bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hypoxic adaptation during development: relation to pattern of neurological presentation and cognitive disability
Authors: Kirkham Fenella J. , Datta Avijit K.
Published: June 2006

Children with acute hypoxic‐ischaemic events (e.g. stroke) and chronic neurological conditions associated with hypoxia frequently present to paediatric neurologists. Failure to adapt to hypoxia may be a common pathophysiological pathway linking a number of other conditions of childhood with cognitive deficit. There is evidence that congenital cardiac disease, asthma and sleep disordered breathing, for example, are associated with cognitive deficit, but little is known about the mechanism and whether there is any structural change. This review describes what is known about how the brain reacts and adapts to hypoxia, focusing on epilepsy and sickle cell disease (SCD). We prospectively recorded overnight oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2) in 18 children with intractable epilepsy, six of whom were currently or recently in minor status (MS). Children with MS were more likely to have an abnormal sleep study defined as either mean baseline SpO2<94% or >4 dips of >4% in SpO2/hour (p= .04). In our series of prospectively followed patients with SCD who subsequently developed acute neurological symptoms and signs, mean overnight SpO2was lower in those with cerebrovascular disease on magnetic resonance angiography (Mann‐Whitney, p = .01). Acute, intermittent and chronic hypoxia may have detrimental effects on the brain, the clinical manifestations perhaps depending on rapidity of presentation and prior exposure.
The Role of Information Disclosure and Uncertainty in the 1994/95 Mexican Peso Crisis: Empirical Evidence
Authors: Bannier Christina E.
Published: June 2006

This paper analyzes the role that the distribution of information played during the Mexican peso crisis 1994/95. In accordance with theoretical models, we find that, first, an improvement in the mean of posterior beliefs about economic fundamentals generally reduced speculative pressures. Secondly, the standard deviation of beliefs as a measure of information disparity did not significantly influence traders’ behavior. Information disparity did have a significant impact, however, when combined with the mean of beliefs. The combined effect, moreover, allows a tentative distinction between private or public information having dominated posterior beliefs. In this respect, thirdly, our analysis points to public information having driven speculative pressures.
Technology Sourcing and Strategic Foreign Direct Investment
Authors: Bjorvatn Kjetil , Eckel Carsten
Published: June 2006

Empirical evidence suggests that technological spillovers are limited by distance. The present paper investigates the implications of this observation for the investment decisions of a technologically leading and lagging firm, located in different countries. Technological spillovers may induce “technology sourcing” foreign direct investment by the less advanced firm, as it seeks to upgrade its technology. Our main result, however, is that there may be strong incentives for the leading firm to undertake strategic investment abroad in order to prevent technology sourcing by the lagging firm. We analyze how trade costs, the technology gap between firms, technological spillovers, and the ability of a firm to transfer technology between plants affect the two firms’ entry decisions.
Theatrical Motifs and the Drama of Everyday Life in the 1920s Stories of Mikhail Zoshchenko
Authors: KAMINER JENNY
Published: June 2006

We are not free. And the sky can still fall on our heads. And the theater has been created to teach us, first of all, that.

Antonin Artaud, The Theater and Its Double (1938).

All Russia is acting, some kind of elemental process is taking place where the living fabric of life is being transformed into the theatrical.

Viktor Shklovsky, Zhizn'iskusstva (1920).

I don't run down the theater. But, still, the movies are better.

Narrator in Mikhail Zoshchenko, “Kinodrama.”
Breakers on the Stalin Wave
Authors: RAACK R. C.
Published: June 2006

Murphy, David E. What Stalin Knew: The Enigma of Barbarossa.

Pleshakov, Constantine. Stalin's Folly: The Tragic First Ten Days of World War II on the Eastern Front.
Affect consciousness or mentalization? A comparison of two concepts with regard to affect development and affect regulation
Authors: MOHAUPT HENNING , HOLGERSEN HELGE , BINDER PER‐EINAR , NIELSEN GEIR HØSTMARK
Published: June 2006

Affect consciousness refers to the ability to adequately perceive, reflect upon and express affect. The concept is used in clinical work with adults, but lacks an equivalent for children's experience of affect. This paper examines the developmental prerequisites for affect consciousness, as well as the concept's applicability to work with children. The main focus is on the development of affect regulation throughout the first 6 years of life. Special emphasis is put on the role of attachment and the unfolding of mentalization ability in this development. The role of play as an organizing factor for affective experience is discussed. Observation of play is highlighted as a strong indicator of affect consciousness in children.
The Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ): Some psychometric properties
Authors: LARSSON GERRY
Published: June 2006

