bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The musculature of three species of gastrotrichs surveyed with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)
Authors: Leasi Francesca , Rothe Birgen H. , Schmidt‐Rhaesa Andreas , Todaro M. Antonio
Published: July 2006

The muscular system of gastrotrichs consists of circular, longitudinal and helicoidal bands that when analysed with confocal laser scanning microscopy, provide new insights into their functional organization and phylogenetic importance. We therefore undertook a comparative study of the muscle organization in three species of Gastrotricha from the orders Macrodasyida (Paradasys sp., Lepidodasyidae; Turbanella sp., Turbanellidae) and Chaetonotida (Polymerurus nodicaudus, Chaetonotidae). The general muscle organization of the marine interstitial macrodasyidans, Paradasys and Turbanella, not only confirms earlier observation on other species but also adds new details concerning the organization and number of helicoidal, longitudinal and other muscle bands (e.g. semicircular band). The freshwater, epibenthic–epiphytic chaetonotid, Polymerurus nodicaudus, has a similar muscular organization to other species of Chaetonotidae, especially species of Chaetonotus, Halichaetonotus and Lepidodermella. Perhaps unique to Polymerurus is the combined presence of an unbranched Rückenhautmuskel (also in Halichaetonotus and Lepidodermella) and a specialized dorsoventral caudal muscle, which flank the splanchnic component of the longitudinal muscles (only in Chaetonotus and Lepidodermella). This combination, together with the presence of splanchnic dorsoventral muscles, known only in Xenotrichulidae, implies a unique phylogenetic position for Polymerurus, and indicates a potential basal position of this taxon among the Chaetonotidae studied so far (i.e. Aspidiophorus, Chaetonotus, Halichaetonotus and Lepidodermella).
The cremasteric neuromuscular complex in male and female grey short‐tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica)
Authors: Payne A. P. , Mackay S. , Ullmann S. L. , Paris D. B. P. P. , Allan G. A. , McKenzie S. K. , Gilmore D. P.
Published: July 2006

In marsupials, both sexes possess a cremaster muscle, that of the female being attached to the mammary gland and surrounding subcutaneous tissues. In the grey short‐tailed opossum, the muscle in both sexes has a distinct proximal origin from the anterior superior iliac spine. The number of muscle fibres is higher in male than in female opossums on average, but the difference is not statistically significant. Retrograde tracing, achieved by injecting B‐cholera toxin into the muscle, showed that labelled neurons occupied several spinal cord segments, the bulk being in L2–L4. There was no overall sex difference in the number of labelled neurons. It is concluded that cremaster muscles are present in both sexes of the grey short‐tailed opossum Monodelphis domestica, contain approximately equal numbers of fibres, and differ only in their insertion target. Since the motor innervation also shows no dimorphisms in this species, it is concluded that the whole neuromuscular complex is homologous in the two sexes. This is in marked contrast to the situation in adult eutherian mammals where the muscle is possesed by males only, and where the cremasteric nucleus is highly dimorphic in terms of motor neuron numbers.
Effects of intravesical instillation of cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitor on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and nerve growth factor in cyclophosphamide‐induced overactive bladder
Authors: JANG JOON , PARK EUN YOUNG , SEO SEONG IL , HWANG TAE‐KON , KIM JOON CHUL
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effects of intravesical cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitors on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in cyclophosphamide (CYP)‐induced overactive bladder (OAB).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In all, 40 Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into control, OAB, and COX‐2 inhibitor‐treated groups. OAB was induced by an intraperitoneal injection with CYP. Cystometry was performed in all rats and, in half of the OAB rats, a COX‐2 inhibitor was administered intravesically. The bladders of all rats were stained immunohistochemically for iNOS and NGF.

RESULTS

In the OAB rats, the contraction interval and intercontraction interval were significantly shorter than in control rats, and the contraction time and pressure were significantly greater. In the COX‐2 inhibitor‐treated rats, the contraction interval and intercontraction interval were significantly longer than in the OAB rats, and the contraction time was significantly shorter. On immunohistochemical staining, there was no iNOS activity and NGF activity was minimally localized in the mucosa and submucosa in the control group. In the OAB rats, NGF activity in the mucosa and submucosa were increased, and there was greater expression of iNOS in all layers and of NGF in detrusor; in the COX‐2 inhibitor‐treated rats, their expression was less in all layers.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravesical instillation with COX‐2 inhibitors can reduce CYP‐induced bladder hyperactivity and expression of iNOS and NGF. Intravesical instillation with COX‐2 inhibitors can be considered as a possible treatment for OAB.
Quantitative immunohistochemical study of the innervation of the guinea‐pig lower urinary tract
Authors: KUNZE ANDREAS , NEUHAUS JOCHEN , STOLZENBURG JENS‐UWE
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVE

To study the innervation of the different muscle systems of the guinea‐pig lower urinary tract, using immunohistochemical and enzyme histochemical methods.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Serial cryostat sections of both genders (four guinea‐pigs each) were quantitatively analysed for cholinergic, adrenergic and peptidergic nerve fibre density using specific antibodies or enzyme histochemical labelling. Smooth muscle cell nuclei and varicosities or sectioned nerves were counted in detrusor, internal vesical sphincter (VS), ventral longitudinal musculature (VLM), and dorsal longitudinal musculature (DLM), and the ratios of nerves/nucleus (for detrusor, VLM and DLM) were evaluated statistically. The striated and the smooth external sphincter were examined qualitatively.

