 months. Partner and site novelty were studied by recording mother‐infant, stranger‐infant, and mother‐stranger face‐to‐face interactions in both home and laboratory sites for 88 4‐month‐old infants, for a total of 410 recordings. An automated dialogic coding scheme, appropriate to the nonperiodic rhythms of our data, implemented a systems concept of every action as jointly produced by both partners. Adult‐infant coordination at age 4 months indeed predicted both outcomes at age 12 months, but midrange degree of mother‐infant and stranger‐infant coordination was optimal for attachment (Strange Situation), whereas high (“tight”) stranger‐infant coordination in the lab was optimal for cognition (Bayley Scales). Thus, high coordination can index more or less optimal outcomes, as a function of outcome measure, partner, and site. Bidirectional coordination patterns were salient in both attachment and cognition predictions. Comparison of mother‐infant and stranger‐infant interactions was particularly informative, suggesting the dynamics of infants' early differentiation from mothers. Stranger and infant showed different patterns of vocal rhythm activity level, were more bidirectional, accounted for 8 times more variance in Bayley scores, predicted attachment just as well as mother and infant, and revealed more varied contingency structures and a wider range of attachment outcomes. To explain why vocal timing measures at age 4 months predict outcomes at age 12 months, our dialogue model was construed as containing procedures for regulating the pragmatics of proto‐conversation. The timing patterns of the 4‐month‐olds were seen as procedural or performance knowledge, and as precursors of various kinesic patterns in the outcomes of 12‐month‐olds. Thus, our work further defines a fundamental dyadic timing matrix—a system that guides the trajectory of relatedness, informing all relational theories of development.
Testing the Effects of Sale Method Restrictions in Municipal Bond Issuance: The Case of New Jersey
Authors: Robbins Mark D.
Published: March 2003

Can state governments save money by restricting the practice of selling tax‐exempt bonds through negotiation, or do such regulations impose additional costs? Circumstances in New Jersey recently created a natural experiment to test this proposition. This study finds significant cost savings for those issues sold through competition both before and after such restrictions were put in place. All else equal, issues sold competitively after the policy change did not have significantly higher interest costs, despite a shift in volume toward competitive sales, suggesting that there exists room for increased use of competitive sales without incurring a cost penalty.
Municipal Bond Insurance: Trends and Prospects
Authors: Justice Jonathan B. , Simon Stewart
Published: March 2003

Privately sold bond insurance is the most common form of credit enhancement for municipal bonds. Research generally finds that bond insurance reduces interest costs for lower rated, long–term debt issues. Researchers have concluded that these results are consistent with presumed investor risk aversion, as well as more “rational” risk management behaviors, and with theories concerning the efficiency–enhancing properties of financial intermediation in imperfect markets. We propose a research agenda based both on traditional theories and on additional hypotheses that seek to account for the observed use of bond insurance where net savings would not normally be predicted.
The Equality of Public School District Funding in the United States: A National Status Report
Authors: Moser Michele , Rubenstein Ross
Published: March 2003

For over 30 years, the distribution of educational opportunities and the equality of education funding across communities has generated considerable interest among policy makers, the public, and the courts. This article takes advantage of national data sets to examine funding equality across school districts in 49 states for fiscal years 1992 and 1995. It presents rankings of each state's funding equality and explores factors that may be related to the level of equality within states and to changes across years.

The analyses suggest that, overall, within‐state equality improved slightly between 1992 and 1995, although most states' relative rankings changed little during the period. States with fewer school districts relative to students tended to have a more equal distribution of education dollars than states with more districts. States with higher proportions of revenues provided by state governments generally showed a more equitable distribution of resources than states in which districts were more dependent on local revenues.
UK Fixed Rate Repayment Mortgage and Mortgage Indemnity Valuation
Authors: Azevedo‐Pereira José A. , Newton David P. , Paxson Dean A.
Published: March 2003

