bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein assembly and heat stability in developing thylakoid membranes during greening
Authors: Kóta Zoltán , Horváth László I. , Droppa Magdolna , Horváth Gábor , Farkas Tibor , Páli Tibor
Published: September 2002

The development of the thylakoid membrane was studied during illumination of dark-grown barley seedlings by using biochemical methods, and Fourier transform infrared and spin label electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. Correlated, gross changes in the secondary structure of membrane proteins, conformation, composition, and dynamics of lipid acyl chains, SDS/PAGE pattern, and thermally induced structural alterations show that greening is accompanied with the reorganization of membrane protein assemblies and the protein–lipid interface. Changes in overall membrane fluidity and noncovalent protein–lipid interactions are not monotonic, despite the monotonic accumulation of chlorophyll, LHCII [light-harvesting chlorophyll
a
/
b
-binding (polypeptides) associated with photosystem II] apoproteins, and 18:3 fatty acids that follow a similar time course with highest rates between 12–24 h of greening. The 18:3 fatty acid content increases 2.8-fold during greening. This appears to both compensate for lipid immobilization by membrane proteins and facilitate packing of larger protein assemblies. The increase in the amount of protein-solvating immobile lipids, which reaches a maximum at 12 h, is caused by 40% decrease in the membranous mean diameter of protein assemblies at constant protein/lipid mass ratio. Alterations in the SDS/PAGE pattern are most significant between 6–24 h. The size of membrane protein assemblies increases ≈4.5-fold over the 12–48-h period, likely caused by the 2-fold gain in LHCII apoproteins. The thermal stability of thylakoid membrane proteins increases monotonically, as detected by an increasing temperature of partial protein unfolding during greening. Our data suggest that a structural coupling between major protein and lipid components develops during greening. This protein–lipid interaction is required for the development and protection of thylakoid membrane protein assemblies.
SCALING IN THE FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT ADMITTANCE OF ELECTRODEPOSITED FRACTAL ELECTRODES
Authors: LARSEN AMY E. , GRIER DAVID G. , HALSEY THOMAS C.
Published: September 2002

We describe measurements of the complex admittance of the interface between a class of fractal electrodes and electrolytic solutions over the frequency range 100 Hz to 40 kHz. The electrodes are grown by the diffusion-limited electrodeposition of copper from aqueous solution and have fractal dimensions comparable to those obtained for computer simulations of the diffusion-limited aggregation model, Df = 2.5. The admittance measured at various stages of the electrodeposit's growth displays constant phase angle (CPA) scaling with frequency. This behavior appears to have its origins in the disordered geometry of the system, although our measurements do not agree with the scaling predictions of theories for fractal blocking electrodes.
DETECTION OF CORROSION BY ANALYSIS OF ELECTROCHEMICAL NOISE
Authors: LEGAT ANDRAŽ , GOVEKAR EDVARD
Published: September 2002

Stochastic fluctuations of the corrosion potential and the current generated by corrosion reactions are known as electrochemical noise. These fluctuations can be measured in freely corroding systems, therefore the characteristics of electrochemical noise are influenced only by the type and rate of corrosion. The classical spectral analysis of electrochemical noise in the frequency domain achieve good correlation to corrosion rate and type; however, the chaotic nature of corrosion processes requires different mathematical treatment. In this paper self-similarity and fractal dimensions of electrochemical noise are examined in order to explain its mechanism and improve the corrosion monitoring system. Capacity and correlation fractal dimensions of voltage and current-noise, measured on various metals, are calculated and compared to the results of the classical spectral analysis. Relations between different rates and types of corrosion (passivation, local, uniform) and the fractal characteristics of electrochemical noise are established. The analysis of spontaneous electrochemical voltage and current fluctuations is confirmed as a rich source of information in corrosion processes.
PREDICTION OF TRANSPORT PARAMETERS IN DISORDERED STRUCTURES: TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED LATTICE SIMULATOR
Authors: GIONA MASSIMILIANO , ADROVER ALESSANDRA
Published: September 2002

The prediction of transport parameters in disordered structures in the presence of velocity fields and potential energy barriers has deep implications in diffusional and adsorption controlled processes. Starting from the Langevin formulation of transport at microscopic scales and from the Lattice-Boltzmann equation in porous media, we discuss the possibility of developing efficient lattice simulators for transport phenomena in macroporous/microporous structures
ONTOGENETIC CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO HETEROSPECIFIC ALARM CUES BY JUVENILE LARGEMOUTH BASS ARE PHENOTYPICALLY PLASTIC
Authors: Brown Grant , Gershaneck Devon , Plata Desiree , Golub Justin
Published: September 2002

Juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) undergo an ontogenetic change in their response to chemical alarm cues of a heterospecific prey guild member (finescale dace, Phoxinus neogaeus), shifting from an antipredator to a foraging response at a standard length of 50 to 55 mm. We conducted a laboratory study to determine if: (1) this shift is fixed or phenotypically plastic, and (2) juvenile bass respond to the alarm cues of a non-Ostariophysan prey guild member. Juvenile bass were reared on high versus low food diets for 10 weeks prior to the experiment, and then exposed to heterospecific skin extracts (the source of chemical alarm cues). When exposed to the skin extracts of finescale dace or green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), juvenile bass exhibited a significant positive relationship between standard length and horizontal and vertical area use and time spent moving. In addition, there was a significant effect of body type, with bass with deeper body morphs shifting from antipredator to foraging responses earlier than those with shallower body morphs. Bass exhibited no change in behaviour to swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) skin extracts, which lack a chemical alarm cue recognized by bass. These data strongly suggest that the developmental point at which bass switch from an antipredator to a foraging response is phenotypically plastic and dependant upon body morphology, and that bass are capable of using the chemical alarm cue of at least two, taxonomically diverse, heterospecific prey guild members as social information cues.
LEARNED RECOGNITION OF HETEROSPECIFIC ALARM CUES ENHANCES SURVIVAL DURING ENCOUNTERS WITH PREDATORS
Authors: Chivers Douglas , Mirza Reehan , Johnston Jeffery
Published: September 2002

Numerous species of aquatic animals release chemical cues when attacked by a predator. These chemicals serve to warn other conspecifics, and in some cases heterospecifics, of danger, and hence have been termed alarm cues. Responses of animals to alarm cues produced by other species often need to be learned, yet mechanisms of learned recognition of heterospecific cues are not well understood. In this study, we tested whether fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) could learn to recognize a heterospecific alarm cue when it was combined with conspecific alarm cue in the diet of a predator. We exposed fathead minnows to chemical stimuli collected from rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, fed a mixed diet of minnows and brook stickleback, Culaea inconstans, or trout fed a mixed diet of swordtails, Xiphophorous helleri, and stickleback. To test if the minnows had acquired recognition of the heterospecific alarm cues, we exposed them to stickleback alarm cues and introduced an unknown predator, yellow perch (Perca flavescens) or northern pike (Esox lucius). Both perch and pike took longer to initiate an attack on minnows that were previously exposed to trout fed minnows and stickleback than those previously exposed to trout fed swordtails and stickleback. These results demonstrate that minnows can learn to recognize heterospecific alarm cues based on detecting the heterospecific cue in combination with minnow alarm cues in the diet of the predator. Ours is the first study to demonstrate that behavioural responses to heterospecific chemical alarm cues decreases the probability that the prey will be attacked and captured during an encounter with a predator.
Total Synthesis of (+)-Myriocin and (−)-Sphingofungin E from Aldohexoses Using Overman Rearrangement as the Key Reaction
Authors: Oishi Takeshi , Ando Koji , Inomiya Kenjin , Sato Hideyuki , Iida Masatoshi , Chida Noritaka
Published: September 2002

Total synthesis starting from aldohexoses of naturally occurring α-substituted α-amino acids, (+)-myriocin (1) and (−)-sphingofungin E (2), is described. Overman rearrangement of allylic trichloroacetimidate 6E derived from d-mannose effectively generated the tetrasubstituted carbon with nitrogen, and subsequent Wittig olefination afforded the highly functionalized moiety 3 of myriocin stereoselectively. Sulfone-mediated coupling reaction of the allyl bromide 3 with C12 hydrophobic part 4 successfully constructed the carbon framework possessing E-olefin 28. Removal of the sulfone and protecting groups completed the chiral and stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-myriocin (1). A similar transformation starting from d-glucose also accomplished the total synthesis of (−)-sphingofungin E (2).
Promotion of Reductive Elimination Reaction of Diorgano(2,2′-bipyridyl)nickel(II) Complexes by Electron-Accepting Aromatic Compounds, Lewis Acids, and Brønsted Acids.
Authors: Yamamoto Takakazu , Abla Mahmut , Murakami Yasuharu
Published: September 2002

Reductive elimination of R-R from dialkyl(2,2′-bipyridyl)nickel(II), [NiR2(bpy)] 1 (R = CH3 (1a), C2H5 (1b), n-C3H7 (1c)), caused by π-coordination of electron-accepting aromatic compounds and reductive elimination of Ar-Ar from [NiAr2(bpy)] 2 (Ar = C6F5 (2a) and pyrazolyls (2b and 2c)) promoted by electron-accepting aromatic compounds, Lewis acids, and Brønsted acids have been investigated. 1H-NMR and kinetic data indicate that π-coordination of the electron-accepting aromatic compound to [NiR2(bpy)] leads to the reductive elimination of R-R. The rate of the reductive elimination obeys the second-order rate law, −d[1]/dt = k[1][electron-accepting aromatic compound]. Plots of log k vs Σσp of the electron-accepting aromatic compound give a line with a slope of 1.8. Brønsted acids cause reductive elimination of Ar-Ar from 2 selectively under several reaction conditions (e.g., 2a with CF3COOH in air and 2b with HBr). The reductive elimination reaction of 2a caused by CF3COOH obeys the second-order rate law, −d[2a]/dt = k′[2a][CF3COOH], in air. The reaction of 2b with H2SO4 requires O2, giving the rate equation, −d[2b]/dt = k′′[2b]2[O2]; k′′ increases with [H2SO4], reaching a maximum value at a high [H2SO4]. UV-vis spectroscopy reveals the presence of the following equilibrium: 2b + H2SO4  →←  2b·H2SO4, and the equilibrium constant Ka is evaluated as Ka = [2b·H2SO4]/([2b][H2SO4]) = 47 M−1 at 300.5 K. UV-vis data give information about the electronic states of 2 and the 2b-Brønsted acid adduct. Poly(6-hexylpyridine-2,5-diyl) with a higher molecular weight has been prepared according to the basic information.
The major light‐harvesting pigment protein of Acaryochloris marina
Authors: Chen Min , Quinnell Rosanne G , Larkum Anthony W.D
Published: September 2002

