bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MUTATED G‐PROTEIN‐COUPLED RECEPTOR GPR10 IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HYPERPHAGIA/DYSLIPIDAEMIA/OBESITY LOCUS OF Dmo1 IN THE OLETF RAT
Authors: Watanabe Takeshi K , Suzuki Mikio , Yamasaki Yuki , Okuno Shiro , Hishigaki Haretsugu , Ono Toshihide , Oga Keiko , Mizoguchi‐Miyakita Ayako , Tsuji Atsushi , Kanemoto Naohide , Wakitani Shigeyuki , Takagi Toshihisa , Nakamura Yusuke , Tanigami Akira
Published: April 2005

1. We have confirmed the Diabetes Mellitus OLETF type I (Dmo1) effect on hyperphagia, dyslipidaemia and obesity in the Otsuka Long‐Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) strain. The critical interval was narrowed down to 570 kb between D1Got258 to p162CA1 by segregation analyses using congenic lines.

2. Within the critical 570 kb region of the Dmo1 locus, we identified the G‐protein‐coupled receptor gene GPR10 as the causative gene mutated in the OLETF strain. The ATG translation initiation codon of GPR10 is changed into ATA in this strain and, so, is unavailable for the initiation of translation.

3. The GPR10 protein has a cognate ligand, namely prolactin‐releasing peptide (PrRP). Centrally administered PrRP suppressed the food intake of congenic rats that have a Brown Norway derived Dmo1 region (i.e. with wild‐type GPR10), but did not suppress that of the OLETF strain, indicating that GPR10 is without function and could explain hyperphagia in the OLETF strain.

4. Moreover, when restricted in food volume to the same level consumed by the congenic strain, OLETF rats showed few differences in the parameters of dyslipidaemia and obesity compared with congenic strains.

5. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the mutated GPR10 receptor is responsible for the hyperphagia leading to obesity and dyslipidaemia in the obese diabetic strain rat.
HYPOTHESIS: SET‐POINTS and LONG‐TERM CONTROL OF ARTERIAL PRESSURE. A THEORETICAL ARGUMENT FOR A LONG‐TERM ARTERIAL PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE BRAIN RATHER THAN THE KIDNEY
Authors: Osborn John W
Published: April 2005

1. It has been hypothesised that the ‘set‐point’ for the long‐term control of mean arterial (MAP) resides within the kidney. In this model, the set‐point of the ‘chronic renal function curve’ establishes the steady state relationship between renal perfusion pressure and urinary excretion of sodium and water, which, in turn, affects blood volume and cardiac output. The ‘renal–MAP set‐point’ theory predicts that the kidney controls MAP to maintain its own excretory function and that long‐term regulation of blood volume and cardiac output are paramount to the regulation of arterial pressure.

2. An alternative hypothesis is proposed in which the ‘set‐point’ for the long‐term control of MAP resides within the central nervous system (CNS) rather than the kidney. In contrast with the ‘renal–MAP set‐point’ model, the ‘CNS‐MAP set‐point’ model dictates that the brain controls MAP to maintain cerebral blood flow and CNS function.

3. The ‘CNS‐MAP set‐point hypothesis’ predicts that long‐term regulation of MAP is paramount to the regulation of blood volume and cardiac output. It is proposed that the ‘CNS‐MAP set‐point’ system operates independently of the arterial baroreceptor reflex, which is a short‐term controller of MAP.

4. The precise mechanisms by which the CNS ‘senses’ MAP are complex and remain to be discovered. The MAP ‘sensor’ likely involves integration of hormone levels linked to body fluid homeostasis and osmoreceptor and baroreceptor inputs. It is also proposed that an as yet undiscovered ‘central baroreceptor’ exists within the brain itself.

5. The ‘CNS‐MAP set‐point hypothesis’ predicts that many forms of experimental and essential hypertension are due to a primary shift in the CNS‐MAP set‐point.
THE ‘BODY FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM’ RELIES ON THE RENIN–ANGIOTENSIN–ALDOSTERONE SYSTEM: BALANCE STUDIES IN FREELY MOVING DOGS
Authors: Seeliger Erdmann , Wronski Thomas , Ladwig Mechthild , Rebeschke Till , Persson Pontus B , Reinhardt H Wolfgang
Published: April 2005

1. The physiological role of the ‘renal body fluid pressure control system’, including the intrarenal mechanism of ‘pressure natriuresis’, is uncertain.

2. Balance studies in freely moving dogs address the following questions: (i) what is the physiological contribution of pressure natriuresis to the control of total body sodium (TBS); (ii) to what extent is long‐term mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) determined by TBS and total body water (TBW); and (iii) during Na accumulation, is Na stored in an osmotically inactive form?

3. Diurnal time‐courses of Na excretion (UNaV) and MABP reveal no correlation. Spontaneous MABP changes do not affect UNaV. The long‐term 20% reduction of renal perfusion pressure (RPP) results in Na retention via pressure‐dependent stimulation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), not via a pressure natriuresis mechanism. Prevention of pressure natriuresis does not result in ongoing Na retention when the RAAS is operative. The long‐term 20% elevation of RPP induced by sustained TBS elevation facilitates Na excretion via pressure natriuresis, but does not restore TBS to normal.