The development leadership model (Larsson et al., 2003), designed to introduce refinements to the transformational leadership model, has been adopted for use in the Swedish Armed Forces. The Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ) was constructed to measure important parts of the model. The main aim of the study was to evaluate some psychometric properties of the DLQ. Most analyses are based on two subsets of individuals from a sample mostly consisting of male Swedish, military officers, each of whom has rated a given leader (n= 450 and 449 respectively). A second sample consisted of Swedish military cadets (n= 141). The dimensionality was assessed with a confirmatory factor analysis. Most DLQ scales were reasonably well reproduced and showed high or acceptable internal consistency. When related to perceived results of leadership (self‐rated by leaders and rated by subordinates), results from multiple regression analyses supported what could be predicted by the theoretical model. It was concluded that the DLQ has acceptable psychometric properties and that the theoretical refinements introduced to the developmental leadership model were empirically supported.
Increased GFAP and S100β but not NSE serum levels after subarachnoid haemorrhage are associated with clinical severity
Authors: Vos P. E. , Van Gils M. , Beems T. , Zimmerman C. , Verbeek M. M.
Published: June 2006

Assessment of initial disease severity after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) remains difficult. The objective of the study is to identify biochemical markers of brain damage in peripheral blood after SAH. Hospital admission S100β, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neuron‐specific enolase (NSE) serum levels were analysed in 67 patients with SAH. Disease severity was determined by using the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) scale and the Fisher CT (computerized tomography) grading scale. Mean astroglial serum concentrations taken at hospital admission were increased (S100β 2.8‐fold and GFAP 1.8‐fold) compared with the upper limit of normal laboratory reference values (P95). The mean NSE concentration was within normal limits. S100β (P < 0.001) and GFAP (P =0.011) but not NSE levels were higher in patients who were in coma at the time of hospital admission compared with patients who were not. Similarly S100β and GFAP but not NSE serum levels increased with higher WFNS scores, raised intracranial pressure and higher CT Fisher grade scores. Concerning the location of the aneurysm, S100β and GFAP serum levels were within normal limits after a perimesencephalic type of haemorrhage and significantly increased after aneurysmal type SAH. Increased glial (S100β and GFAP) but not neuronal (NSE) protein serum concentrations are found after SAH, associated to the clinical severity of the initial injury.
Estrogen receptor α and APOEɛ4 polymorphisms interact to increase risk for sporadic AD in Italian females
Authors: Porrello E. , Monti M. C. , Sinforiani E. , Cairati M. , Guaita A. , Montomoli C. , Govoni S. , Racchi M.
Published: June 2006

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects both sexes, with a higher prevalence in women. Declining estrogen levels after menopause may render estrogen target neurons in the brain more susceptible to age or disease‐related processes such as AD. To investigate the role of two single nucleotide polymorphisms in the first intron of the ER‐α gene, denominated PvuII and XbaI, and their interaction with the known AD susceptibility gene APOE, we examined 131 patients with sporadic AD and 109 healthy control subjects. In multinomial logistic regression analysis, a significantly increased risk of sporadic AD because of interaction between the ER‐α p allele and APOE ɛ4 allele was observed in women, taking subjects who had neither the p allele nor ɛ4 as reference [odds ratio (OR) 7.24; 95% CI, 2.22–23.60]. For women carrying the ER‐α x allele together with APOE ɛ4, the risk of sporadic AD was similarly elevated (OR 8.33; 95% CI, 1.73–40.06). The data suggest that the p and x alleles of polymorphic ER‐α gene interact synergistically with the APOE ɛ4 allele to increase the risk of AD in women but not in men in this Italian cohort.
Parkinson's disease: the genetics of a heterogeneous disorder
Authors: Gosal D. , Ross O. A. , Toft M.
Published: June 2006

Since the first description of Parkinson's disease (PD) in 1817 attempts have been made to resolve the etiology of this common neurodegenerative disorder. In the last century the influence of heredity in PD was controversial. The identification of mutations in six genes responsible for Mendelian forms of PD; α‐synuclein (SNCA), parkin (PRKN), ubiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH‐L1), oncogene DJ‐1, PTEN‐induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), and most recently leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), has confirmed the role of genetics in familial forms of the disease. The exact relationship of these familial disorders and related genes to the more common sporadic form is currently uncertain. The identification of LRRK2 mutations and the association of common variants in SNCA and UCH‐L1 in apparently sporadic late‐onset disease indicate these genes may be of greater importance than previously believed. The protein products of the six genes are involved in different pathways of neurodegeneration and have opened new avenues of research. This focused research will lead to the development of novel targeted therapies, which may revolutionize the treatment of PD for a substantial proportion of patients.
Management of the ageing eyebrow and forehead: an objective dose–response study with botulinum toxin
Authors: Levy JL , Pons F , Jouve E
Published: June 2006

Objective  To determine if clinical use of two different doses of botulinum exotoxin A (BTX‐A) injections to the forehead area result in wrinkle reduction and modifications of eyebrow position.

Design  Prospective study.

Setting  Private practice, Dermatologic Laser Centre, Marseille, France.

Subjects  Twenty‐four adult patients treated with BTX‐A (Vistabel®) injections for forehead rhytides.

