bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diploid sperm produced by artificially sex‐reversed Clone loaches
Authors: Yoshikawa Hiroyuki , Morishima Kagayaki , Kusuda Satoshi , Yamaha Etsuro , Arai Katsutoshi
Published: December 2006

Clone loaches reproduce unisexually in a wild population of Hokkaido Island, Japan. These clone loaches produce genetically identical unreduced eggs which develop to diploid individuals without any genetic contribution of sperm donors. In the present study, sex reversal of clone loaches was attempted and the reproductive potential of resultant clone males was examined. Clone loaches administered 0.5 ppm of 17‐α methyltestosterone (MT) for 30 days from 1 month after hatching differentiated into physiological males. These sex‐reversed clone males produced fertile spermatozoa with a diploid DNA content. Diploid spermatozoa had significantly larger heads than normal haploid sperm, but had a normal shape showing a head, mid‐piece, and tail. The motility of diploid spermatozoa was low after ambient water was added. Concentration of diploid spermatozoa per unit of sperm was lower than that of control haploid spermatozoa. Microsatellite genotyping revealed that triploid progeny from the cross between a normal diploid female and a sex‐reversed clone male had two alleles specific to the diploid clone male and one allele of the mother loach. These results indicated that the sex‐reversed clone males produced fertile diploid spermatozoa genetically identical to the clone lineage. J. Exp. Zool. 307A:75–83, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antler regeneration: a dependent process of stem tissue primed via interaction with its enveloping skin
Authors: Li Chunyi , Yang Fuhe , Li Guangyu , Gao Xiuhua , Xing Xiumei , Wei Haijun , Deng Xuming , Clark Dawn E.
Published: December 2006

Deer antlers are unique mammalian appendages in that each year they are cast and fully regenerate from permanent bony protuberances, called pedicles. In a previous study, we found that there is a difference in the degree of association between pedicle bone and its enveloping skin: tight at the distal third and loose at the proximal two thirds of a pedicle stump. The distal part has been termed the “potentiated” region, and the proximal part the “dormant” region. In the present study, pedicle stumps were artificially created in yearling sika deer by cutting off the tissue distal to either the potentiated or the dormant region. A piece of impermeable membrane was then inserted into the space between the bone and the skin of each treated pedicle stump, while the control pedicles had the same surgery without membrane insertion. The results showed that the inserted membrane blocked pedicle skin participation in the process of antler regeneration. All three potentiated bony pedicle stumps regenerated skin‐less antlers; whereas, one of the three dormant bony pedicle stumps failed to regenerate any antler tissue. The other two dormant stumps eventually regenerated normal antlers; however, this only occurred after loss of the inserted membrane. No antler tissue regenerated from the dormant stumps while the inserted membrane remained in place (up to 55 days). All control pedicle stumps regenerated normal antlers. Therefore, we conclude that it is the pedicle bone, but not pedicle skin, that gives rise to regenerating antlers, and that pedicle bone can acquire the potential to regenerate an antler only when it is primed via interaction with its enveloping skin. J. Exp. Zool. 307A:95–105, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A new strategy based on recombinant viruses as a tool for assessing drug susceptibility of human immunodeficiency virus type 1
Authors: Garcia‐Perez J. , Sanchez‐Palomino S. , Perez‐Olmeda M. , Fernandez B. , Alcami J.
Published: December 2006

The emergence of drug‐resistant variants during antiretroviral therapy is a serious obstacle to sustained suppression of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1). For that reason, resistance assays are essential to guide clinicians in the selection of optimal treatment regimens. Genotypic assays are less expensive and results are available faster than phenotypic assays. However, in heavily experienced patients with multiple treatment failures interpretation of complex mutation patterns remains difficult, and in these cases phenotypic assays are recommended. This report describes a novel recombinant virus assay where protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) sequences derived from the plasma isolated from patients are introduced into the back‐bone of an HIV molecular clone that expresses Renilla luciferase protein in the place of nef gene. All drug resistance profiles analyzed correlate with previously reported data and showed high reproducibility. This assay, in addition to a fast (completed in 10 days), precise, reproducible and automated method, presents several advantages as compared to other phenotypic assays. The system described below allows the generation of recombinant viruses with multiples cycles of replication carrying a reporter gene in their genomes. These features increase the sensitivity of the test, an important aspect to be considered in the evaluation of less fit viral isolates. In conclusion, the assay permits the quantitation of the level of resistance of clinical HIV‐1 isolates to PR and RT inhibitors. J. Med. Virol. 79:127–137, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular characterization of human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV‐II) from people living in urban areas of Sao Paulo city: Evidence of multiple subtypes circulation
Authors: Novoa Patricia , Penalva de Oliveira Augusto César , Posada Vergara Maria Paulina , da Silva Duarte Alberto José , Casseb Jorge
Published: December 2006

