bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The value of restructuring in emerging economies: the case of the Czech Republic
Authors: Makhija Mona V.
Published: January 2004

Although the value creating effect of firm restructuring which results in a reduction of internal markets (including spin‐offs, carve‐outs and other divestitures) is generally well accepted for U.S. firms, there is little evidence on the extent to which such arguments can be extended to firms in emerging economies. This study addresses this void in the literature by examining the issue of restructuring in the newly emerging economy of the Czech Republic. Several hypotheses relating to internal and external markets in emerging institutional environments are developed and tested using a large database of original and restructured Czech firms undergoing privatization. After controlling for factors such as size and performance, it is found that restructuring significantly reduced the value of firms, despite the general belief that Czech firms emerging from the communist era were highly overdiversified. This finding, while contradicting a majority of the work on restructured firms in the United States, nonetheless supports the notion that sizeable internal markets play an enhanced role in underdeveloped institutional environments. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Organizational slack and firm performance during economic transitions: two studies from an emerging economy. Justin Tan and Mike W. Peng. Strategic Management Journal24(13) 2003, 1249–1263
Authors: Tan Justin , Peng Mike W.
Published: January 2004

The original article to which this erratum refers was published in Strategic Management Journal 24(13): 1249–1263 (2003).
The highly selective 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT)2A receptor antagonist, EMD 281014, significantly increases swimming and decreases immobility in male congenital learned helpless rats in the forced swim test
Authors: Patel Jignesh G. , Bartoszyk Gerd D. , Edwards Emmeline , Ashby Charles R.
Published: January 2004

We examined the effect of the highly selective 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT)2A receptor antagonist 7‐{4‐[2‐(4‐fluoro‐phenyl)‐ethyl]‐piperazine‐1‐carbonyl}‐1H‐indole‐3‐carbonitrile HCl (EMD 281014) in congenital learned helpless male rats in the forced swim test. The administration of EMD‐281014 (0.3–30 mg/kg i.p.) to congenital learned helpless rats dose‐dependently and significantly (at 10 and 30 mg/kg) decreased immobility and increased swimming compared to vehicle‐treated animals. Thus, EMD 281014 produces effects in the forced swim test resembling those of antidepressants. Synapse 52:73–75, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Methamphetamine‐induced loss of striatal dopamine innervation in BDNF heterozygote mice does not further reduce D3 receptor concentrations
Authors: Joyce Jeffrey N. , Renish Lynn , Osredkar Tracy , Walro Jon M. , Kucera Jan , Dluzen Dean E.
Published: January 2004

Depletion of dopamine (DA) reduces D3 receptor number, but D3 receptor expression is also regulated by brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We took advantage of transgenic heterozygous BDNF mutant mice (+/−) to determine if reduced BDNF and loss of DA fibers produced by methamphetamine were additive in their impact on D3 receptor number. We assessed selective markers of the dopaminergic system including caudate‐putamen DA concentrations and quantitative autoradiographic measurement of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels, DA transporter (DAT), and DA D3 receptor binding between vehicle and methamphetamine‐treated BDNF +/− and their wildtype (WT) littermate control mice. Caudate‐putamen DA concentrations, TH and DAT levels were significantly reduced following methamphetamine treatment in both WT and BDNF +/− mice. The extent of methamphetamine‐induced reduction in TH and DAT was greater for the WT than BDNF +/− mice and DAT levels were also decreased to a greater extent in nucleus accumbens of WT as compared to BDNF +/− mice. Lower D3 receptor existed in caudate‐putamen and nucleus accumbens in BDNF +/− mice and these differences were not affected by methamphetamine treatment. Taken together, these results not only substantiate the importance of BDNF in controlling D3 receptor expression, but also indicate that a methamphetamine‐induced depletion of DA fibers fails to produce an additive effect with lowered BDNF for control of D3 receptor expression. In addition, the reduction of D3 receptor expression is associated with a decreased neurotoxic response to methamphetamine in BDNF +/− mice. Synapse 52:11–19, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ultrastructural localization of Leu5‐enkephalin immunoreactivity in mesocortical neurons and their input terminals in rat ventral tegmental area
Authors: Garzón Miguel , Pickel Virginia M.
Published: January 2004

Enkephalin (ENK) immunoreactivity is widely distributed in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), where endogenous ENK and dynorphin opioid peptides are known to have opposing actions in reward, stress, cognition, and fear‐related behaviors. Many neurons in the VTA give rise to mesocortical projections terminating in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and these projections have been implicated to varying extents in all these functions. To determine whether there is a synaptic basis for ENK and/or dynorphin modulation of cortically projecting neurons within the VTA, we combined retrograde tract‐tracing from the mPFC with dual immunocytochemical‐labeling electron microscopy in the rat VTA. The retrograde tracer Fluorogold (FG) was microinjected into mPFC. At optimal survival periods, sections through the VTA were processed for immunolabeling of anti‐FG and a Leu5‐ENK antibody recognizing both ENK and dynorphin peptides. Over 26% of the retrogradely labeled neuronal somatodendritic profiles (n = 177) were contacted by ENK‐immunoreactive axonal profiles including small axons and axon terminals. The axon terminals varied in their subcellular distribution of ENK immunoreactivity and also differed in forming either inhibitory‐type (symmetric) or excitatory‐type (asymmetric) synapses. Many of the axonal profiles also were apposed to FG‐labeled somata or dendrites without forming recognizable synapses. Approximately one‐third of the mesocortical neuronal perikarya also showed sparsely distributed somatodendritic ENK‐immunoreactivity. Our results provide ultrastructural evidence that ENK and possibly dynorphin in the rat VTA have distributions consistent with involvement in diverse physiological actions affecting the output of mesocortical neurons, some of which also contain one or both peptides. Synapse 52:38–52, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of the acute and chronic administration of the selective 5‐HT6 receptor antagonist SB‐271046 on the activity of midbrain dopamine neurons in rats: An in vivo electrophysiological study
Authors: Minabe Yoshio , Shirayama Yukihiko , Hashimoto Kenji , Routledge Carol , Hagan Jim J. , Ashby Charles R.
Published: January 2004

