bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traditional cattle manure application determines abundance, diversity and activity of methanogenic Archaea in arable European soil
Authors: Gattinger Andreas , Höfle Manfred G. , Schloter Michael , Embacher Arndt , Böhme Frank , Munch Jean Charles , Labrenz Matthias
Published: November 2006

Based on lipid analyses, 16S rRNA/rRNA gene single‐strand conformation polymorphism fingerprints and methane flux measurements, influences of the fertilization regime on abundance and diversity of archaeal communities were investigated in soil samples from the long‐term (103 years) field trial in Bad Lauchstädt, Germany. The investigated plots followed a gradient of increasing fertilization beginning at no fertilization and ending at the ‘cattle manure’ itself. The archaeal phospholipid etherlipid (PLEL) concentration was used as an indicator for archaeal biomass and increased with the gradient of increasing fertilization, whereby the concentrations determined for organically fertilized soils were well above previously reported values. Methane emission, although at a low level, were occasionally only observed in organically fertilized soils, whereas the other treatments showed significant methane uptake. Euryarchaeotal organisms were abundant in all investigated samples but 16S rRNA analysis also demonstrated the presence of Crenarchaeota in fertilized soils. Lowest molecular archaeal diversity was found in highest fertilized treatments. Archaea phylogenetically most closely related to cultured methanogens were abundant in these fertilized soils, whereas Archaea with low relatedness to cultured microorganisms dominated in non‐fertilized soils. Relatives of Methanoculleus spp. were found almost exclusively in organically fertilized soils or cattle manure. Methanosarcina‐related microorganisms were detected in all soils as well as in the cattle manure, but soils with highest organic application rate were specifically dominated by a close phylogenetic relative of Methanosarcina thermophila. Our findings suggest that regular application of cattle manure increased archaeal biomass, but reduced archaeal diversity and selected for methanogenic Methanoculleus and Methanosarcina strains, leading to the circumstance that high organic fertilized soils did not function as a methane sink at the investigated site anymore.
Evaluation of findings during re‐exploration for obstructive ileus after radical cystectomy and ileal‐loop urinary diversion: insight into potential technical improvements
Authors: Varkarakis Ioannis M. , Chrisofos Michalis , Antoniou Nikolaos , Papatsoris Athanasios , Deliveliotis Charalambos
Published: November 2006

Authors from Greece evaluated their experience of findings during re‐exploration for small bowel obstruction after radical cystectomy. They found several abnormalities, more particularly unexpected, to account for this, and drew some conclusions as to the operative technique that might help to prevent them.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively evaluate the findings during re‐exploration for obstructive ileus after radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal conduit diversion.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

During a 12‐year period, 434 patients who had RC and ileal conduit diversion were retrospectively evaluated for the diagnosis of early (≤30 days after RC) or late abdominal re‐exploration. The operative reports of patients requiring a second abdominal procedure were reviewed, evaluating in particular the reason for small bowel obstruction (SBO). In addition, the type of entero‐enteric anastomosis and the retroperitonealization of the uretero‐enteric anastomosis were compared between patients who required abdominal re‐exploration for SBO and those who did not.

RESULTS

Abdominal re‐exploration for SBO was necessary for 14 (3.2%) and 32 (7.3%) patients in the early and late postoperative period, respectively. The most common reasons for SBO were anastomotic malfunction (1.4%) and malignant recurrence (2.8%). Adhesions were the second most common cause leading to ileus in both periods (1.1% and 2.3%, respectively). When there was no retroperitonealization of the uretero‐enteric anastomosis, SBO occurred more often both early and late (P = 0.06). Early anastomotic malfunction leading to SBO was more common (but not statistically significant, P = 0.06) when the entero‐enteric anastomosis was hand‐sutured end‐to‐end.

CONCLUSIONS

Anastomotic malfunction, bowel adhesions and internal hernias are responsible for SBO early after surgery. The above reasons, in addition to malignant recurrence, are the most common reasons for SBO in the late postoperative period.
Self‐reported volume of radical prostatectomies among urologists in the USA
Authors: Denberg Thomas D. , Flanigan Robert C. , Kim Fernando J. , Hoffman Richard M. , Steiner John F.
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the variability in the volume of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) performed by urologists in the USA, and the physician characteristics that predict RP volume, as previous studies showed that individual surgeon volume for RP is associated with clinical outcomes.

METHODS

In a nationwide, representative survey of 2000 urologists who treat prostate carcinoma in the USA, we asked respondents to indicate a numerical range of RPs they perform each year (none, 1–10, 11–30, and >30, the last which we defined as ‘high volume’). We then identified characteristics of the provider and practice associated with a high volume of RPs. Supplementing survey results with other national data, we estimated the proportion of all RPs in the USA performed by ‘high‐volume’ urologists.