4. Changes in TBW correlate well with changes in TBS (r2 = 0.79). This correlation is even closer when concomitant changes in total body potassium are also considered (r2 = 0.91).

5. With normal or elevated TBW, long‐term MABP changes correlate well with TBW changes (r2 = 0.69). At lowered TBW, no correlation is found.

6. In conclusion, the physiological role of pressure natriuresis is limited. Pressure natriuresis does not appear to be operative when RPP is changed from −20 to +10% and neurohumoral control of UNaV is unimpeded. Within this range, pressure‐dependent changes in the RAAS mediate the effects of changes in RPP on UNaV. Pressure natriuresis may constitute a compensating mechanism under pathophysiological conditions of substantial elevation of RPP. A large portion of the long‐term changes in MABP are attributable to changes in TBW. The notion of osmotically inactive Na storage during Na accumulation appears to be invalid.
TRANSLATION OF SALT RETENTION TO CENTRAL ACTIVATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IN HYPERTENSION
Authors: Brooks Virginia L , Haywood Joseph R , Johnson Alan Kim
Published: April 2005

1. Increased dietary salt increases blood pressure in many hypertensive individuals, producing salt‐sensitive hypertension (SSH). The cause is unknown, but a major component appears to be activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The purpose of this short review is to present one hypothesis to explain how increased dietary salt increases sympathetic activity in SSH.

2. It is proposed that increased salt intake causes salt retention and raises plasma sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations, which activate sodium/osmoreceptors to trigger sympathoexcitation. Moreover, we suggest that small and often undetectable increases in osmolality can drive significant sympathoexcitation, because the gain of the relationship between osmolality and increased sympathetic activity is enhanced. Multiple factors may contribute to this facilitation, including inappropriately elevated levels of angiotensin II or aldosterone, changes in gene expression or synaptic plasticity and increased sodium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid.

3. Future studies are required to delineate the brain sites and mechanisms of action and interaction of osmolality and these amplification factors to elicit sustained sympathoexcitation in SSH.
THERMOREGULATORY ROLE OF PERIVENTRICULAR TISSUE SURROUNDING THE ANTEROVENTRAL THIRD VENTRICLE (AV3V) DURING ACUTE HEAT STRESS IN THE RAT
Authors: Whyte Douglas G , Johnson Alan Kim
Published: April 2005

1. Thermoregulatory effector mechanisms are strongly influenced by hydration status. Dehydration delays the onset of evaporative heat loss and the redistribution of cardiac output in response to elevations in core temperature, yet very little is known about how and where thermal and non‐thermal information is integrated.

2. The anteroventral third ventricular (AV3V) region encompasses several distinct neural structures, including the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, the median preoptic nucleus, the preoptic periventricular nucleus and the medial aspects of the medial preoptic nucleus. In addition to its well‐documented role in body fluid and cardiovascular homeostasis, recent anatomical and in vitro evidence has indicated the AV3V region may also be pivotal in the integration of thermal and osmotic information.

3. Electrolytic lesions of the AV3V region produce a markedly reduced thermal tolerance in rats. Elevations in mean arterial pressure, heart rate and mesenteric resistance were all attenuated in the AV3V‐lesioned animals in response to a heat stress; however, hindquarter resistance was unaffected. Heat‐induced salivation was also attenuated, severely reducing the ability of rats to lose heat via evaporation.

4. The AV3V region clearly has a functional role in thermoregulation, as well as cardiovascular and body fluid homeostasis. These data add further support to the hypothesis that thermal and non‐thermal information may be integrated within this region.
DECREASED VASODILATION INDUCED BY A NEW NITRIC OXIDE DONOR IN TWO KIDNEY, ONE CLIP HYPERTENSIVE RATS IS DUE TO IMPAIRED K+ CHANNEL ACTIVATION
Authors: Bonaventura Daniella , Oliveira Fabiana S , Da Silva Roberto S , Bendhack Lusiane M
Published: April 2005

1. We studied the effect of the new compound trans‐[RuCl([15]aneN4)NO]2+ (15‐ane) in denuded aortic rings of two kidney (2K) normotensive and two kidney, one clip (2K‐1C) hypertensive rats.

2. The compound 15‐ane releases nitric oxide (NO) when reduced by a catecholamine (noradrenaline).

3. Oxyhemoglobin (HbO2), an NO scavenger, completely abolished the effect of 15‐ane in both 2K and 2K‐1C rats, indicating that the relaxation is really due to NO release.

4. We tested the hypothesis that an impairment of K+ channels plays an important role in the vasodilation induced by 15‐ane.

5. The selective inhibitor of soluble guanylyl‐cyclase, namely 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐alpha]quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ; 1 µmol/L) reduced the relaxation induced by 15‐ane. In 2K‐1C rat aortic rings, ODQ reduced the maximum effect (Emax) of 15‐ane, whereas in 2K rat aortic rings ODQ reduced Emax and pD2 values to 15‐ane.

6. The selective K+ channel blockers glibenclamide (blocks KATP; 3 µmol/L), 4‐aminopyridine (blocks KV; 1 mmol/L) and the small conductance KCa channel blocker apamin (1 µmol/L) reduced Emax and pD2 values for 15‐ane‐induced relaxation responses of aortas from 2K rats. However, iberiotoxin, a blocker of large conductance KCa channels, reduced only the Emax to 15‐ane. None of these K+ channel blockers had any effect on the relaxation induced by 15‐ane of aortas from 2K‐1C rats.