The major light‐harvesting protein complex containing chlorophyll (Chl) d was isolated from Acaryochloris marina thylakoid membranes. Isolation was achieved by detergent solubilisation followed by separation on 6–40% sucrose gradients using ultracentrifugation. The best Chl d yield (70%) used 0.3% dodecyl maltoside, 0.15% octyl glucoside, 0.05% zwittergent 3‐14 with the detergent:total Chl d ratio around 10:1 (w/w). Characterisation of the light‐harvesting pigment protein complex (lhc) involved non‐denaturing electrophoresis, SDS–PAGE, absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. The main polypeptide in the lhc was shown to be ca. 34 kDa and to contain Chl d and Chl a, indicating that the Acaryochloris lhc is similar to that of prochlorophytes. The Chl a level varied with the culture conditions, which is consistent with previous findings.
Prevalence of pain in general practice
Authors: Hasselström Jan , Liu‐Palmgren Jenny , Rasjö‐Wrååk Görel
Published: September 2002

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and diagnostic pattern of pain at the primary care level during one year in a group practice. This practice serves the patients of a geographically defined area with approximately 14,000 inhabitants.

DESIGN Retrospective analysis of all computerised records of a GP group practice during one year, using a combined computerised search technique and manual check‐up.

SETTING Tumba Primary Care District, Stockholm County, Sweden.

SUBJECTS All records of patients who visited Tumba primary care practice during one year.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pain diagnoses, pain duration, analgesic use, pain category, and referrals.

RESULTS Little less than 30% of the patients, who were treated at a primary care practice, had some kind of medically defined pain problem, requiring the attention of a GP. A little less than half of these patients received a prescription for analgesic drugs. The pain diagnoses at a primary care level showed a predominance of musculoskeletal pain. The patients with pain were much older than population and total practice patients. Among the patients, 37% were in a state of acute pain, 37% suffered from chronic pain, 13% had an intermediate pain duration of 1–3 months, and 11% had a chronic intermittent pain condition (predominantly migraine).

CONCLUSIONS Painful states of the musculoskeletal system constitute more than 2/3 of painful states in primary care. Viewed from a primary care perspective, pain has a great impact on GPs' day‐to‐day activities and on health economy in general.
Gabapentin treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia: a follow‐up of four years of a single case
Authors: Moretti Rita , Torre Paola , Antonello R.M. , Bava Antonio , Cazzato G
Published: September 2002

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia causes intermittent, lancinanting pain, involving the posterior tongue and pharynx, with radiation to deep ear structures. There are different pharmacological therapies which are tried to treat the neuralgia: carbamazepin, phenytoin, diazepam, amytriptyline, phenobarbital, ketamine, and baclofen; there are also surgical treatment proposed in order to cure the neuralgia such as vascular decompression or electrical stimulation of the motor cortex controlateral to the pain area. We report a single case of a patient with glossopharyngeal neuralgia treated with Gabapentin, the first described, who was followed up for four years, who respond completely to the therapy and did not complain from side effects, reducing even the reminiscence of pain during the second cluster of crisis.
Torasemide in chronic heart failure: results of the TORIC study
Authors: Cosín Juan , Díez Javier ,   on behalf of the TORIC investigators
Published: September 2002

Background

Diuretics such as torasemide are commonly used to treat chronic heart failure (CHF).

Aims

The objective of the TOrasemide In Congestive Heart Failure (TORIC) Study was to investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of torasemide in CHF patients compared to furosemide or other diuretics in an open‐label, non‐randomised, post‐marketing surveillance trial.

Methods

The present analysis shows the findings of 1377 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II–III CHF who received diuretic therapy with torasemide 10 mg/day orally (n‐778) vs. patients who received furosemide 40 mg/day orally (n‐527) or other diuretics (n‐72) on top of their existing standard CHF therapy for 12 months. Besides safety and tolerability, efficacy was assessed by documentation of mortality, morbidity, functional class and serum potassium levels every 3 months.

Results

TORIC confirmed the safety and tolerability of torasemide in CHF patients. Mortality was significantly lower in the torasemide (n‐17, 2.2%) than in the furosemide/other diuretics group (n‐27, 4.5%) (P<0.05). Functional improvement as assessed by NYHA class was observed in more patients who received furosemide torasemide (n‐356, 45.8%) than those who received furosemide/other diuretics (n‐223, 37.2%) (P‐0.00017). At the end of the study abnormally low serum potassium levels were observed in fewer torasemide (n‐95, 12.9%) than furosemide/other diuretics patients (n‐102, 17.9%) (P‐0.013).