RESULTS

The survey response rate was 66.1% (1313 urologists) with no differences between the respondents and non‐respondents for the measured demographic variables. Among urologists who performed RPs (89.1% of the sample), 37.3% did ≤ 10, 46.9% 11–30 and 15.8% >30 RPs/year. Academic and urological oncology fellowship‐trained urologists were, respectively, 41% and 27% more likely than private‐practice and non‐fellowship‐trained urologists to have a high volume of RPs. Of all RPs performed yearly in the USA, only an estimated 46.1% were by high‐volume urologists.

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion of urologists report a RP volume that might be associated with higher rates of cardiac, respiratory, vascular, wound‐healing, and genitourinary complications. Further study is needed to characterize the possible relationships between RP volume and tumour recurrence, survival, and long‐term erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
Comparison of traditional basal and apical periprostatic block: impact on injection pain and biopsy pain
Authors: Nguyen Carvell T. , Jones J. Stephen
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVE

To compare the pain of injection and biopsy when lidocaine is injected periprostatically either at a basal or apical site, as the former is commonly used to anaesthetise the prostate, based on several reports showing that it can eliminate most of the pain associated with prostate biopsy, and this site has been favoured over apical injection because the nerves enter the prostate from the basal aspect.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 143 patients scheduled for biopsy were randomized to receive a periprostatic block either at the apex or base of the prostate. Immediately before biopsy 5 mL of 1% lidocaine was injected under transrectal ultrasonographic (TRUS) guidance into the periprostatic nerves bilaterally. Patients were immediately given a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS, 0–100) to assess the pain associated with both the block and the subsequent biopsy.

RESULTS

The mean VAS scores for the anaesthetic block were 21.1 and 22.0 (P = 0.79) and the biopsy VAS scores were 17.6 and 28.7 (P < 0.001) for the apical and basal groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between patients who had a 12‐ or 20‐core biopsy.

CONCLUSIONS

Apical periprostatic injection with anaesthetic provides better anaesthesia for TRUS biopsy than basal injection, and without increasing the pain associated with injection at the potentially more sensitive apical site.
Production of polyhydroxybutyrate in sugarcane
Authors: Petrasovits Lars A. , Purnell Matthew P. , Nielsen Lars K. , Brumbley Stevens M.
Published: November 2006

We report here the production of the bacterial polyester, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), in the crop species sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids). The PHB biosynthesis enzymes of Ralstonia eutropha [β‐ketothiolase (PHAA), acetoacetyl‐reductase (PHAB) and PHB synthase (PHAC)] were expressed in the cytosol or targeted to mitochondria or plastids. PHB accumulated in cytosolic lines at trace amounts, but was not detected in mitochondrial lines. In plastidic lines, PHB accumulated in leaves to a maximum of 1.88% of dry weight without obvious deleterious effects. Epifluorescence and electron microscopy of leaf sections from these lines revealed that PHB granules were visible in plastids of most cell types, except mesophyll cells. The concentration of PHB in culm internodes of plastidic lines was substantially lower than in leaves. Western blot analysis of these lines indicated that expression of the PHB biosynthesis proteins was not limiting in culm internodes. Epifluorescence microscopy of culm internode sections from plastidic lines showed that PHB granules were visible in most cell types, except photosynthetic cortical cells in the rind, and that the lower PHB concentration in culm internodes was probably a result of dilution of PHB‐containing cells by the large number of cells with little or no PHB. We discuss strategies for producing PHB in mitochondria and mesophyll cell plastids, and for increasing PHB yields in culms.
Continuous Dynamics in Real-Time Cognition
Authors: Spivey Michael J. , Dale Rick
Published: November 2006

Real-time cognition is best described not as a sequence of logical operations performed on discrete symbols but as a continuously changing pattern of neuronal activity. The continuity in these dynamics indicates that, in between describable states of mind, mental activity does not lend itself to the linguistic labels relied on by much of psychology. We discuss eye-tracking and mouse-tracking evidence for this temporal continuity and provide geometric visualizations of mental activity, depicting it as a continuous trajectory through a state space (a multidimensional space in which locations correspond to mental states). When the state of the system travels toward a frequently visited region of that space, the destination may constitute recognition of a particular word or a particular object; but on the way there, the majority of the mental trajectory is in intermediate regions of that space, revealing graded mixtures of mental states.
The Role of Emotion in Decision Making
Authors: Naqvi Nasir , Shiv Baba , Bechara Antoine
Published: November 2006

Decision making often occurs in the face of uncertainty about whether one's choices will lead to benefit or harm. The somatic-marker hypothesis is a neurobiological theory of how decisions are made in the face of uncertain outcome. This theory holds that such decisions are aided by emotions, in the form of bodily states, that are elicited during the deliberation of future consequences and that mark different options for behavior as being advantageous or disadvantageous. This process involves an interplay between neural systems that elicit emotional/bodily states and neural systems that map these emotional/bodily states.
Association of vitiligo with HLA‐A2: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Liu J‐B , Li M , Chen H , Zhong S‐Q , Yang S , Du W‐D , Hao J‐H , Zhang T‐S , Zhang X‐J , Zeegers MP
Published: November 2006

Background  Linkage and association studies suggest that the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) region may be involved in the genetic susceptibility of vitiligo. HLA‐A2 has been reported to be associated with vitiligo in some, but not all, studies.

