bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prophages of Staphylococcus aureus Newman and their contribution to virulence
Authors: Bae Taeok , Baba Tadashi , Hiramatsu Keiichi , Schneewind Olaf
Published: October 2006

Four prophages (φNM1–4) were identified in the genome of Staphylococcus aureus Newman, a human clinical isolate. φNM1, φNM2 and φNM4, members of the siphoviridae family, insert at different sites (poiA, downstream of isdB and geh) in the staphylococcal chromosome. φNM3, a β‐haemolysin (hlb) converting phage, encodes modulators of innate immune responses (sea, sak, chp and scn) in addition to other virulence genes. Replication of φNM1, φNM2 and φNM4 occurs in culture and during animal infection, whereas φNM3 prophage replication was not observed. Prophages were excised from the chromosome and S. aureus variants lacking φNM3 or φNM1, φNM2 and φNM4 displayed organ specific virulence defects in a murine model of abscess formation. S. aureus Newman lacking all four prophages was unable to cause disease, thereby revealing essential contributions of prophages to the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections.
Bilateral Technical Assistance and TRIPS: The United States, Japan and the European Communities in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Matthews Duncan , Munoz‐Tellez Viviana
Published: October 2006

Article 67 of the Agreement on Trade‐Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights places an obligation on developed country World Trade Organization (WTO) members to provide, on request and on mutually agreed terms and conditions, technical and financial cooperation in favour of developing and least‐developed WTO members. This article provides an analysis of technical assistance provided by the United States, Japan and the European Communities (EC) and its member states in accordance with article 67. The article suggests that least‐developed countries can learn lessons from a comparative analysis of the technical assistance that the United States, Japan and the EC have so far provided to developing country WTO members.
Increased expression and activity of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator during epileptogenesis
Authors: Lahtinen Laura , Lukasiuk Katarzyna , Pitkänen Asla
Published: October 2006

Our recent large‐scale molecular profiling study revealed a sevenfold upregulation in the expression of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA) during epileptogenesis. uPA is a member of the plasminogen activation system, which is a major contributor to the reorganization of neuronal circuits after trauma. Here, we investigated the expression and activity of uPA in normal and epileptogenic rat hippocampus to test a hypothesis that the expression of uPA is altered in brain areas that undergo epilepsy‐related circuitry reorganization. Epileptogenesis was triggered by inducing status epilepticus (SE) with electrical stimulation of the amygdala in rats. Continuous video‐electroencephalogram recordings were used to monitor the development of SE and the occurrence of spontaneous seizures. Animals were killed at 1, 4 or 14 days after SE, and brains were processed for immunohistochemistry or protein extraction. Confocal microscopy analysis of double‐immunolabelled preparations indicated that SE triggered an increased expression of uPA in hippocampal astrocytes, neurons, white matter and blood vessels. Zymography revealed that the expression of uPA protein is associated with increased levels of enzymatically active uPA during epileptogenesis. uPA expression and enzymatic activity peaked within 1–4 days after SE, that is, before the occurrence of spontaneous seizures, and remained elevated for at least 2 weeks. These data suggest that uPA is involved in the reorganization of neuronal tissue during the epileptogenic process.
Injury‐induced axonal sprouting in the hippocampus is initiated by activation of trkB receptors
Authors: Dinocourt Céline , Gallagher Sandra E. , Thompson Scott M.
Published: October 2006

Penetrating head injuries are often accompanied by the delayed development of post‐traumatic epilepsy. Schaffer collateral transection leads to axonal sprouting and hyperexcitability in area CA3 of hippocampal slice cultures. We used this model to test the hypothesis that the injury‐induced axonal sprouting results from increased neurotrophin signaling via trkB receptors near the lesion. Using rats and mice, we established that sprouting CA3 pyramidal cell axons are labeled with an antibody to the growth‐associated protein GAP‐43. We observed two‐ to threefold increases in the level of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and trkB protein in area CA3 by 24–48 h after Schaffer collateral transection, preceding the onset of axonal sprouting. Finally, we demonstrated that injury‐induced axonal sprouting of GAP‐43‐immunoreactive axons is impaired in hippocampal slice cultures from mice expressing low levels of trkB receptors. We conclude that injury‐induced axonal sprouting is initiated by brain‐derived neurotrophic factor–trkB signaling and suggest that this process may be critical for the genesis of post‐traumatic epilepsy.
Striatum gray matter reduction in males with an overactive behavioral activation system
Authors: Barrós‐Loscertales A. , Meseguer V. , Sanjuán A. , Belloch V. , Parcet M. A. , Torrubia R. , Ávila C.
Published: October 2006

Using optimized voxel‐based morphometry, we studied the relationship between gray matter volume in brain areas associated with reward and scores on a behavioral activation system measure (the Sensitivity to Reward scale) in a sample of 50 male undergraduates. Voxel‐based morphometry analysis revealed a negative correlation between Sensitivity to Reward scores and gray matter volume in the dorsal striatum and prefrontal cortex. Results indicate that a reduced volume in the striatum might be associated with enhanced reward sensitivity and deficits in inhibitory control.
Relationship of opioid receptors with GABAergic neurons in the rat inferior colliculus
Authors: Tongjaroenbuangam W. , Jongkamonwiwat N. , Phansuwan‐Pujito P. , Casalotti S. O. , Forge A. , Dodson H. , Govitrapong P.
Published: October 2006