This study examined the effect of the acute and repeated per os (p.o.) administration of the selective 5‐HT6 receptor antagonist SB‐271046, on the number, as well as the firing pattern of spontaneously active dopamine (DA) neurons in the rat substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in anesthetized male Sprague‐Dawley rats. This was accomplished using the technique of extracellular in vivo electrophysiology. A single p.o. administration of either 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg of SB‐271046 did not significantly alter the number of spontaneously active SNC DA neurons per stereotaxic electrode tract compared to vehicle‐treated animals. The acute administration of either 1 or 3 mg/kg of SB‐271046 did not significantly alter the number of spontaneously active VTA DA neurons. In contrast, a significant decrease in the number of spontaneously active VTA DA neurons was observed after a single administration of 10 mg/kg of SB‐271046 compared to vehicle‐treated animals. The acute p.o. administration of SB‐271046 significantly altered the firing pattern parameters of all (bursting + nonbursting DA neurons) DA neurons, particularly those in the VTA, compared to vehicle‐treated animals. The repeated p.o. administration (once per day for 21 days) of 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg of SB‐271046 did not significantly alter the number of spontaneously active VTA DA neurons compared to vehicle‐treated animals. The repeated administration of 3 or 10 mg/kg of SB‐271046 significantly increased the number of spontaneously active SNC DA neurons compared to vehicle controls. Overall, the repeated administration of SB‐271046 had relatively little effect on the firing pattern of midbrain DA neurons. The results obtained following the chronic administration of SB‐271046 show that this compound has a profile different from that of typical or atypical antipsychotic drugs in this model. Clinical studies are required to understand what role 5‐HT6 receptor blockade might eventually play in the treatment of schizophrenia. Synapse 52:20–28, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione on nicotinic receptor subunit transcript expression in the rat brain
Authors: McCullumsmith Robert E. , Semins Michelle J. , Meador‐Woodruff James H.
Published: January 2004

The nicotinic cholinergic system exerts potent modulatory effects on glutamatergic neurotransmission, an effect mediated in part by increased glutamate release following activation of presynaptic nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Ionotropic glutamate receptor agonists also stimulate release of acetylcholine, suggesting that these neurotransmitter systems reciprocally regulate one another. We investigated an interface between the nicotinic cholinergic and glutamatergic systems by measuring nicotinic receptor subunit transcript expression following administration of 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX), an antagonist of the AMPA and kainate subtypes of glutamate receptors. Using [35S] in situ hybridization, we measured expression of α2, α3, α4, α5, α7, β2, β3, and β4 nicotinic receptor subunit transcripts in the rat forebrain. Following 7 days of treatment with vehicle or CNQX (1 mg/kg/day or 10 mg/kg/day), changes in nicotinic receptor subunit transcript expression were restricted to subunits that form heteromeric receptors. We found increased levels of transcripts for α2 and β2 nicotinic receptor subunits in the hippocampus, decreased α4 subunit transcripts in the medial habenula and amygdala, and increased β2 subunit transcripts in the septum and piriform cortex. We did not detect changes in expression of transcripts for the α7 subunit, which forms homomeric nicotinic receptors. Our findings indicate that expression of nicotinic cholinergic receptor subunit transcripts are regulated in a subunit‐ and region‐specific fashion by CNQX, an antagonist of non‐NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors. Synapse 52:62–72, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aging impairs the late phase of long‐term potentiation at the medial perforant path‐CA3 synapse in awake rats
Authors: Dieguez Dario , Barea‐Rodriguez Edwin J.
Published: January 2004