Objective  To identify sources of the heterogeneity among studies and to quantify effect estimates, we examined the association of HLA‐A2 with vitiligo in a meta‐analysis of all observational studies comparing the frequencies of HLA‐A2 between vitiligo individuals and controls during 1966–2005.

Methods  The summary odds ratio (OR) was calculated by using a fixed‐ or a random‐effects model. Meta‐regression analysis was undertaken to investigate the effects of study characteristics on the pooled OR.

Results  Eleven case‐controlled studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The studies identified a total of 777 patients and 4820 controls. Meta‐analysis showed a significantly increased frequency of HLA‐A2 in vitiligo among cases [OR = 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.67–2.58]. Heterogeneity was explained by the quality of the study and the ethnic background of the participants. Meta‐regression analysis further showed that the percentage of familial vitiligo among the subjects had a significant effect on the pooled OR (P = 0.008). No study had a significant effect on the pooled OR and no publication bias presented in the studies analysed (P = 0.688).

Conclusion  These findings strongly suggest an association between HLA‐A2 and vitiligo.
Extreme Patterns of Variance in Small Populations: Placing Limits on Human Y‐Chromosome Diversity through Time in the Vanuatu Archipelago
Authors: Cox M.
Published: November 2006

Small populations are dominated by unique patterns of variance, largely characterized by rapid drift of allele frequencies. Although the variance components of genetic datasets have long been recognized, most population genetic studies still treat all sampling locations equally despite differences in sampling and effective population sizes. Because excluding the effects of variance can lead to significant biases in historical reconstruction, variance components should be incorporated explicitly into population genetic analyses. The possible magnitude of variance effects in small populations is illustrated here via a case study of Y‐chromosome haplogroup diversity in the Vanuatu Archipelago. Deme‐based modelling is used to simulate allele frequencies through time, and conservative confidence bounds are placed on the accumulation of stochastic variance effects, including diachronic genetic drift and contemporary sampling error. When the information content of the dataset has been ascertained, demographic models with parameters falling outside the confidence bounds of the variance components can then be accepted with some statistical confidence. Here I emphasize how aspects of the demographic history of a population can be disentangled from stochastic variance effects, and I illustrate the extreme roles of genetic drift and sampling error for many small human population datasets.
Osteoprotegerin Plasma Levels are Strongly Associated with Polymorphisms in Human Homologue of the Mouse Progressive Ankylosis (ANKH) Gene
Authors: Vistoropsky Y. , Malkin I. , Kobyliansky E. , Livshits G.
Published: November 2006

Osteoprotegerin inhibits osteoclastogenesis and plays an important role in the control of bone resorption. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying regulation of OPG levels are currently not fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the ANKH gene, which plays a central role in bone mineralization, contributes to the genetic regulation of OPG levels. A family‐based association study used a sample of 159 ethnically homogeneous nuclear families, comprising 556 apparently healthy individuals. Statistical analyses included family aggregation analysis of OPG variation and four types of transmission disequilibrium tests. Each individual was genotyped for 11 SNPs in the ANKH gene. Four TDTs consistently showed a highly significant association between OPG levels and the intronic SNP rs875525 located between exons 6 and 7. The combined p‐value for four tests to reject the null hypothesis of no association was 0.0003. Furthermore, haplotypes generated between rs875525 and two additional neighbouring SNPs (rs2291943 and rs2288474) also revealed a significant association with OPG plasma levels (p < 10−4‐10−3). ANKH genetic polymorphisms in the area between SNP rs2291943 and rs2288474 are strongly associated with OPG plasma levels. The molecular mechanism underlying this association is not obvious, and therefore these results should be regarded cautiously until they are confirmed in independent studies.
Ten microsatellite loci for the reef‐building coral Acropora millepora (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Authors: VAN OPPEN MADELEINE J. H. , UNDERWOOD JIM N. , MUIRHEAD ANDY N. , PEPLOW LESA
Published: November 2006

Here we present nine novel, polymorphic microsatellite loci developed for the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora (Acroporidae) from the Great Barrier Reef. In addition, we have assessed the specificity and polymorphism of five microsatellite loci previously developed for a Caribbean congener and one locus developed for an Indo‐Pacific congener. Only one of the latter six loci produced reliable results, yielding a total of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci for A. millepora. Variability was tested on 20–23 individuals from a single population, plus another ∼10 individuals from each of three different populations, resulting in five to 20 alleles per locus.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai)
Authors: INOUE EIICHI , MATSUKI YUMI , ANZAI HIROYUKI , EVANS KATE
Published: November 2006