The inferior colliculus is a critical structure for processing auditory information and receives ascending and descending synaptic auditory projections. In addition to GABAergic and glutamatergic innervations, other neurotransmitter systems are also reported in the inferior colliculus, including opioid peptides. In the present study, the relative distribution of each type of opioid receptor, mu (MOR), delta (DOR) and kappa (KOR) within GABAergic neurons in the inferior colliculus was examined. GABA immunoreactivity was expressed by small, medium and large neurons and distributed in the central nucleus and the pericentral nucleus of the inferior colliculus. Immunostaining for MOR, DOR and KOR receptors was found in both disc‐shaped cells and stellate cells. Punctiform β‐endorphin immunolabelling was observed in the proximity of GABA‐positive neurons. Co‐localization of GABA and MOR receptors was observed in neurons and nerve terminals in the central nucleus, dorsal cortex and external cortex of the inferior colliculus. Quantification of the co‐localization patterns determined that a higher proportion of GABA neurons was associated with MOR receptors compared with KOR or DOR receptors.
Structure of Caribbean coral reef communities across a large gradient of fish biomass
Authors: Newman Marah J. H. , Paredes Gustavo A. , Sala Enric , Jackson Jeremy B. C.
Published: October 2006

The collapse of Caribbean coral reefs has been attributed in part to historic overfishing, but whether fish assemblages can recover and how such recovery might affect the benthic reef community has not been tested across appropriate scales. We surveyed the biomass of reef communities across a range in fish abundance from 14 to 593 g m−2, a gradient exceeding that of any previously reported for coral reefs. Increased fish biomass was correlated with an increased proportion of apex predators, which were abundant only inside large marine reserves. Increased herbivorous fish biomass was correlated with a decrease in fleshy algal biomass but corals have not yet recovered.
Spatial segregation of specialists and generalists in bird communities
Authors: Julliard Romain , Clavel Joanne , Devictor Vincent , Jiguet Frédéric , Couvet Denis
Published: October 2006

Each species generally has a close relationship with one or more habitats and can therefore be classified as either specialist or generalist. We studied whether specialist and generalist species are spatially distributed independently of each other. Repeating the analysis for 100 of the most frequent terrestrial bird species recorded over the 10 000 sampled sites of the French Breeding Bird survey, we found that specialists were more abundant if the rest of the community was specialized, and that the inverse was also true. This pattern was far subtler than just a simple dichotomy: most species actually presented a maximum abundance at a value of community specialization similar to their own level of specialization. Bird communities appear very well defined along a specialist–generalist gradient. We believe this pattern becomes more apparent with habitat degradation. The consequences on both ecological services and community resilience may well be considerable.
Allometric scaling enhances stability in complex food webs
Authors: Brose Ulrich , Williams Richard J. , Martinez Neo D.
Published: October 2006

Classic local stability theory predicts that complex ecological networks are unstable and are unlikely to persist despite empiricists’ abundant documentation of such complexity in nature. This contradiction has puzzled biologists for decades. While some have explored how stability may be achieved in small modules of a few interacting species, rigorous demonstrations of how large complex and ecologically realistic networks dynamically persist remain scarce and inadequately understood. Here, we help fill this void by combining structural models of complex food webs with nonlinear bioenergetic models of population dynamics parameterized by biological rates that are allometrically scaled to populations’ average body masses. Increasing predator–prey body mass ratios increase population persistence up to a saturation level that is reached by invertebrate and ectotherm vertebrate predators when being 10 or 100 times larger than their prey respectively. These values are corroborated by empirical predator–prey body mass ratios from a global data base. Moreover, negative effects of diversity (i.e. species richness) on stability (i.e. population persistence) become neutral or positive relationships at these empirical ratios. These results demonstrate that the predator–prey body mass ratios found in nature may be key to enabling persistence of populations in complex food webs and stabilizing the diversity of natural ecosystems.
Habitat effects on the relative importance of trait‐ and density‐mediated indirect interactions
Authors: Trussell Geoffrey C. , Ewanchuk Patrick J. , Matassa Catherine M.
Published: October 2006

Classical views of trophic cascades emphasize the primacy of consumptive predator effects on prey populations to the transmission of indirect effects [density‐mediated indirect interactions (DMIIs)]. However, trophic cascades can also emerge without changes in the density of interacting species because of non‐consumptive predator effects on prey traits such as foraging behaviour [trait‐mediated indirect interactions (TMIIs)]. Although ecologists appreciate this point, measurements of the relative importance of each indirect predator effect are rare. Experiments with a three‐level, rocky shore food chain containing an invasive predatory crab (Carcinus maenas), an intermediate consumer (the snail, Nucella lapillus) and a basal resource (the barnacle, Semibalanus balanoides) revealed that the strength of TMIIs is comparable with, or exceeds, that of DMIIs. Moreover, the sign and strength of each indirect predator effect depends on whether it is measured in risky or refuge habitats. Because habitat shifts are often responsible for the emergence of TMIIs, attention to the sign and strength of these interactions in both habitats will improve our understanding of the link between individual behaviour and community dynamics.
Growth and mechanism of filamentous‐sulfur formation by Candidatus Arcobacter sulfidicus in opposing oxygen‐sulfide gradients
Authors: Sievert Stefan M. , Wieringa Elze B. A. , Wirsen Carl O. , Taylor Craig D.
Published: October 2006