Conclusion

Torasemide is safe and well tolerated in CHF patients. Although not designed as a mortality study, TORIC suggests a lower mortality amongst CHF patients treated with torasemide compared to furosemide/other diuretics. A functional improvement and a lower incidence of abnormal serum potassium levels were also observed in patients receiving torasemide as compared to those receiving furosemide/other diuretics.
Should the cobbler stick to his last? Silvanus Phillips Thompson and the making of a scientific career
Authors: GAY HANNAH , BARRETT ANNE
Published: September 2002

Silvanus Phillips Thompson, FRS (1851–1916) began his career in the 1870s when there were still few academic posts for scientists, and when it was still uncertain whether the newer professional ideals would overtake the older, more gentlemanly, ones – in terms of both career advancement and of what being a ‘good’ scientist entailed. Thompson's many scientific, technical and literary activities are discussed in this paper, as is his Quakerism, perhaps the chief motivating force in his life. The paper raises the question of how success in science is measured, and shows how Thompson's sabbatarian impulse influenced both his scientific practice and his pedagogical approach. In detailing the ways in which Thompson made a successful career, despite his lack of professional research focus, the paper relates to larger contexts of science, class, religion and education in late nineteenth-century Britain.
Nd isotope composition of early Cambrian discrete basins
Authors: FELITSYN SERGEI B. , GUBANOV ALEXANDER P.
Published: September 2002

A Nd isotope map of early Cambrian epeiric basins has been inferred from the Nd isotopic
signature recorded in phosphatic Small Shelly Fossils. The most radiogenic εNd(t) values characterize
water reservoirs along the Avalonian and Cadomian belts, while εNd(t) values of −10 to −20 were
obtained in Laurentia and East Gondwanan Australia and China. Such a distribution of Nd isotope
signatures results from the different provenance of early Cambrian epeiric seas: juvenile magmatic arcs
and/or cordilleran for Mongolia, Siberia, Iberia and adjacent terranes, and cratonic sources for
Laurentia and East Gondwana. Biogenic apatite of Small Shelly Fossils may be a useful tool for mapping
of Nd isotope composition and documenting water mass exchange between discrete basins.
Relationship between tillering and leaf area index: quantifying critical leaf area index for tillering in rice
Authors: ZHONG X. , PENG S. , SHEEHY J. E. , VISPERAS R. M. , LIU H.
Published: September 2002

A field study was conducted at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines during the dry seasons of 1997 and 1998 under irrigated conditions. The objectives of this study were to quantify the critical leaf area index (LAIc) at which tillering stops based on the relationship between tillering rate and LAI, and to determine the effect of nitrogen (N) on LAIc in irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop. Results showed that the relative tillering rate (RTR) decreased exponentially as LAI increased at a given N input level. The coefficient of determination for the equation quantifying the RTR-LAI relationship ranged from 0·87 to 0·99. The relationship between RTR and LAI was affected by N input level, but not by planting density. The N input level had a significant effect on LAIc with a high N input level causing an increase in LAIc. Tillering stopped at LAI of 3·36 to 4·11 when N was not limiting. Under N limited conditions LAIc reduced to as low as 0·98. Transplanting spacing and number of seedlings per hill had little effect on LAIc. Results from this study suggest that LAI and plant N status are two major factors that influence tiller production in rice crops. The possibility that LAI influences tillering by changing light intensity and/or light quality at the base of the canopy where tiller buds and young tillers are located is discussed.
THE EFFECTS OF TYPE OF FEMALE CIRCUMCISION ON INFERTILITY AND FERTILITY IN SUDAN
Authors: LARSEN ULLA
Published: September 2002

This study explores the association between type of female circumcision and infertility and fertility in Sudan using the 1989–90 Demographic and Health Survey. It is hypothesized that women with either Pharaonic or Intermediate circumcision would have higher infertility and lower fertility compared with women with Sunna circumcision, and that uncircumcised women would have the lowest infertility and highest fertility of the three groups. This hypothesis, a widely held assumption, proved to be largely incorrect. Though women with Pharaonic or Intermediate circumcision did have a higher prevalence of primary infertility than uncircumcised women, women with Sunna circumcision had even lower rates of primary infertility compared with uncircumcised women. This pattern prevailed in multivariate models controlling for confounding variables, where women with Pharaonic or Intermediate circumcision had significantly higher primary infertility. Moreover, though women with Pharaonic or Intermediate circumcision also had the highest prevalence of secondary infertility, once confounding covariates were controlled in multivariate models, there was no significant difference among the three groups of women. With respect to fertility, the total fertility rate was 7·6 for women with Pharaonic or Intermediate circumcision, 8·1 for women with Sunna circumcision and 8·3 for uncircumcised women. Differences in fertility were found to be insignificant when covariates were controlled. The multivariate models were estimated using logistic regression. In conclusion, Pharaonic or Intermediate circumcision may be associated with higher primary infertility while there was no evidence suggesting that either secondary infertility or fertility was associated with a woman’s circumcision status.
Trading images? A comment on Ponte's reassessment of agrarian change in the Uluguru Mountains
Authors: van Donge JanKees
Published: September 2002