We use a mean‐reverting interest rate model and a lognormal house price diffusion model to evaluate British fixed rate repayment mortgage contracts with (embedded) default and prepayment options. The model also provides values for capped mortgage indemnity guarantees and the corresponding (residual) lender’s coinsurance. Since the partial differential equation incorporating the general features of these mortgage contracts does not have a closed‐form solution, an explicit finite difference method is used for the valuation (and sensitivity) results, with solution improvements to deal with error bounds. Then we provide graphical representations of each mortgage component as a function of house prices and interest rate levels, along with interpretations of the analysis. We calculate precisely the lender’s (residual) exposure to house price risk, given the borrower’s options, house and interest rate uncertainty, and customary mortgage indemnity insurance for high loan/collateral ratio mortgages.
Using Multiperiod Variables in the Analysis of Home Improvement Decisions by Homeowners
Authors: Baker Kermit , Kaul Bulbul
Published: March 2003

Though approaching $200 billion a year, spending by homeowners and rental property owners on improvements and repairs to the stock of existing housing units has received little attention in the academic literature. Historically, studies of the determinants of home improvements have focused heavily on the static characteristics of the housing unit (age, value, size, location) and of the occupants (age, income, household composition). This article extends this inquiry by incorporating dynamic factors, namely changes in the composition of the household and previous spending on home improvements. The results of these enhancements are encouraging. Additions of household members and having recently undertaken a major home improvement project are significantly related to home expansion projects.
Why Does Immigrant Trip Duration Vary Across U.S. Destinations?
Authors: Reyes Belinda I. , Mameesh Laura
Published: March 2003

Objective. This article explores the factors that lead to differences in immigrant trip duration across U.S. destinations. Methods. Using data from the Mexican Migration Project and the 1970, 1980, and 1990 U.S. Censuses, we estimate discrete‐time hazard models of the probability of return for unauthorized male migrants. Results. We find three patterns of migration for undocumented migrants across U.S. destinations: semi‐permanent and permanent migration to urban areas; temporary migration to agricultural areas; and sojourner, or cyclical, migration to border regions. These patterns depend on the characteristics of the immigrant population that moves to each destination, in addition to the opportunities available to migrants in each destination. However, all these factors are mediated by social and institutional conditions at the destination. Conclusions. The findings of this study reiterate the importance of economic opportunities as an important predictor of not only migration to, but also length of stay in, the United States. Dynamic regions not only attract more immigrants, but they also attract a more permanent population of migrants.
Mutual Fund Advisory Contracts: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Deli Daniel N.
Published: March 2003

We investigate marginal compensation rates in mutual fund advisory contracts and find the following. Equity and foreign fund advisors receive higher marginal compensation than debt and domestic fund advisors. Advisors of funds with greater turnover receive higher marginal compensation. Also, closedend fund advisors receive higher marginal compensation than open‐end fund advisors. Finally, we find that marginal compensation is lower for advisors of large funds and members of large fund families. We argue that these differences in marginal compensation reflect differences in advisor marginal product, differences in the difficulty of monitoring performance, differences in control environments, and scale economies.
Economic Distress, Financial Distress, and Dynamic Liquidation
Authors: Kahl Matthias
Published: March 2003

Many firms emerging from a debt restructuring remain highly leveraged, continue to invest little, perform poorly, and often reenter financial distress. The existing literature interprets these findings as inefficiencies arising from coordination problems among many creditors or an inefficient design of bankruptcy law. In contrast, this paper emphasizes that creditors lack the information that is needed to make quick and correct liquidation decisions. It can explain the long‐term nature of financial distress solely as the result of dynamic learning strategies of creditors and suggests that it may be an unavoidable byproduct of an efficient resolution of financial distress.
The Abundant Nuclear Enzyme PARP Participates in the Life Cycle of Simian Virus 40 and Is Stimulated by Minor Capsid Protein VP3
Authors: Gordon-Shaag Ariela , Yosef Yael , Abd El-Latif Mahmoud , Oppenheim Ariella
Published: March 2003