Background

In Brazil, human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I and type II (HTLV‐I and HTLV‐II) are co‐circulating and possess approximately 65% homology, which results in high cross‐reactivity in serological tests. Based on the detection of EIA and Western blot (WB) tests, HTLV serodiagnosis yields indeterminate results in high‐risk population, with the true determination of HTLV‐II prevalence requiring a combined serological and molecular analysis. Molecular analysis of HTLV‐II isolates has shown the existence of four distinct subtypes: IIa, IIb, IIc, and IId. The aim of this study was to evaluate the routine EIA and WB used in Sao Paulo city, as well as molecular methods for confirmation of infection and HTLV‐II subtype distribution. Results: Two hundred ninety‐three individuals, who were enrolled in the HTLV out‐clinic in Sao Paulo city, Brazil, between July 1997 and May 2003, were tested by EIAs, and positive sera 232 (79%) reactive by one of the tests. When these sera were tested by WB revealed 134 were HTLV‐I, 28 HTLV‐II, 4 HTLV‐I/II, and 48 were indeterminate. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the indeterminate group showed that 20 (42%) were HTLV‐II and 28 were negative. From a total of 48 HTLV‐II subjects with DNA available, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the env region revealed 47 HTLV‐IIa and 1 HTLV‐IIb. The phylogenetic analysis was performed on 23 samples, which identified 19 as subtype a, Brazilian subcluster, and 4 as subtype b. This is the first time HTLV‐II subtype b has been described in Brazil. However, further studies, such as a complete nucleotide DNA sequencing, need to be done to confirm these findings. J. Med. Virol. 79:182–187, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cowpea cooking characteristics as affected by micronisation temperature: a study of the physicochemical and functional properties of starch
Authors: Mwangwela Agnes M , Waniska Ralph D , McDonough Cassandra , Minnaar Amanda
Published: December 2006

Bechuana white cowpeas were micronised to three temperatures (130, 153 and 170 °C). Cooking properties of the cowpea seeds and the role of starch‐related properties were studied. In all cases, micronisation significantly reduced the cooking time and thus the time required for the cowpea seeds to attain a suitably soft texture. This was attributed in part to the significant improvement in rate of water absorption during cooking and starch pre‐gelatinisation, as evidenced by loss of birefringence and increased susceptibility of the cowpea starch to α‐amylase digestion. However, micronisation to 170 °C resulted in a severe deterioration in pasting properties of the cowpea flour, possibly due to starch depolymerisation and/or amylose‐associated crosslinking. Owing to these changes, cowpea seeds micronised to 170 °C required a longer cooking time than the other two micronised samples. Flour prepared from cowpea seeds micronised to 170 °C may have limited starch functionality. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Outbound supply chain network design with mode selection and lead time considerations
Authors: Eskigun Erdem , Uzsoy Reha , Preckel Paul V. , Beaujon George , Krishnan Subramanian , Tew Jeffrey D.
Published: December 2006

We present a large‐scale network design model for the outbound supply chain of an automotive company that considers transportation mode selection (road vs. rail) and explicitly models the relationship between lead times and the volume of flow through the nodes of the network. We formulate the problem as a nonlinear zero‐one integer program, reformulate it to obtain a linear integer model, and develop a Lagrangian heuristic for its solution that gives near‐optimal results in reasonable time. We also present scenario analyses that examine the behavior of the supply chain under different parameter settings and the performance of the solution procedures under different experimental conditions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007
Protein labeling by iTRAQ: A new tool for quantitative mass spectrometry in proteome research
Authors: Wiese Sebastian , Reidegeld Kai A. , Meyer Helmut E. , Warscheid Bettina
Published: December 2006

A novel, MS‐based approach for the relative quantification of proteins, relying on the derivatization of primary amino groups in intact proteins using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) is presented. Due to the isobaric mass design of the iTRAQ reagents, differentially labeled proteins do not differ in mass; accordingly, their corresponding proteolytic peptides appear as single peaks in MS scans. Because quantitative information is provided by isotope‐encoded reporter ions that can only be observed in MS/MS spectra, we analyzed the fragmentation behavior of ESI and MALDI ions of peptides generated from iTRAQ‐labeled proteins using a TOF/TOF and/or a QTOF instrument. We observed efficient liberation of reporter ions for singly protonated peptides at low‐energy collision conditions. In contrast, increased collision energies were required to liberate the iTRAQ label from lysine side chains of doubly charged peptides and, thus, to observe reporter ions suitable for relative quantification of proteins with high accuracy. We then developed a quantitative strategy that comprises labeling of intact proteins by iTRAQ followed by gel electrophoresis and peptide MS/MS analyses. As proof of principle, mixtures of five different proteins in various concentration ratios were quantified, demonstrating the general applicability of the approach presented here to quantitative MS‐based proteomics.
Magneto‐optical investigation of high temperature ion implanted MnxGe1–x alloy: evidence for multiple contributions to the magnetic response
Authors: Verna A. , D'Orazio F. , Ottaviano L. , Passacantando M. , Lucari F. , Impellizzeri G. , Priolo F.
Published: December 2006

We have studied the magnetic properties of a 240 °C ion implanted MnGe alloy (100 keV, 2 × 1016 ions/cm2) by means of magneto‐optical Kerr effect (MOKE) hysteresis loops taken at different wavelengths in the visible/near‐infrared range and at different temperatures (12–180 K). The details of the MOKE response indicates that the magnetic properties of the sample are due to the contribution of multiple magnetic phases. These can be ascribed to the known coexistence of Mn atoms diluted in the mono‐crystalline Ge matrix and of amorphous semiconductive Mn‐rich precipitates embedded in it. Our results demonstrate that both phases contribute to the ferromagnetic ordering in Mnx Ge1–x magnetic semiconductors. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Theory of ferromagnetic semiconductors
Authors: Katayama‐Yoshida H. , Sato K. , Fukushima T. , Toyoda M. , Kizaki H. , Dinh V. A. , Dederichs P. H.
Published: December 2006