Fourteen microsatellite markers were developed from an enriched genomic library of Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) by selective hybridization. They were characterized using 17 Japanese pear cultivars. The expected heterozygosity and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.21 to 0.74 and from 0 to 0.88, respectively. Two to 11 alleles were detected per locus, with IPPN09 and IPPN15 judged to amplify multiple loci. IPPN17 was the most informative locus with the lowest probability of identity (0.19). These primers exhibited a high cross‐species transferability between species and genera.
Development of microsatellites for the invasive riparian plant Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) using intersimple sequence repeat cloning
Authors: PROVAN JIM , LOVE HEATHER M. , MAGGS CHRISTINE A.
Published: November 2006

Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) is an invasive riparian plant species that can outcompete native perennials. Population genetic data on dispersal may aid in the management of invasive species, so we have developed microsatellite markers for this significant invader using an intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR)‐based cloning method. Eight polymorphic markers displayed between two and five alleles, with overall levels of observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.0500 to 0.7500 and from 0.1449 to 0.7692, respectively.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in Galapagos prickly pear (Opuntia) cactus species
Authors: HELSEN P. , VERDYCK P. , TYE A. , DESENDER K. , VAN HOUTTE N. , VAN DONGEN S.
Published: November 2006

The Opuntia (prickly pear) genus contains over 200 species. Six of them are endemic to the Galapagos archipelago. Although these cacti are ‘keystone’ species of the Galapagos’ semi‐arid ecosystem, they have never been studied in detail. Because of their current threatened status and their important role in the ecosystem, we developed 16 microsatellite markers to study the population genetic structure of some of these species. These markers display a high level of polymorphism with numbers of alleles per locus ranging from six to 53. Results also revealed possible polyploidy in these cacti.
Urine — a source for noninvasive genetic monitoring in wildlife
Authors: HAUSKNECHT ROLAND , GULA ROMAN , PIRGA BARTOSZ , KUEHN RALPH
Published: November 2006

Noninvasive samples are of increasing importance to study wild populations. In this study, we investigate the applicability of urine samples as the sole source of DNA for routine noninvasive genetic monitoring of wildlife using wolves (Canis lupus) as an example. Within the scope of a long‐term wolf population survey, we collected during winter snow tracking in Bieszczady Mountains, Poland 41 urine samples considered as utilizable for genetic analyses. DNA concentration was determined by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and six microsatellite loci were genotyped in threefold repeated genotyping experiments to assess the reliability of genetic analyses of urine. DNA concentration of 33 urine samples was successfully quantified and of 14 samples, we obtained congruent results for all analysed loci and all repeated genotyping experiments. The gender of urine samples was identified with a Y‐chromosome‐linked marker. Considering the high discovery rate of urine in conjunction with its genotype reliability, our study confirms that urine is a valuable source in noninvasive genetic monitoring. Additionally, preselection of samples via qPCR proved to be a powerful tool contributing to a beneficial cost‐value ratio of genetic analyses by minimizing genotyping errors.
Variable microsatellite markers for a snapping shrimp (Alpheus armillatus) species complex
Authors: MATHEWS LAUREN M.
Published: November 2006

Snapping shrimp (Alpheus) are an important ecological component of tropical marine systems and are excellent models for studies of phylogeography and behavioural ecology. Here, I describe 10 variable microsatellite loci for the Alpheus armillatus species complex of snapping shrimp. The primers were tested on 60 individuals representing three evolutionary lineages within the complex, and yielded three to 21 alleles. These loci will be effective tools in future studies on population genetics and mating behaviour in this complex.
Repetitive flanking sequences (ReFS): novel molecular markers from microsatellite families
Authors: ANDERSON SARAH J. , GOULD PHIL , FREELAND JOANNA R.
Published: November 2006

Although microsatellite markers have become exceedingly popular in molecular studies of wild organisms, their development in some taxonomic groups is challenging. This is partly because of repetitive flanking sequences, which lead to the simultaneous amplification of alleles from multiple loci. Until now, these microsatellite DNA families have been considered unsuitable for population genetics studies, but here we describe our development of these repetitive flanking sequences (ReFS) as novel molecular markers. We illustrate the utility of these markers by using them to address an outstanding taxonomic question in the moth genus Schrankia.
Isolation and characterization of 22 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers of Japanese sea bass (Laterolabrax japonicus)
Authors: JIANG XIN , LIAO MEIJIE , LIU YONGJIAN , GAO TIANXIANG , YANG GUANPIN
Published: November 2006

Japanese sea bass (Laterolabrax japonicus) inhabits the coast of East Asia and is cage‐cultured currently in China as well. Twenty‐two microsatellite DNA markers were developed and used to type 35 individuals collected along the Chinese coast. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to 23. The expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.111 to 0.938, while the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.114 to 0.914. All 22 loci are neutral and independent of each other; two deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These microsatellite DNA markers are moderately informative, which will certainly facilitate the management and exploitation of the genetic resource of L. japonicus.
Using Ecological‐Niche Modeling as a Conservation Tool for Freshwater Species: Live‐Bearing Fishes in Central Mexico
Authors: DOMÍNGUEZ‐DOMÍNGUEZ OMAR , MARTÍNEZ‐MEYER ENRIQUE , ZAMBRANO LUIS , DE LEÓN GERARDO PÉREZ‐PONCE
Published: November 2006