The abundant nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) functions in DNA damage surveillance and repair and at the decision between apoptosis and necrosis. Here we show that PARP binds to simian virus 40 (SV40) capsid proteins VP1 and VP3. Furthermore, its enzymatic activity is stimulated by VP3 but not by VP1. Experiments with purified mutant proteins demonstrated that the PARP binding domain in VP3 is localized to the 35 carboxy-terminal amino acids, while a larger peptide of 49 amino acids was required for full stimulation of its activity. The addition of 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB), a known competitive inhibitor of PARP, demonstrated that PARP participates in the SV40 life cycle. The titer of SV40 propagated on CV-1 cells was reduced by 3-AB in a dose-dependent manner. Additional experiments showed that 3-AB did not affect viral DNA replication or capsid protein production. PARP did not modify the viral capsid proteins in in vitro poly(ADP-ribosylation) assays, implying that it does not affect SV40 infectivity. On the other hand, it greatly reduced the magnitude of the host cytopathic effects, a hallmark of SV40 infection. Additional experiments suggested that the stimulation of PARP activity by VP3 leads the infected cell to a necrotic pathway, characterized by the loss of membrane integrity, thus facilitating the release of mature SV40 virions from the cells. Our studies identified a novel function of the minor capsid protein VP3 in the recruitment of PARP for the SV40 lytic process.
Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Virions Depleted of Cyclophilin A by Natural Endogenous Reverse Transcription Restores Infectivity
Authors: Khan Mahfuz , Garcia-Barrio Minerva , Powell Michael D.
Published: March 2003

We have previously shown that virions with
nef
deleted can be restored to wild-type infectivity by treatment to induce natural endogenous reverse transcription (NERT). Since Nef and cyclophilin A (CyPA) appear to act in similar ways on postentry events, we determined whether NERT treatment would restore infectivity to virions depleted of CyPA. Our results show that the infectivity of virions depleted of CyPA by treatment with cyclosporine A could be restored by NERT treatment, while mutants in the CyPA binding loop of capsid could only be partially restored. These results suggest that CyPA is involved in some aspect of the uncoating process.
Epstein-Barr Virus Regulates STAT1 through Latent Membrane Protein 1
Authors: Richardson Ciarán , Fielding Ceri , Rowe Martin , Brennan Paul
Published: March 2003

This study shows a mechanism for the increase of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized cells. Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) expression was sufficient to induce STAT1 expression, DNA binding, and transcriptional activity. LMP-1-expressing cells can induce an increase in STAT1 expression in LMP-negative cells in the same culture, suggesting an indirect regulation of STAT1 expression. The increase in STAT1 expression is mediated by the C-terminal activating region 1 (CTAR-1) and/or CTAR-2 domains of LMP-1 and is inhibited by mutant IκB, demonstrating a role for NFκB in LMP-1-mediated STAT1 expression.
The CCR5 and CXCR4 Coreceptors Are Both Used by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Primary Isolates from Subtype C
Authors: Cilliers Tonie , Nhlapo Jabulani , Coetzer Mia , Orlovic Dragana , Ketas Thomas , Olson William C. , Moore John P. , Trkola Alexandra , Morris Lynn
Published: March 2003

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype C viruses with different coreceptor usage profiles were isolated from 29 South African patients with advanced AIDS. All 24 R5 isolates were inhibited by the CCR5-specific agents, PRO 140 and RANTES, while the two X4 viruses and the three R5X4 viruses were sensitive to the CXCR4-specific inhibitor, AMD3100. The five X4 or R5X4 viruses were all able to replicate in peripheral blood mononuclear cells that did not express CCR5. When tested using coreceptor-transfected cell lines, one R5 virus was also able to use CXCR6, and another R5X4 virus could use CCR3, BOB/GPR15, and CXCR6. The R5X4 and X4 viruses contained more-diverse V3 loop sequences, with a higher overall positive charge, than the R5 viruses. Hence, some HIV-1 subtype C viruses are able to use CCR5, CXCR4, or both CXCR4 and CCR5 for entry, and they are sensitive to specific inhibitors of entry via these coreceptors. These observations are relevant to understanding the rapid spread of HIV-1 subtype C in the developing world and to the design of intervention and treatment strategies.
MULTIPARTICLE PHASE SHIFT ANALYSIS IN PERIPHERAL PRODUCTION EXPERIMENTS: LESSONS FROM THE PAST
Authors: Fox Geoffrey
Published: March 2003

We recall some of our understanding of meson resonance production in high energy collisions from 20 years ago and its implications for a new generation of high statistics experiments. We discuss S-matrix theory, duality and Regge exchanges. We briefly mention some computing issues.
A SIMPLE PROOF OF THE ELLIPTICITY OF KOITER'S MODEL
Authors: AKIAN JEAN-LUC
Published: March 2003