Intervention  Of the 24 patients, 12 received BTX‐A injections of 5 U only and 12 received injections of 10 U into the forehead, with or without treatment of the lateral forehead. The eyebrow position, forehead height and number of forehead lines determine the number of injection points. Patients were evaluated before injection and every 2 months after treatment during next 8 months.

Results  In the two groups of 12 patients, we found no significant change between the two doses. At each time after injections (every 2 months until 8 months), both groups showed a statistically significant improvement except at 8 months. Both groups exhibited the same results on standardized photos and on 3D skin profilometry.

Conclusions  The two doses of BTX‐A injections into the forehead gave the same results. The duration of the effect is similar along 8 months. This study emphasizes the role of low doses of BTX‐A injections to obtain good clinical results without freezing aspect.
Developing a model of housing support: the evidence from Merseyside
Authors: Hennessy Claire , Grant Diane
Published: June 2006

This paper examines the complexities of providing housing support services for people who have experienced homelessness. The evidence is from a qualitative study of both those receiving and those providing support services for homeless people to resettle into the wider community from homeless accommodation in the Merseyside area. Different approaches of support are considered and using narratives, a model of successful support is established. The experiences of the majority of the service users strongly suggest that support has been critical in assisting a resettled way of life after being homeless. The paper contends that a critical prerequisite of successful support is the strength of desire of the homeless person to become resettled, coupled with a degree of motivation to engage with support services. The importance of such motivation should not be underestimated. Equally important to the success of resettlement is the relationship that most clients develop with a support worker. This relationship can initially develop while attempting to resolve practical difficulties of finding suitable, permanent accommodation. Through a mutual respect between worker and client and a high degree of empathy from a worker towards a client in tandem with an individualized support package aimed at independent living successful outcomes can occur. The paper concludes that support is successful when it is provided in a flexible manner thus relying on the skill and ability of a support worker to adequately judge the exact requirements of a service user. When this delicate balance between support and service user needs is achieved, the outcome is long‐term sustainable housing solutions.
Making healthy eating messages more effective: combining integrated marketing communication with the behaviour ecological model
Authors: Dresler‐Hawke Emma , Veer Ekant
Published: June 2006

Encouraging healthy living involves a complex set of factors that interact with each other. Effective social communication strategies and conceptual models are needed in order to plan and maintain a desired level of societal change. More understanding is needed as to how different levels of society are affected by social communication messages. This paper examines how a social marketing strategy should be targeted in order to maximize societal change. In this paper the Multi‐levelled/Multimedia Model of Social Change is presented. This amalgamates integrated marketing communication principles and the Behavioural Ecological Model. It provides a basis for understanding how consistent messages and methods of communication affect long‐term behavioural or attitudinal change at the individual and societal levels.
Place image and urban regeneration in Liverpool
Authors: Kokosalakis Christina , Bagnall Gaynor , Selby Martin , Burns Steve
Published: June 2006

It is recognized that to date there has been an overemphasis on received images and their impact on the selection and evaluation of tourist destinations; this paper will therefore focus on projected images. While the merit of both semiotic and discursive approaches to analysing place image are recognized, it is proposed that the discursive approach is more appropriate as it takes into account the advantage of deriving meaning from its broader context. Drawing on examples from Liverpool, UK, the discussion indicates firstly, how projected image is formed by a complex and dynamic network of agents and secondly the implications for urban regeneration. Particular reference is made to the influence of the media, the circle of growth and the promotion of culture. Importantly, it is argued that while projected images can influence perceptions, the consumer also plays a key role in this process. It is concluded that while image campaigns can play a role in the regeneration of the urban landscape, drawing on the cultural dynamics of the local population could enhance it further.
Uterotubal transport disorder in adenomyosis and endometriosis—a cause for infertility
Authors: Kissler S , Hamscho N , Zangos S , Wiegratz I , Schlichter S , Menzel C , Doebert N , Gruenwald F , Vogl TJ , Gaetje R , Rody A , Siebzehnruebl E , Kunz G , Leyendecker G , Kaufmann M
Published: June 2006

Objective  Uterine hyperperistalsis and dysperistalsis are common phenomena in endometriosis and may be responsible for reduced fertility in cases of minimal or mild extent of disease. Since a high prevalence of adenomyosis uteri has been well documented in association with endometriosis, we designed a study to examine whether hyperperistalsis and dysperistalsis are caused by the endometriosis itself or by the adenomyotic component of the disease.

Design  A prospective observational study.

Setting  University hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecologic Endocrinology with 300 in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmatic sperm injection cycles and 350 intrauterine insemination cycles/year.

Population  Forty‐one subjects with infertility and with laparoscopically proven endometriosis and patent fallopian tubes. Thirty‐five subjects (85%) additionally showed signs of adenomyosis.

Methods  All subjects underwent T2‐weighed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and hysterosalpingoscintigraphy (HSSG) during the subsequent menstrual cycle. MRI revealed the extent of the adenomyotic component of the disease and the integrity of uterotubal transport capacity was evaluated by HSSG.