Stefano Ponte's article in the first JMAS issue of 2001 brings good
news: previous pessimistic accounts of the dynamics of economic life in
the Uluguru Mountains, especially mine, have to be revised (Ponte
2001; van Donge 1993c). There may have been economic decline in the
area, but economic liberalisation has turned that around and raised
incomes. Ponte collected rich material, especially in his household
survey. Whereas I found it difficult to get precise estimates of money,
land, and so on from people there, he collected precise quantitative
insights. This information covers not only their present situation:
people recalled with considerable precision their situation back to the
mid eighties when I did research there. His critique touches, however,
not only changes over time, but also the assumptions about how actors
behave: people are much more resourceful than I portrayed them.
Interacting effects of forest fragmentation and howler monkey foraging on germination and disperal of fig seeds
Authors: Serio-Silva Juan Carlos , Rico-Gray Victor
Published: September 2002

We studied changes in germination rates and dispersal distance of seeds of Ficus perforata and F. lundelli dispersed by howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata mexicana), in a small (40 ha) ‘disturbed’ and a larger (>600 ha) ‘preserved’ tropical rainforest in southern Veracruz, Mexico. The interaction between A. p. mexicana and Ficus (Urostigma) spp. is beneficial for the interacting species and has important implications for their conservation. Howler monkeys gain from the ingestion of an important food source, germination rates of Ficus seeds are improved by passage through the monkeys' digestive tract, and the seeds are more likely to be deposited in a site suitable for germination and development. Seed dispersal distances are relatively larger in the preserved site, with both the size of the forest area and the spatial pattern of Ficus affecting the dispersal process. In a large forest fragment with ‘regularly’ distributed Ficus individuals the howler monkeys move away from the seed source, increasing the probability that the seeds are desposited on a tree other than Ficus, which is important for the germination and future development of a hemiepiphytic species. In a small forest fragment with trees distributed in clumps howlers repeatedly use the same individual trees, and faeces containing seeds may be dropped on unsuitable trees more often. These are key issues when addressing conservation policies for fragmented forests.
A Cross-Subsidy Classification Framework
Authors: Fjell Kenneth
Published: September 2002

Cross-subsidization is a frequent topic in public debates and often stigmatized in the wake of deregulation. Public monopolies increasingly find themselves operating not only in regulated markets, but in non-regulated markets where they are accused of illegally using resources from the regulated market to stifle competition. Similar anticompetitive allegations can be made against private multiservice firms with market power. However, definitions of cross-subsidization are many and this affects the debate about the issue and possible strategic motives behind cross-subsidization, its possible consequences for competition, and measures that might be taken against it. This paper organizes definitions that regulators are likely to encounter into three types involving cost transfer, temporary loss or permanent loss. Based on these distinctions, a novel classification framework is developed according to underlying motivation and consequences for competition. The four cases arising from the framework are subsequently discussed in terms of relevancy for public and private firms, and consequences for competition and welfare.
The Political Benefits of Corporatization and Privatization
Authors: Grønnegård Christensen Jørgen , Pallesen Thomas
Published: September 2002

In recent years Denmark has seen a huge corporatization and privatization program. As it is an unlikely reformer, the policy shift makes the country an interesting test case for the analysis of public sector changes. The paper argues that the Danish corporatization and privatization program fits into a general pattern. The program has been successfully implemented because it has allowed the governing coalition to reap important short-term political benefits without compromising a long-term quest for political control. However, these radical changes that together constitute a virtual wave of reforms have been initiated because politicians belonging to the governing coalition have come to the knowledge of new theoretic and empirical insights that open their eyes to short-term political benefits formerly unacknowledged.
Sociocultural and cognitive constraints on literacy development
Authors: VERHOEVEN LUDO
Published: September 2002

In their position paper, Dorit Ravid & Liliana Tolchinsky have made a
critical attempt to develop a theoretical framework which would account for
the success of learning to read and write in different languages throughout
the life span. The major focus of this framework is on the linguistic
perspective of literacy development – leading to the concept of linguistic
literacy. The authors highlight those aspects of literacy competence that are
expressed in language as well as aspects of linguistic knowledge that are
affected by literacy competence. They postulate control as a defining feature,
metalanguage as a concomitant process, and familiarity with writing and
written language as a condition of linguistic literacy. These postulations can
be seen as highly relevant from both a theoretical and a practical point of view
since such framework is useful in order to develop research initiatives and
educational programs on literacy development. The view of literacy as a
constituent of language knowledge characterized by the availability of
multiple linguistic resources can be seen as powerful. However, given the
multifaceted character of written language and its development, the question
is to what extent the concept of linguistic literacy should be relativized. In the
present commentary the impact of sociocultural and cognitive constraints on
literacy will be stressed to disambiguate the monolithic conception of
linguistic literacy.
On defining groups efficiently without using inverses
Authors: CAMPBELL C. M. , MITCHELL J. D. , RUšKUC N.
Published: September 2002