In this paper, we give a simple proof of the ellipticity of Koiter's model for a shell, based on the three-dimensional Korn inequality applied to Kirchhoff–Love displacement fields.
HLA‐G protein expression is not induced during malignant transformation
Authors: Pangault C. , Amiot L. , Caulet‐Maugendre S. , Brasseur F. , Burtin F. , Guilloux V. , Drenou B. , Fauchet R. , Onno M.
Published: March 2003

To evaluate the biological relevance of HLA‐G expression during tumoral transformation, we analyzed its expression in different malignant cells and immune effector cells infiltrating solid tumors. Our analysis of 33 tumor cell lines and 53 tumoral biopsies demonstrated that: i) six tumor cell lines display HLA‐G transcription with differential alternative splicing patterns and only Jeg3 choriocarcinoma and MCF‐7 breast adenocarcinoma cell lines express HLA‐G translated products; and ii) HLA‐G antigens are not expressed in malignantly transformed cells derived from lung (n=18), liver (n=5), colon (n=5), breast (n=10), kidney (n=5), ovary (n=5) , and larynx (n=5) tissues ex vivo. The healthy tissues surrounding these tumor tissues do not express HLA‐G molecules either. On the other hand, surprisingly, HLA‐G products were detected in activated macrophages and dendritic cells localized in tumoral biopsies of 5 out of 18 different lung carcinomas. No HLA‐G labelling was observed in resident mononuclear phagocytes of surrounding healthy tissues. Our observations clearly demonstrate that HLA‐G is not a marker of malignant cells but appears as a gene expressed in tumor‐associated macrophages and dendritic cells, preferentially in those recruited in lung carcinomas. Our findings suggest that specific environmental factors around lung tumors could be involved in the induction of HLA‐G protein expression.
HLA class I expression and chromosomal deletions at 6p and 15q in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Feenstra M. , Veltkamp M. , Van Kuik J. , Wiertsema S. , Slootweg P. , Van Den Tweel J. , De Weger R. , Tilanus M.
Published: March 2003

Loss at the chromosomal region 6p21.3 is a frequent event in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Since the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex is located at 6p21.3, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of this region may provide tumour cells with an immune‐escape tumour phenotype. In the present study, we have studied the correlation of HLA class I, TAP1 and TAP2 expression and LOH at 6p21.3. HLA class I and TAP1 and TAP2 protein expression was analysed by immunohistochemical procedures. A panel of 41 HNSCC with downregulated HLA class I expression was selected for LOH studies using 5 microsatellite markers located at 6p21.3 (D6S105, D6S265, D6S276, D6S273, D6S291) and 2 markers located at the chromosome 6 centromere (D6S473) and the 6p telomere (D6S277). In addition, LOH of the beta‐2‐microglobulin (β2m) gene was studied using 2 microsatellite markers flanking the β2m gene (D15S126 and D15S153) and was correlated with β2m and HLA class I expression. In 20/41 (49%) of the HNSCC, allelic loss for at least one locus at 6p21.3 was found. Loss at 15q was found in 4/10 (40%) HNSCC with downregulated β2m expression and in 12/41 (29%) HNSCC with downregulated HLA class I expression. Our data show that downregulation of HLA class I expression is correlated with loss of chromosomal regions at 6p21.3 in HNSCC. In addition, LOH at 6p21.3 and 15q in 10 paired samples of DNA derived from the primary HNSCC, the lymph node metastases and from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) was studied. Five (5/10) primary tumours contained the same deletion as the corresponding lymph node metastases. The other cases contained deletions either in the primary tumour (3 cases) or in the lymph node metastases (1 case) or no deletions at all (1 case).
Expression of homing receptors and related molecules on human mast cells and basophils: a comparative analysis using multi‐color flow cytometry and toluidine blue/immunofluorescence staining techniques
Authors: Wimazal F. , Ghannadan M. , Müller M.R. , End A. , Willheim M. , Meidlinger P. , Schernthaner G.‐H. , Jordan J.‐H. , Hagen W. , Agis H. , Sperr W.R. , Czerwenka K. , Lechner K. , Valent P.
Published: March 2003