7. These data indicate that an impaired functional activity of K+ channels contributes to the deficient relaxation induced by the NO donor 15‐ane in renal hypertensive 2K‐1C rat aortas.
ROLE OF ENDOTHELIUM‐DERIVED HYPERPOLARIZING FACTOR IN ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION DURING DIABETES
Authors: Fitzgerald Sharyn M , Kemp‐Harper Barbara K , Tare Marianne , Parkington Helena C
Published: April 2005

1. Under normal conditions, the endothelium plays a major role in the maintenance of vasodilatory tone via the production of endothelium‐derived vasodilator agents, such as prostacyclin, nitric oxide and endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Inhibition of endothelium‐dependent relaxation features prominently in a range of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes.

2. Endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor is a prominent vasodilator, particularly in smaller arteries and arterioles. There is now emerging evidence to suggest that EDHF may play a role in the endothelial dysfunction in diabetes.

3. Since the first description of endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization some 20 years ago, it has emerged that EDHF is heterogeneous in nature, consisting of diffusible factors and contact‐mediated mechanisms. The specific identity of EDHF in any particular vascular bed may influence the impact of diabetes on vascular function.

4. There is accumulating evidence in diabetic rat models and humans showing impaired EDHF activity in small resistance vessels. In contrast, studies in mice suggest that EDHF activity is actually enhanced under diabetic conditions.

5. It is clear that alterations in EDHF activity may have an important contribution in diabetes, more specifically in contributing to microvascular complications observed under diabetic conditions.
A HAPLOTYPE OF THE ANGIOTENSINOGEN GENE IS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSION IN AFRICAN AMERICANS
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Li Yanna , Patil Sai , Jain Sudhir
Published: April 2005

1. Hypertension is a serious risk factor for myocardial infarction, heart failure, vascular disease, stroke and renal failure. The incidence of hypertension is 25–30% in the adult Caucasian population and complications due to hypertension are even greater in African Americans.

2. The renin–angiotensin system plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and previous studies have suggested that angiotensinogen (AGT) gene locus is linked with human essential hypertension. Earlier studies suggested that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that converts methionine to threonine at amino acid 235 is associated with hypertension in the Caucasian population. However, this SNP is not associated with hypertension in African American and Chinese populations.

3. We have found an A/G polymorphism at −217 of the human AGT gene promoter and have shown that the frequency of allele A at −217 is significantly increased in the genomic DNA of African American hypertensive patients.

4. We have also shown that: (i) reporter constructs containing the AGT gene promoter with nucleoside A at −217 have increased promoter activity on transient transfection; and (ii) the CCAAT box enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family of transcription factors and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) bind preferentially to this region of the promoter when nucleoside A is present at −217. In addition, variant −217A is always present with variants −532T, −793A and −1074T in the human AGT gene promoter.

5. These data suggest that the AGT haplotype containing −217A, −532T, −793A and −1074T may be involved in increased transcription of this gene and may play a role in human hypertension.
CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMIC REGULATION IN SUBJECTS WITH NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH–NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE and RECENT‐ONSET HYPERTENSION
Authors: Prakash E Sankaranarayanan ,   Madanmohan,, Sethuraman K Raman , Narayan Sunil K
Published: April 2005

1. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that heart rate variability (HRV) is reduced in recent‐onset hypertension and that pressor responses to standard autonomic reflex tests are not any different in hypertensives compared with normotensives. We also hypothesized that subjects with high–normal blood pressure (BP) would be distinguishable from normotensives on the basis of short‐term HRV indices.

2. Three groups of subjects, each consisting of 15 men and 10 women, were examined. The first group consisted of subjects with recent‐onset hypertension who were not taking antihypertensive medication (mean (±SD) age 50 ± 12 years; BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg), the second group consisted of subjects with high–normal BP (mean age 46 ± 13 years; BP 130–139/85–89 mmHg) and the third group consisted of subjects with normal BP (mean age 48 ± 12 years; BP < 120/80 mmHg). The aim was to characterize the autonomic state in each group.

3. Blood pressure, heart rate (HR), indices of short‐term HRV during supine rest and quiet standing, HR variation during timed deep breathing (HRVdb) and pressor responses to the cold pressor test and sustained isometric handgrip were compared between the groups.

4. Although the three groups were comparable (P > 0.1) in terms of mean HR and low‐frequency (LF) power expressed in normalized units at rest and during quiet standing, the standard deviation of normal‐to‐normal RR intervals (SDNN) during supine rest, LF and high‐frequency spectral powers during supine rest and HRVdb were lowest in hypertensives (P ≤ 0.05 for each), indicating diminished baroreflex modulation of RR intervals in hypertensives.

5. In contrast, LF power was highest in subjects with high–normal BP (P ≤ 0.05) during supine rest and this is possibly because of higher BP variability.