RESULTS

Detrusor, VS, VLM and DLM had significantly different innervation patterns. In detrusor muscle parasympathetic nerve fibres dominated, while the VS and the urethral muscles had a major sympathetic nerve supply. Neuropeptide Y‐positive nerve fibres were abundant in all of the muscles.

CONCLUSIONS

Smooth muscles of the lower urinary tract of the guinea‐pig are distinct muscular units with distinct innervation patterns. Although there are no corresponding studies in humans the general innervation seems to be equivalent in human and guinea‐pig, qualifying the guinea‐pig for comparative urological studies.
Development of growth inhibitory agents in urological and other malignancies
Authors: STADLER WALTER M.
Published: July 2006

The first mini‐review is a critique of some of the methods used to assess endpoints for drug studies in oncology. The authors review studies using tumour shrinkage and those assessing time to progression. The next paper is a Pubmed‐based overview of published reports to establish whether antimuscarinic drugs exert their therapeutic action on detrusor overactivity by reducing the ability of the detrusor to contract. The findings are interesting and somewhat unexpected.

Authors from several centres in Europe review anaesthesiology considerations and requirements for endoscopic extraperitoneal and laparoscopic transperitoneal radical prostatectomy. Finally, a touch of history; we do not have a history section, but occasionally we accept papers dealing with pioneers in urology. Recently we had an Irish pioneer, so it is highly appropriate to include one on a Scottish urological leader, Dr Henry Wade.

In oncology there have been many new putative anticancer drugs based on the improving understanding of oncogenesis and the malignant phenotype. On the basis of their mechanism of action and preclinical data, many of these drugs are expected to inhibit growth. As such, dramatic tumour shrinkage, which has been the classic endpoint for phase II drug studies, might not be a valid or useful measure by which to make decisions as to whether further phase III trials are indicated. Because this is a critical decision point in the overall drug development plan, alternative endpoints and designs need to be considered. More traditional single‐arm phase II designs using tumour shrinkage endpoints are reviewed, and the use of randomized phase II designs assessing time to progression discussed. It is postulated that randomized approaches will decrease the current high failure rate for oncological drugs in phase III trials.
Renal cell carcinoma of native kidney in renal transplant recipients
Authors: MOUDOUNI SAID M. , LAKMICHI AMINE , TLIGUI MOHAMMED , RAFII ARACH , TCHALA KESSILE , HAAB FRANCOIS , GATTEGNO BERNARD , THIBAULT PHILIPPE , DOUBLET JEAN‐DOMINIQUE
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence, prognosis and possible risk factors of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of the native kidney in renal transplant recipients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively re‐examined the follow‐up data of 373 consecutive renal transplant recipients at our institution between August 1993 and September 2004. We collected the data of all de novo RCC of the native kidney in the current analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 373 patients examined, 12 tumours of the native kidney were diagnosed in 10 individuals. The mean ages at transplantation and diagnosis were 33 and 45.8 years, respectively. Thirteen malignancies were discovered fortuitously. Among the renal ultrasonograms there were two false‐negative results. The mean tumour size was 21 mm. Nephrectomy was performed in all cases. Among the 12 kidney malignancies, there were five conventional RCCs and seven papillary RCCs. Half of all tumours were Furhman Grade 3 lesions, and pT1aN0M0 tumours also accounted for all malignancies in the current cohort. One of the 10 patients died, from progression of metastases 6 years after diagnosis. One patient had a local recurrence 2 years after diagnosis. The other eight patients were alive with no evidence of disease at the time of the current report. No significant relationship was detected between RCC occurrence and clinical patient characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

There appears to be a greater risk of RCC of the native kidney in patients with end‐stage renal disease. The present results suggest that an annual examination of the native kidney before and after renal transplantation is essential.
Differentiating the effects of enacted parental support on adolescent adjustment in Taiwan: Moderating role of relationship intimacy
Authors: Yang Yung‐Jui , Yeh Kuang‐Hui
Published: July 2006