Based upon ab initio electronic structure calculations by the Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker coherent‐potential approximation (KKR‐CPA) method within the local‐density approximation (LDA), we propose a unified physical picture of magnetism and an accurate calculation method of Curie temperature (T C) in dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) in II–VI and III–V compound semiconductors. We also propose the unified physical picture of magnetism in the DMS, where ferromagnetic Zener's double‐exchange mechanism (or Zener's p–d exchange mechanism) caused by the partially occupied impurity band and anti‐ferromagnetic super‐exchange mechanism (or ferromagnetic super‐exchange mechanism) is competing to determine the magnetic states in the DMS. We propose that the three‐dimensional 3D Dairiseki‐phase and one‐dimensional 1D Konbu‐phase caused by spinodal nano‐decomposition are responsible for high‐T C phase in the inhomogeneous system. We propose the new methodology to go beyond LDA to describe the highly correlated electron system by taking into account the self‐interaction correction (SIC) to the LDA. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Extended Drude model analysis of noble metals
Authors: Youn S. J. , Rho T. H. , Min B. I. , Kim Kwang S.
Published: December 2006

We have applied the extended Drude model (EDM) to noble metals of Cu, Ag, and Au. Drude parameters are obtained self‐consistently without using the sum rule or any approximation. The core polarization contribution ε∞ is shown to be large due to shallow d‐orbitals. The frequency dependent mass enhancement factor λ (ω) and the scattering rate 1/τ (ω) are obtained. The Drude region can be identified when 1/τ (ω) deviates from the Fermi liquid behavior due to interband transitions. The onset frequency for the interband transition is found to be lower than the frequency value at the minimum of the imaginary part of the dielectric constant. The validity of the approximation of ωτ ≫ 1, which is commonly employed in analyzing optical data, has been checked based on the EDM for noble metals. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cr‐site preference of BaFe12–xCrxO19 hexaferrite ceramics monitored by Mössbauer spectroscopy
Authors: Ounnunkad Suriya , Phanichphant Sukon , Winotai Pongtip , Tang I‐Ming
Published: December 2006

Site preference of Cr in the M‐type barium ferrite ceramics was monitored by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The calcined BaFe12–x Crx O19 powders (x = 0.0–0.8) obtained by the sol gel method were die‐pressed into pellets and then sintered at 1300 °C in a oxygen atmosphere for 12 hrs. All the phases of the ceramics were of the pure magnetoplumbite structure. The saturation magnetization (Ms) is found to be a function of Cr ion content. The MS of the ceramics decreases due to the dilution of the magnetic interaction with increasing Cr concentration. The coercivity (Hc) of the ceramics increases due to finer grain observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fitted Mössbauer spectra show that Cr ions preferentially occupy into the 2a, 12k and 4f2 Fe crystallographic sites. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Hydrostatic pressure effects on the Γ–X conduction band mixing and the binding energy of a donor impurity in GaAs–Ga1–xAlxAs quantum wells
Authors: Duque C. A. , López S. Y. , Mora‐Ramos M. E.
Published: December 2006

Mixing between Γ and X valleys of the conduction band in GaAs–Ga1–x Alx As quantum wells is investigated taken into account the effect of applied hydrostatic pressure. This effect is introduced via the pressure‐dependent values of the corresponding energy gaps and the main band parameters. The mixing is considered along the lines of a phenomenological model. Variation of the confined ground state in the well as a function of the pressure is reported. The dependencies of the variationally calculated binding energy of a donor impurity with the hydrostatic pressure and well width are also presented. It is shown that the inclusion of the Γ–X mixing explains the non‐linear behavior in the photoluminescence peak of confined exciton states that has been observed for pressures above 20 kbar. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A new set of electronegativity scale for trivalent lanthanides
Authors: Li Keyan , Xue Dongfeng
Published: December 2006

A new set of electronegativity (EN) scale for all trivalent lanthanides (Ln) is proposed on the basis of effective ionic potential, from which the electron‐attracting power of trivalent Ln can be well differentiated. This new scale can be used to qualitatively explain the valence stability and valence change of some typical trivalent Ln. Furthermore, the good linear relationships of the charge‐transfer energy of Ln3+ and the first dehydroxylation temperature in the agardite to the current EN scale of Ln3+ show us the further reasonableness of our new EN scale. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structural properties of simulated liquid and amorphous TiO2
Authors: Van Hoang Vo
Published: December 2006

Structural properties of liquid and amorphous TiO2 have been studied in a model containing 3000 particles under periodic boundary conditions with the pairwise interatomic potentials proposed by Matsui and Akaogi. Models have been obtained by cooling from the melt via molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Structural properties of an amorphous model obtained at 350 K have been analyzed in details through the partial radial distribution functions (PRDFs), coordination number distributions, bond‐angle distributions and interatomic distances. Calculations show that calculated data agree well with the experimental ones. The evolution of structure upon cooling from the melt was observed and discussed. Calculations show that amorphous TiO2 has a distorted octahedral network structure with the mean coordination number ZTi–O ≈ 6.0 and ZO–Ti ≈ 3.0. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Autonomous catheter insertion system using magnetic motion capture sensor for endovascular surgery
Authors: Tercero C. , Ikeda S. , Uchiyama T. , Fukuda T. , Arai F. , Okada Y. , Ono Y. , Hattori R. , Yamamoto T. , Negoro M. , Takahashi I.
Published: December 2006

Background

In order to reduce fluoroscope usage in endovascular surgery, there is a need to develop autonomous catheter insertion systems.

