bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solution structures of the inactivation gate particle peptides of rat brain type‐IIA and human heart sodium channels in SDS micelles
Authors: Miyamoto K. , Nakagawa T. , Kuroda Y. , Kanaori K.
Published: January 2004

Abstract: The Ile‐Phe‐Met (IFM) motif located in the III–IV linker of voltage‐gated sodium channels has been identified as a major component of the fast inactivation gate. If Gln was substituted for Phe, the role in the gate was disrupted completely. If Ile was replaced by Gln inactivation became slightly incomplete and if the Thr, which is adjacent to the IFM motif (‐IFMT‐), was replaced by Met, inactivation became much more incomplete than in the I/Q mutation, but not as vigorous as in the F/Q mutation. Previously, we studied the structures of the inactivation gate‐related peptide (K1480–K1496 in rat brain type‐IIA, MP‐3A) and its F1489/Q substituted one (MP‐4A) in SDS micelles and found that the conformational change of the IFM hydrophobic cluster due to the F/Q substitution may be a reason for disrupting the gate. In this study, in order to obtain supporting evidence for this view and also to further knowledge of the effect of I/Q and T/M mutations on the structure of the IFM cluster, we studied the structures of I1488Q [MP(rb)‐3QFMT] and T1491M [MP(rb)‐3IFMM] substituted peptides. The fragment peptide K1477–K1493 [MP(hh)‐3A] and its T1488M substituted peptide [MP(hh)‐3IFMM] in the human heart sodium channel were also studied. It was found that the backbone structures around the IMF motif of MP‐3A, MP(hh)‐3A and MP(rb)‐3QFMT resemble one another in such a manner that the residues Ile(Gln) and Thr are brought so close together that they form a unique type of lid to occlude the pore. In contrast, the residues between Ile and M1491 of MP(rb)‐3IFMM or M1488 of MP(hh)‐3IFMM were fairly far apart from each other. We conclude that Thr plays an important role in forming a structure of the IFM hydrophobic cluster for inactivation.
Structure–activity relationship of [Nphe1]‐NC‐(1‐13)‐NH2, a pure and selective nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor antagonist
Authors: Guerrini R. , Salvadori S. , Calo' G. , Bigoni R. , Rizzi D. , Regoli D.
Published: January 2004

Abstract: A series of analogs of the ORL1 receptor antagonist [Nphe1]‐NC(1‐13)‐NH2 was prepared and tested for agonistic and antagonistic activities in the mouse vas deferens, a preparation that shows high sensitivity to nociceptin and related peptides. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the aromatic residue at the N‐terminal for antagonism and eventually identify compounds with improved potency. Results indicated that all 23 compounds are inactive as agonists, and the antagonistic potency of the initial template [Nphe1]‐NC(1‐13)‐NH2 is high (pKB 6.43) compared with those of all other compounds except [(S)(βMe)Nphe1]NC(1‐13)‐NH2 (pKB 6.48). The other 22 compounds can be divided into two groups: 10 show antagonistic potencies (pKB) ranging from 5.30 to 5.86, whereas the other 12 compounds are inactive. This study clearly shows that the aromatic ring of Nphe is very critical for the interaction with the ORL1 receptor and can not be enlarged or sterically modified without significant loss of antagonistic potency.
A novel bovine lactoferrin peptide, FKCRRWQWRM, suppressesCandidacell growth and activates neutrophils
Authors: Ueta E. , Tanida T. , Osaki T.
Published: January 2004

Abstract:To identify potent new antifungal agents, theCandidacell growth inhibitory activities of six lactoferrin (Lf) peptides consisting of 6–25 amino acid residues (peptide 1, FKCRRWQWRMKKLGAPSITCVRRAF = lactoferricin B; peptide 2, FKCRRWQWRM; peptide 2′, FKARRWQWRM; peptide 3, GAPSITCVRRAF; peptide 4, RRWQWR; and peptide 5, RWQWRM) were examined. Of these, peptide 2 strongly suppressed the multiplication ofCandidacells, but other peptides showed only weak activities. In two strains ofC. albicans,the minimum inhibitory concentration 100 of peptide 2 (17.3 ± 2.2 µmand 17.5 ± 2.4 µm) was close to that of miconazole (13.0 ± 1.7 µmand 13.1 ± 1.6 µm) but markedly different from that of amphotericin B (0.52 ± 0.09 µmand 0.56 ± 0.11 µm). The suppression ofCandidacell growth was additively increased by a combination of peptide 2 with amphotericin B and miconazole. Peptides 1, 3, 4 and 5 and Lf suppressed iron uptake byCandidacells, inversely correlated with theirCandidacell growth inhibition activities. However, iron uptake was not inhibited by peptide 2. In addition, peptide 2 upregulatedCandidacell killing activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) increasing their superoxide generation, protein kinase C activity, p38 MAPK activity and the expression of p47phox. These results indicated that the main antimicrobial activity of the Lf peptides is dependent on the N‐terminal half of Lf and that the PMN upregulatory activity of peptide 2 and additive function of peptide 2 with antifungal drugs are useful for prophylaxis and control of candidiasis.
A peptide derived from the C‐terminal part of a plant cysteine protease folds into a stack of two β‐hairpins, a scaffold present in the emerging family of granulin‐like growth factors
Authors: Tolkatchev D. , Xu P. , Ni F.
Published: January 2004