Main outcome measures  Influence of adenomyosis on uterotubal transport capacity in endometriosis.

Results  In 35 of the 41 subjects (85%) with endometriosis, signs of adenomyosis were detected using T2‐weighed MRI. Two of six (33%) subjects with no adenomyosis (group I) showed dysperistalsis and hyperperistalsis, compared with 14 of 24 (58%) women with focal adenomyosis (group II) and 10 of 11 (91%) women with diffuse adenomyosis (seven showed a failure in transport capacity and two contralateral transport).

Conclusions  Our data suggest that endometriosis is associated with impeded hyperperistaltic and dysperistaltic uterotubal transport capacity. However, adenomyosis is of even more importance, especially when diffuse adenomyosis is detected. Both forms of adenomyosis are commonly found in subjects with mild to moderate endometriosis. We suggest that the extent of the adenomyotic component in subjects with endometriosis explains much of the reduced fertility in subjects with intact tubo‐ovarian anatomy.
Tricyclic antidepressants, quinacrine and a novel, synthetic chimera thereof clear prions by destabilizing detergent‐resistant membrane compartments
Authors: Klingenstein Ralf , Löber Stefan , Kujala Pekka , Godsave Susan , Leliveld S. Rutger , Gmeiner Peter , Peters Peter J. , Korth Carsten
Published: June 2006

Prion diseases are invariably fatal, neurodegenerative diseases transmitted by an infectious agent, PrPSc, a pathogenic, conformational isoform of the normal prion protein (PrPC). Heterocyclic compounds such as acridine derivatives like quinacrine abolish prion infectivity in a cell culture model of prion disease. Here, we report that these compounds execute their antiprion activity by redistributing cholesterol from the plasma membrane to intracellular compartments, thereby destabilizing membrane domains. Our findings are supported by the fact that structurally unrelated compounds with known cholesterol‐redistributing effects – U18666A, amiodarone, and progesterone – also possessed high antiprion potency. We show that tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. desipramine), another class of heterocyclic compounds, displayed structure‐dependent antiprion effects and enhanced the antiprion effects of quinacrine, allowing lower doses of both drugs to be used in combination. Treatment of ScN2a cells with quinacrine or desipramine induced different ultrastructural and morphological changes in endosomal compartments. We synthesized a novel drug from quinacrine and desipramine, termed quinpramine, that led to a fivefold increase in antiprion activity compared to quinacrine with an EC50 of 85 nm. Furthermore, simvastatin, an inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, acted synergistically with both heterocyclic compounds to clear PrPSc. Our data suggest that a cocktail of drugs targeting the lipid metabolism that controls PrP conversion may be the most efficient in treating Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease.
Differential protection against MPTP or methamphetamine toxicity in dopamine neurons by deletion of ppN/OFQ expression
Authors: Brown Jeffrey M. , Gouty Shawn , Iyer Varsha , Rosenberger John , Cox Brian M.
Published: June 2006

Nociceptin (N/OFQ) is an endogenous neuropeptide that plays a role in the behavioral deficits associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of the present study was to characterize the protective effects of prepro (pp)N/OFQ gene deletion against two dopamine toxins, MPTP and methamphetamine (METH). Results demonstrate that ppN/OFQ gene deletion attenuates the loss of both the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)‐positive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and loss of TH and vesicular monoamine transporter‐2 (VMAT) immunoreactivity in the caudate putamen (CPu) of MPTP‐treated mice. This protection was unaffected by age or gender, although, when loss of TH exceeded 90% in 5–6 month‐old mice, the protective effect was greatly diminished. In contrast, METH administration preferentially damaged dopaminergic terminals in the CPu with little effect on dopamine neurons in the SNpc, an effect not reversed by ppN/OFQ gene deletion. To determine if N/OFQ and MPP+ act directly and synergistically on dopamine neurons, differentiated SH‐SY5Y cells were incubated with N/OFQ and/or MPP+. N/OFQ did not increase MPP+‐mediated cell loss, suggesting an indirect action of N/OFQ. These studies demonstrate that inhibition of the endogenous N/OFQ system may represent a new therapeutic target for prevention of neuronal loss associated with PD.
Effects of endogenous β‐amyloid overproduction on tau phosphorylation in cell culture
Authors: Wang Ze‐Fen , Li Hong‐Lian , Li Xia‐Chun , Zhang Qi , Tian Qing , Wang Qun , Xu Huaxi , Wang Jian‐Zhi
Published: June 2006