Let G be a group, and let 〈A[mid ]R〉 be a finite group presentation for G with [mid ]R[mid ][ges ][mid ]A[mid ].
Then there exists a finite semigroup presentation 〈B[mid ]Q〉 for G such that [mid ]Q[mid ]-
[mid ]B[mid ] = [mid ]R[mid ]-
[mid ]A[mid ]. Moreover, B is either the same generating set or else it contains one
additional generator.
Modelling equine influenza 1: a stochastic model of within-yard epidemics
Authors: GLASS K. , WOOD J. L. N. , MUMFORD J. A. , JESSET D. , GRENFELL B. T.
Published: September 2002

This paper demonstrates that a simple stochastic model can capture the features of an epidemic of equine influenza in unvaccinated horses. When the model is modified to consider vaccinated horses, we find that vaccination dramatically reduces the incidence and size of epidemics. Although occasional larger outbreaks can still occur, these are exceptional. We then look at the effects of vaccination on a yard of horses, and in particular at the relationship between pre-challenge antibody level and quantity of virus shed when challenged with the virus. While on average, a high antibody level implies that less virus will be shed during the infectious period, we identify a high degree of heterogeneity in the response of horses with similar pre-challenge antibody levels. We develop a modified model that incorporates some heterogeneity in levels of infectivity, and compare this with the simpler model.
Distribution of emm genotypes and superantigen genes of Streptococcus pyogenes isolated in Japan, 1994–9
Authors: MURAKAMI J. , KAWABATA S. , TERAO Y. , KIKUCHI K. , TOTSUKA K. , TAMARU A. , KATSUKAWA C. , MORIYA K. , NAKAGAWA I. , MORISAKI I. , HAMADA S.
Published: September 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine characteristic profiles of Streptococcus pyogenes clinical isolates isolated in Japan during 1994–9. Genotyping of the M protein (emm typing) revealed that emm types 12 and 28 were the most common among 316 isolates. Most of the emm12 isolates were isolated from mucosa, while emm58 and emm89 were from skin. Moreover, the emm3 isolates were dominant in invasive infections. The distribution of 6 superantigen genes showed that all isolates harboured the mf gene and many had the speG gene. Invasive isolates were shown to have the ssa gene at a higher rate (76%) than noninvasive (37%). The distribution of superantigens was significantly different between emm types, but not between isolation sites. These results suggest that the distribution of emm types is related to isolation site, whereas superantigen distribution is related to clinical features of S. pyogenes infections.
A static semantics for Haskell
Authors: FAXÉN KARL-FILIP
Published: September 2002

This paper gives a static semantics for Haskell 98, a non-strict purely functional programming
language. The semantics formally specifies nearly all the details of the Haskell 98 type system,
including the resolution of overloading, kind inference (including defaulting) and polymorphic
recursion, the only major omission being a proper treatment of ambiguous overloading and
its resolution. Overloading is translated into explicit dictionary passing, as in all current
implementations of Haskell. The target language of this translation is a variant of the
Girard–Reynolds polymorphic lambda calculus featuring higher order polymorphism and
explicit type abstraction and application in the term language. Translated programs can thus
still be type checked, although the implicit version of this system is impredicative. A surprising
result of this formalization effort is that the monomorphism restriction, when rendered in a
system of inference rules, compromises the principal type property.
Executive functioning in older people
Authors: Hobson Peter , Leeds Lesley
Published: September 2002

There are estimated to be more than 18 million people world-wide suffering from
dementia and, on entering the twenty-first century, demographic projections suggest
that there will be a significant growth in elderly populations due to decreasing
infant mortality, improved public health and safety, medical advances, better education
and housing and increased service provision. These population shifts
will predictably lead to a greater demand on medical and welfare services.

Despite the fact that a sizeable proportion of the elderly population will at some
time develop cognitive problems, accurate diagnosis is difficult due to the multiple
pathology involved in these impairments. With the introduction of pharmacological
treatments for cognitive impairments, the emphasis on establishing if people are
suffering from a dementing illness is crucial. Furthermore, patients who are categorized
as ‘subclinical’ cases of cognitive impairment often have an underlying
risk for further progression. Although all clinical definitions of dementia stress
that there must be evidence of intellectual decline, the most common being memory
failure, there is confusion surrounding the nature of cognitive deficits in the three
most commonly applied criteria for dementia – The International Classification
of Diseases (ICD-10), The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders
(DSM–IV) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes
(NINDS), Association Internationale pour le Recherche et l’Enseignement en
Neurosciences (AIREN).
Factors affecting the distribution of landbirds on the Falkland Islands
Authors: Hall James R. , Woods Robin W. , de L. Brooke M. , Hilton Geoff M.
Published: September 2002