Methods

We propose a system for tracking the position and speed of a catheter using a magnetic motion capture sensor to provide feedback to a catheter‐driving mechanism, to perform autonomous catheter insertion in major vasculature. Catheter insertion speed control and path reconstruction experiments were performed with the system inside a silicone model of major vasculature to simulate surgery.

Results

The system controlled the catheter for speeds of 6.14 mm/s and reproduced a two‐dimensional path inside the silicone blood vessel phantom with less than 7 mm of error.

Conclusions

We found that error in speed control rises as a result of friction between the catheter and the model wall. Path reconstruction error depends on the model's cross‐sectional diameter, the properties of the catheter insertion mechanism, the magnetic sensor and the system guidance technique. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interval estimation of the risk difference in non‐compliance randomized trials with repeated binary measurements
Authors: Lui Kung‐Jong
Published: December 2006

In a randomized clinical trial (RCT), we often encounter non‐compliance with the treatment protocol for a subset of patients. The intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis is probably the most commonly used method in a RCT with non‐compliance. However, the ITT analysis estimates ‘the programmatic effectiveness’ rather than ‘the biological efficacy’. In this paper, we focus attention on the latter index and consider use of the risk difference (RD) to measure the effect of a treatment. Based on a simple additive risk model proposed elsewhere, we develop four asymptotic interval estimators of the RD for repeated binary measurements in a RCT with non‐compliance. We apply Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate and compare the finite‐sample performance of these interval estimators in a variety of situations. We find that all interval estimators considered here can perform well with respect to the coverage probability. We further find that the interval estimator using a tanh−1(x) transformation is probably more precise than the others, while the interval estimator derived from a randomization‐based approach may cause a slight loss of precision. When the number of patients per treatment is large and the probability of compliance to an assigned treatment is high, we find that all interval estimators discussed here are essentially equivalent. Finally, we illustrate use of these interval estimators with data simulated from a trial of using macrophage colony‐stimulating factor to reduce febrile neutropenia incidence in acute myeloid leukaemia patients. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cover Picture: Massively Parallel Dip‐Pen Nanolithography of Heterogeneous Supported Phospholipid Multilayer Patterns (Small 1/2007)
Authors: Lenhert Steven , Sun Peng , Wang Yuhuang , Fuchs Harald , Mirkin Chad A.
Published: December 2006

The cover picture illustrates the use of self‐organizing phospholipids as an ink for massively parallel dip‐pen nanolithography. With this constructive lithographic technique it is possible to build model lipid‐membrane patterns with sub‐micrometer line widths over square‐centimeter surface areas. The ability to pattern and integrate different membrane components opens many new possibilities in the fabrication of model systems that seek to simulate the chemical and structural complexity of biological membranes. For more information, please read the Communication “Massively Parallel Dip‐Pen Nanolithography of Heterogeneous Supported Phospholipid Multilayer Patterns” by S. Lenhert, C. A. Mirkin, and co‐workers on page 71. (Jacob Ciszek and Matthew Banholzer are gratefully acknowledged for the three‐dimensional schematic in the cover picture.)
Earthquake analysis of isotropic asymmetric multistory buildings
Authors: Athanatopoulou A. M. , Makarios T. , Anastassiadis K.
Published: December 2006

Isotropic multistory buildings are the ones characterized by the property: all load‐resisting planar frames have proportional lateral stiffness matrices. In the present paper it is proved that the modal analysis of an N‐story isotropic asymmetric, torsionally coupled, building (a problem of order 3N) can be separated into two independent sub‐problems: (a) a sub‐problem that corresponds to a single‐story asymmetric, torsionally coupled, building (a problem of order 3); and (b) a sub‐problem that corresponds to an N‐story, torsionally uncoupled, planar frame (a problem of order N). It is also demonstrated that the orientation of peak modal seismic forces of the building is independent of the orientation of seismic excitation, which affects only their size. The separation provides a better insight into the structural behavior of asymmetric multistory buildings under earthquake ground motion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of additives on the clouding behavior of sodium dodecyl sulfate + tetra‐n‐butylammonium bromide system
Authors: Kumar Sanjeev , Sharma Damyanti , Kabir‐ud‐Din
Published: December 2006