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by β‐amyloid (Aβ) overproduction and tau hyperphosphorylation. Recent studies have shown that synthetic Aβ promotes tau phosphorylation in vitro. However, whether endogenously overproduced Aβ promotes tau phosphorylation and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we used mouse neuroblastoma N2a stably expressing wild‐type amyloid precursor protein (APPwt) or the Swedish mutant APP (APPswe) to determine the alterations of phosphorylated tau and the related protein kinases. We found that phosphorylation of tau at paired helical filament (PHF)‐1, pSer396 and pThr231 epitopes was significantly increased in cells transfected with APPwt and APPswe, which produced higher levels of Aβ than cells transfected with vector or amyloid precursor‐like protein 1. The activity of glycogen synthase kinase‐3 (GSK‐3) was up‐regulated with a concomitant reduction in the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK‐3 at its N‐terminal Ser9 residue. In contrast, the activity of cyclin‐dependent kinase‐5 (CDK‐5) and protein kinase C (PKC) was down‐regulated. Inhibition of GSK‐3 by LiCl, but not inhibition of CDK‐5 by roscovitine, arrested Aβ secretion and tau phosphorylation. Inhibition of PKC by GF‐109203X activated GSK‐3, whereas activation of PKC by phorbol‐12,13‐dibutyrate inhibited GSK‐3. These results suggest that endogenously overproduced Aβ induces increased tau phosphorylation through activation of GSK‐3, and that inactivation of PKC is at least one of the mechanisms involved in GSK‐3 activation.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), and cross‐amplification in other cyprinid species
Authors: GHEYAS A. A. , CAIRNEY M. , GILMOUR A. E. , SATTAR M. A. , DAS T. K. , McANDREW B. J. , PENMAN D. J. , TAGGART J. B.
Published: June 2006

Captive populations of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), a major aquaculture species in Asia, would undoubtedly benefit from genetic monitoring and improvement programs. We report the isolation and preliminary characterization of 16 microsatellite loci derived from both conventional and microsatellite‐enriched libraries. Inheritance studies confirmed the allelic nature of observed polymorphisms at all loci, while identifying null alleles at two loci. These loci, having varying degrees of polymorphism, should provide useful markers for applied genetic studies. A high degree of cross‐amplification among 10 other cyprinid species suggests that these loci may have more widespread utility.
Isolation and characterization of 149 novel microsatellite DNA markers for striped bass, Morone saxatilis, and cross‐species amplification in white bass, Morone chrysops, and their hybrid
Authors: COUCH C. R. , GARBER A. F. , REXROAD C. E. , ABRAMS J. M. , STANNARD J. A. , WESTERMAN M. E. , SULLIVAN C. V.
Published: June 2006

To support detailed genetic analysis of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and white bass (Morone chrysops), we isolated 153 microsatellite loci from repeat‐enriched striped bass DNA libraries. Of these, 147 markers amplified in striped bass (average 4.7 alleles per locus) and 133 in white bass (average 2.2 alleles per locus). One hundred twenty‐two markers amplified in their hybrid. Development of new microsatellite markers will facilitate evaluations of genetic structure in wild populations and will support pedigree analysis and linkage mapping for selective breeding.
Microsatellite DNA markers for assessing phylogeographic and population structure in Preble's meadow jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius preblei) and cross‐amplification among neighbouring taxa
Authors: KING TIM L. , EACKLES MICHAEL S. , YOUNG COLLEEN C.
Published: June 2006

We document the isolation and characterization of 14 tetranucleotide microsatellite DNA markers in Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei). The identified markers displayed moderate levels of allelic diversity (averaging 4.9 alleles per locus) and heterozygosity (averaging 55.1%). Genotypic and allelic frequencies in a collection of 30 individuals conformed to Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium expectations and indicated no linkage disequilibrium. High levels of cross‐amplification (95% overall) among neighbouring subspecies and two congeners (Zapus princeps and Zapus trinotatus) were observed. Multilocus genotypes resulting from these markers appear to provide ample genetic diversity for studies assessing individual‐ and population–level ecological interactions within Z. h. preblei and evolutionary relationships among neighbouring subspecies (Z. h. campestris, Z. h. intermedius, Z. h. pallidus and Z. h. luteus).
Newly developed polymorphic microsatellite markers in Job's tears (Coix lacryma‐jobi L.)
Authors: MA KYUNG‐HO , KIM KWANG‐HO , DIXIT ANUPAM , YU JAE‐WOONG , CHUNG JONG‐WOOK , LEE JEONG‐HEUI , CHO EUN‐GI , KIM TAE SAN , PARK YONG‐JIN
Published: June 2006

A microsatellite‐enriched library of Job's tears (Coix lacryma‐jobi L. var. Ma‐yuen Stapf) was constructed using a modified biotin–streptavidin capture method. After screening, 17 polymorphic microsatellites were used for diversity analysis among 30 Job's tears accessions. The number of alleles ranged from one to five alleles per locus with an average of 2.8 alleles. Expected heterozygosity (HE) and polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0 to 0.676 and from 0 to 0.666, respectively. The newly developed microsatellite markers are expected to be very valuable tools for evaluation of genetic diversity among large germplasm collection of Job's tears present in our Korean Gene Bank.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in the sea hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus L., Malvaceae) and related hibiscus species
Authors: TAKAYAMA KOJI , KAJITA TADASHI , MURATA JIN , TATEISHI YOICHI
Published: June 2006