Abstract: A 35 amino acid residue peptide corresponding to the N‐terminal subdomain of the granulin‐like repeat from rice oryzain β was synthesized and regioselectively oxidized to produce a species with a [1–3, 2–4] disulfide‐pairing pattern. The resulting peptide was studied in solution using NMR and was shown to adopt the tertiary topology of a stack of two β‐hairpins found in the emerging family of granulin‐like growth factors. Because of the longer second β‐hairpin, the overall conformation of the peptide is somewhat more flexible than that of its well‐structured carp granulin‐1 analog. Except for the cysteine alignment, there is very little sequence homology between granulin‐like growth factors from the animal kingdom and the granulin‐like repeats at the C‐termini of plant cysteine proteases. Therefore, the stack of two β‐hairpins may be a conserved three‐dimensional organization of the granulin‐like repeats from evolutionary distant sources with a significant role in specific protein–protein interactions.
The leucine zipper motif of the envelope glycoprotein ectodomain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 contains conformationally flexible regions as revealed by NMR and circular dichroism studies in different media
Authors: Chang D.‐Kwo , Trivedi V.D. , Cheng S.‐F. , Francis S.
Published: January 2004

Abstract: A 43‐mer peptide derived from the coiled coil domain of the transmembrane glycoprotein, gp41, of human immunodeficiency virus type 1, was synthesized. Light scattering measurements suggested that the peptide molecules likely exist in the aqueous solution in trimeric form. Circular dichroism experiments showed a moderate helix population enhancement for the peptide in 80% methanol solution relative to helicity in sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar suspension. NMR spectroscopy indicated that the N‐terminal section of the peptide was conformationally more sensitive to the medium. The conformationally labile regions contain residues implicated in gp41–gp120 association. Our data support the idea that the coiled coil region is responsible for oligomerization of the gp41 ectodomain and suggest a site of conformational isomerization following receptor binding‐induced gp120 dissociation from gp41.
Synthesis and characterization of the colistin peptide polymyxin E1 and related antimicrobial peptides
Authors: Kline T. , Holub D. , Therrien J. , Leung T. , Ryckman D.
Published: January 2004

Abstract: Two strategies were developed to synthesize the acylated cyclic peptides know as polymyxins. Synthesis of polymyxin E1 and several analogs enabled us to evaluate the minimum inhibitory concentration of individual compounds against Gram‐negative bacteria. In this study we also report the first identification of two component peptides in the complex polymyxin fermentation product colistin, a Thr2Ser isoform and an acyl group isomer. Both of these peptides, as well as a known component peptide, Leu7Ile, were similar to polymyxin E1 in potency, suggesting that conservative mutations in the colistin family are functionally inconsequential. In contrast, the acyclic analogs of all of these peptides were inactive, indicating that the characteristic lariat structure of the polymyxins is necessary for antimicrobial activity.
Role of endoscopic ultrasonography in diseases of the extrahepatic biliary system
Authors: YUSUF TONY E , BHUTANI MANOOP S
Published: January 2004

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is one of the most recent advances in gastrointestinal endoscopy. Available EUS devices include echoendoscopes, such as radial scanning and linear array echoendoscopes, and catheter ultrasound probes. Endoscopic ultrasonography has various applications, such as staging of gastrointestinal malignancy, evaluation of submucosal tumors, and has grown to be an important modality in evaluating the pancreaticobiliary system. With regard to the biliary system, EUS is useful for the detection and staging of ampullary tumors, detection of microlithiasis and choledocholithiasis and evaluation of benign and malignant bile‐duct strictures. Endoscopic ultrasonography may be used as an adjunct to transabdominal ultrasound for the detection and characterization of gallbladder polyps. In addition, EUS is helpful in the staging of gallbladder cancer as well as in diagnosing anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction with its associated pancreatobiliary diseases. The present paper reviews the current applications of EUS for imaging and intervention in diseases of the extrahepatic biliary system.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Ingestion of resistant starch protects endotoxin influx from the intestinal tract and reduces D‐galactosamine‐induced liver injury in rats
Authors: MORITA TATSUYA , TANABE HIROKI , TAKAHASHI KOJI , SUGIYAMA KIMIO
Published: January 2004

Background and Aims:  The aim of the present study was to examine the protective effect of a dietary high‐amylose cornstarch (HAS) against D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN)‐induced liver injury, focusing specifically on intestinal endotoxin translocation.

Methods:  Male Wistar rats fed a HAS‐free basal diet or a 30% HAS‐supplemented diet were injected intraperitoneally with D‐GalN. Serum transaminase activities, serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and portal venous endotoxin concentrations were determined at various time points. Ileal mucosal proliferation, small intestinal immunoglobulin (Ig)A and mucin, and the size of the cecal short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA) pool were also determined.