The moderating effect of relationship intimacy on the relation between enacted parental support and adolescent adjustment was examined. Using a pretest‐posttest design, we studied 213 Taiwanese parent‐adolescent dyads in which the adolescents were facing a major stressful event, the final school examinations. Analyses showed a significant cross‐over interaction of provided parental support and relationship intimacy on change in emotional anxiety. Parental support predicted reduced anxiety when adolescent’s perceived relationship with parents was intimate, and increased anxiety when it was distant. Possible underlying mediators that account for the moderating effect are discussed.
‘Iron Fists in Iron Gloves’: The Political Economy of US Terrorocracy Promotion in Colombia
Authors: Stokes Doug
Published: July 2006

Most analysts of US post-cold war policy in Colombia argue that the US has switched from targeting Communist guerrillas to a war on drugs and a new war on terror. Contrary to these claims this article shows that the US continues to back Colombian counter-insurgency efforts which essentially amount to a strategy of state terrorism under a democratic façade (terrorocracy). Moreover, this policy continues to be pursued because the US has long employed counter-insurgency warfare to stabilise social formations conducive to US political and economic interests. In short, counter-insurgency warfare is the military strategy par excellence for the policing and reproduction of global capitalism via localised proxy forces throughout the third world. In Colombia this strategy continues to have profound consequences for human rights, social justice and democracy.
Poverty and Child Development: Relevance of Research in Developing1 Countries to the United States
Authors: Pollitt Ernesto
Published: July 2006

Data from low‐income countries are helpful in understanding the effects of poverty on child development in the U.S. Illustrative are 3 public health issues: (1) In the U.S., among poor African‐American and Hispanic babies anemia is as high as 20%–24%, while in low‐income countries, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) causes poor performance on mental and motor tests among babies and children. These data suggest that IDA is a major public health problem among poor minority children that requires prompt attention. (2) In 1993 the U.S. government appropriated $2.86 billion for the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Evaluations of WIC, however, have failed to yield conclusive information on the benefits of the program. In low‐income countries, nutritional supplements targeted to at‐risk groups have resulted in developmental benefits. Thus, WIC is likely to buffer intellectual development against the adverse effects of malnutrition observed among poor children. (3) Evidence from developing countries suggests that concurrent illnesses and poor nutrition interfere with schooling. However, in the U.S., attention to such issues has declined, while common illnesses have increased among the poor. A reappraisal of this issue is warranted to meet the education and health goals proposed for the year 2000 in the U.S.
The Influence of Temperament and Mothering on Attachment and Exploration: An Experimental Manipulation of Sensitive Responsiveness among Lower‐Class Mothers with Irritable Infants
Authors: van den Boom Dymphna C.
Published: July 2006

6‐month‐old infants selected on irritability shortly after birth and their mothers were randomly assigned to 2 intervention and 2 control groups to test the hypothesis that enhancing maternal sensitive responsiveness will improve quality of mother‐infant interaction, infant exploration, and attachment. The intervention lasted 3 months and ended when the child was 9 months of age. When infants were 9 months of age, intervention group mothers were significantly more responsive, stimulating, visually attentive, and controlling of their infant's behavior than control group mothers. Intervention infants had higher scores than control infants on sociability, self‐soothing, and exploration, and they cried less. Quality of exploration also improved, with intervention infants engaged in cognitively sophisticated kinds of exploration more than control infants. At 12 months of age, significantly more intervention group dyads were securely attached than control group dyads.
The Antecedents of Menarcheal Age: Heredity, Family Environment, and Stressful Life Events
Authors: Graberc Julia A. , Brooks‐Gunn Jeanne , Warren Michelle P.
Published: July 2006

Variations in pubertal timing, specifically age at menarche, have been associated with several antecedents, both genetic and environmental. Recent research has considered a broader range of environmental stressors and their influence on the development of the reproductive system. In this investigation, the following possible antecedents were considered: (a) hereditary transmission, (b) weight and weight for height, (c) stressful life events, (d) family relations, (e) absence or presence of an adult male in the household, and (f) psychological adjustment. Subjects were 75 premenarcheal girls between the ages of 10 and 14 drawn from a larger longitudinal investigation of adolescent development. Girls were from white, well‐educated, middle‐ to upper‐middle‐class families and attended private schools in a northeastern urban area. While breast development, weight, family relations, and depressive affect were predictive of age at menarche, family relations predicted age at menarche above the influence of breast development or weight. A trend for maternal age at menarche to predict adolescent's age at menarche was found. Weight for height, presence of an adult male in the household, and stressful events were not predictive of age at menarche. These complex interactions of biological and psychosocial development demonstrated here may account to some extent for the inter‐ and intraindividual variation observed in pubertal development.
Mother‐Child Interaction Quality as a Partial Mediator of the Roles of Maternal Depressive Symptomatology and Socioeconomic Status in the Development of Child Behavior Problems. Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group
Authors: Harnish Jennifer Dyer , Dodge Kenneth A. , Valente Ernest ,   Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group
Published: July 2006