Microsatellite loci were isolated from the sea hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus L., Malvaceae), a pantropical plant with sea‐drifted seeds. This study describes six dinucleotide microsatellite loci for which the primers produced clear and polymorphic amplification patterns with different levels of variability (between three and nine alleles). Six markers were amplified in four other species of hibiscus, greatly increasing the utility of these markers.
Highly polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the eastern Canary Island lizard, Gallotia atlantica
Authors: BLOOR P. , DE LAGUNA I. H.‐B. , KEMP S. J.
Published: June 2006

We describe 10 polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci from the eastern Canary Island lacertid lizard, Gallotia atlantica. Loci were isolated from a partial genomic library that had been enriched for AAAG repeat sequence. All loci were highly polymorphic (eight alleles or more) with observed heterozygosities from 0.75 to 1.00. At least four loci were successfully amplified and polymorphic in the Gran Canarian lacertid, Gallotia stehlini. These loci will be used to examine correlations between patterns of gene flow and recent volcanism on the island of Lanzarote.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci from the pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Authors: LIU YU‐DI , WU KONG‐MING , GUO YU‐YUAN
Published: June 2006

Thirteen polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed from an enriched partial genomic library for the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), one of the most important cotton pests in the world. The total number of alleles ranged from two to 12 for a sample of 50 individuals and the expected heterozygosity at these loci ranged from 0.042 to 0.830. Although the presence of null alleles in some loci is suspected, these polymorphic markers are likely to provide useful tools for the population genetic studies of this species.
Nested clade analysis statistics
Authors: POSADA DAVID , CRANDALL KEITH A. , TEMPLETON ALAN R.
Published: June 2006

Nested clade analysis (NCA) is a flexible and powerful method to study the phylogeography of species and populations, implemented in the software geodis. Despite the popularity of this method, an explicit description of the exact equations used to compute the NCA statistics has never been published. Given the importance of the methodology and increased interest in exactly how it works, here we describe the exact equations implemented in the program geodis for the calculation of these statistics.
Development of SSR primers using ISSR–PCR in Diospyros kaki Thunb.
Authors: GUO D. L. , LUO Z. R.
Published: June 2006

Nine polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers were developed in Japanese persimmon using inter‐SSR (ISSR) suppression polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These primers were tested on 30 individuals from Japan and China. The number of alleles per locus ranged from five to 20. Expected and observed heterozygosities at each locus ranged from 0.42 to 0.77 and from 0.27 to 0.59, respectively. The SSR primers developed herein could be applied to cultivar identification, estimation of genetic diversity and divergence in Diospyros spp.
Two multiplex sets of eight and five microsatellite markers for the European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalisHübner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Authors: DALECKY AMBROISE , BOGDANOWICZ STEVEN M. , DOPMAN ERIK B. , BOURGUET DENIS , HARRISON RICHARD G.
Published: June 2006

Primer sequence and polymorphism data are presented for 13 microsatellite loci isolated from the European corn borer moth,Ostrinia nubilalis, as part of a project to construct a linkage map for the two pheromone strains. Experimental conditions are described for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) multiplexing, which allows genotyping in two electrophoresis runs of eight and five markers each. In a sample of 27 individuals coming from one European locality, the number of alleles per locus ranged from one to 12, and gene diversity from 0 to 0.859. Seven loci showed a deficit of heterozygotes. Eleven loci cross‐amplify in the relatedOstrinia furnacalis.
From Prague to Baghdad: Lustration Systems and their Political Effects
Authors: David Roman
Published: June 2006

This article provides a preliminary evaluation of the de-Baathification policy that has been adopted by the occupying forces in Iraq. In order to do this evaluation, the article examines the logic behind major lustration laws approved in East European countries between 1990 and 2003 and assesses their political effects. It introduces the concept of ‘lustration systems’ and provides their classification into either ‘exclusive’, ‘inclusive’, ‘reconciliatory’ or ‘mixed’ systems. It recommends a ‘reconciliatory’ system for the new Iraqi administration as an alternative to the ‘mixed’ system previously pursued by the Coalition authorities in Iraq.
European Union Accession Dynamics and Democratization in Central and Eastern Europe: Past and Future Perspectives
Authors: Pridham Geoffrey
Published: June 2006

EU influence in encouraging and promoting democratic consolidation in Central and Eastern Europe has been extensive, though in a wide rather than deep sense. But, as shown by the enlargement process up to 2004, accession dynamics are the crucial force driving governments in the region to meet the EU's political conditionality. Despite the latter's deficiencies, it has by and large contributed towards democratic consolidation in the new member states notwithstanding some negative aspects of accession. The clear lesson for further enlargement in post-Communist Europe is that EU pressure and promise over integration will be decisive in new candidate states, even though their capacity to achieve the political conditions is more problematic. It follows too that any lessening of EU commitment is likely to undermine democratization efforts there.
Captives No Longer, but Servants Still? Contract Parliamentarism and the New Minority Governance in Sweden and New Zealand
Authors: Bale Tim , Bergman Torbjörn
Published: June 2006