Abstract:  Ecological‐niche modeling is an important tool for conservation assessment of terrestrial species; however, its applicability has been poorly explored in the aquatic realm. Goodeines are a monophyletic group of viviparous freshwater fishes that are well known in central Mexico, with 41 species in 19 genera. Given the number of threats to biodiversity in the region, goodeines represent an excellent model with which to test novel conservation approaches. We assessed the conservation status of the goodeines (37 species), based on their potential distributions predicted by ecological‐niche models generated with the genetic algorithm for rule‐set prediction (GARP). Predictions of species' distributions performed well in six out of eight species for which sufficient information was available to perform estimations of the area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristic plots. Extensive field surveys conducted in recent years in most cases confirm the models' predictions. Species richness exhibited a nested pattern, in which the number of species increased toward the center of the distribution of the group. At the basin level, the Río Ameca Basin had the highest number of species (11), chiefly because of the high number of microendemic species (6). Human activities within water bodies (e.g., extensive aquaculture) and drainages (e.g., agriculture, ranching, industrial activities) have affected most goodeines severely, given the deleterious effects of pollution and introductions of exotic species, such as carp (Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharingodon idella) and tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Our results paint a pessimistic picture for the long‐term survival of many goodeines in their natural environment, and realistic conservation measures are complex and would require immediate protection of specific areas that we have identified. Ecological‐niche modeling is a suitable tool for conservation assessment of freshwater species, but availability of environmental information on aquatic systems (e.g., temperature, water speed, pH, oxygen concentration) would improve distributional predictions.
Client Influence and the Contingency of Professionalism: The Work of Elite Corporate Lawyers in China
Authors: Liu Sida
Published: November 2006

This study examines how the professional work of elite corporate lawyers is constructed by influence from different types of clients. The data presented include interviews with 24 lawyers from six elite corporate law firms in China and the author's participant-observation in one of the firms. For these elite Chinese corporate law firms, foreign corporations, state-owned enterprises, and private enterprises constitute their extremely diversified client types. Accordingly, lawyers' work becomes flexible and adaptive to accommodate the different demands of the clients. Meanwhile, client influence on lawyers' professional work is mediated by the division of labor within the corporate law firm: whereas partners have solid control over the process of diagnosis, inference, and treatment and thus enjoy a high degree of professional autonomy, associates are largely stripped of this cultural machinery in the workplace, and their work becomes vulnerable to client influence. As a result, client influence on professional work appears to decrease with a lawyer's seniority.
Queers and Provocateurs: Hegemony, Ideology, and the “Homosexual Advance” Defense
Authors: Smyth Michael A.
Published: November 2006

This exploratory article relies upon a historical-interpretive approach to understanding the relationship between legal narrative and popular consciousness in particular historical moments, focusing especially on “troubled times,” in which the legitimacy of a hegemonic worldview embodied in law comes under challenge from a newly ascendant ideology in the popular domain. To discern the nature of that relationship and its implications, I offer a three-pronged analysis, drawing on two original data sets. Initially, each data set is analyzed individually to elaborate the nature of, and changes in, (1) representations of homosexuals circulating in popular culture, and (2) constructions of homosexuals in defendants' narratives in “homosexual advance” homicide cases between 1946 and 2003. Findings from these two analyses are thereafter combined to explore the relationship between the two constructions of homosexuals across that time period. In combination, these three analyses provide empirical evidence that, rather than mirroring changes in popular discourse about homosexuality, the changes revealed in the defense narratives actually opposed them. I use these findings to argue that, in what Swidler (1986) has called “unsettled times,” ideological pluralism is pronounced and may be discerned in the complex and sometimes counterintuitive relationships that exist within and between legal narrative and popular discourse.
Trophoblast–Macrophage Interactions: a Regulatory Network for the Protection of Pregnancy
Authors: Fest Stefan , Aldo Paulomi B. , Abrahams V. M. , Visintin I. , Alvero A. , Chen R. , Chavez S. L. , Romero R. , Mor G.
Published: November 2006

Problem  Macrophages are one of the first immune cells observed at the implantation site. Their presence has been explained as the result of an immune response toward paternal antigens. The mechanisms regulating monocyte migration and differentiation at the implantation site are largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that trophoblast cells regulate monocyte migration and differentiation. We propose that trophoblast cells ‘educate’ monocytes/macrophages to create an adequate environment that promote trophoblast survival.

Method of study  CD14+ monocytes were isolated from peripheral blood using magnetic beads. Co‐culture experiments were conducted using a two‐chamber system. Monocytes were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cytokine levels were determined using multiplex cytokine detecting assay.