This investigation examined the relation between maternal depressive symptomatology and the development of externalizing behavior problems in children by incorporating mother‐child interaction quality into a series of models. A representative sample of 376 first‐grade boys and girls (mean age = 6.52) from diverse backgrounds (234 from the lowest 2 socioeconomic classes) and their mothers completed an interaction task designed to measure the quality of mother‐child interaction. Latent variable structural equations analyses revealed that mother‐child interaction quality partially mediated the relation between maternal depressive symptomatology and child behavior problems even when the effects of socioeconomic status on both variables were taken into account. Although this model held for boys, girls, and Caucasians, the relation between maternal depression and interaction quality was not significant for African‐Americans. Further investigation is required to understand the lack of generalizability of the model to African‐American mother‐child dyads.
The Effects of Work Intensity on Adolescent Mental Health, Achievement, and Behavioral Adjustment: New Evidence from a Prospective Study
Authors: Mortimer Jeylan T. , Finch Michael D. , Ryu Seongryeol , Shanahan Michael J. , Call Kathleen T.
Published: July 2006

This article examines the effects of work intensity on adolescent mental health, academic achievement, and behavioral adjustment. Questionnaire data were collected yearly from an initial panel of 1,000 randomly selected ninth graders (14‐15 years old). Consistent with other studies, students who worked at higher intensity engaged in more alcohol use. The methodological strengths of this research (a representative panel studied prospectively over a 4‐year period with minimal attrition and an analysis incorporating key control and lagged variables) provide strong evidence that adolescent work fosters alcohol use. The contention that work of high intensity has deleterious effects on mental health, academic achievement, and 2 other indicators of behavioral adjustment did not withstand our stringent tests. However, high school seniors who worked at moderate intensity (1‐20 hours per week) had higher grades than both nonworkers and students who worked more hours per week.
Spatiotemporal Integration and Object Perception in Infancy: Perceiving Unity versus Form
Authors: Van, de Walle Gretchen A. , Spelke Elizabeth S.
Published: July 2006

3 experiments investigated 5‐month‐old infants' perception of an object whose center was fully occluded and whose ends were visible only in succession. Infants perceived this object as one connected whole when the ends of the object underwent a common motion behind the occluder, but not when the ends were stationary. Although infants perceived the connectedness of the object, they did not appear to perceive the object's shape. These findings suggest (a) that young infants are capable of integrating information over time to perceive object unity but not object form, (b) that young infants perceive object unity in accord with basic constraints on object motion, and (c) that a common process underlies infants' perception of objects that are fully visible, objects that are partly occluded, and objects that move fully out of view.
Similarities and Differences in Behavioral State Organization during Sleep Periods in the Perinatal Infant Before and After Birth
Authors: Groome Lynn J. , Swiber Matthew J. , Atterbury Jana L. , Bentz Lynn S. , Holland Scherri B.
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of consistency in behavioral state organization for 30 low‐risk human participants examined as fetuses at 38–40 weeks gestation and again as neonates at approximately 2 weeks postnatal age. behavioral states were assigned similarly for fetuses and neonmates in terms of heart rate pattern and the presence or absence of eye and gross body movements. We found that the time spent in a sleep period was distributed among quiet sleep (QS), active sleep (AS), and indeterminate states in virtually identical proportions for fetuses and neonates. However, the only within‐subject consistency between the fetal and neonatal periods was in the duration of complete QS epochs. Fetuses made fewer transitions between QS and AS, but neonates had shorter and more structured AS → QS transitions. These findings suggest that, whereas central nervous system processes governing QS do not change appreciably, the control of AS undergoes significant changes in the 4 weeks spannig the fetal and neonatal periods. We believe that the duration of enclosed QS epochs provides the only stable measure of behavioral state development between the prenatal and postnatal periods.
Lenghth of Maternity Leave and Quality of Mother‐Infant Interactions
Authors: Clark Roseanne , Hyde Janet Shibley , Essex Marilyn J. , Klein Marjorie H.
Published: July 2006

The aim of this study was to assess the association between the length of maternity leave and the quality of mother‐infant interactions; 198 employed mothers of 4‐month‐old infants were interviewed and videotaped in their homes during a feeding time. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated a direct association between shorter length of leave and more negative affect and behavior in maternal interactions with their infants. Infant and mother stressor/protective variables added significantly in predicting the quality of the mother‐infant relationship. There were also significant interaction effects between the length of leave and these variables. Mothers who either reported more depressive symptoms or who perceived their infant as having a more difficult temperament and who had shorter leaves, compared with mothers who had longer leaves, were observed to express less positive affect, sensitivity, and responsiveness in interactions with their infants. The public policy implications of the relation between length of maternity leave, maternal and infant individual differences, and the quality of mother‐infant interactions are discussed.
The Effects of Infant Child Care on Infant‐Mother Attachment Security: Results of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care NICHD Early Child Care Research Network
Authors:   NICHD Early Child Care Research Network
Published: July 2006