A high proportion of island birds are threatened with extinction as a result of their vulnerability to introduced predators,
habitat destruction, and fragmentation/isolation effects. In order to conserve island species effectively, it is necessary
to disentangle these effects on distribution and abundance. We attempt to do this for the nine native passerines in the
Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, using a database of presence/absence on 59 offshore islands in the archipelago, linked to
data for each island on mammal presence, habitat modification, and isolation. Falklands native passerines are of
considerable conservation importance, comprising one endemic globally threatened species, several endemic subspecies,
and several restricted range species. Presence of rats on islands was by far the most important predictor of
passerine presence, overriding the effect of habitat modifications. The globally threatened endemic Cobb's Wren
Troglodytes cobbi was absent from all islands containing rats. Some species were more likely, and others less likely
to occur on islands where tussac Poa flabellata grassland had been destroyed by grazing. The former species were
primarily those adapted to dwarf-heath vegetation, and/or that thrive around human settlements. Island size and
isolation were important predictors of occurrence for several bird species. The analyses show that, if vegetation restoration
in the Falklands is to meet conservation aims, then it should be accompanied by introduced mammal control. Secondly,
they indicate that biogeographical effects on bird distribution among islands in the Falklands are important, and need
to be considered when assessing the conservation status of species, and when considering conservation action.
From Enthusiasm to Disenchantment: the French Police and the Vichy Regime, 1940–1944
Authors: Kitson Simon
Published: September 2002

The French police during the Second World War were used both as a tool of collaboration between the Vichy regime and the Nazi occupier and to enforce an internal political reform, known as the National Revolution. The police initially responded enthusiastically, since an input of new resources was promised and the regime's main opponents – communists and foreigners – were also traditional police targets. A fierce repression ensued, police actions including the handing over of communists to the Nazis and playing an important role in deporting foreign Jews to their deaths. However, after two years police support began to falter, and by mid-1943 many police forces were at collapsing point. The police were suffering from an acute patriotic identity crisis and were the target of Resistance propaganda. The promised new resources had largely failed to materialise, which both demoralised the police and further undermined their efficiency.
Victors, Vanquished and the German Problem 1945 to 1990
Authors: Schwabe Klaus
Published: September 2002

William R. Smyser, From Yalta to Berlin. The Cold War Struggle over Germany. Foreword by Paul H. Nitze (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999), 465 pp., $39.95. SBN 0-312-06605-8.

Hanns Jürgen Küsters, Der Integrationsfriede. Viermächteverhandlungen über die Friedensregelung mit Deutschland 1945–1990. (Munich: R. Oldenbourg, 2000), 1,026 pp., €64.80, ISBN 3-486-56500-1.
ASSESSING THERAPIST ADHERENCE TO COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOUR THERAPY FOR PSYCHOSIS
Authors: Startup Mike , Jackson Mike , Pearce Emma
Published: September 2002

Recently, several RCTs have provided preliminary evidence that cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in the treatment of people suffering from schizophrenia. However, none of these trials has provided complete demonstrations of therapist adherence. Since no suitable scale existed already, the authors devised the Cognitive Therapy for Psychosis Adherence Scale (CTPAS). The main aim of the present research was to test whether the 12 items of this scale could be rated reliably. Ratings were made on 29 sessions of CBT for schizophrenia by two raters independently and their agreement was found to be at least adequate on 10 of the items of the CTPAS. Ratings were also made on relevant items of the Collaborative Study Psychotherapy Rating Scale and agreement was found to be more than adequate for three factor-based subscales derived from these items. The results suggest therapist adherence to CBT for psychosis can be rated reliably and that the CTPAS is likely to be useful in future research on this form of treatment.
BATTLING BOREDOM: GROUP COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY FOR NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
Authors: Johns Louise C. , Sellwood William , McGovern John , Haddock Gillian
Published: September 2002

We conducted a pilot group intervention for negative symptoms, particularly targeting avolition/apathy. A baseline control design was used. Six patients were recruited, and four completed the group. The main inclusion criteria were clinically significant negative symptoms, plus associated distress and concern. The group involved 16 sessions, which were cognitive behavioural in approach. The main outcome measures were the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, and the Subject Experience of Negative Symptoms Scale. Patients showed a reduction in avolition/apathy, and two patients reported reduced distress. These preliminary results suggest that group CBT is a possible intervention for negative symptoms.
James Legge and the Strange Saga of British Sinology and the Comparative Science of Religions in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Girardot N. J.
Published: September 2002

James Legge (1815–1897) is primarily remembered today as the heroic translator of the Chinese Classics (1861–1872, 1893–1895). Allowing for changes in stylistic taste, these massive translations are still considered the “standard” versions of works that “classically” and “scripturally” defined a so-called Confucian “great tradition” in China. Unfortunately a fixation on this singular scholarly accomplishment has tended to brand Legge as merely a great, though plodding, translator – someone primarily remarkable for his indefatigable habits of working. Certainly it was often felt that his contributions to the emergent Sinological Orientalism of the nineteenth century in no way matched the achievements of the great Parisian academicians (Abel Rémusat and Stanislas Julien); nor was he seen as a particularly significant figure in any other aspect of British tradition in the nineteenth century. Even worse, and seeming to make him a fit candidate for Lytton Strachey's debunking criticism of all insufferably righteous Victorian paragons of virtue, was that his identity as a sinologist and scholar was forever tainted by his original vocation as a Congregationalist missionary agent for the London Missionary Society.
Prudent person rules or quantitative restrictions? The regulation of long-term institutional investors' portfolios
Authors: DAVIS E. PHILIP
Published: September 2002