The effects of aging on long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1 are well documented, but LTP at the medial perforant path (MPP)‐CA3 synapse of aged animals has remained unexplored. Because the MPP‐DG and Schaffer‐collateral‐CA1 synapses account for only about 20% of total hippocampal synapses, global understanding of how aging affects hippocampal plasticity has remained limited. Much is known about LTP induction in the hippocampal formation, whereas the mechanisms that regulate LTP maintenance are less understood, especially during aging. We investigated the effects of aging on MPP‐CA3 LTP induction and maintenance in awake rats. As is the case in the DG and CA1, high‐frequency stimulation‐induced LTP at the MPP‐CA3 synapse is normal in aged rats. These data indicate that N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor‐mediated processes are intact at the MPP‐CA3 synapse in aged rats. In contrast, aging impaired the magnitude and duration of MPP‐CA3 LTP over a period of days. Also, these data are consistent with reports that area CA3 is especially susceptible to age‐related changes. Our data suggest that aging impairs mechanisms that regulate the late phase of MPP‐CA3 LTP and contribute to a more global understanding of how aging affects hippocampal plasticity. Synapse 52:53–61, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Development of an integrative transformation system for the opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida lusitaniae using URA3 as a selection marker
Authors: François Fabienne , Chapeland‐Leclerc Florence , Villard Jean , Noël Thierry
Published: January 2004

The nucleotide sequence of the URA3 gene encoding orotidine‐5′‐phosphate decarboxylase (OMP DCase) of the human opportunistic pathogen yeast Candida lusitaniae was determined by degenerate PCR and chromosome walking. Deduced amino acid sequence showed strong homologies (59–85% identity) with OMP DCases of different Saccharomycetales and allowed identification of the known conserved domains. Very close upstream from the URA3 gene, the 3′‐end of a gene encoding a Gea2‐like protein was identified. A non‐revertible C. lusitaniae ura3 mutant was selected on the basis of 5‐fluoroorotic acid resistance. The mutation was a single point mutation resulting in the amino acid substitution D95V in a highly conserved domain, and in a concomitant EcoRV restriction site polymorphism. The mutant strain was successfully transformed to prototrophy following electroporation with the URA3 gene cloned in an integrative vector, with frequencies of 100–200 transformants per µg of DNA. Southern blot analysis revealed that almost all transformants were derived from homologous recombination events at the resident locus. The GeneBank Accession No. for C. lusitaniae URA3 gene is AF450297. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
[URE3] prion propagation is abolished by a mutation of the primary cytosolic Hsp70 of budding yeast
Authors: Tibor Roberts B. , Moriyama Hiromitsu , Wickner Reed B.
Published: January 2004

[URE3] and [PSI+] are infectious protein forms of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ure2p and Sup35p, respectively. We isolated an allele of SSA2, the primary cytosolic Hsp70, in a screen for mutants unable to maintain [URE3]. Designated ssa2‐10, the mutation results in a leucine substitution for proline 395, a conserved residue of the peptide‐binding domain. This allele also unexpectedly destabilizes [URE3] in newly formed heterozygotes: [URE3] is either absent in heterozygotes formed by crossing wild‐type [URE3] cells with ssa2‐10 mutants, or present and fully stable. SSA2 deletion mutants are weakly capable of maintaining [URE3]. The ssa2‐10 allele is compatible with propagation of [PSI+]. However, in combination with a deletion of SSA1, ssa2‐10 eliminates the nonsense‐suppression phenotype of [PSI+] cells. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ion channel activity by Pichia membranifaciens killer toxin
Authors: Santos A. , Marquina D.
Published: January 2004

The cytocidal effect of Pichia membranifaciens killer toxin on Candida boidinii cells was studied. The halotolerant yeast P. membranifaciens CYC 1106 produces a unique 18 kDa killer toxin that exerts its killer activity against C. boidinii IGC 3430 only in the presence of NaCl. Metabolic events associated with the loss of C. boidinii IGC 3430 viability were quantitatively identical to those known to occur with K1 killer toxin‐treated sensitive strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The death of sensitive cells was characterized by a leakage of potassium, an influx of sodium and a decrease in intracellular pH. These effects occurred prior to and concomitantly with cell death, indicating that they were primary effects of the action of the toxin. Here we report that this protein forms ion‐permeable channels in liposome membranes. These channels are freely permeable to common physiological ions. We suggest that channel formation is the cytotoxic mechanism of action of P. membranifaciens killer toxin. The channels described here are sufficiently non‐selective to mediate cell death through a discharge of cellular membrane potential and changes in ionic homeostasis. No specific effects against killer toxin‐treated sensitive cells were observed when the cell cycle was analysed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isolation of a GPD gene from Debaryomyces hansenii encoding a glycerol 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (NAD+)
Authors: Thomé Patricia E.
Published: January 2004

A gene homologous to GPD1, coding for glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (sn‐glycerol 3‐phosphate: NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.8), has been isolated from the halophilic yeast Debaryomyces hansenii by complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gpd1Δ mutant. DNA sequencing of the complementing genomic clone indicated the existence of an open reading frame encoding a protein with 369 amino acids. Comparative analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence showed high similarity to homologous genes described for other eukaryotic GPD enzymes. The sequence has been submitted to the GenBank database under Accession No. AY333427. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Binding of Cdc48p to a ubiquitin‐related UBX domain from novel yeast proteins involved in intracellular proteolysis and sporulation
Authors: Decottignies Anabelle , Evain Aude , Ghislain Michel
Published: January 2004