Results:  High‐amylose cornstarch ingestion significantly reduced the increase in serum transaminase activities at 22 h after the injection of D‐GalN. Rats fed the HAS diet showed a greater cecal SCFA production as measured by pool size than those fed the basal diet. Luminal IgA and mucin content were significantly greater in rats fed the HAS diet. Protein, DNA and RNA contents in the ileal mucosa were also higher in rats fed the 30% HAS diet. In a further experiment, portal venous endotoxin concentrations in rats fed the basal diet reached 72 ng/L at 4 h after D‐GalN administration, but endotoxin was not detected in rats fed the HAS diet. At this time, portal endotoxin concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with the serum concentrations of TNF‐α and serum alanine aminotransferase activities.

Conclusion:  These data support the view that HAS ingestion may reduce D‐GalN‐induced liver injury as a result of an inhibitory effect on endotoxin influx from the intestinal tract, at least in part as a result of alterations in the mucosal barrier functions.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Immunoactivative role of indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase in human hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: ISHIO TETSUYA , GOTO SHIGERU , TAHARA KOUICHIROU , TONE SHIGENOBU , KAWANO KATSUNORI , KITANO SEIGO
Published: January 2004

Background:  Indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO) is a tryptophan catabolic enzyme. Recent studies have focused on the immunoregulatory role of IDO in mononuclear cells. The role of IDO in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and HCC patients was examined.

Methods:  The expression of IDO mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cocultured with HCC cell lines was detected by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The cytotoxicity of PBMC against HCC cell lines cultured with and without IDO inhibitor was examined by sodium 51chromate release assay. In the tumor portion of 21 HCC patients, the expression of mRNA of IDO, tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase and some cytokines was detected by RT‐PCR. The expression and distribution of IDO protein in HCC specimens was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

Results:  The IDO mRNA was strongly induced in PBMC cocultured with HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 and faintly induced in PBMC cocultured with Hep3B and HuH7. The cytotoxicity of PBMC against HCC cell lines was directly proportional to the level of expression of IDO mRNA and reduced by IDO inhibitor. The expression of IDO mRNA in the tumor portion was detected in 12 out of 21 HCC patients. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the IDO‐positive cells were identified to be tumor‐infiltrating cells, not tumor cells. The IDO mRNA correlated significantly with gene expression of interferon‐γ, tumor necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐1β. The recurrence‐free survival rate of IDO‐positive HCC patients was significantly higher than that of IDO‐negative HCC patients (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  These results suggest that IDO is a necessary enzyme for anticancer immune reactions of tumor‐infiltrating cells.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and the cirrhotic liver
Authors: XIAO YI , KLEEFF JÖRG , GUO JUNCHAO , GAZDHAR AMIQ , LIAO QUAN , DI CESARE PAUL E , Büchler Markus W , FRIESS HELMUT
Published: January 2004

Background:  Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is the fifth member of the thrombospondin family of extracellular, calcium‐binding proteins. It was initially isolated and characterized in cartilage tissue, where it is thought to contribute to the extracellular matrix composition and cell–extracellular matrix interaction. In the present study the expression of COMP was investigated in normal liver (n = 19), liver cirrhosis (n = 14) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 16) tissues, both at the mRNA and protein level.

Methods and Results:  By northern blot and western blot analysis, COMP was absent or rarely expressed in the normal liver and liver cirrhosis tissues, but significantly overexpressed in HCC tissue samples. The COMP mRNA overexpression in HCC was not related to the clinical stage or tumor grade. By in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry analysis, COMP mRNA and protein expression were localized within the cytoplasm of the tumor cells.

Conclusion:  COMP is highly expressed within the tumor cells of HCC, suggesting that COMP might play a role in the pathophysiology of this disease.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Surveillance for newly acquired hepatitis C in Australia
Authors: ROBOTIN MONICA C , COPLAND JOY , TALLIS GRAHAM , COLEMAN DAVID , GIELE CAROLIEN , CARTER LOUISE , SPENCER JENEAN , KALDOR JOHN M , DORE GREGORY J
Published: January 2004

Background:  The purpose of the present paper was to determine recent patterns of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in Australia through a national system of enhanced surveillance of newly acquired hepatitis C.

Methods:  Demographic, clinical, and risk behavior information on newly acquired hepatitis C cases from 1997 to 2000 was collected. Newly acquired hepatitis C included cases of HCV antibody sero‐conversion within a 12 month period and acute clinical hepatitis C cases.

Results:  Nine hundred and twelve cases of newly acquired hepatitis C were identified, representing 2.8% of all HCV notifications for this period. The majority of cases (72%) were diagnosed in people aged between 20 and 39 years. Injecting drug use was reported in the vast majority of cases (93%), with sexual transmission (2%) and tattooing (2%) reported in small numbers. HCV antibody sero‐conversion was the mode of diagnosis in most cases (78%).

Conclusions:  Injecting drug use is the main route of HCV transmission in Australia. As only a small proportion of HCV infections are detected as newly acquired, enhanced surveillance procedures, including increased regular HCV testing of at‐risk populations are required to more effectively monitor recent patterns of transmission.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Intestinal inflammation alters the susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole‐induced seizure in mice
Authors: RIAZI KIARASH , HONAR HOOMAN , HOMAYOUN HOUMAN , DEMEHRI SHADPOUR , BAHADORI MOSLEM , DEHPOUR AHMAD REZA
Published: January 2004

Background:  Inflammatory bowel disorders are associated with increased incidence of seizures. Alteration in the endogenous opioid system and overproduction of nitric oxide have been implicated in colitis. The possible contribution of opioid receptors and nitric oxide to increased seizure susceptibility was examined in a putative model of intestinal inflammation.