6. The results suggest that HRVdb provides a simple measure of cardiac vagal effects in hypertensives, the rate–pressure product provides a simple measure of overall HRV in hypertensives and, in clinical hypertension, the arterial baroreflex mechanism is reset to maintain a higher BP through diminished vagal modulation of HR and possibly heightened sympathetic outflow to the heart and resistance vessels.
A model for the treatment of eating disorders of adolescents in a specialized centre in The Netherlands
Authors: Fleminger Sonja
Published: April 2005

Treatment of adolescent patients with eating disorders has to take into account that these patients differ in age, their stage of development, and the constellation and functioning of their family life. Our treatment model takes these factors into account and is family and cognitive behaviourally orientated. The work has developed and changed in recent years, based on our experiences over the past ten years, as well as in combination with ideas we picked up from the experiences of colleagues elsewhere, be they via oral reports or written papers. Our approach is flexible; yet it also offers a structured containment for the patient, both by the treatment team and the parents. We aim, as much as possible, to let the family members carry out the treatment, providing them with the environment and the tools they need. Including the family members actively in the treatment of their ill daughter and teaching the parents how to help their child at home is the core of our philosophy, and we believe that this prevents prolonged inpatient stays or readmissions. This paper describes the different ways and settings in which we try to carry out our work.
Linking Personality to Helping Behaviors at Work: An Interactional Perspective
Authors: King Eden B. , George Jennifer M. , Hebl Michelle R.
Published: April 2005

Abstract
Previous efforts to elucidate dispositional antecedents of organizational citizenship behaviors have yielded equivocal results. The current study presents and tests a theoretical argument for expecting conscientiousness to interact with interpersonal dimensions of personality in predicting helping behaviors. As hypothesized, the responses of 374 women and their supervisors reveal significant interactions between conscientiousness, on the one hand, and agreeableness, extraversion, and emotional stability, on the other, in predicting helping behaviors. Clarifying the relationship between personality and helping, these results suggest that the impact of conscientiousness in a social context depends on a positive interpersonal orientation. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Interpersonal Perception and Pathological Personality Features: Consistency Across Peer Groups
Authors: South Susan C. , Oltmanns Thomas F. , Turkheimer Eric
Published: April 2005

Abstract
This study investigated the consistency of interpersonal perceptions regarding people who exhibit features of personality disorders. The participants (N=82) were college students who were assessed for features of personality disorders, using both self‐report and peer nominations at Time 1. Two years later, participants attended four meetings in groups of 7 to 12 people for a total of 2 hours. Group discussions were designed to encourage interaction and give participants an opportunity to behave in ways that might be expected from people with personality problems. After Meetings 1 and 4, group members ranked their impressions of each other with regard to several personality traits and behavioral attributes. We observed important consistencies between the peer nominations collected at Time 1 and personality rankings made by a different peer group at Time 2. There was considerable convergence between personality disorder features and negative evaluations by others, with participants high in detachment eliciting the most negative reactions from peers in the lab.
Subdomains of Gender‐Related Occupational Interests: Do They Form a Cohesive Bipolar M‐F Dimension?
Authors: Lippa Richard A.
Published: April 2005

Abstract
In four studies, with a total of 1780 male and 2969 female participants, subdomains of masculine and feminine occupations were identified from sets of occupational preference items. Identified masculine subdomains included “blue‐collar realistic” (e.g., carpenter), “educated realistic” (electrical engineer), and “flashy, risk‐taking” (jet pilot). Feminine subdomains included “fashion‐related” (fashion model), “artistic” (author), “helping” (social worker), and “children‐related” (manager of childcare center). In all studies, principal components analyses of subdomain preference scales showed that masculine subdomains were bipolar opposites of feminine subdomains. This bipolar structure emerged in analyses conducted on combined‐sex groups, high‐school boys, high‐school girls, men, women, heterosexual men, gay men, heterosexual women, and lesbian women. The results suggest that, although there are distinct masculine and feminine occupational subdomains, gender‐related occupational preferences, nonetheless, form a replicable, cohesive, bipolar individual difference dimension, which is not an artifact of studying mixed‐sex or mixed‐sexual‐orientation groups.
Prayers, Spiritual Support, and Positive Attitudes in Coping With the September 11 National Crisis
Authors: Ai Amy L. , Tice Terrence N. , Peterson Christopher , Huang Bu
Published: April 2005

Abstract
This study was designed to help fill gaps in faith‐related and positive psychology research. Psychologists have called for precise assessment of effective faith factors inherent within spiritual experiences that may explain their beneficial effects. Positive psychologists suggest the need to examine social and faith‐related origins of optimism. Based on previous research, we redefined spiritual support and developed a new assessment. The study is a survey of 453 graduate and undergraduate students 3 months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The results showed that participants, who believed in diverse spiritual entities, used various types of prayer for coping. A structural equation model showed that a linkage of spiritual support and positive attitudes mediated the effect of faith‐based and secular factors on post‐September 11 distress. Higher levels of initial negative emotional response were associated with the use of prayer for coping, which was, in turn, related to less distress through the pathway of the above linkage.
Continuity and Correlates of Emotions and Motives in Self‐Defining Memories
Authors: Sutin Angelina R. , Robins Richard W.
Published: April 2005