Recent years have seen the institutionalization of minority governance in Sweden and New Zealand. Large, historic social democratic labour parties enjoy comparative security of tenure thanks to smaller, newer parties with whom they have signed long-term, detailed support agreements covering both policy and process. This trend toward ‘contract parliamentarism’ owes much to party-system dynamics, but also to the accretion of experience, to cultural norms and to institutional constraints – all of which, along with electoral contingency, explain why the trend has gone slightly further in one polity than in the other. While the trend seems to favour the left in general, its implications for the support or ‘servant’ parties, and – more normatively – for democracy itself, may be less favourable.
Being a Man
Authors: Carver Terrell
Published: June 2006

Masculine identity confers advantages over the feminine ‘other’, but works differently and in a twofold way. ‘Man’ as the generic representation of ‘the human’ is only apparently de-gendered or gender-neutral. It is in fact gendered masculine and defined within heteronormativity and homophobia. However, there are also overtly gendered roles for men, though these are characteristically represented in selective and flattering ways. Men therefore have little need for an ‘identity politics’ to work against an oppressive norm. Rather they are positioned against each other within competitive hierarchies, which are co-defined with the values and structures of militarism and capitalism.
Flappers and Factory Lads: Youth and Youth Culture in Interwar Britain
Authors: Todd Selina
Published: June 2006

The interwar years witnessed a transition in the experience, representation, and treatment of youth. While David Fowler identifies an interwar explosion of a commercialised youth culture, other historians suggest that young people’s lifestyles were fractured by class. More affluent young people were in full‐time education, but the majority of children entered the labour market at the age of fourteen. Young wage‐earners shouldered economic responsibility but increasingly experienced personal affluence as employment opportunities expanded. This influenced the proliferation of dance halls and cinemas and shaped political interest in young people. Gender as well as class affected lifestyles: parents allowed sons more freedom, but young women’s employment opportunities expanded significantly, enabling them to become important leisure consumers. Poverty prevented the emergence of a uniform, commercialised youth culture before the Second World War, but socially, and sometimes politically, young people expressed collective interests and concerns, albeit shaped by social class.
Optimal Experimental Design for a Nonlinear Response in Environmental Toxicology
Authors: Wright Stephen E. , Bailer A. John
Published: June 2006

SummaryA start–stop experiment in environmental toxicology provides a backdrop for this design discussion. The basic problem is to decide when to sample a nonlinear response in order to minimize the generalized variance of the estimated parameters. An easily coded heuristic optimization strategy can be applied to this problem to obtain optimal or nearly optimal designs. The efficiency of the heuristic approach allows a straightforward exploration of the sensitivity of the suggested design with respect to such problem‐specific concerns as variance heterogeneity, time‐grid resolution, design criteria, and interval specification of planning values for parameters. A second illustration of design optimization is briefly presented in the context of concentration spacing for a reproductive toxicity study.
Adaptive Web Sampling
Authors: Thompson Steven K.
Published: June 2006

SummaryA flexible class of adaptive sampling designs is introduced for sampling in network and spatial settings. In the designs, selections are made sequentially with a mixture distribution based on an active set that changes as the sampling progresses, using network or spatial relationships as well as sample values. The new designs have certain advantages compared with previously existing adaptive and link‐tracing designs, including control over sample sizes and of the proportion of effort allocated to adaptive selections. Efficient inference involves averaging over sample paths consistent with the minimal sufficient statistic. A Markov chain resampling method makes the inference computationally feasible. The designs are evaluated in network and spatial settings using two empirical populations: a hidden human population at high risk for HIV/AIDS and an unevenly distributed bird population.
A Generalized Response Surface Model with Varying Relative Potency for Assessing Drug Interaction
Authors: Kong Maiying , Lee J. Jack
Published: June 2006

Summary When multiple drugs are administered simultaneously, investigators are often interested in assessing whether the drug combinations are synergistic, additive, or antagonistic. Based on the Loewe additivity reference model, many existing response surface models require constant relative potency and some of them use a single parameter to capture synergy, additivity, or antagonism. However, the assumption of constant relative potency is too restrictive, and these models using a single parameter to capture drug interaction are inadequate to describe the phenomenon when synergy, additivity, and antagonism are interspersed in different regions of drug combinations. We propose a generalized response surface model with a function of doses instead of one single parameter to identify and quantify departure from additivity. The proposed model can incorporate varying relative potencies among multiple drugs as well. Examples and simulations are given to demonstrate that the proposed model is effective in capturing different patterns of drug interaction.
Quantifying Genomic Imprinting in the Presence of Linkage
Authors: Vincent Quentin , Alcaïs Alexandre , Alter Andrea , Schurr Erwin , Abel Laurent
Published: June 2006