Methods:  The alterations in clonic seizure threshold, induced by pentylenetetrazole, following the induction of intestinal inflammation by the administration of two consecutive daily oral doses of croton oil, was evaluated in mice. This model was used to evaluate the effects of pretreatment with opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (10 mg/kg, once daily for 4 days or a single dose on the test day), non‐specific nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (10 mg/kg, once daily), and specific inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor aminoguanidine (100 mg/kg, once daily) on seizure threshold in intestinal inflammation.

Results:  A significant decrease in clonic seizure threshold was observed in mice with intestinal inflammation compared to the control group. Chronic pretreatment with naltrexone per se did not cause any significant change in seizure threshold, but it significantly restored the threshold in croton oil‐treated mice to that of the control animals. However, acute naltrexone pretreatment (on the test day) could not restore the decreased seizure threshold to control level. Chronic pretreatment with neither NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester nor aminoguanidine altered the seizure threshold in the control animals and in mice treated with croton oil.

Conclusions:  Experimental croton oil‐induced intestinal inflammation leads to a proconvulsant effect, which may have clinical relevance. Chronic alterations mediated by endogenous opioids may be involved in this process, though a direct opioid‐receptor‐mediated effect is unlikely. Nitric oxide synthesis, via constitutive or inducible pathways, is not involved in this increased susceptibility.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Gastroesophageal reflux disease related to diabetes: Analysis of 241 cases with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: NISHIDA TSUTOMU , TSUJI SHINGO , TSUJII MASAHIKO , ARIMITSU SHOKO , SATO TOMONOBU , HARUNA YOSHIMICHI , MIYAMOTO TAKASHI , KANDA TSUTOMU , KAWANO SUNAO , HORI MASATSUGU
Published: January 2004

Background and Aim:  We examined the incidence of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods:  Patients comprised those with DM or chronic hepatitis C (CHC) who visited Osaka Prefectural General Hospital in the same study period. Reflux symptoms were examined using a self‐administered questionnaire. A total score of 4 or more was considered an indication of symptomatic GERD. Disease duration, hemoglobinA1c and diabetic complications were assessed.

Results:  Patients with DM (n = 241) or CHC (n = 42) were recruited for the study. Of the 241 patients with DM, 100 (41.5%) reported experiencing upper gastrointestinal symptoms, whereas only 9 of 42 (21.4%) patients with CHC reported upper gastrointestinal symptoms (P = 0.0137). Sixty‐one patients (25.3%) with DM had reflux symptoms but only four patients (9.5%) with CHC reported reflux symptoms. The incidence of symptomatic GERD was significantly higher in patients with DM than in those with CHC (P = 0.0219). Patients with DM for less than 5 years had a 2.4‐fold higher incidence of GERD than patients with CHC. The incidence tended to rise with increased disease duration. Patients with diabetic complications reported reflux symptoms more frequently. The incidence decreased, however, in DM patients who had these conditions for more than 16 years.

Conclusions:  Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for symptomatic GERD. In DM patients, use of oral hypoglycemic agents, body mass index, disease duration and the quality of diabetic control influenced the incidence of GERD.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Can somatostatin prevent post‐ERCP pancreatitis? Results of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: ARVANITIDIS DIMITRIOS , ANAGNOSTOPOULOS GEORGE K , GIANNOPOULOS DIMITRIOS , PANTES ATHANASIOS , AGARITSI ROXANNE , MARGANTINIS GEORGE , TSIAKOS STAVROS , SAKORAFAS GEORGE , KOSTOPOULOS PANAGIOTIS
Published: January 2004

Background:  Acute pancreatitis is the most common complication of endoscopic retrogade cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), occurring in 1–10% of patients. Several substances have been used, with negative results, in an attempt to prevent this complication.

Methods:  We performed a double‐blind randomized trial in 372 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP to evaluate the role of somatostatin in preventing post‐ERCP pancreatitis. The first group received continuous somatostatin infusion for 12 h starting 30 min before ERCP, the second group received a bolus intravenous injection of somatostatin at the time of cannulation of the papilla, and the third group received a placebo.

Results:  Two patients in each of the somatostatin groups (1.7%) and 12 patients in the placebo group (9.8%) developed pancreatitis (P < 0.05). Serum amylase levels 5 and 24 h after the procedure were lower in both groups that received somatostatin than in the placebo group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Somatostatin is useful in preventing post‐ERCP pancreatitis. Further studies must be designed to investigate the cost‐effectiveness of the drug and to determine the ideal administration route and dosage.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on gastroesophageal function
Authors: TANAKA IZUMI , TATSUMI YOSHIHIDE , KODAMA TADASHI , KATO KEIMEI , FUJITA SHINYA , MITSUFUJI SHOJI , KASHIMA KEI
Published: January 2004

Background:  To elucidate the cause of possible occurrence of reflux esophagitis after Helicobacter pylori eradication, gastric and esophageal function among H. pylori infected Japanese patients were evaluated both before and after eradication therapy.