Abstract
Two studies examined emotions and motives in self‐defining memories. In Study 1, participants recalled five self‐defining memories (four recent and one earliest childhood), rated their emotions and motives during each memory, and completed a set of personality measures. A subset of participants provided a second set of memories, as well as emotion and motive ratings, approximately 2 weeks after the initial session. Results suggest that emotions and motives are moderately stable across memories and over time and show theoretically meaningful relations with self‐esteem, narcissism, and affective dispositions. Study 2 extended the findings of Study 1 to a longitudinal context. Emotions and motives coded from self‐defining memories were associated with changes in personality, well‐being, and academic performance over a 4‐year period.
Mobile Active‐Vision Traffic Surveillance System for Urban Networks
Authors: Rabie Tamer , Abdulhai Baher , Shalaby Amer , El‐Rabbany Ahmed
Published: April 2005

Abstract: This article discusses the development of a mobile bus‐mounted machine vision system for transit and traffic monitoring in urban corridors, as required by intelligent transportation systems. In contrast to earlier machine vision technologies used for traffic management, which rely mainly on fixed‐point detection and simpler algorithms to detect certain traffic characteristics, the new proposed approach makes use of a recent trend in computer vision research; namely, the active vision paradigm. Active vision systems have mechanisms that can actively control camera parameters such as orientation, focus, zoom, and vergence in response to the requirements of the task and external stimuli. Mounting active vision systems on buses will have the advantage of providing real‐time feedback of the current traffic conditions, while possessing the intelligence and visual skills that allow them to interact with a rapidly changing dynamic environment, such as moving traffic and continuously changing image background.
Modeling the Dynamics of an Infrastructure Project
Authors: Nguyen Long Duy , Ogunlana Stephen O.
Published: April 2005

Abstract:  Contractors frequently encounter various problems during project construction, even when properly employing traditional project management techniques and tools. These problems result in low project performance and poor project outcome. A dynamic simulation model is proposed to capture the dynamics of construction projects in the construction phase. Eight key feedback structures from previous models of project dynamics and the unique characteristics of construction projects are identified as dynamic hypotheses. They include the structures of labor, equipment, material, labor and equipment interaction, schedule, rework, safety, and quality. Subsequently, a formal simulation model is mathematically formulated in terms of stock and flow diagrams. The model is then calibrated into a real project under construction. Part of testing indicates that the simulated behavior of the model and the actual behavior of the project are similar. This implies that the model is able to simulate the dynamics of the project and, consequently, to enhance project monitoring and control.
Searching for Better Negotiation Agreement Based on Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Dzeng Ren‐Jye , Lin Yu‐Chun
Published: April 2005

Abstract:  Negotiation is commonly required in the procurement of construction materials to reach the final contractual agreement. In current practice, contractors negotiate with suppliers according to negotiators' experiences instead of extensive exploration of negotiable options and negotiators' preferences. Consequently, negotiators often reach suboptimal agreements, and leave money on the table. This research intends to help negotiators explore negotiable options by developing a computer system, named C‐Negotiator, using the genetic algorithm. This article also describes experiments conducted to determine how much money was left on the table on typical realistic construction procurements. The result shows that C‐Negotiator's negotiation improved the joint payoff of the contractor and supplier from 1.5% to 9.8% compared with conventional human negotiation. The improvement may increase for more complex negotiation problems with more options and complicated preferences or for inexperienced negotiators.
Artificial Neural Networks for Predicting the Response of Structural Systems with Viscoelastic Dampers
Authors: Vaidyanathan C. V. , Kamatchi P. , Ravichandran R.
Published: April 2005

Abstract:  Passive energy dissipation systems have been identified as one of the modern structural protective systems against seismic disturbances. Research and development activities are on globally to develop appropriate design procedures and suitable technology for application in the field. Structural systems with energy‐dissipating devices call for rigorous nonlinear analysis, which is a complex one and the results are highly sensitive to the type of input motion and component behavior assumed in the analysis. The Federal Emergency Management Agency 273 (FEMA 273) (1997) has suggested simplified procedures for replacing the original nonlinear system by an equivalent linear system. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques based on artificial neural networks (ANN) have been profitably used for solving complex problems of an iterative nature. Combining the equivalent model with an appropriate AI technique would help one to quickly predict the dynamic response of such yielding systems. This article highlights the feed forward back‐propagation neural network using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm for predicting the response quantity of systems with energy‐dissipating devices. The neural network is trained to reflect the nonlinear relationship of strength, stiffness, and damping existing in the system. The methodology developed is illustrated and validated with a chosen example from the FEMA 274 and is found to predict well the average peak displacement, base shear, and roof displacement. Based on these, the sensitivity studies have been carried out and the influence of each parameter on the results have been brought out. It may be noted that sensitivity details and the influence of each parameter do not show up in the regular time‐series analysis. The main advantage of the methodology and the network developed is in quick preliminary decision on the amount and the number of dampers required to reduce peak displacement for a new design as well as for retrofitting.
Cofinancing to Manage Risk in the Motion Picture Industry
Authors: Goettler Ronald L. , Leslie Phillip
Published: April 2005