Results  Trophoblast cells increase monocyte migration and induce a significant increase in the secretion and production of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines [interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐8, tumor necrosis factor‐α] and chemokines (growth‐related oncogen‐α, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, macrophage inflammatory protein‐1β, RANTES). Furthermore, the response of monocytes to LPS was different in monocytes pre‐exposed to trophoblast cells.

Conclusion  The results of this study suggest that trophoblast cells are able to recruit and successfully educate monocytes to produce and secrete a pro‐inflammatory cytokine and chemokine profile supporting its growth and survival. Furthermore we demonstrate that trophoblast cells can modulate monocytes response to bacterial stimuli.
Detection of human herpesvirus 6 in patients with oral chronic graft‐vs‐host disease following allogeneic progenitor cell transplantation
Authors: Pereira CM , De Almeida OP , Corrêa MEP , Costa FF , De Souza CA , Barjas‐Castro ML
Published: November 2006

Introduction:  Chronic graft‐vs‐host disease (cGVHD) is a major cause of morbidity in long‐term survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation. Herpesviruses are involved in the occurrence and progression of various oral diseases.

Aim:  The aim of this study was to investigate the role of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6) in patients with oral manifestations of cGVHD.

Materials and methods:  Peripheral blood and oral fluids (whole saliva, gingival crevicular fluid and parotid gland saliva) from 19 cGVHD patients, and 28 blood donors were examined for HHV6. Oral tissue samples were collected from 12 cGVHD patients and 12 healthy individuals. Nested polymerase chain reaction was employed to identify the HHV6.

Results and conclusion:  The virus was detected in whole saliva in 13 cGVHD patients (68%) and in 19 blood donors (67%). HHV6 was not identified in any of the gingival crevicular fluid and parotid gland saliva samples in cGVHD patients. In the control group 14.3% of both, four gingival crevicular fluid and four parotid gland saliva samples were positive. Two oral tissue samples of cGVHD patients were positive for HHV6. These results indicate that patients with oral manifestations of cGVHD and healthy individuals present high and similar incidence of HHV6 in blood and oral fluids. These data do not support the importance of HHV6 in oral lesions of cGVHD.
Vaccine Scares
Authors: Andrews Nick
Published: November 2006

Vaccination has been one of the great success stories. It has eradicated smallpox; it has greatly reduced polio and measles; it has hugely improved the health of children and adults throughout the globe. But when a single study linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine with autism some parents refused to have their children vaccinated. Despite scientific refutation, a major public scare, lasting for years, has resulted. Nick Andrews looks at what went wrong.
Digital Doctoring: How to Tell the Real from the Fake
Authors: Farid Hany
Published: November 2006

Seeing is no longer believing. The technology that allows digital media to be manipulated and distorted is developing at breakneck speed. How do we contend with the implications? Hany Farid describes the impact of digital tampering and the development of mathematical and computational algorithms to expose digital fakes.
Publish and be Delayed
Authors: Morrison S. J.
Published: November 2006

What does it take to get a book published? And if you fail to get it published, after how long should you give up? S. J. Morrison can help answer. His book has been nearly half a century in gestation – and then publishers let him down. And then it won a prize. Julian Champkin talked to him.
“Street Haunting”: Phantasmagorias of the Modern Imperial Metropolis1
Authors: Gerend Sara
Published: November 2006

This paper forms part of a Literature Compass cluster of articles which examines the current state of Virgina Woolf Studies and aims to provide a snapshot of the field. Urmila Seshagiri (University of Tennessee) and Rishona Zimring (Lewis and Clark College) first provide an introduction for this paper along with Benjamin Harvey's article, “The Twentieth Part: Virginia Woolf in the British Museum Reading Room.” The full text of Sara Gerend's piece then follows.

These papers grew out of the 15th Annual International Virginia Woolf Conference (College of Lewis and Clark, Portland, OR, June 9–12, 2005).

The full cluster is made up of the following articles:

“Introduction: Virginia Woolf and The Art of Exploration,” Urmila Seshagiri and Rishona Zimring, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00393.x

“Virginia Woolf's Sense of Adventure,” Maria DiBattista, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00394.x

“The Twentieth Part: Virginia Woolf in the British Museum Reading Room,” Benjamin Harvey, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00395.x

“‘Street Haunting’: Phantasmagorias of the Modern Imperial Metropolis,” Sara Gerend, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00396.x

“Hyde Park Gate News,” Gill Lowe, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00397.x

“The Art of ‘Scene‐Making’ in the Charleston Bulletin Supplements,” Claudia Olk, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00398.x

“A Camera of Her Own: Woolf and the Legacy of the Indomitable Mrs. Cameron,” Emily Setina, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00399.x

“Woolfian Resonances,” Anne Fernald, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00400.x

“Early Twentieth‐Century British Women Travellers to Greece: Contextualizing the Example of Virginia Woolf,” Martha Klironomos, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00401.x

“‘Others Wanted to Travel’: Woolf and ‘America Herself’,” Thaine Stearns, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00402.x
The Art of “Scene‐Making” in the Charleston Bulletin Supplements
Authors: Olk Claudia
Published: November 2006

This paper forms part of a Literature Compass cluster of articles which examines the current state of Virgina Woolf Studies and aims to provide a snapshot of the field. Urmila Seshagiri (University of Tennessee) and Rishona Zimring (Lewis and Clark College) first provide an introduction for this paper along with Gill Lowe's article, “Hyde Park Gate News.” The full text of Claudia Olk's piece then follows.