Studies were conducted in opposing gradients of oxygen and sulfide in microslide capillaries to (i) characterize the chemical microenvironment preferred by Candidatus Arcobacter sulfidicus, a highly motile, sulfur‐oxidizing bacterium that produces sulfur in filamentous form, and (ii) to develop a model describing the mechanism of filamentous‐sulfur formation. The highly motile microorganisms are microaerophilic, with swarms effectively aggregating within oxic‐anoxic interfaces by exhibiting a chemotactic response. The position of the band was found to be largely independent of the sulfide concentration as it always formed at the oxic‐anoxic interface. Flux calculations based on steady state gradients of oxygen and sulfide indicate that sulfide is incompletely oxidized to sulfur, in line with the formation of filamentous sulfur by these organisms. It is proposed that Candidatus Arcobacter sulfidicus effectively competes with other sulfur‐oxidizing bacteria in the environment by being able to tolerate higher concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (1–2 mM) and by possessing the ability to grow at very low oxygen concentrations (1–10 μM). The formation of mat‐like structures from filamentous sulfur appears to be a population mediated effort allowing these organisms to effectively colonize environments characterized by high sulfide, low oxygen and dynamic fluid movement.
Geographical variation in the ‘bottom‐up’ control of diversity: fleas and their small mammalian hosts
Authors: Krasnov Boris R. , Shenbrot Georgy I. , Khokhlova Irina S. , Poulin Robert
Published: October 2006

Aim  We searched for signs of the ‘bottom‐up’ diversity effect in the association between fleas (Siphonaptera) and their small mammalian hosts (Rodentia, Insectivora and Lagomorpha). We asked (1) whether a strong dependence of flea species richness on host species richness is characteristic for both Palaeoarctic and Nearctic realms; (2) if yes, whether the ratio of host species per flea species along the host diversity gradient is similar between the Palaeoarctic and Nearctic; and (3) whether factors other than host species richness (i.e. geographical position, climate and landscape) might better explain variation in flea species richness than host species richness.

Location The study used previously published data on species richness of fleas and their small mammalian hosts from 26 Palaeoarctic and 19 Nearctic regions.

Methods  We regressed the number of flea species on the number of small mammal species across regions, separately for Palaeoarctic and Nearctic realms, using both non‐transformed data as well as data corrected for the confounding effects of host sampling effort and sampling area. To test whether flea species richness is determined by external factors unrelated to the host, we used stepwise multiple regressions of flea species richness against host species richness and parameters describing the geographical position, climate and relief of a region.

Results  When non‐transformed data were analysed, flea species richness was positively correlated with host species richness in both the Palaeoarctic and Nearctic, although the slopes of the two regressions differed significantly. After removal of the confounding effects of host sampling effort and sampling area, Palaeoarctic flea species richness remained strongly positively correlated with host species richness, whereas in the Nearctic, flea species richness appeared to be completely independent of host species richness. Results of the multiple regressions using corrected data demonstrated that in the Palaeoarctic, flea species richness was correlated with both the number of host species and the mean altitude of the region, whereas in the Nearctic, flea species richness only tended to be weakly correlated with latitude (however, this correlation turned out to be non‐significant after Bonferroni correction).

Main conclusions  We found evidence of bottom‐up control of flea diversity in the Palaeoarctic regions only, and not in the Nearctic. We explore several potential explanations for the different patterns observed in the two biogeographical realms, including differences in (1) levels of host specialization, (2) history of host–parasite associations and (3) landscape effects on flea diversification. We conclude that these factors combine to create different macroecological patterns in different biogeographical realms, and that diversity is not governed by the same forces everywhere.
Effects of incorporating spatial autocorrelation into the analysis of species distribution data
Authors: Dormann Carsten F.
Published: October 2006

Aim Spatial autocorrelation (SAC) in data, i.e. the higher similarity of closer samples, is a common phenomenon in ecology. SAC is starting to be considered in the analysis of species distribution data, and over the last 10 years several studies have incorporated SAC into statistical models (here termed ‘spatial models’). Here, I address the question of whether incorporating SAC affects estimates of model coefficients and inference from statistical models.

Methods I review ecological studies that compare spatial and non‐spatial models.

Results In all cases coefficient estimates for environmental correlates of species distributions were affected by SAC, leading to a mis‐estimation of on averagec. 25%. Model fit was also improved by incorporating SAC.