Cofinancing is a term used in the movie industry to describe films for which multiple firms share the cost of production and revenues. We find that one‐third of movies produced by major studios between 1987 and 2000 are cofinanced. Anecdotal evidence strongly indicates that cofinancing is for the purpose of risk management. However, the major studios are publicly traded firms, which allows investors to make their own diversification decisions, leading us to question the importance of cofinancing for risk management. Contrary to industry claims, we find that cofinancing decisions are unrelated to the distribution of individual movie returns—studios do not appear to cofinance relatively risky films. But we do find that studios are more likely to cofinance movies that account for a large fraction of their total annual production budget, which reduces portfolio risk via the law of large numbers. Toward an alternative explanation for cofinancing, we also find that cofinancing between two major studios impacts the release dates of their other movies.
Who Appoints Them, What Do They Do? Evidence on Outside Directors from Japan
Authors: Miwa Yoshiro , Ramseyer J. Mark
Published: April 2005

Although reformers often claim Japanese firms appoint inefficiently few outside directors, the logic of market competition suggests otherwise. Given the competitive product, service, and capital markets in Japan, the firms that survive should disproportionately be firms that tend to appoint boards approaching their firm‐specifically optimal structure. The resulting debate thus suggests a test: do firms with more outsiders do better? If Japanese firms do maintain suboptimal numbers of outsiders, then those with more outsiders should outperform those with fewer; if market constraints instead drive them toward their firm‐specific optimum, then firm characteristics may determine board structure, but firm performance should show no observable relation to that structure. We explore the issue with data on the 1000 largest exchange‐listed Japanese firms from 1986 to 1994. We first ask which firms tend to appoint which outsiders to their boards. We find the appointments decidedly nonrandom. Firms appoint directors from the banking industry when they borrow heavily, when they have fewer mortgageable assets, or when they are themselves in the service and finance industry. They appoint retired government bureaucrats when they are in construction and sell a large fraction of their output to government agencies, and they appoint other retired business executives when they have a dominant parent corporation or when they are in the construction industry and sell heavily to the private sector. Coupling OLS regressions with two‐stage estimates on a subset of the data, we then ask whether the firms with more outside directors outperform those with fewer, and find that they do not. Instead, the regressions suggest—exactly as the logic of market competition predicts—that firms choose boards appropriate to them.
When Promoters Like Scalpers
Authors: Karp Larry , Perloff Jeffrey M.
Published: April 2005

If a monopoly supplies a perishable good, such as tickets to a performance, and is unable to price discriminate within a period, the monopoly may benefit from the potential entry of resellers. If the monopoly attempts to intertemporally price discriminate, the equilibrium in the game among buyers is indeterminate when the resellers are not allowed to enter, and the monopoly's problem is not well defined. An arbitrarily small amount of heterogeneity of information among the buyers leads to a unique equilibrium. We show how the potential entry of resellers alters this equilibrium.

The moment a performance begins, that seat is dead … . It's like fruit. It's perishable.

— Jeffrey Seller, producer of Rent.

 New York Times, July 20, 2003.
The Dynamics of Ethnic Fragmentation
Authors: Okediji Tade O.
Published: April 2005

Abstract.  This paper identifies problems associated with the current empirical measurement of ethnic diversity in economic development literature. An expanded index of ethnic diversity is proposed to include variables such as religion and race, and the results are compared to the prevailing index utilized in empirical literature. The mean of the proposed index is significantly larger and the standard deviation is significantly smaller than that of the prevailing index. This would suggest that disparities in ethnic diversity among countries are not as wide as previously assumed. Further, these results confirm that a comprehensive and more accurate measure of ethnic diversity requires more than a linguistic measurement, which is the primary factor utilized in the prevailing index.
Reply to Ahiakpor
Authors: Reisman George
Published: April 2005

Abstract.  Professor Reisman responds to Professor James C. W. Ahiakpor's criticisms pp. 715–717.
Corporate Governance and Competitive Advantage in Family–Controlled Firms
Authors: Carney Michael
Published: April 2005

Recent attempts to identify the basis of family–controlled firms’ competitive advantage have drawn upon the resource–based view of the firm. This article supplements these efforts and advances the argument that family–controlled firms’ competitive advantage arises from their system of corporate governance. Systems of corporate governance embody incentives, authority patterns, and norms of legitimation that generate particular organizational propensities to create competitive advantages and disadvantages. For comparative purposes, the characteristics of managerial, alliance, and family governance are reviewed. The impact of a family's control rights over a firm's assets generates three dominant propensities (parsimony, personalism, and particularism). These propensities give advantages in scarce environments, facilitate the creation and utilization of social capital, and engender opportunistic investment processes. The experience of family–controlled firms in emerging markets is drawn upon to illustrate the argument.
Strategic Divestments in Family Firms: Role of Family Structure and Community Culture
Authors: Sharma Pramodita , Manikutty S.
Published: April 2005

Timely acquisition and divestment of resources is essential for sustaining the competitive advantage and longevity of family firms. A combination of past successes, emotional attachments, and path dependencies can lead to extensive inertia toward divestment in these firms. This article develops a framework to understand the influence of community culture and family structure on divestment decisions in family firms. Propositions on the varying levels of inertia to divest—depending on the values held by the owning family and the culture prevailing in their community—are developed. Research and practical implications are discussed.
Family Firm Resource Management: Commentary and Extensions
Authors: Kellermanns Franz W.
Published: April 2005

The family firm resource–divestment model by Sharma and Manikutty (2004) is extended into a longitudinal model of family firm resource management. Resource accumulation is included as an additional dependent variable, and the influences of family structure, family involvement, and cultural variables are discussed.
Sequence variations in rgpA and rgpB of Porphyromonas gingivalis in periodontitis
Authors: Beikler T. , Peters U. , Prior K. , Ehmke B. , Flemmig T. F.
Published: April 2005

Objective:  The aim of the present study was to determine sequence variations in the active centre of the Arg‐X‐specific protease encoding genes rgpA and rgpB of clinical Porphyromonas gingivalis isolates and to analyse their prevalence in periodontitis patients before and 3 months after mechanical periodontal therapy.