These papers grew out of the 15th Annual International Virginia Woolf Conference (College of Lewis and Clark, Portland, OR, June 9–12, 2005).

The full cluster is made up of the following articles:

“Introduction: Virginia Woolf and The Art of Exploration,” Urmila Seshagiri and Rishona Zimring, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00393.x

“Virginia Woolf's Sense of Adventure,” Maria DiBattista, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00394.x

“The Twentieth Part: Virginia Woolf in the British Museum Reading Room,” Benjamin Harvey, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00395.x

“‘Street Haunting’: Phantasmagorias of the Modern Imperial Metropolis,” Sara Gerend, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00396.x

“Hyde Park Gate News,” Gill Lowe, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00397.x

“The Art of ‘Scene‐Making’ in the Charleston Bulletin Supplements,” Claudia Olk, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00398.x

“A Camera of Her Own: Woolf and the Legacy of the Indomitable Mrs. Cameron,” Emily Setina, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00399.x

“Woolfian Resonances,” Anne Fernald, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00400.x

“Early Twentieth‐Century British Women Travellers to Greece: Contextualizing the Example of Virginia Woolf,” Martha Klironomos, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00401.x

“‘Others Wanted to Travel’: Woolf and ‘America Herself’,” Thaine Stearns, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2006.00402.x
From Madame de Staël to Lord Byron: The Dialectics of European Romanticism
Authors: Bordoni Silvia
Published: November 2006

This article illustrates current scholarly productions on European Romanticism and analyses the significance of a dialectical relation between literatures and cultures in the birth and development of European Romanticism. By analysing the works of August and Friedrich Schlegel, Germaine de Staël and Byron, the article aims to give a constructive overview of European Romanticism and of the British contribution to it.
Tribute to Jean‐Michel Grandmont
Authors: Laroque Guy
Published: November 2006

This note is a tribute to Jean‐Michel Grandmont on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
Sunspots and Hopf bifurcations in continuous time endogenous growth models
Authors: Nishimura Kazuo , Shigoka Tadashi
Published: November 2006

First we treat a three‐dimensional continuous time abstract stationary model that includes one predetermined variable and two non‐predetermined variables. We construct stationary sunspot equilibria in this model under the following two alternative conditions: (i) a steady state has two stable roots and one unstable root; and (ii) A closed orbit has a two‐dimensional manifold on which it is asymptotically stable. Next, we apply these results to the models due to Lucas and Romer that undergo Hopf bifurcations for some parameter values. We construct sunspot equilibria in these models.
Indeterminacy with small externalities: The role of non‐separable preferences
Authors: Lloyd‐Braga Teresa , Nourry Carine , Venditti Alain
Published: November 2006

In this paper we consider a Ramsey one‐sector model with non‐separable homothetic preferences, endogenous labor and productive external effects arising from average levels of capital and labor. We show that indeterminacy cannot arise when there are only capital externalities but that it does occur when there are only labor external effects. We prove that sunspot fluctuations are fully consistent with small market imperfections and realistic calibrations for the elasticity of capital–labor substitution (including the Cobb‐Douglas specification) provided the elasticity of intertemporal substitution in consumption and the elasticity of labor supply are large enough.
Endogenous business cycles and dynamic inefficiency
Authors: Cazzavillan Guido , Pintus Patrick A.
Published: November 2006

This paper explores how the occurrence of local indeterminacy and endogenous business cycles relates to dynamic inefficiency, as defined by Malinvaud (1953), Phelps (1965) and Cass (1972). We follow Reichlin (1986) and Grandmont (1993) by considering a two‐period overlapping generations model of capital accumulation with labor–leisure choice into the first‐period of an agent's life and consumption in both periods. We first show that local indeterminacy and Hopf bifurcation are necessarily associated with a capital–labor ratio that is, at steady state, larger than the Golden Rule level. Consequently, paths converging asymptotically towards the steady state are shown to be dynamically inefficient, as there always exists another trajectory that starts with the same initial conditions and produces more aggregate consumption at all future dates. More surprising, however, is our main result showing that stable orbits, generated around a dynamically inefficient steady state through a supercritical Hopf bifurcation, may, in contrast, be dynamically efficient.
Monetary policy and dynamic efficiency in economies of overlapping generations
Authors: Bloise Gaetano , Polemarchakis Herakles
Published: November 2006