This paper examines the rationale, nature and financial consequences of two alternative approaches to portfolio regulations for life insurers and pension funds, namely prudent person rules and quantitative portfolio restrictions. The argument draws on the financial-economics of investment and the differing characteristics of institutions' liabilities, as well as evidence drawn from major OECD countries. The overall conclusion is that prudent person rules are superior to restrictions, particularly for pension funds, except in certain circumstances that may hold temporarily in emerging market economies.
Immobilized Particles in Gel Matrix‐Type Porous Media. Nonhomogeneous Cell Distribution
Authors: Mota Manuel , Teixeira José A. , Yelshin Alexander
Published: September 2002

The conventional random pore model assumes a homogeneous cell distribution in the gel matrix used to immobilize cells. However, the validity of this model is restricted to values of the exponent α, between 1.8 and 2.25, of a model power function relating the diffusivity coefficient in the matrix with the overall cell volume fraction in the system. Based on the analysis of published data for diffusion in gels with immobilized cells and on the homogeneous approach for the random pore model developed in a previous work, a new, nonhomogeneous approach is proposed for αvalues outside the range 1.8–2.25. To explain these data, two main types of nonhomogeneous cell distribution were considered: (1) nonhomogeneous cell distribution in the gel for α > 2.25 (type 1) and (2) nonhomogeneity related with anisotropy of cell space orientation when α < 1.8 (type 2). In the case of nonhomogeneity of type 1, the cell volume fraction in the layers occupied by cells must be considered in place of the concept previously used for homogeneous distribution, viz., the average cell volume fraction. This model underlines that accumulation of cells in a thin layer close to the surface improves their nutrient intake. For nonhomogeneity of type 2, the tortuosity of such a system is smaller than should be expected if spherical cells were considered, thereby changing the effective diffusion. The model proposed in this work proved to fit into several real cases reported in the literature.
Impediments to Secretion of Green Fluorescent Protein and Its Fusion from Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Li Jincai , Xu Haixin , Bentley William E. , Rao Govind
Published: September 2002

While it has been demonstrated that GFP‐tagged proteins were transported to their correct cellular compartments in most cells, attempts to secrete GFP/GFP‐fusion through the default secretory pathway have not been as successful. In an attempt to induce secretion of GFP and Hexokinase (HXK)‐GFP fusion in Saccharomycescerevisiae, we have cloned constructs that employed four different yeast secretion signal sequences, i.e., INU1, SUC2, PHO5, and MEL1. The expression is under the control of the galactose‐inducible GAL1promoter. Our results showed that all eight constructs entered the secretory pathway successfully, and the signal peptides were all cleaved off. However, none of the eight constructs were able to lead to secretion into the culture media or the periplasmic space. The expression levels of the eight constructs differ dramatically, depending on both the signal peptide and whether GFP was fused with HXK. Confocal microscopy studies revealed that the eight constructs also led to very different localization patterns. Among them, two constructs targeted GFP to the vacuole partially or exclusively, whereas others were mostly retained in the ER/Golgi compartments. Our efforts, together with those of others, seem to suggest that the signal peptide itself is not enough to lead to secretion of GFP from S. cerevisiae, although it has been successful in some other organisms. Nonetheless, the advantage of GFP's in vivo detection makes it a powerful tool for investigating protein localization events.
Insect Cell Culture Medium Supplementation with Fetal Bovine Serum and Bovine Serum Albumin: Effects on Baculovirus Adsorption and Infection Kinetics
Authors: Maranga Luis , Coroadinha Ana S. , Carrondo Manuel J. T.
Published: September 2002

The effects of insect cell culture medium supplementation with FBS were investigated. BSA was found to be the factor responsible for the increased baculovirus infection rate of FBS‐supplemented cultures in a concentration‐dependent form up to 25 g L−1. Lower rates of baculovirus binding to cells were observed with FBS‐ and BSA‐supplemented cultures compared with infections carried out in serum‐free media. Virus attachment constants were found to depend on medium matrix composition. An efficiency factor dependent on the medium matrix composition was introduced to account for these effects, and a mathematical model was developed to describe the virus‐cell interactions. It was shown that BSA acts by minimizing the nonspecific virus binding leading to an increased cell infection rate. Cell specific Porcine parvovirusvirus‐like particles (PPV‐VLPs) expression was unaffected by medium supplementation pointing out that BSA and/or FBS affects mainly the initial phase of the baculovirus infection cycle. Implications for process definition are discussed.
Integrated Earth and Environmental Evolution of the Southwestern United States: The Clarence A. Hall Jr., Volume
Authors: Busby Cathy Jeanne
Published: September 2002

This Geological Society of America (GSA) volume was produced in honor of Clarence Hall, Professor of Geology at the University of California, Los Angeles, after his retirement, to call attention to his “administrative and scientific contributions as well as to his dynamic, visionary leadership” (editors' introduction). The volume has 23 papers and is divided into four sections.

In the first paper of the volume, “Archean Tectonics and Magmatism,” Warren Hamilton does one of the things he does best: stir up controversy! As a longtime fan of the greenstone belt literature, I found Hamilton's summary of the case against Archean plate tectonics very convincing. In contrast, his arguments that ”plumes probably do not exist in the modern Earth“ (and therefore should not be used to explain Archean geology) are completely unconvincing and ignore a wealth of seismological evidence for present‐day plumes and superplumes.