Background:  Genetic diversity at nucleotides 281, 283, 286 and 331 has been shown to result in amino acid substitutions in the catalytic domain of RgpA and RgpB that affect the substrate specificity and thus may influence the efficacy of Arg‐X‐protease specific inhibitors.

Methods:  Sequence analysis of rgpA and rgpB genes in clinical P. gingivalis strains isolated from subgingival plaque samples of 82 periodontitis patients before and 3 months after mechanical supra‐ and subgingival debridement was performed.

Results:  No specific variation within the rgpA sequence was observed. However, the rgpB sequence in the region of the active centre showed five different rgpB genotypes, which were named NYPN, NSSN, NSSK, NYPK and DYPN according to the derived amino acid substitution. Porphyromonas gingivalis genotype NYPN was detected in 27 patients (32.9%) before and in 8 patients (9.8%) after therapy, NSSN in 26 (31.7%) and 10 (12.2%), NSSK in 22 (26.8%) and 2 (2.4%), NYPK in 5 (6.2%) and 1 (1.2%), and DYPN in 1 patient (1.2%) and 0 patients (0%), respectively. Only one patient (1.2%) harboured two P. gingivalis rgpB genotypes (NSSK/NYPN) before treatment; these were no longer detected after therapy.

Conclusion:  The results indicate that five rgpB genotypes are maintained in natural populations of P. gingivalis. These data may be of importance with regard to the development of specific rgpB inhibitors.
Longitudinal analysis of metalloproteinases, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases and clinical parameters in gingival crevicular fluid from periodontitis‐affected patients
Authors: Pozo P. , Valenzuela M. A. , Melej C. , Zaldívar M. , Puente J. , Martínez B. , Gamonal J.
Published: April 2005

Background:  The aim of this work was to improve the assessment of the periodontal disease status through measurements of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissular inhibitors (TIMPs) in the gingival crevicular fluid from patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis.

Methods:  Gingival crevicular fluid samples from patients (n = 13) were taken from 60 sites initially, and from 51 and 41 sites, respectively, 3 and 6 months after scaling and root planing. Gingival crevicular fluid samples were also taken from healthy subjects (n = 11, 24 sites). The presence of MMP‐9 and MMP‐8 was assessed by zymography and immunowestern blotting, respectively. The actual MMP activity (gelatinase and collagenase) was measured using the fluorogenic substrate assay. TIMP‐1 and ‐2 levels were measured by immunodot blot.

Results:  The fluorogenic substrate assay determinations showed higher MMP activity in sites with probing depth ≥ 4 mm, with significant reduction post‐treatment. Gelatinase activity followed by zymography consisted mainly of MMP‐9. A different pattern of MMP‐8 in control and patient sites was found. Controls only showed species of a partially active form (69 kDa), whereas patient sites showed a high frequency of the active form (56 kDa), and in some cases the latent form (85 kDa) was also observed. The active form reduced its frequency in sites with probing depth ≥ 4 mm. TIMP‐1 and ‐2 levels in patients were significantly lower than in controls, and after treatment the recovery of TIMP‐1 level similar to control was observed.

Conclusion:  Significant correlations between the severity of the periodontal disease and the actual MMP activity, the active form of MMP‐8 and the low level of both TIMP‐1 and TIMP‐2 were found.
An in vitro model of chlorhexidine‐induced tooth staining
Authors: Carpenter G. H. , Pramanik R. , Proctor G. B.
Published: April 2005

Background:  Tooth staining is a common feature of chlorhexidine treatment for periodontal disease and there is a large variation between patients as to the degree of their tooth staining. Although the mechanism of tooth staining is uncertain, diet, smoking and oral hygiene appear probable factors.

Objectives:  This study investigated the role of saliva in chlorhexidine‐induced tooth staining and used tea as the staining agent in an in vitro model with hydroxyapatite mimicking teeth.

Methods:  Saliva has been used to create an acquired pellicle and in solution to mimic its effects in vivo. Using different combinations of tea, chlorhexidine and parotid saliva, substances binding to hydroxyapatite were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Using this system, tea, chlorhexidine and salivary proteins were clearly identifiable following staining by Coomassie Brilliant Blue.

Results:  The results indicated that tea interacted with many salivary proteins, in particular proline‐rich proteins and histatins. Chlorhexidine did not appear to complex with or precipitate salivary proteins nor prevent the formation of an acquired pellicle on the hydroxyapatite. In isolation, tea and chlorhexidine bound in small amounts to hydroxyapatite, but when added in combination, binding of both to hydroxyapatite was greatly increased. The acquired pellicle reduced chlorhexidine and tea binding, but conversely increased the binding of either tea or chlorhexidine alone to hydroxyapatite.