The effect of additives on the cloud point (CP) of nonionic surfactants has been studied for more than six decades. Ionic surfactants, however, generally do not show clouding. Recently, CP in ionic surfactant solutions have been reported in the presence of a few quaternary bromides. In this study, we report the effect of various additives (e.g., ureas, sugars, salts, organic solvents, acids) on the CP of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) + tetra‐n‐butylammonium bromide (Bu4NBr) systems. An increase in CP of the system with urea concentration is explained by its water structure‐breaking ability. An opposite effect of thiourea may be due to the direct interaction of the compound with the SDS‐Bu4NBr mixed micelle. The CP‐decreasing effect of sugars is due to their water structure‐making ability. All the salts decrease the CP, owing to increased counterion binding. The organic solvents used here raise the CP, whereas the other organic additives decrease the CP. The overall criteria of CP variation seemingly depend upon the solubilities of the additive in the micellar interfacial region and the background solvent.
Synthesis and characterization of novel amphiphiles containing amino acid and carbohydrate
Authors: Abe Akinari , Asakura Kouichi , Osanai Shuichi
Published: December 2006

Amphiphiles composed of two different natural renewable raw materials, amino acid and carbohydrate (chitin), were synthesized, and their colloidal properties were studied.N‐Higher acylated glutamic and aspartic acid were used as amino acid raw materials. Chitin monomer (N‐acetyl glucosamine) and dimer (N,N′‐diacetylchitobiose) were employed as the carbohydrate hydrophilic moiety in the amphiphiles. These surfactants showed a surface tension in the range of 30–36 mN/m at their critical micelle concentration. In the study of colloidal properties, such as surface tension, emulsification, and foaming, the surfactants containing the monosaccharide hydrophilic group showed much better results than those with disaccharide. Biodegradation measurements showed that the tested surfactants are biodegraded by environmental microorganisms to 57–73% of the initial levels in 14 d. Their biodegradation extent depended on neither the saccharide structure nor the kind of amino acid.
Cesarean section on request in a developing country
Authors: Chigbu C.O. , Ezeome I.V. , Iloabachie G.C.
Published: December 2006

Objective: To assess the prevalence of cesarean sections (CSs) and women's reasons for requesting the procedure in a developing country. Method: Pregnant women scheduled for elective CS were interviewed to determine whether the procedure was requested by them or suggested by a physician. The women who personally requested a CS filled out questionnaires before surgery and at the postnatal visit 6 weeks later, and their answers were analyzed. Results: The prevalence of CS on request was 4.4%. Previous infertility and advanced maternal age at first pregnancy were the most common reasons for requesting a CS, but most women said they would prefer a vaginal delivery in subsequent pregnancies. Conclusion: The women who requested a CS in this study did so for reasons different from those put forth by women in developed countries. The view that a CS is the surest way toward a live birth was the critical factor underlying their choice.
Operations management in the information economy: Information products, processes, and chains
Authors: Karmarkar Uday S. , Apte Uday M.
Published: December 2006

The process of economic evolution from agriculture to manufacturing to services is nearing its end in the U.S. and other developed economies. Another major evolution along a different dimension is now underway: it is from a material‐based economy to an information‐based economy. In the past, the product–service dichotomy has proved useful as an organizing principle for the study of operations management. Today, however, a material–information categorization of products and services appears to be equally important and useful. The information sector now comprises the major share of the U.S. private economy and includes many of the largest industrial sectors and firms. We discuss the implications of this evolution for research and teaching in operations management (OM).

The basic questions addressed here are: In what ways are information products, services, processes and chains similar to, or different from, those in the material world? To what extent is it possible to manage operations in information industries using the existing operations management concepts and techniques? The conclusions are mixed. To a great extent, traditional concepts are indeed applicable and useful. However, there are significant differences. For example, quantification and measurement pose a fundamental problem in the study of information industries. As a result, there are difficulties in analyzing some of the most basic OM issues related to productivity, cost, value, and transformation. Nevertheless, the process‐centric methods of operations management can be quite effective in analyzing firms and industries that produce information goods and services. An understanding of process economics and information chains is also central to the analysis of competition given the impact of new technologies on processes, firms, information chains and information industries. We conclude that while there is much in the information sector that can be addressed with our current toolkit, some very interesting and challenging issues still remain open for research. From the perspective of management education too, operations management in the information economy is an area of growing importance, with some easy wins and some significant challenges.
Did Bill C-24 Affect Voter Turnout? Evidence from the 2000 and 2004
Elections
Authors: Loewen Peter John , Blais André
Published: December 2006

Abstract. By tying subsidies to vote totals, Bill C-24
substantially changed the way Canadian national parties are financed. This
raises the possibility of increased voter turnout, as parties face greater
incentives to maximize vote totals, and voters face greater incentives to
turn out. We consider this possibility. We show that turnout was not
differently affected by closeness in 2004 than in 2000; that
candidates' efforts were not greater in 2004 in more marginal
ridings; that there were no differences in the likelihood of abstaining or
deserting a preferred third-place party in 2004 and 2000; and that at the
individual level, the decision to turn out was not affected by strategic
considerations in the expected direction. Accordingly, we find little
support for the possibility that C-24 increased turnout.