The Cdc48/p97 AAA‐ATPase functions in membrane fusion and ubiquitin‐dependent protein degradation. Here, we show that, in yeast, Cdc48p interacts with three novel proteins, Cuil–3p, which contain a conserved ubiquitin‐related (UBX) domain. Cui2p and Cui3p are closely related, interact with each other, and are localized at the perinuclear membrane. Cdc48p binds directly the UBX domain of Cui3p in vitro. Multiple deletions of the CUI1, CUI2 and CUI3 genes confer deficiency in sporulation and degradation of model ubiquitin–protein fusions. The Cuil–3 proteins were also found to interact with Ufd3p, a WD repeat protein known to associate with Cdc48p. Together, these results indicate that the Cuil–3 proteins form complexes that are components of the ubiquitin–proteasome system. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Endogenous NADPH‐dependent aldose reductase activity influences product formation during xylose consumption in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Träff‐Bjerre K. L. , Jeppsson M. , Hahn‐Hägerdal B. , Gorwa‐Grauslund M.‐F.
Published: January 2004

Introduction of the xylose pathway from Pichia stipitis into Saccharomyces cerevisiae enables xylose utilization in recombinant S. cerevisiae. However, xylitol is a major by‐product. An endogenous aldo‐keto reductase, encoded by the GRE3 gene, was expressed at different levels in recombinant S. cerevisiae strains to investigate its effect on xylose utilization. In a recombinant S. cerevisiae strain producing only xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) from P. stipitis and an extra copy of the endogenous xylulokinase (XK), ethanol formation from xylose was mediated by Gre3p, capable of reducing xylose to xylitol. When the GRE3 gene was overexpressed in this strain, the xylose consumption and ethanol formation increased by 29% and 116%, respectively. When the GRE3 gene was deleted in the recombinant xylose‐fermenting S. cerevisiae strain TMB3001 (which possesses xylose reductase and XDH from P. stipitis, and an extra copy of endogenous XK), the xylitol yield decreased by 49% and the ethanol yield increased by 19% in anaerobic continuous culture with a glucose/xylose mixture. Biomass was reduced by 31% in strains where GRE3 was deleted, suggesting that fine‐tuning of GRE3 expression is the preferred choice rather than deletion. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Selective inhibition of the growth of cancer cells by diterpenes selected with embryonic cells of Xenopus
Authors: Miyata Shohei , Wang Li‐Yan , Wang Nai‐Li , Yao Xin‐Sheng , Kitanaka Susumu
Published: January 2004

We used Xenopus embryo cells with a cell cycle of 20–30 min to detect inhibitory effects on cell proliferation. Inhibition of proliferation was observed when isolated embryonic cells were incubated for 16 h in a simple salt solution containing the well‐known anticancer drugs 5‐fluorouracil and adriamycin. In addition, three diterpene compounds isolated from the anticancer herbal medicine kansui: kansuinin B, 20‐OD‐ingenol Z, and 20‐OD‐ingenol E specifically inhibited the proliferation of isolated embryonic cells. The inhibitory compounds selected using the embryonic cells also inhibited proliferation of certain mammalian cell types.
Constitutive overexpression of the integral membrane protein Itm2A enhances myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells
Authors: Van Den Plas Dave , Merregaert Joseph
Published: January 2004

Integral membrane protein 2A (Itm2A) is a transmembrane protein belonging to a family composed of at least two other members, Itm2B and Itm2C, all of them having a different expression pattern. The protein serves as a marker for early stages in chondrogenesis and T‐cell development. Itm2A is also highly expressed in skeletal muscle. In order to understand the role of Itm2A in muscle development, we constitutively overexpressed exogenous Itm2A in C2C12 myoblast cells. Several clones expressing high levels of Itm2a were isolated and characterized. Overexpression was associated with enhanced tube formation and the appearance of multinuclear cells. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that muscle creatin kinase was upregulated in the presence of exogenous Itm2A. Interestingly, proliferation rates were not altered in the undifferentiated myoblast C2C12 cells. These results demonstrate that overexpression of Itm2a in C2C12 enhances myogenic differentiation in vitro.
Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale‐20 in a community physiotherapy clinic sample
Authors: Coons Michael J. , Hadjistavropoulos Heather D. , Asmundson Gordon J.G.
Published: January 2004

The PASS‐20 was developed to assess pain‐related anxiety among a variety of pain populations. This measure was constructed by extracting 20 items from its 40‐item parent measure (PASS). Initial studies of the PASS‐20 suggest that the psychometric properties have been preserved. The purpose of the present study extended this research and explored the factor structure of the PASS‐20, and its reliability and validity in a sample of pain patients receiving treatment in a community physiotherapy clinic. Patients with current pain (n=201) were asked to complete a battery of self‐report measures related to the experience of pain on two separate occasions (3‐month interval). Results of principal components analyses suggested that a 4‐factor solution representing fear of pain, escape‐avoidance, physiological symptoms, and cognitive symptoms of anxiety provided the best fit to these data. Results also showed that the total and subscale scores of the PASS‐20 have good reliability (internal consistency, test—retest) and validity (construct) correlating greater with other conceptually similar measures than distinct constructs. These results suggest that this measure has good utility for both clinical and research applications. Directions for future evaluation are also discussed.
Plasma endothelin‐1 levels in patients with complex regional pain syndrome
Authors: Eisenberg Elon , Erlich Tomer , Zinder Oren , Lichinsky Sophie , Diamond Eric , Pud Dorit , Davar Gudarz
Published: January 2004