The aims of this investigation were to determine whether Strange Situation attachment classifications were equally valid for infants with and without extensive child‐care experience in the first year of life and whether early Child Care experience, alone or in combination with mother/child factors, was associated with attachment security, and specifically with insecure‐avoidant attachment. Participants were 1,153 infants and their mothers at the 10 sites of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care. Mother were interviewed, given questionnairies, and observed in play and in the home when their infants were from 1 to 15 months of age; infants were observed in child care at 6 and 15 months and in the Strange Situation at 15 months. Infants with extensive Child Care experience did not differ from infants without child‐care in the distress they exhibited during separations from mother in the Strange situation or in the confidence with which trained coders assigned them attachment classifications. There were no significant main effects of Child Care experience (quality, amount, age of entry, stability, or type of care) on attachment security or avoidance. There were, however, significant man effects of maternal sensitivity and responsiveness. Significant interaction effects revealed that infants were less likely to be secure when low maternal sensitivity/responsiveness was combined with poor quality child care, more than minimal amounts of child care, or more than one care arrangement. In addition, boys experiencing many hours in care and girls in minimal amounts of care were somewhat less likely to be securely attachment.
Supportive parenting, Ecological Context, and Children's Adjustment: A seven‐Year Longitudianl Study
Authors: Pettit Gregory S. , Bates John E. , Dodge Kenneth A.
Published: July 2006

Two major questions regarding the possible impact of early supportive parenting (SP) on children's school adjustment were addressed:(1) Does SP assessed prekindergarten predict grade 6 adjustment after controlling for early barsh parenting (HP)? (2) Does SP moderate (buffer) the impact of early family adversity on grade 6 adjustment? Parenting and family adversity data were drawn from home‐visit interviews with 585 mothers conducted prekindergarten. Four SP measure were derived: mother‐to‐child warmth, proactive teaching, inductive discipline, and positive involvement. HP was indexed as the use of harsh, physical disciple. Family adversity indicators were socioeconomic disadvantage, family stress, and single parenthood. Children 's adjustment (behavior problems, social skills, and academic performance) in kindergarten and grade 6 was assessedvia teacher ratings and school records. SP predicted adjustment in grade 6, even after controlling for kindergarten adjustment and HP. High levels of SP mitigated the effects of family adversity on later behavior problems. These findings implicate both direct (main effect)and indirect (moderator of adversity) processes in the linkage between positive and supportive aspects of parenting and children's school adjustment.
Children's Undrstanding of Epistemic Conduct in Self‐Deception and Other False Belief Stories
Authors: Johnson Edward A.
Published: July 2006

In self‐deception persons accept false belief through a motivated disregard for countervailing evidence. Such epistemic misconduct renders them responsisble for their own deception. It was hypothesized that children's understanding of this responsibility would be associated with an understanding of how evidence informs belief. In the study 4‐ to 9‐year‐old children's understanding of the relations between false belief, evidence, and epistemic responsibility was examined using stories involving self‐deception, lying, and misleading appearances. Results indicated that younger children who understood false belief understood simpler types of deception, but that understanding self‐deceivers' epistmic responsibility was limited to older children who understood the relevance of evidence to belief formation.
The Anglo‐Saxon Approach to Corporate Governance and its Applicability to Emerging Markets
Authors: Mueller Dennis C.
Published: July 2006

Almost all firms start out as small, owner‐managed companies. Many stay that way throughout their lives. Some create attractive investment opportunities, however, that will allow them to grow rapidly and become leading companies in their country. These firms typically do not have sufficient internal funds flows and must turn to external sources of finance. Among these is the issuance of equity. Once a firm sells shares, however, the cost of the managers engaging in on‐the‐job consumption falls, and they can be expected to do so at the expense of their shareholders. Knowing this, potential shareholders may be unwilling to purchase a new offering of a young firm’s shares, and the firm with attractive investment opportunities is unable to finance them. Strong corporate governance institutions help to protect shareholders from the discretionary use of their firm’s resources. This paper reviews the case for having strong corporate governance institutions to facilitate the creation of thick equity markets in the context of developing countries in emerging markets, and examines the case for relying on alternative sources of capital including the state.
Remittance Receipt and Business Ownership in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Amuedo‐Dorantes Catalina , Pozo Susan
Published: July 2006

Using household‐level data from the Dominican communities in the Latin American Migration Project (LAMP‐DR7), we examine the links between remittance receipt and business ownership. We find that while the existence of a family business attracts remittance inflows, these monetary funds are associated with a reduced likelihood of business entrepreneurship. These results are consistent with various hypotheses regarding remittances and business investments. First, remittances may be motivated by the availability of investment opportunities in the home community. Second, remittances may respond to a bequest motive on the part of the emigrant, who may wish to lay claim on family assets when returning home. Lastly, remittances may cause an income effect that reduces family labour force participation and, correspondingly, the likelihood of family‐run business investments.
Remittances and Development in Latin America
Authors: Acosta Pablo , Calderón Cesar , Fajnzylber Pablo , López Humberto
Published: July 2006