Methods:  Nine H. pylori‐positive patients were studied before and 6 months after successful H. pylori eradication. Studies included gastric emptying, esophageal manometry, gastric and esophageal pH monitoring as well as measuring serum levels of gastrin, pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II.

Results:  Helicobacter pylori eradication was associated with a significant change in serum gastrin and pepsinogen levels, consistent with the improvement in mucosal inflammation. There was no significant change in gastric emptying, fasting or postprandial lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, esophageal primary peristaltic contractions, frequency of transient LES relaxation, or gastroesophageal reflux, as assessed by 24 h pH monitoring. The percent time of the gastric pH >4 at night decreased significantly. A 41‐year‐old male developed erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (Los Angeles Classification Grade A) after eradication. Physiological studies showed he had abnormal esophageal motility prior to H. pylori eradication.

Conclusions:  With the exception of gastric pH at night, most patients did not experience a significant change in gastric or esophageal function after H. pylori eradication. Development of GERD post H. pylori eradication likely reflects an increase in the acidity of the refluxate superimposed on pre‐existing abnormalities in gastroesophageal motility.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Giant liver hemangioma in three sisters
Authors: ADMIRAAL GC , VAN SCHIE A , VAN MEYEL JJM , VASMEL WLE
Published: January 2004

Abstract  We describe a patient, in whom giant liver hemangioma (GLH) was found by ultrasound study in screening for hypertension. Two of her sisters also had GLH. One of them had become symptomatic and the hemangioma was successfully removed. The other sisters were carefully watched. Our patient didn’t need any intervention in 4 years of follow‐up. The pathogenesis of GLH is still unknown. Recent investigations show a role of the TIE receptor/angiopoietine system in vascular malformations. In literature we only found two other reports about a familial occurrence of liver hemangiomas. A genetic defect in familial GLH has not yet been identified.

© 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
The Bernanke and Blinder Model in an Open Economy: The Italyn Case
Authors: Chiades Paolo , Gambacorta Leonardo
Published: January 2004

This paper analyzes the functioning of monetary policy transmission mechanisms in Italy from 1984 to 1998, highlighting the role performed by the credit system. We extend the Bernanke and Blinder model (1988) to the case of an open economy under a quasi-fixed exchange rate regime, deriving analytically the conditions for the functioning of the three monetary policy channels generally identified in the literature (‘money’, ‘exchange rate’ and ‘credit’). These conditions explain the partial effectiveness of monetary policy in achieving price and income targets, while maintaining external equilibrium. By means of a structural VECM analysis, we evaluate the effectiveness of the transmission of monetary policy through the three channels.
Convergence in Structure and Productivity in European Manufacturing?
Authors: Gugler Klaus , Pfaffermayr Michael
Published: January 2004

We find fast convergence in productivity for 99 three-digit European industries over the 1985-98 period. Half of any productivity gap is closed on average in about 10-15 years. We explicitly formulate the steady-state assumptions for structural convergence to hold. Convergence in industrial structure is much slower than productivity catch-up with a half-life of around 50 years, a stylized fact which cannot easily be explained by the existing models of trade and growth.
Pitfalls in Restructuring the Electricity Industry
Authors: Meran Georg , Schwarze Reimund
Published: January 2004

This paper models some reductions in output that may follow the opening of electricity markets to competition. Specifically, we show that vertical separation of electricity generation, transmission and distribution could reduce welfare compared to the previous system of vertically integrated monopoly, if grid owners can act as monopolistic retailers or, alternatively, set access prices that maximize merchandizing surplus. Moreover, we show that a rule of non-discriminatory pricing would not remedy any of these problems. Hence, to secure the efficiency gains of deregulation, the re-regulation of the remaining monopolistic core - the electric grid - cannot rely on simple rules like cost-based non-discriminatory pricing.
Risk Taking in Asymmetric Tournaments
Authors: Kräkel Matthias
Published: January 2004

A tournament is examined in which two agents with different abilities choose efforts as well as risks. According to the previous literature, the more (less) able agent should choose a low (high) risk strategy, because the first one does not want to imperil his favorable position, whereas the last one can only gain by increasing risk. We show that this is not necessarily true. Risk taking affects equilibrium efforts as well as winning probabilities. Depending on both effects diverse equilibria are possible. For example, the low and the high ability agent may both choose high risks or both choose low risks.
The application of a fuzzy‐rule‐based system in an exposition of the antecedents of sedge warbler song flight
Authors: Beynon Malcolm J. , Buchanan Katherine L. , Tang Yu‐Cheng
Published: January 2004

Abstract:  The utilization of a fuzzy aspect within data analysis attempts to move from a quantitative to a more qualitative investigative environment. As such, this may allow the more non‐quantitative researchers results they can use, based on sets of linguistic terms. In this paper an inductive fuzzy decision tree approach is utilized to construct a fuzzy‐rule‐based system for the first time in a biological setting. The specific biological problem considered attempts to identify the antecedents (conditions in the fuzzy decision rules) which characterize the length of song flight of the male sedge warbler when attempting to attract a mate. Hence, for a non‐quantitative investigator the resultant set of fuzzy rules allows an insight into the linguistic interpretation on the relationship between associated characteristics and the respective song flight duration.
An agent‐oriented and knowledge‐based system for strategic e‐procurement
Authors: Cheung C. F. , Wang W. M. , Lo Victor , Lee W. B.
Published: January 2004