The clinical characteristics of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) – spontaneous and stimulus‐evoked pain, autonomic abnormalities, motor dysfunction, and trophic changes in the affected limb—are well known. However, its pathogenesis is unclear, and the diagnosis is often delayed, in part due to lack of objective laboratory tests. Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) is a potent vasoconstrictor that has recently been shown to produce pain, allodynia, edema, and muscle weakness, as well as to exert a direct excitatory effect on nociceptive afferents. Furthermore, new evidence indicates that ET‐1 is involved in various cancer‐ and non‐cancer‐related painful conditions. The aim of the present explorative study was to determine the ET‐1 plasma levels in patients with CRPS in an attempt to identify a ‘laboratory marker’ for CRPS and to search for evidence suggesting that ET‐1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of CRPS. ET‐1 plasma levels were determined in 20 severely affected CRPS patients, in eight patients with non‐CRPS chronic painful conditions, and in 10 healthy volunteers. The results showed that there were no significant differences in ET‐1 plasma levels between the three groups. We conclude that the plasma level of ET‐1 cannot be regarded as a ‘marker’ for CRPS. Yet, the possibility that ET‐1 is involved in the pathophysiology of CRPS has not been excluded and deserves further investigation.
Cross-sectional similarities and differences between schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and mania or mixed mania with mood-incongruent psychotic features
Authors: Pini Stefano , de Queiroz Valeria , Dell'Osso Liliana , Abelli Marianna , Mastrocinque Concettina , Saettoni Marco , Catena Mario , Cassano Giovanni B.
Published: January 2004

Background. – The cross-sectional clinical differentiation of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from mood-incongruent psychotic mania or mixed mania is difficult, since pathognomonic symptoms are lacking in these conditions.

Aims of the study. – To compare a series of clinical variables related to mood and cognition in patient groups with DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, mood-incongruent psychotic mania and mood-incongruent psychotic mixed mania.

Methods. – One hundred and fifty-one consecutive patients were evaluated in the week prior to discharge by using the structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R-patient edition (SCID-P). Severity of psychopathology was assessed by the 18-item version of the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and negative symptoms by the scale for assessment of negative symptoms (SANS). Level of insight was assessed with the scale to assess unawareness of mental disorders (SUMD).

Results. – There were no differences in rates of specific types of delusions and hallucinations between subjects with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychotic mania and psychotic mixed mania. SANS factors scores were significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia than in the bipolar groups. Patients with mixed state scored significantly higher on depression and excitement compared to schizophrenia group and, to a lesser extent, to schizoaffective group. Subjects with schizophrenia showed highest scores on the SUMD indicating that they were much more compromised on the insight dimension than subjects with psychotic mania or mixed mania.

Conclusion. – Negative rather than affective symptomatology may be a useful construct to differentiate between schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders from mood-incongruent psychotic mania or mixed mania.
Response-related fMRI of veridical and false recognition of words
Authors: Heun Reinhard , Jessen Frank , Klose Uwe , Erb Michael , Granath Dirk-Oliver , Grodd Wolfgang
Published: January 2004

Objectives. – Studies on the relation between local cerebral activation and retrieval success usually compared high and low performance conditions, and thus showed performance-related activation of different brain areas. Only a few studies directly compared signal intensities of different response categories during retrieval. During verbal recognition, we recently observed increased parieto-occipital activation related to false alarms. The present study intends to replicate and extend this observation by investigating common and differential activation by veridical and false recognition.

Methods. – Fifteen healthy volunteers performed a verbal recognition paradigm using 160 learned target and 160 new distracter words. The subjects had to indicate whether they had learned the word before or not. Echo-planar MRI of blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal changes was performed during this recognition task. Words were classified post hoc according to the subjects’ responses, i.e. hits, false alarms, correct rejections and misses. Response-related fMRI-analysis was used to compare activation associated with the subjects’ recognition success, i.e. signal intensities related to the presentation of words were compared by the above-mentioned four response types.

Results. – During recognition, all word categories showed increased bilateral activation of the inferior frontal gyrus, the inferior temporal gyrus, the occipital lobe and the brainstem in comparison with the control condition. Hits and false alarms activated several areas including the left medial and lateral parieto-occipital cortex in comparison with subjectively unknown items, i.e. correct rejections and misses. Hits showed more pronounced activation in the medial, false alarms in the lateral parts of the left parieto-occipital cortex.

Conclusions. – Veridical and false recognition show common as well as different areas of cerebral activation in the left parieto-occipital lobe: increased activation of the medial parietal cortex by hits may correspond to true recognition, increased activation of the parieto-occipital cortex by false alarms may correspond to familiarity decisions. Further studies are needed to investigate the reasons for false decisions in healthy subjects and patients with memory problems.
The biological validation of ADCP acoustic backscatter through direct comparison with net samples and model predictions based on acoustic-scattering models
Authors: Fielding S. , Griffiths G. , Roe H.S.J.
Published: January 2004

Mean volume-backscattering strength (MVBS) data collected using a 153-kHz, narrowband Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) were compared with zooplankton abundance and biovolume data collected using a Longhurst–Hardy Plankton Recorder (LHPR). A direct comparison showed that there was a linear relationship between MVBS and log-transformed zooplankton dry weight. This linear relationship, determined from a mixed zooplankton-species population, was then compared with that reported in previous work from a region dominated by a single species of copepod and found to be significantly different. The scatter around the linear relationships determined between MVBS and log-transformed dry weights in regions of complex, mixed zooplankton populations results in our inability to distinguish different relationships that could be expected from different populations in varying oceanic regions. It is suggested that, without further manipulation of the data, ADCP MVBS cannot be used to determine quantitative estimates of zooplankton abundance and biomass in mixed populations.