Summary Genomic imprinting decreases the power of classical linkage analysis, in which paternal and maternal transmissions of marker alleles are equally weighted. Several methods have been proposed for taking genomic imprinting into account in the model‐free linkage analysis of binary traits. However, none of these methods are suitable for the formal identification and quantification of genomic imprinting in the presence of linkage. In addition, the available methods are designed for use with pure sib‐pairs, requiring artificial decomposition in cases of larger sibships, leading to a loss of power. We propose here the maximum likelihood binomial method adaptive for imprinting (MLB‐I), which is a unified analytic framework giving rise to specific tests in sibships of any size for (i) linkage adaptive to imprinting, (ii) genomic imprinting in the presence of linkage, and (iii) partial versus complete genomic imprinting. In addition, we propose an original measure for quantifying genomic imprinting. We have derived and validated the distribution of the three tests under their respective null hypotheses for various genetic models, and have assessed the power of these tests in simulations. This method can readily be applied to genome‐wide scanning, as illustrated here for leprosy sibships. Our approach provides a novel tool for dissecting genomic imprinting in model‐free linkage analysis, and will be of considerable value for identifying and evaluating the contribution of imprinted genes to complex diseases.
Plot size and maize productivity in Zambia: is there an inverse relationship?
Authors: Kimhi Ayal
Published: June 2006

This article examines the relationship between maize productivity and plot size in Zambia. It offers a unique empirical approach. First, it focuses on maize, which is the major crop on small and medium size farms in Zambia, but also accounts for the endogenous determination of the size of the plot devoted to maize. Previous studies have used total farm size or harvested area. Second, it corrects for selectivity in maize cultivation. Third, it controls for differences in land quality and weather conditions across districts. Finally, it offers a structural interpretation of the above framework by modeling farm decisions as a sequential, two‐stage process, in which land is first allocated to the different crops based on the information set of the farmers at the time of planting, and the yield is affected by subsequent application of inputs, the quantities of which may depend on additional information that is revealed after planting. We use this recursive structure and the differences in the information sets over time to identify the model.

The results show that the endogeneity of plot size is very important in this analysis. When considering plot size as an exogenous explanatory variable, we find a monotonic positive relationship between the yield of maize and plot size, indicating that economies of scale are dominant throughout the plot size distribution. However, when we correct for the endogeneity of plot size, we find that the inverse relationship dominates the economies of scale in all plots up to 3 ha, which constitute 86% of our sample. These results suggest that market imperfections should be targeted by any policy aimed at increasing maize productivity in Zambia.
A real options analysis of coffee planting in Vietnam
Authors: Luong Quoc V. , Tauer Loren W.
Published: June 2006

Vietnam grew from an insignificant to the world's second largest coffee producer during the 1990s. To understand this growth, this article examines Vietnamese coffee growers' investment decisions using real options theory. The study finds that producers, with variable costs of 19 cents/lb and total cost of 29.3 cents/lb, would enter coffee production at a coffee price of 47 cents/lb and exit at a coffee price of 14 cents/lb. Most Vietnamese growers appear to be sufficiently efficient to continue producing coffee even at relatively depressed price levels.
The political economy of farmland ownership regulations and land prices
Authors: Ferguson Shon , Furtan Hartley , Carlberg Jared
Published: June 2006

One of the most ubiquitous forms of agricultural regulation is a restriction on farmland ownership. One Canadian example of a farmland ownership restriction is The Saskatchewan Farm Security Act (FSA), passed in 1974. The purpose of this article is to explain, using a political economy framework, why the FSA was implemented and to estimate the effect of the FSA on Saskatchewan farmland values. A Present Value (PV) model is used to estimate the relationship between land values, rents, and the regulation. The Hausman endogeneity test reveals that the regulation variable is endogenous with the land price. The sign of the regulation variable is negative, which fits with the theory, i.e., the more stringent the regulation the lower the land value. We estimate that the regulation lowered Saskatchewan farmland prices by an average of 4 to 34 US$/acre, depending on whether ordinary least squares (OLS) or two‐stage least squares (TSLS) is employed in the estimation, over the period of 1974–2001.
Is agriculture the engine of growth?
Authors: Tiffin Richard , Irz Xavier
Published: June 2006

We seek to address formally the question raised by Gardner (2003) in his Elmhirst lecture as to the direction of causality between agricultural value added per worker and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. Using the Granger causality test in the panel data analyzed by Gardner for 85 countries, we find overwhelming evidence that supports the conclusion that agricultural value added is the causal variable in developing countries, while the direction of causality in developed countries is unclear. We also examine further the use of the Granger causality test in integrated data and provide evidence that the performance of the test can be increased in small samples through the use of the bootstrap.
Multidimensional goals of beef and dairy producers: an inter‐industry comparison
Authors: Basarir Aydin , Gillespie Jeffrey M.
Published: June 2006

The relative importance of seven goals were elicited for Louisiana beef and dairy producers using the fuzzy pair‐wise comparison method. Beef producers were more concerned with maintaining and conserving land, while dairy producers were more concerned with financial goals such as maximizing profit and avoiding years of loss or low profit.