Abstract:  This paper presents an agent‐oriented and knowledge‐based system (AOKBS) for strategic e‐procurement. The AOKBS has been designed to capture and leverage the knowledge of an enterprise to generate dynamic business rules by which an effective procurement strategy can be generated based on enterprise needs and the analysis of relevant market conditions. The performance and practices of the suppliers can also be evaluated and captured continuously, respectively, by the AOKBS. Artificial intelligence technologies such as case‐based reasoning and agent technology are incorporated for decision analysis. A prototype e‐procurement system has been built and implemented successfully with a multinational manufacturer.
Family Demography, Social Theory, and Investment in Social Capital
Authors: Astone Nan Marie , Nathanson Constance A. , Schoen Robert , Kim Young J.
Published: January 2004

The analytic models used by family demographers would be strengthened by the concept of social capital, placed in the context of social exchange theory. Using that concept to designate resources that emerge from social ties, the authors advance five propositions: 1) social capital is a multidimensional attribute of an individual; 2) the dimensions of social capital are the number of relationships a person has, their quality (strength), and the resources available through those relationships; 3) group membership and interaction facilitate the development of social capital; 4) the structural properties of groups influence the development of social capital; and 5) the acquisition and maintenance of social capital is a major motivator of human behavior. The formation of sexual partnerships, the birth and rearing of children, and both intragenerational and intergenerational transfers constitute major forms of investment in social capital in virtually all societies.
Malthusian Models and Chinese Realities: The Chinese Demographic System 1700–2000
Authors: Lee James , Feng Wang
Published: January 2004

This article summarizes major recent findings on Chinese demographic behavior and outlines their relevancy for the Malthusian model of comparative population dynamics and Chinese population in particular. Specifically, it considers four distinctive and persistent features of Chinese behavior during the last 300 years—high rates of female infanticide and abortion, high rates of bachelorhood, low marital fertility, and high rates of male and female adoption–and discusses the origins and implications of such a demographic regime for Chinese economic and social development. Contrasting Chinese demographic behavior with European demographic behavior, the article argues the existence of a demographic system and a demographic transition different from current Malthusian and neo‐Malthusian models, and the existence of a system regulating collective demographic behavior in ways distinctly different from Western experience.
The Bangladesh Fertility Decline: An Interpretation
Authors: Caldwell John C. , Barkat‐e‐Khuda  , Caldwell Bruce , Pieris Indrani , Caldwell Pat
Published: January 2004

The claim has been made, notably in a 1994 World Bank report, that the Bangladesh fertility decline shows that efficient national family planning programs can achieve major fertility declines even in countries that are very poor, and even if females have a low status and significant socioeconomic change has not occurred. This article challenges this claim on the grounds that Bangladesh did experience major social and economic change, real and perceived, over the last two decades. This proposition is supported by official data and by findings of the authors' 1997 field study in rural southeast Bangladesh. That study demonstrates that most Bangladeshis believe that conditions are very different from the situation a generation ago and that on balance there has been improvement. Most also believe that more decisions must now be made by individuals, and these include decisions to have fewer children. In helping to achieve these new fertility aims, however, the services provided by the family planning program constituted an important input.
The Effect of Household Wealth on Educational Attainment: Evidence from 35 Countries
Authors: Filmer Deon , Pritchett Lant
Published: January 2004

The authors use household survey data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 44 surveys (in 35 countries) to document different patterns in the enrollment and attainment of children from rich and poor households. They overcome the lack of income or expenditure data in the DHS by constructing a proxy for long‐run wealth of the household from the asset information in the surveys, using the statistical technique of principal components. There are three major findings. First, the enrollment profiles of the poor differ across countries but fall into distinctive regional patterns: in some regions the poor reach nearly universal enrollment in first grade, but then drop out in large numbers leading to low attainment (typical of South America), while in other regions the poor never enroll in school (typical of South Asia and Western/Central Africa). Second, there are enormous differences across countries in the “wealth gap,” the difference in enrollment and educational attainment of the rich and poor. While in some countries the difference in the median years of school completed of the rich and poor is only a year or two, in other countries the wealth gap in attainment is 9 or 10 years. Third, the attainment profiles can be used as diagnostic tools to suggest issues in the educational system, such as the extent to which low attainment is attributable to physical unavailability of schools.
Corn and Crisis: Malthus on the High Price of Provisions
Authors: Wrigley E. A.
Published: January 2004