Conclusion:  In conclusion, salivary proteins play an important role in the staining process and the combination of tea and chlorhexidine appears to be a very potent staining factor.
Molecular analysis of human oral microbiota
Authors: Sakamoto Mitsuo , Umeda Makoto , Benno Yoshimi
Published: April 2005

Objectives:  The application of molecular, mainly 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)‐based approaches enables researchers to bypass the cultivation step and has proven its usefulness in studying the microbial composition in a variety of ecosystems, including the human oral cavity. In this mini‐review, we describe the impact of these culture‐independent approaches on our knowledge of the ecology of the human oral cavity and provide directions for future studies that should emphasize the role of specific strains, species and groups of microbes in periodontal disease.

Materials and methods:  Recent findings are summarized to elucidate the relationship between periodontal disease and human oral microbiota, including as‐yet‐to‐be‐cultured organisms.

Results:  The real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed to detect and quantify periodontopathic bacteria, such as Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythensis (formerly Bacteroides forsythus) and Treponema denticola. The checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization technique allowed enumeration of large numbers of species in very large numbers of samples. 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis revealed the diversity of human oral microbiota and the existence of as‐yet‐to‐be‐cultured organisms that are presumed periodontal pathogens. In addition, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis was applied for assessment of diversity of human oral microbiota.

Conclusion:  Culture‐independent approaches are useful for studying the microbial ecology in the human oral cavity and should be useful in the future to elucidate the etiology of periodontal disease.
Three‐dimensional evaluation for augmented bone using guided bone regeneration
Authors: Tamura Takanori , Fukase Yasumasa , Goke Eiji , Yamada Yutaka , Sato Shuichi , Nishiyama Minoru , Ito Koichi
Published: April 2005

Objective:  This study evaluated new bone regeneration beyond the skeletal envelope within an occlusive titanium cap on rabbit calvaria using microfocus computed tomography images.

Methods:  In 10 rabbits, the calvaria was exposed and a circular groove was prepared. After penetrating the marrow, a standard hemispherical titanium cap was placed in the groove and covered with a cutaneous flap. After 1 or 3 months, the animals were killed and the calvariae and titanium caps were dissected. After taking microfocus computed tomography images of the specimens, histological sections were made. The specimens were observed using three‐dimensional images constructed from the microfocus computed tomography images, and the histological sections were examined to compute bone parameters.

Results:  The three‐dimensional images and histological specimens showed that new bone formed in flat, cup‐like, and dome shapes. The bone parameters trabecular thickness and the proportion of marrow space to the capacity of the titanium cap increased, whereas bone density decreased, and there were significant differences between the 1‐ and 3‐month groups.

Discussion:  First, a cylinder of new bone formed from the existing bone. Gradually, bone formed along the cap wall and the new tissue formed in a crater indented centrally. Finally, the new tissue formed in the shape of a dome.

Conclusion:  Trabecular bone formed along the wall of the titanium cap, and bone filled the inside of the cap within 3 months.
Mammalian mitotic centromere‐associated kinesin (MCAK)
Authors: Aoki Satoko , Ohta Keisuke , Yamazaki Takayuki , Sugawara Fumio , Sakaguchi Kengo
Published: April 2005

Sulfoquinovosylacylglycerols (SQAGs), in particular compounds with C18 fatty acid(s) on the glycerol moiety, may be clinically promising antitumor and/or immunosuppressive agents. They were found originally as inhibitors of mammalian DNA polymerases. However, SQAGs can arrest cultured mammalian cells not only at S phase but also at M phase, suggesting they have several molecular targets. A screen for candidate target molecules using a T7 phage display method identified an amino acid sequence. An homology search showed this to be a mammalian mitotic centromere‐associated kinesin (MCAK), rather than a DNA polymerase. Analyses showed SQAGs bound to recombinant MCAK with a KD = 3.1 × 10−4 to 6.2 × 10−5m. An in vivo microtubule depolymerization assay, using EGFP‐full length MCAK fusion constructs, indicated inhibition of the microtubule depolymerization activity of MCAK. From these results, we conclude that clinically promising SQAGs have at least two different molecular targets, DNA polymerases and MCAK. It should be stressed that inhibitors of MCAK have never been reported previously so that there is a major potential for clinical utility.
Conformational heterogeneity of transmembrane residues after the Schiff base reprotonation of bacteriorhodopsin
Authors: Mason A. James , Turner George J. , Glaubitz Clemens
Published: April 2005

bR, N‐like and O‐like intermediate states of [15N]methionine‐labelled wild type and D85N/T170C bacteriorhodopsin were accumulated in native membranes by controlling the pH of the preparations. 15N cross polarization and magic angle sample spinning (CPMAS) NMR spectroscopy allowed resolution of seven out of nine resonances in the bR‐state. It was possible to assign some of the observed resonances by using 13C/15N rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) NMR and Mn2+ quenching as well as D2O exchange, which helps to identify conformational changes after the bacteriorhodopsin Schiff base reprotonation. The significant differences in chemical shifts and linewidths detected for some of the resonances in N‐ and O‐like samples indicate changes in conformation, structural heterogeneity or altered molecular dynamics in parts of the protein.