“Observed MVBS” was compared with model-predicted backscattering, calculated using acoustic models and abundance and size measurements of zooplankton from net samples. The results show that at high backscattering intensities (>−80 dB) the observed MVBS from an ADCP was generally consistent with the model predictions. Abundance, biovolume, and model-predicted backscattering contributions of six “significant acoustic-scattering” groups (amphipods, chaetognaths, copepods, euphausiids, fish, and pteropods) are shown to vary disproportionately. In particular, a rare and small but strong acoustic scatterer such as a pteropod can contribute as little as 0.1% to the total sample abundance and 0.1% to the biovolume but represent 69.5% of the total model-predicted backscattering.

Model, instrumental, and methodological artefacts are identified as potential sources of inconsistencies between the observed and model-predicted backscattering. These include the effect of the orientation of zooplankton, inadequate knowledge of model parameters such as the sound-speed and density contrasts, the mismatch between sampling volumes of the net and acoustic instrument, and net avoidance by the more mobile scatterers.
Effects of supplier trust on performance of cooperative supplier relationships
Authors: Johnston David A , McCutcheon David M , Stuart F.Ian , Kerwood Hazel
Published: January 2004

This study tests a path analytic model of buyer–supplier relationships, linking the supplier’s level of trust to three categories of inter‐firm cooperative behaviors and these behaviors to the buyer’s perception of the relationship’s performance. Data was used from a survey of 164 dyads composed of a purchasing manager and a counterpart in a firm that they identified as their most cooperative suppliers. Higher levels of inter‐organizational cooperative behaviors such as shared planning and flexibility in coordinating activities were found to be strongly linked to the supplier’s trust in the buyer firm. However, not all of the types of cooperative behaviors, particularly joint responsibility for problem solving, had significant impacts on the buyer’s perceptions of the relationship’s performance.
Chondrocyte cell death and intracellular distribution of COMP and type IX collagen in the pseudoachondroplasia growth plate
Authors: Hecht Jacqueline T. , Makitie Outi , Hayes Elizabeth , Haynes Richard , Susic Miki , Montufar‐Solis Dina , Duke P. Jackie , Cole William G.
Published: January 2004

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a large extracellular matrix protein expressed in cartilage, ligament and tendon. Mutations in the COMP gene cause two dominantly inherited skeletal dysplasias, pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) and Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia (MED/EDM1). We report on a novel point mutation D511Y in the seventh calcium‐binding repeat of the COMP gene and the resulting iliac crest growth plate pathology. The PSACH iliac crest growth plate is comprised of a large region of resting chondrocytes above a narrow region composed of clusters of disorganized proliferative and hypertrophic chondrocytes. Chondrocytes in all zones show massive intracellular retention of COMP and the surrounding extracellular matrix is deficient in COMP. Moreover, the 511Y COMP mutation selectively affects type IX collagen as little is found in the growth plate matrix whereas type II collagen and aggrecan are abundant in the matrix. Chondrocyte remnants are observed in the chondrocyte clusters and dead cells are found throughout the growth plate. Apoptosis studies demonstrate an unusual pattern of TUNEL staining in the PSACH chondrocytes compared to the control growth plate. These in vivo findings support our previous observation that retention of COMP leads to chondrocyte death. These results also add to the increasing evidence that PSACH and EDM1 are rER storage diseases and that impaired linear growth and joint erosion are caused by the disruptive effect of massive amounts of COMP within the chondrocytes. © 2004 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Analysis of a retrieved UHMWPE acetabular cup crosslinked in air with 1000 kGy of gamma radiation
Authors: Sugano N. , Saito M. , Yamamoto T. , Nishii T. , Yau S.‐ S. , Wang A.
Published: January 2004

The oxidation and degradation that accompany high dose gamma irradiation in air for crosslinking and sterilization are important because they could affect the clinical performance of polyethylene total joint implants. We report a clinical case of a 1000 kGy gamma‐irradiated, highly crosslinked ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene acetabular cup retrieved 24 years postoperatively. Performance evaluations included absorbed radiation dose, total wear penetration, average wear rate, crystallinity, oxidation, and equibiaxial tensile properties. A retrieved acetabular cup of the same grade of polyethylene but gamma‐sterilized using a conventional dose was used as control. The highly crosslinked and control cups took in about 1300 and 30 kGy of radiation, respectively, as measured using a trans‐vinylene index. Direct dimensional measurements revealed average wear rates of the highly crosslinked and control cups were 0.04 and 0.06 mm/year, respectively. The oxidation index of the highly crosslinked cup was very high (0.679), but equivalent to that of a 1000 kGy irradiated reference cup. The retrieved highly crosslinked cup showed much higher equibiaxial ultimate tensile strength than the retrieved control cup. Based on these observations, the increased wear resistance and equibiaxial tensile properties that resulted from extensive crosslinking in the presence of air were partially offset by the adverse effects caused by immediate oxidation during the process. © 2003 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In vivo gene delivery to articular chondrocytes mediated by an adeno‐associated virus vector
Authors: Ulrich‐Vinther M. , Duch M. R. , Søballe K. , O'Keefe R. J. , Schwarz E. M. , Pedersen F. S.
Published: January 2004