Main conclusions These biased estimates and incorrect model specifications have implications for predicting species occurrences under changing environmental conditions. Spatial models are therefore required to estimate correctly the effects of environmental drivers on species present distributions, for a statistically unbiased identification of the drivers of distribution, and hence for more accurate forecasts of future distributions.
Land Market Imperfections and Agricultural Policy Impacts in the New EU Member States: A Partial Equilibrium Analysis
Authors: Ciaian Pavel , Swinnen Johan F.M.
Published: October 2006

This article analyses how transaction costs and imperfect competition in the land market affect the welfare effects of agricultural subsidies in the new Eastern Member States of the European Union. Benefits of land subsidies end up with landowners in new Eastern Member States also with imperfections in the new Eastern Member States land markets. With unequal access to subsidies, small tenant farmers may even lose out from the subsidies. Decoupling of payments shifts policy rents to farmers, but constrains productivity‐enhancing restructuring. Using reserve entitlements to mitigate this effect reduces the intended benefits on distortions and target efficiency.
Dynamic Random Utility Modeling: A Monte Carlo Analysis
Authors: Hicks Robert L. , Schnier Kurt E.
Published: October 2006

Applied studies of commercial fishing have largely ignored the intertemporal aspects of repeated site choices. For many fisheries, fishermen might choose a dynamically optimal cruise trajectory rather than myopic day‐to‐day strategies and a model that ignores these considerations will likely lead to biased parameter estimates and poor policy guidance. A dynamic random utility model is developed that utilizes the same information as static site‐choice models but is entrenched in the principles of dynamic optimization. Using Monte Carlo analysis, we evaluate the performance of this estimator as compared to the static model for a variety of simulated fishery types.
The Dynamics of Individuals' Fat Consumption
Authors: Arnade Carlos , Gopinath Munisamy
Published: October 2006

Consumers are increasingly aware of the link between their lifestyle choices and the risk of noncommunicable diseases. A dynamic approach incorporating this linkage in food demand is developed, where consumers maximize utility over time by choosing fat intake to control their cumulative fat level. The resulting dynamic indirect utility function and household data on meat, fish, and dairy consumption are used to estimate a censored demand system. Results show that consumers consciously adjust, but not instantaneously, their cumulative fat level. Highly educated households have a faster rate of adjustment of cumulative fat. When cumulative fat level increases, consumers shift to dairy or white meat from red meat products.
Urban Influence on Costs of Production in the Corn Belt
Authors: Nehring Richard , Barnard Charles , Banker David , Breneman Vince
Published: October 2006

This article determines the relative technical efficiency of rural‐ and urban‐influenced crop/livestock enterprises in the Corn Belt. Farmers in urban‐influenced locations are less technically efficient than farmers in rural locations. During 1998–2000, stochastic production frontier procedures indicate that a 10% increase in urban influence leads to a close to 4% decrease in technical efficiency. The most successful urban‐influenced farms have controlled costs as effectively as rural farms. They have tended to de‐emphasize that nondairy livestock activities—particularly beef and hogs—do not rely extensively on off‐farm income, and have relatively large, less residential/lifestyle operations compared to less successful urban‐influenced farmers. However, our statistical analysis clearly bears out the refrain in popular literature that urban proximity raises the cost for, and decreases the viability of, traditional farms.
Tariff Equivalent of Technical Barriers to Trade with Imperfect Substitution and Trade Costs
Authors: Yue Chengyan , Beghin John , Jensen Helen H.
Published: October 2006

The price‐wedge method yields a tariff‐equivalent estimate of technical barriers to trade (TBT). An extension of this method accounts for imperfect substitution between domestic and imported goods and incorporates recent findings on trade costs. We explore the sensitivity of this revamped TBT estimate to its key determinants (substitution elasticity, preference for home good, and trade cost). We use the augmented approach to investigate the recent Japan–U.S. apple trade dispute and find that removing the Japanese TBT would yield limited export gains to the United States. We then draw policy implications of our findings.
On Measuring the Value of a Nonmarket Good Using Market Data
Authors: Bullock David S. , Minot Nicholas
Published: October 2006

We use line integral theory to lay out in a more general theoretical framework the conditions under which it is possible to measure with market data the welfare effects of a change in a nonmarket good. We present in detail a numerical method of measuring the value of nonmarket goods using market data, under either weak neutrality or weak complementarity. Our numerical method is more flexible than the existing analytical method because it can be used with any well‐behaved Marshallian demand function, and can be used even when the willig condition does not hold.
Block‐Rate versus Uniform Water Pricing in Agriculture: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Bar-Shira Ziv , Finkelshtain Israel , Simhon Avi
Published: October 2006

In this article we adapt Burtless and Hausman's (1978) methodology in order to estimate farmers' demand for irrigation water under increasing block‐rate tariffs and empirically assess its effect on aggregate demand and inter‐farm allocation efficiency. This methodology overcomes the technical challenges raised by increasing block‐rate pricing and accounts for both observed and unobserved technological heterogeneity among farmers. Employing micro panel data documenting irrigation levels and prices in 185 Israeli agricultural communities in the period 1992–1997, we estimate water demand elasticity at −0.3 in the short run (the effect of a price change on demand within a year of implementation) and −0.46 in the long run. We also find that, in accordance with common belief, switching from a single to a block‐price regime, yields a 7% reduction in average water use while maintaining the same average price. However, based on our simulations we estimate that the switch to block prices will result in a loss of approximately 1% of agricultural output due to inter‐farm allocation inefficiencies.
Consumer Demand for a Ban on Antibiotic Drug Use in Pork Production
Authors: Lusk Jayson L. , Norwood F. Bailey , Pruitt J. Ross
Published: October 2006