Flows of workers’ remittances have become a major source of external finance for developing countries and are particularly important in Latin America and the Caribbean, where they are estimated to have reached $40 billion in 2004. Not surprisingly, academics, policymakers and development practitioners in general have been devoting increasing attention to the potential development impact that these flows may have on receiving countries. This paper contributes to this debate along four dimensions. First, it reviews the evolution of remittances flows to Latin America, using Balance of Payments data, and compares these statistics with estimates of remittances income based on Household Surveys. Second, the paper describes the varying profile of remittances recipients in ten Latin American countries. Third, the paper reviews the few macro‐ and microeconomic studies that have estimated the impact of remittances on poverty and inequality. Finally, the paper expands some of the existing works to investigate the extent to which that impact is different in Latin America and varies across countries in the region.
Cost of Air Pollution Control for Users of Electricity: Comment
Authors: HOCH IRVING
Published: July 2006

The following observations were made at the conference on a paper presented by Robert M. Statnick of the US. Environmental Protection Agency. The editors regret that they were unable to obtain a copy of Dr. Statnick's conference manuscript for publication.
Public Attitudes Toward Local Farmland Protection Programs
Authors: FURUSETH OWEN J.
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT Using telephone survey data, this study analyzes citizen attitudes toward a locally based farmland protection program for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The study findings indicate widespread public support for farmland protection, in general, and strong support for zoning and purchase of development rights approaches. Testing of the anti‐elitist and sociospatial explanations for public support of land use regulations is carried out. A statistical analysis of survey results finds moderate support for the sociospatial explanation.
Regional Indexes of Leading Indicators: An Evaluation Of Forecasting Performance
Authors: KOZLOWSKI PAUL J.
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT Indexes of leading indicators are used to forecast short‐run changes in economic activity in many states and metropolitan areas. This article examines the forecasting performance of a sample of such regional indexes over several business cycles. Although these indexes vary across regions, the results show that they do provide forecasts of recessions and recoveries and also exhibit some potential for forecasting quantitative changes in regional employment.
State Lottery Sales: Separating the Influence of Markets and Game Structure
Authors: MIKESELL JOHN L. , ZORN C. KURT
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT State lotteries are the fiscal gimmick for the 1980s, receiving widespread popular and legislative approval. Unfortunately, the impact of structural and external influences on lottery sales is not well understood. This analysis sheds light on these influences, demonstrating that state economic activity, age of the game, interstate lottery competition, and game portfolios significantly affect sale and, consequently, benefit to the state.
A Cartographic Analysis of Water Development Referenda in Texas, 1957‐85
Authors: SCHOOLMASTER F. ANDREW
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT State‐level financial assistance programs for water projects are expected to become more important as federal funding levels drop and mechanisms change. In some western states such as Texas and California, constitutional restrictions are placed on tax and spending limits and the issuance of general obligation bonds to finance projects is subject to voter approval through a referendum process. Seven water‐related referenda have been held in Texas between 1957 and 1985. Election results indicate that through 1968 voters from across the state supported the concept of state‐level financial assistance for water projects and ratified three consecutive referenda, thus establishing the Water Development Fund and its $400 million authorization limit. Between 1969 and 1981, three amendments intended to increase authorization and expand the Fund's scope were defeated in elections that exhibited a regionalized voting pattern between East and West Texas voters. In 1985, this cleavage was not evident and the Water Development Fund was increased by an additional $980 million. These shifts reflect changes in voter perceptions of the state's water development policy and coincide with release of the 1968 and 1984 versions of the Texas Water Plan. The Texas experience, which is particularly relevant to California, could also be useful to other states considering similar state‐level financial programs that would require voter approval.
Land Value Taxation and New Housing Development in Pittsburgh
Authors: BOURASSA STEVEN C.
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT Incentive and liquidity effects of Pittsburgh's land value tax system are hypothesized to encourage new housing development. To test this hypothesis, an econometric model is estimated using building permit data for the dependent variable and tax rates and other determinants of new housing demand and supply for the independent variables. For the case of new housing, it is shown that the incentive effect is significant but the liquidity effect is not. The incentive effect is found to encourage increases in the number of new units constructed in Pittsburgh rather than increases in the average cost of new units.
Shift‐Share Analysis and the Potential for Predicting Regional Growth Patterns: Some Evidence for the Region of Quebec, Canada
Authors: ANDRIKOPOULOS A. , BROX J. , CARVALHO E.
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this paper is to explain changes in regional attractiveness as measured by the competitive component of the shift‐share model. This is done by applying the shift‐share model to the manufacturing sector in the province of Quebec and using time series data for twenty two‐digit industries as the basis of analysis. The study concludes that shift‐share is useful for analyzing historical employment patterns and identifying their causes through regression analysis. However, the inherent structural instability limits the predictive potential of the model.
Public Policy and Land Conversion: Lessening Urban Growth Pressure in River Corridors
Authors: A.BOLLENS SCOTT
Published: July 2006