Résumé. En liant les subventions au total des
votes obtenus, la loi C-24 modifie substantiellement le financement des
partis politiques nationaux au Canada. Ce changement pourrait induire une
augmentation de la participation électorale puisque les partis ont
intérêt à maximiser le nombre de votes et les
électeurs sont davantage incités à voter. Nous
examinons cette hypothèse. Nous démontrons que
l'influence de l'intensité de la lutte entre les
candidates sur la participation électorale n'a pas
été différente en 2004 qu'en 2000; que les
efforts des candidats n'ont pas été plus intenses en
2004 dans les circonscriptions perdues à l'avance; que la
probabilité de s'abstenir ou de renoncer à appuyer un
tiers parti n'a pas changé entre 2000 et 2004; et que la
décision individuelle de participer à l'élection
n'a pas été influencée par des
considérations stratégiques allant dans la direction
prévue. En conséquence, nous trouvons peu de preuves
confirmant l'hypothèse selon laquelle la loi C-24 a
favorisé la participation électorale.
Le Canada, les États-Unis et le monde, la marge de
manœuvre canadienne
Authors: Beaulieu Isabelle
Published: December 2006

Le Canada, les États-Unis et le monde, la marge de
manœuvre canadienne, Sous la direction de André Donneur,
Québec : Les Presses de l'Université Laval, 2005.

Ce livre réunit cinq articles traitant de la relation du Canada
avec son voisin du sud, cette superpuissance dans l'ombre de laquelle
le gouvernement canadien déploie sa politique
étrangère. Les réflexions proposées portent
essentiellement sur les questions de sécurité. Publié
à la fin de 2005, l'ouvrage analyse les politiques des
gouvernements Chrétien et Martin. Or ce sont des questions de
politique intérieure plutôt que de politique
étrangère qui ont mobilisé les ressources de ces
gouvernements. Cette publication pose la question de l'avenir,
question qui est encore plus pertinente depuis le changement de
gouvernement survenu à Ottawa en janvier 2006
It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office
Authors: Trimble Linda
Published: December 2006

It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office,
Jennifer L. Lawless, Richard L. Fox, New York: Cambridge University Press,
2005, pp. 203.

It Takes a Candidate explains why professional women
aren't running for political office in sufficient numbers to narrow
the persistent gender gap in political representation in the United
States. By means of a comprehensive survey of men and women in the
political “pipeline professions,” the authors discovered that
women remain less politically ambitious than men. Even highly qualified
women tend not to envision political careers or to believe they have the
right stuff for politics. Remarkably, women who do decide to run for
office often doubt their credentials. In contrast, men with similar
qualifications have little difficulty imagining holding even the highest
political positions, as they accept their life and work skills as unique
training for elected public service.
La diversité culturelle. Vers une convention internationale
effective?
Authors: Traisnel Christophe
Published: December 2006

La diversité culturelle. Vers une convention internationale
effective?, Gilbert Gagné, Montréal : Fides. Points
chauds. 213 pages.

La diversité culturelle. Vers une convention internationale
effective?, publié sous la direction de Gilbert Gagné
dans la collection “ Points Chauds ”, est en bonne partie issu
d'une conférence sur le thème de la diversité
culturelle organisée par le Groupe de recherche sur
l'intégration continentale (GRIC) de l'Université
du Québec à Montréal le 31 mars 2004. Cette rencontre
visait à organiser une réflexion collective sur ce qui
était encore à l'époque à
l'état de projet : l'organisation, par l'UNESCO,
d'une Convention internationale sur la diversité culturelle
(CIDC).
The Quest for Modernity in the Middle East and the Islamic World
Memories of State: Politics, History, and Collective Identity in Modern
Iraq; The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq; Nationalism and Minorities
Identities in Islamic Societies; and Muslims and Modernity: An
Introduction to the Issues and Debates
Authors: Mottale Morris M.
Published: December 2006

The Quest for Modernity in the Middle East and the Islamic World
Memories of State: Politics, History, and Collective Identity in Modern
Iraq, Eric Davis, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005, pp.
xi, 385.

The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq, Brendan O'Leary, John
McGarry and Khaled Salih, eds., Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania
Press, 2005, pp. xxi, 355

Nationalism and Minorities Identities in Islamic Societies,
Maya Schatzmiller, ed., Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press,
2005, pp. xiii, 346

Muslims and Modernity: An Introduction to the Issues and
Debates, Clinton Bennett, London, New York: Continuum, 2005, pp.
xviii, 286

These four books encapsulate a range of political issues that have
shaped the formation of states and ideologies in the Middle East and North
Africa since the beginning of the modern encounter between Europe and the
Islamic world, from the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt through the
post-World War I demise of the Ottoman world up to the American invasion
of Iraq in 2003.
Photoinduced toxicity of fluoranthene on primary processes of photosynthesis in lichens
Authors: KUMMEROVÁ Marie , ZEZULKA štěpán , KRULOVÁ Jana , TŘÍSKA Jan
Published: December 2006