Both bodies of the U.S. Congress have recently considered legislation to restrict use of antibiotics in livestock feed. Although several studies have addressed the costs of such restrictions, little is known about consumer demand. This study estimates consumers' willingness to pay for pork produced without subtherapeutic antibiotics and consumers' willingness to contribute to a reduction in antibiotic resistance by collecting data in a grocery store environment with mechanisms that involve the exchange of real food and real money. Results indicate that the welfare effects of a ban depend heavily on assumptions about consumers' current knowledge about antibiotic use in pork production and the extent to which consumers are currently able to purchase antibiotic‐free pork.
Labeling Context and Reference Point Effects in Models of Food Attribute Demand
Authors: Hu Wuyang , Adamowicz Wiktor L. , Veeman Michele M.
Published: October 2006

There is considerable interest in the effect of labels on food product demand. Labeling statements may convey new information about attributes and place consumers in different choice contexts; consumers' assessment of information in labels may be affected by reference points. We examine labeling context relating to genetically modified (GM) food as a factor in the stochastic component of a random utility model and assess reference points over a set of observable characteristics of consumers. We find that labeling context effects are present, although relatively small, while reference dependence is a very important factor that varies over observable characteristics of the sampled consumers.
Simulating the Impacts of Contract Supplies in a Spot Market‐Contract Market Equilibrium Setting
Authors: Wang Yanguo , Jaenicke Edward C.
Published: October 2006

This article embeds a principal‐agent model within a market equilibrium model of contract and cash markets to analyze the impact of contracting on the spot market for hogs. The equilibrium model incorporates both quality differentiation in the contract market and an endogenously determined cash market price. For three types of contracting scenarios, market equilibrium conditions are derived, and results are presented for a numerical example. Contrary to some empirical results, our model shows that the increased supply of hogs under typical formula‐price contracts can increase or decrease the cash market price, depending on the relative size of overall contract supplies.
Posted Prices and Bid Affiliation: Evidence from Experimental Auctions
Authors: Corrigan Jay R. , Rousu Matthew C.
Published: October 2006

In most experimental auctions, researchers ask participants to bid on the same item in multiple potentially binding rounds, posting the price submitted by the top bidder or bidders after each of those rounds. If bids submitted in later rounds are affiliated with posted prices from earlier rounds, this practice could result in biased value estimates. In this article, we discuss the results of an experiment designed explicitly to test whether posted prices affect bidding behavior. We find that for familiar items, high posted prices lead to increased bids in subsequent rounds. Our results have implications for researchers conducting experimental auctions.
Ranking Crop Yield Models: A Comment
Authors: Ramírez Octavio A. , McDonald Tanya
Published: October 2006

This comment discusses key specification issues that may have affected the performance and, therefore, the ranking of parametric models that were compared in a recent AJAE article. A procedure to obtain the most flexible parametric model specification possible, given the particular probability distribution function on which the model is based is presented. These specifications also allow for standardized and, therefore, more valid comparisons across parametric models that are based on different probability distributions. Finally, the comment cautions against generalization of the rankings in that AJAE article and recommends that these more flexible specifications be adopted in future comparisons and applications.
On the Lax Pairs of the Symmetric Painlevé Equations
Authors: Sen A. , Hone A.N.W. , Clarkson P.A.
Published: October 2006

The symmetric forms of the Painlevé equations are a sequence of nonlinear dynamical systems in N+ 1 variables that admit the action of an extended affine Weyl group of type , as shown by Noumi and Yamada. They are equivalent to the periodic dressing chains studied by Veselov and Shabat, and by Adler. In this paper, a direct derivation of the symmetries of a corresponding sequence of (N+ 1) × (N+ 1) matrix linear systems (Lax pairs) is given. The action of the generators of the extended affine Weyl group of type on the associated Lax pairs is realized through a set of transformations of the eigenfunctions, and this extends to an action of the whole group.
MORE ABOUT JUDGMENT AND REASON
Authors: BROWN HAROLD I.
Published: October 2006

Abstract: This paper is a response to Siegel 2004. I take Siegel's remarks as a basis for clarifying, defending, and further developing my account of the role of judgment in a theory of rationality.
FROM VIRTUE TO DECENCY
Authors: BRÄNNMARK JOHAN
Published: October 2006