In 1799 Malthus spent six months in Scandinavia. There he witnessed the extreme deprivation, misery, and mortality that were once the common accompaniments of a bad harvest. On his return to England he found that the topic of the day was the exceptionally high price of bread, which threatened both political turmoil and human suffering. In the event, suffering even among the very poor was far less than in Sweden, though the increase in the price of the chief bread grain was greater. Malthus was intrigued by this apparent paradox. In An investigation of the cause of the present high price of provisions, published in 1800, he resolved it using arguments similar to those developed recently by Amartya Sen in his exposition of the concept of “entitlements.” In spite of his principled opposition to the poor laws, Malthus conceded that their effectiveness in transfering purchasing power to those most in need was a major reason for the limited impact of the dearth.
Marital and Fertility Careers of Russian Women Born Between 1910 and 1934
Authors: Schernov Sergei , van Vianen Harrie
Published: January 2004

Women born in Russia in the early decades of this century grew up in a period characterized by profound societal changes. Their lives were affected by often devastating events, in particular World War II, that ravaged society when they were entering their childbearing years. This note presents a detailed demographic analysis of the marital and fertility careers of women born between 1910 and 1934 based on individual retrospective life histories, collected in the most recent (5 percent) 1994 microcensus of the Russian Federation. It assesses the influence of external events on age at first marriage, widowhood, divorce, childlessness, parity, and age at birth. A comparison with younger cohorts shows that the societal disturbances had strong temporary effects. However, the final outcomes were not influenced very much: completed fertility continued its slow, secular decline.
SHORT REVIEWS
Authors: Bangaarts John , Brockerhoff Martin , Busza Joanna , McNicoll Geoffrey
Published: January 2004

Books reviewed in this article:

Chris Beyrer, War in the Blood: Sex, Politics and AIDS in Southeast Asia

Caroline H. Bledsoe et al. (eds.), Critical Perspectives on Schooling and Fertility in the Developing World

Donald J. Hernandez and Evan Charney (eds)., From Generation to Generation: The Health and Well‐Being of Children in Immigrant Families

Nana Poku and David T. Graham (eds.), Redefining Security: Population Movements and National Security

Jyoti Shankar Singh, Creating a New Consensus on Population

Jael Silliman and Ynestra King (eds.), Dangerous Intersections: Feminist Perspectives on Population, Environment, and Development; A Project of the Committee on Women, Population, and the Environment

Michael S. Teitelbaum and Jay Winter, A Question of Numbers: High Migration, Low Fertility, and the Politics of National Identity

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Population Monitoring 1997

Anthony Young, Land Resources: Now and for the Future
Is Fertility Behavior in Our Genes? Findings from a Danish Twin Study
Authors: Kohler Hans‐Peter , Rodgers Joseph L. , Christensen Kaare
Published: January 2004

This article investigates the fertility of Danish twins born during the periods 1870–1910 and 1953–64 in order to pursue two central questions for understanding human reproduction: Do genetic dispositions influence fertility and fertility‐related behavior? Does the relevance of the “nature versus nurture” debate shift over time or with demographic regimes? The authors find that genetic influences on fertility exist, but that their relative magnitude and pattern are contingent on gender and on the socioeconomic environment experienced by cohorts. Among females born in 1880–90 and after 1955, about 30–50 percent of the variance in fertility is due to genetic influences; these influences are substantially smaller for earlier and for interim birth cohorts. Male fertility is generally subject to smaller genetic and larger shared‐environment effects than female fertility. Because genetic effects are most prevalent in situations with deliberately controlled fertility and relatively egalitarian socioeconomic opportunities, the authors propose that the genetic dispositions affect primarily fertility behavior and motivations for having children. Analyses of fertility motivations, measured by age of first attempt to have a child, support this interpretation.
Cardiovascular and Tuberculosis Mortality: The Contrasting Effects of Changes in Two Causes of Death
Authors: White Kevin M.
Published: January 2004

Tuberculosis was the largest source of deaths among younger adults, and cardiovascular disease among older adults, in the America of 1900. Decreases in deaths from tuberculosis since 1900 and cardiovascular disease since 1940 explain most of the mortality drops in those age groups over the century. This article, building on previous work by White and Preston, shows the results of increased survival from these two causes on the US population structure. Standard demographic cause‐specific mortality calculations are used to generate life tables without deaths from cardiovascular disease or tuberculosis. Then fixed rates for these diseases from early in the century are assumed while all other causes of death are allowed to change as they did historically. Improvements in cardiovascular mortality and tuberculosis produce some seemingly illogical contrasts. More people are alive today because of the decrease in tuberculosis. Yet more deaths from cardiovascular disease have been prevented, and cardiovascular improvements have raised life expectancy more. Lower tuberculosis mortality had virtually no effect on the average age of the population. Lower cardiovascular mortality alone has raised that average more than all twentieth‐century causes of improved mortality combined.
International Migration at the Dawn of the Twenty‐First Century: The Role of the State
Authors: Massey Douglas S.
Published: January 2004

This note reviews recent theoretical and empirical work on the determinants and efficacy of state immigration policies to draw conclusions about the future direction of policy regimes throughout the globe and their likely effects. An age of increasingly restrictive immigration policies is emerging, but it is still unclear how effective these policies will be in controlling the volume and composition of international migration. States can be located along a continuum of efficacy with respect to the imposition of restrictive policies. Unfortunately virtually all research done to date has focused on the effectiveness of restrictive policies in major immigrant‐receiving developed countries. More research needs to be done to determine just how effective restrictive immigration policies can be under varying degrees of state capacity.
India's Falling Sex Ratios
Authors: Mayer Peter
Published: January 2004