Purposes. (1) To investigate the efficiency of direct in vivo adeno‐associated virus (AAV) vector‐mediated gene transduction to chondrocytes in relation to normal and injured articular cartilage. (2) To evaluate the effects of ultra‐violet light‐activated gene transduction (LAGT) in chondrocytes in vivo. (3) To determine dissemination of active rAAV vector after intra‐articular administration.

Methods. Rabbit knees with either normal or injured cartilage received an intra‐articular injection with 1.5 × 1012 infectious rAAV‐eGFP particles. The right knees received rAAV‐eGFP alone, whereas the left knees were given LAGT‐treatment. The transduction efficiencies were determined at 1 and 3 weeks after infection by fluorescence‐activated cell scanning. The occurrence of active shedding was monitored in serum and various tissues.

Results. After 1 week, 7% of the chondrocytes in normal cartilage were transduced by direct rAAV transduction technique. Chondrocytes in cartilage defects demonstrated higher transduction rates compared to chondrocytes in normal cartilage. LAGT increased the cellular eGFP expression in the internal zones to 12%, but did not have any effect in the external zones in defects. Finally, infectious particles were not detected in either serum or tissue samples.

Conclusions. Direct rAAV‐mediated gene transfer in vivo to articular chondrocytes is possible. LAGT improves rAAV transduction of chondrocytes in vivo but appears to have a very limited range of effect induction. Expression of eGFP was not determined in other tissues than synovium and cartilage in the treated joints. © 2003 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Suppression of early experimental osteoarthritis by gene transfer of interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist and interleukin‐10
Authors: Zhang Xiaoling , Mao Zebing , Yu Changlong
Published: January 2004

Gene therapy offers a radically different approach to the treatment of arthritis. We demonstrated that cDNA coding for human interleukin‐1 receptor‐antagonist protein (IL‐1Ra) and cDNA coding for human interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) can be delivered, by ex vivo techniques, to the synovial lining of joints, intra‐articular expression of gene significantly reduced cartilage matrix degradation and cartilage breakdown. To achieve this, lapine synoviocytes were first transduced in culture by retroviral infection. The genetically modified synoviocytes were then transplanted by intra‐articular injection into the knee joints of OA rabbits, assay of joint lavages confirmed that the gene expression was not lost 14 days after transfer. Knees receiving the IL‐1Ra gene had significantly reduced cartilage breakdown. Delivery of the IL‐10 gene was less effective, having only a moderate effect on cartilage breakdown. When both genes were injected together, there was a greater inhibition of cartilage breakdown, suggesting that simultaneous gene delivery may be necessary to treat OA by targeting the activities of multiple inflammatory effectors. © 2003 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ethnicity and the study of international relations in the post-soviet Russia
Authors: Mukharyamov Nayil’ M.
Published: January 2004

The essay concentrates on Russian studies of ethnicity and identifies substantialist and relational approaches to studying ethnicity in international relations. Substantialists see the impact of ethnicity as the main organizing force of international politics and view the states as principally ethnocentric units, driven by ambitions of large ethnic groups. In their turn, relationists question these assumptions and seek to depoliticise the notion of ethnicity. Rather than concentrating on states or large ethnic groups in international politics, they take an individual as the main unit of analysis and argue that ethnicity is a choice, not a destiny. The author sees both substantialism and relationism as actively developing in Russia and associates progress in the field with further development and cross-fertilization of the two ideas.
New directions in Russian international studies: pluralization, Westernization, and isolationism
Authors: Tsygankov Andrei P. , Tsygankov Pavel A.
Published: January 2004

The essay argues that Western scholars can improve their understanding of the post-Soviet Russia by studying the discipline of new Russian international relations (IR). The other objective of the essay is to move away from the excessively West-centered IR scholarship by exploring indigenous Russian perceptions and inviting a dialogue across the globe. The essay identifies key trends in Russian IR reflective of the transitional nature of Russia’s post-Soviet change. It argues that Russian IR continues to be in a stage of ideological and theoretical uncertainty, which is a result of unresolved questions of national identity. For describing Russia’s identity crisis, the authors employ Erving Goffman’s concept of stigma defined as a crisis of a larger social acceptance by Russia’s ‘‘significant other’’ (West). The essay suggests that, until this crisis is resolved, much of Russian IR debates can be understood in terms of a search for a national idea. It also introduces the authors of the issue and summarizes their contribution to our understanding of Russian and Western IR.
Marine and limnic radiocarbon reservoir corrections for studies of late- and postglacial environments in Georgia Basin and Puget Lowland, British Columbia, Canada and Washington, USA
Authors: Hutchinson Ian , James Thomas S. , Reimer Paula J. , Bornhold Brian D. , Clague John J.
Published: January 2004