Abstract:In her work on virtue ethics Rosalind Hursthouse has formulated an Aristotelian criterion of rightness that understands rightness in terms of what the virtuous person would do. It is argued here that this kind of criterion does not allow enough room for the category of the supererogatory and that right and wrong should rather be understood in terms of the characteristic behavior of decent persons. Furthermore, it is suggested that this kind of approach has the added advantage of allowing one to make sense of the centrality of negative precepts in commonsense morality.
On the Effects of Wage Pressure on the Unemployment Rate and Capital Share
Authors: Ohno Takashi
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this paper is to understand the behaviour of the capital share and the unemployment rate in Europe over the past quarter of a century. We consider a model with monopolistic competition, increasing returns and an imperfect labour market, assuming that the elasticity between capital and labour is less than unity. Previous works have generally assumed constant returns to scale. Our results offer an important conclusion, namely that increased wage pressure will increase the unemployment rate and the capital share even though the latter initially decreases, which fits the stylized facts about the studied economies.
Knowledge about the genetics of essential tremor in patients and their relatives
Authors: Prakash K. M. , Lum S. Y. , Fook‐Choong S. , Tan E. K.
Published: October 2006

In a face‐to‐face questionnaire‐based survey involving a total of 111 essential tremor (ET) patients and their relatives, we demonstrated a general lack of genetic insight amongst our study subjects. There was no significant correlation between genetic knowledge of ET and age, level of education, disease duration or severity. A proactive effort is needed to encourage physicians managing ET patients to incorporate genetic information and education into their practice.
Granite‐related overpressure and volatile release in the mid crust: fluidized breccias from the Cloncurry District, Australia
Authors: OLIVER N. H. S. , RUBENACH M. J. , FU B. , BAKER T. , BLENKINSOP T. G. , CLEVERLEY J. S. , MARSHALL L. J. , RIDD P. J.
Published: October 2006

The source and transport regions of fluidized (transported) breccias outcrop in the Cloncurry Fe‐oxide–Cu–Au district. Discordant dykes and pipes with rounded clasts of metasedimentary calc–silicate rocks and minor felsic and mafic intrusions extend several kilometres upwards and outwards from the contact aureole of the 1530 Ma Williams Batholith into overlying schists and amphibolites. We used analytical equations for particle transport to estimate clast velocities (≥20 m sec−1), approaching volcanic ejecta rates. An abrupt release of overpressured magmatic‐hydrothermal fluid is suggested by the localization of the base of the breccias in intensely veined contact aureoles (at around 10 km, constrained by mineral equilibria), incorporation of juvenile magmatic clasts, the scale and discordancy of the bodies, and the wide range of pressure variation (up to 150 MPa) inferred from CO2 fluid inclusion densities and related decrepitation textures. The abundance of clasts derived from depth, rather than from the adjacent wallrocks, suggests that the pressure in the pipes was sufficient to restrict the inwards spalling of fragments from breccia walls; that is, the breccias were explosive rather than implosive, and some may have vented to the surface. At these depths, such extreme behaviour may have been achieved by release of dissolved fluids from crystallizing magma, in combination with a strongly fractured and fluid‐laden carapace, sitting under a strong, low permeability barrier. The relationship of these breccias to the Ernest Henry iron‐oxide–Cu–Au deposit suggests they may have been sources of fluids or mechanical energy for ore genesis, or alternately provided permeable pathways for later ore fluids.
Outcomes of low‐vision services using optometric and multidisciplinary approaches: a non‐randomized comparison
Authors: De Boer Michiel R. , Twisk Jos , Moll Annette C. , Völker‐Dieben Hennie J. M. , De Vet Henrica C. W. , Van Rens Ger H. M. B.
Published: October 2006

Consecutive patients (n = 215) who were referred to optometric (55%) or multidisciplinary (45%) low‐vision services and above 50 years of age were recruited from four hospitals in the Netherlands. They completed two vision‐related quality of life questionnaires, the Vision Quality of Life Core Measure (VCM1) and the Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire (LVQOL), before their first visit with low‐vision services and 1 year later.

At follow‐up, patients referred to multidisciplinary low‐vision services had lower scores on the mobility subscale of the LVQOL than patients referred to optometric low‐vision services [5.3 points; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2–10.5]. Paired sample t‐tests for the two groups of patients taken together show improvement for the VCM1 (3.1 points; 95% CI: 0.6–5.6) and deterioration for the basic aspects of vision (3.5 points; 95% CI: 1.1–5.9) and the mobility (6.6 points; 95% CI: 3.7–9.5) subscales of the LVQOL.

In conclusion, people referred to optometric services showed less deterioration in mobility than those referred to multidisciplinary services. No differences were observed for any of the other subscales of the LVQOL and the VCM1. Future research in this field should include randomized controlled designs comparing low‐vision services with no treatment or placebo.
PHYSICOCHEMICAL COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS OF CERAMICS: A CASE STUDY IN KENTING, TAIWAN*
Authors: CHEN MAA‐LING
Published: October 2006

The composition of ceramics does not just reflect the component of some specific, unprocessed, geological, raw material source, but also certain forms of human behaviour involved in its manufacture. The purpose of this research project is to apply the acid‐extraction chemical method, complemented by a thin‐section petrographic study, to the compositional analyses of certain local ceramic collections (mainly from several sites in the southern Taiwan area). The results present the raw materials that the ceramic manufacturers of the two cultural traditions (O‐laun‐pi Phase II and Phase III–IV), which overlapped temporally, used. These materials came from the same sources, but the ceramics were manufactured in different ways. Particularly, the people of O‐laun‐pi Phase III–IV also procured certain materials from either local sources or from somewhere in eastern Taiwan to make their pots. The results also indicate that there might have been a variation in terms of their manufacture among sites of the same cultural tradition.
ANALYSIS OF THE NOTCHES OF ANCIENT SERRATED DENARS*
Authors: KRAFT G. , FLEGE S. , REIFF F. , ORTNER H. M. , ENSINGER W.
Published: October 2006