Year in and year out, flooding causes greater dollar losses than any other natural hazard. To cope with that problem, more than 17,000 communities across the US have adopted riverine floodplain management programs to reduce the amount of urban development at risk from flooding and flood‐related damage. This article examines the extent to which floodplain management programs influence the investment and predevelopment decisions of owners of vacant floodplain land in ten selected cities. Such public programs are found to alleviate investment and development pressure in flood hazard areas. Community‐wide factors such as the availability of non‐floodplain buildable land, however, can magnify or depress this effect of public policy on investment activity. Further, landowner perceptions of the flood hazard itself have an important influence on anticipated property appreciation and investment activity.
Diverse Retail Structure and Christaller's Separation Principle in Medium‐Sized Metropolitan Areas
Authors: BUCKWALTER DONALD W.
Published: July 2006

Standardized features dominate the retail landscape of the United States and are the physical components of retail districts. This study tests the hypothesis that standardized building blocks have failed to produce the same retail structure in all metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Ninety‐two medium‐sized MS As are analyzed to determine if the arrangement and strength of their retail districts differ. The relationship between functional and spatial aspects of retail structure in central place theory provides a basis for testing the hypothesis of diversity. Christaller's separation principle provides a plausible conceptual framework for diverse retail structure if each MSA is analyzed as an isolated region. Five types of retail structure are analyzed using data obtained from the Census of Population and the Census of Retail Trade. The types are identified by performing a serial iterative partition cluster procedure on prioritized metropolitan sales variables. The statistical significance of the types is tested with Mann‐Whitney U‐tests of functional variables not used in the cluster analysis. Verification confirms five distinctive types. Monocentric and polycentric retail structures exist but decentralized retail structure is even more common in medium‐sized MSAs. The distribution of types of retail structure follows regional pattern that indicate historical and political factors as contributing causes.
Analysis of Local Sales Taxation in Rural Areas: An Oklahoma Case Study
Authors: W.SNODGRASS DODD , OTTO DANIEL M.
Published: July 2006

This study examines the impact of tax rates and tax rate differentials in a trade area on local sales tax revenues. Sales data for FY 1986 were analyzed for the 75 nonmetropolitan communities in Oklahoma with populations between 2,500 and 50,000. Multiple regression techniques were used to estimate local tax revenues as a function of tax rates, tax rate differential and local community economic and locational attributes.

The results indicate that the tax rate differential was not significantly related to local revenue collection in the overall sample, but that the differential was significant for rural communities with relatively higher tax rates. Tax rate, income, service sector employment and a gravity factor were also significant influences on local sales tax revenues. These results imply that, because of the unique characteristics of rural retail markets and the dominance of rural trade centers, these rural trade center cities are able to raise local tax rates and effectively export tax burden to nonresidents without significantly affecting their retail sales when the tax differential is not a large one.
Modified Static I‐O Framework Using the Concept of Labour Equivalence
Authors: DAS CHANDREYEE , CHATTOPADHYAY R. N.
Published: July 2006

The paper introduces the concept of labour equivalence and determines the index of the intensity of labour use in its terms. The measure thus defined is shown to be analogous to the predefined labour multiplier with the necessary incorporation of prices and wages. The explicit inclusion of price‐wage parameters gives it the advantage of being a more efficient planning tool.
Comment
Authors: MALLEY JAMES , HADY THOMAS F.
Published: July 2006

What follows is a comment on Noel D. Uri's “The Structure of Agricultural Unemployment in the United States,” published in Growth and Change in Summer 1989. Uri's reply appears after the comment.
On the Settlement Patterns of Recent Caribbean and Latin Immigrants to the United States
Authors: DUNLEVY JAMES A.
Published: July 2006

Between 1981 and 1987 the United States experienced a rate of immigration that had not been seen since before the First World War. Some 25 percent of these people came from the Americas south of the United States. While the great majority of these Latin and Caribbean immigrants tended to settle in a few select states, there are interesting nationality‐related differences in settlement preferences. In this paper the settlement patterns of persons from each of eleven different Latin and Caribbean nations who received immigrant status in 1987 are considered. Regression analysis suggests that social and economic forces were important, but that specific factors influenced different nationalities differently. Evidence is also found for a lagged adjustment in the settlement process. Furthermore, the attractive effect of a previously settled migrant stock is estimated to be strong for every nationality.
Rapid Metropolitan Growth and Community Disparities
Authors: DANIELSON MICHAEL N. , WOLPERT JULIAN
Published: July 2006