Mast cells (MC) and blood basophils (Ba) are multifunctional effector cells of the immune system and accumulate in areas of ongoing disease. However, despite of similar morphology, MC and Ba differ from each other in terms of cell surface receptor expression, mediator content, and tissue distribution. In order to gain new insights into mechanisms and molecules responsible for the distribution and accumulation of MC and Ba, we have investigated expression of homing receptors on primary human MC (lung, n=28; uterus, n=17), Ba (healthy donors, n=64), the mast cell line HMC‐1, and the basophil line KU‐812. Expression of cell surface antigens on MC and Ba was analyzed by mAb and indirect immunofluorescence staining techniques. In addition to previous findings, Ba were found to react with mAb against the selectin‐ligands sLex (CD15s) and PSGL‐1 (CD162), L‐selectin (CD62L), β7‐integrin, the ‘matrix‐receptor’ neurothelin (CD147), platelet‐endothelial cell tetraspan antigen‐3 (PETA‐3=CD151), and BST‐1 (CD157). Novel antigens detectable on MC (lung and uterus) were CD147, CD151, CD157 and CD49c (VLA‐3α). By contrast, MC were not recognized by mAb to sLex, PSGL‐1, L‐selectin, or β7 integrin. No reactivity of Ba or MC with mAb to syndecan‐1 (CD138), VE‐cadherin (CD144), MUC18/MCAM (CD146), MGC‐24 (CD164), or ALCAM (CD166) was found. The cell lines HMC‐1 and KU‐812 expressed a similar profile of antigens when compared to primary cells. In summary, Ba and MC express a unique profile of homing molecules. Apparently, Ba differ from MC in expression of recognition receptors relevant for binding to endothelium and consecutive transmigration.
HLA associations in type 1 diabetes among patients not carrying high‐risk DR3‐DQ2 or DR4‐DQ8 haplotypes
Authors: Undlien D.E. , Kockum I. , Rønningen K.S. , Lowe R. , Saanjeevi C.B. , Graham J. , Lie B.A. , Akselsen H.E. , Lernmark Å. , Thorsby E.
Published: March 2003

Type 1 diabetes is a complex disease where numerous genes are involved in the pathogenesis. Genes that account for approximately 50% of the familial clustering of the disease are located within or in the vicinity of the HLA complex on chromosome 6. Some DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 genes are known to be involved, in addition to as yet unidentified HLA‐linked genes. The DR4‐DQ8 and DR3‐DQ2 haplotypes are known to confer high risk for developing the disease, particularly when occurring together. Approximately 10% of patients, however, do not carry any of these high‐risk HLA class II haplotypes. We have performed genotyping of DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 alleles in non‐DR3‐DQ2/non‐DR4‐DQ8 patients and controls from Sweden and Norway to test if any HLA associations were observed in these patients. Our results clearly demonstrate several statistically significant differences in the frequency of HLA haplotypes between patients and controls. Case‐control analysis including the relative predispositional effect test, and transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis in Norwegian type 1 diabetes families revealed that the DQA1*03‐DQB1*0301, DQA1*0401‐DQB1*0402, DQA1*0101‐DQB1*0501, DQA1*03‐DQB1*0303 and DQA1*0102‐DQB1*0604 haplotypes may also confer risk. Our analyses also supported independent risks of certain DRB1 alleles. The study clearly demonstrates that HLA associations in type 1 diabetes extends far beyond the well‐known associations with the DR4‐DQ8 and DR3‐DQ2 haplotypes. Our data suggest that there is a hierarchy of HLA class II haplotypes conferring risk to develop type 1 diabetes.
HLA‐DRB and ‐DQB1 polymorphism in the Macedonian population
Authors: Hristova‐Dimceva A. , Verduijn W. , Schipper R.F. , Schreuder G.M.tH.
Published: March 2003