A number of serrated silver denars of the Roman Republic and a Greek bronze coin were investigated, paying special attention to the notches, in order to reveal their production technique. Particular interest was devoted to three contemporary forgeries of serrated denars, because the official pure silver issues were also available for inspection. Several microbeam analytical techniques were applied, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe micro‐analysis (EPMA) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The surfaces of the notches, which show traces of the tools used, were investigated by SEM. In the case of the forged coins, the thickness of the silver layer (inside the notches as well as on the surface of the coin) was determined by SEM and SIMS. The main components of the surfaces were similar in both cases as measured by EPMA. Combining the results, it is possible to reconstruct the steps in the production of the serrated denars. The investigations also permit a review of different opinions about the purpose of the notches.
WROUGHT IRON FROM THEUSS MONITOR: MINERALOGY, PETROLOGY AND METALLOGRAPHY*
Authors: BOESENBERG J. S.
Published: October 2006

The metal and its slag inclusions from theUSS Monitorare mineralogical and geological artefacts of a vessel that has catalysed and documented the technology of maritime construction and warfare since 1862. Petrological study of a wrought iron disc from the hull of theMonitorreveals low‐carbon, high‐phosphorus ferrite with 4.8 vol% silicate slag, which includes phosphoran olivine, glass, wüstite and a silica polymorph. The sample, although made at the height of wrought iron manufacture, is of only mediocre quality and has a mineralogy, petrology and metallography that reflect the latter stages of puddling, rolling, annealing and 140 years of corrosion.
A Conversation with Max Corden*
Authors: COLEMAN WILLIAM
Published: October 2006

Max Corden recalls his emigration from Nazi Germany, and arrival in Melbourne on the day before Australia Day in 1939. He describes his ambivalence towards undergraduate economics, and the fortuitous events that led him to pursue a PhD at the London School of Economics. He explains the significance of James Meade and Harry Johnson for his intellectual development and academic advancement. He stresses the support the Australian professoriate and public service gave his critique of protection, but ponders certain frustrations he felt in Australian academia. He summarises his work as ‘old‐fashioned Pigovian economics’, and himself as ‘European intellectual with a strong Australian veneer’.
A Couples‐Based Approach to the Problem of Workless Families*
Authors: COBB‐CLARK DEBORAH , RYAN CHRIS , BREUNIG ROBERT
Published: October 2006

The objective of this paper is to evaluate a ‘couples‐based’ policy intervention designed to reduce the number of Australian families with dependent children in which no adult was in paid employment. Selected women on family benefits (who were partnered with men receiving unemployment benefits) were randomly invited to participate in an interview process designed to identify strategies for increasing economic and social participation. The overall effect of the interview process led to lower hours of work among family benefit recipients, but to greater participation in job search and in study or training for work‐related reasons. Whether women were interviewed with their partner or not had no effect on the level of economic activity of participants.
Finance and Growth: A Critical Survey*
Authors: TREW ALEX
Published: October 2006

We present a survey of the finance‐growth nexus that raises a number of qualifications to the standard interpretation. We investigate doubts regarding empirical consensus and we consider the prevalence of cross‐section econometrics as dominant in shaping the present theoretical consensus. The core implications of many finance and growth theories are shown to be disconnected not only from their modern empirical counterparts, but also from the historical literature.
Involvement of apoptosis and cholinergic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: TAGAMI Shinji , TSUJIMOTO Yoshihide , AKAIKE Akinori , TAKASHIMA Akihiko , HASEGAWA Masato , ISHIGURO Koichi , SHOJI Mikio , ITO Nobuo , KANEMARU Kazutomi , URAKAMI Katsuya , OKOCHI Masayasu , TAKEDA Masatoshi
Published: October 2006

As Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progresses, brain atrophy becomes conspicuous, and histologically there is neuronal loss, primarily with a deficit of cholinergic neurons observed. Hitherto, the view has been that cell death, apoptosis, plays a role in this neuronal loss. Apoptosis is characterized by the morphological changes of nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation and cell shrinkage, with activation of caspases, members of the cysteine protease family, resulting in considerable substrate cleavage. TUNEL positive neurons have in fact been detected in AD brain, indicating increased caspase activity and resulting substrate cleavage. In AD brain, amyloid beta peptides (Aβ), the main constituent of senile plaque, are a specific pathological hallmark observed in extracellular spaces. In contrast, the main constituent of intracellularly observed neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) is hyperphosphorylated tau, which is observed in various neurodegenerative disorders other than AD. The viewpoint of many studies is that the Aβ and NFT that cause these neuropathological changes probably participate in neuronal death. However, up until now it has been thought that there was no hypothesis offering a comprehensive explanation of how the accumulation of extracellular Aβ and intracellular NFT leads to neuronal death. This report first covers the mechanism of apoptosis as clarified by molecular biological methods, and provides an explanation of how apoptosis could be involved in AD pathology. The subject of autophagic cell death, a type of cell death morphology that has recently been the focus of attention, is also addressed.
Isotopic constraints on age and duration of fluid‐assisted high‐pressure eclogite‐facies recrystallization during exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust in the Sulu orogen
Authors: ZHAO Z.‐F. , ZHENG Y.‐F. , GAO T.‐S. , WU Y.‐B. , CHEN B. , CHEN F.‐K. , WU F.‐Y.
Published: October 2006