In an economy of overlapping generations, money, distinct from debt, provides liquidity and is dominated as a store of value. Nominal rates of interest that are low, but do not vanish, eliminate equilibrium allocations far from Pareto optimal allocations.
Endogenous price leadership and technological differences
Authors: Yano Makoto , Komatsubara Takashi
Published: November 2006

This study constructs a two‐stage game of price leadership in a duopolistic market for a homogeneous product. In the first period, the two firms determine a price leader; they set a price for the product in the second period. It is demonstrated in the present study that the technologically superior firm tends to become a price leader. This result reveals that price leadership is determined by the interaction of “competitive force”, which prevents the price leader from choosing too high a price (like the joint profit maximizing price or the cartel price), and “collusive force”, which prevents a price from falling to a Bertrand price.
Assertiveness affecting burnout of novice nurses at university hospitals
Authors: SUZUKI Eiko , KANOYA Yuka , KATSUKI Takeshi , SATO Chifumi
Published: November 2006

Aim:  This prospective cohort study aimed to clarify the relationship between the level of assertiveness and the incidence of burnout in novice nurses in their first year at university hospitals and to obtain indices of assertion training in order for them to avoid burnout.

Methods:  The subjects were 1203 novice nurses working at 20 university hospitals in Japan who gave informed consent to participate in this research. The questionnaires were completed by 949 novice nurses in June 2003, and they were divided into two cohorts to observe the incidence of burnout, which was investigated in June 2004.

Results:  At the baseline, we obtained responses from 1030 novice nurses (85.6%) who had agreed to join the study. Ninety‐two (20.5%) of the novice nurses experienced burnout and 43 (7.2%) experienced serious burnout. Both high and low levels of assertiveness score tended to high incidence rates of burnout. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the factors affecting burnout were lack of senior nursing staff support and very low and low levels of assertiveness, and those affecting serious burnout were male gender, hospital location in Tokyo, and very low and low levels of assertiveness.

Conclusions:  Novice nurses tend to burn out easily when their assertiveness scores are too low or too high. The ideal value of the assertiveness score seems to be medium.
The applicability of women‐centered care: Two case studies of capacity‐building for maternal health through international collaboration
Authors: HORIUCHI Shigeko , KATAOKA Yaeko , ETO Hiromi , OGURO Michiko , MORI Taeko
Published: November 2006

Aim:  To explore the general applicability of women‐centered care (WCC) as a philosophical foundation used for capacity‐building (CB) through examining the results of international collaboration efforts in Bolivia and the Union of Myanmar.

Methods:  PubMed was used to search for articles related to WCC. The literature was sorted into the categories of “antecedents”, “characteristics”, and “outcomes”. The descriptors of WCC were extracted and applied to midwifery projects in Bolivia and the Union of Myanmar. Pre‐assessments and postassessments captured recipients’ and health workers’“voices”. Case studies were used to illustrate the outcomes.

Results:  Extracted from the literature were two antecedents that typified pre‐WCC: gender inequality and hierarchical, male‐centered medical treatment. The characteristics of WCC were respect, safety, holism, and partnership. The consequences of WCC were the empowerment of women, autonomy for the care provider, and societal reform. Using these WCC characteristics as the philosophical foundation of our approach, our Bolivian and Union of Myanmar projects were implemented to improve maternal health through CB mother and baby‐friendly care at the primary level of normal birth care. The two projects illustrated the WCC characteristics of respect, safety, and partnership, as well as the resulting empowerment of women and autonomy for the nursing profession.

Conclusion:  Women‐centered care, as a universal philosophical foundation, transcends cultures and CB leads to reform for women, both as the providers and users of care. The field results indicated that WCC can be successfully applied to real‐life situations.
Perceived difficulties and coping as predictors of adaptation among cancer nurses
Authors: HAYASHI Naoko , KOMATSU Hiroko , SAKAI Yoshiko , IBA Noriko , TONOSAKI Akiko , KATAGIRI Kazuko
Published: November 2006

Aim:  The purpose of this study was to prepare scales to assess the difficulties, coping, and adaptation experienced by nurses involved with cancer care in order to extract the constructing factors of each scale and to investigate the correlations between the scales and sociodemographic‐related factors.

Methods:  The subjects were 155 full‐time staff nurses who provided care to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy at outpatient, day‐care or short‐stay wards in 14 oncology and general hospitals throughout Japan. The participants completed a questionnaire that consisted of questions relating to demographic information and three item lists: the difficulties, coping, and adaptation associated with providing care to patients undergoing cancer therapy.

Results:  Based on the results of the factor analysis for each scale, four factors of the Difficulties scale, three factors of the Coping scale, and five factors of the Adaptation scale were identified. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed by using the Adaptation scale score as a criterion variable and the Difficulties and Coping scale scores, and demographic factors as independent variables. The standardized partial regression coefficient was significant for coping and age in descending order.

Conclusion:  The results of this study suggested that coping plays a significant role as a predictor of adaptation.