The effect of increasing concentrations (0·01, 0·1, 1 and 5 mg l−1) of intact (FLT) and photo-modified (phFLT) fluoranthene and the duration of exposure (1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days) on the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (F0, FV/FM, and ΦII) of symbiotic algae in the thalli of two foliose lichens Lasallia pustulata and Umbilicaria hirsuta was investigated. In addition the FLT concentration in thalli of both lichen species was determined and a bioconcentration factor (BCF) was calculated. The results obtained demonstrated that the concentrations of FLT and especially phFLT (1 and 5 mg l−1) applied affected primary photochemical processes of photosynthesis in the algae of both lichen species. The F0 value increased and the FV/FM and ΦII values decreased. The fluoranthene content in the thallus of both lichen species increased with increasing FLT concentration in the environment.
Caloplaca lenae sp. nov., and other Caloplaca species with caloploicin and vicanicin
Authors: SØCHTING Ulrik , FIGUERAS Gemma
Published: December 2006

A new species, Caloplaca lenae Søchting & Figueras is described. It is a saxicolous lichen from a very dry and warm region of Central Asia, characterized by a thick occasionally effigurate thallus, with well-developed, labriform soralia, and conspicuous dark pycnidia. The apothecia are only present in some localities, and the spore form is very variable. Apart from anthraquinones it contains the depsidones, caloploicin, vicanicin and isofulgidin that have been recorded from few other species of Caloplaca, Fulgensia and Teloschistes. The taxonomic significance of the presence of depsidones is discussed in relation to a phylogenetic tree inferred from ITS data of nuclear ribosomal DNA.
Centralization and its Discontents in Reconstruction Louisiana
Authors: Powell Lawrence
Published: December 2006

U.S. Grant was stumped: “The muddle down there is almost beyond my fathoming,” the president told the New York Herald in the summer of 1871. What had him flummoxed was the recently adjourned “Gatling Gun Convention” in New Orleans, a Republican state nominating gathering that reads like a passage from a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The run-up was punctuated by open combat in the trenches and foxholes of countless ward clubs and party conventions—the so-called “War of the Factions.” When the sitting Republican governor, the colorful and roguish Henry Clay Warmoth, hobbled by a boating accident earlier in the summer, led delegates supporting his candidacy to the designated meeting place inside the U.S. Customhouse on Canal Street, federal soldiers manning the latest in automatic weaponry turned him and his followers away when they tried to barge into a rival group's caucus. Warmoth thereupon guided his followers to another meeting hall. For the next 18 months, warring Republican factions moved in and out of opportunistic alliances with Conservative-Democrats. They divided into rival legislatures, used force to achieve quorums, and arrested and impeached their own senior leaders. If some of the more scurrilous allegations are to be believed, they even poisoned their lieutenant-governor. Were Louisiana politics on the verge of becoming “Mexicanized”—plunged into chronic crisis and political tumult? That was the question beginning to trouble Republican observers north of the Ohio River.
Building Careers and Courting Constituents: U.S. Senate Representation 1889–1924
Authors: Schiller Wendy J.
Published: December 2006

From 1788 to 1913, the basic model for the election of U.S. senators was based on state legislatures serving as intermediaries between the people and their senators. The Framers' intent in constructing indirect elections to the U.S. Senate was to help insulate senators from sudden and drastic shifts of public opinion that could lead to senators enacting detrimental national policies (Federalist 63). Underlying this “insulation” was the supposition that indirect elections, combined with a six-year term, would create a different electoral environment for senators than for their counterparts in the House, and would thus produce a legislator who would not be directly responsive to individual constituents.
Mitral valvar regurgitation in a child with Sweet's syndrome
Authors: Stos Bertrand , Hatchuel Yves , Bonnet Damien
Published: December 2006

We report the very unusual perforation of the mitral valve in the setting of Sweet's syndrome, or acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, in a boy aged 5 years. Surgical repair was uneventful, and follow-up showed no residual anomalies. Acute or delayed valvitis, with damage to either the mitral or aortic valves, should be screened for in this rare disease.
Aufmerksamkeitsfluktuationen bei Patienten mit Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitstörungen (ADS)1
Authors: Wendling Katharina , Hüttner Paul , Peper Martin , Ruder Hans , Klein Christoph
Published: December 2006

Zusammenfassung: Diese Studie analysierte erstmalig Parameter der intraindividuellen Variabilität (“intra-subject variability”, ISV) bei ADS-Patienten und Kontrollen im Alter von sieben bis 14 Jahren in einem Continuous Performance Test (CPT), einer Go-Nogo-Aufgabe (GNA), einer Stop-Signal-Aufgabe (SSA) und einer N-back-Arbeitsgedächtnisaufgabe (NBA). Wir berechneten verschiedene Parameter der zentralen Tendenz, Dispersion und Form der Reaktionszeitverteilungen sowie Omissions- und Kommissionsfehler. Gruppenvergleiche ergaben die deutlichsten Effektstärken für die Dispersionsmaße. Gruppenunterschiede in Lage- und Fehlermaßen wurden durch Kontrollieren der ISV erheblich reduziert. Eine (Patienten) bzw. zwei (Kontrollen) Hauptkomponenten erklärten bis zu 67 % der interindividuellen Unterschiede in ISV. Diese Studie zeigt, dass ISV-Maße bei mehreren Tests Patienten und Kontrollen am besten unterscheiden; die inkrementelle Validität anderer Maße ist begrenzt. ISV korrelierte zudem substanziell über verschiedene Tests und reflektiert daher möglicherweise einen einheitlichen Faktor: intraindividuelle Aufmerksamkeitsfluktuationen.
Family Alliance Stability and Change From Pregnancy to Toddlerhood and Marital Correlates
Authors: Favez Nicolas , Frascarolo France , Fivaz-Depeursinge Elisabeth
Published: December 2006