Models of late-glacial environmental change in coastal areas are commonly based on radiocarbon ages on marine shell and basal lake sediments, both of which may be compromised by reservoir effects. The magnitude of the oceanic reservoir age in the inland waters of the Georgia Basin and Puget Lowland of northwestern North America is inferred from radiocarbon ages on shell-wood pairs in Saanich Inlet and previously published estimates. The weighted mean oceanic reservoir correction in the early and mid Holocene is −720±90 yr, slightly smaller than, but not significantly different from, the modern value. The correction in late-glacial time is −950±50 yr. Valley-head sites yield higher reservoir values (−1200±130 yr) immediately after deglaciation. The magnitude of the gyttja reservoir effect is inferred from pairs of bulk gyttja and plant macrofossil ages from four lakes in the region. Incorporation of old carbon into basal gyttja yields ages from bulk samples that are initially about 600 yr too old. The reservoir age declines to less than 100 yr after the first millennium of lake development. When these corrections are accounted for, dates of deglaciation and late-glacial sea-level change in the study area are pushed forward in time by more than 500 yr.
Controls, variation, and a record of climate change in detailed stable isotope record in a single bryozoan skeleton
Authors: Smith Abigail M. , Key Marcus M.
Published: January 2004

The long-lived (about 20 yr) bryozoan Adeonellopsis sp. from Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, precipitates aragonite in isotopic equilibrium with seawater, exerting no metabolic or kinetic effects. Oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) in 61 subsamples (along three branches of a single unaltered colony) range from −0.09 to +0.68‰ PDB (mean = +0.36‰ PDB). Carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) range from +0.84 to +2.18‰ PDB (mean = +1.69‰ PDB). Typical of cool-water carbonates, δ18O-derived water temperatures range from 14.2 to 17.5 °C. Adeonellopsis has a minimum temperature growth threshold of 14 °C, recording only a partial record of environmental variation. By correlating seawater temperatures derived from δ18O with the Southern Oscillation Index, however, we were able to detect major events such as the 1983 El Niño. Interannual climatic variation can be recorded in skeletal carbonate isotopes. The range of within-colony isotopic variability found in this study (0.77‰ in δ18O and 1.34 in δ13C) means that among-colony variation must be treated cautiously. Temperate bryozoan isotopes have been tested in less than 2% of described extant species — this highly variable phylum is not yet fully understood.
Posteruption glacier development within the crater of Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA
Authors: Schilling Steve P. , Carrara Paul E. , Thompson Ren A. , Iwatsubo Eugene Y.
Published: January 2004

The cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, resulted in a large, north-facing amphitheater, with a steep headwall rising 700 m above the crater floor. In this deeply shaded niche a glacier, here named the Amphitheater glacier, has formed. Tongues of ice-containing crevasses extend from the main ice mass around both the east and the west sides of the lava dome that occupies the center of the crater floor. Aerial photographs taken in September 1996 reveal a small glacier in the southwest portion of the amphitheater containing several crevasses and a bergschrund-like feature at its head. The extent of the glacier at this time is probably about 0.1 km2. By September 2001, the debris-laden glacier had grown to about 1 km2 in area, with a maximum thickness of about 200 m, and contained an estimated 120,000,000 m3 of ice and rock debris. Approximately one-third of the volume of the glacier is thought to be rock debris derived mainly from rock avalanches from the surrounding amphitheater walls. The newly formed Amphitheater glacier is not only the largest glacier on Mount St. Helens but its aerial extent exceeds that of all other remaining glaciers combined.
Characterization of CXIP4, a novel Arabidopsis protein that activates the H+/Ca2+ antiporter, CAX1
Authors: Cheng Ning-Hui , Liu Jian-Zhong , Nelson Richard S , Hirschi Kendal D
Published: January 2004

Precise regulation of calcium transporters is essential for modulating the Ca2+ signaling network that is involved in the growth and adaptation of all organisms. The Arabidopsis H+/Ca2+ antiporter, CAX1, is a high capacity and low affinity Ca2+ transporter and several CAX1‐like transporters are found in Arabidopsis. When heterologously expressed in yeast, CAX1 is unable to suppress the Ca2+ hypersensitivity of yeast vacuolar Ca2+ transporter mutants due to an N‐terminal autoinhibition mechanism that prevents Ca2+ transport. Using a yeast screen, we have identified Anteracting rotein 4 (CXIP4) that activated full‐length CAX1, but not full‐length CAX2, CAX3 or CAX4. CXIP4 encodes a novel plant protein with no bacterial, fungal, animal, or mammalian homologs. Expression of a GFP‐CXIP4 fusion in yeast and plant cells suggests that CXIP4 is targeted predominantly to the nucleus. Using a yeast growth assay, CXIP4 activated a chimeric CAX construct that contained specific portions of the N‐terminus of CAX1. Together with other recent studies, these results suggest that CAX1 is regulated by several signaling molecules that converge on the N‐terminus of CAX1 to regulate H+/Ca2+ antiport.