The proportion of females in India's population, low compared to other countries, reached its lowest level this century in the 1991 census. India's low sex ratios—defined here as the number of females relative to the number of males—have been scrutinized for well over a century. The persistent decline in the twentieth century has been the subject of renewed investigation and critical comment over the past two decades. While many explanations for the decline have been offered, almost without exception these have not addressed the causes of the nearly continuous fall observed since 1901. Several possible long‐term changes are investigated in this note. The author argues that India's declining sex ratio is primarily an artifact of the dynamics of India's population growth.
Unraveling the Enigma of the Russian Mortality Crisis: A Review Essay on Charles M. Becker and David Bloom (eds.), The Demographic Crisis in the Former Soviet Union*
Authors: McKee Martin
Published: January 2004

Richard Stone, Some British Empiricists in the Social Sciences, 1650–1900

Arup Maharatna, The Demography of Famines: An Indian Historical Perspective

Timothy W. Guinnane, The Vanishing Irish: Households, Migration, and the Rural Economy in Ireland, 1850–1914

Gail Kligman, The Politics of Duplicity: Controlling Reproduction in Ceausescu's Romania

Rosalind P. Petchesky and Karen Judd (Eds.), Negotiating Reproductive Rights: Women's Perspectives Across Countries and Cultures
SHORT REVIEWS
Authors: Bongaarts John , Durrani Valerie L. , Greenhalgh Susan , McNicoll Geoffrey
Published: January 2004

Books reviewed in this article:

Adele E. Clarke, Disciplining Reproduction: Modernity, American Life Sciences, and “the Problems of Sex”

Delia Davin, Internal Migration in Contemporary China

Anton Kuijsten, Henk de Gans, and Henk de Feijter (eds.) The Joy of Demography… and Other Disciplines: Essays in Honour of Dirk van de Kaa

William Petersen, Malthus: Founder of Modern Demography

Eric B. Ross, The Malthus Factor: Population, Poverty and Politics in Capitalist Development

Nicholas Van Hear, New Diasporas: The Mass Exodus, Dispersal and Regrouping of Migrant Communities

Thomas M. Wilson and Hastings Donnan (eds.), Border Identities: Nation and State at International Frontiers
Population Weights in the International Order
Authors: McNicoll Geoffrey
Published: January 2004

Relative population sizes play little part in the international system. A state's economic and military power is influenced by population size, but as one factor among many. Formal relations among states exclude population from consideration by the principle of sovereign equality. Three sources of possible change in this situation are explored, in which states would be “population‐weighted” to a greater degree than before. Convergence of productivity levels around the world, expected by many, would bring the economic and population rankings of states more into line. Some convergence is occurring, but selectively and for the most part quite slowly. Anticipation of its effect, however, influences the international order well in advance. A second source of change is the necessity to allocate among states the use of global commons, particularly the atmosphere as a sink for greenhouse gases. Acceptable remedies for this problem and perhaps for other global‐level threats are likely to involve at least in part a per capita allocation principle. And third, population weights will tend to be more prominent in futures in which states are less important—as envisaged, for example, in the more benign scenarios of global society.
Changing Food Production and Quality of Diet in India, 1947–98
Authors: Hopper Gordon R.
Published: January 2004

Systematic and critical evaluation, using food balance sheets, census population data, government surveys, food composition statistics, and estimates of the population's biological requirements, shows that the realized improvements in food supplies in India of the past five decades, while beneficial, have been insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of the average person in a population that grew from less than 350 million to nearly one billion during this period. The improvements also fall significantly short of meeting the needs of the clinically malnourished. Present per capita dietary energy intakes range from as high as 95 percent to as low as 50 percent of daily requirements. Additionally, comparison of past and present diets shows that as the composition of the diet has changed with time, its nutritional quality for many has deteriorated despite an apparent increase in overall food quantity. This has come about from changes in the production system that have emphasized wheat and rice crops at the expense of more nutritional pulses and coarse grains, and from widespread poverty that leaves high‐quality animal foods beyond the means of most.
The Delayed Western Fertility Decline: An Examination of English‐Speaking Countries
Authors: Caldwell John C.
Published: January 2004

Fertility decline began in English‐speaking countries 80 years later than in France even though per capita incomes in the former were higher and children were probably a net economic burden, at least for the middle classes. Explanations have included ignorance of contraception and the desire to keep women out of the workforce. This essay suggests that the reasons are to be found in the works of the moral reformers rather than in those of the neo‐Malthusians. The Victorian family was a construct made to meet the needs of industrializing countries. The marital relationship was believed to be in danger—and probably was in danger—from discussion of genital‐related contraception. The low demand for contraception meant that contraceptives remained crude and could not be discussed in most marriages. The problem would ultimately be overcome through further economic development together with educational and other social change. Nevertheless, the legitimation of marital discussion of birth control was not achieved until the subject was written about in the press and subsequently in birth control manuals sold on a much larger scale than before. This, in turn, changed the packaging and accessibility of contraceptives, making their discussion, acquisition, and use easier and a fertility decline possible.