HLA‐DRB1, DRB3/4/5 and DQB1 polymorphism has been studied in a population of 80 unrelated healthy Macedonians using molecular methods. Twenty‐five different DRB1 alleles were identified of which DRB1*1104, *1501, *1601, and *1101 were found most frequently. Among the 15 identified DQB1 alleles, two were predominant: DQB1*0301 and *0502. The most frequent three‐locus haplotypes were DRB1*1104‐DRB3*02‐DQB1*0301 (18%), DRB1*1101‐DRB3*02‐DQB1*0301 (9%) and DRB1*1601‐DRB5*02‐DQB1*0502 (10%). Polymorphism for DRB1*04, *13 and *15 haplotypes was extensive. Eleven different DR2‐related haplotypes were found, some of which were unusual for European populations: DRB1*1501‐DRB5*0102‐DQB1*0502, DRB1*1501‐DRB5*02‐DQB1*0502, DRB1*1501‐DRB5*0102‐DQB1*0601.
Identification of the novel allele HLA‐B*0809 in a Caucasian individual: estimation of allogeneic potential between B*08 variants
Authors: Elsner H.‐A. , Blasczyk R.
Published: March 2003

The identification of the new allele HLA‐B*0809, which was found in a Caucasian individual, is described. In the sequence analysis the new allele differs from B*0801 by six nucleotides located in exon 3. As the structure is identical to a variety of other HLA‐B alleles, it is likely that the new allele originated by gene conversion. At the protein level, the new allele has two amino acid differences compared to B*0801. Comparing the residues of the α1 and α2 domains of the B*08 variants to each other, a high degree of polymorphism was found. Three alleles differ from B*0801 by only one amino acid residue whereas the other comparisons revealed at least two disparities. B*0809 differs from the other B*08 variants by at least two amino acid residues, suggesting that mismatching may provoke alloreactivity and thus impair clinical outcome of bone marrow transplantation. Among the B*08 alleles with a single amino acid difference, the mismatch combinations B*0801 vs. B*0805 and B*0801 vs. B*0807 appear to be the most compatible based on structural data( Note).
Genomic characterization of CD84 reveals the existence of five isoforms differing in their cytoplasmic domains
Authors: Palou E. , Pirotto F. , Solé J. , Freed J.H. , Peral B. , Vilardell C. , Vilella R. , Vives J. , Gayá A.
Published: March 2003

CD84, a new member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, shows high homology with several molecules belonging to the CD2 family of differentiation antigens. By screening a peripheral blood leukocyte cDNA library four CD84 isoforms were obtained differing in their 3′ sequence. A reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis confirmed that these isoforms were normally found on leukocytes and a new isoform was identified. To establish the nature of the five isoforms obtained (CD84a, CD84b, CD84c, CD84d and CD84e) the genomic structure of the CD84 gene was determined. Our results show that it is composed of at least eight exons, with an exon coding for the 5′ UTR and the leader peptide, two exons coding for each of the two immunoglobulin‐like domains, an exon encoding the transmembrane portion and four exons coding for the cytoplasmic domains. The isoforms are generated by several mechanisms: alternative use of exons, reading frame shift, use of a cryptic splice site or absence of splicing. The differential expression of several potentially phosphorylatable residues on the different isoforms could be a way to regulate its possible activity in signal transduction.
A MAGE‐A1 peptide is recognized on HLA‐B7 human tumors by cytolytic T lymphocytes
Authors: Luiten R. , Van Der Bruggen P.
Published: March 2003

Acknowledgments:

We thank Ms. N. Krack and Mr. S. Mapp for their help in the preparation of the manuscript, Dr. V. Stroobant for the synthesis of the peptides, and Mrs. V. Ha Thi for processing the blood samples. We are grateful to Dr. D. Rimoldi (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne) for providing us with several melanoma cell lines. R. Luiten was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the “Training and mobility of researchers” program of the European Commission.

Antigens encoded by MAGE genes are of particular interest for cancer immunotherapy because of their strict tumoral specificity and because they are shared by many tumors. MAGE antigenic peptides are currently used in therapeutic vaccination trials. The identification of additional antigenic peptides is likely to be important for the future of these clinical trials in order to increase the number of patients eligible for these vaccinations and to analyze in detail the T‐cell response of vaccinated patients. We describe here the isolation of a cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone which recognizes a new MAGE‐A1 peptide, RVRFFFPSL (MAGE‐A1289–297), which is presented by HLA‐B7. This CTL clone lysed HLA‐B7 tumor cells expressing MAGE‐A1. HLA‐B7 is expressed by approximately 20% of Caucasians.