This paper presents a longitudinal study of the development of family interactions from pregnancy to toddlerhood, and their link to parents’ marital satisfaction. The participants consisted of 38 non referred primiparous families. We used an observational setting, the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP), to evaluate the family alliance, namely the interactive coordination between family members. Families played a virtual interaction with a doll at the 5th month of pregnancy, and then played with the child at 3, 9 and 18 months. Results show that for 30 families, the quality of family interactions is the same at every point of measurement whereas for 8 families, there is a significant decrease of quality of interactions from pregnancy to 18 months. Those families are paradoxically the ones with the highest self-reported marital satisfaction. Implications of the results are discussed.
Self-Esteem, Trivialization, and Attitude Change
Authors: Martinie Marie-Amélie , Fointiat Valérie
Published: December 2006

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between trivialization and self-esteem. Low-self-esteem participants were expected to reduce cognitive dissonance by trivialization. In this experiment, dissonance was aroused by having participants write a counter-attitudinal essay. In the post-experimental phase, both the participants’ attitude and trivialization were measured. The order of presentation of the variables was manipulated (attitude first vs. trivialization first). The results showed that participants with low self-esteem did not change their attitude and trivialized. These results limit the scope of the self-consistency view proposing that only participants with high self-esteem feel dissonance.
Curie temperatures of synthetic titanomagnetites in the Fe‐Ti‐O system: Effects of composition, crystal chemistry, and thermomagnetic methods
Authors: Lattard Dominique , Engelmann Ralf , Kontny Agnes , Sauerzapf Ursula
Published: December 2006

The present study is aimed at improving the calibration of the compositional dependence of the Curie temperature (TC) of titanomagnetite (Tmt) on the basis of temperature‐dependent magnetic susceptibility (χ‐T) curves measured on synthetic Tmts in the Fe‐Ti‐O system. In order to assess the possible influence of high‐temperature cation vacancies onto the TC values, we have synthesized two types of assemblages in subsolidus conditions at 1 bar, 1100°C and 1300°C, under controlled oxygen fugacity conditions. Tmts synthesized in equilibrium with ilmenite‐hematitess (Ilmss) are expected to have the highest vacancy concentrations, those in equilibrium with wüstite (Wus) the lowest. The composition and homogeneity of the synthetic Tmts were carefully checked with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an electron microprobe (EMP). TC was determined from χ‐T curves using a kappabridge and, for comparison, from Ms‐T curves measured with a variable field translation balance. Our data set shows systematically higher TC values for Tmt coexisting with Ilmss than for Tmt coexisting with Wus. Most χ‐T curves are nonreversible, whereby the largest ΔTC (40 K) concern Tmt(+Ilmss) of intermediate compositions synthesized at 1300°C. Nonreversibility is interpreted as reflecting cation reordering in Tmt during the high‐temperature χ‐T measurements. TC values obtained from Ms‐T curves are higher than those obtained from the χ‐T curves, whereby the difference regularly increases (up to 40 K) with increasing Ti content, up to XUsp = 0.6. Our new calibration curves are suitable to retrieve Tmt compositions in basalts that were rapidly cooled and not oxidized by deuteric or hydrothermal fluids.
Herpes simplex virus eliminates host mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Saffran Holly A , Pare Justin M , Corcoran Jennifer A , Weller Sandra K , Smiley James R
Published: December 2006

Mitochondria have crucial roles in the life and death of mammalian cells, and help to orchestrate host antiviral defences. Here, we show that the ubiquitous human pathogen herpes simplex virus (HSV) induces rapid and complete degradation of host mitochondrial DNA during productive infection of cultured mammalian cells. The depletion of mitochondrial DNA requires the viral UL12 gene, which encodes a conserved nuclease with orthologues in all herpesviruses. We show that an amino‐terminally truncated UL12 isoform—UL12.5—localizes to mitochondria and triggers mitochondrial DNA depletion in the absence of other HSV gene products. By contrast, full‐length UL12, a nuclear protein, has little or no effect on mitochondrial DNA levels. Our data document that HSV inflicts massive genetic damage to a crucial host organelle and show a novel mechanism of virus‐induced shutoff of host functions, which is likely to contribute to the cell death and tissue damage caused by this widespread human pathogen.
Flexural vibration band gaps in Timoshenko beams with locally resonant structures
Authors: Yu Dianlong , Liu Yaozong , Wang Gang , Zhao Honggang , Qiu Jing
Published: December 2006

Flexural vibration in Timoshenko beams with periodically attached local resonators is studied theoretically and experimentally. The existence of a low frequency flexural vibration gap is indicated by the complex band structure calculated with transfer matrix theory for an infinite beam, as well as the frequency response function calculated with the finite element method for a finite Timoshenko beam with finite local resonators. This finite Timoshenko beam was manufactured and vibration experiments generated an experimental frequency response function curve showing a vibration gap as expected. The existence of low frequency gaps in Timoshenko beams with local resonators provides a method of flexural vibration control of beams.