Does rapid growth in a metropolitan area amplify or reduce disparities among its differentiated communities? Theoretical economic and political arguments can support both tendencies but lean in the direction of greater differentiation and disparities following a period of rapid regional growth. This article examines uneven population, employment and tax base growth as both causes and consequences of economic and social disparities. The analysis posits that growth bypasses the built‐up and lowest income communities in favor of the more distant middle‐income suburbs with extensive land for development. The implications of these uneven growth patterns are widening inter‐municipal disparities consistent with growth rates. The analysis is carried out for the 365 contiguous jurisdictions in northern New Jersey, a region that experienced modest growth in the 1970s and rapid growth in the 1980s. The findings confirm the uneven pattern of growth and widening disparities during the growth spurt of the 1980s.
The Retail Bank CD Market: An Assessment of Geographic Scope
Authors: HYMEL MICHAEL
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT Over the past fifteen years, legislative, regulatory, and technological changes have occurred which have redefined the concept of a “local” bank deposit market. This study employs an interest rate covariability model to evaluate the geographic extent of bank retail CD markets. Classifying deposits according to both size and maturity, a total of four markets are analyzed using yield data for six major state banking areas. The evidence presented for all four cases supports the view that significant, though not perfect, integration exists. The principal finding is that the geographic scope of retail CD markets is inversely related to both size and maturity.
Spatial Dimensions of the Savings and Loan Crisis
Authors: WARF BARNEY , COX JOSEPH C.
Published: July 2006

Large numbers of savings and loan companies (S&Ls) failed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This paper explores the origins and development of the S&L Crisis, embedding the topic within the wider theorization of the post‐Keynesian state, particularly the critical role played by deregulation. Next it focuses on the geography of S&L failures and their causes. Third, an econometric analysis of the determinants of S&L failures finds them to be highly susceptible to local economic conditions. Fourth, it examines inter‐regional transfers of failed S&L assets and liabilities, and measures statistically the importance of proximity between buying and selling regions as well as the economic structure of the purchasing region. The conclusion contrasts these findings to those of commercial bank failures.
Using Moving‐Industry Data to Depict U.S. Migration Patterns
Authors: GOBER PATRICIA , JEFFTRY CHARLES F. , MCHUGH KEVIN E.
Published: July 2006

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Migration analysis is hindered by the lack of up‐to‐date migration data. This paper examines the feasibility of using information from the American Moving Conference (AMC), the trade organization of the moving industry, to develop timely estimates of gross in‐ and out‐migration and net migration rates at the state level. When adjusted for the spatially varying size of migrant households and the spatially varying market share of the professional moving industry, the number of AMC inbound and outbound shipments provide useful, but slightly imperfect, estimates of migration in 1990 and 1991. Viewed as a time series, adjusted AMC shipment data accurately reveal the major migration stories of the last decade. AMC‐based estimates for 1992, 1993, and 1994 provide a picture of state in‐ and out‐migration for years in which official data are not yet available.
NF-κB Activity and iNOS Expression in Monocytes from Internal Jugular Blood of Migraine Without Aura Patients During Attacks
Authors: Sarchielli P , Floridi A , Mancini ML , Rossi C , Coppola F , Baldi A , Pini LA , Calabresi P
Published: July 2006

This study investigated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity by electrophoresis mobility gel shift assay and IκBα expression by Western blot analysis in monocytes obtained from serial samples of internal jugular venous blood taken from seven migraine patients without aura during attacks. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression was also assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. An increase in NF-κB activity peaked 2 h after attack onset. This was accompanied by a transient reduction in IκBα expression. Up-regulation of iNOS was evident at 4 h, maintained at 6 h and reduced at the end of the attack. These findings substantiate the hypothesis of transitory delayed inflammation, as suggested by the animal model, and suggest the possibility of using therapeutic approaches to target NF-κB transcription in the treatment of migraine.
Review article: The short‐ and long‐term implications of maternal obesity on the mother and her offspring
Authors: Catalano PM , Ehrenberg HM
Published: July 2006

Obesity‘s increasing prevalence has reached epidemic proportions in the USA, with close to one‐third of the adult population affected in 2000. Additionally, there is increasing prevalence of obesity in other industrialised areas of the world such as Europe. Of potentially more concern is the potential risks associated with obesity and related metabolic complications in the developing world. The maternal, fetal, peripartum and neonatal complications of obesity in pregnancy have far‐reaching implications for both mother and offspring. Of alarming interest is the increasing rate of obesity among adolescents and the cycle of obesity in future generations it portends. The purpose in this review is to briefly review the maternal perinatal morbidities associated with maternal pregravid obesity. Additionally, we will review evidence of both short‐ and long‐term effect of maternal obesity on the in utero environment as it relates to fetal growth, neonatal body composition and adolescent obesity.