Fluid availability during high‐grade metamorphism is a critical factor in dictating petrological, geochemical and isotopic reequilibration between metamorphic minerals, with fluid‐absent metamorphism commonly resulting in neither zircon growth/recrystallization for U‐Pb dating nor Sm‐Nd isotopic resetting for isochron dating. While peak ultra‐high pressure (UHP) metamorphism is characterized by fluid immobility, high‐pressure (HP) eclogite‐facies recrystallization during exhumation is expected to take place in the presence of fluid. A multichronological study of UHP eclogite from the Sulu orogen of China indicates zircon growth at 216 ± 3 Ma as well as mineral Sm‐Nd and Rb‐Sr reequilibration at 216 ± 5 Ma, which are uniformly younger than UHP metamorphic ages of 231 ± 4 to 227 ± 2 Ma as dated by the SHRIMP U‐Pb method for coesite‐bearing domains of zircon. O isotope reequilibration was achieved between the Sm‐Nd and Rb‐Sr isochron minerals, but Hf isotopes were not homogenized between different grains of zircon. The HP eclogite‐facies recrystallization is also evident from petrography. Thus this process occurred during exhumation with fluid availability from decompression dehydration of hydrous minerals and the exsolution of hydroxyl from nominally anhydrous minerals. This provides significant amounts of internally derived fluid for extensive retrogression within the UHP metamorphosed slabs. Based on available experimental diffusion data, the consistent reequilibration of U‐Pb, Sm‐Nd, Rb‐Sr and O isotope systems in the eclogite minerals demonstrates that time‐scale for the HP eclogite‐facies recrystallization is c. 1.9–9.3 Myr or less. This provides a maximum estimate for duration of the fluid‐facilitated process in the HP eclogite‐facies regime during the exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust.
Reaction progress related to indentation structures at glaucophane/glaucophane contacts in an impure marble from Syros, Greece
Authors: OKAMOTO A. , MIYAKE T. , MASUDA T.
Published: October 2006

Microstructures of brittle mineral grains embedded in a ductile matrix provide information on the influence of stress concentration on reaction progress during metamorphism. Under non‐hydrostatic conditions, contrasts of mechanical properties between minerals possibly cause stress concentrations at specific grain boundaries, which may result in a localization of subsequent reactions. In an impure marble from Syros, Greece, glaucophane grains occurring in a calcite matrix commonly impinge on other glaucophane grains to form concavo‐convex boundary contacts. The geometrical relationship between grain boundary and growth zoning within glaucophane grains indicates that indentation and dissolution occurred preferentially at the glaucophane/glaucophane contacts in response to compression normal to the foliation. In contrast, idioblastic surfaces of glaucophane were preserved at glaucophane/calcite boundaries, indicating that stress concentrated at glaucophane/glaucophane contacts. The retrograde minerals (winchite, albite and biotite) that were formed by consuming glaucophane are observed not only at the extensive site, but also at the ‘compressive’ site where indentation occurred. The precipitation of retrograde minerals at the extensive sites was accompanied by glaucophane dissolution at the indentation stage. In contrast, the formation of retrograde minerals at the ‘compressive’ site indicates that retrograde replacement preferentially proceeded at the indented sites even after stress relaxation. Such a localization of the replacement suggests that the formation of damaged zones around glaucophane/glaucophane contacts induced by stress concentration would have provided the preferential sites for glaucophane breakdown at the later stage.
The lawsonite paradox: a comparison of field evidence and mineral equilibria modelling
Authors: CLARKE G. L. , POWELL R. , FITZHERBERT J. A.
Published: October 2006

Lawsonite equilibria are predicted to occur over a broad P–T spectrum developed during subduction, yet lawsonite‐bearing assemblages are rare. In the context of mafic mineral equilibria modelled for the range of common crustal metamorphism (4–23 kbar, 400–750 °C) using the system Na2O‐CaO‐K2O‐FeO‐MgO‐Al2O3‐SiO2‐H2O and the software thermocalc, unusually high water contents are demanded by lawsonite assemblages. As a consequence, lawsonite assemblages are predicted to have difficulty forming and lawsonite equilibria to be uncommon. Metabasalt undergoing cooler subduction may experience substantial periods involving the metastable persistence of mineral assemblages because of water under‐saturation with non‐occurrence of recrystallization. If formed, lawsonite‐bearing assemblages are observed to be highly unstable; their preservation requires that exhumation be accompanied by substantial cooling. The amount of structurally bound H2O in minerals plays a critical role in the formation and preservation of mineral assemblages, controlling key changes in rocks undergoing subduction.